Snake River 9-20-14

Snake River (Looking east toward the St Croix)

We went up to the new spot on the Snake River today.  The water is high as they got 7 inches of rain in one evening just under a week ago.  The Snake was flowing pretty fast, but the temperature was surprisingly nice.  No fishing, spent the day clearing brush and hauling some trash that was accumulated at the rear boundary.

All in all a good day.  The kids shot pellet guns and caught frogs, the dogs ran for hours.  Great to see the dogs sleeping in the car on the way home.

Heddon Imperial 125 Fly Reel

Stripped Heddon Imperial 125.  Photo by JeffSod

I was on the Fiberglass Flyrodders site a few months looking into old Heddon fly rods when the picture above popped up on the screen.  The reel immediately jumped out at me, so I posted an inquiry to find out what it was.

It ended up being identified as a Heddon Imperial 125 with the paint stripped off.  The reel originally had a black finish that was susceptible to scratching and wear around the edges.  A vintage Heddon Imperial in mint condition is shown below.

Mint Imperial 125 with original black finish.  Photo by Bulldog

The reel I found was stripped in a vinegar bath, re-oiled and waxed.  I actually like the bare finish over the painted one.

Can't wait to get this reel on the water!

Smallmouth Fly Box Property

My wife and I just signed a purchase agreement for a small piece of property on the Snake River.  Nothing fancy....just some raw property without a well or septic system.  A place to camp, kayak and fish with our boys.  

Driving down the dirt road to the spot

Small clearing off the road....needs some attention.

A little lawn mower and chainsaw work will make a big difference. 

View of the Snake Rive (East) towards the St Croix

View up river (West)

View of the shore structure

The Cross Lake dam project is complete upstream of the property, so the river looks really good.  The project the Minnesota DNR did on the dam looks fantastic.  Nice pools for spawning...

Cross Lake Dam Before (Photo Courtesy of www.minnesotawaters.org)

DNR overseeing the reconstruction process (Photo courtesy of the Presspubs.com)

Dam after project completion

View downstream from the reconstructed dam

Great smallmouth fishing right off the property.  Will be great to have a place to put down some roots and build some memories.

Snake River Dam Removal Project in Minnesota

Here is a very cool document about the removal on the old dam on the Snake River near Pine City, Minnesota.  Here is a link to the DNR article called MN DNR Recent Stream Restoration Projects.

The dam was removed to restore spawning habitats for Sturgeon and other fish species.  The restoration project looks really nice and now the sturgeon can spawn upstream.

Joan Salvato Wulff - IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame

An amazing athlete competing in a male dominated sport....just awesome!

One heck of an airboat driver too!

Salar, The Leaper Part 1 & 2

I am a big Lee Wulff fan.  These clips are just fantastic!

New/Old 6 1/2' Garcia Model 2535C

I got my youngest son a very neat little 6' 6" Garcia 2535C fly rod.  These little rods are getting hard to find, but one came up on Ebay for a fair price.

The 2535C is a short fiberglass rod that throws a 7 wt line like a laser.  Looks like the rod was made in 1965.  A perfect rod for my boy!

Lee Wulff made these short rods famous years ago, I find them useful when fishing out of a kayak.