Family back down to just one!

Tragedy strikes! I am all excited about my new Redington Crosswater combo, I get it and the damn thing is broken!!  I opened it up and these were the problems with it:

1.    There was no invoice. 
2.    The item was not fastened into package and in fact, was not correctly placed in package. This made me believe it might have been opened before. 
3.     All the zip ties were broken, which confirmed that the thing HAD been opened before. 
4.     When I unzipped the case, the reel fell into my hand. When I looked at the foot of the reel I noticed it looked kind of strange and then I realized part of the foot was broken off!! When I looked at the rod, I realized that the missing part of the foot was lodged in the reel seat. 

I was pretty bummed but at the same time I was relieved because the reel itself looked super flimsy. I think it may have been a thin aluminum but the thing felt like plastic. Also, the simple fact that it was broken to begin with doesnt give me much confidence in it. The rod itself looked and felt like good quality.  Anyway, it took forever to get here and hopefully it doesn’t take forever to get back to them and for the money to go back into my account. 

With that said, I have been scoping another fly fishing outfit.  It is a Cabelas RLS+ combo and according to the reviews it is a real piece of work. I like Cabelas products and their customer service is superb.  I was actually pretty impressed with the original Wind River combo I bought from them so if this thing is still on sale when I get my refund, I think I’m going to buy this in an 8 Wt.  I will keep you guys posted.

Film Review: Low and Clear

“The biggest mistake about fishing is that it is about catching fish.” Provocative statement by JT, one of the two fly fisherman involved in this documentary.  JT is a deep thinker, a thoughtful philosophic type, and a fisherman living in the gulf of Texas, spending his free time catching redfish on the fly.  His friend Xenie is a firewood salesman living in Colorado. Xenie is an avid fly fisherman and spends most of his time slaying trout in Colorado waters. Xenie is more of a numbers kind of guy, fishing passionately and with zeal, documenting every catch with a photograph of him and his conquest.

Upon watching them fish and hearing them speak, JT and Xenie seem an unlikely friendship. JT is soft spoken, enjoying his moments fishing with a reverence and contemplation of the art of fly fishing.  Xenie is a wild and frivolous fly fisherman, chasing the adrenaline rush that comes with each fish caught.

JT and Xenie were friends in another lifetime, one where both lived in Colorado, Xenie was a local legend and JT was a fly shop worker, desiring to fish with Xenie. The two strike up a friendship over the hook and Xenie becomes somewhat of a mentor for JT. JT eventually improves at fishing and their friendship becomes more of a competition with both equally respecting each other as friends and fisherman.

Eventually life happens, the two drift apart and JT moves to Texas. He is a business man, engaged and patiently tosses flies to red fish in the salt water. He decides he wants to take a fishing trip to Canada with Xenie to catch steelhead.

Xenie, an expert with coldwater fish, spends the trip doing as he always does, slaying fish with a salmon egg imitation under an indicator and taking pictures. JT however uses a spey rod with streamers, working more on the art of casting and presentation. The more fish Xenie catches, the more the rift in their friendship becomes apparent. Xenie is seen celebrating and gloating with every catch, trying to give JT tips, which JT takes as an insult, visually appearing disgusted by the fact Xenie would even try to offer him advice. The differences in their styles and reasons for fishing stand out reflecting their personalities and their reasons for clashing. Over time the two have grown up and grown apart, fishing appearing to be the only thing keeping them together and yet being tested on their trip to gorgeous British Columbia.

This film is about fishing and yet about so much more. The film takes a look at the dynamics of friendship and time and how the two of them impact each other. The film also vividly depicts the beauty of Colorado, the gulf of Texas and British Columbia during the winter, covered in snow. The film is also littered with amazing insights into the sport of fishing, showing two separate sides of the sport through each man. As with any good film, it’s not only about the plot or well shot scenes but Low and Clear artistically uses an amazing soundtrack to convey the differences between the two fisherman and their lifestyles proving to be a well rounded film and a masterpiece.

If you haven’t checked out Low and Clear, you are definitely going to want to do so. HERE is a link to the movie website; do yourself a favor and watch the trailer. Low and clear is a brilliant documentary that I absolutely enjoyed, watched a second time and enjoyed it as much as the first time. I can’t say enough about this film so I will just tell you give it a try.

As for me, there is rain in Northern Cali and I am not complaining. Hopefully I will find my way out onto the water soon. Take care folks and thanks for reading!

Film Review: Fly Fishing Rocky Mountain National Park

I must admit, before I started fly fishing I had little interest in the rocky mountains. In fact, the only interest I had in the Rockies was watching them turn blue on my beer! Then fly fishing happened and now I’m interested in mountain streams, clear waters, native trout, etc. 

Recently I was the winner in a contest held by Howard over at Windknots & Tangled Lines. The Prize was a DVD called, Fly Fishing Rocky Mountain Park: Preserving it's Future by Josh Rickard. Did I mention it was a signed copy? Well it was!

