Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year......


To day I hit the water early with checking the flow data and of course my first stop of the day was high and muddy from the rains the previous evening.  That will teach me a lesson or two.

I did find some green and slightly murked water today.

I ran into  one of the regulars who got into a few but I had the skunk strip on me.

Frankly, I did not care a bit. 40 degree weather on December 31st?

I will take that any day.

May you all have a safe,healthy and happy 2012.

I have appreciated and will continue to appreciate my time on the water and my friends that share it with me.

Take care and thank you.

Until later.....

Monday, December 26, 2011

Perfect green, Perfect flow, Minimal fish........




Today the water was a beautiful green. The flow was slightly up but it was looking great. I started out at daylight and shortly thereafter was joined by Bill and Frank. You couldn't ask for better conditions in late December with the moderate weather conditions. It felt more like early November than late December. The problem was there were only  a few fish around to be had for some of the lucky fisherman today. A fish here or there or a skunk. No great fresh pods of eager fish moving in from the lake hungry for our offerings.

It was great to see Bill ,Frank, and Buda on the water today. A good number of fresh fish would have made it better.

Until later..................

Monday, December 19, 2011

Suckage...............








I got out out for a couple hours Saturday morning tolerating finger numbing wind and muddy water. I pulled one fish out of the murk to prove a point to my self and then had enough.

Sunday afternoon I got out with the Commander in more moderate temps and greener water. The results were Nil. Either the fish had lock jaw from the frigid evening the night before or we just suck.
Either way the results were the same. It was good to get out with the Commander after countless time conflicts throughout the season.

Today I could have fished in balmy 45 degree weather with Bill and Frank but my body and mind just said screw it, enough of beating your body into submission with little or no results.

Today was a day of mental and physical recovery.


Monday, December 12, 2011

Not much to say............










Today was slow and cold  for most of the day. I met Bill and Frank out at first light hoping to put some damage on some fish. The day started out with numb fingers and and cold feet until the sun melted off some of the slush and heated the air.

Bill hooked up with a fresh silver fish despite his choice in hats but that was it in the first couple hours.

We decided to ping pong back and forth between tribs looking for slush free water. Our luck was not so good today but we gave it our best. After Bill and Frank headed back north, I hit a couple of spots and got the skunk off myself with two fish on jigs.

just not much to say...............


Saturday, December 10, 2011

A respectable outing..................








A chilly start in the mid twenties this morning but there was no windchill. The action was slow but as the sun rose in the sky and heated the water the fish came alive. I was in solitude walking through fresh  virgin snow with only my tracks to be found. I did lose one pigger. I had beached after she took a jig and rolled herself in the the leader. Once I got her to shore,my Michigan Mitt was frozen like a rock. I tried bare handing her but I couldn't get a grip on her thick tail tail and she slipped back into the green with out posing for a picture.

Not a bad day.................

Monday, December 5, 2011

The hunch............






Today I had a late start due to a few appointments I had to get out of the way. I hit the water at about 10:30 am at a place I had a hunch about. The water was on the high end of fishable a murky green/ brown...brown/green on the verge of clearing up. The forecast called for rain today so my window of opportunity was going to be small. I was graced with a few fish today which included mostly fine silver specimens and one dark male. The fish fell to jigs tipped with small egg sacks in the murky green water. They were stubborn and did everything the could to use the current to their advantage.

I'll take a few hours on the water like this any day.

Just me and the fish............

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Marginally better than a skunk..............



This morning ended up to be be more of  nature walk than fishing expedition. I did come into contact with a few fish and the water still had a hint of green. I mostly  came into contact with other fisherman on my walk and bitching at me that they weren't finding fish. I am not the river keeper nor the Department of Environmental Conservation. 


We are all humbled from time to time and this humility makes our future success that much sweeter.

Still beats working............

Saturday, December 3, 2011

zero.............



After taking a week off to recharge the batteries,I hit a few tribs with eager anticipation. The water bumped up a few days ago and started to recede leaving me with hopes of fresh fish in all my usual haunts. Today the water was looking nice and coming she was coming into its own but there were no fish located.

A number of the numerous other fisherman I polled on my way back to the truck shared the shape stories of frustration.

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose......

I felt energetic and did a lot of walking today.

The fresh air was great.

I shall endeavor to change my luck tomorrow morning.

Until later............