My Favorite House on Smith Lake--- and Fishing With Jason

I made an outing today with my son Jason. He had a day off so we decided to fish the lower end of Ryan Creek on Smith Lake. We were at the lake at daylight which is the best time to land quality fish using the poppers. The morning started off with a bang when Jason landed a nice 18” spot using an olive Wooly Bugger. The fish gave the 9 ft. 4wt. all it could handle by stripping drag numbers of times before he finally landed the fish. Jason is really into landing nice quality Spotted Bass. Nothing was happening on top, and the morning was slow especially after the sun came up. I will be making another trip tomorrow in hopes of adding to my bluegill goal---stay tuned.

Not big but quite a fight on the 4 wt he hit the size 6 crawfish

Jason with his 18" spot--they never quite fighting

This was a male spot caught in one of the many treetops on Ryan Creek

The Rhododendron is in full bloom all over the lake

One of three Bull Bluegills I landed using the size 6 crawfish--really surprised the bluegill's hit this pattern--but these big boys must have been hungry---I am now 53 away from my goal!!

There are a lot of big homes on Smith Lake, if I was offered any home on Smith this would have to be my favorite. The lumber in this house was transported by train from the countryside in New York. All the rafters, floor joists, exposed beams inside the house, and parts of the interior walls were removed from a barn in the countryside area. The sunroom in this house is setting out over the water; steel beams that are anchored in the rock wall support the sunroom itself. The garage is off to the right. The house is actually called the barn. I saw the owner one day on his pier and told me the story behind the house. 

Another view of this outstanding home on Smith Lake

3 New Blogs Worth Viewing

I am always discovering new blogs; some I really like and some I don’t have a lot in common with. I few things that look for in a good blog are short post and to the point, a topic that will get my attention and last but not least are fantastic images. I recently added these three new blogs to my roll:

Brookfield Angler—this is really a great blog dealing with everything fishing from the boat, to the reels and rods. I especially enjoy his post dealing with warm water fishing. The links on this blog are interesting as well, dealing with Product Reviews, Fish Links and even Fish Porn. This one is well worth viewing!!

Devinfishingreport---This young man reminds me of myself when I was his age. Devin is a fish enthusiast; at 15 years old his knowledge of fishing is amazing. All the information he post on his blog is useful and very informative. This is another blog that deals with warm water fishing as well as cold water fishing. I really like his take on his warm water post, especially his crappie post. Check this blog out!!!

Shotguns and Fishing Poles—I feel a kind of kindred spirit here with this blog and its author. I use to be an avid Quail hunter, and Ricky has posted some great topics dealing with Quail hunting. I really got into his post on his first Quail hunt. I get the feel that Ricky is in the same lane as me when it comes to an addiction called fishing. Really a great blog ---check it out!!

The Handy Mini Tippet Ring --Tippet to Leader So EASY!!

Just found something even better than the No Knot Fast Snap. Dave over at FishnDave Blog left a comment on the No Knot Fast Snap Post I did for Monday. He sent me a link dealing with MiniTippet Rings, which is exactly what I am looking for to actually save on leaders. These little rings are even better than the Fast Snap because of the diameter and ease at which you can attach the tippet. These can actually be used with Dry Flies and Midges.  The following is the description of the rings-----Dave said he uses the rings and is sold on them. Thanks to Dave for helping me out here.

Product Overview:
These nickel alloy rings are very small, smooth and seamless connectors between your leader and tippet. Tie one on the end of your leader, then tie the tippet onto the ring These rings make changing or replacing tippet easy without nibbling away at the leader. They really have caught on among competitive fly fishers, because of the speed and ease with which tippet can be changed. May be used on any leader system and are excellent for tying droppers. Though light enough to fish dry flies and midges on 7X tippets, they will handle any load your leader and tippet will bear. Available in the original nickel silver and now in black nickel for use in deep water or low light levels; choose from nominal 2 mm for light to medium leader or 3 mm size for heavy leader and tippet. Made in England, available with 20 or 100 rings per package.

The No Knot Fast Snap Fast Way to Attach Tippet

Today’s post will deal with a fly fishing accessory I recently discovered while searching for some fly line the other day on the net. I am referring to the No Knot Fast Snap, which enables the fisherman to save on leaders. The Fast Snap simply ties into the leader after you have used of the tippet end of your leader from fly ties. It serves as a tiny loop so you can eliminate the blood knot altogether and keep using the leader for a longer period of time. I talk to a fly fishing representative at Bass Pro about the fast snap and he told me that he used it and likes the fact he doesn’t have to tie but one knot as opposed a couple when attaching his tippet. I am one who uses a lot of flies when I am fishing. I use 6 to 8” of tippet every time I attach the fly to the line. I think with the fast snap it gives me more time to be fishing. Has anyone out there used this little gadget? It would be worth a try to see if the positives reviews are for real. The following is a description from Bass Pro

  Change hooks, jigs, lures or flies in just seconds with the No-Knot Fas-Snap and enjoy more time fishing. The innovative, lightweight No-Knot Fas-Snap is designed to be tied directly to your tippet or mono line. No-Knot Fas-Snap will not inhibit casting or presentation and it even floats with a dry fly! 30 per pack   

 I thought I would throw this in---My wife and I have been on a moving spree for the past four days. We have been helping our Son-in-law and Daughter move into another house. I guess you guys have notice I have been absence from the blog, well that is why. I didn’t need any gym this past week, I got all the gym I could handle and more with the move event. When your kids ask you to do something you always say yes---it did put a damper on the fishing.

What is Your Remedy For That Dreaded Line Twist?

Line twist is a common occurrence in fly fishing if one fly fishes enough. I have often wondered why my tippet line sometimes looks like a twisted pretzel when I have completed a cast.  It is so frustrating when you are landing fish and all of sudden you noticed your tippet is tingled into your leader and sometimes even into your fly hook. I have done a little research on the subject and found different opinions from individuals and even fly companies. One opinion is the line size itself; using a larger tippet size will cut down on the twist. The assumption here is the larger tippet size is a bit stiffer making it more difficult for the twist to occur. I was even told that the fly itself can play a part in the twist, especially if the fly has a lot of hackle. They base this assumption on too much false casting which can cause the fly to spin in mid air resulting in line twist. Another theory is having your tippet line too long, which causes the line to overlap in a series of loops which can also cause knots in the line along with twist. I have tried all these suggestions and found that the line size makes more sense and works best for me. Of course one can’t use larger tippet line all the time especially when staking trout on a clear stream. In that situation it would seem you would just have to adjust to a smaller tippet size and accept the fact that you may encounter twist. What is your remedy to alleviate line twist?  

Fishing Ryan Creek With B.T.

I have found that fishing after a cold front is not the most productive time to fish. That was the case yesterday when my son-in-law B.T. and I ventured out on the waters of Ryan Creek. The temperature was close to 38 on Wednesday night and cool all day Thursday and into Friday. I was hoping for topwater action so B.T. could land a nice size Spotted Bass. All that hit the Rapala were 12 to 13-inch size. The Rapala is an excellent topwater lure to entice some big fish hits but not on Saturday. I was using my 5 wt. with a size 6 Boogle Bug but no hits came. I did manage 6 bluegills 4 of which I will count on my goal of 100 during the spawning period. Those fish all hit after the water reached 68. There was very limited activity on Ryan Creek, so I guess everyone else knew the results before they launched. It was a good outing anytime I can get to fish with B.T. even if it was a slow day.

B. T with one of the 7 or 8 Spotted Bass he landed --we called it quits around noon --slow bite most of the morning--I am still hoping for a super day soon with B.T. so he can finally land his big spot.

One of the four I counted towards my goal--I am now 42 away from my goal. Sorry for the blur this image was taken with iPhone 

Little Fatty size 8 makes another hit

A Memorable Outing That I Want Forget Anytime Soon

I found out Tuesday why I need a good supply of flies and poppers.  I think most of you already know where this post is going—bluegill fishing. I hope I am not boring you guys with all the posts I have been doing lately about my trips to reach my 100 super bluegills during the spawning season. I know when I started this blog it was mainly to keep a fishing log of the time of year, water temps, moon phase or any other information that might help me to become a better fisherman. Little did I know that the blog would enable me to meet and converse with some expert fishermen, who have help me learn so much about this sport I truly love.

So with that said Tuesday’s trip will be a memorable outing for me to say the least. In a four-hour span, I landed a total of 32 bluegills and during that time I brought to hand some of the largest bluegills I have ever caught on Walker County Lake. I was culling fish from the very start of the trip to try and reach my limit which is 20 on this lake. I made the limit with some big bluegills; four were in the 12 to 15oz  category and the 2 Shellcrackers were 14 to 15 oz. I used two different fly rods starting out with my 3wt 9 ft. Streamflex and later started using my new 4 wt. 9 ft. St. Croix fast action. In fact, if I had not had the 4 wt. I would have never landed the Shellcrackers. A lot of these fish were in submerging cover which made it a challenge to land a lot of them. Through it all, I lost 4 poppers to the Shellcrackers who are still swimming with them in their mouth somewhere in the lake. After adding my 20 big bluegills today I am 56 away from my goal. I feel a little better about reaching my goal now after today’s adventure.

This was one of the 15 oz. beauties

If this Shellcracker had to jump many more times I would have lost him, the White Betts Popper fell out of his mouth once in the boat

Another beauty held by the caretaker at the bait shop on the lake

The prize at the end of the trip--this is an outing I will remember

The Upside Down Bream Killer & Little Fatty Popper Score!!

This weekend I spent four hours early on Smith Lake chasing the Spots and of course the big bull bluegills. I was fishing a full moon and I knew the fishing should be good and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t want to waste time gunning the motor down the lake, so I started right at the lunch with the black Boogle Bug using my 5 wt. Redington. After a couple of cast I connected with a 16 spot my largest and landed four more before the sun took over and turned the bite off.  In fact nothing was happening with the bass even down deep with the Buggers or Craws on up in the morning; so when this happens on Smith you come prepared for the next level. I had my 9 ft. 4 wt with the BreamBug’s Little Fatty size 8 tied on and started to work the banks with cover. The popper didn’t disappoint helping me land some super big bull bluegills. I was moving it with a slight jerk which was causing some water movement. I would let it set for a few seconds and then the popping hit would occur. These big gills on the 4 wt. were giving the rod quite a workout. After the top action slowed I switch to the Upside Down Bream Killer by BreamBugs. I was fishing in cover and letting the fly sink some and moving the fly slowly over the cover and usually the hit would occur right above the submerged limbs. I was using the 5 wt here because I needed the extra backbone to land these big boys. I did break off once and lost my Upside Down chartreuse but the black Upside Down prove to be the killer. I ended the trip with a total of 11 bluegills with six being the ones I counted toward my goal of 100. After adding these 6 biggies I am 76 away. Catching these big bluegills is something else on the fly rod---you just got to love this stuff!!!!

I had rather land this 16" Spot on the 5 wt instead of landing a 3lb. using  a 7 ft. heavy action casting rod and casting reel--why because you have got to process some skill to play and land a fighting Spot on the fly rod as opposed to jerking the 3 lb in the boat in a a matter of second--just my take on the casting rod verses the fly rod.

This big gill was in water 20 ft. deep, I have read that some of these big bulls never leave the deep water to spawn.

This one big tree had 6 bluegill in it with one breaking off my Chartruse Upside Down Bream Killer, but I did get 6--3 being the big boys with the Black Upside Down Bream Killer, right above the submerge limbs. The water was super clear---really a pretty place

Take a look at the lower left bluegill, he took the Little Fatty Popper--he came out of the water twice trying to throw the popper

I really like this popper because of the concave face which created some water movement---from BreamBugs

The Memories This 60 Year Old Cypress Boat Holds

Every once in awhile someone, something, or an event brings back some great memories. This week was one of those times when I made a visit to my brothers and his wife in Mississippi. That something was a boat that my brother designed and built with the help of his older brother over 60 years ago. My brother has been restoring this boat for the past year, repairing the bottom and the ends which had deteriorated over the years. The boat was still in use just over 10 years ago, but the leaks got so bad that he finally stored it in his shop until he had time to restore it. This past week was the finished date. If this boat could only talk; the stories, the amount of fish pulled over its side, the places it was launched and the waters it has floated would fill hundreds of pages. Now the boat will be passed down to the next generation when my brother’s son will inherit it to use with his fly rod on some of the small streams and lakes in the Tupelo Mississippi area. The work that my brother has put into this boat is amazing and the result is a unique solid wood vessel that can not be duplicated. I know my Nephew will take care of the boat and in turn, pass it down to one of his sons. 

The ends are solid popular with 1/2" western cedar inlaid over the popular on both ends

The sides are solid 1" by 12" cypress 12 ft. long
All the rids inside the boat are popular

The two paddles are the original paddles that were used with the boat when it was built. The cypress seats rest perfectly on the two side stabilizers which are white oak

We launched the boat on Legion Lake late Thursday afternoon and not a leak anywhere. The catwalk in the bottom of the boat is the original 1/2" white oak strips--in fact, all the wood is original except for the ends which rotted away over the years.

The boat has three stabilizers strips on the bottom which is attached with brass screws. The bottom is 1/4" marine plywood which is original. The stabilizers help keep the boat more stable on the surface of the water. An original for sure and a boat that will still be creating memories for years to come. 

