Pacific NW Steelies Eat OH Tubes!

Jeff Liskay, Patagonia Fishing Ambassador and member of Team Fishdog, had a chance to check out the record steelhead run on the Deschutes River in Oregon recently. Jeff was well stocked with a supply of OH tube patterns that Deschutes steelies had no problem hitting. This fish ate a no-name pattern of black and chartreuse fur, feathers, and scale mirror flash with a Eumer Monster Cone in front.

Jeff was fishing a Scott T2H rod with his favorite Nautilus reel. The line was a SA Supra Skagit with a length of Express 14 in front.

A New Face At ACS!

A double-dog woof to welcome a new face with ACS. Ted Heitman lives in the St. Louis area and will help JD keep track of things in MO, KS, and other far reaches of the ACS umbrella. Ted has years of experience in the fly fishing and outdoor industry and is a long-time Scott rod fan. We are looking forward to having him help spread the word!

A Turkey Trot

I went over to my buddy George's place to work on the drift boat, and found two turkeys eating grapes in his little vineyard. I sent the Fish Dog out for turkey recon and one flew up into a tree and this one ran, actually trotted, up the hill and into the woods.

This is in Hinckley, OH, about 15 miles from downtown Cleveland. Hinckley is known for it's festival each year that celebrates the return of turkey buzzards each spring. Obviously, wild turkeys have found their way back, too!

A New Site To Watch

I just received word of a new fishing site of interest to OH anglers, http://www.ohio-kayak-fishing.com/.

These guys will report and promote kayak fishing around the Buckeye State. They are also organizing PaddlePalooza: The Ohio Camp and Watersports Expo next Spring at the state fairgrounds in Columbus. Kayak fishing is still in its' infancy in OH. The possibilities are endless and interest is just beginning to grow. Here Jeff Liskay holds a January steelhead taken during a float on the Grand River. The boat in back is a Freedom Hawk Freedom 14, great where an assortment of gear is needed.

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

A surface hair bug and cooperative smallmouth bass are about as much fun as there is with a fly rod. Depending on their mood, smallies may sip in a surface fly gently, roll on the fly and eat it, blast a dish pan sized hole in the water as they smash the fly, and even come out of the water on the take. This fish took the bug when it was cast behind a rock while floating through a stretch of fast water. Smallmouth also hit topwater at night. They will also eat Hex and Ephron mayflies at night if they are present.

Fly Rods and Fred Flintstone

Dog Friend, Jim Oates, pulls a Fred Flinstone move and casts out of his Dry Fly Float Boat having his feet on the bottom. With its' open frame, it is easy to stand and fish or pick up the boat and walk it over shallow stuff. Jim showed JD a stretch of the Menominee River. The fish cooperated, bald eagles flew by, and it only rained a short time. Jim has a great philosophy- "never put off a day's fishing (canoeing, kayaking, skiing, or any outdoor activity) expecting you'll do it another time". Good words to live by.