westbranchfly

Definitely a good day. I’m learning that being a deckhand on a busy walleye boat is quite the challenge. First lesson- keep the leaders shorter than two thirds the length of the boat.

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I haven't posted in a long time, but you should see what these things can do. Especially on a single hand rod. That said, i'm just gonna leave this here.

Your next rod needs to be a 5wt. St Croix imperial switch rod. Get an OPST skagit head that will cast on both rods and be done with overhead casting. Overhead casting sucks. Dig out the 7' heddon fiberglass, spool it with double taper and learn to roll cast. Problem solved.

I have a few sculpin patterns that I swing in the upper end. Some days are really good, some days I go home with a bunch of swings and misses. Overall, the patterns and swinging have been consistent for me.

@Ham- that's hilarious! I guess that was the point I was getting to. People give the fish waaaaay too much credit. I should go down there some day.

There are caddis and may flies in the Taney area. I live in Hollister and have some hanging around the door this morning. If I was going to tie these, they'd go on a size 12 or 10. That being said, if you're looking for these types of insects, you have to get up in the feeder creeks. I'll use Cooper creek as an example. I can go up Cooper, within sight of the main river, flip rocks and find mayfly nymphs and caddis larva. They are here, just not in the huge numbers like I would find in my native Pennsylvania. I will tell you this, many guys kinda put pheasant tails, hares ears, prince nymphs, and the like, on the shelf here. I have had some of my best days on Taney with the "shelved" patterns. Those generic patterns do very well in variations. The frenchy has produced well, black and olive hares ears, and a prince will do well. I've fished them under an indicator, high sticked, or tight lined. Just remember, they're trout. They know how to do three things. Eat, keep from being eaten, and reproduce. Good luck and good fishing.

Somebody had pics of K dock, not sure it's any better.

Thank you Dutch. BilletHead, I think you may be right. Russ, I appreciate your gracious offer. I'm glad to help you out, actually, I'll show you a bunch of stuff to NOT do with a two hander.

I used to have an h2. I had a hydros on it. Nice reel, but way overrated.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this. My one spey rod is getting some mileage and is in need of repair. The reel seat is completely loose, as in, it just about spins all the way around the blank, and a few of the guides could use rewrapping. does anyone know anybody that could fix this rod? Thank you.

If it has fins and swims, I'll chase it with a fly rod.

Do you want to fish low or high water?

I had the chance to get on the water again yesterday. Fished from 9am until the lightning got a little close for my tastes. Same deal as the day before, fish were holding along the high banks and in the runs. My tactic of choice is a broadside swing off a 5 wt. switch rod. My numbers, although not fantastic, were better than the day prior. Several smallmouth, a largemouth, and a pair of whites to the hand. Everyone I visited with claims the bite has been slow. One guy i spoke with said he managed a pair of walleye and a pair of whites at the bridge in the morning. Another flyfisherman claimed a smallmouth, a largemouth, a gar, and a rainbow. Any way, the fly selection is kinda all over the place. The variety of Clouser patterns seems to be producing for me. I took fish yesterday on a purple and pink clouser minnow, a foxee red minnow, chartreuse and white clouser tube, clouser hellgramite, yellow and chartreuse half and half, and a perch colored clouser minnow. Most of the hits are not aggressive hits. They seem to be coming either a few feet into the swing, or at the very end. I did forget to take the water temperature while there.