Hope you have a Wild New Year

Happy new year to you and yours. Here is hoping that the new year will bring you lots of wild times, tight lines, and big fish.

IFGA Reinstates Smallmouth Record From 1955

A 50 year old world record for smallmouth bass that had been previously set aside has been reinstated. David Hayes of Litchfield, KY caught the 11 pound 15 ounce fish in 1955 but another angler challenged the catch by saying that Mr. Hayes had stuffed three pounds of metal down the fish before having it weighed.

"Further investigation also found that the dimensions of Hayes' fish would make it very unlikely to weigh 8 pounds, 15 ounces when you compare it to the previous (Gorman's) All-Tackle fish's dimensions of 26 inches in length and 21 inches in girth. Based on this information, the IGFA decided to reinstate David Hayes' catch as the All-Tackle smallmouth bass record," Schratwieser said.

Get Rid of Unwanted Friends in 2006

In the spirit of the new year, Flyfishmagazine.com contributing editor Jeff Paisley has provided us with "Ten ways to ruin a fishing friendship". Number five was a favorite of mine.

"5. When his boat capsizes, don't help him out of the water until you get plenty of pictures."

(link)

Some Fishermen Lie Worse Than Others

The Union Tribune tells us how some anglers are lying about their catch and getting in deep trouble. As tournament fishing becomes big business with big payouts some anglers are cheating to get ahead. The cheating has even found it's way into some of the national contests. "In Louisiana, Missouri angler Paul Tournamen was charged with felony contest fraud after admitting to tying six bass to stumps before the start of the Nov. 10-12 Red River Bassmaster Central Open." The price for getting caught can be stiff with anglers being banned from events for life and even charged with criminal fraud. Sounds like another case for some lake side retribution. Does anyone know how to keelhaul someone on a Bass Tracker?

No Great Outdoor Games in 2006

ESPN has announced that The Great Outdoor Games are on "hiatus" in 2006. "Our plan is to re-launch the event in 2007 with fresh ideas and approaches that will improve it for our fans, viewers and participants." In the article they say the games were a big success but that they needed to take a break in order to make them better. Anyone have any insight as to what the real story is? Rarely do T.V. networks turn down large sums of money from sponsors just to make something better. I am guessing the sponsorship fell through. If I am not mistaken they took the fly fishing competition out of the mix in 2005. Hopefully this new revamping in 2007 will include our sport again.

Trout Ball

I stumbled upon the Trout Ball site today. No, this is not some bizarre new game played with a large gelatinous ball of fish, rather it is a site with "Songs, Poetry, Stories, Cheap Coyote Tricks,And Other Stuff by Greg Keeler (and friends)." Trout Ball has a CD of their music for sale. In my opinion "Whitefish Blues" is excellent music complete with gurgling.

Fast Fly Fishing Times at Weed High

The students at Weed High School learn things by doing them. Student Gabe Sanchez decided to learn to fly fish for his senior project. I think it is great to get school credit for fly fishing and really wish they would have had such open minded teachers when I was in school. We were required to do math and read and stuff. I probably would not have noticed this story at all were it not for the fact that the name of the school was Weed High. I wonder if their mascot is the roach?

Steelhead Diaries

Joseph at Steelhead Diaries was nice enough to post a comment on our blog. I took a look at his blog and found some nice pictures and a mix of fishing info with everyday life. You have to like a guy who can work a story about the Saugeen Stripper into a page about fishing.

Mud Hole Rod Building Supply

One of the perks of having a blog and website such as Flyfishmagazine.com is that I get on a lot of mailing lists. Some of it is pretty standard fare but occasionally I get a catalog that merits sharing with you. Recently I received a copy of Mud Hole Rod Building Supply's 2006 catalog. What sets this catalog apart is that it not only contains things to buy but also basic rod building instructions. It's nice to see a company include some useful how to information with their marketing materials.

More Streamside Justice Needed

The title of this posting on MSN Spaces caught my eye, "The Jealous Fisherman". It is about a idiotic angler who got into an argument with an 11 year old because he wanted his fishing spot. When the kid wouldn't give it up the "fisherwimp" ran his boat through the hole and revved his engine to ruin the fishing for the kid. Obviously more streamside justice needs to be dispensed! Does anyone know how to suspend someone from a tree using only size 0 hooks and spiderwire?

Life On The Maggot Farm

From the "your job isn't as bad as you think it is" file, here is a story of Michigan man who raises maggots for sale as fish bait.

"The key, (to raising good maggots)Seibelman said, is providing them plenty of food. So Seibelman maintains a massive feed pile -- made up primarily of road-killed deer carcasses and what's left of deer after meat processors get through with them"

I am continually reminded why I prefer to fish with fur and feathers rather than bait. I suppose you have to be careful in the maggot business or your crop could just grow up and fly away some day.

Anglers Called to Drastic Action

The Winston Salem Journal web site posts a letter to the editor from Gordon Churchill of Morehead City, North Carolina calling for anglers to "take drastic measures" to save our costal fish stocks from unethical net fishermen. In the letter he recounts an event where "a large school of oversize red drum was caught in a beach seine and allowed to perish on the beach." I tried unsuccessfully to get additional information from the internet about this event. If anyone can point me to the whole story I would appreciate it.

NC's Oregon Inlet = Dangerous Water

Charlotte.com (free subscription required) talks about North Carolina's Oregon Inlet as being one of the "five most treacherous inlets on the Atlantic coast".

"The water is cold and rough, and anglers chasing big stripers sometimes forget how dangerous a place Oregon Inlet can be," Willard said. "Fishermen are working lures and baits in inlet whitewater and get so caught up in the action they don't pay enough attention to incoming waves and they get in trouble."

The Coast Guard says that they get about 10 calls a month to rescue boaters who have capsized or are otherwise in the water. I suppose that "graveyard of the Atlantic" title for the Outer Banks is a pretty descriptive thing.

Wilderness Wildlife Week - Jan. 7-15

Wilderness Wildlife Week is being observed in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Jan. 7-15. The week's events will feature seminars by over 100 experts on the outdoors and will include fly fishing. The week will also feature a one man show portraying the life of Outdoorsman and President Teddy Roosevelt.

Grinch Visits South Holston River

I hope that you had a great Christmas and that Santa filled your waders (hung by the fire with care) with lots of goodies. Tricites.com has a reminder that the grinch still hangs around fishing holes. This time he is stealing out of anglers vehicles on the South Holston river and it is causing some folks to fish elsewhere. We have some first hand knowledge of this problem as one of our fishing buddies, Garwood, had his fishing gear stolen at the same place. Local authorities are doing what they can but the only thing that would possibly put and end to it might be the dispensing of some streamside justice. Does anyone know the proper technique for horse whipping someone with a four weight fly rod? Preferably one with a life time warranty.

Merry Christmas Trout

Here is wishing you a Merry Christmas from the guys who put together Flyfishmagazine. If you want to get on our mailing list be sure to visit our site and click the subscribe link. We just sent out a best of 2006 newsletter so if you would like to receive a copy just let us know in your subscription email. If you would like to subscribe to our RSS Feed the click here.

**Update Twin Mouthed Trout Heads To Harvard

Here is an update to the story from earlier this week about a fish with two mouths that was recently caught in Lincoln, Nebraska. It seems the old boy won't be entirely eaten after all. Instead he (well his severed head) has been accepted into Harvard. The ivy league university is going to study the fish in an effort to determine if the second jaw is the result of an injury or a genetic deformity. After being studied the now famous salmonid will go on display at the prestigious center of learning. The body, which remains in Nebraska with the angler who caught it, will still be smoked and eaten.

Bag a Macnab for the Holidays

The Financial Times has a story about one anglers quest to bag a Fly Fishing Macnab. The term "Macnab" in this context, comes from the book "John Macnab" by John Bucan in which the title character must bag (by poaching) a stag, a brace of grouse, and a salmon all in one day on land who's owners had been forewarned. The author of this article describes the more modern and legal fly fishing equivalent of this to be catching a salmon, sea trout, brown trout, and sea bass all in the same day. And to think, all this time I thought the phrase "bagging a Macnab" was something a defensive linebacker might do.

