Sunny Day

KDOT East has trout.  You can see them jumping all over the lake.  You can see the fishermen trying every lure and bait they can think of.  Don't worry, they will still be there tomorrow.  They were casting all day - minnows, worms, power bait, spinners, spoons, flies, salmon eggs.  They were catching fish: small bass, small crappie, small catfish... but no trout today.

I talked to a fisherman who came all the way to Wichita from around Newton, just to fish for trout in Wichita.  For the past 20 years he has been very successful with Walleye and Crappie from his perch on a float tube.  He enjoyed the sunshine, but had no luck casting his silver spoon today.  He has also been trying Vic's Pond, with minimal results.  He is a dedicated fisherman.  He will  return.  The weather will change, and the fish will be stocked again.

When I was ready to leave, I stopped to talk to folks along the way, and of course, I kept my line in the water.   Then a couple of guys dumped their minnows and left.  That is when the bluegills started biting.  Nice big fat ones, up to 4 ounces.  I stayed another hour and took home 15, which took a while to scale and clean and get ready for the freezer.  Google "bluegill recipes" and you will get more than you need.
http://www.carlylelake.com/Fishing/Guide/Bluegill/Recipes/bgillrecips.htm

Fishing in the Rain

Today I was "too busy to go fishing", but I did swing by the creek for a moment.  I did not plan to stay long. I did not even bring my boots.  I did bring a rod.  There were many fishing in the rain.  Then the rain eased, it warmed a little, and I found out that I could fish for 3 hours at Big Slough Creek and Vic's Pond without even getting my shoes muddy.  So much for too busy.  I guess you can't be too busy for something as important as fishing.

Fishion. I usually don't notice what people wear, but I tried to take note of how the creek fishermen dress.  Some are in the expensive uniform of fly fishing with chest waders.  Some have soft shoes and jeans and ball caps.  Some have their rubber work boots or waterproof shoes.  I usually wear hip waders, but the water is much too high for them to be very useful now.  Is a fashion statement for fishing a "fishion"?

The fly fishers are catching fewer now, but even with the high water, the rain, the wind, the cold, and being 2 weeks since the first stocking, there are still trout in the creek.  I talked to several fishers who caught a few.  I am seeing the same people often.  They come several times each week.

I am having a hard time getting information about stocking.  The KDWP page for Sedgwick County Park has not been updated since 9/28.  Their page for "Trout Stocking Schedule" just gives ranges such as October 15-30 and Nov 1 - 14.  Some fishers assure me that stocking should have been today, but it wasn't.  One fisher quoted the Wichita Eagle announcement that stocking will be this Sunday.  At the park office they said it won't be until next Thursday, November 5.

P.S.  I also tried a popper in the Big Slough hoping to attract a bass.  I also tried it and some other bass lures in Vic's Pond, along with fly casting.  No luck today.

Fishing in the Wind

Today I wanted to practice fishing in the cold and the wind.  It is not hard to cast flies with the wind to your back.  Even if it is not, casting is certainly possible, and accuracy is not compromised if you use good technique.  See the video link I posted on the home page about fly fishing in the wind: http://www.cantos.org/fishing

Since everyone seems to be catching fewer now, I thought I should try the hard to reach places that probably have not been fished much.  I worked hard, climbing, wading, pushing through the brambles... losing flies right and left... no fish, no strikes.  One trout came up to examine my bright pink indicator... I took it off. The fly line is indicator enough for me.

I finally got one, but it was in a pool that is accessible and heavily fished!  The fishermen go to such spots, because that is where the trout go.  Some fishers work the entire stream, others concentrate on one pool, changing patterns until they get it right.

Today most people did not do well.  However, they are still catching small ones like this (Royal Coachman Wet with small spinner).  This week has also seen more 2 pounders and bigger.

Most fishers expect the next trout stocking to be Thursday, 29 October.  I hope they do come tomorrow, but the schedule at KDWP only says "November 1-14".  Vic's Lake 1,173; Big Slough Creek 912; KDOT East 681.

Catfish stocking is April 1 to October 1.

End of the stocking

Now that two weeks have gone by since the first stocking, it seems that the fishing has slowed.  Everyone says that it gets better later in the season.

The flatland fly fishers are serious about their business.  They fish often and do well.  They even fish all through the winter, no matter how cold.  The trout keep biting.

