tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16073001434790779332024-03-05T23:45:26.114-05:00The Southern Highlands on a Fly RodDochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02642162369769883541noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-32997054795184895912018-04-13T22:00:00.000-04:002018-04-16T11:35:06.913-04:00Here Piggie Piggie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Caught this pig on the tailwater today - my birthday. Had an outstanding day - lots of fish, including a grand slam. The pig shown above was caught on my 4 weight with 5x tippet. Long battle. I hired a guide for this trip - kind of a present to myself. He did an outstanding job. The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comBlue Ridge, GA 30513, USA34.8639719 -84.32408699999996334.8118594 -84.404767999999962 34.9160844 -84.243405999999965tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-18369712170184936552017-12-22T16:35:00.000-05:002018-01-17T16:40:02.468-05:00Last trip of the 2017 - NoontootlaI was able to sneak up to Noontootla for about an hour today. Nice way to end the year with a handful of wild bows!<br />
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comBlue Ridge, GA 30513, USA34.8639719 -84.32408699999996334.8118594 -84.404767999999962 34.9160844 -84.243405999999965tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-16968797454703229852017-11-20T16:40:00.000-05:002018-01-17T16:45:14.023-05:00Bass Fishing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a long time since I've been bass fishing, and I've never gone bass fishing in a true bass boat. Had a blast with a friend of mine. We only got a couple of hours of fishing, and it was a little slow, but it was a lot of fun throwing the A-Rig and catching a handful of large mouth bass. Going 70 mph in a boat was a new experience for me!<br />
<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comChattanooga, TN, USA35.0456297 -85.3096800999999834.8377672 -85.632403599999975 35.2534922 -84.986956599999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-38692369590044104102017-10-01T15:23:00.000-04:002017-10-03T15:54:20.616-04:009/27/17 - Madison River, plus the last two days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today turned out to be the last good day of fishing on our trip - at least for me. We decided to try a spot we've never fished: the Madison River just above Earthquake Lake, but below Hebgen Lake. I rigged up my 10 foot four weight and tied on a huge stone fly with a tungsten dropper. I worked<br />
upstream and missed a few fish. I wanted to cover some water, so I worked downstream and got into a few fish. I then worked a little further down river to some relatively non-descript water and hooked into a really nice Brown. I had a 15 foot leader, a 4 weight rod, and 6x tippet off the stone fly. The Brown was on the bottom fly. I played him for a while - it was fast water and I was on the bank. I walked downstream along the bank trying to get him into slower water near the bank. I got him close a few times - close enough to see that it was a really big brown, but I couldn't get him close enough to get a shot at netting him. After a few minutes, I jumped in the water, and tried to tire him out. I worked him back and forth, and let him run when he wanted. I waded down river, which turned out to be a mistake. He got to a spot in the river with a bucket. The fish hit the bucket, and bolted down stream. SNAP! I was about as mad as I have ever been losing a fish. I figured that was my best shot at a huge Madison River Brown. I went and sat down for about five minutes and debated on going back to the car. I gathered my spirits, rigged back up with 5x, and crossed the river to a little island. From there, I proceeded to catch fish. They were not browns, and they weren't huge, but they were all very nice fish. I ended up with 10 in about an hour that were in the 16-18 inch range.<br />
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After two hours of fishing, the rest of the crew was ready to head downriver. We went back to $3 Bridge. I caught four, with one decent bow, but it was hard fishing. The highlight was watching 81 year old Jimmy catch a beautiful rainbow.<br />
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We also fished on 9/28 and 9/29, but the fishing was pretty bad. We tried the Lamar Valley, including Soda Butte, Lamar, and Slough on 9/29. We caught 3 fish the entire day between the five of us fishing. The next day was not much better. We fished the Gibbon and Duck Creek. We caught less than 10 fish the entire day between the five of us. That being said, 9/30 happened to be Jimmy's 82nd birthday. While the rest of us fished up and down Duck Creek without so much as a nibble, Jimmy caught and landed a wonderful 18 inch rainbow. Somehow, that made up for the otherwise lackluster fishing. I hope I'm still alive and well enough to fish Yellowstone when I'm 82!<br />
