12 DO's FOR FISHING AT BOAT RAMPS

David Hutton
Palmetto Fly N Fish
Episode 98, Dec 31, 2020

I have a boat, and I use both public and private boat ramps to launch it.
I also fish around boat ramps at times, without launching my boat.
Peculiar, right? I have a boat - and I go to boat ramps - but I don't always take my boat to boat ramps.

Sometimes, I just want a simpler time of fishing without the intricacies of a boat.
On other days, I want to "run and gun," checking out 4 or 5 of the ramps around the lake.
My boat is more of a small skiff/pirogue, anyway, good for backwater fishing... but not well suited for those times I want to bring one of my rambunctious grand-children.

At times like these, I'll head to one of the many boat ramps in my area.

However, this isn't like sauntering up to some vacant shore and just throwing a line.
Boat ramps are multi-use facilities, and they are shared by many people intent on different pursuits. 
So, there are some distinct rules of etiquette to be observed that make the experience way more enjoyable.

And, because I love my readers, I want to avoid the usual, "DON"T DO THAT" kind of rules you often get when it comes to fishing.
Yes, dear friends, I want to be more encouraging than that.
So, I present, for your enjoyment, my... 

12 "DO's" FOR FISHING AT BOAT RAMPS

1. DO remain well clear of the ramps, to one side or the other.

2. DO reel in any lines you may have on the ramps when boats are approaching, launching and recovering.

3. DO remain well clear of the ramps when boats are approaching, launching and recovering.

4. DO move off the adjacent courtesy docks, when boats are approaching, loading or unloading.

5. DO remain clear of traffic lanes, ramp approaches, and parking aprons. 

NOTE: These "Do's" also apply to your pets, should you bring them along.

Boat ramps and their features are for motor vehicles and boats (some very large) to come and go, in and out of the water.
There may be features there for your comfort an convenience, but for your safety and that of others, you must stay well clear of these particular activities.

6. DO collect and remove ALL items you bring with you.

7. DO collect ALL TRASH you generate while on site, and place it in the proper receptacles, or take it with you.
This includes doggie poo.

8. DO collect and remove trash left behind by other, less considerate, users.

9. DO respect any of the features and amenities made available for your use by not damaging, defacing, or stealing them. 

10. DO keep all fires in approved fire pits or braziers, when provided.

Extinguish all ground fires with water, and cover the ashes with soil insofar as is possible.

11. DO consume the fish you legally catch, if you like.

DO take them home where you can clean and enjoy them. Never clean fish and leave their offal and/or remains behind at the site.

Never toss unwanted fish on the ground to rot - release them, if not keeping them.

12. DO know and follow all fishing regulations and catch and creel limits established by your states fish and game department.

Please practice good stewardship of the resources we all share and enjoy.

As promised, you'll see I encourage you to enjoy yourself, and to also show courtesy and common sense while doing so.
Who said you can't do all three?

Thanks so much for reading and Tight Lines...wherever you fish.

David
Palmetto Fly N Fish

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Maxcatch Hooks

Maxcatch Hooks In the House

December 24 2020

I recently received a request to tie some flies for this coming Spring. The fishing locale will be upstate South Carolina, otherwise known as the Southern Appalachians.
What the requestor wanted specifically were Cahills, Hendrickson's, that sort of thing,...dry flies, in other words.  
Full disclosure: I don't normally tie this kind of fly.
I used to, when I first learned that trout and panfish pretty much eat the same things.
But I've moved away from them, and don't get much call for the type.

So, I referred to the information I've shared on these pages before, from the book, "Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia," 3rd edition, by Jimmy Jacobs. I've linked it here:

www.facebook.com/groups/flyfishingsouthcarolina/permalink/1782042488699164/

After re-reading it, I realized I would need some proper dry fly hooks for this work – 12's and 14's to be exact.
Here's how Mr. Jacobs explains it...

