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Branson Nationals were a Big Hit with ALL!!!
The Flying Monkeys
The family spent all week in Branson for my Emma's national dance competition. Emma's dance competition went well. Her jazz team dancing "Wild Party" brought home a Gold award. "Something in Red", Emma's ballet team routine scored a top Platinum award. The production number, the whole team dancing "Ease on Down", earned a Gold award for their wonderful performance. Emma enjoyed the Branson Nationals and really motivated her to stick with the dancing another season.
Seth's Beautiful DRC Cutthroat June 18, 2009
I agreed to take the whole week off if Seth and I could fish Taneycomo. We fished some on Sun, Mon and I fished till midnight Tuesday, Wed and Friday nights. It was slow at times. This was our first trip to Taney and not in a groove at all. We found that the high water while they were generating was very tough to fish. Much better once they shut down the generation and the water dropped.
Dad's First Taneycomo Trout June 15, 2009
The night fishing was awesome. Not so much for the catching but the experience. I waded along the gravel bars in the fog. At times the fog was so thick you couldn't see the end of your rod. The headlamp light did little but blind you against the watered air. Above the fog, looking straight up you could see the stars and every now and then the fog would thin allowing me to see the outline of the trees on the bank. They were lit with lightning bugs, thousands of them. Fishing in the darkness was all about the sound and feel of the flyrod and line. I really enjoyed the nightime flyfishing and hope to do it again sometime soon!
Fellow Taneycomo Fisherman in the breezy shallows June 15, 2009
During the day on Friday, the generators were off, sunny and hot (94 degrees), and breezy. The choppy water was perfect for catching rainbows in the shallows. I landed 8 or 9 in 2 hours and lost as many fishing an olive leech with sinking leader. I was below the re-bar hole probably 200 yds at the top of the pool. I was alone for most of 2 hrs but the bite was awesome. After 2 hrs, they kicked on 4 generators and the water level quickly came up 6' in 20 minutes thus ending the awesome bite!
Seth with a Nice DRC Brown June 18, 2009
Seth and I went back down to Dry Run Creek below Norfork dam in Northern Arkansas all day Thursday. He turns 13 next week and wanted a trip there for his birthday. Beautiful day to be there. It's heavily wooded and was rather cool in the shady stream. He caught 40 fish up to 5 lbs or so. I goofed a net job on a nice 10+ lb rainbow or he would have had it as well. Seth swears it was the same whopper he caught at Christmas. It sure could have been as that's the beauty of C & R Fishing! He did manage another 5-species grand-slam including a wonderful 3 lb cutthroat. Most color I've ever seen on a freshwater fish. Also caught a whopper 3" trout fry!
Small Fry! June 18, 2009
At DRC this time, the go-to flies were the brown San Juan Worms and a "Green Ass" Soft Hackle. We checked a few stomach contents and the trout were loaded with the sowbugs and emergers with a bright green and black striped abdomen. Our version of sowbug flies are too dark and didn't cut it. We need a lighter combination of lt gray and white. We had a few soft hackles with green threaded abdomens. We'll have more tied up next time!
Green Soft Hackle Fly & DRC Muskrat Feeding at our feet!
Nice 5 lb Rainbow and last fish of the day! June 18, 2009
Updated May 31, 2009
The Crazy Carpers were at it again!
Field testing the Island Park Mulberry Flies May 31, 2009
Steve and I decided to hit the carp hole again this Sunday. We found nothing in the lake willows or flats (very few splashers and no tailers) and instead headed up the creek channel to find several hungry carp. It was tough casting in the tree-lined channel but was a good decision and nice break from the windy lake. Also gave us a chance to try out the new mulberry flies. The pictures tell it all.
Carp on the top with Mulberry Flies were really exciting requiring careful casts and patience!
Yes, the carp take the floating mulberry flies. We landed 4 or 5 and missed as many on the "dry flies". If one thinks a wild trout is spooky and ultra-selective about it meals, than one only needs to go dry for carp! Amazing how the carp will eye the mulberry fly and slooowly ponder it's food value before diving short or if one is lucky slowly sucking it in. We also found out how much harder it is to hook them on top. Too hard or too quick on the hook set and it was easy to pull the fly out of the carp's mouth without a hookup. We enjoyed several good battles and I especially so on my new (early) Father's Day 9' 7-wt carp rig, a Cabelas LST rod and LSR reel. Thanks kids!
