3 New Blogs Worth Viewing

I am always discovering new blogs; some I really like and some I don’t have a lot in common with. I few things that look for in a good blog are short post and to the point, a topic that will get my attention and last but not least are fantastic images. I recently added these three new blogs to my roll:

Brookfield Angler—this is really a great blog dealing with everything fishing from the boat, to the reels and rods. I especially enjoy his post dealing with warm water fishing. The links on this blog are interesting as well, dealing with Product Reviews, Fish Links and even Fish Porn. This one is well worth viewing!!

Devinfishingreport---This young man reminds me of myself when I was his age. Devin is a fish enthusiast; at 15 years old his knowledge of fishing is amazing. All the information he post on his blog is useful and very informative. This is another blog that deals with warm water fishing as well as cold water fishing. I really like his take on his warm water post, especially his crappie post. Check this blog out!!!

Shotguns and Fishing Poles—I feel a kind of kindred spirit here with this blog and its author. I use to be an avid Quail hunter, and Ricky has posted some great topics dealing with Quail hunting. I really got into his post on his first Quail hunt. I get the feel that Ricky is in the same lane as me when it comes to an addiction called fishing. Really a great blog ---check it out!!

The Handy Mini Tippet Ring --Tippet to Leader So EASY!!

Just found something even better than the No Knot Fast Snap. Dave over at FishnDave Blog left a comment on the No Knot Fast Snap Post I did for Monday. He sent me a link dealing with MiniTippet Rings, which is exactly what I am looking for to actually save on leaders. These little rings are even better than the Fast Snap because of the diameter and ease at which you can attach the tippet. These can actually be used with Dry Flies and Midges.  The following is the description of the rings-----Dave said he uses the rings and is sold on them. Thanks to Dave for helping me out here.

Product Overview:
These nickel alloy rings are very small, smooth and seamless connectors between your leader and tippet. Tie one on the end of your leader, then tie the tippet onto the ring These rings make changing or replacing tippet easy without nibbling away at the leader. They really have caught on among competitive fly fishers, because of the speed and ease with which tippet can be changed. May be used on any leader system and are excellent for tying droppers. Though light enough to fish dry flies and midges on 7X tippets, they will handle any load your leader and tippet will bear. Available in the original nickel silver and now in black nickel for use in deep water or low light levels; choose from nominal 2 mm for light to medium leader or 3 mm size for heavy leader and tippet. Made in England, available with 20 or 100 rings per package.

The No Knot Fast Snap Fast Way to Attach Tippet

Today’s post will deal with a fly fishing accessory I recently discovered while searching for some fly line the other day on the net. I am referring to the No Knot Fast Snap, which enables the fisherman to save on leaders. The Fast Snap simply ties into the leader after you have used of the tippet end of your leader from fly ties. It serves as a tiny loop so you can eliminate the blood knot altogether and keep using the leader for a longer period of time. I talk to a fly fishing representative at Bass Pro about the fast snap and he told me that he used it and likes the fact he doesn’t have to tie but one knot as opposed a couple when attaching his tippet. I am one who uses a lot of flies when I am fishing. I use 6 to 8” of tippet every time I attach the fly to the line. I think with the fast snap it gives me more time to be fishing. Has anyone out there used this little gadget? It would be worth a try to see if the positives reviews are for real. The following is a description from Bass Pro

  Change hooks, jigs, lures or flies in just seconds with the No-Knot Fas-Snap and enjoy more time fishing. The innovative, lightweight No-Knot Fas-Snap is designed to be tied directly to your tippet or mono line. No-Knot Fas-Snap will not inhibit casting or presentation and it even floats with a dry fly! 30 per pack   

 I thought I would throw this in---My wife and I have been on a moving spree for the past four days. We have been helping our Son-in-law and Daughter move into another house. I guess you guys have notice I have been absence from the blog, well that is why. I didn’t need any gym this past week, I got all the gym I could handle and more with the move event. When your kids ask you to do something you always say yes---it did put a damper on the fishing.

What is Your Remedy For That Dreaded Line Twist?

