Confidence and Game Changing

One of the most important aspects of fishing is confidence.  You must have confidence in the flies you are using and confidence in the plan you have.  If you don't have that confidence you will either fold early or not stick with it.  When you know something will work and you stick with it chances are it will eventually pay off for you.  I have been using a couple products lately that's helped with my confidence and helped change the game.  First off Vedavoo chest packs have made fishing so much easier being able to have gear right there when you need it and have it out of the way when fishing is hot has been key!  The other thing that's changed the game is the game changer itself created by Blane Chocklett and the version I'm using tied up by Pat Cohen of rusuperfly.com.  This fly has changed the way I fish and increased my confidence level going out I just know I'm going to get a shot at a good fish with it in the arsenal!  It triggers some insane takes and brings the big fish up to feed I've taken numerous citation and personal best fish with this fly this year alone, it's became my go to fly the bread and butter in my box.  The last few days the Ohio River fish have been giving me fits I've missed tons of solid fish on hook set for whatever the reason, last night I left after missing a few and today started the same way.  I took a break today after getting down and wondering if I still had it in me and if my skills were even there to get it done.  After a short break I put all those missed fish behind me and trusted my gear and had faith in the plan.  Being a Christian this is something we do each day no matter how far down we get we trust Gods plan and stick to the plan he has set forth and put our faith that it will work out, maybe that's why Christ went to fisherman to be disciples they are all about the plan.  Well after the break and putting that faith into the plan after a few casts a solid fish inhales the game changer and drag is screaming.  I never even got a look at the fish he was pulling off line in a hurry and headed down the hydolics with mo stopping in sight.  Sometimes people question the gear I use and wonder why I gear up with a 10wt TFO rod and a huge Cheeky Mojo 425 line up with 400gr Rio sink tip, it's times like these I'm glad I do when I'm targeting monster fish.  Not even getting a look at the fish I wasn't even sure what I was hooked into and even if I could turn him with the swift water that he was sticking in.  We were into the backing in no time which brought a whole new set of problems the backing got gunked up and stuck so we were at a crossroads get him turned and some line back on the reel or it's over.  Finally we were gaining some on the fish and winning the battle as we were finally getting him into some calmer water.  After a few minutes he was finally at my feet and taped out at 26" a huge Hybrid Striped Bass out of the mighty Ohio a citation fish in WV and a new personal best on a fly!  Keep the faith in your game plan and have the confidence in what your fishing and it will eventually pay off for you in the end!  

Vedavoo TL Beast Sling

When I found out in March Scott Hunter the creative mind behind Vedavoo packs was making a sling pack that would hold a Cliff Outdoors Bugger Beast Jr box I was excited like a kid at Christmas with anticipation of its release.  There is not a lot of packs that can be used for musky fishing and big flies minus a backpack.  Not only does it hold the bugger beast jr measuring 10" x 6.5" x 2.75" which fits in it perfectly it also has enough anchors and tab loops for all the tools you need, a built in tippet holder on front of the pouch, a secondary zipper compartment for things like keys or weight, and it also has an insulated bottle sleeve to hold your water below the pouch.  The TL Beast covers that nitch of packs as it holds all that you need to chase predators, big musky, stripers, or even trout.  It's one of those packs that hold all you need but remains comfortable and highly functional for every type of fishing condition you're faced with.  Scott spent two years perfecting the design of this pack to ensure that the load will stay on your back and that the pack would remain functional and out of the way when fishing.  The pack fits perfectly and snug on your back it has the comfort and feel of a backpack and holds a ton of gear like one.  The difference however is in the function the packs swings around putting your fly box tools, and water bottle all at your fingertips for super easy access.  Fishing for multiple species of fish on the fly the sling is perfect for all my fishing needs and with the change of a different bugger beast box it's ready for any type of fly fishing it's faced with.  If I had to choose one pack that I would have to fish day in and day out for any type of fish this would be the one I would go with it's truly a game changer.  Having put several days fishing for different fish with this pack it's been super comfortable and more than functional.  Throw in the fact it's made in America from American woven corduroy fabrics, hard wear, sraps, closures, and even thread how can you go wrong.  If you want a pack to chase Musky with or a sling that will hold it all check out Vedavoo and the TL Beast sling!

