Crappie on the fly.

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Devils Lake

Crappie on the fly., a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

Fishing Report: Fly fishing on Devils Lake was a challenge in the wind on Sunday. I spent the first hour casting big Pike flies around all the hot spots. I didnt catch any Pike but I have to say that my new Rio sink tip fly line is the best line I’ve ever casted. It was recommened by the guys at Schultz Outfitters in Dexter, MI. Anyway, when I got tired of the wind I tucked myself into a calm cove and cast for Crappies. On this day they preferred a fast retrieve. Most of them took the fly as I was pulling my line out of the water getting ready to make the next cast. I’m not sure where I bought this fly? I think I bought it over 15 years ago at Gate’s Lodge on the AuSable. I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to imitate a rainbow trout fry. There are no trout in Devil’s Lake but dont tell the Crappie that. They still hit it pretty hard.

Mothra vs Catskilla…no contest

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Devils Lake, Lenawee County

I’ve tied enough dainty little Catskill flies.  It’s time for some Bass popper mothras.  I love trout, but I was never very good at long distance love affairs.  Where I live…Bass and Pike grow big enough to scare the kiddies off the lake after dark.  I have to keep my Bass flies in their own box.  They like the taste of tiny little trout flies.  I do love fishing for the big boys around here.  It’s a whole different ball game.  I’m stealthy and quiet on a trout stream.  On Devil’s Lake it’s about the weaponry.  Make sure there’s fuel in the boat.  Is the battery charged?  Rig up two fly rods.  One for Pike and Bass and the other for Crappie and Gills.  Start the engine.  Run the bilge pump.  Check the live well.  Got the hemostats?  You better unless you want to lose a finger on a Pike’s tooth.  Where’s the net?  Are the lights working?  Got a headlight/flashlight?  Life jackets, fire extinguisher, throwable…check.  It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it.  Especially when you get out before dusk.  The waverunners are running home to mommy to make their curfew.  The water lays down.  The sunset is glowing over the marina.  A live band starts to jam at the yacht club.  You find your spot….out of the path of the pontoon parade….but not far enough.  They still come too close.  Inevitably a pontoon passenger says….”that guy is…..he’s flyfishing!”  I’m a freak show until the sun goes down.  I cast out over my favorite weed bed.  Gills slap away at it.  My hook is bigger than they are.  Jerk it once…wait.  Jerk it twice…wait.  Let it sit.  All is quiet.  Then suddenly, there’s an explosion of water….like somebody dropped a bowling ball from the sky.  Set the hook, feel the weight.  He jumps a few times.  I bring him in…slowly.  I grab his lower lip, remove the fly and lift him up to get a better look.  I let him go.  No audience.  No hurrahs!  Just me, my boat, my fly rod, the moonlight and another memory.

Cold Therapy on Devils Lake

Tags

Devils Lake, ice fishing, Lenawee County, Northern Pike

What possesses a person to spend all day on a frozen lake?  For me it’s the thought of pulling in a Northern Pike by hand.  I don’t fish for perch, crappie or gills through the ice.  I put out a few tip-ups and kick back.  My nephew Garrett joined me this weekend.  He brought his girlfriend who has never been ice fishing before.  I wanted to show her a Pike badly.  When a flag finally went up I was happy for me, but also happy that Lacie would get to see a Pike.  But, fishing trips don’t always end happily.  I lost the Pike when bringing him in.  Actually, I think when he bolted for the weeds the line tangled and probably ripped the minnow out before I even had a chance to set the hook. When I did set the hook it felt like a snag, and not that noticable throb that you feel when you hook a Pike.  I’ll add another chapter to my book titled, “The one that got Away”.  It’s good cold therapy anyway.  My house doesn’t feel cold anymore.  It feels comfortably warm, and I know I’ll sleep good tonight.

Night Heron, linocut, 7×8

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art, Artalicious, Blue Heron, Devils Lake, Lenawee County, printmaking

 “Night Heron”, Linocut, 7×8

This is the lino that I cut on the Friday of the Artalicious Festival.  