A nice channel cat hammered my leech today. The common water snake was a bonus!
Today wasn't all carp. I lucked into a nice catfish on my favorite #10 mohair leech. The snake, well that was one of those, "hey, watch this" moments I won't soon repeat! Hooking him was the ~easy~ part. Safely unhooking him, without harming it was the ~fun~ part. We also heard a honey bee tree! Literally, we located a huge swarm of bees high up on a hill in a large dead tree by their buzzing. Billions of buzzing bees could be heard 50 yds or so away.
Updated May 25, 2009
"Matching the Splash" with some Island Park Mulberry Flies May 25, 2009
This 3-day Memorial Day Weekend brought some nice weather and some chances to hit the local fishing holes again. Seth and I scouted out a new spot east of our house on Saturday evening. We canoed up into the stream inlet looking for carpy looking water. No carp but we did run into some overhanging mulberry trees loaded with immature berries! This brought back memories of my childhood fishing days at Island Park in Winfield. At Island Park, the carp would congregate under the mulberry trees along the far bank and just wait for the ripe berries to fall into their mouths! We always had fun trying to catch these guys. We would rig up one rod with a weight and treble hook to cast and get snagged in the mulberry tree branches, and another rod baited with real mulberries and a bobber. We would tug on the line caught in the tree and knock the berries loose. Then cast our baited rig into the frenzied carp feeding on them. It wouldn't take long and fish on! That was sure fun although we rarely landed one of the mammoth carp due to the great distance we were fishing from and all the snags between us and the fish! Seeing the berry laden trees on Saturday prompted me to Google up a recipe for some mulberry carp flies. I was sorely surprised to not find anything too promising. A hilarious urban carp fishing YouTube video from the Offbeat Angler showed some mulberry flies but not how to tie them. Thus, I decided to design some on the fly...so to speak. The above picture shows a handful of my creations. Some with and without stems and a couple with a small white foam strike indicator on them to make them more visible in low light conditions. Seth and I will be all set once the "real" berries ripen and we can hit the creek again.
I've started another page with our favorite Fly Tying Recipes. I hope to add in Emma's proven fish catching creations as well as Seth's deadly dry flies. In honor of my Hometown (Winfield) flyfishing training grounds, the first entry will be the Simonton's Island Park Mulberry Fly.
Seth and I did catch a few fish this weekend, although the carp were not cooperating, instead, mocking us by splashing up in the shallowest areas in the thickest willows. We caught a few bass, bluegill and crappie out at Miola on Sunday. I caught 5 whites there last Thursday evening. All on the flyrod. The #10 beadhead ginger mohair leech was the ticket on the whites! Sorry no camera so no pictures! Seth and I saw a momma woodchuck and her two youngin's playing in the road north of Hillsdale on Sunday. We stopped and watched them (and their shadows :)) pile on top of each other before realizing we were there. Mom finally led them off the road into the ditch. Also saw a bald eagle try to catch a fish up near the dam at Miola on Sunday. He was very close to us and we got a good look at the large adult bird. Is there a nest out near Miola?
Updated May 10, 2009
Carp on the Fly! May 9-10, 2009
With the warmer weather, we decided to try out our new canoe again out at a nearby lake. We were gunning for carp this time. Yes, carp!!! What other 10+ lb. Kansas species can you regulurly hook up with on your fly rod? A friend from work, Steve W, and I hit the lake on Saturday the 9th and were blown away with the number of carp we found. They were on the surface every where in and around the flooded willows. We figured it must be getting close to spawnning time.
The fishing (and catching) was so exciting on Saturday, I talked Seth into going on Mother's Day for a few hours. He was recuperated from his latest 3 week Montana trip so he was ready to give it a go. We got on the lake around 9:30 and fished till 2. The weather was nearly the same but the fishing was a lot different. Instead of schools of fish on top near the willlows, we fished to individual carp clooping (feeding) on the top in open water. I would stealthly paddle the canoe close to one and Seth would cast his olive leech near it. Wham, fish on! His first fish was a whopper 8lber. He battled it for nearly 25 minutes on his 5-wt rod. He managed to hook and land 6 carp between 2 and 8 lbs. before his arm got too sore to keep fishing!! It was then dad's turn to get in on the action. After yesterday's busted 3-wt flyrod, I came prepared for battle with my old trusty 9' 8-wt outfit. I eeked out 3 nice ones before it was time to go.
