Back to Delhi park last night from 8-9:30. A fair hex hatch--actually a light one, but still the best I've seen this season--started around 8:30, and while it didn't trigger much feeding (I don't think I actually saw a spinner on the water), I did take three 10-13" smallmouth drifting it over some larger submerged rocks. White flies began just after nine, and I caught two decent rock bass, two more smallmouth around 12" and lost one that must have been huge, probably 18 or better. It made half a dozen runs that took line off the reel. The action was mostly done by 9:30.
While it was a decent night, I think much better ones are coming. Both hatches were on the light side. Unless mayfly populations are declining for some reason, eventually we ought to see them (or at least the ephorons) in blizzard proportions.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Huron 7/26
I've gone to a couple meetings of the Huron River Fly Fishing Club this summer. It would be nice to meet a few people offline who fish, and I certainly could stand to learn more about fishing the Huron, a hometown treasure that I've to which I've so far devoted only casual attention.
Last Thursday the club met at Delhi Metropark, which I had never seen before. The meeting consisted of a casting clinic followed by some fishing time. The fishing was fine, so I made a plan to return last night. I got on the water about 8:30, got nothing until some light feeding on ephorons began around 9:15. Took one 12" smallmouth on an emeger, a 15" on a dun. The feeding had mostly stopped after I released the second fish, which was just as well since it was just short of 10:00, at which time the park closes. The park police did swing by as I was taking off my waders back at the car.
They're hanging in the basement now, and my wading boots will be in the sun on my porch shortly. If I have my way, though, my gear may never dry fully during the next two or three weeks. Peak season on the Huron is here!
Last Thursday the club met at Delhi Metropark, which I had never seen before. The meeting consisted of a casting clinic followed by some fishing time. The fishing was fine, so I made a plan to return last night. I got on the water about 8:30, got nothing until some light feeding on ephorons began around 9:15. Took one 12" smallmouth on an emeger, a 15" on a dun. The feeding had mostly stopped after I released the second fish, which was just as well since it was just short of 10:00, at which time the park closes. The park police did swing by as I was taking off my waders back at the car.
They're hanging in the basement now, and my wading boots will be in the sun on my porch shortly. If I have my way, though, my gear may never dry fully during the next two or three weeks. Peak season on the Huron is here!
Monday, July 20, 2009
North Branch This Weekend/T+40
Kristine and I were in the Grayling area over the weekend. Made it out Sunday morning onto a part of the north branch AS I hadn't fished in about ten years. It looked like in the meantime the stretch had received some of those trees airlifted into the river by the Anglers of the Au Sable. Lots more cover, and lots more contour to the bottom than I remembered. Some things hadn't changed, though: my take consisted of a bunch of small brook trout. Tricos came off about 8:45 and I squeezed in just an hour before I had to get back to camp. Still about the best hour of fishing I've had in over a month.
Lots is being said today about the moon landing of forty years ago. Got to see it with my own three-year-old eyes. I remember only snatches of the event, most of which concern what my mother and sisters were doing as we sat around the TV. Primarily, what I remember is eating moon sticks, a candy that passed itself off as "space food."
I've told that to a number of people, though none had ever heard of them, even those much older than I was at the time. I was starting to wonder if I'd invented the memory, until I ran across this. I feel validated.
Lots is being said today about the moon landing of forty years ago. Got to see it with my own three-year-old eyes. I remember only snatches of the event, most of which concern what my mother and sisters were doing as we sat around the TV. Primarily, what I remember is eating moon sticks, a candy that passed itself off as "space food."
I've told that to a number of people, though none had ever heard of them, even those much older than I was at the time. I was starting to wonder if I'd invented the memory, until I ran across this. I feel validated.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Lessons from Wolverine
The post title is an homage to Barry Lopez, though I'm talking about a blog, not a book. Friday I ran across the fine Wolverine Fly Fishing Journal, another Michigan-based blog which includes not only fishing reports but detailed profiles of streams, pages on flies and fishing strategies, as well as assistance with feathering one's retirement nest. Check it out.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Advice to Poachers
If you're going to violate, don't do it in front of dozens of people with cell phone cameras.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Desparado Dumper
I always saw enforcement of environmental laws as a rather bureaucratic sort of policing, an affair undertaken in lab coats and grey suits, not in bulletproof vests and ammo belts. Not always.
KEY WEST, Fla. -- The owner of a Utah truck-wash company who told acquaintances he would rather ''go down in a blaze of glory'' than face federal charges of illegally disposing of hazardous chemicals pleaded guilty to seven felony counts Monday.
In a routine Environmental Protection Agency case that turned violent, law enforcement officers shot Larkin Baggett when they attempted to arrest him in Marathon, Fla., in March. The 54-year-old had been on the run from authorities since April 2008 and had been listed as a fugitive on the EPA's Web site.
When officers tried to arrest him, Baggett pointed a semi-automatic rifle with an extra clip of ammo duct-taped to it at one of the agents. He never got off a shot. Officers shot him in the face and buttocks and riddled his travel trailer with bullets. He was hospitalized in critical condition. In his trailer and truck, police found 3,000 rounds of ammunition to go with his eight weapons.
Now, instead of a possible three- to five-year sentence for violating the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in Utah, Baggett faces up to 90 additional years for stockpiling eight weapons and threatening the officers attempting to arrest him....
