Fish Where the Trout are Feeding

When I started fly fishing I had the same romantic notion of the sport that many probably do.  Casting delicate little flies that land softly on the water and watching big fish come up from the depths to sip the offering ever so gently.  Then one day I was on a beautiful clear flowing river on a bright, fall day with no fish rising or even looking at my dry fly presentations.  I was still fairly new to the sport and had only read about fishing nymphs.  I rigged up, from my best recollections of what I had read, and went from casting a small dry to casting two nymphs under a bulky yarn indicator with some split shot.  On my first cast I discovered there was nothing delicate about presenting this setup to fish.  The split shot and the indicator made quite a splash as I tossed the whole get up to the head of a run.  I then discovered that this rig can quickly become a tangled mess of flies, tippet, split shot, and yarn.  There were a few false starts and aggravating intermissions to my fishing as I untangled several rat nests.  I was just beginning to think the hassle wasn’t worth it when I finally got the perfect cast, a good drift, and as the indicator flowed passed a large submerged boulder I saw the white mouth of a rainbow trout open and the indicator gently dipped below the surface.  I set the hook on what at the time was the largest trout I had ever caught.  Since that time I have not become much better at eliminating tangles in the complicated set up but I have discovered that using nymphs can improve your success at times when a dry fly just won’t interest a trout.

While it is fun to pick off rising fish with a dry fly it is good to remember that most of a fish’s feeding takes place sub surface on nymphs.  While it can be discouraging for a beginner to try and manage the double nymph rig it can pay off with more and often larger fish.  It also provides a realistic chance of catching fish under a wider variety of conditions.

The most effective method if I am specifically targeting fish with nymphs is the double nymph rig, as this method allows a very realistic presentation.  This rig starts at the top with an indicator of your choice.  There are many types of indicators and ideas for homemade indicators out there.  Most store bought indicators will be the poly yarn variety.  I like these but have had trouble in choppy water with them staying buoyant enough after becoming submerged in the riffles a couple times.  My personal choice is an appropriately sized Frog Hair Ultimate Adjustable indicator.

They are made of foam; they float well in almost all circumstances, are very responsive to even the lightest of bites, are highly visible, and they are easy to slide up and down your leader to adjust the depth as you move from run to run.  All the things that I feel make a good indicator.  The rule I use for where to put the indicator is usually twice as deep as the water I am fishing and adjust from there depending on the swiftness of the water.  The faster the flow the higher you will want the indicator to allow the nymphs to get to the bottom where the fish will be looking for them.

Once the indicator is in place I tie the top fly on the end of the tippet.  Personally I often use a larger nymph like a stonefly or one with a bead head as my point fly.  The advantage is twofold here.  First a larger fly like the Stonefly nymph or a bead head nymph will provide a little more weight to help get the flies to the bottom quickly.  Second they can serve as an attractor to get the fish’s attention.  Even if it is not exactly what the fish wants a big potential meal like the stonefly of something with some flash like the bead head will catch their eye and may be too much for the fish to resist.  As with everything else though this is just a guideline and if conditions dictate I will deviate from this strategy with different flies.

Once the top fly is chosen and tied on I tie about 12-18 inches of tippet to the bend in the hook and tie my second fly on.  In my experience the second fly will be the one you catch most of your fish on.  My most used patterns here are a small pheasant tail or hare’s ear nymphs.   Obviously your fly choices will again depend on what type of insects hatch on your body of water.

The final but very important step is the split shot.  I place my split shot about 12” above the top fly in my rig.  Start with as little weight as possible and work up as conditions dictate.  Most nymphs live on and under the rocks at the bottom of a river so a fish feeding on nymphs is most likely going to be found on the bottom as well.  You need to get your fly down to where the fish are and that means adding weight.  You will want your flies to be bumping bottom occasionally but not continually hanging up.  Finding this balance will be important to your success.

