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.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
The Sink Tip Poly Leader
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Survival of Stocked Trout in Tailwaters
I received an email the other day from one of my fly fishing buddies concerning stocked rainbow trout in the Sipsey Tailrace that we fish. The email contained a study conducted by an Auburn University student in partial fulfillment for a Degree of Masters in Science.
Hypolimnetic discharge waters (the layer of water in a thermally stratified lake that lies below the thermocline, is noncirculating, and remains perpetually cold) from reservoirs in the southern U.S. provides water temperatures cold enough to support Rainbow Trout fisheries in regions where they otherwise could not exist. The Sipsey Fork tailwater in Alabama provides such an opportunity and is stocked with Rainbow Trout monthly. In a recent survey, less than 25% of the Rainbow Trout stocked each month were harvested and few trout appeared to persist in the system for more than 3-4 weeks. The objective of this study was to describe post-stocking dispersal and the fate of the non-harvested Rainbow Trout. In March, June, and October 2017, and January 2018, numerous Rainbow Trout were radio-tagged and tracked to document movement patterns and to determine longevity in the tailrace. Tagged Rainbow Trout had dispersed an average of 4.1 km or 2 .54 miles with only 30% of tagged Rainbow Trout remaining alive five weeks after stocking. The extent of predation on Rainbow Trout was assessed using a bioenergetics approach. Electrofishing surveys and diet analysis of predators identified Striped Bass as the primary predators of Rainbow Trout in the Sipsey Fork. Bioenergetics simulations revealed that approximately 500 Striped Bass living continuously in the tailwater from March through October could consume all Rainbow Trout stocked each month. Knowledge regarding the dispersal and fate of stocked Rainbow Trout in this system can improve the management of the fishery.
This study proves what a lot of us who fish the tailrace have known for some time that the Striped Bass consumes a large number of the trout once they move beyond the pump station. I have never seen Striped Bass above the pump station which is where a lot of the fly fishermen wade. All the guide trips take place above the pump station. There is less than a quarter of a mile of prime trout fishing from where the trout are released to the pump station. The rest of the tailrace is much too deep to wade. I feel the deep water below the pump station is where most all the trout are consumed by Striped Bass. 1100 to 1200 pounds of trout are released in the tailrace each month which could equal to 1000 trout or below depending on the size of the trout. Consider how many trout would be left in the quarter-mile wading section if trout were released every couple of months.
I respect the findings of this study but see little chance of reversing the effects the Striped Bass have on trout that is stocked in the Sipsey.
Monday, October 18, 2021
The Bluegill, Start to Finish
The bluegill is probably the most common warm water fish caught throughout the United States. A lot of us started fishing as youngsters fishing for the bluegill. These fish will hit almost anything that moves in the water. I remember catching this fish as a boy fishing from the bank in our pond near our house. The first fish my grandchildren landed when they started fishing was the bluegill. Any size bluegill will produce a bend in the light fishing rod. The excitement on the face of a small child landing bluegill is priceless. I know I have witnessed that excitement.
Bluegill and Crappie are the only fish I keep to dress for table fare. Both these fish are excellent to eat if they are dressed and prepared right. I'm not a fan of the so-called tried and true method of cleaning these fish. Scraping the scales off their sides and cutting their heads off is how we prepared them for the skillet years ago. My family and I thought they were delicious to eat at the time.
It took years for me to discover that a filleted fish has a much better taste than a fish fried whole with the skin and bones. You eliminate the fishy taste when the skin and bones are removed from the fish. I filleted my first bluegill 45 years ago one afternoon on the back porch of my school Principals house, dressing bluegill we had landed that afternoon. The first fish I filleted on my own wasn't perfect but over time I mastered the process.
