1. Troutnut Forum
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2. Fly Fishing
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3. JONATHON IS BACK!

Hey folks, don't know if any of the guys I used to chat with are still on here, but I FINALLY got around to buying myself a new computer and getting back online after a long hiatus. Now living in Troy, MI with my folks (partially for economic reasons, partly because they're both 76 and, how shall I say, need some heavy lifting now and then), I am saving $$$ not paying Ann Arbor rent but giving up some privacy so, obviously, I have been fishing A LOT this year. Most of which has taken place in a local lake in which the crappie started hitting chartruese woolly buggers a week after the last ice finally went out! Plus lots of bluegill (now finishing up spawning, biting best on a size 12 black, yellow, and red "firefly" - not the pattern in the catalogs, this is from an old book on panfish and bass flies), plenty of bass (mostly maxing out at 12-13" but one 5-pounder threw the hook on me a couple of months ago), and even the occsasional yellow perch. The aformentioned chartreuse woolly bugger (size 10 Mustad #9672, Krystal Flash tail topping, weighted underbody, and grizzly hackle tied at the head & wrapped back before being counter-wrapped by silver wire tied at the hook bend - that's how I always tie 'em) has been the best (my very best warmwater fly EVER), followed by my Killer Bass Flies (#10) in silver/gray or chartreuse (also, chartruese & silver - new variant). I've also been to the Huron River in Ann Arbor (smallies, rock bass, & bluegills) and Cooley Lake fishing off my friends' dock (16" largemouth, rock bass up to 11", and sunfish up to 9"). Next week I plan on going "hexing" up in the Maple River, my old stomping grounds from my UMBS days. Also, picked up an 8-weight outfit from Cabelas & fresh ingredients for BIG pike flies, which I need to also test up in the north country (or on Lake St. Clair for muskies?).

I will soon be purchasing a digital camera for fish porn (waterproof, obviously) and some illustrated step-by-step instructions for some of my own original fly patterns, KBFs included. Stay tuned...

Jonathon

P.S. Any Hex reports from you Michigan guys??

Welcome back, most of us are still around. Great fishing report; glad to see you are having a good season.