One Last Time...

Took a ride with my Uncle and Cousin to help with the grunt work of setting up my grandparents camper.

Things on the usual agenda.

1. Get the roof/tarp over the screened in deck.

• Not a problem for my Cousin Donny and I. The key to getting the roof/tarp over is a trick our Grandfather taught us of rolling it up, and once it's through the tracks, we can then roll it down over the rest of the roof, but the thing that made this go so quickly was my Uncle Mike utilizing the broom stick. =)

• This was the hardest part of the day, and to think, our Grandfather used to do this by himself with the help of our Grandmother using the broomstick. Unbelievable.

Clean up all of the leaves that accumulated on the deck and stayed all Winter.

• There was an incredible amount of leaves on the deck. We grabbed 3 brooms, and started sweeping. It was not until we were pretty much finished that we had the thought of a leaf blower. My Uncle went to check the shed, and sure enough, there was a leaf blower. There's no doubt that Papa Carf was definitely shaking his head and laughing at us.

Roll out the carpet.

• Check.

Set up the tables, chairs, and cabinets.

• Check.

Make sure there were not mice.

• No rodents. The moth balls win, again!

Run the water and make sure the electric works.

• Check.

My Grandma is going to be selling it this summer. A lot of good times and great memories were had here. It's going to be a sad day once it's sold. Until then let we're going to enjoy it with our Grandma and the rest of the family a few more times.

For those of you that do not know. My Grandfather passed away July 2014. I've had a draft post about it pended for quite some time. One of these days I'll muster up enough to finish it.

Lake X

I met up my buddy FishDank at 9 am this past Sunday. It was cloudy, windy, warm out (to me anyway), and so damn windy. Did I mention that it was windy? Good thing I had an anchor. It's not a very good anchor, but it does the job, sort of.

I brought out 3 rods. My 10 wt fly rod (I haven't sent in my 9 wt to get fixed, yet.), my baitcaster, and my spinning rod. Eventually, I just gave up on my fly rod, because, it was just too damn windy.

My buddy FishDanK was the first to hook up, on a jig and craw trailer...and what he hooked up with was a freakin' Sherman tank! HOLY SMOKES!!!!

He caught 2 more later in the day. Around 11 am a few more guys from the fishing forum that we post on showed up. DanK knew them from some of the tournaments he's fished, but it was my first time meeting them, and they're a bunch of cool dudes. Always nice putting a face to the screen name. One of the guys Kevin was nice enough to bring a grill and some sausage and hot dogs for a quick shore lunch. How awesome is that!!! Thanks, again, if you read this!!!

I caught 2 bass on the day. Both of them came on a KVD rattle trap. The lake was about 6-8 feet deep with some nice weed beds that I ran the lure right over the top of. The 2nd bass I caught was a nice healthy one, and put my landing skills to the test. I really thought I was going to lose it boat side.

Action Shot!!

Hello and Goodbye.

The fishing is starting to heat up, and I'm getting excited!!!!

Windy.

We're finally have been having somewhat consistently warmer weather (40-50-60 degrees). I had planned to take the kayak out and fish a local lake in search of some hungry Spring pike and musky. I didn't get the early start I wanted, because, it was EXTREMELY windy, but eventually I got out there in the afternoon.

Good times are on the horizon.

What a great day it was to be on the water. I brought 3 of my big flies, and a few spinnerbaits for my baitcaster. There were 2 other guys I am familiar with from a fishing forum out on the lake along with me. They were tossing spinnerbaits, and hooking up with some decent sized bass.

8/0 Musky/Pike single baitfish.

I, on the other hand, did not hook up with any fish. I did, however, came very close to piercing my ear. Lucky for me, the hook missed and caught my hat. I was alternating between my fly rod and my baitcaster the whole time. Switching to my baitcaster when the wind picked up, but in this instance, I was stubborn and decided to try and cast my fly, but the wind picked up even more.

It's instances like that, that remind me not to press my luck, and I hope you all remember that, too! Be careful out there!

If it were to have pierced my ear, I would have had to tie up a duplicate for the other ear.