The Receipt for delicious bluegill and crappie
Take all fillets and place in a pan with water and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of salt and stir until all the salt is dissolved into the fillets---let sit overnight in the frig--the salt removes all the blood from the fillets
Remove the fillets the next day and wash all the salt off the fillets
Spray a cookie sheet with pam and coat all the fillets with cornmeal mixed with lemon pepper, salt, and black pepper
Bake all the fillets on 450 in the oven and turn the fillets over in about ten minutes and continue to bake until done. The process of baking the fillets takes about 20 minutes or less. You want the fillets to be tender and not overly baked which will make them tuff.
For those of you who like the fillets fried use a fry daddy adding Crisco, or Coconut oil to fry the fillets until they are golden brown--remove the fillets and let set on a paper towel to drain the oil
French fries, coleslaw, and hushpuppies are all sides dishes that are delicious to eat with the fillets. Don't forget the tartar sauce and catsup---almost forgot a cold beer to top the meal off!!
Enjoy the meal!
Sunday, September 26, 2021
The Micro Swivel/Vanish Flourocarbon
This past Friday was another steller day fishing Smith Lake for bluegill and spotted bass. I was alternating between my 3, 4, and 5 weight fly rods. All the fly rods I use to fish the lake are nine feet medium to light action. I like to use 4X, 5X, and 6X weight leaders in 9 ft. and 7 1/2 ft. lengths. I always snip at least 24 to 30 inches of the tippet section off and add a micro swivel to the remaining leader. This tiny little swivel is a must when fishing surface flies and poppers. The swivel gives me the advantage of adding tippet to a leader that lasts me a couple of seasons. The swivel also keeps my tippet line from twisting, when casting different size popper. As soon as the tippet section reduces to 8 to 10 inches from changing poppers I tie on a new tippet line. By following this procedure I'm always fishing with a new tippet line. You may be thinking I am spending a bunch on tippet material; not so when I can buy 100-yard spools of Berkley Fluorocarbon Vanish 4lb. 6lb and 2lb. test line that will last me years. What impresses me about this line is its low memory and being super clear. The spooled Vanish line and the Micro Swivel are money savors for the fly fishermen on a budget and retired!
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Keepsakes
A Keepsake can be defined according to Webster's and Google as something kept in memory of the person who owned it or something kept as a memento. All of us have items in our possession that would qualify as a keepsake or mementos. The older and longer an individual keeps the memento items the more valuable they seem to become to that person or persons.
So you guys ask, where did this post originate from? As I was stringing my three fly rods for one of my early morning fishing trips the other afternoon, I couldn't help but admire the three flyrods/reel combos I had chosen for the early morning outing. It has taken me years to assemble the seven combos I own and all have special meaning. I can recall some of the fish I've brought to hand using each one. All seven of my combos have met my needs for fly fishing and I will continue to do so for the rest of my fishing. This may be a bold statement, but I will never purchase any more fly rods or reels for the rest of my fishing days. All are considered special in my mind, but the one that really stands out is the combo given as my retirement gift 15 years ago. I have mentioned this fly-fishing combo numerous times on this blog. I am referring to my special Streamflex 9 ft. 3 wt. paired with my Orvis 3 wt. fly reel.
This combo is truly a Keepsake that I treasure and I hope it will stay in the family for many years.
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Blogger is Changing
I found out a couple of days ago about some of the changes occurring with Blogger. I started using Blogger back in 2010 and have never used any other means to publish my post. Yesterday was a shocker for me when I found out that I couldn't delete some of the blogs I follow that don't post anymore. If you go to the layout link in the dashboard and select the gadget "Blogs That I Follow" you will notice that it has changed. This new version only allows you to follow ten blogs. If you try to add more than 10 blogs none will display on your feature blog page. The following links will not work anymore from this gadget. The Snippet of most recent item, Thumbnail of most recent item and Date of the last update. The only way for me to see if you guys have submitted a new post is to click on your blog title to see you have submitted a new post. If you are using WordPress or some other blogger support service, those blogs will show the broken links I have mentioned above. With Blogger I don't have that option anymore.
My wife told me this might be a blessing in that I don't follow as many bloggers as I use to. The 10 I selected to follow is about all that I communicate with these days. Still, these little changes that keep occurring with Blogger are annoying. It makes me wonder just how long Blogger will be around for those of us who use it as a means to share our posts.
