okay, i know i've been MIA. i have a been out fishing a few times, but have nothing that interesting to report. i've been doing some thinking about the direction i want this blog to go, and decided that i want the majority of the content to be about gear reviews, fly tying, and educational information. no one, including me, really wants to see another grip and grin photo. i will post some fishing reports here and there, but judging by the stats on this blog, the pages with the the above information has the most page views. so, stay tuned to XXA v2 in 2013!
now drumroll, please!~ here are my top 5 videos of 2012. this is purely subjective, so don't complain if you don't see one of your favorites here.
1. i don't hunt, and it's not about fishing, but this video gave me the tingles...everywhere, and i mean everywhere. *wink wink.
Searching for West from Helio Collective on Vimeo.
2. i want to go to there.
REBOUND from SHALLOW WATER EXPEDITIONS on Vimeo.
3.i haven't caught a permit on the fly, so i was peeing in my pants with jealousy.
Summer of 2012 from Chris Lewis on Vimeo.
4. Bill Wetzel and his passion for the sport is inspiring. he gets so worked up...which is AWESOME!
5. the fact that you could potentially catch these GTs sitting on one of the beach chairs, drinking a fruity cocktail, is a dream come true.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Must Try this Fishing Technique!
i'm always on the lookout for techniques to improve my fishing, and i think i found one that will definitely improve my catch ratio. i'm sure this will also become a huge fad, upon which many new products will be based and introduced at next year's ICAST.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Typical Montauk Fall Blitz (almost)
well, i think i made the trip to Montauk two weeks too late. the wind on Sunday was around 20 mph, gusting to around 30 mph. unlike prior years, there were hardly any boats on the water...about 7 in total. while most of the boats had cancelled their outings, we decided to brave the elements. believe it or not, we didn't see any striped bass or albies, and the blues were of typical Montauk size...a bit on the smaller side. all in all, around 10 blues in about 3.5 hours. oh well, that's fishing.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Timing is EVERYTHING
the fishing has started to get good. really good.
about a week ago, i caught my personal best bluefish. 15 lbs. pow! the brute took me on a sleigh ride all around the harbor, and it took me 20 minutes to reel in. i was on my kayak, and was having the hardest time working it. if i set the drag too loose, it would take off. if the drag was too tight, it would just drag me around. it was hard enough trying not to bump into the boats tied up on their moorings. when i finally landed it, and laid it down inside the kayak, its head and those chompers were six inches from my crotch. yowzers! a bit too close for comfort. i didn't even take a picture as i wanted that thing weighed and released pronto.
this past weekend, i had one of my best days fishing ever. i had been going to this local outflow area where i was having fun catching snappers and small stripers on light tackle. on thursday night, i caught 7 snapper blues and 1 tiny striped bass on zoom flukes in the arkansas shiner color in about 1.5 hours of fishing. not bad, but not great. (i know what you are thinking...why would i use soft plastics with blues around? the answer is that i had no choice. for whatever reason, they wouldn't hit anything else.)
i considered it good practice as i was perfecting the slow retrieve/twitch that would prove to be key. i went back around the same tide on friday, and it was completely different. stripers were busting on bait everywhere! i kid you not, i landed 20+ stripers in 1 hour. the largest was 32", and the rest were around 25-26". for about 40 minutes, i caught a striper every cast....literally. some other anglers saw all the commotion, and came over and tried to join in. they asked what i was using, and i told them that the zoom super salty flukes were producing, and I even gave them a few. they couldn't get the presentation right, so i was the only one catching fish. all that practice paid off. the crazy thing was that i left to go home even with the fish still biting.
i ended up taking one home and you can see what they were gorging themselves on...peanut bunker.
on saturday, i went back around the same tide again, and while i caught 7 stripers, the largest one was 14". it is really amazing how timing is everything. i'm studying my log to see if i can pinpoint why friday was so different than thursday and saturday.
also, i'm headed to east long island this weekend, and going to Montauk on Sunday to fish the blitz. this time around, i'm going to focus more on taking pictures for the blog (when i'm not chasing the albies).
stay salty. XXA
about a week ago, i caught my personal best bluefish. 15 lbs. pow! the brute took me on a sleigh ride all around the harbor, and it took me 20 minutes to reel in. i was on my kayak, and was having the hardest time working it. if i set the drag too loose, it would take off. if the drag was too tight, it would just drag me around. it was hard enough trying not to bump into the boats tied up on their moorings. when i finally landed it, and laid it down inside the kayak, its head and those chompers were six inches from my crotch. yowzers! a bit too close for comfort. i didn't even take a picture as i wanted that thing weighed and released pronto.
this past weekend, i had one of my best days fishing ever. i had been going to this local outflow area where i was having fun catching snappers and small stripers on light tackle. on thursday night, i caught 7 snapper blues and 1 tiny striped bass on zoom flukes in the arkansas shiner color in about 1.5 hours of fishing. not bad, but not great. (i know what you are thinking...why would i use soft plastics with blues around? the answer is that i had no choice. for whatever reason, they wouldn't hit anything else.)
i considered it good practice as i was perfecting the slow retrieve/twitch that would prove to be key. i went back around the same tide on friday, and it was completely different. stripers were busting on bait everywhere! i kid you not, i landed 20+ stripers in 1 hour. the largest was 32", and the rest were around 25-26". for about 40 minutes, i caught a striper every cast....literally. some other anglers saw all the commotion, and came over and tried to join in. they asked what i was using, and i told them that the zoom super salty flukes were producing, and I even gave them a few. they couldn't get the presentation right, so i was the only one catching fish. all that practice paid off. the crazy thing was that i left to go home even with the fish still biting.
i ended up taking one home and you can see what they were gorging themselves on...peanut bunker.
also, i'm headed to east long island this weekend, and going to Montauk on Sunday to fish the blitz. this time around, i'm going to focus more on taking pictures for the blog (when i'm not chasing the albies).
stay salty. XXA
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Gift that Keeps on Giving (hopefully)
i'm the richest man in the world!!!! look what arrived today as a birthday gift from my in-laws.
i guess i know what i'll be doing this winter. hopefully this gift will keep on giving (i.e. i'll catch some bonefish using flies i've tied from this book). nice!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Grace from Above
a little while back i posted a question to Mr. P. if you don't know who that is, you should, especially if you like fishing for carp. and i do....i lika da fishing for da carp a lot.
he was gracious enough to answer my question with a post. "Answer to a Carp Behavior Question". thanks Mr. P!
he was gracious enough to answer my question with a post. "Answer to a Carp Behavior Question". thanks Mr. P!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Carp vs Carp
last saturday, i met this retired gentleman while fishing a reservoir about 25 minutes from home. he showed me a lure that he makes from scratch (hook, weight and all) for catching panfish. using 1 lb pound test line, he cast into the water, and hooked up with a bluegill instantaneously. needless to say, i was impressed.
since he lived in the immediate area, he told me of a couple of public ponds nearby that held incredible amounts of carp and was fairly open, making it easier to fly cast. i was an eager beaver to try out the ponds, so i went out yesterday.
and i did find carp. loads of them. but i didn't catch a single one in 4 hours. i couldn't find out what they were eating! they would come up top, stick their backs out of the water and wiggle around, or...they would stick their mouths up and out of the water, sucking in air or whatever. i tried dry flies, san juan worms, egg flies, crawfish imitations, damselfly imitations, etc...and i couldn't even get their attention. the problem was that they weren't moving at all. if i cast 2+ feet away from them, they wouldn't notice the fly, and if i cast less than 2 feet away, they would spook. what was i doing wrong? i think i'm going to review Mr. P's Lessons From the Carp Lodge. maybe they just weren't interested in eating.
but i got to thinking...maybe pond/public carp are completely different (and much harder to catch) than river/wild carp. so far, i have not caught a public pond carp, because they just won't pursue my fly presentations. is the lack of food competition and predators keeping them from being aggressive, unlike river/wild carp?
lastly, i saw one thing i have never seen before, and was able to catch it on my iphone video. it was 4-6 baby carp, huddled together, slurping the air. they didn't really spook, and they weren't eating. i drifted a dry fly right over their mouths, and nothing happened. anybody else seen this behavior?
but i got to thinking...maybe pond/public carp are completely different (and much harder to catch) than river/wild carp. so far, i have not caught a public pond carp, because they just won't pursue my fly presentations. is the lack of food competition and predators keeping them from being aggressive, unlike river/wild carp?
lastly, i saw one thing i have never seen before, and was able to catch it on my iphone video. it was 4-6 baby carp, huddled together, slurping the air. they didn't really spook, and they weren't eating. i drifted a dry fly right over their mouths, and nothing happened. anybody else seen this behavior?
8/24/12 update: turns out these carp are 'clooping' and they are not 'babies'. they are probably between 4-7 lbs. since i can't identify what they are eating up top, most likely they are midges.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The 5 That Got Away
on saturday, i was in nassau county again to visit the in-laws. i decided that i wanted to check out a new pond, one known for its pickerel and bass. there are also rumors of very large carp which i had to go verify myself.
here is one pic where the carp refused my fly and decided to scram. he's slightly lower and to the right than the center of the pic. the pic below is of an aggressive frog that was attacking my fly line. (can anybody identify the type?) i noticed it when there was some splashing at my feet, and the frog was going crazy trying to bite my fly line! little bugger...he ruined a good opportunity. sheesh.
while this pond was larger and more accessible than the other ponds i frequent, most of the fish i spotted were panfish and bass, and also very very small. i was able to spy one very large carp from a distance, and as i got closer to make a cast, it disappeared into the depths, nary to return.
after a couple of hours scouting the pond, i cut my losses and headed to the nearby pond where i know exactly where the carp will be hanging out. i've mentioned how hard it is to cast here, with limited access and so much weeds/plants in the water. in about two hours, i made about 20 casts, but only 5 that had any potential.
here is one pic where the carp refused my fly and decided to scram. he's slightly lower and to the right than the center of the pic. the pic below is of an aggressive frog that was attacking my fly line. (can anybody identify the type?) i noticed it when there was some splashing at my feet, and the frog was going crazy trying to bite my fly line! little bugger...he ruined a good opportunity. sheesh.
Nervous Water
i was lucky this past weekend to get out and go fishing three times. on friday, i made a last minute decision to catch the evening tide and try to line some porgy for dinner. i launched the kayak 5 minutes from my house at around 4:45 PM, which was about 1.75 hours before high tide. the water temperatures were in the low 70s (a bit too hot) and the wind was nonexistent. failing at finding any scup, i started paddling around the harbor.
per usual, there was bunker everywhere.
imagine there to be about 20 of these pods, all around the boat moorings. for the most part, there were no bass or blues working them. they seemed to be so content, just flipping about, slowly moving from one area to another. with the kayak, i can get extremely close to these schools, and i can see the hundreds of adult bunker just circling around.
knowing that live bait was my best bet to catch something, i snagged a bunker, put it on a circle hook and left the pole in my flush mount rod holder. i then alternated between flies and lures, casting around the edges of the pods to see if anything would take.
unfortunately, nada.
my thought was that it was just too hot for any action. no worries, though. this just means that september, when the water has cooled down, is going to be craaaaaazzzzyy!
XXA
per usual, there was bunker everywhere.
imagine there to be about 20 of these pods, all around the boat moorings. for the most part, there were no bass or blues working them. they seemed to be so content, just flipping about, slowly moving from one area to another. with the kayak, i can get extremely close to these schools, and i can see the hundreds of adult bunker just circling around.
knowing that live bait was my best bet to catch something, i snagged a bunker, put it on a circle hook and left the pole in my flush mount rod holder. i then alternated between flies and lures, casting around the edges of the pods to see if anything would take.
unfortunately, nada.
my thought was that it was just too hot for any action. no worries, though. this just means that september, when the water has cooled down, is going to be craaaaaazzzzyy!
XXA
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Oracles
in antiquity, there were oracles who prophesied the future, divined by the gods. later, in the 1500s, there was Nostradamus. today, there are meteorologists who prophesize based on science. isn't it amazing how often meteorologists get it wrong? if there is one thing i have learned in my career/life, it's that past performance is not indicative of future results.
it's amazing how much we anglers depend on the weather. we study, we prepare, we make journal entries, all in the hope that we can decipher not only when to go fishing, but how the weather helps or hurts our success.
my plan was to go out fishing on the yak by 4:30 AM this past saturday. the sunrises at around 5:45, so it gave me about an hour of fishing in the dark. there is so much bunker around, and with the recent cooler temperatures, i thought it would be ideal setup for catching some stripers.
i check weather.com and wunderground.com for weather daily (it's amazing how they differ sometimes). for saturday morning, it predicted a 20% chance of rain all day, and wind of around 6 mph out of east.
i woke up around 3:15 AM, did my 'business', packed up and left around 4:00. i arrived at the launch site, and was prepared to launch when i noticed a stiff breeze. i ignored it, hopped in the kayak, and started paddling, i then noticed all the noise. all the boats that were docked at their slips were rocking about and occasionally bumping into the sides of their slips. i thought that it was pretty weird, because 6 mph is essentially no wind. each time i've gone out in similar wind situations, the water has been like glass. i checked my weather apps again, and there had been no change from the night before. wind around 7 mph.
as i paddled out of the protected area into open water, i saw tiny little whitecaps. what the whaaa? i decided to check the western long island sound weather buoy for wind data. the wind was 17 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. okay, that made so much more sense.
i thought about it for a few minutes, and decided to paddle back to the car. it wasn't worth it to fish in that scenario. i try not to kayak in winds greater than 15 mph because paddling the freedomhawk in that kind of wind is a chore, and setting up a good drift is next to impossible. i also convinced myself that the bait would be pushed down a bit, so i wouldn't be able to find them.
since i was up so early, i ended up going to a local park on the water, and fishing off a point. i caught one snapper blue (didn't take a picture) on a kastmaster, had another one chase down my skitter pop (amazing that i didn't hook up there), and another one bite off the tail of my storm wildeye shad pearl.
anyways, on the leeward side of the point, there were a bunch of silversides. every time a twig or something floated by, they would hurdle it as if it were fun. never seen that before.
it's my son's first birthday party this weekend. i've been crazy preparing for it. hopefully i can get out on the kayak soon since i've heard there are some bruiser blues out there.
until then, stay salty. XXA
it's amazing how much we anglers depend on the weather. we study, we prepare, we make journal entries, all in the hope that we can decipher not only when to go fishing, but how the weather helps or hurts our success.
my plan was to go out fishing on the yak by 4:30 AM this past saturday. the sunrises at around 5:45, so it gave me about an hour of fishing in the dark. there is so much bunker around, and with the recent cooler temperatures, i thought it would be ideal setup for catching some stripers.
i check weather.com and wunderground.com for weather daily (it's amazing how they differ sometimes). for saturday morning, it predicted a 20% chance of rain all day, and wind of around 6 mph out of east.
i woke up around 3:15 AM, did my 'business', packed up and left around 4:00. i arrived at the launch site, and was prepared to launch when i noticed a stiff breeze. i ignored it, hopped in the kayak, and started paddling, i then noticed all the noise. all the boats that were docked at their slips were rocking about and occasionally bumping into the sides of their slips. i thought that it was pretty weird, because 6 mph is essentially no wind. each time i've gone out in similar wind situations, the water has been like glass. i checked my weather apps again, and there had been no change from the night before. wind around 7 mph.
as i paddled out of the protected area into open water, i saw tiny little whitecaps. what the whaaa? i decided to check the western long island sound weather buoy for wind data. the wind was 17 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. okay, that made so much more sense.
i thought about it for a few minutes, and decided to paddle back to the car. it wasn't worth it to fish in that scenario. i try not to kayak in winds greater than 15 mph because paddling the freedomhawk in that kind of wind is a chore, and setting up a good drift is next to impossible. i also convinced myself that the bait would be pushed down a bit, so i wouldn't be able to find them.
since i was up so early, i ended up going to a local park on the water, and fishing off a point. i caught one snapper blue (didn't take a picture) on a kastmaster, had another one chase down my skitter pop (amazing that i didn't hook up there), and another one bite off the tail of my storm wildeye shad pearl.
anyways, on the leeward side of the point, there were a bunch of silversides. every time a twig or something floated by, they would hurdle it as if it were fun. never seen that before.
it's my son's first birthday party this weekend. i've been crazy preparing for it. hopefully i can get out on the kayak soon since i've heard there are some bruiser blues out there.
until then, stay salty. XXA
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Carp + Suspicious
was out in LI this past weekend to visit my mother-in-law, and decided to try my hand at catching those carp in that nearby public pond. you can see that the pond is fairly weedy, but pretty shallow. i was fishing an area that held the deepest part of the pond, at 5 feet. bluegill are rampant, and there are bass up to 5 lbs in this very spot.
i tried using fly patterns that imitated crawfish, eggs, damselflies, and worms (san juan), but the carp would come and inspect the fly, and then move on. i'm sure they were suspicious. argh. it was hard to present them with a fly that requires some minor stripping since one strip would pull the fly into some weeds (even with some mono weedguards). i think the issue was either that my presentation was wrong, or the fish had become so used to people feeding them bread, they just weren't that aggressive (so i've heard). i think it's more likely the first scenario.
frustrated, i ended up deciding to switch to the spinning rod, and landed a 10 lb. of course, it was the smallest one that i spotted.
on a side note...is it weird if someone decides to fish next to you, and then spends a lot of time eyeing your gear? i had my fly rod, fly boxes, and spinning gear/lures on the ground next to me, and this person who decided to fish 5 feet from me, kept staring at what i had. it made me so suspicious, but should i have been?
i tried using fly patterns that imitated crawfish, eggs, damselflies, and worms (san juan), but the carp would come and inspect the fly, and then move on. i'm sure they were suspicious. argh. it was hard to present them with a fly that requires some minor stripping since one strip would pull the fly into some weeds (even with some mono weedguards). i think the issue was either that my presentation was wrong, or the fish had become so used to people feeding them bread, they just weren't that aggressive (so i've heard). i think it's more likely the first scenario.
frustrated, i ended up deciding to switch to the spinning rod, and landed a 10 lb. of course, it was the smallest one that i spotted.
on a side note...is it weird if someone decides to fish next to you, and then spends a lot of time eyeing your gear? i had my fly rod, fly boxes, and spinning gear/lures on the ground next to me, and this person who decided to fish 5 feet from me, kept staring at what i had. it made me so suspicious, but should i have been?
