Red Horse Suckers? Carp hunting #1

Tuesday afternoon, I went out on the local creek to hunt carp. The water was somewhat shallow - about 4 feet at it's deepest but probably averaging about 2 feet. Due to the a drought - probably for about 2 years, the abundance of species has dwindled - I caught very little bream and no bass. However, I do call this part of the creek "carp flats" - not to be confused with the location in Bella Vista.

I did expect carp and lots of them. These weren't mirror carp or grass carp - from my research, these seem to be Red Horse Suckers - I have seen them many times before but i am new at "carp hunting" - I recently read Carp on the Fly - very informative. I did try to tip-toe my way in but the bottom of the creek - for the most part is smooth rock covered with algea - very slick. After a few moments of letting the waters calm, the carp/suckers showed up. These do look like carp but their mouths are gapping open - LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THESE SPECIES AND WHAT THEY ARE - since it was afternoon and getting hot - about 90, I didn't expect much action.

Really, they were just schooling and sunning. Drove me crazy. I was casting a prince nymph, scuds, sowbugs and crawdads. One thing is for sure, they love to watch and follow fly line - white fly line. They weren't very wary of my casting - which was very surprising.

The one thing that stood out most was that a large carp would touch or "sniff" my crawdad when it would fall into the water- then he would leave it alone. Carp hunting is frustrating - rarely have I done it but that afternoon drove me nuts - mostly because there were a lot of them but also because they were practically at my feet. This is a challenge. I love it. I will land one of these suckers ( ha ha - suckers).

Keep up with me - I will blog again soon. This year I will land a carp or die trying.

Does anyone know what an Ozark Bass is - I do.

State of Waters Address

This is a rant I made in reply to a posting on Yahoo about a guy who mentioned he fished the Illinois River in Oklahoma - his friend mentioned that he was fishing in chicken poop. Check out www.bookcircus.com. We will soon be selling fly fishing and tying books. We do sell textbooks, curriculum and a whole lot of other books too. Use BLOG20 for a 20% discount off all inventory.

Farmers are spreading it (chicken litter) in their fields. The run off from rain
causes and increase in nitrates and lower levels of oxygen. The
Illinois River watershed is very large. Arkansas is the world's or
one of the world's largest chicken producers - obviously, it's Tyson's
backyard. Not to mention George's, OK Foods, Cargill, Vess Cobb,
Peterson . . .

In my opinion a lot of pollution is also coming from the surrounding
cities, Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville. The area has
been a contruction boom for about 5 years. Developers haven't been
following ordinances and have been fined. Main creeks that feed the
Illinois River are Clear Creek, Mud Creek, Scull Creek, and a few
others I cannot remember. These creeks flow through residential areas
and cities. Some of these actually supported life or more life than
usual. The Ozark Cave fish is now in trouble - an almost extinct
species. Some of the pollution comes from arsenic in construction and
from the overall population boom here in Northwest Arkansas - a
population boom that is causing local administrators to begin
legislation on protecting the environment - waters and land. The
Fayetteville Shale Plate is predicted to make the state have a boon
economy - the largest such holdings of natural gas in North America.

I have seen the decline of local waters that I fish - just over the
past 5 years. A local gated community was built on the White River.
They sit on the edge of a cliff. There are several large pipes that
allow run off from the neighborhood to pour into the river.

The West Fork of the White River is under probation from Feds. A
recent dump site was built 2 miles in the watershed. Many miles of
the rver that once held healthy populations of smallmouth, bream and
crappie are now void of almost all species.

Thousands of acres that were unpopulated are now surrounding creeks
and rivers that flow into the Illinois and White River Watersheds.
The Ozarks are beautiful and the streams are amazing. All I see now
are thousands upon thousands of people moving in by the droves.
People who go out to take advantage of the beauty and outdoors but do
not truly respect it. More business and communities are popping up
but for the worse of streams and the environment.

Growing up in British Columbia, I grew to appreciate the environment -
it would almost seem that people used to respect the environment a lot
more. I have seen pure water streams and hundreds of acres untouched
by man. I have also seen swaths of land clear cut for lumber.

Moving back to the states made me see how progress affects the
environment and how the dollar motivates man - myself included.
Perhaps, I lived too far away from large cities and big economies but
now it would seem that the whole world is growing fast - closing in on
itself.

Fishing Report

I hate to say it but I haven't had a chance to fish in quite sometime. My boat still isn't sealed. However, the white bass run has begun but isn't in full swing yet. I will be fishing this Saturday on the White River for white bass with a friend.

