Posts
[Update:]
I hate it when this happens...
Invasives: If you can't beat em... eat em...
photo via Wikipedia
A quote from a recent article via IPSNewsnet.com about increased Lionfish numbers off of the coast of Jamaica:
"Agriculture and Fisheries minister Christopher Tufton is already leading an aggressive public education campaign to get Jamaicans eating lionfish. Television programmes, videos of high-profile locals like Prime Minister Bruce Golding enjoying meals of lionfish, and some of the hotel industry's most decorated chefs preparing what Tufton describes as "good food" are broadcast regularly. Tufton believes that Jamaicans can eat their way out of the lionfish problem. "I believe the way to control the lionfish is to promote its consumption. We are going to bring in chefs who know how to prepare them and we are going to eat them," Tufton said at the start of the campaign."
No word yet on how they taste with a nice jerk sauce and a Red Stripe...
Boo! - Glow in the dark Thread
The latest addition to my fly tying bench is this spool of glow in the dark thread. I haven't tried it out yet but I can't help but think that using it to tie the head on a fly might give me an edge fishing in some of our local cedar waters or even an undercut bank on a trout stream.
"The Lost World of Mr. Hardy"
A new feature length film about classic tackle and the classic people who used it.
The Lost World of Mr Hardy - the beginning from Trufflepig Films on Vimeo.
Johno, you could do this...
Skate the Fly TV - Episode 3 Coach Duff from Dylan Rose on Vimeo.
An informative interview regarding the bone fish fishery in Hawaii.
Video is rated R for adult language.
Uptown Angler
If you are looking for a fly fishing guide in New Orleans and want to land a Redfish on a fly, you need to visit Uptown Angler.
2010 Bikini Ice Fishing Team
A fine group of hearty, warm hearted lasses have been recently selected.
Get the whole story, and see more, at Outdoor Life:
http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/fishing/2010/01/bikini-icefishing-10
Get the whole story, and see more, at Outdoor Life:
http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/fishing/2010/01/bikini-icefishing-10
Friday Bacon!
In our never ending quest to find timely bacon related bits, I humbly present Bacon Halloween Costumes.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN !
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| Some creative ideas. |
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| One for your significant other. |
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| A fine costume for any Minion. |
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| One for the little ones in your life. |
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| This one pairs very nicely with the Minion preferred ensemble. |
Get Your Own VFG Sticker
To get your own, click the the PayPal Buy Now button at the top of the blog page and we'll get you your sticker in 5 to 7 days. We'll see you on the water!
The Little Avon with BIG potential.
As a youngster, there was a river I used to peer into and watch the trout feeding below a bridge. A couple of decades on, and I finally fished it... but with a fly rod in search of grayling. My thanks to my host, Peter Anderson for his kind invitation to sample an absolute jewel of a stream in South Gloucestershire.
We started the day with a quick look at the water. Nicely coloured and at a good level, prospects were good. It was pretty mild, but there was a brisk breeze. Peter kindly let me fish the first beat, and with a couple of casts, trundling a cased caddis through the runs, I connected with a fish.
A couple more takes followed, although keeping on the hook was somewhat easier said than done. The fish were very forgiving of our presence and even with the shorter rod, short lne nymphing was perfectly possible. Despite some fantastic looking water though, the fish were not fully playing the game. We were having to scratch a little.
Perfect to look at, this run suprisingly didn't deliver:
We split for the latter half of the day, and I picked my way through some lovely looking water, this time with the 10' #4 rod. This gave me the perfect control. A few fish obliged; changing to two flies helped: a cased caddis and a shrimp pattern.
Look at the tail (paddle!) on this beauty:
After a few more takes (and a few more lost fish...) I found a few rising grayling. With initially little sign of fly activity, it was a #20 CDC Shuttlecock that brought the fish up - and some great rises too, watching the fish appear from the depths and assault the fly!
It soon becamce apparent that there were a few spinners about - checking the spiders' webs can be a superb way of identifying the hatches.
