Hobby Sports

For whatever reason, this retarded state of California has changed the name of the Department of Fish & Game to Department of Fish and Wildlife at the beginning of this year.  Why would they do such a thing?  Who knows but in the opinion of this sportsman there is an agenda among antis to chip away our ability to hunt. 

The definition of game:  animals under pursuit or taken in hunting; especially : wild animals hunted for sport or food (2) : the flesh of game animals

The definition of wildlife:  living things and especially mammals, birds, and fishes that are neither human nor domesticated

One word- the old word- has implications of hunting and sport.  The other is merely living things and had no implication of sport or hunting.

This is a subtle way to slowly chip away at our rights to hunt.  Call me paranoid but in a state with so many non-sportsman and antis I think my hypothesis is on the money.  When a DFG commissioner loses his job for legally hunting a mountain lion in another state in Idaho, than you know this state is out of control.  Let us not forget that certain hunts are now banned from using hounds.  Its only a matter of time an attempt ban all types of hunting with a dog. 

Given the current economic condition of California, is it prudent to change the name?  Dont we have bigger issues to handle.  How much will this name change cost?  Remember all logos from banners, uniforms, hats, patches, decals, websites, etc. need to be eventually changed.  All that is time and MONEY that this state does not have.  Keep in mind all uniformed DFW workers pay for their uniforms and hats etc. (although they get a small stipend but Ive been told it is not enough). 

California again you prove how stupid you really are.  It is no wonder every other state in this union hates your guts.  And rightfully so.  I labeled this under humor because California youre a joke.

An absolutely stellar local specimen.

It seems lately my original plans always are changing.  Chul suggested a few days ago that we make a commando run and hit the South Western part of the Sierras for one Saturday.  I agreed initially but when I thought more about it, I decided that that trip required more than a day.  We pondered our choices and decided to stay local.  With the thought of losing that big fish during our backpacking excursion still on our minds we decided that would be our destination.

Half a mile to our destination we were somewhat sidetracked while going through the dirt road when we saw a SUV somewhat blocking the road.  Gathered around it were a bunch of emo-tight-jean wearing, jersey shore look-a-like idiots trying to unfuck themselves.  These idiots that should not be allowed to breed.  They quite possibly be the only people stupid enough to ever get stuck on a fire road.  There attempt to offroad down a section caused them to get themselves high centered and buried the front tires not to mention they were cross axled.   I guess they werent smart enough to just go in reverse 50 yards and take the road down to where they wanted to go.  Erika suggested that we just leave these stool samples but since Ive been stuck in the wild a few times we decided to try and help them.  We need the good karma.  Suggesting the worst possible way to extract them, we didnt argue and tried.  Normally I would have taken a more diligent approach to recovery but since I was half dead from lack of sleep and the fact that these guys were likely armed we just tried to pull them out and get away from them.  Lets just say it didnt work.  It didnt work cause these guys had about three brain cells among the 4 or 5 of them.  We told them they need to call a tow truck and left them there.  In reality if they had any idea how to off road was to dig themselves out, jack the truck, place some rocks under the tire and go in reverse.  I didnt even want to bother with them after they proved too stupid to be helped.  We left them and wished them luck, hoping there was no damage to Chuls truck.

From the parking lot, normally we climb the mountain via the trail but today I suggested that we bypass the hill and follow the water instead fishing the way up as we go.  I wanted to do this for a few reasons.  Mainly it was because I was too lazy to climb that trail today but also because its hot I wanted to be near the water to be cooler.  We reached the water and began fishing.  On my first cast I hooked up with a solid fish about 9 inches.  Because of its proximity to the parking lot, we had always bypassed it thinking that it would only contain small fish.  We were proved wrong today.  The trout in this portion were impressive.  I caught my largest fish on this water here today.  It must have been at least 13 inches.  This fishery never ceases to surprise me.  As we moved up, we continued to catch solid fish.  But soon the water began to trickle and then dry up completely.

The last time I was here I managed a solid fish in a big deep pool.  That hole is now completely dried.  It must have been at least 4 feet deep.  Shocking. Continuing upstream, we noticed it was more the same.  Large pools that existed only a month ago are now just a trickle.  Chul managed a solid 12incher that eluded us the last time we were here.  I managed to see a 13 inch fat beast still in his pool.  Unfortunately the pool is covered with fallen logs and would be impossible to cast into.  Im not sure if these fish will survive the rest of the summer.  If not that would be a shame.  With our hearts slightly broken to see what the river has become we decided not to reach the waterfall, if it even is a waterfall still, and head back out.  This fishery has been the best waters locally this year and if we do not get a good water year, Im afraid this fishery will die.  Lets hope that is not the case.

Erika releases a very nice fish

Lunch Korokke Sandwich

The now empty pool that was several feet deep the last time.

Little Sally Stonefly

Better than Gatorade

Hopper about a size 6

Prickly Poppy

Plummers Mariposa Lily

The only people ever dumb enough to get stuck here.

Most likely my last sight of this place this year.