Updated April 2009
The campground at Norfork dam is really nice. We had a beautiful spot overlooking the river and weren't crowded at all. The actual fishing at DRC was almost empty. Several times we had the creek to ourselves. As you can see, the creek was picture perfect. The redbuds busting out everywhere and the hills were alive with striking white Dogwoods. It was chilly (40's) and breezy on Friday when we got there and nice and sunny on Sat. The rain moved in on Sunday around noontime. We packed up the camper in heavy rain and headed home. We really needed another day down there for such a long distance to travel (6 hrs) but we all had a great time and a week to recover!
Two Carp on the surface
We found that they were discerning on what they would take though and finally tuned into catching them on a couple of old favorites, a #8 woolly bugger and #10 olive mohair leech. We fished them with a very small indicator about 8" deep. We would cast just ahead of the surfacing carp and hope they would take the fly. Some did and it was battle time, big time!
A couple more of Troy and Steve's Canoe Carp!
We quickly learned that fishing for them near the willows and logs made for steady action but also many break-offs as the carp would immediately head for cover once hooked. I unfortunately broke a flyrod during one battle with a ~4 lb carp. Good thing it is under warranty. We ended the day with 15 or so between us. Smallest was 3 lbs, the largest was 7 lbs.
Seth's nice 25" 8 lb Carp.
A beautiful Warbler May 9, 2009
Easter Weekend Fishing and Camping Fun! April 2009
Easter Weekend 2009 we hit Dry Run Creek near Norfork Lake Dam in Northern Arkansas . All four of us plus the dog went camping this time. Fishing was decent. Not quite as fast and furious as in Dec but fun for the kids all the same. Emma picked right up on the fly fishing and landed 41 fish. One really nice 18” rainbow and a nice 16” brown. She hooked a mid-20” sized rainbow and fought it for 20 seconds or so before it threw the hook. It was a mammoth. Not bad for her first-time flyrodding it! Seth caught 37 trout and thus was outfished by his little sister but he did land the biggest fish, a 19” rainbow. Emma fished Friday and Sat evenings when Seth didn’t. He brought a cold with him and wasn’t running at 100%. Pink wasn't the color this time, instead, light brown San Juan worms were the ticket.
Camper View at Norfork Dam Campsite! April 2009
More Fishin' Pics Easter Weekend Fishing Fun! April 2009
Updated March 2009
Early Season Pond Fishing March 2009
Here's from this weekend. From our maiden voyage in our new Pathfinder canoe on Saturday is Seth's first 2009 bass and from Sunday at John Neyland's pond, dad's whopper 11 lb./ 28" grass carp. We ended up with 20 bass/gluegill each on Saturday and half that many on Sunday. The carp was a real treat. I was using my ultralight spinning rod with 4 lb fluoro. Caught him/her on a perch colored rapala. Only thing better would have been taking this fish on my flyrod. Seth and I are both excited for the carp "season" to heat up. We can't wait to catch some at Hillsdale in our canoe. Should be fun.
Simontons Pathfinder Canoe March 2009
I got it! Our very own 2004 16' Old Town Pathfinder Canoe. A Craigslist 'steal of a deal'The seller brought it out to our house this AM. It looks like its been used maybe 4 or 5 times. Stored inside to boot. Nice lightweight floater. Definitely worth $500 to me. I've got to get the utility bars for our van roof rack to mount it on and we'll be ready to hit the creek. Can't wait. I think a Niangua float will be in order here soon. MDC access to Barclay? How far is that?