Till next time.The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-14738679515672294382017-09-27T14:17:00.000-04:002017-10-03T14:17:33.343-04:009/26/2017: Yellowstone River, Slough, and a big hook in the finger!My dad and I decided to spend the day after our Guide trip mostly site-seeing. I wanted to fish for an hour or two at most. There was still plenty of snow on the ground. First we went to the canyon and Yellowstone Falls. Just amazing, and not very crowded. <br />
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We then made our way up to Tower, and hiked down to fish. I got to a spot I really like and rigged up a huge hopper that Kory gave me, and dropped a few small nymphs off the back. Within 15 minutes of fishing, I had caught three decent Yellowstone Cutthroat. None were big, but they were beautiful fish. I was thinking I would be able to get a dozen or so in an hour. I went to take the huge hopper out of the 3rd cuttie's mouth, and somehow it lodged into my finger. I had forgotten to debarb the hook, and it was a big one. I tried for about five minutes to pull it out, but it just wouldn't budge. I crossed the river and met up with my dad. We decided we needed to push it through. After a good amount of profanity, and some help from my dad, we were able to get it through, mash the barb, and then back it out. Surprisingly, very little blood was shed. I figured the fishing was over.<br />
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We went to Slough Creek to explore. We saw fish rising so we fished for about 30 minutes. I had a few hits, but couldn't land anything. We then went over to Mammoth. Throughout the day, we saw a plethora of wildlife, including hundreds of buffalo, Elk in the rut, a fox, a coyote, antelope, a grizzly bear, and a big racked mule deer. We had a great time, and arrived back to West Yellowstone quite late. This was the last day of the trip for my dad - we had a great time! <br />
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-35088976322318106052017-09-26T13:54:00.000-04:002017-10-06T09:55:10.790-04:009/25/17: Henry's Fork and South Fork of Snake River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>September 25, 2017</b>: We met up with Kory from Blue Ridge, Georgia, in Ashton, Idaho around 10:00 a.m.. Kory said The Henry's Fork was not looking good - it was a blue sky day, and nothing hatching. I asked if we could give it a go, because I've always wanted to fish the Henry's Fork. We ended up fishing for about 2 hours, and realized it was time to try something else. I landed 7 fish, including one nice rainbow at about 16 inches (see above).<br />
I met Kory years ago in Blue Ridge - he's a great guy and an outstanding Guide. We packed up and he took us to the South Fork of the Snake. We put in late, but he had a plan. We immediately started getting fish. My dad landed around a dozen, and had some nice fish that broke him off. I landed a good number of fish. Towards the end of the float, as it was getting dark, Kory asked me to chuck my articulated streamer. I started pounding the bank, and after about 20 minutes, it hit! My rod and line went tight - I strip set, and then the fish launched out of the water. It launched two more times, and I figured it was a rainbow. Turned out to be a 20 inch brown - a beautiful fish! It was dark, and the boat was rocking, so we didn't get any good pictures, but it was absolutely awesome catching that big brown throwing the meat.<br />
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I have to say, Kory Chastain is the best guide I have ever had the pleasure of fishing with. He worked extremely hard to put us on fish, and he is about as patient and friendly as they come. I really enjoyed the trip, and my dad did as well. If you ever get the chance to fish with him in Idaho or in Blue Ridge, Georgia, I highly recommend him.The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.com0Idaho, USA44.0682019 -114.7420407999999832.6696769 -135.39633779999997 55.4667269 -94.087743799999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-90271125399751726132017-09-25T14:01:00.000-04:002017-10-06T12:58:27.901-04:00Yellowstone 9/24/17: Firehole and the Gibbon <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IggbtMbCMDsYdIPlKlyWG0wp2Zb4ws4RrSaAcA0cKUT8TUQCUy3ynBHW2KW-_8HyHRxWuG3xYKc4NVxIc7ah2LCZVQiSIMWvbsG2NZlZuDHHTzJ2gSPDo_NHLj9k9EJf5JAi9yoQCBI/s1600/20170924_164755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IggbtMbCMDsYdIPlKlyWG0wp2Zb4ws4RrSaAcA0cKUT8TUQCUy3ynBHW2KW-_8HyHRxWuG3xYKc4NVxIc7ah2LCZVQiSIMWvbsG2NZlZuDHHTzJ2gSPDo_NHLj9k9EJf5JAi9yoQCBI/s640/20170924_164755.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>September 24, 2017</b>: We went back to the Firehole Sunday morning. I worked my way down to my favorite spot near Muleshoe, and did really well. After lunch, I wanted to check out Gibbon Falls, so we hiked up the stream to the falls. It was beautiful. I broke off a large brown below the falls, and landed another batch of fish euro nyphing the fast pocket water. After we fished the Falls and below for a few hours, I had my dad drop me off above Gibbon Meadows while he went and took some photographs. I told him to pick me up in two hours while I worked my way through the meadows to the junction. I rigged up my 6 weight with sinking line and an articulated streamer. Within 20 minutes I stuck a nice 20 inch bow. I then landed a 16 incher, and an 18 incher. I was ecstatic - three nice bows in the park on articulated streamers - it doesn't get much better. I had landed 43 fish on the day. One of the best days I've had fishing.<br />
