B.T. and I on the Caney Fork

Fishing with a guide is always a plus when one is trying to land quality trout. Friday’s outing was one of those guide trips that had quality trout as well as numbers brought to hand. David of Southeastern Fly had B.T. and me on trout from the start of the half-day trip to the finish. The weather was good with low humidity, and some rain, which took a back seat to the fish action.  Generators were off giving the Caney tailrace a natural flow with all the familiar pockets, seams, and some fast water; which would test our skills landing the trout as well as getting that perfect drift.

Some of the many trout B.T. landed while fishing the Pheasant Tail nymph in some slow to fast water. B.T. and I have made a number of trips with David of Southeastern fly and always had great trips. Fishing with someone who loves the sport as much as I do makes the trip special. Our daughter found a winner in B.T. Cathey and I consider him our second son!!

 My second favorite tailrace to fish; the Caney has some awesome browns and rainbow swimming in its waters. B.T. and I enjoyed fishing with David, hope we can make a trip again next year. 

Cathey and I Fishing With The Grandchildren

Cathey and I have spent three days with two of our grandchildren this past week and really got a good workout. In other words, we didn’t need to go to the gym at all this past week. There is nothing like having grandchildren and enjoying spending time with them especially when they are young. They are only little once so make the most of that precious time. Friday afternoon Cathey and I carried Bryson and Laelyn to a local pond for some fishing. The images below sum up the trip!!

Bryson landing his largest bass to date

Quite an accomplishment for this young guy!!!

His sister Laelyn was excited about Bryson’s catch

This bluegill was in full spawning mode

Laelyn finally gets brave enough to touch one of the bluegill

After touching the bluegill she decides to land one, I think Bryson may have found him a fishing partner.

-Smith Lake Caves

Smith Lake is one of those lakes in the south that treats all anglers to some fantastic fishing. It also possesses some of the most beautiful scenery along its banks in the Deep South. I always enjoy viewing all of the Mountain Laurels that line the banks of the lake in the spring. Behind all the greenery, Laurels, and awesome rock formations are numerous caves that could have been used during the Civil War. Some are big enough to store supplies and even provide human shelter for an extended period of time. One of the best times to explore these dwellings is in the dead of the winter when the snakes and other varmints are in cold storage.

A little climbing required to approach this cave entrance

Foliage concealment

Another cave in the same area, an exploring trip is in order for winter.

A lot of the banks are decorated with the Mountain Laurel this time of year

The crystal clear waters of the lake yield some of the best spotted bass fishing in the south. This spotted bass was taken Tuesday morning on the dreaded Boogle Bug popper. The fight was intense while the fish made numerous runs to break free of the 3X tippet. One only has to land just one of these fighters on the fly rod to make a daylight morning trip. The very best time to land quality spotted bass and largemouth bass fishing surface lures or poppers on this lake is daylight right before the sun breaks the horizon.  Another spotted bass this morning would fall prey to the deadly popper before the sun turns the bite off.

Landing Weary Trout in High Winds and High Water

I finally got back on the tailrace today with my fishing buddy Charles. The 3 hours Charles and I had to fish proved to be productive.  We were fishing in high wind with gust in the twenties and some of the highest tailrace water we have fished this year. As we approached the first access point we notice no hatch and a wave covered water surface, so dries were ruled out. There was an occasional sub surface trout scattered in some of the faster runs that both of us normally fished. We decided to tie on a couple of soft hackles and fish the flies just under the surface of the water. The drift would be difficult at times with all the wind; but we were persistent and it paid off.

This rainbow just couldn’t resist Alan’s Soft Hackle. I have really got into fishing soft hackle flies this year. An excellent pattern when trout are sub surface feeding. The drift is critical even on windy days.

Charles with another sub surface bow, a good fight for the 3 weight

One usually walks dry on all these rocks but today we were wading for the entire trip.

My best rainbow this year, giving the 9 ft. 3 weight Greys Hardy fits!!!

This trout made my trip---I know this trout may seem small to you guys, but a trout this size on the Sipsey is special!!!

Charles working this trout to the net

I change my tippet after landing this fatty---one determined rainbow!!

Fishing a tailrace today with water reaching from bank to bank, super clear and a cold 55 degrees made for a special outing for Charles and me.



Finding That Gem of a Restaurant in Asheville

  

My wife and I were on a trip to Asheville, North Carolina recently and discovered a fantastic restaurant, Fatz Café.  If you haven’t been to this incredible place, then it needs to be on your bucket list for sure. When we travel, food always comes into play, especially great restaurants, and my wife and I found a gem on this trip.
   Fatz Café is a polished gem not only for the food, but also for the personnel who work at the restaurant. They create a homey atmosphere while you’re enjoying the delicious food. Our waitress Hannah was a prime example of genuine hospitality and making the customer feel at home. My wife and I eat out a lot, but we seldom are blown away with the service and food like we were with Fatz. We enjoyed the food and service so much we dined there twice while we were in Asheville.
   I will end this post by saying if any of you are within driving distance of the Fatz Café, then make it a point to go and take in the great hospitality and the
diversified menu.

