Brookies and Browns

Product Review: FLY-AGRA

2011-09-09T21:05:00.001-06:00

From Yellowstone Fly Goods comes FLY-AGRA!

Up until recently, I have used Aquel. It has worked well for quite some time. I usually lost the fly to a tree, snag or bass-like hookset before the fly would sink so I never really gave my fly dysfunction a second thought.

Now, my fly dysfunction has become a major problem with my drift. When I was new and young in dry fly fishing, I could endlessly drift. Now, my drift has only been able to last a few runs. NOW I HAVE FLY-AGRA!!!

FLY-AGRA has helped my dysfunction so much that I am not afraid to show my drifts on camera. See that fantastic drift! It could go all night long!

I give FLY-AGRA 2 flies up! It's a great product with stellar marketing and action behind the claims. I am unsure where it is available though. I picked mine up from the high-floatin' dudes of the Missoulian Angler! (I did not perform an exhaustive search on the interwebs)

However, I still use Aquel. I feel like each product has their respective place. Case in point, I like my EHC's to NEVER have dysfunction - a big disappointment when the skitter needs to happen. On the other hand, I like my Chubby's with a little dysfunction. I like only the wing to have floatant. I feel like a Chubby is more effective when it can sit lower in the water. This is the perfect situation where Aquel applied to the wing does the trick.

FLY-AGRA Pros:

Floats and floats and floats
Never needs reapplication
Flies can be pre-treated and stored ready-to-use at fishing's most intimate moment
Flies can be dipped prior to use and after a false cast or two ready to drift
Comes in a solid Nalgene bottle that will never leak
Magnificent labeling

FLY-AGRA Cons:

$6 per bottle
It goes faster than I thought it would (of course I pre-treated many, many flies for that unforeseen moment)
Obvoiusly not a catch-all floatant
Smells like solvent or mineral spirits (may burst into flames from a glare off your forceps - crossing fingers)
Pfizer may jump YFG's case for the name recognition crap and I may never see it again

Pick some up at a Yellowstone Fly Goods retailer near you and FIX YOUR FLY DYSFUNCTION!!!

As much as I would LOVE to receive products from fly fishing company's for free, I did not receive Fly-Agra for free. I spent my own hard earned, payin' off student loans, feeding a family dollars on Fly-Agra. These are my honest feelings. If someone wants to pay me to do a review great! If not, I suppose my reader coverage is crap anyway. However, if you or your gear company wants to help a fly addict get some stellar gear, I would love to hear from people like Brodin Nets, Simms, Redington, Montana Fly Company, Lamson-Waterworks, Dyna-King, Rite Bobbins, Wapsi, Scott Fly Rods, and more. Please make my day and allow me to review a product of yours at no cost to me!

Later,
Scott

Trout Tripper: Photographer Extraordinaire

2011-09-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Mike has some excellent skills behind the camera; skills that I wish I had!

Here is some of his work. The rate-limiting factor in the reaction? My face.

Mike snapped these sweet shots while I was targeting a hole where we spotted some risers. Pretty solid skills if you ask me!

Go check out his blog and see some of his crazy good skills

Later,
Scott

All work and no play...

2011-09-05T21:01:00.002-06:00

... makes Scott a dull boy! Fortunately, I have had some time to fish so dull is just a baseline for me.

I have spent time on various waters around the Zoo. I have had the great pleasure of fishing with the esposa a couple of times but we never got into big fish. Then, when I don't fish with the esposa, I do get some bigger fish - not earth shattering big though.

Here is the photo journal of the last month-and-a-half.

From the Bitterroot:

Missoula's Middle Provo:

Surrounding Creeks:

Some other amazing scenery:

Tight lines,
Scott

Bang-O-Rang Blog: The Haddis Catch

2011-07-20T21:52:00.000-06:00

Brian has been blogging for quite some time now. With his recent move to Rip City he has started another blog that continues to excel in logging adventures and showcase stellar ties.

