Fishing with Cliff

This came through my inbox this morning and I thought I would pass it along.  Wish the promoters (for just about everything) would get on the band wagon a little earlier and let people know what is going on more than a few days in advance.  I see that happen all the time, and it annoys me greatly!

The Jimmy Green Memorial Fly Fishing Fair and Casting Expo will be held June 20, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at Lake Tye in Monroe, WA and is open to the public, free of charge.

The Fair’s objectives are to:

* Drive awareness and excitement about fly fishing to people new to this historic sport.

* Provide opportunities to learn about fly fishing through instructional demonstrations and skill workshops.

* Connect new and seasoned anglers with the local fly fishing industry leaders.

* Challenge anglers of all skill levels in casting competitions.

* Learn, Meet, Compete!

What can you do at the Jimmy Green Memorial Fly Fishing Fair and Casting Expo? You can meet and talk to the owners and managers of local Puget Sound fly shops, learn to cast a fly rod, get involved in protecting our local waters and fish, meet fly fishing guides, find a fly fishing club near your home, attend workshops, and compete in casting competitions for single-handed or double-handed fly rods. Check out the Fair’s Schedule of Events, and all of the Fair Sponsors and Exhibitors.

Free Food, Free Drink!

Hot dogs, hamburgers and refreshments will be available during lunchtime at no charge for all Fair attendees.

Two Fantastic Raffles!

One raffle for fly fishers who bring potential fly fishers to the event - the more people you bring, the more tickets you get! And a second raffle for potential fly fishers. New to fly fishing or interested in the sport? This raffle is for you.

For a list of prizes and their donors, click here.

Bring your family and friends and come see what makes fly fishing such a fun and enjoyable sport!

All the applicable details including the impressive list of exhibitors, directions and activities are located on the event site: http://jimmygreenflyexpo.com

So, if you don’t have plans for this weekend or are looking for something to take dad to (remember Father’s day?) here you go!

I have dropped in on Big Fish Tackle from time to time, and their daily fishing cartoon has been on our site for a long time, but I wanted to point out that they have a lot of cool features and stuff worth looking at.

Personally I like the ‘win free fishing tackle’ stuff.   There is also local fishing news, reports, fishing articles and lots more.  So quit hanging out here (but come back at some point) and get over to Big Fish Tackle and see what they have going on!

OK, so some of you out there know that Thomas has gotten himself hitched again (to a great lady BTW) and the wedding was in Las Vegas.  Of course the Reverend and I were in attendance, and after our initial night of revelry the Reverend and I headed off to check out the Bass Pro Store in Las Vegas.

I had been to Las Vegas ~5 times since the Bass Pro store had opened and had always been too busy (or hung over) to get out to see it.  So Friday morning we caught some early breakfast and headed out from the Hooters Casino (where else would we stay?) and took a 15 minute cab ride out to what is not just the Bass Pro Store, but a whole flipping casino.

 
Really?  That is all you have for reels?

Now I like Vegas as much as anyone, but do they really need to turn everything into a casino and hotel?  And if they do, why aren’t they putting on more fishing and hunting related shows?  I am just saying it seems like a natural fit to be putting on some jig flipping competitions, have the archery contests held there and so on…

The Reverend Posing (as best he could) in front of the
mounts in the Las Vegas Bass Pro Shop.

But back to the store.  It is pretty cool.  The Reverend was a bit green, but wandered through with me as best he could.  Those Jager-bombs on top of the tequila shots were just a little too much for him.  Surprisingly, there wasn’t as much fishing stuff there as I had hoped.  The reality of it is that Sportco down there in Fife and the Outdoor Emporium probably have as much as they did at Bass Pro.  It just isn’t all jazzed up with lots of mounts and decorative features.

Over all, I am really glad I didn’t make a trip down there special to see the place, but they did have some clothes that were cool, and the Reverend even bought a new outfit with some of his winnings from the Hooters Casino.  So, I am glad I finally went to see it, but I’m not thoroughly impressed with the Las Vegas Bass Pro shop.

Oh, and sorry for the crappy photo quality.  All I had with me on this trip was my camera phone and it bites!

While the south is gearing up for prime Bass fishing season, up here in the North it is just warming up and the fish aren’t real aggressive yet.  So instead of the usual flip-n-rip attack that you see on TV all the time, go slow!

Try fishing a worm, tube or other soft bait right on the bottom and not moving it at all!  That is right.  Pitch it into a likely spot and let it sit for 30 seconds or so.  Then move it just a little and let it sit.  I know this isn’t the most exciting way to hunt Bass, but it can be very effective if they are sluggish, or bedded up.  By fishing slow you keep the bait in their face until they get irritated and munch down on it.

Obviously the soft baits that will sit on the bottom and have a little bit of action to them are the best here.  Tubes are great for this application because you can drop them in weightless with a cotton ball soaked down with scent shoved all the way up in them.  Be sure to use scent!  Since the Bass will be looking at these things for a while, they will also get a good sniff of them.  Having a convincing odor will go a long way in getting them to munch your bait.

So next time you head out, bring some patience along with you.  Those Bass may not be in quite ready to beat the hell out of your top water lures yet.  You need to get down in their face and take some time to get them mad! 