Desperate Ice Fishing

Finally tonight I leave you with the extreme lengths that some folks will go to in order to satisfy their urge for fishing during the winter months.

We Need A Little Christmas

It's cold outside. The roads are crowded. The malls are crowded. The restaurants are crowded. I think what we all really need is Christmas. Christmas is not crowded. 650 square miles of uncrowded bonefish flats surround Christmas Island.

"The island is famous for its large numbers of bonefish in the 3-6 pound range with plenty of opportunities to catch double digit bonefish on a fly. Ten- thirty bonefish a day are the rule not the exception."

Oh yeah, did I mention that Mrs. Claus wears a bikini?

Samurai Fly Fisherman

Today I came across the Samurai blog from Japan and noted that it had a section about fly fishing. They have some interesting shots of various fly reels. Check them out in english by using Alta Vista's bablefish site to translate.

Two Mouthed Trout

Clarence Oldberding caught this odd rainbow trout with two mouths while fishing in Holmes Lake in Lincoln, Nebraska. The fish weighed about a pound and the lower jaw seemed to be non-functional.

If this ever became a standard feature on trout it could cause all sorts of interesting situations. Two anglers fighting over who caught the same fish, Catching trout on a dropper with both the dry fly and the nymph. The list goes on...

As for Clarence: He has plans for the fish, which don't included mounting. "I'm going to smoke it up and eat it," he said. (link via Boingboing)

Colorado State Record Cutthroat

A Colorado fly fisherman decided to put down his fly rod and use a spinning rod for a day. His reward for setting his sport aside, a 33 inch state record Snake River cutthroat trout.

"Peckham explained that he has fished that section several times and had seen big trout there before. Normally a fly fisherman, Peckham said he switched to spinning gear because he didn't think he'd be able to bring in a giant trout on a fly rod."

I don't know about you but if this evehappenednd to me, my fishing pals would marvel at the fish for a day or two, then never let me live down the fact that I caught it on a spinning rod. This sort of reminds me of the one about the minister who played sick on Sunday so that he could take the day off to play golf. He hits a hole in one ....but who could he tell?

It's Called Fishing, Not Catching

Hugh Koontz at The Star Online of Shelby, North Carolina writes about a skill we can all use from time to time. How to fish, not catch anything, and still have fun.

Mistletoe & Meaty Gerber Christmas Wishes

What goes with Christmas better than mistletoe? We all know that every outdoorsman loves to eat meat (well most of us anyway). The elves at Gerber blades bring you greetings in the form of Mistletoeandmeat.com. Here you can find recipes of sort for the various wild things you might encounter. Warning: These projects may cause ruined stoves, runaway children, and lawsuits from neighbors.

Fish in the Jailhouse Tonight

A study of prisoners in American and UK jails indicated that a diet rich in fish oils such as those found in trout, reduced aggression in the inmates.

The study showed that the inmates given dietary supplements with omega 3, vitamins and minerals caused 35 per cent fewer violent acts than those prisoners given placebo supplements.

I foresee the possibility of a whole new movement towards combination prison/fish hatcheries.

I wonder if anyone has checked for a correlation between violence among fishermen and catch and release trout streams.

While you are at it you might as well hear the song Fish in the Jailhouse written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan.

Dry Fishing Humor..Is that Actually Possible?

Fish Humor from The Pennsylvania Hunt, Fish, Shoot blog presented without comment for reasons that will be obvious if you read the jokes.

A sampling of what awaits you within:

Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says “dam”

Two fish are in a tank. One says to the other “I’ll man the guns, you
drive”

See what I mean? Is it possible to read something so funny that it ruins your sense of humor forever?

All Fishermen are Liars?

Over at fellow blogger Fishing Jones site they have an article telling us how to mak the fish in your photos look bigger than they really are. The tip-off that your buddy might be messing with your depth perception? Giant hands.

Deal of the Night - Time to Stock Up On Flies!

