ecce38

I completely understand. My head was hurting the whole time I was out there.

This was just one of several which measured 13+ today. A good day, even with the wind blowing in your face all day. A funny thing kept happening over and over again today. My strike indicator literally got "struck" over 10 times. At one point I considered putting my fly on it. There were some nice ones that rose on it too. A nice day on the river today. Go Hogs!

Chase, for night fishing I wouldn't use anything smaller than 4x. Also, make sure you have a light to wear around your hat. Frees up your hands too.

Go to my webpage (link at bottom) to see some pre/post contest photos of this year's One Fly Contest. Click on 'My fishing page' and then '06 One Fly Contest'.

Today was a good day up by the Dam. Caught 15-20. Some were of good size and fought well. I caught this little guy too. Kind of looks like a baby brookie (rear fin with the white edge), not really sure, might be just a bow. Enlarge to get a better view. Any comments?

Hey chase, glad to see you on the board. How's your casting these days? Hope the pointers I gave have proven useful. Got a new fly pattern in case you're interested. Let's get together and go fish sometime. See ya.

Slight change in plan. I tied up this little guy tonight and decided, what the heck! It's a variation of the TDM. Notice the rope-like tippet. Nothing breaking this bad boy off, although I'd love for something to try.

I completely understand the sentiment behind your remarks. But as one who works with teenagers on a daily basis, I worry. They chuckle or say "you're crazy" whenever I tell them I release big fish after catching them. To release a trophy fish is totally alien to them. Unlike your situation, I'm not sure these kids will ever "get there like the rest of us." Many comment about not even having a license or about bringing home as many fish as possible. They lack any sense of a conservation ethic I'm sad to say. Such an ethic must be taught and reinforced so as to become part of their mentality. My stepson used to complain about fishing with me and never bringing home fish (we have a digital camera instead). Have I denied him a certain amount of enjoyment? Absolutely. But he also gets satisfaction out of knowing he's making a contribution. And now, since he's done it so much (and has been told the reasons for it), he's completely ok with it.

It was a beautiful day on BTW. I saw lots of fish too. But catching them was difficult. Midges seem to be the only thing they're wanting. My sowbug and pheasant tail flies did not seem to spark much interest. But I did manage to catch this fellow however. Also, can anyone tell me why both of the 'Lure Only' signs (on each side of the river) near Parker Flats are uprooted and laying on the ground? Did the AG&F do this? A storm? Or is the poaching problem much worse than I already believe it to be?

Ok, unless you have some super secret bug in your box, please tell me what you plan on using this year at the annual One Fly Contest. I'm just curious. I'll start by fessing up my own personal favorite, the "sowpig": And if you get paired with this gal below, watch out. She'll talk your ear off and has the best "dumb" blonde luck with trout. Just ask Steve. She'll being throwing the pig too.

Didn't see him cast, just bring the line in with the can. And if he could have cast farther than me with that rig, I sure as heck wouldn't admit it to the world!

I have Alltel service and can receive and make calls from below the dam all the time. No problem. So all you Alltel people need to be pro-active on calling in rule violators. The poacher number for Alltel users: *847. After you make the call, be prepared for this:

Absolutely Ron. But I just didn't stand around. I went over there and literally talked them out of doing any more fishing (in Spanish I might add). In fact, others thanked me for going over there and doing what I did. I have the poacher # programmed into my cell but forgot it in the truck (It's always that one time that you need it!). Otherwise that call would have been made first thing. But such illegal acts are happening on something of a regular basis up there and the game wardens are aware of this. My real concern is this: The wardens are spread so thin they rarely can be where we need them to be in order to stop this sort of thing from occurring. My fear is that if there are enough of these gross violations happening they may really undermine the hoped-for results of the new regulations. I promise you I won't forget my phone again.

