I'm not the world's greatest angler, by any stretch... but I'm not used to failure.
In this case, we had the camera rolling (for Cermele's new Hook Shots episode, check it out) as a giant rainbow was sipping bugs off the surface in a part of the Colorado River where I reliably catch fish. I figured that was a done deal. I was prepared to hook that fish, turn and mug for the camera, and say something smug like, "and THAT'S why I only do one show a day, babe, I won't do two..."
But, alas... I got schooled. Skunked. Whiffed. For the entire Field & Stream nation to see...
Are you planning on releasing the fish aftrer it's caught? If so then I would try to match the hatch and get a bunch of crud on the leader that would make it disappear in the foam.
If you were planning on keeping it, a .22LR makes a small hole and you would just have to get the net downstream from him.
Earlier this year Mr. Merwin blogged about the Moffitt Angling, aka the "hookless" fly system and asked if it was fair or foul hooking. The system utilizes a hookless fly or flies suspended above a uniquely designed barbless circle hook. The system was designed to help with fish mortality rates and aid in catch and release fishing. Ironically, controversy has swirled since it's release and many people have called the system snagging. I personally have used the system on a small river in Colorado and found that...
I decided to get a set to try. I was very, very disappointed when the kit came air mail from CHINA, the whole kit was pretty lame looking, actually looked more like the scraps I tossed from my last fly tying session.
One thing I did inquire about with the folks at the local fly shop was the technique that this system uses. Everyone there had the same opinion, this is just a fancy form of snagging, not really being sporting, and shouldn't be considered the "next best thing" in fishing.
I'm surprised that Colorado actually made it legal, as the game wardens look at a hook anywhere other than inside the mouth is considered snagging and can result in a loss of fishing license, tackle, fines, and possible legal issues.
Yes I know, some of you might have seen this image in the magazine a couple of months ago. You didn't get to write your own witty caption for it though.
We'll give it about a week and whomever comes up with the best caption for this photograph will win...
Don Talbot thinks it should be a crime to shoot an animal with a bullet too small to kill it quickly.
Talbot tried to get state legislators to pass a law to ensure that hunters use appropriately sized bullets when hunting big game. On Thursday, the Senate shot it down, 30-15.
I have to agree with Vtbluegrass, this guy is one of those people who get offended by something and because they don't feel it's "politically correct" they go off on a crusade to make everyone elses lives miserable. Bravo to the legislature to tell this guy where to go. Unfortunately, there's a couple hunderd more like him that catch wind of something like this and make it their life's mission. We've got too much crime, murders, assaults, terrorism acts, and other nasty things going on in society to worry about someone killing a deer or anything else with a well placed 22 calibur bullet. I agree that larger caliburs can sometimes create a quicker death, but I've also assisted other hunters who followed lots of 5 and 10 mile blood trails from a poorly placed shot from a centerfire rifle or slug gun, only to find the deer still alive and on 3 legs. Now which is better for the deer? A well placed one kill shot with anything, or a poor shot which causes the animal to live in pain until the second shot can be administered? I get the idea that this is what Talbot wanted, but he definately went around it the wrong way.
From the "Even a Blind Hog Finds an Acorn Once in a While" Files:
I had a successful afternoon on the river yesterday, and it only happened after I found the right fly pattern. Honestly, I went from zero to hero in about 20 minutes after making a bug switch. And it wasn't really my first choice... I saw the fly on my hat brim... was too lazy to dig around the box... figured what the heck... and it worked.
I'll set up the situation, and you see if you can figure out what fly pattern it was that turned out to be the haymaker...
Several years ago, my guide friend Kea Hause talked about snipping the hooks off his dry flies and casting at trout, literally just for grins. He figured the "eat" and a split-second tug were all that really mattered to have his fun. Once you trick that instinct with the perfect cast and drift, he reasoned, "what more does one really need?" He called it "rollin' fish."
Of course, I thought he was nuts.
But lately, I've taken up "rollin' fish" as a hobby, and I must say, I'm addicted. I don't stress any fish. Never get my hands wet. And I spend a helluva lot less time pulling flies out of the bushes.
