This was the scene here in Illinois last nite
Doves in the ice covered birch tree
The ice covered tree out front
Now it is just raining and windy.
HO HO HO HO!!!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas to ALL
Hope everyonne is having a wonderful Christmas Day, wherever you may be.
This was the scene here in Illinois last nite
Doves in the ice covered birch tree
The ice covered tree out front
Now it is just raining and windy.
HO HO HO HO!!!!
This was the scene here in Illinois last nite
Doves in the ice covered birch tree
The ice covered tree out front
Now it is just raining and windy.
HO HO HO HO!!!!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Christmas List
OK, OK - I always say I don't want anything for Christmas - I really don't - but if I think REAL long and hard about it, there are always a few things that pop into my mind that I may need for one reason or another. So, in the spirit of Christmas (and mostly because everyone else's blog has a Christmas list), I bring you my Christmas List 2009
1) A Red Dot scope. I just picked up my new Bushmaster today and decided that I want a Red Dot scope for it. Don't really know why, but I want it.
2) A GREAT windblocking outer shell. I've had a lot of windbreaker-type jackets over the years, and most have been OK. But, when I'm going on a weight restricted floatplane trip - often 40 pounds - I want the best, lightest weight wind shield that is pretty good as a water repeller as well. Something under one pound. Won't let ANY wind through. I take care of the "cold-factor" with layers of UnderArmour, but the early morning boat ride is what kills you on these trips, as well as the windy days on the water. I have my eye on 2 of these pieces. Mountain Hardwear's Windstopper Tech jacket, and/or a Marmot Minimalist.
3) I LOVE the 2 pair of Muck Boots I own. One is a pair of shoes; the other is a full over-calf length boot. I found out this past summer that I need a third pair. Muck makes a shoe that goes just over your ankle. I found out that I needed them at Athabasca this past summer. HEAVY rains were with us on 2 days - so much so that the rain poured off the raingear, right down the rainpants, and right into the Muck shoe! I don't use the boot on these trips - too heavy - so the mid-size will be perfect -just high enough that the rain won't flow INTO my footwear.
4) Mostly what I want is more time to fish where I want to , when I want to . I think this is a pretty universal wish. I really miss fly fishing in the Rockies, and I haven't been on a good smallmouth bass outing for a couple of years. And I certainly need to knock off a few more of the states in my "Catch a Fish in all 50 States" quest.
5) I think I need a new ultralight spinning reel. Mine are pretty much on the back nine of their lives.
6) Finally, I really DO need a new Digital Camera. I want to do a better job with photography in the coming year. I want a compact camera that does a good job and, most importantly, is FAST. The current model I'm using - an Olympus something-or-other, about 8 mp - takes nice pictures, has a good image stabilizer, does all the things I need it to do, EXCEPT - it is terribly slow going from the last photo you took to being able to take the next one (Don't know what that is called in "photographer language"). Any and all comments re: which digital to buy would be greatly appreciated!
That ought to do it. Nothing that I really NEED, just a short list of WANTS.
Here's hoping that you all get ALL the things you want for Christmas, especially the time to do all the things we all love to do.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Wolfy
1) A Red Dot scope. I just picked up my new Bushmaster today and decided that I want a Red Dot scope for it. Don't really know why, but I want it.
2) A GREAT windblocking outer shell. I've had a lot of windbreaker-type jackets over the years, and most have been OK. But, when I'm going on a weight restricted floatplane trip - often 40 pounds - I want the best, lightest weight wind shield that is pretty good as a water repeller as well. Something under one pound. Won't let ANY wind through. I take care of the "cold-factor" with layers of UnderArmour, but the early morning boat ride is what kills you on these trips, as well as the windy days on the water. I have my eye on 2 of these pieces. Mountain Hardwear's Windstopper Tech jacket, and/or a Marmot Minimalist.
