The Top 10 Things I Learned from My Dad.

The Top 10 Things I learned from my Dad.

1. Respect my Mom. Growing up I knew that I might get away with an occasional jab at my Dad, but never with my Mom! All things came to a quick halt if we ever disrespected our Mother in front of him. This greatly affects how I treat my own wife. I would do anything for her, and protect her at all costs. Thank you Dad.

2. Work hard. To this day, I have not seen another human being put as much effort into all that he does.  While we were building a fence together, I remember him saying “Just make sure you are proud of what you do by the end of today.”  He also told each of us 9 kids that he would “support us in whatever we chose to do in life, just be the best at it.” Both of these can be applied to each and every day of my life. Thank you Dad.

3. Be Brave and Have Fun! No one could make a bigger splash in the river than my Dad! (Or the local YMCA pool for that matter.)  His version of the cannon ball was unbeatable. At the beach or the mountains he would always be the first to try something, and then we kids would follow.  I see a passion for fun and a love for God’s creation in my own 3 boys now. Thank you Dad.

4. Stand up for what is right. “We believe in Marriage!” was on a 40 foot banner on the roof of our house for the good part of a year. It even put our family on the local TV station.  I still remember my Dad writing letters to my Mom daily for many years. They even lead weekend retreats to help other couples find what they have. I took my wife on one of these retreats when we first got married. I have not yet, but I see the importance of starting the letter writing. Thank you Dad.

5. Family First. Dinner is at 6pm sharp. I could do a 4 minute mile on my skateboard if I was still playing at my friend’s house at 5:55pm. Our family sat at the table together at least twice a day. It was where all of the important things at our house happened. We started with prayer and ended by clearing our own plates. It made our lives simple and meaningful all at once. Thank you Dad.

6. Be Generous. If my Dad knows you need something, it’s as good as done. This did not always involve buying something, but rather giving of his time. My dad has done more fundraisers than Jerry Lewis, and moved almost as many families as UHAUL. I still learn from him as he gives up most of his “Free” time to causes he sees more worthy.  Thank you Dad.

7. Leave everything better than you found it. From campsites to jobsites, we could not leave until every piece of trash was picked up – even the bottle caps and cigarette butts from the people before us. It might have seemed silly to us at the time, but applying this to other areas has opened many wonderful doors for all of us. Thank you Dad.

8. Pray. God is the only guy I know that can make my Dad cry. It happens almost every Sunday when he watches his kids and grandkids come back from communion. My Dad’s body can not do everything that it used to because of his arthritis, but his Spirit is now benching over 500 pounds. You have taught us that real men cry. Thank you Dad.

9.  Be Honest. Even when it’s hard – ESPECIALLY when it’s hard.  For my Dad, this goes way beyond always simply telling the truth. I have watched my Dad make things right even if people would have never known the difference. I have a long ways to go before I reach my Dad’s level of integrity, but I am working on it. Thank you Dad.

10.   Have Heroes – and let them know. My Dad’s hero is my Grandpa Joe. Anyone in our family knows that because he often tells him this in front of us all at our family get-togethers. This has a great affect on our Family as it points out the gifts of the people around us that we know we can trust and follow. Thank You, Thank You, Thank you Dad….

With ALL my heart, Happy Father’s Day,

Your son, Charlie

My Dad "Chuck" Halsell fishing with my 2 Oldest Sons. Lopez Lake, Ca - June, 2009

