skjordan

I just throw them in the front stuff pocket of the Tals wading pack. Have not had a problem storing them like that. The hooks never seem to stick into the tough denier material.

Jonn, I like to take an old beat up rubber worm and cut off about a half inch and stick it on the tip of my spinner and buzz baits. It helps keep them sharp and I dont impale myself when I reach into the bag to retreive one.

Should I go with a 9 footer or longer?

A nine footer will suit all your needs listed.

The eight weight, while doable, does seem a bit much for smallies. I use a 5 weight, that puts me on the light end, for smallmouths and trout then jump to an eight weight for largemouth and light salt fishing (reds).

The 5 wt does a respectabe job throwing those "chuck and duck" items and can sill handle a size 16 caddis fly when needed.

Personnal preference does count for a lot in choosing your weight of rod.

What are you recommending for floatant these days?

 

Pre-treat with Watershed?

 

Silicone as in Aquel or more of the paste-type silicone like Top Ride?

 

Joseph

I like to use Stimies this time of year (grasshopper?????) and I pre-treated them with Water Shed for the first time. I like it.

Yes elk hair floats, but these seem to float higher, for longer.

How do you like Water Shed??

its to hard of a fly to just give the recipe. instruction are a must have . they have them for sale at onemorecast.com. joseph may have a tye sheet as well

Sorry Rich, I wasnt very clear.

I have the recipe and the instruction sheet.

Gorgeous fish Steve. What is the recipe for the fly? Is it posted anywhere?

Can someone help Jim out with an online recipe?

If not I can snail mail you a xerox copy that we used at the class.

Fished the South Vermillion River system last week with fellow member Chuck Kolesar and managed to pick up this nice fat smallie .

My fishing partner had just thrown his plastic worm at a root ball about six times when he turned away remarking "no one home there".

I had been busy tying on a hairy fodder and decided to put a cast behind the rootball. Turned out there was a hungry 19 1/4"er living in that hole after all. Chuck is still telling me I caught "his fish".

After we photographed and released the fish I took a picture of my fly, looking at the image latter I didnt recognize the fly as any I tied. It was rather crude and was not tied with any of the color patterns I used. As a matter of fact it was plain old butt ugly.

It dawned on me later that it was the first Hairy Fodder I ever tied, which happened at One More Cast during a tying seminar I attended last winter. So thanks to Joseph and the rest of the guys that taught all the patterns we tied that day.

This smallie taught me a lesson. While its nice to tie perfect patterns, just like in the books, smallies are not all that picky. Well..... most of the time

Well said Bob.

Thanks for the thoughts and keep swinging that yellow twister tail.

Thanks for posting the press release, we would never have seen it covered by our local media.

It was a very enjoyable day working with the kids and talking with Mike and Mark.

I will be on board again next year if Iam needed.

It might be worth noting in this picture that there is a pair of very large fir like trees in the background and about 25 % of our casters made it into the said trees. Another 50% went into the horticultural display and lemonade stand on the right. It amazed me we only lost one casting plug (you know those things can really smart when you catch one right between the sholder blades ).

I know there was a thread last spring in the forums about a new digital camera that could take a good soaking.

Iam now in the market for a new camera and would like to hear if you are still satisfied with the preformance of that model.

Or, if anyone else has purchased a similar camera and would like to share their likes and dislikes about their model so we all wont have to go through the same learning curve.

Another suggestion, look at the Wenonah line. They can be found on the internet at "wenonah.com", they are made in Minnesota.

Great boats with hull designs for all needs. Royalex is the material of choice for river boats.

I have a double, 16', Adirondack which can also be used as a solo and is still very easy to move around on small water.

What a great read!! It made me laugh on a Monday morning. Thanks.

I dont know if the Third Grip is configured to hold a fly reel or not.

However, the thought of carrying a nine foot fly rod around where I cant see it kind of gives me the willies..........especially on the small streams I fish. I think I would be untangling it from brush and limbs more than I would be fishing.

John Graham could answer that question for you he sells the Grip. If you want to talk to him I could PM you his phone number. Let me know.

All good tips. Especially having a plan before you hook the fish.

My personal release plan is:

Always pinch the hook barbs, I like to do this before I put anything in my tackle boxes.

Wet my hands.

Cradle big fish while removing the hooks or if they are small I will pick them up by the lower lip.

Put them gently back in the water, dropping or tossing a fish from the standing position is a pet peeve of mine.

Now if anyone sees me on the water not following my plan they have my permission to whip me with there rod.

i had the opportunity to put the fly in the water.

 

 

 

Rich, what was "that fly we tied"?????

Done!

If thats a bruise remind me to give Herons a wide berth on the river

I caught this smallmouth in Sugar Creek last week.

It fought hard, like normal, but when I brought the fish to hand I noticed the startling discoloration extending from the middle of the fish towards the rear. Upon further investigation I found two vertical marks about 2 1/2" long extending from the backbone down..........Im assuming a heron bit off just alittle more than it could chew.

Is the color change a bruise or maybe worse????????? Chances for suvival????????

How cool was that.............thats what fishing is all about, you just never know what great thing is going to happen next.

Nice looking flies. I really like the profile of the deer hair popper.

Learning to tie tight deer hair poppers like yours is my goal for next winter.

That is a buggy looking critter and olive would be the right color, at least for me.

Nice job.

The pattern is in the the Clouser book?

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This is the canoe anchor system I use. Its based on J. Grahams system and I can't thank him enough for showing me this. I dont think there is a better system out there. If there is e-mail me.

I made this one removeable so I can use it if Im going downstream (mounted in the rear) or fishing upstream (mounted in the front).

The main componet is the "Anchor Lift N Lock" and it works from where you are normally seated in the boat.

They are available from "Bass Pro On Line" and are grouped with the anchors but you have to go to the second or third page to find it.

The picture of the bottom shows two boards with angled cuts. These fit under your boats gunnels and hold the whole thing togeather by clamping the assembly to your boat. If you make these two peices accurately it will not move when tightened down with the two wingnuts.

The releived area on the bottom under the anchor Lock is there because my canoe has a raised plastic peice on the nose area, nice detail but not required as is the routed edges.

The anchor is your standard window weight but almost anything will work. The rope is a trick though do not use the twisted strand type rope if you do you will find out the problem as soon as you use it.

I used 3/4" plywood and it has plenty of strength. Word of caution dont use the anchor board to carry your

boat its strong but not that much.

I was out last weekend, in Macon County north of Decatur, and we are on the tail end of the season here. I found enough yellows (if you can ever find enough) for my wife and I a meal. I could have been smallie fishing but sometimes you have to prioritize........