tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55693655013854219302024-03-19T00:10:40.886-04:00Dead Fisher ramblings from an old fish fanaticdead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-55615457177776885542023-12-13T12:57:00.002-05:002023-12-13T12:57:44.295-05:00Fear of Flying?<p> One day at work my boss, John, approached me saying he'd heard that I frequently went fishing, and would I mind if he tagged along to learn a few things. John's company was well established and no longer needed his daily input so he was interested in finding new ways to occupy his increasing free time. Hmm... lets see... a newbie fisherman with a vehicle and unlimited finances... Challenge Accepted! Over the next few months we explored dozens of new areas and styles of fishing.</p><br /> I guess it really didn't surprise me too much when John suggested we learn to fly fish. From the very beginning I was resistant to the idea, being the die hard tackle junkie that I am, but John was adamant. Having just viewed "A River Runs Through It", he'd envisioned himself wading a quiet pastoral brook, gracefully casting to unsuspecting trout with the accuracy of a marksman and the technique of an artist.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpakoB3-AI/AAAAAAAABeI/nqSd0fjv3sw/s1600/33+MFFS.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpakoB3-AI/AAAAAAAABeI/nqSd0fjv3sw/s320/33+MFFS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murray's Fly Fishing School</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />So we booked a day at Murray's Fly Fishing School just north of the city in Shelburne. Here we both received a half days classroom instruction on basic set ups, knots and fly selections followed by a half day practical casting instruction on stocked trout ponds. Within a week of that day we were both totally hooked on the concept and purchased the first of many complete fly set ups.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpaoQBsveI/AAAAAAAABeU/ezMadIsH2nM/s1600/FLYING+FOR+SALMON.jpg" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpaoQBsveI/AAAAAAAABeU/ezMadIsH2nM/s320/FLYING+FOR+SALMON.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John on The Credit River</td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"> That was 7 years ago. Unfortunately John and I have parted ways professionally and socially since then, me finding other employment and him finding other interests. The one thing I will always thank him for was pressuring me into doing something I had no previous interest in.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div> In my first year, after catching a few largemouth bass and a 24" carp in a local reservoir, I started to realize that with proper research, equipment and a little luck, you could catch almost any fish on a fly.<br /><br />These days a fly rod is my first weapon of choice except during the winter, when I'm either out on the frozen lakes or replenishing my depleted fly boxes at the tying bench. I love the subtleties of casting. There have been many fishless days on the water where I'd spend countless hours playing with the line and the flies, working on distance, accuracy and presentation, rarely accepting my limitations, only the limitations of the water I'm fishing. I have to say at this point that I consider a fly rod, for the most part, to be no better or worse than spinning gear, just different.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpasP2ALGI/AAAAAAAABeo/hRbW2W8WVM0/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpasP2ALGI/AAAAAAAABeo/hRbW2W8WVM0/s320/IMG_0126.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crappie on a Streamer</td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpal4_IqOI/AAAAAAAABeM/4yHc_NRAJ3o/s1600/38+CARP.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpal4_IqOI/AAAAAAAABeM/4yHc_NRAJ3o/s200/38+CARP.jpg" unselectable="on" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Carp Ever</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><br /><br /> <br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; clear: both;"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMZT8ggL8ZI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/r04QOkmBr2o/s1600/bullhead.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMZT8ggL8ZI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/r04QOkmBr2o/s320/bullhead.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bullhead Catfish</td></tr></tbody></table> A few years ago in mid May, a group of us made the rounds east of Lake Simcoe and I had decided before hand to only bring the 4 piece Sage. Where bait had failed, a subtly presented fly proved highly effective in culling a school of skittish crappies hiding amongst the emerging weeds. Later in the afternoon we had worked our way down to Pefferlaw, where on the first five casts of a full sized tube jig, my friend pulled out over 10 Lbs. of spawning bullheads. I figured this was a good opportunity to try something completely different and it took nearly half an hour of trial and error before I'd gotten the fly, weight and drift just right. What traditional flyfisher would ever believe you could consistently hook into a bottom feeder like a catfish one drift after another? The really crazy thing is that in between the catfish, suckers and occasional rockbass, I was also catching gobies! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMZUQbA466I/AAAAAAAAALE/ODyqGnlYeDI/s1600/gobie.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMZUQbA466I/AAAAAAAAALE/ODyqGnlYeDI/s320/gobie.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Round Gobie</td></tr></tbody></table> Anyone who knows me is aware that I'm a little obsessive compulsive in some ways. I like to keep lists. To date I figure I've caught 24 species of fish with a fly rod with at least another 50 native species on my hit list. Some of the more common, and yet elusive species on my list are: gar, musky and walleye.<br /><br /> Over the last four years salmon have been a great source of entertainment during the fall. Getting them to bite isn't difficult at all, it's getting them to shore using a reel that is little more than a spool for your line!<br /><br /> I've come to the conclusion that trout are basically smarter than me, and the few that I've caught must have had something wrong with them. One of my biggest problems with trout is that I don't know anyone who regularly fishes them and there aren't any concentrations in my backyard. All the same I will keep plugging on.<br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpapKalnYI/AAAAAAAABeY/TcbAlI4GudU/s1600/DRY+COLLECTION.jpg" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpapKalnYI/AAAAAAAABeY/TcbAlI4GudU/s200/DRY+COLLECTION.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dry Flies</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"> As mentioned earlier, I also enjoy fly tying. Just like the fishing, when I started out, I mostly concerned myself with learning the basic tying practices and patterns. Since then I've basically "thrown out" the books of fly patterns, and now prefer to tie what I call free style. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpaqw3LC0I/AAAAAAAABek/K0mWLBmMVeo/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpaqw3LC0I/AAAAAAAABek/K0mWLBmMVeo/s200/IMG_0062.JPG" width="200" /></a> </td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assorted 3" Hairwing Streamers</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"></div></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpapREl7VI/AAAAAAAABec/1Gw__bupiQg/s1600/pike+flies.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TPpapREl7VI/AAAAAAAABec/1Gw__bupiQg/s640/pike+flies.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">7" Pike Flies</td></tr></tbody></table>For more info, check out: <a href="http://www.murraysflyfishing.com/">http://www.murraysflyfishing.com/</a><br /> <a href="http://www.danica.com/flytier/index.html">http://www.danica.com/flytier/index.html</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g449/armstrong9111/avatar-2.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g449/armstrong9111/avatar-2.gif" /></a></div>dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-10256870245063769832023-11-13T12:35:00.003-05:002023-11-14T12:14:31.325-05:00The Don is Dead ? 1970-2010<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://tamaracklodge.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/don-terminus.jpg?w=300&h=200" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://tamaracklodge.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/don-terminus.jpg?w=300&h=200" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don River Estuary</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"> I remember back in the late 60's and early 70's the public outcry that Lake Erie was officially declared "dead". No surprise there considering more than a century of unrestricted industrial dumping, near non-existent controls on agricultural runoff and free flowing sewage. Closer to home, the story was the same with the Don River. Even today, a drive along the Don Valley Parkway south of Bloor St. shows a tired old river beaten into submission with controlled banks and an industrialised estuary. But things are not what they seem.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"> Last month on an outing just north of the Toronto city limits, my friend and I noticed several youths on a resdential street carying fly rods. Having grown up in the general area, I assumed they were in pursuit of the "mighty" Don River chub. On our return trip, out of habit, it was decided to check out the water to see if there was anything interesting going on. What a surprise, the dirty old Don had a full blown run of salmon!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='480' height='360' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwkumI83He1IpwJ5KrI3SVvXczR1QmFlCPJT1k_lhToFql9sLplB_jdLxkO0h6naVapyXA475kr8CxqQtcLug' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"> As with boyscouts and most fishing fanatics, we were prepared for all possible situations. The back of the vehicle contained just about any type of tackle you would ever need. So within minutes of our discovery we were actively trying to outwit these migratory visitors with a variety of baits ranging from spinners and spoons to roe bags and flies. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMRiOgLxsfI/AAAAAAAAAD8/lNBfv9oL5LQ/s1600/IMG_1021.jpg" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMRiOgLxsfI/AAAAAAAAAD8/lNBfv9oL5LQ/s320/IMG_1021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinook Salmon</td></tr></tbody></table> So.. who says the Don River is dead? Not me!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;">What other commonly held beliefs are full of crap? Carp are a garbage fish, sunfish and catfish aren't worth eating, pike and musky lose their teeth during the summer. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"> I learned these "fish tales" as a youngster from my "enlightened" peers and it's taken half a lifetime to re-educate myself on the pure joy of angling. No longer will I be victim to good-old-boy fish snobbery. Any fish is a worthy fish, they can't all be trophies. I'll take my opportunities as they come and keep an open mind when it comes to my expectations.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMRiO3kak7I/AAAAAAAAAD8/sdTGF3Ot7Z8/s1600/IMG_1024.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IzsdySgfdQ4/TMRiO3kak7I/AAAAAAAAAD8/sdTGF3Ot7Z8/s1600/IMG_1024.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coho Salmon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> The main reason for this posting is for you the reader to keep an open mind. The most common fishing myth is that you have to travel great distances to find productive water (unfortunately, most people don't know what's in their own back yard). In recent years my most valuable fishing equipment has been my collection of <strong>Backroad Mapbooks</strong>, <strong>Google Earth</strong>, and the MNR's <strong>Guide to Eating Gamefish</strong>. These publications have allowed me to find hidden hotspots in my area and given me an idea of what can be caught there. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"> By the way, salmon are not the only species available in the Don River. It has healthy populations of carp, shiners, bullhead catfish, chub, suckers, rockbass, sunfish, the occasional largemouth bass, pike in the lower stretches, and rainbow and brown trout.The Don is dead... don't you believe it!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; text-align: center;">For more info try:<a href="https://trca.ca/app/uploads/2017/09/Urban-Fishing-Opportunities-in-Toronto-Surrounding-Areas.pdf">https://trca.ca/app/uploads/2017/09/Urban-Fishing-Opportunities-in-Toronto-Surrounding-Areas.pdf</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; text-align: center;">by for now</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-color: initial; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-style: none; border-top: medium none; border-width: medium; text-align: center;">John</div></div>dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-15578461284935040612016-05-31T18:36:00.002-04:002016-05-31T18:41:22.827-04:00Inner City Fly Slinging So... it's been about 6 weeks since my last post, and speaking with complete modesty, the fishing results from this time period have been mediocre. The long awaited trout season opener was on the third Saturday of April. and an hour after sunrise saw me casting to low, clear water that seemed devoid of life. After five visits over a two week period all I managed were a few "bugle trout" aka white suckers. The last day on the river I witnessed a large caddis hatch and in an hour of patient observation didn't see a single rise! It was refreshing to spend a few days witnessing the spring greening in that urban valley without a single human encounter. The other benefit was that my local ponds were a short ride away.<br />
