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Thoughts About Easy Fish Hook Removal

Posted Mon, 01/25/2010 - 18:30 by jmaslar
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As I sit here in Charlotte, feeling the spring breezes and watching the bluebirds going in and out of the bluebird house, I can not help but think of the upcoming trout fishing season. But I have also been reminiscing about past trips to the Great Smoky MountainsNational Park with my son Steve and my grandson Tommy. On one particular trip, just Tommy and I were fishing in the Walker Camp Prong behind a rhododendron thicket some distance from the road when he saw a large rainbow trout probably over 12 inches long leap out of the water. This was exciting since the trout in that stream usually average about 6 to 10 inches long.
His boyish enthusiasm took over and caused him to drive an 8 ounce Roostertail hook into his leg just above the knee and he was in a great deal of pain. After a few minutes of struggling with the hook, I even suggested a trip to the local emergency medical clinic for removal. After hearing that suggestion and fearing that he might miss an opportunity to catch that rainbow, he just pulled it out with a mighty tug.
 
Had we known the recipe for (near) painless hook removal, he would have been spared a great deal of grief. Since then, I have tried the recipe successfully, so I will describe it in detail in a upcoming class.
 
In the meantime as I wait for spring fishing just a few weeks away, I will keep my self busy by adding detailed information about the trout streams found in the YellowstoneNational Park

 

Top 5 tips for how to get your wife to let you go fishing.

Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 11:51 by jmaslar

Following are a few tips for how to get your wife to let you go fishing. The key here is to treat your wife with care and respect, not just to try to snowball her into letting you go. Also, you can substitute other pastimes for fishing, if that’s what you prefer to do.

1. Marry someone who likes to fish. This means spending quality time together, and that you’ll have someone to take pictures of the fish!   Note that on a worldwide basis, this will only apply to. oh say, about 3 anglers; good for you! Now, for the rest of you, just keep reading these tips.

2. Be proactive. Plan in advance. The bigger the trip, the further in advance you would need to plan. For example, if you want to go on a big trip in June, you probably would want to broach the subject with your wife by the end of the previous year, if not further in advance. Oh, yeah, and don’t go fishing on Mother’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

  1. 3. Cater to her maternal instincts by taking the kids. If you have children, get them involved in fishing. The sooner you start taking the kids, the sooner you stop being a deadbeat husband, and start being a great Dad. Now, instead of abandoning her each week, you’re giving her time to herself while the kids get to have fun with Dad.
  2. 4. Meet her needs first. Don’t plan your own trip, until you’ve planned or gone on your family vacation, date night with your wife, etc. Otherwise, she feels like an afterthought. If you have the money, let her go shopping while you go fishing. Also, make sure she is well rested. Special treats, such as chocolate or massages, can go a long way as well.
  3. 5. Make it profitable. If you can find a way to earn a few bucks while fishing, you will have a good reason to go.
While these tips will not guarantee marital bliss and trout fishing both, they will go a long way! Trust me, I’ve learned to be cagy the hard way! I would appreciate hearing from anyone who can add to this list, please use the contacts form.

How to Remove a Fish Hook

Posted Wed, 01/06/2010 - 10:08 by jmaslar
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Class Code: 
Class 1015 How to Remove a Fish Hook
Syllabus: 

Everyone has had a fish hook embedded in their body at one time or another.  The natural tendency is to simply rip it out painfully.  However, there is an easier way that every student must master. After completion of this class, the student should be able to remove a hook with just a minimum amount of pain.

Course Content: 

The diagram below demonstrates just how easy it is to remove a hook. Here are some important tips that will make it easy and believe me it is easier than it looks. First have the person with the hook in their hand press down on the hook eye and toward the hook until it is tight against the skin. This is the most important step and often not done correctly as Duane demonstrates (unwillingly) in the second video below.

Notice in the diagram below that by placing the pressure toward the hook, as well as downward, causes the barb to be slanted downward. This effort will help the barb to retrace the path made by the hook's entrance in the skin.

Next, JERK HARD! Don't just give it a light tug as that will cause additional pain. Remember how it is to remove the baby teeth from children; a firm tug is better than one or more soft tugs.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This first video shows the simple correct procedure to remove the embedded hook.

 

This video demonstrates that even a Rapalla hook can be removed and it also demonstrates what not to do.

 

 

Assignments: 

Please do not get a hook stuck in your hand to practice, but try to remember this simple technique for the next time you have a problem with a hook.

Extra Credit: 

Check out the anatomy of a hook in the Rods and Reels class.