Our affiliate Fishing Flies Online has priced all freshwater flies to only $1 each with Free Shipping. They provide an excellent way for you to restock your fly box when you don't have the time or the inclination to sit at the tying bench. If you need a quick gift for a fellow angler, try one of their gift certificates and let the recipient pick the patterns they need.

Fishing Slower on Tennessee Tailwater

According to the Kingsport Times-News, it looks like things are slow over at our favorite Tennessee tail waters (the Watauga and South Holston rivers). However, it might be a good chance to try for a big brown trout.

Ben Walters at Fly Shop of Tennessee in Johnson City reports the big spawning browns are still lingering in the South Holston tailwater.

Brian Wilson of Mahoney's Sportsman's Paradise in Johnson City reports that the Watauga tailwater is seeing hatches of Blue-winged olives and midges ranging from as small as Size 24 on up to 18.

Hatchery Love For PA Steelhead

The Derrick.Com clues us in on what it takes to raise hatchery Steelhead in Pennsylvania. This is the time of year that hatchery employees collect egga and sperm from adult Steelhead (and you thought your job was tough, you should try being a trout milker for a day). Even in the hatchery only 50% of fish eggs will survive long enough to get to stocking size.

"Sperm from two or three males fertilizes eggs from four or five females. Each "batch" is kept in a container and samples are not mixed until much later in the process following verification from the lab that samples are healthy."

Can you imagine what the male trout tells his buddies when released back into the river? "Dear Trouthouse Forum, I never believed the letters I read in your magazine until now.... "
Makes you look at caviar in an entirely different way.

What Not To Do in 2006

As 2005 comes to a close Ron Smith of The Southwest Farm Press reminds us a of few things not to do in 2006:

• Don’t admit to your fishing buddy that you fell into the river. Insist that a large trout dragged you into a deep pool where you sloshed a little water into your waders and that after a 30-minute battle through raging rapids and treacherous eddies you landed the fish and released it quickly to improve its chance of survival.
• Don’t hit your friend with your good fly rod when he insists that, once again, you have fallen into a river.

High Dollar Froogle Fly Fishing Stuff

From time to time I like to take a look at how the "other half" lives so I fire up the Froogle search engine and find out what the most expensive thing listed under the term "fly fishing" turns out to be. This time it is the original 1903 manuscript of the autobiography of Frederick M. Halford. Mr. Halford wrote several books during victorian times including "Floating Flys" (1886) and "Dry Fly Fishing In Theory" (1889). The seller of this manuscript refers to it as "AN ANGLING MANUSCRIPT OF UNPARALLELED SIGNIFICANCE". (they used the caps not me.) If anyone wants to get this for me for Christmas it is only $30,000 USD.

Fishing on Film

Roanoke Times outdoor columnist Richard Formato recently took part in a taping of The Outdoor Channel's fly fishing show "familiar Waters" at his farm in Floyd County, Virginia. The show is hosted by former NFL player Mike Pawlawski who believes that fishing shows shouldn't edit out the anglers missing fish and should actually provide some information that will help the viewer catch fish for themselves.

"Come to think of it, you don’t see many fishing shows showing anything except self-professed experts effortlessly hooking big trout on what appears to be their first cast."

Richard was even able to catch fish with the pressure of the camera's unforgiving eye looking over his shoulder.

Take This Job and Shove It!

Have you ever thought of leaving the corporate rat race in favor of becoming a fly fishing outfitter? I am sure that many of us have had those thoughts at one time or another but most of us have no idea where to start. The Denver Post reports on Vocation Vacations, a company that lets its clients test drive a new job to see if it is all its cracked up to be.

"South Platte Anglers, in Hartsel, has a two-day package for fly-fishing outfitters for $899 per person."

I am sure its a good Idea to make sure you really enjoy a potential new career before telling the boss to take a hike.

Holiday Shipping at Sierra Trading Post

Just in case you are thinking about making a purchase from Sierra Trading Post and want to make sure it gets under the tree by Christmas morning:

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It's not too late to get a gift certificate! Friends or family will love saving 35-70% on famous name brands online at Sierra Trading Post!

