He tried to tell me but I wouldn’t listen, now I’m sitting here with a pleasant glow trying to put the proper spin on things.
A pal says, “go here, use this, you’ll kill ’em” – but we’ve heard that so many times it’s brushed off without conscious effort. Then all other options fail – we heed the advice, and we kill them.
Knowing of the impending confession, most anglers would choose to save face, “well, the spot was good, but then I noticed the post-coital phase starting to pop, so I used my …. and I kilt ’em.”
Us guys that fish the “stink water” have lost all self respect and much of our ego – so we cut to the chase and give credit where credit’s due.
Jean Paul Lipton of the Roughfisher’s Journal has created a monstrosity and should be punished. He calls it the X-Factor nymph, and claims it’s hell on Carp, I can’t vouch for the Carp bit, but it removed the thin veneer of selectivity from the fish I flung it at – and reduced them to primal eating machines.
It was traditional laziness at its best; I’d resolved to take the long trek up the Little Stinking to see what the sustained low water had done to the holes a couple miles upstream. I had time to putter and remembered Jean Paul admonishing me to try this bug.
As it is with every fly I lacked half of the materials, and improvised with what was laying around loose; copper Angelina instead of brown antron, varigated orange legs instead of clear, rust marabou for a tail, and copper wire rather than red. I banged out four #8’s – because they were closer than the #10’s, and tucked them in the vest.
Sunday morning was perfect, including a light breeze which would take us below the 100 degree mark for the first time this week. I was without drinking water however, thinking I still had some from Saturday and discovered both containers empty about a mile above the car.
I stopped at Old Nondescript’s hole and saw the beaver had restored his dam – giving that stretch an additional foot of water. It was a good place to start – the water was clear, 18″ deep, and I could see the nursery pods of Pikeminnow on the far bank.
I sidearmed the bug under the branches were Old Nondescript used to live and had a smallmouth on the line after the first yank. Figuring it was beginner’s luck I skipped the fly under the brush a second time, it didn’t have time to get damp before a larger bass came out of the water swearing.
I saw a swirl in the channel and laid the bug in above, and a 14″ Pikeminnow ate it, followed by four more bass, 5 sunfish, and a half dozen similar sized fast movers..
Gluttons, every one.
I moved up to the Big Bass Stretch and it was down low enough to wade, losing half its depth since the last time I’d visited. Two enormous carp were patrolling in circles, both would go 12 -15 lbs.
At this juncture I’ve landed about 20 nice fish, and could do no wrong. Merely dipping the fly into the water should have the fish rolling on the surface with little white flags.
The Carp are headed my way again, so I lay out a cast onto the clay of the far bank where it can’t make a splash. I tug it into the water so it can start to sink to the same level, and the tip of the floating line twitches.
A big bass will flare its gills to inhale a fly – just enough movement to show a twitch of the line tip – or disturb an indicator, but it won’t register on your fingers as the hook hasn’t contacted meat yet.
I set the hook on a 3lb smallmouth who streaked out from the bank and “T-boned” the incoming Carp right in the side. The Bass went south, the Carp went North and I’m laughing while trying to stay connected to the fish. I’d wind up with a leg full of water for my fun, and it was worth it.
Smallmouth bass are quickly surpassing trout as my favorite gamefish, they can be ornery, but they compete favorably with trout on every level, including aerial display. Trout have tall pines and the Sierra’s in their favor, but Bass have the “Pumpkinseed” shape, and when you apply pressure to turn them, they shrug off your feeble flyrod with impunity.
I got “T-Bone” to pose briefly above, I never did see the Carp again, it’s likely they were still running for their lives.
Now all I have to do is figure some way to apologize to JP for butchering his creation.
Nice report. Sounds like a great day.
That fly looks an awful lot like a Burk’s Aggravator.
I stay away from the “who invented what” – as it’s the only water more muddied than what I fish in..
I use a simple rule, “them as shows me the bug gets the accolades” – as most flies look like someone else’s.
As a fly tyer, Andy Burk is hell on wheels, I haven’t fished with him in some time, you can tell him I said so.
KB, a good roughfisher always improvises, adapts, and overcomes; you made the fly your own, even if it does look more like Burk’s Aggravator than my original creation. Good on ya. Sierratrout, if you notice, my antron fly is far from Burk’s tie.
I forgot to mention to you Keith that the past few times out, the smallies just crushed my X-Factor nymph. It was almost too easy. As soon as it hit the water it was buried in their lip. A bunch of fish in the 18-20″ range. It’s funny that since I was there to primarily fish carp and buffalo, that the bass catch was downplayed. The conundrum of a roughfisher.
I’d say it’s more a case of your cup runeth over, if I’d tied these in #12 – I could have caught every Pikeminnow in the river.
I’d be stripping the #8 back and getting constant thumpage from the smaller fish. Great fly, I’ll be sure to fiddle around with it some more.
In the North country we call this a Superior X-legs. It descended from a jig used to catch loopers, Kamloops rainbows, from Lake Superior in the early Spring when they are close to shore. The jig is called the X-legs. This has been around a long time before Andy Burk.
There are few really new flies and those that are new and good probably are the domain of one or two fly fisherman only. That’s what I love about your site, you share the love.
I share the insanity willingly enough – it’s the first I’ve heard it called “love” though.
I figure if they’re going to wrap me in a straight jacket because I went apoplectic over purple grizzly saddles – I might as well have company..
I agree that singlebarbed’s creation is almost spot on with the superior x-leg nymph. If you look closely at my X Factor nymph pattern it is a completely different animal. Size 10 scud hook and completely artificial ingredients: antron yarn body and tail, beadhead, wire rib, and flashback wing case. It is more based off of a mayfly pattern (gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph), than a stonefly like the superior x-leg.
I have a few Superior X-legs in my fly box. A great fly pattern for sure, but not anything like my X Factor carp nymph. If you are who I think you are John, the original came from some cohorts from your shop. Regardless, the “love” is freely shared in these parts.