Bird Watching, Bird Feeders & Seeds

I have been watching birds feed on our back porch for years.  I’ve never bothered to find out the name of some of the species, I was just content watching them fly in and out through the day. It’s not that I am clueless as to the names of some of the more common birds that visit the feeders; such as the Cardinal, House Wren, and Morning Doves, but others I didn’t recognize. 

I decided a couple of weeks ago I would make an effort to try and identify the other colorful birds that frequent my feeders; so my first stop on this bird journey was Barnes and Noble. The big-box book stores can be overwhelming with the volume of books. I spent some time sorting through numerous books that dealt with everything about birds. I finally found a small handbook titled “Birds of Alabama” which had everything I wanted to know about the bird species in Alabama.

This little book is loaded with information about each species of birds. ----according to size, color images of male and female, types of nests, number of eggs, incubation period, type of food and much more. For someone getting into bird watching at a beginner's level; this book really got my attention.

 The book states the types of bird seeds that will attract different species to your feeders.   

 I’ve been using the Black Oil Sunflower Seeds for years to attract numerous species of bird. It is probably the most popular of all bird seeds.

I just started using the Pennington Ultra Premium Nut and Fruit Blend Bird Seed. I read in the book where this seed will attract even more species of Sparrows and Wrens. I may add another feed later such as the tiny White Sunflower Seed, but for now I feel this is a good seed start.

I’ve had this feeder in use for years and over time had to add a tray on its bottom to collect all the sunflower hulls. The birds will crack the outer shell to get to the soft seed inside. I am cleaning the tray out daily. Notice the cast iron tray bird feeder; prime for another type of bird seed in the future.

This copper feeder has the nut and fruit blend seeds. I am seeing more Sparrows and Wren species since I started using this feed.

Adding the piece of round metal below the feeders made it squirrel proof.

Guys, I'm sorry for the blur on this video, but it was shot from my den filming through the window. I wanted you guys to see the activity around the feeders. I believe most of these birds are Goldfinch. Let me know if you think they are a different species. I believe I have found a new hobby!

Memorable 2015 Fishing Trips

This is the time of year I get to thinking of landing beautiful rainbow and browns on the Sipsey and Caney Fork. As stated in my last report it will be some time before that happens, because of high water on both tailraces. So all I have to satisfy the urge to cast to a live trout or bluegill are viewing some of the trips I made in 2015. This past year was my best on the Sipsey when it comes to landing quality rainbow. I think as each year passes I get more use to the tailrace and which patterns work at a particular time of the day and season. One of my best trips of 2015 was a trip where I felt I landed most all the quality trout I had lost the day before. I felt I really learned some things on this outing about position casting, patience, and how to really concentrate on the movement of the indicator, which in this case was a dry and a stick on indicator.

Back in early April of 2015 right before the spawn begin was one of my favorite trips going after some super size gills. The reason this trip really stands out in my mind was how hard I had to work to land some monster bluegills that were extremely wary of any boating activity anywhere near the super clear water where they were located. The numbers of huge bluegills I lost from break-offs in brush and not getting a solid hook set was another reminder of this outing.

Bass fishing was somewhat limited for me in 2015, because I was so busy going after the big bluegill on Smith and the rainbow on the Sipsey. Of all the bass outings I had this past year one was really memorable because I was breaking in a new bass bug line and using some really big poppers to attract big spots on Smith.

  Looking for too 2016 for more fly fishing action!!!!

Eagle Claw Featherlight Fly Rods

I thought I would share this fly rod find I discovered the other day while searching the net. Troutlet is selling their Feather Light Eagle Claw Fly rod for 32.00 bucks in lengths of 6 ½ ft., 7 ft. and 8 ft. All these rods are fiberglass and have the stainless guides and taper fit fiberglass ferrules. I am probably going to order the 8 ft. one as if I needed another fly rod.

No fishing for me on the Sipsey heavy rains here has shut down the tailrace for weeks. Both generators are running every day with muddy water being released below the dam. The water at the tailrace outlet is higher than I have ever seen it. My first fishing trip will be sometime in February. So in the meantime, I will enjoy conversing with all my blog buddies.

Top Five Fly Patterns for Winter

I am sure a lot of you guys have heard of Hatch Magazine, if not I thought I would share a blog post that was written back in November of this past year. The post details the top five fly patterns for the winter months. I use some of the same patterns that were mentioned in his post, but what I found interesting is the various comments he received from his readers.

I have become a fan of Jonathan Barnes Fly Fishing Videos. His videos are filled with lots of information about the type of flies, equipment, and the techniques he uses to land the different trout species he is pursuing. If you are free for the next 25 minutes this one video featuring soft hackles is worth the watch.