There is no fast hard rule about where I will fish this rig but the most likely spots I target are in tail outs just below a riffle or in long 3’-4’ deep channels with fast  to medium walking speed current flow.  Other good areas are in current seams where fast current meets a slower current.    I usually cast upstream at about a 45 degree angle and let the flies drift past me making sure to mend the line properly so I don’t get much drag.  Nothing will tip a fish off faster to an imitation than a fly that is streaming instead of drifting.  This is another good use for the indicator as it helps you get a better idea of what the flies beneath the surface are doing.  Since the flies are out of your sight you will have a hard time knowing for sure if you are getting a lot of drag or not without an indicator.  You can be confident that if your indicator is dragging, your flies are also dragging.  If your line is ahead of your indicator it will pull the indicator downstream.  Mend your line as often as needed to keep the line upstream of your indicator to get the most drag free drift.  Simply let your indicator float as drag free as possible for as long as possible.  One exception to this comes at the end of your drift when the flies have drifted past you and are coming to the end of the line.  The current will catch the indicator and the flies and start to pull them towards the surface.  I always let this happen because the rising flies will mimic nymphs that are swimming or floating towards the surface during a hatch.  Fish will sometimes take these nymphs as they make their rise from the bottom of the river to the surface.  I have caught many fish just being patient and letting the current take hold at the end of a drift.

One important thing to remember is that a trout’s take on a drifting nymph can be extremely subtle.  It can be very easy to miss a take as fish seem to be able to mouth your flies while your indicator makes almost no movement.  Keep your eyes on the indicator for any abnormal movement and be ready to take up your slack.  It takes a bit of experience with the set up but you soon develop a sense and can really tell the difference between your fly ticking the bottom and the soft take from a fish.  Generally though, you should probably be thinking fish anytime your indicator moves in a way contrary to what the current is doing.

The Double Nymph rig can be a very productive way to find and catch fish but the one piece of advice I would give to anyone giving it a try is to be patient and slow down.  When casting an outfit with this many moving parts things can get tangled in a hurry.  I was reminded of this advice last week as I broke down and opened the nymph fly box on a slow catching day on my local river.  I had been used to casting tiny Blue Wing Olive, and midge imitations so when I broke out the indicator and the split shot and failed to adjust my casting accordingly I found myself wasting a lot of time undoing big knots.  Each tangle made me more frustrated, which made me tense up even more, which did not improve my casting.  After an half an hour of fighting against myself and gritting my teeth at tangle after tangle, I was able to slow myself down and shorten my casts and wouldn’t you know it, I hooked right into a good fish.  It reaffirmed the lesson I learned years ago on that fall day, that knowing how to fish nymphs can turn a frustrating skunking into a great day on the river in a hurry.

See the original article at BaseCampLegends.com

Ethics and Honor

A huge bull elk ghosts through the early morning fog. His ivory colored antler tines seem to disappear into the frozen air as he slowly approaches my concealed position. I can hear his cows, mewing and calling to one another in the dense blanket of white that conceals them from view, while his bugles seem to shake the forest where I hide. At ten yards he emerges from the dense forest and turns to look back at his harem of cows and calves just becoming visible through the fog. The wind is in my favor the shot is an easy one, he is so close that I can see the white crystals from the fog stuck to his long guard hairs and eyelashes. I slowly draw my Osage self bow and prepare to let loose the feathered death. Suddenly! A cow elk emerges from the shadows and stands by his side blocking the quartering away shot. I let down on the bow and watch as the pair disappear over the hill and out of sight. Ten yards, why didn’t I take the shot anyway? Because of ethics, integrity, an honor.

Sometimes, we as bow hunters have wonderful opportunity one instant and disappointment the next. The story above happened to me on a Wyoming hunt last year. I am a firm believer in the fact that making the kill, for some hunters, often over rides common sense and ethics. I have found a few deer and elk that were arrowed and never recovered by hunters, who either didn‘t try hard enough for recovery, or had no knowledge of what it actually takes to find their game after the shot.

