Fishing Report 6/6/2014

Today was fantastic!!! Incredible weather - beautiful blue sky - just a touch of wind to keep things interesting... Brought out the Scott F2 6533 and lined it up with the RIO Gold WF3F line (common theme for the week). Again - brilliant performance. Each one of these rods is perfect in their own way (good thing I don't have to choose). The action of this rod is a tad faster than the Feelex - but that makes this rod that more universally useable. The 6" that this rod doesn't have makes it easier to use in tighter quarters - in my case casting work under willow trees. I can sense I don't have the same reach as I do on the longer rod (Barclay Glass 3wt and the Feelex at 7'2" and 7'0" respectively), but I can still work the line out to any sight casting distance I would need to (35' to 40'). I went straight for the big pig hideout and it paid off in spades!!! Tons of fun playing tug-o'-war with these bull bluegs. I did catch a small largemouth that was more interested in out competing the small bluegill that were around it - too bad the nymph was one of my flies! A couple of these bulls even pulled line off the reel - just like the bones of DG... a singing drag makes my adrenal gland go haywire - primal reaction - one of the reasons I keep coming back to flyfish!

Crappie Hole Bingo

It was nice and warm on Thursday afternoon. Marlon asked to go fishing so off we went. He ended up using small popper we made back in the winter and got some decent hits from a few largemouth bass and a bruiser of a bluegill. I wasn't doing so well at this spot so I told Marlon I was headed to the dam. The buttercups were is full bloom - nice diversion from casting. At the dam, it took a few fanning casts to find my groove but when I did... BAM!!!! I was catching a different crappie nearly every cast for about a good 15 minutes straight. This largemouth got a bit jealous of all the action and took a turn at the tug'o war line. To ensure I am rotating the stock sufficiently, I am making sure to use a different rod each time I head out - this should also help me get my casting dialed in. Switching up the rods, lines and leader length will force me to adapt my stroke. On Thursday, I was using the Scott F2 6533 - it didn't take long for me to remember I really like casting this rod (and I think I will be repeating that statement with each change of rod). I lined up the rod with a RIO Gold WF3. The drill became cast a ostrich herl bead chain nymph out parallel to the dam rocks, strip in slow, watch for the slab flash, gently set the hook and bring in a feisty crappie. AWESOME fishing day!

Frustration Brewing at the Lake...

After tying up a bunch of flies, the kids wanted to go whack some gills. Unfortunately the gills were being resistant. Also unfortunately I caught some fish - three largemouth bass and a couple of bluegills. I got all of them on a small black and brown woolly bugger. The one thing I don't like when I am catching and the kids aren't is that they really lose interest... Continuing on with the current theme - I used the Scott F2 6533 with a RIO Perception 3wt

More Fishing at Lake Newport

Yesterday afternoon at the Lake - wonderful weather and the fish were getting warmer and thus more feisty! I had three bass and just one bluegill - but oh did that bluegill fight!!! I had the Scott 6533 with a RIO Perception 3wt out - fun setup and fun fish!!!

Sunday Fishing - Dropping Tide at... Wait for it.... 4 Mile Run!!!

Yes - since everything else is still frozen, I spent the afternoon wading through 4 Mile Run. I don't mean to seem jaded about this - in fact I am grateful that I get to go fishing at all considering the average air temperature has been in the high 20's. I do mix it up by taking different rods and different lines - all to see if I can pair up a line and rod for the long haul. As I was walking through the river bed, I saw this gizzard shad resting - looks like something got a good hit on it - look behind the dorsal fin. Today I brought out the Scott F26533, a SA Supra DT3 and a RIO Gold WF3F. I started out walking upstream towards the outfall. I spent most of my time at the storm culvert with the WF3F line - bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish and large mouth bass - the 4MR foursome. I did make it up to the outfall itself and caught a green sunfish that seemed to have a bad right eye. I lost a good fly about this same time - a small shrimp/clouser combo that sank well (bead chain eyes). On a back cast, the fly hit the rod and broke free - don't ask me where. I wasn't trying to pick up a foursome - I was actually trying to get a bona fide goldfish to take the fly. I switched flies out several times but didn't get the time of day from that fish. Next time I'll bring some Gulp Maggots - that'll do the trick (who doesn't like eating a maggot???...???). Goldilocks here actually had a couple of escorts - but they were much better camouflaged (brown and golden - like the bottom of 4MR). I moved back down stream and fished by the bridges/power line island. I lost count of how many bluegill hits I got - probably 50+. I had switched out the WF3F for the DT3F line. When there wasn't any wind blowing, and I got a good lift on the line, the DT3 cast really well. But it was less forgiving of mistakes (which forced me to keep my form up)

More Time with the Scott F2 6533

Saturday morning fishing at 4 Mile Run (yes again - every place else is frozen over). I ended up catching a bunch of sunnies - 4 Mile Run Trifecta. I met up with Bruce - another flyrodder in this area and we discussed who's boots and waders were more frozen this morning. I lined the Scott F2 6533 with a RIO Perception line - if you recall, I used a RIO Gold last time. The Perception worked well with the F2 6533, but I think my casting got more out of using the Gold. I was having too much fun casting to swap out the line. When I am not distracted by the piscine antagonists, I might see fit to just cast and swap lines to get a more objective take on the line performance. I did walk down to the Route 1 bridges and cast to the power pole island. Bunches of sunnies in that water, but what I was really hoping for was a shot at the goldfish that traverse that area. No goldfish, but I did get to meet "Todd" - a member of the TPRF group here in the DC/NorVa/Maryland area - he's the guy who has inspired me to tag one of these huge "Free Willy" fish (not flushed upon disposal, but dumped in the river to grow into an invasive species new to the river - heck with airplanes flying everywhere and all our modern conveniences, this will all be one world soon enough). He was nice enough to fully explain his technique and lures - now I just have to spend the time out there to get my shot. Todd asked about the Scott in my hand and I let him cast it - he was pushing really long, nice loops - yet another person to make me feel like a crappy caster (more incentive to get better). I can't wait for spring to arrive... not that I don't appreciate being able to still fish in the middle of winter, but variety is a good thing and there is only so much you can do at 4 Mile Run. I still don't like winter...

Bluegill Come Hither - The Scott F2 6533 Test Drive

I took the Scott F2 6533 out to Four Mile Run to see how it casts. I lined it up with a RIO Gold WF3F. Balanced nicely with an Abel Creek 1. This is a really fun rod to cast. I am now going to have to cast it with the RIO Perception to see if it "brightens" up as much as the Barclay Glass did with that line. If you asked me today, I'd have to say the Barclay is a touch more fun/responsive/accurate caster - but there are tons of variables that have to be isolated and tested to see which rod rises to the top. In the end, it really is just subjective - what feels right at the moment. And it's ALL GOOD - I have definitely reached the stage in fishing where it isn't the size of the fish you catch, it's the fishing. The bluegill obviously liked it! I ended up catching about ten of these guys - no bass, no green sunfish, no pumpkinseeds - just bluegill. Pretty cool day when you get to cast a really nice rod to willing tug of war contestants! To summarize: Scott F2 6533 = great fun; Bluegill = tremendous fun on Scott F2 6533; me = big smile (especially during the middle of winter - first time I had ice on my guides; did I mention I hate winter).