3) I LOVE the 2 pair of Muck Boots I own. One is a pair of shoes; the other is a full over-calf length boot. I found out this past summer that I need a third pair. Muck makes a shoe that goes just over your ankle. I found out that I needed them at Athabasca this past summer. HEAVY rains were with us on 2 days - so much so that the rain poured off the raingear, right down the rainpants, and right into the Muck shoe! I don't use the boot on these trips - too heavy - so the mid-size will be perfect -just high enough that the rain won't flow INTO my footwear.
4) Mostly what I want is more time to fish where I want to , when I want to . I think this is a pretty universal wish. I really miss fly fishing in the Rockies, and I haven't been on a good smallmouth bass outing for a couple of years. And I certainly need to knock off a few more of the states in my "Catch a Fish in all 50 States" quest.
5) I think I need a new ultralight spinning reel. Mine are pretty much on the back nine of their lives.
6) Finally, I really DO need a new Digital Camera. I want to do a better job with photography in the coming year. I want a compact camera that does a good job and, most importantly, is FAST. The current model I'm using - an Olympus something-or-other, about 8 mp - takes nice pictures, has a good image stabilizer, does all the things I need it to do, EXCEPT - it is terribly slow going from the last photo you took to being able to take the next one (Don't know what that is called in "photographer language"). Any and all comments re: which digital to buy would be greatly appreciated!
That ought to do it. Nothing that I really NEED, just a short list of WANTS.
Here's hoping that you all get ALL the things you want for Christmas, especially the time to do all the things we all love to do.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Wolfy
Monday, December 14, 2009
The "Traveling Dark Cloud of Doom" remains firmly in place, over my head.
Last week I was in Louisiana for a day and a half on business. Our plans were to stay at the house of an older gentleman who is a FANATIC bass fisherman, and possibly (probably?) sneak out and catch some fall bass. The most astute of you will realize that Louisiana is one of the states in which I have NOT caught a fish (the list is on the right hand side of this blog, following the Blog List), so it had a little more importance to me. But, before I proceed with this tale, let me take you back a few months . . .
1) The first failed mission was the Minnesota smallmouth bass adventure in October. First, there was the early snowfall. I wavered about fishing, but was convinced to give it a shot. Until the morning of our scheduled trip, when the boat was blocked in by a couple of Winnebago's. Part bad weather, part bad luck.
2) I had plane tickets to fly to Arkansas the second week of November to try my hand at tailrace trout fishing, Arkansas-style. Never fished Arkansas before, so that would have been another state to check off of my list. 2 weeks before my departure, torrential rains hit Arkansas, and the Little Red River rose somewhere around 20 FEET. Another trip dashed by the weather gods.
Which brings us back to last week. You may have noticed that the upper Midwest garnered most of the attention for it's crappy weather - snow in Chicago, bitter cold temps across heartland. Well, that cold front ranged FAR to the South. When we arrived in Monroe LA on the afternoon of the 9th, it was 35 degrees with a strong NW wind. The previous afternoon, it was 72 degrees and the front was moving through, with the requisite storms that accompany these strong cold fronts. The next morning dawned with a temp of 27.
Being from the Chicago area now, and previously from Syracuse, I would classify the 27 and windy weather as "Chilly". In LA, on the rare occasion that the temp falls to these depths, they hunker down and wait for spring. Needless to say, there were NO fish caught during the short attempt we made to get a few.
Three trips planned, three trips un-done due to weather.
Can't wait for 2010 - it HAS TO be better than the past 3 months!
1) The first failed mission was the Minnesota smallmouth bass adventure in October. First, there was the early snowfall. I wavered about fishing, but was convinced to give it a shot. Until the morning of our scheduled trip, when the boat was blocked in by a couple of Winnebago's. Part bad weather, part bad luck.
2) I had plane tickets to fly to Arkansas the second week of November to try my hand at tailrace trout fishing, Arkansas-style. Never fished Arkansas before, so that would have been another state to check off of my list. 2 weeks before my departure, torrential rains hit Arkansas, and the Little Red River rose somewhere around 20 FEET. Another trip dashed by the weather gods.
Which brings us back to last week. You may have noticed that the upper Midwest garnered most of the attention for it's crappy weather - snow in Chicago, bitter cold temps across heartland. Well, that cold front ranged FAR to the South. When we arrived in Monroe LA on the afternoon of the 9th, it was 35 degrees with a strong NW wind. The previous afternoon, it was 72 degrees and the front was moving through, with the requisite storms that accompany these strong cold fronts. The next morning dawned with a temp of 27.
Being from the Chicago area now, and previously from Syracuse, I would classify the 27 and windy weather as "Chilly". In LA, on the rare occasion that the temp falls to these depths, they hunker down and wait for spring. Needless to say, there were NO fish caught during the short attempt we made to get a few.
Three trips planned, three trips un-done due to weather.
Can't wait for 2010 - it HAS TO be better than the past 3 months!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The BIG GAME Lure giveaway winner is . . .
Time to draw the winner of the final installment of my 3 GIVEAWAYS OF CHRISTMAS - the Big Game / Pike package. Recent trends show it will be a woman, because the winners of my first two were women. Let's see how the trend plays out. By the way - with only 10 commenters, these are the best odds for all involved. Good luck to all. I'm off to the Random.org number generator.
And the winning number is: 10!! That means the winner is the last commenter to the contest, and is a newcomer to the blogsite - tmc480. AND a newcomer to pike / musky fishing. This will definitely get you started!
Thank you to all who participated in my Giveaways. I picked up a few more followers and got a lot of blog hits. And, hopefully, made a few people a little happier this Christmas season.
Now I get to go back to the usual blog posts, although this is the season when I struggle at times to come up with posting subjects. But I've got a few up my sleeve!
Thanks again to all who participated.
Wolfy
And the winning number is: 10!! That means the winner is the last commenter to the contest, and is a newcomer to the blogsite - tmc480. AND a newcomer to pike / musky fishing. This will definitely get you started!
Thank you to all who participated in my Giveaways. I picked up a few more followers and got a lot of blog hits. And, hopefully, made a few people a little happier this Christmas season.
Now I get to go back to the usual blog posts, although this is the season when I struggle at times to come up with posting subjects. But I've got a few up my sleeve!
Thanks again to all who participated.
Wolfy
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Time for the third, and final, GIVEAWAY - the Big Game Package!
Alright, time for the last installment of the 3 GIVEAWAYS OF CHRISTMAS. Readers of this blog know that Big Pike are near and dear to my heart - probably my favorite fish that swim. I love the aggressiveness of the strike, the fact that it is often a visual strike, and they can get BIG. The package that follows is an assortment of my favorite lures for these toothy critters.
Even if you are not a die-hard - feel free to throw your name in the hat. These baits will work for musky, striper, saltwater. Good luck to all.
A selection of jerkbaits
The jerkbait selection includes a number of the baits that were the hottest on our Athabasca trip this past summer. The 2 large Rapalas - Jointed X-Rap 13 and SW X-Rap - were our best producers. The Jointed X-Rap accounted for the 47"]er that was the best of the trip. There is also a Clackin Rap #8, an Excalibur Suspending Jerkbait, and new Glide Rap.
The Spinner - Spoon collection
The items shown above are another indispensable part of any pike arsenal. The bucktails are a Mepps Giant Killer and a BIG Dominatrix double bladed bucktail. There is a 1 oz. Eppinger 5 of Diamonds and a 1 oz. weedless Dardevle. And finally, a Magnum King Jr. spinnerbait.
A selection of Big Game swimbaits
I love to fish big swim baits for pike. The group above contains a package of 6" Salt Shakers and a package of 6-1/2" Strike King Shadalicious. There is also a 10" Storm Kickin Minnow and a Worden's T-60 Flatfish - the lure preferred by giant lake trout everywhere.
There you have it. The rules are the same - contest will end next weekend 12-12-09. Add your comment below.
A) Are you a pike angler? Other big game? Or just planning to be.
B) Best Pike / musky / ...
Thanks again for participating.
Wolfy
Even if you are not a die-hard - feel free to throw your name in the hat. These baits will work for musky, striper, saltwater. Good luck to all.
