New (to me) Flyrod!!!

I recently traded a C Barclay 7105 (3 piece fiberglass 5 weight fly rod) to Chris Barclay for a Seele 8wt Salz (2 piece fiberglass fly rod) and the USPS delivered it today. I lined it up with a Scientific Anglers 8 wt line and gave it a whirl. It was pretty wet outside and another band of clouds was moving in, so I didn't get to break out the other rods I normally use for comparison - but from what I can recall, this rod seems to have just a hair less backbone than the Epic 888, but it may be just a little "crisper" than the Epic. I really did like the Barclay 7105, but living on Oahu has ruined my mid-weight fly game (and I don't use my ultralight stuff either - but I'll never let go of my ultralight rods - just way too much fun), so better to let the rod get sold to someone who'll use it and get me another tool for the salt. Thanks for the trade Chris!!!

Fishing Report 6/19/2014, Part 2

I kept walking at the first stop and found the creek that drained the pond. I did see a few green sunfish and one small largemouth bass, but I decided to just keep watching and not go back to the truck to get the gear (I did go back eventually to get the camera). At the creek, I saw a female (large sized) dragonfly depositing eggs into the water - keep flying up and down and hitting the surface - if you looked as the spot the dragonfly just left, you could see a little white dot - an egg. I didn't have the camera with me, but now I know what to look for at our lake. I noticed after walking through some grass that I had a few hitchhikers on me - after pulling the ticks off myself, I got back in the truck and headed to the part of Bull Run that goes under the "Stone Bridge" - site of the retreating Union Army Regiments after the Second Battle of Manassas. It was neat to think that several hundred people once crossed a bridge here and destroyed it to stop the Confederate troops from following them. Makes you also wonder if these same species of sunfish were in this run back then, or if these are more recent transplants to these waters. Sometimes you don't have to rig up the rod - but that doesn't mean everytime (or even most - let's keep that the exception ;)

Fishing Report 6/18/2014, Part 2

The kids had some friends over after school and I was where I wanted to be with packing/cleaning/fixing, and I still had the Barclay 3wt still setup - so I decided to spend an hour at the lake to see what was around. While I did get a few hits, most of the fish were just following the flies - it was pretty hot (95 F), so I guess even the fish were lethargic. What weren't lethargic were the dragonflies. They were flying around, claiming territory and chasing each other. I didn't see any conjoined pairs, so they are still just marking territory in anticipation of 'other' things to come. So from shuck to pre-mating, it has been a week. I know they spend the majority of their life spans as nymphs underwater, but it seems to me the most dynamic part of their lives - where they would want to spend the majority of their time - is in fact the shortest of their different phases. Oh well - I hope they are enjoying all the flying around...

Fishing Report 6/18/2014

I went to get the minivan serviced this morning. It just so happens the place we get it serviced at is not that far from Goose Creek. I was being efficient by going fishing and getting the oil changed at the same time. The water was a little high again - I was a bit concerned that the fish wouldn't be around. I was really hoping to get into some of those king sized redbreast sunfish again, but that wasn't the case. I lined up the Barclay Glass 3wt with a RIO Gold and worked the bank where the water was a lot slower than the middle channel. I ended up catching a bunch of these small greens and pumpkinseeds (which I am beginning to think are juvenile redbreast). Small - yes, but super feisty! They didn't pull drag, but they did put up a larger than proportional fight!

Sabbatical Fishing

Today was the first day I got up and decided I would go fishing. With no appointments, interviews, errands, or honey do's I tied up a hot pink, brass bead head, size 20 nymph'ish fly with a dun hackle collar. I caught a ton of bluegill and a couple of bass. I was using the Barclay Glass 3wt lined with a RIO Gold 3wt. The more I use this combo, the more I am convinced that it is sheer perfection. And who can argue with a progressive bend like this... Nice largemouth to hand. On to the bluegill - the water is warming up because the bluegill bite is on!!! At some points, I was catching a blueg every cast. Small guys, but one on every cast. With a 3wt rod, you could still feel the fight and not instantaneously overpower the fish (yeah you can who am I kidding - but restraint is a virtue and makes ultralight weight fishing fun). I walked around the lake and found a spot with all the bull bluegs just hanging out. It was the furthest spot downwind so I suspect they were in feeding mode. I tied on a copper/black mini clouser and the fun really started!!! Nothing like fighting bull bluegs on a 3wt (except maybe double digit bones on an 8wt; or GTs on the same 8wt; or smallmouth on a 6wt - you get the picture)!!! Being in between jobs with a sparse schedule is wonderful - I love being on sabbatical!!!