Merica Day

The 4th of July was fast approaching and my family had some rare time off together.  The brother-in-law was wanting to do some camping and fly fishing and I was wanting to take my baby girl to Kumbrabow State Forest for the first time.  With the holiday fast approacing we weren't sure if we'd get a site but we packed up the gear and headed off early in the morning for the mountains of Randolph County!  We arrived early in the morning and were surprised to find a site for the night so we hurried and claimed it and In no time camp was setup and we were enjoying some time in the beautiful state park.  

It didn't take long to come up with a fishing plan of attack.  We figured fishing an evening session we would split up and fish some different water I'd go high and the brother-in-law and father-in-law would go low.  It was great to see their enthusiasium for wild trout my brother-in-law has been bit with the bug bad and was excited to get into some wild fish and my father-in-law starting out was just happy to be out.  We talked fly selection with brookies at times you don't have to make it to complicated, a good attractor or this time of year a terrestrial fly will do great.  So the 3wt Vandalia Bamboo rod was strung up and a nicely visible beetle was tied on and we were in the water and fishing.  For an early July day a low 60 water temp felt great especially wet wading the Chota sandals came in handy.  It didn't take long just a couple casts and I was into my first fish a nice colored up native brook trout.  This stream thankfully is not stocked and is supported by a wild population.  Currently the WV Division of Natural Resources Park and Wildlife Section, in partnership with the WV Division of Forestry, West Virginia University, and the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, are improving trout habitat in the creek.  This project should improve trout habitat and the quality of fishing in the future.  

Running into a few fisherman ahead of me instead of leap frogging I yielded to them and headed to a section just below where I knew a few good pools were located.  I figured we'd switch things up with a nice cricket pattern and maybe it'd temp a few fish out for a nice evening snack.  To my pleasure the rod was bent in no time and another Brookie was at hand.  I knew it was  nap time for the kid so I had some quality time at hand to take my time and work this section of river good.  It seemed every nice pool had a willing fish that was happy to eat a cricket and before you knew it we were catching fish like crazy it's hard to complain when your on a beautiful mountain stream and even harder when your catching tons of fish.  The guys that fished the lower section didn't have as much luck we thought they may have fished behind someone which always makes small stream fishing that much more difficult!  Two big things for success on a stream like this to me is first make sure you use a stealthy approach so the fish do not see you and fish fresh water that has not been covered.  After a meeting back at camp and some tasty campfire cooked food the plan was to put the brother-in-law on some fish.  Sometimes watching someone else catch fish and see their excitement is just as good as fishing.  We figured we'd put him on a couple runs close to camp as we knew they hadn't been covered.  It took a few drifts but the 3wt was bending and another Brookie fell victim to a cricket pattern.  We managed several more fish but seeing him get into some wild fish and my daughter enjoy some time camping in one of my favorite places made the trip catching a few just added some icing to an already great trip!  It's always great to spend time on a nice mountain stream with the ones you love.  

Dueling Bamboo

Blonde or Brunette

First Brookie on the Blonde Bamboo

I start this blog post with one question Blonde or Brunette??  Schedules are a hard thing to line up at times with work, family, and other activities so when my good friend Jonathan Paine's and my schedule lines up and I have the chance to fish with him I jump at it.  Phil Smith owner of Vandalia Rodworks had built both of us a mystery taper 6' 6" 2wt bamboo rod that we were both dying to try out on some brook trout.  I started off and lined up the new rod with some Rio Perception fly line and let me say its slick and throws a great line I was impressed with the first time having it out a truly great line they have developed.  The fly boxes were all packed up and the new and really awesome Vedavoo tightlines sling pack was loaded and the plans were ready first thing in the morning I was headed to Elkins to meet up for a Good Friday brookie mission.  We weren't completely sure on what stream to hit but figured we would trout bum it and bounce from stream to stream and see what we could find and hopefully get into some good fish on dry flies.  The water for this time of year was low and clear, a lot lower than it normally is for this time of year and with the colder temps the water was still pretty cool.  Starting off with the new cane rod we had to start off with a first fish a brookie on a dry so what better fly to pick out of the box then a good trusty stimulator.  I missed a good fish right off the back and action seemed like it was going to be slower than it normally was for this area but the dry fly was going to make it happen.