Chasing Trout With the 3 Wt. in Alabama

The Tailrace has finally got to the point where the average trout fisherman can wet a fly. Notice I said average or intermediate that is what I still consider myself as far as trout fishing in concerned. In my opinion I want make it to the advance stage until I can master nymph fishing much better. For today’s outing I tied on my favorite dry for this area which is the Griffiths Gnat in size 18 or 20. This little fly seems to always produce because most of the time the hatch is similar to its pattern. With a little floatant applied it will float high for quick a while. I arrived around 9 AM to find half dozen vehicles at the parking lot. After suiting up and pulling on my new Korkers wading boots I proceeded to the walk-in area and to my surprise there was no one to be seen. I just stood there for a few minutes and view the beauty of the place. The sounds of the birds, the scent of the forest, and the beauty of the moss on the rock beneath the water made me realize I am lucky to have a place like this in Alabama to fish. In fact it is the only place in the State to trout fish. I was using my 9 ft. 3 wt. Streamflex for the first time for trout and I was looking forward to least a hook up. There was no activity on top in the area so I move up stream until I saw some trout rising on the far bank. I fish the area for about 10 minuets and lost a couple of bows I should have landed, simple because I was late on hook set. I move close to the dam itself and finally connected with a bow on the Griffiths. It was my first trout with the 3 wt. and well worth the effort. The top action diminished shortly after I landed the bow and I switched to a size 18 scud  nymhing with little success. The guys I talk to on the way up to the dam area were either landing none or had landed one or two. I did notice that the flow was not as fast as it usually is and we all agreed if there had been more current the fishing would have been better. For me it was a good for me to be back on the tailrace for a few hours even with limited success.  

The lack of current with the glass surface made it difficult to connect--really needed some flow to cut down on glare.

Glad to bring this one to hand--hope things will improve as far as flow is concerned next trip--I am still working on image quality as you can see even if I didn't take the picture

Walking the Banks in Pursue of Super Size Bluegills

Today was supposed to be a trip on Smith fishing for the Spots and Largemouth bass but the weather took over at daybreak and washed the trip out. So the next thing to do was to keep to my schedule and go to the gym and wait and see if the weather cleared so I could at least get a quickie trip in the afternoon. As it worked out there were scattered showers most of the day and into the afternoon, and I hate to be on the water in a boat when it thunders and lighting. I did go, but with limited resources, such as my boat, which is a big factor on Smith when it comes to landing fish.  I decided I would try something I have never done at Smith, fish from the bank, with the fly rod and one of my blogger poppers. It proved to be effective landing some of the monster bluegills in the spillway area of the lake. Placing the number 8 popper against the rock walls brought some nice hits. The bluegills were scattered and the hit would come after the popper had sit motionless for at least 15 to 30 seconds. I know that it takes patience to wait this long for the hit but I realized I was fishing in water at least 40 ft. deep and the fish had to have time to see the offering. As luck would have it my patience paid off and I did get in about hour of fishing before the rain set in again. By the way this is will add to my total of 100 bluegills in a 6 week spawning period. I am now 83 away from reaching my goal.

 These four will add to my total--lots of fun on the 9ft. 3wt. Streamflex, notice the size of the gill in the center

This is the bluegill in the center of the image above. I forgot my camera so all these images were taken after I got back home from the spillway--really frustrating forgetting the camera



Back on Smith Lake for Some Boogle Bug Action

Guys sorry I am a little behind on posting, but I have been on the water for the past couple of days. Thursday was a wash out for my son and me at Walker County Lake. I forgot when I scheduled our trip for Monday that it is Spring Holidays here in the state and the lake was covered up. When you have 20 plus boats on a 160 acre lake and all the bank fishermen to boot, then you have too many fishermen per area. My son manage to land four small bluegills and a small bass and that was the extent of the trip. Dad didn’t even score. We left after a couple of hours.

Now for today’s trip on Smith; the Boogle Bugs as usual were the choice for the 9 ft. 5 wt Redington. One of my fishing buddies went with me today and we landed some nice Spots and one nice largemouth. The bass were hitting light in water temps around 68. The number 6 Boogle Bugs are the best weapon right now to get the attention of the slow hitters. It was a great morning for both of using the fly rods.

Nice Spot on the Olive Boogle Bug--these fish are awesome on the fly rod--they just don't know when to quite fighting. We ended the morning with 10 Spots and 1 Largemouth.

Charles with the best Spot he ever landed with the fly rod. It is really enjoyable to fish with someone who loves to fish with the same equipment as you---meanng the fly rod.

