2015 Warm Water

[Transylwader]

You needs a bote. I am too fucking busy right now to fiberglass patch that jon boat. The engine runs fine. Then again, I am not lookin to escape death like Waimea Bay closing out and get annihilated on a river of Jesus. Theres a lot of water flowing on CF.

[Transylwader]

I gots a boat.

A kiddie pool? Show these fine folks what a bunch of ingenious fucks you came upon a few weeks back at Lake Rimjob

[TheYiman]

Last week an old friend stopped by middle Tennessee in his shoulder season squeezed in the middle of his winter gig at a ski resort and his summer work between the oars to spend a little time in the bow on some new waters.  Our plan was to Musky fish the first couple days and Smallmouth fish the last two days of the trip.  We ended up dodging rains and looking at gauges A LOT to find some fish-able water.  Two days on the Plateau chasing Muskies produced one follow that I didn't even see. 

Day one - an inch of rain fell throughout the day.  The river started as a clearish green color, perfect for chasing dragons; it ended with dirty, mucky, stained water that by the next morning looked like coffee with about 3 creamers in it.




I knew of an overhang we could get under to get out of the rain for lunch.  We ended up hanging out under this cliff for two hours.  My buddy always packs a great lunch.  My grandmother would say our plates lacked color, but I don't care - fresh turkey sammies, potato salad, and tasty pickles works for me.


That spring was barely a trickle before our two hour break - yup, we watched as the river slowly began to blow...


We studied gauges all evening and early the next morning.  Most gauges within a few hour drive were headed straight up.  One drainage that was only a couple hours from us appeared to not have received as much water and the gauge only showed a slight bump up, not an arrow pointed towards the sky.  We grabbed some tasty gas station breakfast and made the run to find clear water.




We floated a "new to all of us" river.  No muskies were moved, but we found some cool places and some beautiful water.  It turned out to be a really long day.  We made it back to Nashville long after midnight.  Luckily my wife is cool and understands sometimes we just don't get off the river by dark.






After two huge floats and two really difficult takeouts, we decided not to float day three.  We slept late, had a lunch at a neighborhood eatery, and stopped by FlySouth on our way to wade a local Smallie creek.  FlySouth has one of the best tying rooms I have ever seen.  My friend easily spent way too much money in there. 

Local streams were swollen, cold, and off color - not good for early season Smallies.  I did manage to land my first bronze of the season, but it was only a 8" dink.  The only other fish of the day would come on the last cast.  I pulled a lazy bucketmouth out of the mouth of a small spring that dumped into the main creek.  Cool fish for this creek as it is mainly Smallies.


Day 4 - my back pocket.  I really wanted to put my friend on good numbers of fish.  I had some local knowledge in my back pocket that I pulled out on the last day of the trip.  The Stripe run around these parts in April.  My friend had never targeted White Bass before.  Cool, the chance of a new species.  We floated a local river that is known to have a good run.  They were there and they were thick.  We met up with a friend who lives nearby.  He was kind enough to give us a pull to the fish.  Sweet Pea ain't the fastest canoe.


We fished the same pink clouser all day.  That fly was beat to shit by the end of the float.




New species #2 - Yellow Bass




Hooked up, something big.  I thought it was a catfish with the way this fish was glued to the bottom. 


Nope, new species of the #3 - Striped/White Hybrid.  Citation, too!


See ya


The Fish Hawk


We picked up a few more Stripe but after a fish like that the trip seemed complete.  My alarm clock at 0600 sounded way too early the last day.  I headed to work at the hospital and my friend headed back to NC to report to work on the river.  The planning for our Fall outing has not begun.  About July we will start to think of Fall Musky again and talk of our October outing will begin. 

Here's to the rest of Spring.  Hardly Strictly Musky is next weekend.  Can't wait!

[sanjuanwormhatch]

It must've been the tye die shirt.   

[Transylwader]

Damn, Yiman, DAMN

[Onslow]

I wanna catch a hybrid.  I hope it breaks my fucking rod when I do.

[NCsporksman]

tight bd;0

[Dougfish]

 y;
Seriously.
y;

[Michael Toris]

Bad ass

[bmadd]

Good fishing Yiman.

Looking forward to HSM 

[Big J]

That was a good smorgasbord of trips Yiman 

[Jfey]

Helluva trip Yiman.   

[flyak]

Had to look up a yellow bass. I thought maybe one of you pissed on a white bass to trick us.

Nice hybrid! Shoulders!

[Woolly Bugger]

effin A, that was tight!

[Dee-Vo]

Sounds like a fuckin' blast.....what more could you ask for? Especially with the shitty weather.