Who Started You Fishing

I have often said that I've never been bored one minute since I retired. I am so thankful my Dad taught me and my brothers how to fish and hunt at an early age. Most individuals who fish or hunt all started as youngsters. I often wonder why some of my friends, neighbors or other retirees don't fish. The answer could be the parents weren't interested in fishing so the children never developed an interest. Most children become involved in what the parents is interested in when growing up. That could be hunting, fishing, sports, or any other activity. I know my two grandsons are interested in motorcycles because of their Dad's interest in riding motorcycles. They are also interested in fly fishing because their Dad and Pops fly fish, so you see the comparison.
I have taught numerous individuals how to fish using casting gear or ultralight gear in my lifetime. Those individuals were all adults. I even taught a few how to fly fish in the short 12 years I've been casting the fly rod. All these individuals had never fished before and are still fishing today. One doesn't have to spend a great deal of money on fishing equipment to catch fish. Live bait paired with a spin-cast or spinning reel will get results on almost all water in the U.S. Live bait such as crickets, grasshoppers, and redworms started many of us on our fishing journey. Hopefully, that journey will continue for all of us for many years to come.
Most of you know that I like woodworking not as much as fishing but a close second. The love of woodworking steered me towards becoming an Industrial Teacher. I spent 35 years in the teaching profession before I retired in 2008. I really enjoyed teaching Industrial Arts because I came in contact with some great students who were interested in building small pieces of furniture to larger pieces such as gun cabinets, tables, and desks. I seldom encountered problem students in those 35 years of teaching, because they enjoyed the class as much as I did teaching them. 

Popper Color Makes a Difference

This past week has been hectic, with no fishing, blogging, or gym time. The movers worked Monday and Tuesday moving us into our new home. The rest of the week was spent unpacking boxes and trying to get the house in order. We had furniture in the rent house where we were living, Jason's storage unit and our storage unit. I hope my wife and I never make another move ever!
Jason and I did had a few hours yesterday to fish Walker Lake before he flies back to Sacramento Monday. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.

The white Betts Popper was the hot fly on this outing; Jason had only one of the poppers and was not about to share with Dad! He landed two to my one for the afternoon. 

Flexing the 2 wt. 

Could it be the top and bottom of the red dot and the white color that got the bluegills' attention??

The finished house to the point where we could move in. No landscaping until we get more dry weather; we're just glad to be in the house and life getting close to normal. 

The IM10 Nymphing Fly Rod

The IM10 Fly Rod is probably the closest I will ever get to fishing with a Tenkara Fly Rod. The IM10 is a medium-fast action 10 foot, 3/4 weight, four-piece nymphing fly rod. It weighs in at a light 3 ounces. I seldom order a fly rod online but I took a chance on this one from Ebay because of the reviews, which were all positive. While fishing last spring and summer on the Sipsey I notice I needed a little more reach when nymphing the smaller pocket holes; my 9 foot Sreamflex just wasn't getting me the extra reach. 
This fly rod not only gives me the chance to nymph small areas easier but I have the option to use it for casting beyond tight nymphing areas. 

The quality on this fly rod is amazing, even down to the rod tube, alignment blank indicators, name tag insert, embossed fly pattern, extra rod tip blank, and the beautifully designed reel seat.

I couldn't wait to get out on the water and give it a test trail. It was an incredible 80 degrees in Jasper on Thursday so fly fishing was my top priority. With my 10 ft. Pelican loaded and my 10 ft. IM10, I started my bluegill quest on Walker County Lake. Everything was positive on this outing but the wind, which was horrendous at times even to point of water splashing into the boat. I had to cross the lake in whitecap conditions. So glad I had the battery fully charged, which was not the case when I left the lake. 

