Experimenting With Scent Attractors for Fly Fishing

There were several things going on during my fishing trip Saturday. One was trying to reach my 100 super bluegill quest, during the spawn, two was trying a land a quality Spot, and three was trying out a scent attractor on flies for bluegills and bass. The first goal I didn’t accomplish, because I think most of the big bull bluegill had move into deep water at least 30 to 40 ft. The second goal was missed with only one small largemouth brought to hand using the size 4 Boogle Bug. I discovered right after I launched the boat that the lake was falling contrary to what the report had said. Sometimes one can’t put a lot of trust in the generation schedule for Smith Lake. As most of you know water falling on any body of water can put a damper on the catch ratio. Fish tend to go deep during this period and stay deep until the water level stabilizes. I did manage to land fish but just not the quality bass.

Now for the third goal; I have said I learn something every time I am on the water and today was no exception. I wanted to try a product that claims to entice the bite for bass and bluegill so I had my small little bottle of bass attractant. I only used it on a couple of wooly buggers. I can’t say for sure that the scent attractor work to get more hits, but it seem to add a little more confidence on a slow morning. The attractant didn’t effect the action of the bugger because I didn’t add it to the tail of the fly, just the body. I didn’t try it on any dry fly. I am wondering if any of you guys have experimented with scent attractant on flies.

Sorry awful image but you get the drift with the Boogle deep in the throat the only bass of the morning

All of these guys were caught on a couple of small poppers, and the rest on the wooly bugger. I have to say none will qualify for my quest. They were a lot of fun on the 3 wt. As stated in the post the bass scent attractor was used and I would like to think it help me land more fish on an extremely slow morning-----falling water

The Hat Makes the Fisherman or Does the Fisherman Make The Hat?

I don’t know if you guys notice that I am more of a hat guy than a cap fisherman. I use to wear a cap all the time back when I was younger and didn’t mind the sun and could tolerate the heat more, but as I got older I wanted to avoid a lot of sun on my ears and face so the hat was born. Since switching to the hat I’ve become more aware of the comfort and looks for me. I don’t know why but I have always related the hat more to fly fishing than your traditional cap. I guess over the years seeing some of the greatest fly fishermen ever wearing a hat while fly fishing convinced me of the connection. The hat really had its resurgence when the movie “A River Runs Through It” came out. This movie not only revitalized fly fishing but it also helps sell a lot of fly fishing hats during that time. After seeing the movie I knew then that the hat had found its permanent home in fly fishing. I own three different hats that I use while fishing and one straw hat I wear while I am moving the yard. I have convinced myself that I need a new felt fly fishing hat for this winter. I did a Google search recently and came up with a lot of choices. I thought that you guys might want to take a look at some of my favorites I found.  

This was one of my first choices. What I really like about this hat is the mesh opening and of course the solid top, this hat is from AdventureHat

This was one of my first choices. What I really like about this hat is the mesh opening and of course the solid top.

This could be my winter felt hat it comes in dark green, tan and brown. The only thing this hat is missing is the small quail feather in the band. It is from Orvis

Although I am not in the market for a straw hat this one really got my attention, I really like the flat top and the compress brim. This one is from Villagehatshop

Another good looking straw hat that is in the form of a Stetson design--this hat is also from Villagehatshop

The crushable feature is what got my attention here with this hat, it is from Villagehatshop

The Aussie Wool Crusher is an awesome looking felt hat with the leather band it is from Adventure Hat

I am not in the market for an all-leather hat, but I thought some of you guys might be interested --it is from Adventure Hat

I know this post is about hats but I was so impressed with this cap. In fact I order one for the fall, it is a little too hot for it now. It is from Cafepress

Revisiting One of my Favorite Trout Areas

I wanted to try an area closer to the dam on the tailrace the other day. I had fished this area a couple of years ago and found it to be absolutely beautiful. The place had not changed with the exception of the newly constructed access point that had been built there. The water in this area is a cool 58 degrees and there are no fast runs but more of a slow flow. It is perfect for dry fly action early and late in the afternoon. Unfortunately that was not the case with the dries, there was very little action on top. In fact there was a little or no hatch.

