Labor Day Photo-op

Rainbow trout caught in Lynn Camp Creek on Labor Day 2011

I had been looking forward to doing some bass fishing over the three-day break, but when the Labor Day weekend arrived it had 100-degree heat and 100% humidity rolling in with it. That just about ensured that we would be heading to a stream. While the fishing wouldn't be very good, even though the choice was convenient; the Chief had asked a friend to take some photos of he, D, and I fishing, and her husband was ready to learn.

REVIEW: Hobbs Creek Fly Reel, Fully Loaded HC2R-L6

The Chief's HC2R-L5 slightly used.

When the Chief and I started "upgrading" our equipment, we were going to purchase the under $20 Bass Pro Shops Power Plus Graphite Fly Rods - Model PPG8056-2 and just mount our cheap Martin reels on them. Somewhere along the way, one of the salesmen mentioned to Dad a deal being offered that included a Hobbs Creek fly reel loaded with backing, line and leader. You would actually save about $5 purchasing everything together and loaded instead of purchasing each separate and doing it yourself. Saved-labor and $5 off to boot meant this was a pretty fair deal as far as we were concerned, so we each bought one for $59.99, Dad a 5-wt. and me a 6-wt. (I'm still thinking bass).

The actual item we purchased was the HC2R-L6, but I have been unable to locate it on the Bass Pro Shops Site. As far as I can tell—I won't swear to it—the package includes an HC2R Hobbs Creek™ Large Arbor Fly Reel, 100 yards of 20 lb. White River Fly Shop® MAGIBRAID™ Flyline Backing (38-425-059-00), an 82-ft weight forward Hobbs Creek™ Fly Line (38-431-182-06), and I suspect a 5x 9-foot White River Tapered Leader (I didn't pay much attention, and through the use of multiple sections of tippet and a few snags, mine is now more of a knotted leader while Dad replaced his).

REVIEW: BPS Power Plus Graphite Fly Rod - Model PPG8056-2

As previously mentioned, the old man and I decided to start learning with some cheap--I mean really cheap--fly rod kits. Once we had the basics down, it wasn't long before we were looking to make some inexpensive upgrades. On a visit to the White River Fly Shop, we noticed some rods for less than $20 that had a bit more action than than the cheap Martin's we had purchased. We figured at the price, it was worth taking a risk, and so we came home with two 8-foot, 5/6-weight Bass Pro Shops Power Plus Graphite Fly Rods - Model PPG8056-2.

Back to the Pond

On Saturday, I noticed there was a large group gathered at the trout stream and so I suggested to the Chief that we head back to our secret pond on Sunday. I told him that I felt like with the abating heat over the last couple of weeks, the water should have cooled down and that the conditions would be favorable to catching some decent bass. D went along to observe and play in the pool, but she didn't even bother to take a rod.

A Solitary Saturday

Everyone occasionally needs some alone time, and Saturday proved perfect for me. Both D and the Chief had to work, so I took the opportunity to hit the trout stream free from any frustrating influences.

A Brief Escape

D and I had nothing to do tonight and several of hours of daylight left, so I suggested we hit the trout stream. She packed some snacks, we loaded the truck, and headed south, Thursday.

Trout on my Mind

During one of my visits to the White River Fly Shop in the last month, a fellow patron struck up a conversation with me about the kinds of fishing we did. While I have been chasing smallmouth, he was almost exclusively devoted to trout. When I told him that I had never been fishing for trout, he said don't ever stop. It has a way of being addicting. I now understand exactly what he was talking about.

I also now better understand a comment a friend made a few months ago. The Saturday after Dad and I first went, we ran into Bobby at a mutual friend's seventieth birthday party. Knowing Bobby was an experienced, "serious" fisher, I decided to ping him for some tips and perhaps gain a bit of insider knowledge to tying flies. Bobby's advice: "Don't start."

Well, I really didn't understand what he was saying at the time, and it was already too late for that matter. Now that I have been I few times, I finally get it.

Trout

Well, you may have thought that like many nascent bloggers, I had bored quickly and let this die. As a matter of fact, I had to make a brief visit to the Left Coast for a few days and didn't have a chance to do any fishing. I talked quite a bit about it, and my friend Critter sent me home with a new vise, quite a few tools, and a load of material. It occupied half of my checked bag, which means it really was quite a bit. I am looking forward to going through it all and telling you what I have done with it.

At any rate, while I was gone, all I could do was think about fishing when I returned. Turns out the weather differential was enough that I developed something like hay fever. By the time I got off the plane Monday evening, I was whipped. I'll never fly again congested.

Tuesday morning, I couldn't sleep, eat, talk, work or think. I just suffered through most of the day. Finally, I decided I might go fishing, that some exposure to the outdoors would be good for me. So I loaded my gear and decided to head for the nearest trout stream.

Drop Fishing and Cat Fishing

When I was in high school, I and Klingledingle used to go over to our friend Dave Nolastname's (at last check, he was in Air Force special operations) house and we would fish for catfish in the family pond. We never caught any, but it was a convenient excuse to stay out late at night. I have often reminisced with friends and family about how much I enjoyed those opportunities.

