Ham

86) Bluntface Shiner Lifer/Flyfer Thanks to @Johnsfolly My first drift with a size 16 GRHE and Bang! I had my primary target in hand. I caught a few more before focusing on looking for darters and trying for a Redspot Chub. Easy peasy not counting the 3 1/2 hour drive there.

Make sure that your connections to the battery are really good. Some of the issues might be conmoverse on a silent recall. My Ultrex was 5 years old and I just had work done and parts of that were covered by a silent recall. i wasn’t getting full voltage to TM, but I had some wiring issues. I also had bad sensor in the foot pedal which was covered by the recall. s

I thought he was talking more about delivering large flys,

I understand the desire to lower your cost for gear, but I refuse to buy Temu stuff and the incredibly cheap knock offs. If you do not reward innovators, you will have less innovation.

More like $140 than $75 these days

85) Mississippi Silverside I figured out how to catch Brook Silversides a few years ago. They are plentiful in Bill Shoals and Lake Norfork as well as the creeks and rivers. They are speed freaks. They require a moving target. So, fast forward to last fall. I talked to a couple of older guys in a tiny cluttered boat that had to show me the pile of fish they had caught. Blues, Channel Cats, White Bass, etc. it didn’t seem like they released much. They had a cast net piled in with everything else and they gathered their bait locally. Laying around the bottom of the boat where scattered pieces of bait they had dropped. There was so much clutter that I don’t think the guys could move from where they sat. There were threadfin and/ or small gizzard Shad sprinkled about, but also some big Silversides that were not Brook Silversides so of course I had to figure out how to catch them. Eventually. I stayed focused on the temperate basses and gamefish for the moment. Fast forward to April this year, I went to Dardenelle to catch everything. One of my main targets was those Silversides which I had determined were Mississippi Silversides. I could see one every now and again, but I could not get their interest. I assumed there weren’t many on the rocks right then, but a local arrived and threw his cast net right where I had been fishing and he caught a pile of Silversides. I do occasionally know when to cut my losses. I decided I would have to try again some other day. Yesterday, the bill came due for the Mississippi Silversides. Still, it wasn’t easy. I got lots of looks from those little turds and even hooked a couple in the first few minutes, but I kept swapping flys changing size and colors until I managed to get one to hand. Much much smaller than the big ones that swim there. I assume the larger ones hang deeper maybe. Silversides have a fascinating life cycle that is very brief. They grow very quickly, but most don’t live long. I would love to have caught a hold over that was 5 inches long instead of the 1/2 grown ones that I was dealing with. I had to catch four to get one that the fly stayed in it’s mouth long enough for a picture. Hopefully, I’m done screwing around with these guys. Pretty frustrating little fish. on a positive note, They don’t immediately die on you like the Brook Silversides do.

time with your daughters is even harder to come by than time to fish. Enjoy those opportunities while you have them. it’s nice you had family time

84) Western Blacktail Shiner Sorry John

Photo tanks don’t last long when I take em creeking.

I had a tough day. I had a full description of it, but the website decided that it would just glitch out and wipe it out. im too irritated to try to recreate it. I wanted Longnose Gar today. I didn’t catch any. I was able to get 84) Western Blacktail Shiner though. I also caught a couple Mooneye. There will be payback for the fish that frustrated me today though. I promise.

I think it’s unbridled disdain rather than indifference. With a liberal sprinkling of cowardice on top.

They are an absolute female doggy for everybody. I don’t think you’ve run into the really hard ones yet.

