Tomorrow I’m going fishing. We’re supposed to catch some huge bass and bowfin. I’m secretly hoping I catch some huge tannin stained water dinner plate sized bluegill so I’m going to take my parabolic 5wt and some of my St. Louis era bluegill flies that I used to tie. I haven’t used those flies in a long time and that will be some good fun. Otherwise, I’ll be fishing some big graphite rods or even a conventional rod. I’ll try to fish one of my 868/9 for a bit but I’ve been having some kind of thumb tendinitis that makes it painful to cast big rods and catch big fish, which I’m not used to. So I’ve been doing thumb workouts and icing my thumb in preparation.

Here’s 1990ish high school spring break me with a nice bass from Lake Nacogdoches, TX. Just look at that smile - that’s the kind of excitement I’m feeling right now.

A 24” 7 pounder form Lake Nacogdoches sometime in the early ‘90’s

Earlier today I went to the woodworking store to get new lathe chisel. When I got back to the shop, I turned a few inserts to see how my new tool worked. It was awesome and productive and cuts like a properly sharp tool should. One of those tools I should have bought years ago, but I’m glad to have it now.

I usually don’t turn seats off the rod so I thought I’d try that out on the next round of rods I’m starting later this week. We’ll see how that goes. So far so good.

Dave just called and asked if I’m excited. I am. I haven’t caught a nice bass in years and I cannot wait. I’m a little more excited about the bluegill potential but I’ll be happy with some bass and scary bowfin. I used to call them grinnell or dogfish when I was a kid. Have y’all ever seen one of those? They are fierce. The last time I saw one in person was when my friend Alex caught one on a plastic worm while we were fishing a series of old gravel pit lakes near Cleveland, Texas when we were in 7th grade or maybe 5th grade. It was the most violent strike I’d seen up to that point and we thought it was a huge bass. Instead, it was a huge scary dinosaur fish that had some serious teeth and an armored head. I’m still friends with Alex on Facebook and will ask him if he remembers that fish. We had no clue what to do with it but I remember Alex bieng braver than me and he somehow unhooked it and released it. I think we looked it up in the encyclopedia when we got home to figure out what it was. This time I hope to catch one on purpose.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the rods I’ve got available in the store. The 8’6wt and the 6’2” 3wt I mentioned last time have been claimed but I still have some para’s looking for a home (still waiting on tubes). And I’ll have some more of my SYnthesis series rods up for sale soon. I’ll announce pre-orders for those soon.

I’ll be sure to write back with some pictures of the fish we catch tomorrow.

Thanks y’all, Happy Memorial Day to those in the US, and good fishing!
Cb

Going fishing

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