I also, forgot my waders, and didn't have a pair of sandals with me, either. My feet were frozen. Haha Gotta love the early season struggles. =)

Happy Days!

Oh, how I've missed writing, and reading blogs. I've been busy, but I am looking forward to catching up on all that I've missed!!! I've got some time set aside for that tomorrow.

Sick and Sunshine

My GF passed on whatever sickness she had last weekend to me, so, I can be miserable this past weekend. With temps in the 40-50s and the sun shining, I watched from our 2nd floor bedroom window as all of the snow melted away, and ice start to retreat to corners of the backyard lake.

Saturday afternoon I had it. I just had to go outside and make a cast, and to get some fresh air for me and Bo (One of our dogs. The other is visiting my mom.). My GF eventually came outside and enjoyed the sunshine, as well.

I casted a square bill lure in a natural colored pattern with my baitcaster. I hooked something 10 minutes in, and to my surprise it was a carp!! It was hooked on the outside of the mouth with the front treble hook, and on the side of the head with the back treble. Is it a catch? - I'll allow it.

Right behind me is my GF's townhouse. Pretty sweet!

...and here's the face I'm sure everyone makes when a fish is set to flop right out of your hands. Luckily, this one didn't escape my grasp, but you can definitely see the concern on my face. HAHA!

This picture is definitely a wall hanger!

Off it goes. Hopefully, the next time I hook up with that carp, it'll be with my fly rod, and I won't be sick. Don't you just love a good release shot! I know I do. Not bad for a 15 minute outing. Oh, Happy Days!!

**It started to snow again on Sunday afternoon, and as of this Monday morning, I can see that we accumulated about 3 inches of heavy wet snow. When will it end!!!

Another Happy Customer

I love seeing photos of people catching fish with the flies that I tied. Evan (you can find him on Instagram @coloradooutdoorsman) hooked up with his first norther pike out in Colorado with a big bass fly I had sent him. How awesome is that!!!

Congrats, Evan!!!!

Lately, I've been in the giving spirit, so, I would like to offer all of you one of my Carf Outdoors stickers! Just shoot me an email at carfoudoors@gmail.com...or if we're friends on FB you can just shoot me a message on there.

Big Crappie

Just like, Mel over at The Pond Stalker, I love catching me some crappie and other various panfish on the fly. Lakes and ponds are where I grew up fishing, and those are the bodies of water nearest to my home. I spend a lot of time at these places after work during the week catching bluegill, sunfish, crappie, and bass.

I just wanted to share an old picture of the biggest crappie I have ever caught, and it was on a size 4 black zonker. I thought I had a decent sized bass on, then I saw the flash of it's side. It was pretty exciting.

Justin Carfagnini approves this message.

What's your biggest crappie on the fly??

What's your biggest crappie ever??

Night crawlers and Cats

Ah, the good 'ole days, baiting a hook with a fat juicy night crawler, casting it out to what you think is the deepest spot on the lake, and waiting. I was rummaging through some old files on an external hard drive of mine, and came across some old pictures.

I haven't caught a catfish in so long. Makes me want to set aside an outing to dunk some bait this summer. With the lake right behind my GF's townhouse, I just might have to do that, while I fire up the BBQ and grill some steaks.

Thee biggest catfish I have ever caught.
(No idea why I'm wearing a batting glove. HAHA)

I had a different system. I always thought adding the bobber helped keep the bait off of the bottom a tad. The fish never minded it. In Illinois, you're allowed 2 rods per angler. I used to soak some bait with my spinning rod, and cast lures with my baitcaster or other spinning rod.

Nice little Channel Catfish at Mallard Lake.

Catch and Release

Salad

These photos are probably 10+ years old, and they brought back some really good memories. If I find any more good ones, you can bet, I will most definitely share them!

Need some motivation

The start of a new job, adjusting to a new schedule, learning new things, and trying to remember all of it....exhausting! I've been nothing but a bum, when I get home from work.

When I'm at work I stare at my Yeti rambler and think about all of those smallmouth bass that are just waiting to say hi. Then I get home, and I cannot wait to say goodnight.