"HOOK SIZES

No elaborate ranges here; it's really a small selection when compared to what we THINK we must have. In short, here are the sizes you need to consider:

- Sizes 12 and 14 for dry Flies

- Sizes 8-14, for nymphs and wet flies

That's it. These will allow mastery over the bulk of the conditions found in Southern Appalachia."

Since there is no better time to add to the hook stash than when prepping for a tying project, I ordered some dry fly hooks in those sizes from Maxcatch on ebay.

In these pics you can see the package dump – the “unbagging,” so to speak.

The 12's

The 12's are black nickel, and barbless, which was not intentional, but it won't make a difference. 

They were $5.75USD

The 14's

The 14's are barbed, bronze, and came at a cost of $5.50
These are packs of 100 – making the hooks less than 6 cents apiece.

Now, if these are like most other items from Maxcatch, I can expect good performance from them.
Yes, they came from China, like most every other thing these days.
I wouldn't normally order them that way, because it can take a hugely long time to get anything from there.
Yes, the “slow boat from China” you've heard about your whole life is real.

The thing that decided me, however, was they were coming from Maxcatch.
And how long did they take?
10 days. Not long at all.
So there it is.
Hooks. China. Maxcatch.
Make of that what you will.

Anyway, they look okay, as hooks go.
Keep in mind, they aren't paying me to plug these hooks - I'm not advertising them, I get no kickbacks from Maxcatch, and I'm not on their pro-staff team... I'm not on anyone's pro-staff, in fact, except our own, here at Palmetto Fly n Fish...

No, this is just me telling you what I can tell you. 

I might stress test a few of the hooks, to see how they hold up; that's always revealing. 

I do this from time to time with hooks, when I feel the need, and some of you may remember my “Great Aberdeen Hook Test” from a few years back....

https://palmettoflynfish.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-great-aberdeen-hook-test.html

If I do the tests, I'll update with a new blog post to inform you of the results.

Next comes the tying, which will follow my current Project Vise line-up, "Bass Flies You Cant Imagine."

For now you've seen the hooks. We'll "see" what else develops.

Thanks so much for reading and Tight Lines,

David
Palmetto Fly n Fish

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Special Things and Trash Cans

Something About Special Things  
Dec 14, 2020

Have you ever picked up a certain something, held it in your hands, and realized it just gives you enjoyment to hold it?
It doesn't have to be expensive, or rare - it just suits you, and you feel good just looking at it in your hands.

Yesterday, I was examining some soft plastic baits I found at the boat ramp.
These were discarded items that I literally snatched from atop a garbage can.
But it's not just my cheap-ass nature that loves free stuff from trash cans.
Well, it is, but it's not only that.

Rather, its the molded in detail and the texture of these things that captivates me.
They are also scented with some mysterious "power enhancement" - the package says fish hold on to them 18 TIMES LONGER than other baits. 

I don't know what other baits they're referring to, but that's special.

Also, I should add that they have hooks already mounted in the them. 

That's a bonus by itself. 
They came in a little molded tray designed to fit them and show them off in the package.
All in all, the amount of research, development and manufacturing effort that went into getting them into someone's hands - just so they could be thrown away... well, that was monumental.
As these realizations gelled in my mind, these baits became "Special Things."


Natural fly tying materials are another of my Special Things, much the same as these soft baits.

I don't even need to tie flies with the materials to appreciate the materials.
Holding a dried out squirrel tail, crusty deer bucktail, or a feathered cape from some long-dead bird, one feels the POTENTIAL presented by these humble materials.
Where did they come from?
Since they're not on the critter anymore, just how did they get to me?
Under a magnifier, each hair or feather becomes a little world all its own.
Just pondering all the patterns I MIGHT tie with them is enough to make them Special Things 


Tools are also special, and I have a lot of tools.

