26 Nov 2011
The last journal entry for the month, December here we come. Saturday came and the weather was nice. The wife wanted to go catch some stripers (I know, she should have called a guide) so I headed out to catch some bait. The bait catching took about 1.5 hours, and I had 6 total. So I headed back to the dock and met her there to pick her up. She has learned that during the struggles of bait catching, sometimes it is a little boring. Has nothing to do with me and my frustration, just the boredom.
Anyway, we go down past point 10 on Boone Lake and there are fish hitting the top. Didn’t appear like a massive bunch of striper wearing out the shad, but there was some big splashes and a bunch of fish in the fish finder. The boat had a radio and the Vols were playing, or at least they were on the radio against Kentucky. The game we won’t discuss, I hate it for the seniors, but nonetheless enjoyed listening. We troll around, keeping plenty of fish in the finder screen. When we get close to the bank, nothing so we stay in the deeper water. We have very active shad, and there is one on the balloon that appeared to get a swirl.
We fished till about 4:30 and had no fish in the boat, or even off the line, never got a bite, just that one swirl. However, enjoyed that great day on the water, got to spend some time with the wife, don’t think the phone rang, and got to hear the Vols. Although everything didn’t go the way that I had wanted it to go, it was still a great day to be fishing. We will see you in December, God bless.
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 25 Nov 2011
It was Black Friday and I didn’t want to shop. Checked the generating schedule, they started at 9:00 am and were going all day. So I headed down stream, takes 4+ hours for the water to reach my location, so I had some time.
The temp was in the 30’s and if you remember, my waders leak, so I found me a rock to wade to and stand on for the majority of the fishing. Began the day with a pheasant tail, it is usually a pretty good fly for me. After a lot of cast I went to the fly box. I started using every piece of arsenal in the box. Obviously I did not have anything that the fish liked, so after about an hour and a half, I went back to the pheasant tail.
Boom, one must have been starved to death cause he bit me. I got it in, took the photo and if you notice, it is a medium pic as opposed to the thumbnail, thought that might add to the size. This one was probably just an egg a few weeks ago, cause he was tiny. Anyway, the blood began to flow and the fishing continues. After another 60+ minutes of fishing, I realize that I do not have the proper flies to be fishing today, so I pack everything up and head home.
Now, this may sound like a bad day fishing for some, however, as one considers. I was not in the shopping crowd. The weather was great as the temp reached the 60’s. I did get one fish and experienced the beauty of upper East Tennessee. There was a very nice trout that I saw attempting to act like a salmon going up stream as it hurled itself completely out of the water. Wished I was videoing, and wished even more it was starving like the little one. All and all it was a good day on the river, but isn’t every day on the river good? Have a good weekend and God bless.
 
 22 Nov 2011
I understand completely that I have entitled this the fishing journal, however, my son wanted to go after the dangerous and ever elusive squirrel today, so this is a hunting entry. We headed toward Little Oaks Campground area just to see how things would go. As we began to pull into a pull off area, we saw one. We exited the truck very ninja like, gathered the gear and began the search. I told my son that this could be a negative sign, if he was recongized by that squirrel, word will get out quick.
Well we continued to look for a bit, then headed up the logging road. We walked and walked, we would have stopped after I got out of breath, however, we would have had to wait at the gate. We would walk, then stop and listen, and continue this operation for a while. We saw nothing so we figured that the squirrel probably told others of our presence. So we head back to the truck.
We get in the truck and head further back and I see this creek, gotta stop for a photo. Son calls me mom cause I am going to take a photo and when I get back, he is in the drivers seat. I let him steer us through the road and see another creek, photo 2. We drive around without seeing another squirrel, but we did burn some powder on a piece of plywood we saw. And let me tell you, I had a really great time. Just hanging out with the son, spending a little time in God’s creation, it was a wonderful day hunting.
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 19 Nov 2011
Vacation for Thanksgiving week had started and I decided to sleep in a bit. When I awoke the decision was made to head out to the lake. Haven’t had the boat out in quite some time but the batteries were charged and I decided to go after the stripers. First I hit the twitter cause that is just how things are, you must tweet all that you do. I should have tweeted that I ate a couple of butter biscuits and I guess I could have tweeted that I am about to tweet. Personally I don’t understand all of that, but I do see it as a way of folks finding the website.
Anyway, I stop by the gas station to add some fuel to the boat and head off with my fishing buddy the Schnauzer. When I launch I run into a couple of extremely tough fishermen. I say tough because they were out probably before day break and that morning was about 24 degrees. They said they had trouble finding shad, this should have been some foreshadowing for me. So we talk a bit, hope they caught something the next day, and I head out. I see a few balls of shad in my fish finder so I begin to cast the net around Misty Waters. I do this for quite some time with no bait captured so I begin to head out.
