I've not ever been against ALL fly guys, dude. Some of them are cool guys, normally the ones that are willing to put it down and go use other tackle when it calls for other species and stuff. I was just amazed when I came down here, having never fished for trout before, and being told this absolute sack of crap by the guys who were supposed to know the most about it [things like "20 inch fish are rare, that's a trophy...can't catch fish on 2 generators...], and then running into the old codgers down at the dam in their rv's showing me pictures of fish that weren't supposed to exist. No I hate to say it, not everyone has been doing what I've been doing, and not everyone as well. Some better, but not everyone does nearly as well as me and my posse. That's not bragging; we've put in some time to learn the locations. We hit high percentage spots and know where to go. I didn't see anyone else out there fishing, let alone catching fish under the 20,000 cfs. You can say what you want and hate me all you want, I work my butt off out there. I have alot to learn, but I'm not sitting stagnant happy throwing a dry fly into 6 inches of water when there are 15-20-30-and maybe even 40 pound fish out there to be caught.
I was recently out on Butler chain in FL with a group of friends and we pulled up to Tiger Woods house. Un freakin' believable...and one of the guys in the group makes a comment how no one should have that much money. I turned to him and said "Oh, so you want everyone to be poor like you?..." What he was saying was...he didn't want anyone to have more than what he had. He wanted everyone on his level. He didn't want to share. What I was saying was, if no one else has it, then who does? We have no economy if there aren't people with inordinate amounts of money, and everytime that guy decides to build a new addition to his home, he helps put food on the table for 20-30 more people.
So, I guess you don't WANT people utilizing this fishery hmmm? getting the max out of it? Because I can tell you, it's not being utilized even now. Not even close. I doubt any of these tailraces are. But the more they are, these high profile well stocked tailraces anyway, the more fish go into them, the more money is generated by it, and the better the ailing TWRA can equip them to supply the demand upon them, and perhaps even research in how to improve them further. But if only a small group of fishermen keep their lips closed on it, even though they can selfishly brood over it, the more their fishery will diminish. It takes money to support these fisheries, and if a whole other level of angling is opened up to people on these bodies of water that allows people to utilize them in today's economic times without spending 60 bucks an hour LEARNING HOW TO CAST and getting brand new equipment, where they can go out with a walmart set up and have a shot at a nice fish, how can that be interpreted as anything but beneficial to it? They're buying trout stamps, baits, gas, food, etc...
In this instance, we're dealing with a mitigation trout fishery stocked to the gills, no pun intended, with trout on a monthly basis, due to the specific purchase of a trout stamp. Ergo, the more people you get going to the river, BUYING that stamp, and investing in the resource, the better it is for the resource itself. The Caney fork is a playground for Nashville and has been for quite some time apparently. I didn't let any cat out of any bag.
I will however share info on how to catch fish. Here's why I get a little peeved at the dichotomy between tactics...someone could get on here and give fly fishing instructions, and gee that'd be swell. I come on and help people who may want to get started in fishing in a method that doesn't take a 12 week study course just to learn how to cast, which is virtually irrelevant to catching fish whatsoever, just the method of locomotion to your presentation...and I get rapped. Sorry that I like to actually report things on a fishing report forum. I hate to tell this you BOB, but it's not a total "idiot proof" tactic. I've taken fish up to 28.5" wading dude...wading. And I wasn't hitting random spots or just sitting in line with 30 other guys at the dam run flailing around...I had literally swam upstream to a spot in late Feb and picked my spot and stuck with it. I apply knowledge learned from studying movements of fish in other environments to the river, and alot of them crossover. I assure you, just because I throw jerkbaits doesn't mean I'm some idiot. They're just the tool. I'm not some master angler, but it gets under my skin when you come on here and attack my abilities like that, when I can't seem to recall the last time you've done anything but criticize on a forum that is supposed to be meant for fishing reports.