  

Spending Time in the Woodshop

I thought I would share with you guys one of my woodworking projects I just finished this week. My daughter mentioned to me some weeks ago that the children’s little table and chairs were broken. The table legs had come off and the chairs were all broken. So I volunteered my services to build a table and chairs out of solid wood, instead of the compressed wood they were using. The solid wood version should last the grandchildren for years.  I have a small woodworking shop in my basement that keeps me busy with different projects throughout the year, especially during the slow fishing months. It will be weeks before I get to wet a fly because of all the rain we have had here lately, so I have time to spend in my shop.

Cathey plays an important part in a lot of my woodworking projects with the painting, stencil painting, staining, and varnishing. My main job is construction work and sanding the finished product.

Gorilla glue will hold anything together including these chairs and table; some tuff stuff!!! A chair for Cash, Laelyn, Bryson and a friend. 

  Enjoy your new table and chairs kids!

Making the Most Out of Time Well Spent

I couldn’t have asked for a better day to fish the Sipsey this past Friday. The temperature was in the low seventies with overcast skies most of the day. You notice I said most of the day, which meant I was going to give it my best today for the six hours I was given. I feel every time I visit this place I am making up for the lost time in trout fishing. As most of you know I only started fly fishing for trout some ten years ago on the Caney Fork in Tennessee with my son-in-law. Little did I know on this one trip that my fishing perspective would change forever for me? The fly rod now consumes 95% of my fishing experience. The trout on the Sipsey get all my attention now during the late fall and winter months, where in years past I would be fishing for bass on Smith Lake.

I have said this before but I will reiterate it again how I wish I had found the fly fishing passion when I was younger. So every day I am “GIVEN” now is time well spent landing trout like this beauty with its colors all aglow for Christmas.

The water today was high when I arrived at mid-morning. As the day unfolded it begin to reseed. Two generators would be running about an hour before I would leave late afternoon. I’ve learned especially for us older anglers that one doesn’t need to stand an entire wading trip. Snack breaks, fly changes, and a pause just to soak up the beautiful scenery can be excuse enough to find a seat. On the Sipsey those seats come in the form of numerous large boulders scattered up and down the gouge.

This image explains why we as trout fishermen love this sport so much. I could still see vivid colors on its gill plate as it swims back into the fast run it was taken from.

A complete contrast in the color scheme here with this healthy bow; it inhaled the nymph so hard I thought I had hooked a rock. The current was the key to today’s trip; the trout were holding in small seams where there was structure such as rocks and fallen timber. One never knows how the trout will react from day to day on the Sipsey. Today numerous trout were in the mood to inhale a number of patterns I cast their way, which made the day special!!   

Those Slow Winter Months

I know this time of the year is when the fishing kind of slows down for some of us and we become involved in other things that will occupy us until spring. As most of you know I am a big movie buff, whether it is your traditional movie or documentaries concerning history or the outdoors. I also get a lot of enjoyment from watching fly fishing videos. While viewing a fly fishing video the other day involving fishing the Mayfly I discover a gold mine of information from the website On Stream Guide. Be prepared to spend some time on this site covering a lot of fly fishing information.

Another pastime of mine is watching good documentaries from the History and National Geographic channels. A few of my favorites are:

The Civil War ---150^th Edition----The documentary traces the causes, courses as well as the major events and personalities of the American Civil War. Between 1861 and 1865, this epic American story of struggle and survival was written in blood, and in this series is told mostly from first-hand accounts and in the spoken words of the participants themselves, through their diaries, letters, and memoirs. The series concludes with Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and the surrender of the western Confederate Army to Sherman in North Carolina in the spring of 1865. It then explores the legacy of slavery and the consequences and meaning of a war that transformed the country forever. 

America Before Columbus---History books traditionally depict the pre-Columbus Americas as a pristine wilderness where small native villages lived in harmony with nature. But scientific evidence tells a very different story: When Columbus stepped ashore in 1492, millions of people were already living there. America wasn't exactly a "New World," but a very old one whose inhabitants had built a vast infrastructure of cities, orchards, canals, and causeways. But after Columbus set foot in the Americas, an endless wave of explorers, conquistadors, and settlers arrived, and with each of their ships came a Noah's Ark of plants, animals—and disease. In the first 100 years of contact, entire civilizations were wiped out and the landscape was changed forever.

Trail of Tears---President Andrew Jackson enacted the Indian Removal Act which forced the Cherokee Nation to leave their homeland and relocate into unchartered territory. Many of these forced settlers suffered from exposure, disease and starvation and upon arriving in Indian Territory, they arrived with no past and no future.

