Kansas Crimson

We aerated one year. Giant freaking mess. I don't think it helped anything.

so, apparently four men were arrested in Maharashtra, India for raping a monitor lizard (think smaller komodo dragon)

the beastiality was filmed

wtf

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:30 pm So some of you, a year ago or so, aerated your lawns.

I haven't done this to my lawn yet since I've bought my house.
Spring I pick up all the dog shit and fallen limbs, rake, apply some weed control, then seed/fertilize.

Have any of you noticed aerating making a significant difference?
How do I get my lawn looking good so I get you all off of it?

If you do, do it after picking up the dog shit. Won't be able to after.

man, so got a tip about a particular reservoir with big fish that can be caught from shore right at ice-off, but only for those who persist.

Drive past it, still frozen, but there's just a little bit of open water right at the creek inlet, what the heck. A few casts in, get a bite. It's heavy. After a few minutes of tug of war I get the first look: lake trout, every bit of 3 feet long, and thick.

Fight back and forth for another 20 minutes, get it in close, wonder how I'm gonna try to land the beast, when it casually turns its head and the hook just kinda pops out.

Went back the next day, grind for hours, finally get another bite. This one's not quite as big, but still big, and does the same thing. Get it in close when the hook just pops out.

Been back 2 days since, without a single bite.

This is maddening.

Rough life!

right?

loosing multiple trophy fish is so much worse than anything else going on in the world right now.

ousdahl wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:42 pm right?

loosing multiple trophy fish is so much worse than anything else going on in the world right now.

Ukrainians are stressed wondering what hook you are using

I tie a pretty basic old school bunny streamer on it. No really, it's literally a piece of rabbit fur tied on a hook! The fur is cheap, durable, easy to work with, and - most importantly - fish love it. It has this natural action in the water that wiggles and quivers like a swimming baitfish or worm or leech. You can add craft store googly eyes or flashy tinsel or other touches to add detail and realism, but I don't think it's necessarily necessary.

And inevitably, some other guy shows me some big fancy intricate new fly with all the bells and whistles, and how it takes him like an hour to tie each one and/or costs him an arm and a leg to purchase at a shop.

He then asks what I'm using (often cuz I'm getting more bites than him). And I like the look on his face when I show him a strip of fur tied to a hook.

I then like to add how I can tie them in about 2 minutes for under a buck apiece, so if the line breaks and I loose the fly, it's not much to sweat.

What?!?!?! You don’t use exotic bird feathers, stolen from a British museum?!?

I’m disappointed!

yeah, sometimes I'll wrap a soft hackle feather or two as a collar or body on the fly. Nothing exotic, just some kinda partridge or chicken. A big pack that lasts for years can be had at any good fly shop for like $6, so I seriously doubt it's any museum-quality anything.

Some time in 2010-11, Stephen Tyler wore some nice long hackle fly tying feathers in his hair, as some fancy new fashion statement. So of course, next thing you know it's the hot new trend, and fly tying feathers are suddenly in short supply. I remember it was 2010-11, cuz that's when I lived in Eugene, Oregon, and was in a fly shop when I learned about it.

Two sorority girls walk in looking entirely out of place, and ask if they have any of those Aerosmith dood's feathers in stock. "Sorry," the guy behind the counter replies. "Ever since that dood wore them on TV, we can't keep them in stock. The chicks act all bummed and shuffle out.

Once they're through the door, the guy turns to me and says, "don't worry my man, we still have those feathers if you need 'em. We just keep them behind the counter now, cuz we prefer to sell them to loyal fishing dorks like you who will actually tie flies with them, rather than just a bunch of dumb American Idol fans to put in their hair."

blood knot or no blood knot?

how's the start up fly and tackle business going?

i lost 6 chickens this week ill send you the feathers.

goddamn coyote. game on motherfucker.

TDub wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 11:25 pm i lost 6 chickens this week ill send you the feathers.

goddamn coyote. game on motherfucker.

Watch out for the anvil

Overlander wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 11:27 pm

TDub wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 11:25 pm i lost 6 chickens this week ill send you the feathers.

goddamn coyote. game on motherfucker.

Watch out for the anvil

he ain't thay wily.

and I aint roadrunner fast.

so....leg irons it is

I like a blood knot. It's my go-to for connecting line to line. I think it holds stronger and has a lower profile than the other common line-to-line knot, the double surgeon's. It works better for connecting different diameter lines too. And, it's easier to just tie two pieces of line together without worrying about what's on the other end, whereas with the surgeon's, the tag end of the knot becomes the business end of the fishing rig, so if you re-tie the surgeon's you'll have to either navigate the fly through that knot or just re-tie the fly too.

Other guys prefer surgeon's, and that's OK! But I think they prefer it cuz they think it's "easier" to tie or to learn initially. I don't think those are good reasons, though. And when I worked as a guide we'd have these "fishing 101" kinda courses, at which the guides would get on some dumb ego trip about which was better, blood or surgeon's, blood or surgeon's, you gotta pick! Then they'd put me not the spot. "Which is it, Ous?" I'd tell the clients, it doesn't matter, just pick any knot you can tie and fish with confidence.

A good fisherman should practice his knots daily, while just sitting around the house or whatever, when you afford yourself some time to actually focus on the knot. If you wait to practice your knots only when you're actually on the water, that's when you're too focused on the rising fish or the water clarity or the mosquitos or the weather or the cooler of beers or the all the other factors that come with being out there fishing, rather than just focusing on the knot. And that's when you hurry some half-assed knot, and next thing you know, the first fish of the day snaps off...assuming the knot doesn't fail even sooner yet, and you loose the fly before you even give the fish a chance to bite.

So yeah, I'm team blood knot. For line to line. And team improved clinch for line to fly. (I'm slowly warming to the non-slip mono loop knot for bigger flies, though, as it may allow the fly to move a little more naturally in the water...but I'm still not convinced it makes any difference to the fish.)

Either way, by now, I could tie all that shit blindfolded.

I dont know the surgeons knot. ill look it up.

blood knot is pretty damn easy to tie though. Can't imagine people finding that too difficult to learn.

In non fishing applications I only use the blood knot or a square not for thing lines together. Not sure a square knot would work well for fishing though, only one loop to lose before the leads gone.

a surgeon's knot is more or less just the same turn as a basic overhand knot, with however many extra overhand turns you want to add - double surgeon's, triple surgeon's, etc. The two lines must be lined up to knot together, otherwise it's just an overhand knot in the same piece of line.

If you loop the line then do the turn/s, then it's a surgeon's loop. Good for loop-to-loop line connections. Some dudes do it where they put the fly in the loop then make the turns, so it works as a surgeon's loop for a line-to-fly connection too.

and yeah, most fishing line is too skinny to effectively tie together with a simple square knot.

If it's two lines differ in diameter significantly enough that a blood or surgeons isn't holding, Albright knot or nail knot works well, depending on how thick the difference is.

And yeah, none of the knots are particularly difficult to learn. Heck, not much of anything about fishing is particularly difficult to learn...it's mostly just drinking beer! But that still doesn't stop yall tourists from spending hundreds of dollars a day to have someone take you.

I've always liked learning knots. amazingly useful too, also amazing how many people can't tie anything other than an overhand knot or a jumbled mess that either won't hold tight or won't come apart when you need it too.

yea, they're cool.

oh! and I almost forgot the best part to the story!

so I buy 2 packs of the Aerosmith feathers from the guy, then go catch up with those sorority girls....