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.com0Gibbon River, Wyoming 82190, USA44.654343999999988 -110.7859275999999844.609161999999991 -110.86660859999998 44.699525999999985 -110.70524659999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-33141255046983651942017-09-24T13:54:00.000-04:002017-10-03T14:02:21.686-04:00Yellowstone - 9/23/17<b>September 23, 2017</b>: After breakfast with the group, my dad and I headed up to the Firehole. We started just below Fountain Flats. I caught 5-10 small bows and browns high sticking through the fast water. We then headed up to Ferry Falls and I showed my dad a really good spot. The fish were rising like crazy, and a hatch of caddis hit the water. My dad was able to get a nice brown to hand<br />
on a caddis, plus a nice rainbow. I caught a good bunch of fish. We then drove down to $3 bridge. We stopped at Slide Inn on the way, and were warned of tough fishing conditions. It proved true. The wind was bad, no bugs, and we left after about an hour. We headed to the Grizzly for a beer, and went back to West Yellowstone for dinner.<br />
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The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-13859724117552564372017-09-23T13:46:00.000-04:002017-10-03T13:47:08.553-04:00Yellowstone 2017 - 9/22The following posts are journal entries for me to use in the future. Brad, LL, John, Jimmy, and my Dad all arrived on September 22, 2017. The following posts offer a brief recount of the trip.<br />
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<b>September 22, 2017</b>: My dad and I drove to West Yellowstone and arrived around 3 p.m.. We unpacked and went to the fly shop. None of the other guys wanted to fish. My dad and I decided to hit the Madison for an hour before dark at Mile marker 2 on the park boundary, just upriver from Baker's Hole. The fishing was slow. Lots of other anglers, and nobody catching fish. Still, was nice to wet a line. Best part was seeing 3 Moose up close and personal while hiking out. Pretty awesome!<br />
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.com0West Yellowstone, MT 59758, USA44.6621493 -111.1041091999999844.6395623 -111.14444969999998 44.684736300000004 -111.06376869999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-30637772889369858882017-07-10T10:30:00.002-04:002017-07-10T11:04:18.627-04:00Pheasant Tail - quick tie with variations - Point FlyI got to my cabin this weekend in Blue Ridge, and realized I forgot all of my fishing gear, with the exception of a reel and a rod I keep at the cabin. I did, however, have my fly tying material, so I decided to tie up a couple of flies for a quick outing on Noontootla. I knew the water would be stained and the flow a little heavy with the rain. In those type of conditions, I've found you don't need to go too small, but you need to get your flies down. The following is what I used and tied, and yes, I caught fish:<br />
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I used pheasant tail natural for the tail, and body, some old peacock herls for the thorax, and on two of the flies, a brown partridge for the hackle.<br />
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-3178324216802405742017-06-26T11:55:00.003-04:002017-06-26T11:59:52.004-04:00An Hour in the Woods - Noontootla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been a while since I had one of those moments . . . . The beautiful quotes from the likes of Thoreau and Muir on the wonders of nature seem to resonate during these brief moments in time. A feeling of peace and tranquility pass through your mind, body, and spirit during these moments - at least that is what it feels like to me. I don't go looking for these moments in life. They come on unexpectedly, but when they "hit", it's a magical sensation. <br />
I had one yesterday; a Sunday - at a time when I would normally be attending church services. I tied a fly the night before, rigged up the 4 wt. bamboo I made about a year ago, and jumped in the truck to fish Noontootla for an hour. The water was a little cloudy, which was perfect. I didn't care if I caught a fish, I just wanted to get in the woods for an hour. <br />
Noontootla is a free stone creek that hasn't been stocked in decades. The fish are wild, and often quite challenging. It's easy to get skunked on Noontootla. <br />
