Mike Anderson
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Don’t know if TVA could help but it would be worth a try. Also Strange bait and tackle might be able to help you out too.
Davy, I have very limited experience with midges. There are a couple of other board members who would also be interested in a midge lesson or two. If you have time or if you have already got an article somewhere I would be grateful to hear your advice on this form of fishing. My experience with midges is pretty much limited to drifting Griffith’s gnats to rising fish. You and I fish a similar type of river so I bet your methods would work well here as well. If you have time that is.
BTW where do I find you DVD??
Hey you’re welcome scud. We can do a trip (non guide trip) sometime this spring. Maybe we can get Zach to have a little gathering of the IA clan up there and meet some of the other board members who live close enough to make the drive.
I use white often because it works well for me but this time of year a shad kill is always in the back of my mind. My thought is that if they go crazy over Shad during a kill, it must mean they really like Shad (most game fish do), and would readily eat them anytime.
One of the good fellows over at CT said Wolf Creek was sluicing. I don’t know any specifics but I can say it’s from a reliable source. Might want to call TVA and inquire before you drive.
Wow! Davy Wotton! Glad you stopped by man. If you see some of my posts that look familiar, or flies I use that look familiar, it’s because I have been watching your shows on fly fisherman, visiting your site, and reading your web articles quite a bit over the last few years. You do a great job of educating us amateurs and I would like to personally thank you for that. Keep up the good work and do come back and visit often. If you’re ever in TN and want to check out our rivers just let us know and we’ll be glad to show you around.
BTW folks, check out the Davy Wotton Shad pattern sometime. It’s a killer during a shad kill.
Mike Anderson
Scud off the top of my head I can’t remember the distance to helms and I don’t have my little map with me. But to answer your question about what is the best situation, I would without a doubt put in at the dam after 7 and fish the falling water. 2 or more on the Cumby can be too much current to try to fish and not sink the boat at the same time, especially if you’re without any kind of motor. My favorite time to fish big streamers is during falling water so you’re going to be in good water all day. Toss anything white on the sink tip and experiment with retrieves. When you come to a timber lined bend in the river and you get that fishy feeling put the fly as close to the structure as you can and rip it back to the boat. One thing I have found is bends or areas behind islands where there is a gravel bar close by seem to be the best areas for me. Deep featureless bends I usually just motor past.
White 1/100oz fly fishing marabou jigs might work well for the Boo guy if he isn’t above using them. Otherwise some kind of minnow pattern cast out and drifted along with the boat and close to the bottom. You could also put in at Burkesville and float to Traces on the Cumberland with falling water from tonight. This section is known for producing some good Trout but I don’t fish it much.
Me,,,, I am still at work 16 hrs later. Man, this working for a livin sucks.
Good luck
Here is a link to my fav Carp fly pattern.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/072803fotw.html
I love catching them on the fly! The lake Carp I have fished for are almost too easy. You could literally catch almost any one you could see if you didn’t spook it with a really bad cast or a noisy trolling motor bumping the bottom.
There is a large mud flat I like to fish that stretches for about a mile. It’s very soft mud and looks like a moonscape due to all the pot marks the carp have made over the years. I’ll get out of the boat and wade if they are in close to the bank, but mostly I stand on top of
I fished the Caney Sun with decent results. Towards the end of the day I removed my indicator and almost immediately a few nice Browns responded. My little 3/4 wt got a good workout today.
I know there are times when indicators seem to have a negative effect. For me at least, winter seems to be one of those times.
Mike
No way dude. 😮 I don’t think you’ve looked at my fly boxes close enough. Give me another 10 or so years and then maybe.
The majority of my fly rods are built from DanCraft blanks.
In the SigV series I have an 8’4” 4wt, and a 9’ 5wt. In the Dancraft FT series (fast taper) I have a 9 foot 7 and 10 wt.
I would rate them all as high 9’s. Here are some comments from rodbuilding.org about Dancraft blanks.A real favorite on this board (and anyone who tries ’em) are the DanCraft blanks. Light, fast, reasonably priced. A “see-’em-to-believe-’em” product.
Dan’s Sig V are 3 piece blanks, the ones I’ve built were lighter than a same length factory Sage XP and cast/fish just as nice in every way, at least in my hands. Even some of the Sage owners say so.
