Thanks to the efforts of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) our local trout fortunes have vastly improved. In previous blogs I addressed my ideas about stocking more brown trout, and I bemoaned the size of the fish we were getting this year. A few weeks ago VDGIF with help from Trout Unlimited stocked Fairfax County delayed harvest creeks. I am happy to note greater numbers of brown trout and much bigger fish, particularly the rainbows (see last blog).
This morning started slow. The creek was fairly stained from the storms this week. I always laud the effectiveness of the wooly bugger in most fly-fishing situations. Stained water only reinforces my belief. I believe traditional wet, dry, and nymph flies are lost in stained water. The Bass Fishermen’s basic rule is the more stained the water the bigger the lure. I thought a black wooly bugger was the ticket. After about a half hour I had only one bite so I switched to Chartreuse BH wooly bugger. Over the next forty-five minutes I landed four: two rainbows, two browns. Although I lost a couple more to weak hook sets, today was much slower than last Sunday. I am not complaining; four is still pretty good.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Trout: The Winter Fix
Nothing in life is much better than getting on a school of bass. But when its too cold for bass, picking on some really dumb trout fresh from the hatchery is a very close second. This morning was a total smashfest. Putting in less than two hours I landed about a dozen trout (one brown, the rest bows).
Before I overstate my fly fishing prowess I must provide the caveat that I managed the obligatory botched landing of the fish of the day: A rainbow pushing 18" and about two pounds. My encounters with large fish over the last year fall into two groups: the ones I lose, and the one my cousin BJ was there to help me land. In the spirit of angling dishonesty we call the former a "quick release." This morning I acted like a bass guy and forgot I had a net attached to my vest and grabbed my leader. Hey, it's what Roland Martin does. So, the rainbow flops off into some shallow riffles. For a moment I had him in my hands, but he was too slippery. OK Mr. 18" I mean 20” three pound Rainbow, you are on notice…I know where you live.
Before I overstate my fly fishing prowess I must provide the caveat that I managed the obligatory botched landing of the fish of the day: A rainbow pushing 18" and about two pounds. My encounters with large fish over the last year fall into two groups: the ones I lose, and the one my cousin BJ was there to help me land. In the spirit of angling dishonesty we call the former a "quick release." This morning I acted like a bass guy and forgot I had a net attached to my vest and grabbed my leader. Hey, it's what Roland Martin does. So, the rainbow flops off into some shallow riffles. For a moment I had him in my hands, but he was too slippery. OK Mr. 18" I mean 20” three pound Rainbow, you are on notice…I know where you live.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Infant Shaping 101
Mom’s really tired this morning, so I can’t slip out to fish in good faith. But I can watch fishing shows with little Zachy. So, I am watching Zach zone out as the fishing show host catches a huge smallmouth. The little guy is completely captivated. I can’t help but think that chances are strong that nature and nurture will converge. Look out mom, there may be three fishermen in the house soon.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The Day My Son Caught More Fish Than I Did
Maybe it was pride, maybe it was the humiliation of being bested by a three year old, but I have never fully come clean about what happened in Amarillo that day in September when my three year old son caught more fish than I did. Yes, I know that kills the whole Bass Slayer myth, but it is true.
We were visiting family in Texas and I took David fishing at a local park. I was fly fishing, but my Virginia based fly tactics were marginally producing Green Sunfish. In the first hour I got a couple. My son is throwing a small grub on an ultra-light and suddenly hooks a Catfish. I tried to help him land it but before I could do anything he had slung it out of the water like he was in a tournament. So, this was a fluke, right? At first it seemed so, but after things slowed a bit David asked to switch lures. We agreed that I would tie a Trout magnet on his line. That was the instant the momentum turned in favor of my son. Before I knew it my son had hauled in six green sunfish....six! He's three! I made futile run to catch up at the end. Tied a wooly bugger and scored three or four. But in the end, my son was the better angler that day. It is true. I am proud of him, and I feel better now that I have come clean.
