jbird
06-09-2010, 05:54 PM
My wife lost her job back in February. She has been interviewing all over the U.S. There is a 0% chance we are staying here in the rogue valley. But we still dont have a lead on where we will settle. She is, this very moment, flying home from an interview in wisconsin.
My goal until we leave? FISH!!
I have reconnected with some old fishing buddies and met some new ones and I have been hittin it hard.
I havent taken enough pictures but I do have some. Mostly of the fat pigs of diamond lake which I have fished 5 times in the past month.
Heres a couple nice fish from Diamond at ice out...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01110.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01095.jpg
My buddy Jim with our double
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883982580_KxDY5-M.jpg
These next few pics are of my new buddy Curtis. When I met him he told me of how he has narrowed his fishing pursuits to targeting only the biggest fish. He travels to lakes around the country that are known trophy fisheries and has developed a technique that specifically targets trophy trout. He wont even take the time to put his boat in waters that arent well known trophy fisheries. When I first heard this I was a bit sceptical. Then Curtis started talking flyfishing in a language that only a seasoned veteran could. Then I saw the photos. Turns out my new friend is also a professional photographer with published photos of trophy trout you all have probably seen here or there.
He asked me to take him to Diamond because he was very curious about chironomid methods and wanted me to use Diamond as an example.
We started off with him observing me fishing chironomids while he "did his thang". The morning was a chironomid clinic with 20+ hookups in the first couple hours with most fish around 14" and some between 20-24"
Curtis hooked a fish here and there with his technique and it was enough to keep him with it. When the wind got bad, we had to go hide at the lee side of the lake. The chironomid fishing flat died and Curtis cracked the code. He backed up everything he described about his methodology. He stayed with his crazy colored, oversized leech until he found the right strip speed, in the right fish, at the right time. I proceeded to watch Curtis catch a fish on EVERY-SINGLE-CAST. And not one of them, was the little 14" peanuts that consume 2/3 of everybodies creel at diamond. They were all the big girls. Fat and 20-23".
I tried to mimic his method to the T. I froliced and flailed and failed before I realized my clear intermediate line must be sinking faster than his,(I had a wulff, he uses the cortland camo) causing me to strip ever so slightly too fast so as not to sink out. By the time I got my line changed and got a couple hookups, the bite shut off. This is a game I know very well, and I felt like a total rookie!
This is really the guy Ive been looking for to take me into the next level of stillwater flyfishing. I am super excited to do some trophy hunting with ole Curtis this summer.
Heres some shots from our day on Diamond...
Just another one for Curtis
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/894238788_UTBkd-M.jpg
and another...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/895382276_iLSNp-M.jpg
and another...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01329.jpg
HEY! whadaya know! I got one!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/894238775_gh3Jb-M.jpg
Utilizing technology...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01317.jpg
Here is a fish that had us laughing so hard I thought I would lose my breakfast.
I have never, in all my years, seen the likes...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/894238718_TjSNv-M.jpg
Ive been out a few times with my good buddy Jim too...
Heres a couple gorgeous bows from central oregon...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883983433_mT7q7-M.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883983314_kx582-M.jpg
Here is the parting shot. This is a stomach sample of a single 16" fish from a central oregon lake!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883983666_6gUd8-M.jpg
My goal until we leave? FISH!!
I have reconnected with some old fishing buddies and met some new ones and I have been hittin it hard.
I havent taken enough pictures but I do have some. Mostly of the fat pigs of diamond lake which I have fished 5 times in the past month.
Heres a couple nice fish from Diamond at ice out...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01110.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01095.jpg
My buddy Jim with our double
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883982580_KxDY5-M.jpg
These next few pics are of my new buddy Curtis. When I met him he told me of how he has narrowed his fishing pursuits to targeting only the biggest fish. He travels to lakes around the country that are known trophy fisheries and has developed a technique that specifically targets trophy trout. He wont even take the time to put his boat in waters that arent well known trophy fisheries. When I first heard this I was a bit sceptical. Then Curtis started talking flyfishing in a language that only a seasoned veteran could. Then I saw the photos. Turns out my new friend is also a professional photographer with published photos of trophy trout you all have probably seen here or there.
He asked me to take him to Diamond because he was very curious about chironomid methods and wanted me to use Diamond as an example.
We started off with him observing me fishing chironomids while he "did his thang". The morning was a chironomid clinic with 20+ hookups in the first couple hours with most fish around 14" and some between 20-24"
Curtis hooked a fish here and there with his technique and it was enough to keep him with it. When the wind got bad, we had to go hide at the lee side of the lake. The chironomid fishing flat died and Curtis cracked the code. He backed up everything he described about his methodology. He stayed with his crazy colored, oversized leech until he found the right strip speed, in the right fish, at the right time. I proceeded to watch Curtis catch a fish on EVERY-SINGLE-CAST. And not one of them, was the little 14" peanuts that consume 2/3 of everybodies creel at diamond. They were all the big girls. Fat and 20-23".
I tried to mimic his method to the T. I froliced and flailed and failed before I realized my clear intermediate line must be sinking faster than his,(I had a wulff, he uses the cortland camo) causing me to strip ever so slightly too fast so as not to sink out. By the time I got my line changed and got a couple hookups, the bite shut off. This is a game I know very well, and I felt like a total rookie!
This is really the guy Ive been looking for to take me into the next level of stillwater flyfishing. I am super excited to do some trophy hunting with ole Curtis this summer.
Heres some shots from our day on Diamond...
Just another one for Curtis
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/894238788_UTBkd-M.jpg
and another...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/895382276_iLSNp-M.jpg
and another...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01329.jpg
HEY! whadaya know! I got one!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/894238775_gh3Jb-M.jpg
Utilizing technology...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC01317.jpg
Here is a fish that had us laughing so hard I thought I would lose my breakfast.
I have never, in all my years, seen the likes...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/894238718_TjSNv-M.jpg
Ive been out a few times with my good buddy Jim too...
Heres a couple gorgeous bows from central oregon...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883983433_mT7q7-M.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883983314_kx582-M.jpg
Here is the parting shot. This is a stomach sample of a single 16" fish from a central oregon lake!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/883983666_6gUd8-M.jpg