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Lessons Learned
this past weekend, i was out in long island visiting my mother in law who was recently admitted to an acute rehabilitation center after falling and breaking her hip. i knew that i would have some time to spare, so after a few minutes of research, i took off to a local spot to to try and catch some carp on the fly.
i got to the pond around 3:15 pm and the conditions were okay because it wasn't too hot, but was a bit overcast. while walking the shoreline, i met this older gentleman who walks the pond daily, and he actually showed me two carp hangouts. he doesn't actually fish but on his walks he stops and tries to spot birds or fish. within minutes, i spot a lone carp, probably between 10-15 lbs. he knowingly said that they don't like noise, so he left me to it.
i must have spotted a dozen different carp, all probably exceeding 10 lbs. some were absolutely enormous, and some actually tailing a few times. i must have has around 50 shots. so what went wrong?
first, the water was stained, so it was hard to spot the fish in the first place. i had to wait until they rose to the top of the water column, or search for streaming bubbles. secondly, and more significantly, there was just not enough room to cast. i had about 4 feet of clearing behind me and about 6 feet above me. the carp were only 20-25 feet away but i couldn't get the fly in front of them. i tried roll casting (which I'm not very good at) but to no avail because i couldn't get enough line out to load the rod. anybody have any advice on how to deal with this?
frustrated, i go check out the other spot the gentleman mentioned, but I didn't see any fish after about 30 minutes. i thought, "never leave fish to find fish", so i head back to the first spot and i run into two anglers headed to the same destination. they were there to catch dinner, and were going to use worms to catch panfish. i could feel myself get snobby while saying that i was there to catch CARP, on the FLY. as i said that, one of the anglers said that there was no way i could catch carp using a fly. i needed to use bait, such as corn, and chum the area first. he was incredibly condescending.
so i guess snobbery goes both ways. mind you, i don't usually look down on bait fisherman...in fact, i will will often use bait myself. i am not sure why i felt that way then, but perhaps it was because i was pushed out of my spot. i decided to fish about 20 feet away from them, which happened to be the only other shoreline accessible spot. as i was changing my fly, one of the anglers made his first catch, and proceeded to catch a sunfish. they quickly followed with 4 more panfish. 5 fish before i even changed my fly! that's crazy! i guess he felt sorry for me, and offered to share his worms with me. it was this gesture of kindness that really put me in my place. i was there to fish, and hopefully catch fish. why was i so adamant on catch carp, and why was i so stubborn to use a fly rod. i had brought along my spinning rod, so why was i hesitant to use it?
lesson #1: don't be prideful
i actually pulled out my spinning rod, put on a plastic tube, and within 5 minutes, caught myself a bluegill (let me know if i misidentified it). in truth, catching it just didn't do it for me, so i decided then i would rather not catch anything while trying to catch carp on the fly, than to catch panfish using a spinning rod (panfish on the fly is fun, but again, i wasn't able to cast a fly far enough to get to where they were). this doesn't make any sense, but the saying that popped into my head at the time was, "it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all".
i pride myself on being a problem solver, so as i was driving home, i put my head to it, and tried to find a solution to my casting problem. i thought, i just need more room above me. i also needed to use a heavier line, so that what little line that was outside of the rod could carry the fly.
i went back to the pond around 7 AM the next morning with a plan. i changed my setup from my 8' 6" 5wt rod, to my Sage smallmouth bass rod. the Sage rod is 7' long, and comes with a 290 grain floating line. using this setup, and rollcasting while kneeling, i was able to cast far enough.
however, did i catch anything? nope. the conditions were horrible. it was completely overcast so i couldn't see anything, except for the reflection of nearby trees. also, the few carp that came to the surface were not feeding. perhaps it was just not the right time of day. for some reason, i didn't mind not catching a carp as much as i had the day before.
lesson #2: fishing, is a metaphor for life. you need to learn how to adapt when presented with tight situations
lesson #3: you need accept the factors that you cannot control. some days you just lose without a fight.
anyways, i'm probably headed back out to LI to visit my mother in law again this weekend. hopefully, the conditions will be better, and then it'll be on me to do my best.
until then, stay salty. XXA
i got to the pond around 3:15 pm and the conditions were okay because it wasn't too hot, but was a bit overcast. while walking the shoreline, i met this older gentleman who walks the pond daily, and he actually showed me two carp hangouts. he doesn't actually fish but on his walks he stops and tries to spot birds or fish. within minutes, i spot a lone carp, probably between 10-15 lbs. he knowingly said that they don't like noise, so he left me to it.
i must have spotted a dozen different carp, all probably exceeding 10 lbs. some were absolutely enormous, and some actually tailing a few times. i must have has around 50 shots. so what went wrong?
first, the water was stained, so it was hard to spot the fish in the first place. i had to wait until they rose to the top of the water column, or search for streaming bubbles. secondly, and more significantly, there was just not enough room to cast. i had about 4 feet of clearing behind me and about 6 feet above me. the carp were only 20-25 feet away but i couldn't get the fly in front of them. i tried roll casting (which I'm not very good at) but to no avail because i couldn't get enough line out to load the rod. anybody have any advice on how to deal with this?
frustrated, i go check out the other spot the gentleman mentioned, but I didn't see any fish after about 30 minutes. i thought, "never leave fish to find fish", so i head back to the first spot and i run into two anglers headed to the same destination. they were there to catch dinner, and were going to use worms to catch panfish. i could feel myself get snobby while saying that i was there to catch CARP, on the FLY. as i said that, one of the anglers said that there was no way i could catch carp using a fly. i needed to use bait, such as corn, and chum the area first. he was incredibly condescending.
so i guess snobbery goes both ways. mind you, i don't usually look down on bait fisherman...in fact, i will will often use bait myself. i am not sure why i felt that way then, but perhaps it was because i was pushed out of my spot. i decided to fish about 20 feet away from them, which happened to be the only other shoreline accessible spot. as i was changing my fly, one of the anglers made his first catch, and proceeded to catch a sunfish. they quickly followed with 4 more panfish. 5 fish before i even changed my fly! that's crazy! i guess he felt sorry for me, and offered to share his worms with me. it was this gesture of kindness that really put me in my place. i was there to fish, and hopefully catch fish. why was i so adamant on catch carp, and why was i so stubborn to use a fly rod. i had brought along my spinning rod, so why was i hesitant to use it?
lesson #1: don't be prideful
i actually pulled out my spinning rod, put on a plastic tube, and within 5 minutes, caught myself a bluegill (let me know if i misidentified it). in truth, catching it just didn't do it for me, so i decided then i would rather not catch anything while trying to catch carp on the fly, than to catch panfish using a spinning rod (panfish on the fly is fun, but again, i wasn't able to cast a fly far enough to get to where they were). this doesn't make any sense, but the saying that popped into my head at the time was, "it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all".
i pride myself on being a problem solver, so as i was driving home, i put my head to it, and tried to find a solution to my casting problem. i thought, i just need more room above me. i also needed to use a heavier line, so that what little line that was outside of the rod could carry the fly.
i went back to the pond around 7 AM the next morning with a plan. i changed my setup from my 8' 6" 5wt rod, to my Sage smallmouth bass rod. the Sage rod is 7' long, and comes with a 290 grain floating line. using this setup, and rollcasting while kneeling, i was able to cast far enough.
however, did i catch anything? nope. the conditions were horrible. it was completely overcast so i couldn't see anything, except for the reflection of nearby trees. also, the few carp that came to the surface were not feeding. perhaps it was just not the right time of day. for some reason, i didn't mind not catching a carp as much as i had the day before.
lesson #2: fishing, is a metaphor for life. you need to learn how to adapt when presented with tight situations
lesson #3: you need accept the factors that you cannot control. some days you just lose without a fight.
anyways, i'm probably headed back out to LI to visit my mother in law again this weekend. hopefully, the conditions will be better, and then it'll be on me to do my best.
until then, stay salty. XXA
Monday, July 9, 2012
Weak Sauce
has it been more than a month since i last posted? how can that be?
blogging is like a muscle. if you don't exercise it by posting often, it will deteriorate and get weak. i am the first to admit my blog has become weak sauce.
truth be told, my fishing has been uneventful. since my last post, i've been out a handful of times, and all i have to show for it is a sea robin. there are reports of bunker as far as the eye can see, and that is also the truth. i've seen pods and pods of bunker, flip flopping on the surface, but nothing working them. they are the happiest bait in the world...frolicking lazily in the sun. hopefully, at some point (if the weather cools down a bit), it's going to be mayhem (the good kind).
i did get to see the "crab hatch" as well. scores of tiny tiny crabs, but nothing slurping them...at least where i was at. how bad can my luck get?
my life, in contrast, has been somewhat crazy. first, my 11 month old son got sick, then my wife got sick (which is twice as hard than when the kid gets sick), and then i got sick, and then my son got sick again. to top it off, my mother in law broke her hip and has been in the hospital for the past few days. hopefully things will settle down soon and everyone will be healthy.