Calcasieu Pig Boat - My father landed several large bass on a Pig Boat with a Beetle Spin type blade until he got hung up. Too bad he didn't have his waders. He told me that he almost cried when he lost it. I would too if that many bass were hitting it. Those ponds he's fishing in Oklahoma are drying up and low. He did hear of someone stocking a pond with peacock bass. He's gonna check on that for us.

He sat down with Dave Whitlock for quite sometime at a Starbuck's. Man, wish I could've been there.

www.bookcircus.com - we will soon be selling fishing books - fly fishing and tying, etc. You can browse our titles now but the inventory is unavailable for now. However, keep us bookmarked for the future. We also sell textbooks and curriculum material - try promo code BLOG20 for a 20% discount off all inventory - we take credit and debit cards.

My goals for this year.

It's going to be another cold and rainy weekend. The local waters keeping cooling off below 50 degrees. I still haven't finished sealing my old aluminum boat. Micheal, a local fly shop owner mentioned a friend of his Rhino lined the bottom of his boat. I sholda thought of that!

Here are my goals for this year - and I hope to blog about actual trips soon.

1. New species - I have carp hunted occassionally. However, I have recently purchased Carp on a Fly. It is a very informative book. I have landed only 2 carp. One was accidentally hooked and the other was caught with a pheasant tail nymph.

There are plenty of local waters to fish - I have seen numerous carp in previous trips but i am not the best at a delicate presentation.

2. New waters - I made a recent trip out to scout local waters. War Eagle Creek near Hindsville, War Eagle Mill, an access at the mouth of War Eagle Creek, Lake Hindsville, Illinois River - HWY 412 and Savoy area, White River in Elkins, West Fork - Pump Station Road and an access near Crossover, Lake Wedington, and Lake Prairie Grove.

3. Improve my tying capabilities. I really need to work on tying smaller patterns such as nymphs and dry flies.

4. My presenation - I need to work on a delicate presentation.

5. Attend the Smallmouth Rendezvous in Tahlequah - never been - heck I've never been to the Sowbug Roundup.

6. Find a canoe - make a float trip or two.

7. Keep some fish and fry 'em up.

8. Actually fish for trout.

9. Make an excursion with my father.

10. Mow the lawn.

McGinty - A good bluegill pattern.

I just tied up a bunch of these for a swap on Fly Tying Forum. This is a Bumble Bee imitation. this pattern can be fished dry or wet - crappie have been know to take this fly too.

Tail - Red hackle barbs over barred teal

Body - yellow and black chenille

Hackle - brown

Wings - White tipped mallard wing quill ( I substituted a wood duck feather)

I haven't tied on this pattern much less tied the thing. I am looking forward to landing a few 'gills on this pattern.

As I receive flies from swaps - I will ues them - post a photo and tell of my success.

I can't figure out why I never tied this pattern before.

Fly Fishing with Spinners

This is a Calcasieu Pig Boat with a Colorado spinning blade.
There are those that feel that fly fishing with spinners isn't a functional form of the sport. Quite possibly even that it is mechanical. However, spinners had been used quite frequently by many fly fisherman in the past - prior to the mid-70's to early 80's.

Part of a presentation to fish and mostly to bass is the presence of noise or vibration. Popping bugs entice bass that aren't possibly even hungry - even those with a large crawdad laying in their stomachs. Patterns that flow such as bunny hair leech patterns or the Gully worm coerce a bass into eating them.

Such as it is with spinners - they provide vibrations and attraction - bass react to vibrations and disturbances. Not those large man made noises but small disturbances in the water such as made by a fish. i truly believe that bass - large bass - need to be coerced or woken up to the fact a meal is nearby. That may not be the fact during the spawn.

For example, you can pummel the same spot over and over with a popping bug until a bass finally decides to take it. I say, as long as the fly has fur, foam, or feathers, it's ok to have that spinner. It was accepted in the past and seemingly shunned if not partially accepted.

A good book to read about using spinners is Fly Fishing and Fly Tying for Bass and Panfish by Tom Nixon. He provides knowledge to a great extent about which ones to choose and how to present them.

If you are trolling with a fly - using a spinner is probably a good idea.

More info to come on spinning blades.

