[Bill Butts]

Magnificent beast!!! and photos!

[Bill Butts]

Randy,
I don’t know of any plan to audio record the seminar.
BTW, the first event is this Sat the 8th.
You stated that you couldn’t make the 10th.
Just wanted to clarify.
Please be sure to introduce yourself when you attend.
Bill

[Bill Butts]

1ea. Simms 6-panel Camo, please!

[Bill Butts]

No professional letters behind my name, but perhaps the last name is enough to get attention, or sysmpathy. Ha.

Anyway, Zach, you and I discussed the original native range of White Bass in the podcast in March 2007.

[Bill Butts]

Hello Zach,
Just read your post regarding Ascension Bay.
I would strongly suggest that you call a good friend of mine in Indy.
Derrick Filkins manages the Flymasters of Indy shop and has worked and guided there for many years.
317-570-9811
He just returned from his annual trip to Ascension Bay, and I believe is headed back again very soon.
He says their shop books one of the lodges down there for 4 or 5 consecutive weeks every year, so he knows it well.
Great guy (he is from the Ozarks), and one of the best technical fly fishermen you will meet in fresh or saltwater.
Have a great trip!
Bill

[Bill Butts]

Hey Rich~

Thanks for your follow-up.
I don’t need a topo-type function, just the simple ability to create/draw river basins with the tribs and lakes on them.
I really don’t need roads, topo detail, etc.

[Bill Butts]

Zach, the wierd pinky and ring finger deal is something I experienced off and on while rehabing my right arm and shoulder after falling and pretty much shattering my elbow.

[Bill Butts]

Hello Mark~
Just a quck note to inquire about the reels and spools you posted.
I have a (non-computer) buddy that has a Momentum 4 but never bought any xtra spools.
He would probably be very interested in a spool(s), and possibly another reel, too.
Please let me know the pricing and availabilty and I can call him asap.
Please email me directly at bill.butts at sbcglobal.net
Thanks in advance for your follow-up.
Where is your shop?

[Bill Butts]

Hey Zach,

If I was flying into Billings, it would be hard not to fish the Big Horn.
Also, a consideration could be one of the great Livingston-area private spring creeks, on your way over to Bozeman.
If you have a choice, ask around if Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant is still well known as one of the better dining places.

[Bill Butts]

The 60* jig hooks made by Eagle Claw are the most well known and widely used but obviously not the best right out of the box.

[Bill Butts]

Wow, it’s hard to keep you “Mikes” straight.

[Bill Butts]

Mike,
What an awesome day of fishing, for some awesome fish.
It should be illegal to taunt us with such pig Hybrids.
Just kidding, I love it.
Would love to come down and experience TN’s great Hybrid fishing.
Questions.
In your photo gallery there are lots of fly photos, but none are identified by name.

[Bill Butts]

Charlie~

Thanks for your kind kudos.

The history of freshwater Stripers is a very interesting one, and accidental in origin.
Back in the 1940’s when the Santee Cooper Reservoir System in SC was being completed, the Dams (I believe there were two) were completed while Stripers were in the rivers to spawn.

[Bill Butts]

Zach,
I agree completely with the post that mentioned water temp.
You must track that factor, and ask everyone you discuss it with if they know when they give you info.
57 is the magic mark for Whites in MO and AR, so I’m assuming it is the same or close anywhere.
Mid-sixties, give or take a few degrees and you should have fish doing it somewhere or everywhere.
It was 70 in the Upper White last Friday and lots of females were in and spawn was taking place at night.

[Bill Butts]

Zach,
Sorry for the tardy reply.
We’ve been down in your hometown area chasing Hybrids and Whites.
Caught bunches of Whites though we didn’t spend much time casting smaller flies, but no Hybrids were even hooked and we didn’t hear a single one caught, except for a friend of ours that caught a 12# Hybrid on Wed eve.

Can’t wait to hear your interview with Dan Blanton.

[Bill Butts]

Ty,
Thanks for your post and positive comments.
Over the years, I have had a great deal of success with night fishing.
The most important factor to know is specifically where fish are holding before it gets dark, so the fish are already located.
An odd factor I’ve experienced many times is when I stay until after dark and always expect fishing to either continue as good or better than at dusk.

[Bill Butts]

Mike,

Thanks for your positive remarks about the podcast.
I enjoyed working with Zach, though 36 minutes is only time enough to scratch the surface.
Zach does an awesome job with them and injects lots of energy into each one.
My favorite part was the music, both at the beginning and end of the cast.

I would say the same about the pic of your behemouth fish, definitely SOME type of Hybrid.
If it was a fluke, it would make sense to get such large fish from a Striper X Hybrid mix.
All the Fisheries Biologists (FBs) I’ve talked with say they use new fish each year to breed for the Hybrids.

[Bill Butts]

flyg,

All Temperate Bass can be cyclic for a variety of reasons, but the most common White Bass are pretty consistent.

[Bill Butts]

Zach,

Temperate Bass that are moving into a river for spawning purposes in the Spring are affected by multiple factors which are many times difficult to get or keep a handle on.
Early in the season, the biggest single factor is water temp.

[Author]

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