It is rare in the South to catch a truly wild trout in a freestone stream that is 12 inches or more that hasn't been fed. That's simply the reality of fishing in the South, and it's probably why people love to fish DH streams, tailwaters, and private "trophy managed streams" in this area. Unlike fishing a small southern wild trout stream, DH streams, tailwaters, and trophy managed streams allow anglers to catch large fish, and sometimes, it's quite easy in those setting to catch fish that would rival the fish in Western streams and rivers. In contrast, If you fish wild streams, for example, in the Smokies, a "trophy" is a 12-14 inch fish. <br />
Noontootla has always appealed to me. It's absolutely beautiful. The stream is small, though it is large enough in some areas to cast a little line if you want to. The fish are generally small, like most wild freestone trout streams in the South; however, Noontootla is unique insofar as there is a legitimate chance to catch a large trout. And, if you like brookies, the feeder streams offer that opportunity as well. Noontootla is regulated, so you'll mostly see people fly fishing, and it is rarely crowded on the creek. <br />
I have never caught a large fish in Noontootla. I would venture to say 9 inches is the largest trout I've caught in that watershed. I met a guy fishing the creek a few years ago who had that look on his face, and we spoke. He had just caught a 19 inch rainbow. He said he had been fishing the creek for 20 years, and it was his first large trout caught and landed on Noontootla. <br />
Yesterday was a good day. An hour of fishing, and 6 fish to hand. Most were small, and none were big by typical standards. I caught a beautiful 12 inch rainbow, and that was a "trophy" in my book. A wild 12 inch bow on 6x tippet with a 4 wt bamboo - it's doesn't get much better. I took a quick picture, revived the fish, and stood watching the river for about 5 minutes. I got that feeling, and there is nothing like it!The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-33885897351046500662017-05-28T13:29:00.000-04:002017-06-04T13:41:54.861-04:00New Hampshire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a family vacation that took us on a long road from Tennessee to New Hampshire, with a number of stops along the way. I brought my fly fishing gear just in case I got a minute or two to wet a line. Apparently, the fishing wasn't too fruitful in the area where we were staying, which was just a short distance south of the White Mountains. We were right next to the "Pemi", but everyone I spoke with said it was "dead". I decided to check out the Mad River, and as I was driving along the river, I saw fish rising in a large pool just above a dam. The next morning I woke up and hit the Mad River for a few hours. I caught about a half dozen brook trout in the pool of rising fish, and missed a great many more. These were obviously stocked brook trout. I worked my way down river for about an hour and didn't see another fish. <br />
A few days later I decided to try the Baker River. I couldn't find much information on where to fish, so I just started following roads the ran along side the Baker. I went over a bridge and spotted a good size fish. I rigged up and put on a big bugger. About 10 casts later, and a pretty good fight, I ended up with this strange looking fish:<br />
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I thought it was a carp, but apparently it was a huge minnow called a Fallfish. I worked my way up river to a beautiful area with nice runs, deep pools, and lots of bends. I pounded the water hard for about an hour, and except for one chase by a small brook trout, I struck out.<br />
Admittedly, I was disappointed by the fishing in New Hampshire. Of course, it could have been the time of year, my ignorance on fishing locations, etc. <br />
Strangely enough, the highlight of the trip (in terms of fishing) was fly fishing for about 10 minutes on Walden Pond. We didn't catch anything, but my boys and I had a good time sharing the water with Thoreau. The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.com377 NH-49, Campton, NH 03223, USA43.8577784 -71.635617418.3357439 -112.9442114 69.3798129 -30.3270234tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-58061289176527675072017-04-21T17:37:00.000-04:002017-04-21T17:37:40.589-04:00Great Day on the Caney Fork with David Knapp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I owed Rob a float trip, so I booked one with <a href="http://www.thetroutzone.com/p/guided-fly-fishing-with-david-knapp.html" target="_blank">David Knapp</a> for April 14, 2017. I have been on about 5 guided trips in the past, and frankly, was always a little disappointed. This trip would be different. We started out with one generator, and David tied on a shad streamer pattern - within a few casts, I thought I had hooked bottom. Much to my surprise, the first fish of the day was this nice 17 inch bow. <br />