The film encapsulates everything that has to do with fly fishing and leads me to believe that the Rocky Mountains are a true Mecca for fly fisherman. Even on the small screen, the Rockies seem breath taking; an outdoorsman’s (or outdoorswoman’s) paradise. 

Now perhaps I am idealizing it but Rocky Mountain National Park seems the epitome of what a fly fisherman would want to fish. Snow covered mountain tops, wild life frolicking about, clear streams and lakes, it has it all. It’s like Josh Rickard, creator and narrator of the film says, “One of the best reasons to fish trout are the places they thrive in.” And when you watch the film, its like this natural gem and the art of fly fishing go hand and hand like peanut butter and jelly, or lamb and tunafish! 

The film starts off with Josh fishing a small creek in the dead of winter, surrounded by snow packed banks resembling clouds while fishing in heaven. Josh artistically captures the beauty of the park with the sun coming up, water rushing and animals hanging around God’s country. So many of these parks and waterways are outstanding, it is like a massive collection of the most beautiful places in the US, all in one national park. 

Josh takes you into Morraine park and flaunts the natural beauty of the Big Thompson, which looks like every movie set where you have ever seen fly fishing taking place; absolutely breath-taking and you realize that these areas don’t have to be created by Hollywood or touched up by set designers, they just exist and demand our respect. Josh does a great job of reminding us to enjoy the park but also respect it. He explores Lily Lake and Lake Haiyaha, homes to the greenback cutthroat and Yellowstone cutthroat trout, respectively. But as Josh mentions, this film isn’t just about the fish, it’s also about the adventure. I think of those as words to live by and words that remind me to enjoy fishing whether or not I catch fish. 

There is one specific scene that really stands out to me and that is one where Josh is sitting in Fern/Odessa Lake, and he is at the bottom of the screen, meanwhile you see the overwhelming view of an immaculate lake and behind it a mammoth peak. While it looks like Josh is simply taking a break while enjoying the scenery, you suddenly see him hook into a fish, reminding you that the park is gorgeous and seems to be a great fishery.

Josh also reminds you to respect the Rockies themselves in more ways than one. While fishing Haiyaha he notices a storm coming and gets caught in a hail storm while reminding us that if we’re going to come to the Rockies, to come prepared.  He also reminds us to stick to paths, fish on top of rocks and boulders and to pick up after ourselves in order not to destroy the natural habitats and resources. Great advice, not only for the Rockies but in general for any fisherman.

The film takes you through many other marvelous areas of the park including Lake of Glass, the Loch, Sky pond, Calypso Cascades and the last secret lake that holds the Colorado River Cutthroat. If you ever thought about visiting the Rocky Mountains, you love nature, you are a fly fisherman or thinking about getting into fly fishing, this film is definitely for you. If you’re anything like me this film will give you a taste of the Rocky Mountains and make you desire the real thing.

Sutter Bypass - 6/27 Report

No fishing this weekend. Last Thursday was the latest fishing trip. I did however scout a new location that I will more than likely be trying out soon.

So Let me tell you about last Thursday. Sutter Bypass, Yuba City, CA.  I took the hour drive to meet my new fishing buddy Russell. Russsell is out of Yuba City. He met me out at the boat launch with his boat in his truck. That’s the first time I have ever seen somebody with a boat in back of their truck, but I guess if it works, why not?

Well anyway, first thing is first, we cracked open a beer at 5pm and launched by 520. The area where we were fishing looked very promising; Lots of vegetation and shade. It was still hot when we hit the water so we immediately went looking for shade. I started off with the torpedo. I have it in two different sizes and threw them both out. Not even a strike.

Next I threw a frog for a while, nothing.  Then I tried a spinner bait, nothing. Then a strike king red eye shad, a swim bait, a jig, a torpedo again…. All of that and only two strikes the entire afternoon. Russell through out pretty much everything and also taught me how to use a buzz bait, which I didn’t know how to use before this trip. He says buzz baits usually get them in the bypass but he let me know that this specific day was a strange one, (Lucky for me!) everybody we asked was getting skunked.

Well, it wasn’t a total waste. Russell turned out to be really cool and we had some cold beers on a hot day on the water so I can’t complain.

We were pretty much finished and on our way back to the ramp when a lady started talking to us from shore. She asked if we caught any, we said “none.” She told us she had caught five small catfish. As we cruised by, I saw a dead bass in the water. I pointed it out to Russell. He was ecstatic and decided to go back and check it out. Turns out it was alive… barely. Russell lipped it by hand and after weighing and measuring, it turns out it was an 18” 4.82 lb Largemouth!  The Lady sees it and says, “I told you guys you were in the wrong spot, this is where they are.” We found it pretty funny because we weren’t far from her at all, she didn’t hear a struggle or anything and for some reason she thought we caught the fish ourselves. Russell then lifts it up and asks, “do you want it?” Sure enough the lady says yes. We stuck around long enough to hear her tell her husband that she caught it herself and to hear the jealousy in her husband’s voice as he said, “nice bass… very nice bass.” Sneaky lady!