Creek and Stream Fishing the Sierras

Creek and Stream Fishing The Sierras

By Dave Finkelstein

www.davefinkelsteinphotography.com

Dave Finkelstein

Creek and stream fishing with minijigs and powerworms require a different technique to use especially in fast moving currents. Several times a year, I go up to the Eastern Sierras. I go up Memorial weekend to June Lake Loop. In the fall, I go to Bishop Basin and fish the South Fork and North Fork of Bishop creek as well as SouthLake,Sabrina and North Lakes. My fall fishing partner is none other than Marlon Meade. He is by far , the best jig fisherman I have ever met. We can be fishing the same rod ,reel,line and jig and he’ll outfish me 5-1 in the fish count almost every time ,standing 10 feet away from me!! Sounds like bragging but what I’m telling you is true. I’ve known this man for many years and a lot of people ask me what does he do that is so different than other anglers when fishing jigs that makes him so successful. There are many factors to his success but the one most important factor to me is his presentation.This is why some guys catch 90% of the fish and others 10%.
Can you imagine standing on a rock in the middle of a rushing stream and continuiously casting a jig over and over and over again to a fish until you finally hook it an hour or more later? That fish may well be an Alpers that is over 5 lbs. and I myself have have done this same routine. I pulled a 9 lb. Alpers out of North Bishop Creek on 2 lb. test using the same technique as Marlon. Sometimes I just watch him fish as a pupil to a teacher in hopes of learning something new.So how do you fish jigs in a rushing stream? Well, lets start off with some basics. I tend to use 3 or 4 lb. Maxima ultragreen line for streams. The rod needs to have some backbone and usually I fish with a light-med.rated rod at least 6’6″ in length. You need to be able to turn a large fish in heavy current so that you can have a shot at landing them otherwise your in trouble . I like to postion myself up stream of eddies that I feel hold fish . I then drop my 1/32nd jig into the whitewater ,let out some line to where I think the fish are holding and then close the bail and use my rod as a guide to moving the jig in and out of the eddies close to the whitewater. Its harder than it sounds and takes a lot of practice. This method works well in fast moving waters.I like to use a pearl white jig in this type of water.It seems to work more so than many other colors. Another color to use in a pink-brownish salmon roe color. This one works well also. And of course , my favorite all round jig color green perch. When the fish bite it feels like you snagged something like a rock but then you feel the weight of the fish and it gives some and you know its a fish. Again ,you need to adjust your drag accordingly and never too tight. I always have a large net close by when I stream fish. You may not get much opportunity to play these fish under these conditions so don’t play these fish too long. Get them to the net and in ASAP , but under control not hap-hazardly.
In slower moving streams you can go down stream and cast upstream and work your jig in by reeling very slow and steady. If you see a fish chasing your jig then slow it down but donot stop the movement of the jig. A lot of times these fish will chase a moving object but turn away when the object stops moving. So keep this in mind when you see a trout chasing your jig. Again, if your not getting hits then change colors. This method works with powerworms as well and sometimes even better especially on Brown Trout and brookies.Several other friends I know use the bobber method in streams to control the depth of the jig. This method works well in medium moving streams and allows you to adjust your jig to the waters depth.The bobber aids in a visual strike indicator. For the spinning lure fans you can use these methods in streams as well with very good results except with a bobber.

Lake Driftfishing Techniques

Lake Driftfishing Techniques

By Dave Finkelstein

www.davefinkelsteinphotography.com

Fishing is not an exacting science nor should it be at times, and sometimes

by chance, we may catch the fish of a lifetime. We chalk up these experiences to

rely on when we fish new fishing holes in hopes that what once worked at one place can work in another. While fishing at Irvine Lake one day,I happened by accident to hook a large trout by inadvertently leaving a line out during a tackle mishap. I was taken by surprise and the end results had placed a 7 lb. rainbow squarely into my landing net. I sat back in my seat for a few moments and thought about what just had happened. I was using a Trout Trap mini tube lure on 2 lb. test and was literally drifting with the wind. Could it be that simple ? I thought to myself.

I decided to try this again and before I knew it, I had found a great way to fish. Since that day, I have refined my techniques for driftfishing and have landed a lot of fish. Not only has this worked for trout, but I have caught bass, crappie, bluegill and carp while driftfishing. Some of the reasons I believe this technique at times can work so well maybe due to allowing the wind to move me across a body of water in silence. Drifting a small lure at a slower pace allows fish to see your lures and baits longer too. By using several jigs at the same time may appear to be a small school of baitfish.

To optimize my technique, I rely on the use of a portable fish finder to locate

larger schools of fish. Once I find these schools, I then drift the area over and over. When fish are schooling at certain depths, I will adjust the weight of the lures and the amount of line I let out, to get to where the schooling fish are. If wind conditions are really brisk then my lures cannot reach the depths I want. In order to reach those depths it’s important to adjust accordingly. I may add a small splitshot 3-4 foot from my lure. You don’t want to put the split shot too close to your lure otherwise it may hamper the lures swimming action and not appear natural to fish. When conditions are right, using a small 1 inch Plastic bobber can be the ticket for fish near the surface. You can adjust your bobber for depths to maybe 7 foot but not much more than that. The bobber aids both as a strike indicator and at times can slow down your lure if it’s too windy.

Driftfishing lures can allow you to use more than one fishing rod whether your float tubing, kayaking, or in a boat. I like to use a technique called dead sticking. This method is simple to master. You place your rod down in the boat and allow enough rod length over the gunnel to use the light action of your rod to bounce up and down with the swell created by the wind. The rod tip bounces up and down and that creates action on your lures. When a fish strikes your lure there’s usually a major bendo in the rod and you’ll know for sure that you have been hit.

