Problems with Blogger

Is anyone else having issues with Blogger?  I can sign in and post new stuff but I cant seem to comment or respond to comments left for me on my blog.  I can comment on other people's blogs but not mine.  So, with that being said, I have tried to respond to the comments left regarding the bait fish pattern I have been working on.  Sorry guys as I don't know what is going on.  I also like number 2 the best.  It looks nice.  It seems like the red and the orange clash in number 3.  I had hoped it would have appeared as though the bait fish was bleeding but what you think is a good idea in your head doesn't always look good or work at the vise. 

New Baitfish Pattern I Have Been Working On

Well work and play came to a screeching halt this week as I was stricken with a bad case of gout in my left foot.  Man o man it sucks getting old.  The price I paid for eating like crap for the past few weeks and working like a dog.  Well after the pain subsided a bit and with nothing else to do (I am stuck in my game on the Xbox) I decided to tie a little. 

This is a small (size 10!) bait fish pattern I have been working on.  Most of the smallies I catch where I fish are in the 8 to 12 inch range.  That is not to say that there aren't some big boys and girls lurking as I have caught two over 17 inches in this particular river.  The river though is not known for being a smallmouth fishery.  In fact, quite the opposite.  So given the size of the smallies, I tend to make my flies in the 8, 10 or 12 size range.  Here are the photos showing how it has evolved since I started working on it a month or so ago.  The tail is Micro Pine Squirrel, the body is orange Cactus Chenille with so wool and the Micro Pine Squirrel is pulled over and tied off in front.  I did add some lead wire to it to make it sink a little.  Without it, I found out that the wool keeps it up and floating on the surface.  Please let me know what you think and remember it doesn't look pretty right now as I am still working on the pattern.

Here is the first prototype:

Here is number two:

And here is the current model:

Sorry for the crappy photo on the third guy.  We finally bought a new camera and I am still learning how to use it.  Anyways, I like both the second and third models.  I think on the third one though the red wool needs to be angled down more towards the bottom of the hook shank.  Overall though I like them.  They are had to do in such a small size.

Order Up and Shipped Out

Here is an order I just did for a customer.  A lot of foam this go around.  I can't wait to see what he catches with all the goodies here.

Mother Nature Hates Me

or so it would seem.  Every time I work the sun is out and there isn't a cloud in the sky.  Sometimes it maybe a little hot, read over 100 but at least there isn't any rain.  Every damn time lately that I have had one day off here and there, it has rained either that day or the day before.  This of course means the river will be running high, fast and stained.  Oh and I don't mean a little light rain either.  I mean a rain like when Noah had to collect the animals and run rain.  What this really all boils down to is that I haven't had much time to fish lately.  Either cause Mother Nature is mad at me for some reason or because I have been working like a dog as of late.  It has been a crazy Summer with the weather. 

I got an email from Jay over at the Naturalist's Angle.  He was a winner in the fly name contest.  He and Kelly were fishing with it and Kelly managed to land this with it:

What a beautiful fish.  Please do yourself a favor and check out Jay's blog.  If you want to read more about how this fish was caught, click here

I have been working on orders so I should have some photos up soon regarding those.  I also have a wool head streamer I would like to show everyone.   Remember people, I am not dead just busy with my full time job and cursing Mother Nature for raining on my fishing days.

Hooked My First Carp Tuesday......

and lost it all in the span of about 10 seconds.  Carp lovers don't get too excited.  I am not sure if I loved it or not but I will say it was interesting.  As apparently is the story of my life currently, work has kept me from tying and fishing.  I have been busy which has left little time to do anything else.  I had off for once on Tuesday, 08/02/11, and I had a look at the weather.  Wednesday looked like it would be raining, which it did, so I decided to head out for a couple of hours Tuesday evening.  I decided to go back to the Monocacy River.  Shocker I know right??  Anyways, I settled on working a small run while the wife and youngest played on the play equipment at the park.

I worked my way down the run without much success.  This area is easily accessed and therefore sees a lot of fishing pressure.  On the far side of the run close to the far bank there is a rock wall and a "deep" hole.  This area usually produces red eyed rocks, smallies and long ears.  Last year this spot produced my biggest smallie of the year.  The last few outings where I have gone here I have actually hooked up with some catfish.   I made my way across the river and got in a nice position to cast to this spot.  I started picking up long ears and one red eyed rock on the Monocacy Bumble Bee here.  As I was casting, I happened to look down and out about 7 feet from when.  I noticed a rather large white object making its way up the river.  I then started to see puffs of dirt come off the bottom.  I knew it was a carp.  I stripped in my line and decided to try a white Road Kill Nymph.  Here is when I screwed myself so to speak.  I use a bastardized version of the improved clinch knot to tie my flies to my tippet.  My tippet was rather rough looking so I of course didn't replace it.  As I tied the Road Kill on instead of doing the usual 15 or so wraps around I only managed to do four.  I don't know why.  I think maybe it was carp fever not that much of a difference from buck fever for you hunters out there.  I know I rushed and I remember saying to myself that there was no way this knot was going to hold and then convincing myself it would work.  I threw it out right in front of the carp.  I stripped it once and watched my line rocket down and up river.  I knew I had the carp.  The problem became that as soon as I put pressure on the line, it broke and the carp swam off.  This all occurred in less than ten seconds.  I watched as the carp swam up stream turning on its side to try and get the fly out of its mouth.  I just sat there and watched and thought to myself "Laziness cost you the fish!" 

I tied on another white Road Kill Nymph.  I short while later I managed to hook and land a decent sized catfish.  As soon as the fly hit the water, he took it and ran.  I was quite surprised to see it was a cat.  It did put up one hell of a fight.  I worked him back across the river and then up the river until I could find a place to beach him for a photo.  I might have gotten a new camera for work but I am not taking it out with me.  So, these photos were taken by my cell phone camera.  Eventually I will get a camera for use on the water but until then.....sorry for the crappy photos.  I ended the night with 14 long ears, 2 smallies, 1 red eyed rock and 1 catfish.  Most caught on the Monocacy Bumble Bee.