tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66518455279166317442024-03-13T09:57:30.614-07:00Tom Keith's Fly Fishing JournalInformation and opinion about fly tying and fishing for panfish, bass, pike and other warmwater species.Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-91560692602603661502013-08-16T18:29:00.000-07:002013-08-16T18:29:31.258-07:00When It’s Hot, Feed Panfish and Bass A Fat Grasshopper
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IDqJT-xR4Q/Ug7RIrQXv7I/AAAAAAAAALY/cyz7axAnC9w/s1600/hopper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IDqJT-xR4Q/Ug7RIrQXv7I/AAAAAAAAALY/cyz7axAnC9w/s320/hopper.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">In late summer and early fall hot temperatures slow
fishing success and frustrated anglers swear the fish are suffering from severe
cases of lockjaw. But, fly flingers can dial-up the action by casting
grasshopper patterns to spots where panfish and bass wait to feed on live
hoppers that are blown off of shoreline vegetation or otherwise fall into the
water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s not hard to find grasshoppers in late summer when
the afternoons and evenings are dry and hot. Great numbers of them can be found
in grassy spots along rivers, streams, creeks, lakes and ponds and some always
fall or are blown from vegetation along the banks into shallow water. It
doesn’t take long for a fat, slow-swimming hopper to become a meal for bluegill
or largemouth bass. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There are many types, colors and sizes of grasshoppers and
all the angler has to do is choose a hopper fly that is the approximate shape,
color and size of those living in the area being fished. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You don’t have to be too careful when fishing with hopper
patterns, just find a spot with lots of vegetation growing on the bank or where
tree branches hang out over the water and cast near those spots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When a hopper falls or is blown into the water, it lands
with a noticeable “splat” and almost immediately starts to kick along the
surface towards the safety of dry land. When you cast, don’t be afraid to
“slam” that hopper fly down onto the surface, you want to demand the bluegill
or bass’s attention. Then skitter the fly slowly and erratically across the
water’s surface towards shore as if it is anxious to make dry land. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It is important that the fly floats on the water’s
surface after the cast and during the retrieve. If the hopper sinks in the
water the fish will ignore it. After every cast, and especially after I’ve
landed a fish, I squeeze the water from the fly and add floatant if necessary
to keep it afloat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of Maggie’s and my favorite grasshopper patterns for
largemouth bass and bluegill is a knock-off from an old fly I found in one of
my dad’s fly boxes. I don’t know the actual name of the fly, but Maggie and I call
it “Dad’s Hopper.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Dad’s Hopper<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hook -- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mustad
9671 #8<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thread – Danville’s Black Flat Waxed Nylon<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Body – Medium Olive Chenille<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Legs – Olive Green Raffia<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Straw <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hackle – Olive Green Rooster Hackle Feather<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-24859190059725887562013-07-20T15:54:00.000-07:002013-07-20T16:06:17.574-07:00The Cure for the Dog Days of Summer<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s mid-July.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s HOT in southeast Nebraska and other parts of the
country. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sSXOt5kF-5Y/UesTNwhf4cI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9sLGxPCb_3Q/s1600/Mulberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sSXOt5kF-5Y/UesTNwhf4cI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9sLGxPCb_3Q/s320/Mulberries.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mulberries on the bush. Dark purple and black berries are ripe. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Days when the temperature tops out in the high-80s are a
welcome relief from other days when temperatures approach the three-digit mark.