Once I had caught a few Telescope Shiners and gotten a Pretty one, I switched my attention to darters. I had seen a big colorful Male darter earlier, but I was rigged for Shiners not darters. I committed to one small (size 24) fly with an AB sized shot an inch or so in front of it. It seems like if you drag that weight around darters get curious and come check it out. They then might notice the fly and might peck at it, but if you feel a tug, you know unlike Bill Clinton, they inhaled and are likely hooked. some days you drop 3 before you get one to hand, but I was really Lucky and landed most of the ones I hooked. 83) Rainbow Darter

Did some research and found a spot with a good chance for a Flyfer. More driving than fishing, but I rolled the dice anyway. I spooked s Big Cottonmouth on the way to the creek which is a good sign, I immediately got lit up by Bleeding Shiners. I figured they would be the dominant minnow and I would have to fish thru them. In just a little bit I starting picking up what I thought was my target species, but I wanted a larger pretty one. I could see them in the water column. Very different from Bleeding Shiners. I got a few. 82) Telescope Shiner. Very much like the Bigeye Shiner, but slimmer, smaller eye. Mouth more like a Carmine Shiner. No black band across eye

Kinda counting on it. I will make a trip that way and they will be the primary target.

One man’s racism is another man’s neighborliness or something like that.

Oh Buddy, I’m Sorry to hear that. You helped him have a Good life.

I got you Bro, but don’t put money down fir next year

I think so, but be prepared to walk and get wet. There are multiple access points. Im not sure how many bad you could catch in a day. 25-50 maybe

Last Tuesday, I made the long drive to Cass, AR to wet wade a section of the Mulberry River. It was forecast to be warm. Good thing I was fishing it during the middle of the day. My main targets were Neosho Bass, Ozark Logperch, and a mystery micro that I think is likely a Mississippi Silverside. They look different in the water than fish I have caught and act a lot like Brook Silversides, but more on those jerks later. I made the 120 something mile trip In good time. Road construction is frustrating, but necessary. There’s a reason Hwy 23 is lovingly referred to as the Pig Trail. Started and got the easy stuff quickly. Bigeye Shiner, Wedgespot Shiner, and Steelcolor Shiner within the first 5 minutes. Saw, Brook Silversides. Hooked two, but landed neither. I have them already this year so no great loss. I was scanning everywhere looking for jumbo Ozark Logperch like I saw last time I was there. I never saw the Ozark Logperch I was looking for. I saw a couple of other darters and got bites on my fly, but I could not hook them and you don’t get many swings before they spook. I set multiple alarms on my phone when I have limited time to try to keep myself on track. at the 1/4 mark, I hade caught 24 fish and several of them were juvi Neosho Bass, but not the ones I wanted. Back to the car for hydration and the 6 weight. I started with Marty’s pretty little craw that’s he tied up. He gave me three and I caught my Flyfer Swampland Longear on one earlier. I lost two of the three in Alabama. I knew it would be a great fly for Neosho Bass, but I was down to my last one. Once I got to a deeper pool with that special craw, it didn’t take long. I don’t make the rules, the taxonomist do. It has that long lower jaw and funky coloration that sets it apart from Smallmouth Bass. I at least for one new species for the year. I had spent a while on the mystery micros in the first quarter and had lots of looks. Speed is a strong attractant for them, but they nip rather than eat and Bigeye, Wedgespot, Cardinal Shiners, and Steelcolor will run in a grab the fly that they have their nose pressed against. I got this real nice Steelcolor Shiner. This largemouth tried to eat a real nice Green Sunfish that I was catching so I had a cast for him and he ate the little craw. I worked Darters and the mystery micro for a good while. I hooked and lost a nice Stone Roller. I hooked and lost the mystery micro at my feet as well as a couple more that I barely hooked and lost really quickly. I’ll have to tie a fly on a small look that looks big, but can still hook them. They love to hit flys too but for their mouth. I don’t know what they are, but I know what they ain’t. I’m pretty sure that I have never caught one. Sad to say, that I might have to go back especially if my other Ozark Logperch spots don’t pan out. 2nd,3rd, and 4 th quarters flew by. It was time to go far to quickly. I only added 22 more fish to finish short of a 50 burger, but that happens when you are targeting certain fish rather than just catching. another 248 miles on the Subaru and 19 species to go.