Tying with the Chief and Snake Doctor

We added to our circle sort of tonight. My two-year-old nephew "Snake Doctor" is staying over so that Black Sheep and my sister can enjoy some alone time. I'm planning to hit the water tonight and headed out to tie some flies. After a few minutes, the Chief and Snake Doctor joined me. We gathered three stools around the tying bench, the Chief and I each had a Sam, and the little one had a Mott's apple juice. We posed for a picture, and then turned our attention to tying flies.

REVIEW: Vise/Tool Kit

D wanted to start tying flies with me. Since we had most of the material to get started, we simply needed the basic tools: vice, bobbin, needle, (I wanted a) threader, and scissors. After perusing the individual items at Bass Pro Shops, I decided it was in our best interest to buy a set, the Vise/Tool Kit.

Tuesday, New Rod, New Reel, More Fish

Since the Chief's back was bothering him, we delayed our outing to Tuesday evening. It was an opportunity to really spend some time with the new gear and to do a bit of studying. There were no keepers, but we did catch some fish. D chose to go swimming instead, and I am not sure I would not have been better off doing the same thing. The temps are still hot, and the fish just are not that active. For the first couple of hours, I was seriously wondering if I was going to be able to catch anything.

REVIEW: White River Fly Shop® Fly Tying Kit - Bass Tying

As mentioned in an earlier post, D bought me a White River Fly Shop® Fly Tying Kit - Bass Tying package, so that I could begin learning to tie flies. Now that I have been through it, I thought I would give you a bit of a review.

An Anniversary, A Start, and a Tryout

So yesterday, July 31, D and I celebrated our seventh anniversary. I wanted to go fishing, but because the Chief's back was hurting, it didn't look to be in the cards. D and I instead settled for tying some flies together and we found a few surprises along the way.

Lightening My Wallet Eased the Back Pain

As we came into the weekend, Dad's back was hurting a bit too much, and he wanted to wait a couple of days before we headed out again. I suggested perhaps we head to Bass Pro Shops, and he readily agreed. So off to Indiana we headed with D.

Just the Three of Us

Well the Chief and I headed out with D for another day of fishing the following Sunday. Thanks to the persistent heat, the water was scorching and the day started slow. But it ended on a high note.

Makes You Think

I've been looking at equipment online today, and decided to take a break. I thought I would look for some quotes on fly fishing, only to discover this article. It almost made me cry, knowing how grateful I am that the Chief and I are fishing together regularly. Take a look.

Fishing with Dad by Chuck Bailey

D Flys and the Party Grows Some More

 Following our second outing, D decided she was going to start fly fishing too. I looked out in the yard one evening to find her practicing casting on her own with my old rod. She asked me if I would teach her, but I declined, telling her that I had read it would be a really bad idea.

What I did do is ask the Chief to take D and get her a fishing license and some basic equipment that Friday. A few hours later, they returned with the same cheap kit the Chief and I had purchased. I tied on a tippet for her and some yarn, and off she went to practice casting.

Second Outing, the Party Grows

The week after my first outing with the Chief, the summer weather finally turned in Kentucky bringing oppressive heat. Temperatures were approaching triple digits and the humidity was high. Truth be told, this is typical weather for this time of year in the Ohio River Valley; regardless of whether it was expected, I like much colder weather.

At any rate, the persistent heat warmed the pond considerably before the next outing the following Sunday, posing some challenges. Well, that and the fact that my wife D decided to tag along and watch. She filmed us, took pictures, and generally lounged in the sun. I even managed to get her out on the water with me in a Jon boat for a few hours.

The fish weren't biting so much that day. Dad took a small large mouth and was dry the rest of the day. I broke the ice on a popper with a 9-inch largemouth as well, but as the sun began dropping that afternoon, I switched to a Prince Nymph and started landing bluegill like crazy. All in all, it was a good day.

First Time Fishing with the Chief

I've always had a pretty good relationship with Dad. He has been both a good father and a friend. It's a difficult balance to strike, but somehow he managed to navigate the line successfully. As an adult, I would rather spend my time with him over anyone else. We really do have a good relationship, except when we work on projects together. I've come to learn that collaboration is not our strong suit; the father-side and desire to teach takes over, and I guess the son in me resents that.

The Reel

The next piece of equipment you will need is a reel. If you bought a kit, it will be included. Otherwise, you need some expert advice.

The Fly Rod

I thought the thing that would make this blog interesting was the fact that I am basically a novice sharing the lessons I learn along the way. This has some good points and some bad points.

First, most of the material on the subject is written by experts, and what they think is important may not necessarily be the same as for someone starting out. Priorities are just different. Second, I think my mistakes are just as important educational tools as my successes. But third, I frequently will have no clue about what I am writing, even though it is important.

Well at this point, fly rods definitely fall into the latter category, and unfortunately, after your brain and muscle memory, just as a club to a golfer, the rod is perhaps the most important tool in your arsenal. What good is the best fly if you cannot cast the line? The rod is the piece of equipment that essentially does most of the work converting energy into motion.

The Bare Minimum

Probably the first prerequisite to fly fishing is to have the basic equipment to get started. In later posts, we'll talk about what everything is, but to get started, you at least need to know what you need to get, and well a fly shop may not be just down the street.