Rambling Angler Outdoors
Rambling Angler Outdoors
The Back in the Day page is my favorite to put together for each issue. I start in the morning intending to find something interesting for the Back Page and begin researching whatever comes to mind. This does work, but often one finding leads to another and I have been known to spend hours just reading about vintage outdoors. This can include lures, boats, mountain men, muskets, trapping techniques, and in this case Legendary Outdoor Writers.
I had never even heard of Nash Buckingham before the research began this morning. As a collector of old outdoor magazines I could have one of his articles tucked away someplace. I plan to look for one when I finish this. Being from Tennessee myself and a huge Tennessee Volunteer fan only heightened the story for me and the fun of researching it.
I felt compelled to share this with you to say that there is much more to being a writer than putting down words. Writing is a lifelong journey of learning and that’s the fun part for me and so many writers who have decided that they want to share their learnings with you. The great outdoors just happens to be my topic of choice.
This has been the plan for this magazine all along. I hope you do find entertainment as well as knowledge of the outdoor lifestyle, history and traditions. If you know someone that might want to support this mission please feel free to share the link to subscribe to Rambling Angler Outdoors and lets keep not only our traditions alive but also the love of learning. Ken
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If you would like to contribute content to Rambling Angler Outdoors, feel free to contact me at ramblinganglermedia@gmail.com
When to Use Small Baits to Catch Big Flatheads
There is a short time in the summer when big female flathead catfish prefer small meals. Exhausted from the spawn, big flatheads don’t feel up to chasing big bait fish, but more importantly due to the fact that big flatheads don’t eat while spawning their digestive system just isn’t ready for a big meal. Learn these big flathead tips and target those big female flatheads this summer.
BIG FLATHEAD CATFISH BAITS
Every angler has heard the old saying “big baits catch big fish” well there are times when smaller baits catch bigger fish and here is an example. This article is about big flathead catfish best baits. The flathead is a predator from birth. It’s this predatory instinct that enables the flathead catfish to know its limits of energy expended vs nutrition gained. I learned this while fly fishing in Alaska. An old-timer told me that the rainbow trout knows how much energy it will use to catch
a certain meal. This is why you might think your fly is close enough, but the trout won’t even take a swipe. This is also true for other species and at certain times an easy meal means a smaller baitfish that might be a little easier for a sluggish flathead to catch.
SPAWNING FLATHEADS
Flathead catfish begin their spawning activity when the water temperature climbs to around 70 degrees. During the spawn, like other species, the flathead catfish does not eat. The male creates the bed for the female to lay her eggs and will ferociously protect the bed from anything that comes near. This is why in the spring bass anglers catch so many catfish on a jig because the male is protecting the bed and/or eggs. This lack of feeding not only creates a hungry post-spawn flathead but also causes their digestive tract to shrink.
This is a situation, like the early spring, when the flathead has been sitting in the cold water of winter. The flathead, being cold-blooded, doesn’t need as much food during the winter. This is why you can find them in wind-blown coves during early spring. Big flatheads cruise windblown coves in search of dead shad from the winter kill. Dead shad provide an easy meal while the flathead’s digestive tract gets back in order. Once the flathead’s energy levels are back up and their stomachs can handle larger prey they will begin to consume their preferred meal, live baitfish, and carp or suckers. There is another time that the flathead experiences a similar situation and that is the post-spawn.
It will take a week or so for the flathead to finish its spawning ritual. Like during those winter months their stomachs have shrunk and their energy levels have been depleted from the work involved during the spawn. It is during the spawn that flatheads can be very difficult to catch and you must hunt your body of water to locate some fish that are not on the bed. This is possible because flatheads don’t all spawn at the same time and there is always a section of the lake that will have either post-spawn or pre-spawn fish available.
BIG OR SMALL FLATHEAD BAITS
Many anglers use large baitfish for big flatheads, but during this short post-spawn period smaller baits might work better. I am talking 1 to 2 inch shad as opposed to 4 to 6 inch shad or suckers we normally use. Those big post-spawn female flatheads are tired and lethargic when recovering from the spawn. These big flatheads are hungry but will not expend or do not have the energy to pursue large baitfish. Instinctively big flatheads won’t bother with larger baitfish, at this time, because the energy needed to catch them could do more harm than good. So she will just lazily swim around in search of an easier meal and that comes in smaller bait fish.
Flathead catfish is a true predator. It prefers to eat live fish over dead. But during the post-spawn period, the flathead will resort to eating dead fish until they have their energy levels up and their digestive tracks can handle the larger prey they so desire. This is when a smaller bait can get mean bigger bites. You can catch the males with any size bait during this time period because they are guarding the nest and/or eggs inside. Big female flatheads are so exhausted from the spawn they
aren’t in any shape to chase their prey. They take what they can get and smaller baitfish, especially those that are dying, make for a great recovery meal.
Most flathead anglers use large baitfish for big flatheads. But just after the spawn a smaller bait makes an easy meal for a recovering flathead. A 1 to 2-inch shad or bluegill (where legal) works
eat baits make the best big flathead catfish baits during the post-spawn.
LEARN YOUR BODY OF WATER
It’s important to understand your body of water. This will come with experience and you may never fully understand it all. As soon as you think you figured something out something will change your mind. The great thing about figuring out
great. I always present it under a large bobber. This allows the bait to drift. I like the set-up. It allows the bait to be delivered to the catfish at eye level and the easiest meal possible. I set the depth on my slip-bobber so the hook and the bait is a foot off the bottom. This presentation will entice the spawned-out flathead to take the bait. She will swim lazily in the shallow water looking for an easy meal she can easily eat. The easy-to-
flatheads on your home waters is you can apply that knowledge to other lakes. Old-time fishermen can tell by the smell if flatheads are spawning in a particular cove. I’m far from this level of knowledge. Experiment and try new things to understand why something is working and why something else isn’t. During the flatheads spawn, try using half alive 2-inch shad and see if the action picks up.
Night time is a great time to catch big flatheads.
FLATHEAD CATFISH TACKLE
Even though this article is about using small baits for flathead catfish, the flathead catfish tackle should be as heavy as any other time you fish for big flatheads. Here are a few ideas for good and durable catfish gear that I have used over the years.
BAITRUNNER REELS
There are a lot of baitrunner reels for catfishing on the market today. When I decided to get a baitrunner reel for my catfishing I’m not sure there was as many options as there are today. The baitrunner reel I bought might not be the least expensive of the baitrunners today but it has been a great reel. I suggest it first only because it is the reel I use and as for baitrunner reels for catfish it is the only reel I have ever owned. It is the Shimano Baitrunner 12000D . The Shimano, especially the saltwater model, is a lifelong reel that can handle a lot of abuse.
