a late report, but photos worth posting

Share your fishing adventures, especially ones using antique tackle!
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Ron Mc
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a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by Ron Mc »

Made it out with Jimbo two weeks ago on the Guadalupe tailwater, got my wading legs at 330 cfs, some nice fish and nice photos, don't quite have my snap down and missed more than a few, but will get that back, too, now that flows are wadable.

Mostly, got a few nice photos to share - Olympus TG-5 shot on low-sequential, aperture priority.
Was fishing my Floyd Burkett Guadalupe cane and 1930s (marked) JW Young pattern 14a - both stood out on the fairly crowded (weekday) river.
Commotion in Jimbo's net
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Fun series on my best buck for the day - 20" - took my sparkle nymph attractor on the drift - also put up a hard fight that belied its already good size
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Some more Jimbo action
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big hen not quite ready for the net - either that or she wanted to check out Jimbo
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17" buck showed up the instant my swimming BWO started to swing
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The flies - sparkle nymph size 14, and swimming BWO size 18
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Last edited by Ron Mc on Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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stevenm
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by stevenm »

Fantastic photos! We will take as many of these as possible!
Like those Kentucky style reels
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by Ron Mc »

Thanks Steven - since FFR came up on the front forum page, here's my last few fishing trips, all salty and lots of photos
http://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/v ... 33&t=65157
http://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/v ... 33&t=64332
http://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/v ... 33&t=64099
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stevenm
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by stevenm »

Another wonderful set of pics and info. I really like your fishing setup, and was considering something like that after i get moved to Tennessee in a year or so. Do you ever wish for more room when your out, or do you find the kayak is big enough?
Like those Kentucky style reels
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

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Spent much of my adult life fishing from my dad's power boat, and he's about to transfer it to my name.
I'll use it mostly to shuttle kayaks to the barrier island "lakes" - too far to paddle across the big bay.
Mostly use kayak as a taxi to wading water, but I'm always prepared to cast to fish sign, and I love drift fishing home.
A good paddle is planned like a sail, upwind to structure, trolley a drift sock to the stern, and drift fish home - easy chair blind fishing.

A good salt kayak is under 30" wide, low and wind-cheating. We've put in 10-mi kayak days, including the day I took this photo
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You might want something completely different for fishing in TN - wide and stable, sit up tall - Hobie Mirage drive is great - look at Compass and Pro Angler. Native kayaks also makes some good choices, that include sliding seat positions that will switch between tandem and solo.
My buddy Stevo has a 16' Hobie Revo flats boat with Mirage drive, and its the fastest thing on the flats without a motor.
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You do have to be organized, because a good redfish will make two trips around the boat, and you have to police everything - drift sock in lap, loose lines, rudder up.
But he'll also take 50 yards against 8 lbs drag, giving you time to get organized.
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Something else about fishing from your kayak, v. paddling to travel, legs are usually dangling over the side, giving you a little more space and freedom of movement.
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Adding this photo of my rigged boat - there are also three 3-pc rods in the bow hold, including 2 fly rods, along with fly fanny pack and fly reels, also a spare lined bait reel in the lap hatch, along with drift sock and dry boxes.
This February morning launch, wasn't expecting to have a fly rod need before afternoon sun. I can rig this way on the flats because most of the grass flat is water you can stake a boat and get out. You probably won't have this option on a TN lake, and will need to keep everything even more accessible.
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In the salt, I take out two length bait rods, 7' and 8-1/2 to 9' - each has it place. Which ever of those rods is not in use is clipped to a rod leash in the rear rod holder, out of sight and out of mind.
I have a 3rd rod holder and can add a rigged fly rod in an out of the way position
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Rigging kayaks is also a lot of fun. Here's our local forum to discuss kayaks and has a great archive of rigging ideas. Though it is mostly aimed at TX coast fishing
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/index.php
Last edited by Ron Mc on Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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stevenm
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by stevenm »

Very cool. Something elemental about using a kayak to fish. Very quiet, and close to the water.
I think i'd be doing much more freshwater in Tenn, and will research that as the time comes.
Again, very nice setup Ron!
Like those Kentucky style reels
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

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Steven, compared to the slap of a power boat hull, it's amazing stealthy. The redfish above, I pulled the lure from his mouth on a set attempt, and continued my dog-walking presentation. He broached his head, missed and pushed the lure a few feet in front of the bow of my boat. So I stopped dead, and his 3rd and final eat was inside the bow of my boat, 3' in front of my dangling legs.

Kayaking is one of those times the fish are gravy. The paddle itself is immensely enjoyable. Bring a camera.
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

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btw Steven, there's a guy rigging a good and inexpensive lake boat he recently bought used on TKF forum:
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 3&t=249500
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stevenm
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by stevenm »

Very good start! I'm book marling this, thank you.
Like those Kentucky style reels
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

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A brown this morning before I fell and bunged my knee. Didn't take in too much water, then missed 3 hitting hard on the swing in combined caddis and bwo hatch. Decided to come home for lunch, dry out and let my knee rest.
She's thicker than she looks in the bottom of the net, 18".

