Has Michael Gracie found the solution to the Columbia river clam dilemma? Field testing will be required (in the name of science as I tell my wife) but from where I sit here on my couch these flies are gold! Pure gold MG!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sweet, sweet clams
Most days when out fishing I see a lot of this:
Has Michael Gracie found the solution to the Columbia river clam dilemma? Field testing will be required (in the name of science as I tell my wife) but from where I sit here on my couch these flies are gold! Pure gold MG!
Has Michael Gracie found the solution to the Columbia river clam dilemma? Field testing will be required (in the name of science as I tell my wife) but from where I sit here on my couch these flies are gold! Pure gold MG!
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Friday, August 06, 2010
Thursday, August 05, 2010
The Reel John Montana
Imagine my dad moseying on down the flat, eight weight in hand, polarized glasses on. He spots this in the shallows.
With a steady hand he takes the worm pattern off the hook keep and prepares to cast. The first cast is long, putting the flies too far from the tailing fish. Patiently he picks up then line and casts again.
This time the fly lands in the intended spot. He waits while the worm sinks into position. The tail dips, the fish moves slowly forward, the tail comes back up and he sets the hook. In seconds the fish is peeling off the flats, searching for deep water.
I watch as the carp zips by my feet and my dad merely hangs on. With a hot carp in July, all you can do is hang on. As the carp slows, well into the backing by now, my dad dad begins the long process of getting the fish to hand. The hook holds and a few minutes later we slip the fish into my net.
Just another day on the flats for The Reel John Montana.
With a steady hand he takes the worm pattern off the hook keep and prepares to cast. The first cast is long, putting the flies too far from the tailing fish. Patiently he picks up then line and casts again.
This time the fly lands in the intended spot. He waits while the worm sinks into position. The tail dips, the fish moves slowly forward, the tail comes back up and he sets the hook. In seconds the fish is peeling off the flats, searching for deep water.
I watch as the carp zips by my feet and my dad merely hangs on. With a hot carp in July, all you can do is hang on. As the carp slows, well into the backing by now, my dad dad begins the long process of getting the fish to hand. The hook holds and a few minutes later we slip the fish into my net.
Just another day on the flats for The Reel John Montana.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
The Green Fly
About as simple as you get...kind of like the rest of the flies I tie. Basic green erstatz body, courtesy of the Roughfisher, and then green pheasant hackle. I use whatever beads I have sitting around and a very short shanked hook with a big gap in a two or four. I was using scud hooks, but I ran out. Honestly, tie some green crap on a hook, add hackle and a bead and throw it in front of a carp. I never pretended to be much of a tier. For that, check out Michael Gracie or the roughfisher. This ugly bugger works though.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
The Green Fly
Money. But if you use it, bring some hemostats.
Been fishing the heck out of this thing since the roughfisher's visit. Basically a staple fly now. I honestly have no idea how many fish this pattern has caught this year, but it is a lot. Ask Wendy Berrell, Dr. Cane, and the Reel John Montana if it works!
Been fishing the heck out of this thing since the roughfisher's visit. Basically a staple fly now. I honestly have no idea how many fish this pattern has caught this year, but it is a lot. Ask Wendy Berrell, Dr. Cane, and the Reel John Montana if it works!
Dr. Cane
The good Dr. took to carping in about...ten minutes.
I think that is how long we walked the flats before he got his first really good look at a carp. It went something like this:
Me: thirty feet up, tailing, head facing us and 45 degrees toward shore. Put the fly about six inches in front and 4 inches to the side.
Dr. Cane: where is he?
Me: right there (pointing rod).
Dr. Cane: got him (makes cast and the fly lands 6 inches in front and 4 inches to the side of the tailing fish.)
Me: wait for him...wait...set!
Bingo. Done deal and the carp came to hand moments later. The bottom line is that Dr. Cane can flat out cast. He absolutely peppered carp with accurate casts. It was a sight to watch. Granted, it took him a while to decipher the takes but that masked man can put the fly where he wants it.
Very enjoyable to fish with the guy, but he made me feel bad with my broomstick casting and clumsy line skills. Dr. Cane is pure poetry with a flyrod. We had an amazing time and got into plenty of fish. I am pretty sure we have a convert now. Chris was a great sport, even willing to literally swim the river with me to get to one area I wanted to check out. Superb caster, willing swimmer...and he brought me some sweet hooks. Nice.
The only bummer was the lack of truly huge fish. I landed two over 18 and Dr. Cane got a 15 but the 20s eluded us. Chris put a hook in one (stupid weeds) and I beached one only to have the fly pop put and not be quick enough to pounce on it before it bolted from the shallows. Still, some great fishing.
We both caught some mirrors, and the takes were fantastic. Dr. Cane had one in particular that was awesome. He had a fish all lit up and poking around for his fly, but we kept missing the take. On the third cast the fly fell perfectly, just slightly to the side and the fish turned, opened it's mouth wide and sucked it in. Fish on. Awesome.
Truly a great time. I am looking forward to more trips with Dr. Cane.
I think that is how long we walked the flats before he got his first really good look at a carp. It went something like this:
Me: thirty feet up, tailing, head facing us and 45 degrees toward shore. Put the fly about six inches in front and 4 inches to the side.
Dr. Cane: where is he?
Me: right there (pointing rod).
Dr. Cane: got him (makes cast and the fly lands 6 inches in front and 4 inches to the side of the tailing fish.)
Me: wait for him...wait...set!
Bingo. Done deal and the carp came to hand moments later. The bottom line is that Dr. Cane can flat out cast. He absolutely peppered carp with accurate casts. It was a sight to watch. Granted, it took him a while to decipher the takes but that masked man can put the fly where he wants it.
Very enjoyable to fish with the guy, but he made me feel bad with my broomstick casting and clumsy line skills. Dr. Cane is pure poetry with a flyrod. We had an amazing time and got into plenty of fish. I am pretty sure we have a convert now. Chris was a great sport, even willing to literally swim the river with me to get to one area I wanted to check out. Superb caster, willing swimmer...and he brought me some sweet hooks. Nice.
The only bummer was the lack of truly huge fish. I landed two over 18 and Dr. Cane got a 15 but the 20s eluded us. Chris put a hook in one (stupid weeds) and I beached one only to have the fly pop put and not be quick enough to pounce on it before it bolted from the shallows. Still, some great fishing.
We both caught some mirrors, and the takes were fantastic. Dr. Cane had one in particular that was awesome. He had a fish all lit up and poking around for his fly, but we kept missing the take. On the third cast the fly fell perfectly, just slightly to the side and the fish turned, opened it's mouth wide and sucked it in. Fish on. Awesome.
Truly a great time. I am looking forward to more trips with Dr. Cane.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Quite a few trip a in the books for July, and I will get some pictures of some fish up soon. We got into some nice fish this month, and while none were absolute monsters, we caught more than our fair share of mirrors. Elia and I hadn't walked ten feet of this flat before the green fly struck again.
She duked it out with this one for a while but a columbia carp in July is pretty hot and she needed a hand getting it to the net. She is a trooper though and she loves carp!
She duked it out with this one for a while but a columbia carp in July is pretty hot and she needed a hand getting it to the net. She is a trooper though and she loves carp!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)