As for the Torpedo, since  we weren’t getting any strikes on anything and since I still have yet to use it in bass heavy waters, I have to suspend judgment on it yet again. As soon as I find a good area, I will give it a test and let you guys know what’s up.

Well anyway, Saturday I went out for a cruise with my wife and we ended up at a bridge in the outskirts of Wood-town. The bridge runs over Cache Creek, a small creek that eventually drains into the delta south of Davis, CA. Well anyway, I went out and stared at the water for a while and I saw a small fish swimming around. As I stared a bit more intently I noticed another fish, a bit bigger, and then another, and another. They were pretty far down but their behavior told me they were largemouth bass. Whenever I would throw a pebble from up top, they would quickly go investigate like they were hunting for a meal on top of the water. I also saw a couple of turtles and what appeared to be a large sunfish. Well anyway, hopefully I will be checking out that fishing hole later this week and I will let you know what gives. Have a great week, folks!

2012 Fishing Year in Review!

 2012 was an interesting year for fishing. I say interesting because I got skunked a lot this year! Striper are my favorite fish to catch but for some reason Striper were extremely hard to come by this year. Last year I was catching tons of them. this year even the shakers were hard to catch. 

2/5/12 - 22" Striped Bass

 The beginning of the year wasn't too bad. I caught a nice 19 in in January and this 22" on Superbowl Sunday. Don't worry, I recorded the big game!

22" isn't a huge striper but it is the biggest I have caught so far. I look forward to beating that record soon and I will try hard this upcoming year.

Although striper made themselves scarce for me, their cousins, the Largemouth were available at my disposal. I look back at 2012 as the year that I Really learned to catch Largemouth bass.

3/25/12 - 6 Largemouths

 Prior to this year I had caught Largemouth but without any real tactic or skill. I barely knew any rigs or set ups. This year I learned about soft plastics, about presentation and specific ways to trigger bass strikes. I learned about spawning season and how big those girls get when they are ready to make some babies. spawning season was definitely a great time for Largemouth fishing.

This year My dad caught his first Largemouth bass, which was cool because I was able to learn about bass fishing and teach him how to catch them. Really went full circle on that: I taught the man that taught me how to fish!

4/8/12 - 20' 5 lb Largemouth

It was during this time that I posted some pictures online and was introduced to Catch and release etiquette. My entire life I had been taught to catch, scale and eat. This year I learned about catch, picture release and I can honestly say that I haven’t kept a larger bass since. I have kept a couple of 15-17 inch for the plate but nothing bigger than that. I let the big ones go and let them grow to catch another year!

5/6/20 - 1st Crappie in my life, WA

 

This year was also a year of firsts for me. Although i failed to catch my first Sturgeon and Salmon, I did succeed at catching a couple of other types of fish.To the right there is a picture of me catching my first crappie. Funny, I have caught a TON of blue gill in my life but had never caught a crappie! Well in my first fishing experience I caught my first crappie. he wasn't a huge fish but a milestone nonetheless! 

5/20/12 - 12 in. Rainbow trout, first trout of my life, at Bachelor Party

 This year I got married! For my Bachelor Party my buddies took me out camping and fishing out at Collins Lake.

I researched various methods on how to catch trout which may seem like second nature or common sense to some of you, but when you have never caught a specific type of fish and you know little about them, your methods feel more like wild guesses! Nonetheless my research paid off and I was able to hook into this nice 12 in Rainbow trout!

7/23 18 in Largemouth Bass, Best fight ever!

As I mentioned earlier, this year was a good Largemouth year. All summer long i hooked into largemouths and really learned why people love catching these bad boys.

This specific fish earned the nickname "The Warrior" because of the savage fight that he put up. Although he was smaller than some of the other largemouths I have caught, pound for pound he was the strongest fighter. This guy really showed me what a drag system was for when he fought my attempt to reel him in for several minutes before finally landing him. As you can see in the picture, this wasn’t this guys first fight. It certainly wouldn’t be his last as I released him to fight another day.

10/29/12 Bass Fishing by Moon Phases

 To finish up, This year I learned a bit about moon phases and how fish tend to feed more depending on the phase of the moon. I took these ideas to the fishing hole, not knowing what to expect. Sure enough it turns out that depending on the phase of the moon, fish are more likely to strike your lure. These two largemouths and a third that I released were proof top me that this method worked.

In all, it was a decent year of fishing but it could have been better. My hope is that 2013 will bring me more fish and more opportunities to research and learn how to catch fish as opposed to simply depending on luck.

As for you, how was your fishing year? Was it a slow or fast year? Learn anything you didn’t know in the past?

That’s it for now. I should be getting my fishing license in the next few days and I will be on the waters again! Until then, good luck and break that bank folks!