Better late than never, a look back at my 2014 fishing season.

[S.M.05]

2014 was a bumpy ride. I lost a co-worker and friend to cancer, almost lost the farm, was diagnosed with a hernia and what the doctor described as
extreme carpal tunnel in both hands, plus as usual I had way too many projects on the go. Looking back I have been lucky to get in a few great outings during 2014.


Every year I set new fishing goals. This time it was getting some trout on the fly rod that sits in the corner of my office collecting dust.
The other was catching some of those carp that have been breaking me off while fishn for crappie this spring.

Goal 1: TROUT ON THE FLY

About 5 or 6 yrs ago I was handed a handsome bonus from work and decided to blow it all on a new 5wt Sage fly rod and reel that looked nice
and shiny to me. 5 or 6 yrs later and you still wouldn't want to be anywhere close to me while I'm expertly tying wind knots with this thing.
This year is it...the year of the fly.


So far its trolling streamers quite well. lol

First trip of the spring would be for speckled trout. First I almost lost the truck to some type of quick sand shiz. Then I had to chop through
giant pines scattered across the road with dullest ax known to man. Then I had to convince myself that I was not having a heart attack as I climbed
the never ending hill loaded down with all my gear.


The result.....My biggest speck yet on the fly rod.




Second one at 22


Brought one home for the table along with some fresh wild garlic.








Second trip of the spring was for splake.



The weather was looking foul but after the previous trip I was itching for more trout on streamers.
I rolled out of the gates heading for a favorite hump and on the first pass, wham! First splake on the fly rod.



15mins later and I was into second nice sized splake. The only problem was the little electric could not compete with the building wind.
With couple smaller splake and a bass released I decide to call it before the random 50km gust sunk my ship.


Unfortunately that would be it for trout trips this summer.





Squeezed in a quick evening trip for walleye with Bunk but found the lake was not yet ripe with the late spring. Although a tough bite I did manage to
catch one decent eye.







Finished an over due project between outings.





























While at the locale clinic for an earache the question popped up.

Doc-Whats your family doctors name?

Me-Its been yrs since I've had one.

Doc-Would you like me to be yours?

Me-Sure.

Time for my first physical in years. lol Turns out the hearts O.K. I have an umbilical hernia and carpel tunnel in both hands or extreme carpel tunnel as the
lady in neurology described it.

With all the bad news I decided on some comfort food for my heightened state of emotion and a few episodes of........





CARPEL TUNNEL CARPING!!!




Most importantly chum the desired area and don't forget a little comfort food like some Chubby Chicken.



Carping was hot, humid, and just plain sweaty awesome. Major reel peel as these fish tear off!
Reminds me of salmon as you just sit there and let them do that initial run while watching your reel and wondering if it has enough line.





Only thing better than comfort food is snuggling up in your own favorite carp blanket.



I decided if I was going to catch the general, I would need to change tactics.











Goal number 2.......Terminated!






Ended the last month of the summer working on the house and even got in on the fall muskie hunt with Bunk.
A true stand up type of fisher bud offering me first fish and netting me the only muskie of the trip.





For the the first time in yrs I did not visit the locale trout lakes in the fall but instead used up some Air Miles on a last minute bucket list trout trip.
A trip that will deserve its own report now that I have caught up on the rest of 2014.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Selfmade05

[huzzsaba]

Great photos! Love the vanity!

[leaf4]

Awesome pictures, love that third one of with the lure in the trouts mouth - also that bathroom vanity is saweeeeet!

[4x4bassin]

Awesome report and pictures Great job on the vanity !

[Joeytier]

So are you saying you quickstriked that poor bunny wabbit to put that monster carp on the bank????

 

Love the report, especially the trootz, and the sink is an absolute beauty!

[Rod Caster]

So are you saying you quickstriked that poor bunny wabbit to put that monster carp on the bank????

 

 

You beat me to it!

 

I'd take a broken leg to catch specs like that on the fly.

[Fisherpete]

Wow - great catches! Love the specs, and that last carp is a bruiser. Nice muskie too - it is not a tiger though. Just a barred pattern, many fish from Scugog and other lakes have it. Pointed tips on tail fin.

 

Cheers

Pete

[S.M.05]

Thanks Pete was wondering about that one, only my second muskie ever landed.

Guess Tiger Muskie is back on the wanted list. lol

[Moosebunk]

Waving a fly rod around, working all day with your hands, mixing and playing with concrete in your off time, reeling in freight train specks and carp and all the while with "sore" and often swollen hands... You get no sympathy after a report like that.

 

Those first few fish are excellent man. I'd guess to say that many people don't quite realize the class of those trout. You pull rabbits out of hat (or at least the bushes) with fish like that around here... and you do it all the time. About the muskie... don't listen to Pete!!! He doesn't know squat..... KIDDING! Listen to Pete. Seriously. lol. I thought it looked kinda like a tiger...

 

The vanity... Bren was admiring it and says it's a beauty. I tell her that's just you playing around. lol.

 

Anyways... you got some more weeks to heal up and you know I'm waiting for that report.... waiting.... and waiting.

[Joey]

Wow, those are some sweet photos!!!

[mattybculp]

Great report! I also must say that is a beautiful vanity, maybe sometime you could make a post outlining how you mad the concrete sink and the mould used. Some real beauts in the report.

[S.M.05]

Bunny quick strike rig........

Don't worry no rabbits were harmed during my adventures.

 

Glad you guys liked the concrete sink and red cedar base, possibly more than the fish. Was a lot harder to build it right than to build it quick.

Matt with all the great comments on it maybe an instructional post someday, but for now I have a couple more reports to finish first.

[misfish]

That was a great awesome report. Great photos and that craftsmanship is real real nice.

 

Thanks for taking the time.

[chris.brock]

Some ups and downs but the ups look great!

 

Those nice pictures make me look forward to spring