Tues: Met Reel Karma at the dock at 6:45 and went hunting schooling fish. Rode around a while before finding a huge school busting the top in shallow water about 30 minutes before dark. Got most on topwater plugs, but Elly put on a little clinic and broke in my fly rod by catching 3 with it. Looked easy enough, so I gave it a try and had a shot at 2 and missed them both. 
Only had 2 worth keeping.
Wed: Went out solo and didn’t see much at all, so I decided to stay put where they came up the evening before. Quiet untill just before dark and they started coming up. Super small fish this time, 16" or so, but perfect to get my first on on a fly. Had them right next to the boat and for some reason thought I should check the drag by pulling down on the line off the tip like I do with my baitcasters and “SNAP!!”…busted my $120 fly rod in 2. Luckily, they will replace the rod for $25. I know that from when I did the same thing before I ever made the first cast with it. Guess I’m a slow learner. After that I went and got 5 on a spook pretty quick just for fun and headed on in.
Surface temp was 84 last eve and will be getting warmer with this little heat wave. Gonna wait till things cool off to try again.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
Too bad they don’t make an ugly stick fly rod. Shouldn’t break that easy, what kind is it. I had a st Croix noodle rod that I used for steelhead. It was triple the cost of anything I had before and broke twice quite easily. “You get what you pay for” doesn’t always apply I guess.
Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude
It’s a Temple Fork 9’ 8 wt. I’m thinking with it as long as it is I am putting too much bend, all on the upper half, as I hold it about mid way down. Thinking maybe I should just snag the hook onto something secure and then just lift up so it is bending the entire rod as it would fighting a fish. Start off real loose and slowly tighten up. Will check with Elly and maybe post to Fly Fishing Forum. Really pissed me off. They were well withing my casting range when I did it.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
I prefer to keep my drag on the fly reel a little loose and palm the spool as necessary. But that is probably because I had no drag on my reel when I started fly fishing. Palming the spool was the only source of drag.
Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude
that sucks about the rod. im pretty sure TF has a good return policy for their rods. I am heading to lexington this weekend. have any of the fish been schooling close to the dam? im gonna try to get on some by foot tonight, and tomorrow early morning.
Yea, TF is real good about it and they have a quick turnaround. I shipped it today.
I haven’t been fishing near the dam in a while, so I don’t know if there has been any schooling over that way. I do know guys fairly recently were catching herring in the mornings just off the rocks and the ones I have caught recently have been in shallow water, so theres always that chance. In any case, if you are going to fish from shore there are not many other places with public access to fish from. I would try to be there just before sunrise and/or about an hour before sunset and fish till it turns dark. I wouldn’t mess with the fly rod there either. It’s enough of a handicap just fishing from land. I would try a topwater plug you can cast a mile…something like a pencil popper or super spook.
Good luck!
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki