Musky Flies

I'll be trying my luck at catching one of those toothy critters this fall.  This is thanks to a few guys I know from a local group and from the Internet who have really perked my interest in catching a musky.  This is a big change from the little brookies I consider my favorite fish to target.  I hope to get out this Saturday and do a float for them, but its still up in the air as to if it'll happen. I'm borrowing a friends 9 wt (I do have an 8 wt) and if I take a liking to it I may be buying a 10 wt soon.  These big flies sure are time consuming and are a whole lot bigger then the size 22 midges I was tying last week.  I have been tying articulated flies on two 2/0 hooks.  Not the prettiest things I've ever tied, but I'm pleased with them so far.

Started off small (for a musky fly)

And worked my way up to two 2/0 hooks.

My tying station after only tying two flies.  Looks like I butchered a flock of  chickens.

Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll start working on my 10,000 cast for a musky soon.

Coffee and Midges

I have been doing a lot of tying in preparation for a trip in late October to the SoHo.  Being the finicky unpredictable tailwater that the SoHo is, I have been advised to tie up lots of zebra midges.  I hate tying anything smaller then #16; and size #22 are about unbearable.  Tying up these flies is the easy part, but its the putting on of the tungsten bead that sucks.  I do not suggested to anyone drinking coffee and tying up midges.... jus sayin.

Luckily I can say I'm all done with these midges and now time to move on to BWO's and Sulphers.

James River Wading

Went and fished the James yesterday for a couple hours.  I was supposed to go with friend and float the James, but he got sick the night before.  I was thinking about hitting up a brookie stream, but all the water was low last week when I went out and we haven't had any rain since then.  I just settled for scouting some wading spots on the James.   It's tough finding spots to wade on the river!  Managed to ward off the skunk with a little smallie.  In about another month I think I'll be going after the toothy critters.

Not a bad way to spend a couple hours. Thanks for reading.

Big crappie on a fly.

I have always enjoyed catching crappie on a fly, but usually that is in the spring when they are bedding. Got a rare treat for September when casting a streamer deep for bass.  By far the biggest crappie I've caught.

St. Croix Legend Ultra Review

This fly rod has been my go to small stream rod for sometime now.  Before this I had a 6'6" custom made rod that cast well, but made me find out that I wanted to go back to something with a little more reach.  The 7'6" 2 wt Legend Ultra is what I went with, and I sure am glad I did.  I like having that extra foot of rod to keep the line off the water and more control and accuracy when casting.  It is a mid flex rod and also had to slow down my casting with this rod, but it is accurate.  And note too that small streams, you are only casting 20 feet tops.  I do a lot of roll casting and quick casts without a false cast.  I've picked up lighter 2 wts before but I'm not all that concerned with shedding ounces.  As far as if it is a true 2 wt or not, I think it is.  I had a 3 wt line on it until I got a 2 wt line and it did good.  I would probably put a 3 wt line if I was going to be dealing with some wind, but I like the feel of the 2 wt line on it.  It is a very slow action rod to begin with so overlining it to a 3 is just not gaining any benefits (except in windy situations).  The sad thing is that this rods have been discontinued, but you can still find them on ebay for around $300.

Bring on the rain!

Went out Sunday to a little rainbow stream.  Found out that the rain has been missing that whole entire drainage.  Water was very very low and really not fishable.  Spent an hour just hiking along the stream (dry stream bed) and spotted a couple trout.  Most pools were less then a foot deep and pitiful. Here is a picture of the stream.

Usually all the rocks are almost completely covered.  Instead of harassing the trout I just hiked up and observed.  I knew there would be one pool that would still be holding water and be fishable.  The area the stream is in is actually crawling with campers and hikers, but this branch of the trib sees very little traffic due to no trails along this section and a steep descent.  The pool I was hiking too would quickly become another local swimming hole if it wasn't for the tough to reach spot its in.


And this pool made it worth while.


I'm just happy to catch a trout.

Now I'm off to do a little rain dance....