Easter Sunday at Shenandoah National Park, Part 1

I took the family over to SNP to hike the upper portion of the Rapidan River - this is about 4 miles above the spot I was at a few weekends back. This section was also skinnier than to lower section. And worst of all, I did not see one single trout. We did love hiking along the boulders and four wheeling to get to the different spots!

Shenandoah National Park Flyfishing

Did something different yesterday - drove over to the SNP Graves Mill section to do a little high water creek fishing. This first group of pictures was from the section before you get to the park. I know that because someone stopped to tell me I was fishing on private property. I'm pretty sure it wasn't owner because he was being nice about it. I did look and I couldn't find a sign stating any of the right of way was private. Oh well - we packed up and moved on to the park itself. This is Justin S - young guy from the Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders forum that agreed to help figure out the fishing and locations. He caught a creek chub or fallfish from one of the first pools up from the parking area. I had originally setup my Barclay Glass 3wt, but after I lost several flies to the trees on my backcast, I switched over to my Nissin 39-44 Fine Mode seiryu rod. I had to go through just about every fly in my box, but eventually, a parachute adams opened the flood gates and I was able to catch four black nosed daces (at least I think that's what they are - daces for sure and with a prominent dark stripe on their sides). Finally I hiked up even further and found an awesome spot - two creeks converged symmetrically into one and formed a long run with a pool carved in the middle - I haven't fished for trout before, but from all my research, this was textbook trout habitat. I saw an Alpha Male in the prime feeding spot (right at the 'pit' of the 'Y') - I tried relentlessly to get that fish to take, but the flies I had that matched the bugs in the air were too big and didn't float well. At least I got the chance to see this place. This was very challenging fishing, some of the most technical I've ever done, but for all the frustration, it was awesome to know that places like this still exist. Next time I'll bring La and the kids.

4MR Foursome - Fishing on the Solstice

What a way to welcome the Winter Solstice - fishing in 75 degree, clear sky weather. I caught tons of sunfish and one large mouth - so I got another 4MR slam (or a Foursome). I used my St Croix UL Triumph (reeled with a Shimano Sahara 1000) for most of the time. I was hoping to hook the big channel cat I've seen the past couple of times, but as luck would have it, when I am prepared with Gulp and the spinning rig - the fish aren't around. I also used the Nissin Fine Mode Nagare rod - I had fixed the flies I used last time (a squirmy wormy that got torn up and a stripped foam popper) and they killed it! I saw tons of gizzard shad - they could care less I was pitching flies to them. But alas, no big channel cats - maybe next time. Sight fishing in winter - you can beat it if you can travel south or have a boat, but I'll take what I can get. Another fun fishing outing (but I can't wait for spring to settle in - the Solstice today is a good marker that we are halfway there!).

Catching Repeat

I went back to 4 Mile Run on Saturday morning to go fishing and get a better understanding of the water/structure. It was even colder than Friday, but I took a long walk around the block (literally) to warm up before I hit the water. I strung up the Nissin Fine Mode with the TUSA furled line and ended up using several flies through the course of the day - a squirmy wormy (#12 hook), a bead head green scud, a bead head killer bug and an olive woolly bugger. I caught fish on every thing except the squirmy wormy - the hook was too large for the fish that were willing to chase flies. I didn't bother keeping count, but the same trio came to hook - pumpkinseeds, green sunfish and the bluegs (bluegills). I did see a couple of channel cats that weren't interested in any of the flies - even the woolly bugger that I literally stuck in it's face. And lastly, I got a close up look at the carp-ish fish I saw schools of earlier in the week.I'll be consulting my fish catalog books to see what I'll need to tie up to get this fish interested in a game of tug-o-war... you saw it here first - the sasquatch of 4 Mile Run (because the yeti is that albino tilapia). There were a bunch more people fishing today - one spinning for food, a six others on western fly gear (two of which were guides). Looks like winter fishing protocol is in full effect. I am still resisting the tying bench, but I don't know for how much longer... maybe when it starts to snow (or maybe after I've landed that yeti)...

Friday Morning Subfreezing Fishing

While a lot of people were paying homage to their capitalistic gods, I was conducting a survey with the fish at 4 Mile Run. There was more water in the run than last time - ankle deep in areas that were dry last time. I used the Nissin Fine Mode Nagare 2-way Zoom rod, mostly in 390 mode. I was casting using a TUSA Furled line with a short section of 7X tippet. I used a pink squirmy wormie until it magically came off mid cast (frozen fingers tie crappy knots), then I used a bead head killer bug for the rest of the trip. I ended up catching 7 bluegill, 2 pumpkinseeds and 3 green sunfish. With the setup I had, even the small guy's pulling felt like a pissed off dobie yanking at backyard chain. Scale down your tackle to increase your fun!!! Oh - did I mention it was 25 degrees out???? UPDATE: I forgot to mention I caught a glimpse of the legendary white tilapia!!! I'm going back with my 5wt to catch that fish...

New Rod Joins the Lineup

This was my birthday present this year - the Suntech Field Master. Three way zoom tenkara style rod. You can fish it as a 360 cm rod and zoom down to 320 or up to 390 depending on the situation. I'll admit that I didn't need a rod to fill this size niche - I have the Daiwa 43MF Kiyose for large fish and a Nissin Fine Mode Nagare Two Way 390 to 440 for the smaller fish. What the Field Master does do is fill the size niche just below and conveniently right between the other two capability-wise - it has the backbone leading up to the Kiyose, but is lighter and has some of the sensitivity of the Fine Mode - just right. But perhaps the thing that I like the most about this rod is it's name - FIELD MASTER - and the rod is just that - it gives you the confidence that you can land most any fish that you can fool with a fly. So here are the three general purpose fixed line flyrods that you'll see me toting around as I try to antagonize the local piscine community (catch and release of course so don't get your undies all bound up in knots).