First Landing---The Voyage from England to Jamestown

First Landing unearths the untold story of Robert Hunt's incredible sacrifice as expedition chaplain of the Virginia Company's awe-inspiring voyage to the New World - a groundbreaking trip that would result in America's first permanent English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia. The story follows Hunt's struggle to leave his young family in order to make the arduous journey by sea in 1606. While most men looked to their own needs, Hunt brought much-needed unity to the frail outpost on the James River that would in time become the United States of America.

The Oregon Trail Find out what it was like for the pioneers who made the daring journey across the Rocky Mountains to settle the Oregon Territory. Hear their stories of bravery, excitement, tragedy, and sorrow from their actual letters and diary entries. Why were they going? What did they bring? What did they have to leave behind? Travel The Oregon Trail as they did across the plains, through the mountains and into a brand new world.

As I get older I find myself watching less and less commercial television. Programs that interest me fifteen years ago or more just doesn’t whole my attention anymore.

 

Chasing Monsters Away

The best part of the holidays is getting together with family. Turkey day was spent with our daughter and her family. They were with us through Saturday and as always it was time well spent. After lunch Thursday my son-in-law B.T., Bryson, and I spent the afternoon touring the shoreline of Beautiful Smith Lake. The fishing on the lake is slow at this time of the year because of the constant drawdown of the lake. The lake level now is 12 feet below full pool.

Friday Pops spent the afternoon with Bryson and Laelyn at two different parks located a few miles from our house. The grandchildren love going to the parks and just being outdoors when they come to visit. 

Gamble Park is their favorite not because of the playground station; the live creek running through the park really gets the imagination going for a six and four-year-old. Feeding the small perch and chasing monsters from the creek by Bryson is more fun than playing a video game at home.

Picking up tiny pieces of fish food to throw in the moving water; the small perch would inhale it!!

This creek exploring just wouldn’t be any fun if you didn’t get your shoes and pants wet; oh how Pops loves to go exploring with these guys!!!

Deciphering a Midge Hatch

When I fish the Sipsey Tailrace I usually notice a midge hatch. The best hatches usually occur in the afternoon. Seeing a hatch on the Sipsey doesn’t always mean one will be successful landing trout fishing the hatch. As most of us know landing trout during a hatch depends on matching the hatch and how you present the pattern to the trout, and sometimes that doesn’t work. I know all of us have been there; where you are watching trout feeding heavy on a midge hatch and we cast everything in the fly box at the feeding frenzy and come up empty.

As most you know I just can’t let this hatch mystery go without doing a little research that hopefully will help all of us out on our next hatch adventure. The following image and explanation below are some of the best examples of hatch feeding I found. Keep in mind the bugs mentioned here are mayflies, caddis flies, emergers and a midge, but the surface action trout image below could be the same regardless of the insects.

Watching trout rise from a vantage point at the water's edge will tell you where to cast. But by taking an even closer look and noting how those trout are rising, you can also see exactly what type of fly to throw at them—especially when there are different insects flying in the air. Here’s what to look for.
1 - The Sip
What you see: A very subtle dimple in the water, and only the nose of the trout appear.
What that means: The fish are either sipping midges or eating spent mayfly spinners.
What to fish: A Rusty Spinner—but no bigger than a size 18.
2 - The Slurp
What you see: More pronounced “beaks,” eating on the surface.
What that means: The fish are dialed in on a hatch—likely mayfly duns.
What to fish: A size 18 Parachute Adams. When the fish are really chopping, try a cripple variation.
3 - The Splash
What you see: A sudden, explosive pop with some splash.
What that means: Trout are on moving targets, like skittering caddisflies.
What to fish: Tie on a caddis pattern, such as a size 16 Lawson’s Caddis, and don’t be afraid to give it a twitch.
4 - The Boil
What you see: Disturbed water but no faces—only a dorsal fin and maybe a tail.
What that means: They’re eating emergers before they reach the surface.
What to fish: A size 20 Flashback Barr Emerger just beneath the film.
The following illustration came from a Field and Stream publication

I stocked up on some hatch patterns on my recent visit to the new Cabala’s in Huntsville Alabama this past Thursday. This store had the largest selection of flies I have seen in any fly shop ever!!! I would also say that Cabala’s has a leg up on the Bass Pro fly shops when it comes to quality fly fishing equipment and accessories.

I’m curious what fly size and pattern would you select to get a hit using images 1, 2, 3 or 4?
   

Hope all you guys have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!!!