Bluegill Fly - Blue Dragon

Hook - Size 10
Body - Closed cell foam
Wings - white swiss straw
Thread - black (preferrably blue)

Step 1 - Cut a 1/16 to 1/8 strip of foam about an inch long. Tie in last segment - make tail - begin to tie in segments - don't cross the foam unless you know how to make an X crossover - you can cross under the foam on the hook.

Step 2 - Cut about 1 1/2 inches of swiss straw and tie it in under the foam - use X cross tying. Zap-a-Gap it into place.

Step 3 - Finish tying in segments. Turn fly over and Zap-a-Gap body along hook shank.

Step 4 - Cut a slit in the swiss straw to make the wings complete as in a X - as you see in dragon flies. You can tie in some clear crystal flash for the wings or with the wings.

Step 5- If you want, draw stripes on body with marker.

Plop this pattern on the water or just drift it with a few twitches. Try this pattern is red!

Email me with any questions.

Lil' Popper

Body - compressed foam - (pre-formed)
Tail - marabou
Hackle - saddle
Paint - Testor's Paint or permanent marker
Finish - Testor's Spray Lacquer
Glue - Zap-a-Gap
Tools - Q-Tip and foam or cardboard

This popper body was purchased at my local fly shop. The body is made foam - what I call compressed foam becuase it is hard. You can still work a bodkin through it and pull legs through. Hooks come with it to - so they have that little hump to keep the body in place. I'll try to post a photo of the hook later.

It's an easy tie and an obviously effective pattern for bass and panfish. Marabou tail, some hackle too.

You can apply these tying step to any cork, balsa, and foam patterns.

Step 1 - Put some Zap-a-Gap on the hook shaft.

Step 2 - Place a slit in the body (there may already be one in store bought kits). Place the body onto the hook - push it down a bit.

Step 3 - Let the glue dry a bit. Turn it over and place Zap-a-Gap into the slit. Keep the fly upside down and let the glue dry.

Step 4 - Paint the body. I dip my Q-Tip into the paint and dab the body. I usually let one coat dry and then apply another. You can color with permanent markers too - depending on the foam type. You may need to stick the popper in a foam block or cardboard to let it dry - dependant on how many you do at once. After the paint dries, I cut the Q-Tip in half and dot the body with a different color paint. After it dries, I spray the body down with lacquer. *Don't spray lacquer if you color with markers.

Step 5 - Tie in the marabou.

Step 6 - Tie in the hackle and palmer it forward. Tie in the hackle and half hitch a couple of times. You can apply glue if necessary.

Email me if you have any questions. I don't provide the clearest of steps but hopefully, through this blog, I have challenged myself to provide pictures for steps and to give clear direction.

This a is 1/4 inch foam cylinder foam popper. I purchased the foam at Bass Pro Shops. A bobbin threader was used to pull the legs through a hole I made with a bodkin. I tied the back end of the foam down with about 15 or so wraps of thread. It's pretty simple to tie - rubber legs and feather for the tail and some palmered hackle.

This is a good fly for bass and bream. The fly is on a number 8 hook. I usually buy my #8 hooks at Wal-Mart - about $3 or $4 for about 100 hooks.

This is the Calcasieu Pig Boat - a real bass fisherman's fly. It's big enough to temp the best fish and can be a relatively easy cast. This pattern was originated by Tom Nixon. The above information was taken from Fly Tying and Fly Fishing Bass and Panfish, Third Edition, Revised by Tom Nixon. In 1986, he was awarded the FFF Henshall Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Promoting the Enjoyment or Convervation of Warm Water Fishiers.

The CALCASIEU PIG BOAT TYING INSTRUCTIONS

For pictures - visit http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/flymonth/FOTM052002.htm.

Hook: Size 2/0 Mustad 3366 (Or Tiemco 8089 #2)
Thread: Black Size A (I used 3/0 Monocord)
Skirt: Black rubber hackle or rubber thread that has not been separated
Hackle: Two or Three wide and long black saddle hackles
Body: Large black chenille for one pass or medium chenille with two passes
Eyes: Painted
Weight: Optional, this depends on how fast and how deep you want the fly to go
Note: you can use a variety of color rubber hackle, chenille and saddle hackle

Step 1: Start by separating a strip of rubber hackle and dividing it so that it contanins 14 individual strands 12 inchs long. Do not separate any of the individual strands at this time. Now cut the 12 inch piece of rubber hackle into 4, 3 inch strips.

Step 2: Make a pointed cut on both sides of the hackle strip starting at one end of the 3 inch strip approximately 1/4 of an inch from the tip to the beginning of the cut. After you have completed this do it to the other three strips of rubber hackle. Once this is tied on the hook, it will help to produce a tappered head on the fly.