 Moments later in a nice slick I skated the stimulator across the water and my best fish of the day inhaled it.  Nothing like a beautiful mountain stream a can rod in had a dry fly on and sharing a good first fish with a great friend the day was already a success.  We continued our way upstream and landed several more beautiful mountain trout WV's native brookie!  We jumped over to a new stream and flies were coming off in good numbers especially some blue quills and brookies were rising already and a lot more active than they were to start the day, the sun gave some good warmth to the water.  They were still taking the stimulator with reckless abandonment.  We both got into scuds of fish and Paine got into on really nice wild rainbow trout our first of those of the day.  Its hard to beat a day when the brookies are rising especially when you get to break in such an amazingly built rod.  Some people may prefer brunettes but I must say my blonde is one beautiful piece of art and they always do say blondes are better

Risen Fly ITB Rod

Time for another product review!  Our friends at Risen Fly recently gave me the opportunity to test out their new prototype rod the ITB.  It is a 9ft 5wt rod that is listed as a mid flex rod.  I have a great deal of respect for Ryan and the company he has created so I was super excited to get this rod in my hands and see what it truly offered.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it packed away in a cool triangle rod to prevent it from rolling around when your in route to water.  I was also impressed with the price point of this rod priced at $140 including the rod tube and a lifetime warranty it puts it in very comparable to a lot of the Temple Fork rods that never offer the tube with the rod. 
The rod is a nice graphite in a bold burnt orange color with brown/orange wrappings that give it a very unique and cool look!  Well after finally getting it lined up with some Risen Fly Alpha line and pairing it up with the Risen Fly Ichthus fly reel it was ready to hit the water.  Colder temps being in the area I figured my best chance to get the rod into some fish was on the Elk River. 


Elk River Brown

I put it in some different situations to see how it would cast and handle flies and from nymphs, to streamers, and even dries it did great.  The browns even enjoyed the buggers we were swinging by them.  The rod casts very smoothly.  It truly feels like a nice midflex rod with good action with some good sensitivity I am a fan of rods with a lot of action and full flex I was impressed with the action of this rod it felt noodly enough to where I like it but yet gave enough back bone to lay out a good cast and handle some weight with streamers or nymphs.  Casts in the 30 range are a breeze and munch longer are not bad either the rod handles all situations!  Having had it out several times I am pleased with how the rod handles with all types of conditions and ready to put it to work on some bass and blue gill action.  For the price of this and the warranty as well as the type of people they are at Risen Fly you can no go wrong with the price tag and value of this rod!  Check them out online at RisenFly.com they also offer some awesome reels, fly line, and boxes all at great prices.

Photo from RisenFly.com

Photo from RisenFly.com



Check out our good friends at risenfly.com

Vedavoo Daypack

Time for another gear review.  Last year I was looking for a do it all kind of pack that would cover all areas that I wanted to use it.  I had seen the teaser pick on Instagram and I was excited with the possibilities of this new pack.  I looked to no other than Scott Hunter at Vedavoo after I seen his post and after I had used so many of his handcrafted made in the USA products.  I had several things I wanted this pack to be able to handle the first being a hospital visit and ready to go on demand when the wife was ready go into labor.  For this first design area it needed to be able to hold a few days worth of clothes some basic necessities and also the laptop and camera for those first baby shots and uploads!  The next design area I needed was for it to be a diaper bag or a man bag if you want to call it.  I found no diaper bags that really fit my lifestyle and they all looked a little to feminine to meet my needs anyways.  So I needed a bag that would be able to handle a few diapers, some baby toys, food, a change of clothes, baby necessities, and of course some of dads toys for the day. 
 

