This past Tuesday I did a slideshow presentation for the Bay Area Fly Fishers in Mobile Alabama. The group meets monthly at Dreamland Barbecue to nosh on ribs, enjoy some beer, and talk about fishing. Sounds pretty dreamy – or dreamlandy—to me! I told stories about floating and camping on the Smith River and Blackfoot River in Montana.

Of course it’s always a treat to be invited to speak and share stories, but I truly enjoy talking with everyone at these events and hearing about their fishing adventures. I met this guy, Edward Inge, who recently moved back to Mobile from Nashville so needless to say we had lots of common water and friends to talk about. Edward will be presenting at the May BAFF meeting, talking about his trip to Alaska.

Of course all my best chicks came out in full force, fully regaled in western wear, blond wigs and fishing garb. You have to love a group of busy moms (I think there are something like twenty-one children amongst us, not including grandchildren!) who steal any moments they can to plan a fishing trip. After the presentation we tucked into a booth and put pen to paper to wrestle through busy summer schedules and confirm dates for our 2nd annual Chicks Fishing Trip in Montana. Leave it to these girls. We got it all set!

I had a ball. Many thanks to everyone at the Bay Area Fly Fishers group who extended me so much hospitality!

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To DEET or not to DEET? That is the question. Well, according to DEETer, it’s an easy answer. Given all the nasty things that mosquitoes and other bugs can cause, from mere discomfort to deadly…

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Lache pas la patate, literal translation is “Don’t Let Go of the Potato.” But when uttered by a Cajun it means “Don’t Ever Give Up” – no doubt a regular battle cry for this hearty stock of people who embody good old-fashioned stick-to-it-tiveness. And gusto. And gumbo.

So despite the fact that cold temps and raging winds have thwarted all three of our recent Louisiana redfishing trips, we did as cajuns do and decided to lache pas la patate. Last Sunday we loaded up fishing gear and hope for Hopedale as we ventured back over to Louisiana to fish with Travis Holeman.

Finally. The sun came out. The winds laid down. The water warmed up. And the fish started moving around. Pretty quick out of the gate we were sight casting to reds and The Professor came up victorious a few times before lunch.

It was my turn up on the bow, but suffice to say my cast was rusty rusty rusty! I was struggling. I had half a dozen opportunities to sight cast at several reds but couldn’t deliver. Everyone was patient why I got into a better rhythm with the 8-weight. About midday I finally did connect and found some tension on the rod. Only problem? I was boogying to beat of a different drum…black, not red. And I foul hooked it.

It was wild, I saw the whole thing happen. I was urgently casting at three or four fish directly in front of the boat moving straight toward me. They rebuffed my offering and decided to scat as I watched this 35-pound lug move from left to right while I was still stripping. I felt tension but knew his body was too far right of my fly for it to be a proper eat. So this beast of a black drum took me to my backing with a tarpon hook and a redfish fly in his ass. As you can see I have some work to do on my grip-n-grin with a 35+ pound black drum foul hook fish.

Luckily mother nature started working with me and compensated for my poor casting. The sunshine continued to warm up the water so the fish started moving and eating with vigior. I finally caught my first Louisiana redfish.

And in the words of our esteemed captain, at this point we proceeded to jimmy jam ‘em. Singles, doubles, triples. My biggest was about ten pounds. The Professor’s about fifteen. But we caught a heap of reds and knocked the voodoo off. Whew! Finally.

Big thanks to Travis Holeman for a good old fashioned jimmyjam on the water . Enjoy the slideshow and remember the key lesson here: Don’t Let Go of the Potato.

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Towards the end of January I reported on the ongoing deep freeze and large scale fish kills for many gamefish in Florida. Snook seemed to take the brunt of the cold weather deaths with many, many…

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Last week when we talked about the survey listing the most popular fly fishing brands, a number of you in the comment thread asked what my favorite brands are. I promise you this isn’t a cop-out,…

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The past couple days here at home have been the first indications that we’ve turned the corner towards spring. I’ve got the fever bad, too…sporting flip flops, shorts and a T-shirt for those…

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Are you a net person or not? A lot of guides I know think using a net for landing fish is harmful to trout. It rubs off their slimy protective skin coating. Then again… what’s worse for the…

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I am traveling to Mobile tomorrow and working on my packing list:

Now as yall know, I’ve had more than just a wee bit of bad luck with the weather getting in the way of recent winter redfishing attempts in Louisiana. But we are all set, once again, to fish in Hopedale this Sunday with Travis Holeman. Catching a Louisiana redfish has become a little bit like looking for the holy grail, but I am undeterred. Although one could argue I’ve lost all reasonable perspective on this topic. So I’m curious what you think…

Should I pack fishing clothes or church clothes for Sunday?

Either way I must remember to take my flash drive because it has my power point presentation on it. Anyone in the Mobile area is welcome to come see my slideshow at the Bay Area Fly Fishers monthly meeting – but no heckling. It is next Tuesday March 9th at 5:30pm at Dreamland BBQ.

Am I forgetting anything?

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AUGUSTA – The Maine Warden Service continues to warn people about thin ice conditions on many of the state’s waterways.

Above-average temperatures, along with recent storms, are creating conditions that are weakening ice throughout the state. Rivers and streams still are high, causing substantial amounts of water to flow into lakes, opening up inlets and outlets and creating dangerous conditions. Also, power companies recently have performed routine draw-downs of water that changed ice conditions, especially along shorelines.