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We worked our way up to the discharge spot, and the fishing was good. Within about an hour of the float I had caught a good number of fish, including browns, bows, a brookie, and a skipjack. We then worked our way down stream. Although we didn't hook into any pigs, the average fish was probably in the 14-15 inch range. Rob had a slow day to begin with, but after lunch, he got into some nice fish, including the beautiful brown pictured at the top of the page. <br />
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I will definitely float with David again. He is not only a skilled angler and a good teacher, but more than anything, he has a genuine passion and enthusiasm for fly fishing. He was always just as excited as we were when we caught a nice fish or had a good follow. Thanks David!The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-65282136922430972602017-02-27T15:34:00.002-05:002017-02-27T15:34:53.611-05:00SoHo and WataugaDay 1: I left Chattanooga early Friday morning and made my way to Elizabethton, TN. I met up with John and Brad at a city park, and we rigged up to fish the Watauga River. I had fished the Watauga once before a number of years ago and got skunked. I rigged up the 4 weight 10 foot rod, and put on a couple of small nymphs. I picked out a nice run and landed 4 nice bows within about 30 minutes. I then moved down stream quite a ways. Nothing going down there. After a couple of hours, it was time to go. John had a slow day, but landed a 17 inch bow. Brad had done well - catching a large number of rainbows. We then went to our cabin on the SoHo - we fished the slow water for a few minutes, but couldn't get any action. <br />
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Day 2: John and Brad fished the Soho for a few hours in the morning. "Roaster JAD" formerly known as "Doc" had arrived Friday evening with a new boat. After some debate, and despite no flowing water, we decided to try to float it down the South Holston. I tried small flies to begin with, and then switched to a huge circus peanut I had tied. I immediately got a chase from a big brown. I continued fishing the big fly for a little while, and got a few more follows, but no hook-ups. We had fun, but it was a tough float without any water. John and Brad had caught a few; though it was slow-going for them as well.<br />
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Day 3: It was cold Sunday morning - our floating options were basically non-existent, so we hit the Watauga in Elizabethton for a few hours of fishing. I had tied up two flies Sunday morning - a small purple midge, and a small frenchie. The frenchie caught 3 bows rather quickly, but then the action slowed down. JAD broke his rod right when he started - it wasn't looking good. We switched locations and again it was tough fishing. I managed to catch a nice bow right before we left.<br />
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The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comElizabethton, TN, USA36.3487196 -82.21068760000002836.2463896 -82.372049100000027 36.451049600000005 -82.04932610000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-28551462678610818632017-02-05T16:57:00.000-05:002017-02-15T16:57:45.581-05:00Toccoa DHA little slow, but managed to catch a few on some new flies. The fish were stacked up at the stocking points, which I avoided simply as a matter of principle! <br />
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-7409167498620934932017-02-04T16:54:00.000-05:002017-02-15T16:55:06.166-05:00Another Articulated Streamer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-18131589638928293662017-02-03T22:52:00.000-05:002017-02-15T16:53:35.893-05:00Blue Headed Crazy Biotch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-30650537468126062542017-01-17T14:49:00.003-05:002017-01-17T14:49:59.743-05:00You Know the Deal - The Bugger Barn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got The Bugger Barn for Christmas - this fly fox is huge. I spent a few days at the vise, and still don't even have the thing half full!The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-60554560708426613802016-11-25T23:46:00.000-05:002016-11-28T11:48:24.956-05:00Hayesville, NC: Fires Creek and Hiwassee River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I met up with John at the McDonald's in Murphy, and then drove on up to Fires Creek. We parked at the bottom and scouted for a few minutes. The water was extremely low, and there were tons of visible fish. I started out with a big red soft hackle type of fly I had tied the night before and got into a few fish. I moved up to a pool that John was fishing. No movement to the water, and a lot of fish, but they were tough to catch. John caught a nice brown, and then I moved up stream. Although we saw a lot of fish, they were easily spooked. We caught about 10 between the two of us - which is far fewer than we should have caught.<br />
