All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down

The difference between "epic" and "effing skunked" at Blackfoot Reservoir can be summed up in one word - sunlight.  When the sun is out, they feed.  Otherwise, forget it.

Chris and I got out with Miss Lucy today for some pre-tournament recon.  Yep, the 9th annual Carp Classic fly tournament takes place next week.  I'll be hauling the Uprising Mobile HQ 18-foot camp trailer down there and it is sure to be a hoot.  Our team (tentatively known as "Cloop USA") is armed and ready.

It gets pretty darn cold at night at Blackfoot Reservoir this time of year, so the bite usually does not turn on until about 10:00 a.m.  Such was the case this morning when we arrived, as carp started moving onto the flats in time for brunch.

We got into a few decent fish from the get-go, but the morning was pretty sluggish overall.  The "rip your arm out of its socket" takes I look forward to here were non-existent and we had to work hard for every subtle eat.  

Where were all the rowdy bastards from last spring?  

The fat girls were noticeably absent from the dance and some nasty storm clouds began to roll in. We decided to switch gears and move to a flat where hogs are always found. 

The hogs were there, but their appetites were not.  The clouds took them away.

Nonetheless, we were able to assess the appropriate strategy, given this year's low water levels and altered flat configurations.  Chris picked up one last carp on our way out, but the afternoon was otherwise a bust.

Other news this week:  a "game changer" upgrade in the Uprising photography department:  new camera, underwater housing and wide-angle wet lens.  It's on.

Peace out folks.

Snake River Carpin'

Around here, we have an abundance of very large carp that live in muddied-up bogwaters with very low visibility, which makes sight casting a challenge.  Most days, you're not going to see them unless they are tailing.

Fortunately, there is a brief window each year on the Snake River where water levels are just right and carp come out of the deep and onto the banks to feed. 

That window is currently open.

Blackfoot Reservoir carp are famous the world over, but our Snake River carp are a breed worthy of special attention.  They are much less aggressive than their neighbors to the east and exhibit very different personalities.

 

Unlike Blackfoot, the Snake River is not a venue for stripping flies - due to a plethora of lava rock and brush snags.  Not that it matters, as these river carp seem generally unwilling to move towards their forage anyway.

Their takes are nearly imperceptible. 

Snake River carp move lazily along the river bottom like a pack of happy vacuums.  The best you can do is lob your fly into their path of travel and dap 'em if they hover over your fly and tilt their heads to slurp it in.  Maintaining a visual on your fly is critical - as takes otherwise go unnoticed.

Feeders are usually produced in one of two scenarios - laid up carp along the banks or cruising fish out in the river, just inside the current seam.  Adding current to the "moving fish + wind + roll cast" scenario enhances the challenge.

These fish are infinitely more challenging to catch than their bretheren up the road in the reservoir.  In my opinion, this is as good as carp fishing gets.

Soon, spring runoff will be here and the river will become a blown-out chocolate slurpee - but right now there's a whole lot of fun to be had on the Snake.

To the Girls and Boys and People Above...

Shane with a Nice Cutty

Don't you like when the winter's gone,

And all of a sudden it starts gettin' warm,

The trees and the grass start lookin' fresh,

And the sun and sky be lookin' their best,

Birds be singin', flowers be bloomin',

A lot of brand new cars be zoomin',

Fly girls lookin' the best they can be, 

And the guys be dukey dukey Dan you see,

Besides all that I like the warm weather,

Cause that's when you can get yourself together,

But I like Easter time with a grin,

Cause when I was little we used to go to Coney Island,

We used to eat a lot of stuff like cotton candy,

Cause back then, it was like fine and dandy,

You used to get dressed up in double knits,

And your plaid suit jackets, they were the shit,

The good ol' days, was back then,

And the reason I reminisce, because..

It's spring again,

Everybody know it's spring again,

To the girls and boys and people above,

This is the time to fall in love

Gear Review: Loop Booster Fly Rod

A lot of advertisements tout "do-it-all" fly rod designs - rods that are fast enough to throw heavy nymphs yet supple enough to delicately deliver dry flies.

