Pups on the loose on the shores of Lake ErieSo far this has been a pretty crazy winter. We have seen the creeks ice up, melt, be open for a couple of days only to freeze right back up. Right now we have a winter storm warning, and when all is said and done this weekend, we will probably have well over a foot on the ground. This week we also had a pretty good ice storm. Those of you from out of town probably saw stuff about it on the news
. It really does look cool when the ice is covering everything. In the meantime I am anxiously awaiting the real springs arrival. I don't know how long winter is going to last, but the ten day forecast doesn't really show an end in sight. It is surprising to some, but the thing that really gets me going this time of year is thinking about fishing smallmouth. Damn I love those fish. Either wading the flats, or hitting them from the boat, they are the most fun you can have in the summer. Pound for pound, those red eyed devils fight harder than any fish that swims! With the clear water of Presque Isle Bay you can sight fish for them. They are mean, aggressive fish, eagerly attacking any fly that dare intrude upon their domain.The standard fly to get them is a clouser minnow, but it is certainly not the only choice. Me, I love rabbit flies. Rabbit strip tail, palmer rabbit fur around the hook, give it a hackle collar, lead eyes and bingo! You now have a 60 second bass fly that is sure to get the job done! On a side note, the fly cannot be too heavy for early season. Before the weeds come in, if you can get your fly to the bottom quicker than you can twist off the cap of a bottle of Labbats, then you have weight just about right. Damn, time to stop typing and go tie up some flies....after all, May isn't that far away...
My homeboy Paul sticking early season in spring '07
