Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3622 Oct. 13-27, 2017 | Page 24

22 FRESHWATER Oct. 13 - 27, 2017 Column #500 Has Arrived! O VOL.36 • ISS. 22 See, trial and error. Reading a lot of stuff, and later watching hundreds of fish- ing shows on the outdoor channels helped. They also provided a base point from which to start. After trying to replicate what Bill Dance or Jimmy Houston did out east, ( I never kissed a fish), with mixed results, we took their basic premise and re-de- signed it for California fishing. Flyrodding for American shad back in the late 70’s took but 3 seasons for two of us to nail it. Talk about trial and error. Sometimes, it’s just BAL. Both with a flyrod and a spinning rod, when working topwater baits, something happened that made us stop the twitch, like picking up a cup of coffee or observing a female waterskier. The splash that we heard but didn’t see was an eye opener. When we adjusted our technique to include this particular Like Cal, I read every K, so this is column outdoor mag I could get my # 500 for the Sniffer. hands on back in the late So what ??? That trivial bit of 40’s through their demise. information, along with about My introduction to the value $7.00 might get one a cup of of scent came when catfish- coffee at one of those drive ing with a co-worker back through coffee emporiums. in 75. Speaking of which, a few He wouldn’t allow any- years ago 4 of us were over one to handle his prepared nighting in Madras, Oregon. baits. In the late 50’s we We needed to be on the road bought anise oil from the about 5 AM, so we hit the local pharmacy as a scent con- Safeway for coffee. Two others trol. Lesson learned…don’t ordered one of those frappe, knock it over in the boat and cream infested, mocha flavored never set it down on an open cappa something or other cups tackle box unless the bottle of fizzle with infused cinnamon. When I asked the “barista”, all of age 18, cap is firmly in place. for just a cup of coffee, she just stared. My explanation finally got me what I ordered. On to # 500. Is there any value to reaching a milestone? I think not. And is # 500 even a milestone at all? Who remembers where they were when Nicklaus or Palmer won their final major? I don’t even remember where I was when I penned # 1 back in the early 80’s. Nor need I. Sponsored by There has been a smattering of compli- ments regarding this column over the years, to which I always replied, “thanks Mom”. One time a stranger stopped me at the Sac ISE show as we were walking the aisle. After asking me if I was, in fact, me, he mentioned how much he enjoyed some of the columns. As he spoke I glanced at my 3 show mates, all of whom where staring, tapping their toes and pointing to their watches. A feeble excuse pulled me away and I won- Top 50 adult qualifiers from all 2017 tournaments are dered if his perception was confirmed, what a eligible for a chance to win the Grand Raffle Prize: jerk was I. A New 14’ Tracker boat & 9.9 Mercury motor A fishing buddy of mine is a middle man and trailer package! between his friend and me. Even though his buddy is an experienced fly guy and regular angler, he’ll sometimes ask for more info or an explanation of whatever point I was Top 25 youth qualifiers from all 2017 tournaments are making in a column. That’s kinda a back pat. eligible for a chance to win the Grand Raffle Prize: Or an unclear explanation? A NEW SEA EAGLE INFLATABLE BOAT! As a column is read and re-read looking for a point or issue not well described, it sometimes becomes too much afterthought. There have been hundreds of times we’ve addressed a particular technique, such as possibly baiting a hook in a particular way. It was always intended to be an option rather than the only way. You can count on one hand’s fingers without using the thumb how many times the Derby hours 7am to 2 pm suggestion has been my way or the highway. TOC Entry Fee: $25 per Qualifying Adult The one that comes to mind, year after year, Qualifying Kids 15 and under FREE is netting a big fish in a big river from a boat. $10 High Roller Side Pot Option (3-Qualifiers Awarded) How many times have we heard that the fish FREE Raffle after Weigh-in for Eligible Tournament Participants “got away” right at the net? Could it have been due to operator error? State Fishing Licences are required and are available at Collins Lake Quite often the question is asked, how do you ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE AT WWW.ANGLERSPRESS.COM know all this stuff? Am guessing the number one reason is trial and error, making dumb mistakes and hopefully learning from them and/or observing others. BILL’S TIP SHEET by Bill Adelman presentation, it worked. We fly fish for largemouth in a farm pond every year. The best fly is a dark girdle bug with white legs. A small 3 ½ inch stickbait is also deadl