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).

Fall Fishing Jackpot

Cold, overcast and windy conditions. Pink squirmy wormy fly. New tenkara rod I got for my birthday. Questionable judgement in choosing fishing spot (you anglers in DC know what I'm talking about). But oh man did it payoff! I literally lost count of how many fish I caught. Granted they weren't big, but given the late Fall conditions, I'm not complaining. At low tide, this is 100% sight fishing. Shallow, interconnected pools with steady flow in one direction. This feeder into the Potomac is well known and highly visible - it falls back to the questionable judgement on how desperate someone has to be to fish this place. I have been here before, but haven't caught anything. I have seen people pull large carp out of the water here and put them in plastic bags certainly bound for the frying pan. But knowing what flows through this run, I would not think of eating fish from here, especially bottom feeders. But I will try to catch them while the rest of the area's fishing has gone into hibernation. I will still try other spots over the next several months, but I now have a solid fall back for those days when casting a line and getting a few takes is all I need to wash away the stress from work. Now I'll have to find a good cleaner to wash away the questionable stuff off my boots and waders....

Blueg Saves the Day

I hiked a bit from where I normally fish at Goose Creek - just to see what was upstream. Wider banks with pools that looked like they would be attractive places for fish to hangout... when the water is warm. I had fully prepared myself mentally to not catch anything during this outing despite bringing along my old trustworthy tenkara rods and ultralight spinning rigs - and Gulp Crickets (fish crack). Well, as the picture depicts, I was able to play tug-o-war with a lone blueg - this species, more than any other as warded off skunk after skunk for me. I did see a few schools of young fish - 1-2" long in the shallows. I bet they appreciate the break from being chased around by the bigger predators, but having to contend with the cooler water has it's issues (freezing solid, lower food supplies, fish eating birds to name a few). This time last year I caught my last fish of the year and turned to the tying vise to blow off stress. As fun as that can be learning to tie new flies, it isn't the adrenaline hit that fishing can be (which is not the hit surfing or kiting are). I still plan on casting the line at the limited local places and even driving to cast to trout for the first time, but the care free days of summer - knowing that the fish are willing to fight - are definitely past.

Monday Fishing Part 2

The level line had a green scud already tied to it so I fished that (until I lost it to a fish/rock/tree). I landed all three of these guys (and several more of the Green Sunfish - in fact I lost count of those guys) on the scud. I did switch to the gnat fly once I lost the scud. That gnat produced some incredible strikes - even though the fish were small, they were feisty! One pumpkin seed slowly swam just up the fly (which was floating on the surface), paused and then jumped completely out of the water to strike at it - those 5 seconds of anticipation waiting for a strike and then having the strike be so active - it's almost as awesome as bringing in tropical saltwater flats fish (almost). The smallmouth bass was a great surprise as well - excellent fighter but gets tired pretty quickly (actually reminds me of a Giant Trevally in character). The kids had a great time - next post.

Griffin's Gnat and Some Other Bait

Here's a picture of the fishing fun culprit - Griffin's Gnat. This thing generates as much fun as the Bonefish Bitters I used to use - so simple yet so effective. Anyways - later in the afternoon, we hiked back our fishing spot at the Potomac River at the south end of Riverbend Park. It rained pretty heavily on the way in and the water had a little more speed to it than last time. I didn't see any perch today (shucks), but I did catch a bunch (next post). The kids had a great time walking across a section of the river (pretty shallow and low flow) which somewhat spooked the fish, but I like a challenge anyways (and heck the kiddoroosters were having fun). Along the way, we found earthworms and young toads - and we all considered using them as bait, but none of the kids wanted to be the one to spear the toad. Fun hike!

Catch of the Day (13 July 2012)

Besides the new truck, here is the COD (catch of the day). This little snapper kept stealing my bait. Caught him on the Daiwa Soyokaze 27SR - this rod is amazingly fun! I also caught two brooder sunfish (males protecting a nest) with size 24 hooks and a tiny piece of hotdog on the hook as bait. It was intense watching the decent sized fish rise up to the bit of hotdog floating along and timing the hook set just right... this never gets old (especially while Marlon and Noe are along side learning and developing their own tactics).