The early morning mist made it difficult to see your offering, but I wasn't complaining because it was so cool in the water and the swamp and forest smell of the area just added to the experience.

My first rainbow of he morning with what else the Zebra Midge

A Mother/son team taking a break to change patterns. This boy doesn't know how lucky he is . She had taught him well in the casting department, he was making some exceptional cast---he was 10 years old.

I found a nice blonder to sit on while I changed patterns, notice I am using the wind-up leader in the L-connect system. This is really a handy set-up in that you can have your fly already tied on your leader and all you have to do to change flies is to connect the orange connect into your fly line connect of the system---for more info on the L-connect check out this link   these leaders are hard to find and the last ones I purchased was in Canada--sorry not USA!

All you do to change flies is unwind the leader off the spool and insert the connect end into your fly line connect. Another handy accessory I have to save on leader purchase is the Tippet Ring. I did a post on the ring sometime back and have found that it is extremely useful when extending the life of your leader. Since going with the ring I have only changed leaders once this season.

 

I tried a number of these nymph patterns before the midge proved to be the winner

Everyone that fly fishes likes to gets that take on top, and I for one go along with the crowd here. I started with a PMD early but as stated earlier had trouble seeing the fly. Not to be outdone I changed to a Gnat, Padams and finally realize that the top action wasn't going to happen.

Trust me the trout is there in my hand ---today was an enjoyable morning even if I only brought 3 to hand. I met some nice trout fishermen/ladies and learned a few things along the way.

This was my access point to enter and leave, notice the concrete embankment, this sort of structure is needed when you have 8 to 10 ft. water rise on release

One needs to be in pretty good shape to make his way up the steps and on up to the top of the ramp.

Reaching That 50,000 Viewer Mark!!

I consider today a milestone for me in that I reached the 50,000 viewer mark with my blog activity. When I started this blog some 2 ½ years ago I didn’t realize at the time that it would be so addictive. My sole purpose at the time was to create this blog to mainly keep a fishing log of all my trips. I thought it would be nice to look back and see when, how, and the tackle I used to land that particular species of fish. Little did I know that I would meet and share information with so many fishing buddies? I wonder sometimes why I keep blogging; well I found for me it is the enjoyment of being able to share a love of fishing with individuals who like it as much as me. All of us like to communicate with others who have the same interest as ourselves and this blog gives me that opportunity. Here is a special THANKS to all you guys who visit Fishing Through Life on a regular basis and to those who occasionally stop by.  

The Mystery Fly Rod

Back in the early spring when I had started my bluegill quest I was fishing with one fly rod most of the time; that rod being my 9 ft. 3 wt Greys XF2 Streamflex. I have mention this fly rod a few times in some of my post as being the best fly rod I have ever place in my hand, and it still is, but after losing some huge Shellcrackers in the spring with it I decided I needed something with a bit more backbone. I didn’t really want something with too much overkill but a fly rod that would handle the big Shellcrackers and a couple pound spot. I knew that a medium action 9 ft in 4 wt would be close to my 3 wt so I opted for a fast action fly rod. I had fished fast action rods before in spinning gear but not in a fly rod. At first I had trouble getting use to the fast taper and the somewhat stiff butt section but after a few outings I really got accustomed to the feel of the rod; and now it is my go to fly rod when I know or can sense that there could be something bigger on that rock wall. So I know you are asking what is the name of this mystery rod, well I know some of you guys have fished the St. Croix series rods and the Imperial 9ft. 4 wt is the one I finally choose. Aside from the action of the rod the lightness was the other deciding factor. This fly rod weights in at 2.9 oz. in a two piece, which for me is perfect for a half day trip. When I am fishing from my boat I always carry two fly rods and both have to be extremely light for me to keep fishing on up into the day. You young guys out there will understand the lightness factor as you get older; some of you may have discovered it already. I didn’t pay full price for this rod which was 180.00, I decided to trade my last Temple Fork 8 ft. 4 wt in for the St Croix. I used Anglers Habitat to close the deal at a cost of 95.00.  I really like this site because you can trade in and save on a new purchase.

One of my favorite runs below the dam.  I hope to get a good drift there next week that will produce a few rainbow.     