I want to explain the baitrunner reel for those that might be new to catfishing or just now heard about this type of reel. This particular reel is a spinning reel. Most baitrunner reels are spinning reels by name at least. Usually, a reel referred to as a baitrunner is a spinning reel. The baitrunner reels were developed mainly for saltwater use. However, the baitrunner reel has been adapted to catfishing very well. It is just a great reel for fishing for catfish especially when bank fishing.
There are a few baitrunner designs. The Shimano 12000D has a lever on the back of the reel that when set in the baitrunner mode, is a seperate drag system from the main reel. It allows you to
set the back drag to coincide with the fish that you are fishing for. If you’re fishing for small channel catfish set it to a point of almost freewheeling. If you are fishing for big catfish like the flathead or blue catfish then you can set the tension tighter. This allows the catfish to move away with your bait without feeling tension that can cause them to drop the bait. The lever in the back, separate from the main drag is disengaged when the handle is turned. This dis-engagement is smooth. When the baitrunner drag lever is disengaged the main drag takes over instantly. It’s a great design that works great.
BOBBER RIG FOR FLATHEADS
Bobbers are an often overlooked technique for catching catfish. Bobbers are a great way to present small baits to big flathead catfish as they recover after spawning. Big female flatheads will cruise slowly around shallow pockets at dush and at night looking for an easy meal. Suspending this small bait just above the bottom can put your presentation right in the flathead’s nose. This can drastically increase your catch rate.
Catfish anglers are very aware of the fact that flatheads are the only catfish considered a predetor. Because of this one of the most used and desired baits for catching flatheads is a live bluegill, where legal. During the post-spawn flatheads, like other fish, is tuckered out but they are also malnutritioned and looking to eat. With the rigors of the spawn, spawned out flatheads are sluggish and will take a small and even small dead bait at this time. This can last a couple weeks. So, if you are catching flatheads like crazy and then all of a sudden you can’t get a bite, try using smaller baits to get more bites.
Make Your Own Slip Bobber Rig
The Slip Bobber Rig
• Start with a simple plastic bobber for a great homemade slip bobber rig
• Remove the hardware from the simple plastic bobber with some wire cutters
• This leaves a hole through the middle of your homemade slip bobber rig
• Finish by rigging your slip bobber rig for crappie to the depth you want to fish
THE SLIP BOBBER RIG WORKS
Everyone knows how the slip bobber has helped anglers catch more fish. Crappie, catfish, bluegill, walleye and even salmon. The slip bobber can be deadly in deep water as well as shallow. I was forced into this homemade slip bobber rig while fishing from a pier in Valdez Alaska for silver salmon. All of the slip bobbers had sold out at the local bait shop and I was forced to buy the simple plastic bobber and make my own slip bobbers. I found that after removing the hardware my homemade slip bobber worked very well. One problem with slip bobbers is when the line will not slide through them. This low-cost homemade slip bobber works great. The plastic is slick and the line slides easily through these homemade slip bobbers. If you spray a little line lubricant on the slip bobber the line slides even better.
Whether you are into smallmouth bass fishing or fishing for crappie, even catfish, this slip bobber works. Catfishing, crappie fishing or whatever fishing you do, that requires a slip bobber, this tip will help you not only save a little money, but you might just like these slip-bobbers best of all. I hope this tip helps you out and remember to check back for more.
Learning how to use a slip bobber has always been one of the simplest ways for beginners to catch panfish, but the tactic can become complex when good anglers start tinkering with bobbers. A fixed float comes in handy for fishing shallow, open water areas. Slip bobbers are preferred by the pros for long-distance casting or pitching into tight spots or presenting their baits to suspended fish in deeper water. Anglers can present their lures or live bait in a wide range of situations with this homemade slip bobber.
FISHING THE SLIP BOBBER RIG FOR CRAPPIE
The slip bobber is a very versatile fishing tool. I have used slip bobbers to fish for crappie, catfish, bluegills, bass, walleye, salmon and others. For me the slip bobber is mostly used for crappie. The slip bobber can be used to catch crappie in deep water or shallow. I like to use it myself to probe thick brush. By having the bobber slide down the line you can sit the bait and bobber easily into small holes in the brush then allow the bobber to slip up the line to the predetermined depth where you have placed your bobber stop. This lets you fish tree tops and other cover even in deep water. Oftentimes crappie will hold real tight to the cover moving very little distance to eat your bait. By moving your bait and bobber just a foot over and into another hole in the brush you can get a lot more strikes. The bobber is important, especially when crappie are holding tight, because they are sluggish. The bobber lets you put the bait in front of the crappie giving it more time to decide he wants to eat it.
TURN ANY BOBBER INTO A SLIP BOBBER
This tip/modification comes from a Facebook post by Marty Davis This is a DIY modification for your slip bobber rig – Place a bobber stop on your line, then add a small bead and a tiny swivel . Feed the line through one side of the swivel then tie on a small snap swivel. Attach a snelled #8 hook to the snap and then attach a hook. Using the spring loaded clasp attach any regular bobber to the other side of the swivel. Works great as a DIY slip bobber modification.
DIY Slip Bobber
Bobbers for Catfish
When the bluegills are done spawning and head for deeper water catfish move in. My favorite way, by far, for catching catfish in early summer is with a bobber in the shallows. Catfish will move into the shallows to spawn but also to gorge on bluegill eggs. During this 2 or 3 week period you can have a blast catching catfish shallow. Here are a few tips for catching more catfish in the shallows with a bobber.
I learned, by accident, that nice eater size channel catfish loved the Hairy Cricket jig. I fish hard for Redear each spring and while searching for Redear with the Hairy Cricket Jig under a bobber in shallow water I began to catch a lot of 1 to 3-pound channel catfish. These are my favorite size of channel catfish to eat. The channel cats prefer the chartreuse Hairy Cricket Jig. I use a Hairy Cricket Jig with chartreuse wings and a chartreuse body, when I start targeting channel catfish. Tip the jig with a small piece of worm and place a small bobber to the line at about a foot or two above the bottom and pop the bobber every couple of seconds near the bank to entice strikes. You will find channel catfish in shallow pockets, especially near bushes and tree limb overhangs where they like to spawn, look for bluegill beds to raid and feed on insects that fall from the limbs.
Channel catfish love riprap rock to spawn. Fish riprap and don’t be afraid to fish your bait shallow. It seems as thought while channel catfish like the darkness of night in the middle of summer they are very active all day long during early summer. I often fish my bait, under my bobber, less than a foot. These jokers are as fun to catch as big bluegills and the bite can sometimes be just as exciting.
