FGFF new blog location here at blogger.

Its easier and faster than our old 'quick blogturd', which helps aleviate problems encountered while drunk posting. Which is in everyone's best interest.

I was playing with Wordpress.org stuff, and I guess I don't have the computer knowledge or the patience at the current time to set it up. I suck.

Learning to "Shake off the Stank"

In the world of fishing there are a couple kinds of "stank". There is good and bad stank. Good stank, for example is something that your just-caught-fifteen-big-browns-in-a-row nymph has on it. You are talking to your friends, and they say "don't lose that fly, man. Its got the stank on it."

You should never look like this.

Then there is the bad stank. The throw your pole in the water, pull your hair out, the-foliage-took-all-my-flies-and-I-can't-get-a-hook-set-to-save-my-God-Damn-life kinda stank. We have all had feelings like this, and for the briefest of moments we start to think of the guy who first said "a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work" and want to punch him in the face.

And inevitably your fishing buddy, who is standing next to you pulling in fish like they are tied on a freaking rope when he turns to you and says, "Dude, shake it off."

Shake it off. Yea, just shake it off, just tap it in. Because up until this point the fishing gods have been raining nothing but shit on your parade, and you are ready to break your pole over your friends head and make the walk of shame back to the truck.

But, you don't. You don't leave. You know why? Because you are doing something you love, even if you may have forgotten it for a moment. So you stay. You tie on another fly and put it on the water. Maybe even catch something.

After you have calmed down and are OK with the fact that the 2 hours you spend tying flies are stuck in the bush behind you, you start to remember where you are. You are fishing, god dammit. You have your fly pole in your hand, standing beside some body of water, fishing. Now seriously, where else would you rather be?

Here are a few quick tips to get back to HappyVille:

1) Jagermeister

2) Think about all those other places you would rather be, and then realize that you are full of crap.

3) Peppermint Schnapps

4) Take pleasure in others fortunes. Like your buttface friend catching all the fish.

5) Whisky

6) Remember all the other big fish you caught and how happy you were then.

7) Beer. But remember, every time you walk away from your fly to piss you will miss a fish.

Remember folks, your fishing. How bad can it be?

Wisconsin Musky Hunt '08

Who knows musky? Not us. There is musky in Wisconsin, right? I guess. There is also a whole bunch of cold in Wisconsin. Just because my mother's family is from Turtle Lake does not mean that I understand how to survive in sub freezing, windy environments. But I have to say we did pretty darn good. Myself and Josh were fortunate enough to be able to stay at his fathers house on the bank of Lake Chetac. Beautiful lake, but not a musky lake, so it was off to the north 30 min up Country road "F" to Sand Lake where the action, or lack there of, commenced.

Did I say it was cold? Yea call me what you want, but having to break the ice out of the eyes of my pole between casts was a new experience for me. It wasn't pee-stream-freezing cold, but it was close enough for me. Cold enough and windy enough for me to abandon the 10 weight fly pole I borrowed from Eric at Dry Creek Outfitters. (plug)

After the first day there was some trouble getting the trolling motor battery to take a charge, luckily it was windy enough to get in some good drifting. The 4th day on Sand Lake Josh hooked the one you see above. It was not a very good hook and we spent so long being surprised and taking photos it shook off by the time we realized that we should probably try to get it in the boat. I still consider it a success even though I am left with a watching-striptease-on-cable-television kind of feeling. Just a little unsatisfying, you know?

But good beer, good friends and some time on the lake is all I can ask for. And you know what they say about a bad day of fishing.....

On the last day, on the last cast with my newly purchased 'bionic bucktail' I found this little gem hidden in the weeds. It's been a while since I have seen a Northern and it felt good to finally catch something.

We saw the sun for one day, and boy was it a sight for sore eyes. Kinda like a fat guy seeing a taco stand after days of wandering across the desert. I like tacos.

MILF OIL?

A rare sighting of Wisconsin Lake Testicles. If you forget to wear your long john's, your balls will look like this too.

Try and try as you might Josh, but you cannot hide from the icy grip of that cold lake wind.

Nice browns not far from town

I've heard Rose Canyon described as anything from a minnow farm to a mosquito factory in the many years I have fished it and although a picture worthy fish is not often seen, this season is different.. This year Arizona game and fish stocked brown trout anywhere from fingerling size on up to 6 pounds Here are a couple of decent sized browns taken recently by the FGFF boys. The flies that are working the best on them right now are a #12 elk hair caddis and #14 Ausable wolfe. These patterns are also bring a considerable amount of rainbows. The road in is closed right now but you can park by the gate and walk down. Remember to get your catalina highway day pass so you don't get a ticket for parking along the highway. It's a good distance walk(1 to 1.5 miles) but worth it for the quality fish you will find at the end of the road and being that you had to walk that far there will be none of the lazy, loud, obnoxious, novice fishermen you normally see there in the open season.

Too Fat to Fish?

This book probably has nothing to do with fly fishing, or knowing Mr. Lange, fishing at all, but I do know that when it comes out on Nov. 8th I will have to buy it.

Is it possible to be too fat to fish? For the sake of our club, I sure hope not.