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My quest for a carp on the fly was accomplished under bizarre circumstances that left me satisfied less than you might think. Much of the best carp water is surrounded by rushes and low trees, so casting to likely lies was achieved with rollcasts. After the retrieve I'd shake the rod tip to strip out the line for the next cast while the fly sat on the bottom by my feet. On this particular cast the line shot out but it appeared the fly was snagged on bottom. With a few choice words I resigned myself to the repeated task of disturbing the area by retrieving a muck encrusted stick, but after stripping in all the line the muck encrusted stick turned out to be a 20 something inch carp! I'd been wanting a good bend in the rod for a while but I've had better battles with muck encrusted sticks. That was the one and only carp so far this spring.<br />
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The crappie bonanza from the last post seems to be a one time, chance occurrence. I can count on a few palm sized fish every trip, but numbers of larger crappie seem to elude me. One particular day I couldn't catch anything other than out of season largemouth. The regulations state incidental catches are to be returned immediately and if the fish continue to bite then you have to move on. Intentionally targeting them is prohibited. Oh well...bass season opens in 3 weeks from now and I'm confident in the flies I've tied and the capabilities of the rod and reel.<br />
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Over the years I've been slowly gravitating toward ultra lite fishing and that's the reason for the 3wt rod I picked up over the winter. Everything I'd read on line and talking to the few fly fishers I'd met suggested a 3wt was only appropriate for small trout and panfish, but after battling a few 3-4 lb largemouth on a long line (40 to 50 feet) I'm truly interested in pushing the limits of what it'll handle. Amusingly, 3 months ago I traded a pocket full of flies to a local shop owner for a 5' ultra lite Lightning Rod which has yet to see water.<br />
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Two weeks ago I was out on an errand and, as is my long standing habit, had to stop when crossing a bridge to check out the water. The downstream side had a series of pools that, from a distance, appeared to be full of fish up to a foot in length. The next day I returned, determined to find what secrets that tiny, urban creek held. I spent a half hour casting the first pool, to the amusement of the urbanite drones at the nearby intersection, cycling through the small selection of flies before finding the right pattern, a #12 bead headed nymph with pronounced red ribbing. Every other cast brought in a creek chub from 4 to 10 inches.<br />
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I continued bushwhacking down the narrow ravine, highrises on one side, a community college on another and not a soul in sight. Every pool produced numbers of feisty chub but nothing else. A mile in and the creek merged with another I was more familiar with, easier to access and full of students smoking crack or whatever. The 90 degree temperatures, bushwhacking with a mountain bike and crackheads galore had taken a toll and the day out was over for me.<br />
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So...in a 6 week period I've been out around 20 times, fished 6 ponds,a river and a creek and managed to catch 6 species of fish on the "new" rod, all without leaving the city limits. I really need to get out of town!dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-11502782313537995742016-04-15T15:12:00.002-04:002016-04-15T15:12:42.542-04:00Thursday was Flyday I left the house yesterday morning determined to finally put a bend in my new fly rod which until now retained it's virginity. My destination was a series of drainage ponds in the neighborhood that I knew contained a variety of species, but my main target on this day would be carp. After a quick pot of coffee, downed at the tying bench, I loaded the bike with everything I'd need and pedaled off to the ponds.<br />
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I'd fished the first location a few few times over the past 3 weeks where I'd found the fish milling about, just a few feet away from a bulrush lined shore, 6 inches under the surface. On arrival I found the area buffeted by gusting winds, stirring up the sediments and reducing water visibility to 8". Sight fishing was not going to be possible. I started casting the area with a wet hackle fly, slowly stripping line and keeping the fly in top foot of water. The cross wind was playing havoc with my casting and line control, sending my fly into a hungry tree on the back cast several times. Fishing sub surface wasn't getting any attention so I tied on a heavy weighted crayfish/damsel imitation and started dredging the bottom. After flogging the water for another 20 minutes with several more fly changes and no results I decided it was time for drastic measures... I assembled my ultra-light and put on a worm!<br />
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It took no time at all for my float to submerge and a palm sized bluegill to came to hand. One after another they came in with the occasional chub mixed in and a 4' large mouth. It was comfortable sitting in a camp chair, reeling in panfish at will, but that wasn't what I'd come here for. I moved to the far end of the pond, where the previous year I'd had frequent success with bait. I wasn't finished with the fly rod yet and chose a rocky point as a casting platform that gave good access to the corner while sheltered from the wind and unobstructed room for the back cast. This wasn't a place for a heavy weighted fly as the water's surface was dotted with the leftovers of a beaver's winter snacks. The skeletal remains of treetops, branches and shrubs poked out every few feet making casting risky business regardless of the fishing style.<br />
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I tied on a bead head nymph with a bright green body and wound hackle and started picking apart the "pocket water". It was't long before I finally popped the cherry on the new rod. It wasn't what I'd hoped to be the first, but the palm sized gill was welcome just the same. Not long after I got a bite that put the good bend in the rod I'd been expecting all morning, only to be surprised to find it wasn't a carp but a scrappy 16' largemouth. A quick pic, live release (bass are not in season until the end of June) and back at it. After a few short strikes and a couple flies lost to the shrubbery I finally got a hook into the fish hiding in an particularly "woody" corner...a palm sized crappie! It's a good thing that when I tie a fly pattern, I usually tie at least 5 in a sitting, as it appeared I'd need all I'd brought.<br />
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I'd disturbed the area too much by dragging snagged branches across the bottom, and instead of waiting for things to settle down, decided it was time to move on to the next pond a few blocks away. Like the first pond, I'd had multi species days there and the chance of hooking into a carp were good. I worked my usual access points with no luck and eventually ended up at the windswept end, casting into deeper water than usual. On the second cast I landed a small crappie. A few more casts and a couple more fish. This was the first time I'd ever found a school locally but after six fish the bite stopped. I moved farther down the shore, spending time picking apart likely areas but came up empty. By now it was mid afternoon and although I didn't catch my intended species, I was well satisfied with the results and was ready to call it a day.</div>
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On my way back to the street I thought I'd give the crappie spot one last try with a heavier fly. That was the final piece to the puzzle. Every cast brought in a fish as long as the fly was allowed to sink for at least 15 seconds! After about 20 fish the line tightened and pulled drag, the rod bent over and as I saw the flash 5 feet below the surface I thought I'd hooked into a good sized bass. Nope. What a surprise to find a 14" crappie on the end of my line! If I'd been on a large northern lake I would have had nice fish dinner, but because this wonderful resource is literally in my backyard, conservation is key. I'm not going to destroy future enjoyment for the sake of a free meal, as I know many of you would agree. Anyways...I came for carp and got blanked, and walked away totally stoked.</div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-88010008784996788282016-04-01T17:13:00.000-04:002016-04-01T17:13:23.706-04:00The Crank Bait Fly I returned to my local carp ponds on Wednesday afternoon hoping to pop the cherry on my new 3wt but Mother Nature's early spring fickleness and Charlie Brown's kite tree both conspired to thwart my ability to perform said act. Blustery winds and abundant shoreline shrubbery frustrated my attempts to reach my quarrie on the far side of the pond and after a dozen rescue missions into the prickly thicket, I'd had enough.<br />
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Luckily I'd brought a box of worms and a brand new 5' UL Shimano Lightning Rod with a Pflueger President 6720 reel spooled with 5Lb. tracer braid, more than enough to tackle anything in those waters. All I needed to do was get them to cooperate. Tackle Shop showed up by the time I'd worn out my third location without a single carp bite. I did manage a half dozen bluegills though.<br />
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TS set up at my first location, tossing a heavily weighted worm 50' out into the deeper water and reeled in a golden 18" carp less than five minutes later! Followed by another slightly larger and a handful of small bullhead catfish. If he hadn't rubbed it in so much there'd be a picture of him peacocking with his catch. Seriously though...my mistake was focusing too intently on the weedy margins using a slip float when obviously the weather had the larger fish feeding in the depths. So after adjusting my depth and casting to deeper water...all I could catch were gills.</div>
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Honestly...catching anything from open water in March is a bonus and both of us were well satisfied with our results but by mid afternoon we were fairly chilled from the constant wind.<br />
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You may remember me showing off this deer hair "crank bait"a few months ago. I finally got a chance to try it out and the results were better than I expected. First off...no I didn't catch anything with it, but I will! With a 2" body it was a bit much to cast with a 3wt rod, but on a long, moderately quick strip it rocketed to the bottom with a tight wobble that would have made Lauri Rapala proud. I played around with different retrieves and discovered by holding the rod under my right arm I could pull with both hands, maintain a fairly constant speed and attain greater diving depth. On a slack line it wobbled back to the surface. There's no doubt this style of bug is going to be deadly fishing predators in stillwaters.</div>
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The first thing I did when returning home was to tie a couple scaled down versions for my new rod. Tied on a #4 baitholder hook these flies have a body lenght of 1". I can't wait to use them ...legally. Bass opener is still 3 months away.</div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-84968880358136780042016-03-28T01:24:00.002-04:002016-03-28T01:24:53.706-04:00Easter Carping I got up fairly early this morning and instead of searching for hidden eggs, decided to christen my new 3wt at the local ponds. Two hours of flogging the water, casting the narrow openings in the bullrushes, roll casts and reach casts. all the while trying to avoid cedar, dogwood and barberry on the back cast and with the rod tip, and for the most part succeeding. Two hours without a single bite and I was in heaven. Off to the next pond.<br />