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We then grabbed lunch and headed down to the Hiwassee. I was excited to try to catch some wild fish. We fished for an hour or two and did pretty well. I love those wild fish (see first pic above).The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comHayesville, NC 28904, USA35.0462003 -83.81795269999997835.020201300000004 -83.858293199999977 35.0721993 -83.777612199999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-45406689488109323902016-11-12T23:29:00.000-05:002016-11-14T11:44:48.733-05:00Tuck DH Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturday morning John and I decided to try out the new DH section of the Tuck at Bryson City. Our cabin was just five minutes away, so we hit the water and had the whole river to ourselves. I quickly made my way downstream fishing a big rubber leg stone fly. I didn't have much luck, so I tied on 6x tippet and put on a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoCBG4iRVaT-pJ_r_QtyEkBT7R5y0AQeyf17_Wtpdyg_S-zFKiKwEALHoAyT5rO4d_FeFM0xBaIqXJvD_hWUvn-2Iupm7o-r_ttRut82cPzDsaeQAR_NBYpqexHGqItn67gtPSuM3fVo/s1600/20161107_113003.jpg" target="_blank">lightning PT</a>, that I had tied not long ago. I got in to a few fish rather quickly, high sticking some runs. I then started swinging the fly at the tail-outs and began hooking up more frequently. Then I caught the above brookie, which is the best looking brookie I've caught in a DH stream. Sure, I've caught bigger, but none so pretty. I moved to the next run and started catching fish on about every cast. I caught about 30 fish and suddenly the river was flooded with anglers, including a bunch of drift boats. I got out of the river. 30 fish in two hours, and I was ready to call it a day! John had made his way down to the area where I caught the big brookie. I pointed out the spot where the fish were holding, while I took a seat on the bank. John started hooking fish on just about every cast. Then, he got into a nice fish. I played guide and netted the fish for him. Ugly as heck, but a brute:<br />
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We had caught about 50 fish between the two of us in 2.5 hours, and it was getting rather crowded. We jumped in the truck and headed to the <a href="http://www.tuckflyshop.com/" target="_blank">fly shop</a> in Bryson City. I got some new fly line, a cup of really good coffee, and we decided to try a spot on an island near town. We got there and the good water was taken. We went as far away as we could get. Once again, the fish were thick in the shallow riffles. We fished for another two hours, and caught at least another 50 fish. We then went to the <a href="http://www.nantahalabrewing.com/" target="_blank">local brewery</a> and watched football and drank beer. The beer was great. <br />
We didn't have to fish anymore, but we decided to regardlesst. This time we went all the way to the top of the DH. It was getting dark, and the fishing slowed down significantly. I caught a nice brown and a large rainbow, and we called it a day. A wonderful day of fishing!<br />
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comBryson City, NC 28713, USA35.4309291 -83.44738089999998535.4050511 -83.487721399999984 35.4568071 -83.407040399999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-38266709334153361852016-11-11T20:52:00.000-05:002016-11-14T13:02:45.864-05:00Big Snowbird DH Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I drove up to meet some folks at Big Snowbird on Friday morning. The fires were burning all over, but we figured it wouldn't be quite as bad around Big Snowbird. I got there around 10:30 a.m. and went straight to a pool that has always produced. Sure enough I spotted a big Brookie. I tied on 6x tippet and a size 18 rainbow warrior and got the big guy on my first cast. It took me a while to bring him in, but I got him to hand. Somewhere around 18-20 inches. I then worked downstream - picking up some fish here and there. I got to another good pool where the fish were stacked up, and landed a variety of fish using the warrior. A guy showed up and started fishing about 20 feet from me, so I moved down stream, and picked up a few more bows and brookies. Around 1:00 I went back to the truck and drank a beer and ate a banana. I had caught at least 20 fish, and was pretty much done. I went to find the other guys I was with, and as I was walking on the road, I noticed a run full of fish. I stood on the bank and highsticked the run, catching 11 fish in 11 casts. I don't have any idea how many fish I caught during the rest of the day, but it was a significant number. Snowbird has never let me down this time of year.<br />
