http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/ This fly fishing forum consists of fly fishing techniques, advice, tips, news, gear reviews and fly fishing discussions among fellow anglers. en Fri, 24 May 2013 13:09:19 GMT vBulletin 30 http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/images/misc/flyfishing_red/rss.jpg http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/ http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/225-unseen-good.html Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:15:07 GMT I assume that most people who enjoy the outdoors could be considered ‘thinkers’. As a fly angler, or an angler in general, I feel that I am more so due to the unique relationship fly fishing has with conservation and the Natural Balance. The immortal echo of Thoreau has been mirrored in most... I assume that most people who enjoy the outdoors could be considered ‘thinkers’. As a fly angler, or an angler in general, I feel that I am more so due to the unique relationship fly fishing has with conservation and the Natural Balance. The immortal echo of Thoreau has been mirrored in most every popular work on the subject of fly fishing, both literary and motion picture. Even recently April Vokey had an article in Fly Fusion about her ceasing to photograph the steelhead she brings in out of respect and conservation and trying to be more in the moment. And while I enjoy time on the water learning new techniques and methods, or even in competition, I agree that most of my reasoning for a trip to the river is to relax. I enjoy being able to stop and think about the world around me and take in the experience holistically. But I have never stopped to think about the backside of my hobby and how it affects my life.

Last month one of my Soldiers passed away. In his mid twenties he left behind a wife and two young boys, both under the age of 3. He was not a victim of an IED, or on the receiving end of an enemy AK-47, rather my brother and friend took his own life. While I know that I am not responsible for what he decided to do, I cannot help but feel that I could have done more. There is no denying that my job involves stress. And I have trained for years in some of the toughest schools to operate under that stress. What many don’t know is that there are too few programs that help Soldiers deal with the aftermath of a unique profession. (Fact is that I kill people for a living.) But if I had taken him out fishing, maybe he would have found some way to unload the pressures he was facing. Maybe he would still be here; taking his boys out on the weekends and starting another generation in this fine sport, de Mouche.

How these two come together is that I feel that fishing has enlightened my life, more than the thousands of dollars that I have spent in pursuit of sport. I haven’t had to sit and talk with a shrink, I meet many new and interesting friends, and I feel like I have accomplishments in my life that I am directly responsible for…goals that I can set for myself. I am glad to admit that I take a self-centered approach to my angling; I only wish I could pass my passion on to more people. I do not know if Ms. Vokey had ever thought that spreading the wealth of pictures that she has might do some good in getting more women into the sport, I would even say more men too! Not only does this grow the sport and in return conservation efforts through income, but it might enrich someone’s life, even to the point that it saves it.

I bet that there are many of you who can recall moments in the flow that have raised your blood pressure in both good and bad ways. The parents of you would also agree that your love for your children would prevent you from hurting them in any way. I am not an expert to conclude that fishing prevents suicide, but my guess is that fishing enriches your life beyond sweet smells, scenic views, and an adrenaline rush. We must ask ourselves what value we can put on something we have allowed to intertwine with the fabric of our lives. (No NOT Fruit of the Loom underwear.)

I spend about 100 days on the water since I am lucky enough to live in a river, lake, Puget Sound triangle. That is 100 days away from thinking about work. It is also 100 days away from my family. Some might say that is too much and that it is not worth it. You may be right, but I can tell you one thing, it is sure as hell less than a lifetime. ]]> fatdaddy http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/225-unseen-good.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/224-good-times-rough-water.html Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:43:28 GMT So I've had to take what I can get here and stick to my local waters. As I've quickly found out, I'm actually sitting on a gold mine!

In my 100 meters of river I have every possible stretch of water I know of. I've had plenty of cutthroat and rainbows over the last several weeks in many ways! I've taken them on dries (Elk Hair Caddis in olive that I tied myself..ahem ahem) as well as nymphing, and with streamers. Got a sweet 15" on a Muddler in a deep pool.

I can say that I am truly surprised with my abilities. I was casting all day in wind and only had 2 wind knots. I've switched back to hand-knotted leaders while I perfect my technique since the furled ones take too long to just screw up in one cast.

I can say that drifting and mending is almost as rewarding as pulling in a fish. Just have to keep the hands moving and the line tight, I focus too much on watching the fly for action that the slack or belly builds up and I can't hook the fish. I guess having barbless hooks forces you to become a better angler, and I have no problem with that. I can get an adrenaline rush from a perfect drift, even with no strike. I have also progressed into situational reading, where I am changing tippet length and type of technique for each body of water, still searching patterns most of the time but applied more effectively. Not only is it increasing my catch rate but giving my shoulder a break, no more cast-strip-repeat up and down the river scaring everything in sight.