These are also much like the fly tying materials; they are an an exercise in potential. 
Some I have gathered over the years, some I inherited from my father and step-father. The nice thing about decent tools is they last a very long time, and their purpose for existing never diminishes.
Many of them are tools I only occasionally use, but that's not what matters.
The important thing is they represent what CAN BE, more than what is. 
This isn't avarice or hoarding, this is love. That makes them Special Things. 


There is one of my Special Things that may be a little valuable: an old Ruger
Mark I, .22 pistol.

This has been in my family as long as I can remember, and it came to me when my parents passed away.
It has a 6" tapered barrel, and it's a "target model."
It is the first gun I can ever remember shooting, and hitting anything with.
I was about 6 at the time, and I can still see the old bottles and the flying glass in my mind.
I still have the original box and paper work with it, too. These show that my MOTHER bought the thing in 1961, which makes it all the more a Special Thing.

How about that 20 year old Ford F-150 I drive?
Ford liked it so much they inducted it into their High Mileage Club. 

When it breaks, I fix it. If something goes wrong, I take care of it.
It tows my boat, hauls around other things I consider special, and fits me like an old shoe or pair of worn jeans. Its a Special Thing.


By the way, my old boots and jeans have been all mended or repaired at least once. I look forward to putting them on. They, too are Special Things. 


We each have our special things. They make us happy.
To others, they may seem certainly unique, maybe quirky, or even unimaginable. 
And, I'm pretty sure young people don't look at it quite this way.
I'm not knocking our youth - heck, I have been one myself.
Of course, they have things they like, things that are special to them.

But, could a 20-something really appreciate those soft plastic trash-can lures the way I do?
Maybe a rare few, but I think it takes a certain grace of years to embrace the significant 'why" of something that gives you pleasure. 
In the end, "Special Things" require a sense of appreciation and gratitude for the smaller things you come across in life.

For a thing to be "special," it has to sneak up on you.
It's a light bulb coming on.
It's a sudden flash of things coming together, in an awareness you didn't expect.
"Wow, how special is THAT?!" you catch yourself saying.
And in that moment, you know you have a new Special Thing.

I can tell you this much: I'll never look at boat ramp trash cans the same way again. 

Thanks and Tight Lines,

David

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Fish Skins And Big Money - The Boat Ramp

Walk Around The Boat Ramp

Dec 12, 2020

I had to run a couple "Secret Santa" errands yesterday morning, and one of them took me near a familiar launch site on nearby Lake Murray, South Carolina.

No, really; my destination was within a couple miles of the launch ramp.
Seriously, it wasn't planned...

 

Because I left the house without any plans for fishing, I didn't bring along a tackle kit.
So, a lake-side reconnoiter - a walk around - is the next best thing.
Its actually calming, usually interesting, and always informative.
Besides, it was a beautiful Autumn day with bright skies, a fair breeze, and temps in the upper 60's.
So, lets get into it, shall we?

This particular ramp is on a pretty big back arm of the lake, so it has quite an expanse of water around it.  Heck, in some places this might be an entire lake.
But this is just a tiny fraction of Murray's 85 square miles.
  

Big Bunch of Water

The Dock Ramp

Our department of natural resources refers to these ramp-side features as, "courtesy docks."
Kind of a neat name, I think, "courtesy dock."

This looks like its dropping off into space, but it actually leads to a floating boat dock out on the end. 

Winter is a unique period for Lake Murray, as it is the time of the, "Winter Drawdown."

This is a power generating reservoir, and it's the second in a pair of flood control, power lakes that comprise the Saluda River watershed.
As such, it funnels all the water from about 2 million acres of the upstate through it's basin.

However, since winter is basically a dry season here, with little cumulative rainfall, the power companies draw down the lake over winter in anticipation of all that upstate water that will come with the Spring rains.

3 Feet Low... And Not Done

 
They are calling for a 5 foot drawdown this season.

How Low Will It Go?

(hint - I've seen it drawn down to 15 feet)

Rocks

Lake Murray has a hard pan bottom. 