The catfish and bass fishermen also keep at it.  They concentrate on the northeast side of the lake where the sun shines all day.  They keep using the same stinky baits, but have to search for the right spot.

I checked out Vic's Pond and KDOTE.  Seems they are slow today too.  You can see the trout working the surface, and even jumping.  Even the  bluegill and crappie and bass and catfish are not enthused about a tour of land duty right now.  They nibble, but don't bite. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

However, the weather was very nice this afternoon.  It warmed up and calmed down.  The problem with fishing on a nice day, is you are more likely to get in trouble for getting home late.

Lunkers in Wichita

Trout fishing is really fun in Wichita, Kansas, and the fly fishermen are friendly and helpful.  The Big Slough Creek is stocked every 2 weeks (October 15 to April 15) with 912 trout for a season total of 10,944.  Most are 10 inches.  Some are 2 pounds.

Today I saw a very experienced fly fisherman catch a lunker: 3.5 pounds.  I was lucky to also video tape part of the landing.  (See this video on the home page).  We were playing hooky from the Fall Banquet of the Flatland Fly Fishers Club (to go fishing).

More photos of trout fishing at http://www.cantos.org/fishing/ (click on Sedgwick County Park).  Don't forget that the Creek is restricted to fly fishing: no bait, no plastics, no treble hooks.  A "Fly" is a device constructed on a single pointed hook from fether, chenille, yarn, silk, rayon, nylon thread or floss, with or without a spinner, usually resembling a flying insect or larvae.

Flatland Fly Fishers Outing

The Fly Fishers have fun fishing in Big Slough Creek.  They are happy to be on the water.  They love to talk and help other fishermen.  They catch fish.  Many of the fly fishers catch 5, 10, 20+ fish in one day.  They release everything, so they can catch it again.  They caught a lot of the 10 inchers, plus some of the two pounders, and even albinos.  One fisherman was so surprised to catch "a yellow trout".  It was at least 2 pounds, and very beautiful.

Though I caught my five trout on opening day, today I caught less trout, and more little bass, even though I was using the flies the fishers gave me.  It was very chilly in the morning through mid day (and windy on Vic's Lake).  The sun warmed in the afternoon, for a very pleasant day.

I did not see any catches at Vic's Lake, though people were using bait and spinners.

Music and Fishing

The honor song for the Fly Fishers is all done, recorded, and on the web site: 

http://www.cantos.org/fishing/music.html

This is how I am starting the "Music for Fishing" page.  Since I am a composer, I expect more fishing songs as time goes by.

Big Slough Creek was stocked Tuesday Morning, October 13 with 1,173 Rainbow Trout.  That many more are due to be stocked EVERY TWO WEEKS through April 15.  That is 14,076 trout placed into that tiny brook over 6 months.  Many fishermen catch and release dozens each week, so those who take them home for a good meal should feel well justified, as none can survive the summer heat.

In contrast, bluegills begin nesting in the spring after the winter temperature has reached about 65 degrees F. Spawning may continue as late as August or September although the spawning peak occurs in June.  The female lays up to 50,000 eggs, which hatch in 5 days., So be sure to catch all the Bluegills you can.

The first fish

The first fish on opening day was this 1.9 pounder.  Many of the fly fishers stayed all day and caught dozens.  It looks like a good year. More pictures at http://www.cantos.org/fishing/sedgwick.html

First Day

Well, off I go. It's 43 degrees this morning. the first day of the Kansas Trout season. Can't miss that, as it only lasts six months.

I do have to be rescued regularly from the streams and lakes. I just need help getting out of the mud that I fall into, or when the deep water goes over my hip boots. It is great fun. I can't imagine why my wife doesn't go with me every time.

I am getting a late start. I woke up this morning with a song all composed in my dreams, and had to stop and write it down. Here are the words so far. I plan to record it with guitar and send it to the Flatland Fly Fishers Club.
http://www.flatlandflyfishers.org/

Flatland Fly Fishers
We travel miles to catch a trout
Flatland Fly Fishers
Keep the line in the water and wait'em out.

I catch catfish with a fly
Bass and crappie, and saugeye
Bluegill can't resist my lure
Kansas is great, let me give you a tour.

Gather 'round boys, I will tell you no lie
I caught a lunker with a 22 fly
I cast in a riffle just behind a rock
Gotta strike every time and that is not just talk.

Russia, New Zealand, or a Rocky Mountain state
Being on the road is just our fate
But then every winter we go every week
to the beautiful, home made, Big Slough Creek.

