A New Tuber in Utah

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff][font "Times New Roman"]I have been trying to get Kentofnsl into a float tube for several years. Today was the day. Maybe it shouldn’t have been.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Originally scheduled for Utah Lake, we changed the venue due to early wind forecast. Still supposed to blow at Scofield, but not as soon and not as much. Yeah, right.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]First bad omen was NO MINNOWS. Not a single minnow in four sets of the minnow traps while getting the tubes set up. Good we brought some from home…even though they did not produce anything.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Very light breeze at our eventual launch, about 8 AM. Some fish rising. Got Kent set up and sent off first. Tried not to laugh too loud as he floundered around trying to get the hang of proper propulsion. Couldn’t figure out how to turn and kept kicking off further from shore…not knowing if he would ever return.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Fortunately, he found the steering wheel and figured out how to drive in reverse. Just as I was launching my tube he scored his first ever fish from a tube. A small rainbow, but a fish nevertheless. [/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]After that, we both saw a lot more fish on sonar than we felt on the end of our line. We tried all the standard minnow rigs, crawlers, flies, spinners…the works. We both got bumps but no solid takers. Then Kent got a small tiger trout on a fly a bubble rig…on a Pistol Pete fly. I still had only fond wishes and wistful memories.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]After Kent kicked his way up the shoreline, in the glassy calm mid morning water, I began throwing one of my “custom” spinners. Bangity bang. Several hits and then a couple of quick smaller fish…one a rainbow and the other a tiny tiger…about 9” long. Yee hawww. Then my spinner got stopped cold and the line screamed off my ultralight reel. Several runs but no jumps. As I worked the fish to the tube I was able to look down and see the beautiful color and markings of a mega tiger. Twenty incher or better. That’s when the stupid inexperienced fish forgot how to hold on and let go of the hook. Fun fun. Conservation all the way.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]A while later I was casting with a bubble and fly rig, using one of my favorite “Silver Hilton” patterns, when I got a solid whack and it was game on. Zing went the string and a nice fish squirted up out of the water. Looked kinda bronzy and I guessed tiger. Two subsequent jumps didn’t change my opinion. But, as I got the fish closer and saw the red stripe I knew it was a bow…a feisty bow. Fought much bigger than its 15 inches.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Other than a couple more hits for each of us, that was it. No more fishies. Just before 11 AM, a brief blast of breeze came out of the south. Kent and I agreed it was probably the beginning of the forecast south winds. But, the wind stopped. We dared hope. We were foolish. At 11 sharp, a definite ripple hit the water out of the south and within minutes built to a good set of whitecaps. [/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]This would be Kent’s real test…how to handle a tube in the wind. He doesn’t like that kind of tests. He let the breeze blow him downshore a hundred yards from the launch spot before he could get beached. I drove down to pick him up. Grumble grumble. Coulda been worse. If the wind had been blasting directly offshore, I would have had to drive around the lake to get him. And, since he was using TubeBabe’s tube, you know I would do it…or else.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]All in all it was a good introduction to the good, bad and ugly of tubing. I am sure Kent will provide his own comments.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]We drove up around Electric Lake and Huntington on the way out. Surprised to see that E-Lake was not far from the top…late spring levels. And, ditto for Huntington. Only a few feet down on the new launch ramp. Plenty of ramp for launching almost any size craft. The best part was the colors. Fall has fell. Purty purty. [/font]

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[#0000ff][/#0000ff] [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40630"][#212126]FIRST TUBE LAUNCH.jpg[/#212126][/url] (184 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40631"][#212126]KENT & FRIEND.jpg[/#212126][/url] (272 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40632"][#212126]KENT TUBING.jpg[/#212126][/url] (210 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40633"][#212126]FLY BOW.jpg[/#212126][/url] (205 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40634"][#212126]POWER SQUADRON.jpg[/#212126][/url] (240 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40635"][#212126]11 AM RIPPLES.jpg[/#212126][/url] (190 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40636"][#212126]11-05 WAVELETS.jpg[/#212126][/url] (189 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40637"][#212126]KENT LEARNS WINDSURFING.jpg[/#212126][/url] (216 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40638"][#212126]11-15 BLOWED ASHORE.jpg[/#212126][/url] (168 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40639"][#212126]HUNTINGTON FROM RAMP.jpg[/#212126][/url] (252 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=40640"][#212126]COLORFUL HUNTINGTON.jpg[/#212126][/url] (323 KB)
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[Floatin_n_Maine]

great pics and fish. The foliage up in my neck of the woods is starting to look like that. I havent been out in my tube for a few weeks now, and it dosnt look good this weekend either due to heavy rain and wind.

It must be nice to have so many people to go tubin' with. I go by myself all the time. I've been trying to get my father to buy a tube but he thinks he's too big for one.(he's about 6'2'' 240lbs. or so) He bought a toon but returned it after one use because the seat was kinda flimsy and he couldnt lean back without feeling like he was going to flip over backward. I think I'll have to buy a tube for him for christmas this year.......any suggestions on a tube for a bigger person???
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]It is good to have someone to fish with. My problem is just the opposite. I have a tough time getting away by myself...but I did today on Willard Bay. I will post a report later.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am 6'3" and "well" over 250. I fish from a Super Fat Cat, but a regular Fat Cat or an ODC 420 would float your father just fine. If you get him out in one the first time, I don't thing the second time will be too tough. But, a lot of folks have a "fear of the unknown". Be patient.[/#0000ff]
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