Monday, August 13, 2012

The One That Got Away!


My big fish of last year on something quite smaller...
I write this post for selfish reasons.  I'm hoping that I will get a few suggestions before tomorrow morning's "Fish Tuesday" streamer session.  Here's the sad, sad tale of "The One That Got Away"!!  Last Saturday, RD went on a streamer run.  Ok, you say, so what?  After three years of fly fishing, this was probably only the second or third time that I have thrown streamers.  I had a tip on what to use and where to go.  (Yeah, people don't have any problem telling me where to go...ha)  So, I headed off.  I didn't find the area that they told me about.  So, I journeyed over to a familiar fishing place of mine instead.  Now, I usually look for deeper water for BIG fish.

 
The bottom sculpin would find a new home in a Big Brown's chops!

But, as I was walking down to the deep water...I thought that I would throw the streamer in as I walked.  A more narrow, shallower side stream of the main river.   Kaboom!  Wait a minute!  That fish shouldn't be here!  Or should he?  You tell me.  Anyway, as soon as he hit that olive sculpin...he came up and with a big splash, went back down.  As I started stripping the line, he was off the line and swimming down the river with my...yes, olive sculpin.  As I brought in the rest of the line, I looked at the end with dismay.  No fish, no sculpin, just flourocarbon.  Bad tie on or not strong enough tippet?  Probably both.   


Well, my friends...I smiled.  Hey, that was a twenty incher that I should have had.  I know that.  But, it was dang exciting to even feel him on that streamer in the first place with being a newbie at this type of thing.  Now, I try once again to bring in a fish on a streamer.  I'm no longer using 3X or 2X leader and tippet.  I now have 1X and 0X on hand.  I have a new supply of streamers.  We will give it the good ol' college try.


  Will I find "Rodney" or "Roderick"???       

Rodney, the poor, lost fish of  "cofisherdotblogspotdotcom" or  Roderick of   "roderickhawgbrowndotcom"?
                                        
                                                            Or maybe I will just find "Nemo"...
                                                                    

If you have a STREAMER TIP...I'm listening!


On another front... my friend, Brian Schiele, has a post up right now with a very cool picture of...well, The River Damsel herself.  (Believe me, that's not the cool part) 

Courtesy of Brian Schiele
 Check out the story of how the special effects came out "naturally"!   He is definitely the Holga Master...





                                                                    

18 comments:

  1. Great photographs happen for many reasons, one of which teamwork between the photographer and the subject, which can be a lot like fishing.
    So thanks for letting me take a few photographs of you while we go fishing.. I think that this one will be one for the exhibit!
    Brian

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  2. Bummer about the lost fish, but I'm sure you won't be caught off guard again like that.

    I know Kelly Galloup doesn't believe in much of a leader for streamers. I think it's something like 18" of 20# 'leader' and 18" of 12# (tippet). His theory is you are provoking an aggressive strike and fish aren't spooked by the fly line, and you need the line strength to stop and turn Roederick HB. Good Luck! Grea pic.

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  3. I agree with Brian. I just hope you signed a model release. As for Rodney Brown...he's gone but not forgotten. My next fish dinner will be a Roderick. Oh and practice your knots and be sure to wet them before clinching them tight.

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  4. Brian ~ Ugh...what exhibit? What have I gotten myself into now??? = )

    Marc ~ Kelly is one of the best... And I'm sure he hasn't lost too many on the streamer! Line strength will definitely be bumped up tomorrow!

    Howard ~ Oh, release forms were not presented that day of picture taking...hmmm. And I know all about being lady like and spitting on the line. Lol. It's the inability to cinch up that knot tight enough next to the eye of the fly. (ok...fingernails)

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  5. Come on girl, is the thrill bigger now that a big fish is lost!! You know just where that fish is now, have another go. Get that fish!!

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  6. On streamer fishing. Just gotta make the cat chase the yarn! The cat already has the instinct... it how you twitch it...

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  7. Richard ~ Ha! You know I will... packing up right now in fact!

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  8. I could go on and on about fishing streamers....I love it! Sink tips, weighted streamers or both, leader length, 10-12 pound test, 3 inch or 4 inch streamer, do I bring the 6 weight or the 7?, etc, etc...There are way to many variables to try and come up with a wining game plan. And that can change from stream to stream. But I can say that going with a heavier rod will make the casting easier. And putting that streamer in all the ugly places like fall downs, undercut banks, deep pools, etc are a good start. Fishing hard and fish fast. Cover lots of water, and keep that fly moving through the water....Good luck! I can't wait to see the photos and hear all the dirty details!

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  9. Bigerrrr... You are still around, Josh! Hey, I am hearing that I need more short, quick strips of the line...so, we will "twitch" the rod tip a little more too and see what happens!

    Bfly ~ Brian, thanks for the timely tips...ready to hit it now. Yeah, I just wish that you were casting in front of me, teacher! A 6wt. is set up and ready to go!

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  10. You be suprised at how many big fish are in shallow water. Especially where the current under cuts underneath a bank. On the South Holston you'll hear from many angles about how they spooked a 20+ inch brown in 7inches of riffle water.

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    1. Kevin ~ It's crazy to think that a brute can sit in shallow water like that...but, I guess that it happens. I've seen it now...

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  11. One of my most memorable fish this year got away. After a long fight and a glimpse of a rugby ball with fins, all I had left was a broken (not bent) brown zebra midge. The wire and thread held the hook, but it wiggles like a loose tooth. I still have that fly.

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    1. PS ~ That's a great story...thanks for sharing. It made me smile. = )

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  12. sometimes there is just nothing you can do...if he cut the line, it doesn't matter if it was 6x or 2X...it was just the way it was gonna play out...

    you'll be back...and he'll be where you left him.

    Good luck!

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    1. Sanders ~ Hmmm...what are the chances that he is still there?? Yeah, we might take a gander once again.

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  13. 3X is for the birds. So is 2X. 1X at the minimum. 20 lb maxima is preferable. Put it in the obvious places...but, like Kevin said, try some of the less obvious spots as well.

    Also, cover a lot of water. Work it fast. Be thorough, but efficient. (S)He whose streamer sees the most fish catches the most fish.

    Clouds.

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    1. Ivan ~ I can see now that I am going to have to change my game plan!!! Thanks for the valuable tips. 0X and the 20 lb maxima...got it. Thanks for sharing!

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    2. Hey, wait a minute...clouds???? That's what I was missing. Noted.

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