Now to the rod review; the first thing I noticed was how easy it loaded the 3 wt. Orvis Clearwater Line paired with my Battenkill II reel. I was even more impressed with how fast the line straightened out on the water surface as I completed the cast. The medium-fast taper action gave the right amount of bend action to make small bluegill seem larger. Yet it still has the power to handle much larger fish such as the spots on Smith Lake. I knew the extra length would give me a longer cast and it delivered. I will admit it took a little time to get used to the extra foot compared to my 7,8 and 9 ft. fly rods. By the end of the trip, the fly rod and I bonded nicely after landing a bunch of bluegill for the afternoon. 

Now the next test will be the Sipsey high sticking some of the pocket holes I like to fish there. 

Christmas 2018!!

Being with family and friends during this holiday season is what makes Christmas so special. I hope each of you has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

If one searches the internet you will find lots of fishing videos. Every once in awhile there are a few videos that really grabs your attention if you fly fish. The following video sums up why we love the sport so much!

Adjusting to Winter Fishing

My blogging takes a hit during the winter months, mainly because of the weather. I'm not a fan of cold weather and it's a good thing that I don't live in the colder regions of the U.S. My hats off to all you guys who brave the frigid temps to wet a hook.

The winters here in Alabama go through what I call the yo-yo effect; high temps for a couple of day verses extremely lows for a couple of days. On those warmer days is when I try to be on the water. I forget about those factors that may cause the fishing to be slow this time of year. I'm just glad to be enjoying the outdoors and sharpening my casting skills for the coming spring.

The Sipsey is getting a lot generation now due to the all the rain we are experiencing. Any trout that is released at the dam now is usually flushed miles down the Sipsey where a boat is needed to land a trout or two. The waters below the 69 bridge are too deep to wade and the banks are covered with trees and brush. When the generators are running the tailrace can rise 10 to 15 vertical feet in a matter of minutes, meaning lots water moving fast and furious down the tailrace. We are in the our third day of rain as I type this post meaning heavy generation for this next week. Three thousand rainbow is supposed to be released at the dam Thursday. I have a feeling most will be washed down stream, due to the heavy rains we are getting. The long range forecast for the deep south is living up to the projection, a wet winter!!

This may be my last trout to land on Walker County Lake until March 1st. The lake is always closed during the winter months. 

You never know what you'll land using the fly rod. Catfish are usually on or near the bottom of the the lake this time of year.  The Flashback Pheasant Tail was the fly that got the most attention. 

Reminising

Need I say more!!!!

Quality Rainbow Landed on The Sipsey

This time of year when one fishes the Sipsey they can expect high humidity which will produce heavy fog over its cool waters. I'll admit it adds beauty to the place but it also hinders one's ability to see a dry fly take. Sound most of the time is what you rely on to detect the hit. Fortunately, I was spared the blind dry fly take this morning because there were no rises in the area I was fishing. All the trout taken this morning would come from fishing a nymph.

This beauty was landed hovering close to the bottom, in fact, I was adjusting the depth of the indicator numerous times as I search for trout to take my offering. Getting a good drift was somewhat hard to achieve this morning because the release at the dam was slower than usual which gave a slower drift. I've found when the release is slow at the dam one needs to fish deeper for a take.

This trout displayed plenty of fight as it went airborne a number of times trying to throw the nymph. A trout tail walking along the water surface is water ballet at its best.

The two hours I had to fish this morning was very productive enabling me to land numerous trout this size. I'm having to plan ahead for the days I'm going to be fishing now because of the construction on the house has moved inside.

Notice the boots of another fly fisherman in the picture, he was willing to let me use his net to land this trout. Forgetting your net and leaving it at the truck is not being very organized. I lost 20 minutes of good fishing walking back to the truck and back to the tailrace to retrieve the net, hopefully, there's a lesson learned here.

 The net came in handy right after I got back on the water helping me land this colorful rainbow. It was good to take a break from the lake fishing and get to land some really quality trout!!

