Slowly Replacing Stolen Fly Fishing Equipment

Well I am slowly replacing some of the equipment and flies that I had stolen from me a couple of weeks ago. I still can’t believe someone walked into my garage in broad daylight; then left with four fly fishing combos, flies, lures and accessories that took me years to collect. The police told me that it left Jasper the same day it was stolen. In other words I will never see any of it again. It just goes to show all of us we don’t live in Mayberry RFD anymore.

  I am still looking for a Gloomis Venture 3 Fly Reel, I had three stolen. I haven’t been able to find the 3 version. I would appreciate any help you guys can give me in finding one of these reels. These reels are the only items I can’t replace and they were my most prized pieces. There are no new ones left. I would be happy with a used Venture.

Kevin at Feather Chucker told me after the incident that he wanted to help resupply my fly box. He made good on his promise the other day when all these flies arrived in the mail. I am glad he tied some more of the bead head soft hackles, because I lost one of my best trout this past year using that fly. The wooly bugger pattern and big green popper will attract some nice spots on the lake come spring. Thanks to Kevin the fly box restocking has started.  

 

Update on Tiger Bass/Coppernose Bluegill Stocking 14 Months Ago

I did a post back in February 2012 concerning the Tiger Bass. I was reporting on the stocking of a 30 acre lake near our home. I had the opportunity to see the stocking of the bluegill and the red fin shad which was around 2” in length at that time and in late August of that same year I was present when the Game and Fish Department out of Montgomery stock the 3” Tiger Bass. I was invited to fish the lake back in October of this year just to check the grow rate of the copper nose and regular bluegill that were stocked back in February of 2012. When we arrived that day we notice all the automatic feeders were on and spraying tiny pellets of feed across the water surface. The Coppernose and regular bluegill were in a feeding frenzy going after the pellets. All the feeders on the lake are timed to engage at the same time so we witnessed quite a spectacle. The feeding program and of course the removing of certain pounds of bluegill and bass after the first three years is the key to having a fantastic fishery here. I landed numerous bluegills that day in the 6 to 7 oz size using a small brown colored nymph resembling the pellet. I am sorry I didn’t have images for that trip because I forgot the camera. The Coppernose was a little larger than the regular bluegill. Both species should be quite the fighter on the fly come summer. I am very fortunate to be able to fish this place in the coming years. The fly rod will be my main weapon here when spring rolls around.

 

I landed this healthy 14” Tiger Bass in November this past year. I couldn’t believe the size of this fish considering its only 14 months old. It was released as a small 3” fingering; the shad in the lake is what increases the growth rate along with the genetics that the Tiger Bass possesses. I wasn’t using the fly rod that day because of depth, all the fish were concentrated in the deepest part of the lake feeding on the shad. This bass was taken on a white shad grub fishing about 20 ft. deep. I stayed for about an hour and landed fish consistently throughout the hour. I didn’t fish at all for bluegill on this trip because I wanted to see how fast the bass had grown since stocking. You can bet I will be back in the spring to tap into the bluegill population.