We were visiting family in Texas and I took David fishing at a local park. I was fly fishing, but my Virginia based fly tactics were marginally producing Green Sunfish. In the first hour I got a couple. My son is throwing a small grub on an ultra-light and suddenly hooks a Catfish. I tried to help him land it but before I could do anything he had slung it out of the water like he was in a tournament. So, this was a fluke, right? At first it seemed so, but after things slowed a bit David asked to switch lures. We agreed that I would tie a Trout magnet on his line. That was the instant the momentum turned in favor of my son. Before I knew it my son had hauled in six green sunfish....six! He's three! I made futile run to catch up at the end. Tied a wooly bugger and scored three or four. But in the end, my son was the better angler that day. It is true. I am proud of him, and I feel better now that I have come clean.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
While They Were Sleeping
My strategy in this sport must involve more than fish to be successful. First, I have set the family conditions for a quick outing. This morning this involved feeding my infant son Zach an extra two ounces of formula. Luckily little Zachy's stomach was held at bay long enough for Dad to score a quick rainbow and return before the little guy woke the family up.
That in itself is success for me. My loyalty to the Wholly Bugger was also big this morning. Didn't have a lot of time on the stream but I was happy with how quickly I was able to hook up. On the down side, we seem to be getting mainly runts from the state hatcheries this year. But, I was pleased with how healthy this trout was: good color, fought well. We are still living off the fall stock. The winter stocking is in a few weeks. Things are looking good for peak trout fishing this spring.
That in itself is success for me. My loyalty to the Wholly Bugger was also big this morning. Didn't have a lot of time on the stream but I was happy with how quickly I was able to hook up. On the down side, we seem to be getting mainly runts from the state hatcheries this year. But, I was pleased with how healthy this trout was: good color, fought well. We are still living off the fall stock. The winter stocking is in a few weeks. Things are looking good for peak trout fishing this spring.
Monday, January 21, 2008
10 Degree Rainbows
I view it as my god given right to go fishing on a federal holiday, or at least get in an hour or so in the morning before the family wakes up. Why would I let the fact that it was 10 degrees this morning get in the way? Yeah, there was that problem with the stream being almost completely iced over.
OK, so I am standing in front of the stream in my neoprene waders with my fly rod looking like an idiot. Given that most flies are less effective when they are separated from the fish by a layer of ice I had to analyze the situation. I watched a bass fishing show yesterday when bass legend Rick Clunn talked about pattern fishing. Pattern fishing is based on the assumption that fish behave similarly in groups. So, if you catch say a bass feeding around a wind blown stump, identical structure elsewhere will likely have other bass feeding the same way.
So, that brings me back to staring at a frozen stream trying to figure out what to do. My first rule of fly fishing is when in doubt tie on a black bead headed wholly bugger--the one fly I know works on just about anything. Given the fact that the only part of the stream that was not frozen over were riffles and associated tails, I hoped that the principle of the pattern meant that the Trout were feeding just below the ice behind the tail of the riffle (elements of trout feeding: cover, current, food supply...check!). I made about two casts with my Wholly Bugger and decisively hooked a hungry little rainbow. I guess the other principle to consider here is the stupidity of trout that have spent their lives in a hatchery. But the pattern principle puts me in a better light so I will go with that. Unfortunately, after about ten minutes my fly became lodged in the ice and broke off. Another tip I have gotten from a fishing show recently is that when you find fish be willing to experiment. Don’t keep throwing the same thing to feeding fish until they are conditioned not to strike. In this case a different fly might add another piece to the pattern puzzle. So, I tried nymphing a Copper John. Given the fact that the water is partially iced nymphing here was an improvised combination between dead drifting and ice fishing with a fly rod. In other words I floated my fly under the ice by using the current. But I like the fly speak better—it makes me feel outdoorsy. I floated my copper john down stream a couple of times and hooked another rainbow. Let me emphasize, IT WAS TEN FRICKEN DEGREES.
So, this played out in less than thirty minutes and the lure of blogging in my warm house pulled me away. That and after thirty minutes my guides were completely clogged with ice and my tippet turned into a flycicle, and then there is that whole family thing to consider. Ok so these rainbows are small, but this is Fairfax County. If I lived in Montana I wouldn’t be blogging this. But I live in the suburban DC area and I consider this a small victory over the elements, urban sprawl, and those morons on VAFly.com who say you have to drive for two hours to catch a trout if you live in the DC area.
OK, so I am standing in front of the stream in my neoprene waders with my fly rod looking like an idiot. Given that most flies are less effective when they are separated from the fish by a layer of ice I had to analyze the situation. I watched a bass fishing show yesterday when bass legend Rick Clunn talked about pattern fishing. Pattern fishing is based on the assumption that fish behave similarly in groups. So, if you catch say a bass feeding around a wind blown stump, identical structure elsewhere will likely have other bass feeding the same way.