Waist or Chest Waders



As I get older I find there are a lot of things I tinker with that make my day and life easier. Fly fishing waders is one of those items I’ve played around with to make my day on the water a little more enjoyable. The first waders I fished with were some chest waders bought at Academy Sports years ago. They lasted me one year before the leaking started. Since then I’ve gone through numerous pairs of chest waders all from Cabelas.

Fishing the Caney Fork River three years ago convinced me that I needed to try some waist waders. It was a hot humid afternoon and I was melting in my chest waders fishing knee-deep in cool water. I never fish any deeper than knee-deep when wading; I’ve convinced myself that if there is a trout deep enough for me to wade into the water above waist-deep then it should be taken by someone else.

My solution to the heat that day was to convert my chest waders to waist waders, by letting the shoulder straps and upper portion of the waders hang below my waist belt. That helps cool me off quickly but the shoulder straps and the rest of the upper portion of the waders were so cumbersome that I kept loosening and tightening my waist belt all afternoon. I knew I had found a way to make my day on the tailrace more comfortable. The question for me that day had nothing to do with trout but what to do with the issue of belt-tightening concerning my newly found waist waders.

That Caney Fork trip that day convinced me I needed to purchase a pair of waist waders. I tried on my first pair of Cabala’s breathable premium waist waders the next week and liked them. The test now was to try them out that week on the Sipsey, wading in its 58-degree water even on the hottest days. Guess what, they met the test, with one exception I still had to pull at the waders most of the afternoon to keep them in a comfortable position around my waist. So, the problem was solved the next week when I was visiting our local Bass Pro Shop in Birmingham. I was on a mission to find some adjustable suspenders that I could clip onto my belt to keep my waders in place around my waist. I’m glad to report the Redhead Suspenders I found worked to perfection. Amazing how a little tinkering with items can make my fly fishing a little easier. I’m curious what’s your preference waist or chest wader? 

 

Back Problems

Talk about dreary days, Monday through today would make one think that we are on the verge of winter. Low sixties with steady rain from Irma has kept me inside still dealing with pain and thinking of spring fishing which is a long way off. 

I had an MRI this past Thursday which showed that I have Degenerative Disk Pain which I don't wish on anyone. I will meet with an Orthopedic Surgeon next Wednesday to give me some options on how to relieve the pain and hopefully avoid surgery. The one option I hope he suggests is the Epidural!!

In the meantime, I’ll stay in touch commenting on your blog post. ----------------By the way, been watching some really great movies lately while lying on the sofa; which is the most comfortable position I’ve found to deal with this ordeal-----check out Sharon Stone in “Running Wild”---- 5-star movie and worth every star!!     

The Betty Crocker of Fly Fishing

I wonder if you guys knew that all of us bloggers had a fantastic pastry chef in our blog community. I formed that opinion after I sampled some of The River Damsel’s fantastic cookies that arrived in the mail today. These are the chocolate chip variety big and thick that makes you want seconds, in fact, I down two after lunch. She also packed in a great read featuring Henry Winkler’s book, “I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River” which I will read while my back is on the mend. Emily’s thanks so much for the care package; this kind of generosity is why I enjoy blogging so much.

 I needed my spirits lifted today and Emily’s package helped with what I’ve been going through for the past two weeks; constant lower back pain in my right hip. I won’t bore all of you with the details but I’ve been seeing my MD, Chiropractor and Physical Therapist for the past two weeks and I’m still in pain daily. In fact, I’ve never experienced pain like this before in my life. The only relief I can get from the pain is lying flat on my back, which I do quite a bit. No fishing for me or anything else until I get back on my feet, which according to the Therapist could be weeks.

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day!!

Big Trout-Awesome Float Trip on The Caney

I spent early Sunday morning this past week on the best float trip I’ve ever experienced landing some of the largest browns and rainbow trout I’ve ever landed. My son-in-laws Dad, Ron made the trip with me which was his first fly fishing experience. David Perry, our guide had him casting in no time and on fish soon into the float. The fog was still on the water in places as we made our way down the banks using our 6 weights 9-foot fly rods.

