I cut me a good straight sapling, ‘bout half-ag'in tall as Pap.
Decided to go with the Predator - graphite, 7’10” 6wt. It’s sturdy in the backbone and fast enough for big flies and a good strong hookset. Slotted on a mid-arbor Battenkill III, the perfect compliment. Good drag and quick retrieve.
Found some old string behind Widow Douglas' place.
Spooled up a 7wt bass taper, overlining the Predator a step. Heavy front end punches the breeze and carries wind resistant bass bugs well while the stiffer coating doesn’t go noodley in warm waters. Added a six-foot 1X knotless tapered monofilament leader, stout enough to turn over the big stuff.
Strung on my best hook. Dug up a mess o’ red wigglers.
Tied up some river clousers – size 2 Mustad 34007, white over chartreuse bucktail with a pair of olive-and-black striped hackle feathers, a little flashabou for accent, with 7/32oz red dumbbell eyes. Connected it with a loop so that it moves more freely.
Walked on down to the river and went fishin’.
Put on my waders, wading boots, staff, gear lanyard, and polarized sunglasses. Walked on down to the river and went fishin’.
Caught a mess o’ fish. Ol'e Jim'll be happy. We'll eat tonight.
Skunked again. Think I need to get more technical. Maybe go with a lighter, longer fluorocarbon tippet, size 4 clousers, yellow eyes, ...
Sep - Good to be reminded that fish'n hasn't changed in a good long while ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories - those lines brought back some good times of my (some would say miss-spent) youth - I'd have to dis-agree though as it was real good...
Sometimes we make fishing a little to complicated :)
ReplyDeleteRed wigglers on the Clouser hook might be just the technical approach you need to ensure you catch a mess.
ReplyDeleteAin't your fault...Huck just fished out the water years ago...that's all.
ReplyDeleteNice contrast in times...and look who was successful.
ReplyDeleteAfter a Youth Day two years ago I took a few of the children down to the banks of a small river to see if we could catch a few of the trout we had stocked that afternoon. One boy found a bit of old line stuck in a tree. And then a little later an hook. And then he dug up a worm. And hand lining that worm proceeded to out-catch everyone. Sometimes simpler is better.
ReplyDeleteLast summer I spent as many mornings as I could on the water, fishing and watching the sun come up. There is just a unique beauty to such mornings where I live (in the Midwest). It's often the stillest and most magical time of day.
ReplyDeleteI also spent some time last summer reading Huck Finn aloud to my eight-year old son. It occurred to me that Twain must also have been partial to summer mornings. I noticed this when we got to Chapter XIX and Huck and Jim were spending a few days gliding down the river, running at night and laying up at sunrise. Huck describes it this way:
"Next we slid into the river and had a swim, so as to freshen up and cool off; then we set down on the sandy bottom where the water was about knee deep, and the whole world was asleep, only sometimes the bullfrogs a-cluttering, maybe. The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line--that was the woods on t'other side; you couldn't make nothing else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness spreading around; then the river softened up away off and warn't black anymore, but gray; and by and by you could see a streak in the water which you know by the look of the streak that there's a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes the streak look that way; and you see the mist curl up off the water, and the east reddens up, and the river, and you make out a log cabin in the edge of the woods, away on the bank on t'other side of the river, being a woodyard, likely, and piled by them cheats so you can throw a dog through it anywheres; then the nice breeze springs up and comes fanning you from over there, so cool and fresh and sweet to smell on account of the woods and the flowers; but sometimes not that way, because they've left dead fish around, gars and such, and they do get pretty rank; and next you've got the full day, and everything smiling in the sun, and the songbirds just a going it!"
Yep, and all this was taking place before most folks roll out of bed.
One time I stood fishing in ankle deep water next to a kid in flip flops, shorts and he was using a 2 liter bottle wrapped in line with a hook, a worm and a piece of lead. That kid could cast with that get up. We sized each other up. He was probably using under 10 bucks in gear, including his clothes. I think mine added up to a couple of hundred. Throw in my waders, vest, boots lures. We both got skunked, but one of us was feeling pretty stupid all of a sudden.
ReplyDeleteSpent the morning minus the cacophony of company and grandchildren to finally check my emails and got lost in your blogs. Found my way out and wanted to blame you for helping me waste another perfectly good morning. Although somewhat intimidated by your diverse fishing experiences and knowledge of the lexicon, I'm reminded a journey of a thousand miles...Thinking maybe I'll fish out that 2 liter Pepsi bottle from the recyclables and find me some string. I suppose the ironing can wait.
ReplyDelete