Baggett owned Chemical Consultants, a company that mixed 55-gallon drums of truck-wash acid and chemicals for removing lime and rust. When it was pumped out, some of the mixture remained in the drum, according to court records. Baggett instructed his employees to dump the remaining toxic chemicals onto pavement to evaporate or into a nearby sewer drain.
The rest.
A lot of people indulge in petty greed, though few are willing to die for the priveledge.
KEY WEST, Fla. -- The owner of a Utah truck-wash company who told acquaintances he would rather ''go down in a blaze of glory'' than face federal charges of illegally disposing of hazardous chemicals pleaded guilty to seven felony counts Monday.
In a routine Environmental Protection Agency case that turned violent, law enforcement officers shot Larkin Baggett when they attempted to arrest him in Marathon, Fla., in March. The 54-year-old had been on the run from authorities since April 2008 and had been listed as a fugitive on the EPA's Web site.
When officers tried to arrest him, Baggett pointed a semi-automatic rifle with an extra clip of ammo duct-taped to it at one of the agents. He never got off a shot. Officers shot him in the face and buttocks and riddled his travel trailer with bullets. He was hospitalized in critical condition. In his trailer and truck, police found 3,000 rounds of ammunition to go with his eight weapons.
Now, instead of a possible three- to five-year sentence for violating the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in Utah, Baggett faces up to 90 additional years for stockpiling eight weapons and threatening the officers attempting to arrest him....
Baggett owned Chemical Consultants, a company that mixed 55-gallon drums of truck-wash acid and chemicals for removing lime and rust. When it was pumped out, some of the mixture remained in the drum, according to court records. Baggett instructed his employees to dump the remaining toxic chemicals onto pavement to evaporate or into a nearby sewer drain.
The rest.
A lot of people indulge in petty greed, though few are willing to die for the priveledge.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Manistee/Jordan, 7/5-6
Temps in the upper 70s augured well for a hex emergence on the stretch of the Manistee where I usually fish them. After I set up camp I wandered down to the river to look things over and saw a hex dun flutter up from the water: another good sign.
So I was in place in my second-choice spot by 8, and had to share it with only one other fisherman. As darkness fell, a modest number of hexes began cruising over the river. Temps had already fallen considerably by then, so no spinner fall took place, but flies emerged off and on for about an hour. The best feeding activity seemed to occur while I was tying on new flies. I ended up with one 13" brown and a few smaller ones, though my upstream neighbor caught a brown measuring 20".
On Monday, I fished the Jordan, in the Jordan valley pathway area, for the afternoon. Absolutely dead until I caught a brook, a brown, and a few tiny rainbows around 4PM.
Air temps only reached about 65 and dropped into the 50s by evening. I hit the river wearing a long sleeve t-shirt under my sweatshirt, and long underwear under my jeans, and I had the kind of fishing you'd expect when that clothing is called for. Saw one dun and one spinner on the water and a handful of bugs in the air.
I can still catch the hex around here in another week or so, fishing smallmouth...
So I was in place in my second-choice spot by 8, and had to share it with only one other fisherman. As darkness fell, a modest number of hexes began cruising over the river. Temps had already fallen considerably by then, so no spinner fall took place, but flies emerged off and on for about an hour. The best feeding activity seemed to occur while I was tying on new flies. I ended up with one 13" brown and a few smaller ones, though my upstream neighbor caught a brown measuring 20".
On Monday, I fished the Jordan, in the Jordan valley pathway area, for the afternoon. Absolutely dead until I caught a brook, a brown, and a few tiny rainbows around 4PM.
Air temps only reached about 65 and dropped into the 50s by evening. I hit the river wearing a long sleeve t-shirt under my sweatshirt, and long underwear under my jeans, and I had the kind of fishing you'd expect when that clothing is called for. Saw one dun and one spinner on the water and a handful of bugs in the air.
I can still catch the hex around here in another week or so, fishing smallmouth...
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Saturday Quotes, 7/4/09
Politically, I'm clumsy and full of rages.
--Jim Harrison
I'm there, Jimbo.
By contrast, demonstrating an utter lack of political self-awareness:
Life is too short to compromise time and resources... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out.
--Sarah Palin, upon resigning Alaska's governorship.
That's a heck of a quit notice.
And one quip in response:
"[Palin] should also lead the nation's mothers to oppose mandating replacement of incandescent light bulbs with the new mercury poison gas bulbs.
--Peter Ferrara, Foxnews.com, in response to Palin's resignation.
Wonder if he supports expanding nuclear power?
The indelible idiocy of our body politic aside, happy 4th.
I'll be engaged in the pursuit of happiness up north for the next two days, trying to get in on the end of the hex hatch and fishing the Jordan river for the first time. Look for tweets under "Field Reports," a full writeup on return.
--Jim Harrison
I'm there, Jimbo.
By contrast, demonstrating an utter lack of political self-awareness:
Life is too short to compromise time and resources... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out.
--Sarah Palin, upon resigning Alaska's governorship.
That's a heck of a quit notice.
And one quip in response:
"[Palin] should also lead the nation's mothers to oppose mandating replacement of incandescent light bulbs with the new mercury poison gas bulbs.
--Peter Ferrara, Foxnews.com, in response to Palin's resignation.
Wonder if he supports expanding nuclear power?
The indelible idiocy of our body politic aside, happy 4th.
I'll be engaged in the pursuit of happiness up north for the next two days, trying to get in on the end of the hex hatch and fishing the Jordan river for the first time. Look for tweets under "Field Reports," a full writeup on return.
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