The Caney-A good wade spoiled.

[DryFly1]

2-28-07(Wed)

With the promise of good weather and favorable generation, I cleared my desk, arranged for coverage and made plans to spend the day on the Caney.

I debated between the 5wt or 3wt and finally settled on the 3wt. Made it to the stream around 0630 with no one in site. Got rigged up and waded into 52 degree fog covered water, no wind and cool morning temps. Started with a #20 Zebra midge but found no takers. Switched to a green BH Wooly and again no action. Decided on a #16 Cooper John and this proved to be the ticket! Caught 4 or 5 in about 35 minutes and at that point forgot about how cold my fingers were. Found a deep pool with fallen trees and a nice tailout and put the copper john on a dead drift. In the classic, end of dead drift fashion, got a hard hit and had a big trout on the line. In an effort to put myself into a better position and keep the trout out of the trees; I stumbled,threw out my right arm to brace myself against the tree, and heard a “Snap.” I look up to see my new 3wt broken at the mid section? So, I’m standing there in “shock and awe” with a busted rod and a large trout on the line? After what seemed like an hour I regained my wits and tried to salvage an already hideous situation. I began pulling the line by hand and the line goes limp!

In total, I broke my rod, lost the fish and my fly, but managed to remain dry! So now, its 40 bucks for the return + S&H+ insurance. But hey, I did go fishing!! I'll be back!!

* I did take my camera but I was waiting for bigger fish? Nuf said,,,

Mark..

[Grumpy]

That sure beat sitting in the doctor's office(sad smiley). I hope it wasn't a Scott, i've been waiting for over a month to get one back(angry smiley)

The river is fishing & producing some good fish.

Grumpy

[Paula Begley]

Grumpy....have you still not figured out smilies?! Sad smilie = : ( Just don't type a space in-between.

Happy Smilie = : )
Laughing = : D
Mad = : mad:



Paula

[DryFly1]

Hey Grumpy,

It was a Sage TXL. It's going in the mail today. Going to e-mail them in a few minutes for the expected time of return. Have always heard that they have great customer service. They have always returned my e-mails very promptly and I expect them to do the same with returned rods. If not, I will start a national campaign to destory their reputation:

By the way, I have a Scott rod also. I have sent them e-mails in the past and have never received a response? I hope I don't break this one! Good luck on yours...

Mark....

[ttas67]

a txl? ouch. I sent a scott back once. took forever and it came back w/ a heavily soiled cork.

[RFowler]

Don't you guys think a 3wt is a little too light for a tailwater? I won't go below a 4wt. I like to play the fish as fast as I possibly can.

[DryFly1]

Originally Posted by RFowler

Don't you guys think a 3wt is a little too light for a tailwater? I won't go below a 4wt. I like to play the fish as fast as I possibly can.

Hey RF,

Always alot of debate about this. I will tell you my experience. Believe it or not my 3wt can throw some pretty large flies and at times seems to do so with more ease than my 5wt? Caught some pretty nice fish yesterday and landed them just as quickly as with my 5wt and it felt awesome on the lighter rod. I really don't subscribe to the 4/5wt or bigger on tail water theory. If I ever catch a hog and don't think I can play him quickly I will simply break the line. I have read reports and talked with friends that have taken very large trout on the White River on 3wts! I would like to see someone collect data on death rates by 3wt. I bet the results would shatter the theory.

Mark...

[RFowler]

I'm not saying it can't be done. I just don't recommend it, myself. It's a relative thing. I seriously doubt you could haul a 16+ inch trout out of the South Holston, on high water, without exhausting the fish with a 3wt. Tailwaters grow large numbers of big fish. I personally don't think of a 3wt as a big fish rod.

I bet 3wt's kill a heck of a lot more tailwater fish than 4 or 5's

[Flat Fly n]

RF,
How's it going? Got any dates for a trip up here yet?

I fish a Loomis GLX 9ft 3wt. I used to have the IMX's, but last time I broke one they replaced it with that.. tough, but cheap is good, free is better.

Anyway. I used to fish 5wt on tailwaters and went through periods of breaking off 6x on strikes. I went to Ark. on an invited trip and the guides out of PJ's were all using these Orvis 2-3wt 9ft. rods. I personally saw a guide, not a customer land a 12# brown on a 2 wt quickly and was sold. My best brown (with photo) is a #10 from the North Fork on my 3wt. It did take me about 15min,but that was with about 4 good runs. I personally think you can put more pressure on those fish without fear of breaking light tippets than with bigger wts. They are somewhat of a pain to cast in big wind, but I love the fact I can land fish, I think, quicker than the folks around me and release them without problems. Now maybe it's because I am 6'6" and combined with a 9ft rod and arm the angle and pressure is greater, but I don't think I would ever go back to heavier wts. unless I was throwing big wooly buggers or sculpin imiatations.

Get yourself up here sometime and I will let you use this rod, but you have to give it back!

Flat Fly''n

[RFowler]

Fair enough, Flat. We'll have to test that 3wt, if you kill a fish I'll have to push you overboard. JK A GLX 3wt is more like a 4wt. I use a 10ft 4wt IM6 almost exclusively on the tailwaters. Very slow rod with a butt that could haul in a shark. The tippet thing has less to do with the weight and more to do with the flex. Bamboo is a great tool for protecting light tippets. I had a 6wt Leonard that would double over with a 16" trout. It protected 6X very well. But you could really lean on the fish, too.

Not sure when I'll be up there. Although, a friend called me today to set tentative plans for mid-April. I want to bass fish, though. You want to float for some bass? I recommend something a little heavier than a 3wt.