The TRUE 1st sign that spring is coming
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I couldn’t take it any longer. I was missing the odor of much nicer weather. So after a few month break of not engulfing my nostrils with the sweet aroma of smoldering cherry wood, I had to break the habit of slow cookers, skillets and stir-fry meals. Tonight...pulled pork, with a couple chickens thrown on, to give my wife some different options, and possibly a pulled chicken taco/nacho come Tuesday. Even put a second pork butt on the rack to supply lunch for the guys at work tomorrow.
Not much better than the smoker doing what it does, frost on the glass railings and a GSP on the table keeping guard for any swamp creatures/neighbors who decide to intrude. This is March, and Mother Nature is beginning to loose her grip. This afternoon, we will go on a run (let me clarify that...Levi will go for a run, there is no WE in run) and see if we can locate some woodcock as they migrate back through. What is your favorite sign to let you know Spring is just around the corner?
White perch have finally arrived in the river near my house. Got enough perch and a couple of crappies for a meal. Filleted them and had some for breakfast just a little while ago.Yep, I had fish for breakfast. I coat the fillets with Italian bread crumbs and yellow corn meal and it is delicious.
We are probably a month out before papermouths start up. Was on the lake yesterday and main lake temp was 41 deg with back canyons at 43 to 45. True, you can catch them in winter, just haven't attempted it (yet). My real mission was to mark stuff normally underwater for June smallies later on via dropshot.
Boat ran like it was stolen though!
Spring is arriving in Reno.
It was in the low-twenties and upper-teens at daybreak earlier in the week, but it hit sixty here yesterday afternoon and the forecast is calling for daytime highs in that neighborhood for the next week or more.
Saw my first real sign of spring today.
Two crack heads were pawning a space heater
Low 50's here. Took the Harley out for some air. Myself as well.
Put last year's compost on the garden beds.
The horse poop is starting to unfreeze in the paddocks, so I've been shoveling. The yard too with the dog poop.
There's many things that you can say about me, but what you cannot is....."He doesn't know sh*t! "
Brought out the fly rod yesterday and fooled some trout. Water temp was 41F. Flocks of robins flitting about and geese heading north. Saw a doe that looked like she was going to have twins. Buds on the trees. YES its close.
But woke up to heavy frost this morning :>(
Cool nights in the teens and 20’s followed by sunny days that hit the 40’s. It ain’t far when that starts.
Spring is definitely here, took the dog for his morning walk today and did not need to wear my gaiters and didn't even have frost bite when I got back to the house. We did have to swim half of the usual route but we made it!
Planted Watermelon,Corn -2" tall,Jalepenos and Garlic is already 6" tall. And some Taters too.
Started tying flies for the upcoming season.
Matt
sweet Matt. Those little guys cream dubbing with a sharpie over the back?
I got a few streamers in last night... Getting close, most of the sheet ice came off local streams late last week, mostly upper 30's to 45 for highs through Thursday here, then 40's to low 50's for a while...
Yampa still frozen, but the Colorado looked awesome yesterday between silt and the Canyon. 3’ of snow in the yard so it’ll be a while up here.
Wish I had time to pull over but was under the gun from the wife to get home after the CBA banquet.
Love those stones GG!
Tied up a few streamers...
Will,
Those are yellow sally nymphs. The darker back is a strip of Thin Skin.
Treeline, that’s good to hear about the Colorado. I hope to fish it around Parshall this weekend.
Matt
I've been spending a little time at the vise as well. Smallie streamers are my current fixation.
Trout streamers
Trout streamers
Impatiently waiting to throw these to the pike!
Impatiently waiting to throw these to the pike!
Parshall should be fishing real good right now!
Those are beautiful, DR!
Matt
Good luck guys.
Came home to frog music in the creek behind our home!
Thanks Matt, looks like we have a few "experienced" tyers here! Some great looking flies! I made a few "brush building" boxes the last couple days. Possibilities of making brushes are now endless!
Saw Sandhill cranes headed north this afternoon!
Damn, I love spring!!
Matt
DR,
Forgive me. What’s a brush building box?
Matt
Matt, using .006 stainless wire, lay what ever material you want over the first wire, lay a second wire over it. One end of the wire through the hook eye on the left, attach drill to the pin on the right and spin it. I use a stainless steel brush to clean it up before tying. Full wrap around shanks, hook shank and brush back. Trim to minnow shape, create sculpin heads, etc. Google, EP brush. Great for streamers, salt flies, etc.
DR,
Damn!! I love it! Dubbing and weight at the same time.
Thank you for teaching me something.
Matt
In California this is the first sign of spring. Sorry about where you live.
Still happy to be anywhere but California!
Definitely going to look up that concept for making “brush flies”! Definitely need to work with some more of the synthetic materials.
Travis, check out EPflies.com The brush widths will determine overall "profile" of the fly. They make 1.5" which is great for smaller body streamers, "wavy" type hackle, wooly buggers, etc. I use the 3" brush for my larger pike, smallie and saltwater flies. Like Matt said, adds a little weight to the fly and makes a lifelike profile once trimmed into shape. The flies pictured above are based on the "chockletts game changer" pattern.