So far my best success is all off of casting across and stripping up-stream for streamers, 99% of strikes are from the up-stream portion. And a 45* down and across for nymphs. As for dries I have to find a section that is a constant flow all the way across since I suck at mending. But I did manage to get tricky with it and 'match the hatch'. Little, what I think were midges, started to flutter everywhere so I just found a sz 18 brown Adams and threw it down...I guess it was close enough as it found its way into the mouth of a 10"er and a couple of 7's.

In the way of failures I have had to pay my dues there as well. I've busted my keaster on more then one occasion, due to my lack of walking ability on slime covered rocks. So far the only casualty has been a small fly box of the flies that I have tied, if the store bought ones were freed I would have gone home.

Also, PEMCO released a new advertisement that profiles people of the NW...there is the fly fishing one.

Tight lines and
GO ME! :wavetowel ]]> fatdaddy http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/224-good-times-rough-water.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/223-cheap-cheap-cheap.html Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:39:20 GMT Most things in life are not free. And it seems true that the better things in life cost a lot. Fly fishing is by far the best form of angling I’ve ever experienced. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll plop a Carolina/Texas/Drop-shot with the best of them. I have thrown a heavy shrimp laden rig into the... Most things in life are not free. And it seems true that the better things in life cost a lot. Fly fishing is by far the best form of angling I’ve ever experienced. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll plop a Carolina/Texas/Drop-shot with the best of them. I have thrown a heavy shrimp laden rig into the surf…but I cannot get enough of fly fishing. Being so new to the art and so low on time, how does one go about getting started correctly? From my experience in previous hobbies I can tell you that the cheapest and best way is to just jump in. I went out and bought a $40 ReadyToFish setup. Thing is you have to have the right expectations.

Now I’m not saying that this is a guide on how to get into the sport. Heck, I’m only in up to my shins, I’ve yet to wade in all the way myself. But I know that to have a destination you have to have a starting point. From that junk rod (that I still use BTW) I knew that I wanted a slower action and a smaller packing setup. So, armed with my new knowledge I purchased a 6 pc 5WT. Sure it is the $50 Cabella’s special but it looks good and I can’t use it to its full potential anyway. I’ve also not fully decided on what type of fishing I’ll be focused on. I’m not doing too great at the local river and I love Bass and cutthroat. So do I go up or do I go down in size? Also, I live on a huge Trout lake, so I might need to get some sinking line…or do I even want to fish that way for trout? I’ve not decided. And until then I’ll have to hold off on expensive gear. But I have an alternative for the time being. Cheap gear.

I have 5 rods. Here is the rundown…
-9’ 5WT 6pc Three Forks from Cabelas
- 8.6’ 5WT 2pc WW Griggs I won in a raffle.
-8’ 6WT 2pc RTF Wal-Mart special
-8.5’ 5WT 2pc Eagle Claw
-6.5’ 4WT 2pc Eagle Claw

Total I’ve spent $160 on all the rods. Remember that one was free and is worth $70.

I use a Prestige II reel on the Three Forks rod and the Shakespeare single action on the Eagle Claw rods. I pick up Olympic fly line from the local store at $10 and backing is another $5. I furl my own leaders so that is $.30 in Uni thread. I have a cool looking setup for $36.30…yerp the rod cost $20. I know that looks aren’t everything and that I’ll eventually get to the point where the rod is not sensitive enough or accurate enough. Question is…when is that? There are guys out there with decades of experience that still use the fiberglass pole their dad gave them. Heck, bamboo rods are about as old as the act itself, and there is a huge following. (I’ll be going to a class when I get back, believe you me!- Mr. Oyster, save me a seat please!) So what is so wrong with my cheap rod? Anyone else out there using a less than stellar setup that would bring shame at the club meeting???