Luc awarded with a 3.5 pound LMB after making a great cast in less than ideal conditions.

I had to decline two different invitations to fish this weekend- one to the wild trout section of the Kern and another to the East Walker.  I really wanted to get on a trout stream, its been too long and with the local waters in a critical state I was bummed I could not get on some trout.  So when Luc invited me to fish Canyon Lake once again I jumped at the chance.  Luc the Jedi Master last weekend had an epic topwater bite.  His popper was producing bass including a four pounder, every half dozen to dozen casts until the sun started hitting the water.  So today I was hoping for some of the same. 

The first bass of the day a 2pounder

I awoke just before 4am and made the hour drive to Canyon Lake to meet Luc at his house at 5am.  We were on the water within minutes and headed to the east side of the lake.  Luc is a topwater fanatic and we planned to fish poppers as long as we could find shade.  Within the first few minutes, I casted to a clump of grass and I was distracted by a swirl six feet in front of my fly when a swirl came just under my popper.  Again my topwater misfortune continues and I was too slow to react.  This season Ive yet to get a bass on topwater yet despite having more than my fair share of blowups.   Luc was the first to get one a bass, a two pounder. 

My three pounder, finally a bass on topwater

On the next section I made my cast and as I popped my fly I moved, for whatever reasons, my attention away from the fly as I continued to pop the fly my line went heavy.  Instinctually I lifted the rod and set the hook and the rod came alive.  Fish on!  Of course my first fish this year on topwater would be from dumb luck and not from skill (or lack of skill).  The bass gulped the fly from beneath and inhaled it.  I brought it in and it was a very respectable three pounds.  I cant recall within these drifts how many bass we missed but it was a handful.  We moved to a deeper point on the lake and I casted where Luc suggested and after a few pops of the fly I had a blow up.  Focused I managed to get finally get a truly legit bass on topwater.  This fish was smaller but I didnt care.  Getting bass on topwater is the name of the game.

Another for Luc

Fog starting to wear off

At Least I Got To Touch a Fish

Fishing has been rough the last few outings.  I havent eaten this much shit since I started fly fishing.  I cant believe how many skunks Ive encountered in the last few outings.  The usual suspect and I fished Prado.  This is, at least on paper, spawning season for bass but with all this on again off again weather, the bass must be confused.  It seems every time a bass is ready to bust a load, mother nature splashes cold water at its boner.  Its been making fishing harder than a twelve year old at the playboy mansion. 

Tip Of The Day: Catching Percentages Increase Exponentially If you Have a Hook On Your Fly.

Being a stubborn son of a bitch, I didnt listen to Chul and fish a floating line but rather my 150 grain line.  Perhaps that is the reason he got a fish and I left stinking of the skunk.  Rough day for the both of us but Chul managed a quality 2 pounder after about a gazillion casts.  I had about two gazillion casts and caught a childs sock that I initially thought was a magnum sized condom.  Either way I didnt want to be touching it.

What The Hell Is That? Part Goose, Part Chicken, Part Turkey.  It must be a genetic mutation from all that agricultural run off.

My contribution to Chuls pram: a fly patch I bought in Japan over a decade ago that I intended to use on a boat I never did buy.

Carp Were Everywhere

This 6lber Looks Like David Schwimmer

Having rained last Sunday, I was worried the carp waters would be off.  I was partially right.  Most of the water was way too muddy and high to fish, all but one section. For whatever reason this section is shallow and clear.  Today was another ridiculous carp day.  Just like the other day the fish are stacked like salmon.  It took me a while to figure out what was going on but once I did the fishing was off the hook.  Speaking of off the hook I lost at least 10 today that went unglued.  Most were from a poor hook set but one, very good fish, was lost by a poorly tied know.

I lost the first fish on my third cast of the day, he took a size 10 olive zebra midge.  I moved to a shallower portion of the river and literally saw 200 carp.  Jumping, splashing, wrestling, mating, cruising, whatever they were doing it, they were everywhere.  They were splashing the banks hard.  Youd see their gold sides flash out of the water every so often.  Then a large tail. It was insane.  None of them were all that spooky.  Even when I hooked or fought a fish the fish remained at the same place.  I managed to land three one 6lbs, 4.5lbs, and the last 4lbs.  Not bad for a couple hours fishing.  I lost about a dozen just by not strip setting properly.  I was reverting to trout hooking and the fly would go unglued.

It was strange, no fish really spooked.  They stood their ground.  In fact some fish would charge and bump the fish I had hooked up on.  Im not sure if they are protecting their nests or what.  You see carp with their nose into the bank, stacked up touching side by side with one another.  It was insane. Again youd see cruisers packed up together 10 or more like a bait ball.  I do not quite understand these fish but I can tell you that today was a great day to be out.

I started with what lately has been the go-to fly, a Prince Harry Legless Aggravator.  No carp were interested. Since its been brighter than most of my outing this year, I switched to BH Rubber-Legged Hares Ear.  Armed with this fly, it was literally shooting fish in of a barrel (for those foreign readers who dont understand English idioms- it was ridiculously easy).