Step 3: Starting from the behind the eye of the hook lay a thread foundation stopping the thread on the shank of the hook even with the tip of the barb. Tie in your two saddle hackles and work your thread forward to approximately 3/8 of an inch from the eye of the hook.

Step 4: Tie in a piece of medium chenille and wrap to the beginning of the where the sadle hackle is tied.

Step 5: Then rap the medium chenille foward to where you firsted tied in the chenille. Take about 2-3 wraps to secure the chenille and the cut off the excess.

Step 6: Wind the two saddle hackles forward and secure the right in front of the chenille.

Step 7: Take a strip of rubber hackle and tie it to the side of the hook closest to you. Tie in the hackle with the tip toward the eye of the hook with the tip of the rubber hackle about 1/16 from the eye of the hook. When tying in the rubber hackle, you should be sure that you wrap the thread about 1/16 of an inch behind where you started to make the cut for the tip. Tie the rubber hackle right in front of the chenille. Click on the two images to see in detail where to start the thread.

Step 8: Tie the rubber hackle secure on the hook and work your thread back to where you started the thread. Apply a small amount of CA+ glue on to the thread and take a couple of wraps of the thread.

Step 9 : Tie in the second piece of rubber hackle on the top of the hook as in Step 7 and repeat Step 8.

Step 10: Tie in the third piece of rubber hackle on far side of the hook as in Step 7 and repeat Step 8.

Step 11: Tie in the forth piece of rubber hackle onthe bottom side of the hook as in Step 7 and repeat Step 8.

Step 12: Take the thread make a tappered head of the fly. Whip finish and apply head cement (Sally's Hard as Nails) Wait until the head cement has dried and then make your painted eyes.

Step 13: Now separate the individual strands of rubber hacle from each other. Your should end up with 56 individual strands of rubber hacle.

Step 14: GO CATCH A BASS

You can troll this pattern. It can also be fished like a jig or on top of the water. For top water action, hold your rod tip high and work the fly towards you in an erratic fashion. Make it splash and swim. Don't let the fly stop moving or it will sink. You can even put spinners on it such as a No.3 Indiana Spinner. A weed guard would be a good choice too.

White Bass flies

Here are two effective white bass patterns. The first is obviously a Clouser and the second, is a Crazy Dad. To learn how to tie the Crazy Dad, visit this site - my local fly shop - http://www.mcflyshop.com/articles/. The Clouser has chartreuse material on top (can't remember the material name) and bucktail on the bottom along with some siler tinsel. You can also use craft fur. Some crystal flash won't hurt either.

Both patterns are weighted to take the fly down where the white bass hang out. They school near the bottom of streams and rivers when spawning. The best set up is a 5 wgt. with intermediate sinking line. The sinking line helps with presentation - keeps the fly at the same level - floating line really can hurt presentation for a crawdad. Sinking line lies in synch with the fly - pulling it along the bottom instead of upwards. OX tippet or leader will do - 8 lbs. or 10 lbs. test. These fish are very strong fighters.

Your presentation will differ - try stripping it in fast or slow - differ your approach. Usually, thay feed on minnows, shad, and crawdads. They lie and wait at the edges of riffles and school about - fast little suckers too! They dart around in pools and if the timing is right, you can land one after the other.

They begin their run in early spring when the water hits 55 - 60 degrees. Usually, they only spawn for a few weeks. However, you can still catch a school here or there throughout the year.

They taste great too!

Learning new waters

At lunch, I went to a local pond. It is very windy today, I had some issues casting. A high pressure system came through and then dropped out along with the temperature. So, I wasn't expecting much action. In fact, I didn't land one fish nor get a strike.

I thought about how many times I had fished there and not caught a fish. The pond is rocky, especially closer to the bank. I do think that most of the fish hang out about 10 or 15 feet from the bank. Sure, I've caught several at the edge or close by but this pond is heavily pressured.

What makes this pond unique is that it is very large and has an island in it. I believe this pond to be at least 5 acres or so. It holds just about every warmwater species - even carp. the carp hang out at one end where most people don't go due to the slushyness - not much of a bank at one end. This pond overflows and runs into Clear Creek which flows into the Illinois River. You an catch smallies in Clear Creek too - Clear Creek runs out of Lake Fayetteville. Also, the pond is on a farm. The owners let anyone fish there but not at night. There is a bin for trash too. Folks rarely litter and get along fairly well.

