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Mnrider
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:02 am: |
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If you guys keep this up I'm gettin out my Muskie pics. |
Fast1075
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:14 am: |
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Dang Mn....the closest thing to a muskie we have down here is Chain Pickerel...they only get to around 8 or 9 pounds....they are FUN!!! They will absolutely murder a spinnerbait...it looks like a torpedo wake when they go after it...and they are tasty!!! unfortunately most people down here view them as trash fish....they are not!!!! |
Hex
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:14 am: |
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Here's a beast that I caught on my 9 foot 5 weight HexAngler, it's front two teeth were one inch long! I let it go just after the photo.
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M2statz
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:22 am: |
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Mnrider-"If you guys keep this up I'm gettin out my Muskie pics." Lets see 'em!! |
M2statz
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:26 am: |
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Hex-that thing looks like a whale!! Where did you catch and release that monster? In a previous life, we lived a quarter mile from the Rogue River in southern Oregon, we mostly kayaked and hardly did any fishing. Hind sight is said to be 20/20. |
Hex
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:05 pm: |
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It was a Salmon in the upper Sacramento river near Redding, CA. Funny thing is I was fishing for Stealhead at the time, and pulled this lunker out. A guy just happened to be walking the shore with a very nice dSLR and snapped the photo. I gave him my card, and he e-mailed it to me a week later. I sent him a hand made agate stripping guide as a gift. |
Hex
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:13 pm: |
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This rainbow is more typical of the fish I like to catch. We go backpacking in the Sierras, and I can usually bring a few back to camp. I'm not exactly a pure Catch and Release guy, but we only eat a few of the little ones when camping. I've let 99% of 'em go.
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Hex
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 12:25 pm: |
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We don't even use a tent anymore, just a light weight tarp strung up with sticks. |
Mnrider
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 01:11 pm: |
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Hex that's a monster! My Muskie pics are at home-pics coming tonight. |
Hex
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 01:55 pm: |
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That's as far as I ever got it out of the water, so I really don't know how big it was. When I looked down to get the egg fly out of its mouth, a primordial eye rotated up and just stared at me with blackness. It sent a spooky shiver up my spine. At that moment, I felt the weight of the ages--eons of life and nature. Reminded me of Moby Dick and Cpt. Ahab, and I reassured myself: "I do not fear Moby Dick - I fear the wrath of God." |
Drkside79
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 02:09 pm: |
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Hex easy on the pot bro. A little can go along way. Capt. Ahab he says
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Moxnix
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 03:04 pm: |
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"Yes, as every one knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever." --Ishmael in Moby Dick |
Mnrider
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 06:52 pm: |
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"Hurry up and snap the pic so I can get this thing back in the water before it gets a hold of my arm." Caught this cute little guy on 6# line while Walleye fishing. Took me over 45 minutes to get him in.Had him up to the boat 3 times only to have him run again. |
Hex
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 07:58 pm: |
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Awesome Walleye! I caught a Northern Pike once, similar story. Some fish have big, snarly teeth, and are mean as hell. That reminds me of another danger/safety story... Beware snapping turtles! Back in my youth I fished alone a lot on this lake: http://www.muldrewcottagers.com/ Trailing a string of small mouth bass behind the canoe, I felt a tug on the boat and heard a loud rush of air like a big breath, I looked behind me to see a three foot diameter snapping turtle with a head the size of a football take half of one of my fish with one bite. Needless to say I was scared, so I rowed away only to keep seeing the turtle following me. |
Mnrider
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 09:14 pm: |
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Thats a Muskie Hex,mean as a junk yard dog! |
Hex
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 09:26 pm: |
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Thanks, maybe some day, on the fly. |
Mnrider
| Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 09:29 pm: |
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People do catch them on big streamers,it's on my bucket list. |
M2statz
| Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 08:40 am: |
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After chatting with you guys for most of the day, one of the EMS guys was talking about about a get together he was going to last night, it was the local chapter of the state Trout Unlimited. So the wife and I went. We both got some casting lessons, met some nice people, got pointers on what equipment we would need and had a good time. With every pun intended, I think the wife is hooked. She was really disappointed when she didn't win the raffle for the new Sage set up complete with an Orvis reel and lots of flies. |
Hr_puffinstuff
| Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 09:23 am: |
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Mr. Puff-that would be great, seeing that you are not that far away. Why haven't we tried to get together for rides sooner? Now there is another reason to try to meet. Are you riding to HC? I will be in touch. Yup, just down the road. I putt through Portage all the time on my way to the curvy stuff. don't know - i mostly ride alone due to my erratic pace, inept skills, and tendency to wander off. this is changing, as i helped a buddy buy his first bike last fall, and we are planning a run to the Mississippi in the next week or two. maybe. haven't decided if i'm going to E.Troy, but i AM going to Blackhawk to watch the track action. I'll have house guests this weekend, but i'm up for the lake loop any time after that. County U is one of my faves. and, just to keep this from becoming a complete thread jack... my brother-in-law is a muskey guide (and he's GOOD at it) waaay up north. he put me on my first muskey less than two hours after hooking the boat to the truck, and that included stopping for dinner. took me longer to reel it in than it did to find it. i'm not sure, but i think it was aprox. 19 feet long and weighed almost 4 tons. |
Mnrider
| Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 12:13 pm: |
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I love a good fish story. |
M2statz
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 11:58 am: |
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The wife just called, she is practicing her casting in the front yard. |
Hex
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 01:50 pm: |
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Righteous! Tell here that there is a learning curve, but it is also a muscle memory activity, like bicycling. Once learned, it cannot be forgotten...even the mistakes. So she should be vigilant and critical of her own form right from the start. Bad form is sometimes harder to correct than slowing down and practicing perfection. I recommend at most only an hour every couple of days of lawn casting. On her off time, she should be thinking in the back of her mind what needs to be improved. Throwing tight loops 90' is within the reach of any adult, but you need to master the 10' tight loops first. Thumb on top of the handle like pushing a thumbtack into the wall. |
Hex
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 01:52 pm: |
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90% of the trout I have caught have been within 30 feet, and usually closer. |
B00stzx3
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 01:54 pm: |
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My dad caught a frogfish once way back on the eastern shore. Scary as hell lookin! |
Pwnzor
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 03:41 pm: |
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Hex, you're killing me. Rainbow trout is possibly the best thing in the world to eat, in my opinion. As a child we spent a LOT of time camping in Plumas county on the Feather River. Nothing better than fresh trout. |
Hex
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 03:58 pm: |
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The little ones are the tastiest...yummy! There are lot's of little trout in the waters and only a few big ones. So, we only eat the little ones, and just a few, when backpacking. They're more of a treat than a nourishment. I never rely on the catch for a meal. If I get lucky and catch a big one 16"+, I throw it back for the next angler or for spawning. Little brook and brown trout are tasty as well. Of course we always follow state fishing regulations, and practice barbless-catch-and-release-only if appropriate for the given water. And I've said this before: Once caught, twice shy. On catch and release only streams, you are competing against other anglers, not just the fish. They learn by experience not to get hooked again. Many times I have starred into the eyes of the largest trout, yet as i drift the fly past their nose they don't even turn their head. Pwnzor--Go Fish! |
Finmars
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 10:57 pm: |
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I just bought an Echo Micro practice rod(www.rajeffsports.com/)to help improve my casting with. My 8 yr old son got the hang of it in 30 minutes. It's only 4ft long and you can practice inside the house(Just don't tell the wife). It's a really fun way to learn and it allows you to try roll casting as well as overhead. |
Hex
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 11:47 pm: |
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We don't need no stinkin' rods. I've caught trout simply by hand casting a line. |
Kenm123t
| Posted on Friday, May 14, 2010 - 11:58 pm: |
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I wonder do folks that dynamite fish want to Nuke oil wells too? |
Hex
| Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 12:04 am: |
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Yer funny, are you a vegetarian? Maybe you can just sit on your thumbs, and it will stop the release. |
Mnrider
| Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 12:37 am: |
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Knots are a big deal in fly fishing. I really like the Scientific Anglers tapered leader setup to attach the fly line to the leader. It flows through the rod guides easily and works as a strike indicator. |
Delta_one
| Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 12:52 am: |
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man you guys stink... I was just saying that I wanted to get back into archery and fly fishing. so I bought a bow and some arrows (still on the way to my house but I am very exited) and figured I would be happy with that for a while, then you guys have to show off all the fun fly fishing stuff.... argh!!! so I haven't been fly fishing in over 10 years (scratch that make it fishing in general) and back then my grandpa just handed me a rod and reel told me to pick a fly and said the fish are that way get over there. (I miss those times but am exited to do it with my son when he is older) what are some good middle of the road set ups that I can get into for a decent amount of money? I don't mind piecing together to get a good set up, so it doesn't need to be a one package deal. I don't know brands or terms so please help me out. I know I want a 4 section rod and I have heard stories of catching steel head on a fly and it sounds like a riot. what weight should I be looking for to do this? |
Hex
| Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 01:45 am: |
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Mnrider, That muskellunge photo is an AWESOME trophy. You should be proud! I know I would be. The location, your posture, your expression, the size of that fish, for one moment--now memories! My dad and I tried many time to duplicate your achievement. Maybe tomorrow. Personally, I know if that photographer hadn't been on the bank for my Salmon photo, I wouldn't have remembered it to this day. Thank your photographer, too. So many fish, so little time. Awesome photo, good luck fly fishing, and if your ever in Cali, look me up... |
Mnrider
| Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 11:13 am: |
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That Salmon pic is Great Hex! He took the shot at just the right time,the fish with it's mouth open and your rod in the air. PERFECT What a great memory. That's better that the fish hanging on the wall. We only had one of those one time use camera's in the bottom of the tackle box so I feel lucky it turned out ok. |
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