reevesr1

That's a first. And there was only one?

I never drink enough or eat enough food when I fish. I think it goes back to fishing with my dad. We would fish all day on the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, with 1 egg sandwich each for lunch and maybe a couple of cokes each on the boat. Our wades would be HOURS long at times, and I never once remember having any water with me. Not saying that is smart, just saying it is so. When I do eat, I do it as fast as I can so I can get fishing again faster. I'm not really one for sitting around and enjoying my surroundings, relishing a good meal on the water. For me personally, I'd rather be actively fishing. Things that many people find as enhancements to the fishing experience I find to be unwanted or unnecessary distractions (and not saying that is the best way to be, it's just how I am). Most of you are now asking "so what?" and rightly so. Well, it serves as background for the following story. I just spent three excellent days fishing with Bigbowtrout and uberfly in BC. I'm sure I'll crank out a full report at some time as the trip has lots of stories, but one will stick with me for a long time. Our first day we were on a river system I had fished before, but further upstream than I had ever been. The river was plenty full of big, healthy, and very, very picky cutts. I don't know how many fly changes, but the number was high, But it seemed for the vast majority of the afternoon each of us were working individual fish. Just a blast of a day. At a short lull, I wolfed down a sandwich as fast as humanly possible. I realized at the time it tasted funny, but I truly didn't care. Some time later, either Uber or BBT asked if my sandwich tasted funny, and not wanting to get into any type of conversation about a sandwich while a big cutt was refusing every thing I could think of to toss at him, I said "no, it was fine." At about 6 PM we are back at the van, and the subject of sandwiches comes up again. BBT says, "smell this bag, it smells like perfume. Or dryer sheets!" I may have actually been eating my second sandwich at that time, but since I was starving, again, I didn't really care all that much. I'm wasn't sure how perfume or dryer sheets would cause me any internal distress, so I just suffered through the extra flavoring. Better full with a bad taste in my mouth than starving since the closest food was 2 hrs away. So we get back to the condo, after stopping for new sandwich bags (we had only found 4 in the pantry originally). Uber mentions something about burning the original bags. One of the two of them looks in the pantry and discovers that a pile of dryer sheets are on the shelf, and the ziplock bag box had been sitting on them. So apparently, if you sit your ziplock box on dryer sheets, the dryer sheet chemicals will seep through the box, and then into all the bags (or at least 4 of them), and makes you sandwich taste funny. So don't ever do that. Unless, like me, a. You don't really care all that much, and b. A good story is worth a bad taste in your mouth. Not like anyone got sick or anything!

To get more views, and perhaps more participation, maybe this should also be moved to the General Chat-Fishing Related area?

I think that is a great idea. Schedule depending, I would love to participate.

Going to meet some BC fish this weekend in the rain it looks like. Have many adams and bwo flies with me!

Sorry for sidetracking Marc. As I plan to retire in Fla, I found it interesting.

To me, at least on the US Gulf Coast, there are so many better food options why would anyone want to eat a bonefish, permit, or tarpon? Add that to the fact that the fish that are good to eat are so much easier to catch. If you think of the fish as an economic resource, then keeping makes even less sense. Closing for spawning is an interesting topic. Far as I know, there is no sport fish on the gulf coast that is closed specifically for spawning. They do close the snapper season in federal waters (or maybe it's state, I forget), but I think that is just a method of reducing total catch, not to protect spawning fish. I could be wrong. But other than that, I can think of no spawning closures. Nor do I personally know anyone I've ever fished with down there who avoid fishing for spawning fish (Texas and La. gulf coasts). The big redfish runs every year in September/October is targeting fish coming in to the bay systems to spawn. We used to night fish for speckled trout in the summer on full moons because they were spawning. Problem with trout is they spawn all summer long. Though I would not imagine that is the case for tarpon, being so migratory, I would not be surprised to learn bonefish or permit are season long spawners. Many saltwater fish are, again, from what I've been told as opposed to scientific knowledge. Bycatch- Tough subject for me since I spent a big hunk of my life shrimping. I will say we rarely ever caught gamefish in the net. But I know that isn't the case everywhere, with all species.

Strange to me that Tarpon, bonefish, or permit would be considered anything other than catch and release. They are useless as table fare. I guess people are just keeping them for mounts? Since most of the people targeting these fish are doing so pretty much just for sport, you would think it wouldn't be hard to implement a 0 bag limit. But I'm sure if it was easy, it would have already been done.