A selection of jerkbaits
The jerkbait selection includes a number of the baits that were the hottest on our Athabasca trip this past summer. The 2 large Rapalas - Jointed X-Rap 13 and SW X-Rap - were our best producers. The Jointed X-Rap accounted for the 47"]er that was the best of the trip. There is also a Clackin Rap #8, an Excalibur Suspending Jerkbait, and new Glide Rap.
The Spinner - Spoon collection
The items shown above are another indispensable part of any pike arsenal. The bucktails are a Mepps Giant Killer and a BIG Dominatrix double bladed bucktail. There is a 1 oz. Eppinger 5 of Diamonds and a 1 oz. weedless Dardevle. And finally, a Magnum King Jr. spinnerbait.
A selection of Big Game swimbaits
I love to fish big swim baits for pike. The group above contains a package of 6" Salt Shakers and a package of 6-1/2" Strike King Shadalicious. There is also a 10" Storm Kickin Minnow and a Worden's T-60 Flatfish - the lure preferred by giant lake trout everywhere.
There you have it. The rules are the same - contest will end next weekend 12-12-09. Add your comment below.
A) Are you a pike angler? Other big game? Or just planning to be.
B) Best Pike / musky / ...
Thanks again for participating.
Wolfy
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The BASS Package drawing winner is . . .
Well, it is 2:30 pm and, while it is a little later than I planned, it's time for the BASS GIVEAWAY. (Actually, I'm doing a science project with my 12 year old son, and if I don't walk away, I might have to bludgeon him. Just kidding, of course. Maybe)
There are 22 comments, so I will use 1 - 22 on the random number generator. If it comes up to a comment who doesn't bass fish, I'll re-draw.
And the winner is - 5!! The 5th commentor is: Luvs2Fish - Laurie. She found the blog through Ashley in Canada. Congratulations Laurie - I'll need for you to email me with your address and I'll get your stuff out to you.
The final installment in my "3 Giveaways of Christmas" is a Big Game package. I originally thought it would be a pike / musky package, and it certainly does apply to that, but it will also be good for stripers and salt water game fish, too. Not quite as many pieces in this one, because they are more expensive per piece.
PLEASE NOTE - I WILL POST THE PICTURE OF THE NEXT GIVEAWAY TONIGHT - SAVE YOUR COMMENTS FOR THAT PACKAGE UNTIL I POST THE PICTURE OF THE PACKAGE
I'd like to thank everyone who has been participating in these events - it's been a lot of fun for me. I am astonished by the number of fellow bloggers who have written about the Giveaway - thanks to you all.
The only "bad" part about this is that, by design, I don't do another blog entry until the date when I declare the winner. So, if I appear quiet, it's only because I want the GIVEAWAY post to come up first on my blogsite.
Thanks again to all, good luck on the pike / musky/ big game package, and Good Luck to all of you big game fishermen.
By the way - if everyone is as excited about winning their package as Rebecca was with her fly fishing package, my wildest dreams for this contest will have been fulfilled.
There are 22 comments, so I will use 1 - 22 on the random number generator. If it comes up to a comment who doesn't bass fish, I'll re-draw.
And the winner is - 5!! The 5th commentor is: Luvs2Fish - Laurie. She found the blog through Ashley in Canada. Congratulations Laurie - I'll need for you to email me with your address and I'll get your stuff out to you.
The final installment in my "3 Giveaways of Christmas" is a Big Game package. I originally thought it would be a pike / musky package, and it certainly does apply to that, but it will also be good for stripers and salt water game fish, too. Not quite as many pieces in this one, because they are more expensive per piece.
PLEASE NOTE - I WILL POST THE PICTURE OF THE NEXT GIVEAWAY TONIGHT - SAVE YOUR COMMENTS FOR THAT PACKAGE UNTIL I POST THE PICTURE OF THE PACKAGE
I'd like to thank everyone who has been participating in these events - it's been a lot of fun for me. I am astonished by the number of fellow bloggers who have written about the Giveaway - thanks to you all.