Winter, you're winning.

Ice Fishing

As I was wandering through Cabela's killing time, and looking at a bunch of hooks, I came across some very small jigs that looked perfect for ice fishing. The hooks were 1/100 oz, and they had a clean hook shank to work with. 

1.  I tie on some marabou for a tail (Do not cut off the excess.)
2. Add some crystal flash for an attractor.
3. Wrap the excess marabou around the rest of the hook shank.
4.  Whip finish.

Done.

I am going to give ice fishing another shot this winter.

Recent Orders

Finished up some recent orders. Seems everyone has predators with teeth on their mind.

Here are 2  flies that will be hunting down Northern Pike locally for a guy that just got into fly fishing. I've had success with these flies, and I know that they will serve my buddy well.

2/0 bucktail baitfish

These big beautiful flies will be hunting down Southern Ohio and Kentucky musky. Those Clear Cure Goo Jolly Roger eyes on my cotton candy pattern is sure to piss off any musky that it crosses.

8/0 musky flies

I wish I was still chasing musky and pike. If the weather is nice this weekend, I will be fishing.

Option A - Des Plains River for Northern Pike from my kayak. I just don't know if I will have the time.

Option B - Small creek wade fishing for whatever is around. Smallies, creek chubs, bluegill, and tilapia. Haha A buddy of mine caught a few tilapia out of this creek in a certain section this summer. We believe that they were planted there, with hopes that they would sustain their own population. I highly doubt that those warm water fish are still there....but you never know! :)

Secret Spots

Don't ya just love seeing photos like this!

Taken sometime this summer, as you can tell by the fluttering butterfly.

I caught this walleye on a spinnerbait rigged with a Stankx Bait Company swim bait. I caught another one a few casts later. Such a beautiful fish! I was really shocked when I caught it. I haven't caught a wally in probably over 3 years. It's a fish I rarely target. If you couldn't tell, this walleye was caught on Planet Earth, and more specifically, North America.

Where's your secret spot? You can tell me :)

Strange Catch

Going through some old photos, I came across this "white" bass. Not a white bass, but a largemouth bass that was white. I remember catching this bass at a local lake with my fly rod. I remember thinking to myself, that is one weird fish. It wasn't albino, because, it would have had different colored eyes, but it didn't.

Anyone else catch anything strange?

Finished deck upgrades. ..almost.

Here is what the deck looks like almost finished. I just need to stain the last piece...can you guess which one it is? That last piece probably won't get stained until Spring. Unless, my GF forces me to do it now.

Measure Twice, Cut Once.

Doing work on my GF's new place. I built 2 gates for the deck in her backyard, so, our dogs don't go running off chasing geese, skunks, racoons, ducks, and cars....

*****PAUSE*****

CHECK OUT THAT LAKE!!!!!

*****UNPAUSE*****

When I first saw the place about a month and a half ago, I could see that there was a ton of carp activity. Now that we're moved in and Fall is in full force. I see absolutely no activity at all. I haven't had the time to even wet a line until this past weekend, and I only did so for 15 minutes. I didn't even see a fish. I'm sure it has the usual largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and carp. I'm looking forward to Spring and Summer!

Thinking I did a good job on the gates, we brought the dogs over. Sure enough, my GF's dog Bo was able to squeeze himself through the gate and out into the field. Oh joy! He was able to get out twice. I chased him in my socks the 2nd time, stepping in probably all of the geese poop in the neighborhood. 

That prompted me to make some changes to the gates, and the entire deck.

I don't think I'll get tired of that view.

Finished up all of the staining (except for 1 piece), and nailed the pieces in the proper places around the deck. Bo, is no longer able to gallivant through the neighborhood by himself. Mission accomplished!

I cannot wait for all of this work to be over with. I miss my fly tying vise.

Needs some grass seed.

Bo Knows Kayaking

Borrowed a kayak from my buddy Bobba-Dood. Took the GF out on a local lake for a spin around, and we decided to take her dog Bo, because, Bo knows kayaking. Bo knows...

The outing started out great. Bo started out nervous, as we expected.