I was on the Blogger Forum yesterday communicating with bloggers who are having some of the same problems I am experiencing. A lot of the individuals were experiencing other issues. I am sharing a link that helps explains some of the changes occurring-----Blogger Hints
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Working Through Some Frustration
I'm glad summer with its humidity, rain, and heat is coming to an end. I got a feel of some early fall weather Friday morning as I launch my boat at the dam on Smith Lake. A light jacket felt good to be wearing as I motored to one of the many rock walls in Ryan Creek. Fall is some of the best times to fish the lake using a fly rod and popper. The closer you get the popper to the wall the better chance you have to get the hit. The heavy rains didn't affect the clarity of the water, making it easy for the bluegill and spotted bass to target the popper.
Thursday, August 5, 2021
The Color "Orange"
Orange, red, green, chartreuse, and white are all colors that are used when fishing poppers for bluegill and bass. One would think brown or black would be dominant colors fishing for warm water species, but not the case when trying to get a hit from weary bluegill or bass. The primary color of almost all insects that touch the water surface on Smith is black and brown, but I get many more hits using bright colors as opposed to the insect colors.
Sunday, August 1, 2021
Awesome Flyfishing Video
Guys, I'm going to make this post short and let the video do the talking. Amelia and Dave Jenson do a fantastic job filming some of the most scenic and informative fly fishing videos I have ever watched. I've been watching their videos for over a year now and look forward to everyone they film. Check out their latest it is one of their best!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
The Amnesia Popper Bug
Never think you know what the fish will hit from one day to the next. Looking in one's fly box will attest to that statement. I have flies and poppers in some of the fly boxes that I haven't used in a couple of years. But I still keep them thinking one day on a particular outing that special fly will be called upon to produce some takes. Such was the case on a special outing my son Jason and I made fishing Ryan Creek on beautiful Smith Lake this past week. I say special because Cathey and I had not seen him for a year and a half because of Covid. All three trips we made while he was here fishing the lake were special. Thursday's trip was his best because the popper he was using had not been used since early last year. This was a popper that was in one of my reserve fly boxes that had been on standby for over a year. Do I need any more flies or popper no? But I keep finding flies and poppers I think will be the ONE!! I have enough flies and poppers to last me the rest of my fishing days. So, Thursday's trip begins with a 4 AM wake-up alarm enabling us to leave the house at 4:30. We were on the water at 5 AM fishing on one of the epic rock walls before the sun came up. What makes this time so special aside from the bite, is the silk smooth water surface one encounters at this time of the morning on the lake. In other words, you make the most of what time you are given before the boat traffic takes over.
Friday, June 18, 2021
Family Time
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Tellico Hatchery trout--Fighters!!
The Sipsey Tailrace is one of many tailraces that depend on trout hatcheries for a supply of trout year-round. The two main hatcheries that release trout into the Sipsey are Dale Hollow Hatchery and Tellico Hatchery both located in Tennessee. Most of the time the trout arrive in great condition considering the distance from the hatchery and the tailrace. Sometimes some can be lost due to the oxygen content in the tank they are transferred in. Of the two hatcheries mentioned Tellico releases the largest and healthiest trout. Dale Hollow's trout are smaller and not as healthy as the Tellico trout. I was lucky to fish the Sipsey this past Friday the day after Tellico released 1100 pounds in the Sipsey Thursday afternoon. All the trout released were quality trout a challenge for any fly fishermen using a fly rod.
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Rare Saturday Morning Fishing on The Sipsey
Guys I've been trying to fish the Sipsey for weeks. Well, this morning I made a rare visit on a Saturday. I didn't get lonesome I had plenty of company. I was fishing my 10 ft. 3 wt. this morning tight-lining in places where others were not fishing. Anytime one can land a few trout on a beautiful morning without rain, tornados, and cold fronts is always a plus.!!