until then, stay salty. XXA
blogging is like a muscle. if you don't exercise it by posting often, it will deteriorate and get weak. i am the first to admit my blog has become weak sauce.
truth be told, my fishing has been uneventful. since my last post, i've been out a handful of times, and all i have to show for it is a sea robin. there are reports of bunker as far as the eye can see, and that is also the truth. i've seen pods and pods of bunker, flip flopping on the surface, but nothing working them. they are the happiest bait in the world...frolicking lazily in the sun. hopefully, at some point (if the weather cools down a bit), it's going to be mayhem (the good kind).
i did get to see the "crab hatch" as well. scores of tiny tiny crabs, but nothing slurping them...at least where i was at. how bad can my luck get?
my life, in contrast, has been somewhat crazy. first, my 11 month old son got sick, then my wife got sick (which is twice as hard than when the kid gets sick), and then i got sick, and then my son got sick again. to top it off, my mother in law broke her hip and has been in the hospital for the past few days. hopefully things will settle down soon and everyone will be healthy.
until then, stay salty. XXA
Monday, May 28, 2012
I've got the Blues
i took the kayak out to the Norwalk Islands this past saturday, and finally some luck!
my son (9.5 months old) is going through some severe separation anxiety and wakes up multiple times in the middle of the night. on saturday morning, around 1:30 AM, he woke up again, and after bringing him into the bed with us, i couldn't fall back asleep. i was too mentally wound up with 'visualizing' catching some large stripers later that day. about 2 hours later, i finally decided just to get up and slowly start getting ready to head out. since i had packed most of my gear the night before, all i had to do is get changed, eat something for breakfast, and do my 'other' business.
i left the house around 4:30 AM i arrived at my launch site around 5:00, and was on the water 15 minutes later. i had timed it perfectly since sunrise was about 5:30, and it was about two hours past high tide. at first, i was a bit worried since there was so much fog, i couldn't see 50 feet in any direction. it was eerie and amazingly calm.
by 5:30, i started to hear a few boats around me, which were close enough that i could hear people's conversations clearly. i was so afraid that they wouldn't see me and i would get run over. fortunately, i didn't see a single boat, although i kept looking over my shoulder just in case.
around 5:45, i started to see some swirls around me, and i realized i was lucky to be at the right place at the right time. since i hadn't tied on a fly yet, i took out my spinning rod, and threw a bubble gum colored sluggo.
wham, bam, thank you ma'am! first cast, i felt the hit, set the hook, navigated a few head shakes and runs, and landed a blue. not the largest i've caught, but if you've followed XXA for a bit, you'll know that i'm a firm believer in 'beggars can't be choosers'. within the next 10 minutes, i landed a couple of more, exactly the same size and weight.
my second blue threw up a tiny baitfish and also a shrimp. until then, it never crossed my mind that blues would also eat shrimp. (sorry for the bad picture). the shrimp was about 1" long.
i decided to change it up a bit and picked up the fly rod. i tied on a pink Shannon's Streamer, thinking that it resembled the bubble gum sluggo. i made a dozen casts, but didn't get any takes. unfortunately, after that, the action and swirls died down.
i paddled around looking for more activity for about 1.5 hours, and then finally made the decision to head back to the first spot. right when i arrived, the swirls started appearing again. i landed two more blues on the sluggo.
next, i tied on a rapala skitter pop for some topwater action. i love reeling in the lure as quickly as possible and watching the blues chase it, miss it, and keep after it until they're hooked. it's so much fun since they'll chase the lure right up to the kayak. i had a couple of fish where the bite was close enough to splash me with water.
all in all, i had a terrific day! 9 blues in total, all around the same size and weight. i'm hoping to get out again soon, so stay salty! XXA
my son (9.5 months old) is going through some severe separation anxiety and wakes up multiple times in the middle of the night. on saturday morning, around 1:30 AM, he woke up again, and after bringing him into the bed with us, i couldn't fall back asleep. i was too mentally wound up with 'visualizing' catching some large stripers later that day. about 2 hours later, i finally decided just to get up and slowly start getting ready to head out. since i had packed most of my gear the night before, all i had to do is get changed, eat something for breakfast, and do my 'other' business.
i left the house around 4:30 AM i arrived at my launch site around 5:00, and was on the water 15 minutes later. i had timed it perfectly since sunrise was about 5:30, and it was about two hours past high tide. at first, i was a bit worried since there was so much fog, i couldn't see 50 feet in any direction. it was eerie and amazingly calm.
around 5:45, i started to see some swirls around me, and i realized i was lucky to be at the right place at the right time. since i hadn't tied on a fly yet, i took out my spinning rod, and threw a bubble gum colored sluggo.
i decided to change it up a bit and picked up the fly rod. i tied on a pink Shannon's Streamer, thinking that it resembled the bubble gum sluggo. i made a dozen casts, but didn't get any takes. unfortunately, after that, the action and swirls died down.
i paddled around looking for more activity for about 1.5 hours, and then finally made the decision to head back to the first spot. right when i arrived, the swirls started appearing again. i landed two more blues on the sluggo.
next, i tied on a rapala skitter pop for some topwater action. i love reeling in the lure as quickly as possible and watching the blues chase it, miss it, and keep after it until they're hooked. it's so much fun since they'll chase the lure right up to the kayak. i had a couple of fish where the bite was close enough to splash me with water.
all in all, i had a terrific day! 9 blues in total, all around the same size and weight. i'm hoping to get out again soon, so stay salty! XXA
Friday, May 25, 2012
Pass the Salt, Please!
it's been a while since i've posted, mostly because it's not fun to write about blanking out on fishing trips.
a few weeks ago i visited a friend in Sag Harbor, and we launched a couple of kayaks into Little Peconic Bay, near his home. conditions were perfect. there was even a chance we could catch a cinder worm hatch since the tide, temperature, and moon were all aligned. but alas, we ended up paddling for 4 hours without anything to show for it.
what was most frustrating was that on one cast, i was reeling in a yozuri and was about to cast again, when a bluefish rose and almost took it. since it was less than a rod's length away from the kayak, it actually scared me a bit and i yanked the lure out of his mouth! argh! let's just say that i had a few choice words to say to myself.
that next week, i flew to dallas to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law who were moving out of the country for at least a couple of years. i was excited to go catch some carp, at LLELA and Lake Ray Roberts. it turned out that i didn't have time to go to either. of course, family first.
since it was less of a time commitment, i did get to go out to the Farmers Branch library, where i heard it was pretty easy to catch something. the first time, i spotted a ton of panfish, some decent sized bass, and even a couple of carp. all i have to say is that it is next to impossible to fly fish that pond/creek! not only are there tons of spinach in the water which makes it hard to see anything, but even your weedless flies get caught up in everything. plus, all the chicken wire on the banks makes it easy to tangle/catch your fly or fly line! i did cast at the carp, but i don't think they even saw my fly. too much vegetation everywhere!
later that week i took my father and brother to the library again to go after those bass. all we managed to do is catch some green sunfish. I caught a handful on a size 8 clouser and even a caddis dry.
anyways, i'm hoping to get out on the kayak at some point this long weekend. stripers, blues, whatever. just need to catch something in the salt!
a few weeks ago i visited a friend in Sag Harbor, and we launched a couple of kayaks into Little Peconic Bay, near his home. conditions were perfect. there was even a chance we could catch a cinder worm hatch since the tide, temperature, and moon were all aligned. but alas, we ended up paddling for 4 hours without anything to show for it.
what was most frustrating was that on one cast, i was reeling in a yozuri and was about to cast again, when a bluefish rose and almost took it. since it was less than a rod's length away from the kayak, it actually scared me a bit and i yanked the lure out of his mouth! argh! let's just say that i had a few choice words to say to myself.
that next week, i flew to dallas to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law who were moving out of the country for at least a couple of years. i was excited to go catch some carp, at LLELA and Lake Ray Roberts. it turned out that i didn't have time to go to either. of course, family first.
since it was less of a time commitment, i did get to go out to the Farmers Branch library, where i heard it was pretty easy to catch something. the first time, i spotted a ton of panfish, some decent sized bass, and even a couple of carp. all i have to say is that it is next to impossible to fly fish that pond/creek! not only are there tons of spinach in the water which makes it hard to see anything, but even your weedless flies get caught up in everything. plus, all the chicken wire on the banks makes it easy to tangle/catch your fly or fly line! i did cast at the carp, but i don't think they even saw my fly. too much vegetation everywhere!
later that week i took my father and brother to the library again to go after those bass. all we managed to do is catch some green sunfish. I caught a handful on a size 8 clouser and even a caddis dry.
anyways, i'm hoping to get out on the kayak at some point this long weekend. stripers, blues, whatever. just need to catch something in the salt!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Dallas Fishing
headed to Dallas again to visit family. thinking about hitting up Lake Lewisville and Lake Ray Roberts. i'm hoping to fly fish for carp on the flats of Ray Roberts, but have no idea how to go about finding the right places. anybody care to share some good spots with me? i promise not to divulge it to anyone else!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
SOTSOG Fly
early reports have stated that stripers (schoolies and a few keepers) are everywhere, and now is the prime time to catch them before the blues arrive. while clousers and deceivers will more than suffice, where's the fun in only using those flies? since water temps have warmed up earlier than usual, i'm sure the blues will also arrive earlier than usual.