DR,
I have several of those EP brush flies that I purchased for my Everglades trips. Interestingly, the fly that seems to out-fish all of them is the Schminnow, which is basically a simple wooly bugger with no hackle wrap....go figure.
Matt
DL they are starting to show up here in Az. also!
I agree Matt, the schminnow produced for me on Ft Myers beach last year. I did add a few strands of crystal flash in lime green to the back. That little touch seemed to out produce my straight white ones.
I'll have to try the Crystal Flash idea, DR. Thanks!
Have you ever met the inventor of the Schminnow, Norm Zeigler? If not, he's got a fly shop on Sanibel, and I highly recommend stopping in and saying "hey". He's a great guy, who's probably forgotten more about fly fishing than I'll ever know.
I'll be on Sanibel Island for the entire month of May again this year. I've got a small skiff that I store at a buddy's house down there. If, by chance, you are down there at that time, we should hook up. I'm still on a mission to catch a tarpon on a fly in that area. I've landed several on bait, but it would be a bigger thrill to fool one with a fly that I tied.
Matt
I have met Norm, stopped into his shop 4-5 years ago when we stayed on Captiva for spring break. Had an interesting conversation with a guy working there as well. He was from MI, steelhead fished all the spots I do, and actually have a mutual friend. He said it was the biggest thing he missed about living up here. I wish I was headed that direction this May, but my wife and I headed the opposite way... taking an Alaskan cruise at the end of May. I'm looking forward to it being the first trip up there, but not the last, as some buddy trips are hopefully on my horizon in the future. Hoping the tarpon gods give you the shot this year! How's the crab fly prospects looking??
The crab fly is still work in progress. I'm still struggling with balancing a realistic look, size, and weight with cast-ability. Your brush fly concept has spurred a few new ideas. Any suggestions are welcomed.
Matt
Hit the beach early and late Matt. After the guides leave. Search for happy fish, they love the fly. Fosters bay in side of redfish pass can be good towards the end of May if u can beat the crowds. Nothing like tarpon on fly
bigs,
Fosters is one of my go-to spots!! In fact, I got my first tarpon bite on a fly there, last year. Unfortunately, he was swimming right at me when he sucked the fly in. I foolishly tried to set the hook, and basically pulled the fly right out of his mouth.
A good friend of mine is one of the best tarpon guides down there. He told me to stomp my foot on the boat, if I ever get a bite like that again. He said the noise would cause the fish to turn away, thereby causing a good hook set. Seemed like good advice. Remembering to do it, in the heat of the moment, will be another thing.
Matt
The brush fly can be trimmed into any shape you desire. Once wrapped on the hook- it should be round if viewed from the front. Depending on how you want it to ride in the water, trim the "sides" down flatter or even "shell" shaped.
25 yrs ago that Sanibel captiva fishery was incredible. I fish north now. Pine island to peace river.
It's getting the distinct color difference between the top and bottom of the crab that still has me scratching my head. I suppose I could do the brush wrap in a pale yellow to match the bottom of the crab, then just color the top of the crab with markers.
I'll have to order some brushes and do some experimenting.
Matt
Bigs,
I fish up to and slightly beyond Captiva Pass, but anything north of that is a bit of a haul from Sanibel in my little skiff. Where do you splash from? Pine Island?
Matt
Man it depends. Pineland marina on N side of the island has gotten ridiculously expensive so I usually put in at Eldridge’s up by boca grande. I’ve got a 24’ bay boat that I can cover a lot of ground with(as long as I don’t look at the fuel gauge) I rented a house in Bokeilia for the month of July, really looking forward to that. My oldest girl is just getting where she can probably pull on a tarpon a little bit. I love it man, but that fishery gets really beat up. To many people fishing. I’m so glad they closed the snook and redfish till May, hopefully they’ll keep it closed for another year.
Yeah, it does get a lot of fishing pressure, and boating activity in general. That's what I really enjoy about the Everglades. We've had days when we didn't see another boat down there.
I'm hearing the fishing around Sanibel has slowly improved since the red tide debacle last year. Some of our favorite spots for snook and reds were absolutely dead due to that crap, last fall. Have you heard any recent reports?
Matt
I think it’s getting better. Fish getting to school back up again. I’ve got a tournament out of cabbage key the last week of April, I’ll give u a report
Burned NG at our home property yesterday.
Our Shorthair on a woodcock point is another sure sign of spring being here.
Hey DL...Isnt that hottie sporting a bit of Nip-Slip???
I thought that was Russia in the background, but it seems something is about to Spring out of that bikini top.
Even found my phone I lost while shed hunting 5 weeks and $500.00 ago.
Around my neighborhood the first sign of spring is when I serviced my lawn mower and my wife is cutting off all of the dead grass and crap laying on the lawn. She mows tomorrow.