This design was originally tried as a glaze on a vase during a collaboration with James Freeman.  But the design melted during firing.  So here it is again in lino.  I really like this one.  I used Akua Color again and it is great.  I think I found a new ink.  The paper is Rives BFK.  I use a Richeson Baby Press for printing.  I’m not sure I will color this one.  I like it just the way it is…but who knows.  I change my mind a lot.  

The inspiration for this design comes from the AuSable River, the summer moon over Devils Lake, moonlight and crickets.

Fishing Weekend @ Devils Lake

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Devils Lake, Gar, Lenawee County, Maxima

I’ve been spending a lot of time fishing Devils Lake lately.  About ten days ago I went out with a friend on a Thursday night.  The wind was strong out of the East and the fishing was poor.  As the saying goes..”wiind from the East, fish bite the least”.  Between the two of us we caught three small fish in a three hour time span.  That trip bothered me a little.  I’ve been fishing all my life, fished for most species at one time or another, in rivers, lakes and oceans.  Now I’m 41 and feel as though I should have a good grip on what I’m doing.  But, this summer has been rough.  I thought about it and realized that I haven’t been fishing like I used to.  I used to get up on weekends at 5 am.  I hadn’t gotten up that early to fish in a long time.  So, this weekend I decided to go back to my old ways.  Saturday morning I caught three small Northerns and two nice Smallmouth Bass from 6:30 am to about 8:30am.  Sunday morning I got up early again.  Not a soul was on the water.  The sun was just below the horizon and the water was as smooth as glass.  I went to my usual spot.  Within my first six casts I caught and landed a beautiful 18″ Largemouth Bass.  Another fisherman trolled in soon after out of nowhere.  I made a few more casts and hooked something BIG.  At first I thought it was a pike.  I saw him flash beneath the surface and couldn’t believe my eyes.  He fought like a Pike but made a charge to the surface and slapped his tail, making a spectacle out of himself on a dead calm morning.  I reeled him in a little closer and spotted the snout.  It was a Garr….bigger than any I’ve ever seen.  I looked for my net.  As I reeled him close to the boat I noticed he wouldn’t fit in my net, but I wasn’t about to reach down for him with his aligator teeth and three treble hooks flailing around.  I scooped him up the best I could and got him in the boat.  There’s no way this fish would have ever been landed had I not been using a 25 lb Maxima leader.  The 25 lb leader was wrapped around his snout.  Only one treble hook was in his lower jaw.  The hook popped out easy.  But, his jaws were clamped down tight around the Maxima.  I had to use my hemostats to pry his mouth open.  I laid him on my gunwale bench and took this picture with my camera phone before I released him.  He measured 36″.  I inspected my leader and it was nicked up pretty badly.  I gave it a few tugs and it seemed ok.  After all the excitement I looked up and noticed three more fisherman anchored nearby.  I decided to move to a second spot.  After three casts from the next spot I hooked another big fish.  I figured it was a pike by the way it was fighting.  It was.  Northerns usually come easily to the boat but then make a second run when they see you.  I let him run.  I used to lose Pike when I was younger because I tried to land them too quickly.  I landed him easily and put him in my live well, along with the Bass.  I knew my family wouldn’t believe my day if I didn’t have proof.  After I put the 25″ Pike in the livewell I looked up to see yet another fishing boat crowding in.  I decided I didnt need to fish any longer.  I hooked three of the biggest fish I’ve ever caught in less than one hour.  After showing the fish to the family I released them both.  I spent the rest of the day trying to stay cool.  Later in the evening my niece wanted me to take her out fishing.  I took her out but decided I would just relax.  I didnt want to ruin a perfectly good day of fishing with a bad night.  She fished and I sat and watched the stars for about 10 minutes.  Well, that was all I could take.  The water was calm and begging for a Jitterbug.  I made a few casts…then suddenly, during a cast I heard a “plink”.  I knew exactly what it was.  My rod felt light.  I heard the Jitterbug splash somewhere in the darkness about 50′ away.  I knew why it happened.  The Gar.  I should have cut off the abraded line but didnt.  Another lesson learned at the expense of a Jitterbug.  I put the rod down and went back to star gazing.