New Inventory at Whitewater Valley Flies!

Head over to Whitewater Valley Flies to check it out! This rod is a 3 weight that was built on the same brand and model of blank that I use. I use the four weight version.

Stay tuned: I'm currently working on a four and five weight that I hope to add to my inventory within the next week or so! Feel free to email custom rod inquiries to me if interested in having a custom creation built.

Trip Report: Buildin' Rods and Catchin' Trouts

 

After getting a load of rain earlier in the week I decided to get a couple of new fly rods build to add to The Shop. I finished a 7ft 9in 3wt panfish/trout rod. As I type this I'm building another of the same size on the same blank because I'm loving it so much. I'm also working on a fast action 9ft 4wt and a medium/fast 9ft 5wt. Both of these rods are looking handsome! I've also got a good number of fly orders stacking up so today, even though it was sweltering hot, looked like my last day to get out fishing for a while.

With temps in the high 80's, bluebird skies, and a bad stain on the stream I decided to try my luck with the pink squirrel of prey like yesterday. Immediately, I snapped off on a decent fish. I continued upstream, landing smaller trout with consistency. I approached a promising looking hole, dropped my fly deeper on my indicator, and as soon as the fly hit the water the fight was on!

 This chunky brown put up a good fight. The picture doesn't do this fish justice as he measured just shy of 16 inches. He shot out of my hand as soon as I placed him back in the water. I continued to catch fish out of almost every hole. Most fish were pretty average until I hooked into this beautiful 14 incher.

After a good battle I released him to fight another day. The wind picked up about half way through today's outing but was no match for my medium/fast 4 weight! I only spotted three risers in around 3 1/2 hours of fishing. Afterward I headed to my favorite berry picking spot only to find that it'll be another week before there ready...

Trip Report: Hungry Fishes

After getting a few inches of rain at the beginning of the week I made a point of trying to find the first day of fishability on a local stream with hopes that bigger fish would be eating. What I found was just that! I arrived on stream at 6pm and fished until 830pm. Temps were in the mid 80's and skies were partly cloudy. Upon my arrival I tied on a Pink Squirrel of Prey and had at 'em.

 This nice trout came after I patiently fished a hole that has never offered up such a good fish. After a good fight he swam into my net. I'd guess he measured around 16 inches. I fished my way upstream catching some smaller fish here and there before losing a really nice trout to a deep undercut bank.

I wasn't about to let this guy do the same. I really put the screws to him with my Whitewater Valley Fly Rod (4 weight) and was able to steer him away from trouble. The pic doesn't do this fish justice but I'd guess he was around 16-17 inches. After returning him to the depths I continued.

This pointy faced brownie put up a great fight after sucking up the Pink Squirrel of Prey. I landed multiple fish out of most spots as the cloudiness of the water shielded my presence. 

 I landed at least two dozen fish today with most measuring between 11-13 inches with a few larger ones. There was steady caddis activity but very few fish rose to flies until around 8pm. I also landed one decent brookie but he flipped into the water before I could snap a quick pic.

Stay tuned: I hope to get out fishing tomorrow for a little bit but I have a number of flies to tie and rods to build so time may be limited:(

Trip Report: Caddis Madness

I got out fishing from 7 to 9 last night and 6 to 9 tonight. It was caddis madness! Caddis were buzzing around the surface, dipping down to lay eggs when I arrived. Fish were actively feeding under clouds of skittering caddis. I tied on a size 14 Gray Skittering Caddis and immediately began catching 'em.

 Trout fed in riffles, runs, and over deeper pools. They were everywhere! Some fish preferred the fly dead drifted while others preferred a gentle twitch. On my way back to the car I cast the fly down stream and pulled it back up which elicited a number of strikes.

 These were the big fish of the day yesterday. It was pretty cool watching such nice fish hit the dry fly! As I walked away from the stream fish continued to rise. All I could think about at work today was catching more good trout on dry flies.

 Again fish rose all evening to dry flies and the size 14 Gray Skittering Caddis took all fish! At one point I drifted my fly over a fish that I sat and watched for some time. He launched out of the water and when I set the hook felt nothing. Snapped!

After catching another load of fish this evening I spotted one decent riser on my walk back to the car. I tied on a Skittering Caddis and launched in a few feet upstream of where the trout appeared. He shot out of the water, I set the hook, and the fight was on. He put up a good one but he lost the battle!

Stay tuned: While I have a ton of flies to tie and a few rods to build I'll be getting out a few times over the next week or two.

More Spin Fishin' Bass and Gillies

Yesterday morning I was able to get out fishing for a few hours before heading out of town. I stopped at a local bass factory and landed a bunch of decent bass.

 I landed one at 19 1/4 and one at 17. The rest were between 14-16 inches. All bass came on the Texas rigged purple rubber worm. Eventually the wind picked up and I headed over to another lake to check out the pannie action.

 The gillies were pretty aggressive and took a white jig with abandon.

After catching a dozen or so decent sized gillies I headed out. I'd like to rig up my 3 weight and head back out before the gillies leave the shallows. We'll see what the week brings!

Redneck Bass Fishin'

Today the wife and I packed up the kayaks and went redneck bass fishin'. I only call it redneck because we both returned home with pretty bad sunburns on our necks, no disrespect to the bass fishers. After catching a little pike and spooking a few big bass I hooked into this beastly bluegill on a purple rubber worm. He measured in at 10 inches.

After catching a few bass in the 15-17 inch range I landed this 18 1/4 inch tank. He put up a great fight and as I leaned over to catch my first glance of him I noticed another, larger bass chasing him around.

This solid bass took the purple rubber worm but was no match for my $20.00 Fleet Farm special. Shortly after catching and releasing this fish I snapped off on one that must've been at least 20 inches!

By the end of our trip I landed around a dozen largemouth bass, the biggest bluegill in the lake, and the smallest pike in the lake. My wife tried her darnedest but couldn't shake the skunk.

Trip Report: Muddy Water Brookies

I have a lot of vacation time saved up so I decided to take off today and Friday. My original plan was to fish all day, both days but after getting a ton of rain yesterday/last night and much more in the forecast I saw my only chance to get out fishing this morning. I arrived at one stream and hiked a ways upstream hoping to find cleaner water on a tributary. I arrived at the confluence and muddy water was pumping into the main river from that tributary. I walked back to the car and headed to the headwaters of that tributary. The water had a good stain to it which gave me good cover to stalk the copious trouts only a few feet in front of me!

This brookie took the pink butted pheasant tail. I was high sticking and pulled him out of the water with a quick jerk. Although I couldn't see to the bottom of the pool it was likely there were more fish.

The sun shone bright but again, the stain on the water kept me concealed. This brown put up a pretty good fish in such skinny water.

This chunker came from the same spot. After catching a good number of both brookies and browns from the same pool I was hoping to catch a glimpse of a tiger trout! No dice, but I did catch a few more brookies.

 After catching around 1 1/2 dozen trout on the pink butted pheasant tail I switched to a pink san juan worm. I landed another dozen or more on that fly before switching back to the pheasant tail for a few more. This spot always has a ton of fish stacked up but unless it's fished in low light conditions or with a good stain on the water the fish scatter before you can get within 50 feet of 'em. I'll have to keep this spot in mind next time I'm aching to fish when most water is blown out.

Stay tuned: I hope to get out fishing again soon but I have never ending fly orders and a few rods to build.