Getting the Bug

 My blog has been severely neglected. When I read that my last post was from the summer of 2021 I almost felt maybe this blog should die. When I read the old posts I'm still very entertained by my past experiences and I think no matter what notions I have to killing this blog I'll keep it around. If not only for my own entertainment. 

What have I been up to? 

Nothing worth bragging about. My family survived Covid and I was able to fish some last year and even a little this year. My last few excursions with the kids were fun but they never had that bonding aspect I was hoping for. The fishing trips usually ended prematurely and the kids looked forward to where we were eating out after more than the trip itself. 

My daughter and I hit a river that should have some white bass and I was knew if she could get in a school she'd have a great time. The problem was there was considerable hiking involved and her waders aren't the most comfortable. We made the trek to the spot I had picked out and were able to get to the water without much incident. Even after I mentioned the ground bees along the trail and she couldn't walk after without staring down the rest of the time. She was terrified they were going to attack her. 

The water was dingy and visibility was horrible. There was random debris in the water but I figured fish still had to be there. While I was rigging up I heard on my right "oooh, oooooh, I got one!" 

On her second cast she hooked her first white bass. I thought it was on at that point. Usually after one white bass many are soon to follow. All we seemed to catch though were leaves and sticks. I couldn't tell if the fly wasn't getting deep enough or the fish just weren't there. 

We tried a different spot and I finally found some fish. Caught on a white wooly bugger of course.

I got into a few more after that but by white bass run standards this was a pretty slow day. At least the blue skies of NC didn't disappoint.

My daughter started to get bored and at one point I saw her in a tree messing with her sketch book. She showed me this later and maybe because I know it's me I'm fascinated by it.

We talked on the trail about our philosophies on life and I think just maybe she understood other reasons why I love fishing. It was exactly the kind of day I had imagined I'd spend with my kids fishing. The smile says it all.

Spring Ritual

 If you follow my blog at all you know I'm a fan of white bass. Spring always brings the white bass run and I look forward to it every year. The weather has not cooperated the last few years making a window to fish the run very narrow. My first few attempts resulted in only a couple fish. The river was always stained and flowing higher than I'd like. The banks are steep and muddy making navigating to a fishing spot challenging.

I was able to time one day just right and the day couldn't have been better.

Everything was so green from all the rain we've had. All the animals were enjoying the warm weather even this guy.

A rat snake sunning itself across a log. It didn't budge when I got closer to take a picture. These snakes can be startling because of their size but they are harmless. 

I met with a friend from the fly fishing club and we had a great time catching up and fishing the usual haunts. The river changes every year with the rains and the fish move constantly. A spot with white perch one day can have all white bass or nothing the next. I haven't exactly figured out what makes the fish move or why there's more of one kind over another. The main thing is they are fun to catch and give a nice tug on a 6-7wt. 

The amount of fish over the years has dropped off and regulations have been put in place to help bring back the populations. Honestly I think the weather patterns have helped the fishing pressure more than anything. The river is tough to fish and only the diehards really put in the work to fight the briars, steep cliffs, and awkward footing. Many times the white bass are a fish you have to earn and the reward is well worth it. 

That Time of Year Again

This spring has been particularly cold. The fish have been confused and so have the humans. We've finally had normal weather recently and I knew the white bass had to be in the river. Since I've had kids it has been harder to motivate myself to get out of bed at 5am to go fishing. I sit there awake running through all the things I could be doing besides fishing in my mind. Things needed done around the house, kids activities and just the idea of sitting around doing nothing is attractive. Once I'm on the water though the decision I've made is never regretted. I feel at home on the water and there's a sense of belonging. I've fished the white bass run long enough to figure the fish out.

On this day the fishing was tough. I only managed one but knew there were plenty more in the river. I ran into a guy I remembered seeing last year. The reason I remembered him is not many people fly fish this river and when you see another fly fisherman you usually end up chatting. I talk to bait fisherman to but sometimes you want to discuss things that only another fly fisherman can relate to. This guy had caught a ton of fish and said the trick was dragging the fly on the bottom. It's hard to do on this river without losing flies. The nice thing about white bass is if you get the fly in the strike zone they really aren't that picky. Anything that even remotely resembles a minnow they will hit. The fly I was using on this day was a bead headed clouser.