Does this type of flyfishing represent a higher level of enlightenment... or extreme laziness? Am I just flat-out off my rocker? Wait, don't answer that... well, okay go ahead.
Sounds like fun, maybe try those new flies from China, the ones that Moffitt Angling is selling. Using their system, you could tie on a piece of cork for the end in place of the hook, attach all the flies on the leader, and have multiple "roll" ups.
Sounds like an idea from PETA at first, but once you start with hookless flies, what's next... although in hot climates, this would allow you to play with trout without overstressing them or killing them. A new form of C&R?
Saltwater fishing licenses--or the lack of them--are still a hot-button issue around the Northeast this summer. The recently renewed federal Magnuson-Stevens Act essentially mandated that coastal states without such licenses create them or else. Otherwise, the feds will start a mandatory licensing system starting in 2010. But will saltwater licensing be a boon or boondoggle?
I forgot, If you are in a different water than where you put in, you'll need a license from that state also under this new licensing system. So put in a boat and fish out of Point Judith, and you need a license for Connecticut and Massachusetts along with Rhode Island if you go too far east or west. Another way to stick it to the average sportsman.
Saltwater fishing licenses--or the lack of them--are still a hot-button issue around the Northeast this summer. The recently renewed federal Magnuson-Stevens Act essentially mandated that coastal states without such licenses create them or else. Otherwise, the feds will start a mandatory licensing system starting in 2010. But will saltwater licensing be a boon or boondoggle?
It's a gigantic crock of you know what. The fees won't help anything other than discourage the honest hard working angler from pursuing something that would be relaxing and pleasurable. And to think that it's going to apply to everyone...nope. Go out on a charter boat, which doesn't need to be licensed, and you don't need a license. Commercial fishermen get a pass, they pay for a commercial license, and get to kill as much bi-catch as possible. But the Surf Fisherman, and the Sportsman who goes out one to two days a month / year, gets another TAX (it's claimed to be a fee, but let's be realistic) so that they can do what was free for thousands of years. I've never seen fish killed by the thousands a day by recreational fishermen, but it's the normal for the commercial fisherman. Yet everyone points to the recreational fisherman as the source of the problem, instead of pulling their heads out of the sand and actually looking at the problem head on.
I'm buying my license to fish several times over here in Taxachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and any other state I visit that I plan to fish. But to have to buy a second license for each state just because I want to fish from shore of the state I am in at the time is another sign of Governmental Extortion.
Fly fishing gear doesn't have to be expensive. Sometimes the best fly fishing gear isn't really, well, fly fishing gear to begin with. For example, I'm still pretty convinced that the 99-cent mini fingernail clippers I bought at the drugstore work about as well as the $8.99 pair of nippers one can buy at the fly shop.
I use a 48" 3/4" wide dog leash with the snap end on it to tether my Wading pole, which is one of a set of two adjustable hiking poles from Walmart. I use a 2 piece clothes pin with the metal spring and a drywall screw as a vise when I am in the woods (you'll be surprised how many stumps there are out there that you can screw into)
I drilled 2 holes the end of my wooden 5 foot wading staff, curled a piece of Aluminum tubing in a 14" circle with the 2 ends pointed away from the circle, and inserted the ends into the wood, secured it, then got one of the zip on nets, making the staff a long handled net if needed.
Instead of buying a Tippet Post, I just took a piece of thin parachute cord, made it into a loop, and fed one end of the loop through the tippet rolls, send the other end of the loop through the end pushed through the centers, and hook it to my vest, waders, or pack with a small carabiner.
One last thing I did was buy a bunch of the 3" Snap Link carabiners and place them in strategic locations around my wading pack and wader belt, they give me an excellent place to tether some piece of equipment (net, dog leash, rope loop, etc)
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Deeter: Help Me Catch That Scum-Sucking Pig! (And win a fly rod).28
I'm not the world's greatest angler, by any stretch... but I'm not used to failure.
In this case, we had the camera rolling (for Cermele's new Hook Shots episode, check it out) as a giant rainbow was sipping bugs off the surface in a part of the Colorado River where I reliably catch fish. I figured that was a done deal. I was prepared to hook that fish, turn and mug for the camera, and say something smug like, "and THAT'S why I only do one show a day, babe, I won't do two..."