A crumpled Pale Watery spinner. Note the length of the tails:
Pale Watery (Baetis Fuscatis spinners were evident. However, these spinners crawl down into the water to lay there eggs, meaning a well presented spider pattern is often what is called for. However, perhaps for another day.
Peter had caught some superb fish and certainly knows his way around this little stream. And what potential it has.
Some handsome grayling for Peter:
A good sized, out-of-season Brown for Peter, carefully released in the water:
~Dave
Done
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| Happy Campers |
As we approached the slough in the darkness wave after wave of Mallards took off to feed, we quickly set up then hid in the grass and waited .
The Mallards came in , singles , pairs and larger groups they all wanted to get back to the only open water for miles.For the four of us the shoot was amazing ,picking Green Heads out of the flights and either dropping or missing them .Tish did an outstanding job on the retrieves ,crashing thru the ice to get to the birds ,we did an okay job on putting birds on the ground ..32 ducks in 1 hour not bad .
I was shooting my 12 gauge Superposed ,Tungsten loads worked well , the Bismuth sucked and I was glad I had the right clothing as the air temp. was frigid.
Back at camp we were all giddy with the way the shoot went off , hoping that we could repeat the performance this morning but that was not in the cards as all the water is frozen and the Waterfowl are heading south ... and so am I.
Thanks ot all that made it up to Bird Camp , we will see you next year .
2010: End of Season Report
The October salmon fishing at the Arundell Arms broke all existing records. After a summer dogged by consistent low flows, occasionally broken by small, short lived and very coloured spates, heavy rain in the first few days of October gave a 4 foot flood, followed shortly by a 7 foot flood. As this water fell and cleared, the Tamar system simply filled up with salmon, to give excellent sport here at Lifton, sadly only for the very last few days of the season. Some fish were coloured, and had obviously been holding on the lower beats, but others were still silver. The October catch of 42 salmon is a record for the 14 days in which we can fish, 27 of which came in a week, also a record. The other records which tumbled were the most fish taken in one day, 11 fish, plus another from one of our rods on the lower Tamar, and the record for the most fish to one rod in a day, 6 salmon for the now tediously fish-magnetic Gerald Spiers.
Individual catches are too numerous to mention, but ‘first fish’ were taken by Jacqueline Cork ( 10 lbs, Bottom Beat, River Lyd), David Rail (6 lbs, Beat 8A, River Tamar), 9-year–old Dan Barnard (6 lbs, Beat 7B, River Tamar), Mike Haines (10 lbs, Beat 7A, River Tamar), Dennis Mitchell (10 lbs, Beat 7A, River Tamar), Julia Tweedie (5 lbs, Beat 7B, River Tamar), and J. Crockett (5 lbs, Beat 8B, River Tamar). Spinning was the order of the day in the initially very high and coloured water, but as levels settled many fish also fell to the fly, topped by the best fish of the season, a fine 13 lb hen fish for David Pilkington in Ash Tree Pool on Tamar Beat 7A, which took a small orange bottle tube fished on a floating line. This fish has gone to Endsleigh hatchery for broodstock. Of the 42 October salmon, only 2 were kept, making the season salmon total for the Arundell Arms 54 fish, with only 3 killed for the year. In addition, our rods also caught 6 fish on our Endsleigh beat, and another 6 on the lower Tamar.
The trout and sea trout fishing, which all finished at the end of September, were also pretty good. The sea trout total of 252 is only one fish less than last year, and well above average. Best sea trout was estimated at 6 lbs, by Alexander Jones, and came on fly at night from the weir pool on Beat 3 of the River Lyd. Sea trout catches would have been better still if we had enjoyed some higher water at some time in the peak season, as very heavy runs of sea trout were entering the lower river, but became stuck in dead low flows. Figures from the fish counter at Gunnislake weir for both salmon and sea trout this season are well above average.