The humidity reading is often almost identical to the temperature. It can be
hard to breathe as you shuffle from the air-conditioned car to the
air-conditioned house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The old-timers call these “the dog days of summer,” when
heat from the sun drives the fish into cooler areas such as weed beds and stump
fields , deeper water, and shaded flowing water where there are cooler
temperatures. That makes the fish less active during daylight hours and the
spots where they go to avoid the sun and warmer temperatures more difficult for
the fly angler to fish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">That means the fish move to places where there is
protection from the direct rays of the sun, which makes the water cooler
(shade), where there is an acceptable level of oxygen in the water, and where
there are aquatic insects, small fish or other food sources. It also often
means they are hiding in submerged growing vegetation where the angler finds it
difficult to present a fly, or to fight the fish after a strike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The “dog days” mean tough fishing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But, late yesterday morning when I was taking Gabe, our
Chesapeake Bay Retriever, on a short walk in the pasture, slipping from the
shade of one tree to the next, I noticed the mulberry bushes growing near our
barn were still producing fruit. The branches were loaded with berries and the
ground beneath them was littered with dark purple and black mulberries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Mulberries!” I said out-loud, “It’s time to go carp
fishing!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Gabe looked at me out of the corner of his eye, as if to
say, “Hey Boss, I do ducks, geese, pheasants, quail, maybe a dove or two, but I
draw the line at scales. You’re on your own on this one, buddy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you’ve never caught a carp on your fly rod, you’re
missing some great action. Carp have kind of a bad reputation in this country
(more because of their social skills than their sporting qualities), but in
many other countries they are considered to be superior game fish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m not going to go into all of the carp’s attributes
here, other than to say they are abundant in most areas of the country, they grow
to large size, fight well when hooked, and are great at the table after being
smoked, grilled, fried or baked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">During “the dog days,” carp are easy to find and aren’t
affected by the heat as are other species. One of my favorite ways to catch them
when nothing else will even look at my fly, is with mulberry flies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfm--_xG4tk/UesTYpjzIJI/AAAAAAAAAK8/VV6i3dD78bU/s1600/Mulberry+Flies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfm--_xG4tk/UesTYpjzIJI/AAAAAAAAAK8/VV6i3dD78bU/s320/Mulberry+Flies.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mulberry flies fool hungry carp.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mulberries grow along the banks of creeks, streams,
rivers, farm ponds and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the quiet coves
of many lakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plant’s branches bend
and reach out over then water and ripe berries fall into the water where carp
often gather and suck them up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When I’m fishing a creek, stream or river, I like to cast
into the current flowing along the bank above the mulberry bushes and let the
current carry my fly over feeding carp. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Carp don’t make dramatic strikes at the fly like a bass
or northern pike, instead it slowly sucks the fly into it’s soft mouth, feels
and mouths it a little and then leisurely turns and moves away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when you should set the hook and be
prepared for a fight. A carp is best described as a “brawler”. Think late
nights at Irish pubs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As I mentioned earlier, the carp is not known as
America’s most popular sport fish, but it is one scrappy fish well worth the
attention of warmwater fly angler.</span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mulberry Fly<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hook -- Mustad 3367 #6 <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thread -- Danville’s Black Flat Waxed Nylon<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Body -- Medium Black Chenille<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rib – Purple Krystal Flash<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Stem -- Black Goose Biot Fiber</span></span>Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-70555368979963995182013-07-10T18:40:00.000-07:002013-07-10T18:40:49.217-07:00Easy, Tasty Fried Panfish<span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yjDofFGgn-U/Ud4LPhUKtYI/AAAAAAAAAKc/izyRWCDXUwY/s1600/Gills+on+stringer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yjDofFGgn-U/Ud4LPhUKtYI/AAAAAAAAAKc/izyRWCDXUwY/s320/Gills+on+stringer.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bluegill, crappie or other panfish, filleted or pan-dressed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cold milk or buttermilk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peanut oil, vegetable oil or bacon drippings from breakfast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flour, yellow cornmeal or pancake mix</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Fillet fish in normal manner or clean them by gutting,
removing the head, tail, fins and scales. Wash fish well in cool water and
place them in an ice chest or refrigerator for 15-30 minutes before frying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mix dry ingredients well and place in shallow bowl or
plastic bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mix egg and small amount of milk or buttermilk in a second
bowl. Completely cover pieces of fish with mixture and then dredge them in the
