fshflyboggs
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I was there a few weeks ago- plent yo f bones. It is all walk/wade
Have a CayBrew- they are good –Here is a guide down there.
http://www.fish-bones.com/about.html
Have fun
Dan
Matt-
We need rain in Wisconsin for it to be worth while– It rained yesterday here- and today a bit– I will going over there on Thus eve- I think I am going to float (with personal pontoon) the harbors– but I would say do Michigan until we get a bit more moisture- as you will have issues with fish quality- and combat fishing.
But this also depends where you go. I hate driving over there to low water so I keep my eyes peeled on water flow data and keep my schedule flexible so as to leave as soon as we get some water–
Right now they are staging and with a good push of water out to the lake – mucho fish will come up.
Best of luck- but if I had a choice this time of year- and was coming from your direction up– I would do the big waters of Michigan.
Check this guy out- http://www.michiganstreamside.com/index.htm –he was very helpful on some big water advice- I think he takes his drift boat out on the big lake to get lake runs– but since you now have a boat- I personally would do the big rivers in Michigan.
Have fun.
Dan Boggs
I gotta chime in here. You southerners are just too polite about this,
Matt-
So let me get this straight- You get this gear GIVEN to you for FREE- it doesn’t work like it is supposed to- and you cry this much about it??
I understand that you got your stuff wet- and I know that sometimes the stuff I use doesn’t quite live up to it’s claims and is disappointing–But sheessh–
I used to do allot of sea kayaking— the only thing that is truly waterproof-is PVC coated bags- with the appropriate closures.
Zippers- will never be completely waterproof–otherwise the new G4’s would zip all the way down to to your calf-I would really hate to see how much you bellow if you had actually bought it-
I know that if I had DONATED a gift to a worthy cause– and someone who was given said item- becasue of displeasure of the performance of said gear, posted on chat rooms and you tube, I would consider not DONATING to said cause–(although to be fair said cause was promotional– but then on the other hand what donation to any cause from a manufacturer is not promotional?) This someoe would not be high on my list of concerns to call and ‘make right’ either.
So word of advice– if you don’t want something to get wet while it is raining while you are on the water—
put it in a zip lock bag– and even then no gaurentees-
Dan Boggs.
Good post–
Madeline’s first fish at age 3 came from a trout farm. I wanted her to hook into them right away and ‘get’ why we went fishing.
Ultimately most folks will share– you can go fishing or you can take a kid fishing- but you can’t do both. Rubbish.
Ok maybe a bit at first- but the goal is getting a fishing buddy out of the whole deal. And you get to fish when you take a buddy out.
Read the books – Taking Kids Camping- and First Casts. Both helpful. The basic idea of both are to incorporate a fun outing with fishing. For instance- on a hike- make sure there is a swimming hole at the end of it.
Also- taking them fishing doesn’t mean they get to fish. When Mad was a toddler- she was on a back pack while I waded and fished the streams. When she was a bit older- she would often times come along- and just fool around while I fished. This requires planning. Because her fooling around was with a butterfly net, coloring books, and so on that were packed in her own back pack.
Also– bring plenty of treats and drinks with you.
I did this so as to have her desire to want to fish develop organically. You have one huge thing going for you when they are young—They like to spend time with you. As they experience more and more of this- they begin to want to do it themselves- even if it is you casting and them reeling in the fish.But it all begins there. Never force it into them- or it will backfire. Let them spend the time with you and then let them ask to try it- it will work out if you approach it this way.
Another thing, when she was very young she had her own vest, fly box, and flies. As she got bigger she got her own rod, hip boots and other accessories. She enjoys going to fly shops as much as I do because she gets to get new gadgets, and I do too,.
She is at the point now at 11 where she has her own fly rod that we made two seasons ago together-it has her name on it even. Her own waders, her own reel, fly line, –everything a flyfisher should have. Not hand me downs or my secondary stuff. She even ties her own flies and has a box with just her creations in it. I am now teaching her to tie her own knots and she has a pretty good idea of what flies to use. Within another season, she will barely need my help at all.
but even to this day her vest also contains a net to collect bugs, and a little entomology kit. The books she carries now are streamside bug reference books. She also carries the camera when we fish.
We are at the point were we can fish all day, but I will still keep her in mind as not to let her get burned out. For instance- I generally don’t eat a lunch when I fish all day, except maybe a sandwich- but with her I make it an event. Either a fun little restaurant- or a streamside good lunch with something tasty cooked up on the Coleman. She also has been out west twice- I don’t even feel a cramp about bring her to fish on destination trips. She will fish as long as I do– and if you get a guide- a well mannered youngster with fishing skills will get you some special treatment –(secret spots)-definite bonus.
About a month ago I asked her direct if she likes to go fishing- or if it is because she is spending time with me. She pondered this for a second, and with a little tilt of her head responded. ‘About 50/50’.
Those are good enough odds for me.
Good luck- it sounds like you got a great start, and I am interested in hearing others responses.
Dan Boggs
And- this works flyfishing or coffee grinding-I think it is good to get them into both- it’s just that I flyfish 99% of the time- so that’s what we do. And then she doesn’t have bad habits with teaching her casting either…
My name was Dan Boggs- but had it leagally changed to FSHFLY BOGGS so I wouldn’t have to change for this board
MM-
I know that lake you speak of, and the one next to it. I have fished them and whenever I get out west I always try to hit some stillwaters. I love them becasue growing up I have always fished streams. Here in Wisconsin- we have numerous spring lakes and ponds. In fact we have more lakes than our state to the west which claims to have 10,000. We have like 15,000. I am by no means an expert- but I usually do pretty well. Here is different but it is still the same- trouts is trouts.
Scuds, Fb hares ears, soft hackles, — Hand twist retreive-varied (slow, very slow, and cobwebs on fingers) these bugs move slow- try to pick a fly to match –and fish structure.Whenever I have a slow day-or I see that midges are coming off- I go to chroms under a bobber (indicator) this always seems to work. 2-4 feet down on a floating line- double rig. In fact I always dropper on a lake. Little or no retrieve.
A never fail- or a tactic to try on a new lake to locate fish is to fish a leach pattern trolling on a sinking line. Mohair- bugger, bunny- whatever- black- with red- or a streamer –same technique. This is fun for awhile- but can get boring and not as fun as hand twitching in strikes.
Observe the topography of that lake and notice the subtle transitions of potential underwater drop offs or points. Concentrate on those areas. Think of the lake like a stream- insomuch as the fish are cruising around it–if it were a perfect circle they would just constantly cruise around and around. But where structure (drop offs, points, etc) are- it is almost a ‘break in the current’ situation. This means the fish at that point will sort of interupt a straight cruise around those areas.
Also, even when the water has a higher surface temp (too high dont fish, of course-hard for them to recover)– there is a thermocline– this is a point in the water depth that will always be colder- this is a very definate line -(think of diving under the water while swimming and hitting the cold part) This also serves as a point of differnce trout will key on.
On drop offs or weed beds– stay shallow and fish off of them. Much like a river holds fish where most people wade– a lake or pond has the fish where most people boat.
Have fun there– those are definately HOGS in that water. Oh– and usually – a rule of thumb– if you can see them- they don’t hit (dsclaimer-not always true-just about 95% of the time)
Dan Boggs
Brown hues — all the way.
I once had an opti tell me that there were studies on the effects of sunglasses on the amount of light based on pupil dialation that enter your eye. He shared that an amber /copper lense doesn’t allow your eye to dialate as much as a grey or darker lense would-letting more sun into the eye bacause of the artificial dialation of the pupil.
I have found this to be true as if I am outside all day fishing- when I used grey lenses I would develope a headache- and I now exclusively use amber/or copper now and do not have any headaches spending the same amount of time in the sun.
And I also prefer brown tints for the streams I fish. Because it isn’t the glasses that are spotting the fish for you– it only takes away the glare—practice and many hours on the stream are what get you good at spotting.
One good tip— after releasing a fish–really take the time to watch where he goes and keep him spotted for as long as you can.Dan Boggs
I’ll take him. Have him give me a shout. We got maybe another few weeks until it’s too warm. (both for my comfort and the trouts)
Dan
I have found a good bit of info on starting a club– I am hoping for some personal observations– Thanks
D
Man, if I were that organized with my flyfishing- I would probably learn to hate it.
😮Good ideas, however, I respectfully disagree with the washing of the vest. Get rid of the blood stains?!?
That would be a major sin. In fact, my mentor would’t take me fishing until I took my new vest, jumped on it in the dirt for a bit, spit in at least one of the pockets, and blew cigar smoke at it.
He made sure to let me know that I should never-ever- wash my vest. I might as well sell it if that were to ocour. Bad juju and all that stuff.I had a friend that was that organized with his stuff, I think he had more fun organizing, repairing, washing, and steam cleaning his stuff, than he actually did using it.
But hey- if thats your thing–more power to ya.
I started tying flies before I started flyfishing. The gentlemen who taught me the sport made sure I knew how to tie flies, before they would take me flyfishing. They taught me when I was twelve, and it was at least 4 months of teaching to tie, before I got to fish. I would have to say that having learned at such a young age, and having tied commercially for a bit, it is a cost savings compared to purchasing flies. (This is mainly true because I can amoritze the cost of all my tools equipment over many years 😉 )
Even if it does cost more, the depth that the ability to tie your own flies brings to your experience of flyfishing is completely worth it.
Case in point– as a young spin fisherman I would drool over new lures that would be advertised in fishing rags, and have to wait until the local tackle store had them available.
But the very day I learn of a ‘new’ fly pattern- I can go home and tie some up. The very day I need to modify a fly based on streamside input- I can tie up a new fly- heck- I can even sometimes tie up a needed fly at my car along side the stream if I bring my kit.
And one of the great things about tying- others are always willing to help out– unlike a secret spot, there is no secret fly that someone would be unwilling to share with you.
I have taught many to tie and there is no better feeling than sharing that gift with someone.So no regrets whatsoever- and progession of tying is— buying more stuff.
Dan
