... better than any day at work.

[PastorEd]

I have unreasonably busy lately. Friday was my first real day off in over a month, and it was beginning to show (if you don't beleive me just ask my wife ). So yesterday morning I pulled out my canoe for the first time in years, and went out to the local city lake. I am new to town, and have never fished the lake before, but it appears to be one of those typical impoundments primarily created for the splashing enjoyment of people under 12, shallow with little cover or contour. It is about 6 acres, and is still at least 3 foot higher than its normal high water mark because of flooding earlier this year. No one knows what fish remain in it because of the flooding (did the fish they stocked this spring escape down the river or stay home?). And it is stained about the color and consistancy of choclate milk.

I also slept in a bit. So I didn't get out on the lake till about 7:30 and with a pretty good breaze I realized right away that one of my next projects will be adding Joe and Rick's two anchor system to the canoe. But I fished around the edges of the flooded timber for about 3 hours., and caught two (2) 6 inch blue gils.

There were fish hitting the surface hard, frequently jumping clear out of the water, big fish at that. And I have no idea what they were. They were a rusty brown color, and probably 14-16 inches long. The only think I could see that they could have been eating were those darn little scooter bugs and the only thing I had that was even close was a light dun mayfly pattern, on which I caught the 2 blue gills and had no other hits of any kind. So now I have a mission, catch one of those fish and figure out what they are. Mission 2 figure out a pattern that will imitate them darn skitter bugs. Maybe a #16 grizzly bivisible? anyway...

So it was hot... I didn't catch many fish. I got a kink in my neck from trying to fish with the canoe turned the wrong way about half the time... but man o man was it nice. Just what the Dr. ordered. It is amazing how much better I feal and how much more ready for work I am from just 3 hours out on the water with a fly rod in my hand.

Fish caught 2
Types of birds watched 5
2 Great Blue Herons
1 Red headed wood pecker
1 Mother goose and 2 goslins
6 buzzards
? barn swallows eating them darn skitter bugs.
Flys lost 0
cups of coffee spilled in the canoe 1

Priceless? You bet!

ED

[LadyFisher]

I'll second that. Our little trips with friend Nils have been wonderful. Can you have cabin fever in June?

[flyandtie]

sounds like a water boatmen!!!!

[Jed]

I can certainly understand. There are days, and there are days. I just got back from a canoe trip and I could feel the tension flowing out as I sat in my canoe with rod in hand. I did not even need to cast.

jed

[perch]

So you live in Salina. Well that wont be held against you.
First off its just almost a certainty that those jumping critters were CARP!!!!!
Can you believe that some people are actually silly enough tho try and catch one. Or (and I say this in a hushed tone) try and catch one (or more) with a fly rod.
Seriously , get some flies that folkes use that catch carp.
Ive caught a few with (before my epifany) spinning gear and they are a blast.

[Sagittarius62]

Another example of the healing qualities of fishing. The "Water Floatman" pattern here in the FOTW archives might be just the ticket for the "scooter bugs".

[BigFlatBrook]

First off its just almost a certainty that those jumping critters were CARP!!!!!
Can you believe that some people are actually silly enough tho try and catch one. Or (and I say this in a hushed tone) try and catch one (or more) with a fly rod.
Seriously , get some flies that folkes use that catch carp.
Ive caught a few with (before my epifany) spinning gear and they are a blast.

I bet you're right. I'm listening to Bred Befus on AskAboutFlyFishing right now (recorded internet broadcast). He just explained that Carp are spring and early summer spawners, and frequently "breech" as part of their spawning activity. They are "distribution" spawners like Pike.

[Bluegill222]

I'd put my money on carp, too. Most city lakes have them as a control for vegetation, they irony being that they aren't the salad eaters most people think they are. They are omnivores in the truest possible sense of the word. What I've never figured out is how a fish with that broad a food base can at the same time get as picky as any trout I've ever met, but it happens. They are great fun on the fly rod and will take anything from nymphs, crayfish, and small streamers, to dry flies and midges at one time or another. However, in my experience, if they are jumping like you described, they aren't feeding. It's a little late for the spawn, but hot weather will see them breaching like that, or basking just under the surface. In both situations you can bounce flies off their noses all day long to no avail. Look instead for fish cruising the shallows or "clooping" (sucking seeds or bugs off the surface which makes a "cloop" sound).

[PastorEd]

I am sure you all are probably correct... them jumping fish were c---, I have been holding out hope that they were some kind of exotic fish that I don't know about so that I wouldn't have my poor grandfather roll over in his grave from me fishing for them.

I didn't get a close enough look at the "skitter bugs" either. They probably were boatmen but they didn't look like what I have called Water Boatmen as only their feet were in the water, and their backs were not dark. Still I have tied a few of the FLOATMEN up, and some grizzly bi-visibles too, just in case.

Still, 4 days latter and the effects of a few hours on the water are still being felt. Life in central Kansas is GOOD!

ED

[Big Bad Wulff]

'buzzards'?

You mean Turkey vulture ?