Brown trout fishing was good, particularly in May and June, becoming harder work in the very low water of high summer. Some of the June catches were impressive, with almost a thousand fish for the month. Many rods landed up to 30 trout in a day, some of these fish being 12 inches in length. A monster brown trout was caught and released by Graham Bray while night sea trout fishing above Hartley weir on Beat 3 of the Lyd. This fish, a hen in superb condition, was estimated at 3 pounds, our biggest river brownie since 1969. The 2010 trout total of 2,553 is one of our best catches for many years, and an encouraging indication of the healthy state of the wild fish stocks.
60 grayling were also caught during this year, several of the best fish being one and a half pounds in weight, and some much bigger grayling seen during daylight sea trout reconnaissance on the Lyd beats.
Individual catches are too numerous to mention, but ‘first fish’ were taken by Jacqueline Cork ( 10 lbs, Bottom Beat, River Lyd), David Rail (6 lbs, Beat 8A, River Tamar), 9-year–old Dan Barnard (6 lbs, Beat 7B, River Tamar), Mike Haines (10 lbs, Beat 7A, River Tamar), Dennis Mitchell (10 lbs, Beat 7A, River Tamar), Julia Tweedie (5 lbs, Beat 7B, River Tamar), and J. Crockett (5 lbs, Beat 8B, River Tamar). Spinning was the order of the day in the initially very high and coloured water, but as levels settled many fish also fell to the fly, topped by the best fish of the season, a fine 13 lb hen fish for David Pilkington in Ash Tree Pool on Tamar Beat 7A, which took a small orange bottle tube fished on a floating line. This fish has gone to Endsleigh hatchery for broodstock. Of the 42 October salmon, only 2 were kept, making the season salmon total for the Arundell Arms 54 fish, with only 3 killed for the year. In addition, our rods also caught 6 fish on our Endsleigh beat, and another 6 on the lower Tamar.
The trout and sea trout fishing, which all finished at the end of September, were also pretty good. The sea trout total of 252 is only one fish less than last year, and well above average. Best sea trout was estimated at 6 lbs, by Alexander Jones, and came on fly at night from the weir pool on Beat 3 of the River Lyd. Sea trout catches would have been better still if we had enjoyed some higher water at some time in the peak season, as very heavy runs of sea trout were entering the lower river, but became stuck in dead low flows. Figures from the fish counter at Gunnislake weir for both salmon and sea trout this season are well above average.
Brown trout fishing was good, particularly in May and June, becoming harder work in the very low water of high summer. Some of the June catches were impressive, with almost a thousand fish for the month. Many rods landed up to 30 trout in a day, some of these fish being 12 inches in length. A monster brown trout was caught and released by Graham Bray while night sea trout fishing above Hartley weir on Beat 3 of the Lyd. This fish, a hen in superb condition, was estimated at 3 pounds, our biggest river brownie since 1969. The 2010 trout total of 2,553 is one of our best catches for many years, and an encouraging indication of the healthy state of the wild fish stocks.
60 grayling were also caught during this year, several of the best fish being one and a half pounds in weight, and some much bigger grayling seen during daylight sea trout reconnaissance on the Lyd beats.
Faced with a sunny and suprisingly warm day, it seemed an ideal opportunity to check out some new water - with some potential for winter grayling and perhaps a venue to introduce people to fishing small streams. As said in battle, 'Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted' and certainly it is true for visiting rivers too!
There were a few feeding fish, but with high banks and a following sunshine, getting close to see what they were was just not on the cards. Still, encouraging to see and gets the rod arm twitching for a imminent grayling venture on a new river... watch this space!
~Dave
There were a few feeding fish, but with high banks and a following sunshine, getting close to see what they were was just not on the cards. Still, encouraging to see and gets the rod arm twitching for a imminent grayling venture on a new river... watch this space!
~Dave
Cold Weather Dry Fly
So we've seen the first frosts of autumn / winter, but don't be in too much of a hurry to get the heavy-weight bugs out when targetting grayling. There's still a good chance of seeing Large Dark Olives (Baetis Rhodani) hatching and fish turning onto them, chasing the emerging nymphs and the dun.
For the emerger, you could do worse than trying the CDC Shuttlecock. Simple to tie and super-effective!
(Tied on a Partridge SLD #18)
When the duns are on the surface, floating down the current seams, the colder weather can sometimes mean they take a while before taking to the wing. Dun patterns worth a try include:
(Tied on a Partridge SLD #18)
(Tied on a Partridge SLD #16)
~Dave
For the emerger, you could do worse than trying the CDC Shuttlecock. Simple to tie and super-effective!
(Tied on a Partridge SLD #18)
When the duns are on the surface, floating down the current seams, the colder weather can sometimes mean they take a while before taking to the wing. Dun patterns worth a try include:
(Tied on a Partridge SLD #18)
(Tied on a Partridge SLD #16)
~Dave
Quote of the Week: Catch and Release
We have been slammed workwise lately but couldn't help sharing this quote from Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
“Catch and release is good for world class trout fisheries like the Provo River, but using this philosophy to stop deporting drug offenders, spouse abusers and sexual deviants and putting these illegal aliens back on our streets and in our neighborhoods is simply inexcusable,” Hatch said, explaining why he and Senate colleagues sent the Oct. 20, 2010, letter to Napolitano.
It's rare to see trout fishing and sexual deviants in the same quote...well maybe not so much...
Maine Saltwater Fishing Charters, Guided Trips & Reports 2010: Super Fly Charters
October 24th, 2010 trip report. After a long, productive and very fun season, the Striped Bass have all but left Maine waters...But hey...that doesn't have to mean that our saltwater fishing season has to end...Case in point was our groundfishing trip yesterday. Chris Oliver & John Coppola met me at the dock at 6:30 am...the air temp was chilly, in the low 30's, but we were dressed for the conditions....After going through my safety check list, We cast off our lines, left the dock and blasted down the St. George river at a brisk 30knot clip...we soon cleared the mouth of the river and left the Georges islands behind us as we headed across Muscongus Bay on flat ass calm seas, bound for some ledges ESE of Monhegan island. After a 40 minute run from the dock we arrived on the numbers and got set to drop our jigs into the depths below us...Chris was armed with a Shimano 
Stella 10000, Trevala butterfly jigging combo as well as an Avet lever drag reel on a butterfly jigging rod...attached to his leaders were 10 oz. Williamson vortex jig and teaser rig...John was set up with a Shimano Stradic 8000, Trevala butterfly jigging combo...John was using the standard 8-12 oz diamond jig with teaser rig...My rig was a Daiwa Saltiga 30 conventional reel mounted to a nomad travel rod with a diamond jig teaser rig...All the tackle that we used is not the traditional broomstick gear commonly associated with bottom fishing, rather we use very sensitive & lightweight yet extremely powerful graphite rods that are a joy to use for hours on end...the ultrathin braided superlines loaded on our high speed reels allow us to feel the lightest of bites even in depths of several hundred feet!!!...Our first drop was in about 90 feet of water...As soon as our jigs hit bottom they are hammered immediately and all three of our rods are thumping with the weight of nice fat 8-10 pound keeper sized cod...This action would continue for several hours as we methodically worked the structure below...often our jigs would get nailed on the drop so it was important to keep a watchful eye on the line as the jigs rocketed toward the bottom...if the line stopped moving, it was because a cod had slammed the jig on the fall...when this happened, we quickly engage the drag and set the hook on the fish...most of our strikes came on the jig itself but many hits were on the teaser, we even had some doubles where we caught cod on both the jig and teaser. Along with the dozens of cod that we caught we also caught Pollock, Acadian Redfish and a few other rockfish species...At the end of the day everyone went home with some nice filet's and some sore arms to show for it
Maine Saltwater Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
Stella 10000, Trevala butterfly jigging combo as well as an Avet lever drag reel on a butterfly jigging rod...attached to his leaders were 10 oz. Williamson vortex jig and teaser rig...John was set up with a Shimano Stradic 8000, Trevala butterfly jigging combo...John was using the standard 8-12 oz diamond jig with teaser rig...My rig was a Daiwa Saltiga 30 conventional reel mounted to a nomad travel rod with a diamond jig teaser rig...All the tackle that we used is not the traditional broomstick gear commonly associated with bottom fishing, rather we use very sensitive & lightweight yet extremely powerful graphite rods that are a joy to use for hours on end...the ultrathin braided superlines loaded on our high speed reels allow us to feel the lightest of bites even in depths of several hundred feet!!!...Our first drop was in about 90 feet of water...As soon as our jigs hit bottom they are hammered immediately and all three of our rods are thumping with the weight of nice fat 8-10 pound keeper sized cod...This action would continue for several hours as we methodically worked the structure below...often our jigs would get nailed on the drop so it was important to keep a watchful eye on the line as the jigs rocketed toward the bottom...if the line stopped moving, it was because a cod had slammed the jig on the fall...when this happened, we quickly engage the drag and set the hook on the fish...most of our strikes came on the jig itself but many hits were on the teaser, we even had some doubles where we caught cod on both the jig and teaser. Along with the dozens of cod that we caught we also caught Pollock, Acadian Redfish and a few other rockfish species...At the end of the day everyone went home with some nice filet's and some sore arms to show for itMaine Saltwater Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
Well this has to be the longest time lapse between posts since I started the blog! So my apologies!
