trout fanatic

Great video Jeremy. Thanks

Ha Ha, In that case I'm gonna need me one of them counters to keep track of all the fish I catch!

No, it was one of the Knob Noster state park lakes. I'll give it another go for a couple of hours tomorrow mornin and see what happens

So this morning I thought I would spend a few hours fly fishing a local lake. Tied on a white zonker and on about the 4th or 5th cast set the hook into a hawg bluegill. I just chuckled at his tude and continued fishing changing out fly patterns every 15 or so minutes. I kept noticing a school of feeding fish just agonizingly out of range. Any attempt I made to reach them just got me close enough to put them down so I ignored them. I tied on a lake erie shiner (streamer) and continued to fish when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a dreaded wind knot in my leader and decided to ignore it as well (I know you guys know what's coming right). About 5 minutes later i heard a disturbance on the water and looked up. There it is, the school of feeding fish has returned and this time its within casting distance! So I fire off a long cast, let the streamer settle into the depths then started a slow strip. On the third strip I absolutely got hammered. I set the hook and felt the wonderful resistance of a heavy fish then nothin. Line broke right at the wind knot. So I tied on another leader and another zonker and caught 2 more bluegills and an 11 inch crappie beforeending my morning. Must resolve to pull my head out

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy 4th of July! Stay safe out there!

I have a 10' TFO pro 7 weight (use it for chucking large bass bugs and winter steelhead) and a 9.5 ft Reddington RS4 8 wt I use for the same purposes. I really like both rods although they fish quite differently (the rs4 is a faster rod). The TFO pro in my opinion is one of the best bang for the bucks rods you can get. I am considering a 10 wgt next year (for Muskie and Northern Pike and maybe a little salt action as well). I too like the longer rods especially for winter steelheading and the advantage it gives me in mending. They are also easier to cast (both roll and traditional) from a kayak/bellyboat (but landing a fish can be an adventure unto itself. I think you would serve yourself well with either the Avid or TFO. Not real sure you need to go as heavy as an 8 weight but it will surely get the job done. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Now that thar is change I can believe in.

Nice fish. Way to go! BTW never question the veracity of scales (unless of course they are short changing you)

Smallmouth-6 lb 2 oz-caught in canada on a helin flatfish. Largemouth 9lbs-caught in Orlando Fla on a 6 inch live shiner (I know not a lure)

Terry, sorry to hear about this (again). I'm thinkin that fishin be the cure

I hear ya. Lots of fun to be had if we open our eyes a little bit. I went again this morning but decided on the larger lake due to the smallish size of the gills I caught yesterday. This lake has a lot of weeds so I took my 7wt fiberglass as my weapon of choice. Turned out to be a good decision. Caught 21 total fish (18 bluegills considerably larger than yesterday, actually most were keepers had I kept any, and 2 largemouth bass, 2 dinks and a 14 incher that took me straight to the coontail and had to be hauled in by brute strength). Almost all of the fish were caught on gurgle pops or beetles. Interestingly, I tied on a small popper at first, the fish showed interest in it but for the most part just nudged it or slightly pulled it under. As soon as I tied on the beetle, it was katy bar the door.

Foam beetles is first choice (depending on time of year), followed by scaled down streamers. Ponds are a ton of fun!!

Went to a small lake in Knob Noster State Park this morning to while away the time fishing for bluegills with some Gurgle pops that I had tied up over the winter. Little suckers were swarming after it. Had a ball with a 4 wt-ended up with around 40 or so gills (nothing really big) plus a 9 inch crappie came up to play. All in all a superb way to spend a late spring morning. Think I'll go again in the morning

Growing up in ohio that is how we scaled yellow perch (mouth waters). Filleted them though. Bluegills were left whole if smallish, and filleted if big enough. The first time I was ever introduced to eating the tails was when I was stationed in Kansas-they were pretty good as I recall (haven't eaten them since though).