Having harvested several species of big game animals with my longbow, self bows and recurves in the past twenty five years of bow hunting; I must say the common denominator for my successes is good shot placement. Too often, I believe that hunters get caught up in the moment and take bad shots in the hope of “MAYBE” connecting. In my youth I did the same thing, and can still feel the guilt and burden of having failed in my attempt to make a clean and humane harvest. Every hunter has a different opinion of what is an ethical shot. Some compound shooters can consistently make shots at long range, while self bow shooters are hard pressed to remain consistent and deadly at twenty yards. I would stress that every brother or sister of the bow, find their own comfort zone, and stick to their personal ethics, no matter the size of the trophy. When preparing for the shot, I have a mental checklist. 1) Is the shot ethical? 2) Can I make the shot? 3) Pick a spot and smooth release.

Sometimes things go wrong, once the arrow leaves the string, and we, as ethical archers, must do everything in our power to bring the hunt to an honorable end. By this I mean, if you have the misfortune to gut shoot or wound a deer, then try everything in your power to find the lost animal. Exhaust every effort in the pursuit of doing the honorable and ethical thing. If you can honestly say you have followed through, then you have not done wrong. You have only been humbled by your efforts and will try that much harder to make certain not to repeat the same mistakes in the future. We as archers and hunters, outdoorsmen and women have a responsibility to protect our outdoor sports. Through integrity and honorable practices we ensure a future for our hunting heritage. My best advice to fellow archers is to stick to your morals and take only shots you are confident with. But above all never give up; it may take years to achieve your personal goals as a hunter. But the rewards of a successful harvest with morals and ethics in the forefront of the hunt will be cherished memories to last a lifetime. As well as the memories of the ones that got away…… like a seven point bull elk…… ghosting away into the early morning fog.

Mike “Hawk” Huston

See the original article at BaseCampLegends.com

Kids in the Outdoors

I often see hunters, that wait until their children are “old enough”, to take them out in the woods. I feel this is a big mistake. My kids went with from us from day 1.

I have never let having little ones stop me from enjoying the great outdoors. I just adapt to bringing the child in the woods. For me this often means bringing the diaper bag along with snacks and drinks and toys to keep the little one busy.

My youngest, has been riding with us in the Rhino, to check deer stands and enjoy nature, since she was 2 months old. We buckle her car seat right into the ATV. She loves riding through the woods and seeing all of the things in the outdoors.

Children love to explore and see all the things in the woods. Touching the leaves and climbing the rocks, looking at the sky and clouds, and especially seeing all the animals with them is such a blast.  On our rides or walks will often see deer, birds, turkeys, mice, snakes, and occasionally a bear. Little kids get so excited when they see animals. We can teach them right at this point, that we have to be quiet or we will scare the animals.

My older kids were always in the woods playing in the woods. (For those that don’t know me, I had 3 kids in 3 ½ yrs, and then 19 ½ yrs later, had one more.) They even came back to the house with what they thought was a great big set of “sheds”. They were absolutely ecstatic at their priceless find! You couldn’t wipe the smiles off of those beaming little faces!

In reality, it was my first 10 point buck. A bear had stolen the rack and scull a couple of weeks earlier from the top of the old truck. They happily chopped the scull in half with their little hatchet, making it easier to carry, and brought it to me announcing… “Mom, mom, look at these sheds we found!” to which I sadly sighed and answered. “Good find kids, but sheds don’t have the sculls attached!” Oh well, they thought themselves pretty cool, and I would never have had it back if they hadn’t found it!

As they grew older we started taking them with us hunting. It was usually a frustrating yet rewarding day, when we would take one or two of them with us. (One per adult) Those of you, that have taken kids with you, know exactly what I mean. Children don’t have much of an attention span and usually get bored easily. Holding still, well that is almost impossibility.