On another note, I had the opportunity to get down to some real trout waters the other day. I do have a creek that resembles a Legoland version of a British chalk stream, but the grass is to overgrown at this moment to fish it effectively. Thing about this river is that it is fast. I’m not saying that there are no fish in it, because I’ve seen one pulled out on a fly rod. Deal is I’ve never been in such a large and powerful river. I’ve floated some pheasant tail nymphs through there, but I doubt my presentation is as good as it should be. But since it is all I have I’ve resorted to going to a private pond for bigger fish on the flyrod. So the next question is: “What is the perfect beginner stream for fly fishing?”
]]> fatdaddy http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/223-cheap-cheap-cheap.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/222-there-i.html Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:36:55 GMT Whew…I put the hurt on ‘em. Little fish didn’t stand a chance last Tuesday when I walked out there with my car setup. I’ve started to keep a 6’6” Eagle Claw Featherlite Fiberglass rod in my car at all times, with some 4X tippet and about 12 wet flies. It earned its keep when I was catching... Whew…I put the hurt on ‘em. Little fish didn’t stand a chance last Tuesday when I walked out there with my car setup. I’ve started to keep a 6’6” Eagle Claw Featherlite Fiberglass rod in my car at all times, with some 4X tippet and about 12 wet flies.

It earned its keep when I was catching something every cast this last outing. My hit list included some yearlings of largemouth and smallmouth. But most of the repeat offenders were Pumpkinseed Sunfish and Rock bass. I don’t know if you have ever caught a Rock bass before but they are feisty little buggers.

Hit ‘em with a 4wt slow action rod and you can play Spanish Fly to your heart’s content. Wooly Buggers slowly became streamers on huge size 2 hooks and I began taking the whole process to the extreme, casting a double haul as if every time I was leading a pack of bonefish in knee deep water. I’m sure I looked like an idiot working too hard for a 4” fish, but to me I was in the flats enjoying the evening tide as the sun went down.

As I began to escape from my staff job a distant voice peaked across the inter-coastal…I mean lake.

“Hey you’re doin pretty good, what’cha usin?,” the random angler asked me.

“A bead-head shrimp, size 12.”

“Nah, I mean what type of rod is that?”

“Eagle Claw 4wt.”

“Nah, I mean what are you doin swinging it around like ‘at?”

“Wait…you’re tellin me that you ain’t never seen a fly rod?” oops..There goes the backwoods Millbrook, Alabama.

It’s crazy to think that people, especially those who fish, have never seen a fly rod. It’s also strange to me to imagine that I could get so angry with someone talking to me while trying to fish, when I complain about not having enough friends to talk fishing to. Every time someone asks me what I’m using or, my favorite, ‘Any luck?’I get irked. I mean, isn’t it obvious that I know what I’m doing and that I’m stuck Zen deep in concentration? But then again last week I was standing on the bank of a local spot watching a fellow fly-guy flicking for some trout, thinking about how I might fish that stretch of river, when he caught a fish.

“Hey…What’cha usin?” ]]> fatdaddy http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/222-there-i.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/216-well.html Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:16:18 GMT Having moved to the Puget Sound area recently I had my eyes open for new waters. Most of my life has been around a fishing spot that was within walking distance, everything from ocean inlets to small decorative ponds at the neighborhood entrance. Not once did I ever think that finding a good... Having moved to the Puget Sound area recently I had my eyes open for new waters. Most of my life has been around a fishing spot that was within walking distance, everything from ocean inlets to small decorative ponds at the neighborhood entrance.

Not once did I ever think that finding a good fishing spot would be a hassle. I am finding out the hard way that streams of fish don’t really exist here in Dupont. Not only that but I have really begun to take my fly fishing to the next level, better gear, more reading and even some small business endeavors. Now that I am at a point in my normal job that I can spend more time and money on my hobby, there is limited outlet. No more farm ponds for catfish and bluegill, rivers for gar or stripers. No more small creeks of Chub and Bass.

Perhaps it is my thinking and I cannot see the pesca riches that surround me. I’ve started exploring more of the area and finding smaller lakes and ponds that have provided many days of fun. Although the size of the fish has gotten smaller the frequency has increased, allowing me to experiment more with gear that I make and different methods. I’ve started to get requests from strangers to ‘follow along’ on my next outing. I do not consider myself an expert in anything, but to be able to help others learn something that I love has really increased my enjoyment.

I’ve had 3 good ‘adventures’ so far, a couple with guys who already fish and one with a friend who has never been. To be able to catch crappie, rock bass, pumpkin seed, largemouth, small mouth, carp, perch, trout and even a sculpin! Each type of fish with a new experience, different than any I’ve had before, and all on the fly.

I may not catch another 4 lbs largemouth anytime soon, and it seems that I'm fine with that. But the experiances are getting better. This weekend is a trek to a 3 acre pond with no road access...I can't promise any trophies but I can promise an adventure.

Anybody want to go? ]]> fatdaddy http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/fatdaddy/216-well.html