The tarpon one was ok, if you like that sort of thing. But the Louisiana marsh one made me very happy. Nice to see they are still alive and well post BP.

Can't this weekend. Will be stalking cutts in BC!

Ok, Here are a few more: Fish is screaming out into the river and you see your line just about to wrap behind you reel seat, hooked on your lanyard, whatever. You know how the story ends and you are powerless to stop it. That moment seems to stretch. You have been fighting a big fish for a awhile and can feel it tiring. Then you feel the abrasion of your line around a rock, or stump, or whatever big fish has found at the bottom of the river. Again, you know how the story will end, it just seems to take a long time to actually happen. Fighting really fast fish coming right at you. You strip as fast as possible, but can't keep up. The prayer filled moment when you think you've caught up and hope you feel the line tighten again, knowing you probably won't. And my personal favorite, thought it has only happened once: The time it takes your line to break once you have hit the knot at the end of your backing. That takes hours.

Crap. Note to self: Stop writing like a gay guy. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

A fish worth waiting for:

That's what I thought. Do they get that big? It ain't a trout!

He probably already does, just keeps those stories to himself! Great story as always! 800m, hey? Oh well, you know there are fish in it!!

Sounds like a great deal. FYI, I have some Filsons that I absolutely love. They are new to the game, but sure make quality gear. The great fallacy in the whole wader game is that "if you buy cheap you will have to buy waders every year." I claim that if you buy inexpensive and smart, that statement is incorrect. I have a pair of $80.00 breathables I bought for my son 4 or 5 yrs ago. My other son is using them now.

Friend of mine caught this in a BC lake. Anyone know what it is?

It's all about passion. Positive outcomes elicit more poetic responses. Conversely, negative outcomes elicit more earthy, monosyllabic responses. And while we are being earthy, where are my *#&$in pictures?

I was fortunate enough on Friday to be able to tag along with hawgstoppah in a couple of bodies of water that were new to me. Many things happened that made this trip memorable, among them the biggest dry fly rainbow I've caught to date. But one moment struck me more than others..... Brian and I had been hard at it for 6 hours or so. The fishing had been fairly tough as we mostly were looking for snouts and not really finding many. We were having a bit of success nymphing, but that's not really what we were there for. We started working our way up the river, with Brian a bit in the lead when I noticed he had stopped and was sitting on the bank. Finally! I thought, and worked my way up. When I reach him, he points out a couple of nice fish rising, and he says "go get them", but I tell him that I need to change flies and he should go. Well, long story short, he works the fish for awhile (they were not being all that cooperative) before he finally hooks and lands a screaming hot 20" rainbow. The next fish is mine and I work it for a bit and finally hook....a 13" rainbow. Not exactly the fish I was looking for, but fun nonetheless. Brian starts working the next couple, and they are being very picky. After about 15 minutes I decide to skip up a bit to see if I can find some far enough away not to bother Brian. I don't see any fish actively working, but I do see the prettiest little run that screams "fish here!!" So I throw a cast into the choppy run and struggle to see my fly, when I see a big swirl and silver flash. Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but for me time does some pretty strange things between the time you see a fish strike and the time you set the hook. A million thoughts run through your head in that seemingly endless second or so. Was that on my fly? Does he have it? Geez, he looked huge! Take your time! It's only 5x, don't slam it home! And foremost, when the rod is coming back "PLEASE, OH PLEASE LET HIM BE ON" and then that exquisite moment when the rod bends WAY back, and you know you are in for some real fun. And I was, as the big girl gave me one of the greatest fights I've had on a fly rod (on my 3wt!). Several minutes later I was releasing a beautiful 22" slab of a rainbow. I sort of have a mental list of my 5 or so favorite fish, which now has a new member. But I really think I'll remember that endless moment more than the fish. Who would have thought so much can be packed into such a short period of time.

Yeah, that Brian can sure talk your ear off.

Wait, don't you already know all of mine? Seems the information has been traveling one way! I promise I won't bonk any fish if you tell me your spots.

Dammit man, you are risking the entire fishery by your selfish actions!

Very nice job guys.

There have been countless posts on this forum on how to fish different types of flies. Given by numerous posters. What exactly is your point? That people are not as helpful as they say?

edit