More Blogs You Should Be Reading

Tis the season, the season of rain and cold and being cooped up indoors. A guy can only tie so many flies and eat so much during this festive time. Man cannot live on turkey alone, you must also feed your mind. Here are my latest scroungings from the blogosphere for your reading pleasure:

Maine Hunting Today's Black Bear Blog: Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts interested in keeping abreast of the latest news, events and politics that greatly effect the sports of hunting, fishing, and all outdoor activities in Maine and North America. (Be sure to check out their fishing section. - Editor)

Long Rodding in Garden City Singapore: PEACOCK BASS on light weight is the way to go here. And now, on dry flies! (Another great Singapore fishing blog - These guys enjoy fishing in a big way. Seeing this site will make you want a to buy a plane ticket. - Editor)

The Wayward Fly Fishing Blog: Fly fishing has become very normal. On this wayward site, you'll find exciting (and mostly true) articles, stories, book reviews, video reviews, photography and instruction on many aspects of fly fishing. (A new addition to our links list, this blog has a excellent articles and reviews. We all need to be a bit wayward from time to time -Editor)

CA. Anglers Save Trout From Extinction

The NCTimes.com website tells the story of a group of trout fishermen who saved a unique species of coastal trout from extinction when they collected 16 for a fresh water aquarium in California. Just after they collected the trout, a massive fire caused the remaining fish stocks to be destroyed leaving only the 7 remaining captive fish standing between the species and extinction.

Rob and Lew Sell Fly Rods

The Daily Times of New Mexico has an article that tells us the origins of the R. L. Winston Company's name. It seems R.L. Winston was not a real person but the two guys who founded the company, Robert and Lew. Knowing this seems to take away a bit of the elegance of the whole R.L. Winston rod thing for me. Almost like finding out Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were really two guys named Sam and Earl.

Are Fly Fishermen Ubersexuals?

I am not sure if this is a compliment or not but USA today is referring to some of us fly fishermen as "ubersexuals". According to the article an "ubersexual" is "the guy's guy but with some sophistication and money to burn on himself." They list examples of ubersexuality like Bono, Bill Clinton, George Clooney, Barack Obama and Arnold Swartzenegger. I am not sure where the guys I fish with fit in on this list. We know Paisley would be the Arnold type, Zugbug might fancy himself to be a cross between Clooney and Clinton but its a stretch. I suppose I could be said to favor Sonny Bono - but I am not sure that's the one they were talking about. I think I will be Uberphobic! (Link via Midcurrent)

Florida Rainbow Trout?

Florida has all kinds of fishing but I had no idea you could fly fish for Kamaloop Rainbow Trout in Seminole country. A local cardiologist by the name of Galt Allee originated trout stocking at Hiamonee Plantation in Tallahassee, Florida as a way to have something to fish for in the winter months. He dug a long pond and stocked it full of nice trout. When the weather gets too warm for the cold water fish, he drains the pond and sells them to local restaurants. The cost to cast for the trout that average 2 to 3 pounds is $25 and you should leave your check in the mailbox on the dock.

Ernest Schwiebert - Dead at Age 74

Ernest Schwiebert, the angling author known for bringing the term "matching the hatch" to prominence with fly anglers in his popular book with the same title, died at his home in Princeton, NJ December 10th, 2005.

(links via Fishing Jones and Moldy Chum)

Additional report at Never Melted

Free Fish Porn from Down Under

I found a link to the Australian Museum's Fish Movie site. Here you can view movies of all sorts of fish that live down under. If you prowl around the site a bit you can also find some interesting information about the Brown Trout or as we pescaphiles like to refer to them as Salmo Trutta.

Fat Alberts & Green Day Music

What can be better than a day of catching tons of False albacore off the coast of North Carolina? Making a video of it and setting it to Green Day music! Punk rock never looked so good!

link via Fishing Jones

Paw's Big Brown

This picture is of a mount of a 24" brown trout that was caught by my Great Grandfather, Theodore Roosevelt Burleson, while fishing on the Toe River near Powder Mill, North Carolina. My Uncle, Alfred Cornett brought it to a recent family gathering and the camera phone I used to photograph it could not come close to doing it the justice that it deserved. Alfred was kind enough to tell me the story behind the fish.