Going Back After Better Trout

Today’s post is the second installment of the Logjam post from last week. I knew last Tuesday when I kept losing all those better trout on the Sipsey I would be making another trip to try to redeem myself. I am one of those fishermen who dissect every trip I make. I left the tailrace Tuesday wondering why I lost more trout than I landed. I surmised it came down to fly rods. My 3 weight just didn’t have the backbone needed to really set the hook as opposed to using a heavier fly rod such as my 4 weight.

 I thought I was completely prepared for today’s outing. I wanted to film some of the action today, so I brought along my Contour Video camera. My first rainbow of the afternoon inhaling my nymph right after I stepped off the metal steps into the waters; camera-ready so I reach up on top of my helmet to flip the switch on. Nothing was happening, after repeated tries, reached in my front pocket and used my camera to record the last part of the action. I need to remember to charge the Contour camera even when it is not in use. The uncharged camera was the only downer for today’s trip.

I discovered these small plants scattered all over the tailrace. All the plants were less than 10 inches tall. They were covered with tiny lavender buds, with leaves similar to a rubber plant. It is a hardy plant because when the generators are running all are covered with the frigid 57-degree water for hours. I am thinking of digging one up and transplanting it in our yard at home.

I like to think this is one of the better rainbows that I lost on Tuesday. Dropping a nymph at least 3 feet deep in fast water got his attention. The colors on this trout were more vivid than most I land.

I continue to be amazed that I am landing trout like this in the Deep South, especially in Alabama!!



Landing Rainbow in Logjams on the Sipsey

I finally made it back to the Sipsey Tuesday to connect with the new stockers that were released in the tailrace a couple of weeks ago. I was met this morning with a slight mist and cooler temperatures in the high 40’s, which is a drastic contrast from the hot humid weather I face here in the summer.

As I was suiting up I was wondering if I should wait to tie on a fly before seeing if there was any type of hatch occurring. I do love to land trout here on top and lately that hasn’t been the case, but that little voice kept telling me to suit up, and fish the nymph. My last outing here had me fishing high water and today was supposed to be different with no generating and the guys at the dam held true to their word, generators off all day.

I begin casting today at a set of logjams that span 30 to 40 yards in fairly deep water up the gorge. The water was super clear making it easy to see my prey with my polarized glasses. This area is not fished heavy, simply because most like to fish in shallower water here. This area has depths of 5 to 6 ft. The trout like to use the logs as cover and dart out and nail a fly pattern as it passes over.

Dead drifting nymphs over the logjams and letting it drop produced this dark-colored rainbow.

A deep cut on the gill plate of this trout tells me that there is more than trout swimming in this tailrace.

 I wish I had been using my video camera for this particular rainbow; lots of air jumps. No way was this trout going to let me whole it for the picture, but it did manage to stay still long enough for me to get this water image shot before it swims away to freedom. I landed a number of trout today, but what really frustrated me was losing so many fish on this outing. I guess it may be time to change from my 3 weight and go with my 4 weight on my next trip.  

Time Spent When I'm Not Fishing

For the past couple of weeks we have had overcast skies with periods of rain, which pretty much covers the forecast for the region here. These kinds of days usually have me at the computer reading blogs, watching fly fishing videos, working on my ancestry tree, downloading seventies music on my USB MP3 player, or watching some of my favorite western movies.

Reading fly fishing blogs has become one of my go-to activities just about every morning after breakfast. I am one of those guys who gravitate towards people who have things in common with me. That is why I like blogging so much because it gives me a chance to converse with other fly fishermen who love the sport as much as me.  

I really enjoy watching fly fishing videos, especially the ones that pass along bits of information that will help me land more fish. I think one of the best fly fishing videos series for the beginner and the seasoned angler is The New Fly Fisher with Bill Spicer.

How could I go through the winter without working on my Ancestry tree? I sign up for the three months on the first of November and leave the site at the end of January. During those months I catch up on all the information that has been submitted concerning my ancestries. Ancestry recently added DNA testing and that is something I may consider while on the site this time.

As most of you know I am an avid western movie fan. If I could have lived another life it would have been during the 1800s. I know times were tuff back then but my love of the outdoors and the adventure that period offered would have made it perfect for me. I am more of a fan of the ’70s through present day westerns as opposed to the earlier westerns. The earlier westerns were not as realistic as the Eastwood era and Duvall era movies. Any western with Robert Duvall in it is considered a classic in my book. Three of his best were Lonesome Dove, Open Range, and Broken Trail. 

So I will end this rambling episode by saying if you guys haven’t tried some of these overcast day activities, then I highly recommend you give one a try.