I remember having my oldest daughter with on the stand one time (we group hunt, stand one drive one). I had her sitting slightly behind me next to a tree. I was trying to minimize her movement and desperately hoping that she might even fall asleep. First came the breaking of the logs. Ok they were little twigs, but they sound mighty big when you want the cherub to be quiet.

I told her, “be quiet and sit still”. She replied, “I can’t see.” So I answered back, “Alright stand up very slowly and quietly so you can see”. Of course she jumped up quickly and not so quietly.

I waited and watched, even knowing nothing would be coming my way. There was still a lot of movement behind me. I whispered again very sternly this time, emphasizing each word, “What, is, wrong? To which she replied, “I still can’t see!” At this point I turned around to see what was going on. There she was, with her orange stocking cap pulled clear down over her eyes, and moving her head back and forth like Stevie Wonder!

Now this story would be really very comical, if she had been four, but she was twelve (ok it is still funny). I was really not amused, but I couldn’t help but laugh. I realized at that moment that it didn’t really matter. There would be other chances to see deer, and that that day was about learning and having fun together and fun we had. (We did however have a discussion later about the importance of being quiet and staying still while hunting.)

Things like this are going to happen when you take kids into the woods, they are just learning and exploring. Like any other skill, while they are being introduced to kids need to, and will make mistakes! How we respond to those mistakes will determine if our kids continue hunting or not. Our attitude is everything!

I have seen kids that have not been in the woods much when they were young and when they finally are allowed to go it is very hard for child, as well as their parents because they have not been taught how to act in the woods. It is much easier to teach them when they are young. I have also seen kids that were brought into the woods very early, and those kids are as comfortable in the woods as any experienced hunter. Sometimes they even teach me a thing or two! It makes a huge difference.

Is it easy to take kids into the woods? No, absolutely not. I am not saying you have to take them every time.  No, there are definitely times when it is not appropriate. As parents we know our kids and what they can handle, but don’t leave them out just because it is easier for you.  They are our future and it is well worth the hard work, taking them with when they are young. You will teach them skills that will last a lifetime and build memories that will amuse you forever!

Battle of the B.O.W. Week 3

We are once again leading in the www.WisconsinOutdoorsNetwork.com  Battle of the B.O.W. We have picked up 2 trail cams donated by Preditor Trail Cams and will be getting them out this week! Watch for product reviews  pictures and videos coming up! Please continue to view our Team Hunting Life page as that is how we get ranked!

#01= 728 Hunting Life.Com TEAM………last week #01
#02= 314 Plummer / Hotter TEAM………last week #03
#03= 312 Select One Mortgage TEAM…last week #02
#04= 307 Anderson Ford TEAM………….last week #04
#05= 252 Bow Brothers TEAM……………last week #05
#06= 239 A1 Archery TEAM……………….last week #06
#07= 115 Pierce County Meats TEAM….last week #07
#08= 093 Mediastash TEAM……………….last week #08
#09= 090 Nelson Plumbing TEAM……….last week #09
#10= 060 Original Black Pine TEAM…….last week #10

Idaho Attorney General Signs Amicus Brief Supporting Second Amendment Incorporation

From www.nraila.org

Please Thank Attorney General Lawrence Wasden!

Two-thirds of the nation’s attorneys general have filed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in the case of NRA v. Chicago and hold that the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This bi-partisan group of 33 attorneys general, along with the Attorney General of California in a separate filing, agrees with the NRA’s position that the Second Amendment protects a fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms, disagreeing with the decision recently issued by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Attorney General Wasden was one of the many who agrees that the Second Amendment is a fundamental individual right and signed the amicus brief. Please call Attorney General Wasden at (208) 334-2400 and thank him for standing up in support of the Second Amendment. You may also e-mail him at webmaster@ag.idaho.gov.