Jigger Pole Fishing on Smith Lake for Catfish

Guys today’s post is a little off the beaten path for me. I went to the lake the other day with one of my fishing buddies to fish for catfish. Yes, I said catfish, not bluegill, bass, or even trout, but catfish. The game plan was to use our crappie jigger poles as catfish rods to land channel cat off the many rock walls on Smith Lake. I got to say it worked to perfection and was really a lot of fun. I must admit this was something new to me as far as fishing for catfish with an 11 ft fishing rod. I have caught catfish back in the day by setting hooks from the bank or using a trotline. I had even landed catfish with my son-in-law and daughter before they got married using the microlight rods, but this technique was a bit different. With the 11 ft. jigger pole you are limited with you amount of line you used and the play of the fish becomes paramount in you landing your prey. If you hear the drag go off then you know you have a nice size fish and have to be extra careful bringing the fish to hand because it can pop a 6 or 8 test line in a heartbeat. I found out right quick if you didn’t have your glob of chicken liver right next to the wall you wouldn’t get a hit. This is a really simple technique all we did was to move the boat about a foot away from the wall and slowly troll paralleling it as we adjusted the deep of the bait while we moved. Sometimes you were fishing in depths of 30 to 40 ft and other times you would reel in line to adjust to the bottom at 20 ft deep. There was no mistaking the hit, sometimes the tip of the rod would submerge in the water and all you had to do was to set the hook and the fight was on. We lost some fish that was just too much for the 6/8 lb test line to handle and the ones we got out were a tussle. I will try anything when it comes to catching fish and today was surely an exciting way to try something new when it comes to fishing.
A side note here: my wife and I have been in Tennessee for the better part of this week welcoming our new granddaughter into the world. Pops (this is what Bryson our grandson calls me) has to do a little bragging here but I would say she is absolutely the prettiest little baby girl I have ever seen. In fact, she is the image of her mother at that age. This is why I have been behind on my blogging this week and for good reason!!

 

These were the winners and yes they were all dressed for 4 to 5 meals. There were lots of fillets here with this bunch

I had to show you guys this image of the one and only trolley rail on the lake equip with the sitting deck at the top of the track. Some of these walls are so high it isn't feasible to try to build stairs.

Why it is Important to Buy Fly Fishing Gear Made in America

Back in December 2011 I did a post on buying American made goods, and how it would help our economy here in the United States. Well recently I came across an article that was written about this very issue at the Perfect Fly. The article was written by James Marsh with what I think is a very in depth view of why we as individuals should buy American made products. This article really touched me to the point I just had to share it with you guys.

Fly Fishing Gear Made In America?The other day a friend of mine said something like "I wouldn't have such and such -
it isn't made in America". It reminded me of an annoying automobile insurance
company TV ad and I said in response, "have you been living under a rock'? I
wasn't sure he caught on to that so I added "Get your head out of the sand, Sam
- fly fishing gear isn't made in America".I reminded him of the last trip I made to Bentonville Arkansas to deal with the
sporting goods buyer for Walmart. She said, "Mr. Marsh, you are lucky to get an
appointment with me - I'm in China most of the time". If you took everything made in
China out of the nation's largest retail stores of Walmart, there wouldn't be anything
left but the girls that cut hair in the beauty salon and most of them are probably from
Asia.

The same thing is true of the so-called sporting good box stores. If Bass Pro Shop
gear was made in America, Jamie McMurray would watch Saturday's Bristol Nascar
race from his couch instead of the #1 Bass Pro car. There has to be a White River
in Asia.

If Cabelas fly fishing gear was made in America, Dick Cabela would probably still be
selling "hand tied flies" by mail order from his kitchen table. Well, I take that back.
He's a very smart man. He would have probably developed the world's first machine
that ties flies but for now, I think Cabelas gets their flies from Kenya.Oh, I almost completely forgot about the few remaining Mom and Pop fly
shops. They all would feature "Retail Space for Lease" signs except for those that
still had a few pairs of Simms waders and patch kits remaining in their "Going out of
business sale".

I can't think of any other waders made in America. Everything sold by Patagonia, for
example, sure wasn't made in California. All the other items Simms sells, or
soft-goods such as their fly fishing bags and other accessories come from China
unless I'm badly mistaken.