dry ingredients.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Fry the fish in the hot oil or grease in a cast iron or
other heavy skillet until the flesh easily flakes with a fork at its thickest
point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Drain the fish on a paper towel and serve with potato,
salad, your favorite vegetable and an appropriate beverage.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-68683734899224950482013-06-30T20:23:00.000-07:002013-07-20T16:06:43.150-07:00LM Bass Candy – The Orange and Yellow Spook Diver<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
<span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span></span></span></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="color: white;">It’s time to be on the
water getting after the largemouth bass. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><span style="color: white;">The
last couple of weeks Maggie and I have found bass hanging along the edges of
shallow water weedbeds and along banks where trees and tree limbs have fallen
into the water, especially in coves which are protected from winds. Bass feed
heavily during the approach of a cold front , then shut down when the front
actually arrives. The rule of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>thumb at
our house is, “when the barometer is falling, head for the lake and start
casting surface and diving lures towards shallow-water cover.” Oh yeah, one
more thing ….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hang on to your
rod….tight!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><span style="color: white;">One
of the flies that has produced well for us is the Orange and Yellow Spook
Diver. It is easy to tie, casts well and produces strikes. We cast “the Spook” parallel
to and as close as we can to the shallow-water cover and retrieve it with
quick, short jerks of the line to make the fly dive a short distance and then
pop back to the surface. It sits there for several seconds (the old standard is
to let it sit motionless until the disturbance it made in the water is gone)
and then jerk the line again to repeat the performance. Continue that retrieve
along the edge of the cover. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6ze2W3rgD0/UdD0uPsqlpI/AAAAAAAAAKA/hwmE2oRhhHs/s1600/Bug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6ze2W3rgD0/UdD0uPsqlpI/AAAAAAAAAKA/hwmE2oRhhHs/s320/Bug.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: white; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><span style="color: white;">The
Orange and Yellow Spook Diver <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">Hook:
Mustad 9674 size 4-2<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">Thread:
Black 3/0 monocord, waxed<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">Tail:
Yellow and orange marabou fibers, gold Krystal Flash: <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">Collar:
Yellow, orange and red deer hair<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Eyes:
7 mm doll eyes</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-67226667743148122302013-06-23T17:56:00.000-07:002013-06-30T19:11:07.784-07:00<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Howdy, Glad To See You Again</span>!</strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s been a while since my last post and I apologize for that. A lot has happened while I was away, but now things have settled down and returned to normal, and I’m finally able to get back to talking with you about fly fishing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Spring came to southeast Nebraska late this year and brought with it several days of heavy rains which replenished reservoirs, lakes and ponds that had been shrunken and crippled by last year’s drought. Thanks to those storms, we have plenty of water and it’s time to go fishing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have you tried using a black woolly leech to catch largemouth bass in the spring? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The black woolly leech is not a new pattern by any means, but for some reason many fly fishermen after bass overlook it in favor of more “flashy” patterns. The woolly leech is the best imitation of a small fish I’ve found. It can be fished in a variety of ways and is at its best when moving slowly through the water with short jerks and pauses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I like to fish this pattern in turbid water when bass are working shallow weed beds trying to locate small fish near the bank. Wade out into the water and cast parallel along the outside (deep water) edge of the weedbed and retrieve the fly just a few inches from that edge. Vary the depth and speed of the retrieve and make the fly imitate the erratic movements of a small fish darting in and out of the weeds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The black woolly leech is weighted so it will sink to the depth you want to work and the materials it is made with provide plenty of attractive action as it is retrieved through the water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YIdILPanO8k/UceRVvQMNsI/AAAAAAAAAJY/KvP9j1a6jyA/s1600/Weighted+Black+Woolley+Leech_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YIdILPanO8k/UceRVvQMNsI/AAAAAAAAAJY/KvP9j1a6jyA/s320/Weighted+Black+Woolley+Leech_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Weighted Black Woolly Leech<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thread: Black waxed 3/0 monocord<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hook: Mustad 9672, size 4-8<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tail: Black marabou<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Body: Black chenille<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hackle: Black rooster saddle<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eyes: Small bead chain<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Weight: Additional weight may be added to front portion of fly with lead wire<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Head: Black waxed monochord<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Weedguard: 20# monofilament line<o:p></o:p></span></span>Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-32540180307203141952009-11-27T09:59:00.000-08:002013-07-20T15:58:51.310-07:00It’s Time to Start Tying Flies for Spring<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SxAU9NGxN1I/AAAAAAAAAHc/8GJOCKwDGxU/s1600/lotsmcgintys1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408846194194593618" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SxAU9NGxN1I/AAAAAAAAAHc/8GJOCKwDGxU/s320/lotsmcgintys1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 300px;" /></a>The nights are getting cold here in southeast Nebraska, water temperatures are falling<br />