The old saying “use a larger bait and you’ll get a larger fish” seems to work  with this type of fishing as well. Nightcrawlers have a negative bouyancy if they are flylined. Small nightcrawlers have a great action when hooked at the very tip of the crawler. The worm appears to be swimming through the water as it wiggles and  drift current is added. Some of my bigger fish have been drifting nightcrawlers. The trick with fishing crawlers is not to use one that is just too big.

Most bait shops don’t give you the luxury of getting smaller crawlers these days but growing your own worms can really paid off big time if you have the patience to raise your own. Adding a small fluorescent orange bead or a small propeller above your worm may also add strikes as well. I like to use scents when fishing with nightcrawlers. I may use garlic or another scent from Berkley or Procure Products to give my baits a trail for fish to follow. Scents may also trigger a reluctant fish to hitting a lure in question. Some days scents may not be needed so experimentation is needed.

Selecting the right lure to use may require adapting to wind and current conditions. Lures that I like to use vary from Trout Traps mini tube lures, wet flies,Worden’s Roostertail spinners, Needlefish, nightcrawlers, Berkley powerworms and dough baits. Making your own lures using bright colored beads in colors ranging from fluorescent oranges, reds, gold,chrome and white have been my favorites . Their weight is measurably small and can be found in most fabric stores. Instead of using a wire, I use 12 lb – 20 lb. test line to string my beads . Adding some wire tinsel or colored yarns can add even more action and flash to these homemade lures. Bead sizes can be varied to give a tapered effect to your lures as well. Using a single hook can help when practicing catch and release methods of fishing. I like to use small silver, gold, and red treble hooks since these usually give me a higher percentage of hookups. Small Needlefish lures also will work well in various colors.

I use light line in 2-4 lb. tests when drift fishing. The line should be nearly invisible in the water. Fluorocarbon leader material can be used effectively when fishing in very clear mountain lakes. You can tie them directly to your main line allowing you to reel directly onto your reel spool without using swivels. Allow your reel’s drag setting to be somewhat on the loose side and if needed it can be adjusted while fighting a fish. If multiple rods are used try to position them away from the rod that is hooked up to your fish. In most cases, I try to fight a fish to the opposite side of the boat where I know I won’t tangle my other lines. It takes a little finesse to do this and with enough practice it can be second nature when hooking up with more than one rod out.

On certain days the wind can really be howling and this usually can be a problem when trying to keep a slow drift in key areas. I found several useful common items that can make great drift anchors and work effectively in slowing down my drift. One of the more common items we fishermen may have are coolers. Now coolers float more often then not and come in various sizes and colors. Some have handles and some have handles with removeable lids. The ones made of plastic that float can be used if they have removeable lids. It sounds simple but truth be told they work and work well for drift anchors. You tie some floating nylon rope in the 1/4 ” diameter to them and attach them to either the bow or stern areas of your boat. You can adjust the length out from the boat to adjust how your boat will drift. Some days, I will use one and on really windy days maybe two. It depends on the conditions that you will encounter for the day. These coolers also aid in storing fishing tackle carried from your car to boat. Just make sure that you don’t motor your boat with drift anchors out, otherwise some mishaps will occur. Another item that is cheap and easily found are the nylon bags used for storing sleeping bags. The trick needed here is to use a very stiff, heavy wire threaded inside the draw string seam to keep the bag open. You’ll need to adapt the drawstring area so that two rings or clips can be attached to the heavy wire for attaching your rope. The stronger the material the bags are made of will dictate how long they will last and how good they will work for drift anchors. These bags can be purchased at most outdoor camping supply outlets or army – navy stores. Nylon bag anchors are easily stored and don’t take a lot of space compared to a cooler.

One of the reasons I like best for drift fishing is my time on the water seems to last longer. Maybe it’s just the frame of mind you get when you slow things down to enjoy time in the outdoors. I also like the idea that I don’t have to hold a fishing rod all the time and still can be effectively fishing a lake. I can take the time at hand to enjoy a sandwich or just chat with a buddy on the boat. It’s a winning technique that maybe you should try. Tight Lines and good fishing !

High Sierra Fishing Tactics

High Sierra Fishing Tactics

By Dave Finkelstein

Dave Finkelstein

www.davefinkelsteinphotography.com

You’ve seen it before, those guys coming off the dock with full stringers of trout. You’re wondering how are these guys so darn lucky? Having fished all day long you could only manage a couple of stockers. What are they using, some magic bait? Looking for an answer you ask “So what did you catch them on?” as they walk past you. One angler replies with a grin on his face, “Oh, just the usual trout stuff”. Your thinking, “Of course he’s not going to tell you his secret trout bait, lure or just where he caught them”.