You want the 9 ft Dan Craft FT. One of the sweetest rods I’ve cast, period.
The next Sig V trout rod you must build is the 8’4 4 wt. Unbelievable. I drool just looking at it when I take it out of the sock. You must—MUST—cast this rod. (BTW THIS POST IS RIGHT ON! AWESOME ROD)
I think it is fast…AND very responsive at fishing distances. It handles 15 feet of line with ease….and I can stretch it out to about 70 ft (which is good for me….whoever fishes a 4 wt at this distance). It is light…thinks for you….puts the line where you point it….looks great…..feels great…..Just wonderful.
Many of Dan Craft’s blanks,in particular the SIG V and FT,are IMHO definitely better than most of Sage’s rods,and as good as some of their very best,yet are a fraction of the cost.That’s not a knock on Sage at all,it’s just that if you want a fair comparison quality and performance wise between “Sage” and say the Dan Craft SIG V and FT blanks,you would have to go up to the XP,and TCR models for a similar quality blank.Now,when comparing all these blanks you would find them to be quite similar in performance and quality,but with a BIG,BIG price difference.
“The FT in the 9ft models seems to be quite similar to the Sage TCR,while the closest Sage I would compare the SIG V to would be the XP.The rod’s actions are different,with the XP being more of a tip action rod,but both rods are incredibly light weight and powerful,recover extremely fast,and generate extremely high line speeds.They feel a bit different due to their flex profiles,but are very similar in performance.I like both equally,and if I added the G Loomis GLX to the mix,I would probably have 3 rods that I couldn’t choose between,at least as far as performance and quality goes.If I had to choose,OF COURSE I’m going to take the one that is less than 1/3 the price,LOL!
Are the Dan Craft blanks “as good as” Sage?
Absolutely! So are several other small blank makers out there that so many quickly dismiss in favor of the name blank they know.The great thing is most of these are priced so the average Joe can actually afford them!
Will they be the best for you and will YOU like them more than a Sage?
Maybe,maybe not.You won’t know for sure how much you like them until you try them and compare them to certain other rods for yourself.No one can guarantee that you will like them more,but most would be confident saying you would be AWFULLY impressed with these $100 blanks that’s for sure!I can’t see anyone saying they aren’t a very good quality blank,even if the blank doesn’t quite suit them personally.Sage SLT 8’ 1 wt
A neat rod for small water and one of the prettiest blanks I have ever built on. I still have not fished it yet. Maybe Zach can help me find a place to use this one this year.G-Loomis GL3 9’ 6wt
I think that the GL3 is one of the best deals on a “name brand” fly rod period. I built mine and saved about $100. Great rod for nymphing large water for large fish.I don’t do it from a float tube but from a boat. I use a 7wt with 350 grain Orvis DepthCharge line, it sinks just right in 1 gen. I think you have cast this rig before Zach. As far a short strikes, get used to it. It happens a lot, and I do mean a lot. I can’t tell you how many nice Browns I have brought out of cover only to charge the fly and turn at the last min (not that I was not satisfied to just to have seen them). Did they see the boat, did they not like my fly, or the presentation? I don’t know the answer, another even more aggravating situation is when they don’t hesitate eating it and still don’t get hooked. I had a foam fly last year that looked like a puppy had been chewing on it from where it had been hit so much. Somehow all the fish managed to spit it before I could get a hook in them, I guess I just suck at setting the hook.
Then there are the days where they just inhale the whole fly and all is good.
One thing you can do is start is tying a stinger hook on your big Trout flies. This does increase the chance of a bad injury to the fish however.As soon as everything gets back to normal you and I will do a trip using this method.
Mike
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:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(Don’t worry about it Zach, we’ll give em hell soon! Hauling a boat in icy conditions is a bit risky that far from home. I‘ve been out before when the ramps froze over…. That’s not a good situation to be in.
I did fish that Thunder Snow two years ago this month on the White River. We got 9” of snow our second night while we cooked BBQ Ribs on the grill. The temps were so cold we were stuffing warm packs in every pocket we had. Fortunately Gastons let me leave the boat under their covered dock so sliding the truck into the river while launching was not an issue.
That looks awesome Zach. I would love to be there for the presentation. I bet there will be some good questions asked and answered.
