Leaves and wind...

[Al Agnew]

I had to take the new jetboat back down to Ernies Boats and Motors on Webb Creek, Clearwater Lake, because of a recall notice to replace the fuel filter on the motor. So wife and I decided to get it done yesterday, and then go on down to Current River for the day. The weather forecast was sounding good, partly to mostly cloudy, warm...but windy. I'd checked all the river levels, noting that the upper Current at Akers hadn't gotten but a very slight rise, but the Jacks Fork had gotten a pretty big rise during the last big rains on Friday. I figured the river below the Jacks Fork would still be up a bit, and since I'm still somewhat of a novice at running a jetboat and also have somewhat of an aversion to using one on anything but fairly large waters anyway, given all the times I've cussed the things when one came roaring by me while I was in a canoe on waters I considered too small for running them, I decided to go into Logyard and run a few miles upstream.

We got to the river about 11 AM, to find it up about a foot from the very low levels it had been recently, and just slightly off color. The weather was as advertised. In fact, windy was an understatement. It was one of the windiest days I've spent on the river in a long time. And, unfortunately, it was also the perfect time for leaf fall. With the wind blowing them off the trees in huge masses, I've never seen so many leaves on the water, especially on a river the size of the Current in that area.

Leaves and jet outboards don't mix well. I couldn't run more than a few hundred yards before leaves clogged the intake and I'd have to stop and get them off. So, after running just three miles or so, I decided it was time to stop and fish.

Leaves in the masses these were make fishing almost impossible. With the water getting cold, I knew the smallmouths would be in areas off the stronger currents. Unfortunately, every eddy off the main current was a solid mass of leaves. Some of those leaf mats were as big as my house and looked thick enough to walk on. In stronger eddies, the mats didn't form, but there were leaves rolling in the current from top to bottom, with seldom a space of more than a foot that was clear.

I was able to find some places where, with accurate casts, I could at least work a lure for a short distance before the leaves reached out and grabbed it or the line. I sure wish I could have fished more places, because the fish were there and they were hungry. I ended up with one nice 16.5 inch smallie, several more of 14-15 inches, and probably 12-15 fish altogether. They were hitting jerkbaits, crankbaits, jigs...pretty much whatever I could fish in the leaves and fish fairly slowly. But there were so many places I couldn't fish, and the incessant wind made the fishing tough even when I could avoid the leaves.

The chain pickerel were as active as the bass. I had strikes from several nice ones in the 24-30 inch class, had one bite me off (high dollar Lucky Craft Pointer...bummer) and caught some little ones.

All in all, it was one of the weirdest, toughest days I've fished in a while, but fun nevertheless. Mary finally got too cold--even though the air temp off the river was in the upper 60s and lower 70s, the wind coming off that water was biting at times--and we quit an hour or so before dark.

[Mark]

Al,

Good report. Skip Weiler and I are searching for a jet prop also. Did you buy your's new at Clearwater? We hope to have one by spring. Maybe we can race them down the Saline!! Tell Mary to quit being such a baby!! HA

Mark Vogt

[3wt]

Yeah, wind and leaves are the scourge of fly fisherman too.

Hooking a leaf, and then casting with it on the hook creates a helicopter effect, and ruins leader faster than I care to talk about.

[Al Agnew]

Al,

Good report. Skip Weiler and I are searching for a jet prop also. Did you buy your's new at Clearwater? We hope to have one by spring. Maybe we can race them down the Saline!! Tell Mary to quit being such a baby!! HA

Mark Vogt

Yeah, I bought it new at Ernies. They seem to be a very good place to do business. 16 ft. Blazer jonboat, 40 HP Evinrude Etec engine.

Expect Mary to give you the evil eye the next time she sees you! He-he!

[Ted Calcaterra]

Al-I am thinking about getting a 16ft Blazer with a 40hp jet. Do you think you could use it on the White or Norfork during generation? Would you get many funny looks.

[Al Agnew]

Ted, I don't see why not from a physical standpoint. My boat is capable of running in about 6 inches of water. During generation, the White and North Fork are a whole lot deeper than that.

However, I think a jet boat owner has a special responsibility to have as light an impact as the technology will allow. Running a jet up through a riffle full of flyfishermen might not be a light impact. As a long time canoe angler, I am especially sensitive to the negative impact that jetboats have on small or crowded rivers. I have spent very little time on the White and even less on the North Fork, so I don't know how crowded they typically are, nor how many jetboats run them regularly. So I don't know how many funny (or perhaps dirty) looks you might get.

[Kicknbass]

Yea, you can use it on the norfork or white during generation. Just be careful when they turn off the flow. The norfork bottom is more chunk rock and less gravel. The rocks tend to grab and tear aluminum unlike the smooth gravel bottoms of other rivers like the Current.

I both my boat from Ernies in 1993, and it is still going strong. They are good people.