The end of the trout season has come and gone and thoughts start to turn to the prospect of some grayling. Certainly there are a few dates on the callender already (one in just a few days...).
It's been a great season, although I have made it out far less than I had planned (will that ever change?). The most memorable trip for me this past year was a visit to the Derbyshire Wye.
A cracking wild rainbow, and my 'fish of the season':
Dave Smith lands a magnificent grayling:
I've also had some great fun targetting fish with the 10' #4 rod and small nymphs and dries this year:
The British Fly Fair International just seems to have crept up this year and I sit here typing with less than a week to go before it begins. I truly think it the best of all the shows and well worth a visit - as indicated by the good number of international tyers, and indeed visitors, that make the effort for the 2-day event.
I'm looking forward to catching up with many friends and being amazed by the wealth of skill and talent on show. If you are visiting, please come over and say 'Hi'. Not only is the show an exhibition of great tying, there is also the opportunity check out some fantastic tackle. This year, for the first time, Mark Leggett will be present at the the show with the Alternative Tackle Company. With quite a specialist range of rods and reels, it'll be sweet shop time.
Check out the site and make sure, if you're at the show, you check the stand out.
~Dave
The end of the trout season has come and gone and thoughts start to turn to the prospect of some grayling. Certainly there are a few dates on the callender already (one in just a few days...).
It's been a great season, although I have made it out far less than I had planned (will that ever change?). The most memorable trip for me this past year was a visit to the Derbyshire Wye.
A cracking wild rainbow, and my 'fish of the season':
Dave Smith lands a magnificent grayling:
I've also had some great fun targetting fish with the 10' #4 rod and small nymphs and dries this year:
The British Fly Fair International just seems to have crept up this year and I sit here typing with less than a week to go before it begins. I truly think it the best of all the shows and well worth a visit - as indicated by the good number of international tyers, and indeed visitors, that make the effort for the 2-day event.
I'm looking forward to catching up with many friends and being amazed by the wealth of skill and talent on show. If you are visiting, please come over and say 'Hi'. Not only is the show an exhibition of great tying, there is also the opportunity check out some fantastic tackle. This year, for the first time, Mark Leggett will be present at the the show with the Alternative Tackle Company. With quite a specialist range of rods and reels, it'll be sweet shop time.
Check out the site and make sure, if you're at the show, you check the stand out.
~Dave
Fly Tying Contest
The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show, Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited and Bass Pro Shops of Harrisburg will sponsor the Pennsylvania State Fly Tying Championship on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 at the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show at the State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. The fly-tying competition will begin at 11 a.m. in the Fishing Experience section.
Contestants will compete in one of three divisions: Youth, Amateur and Open. Trophies will be awarded for the top three finishers in each category. In addition, the winning contestant in the Open Division will receive at least $100 courtesy of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Prizes for the Youth and Amateur Divisions are being provided by Bass Pro Shop of Harrisburg.
