another weekend AR report (not a bump)

[amoeba]

Ice Cold on Sunday late afternoon (4-7:30 pm). Went all over the place (miles of river); didn't see a anyone else fishing besides me and the other person I brought. Funny that I read posts of "red hot" on the same day as I fish the tarnation out of the river and catch nothing; alot of the time with the same flies. Not only cold fishing, but colder water than the week prior (cooler air temps), around 60 degrees.

The fishing is at best spotty this year so far - - - for me - - - and everyone else I've seen and talked to. Funny what you read on the web sometimes - like I am fishing a different river. All this stuff about 20-odd fish, and white flies, and all these people fishing; all I can say is musta been a slightly different time of day. Not to say it ain't so, but it ain't our experience. And I've caught a heluvalotofshad in my time. Just not this year.....yet.

[Charlie Gonzales]

So what set up are you using, maybe your not getting down to them? BTW pink and orange have been my top colors this year.

[davkrat]

My brother and I hit the river Sunday morning. We started at Upper Sunrise and did not see anything! It was really cold that morning and the water seemed very high. It was the first time we have gone out since Steelhead fishing in February. We later moved down to Howe Ave. There were 4-5 guys fishing on the far side of the river. In the hour we were there we saw one fly fisherman land a single shad. All in all we fished around 3 hours at two locations and only saw one other person land a single fish. Don't feel too bad, you weren't the only one.

[amoeba]

Well - I'm not fishing floating line if that's what you think:

The setup for shad is sink tip. I have six different sink tips of varying lengths and sink rates that will do anything from go just below the surface to crack boulders on the bottom.

Not getting down indeed.

I have at least 100 different kinds of shad flies. I have every color, every size, and many, many patterns. Not that I think it makes that much difference.....but it does keep me from getting bored when the fish aren't biting.

And no, I don't feel bad, at all - I've been with enough guides to know truth of some of the yarns. If I thought any guide could or did outfish me, I would post the report of my faceless skunkage while he flipped one in every minute.

Truth be told - that has never happened. Where and when fish bite is just as important as if they don't; difference is - I post all the results; show me a guide that posts a skunk and let him run for governor - he'll have my vote.

[mikel]

I don't quite get all the hatred for guides on this board lately...but I've fished with Charlie (in tough conditions) and been skunked and he reported it the next day, promptly and honestly. Mike Leslie

[amoeba]

I don't quite get all the hatred for guides on this board lately...but I've fished with Charlie (in tough conditions) and been skunked and he reported it the next day, promptly and honestly. Mike Leslie

Could you please provide a reference on that?

I wasn't referring to this one person, but essentially all guides in general; but now that you mentioned it, I must say I can't remember a single skunk ever reported. Ummmmmm let's see, let me search the last 100 posts. (20 minutes go by).

Nope. Not a one. Lot's of pictures with fish is all I see; if it's out there - I can't find it, and a pretty darn rare event (rare meaning rare that guides post skunks, a whole lot less rare than guides that ARE skunked).

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

I'm probably going to get "FLAMED" for this one.... but here it goes.

Could you please provide a reference on that?

I wasn't referring to this one person, but essentially all guides in general; but now that you mentioned it, I must say I can't remember a single skunk ever reported. Ummmmmm let's see, let me search the last 100 posts. (20 minutes go by).

Nope. Not a one. Lot's of pictures with fish is all I see; if it's out there - I can't find it, and a pretty darn rare event (rare meaning rare that guides post skunks, a whole lot less rare than guides that ARE skunked).

Well, MOST people want to know where the fish ARE, not where they are NOT...

Why would you choose a guide based on where he knows the fish aren't?

Of course, then that brings back the subject of advertising on the BB... I say, why the heck not? Where else is a FF'er going to get a good reference on what guides may or may not be available...

All of the guides I know from this BB (and Blanton's) are very personable, and share their knowledge with those that ask for it privately and respectfully....

I thought that's what BBs were for.... sharing information with others and gaining their knowledge in return. Silly me...

What happened to the Golden Rule: "treat others how you would like others to treat you"??????

Good Grief

[Charlie Gonzales]

Why dont I report a skunk? Because theres nothing to report! Last week I had a slow day, Im not sure if we even hooked a fish. So, I comp'd the guy and rebooked him for this week.
Even though I cant control what the fish do, I have a hard time charging someone if they didnt get what they came for.

Oh and by the way, we have been catching them on floating lines the past couple nights. Tomorrow Im gonna try dry flies!

[Hogan Brown]

Shad fishing can be tough Amoeba I know for myself I post on my blog when I do bad (I rarely if ever post reports here). If you look now there is two reports of tough days (http://hgbflyfishing.blogspot.com). I think that EA is right though when he talks about the benefit of a boat. When I guide I cover sometimes 5-10 miles of river to catch 20-30 fish on a good night. I rarely if (maybe once a year) ever catch 30 fish in one spot. There are plenty of spots on the river I pick up zero fish but since I can cover so much water I think with a boat one has a better chance of finding the pods. There are a few spots I go wade fishing on my own and if I catch a hand full of fish and I have a few cold ones I consider it a good night.

[Dabalone]

"Should have been here yesterday" Sound familiar? I take fishing reports as generalities, not many people especially guides will tell you exactly where they are currently catching all those fish. Are the reports accurate and truthful? Probably for the most part and they did get them somewhere on the river or in the lake mentioned.

How many times have you told your buddies how you slayed em and they went out to the exact same spot the next day or even later that same day and got skunked? Happens, its fishing.