http://youtu.be/RrxePKps87k
I've got a little time I need to take off from work, so this week shall consist of fishing, Tweetsie Railroad, and God knows what else.
This morning began slow and the trout stream I had in mind was too far for the available time I had. Smallmouth kick ass - plain and simple. That'll do.
Love the rock garden stuff in rivers. Sunday smallmouth outing rendered a few small fries, but generally wasn't that productive. Today would hopefully make up for my shortcomings.
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My second time getting the new boots wet. All good so far.
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Got a little camera happy with this one. Put up a fight. I lost TWO larger ones after landing this one. The largest gave me that sick feeling you get when you lose a trophy. I struggled to shake it off and continue.
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The variations in smallmouth coloring and patterning is one of my favorite things about this fish. I'll be back for those two bastards that eluded me!
Damn nice fish for that stream.
Sweet. Rubberlegs rule
Fishing during the work week, large smalls, and a clam pic. well done.
Do you know what tree that is in your last pic?
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Mimosa.
Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk
Thanks, Doug. Now you spoiled it. I had no idea what the tree was. I'd planned on Googling it. Oh well. [emoji2]
Quite a nectar producer for my honey bees. Makes a very nice light honey that is compatible with Sourwood, which also happens to be blooming now.
Sweet smallies and fine photography, sir. 'c;
Good looking fish and water there!
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Hell yeah!!!
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Quote from: buddy_25_99 on June 27, 2017, 19:52:49 PM
Hell yeah!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't remember the last time I caught a smallie. Been over 2 years at least.
Nice fish! Good looking water. Shitty invasive tree.
I was surprised to not catch anything other than smallmouth. No sunfish of any kind, no spots, no largemouth, and no stocker trouts. Truly a bronze day.
Cool...this makes me feel the need to get me sum...it's on! 0:0
Good looking water, good looking fishes, and good looking pictures. I like the composition of that last rock shot.
I think you could fit twenty or thirty more rubber legs on that critter fly, though, if you tried. :D
anyone want to rec a good smallie float in swnc? doesn't have to be epic or anything.
really great fish!
Great TR
To follow up - Tweetsie was fun with the little one. I hate chair lifts.
Had a little time this evening. Went to another flow. Only one green sunfish to show for myself. A far cry from yesterday's showing.
2017 – 58
WdMtTrout called and asked if I was up for a smallie float. "hell yes," I replied! But before we got on the road he canceled because of work and time restraints. But I had decided to wade up there anyway. On the road, just before losing cell service, he called again and was ready to go. I just about passed him at a stop n rob and we were able to work the shuttle quicker than was planned. Plan "B" was a "shorter" float of unknown distance, but we knew it was less than the 6.5 miler that was the initial float.
Not sure if the banana boat was putting the fish off of top water action, but I quickly went subsurface with a clouser. Punes came to hand readily but the bigger fish eluded the fly and the grubs that MtTrout, as the oarsman, tossed.
Then in the evening we switched up and he went with a sneakypete and caught a much better bass off the bank. Switching once more and now with a firetiger wiggleminnow, caught a nice rod bender which made my day...
We packed a little light on the beer for this 3 and 1/3 mile float... but had reserves at the takeout for the win.
(http://www.brfff.com/btwc/ff2017/6-17/062917-1.jpg)
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WMT gets prettier and prettier every time I see him - spinning combo and all.
I've hit three rivers this week. First day was badass. The other two blew balls. My plan to fish today was a wash - live to fish another day.
Quote from: Dee-Vo on June 30, 2017, 11:11:54 AM
WMT gets prettier and prettier every time I see him
I'd tap that.
http://youtu.be/h8MAHQhKe7Q
I've pounded three rivers this week. I can't shake the taste of river bassin'. Back to the water I went for the fourth time in five days.
Another productive day it was. Heavy precipitation yesterday evening had screwed me on some flows -- but others appeared unscathed. Bring it.