While there are some good general purpose rods out there, none of them are remotely capable of hurling a wet six-inch Hang Time and sink-tip line into the wind towards a hungry esox.

Once I started throwing huge pike and musky flies, I realized my fly rod arsenal was not up to the challenge and I needed to add a rod designed specifically for heavy artillery.  Fortunately, the folks at Loop USA agreed to loan me one of their Booster rods to test drive.

Loop Booster Fly Rod vs. Northern Pike

Wolf Blitzer

I fished the 8'8" nine-weight three-piece Booster in a variety of stillwater conditions - everything from calm, bluebird skies to stormy weather with 40+ m.p.h. gusts. The rod was paired with Loop's Evotec reel and floating and sink-tip versions of Loop's Booster series fly line.

It became apparent right away this rod is designed for one thing - throwing meat.  It's like no other rod I have ever cast and it took a little time for me to adapt.  I'll be blunt - it's a beast.  Once I got used to the action, however, the system came together quite well.

The rod picked up and chucked a variety of large, wet flies with ease and the ceramic stripping guides and over-sized snake guides shoot line like butter.  The rod performs well at close-range, but I was most impressed with its long-distance capabilities.  The fast-action, full curve rod design helped lob flies farther and more accurately than I'd expected. 

Utah Pike Guide Targhee Boss Casting the Loop Booster

I believe casting is at least 70% of the equation with esox, but the Booster continued to perform well on hook sets and while playing fish. It's got a cork-rubber composite full wells grip and fighting butt and it handles fish with authority. In addition to pike and muskie outings, this would be a good set up for big bass flies and mouse patterns.

The ultimate litmus test?  After testing the rod extensively in the field, I am going to purchase it.

The Booster retails for $295 (including a cordura rod case) and carries a lifetime warranty against material defects.   You can get it from a variety of shops in the U.S. including Leland Outfitters and Bob Marriot's.

For details and technical specs, head over to the Loop USA website.

You can also enter here to try and win one for free.

Prizefighters

The grind has got me like a noose.  The real world has taken priority position over fishing as of late, but it's all good.  Mother Nature has been feeding us a steady diet of record-low temps and ridiculous wind storms, so I haven't missed much.  I expect the fishing will ramp up into overdrive in about three weeks, however.

Zombie Muskie Carcass

The past couple of weeks have afforded some tiger muskie recon (they're still not quite on the feed) and a "long lunch" outing on a local river.

I searched for carp on the flats today, but back-to-back cold fronts have pushed them down into the deep. Instead, I threw crawdad and bugger patterns across rockpiles to target smallies.

It was good to get out, if only for a little while. An hour or two on the river is always good for the head.

Just before my lunch outing came to a close, I watched a large bronze blaze inhale my crawdad pattern and I prepared to battle a massive bass.  My huge smallie, however, soon revealed itself to be a large post-spawn male rainbow trout.

Accidental Lunker

This is ironic, as I specifically chose to fish a big river today to avoid disturbing 'bows in the spawning tribs.

This guy was chillin' on a rockpile with a few smallies in about 10 feet of water.  He was healthy and wicked strong.

Normally, I'd feel great about landing a beautiful two-foot 'bow, but not today.

Given the timing, it just didn't feel right.

Heavy Metal Esox

The Northern Pike is the piscine equivalent of heavy metal music - aggression incarnate.

If Esox Lucius were to go on tour, Entombed, The Haunted and Trap Them would be the opening acts.

The nation of Sweden is known internationally for two things: 1) large pike and 2) death metal. Coincidence? I think not.

Ask any Loop-laden flugfisker this side of Göteborg what's on his iPod. It ain't Mumford & Sons.

The Swedes love their metal like they love their pike - dark, fast and ferocious.

Fish by Shane Thomas - Photo by Brent Wilson

Millions of perch will attest the Angel of Death is an ambush predator with flaring gills and rows of sharp teeth. I imagine the last thing they hear sounds something like this:

Reign in blood, my toothy friend.

