A good short outing and Thank you!

[Eich]

Recently I have been a little under the weather health wise. The people of this forum are great because wether they know it or not just keeping their stories going (I especially enjoy the fly rod ones) it is like a therapy to me.

Well this afternoon I have gotten out for almost 2 hours after about 3-4 weeks of no fishing to talk about. The casting was quite rusty and I wanted to take a page out of John's (Montana) book and go with no prebaiting. I used a fly called the "Puke" fly. John and others such as Kingfisher, Mr.P, Macfish as well as the whole staff of CAG are true inspirations. Yes, I thank God and look at you all as a blessing.

The first catch on this fly (size 8) was a 3 inch crappie. The second catch was a little better it was a 4 inch "sunnie". Then I saw the quarry that I was searching for. This carp made me feel better fast. Fishing is good therapy.

I sincerely want to take the time to thank the people who make a difference in this club and forum. Many of you touch lives without even knowing what impact it is that you have.

The beauty of this fly is that it is very simple to tie. The recipe is on Ian Colin James' website www.iancolinjames.com . I believe it was designed by a four year old boy. So simple but effective is what I say! Try it you may like it. Just strip it back slowly. Definitely a no brainer! Keep up the good work guys and Gals!

Ray

[Ken]

This should make give all the story tellers here some real inspiration. 'Wish I could write better myself.

Keep up the good work guys. I enjoy all the stories and pictures myself.

-Ken

[john montana]

great post eich...i was unaware you were having health problems, but i'm glad to hear you are back at the carp with a flyrod in hand! i hope you are feeling better! great fish...you guys have some really nice mirror carp out east. they are neat looking fish!

so tell me more about the hookup! did you spot him and stalk him? sight cast that fly to him, or just know he was there and strip it back feeling for a take? as Mr. P says...the take is the premier moment!

[Matt]

Eich -

Nice fish! Carp peeling line of the reel is medicine that can cure the soul and body! I hope you keep getting better and better....

Best,

Matt

[Eich]

John,

Actually this guy kind of tested my casting ability (or lack there of). Sight casted to an exposed tail at about 3/4 the length of the fly line. Four strips of the line and I definitely felt the take and the run away freight train first run. It was one of those moments where I amazed myself that I actually made the cast after not practicing for a couple of weeks. (I call it the blind squirrel theory).

Ray

[miguel126]

Ray

awesome fishing

I wish you a speedy recovery

[macfish]

macfish here. Eich/Ray - sorry to hear you were under the weather. I'm glad you were feeling well enough to get back out to dip a line. That fishing can really lighten up even a very grey day. I'm guessing this fish was about 18" or maybe a tad more? Neat looking mirror. Never caught one myself but maybe someday one will happen along, just like in Neil's case. I'd heard of the puke fly before because I have been to Ian Colin James' web site several times. If you get a chance could you take a pic of one? It seems like he would be one heck of a guy to meet and I think the same of many of the folks here as well, including yourself. Jonathan

[MrP]

Eich,

Thank you for your post. I have been very busy the last month--unable to wet a line and challenged to make a post. I physically breathed a sigh of relief seeing your fish and reading your post. Congratulations. I very much hope your health is on the upswing. If you will accept this from me, even though we have never met, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

As to prebaiting and fly fishing, I think it makes much more sense to try and imitate "fish food" than to teach fish to eat "people food". Does "sense" equal more fish? Not necessarily. Does it equal more fun and satisfaction? In the case of fly fishing, I think so.

JB Montana, after considerable thought, I wrote in my fishing journal way back in the early 80's that "the take is the premier moment." I compared it to many other parts of the overall fishing experience and decided it was the best. I wrote that anticipation (for all parts of the experience) was second. I submit that in all of life, "the take is the premier moment." In the rest of life I so much DO NOT mean "the take" in terms of tricking someone like we trick fish with our offerings. I mean when your intentions are honorable and a girl who has caught your eye says she'll go out with you. I mean when you apply for a job and you get it. I mean when your young son or daughter beams when you walk in the door and says, "Hi Daddy or Hi Mommy". I mean when you deliver a speech and the response of the audience exceeds your expectations. I mean in the classroom when a student's eye's are a little brighter or his/her back is a little straighter because he/she has grown in skills and confidence. That's the take baby, oh hell yes that's the take! I mean when that pretty girl says yes when you ask her to marry you. I mean when your teenage daughter has an identity of her own and you marvel at who she has become. I mean when you plan a project that has never been done and you have to elicit cooperation and support from a wide range of stakeholders and the darn thing works. I mean when you take a chance on yourself, yes yourself, and you are successful. It's all "the take" and in all of life it is the premier moment.

[john montana]

well said Mr. P!

I hope you don't mind, but i snatched some of that for my blog.

http://carponthefly.blogspot.com/

just a great post Mr. P!