But, alas... I got schooled. Skunked. Whiffed. For the entire Field & Stream nation to see...
Are you planning on releasing the fish aftrer it's caught? If so then I would try to match the hatch and get a bunch of crud on the leader that would make it disappear in the foam. If you were planning on keeping it, a .22LR makes a small hole and you would just have to get the net downstream from him.
"Hookless" flies: The future of fly fishing?9
Earlier this year Mr. Merwin blogged about the Moffitt Angling, aka the "hookless" fly system and asked if it was fair or foul hooking. The system utilizes a hookless fly or flies suspended above a uniquely designed barbless circle hook. The system was designed to help with fish mortality rates and aid in catch and release fishing. Ironically, controversy has swirled since it's release and many people have called the system snagging. I personally have used the system on a small river in Colorado and found that...
I decided to get a set to try. I was very, very disappointed when the kit came air mail from CHINA, the whole kit was pretty lame looking, actually looked more like the scraps I tossed from my last fly tying session. One thing I did inquire about with the folks at the local fly shop was the technique that this system uses. Everyone there had the same opinion, this is just a fancy form of snagging, not really being sporting, and shouldn't be considered the "next best thing" in fishing. I'm surprised that Colorado actually made it legal, as the game wardens look at a hook anywhere other than inside the mouth is considered snagging and can result in a loss of fishing license, tackle, fines, and possible legal issues.
Video Tip: Tap the Rod, Look like a Pro9
But what happens when you tap the rod and the fly doesn't drop?
Caption Contest: Write the Best... Win Gear184
Yes I know, some of you might have seen this image in the magazine a couple of months ago. You didn't get to write your own witty caption for it though.
We'll give it about a week and whomever comes up with the best caption for this photograph will win...
You should see the junk people toss in here.
Discussion Topic: Is Your Bullet Big Enough?50
From North Carolina’s The Fayetteville Observer via iStockAnalyst:
Don Talbot thinks it should be a crime to shoot an animal with a bullet too small to kill it quickly.
Talbot tried to get state legislators to pass a law to ensure that hunters use appropriately sized bullets when hunting big game. On Thursday, the Senate shot it down, 30-15.
I have to agree with Vtbluegrass, this guy is one of those people who get offended by something and because they don't feel it's "politically correct" they go off on a crusade to make everyone elses lives miserable. Bravo to the legislature to tell this guy where to go. Unfortunately, there's a couple hunderd more like him that catch wind of something like this and make it their life's mission. We've got too much crime, murders, assaults, terrorism acts, and other nasty things going on in society to worry about someone killing a deer or anything else with a well placed 22 calibur bullet. I agree that larger caliburs can sometimes create a quicker death, but I've also assisted other hunters who followed lots of 5 and 10 mile blood trails from a poorly placed shot from a centerfire rifle or slug gun, only to find the deer still alive and on 3 legs. Now which is better for the deer? A well placed one kill shot with anything, or a poor shot which causes the animal to live in pain until the second shot can be administered? I get the idea that this is what Talbot wanted, but he definately went around it the wrong way.
Can You Pick the Right Bug?33
From the "Even a Blind Hog Finds an Acorn Once in a While" Files:
I had a successful afternoon on the river yesterday, and it only happened after I found the right fly pattern. Honestly, I went from zero to hero in about 20 minutes after making a bug switch. And it wasn't really my first choice... I saw the fly on my hat brim... was too lazy to dig around the box... figured what the heck... and it worked.
I'll set up the situation, and you see if you can figure out what fly pattern it was that turned out to be the haymaker...
Size 2 Grey or White Wulff. If it can't get the hook in the mouth, you don't want it.
New Fly Sport: Rollin' Fish1
Several years ago, my guide friend Kea Hause talked about snipping the hooks off his dry flies and casting at trout, literally just for grins. He figured the "eat" and a split-second tug were all that really mattered to have his fun. Once you trick that instinct with the perfect cast and drift, he reasoned, "what more does one really need?" He called it "rollin' fish."
Of course, I thought he was nuts.