The original plan was to attend the Fly Fishing Film Festival on Saturday but after some consideration the gang thought it better to fish rather than watch others fish.  With some rain in the forecast, we debated all week whether to cancel the trip or to go forward.  Checking weather patterns throughout the week the unanimous consensus was to get our lines wet. 

Saturday morning I met up with Erica and Chul at his house at 6:30 and we managed to get out around 7am.  Tuck had spend the night at Josephs as he lived north of all of us, they would head out later and we would eventually met up on the road or in Kernville. 

We caught up with the boys in the canyon and we headed to the fly shop as Tuck and Joseph wanted to pick up flies and since Erica forgot her wading boots so she needed to rent a pair.  After getting the "inside scoop" we headed to an area suggested to us at the shop.  After arriving we looked the water over and decided to pass on it as it was too windy and deep to get a good drift.  We headed back into town to fish an area hoping to intercept large fish making their way out of the lake and into the river system.  This proved a waste of time.

First fish of 2013.  A real wall hanger.

We drove up into the 20 mile section and pulled over on a promising stretch of water.  On my first cast I hooked up with my first Kern River Rainbow.  My first fish of 2013, a dink, a baitfish sized dink, no bigger than the fish that are commonly caught in our local mountains.    If I wanted dinks I would have stayed and fished our local mountains.  Hopefully this first fish of the year is not an indication of the rest of my fishing season.  I wanted to win the bet, anyone who catches and verifies with photos a fish over 20 inches doesnt have to pay for dinner.  At least I was the first to catch a fish.  After more casts and I hooked up on another slightly larger dink.  Not impressive.  Even if the bet was on an aggregate total of all fish caught Id still be buying dinner.  I continued on this seam as I couldnt really move since we had five anglers on the water.  At the end of my drift while on the swing I finally hooked up a legit fish.  I played him close enough to see his size and he flashed me his vibrant red stripe and then came lose.  Come on.  On this stretch Chul managed a nice 13 incher while the others didnt get any.


My second fish.  Another trophy.  Nothing like traveling several hours away only to catch dinks.

For the rest of the day we drove around looking for better water.  The BWO hatch was coming off and although I wasnt seeing any fish coming up I regretted not carrying a second rod rigged with a dry fly.  So on the next stop I rigged up my four weight with a Harrops Hairwing.  As it was getting late we found a nice stretch of water that Chul was getting hit on just about every cast.  He pulled some serious fish and even managed one on a dry fly.  As I approached him he told me to fish that section but the fish had already shut down.  Up above him Tuck managed one and Joseph landed  several.  None of any significant size.  Erica was skunked.  Fishing was slow for whatever reason perhaps it was the recent rains, the cold nights, or just us fishing the wrong rigs.

We left the river and into town for a dinner.  Everyone would have to pay for this meal. The original plan was to camp but since Chul brought Erica along, they had got a room in town.  Tuck, Joseph and I planned on camping but during dinner we debated whether to get a room also.  After having giving Chul grief earlier for not camping we decided to get a room ourselves.  Lucky for us the motel had a place to play pool.  We spent the night bull shitting, playing pool while drinking.  As typical with trips like these, most of the memories are these parts as these times are spent laughing and ribbing each other.  We eventually were kicked out during closing time, which was a good thing because we would have spent all night there if we could.  Erica and Chul headed to bed as the rest of us headed to our room and before heading to bed debated which state was the best (of course California was not in the running).  Day 2 to follow...

Saturday I stopped by Marriotts to pick up some leaders for our outing on Sunday. I was cruising down the aisles and noticed these Fish Skull articulated shanks. Since last summer Ive been on abit of an articulated fly craze so I decided to pick up a couple. One in 20mm and one in 35mm. They had one size larger but I decided to try these ones first before I go bigger.

I was playing around with them and tied three flies. One using the 20mm and two using the 35mm. For the smaller of the two I tied a small trout baitfish pattern. I didnt quite like how the 20mm came out and will have to rework it but I did like how the 35mm came out. One is a squid pattern and the other is a leech pattern. Ive always liked my buddy, Kyung Kims squid pattern but its just too big, too heavy when wet, and too complicated to tie. I wanted something easier. Well see if mine is anywhere close to as successful as Kyungs.

Hook: TMC 777SP #6
Head: Pearl estaz
Legs: Handful of white saddle hackle with white polar fibers in the middle
Eyes: 3D Stick on eyes
2nd section
Fish Skull Shank 35mm
Body: Palmer chenile med pearl
Collar: Wrapped White marabou

Hook: TMC 777SP #6
Tail: Artic Fox
Body: Mohair yarn
Hackle: Saddle hackle
2nd section
Fish Skull Shank 35mm
Collar: Bunny strip
Eyes: Dumbell

Im not quite sure how I feel about these shanks. It might be easier to just use two hooks attached by heavy mono. Tying with the shank is somewhat problematic as it does not have a bend that the vice can grab hold of easily. Im still working out all the kinks, so well see if I decide to continue using them after the pack runs out.