BillsTheBassMan

He means a level-line. Period. You want a forward tapered line - as the diameter gets thinner down the line it transfers the weight better and allows for easier, better, quality casting. The pflueger metalist is just a standard reel - it will hold all line, like a Shimano Stradic will hold braid, mono, and fluorocarbon.

Also - the worst thing you can do to your fly line is to step on it in between a rock. These lines are fixable but if you do something like that the wrong way your line will never be the same.

As someone who just started this year, I've had to go through what you're going through. Here's exactly what I'd get: Reel - Pflueger Metalist - $40. It's just a tad heavy for my 6 weight, but it will do a 7/8 weight perfectly. Line - DO NOT cheap out here. Your line is the most important part in your setup. Get Rio (my preference and the loop to loop technology is nice) or Scientific Angler with the forward taper as MoS specified. Leaders - The Rio 3 packs of looped leaders are second to none. You spend more time in the water with that setup. I CAUGHT MY FIRST FISH ON THE FLY TODAY! but it was a chub Good luck and enjoy! It is addictive. Even the practice is addictive.

Yeah, it was pretty intense (although brief). He approached it from the side and I could see him in a "U" shape. I've heard that this doesn't necessarily mean they are about to hit your presentation, and that sometimes it means they have checked it out and are swimming away. Regardless, in this situation, judging by the direction he approached from, and the amount of commotion it caused, it was most certainly a strike. Also Fish Finder - sidenote - I checked out that site in your signature. It looks really good so I signed up! Cheers, Ryan

UPDATE: Torco and I met up tonight and went to fish @ the same spot where this fish lives. He was rising and as always there were no other fish in his area. I got fed up with running a lure by his face and decided it was perfect time for the mouse that many of you suggested. It was windy, overcast, and it had just briefly rained I tied it on, put it into the current, let it drift over top of the general area the fish was rising in, and then skittered it across the top of the water. It looked extremely lifelike (from the surface - the hook underneath probably doesn't look that lifelike). 4-5 casts and nothing. Next cast, the surface explodes under my mouse, water is splashing, and due to over-excitement I pull the mouse away too soon After a profanity or two and two in-vain casts, we moved upstream. Nice to see the beast is still around after having not targeted him in a few weeks.

I just started this year myself and got a great all purpose setup that I am very happy with. Don't cheap out on your line! Get Rio line and leaders (the 3 packs of leaders are amazing) and they have the pre-looped ends which make attaching them really easy (particularly mid-river). My friend Timmeh says the Scientific Angler stuff is alright as well, but he uses the rio leaders too. As I'm a fly-newb as well (I've reached the "river practice" phase), I look forward to reading this! Ryan

Finally, "BillsTheTroutMan"! Nah, I'll wait until after Bass season for that one. Welcome to the boards fellas (and Mary is it?). I trust you'll decide the perseverance was well worth it. Ryan

I've heard that the Salmon fishery up there has really dropped off due to a big decline in baitfish (due to an over-population of Salmon). This is a standard cycle, and unfortunately for Georgian Bay, they are not in the prosperous part of the cycle right now. Hopefully we don't chase the rare GB salmon for too long. Ryan

Thanks for the post Gerritt. Can you elaborate a little on safe boating in the area? What obstructions are we dealing with the most? His boat is well equipped with good electronics, but it is nice to know what we are getting into before getting into it. Our company built the monopole communication tower on Sans Souci (which is how I became familiar with the area) and we already know Remy. We've rented a great cottage that has a deck that actually goes out into the water. Really looking forward to the paradise! My buddy likes pike about as much as he likes Salmon. What are you generally tactics in the area? Troll weed beds at 20' or so with access to deeper water? Is Working the back bays in July productive, I thought they'd be out deeper? Ryan

Hello Dan, thanks for the post! AT what depth have you consistently found the lakers? Are they out in the same deep holes? What do you target them with? The pike battles sound awfully intriguing. Look forward to targeting a few of those alligators. Ryan