and your chances of catching anything on a fly rod are getting pretty slim. On top of that, it’s getting harder to find a place to fish. The last time I was out I found duck decoys floating in a couple of my favorite spots. I’ve decided it’s time to stick a little closer to the fire and concentrate on tying flies for next year.<br />
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The first flies I’ll tie will be the Improved Black Gnat and the Improved McGinty, two of my favorite panfish flies. Both are easy-to-tie wet fly patterns, just what I need to get my aging fingers back in shape for four or five months of intense tying. </div>
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The Improved Black Gnat and the Improved McGinty are my versions of two traditional wet flies – the Black Gnat and the McGinty – created to take trout. I call them "improved" for a couple of reasons. One is that each of the original patterns requires more materials, each is a little more difficult to tie in its original form, and each of the original patterns takes a little longer to tie than my down-and-dirty variations. I also believe that bluegill and crappie are less selective than trout and in my experience they like the more-simply tied versions at least as well as the originals. To me, that’s an improvement and I renamed them, not in an attempt to claim any ownership to the patterns, but to identify them as being knock-offs of the originals. In answer to the obvious question, I have not tried the improved versions of either of the "improved" versions for trout fishing and I don’t have any idea how trout would respond to them. I’m just really happy that bluegill and crappie like them.</div>
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I’ll start fishing again next spring just as soon as there is open water and panfish move into shallow water looking for forage. Fishing in the spring can be pretty tough, thanks melting snow and ice which raise water levels and turn normally clear waters the color of semi-stout coffee. Then, just as the water starts to clear again, roller-coaster cold and warm fronts produce strong spring storms that result in high winds and heavy runoff that again result in stained water.</div>
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In stained water, bluegill and crappie can see dark-colored flies such as the Improved Black Gnat, easier and at greater distances than lighter-colored patterns. I’ve also found that larger flies, such as size 8 or 10, produce more fish than those size 12-14.</div>
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408847462845386962" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SxAWHDMsENI/AAAAAAAAAH0/0zY0YKmGeV4/s320/scan0038A.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 237px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /><strong>The Improved Black Gnat Wet Fly</strong>Thread: Black, pre-waxed<br />
Hook: Mustad 3906, sizes 8-14<br />
Tail: Black goose biot<br />
Body: Small black chenille<br />
Weight: (Optional) 3-5 turns of small lead wire<br />
Collar: Black hackle<br />
Head: Black thread<br />
I don’t know if this pattern imitates any insect in particular, but it seems to be easy for the fish to locate when it is retrieved slowly with a short jerk-stop-short jerk motion near some type of cover, such as vegetation standing in shallow water.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408847711602470578" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SxAWVh4_7rI/AAAAAAAAAH8/petSJlcyTcs/s320/scan0036A.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 228px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /><strong>The Improved McGinty Wet Fly</strong><br />
Thread: Black, pre-waxed<br />
Hook: Mustad 3906, sizes 8-14<br />
Tail: Red hackle feathers<br />
Body: Small black and yellow chenille<br />
Weight: (Optional) 3-5 turns of small lead wire<br />
Collar: Yellow hackle<br />
Head: Black thread<br />
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The Improved McGinty roughly resembles a honey or bumble bee in shape, color and size, and though I've never seen a bluegill eat a bee, they sure go after this fly. Its three colors – red, yellow and black -- seem to attract bluegill.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SxAWqYw0obI/AAAAAAAAAIE/cP0PF_2c-0U/s1600/scan0033A.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408848069929509298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SxAWqYw0obI/AAAAAAAAAIE/cP0PF_2c-0U/s320/scan0033A.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 204px;" /></a><br />
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I prefer to use the Improved Black Gnat in stained water, but when the water is clearer and visibility is better, I change to the Improved McGinty.<br />
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When spring does finally roll around, fly anglers can start taking bluegill on flies shortly after ice-out. Concentrate your efforts in shallow water with vegetation or other cover near shore on the north and west sides of the lake or pond because those spots will warm quicker than other areas.<br />
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Later in the spring, when the water warms and vegetation begins growing, I can usually find bluegill around healthy, green weedbeds in water two to eight feet deep, where the fish congregate because of the shade, protective cover where they can hide from predators, and because the weeds provide forage such as zooplankton, insects and small minnows.<br />