Alfred had been driving along the river when he saw T.R.'s truck parked near the dam. He got out to see if T.R. or "Paw" as we all called him, was having any luck. Paw didn't have much to say about how the fishing was going that day as he sat on the river bank smoking a bowl of half and half from his signature pipe. Alfred went on about his business but couldn't help thinking that his Grandfather had been a bit too close mouthed about how the fish were biting. He knew from experience that if T.R. was fishing in a spot it most likely held a large trout.

Later on Alfred would find out the rest of the story. He had pulled up to the fishing hole just moments after the big brown had broken Paw's line. Paw must have been fuming at having let such a large fish get the better of him but didn't dare say a word about it to anyone (even his grandson) lest he give away his secret fishing spot. He came back later in the week and inevitably caught the monster trout and as was the custom of a time before anyone ever thought about catch and release, promptly took it home and put it in his freezer. When Alfred saw how large the fish actually was he took it to the taxidermist and had it mounted for Paw and later for me to appreciate.

I wonder if when that brown trout lost his battle with my Great Grandfather so many years ago, he knew that in doing so he would bring so much enjoyment to so many generations for many years to come. How many other trophies of the past can carry their magic so far into the future? I can only wish that some day my son looks back at some of my photo's and stories and feels the same way that I do about that dusty old mounted brown trout.

Size Might Actually Matter

Doug Arnold, a University of Minnesota mathematics professor has taken a fresh look at photos of a disputed 1949 world record muskie and determined that it could be as much as 10 inches smaller than previously reported. This would mean that the fish would weigh in a far less than the 69 pounds 11 ounces reported by record holder Louis Spray.

"The mathematics does not give an absolute resolution to the controversy," said the director of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. "But in my view, it's unlikely the fish is 63 inches."

A fisherman exaggerate his catch size? That could NEVER happen.

The Evil Weevil Nymph

For all you fly tiers out there. www.hipwader.com shows us the proper way to tie the Evil Weevil Nymph. The question is can the scourge of the cotton field actually catch fish? It looks promising to me.

Fly Fishing For College Credit

Students attending Tennessee's Northeast State Community College now have the option of taking a class in Hunting and Fly Fishing as an elective. The course is titled, "The Tradition of Hunting and Fly-Fishing".

"It (the class) will also cover the skill of fly-fishing including fly tying techniques and fly rod casting. And students, as an assignment, will actually learn how to make
their own fishing flies."

Now why didn't they have classes like this when I was in school? I hear that coeds can get extra credit by tying up a few nymphs for the professor's fly box.

16,000 New South Carolina Residents

South Carolina Natural Resources officials have used a helicopter to stock the Saluda River with 16,000 trout. Trout are not native to that area but can survive their because the Saluda is a tail water that flows from the dam at Lake Murray which is located near Columbia. This is another good example of a state that wouldn't normally have trout making the most of that cold water coming out of the bottom of a hydroelectric dam.

New Gander Mt. Store for Mooresville, NC

Gander Mountain, who just recently opened their first North Carolina store, announces that they will be opening a second location just up the road from me in Mooresville, NC in the Spring of 2006. This should give me even more chances to spend my hard earned dough. Once they open Flyfishmagazine.com will have to publish a comprehensive review of their fly fishing offerings.

Forbes Travel Rod Regularly $350 - Now Only $187.50

I have always found it difficult to locate affordable, high quality travel rods. For some reason the more pieces a fly rod comes in, the more they think they can charge for it. Tonight I have found an excellent exception to that rule. Overstock.com has an 8 piece, 5 weight fly rod made by the J. Austin Forbes Company for only $187.50. When broken down this rod measures 15 inches long and weighs a scant 3.6 ounces. The rod has titanium hardware, a rosewood reel seat and comes with an aluminum rod tube. The rod's balanced taper along with its fast action make accurate presentations at both short and long ranges look easy. They are almost gone so act quick if you want one of these under your tree this year. Overstock is also offering free shipping this weekend only. Click the product picture to purchase this exceptional deal!