Stormy tubin' on Willard Bay

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]TubeBabe and I decided to hit Utah's Willard Bay Reservoir this morning for some wipers. Lemme tell ya what went down.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The morning started off purtiful, with a rainbow reflecting off the water of the marina. I moved around to make the rainbow reflection look like it was coming out of my Super Fat Cat and squeezed off a couple of pics...including one with a start of a double rainbow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Before we could get out to fish along the rock dikes, as we had planned, a loud water ski boat launched and began racing at full speed within a few feet of the rocks. That ended that fishing before it got started.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We kicked out into deeper water, looking for walleye or wipers on sonar. The past two days of monsoon afternoon thunderstorms have got the fish in a neutral mode and the few we saw were suspended and not hitting anything.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So, we resorted to dragging bait. We got a few small cats but no wipers. A couple of hours after we hit the water, the water hit us. Howling winds and sheets of rain soaked us within minutes. It had been 100 degrees two days ago so all we were wearing were light sweatshirts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We powerkicked back into the harbor and up onto the ramp. Then, while we were loading gear back in the car, a gust of wind scooted my Super Fat Cat down into the water and started pushing it across the water. TubeBabe quickly pulled her fins back on, made a leap into the dle of her Fat Cat and took off after the escaping varmint.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Luckily the wind suddenly died down and she was able to catch up to my craft and drag it back by hanging on to my landing net. She does good work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We took off our wet layers, as much as decency allowed, and as we drove off wet and shivering, the lake turned into a mirror with no ripples at all. Ain't that the way it goes sometimes?[/#0000ff]
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[zonker]

Great report and nice pics again. That's two in a row. Not bad though it must have been disappointing when the ski boat ruined your original plans.

That rain made me feel very comfortable looking at the pictures. I get to see a lot of that kind of scene here in Oregon.

The best part of your post was the drama, however. Tubebabe is a real superhero, 'er, heroine. She swooped right out there, snagged that runaway Cat and towed it back to base. What a girl! She deserves special recognition. Maybe, instead of flames, you need to color a big "S" on her tube.

Glad you got to get out.

z~
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks, Z. Always happy to contribute to your enjoys. You do a mighty fine job your own self...when you manage to get out on the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe don't care none about notoriety or "super" status. Her philosophy is that she does not want to be rich and famous. Although she might be okay with having a lot of money if nobody else knew about it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As I write this I am having to shut down my computer because of the lightning and thunder outside. TTFN.[/#0000ff]
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[smallmouth89]

Flyfished yesterday from my tube in the strongest wind I've yet kicked against. (Glad I wasn't on a pontoon boat!) Caught some nice rainbows in spite of the gusts and became even more appreciative of my "Fat Cat".

Last week on an outing where I left the camera home. (I have a teenage daughter who keeps "raiding" my camera when she needs batteries.) The fish were in that negative, non aggressive mode and with fishing tough I decided to show them something different. Since I am pretty proficient at slinging lead with my 6 weight I decided to hit them on the head with one of Tube Dude' s homemade pony jigs. Thanks for the memories, Pat! I hooked fought and released a 10 pound stillwater rainbow at my flyfishing club. This was on an outing where I was out on my own as my buddy couldn't make it so only me and the Lord shared the experience. Man what a blast! The biggest fish we take there are usually 4/5 pounders with the odd 6 pounder showing up. I didn't really weigh the fish but measured it at 30" and compared it to steelhead that I have caught and weighed in the past. I am convinced this was a double digit fish.

The fact that I caught it on a lure sent to me by a friend thousands of miles away whom I have never met in person made it extra special. Who needs a camera? I have the images of the fish folded in half over-filling my net and then later draped across my "Rubbermaid" tray (inspired my the "Dude" himself) with head and tail extending well past the confines of the tray indelibly stamped on my memory banks.
Thanks for a great site and all the help I have received since becoming a serious "tuber" (no relation to the potato-types) Heck, I remember the days when I used to just get in my tube with one flyrod in hand and one velcro-stapped to the pontoon. Now I have the efficiency provided by my light weight folding anchor and my HummingBird finder, not to mention my vastly improved line tray and work station. (Maybe Rubbermaid and Outcast could cut a deal.) I just love this sport!
Don
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Absolutely incondelibacious! (my made-up word...to express the inexpressible)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad to hear you are having so much fun and doing so well at something to which you are so obviously addicted. Also proud and happy to contribute to your lead head delinquency.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I can only imagine how many times your heart was in your throat as you battled that big ol' biggun. We would have all enjoyed seeing digital images of that beauty, but as long as you have them etched in your mental database, that is what counts. Those are memories nobody will ever be able to take from you.[/#0000ff]
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[zonker]

Great report, Don. Glad you got that fish to remember. That's the ultimate for stillwater trout.

Since expanding my mind a bit in the warmwater area of thought for the fly rod, I've been contemplating different methods that can be fished from a tube. The idea of using jigs and fishing vertically opens up an entirely new range of possibilities. Occasional quotes from Tom Nixon's book of flyfishing for bass (I don't own it myself) has shown me that I shouldn't limit myself to the weight of fur and feathers only. I only need time to begin to apply some of my brainstorms and midnight "ahahs." Looks like you already did it for me on this one.

Tubedude also sent me some of his jigs. I was going to use them on steelies but I haven't fished for them this year at all. Been too busy fishing from the tube. This winter when the trout are locked away in their deep water sanctuary and are not feeding, I intend to try the vertical jig.

zonker
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