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Here the water is quite a bit muddier. I cast the margins, slowly bouncing the fly along the bottom. Working several hundred yards of shoreline, occasionally setting off territorial dogs in adjacent backyards. Finally...not a bite, but sight of a sunbathing school of carp. Off with the weighted nymph and start chucking a small wet hackle, crouched behind a stand of rushes. The slowly retrieved wet, just below the surface, gets the attention of the school and they all start closing in, only to turn away at the last second. The scenario is replayed over and over, through multiple fly changes, each time the school becoming warier to the point where, rather than spooking it completely, I make a major change in tactics. The fly rod is retired for the day, no longer brand new but still cherry.<br />
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Out comes the lawn chair, box of worms and the ultra lite. Two minutes later...<br />
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It completely left the water on hook set and immediately peeled off 10 yrds of line like maybe it thought it was a smallmouth bass. It also completely spooked it's buddies. Eventually things quieted down, and after a few bluegill this guy came to hand</div>
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For a healthier lifestyle, my doctor recently told me I should have fish at least twice a week. I couldn't agree more, I should do this more often!</div>
dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-29142180523724575852016-03-25T19:19:00.000-04:002016-03-25T19:19:16.399-04:00The Eyed Snake Fly While reviewing old fly files copied from the web or scanned from old magazines earlier this week, a few patterns jumped off the screen and shouted "TIE ME".<br />
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The first, The Eyed Snake Fly, was originally tied for surf casting for stipers and features a cylindrical body of spun deer hair, an ostrich herl tail, and the unusual addition of dumbbell eyes to make the fly float lower on the surface. <br />
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The first one was tied on a large saltwater hook, the others tied on smaller bronze hooks with marabou added at the butt..<br />
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These should appeal to bucket mouths and big toothies.</div>
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The next pattern that demanded attention was The Killer Jim, another saltwater fly used for stripers. I've scaled down the proportions for fresh water and eliminated the zonker strip.<br />
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Simply a marabou tail with a bit of crystal flash and a body of pearl mylar tube. This one was tied on a #4 baitholder hook and suitable for small to medium predators. Tie it with different colors, add weight and eyes or go up or down in size, the combinations are infinite.<br />
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The third fly is an old Irish salmon fly called The Gosling.</div>
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<b>Hook - </b>3x long #6</div>
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<b> Tail - </b>4 pheasant tail fibers</div>
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<b> Rib - </b>gold tinsel</div>
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<b> Body - </b>caddis green ice dub</div>
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<b> Hackle -</b> orange saddle</div>
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<b> Collar -</b>chartreuse mallard flank</div>
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This fly was designed to imitate a large swimming mayfly nymph and as such is not limited here to just trout and salmon but a full range of predators. Anyways... this is what I've been doing for the last week, while winter reasserts itself for one final gasp.</div>
dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-82206904478159193502016-03-10T23:11:00.002-05:002016-03-10T23:11:45.920-05:00Yesterday I Drowned A Worm...<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: orange;">And I Liked It!</span></b></div>
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There was no malice involved, but the drowning was intentional. My fly boxes are overflowing with proven and new patterns and here I am fishing with live bait. To a lot of you this doesn't make a whole lot of sense but the bottom line is that I needed to feel a good tug on my line and the only way to accomplish that was to dangle a worm below a float. Word on the street suggests he had it coming.<br />
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The abbreviated winter of 2016 is in it's final stages, and with daily highs of 10C or more all week long ( that's 50F for those of you who use the Foreignheat scale) it was time to reacquaint myself with my backyard. Ice fishing is over for the year and trout season is still 5 weeks away so the only game to be played was at my local carp ponds.<br />
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I loaded the saddlebags of my mountain bike with my ultralite, a small box of terminal tackle, a folding camp chair, and lest we forget...a box of 24 potential drowning victims. Funny...I don't recall ever hearing PETA protesting for the ethical treatment of bait. Throughout the 15 minute ride I envisioned casting to basking carp along the pond's weedy fringes.<br />
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This pic is from 2014</div>
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The reality I faced at my destination was that winter hadn't completely give up.</div>
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. My third stop looked much the same but after 5 minutes of bush whacking waist high weeds I managed to find some open water.<br />
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I spent half the afternoon comfortably basking in the spring sun, watching the ice sheet recede and sloughing off large rafts of floating scum that collected at my feet, all the while keeping a lookout for activity on the margins. After 3 hours of no action it was time to pack it in and as I retrieved the line one last time, it stopped dead at my feet.<br />
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Definitely not what I expected to catch but welcome all the same. As it turned out the worm didn't really drown... it expired from massive trauma inflicted by a tiny, yet very hungry largemouth bass. The other 23 survived for another day.</div>
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As I loaded up for the ride home it occurred to me that, although I can't legally fish it, I should check out the Rouge River, just a few blocks away. To my surprise it was running a little higher than last fall and crystal clear. Every time I'm there it amazes me how little this area is used recreationally! I've spent days down there without seeing anyone.</div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-63137808631209718502016-02-21T01:14:00.002-05:002016-02-21T01:14:18.271-05:00Fishing Giggles Well...It's Sunday morning and I have nothing to share other than a few of my favorite comic strips:<br />
<i>The Far Side</i> by Gary Larson and<i> In The Bleachers </i>by Steve Moore. So... grab a coffee, fire up the hookah, or whatever mellows you out, and enjoy.<br />
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-18240089215345431292016-02-18T16:28:00.000-05:002016-02-18T16:28:22.297-05:00Tackle Box Time Machine Have you ever been asked what you would do, or when/where you'd go if supplied with a time machine? Sure you have, and you've probably discussed the topic extensively. It's human nature to try and control our environment and the opportunity to change the present by affecting the past has been a dream for millenia. Whether to witness the marvels of the past or to right some wrongs, just about everyone would accept the challenge.<br />
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Walking with dinosaurs sounds delusional, if possible it would more likely be fleeing from dinosaurs. Witnessing the building of the pyramids would probably result in a "request" to help. and stopping (or possibly starting) a global genocide may seem noble but highly impractical for a common individual.<br />
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Of course you know I'm already a time traveler, it's just that my travels are of the forward persuasion, one day at a time. If given the chance to travel the opposite direction, my needs would be comparably simple; one day back...and the time machine itself, light weight and compact enough to fit...lets say... in a tackle box. I don't want to give the impression that I'm not curious about the past, it's just that I've been told far too often "You should have been here yesterday".<br />
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On the topic of time...Monday marked the latest date in my personal history to get out fishing in the New Year, and to celebrate the event Tackle Shop and I rearranged the alignment of the planets and made a reservation for the next day with Lake Simcoe's yeller bellies.<br />
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Overnight flurries played havoc with pre-dawn rushhour traffic, and the normal 45 minute trip to Gilford took twice as long. We were met at the lake by Rob, operator of <a href="http://www.gilfordyellowhuts.com/" target="_blank">Gilford Yellow Huts</a>, and he taxied us out to one of his rental ice huts situated over 20 feet of water a mile and a half from shore.</div>
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As always, the first thing to go into the water is the transducer to the fish finder, followed by our "go to" ice fishing bait, a silver Slab Grabber with a chartreuse bead. It's an amazing lure that, with a little practice, you can make it glide away from the hole at a 45 degree angle or a side over side roll.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TeGe1V1pezM/VQifv8k-DuI/AAAAAAAAEyA/_vu4VYUxNQo/s1600/IMG_2120-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TeGe1V1pezM/VQifv8k-DuI/AAAAAAAAEyA/_vu4VYUxNQo/s400/IMG_2120-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the first drop, a school of perch could be seen on the screen, charging off the bottom to meet the fluttering spoon , only to follow it down to the bottom and proceeded to stare at it like a swarm of penny less window shoppers. No amount of erratic jigging or deadsticking could elicit more than an occasional bump. It didn't take long for us to cycle through all the proven perch lures with only a handful of dinks to show for the effort.</div>
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Now was the time to break out all those flies I'd tied specifically for a slow perch bite! What ensued was reminiscent of that Goldilocks story with a lot of too much of this and too much of that. Let me explain.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hh0JMQVTudM/VpAWTDFQN0I/AAAAAAAAGIo/repAAiYukiU/s1600/IMG_2367-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hh0JMQVTudM/VpAWTDFQN0I/AAAAAAAAGIo/repAAiYukiU/s320/IMG_2367-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This one had a great swimming motion with a subtle jigging action, slowly moving ahead with the tail fluttering up and down, but ended up scaring the wary perch with it's size and movement.</div>
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Like the previous fly, this one had great fluttering movement, but didn't have enough weight to keep 20' of 4lb braid tight enough to feel the bite.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aF54wBxEUvQ/VoSwhw4PivI/AAAAAAAAGFk/VSxHdB2Csis/s1600/IMG_2354-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aF54wBxEUvQ/VoSwhw4PivI/AAAAAAAAGFk/VSxHdB2Csis/s320/IMG_2354-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This one came to life once submerged, but again, not weighted enough and too imposing in size. I should say here that I've never been a fan of adding extra weight to ice jigs as it throws off the balance and feel and frequently, when sight fishing, you can see the fish biting the added weight instead of the lure. I suppose that's a sign it's time to downsize.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zz_diSkLt6g/VoSwtSQCsuI/AAAAAAAAGFs/CiWOgsY1rLg/s1600/IMG_2338-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zz_diSkLt6g/VoSwtSQCsuI/AAAAAAAAGFs/CiWOgsY1rLg/s320/IMG_2338-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Attracted a lot of interest, but again too light. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxSRmq0tP3M/VoGbkw7gAtI/AAAAAAAAGCM/6wZUEb5pa08/s1600/IMG_2330-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxSRmq0tP3M/VoGbkw7gAtI/AAAAAAAAGCM/6wZUEb5pa08/s320/IMG_2330-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I caught a few with these. Their weight forward design allowed them to dive head first and at 1.5" in length, proved to be a nice snack that bit back.</div>
