10-22-03 - Dave can catch anything apparently! Not neccessarily what we were after, but he was STILL the only one to land a fish that night!

10-22-03 - Where do you night fish when you can't night fish a WI Trib? Indiana (where I am cursed)!

Waters Fished: Little Calumet River
Fish Caught: 0 of the important kind ;)
Outing Date: 10-22-03
Weather: Night; brief sprinkles of rain
Air Temp: 50's
Water Temp: didn't take it
Water Level: seems normal
Water Color: murky
Fish Species: Coho, Steelhead, BULLHEAD?
Pattern Fished:Flying Squirrel, Wolley Buggers in Chartreuse and Glo-in-the-dark, MP's Coho Killer, MP's Dirty Bomb, bait (spawn, shrimp)
Pattern Color: per respective patterns
Fishing Quality: The usual anytime MP shows up (skunked)

Ok, really quick 'cause I'm leaving in less than 24 hours to fish the Brule!

So it goes like this..last week I get this crazy idea that since we can no longer night fly fish in WI, we should try it in IN. I ask Bart if he's game, he is. I then think this might be fun for more than just the two of us, so I shoot of an email to Dave @ Creekside Outfitters and invite him along as well.

And a week later we end up meeting at Creekside Outfitters and then heading out to the river! We're all trying different things...well..I guess I am. CS and Dave threw the Flying Bunny, a D.D. original. I opted to start with the chartruese wolley bugger that worked so well back in Sept.

Early was better; Dave hooked up well on his second or third hit with what we assume to be a tail-walking steelhead (Coho just don't do that!). Unfortunately "Air Fish" as FAT would say..the steelhead got the better of us.

Not to worry, we had also brought down our spinning and centerpin rigs. Dave & Bart floated spawn, I was selected to be the guinea pig with shrimp. After probably an hour of tedious slow drifts I couldn't take it anymore and went back to the fly with MP's Dirty Bomb.

Meanwhile FISH ON! Dave is excited, CS is excited, I'm excited. Then they get it out as I'm getting ready to take the picture...a BULLHEAD. From the looks of it a Brown or Yellow..the picture doesn't really give any better indication. Well, at least someone got something, right?

Around 10:30 we started packing up when I noticed a lot of movement at the tail of a pool...I fished hard and the guys were like "Come ON Matt..time to go". I'm thinkin "NO WAY, there's an active FISH here". Well, my first glimpse was quick and I swear it looked like a SHAD, but after closer examination a Coho. Dave kinda laughed when he found out I was fishing the Coho Killer; he explained why later.

So Dave has a good theory about the Flying Bunny, ESPECIALLY when NIGHTFISHING for Steelhead. We all know steelhead aren't as apt to night feed. Well, they're more likely to find their quarry by vibrations; my wolley bugger just doesn't have that attractive component. As fly fishermen we sometimes forget things like vibration, scent and such, but remembering these components will make us better anglers on the river. So, next time I'm nightfishing for steelies on the fly rod I WILL be giving Dave's Flying Bunny a shot. He keeps touting it and catches some flack for it on TSS, but the reality is that he has a GOOD THEORY and the fly has really proven effective for him. Did I happen to mention he was the ONLY ONE to SOLIDLY hook up with fish, and that the only salmonid we saw on the end of anyone's line took the FLYING BUNNY??

On the flipside Dave is also the one who's tried hard to convince me that I can catch fish in Indiana...I'm still thinking I'm cursed LOL! Maybe it's just that whole confidence thing I keep talking about, and maybe my "head isn't in the game" when I'm down there.

Nope, after serious consideration and replaying all my times in Indiana, I'm convinced it's a curse.

  MP