By the way, check the shoes on your own two feet. Where did they come from?
Where did the computer monitor your reading this article on come from? Do you
have an American made TV? If so, please let the rest of the world know who
manufactured it. What about your cell phone - was it made in America? If you have,
a fishfinder or GPS receiver on your boat, was it made in America? If you're going to
pretend to buy America, you better crawl under your couch and do it. Well, maybe
not the couch. If it's fairly new and the entire sofa didn't come from a foreign
country, the material it's made of probably did. By the way, the flies in the fly box on
the coffee table - the ones you just purchased from your local Mon and Pop fly shop
- they most likely came from Indonesia.

Oh, please excuse me. I almost forgot the American fly fishing icon - Orvis.
They still assemble their high end fly rods in Vermont - but not the low priced ones -
they come from China along with all of their fly reels and most everything
else they sell. If Orvis product was made in American, they have a Guinness Book
of World records - the world's smallest factory. The only Orvis factory I've seen isn't
much larger than an average automobile tire shop.

Now you may be one of those highly sophisticated anglers. You may buy from Hardy of Great Britain? They almost have a complete line of fly fishing tackle.
That's just fine with me as long as you realize everything the sell is made in
China.There are still a few fly rods made in America but I guess as a matter of survival,
companies like Winston and Saint Croix now have their low-end rods made in China.

Loomis Rods is owned by Shimano of Japan. They are certainly not made in
America.

Even the age old icon of an American rod company Sage, now owns Redington.
Everything Redington sells is made in China unless I am bad wrong and I don't think
so. Well, some of the parts may come from other foreign countries.

I'll give Scott Rod Company credit. They are still all made in America as far as I
know. Notice they no longer make an entry level rod. I wonder why?

Not everything is seemingly non-American. When you get away from the small
markets like fly fishing, you have to consider that many of our large, good old
American companies such as Bank of American and General Motors are still
going strong, or at least they seem to be doing well. I'm glad they are because like
most of you, some of the income tax I paid went towards the money the
federal government loaned them back when they were bankrupt and year
or two ago.Opps, let me get back to fly fishing. I almost forgot the newest, hottest fly rods on
the market - Temple Fork. They are good old made in Texas fly rods - right?
No, Wrong. Temple Fork fly rods are made in Korea. Yes, even though 75% or
more of the people that own a Temple Fork fly rod are unaware of it, their rods were
made in Korea. Yes, I'm sorry but this is true even though the fly fishing American
Icon himself, Mr. Lefty Craig, praises them enough to put his name on some of
them. He's the X Mr. Sage fly rod man, remember?

By the way, I own a Temple Fork fly rod. They are very good rods for the money.
They are more than that. They are proof of the real problem that exist on a much,
much larger scale. They are proof that fly rods made in America cost a lot
more for very little more.Just in case you are wondering, writing this is making me sick at my stomach
because I don't like anything about what I have written.. China and other
countries are rapidly replacing what made America and for my grand
children's sake, I'm very concerned about it. One reason this is happening, is the
general public is mostly unaware of just how big this problem is. The average
person is not aware of just how fast we are losing out to other countries and what
that means to the security of this country.

I am writing this for information to make sure none of the thousand plus people that
read my daily articles on this website are not living under a rock like my buddy Sam.
If you did the numbers, you would find less than 10% of all fly fishing tackle,
gear and flies are made in the United States.If every citizen n the United States was aware of just how much of the product they
use came from foreign soil, they would likely be just as upset as I am. It's not just the
small items like electronics and fishing gear. It's not just the furniture, clothes,
shoes, etc. It's not just a part of the automobile industry. Nowadays, it's even most
of what a high-rise building is constructed of. It's almost everything we need or use.
It's almost everything but the soil we live on.

If you think there's not anything you can do about it, your wrong. The only one that
can do anything about this is you. That said, buying only American made
product isn't the answer. That's not a feasible solution for anyone. That's probably
even impossible. Like it or not, we live in a global economy.I think the answer lies in electing leaders who first of all are able to grasp and
understand the problems involved and who will strive to do the things that are in the
best interest of the United States of America.