Good luck and let us know how you do!

The weather here in the Northwest is great for growing things.  Apparently a little too great!  Here is another non-native plant that is causing trouble and a group that is working to keep it from ruining watersheds.

The Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force is getting almost a quarter of a million dollars to fight this highly invasive plant that you have to spray to kill because cutting it down or pulling it up just makes it mad.  Sounds like some Blackberries I know of.

This SeattlePI Article has more info on what is going on, but these invasive plants really suck!

I love fishing the Northwest, but I have to admit that from time to time I get a bit jealous of the guys down in Florida that get sunny weather most of the year.  Up here on Puget Sound it is rain gear and heaters about half the year.  Not to mention that we almost never get to see gals like Jennifer and Lindsay over there out fishing in bikinis.  It just isn’t fair!

I think we need to start a contest of our own.  I know we have some good looking gals up here in the Northwest, and some of them even go out fishing.  Once the weather warms up I challenge everyone to send in their best bikini babe pics for a chance to win….  Something!  I haven’t figured that part out yet. 

The rules are:

• Must be your own photos, no stealing from the web
• No full on nudity (you can send them in, but they don’t count)
• Must be shot in the Northwest
• The girls must actually be fishing, no just hanging out on the boat!

Send all your entries to the Northwest Fishing Babe Competition.

As soon as I get a few entries, I will figure out a place to post them all.  Lets show those guys down in Florida just what we have going on up here in the Northwest!

OK, so it wasn’t caught in the Northwest, but over in the UK.  Still it is a damn fine fish!

As reported by the Lincolnshire Echo:

The largest pike ever to be taken from a river in this country (45lb 8oz) was landed last week from the River Thurne system on the Norfolk Broads.

Sixty three-year-old John Goble, from Caister-on-Sea, is an experienced pike expert and no stranger to big fish.

Previously, he has taken over 100 pike of 20lb or over and several “thirties” with a best fish of 35lb 10oz.

All these fish have been taken in the last 20 years since he moved to the Broads area to concentrate on the excellent pike fishing on the rivers and broads.

Goble was fishing with a float legered mackerel from a boat on the Thurne and it was his only run of the day.

After a spirited fight the fish was finally boated and he called his angling friend Keith Howard to witness, weigh and photograph the fish.

At 45lb 8oz, it is the biggest pike to come from the Broads area and the fourth largest pike to come out of British waters.

I did some searching around for a picture of it, but with no luck.  But for comparison, I did find this shot of what is reported to be the world record Pike, weighing in at 55#!!!  Some great pics, and you should take a look at the rest of the pictures of it on the forum I found it at!

It has long been my suspicion that PETA is actually part of a much larger conspiracy aimed at discrediting animal rights organizations.  Why else would an organization go to such lengths to make fools of themselves and launch utterly ridiculous campaigns.  I speak of this because a friend of mine recently pointed out that PETA has an entire campaign devoted to keeping kids from going fishing.

They are even attempting to rebrand fish as ‘Sea-kittens’ which I think is utterly ridiculous.  Their attempts to humanize every creature big and small inevitably work to do nothing but make them sound ridiculous.  I am sure there are a few mush headed people, and obviously more than a few mush headed celebrities, that will support them but the fact is that either they are entirely misguided or they actually have a secret agenda to make animal rights supporters looked idiotic.

I love animals, animals are great and they never think anyone should abuse one.  That being said I can’t see how I am being more cruel to fish when I catch it, and quickly dispatch it and throw it in my cooler than when a seal chases it now and eats it while it is still alive.  As for the kids I think it is very important that children learn where their food comes from, and they respect the fact that for us to live we must consume another living thing be it plant or animal.

For all the money they spend screaming about causes that only gains them ridicule, why aren’t they out doing something about actual cases of animal cruelty.  I may be wrong, but I haven’t heard of PETA stepping in with a cash donation to help the 600 or so dogs and potential 1500 or so puppies that are flooding the Everett animal control facility after the raid on the puppy mill in Gold Bar.  Where are the celebrities now?  Where is the money now?  Apparently when there’s dirty work to be done they are to proceed to actually step in and help.

For anybody from PETA that might wind up reading this, I do respect some of the work you’ve done with the farming industry and just because a chicken is on its way to my fryer doesn’t mean that it should live in shitty conditions until that point.  But until you start walking around without your heads up your asses, talking shit you sure as hell won’t get my support.

(As for the picture of the girls, well I guess I can live with that sort of protest…)

After spending Saturday morning bobbing around on Puget Sound in the fog, I am left wondering once again, who, if anyone, makes a good short range radar for small boats?  It seems almost inconceivable that in this day and age that someone hasn’t come up with a small, mast mounted radar suitable for boats like our 19′ Alumaweld.

I have seen some small units, but even those would require at least an aluminum rack, which most fishing boats of this size don’t have.  I really would like to find someone to work with us to put an an aluminum  combat fishing rack on the boat, and then work with them to market it, but that is another post.

If you know of somewhere or someone that has a small radar that would be sufficient for things like not running into barges in the fog, and that could be easily mounted on a boat like ours, give us a shout!