I parked my pickup Sunday afternoon just as the Carolina Panthers scored to go ahead of the Falcons. I had dropped my buddy Mike and started the 3/4 mile walk back to the launch site and my equipment. Mike is a transplanted Michigander, who attended college in Idaho. I think he gets withdrawal anxiety at times, as he lives south of Atlanta about 60 miles away, down where there are no trout. He is also a dedicated dad and husband, so he doesn?t get the kinks out of his leader as often as he would like.
When I arrived back at the drop off site, he was ready to go, I got on my wader, pfd, grabbed my Fishcat and headed down to the riverside. A former sand and gravel operation left a great place to put in. I gave Mike my version of the October Caddis softhackle one of the guys had posted a photo of in the last week or so. He tied it on under the dry already on his line. I had taken a couple of fish on Saturday with the pattern. Mike took the west side of the river, which was a little deeper and in the shade. I took the east side, the inside of the curve in the river. Despite my own corollary which states “the number of problems with your leader is proportional to the square of the number of flies tied on”, I was fishing two soft hackles behind a bad imitation of Sandy Pittendrigh’s Flat Caddis. Just like he said if you get the wing too tight it will stick up, which make a good strike indicator. I can’t give you a hard count on the numbers, but the frequency of hits and fish to hand went in the fish’s favor to start off. I think there were at least five hard hits before landing the first on my side of the river. I had fished the same stretch the day before, a little earlier in the day, with the results more in my favor.
The short version is fish were caught with enough numbers to make for a near perfect day for both Mike and me. A little less water down the back of his waders while trying to retrieve an errant swim fin would have made it more perfect for Mike. He managed to deposit the caddis soft hackle I had given him earlier in some irretrievable location and tied on a store bought version, which did not possess that crippled critter look I have been able to impart to my flies and was not as productive. He was able to persuade me to give him another, which also had “The Look.” Thanks to Byron Haugh and Sandy for introducing me to the “October Caddis” pattern.
I found out last night after returning home, the Falcons won the game. I know Mike Smith, the head coach likes to fling line when the opportunity presents itself, must be a decent guy, right? I’ll watch them when I’m too old to get out in my tube and play with the fish. My grand dad would be proud one of his grandchildren took after him, there were rods in his car when they finally put him in the nursing home in his late 80’s.
I agree. I’m a diehard Steeler fan, but I fish through the games. There used to be a day when I’d sit in my house when it was 80 degrees. I’m glad I finally realized how dumb that was. The weather in PA will eventually force me inside for the second half of the season.
Hey Guys, there are all sorts of options for recording the games. Just watch them before you hit the news/papers/co-workers.
Missed a trip to the Elk, about 2x as much water as I wanted. Flood gates in dams can do that.
A few things Ed, ESPN and the NFL network are going to replay any exciting plays about a 100 times in the next week. The last game I recorded, my team lost and watch a game you know how it came out is just not the same.
Twice as much water can make for an exciting float but does not do much to promote fishing. Lake Lanier is down again, apparently the hot dry weather this summer resulted in some kind of algae in the lake that has the river about the color of pea soup down at the boarding house. The trout don’t seem to mind however. The last couple of weeks I have had a good bit of success fishing soft hackles along the sunny side of the river in fairly shallow water. I did get a look at one of the better rainbows I have ever had on a fly when he jump and threw said fly in the middle of the river over a riffle. Live and learn.
Die hard Stiller fan here too. But when the salmon are in and the steelhead are running, I just can’t sit on the sofa anymore. It’s just the past two years for me that I’ve finally said to myself that I work too hard and love to fish too much to spend Saturday and Sunday on the sofa watching football. The Great Lakes tribs will freeze… and when they do, I’ll schedule my day around the Steelers. Until then… I’ll hope for tight lines.
About 4:30 pm yesterday my wife called to ask if I wanted the MNF game recorded on the DVR. I was in Lone Pine on a little spontanious fishing trip. I was tying on a piece of tippit because the last trout I had on untied my knot. I told her basically what Uncle Jesse said about the reruns. If it’s worth watching they’ll play it over and over and over. My score? 3 to 3. I caught 3 and 3 got away. I have to go back now for the tie breaker. Jim
Jim, You and I keep score differently. I count flies lost agains fish caught. I was taught and believe you have to put a fly where there is a chance of losing it to catch fish.
Briney Dave there are more people in Georgia pulling for the Lion this year than ever. I’m not sure why. You may know the players here, I’m not sure of the year. The coach with the long sideburns is Jim Carr, a friend of mine who was an assistant with a number of different NFL teams. He’s about 75 yrs. now and living in Indianapolis with his wife Lila to be close to their daughter and grandchildren. He coached def. backs and was Dion Sanders’ first pro coach.
Jesse, I was doing something wrong yesterday. The only fly I lost was the one my knot failed on. Somewhere in the Eastern Sierra theres a rainbow trout with a new lip ring. It’s a black #12 wooly bugger with blue and silver tinsel streaked through it. Very fashionable jewelry. On an up note, I found 2 flies, 2 spinners and a package of snell hooks. Also picked up several bottles, some cans and other things folks didn’t want to pack out. It was a better day than the Dolphins had I hear. Jim
Last night was about as poor a demonstration of professional football as I have seen in a long time. The two high school teams from Alabama on ESPN Friday night were much more entertaining.
Jim, you caught fish and found more lures than you lost flies that’s a win. Plus you improved the environmental situation you found, which definitely makes you a winner.
UJ: I am affraid I do not know those guys but thanks very much for the picture. I would really love for my son to meet Barry: hard nosed runner who would make you look very silly grasping for air as he simply drifts on by. I think Barry loved every monement on the field: just did not act like a fool while doing it
I have been lucky enough to coach at several levels down to where my son is now at the 5th grade. The core message is always the same though: play the game the right way.
This reminds me of fly fishing too: there are guys who fly fish then there are guys who love fly fishing: They delight in the fish, the stream, the patterns, the ebb and flow of the stream; all that fly fishing represents. For newer fly fishermen like myself, it can be a bit intimidating but exciting at the same time. You never hear brovodo in the voices of those who truely love fly fishing when asked how they did. They have caught good fish before even on really tough days. Like Barry, the slip that great fish back in the water and jog back to their figurative huddle knowing they will catch another great fish.
For my son, fishing can wait; its football season and I love that energy and dedication. I have to admit that there is a selfish side though that can not wait for the day when he says " the game can wait, go grab your rod and lets go out"
As for the Lions fans poping up: everyone loves a winner so I have no troubles with a band wagon fan as it means that the Lions are finally doing well. Some guys will hate me for saying that but that is their troubles not mine.
QUOTE=Uncle Jesse;432841]Jim, You and I keep score differently. I count flies lost agains fish caught. I was taught and believe you have to put a fly where there is a chance of losing it to catch fish.
Briney Dave there are more people in Georgia pulling for the Lion this year than ever. I’m not sure why. You may know the players here, I’m not sure of the year. The coach with the long sideburns is Jim Carr, a friend of mine who was an assistant with a number of different NFL teams. He’s about 75 yrs. now and living in Indianapolis with his wife Lila to be close to their daughter and grandchildren. He coached def. backs and was Dion Sanders’ first pro coach.
