first rainbow on fly

First of all... thanks for all the fly casting help from several
members. It really is just one of those things that you have to keep
doing and doing - and then you start to get a feel for it. It's just
so increadibly awkward at first - everything - getting line out -
reeling it in - snagging trees that you never knew existed - oh and
the knots!

Well this lovely weekend I took a stroll, hip deep in the Ramapo River
- a nice "wide open" place with lots of room for mistakes. I brought
my ultra-light "just in case", and with it I caught my very first
small-mouth bass ever (I've heard they are considerably tastier than
their large mouth cousins).

After that I stuck to the fly-rod and began pulling these little shiny
"carp" like suckermouth creatures that were all too eager to "suck" my
fly. It was fun, but they were a nuisance. I continued up and found
a nice big pool comming around a bend. I couldn't see the bottom,
which I assumed was good (If I can't see them then they can't see me).
I found a nice spot to cast - not too far - and let my big
"catapiller" fuzzy fly (I can't remember what it was called) sink
slowly. It dropped out of sight, but when I began to pull in some
slack, it stuck - fish on! Still being pretty awkward on the
retreive, I hand lined the bad boy in. Twelve inches of beautiful
rainbow.

I know a lot of you fly folk expirience a particular sort of oneness
with nature, releasing the buggers back into the wa-wa. Not me. I
take joy in filleting them and (in this particualar case) putting them
in the smoker for some darn good smoked trout that comes out just like
lox. You think you died and went to heaven.

Interestingly... I've caught rainbows in this river before, and the
meat was light colored - like a brown. But in this case the meat was
bright orange - just like a salmon. Is it a seasonal thing? And the
smallmouth was pretty good as well.

take care dudes, and tight flies!

sm

"Sam Matthews" wrote...
First of all... thanks for all the fly casting help from several
members. It really is just one of those things that you have to keep
doing and doing - and then you start to get a feel for it. It's just
so increadibly awkward at first - everything - getting line out -
reeling it in - snagging trees that you never knew existed - oh and
the knots!

Well this lovely weekend I took a stroll, hip deep in the Ramapo River
- a nice "wide open" place with lots of room for mistakes.
snip
Interestingly... I've caught rainbows in this river before, and the
meat was light colored - like a brown. But in this case the meat was
bright orange - just like a salmon. Is it a seasonal thing?

I've never seen a trout with bright orange meat. Are you SURE you didn't latch
into a land-locked salmon? They look very similar to a trout, but are usually
not legal to take out of the river under a certain size.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Tim J. wrote:
"Sam Matthews" wrote...
Interestingly... I've caught rainbows in this river before, and the
meat was light colored - like a brown. But in this case the meat was
bright orange - just like a salmon. Is it a seasonal thing?

I've never seen a trout with bright orange meat. ...

It is kinda sorta seasonal inasmuch as the trout's diet is seasonal.

When trout eat scuds, sowbugs, freshwater shrimp, even crawdads, their
meat turns colors.

This seasonal diet is more "western" than "eastern".

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Tim J." wrote in message
...

I've never seen a trout with bright orange meat. Are you SURE you didn't
latch
into a land-locked salmon? They look very similar to a trout, but are
usually
not legal to take out of the river under a certain size.
--
TL,
Tim

fairly common around here- believe it has to do with diet. used to catch
lots of beautiful bright orange fleshed fish out of Canyon Ferry, Holter, &
Hauser (Missouri river chain) - Georgetown Lake has a mixed bag, from nearly
white to bright orange.

john

"John Hightower" wrote...
"Tim J." wrote in message
...

I've never seen a trout with bright orange meat. Are you SURE you didn't
latch
into a land-locked salmon? They look very similar to a trout, but are
usually
not legal to take out of the river under a certain size.
--
TL,
Tim

fairly common around here- believe it has to do with diet. used to catch
lots of beautiful bright orange fleshed fish out of Canyon Ferry, Holter, &
Hauser (Missouri river chain) - Georgetown Lake has a mixed bag, from nearly
white to bright orange.

My bad. I've just never heard of it seen it. Then again, I don't keep many fish.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"John Hightower" wrote...
"Tim J." wrote in message
...

I've never seen a trout with bright orange meat. Are you SURE you didn't
latch
into a land-locked salmon? They look very similar to a trout, but are
usually
not legal to take out of the river under a certain size.
--
TL,
Tim

fairly common around here- believe it has to do with diet. used to catch
lots of beautiful bright orange fleshed fish out of Canyon Ferry, Holter, &
Hauser (Missouri river chain) - Georgetown Lake has a mixed bag, from nearly
white to bright orange.

My bad. I've just never heard of it seen it. Then again, I don't keep many fish.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"John Hightower" wrote in message
...

"Tim J." wrote in message
...

I've never seen a trout with bright orange meat. Are you SURE you didn't
latch
into a land-locked salmon? They look very similar to a trout, but are
usually
not legal to take out of the river under a certain size.
--
TL,
Tim

fairly common around here- believe it has to do with diet. used to catch
lots of beautiful bright orange fleshed fish out of Canyon Ferry, Holter,
&
Hauser (Missouri river chain) - Georgetown Lake has a mixed bag, from
nearly
white to bright orange.

john

Could also be a hatchery fish. Hope so.
I've seen fish in western NC with salmon-colored flesh and am almost certain
they came from a hatchery, since they were in delayed-harvest water.
Bob

Bob Patton wrote:

Could also be a hatchery fish. Hope so.
I've seen fish in western NC with salmon-colored flesh and am almost certain
they came from a hatchery, since they were in delayed-harvest water.

There's a diet supplement for hatchery trout that makes their flesh
orange. It's disgusting and repulsive, but true.

That said, I find freshly planted hatchery fish, regardless of color, to
be very palatable when cooked properly, by which I mean quickly pan
fried in canola oil, at the highest practical heat (just short of
smoking, and with a coating of flour, salt and pepper, with lemon slices
on the side. They probably have a better diet than wild fish.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

rw wrote:

Bob Patton wrote:


Could also be a hatchery fish. Hope so.
I've seen fish in western NC with salmon-colored flesh and am almost
certain
they came from a hatchery, since they were in delayed-harvest water.


There's a diet supplement for hatchery trout that makes their flesh
orange. It's disgusting and repulsive, but true.

That said, I find freshly planted hatchery fish, regardless of color, to
be very palatable when cooked properly, by which I mean quickly pan
fried in canola oil, at the highest practical heat (just short of
smoking, and with a coating of flour, salt and pepper, with lemon slices
on the side.

To me, they have the texture of mush and have as much flavor. But maybe
you do have the secret to cooking them. You'll have to cook some up for
me sometime and maybe I'll change my mind.


They probably have a better diet than wild fish.


Better diet?

Reminds me of a bad 60's Sci Fi flick with people eating a couple pills
for a meal.

Willi

"Tim J." wrote in message
...

I've never seen a trout with bright orange meat. Are you SURE you didn't
latch
into a land-locked salmon? They look very similar to a trout, but are
usually
not legal to take out of the river under a certain size.
--
TL,
Tim

fairly common around here- believe it has to do with diet. used to catch
lots of beautiful bright orange fleshed fish out of Canyon Ferry, Holter, &
Hauser (Missouri river chain) - Georgetown Lake has a mixed bag, from nearly
white to bright orange.

john