New Links and Other News

Those of you that pay close attention to the links list on the right side of this page might have noticed some updates lately. For the majority of you that probably don't bother, I've added some new links in the last few days. The first pair of links are to TroutU and the TroutU Blog which are both about trout fishing with an emphasis on fishing in the southeastern United States. The other link I added is to a fairly new blog called Jubal Mountain. The author lives in North Carolina and the blog is all about his hunting and fishing adventures. One of the recent posts is about a trip on a blueline for feisty wild rainbows and makes for some good reading.

I spent some time this evening checking some of my favorite websites and found some great stuff that I want to pass along. First, James Marsh has been posting updates on current or upcoming hatches in the Smokies, and today he posted an excellent article that explains some of the common mistakes people make when they fish in the Park.

Next, it appears that I'm not the only one starting to think about bass and other warm water species. Nathan over at the Tennessee Valley Angler recently posted about a fishing trip that resulted in the first bass of the year. I also noticed that he has finally been convinced to try out a lanyard which is great. Probably lanyards are not for everyone but they do make a great organizer for all those things that you always want at your fingertips.

Coming soon I'll have a fishing report from my buddy Joe Mcgroom who went to Florida for spring break. While there, he and some friends fished quite a bit and caught plenty of fish. Since I don't have plans to be there anytime soon, he is going to share some pictures with me and I'll pass those along once I get them.

Finally, I have to brag a little about my newest reel. Elkhorn Fly Rods recently asked anglers to fill out a survey for marketing purposes and as incentive, they offered some great prizes including rods and reels. I filled out one of the surveys and nearly forgot about it when I received an email informing me that I was one of the winners. The irony is that I have been thinking about upgrading some of my reels to medium or large arbor (especially for the 5 weight) and wonder of wonders, the reel I won was the T-Series T2 which is for use on a 5 or 6 weight rod. Yesterday it finally arrived and so far I'm very pleased. The reel has a nice cork disk drag and is as smooth as can be. Now I just need to get a line to put on it, find a large fish, and give it a good workout. Once I do, you can expect a full review.

Next weekend I should be back to the Smokies and at some point this week I intend to go back for that big bass in the local pond so check back soon for more...