Ledasink Leader Sinkant

Rain, rain and more rain for the past couple of days has pushed the water level on Smith Lake up 5 feet. Trout fishing will be put on whole and crappie fishing will have to take its place if the weather cooperators for next week. In the meantime I will continue to do a few yard chores, gym time, blogging with you guys and watching fly fishing videos.

Some time ago I did a post that featured one of Jonathan Barnes videos, at that time I told you guys that I had become a huge fan of his fly fishing videos. I don’ want you all to think I am getting free fly fishing merchandise from his website for plugging his video's I am not. I just want to share his expertise in fly fishing with you, mainly because he conveys a lot of information in each segment. If you are interested in hearing background music in his videos you will probably have to look elsewhere. Nature and water sounds along with him adding his take about the segment his wife is what you will get.

I’m going to give the Ledasink leader sinkant a try that Jonathan was using in this segment to sink his tippet tip while fishing the CDC pattern; anything to improve one’s catch ratio is worth trying. Hope you enjoy In The Ring of The Fire

This video below shows how to fish pocket water where fish whole behind small boulders. The Sipsey and the Canery have this same cover as many of the waters you guys fish.

For much stronger video sound use earplugs  



First Trout For 2016

Finally, I get to fish the Sipsey again; December the 15^th.  2015 was my last trip. We had 2” of rain in Jasper Monday and I figured that the generators would be running full blast all week. Wow, was I surprised when I checked the generating schedule Wednesday. Thursday and Friday would be free of generation. I picked Friday, 70 degrees a little overcast and a slight wind would hopefully trigger some activity for me.
Apparently everyone else thought Friday was the day too; didn’t make me no never mind, I was going to fish!!

I was anxious to try out my new Prestige Plus fly line from Cabelas. I also want to see how effective the furled leader works fishing it on a downstream retrieve. I’ve never fished this type of leader, and understand from information I’ve read it really enhances a dry flies drift. I was ready to accept the fact that I would be changing leaders to fish the nymph and dry throughout the afternoon. I won’t complain if it improves my catch ratio.

Nymphs are my go-to pattern on the Sip, so the nymph was tied on and I was off to access 5. All the heavy rains had changed the color of the water to aqua green.

Numerous stockers were brought to hand this afternoon using my 9 ft. 3 weight StreamFlex which made me think at times I was landing 12” trout. I talk to one guy who was landing the stockers using a 6 weight----way OVERKILL!!

A guide trip in progress right below me, four fly fishermen above me and more on up the gorge; plenty of company.

This fatty put up quite a fight before I finally netted it. I thought I was going to lose this fish, because I kept thinking my 6X was going to break with each hard run it would make. 

Unusual markings on this little guy---I am wondering if this is a rainbow, what do you guys think??

The only downer for this trip were the coils I kept experiencing all afternoon forming at my feet; I am going to assume I spooled the line on wrong. I kept hoping I would get a chance to try out my new furled leader but no surface activity was present the entire afternoon. I was told by one guy that the hatch occurred early morning, so guess when I will be back? --------as if I needed a reason to come back!!!