See the original article at GotHunts.com

Paper Tuning 101

In the following article we will look at a few ways to determine if your bow is in tune, or needs just a bit of tweaking. Paper tuning is the method of shooting a bow through paper to ensure that you are getting correct arrow flight, proper arrow spine and that the nock or string loop is correctly placed on the string.

To properly paper tune a bow, you will need basic materials that most pro shops should have set up for you. However, if you so choose to do it at home, you can stretch newspaper between two 2×4’s or whatever you have available to hold paper. In most pro shops, as I stated before, they should have a paper tuning area so that you can ensure your bow is correctly tuned.

You will need to paper tune a bow if you change rests, strings, arrows or something as simple as putting a new nock point or string loop on. At our pro shop, we go back to our indoor range with you to make sure that the bow is shooting accurately and if any small adjustments need to be made to correctly paper tune. There are many things that cause improper tears in paper, such as arrow spine, bow grip and possibly much larger problems but for the most part it is normally a simple adjustment that is required.

Let’s get started, stand approximately 3-5’ from the paper, draw your bow and anchor just like you would be shooting at a target. Settle in, and slowly squeeze the trigger. Your shot should look like this.

The shaft is a perfect circle, and each cut from the vanes is visual. This is commonly referred to as a “bullet” hole. This means that your bow is tuned completely left and right and your nock point is correctly set on the string.

However, many times when you change things on a modern compound, whether big or small, you may run into tuning issues that require some adjustments. You will see in the example below a few tears showing a nock high condition.

This can be fixed by either moving the nock point down or twisting your string loop down. With the style of string loop that I tie in, it is very easy to twist the loop up or down. To move the nock point down, I twist the loop in the direction of the serving, to move it up, I simply twist the upper part, and then the bottom will be easier to twist.

To ensure you are not getting a left and right tear, the pro shop should ensure that the bow is correctly aligned left and right. If it is not, you may experience tears like these.

In the pictures above, the far left hole shows an upper left tear (light spine, but can be adjusted out) rest can be moved out slightly. The middle hole shows an upper right tear, move the nock point up, and adjust rest if need be. The third hole shows the shot after adjustments. There are tears that can be made, from bow torque as well, that will mimic a right and left adjustment. To help the shooter stop torquing the bow, show the shooter the proper grip on the bow, and shoot again.

As I stated before, make sure that your left and right arrow alignment on the rest looks like these pictures below. String should split the arrow evenly and the arrow should be square on the bow as shown in the second picture.

In this second picture you can see that the arrow and riser make a complete 90 degree angle, showing the arrow is square on the rest.

With this knowledge and the help of your pro shop technicians, paper tuning will be a breeze!

Happy Shooting!!!

Scott

See the original article at: Base Camp Legends

Prois Short-Sleeve Shirt

Layering is an important concept to women hunters! I know as a woman with a thyroid problem, I tend to get cold very often. I need to put on many layers to stay warm! And now that I have had a hysterectomy and gone into immediate menopause, I need something that breaths and wicks away moisture when the dreaded hot flashes kick in!

Prois hunting apparel does just that. Keeps me warm and dry! Constructed with 100% polyester wicking fabric which works to pull moisture from the skin and “wicking” it away through fabric. This Prois short sleeve t-shirt along with the ultra long-sleeve shirt make fantastic base layers. I no longer have to wear a long underwear top and if I need to strip all the way to the base layer, I can still look good and blend into my surroundings. Feels like a running shirt, looks like a hunting shirt, soft and snag-resistant. A fit and feel like no other. We are offering this shirt for this week only at a deeply discounted price. Retail 35.99, Our Price $31.99

Week 2 Stats-July 1

Week 2 and we are leading again! Thanks to all of you who have joined the site and added Team Huntinglife.com as friends! If you haven’t joined Wisconsin Outdoors Network yet to support us, you certainly still can! We are ranked on page views of our Team HuntingLife.com page. On the 18th we are shooting the pilot for the TV show and once the show airs we will be asking for your votes! Thanks again for all of your support!

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