Pre-qualification is required for each division. Entrants are required to submit three flies, along with their application to be pre-judged. The top five contestants in each category will then be selected to attend the final event at the sport show. Entrants for the Open Division will also be required to submit a $20 non-refundable fee. All applications and flies must be postmarked no later than Jan. 15, 2011.
Mail all entries to:
CVTU Fly Tying Contest
P.O. Box 520
Carlisle, PA 17013
At the show the finalists will be required to tie three flies, two which they will know ahead of time and a third mystery fly. The contestants will be required to provide their own tools and materials.
For information, a complete set of rules, flies to be submitted for pre-judging and an application visit:
http://cvtu.homestead.com or http://www.easternsportshow.com
Contestants will compete in one of three divisions: Youth, Amateur and Open. Trophies will be awarded for the top three finishers in each category. In addition, the winning contestant in the Open Division will receive at least $100 courtesy of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Prizes for the Youth and Amateur Divisions are being provided by Bass Pro Shop of Harrisburg.
Pre-qualification is required for each division. Entrants are required to submit three flies, along with their application to be pre-judged. The top five contestants in each category will then be selected to attend the final event at the sport show. Entrants for the Open Division will also be required to submit a $20 non-refundable fee. All applications and flies must be postmarked no later than Jan. 15, 2011.
Mail all entries to:
CVTU Fly Tying Contest
P.O. Box 520
Carlisle, PA 17013
At the show the finalists will be required to tie three flies, two which they will know ahead of time and a third mystery fly. The contestants will be required to provide their own tools and materials.
For information, a complete set of rules, flies to be submitted for pre-judging and an application visit:
http://cvtu.homestead.com or http://www.easternsportshow.com
when in rome on a bass boat
When a fly fisherman is standing on a really nice bass boat besides a damn good bass fisherman who is catching fish after fish, there is potential for that fly fisherman to feel a little silly as he tries to explains that the cold is the reason his sinking line is so tangled. It is a chilly morning and the fly fisherman is glad he stuffed a pair of socks into his cargo pocket before heading out.
A bass fisherman doesn't understand when people who aren't catching fish say they are just happy to "be out," and the fly fisherman doesn't either. When you get picked up at 3am and are standing on the dock before the sun's even scratched his balls and had his morning coffee, you better catch a damn fish.
The bass fisherman nods toward the popper on the fly rod. "I can't believe something didn't eat that bug," he says as he slams the steel home into the lip of some weed-hidden fish, swinging it into the boat and tossing it back in the blink of an eye.
"That minnow looks great, I am surprised nothing has hit that thing," the bass fisherman says to the fly guy as his spinner bait entices another bite and the braided line takes little time to convince the fish that he might as well give up.
"Toss that thing right in there, see? Right where the tules meet the bank, there is always a fish in there." The bass fisherman says, and the fly fisherman does and sets the hook as the weed guard is pushed to the side and the hook passes through the soft flesh of a bass's lip. "Alright! See? That was worth getting up at 3am, right?" But you have to go to sleep to technically have 'gotten up', the fly fisherman thinks.
The cool morning air passes through the their hair as the 225-horse Mercury shoots the Black Hornet across the lake at speeds to make anyone used to rowing a pontoon quiver with shake his head in astonishment. There ain't no trollin' a bugger when you can get to spot "B" from spot "A" at 56 miles per hour.
"The number one rule when fishing in a high performance bass boat is to make sure the trolling motor is up before you take off," the bass fisherman says. "That, and to make sure there is nothing sitting out on the deck that will blow away." The fly fisherman thinks for a moment then looks around realizing that his Stripee is no longer sitting on the back deck when he left it.
The Black Hornet pushes on.
The fly fisherman sits on the back deck looking at the little mono loops tightly wrapped and glued around the end of the fly line, the other 6 feet of leader slowly sinking to the base of the submerged tree that defied the weed guard on his diamond hair minnow. It has been nearly four hours and the fly fisherman thinks about the numbers. He may or may not have another bass leader pre-tied. He may or may not have a minnow that looks as good as the one he lost. He may or may not have asked the bass fisherman if he could throw that spinner bait for a while. He may or may not have stuck a bass on that spinner bait. He may or may not feel one way or another about it.
