Smokies Surprise Catch

I sometimes say that I like to fish for everything that swims, but I have to admit that I have fish in mind when I make that statement. Not that I minded Mr. Crawfish latching on to my Ugly Bug, but a craw really wasn't what I had in mind when I drifted my little hair jig toward the base of a current-swept boulder.

Seemingly the craw really wanted my bug. It was never hooked, but instead grabbed the bait and never let go. I thought I'd caught a leaf or some other debris when I felt extra weight but no real wiggling and then saw something brown spinning as I pulled it from down deep. Eventually I figured it out to the delight of my 9-year-old son, Asher, who was fishing beside me.

Even when I grabbed the craw, it only tried to pinch me with it's free claw, not wanting to let go of that jig. I wanted the jig, too, though, so I pried it free before affording Asher a closer look at my catch and then slipping the craw back into the creek.

Thinking back and looking at the picture, I'm thinking maybe I should have been rigged with a larger olive and orange Ugly Bug!

Feathers for Holly& Me

"Pretty!" Holly said, as soon as I pulled my new brown and orange marabou boa from the Walmart bag. That much we agreed on. I'd eyed the same strings of feathers a few times previously, thinking about the crawdad jigs they could become, and had finally decided to bring one home and put it to use.

Holly seemingly saw a different beauty in the feathers, though, because she immediately removed my new purchase from my hands, wrapped it around her neck and repeated, "Pretty!" Again, I could only agree.

I figure we can both enjoy the boa for now. I can trim feathers as needed to tie crawfish pattern Ugly Bugs, and she wants to throw the soft feathers over her shoulders and parade around in pretty colors, there will be plenty of feathers left to enjoy for quite some time.

Of course, when the boa does get sparse, I can always go search out another one. I wonder if Holly would think black or olive feathers were pretty?

Craws, Minnows & Bugs

Another Michael's visit to pick up art supplies for my daughter while my wife and I were out and about. Another walk down the fur and feather aisle and the yarn aisle, both resulting in new materials for me to play with at home.

Little by little I'm building my bug-making supplies and figuring out the qualities of different materials. Little by little, feather, fur and foil wrappings are turning into imitations of shad, aquatic insect larvae and crawfish, plus a few gaudy attractors. Some have been water tested so I know how they move in the water. Others look sort of like I want them to when I hold them in my hand, but I've not yet seen how they swim or fall through the water column and how the characteristics of the materials change when they get wet.

I do know that trout will eat some of my Ugly Bugs. Next week, I'll get to test some little ones through the ice on Pennsylvania perch, crappie and bluegills. I have a few bugs in my head in mind that I want to make real for that trip. Better get to tying, I guess.

Crawdad Colors

Yeah. It happened again. This time in the craft section at Walmart. If you like hair jigs or streamers you probably won't blame me for getting distracted. Six feet of fine crawdad colors and nice soft fur for about $5!

I didn't buy it (yet) but I do know where to find it, and I just might be back. They didn't have the same thing in white, but If they ever were to, I'll bet I could tie a lot of shad patterns from the same material.

Yesterday my daughter brought me a remnant of crocheted purple, sparkly fuzzy yarn and asked if I could use it. I suspect my eyes might have sparkled a bit when I saw it. Needless to say, I took it, and in fact I've already used it on one jig's body.

Maybe the tying excitement will come and go quickly. If not, next year's Christmas list may be nothing but fur, feathers, thread, tinsel and other stuff like that!