The only "bad" part about this is that, by design, I don't do another blog entry until the date when I declare the winner. So, if I appear quiet, it's only because I want the GIVEAWAY post to come up first on my blogsite.
Thanks again to all, good luck on the pike / musky/ big game package, and Good Luck to all of you big game fishermen.
By the way - if everyone is as excited about winning their package as Rebecca was with her fly fishing package, my wildest dreams for this contest will have been fulfilled.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Good Karma, the GIVEAWAY winner, and a new BASS GIVEAWAY
OK - time to let you know who won the first of my giveaways - the flyfishing package. First , the specifics about determining the winner. I had 13 comments to my Giveaway offer, so I used the range of 1 - 13 at random.org, and generated a number. If the number would have corresponded to one of the people who responded but declared that they don't fly fish anymore - Mel comes to mind - I would have done it again until I got a winner. I only need 1 try though, and the number generated was 10. (My wife was my witness, so no one can accuse me of manipulating the number!) The 10th comment was from a newcomer to my blog - Rebecca at The Outdooress. (To see Rebecca's site - the Outdooress - click through on my blog roll) The winning selection was PERFECT on one level - Rebecca had posted the GIVEAWAY on her site to let others know about it. Thank you to Rebecca, and her package will be sent out this week after we email and I get her address. BTW - I asked a little bit about what you like to fly fish for in the comment section. Part of that was to have something to read; part of it was because I planned to include a little bonus in the winner's package appropriate to what their likes are. Rebecca's is easy - she's a trout angler and relies on caddis and Princes. So - she'll have a little something extra in the package she receives.
Congratulations Rebecca, welcome to Flowing Waters, and thanks for the plug on your site!
Now it's time for part 2 of the 3 part giveaway. I think (expect) this one to have a few more comments than the first. The second part of the giveaway is a BASS PACKAGE. Since bass are more widely fished for then trout, and my blog deals with bass a whole lot more than trout, I think this will have more universal appeal than the fly fishing one. I will choose the winner next Saturday - December 5 - using the same methods as with the first one.
Rules will be similar - send in a comment to this post. Please include:
A) Are you a bass angler?
B) Favorite species - smallmouth, largemouth, spotted bass
C) your personal best / biggest bass.
Obviously, these lures can be used for anything, but they are geared toward bass. The package includes:
The Plastics part of the GIVEAWAY
Soft Baits, Accessories
MIZMO - 1 pk Flasher Tubes
STRIKE KING - 3 pks of Tubes. 1 pk each: Craws, Rage Toads, Ocho worms
CULPRIT - 2 pks. worms
LINDY - 1 pk Munchie Ringworms
YUM - 1 pk Floating Worms
OPTIMUM - 1- 2 pk. Baby line-Thru swimbaits
VMC - 1 pk. 1/16 oz. Bugeye hooks, 1 Tube Jig kit
MUSTAD - 1 pk. 4/0 Bigmouth tube hooks
BERKLEY - 1 pk. Powerbait Realstik 3" black shad
FALCON - 1 FTO 1105 Speedbag for worms
STRIKE KING ASSORTMENT
OTHER PLASTICS
HOOKS, SWIMBAITS
.JPG)
FTO SPEEDBAG
Hard Baits
STRIKE KING - 2 each 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits
BILL LEIS - 1 - 1/4 oz. Rattletrap
STORM - 1 each: Deep Jr. Thunderstik, Thin Fin, and Chug Bug
RAPALA - 1 each DTFSS-7 (Flat sided Dive-to 7' crankbait), Long Cast Minnow
SEBILE - 1 each 3-1/2", 1/3 oz. Magic Swimmer
SPINNERBAITS, RATTLETRAP
RAPALA and STORM baits
SEBILE MAGIC SWIMMER
26 pieces in this assortment, plus a bonus of my choosing to the winner!
Before we start the mad dash for Bass lures, I'd like to say Thank You to the newcomers to my blog, and as always , a sincere THANKS to the loyal long-time readers. You're all appreciated more than you know.
HAVE FUN!