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My wife, Maggie, is shown with a few bluegill she took on an Improved McGinty while fishing near shallow-water vegetation last spring.<br />
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I think that a 4 or 5-weight graphite rod with a weight-forward floating line and tapered leader is an ideal setup for spring bluegill fishing. I like a weight-forward floating line and a 7½-foot tapered leader with 7X tippet for both bluegills and crappies in shallow water. You can cast accurately and comfortably with this combination all day, and it doesn't overpower the fish.<br />
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In the early spring, I use an unweighted fly because it sinks slowly to about two feet below the surface and hangs there, shimmering in the water. Later, in early summer when the fish move to deeper water, I often use a weighted fly.Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-61220202327659222232009-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:002009-11-16T09:17:55.619-08:00Big Fish Eat Smaller FishMost warmwater fish routinely feed on smaller fish, including those of their own species. During the spring and summer, fish also feed on insects and other assorted food items, but in the fall the availability of most insects quickly declines as air and water temperatures cool, making minnows and small fish an important food source.<br />From the time leaves start changing colors and falling from the trees until the pond or lake ices over, I use streamers and other types of minnow-imitating flies to take largemouth bass and crappie.<br />Among my favorite fall largemouth bass flies are the Gray Woolhead Minnow and the Gray Woolhead Marabou Minnow. Here’s how I tie them:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404365133311865010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SwApdIePcLI/AAAAAAAAAEc/h0PU_qJvYeY/s320/Wool-Hair-Minnow.jpg" border="0" /><strong>Gray Woolhead Minnow</strong><br />Thread: Gray or white pre-waxed<br />Hook: Mustad 9672 or comparable, size 6 or larger<br />Tail: A pair of matched pale gray hackle feathers<br />Collar: Light gray or pale yellow wool flared back towards tail<br />Eyes: Black/white doll eyes in appropriate size<br />Head: Gray wool<br />* I’ve had good luck fishing this pattern along the outside edge of vegetation growing in shallow water. Cast beyond the weed line and retrieve the fly slowly and erratically along the outside edge of the bed.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404364281046509506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SwAorhiWJ8I/AAAAAAAAAEU/nhL9rYqFR14/s320/WHMM.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div><strong>The Gray Woolhead Marabou Minnow<br /></strong>Thread: Gray or white pre-waxed<br />Hook: Mustad 9672 or comparable, size 6 or larger<br />Body: Small, dense bunches of marabou hackle fibers in various colors, such as yellow, orange, green and purple<br />Wing: A pair of mallard breast feathers tied flat to cover marabou fibers<br />Gills: Red hackle fibers tied below hook shank<br />Eyes: Small (dumbbell) black lead eyes<br />Head: Gray wool<br />* I really like the way the marabou fibers move in the water and give the illusion of light reflecting off a fish’s scales. I’ve taken several bass by fishing this pattern along the sides of submerged logs, and along the edges of shallow flats where the flat drops sharply into deeper water, such as along the steep side of a creek channel. </div><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404365587492601858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SwAp3kbXgAI/AAAAAAAAAEk/t6wSAtSoaMc/s320/SS-Minnow1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><strong>The Super Silver Minnow</strong><br />Thread: Black pre-waxed<br />Hook: Mustad 9672 or comparable, size 10 or larger<br />Weight: Three-five turns of small lead wire behind the hook eye to add weight to front<br />Body: Silver tinsel<br />Underwiing: A few marabou hackle fibers in various colors, such as yellow, orange, green and purple<br />Wing: A pair of mallard breast feathers tied flat to cover marabou fibers<br />* This is an excellent pattern for taking crappie in the fall. It is easy to tie and moves realistically when retrieved slowly and erratically through the water. Weighting behind the head helps the fly sink below the surface and move naturally through the water. I like to fish this fly along the edges of rocky flats or submerged rock piles, along weedy flats that drop sharply into deeper water, and near partially submerged brush piles, partially submerged timber and stump fields during the warmest parts of the day. </div>Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-84852626775982972632009-10-25T09:45:00.000-07:002009-10-25T10:09:59.778-07:00Late Fall Action<div><div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SuSEIETaHII/AAAAAAAAAD0/XaFnC3YXqrc/s1600-h/SS+Minnow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396583527625661570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SuSEIETaHII/AAAAAAAAAD0/XaFnC3YXqrc/s320/SS+Minnow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I live in southeast Nebraska where daytime temperatures the last couple of weeks have been in the 40s and 50s and one morning light snow covered the ground. Many fly fishermen have put their rods, reels and other gear away for the year. Too bad, they are missing the chance to enjoy late season catches of largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie.</div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396584407256722626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 168px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SuSE7RLy7MI/AAAAAAAAAEE/EhafEmvWhAg/s320/White+Minnow.jpg" border="0" /> <div>I’ve found farm ponds and reservoirs often provide fly-fishing for bass and panfish until they ice over. All the fly angler has to do is change tactics to be successful when cold-water fishing. </div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SuSFXJG3-VI/AAAAAAAAAEM/DFNKJ_tOFb4/s1600-h/bg-stringer.