I use this fly when I want to fish the eddies near fast runs. I want something that will sink slowly and stay in the strike zone for a long time. When I want to get down deep I use the same fly pattern with dumbbell eyes. 

I say this every year and I'll say it again. White bass have a pull in the first 30 seconds of hooking that is hard to match. You never really know what size fish you have until after those 30 seconds. What you do know is that you have a battle on your hands and this fish is not going to come easy. It's what makes these fish irresistible to me and keeps me coming back every year. 

Possibly Making A Difference

What I was told which I don't know if it is fact or not is that white bass used to be taken to stock local farm ponds. There was no limit to the harvest because it was assumed it would be a one time thing. A angler would go to an area get a cooler or bucket full stock his pond and come back next year. That practice years later turned into people coming to the river to get their freezers stocked for spring. 

When I first started fly fishing in my area I went to a creek with a friend and hooked my first white bass. I was addicted to this species ever since. Every year before the run I'd tie flies and watch the weather with anticipation. The runs fluctuated with weather patterns but I noticed year after year more people seemed to be fishing the run and it was taking its toll. I tried telling whoever I could about this problem but I always wondered if my complaints fell on deaf ears.

Since there was no limit fishermen would take males and females no matter the size. In the last 5 years or so the run has tapered off quite a bit. No one wanted to admit that it's people causing the decline. Most blamed rain events or other environmental changes. We fish in a different world now. People used to use word of mouth to tell when the run was on and now all it takes is a cell phone call. The internet allows anglers to share reports to huge audiences and it gives others the resources to pin point where the fish are. It's amazing the fish have a chance to spawn at all.

I have a friend who works as a fisheries biologist and he would listen to my rants about white bass. He worked with the Wildlife Commission to do a study on white bass populations in the area. What they found was what I had feared. The over harvesting of white bass during spawn was eradicating the species. The consensus was that if things don't change there could possible be no more white bass in the area. A proposal was pushed and although I think it went a little too far the other direction I think it's for the best. Instead of a no limit any size regulation the limit now is 10 white bass that are 14" or larger.

The interesting thing about this will be enforcement, the 14 inch fish have been appearing less and less. There are going to be quite a few unhappy people this spring and such a change to a popular fishing event will not be met with enthusiasm. In the end though I feel it's a win for white bass and even though my rants and public outcry for changes may have had nothing to do with the change I like to think I had some small part in it. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

I've been asked to help with surveying the run this spring with the Wildlife Commision. I'll be sure to share the report of the experience.

Stay Tuned....

Mom's First White Bass

I have been telling my mom about white bass for years. Every time we would try to go after them the odds were stacked against us. It was either the weather, water conditions or schedule conflicts. Something always seemed to deter her from catching the white bass while they were running. This year I had been diligently watching the weather.  My past years of experience with weather patterns and previous bass runs helped me deduce the perfect day. This time there could be no excuses. It was a warm bluebird sunny day and the water was slowly dropping and starting to clear from recent storms. Prime conditions. We arrived to the river later than I liked. Several cars were already in the parking lot which made me antsy to get to the water. I hurried along the trail peering over the edge and seeing anglers camping in various spots that were productive in previous years. The banks were muddy and you had to take great caution with how you navigated the terrain. I think that's what I love about the white bass run. Getting to the river is part of the fun. You have to log hop, parry your way through large briar bushes and deal with slippery mud. The leaves hadn't fully sprouted on the trees yet and you could really see the features of the river.

We fished the banks and the goal was to figure out the retrieve. It seems ever year the white bass want something different. Sometimes it's a couple twitches, other times it's stripping really fast or doing nothing. Today it was just letting the fly drag and swing in the current. The strikes were obvious, you can feel the line move and actually see it jerk. The usual scenario was cast near the bank the fly line would belly then as the fly swung tick tick boom. Fish on! It took a few tries but my mom was successful in catching her first white bass.