A nice rainbow that give quite a fight on the 6 weight; this trout and the others I landed made up for the number I lost. Fish seem to always hit when the fisherman isn’t watching.

Ron with a quality brown!

After landing this brown I can honestly say that it put up more of a fight than the rainbow I landed earlier in the morning. I lost another brown in this size range because I wasn’t able to maneuver it away from the structure.

  The prize of the morning for me was this 22” brown, which was the largest trout I’ve ever landed. I was beyond happy from the look on my face! A big thank you to David for making this one of my most memorable trout fishing trips; I’m looking forward to our next outing!!

A Learning Curve---Plus Jason Landing Rainbow

My phone alarm went off at 5 AM and I was up and ready by 5:45 for my next fishing class on the Caney Fork. That’s what my trips are like every time I wet a fly on this beautiful tailrace now. I arrived at 7:30 suited up and made my way to some new areas on the river that I’ve not fished before. As usual, the fog was present with no surface activity at all. With expectations of landing stocker trout again today, I decided I would use my 3 wt. 9 ft. Streamflex.    

Any of you guys think the brown is more of a fighter than the rainbow and brook?

How I wish I could get my grass in my front yard to look this green----a trout supermarket for sure.

I’m still trying to break the 14” mark here and so far those size trout have eluded me. Fishing the Caney is going to take much more work on my part to equal the success I had on the Sipsey in Jasper Alabama.

Thought I would share some images of my son Jason who lives in Sacramento fishing from his new Hobie Kayak. Fuller Lake north of Sacramento is one of the mountain lakes he fishes there.

 One of the colorful rainbow he landed for the afternoon fishing Lake Fuller!!

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.

Fishing the Feather Light 2 Weight

For those of you who follow my blog know that I am a huge fan of Redington Fly rods; mainly because of their lightness and most important their purchase price. In my opinion, there isn’t a better quality fly rod for a reasonable price on the market than their classic series. I decided a few weeks ago to purchase their 2 weight Classic Trout mainly to fish some of the small streams in the Smokey Mountains.

 I found out last week that it matches well with the rainbow on the Sipsey Tailrace in Alabama. I knew I would be landing trout in the 10 to 12-inch range and the 7 ½ ft. moderate action graphic rod got quite a workout that afternoon. I found this 2 weight to be a bit more forgiving than my 3 or 4 weight fly rods I fish with. I was surprised with the degree of stiffness it had which helped it handled a couple 12” rainbow I landed that afternoon quite well. True I didn’t horse that size trout in quickly using it but with a bit of patience I brought both to hand. I did lose numerous trout that day mainly because of a hook set and slow reaction time. Fishing a lighter fly rod could have contributed to the hook set issue. I kept forgetting I wasn’t fishing with a moderate fast action fly rod. The rod proved what I already knew when it came to placement and presentation of the fly using a 6X tippet. As most of you know the lighter the fly touches the surface film the better chance for a take; this fly rod meets that test. The slight breeze that afternoon didn’t affect my casting but I could see problems in moderate or heavy winds.

A lot of the bluegill I have caught on Laura Hill Lake in Lawrenceburg is smaller than what I am used to landing, so this 2 weight will compliment those well. The total weight of the Redington 2/3 reel and the Redington rod weights less than 4.6 ounces; my kind of combo for sure!!

Making up for Lost Time

I can’t believe it’s been nearly seven months since I’ve fished from my Pelican boat. Too many things too mention have kept me off the water, with moving and relocating to a new town and house as being the major obstacle.

This past Wednesday was my day for me to relax and take in the beauty of Laura Hill Lake in Lawrenceburg. I spent the better part of five hours reacquainting myself with my Redington and exploring areas that I know will hold fish in the coming months. Simply put; it was good to just be back on the water after a long hiatus. 