Fishing a Fertilized Lake can be a Challenge

I was back on Walker County Lake last week to see if the bluegills have started their spawn? I arrived later in the day and saw numerous boat and bank fishermen scattered around the lake. The lake itself had been fertilized four days earlier so the fish should be a little more active. The fertilize can cause the fish to become somewhat dormant two or three days after the fertilization. I started my journey on the east side of the lake to avoid the bank fishermen who had the west side well occupied.

 I had tied on a white Bar Nunn popper using my 4 weight 8 ½ ft. Redington. The white and light chartreuse have always been a great early spring popper for me on this lake. The long rubber legs on these poppers drive the bluegill nuts. I was fishing closer to the bank today because the fertilize had turned the water cloudy.

My first of the day on the white Bar Nunn put a bend in the 4 weight. This one will become a counter.

Nice Shellcracker on the light Chartreuse Bar Nunn popper; if you want a fight on the fly rod land a Shellcracker!!!

This brush pile gave up the Shellcracker, at its edge where I think more will show up for the spawn.

 

As the sun stated hitting the banks the top action stopped so I went subsurface the rest of the trip. No big bluegills after the sun hit the banks but numerous small gills using the bead head grub subsurface. I had a limited amount of time today because of yard work I had been putting off, but rest assure I will return closer to the spawn.

Some of you have asked me about my Pelican boat. This is actually my newer version of the boat, meaning I replaced my 8 ft. with this 10 ft. to have more room for the Grandchildren. Two individuals can fish out of this boat with ease. I can even stand and cast from it. It is extremely stable. I did replace the seats that came with the boat with thick cushion seats which are much more comfortable.

 

Post Note: I am now 45 away with a long way to go to reach the 50 mark.  

The Mechanics’ of the Contour Roam2 Video Camera

Adding the Contour Video Camera to my fishing arsenal has actually helped me to concentrate more on getting that fish to take my offering.  Knowing I would like to get that unique footage of the fish nailing the fly and the intense fight the fish puts forth in its effort to break free is what I am striving for. The fish doesn’t have to be the biggest fish in the water column, but one that gives me and the viewer some fly fishing excitement.

With all that said let’s take a better look at the Contour Roam 2:

 

·                               Locking Instant On-Record Switch No power button, no problem. Simply slide the Instant On-Record switch into its locking position to ensure you shoot exactly when you're ready.

·                                 Vibrant color options We understand that style matters and color can make or break a look. Match your kit, or bring in a little contrast by adding a ContourROAM2 in one of four colors: Contour green, red, blue or traditional black.

·                                 60fps As requested by our users, we've bumped up the frames per second to 60, meaning you can now get that smooth video quality you've come to expect from Contour cameras.

·                                 Waterproof without a case Good things come in small packages. The ContourROAM2 sheds bulk by working underwater without an extra case.

 For more information about the camera check out this link that will give you even more info---don’t let this camera overwhelmed you it is very simple to operate.

 If you purchase the camera, you will need to purchase the 6 in 1 pack which comes with 6 different accessories to mount your camera in different ways—the one you really need is the strap helmet mount. I discovered that the straps that are used to whole the mount in place on your helmet is worthless. The real gem in this package is the stick on mount that you will use to attach to your helmet to whole the camera firmly while you are filming. It comes with a tilt and screw down clamp to really keep the camera stable when filming. I tried the headbands, the straps and both simply do not work well.

 The other item you will need is the actual helmet, which can be purchased at Academy Sports in the bike department. The Bell helmet is the one I choose, you may want another brand, but trust me the helmet is essential in filming hands free.

 I went through numerous filming clips before I finally got a few I was willing to show anyone. The main thing one needs to get use to is your head movement. The slower you can move your head when filming the better video you will produce. After landing the fish make sure you get it in front of the camera, I had that problem on my last filming trip with some of the trout I landed. Positioning your head at the correct angle will get the fish in view for your viewers to see.  For me this became a trail and error thing. I am still working on this part of the filming process.

I did tinker with some of the settings of the Contour, but found out that the standard default settings work best for me. In other words I found you can get a much clearer picture with the default settings.

 You will need to download the Story Teller software which will enable you to change the settings in the camera, and to view your video footage. This software is very simple to use.

 The best editing software I have found is Windows Movie Maker which is actually on your computer if you are using Windows 8 and beyond. I learn how to use the software by watching some excellent tutorials on Youtube. It is very simple to use.

This is what the complete package looks like, in the form of the Bell Helmet, Contour camera and the stick on mount attachment. The great thing I like about the mount is the angle adjustment one can use tilting the camera in the up or down position. I tried the headband strap which I ordered from Amazon, but sent it back, because it simply didn’t whole the camera steady. I tried the strap around a cap and hat but neither worked. The best thing I found to actually whole the camera in place and get quality video is the helmet----140.00 bucks total.

