Chris_in_Louisiana

Gar Balls are definitely a popular item here in south Louisiana. Can't say I've had the pleasure yet, but anyone with cajun roots as a grandfather or uncle that always seems to bring them to the family pot luck. I'll have to try them one of these days.

Appreciate you taking the time to read, robow7. They are quite common here in south Louisiana as well and, as a result, deemed "trash fish" by the game fish crowd. And while I take no issue with those who harvest for food or other purposes (sucker were common fertilizer where I grew up), I just can't get behind the wanton waste of leaving any fish on the shore to die. On that, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Sounds like fun, but I think I'd need a bigger tank.

I appreciate the input, robow7. As Silver Creek mentioned above, I gave the extreme (if rare) example of fish that break off. However, the process of removing the nylon can also damage/tear out teeth in many instances. This isn't an issue when you plan to keep the fish, as you referenced in your last post, but can be for fish that are to be released. Additionally, the time required to safely remove the fibers from the teeth is a stressor in and of itself. Again, this is a non-issue when eating the gar, but an unnecessary stressor to those that will be released. The same could of course be said for pausing to take pictures of the fish as well, so there is certainly a great deal of personal opinion expressed in post. In the end, my intention was to start a discussion on the topic and propose an alternative for those who may not be interested in utilizing rope flies. Your perspective on it is greatly appreciated. Thanks Chris

Good morning guys, I wanted to share a link to a blog post I put together earlier this week. It's a bit of a deviation from the field reports and fly tying tutorials I normally post, but I've always been bothered by the prevalence of articles out there on the use of Rope Flies and wanted to put something out there that contained some alternative options for targeting Gar with a fly rod. Any input is welcome, whether here or in the comments on the article. I've posted this a few other places as well, and the feedback has been greatly appreciated. Eventually, I'll update the article to include the recommendations I've been receiving. Here's the link for those who are interested: Gar on the Fly Thanks in advance Chris

Great tie, Chug! I picked up a copy of Rosborough's book a few weeks ago. Still haven't found time to sit down and read it yet. Chris

Decided to tie up a few larger Crease Flies yesterday afternoon. Hook: Kona BGC (2/0) Tail: SF Blend synthetic fibers Body: 2-mm Craft Foam (Tan) colored with sharpies Finish: UV resin

Those look great! Thanks, Chug! Chris

Absolutely, I'll send you a PM. Thanks Chug! Chris

Good morning guys, With a trip to the Osa region of Costa Rica less than a month off, I've been slowly stocking my saltwater box in preparation. Along the way, I've started to put together a few related step-by-steps for my blog and thought I'd share this week's in case anyone is interested. Up first is the Bendback Minnow. More a style of tying than actual pattern, these flies run hook point up and are effectively weedless making them ideal for fishing around heavy vegetation, mangrove lined shorelines and anywhere else snags may be an issue. With pacific snook on the brain, I've been sticking to White & Olive over White versions that I hope will do the trick as I visit some Mangrove lined river mouths. One word of caution: Be careful not to overbend. The bend shown below is about the max. Bend any further, and the you may experience more than a few missed hook sets due to the angle. Pics are below, but here's a link with more details for anyone who may be interested: https://fatfingeredflytyer.com/bendback-minnow-fly-step-by-step/ Enjoy Chris

Beautiful tie. And one that may serve a purpose in my backyard. While there are no sulphur hatches here in South Louisiana, as you're well aware, my neighborhood pond does have intermittent hatches of some variety of night hatching White Fly (mayflies of the genus Euphoron, I believe?). I noticed such a hatch last night as the mayflies were drawn to the porch light. Checking the water, I could see faint rises everywhere. Not sure if it is sunfish, bass or the resident bullhead, but something was feeding on the hatching mayflies. Thanks for sharing. Chris

Much to my surprise, the local postal service came through yesterday, and I too received a great mix of flies in the mail. I've got salt on the brain this coming weekend, but can't wait to run some of these by the local bass and bluegill sometime during the coming week. Might even offer a few of these up to the finicky orangespotted sunfish known to reside in a nearby urban lake. Big thanks to everyone involved. Chris

Thanks, Bryon! Can't wait to see and try them out! Chris

Glad they made it! They're my go-to for carp, gar, panfish and bass. Looking forward to seeing everyone's patterns. Chris

Flies are in the mail. My apologies for the delay. Chris