It's uhh....Been a Bit

Shit.  I have not posted a damn thing since August.  What happened?

Well, life.  Wife and I bought a house and moved (way closer to the O...do you think that was a selling point for me?)

We made a couple short trips to end the season on the O, and nabbed a Quillback on a glass 2 wt as the last fish of the year.  Not bad, I'll take it

Anyway, its cold.  So what have I been doing?

I made a few trips out to the Mad, but every time I could get there was NOT peak time.  The water was so clear you could count the spots on fish you were sight casting to.  I of course slung junk most of the time, and got a lot of follows, just to have them slip back into their holding water never to be seen again (maybe the trout are prepping me for the torture and pain of musky season?).  Last time I went out I even...shudder...threw nymphs.  It didn't work.  Light tippets and little flies suck.  Don't get me wrong, I'll throw bobbers and size 18 PTs all damn day if it's catching, but I'm not gonna like it.

Hopefully the Mad picks up in spring.  Im looking forward to dragging feather dusters through green water looking to piss off some bad ass fish.

The days are getting longer, and that has gotten me focused on my real "home water" the O.  To keep from going insane I have been doing off season studying, reading McTage's flycarpin.com and John Montana's carponthefly.blogspot.com , two PhD level dudes who write about targeting monstrous stinky goldfish.  The blogosphere has done a good job keeping me sane while I wait patiently for the O to swing into shape for 2016.

I've also been stepping up my game for this year.  I have begun tying patterns just for the Olentangy, and created an O specific box which I am currently stocking with all kinds of carpy and bassy shit.  I've also got a new rig on order, a Superfine glass 6 wt (effing pumped about this stick) with 200 grain Rio bonefish quick shooter, the idea being that I can quickly lay out soft long leader carp presentations at all river ranges with the long front taper and slow action, and bomb out serious smallie flies with the short head and additional grain wt.   I'm confident I could fight anything up to 25 pounds on one of those indestructible glass rods as well.  We will see how this goes, totally experimental.

Olentangy box o' goodies

Pattern Testing of new "Drunken Clam" and "Drunken Mulberry" flies...this was at 1 am.  I have a problem  

"Olentangy Bugger" Basically a crayfish/sculpin chimera that rides point up, tied using a "complex twist" of 2 schlappen feathers and some chenille.  MFC mini barred buggerbou are possibly the highest quality marabou feathers I have ever seen.

New and improved Fly Dungeon.  This represents the most organized it has ever been

The Hulk Sculpin

Don't make them angry.  You won't like them when they're angry

Cabin fever is a real affliction.  This is a face of Cabin Fever.  Spread CF awareness today

The Drunken Clam.  I'm going to get those bastards when they are mudding like crazy this year.  The sucker family is on notice too.

The Drunken Mulberry, AKA Carp crack

"Go Deep".  This is basically a Crazy Charlie tied in carpy colors and materials, with a metric fuck ton of weight.  Goes down and stays down.  I'll be tying these lighter too for the spooky shallow water cruisers that like crushing crustaceans.

I intend to commit more to this in 2016, despite the fact that no one reads it.  Looking forward to more fishing than last year and more reports, gear reviews, and maybe even some videos and tying recipes.  Who knows.

Oh and this happened sometime in the fall.  SURPRISE!  it's a ten pound cat.  On a 4 wt.  Didn't even break the rod.  Orvis makes some good shit.