Trout Eve

'Twas the night  before trout season
and all over town,
the drizzle and cold kept the fishermen home.
I was out at the lake,
had it all to myself;
hoping to catch one bass
before the trout season starts.

Oh, well, more catfish... I threw them back in.
At least I know I can fish in the rain.

For hours a large flock of swallows was swooping low over the water, but I never saw what they were after, and I never saw one dimple or rise, like I usually see.

For opening day, the weather report says: fog at 7am, then partly SUNNY all the rest of the day, with temperatures starting at 41, then 51 by 10am, then 61 by 1pm, and mid 60s all afternoon.  Clear by nightfall.

Sunrise October 15 is 7:36 am, sunset is 6:53 pm

Trout Season Starting Thursday

"Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks" (1 Kings 18:5)


http://www.cantos.org/fishing/sedgwick.html

Fishers of Men

Instead of going fishing on Saturday or Sunday, I got busy helping around the house, then doing church work.  So, instead of writing about fishing, I wrote based on being inspired by my brother, a great fisherman, who has found a higher calling for 6 months: helping others on a mission to Nauvoo.  Serving others has brought him peace.

Peace

My doctor is a holistic kinesiologist who specializes in teaching people about the interconnectedness of the body so they can reach their potential and "live more fully".  He says, "when you are functioning optimally, you feel better... your body, mind and spirit become unified".  He works with people not only on healthy choices for improved bodily functions, but mind/body work to remove emotional stress.  In honor of his birthday this week, I wrote a composition for oboe, bassoon, cello, voice, guitar and vibraphone.  It begins with each of the instruments in this unusual ensemble playing the theme their own way and in their own time, resulting in discordance and syncopation.  By the end they learn to harmonize and work together in rhythm.  

Life is like that.  When Jesus was preparing his disciples He did not promise peace or comfort in the abscence of conflict and pain.  Instead He spoke of a Comforter who would accompany them through life's challenges. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).  He spoke to them of love, and told them to love and serve others.

On a recent visit to Nauvoo, Illinois, I learned more about achieving peace while on the journey of life.  Nathan, Joann, Janeen, and I each have great great grand parents who helped drain the swamp and build the temple and create "City Beautiful" in a pioneering time of great persecution and sickness and difficulty.  Joseph prayed, "Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever."  The answer he received was, "my son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes" (D&C 121:6-9).  A few days before the martyrdom, he said "“I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning" D&C 135:4).  So, like Jesus, and Job, he learned to bring peace, harmony, and unity to body, mind, and spirit.

Nathan and Joann are like that.  They work hard to stay healthy by making good choices.  They are extra motivated to find those choices because of the extra challenges they face.  Their success has come by turning their attention away from themselves to the service of others.  This extends beyond their church service and temple work, to everyone they meet.  I watched them walk slowly through crowds.  Everywhere they went they had to walk slowly, as everyone knew them, greeted them warmly, and expressed love and appreciation to them, because that is what they received from them.

The last time I saw Nathan, he took me fishing in Spokane.  This time, he was too busy serving others to go fishing. After the crucifixion, Peter and the others were confused and distressed.  They went fishing all one night, but did not catch anything.  Jesus appeared and told them to cast on the other side of the boat, and they got their attention with more large fish than they could handle (John 21:1-12).  Once they realized who he was, they listened to him.  He said, "feed my sheep".

The Nobel Peace Prize  is like that.  They award people who are striving for world peace by serving others.  You too can feel better and live more fully by serving (Matthew 16:25).

Nathan wrote this article about the role of attitude in happiness some time ago

Attitude

One who expects completely to escape low moods is asking the impossible...Like the weather, life is essentially variable,...and a healthy person believes in the validity of his high hours even when he is having a low one (Harry Emerson Fosdic). JoAnn and I have been down with sore throats for a few days and are exercising all the normal cures and remedies hoping to get back to the temple this week. The ironic thing is, the cures are working...but we reek so bad from garlic doses and onion poultices, that we would not be very popular nor even welcome there as workers. 