Trout in the Classroom School Project

Posted Wed, 09/30/2009 - 13:09 by jmaslar
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Last year the Rocky River Trout Unlimited Chapter (RRTU) had a very successful trout learning program for students at Davidson Day School . They were able to take trout eggs, care for them, watch them hatch into “fry” and then grow into fingerlings. Later in the spring they released their pets at South Mountains State Park . RRTU is teaming up with Vickie Carbone from the Davidson Middle School to conduct the same program again this year.

On Tuesday September 29, Bill Thomas from RRTU and I took the trip from Charlotte to Marion NC where we joined up Vickie Carbone, and RRTU members Alan Baker and Jim Mabrey. Vickie was heading up a caravan that included about 25 students and some parents. As we continued the caravan to the Marion Coldwater Hatchery we could not help but enjoy the beautiful day and share in the excitement of the children.
 
When we arrived we met with David Deaton and Jacob Rash from the North Carolina Wildlife Commission who proved to be more than capable guides.  Dave explained that it takes exactly 3 weeks for the eggs to hatch and fortunately, the Rainbow trout, eggs were hatching that very day. We were able to see the eggs hatching in one of the 8 concrete spillways located in the hatchery building.  We had anticipated taking the eggs back to the Davidson Day School, but since they had already hatched we would be able to take the “fry” back to the school to start our project.
 
Also as a special treat, before we left the hatchery building, we were able to see a tiny egg, about the size of a small match head, viewed under a microscope and projected onto a monitor.   In the photo below, the eyes are the large black objects.  Above and to the right is the body of the rainbow trout and, while there, we were able to observe the spots.
What an awesome view of God’s miracle! 
 
Dave gave us a super guided trip around the grounds including a hike to the ponds, all the while explaining the operation of the hatchery. At the water supply pond, the kids were screaming with delight as Dave picked up a turtle to show him off to the kids.  Dave went on to explain why the water supply pond was completely devoid of fish, which did not seem reasonable to me, since I enjoy fishing in ponds.  However, there is a very logical reason for keeping that pond fish free and I will comment on that and more in my next blog about the hatchery.

Smoky Mountains Fishing Trip 15Aug09

Posted Sat, 08/22/2009 - 14:43 by smaslar
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We had a great day fishing Saturday, August 15th, in the Smoky Mountains.  The video shown below covers the day's activities, including some of the fish we tangled with.

We began the day collecting live helgrammites in the Tuckaseegee River near Bryson City, NC.  We fished the bottom portion of Deep Creek and in the Tuckaseegee River using the helgrammites, hooking three smallmouth bass around the confluence of Deep Creek and the Tuckaseegee River.  While we occasionally find trout in the Tuckaseegee around Bryson City, we haven't caught any around there in recent trips.

Then, we headed over to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to do some cane pole fishing with dry flies for brook trout in a couple of the small streams in the park.  It takes stealth and determination to fish these tiny streams, often overcrowded with tree limbs etc.  However, these streams offer a fun, usually overlooked opportunity to catch some fiesty brook trout.

We wrapped up the day's fishing by spinner fishing the Oconaluftee River in the park, hooking a scrappy brown trout that was hiding underneath a large rock out of the main current.  I found a buzz bait lying in the last pool I fished on the Oconaluftee, leaving me to wonder if it was used by a novice that had no idea what he was doing, or by a genius who fishes big lures for big trout.

We ended the day by spotting some elk in a field by the main road through the park.  This is the first time I have seen the elk in the park, and it was a tremendous ending to a great day of fishing with my Dad!

Fly Fishing for Small Stream Rainbow Trout

Posted Wed, 07/22/2009 - 14:27 by jmaslar

Length: 1 hour, 35 min. plus 20 min. promos      

$29.95 Free Shipping


Fun,Fun,Fun

 

Fly Fishing for rainbow trout is fun. Most of the rainbow trout caught in this presentation are wild fish. Wild fish, whether native or from previously planted stocked trout, are much more fun but also more difficult to catch than stocked trout. Wild rainbow trout share the streams they live in with all kinds of predators. They spook easily and swim for the nearest cover at the slightest hind of a predator, including man. If you make one wrong move, they will not fall for your fake fly any time soon.

   

The “Fly Fishing for Small Stream Rainbow Trout” DVD is one of a series of presentations that
shows the fun and pleasures of fly-fishing small streams. This program contains scenes from
several blue-ribbon streams located throughout the United States from East, Midwest and
Western states.  Some of the streams are so small you can jump across them in places.

