2021 Fishing Goals

[DFoster 0]

On 1/13/2021 at 5:08 PM, DarrellP said:

To actually go fishing.   I am working way too much on this !@##% house we bought.

House, the fishing time consuming monster from which there is no escape.  There are times that I wish I had never learned how to use tools.

[knotjoe 0]

Revisit some patterns of old in my fishing history, there's a few I'd like to see with newer materials and techniques.

Fish less productive ties which are often more fun at the vise and water.  Yeah, I know...that's somewhere between counterintuitive and downright asinine, but it's the truth.  I know longer care as much about absolute effectiveness and I've caught both numbers and sizes in my time so it's no sacrifice.  There's a rut one can get into when everything is distilled down to what works best, sometimes who cares and Oh, WTF is a more fulfilling approach to selecting a fly on the water.  Definitely more interesting and entertaining.

Look forward to torrential floods which compromise most fishing options and head for the Fertile Crescent.  Scoped a good floodplain which gets loaded with carp on high water and I think I might try to get some on topwater this year.  Iffy, but compelling.  If not, still gonna whore out on 'em with standard streamers like last year.  One of the few chum-free stillwater zones I've found where a Purefly Carp is not only possible, but common.

Get some Partridge feathers, on skin or in a bag.  There's some materials that don't have attractive synthetic subs (I'm done trying).

Finally build that new dubbing board I have plans for!  Still cranking off the 2x4 throw together after my old board warped and got weird in a moisture event.  Works, but it make me feel cheap.😞

[utyer 0]

My fishing goals for this year, are to stay healthy enough to keep on fishing, and get back out west for some Trout fishing.  Had to skip last year.  A larger Tarpon (over 30#,) would be nice, but any thing larger that the juvies I have been catching.  

 

 

[Upstate 0]

On 1/20/2021 at 2:11 PM, DFoster said:

House, the fishing time consuming monster from which there is no escape.  There are times that I wish I had never learned how to use tools.

That last part is spot on. I have told many people that I'm almost sorry that I learned to use tools and have become a very capable do it yourselfer. I'm not getting any younger and my desire to cast a flyrod to hungry fish is almost maddening at times. My number 1 goal for the year is to fish with my sons and father.  Secondly to spend as much time on the water as possible without pissing my wife off in the process.

[WJG 0]

Upstate, keep the sons and father. Ditch the wife. Goals accomplished! 😎

[Upstate 0]

16 minutes ago, WJG said:

Upstate, keep the sons and father. Ditch the wife. Goals accomplished! 😎

Fun to kid about, but she really is a the best catch of my life, and didn't even have to use a net.  😀

[mikemac1 0]

I am trying a completely new approach to my fly boxes this year—a unique box tailored for individual waters by season.  In the course of a typical SW Montana season (including YNP) —March to November, I’ll probably fish 15+ different waters.  Over the years, I’ve pretty much learned what works when on individual waters.  So this year instead of carrying multiple fly boxes that might have only 20% of the flies I might need, I intend to dedicate individual boxes to flies I know work when and where I am fishing. The goal being 100% of the flies in a single box will be provisioned for a specific water and season.  I realize this will result in some duplication and the need for more numbers of some patterns, but what the hell, I tie a dozen flies a day when I am not fishing.

 

My stockpile of trout flies have exploded this winter so provisioning of unique water oriented fly boxes will commence in February in anticipations of those first trips in March.

[skeet3t 0]

20 minutes ago, mikemac1 said:

I am trying a completely new approach to my fly boxes this year—a unique box tailored for individual waters by season.  In the course of a typical SW Montana season (including YNP) —March to November, I’ll probably fish 15+ different waters.  Over the years, I’ve pretty much learned what works when on individual waters.  So this year instead of carrying multiple fly boxes that might have only 20% of the flies I might need, I intend to dedicate individual boxes to flies I know work when and where I am fishing. The goal being 100% of the flies in a single box will be provisioned for a specific water and season.  I realize this will result in some duplication and the need for more numbers of some patterns, but what the hell, I tie a dozen flies a day when I am not fishing.

 

My stockpile of trout flies have exploded this winter so provisioning of unique water oriented fly boxes will commence in February in anticipations of those first trips in March.

Interesting approach. I only tie 6-8 patterns for East Tennessee. My Dr. Slick lanyard has two small fly boxes- wet and dry. Anxious to try them in Fannin County, Georgia which claims to be the trout capital of GA.

[skeet3t 0]

On 1/20/2021 at 2:11 PM, DFoster said:

House, the fishing time consuming monster from which there is no escape.  There are times that I wish I had never learned how to use tools.

Tools? Good time to pawn them and buy fishing tackle or have a yard sale.

[dogfacedoc 0]

Catch a gar and a carp on a fly. 

Find time to actually do that with a newborn, due in April. 

[skeet3t 0]

I have seen a short piece of frayed nylon rope used to catch gar. Their teeth get tangled in the strands. Caught one on a fly last year but life interfered with summer and early fall.

[DFoster 0]

On 1/22/2021 at 2:59 PM, skeet3t said:

Tools? Good time to pawn them and buy fishing tackle or have a yard sale.

I'd love to but I can't afford to pay others to do everything our home requires and so....

[skeet3t 0]

21 hours ago, DFoster said:

I'd love to but I can't afford to pay others to do everything our home requires and so....

Know what you mean. Same here.

[Chris_in_Louisiana 0]

On 1/25/2021 at 7:37 AM, skeet3t said:

I have seen a short piece of frayed nylon rope used to catch gar. Their teeth get tangled in the strands. Caught one on a fly last year but life interfered with summer and early fall.

I've seen folks use the Nylon Rope fly as well.  Never tried it myself, but my one and only gar came on a crease fly while fishing for largemouth last summer.

 

Chris

[dogfacedoc 0]

I have some rope flies in white with red head. No hook,  just a shank. I had a hard enough time burying hooks in gar with a spinning rod, i don't know if strip setting is viable for me.