Naked Aggression

It was an act of naked aggression - a pike pushing water through seven feet of brush at high speed to assassinate my fly.  I've been fishing over three decades and I've got lots of great memories, but this image will be forever etched in my mind.

I have a new addiction and her name is Esox Lucius.  Visual eats, aggressive takes, explosive fights.  What's not to love?

Since we don't have pike or muskie within 100 miles of Idaho Falls, Shane and I organized a road trip down south to fish with Targhee. 

Targhee is the gent behind the Utah Stillwaters blog and he has the area pretty dialed when it comes to toothy critters.  He was kind enough to show us his local haunts and he really knows his stuff.

Mother Nature was as volatile as the pike when we first arrived.  Although the cloud cover was a welcome ally, the heavy winds, rain and lighting were not. The protocol included throwing large "half a chicken" sized flies and smaller perch imitations up into the weeds where the pre-spawn pike search for forage. 

Our timing overall was good and the pike were willing players - with over two dozen fish brought to hand.

The flies of choice were an olive and gold variation of Nick Granato's "Chupacabra" pattern and a small Supreme Hair perch imitation I tied months ago for large trout.  I'd never tied any pike flies prior to planning for this trip and it was great to see the online research pay dividends on the water.

The trip highlight came when Shane chucked one of the perch flies against the weed line and let it sink deep.  I heard a commotion and looked over to see a large bend in his rod.  Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted what appeared to be a monster swimming hastily past the stern. 

It was indeed a monster.  Just a hair shy of the all-tackle state record, to be precise.


















She taped out at 41.5" with an 18" girth at 20.6 pounds.  She was an exceptional fish and a beauty to boot.  Congrats to Shane for landing (and releasing) her and to Targhee for guiding us to her lair.

You can get the full scoop on this beast and lots more photos at Shane's Fish Hunter Chronicles blog.

Can't wait for another round.

High Lords of the Mud Flats

I am addicted to HBO's "Game of Thrones" series. If you've never seen it before, here is the gist of it:

It's the middle ages and the world is ruled by wealthy aristocrats who squander the peoples' wealth on foreign wars in search of natural resources. The common people are willfully uninformed and too absorbed with sporting events, gossip and alcohol to pay attention to the crimes committed by their government and its wealthy suitors. Rather, they are willing to sacrifice their personal freedoms for the promise of security and safety.

It occurred to me this week not much has changed since medieval times. The world is still ruled by wealthy oligarchs who live by a different set of rules than the rest of us.

Game of Thrones is wholly responsible for my sleep deprivation this week.

I figure carp have their own version of Game of Thrones here in the Snake River, where pecking order and mating rights are the rule of law.

The cast of characters:

Lord Nigel Rubberlips - House Clooper

Madame Judith Wigglebottom - House Crawdadeon

 

Lucius Leechgobbler, Bastard Son of Lord Nigel Muddybottom - House Crawdadeon

Sir Tyrion Boiliebelly - House of Pancakes

“If I look back I am lost."

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Come Hungry, Leave Happy

It's Friday night and I am exhausted. I logged hundreds of miles this week for work meetings, ran a bunch of errands for the family, cooked a few dinners and skied up Darby Canyon with The Goose.

I did, however, find time to squeeze in some fishing.

Since my brain is fried and I need to get up early in the morning (for more fishing, of course), this post is going to be a photo essay...

A.M. Trout

P.M. Carp

Forage

Mayor McCheese

Shane and One of His Many Hogs

Ghostface Killah

Preggers

 

TFO TiCr 7-Weight vs. Carp

 

Let There Be Mud

Hello all.

Things have been a bit hectic 'round here lately.  The lady went back to work for the first time in three years (which means we have decent health insurance again for the first time in three years) - so running my small business and taking care of the boy when he's not in school have taken a bit of a toll on my fishing.  

It's all good though. Spring is on the way and we've exchanged snow for mud.

I love mud season.  It's a tangible reminder we've survived another east Idaho winter - which is no small feat.  Heck, my fingers are even still intact.

Tomorrow I leave Idaho Falls and head to Missoula for a 15-hour work day.  It's a bummer - I'll miss the International Fly Fishing Film Festival's local stop. 