A bass fisherman doesn't understand when people who aren't catching fish say they are just happy to "be out," and the fly fisherman doesn't either. When you get picked up at 3am and are standing on the dock before the sun's even scratched his balls and had his morning coffee, you better catch a damn fish.
The bass fisherman nods toward the popper on the fly rod. "I can't believe something didn't eat that bug," he says as he slams the steel home into the lip of some weed-hidden fish, swinging it into the boat and tossing it back in the blink of an eye.
"That minnow looks great, I am surprised nothing has hit that thing," the bass fisherman says to the fly guy as his spinner bait entices another bite and the braided line takes little time to convince the fish that he might as well give up.
"Toss that thing right in there, see? Right where the tules meet the bank, there is always a fish in there." The bass fisherman says, and the fly fisherman does and sets the hook as the weed guard is pushed to the side and the hook passes through the soft flesh of a bass's lip. "Alright! See? That was worth getting up at 3am, right?" But you have to go to sleep to technically have 'gotten up', the fly fisherman thinks.
The cool morning air passes through the their hair as the 225-horse Mercury shoots the Black Hornet across the lake at speeds to make anyone used to rowing a pontoon quiver with shake his head in astonishment. There ain't no trollin' a bugger when you can get to spot "B" from spot "A" at 56 miles per hour.
"The number one rule when fishing in a high performance bass boat is to make sure the trolling motor is up before you take off," the bass fisherman says. "That, and to make sure there is nothing sitting out on the deck that will blow away." The fly fisherman thinks for a moment then looks around realizing that his Stripee is no longer sitting on the back deck when he left it.
The Black Hornet pushes on.
The fly fisherman sits on the back deck looking at the little mono loops tightly wrapped and glued around the end of the fly line, the other 6 feet of leader slowly sinking to the base of the submerged tree that defied the weed guard on his diamond hair minnow. It has been nearly four hours and the fly fisherman thinks about the numbers. He may or may not have another bass leader pre-tied. He may or may not have a minnow that looks as good as the one he lost. He may or may not have asked the bass fisherman if he could throw that spinner bait for a while. He may or may not have stuck a bass on that spinner bait. He may or may not feel one way or another about it.
Theme Song...
Take note of the song he is humming at the beginning of the commercial and also the background music during the rest of the donut run. Holy awesomeness!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX5rwqgIcAo
The most important things happen during and immediately after the playing of the Valkyries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX5rwqgIcAo
The most important things happen during and immediately after the playing of the Valkyries.
Friday Bacon!
Ask not why I've brought back the legendary Friday Bacon! weekly posting, ask why not.
First, a little something to keep all of your bacon related photos and files securely stored and easily transportable. I give you the bacon USB drive!
And a cultural statement popular with the ladies from the 'Tang. Presenting the hog stamp!
Happy Friday!
First, a little something to keep all of your bacon related photos and files securely stored and easily transportable. I give you the bacon USB drive!
Happy Friday!
Regal Vise Deal
Trout Unlimited's annual "gear liquidation" includes a fantastic deal on a Regal vise with a custom T.U. bronze pedestal base.
Only $175.00 a $10 discount from what I paid for mine nearly 20 years ago.
Get 'em while you can @ http://www.tu.org/donate/liquidation-campaign/flies-fly-tying
Only $175.00 a $10 discount from what I paid for mine nearly 20 years ago.
Get 'em while you can @ http://www.tu.org/donate/liquidation-campaign/flies-fly-tying
Points on Pointers
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| Buddy pointing Mearns Quail in AZ |
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| Spot backs Cruz on a Covey of Huns |
The first Pointer that joined my team of Britts was Ted , who came to me via a Field Trailer that deemed Ted would make a good Bird Dog but was not going to cut it as an All Age Trail Dog which he was seeking,Ted is a full on Miller Pointer who at age 5 has had a ton of wild bird experience ,but what really "sold" me on the English Pointer Breed was how early Ted turned on , at nine months he was on the A-Team ,clients could not believe a puppy was finding and pointing the amount of Birds that he was .
