J.C.
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Great shots, thanks Kev!
JC
Although flows are sub-optimal, the temperatures are certainly trending in the right direction.
JC
Alex – the list can be found at https://bit.ly/2kDZH2m or you can scan the QR code that comes with the LAP package and you will need the 2019-2020 pass code to unlock the PDF.
Brian – I clicked the google map location for the Lower L&L site and it’s upstream of Bezdek’s. It’s between the Rio Lodge on the Guad and the Lone Star Float House and Grill.
JC
Ok, Alex, I feel we developed enough rapport that I can point out that the title of this post is grammatically irritating. Obviously, you meant “three” in the the title and not “there” but your are an Ivy League graduate and unless you were channeling your inner Melville – “there strike rule blows,” my objection stands. Just kidding, I’m suffering from PTSD (fly fishing withdrawals) and needed to comment on something since I am not fishing.
JC
BTW – my LAP 2019-2020 passes arrived today and it only increased my anxiety.
Welcome, Cooper.
Hope to see you on the river.
JC
@jrhooper – LAP family/spouse option no longer exists. Last year, Jimbo posted an impassioned response as to the reasons ( Wife Pass Removal Sucks ). It’s worth the read, and provides perspective.
JC
Outstanding, Scott! 23 days straight, well done – sit in your recliner, reflect with a wry smile and enjoy the accomplishment. The aches and pains will fade but hopefully not the memories. And because I’m jealous, I may stand next you (uncomfortably close) the next time I see you on the Guad. All the best. – JC
Not surprising, Alex. Pat’s known for his boxes of Walt’s Worms. I’ve also heard that Michael Bradley frequently uses just one fly. Arguably the two top river competitors and both often use a single fly – makes you think.
I also had some interesting leader formula discussions with Glade and Lance (and tangentially Devin). Everyone is working to thinner – 3ft of 6lbs for a butt section, followed by 10-12 ft of 4x bi-color, (0.007 in) to a tippet ring and then an appropriate length (4-6 ft) of 6x or 7x tippet depending on water conditions. Lance often uses 10-12 ft of different colored 4x flouro that he buys from France. Devin, at times, runs straight 4x to a tippet ring and uses the colored wax to create an indicator (which is a FIPS-Mouche rules gray area). Of course, these leaders don’t behave well for beginners and require a significant amount of practice for any hope of accuracy. Additionally, they all have a nasty tendency to wrap around the tip of the rod, which incidentally is why Lance buys his lines from France, he claims they wrap less.
JC
Outstanding! Thanks, Scott. Hope you enjoyed the new rod. -jc
Though not definitive, Jerry’s parr-marked baby ‘bow supports a possible spawn this year. Thanks for snapping that pic, hopefully others will post as well. -jc
@wesohyper: Great question, and the short answer is – no. Now here’s the somewhat longer answer because I have been thinking about how to reduce the number of independent variables for phase II. Since Alex was using a drop shot rig, he was free to use unweighted flies or for that matter pretty much what ever he wanted. He could also tie dropper tags that could move up and down his leader. I was restricted to FIPS-Mouche rules, which meant any weight had to be incorporated into the selected flies and I must fish a contiguous leader where tags/droppers must be fixed. Consequently, we couldn’t fish the same flies otherwise Alex wouldn’t need the weight that the drop shot rig affords. I’ve also considered perhaps fishing with the same flies in a weighted and unweighted version but that doesn’t translate as well as it sounds. The flies I fish generally have a tungsten bead integral to the fly design and merely swapping brass/glass for tungsten or reducing bead size would not be a significant enough difference between the two rigs as it would mean just adding less weight to the drop shot. In the end, I am not sure that the experiment is valid or even meaningful but it’s fun to fish with Alex, Jimbo and others and compare notes and learn from each other. Ultimately, whatever technique one fishes, I believe putting a fly on the nose of fish is more important than what fly one chooses. Or in the words of Lance Egan, “presentation trumps fly selection.” But if you or anyone else has any suggestions, I will be out there this weekend and would be willing to try just about anything.
JC
Congrats, Scott. Now you can focus on the important things in life – like chasing trout. -JC
For what it’s worth, I tie my thermometer through the laces of my boot, which results in a fairly accurate up to the minute temperature reading and I don’t have to remember to take readings.. -JC
@wesohyper – I purchased it in Nov 2018. I’ve only had it on the Guad 4 times, but so far I’m not disappointed with the decision to get one. -JC
Despite my cynical views about the Army Corps of Engineers not wanting to be in a position to honor the release agreement, based on current flows, rain forecasts and lake elevation, it appears that we have a very high probability that on 15 May the lake will be > 909. In fact, I see that as a foregone conclusion and the only worry is that the lake elevation will rise to a point where the USACE will have to release significant amounts of water that the cold water understory is lost. Fingers crossed, drinking scotch, this will be a year of consistent flows and significant holdovers.
@Trice – let use know how SW CO & MT turn out.JC
