Some of my Favorite Post From 2016

As I sit here today and scan through some of my blog posts from this past year, they make realize why I love to fish so much. I still remember every detail from the trips, the other fly fishermen I encountered and fishing with individuals who love fly fishing as much as I do. I thought I would share with you guys what I think was my top five outings for 2016; some you may have viewed and some posts you may have missed. I have to admit some of my 2016 outings may be hard to top for 2017 starting with a memorable trip with the grandchildren and my daughter in June 2016:
Grandkids + Mom Fishing with Pops

What made this trip special was lots of fish landed that day both from the boat and from the bank. My daughter grew fishing with me at the same age her children are fishing with me now. I'm glad the tradition will continue.

Putting a Dent in my Bluegill Quest

I’m sure I will find lakes here that will match the bluegills that Walker County Lake had swimming in it. I still remember the spots where I landed these bulls and of course, talking with the gentleman fishing for catfish.

Quality RainbowLanded On the Sipsey

This is one fishing trip I will never forget, mainly because I was able to do something I’d never accomplish on the Sipsey, land numbers of quality rainbow. The video footage link above sums up the trip!!

The Pond

This post carried me back to my childhood and the fond memories I had of my younger brother, Mom , and Dad. The only brother left out of five is my older brother Bobby.

Pushing the Redington 3wt. to the Limit

A memorable trip for sure landing this huge Spotted Bass with my 8 ½ ft. 3weight; I think I may better this fish when I visit Laura Hill Lake come spring.

2016 Zoomed by Can 2017 Slow Down Some



Moving is never easy, especially when one gives up 30 years of memories living in one place. Cathey and I have adjusted well to the move to Tennessee, living close to all our grandchildren and meeting some wonderful neighbors in our little subdivision. The only downside to the move was losing fishing time. I hope to recover some of that lost time in 2017.

As I get older the years seem to pass off faster, which makes me cherish every fishing trip I

make now. I have been very fortunate with my health over the years, and I hope I can continue to stay in fairly good health in the coming years. Sure I have aches and pains like most all of us do but nothing significant enough to keep me off the water.

  One of my first trips in early March will be fishing Lake Lindsey

located in beautiful David Crockett Park in Lawrenceburg. It is noted for having some super size gills that will kick off my bluegill quest for 2017. Another lake I plan on wetting some flies in is Laura Hill Lake located south of Lawrenceburg. This is one of the prettiest lakes I have seen in middle Tennessee, high banks, crystal clear water, and noted for super size gills, smallmouth bass, spotted bass and walleye. As for trout fishing, the Caney will be one-stop destination. I will be making a number of float trips with my son-in-law on this beautiful tailrace for the coming year. I will still wade the tailrace below the dam, but I have come to realize if one is going to be successful fishing the Caney Fork, you need to float it. I’m looking forward to a successful fishing season and HOPE ALL YOU GUYS HAVE THE SAME------HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!      

   

Trout Fishing Video Clip Need an Opinion

As most of you know I spend a lot of time during the winter months watching trout fishing videos. I especially like the ones that share information on how to improve one's skills when chasing the trout using the fly rod. I keep a list of the better ones I have found over the years and sometimes refer back to them over time.

 I found myself this past week going back and viewing some of my saved videos from some years back. A January 2016 New Fly Fisher video really got my attention with a piece showing how to fish the emerger. The trout wasn’t taking a dry or nymph subsurface feeding that day. This same experience has happened to me numerous times on the Sipsey and Caney. They would be in a feeding frenzy just below subsurface; no dry or nymph would be working---this clip shows how to put the odds in your favor; forward the video to 13:45 time to view the clip. 

I know you guys have witnessed this type of feeding mode, so what would be your fly choice in size and pattern to get results? This guy was using the “USUAL”.



Hook: 94840 or 94842 Mustad (sizes 14, 16, 18, 20 or 22)

Thread: Size 6/0 grey prewaxed.

Tail: Small bunch of hair from rabbit's pad.

Wing: Larger bunch of hair from rabbit's pad.

Body: Underfur from rabbit's foot dubbed on thread. Use a blend of the grey next to skin and light tan which has very fine guard hairs mixed in to make it float better.