I lost the first three fish I contacted. Wtf. Maybe I need larger hooks? Size 4 is what I've been using. Nailed this. Finally, one to hand.
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After only wading up maybe 20' this fish put a deep bend in the rod. The largest spotted bass I've caught in the area. A scrappy species they are. Hell of a fight.
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At one point my line got wadded up in my rod tip. I jerked a little too aggressively out of frustration -- resulting in a broken rod tip. Fuck me. I'll have to get this fixed.
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A tributary.
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Strip much? Every joint I've got on a few fingers is down to the meat from stripping line. May have to grab a pair of gloves. Sore as hell.
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I lost a beast today. Disheartening. Very. Next time!
Some nice uns there. I'm off to Randolph County tomorrow.
Quote from: Onslow on July 02, 2017, 20:05:49 PM
Some nice uns there. I'm off to Randolph County tomorrow.
Where? Kayaking or wading? I'm taking off tomorrow.
Thinking maybe roanokes.....I'd like to get into those.
Downriver float with Jim. No Roanoke's above Coleridge dam. Just bass, carp, and gar, crappie.
I see. I'm thinking maybe the U.
http://youtu.be/Aae_RHRptRg
Another day. Swung little man by daycare and headed to my destination. Stopped for some tape for my fingers. It worked perfectly. Also, borrowed a rod tip for my broken fly rod.
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Met this little fella. Almost laid my hand on it while making my way between boulders.
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Caught a few. Lost a few. Waded back to the truck to hit another river.
It sucked. First time trying it out.
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Yesterday - One rock bass to hand. That's it! Dingy water.
@Onslow - Here's the damn dam situation.
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That's a big damn dam!
Today wasn't a numbers day. I did net one pretty nice fish, however.
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Ouch!
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The net has been grand. Love the long handle. The smallmouth is the first fish to grace its basket. Rock on.
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Didn't that fishes mama tell it to chew it's food
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Damn nice fish!
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on July 09, 2017, 22:30:14 PM
Didn't that fishes mama tell it to chew it's food
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Looks painful. Judging by the size of that claw, the crawfish would be probably 4 times bigger than the average fly people use for smallies. Go big or go home!
Kraft's Crawdad? I keep several of those patterns in my flybox in various colors and sizes. One of, if not the, fastest sinking flies I've ever fished.
Bingo.....except it's a "Claw"- dad in this case. Sinks quickly and looks damned sexy and lifelike on the retrieve. It's been my best fly for sizable smallies. I've used a hellgrammite pattern that works good, but not this good.
Damn, that is a hawg there.
This stretch of river has had my attention for a long while. Made a plan, and hiked for 30 minutes. Water located. Lots of still featureless water through here. A disappointment.
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An example of why you don't play on the tracks.
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Landed a couple small fries. Better than zilch.
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Hawgs
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Ahhhh, yes. It's about time I rekindled the flame. Warm temps. Already seen temps of 92 degrees.
An afternoon few hours left me with only an option or two. Laced up the boots and waded in. River was seriously low and clear. I was skunked for the first couple hours — couldn't buy a bite. Finally, a smallmouth. It was good to see you again, smalljaws. While I pulled this fish in a larger smallmouth harassed it to no end.
More to come.
A heavy rainstorm moved in soon after I retreated back home. That'll muddy her up good.
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Quote from: driver on June 27, 2017, 20:37:37 PM
Quote from: buddy_25_99 on June 27, 2017, 19:52:49 PM
Hell yeah!!!
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I don't remember the last time I caught a smallie. Been over 2 years at least.
Delayed response —
Bring yo ass iffin' you wanna fish. Anytime.
Well now it's only been 8 months.
Quote from: driver on May 16, 2018, 19:04:45 PM
Well now it's only been 8 months.
My bad.
May be another 8 months after these storms do their thing on the rivers here. Storms everyday for the foreseeable future. 1.5 inches or so today already.
You got them big river largemouth. Let's fish.
I've fished this stretch of river far more times than I can recall. Back again today.