They are the elite 10% of anglers who will consistently find and catch fish and you want to be one of the clan. Strangely enough, what he caught his fish on that day was also in your tackle box. To become one of the clan requires some angling skill but more importantly, knowing how, when and where to fish on any given day, whether you have fished this lake or stream before, will make all the difference between having a couple of stockers or a full stringer.

When fishing a new lake or stream, anglers need to understand that certain basic behavioral habits of their prey will dictate how much success they will have at the end of the day. Fishing new waters can be a real challenge for even the pros who fish for a living. Locating fish can be a tough thing to do when the wind is howling or the barometer takes a sudden drop in pressure. Anglers who can adapt to the changes in weather and fishing conditions will be those with the most fishing success.

The High Sierras can be a heavenly place to fish but with ultra clear waters the advantages of technology like fishfinders and using low visible Flurocarbon fishing lines may not be enough to guarantee you’re going to be on the fish. Trout by their natural habits tend to be finicky biters. Knowing fish location and presentation of lures makes all the difference between fishing and catching.

Marlon Meade is known to be one of the” best of the west” when fishing High Sierra trout lakes and streams. His earned reputation as one of the top 30 anglers in the western U.S. (Western Outdoors Magazine) and one of the select few California DFG fishing ambassadors have made him a much sought after seminar speaker. His seminars cover a lot of information on how to catch trout but ask him to reveal his secret fishing holes and he’ll answer “where the feeder streams enter the lake”. The truth be told, most of his favorite spots are usually fished by the general public on any given day, so why is it that he can catch more trout in one day then the average angler can catch in a season? He knows the behavior of trout better than most anglers.

Having this knowledge, he concentrates on fishing bodies of water when the best opportunities present themselves for trout to be in a certain place. Learning when and where trout may be holding out at, can help you determine how to fish a lake you have never fished. Most High Sierra lakes have some source of where the water comes in or out of a lake. Huge trout tend to visit these areas throughout the day but especially in the early grey light of morning and sundown.

Larger trout like to ambush their prey without expending a lot of energy.Creeks

that feed lakes are generally too shallow for larger trout to get an easy meal. Small Creek Chubs, minnows and other aquatic species use streams to hide from the big fish during daylight hours.

Brown trout are known for their aggressive behavior and become much more active at dusk and twilight hours. As dusk arrives, they position themselves for ambushing stockers schooling up at inlets. A big brown may feed on an 8-12 inch stocker rainbow and not eat for a couple of days or longer.  Brook trout tend to frequent areas of vegetation close to shore and can be caught on natural baits and fly and bubble presentations.

Rainbows feeding habits are vastly different compared to brown trout and can be caught with many fishing lures and techniques.Rainbows tend to school up in deep water during midday hours but in early morning hours as sunlight warms the shallower water close to shore, they are found in more abundance cruising the shorelines, mouths of creeks and springs entering lakes.

Anglers tossing the usual cheese baits, nightcrawlers, salmon eggs and other assorted baits can have good success during the daytime but when the sun goes down, the bite usually goes as well.

Light conditions play a very important role in the feeding habits of trout whether they are browns, rainbows or brook trout. Look for areas where shadows fall onto the water close to shore for rainbows to gather during early morning and mid-morning hours. Lures presented into shadow areas offer a better chance of being hit than bright sun lit water. Anglers that move around the lake shore may have better success if they concentrate on fishing the shadows rather than fishing one spot only.

Being a mobile angler can pay off handsomely if you concentrate on where the fish are, rather than waiting for the fish to come to you. An old friend of mine, Pro fisherman Mike Gardner once told an audience at one of his seminars, that he credits his high fish counts to fishing where the fish are and not fishing where they aren’t. It’s laughable but very true.

I have fished a lot of lakes and streams in the Sierras over a span of 30+ years and encountered some truly epic days of fishing as well some really bad ones. Having fished in snow storms, howling winds, rain and blistering hot sun taught me to tailor my methods of fishing these lakes and streams. Being at the right place and time has accounted for my best catches .So when is the best time and method to catch trout? The answer is largely dependent on what species of trout your fishing for but generally getting on a lake or stream before the sun is up over the mountain ridges should be a rule of thumb. This is called this the grey light of day .It can also be when the sun has gone over the westerly ridges towards dusk.