Since vintage tackle is appreciated here, the rod is a prewar Heddon 2f, low-grade Folsom Arms 1505.
And the grade doesn't matter, best-fishing 6-wt I've ever owned.
The reel, a prewar JWYoung pattern 16a marked for Mary Thorburn, Edningurgh
you can see my swimming BWO in her mouth.
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

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It was a blast to fish with Alex today, and long overdue. He is truly great company (and we're making plans to warmwater with Jimbo in the coming months).
I got some great photos of the river and both Alex and me in action - especially Alex - that was easy, he was always in action.
Oddly, no fish photos - the one worthy fish I got in the net - a glorious 18+" buck as red as the one in the first post, head every bit as big, and 4" of kyped jaw. I flipped my swimming BWO out of his mouth, and he flipped right out of the net - he was in great shape, laughing at me the whole time.
We made dark-thirty to the 2-car-limit prime water lease at mile 7. I needed daylight to rig - Alex was already rigged.
First thing I see when I get in the river is Alex backing away from the Barrel Hole putting a fish in his net.
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Alex caught several browns, and I wasn't catching anything.
Working our way up, we traded back and forth between our favorite hole and pocketwater at lower Rocky Top.
Nice rainbow
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I broke off a fish on the swing on a knot I had just tied - was splicing a rig and think I under-tied one side of the surgeon's knot - and couldn't turn another.
The flows have inched up a little bit from the other day, and I just wasn't getting down.
Decided I was going to have to add split shot and high stick.
Instant pay-off with a healthy hen, right where I had been swinging my wets.
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Alex again in my favorite pocketwater - I think this one is a redhorse sucker
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Upriver from here to upper Rocky Top is an island that splits the river into Redhorse Run and Mushroom Rocks. We fished up one and down the other.
Here's my big buck right where I struck him.
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and taking off on his first run - Alex is on a deep gravel tailout, and I think he's hooked up to nice buck at the same time - I saw his buck catching its breath when I got up there.
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Really had a blast with this fish - I would work him halfway across the fast run, and he would shoot back across the run to his hiding spots in the deep cypress roots - 3 times when I thought he was ready for the net. And as I mentioned, he was so fresh when I got him into the net, I flipped the hook from his mouth, and he flipped back into the run.

Intrepid wading to get up the run from here. I haven't waded the river this fast in 15 years. There's a spot where you're on the eroding flagstone, left leg mid-thigh, and where you want to put your right foot is shallow and too steep to get traction - one step to the left and you're over your head in fast water.
I passed Alex on the wide flagstone, fished the chute at the top of the run first - no luck - crossed over first at the upper Rocky Top tailout - even that shallow water crossing was a chore, had to ride the current the last two steps to get to the island - there were 2 dozen redhorse in the tailout.
From the top of the island, here's Alex on his turn on the chute.
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Going back down on the other side, there's really nice deep pocketwater, shaded between the cypress, the cliffs of Rocky Top, and also under the mushroom rocks.
We worked it over, and each missed a couple. I'm on the pocket just above mushroom rocks, and Alex is tight-lining the deep hole beside the first rock.
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This run is worthwhile fishing when flows are this high. When I fished this flow 15 years ago, I caught a 20" brown buck just below the tall gravel bar you can see downriver.
The river will fish so well in the fall, with the guaranteed flows we'll have through summer. The seasonal leases are closing next weekend, fishing pressure is already dropping off, and Alex I plan to make a few crack-of-dawn distance wades from the couple of year-round leases into summer - those days always end early, both for the fish and the tubers.
Last edited by Ron Mc on Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:14 am, edited 3 times in total.
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john elder
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by john elder »

Beautiful pictorial as always, Ron....I need to get out of the garage more and go kayak shopping. Thanks for all your tips and inspiration!
ORCA member since 1999
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Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

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hey John. Now that my daughter is a full-time Aggie, and her HS wrestling career is over, I have to add fishing to stay busy...
Just this semester, she started going to the mat to spar with the College Sta. club team, but I don't think she wants to buff up to college wrestling.

btw, John and Steven both. It's probably a good idea to paddle a few boats, to find what style fits your needs.
A lot of kayak dealers can demo boats - some have special weekends for it, invite the manufacturers out, and may give special discounts - it's a great idea to attend and try as many different boats as you can.
Steve's Hobie Revo retails for $2700. He bought a blem at ACK demo days (a minor several-inch crease in the hull) and with the weekend discount, he bought the new boat for $1600 (the Mirage pedal-drive alone is $800).

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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

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more tackle to show off - I was out for 4 hours this morning, got saturated with oak pollen, and 4 trout including this feisty little brown buck.
Part of this trip was retracing my steps - my favorite net didn't make it home last week - I thought it probably got plucked by brush when I was busting on the island, but no avail.
The rod is Heddon No. 17 Black Beauty, 8-1/2' 1-3/4f 4/5-wt; the reel is Heddon Little Rivers (1st model Russell)
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(this reel sounds so good)
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rainbow on the swing in a bwo hatch, also taking line right away - this one has the focus in the right place
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Ron Mc
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Re: a late report, but photos worth posting

Post by Ron Mc »

Steven, more for you.
This boat is not for you, but I have a perfect niche for it...
Spurred on by Mr. Trump's tax policy and a first in 10 years, of getting a substantial refund in lieu of paying in even more, I just secured the last NOS kevlar composite CD Kestrel SOT on the planet - 14' long, 26" wide - 39 lbs - unstable and faster than stink (cruise at 5 kts).
Also half-price off the old list.
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My niche is strap it into a power boat to shuttle across Aransas Bay to the barrier island "lakes,"
with nothing but a fly rod and fanny pack (lunch and water).
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