For those with a fishing fever...

[85xjwoody]

I just dug this picture up from last year for another thread so I figured I would drag this thread back up and post it here also. Ice fishing is so much fun and sounds so good right now with the temperature outside at 101. Enjoy.

45" 29lbs Northern Pike

Kim.

 

[riverfever]

Excellent fish Kim. I'd love to hook into that with an 8 wt. Nicely done.

 

[92AKXJ]

riverfever - I think you'd have fun with an 8 wt and some rabbit fur leeches, big hair mice and poppers for northerns. Topwater pike and muskies are awesome. Follows will make you poop yourself.

 

[riverfever]

Dude...I've always heard that and try as I may I just can't seem to connect. I've heard it described EXACTLY like that...to expect poop on the follows. As you probably know...casting an 8wt and big leeches is demanding work. It's tough when you come up trumps. For a short bit, I actually stopped hitting the moving water and targeting trout to specifically pursue the northerns that are wiping out the trout in one of our reservoirs. I haven't even seen one yet. I just look for grass and cast to it and strip it like a baitfish that's trippin' out.

 

[Fish'nCarz]

I'd be interested in tips on how to clean/prepare them.

I ate a stocker bow about 2 years back and it was the worst meal I've ever had. I was damn guilt ridden. I almost got sick during the meal. I'll never have another trout. I enjoy catching them too much.

Do what I do and just eat brookies. They are char, not trout!

And, they are the bluegill of the clan. They breed like mad, don't get very big, and taste great. Not as good as perch or Walleye, but great!

With pike, there is a 'y' bone on the side. Best to make four fillets, two from each side. They are good from cold water, but not so much in the heat of summer, just like crappie.

 

[Fish'nCarz]

Dude...I've always heard that and try as I may I just can't seem to connect. I've heard it described EXACTLY like that...to expect poop on the follows. As you probably know...casting an 8wt and big leeches is demanding work. It's tough when you come up trumps. For a short bit, I actually stopped hitting the moving water and targeting trout to specifically pursue the northerns that are wiping out the trout in one of our reservoirs. I haven't even seen one yet. I just look for grass and cast to it and strip it like a baitfish that's trippin' out.

Have you read John Gierach on fishing for Pike? He makes the point that they are the only fish he knows of named for a medeval weapon.

 

[85xjwoody]

People who have never been ice fishing need to give it a try. There is just something about using 40lb black nylon line and being able to set the hook with your hands, fighting them, and trying to get them to come through a 7" circular hole. Great times!

Kim.

 

[Fish'nCarz]

People who have never been ice fishing need to give it a try. There is just something about using 40lb black nylon line and being able to set the hook with your hands, fighting them, and trying to get them to come through a 7" circular hole. Great times!

Kim.

And fish never taste better than when they come through the ice. Don't know why, but there's a delicacy and succulence to the meat at that time of year that is unique.

 

[riverfever]

Have you read John Gierach on fishing for Pike? He makes the point that they are the only fish he knows of named for a medeval weapon.

I have not read that book but I'll look into it. I've still got about 2 weeks left before I need to be back at work. I may get after them again. They kinda got me down and I said screw it.

The browns will spawn in mid to late september and then we have the salmon run until the end of november. I fish about 5 nights each week when the salmon run for about a month and a half (from 4 until about 8 usually). I am the only one on the water after dark and just let it drift until I feel a bump and then it's on. I am so addicted I fish for those nasty looking things with a damn headlamp. I can't stop man.

 

[riverfever]

People who have never been ice fishing need to give it a try. There is just something about using 40lb black nylon line and being able to set the hook with your hands, fighting them, and trying to get them to come through a 7" circular hole. Great times!

Kim.

I know and I've heard that from tons of dudes. I just have a real hard time putting down the fly rod. I'm sure it's insane and I'm missing the boat.

 

[Fish'nCarz]

I have not read that book but I'll look into it. I've still got about 2 weeks left before I need to be back at work. I may get after them again. They kinda got me down and I said screw it.

The browns will spawn in mid to late september and then we have the salmon run until the end of november. I fish about 5 nights each week when the salmon run for about a month and a half (from 4 until about 8 usually). I am the only one on the water after dark and just let it drift until I feel a bump and then it's on. I am so addicted I fish for those nasty looking things with a damn headlamp. I can't stop man.

John Gierach books got you down?! When I can't go fishing they are the next best thing!

Are those kokonee Salmon outa 11 Mile reservoir?

 

[Fish'nCarz]

I know and I've heard that from tons of dudes. I just have a real hard time putting down the fly rod. I'm sure it's insane and I'm missing the boat.

Just stand back 45 feet and cast nymphs at the hole.

 

[riverfever]

John Gierach books got you down?! When I can't go fishing they are the next best thing!

Are those kokonee Salmon outa 11 Mile reservoir?

I have no experience with his books. It's the northerns that had me down. Way down.

 

[XJ20]

Well I spent all day at Spinney Reservoir. I started off with a 1/4oz. Panther Martin and caught some sweet Rainbows. After lunch I targeted Pike and used steel leader and Kastmasters, Red Devils, and big rabbit fur spinners. Notta. Not a damn Pike after about 4 hours of casting. I haven't used a spinning rod in years and now I remember why. It's harder on me than a fly rod. I'm beat. I went back to the Panther Martin in the evening and got 5 more bows the smallest was ~16". I WILL NOT use my spinning gear again. I crimped the barbs on those ghey treble hooks. They do way too much damage to the trout.
B/c I was so tired, I left my backpack in the Jeep this evening. My last fish was a 20 incher and she was hooked bad. I went to grab my forceps and they were still with my pack in the Jeep. My options were to cut the line or get back to shore and run to the Jeep. I thought her chances were better if I ran back. I revived that fish for 20 minutes. She didn't make it. The whole ordeal was very tough on her. I feel like absolute sh!t. I can't tolerate sloppy fawking ethics from other anglers. Now I am the guilty one. I know better than to be unprepared.
Now you see why I can't clean/gut a fish. I struggle enough with a bad hook. You just don't get THAT bad of a hook with a size 24. I left right after that happened. I don't know how you guys do it.

-river

I’m back from five days on the San Juan, five days on the upper Rio and then five days in Ouray for a full size jeep invasion. I still have fly-fishing and jeeping on the brain. I read this whole thread and it was quite civil considering the mix. Next time you forget your forceps you can use any twig laying on the ground with a Y and run it down the tippet and wah-la, out pops the hook. I also simply cut the tippet three inches from the mouth of the fish and let it go. The hook and line will be gone in a few days.

 

[Fish'nCarz]

I have no experience with his books. It's the northerns that had me down. Way down.

He live's up in Boulder County, and is one of the best fly fishing authors alive right now. You should check out his stuff. He writes the back page for Fly Rod and Reel magazine as well.

Have a look at this link.

http://bluequillangler.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/booksVideos3.html

 

[riverfever]

I’m back from five days on the San Juan, five days on the upper Rio and then five days in Ouray for a full size jeep invasion. I still have fly-fishing and jeeping on the brain. I read this whole thread and it was quite civil considering the mix. Next time you forget your forceps you can use any twig laying on the ground with a Y and run it down the tippet and wah-la, out pops the hook. I also simply cut the tippet three inches from the mouth of the fish and let it go. The hook and line will be gone in a few days.

Thanks for the advice. At the time, I was about 200 yards out in the water. My Jeep was parked right at the bank. I'm also aware that hooks rust and fall out. I honestly thought she faired a better chance with it out of her for good. I fawked up. It's the first fish I know that I've killed. As bad as I felt about it...it's a pretty good record considering the numbers of fish I catch throughout the year.

Also...a 1/4 oz treble hook is NOT going to be gone in a few days. On both the San Jaun and Rio, they use much larger hooks than we can ever get away with up here. I don't think I've caught anything on the South Platte with a fly larger than a 22. If it had been a 22 or 24 I wouldn't have thought twice about it.

 

[XJ20]

I was on the tail water at Navajo Dam. Nothing bigger than a size 24 midge there. On the upper Rio nothing smaller than a size 16 dry. After five days of tying midges with optics it was a pleasure to fish the rio. I could tie a size 16 ehc on a tippet blindfolded.

 

[riverfever]

I was on the tail water at Navajo Dam. Nothing bigger than a size 24 midge there. On the upper Rio nothing smaller than a size 16 dry. After five days of tying midges with optics it was a pleasure to fish the rio. I could tie a size 16 ehc on a tippet blindfolded.

I just got sprung when you said tailwater at Navajo.

LOL.....that's funny. The worst is tying on flies that small in the winter. Tough enough when it's warm out. Sometimes I feel like it takes me 15 minutes to tie on a fly when it's 30* out.

Hey man...where are the pics? Ever fished the Animas?

 

[riverfever]

Well I'm gonna go out and try for northerns again tomorrow and most of the week before we head to Buena Vista for COFest. My 8 wt is rigged with a fat, black, 5" bunny leech. I picked up some Tyger Wire. Pretty wild stuff. I use a 5ft 1X leader and tie a perfection loop in the end of it. The Tyger Wire is essentially wire that's wrapped in monofilament. Take it and run it through the perfection loop and make a loop in the TW. Twist it about 3x and then take a lighter and singe the areas where the TW crossed itself. Clip the tag and then do the same to attach it to the fly. The mono melts together. I can do a 2ft section of that stuff and pull on the loops...it wont break.

 

[Art Triggs]

Around me there are some walleye and chain pickerel,early evenings I like wading the shallows and weed patches of some of the reservoirs aound by my home, aside from a zillion bluegills, there are some nice largemouth bass, and medium large walleyes lurking around,I like to use either a 6 or 8 wt with a 2x or 1x leader/tippet, if I was targeting JUST pike I would use a wire tippet, olive or black zonkers, in about a 4 or 6 size or a sneaky pete do well, deer hair poppers or mice work right at the shoreline too.......great fun, and its a good way to cool off on a hot day ;-)