It will have to be moving water for me. The lakes are virtually all man made and abound with bass fishermen and their boats and that’s fine. I just don’t go in for combat fishing. Some of the rivers get that way also during the summer months and the aluminum hatch starts so I avoid them at that time. Gimme my little ol’ Ozark spring fed creeks and the smaller fish that inhabit them and I’m happy as a dead pig in the sun.
Lotech…beautiful boat. I have my wooden sailboat plans and am just waiting for my big glass boat to sell to begin mine.
It would be nice to have a pleasure boat like that. Sadly, it’s not mine. I took that picture, with the occupants approval, while in my 12’ jon boat on Fish Lake just outside of Spokane, WA. I can’t remember what kind of boat the owner said it was, but he built it himself.
I have known you for years and never knew of this preference of yours. Interesting. I am a stream guy through and through. I feel imprisoned on boats of any type. Bought a kayak and hated it. Bought a belly boat, hated it even more. It all requires too much extra stuff to manage and transport. Being a minimalist with ADHD I carry one rod, one small fly box in a fanny pack along with a beverage. I have even given up waders. Heck, I’d fish naked if it wouldn’t get me arrested. Happy New Year to you as well. One of these days I am going to have you build me another Steffen.
I fish still waters because that is all that is in my area. I have become proficent in still water and am not used to moving water but, when I have the chance, I’ll fish streams and rivers. I just feel more “at home” in my canoe on a lake or pond.
Rich,
I do really like the stillwater thing. But you are right, tubing is a big production. When the water temp/ weather permits I always tube in swin trunks. Living in Southern California there are more stillwater options for fly fishing than stream fishing. We do have creeks in the local mountains that offer good fishing and the Eastern Sierra has allot of streams and rivers with some very nice fish in them. I really like tubing some of the local lakes in the spring and early summer for big bluegills and red ears. Large panfish are every exciting to catch and they really pull hard on 1 to 4 wt. rods. I am thinking of building a Steffen 8’6" glass 5 wt. for lake fishing. I did one for a guy last year and really liked that rod.
steck,
That rod would be the cat’s meow. I even like the fenwick style grip. If it fishes as good as it looks, I can see why it’s your go-to rod.
Thanks for the pics.
I fish mostly in the Adirondaks of NY where beautiful ponds abound and BIG Brookies rule. The moving water gets worked over pretty good and as far as being alone goes, forget it. I can do short or long hikes into ponds anywhere and have them all to myself. It helps having a Hornbeck 17lb Kevlar canoe but we used to do it with one man rubber rafts. All the same I love stillwater fishing!
I love fishing the small streams and rivers but once we reach the last weekend in June and Smallmouth seasons opens I switch between streams for Trout and our lake for Bass.