Line twist is a common occurrence in fly fishing if one fly fishes enough. I have often wondered why my tippet line sometimes looks like a twisted pretzel when I have completed a cast.  It is so frustrating when you are landing fish and all of sudden you noticed your tippet is tingled into your leader and sometimes even into your fly hook. I have done a little research on the subject and found different opinions from individuals and even fly companies. One opinion is the line size itself; using a larger tippet size will cut down on the twist. The assumption here is the larger tippet size is a bit stiffer making it more difficult for the twist to occur. I was even told that the fly itself can play a part in the twist, especially if the fly has a lot of hackle. They base this assumption on too much false casting which can cause the fly to spin in mid air resulting in line twist. Another theory is having your tippet line too long, which causes the line to overlap in a series of loops which can also cause knots in the line along with twist. I have tried all these suggestions and found that the line size makes more sense and works best for me. Of course one can’t use larger tippet line all the time especially when staking trout on a clear stream. In that situation it would seem you would just have to adjust to a smaller tippet size and accept the fact that you may encounter twist. What is your remedy to alleviate line twist?  

Fishing Ryan Creek With B.T.

I have found that fishing after a cold front is not the most productive time to fish. That was the case yesterday when my son-in-law B.T. and I ventured out on the waters of Ryan Creek. The temperature was close to 38 on Wednesday night and cool all day Thursday and into Friday. I was hoping for topwater action so B.T. could land a nice size Spotted Bass. All that hit the Rapala were 12 to 13-inch size. The Rapala is an excellent topwater lure to entice some big fish hits but not on Saturday. I was using my 5 wt. with a size 6 Boogle Bug but no hits came. I did manage 6 bluegills 4 of which I will count on my goal of 100 during the spawning period. Those fish all hit after the water reached 68. There was very limited activity on Ryan Creek, so I guess everyone else knew the results before they launched. It was a good outing anytime I can get to fish with B.T. even if it was a slow day.

B. T with one of the 7 or 8 Spotted Bass he landed --we called it quits around noon --slow bite most of the morning--I am still hoping for a super day soon with B.T. so he can finally land his big spot.

One of the four I counted towards my goal--I am now 42 away from my goal. Sorry for the blur this image was taken with iPhone 

Little Fatty size 8 makes another hit

A Memorable Outing That I Want Forget Anytime Soon

I found out Tuesday why I need a good supply of flies and poppers.  I think most of you already know where this post is going—bluegill fishing. I hope I am not boring you guys with all the posts I have been doing lately about my trips to reach my 100 super bluegills during the spawning season. I know when I started this blog it was mainly to keep a fishing log of the time of year, water temps, moon phase or any other information that might help me to become a better fisherman. Little did I know that the blog would enable me to meet and converse with some expert fishermen, who have help me learn so much about this sport I truly love.

So with that said Tuesday’s trip will be a memorable outing for me to say the least. In a four-hour span, I landed a total of 32 bluegills and during that time I brought to hand some of the largest bluegills I have ever caught on Walker County Lake. I was culling fish from the very start of the trip to try and reach my limit which is 20 on this lake. I made the limit with some big bluegills; four were in the 12 to 15oz  category and the 2 Shellcrackers were 14 to 15 oz. I used two different fly rods starting out with my 3wt 9 ft. Streamflex and later started using my new 4 wt. 9 ft. St. Croix fast action. In fact, if I had not had the 4 wt. I would have never landed the Shellcrackers. A lot of these fish were in submerging cover which made it a challenge to land a lot of them. Through it all, I lost 4 poppers to the Shellcrackers who are still swimming with them in their mouth somewhere in the lake. After adding my 20 big bluegills today I am 56 away from my goal. I feel a little better about reaching my goal now after today’s adventure.

This was one of the 15 oz. beauties

If this Shellcracker had to jump many more times I would have lost him, the White Betts Popper fell out of his mouth once in the boat

Another beauty held by the caretaker at the bait shop on the lake

The prize at the end of the trip--this is an outing I will remember

The Upside Down Bream Killer & Little Fatty Popper Score!!