after watching the videos the Fly Fishing the Ozarks have posted on tying Kelly Galloup's articulated streamers, i have been mesmerized by their action in the water. after doing some searching, i found Ward Bean's Jointed Minnow.
anyways, i got to thinking...why aren't there more of these types of flies for saltwater? Dave Seller conceived his SST to add more motion to the fly, so why not create a jointed striper fly to impart additional movement? so, Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants, or SOTSOG, was conceived. (i haven't stumbled across a fly that is similar, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. please let me know if it does.)
i wanted to create a fly that utilizes a secondary hook in the jointed fashion, but also rides hook up so that it is weedless. a la Bob Clouser, i used dumbbell eyes to invert the hook. i also didn't like using a normal stinger hook or octopus hook for the trailing hook because their hook eyes are horizontal. when tying the wire to connect the two hooks, the second hook is slightly misaligned because the wire cannot sit perfectly on the bottom because the hook bend is in the way. to avoid this problem, and to create a more side to side action versus the up and down motion (like Galloup's streamers), i used a 60 degree jig hook. the wire is symmetrically tied on both sides of the hook, and the jig hook eye's vertical position allows for more side to side motion.
here's my recipe:
Thread: Danville Flat Waxed Nylon (White)
Front Hook: Gamakatsu SS15, size 1/0
Back Hook: Eagle Claw 413 (60 degree Jig), size 2
Eyes: Painted Lead Dumbbell eyes
Connection: Beadalon 7 Strand .024 inches
Tail: White Polar Fiber
Wing: Pearl Angel Hair
Coloring: Prismacolor Chartreuse, Prismacolor Olive
one other thing to note is that you must use heavy enough lead/tungsten eyes for it to invert both hooks and material.
if there is enough interest, i'll post step by step tying instructions.
after watching the videos the Fly Fishing the Ozarks have posted on tying Kelly Galloup's articulated streamers, i have been mesmerized by their action in the water. after doing some searching, i found Ward Bean's Jointed Minnow.
anyways, i got to thinking...why aren't there more of these types of flies for saltwater? Dave Seller conceived his SST to add more motion to the fly, so why not create a jointed striper fly to impart additional movement? so, Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants, or SOTSOG, was conceived. (i haven't stumbled across a fly that is similar, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. please let me know if it does.)
i wanted to create a fly that utilizes a secondary hook in the jointed fashion, but also rides hook up so that it is weedless. a la Bob Clouser, i used dumbbell eyes to invert the hook. i also didn't like using a normal stinger hook or octopus hook for the trailing hook because their hook eyes are horizontal. when tying the wire to connect the two hooks, the second hook is slightly misaligned because the wire cannot sit perfectly on the bottom because the hook bend is in the way. to avoid this problem, and to create a more side to side action versus the up and down motion (like Galloup's streamers), i used a 60 degree jig hook. the wire is symmetrically tied on both sides of the hook, and the jig hook eye's vertical position allows for more side to side motion. here's my recipe:
Thread: Danville Flat Waxed Nylon (White)
Front Hook: Gamakatsu SS15, size 1/0
Back Hook: Eagle Claw 413 (60 degree Jig), size 2
Eyes: Painted Lead Dumbbell eyes
Connection: Beadalon 7 Strand .024 inches
Tail: White Polar Fiber
Wing: Pearl Angel Hair
Coloring: Prismacolor Chartreuse, Prismacolor Olive
one other thing to note is that you must use heavy enough lead/tungsten eyes for it to invert both hooks and material.
if there is enough interest, i'll post step by step tying instructions.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Close Call
on a string of moderate fishing success, i went out to the pond again to see if i can feed more white perch. i went with low expectations, because weather/water temperatures have dropped about 5 degrees, and the wind had picked up to 21 mph.
i put on a chartreuse and white clouser, and within two minutes i snagged another minnow. what are the chances of snagging a minnow? but two in a week? this time, it was a silverside. it's amazing how pretty they are and how different they are in comparison. i think the one on the left is a banded killifish.
after i 'released' the silverside, i caught a small striper. i could tell immediately that it wasn't a white perch, just by how much pressure was being put on the line. the striper's more streamlined body creates less drag in the water. after that, the activity died down completely, so i decided to switch flies. i put on a glow in the dark, size 8, clouser and managed to fool a white perch.
the wind had started to pick up considerably, so i decided to make one last cast. on the back cast, a gust of wind flared and my fly flew straight into my right eye. ouch! wincing in pain, i tried to pull the fly out, but it was stuck. just touching the hook caused pain. i started to freak out. there was no one around, and the sun had already set. i tried to remember if i had crushed the barb. i thought about calling my wife, and then driving directly to the emergency room. i managed to cut the leader and navigating with one eye, found my way back to the car. and then using the visor mirror, i inspected the damage. i was lucky, the fly hook had not pierced anything, but was just trapped between my eye and eyelid. i carefully removed the fly and drove home. whew, what a close call!
during daylight, i usually wear sunglasses when i fish, partly to remove the glare but also for eye protection. when there is little light, i don't wear anything on my eyes. what do you guys do? any suggestions?
i put on a chartreuse and white clouser, and within two minutes i snagged another minnow. what are the chances of snagging a minnow? but two in a week? this time, it was a silverside. it's amazing how pretty they are and how different they are in comparison. i think the one on the left is a banded killifish.
after i 'released' the silverside, i caught a small striper. i could tell immediately that it wasn't a white perch, just by how much pressure was being put on the line. the striper's more streamlined body creates less drag in the water. after that, the activity died down completely, so i decided to switch flies. i put on a glow in the dark, size 8, clouser and managed to fool a white perch.
the wind had started to pick up considerably, so i decided to make one last cast. on the back cast, a gust of wind flared and my fly flew straight into my right eye. ouch! wincing in pain, i tried to pull the fly out, but it was stuck. just touching the hook caused pain. i started to freak out. there was no one around, and the sun had already set. i tried to remember if i had crushed the barb. i thought about calling my wife, and then driving directly to the emergency room. i managed to cut the leader and navigating with one eye, found my way back to the car. and then using the visor mirror, i inspected the damage. i was lucky, the fly hook had not pierced anything, but was just trapped between my eye and eyelid. i carefully removed the fly and drove home. whew, what a close call!
during daylight, i usually wear sunglasses when i fish, partly to remove the glare but also for eye protection. when there is little light, i don't wear anything on my eyes. what do you guys do? any suggestions?
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Pepe Le Pew
channeling Penelope Pussycat, i finally gave Pepe Le Pew the finger, and caught my first fish of the year. the skunk is gone. i have been after the white perch in this local, brackish pond, and they have gotten the best of me in my first four outings. i was rank with the stank of self disgust and failure...but no more!
per usual, i went to the pond around sundown the day before yesterday to get in an hour of fishing. the fish were swirling less than 20 feet away and i was struggling to get a take. switching flies, i tied on a What's Up Doc? fly by Daren Selznick of Ole Florida Fly Shop. then bam! i got my first bite...and then wham! i lost it. then shazaam, i got another bite! my first fish of the year was landed.
the best part of it all, was that i learned from it. i knew the white perch were feeding off of tiny minnows, and i had a general idea how small they needed to be.armed with that knowledge, i went to the pond again yesterday evening. for some reason, the What's Up Doc just wasn't producing and i was left saying, "what the #$%* is up, fish?"
as luck would have it, i ended up snagging a minnow that gave me an indication of the size of bait they were chasing. anyone have any idea what kind of minnow this is? pretty cool looking.then i tied on a size 8 clouser minnow in chartreuse and white. within 30 minutes, i had 5 bites, and landed two of them. i also caught a small striper which was pure icing on the cake.
i'm sure i can think of some life lessons learned from all this, but ehhh, that just wouldn't be me.
stay salty,
XXA
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Not So Perfect
so far this year, i've been out fishing 3 times, and still haven't caught my first fish. i've been trying to fly fish for white perch, but those buggers are getting the best of me. i start fishing about 30 minutes prior to sundown, and the timing is great because they really get going, starting to feed in shallow water. the fish are nearly 'boiling' around me, with swirls less than 10 feet away. yet, i can't get any bites. i've tried a plethora of flies, including clousers (almost every color possible), shrimp flies, dry flies, woolly buggers, and even Prater's Hushpuppy nymph on a variety of setups, but i got hardly a nibble. i don't think they're on bait because i am not seeing the typical spray out of the water. for some reason, i think they're eating the insects on top that have recently hatched, but i'm not sure. any ideas?
however, i nearly caught one with the Hushpuppy, and had it almost in hand but it came off literally a foot away. some people might say that it was a 'caught' fish, but unless i can take a picture of it, i don't count it. the loss was completely angler error. i didn't perform a good hook set, so i have only myself to blame. i find myself not very good at strip setting the hook because half the time i'm surprised that i have something on the end of my line, so in a state of disbelief, i usually forget.