Edited June 15, 2006 by john montana

[Carpaholic]

MrP your post and this thread in its entirety are so wonderful that I pinned it atop the fly fishing section. Thank you all.

[Eich]

Mr. P,

Thank you! You as well as others are true blessings on this forum. My health by God's grace is on the upswing and I know that there is much more to be learned and taught among us vessels.

Edited June 15, 2006 by Eich

[kingfisher]

Glad to hear that things are improving...look out carp, Ray is back in the game!

Lowell

[MrP]

John, I don't mind at all that you "snatched" part of my post.

Brian, thanks for the positive comments and for pinning our (not my) thread.

Eich, et. al., I just returned from three wonderful days of Carp fishing. My knee is aching, still I know I have a good life. I'll start another thread about that trip and include some "soft fish porn". My fishing partner this trip was Keith. On Tuesday at about 10:45 AM, while riding to the river I told him about this thread. I talked about the take being the premier moment. I told Keith that I wrote to you, Eich, that I would remember you in my thoughts and prayers. Outloud with Keith, and to myself, I did it on Tuesday morning.

I don't want to take anything away from this thread by adding a picture but it "feels" like it fits so let's give it a try.

Edited June 23, 2006 by MrP

[louis]

i sorry to hear you were ill ray, but glad you are on the come up! thanks for the report!

[bciliberto]

Hi all,

I forwarded this post to Ian James, to which he replied:

Sir:

Here is the official history for The Puke Fly.

Feel free to copy and post on the carp board.

rover and out

Ian

----

The Puke Fly

Other names: Willie's Puke Fly, the White Puke Fly

The White Puke Fly is now 12 years old.

It was invented by Willie Mc Lennan (age 4 at the time) for fishing in

Guelph Lake, Guelph, Ontario for Smallmouth Bass.

He noticed that when he was landing Smallmouth Bass some of them would

regurgitate food and other fish, often larger Smallmouth Bass would

scarf back the regurgitated food. Willie said, "I should make a puke

fly." So he did.

He took his white marabou creation into the Guelph Casual Dress Club

Fly Fishing Club, and "boasted" to the members that he had invented a

fly, and that he had landed 50 Crappies on it, plus a few Smallmouth

Bass, which he had done earlier in the day of the club meeting. Several

of the club members started using the fly in Guelph Lake, and some of

them used it for Brown Trout on the upper Grand River near Fergus,

Ontario and in the Credit River for Brook Trout. The fly worked well,

even on spooky and selective fish. Then the fall rolled along and some

of the club members started using the Puke Fly for Steelhead in the

Credit River, the Maitland River and in the Saugeen River here in

Ontario. The fly was an instant success. I am not sure who the first

person was to land a Steelhead on a Puke Fly, but I know that a lot of

fly fishermen and float fishermen have done well on the pattern. For

many successful fisherman and float fishermen a Puke Fly has become a

"go-to" pattern.

At the 2003 Canadian Fly Fishing Championships the V.I.P event was won

by Doug Austin on a White Puke Fly.

A White Puke Fly has caught fish across the USA, Canada, Ireland,

Scotland, Tasmania, England, France, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New

Zealand, South Africa and Wales, which ain't bad.

The fly has taken a whole host of fish including:

Brown Trout, Steelhead, Brook Trout, Bull Trout, Tiger Trout, Channel

Catfish, Carp, Sheephead, Mooneye, Redhorse, Goldeneye, Fallfish,

Chinook Salmon, Pink salmon, Coho salmon, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass,

Wipers, Largemouth Bass, Crappies, Rocky Mountain Whitefish, Walleye,

Brown Bullhead, Sunfish, Gar Pike, Grayling, Zander, Northern Pike,

Bowfin and Muskies.

Here is Willies original dressing for the pattern. There are now a

whole host of variations on it. Some fishermen add pearl Flashabou, red

Flashabou or purple Flashabou to the tail and sometimes dumbbell eyes

are substituted for the bead chain eyes. The body has also been tied

with rabbit fur or some other white dubbing material like Arctic fox. I

know a few fly fishermen who add a collar of well marked grouse or

partridge tied in behind the eyes, with the feather tips extending well

past the hook point.

Willies original White Puke Fly did not have the eyes, he added them

about a week later because they made the fly look better. Most anglers

use the eyed version for deeper pools and the original version, without

the eyes, for fishing in shallow water.

Hook: Standard wet-fly, Mustad 3399

Size : #8

Tail: Small chunk of white marabou

Body: Dubbed white marabou, well picked out and trimmed up to look

"scruffy"

Head: White marabou dubbed over the eyes.

Eyes: A pair of silver bead chain.

The Puke Fly is a good pattern to use when introducing kids to fly

fishing or fly tying as they tend to like the name.

Ben from Doylestown

[lyubakavideo]

http://youtu.be/80HJopc2nsg

Got no idea why this doesn't work for me...