My buddies and I are out there all the time with other guys seemingly doing just what we're doing, and more often than not we're the ones back at the ramp sharing the stories and the pics. I feel like I can say that because we spend alot of time and effort out there. Just because I don't write latigo when I cast doesn't mean anything. Really, so put that stick down. It gets old.
I can tell you this...if I had the time and the money and really wanted to, I could learn how to cast fly tackle and once I did, I'd be catching "big" browns just like now, because it's the knowledge that catches the fish, not the tackle. I could take big sculpin and shad patterns and do just what I do now...but I just don't want to. Why go through that trouble just to prove a point? WHY spend that money and take that time just to learn how to get my bait from point A to point B? It offers me no advantages in the fish I pursue, and would actually make some angling incredibly more difficult. I've heard these guys complain about throwing weighted lines and heavy streamers. I'll stick with my spinning. I'd rather learn how to get the biggest fish I can on the most efficient means. Fly fishing is a highly effective tactic in certain areas and at certain times, but this entire new cult of fishing that it's become, where people who fish with other tactics are "beneath" those that flyfish, is absolutely absurd. And I will continue to speak out against that mindset. It's never been the tactic that got under my skin; it was that attitude. The one you show me on this forum again and again.
You keep saying how this fishery is being fished out. I've heard it many times now over the past 2 years I've fished it [well, being in Florida nearly a full year of one of those...I guess year] and I heard attack after attack on people who spin fished and kept the occasional trout and how it was "destroying the fishery" and how "there were no big browns left". Our average now is 2 browns a trip over 20", and we're getting better. Most of the time those fish are 22-24" or better. In fact, Shore just called me from the river and he has already gotten 2 over 20" 2 hours into the trip, and had a giant on. I'm not saying this to brag, but when assessing a recreational fishery, you must assess it by the how well recreational anglers are doing. We spend a decent amount of time on the river under a variety of conditions and I feel our results are more valid than one run with a shocking boat and a few guys from nashville that fish it on falling water a couple times a month. No offense, but let's get real here.
That utopian river already exists...and all the catch and release in the world wouldn't make it any better for those who don't change their tactics. The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results. There are giant fish in these rivers under your noses; IGNORANCE is what protects them from people, that and a little bit of elbow grease and time on the water. I've seen lots of guys just go out and toss jerkbaits, You might get a few fish, but 60% of it at least is location, location, location. Gil keeps talking about these pay to play rivers...those trophy fish in there don't have a bunch of stockers feeding them and 20-30 foot holes to dwell in and the option of ducking down when the generation turns off, and they are forced to diet on macros and other smaller bites because that's all they have for the most part. That is why there are big fish in there that guys can catch...it's not the catch and release...it's the small body close proximity and starving trophy fish. When the browns in the Caney have 8-12" rainbows and brookies to feed on, why the hell would they come up in 6 inches of water with their back showing out on falling water to slurp a midge? It doesn't make biological sense. I'm not saying it never happens, but the bulk of the time in these tailraces environments, that's not how they're doing this. Especially not these giants. Do the homework and you'd see that.
Last year, I had a friend that could barely cast a reel whatsoever, but he saw some of the fish I was catching and just chomping at the bit to go. So I took him and we got set up with a decent spinning outfit and some baits. He went a couple times wading and did not do too well. Throwing medium sized jerkbaits which can be killer on the shoals wading, especially at dusk. Big fish. So I took him out, and even on spinning this guy was having trouble making 30-40 foot casts, but I positioned the boat close to shore and gave him priority on some good spots, and by the end of the day, he had a 23.5" brown to his hands. not a giant, but is there not something cool about being able to take someone out on their first trip and have them tie into a fish like that? He's hooked for life...and is planning on buying a boat and going all out. It would've taken this guy a year before he couldv'e even begun to throw a fly of any sort. Let alone catch any fish i'd bet because he wouldn't have been able to get it out there. Is there not something really cool about that? Yet you continue to slam it. But hey, everytime a child picks up a fly rod, a brookie gets its spots or something.