The good news, however, is that I'll spend Thursday  targeting carp on a local flat with Shane.

The carp we'll be targeting feed primarily on crawfish, so I've been tying up a pattern (a hybrid between JP Lipton's Carp Crack and Enrico Puglisi's take on the classic Peterson's Spawning Shrimp bonefish fly) specifically for this spot.

Sight fishing to bones in Mexico last month made me jones for some carp action.  This particular flat is fed by a natural spring - so the water is crystal clear and it's one of the few locations in our neck of the woods where you can consistently sight fish for them.

Check back later this week for the first of many carp reports. 

Outgunned

I almost reached nirvana yesterday.  Almost.

After hiking in the rain to the place where the beasts live, I volleyed my fly upstream of a deep ledge and waited until the line initiated its swing through the current.

The swing was abruptly interrupted by the most violent take I have ever encountered. It was immediately clear I'd just picked a fight with a different caliber of bully.

By the time I got my wits about me, the fish was making its way downstream and was well into my backing.  I was in hot pursuit, moving as fast as I could downriver in waist-deep water, but the fish was outpacing me.  It was pretty clear I needed to get some line and leverage back on the reel and put the brakes on, so I thumbed the drag and tried to turn the fish.  It rose briefly to the surface, exposing its dorsal and tail fins.  It was the largest trout I'd ever seen - a stout rainbow well over 30" in length.  

Then, after a brief pause at the surface, it exploded again - snapping my 12 lb. test tippet like a twig.

Q:  When a fly fisherman yells "F@%K!!!!" at the top of his lungs and no one is around to hear it, did it really happen?

A:  Yes.

I was beside myself, throwing the same cast in the same location, wishing I could hit rewind.  In all my years of trout fishing, I have never encountered anything like that fish.  It was an entirely different experience.

Consolation Prize

The next hour provided a few more decent 'bows and this brown - before a front pushed through and brought sustained 30 mph winds. Game over.

I'll be back - next time with much heavier tippet.

Re-Ignition

I went from "toes in the sand" to "ice in the guides" in the blink of an eye. 

Now that the dust has settled and I've recovered from another 15-hour travel day, it's time to do a brief recap on the visit to Mexico.

Fishing - Yucatan bonefish are, on average, noticeably smaller than their eastern caribbean cousins - but they are abundant.  I think of the area as a well-rounded flats and inshore species destination.  Locals say the tarpon are significantly more plentiful from May through November and the permit make their way onto the flats in greater numbers in May and June. I am already jonesing to get back (thinking Holbox and Xcalak) and will plan accordingly.
 

Crime - Everyone has heard about the drug-related crime in Mexico and it has taken a serious toll on tourism - but dismissing the Yucatan due to crime in the border towns is like canceling a fishing trip in Montana to avoid crime in Detroit.  Mexico is a big country and the vast bulk of the drug crime occurs in other regions.  We feel safer in the Yucatan than we do in Miami.

The Mexican people in the region are, without a doubt, the nicest, most hospitable people I've ever met.  If you make even a feeble attempt to speak their language, they will love you for it.

We can learn a lot from folks who get by on a little less.

Eats - If you like Cuban food and find yourself in Playa del Carmen, a stop at La Bodeguita del Medio is mandatory.  That's right, Havana's finest Cuban restaurant has multiple locations in Mexico.

Their food is incredible and the mojitos live up to all the hype.

Coati in the Mangroves

Lodging - Options in the Yucatan run the gamut from 'all inclusives' to beach cabanas to camping.  Once you get south of Tulum, things get more rustic and secluded. 

If you're like me and want to avoid the crowds, check out the low-key beach cabanas north of Punta Allen at Xamach Dos.  It's right near the flats and there are some hidden Mayan ruins nearby.

Back in the states.  Back to reality. 

After settling in here in Idaho Falls, I made it out to the river to check on some friends. 

East Idaho is really beginning to feel like home and the quick jaunt to the tropics lifted me over the mid-winter hump.

I saw a lone robin on the river bank yesterday - a sure sign spring is approaching.