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Being the dumb old f*** that I am, I completely forgot to bring these.</div>
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So...after my tale of woe, you'd assume it was a tough day on the hard water with about 75 fish landed and only 4 "keepers" between the two of us in an 8 hour period. This was not the case for the six others that accompanied us in the sled back to shore as they each had 30lb buckets full of yeller bellies, mostly caught at sunrise! "You should have been here earlier"</div>
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I joke, of course. It was refreshing to finally get out. </div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-8969261823095651182016-02-09T13:45:00.002-05:002016-02-09T13:47:28.377-05:00DW Micro Minnow I sat at my bench the other day, taking mental stock of what I have and what I'd like to do, and a subconscious instinct took over. Apparently my inner fly child was telling me I needed more variety of flies for the annual spring panfish bonanza/harvest/massacre. I call it that because not all participants practice sound conservation ideals. Anyways...before I knew it I had a handful of of what I call the diamond wing micro minnow. They were tied on #10 & #12 partridge hooks and 3/32" bead.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2ZnpuywQlo/VrottrWhvbI/AAAAAAAAGZM/_PCBBxISuEY/s1600/IMG_2473-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2ZnpuywQlo/VrottrWhvbI/AAAAAAAAGZM/_PCBBxISuEY/s640/IMG_2473-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmrXNtw3Z_w/VrotswuN9qI/AAAAAAAAGZM/WnBSjj5QSvI/s1600/IMG_2472-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmrXNtw3Z_w/VrotswuN9qI/AAAAAAAAGZM/WnBSjj5QSvI/s640/IMG_2472-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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They should be shallow water "crappie killers". Or should I say "crappie catch and releasers".</div>
dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-22450588281565553572016-02-05T01:55:00.001-05:002016-02-05T02:04:31.136-05:00The Simcoe Bug It was about a decade ago when I started seeing this bizarre fly being sold in the tackle shops around the Lake Simcoe area. It had the appearance of a simple, technicolor scud on steroids and right off the bat Tackle Shop was urging me to mass produce them. At the time I had absolutely no wish to buy or tie that weird little fly as I had more than enough terminal tackle for icing perch. A decade later and it's more popular than ever, attaining legendary status in some areas. The word is that when the perch are off the feed bag and nothing else seems to work, those in the know tie on a Simcoe Bug.<br />
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As I've mentioned in a few posts lately, buying ice tackle is out this year and anything new will have to be made. I didn't really need tying instructions, but I did a Google search anyways hoping to find some info on who originally tied it and was surprised the only reliable info came from John White's excellent website <a href="http://www.timeonthewater.ca/index.html" target="_blank">Time On The Water Canada</a> . In a detailed article on perch fishing through the ice I found the originator of the Simcoe Bug was a long time local guide by the name Leon Maloney.<br />
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Tying the SB is incredibly simple; a weighted hook, a bulky tapered body with a rib and shiny coating. These tying instructions are geared more towards ice fishermen.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-okrfgmQ7atc/VrQsuYNen-I/AAAAAAAAGX0/7smLI1cgi4s/s1600/IMG_2465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-okrfgmQ7atc/VrQsuYNen-I/AAAAAAAAGX0/7smLI1cgi4s/s640/IMG_2465.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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1. Wind thread onto a #6 partidge hook. Wind 3"<br />
heavy lead wire onto hook shank leaving 1/8" space behind the eye. If you don't have lead wire hammer a large split shot flat and roll it onto the hook. Wind the thread over the lead to secure it and leave the thread near the bend.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvJt2AY3BXo/VrQswR5ov8I/AAAAAAAAGX0/A16AD9vgUmc/s1600/IMG_2462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvJt2AY3BXo/VrQswR5ov8I/AAAAAAAAGX0/A16AD9vgUmc/s320/IMG_2462.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yBGwA19-qU/VrQswjwR8WI/AAAAAAAAGX0/svsybC9hRzc/s1600/IMG_2463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yBGwA19-qU/VrQswjwR8WI/AAAAAAAAGX0/svsybC9hRzc/s320/IMG_2463.JPG" width="320" /></a>2. Tie in rib material at hook bend. In this case I used 5 strands of crystal flash with the tag ends hanging as a tail. Tie in body material and wind thread to the front of the hook .<br />
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3. Wind the body material forward in tight wraps, building a humpback shape. Tie off and clip excess material.<br />
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4. Twist the strands of crystal flash into a rope and wind forward in even wraps. Tie off and clip excess.<br />
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5. Apply a thin coat of 5 minute epoxy and ley dry.<br />
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For the rib you could use anything that will contrast the body color: wire, tinsel, thread etc.</div>
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For the body: yarn, thread, string etc. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xIP07UayIDw/VrQsvEASs-I/AAAAAAAAGX0/8qPoeZVqwzk/s1600/IMG_2468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xIP07UayIDw/VrQsvEASs-I/AAAAAAAAGX0/8qPoeZVqwzk/s640/IMG_2468.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yesterday I tied another deer hair bass bug. I was so excited to see the patterns appear as I was trimming it to shape that I mistakenly cut through the thread near the tail! Immediately the hair started to fall out but I managed to repair it by winding a new thread through the affected area, catching both ends of the cut thread and dousing it with head cement. I was left with a 1/4" bald spot by the tail which was filled with a palmered hackle. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ1ZeNhB_t4/VrQsnxh-uuI/AAAAAAAAGX0/ojVqNG9k8nQ/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ1ZeNhB_t4/VrQsnxh-uuI/AAAAAAAAGX0/ojVqNG9k8nQ/s640/IMG_2459.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-56627488473003561922016-02-01T21:48:00.002-05:002016-02-01T21:48:48.266-05:00Fishing Limbo = Tying Times Weather conditions late last week had finally come together in a wintry way to make 5"-8" of safe, black ice on Cook's Bay, prompting Tackle Shop and I to plan our first trip of the season out for jumbo perch. We spent Thursday night charging batteries, swapping reels over to the short rods, and generally organizing tackle and sleds. My phone rang long before sunup Friday morning with the news from TS that there were 50kph wind gusts out on the bay and even the ice hut operators were hesitant to venture out on the slick , barren ice under such conditions. Since then we've taken another ride on this winter's weird weather roller-coaster. This afternoon it was shirt sleeve temperatures out and our start to the 2016 ice fishing season has taken another giant leap backwards.<br />
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So...one door closes, another door opens. While waiting for optimal ice and weather conditions I've continued to over pack my fly boxes with new creations. The other day I found a few things that had worked their way to the back of a couple drawers: some popper bodies and some Fish Skull Sculpin Heads.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZr2aGW4fGA/VrAAjkQXI-I/AAAAAAAAGUc/ISBZmlamhUg/s1600/IMG_2457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZr2aGW4fGA/VrAAjkQXI-I/AAAAAAAAGUc/ISBZmlamhUg/s640/IMG_2457.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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These were tied with marabou tails, mohair leech yarn bodies and collars of either marabou or polar ice chenille.</div>
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I suppose the "art" in tying popper bodies lies primarily in painting and to a lesser degree in material selection for the tail. I don't own an air brush or any paints, just a couple bottles of nail polish but I've got tail materials coming out of my tail.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWqs3dBhTfU/VrAA04_nFxI/AAAAAAAAGVk/VFkxPKwekE8/s1600/IMG_2437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWqs3dBhTfU/VrAA04_nFxI/AAAAAAAAGVk/VFkxPKwekE8/s640/IMG_2437.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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While at Bass Pro Shops a few weeks ago I made a point of re-stocking my supply of deer belly hair. hoping to get more practice in spinning and stacking. My first project was an exercise to practice shaving the hair to it's final shape using a double edged razor blade, so I chose to do a simple bomber.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mtg_mkwNois/VrAA7pcIuoI/AAAAAAAAGWQ/9JGAtaYWayM/s1600/IMG_2453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mtg_mkwNois/VrAA7pcIuoI/AAAAAAAAGWQ/9JGAtaYWayM/s640/IMG_2453.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Using the flexible blade is far faster and easier than clippers and allows for a smother curved surface but requires a subtle, practiced hand. Once the material's removed, there's no putting it back.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3e8syjqWuWQ/VrAA1plYp2I/AAAAAAAAGVs/guc5uC3mgjM/s1600/IMG_2440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3e8syjqWuWQ/VrAA1plYp2I/AAAAAAAAGVs/guc5uC3mgjM/s320/IMG_2440.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You really couldn't call this a popper as it doesn't have the classic cupped face. I'd over trimmed the deer hair around the hook eye to the point where a cupped face was impossible to make so I left a lip projecting above the eye and applied a thin coat of 5 minute epoxy to stiffen it up. One door closes... this gave me a brainstorm for my next tie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ksep-ihf8nk/VrAA3LTfTCI/AAAAAAAAGV4/eShJYjr-DE0/s1600/IMG_2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ksep-ihf8nk/VrAA3LTfTCI/AAAAAAAAGV4/eShJYjr-DE0/s640/IMG_2444.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before trimming</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-37AAmQVqztg/VrAA4NVo6II/AAAAAAAAGWA/8uM-qjNahvc/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-37AAmQVqztg/VrAA4NVo6II/AAAAAAAAGWA/8uM-qjNahvc/s640/IMG_2445.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">After trimming</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61rWFipvxKo/VrAA5NNs43I/AAAAAAAAGWI/S4PXJjyeD4s/s1600/IMG_2450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61rWFipvxKo/VrAA5NNs43I/AAAAAAAAGWI/S4PXJjyeD4s/s640/IMG_2450.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After trimming I made several thin coats of epoxy on the lip, gently shaping it into a slightly cupped shape that you might find on a crank bait. My aim was to create a fly that would dive with a gentle side to side wobble on the strip and bob back to the surface on a slack line. Whatever the final results may be when I finally get a chance to try it, I made a huge pile of shaved hair and had a great time in the process of making it! What else are you going to do when you find yourself in fishing limbo?dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-27713917366192580722016-01-28T15:36:00.002-05:002016-01-28T15:45:57.587-05:00Ephemera Catalogi HA!<br />
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All you dry fly fishers were possibly expecting another post on fur and feather or something from Wile E. Coyote. Sorry to disappoint you but stick around anyways, you might find this entertaining. "The Way We Were" was my first idea for the title but after thinking it over decided I'd miss my demographic and attract those pesky Streisand fanatics instead. Ephemera is Greek meaning short lived such as a mayfly. It's also a collector's classification for anything produced with a limited useful lifespan such as tickets, posters, newspapers, and catalogs etc..<br />
