Importance of Baromator Reading When Fishing

 One of my favorite times of the day is my afternoon coffee time spent in the swing on our back porch. While sitting there, I can watch the different species of birds that visit my bird feeders and listen to the rambling sound of my two rock fountains nearby. The birds feed freely at the feeders 10 to 12 feet from the swing. It's a time to reflect on the weeks events, from various chores to fishing trips on Tuesday's and Thursday's. 

Sitting here this afternoon, I wondered why Jason and I didn't land fish at daylight this morning. We were fishing in some of the familiar places I fish, but there was no activity at all. Even the streamer couldn't arouse an interest in a hit. As the morning wore on, I started eliminating the two main negative factors that keep fish from hitting: high barometric pressure and cool fronts. The positive factors that make this lake one of the best in the south were there which are water quality, excellent oxygen levels due to the heavy boat traffic, an abundance of bait fish in the form of shad, and tiny freshwater shrimp in the creviisis of the underwater rock formations through out the lake and last lots of structure; so what was the problem? Two hours into our trip and no fish to show for our effort. On mornings like we were experiencing one must be willing to change flies, color poppers, line tippet, and rod weights to cast lighter flies. Patience is essential in weather you land fish or go home skunked. Luckily for both of us, the fish decided to turn on about an hour before we left at 10 AM. Why did the fish turn on for about an hour? We figured the barometric pressure had risen and the air temp had warm some. The barometric pressure was the main factor. I used to have a baromator years ago but lost it. Rest assured; I will be replacing the one I lost. 

The lake was super clear making it a must to fish a greater distance from the banks. Overcast skies helped at times to keep the fish from seeing the boat.

After a long dry spell, this Spotted Bass inhaled a blue Boogle Bug popper, the first fish of the morning for me. The male bass would be the only bass I would land for the morning. It made me aware of its 16-inch length. 

Jason' Spotted Bass would be the only one he would touch for the morning shortly after I landed my bass. A white Boogle Bug popper got the attention of the bass. Cathey and I were glad  Jason got to spend a few weeks with us and was able to work in a couple of fishing trips on Smith Lake! 

Landing the Spotted Bass 

We landed a number of super size bluegills that would produce a nice meal. 

The wool shirt tells you it was still cool when Jason hooked this gill using his new Greys Streamflex 4-wt. Fly rod. Greys Streamflex fly rods are manufactured in Alnwick, England. The Greys Streamflex is one of the lightness fly rods I've fished with, and the best part is it is priced reasonably at 375.00

Surprisingly we notice this Barn Owl in this cave area on one of the rock wall banks we were fishing. Jason was surprised he got to take the picture that close. 

It flew to the other side of the cave as we got closer. Jason thinks it would be nesting somewhere near one of the ledges on the cave wall. 

Finally, it had enough of our company so, it took flight and flew across the lake. Seeing the Barn Owl was a first for both of us, which made us realize that sometimes there are other ways to enjoy a day on the lake. 

Fly Fishing in The Wind

 I've often said that the two worse enemies of a fly fisherman are the sun and the wind. That is one of the reasons why I like to fish during the daylight hours and on into the mid-morning. Once you have fished all the shaded areas, getting a hit, especially on top, becomes difficult. If you are dealing with wind, don't bother to fish dries or poppers, but you can fish subsurface flies such as nymphs and streamers, which I used on the Sipsey Tailrace this morning. As I entered the gorge, I noticed a slight breeze and a feeling of being lonesome, " I WAS THE ONLY FLY FISHERMAN THERE!" A first for me, which gave me my choice of which pocket holes I would try first. 

This trout was the first I landed in one of the pocket holes above the steps at Access 6. Notice I am wearing gloves now; most of the time, I am on the water. I have had two small cancerous growths removed from both hands this year. All those years in the sun have caught up with me. My gloves were wet because I didn't want to handle a trout with a dry glove. The gill plate and fins on this trout had some color, unusual for a stock trout. 

I always fish the Sipsey now using a wading staff because of this type of surface one encounters when fishing here. 

I had 30 minutes by myself before guys started showing up to join me. I would see five other individuals fishing before I left. This stretch of surface rock can be challenging to navigate because of the slim covered surface of the stones. One misstep, and you fall. I have seen guys take a fall because they get in a hurry trying to move from one spot to the next. 

When I landed this trout, the wind had started blowing so hard I almost lost my hat; the hat strip had saved it from blowing across the tailrace. I was to the point I would wait for a pause in the 20 mph wind gust and make a cast, and even then, I had difficulty placing the nymph. 

I arrived at eight and left by ten. I found the parking lot empty when I walk back to my truck. I kept telling myself I would land a few more trout, but it would not happen. The wind had taken over and killed the bite for the morning. 

Guys, I can't end this post without showing you a few video clips of Bryson, our oldest Grandson playing in last Sunday's Flag Football game. 

His team and his Brother Cash's team will be in the playoffs next Sunday, so guess where Pops

 and Meme will be?

Cash finding an open receiver and throwing a touchdown pass--great footwork and concentration!  

Fishing the Clouser Minnow

Jeff and I started the morning with five of our six combos rigged with different size poppers ready to fish the nook areas of Ryan Creek on Smith Lake. I committed last season to use the streamer much more this year, so I had my 6-wt nine ft. rigged to cast streamers. 

I landed the first bass of the morning close to the launch, near some floating boat piers. The female nailed a blue Boggle Bug popper. This would be the only bass I would land for the rest of the morning on a popper. 

The lake was half a foot above the full pool, which is 510. I've often said that every minute counts when you are fishing daylight hours on Smith. Why? Because the bite shuts down around 11 O'clock, especially if you are fishing on top. 

After the top action slowed, it was time for me to give a few of my streamers a try. I started with Devil Dog streamer, then the Crawfish, and finally, the trusted Clouser Silver Minnow. The winner of the three was the Clouser Minnow. I wanted the bass to hit the Devil Dog and the Crawfish streamers because of the attraction feature, but sometimes the fish know more about what they like to eat than you do. 

The Clouser streamer I was using was the three-inch version with the barbell eyes and an ample supply of bucktail, giving it the added weight to sink faster. I used my 5/6 Gloomis reel loaded with a bass bug fly line, which helps cast a weighted streamer easier than a standard fly line. I also added a nine ft. intermediate sink-tip leader to aid in getting the streamer down. 

I like this version of the Clouser because it has a significant amount of bucktail. All Clouser Minnow streamers are unlike the original in 1987, tied by Bob Clouser. In other words, there are many variations of the Clouser in size and color today. 

My first Spotted Bass of the morning that inhaled the Clouser at a depth of eight feet. All the bites occurred at least 6 to 8 ft. from the banks. The hit on the streamer varied most of the morning. Some of the Bass would nip hit, and some would make me think I hook the streamer on brush or rock; regardless of the feel, I set the hook. 

This fatty hit the Clouser on a point entering into a nook area. This female put up quite a fight. 

This bass was my best streamer catch of the morning. This fish made numerous runs trying to break free of the size 2 Clouser hook. I was glad I was using my six-wt; otherwise, I could have lost this fish. Little did I know I would get broken off on my next encounter with another bass and lose my only Clouser Streamer! 

I didn't land another bass the rest of the morning, showing me that once you find a fly pattern that produces, have more than one ready to replace it. Rest assured; I will tie on the Clouser when the top action slows now! 

I will be using Field Edge Handmade Clouser Silver Minnows on my next outing. You can check out their website by clicking on the link on my blog.