anyways, i've heard reports that schoolie stripers are around, so i'm preparing to go inshore fishing. i've been tying some leaders, but the one thing that pisses me off about not using store bought tapered leaders is that when i make a poor cast, and get the tailing loop...the leader gets tangled around my knots' tag ends. then i spend about 15 minutes trying to untangle the leader only to find out that i made it worse because the leader was not in fact tangled or knotted, but only hung up on the tag ends. argh. am i the only one where this happens?
so i tried creating a whipped loop rather than using a perfection loop just to reduce the amount of tag ends, but it just doesn't work well on mono. so i ended up thread wrapping my perfection loops in order to create smooth taper, and it seems decently strong. they're ugly, not perfect, but strong. we'll see.
however, i nearly caught one with the Hushpuppy, and had it almost in hand but it came off literally a foot away. some people might say that it was a 'caught' fish, but unless i can take a picture of it, i don't count it. the loss was completely angler error. i didn't perform a good hook set, so i have only myself to blame. i find myself not very good at strip setting the hook because half the time i'm surprised that i have something on the end of my line, so in a state of disbelief, i usually forget.
anyways, i've heard reports that schoolie stripers are around, so i'm preparing to go inshore fishing. i've been tying some leaders, but the one thing that pisses me off about not using store bought tapered leaders is that when i make a poor cast, and get the tailing loop...the leader gets tangled around my knots' tag ends. then i spend about 15 minutes trying to untangle the leader only to find out that i made it worse because the leader was not in fact tangled or knotted, but only hung up on the tag ends. argh. am i the only one where this happens?
so i tried creating a whipped loop rather than using a perfection loop just to reduce the amount of tag ends, but it just doesn't work well on mono. so i ended up thread wrapping my perfection loops in order to create smooth taper, and it seems decently strong. they're ugly, not perfect, but strong. we'll see.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Skunked
yesterday, i went fishing for the first time this year. i was only out for a few hours, but i got skunked. 0 for 1. the big goose egg. zilch.
i went to a small, nearby reservoir where i saw a lone carp mudding once before, but this time i didn't see anything. there were ducks and geese mulling about, but that was it. there are steep rock walls that surround the entire lake, and i scaled them a few times to get a good vantage point. but, nada.
i keep telling my wife that my 'hobby' is not fishing but hiking and practicing casting. sheesh.
i went to a small, nearby reservoir where i saw a lone carp mudding once before, but this time i didn't see anything. there were ducks and geese mulling about, but that was it. there are steep rock walls that surround the entire lake, and i scaled them a few times to get a good vantage point. but, nada.
i keep telling my wife that my 'hobby' is not fishing but hiking and practicing casting. sheesh.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Aleene's Fabric Fusion Test
with the weather getting into the 60s this week, and water temperatures in the mid 40s, i'm starting to get my gear in order for my first outing. in the meanwhile, i've been cleaning my reels, tying up batches of flies, and tying some leaders as well.
in February 2010, Casey Smartt revealed that he had found a glue that could serve as an epoxy substitute for certain types of flies. it was called Aleen's Fabric Fusion (AFF), and was sold in almost all craft stores and even craft sections of stores like Walmart and Kmart.
a couple of months ago i noticed that a few of my albie flies where i had used AFF had yellowed. i wrote Casey about it and asked him if he had noticed any yellowing before. he had not, but suggested i perform a test. my suspicion was that the AFF had interacted with another material that i used. so, i decided to see if there was any reaction with two adhesives that i use, Goop (Craft version) and Super Glue's Future Glue.
this first picture is on day 1 of the test. you can see that once applied, AFF is essentially clear. if you look hard enough, unlike with the Super Glue sample, you can see the droplet of Goop i placed in the center, and how it did not mix with the AFF.
this second picture was taken after one month. the samples were placed indoors, but near a window to absorb sunlight during the daylight hours.
you can see that while the Goop and Control samples remained essentially transparent, the sample mixed with Super Glue yellowed slightly and curled/shriveled a bit (hard to see in the picture), particularly around the edges. this reaction was evident within the first few hours of the test, but worsened over the following day. another observation is that after fully 'curing', the AFF in the Goop and Control samples remained slightly flexible, whereas the Super Glue sample had turned extremely hard and brittle.
this test confirmed my hypothesis that indeed a chemical reaction had occurred in my albie fly. as you can see, the albie fly is quite yellow, and this photo was taken 5 months after tying the fly. when tying, i had used quite a bit of Super Glue to stabilize and build up the pearl braid body, forming a belly. it's amazing that the Super Glue reacts with the AFF so significantly.
anyways, now i know, and now you know! here's where i get AFF.
a couple of months ago i noticed that a few of my albie flies where i had used AFF had yellowed. i wrote Casey about it and asked him if he had noticed any yellowing before. he had not, but suggested i perform a test. my suspicion was that the AFF had interacted with another material that i used. so, i decided to see if there was any reaction with two adhesives that i use, Goop (Craft version) and Super Glue's Future Glue.
this first picture is on day 1 of the test. you can see that once applied, AFF is essentially clear. if you look hard enough, unlike with the Super Glue sample, you can see the droplet of Goop i placed in the center, and how it did not mix with the AFF.
this second picture was taken after one month. the samples were placed indoors, but near a window to absorb sunlight during the daylight hours.
you can see that while the Goop and Control samples remained essentially transparent, the sample mixed with Super Glue yellowed slightly and curled/shriveled a bit (hard to see in the picture), particularly around the edges. this reaction was evident within the first few hours of the test, but worsened over the following day. another observation is that after fully 'curing', the AFF in the Goop and Control samples remained slightly flexible, whereas the Super Glue sample had turned extremely hard and brittle.
anyways, now i know, and now you know! here's where i get AFF.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Eye For An Eye
a few years ago, while trying to find a substitute for E-Z Shape Sparkle Body, i read on an online forum that craft fabric paint is essentially the same thing, but at a huge discount. so i went to the local Michael's and literally bought out their whole entire supply of Scribbles 3D Paint in the Crystal Gel Transparent Sparkle color. i also bought a bunch of other colors, including one that is glow in the dark.
so, after reading Casey Smartt's post on fabric paint eyes, i thought i would give it a go myself. the eyes aren't perfect, but i think i'm slowing getting the technique down. it's amazing how little paint you have to use to make sure you have the right sized eye.
what's nice about fabric paint eyes is that they are slightly flexible and slightly rubbery in texture. once they are dry, you can squeeze them 'a bit' and they return back to the original shape. also, since they are flexible, it's easier to glue them onto thread heads, since they essentially conform to the shape of the head.
anyways, i have to say that staring at all these eyes gives me the heebie jeebies. anyone else out there have trypophobia? don't know what that is? it's the fear of clustered holes. google it, but it's not for the faint of heart. i'm starting to get itchy and squirmy just thinking about it.
so, after reading Casey Smartt's post on fabric paint eyes, i thought i would give it a go myself. the eyes aren't perfect, but i think i'm slowing getting the technique down. it's amazing how little paint you have to use to make sure you have the right sized eye.
anyways, i have to say that staring at all these eyes gives me the heebie jeebies. anyone else out there have trypophobia? don't know what that is? it's the fear of clustered holes. google it, but it's not for the faint of heart. i'm starting to get itchy and squirmy just thinking about it.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The Soundings of Silence (Part 2)
as we all know, Google has really made some terrific advances to its Google Maps and Google Earth products. what is amazing is that Google has allowed developers and others to build geocoded map layers that can overlay precisely on top of their products.
in my last post, i mentioned the downside to using the NOAA's paper charts or online chart viewer when prospecting for inshore fishing spots. what i like to do is overlay the NOAA charts onto Google Maps or Google Earth.
here is how to overlay the NOAA raster navigational chart (RNC) on top of Google Maps:
1. go to the NOAA's interactive RNC catalog, and select the area you want to fish.
2. on the right, you will be able to choose if you want to download the RNC file, buy a paper map, or view the chart online. download the RNC file to your computer.
3. go and download the beta version of Maptiler, which is a graphical application for online map publishing. Maptiler allows you to take the downloaded RNC files and create an overlay for Google Maps.
4. open Maptiler, and select 'Google Maps compatible'. hit 'Continue'.
5. click 'Add', then find and select the .KAP file you downloaded from the NOAA.
6. hit 'Continue'.
7. At the screen that says 'Spatial reference system (SRS)', just skip by clicking 'Continue'.
8. again, skip the screen that says 'Details about the tile pyramid' by clicking 'Continue'.
9. choose the 'Result directory' on your computer. this is where the necessary files will be created.
10. hit 'Continue'.
11. choose which viewers should be generated. i click both 'Google Maps' and 'OpenLayers'.
12. hit 'Continue'.
13. you can title the map file anything you want.
14. since the development of this Maptiler application, the Google Maps API key is no longer 'optional'. you need to get a Google Maps API v3 here. once you get your API code, enter it in this screen.
15. hit 'Continue'.
16. on the last screen, 'Tile Rendering', hit 'Render' at the bottom right.