The water still showed evidence from yesterday evening's moderate rainfall. Quite dingy but not muddy.
We didn't kill it today but caught several which was acceptable. This stretch has slowed in the productivity department the last few times I've been here.
The gloves are great. Keeps from stripping the meat from my fingers and keeps the dreaded sun from roasting my hands.
Not sure who I got this fly from. It worked on this fish. @spork? @rbphoto?
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My spin fishing cousin nailed a few as well.
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Damn. I cannot wait to get back at it. d:b
Quote from: Dee-Vo on June 10, 2018, 16:39:22 PM
I've fished this stretch of river far more times than I can recall. Back again today.
The water still showed evidence from yesterday evening's moderate rainfall. Quite dingy but not muddy.
We didn't kill it today but caught several which was acceptable. This stretch has slowed in the productivity department the last few times I've been here.
The gloves are great. Keeps from stripping the meat from my fingers and keeps the dreaded sun from roasting my hands.
Not sure who I got this fly from. It worked on this fish. @spork? @rbphoto?
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/e24bd9a8038fef6c1dbafdbcb8f2bcf7.jpg)
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My spin fishing cousin nailed a few as well.
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Damn. I cannot wait to get back at it. d:b
Nice fish.
Not my fly. I didn't tie anything in that color combo.
Raymond
yes sir! 0:0
Quote from: rbphoto on June 11, 2018, 07:11:11 AM
Quote from: Dee-Vo on June 10, 2018, 16:39:22 PM
I've fished this stretch of river far more times than I can recall. Back again today.
The water still showed evidence from yesterday evening's moderate rainfall. Quite dingy but not muddy.
We didn't kill it today but caught several which was acceptable. This stretch has slowed in the productivity department the last few times I've been here.
The gloves are great. Keeps from stripping the meat from my fingers and keeps the dreaded sun from roasting my hands.
Not sure who I got this fly from. It worked on this fish. @spork? @rbphoto?
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/e24bd9a8038fef6c1dbafdbcb8f2bcf7.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/94b3ff9b678712f0510b4d0411b138c0.jpg)
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My spin fishing cousin nailed a few as well.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/b976c5a9921e1fa74d79fa860a04ae3f.jpg)
Damn. I cannot wait to get back at it. d:b
Nice fish.
Not my fly. I didn't tie anything in that color combo.
Raymond
Hmmm, maybe it was the spork or riverbum. If not one of those two then who the hell knows. The fly worked, that's the main thing. y;
Quote from: Dee-Vo on June 11, 2018, 08:53:51 AM
Quote from: rbphoto on June 11, 2018, 07:11:11 AM
Quote from: Dee-Vo on June 10, 2018, 16:39:22 PM
I've fished this stretch of river far more times than I can recall. Back again today.
The water still showed evidence from yesterday evening's moderate rainfall. Quite dingy but not muddy.
We didn't kill it today but caught several which was acceptable. This stretch has slowed in the productivity department the last few times I've been here.
The gloves are great. Keeps from stripping the meat from my fingers and keeps the dreaded sun from roasting my hands.
Not sure who I got this fly from. It worked on this fish. @spork? @rbphoto?
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/e24bd9a8038fef6c1dbafdbcb8f2bcf7.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/94b3ff9b678712f0510b4d0411b138c0.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/1bca8722bd5d2da8e5d352791f5daf7f.jpg)
My spin fishing cousin nailed a few as well.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/b976c5a9921e1fa74d79fa860a04ae3f.jpg)
Damn. I cannot wait to get back at it. d:b
Nice fish.
Not my fly. I didn't tie anything in that color combo.
Raymond
Hmmm, maybe it was the spork or riverbum. If not one of those two then who the hell knows. The fly worked, that's the main thing. y;
If it worked you can rule me out, nice fitches tho
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Anybody used these "worm flies"?
I'm considering giving them a go on the smallmouth to see how they'd stack up against other flies.
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