The Suburban Angler Top 9 2018!

Here's The Suburban Angler Top 9 for 2018! My apologies for a light year, I'm going to work hard to make 2019 much better! What would you guys like to see in 2019?

via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BsBobxSDWNF/

Fly Fishing Suwanee Creek Test Video

Afternoon folks!
  I went out and fished Suwanee Creek yesterday evening to test out some camera equipment.  I got skunked again! I think the fish know when I have a camera out!  I sped up the video just because I think fly fishing in high speed is pretty funny!  Please like, subscribe, share, comment and anything else.  I hope to have more videos soon!
  Have a great day!
    Tight Lines,
         -Nick

Quote for the Day

 

31st President of the United States Herbert Hoover.  Fly fisherman, pipe smoker and engineer.

"To go fishing is the chance to wash one's soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of sun on blue water. It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity toward tackle-makers, patience toward fish, a mockery of profits and egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not have to decide a darned thing until next week. And it is discipline in the equality of men - for all men are equal before fish."
~ Herbert Hoover 

Fly Fishing on Suwanee Creek

Evenin' folks,
 I did a little fishing in Suwanee Creek on Sunday morning. It was a gorgeous morning to be in the stream. It's really starting to feel like autumn here in north Georgia, my favorite time of the year. I didn't catch anything this time out, probably a result of higher than usual water due to recent rain, but it certainly does my disposition some good just getting into the woods. It is fascinating the amount of wildlife to be seen when you consider that this stretch of Suwanee Creek runs between a subdivision and an industrial park.
  I decided to try my hand at filming myself fishing, the quality is not the best from the iPhone, but I thought it turned out reasonably well. I'd like to share the result of the experiment with you here. I'll try to get some better footage next time.
  Until then, Tight Lines and Happy Fishing!
          Nick

Finally back on YouTube

Evenin' Folks,
  I was finally able to make a new video for YouTube tonight. I just thought I'd take a few minutes to thank some folks, introduce some new projects I have going and give a brief explanation for my absence.
  I hope you're all doing well,
    Tight Lines and Happy Fishing,
      -Nick

Some random kayak photos.

Good Evenin' Folks,

  I was looking through the pictures on my iphone earlier today and came across this set from my first trips in the kayak.  These are all just kind of random.  The best part about the new kayak is that I can finally use my fly rods a bit more.  The stream and lake banks around this area tend to be so over grown that I end up just using my ultralight spinning rod.  I have a pair of waders, but they're sock foot and the boots are shot.  On top of that, even though it's been a pretty cool summer so far, neoprene chest waders are still too damn hot!  I'm hoping to put the kayak in the Chattahoochee soon, but that fast moving water makes me a bit nervous.  I've been looking into some kayak classes, so the river may have to wait until I get some swift water training.  I have really enjoyed the little bit of paddling I've been doing around some of the coves.  I've been watching lots of videos on YouTube to learn some of the techniques to get me going.  It's really way easier and way more stable than I ever expected it would be.  I don't think I'll be standing up on it any time soon, but I'm sure I'll have to try that at some point, too.   I'll do a good post on the kayak sometime soon and put up some pictures of it.  I picked up a few back issues of Kayak Angler while I was in The Outside World in Dawsonville over the weekend.  I'm amazed at the accessories and modifications available to kayaks to make them more conducive to fishing.  I feel like I'm doing pretty good with the built in rod holders and my old belt pack to hold my fly boxes.  I'm on a very, very limited budget, but I'll try to show the modifications I make as I make them.  An anchor trolley system will probably be my first big mod, along with a good milk-crate setup to stow my gear.  The hardest part is dealing with the fly rods.  The boat came with two built-in rod holders, but they are tubes that go into the deck to hold spinning or bait cast type rods.  Since fly rods don't have the long butt below the reel, the rod holders won't work.  I end up bungeeing the rods to the side of the boat, and I'm afraid that's just going to lead to a broken rod tip.  There is a kayak accessory company called Scotty that makes some really nice looking, and highly rated, fly rod holders, but at $30 a piece, it'll be a while before I get one.  But, I should save all that for another post.  This was supposed to be just a quick post to share some pictures!

  Hope you enjoy.  Tight lines and happy fishing!

               -Nick

The new kayak on the day I brought it home.  Still need to find a better way to haul it, it tends to rub on the roof!