So, as Dave alluded to, I have fallen into the trap of trying for 100 Species on fly again. I’ll try to explain. Last year, I had this crazy idea and I obsessed over it. It wasn’t always Fun. I said that if I came up short, I wouldn’t try again until I was retired, if ever. And I meant it. I was going to consider 99 species Failure, but I would likely have traveled to somewhere to get the last few species. I was Very Happy to have gotten there and relived to but it behind me. I could just fish again. so, Dave and I fish the Arkansas River in January. We both got Stripers and Blue Cat on fly. I had gotten Sauger earlier. That was cool. Then I got a Cutthroat Trout which I didn’t catch in 2023. Then, I got an Ozark darter. And Channel Cat. And Yellow Perch. I kept picking up Species. the switch flipped in my head when I picked several Flyfers. Spotted Sucker, Swampland LES, Slender Blacktail Shiners, and Redfin Shiner. I couldn’t waste this start. The hard part was that basically I was starting at -30 from last year. That’s the number of species I caught in Florida and Canada. Since, I caught 105 species. I was going to have to find 25 species “locally” and make them eat a fly. I had those 8 species on my lifetime list that I did not catch in 2023. I would need some of those. Still, an uphill run. I made lists of possible species and reworked them a million times. Planned trips. Researched fish. Tried to fine tune how I caught fish before. I needed to repeat as many of the “local” 75 from last year as possible. Ive been quietly doing that. @BilletHead , Dave, and @Johnsfolly have been suffering my ramblings in the background. I picked more Flyfers along the way. Hit the easy button when I could. And the trip to Louisiana was a Huge help. I have hit the Home stretch. I’m not done. I got a very Lucky catch my first day back from Louisiana a Black Redhorse sucker which put me at 80 species for the year. I still have work to do and many miles to drive, but I like my chances. I’ll post the “last” 20 species as I catch them. It isn’t easy, but I am a lot less stressed about it this year. Still doing it two years in a row would be cool. I sure Hope I’m done with this silliness after that. No promises.

yeah….it ain’t easy being me

A little update, I did get Lifelist over 250. I hope to keep pushing that forward. I did get Freshwater Fly list over 100. Rio Grande Cichlid was the 100th. I did get Alligator Gar on fly. And I liked it. im gonna take a beating on some of the other goals

Oh, on the way home I swung by Wapanocca NWR in Crittenden County. Looked Great! Zero Bites. and if your curious, 2152 miles total on the truck got the trip

So, Friday’s weather was not any better than Thursday’s weather. The Sabine River went to flood stage so we did not go there looking for clear water to spot Gar in. I checked the weather for another area in Texas that I though we could get Dave an Alligator Gar in, but it was getting heavy rain also. we accepted our fate, prepped gear and waited for a window of fishable rain. We hit some of the same spots from the day before had numerous larger AG feeding, but they could not be bothered with us. I caught a couple of Redfish. we wandered further down the road and fished more ditches and caught reds and Ladyfish and blue crabs AND I got my Black Drum. And since I had one Black Drum, I then kept catching them. I caught at least 4, but it might have been 5. well, we had some logistical difficulties because I need adult supervision at times, but we got Dave to the spot for Alligator Gar. It was all him. I was not casting where the Alligator Gar were playing. Nope. Not me. I told Dave he was down to two hours. apparently, Dave has a flair for the dramatic. He got it done. I was so Happy for him. once Dave got his first, I felt free to fish again. So, I caught more alligator gar. It was Fun. I quit again because Dave was struggling to get a second one. I was hoping to avoid more fire ant bites, but I failed miserably. I hate those darn things. we loaded for home, but for flagged down by a guy who caught some Fat Sleepers with his cast net. We had to burn a 1/2 hour trying for those. Sadly, no Fat Sleepers were caught one fly. Thats the end of the fishing. Lots for goofy stuff happened on the way home, but nothing that y’all would want to hear about. Great Trip. Very memorable. I appreciate Dave for enabling my whimsical pursuits. Fish on Gentlemen.