Need I say more!!!!
I hope to use this blog as an avenue to express my thoughts and adventures of all of my fishing expeditions and any other journeys I may undertake.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Quality Rainbow Landed on The Sipsey
This
time of year when one fishes the Sipsey they can expect high humidity
which will produce heavy fog over its cool waters. I'll admit it
adds beauty to the place but it also hinders one's ability to see a
dry fly take. Sound most of the time is what you rely on to detect the
hit. Fortunately, I was spared the blind dry fly take this morning
because there were no rises in the area I was fishing. All the trout
taken this morning would come from fishing a nymph.
This
beauty was landed hovering close to the bottom, in fact, I was
adjusting the depth of the indicator numerous times as I search for
trout to take my offering. Getting a good drift was somewhat hard to
achieve this morning because the release at the dam was slower than
usual which gave a slower drift. I've found when the release is slow
at the dam one needs to fish deeper for a take.
This
trout displayed plenty of fight as it went airborne a number of times
trying to throw the nymph. A trout tail walking along the water
surface is water ballet at its best.
The
two hours I had to fish this morning was very productive enabling me
to land numerous trout this size. I'm having to plan ahead for the
days I'm going to be fishing now because of the construction on the house has moved inside.
Notice
the boots of another fly fisherman in the picture, he was willing to
let me use his net to land this trout. Forgetting your net and
leaving it at the truck is not being very organized. I lost 20
minutes of good fishing walking back to the truck and back to the
tailrace to retrieve the net, hopefully, there's a lesson learned
here.
The
net came in handy right after I got back on the water helping me land
this colorful rainbow. It was good to take a break from the lake
fishing and get to land some really quality trout!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
When Poppers Fail
Today's title is appropriate for this post because simply put no popper
produced today on Smith Lake. The daylight trip started with a couple
of true and tried poppers that usually get hits but the bass and
bluegill were not interested. Smith Lake is on the drawdown right
now causing the fish to move to deeper water. In fact before the drawdown is complete Smith will fall at least 12 to 15 feet before the
water levels start to rise again after the first of the year.
Overhanging
limbs hanging from huge trees growing on the top of the rock walls;
small bushes and even small trees rooted in the rock walls produced a tremendous amount of food for the fish. In other words, this kind of bank is the Walt-mart supermarket for all the fish species waiting
below.
This
healthy spot exploded on the Moth as soon as it touched the silk smooth water surface. Notice I said Moth, not Muddler; my reasoning
is it mimics the small moths I've seen stationed on some of the tree
limbs here. The fight this fish put forth was worth getting up at
4:30 AM. He was released to fight another day!!! The colors on this Spotted Bass are the most vivid I've seen on any bass I've landed here.
These
four gills nailed the Moth in different ways making me think a couple
were annoyed with the fly and a couple really wanted a meal; one will make the
quest count.
I've
fished a lot of waters in my years of fishing but when it comes to
beauty and an abundance of fish Smith top them all!!!
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Hugh, Huge Bluegill Landed on Ryan Creek
I decided to see if I could land some super gills Friday by fishing before a weather front coming in
on Saturday. Your fish-catch ratio can improve fishing before a
front. I couldn't ask for a better morning with cloudy skies and very
low humidity to fish the popper and black gnat on Smith Lake. In fact, I had clouds
overhead until 10 AM after that the sun took over and the
bite practically stop.
This scene is why I love to fish Smith Lake. One of
my favorite banks in Ryan Creek to fish, I've landed numerous
bluegills and spots from this area.
This
bluegill was taken using the Barr Nunn popper letting it sit
motionless for what seemed like forever for a hit----but the patience
paid off. This was the way the bluegill wanted the fly the first hour
of the morning; a complete contrast from the spawn where the fish
will kill the fly as soon as it touches the water.
The
bass wasn't as active as the bluegills, which was alright with me,
because the mission today was to improve on my bluegill numbers. This spot
gives the 4 weight quite a workout making me think he was much larger.
The
prize of the morning was this monster bull gill taken using the black
gnat fishing with the sink-tip line. The last spawn ended the first
week in August on Smith Lake and this bluegill showed the signs of
that spawn. He was not in good shape as far as body weight. He would
have weight in at a pound before the spawn but today he tipped the
scales at 12 ounces. Both big bulls deserved their freedom after an epic fight against the 5 weight------GOT TO LOVE LANDING
THESE BIG BLUEGILLS USING THE FLY ROD!!!
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Dead Drifting the Nymph
As I
made my way down the steep steel steps and long ramp of access six I
notice the leaves are already turning. By the way, it's easier going
down than going back up. The dog days of summer are here and Fall will
soon follow. As I get older the seasons seem to appear quicker now,
causing me to squeeze in as much fishing time as I can. Wednesday was
my squeeze day, to wade the crystal clear waters near access six on
the Sip.
What I
like about access six and seven aside from landing the trout there is
the amount of shade both areas have on into the morning hours.
Shade is the ally of the fly fisherman whether it's fishing warm water
lakes or cold water streams.
First
connect after experimenting with different flies and techniques. No
surface activity at all which cause me to work nymphs the three hours
I was there. A fly Alan at Small Streams Reflections tied for me got
the attention of this injured rainbow. I don't know what caused the
cut on its gill plate but it didn't affect his fight.
After
the bite slowed with the indicator nymph, I switch to the dead
drifting technique. I fish nymphs this way sometimes on this tailrace
and the Caney in Tennessee. It's a simple way to present the fly
giving the angler an advantage of adjusting the depth of the fly
without using an indicator.
I was
making long cast across the water column so I could work the nymph
slowly letting it drift in the current. Watching the end of the fly
line for the slightest movement let me know to set the hook.
Sometimes the take can occur after the fly has drifted a short
distance or as you retrieve it back as the fly line forms a half-moon
sharp on the swing. Today I had a number of takes on the short
distance drifts and as the fly approached the swing pattern and even
as I retrieve the fly slowly back to me. Don't give up on your cast
until you've worked the fly back to you within the length of the
leader. I've had trout to take the nymph within eight or nine feet.
There is mistaking the hit as you work it back against current. The
dead drift is a fun way to fish most any nymph without the aid of an
indicator. This rainbow nailed the nymph working it back against the
current within ten feet of where I was standing. It was determined to
have its way with the 3 weight, but after a number of runs it landed in
the net.
I ended
today's trip where I started in the shade of access six and thinking
how lucky I am to have another day to land trout below the dam of beautiful Smith Lake.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Iphone Images Verses Regular Camera
I've shelved my regular camera and started using my iPhone now for all my images. The iPhone is much easier for me to used and produces a clearer picture than my camera; the following images are from a Sipsey trip a couple of days ago.
wild fern on the upper banks of the Sip this time of the year
wild fern on the upper banks of the Sip this time of the year
resting
new wading staff
calculating a move
Late in the Evening
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