31 December 2012

2012 Fly Fishing

Well, as I look back on 2012, which I am not going to miss--a rough year for us personally, I did not meet many of the goals I set for myself.  I also realized that I forgot to publish my July Louisiana Redfishing trip and my August Cimmarron River Trout trip, so I will have to add those to the blog.

I did not come close to catching a Sharelunker, not that I didn't try in the spring.  Work got in the way of much of my fall fly fishing, so I can honestly say I put little effort into the fall bass fishing.  I looked at some freshwater IGFA records, and I attempted a couple, but the 2011 drought really affected the fishing holes I had come to learn, so it was more difficult than I could imagine.

I began the year with 25 followers and added only eight more, but dropped one before the year ended, so I fell way short on that goal.  I can't say as I blame folks, though, because I tailed off on my writing when the real-world stepped in the way.

Cody and I placed fourth in the Lake Fork Bass on the Fly Tournament, catching three 1-2 pound bass, so we tried but came up short.  Personally, we find Lake Fork tough, but we still don't mind trying.

I attempted to build my 1# rod, but the reel seat hardware sent from Mud Hole was the wrong size.  The reel seat insert was perfect; I was pleased with my color choices for the wrappings, decided upon a design for the butt section, but Mud Hole sent the wrong hardware, because even Cody's 14# reel would not fit securely in the uplocks.  I am waiting on replacements.  With that frustration, I never even bought nor decided upon my 3# rod.

I added two species to my list--a Warmouth from Springfield Lake at Fort Parker State Park and a Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout at Latir Lakes, New Mexico.  We didn't leave early enough for Daingerfield, today, so the Chain Pickerel that was to be my last shot at the third species didn't happen.  (I am hoping it is the first fish of the year for 2013, though!)

I did manage to learn to tye excellent deer hair flies.  Diane Blair taught a six weeks Deer Hair spinning class, passing on fly tying in the Mike Verduin tradition.  I tyed many more flies after the class and tested them regularly.  I think my favorite pattern was the mouse pattern, and I have enjoyed tying them.  I would love to tye some really big mouse patterns and take them to Mongolia to skate them across the Eg-Ur Watersheds for Taimen and Lenok.

I don't know what fly fishing goals I'll have for 2013, except to fish more places and to fish more often, which is not a bad place to start, I think.

Here's hoping each of you have a wonderful, happy, healthy, and richly filled 2013!  Happy New Year!

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