Jonn Graham

This Saturday we will be hosting our annual isa fishing outing/picnic. The event will take place on the Mackinaw River. If you wish to fish, meet at Busy Corner's restaurant by 6:30 AM. The Mack is very low right now and is ideal for wading. Canoeing is a little difficult but, doable. After fishing concludes around 1:00 PM, we will head to Harold Hohulin's house in Goodfield for our picnic/cookout. If you are coming to the cookout, you will need to provide your own meat for the grill and your own drinks (no alcohol please).

HOpe to see many of your there!!!!!

I just spent 10 hours in a drift boat up on the Menominnee River. I was blown away. If I had boat ramps on my rivers, I would be saving my pennies to get one. It is everything you want in a river vessel. Stable, roomy and super maneverable. It is definitely a great option for river smallmouth fishing.

Dave:

The rod holder I had when we went our trip works great. There is another type of rod holder that works great...............Bee Ready rod holders. I think the site is www.beeready.com When it comes to carry rods in the canoe, I disagree with all the other posts. With proper rod holders, you can carry three to four rods with ease. Anyone that has been in my canoe will attest that my rod holders work perfectly and are not any extra work or bulk.

Plastics and smallies go together like a hot dog at the ball game. Stick with them. I ditto everything Paul said.

Steve:

You can carry two fly rods with the 3rd grip pole holster. Just make sure to buy the fly rod adapter tube. Stick in the tube, and it works great. Right now I have settled on wearing a mesh vest along with a lanyard I made myself.

Mike:

I have experienced the exact opposite concerning the 8 weight rod. It wears me out!!! I enjoy the five and six weight much more. I will take the 8 weight up north, but my Redington Predator 6 weight throws wind resistant flies with ease. That is what the rod is designed to do and it does. Now, on my streams a fifty foot cast is plenty. Up on the Menominne, maybe I will need a little more distance. If so, I will turn to the 8 weight.

I am thinking of moving the family to a nice, dry desert.

Great news about the Kish!!!

The "up lining" thing has intrigued me. Guys like Holschlag, Ron, and many others are in favor of this. Then other great fly fisherman like Greg C. and Craig Riendau cautined me against it. From what I was told, a faster action rod can be up -lined much easier than a moderate fast action rod. Apparently, some rods work great with the next line size up, while other rods should not be uplined??? Very confusing. My rods are moderate fast for the most part. I have not up-lined yet, but I wonder if it would benefit me? I can cast plenty far with my five, six, and eight weight rods. I must say I have not encountered any BIG winds of yet.

The word is that the train wreck is to blame. Downstream the kill is massive!!!!! I have a couple of folks who I have talked with that have been on the river and talked with the DNR. Tons upon tons of catfish and carp are dead. At least some smallies are dead as well. My father in law in P-town estimated at its peak, there were 1000 dead fish floating by per hour. They are using end loaders to scoop out dead fish at the upper dam in Sterling. This is not good..............at all! From what my father in law has been told, the spill came out of the kish and into the rock.

Joe:

Glad you have been having good luck. I would be having even better success if I could get some decent, stable water levels. I have your crawbug in my "rotation". I must admit, I need to fish more with your flies. They are just so awesome I am afraid to throw them. I will have to change that. Stay tuned and I will get you some reports with those flies you sent me a while back.

Mike:

I already know how to use a baitcaster, though not as good as Eric. He is a casting maestro when it comes to casting equipment. You are right, starting from scratch with the fly rod would be tough. The fact that I know where the fish are has helped my success with the fly rod immensely. In addition, all the great fly fishermen here in the alliance has been a big help.

What's spinning gear????

In August, it will be officially one year since I first picked up the fly rod. It has been a very exciting 10 months up til now. I have learned a ton and have lots more to learn. Luckily, I have been pretty successful when it comes to smallies on the fly. Have not caught a monster yet, but numerous 16 inchers. When the topwater season is allowed to start, I am sure the big boys will come.

In addition, the last 10 months has seen my tie countless flies. I tie almost every night for at least an hour or two. Most of the smallies I have caught have come on my flies, which I find very, very rewarding. I am amazed how helpful other fly anglers have been. I have been able to tie some really neat and effective flies when tutored by the fellows who invented the fly or perfected it. After 10 months, here are a few things I have come to rely on:

1. Rio's Clouser line is outstanding!!

2. My favorite smallie rod is my Redington Predator 6 weight

3. My 8 weight rod, while useful, tires me out quickly

4. When I am a patient caster, I am pretty good. When I get in a hurry............I am terrible.

5 The following flies have been productive for me during the first 10 months:

Clouser minnow

Sparkle Minnow (no shocker there)

Menominnee Mud Bug (my #1 bottom fly)

Blockhead popper

Murdich Minnow (my #1 got-to fly - I have caught more smallies on this fly than any other)

Bart-o-Minnow

That is all I can think of for now. Back to the vise....................I am tying some Mini Murdich Minnows.

Fred Moore, Jim Zoerb, and myself were the only ones to make the Mack outing today. The river had gone up a little the night previous leaving us with a river that was up slightly, BUT VERY DIRTY!! All three of us knew we were probably licked before launching. We did five miles of river and ended up with three smallies. I brought the fly rod and the regular rod. I caught one on a tube and one on a Murdich Minnow. Jim caught one on a copper colored wooly bugger. We fished a ton of eddys but could not get anything going. Too bad, because it was a beautiful day to float.

AS of right now, the Mackinaw trip is still on as scheduled. The river is not in pristine shape, but when has it been the past 18 months? At the present level, canoeing is everyone's best option. Wading would be tough! I will be at Busy Corners for breakfast at 6:00. See everyone there.

If we don't get a big rain between now and Saturday, I think we should be good to go. I would strongly suggest the canoe option as the river will still have slightly too much water for wading. I plan to be at Busy Corners by 6:00.

Due to rain, the Vermillion river outing planned for this Saturday has been cancelled. We may be able to reschedule it for later in the season.

Due to the rain coming down right now and more forecasted, the Vermilion trip this Saturday HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY CANCELLED.

About a 90 percent chance the outing will be cancelled. River is still rather high and more rain forecasted for Wed. Stay tuned.

Having canoe launches and canoe outfitters means nothing when it comes to a stream being navigatable or not. The Mack had a canoe outfitter for years even though the Mackinaw is not on the list.

My dad, my son, and myself got 165 shrooms in about two hours on Sat...............yum

Folks:

Here is the "official" deal as I have called Springfield and spoke with an attorney that represents the state's interests. The law in Illinois is thus:

If the stream is not listed as a navigatable stream (yes, there is a list that you can obtain from the state), then permission has to be gained to "legally" canoe or wade the said stream. No, the landowner does not own the water that flows through their property, but does supposedly own the bottom of the stream. That is the "true" law in Illinois. Do I agree with it...............hell no! But it is what it is.

When it comes to government agencies constructing canoe accesses, I asked the same question to the attorney in Springfield. He told me to check to see who constructed the launch? In every circumstance that I checked on it was not the state that constructed the launches but cities/park districts/ etc. NOT THE STATE. The state will not construct any canoe launches unless the launch and at least some water downstream is public.

This jig is "hot off the press". My skirt maker just came out with this sceme:

The head is powder painted green with orange on the bottom. I can remember years ago doing quite well in the Fox River with firetiger cranks and rapalas.

Mr. Bonney:

Nice fish. I will add your photo to my album of "great swim jig catches.".