As much as I love my Britts I needed dogs with more bottom end than the Brittany breed has to offer ,and with my move to Arizona I needed low maintenance (minimal grooming) dogs and with all due respect to the Brittany crowd , there is nothing like covering an English Pointer point ,Setter fans may argue that a Setter is prettier because of the way the wind moves the feathers in the tail ,I am not after pretty I want intensity which the English Pointers has hands down.
Some of the myths about Pointers ( from people that don't own Pointers ) is that they don't make good house dogs, they run past their birds and that they don't retrieve.
We have 3 English Pointers in the house ,we would have more but there are already 4 other house dogs plus the Cat.Pointers like any breed if properly socialized respond well to it , and lap up affection.Most of my pointers will retrieve however they are not Labs nor do i expect them to be ,and contrary to the comment about running past birds Pointers get to the Birds quicker , probably one of the reasons why they win so many field trails , some Pointers may not be great "singles " dogs but because I run dogs in braces I will run a big running dog with a closer working dog so finding singles is not an issue.
Training wise ,Pointers generally are soft dogs and you need to get things right with them sooner than later , otherwise it seems to hard to "go back" with them. It seems if training is fun they respond well ,If a lot of pressure it put on them they don't ,so all training situations are geared for the dog to succeed .
The big advantage with Pointers is that the prey drive and hunting desire to please is there at an early age ,all one has to do is bring that out via exposure to birds and pointing and backing should fall into place .Breaking Pointers is also easy as they seem to be naturally staunch to begin with.I break my dogs by discouraging them not to chase birds , that's it ,and although they are not Field Trail broke
they will hold point until the flush and shot ,for the most part most will not chase birds (except for the dogs 2 years and under) for me breaking is a safety issue not a milestone of a well trained dog.
If you are looking for a great Bird Dog that gets it done you may want to consider an English Pointer ,they are tough but biddable ,hard working and make great Family Dogs so don't sell yourself short get a Pointer.
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| Ted ,a Miller line Pointer enjoys hanging out with clients |
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| Spot with a Hun |
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| Okie on point ,it does not get any better than this |
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| Sam pointing Huns |
Ninja fishing, without the fear of getting caught
Our buddy Jeff Witkowski (Happy birthday) and I went out for a little fly fishing in a area where old Divorced looking women like to harass us, But this time she couldn't, we were fishing without the trespassing!
Jeff likes Fly fishing, Jeff tried fly fishing, and Jeff succeeded!
On a few flies I tied today, Jeff manages to pull his first bass on a fly rod, Oh and it was hit first cast of the day, a nice 2.5lb bucket. Didn't manage to get a photo of it, he was more interested in the release and fight of another.
My main goal today was to catch the 30 or 40 lb. carp I saw the last time Jeff and I went fishing here. I carefully snuck up to overhanging mesquite trees that I know I have spooked carp out from before. First tree, nothing, not even
a mud swirl. I take a close gander from the distance of another three who's leaves are slowly dropping in the lake from the slight gusts of wind. Trying to avoid the scattered mesquite pods that litter the ground, like a fat ninja, I almost step on a dried old bass head. That would have made a big crunch, barely avoiding it I see a swirl near a couple pods in the water. Finally a carp! Thinking that its not as big as my goal, I take my cottonwood seed fly and cast to it anyway. A quick false cast across my body I land the fly about a foot and a half in front of the swirl. I thought to myself "Perfect!" A fish hits it right away I set the hook and I loosen the drag on my Airflo reel preparing for a big fight. Damn its a tiny bass. 
Don't eat my carp fly little guyThe day goes on for me trying to spot carp, I see none, at all. So I decide to pack up the carp gear and hit up the bass a bit more. So fishing for Jeff's birthday and us hitting quite a few small bass, I think it was a great day!