tomato can, gamatt53, phyphisher and I did a recon float on the lower Smith Saturday.
I spent the morning organizing the fly boxes and sipping coffee at Krankies.
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-7.jpg)
I not entirely sure who organized this but I got a call from phyfisher last week, not one to turn down any fishing invite I signed up. The plan was to meed at the lauch at noon and fish our way down river to the Smith River Sports Complex (https://www.smithriversportscomplex.com/), yea I didn't know there was a "Sports Complex" in Martinsville either. Now both the launch and take out have ramps down to the water but both of them are blocked with a locked post in the center of the lane. b'; Not sure what the rational behind that is. But, with a little lifting and toting we got tomato can's raft and gamatt53's Bi-Yak down to the water.
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-8.jpg)
The day had started off cloudy and cool, but as soon as we began the drift the sun came out, the sky cleared and the temps soared.
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-9.jpg)
Fishing was a little on the slow side, but phyphisher got a one to roll early on and anther bump in a spot where gamatt and he got out to wade. Mostly the water is deep slow pools but there are occasional rapids and a number of good wading opportunities on the first half of the float. One of the cool features of the Bi-Yak is that the pontoons hold four, yes, four coolers and gamatt took advantage of that by taking along some Dale's Pale Ale 0:0
About half way through the float, after I had changed to a yellow articulated fly, I got an eat. The fly was down about three feet or so and I was stripping slowly when the brown trout came up from the depths and hammered the fly.
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-10.jpg)
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412alt-5.jpg)
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-11.jpg)
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-12.jpg)
Since we weren't sure how long it was going to take or exactly how far we had come, we pushed on downstream.
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-13.jpg)
A few sulfurs were popping off and we saw a couple of fish rise, but overall there weren't a lot of bugs on the water. phyphisher was checking rocks for nymphs when he found these eggs. We figured Mudwall might know what they are.
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-15.jpg)
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2012/4/041412-14.jpg)
We got to the take out around 7:30 and by the time we got everything loaded up it was headed toward dusk.
Good times, it was great meeting a couple more BRFFFers and now that we know a little more about the Smith we may end up doing it again!
-0- -0-
Good times gentlemen. I can still picture that brown charging that yellow fliy in my own highlite reel. Still stunned at how beautiful the Smith was through that section. Once again, Plyphisher and I stopped to get something to eat and HE left his wallet at home. That boy can EAT and run up a TAB. I got home around 11:00 pm and The One Who Must Be Obeyed was still up and wondered why I did not call....
Looks like you all had a good time. Nice brown woolly.
Tomato Can, hopefully your wife wasn't too upset....Because I do believe the smallie action on the James is picking up.....and I get off work at 5 on Monday Wednesday and Friday....... 8)
Quote from: tomato can on April 15, 2012, 07:02:47 AM
Once again, Plyphisher and I stopped to get something to eat and HE left his wallet at home. That boy can EAT and run up a TAB.
now, I'm really glad you didn't take me up on my offer to drive him back...
Sorry boys, I don't have any idea on the eggs. My guess would be snails.
Quote from: tomato can on April 15, 2012, 07:02:47 AM
Good times gentlemen. I can still picture that brown charging that yellow fliy in my own highlite reel. Still stunned at how beautiful the Smith was through that section. Once again, Plyphisher and I stopped to get something to eat and HE left his wallet at home. That boy can EAT and run up a TAB. I got home around 11:00 pm and The One Who Must Be Obeyed was still up and wondered why I did not call....
whooaaa now, my wallet was in the back of the car, i seem to remmember someone not letting me get out to retrieve it b'; again like i siad, your just digging yourself into getting a really expensive bottle of likker, ask petey he knows. had a great time, hope to do it again very soon -0- next time i think the honey hole is in order
Nope, I don't think they are snail eggs. I think they are attached fish eggs (Dace, Darter, or ?).
Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood on April 15, 2012, 10:22:47 AM
Nope, I don't think they are snail eggs. I think they are attached fish eggs (Dace, Darter, or ?).
whatever they were im pretty sure woolly used them to catch that fish. i saw him ripping apart some mesh and filling them up with something yellow :-\.
by the way woolly, that brown he looks more 14-16" to me :-*
Quote from: phlyfisher on April 15, 2012, 10:43:12 AM
Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood on April 15, 2012, 10:22:47 AM
Nope, I don't think they are snail eggs. I think they are attached fish eggs (Dace, Darter, or ?).
whatever they were im pretty sure woolly used them to catch that fish. i saw him ripping apart some mesh and filling them up with something yellow :-\.
by the way woolly, that brown he looks more 14-16" to me :-*
naw, it was streamside measured....
jis say'in
Really expensive bottle of liquor, mclovin? You got that 350 ml of hennessey with that fake I.D. fo 10 dollars.
When we goin fishin?
Holla i got da ride,
(http://i43.tinypic.com/2klqpj.jpg)
Quote from: phlyfisher on April 15, 2012, 09:42:08 AM
Quote from: tomato can on April 15, 2012, 07:02:47 AM
Good times gentlemen. I can still picture that brown charging that yellow fliy in my own highlite reel. Still stunned at how beautiful the Smith was through that section. Once again, Plyphisher and I stopped to get something to eat and HE left his wallet at home. That boy can EAT and run up a TAB. I got home around 11:00 pm and The One Who Must Be Obeyed was still up and wondered why I did not call....
whooaaa now, my wallet was in the back of the car, i seem to remmember someone not letting me get out to retrieve it b'; again like i siad, your just digging yourself into getting a really expensive bottle of likker, ask petey he knows. had a great time, hope to do it again very soon -0- next time i think the honey hole is in order
Dats' some good chit Woolly. 'c;
[attach=1]
this is the fly he ate....
:o -0- -+; V:; /"\ d:b
I enjoyed it gentlemen was nice to check out a new to me section of river and finally put some faces to handles.
Quote from: gamatt53 on April 15, 2012, 19:12:03 PM
I enjoyed it gentlemen was nice to check out a new to me section of river and finally put some faces to handles.
for sure, Tomato Can looks nothing like his Avatar
Phillies? p;-
Looks like everyone went fishing this weekend. Good stuff fellas. 8)
But...
Hold it...
{S;
Faces and avatars don't mix - Yeah I am uglier.
BTW, Plyphisher said "whooaaa now, my wallet was in the back of the car, i seem to remmember someone not letting me get out to retrieve it" well you weren't exactly jumping' out of the truck to retrieve the durn thing.
Good stuff, peckerheads. {S;
(http://www.brfff.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=9842.0;attach=12557;image)
The Nut Butter! One of my favorites of all time. Good to see you not throwing an 18' leader of 6 times Woolly. Get you off those damn midges yet we will.
The biyack has me mesmorized. never seen one. more pics please. I have an assload of questions about that rig!
Quote from: kylemc on April 17, 2012, 08:37:16 AM
The biyack has me mesmorized. never seen one. more pics please. I have an assload of questions about that rig!
The company that made them went OB a few years ago. You can still dig up their website on the wayback archives. They were pretty expensive and if I had to guess the market just wasn't there when you could get a raft or used drift boat for the same price. Course I didn't pay anywhere near what they sold for new.
http://web.archive.org/web/20040803184702/http://www.biyak.net/popular_configurations.htm (http://web.archive.org/web/20040803184702/http://www.biyak.net/popular_configurations.htm)
I have a couple more pics of it over here.
http://www.brfff.com/forum/index.php/topic,9825.0.html (http://www.brfff.com/forum/index.php/topic,9825.0.html)
Looks like TX. bashed it pretty hard on Wooly's report on the drake boards but it honestly sounded like his was just a lemon. I have felt nothing but safe in it so far and it was definitly used a bit before it came into my hands. You would have to really fuck up to punch a hole in a quarter inch thick rotomolded hull.
Quote from: kylemc on April 17, 2012, 08:37:16 AM
[img]
The biyack has me mesmorized. never seen one. more pics please. I have an assload of questions about that rig!
I can see it now, 0ne cooler full of jager, another full of red bull and the last two filled with Coors Light!
bump