Catching up on the summer catch.

I'll be the first to admit it. I've done a bad job at writing this summer. I could throw all the usual excuses out there, I've just been busy, I had to much work, my dog ate my computer. But none of them are true.  I mean don't get me wrong I have been very busy. And July is one of two really busy times of the year for  me with wheat harvest and all. I don't own a dog so that one is Right Out. The truth is I've just not sat down and written. And that's not good cause I have tons to write about. So lets get to it. I'm sorry I've been bad and it won't happen again. OK June was amazing. Fishing at least twice a week. Nothing but flies. Big flies. Clouser minnows, Deceivers, and my own pattern called a Muppet Mullet (picture to come). Its big, and heavy and ugly, and it catches big heavy ugly bass.  As well as a few crappie, and two channel catfish. Yea catfish caught on a fly. I had heard of it but it had never happened to me. July was more of the same. Minus about two weeks where I had wheat harvest and was unable to fish. On two separate occasions I took a bass well into the 6-7 lb range (pictures to come). And let me tell you those are fun. So how does all this tie into the whole DIY thing. Well for starters all my flies are tied by myself personally. This comes from the fact that 1) we don't have any fly shops anywhere near Wray Colorado. And 2) It allows me to fashion flies based on the bait fish and crayfish we have in our lake and river system. I also make my own leaders. Again lack of any kind of local fly shop forced me to learn this process. But it also allows me to build leaders at a specific length and weight for the flies I tie. The Muppet Mullet is a large cone nosed fly with a two inch rabbit strip hanging off the back. I use a 9ft 8wt rod to throw this large fly but it also takes a pretty short and ridged leader to turn this big fly over correctly. That coupled with the fact that I am targeting a large and hard fighting deep cover fish so I want a leader that will hold up to those standards. Building your own leaders may seem intimidating but its actually quite simple. Starting with the butt end of the leader ( the end tied to the actual fly line ) you begin with a piece of 20 - 30 lb mono or floro fishing line. I make my first piece about 3 feet long. Then using a very simple double surgeons knot I tie on a 3 foot long piece of 15 lb fishing line.  Now with that you can throw some really big flies and catch some large warm water species. Most warm water fish are not leader shy like trout tend to be. For me though I like to tie on a 2 foot section of 12 lb fishing line. Its on this last 2 feet that I tie on my flies. Now when I go to the lake I  carry a small spool of 12 lb line with me to use as tippet. You can build these leaders really quickly and they are tough. The truth is I have never been concerned with losing a fish because of my leaders. Now you can buy tapered leaders and they work great. But when your leader starts to get short due to use you will need to start adding tippet using this same process or buy new tapered leaders all the time. I can a large spool of 20lb, a spool of 15lb, and a spool of 12 lb for less than $20 and they will last for years. Even at the rate at which I fish. So give it a try, there is a pond or stream or lake near you right now that is full of bass and perch, catfish, crappie. Some sort of warm water fish. They all eat and they will all take a fly if its put in front of their face. I have been down on the river a few times and have made it to about the 3/4 mark of completing my quest. No brown trout. I had on a fish that I was sure was a small trout but it threw my size 16 adams and I never actually saw the fish. I have caught a few small bass, some sun fish and more bug bites than I can count. Land permission has been an issue. Its a neat little river though. And even without the brownies it  been a real joy to fish on that stream. And I'm not done yet. If I don't get one this year I will just keep going and going until I do. Go fishing. Take a kid. And get ready. Cause I've started seeing ducks. The early teal season is now down to the one month countdown. Its almost time to make it rain. Rain Ducks that is.