DVD Menu:

Introduction
Fly Rod Selection
Fly Line & Tippet Selection
Choosing the Right Fly
Presentations
Strategies
Rainbow Habitat
Methods
Dropper Rigs
Nymph Fishing
Dry Fly Fishing
Terrestrials
Caddisfly Hatches
Stonefly Hatches
Mayfly Hatches

 

Fly Fishing for Small Stream Brook Trout

Posted Wed, 07/22/2009 - 13:35 by jmaslar

Length: 1 hour & 8 min. plus 25 min.

$29.95 Free Shipping

 

Fun, Fun, Fun Fly-fishing!

 

Fun, Fun, Fun is the only way to describe fly fishing for brook trout in small streams. Join host Angie and James Marsh, as they demonstrate how to catch beautiful native and wild brook trout from streams so small you can jump across some of them.  

This program was shot on several different streams throughout the Western, Mid-Western and Eastern United States. The methods, tactics and techniques demonstrated will work fly fishing for brook trout on any small stream where brook trout can be found.

Learn to approach brook trout without spooking them and how to trick them into taking the fly. 

                

All the trout caught in this presentation are either wild or native brook trout. None were stocked or came from a hatchery. Wild brook trout are very aggressive, lightning fast and much more fun to catch than stocked trout. Catching a native trout as opposed to a stream-bred wild or tocked brook trout just adds something special to the pleasures of fly-fishing. We like to think of them as trout stocked by God.

DVD Menu:
Introduction
Eastern Tennessee
Northern Wyoming
Southwestern Montana
Southern Montana
Western Montana
Northern Virginia
Western Michigan
Fly Fishing DVD Promo
The Sport of Fly Fishing 





Fly Fishing Instructional DVD's

Posted Thu, 07/02/2009 - 14:41 by jmaslar

About these DVDs

 Fly Fishing Yellowstone National Park

 Fly Fishing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 

 Getting Started Fly Fishing Basics

 Top 85 Tips  on Fly Fishing for Trout 

  Fly Fishing for Trout in Tailwaters

 Trout and Their Habitat 

 Fly Fishing Strategies That Catch Trout

  Fly Fishing - Small Stream Brookies

 Fly Fishing - Small Stream Rainbow

 Fly Fishing - Small Stream Cutthroat

 Fly Fishing for Small Stream Brown

 Stoneflies Imitating Aquatic Insects

 Knots and Rigging Techniques  

 Tying Perfect Mayfly Nymphs

 Tying Perfect Mayfly Emergers,Duns and Spinners

  Mayflies - Fly Fishing Guide to Imitating Aquatic Insects

Catching the Grand Slam in Eastern Freestone Streams

 Sucessful Strategies for Eastern Freestone Streams

 Tom Mann's School of Bass Fishing

Trout University's CyberGuide Series is a series of ebooks and videos intended to show fishermen in depth techniques and fishing locations, just as an actual guide would, but at a fraction of the cost.

NOTE: These DVDs can be purchased using PayPal. Free and secure for customers, works seemlessly with your existing credit card, and you need not set up an account to use it.

Solution Graphics

Fly Fishing Tip: Cleaning Your Fly Line

Posted Fri, 06/26/2009 - 11:51 by jmaslar
Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

In the early summer, the performance of your fly line can deteriorate due to dirt or residue build up on the line.  Dirt can get on the line if you are stripping from shore or when you are handling the trout.  Algae is  found in all waters and it is a culprit that can cling to the fly line causing poor performance as well. You may notice the trout fishing fly line is not floating as well as it once did and so it is time to clean the line. 

You can purchase Zip Juice Wonderline Cleaner kit from Orvis which does a perfect job of cleaning your fly line and is enironmentally safe, or you can use a few drops of mild soap on a clean damp soft cloth.  However, do not use detergent!

While we are at it, let's discuss storage of the fly line.  The best place to store the line is right on the reel but be sure not to expose it to chemicals or excessive heat, or excessive sunlight.  When you remove it from storage, there may be a memory that stores the coils.  When this happens, just stretch it slowly feeling a slight give in the line, and this should make it acceptable again.

Cyber Guide Series

Posted Tue, 06/16/2009 - 14:10 by jmaslar

We here at the University recommend that you use a professional guide especially when you are on a stream for the first time.  We have listed several good guides in our Guides and Outfitters Links for your use.  There are howerer, times where the streams may be too small, or they may be in a state park or you may not be able to afford a professional guide.  For these occasions, we are developing the Cyber Guide Series of videos.

 Check back frequently as new cyber guides will be added as they are developed.