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The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comBig Snowbird Rd, Robbinsville, NC 28771, USA35.291345199999988 -83.89393860000001335.278384699999989 -83.9141086 35.304305699999986 -83.87376860000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-53659315728539627742016-11-05T19:00:00.000-04:002016-11-07T11:39:06.382-05:00Toccoa DH - fishing report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just couldn't resist - I knew the Toccoa DH had been stocked a few days prior. The weather was perfect. The flow was low, but I knew it wasn't too crowded because I went to the river with one of my kids to have a look earlier in the day. I snuck out around 3:00 p.m. and stringed up the 10 foot 4 weight with a PT style nymph. It started a little slow. I picked up a couple, and then lost a really nice one. I made my way downstream, catching a few here and there, but still not as hot as I thought it would be. I got below an island and hooked into a nice fish. I had just changed to a Patrick's Rubber Legs, and this fish (shown above) put up a pretty good fight on the 4 weight. I worked by way down about 1/2 a mile, and caught a few more. Then I walked back upstream and put in at an area that always holds fish. I saw trout all over in the shallow water - they were stacked up and scattering like they didn't know they belonged in a river. I caught a couple more, and then got out of the river due to a prior engagement. All in all, a good day on the water. Over a dozen nice fish in less than two hours. I sure hope we get some rain, though, because these fish probably won't last long in the low water conditions. The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comAska, GA 30522, USA34.7678632 -84.262138834.6635952 -84.4235003 34.8721312 -84.1007773tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-77408631921422378372016-11-05T11:41:00.000-04:002016-11-07T11:41:26.694-05:00Lightning PT <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-14058516963149322442016-10-28T17:32:00.000-04:002016-10-28T17:32:05.469-04:00Smith Optics: Amazing Customer Service!I wrote a <a href="http://southernhighlandsflyrod.blogspot.com/2013/12/costa-sunglasses-my-experience.html" target="_blank">post</a> about three years ago concerning some bad experiences I had with Costa Sunglasses. About a year ago I switched to Smith Optics, and wrote a review <a href="http://southernhighlandsflyrod.blogspot.com/2015/09/product-review-smith-optics.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Basically, I was quite happy with the performance and fit on the Smith Polarized glasses. A few weeks ago I was forced to submit a warranty claim with Smith Optics due to an issue with the nose pad. Smith Optics handled my claim within a few days, and I couldn't be happier with their customer service. <a href="http://www.smithoptics.com/us/" target="_blank">Smith Optics</a> clearly stands behind their products. <br />
<br />The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607300143479077933.post-64616188788371249682016-10-23T13:42:00.000-04:002016-10-24T14:00:24.538-04:00Born under a bad sign - Toccoa Tailwater Sometimes things are just too perfect. Saturday was one of those days. Friday afternoon the temperature dropped. It was below 40 degrees Saturday morning. The temperature topped out at around 60 degrees. Hardly a cloud in the sky. The Toccoa generator was scheduled to shut off around 1:00 p.m. I debated between going to the Toccoa Tailwater at Curtis Switch or heading up to the mountains to fish Noontootla. I decided on the former, and headed to Curtis Switch around 4:30. I got to the parking lot/boat launch - not a single car. No anglers on the water. It was either a perfect day, or something was wrong. I checked the river thinking maybe the flow was too high for wading, but it was perfect flow for wading. A few caddis were rising as I put on my waders, and a nice hatch of midges was coming off as well. I had the whole stretch of river to my self, a hatch, and my six weight strung with some new flies I wanted to try. <div>
Then.... I stepped into the water. <div>
Hmmm. . . . Sure feels warm. I usually get a little cold wading the Toccoa, but not today. I put my hand in the water - it felt like it was close to 70 degrees. I waded downstream and immediately noticed blooms of something growing off the bottom.... and thick too. I made my way quickly to my favorite spot about 1/3 mile downriver - I always see fish and catch fish in this section. An extremely thick hatch of midges was coming off the water, mixed with some size 12 caddis (maybe October caddis?), but there were no fish rising. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What looks like bubbles and colored white in the photographs are actually bugs. </td></tr>
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I switched to a size 18 rainbow warrior - usually this fly is a slump buster for me. I got a fish within a cast or two, but it was a large hornyhead, and not the trout I was looking for. I saw a few small trout rising, but they were few and far between, and very small. I got out of the water after fishing for about 1.5 hours, and headed back home. </div>
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I've had some tough days on the Toccoa, but that was many years ago. The river looks to be in bad shape. I'm not sure of the cause, though I suspect the extremely dry and hot summer has created a lack of cold water in the lake. I sure hope we get some rain soon. </div>
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The Gubna!http://www.blogger.com/profile/17309334782164135463noreply@blogger.com