FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

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We got the car transferred in OKC so on the way back we decided to stop a night in Ruidoso.  It sure is nice not to have to be anywhere.  We used to stay there some and a room on the lake at the Inn of the Mountain Gods is one great way to wake up.  We saw plenty of game on the trip and are always happy to take the mountain route home.  It was good to get the car thing settled and get back to the outdoors.  And speaking of the outdoors South Fork is in full summer mode.  The floaters, fishermen, 4 wheelers and hikers have converged on our small town.  The bears have also joined the crowd and there have been plenty of reports and sightings.  This is the Rockies.

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TENKARA

Last time I mentioned the Tenkara fly rod and finally got a chance to use it.  A Tenkara fly rod is one interesting fishing pole.  Basically, it is a long rod without the need for a reel.  It then has a length of “fly line” and you attach a leader then a fly.

Brook Trout are one beautiful fish.

The one I got is 10′ long and the line and leader are also that length but time will tell on how that all works together.  The flies that came with it are a little different than others but in the 3 hours I fished they bit some of the “regular” stuff along with the Tenkara flies.  The method has plenty of small streams advocates and that is exactly why I decided to try it.

The first one almost as soon as I started.   The best Rainbow of the morning.

For the first trial I wanted a open area where I could learn to cast and get the hang of it.  So it was below the dam at Big Meadow with a nice pool right beside the road.  Little did I know it would be 3 hours of catching.

Brown trout.  It was a mixed bag.

Part of the learning curve is getting used to raising the rod after the cast and then following the fly letting it drift naturally.  The Tenkara style fly took me a strike or two to get the hang of hooking them but with everything happening so close it did not take long.

With the bite on I tied on a dry fly to get the hang of drifting so I could watch it.  That turned out to be fun as several hooked up.  It also let me see exactly what the fly was doing and how to handle the current.  At this point it was 3 different flies so before quitting I tied on the smallest fly in the box.  (With this eye thing tying a size 24 on a 5x was no small feat.)  And they liked that to.

The first attempt with the Tenkara was a real success.  And being able to catch an easy dozen plus on an assortment of fly styles really shortened my learning curve.  I have really begun to love fishing small places out of the way.  The size of the fish is not an issue, it is just plain cool to be on a small mountain stream with not a soul in sight.  It really was fun this morning and it will have a permanent place in the arsenal.

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MLF Boat Crash

Things are heating up in the crash that killed the guide and a couple of customers during an MLF tournament.  Of course, everybody is suing everybody and now MLF is suing Flint Davis their angler who hit the striper guide’s boat.  It is about to get ugly, but it tells you all you need to know about bass fishing today.  While the facts of course are in dispute the time has come to hold the MLF and other organizations responsible for what seems to be an uptick in accidents involving tournaments. (There was actually another one in a big tournament the same day.) Bass fishermen and the organizations seem to think they own the water and take priority over the rest of us, just fish on your local lake when a big one is being held.  I am sorry but the speed and horsepower thing is out of hand.  Then once one of their participants does something like this, they cut them lose in a minute.  There need to major changes to the whole sport and limiting speed would be a good start.  So the final resolution probably years from now will be interesting.

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Hope everything is good with you all.  It is lovely here, mid 70’s with cool mornings.  We do not have or need AC and our electric bill reflects that.  We are headed out to the high mountains for a hike this morning.  It is way to nice to stay inside.  And the planning for a car/boat port starts Friday with the removal of 3 trees, 2 in the way and one that needs to go.  Still waiting on bids but as they say this is Colorado.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines