REALTIME FLOWS    U. Kern: n/a cfs    L. Kern: 1341 cfs    E.W: 312 cfs    U. Owens: 108 cfs    L. Owens: 496 cfs   09/02/19 1:15 PM PST

Finally got out!

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Finally got out!

Postby Artin » February 25th, 2013, 10:55 am

Hey guys,
Hope you're all doing well. Been gone for a while..... Work.... life.... a new daughter and no sleep! It's been quite good except for my withdrawls from fishing kicking in like crazy and I was about to break when an opportunity came up for me to go somewhere and we a line.
Since I like to tuck in my son and daughter I decided to make it a day trip to the Kern and called up my buddy to go along and fish. We left at 6 am and got to K-ville around 8:30.

I had taken with me my new boo rod I build to give it a go and see how it performed. I was graciously lent a Cattanach 5 wt a while back by Pete (thank again) which made me decide to build one for myself. It's a blond rod with light olive wraps and turquoise trims, came out pretty nice except there was some leakage in the varnishing department and there are some blotchy dark spots through the color preserver (Man I did about 6 coats to).

Went to James store to pick up a license for my friend, he too has not fished this year, and off we went.
It was pretty slow 'till about 11:30 to 12. I had one to hand that entire time. Once the sun had some time on the water and the temps rose a few we started seeing more fish to hand. We caught a mess load, wild and stocked. I was fishing a prince and a tiny midge trailer... It was good.
I ended up with a bunch of ldr's as well as foul hooked fish, ever have days where you foul hook a lot?
I also caught my first ever brown from the K! I've heard and seen pictures of a few lucky people who catch them there but this was my first time in my entire fishing career on the K that I have caught one! I was pretty stoked!

so here are a few pictures for ya!
here is a beautiful KR resident with the boo
Image

here is my brown
Image
I had to take another picture just to make sure!
Image

and the bamboo rod which worked like a charm! a dream to cast and very fun to hook fish on!
Image

Artin
ethics is something you do when no one is watching
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby WanderingBlues » February 25th, 2013, 11:18 am

Good to hear from you! That's some sweet boo you got; the fish like it, too
"We're a cross between our parents and hippies in a tent...."
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby beachbum » February 25th, 2013, 12:48 pm

Good report! Good looking fish and rod.
Set the hook!
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby The Steady Foot » February 25th, 2013, 4:33 pm

Sure is a pretty rainbow, but that brown has seen better days. Looks like a large bird of prey failed in an attempt to catch him. Good for you on that catch!
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too, you can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe....
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby dray » February 25th, 2013, 6:39 pm

Good to see you got out Artin and the new boo looks very nice. I like those colors on the blond blank. Sounds like a good day on the water. Glad to see you around here again, Darrin
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby lucfish » February 26th, 2013, 8:34 am

Nice that you were able to get out. Thanks for the post and pics.
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby silverlaker » February 26th, 2013, 1:02 pm

sounds like a great escape to me... I know what it's like having a little one around these days - good for you for getting out!
Fish always lose by being "got in and dressed." It is best to weigh them while they are in the water. The only really large one I ever caught got away with my leader when I first struck him. He weighed ten pounds. —Charles Dudley Warner
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby Fishfreak911 » February 27th, 2013, 12:24 am

Nice Artin! I can hear the satisfaction in your writing...You were due!
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby Artin » February 27th, 2013, 10:11 am

Yep! it was a grand day! I was most impressed with the numbers of wild fish in there actually, although on the smaller size in the 12" or less department, that made my day. Once they clean up the place I feel like those fish can have an opportunity to grow into larger specimens turning the K into a respectable fishery deserving of blue stream status. It looks like they are spawning ok, just not enough opportunity to grow larger because of all the pressure. Some regs need to change and there is the put and take mentality which I don't think can be broken easily but there is hope there.
Another thing was that there were not that many people fishing, We may have seen about 20 or 30 fishermen there in the entire 20 mile section, more closer to town. Above the dam, it was very slow and devoid of willing fish because of the water temps.

My Son and daughter! Sweetest part of my life now, I love to be there when they go to bed and when they wake up! That was the main reason we didn't do an over nighter. Although one is due I feel terrible not seeing them every day. It's pretty hard. I miss them as soon as I leave the house for work!

The rod I am very pleased with, I hollowed it and it is much more stiff than the one I used from Pete. I like it a lot, I was surprised at the action too. It casted very accurately with a bobber and weight added to the line with 2 flies! I thought that it would not cast accurately over 30 feet but it did.
Here is how I hollowed it
Image

I have another in the works, I am torn between the same taper or doing a * 5 wt taper. I kinda want to build a *, one because people have raved about the * tapers and two I want to feel the difference of the two. I have roughed the strips and am in the process of taking off the enamel so there is still time to decide!

Bamboo for trout, I don't think I would use anything else!
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby planettrout » February 27th, 2013, 10:18 am

"My Son and daughter! Sweetest part of my life now, I love to be there when they go to bed and when they wake up! That was the main reason we didn't do an over nighter. Although one is due I feel terrible not seeing them every day. It's pretty hard. I miss them as soon as I leave the house for work!"

Just wait until they are old enough to hit the water with you... and the fly rods you are building in their hands...


THE BEST !!!


PT/TB :bananadance: :bananadance: :bananadance:
Daughter to Father, "How many arms do you have? How many fly rods do you need?"

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Re: Finally got out!

Postby DrCreek » February 27th, 2013, 10:26 am

Nice to see things are shaping up well for this season. Glad you got out !!
"You can't keep a good Dr down."
Days On The Salt in 2017 - 114
Days On The Salt in 2018 - 39


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Re: Finally got out!

Postby Sasha » March 1st, 2013, 10:19 am

Cool report, glad you got out!!!
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby theophilus » March 3rd, 2013, 11:03 am

Great news about the new baby girl !!!! I'll bet there are some happy grandparents hanging around!

And your new rod looks very, very well done. I would love to cast it, maybe I can make it up your way sometime soon...those Cattanach tapers are some of the best, never made one that didn't please.

Give those kids a hug from me and Sue,

Doug
"Everything flows" - Heraclitus
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Re: Finally got out!

Postby flybob » March 3rd, 2013, 3:13 pm

Hey Artin, congrats on the daughter!
A boy and a girl, what more could you ask for, truly a blessing!

Nice that you got a chance to get out and test a rod as well as the waters.
Nothing quite like catching a wild bow on cane......

I can appreciate the precision required in making them. A true skill of craftsmanship to be sure.

Thanks for sharing with us
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