Laura Hill is surrounded by rolling hills and numerous nooks loaded with subsurface fallen trees; which is the ultimate fish attractor. I got some strange looks today using the fly rod. The lake caretaker told me no one fished the lake with the fly rod. That bit of information really got my attention.

I landed numerous gills this size today; all were taken using the Barr Nunn popper around the fallen trees in water 55 degrees. The bigger bluegills were still in the deeper water and won’t move into the shallows until the water temps reach the low sixties. A good workout for the 3 wt. 9 ft. and the guy who was placing the popper!! 

Fishing McCutcheon Creek for Rainbow

Fishing McCutcheon Creek near our home in Spring Hill last week brought back memories of fishing some of the warm water streams in Mississippi years ago as a boy. Those early years found me using a cane pole and worms landing sunfish and catfish in a lot of the streams I fished there. Last week I was armed with my 3 weight Redington; ready to land a few stocker rainbows. I notice I was the only one using a fly rod. There were a lot of eager fishermen waiting with a spinning rod and reel ready to “clean plow” fishing the small stream. The majority of the 150 trout that were stocked on that Friday were all caught and taken home for a meal by the fishermen at the end of the day.

The trout were released in 2 to 3 ft. depths

Nothing like seeing the thrill  on a child's face once they land a fish

Colton with his first rainbow on the fly rod---congrats Colton on a job well done!!

Colton help me land numbers of rainbow this size, all were release for other kids to enjoy

Colton with his Dad Wesley after they landed this huge rainbow using the spinning reel and a crappie nibblet as bait. Colton's dad told me he had never fished for trout before. We watched it swim away after a hero shot.

Ken, the Hatchery director told me when they arrived that he bought 10 of these big fish for the young kids to land. What made me really sick was seeing 4 of these big trout in metal nets dead caught by adults. A lot of metal nets were filled with trout before I left for lunch. The practice of catch and release was not in place on this day!!! 

McCutcheon Creek

Cathey and I at Flintville Hatchery

Cathey and I recently spent an afternoon in the little community of Flintville Tennessee.  It’s an area in Tennessee with beautiful rolling hills, deep ravines, and small clear streams. All of the above characteristics in this little community contribute to one of the oldest fish hatcheries in the state of Tennessee. Numerous clear springs are located at the bottom of the ravines, which provide the cold water to keep all the rainbow trout alive in the Flintville Trout Hatchery. The director told us that the water is harness from nine springs and pumped through the indoor tanks and outdoor concrete trays. The indoor tanks whole the smaller trout from ¾” to 3” fingerlings: while 300 yards of concrete trays 6 ft. wide 2 to 3 ft. deep outdoors house the largest trout. The outdoor trout range from 4” to 12” in size. Once the trout reach the 12” size then they are transferred to Tim’s Ford tailrace and warm water streams in a 100-mile radius of the hatchery. There are numerous warm water streams in middle Tennessee that receive rainbow trout during the months of December, January, February, and March. During those months the water temp is cold enough to sustain life for the hundreds of rainbow that are release in the streams. Very few trout survive after April once the water temps move into the upper 60’s. In fact, most are caught before the temperature takes a toll on them.

  This is my second trip to a fish hatchery and today’s visit was the better of the two. The director made the visit very informative and interesting during the hour tour. I am sure most of you have toured a hatchery before, but for those of you who haven’t, it is worth the time spent. 

Numerous indoor tanks containing the smaller rainbow

Sorry for the reflection--thousands of tiny rainbow, most still have the egg yoke attach to their stomach--these tiny trout will be twelve inches in a year

Quite a find, a smaller tank inside with albino trout

Yards of outdoor concrete trays containing larger trout--a lot of these trays had screens on them

  Feeding time, quite a frenzy!!!

This trip really got me pumped for the coming season; this post is part one. In the coming weeks, I will share with you'll part 2 fishing McCutcheon Creek in Spring Hill where some of the trout was stocked today. I live about four miles from the warm water stream.