Being sick once in a while is not such a bad thing and as Mr. Fosdic implies, it's even "normal". It's not only a way for the body to "de-tox" itself...but it also makes you appreciate the healthy and happy times, even more. There was a great Jewish mystic of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century who regularly experienced ecstacy on solitary wanderings through forests. He recommended the following: "Always be joyful, no matter what (or who) you are. With happiness, you can give a person life. Every day we must deliberately induce in ourselves a bouyant, exuberant attitude toward life; in this manner, we will gradually become receptive to the subtle mysteries around us. And, if no inspired moments seem to come, we should act as though we have them anyway. If you have no enthusiasum, put on a front. Act enthusiastic, and the feeling will become genuine."

We achieve true and sincere happiness as we care for and love others. President David O McKay said, "There are three means of achieving the happy, abundant life: first, making God the center of one's life; second, using the free agency given to man; and third, rendering service to others. JoAnn, even when feeling her worst, made extra potato soup for a widow in the ward and wearing our face masks, we made a brief visit to a very greatful sister. I remember having to wear such masks particularly in the early days of transplant. JoAnn made sure even though I was not feeling so happy to be there...she adorned my mask with a big red smile. It worked! I soon started counting my blessings, putting God and others first. The result was I made others happier,  and also I enjoyed a much quicker recovery.

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof... if, we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virture, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God" (Joseph Smith).

Have a great weekend,

Love, Nathan Howard

A cold night

Tonight I covered up the jalapeño plant.  It is the last of my garden, and is still producing very well.  I only eat 1 to 3 per day, but that one plant produces much more. They are not hot, they are picante. Muy picante!  If the jalapeño survives the weekend, it should keep producing all month.  This is the one cold weekend predicted for the next 15 days.  Today I only fished from 5:30 to 7:30 pm (sundown at 7pm).  It was beautiful: clear, calm, cool, watching the sunset.   It was perfect weather for fishing.  Tomorrow morning will be tough: maybe 32 degrees.

I work very hard at fishing.  I use the 3 rods I am licensed for.  I am constantly on the move, changing baits, casting a variety of lures, moving to new locations, carrying all my stuff, wading and climbing and walking and running.  Sometimes I catch 20 fish in one hour, sometimes I get no bites in 8 hours.  Then I come home, post the fishing blog, do more research, and update the website.  Busy and  complicated: that is how I have lived my life.  I guess my fishing is no different from anything else I have ever done. 

Storms coming

The storms are coming.  Today was the last nice day to be outdoors this week, but I had the lake to myself. However, I only got two bites, and no fish. Everyone must know something.  Here are some good articles about how weather affects how fish are feeding:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Does-The-Weather-Impact-Fishing?&id=491171
As a cold front passes, the temperature and humidity fall and air pressure begins to rise. The passing of a cold front is generally thought to have a negative effect on fishing. I've heard many people say that fish seem to have lock-jaw immediately following a cold front.


http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/38335/fishing/cold_weather_catfish_fishing___how_do_things_change_in_the_cold.html
Cold Weather Catfishing:
This time of year, there is less competition from other fishermen for a great spot.
There is less noise and other distractions to scare your fish off.
You can find catfish closer to the banks and shore in colder weather.
You do not usually have to go as deep in the waters to find your catfish.
It is easier to fish on the edges of the water.
It is harder for the catfish to feed so they will be anxious to find your bait.
Catfish are often bigger this time of year.
There is more selection as fewer people are fishing in the cold weather. You have a chance at bigger fish!
The catfish move slower at this time of year.
They are often found just trolling the bottoms of the waters.


Here are the fish I kept yesterday.  I caught more of these green bullheads, using small sunfish as bait.  I caught the sunfish on a red and white jig:

Return to Wichita

I was glad to be fishing on Monday (North Chisholm), even though no one was catching anything, not even the float tubers.  I did tie into a big bass, but just before I landed it, he straightened the hook on my jig and got away.  I just discarded the jig.

Tuesday I fished a small pond in a housing area in Bel Aire.  Last time I caught quite a few green bullhead (on minnows and small bluegill).  So this time I concentrated on catching bluegill.  I finally found a spot 6 feet from shore, where every cast would attract attention.  I landed over 20 green sunfish in one hour.  I used small ones to catch more bullhead out in the lake, on the bottom.

It is chilly out there, but it is nice to be fishing.  Trout season starts October 15.

Fall Fishing

Rick Brown of "Flatland Fly Fishers" says:
October is going to be some of the best fishing of the year. Fall is a great time to get out and fish for both warm and cold water fish.  This will be the time when you can fish for bass, bluegill, trout, and carp; and do it all here at home.  Go fish as much as you can!