Then he became over confident, and then nervous.

...and then he jumped in the water, in the middle of a weed bed, and came out looking like swamp thing.

(unfortunately, I did not get pictures of this.)

Soon after, we paddled back with a wet dog.

The End.

Other fun facts

Bo Knows....

• How to hide marshmallows under my bed.
• How to jump on the dining room chair, table, and grab a bag of snacks for him and Daisy.
• pooping.
• How to howl like he's a big bad wolf.

Huge Relief!

I haven't been able to find my 5 wt reel for 3 weeks now, and I have been going absolutely bonkers! I even skipped out on fishing for northern pike this past Saturday to tear apart my truck, and home in search of my beloved reel. (My 5 wt is my goto setup)

It's been found!!!!!

I look a heck of a lot happier than this.

Turns out I left it my mothers truck the one day I borrowed it from her. The one place I never ever would have thought to look. Cannot wait to begin casting medium sized poppers for bass, again! Those bass I missed with the frog lures and big frog flies have no idea what's coming...or maybe they do, because, I caught them last year. Oh, well. HA!

Froggin'

Took one of my good friends DANK, and another buddy GEO to the honey hole I found last year for the first time. I've been trying to get him to come out, but just never happened until now. He doesn't fly fish, so, he was wondering what would work...I told him to bring his frogging rod, and his finesse set up for a weedless rubber worm. DANK is a Jedi Master with a frog, and I knew that he wouldn't even need his finesse set up on this lake, because, the weeds have started to take over. I have never caught a bass using a frog with my regular rods, and I am truly envious of his skills.

Foggin' force is strong with DANK

DANK with a tank!

GEO hooked up with his first top water fish of the year with this fine specimen. 

GEO and a beautiful bass

A lot of bass were caught. The aerial display put on by the bass was quite impressive. On 2 occasions I had 2 bass come straight out of the water to take my frog fly offering. It reminded me of Discovery Channels Shark Week and how the great white sharks attack and fly out of the water at Seal Island.

Air and water show participant

I love top water!

The bluegill

Far too many people over look the bluegill, and think of it as an annoying fish...

I can guarantee when those same people started out fishing, one of their first fish was a bluegill.

Next time you catch a bluegill, take a closer look at it, and you will find an array of colors revealing a beautiful fish. A fish that's always willing to bite, and save the day of a skunk.

Love is in the air

Love is definitely in the air. I floated the lake I have so much hate for, for 6 hours.

The weeds have taken over a very well known popular area for kayaks and boats. Now I know what you're thinking, that has top water written all over it. Indeed it does, but stupid me left all of my top water flies and frog lures at home. D'oh!!!

I chucked a size 6 black/red/silver gotcha fly with my custom FSA 3 wt rod, and was able to hook up with several dink LMB and bluegill in the shallows.

On my spinning set up, I tossed a weightless fluke, and enticed 2 very nice sized bass, but 1 spit the bait before the hook set, and the other...I just flat out lost to a couple head shakes. It's been awhile since I tossed a fluke, and forgot how much I loved the action on it, when weightless.

The carp were all over the middle of the North pool gettin' down and dirty with one another. I floated right past a bunch of them, through the chocolate milk colored water they had made. It was quite humorous.

All in all it was a beautiful day to be on the water. Regardless of the missed fish, I am just loving being on the water, and being able to paddle around.

Party until you're blue in the face!

I stopped by my local honey hole to see if the big bluegill wanted to play. Casted a small boogle popper with my custom FSA 3 wt, and the bluegill did not disappoint. They accepted my blue popping invitation with excitement, jumping out of the water with each delivery. Every cast was greeted with as much excitement as the last. It was a fun 30 minutes.

Taking more than they can handle.

All jacked up on mountain dew, and came at me like a spider monkey, but I was ready. I came in first, and he came in last.

The Fuzz showed up forcing everyone to dip.

I even made a new friend. There's no doubt his kung-fu will grow strong, and he will enjoy plenty of pizza.

Turtle planking...this little dude is on some next level shit. Look at that focus...and the form...perfection.