Bill Cooper has published over 1,500 articles and hosted TV and radio shows over a half century as an outdoor communicator. Recognized on the floor of the Missouri House of Repesentatives in 2016 for his career of promoting the outdoors, Bill has stood the test of time through his unwavering love of the outdoors.
Bill is also a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame and still going strong. We welcome his experiences and outdoor communicator skills to Rambling Angler Outdoors and look forward to all the remarkable stories and adventures ahead.
How
to Do a Trout Town St. James, Missouri
Bill Cooper
Sometimes you go fly fishing just to get away from everything and everybody. Grand escapes exist from Alaska to Argentina, if you’ve got the greenbacks. Of course there is lots of backcountry trout fishing in the Ozarks, if you’ve got the tent. Other times, however, you want to kick back in a trout town full of good food, local drink, a little entertainment and a fishing kind of attitude. If it’s the latter you seek, and you are within striking distance of the Missouri Ozarks, St. James, Missouri is your place.
A quaint little town of exceptional beauty, largely due to the generosity of the James Foundation, created by the ancestors of ironmongers and the Maramec Iron Works, St. James is near Maramec Spring Park, one of four trout parks in the state. Fifteen minutes out of town you can access the Meramec River, 9 miles of spring fed, cold water trout stream managed by the Missouri
Department of Conservation.
Where to Fish Utilizing St. James as a base of operations, you are within reach of some of the finest trout fishing in the Ozarks. Six miles south of St. James is Maramec Spring Park, a daily put and take operation, which offers trout fishing from March 1 through the end of October. A daily trout tag and a fishing license are required. Anglers are allowed to keep 5 trout per day( check regs). Another mile southeast is the Meramec River Red Ribbon Trout Area. This area is managed to produce larger trout with the opportunity for responsible harvest. The limit is two trout per day (check regs), which must be at least 15 inches. Regulations limit anglers to lures and flies only.
Within 30 minutes of St. James are Little Piney Creek and Mill Creek, both Blue Ribbon
Trout Areas. These areas are managed to produce trophy trout and to protect production of wild trout. The daily limit is one fish of at least 18-inches. Only flies and lures are allowed. Thirty minutes in the opposite direction, southeast of Steelville, lies the most exquisite private trout fishing operation in the Midwest, Westover Farms. Westover offers superb trout fishing in an idyllic setting among reconstructed log homes. About three miles of private spring-fed stream is intensively managed for trout fishing.
Where to Stay: St. James offers a wide variety of accommodations ranging from typical chain motels to rustic cabins in the woods. Among my favorites are Pheasant Acres RV Park and Lost Creek Ranch, both very near Maramec Spring Park. Regardless of your budget, you’ll find satisfactory accommodations in St. James. Lost Creek Ranch lies directly across the Highway from the entrance to Maramec Spring Park. Rustic, cozy cabins stand among hardy oaks a mile from the highway. Kick back in the beauty of the surroundings while you rig your fly-fishing gear on the front porch and prepare to chase rainbow trout in area streams. Call 573265-7407 or go to www.lostcreekmo.com.
Where to Eat, Drink and Hang Out: St. James offers an abundance of eateries from the exquisite to the well-known fast-food joints. For trout fishermen looking for a place to enjoy a good meal, have a brew and occasionally catch live music in the evenings, Public House Brew-
ing is your place. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a spacious dining area with brewery views. They are conveniently located just off I-44 next to their partner business, award winning St. James Winery. The drink menu includes brick oven pizzas and appetizers, specialty burgers produced from local ingredients, and more. The Taproom is a family-friendly environment complete with a gorgeous, pet-friendly beer garden.
The well-equipped bar is a grand place to strike up a conversation with a fellow fly fisherman. Locals often hang out there. You may just pick up the latest and greatest trout fishing secrets.
For those discerning fly fisherman with tastes for the exquisite, Sybil’s is known across the country for its elegance and fine dining. The menu includes dinner, lunch, brunch, and signature cocktails. The white linen tablecloths and the elegant decor is especially appealing to lady fly fishers. Gentlemen, if you are plying for an extra day of fly fishing, a beautiful gift for your lady from the Sybil’s Gift Shop will seal your deal. Sybil’s is conveniently located on Highway 68, a mile north of I-44. Rich’s Famous Burgers, located in downtown St. James, along the railroad tracks, is impressive, offering dine-in or takeout. Their burgers and onion rings are to die for. However, they offer a fine menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fly fishermen, if you are in the area for the weekend, don’t miss all you can eat catfish on Friday evenings.
Decrease Impact on Fish During draught
SALT LAKE CITY — After Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order in April, declaring a state of emergency for 17 counties in Utah due to drought conditions, low water levels are top of mind for many Utahns. Drought impacts many things, including fish and wildlife species. If you are planning some fishing trips this summer, here are a few things to consider before you head out.
How Drought Impacts Fish Species
Drought impacts fish by reducing the amount of water available in lakes, reservoirs and streams throughout the state. These are primary habitats for Utah’s fish, and having less water affects fish in multiple ways.
“This smaller amount of water heats more quickly and warms to higher temperatures than when there is more water available,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Sportfish Coordinator Trina Hedrick said. “Warm water also holds less oxygen than colder water. The combination of high temperatures and low oxygen can stress many coldwater fish species — like trout — which causes poor growth and disease. Fish can also die when temperatures are too warm or the oxygen levels get too low.”
Trout in low-elevation waterbodies have the greatest likelihood of being impacted by the drought conditions in southern Utah this year, but low water levels and high water temperatures can affect all fish species.
How Fishing Could Possibly Be Impacted by Drought
If you enjoy fishing from a boat, you should try to visit your favorite lakes and reservoirs in southern Utah as soon — and as often — as you can. Water levels at some reservoirs and lakes in various parts of Utah could reach low enough levels later in the summer that boat ramps may not be functional. Before you plan a boating trip, be sure to check for updates on each waterbody to see if the ramps are open, especially later in the summer.
“As part of our long-term planning for the future of fishing in Utah, we are also working to adapt our management strategies to ensure the long-term health and viability of our aquatic resources,” Hedrick said. “Part of this includes raising and stocking additional warmwater species into various waterbodies as these waterbodies become less tolerable for coldwater species. Warmwater fish are better adapted to warmer temperatures and slightly less oxygen in their environment. This will not only provide additional angling opportunities, but will also allow us to maintain fishing in areas that may be more prone to hot, drought conditions.”
How to Help Fish During a Drought Year
If you want to give the fish you catch and release a better chance of survival during the drought, you should consider fishing in the mornings or evenings when temperatures are cooler. Another way to help fish is to pick a fishing spot that has deeper, cooler water, so you can release any caught fish into an area where they are more likely to survive. If you are reeling in a fish caught in deep water, and you can see its swim bladder bulging from its mouth, consider harvesting that fish if you are still within your limit, or release it using a descender device to assist that fish back to cooler temperatures.
