Become a Blogger Fly Swap Fiend!!

I was reading through my blog roll the other day and read a post by Rick at Brookfield Angler concerning his Sculpin flies up for swap. I really go fired up about this pattern and in the process came up with an idea for all us fly fishing bloggers to acquire more flies. I know most of us have more flies than we will use in our lifetime but there is always that new and innovative pattern that we all must have to complete our fly arsenal.

So why not conduct a fly swap once a month. Each blogger sometimes during the month would post a number of flies he or she would like to swap. It could be as many as four or more or could even be one pattern. If someone is not interested in the flies from that particular post that month then they may be interested in next months flies. In other words it wouldn’t hurt anyone feelings if no one wanted to swap that month.

These are the flies I have up for swap this month. Keep in mind one does not have to swap for all four flies. The Brown Hackle Peacock

Comparing the Different Size Pelcian Boats for Added Room and Comfort

 I did a post a couple of years ago about my second go-to boat used to fish small ponds and larger streams such as the Caney Fork in Tennessee. The boat I am referring to is my little 8 ft.Pelican boat that Academy Sports and Dick’s Sporting Goods sells. There are other outlets that sell this boat, but most have the boat priced above market price. In fact, Bass Pro has this boat priced 100.00 above Academy Sports? This size boat is perfect for one fisherman and all the tackle but when another individual is added it becomes a little too crowded. So I have been searching the net for something larger, and I think I have found the perfect solution to the crowded quarters in the boat. Pelican not only makes the 8 ft. but they also have a 10 ft. version.

This is the 10 ft. version, which has more compartments and 1 ½ ft. more floor space and has the handy fold-down seats. I know I am going to be dealing with more weight when it comes to handling this boat versus the 8 ft. This boat weighs in at 131 lbs. compared to the 8 ft. which weighs in at 95 lbs. I feel I could handle the added 36 lbs. because I am only lifting the one end of the boat up to slide into the back of my truck. I think it would be different if I was pulling or trying to carry this boat some distance. As my Grandson gets older I am going to need a bigger boat to carry him and his Dad in a boat that is really stable and floats high in the water. This boat will do just that, especially floating streams and a large tailrace. I am going to make a trip to our local Academy Sports in Birmingham soon to actually see the boat up close and even lift it before I make my final decision. It always good to plan ahead for the upcoming season. 

Pops and Grandson Bryson on an Afternoon Bluegill Fishing Trip

This past Wednesday my Grandson Bryson and I made a trip to a local pond near our house to fish for some fall bluegill using his spin cast and the red worms he and I dug up in our back yard. As always Bryson was anxious to go with his Pops and see if he could catch a fish for his Uncle JJ. I have found out when I carry Bryson fishing that the trip always evolves around a theme. The last trip was naming the worms and even deciding to carry one home, and not let the fish eat him. Well, today’s theme was catching a fish for his Uncle JJ; which eventually lead to catching a fish for his Dad, Mom, and his sister Laelyn. I have to say this little guy has an imagination way beyond his years. I am sorry to say I can’t show you guys any pictures for this trip, because I accidentally erased all of them except the one below. Bryson did catch the most bluegill he has ever landed with his Pops and even lost a bass that broke his line. All total we counted around 15 bluegills and the lost bass at the end of the afternoon.

 This is one of the many bluegills Bryson landed while spending the afternoon with his Pops. This may be our last trip for this year because the weather is getting cooler, but we have the spring and summer next year to look forward to.