I just had to share this incredible scene I witnessed this morning around 830am in the 'Lure only' section of Beaver tailwater. Upon walking down the stone steps to the edge of the river I looked left down river to see 4 men and 2 or 3 little boys all fishing from the bank. I quickly noticed they were using bread, corn, and powerbait. One guy I later noticed was using a coke can as a reel for his line. I saw that he had caught 2 fish amazingly enough (What was I thinking when I paid $250 for my Ross? Does Pepsi know about Coke's new line of fishing products?) I walked on down and fished for a little bit. But seeing what I was seeing bothered me so much that I just couldn't let it pass. I politely went up to where they were and told one guy what the rules were for this portion of the river and that they were fishing illegally. Upon backing up and leaving, one of the guys grabs his rope stringer with 10-13 fish on it, 3-4 of which were probably in the slot. (Another fisherman told me later he saw them taking another stringer up to the parking lot earlier with about the same number of fish on it.) I hate to post something as negative as this on the board, but this really upset me. I personally participated (as did many of you) in the various meetings last year which eventually became the current management plan for this river. I just hate to see these new changes being ignored on a wholesale level. This morning's experience was just another case-in-point. We've all seen them too many times. The bottom line: There seems to be a huge enforcement problem on Beaver tailwater and with current manpower levels, that's not likely to change anytime soon. Sorry for the rant.

This is a photo that Dr. Jernigan took of me while fishing just below the dam in JFK park back in June. It was a great trip! Pretty cool pic, just thought I'd share. Go to the link below and click on "Fishing photo of the Month" to view it: www.planford.org

This is a photo that Dr. Jernigan took of me while fishing just below the dam in JFK park back in June. It was a great trip! Pretty cool pic, just thought I'd share. Go to the link below and click on "Fishing photo of the Month" to view it: www.planford.org

Gavin, Like you, I'm about to take the plunge into the digital SLR camera world. I've been using an old Pentax KX film camera for years and it's given me some great pictures. I've been reading tons of reviews and of course Nikon and Canon are all the rave, but there is a "sleeper" camera out there that has really caught my attention. Moreover, the reviews at Cnet.com are most impressive. Before you buy, check out the Olympus EVOLT 500. From what I've discovered, you can't really go wrong with it, and at about half the cost of the others. It's 8 megapixel too with a dust reduction system. I've talked to some pros and they agree that it's hard to beat. Again, check Cnet.com for more info...oops, just read your last post. Too late. Enjoy your new camera.

I caught this little guy today. I heard that once upon a time there used to be lots of them in this tailwater. I have seen them through the years, but not in overwhelming numbers. I know they are Scooby snacks for browns, but do they play any part, positively or negatively, to the overall health of the river? Moreover, are they, like frogs, indicators of a healthy aquatic environment? Left click to enlarge. Just a neat picture I took this morining

Wow, Dano, I didn't know all that. Thanks. I'm not a rod bulider but I'll pass this info on to my friend who is. He'd love to know about this, if he doesn't already. Sometimes Andy will build a rod for me for free just so I'd test it and see how good/bad it is. Needless to say, I don't mind at all. They've all been good so far I'm happy to say. As for what kind of blank, it'z a St. Croix Legend, two piece. I think it's discontinued now.

Yes, Dano, it's a custom rod. A friend and coworker of mine built it for me. He did all the wood work and designed that grip. Here are some close up pics of the other sections of the rod. Notice the middle pic which shows the double guide design nearest the reel seat. Because of this feature, I probably get 5 more feet of line on my cast Not to mention it makes the act of castings much easier overall. I'm surprised other rod makers haven't picked up on this. It's not a big secret.

While only measuring 16", this guy was one fat spud. Sorry for the poor photo quality (camera phone, forgot the real camera). While he was the biggest today, I did manage to land several of slot limit size. People, I think in a couple of years fish like this could be the norm, not the exception. As for fly selection, this guy was hooked on a BH pheasant tail. However, the remainder of the day I fished Bryce's TDM (blue dun). Nailed a ton of fish with it.

The Dinosaur World comment. That was too funny! I drive by it all the time and it just makes me laugh for some reason. And you're right, Spider Creek is a great recommendation.

Retro, dude, that ain't right!

Size 14, Olive color

The wife and I fished the lower end of the no bait zone and did fairly well. She even out fished me I think...sometimes it happens. But the real story today was the last fish I caught (see photos). It was a nice size, 16" or so. I'm fairly certain it's a brookie but other markings suggested cutthroat, or a hybrid thereof. Still not sure. Take a look and let me know what you think. Either species is rare to catch in Beaver that's for sure.