She caught plenty more after that and we had several doubles. Many of the fish were small males but every now and then you'd get a hefty female.

The kreelex flies I tied seemed to be doing the trick.

I still think white bass are some of the most fun fish to target with a fly rod. The larger fish fight so well you never know what you have until you get the fish in close. A large female can strip off line and run circles around you before allowing you to land her. It never gets old. The best part of the day was that I could enjoy it with my mother. I hope this if the first of many white bass runs we can fish together. 

Bass Morning, Trout Evening

Usually even when I try to plan something like this it never works out. There was a thunderstorm in the morning which made the water stained and muddy. Still managed to catch one of my favorite species, a white bass. 

I went to the mountains later in the day and tried a trout stream I'm familiar with. I forgot to pack my trout flies so all I had was streamers. The white wooly buggers saved me from a skunk again.

Yes It's Crowded!

You can either deal with the crowds or stay home. That's all there is to it. It was a good call to get there early.

Even on a weekday I wasn't alone.

Combat fishing at its best. You sometimes wonder why fish would bite with this much pressure.

Of course they do and it's a feeling I waited a year for. I can't get enough of it. The posts might be light the next couple weeks, you know where I'll be.

White Bass Season

Every year the white bass run is different. The fish act different, the river re-shapes itself and the weather is never the same. This year we are having a heat wave. The temps today were in the 80's. A thunderstorm last night left the river stained and running with a decent flow. There were more trees and logs in the water than I remembered. I hit the trail just as the sun rays started peaking through the trees.

The recent rain made the landscape look like it was wet with dew. As I came out of the forest I walked along a field that is maintained by the Army Corp Of Engineers. It was flash burned last year and in one year it has grown back even taller. I'm not sure if it is because of the strange weather or some other phenomenon but there were spider webs everywhere.

There was so many they kind of blurred together and looked like they were a part of the plants. I'm always fascinated by spider webs and how no two seem to ever look that same. Some are very intricate and others are messy like they were made with no focus or specific goal in mind. 

The fishing was slow even with activity here and there. There were splashes and random plops from fish rising hitting things off the surface. I caught a bluegill on my first cast. It took several more before I finally felt the tug of what I waited a year for. I never remember how hard white bass fight.  Even with a 5wt a 13inch fish can give you a nice tussle. The fish bend and shape themselves against the current making it difficult to bring them in. Once they get close they like to circle and make you spin in circles to keep up with them. I never get tired of catching them. 

It wasn't until this year that I realized how yellow the fishes eyes are. They are almost mustard yellow. I'm not sure if these fish see better in light or dark water but they can strike flies with lightning quickness.

Once you hook one you never can quite tell how big it is. All you know is something is on the end of your line and it ain't happy. Some species fight like they're scared when you catch them, white bass act like they are pi$$ed off.  For good reason too. The more time they are being yanked around the river is time they could be looking for mating prospects. This year was the first time I have ever seen spawning behavior. I saw boils from fish and several times I saw fish chasing each other. It was very cool.   Every year the same places seem to be productive.  I tried other parts of the river but at the end of the day I went back to the same hot spots I hit every year.

These locations are becoming less and less secret. It seems that the internet and popularity of social media has really taken its toll on the white bass run. There were more people than I have ever seen this year and with the limit of 25 fish a day it's amazing anyone catches anything. Even with all the odds against the fish they seem to maintain good populations and the fish are larger this year than I remember. I'm not sure what I want more, bigger fish and less of them, or a ton of smaller size fish.  I guess all I really care about is catching them. The morning ended with a few fish landed and time well spent with friends. A perfect fishing day if you ask me.

I Have Been Fishing...

I have been fishig recently but I haven't done well at the catching part.   My buddy with a boat was nice enough to have me tag along to hunt for striped bass.  Kerr Lake is notorious for striped bass fishing.  A member of the Triangle Fly Fishers talks about how great the fishing is and teases us with pictures like this.