The state’s larger lakes have substantial swatches of open water, and in southern Maine many of the smaller lakes and ponds are opening up.

Because of insufficient ice in parts of the state, promoters of the 10th Maine Chevrolet Derby, a statewide ice fishing derby, decided Tuesday night to cancel the event, which was scheduled for March 6-7.

According to derby promoter Tom Noonan, only six of the 25 fish weigh stations reported having two feet of ice or more. For more information, visit www.icefishingderby.com.

The Maine Warden Service is advising that people to be cautious. Do not drive heavy vehicles, such as cars or trucks, onto lakes or ponds. Any snowfall, such as that forecasted for tonight in parts of Maine, may blanket any open water. Persons unfamiliar with a lake or pond are advised not to go on them, particularly at night.

Some parts of the state, primarily ponds in northern Maine, have ice. But Game Wardens are advising that its thickness should be checked before venturing onto its surface.

The Maine Warden Service offers these tips for ice safety:

· Never guess the thickness of the ice – Check it! Check the ice in several different places using an auger or some other means to make a test hole and determine the thickness. Make several, beginning at the shore, and continuing as you go out.

· Check the ice with a partner, so if something does happen, someone is there to help you. If you are doing it alone, wear a lifejacket.

· If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off! Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.

· Avoid areas with currents, around bridges and pressure ridges. Wind and currents can break ice.

· Parents should alert children of unsafe ice in their area, and make sure that they stay off the ice.

If you break through the ice, remember:

· Don’t panic.

· Don’t try to climb out immediately – you will probably break the ice again. Reach for solid ice.

· Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. Once on the ice, roll, DON’T WALK, to safety.

· To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain. Don’t stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.

In this article we will continue with successful methods of catching trophy fish. I would like to explore location, presentation and lure selection for Rainbows. The excitement of Rainbow Trout fishing is on the top of my list. When you hook up with a fish that goes air-borne, it is an experience you will never forget. This trophy fish is not as commonly caught on Lake Michigan as the other species primarily due to their summer location. Where there are exceptions, most of the time deep water is the best location to find them. Look for them in 150 feet of water and deeper. This fish likes deep water but don’t look for them on the bottom. Fishing the surface down to forty feet should be your target.

The primary forage for Rainbows, up to six pounds, is aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish and other crustaceans. Rainbows also eat fish, as well as plankton, snails, leeches and fish eggs. They take a variety of anglers’ flies, lures and baits. The presentation of choice for fish under six pounds is flashers and flies. Big bows are more likely to forage on baitfish and spoons would be the way to go for trophies.

The water temperatures in June make it the best month for all size Rainbows. Rainbow Trout are a cold water fish that cannot survive when the water temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time. Their optimum water temperature is about 55 degrees. Although they do best when the water is less than 70 degrees, they can withstand temperatures into the 70s if there is plenty of oxygen.

In June the surface water near shore warms first. This warming trend extends to the deeper surface water as the season continues. A temperature break where the warm near shore surface water meets the colder off shore can be dynamite in holding trophies.

In forage-rich Lake Michigan, they grow 30-32 inches long and may reach 16 pounds by the time they are five years old. On charter we have boated Rainbows to 21 pounds.

Please allow me to give you an overview of the optimum conditions for predictable success. This is a fish with banker’s hours. I never work them before 10 in the morning and by 4 in the afternoon they are off the best bite of the day. They like the bright light and your lures should be for the brightest conditions.

If you recall from one of my earlier articles on lure color as it relates to light, you should use lures that are at the top end of the rainbow that are red, orange, yellow and green. Combinations of these colors on a silver spoon will get the action started. Two of my favorites are made by http://www.badgertackle.com the Vulcan Dolphin Green and Silver and the Reaper Big Joe Silver. These lures are sold only at badgertackle.com

A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. Several that can be used are trolling downriggers with leads to 100 feet or more and leadcore is another good choice. Three to five colors of lead will put your lures where they belong. Get away from the boat in water undisturbed.

The basics of leadcore are simple. The most expensive part is the reel. It must have enough line capacity to handle the leadcore line plus mono and Dacron for a total of anywhere from 300 to 600 yards. I run my three to ten colors on an Okuma Convector CV45D. This is the smallest reel a full core will fit on. Leadcore sinks at a rate of 4-5 feet per color. A half core will run about 24 feet deep.

When loading this reel, start with 100 yards of a braided Dacron then strip the lead out of the end of the leadcore and tie a Blood Knot to the leadcore. Finish with a Willis Knot and 60 feet of a 20-pound monofilament to a ball bearing cross lock snap.

You will need a heavy action 8-foot rod to work with lead. The most effective way to present this is with a Yellow Bird Big Bird planer board if you are going to use multiple set ups. Snap on your favorite lure and let out all of the line to the Dacron. Then install your board so it does not release. I usually run them 150 feet off each side of the boat. Very wide turns and low boat traffic are a must to avoid tangles and getting run over.

I set my drags light. When the reel starts to scream, adjust the drag as necessary. Reel in the line until you can reach the board and hand release it. Now the line is clear to bring in the fish.

I will continue with trophy variables for Lake Trout in the next article.

Good Luck

Let’s go fishing! Captain Jim.

Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

As promised, here’s some more historical and technical perspective from Jason Borger on specific flies and fly tying. Today, Jason fills us in on the famous Braided-Butt Damsel:

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