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Who wouldn't want to fish on a day like today

2K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  Mumbles 
#1 ·
I've been under the weather for a couple of weeks, busy at work (really, I don't just read the interwebs...I just have one of my three constantly working PCs on WFF if possible) and took on three new projects. On Valentine's Day we adopted a stray cat that, when taken to the vet needed $250 in shots, $250 in neutering and [GULP] $900 in broken femoral head repair for his hip. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, if the girls would have not been so attached to this little creature I don't know what I would have done.

What I did do was a bunch of errands this morning, have lunch with the family and then went to fish.

I hit a local lake that seems to have been giving guys fits. I arrived after picking up my new custom float tube rod holder from another member here. I do hope that he will post photos of his creation because these thing will sell. I got mine in trade and will post a photo of it later as I did not have my camera on the lake today.

I arrived at 4:15. Air temp 55 degrees. Full sunlight. Water temp felt cold, probably mid to low 40's cold. Slight wind creating a nice chironomid chop and only one other vehicle at the parking area. I could hear two guys talking to each other on the lake and as I was gearing up one came off the lake to pack it in. His talkative and helpful pal was soon to join him but he and I chatted it up a bit (imagine that, right).

No sooner had I finished rigging rods, thanking the gent for a nice St. Helens/Adams area to consider for a family tent camper trip he disappeared up the trail. I pushed off and as soon as I got settled into my kicking stroke the wind just died. It was as calm as could be and the sun was still up. I started to slowly strip a cortland clear camo line with an Islander Camo Carey Special and scope out the surface of the water. After about 20 minutes of glass calm I noticed a few tiy midges, probably a size 32. (sorry Taxon, don't know what they were, but I could match them in appearance but not size). There were also some shucks...now that I can handle. Where is that Matt Smith magic fly...here we go and there it went. I was fishing it under a bobbermacatorthingamajiggy device and down it went and in came an average looking and not too fiesty 12" stocker.

I could hear the first guy that left the lake say "that guy is into a fish already". Hearing that felt good. They had fished for six hours without a single rise seen or bump felt. A half hour later the magic fly had not delivered again and I swapped up to one of Rob Ast's loscha racoons (hope I got that right). I think it looks like the shucks and I had this one on my honey glass 4wt with a floater. I had worked some floatant into my furled unithread leader so the fly would be pretty close to the slime layer. FREAKING WHAM and my little click pawl reel was making music. [for those that say they are spring pawl reels...not this one...no springs, just a plasticised lever that clicks] Another fish to hand, that is two and I've been here about an hour. Not great but I'm not skunked.

The sun was now behind the trees. It got cold fast, I could see my breath and my hands were getting cold. I was happy to have been out and had a good time. I tied on one of my wine colored caddis emergers with a dark brown head and beaded body under the fuzzy dubbing. It is a confidence fly for me here and I slowly worked my way along the sloping shoal toward the takeout. Halfway back to take out there was a swirl and stretch to the line. Third fish to hand, another like the second, about 14" and my day on the water has been nice.

A good time was had by this guy.
 
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#6 ·
Ed, sounds like a nice day. Can you get that rod holder in a two rod modal? Four rods + the one I'm fishing with seams like a bit of overkill.
Could you PM me the guy who made it?
Jeff
 
#10 ·
On Valentine's Day we adopted a stray cat that, when taken to the vet needed $250 in shots, $250 in neutering and [GULP] $900 in broken femoral head repair for his hip. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, if the girls would have not been so attached to this little creature I don't know what I would have done..
Ouch! I've been there before. Hopefully this little fellah will be around for a while.

just a plasticised lever that clicks .
Sounds like a rock band name in the works...

Glad to hear that the day was not a total loss Ed. Ingenious rod holder too by the way. How did it hold up with the little wind you had?
 
#11 ·
The rod holder stole the show in this report and with good reason. The guy that made it is a member here but before I put his name out there I'll let him decide. I saw a photo of his rod rack and had to check one out. Based on how he put it together I bet he could put a two slot or three slot together because he's got mad rod rack engineering skills. He has a bungy tie down that holds the rod to the side of the tube by connecting to the bottom d ring below the boat. The wind did not budge this rack at all. The wind was not strong, but it was a bit windy at the start. Most net handles can fit into one of the slots. Bigger is better, right? I'm gonna send him a PM now to see if he is cool with all the attention you should be lavishing on him for his super cool rack creation.
 
#12 ·
I confess, that's my creation. I have four sockets so I can carry a floater, inter, and fast sink (or a couple different weights) plus a net. Of course I can make fewer sockets, but why not have max flexibility? :)

I've been asked about putting a drink holder in one spot, and a fishfinder mount in one might work too. I can pretty much build them to most any tube as long as there are a pair of D-rings on the side. I've built them for FishCat and FatCat tubes as well as for my pontoon boat's side rail.

Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions or if you absolutely have to have one for yourself. ;^)

_SHig
 
#13 ·
Hey Ed
I liked the report since I was thinking of coming up that way soon. (I do like the rod holder). In fact I was thinking of something similar for my pontoon and tube. I drove south on Saturday, 140 miles to Horseshoe Lake with a friend who outfished me 29 C&R to my 5.
SHig very nice design.
 
#14 ·
Sounds like a fine day Ed. I agree with everyone else; that rod holder is bomb dot com for sure. I usually carry 2 rods when I'm fishing a lake, and always struggle with the one extra since I don't have a rod holder. I've been haunting the beaches a lot lately, but the lakes have been calling to me. Maybe this weekend I'll get the toon wet.
 
#16 ·
Matt, you are welcome any time. I'll look forward to whenever we can hook up and get out there. Is that orange hatted avatar your latest impression of Old Man Jim?
 
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