17. once the application has finished, find your new created files, and double click on the googlemaps.html file. this will open up your NOAA map on top of Google Maps! from here you can search for all the optimal places you want to fish. what i like to do is create a PDF of the new map, make some notes on top of it in Adobe Acrobat, and then upload it to my iPhone so i can access it on the water. if you are worried about using your iPhone on the water, you can just print out the new map and now you have a printed NOAA chart for free! for FRREEEEE!
my next goal is to somehow get the generated files and access them on my iPhone so i can have all the soundings on my mobile Google Maps. essentially that would create a duplicate GPS device, again...for free! for FRREEEEE!
also, if you want to keep track of all your waypoints and GPS tracks on Google Maps, you can convert your .GPX files to .KML files using the website GPS Visualizer. once you have your .KML file, you can upload it to Google Maps or import it into Google Earth.
in part 3, i will go through the steps of creating an NOAA overlay using their electronic navigational charts (ENC) for Google Earth. this process is a bit more complicated, but gives you greater flexibility as to the data you want to access.
in my last post, i mentioned the downside to using the NOAA's paper charts or online chart viewer when prospecting for inshore fishing spots. what i like to do is overlay the NOAA charts onto Google Maps or Google Earth.
here is how to overlay the NOAA raster navigational chart (RNC) on top of Google Maps:
2. on the right, you will be able to choose if you want to download the RNC file, buy a paper map, or view the chart online. download the RNC file to your computer.
4. open Maptiler, and select 'Google Maps compatible'. hit 'Continue'.
5. click 'Add', then find and select the .KAP file you downloaded from the NOAA.
6. hit 'Continue'.
7. At the screen that says 'Spatial reference system (SRS)', just skip by clicking 'Continue'.
8. again, skip the screen that says 'Details about the tile pyramid' by clicking 'Continue'.
9. choose the 'Result directory' on your computer. this is where the necessary files will be created.
10. hit 'Continue'.
12. hit 'Continue'.
14. since the development of this Maptiler application, the Google Maps API key is no longer 'optional'. you need to get a Google Maps API v3 here. once you get your API code, enter it in this screen.
15. hit 'Continue'.
16. on the last screen, 'Tile Rendering', hit 'Render' at the bottom right.
17. once the application has finished, find your new created files, and double click on the googlemaps.html file. this will open up your NOAA map on top of Google Maps! from here you can search for all the optimal places you want to fish. what i like to do is create a PDF of the new map, make some notes on top of it in Adobe Acrobat, and then upload it to my iPhone so i can access it on the water. if you are worried about using your iPhone on the water, you can just print out the new map and now you have a printed NOAA chart for free! for FRREEEEE!
my next goal is to somehow get the generated files and access them on my iPhone so i can have all the soundings on my mobile Google Maps. essentially that would create a duplicate GPS device, again...for free! for FRREEEEE!
also, if you want to keep track of all your waypoints and GPS tracks on Google Maps, you can convert your .GPX files to .KML files using the website GPS Visualizer. once you have your .KML file, you can upload it to Google Maps or import it into Google Earth.
in part 3, i will go through the steps of creating an NOAA overlay using their electronic navigational charts (ENC) for Google Earth. this process is a bit more complicated, but gives you greater flexibility as to the data you want to access.
The Soundings of Silence (Part 1)
ugh. seems like the mild winter has everyone and their mother catching fish. i haven't even made an attempt since returning home from Dallas. there is a stocked river not 20 minutes from my home, yet i don't even think about going. why?
1) i don't want to fish with 2 other anglers at each hole
2) with my first 6 month old son at home, it gets harder and harder to leave.
for those of you with kids, you'll understand...this time in his life is just so fun. he is changing and developing every hour, and i just don't want to miss anything.
so that's the reason for my online silence. but just because i'm not fishing, doesn't mean i'm not constantly thinking about it. i'm dreaming of early May when i can paddle some of the northeast flats and sight fish for stripers. but if you're anything like me, you study up before heading out. here are some relevant, oldie but goodie articles.
Shallow Water Stripers (Nick Curcione)
Stripers on the Flats (Tom Richardson)
Fly Fishing Eastern Long Island and the Montauk Point Area (Amanda Switzer)
Shinnecock East: Disneyland for Fishermen (Michael Wright)
The Skinny on Long Island Flats Fishing (Angelo Peluso)
now that i've covered the 'how', i use maps to help me figure out the 'where'. as you know, the one essential tool for fishing the salt is a GPS device. i have a handheld Garmin for when i'm out on the yak, but use the Navionics app on my iPhone as well. in my opinion, both screen sizes are way too small in general, but particularly when trying to cover lots of water in order to find the optimal spots. so i try to pick out my spots before even getting to the water.
most of you know that the NOAA provides nautical maps with soundings (depths). the NOAA offers maps in 5 ways:
1) paper charts for purchase (i'm too cheap for this option)
2) print-on-demand charts for purchase (i'm too cheap for this option, too)
3) online chart viewers (limited viewing area, too cumbersome to use)
4) downloadable raster (image-based) charts
5) downloadable electronic (vector-based) charts
in part 2 i will cover how i use the NOAA's raster charts and electronic charts in combination with Google Maps and Google Earth.
1) i don't want to fish with 2 other anglers at each hole
2) with my first 6 month old son at home, it gets harder and harder to leave.
for those of you with kids, you'll understand...this time in his life is just so fun. he is changing and developing every hour, and i just don't want to miss anything.
so that's the reason for my online silence. but just because i'm not fishing, doesn't mean i'm not constantly thinking about it. i'm dreaming of early May when i can paddle some of the northeast flats and sight fish for stripers. but if you're anything like me, you study up before heading out. here are some relevant, oldie but goodie articles.
Stripers on the Flats (Tom Richardson)
Connecticut's First Stripers (Frank Daignault)
Season Opener (Alan Caolo)
Northeast Flats Primer (Alan Caolo) Fly Fishing Eastern Long Island and the Montauk Point Area (Amanda Switzer)
Shinnecock East: Disneyland for Fishermen (Michael Wright)
The Skinny on Long Island Flats Fishing (Angelo Peluso)
now that i've covered the 'how', i use maps to help me figure out the 'where'. as you know, the one essential tool for fishing the salt is a GPS device. i have a handheld Garmin for when i'm out on the yak, but use the Navionics app on my iPhone as well. in my opinion, both screen sizes are way too small in general, but particularly when trying to cover lots of water in order to find the optimal spots. so i try to pick out my spots before even getting to the water.
most of you know that the NOAA provides nautical maps with soundings (depths). the NOAA offers maps in 5 ways:
1) paper charts for purchase (i'm too cheap for this option)
2) print-on-demand charts for purchase (i'm too cheap for this option, too)
3) online chart viewers (limited viewing area, too cumbersome to use)
4) downloadable raster (image-based) charts
5) downloadable electronic (vector-based) charts
in part 2 i will cover how i use the NOAA's raster charts and electronic charts in combination with Google Maps and Google Earth.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Feeling Crabby
everytime i get my copy of Fly Fishing in Saltwater in the mail, i savor it like it was my last meal alive. i wait until the end of the day, then devour it cover to cover. i've added to this bimonthly ritual by reading Eastern Fly Fishing. so far, these two magazines are the only print magazines i read, not only because they address the exact type of fishing i'm interested in, but the quality of their content remains consistently awesome. in the November/December 2011 issue of EFF, they profiled Colby Hane's Corona Crab fly.
here's my feeble attempt at tying it. i substituted the grizzly hackle
collar with one made out of mallard flank. i thought it looked cooler
and will perhaps have a bit more movement. the eyes were made using
Aleene's Fabric Fusion, a la Casey Smartt.
the weed guard was tied following EP's nifty technique below.
once i got into the groove of tying, i decided to tie a few more flies...
This River is Wild's Fly of the Trip. here i ended up using Lion Brand's Velvet Spun pink chenille for the legs. i didn't have the same color or size chenille as the recipe called for, but i think this works well. the fly is incredibly light, so i'll be using this for the shallower flats.
lastly, i tied the famous Avalon Crab permit fly using instructions from the Caddis Fly Shop and Erik Moncada. again, i made a couple of substitutions. i thought the recipe's lead eyes were much too heavy, so i downsized a bit and went with brass eyes. to reduce the weight further, i used plastic beads instead of metal beads for the rattle (two beige/one orange). i used large, 7mm beads to ensure a louder sound, as well as help the fly settle in the sand with some stability. the orange bead is in front to help simulate the egg sack. i tested this fly out in my bathtub and the sink rate is still pretty quick. however, the lighter beads causes the fly stand up almost vertically like a plastic worm on a jig head. there is tons of movement, and the crab settles in the defensive position.
 |
| Corona Crab |
the weed guard was tied following EP's nifty technique below.
once i got into the groove of tying, i decided to tie a few more flies...
 |
| Fly of the Trip |
 |
| Avalon Crab Variant |
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Buff, Buff, Pass?
this economy sucks, right? everyone is feeling the pinch, especially me. so, when i wanted to purchase another Buff Headwear, i cringed at the retail price.
i may sound like a wuss, but my lips are so sensitive. if they get
prolonged exposure to sun, i get cold sores. if there is even the
slightest breeze, my lips get wind chapped and i look like Clint
Eastwood in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly after he has been forced to
walk in the blazing desert sun without water. if i'm out on a boat in
the LIS, chances are my lips will get chapped. if i get chapped lips, my wife complains (heh heh). so i wear my Buff every
time i go fishing.
i absolutely love my Buff UV Angler in the bonefish pattern, but $21-$23 is a bit more than i would like to spend right now.
so i decided to look into cheaper alternatives. it's amazing how many different companies are now selling Buff-like products. whether it's called a Buff, a tubular bandana, a tubudana, a wrap, or just a gaiter, there are tons of companies jumping on the bandwagon. Just to name a few...
