The Treehouse

The grandkids have been after me since we moved into our house to build them a treehouse. So being the devoted Pops; I started the project last week with the layout for a 5 ft. X 8ft. treehouse which needed to be this big for all three children to have room to play. One of the hardest parts of building the house was climbing up the 7 ½ ft. ladder steps to get to the floor to add floorboards, and sides. Another good workout constructing this project was digging the 2 ft. deep holes the 4 X 4 post was set in; thank goodness for gym time.



I finally worked a trip in today to the Caney Fork between all the generations at the tailrace. The schedule on the website showed no generation from 8 AM to 1 PM. Surprise, surprise generators turned on at 11:30 disappointing a lot of fishermen. Lots of trout could be seen at every logical place I fished, telling me the tailrace had recently been stocked.

This stocker brown trout was one of many I brought to the net in the 2 hours I had to fish before high fast-moving water caused me to leave. When the horn sounds at this place indicating generation, you need to leave the water. Don’t wait to make that last cast. The midge was the hot fly the trout were taking during the short stay. I don’t like to fish tiny flies, but the size 20 and 22 got their attention.

When in Need of a Fishing Fix

It’s been weeks since I wet a fly mainly because of chores and my bi-annual sinus infection. Two of those are standard for me a year one in the spring and one in the fall, but this year I’ve added my second one since January, so I’m due for another in the fall.

 Enough of that; today I picked a state park to fish in Dickens, Tennessee, which is about an hour from where we live. Cathey and I had visited the park three weeks ago just to scout the place out.  While there I found what I was really looking for which was the clear spring-fed 40-acre lake beside the hotel and restaurant. The Park Ranger told me that not many people fished the lake because they just never caught many fish there. I knew then after that statement I would be back, so today I returned for my trail and error trip.

Since moving here last July I haven’t really found any lakes that can live up to where I fished in Alabama. Well, today I found one at Montgomery Bell State Park. I’ve been in need of a good fishing fix ever since we moved here; today I got the fix in the form of lots of bluegill all coming on top. All these fish had completed their first spawn cycle and was roaming the banks in search of food.

 The old Jerry Reed song kept coming to mind today “When you’re hot you’re hot” well I was hot and sweaty and the fly I was using was even hotter. I learn today like on previous bluegill trips if one fly pattern isn’t working then keep trying poppers and flies until you find something that does. The little fly that did it for me today was Mel’s Foam Krystal Beetle. He sent me three the other day. I left the lake today with one left in my fly box. The other two are still in two bluegills mouths and hopefully will come lose and both fish will survive to fight again. I think the fish thought it was a live beetle or a black cricket and they didn’t want it anywhere near them. They continually annihilated this little fly all afternoon. I was so impressed with the way it sits on the water high and realistic like. No movement was necessary, just a light touch on the water surface got the smacking sound, you guys are familiar with who bluegill fish.  Thanks, Mel for tying this fantastic little fly that made my trip today!!!---------oh forgot to mention I need more!! 

Very few bluegills had this little beetle on the outside of their mouth, this one was an exception---a ton of fun on the 2/3 weight!!!

Sorry for the poor quality image, but this is the way most all treated the beetle, in the throat and ready to shallow. I tried a couple small poppers, but the beetle outperformed those three to one----proving to me bluegills can be picky when it comes to surface flies.

This is one beautiful lake and I know I will visit this place many times before I hang the fly rod up.