But lately, I've taken up "rollin' fish" as a hobby, and I must say, I'm addicted. I don't stress any fish. Never get my hands wet. And I spend a helluva lot less time pulling flies out of the bushes.
Does this type of flyfishing represent a higher level of enlightenment... or extreme laziness? Am I just flat-out off my rocker? Wait, don't answer that... well, okay go ahead.
Deeter
Sounds like fun, maybe try those new flies from China, the ones that Moffitt Angling is selling. Using their system, you could tie on a piece of cork for the end in place of the hook, attach all the flies on the leader, and have multiple "roll" ups. Sounds like an idea from PETA at first, but once you start with hookless flies, what's next... although in hot climates, this would allow you to play with trout without overstressing them or killing them. A new form of C&R?
Merwin: Weigh-In on Saltwater Licenses25
Saltwater fishing licenses--or the lack of them--are still a hot-button issue around the Northeast this summer. The recently renewed federal Magnuson-Stevens Act essentially mandated that coastal states without such licenses create them or else. Otherwise, the feds will start a mandatory licensing system starting in 2010. But will saltwater licensing be a boon or boondoggle?
I forgot, If you are in a different water than where you put in, you'll need a license from that state also under this new licensing system. So put in a boat and fish out of Point Judith, and you need a license for Connecticut and Massachusetts along with Rhode Island if you go too far east or west. Another way to stick it to the average sportsman.
Merwin: Weigh-In on Saltwater Licenses25
Saltwater fishing licenses--or the lack of them--are still a hot-button issue around the Northeast this summer. The recently renewed federal Magnuson-Stevens Act essentially mandated that coastal states without such licenses create them or else. Otherwise, the feds will start a mandatory licensing system starting in 2010. But will saltwater licensing be a boon or boondoggle?
It's a gigantic crock of you know what. The fees won't help anything other than discourage the honest hard working angler from pursuing something that would be relaxing and pleasurable. And to think that it's going to apply to everyone...nope. Go out on a charter boat, which doesn't need to be licensed, and you don't need a license. Commercial fishermen get a pass, they pay for a commercial license, and get to kill as much bi-catch as possible. But the Surf Fisherman, and the Sportsman who goes out one to two days a month / year, gets another TAX (it's claimed to be a fee, but let's be realistic) so that they can do what was free for thousands of years. I've never seen fish killed by the thousands a day by recreational fishermen, but it's the normal for the commercial fisherman. Yet everyone points to the recreational fisherman as the source of the problem, instead of pulling their heads out of the sand and actually looking at the problem head on. I'm buying my license to fish several times over here in Taxachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and any other state I visit that I plan to fish. But to have to buy a second license for each state just because I want to fish from shore of the state I am in at the time is another sign of Governmental Extortion.
More Cheap Thrills: Walking the Flats in Chucks32
Fly fishing gear doesn't have to be expensive. Sometimes the best fly fishing gear isn't really, well, fly fishing gear to begin with. For example, I'm still pretty convinced that the 99-cent mini fingernail clippers I bought at the drugstore work about as well as the $8.99 pair of nippers one can buy at the fly shop.
I use a 48" 3/4" wide dog leash with the snap end on it to tether my Wading pole, which is one of a set of two adjustable hiking poles from Walmart. I use a 2 piece clothes pin with the metal spring and a drywall screw as a vise when I am in the woods (you'll be surprised how many stumps there are out there that you can screw into) I drilled 2 holes the end of my wooden 5 foot wading staff, curled a piece of Aluminum tubing in a 14" circle with the 2 ends pointed away from the circle, and inserted the ends into the wood, secured it, then got one of the zip on nets, making the staff a long handled net if needed. Instead of buying a Tippet Post, I just took a piece of thin parachute cord, made it into a loop, and fed one end of the loop through the tippet rolls, send the other end of the loop through the end pushed through the centers, and hook it to my vest, waders, or pack with a small carabiner. One last thing I did was buy a bunch of the 3" Snap Link carabiners and place them in strategic locations around my wading pack and wader belt, they give me an excellent place to tether some piece of equipment (net, dog leash, rope loop, etc)
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