Wolfy
Congratulations Rebecca, welcome to Flowing Waters, and thanks for the plug on your site!
Now it's time for part 2 of the 3 part giveaway. I think (expect) this one to have a few more comments than the first. The second part of the giveaway is a BASS PACKAGE. Since bass are more widely fished for then trout, and my blog deals with bass a whole lot more than trout, I think this will have more universal appeal than the fly fishing one. I will choose the winner next Saturday - December 5 - using the same methods as with the first one.
Rules will be similar - send in a comment to this post. Please include:
A) Are you a bass angler?
B) Favorite species - smallmouth, largemouth, spotted bass
C) your personal best / biggest bass.
Obviously, these lures can be used for anything, but they are geared toward bass. The package includes:
The Plastics part of the GIVEAWAY
Soft Baits, Accessories
MIZMO - 1 pk Flasher Tubes
STRIKE KING - 3 pks of Tubes. 1 pk each: Craws, Rage Toads, Ocho worms
CULPRIT - 2 pks. worms
LINDY - 1 pk Munchie Ringworms
YUM - 1 pk Floating Worms
OPTIMUM - 1- 2 pk. Baby line-Thru swimbaits
VMC - 1 pk. 1/16 oz. Bugeye hooks, 1 Tube Jig kit
MUSTAD - 1 pk. 4/0 Bigmouth tube hooks
BERKLEY - 1 pk. Powerbait Realstik 3" black shad
FALCON - 1 FTO 1105 Speedbag for worms
STRIKE KING ASSORTMENT
OTHER PLASTICS
HOOKS, SWIMBAITS
.JPG)
FTO SPEEDBAG
Hard Baits
STRIKE KING - 2 each 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits
BILL LEIS - 1 - 1/4 oz. Rattletrap
STORM - 1 each: Deep Jr. Thunderstik, Thin Fin, and Chug Bug
RAPALA - 1 each DTFSS-7 (Flat sided Dive-to 7' crankbait), Long Cast Minnow
SEBILE - 1 each 3-1/2", 1/3 oz. Magic Swimmer
SPINNERBAITS, RATTLETRAP
RAPALA and STORM baits
SEBILE MAGIC SWIMMER
26 pieces in this assortment, plus a bonus of my choosing to the winner!
Before we start the mad dash for Bass lures, I'd like to say Thank You to the newcomers to my blog, and as always , a sincere THANKS to the loyal long-time readers. You're all appreciated more than you know.
HAVE FUN!
Wolfy
FLY FISHHING Giveaway results
I have done the random number generator (with a witness, no less). But - I am walking out the door to do some "Christmas Season" stuff with the family, so I will post the result, and the next GIVEAWAY, tonight.
Thanks to all who particiapted - stay tuned
Thanks to all who particiapted - stay tuned
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Fly Fishing GIVEAWAY! Everyone invited
Fly Fishing Package - GIVEAWAY #1
I'm really not in the Christmas mood yet, but I think this may jumpstart "the Season of Giving". I said I would have 3 Giveaways between now and Christmas, and this is the first.
The first of the three parts of this giveaway is a FLY FISHING ASSORTMENT and consists of the following:
- 1 - Scientific Angler WF-5-F Lefty Kreh signature series flyline
- 1 - S.A. 9', 5x leader
- 1 - 25 meter spool S.A. 5x tippet material
- 2 - Seaguar 10 yd. trial packs Flourocarbon leader material - 1 each 8# and
10#
- 1 Plano Fly Box
- 38 flies from Montana Fly Company. The flies are listed in order of the way they appear in the fly box when you open the box, from top to bottom. In the picture, the order is actually from R - L. TOP ROW - Caddis - 2 each: Elk Hair Olive #14, Elk Hair Tan #18, Goddard #16, Olive Sparkle Pupa #14, Tan Sparkle Pupa #14. 1 each Taylor Gut Instinct, Kyle's Killer Caddis.