So, that brings me back to staring at a frozen stream trying to figure out what to do. My first rule of fly fishing is when in doubt tie on a black bead headed wholly bugger--the one fly I know works on just about anything. Given the fact that the only part of the stream that was not frozen over were riffles and associated tails, I hoped that the principle of the pattern meant that the Trout were feeding just below the ice behind the tail of the riffle (elements of trout feeding: cover, current, food supply...check!). I made about two casts with my Wholly Bugger and decisively hooked a hungry little rainbow. I guess the other principle to consider here is the stupidity of trout that have spent their lives in a hatchery. But the pattern principle puts me in a better light so I will go with that. Unfortunately, after about ten minutes my fly became lodged in the ice and broke off. Another tip I have gotten from a fishing show recently is that when you find fish be willing to experiment. Don’t keep throwing the same thing to feeding fish until they are conditioned not to strike. In this case a different fly might add another piece to the pattern puzzle. So, I tried nymphing a Copper John. Given the fact that the water is partially iced nymphing here was an improvised combination between dead drifting and ice fishing with a fly rod. In other words I floated my fly under the ice by using the current. But I like the fly speak better—it makes me feel outdoorsy. I floated my copper john down stream a couple of times and hooked another rainbow. Let me emphasize, IT WAS TEN FRICKEN DEGREES.
So, this played out in less than thirty minutes and the lure of blogging in my warm house pulled me away. That and after thirty minutes my guides were completely clogged with ice and my tippet turned into a flycicle, and then there is that whole family thing to consider. Ok so these rainbows are small, but this is Fairfax County. If I lived in Montana I wouldn’t be blogging this. But I live in the suburban DC area and I consider this a small victory over the elements, urban sprawl, and those morons on VAFly.com who say you have to drive for two hours to catch a trout if you live in the DC area.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Brown Trout: Why Not Stock More?
As I indicated in my earlier post, trout rival bass for my enthusiasm. Unfortunately, eastern trout continue to be under threat. Unlike Bass, which are warmwater fish, trout are coldwater fish that require clear, highly oxygenated water. That creates problems here in the east where urbanization and warmer weather threatens habitat that once supported large numbers of brook trout.
The state of native brook trout puts pressure on fishery biologists to manage potential competitors such as brown trout. In the Shenendoah National Park new regulations seek to purge browns in defense of the brookie. In the few waters this far south that support wild brook trout that is probably the right solution. But what about lower elavations where trout typically do not hold through the summer? In this area the state stocks mainly Rainbows which are then harvested by anglers before the water is too warm to support them. But some of these waters are ground fed and have far lower water temperatures than many realize. Here in the DC suburbs of VA I bagged trout in late June last year when they should have been long gone. But what if instead of stocking mainly rainbows the state stocked browns? Brown trout can survive in water that is warmer and more turbid than their rainbow cousins. Browns hold successfully in streams just north of us in Montgomery, and Baltimore County, MD. Gunpower Falls provides a tailwater habitat that browns thrive in, but the water is admittedly much cooler than typically found here in Virginia.
My suspicion is that biologists are hesitant to stock browns because they are non-native to North America. Unlike Rainbows that are native to the west coast, browns were brought by European settlers. In many cases they do threaten native brook trout. But in areas where brook trout can not survive, they may be far less invasive. Streams that are ground or dam fed may allow browns to hold where rainbows will not. If these fish are successfully introduced they can provide a vehicle for stream restoration. Restoration efforts may include a buffer of trees, a stream clean up, or efforts to contain residential drainage. Any reasons why the brown trout is invasive can be offset by protecting the stream from pollution and urban run off. I am sure there are many other factors to look at but it is worth considering using brown trout to reclaim mid-atlantic streams and surrounding habitat that may be otherwise threatened. Here in the Chesapeake watershed it may be a baby step toward addressing a larger problem.
Ok, that may be an ironic conclusion on a blog named "Bass Slayer." I would like to point out I don't actually slay the bass, I practice catch and release...and I want to catch bass and trout when I retire. That is a long way away so we need better conservation or the only thing I will catch is some mysterious illness
The state of native brook trout puts pressure on fishery biologists to manage potential competitors such as brown trout. In the Shenendoah National Park new regulations seek to purge browns in defense of the brookie. In the few waters this far south that support wild brook trout that is probably the right solution. But what about lower elavations where trout typically do not hold through the summer? In this area the state stocks mainly Rainbows which are then harvested by anglers before the water is too warm to support them. But some of these waters are ground fed and have far lower water temperatures than many realize. Here in the DC suburbs of VA I bagged trout in late June last year when they should have been long gone. But what if instead of stocking mainly rainbows the state stocked browns? Brown trout can survive in water that is warmer and more turbid than their rainbow cousins. Browns hold successfully in streams just north of us in Montgomery, and Baltimore County, MD. Gunpower Falls provides a tailwater habitat that browns thrive in, but the water is admittedly much cooler than typically found here in Virginia.
