decent morning

New species for me . I like the way these fellas fight . not as willfull as a smallie but they have a unique head shake and some good tuggen . This fallfish was in the 16-17 inch range . Pretty big for the largest of the minnow family .








Also got into a half dozen of these .

Its a fallfish . Its basically a huge minnow . It fought just like a brown . I was stripping a black wollybugger in 15 fow and he took hard . Nice head shake , but he gave up fairly quickly . Never know what your gonna catch in da Mohawk . 

I got to get my fly rod out!!! Looks like a BLAST!!!!

Holy chit thats a roid pumped shiner. FGH maybe

My favorite rod for smallies is an 8wt , but to say any wt is better than another just entices an argument and shows ones ignorance .
I like the 8 because I like to use heavy wind resistant flies . Plus I also cast opportunistically to carp or if I get "Bit off" I know there are pike around .
I'd rather be over gunned than under gunned . I have caught some nice bass on a 2 wt though . Here is a nice bass caught on a 2wt .
 and heres a perch just for you on the same rod .


Its not what your rod can handle for fish size but What fly can I cast with the rod ?
In general though I would say along with most people you should use at least a 6wt for bass . You will be able to through small to medium sized flys and it would not overplay the fish . 6-8 lb tippet . With a 2 wt I would never use any more than 4x tippet , and thats pushing it . You want to save that for brookies and short casts . On the other end of the spectrum I like to be way over gunned . I have a rod that uses a 330 gr line . Thats about equal to an 11 wt  . I can chuck big nastys with that .

If you are fly fishing for bass your OK in my book no matter what "wt" rod or how much it cost . I think you will find distance and power to be your friend most of the time though . Getting out 60' is kinda tough with a 2/3 wt . but if thats what you like than good on ya. I would say that you could land a 18-20 " smallie on that rod but you would have to be careful not to bust your rod and your gonna have to play him a long time . For 10 -14 inchers it should be fine unless it is the slightest bit windy . People have landed steelhead on a 2wt just to prove a point .

I hope it helps . I might make it over there this weekend . What day you going ?

Can you go anytime durring the week in the afternoon ? Sat morning I'm Fishing around here . Any chance you could make it out to Amsterdam saturday ?  I'll check with the better half about Sunday morning if you could go then .

RJ I got the green light for the 18th from work and the wife .

Thanks for the flatery but you are the true pro . I have learned much from watching you mend and drift .

Maybe the ice-fishing version this winter will have a fly-rod division for you...  Hee hee...  That would test your skills- dropping a beadhead nymph through a 5" hole in the ice from 80 paces out...  Hay don't give away my secerts !!!!!!!!  Yes, WE call them ICE FLIES!!!!

Next weekend I am doing casting and tying demos at the outdoors show in gloversville . 10-6 both days .
I will sacrifice fishing time but I bet my steelhead boxes will thank me for it .