Fishing Report 7/12/2014

Same pond as last time - a different section. I lined up the Orvis Helios 9'0" 5wt. Not having used a graphite 5wt in a while, this rod felt much more robust than the fiberglass rods I have been using in this weight class. Surprisingly it was still sensitive to even these small sunfish (not sure what species they were, but I think they were some sort of hybrid - a lot like a bluegill juvenile, but the eyes and markings were different). Maybe these are ju-vee redears....

Fishing Report 7/1/2014

After we got back from the Aviary and eating at OTB, I asked the family to take a walk with me to check out the fishing hole at the campgrounds. I ended up catching two sunfish - either redbreasts or some hybrid. The Orvis Superfine Touch 7'6" 1wt delivered the goods! Afterwards, the kids chased fireflies in a couple of the fields closer to the camper. Early summer up here is absolutely magical - and I'm pretty sure none of us will ever forget this summer.

Gravelly Point Fishing

I went fishing this morning at Gravelly Point. Met up with a friend from work to cast flies and check out a new spot. There were several schools of shad (I think) swimming around the shoreline and near the boat ramps. I ended up catching 10+ sunfish of various species, but the carp and catfish I saw only glanced at the flies I was chucking to them - mostly short clouser minnows - at least I got a glance. Fishing here is pretty surreal - Reagan International is right across the drainage. I had a few chances at some largemouth bass, but again - they were only moderately interested. Nice way to spend some of Sunday morning, and I get to mark one more spot as "fished".

Carping Saturday

I drove down the the C&O Canal this morning to spend a couple of hours chasing the carp that live there. I used the Daiwa 43MF Kiyose rod and brought this 17" (nearly - hey it isn't a fish story if you don't stretch the "tape" a little) to hand. A few minutes after I let it go, I hooked into a much bigger carp - during the fight it used a quick change of direction against me to break the lilian off the tip of my rod - that was it for carping today. Waiting for the takes, getting to see the carp inhale the fly and setting the hook are in the group of events where time stands still - like surfing a barrel, the apex of a big air kite jump or jumping off a high rock face into a pool of water below - definitely adrenaline producing! With my heavyweight rod out of commission (for now) I started walking back and I took out the Nissin Fine Mode Seiryu rod I have and cast a blue popper - I got some takes from the sunfish lining the banks of the canal - they don't start the adrenaline pumps the same way big carp do, but they are enjoyable nonetheless. Fishing for carp may not seem glamorous or a noble pursuit - but it is a BLAST!!!

Flyfishing the C&O Canal in Georgetown

La had made arrangements to meet with an old friend down in Georgetown this past Friday evening. Knowing the C&O Canal was right there by the parking garage, I brought along a tenkara rod and some flies. When we got there, a few sunnies were showing topside. The water was pretty clouded, but that's typical for the C&O near it's beginning point. I hooked into two - and I had to work hard for them, not what I'm accustomed to when it comes to sunfish. Fun session in the middle of the Nation's Capital - although a carp would have been the ticket (next time).

Wildlife Studied Today

Besides these nice Sunnies and several of their friends, I did bring a Small Mouth to hand (flopped away while I was trying to get the picture), several minnows were caught, crayfish a plenty, an aquatic stick bug, the one-eyed turtle, and this snake trying to cool off under a rock (underwater). Again, this park is a wonderful place to spend the day!

Goose Creek Fishing

We went fishing today at Kephart Bridge Landing park (also known as Goose Creek). The friendly folks at Orvis Tysons Corner told me about this place a couple of weeks ago - we scouted it out yesterday and came back this morning around 1000. We all had a blast! The kids caught some of these catfish (blues???) with the dip net. The sunfish were more than happy to hit the flies we chucked at them, and La even had a good time sight fishing (she exclaimed "I'm coming back!" and even took her own fish off the hook). If you have been intimidated by flyfishing, go to www.tenkarabum.com and pick up a starter kit from Chris - tenkara style fishing has become my preferred method of angling here on the lakes and waterways of Northern Virginia - you will not regret opening up a new way of fishing that oh by the way helps you immensely with then casting conventional fly fishing gear. Since the tenkara rods I brought were all spoken for (we all had lines in the water - unbelievable!!!) I strung up my Helios 5wt - I had sunfish up the wazoo, but notably caught one large mouth and two small mouth bass - but more on that in the next post. Marlon got his first crappie to hand!!! What a wonderful Sunday!

Big Time on Bait

On today's fishing excursion, I was catching on a san juan worm I tied up then the kids started chumming heavily. Everything came out of the woodworks - the turtles, big sunfish, bass and a bass. At the encouragement of Marlon, I switched to using a hook and bait setting the line down deep (that's the tactic he's been using). I hooked up with this big pig!!! It bent the Ito rod and made it sing (tension in the line and the rod sections getting fully seated) - what a sensation!!! And best of all, I almost don't have a guilt streak from using bait on my tenkara rod!!!

Handsome Fish

Marlon has got the catching part wired - he's been pulling some good looking fish out of the lake recently.

Second Dose of the Hike (the fish we caught)

If you have never tried tenkara, you may want to - this terrain was perfect for it. I would have never had the room for a back cast here. And even though these fish are physically small, in spirit they are monsters!