Hello Everybody, I've gone and rented a cottage for July 3-10 on Sans Souci, Frying Pan Island in Georgian Bay (Parry Sound, Parry Island General Area). We're parking at another friend's cottage and boating in. I understand the island is home to one of the world's most famous fish restaurants and that it's a gorgeous spot. I'm hoping the spot proves good for fishing as well. For that, I need your help! What the locals say . . . : The locals have been telling me there are a lot of Bass and Pike in the area, granted these are locals that don't fish much. The salmon conundrum: The boat owner, and my fishing partner for the week, is adamant that we are going for Salmon on a morning-ly basis. As I understand it, the salmon in Georgian Bay are not doing the best right now and this may be a tough fish (I'm not a downrigging fan either). Is it worth dedicating this much time towards salmon? Some Questions I'd Graciously Like Answered: Is there a good Walleye fishery in the area? At what depth will we find most pike at in mid-July? (I'd guess 30-40 feet) Is anyone familiar with the island itself and the immediately surrounding structure? At what depth will the bass be at during a warm Georgian Bay mid-July? Also, if anyone can shed any more light onto the island itself, the surrounding waters, techniques, and anything else, you'd go a long way into making our week more enjoyable (and our end of week report that much better). Cheers and Thanks in Advance! Ryan

Man, I wish I was with you when you landed that Carp. I can just imagine your reaction in the transition from "big brown" to "greasy carp." I think I'm going to buy one of those cameras too. Maybe I'll get an open box special from one of the fellas we know.

Natural Sports in Kitchener has BINS of spools right now for $2 each, tax included. They may OR may not have the reel you're looking for. Who knows, perhaps they'll have one that fits. It's out of your way, but if you're in the area you could give them a call.

Hahaha, funny twist to the story, guy got caught with the bass in his live well. The CO says "and what do we have here" because the guy wouldn't initially open his live-well. CO says "I'm going to have to impound your stuff." Guy says "but I just wanted to transfer this bass to my pond." Co says "you better just stop talking now." They can give you tickets for catching and releasing OOS fish - that was already addressed by someone else. And Pike like worms like I like Tofu. I'll eat it if there's nothing better to eat and there is always something better to eat. Cheers, Ryan

I don't see any harm in this question and I don't take it as argumentative. This is kind of a paradoxical reg situation. It isn't stated that you have to leave, but if you don't leave and a CO is watching you, you can and would most likely be fined. It comes down to the Spirit of the Law that everyone is talking about. Now, if you were to stay BUT changed your bait that you were catching multiple bass on, then I suspect you'd be doing right (unless you changed your bait to something that clearly targets bass). In my opinion, it also comes down to being an ethical angler.

Amazing suggestion!

That may be true this year, but if you allow the season to open early once it causes huge issues. "Oh, it was the second Sat in June last year, thought it was the same this year!" or mass demands to open the season early every year. It just isn't doable. PLEASE NOTE: The regs are setup so that the most basic intellects and people who don't speak English well can understand them. That's why they try and keep the regs as consistent as possible. Trout is April-Sept. Bass opens 4th Sat in June. Etc. Consistency is their goal. This is also why they do not allow special seasons on many rivers that could accomodate them.

If you get into Bass that are out of season you need to move. Period. Simply pulling lots of Bass out and releasing them is against the regs. There are ways you can avoid Bass - like lure selection or using larger minnows. A guy in my neck of the woods lost his entire boat, trailer, rods, and tackle for keeping an OOS Bass within the last few weeks. It sounds to me like your spot is better situated for June 26 as opposed to June 19. Ryan

It really is a gorgeous fish though . . . nice catch!

PM SENT (soon)

I don't get the impression he was trolling for topwater food (like ducks, frogs, etc). Again, it seems as if he was stressed. I would think that any fish actively feeding like that would eat just about anything in the near area (like your presentation). There is still a chance that a lure is lodged in his throat, but it also appears that this could be a habitual thing that Pike and Muskie do. Regardless, my interest is peaked and I hope someone on these boards has a proper answer to this mini-mystery.

The Shimano Citica is the reel that everyone was pointing me towards when I first was interested in baitcasting. It's gear-ratio is perfect for spoons and crankbaits. Your "target" species of fish are pretty spread out and the citica is a versatile reel. Ryan

Sounds like a "stressed fish" situation to me. Whenever a fish is apparently surface-restricted it is because of a recent catch and release. Roy could be right on too where the big wolf may have broke someone off and now he has some jewelery left. Both these points would also explain why you "spooked" a monster pike who "wasn't interested" in eating. Ryan

I think the rants are clearly the best part of his show. I don't think the Cronz would last too long on these boards without a banning mind you . . .

That's a great attitude man. These things are a learning curve like everything else in life. Again, congrats and keep the great reports coming (and welcome to the community).