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Ever since I was a little goober I'd had an unusual affinity for "goofy old stuff". Coin collecting was an obvious pursuit...I mean if you're going to collect anything, collecting money sure seems to make a lot of sense and it made my parents proud to see me diligently researching and saving for my future. What did concern them though, was my love of ephemera, particularly magazines and catalogs. Their worry was that I was exhibiting signs of becoming a hoarder, long before it became popular with the advent of "reality TV". What they didn't understand was that every slip of old paper gave me small glimpses into the world that came before me.<br />
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We live in a time where a click of a button connects you to retailers around the world and your purchase arrives a few days later with no cash exchanged, so for some it may seem incomprehensible that a few generations ago, mail order catalogs were frequently the only way to access the goods you needed. I still remember the thrill of opening Sears, Simpsons, and especially Canadian Tire catalogs back in the '60s. They fueled the dreams of generations of kids, It was a candy store window transported to our front door for our microscopic inspection, lovingly dog eared and fiercely protected in the weeks leading up to Christmas.<br />
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At a lawn sale several years ago, I picked up a wrapped bundle of paper being sold for a buck. On the back page was a full page ad for Tiffany& Co.. No brainer! Upon opening the bundle I found the Tiffany ad was a singe page which I regrettably gave away before scanning. The rest of the bundle contained several building supply and farmers catalogs from the '30s and '40s. <br />
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I am totally amazed that a year and a half after the onset of the great depression, when some were standing in soup lines, these ads were targeting the tourism industry and cottagers and that the materials for a 4 room building could be had for under $500. On a lighter note, I've actually seen some of these buildings, particularly The Wasaga in the resort town of Wasaga Beach, on the shores of Georgian Bay.</div>
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The first house I lived in, after moving out of my parent's, had a Sunbeam coal furnace that was converted to gas. There was no blower on the furnace and it worked on gravity, the cold air flowed down the return vent and forcing the hot air up. That was the coldest, most decrepit, miserable house I'd ever lived in. </div>
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On closer inspection I see that the 3 piece outfit listed at $89.65 was our bathroom in that house!</div>
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The walls were papered, believe it or not, with turn of the century catalog pages!</div>
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We jump forward a decade and 1500 miles west to Winnipeg, Manitoba, located on the northeast edge of the Great Plains. Even today the province's population is 50% rural, but 70 years ago farmers rarely had the time to travel long distances on poor roads to get supplies.<br />
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It' not surprising that at the height of WWII, gas rationing had an impact on how some things were done and the first 5 pages reflect this, devoted to tack; harnesses and rigging for draft animals.</div>
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It had never occurred to me before, having grow up in the city where dairy products were delivered to our door daily until 1970, that some rural folk had to make their own butter. I'm familiar with the old manual water pumps ( a source of amusement when visiting my aunts farm) but I'd never seen or even considered the existence of a wooden pump.<br />
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I'm not sure how those shoe prices compare to their modern equivalent, but on the bottom of the next page you'll see they also sell materials to repair shoes.</div>
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So... here are several examples of the changing attitudes and times. In 1931 Hallidays accepted payment plans ( and possibly IOUs). In 1943 you were expected to do your patriotic duty and pay in advance in cash. In our modern "throw away" society, who repairs their shoes, and what child would admit they wanted to be "just like dad"?<br />
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McCall was (is?) a domestic magazine full of recipes, fashion, and homemaker tips. Does anyone, except for religious exclusionists, make their own clothes any more<br />
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And finally, a look at Family Herald from 1967. I've previously posted some advertising from this magazine that I'd found entertaining.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOu1Eelpg4Q/VpBOf71OyXI/AAAAAAAAGJs/1-97bzJkX1Q/s1600/export-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOu1Eelpg4Q/VpBOf71OyXI/AAAAAAAAGJs/1-97bzJkX1Q/s320/export-001.jpg" width="281" /></a> </div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39ZbebLozi0/VpBOwKSmrDI/AAAAAAAAGKo/jlZCORD3Sog/s1600/export.2-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39ZbebLozi0/VpBOwKSmrDI/AAAAAAAAGKo/jlZCORD3Sog/s400/export.2-001.jpg" width="174" /></a> I've always had a special relationship with Macdonald's highland lass logo. I know what you're thinking, that I'm some sort of freak, and yes I am, but not in the way you're thinking. In the words of Ricky Ricard... "let me esplain".<br />
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I rolled Export cigarettes for a decade but it goes farther back than that, My earliest memories of Christmas are forever linked to this image because all the tree decorations were stored in a large box with that logo on the side. At one time I believed Santa must have been a Scott and his wife was particularly fond of Export cigarettes. I once piled all the Sears, Simpson's and Canadian Tire catalogs on a chair to get close enough to her on the top shelf to whisper my Christmas wish list.<br />
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I<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--I01B__1aic/VpBOnChO62I/AAAAAAAAGKA/YnEpL05IdFs/s1600/fisheries-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--I01B__1aic/VpBOnChO62I/AAAAAAAAGKA/YnEpL05IdFs/s640/fisheries-001.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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That's all for now.I'll occasionally fit in a few old ads in the future. I hope you enjoyed my brief trip into the past. </div>
dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-88761103808439901672016-01-25T22:26:00.001-05:002016-01-25T22:26:48.081-05:00The Hackled Fish Skull I frequently surf the web looking for interesting fly tying ideas, and once found, it's a simple process of taking a screen shot and saving the image for later consideration. These images can sit on my hard drive for months without ever being viewed, and all too often, completely forgotten about. Such was the case the other day when I finally opened the folder for the first time since late summer and re-discovered a simple yet beautiful streamer tied with a Fish Skull. The problem with my "process" is that I don't remember where the image came from, what the fly's name is, or who to credit with it's original creation. For that I apologize.<br />
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-57278811254639322692016-01-21T21:42:00.000-05:002016-01-21T21:42:18.490-05:00The River Creature<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AbA9jshm1Mc/VqF3cbJ0CPI/AAAAAAAAGP0/yTTWWY1qP6g/s1600/FLY%2BARMISTRANG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AbA9jshm1Mc/VqF3cbJ0CPI/AAAAAAAAGP0/yTTWWY1qP6g/s320/FLY%2BARMISTRANG.jpg" width="180" /></a> Last week a friend texted me a photo of a streamer and asked if I could tie it for him. OK, no problem, except for figuring out the size of the fly from a cell phone photo. I had all the materials on hand and proceeded to tie three versions in different sizes and different weighted heads. He was so overjoyed with the results he asked me to tie him 100 more. You may remember me saying in a previous post that the best way for me to ruin an enjoyable hobby is to turn it into a business but this time I decided to disregard my own advice and took my first plunge into production fly tying.<br />
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Because this was a first time thing for both of us I suggested it might be wise to start off smaller and we decided 50 was a better number. I spent the first day compiling a material list and searching the web for their availability and the best prices. It really wasn't a surprise that there was only one place where all the materials could be found under one roof...Bass Pro Shop. With a material and price list in hand it was time to negotiate a fee where we could both get a nice return.<br />
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I declined his offer to pick up the materials and deliver them to my door for two reasons; he isn't that knowledgeable on the subject and wouldn't be able to make substitutions without my input and I had a long list of stuff I wanted to buy for myself. This turned out to be the second big mistake I'd made in the planning stage. The first mistake was not realizing all the prices on the Bass Pro web site are in US dollars so it cost me an extra $10 for materials and $20 for gas. Live and learn. The funny thing was that after cashing out in the fly shop I noticed three bins full of River Creatures, the same fly from the text photo. The major differences between it and what I was tying were the BP fly was tied on a curved shank hook and used medium crystal chenille instead of the large I'd bought.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nD-c_kbTKco/VqF3eeUgZJI/AAAAAAAAGQE/tOmSCEu8tUw/s1600/IMG_2419-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nD-c_kbTKco/VqF3eeUgZJI/AAAAAAAAGQE/tOmSCEu8tUw/s640/IMG_2419-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">med/small Fish Skull on a #4 Carlisle hook</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/8" cone eyes on</span><span style="font-size: small;"> a #4 Carlisle hook</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/4" cone on a #6 Aberdeen hook </td></tr>
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It took just over 10 hours to complete the order with a few problems along the way. Normally, when working with coneheads, I don't glue eyes to them, so having them occasionally rotate on the hook shank isn't a problem. Cock-eyed creatures are unacceptable, so a thread dam behind the eye secured the cones from rotating. I'd bought some super glue to secure the eyes but immediately found it was too runny, difficult to control, and ultimately made a big mess particularly when trying to apply the mylar eyes to the curved surface of the smaller cones. Mixing small batches of 5 minute epoxy and applying tiny daubs with a pin solved that problem.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can honestly say I didn't enjoy the process all that much, but it was a learning experience and it did give me a chance to re-stock my drawers and put a few bucks in my pockets.</div>
dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-90620792139298868692016-01-15T23:08:00.001-05:002016-01-15T23:08:30.243-05:00More Ice Flies So...winter has finally had a positive effect here in Southern Ontario, (other than keeping me indoors and at the tying bench), the local pot-hole lakes and smaller reservoirs are now covered with enough ice to start taking the first careful steps toward vertical jigging.<br />
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I have much more ice fishing tackle than is necessary as I'm a bit of a "tackle junkie", always having to buy the newest thing. The one positive point on this is the fact that every thing I might want to use can fit into one pocket of my flotation suit.<br />
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This year I vowed to stay away from those gaudy retail trinkets and make my own using the tying bench and, more importantly, my imagination. So here are my latest.<br />
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-18882001561225920362016-01-10T17:13:00.001-05:002016-01-11T13:39:58.420-05:00The Whittingham Minnow 2 I sat back the other day, pleased with myself, after posting on The Whittingham Minnow. I'd found an obscure pattern which suited my fishing style, tied a few color combinations, added my own personal twist to the pattern and showed it off to the world. Only after the fact did it occur to me that, perhaps, I didn't give the pattern or you, the reader, more respect by further exploring the possibilities of what could be done with it. <br />
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Returning to the bench yesterday, I decided to follow the original recipe closer by using bead chain for the eyes and tying on a #10 longshank hook instead of the #6, however, instead of using the Diamond Braid for the body |I used Diamond Wing Fiber. Here's what I came up with.<br />