One of the parks on Lake Lanier where I launched the kayak from.  This one has a sand beach, picnic areas and bathrooms.

An accidental photograph. I was trying to film a video for YouTube and pressed the wrong button!

First fish in the kayak!

Quite possibly the largest fish I've ever caught!

I found a rocky shoreline in the shade and these guys seemed to like my popper.

I love the mobility the kayak allows me.  I never could have fished the bank in this area.

Tried to take an artsy-fartsy picture.  The iphone isn't the greatest camera, but I still like the way this one came out.

Zooming with the iphone really ruins the resolution.  I wonder what the lake looks like from a hot air balloon's vantage point.

My First Y.A.B.O. and it's a twofer!

Evenin' Folks,
  Just thought I'd share a package opening video (or YAPO) that I did for my YouTube channel.  Please enjoy and share any thoughts or opinions.
  Tight lines and happy fishing,
           -Nick

Trying to beat the rain.

  After a week of on and off rain and little time, I was finally able to get out on the water today.  I headed out this morning to a stretch of Suwanee Creek that I hadn't yet fished.  It was a mostly clear morning, some clouds, but a good enough day to fish (aren't they all?).  The temp was in the low 70s F with a slight breeze signaling the incoming rain for the afternoon.  According to the USGS Water Data site for Suwanee Creek (see the links below for the USGS website), the water temp was about 70° F and flowing 45 cubic feet per minute.  I walked about a half mile northward along the Suwanee Creek Greenway carrying my fishing pole, smoking my pipe and wearing my pack full of gear (and getting funny looks from all the joggers and bicyclists!), before I turned to follow the city's sewer outfall along the creek.  From that point on it was a fight with privet and underbrush.  The telltale signs of the recent flooding were everywhere and numerous, like basketballs stuck in the trees over my head.  I only take my ultralight gear to Suwanee Creek because the banks are so overgrown and the creek depth changes too much to wade.  I found a spot where I could make some decent casts, tied on a Worden's Rooster Tail in the rainbow finish and got down to business.  The privet in this stretch of the creek seemed unusually thick compared to other areas I've fished, so finding a suitable spot to make a cast ended up being quite difficult and time consuming.  In the three and a half hours I spent fishing, I was only able to walk about 500 yards downstream, and it seemed I spent more time walking than fishing.
  Over the course of the morning, I think I fared pretty well.  I was only able to land 3 small fish (one bluegill and two redbreasted sunfish, I think, my ID is still rusty), but I got a lot of strikes.  Using an ultralight rig, even the small fish are fun to land!

One of the two redbreasted sunfish (I think).  First fish of the day, caught on a Joe's Flies Short Striker.

Fish number two the little bluegill.  Caught on a Worden's Rooster Tail.

The last fish landed, the other sunfish.  Caught on a Beetle Bou Maribou Jig.

  It's amazing to me how wild an area can be even though I'm in a suburban area.  Whenever I change lures (or tie on a new one after a snag) I tend to take a short break, step back from the stream, light my pipe and just look around.  It's just a small patch of woods on either side of the creek, but I've seen lots of birds, fat squirrels getting ready for the next weather change and chipmunks scurrying around.  Today I even saw two baby racoons and walked up on a gorgeous horse pasture that I didn't know existed.  Even though I was within sight of the city's sewer outfall and within a few hundred yards of a big industrial park I still feel like I got the calming and restorative effects of spending time with nature.  I recommend you try it.  Look for a small stream in your area and get out there and fight the privet!  Let me know how you do.
         Tight lines and happy fishing.
                              -Nick

Today's Equipment:

Rod: Shakespear Ugly Stik SPL1100 4'8" ultralight rod
Reel: Shimano Sahara 750FB - a hand-me-down from my grandfather
Line: Berkely Trilene XL Smooth Casting 6lb clear
Lures:
Johnson Beetle Bou Marabou Jig 1/32oz ; white & chartreuse
Joe's Flies Short Striker Glo Trout #231 in size 8
Worden's Rooster Tail 1/24oz assorted finishes

Knife:
Kershaw Ken Onion Scallion

Pipe & Tobacco:
Missouri Meerschaum Washington Bent corn cob
MacClelland's Frog Morton's Cellar

Links:
USGS Water Data Site
Worden's Rooster Tail
Joe's Flies
 Johnson's Beetle Bou
Corn Cob Pipes
Frog Morton's Cellar Review