Dick Kellet

Today I took Dick Kellet out fishing. We only had a half day to fish so we decided to get fishing as quickly as possible. We rigged up the 3 weight rod and got after them. The fishing was absolutely insane! Caddis were flying around everywhere with a few rises mixed in. Dick caught over 50 fish in just a few hours including this nice brownie!

Harlan And George

This past Monday and Tuesday, I got to take Harlan and George fishing. The guys love to chuck streamers and so we headed out. The sun was out in full force both days. We had some great action and even lost a fish that I bet was well over 25 inches, but we just couldn't seem to land too many of them! We eventually decided to give the arms a break and picked up the nymph rods to pick on a few rainbows. It was on fire! We caught some nice sassy rainbows. These are just a few of the fish the boys caught over the last two days!

Drake Pics and Doctors Thoughts

I havent written anything about Drake for quite awhile, because he has just been a perfectly normal little boy for the last 4 weeks. He has been to lots of doctor visits and checkups and tests and such and has just been passing with flying colors. At home he has been eating and growing like a Herman and smiling and happy most of the time like his daddy of course. He is getting stronger and more aware of his surroundings every day. Visually you just would not think there is anything wrong with this perfect looking and acting baby.

Then today we went to the developmental specialist.....This is where our 4 week long fantasy didnt necessarily come to an end, but just simply turned back into reality. I guess subconsciously I have just been hoping for a fairy tale ending where we just put all this doctor stuff behind us and sail off into the normal rest of our lives.

Its 11:37 pm and now quiet enough at home and in my head for me just to sit back and think somewhat clearly. Everything that seemed so important again all of a sudden, really just isn't. The doctor today wants to get Drake started on developmental therapy ASAP. He is amazed at his progress from where he should be, but still very concerned. He also wants to know the extent of his hearing damage ASAP in order to get fitted with hearing aids by 4 to 6 months of age. Drake has had double ear infections and fluid built up, so they havent been able to get an accurated hearing test done yet. (at least we hope its not accurate yet).

We havent really picked up on the developmental hypotonia or whatever the name is that the doc called his development stuff, but we have always noticed that Drake really doesnt respond to noise. He sometimes will jump with a loud bang, but really doesnt respond to normal noise much at all. Movement and vibration he picks up on real good, but hearing not so much.

Today wasnt bad, but it was the hardest day we have had for awhile. Just a reality check, eye opener, reminder, or whatever you want to call it.

The difference a month makes

I will be out this Friday for a quick session after work, the temparature looks a lot better. Here are two views today and this time last month. While far from being confident it's worth a try. I am currently in Inverness and will be at the other end of the country on Friday,,,,,

11/04/10 - Todber Manor - Park Lake

Weight – 85lb 2oz
Catch – 34 Carp, 21 F1, 1 Tench, 1 Roach
Weather – Cloudy, with sunny periods. Cool gusty wind
Match – Match Fishing Scene Website - 5th overall

Something different this weekend, a match with the MFS internet boys organised by Nick Merry. Originally I wasn't going this weekend, because Sue needed my car to drive down to Bournemouth (she hasn't found a replacement yet). However Mark offered to take me although he lives in Trowbridge, so a big detour and fair shout, because not many would be prepared to do that.

I have never seen Todber Manor, but reports about Park Lake where it was fishing well with 150lb likely to win and it was full of carp averaging 3lb & loads of small F1, so hopefully plenty of bites. The lake is a typical snake lake, with 31 pegs around a long central island, plus a further 6 up a 13m wide arm. Best draws were around the mouth of the arm, pegs 6,7,37,38 and around the oak tree (pegs 13 & 14).

Walking around the lake with Mark before the draw, neither of us fancied drawing the arm, due the NE wind blowing out of it, although we later found out that Saturdays match was won from peg 1 at the top.

With 25 booked in, 2 no showed which wasn't on since there was a waiting list, needless to say Nick was happy. I found myself on peg 10 which according to a local was OK, but probably just out of it. With peg 9 to my left vacant at least I had some room.

The island was lined with thick sedges, that drooped into the water, although slightly to my left was a gap with an exposed bank which was obviously the catching the area. Slightly to my right the sedges weren't quite as dense and this would be my back up swim.

4 rigs were set up, 2x hair rig pellet and 2x paste rigs for tight across and down the track. Bait was 4 & 6mm pellet, plus hemp. ½ pot of 6mms & hemp went down the track 11.5m to my left & I started on the paste tight across. The wind however was proving troublesome. Although I had a carp within 5mins it was going to me easier to fish pellet. After an initial slow 10mins, bites became more regular toss potting 4mms with a few 6s and for the next hour I caught carp and the odd F1 quickly, but gradually more smaller F1s put in an appearance.

2 hours in I had about 20 fish and from those I could see was doing well, although Tim Shuttle on peg 8 was probably on par with me. A switch to my back up swim didn't produce much, so I persisted fishing the gap.

I had been feeding a pouch of 6mms & hemp every 15mins down the track, but only managed 1 carp and bumped another. After 4hrs I was up to about 40 fish, but other than a tench and a roach I hadn't caught for 1/2 hour.

Catapulting pellet to the island wasn't working, although there was carp slurping in the sedges, I couldn't catch, even using a shallow rig tight against the mud and the wind was making it difficult to present into the smaller gaps. Therefore decided to cup ½ pot of pellet in the gap to get the fish down. In the meantime I had also set up a new down the track swim at 6m in front of me feeding 6mm by hand, whilst still feeding 6mm & hemp to my left.

Tim was starting to get ahead of me thanks to a some bigger paste fish. Fortunately my paste swims kicked into life, mainly at 6m, although I bumped a few (general consensus was the fish weren't having it properly, only mouthing the bait).

The far line also benefited from the pellet dump, where the carp had returned and the last hour proved to be quite productive putting 13/14 fish in the net.

At the all out, the usual banter started with Tim saying I had beaten him, but he had 2 better fish (6lbers). It was close, but I was proved right, when he weighed 91lb.

Overall for a first visit I was pleased with how the match went, although next time I would probably spend less time feeding with the catapult, because it only encouraged the F1s & created lots of liners. Also I should have switched to the paste a little sooner.

A fair venue, with plenty of bites and a tight frame.

1st 115-4 – peg 26
2nd 100-0 – Mark Blake – p3
3rd 91-2 – Tim Suttle – p8
4th 89-10 – Mark Brennan – p19
5th 85-2 – Ken Rayner – p10
6th 82-8 – Roly -p25

The Big Boys!

Today I took Steve and Jacob Twersky fishing. It was another beautiful spring morning without a cloud in the sky, which unfortunately kinda bummed us out since Jacob loves to throw streamers. But we went ahead anyway and got out the big guns. We had a few whacks and some follows, but we just couldn't get a big brown to commit, so we decided to do a little nymphing. It was hot! Both guys caught some serious Jurassic Little Red River hogs! We even tried our luck on the some caddis dry's and had some awesome action. Here are just a couple of the nice fish these guys caught today! I guess it turned out to be ok that the browns didnt want to come out and play!

Heflin!

Friday and Saturday Mike Heflin and a group of boys came up for some fishing. On Friday, we decided to try our luck on the river. We had a beautiful morning. Our bite was never on fire but there were certainly some nice fish caught and some good times had by all. Mike caught this nice brownie about mid morning. It was a great fight. Saturday I took Tom and Kacey fishing in my boat. Jamie took Mike and John and we all headed to the lake for some whities! First cast, we had fish on! Those white bass are so much fun. Spring time in the Ozarks is the ultimate sportsman's paradise!