ROW 2 - Dry Attractors - 2 each: Royal Trude #14, Yellow Humpy #16, H&L Variant #14, Royal Wulff #18. ROW 3 Nymphs. 2 each: Bead Head Flashback Rubberlegged Copper Bob #12, Bead Head Pupa Prince #14, Bead Head Rubberlegged Prince #16, Bead Head Fast Water Prince #14, Spring Creek Olive Superflash Pheasant tail #16, Bead Head Epoxy Back Copper Nymph #20. ROW 4 - Hopper / Dropper 1 each : Bloom Parahopper, Oswald Head Turning Hopper. 2 each: Bead Head Rub-a-dub Olive Caddis Pupa #16, Bead Head Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear #16.
Montana Fly Co. Flies
It's my belief that Montana Fly Co. flies are the finest commercially produced flies available today. Their patterns are awesome, they constantly add new patterns, and my experiences show that the fish like them as much as I do.
Everything in this GIVEAWAY is new and un-used. You DO NOT need to be an experienced fly fisherman to win - this could be the package that jumpstarts your fly fishing career!
5 weight floating Flyline
Since I've never done anything like this before, I want to keep it simple. The winner wil be chosen by a random number generator next Saturday, November 28 at noon Central time. The comment that corresponds to the number generated will win the package. And, yes, I will ship Internationally.
Please limit your comments (for the purpose of winning / entering the contest) to 1 per person. I would like the comment to state:
A) are you currently a fly fisherman (or woman)
B) Do you primarily fish Warmwater (bass, panfish) or Coldwater (trout) or Saltwater
C) Any other comments or stories involving fly fishing, even if you just say you want to try it!
HAVE FUN - Let the Season of Giving begin!
Wolfy
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Blog Days of November, and some random thoughts. (And - maybe - A GIVEAWAY!!!!)
They say the Dog-Days of August are the worst times - too hot to fish, fish don't bite, everything is just lethargic. These must be the Blog-Days of November. For some reason, I find myself in blogging funk. I just have no drive to post anything on my blogsite, and I'd rather have no new posts than worthless drivel. I was commiserating my dilemma with Lizzy at From the Fisherbabe and she was echoing the same feeling. Her impetus for a new post came today when she received her new Cabelas catalog; mine came through our conversation. Nothing in particular - just the overall feel of the conversation. I came home from work and decided that my blog needed a jumpstart, fishing experience to write about or not.
I've decided That I need some enthusiasm and interest in the site, and nothing generates interest or enthusiasm like A GIVEAWAY. I will be putting together at least 3 separate packages to be given away randomly between now and Christmas. There will be one BASS assortment, one TROUT assortment, and one PIKE assortment. I will be posting details and pictures of all of these over the weekend - stay tuned.
One thing Lizzy and I talked about is something I've just recently paid any attention to, in the way of recently posted additions to my blog list. I have, what seems to me, an inordinate amount of blogs written by women on my blog list. We both came to the same conclusion - the blogs I really like to read are the one's where people show real emotion and enthusiasm for the sport, and I believe women convey that better than a lot of men. So I'm not really searching out blogs by women - it just happens that I like what a lot of them are writing. Ladies - keep on writing great stuff! I hope I convey the same amount of enthusiasm that I read in all the blogs on my bloglist!
[by the way - this is certainly not a knock on any of the blogs written by men that many of us follow. If I follow it, I like the content, regardless of the gender of the author]
So - keep reading. I'll be unveiling the Christmas 2009 Giveaway this weekend. Good luck to all of you!
Wolfy
I've decided That I need some enthusiasm and interest in the site, and nothing generates interest or enthusiasm like A GIVEAWAY. I will be putting together at least 3 separate packages to be given away randomly between now and Christmas. There will be one BASS assortment, one TROUT assortment, and one PIKE assortment. I will be posting details and pictures of all of these over the weekend - stay tuned.
One thing Lizzy and I talked about is something I've just recently paid any attention to, in the way of recently posted additions to my blog list. I have, what seems to me, an inordinate amount of blogs written by women on my blog list. We both came to the same conclusion - the blogs I really like to read are the one's where people show real emotion and enthusiasm for the sport, and I believe women convey that better than a lot of men. So I'm not really searching out blogs by women - it just happens that I like what a lot of them are writing. Ladies - keep on writing great stuff! I hope I convey the same amount of enthusiasm that I read in all the blogs on my bloglist!
