Look what came today........

Quick post about a little something that came via UPS today………

Just after Christmas, I found an offer I could not refuse and with the incredibly warm temps we are expecting, this package arrived just in time!!! I’m really excited about this……………….

Cabela’s had their Cahill Fly-Fishing outfits (4pc. 9’ graphite rod, reel, line and backing) on sale for just under $40. I could not resist. I ordered a five weight outfit for pan fish and an eight weight for largemouth, smallmouth and striped bass. So why am I so excited about these “low-end” beginner’s outfits?  It’s all about the action and purpose.

These are probably the bottom of the Cabelas’ line.  However, I really like their mid-flex action for warm water fishing. Unlike saltwater fishing where super stiff extra fast rods enable you to fling 60 feet of line into the wind with a single haul, fishing medium sized rivers,  small streams and ponds generally involves short casts.  Accuracy and placement are paramount.  The moderate action allows for very precise placement and the stiff butt provides power for casting large terrestrials, bass bugs, streamers, weighted nymphs, and Clouser’s.  Those are flies typically for largemouth smallmouth bass and panfish. More importantly unlike the higher in rods they really take a beating in the brush, trunk, closet and if you lose one… you won't miss it as much as a $600.00 Sage. So, that is why I'm really excited about what came in the mail today and hopefully a warm Monday through Friday will make for an exciting mid-winter excursion Saturday.

My EDC............. not what you think

Every Day Carry or "EDC".  For the unfamiliar, here is a youtube link to a typical EDC video by a well known poster. EDC uploads are extremely popular.  Why, I don't really know.  However, I can assure you that every hour or so it seems someone is uploading a new one.  So, i'm going to have some fun and post my "EDC" . This one is different.  No “Bug Out Bags”, Urban Survival Gear or Conceal Carry details.  My EDC evolves and refers to what I carry from season to season in order to take advantage of the 30 minutes here or an hour there I can squeeze in between commutes to lay a line or throw a lure.  My current summer/spring EDC is geared towards small streams, rivers and office park or municpal pond fishing.  It has taken years to refine my "EDC", but I think I have an efficient flyfishing set up and the ultimate urban (suburban) conventional gear set up.  So let’s go.

First off, fly fishing is my favorite way to enjoy the water. Typically, I keep a chest pack with what I consider a bantam batch of essential flies to cover all water and weather conditions:

As you can see, I favor streamers, buggers and terrestrials.  Poppers are fun to fish but streamers and terrestrials more efficient in smaller rivers and ponds.  Over the next few weeks I’ll be learning to tie my own.   For my conventional pack I generally keep a few 3/16-1/4 oz crankbaits running 1-3’.  The rebel wee-craw is a go to even at 1/8 oz.  In fact I caught my best bass ever, a 20.5” smallmouth on one!  The little micro hook locked in the corner and held.  Next up would be an assortment of senko worms and grubs.  Great thing about senko soft baits is that they have enough weight to cast unweighted in shallow water for a nice slow action.  The last thing to fill it out would be 1/8 safety pin spinnerbaits with chrome single Colorado blades (Strike King). 

For my hardware, I use an 8’ Cabalas Cahill 5wt 4 piece rod and reel.  A good moderate-fast action will load in the top 1/3^rd of the blank allowing it to handle large wind resistant flies; present accurate short-med casts and more importantly it will take a beating and hold together.  In contrast most high-end fast action rods tend to be rather brittle.  To be honest, the best rod for this purpose is probably a 6 wt with a fighting butt.  Often referred to as a “salt water 6-weight”.  I’ll be upgrading soon.  In my opinion a 6 wt makes sport of small bream but will throw larger streamers and bugs for bass. 

For my conventional rod I really like a 2-piece 6’ medium-light St. Croix Premier casting rod.  I used to have a Shimano 100B reel.  Great set up allowed me to throw tubes as light as 1/8 oz accurately without bird’s nests.   This reel lasted over 10 years but recently I actually “upgraded to” a Shimano Cardiff 100. Another great reel, I found one new and unused on eBay.  These two reels are the best (IMHO) for small stream bassin. 

The conventional setup generally gets the nod when I have less than an hour on the water.  Honorable mention goes to my spinning set up. A St. Croix reel on a 2-piece 6’6” med action rod.

Rounding out the EDC are a set of waders/belt, mesh carry bag, flash light, utility tool (Gerber Suspension), wading boots, phone and a hat.

The pay off........... a little trophy like this small bass (6 of 2012).  He's under a foot, but I caught him in a small stream you could step accross most days. 

 

A Rainy Day on the Neuse River

Earlier this evening, I noticed the rain tapering off and immediately a thought came to mind: A rainy day means no swimmers, dogs, kayakers...... a great time to fish.  It's only 3pm I can get in a couple hours.  So I hit the Neuse and this wonderful sight (an almost empty lot)  greeted me.

A short walk to the landing and sure enough, no boats, no dogs, no swimmers and believe it or not clear water!  Nothing against swimmers and boaters, they have every right to the water and I like dogs (except when they try to retrieve my lures/flies), but it's nice to have quiet water. 

I gladly went back to the truck, grabbed the 5-weight and got to work.  I fished up and down the main channel using an olive beadhead bugger, a black leech pattern, and finished with a chartreuse and white clouser.  Nothing.  I only planned on spending a couple of hours on the water, but just before heading back to the truck I saw a feeder stream that I could not resist.  I decided to tie on a small brown and tan clouser and work the mouth of this feeder stream before heading out.

Bang, hit!  Landed this nice bream (number 4 of 2012)

A few misses and I got number 5...........

As usual the fishing heats up as the clock winds down.  A quick in and out before dinner, but a wonderful way to finish off a late rainy Sunday.

When the Dogwoods Bloom.......................

When the Dogwoods Bloom the Bass will boom.   That was an old saying I heard when I was young.  It generally referred to pre- spawn largemouth bass on a post-winter feeding binge and white bass gathering for their travel up stream.  Last week I had an opportunity to return to the Eno with Kev2380 to flyfish for white bass.  Well the turkey hunters were out (opening weekend), the dog woods were in bloom:

These fellas came over to greet me as I left the parking lot:

The parking lot began to fill:

All signs the white bass run was on, but there wasn’t a white bass to be found.  Much like the dogwoods (this one just started to bloom……. A month after the former!)

the unusually warm March followed by a seasonably cooler April have thrown a lot of migrating species slightly off their traditional patterns.  On the plus side, a few bream and robins made the trip worth it……. The skunk is no more.

The Eno River runs through Orange and Durham Counties in central North Carolina.  My blog is named in honor of the Lower James River which holds a special place in my heart.  My home.  However, the Eno is a small unspoiled (for an urban) river loaded with the largest, most colorful and gorgeous robins (redbreast sunfish) and bream (all other sunfish) you’ll find anywhere.  There is another small gem hidden in this stream as well.  The roanoke bass.  Unless you live in a warm water river drainage of high water quality and no smallmouth bass in the piedmont region of central/southern Virginia or central/northern North Carolina, you’ve probably never seen or heard of it.  Just imagine a rock bass, slightly deeper with a red eye.  Next up......... perhaps a trip to the Neuse  River.  (Note: I was beaten to the punch on Roanoke Bass...... Nice post).