“Basically, try not to fish near little coves that have shallow, stagnant warm water,” Hedrick said. “Instead, pick a spot where you can release your fish into better quality water to increase their survival rates during this hot, drought year.”
Tips for Handling Fish to Decrease Stress
• Use single hooks on lures and bend down the barbs for easy release.
• Minimize the time you spend “fighting” the fish and any hands-on handling.
• Use rubber or coated nylon nets to protect a fish’s slime layer and fins.
• Quickly remove the hook with forceps or needle-nosed pliers.
• Try to release the fish without removing it from the water.
• keep your hands wet when handling the fish.
• If the fish is hooked deep, don’t pull on the line. Cut the line as close as possible to where it is hooked and leave the hook.
• Allow the fish to recover in the net before you release it.
• If the fish doesn’t stay upright when you release it, gently move it back and forth to help revive it before release.
Photos Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish Department
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F&G
Approves 2025 Summer Chinook Seasons
Beginning June 13, 2025, the statewide season limit is twenty (20) adult Chinook Salmon during salmon seasons occurring prior to August 10, 2025.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission met via conference call and approved the proposed summer Chinook salmon seasons for the South Fork Salmon and Upper Salmon rivers as well as the Lochsa River. The summer season for the South Fork Salmon and Upper Salmon rivers is set to open on June 19, while the Lochsa River will open on June 14.
These three fishing seasons will be open to fishing seven days a week. Areas will be closed by Closure Order signed by the Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, or on August 10, 2025, whichever comes first.
Beginning June 13, 2025, the statewide season limit is twenty (20) adult Chinook Salmon during salmon seasons occurring prior to August 10, 2025.
Upper Salmon River
Upper Salmon River – from the posted boundary approximately 50 yards upstream of the mouth of the Yankee Fork Salmon River upstream to the posted boundary approximately 100 yards downstream from the Idaho Fish and Game Sawtooth Hatchery weir and trap. Fishing for Chinook Salmon in the Upper Salmon River will be open seven days per week. Fishing for Chinook Salmon in the Upper Salmon River is permitted from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM Mountain Daylight time.
Daily and Possession Limits
Daily = Four (4) Chinook Salmon, only two (2) of which may be adults. Possession = Twelve (12) Chinook Salmon, only six (6) of which may be adults.
South Fork Salmon River
South Fork Salmon River – from the posted boundary 50 yards downstream of the Jakie Creek Bridge near Reed Ranch Landing Strip upstream approximately 23 miles to the posted boundary approximately 100 yards downstream from the Idaho Fish and Game South Fork Salmon River weir and trap. Fishing for Chinook Salmon in the South Fork Salmon River will be open seven days per week. Fishing for Chinook Salmon in the South Fork Salmon River is permitted from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM Mountain Daylight time.
Daily and Possession Limits
Daily = Four (4) Chinook Salmon, only one (1) of which may be an adult. Possession = Twelve (12) Chinook Salmon, only three (3) of which may be adults. Lochsa River
Lochsa River
From Lowell Bridge upstream to Twin Bridges immediately upstream from the confluence of Crooked Fork and Colt Killed creeks. Fishing for Chinook Salmon in the Lochsa River will be open seven days per week. Fishing for Chinook Salmon in the Lochsa River is permitted from 4:30 AM to 9:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time.
Daily and Possession Limits
Daily = Four (4) Chinook Salmon, only two (2) of which may be adults. Possession = Twelve (12) Chinook Salmon, only six (6) of which may be adults. Both adipose clipped and unclipped adults and jacks may be harvested in the Lochsa River For more information, check out Idaho Fish and Game’s Chinook Salmon Fishing Seasons webpage.
Using Forward Facing Sonar for Bluegills
by ken mcbroom
Watch bluegill caught using forward-facing-sonar on YouTube
When forward-facing sonar hit the market, it was all the rage. After a year or two, people started to settle into one of two groups: lovers and haters of forward-facing sonar. I have to admit that I was in no hurry to buy the new contraption, that is, until I fished with it at one of the writer ’s camps that I attended. Within 3 days, I had purchased and installed the unit on my boat and couldn’t be happier. Now that we have “where I stand on FFS,” let’s get into my newfound technique for catching bluegills.
When discussing using Garmin Livescope or any other forward-facing sonar, the topic is usually perspective mode, at least when targeting shallow water bluegills. While I have seen perspective mode used effectively for locating bluegill beds and bluegills, I have yet to master it and don’t use it at all, even in shallow water. Yesterday was the first time I tried using Livescope to catch bluegills and it worked great.
When water temps are in the mid-sixties, bluegills are staging for the spawn. You will find them just outside spawning bays waiting for the right moment to move up to spawn. Some bluegills will just be suspended in the water column roaming open water, others will be locked on cover situated in the first good drop before a shallow bay. In fact, those bluegills that are out roaming open water will often visit said cover and just hang out a few minutes. This explains why fishing the same spot can yield a few catches, but then they shut down and won’t bite. However, suddenly, one of them annihilates your bait. More than likely, this is a new fish that wasn’t aware you were catching its buddies minutes before. As the water temps rise, the bluegills will move on up into shallow water of say 2-6 feet to spawn.
Nice’un Photo Ken McBroom
The Slab Dragon proves to be a very effective bait for bluegills and redears. Photo Ken McBroom
Most forward-facing sonar anglers use the perspective mode to locate beds and bluegills. Since I went to the LVS34 transducer on my Garmin setup, I can locate and cast to bluegills in down mode. You can easily see the bluegill swimming around sometimes alone, but most of the time they will be in a school. I cast the Slab Dragon PanfishBait and reel it just above the bluegill’s nose. Sometimes you don’t have to be that accurate. I have seen a bluegill swim several feet to attack the Slab Dragon.
Oftentimes, bluegills will spawn in brush and stakebeds. You can see the bluegills swimming around or busy building beds. When you find this, it can be a bite every cast. You can cast into the area without using FFS, but I like to watch the bluegill eat the Slab Dragon, so I watch every cast. It is a fun way to catch bluegills using forward-facing sonar.
When the spawn is over, you can find bluegills swimming in open water heading to their summer haunts. These schools of fish could be many or what I call pods of bluegills, with 6-10 bluegills. Also, big bluegill will patrol the same gravel areas to gorge on insect larva emerging from the gravel to feed or make their way to something they can use to crawl out of the water to become an adult, I feel like the dragonfly larva is the bluegill’s favorite and is what the Slab Dragon represents. Dragging the Slab Dragon over the gravel, during post-spawn, can trigger violent strikes from big bluegill, as well as some feeding Redear that are also feeding on larvae.