Striper fishing is a whole different monster from other types of fly fishing.  The rods are 8wt or heavier.  Sinking line is a must.  The fish can range from busting shad on the surface to chasing bait balls 40ft deep.   The technique is to find birds hovering in a certain area.  Hopefully this is a sign of feeding stripers pushing bait to the surface.   The first time I went out we traveled miles across the lake before we found birds.  We marked fish at depths between 40-60ft.  Neither one of us had sinking line that could fish the water properly.  The second time I had bought some sinking line for Christmas and this last weekend I felt well equiped.  We launched from a different side of the lake and this time we saw birds quickly. 

We frantically fished the water and within 20min a stiff breeze picked up.  A cold front was coming in fast.  The birds stopped working the water and just sat.  What was once a fast and busy atmosphere was now dead and silent.  The only sound was of fisherman complaining about the wind chill.  It didn't take long for us to decide to call it a day.   I think if we had a little bit more time when the birds were working we might have gotten lucky.  There is a chance we'll go again around Martin Luther King day.  If that doesn't happen I will probably only fish lakes close to home.  That's at least until pickerel season.

Last White Bass Trip

With a new baby less than two weeks away I got out yesterday for probably my last white bass fishing trip. Recently I bought a Redington Red Fly 2 to replace the other one I broke. Figured this would be a great time to test it out. The conditions were perfect and we had some recent rains that knocked some trees down in the water and created new places for fish to hold. I figured the fishing was going to be on fire but it was a little strange. The fish were there but in every hole you'd catch one or two fish then the pool was turned off. The few fish I did catch in each section were decent size. In fact I caught my biggest white bass ever. It took me to my reel and stripped line. I thought my camcorder was recording but it wasn't. That was a major buzz kill but the day was amazing none the less. The river was pretty active. You could hear huge splashes here and there. Walking the banks I could see blue gill roaming the shallows. They hit my fly almost any time it came with in inches of the bank. It was my first Eno slam. Over the course of the day I had caught white bass, sunfish, yellow perch and a catfish. I've never caught a yellow perch before, they are neat looking fish. I wanted to get a picture of one but both fish I had on came off right as the fish came to hand. The camcorder was packed in hopes of getting footage of me and a friend wearing them out. It was difficult to find any spots like that. I did get some footage and I think it gives you a taste of the experience.

White Bass

It's about that time. Every spring white bass migrate from a nearby lake to spawn in the waters of the Eno River. Tomorrow I'm hosting a White Bass fishing trip for the Triangle Fly Fishers. I spent the afternoon scouting out locations and spots where fish would be holding. There is one spot in particular that always holds fish. It's not any surprise. The current cuts straight through the middle of the river and creates big eddies on either side. Fish are found in both places. I cast to the right eddy and worked my fly with the usual strips. On my fifth cast I got this guy.It was small male. A promising start for such a short time fishing. I didn't get many hits after that one fish so I worked downstream. I came to a section where a creek entered the water and there was a submerged tree. This river has so many places where fish can lurk. There's so many sections that have great fish habitat. Submerged stumps and trees. Riprap, eddies under trees and around fallen debris. I worked my fly down the incoming creek and along the submerged tree. There was a flash and my pole arched and the fish dove straight down. I thought this was going to be a monster.I've caught bass three times this size that didn't fight as hard. The fish was on a mission. It looked really healthy too. That's what's really great about spring white bass fishing you never quite know what you're going to catch. I kept working my way downstream and eventually came to a section that I knew for sure had to hold something. If not a white bass then a largemouth, crappie, carp, catfish, some fish. After a few casts I saw a silver flash that looked like a hubcap attacking my fly. That's another great thing about white bass, they don't mess around. If they want your fly they are going to get it. When they hit your line jerks hard. There's no mistake that you have a fish on. This was my only female of the day but she put up a great fight.I met up with some friends and no one had an amazing day. The water seemed low but it was still great to be outside. I went back to where I started the day and caught a few more small males. The fly that worked this time was a pink, chartreuse and white clouser that I use for stripers. I don't think white bass are that finicky about fly selection. If it's flashy and swims, I think they'll eat it. I'm hoping I can get the group on some fish tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be in the mid 70's.