The smallest smallmouth bass

I caught this guy today on the Daiwa Soyokaze 27SR with a 24 hook. The rod is so lightweight that even this guy was bending the rod (awesome)!!! Number 3 level line and 6x tippet for those of you interested in that kind of stuff. I bet I can catch even smaller fish!

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!!!

Another Few Piggies

Caught another few of these Bull Male Piggie-sized Bluegill. The green scud fly is in dire need of relief.

Check Out this Little Piggie!

Not the biggest one ever, but the biggest one I've caught to date! I used the Iwana just because it is 12' (I really need a short pole - like a cane pole), but after today and seeing how the spots I fished are arranged, I may try the Ito (both the Tenkara rods I have). Anyways - so I cast a green scud (the one I've been using for the past week - this one is a hero for defeating nearly a hundred sunfish) right over a brooding site - from what I can tell about 20 males are set up in the spot, and one of them takes the fly (most of them ignore it, not sure if Bluegills don't eat while they are guarding clutches). This guy makes the pole sing when it hit!!! Whoever thinks you have to catch big fish to have fun needs to tap into some ancient Japanese fishing secrets and open up a can of "Piggie Whoop Arse" because this is just as fun as taking down a 15 pound Blue Fin Trevally!!!

Defying Gravity

Cool tree from which to fish and a shot that Marlon took at an angle (but almost looks like I am using the Yamame to hold me on a pretty good lean angle). This is the spot where we saw the snake, the bass and the trout. Next time I'll bring more flies!

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!

Broadening Horizons

We went for a family hike today and I brought the Yamame Tenkara rod along. The hike was HOT HOT HOT but the kids were troopers! Stopped at several points to see what lived in the waters along this stretch of the Potomac River. Hooked up with mostly a few different species of sunfish, but did lose a bass and I did see some trout (that did not give me the time of day with the scud I presented). La even caught a fish! Marlon and I also saw a bronze snake hanging out in the water along a river bank - we are going to have to get better on our inland aquatic species identification (that's what happens when you transplant salty surfers inland...) - we will make the most of this and we will have lots of fun along the way!

Small Fish Fun

I went after the smallest fish I could find today. Armed with the Tenkara Ito and using squid chunks on a tiny hook, I caught a wrasse, a Sergeant Major and several darts.

Just as much fun as hooking into the big ones!

Sunday Fishing - Lost Lure, Tenkara and Trolling

It was raining today but I still went out (nothing else to do).

I pitched a topwater bomber out at the first spot. On the second cast, I got a big hit. I tightened down on the drag and rode it out. After a few minutes of fighting, the fish had undone the swivel and took the lure.

I lost another lure on some rocks and decided to cut my losses right there. I went to fish the flats with the tenkara rod - except that I wasn't using flies. Instead I tied on a tiny hook and put on some wahoo belly.

I hooked into two Sergeant Majors and a small snapper - nice fights even from these tiny guys.

For lunch I ate the pompano I caught yesterday - masarap!!!

After a while - the fishing addicts I hang out with asked if I wanted to go back on the boat - how can I say "no". We only caught one fish (another strawberry grouper) and it rained on us the whole time - that's fishing...

Skunked on a Friday Afternoon

Same story - different day

I intended to leave early (you know it's bad when leaving at 1600 is considered leaving early), but like always, I left at 1730.

Not a whole lot of time to get fishing in.

I took the Tenkara Yamame out and tried to catch that bog parrotfish at the marina. I used the reverse hackle fly in the picture, but didn't get a look from three fish. I tried going after the Manini (Convict Tang), but they too scoffed at my offering.

I lost my patience and switched to a mullet fly. This time they at least looked at the fly.

The morale of this story is - a small piece of squid on the end of any hook is a good piece of insurance.