[by the way - this is certainly not a knock on any of the blogs written by men that many of us follow. If I follow it, I like the content, regardless of the gender of the author]
So - keep reading. I'll be unveiling the Christmas 2009 Giveaway this weekend. Good luck to all of you!
Wolfy
Friday, November 13, 2009
55 degrees today - gotta fish
The lower pond in November
It was 55 today with a southerly breeze. I know there won't be many of these days left, so I went out to the old reliable pond over lunch today. The pond was stocked with trout a few weeks ago, so even if none of the other residents are cooperative, I figure I should be able to catch some trout.
Mepps Aglia Streamer
I started off fishing for the trout. I used the Mepps Aglia Streamer spinner pictured. Its become a favorite of mine, even though it is a little bit longer than I would call ideal. After 5 visible hits from trout, and no hookups, I decided i needed to go smaller. I went to the old reliable 1/16 oz. jighead with a 2" grub, and started after them. My grubs were Lindy Munchie, and I started with a watermelon color. the pond was very clear.
November crappie
All the trout were about this size
The fishing was a little slow, but I was only there for 45 minutes. Final tally - 4 trout brought to hand (and a few others hooked and lost), 2 gills caught, and 1 crappie. All were on the Munchie grubs, and all were on subtle colors. I threw a chartreuse grub, but found no takers. The watermelon and copper colors caught everything.
Good colors today
Not a day for the record books by any means, but a day on the pond catching trout ove lunch beats the hell out of the usual lunch alternatives!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
I must have offended the Weather-Gods
I bought a plane ticket about a month ago to fly to Arkansas and do some Fall trout fishing. I should be there right now, enjoying the Ozarks and trying to set the hook on a few trout - maybe a trophy trout.
But I'm not in Arkansas. I'm in Illinois. And there are NO tailwater trout nearby.
Foiled again.
If you remember back about 2 weeks ago, there was a tremendous amount of rain from Texas to Illinois, with the system moving slowly to the East, taking the moisture with it. I watched the news over one of the weekends and saw cars completely submerged in Little Rock, ARK due to the flash flooding.
Uh-oh - that's where I was flying into to fish! No problem, I thought - 2 weeks will flush out the rivers and they'll be perfect when I get there.
Wrong again.
The dams have been releasing water almost around the clock. The conditions you hope for when fishing these tailwaters is for a long period of NO dam release, so you can get out and wade the shoals. Well, that's not going to happen for this fisherman in 09. I'll start making plans to try again in 2010.
But - all is not lost. I was talking to a friend at the trade show I worked last week, and he was GUSHING about how great Falcon Reservoir has been lately. This is a guy who fishes all over the South, and has caught a lot of big bass. So, I'm trying to set up a short trip to the Mexico border to sample Falcon. I'll keep you posted.
But I'm not in Arkansas. I'm in Illinois. And there are NO tailwater trout nearby.
Foiled again.
If you remember back about 2 weeks ago, there was a tremendous amount of rain from Texas to Illinois, with the system moving slowly to the East, taking the moisture with it. I watched the news over one of the weekends and saw cars completely submerged in Little Rock, ARK due to the flash flooding.
Uh-oh - that's where I was flying into to fish! No problem, I thought - 2 weeks will flush out the rivers and they'll be perfect when I get there.
Wrong again.
The dams have been releasing water almost around the clock. The conditions you hope for when fishing these tailwaters is for a long period of NO dam release, so you can get out and wade the shoals. Well, that's not going to happen for this fisherman in 09. I'll start making plans to try again in 2010.
But - all is not lost. I was talking to a friend at the trade show I worked last week, and he was GUSHING about how great Falcon Reservoir has been lately. This is a guy who fishes all over the South, and has caught a lot of big bass. So, I'm trying to set up a short trip to the Mexico border to sample Falcon. I'll keep you posted.
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