Yesterday Misha and I went out to Fletcher's to catch shad. I took a Cabela's LSI 8wt that I had Phil Evans chop off the tip-top from and put a new one where the first snake guide used to be. It was a 9-ft rod, now is about 8'10".
I did this because I read in the Ellis "Bassin' With a Fly Rod" that stiffer tips are better for fishing sinking flies for bass. The rod is a little tricky to cast with a floating line, but I discovered yesterday that it handles a 300-grain Orvis Depth Charge line beautifully. It lifted and loaded the line a lot more easily than it did with the tip-top intact. It also felt like I was feeling the bites better, and hooking up more easily.
The casting was great, but the fishing was a little slow. Misha managed a dozen or so; I caught fewer, including one nice sized hickory.
The fishing really picked up towards the evening, when two police boats waked us headed to Chain Bridge -- and holy crap, it was wall to wall fire trucks on Chain Bridge. We were looking downstream mostly, and hadn't noticed that every single vehicle all across the bridge had flashing lights on top. The DC Fire boat also waked us headed upstream, and three helicopters zoomed overhead.
When we got off the water, Alex told me the firefighters said something about 'rappelling'. About a dozen firefighters had walked over the canal bridge down to the boat docks. It looked like they might want to rent. I thought about telling them to check in at the boathouse, but it was almost 6pm anyway.
When Misha and I tried to leave, we discovered the upper lot and the ramp blocked by a ladder truck and an ambulance with a raft on top. I guess the firefighters were deciding whether they had to carry the raft down to the water, because the ambulance was not going to fit through the tunnel under the canal.
We had to wait until the ladder truck could back up a little, so we could sneak around it. Canal Road was total gridlock, so we dodged up Reservoir to head for Key Bridge.
Turns out some hikers found a body: http://www.arlnow.com/2015/04/15/breaking-body-found-on-rocks-near-chain-bridge/
Anyways, it's always good to get out. I was pleasantly surprised by the rod, and will probably make that my shad rod from now on.
-- I did this because I read in the Ellis "Bassin' With a Fly Rod" that stiffer tips are better for fishing sinking flies for bass. The rod is a little tricky to cast with a floating line, but I discovered yesterday that it handles a 300-grain Orvis Depth Charge line beautifully. It lifted and loaded the line a lot more easily than it did with the tip-top intact. It also felt like I was feeling the bites better, and hooking up more easily.
The casting was great, but the fishing was a little slow. Misha managed a dozen or so; I caught fewer, including one nice sized hickory.
The fishing really picked up towards the evening, when two police boats waked us headed to Chain Bridge -- and holy crap, it was wall to wall fire trucks on Chain Bridge. We were looking downstream mostly, and hadn't noticed that every single vehicle all across the bridge had flashing lights on top. The DC Fire boat also waked us headed upstream, and three helicopters zoomed overhead.
When we got off the water, Alex told me the firefighters said something about 'rappelling'. About a dozen firefighters had walked over the canal bridge down to the boat docks. It looked like they might want to rent. I thought about telling them to check in at the boathouse, but it was almost 6pm anyway.
When Misha and I tried to leave, we discovered the upper lot and the ramp blocked by a ladder truck and an ambulance with a raft on top. I guess the firefighters were deciding whether they had to carry the raft down to the water, because the ambulance was not going to fit through the tunnel under the canal.
We had to wait until the ladder truck could back up a little, so we could sneak around it. Canal Road was total gridlock, so we dodged up Reservoir to head for Key Bridge.
Turns out some hikers found a body: http://www.arlnow.com/2015/04/15/breaking-body-found-on-rocks-near-chain-bridge/
Anyways, it's always good to get out. I was pleasantly surprised by the rod, and will probably make that my shad rod from now on.
http://www.tpfr.org
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