My suspicion is that biologists are hesitant to stock browns because they are non-native to North America. Unlike Rainbows that are native to the west coast, browns were brought by European settlers. In many cases they do threaten native brook trout. But in areas where brook trout can not survive, they may be far less invasive. Streams that are ground or dam fed may allow browns to hold where rainbows will not. If these fish are successfully introduced they can provide a vehicle for stream restoration. Restoration efforts may include a buffer of trees, a stream clean up, or efforts to contain residential drainage. Any reasons why the brown trout is invasive can be offset by protecting the stream from pollution and urban run off. I am sure there are many other factors to look at but it is worth considering using brown trout to reclaim mid-atlantic streams and surrounding habitat that may be otherwise threatened. Here in the Chesapeake watershed it may be a baby step toward addressing a larger problem.
Ok, that may be an ironic conclusion on a blog named "Bass Slayer." I would like to point out I don't actually slay the bass, I practice catch and release...and I want to catch bass and trout when I retire. That is a long way away so we need better conservation or the only thing I will catch is some mysterious illness
Winter Trout
Bass are hard to come by this time of year. Especially when you get maybe a few hours to fish on a good day. All of the fishing mags talk about how you can catch them in the dead of winter with deep jigging, and dead sticking crankbaits. I have yet to figure this out. So, in this respect I am far from being a true "Bass Slayer."
That leaves us with chasing Trout in our local stocked Trout stream. Last Spring I read the blogs about how this stream was not worth your time. But putting an hour or two in here and there I bagged many Rainbows, and a couple Browns. This is a delayed harvest stream, which means the state puts in Trout in the Fall, Winter, and Spring, and then lifts catch and release restrictions in June as the water begins to warm beyond the range of Trout. Considering the location it is amazing the stream holds Trout as long as it does. Credit the efforts of my friend Duane and his stream monitoring group.
So far this year, the Trout have been harder to come by as they are less active than when the water warms in the Spring. They are also smaller as the VDGIF has apparently been less generous this past fall. But, at least you can still score an occasional Rainbow in the dead of winter. The Bass will have to wait. That is unless I can solve the mystery of the winter pig and jig, jigging spoon, and dead sticked deep diving crank bait. But I must figure this out before I retire.
That leaves us with chasing Trout in our local stocked Trout stream. Last Spring I read the blogs about how this stream was not worth your time. But putting an hour or two in here and there I bagged many Rainbows, and a couple Browns. This is a delayed harvest stream, which means the state puts in Trout in the Fall, Winter, and Spring, and then lifts catch and release restrictions in June as the water begins to warm beyond the range of Trout. Considering the location it is amazing the stream holds Trout as long as it does. Credit the efforts of my friend Duane and his stream monitoring group.
So far this year, the Trout have been harder to come by as they are less active than when the water warms in the Spring. They are also smaller as the VDGIF has apparently been less generous this past fall. But, at least you can still score an occasional Rainbow in the dead of winter. The Bass will have to wait. That is unless I can solve the mystery of the winter pig and jig, jigging spoon, and dead sticked deep diving crank bait. But I must figure this out before I retire.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Fly Casting: The Creep and Jab
FlyFishermen.com has good short video clip that helps correct a common fly casting error:
http://www.flyfisherman.com/videos/Jim_Cast.mov
In this casting video, Jim McLennan shows how to diagnose and cure the creep and jab--a serious casting affliction that can cause normally good casters to throw tailing loops
http://www.flyfisherman.com/videos/Jim_Cast.mov
In this casting video, Jim McLennan shows how to diagnose and cure the creep and jab--a serious casting affliction that can cause normally good casters to throw tailing loops
Monday, January 14, 2008
Dad's Smallie
Dad retired on Lake James in the mountains, which is probably the best Smallie lake in NC. Dad's specialty is largemouth--standard fare in the lakes we fished around Raleigh. He is still making the transisition to smallies but this fish was a huge step.
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