Forward Facing Sonar can help you catch some nice bluegills like this one. Photo Ken McBroom
CONNECTION
After 20 years as a helicopter mechanic in the Alaskan bush, and living on a boat in Southeast Alaska, my heart and soul is still and forever will be a part of Alaska. My writing career began in a tent in Chicken, Alaska and I owe Alaska a great deal for who I am and for inspiring me to write. I hope that you enjoy the stories herein as we bring you the great history, outdoor adventures and more from The Last Frontier. Ken McBroom
Fishing Small Alaska Lakes A
Great Way To Escape Crowds
I was fortunate enough to live and work in Alaska for 20 years. Alaska has so many places to fish you could never fish them all in a lifetime. There are a few very popular spots either on the road system or others that are fly in locations that a lot of people charter a plane to get to. These places can get crowded at the peak of the fishing season in Alaska. Because of this I searched for ways to escape the crowds in Alaska when it came to fishing and I found fishing small lakes in Alaska was the ticket.
Float tubes are perfect for accessing small lakes in Alaska
I like to relax when I’m fishing. I soon found myself venturing away from popular fishing spots in Alaska. Those labeled combat fishing spots. I fished a spot in Alaska for many years. It was easy to get to, right off the highway. This spot was far enough from Anchorage that in the beginning there might be 5 or 6 people show up to fish this spot in a day.
It wasn’t too many years and a campground was built. Before long I found myself setting the alarm for 2 am. We would hike down the bear infested trail in the dark. By 3:30 am just to get in our favorite spots on the creek at daylight. We did this to get there before the crowd showed up. By 6 am we usually had our limit. There would be at least 30 or 40 people crowding the small fishable area on this creek. It had become very crowded when I last fished there. The other day I was reading about Alaska fishing while researching another article. I saw a link titled Combat Fishing In Alaska. When I clicked the link it took me to a very familiar image. It was the spot mentioned above and it was slammed with anglers that were combat fishing.
Never fear though as there is still plenty of places to fish in Alaska that offers solitude and peaceful settings. You will have to work for it that is for sure. However, you might be surprised how little you have to work to get to some great fishing in Alaska. Half the battle is actually finding the spots. I am going to focus on lakes in Alaska in this article. There are 3,000,000 lakes in Alaska. While not all these lakes have fish in them, a lot of them do. There are lakes that are stocked with trout. Many of these lakes remain a secret to most and a favorite to locals.
These lakes are public and there is information out there to find them you just have to do some research. Some of these lakes have some giant rainbow trout. At least as far as small short season lakes go. These small lakes have a very short feeding season and the trout take it seriously. Very aggressive fish can mean some very fun fishing in these small Alaska lakes.
Fishing Ice Out
The winters can be harsh in Alaska, especially in the interior region. Southeast Alaska can get pretty cold and freeze small lakes, but overall southeast Alaska small lakes will melt off sooner than the interior making them the first Alaska lakes to consider for ice out fishing in Alaska. Ice out refers to the time when iced over lakes or streams melt and “open up” to the point where you can fish open water.
Ice out occurs at different times each year depending on the thickness of ice and length of winter. This can vary by several weeks either way every spring. To time the ice out period you have to track the temps and ice melt. If you are traveling to Alaska to fish during the ice out period social media and fishing reports can lend great information to plan your trip. The good news is that the ice out period can last a few weeks after the ice has melted.
Ice out is a great time to fish Alaska’s small lakes because with the ice gone the water begins to warm. The surface is open to the wind which will generate oxygen naturally creating the process that is the Alaskan food chain. This food chain is brief in Alaska when compared to
milder areas. The fish know this. As the sun penetrates the water’s surface reaching the bottom of the lake many things happen. One of those is the hatching of many different chironomid, scuds and leeches.
The long winter without these forage items has the trout hungry and ready to eat. The activity that occurs after ice out generates and stimulates the trout’s instinctive impulse to feed. Instinctively these fish understand that the season is short and feast. This feeding frenzy is an angler’s dream. While the action may not be continuous every day, I have seen days that were. Those days are special and ice out is the best time to hit a day like that. When nearly every cast produces a strike and oftentimes a landed fish.
Float Tube Fishing The Alaska Spring
Rainbow trout and char devour these insects. The larvae that create these insects are a trout delicacy in the spring. However, in many of these small Alaska lakes another forage is available to the trout. The fingerling rainbow trout that are stocked in many of these small Alaska lakes makes them perfect for float tube fishing. The rainbow trout that live in these lakes take advantage of the absence of small fish. The resident trout love it when fingerling trout are released and gobble them up in a feast. The lakes that receive these fingerling trout in the stocking program tend to grow much larger rainbow trout. They often reach 30 inches in length. The holdover trout that make it through the winter welcome the small edible size trout when the stocking occurs.
The added protein and the easy meals after a long winter helps these rainbow trout, char and other fish to grow larger and healthier than where they don’t have this. Fingerling trout aren’t stocked in all small Alaska lakes, they are also stocked with larger trout too. These larger stocked trout are too big for a 14 inch trout to eat. Keep this in mind if big trout is your goal. This also will call for a minnow type fly or lure like a Clauser minnow or small minnow lure. My favorite fly was a marabou muddler. Tied on the muddler minnow recipe but using marabou in place of turkey feathers for the wings. The marabou helps the fly to stick in the trout’s teeth giving you a split second longer to set the hook.
Another great forage in these lakes throughout the year is the leech. When leeches are present a great fly to use is a black Matuka or a black egg sucking leech. Also a tandem hook rabbit fur strip left to undulate on the fall can be deadly on hungry feeding trout in the spring. I found out just how many leeches lived in one small lake after flipping my canoe after a short portage. I was covered with small leeches. It was a great discovery. I began to catch many more rainbow trout in that small Alaska lake.
Float Tube And Pontoon Fishing On Small Lakes In Alaska
You can fish small Alaska lakes using a canoe or other small boat. However, a float tube or inflatable pontoon wins out as certainly my choice for fishing small lakes in Alaska. A canoe works and I have used a canoe a few times. The problem is they are cumbersome. At least more cumbersome than a lightweight float tube or inflatable pontoon. These awesome
fishing machines can be packed into remote lakes in Alaska. You can pump them up when you get there. They are also lightweight and easy to carry down to a lake that are often just off the road system but down a trail.