Cathey and I Road Trip Back to Ellijay Georgia

Cathey and I decided Wednesday that we wanted to go back and visit Ellijay Georgia where we live for a short time over 30 years ago. It is a small mountain town located in northwest Georgia. Ellijay is known as the apple capital of Georgia. We picked this weekend to make the trip because of the huge apple festival and craft show taking place there. We left Friday morning and made a detour through a few areas in Alabama we hadn’t visited before driving to the festival. The trip really brought back some fond memories of when we were younger and our daughter was two and our son six; how fast time passes.

The first stop on our journey was Little River Canyon in northwest Alabama. This plaque was at the entrance of the River Falls explaining the plight of the Cherokee Indians who inhabited the area when Hernando De Soto explored the region.

In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects

 The 45 foot Little RiverCanyon falls at the base of the canyon. The Little River runs through the canyon and has numerous smaller falls throughout the canyon.

The river below the falls flowing at the base of the canyon, it will be stocked with rainbow trout in December. The trout will survive through the winter months.  

These are the De Soto Falls in the De Soto State Park north of Little River Canyon.

This is the main De Soto Fall in the De Soto State Park north of Little River Canyon. Sorry, I didn’t take this image; my image had too much glare to post, so I am using a Google image of the fall. This is the highest waterfall in the state of Alabama located directly below the upper falls, an absolutely beautiful area.

I can't believe we have waterfalls like this in Alabama

Fishing High Water on The Sipsey

Fishing a tailrace can always be an adventure especially if you fish one that has unpredictable generation. Tuesday was that day, where I thought I had the generation time exact, but upon arriving at the waters edge I discovered otherwise. I should have known when I drove up to the parking lot and no one was there that something wasn’t right. I never fish this place alone; but this morning I would have the Sipsey all to myself. The water was higher than I have ever fished the Sipsey. No turning back for me today, I was determined to fish and fish I did. 

The road to the first access point was just about covered with the leaves from some of the tress lining the road. It is so beautiful this time of year around the tailrace. We had a light rain the night before and I could still smell the wet leaves.

The food plots along the road are in full growth now and the deer have already started to graze on the clover. I was hoping one would be near the plot but all I saw were some butterflies feeding on the clover blooms.

As I stepped off the last step at access 6 I encountered a foot of water. All the rocks you see in this image are always void of water when the generators are off. The area I was going to fish was the deep channel off the edge of the rocks. There was a fairly fast current in all the rock areas that I waded through to get to all the spots I wanted to fish. No rises, at all so dries were not the option.

If there is a plus for me fishing high water on the Sipsey; it has to be its beauty with the fast ripples, swift current and super clear water. I remember a time last year fishing high water here, and my selection of flies then were nymphs and soft hackles. With the water moving fast I knew I wanted to fish a pattern that would get the attention of the trout quickly, so color was the first choice, forget hatch nothing there on the surface or in the air.

This little gem would be my first choice in a bright orange. I haven’t fished a scud in a while here so today was my chance to see if this bright color could attract. I knew the trout would have only a few seconds to see the fly before it was swept down stream from view. The water in the channel where I was going to fish was actually 5 to 6 feet deep, so I was hoping the trout was closer to the top, than down on the bottom. To drop the fly a little deeper I added a weight 6” above the scud.

My first rainbow of the morning, after endless casting in the fast moving water; this rainbow inhaled the scud and decided to leave the deep channel and head to the shallows. I decided not to use an indicator and just let the fly swing through the current with a slow retrieve. This would be my lone trout this morning, with my new found scud friend. I'm not complaining when one can fish a beautiful place like the Sipsey on a early fall morning. I’m planning on spending a lot of time on the Sipsey in the coming months; I hope you guys don’t get bored with my repeated trips.



Driftwood Abundant on Smith Lake This Time of Year

This is the time of the year on Smith Lake one can find some really nice pieces of driftwood.  The lake is being pulled down now and driftwood is scattered all along its banks. Cathey and I like to place different pieces of wood in our yard. It adds character to areas in the yard that need a little pick me up. We’ve had pieces in our yard for years that hasn’t deteriorated with age.

This huge pine stump was taken from the shoreline on Smith a couple of years ago with the help B.T. my son-in-law. We got some strange looks at the boat dock when we motored up with this thing resting on the back deck of the bass boat. The top of the stump is buried in the ground more than a foot deep.

A different size cypress stump sitting upright

I found this cedar stump a few weeks ago buried in a sandbar along with one of the shorelines. Very unusual to have the inside hollowed out. The tree had been cut years ago.

Using rock alongside the driftwood adds to the landscaping

This is a piece of poplar driftwood that I found in the Blackhills of South Dakota on our recent trip there. Every piece that I have shown you here in this post has a memory.