Updated Jan 31, 2009
Roaring River in the Snow Jan 2009
Seth and I made it down to RRSP on Sat 1-31-09 around 8:30. Lots of ice and snow along the banks but thankfully not on the highways. It was chilly in the mid 20s but no wind when we got there. We started in the park up near the lodge. It was painfully slow for both of us. 1 foul-hooked the first hour or so and then finally a few before lunch. We ate our sandwiches up by the falls and then finally went on down below the bridge to give it a try. There was a husband/wife team at our favorite spot but they were leaving as we got our gear on. I caught one first cast on a white marabou midge. Seth tied one on and caught 4 in 20 minutes. I fought the trees down there today. Lost more flies today than the last 4 trips combined. What a deal. I did finally make it up to the deep hole below the first riffles below the bridge. I hooked up on a beauty using a cream micro SJW. I yelled at Seth for some help and landed this sweet 21" (measured) rainbow. Also noticed a similiar sized mate swimming along side this fish as I was fighting him. After a few more small ones, we headed back up to the cleaning station hole and we picked up 4 more on the white mm again. Grand total was 18 for the day between us. The weather was awesome and we had a great time!
Updated Jan 1, 2009
Merry Christmas Seth - Dry Run Creek 2008
After fishing RRSP on Friday, Dec 26th, Seth and I headed on down to a place in northern Arkansas southeast of Mountain Home called Dry Run Creek. DRC, as it's called, is near a hatchery below Norfork dam. DRC is a 15 yrs and younger kid's dream trout fishing area (over) stocked with lunker trout up to 20 lbs or so. The fishing is strictly catch and release with single-point barbless flies. This trip was a Christmas surprise for Seth, my 12 yr old son. We had a blast! 709 miles round trip and worth every minute in the van! Seth fished DRC all day Saturday, even through the rain, all but two hours of Sunday and Monday till around 1.
Seth at Roaring River and Dry Run Creek - Showing off his new 7' 3-wt outfit
What an awesome place to take a kid. Once you're over the bank you feel like you're in some remote stream. A very wooded beautiful setting for a pristine trout stream. Seth caught and released several fish, easily over 150 total, in the 3 days of fishing. He didn't land any of the 20 lb lunkers but temporarily hooked a few. The biggest at hand was one in the 8-10 lb range (nearly two but the second one spit the hook at the net), a couple in the 5 to 8 lb range and a dozen or two in the 2-4 lb range and many more smaller ones. At least two dozen where browns up to 5 lbs or so and fifty 8" Brookies too.
Seths Cute DRC Brookie and NICE 26" Brown - 2 of his 5 species Grand Slam
The color of the fish was magnificent. The spawning male rainbows especially so. Although the browns and brookies are awesome too. I took a bunch of pictures all three days and some action video Monday of him presenting a dry he tied to a hungry rainbow, the take, the battle, and landing it.
Seth hittin' it early morning 24 degrees in the foggy mist and Colorful Rainbow
Seth fished with all our own home-tied flies with his new 7' 3-wt graphite rod outfit. He caught several on #20 olive zebra midges, #10 cat hair leeches and a few on #18 tan scuds and #4 Slump-busters. He hooked the largest brown of the trip on a brown and orange spinner'd minner. Seth also caught 20 or so on his own pattern #18 dry fly which really pleased him. The super hot fly though was the hot pink #14 San Juan Worms tied by Seth's 9 yr old sister, Emma. He wore out several of them in the 150+ fish he caught.
A meal fit for a trout - Stomach contents of one lucky DRC trout
We worked on many techniques; mending, roll-casting, placement, water selection and very importantly battling large fish and drag control. He did really well. After having lost two lunkers at RRSP and Bennett the past couple weeks due to a poor drag on his old reel, he didn't have a single break-off, although we did use 4x tippet the whole time. His new Okuma reel has a super smooth drag and gave him confidence in what to do. The water there was slightly colored from the heavy rain so the fluoro-carbon 4x had no tippet spook issues. Watching him fish so closely for 3 days, I think I discovered why I usually out-fish him at RRSP or Bennett. He has slow reaction time while indicator fishing. I mean slooow! Seth can really beat me playing any video game and plays a mean mandolin, but has such a pause after the indicator moves. It nearly drove me crazing. Once his reflexes improve, which I'm sure they will, I won't have a chance!
Seth's Whopper 25" Rainbow
Seth's memorable moments were when a monster 30"+ rainbow came up and nearly swallowed an 8" rainbow that he had on his line, catching the biggest fish of his life (so far) and also, catching a grand slam (5 species of trout in one day), especially his very first Brookie, Cutthroat and Cutbow.
I think we will head back there sometime this spring before school lets out and take the whole family. The fishing/catching action is fast enough that even Emma would have a good time. Seth is especially looking forward to the next DRC trip. But then that is a given!