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I was fairly happy with the results with the exception of the bead chain eyes. I'd used them often enough in the past but rarely fully painted. The process of painting them after the tie was time consuming and messy. Before lights out last night I took a 4" section of chain and dipped it several times in the nail polish bottle and hung to dry overnight.</div>
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This afternoon everything was ready for round 2. I replaced the bucktail back/tail with Diamond Wing Fiber and the body dubbed with Ice Dubbing.</div>
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These appear a lot more buggy than the original intended profile, but I know one thing for sure... next spring the crappies won't know what hit them!</div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-67095191832006843562016-01-08T19:23:00.001-05:002016-01-08T19:23:11.842-05:00The Whittingham Minnow As mentioned before in numerous posts, I'd classify my fly tying as freestyle. Not quite randomly attaching materials to a hook without any thought to form and function, but also not closely following the "set in stone" guidelines to traditional patterns. Don't misunderstand my attitude as I have a great appreciation for well crafted flies, particularly traditional salmon flies, but I lack the necessary patience, attention to details and most important, motivation to tackle the complexities of advanced tying. I recently declined offers from a couple local shop owners to supply them with a few patterns. Personal experience has taught me that the best way to destroy my enjoyment of a hobby is to turn it into a business.<br />
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The other day I fired up my old laptop for the first time in ages, and was surprised to find an old folder I'd overlooked when transferring files to the new machine. The folder was created more than a decade ago when I was desperate for any info on fly tying and contained over 250 patterns scanned from a stack of magazines. So...I spent the next hour reminiscing, reviewing some of the things I'd tried before, wondering why I bothered to save other things, and finding a few things different enough to catch my attention again.<br />
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One such attention getter was The Whittingham Minnow, published in The Canadian Fly Fisher magazine by Ian Colin James. The recipe called for plastic eyes to be tied on the underside of the hook shank, just behind the eye and an ultra thin profile to the body of pearl Diamond Braid and black bucktail. In typical freestyle fashion, I've switched out the plastic eyes in favor of weighted dumbells tied farther back on the shank to allow for a more balanced descent. I also experimented with different, contrasting colors and, in a few cases, replaced the Diamond Braid with trimmed cactus chenille. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QfT57BkLEQk/VpAWRWdTDCI/AAAAAAAAGIg/RmoQUAPZxLI/s1600/IMG_2364-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QfT57BkLEQk/VpAWRWdTDCI/AAAAAAAAGIg/RmoQUAPZxLI/s640/IMG_2364-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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WHAT YOU WILL NEED:</div>
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Hook: #6 to #10 long-shank</div>
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Thread: 6/0 black</div>
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Eyes: medium sized dumbell</div>
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Under Body: Piping filling</div>
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Body: Diamond Braid (DB)</div>
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Back/Tail: bucktail</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1Hz6D38bNo/VpAWVheSCGI/AAAAAAAAGIw/RKdmBzk_Uvc/s1600/IMG_2368-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1Hz6D38bNo/VpAWVheSCGI/AAAAAAAAGIw/RKdmBzk_Uvc/s200/IMG_2368-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>1. Place hook in the vise point up and start a thread base approximately one third of the length of the shank.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A8jX9-wCOQY/VpAWWwJFz_I/AAAAAAAAGI4/2i5CaFtWq5A/s1600/IMG_2369-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A8jX9-wCOQY/VpAWWwJFz_I/AAAAAAAAGI4/2i5CaFtWq5A/s200/IMG_2369-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>2. Tie in dumbell eyes using figure 8 wraps and apply a small amount of head cement to lock it in place. Remove hook from vise and return it point down.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-elD0bz0qgjs/VpAWYo133cI/AAAAAAAAGJA/xS94EemEU_4/s1600/IMG_2370-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-elD0bz0qgjs/VpAWYo133cI/AAAAAAAAGJA/xS94EemEU_4/s200/IMG_2370-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>3. Tie in piping filling behind eyes and lash it to hook shank, tapered to end half way between the point and the bend. I've used this material to fill out the body but you can use whatever you have on hand eg: thread, wool etc,. Skip this step if using cactus chenille</div>
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4. Return thread to front of eyes and tie in DB. Select a small bunch (30-40 hairs) of bucktail and tie in using 20 tight wraps of thread just behind hook eye with the tips facing forward. Apply a small drop of head cement to thread wraps. Wind thread to rear of hook.</div>
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5. Wind DB forward and then back to build a tapered body at both ends. Tie off and clip.<br />
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6. Firmly grasp bucktail and pull back along body. Tie down at back of body with 10 tight wraps and whip finish. Apply head cement to finish.<br />
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Immediately after the first try, I adapted the pattern for vertical jigging through the ice.<br />
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To wrap up this post I offer another blast from the past.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0HpIYp8khMU/VpBPkzYtppI/AAAAAAAAGLw/ypfffTghCgk/s1600/Chevy%2Bpickup-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0HpIYp8khMU/VpBPkzYtppI/AAAAAAAAGLw/ypfffTghCgk/s640/Chevy%2Bpickup-001.jpg" width="486" /></a></div>
<br />dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-28030747125632775022016-01-03T01:37:00.003-05:002016-01-03T01:37:43.969-05:00The New Flyfisher E-zine For years I watched these guys on TV, learning a lot about the sport and my own backyard. But then I lost access to the network the show was on. Oh sure... there was always the you tube channel but watching video over the internet all day kills my monthly allotted data plan. So, needless to say, I was overjoyed a few months ago to find they published a free e-zine! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XAbLR4YVmaM/Voi9GsjF1bI/AAAAAAAAGGo/3IniVcST1Ng/s1600/New%2Bflyfisher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XAbLR4YVmaM/Voi9GsjF1bI/AAAAAAAAGGo/3IniVcST1Ng/s640/New%2Bflyfisher.JPG" width="492" /></a></div>
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Unlike the countless magazines I`d spent a small fortune on in the past that, at times, seemed full of ads and lean on useful info, you`ll find this full of interesting articles with appropriate links to you tube. Check it out at: <a href="http://www.thenewflyfisherezine.com/" target="_blank">http://www.thenewflyfisherezine.com/</a> </div>
dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-51604427783879351752015-12-31T03:05:00.000-05:002015-12-31T03:15:35.317-05:00Tying the Diamond Wing Emerald Shiner As mentioned before, I've been adapting some of favorite ties for use through the ice. Normally I don't name the original things that come off my vise, but the pattern works great, is really easy to tie, and the name sounds kind of catchy for posting on this blog. So...without any more fanfare...<br />
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the Diamond Wing Emerald Shiner</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aF54wBxEUvQ/VoSwhw4PivI/AAAAAAAAGFk/VSxHdB2Csis/s1600/IMG_2354-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aF54wBxEUvQ/VoSwhw4PivI/AAAAAAAAGFk/VSxHdB2Csis/s640/IMG_2354-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What you'll need:</div>
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<li>small bare jig hook.</li>
<li>small finishing nail</li>
<li>8/0 thread</li>
<li>.020 lead wire</li>
<li>Diamond Wing Fiber in: UV pearl, chartreuse, and peacock green</li>
<li>.25" 3D holographic eyes</li>
<li>5 min. epoxy </li>
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1. Place jig hook upside down in vise, cover shank with even wraps of thread and then tie on the finishing nail with half it's length extending beyond the 90 degree bend.<br />
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2. Wind thread back to hook bend and tie in lead wire. Wrap lead forward with even wraps and secure wraps with overlapping wraps of thread. Return thread to front.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sfBCyTKVs4/VoSwZWNMEPI/AAAAAAAAGE0/777nW5OJad8/s1600/IMG_2345-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sfBCyTKVs4/VoSwZWNMEPI/AAAAAAAAGE0/777nW5OJad8/s200/IMG_2345-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>3. Select a small bunch of pearl Diamond Wing Fiber (DWF) and tie in using 2 wraps of thread leaving 60% of the DWF overhanging the nail head.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q-e_YH7oz0I/VoSwbPyvAkI/AAAAAAAAGE8/9H5naSdjX-E/s1600/IMG_2346-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q-e_YH7oz0I/VoSwbPyvAkI/AAAAAAAAGE8/9H5naSdjX-E/s200/IMG_2346-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>4. Fold the forward facing material back and tie down. Remove hook from vise and place back in with hook eye facing up.<br />
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5. Tie in another, slightly smaller bunch of pearl DWF in the same way as in steps 3 & 4. NOTE: for a larger profile use 4 wraps of thread to catch the fibers, fold back and do not tie down. the next bunch will be tied in slightly farther forward.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hT5K3RNdyLk/VoSwcvoREzI/AAAAAAAAGFE/ATB_EsmtKyo/s1600/IMG_2347-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hT5K3RNdyLk/VoSwcvoREzI/AAAAAAAAGFE/ATB_EsmtKyo/s200/IMG_2347-001.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o4DrBb3FpI4/VoSwdik4BII/AAAAAAAAGFM/auSBfd3lTVg/s1600/IMG_2349-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o4DrBb3FpI4/VoSwdik4BII/AAAAAAAAGFM/auSBfd3lTVg/s200/IMG_2349-001.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H-QyMWGQwvA/VoSwfJ8yibI/AAAAAAAAGFU/484cXZeQEb4/s1600/IMG_2350-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H-QyMWGQwvA/VoSwfJ8yibI/AAAAAAAAGFU/484cXZeQEb4/s200/IMG_2350-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>6. Repeat steps 3 & 4 with the chartreuse and then the peacock green DWF. Tie off thread and add a drop of head cement.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-fKJJSeehc/VoSwhG85vuI/AAAAAAAAGFc/_jwyNU0-8V0/s1600/IMG_2352-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-fKJJSeehc/VoSwhG85vuI/AAAAAAAAGFc/_jwyNU0-8V0/s200/IMG_2352-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>7. Stroke the fibers back, gently pulling any stray or loose fibers out. Trim final profile.<br />
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8. Apply 5 minute epoxy to 3D eyes and affix to fly just ahead of hook bend.<br />
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Tied on a normal hook without the lead, this fly is nearly weightless, sinks slowly, pulsates on the pause and darts on the strip. I'm hoping this weighted version will have the same attractive properties while fishing it vertically. Here's another version tied with Polar Fiber.<br />
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Many who know me understand I'm not a big fan of tying knots, especially when it's -20 out, and you can clearly see in the above photo my solution to "quick changes". I originally started to use these spring clips for fly fishing everything but dry flys, but quickly realized they were useful in preventing frozen fingers while fishing through the ice and lately started using them on my ultra lite spinning gear during open water. I think I only tied one knot throughout the entire ice fishing season last year! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lcf8kqgVYXU/VoSwwPvaJ4I/AAAAAAAAGF8/hshIDk_tRdk/s1600/IMG_2340-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lcf8kqgVYXU/VoSwwPvaJ4I/AAAAAAAAGF8/hshIDk_tRdk/s200/IMG_2340-001.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Finally...I picked up a stack of old magazines at a lawn sale last spring and finally got around to digitizing some of the more entertaining pages.<br />