I have several models of both and I like each and every one of them. I can't really tell the difference in feel and sensability in modern rods (but can in most of my older ones). The 4 piecers really shine come vacation time. Nothing like throwing your 10 footers in the back seat of the car and taking off. I can't help but feel however, that a 4 piece is more susceptible to breakage than a 2 piece simply because it has more ferrules and I have seen more rods break at the ferrules than any other place (except for hotel room ceiling fans)-I have nothing scientific to back my opinion-just my opinion.

Straps won't work for me either (I have broken more glasses at work around my neck than I have ever broke in the hood of my car-jus sayin-cheapo's it is

Went to Bennett this morning and really had a nice day. Water was still running pretty good (2.70 on the flow guage when I checked this morning) and still pretty muddy. I went up by the falls and fished zone 2 with several new patterns I wanted to test out. Struggled for the first hour with only 1 little stocker and 1 lost fish for my efforts. I then tied on a little tellico style pattern (pheasant tail fibers for the tail and wingcase, yellow-ok light cahill-superfine dubbing for the body, black ultra fine wire for the ribbing but instead of adding a hackle wrap for a beard I tied in a small clump of pheasant tail fibers for a wing (ala emergent style). Caught a total of 13 fish on that one fly in just a little over an hour. It's tail had been chewed plum off but it was still catching fish. Largest went 17 inches (with two others between 15 and 16) Only two stocker size dinks. Surprised by the number of people fishing (I guess I am not the only one jonesin). Couple of guys appeared to have similar luck to mine but for the most part, most of the anglers were just catching a fish here and there. Hope to go back monday with a new flotilla of flies to check out

Ran across a good idea on another site (I think it was faol but can't remember for certain) where a smoker took an empty 35mm film container and cut an X thru the lid. He then pushed the butt thru the x and into the cannister. When he is done fishin he can throw the entire cannister away or empty it and re-use it.

I am frugal too-but with good reason. Along about 1974 or so I bought me one them fancy pair that lightens in the dark and darkens in the light-pretty cool. Well, I stops off at a 7-11 to get a drink and when I get back in my car the dang thing won't start. Soooo-I open up the hood set my glasses on the radiator-check all my connections (I may have kicked the car for good measure-but can't remember). Then I proceeded to slam the hood of the car on my glasses. It's renegades for me too!

I own 2 shimano's (a stradic and a sonoma) and fortunately neither suffer from this problem (knock on wood). What is amazing to me is why does this affect some reels but not all of them? I mean, heck I use mine for winter steelheading and they are always wet (as in soaking wet) yet nary a stumble. There has to be a logical explanation (and remedy). It would be a whole lot easier if shimano would fess up and fix the darn problem to begin with

Seems I recall a thread posted in the general chat forum about a fellow who was makin his own jigs out of lead (gasp). Apparently, that line in the sand is a pretty shallow one if you catch my drift (pun intended).

If the end result of this legislation means cleaner waterways-than I am all for it (seen it coming years ago with the steel shot mandate anyway). I doubt, however, that this will impact mining operations and other corporate entities that pollute our streams on a massive level all of the time. If we are really serious about our waterways than lets ban (impose fines/jail terms) for other foreign substances like aluminum (beer/soda cans), food wrappers, and cigarette/cigar butts.

Ha Ha. I know what you mean Terry. More than once I have set the hook expecting a steelhead and instead launched one of those little suckers.

I am gonna have to go with the smallmouth bass as my top pick...Although, last year I accidentally snagged a 7 lb freshrun winter steelhead in the tail. Battle was epic (just wish I would have been smart enough to figure out I tail hooked it earlier in the fight so I could have broke it off-I spent a long time reviving this fish and it swam away fine-but I always wonder). Seen on another site, fella kept saying he was catchin "french bass". When someone asked what species they were he posted a picture of a rock bass. Says he has always called them french bass cuz they surrender so easily

No doubt about it-another R&D triumph. I kin hardly wait till the chub line hits the market!!