Float tubes and inflatable pontoon boats are also comfortable. I would argue that they are much more comfortable than a canoe or small boat. You’ll need waders to use them. But the ability to stretch out, even if kicking with flippers or rowing in a pontoon. Another thing I like about these is the ability to just kick, row or drift to a new spot. This lets you easily stand to cast until you have fished that area thoroughly. Then sit back down to move to a new spot.
The many pockets and storage options on float tubes and pontoons allow for plenty of snacks, tackle and extra layers. Extra layers can come in handy when fishing anytime in Alaska. It was often that I packed some summer sausage, chunks of cheese and some crackers along with a couple Alaskan Ambers and stay all day. The Alaska days are long. Packing some good snacks made it possible to stay all day. These storage pockets are also waterproof providing a place for a camera and cell phone. Another great bit of technology to consider now is a satellite SOS device. Many of these lakes are off the beaten path and this device can be a great thing to have for your piece of mind and maybe a loved one’s too.
Small secluded lakes is Alaska’s best kept secret.
THE FLY
at the bench & on the water
It is our goal with this department to provide fly tying and fly fishing information. While we endeavor to cover all aspects of fly tying & fishing we want to hopefully inspire and recruit more people into warm water options and our content will reflect this. Expect some history and interesting stories that involves the art of fly fishing.
The Zirdle Bug
The first thing that came to mind when I saw this fly was bluegill and redear catcher. It has been a while since I cast a fly for bluegills but I want to do it again soon. The Zirdle Bug is a cross between a Zonker and a Girdle Bug and has the look, that’s for sure. It can be used as a fly or a jig with a splitshot and maybe a bobber the Zirdle Bug could be used with light spinning gear. If you are interested in fly fishing or tying your own flies and/or jigs get in touch and I can help you. In the meantime check out this short video of Son Tao has recently retired from the Army and is devoting much of his time teaching fly fishing and tying. Please consider checking out more of his great content.
OUTDOOR READS
reviews and suggestions
BUY HERE
Into the Wild
true story
“Alaska has long been a magnet for dreamers and misfits, people who think the vastness and solitude of the Last Frontier will patch all the holes in their lives. The bush is an unforgiving place, however, that cares nothing for hope or longing.”
As a helicopter mechanic in the Alaskan bush I can testify to all of healing it provides and can understand Chris McCandless’ desire to journey into the wild. I actually landed at the bus , where Chris lived, on a maintenance run. I was inside the bus shortly after this true story occurred. It was surreal after just having read this book.
While this book has an unhappy ending it is definately an adventure before the main charecter, Chris McCandless.
Crappie in Thick Brush
If you fish for crappie very often you know how they love to hang out in some nasty thick brush. Fortunately, there are ways to get these crappie out of this thick brush with the right rigs. Thick brush crappie rigs are necessary for penetrating the thick brush crappie love. There are also a few crappie rigs that you can use to coax those slabs out of the thick brush to your rig and into your livewell. Here are a few thick brush crappie rigs and tips to consider when the slabs hunker down.
Crappie can bury up in thick cover especially to escape the bright sun. Photo by Ken McBroom
Lifting a Nice’Un from cover. Photo Ken McBroom
JIG AND BOBBER
This great crappie rig has many uses and thick brush is one of them. You can use the bobber and jig to lure the crappie out of the brush or you can also use it to penetrate deep into the thick brush and put the rig right in their face. If you find yourself without weedless crappie jigs (I will discuss these later) you can use a regular jig and just set the bobber to where your jig is just above the thick brush where you know crappie is present. Slowly work this rig over the thick brush and if the crappie are in any kind of feeding mood they will gladly come out of the thick brush and devour your jig.
PROBING THE THICK STUFF
If by chance you have a bag of weedless jigs like the Bass Pro Shops® Weedless Marabou Stump Jumper®, you can easily probe the thickest part of the brush. Oftentimes crappie will suspend deep inside thick brush made by a tree that has fallen into the water from shore. When this happens, you can sometimes pick up a few crappie working the outside edge of the brush, but if you catch a few there, then you can bet that there are many more down in that thick brush and you have to go in and get them. With a weedless jig you can lower your presentation to those thick brush dwellers and load the boat.
You might find a school just beneath the brush in which case you have to go through it to get to them. Other times the crappie is hugging the brush and you have to work your jig inside the maze of limbs without hanging up. This can be made much easier with a weedless jighead. The small wire protruding from the head helps to deflect the wood and keep it from hanging in the thick brush. Be sure to work the jig in the brush slowly. If you work it too fast without “feeling” the brush, then you will just pull the limbs through the wire and into the hook. When this happens it’s tough to work the jig loose and you will probably have to break it off.
It takes some practice. Move the weedless crappie jig throughout the thick brush lifting it out and easing it back into it. When using a bobber with the weedless jig just lower it gently into every available hole and watch closely. If the crappie are deep in the thick brush and refuse to come up or out to eat your jig this means the bite will be subtle. Keep an eye on your bobber. If it goes down any at all lift up and ease out your prize. If you’re quiet and slowly play the slab up through the thick stuff you can catch a lot of crappie before you run them off. Be patient and you can catch several from the thick brush.
THE SLIDEOFF WEEDGUARD
There is a new little gadget out that makes any jig weedless. The slideoff weedguard is a great little guard that slips onto the jig. It snaps into place between the hook point and the eye. Fishing for crappie in thick brush can be frustrating, but with the slideoff weedguard you can be a little
more aggressive with your presentation than with the wire weedguard. When the crappie bites, the slideoff weedguard snaps off, exposing the hook point to the crappies mouth. These weedguards come in handy when the crappie is scattered in thick brush and you have to cover water to catch a few. The slideoff weedguard allows you to work the thick brush quickly and actually pull your jig through it instead of working it straight down. You can just fish a little faster with this little guard on your jig. The slideoff weedguard come in several sizes. There are many ways to fish for crappie in thick brush, this is just a few that might help you when you have to get really deep in the thick stuff to entice a strike.
Blackened Catfish
If you like fish, chances are you like catfish. The following spicy pan seared catfish recipe is a great way to prepare spicy catfish fillets for a great change from the routine of fried catfish. The blackening technique, used in this recipe, is credited to chef Paul Prudhomme of New Orleans and has since been adapted for use with several kinds of meats and poultry. Fish seems to be the most popular for this process. Enjoy the Harvest.
Hot and fast in a cast iron skillet
Ingredients For Spicy Pan Seared Catfish
• Cast Iron Skillet
• 4 catfish fillets
• olive oil
• 1/3 pound bacon
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp lemon pepper
MIXING THE SPICES This is the fun part of any blackening recipe. You can mix the ingredients listed or make your own. The blackening process is obviously a spicy dish, therefore many people mistakenly think it has to be spicy hot. This spice rub is a little hot, but you can leave out ingredients such as cayenne pepper or chili powder. When my wife is dining with me the cayenne pepper is either left out all together or I mix it in after I coat her fillets because it seems she can detect a single speck of cayenne pepper if it’s on her fish. Keep that in mind and everyone can enjoy this recipe.
