John Gillio

The Flying Lure went backwards on the drop. I do not recall who produced it. I know some guys who had great luck with it tossing it under docks for largemouths. It had a similar look. No-no on the Nano, Na-nu.

Colt, It is always nice to hear your rod reviews even though I'm not in the market for one. I am looking forward to the Orvis SFT review.

Nice Mike. I landed my only muskie on a fly while fishing for steelhead a few springs back. It was a whopping 9" long. It flew out of the water when I set the hook. Definitely picture worthy, it being my first and only muskie on a fly.

Nice Terry. Thanks for sharing. Neat for the float 'n fly folks to see.

Ryan,I love that river, I've seen some monster muskie and sturgeon on the small stretch I used to fish years ago. Tim, that's a fine looking fly.

I use all kinds of materials to tie flies or lures or whatever you want to call them. I suppose it would be unclear as to weather I am a fly tier or a lure maker. I would definitely say I am a lure maker when forming a crankbait as there is no tying involved, but what about poppers, seam flies, or the tinsel flies I tie. I personally consider any fly a type of fish lure but not all fish lures are flies. The term fly tier could mean different things to different people.

I feel the same as rich about the jigs. As far as throwing these things on a fly rod, to each his own. I've thrown all kinds of things with mine, including tiny jigs, spinners and even tiny plugs.

Fluke.

I'm with Eugene on that one.

Nice Bugger! Goat hair .

Looks good!

Rob, yours is truly a classic. Hopefully you will be figuring something new shortly. I am sure the ISA members of Cardinal Nation are already thinking about it, but know not to speak too soon.

Sharp looking setup.

Well done Ryan.

I'll be wet Saturday morning.

I love tossing the three weight. It will definitely make the trip with me.

Sounds like you guys had a good time. I've been wanting to fish that area for many years and just haven't gotten there. It is high on the bucket list. I hope to join you on next years trip. The camping thing sounds fun in itself. Those are some pretty sunfish Rob. They rival anything in any water.

Fantastic!

It's hell getting old and forgetting the names of all those secret spots. Good thing you still remember how to get to them. It's funny how the best fishermen have the worst recall of names and places. Thanks for the info.

I believe it is most likely the case since they have declined as the carp have greatly increased. The gar here are much smaller than they once were and the game fish catches are way down too.

Great looking flies Jonn. Do you ever see schools of small shad in the Vermilion above Streator at all. There were once swarms of them in my neck of the woods . They have all but disappeared, along with the emerald shiners that were once so common.

Dan, I have had access to that area most of my life, but the mill has cut off access to all but a choice few. They have been fining people who are caught on their property. You may drift the river, but dropping an anchor or getting out to wade is a no no. They can do this because they own both sides of the river, thus they own the river bed. It was once an easy 5-10 min trip for me to some fine water. It would be nice if the DNR could somehow get ahold of the river to allow waders in, but that doesn't look very likely. The only access areas,unless you know a land owner, are at the bridges and through Matthiessen State Park. Much of the park borders the mills property, so care must be taken to stay clear of it. Pretty much everything from just above the wildcats to a few hundred yards downstream of the narrows, downstream from the dam, is off limits to fishermen.

I have to agree with Tim about the personal preference thing, as well as all else he said. I've used cane poles, bait casters, spinning gear, and the fly rod. All hold a special place in my heart. I can only speak for my own personal preferences. Number one, it is fishing, and rivers that are the true addiction for me. I had a flyrod for many years before I was in the right state of mind to use it much.. I had to be in a slow down, relaxed mode, thinking more about my casting and whatnot than on catching fish. This was very difficult for me at first. Frame of mind was the key for me. Now I love my flyrods. I have also become proficient enough that I can think more about the catching of fish than the cast. I move along much faster with the flyrod these days, as I said earlier, I usually like to cover some ground. This said, my spinning gear is still my favorite. This may be due to the fact that I feel most comfortable in my ability with this gear. As for the wading, once again, I like to move along. When with other anglers I do hold back. I too feel it would be rude to jump ahead. When with friends that don't get out as much as I do, I get a bigger thrill out of seeing them land a nice fish than landing them myself. When alone I am usually in a keep it moving mode.

Nice Sam. Thumbs up.

That is one huge carp!