Thirdly I wanted a bag that would allow us as a family to throw what we needed into it for a day hiking or even what we need for a quick family getaway. The last thing and importantly I needed a good designed fishing bag that would be able to handle a few miles into the back country, a quick trip to the farm pond, or just a day on the trout waters with all the gear tucked away.  After putting the bag to the test in all areas its performed great and beyond my expectations.  It is roomy enough to hold everything I need weather it be a day as Mr Mom, hiking, a WVAngler trip with the laptop, or just a day of fishing.  It's faced Annie May on a day out with it, Lake Erie Steelhead, a night getaway thanks to snow of course, and just some great streamer fishing on the Elk!  Scott puts amazing work into all his products and never misses a detail and is a true professional to work with from every aspect of the build.  The Vedavoo Daypack truly gets 5 stars from me and will continue to be used in every aspect of my life.  If you want a high quality hand crafted made in the USA pack to meet your fishing demands or just every day life or life as a new dad give Scott a call I am sure Vedavoo can help you out!  https://vedavoo.com/

If I Could Fish Wish One Person ??

If I could fish with one person for a day is a question I recently asked on WVAngler social media.  It sparked an interesting response with several different answers.  So many answers immediately jump through my head when I first thought of it and it was hard to narrow it down.  I am very lucky to have been able to share so much time on the water with so many great people in so many different areas.  To fish with people that have taught me so much and helped me truly learn so much about fishing and the art of fly fishing.  When I think of time on the water I look back at what Charles K. Fox said, "The angler forgets most of the fish he catches, but he does not forget the streams and lakes in which they are caught."   Time getting out and getting on the water is one thing but where your at and who you are with make a day really and truly special.  Looking back I can not think of a person I would rather spend time on the water with than my father.  My dad is one that truly has gave back all his life from helping with the boy scouts, volunteering with the WV cancer camp for children, helping with church functions, he always made time to spend with me in the great outdoors!  A man that battled colon caner and won and remains cancer free for 33 amazing years I am truly blessed he won this battle and God gave me so many years I could spend with him. I still remember one of the first big trips he took me on to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area where we canoed and canoed for days only to see him put me in a spot as such a small child to catch some big smallmouth bass.

  Dad helped create me into the fisherman I am today weather it be a trip with the boy scouts to the South Branch, an early morning trout adventure, or even driving hours to a place like the Little Red River in Arkansas he was always there to pilot the way and help along the way, he even put my first fly rod in my hand his old Martin Fiberglass Fly Rod that I took some of my first fish on.  If I had to choose one person my father would be at the top of the list for sure.  But who else would be on that list the choices and the options are immense!  First I never pass up a good adventure with any of my WVAngler brother whether it be Dave Breitmeier, Jonathan Paine, Zach Adkins, Chad See, or any of the other members who I consider brothers I would fish anywhere with them!   Two WVAnglers that are looking down from above Eric Workman and Gary Pase would always be two people that would be so great to be able to fish with and spend some time with again.  Next looking at some big name fishing names that I have always looked up to.  Bob Clouser and his passion for smallmouth and that clouser minnow, Joe Humphreys and his great tight line nymping techniques, Jeff Currier the guy has caught 300 species of fish on the fly just unreal, John Geirach who wouldn't want to share a day with him on the water, Rebekka Redd and her love for Pike on the fly, Scott Hunter the founder of Vedavoo and a good dude, and finally Brian Price and Ken Capsey from Vermont Fly Guys there just toothy fishing machines.  Its hard to just make a short list and not leave anyone out but one person to walk a brook trout stream and just talk with would be Jesus I am sure you would learn so much fishing and beyond!  So the question is who would you fish with if you could fish with one person for a day??  No matter who you chose or where you fish who you share it with sometimes becomes so much more important than the fish!