PREPARING THE FILETS Cut your fillets into sections that will fit in your skillet and will be easy to turn. Rinse your fillets and pat dry with a paper towel. Using another paper towel or a brush completely cover the fillets with a light coat of olive oil. Apply the spice rub, liberally coating the entire fillet. The spices adhere nicely to the oil and will stay put while your fillet is cooking. You can use any firm fish fillet for this recipe.
COOKING Heat skillet with bacon grease until smoking hot then add fillets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
The first time I saw the blackening process was in Alaska and it was used on fresh Coho fillets. I watched a black cast iron skillet sit on a flame outside for a good five minutes before my friend plopped the fillet into the hot skillet. The spicy smoke rose into the cool night air smacking me in the face, leaving me gasping and my eyes watering. I loudly voiced my concern of the edibility of the salmon as I staggered back away from the inferno. Then when the fillet was turned the smoke came again, then cleared and there was a perfectly burnt hunk of salmon I had caught on a streamer and a 6 wt. fly rod that morning.
That was the best salmon I ever had and I was sold on the blackening process forever. The trick is a smoking hot skillet, no more than two or three minutes per side. The hot skillet burns the spices while protecting the fillet inside, leaving a crispy spice crust on the outside and a moist flaky fillet on the inside.
A cast iron skillet works best for blackening. It more evenly distributes the heat and stays hot longer. This is important to really blacken the rub quickly. I like to use fresh bacon grease. You can use the bacon grease leftover from preparing the glaze. I just coat the bottom before I add the fillets so be sure to wipe the skillet before adding more fillets for the second cook to remove any burned bacon grease. The bacon appetizer gained by preparing this recipe is great and my kids love to sneak up and snatch a piece when I’m not looking. I usually fry up more bacon than I need for this reason.
Seal the Deal
tackle tips and techniques
Troy is an avid angler from Bean Station Tennessee. Troy is a “nothing fancy” kind of guy well except maybe for his tackle. Troy is a multi-species angler but loves panfish, especially the sun fish. He has tinkered with and honed his tackle and techniques to target these great panfish. Fishing from a small aluminum boat without electronics or any of the modern day gadgets Troy loves getting old-school in a new world of fishing. We are happy to have Troy’s expertise within these pages and I think you will be too. Troy has the popular Facebook group The Bluegill Network
Rutting Redears
It seems to me that every year, fishing with ultralight tackle gets more popular. I suppose the cost of everything is a contributing factor. I also think that fishing pressure and the number of people fishing now have some people looking for alternative species and styles of fishing, especially ones that are less technique-oriented and more simple or affordable. I am a more technique-oriented type fisherman and I will share some of that with you. Most of this can be done with a hook and a worm, either under a small lightweight bobber that won’t make a big ruckus when it lands on the water, or just a hook with a bb shot or two in front of it.
Location. Shellcrackers are where you think that they would be, the same place bluegills would be. You will find them in shallow bays, depressions in the bank, creek arms that have flats adjacent to the creek channel, and just gently sloping banks that have pea gravel, sand, or a solid bottom. Cover, however, is more important to shellcrackers than bluegills when spawning. If you’re looking while riding slowly in your boat at different banks and topography to find shallow water areas and you see a blowdown or a tree that has hung on a flat that has come down and stuck there during a high water period by all means stop and check it out. Keep a good pair of polarized glasses with you. This is solid advice that I rarely take myself because I lose them constantly. Hopefully you’re better at that than me.
A keen eye and some serious observation will help you more than electronics. I know that’s blasphemy for some of you. Sorry, not sorry. It’s the truth. You can spot cover from a long way off, and if you’re familiar with the body of water, you know where the shallow water is and where different types of cover are. That being said, it’s faster to scan a large area with your eyes than it is to idle a boat past everything you see. So don’t waste too much time with that. What you’re looking for is a little bit of wood cover sticking up out of the water. If it’s just one tiny stick up most definitely check it out because a lot of guys won’t see that, and it could have a bigger part of it under the water.
Everywhere branches cross in a bramble of limbs, shellcrackers will be. They also love overhead cover, so if you have a shady bank that has limbs out over the water, there’s going to be limbs under that where they fall out from storms or dead branches from maple trees or elm trees that are very common to shed branches often. These areas can be a true goldmine. Some of the biggest beds I have found have been under overhead cover amongst branches on the bottom that have fallen from trees. Blowdowns also produce good shellcrackers, but they’re more obvious and will be hit by other anglers, especially those who can fish midweek. Redears, while some think that they spawn deeper than bluegills, that has not been my experience on the bodies of water that I fish. My experience has been just the opposite, where bluegills will be most commonly in two to four foot of water, redears will be a foot or 18 in
or 2 ft deep at the deepest, even if the water is clear. However, that can make them very, very finicky and/or skittish.
On an annual fishing trip to Maryland, Jim Gronaw and I found a large concentration of redears on the beds on a small body of water that had clear water. These rascals were finicky! You couldn’t even get them to bite a red worm on a hook, weightless. You could throw it past the bed and drag it into the bed, and they would swim off. If you threw the lure on top of the bed as soon as it hit the water, they would swim off. There was no winning with these guys, and that was with live bait!
Redears are either hot or cold. So just because fish are bedding doesn’t mean they’re easy. I faced the same reality on a small body of water in Middle Tennessee in the Cumberland
Mountain State Park. I found a huge nesting site full of redears, and they would not touch a thing. No artificials! No live bait! nothing! I never did catch one fish off those beds. However, the ones in Maryland, we waited an hour and came back, and for some reason, they had the feed back on. That brings us to time of day.
The time of day with shellcrackers can be a huge mystery. I don’t get it, and I have been fishing for them for years. In the winter, I usually fish midday till dark because the water temperature on nice days is warmer in the evening. But in the spring, man it seems like no rhyme or reason so you may have to double back and try spots later in the day or get up earlier the next
day and try spots that you fished the evening before because sometimes the light switch is on sometimes the light switches off no matter what you do. So be patient. Shellcrackers are mysterious like a woman.
Now, for the techniques I use. I use a combination like a good boxer. The one-two punch with me is the one-two-three punch. I use a natural-colored trout magnet oftentimes because it seems to be a good color for shellcrackers, they also like yellow in my experience. Yellow is nice for fishing beds, especially if you have a little sunlight to allow sight fishing, as the bright colors are visible. If you see the yellow disappear, set the hook, man, they don’t have hands! Sometimes I tight-line it if there’s not much cover, other times I use a light foam bobber like an easy trout bobber from trout magnet or just a generic foam bobber with a toothpick for a peg that you can get in any tackle store in the country. Either way, use as light a jig as possible. I like a foam bobber best because it lands softly and doesn’t spook skittish fish as badly.
