November 10, 2024

Beautiful day, got out in the late afternoon for a few hours of flyfishing.  Targeted Koi.  Caught 11 Koi and 1 Goldfish.

Koi on fly

Goldfish

 

November 2, 2024

I drove about an hour away from home to make a visit to a new-to-me stream.  I'd been looking and pondering at this stream for several years.  After a mention from a guide I respect, I gave it a try.  I was hoping for Smallmouth Bass.  Probably not the best time of year to make a first visit for this species.  I did see just a few, as well as some largemouth bass (or possibly spotted bass).

The water was low and very clear.  Great for wading and seeing what fish were around and where.  The bass were extremely spooky. Casts near them sent them running away in a panic.

So.... no bass were caught.  I did catch a BUNCH of Striped Shiners, plus a few Bluegills, a Longear Sunfish, a couple Northern Studfish, and a couple Bleeding Shiners.  Saw some small darters, Stonerollers, Northern Hog Suckers, and other suckers.

Striped Shiners

Northern Studfish

Bleeding Shiner

Longear Sunfish

Empty turtle shell.

 

October 26, 2024

 My buddy needed some species to help him reach his goal of 100 species on fly in a single year.  He exceeded that goal last year, and is getting close to that number this year as well.  In addition to Musky (from the previous post), we got him Koi and Goldfish.

I caught 8 Koi and 1 Goldfish as well.  Here were mine:

Koi:

Goldfish:

October 25, 2024 - Muskies!

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of 7 species I had not caught on flies yet that I wanted to catch this year.  They were:

1. Striped Bass

2. Blue Catfish

3. Alligator Gar

4. Muskellunge

5. Northern Snakehead

6. Rio Grande Cichlid

7. Northern Sunfish

A rather bold list, is it not?  Well.... I did it!  I caught them all!  My buddy helped me with many of them.  About a year ago, I made arrangements for a guided musky trip for the two of us this October 25.  Pressure was on, because it was the final species I needed for this year's list to be complete.

Musky fishing being what it is (extremely difficult, few fish and far between bites) in the best of circumstances... we set our expectations that if EITHER of us caught a single musky on fly, we would be really happy!

It worked out better than that.  I caught 3! And my buddy caught 4, including a giant 45-incher!  Plus we each lost some, and had a fair number of follows that never committed to striking the flies.

What an epic day!  We REALLY enjoyed it!  The guide had all the right gear and flies, and knew where fish were likely to be.

Musky on fly! We measured this one at 34.5" long.

It was a beautiful Fall day!  We had some overcast, and some sunny moments.

My buddy's biggest of the day, a 45" BEAUTY!! It was the biggest the guide had ever seen here... by like 4"! : 

October 20, 2024

I visited a spot where I've caught Orangespotted Sunfish in the past (but not every visit).  Not much was going on, fish activity-wise.  I fished the upstream and downstream side of of a rock dam, dapping small tungsten jig-flies between and around rocks.  I caught a handful of small Green Sunfish, then finally landed an Orangespotted Sunfish.  Its colors were very washed out, but I was happy to get another of these neat little fish. 

Green Sunfish

Orangespotted Sunfish

Then I set the  hook on something heavy, that took off and started peeling line of my fly reel.  It turned out to be a nice healthy, beautiful Freshwater Drum!

Freshwater Drum

It was a nice Fall day, with an occasional flock of geese migrating overhead.

Turtles are still out and about.

I visited another fishing spot.  I'd fished it the previous weekend, but didn't catch any of the Grass Carp I was hoping for... so I thought they were "done" for the year.  They probably are, but I did manage to catch one on this visit!  It hit a silver microjig I was swimming in.  Did not see it before it struck!  It measured 32", but wasn't laying flat, so it may have been a bit longer than that.  Probably 13 lb-14 lb range.  Nice one!  Fought well, did NOT want to get in my net! :)

32"+ Grass Carp on fly.

First Half of October 2024

 Made 2 flyfishing outings during the first half of October.  Neither was particularly good. I didn't catch any of the species I was really after.  I didn't get skunked, though.  Weather was pretty nice, although the 2nd trip was pretty windy.

I think I caught 7 fish during each of the 2 trips.  The first trip I hoped for Bowfin, Warmouth and Spotted Gar.  I did lose 2 Bowfin and a couple Spotted Gar... I guess its ok if the fish win sometimes.  Instead, I caught a small Shortnose Gar, a couple Largemouth Bass, a couple Green Sunfish, a Warmouth x Green Sunfish Hybrid, and a Crappie.

Saw quite a few caterpillars and some butterflies.

Achemon Sphinx Moth caterpillar

2nd trip, I hoped for Grass Carp, White Bass, and Freshwater Drum.  Saw none of those...I think the season is over for Grass Carp...happens this time every year.

Instead, I caught a couple decent (for this creek) Largemouth Bass, a couple Green Sunfish, a couple Hybrid Sunfish, and a Longear Sunfish.

Aurora borealis were lit up in parts of the U.S.  I tried to get a picture.... Didn't really see anything, and only a little bit of color showed up in the pics.  Might've caught Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS?

September 21, 2024

 I first drove just over an hour to a new-to-me spot for Orangespotted Sunfish.  It was really shallow along the shorelines....not quite as deep as I had hoped, and not easy to fish.  I did manage a small Largemouth Bass and lost some sort of sunfish.... but overall I was disappointed. 

Drove another hour to a Bowfin spot.  Saw plenty of various sizes... lost one and finally landed one.  Also caught a very dark Spotted Gar, and lost a nice fat spotted-up one that I fought for pretty long.  May have lost another one, too.  Did land a couple Shortnose Gar, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, a Warmouth, and saw several small Crappies hit that didn't get hooked.  Caught 4 short but fat Largemouth Bass as well, and a very small Silver Carp that was likely foul-hooked.

A very dark-pigmented Spotted Gar (pics above and below).

A couple Longnose Gar (above 2 pics).

Eyetail Bowfin

Warmouth

Largemouth Bass (2 pics above and 2 pics below, all separate individual fish).

Silver Carp

Some things seen while fishing:

Black Horsefly

Southern Leopard Frog

Blanchard's Cricket Frog

Muskrat

Milkweed Leaf Beetle

Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (top), and 2 Viceroy Butterflies.