These rocky outcroppings run straight 

out into the lake, and will be underwater by next summer

"Ol' Stumpy"... high and Dry

One of my wife's favorite photo subjects

"The Cousins"

"Ol' Stumpy" in the background
All will be under water next year

Other Things, Some Fishing Related

One of the things that is cool about such a walkaround is you see, "stuff." 
We often overlook "stuff" in our daily lives, as we rush to do things, to be productive, to keep moving.
But Life is journey full of stuff, and all kinds of interesting things appear if you look. You also get a better understanding of the near shore structure, in this case, if you choose to see that kind of 'stuff.' 

The Courtesy Outhouse

Like the dock, this also has a fun name.
Say it with me..."courtesy outhouse."

Used and Abused

The interior of the courtesy outhouse could stand a little sprucing up.

Shell Beds

Okay, this is some better 'stuff' than an outhouse, I suppose.

What your looking at are spent mussel shells.
The entire bottom of the lake is covered with mussel beds, with at least half a dozen species of them represented, that I know of.
When these mollusks end their little shellfish lives, they float to the surface and are eventually deposited along the shoreline in large drifts of empty shells. 

They crunch loudly as you walk on them, with a crackly sound reminiscent of crunching snow.

Mussels Galore 

These mussels filter silt from the plentiful rain runoffs, and they comprise a crucial benthic eco-system within the lake.
But, more importantly (at least to me), they are the primary food source for one of the prominent sunfish species in the lake: the red-ear sunfish, aka, "shellcracker."

Shellcracker

Here in the South, the shellcracker is mentioned in hushed and whispered tones; it enjoys a near-godlike status among in-the-know anglers. The native Americans of the region called it, "chinquapin" - and we name roads after it. 

You have your bass guys, and your striper yahoo's, and a devoted cadre of catfish guys. 

Yeah, okay,.. fine.

But good shell beds produce nice shellcrackers, year after year, and Dixie fishermen guard their locations jealously. 

I'll tell you where to catch those pesky, fool stripers any time, but don't ask where the good shell beds are!

 

Decomposing Fish Skin
Food for ants; the cycle of Life continues...

Fungus Among Us

Wherever you see a mushroom or toadstool growing, there is a very peculiar set of biological circumstances at work - in just the right balance - to provide for their brief, but fascinating growth. 

Cedar Cones

Depth of field shot

Cypress Knob

A little macro action

The Trash Haul

Of course, no walkaround would be complete without a load of trash hauled away.
The Trash Baboons leave their refuse, and I haul it off.
Old shoes, dead ball caps, bottles, fast food waste, you name it.
The two rectangular items in front are nightcrawler containers.
Those I will reuse.   

The Tackle haul

Walkarounds usually result in some tackle being found, as well.
And as the water is lowered for winter, it can often be surprising what else you might find.
Besides actual tackle, I've found entire fishing rods, tackle boxes, camp chairs, ratchet straps, jewelry, a golf swing trainer.... 
Today, it was just these few items. Fair enough.

The Money Lot

As we all know, fishing today is big business, and people spend fortunes on it.
Gone are the days of saving up for a $20 reel, or fishing with string and safety pin.
Lake Murray is, among other things, a party and recreation lake for urbanites with money.
As such, the boat ramps around it are almost always abuzz with rigs I could never afford, but which I enjoy looking at.
This parking apron runs back up the hill a bit more, and you're seeing only a portion of the truck and boat rigs in the lot - probably a quarter million dollars worth, all totaled.
This time of year, they're mostly fishermen...  

Soft Plastic Hand-Me-Downs

I usually find something like these around the ramps, too.
These were discarded by someone, and make the perfect accompaniment to the rods I find.
I could probably fish the whole season through, with just the soft plastics and other lures I find....


So, that concludes our walkaround. 
It was only about 45 minutes, but it was a nice day, and a nice diversion.
Thanks so much for coming along with me. 


Tight Lines,
David

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