So, since I think it odd not to catch many fish near the bank and I figure it may be pressure from other anglers - and I am not really sure about that - I want to find out how this pond fishes.

I have challenged myself to fish this pond at least once a week for a year to see how the fish and the pond is affected by weather, temperature and other aspects of nature and man.

For one year or so, I fished Richland Creek more than 100 times. I would fish it several days in a row - several times in a day - time after time. I found that in the spring, if the water level was high, there were holes that held crappie and white bass. Later on in the summer, when the water level dropped, I found out where the sunfish were hiding. Later on near August, suckers and Red Horse would come in to spawn - literally hundreds. Large schools of white bass would become trapped in low water areas too. Kentucky bass would hang out in the sun at the end of riffles waiting on insects - they would take my sowbugs. In the sunny mornings and evenings, large bass and carp would hang out on a clear sandy bank amongst stumps and brambles.

I found out where to fish the creek based on water levels, temperature, and seasons. There really isn't much in the way of insect hatches - although, you can drift damsel flies and stoneflies too. I learned the first half mile of the creek. My goal is to wade further upstream and locate other areas - such as I found a good place for carp this weekend about 100 yards upstream from my favorite hole.

Hopefully, I can find the keys to fishing this pond - maybe land a few of those large carp. Each water you fish is different - although there are many similarities, each body or stream seems to have that something that unlocks it's secrets.

Somebody asked me if I caught anything today. I said,"No." The reply was, "That stinks." I said, "It's not about catching fish." Fly fishing is a form of catharcism to me. Almost like fly tying. It gives me a chance to learn - something new - something to motivate me - get me outdoors - make me happy.

About me

I guess if you are reading my blogs, you probably want to know my background in fishing or more specifically, fly fishing.

I took my first tying class in 1987. It was at my high school, in my Algebra class. Along with about 5 other gentlemen, my father and I took the class together. I do believe he had been tying off and on for many years but I never really took interest in it. I was an impatient child. However, I did find that tying flies was very cathartic. Soon thereafter, we took casting classes at a local hockey rink. A hockey rink in Arkansas? No, I grew up in British Columbia, Canada.

It was there in B.C., that I learned to fish for trout. I never fly fished for them because I didn't have the patience to actually cast a rod on a lake and have good presentation. I never actually used one to land a fish until we moved here to Arkansas in the fall of 1989.

I tied the occassional fly and even cast a rod just a few times until about 1998. That's when I really got the bug - or the bass bug, HA! I was fishing at Bull Shoals and landing an occassional trout on a wooly bugger. I actually landed quit a few on Rooster Tails - rainbow colored - while the water was generating - from a boat going upstream.

To me trout were picky creatures and I still wasn't a very patient person. I also preferred casting to drifting. Bass and panfish just fit me perfectly. I tie most of my own patterns - most do get traded with other swappers. I enjoy tying with foam and especially popping bugs. I love to make them from foam, balsa, or deer hair. I even by the compressed foam bodies at the local fly shop and tie them up so they look as if they got a makeover - legs, feathers, paint and eyes too.

I will provide some pics soon and blog about tying. My fishing time is limited but this year, I will get to spend a lot more time on the water. I will be fishing places I've never been before - locations within 30 minutes of my home.

At this point, I am now more educated about wamwater fly fishing than my father - although, he probably would let you know otherwise. He is a superior tyer and has sold flies to several shops over the years and used to be regularly published in a local paper. He is also a superior fly fisherman and always seems to land more trout than me. However, I take him out to my "lucky" spots and land fish after fish as he becomes frustrated and ends up taking a flie tied by myself or friend.

I have a lot to learn about fly fishing and have a lot of improving to do on fly tying. I do like to share my knowledge with other people - seems to be a lot of new fly fisherman every year. My father passed on fly fishing to me which was passed from his father - maybe my two boys will pick it up too.

Bluegills

It would seem that everyone at one time or another has landed bluegills or sunfish. I truly believe these little creatures are entertaining to us all. Funny thing is that a lot of folks think these fish are fairly easy to catch. That is not always the case.

For example, a low pressure system can come in and all those little fish will seem to stay in about the same 2 -4 four foot zone. I've seen them very active right before a storm came through - a heavy storm that brought in low pressure and great humidity. It is frustrating to land bluegill after bluegill to only find that a few minutes later, they stare at your fly as if to say, "Hmmm, that does look hand tied - let's see how much we can frustrate this fisherman."

