SmallMouth Bass to the rescue

Well today I thought I give a lil’ Stillwater action help me drop my slump. I haven’t caught a fish with a Flyrod since November. Now I have cheated and have fished with some bait earlier this month and caught some Stripers, but it hurts my pride of a FlyFisherman. I want to recognized as a Fly Guy.

My Buddies at Granite Bay Flycasters were having a fishout at Sly Park (AKA Jenkinson Lake). This is a special place, because of the possibility to catch Rainbow, Brown, and Lake Trout (AKA Mac-daddies). Also, there are BlueGills, Large and Small Mouth Bass as well. I have been wanting to catch a Small Mouth Bass. I haven’t caught one for 15 years, back on a fishing trip in North Carolina. At that time, I wasn’t a fly guy at all. However, for me anyway, fly fishing, is like riding a bike again. I had fish before, but in 2005 I became determine to learn the ways of the Fly guy. So far, I have not regretted my decision. I feel that flyfishing is harder than baitcasting, but I find it more rewarding when you catch a fish on the fly. Also, the fish seem to fight harder. I guess it’s due to the fact that you hold the fishing line in your hand and you need to figure out how to make your line tight to hold on to the fish on your hook.

Enough of why FlyFishing is so addicting, I got to the lake around 7:30 am. I forgot that I live in the valley, so when I got there, I remember that the Sierras are about 15 degrees cooler than Sacramento. I paid for that one, but once I pumped up my float tube, I wasn’t cold anymore & I had the excitement of a lil’ kid on Xmas morning, waiting to open gifts. Of course for me, trying to get to those gifts would be a bit of hard work. Frustration and fatigue would get to me. After about two hours kicking around in this cove that was fed by a creek. I had to take a leak. I was thinking what was I doing. I didn’t see any bites. No top water action at all. I was using an intermediate line, so I decided to use my shooting head. Probably the smartest move on my part. As soon as I changed reels, my luck changed drastically. On my first hit, I didn’t know what to do. I got a hit and I didn’t know how to react. Of course I lost that fish. About 20 minutes later, I got another hit. Of course I messed that one up as well. In the process, I lost two flies, so I worked on my knots, until I got a solid blood knot for my flyline and tippet. Now I was ready for action. Also, I noticed from some other guys that were pulling in some Smallmouths, I wasn’t stripping my line fast enough. So, after casting, I would count to 10 then start to strip a bit fast. BINGO, I got a tug, which I would not let go. I was able to hook a Smallmouth, but when I got to the fish up to my tube, I reached for my broken, geto net. In the process, the Smallmouth shook off my hook. DAMN!!!!

Ok, I took a deep breath. Check my line and tried to return to the place where I lost the fish. I cast like for 5 or 10 minutes, then BINGO!!! I got another grab. This time, I put my rod straight up in the air and tried to get that line as tight as possible. This time I was able to bring the tube this fat 10-12 inch Smallie. Ok, it isn’t a world record, but I finally had busted my streak. Of course I was done for the day. I would later goto this juke-joint that was next to the lake, have a beer and want Team USA get punked by the English National soccer team. I didn’t care, cause I broke my streak (also, cause that match was only a friendly and no one would care anyways). Now, my next step is to find a stream to break my slump in moving water. Stay tune, cause I have some ideas on how to break that one. Hopefully, I won’t break a leg in the process

Great Shad hunt at Paradise Beach

Well after reading reports that the American Shad were coming into the American River system, I thought I would test those reports. Plus it was triple digit heat in Sacramento that day. Why not spend some time in the cool waters of the American River.

After deliberating where I would go, I decided to cruise down to Paradise Beach. Paradise Beach is a stone’s skip away from Sacramento State. So when I first arrived to Paradise Beach, there were a bunch of 20 year old people running around scantly dressed. I didn’t really mind, it made my excursion all the better. Then this beat up 70 something Cadillac pulled up and this girl jumps out and starts screaming at this girl that was walking from the Beach. Both were in two piece bikinis. Of course all of the guys started screaming for a cat fight. Me??? I just lit my piped and strolled to the river.

When I got there, the sun just started to dip below the horizon. There were still a few love birds playing around in the sand. I started to move out into the current. My goal was to find a gravel bar that took me out into the current, so I could find a drop off into a hole or fish the edges of the shore. I tried for like 60 minutes, but the water level was low. I didn’t like my chances, so I was attempting to move back to shore and call it the day. Some how I got tangled up with my wading staff and as I tried to get the rope attached to my staff from around me, I dropped net into the river. I guess I can never go a season without losing a net. It sucks, but I guess it’s better than leaving it in the closet catching cobwebs. Of course the only bites that I took in were the rock fish nipping at my line. Next time my friends, next time, I should become victorious.

Flyfishing Bears of Alaska

I don't really have many stories to share for you since my last post, but I do have a dream that I would like to share with all. The dream takes place in Alaska, a place where I dream about flyfishing all of the time. The place just seems so romantic for me. The chance to catch steelhead, grayling, or the many different types of Salmon. Then the chance to sleep under the Northern lights. Well, I was dreaming that I finally made the trip up north. It was about this time of year, maybe later. The reason why I say this, is due to the fact that the river I was fishing was swollen from the winter melt. I don't really know if this happens up there, but it was part of my dream.

So, I was doing my thing, looking for the best spot to cast my line. I found one away from people, but to my chagrin, there was a family of bears flyfishing about 25 meters down stream from me. I did't noticed them at first, until I heard a growl. I started to shake in my waders, but I was careful to move. The current was swift and the color was a muddy grey. So I figured that the bears wouldn't notice me, if I walked further downstream in a group of trees. Wrong!!! One big bear spotted me. It came towards me. I didn't know what to do, so I jumped in the current hoping it would guide me away from the big bear. Unfortunately for me, the bear was a great swimmer and was using the current to gain momentum to get closer to me.

I thought I could outmaneuver the bear, but I found it to be a losing battle. I came to a point in my dream that I had to decide my worse faith, the Bear or the River, because somehow I came up to a waterfall. At the moment of my decision ,I woke up in a pool of sweat (well I hope it was sweat). I don't know why I dreamed of the bear's flyfishing or why one chased me, but it was trippy situation all the same.


Tight Lines, my Friends!!!!