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Wow....things have really changed!</div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-32460085342663040112015-12-28T15:57:00.000-05:002015-12-28T15:57:13.633-05:00Summer's over...put on the parka It appears Toronto's longest, coldest summer in recorded history is about to come to a close just a few days short of the new year with the weather prophets flooding local media with doom and gloom in the form of a sever winter storm warning. In typical fashion (frenzied), the terrified population has packed away the shorts and tees, found the down and fleece, put the "snows" on the family car and stocked up on essentials: road salt, food and booze.<br />
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As for me... I'll hunker down in my lair for a few days watching the IIHF Word Junior Hockey tournament from the tying bench until it's safe to poke my head above ground. A few days ago Tackle Shop suggested I modify a few of my recent patterns for a vertical presentation through the ice. An interesting challenge, but who can say there will even be safe ice on the lakes this year the way the weather's been.<br />
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At 1.5" long, I'm certain these will work on all species through the ice with the exception of those that inhabit the depths (lake trout, whitefish and burbot) only because of their weight. I'm considering an extended head beyond the dumbbell eyes by tying in a small finishing nail at the hook bend. Besides giving it a more "realistic" profile (which probably appeals more to the tyer than the fish), it will likely add more action by changing the balance. More to come...provided we survive.<br />
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<b>Happy New Year Everyone </b></div>
dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-46643005476858139262015-12-15T18:51:00.002-05:002015-12-15T19:05:26.935-05:00At the tying bench Here's another vaguely topical music offering for you to listen to while reading my ramblings.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nVhNCTH8pDs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nVhNCTH8pDs?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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As mentioned in my last post, I've pretty much ignored my fly fishing gear for the past year. Not just the rod and reel but also anything to do with fly tying. The only real upside to that is I haven't spent a fortune on tying materials! Truth be told...I'd been tying long before I ever picked up the long rod. Back in the 80's I was making my own spinners and started tying the hooks with beads, bucktail and feathers. Jump ahead 20 years, I bought a cheap fly tying kit a few weeks after getting my first rod and a small fly box, thoroughly disgusted with the price of a hook dressed with feather and fur.<br />
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At this point in the story I can almost hear the derisive laughter. Yup...in the hopes of saving a few bucks on store bought flys...I've spent thousands on tools, materials. books and magazines. It's been frequently pointed out, over the years, that it would have been far cheaper and easier to just go out and buy a fish! True enough... but that's not why we do what we do. Our game is to fashion an artificial bait, present it in a realistic way and hopefully catch a selected species, to be released or kept depending on regulations or personal opinion.<br />
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My initial investments in flys. materials and instructional reading was misguided as the majority of it was geared towards trout and my game was warm water species. Obviously there is a spot for mayfly and caddis patterns, to name a few, in a bass and panfisher's box, but warm, still- water fishing requires different tactics and flys. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">2005</span></td></tr>
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The first creations to come off the vice could only be described as UGLY. Mismatched materials, crowding the eyelet, I've seen 10 year olds at shows with more tying skills. But let's face it, even the ugliest first tries manage to attract the interest of fish with what I assume are diminished mental capacities. So... with the occasional success, I started to rely less on the books and developed my own style to suite my individual fishing needs. Here are some early works I'm not terribly embarrassed to show.<br />
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Patterns that I've consistently tied since the beginning were salmon flys. My first attempts were unweighted glo bugs, but it soon became apparent some major tweaking was in order to fish them in fast, shallow water. First thing was to replace the glo bug material with less bouyant, assorted cactus and ice chenilles, Next step was to add weight, lead wire wrapped along the hook shank, and eventually replaced with copper beads or cone heads. The whole idea was to simplify the process and still have an effective pattern that I could whip finish in under a minute.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">I give away more than half my salmon flys every year</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKPflZ92exg/Vm9FRwHdvRI/AAAAAAAAF9I/ePJUVrhPEp8/s1600/pike%2Bflies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKPflZ92exg/Vm9FRwHdvRI/AAAAAAAAF9I/ePJUVrhPEp8/s200/pike%2Bflies.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">8" synthetics 2006</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">bucktails 2009</span></td></tr>
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The patterns I truly fell in love with, though, were streamers; from wooley buggers and egg sucking leaches to realistic baitfish patterns. I still enjoy tying and fishing them. It might be the wide variety of patterns and materials used or the simplicity of tying a fly that looks so good that hold my interest so keenly, but it's more likely the fact that every thing I target (from the smallest perch to the largest carp) will smash them.<br />
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The streamers coming from my vice have gone through an evolution over the years. Unweighted bucktails tied on long shank hooks have been pushed aside by short shank, weighted, mixed synthetic patterns arising from my imagination. Through trial and error I've found by using partridge hooks I get more short strikes, but the overbalance at the head gives a more erratic swimming action, thus eliciting more strikes. The use of beads for weight have been replaced with dumbell eyes, cones,and more recently "Fishheads". I still like to use bucktail, but have a growing fondness for some of the new synthetics as they they have finer fibers that can be bulked up more and don't hold as much water when casting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mickey Finn, red and yellow bucktail </span><span style="font-size: small;"> on 1/0 partridge hook and Fishead</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-guW7l8dKp7Y/Vmxs2JZFOHI/AAAAAAAAF8Q/l0TLr3mU64g/s1600/IMG_2246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-guW7l8dKp7Y/Vmxs2JZFOHI/AAAAAAAAF8Q/l0TLr3mU64g/s640/IMG_2246.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LrPUin1G6Ac/VmxsyjBPOWI/AAAAAAAAF8A/b7Hy-ngLiYg/s1600/IMG_2244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LrPUin1G6Ac/VmxsyjBPOWI/AAAAAAAAF8A/b7Hy-ngLiYg/s640/IMG_2244.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Clouser" style, red and white bucktail </span><span style="font-size: small;">on 1/0 partridge hook, dumbell eye.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stTcgd9g5qU/VmxswUw9roI/AAAAAAAAF7s/JZewlxQRxmw/s1600/IMG_2238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stTcgd9g5qU/VmxswUw9roI/AAAAAAAAF7s/JZewlxQRxmw/s640/IMG_2238.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">chartreuse, peacock green and black Diamond Wing Fiber, orange polar bear, 1/0 partridge hook, Fishead. Banding added with a Sharpie.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXPI8d5ZDss/Vmxs1JoQoJI/AAAAAAAAF8I/4H6gf5-1jIQ/s1600/IMG_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXPI8d5ZDss/Vmxs1JoQoJI/AAAAAAAAF8I/4H6gf5-1jIQ/s640/IMG_2245.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">chartreuse Diamond Wing Fiber, bronze back Flask Blend, #2 partridge hook dumbell eye.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d9XWM36XR-o/VnB3Czc4QLI/AAAAAAAAF_E/ThD1iSdGqAI/s1600/IMG_2272-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d9XWM36XR-o/VnB3Czc4QLI/AAAAAAAAF_E/ThD1iSdGqAI/s640/IMG_2272-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">chartreuse Polar Chenille, natural and hot pink polar bear, 3D prism eye.</span></td></tr>
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Because of my self imposed lack of credit and motorized transportation, my ability to buy tying materials depends almost entirely on dropping into a big box store when out on a trip with Tackle Shop. When the rare opportunity does occur, what ensues is reminiscent of the Black Friday antics we've all seen on the news, me madly grabbing up all the new shiny things without much thought towards whether I need the material or not, eventually leading to buyer's remorse and said material being stowed away and eventually forgotten.<br />
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Such was the case a few years ago when I purchased 4 large packs of Fishient's Polar Fiber. I was on a large pike fly binge at the time and was thunderstruck to find I'd spent $20 on an untried product that was unusable because the fibers were only 2.5" long. The materials went into a drawer, unopened, until I found them last week. As I mentioned, my tying is evolving, so when they returned to the light I put them to use.<br />
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After whipping off a dozen 2.5" streamers on #4 partridge hooks in assorted color combinations, it occurred to me that, although they looked fine and would swim with great action and movement, they lacked an "inner light". In the next session I added a few strands of pearl Diamond Wing Fiber. What a difference! The only problem being I'll have to wait 4-5 months to use them.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0sEbh3CcOyY/VnBt2RRabaI/AAAAAAAAF-k/u7Dz-Ct7zEY/s1600/IMG_2267-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0sEbh3CcOyY/VnBt2RRabaI/AAAAAAAAF-k/u7Dz-Ct7zEY/s200/IMG_2267-001.JPG" width="200" /></a> Several years ago, while on a trip in Barrie, I bought a wooley bugger that had a small propeller just behind the eyelet. It didn't take long to see the potential for this "do nothing" fly. The first time out it attracted a good sized pike as I let it "helicopter" down. On another trip it accounted for dozens of small bass as I swung it across the current on a tight line. It took quite a while to find a source for these propellers and once I'd acquired several sizes and styles it became obvious they weren't all equal in their abilities. The ones with the rounder blades spun much more freely.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Matuka spinner</span></td></tr>
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Another thing I've been trying lately is tying on worm hooks so I can access the depths in weedier waters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">yellow bucktail. yellow chrystal flash, chartreuse and peacock green Diamond Wing </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fiber, black bucktail, orange polar bear, on 5/0 wide gap worm hook.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">traditional spun bomber</span></td></tr>
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I've been spinning deer hair on occasions for years, turning out mediocre top water bass bugs and such, but I never took to it wholeheartedly until recently. I'd always been amazed at the "artistry" some tyers produced, specifically Pat Cohen at <a href="http://gotbronze.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">superfly</a>. The things this guy can do with deer hair would make your head spin. Anyways...last month I found a tutorial on youtube on hair stacking for bass bugs. The video was close to an hour long and, as it turns out, it took an hour for me to produce my first fly using this method. One thing I have to say is that it uses up a lot of material and makes one hell of a mess!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My first attempt at hair stacking</span></td></tr>
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I suppose experience will lessen the mystery, but I never know how well the patterns will show until the fly is completely trimmed out. Once again... I won't know how well these will work until bass opener next June. Until that time I'm thinking of adding glass rattles to some of these patterns.<br />