I am back on the lake again Thursday with more top water action coming your way

Using The Micro Lights Rods and Jigger Poles For Super Size Crappie

In most parts of the country, Dogwoods blooming triggers crappie season. Crappie usually starts the spawn when the water temps reach the upper 60’s. This is when the fish start to move into the shallow areas of a lake. These areas could be the back of nooks or even flats next to the water's edge. They seem to prefer areas with cover such as submerged brush or anything that will hold cover for them to feed on small baitfish while the spawn is occurring.  One of my crappie fishing buddies went with me yesterday on Smith Lake. I had a couple of my microlights in the 7 ½ ft. lengths with 4 lb test line rigged. I also had my long jigger pole in the 11 ft. length with me. This length rod works well when you want to put the jig right in the face of the fish. Another great advantage with this rod is the vertical fishing one can do, meaning raising the jig up and down. Sometime the crappie will hit the jig on the downfall, especially when the bite is really slow. I like to use the microlight rods to search for the fish and once the bite slows using the microlights, then switch to the long rods so you can bring the lure even closer to their mouth. Crappie has a tendency to bite really well for 15 to 20 minutes and then turn off. When this occurs the fish usually retrieved back into the cover where they were holding when you first located them. Placing the jig using the long rods right in their face at this time will continue to help you get hits. I will discuss the types of reels, jig, lures, and rod brands in future post.

First Crappie of the day using a white curly tail jig --a lot of fun on the microlight rod. Notice the dark colors

Different colored jig --we manage to land 6 along with a number of bass and a couple of bluegills--all on curly tail jigs. I kept all the crappie, because they are beyond good when deep-fried. I know it would have been a better day for the crappie if it had not been for the crappie tournament they were having on the lake. It felt like we were picking up the last few in each nook that the tournament fisherman had either overlook or missed.

Adding to my Total in my Quest to Reach 100 Bull Bluegill

Monday was my second fishing trip in my quest to reach the 100 mark for Bull Bluegill. For those of you who are not familiar with my challenge; which is to land 100 super bull bluegill in the spawning period of 6 weeks.  For this trip I decided to rig something a little different. I started with a foam popper in size 6 because I wanted something to land softly and at the same time attract attention on the glass smooth water at 8 AM. First cast of the morning produce a nice bass in the backwater of the launch nook. I knew I only had about an hour before the wind that this lake is famous for got up and would force me into the backs of the small nooks. The foam worked to perfection early landing a couple of huge gills and some smaller females before the wind and sunlight took over. After the wind got up I moved to the back of nooks with what else but the Black Gnat tied on my 4 wt. I continued to land gills some were not the size I was after but still fun on the 4 wt.  After about an hour of fighting wind from every direction; I found a nook with some shade and less wind that I could actually fish with the cork popper. I moved up and down this bank which was about 75 ft. long with depths of 5 to 8 ft. I landed some of the best gills of the day on this one bank. The water temp here was between 68 and 70, which is still too cool for the spawn. The magic number for the spawn is 75 and at the rate the weather is warming here, it won’t be long before these fish are on the beds. The light chartruse black leg bug popper seemed to irritate the big boys and they would just annihilate the fly every time it got near. This type action is what makes me keep coming back for more; when they are this aggressive it is heart throbbing. I thought at times they would actually break my 9 ft.  3wt. Streamflex. It really got a work out on this trip. I was there about 3 hours and the action was continuous with bass, females and bull bluegills inhaling the poppers and wet flies. Fly Fishing trips like today is what makes bluegill fishing a blast for me!!

First of the day on the first cast of the day, notice how glass smooth the water was

This big boy killed the cork popper. I have found that black leg poppers work better this time of the year other than white or chartruse. It may a spider thing??

Another counter on the Black Gnat. I know you guys have heard me say this before, but this one fly has to be the BEST wet fly I have ever fished for bluegill with. It seems to work when nothing else will get their attention. The sick part about this fly is the company that tied them went out of business. I may be asking some of you guys to make me some copies when I go through these.

This big bull inhaled the foam popper early in the day

Last bass of the day, he went airborne a couple of times before finally swimming up next to the boat. I landed 6 bass before the day was over---always a lot of fun on the fly rod

The leaves are coming out and spring is here in Walker County

The best of the best --10 more to add to the total which is now at 13 ---I am 87 away--when these big boys turn side ways in the water it makes for a tough fight on the 3 or 4 wt. I ended the day with 16 bluegill and 6 bass. The bass I gave to some of the fishermen sitting on the banks.