Who was that masked man?

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:12 pm

OK, I wasn't masked, but you would have thought I was BWO-man fishing this morning.

I fished with local bamboo rodbuilder Floyd Burkett today.
I know I wasn't supposed to do it, but I couldn't resist - I took out my '20s Leonard #40 Fairy Catskill - an honest to goodness 3-wt.
Don't try this at home, boys and girls - it just ain't the right rod for the Guadalupe tailwater.
But I had a blast.

Anyway, my first fish was just right for the rod - 8 inches

My next fish?
Dennis Stone, who rebuilt this rod from the pile of toothpick stock I sent him, would have freaked - she was 18 inches.

I know Floyd caught several while we were spread out, and I'm sure he has some photos.
But after I put him on the hole where I caught my big fish, I heard him yelling.

And no wonder, he was having a time with a big rainbow

His was 20 inches

Can't beat that, fine fish on a rod he built himself.
Floyd's rod is an 8-1/2' parabolic 5-wt - just right for the Guadalupe tailwater. His reel is a Canadian-made Laurentian.

I caught several more, in fact, there was half-hour in a BWO hatch where I was getting strikes and fish right and left.
And some perfectly respectable fish around 12 inches.
But I did it again.
I went and caught another 18"er

Another good morning, and a heck of a way to break in a rod.

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:54 am

tough crowd.
never fished a BWO hatch where fish are impaling themselves on size 20 nymphs on the swing? Nothing subtle, just POW and the reel screams - over and over.

Anyway, Floyd sent me a couple of photos

Who has Whom?

Who was that masked BWO-man?

Post by **Brian F.** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 4:06 pm

Oh Ron, you know we're just stunned into silence...and jealousy

Post by **john elder** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:58 pm

yes, agreed! What's going on? Did you win the Lotto? fishing glory holes on thursday? fantastic day for you and the Bud, Ron!

Robyn Summerlin · Post by **Robyn Summerlin** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:48 pm

Great pics, Ron. I didn't know rainbows got that big on the Guadalupe. Is that one from an earlier stocking that survived a few seasons?

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:20 pm

Robin, we always hold over fish - even in drought, fish that find deep slots and springs.
But last year lake levels kicked in our guaranteed minimum summer flows and we held over a solid 12 miles of fish. I couldn't believe the fish when I got out last fall (check Texas holdover thread below). I caught a 27" 7-lber on the Beastie thread just a few weeks ago.

John, (it was Monday - took an overdue day off for an overdue day of fishing with Floyd). As far as the rod goes, I paid salvage value for the hardware on the Leonard. It had only one tip, short and missing the ferrule; a bad scarf repair in the mid; and missing half its guides. I bought it for $50, sent it to Dennis Stone to evaluate, and he told me the remaining cane was sound. So he machined two ferrules, built a new tip, scarfed the second tip and re-scarfed the mid, made guides etc. varnish and rewrap, but saved all the original wraps he could. Billed me $550, so I have $600 into a rod that is worth $750 (but would be worth $1600 if it was all original). I get the chance to fish an original 1920s 3-wt, and this was my first time to use it.
I was fishing his new tip, and Dennis did a very good scarf repair on the mid, our I would have brought home toothpicks from those 18" bows.
He left it looking as much like an original condition rod as he could and, really, he did great work

As far as the fishing goes, it's been my experience that when the fishing is really, really good, my life is about to crash...

Post by **john elder** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:15 pm

I love how cavalier you are about dunking your equipment...makes me cringe every time I see it, since I live in the Land of Salt and go to great lengths to keep everything as dry as possible. However, knowing you, I'm sure everything gets a good bath and lube when it gets home!

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:10 pm

yes, I have a procedure where everything gets dried out, and I wax the rods before the go back in the tubes.

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 7:57 pm

out again this morning, this time with a Heddon 8-1/2' 1-3/4 ferrule Black Beauty and a Heddon Little Rivers.
Tougher day, but a good time.
way cool - today a google-eye (rock bass, shadow bass - Ambloplites sp.) on a size 22 midge

Started about 10am and waded up a mile or so and caught this pretty girl on the way back down, just before getting out for my lunch (she's 16", just way down deep in the net)

As I said, lunchtime - the river is already being overtaken by tubers, and my parking was just down from a local bar and grill.
I had an lubricated audience on the deck for this catch.
With their applause, I tipped my hat.
She made some great screaming runs - happily, all upriver: I missed a big fish out of this same hole a few weeks ago (22, 24 inches) when it turned into the chute at 40 mph and caught my fly line on a log - I was able to keep her from doing that.

This is a pretty reel - Little Rivers is the first Model Russell, '28-'34 (same as a SB 1100)