small talk

So over the past few years I have made a few attempts at fly fishing and to be honest, those past attempts have been mostly humbling. I’ve long been enamored with the idea of battling smallmouth bass with a fly rod since I re-discovered the one Dad left me before retiring to the Texas coast. That said my past poor results with the fly rod (when I know the fish are active) often caused me to retreat to the comfort of the known…familiar spinning gear.

Last fall Dad took me to Orvis...

With the temperature up...up to 68F to be precise after 4 unusually warm days, it was time for big time GMR South smallmouth in December. I decided at the last minute to blow off work for some winter time attitude adjustment. I trapped about a dozen shiners and headed to my favorite late fall / early spring honey hole...my first cast with a 5 inch shiner produced a chunky 18 inch smallmouth. For the entire day, I caught 5 smallies (three of which were over 18 inches), the longest being a 19...

After a 3 year hiatus, it was good to take another pilgrimage to smallmouth heaven. All of my previous 14 trips to the northwoods with QueticoMike have been to Quetico Provincial Park, which is the Canadian side of the "Boundary Waters". This was my first time staying on the US side in Minnesota...and it was a fairly "cushy" trip by northwoods standards.

We stayed at a lake just a few miles from the city of Ely and it was only a mile paddle to the campsite...no...

Temp: 40 -> 60
calm -> light wind
sunny
Water - clear, 370 CFS
Bait: spinner bait (0); Pop'r (6); zulu (4); white twister tail jig (2); floating rapala 13FS (1)
Loc: GMR South
Time: 8:00AM - 12:00PM
13 smallies
best fish - 17 inches

It was cold and calm this morning. Beautiful mist rising from water warmer than the air. Couldn't resist throwing the Pop'R...and connected on the first cast (first pic). Ended up catching 5...

Temp: 58 -> 55
light wind -> calm
overcast -> clearing
Water - gin clarity, 880 CFS (a little high)
Bait: Slip Float, chubs & shiners
Loc: GMR South
Time: 4:15PM - 5:30PM
1 smallie
1 channel
best fish - 17" ? didn't measure

I went out fishing with my baby girl late this afternoon. Recent heavy rains have left the water high and the banks a bit sloppy, so we put on our rubber boots and gave it a go....