Fisherman's Fall

"These are places beyond price or substitute, it is time to look after them for their own values."

T-14 Toad

The river was full on raging this morning thanks to something they we're doing at the mill.  So I put on a ~ 6-foot tip of T-14 and tried to swing behind boulders and in some other likely holding spots.

I got a some what subtle grab and hooked up with a really nice smallmouth. With this broad fish in the heavier current, I actually got to hear my reel sing a little.

Ephorons - 2014

I noticed the Ephorons starting a few days ago on the Grand River system. Fished the hatch last night on the Rouge, saw/heard a few risers. It was a fairly big hatch, but only lasted for about 20 minutes or so.

Summer Flies

A few of the summer flies I've been using on a skagit "dry line". I've got my 11-foot 6-weight dialed in nicely with a 390 grain Airlfo Skagit Switch and a Medium floating MOW tip. Cast easily out to 70-80 feet using sustained anchor casts.

Lost a nice fish!

I sent a couple of flies through the main run I was fishing this morning, rested it and then came back with a smaller chartreuse comet.  I swung it through a slick where I'd gotten a little bump earlier.  This fish was right where I'd expected him to be, I hooked up and brought him to hand - a little smallmouth.  After a few more casts, I snagged my fly on a log or rock or something on my cast setup.  I ended up breaking the hook off trying to get it out.

Needing a new fly, I switched to a black and blue version of this new "spey" type streamer pattern I've been working on.

Fly inspired by Feenstra's Blackcherry "Spey" and Jay Nicolas's "Winter Simplicity"

Up until today I hadn't seen any sign of summer fish yet this year, then out of no where, I hooked into a nice big bright fish.  She hit the fly hard and came out of the water...and then....my knot broke.  I've had a few non-slip mono loop knots break on me like this, mostly with carp.  I think I tend to get sloppy with them and don't make sure the mono is jammed up tight.  That first big tug pulls it tight and it snaps, either that or just didn't tie it right.  In any case, I think I'm going to be leaning heavily on the palomar knot this season...that's a little more difficult to mess up.

Steelhead crush muddlers

...even when they're babies.