Cheakamus River in BC
/in Picture of the Day /by Jon RayErik Rambo with a great pic from his journey to BC.
Bull Trout return to the Clackamas River
/in Videos /by Jon RayImpressive video quality and a positive story about the return of the Clackamas River Bull Trout.
Sculpins, the Every Day Bait Fish
/in Trout Fishing, Underwater /by Jon RayThis past year was one of a kind. The steelhead fishing lasted forever, the hatches were late but amazing at times, and this spring’s flooding has had an impact on the entire fishing season in my neck of the woods. Some food sources come and go in these conditions. However, one of the most induring and ubiquitous creatures in Michigan is the sculpin, and I have been in love with these guys for a long time. Sculpins produced many fish this year as they are very effective in high water.
I have spent a lot of time looking for sculpins in our rivers. These fish love flat rocks in light to moderate current. If your river has broken concrete or bridges with a concrete base, these are sculpin hideouts. When the water is low, sculpins will come into shore. They also move into shore in the dead of winter. During the cold water months, one of the few baitfish that is easy to find is the sculpin. Sculpins themselves are predators, and if you ever decide to keep one in an aquarium they may well eat your other fish. The most common sculpin, the mottled sculpin, is pretty hardy and can stand warmer temps than other species.
When you tie flies, it is helpful to understand what sculpins look like. For most of the year, the majority of them are a tan color, like this one:
When they are breeding, the males can take on a black color. This is also true of gobies, which look like sculpins in many ways. If you tie a black sculpin in the spring it will imitate sculpins and gobies; it will catch big fish.
Sometimes you find sculpins that are a mottled olive color. This seems to be more common in the winter.
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Kevin Feenstra
3-Tand Wins ICast Fly Reel
/in Videos /by Jon RayIf you saw my post from a couple weeks ago about the 3-tand you know I was impressed by this Reel. Video below goes into a little more depth.
Bugs, Bugs, and More Bugs
/in Bugs that Fish Eat /by Jon RayA thick, massive band of mayflies traveling along the Mississippi River created a swarm so intense it became visible on National Weather Service radars on July 20, 2014
Now that is a Hex Hatch! More pics and info here
North Island Official Trailer
/in Videos /by Jon RayBack in 1999 I had a special opportunity to spend 3 weeks on the North and South Island of New Zealand, was an amazing opportunity one I will never forget. I never made it this far into the back country. But would love the chance, if and when I go back.
Backcountry – North Island Official Trailer from Gin Clear Media on Vimeo.
The backcountry of New Zealand holds a special place in the heart of all Kiwis. “Going bush” is a national past time, and Kiwi fly fishers like nothing better than the sun on their backpack, the cold touch of a mountain stream and the opportunity to sight fishing to giant trout in pristine settings.
The film follows six fly fishermen, from different places and different walks of life, as they each explore a treasured corner of the North Island. This land of active volcanoes, rugged gorges and dense forests provides an epic backdrop for some of the best trout fishing on the planet. As each story weaves into the fabric of the film it becomes evident that, despite their differences, the characters are all bound together by their passion for the backcountry.
Backcountry – North Island is Gin-Clear Media’s 7th fly fishing feature film.
Music:
Lungs, by J.Sigsworth // Album Atlas // jsigsworth.com
Produced by Gin-Clear Media, www.gin-clear.com
Directed / Edited / by Nick Reygaert
Second Camera / Jack McCowan
Cineflex Operator / Peter Thompson / Aeroptics
Starring / Mike Kirkpatrick / Cory Scott / Andrew Harding / Steve Sprague / Tony Hildesheim / Mike Davis / Rene Vaz
Special Thanks / Silvio Caldelari / Sylven Reygaert / Chris Sharland / Rene Vaz
Filmed in the North Island, NZ
Jumping Largemouth and Jumping Smallmouth Bass
/in smallmouth /by Jon RayBass fishing really heated up over the weekend with the warm air temps, fish were fairly aggressive, still not 100% on fire, but some really nice bass can be found. I still look for August to be prime, as water levels drop and water clears up. Been tying patterns very similar to the ones found in the DVD, and now can also be watched VOD. Baitfish style has been #1 but with water dropping and clearing look for the spicy crab to start to take over.
Pic of the Day – Underwater Smallmouth
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