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396584886124935506" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 106px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VIiiEOSGfyE/SuSFXJG3-VI/AAAAAAAAAEM/DFNKJ_tOFb4/s320/bg-stringer.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I’ve found the following to be useful for catching bass and crappie in the fall:<br />– lightly-weighted minnow-imitating flies in warmer shallow water areas<br />– more heavily-weighted minnow-imitating flies in deeper water areas<br />– dark-colored flies a size or two larger than used in spring or summer fishing<br />– flies with weed guards for fishing in or near areas of dead or dying vegetation<br />– floating, sink-tip or sinking fly lines to keep the flies at desired depths during the retrieve<br />– slower retrieves than I’d use in warmer water</div><br /><div>I like to use weighted wet flies for late fall bluegill fishing and often choose a fly a size or two larger than I’d use in the spring or summer. </div><br /><div>A few of the flies I’d recommend for late fall fishing are:<br />Largemouth bass – Woolly Bugger, Woolhead Minnow, Marabou Sculpin, Marabou Minnow<br />Crappie – Super Silver Minnow, Mickey Finn, Black Ghost, Marabou Minnow<br />Bluegill – Improved McGinty, Black Gnat, Lightning Bug, Leadwing Coachman </div></div></div></div></div></div>Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6651845527916631744.post-30082486880402211542009-10-11T10:02:00.000-07:002009-10-11T11:03:12.370-07:00Howdy, let's talk about fly fishing<div><font face="arial">I know what you’re thinking, "Why a blog about warmwater fly-fishing?" Right?<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">I realize that most people associate the term "fly-fishing" with fly-fishing for trout – primarily brook, brown and rainbow -- but that definition is far too narrow, fly-fishing is so much more than that.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">I don’t mean to take anything away from trout, but the fact is, most people don’t live within easy driving distance of a trout stream, and with the present state of the economy, not many people can afford to travel to trout fishing areas as often as they’d like.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">On the other hand, most people do live within a short drive of a pond, lake, reservoir, river or stream where they can fly-fish for a variety of warmwater species that are just as much fun to catch as trout, many of which grow much larger than trout and are just as enjoyable or better at the table.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">Depending on where you live, a list of the warmwater species available to you will probably include all or some of these species -- largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, white bass, striped bass/white bass hybrids (wipers), buffalo, common carp, freshwater drum, black crappie, white crappie, muskellunge, northern pike, tiger musky, grass pickerel, chain pickerel, yellow perch, sauger, walleye, saugeye, bluegill, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, redear sunfish, rock bass and maybe some others. All of these species provide exciting action when taken on fly-fishing equipment and flies.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">I have been tying flies and fly-fishing since the early 1960s. I live in southeast Nebraska, not an area rated among the top fishing destinations in the country, or even the Midwest. But, although I have fished in different areas of the country, now I rarely travel more than an hour from my front door to fish, I have taken most of the species mentioned above on flies produced at my tying desk and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every catch and every outing.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">I love to fly-fish and it makes a lot more sense to me to take advantage of what I can catch close to home whenever I can get away, than to wait and use my fly-fishing gear only a couple of weeks a year when I might be able to vacation some place where there are trout.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">I like to eat most of the legal fish I catch. I know many anglers who practice only catch-and-release fishing and I think that’s fine if that’s what they want to do, but I know that the bag and size limits imposed by state game and fish agencies are made with an eye toward the realization that many of the fish taken will be consumed by anglers and their families. We shouldn’t feel guilty about keeping and consuming at least some of the fish we catch if we abide by those regulations.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">I spend a lot of time tying flies to catch warmwater species, a lot of time in and on the water pursuing those species and a lot of time just enjoying being outdoors. If you frequent this blog you’ll find my thoughts about those same things – tying flies for specific species, techniques for fishing those flies, the fly-fishing equipment I like to use in various situations and why, how I fish different kinds of water, cover and structure at different times of the year, and some information on how I like to clean and preserve fish, my cooking methods and my favorite recipes. Along the way there will probably be some other stuff too, and it will all be related to fly-tying and fly-fishing.<br /></font></div>
<br /><div><font face="arial">If any of this interests you I hope you’ll stop by whenever you have time. If you have suggestions, criticisms or comments, I welcome hearing from you. There’s no one way to do anything in fly-tying and fly-fishing, but I think there are some ways that are better than others. I hope by talking about the way I do things other people will tell me about what they do and how they do things and why. Heck, nobody knows it all -- least of all, me – so I hope I can learn something from everyone who drops by. </font></div>
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<br /><div><font face="arial">And, in particular, I hope to hear from you soon.</font></div>Tom Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884956108628120585noreply@blogger.com3