brian dunigan
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“Moral hazard” and “take care of your rods” aside, flyrods are fragile. If you spend a lot of time fishing streamers and/or shot-and-indicator nymphing, sooner or later a bad cast is going to collide something with your rod tip. Maybe it won’t break just then, but it’s probably going to break at that point somewhere down the road.
If we were talking a $100 rod, I’d bite the bullet and replace it. But $700? I make a pretty good living, but I’m not in a position to just say “oh well, I’ll shell out $700 for another one.”
I like G. Loomis rods a lot, but if they decide to say “Sorry, you accidentally break our $700.00 rod and your only recourse is to buy another one,” I’m out. Flyrods are fragile. What’s more, I’m using their 9-foot fragile graphite stick in places where I’m walking over slick rocks and through thickets of bushes. The risk of a broken tip is always there.
If Loomis decides people will just buy another $700 rod, they’re limiting themselves to a VERY affluent pool of customers. I hope it keeps them afloat, because it won’t include me.
If I have to just buy a new rod, I’ll sacrifice performance and use a cheap $75 to $100 rod (that never came with a warranty anyway). It might not perform as well, but I’m not up to risking the extra $600 over the slight difference in performance.
bd
The Riverhawk is made of fiberglass, and it’s going to be significantly heavier than a comparable-sized traditional canoe.
At the dam, no 69 is not going to kill fish. Downriver, yes, it is.
I would respectfully submit, then, that “trout-killing 69 degrees” was unclear in its meaning. If you meant that a 69 degree discharge will reach a trout-killing 75 to 80 degrees by the time it’s several miles downstream, then yeah, I agree with that.
As far as alternative places to go, I’d concur with Zach’s suggestion of the White River. Another that would be very high on my list (higher maybe than the White) would be the South Holston. There are some giant browns (some exceeding 20 lbs) and natural reproduction means you are fishing to wild fish. Note that spawning areas are closed to fishing from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 to protect spawning fish.
The Clinch is reportedly fishing very well this year too.
bd
I honestly don’t know that this is the best year to plan a Cumberland float. They are having major cold water supply issues.
Incidentally, I don’t know if I’d call 69 degrees “trout killing” – they get temperature stressed at that temp, but as long as you keep it below 75 or so I don’t think you’ve crossed the lethal threshold.
bd
Interesting.
Daytime in the middle of the summer is a tough, tough time to hold a fly-only bass tournament. Tough to get the fly down to where the fish are. When the conventional gear guys are dredging 25 feet of water with 8-inch lizards on a carolina rig with 1/2 oz. of weight, the competitive options on a flyrod are limited.
The winner’s 35 lbs in two days on a fly under those conditions is beyond impressive – especially noting the big margin between the winning weight and 2nd place.
Well here is the twist I want to put on the tourney. I want to do the one fly thing but you have to make the fly. The twist to this is each person will get one hook of their choice, one bobbin with the color of thread of their choice, one vice, and one whip finish tool. Then they will be sent out into the field and they must find the stuff to create their fly from nature.
I would tie the thread on the hook and be catching fish on my black midge while everyone else was still looking for tying materials.
Lando you have spots on your anal fin and Jim does not….I mean your FISH has spots on its anal fin and Jim’s does not. 🙂 Maybe these fish are brothers?
Joel
Busted.
After nearly a month of no rain at all, I left the cover off my boat last Sunday and we’ve had rain for 3 days in a row.
Having fished some private water in Colorado, my biggest beef with it is that some of the private water owners feel obligated to stock the heck out of the water and pellet-feed the fish. That takes some of the challenge out of it. Beware of guides who deny that the fish are pellet fed but then want you to fish a brown hare’s ear that looks suspiciously like a pellet all day. 🙂
If you can get on private water that’s not “pellet pig” water, it can be a great experience.
However, I’d note that there is some spectacular public water in Colorado too.
bd
Keep an eye on http://www.customgheenoe.com.
Very nice Brian.
Thanks to all for the compliments!
As you know, I have been looking at Gheenoes like that for some time. Let us know how it works out.
Yeah, I believe we think alike when it comes to boats. I am pretty convinced that the Gheenoes are just about the ideal boat for tailwater fishing.
PS TFO has a nice, inexpensive new push pole just coming to market.
Got it covered! The boat came with an 18-foot Stiffy push pole that I think will suit me just fine for the carp flats and the occasional Florida trip. I just took the pole off for the river trip – although I might carry it along on future trips. I could use the spiked end to joust people out of my fishing spots. ;D
bd
I would have sworn that was the pier at Victoria House on Ambergris Caye. Looks just like it.
I assume you fished with a guide? I fished with Roberto Bradley when I was down there and had a blast every single day.