Looking forward to some great post from all you guys in 2017------Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Fly Fishing Bargains

Like Mel at Flyfishin’ Times, I’m always on the lookout for fishing bargains. I really hate to pay an outrageous price for fishing equipment and find out later that I could have got basically the same product for a much lower price. The same can be said for a couple of products I recently found while searching for a new trout net.

• Made of high-grade wood frame and tangle-free clear rubber net
• Carry your trout net to your fishing vest easily with elastic lanyard
• Catch and release fish safely to prevent injury
• Net: 23.8 inches(L)x11 inches(W) , handle: 8.6 inches(L)x1.2 inches(W) , rubber net depth: 9.4 inches ,weight: 0.8 lb----27.00 bucks + Free Shipping --Amazon



Orvis Mirage Fluorocarbon tippet line on sale at Bass Pro for 11.00 bucks, regular price 15.00; 32 yards tippet spools in sizes 6X and 7X ----good price for fluorocarbon!  

                                                                                



Comparing Two Tailraces the Sipsey Verses the Caney

Before my wife and I moved to Spring Hill Tennessee this year 99% of all my trout fishing was on the Sipsey Tailrace below Smith Lake Dam in Jasper Alabama. The Sip as the locals called it was not the place that sparked my interest in trout fishing, but it was the place that taught me many of the variables that go into learning the sport. I had spent the past twelve years fishing the only tailrace in Alabama before we moved. I will miss this narrow tailrace, super clear water, unique runs, small pockets holes, tight seams, and dry fly action. In other words, trout was easy to find and catch, if you knew the fly patterns that brought success; I did! Come Spring I will apply what I learned over the years on the Sipsey to the tailrace on the Caney, located a little over an hour east of our house towards Knoxville. The Caney can be a challenge to fish, mainly because of the tremendous fishing pressure it receives throughout the year. I will need to adjust to a wider tailrace, much more water to read, fishing tiny nymphs as opposed to dries, different feeding patterns of the trout, and most of all learning the areas where the trout hold. I knew exactly where those places were on the Sipsey and in time will find those places on the Caney. 

I still remember the first trip I made to the Caney with my son-in-law right after he and my daughter got married twelve years ago. That was the first time I had fished for trout using the fly rod. The trip was memorable not for the number of trout landed that day but for the challenge. I spent most of the afternoon learning how to get the correct drift, fly presentation, reading the water, bug hatches, feeding patterns and through it all landing a few stocker browns and rainbows. I was really intrigued by all the factors that had to come into play to land a few colorful trout. I still remember that first rainbow landed that day, and admiring its brilliant colors. The drift, presentation, fly pattern, playing the trout once hooked, all had to come into play for me to hold that beauty for a few seconds before its release. That one trip convinced me that I would spend the rest of my fishing days fly fishing.

An area of the Caney near the dam, where most of the wading takes place; the Caney is much wider and longer than the Sipsey. I made two trips there while we were living with our daughter, one in August with my son-in-law and this one the last of September.

Fun on the 3 wt. ----landed a few more stockers fishing between a lot of other guys that morning. I have some work to do on this tailrace!!

The Finished Product

I did a post in April of this year concerning refinishing furniture, especially antique furniture. The piece I am referring to is the Chester Drawers Cathey and I purchased in an antique shop in Tennessee that was in horrible condition at that time; well the piece is fully restored and is used in the foyer of our house now. I wish I had an image of what this Chester Drawers looked like before I restored it to its original state.

We purchased it for our son to use one day in his house, but in the meantime, we will keep it safe here with us.

To get the full picture of the transformation of the Chester Drawers you will need to check out the April post link:

When working with different wood species, open and close wood grain can display different shades when stained; which gives antique pieces character. 

Open and close wood grain with the top and bottom panels verses the middle section.

Solid poplar top

The finished product with new solid glass knobs and brass key plates!!

The mirror above was purchased at a flea market for ten bucks and refinished to accent the Chester Drawers. Cathey did a fantastic job of staining and varnishing this piece. My job is to get the piece ready for the stain and varnish. In other words, I do the sanding and the removal of the old varnish on the pieces we refinish.