Flying Fisherman - Sunbandit
ZanHeadgear - Motley Tube
Mental Gear - Headcase
Simms - Sungaiter
Patagonia - Printed Sun Mask
Columbia Sportswear - Freezer Neck Wrap
Ergodyne - Multi-band
Smotard
Aqua Design - SunGuard Tube
i ended up buying two pieces on eBay after doing a search for "multi headwear". i purchased one from a wholesaler named Tans Club. it is plain white, and bought it for $0.70 including shipping. Let's call it "Tan's piece".
the second piece i purchased was $7.00 including shipping, and it has a pattern on it with similar colors to my bonefish Buff. i purchased it from a Chinese vendor on eBay, and it came in Chinese packaging, so let's call it "Chinese piece".
so the question is...what's the difference between those and the branded Buff Headwear? is the real Buff worth the cost difference?
Sizing
since i do not have a scientific way of measuring the thickness of each piece, i can only qualitatively estimate the differences in thickness. the white Tan's piece felt slightly thinner than the Buff or the Chinese piece. it might have something to do with the additional design that is painted on (or whatever technique) the fabric. the thickness (or rather thinness) wasn't noticeable on my neck in any way.
the dimensions of each are the same. the Buff is listed at 20" long and 9.5" wide. the Tan's piece is listed at 20" long and has a 19" perimeter. the Chinese piece is 20.7" long and 9.5" wide.
Material
Tan's piece and the Chinese piece is made of 100% polyester microfiber. polyester is a great synthetic material that wicks away moisture and sweat. that's perfect for hot days bonefishing in the Caribbean, and also great for cold weather environments where you don't want your sweat to freeze and lower your body temperature. the Buff UV Angler is made of 100% polyester microfiber with Coolmax®. according to Buff, "Coolmax® is a more technical, four-channel fiber with advanced moisture wicking capabilities", and "and is a bit softer to the touch compared to basic microfiber".
Sun Protection
another great thing about polyester is that it protects against ultraviolet rays. that's where the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) comes in. polyester alone has 30+ UPF which means that 1/30th of an ultraviolet ray is passing through the fabric. that's why they can claim that 95% of ultraviolet rays are blocked. however, there are many variables that affect the UPF rating, such as (but not limited to) color, paint, shine, moisture, and stretch. there is a variety of finishing agents, like SunGuard detergent, that can augment ultraviolet protection, but i'm not aware of any finishing agent used on any of the above pieces.
Performance
it is hard to tell the difference in how effective each piece was in blocking ultraviolet rays. my only data point is that my wife said i looked more tan after wearing the Tan's piece (pun not intended). that would make some sense, because the slightly darker colors of the Chinese piece and the Buff would absorb more UV light.
i also could not tell any difference in each's ability to wick away moisture. however, i tested each piece on a different day, which had different outside temperatures and wind speeds.
Conclusion
so, with the sizing, sun protection, and performance being essentially the same, what is my conclusion? is Buff worth the extra cost? my answer is definitively, yes! why?
1. Buff provides many more patterns to choose from, and they appeal to the style-conscious angler.
2. the Coolmax® texture does actually make a difference. it is slightly softer then the other two pieces, and after pulling the pieces up and down my face all day, the extra softness is noticeably gentler on my skin (heh heh)
3. last but not least, each Buff contains Polygiene®, which utilizes silver ions to prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria. fish stink combined with sweat does not create a pleasant odor, especially when this thing is worn right next to your nose. this feature alone is worth the price of admission.
so ultimately, all the added technology and features of the Buff do make it worth the price. however, if you are on a budget like me, sometimes you have to make sacrifices and go with the lower quality product.
since there are many other brand name products out there with legitimate fabric technology, if my budget permits, i will try to write a second part to this review with additional competitors, updated comparisons, and longer-term testing.
also, since it is freakin' freezing outside, i want to get my hands on a Polar Buff and compare it to some fleece neck gaiters.
8/25/12 update the Tan's piece is not worth the low price. after about 10 washes, the piece is full of fabric pills, and almost feels rubbery, losing most of its softness. as for the Buff and Chinese pieces, they are still going strong.
i may sound like a wuss, but my lips are so sensitive. if they get
prolonged exposure to sun, i get cold sores. if there is even the
slightest breeze, my lips get wind chapped and i look like Clint
Eastwood in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly after he has been forced to
walk in the blazing desert sun without water. if i'm out on a boat in
the LIS, chances are my lips will get chapped. if i get chapped lips, my wife complains (heh heh). so i wear my Buff every
time i go fishing.i absolutely love my Buff UV Angler in the bonefish pattern, but $21-$23 is a bit more than i would like to spend right now.
so i decided to look into cheaper alternatives. it's amazing how many different companies are now selling Buff-like products. whether it's called a Buff, a tubular bandana, a tubudana, a wrap, or just a gaiter, there are tons of companies jumping on the bandwagon. Just to name a few...
Flying Fisherman - Sunbandit
ZanHeadgear - Motley Tube
Mental Gear - Headcase
Simms - Sungaiter
Patagonia - Printed Sun Mask
Columbia Sportswear - Freezer Neck Wrap
Ergodyne - Multi-band
Smotard
Aqua Design - SunGuard Tube
i ended up buying two pieces on eBay after doing a search for "multi headwear". i purchased one from a wholesaler named Tans Club. it is plain white, and bought it for $0.70 including shipping. Let's call it "Tan's piece".
the second piece i purchased was $7.00 including shipping, and it has a pattern on it with similar colors to my bonefish Buff. i purchased it from a Chinese vendor on eBay, and it came in Chinese packaging, so let's call it "Chinese piece".
so the question is...what's the difference between those and the branded Buff Headwear? is the real Buff worth the cost difference?
Sizing
since i do not have a scientific way of measuring the thickness of each piece, i can only qualitatively estimate the differences in thickness. the white Tan's piece felt slightly thinner than the Buff or the Chinese piece. it might have something to do with the additional design that is painted on (or whatever technique) the fabric. the thickness (or rather thinness) wasn't noticeable on my neck in any way.
the dimensions of each are the same. the Buff is listed at 20" long and 9.5" wide. the Tan's piece is listed at 20" long and has a 19" perimeter. the Chinese piece is 20.7" long and 9.5" wide.
Material
Tan's piece and the Chinese piece is made of 100% polyester microfiber. polyester is a great synthetic material that wicks away moisture and sweat. that's perfect for hot days bonefishing in the Caribbean, and also great for cold weather environments where you don't want your sweat to freeze and lower your body temperature. the Buff UV Angler is made of 100% polyester microfiber with Coolmax®. according to Buff, "Coolmax® is a more technical, four-channel fiber with advanced moisture wicking capabilities", and "and is a bit softer to the touch compared to basic microfiber".
Sun Protection
another great thing about polyester is that it protects against ultraviolet rays. that's where the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) comes in. polyester alone has 30+ UPF which means that 1/30th of an ultraviolet ray is passing through the fabric. that's why they can claim that 95% of ultraviolet rays are blocked. however, there are many variables that affect the UPF rating, such as (but not limited to) color, paint, shine, moisture, and stretch. there is a variety of finishing agents, like SunGuard detergent, that can augment ultraviolet protection, but i'm not aware of any finishing agent used on any of the above pieces.
Performance
it is hard to tell the difference in how effective each piece was in blocking ultraviolet rays. my only data point is that my wife said i looked more tan after wearing the Tan's piece (pun not intended). that would make some sense, because the slightly darker colors of the Chinese piece and the Buff would absorb more UV light.
i also could not tell any difference in each's ability to wick away moisture. however, i tested each piece on a different day, which had different outside temperatures and wind speeds.
Conclusion
so, with the sizing, sun protection, and performance being essentially the same, what is my conclusion? is Buff worth the extra cost? my answer is definitively, yes! why?
1. Buff provides many more patterns to choose from, and they appeal to the style-conscious angler.
2. the Coolmax® texture does actually make a difference. it is slightly softer then the other two pieces, and after pulling the pieces up and down my face all day, the extra softness is noticeably gentler on my skin (heh heh)
3. last but not least, each Buff contains Polygiene®, which utilizes silver ions to prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria. fish stink combined with sweat does not create a pleasant odor, especially when this thing is worn right next to your nose. this feature alone is worth the price of admission.
so ultimately, all the added technology and features of the Buff do make it worth the price. however, if you are on a budget like me, sometimes you have to make sacrifices and go with the lower quality product.
since there are many other brand name products out there with legitimate fabric technology, if my budget permits, i will try to write a second part to this review with additional competitors, updated comparisons, and longer-term testing.
also, since it is freakin' freezing outside, i want to get my hands on a Polar Buff and compare it to some fleece neck gaiters.
8/25/12 update the Tan's piece is not worth the low price. after about 10 washes, the piece is full of fabric pills, and almost feels rubbery, losing most of its softness. as for the Buff and Chinese pieces, they are still going strong.
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