 

I’ve had a number of you to ask me for more details as far as filming and the accessories that go along with the camera; so with this post I hope I have helped some of you get started filming some of your fishing trips.

Using the Picket Pin and Soft Hackle Flies on the Sipsey Tailrace

Today was my first trip this season on the Sipsey Tailrace to cast a few dry patterns the rainbows way. I was really surprised to find no other vehicles in the parking lot when I arrived around 8 AM. In fact, I fished my couple of hours without seeing another fisherman, which proved to be really productive.

As I walked towards Access 6 I notice I had some unexpected company following me. I tried to get closer with the image shot, but they were having of that.

As I moved up the mist covered tailrace I notice trout rising in one of the fast seams I usually fish. The trout were rising with no visible hatch, but that didn’t keep me from tying on one of Alan’s dries.

Both these flies, the Picket Pin and the Soft Hackle would get quite a workout for the couple of hours I had to fish today. I started with the Picket Pin and work the fly for almost an hour, with numerous trout landed and later switched to the Soft Hackle after the trout started feeding just under the surface. The takes on both flies were aggressive, especially the Soft Hackle. My better trout were taken on the Hackle.

The footage for today’s trip is not my best at handling the trout. Hope you guys enjoy.

 



First Video Using the Contour Roam 2 Camera

It has been a month since I mentioned my Contour video camera. Just to get you up to speed on what I’ve been doing with camera is learning the mechanics of the filming and working with the editing software. I will go into detail more on the camera and the software later in an upcoming post. but today I wanted to let you guys see some footage that looks presentable. Some of my earlier attempts at filming didn’t work out so well.

I wish I had this nice bluegill on film, she put up a strong fight on the 3 weight. All the rest of the bluegill were small but fun on the light combo. The morning was slow due to lots of fresh water and numerous cold fronts, which is typical this time of the year. No counters on this outing.

This lake supports a great population of Mallard Ducks and most all raise their young in these duck houses. The Game and Fish had to add covers below the houses to keep the raccoons from robbing the nest.

Enduring The Aches and Pain to Land Fish

As we get older whether we are the young guys or the more seasoned anglers, we experience some aches and pains. With each aging year brings another arch mainly in our backs, legs, necks, or shoulders. There are numerous prescriptions to help with the pain in the form of pills, shots, therapy, and as a last resort surgery. I watched my Dad, Mom, Father-in-law, and Mother-in-law all use one or more of these prescription pain killers mentioned above with limited results. The end result is one can’t fool time and we all will eventually succumb to old age.

Why I am rambling on about such a depressing subject, because as I get older I feel all these aches and pain, whether I am doing yard work or out on the water casting my favorite fly. I have noticed the past couple of years I have more tendonitis in my knees and arms, but what is really annoying is the tendonitis in my shoulders. It really acts up in my right shoulder on days when I am on the water for four or five hours. So to help ease the pain on those fishing days, I decided to do some research concerning shoulder tendonitis. I found that there are ways one can help relieve shoulder tendonitis, by a simple rub message or a back stretch exercise. I have tried both procedures and they have helped relieve the pain in both my shoulders. No way is a little pain going to keep me off the water!!!

The Gnat, Beadhead and the Popper

Tuesday’s trip involved using numerous flies to attract some hits from some early spring bluegills. I only got to fish a couple of hours, so I had to make the most of what was given to me. The fish today were in a sluggish hitting mode, from the results of freshwater, and some cool nights.

I did manage to land my first crappie using my 3 wt. and the black gnat. I always heard where there is one crappie there is more but not today.

My one bass of the morning using the Betts popper, nice fight on the 4 weight.

 The beadhead grub got this female's attention. After a brief pause for the photo she got her freedom.

My one counter of the trip using the Betts popper; got to love landing these gills using the fly rod!!!

Is There a Weedless Nymph???

The Wooly Bugger was my choice of fly on Smith last week as I searched my fly box for something to get some hits. As you recall in my previous post my original plan was to crappie fish that day, but all that went out the window when the crappie failed to show up. What I didn’t mention in the post was the loss of numerous flies due to hang ups in submerged brush plies and underwater fallen trees. As I was trying to retrieve some of the flies I wondered if it was possible for someone to tie a pattern in the form of a weedless nymph. I have search the net and haven’t found any such fly. True one can find weedless poppers, streamer type patterns for warm water species, but no weedless nymph in a size 8 or 10. The black grub in size 8 was used that day as was the bugger, with both patterns being lost due to hang ups. The verdict is still out using weedless nymph’s trout fishing. The guard might inhibit the hook set. This weedless hook thing is another one of those curious thoughts that go through my mind when I’m trying to figure out how to land more fish. What are your thoughts on weedless fly patterns, especially nymph patterns?

This grub and the black and cream are the ones I used a lot in the early spring to fish for the big bluegill, which are still in deep water. Most of the time they are located near or over brush; resulting in the lose of numerous flies. Sliding one of these grubs over submerged limbs in brush piles would be deadly if the fly was tagged with a guard. True there may be some trouble landing the fish, but it be would fun trying.