Even with several folks hitting the same area all day long can cause bluegills and sunfish to simply lose interest in the activity of flies plopping on the surface or swimming by - cautious they will become - wary of the angler.

I have fished nests and caught big bull bluegills. Only to have them snub me the very next day. It sure is funny to try and predict their behavior by weather, sunlight, water temperature, etc. Let's just say that in my opinion, it's all based on their own choices. They definitely aren't stupid fish. I have seen them stare back at me, watch me throw a fly in the water and jsut stare at it - knowingly that it is barbed and dangerous.

I do think that warm summer morning and evenings can be very productive due to water temperature and feeding habits. The most amazing thing I have seen is a Sulphur hatch on a lake at about sun down. Hundreds, if not thousands of bluegills blasting the surface as these nymphs hatched - all for only a few minutes - and then silence.

Sure, they take just about any fly - sometimes, it depends on various factors. However, I would like to list a few of my favorite patterns.

Pheasant Tail Nymph
Scud
Sowbug
Club Sandwich Hopper
California Coachman
Cajun Coachman
Jeremiah Nymph One
Montana Nymph
Various popping bugs

I love to walk streams and land fish after fish on a warm day - bluegills and sunfish will do - even the stray smallie. I will say that the most satisfying days aren't spent landing a few trout in many hours but landing many 'gills on a lazy afternoon.

I have hundreds of flies - mostly from swaps. I still have many of those patterns in which to try and land bluegills. What is fun and exciting is to discover new water and unlock it's secrets or find certain effective patterns.

To me the local creeks and rivers provide much excitement - I never know if the next fish will be bass, crappie, bluegills, or carp. But to me, a hefty, fat bluegill or pumpkin seed makes me feel satisfied.

As most folks already know, panfish are a treat when deep fried. I do suggest Uncle Buck's Fish Seasoning from Bass Pro Shops and can be found in Wal-Mart. I do think 'gills are tastier than bass - probably not as good as crappie but close.

I also like to pan fry my fish in a mixture of flour and seasoned salt - no egg wash. Just wet fish ion that mixture and pan fried in vegetable oil.

Fly Angler's Online - there's a link on my blog, provides a lot of info on panfish - especially those written by Rick Zieger. He ties some pretty good flies and seems to know how to locate every pond and crick in Iowa.

More bluegill blogs to come!!

First day out in 2006 - White Bass

Some folks call them sand bass but here in Arkansas, we call them white bass. These hybrid creations of Striper decent are great fighters. Average weight is about 1 -3 pounds. I have used a 3 wgt. rod and let me assure you that a 5 wgt. is the proper choice.

I went out on Sunday, March 5th to my favorite location. This location holds white bass throughout the year - the quantity is based on if the creek had flooded that year or the year before. This creek is a tributary of the White River - the famed White River in Arkansas. However, this is the headwaters above Beaver Lake - waters flowing from the Boston Mountains, the largest range in the Ozarks.

Sometimes, if the White River floods and Beaver Lake backs up into the river, the creek will flood and leave more species than usual. The creek averages about 3 to 4 feet. However, last year, it rained very little and we are still in a drought.

Anyway, back to the white bass. Water temperatures usually have to peak at 55 degrees for white bass to start running or spawning. The males usually start moving at about 50 degrees or so. There is no limit for white bass on Beaver Lake or it's tributaries. Many folks from miles around flood certain accesses for a few weeks.

I didn't land any white bass - I know that they are downstream near the lake where some fly fishers have landed several - from boats.

Some patterns to use are Clousers, crawdads, anything with chartruese or white and minnow patterns. I have landed white bass on the Moss Bluff Special, White Zonker, and another creation which I received from a friend - a Clouser type pattern with bead chain eyes, yellow and white marabou body with wire ribbing, crystal flash and red thread behind the eyes with an olive head - about a size 8.

I'll try to make it out again this weekend but it looks like storms will be moving through. I am currently waiting for the seals on my boat to cure - about 7 days. I have an old leaky aluminium boat with an very old Johnson 7 1/2 hp motor - not to mention I still have to fix a flat tire on the trailer.

It's about 65 degrees right now and the water temperature will definitely hit 55 degrees this week.

I consider myself a warmwater fly fisher. Sure, landing trout is fun but those streams are starting to become crowded. Besides, who can resist landing bruisin' bluegills, smallmouth, and bucket mouths!