The Water Swatters: May 2007

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Dream Ticket 2008. The Water Swatters endorse....

We hope they decide to run again. We need 'em. Bad.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Neglected

I know, I know. I've been ignoring you ol' girl. No rain in weeks has really put a strain on our relationship, hasn't it? Placed a call today to the river. She'll be releasing 3000 cfs this weekend. Sound good? Me too, I can't wait. We'll probably slide over a few rocks. Might get a little bumpy. I might have to row my ass off without much current. I hope we catch a schiattload of bass too, maybe even a gar or two. That reminds me, I must go. Don't get mad, just need to twist up some flies for this coming weekend. Talk to you soon.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Bunny Gotcha's Now in Redfish Models

Top Fly

Hook: Mustad 34007 #4

Thread: white flat waxed nylon

Eye: lead dumbell

Body: gold sparkle braid, overwrapped with 20lb mono

wing: chincilla zonker rabbit strip

Bottom Fly

Hook: Mustad 34007 #4

Thread: Danville Brown 6/0

Eye: lead dumbell

Body: copper sparkle braid, overwrapped with 20lb mono

wing: brown grizzly zonker rabbit strip

Scud Mountain Boys

I was going through my music collection in preparation to sell on ebay, Daddy needs a new 6 weight. I stopped and perused the liner notes from Scud Mtn's "Massachussetts". I remembered them being fishermen. It has a thank you section and then:

"Scud Mt. Boys use Maxima tippets and Metz hackle exclusively"

I think that kicks ass.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

1500 hits later.... A Beer Hug & Some Bream Bugs

I told Ulysses that I would put up a prize when we reached 1500 visitors. Well, we're there. WT & Management over at Flytimes did something similar, so we're copying. 10th person to comment in this post gets a kickarse beer hugger and six R.L.D. bream flies. I bought some of these beer huggers from Standard Deluxe, check 'em out. I twisted up these shoddily tied flies and they will catch the hell out of bass and panfish. You can only comment twice and not consecutively. And no Ulysses, you're not eligible.

Things We Like Pt 4

Waylon

The Cure for Wot Ailes Ye

Old Ulysses hasn't been quite up to snuff lately and whilst consulting with Atticus, he prescribed ( 7 years at an SEC school makes you a doctor, right?) fishing, massive amounts of fishing. I haven't been able to get out on the water for a bit now and so I was up early and didn't even consult the tides; I had to go.

I drove out to [Name Redacted] for a typical spring Sunday lots-o-crowds, but I knew a little turn off away from the beaten path. Only one old Ford was parked at the end of the trail and I rigged up.

It was green grass and high tides on [Name Redacted], but a metric shatload of bait and the water was ever the right height at the mangroves. I tied on a Cooks Creek Critter and started working the 'groves. First cast was a bit rusty, landed one right in the branches and had to wade up and get 'er out.

I worked the cuts and holes up this shoreline for a few hours, perfecting the cast and getting the fly to land in the cuts, and sometimes the branches. Mullet were everywhere, and not just Old Duane; it was heartening to see the lower Bay come back after a severe red tide two summers ago that took out a lot of life down here.

After a few hundred casts, it became apparent that Messrs Snook and Redfish had gone elsewhere, so I practiced snap sight casting at mullet moving up the grass line. I headed back to the truck, hopeful to break out the shooting head and work some Jedi skills at the Pass.

The Pass is a spot where you can find poon beach side (read that however you want to). Basically, on an outgoing tide, you swing big crab and baitfish patterns through the pass, hoping to drift one pass the nose, eyes and gaping maw of Mr Silver King. Last summer I spooked three 60 pounders, laid up 5 feet from me in 3 feet of water. I tried to make a ninja short side cast to them, but I turned my right foot ever so slightly and splashed a bit, sending them out to the Gulf.

I drove up to the Pass, knowing it would be packed, knowing I would have to traverse about a mile of family beach before getting to the outlet. What I didn't know was that I'd have to drive around for 15 minutes looking for a parking spot. I was about to park on the grass when the local rock station kicked off the Crue's "Doctor Feelgood". Feeling better and realizing there would also be about 200 Sea-Doos and jet-ski's either beached, anchored or ripping around the pass, I saddled up and left.

Atticus, the script worked

[name redacted] River, NC

Went with my brother and some friends last week to fish/hike/camp. Took the dogs also. Weather was perfect. Fellowship was perfect. This is what life should be like....biggest decisions I made that weekend was whether to fish upstream or downstream and what to cook for dinner.