Wow! Now Here's A Monster!

Just received a pic from one of my fellow Bluegill trackers who sent this over. Now for the record he didn't land this monster someone else did. He just felt privileged to lay his eyes on it. Now this it what gives me a rush! This is a Monster Bluegill! You can see him in the 5 gallon bucket to see the proportion of size. Look! it took two hands to hold this whopper! The best thing about this tracking episode was that the fish was released back in his water, back in his neighborhood, to see another day and bend someone Else's rod to the waters surface!(This is a very rare sighting!) I encourage you to keep tracking I will so I can pull one of these in! Talk to you soon! Tight Lines!

LET'S GET IT STRAIGHT

What is a Bluegill? It is a compact, strong, and powerful fish. Plus it is good eating too. Many uninformed fisherman mistake the Bluegill as a easy catch. That point may be true during the spring spawn. But you should only look at this as practice time. Did you know that the North American record for the Bluegill is 4 pounds 15 oz. from 1950! (which I believe still stands) What does that tell you? Sure you can practice and learn from the small ones from 3 to 8" and up to 1/2 a pound but when you catch ones in the 9 inches range and up weighing over a pound, this puts you in another stratosphere! Lines will break! tippets will break! and there will be a surge of blood pumping to your heart! Another thing is when you get into these big boys they can be as elusive as a Trout so you will have to brush up on your tracking skills. One last thing is that the Bluegill can be fished all year long. I'm a former U.S. Marine so I'm even more anxious to get out there this winter because most aren't willing to battle the elements. On this site I will group all Bluegill together otherwise known as Bream down here in the deep south. It's no need to try and separate sunfish, redbreast, pumpkin seed and so on. When you track the big ones, dig in and be ready. I'm still tracking that big one and when I get him I'll snap a pic and release him back into his underwater world. (Hey folks!)I almost have the giveaways worked out stay tuned! and the Lost Ring episode is on the way! Good Luck because this is what is waiting for you beneath the surface!

Heaven Sent

It was a chilly fall day last Monday with a heavy overcast. I got off from work early and I was eager to get some casting in before it got dark. Well, here I go again! My fly went everywhere, no control, I was just about to pack it in for the day when over my shoulder a voice rang out,"do you fly fish often?" Well, with that pride many of us men have, I just mumbled,"a little bit." He pulled up in his new fancy boat and here I was in a pair of rubber boots! He went on to tell me he had been duck hunting, but was normally an avid fisherman. He also asked could he show me some things which could improve my casting and of course I said,"yes!" Hey I was desperate! Now that's what I'm talking about! With fly fishing it's like you're in "The Family." Unlike my previous experience on the other side of the fishing realm. (So many secrets,secret spots, and secret bait.)You know what? Bam! I finally landed one! A nice 6" bluegill! The rush I got, I can't even describe right now and that's really odd for me! Thank you God for sending that Angel down to me last Monday! Heaven sent! What is also so strange is that I didn't even get the duck hunters name! Before I knew it he was gone! Also, I'm in the process of trying to take some pictures to post but I have to learn to calm down a little bit in order to take the picture! I have to remember what a seasoned fly fisherman once told me,"you have a lifetime to learn and you still won't learn all there is to know about fly fishing just enjoy each ride and each bending pole episode." If you got some pics of some great catches, submit them to me and I'll try to post the best ones. Also I have some info on a great fly company with great customer service! great shipping! great flies (not the cheap ones!) and great prices! They cater to the Bluegill, Bream, Bass, and Crappie. (*more on them coming soon!) Also, I'm in the process of trying to decide on a kayak or a one man pontoon to get out and really get some adventures going. What do you think? Coming up next! (The Giveaway- for new followers and the Lost Ring Episode.)

Where did it all begin?

A few months ago I was on one of my favorite rivers here locally in in the southern part of Tennessee called the Duck river. Some locals don't think much of it, but it is only a couple of miles away from my house and it is filled with a variety of different fish but you have to know how to fish it. That hot summer day I pitched my last bass lure for the very last time. The next week I was at a fishing expo and there I saw it a video of Joan Wulff casting a fly rod and it looked like a picture you would only see in a movie with special effects. (More on this veteran of this sport a little later)But in my mind at the time, I asked myself,"fly fishing in the South?" too expensive, too far from Trout, and a sport only for the extremely wealthy. Now I know I was far from the truth. But something inside of me urged me to seek further knowledge of this sport and see where it would lead me. After stopping by a few fly shops, searching the Internet, and talking to a few fly fishing guides, I had a new fly rod combo set which didn't cost me anymore than what I would spend on a regular bait cast rod and reel, so my wife was very happy, and I was as well. But I had a problem I was ready to fish but I couldn't get the line to go anywhere! All I got was a bunch of knots! What was a tippet? What is a leader? This knot that knot! wet fly or dry fly! I was used to grabbing a lure, a minnow, or a worm and I was all set! What in the world have I gotten myself into? I was frustrated and disgusted. I wanted to cast with precision! I wanted to put that fly where I wanted! I wanted to see that mist of water spray from the fly line! But all I got was wind knots and and few plops in the water! What would I do now? give up and go back to my old trusty bait cast rods? Stay tuned to see what I did as a freshman in this fly fishing realm!

As the winter air begins to move in, I got the urge to launch this new blog page to share my new adventures as beginner in flyfishing. Coming soon some laughs, some great information, some great product reviews, and millions of mistakes I make while on my quest to land the perfect fish. Talk to ya soon!