Brook Trout @ Baslee Troutman
Archive for the 'Game Fish' Category
29
Dec
11
Happy New Year 2012
Salmon and Steelhead often dominate the discussion of ocean going fish and habitat considerations inland. That other pre-historic like creature fits into that ocean going circle also..the sturgeon. There are several dozen species of sturgeon around the world. The Western U.S. has these behemoths in several rivers. I recall standing gazing down on the Snake River near Hells Canyon dam at first light. The amazing sight of a giant sturgeon leaping from the water and landing on its’ side broke the morning silence. Dare I say, sturgeon tastes amazing!
Green Sturgeon Range
Sturgeon Restoration Projects, Pacific NW
27
Aug
11
OryGone Fishing etc.
THIS & THAT FROM ORYGONE
Hanistan Blogspot
FISHING LICENSE LEADS TO ARREST POPPED ON THE WILLY
NOTHING BUTT THE BEST FOR YOUR BUM ON TIMOTHY LAKE
AH, FATEHR & SONS BONDING WITH ROD AND BOTTLE
Actually, I am sure you could come up with similar stories from your neck of the woods? It is actually ORA-GUN.
25
Aug
11
Climate Models & Cutt’s
I glaze over any more with the mish mash of models, ‘mights’, ‘maybe’s', ‘could’s’ and I am skeptic, yes I use that word..skeptic, over the agenda’s of a few climate change advocates or the pre-conceived outcomes many studies show. This Western study has some typical model suggestions and vagueness, but it ultimately leans heavy upon habitat enhancements as the only probable salvation for Western trout. The in your face man made infringements upon the water and edges of the waters is most critical at all times. Floods, volcanoes, run off, droughts….’maybe’. Improved models? Really?
WESTERN TROUT WELLNESS STUDIES AND HABITAT NEEDS
Cutthroat Trout fishindex.blogspot.com
There are some places, on public waters, where a patient angler can catch some nice bass in the Pacific NW. Patience is key. Presentation so slow, you might doze off before a strike, but when they do hit, you just might pee your pants with excitement once you raise them to the surface. The dynamic duo caught quite a few of these, but I understand Darly ruled.
Watercolor 'Two Fish for Maddy' by Hossein Peigahi
A streamer pattern represents the great variety of freshwater and saltwater fish that are generally called ‘baitfish’ although they might take exception with that. The basic advice most experts will give you is to present the streamer pattern in such a manner as to suggest the ‘baitfish’ is injured or off kilter….erratic, jerky, disoriented are concepts to keep in mind as you present/manipulate the fly.
A heavily weighted head or a split shot (where allowed-check reg’s) less than a foot above the fly will impart the up and down, jerky actions of a fish in distress and vulnerable to the bigger fish. These presentations have to be calculated for moving waters (rivers or open waters subject to tidal flows & currents) or stillwaters. A lake will require more machinations unless you are moving along in a boat. As with all presentations, study up on how your imitation naturally acts in the water and then learn how to approximate that with your rod, line manipulations.
Also, research lines other than the floating line for presenting the streamer patter: Intermediates, Sink Tips, Full sinks. Now those lines are not very comfortable to fish with compared to the floater. But, you soon get the handle on stripping in enough to roll cast the line up out of the water, make a back cast or two and launch the fly out. The chuck and duck dangers can apply here. Be methodical and alert as you attempt to cast any heavy fly or fly/split shot combo. I strongly recommend you barb your hooks as a rule and that particularly applies to heavier flys. It is easy to drive them into you, your clothing or your neighbor’s neck. Much easier to back them out when barbed.
Big fish, and even not so big fish, eat smaller fish!
Throwing Something Colorful At Them (SwittersB~PP)
As a beginning fly fisher (fly tier), you might want to explore the use of color to attract fish. This is standard thinking for Steelhead gear guys: egg color, spinner blade/body color, Corky-Birdie Drifter color. Steelhead, Pike, Saltwater fly fishers put a lot of emphasis upon color as well. Trout fisherman of old did more than we do today. So much of today’s fly pattern/presentation is focused upon sub-surface, natural tones of color, as it should be. But, as some of you might recall, Red was a common attractor color incorporated into many older patterns as a body or tail color.
I came upon an old (1964, S.I. Vault) article by Peter H. Boyle that is interesting re his experiments with Bass and Color, Movement & Flash. It is always worth a read to add variables to your arsenal of presentation to provoke a strike. Boyle’s research is indeed interesting and there is that old standby color, red, for shallow water presentations.
Photo by PP at Salmon Creek, Middle Fk. Willamette River watershed.
19
May
11
Fly Fishing & Stomach Pumps
Stomach Pump
Personally, I think stomach pumps should be the last thing any self respecting fly shop or on line fly fishing resource should offer to the fly fisher. Oh, the sampling can be most enlightening, but more often than not (no I don’t have any statistical data) I would imagine the device is misused and causes harm to the fish.
Stomach Pump Sampling (Brian Chan)
I mean just look at that stillwater sampling of mega chironomids, damsel fly and mayfly nymphs. How much easier now to tie on the correct size and color of an imitation. But, seriously, you want it that easy? While potentially doing harm to the fish? I will say this is one thing (the only thing probably) in which, I think Brian Chan errors. A fishery biologist, such as he, knows how to use a simple, crude device as a stomach pump and has a theoretical need to study food samples from fish and the health of a lake or river. The rest of us can study up and forgo the pump. I don’t believe I have seen a presentation by Mr. Chan in which the pump is not presented and demonstrated at least on lakes. He takes great care to use cradles to land fish and is obviously respectful of the fish. Others, I am not so sure of.
Is there available written data on the hatches/aquatic life of the body of water you intend to fish? What patterns imitate those food sources? Where are they likely living, emerging, drifting, etc. in that lake or river? At what time of day do they provide the best food source for the fish? What months are they best available? What do other fly fishers tell you? What techniques are you seeing successfully used and where on the body of water?
When you get to this body of water, what do you see? Are there visible hatches? Are birds feeding above the water? How are the rise forms of the fish (sub surface slashes, porpoising, sips, engulfing wallops, airborne projectiles)? What do you see on the water’s surface, nearby vegetation, on the rocks? What is possibly protruding from the fish’s mouth you are about to release.
Stomach pumps may provide that extra reassurance of what to use, but given the probable harm you will cause (if catching and releasing), forgo the pump and use your brain and power of observation more often. Unless you are Brian Chan and/or a fishery’s biologist?
15
May
11
Trout Technology of Sorts
B.C. TROUT GENETICS AND DIVERSITY~INTERESTING
My Old Dinner Plates (SwittersB)