First Crappie of the Year

I fished from the bank for a bit looking for a spot that Marlon and Noe can fish from if they want to come out with me. One of the spots I fish while wading had a few clearings in the brush that they can shoot line from and sight cast to the fish below. You have to move slowly into position so your silhouette doesn't spook the fish - they are used to being hunted by Great Blue Herons so any motion against the background of the sky sends they swimming. I saw this crappie take, but thought it was another bluegill. A pleasant surprise of variety amidst a sea of bluegill.

Fat B-Ass

Man these waders make my butt look ginormous!!! Oh - and I caught a nice sized largemouth bass. I had been eating so it was kinda fat.

Fat Pumpkinseed

I caught a few of these guys, but this one was pretty plump for a March fish. Must have been some extra "nutrients" coming out of the 4MR WWTP Outfall... An interesting difference between Pumpkinseeds and Bluegills - pumpkinseeds seem to have a thinner slime coat, you can feel their scales a lot more than a bluegill's. The colors on these guys were getting more vibrant as well - a good sign that spring is coming (despite the 8 inches of snow we got today).

Before the Snow

Yesterday (Sunday) I got out to fish the dropping tide at 4 Mile Run. Barclay Glass 3wt, RIO Perception line and a Killer Bug (with red crystal flash eviscerated innards tail and a tungsten bead head) fly, some quiet time and focus on making good solid casts - yielded a ton of hook ups and fights, with Bluegill. I probably caught 50 of these guys - and each one was a blast. I did manage to mix it up and brought some greenies and pumpkinseeds to hand as well as a couple of other surprises, but that for the next few posts. What a nice way to bring about some serenity (I've said this before - the meditative effects of flyfishing are not as intense as surfing, but it is very fulfilling in a much different way).

First Catches of February - Yes, 4 Mile Run AGAIN

But when all the other water around is hard, you gotta do what you gotta do... I brought out the Barclay Glass 7'2" 3 wt with a RIO Perception line and had a BLAST!!! I was at a point where I was having just as much fun casting as I was with catching fish. Owning this rod has forced me to improve my casting - but the payoff is nice loops sailing through on both forward and back casts and the smooth, progressive feeling of the rod loading and unloading. Casting the Barclay has taught me a lot - that I sucked casting before I got this rod; that the joy in flyfishing is not the fishing; and that there is a lot I have to learn still. I never understood this with graphite. I probably still suck, but I am getting better. It has taken me a while to refine my casting to enjoy this rod - but man was it worth it!!! I looked up the reports of some of the other guys in the area who had to wet a line - the guys fishing further downstream of where I was were able to hook up some giant goldfish (google Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders, 4MR). I might just have to go back AGAIN...

Epic 686 Lawn Casting - Post Linner

We drove out to Eastport in Annapolis to eat at the Boatyard again - Marlon had asked for some of their fried chicken fingers for his birthday meal - twist my arm!!! We ate "Linner" there (Lunch and Dinner, but closer to lunchtime) - the raw oysters were marvelous as always;) Right after eating, I asked La if I could take just a few minutes to cast this rod/WF6 line. I had cast it this morning, but since I was on the street in front of our house, I was being ginger with the line. This was in front of a school that we park by everytime we go to the Boatyard. I saw it this morning while casting and I was witness to it again this afternoon - THIS ROD IS WONDERFUL!!! I can cast close in with minimal line out and 50 foot casts are not hard to push out. I can see my loops flying through the air and I can feel the load/unload cycle - very nice indeed!!! I'm not a very good caster. I still get tailing loops every so often and my form needs some work. With that said, this is another one of those rods (and line combinations) that makes me look halfway decent - I'm a believer in the Epic 686!!!

There's a Reason for Everything (Custom Barclay Epic 686)

So the previous post seemed a little gratuitous to you huh??? Well here's the reason why I posted it. I ply the waters on the Fiberglass Flyrodders forum and in their Classified section, rods come and go. Lots get sold, but several also get traded. I was able to broker a trade for the Orvis Superfine Touch 5wt in exchange for this Epic 686 built up by Chris Barclay. I loved the Touch, but I wasn't using it and I have been looking for a fiberglass rod in the 5-6 weight range to take on some baby leviathans. Despite the Postman braving the elements to deliver this awesome parcel, it was WAY too cold outside today to cast a line. I did get it out in the sunshine to see the translucence. If I haven't said it before, I'll say it here "I don't like the cold" - I'm pretty sure I've said that many times. But for now, I'll just have to wait for warmer weather and dream of wrestling some bass and shad with this rod. There are plenty of subtle details - the exquisite wraps, the subtle but useful alignment dots and that "begging to get wet" reel seat (looks to be salt resistant) - this is looking to be the missing link between my softer 3 and 4 weight fiberglass rods and the saltwater graphite bruisers in the 8 weight range. I can easily see targeting carp and small mouths one day, then turning around and casting some shrimp flies to redfish the next day. Now for that warm, sunny weather...