Another lure that I love to use is the trout slayer craw, but in white for the same reason I like the yellow, visibility. White is a very visible color even in stained water and again if you don’t see it, it’s probably in their mouth. It’s a little more of a bulky bait so sometimes if they’re just nipping and not very aggressive, I’ll pinch the claws and the front legs off and make it more compact. I might even shorten it by biting a little off the front.
The third artificial that I like is a small hair jig that I tie myself. The reason I like it so much is a certain sense of accomplishment or satisfaction that comes with catching a fish on something you made, plus nothing is better than a hair jig for tipping. Whether it be a small piece of worm or a bit of powerbait like a power wiggler which is my all-time favorite bluegill size jig tipping supplement. You can get an old Skoal can and dump the bag into it and just keep it in your pocket. You don’t have to fight that Ziploc bag that way.
Other tipping lures could be the 1” gulp minnows, or other powerbait options like honey worms or even the gulp waxies. Power wigglers seem to be just as good as anything and are a good size. It’s not a bad idea after you catch a few fish and they slow down to change color or lure altogether, and sometimes you can catch a few more fish from the same area that way. Tackle. I prefer spinning gear, but you can use BFS, fly rods, spincast, or even long jigging rods. Actually, one of my favorite setups is a fly rod with a trigger spincast reel on the bottom. It’s great for flinging a bobber rig or dipping into wood cover. And while I’m not a guy that worries about line color much, as I use hi-viz line most of the time; however, during the spawn in clearwater when they’re skittish, a fluorocarbon leader isn’t a bad idea.
In closing, I would ask one thing of you. I would ask that you manage the resource like you’re going to pass it along, because you are. Redears don’t populate as fast as bluegills and don’t spawn as successfully as bluegills. So especially in small bodies of water release the big fish especially off the beds. Have a great season
Nice spawning redear in Kentucky. Photo by Ken McBroom
Back on the Fly
rainbows on the Cumberland
After 20 years of fly fishing in Alaska, I hung up my fly rod when I moved back to Kentucky full-time. My focus switched to bass, crappie, redear, and catfish but my love of fly fishing never waned. Through books and magazines, I kept in touch with fly fishing and often pulled from great memories of casting a fly to rainbows and grayling in the last frontier. During these times I also researched the many fly fishing opportunities across Kentucky and have planned a trip for years but never acted due to a mix of busy schedules and the many other fishing opportunities that Kentucky offers. That is until a special invite came my way.
Friend and fellow outdoor writer Bob Sawtelle extended an invite to fly fish the Cumberland River with Dave Debold, owner of Double D Outfitters out of Louisville Kentucky. Bob assured me that Dave knew the river and would put us on some trout, he did not disappoint. Dave knows the dam’s generation schedule and takes you to fish sections of the river that have the best current for catching trout on the fly. Dave told me that fishing the river in the winter months is great because the generation schedule allows for a later start after the sun’s rays warm the air as well as the enthusiasm.
Our trip began at Riverside Retreat in Jamestown Kentucky and a great pork chop dinner at Reel Java Restaurant and Creamery on the Jamestown square. A campfire followed where stories of past fly fishing adventures set the mood for the trip down the Cumberland. One of the great things about fly fishing is the stories and camaraderie it adds to the perfectly seasoned firewood crackling in the pit. Bob’s stories of his western fly fishing adventures along with mine from Alaska, proved to provide enough fireside fodder for many more fly fishing trips together as we generate more recent tales and experiences to boot.
Our trip called for a downriver launch and the boat was in the water before daylight. The air was cool but comfortable and the sunrise was remarkable with a fog rising from the river along with the chatter of a kingfisher chasing breakfast. The sun was still hiding behind the bluffs when the first fish was landed. It was a solid rainbow trout, as pretty a specimen I have ever seen. The trout fell for one of the simplest of flies I have ever used, a mop fly.
A mop fly is nothing more than a 1-inch piece of micro-fiber mop material with a small, dubbing collar. Dave told us they represented a small minnow drifting down the river and the trout could not resist it. It was fished under a small cork bobber, or strike indicator in the fly fishing world. Casting to likely lies and keeping the presentation as natural as possible with slow lifts and clean mends proved to be the answer on this morning and brought several nice rainbows and a few small cutthroat trout to the net.
The Cumberland River is a Kentucky gem and a place I can personally recommend to anyone who loves fly fishing. The bald eagles, kingfishers, and deer in a backdrop of beauty are just a few reasons to give Double D Outfitters a call and see for yourself. My experience was wonderful, and I would say another story for the campfire.
Ranger Bob with a nice Cumberland River Rainbow
BACK IN THE DAY
Nash Buckingham with a double-fist full of ducks
Nash Buckingham at ninety. Photo: Bill Dye, from The Best of Nash Buckingham, George Bird Evans
Nash Buckingham
Legendary Outdoor Writer
Theophilus Nash Buckingham (May 31, 1880 – March 10, 1971), commonly referred to as Nash Buckingham, was an American author and conservationist from Tennessee. He wrote a collection of short stories entitled De Shootinest Gent’man.[1] He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was captain and selected an All-Southern tackle in 1902.[2] For many years after, Buckingham selected the All-Southern team for the Memphis Commercial Appeal.[3] He was nominated though not selected for an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team.[4] Buckingham wrote nine books and hundreds of articles that regularly appeared in such magazines as Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, and Sports Afield and Recreation. His writings were often accompanied by photographs taken by the author himself.
An avid shotgunner and wing shot, Buckingham was considered an authority on topics relating to waterfowl and upland birds, as well as the methods and tools used to hunt them. Although Buckingham pursued a variety of game in his lifetime, if his own writing is a true indication, it would seem that “Mr. Buck” possessed a special fondness for ducks and quail. He was active in a number of outdoor related activities such as Field Judging and a dedicated and influential participant in a number of worthy causes devoted to the betterment of hunting, sporting literature and the preservation of the American outdoor tradition. As such, Buckingham was given a number of prestigious awards for having used his voice to help the cause of conservation. He spoke out often and eloquently about the necessity of enforcing game laws and was a staunch advocate of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
The research for this Back in the Day piece led me to a Nash Buckingham book collection that I look forward to reading. There are so many outdoor writers that are never celebrated and they deserve to be. These writers are the conerstone to not only good stories to read but for inspiring others to adopt the great outdoor lifestyle we all love.