As I begin my journey in search of the elusive bait fish I hear a gaggle of geese. I look over and see something white, to the left right behind the leader. It appeared by all accounts to be a snow goose. When they land I snap a photo with my zoomless phone and thus the photo up top. You are going to have to take my word for it, but I thought that I saw a snow goose in that gaggle, first time I had seen that.
Anyway, I head to Candy Creek, no shad, head toward Little Devault Bridge, slowing in many places looking for shad, nada. Finally I head to the end of Long Holler (Hollow for those that don’t live around here). I go to the back, see a few shad in the fish finder and begin to cast the net heading out. I make it about half way out and I have been looking for about 1.5 hours and the schnauzer is losing patience. I pull up to the bank to allow the pup to have a little bathroom break.
I am getting close to be frustrated, I know I don’t have the patience of most folks and I ask the Lord to help me find some shad. Well we get back in and I start seeing some activity just ahead. Now some of you may not believe me, but the next cast I caught 12 of the best looking shad I could have wanted. Praise the Lord is what came out next and off I went.
I had spent so much of my time casting the net that I did not want to search for places to fish for another hour, so I just stopped at the islands and flat lined. I trolled around there for a while, then headed to Candy Creek. Here I did spot a few schools, but did not get a hit. I had been out around 4-5 hours so I headed back to the ramp. Close to the ramp I did get one of my balloons get chased, but it was brief and no fish. I released the shad, thought I don’t mean to be greedy, but should have asked the Lord for shad and a striper.
On my great day on the lake, I say that with all seriousness because I got to go fishing, I did run into a bass fisherman. He had 5 in the boat and had missed 6. I would suggest crankbaits on Boone Lake for the bass right now. Anyway, took some pics of the boat to throw in here. If you see the Sea Ark out, holler at me.
 
 
11 Nov 2011
Appeared as if old man winter had come by for a visit, Friday morning was down right cold when walking into work. The wind was whipping and just cold. Got off early, went shopping with wife, then headed to the river for a couple of hours. Even when it is cold the journal needs an update, the deman is enormous.
There was some excitement due to a new fly that I had whipped up. Last trip a gentleman slayed the trout with a salmon egg, so off to the sewing kit I go and find red thread, then make what I would call one of the ugliest salmon egg baits you have ever seen, wanted to give it a try. So I head toward the dam and begin.
My plan is not for staying long, just trying. I put on a sulfur and got a couple of refusals, probably wrong size, or could just be my skill set. I try everything in my arsenal and then when in doubt pull green weenie out. While using the green weenie I get about 4 hits, but never anything set. The day was just a tough one, cold, windy, and needed to get some stuff done.
So I leave the river getting skunked, good thing to keep you humble at times. But fortunately, most folks appeared to be catching some, probably just the fisherman. Anyway, I know it is short, but let us know how your trip has gone, God bless and good fishing.
 04 Oct 2011
The morning had been rainy and it was rather cool when the sun was hidden behind the clouds, but I had a few hours to wet a line. Didn’t feel like draggin out the boat, so I whipped out a fly for a test, not even sure what it is called, thus did not put it on the site, and off I head to the South Holston River (SOHO). The generators ran till about noon which hinders my fly fishing from the bank, I tend to hook many a branch when trying this, so I get there around 1:00.
When I arrive I talk to a couple of folks handing business cards out is part of my massive advertising campaign. It may not be very effective but it serves a dual purpose: I get to have an excuse to go fishing and I get to meet some pretty good folks. Wondering how to get folks involved on the forum though, I think everyone is waiting on someone else, I appear to be chasing rabbits here.
I head downstream and see a pretty good crowd of anglers, so I come back up to the bridge. Talk to a young man that has caught one spin fishing and was having a great time, I enjoyed our multiple conversations. As I got there, to make a long story short, I was trying a lot of things. I was out of pheasant tails, should’ve took a few minutes to tie one up. Then I saw two sulfurs come off, I put one on the line real quick and begin fishing, nothing. I get one hit here on a nymph, I think it was my beaten up pheasant tail so I head down stream.
My little green weenie honey hole was open so I stop and begin to fish. The green weenie pulled in the above photo, but this was the only hit, kinda. I was fishing a nymph is some shallower water, so I put on a strike indicator, it is a red/pink in color. As I am using my magnificently hand tied flies I begin to get quite a few hits. However, the hits were on my strike indicator, that’s right, they were hitting my indicator and leaving my fly alone.
During this time, I notice a bank fisherman is causing quite a splash with about every cast. He pulls in a bunch of trout and I am thinking I should have brought my spinning rod. The gentleman went to leave and I am close enough to the bank to say hi. I asked how many he caught, he said about 20 with a couple of nice ones. Then he said, I switched to the fire red salmon egg and they started hitting them. My mind immediately went to my strike indicator color.
Well, I have nothing red in my fly case, so I head to the house. I didn’t get skunked, but it was close. Hope you have a great weekend fishing, God bless.