If your using a boat to fish from, then hit the shorelines by tossing Trout Traps  Pearl white mini jigs or Mimic Minnows in pearl white, green/black or a hologenic clear body with a black top in the 2” sizes. These same lures have also done very well in stream culvert areas. Other good choices include Rapala Countdowns in the CD 3 and 5 sizes with either a black/gold or black/silver coloring. Removing the center treble hooks on Rapalas can make casting a little easier with less line fouling issues.

Your rod choices should include a long ultralight noodle rod in the 7’3” to 8 foot lengths like the Shimano Compre line or other quality rods such as G Loomis and Phoenix which have a loyal following amongst anglers that frequent these waters.

Quality reels like the Shimano Sahara in the 750 size, Abu Garcia Cardinal ALB 501 or Okuma Epixor series that have at least 3 or more ball bearings and a smooth drag system are worth their weight in gold when you’re hooked up to that once in a lifetime fish.

Line choices should include Maxima Ultragreen 2 lb.test, Izorline XXX Supermono 2 lb.test in grey or clear and P-Line in Ultragreen.All of these lines have great casting qualities and a controlled stretch that I can count on when hooked up to a big trout.

Try positioning your boat to glide parallel to shore tossing lures as close up to the shoreline as possible and reel steadily back to the boat . One trick that Marlon likes to use is lightly moving his rod tip up and down several inches while retrieving his lures. This action mimics a wounded, disoriented fish and an easy target for a large hungry trout.

Whenever conditions allow, use the wind to move the boat along the shoreline without using the motor. That one tip really helps put fish in the boat. As the sun comes over the ridges, move your boat and try to fish the inlets and mouths of coves. As the sun moves directly over the water, trout tend to go deep and school up. You may consider this the time to start trolling or drift fishing your lures like Phobes, Thomas Bouyants in gold patterns, super dupers, and spinners with either gold or silver blades in the 1/8oz. to 1/4 oz. sizes.

Summer months can require the use of leadcore lines for trolling but rarely do I use leadcore up in the Sierras. Fish can be found from the surface to depths over 30 feet down most of the fishing year. Using S or Zigzaging trolling patterns offer greater chances of success than straight line runs of the lake. Once a fish is caught trolling you should return to the area and use zigzagging patterns to maximize on any remaining schooling fish that still maybe in the general area where you hooked up.

Essential trolling equipment should include a quality electric trolling motor such as a MinnKota or Motorguide with at least 36 thrust lbs or preferably higher power. Driftfishing techniques should also be considered when the wind kicks up.Using a drift bag to slow your boat down or correct the boat’s path when drifting will allow you to give a lure’s presentation a decent shot at success.

Drift fishing lures may constitute half a threaded nightcrawler with a very small red fluorescent bead and a small silver teardrop blade on the mainline. Other good choices can include Needlefish, small lightweight spoons in silver or gold colors. Berkley power worms can be added for trailers to Needlefish and spoons or just fished by themselves provided that a small splitshot is used about 3 to 4 feet from the plastic worm as not to hamper the worm’s swimming action.

For those anglers confined to shore fishing, using  Berkley Gulp Power baits in the gold glitter, rainbow glitter,orange, chartreuse and combinations of these colors would be [ go to ] favorites. Power Mouse combos using a single Berkley Gulp egg in pink, white, orange and green colors threaded just above the eye of an Owner Mosquito #10 hook , then adding a Berkley Powerworm, Lip Ripper, or half an inflated nightcrawler  can really be the hot ticket for larger rainbows cruising the shoreline.

Atlas and Paluske salmon eggs fished on a size 16 or 18 bronze treble hook has always been an all round favorite for streams.Adding some Procure Super Garlic oil or Berkley garlic spray maybe the needed attractant on tougher days of fishing. Other scents that may work well are Berkley Dip in corn and roe.

Many anglers prefer using a1/4 or 1/8 oz. sliding egg sinker setups when fishing these baits but using a very small splitshot with the line wrapped around the shot and lightly pinched may see less bottom snags. This method allows for adjustments to leader lengths quickly and without serious damage to your line then just pinching your splitshot. Use the smallest splitshot that conditions will allow. All of the above baits mentioned will work well in streams and use just enough weight to keep your baits in the target area you intend to fish.

Conditions change at a moment’s notice up in the high mountains but knowing how to adapt your fishing tactics to suit the weather and conditions can help the average angler fish confidently for a successful trip to highlands.

Tight Lines,

Dave Finkelstein

Dry Flies or Wet?

Photo of a Dry Fly used for Fly Fishing

Now there’s an age old question. I have heard some say how one is more “pure” than the other. What is your thoughts?