This weekend I spent four hours early on Smith Lake chasing the Spots and of course the big bull bluegills. I was fishing a full moon and I knew the fishing should be good and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t want to waste time gunning the motor down the lake, so I started right at the lunch with the black Boogle Bug using my 5 wt. Redington. After a couple of cast I connected with a 16 spot my largest and landed four more before the sun took over and turned the bite off.  In fact nothing was happening with the bass even down deep with the Buggers or Craws on up in the morning; so when this happens on Smith you come prepared for the next level. I had my 9 ft. 4 wt with the BreamBug’s Little Fatty size 8 tied on and started to work the banks with cover. The popper didn’t disappoint helping me land some super big bull bluegills. I was moving it with a slight jerk which was causing some water movement. I would let it set for a few seconds and then the popping hit would occur. These big gills on the 4 wt. were giving the rod quite a workout. After the top action slowed I switch to the Upside Down Bream Killer by BreamBugs. I was fishing in cover and letting the fly sink some and moving the fly slowly over the cover and usually the hit would occur right above the submerged limbs. I was using the 5 wt here because I needed the extra backbone to land these big boys. I did break off once and lost my Upside Down chartreuse but the black Upside Down prove to be the killer. I ended the trip with a total of 11 bluegills with six being the ones I counted toward my goal of 100. After adding these 6 biggies I am 76 away. Catching these big bluegills is something else on the fly rod---you just got to love this stuff!!!!

I had rather land this 16" Spot on the 5 wt instead of landing a 3lb. using  a 7 ft. heavy action casting rod and casting reel--why because you have got to process some skill to play and land a fighting Spot on the fly rod as opposed to jerking the 3 lb in the boat in a a matter of second--just my take on the casting rod verses the fly rod.

This big gill was in water 20 ft. deep, I have read that some of these big bulls never leave the deep water to spawn.

This one big tree had 6 bluegill in it with one breaking off my Chartruse Upside Down Bream Killer, but I did get 6--3 being the big boys with the Black Upside Down Bream Killer, right above the submerge limbs. The water was super clear---really a pretty place

Take a look at the lower left bluegill, he took the Little Fatty Popper--he came out of the water twice trying to throw the popper

I really like this popper because of the concave face which created some water movement---from BreamBugs

The Memories This 60 Year Old Cypress Boat Holds

Every once in awhile someone, something, or an event brings back some great memories. This week was one of those times when I made a visit to my brothers and his wife in Mississippi. That something was a boat that my brother designed and built with the help of his older brother over 60 years ago. My brother has been restoring this boat for the past year, repairing the bottom and the ends which had deteriorated over the years. The boat was still in use just over 10 years ago, but the leaks got so bad that he finally stored it in his shop until he had time to restore it. This past week was the finished date. If this boat could only talk; the stories, the amount of fish pulled over its side, the places it was launched and the waters it has floated would fill hundreds of pages. Now the boat will be passed down to the next generation when my brother’s son will inherit it to use with his fly rod on some of the small streams and lakes in the Tupelo Mississippi area. The work that my brother has put into this boat is amazing and the result is a unique solid wood vessel that can not be duplicated. I know my Nephew will take care of the boat and in turn, pass it down to one of his sons. 

The ends are solid popular with 1/2" western cedar inlaid over the popular on both ends

The sides are solid 1" by 12" cypress 12 ft. long
All the rids inside the boat are popular

The two paddles are the original paddles that were used with the boat when it was built. The cypress seats rest perfectly on the two side stabilizers which are white oak

We launched the boat on Legion Lake late Thursday afternoon and not a leak anywhere. The catwalk in the bottom of the boat is the original 1/2" white oak strips--in fact, all the wood is original except for the ends which rotted away over the years.

The boat has three stabilizers strips on the bottom which is attached with brass screws. The bottom is 1/4" marine plywood which is original. The stabilizers help keep the boat more stable on the surface of the water. An original for sure and a boat that will still be creating memories for years to come.