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So...this is more than I've written in the last ten posts combined and I have to admit that it doesn't come naturally for me. You've probably noticed I let the photos tell most of the story. There's more to this story, but I'll have to tell it at another time.<br />
<br />dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-57398801739243708052015-12-08T01:07:00.000-05:002015-12-08T01:07:38.030-05:00November Rain?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-laQXY8_20iU/VmR-_fMejdI/AAAAAAAAF2I/oPSaYKjUI9Y/s1600/1433786047123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>
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Play this video while you read this post.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">"Cause nothin' lasts forever </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Even cold November rain"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Great song, perhaps a little sentimental for GNR but I like it anyways. What I'm not so crazy about is how dry October and November really were. The idiot box keeps telling me that we are currently experiencing the warmest and driest autumn in recorded history for this part of the country. Good news for the average joe on the street but a blow to the head for those of us who planned on fishing the local rivers until freeze up. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> A</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> little catch up is in order</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> before I continue on this theme, Back in mid </span></span><span style="line-height: 16px;">February,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> at the height of the Simcoe ice fishing season, my cat-like reflexes failed me and I tried to open a new hole with the back of my head. A hundred yards away Tackle Shop looked over and thought I was staring down a hole trying to locate fish, when in reality I was passed out on my back for close to 10 minutes. I have little recollection of the rest of the day and for the next six weeks I was laid out with a constant headache, nausea, vertigo and worst of all... no fishing. I've fully recovered since then with no ill </span></span><span style="line-height: 16px;">effects</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> other than some tenderness at the back of my head. </span></span><span style="line-height: 16px;">I've fully recovered since then with no ill </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">effects</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> other than some tenderness at the back of my head. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"> I'd regained my footing in early spring, and although, not steady enough to tackle the river for the spring run of steel, I was ready and able to do some carp fishing in my local ponds. One day in early May I spotted a familiar splash of orange I'd been chasing for several seasons. This flashy old-timer had refused all my offerings in the past and on this day I decided to lay low and wait until he made his way along the shore to where I was sitting and droped a crawler right in front of him at rods length. Who knew it would be that easy?</span><br />
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I still get a good laugh when I think of the locals standing on their balconies overlooking the pond, scratching their heads in confusion as to what I might be doing, and seriously asking "Are there really fish in there", once again proving my theory that the average person has no idea what's in their own backyard. Too bad for them...good for me and mine!<br />
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I didn't get to go on as many road trips this year as usual so my addiction was satisfied locally. The bass pond I'd found last year had a family of beavers take up residence in the early spring and although I appreciate seeing them, particularly in an urban environment, their presence drastically altered the water chemistry causing huge mats of floating algae to form, thus forcing a change in tactics from pitching "hardware" to "software". When I first found the spot a year ago September, fan casting the few access points with 3" floating Rapalas, small Mepps, Beetle-spins with a white twister grub and top water poppers produced several afternoons with fish counts nearing triple digits!<br />
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By mid summer this year, access to open water had all but disappeared so rubber baits came heavily into play, wacky worms, craws and frogs dragged across the mats and allowed to fall into the pockets. Catches were far reduced from last year but far more exciting, as any of you would agree, trying to wrestle a 5lb largemouth out of thick weeds with a 5.5ft ultra-lite and 4lb braid is extremely challenging and just a bit ridiculous.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">selfie</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NP12V0za67Q/VmHVQSzFcUI/AAAAAAAAFyo/d6998jEv2hk/s1600/IMG_20150524_170450%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NP12V0za67Q/VmHVQSzFcUI/AAAAAAAAFyo/d6998jEv2hk/s640/IMG_20150524_170450%2Bcopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sometimes think Treefrog couldn't catch a cold, but he does have his days.</span></td></tr>
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A couple "youngsters" who live in the same house expressed interest in the sport, and although they'd never fished before, they quickly picked up the nuances of fishing "slop". I can't speak for them but I never get tired of witnessing the astonished sense of accomplishment as that first fish is landed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jamie's first of many for the day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dave could catch them but was too squeamish to handle them.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ironically sitting atop a box of topwater poppers and frogs.</span></td></tr>
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As mentioned earlier, this year has mostly been a stay at home affair, partially because of the expense of travelling hundreds of miles for a day out and also because TS had to sell his boat. There were a few trips to the east end of the Trent Severn Waterway this summer where a few notable catches were made; The Russian's first open water musky in Rosedale,<br />
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Tackleshop's person best musky on the Scugog River using the ever present five of diamonds,<br />
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and my first ever multi-walleye day below dam #6 in Frankford, using a Stike King spinner bait. Sorry no pictures...I ate them!<br />
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So here we are, almost caught up, and with a good variety of fish porn on display. Rain, rain, go away, come back another day. NOT! It didn't occurred to me until mid September that I hadn't even glanced at my fly rod or tying bench in almost a year. In a flurry of activity I quickly restocked my collection of egg patterns and made the journey, by mountain bike, over to the Rouge River every few days in anticipation of intercepting the fall run of Pacific salmon.<br />
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All through September and October the river ran extremely low and clear, making the locating of fish easy but difficult to sneak up on. A few came to hand, a few others regained their freedom through break offs. Here are some shots from my backyard over the last few months. Note that some are from Little Rouge Creek, where fishing is prohibited this time of year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This buck went straight into the smoker</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Photographing fish on a redd</span><br />
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Little Rouge Creek </div>
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I've complained about the low water levels but the one positive point with the weather this fall was the unheard of ability to comfortably wet wade right up to late October. With the salmon season coming to it's end and decomposing on the river bank, I turned my sights on honing my near non existent trout fishing skills. I hate to admit that I've no fly fishing acquaintances to learn from and that reading up on tactics make little difference in my approach. I learn mostly through trial and error.<br />
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It took a while but eventually it dawned on me that what worked on those giant swimmers, (casting upstream with a heavily weighted egg) wouldn't work well on trout. My set up would drift down, line first, scaring any wary fish, and any bites I would get would probably go undetected. One solution would be to use a strike indicator to allow for a more vertical presentation, but I've always hated casting them. I sat beside the river with a bottle of water and a smoke, trying to wrap my mind around this problem. I understood these fish sit just off the current, moving inches to sip at passing eggs, but when living in Lake Ontario prey mostly on bait fish. A plan started to come together.<br />
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I tied on a clouser minnow, cast down and across the current, and on the second drift nearly had the rod ripped from my hands. I was amazed at the savagery of the strike from the 24 inch rainbow that came to hand a minute later. Less than an hour later I hooked into a slightly larger brown trout that broke me off as it tail walked across the run. It would have been a much simpler process getting to this point if I'd actually <i>read</i> all those articles I'd read. <br />
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Not surprising, but I'm still "suffering" from two problems; low, clear water and inexperience. It's too late for November rains, but with my vow to hit the river weekly until Christmas, perhaps inexperience will fade as an excuse. Oh...and I've started a new fly box, I'm currently working on wet hackles.</div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569365501385421930.post-47975519510852798022015-12-03T23:59:00.002-05:002015-12-04T16:16:04.027-05:00You know you're an obsessive fly tyer when... My fly tying is erratic in it's frequency and all too often when I get in the mood the first thing I need to do is dust off the bench. When I finally do get back into the hackle all other thoughts are pushed to the background, allowing full concentration on my compulsion, only coming up for air long enough to pour another coffee and search the web for patterns and materials. Really...I think a prerequisite for fly fishing and tying is a touch of OCD! So...after a tying marathon the other day an absurd idea hit me out of the blue, a David Letterman style top 10 list of our dysfunction. Here are my thoughts...<br />
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Top 10 reasons you know you're an obsessive fly tyer:<br />
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#10 You regularly hold up traffic to check on the condition of road kill.<br />
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#9 Cozy up to local zoo animals to "inspect" exotic fur and feathers.<br />
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#8 Feel appropriate topic for discussion at a party is "herl is not vomit".<br />
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#7 Made it onto Audubon's top 10 most wanted list.<br />
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#6 Kid's Christmas stocking stuffers were hackle pliers.<br />
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#5 Banned from further church socials after heated argument about boobies.<br />
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#4 Local fly shop owner's kids send you Christmas cards from college.<br />
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#3 Wife's chinchilla coat is suddenly "moth eaten".<br />
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#2 Spent a week hunting down Steven Tyler's hair stylist.<br />
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And the number one reason you know you're an obsessive fly tyer is....</div>
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Fourth anniversary is chenille right? Right?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My homage to fellow OCD sufferer and fly tying wizard Pat Cohen at <a href="http://rusuperfly.com/" target="_blank">superfly</a> </span></td></tr>
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Please feel free to add to this list. Leave a comment.</div>
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dead fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00486703331086916287noreply@blogger.com1