Previously the author of Reno Trout Envy, Brian has, in my view, climbed his way to the top of my list of outstanding fly fishing blogs. He exhibits a solid mix of fishing, flies, thoughts and tunes.

When Reno Trout Envy was actively being built, I anxiously awaited new posts with monstrous Lahontan cutties, Truckee browns and new flies hot off his vise. Many of the flies that he tied, and still ties, are not only excellently photographed but tied exquisitely. More often than not, he ties the flies better than the original tyer or source from where it caught his attention. Some examples include his version of the Possie Bugger, Barr's Tung Teaser, and Prince Nymph. Not only could he construct stellar flies, but he fooled chunky fish after chunky fish with them.

Now that The Haddis Catch has been cranking for over 6 months it is only getting better with time. When I hop on the waves of the interwebs every Tuesday, my first stop is Brian's Tuesday Tie. Flies vary from simple to creative, to generic to complex, to trouts to bass to steelhead. I can only see my Tuesdays getting better if Brian were to do some HD videos on Vimeo.

Additionally, the water that Brian explores is circa my wife's family's home. There are some different, yet plentiful, fishing opportunities. He has some fun adventures documented and I look forward to following along as he becomes the proficient carp, redside and steelhead angler he appears to yearn to become (he is lightyears closer than I could ever be).

Check out what Brian has to offer over at The Haddis Catch and enjoy!!!

Photos from Brian's blog:

I look forward to maybe one day sharing a day on the Nestucca or MacKenzie with the creator of The Haddis Catch.

Later,
Scott

Camp Huff N' Puff

2011-07-17T20:06:00.000-06:00

For the last week I have had the pleasure of being one of the pharmacists for Camp Huff N' Puff. We held camp up on the banks of the Upper Little Blackfoot River near Elliston. Time for personal time was extremely limited but I managed to sneak out for some fishing. Seriously, how could I not with the river running right through our camp location!

The first 2 hours worth of fishing were outstanding. A thunderstorm blew past us missing the camp but offering some excellent scenery. The air temps were still pushing 90 and the bug activity was plentiful. I spent almost the entire time fishing a size #10 ginger stimulator. For a few minutes I tried a yellow stimi Chew Toy and I saw absolutely no difference in how the fish were responding.

For a small piece of skinny water, I had a very nice cuttie come clean out of the water and inhale my fly. She was the fish of the day on all accounts - take, size and color.

I landed close to 2 dozen fish during this 2 hour stint. It was a stellar mini outing.

The next day I found a similar chunk of time but this time it was on the heels of a severe thunderstorm with monstrous hail. The sky was very dark and the air temps had dropped dramatically. Bug activity was minimal and what I did see was smaller mayflies (I never got a hold of one so I am not sure what they were). Some fish began to rise consistently so I reached for the closest mayfly imitation I had. A size #16 parachute Adams seemed to do the trick.

I missed several takers but I landed 7 fish with the largest being 13 inches - all cutties.

The sections of the Upper Little Blackfoot that I fished are gorgeous. It is water that I want to return to. The upper sections have been much nicer to me than the lower portions. I am still taking a skunking on the river below Avon. Hopefully I will be able to get back up there this summer. Some sections look like killer hopper water.

Later,

Scott

Poetically Challenged...

2011-07-05T22:25:00.001-06:00

"I ain't burned. The sun don't bother me!"

"...All things merge into one, and a river runs through it."

What does that mean?

An afternoon communing with the cutties...

2011-07-04T21:56:00.000-06:00

John and I hit the water Saturday afternoon for some top water action. I was supposed to take the weekend off from fishing but the wife was gracious and let me head out for an afternoon.

We headed out to some clear water that was dropping like a rock so we were excited to get the hot bite that ususally accompanies dropping levels.

John was throwing his FEB Pteronarcys - a clutch pattern of his own creation - and I started with a size #6 orange Stimulator with rubber legs. I quickly lost the stimi to a unreachable snag. I replaced it with a funky Salmonfly dry for a fish then a Chubby and after a couple missed takes (from smaller fish) I downsized to a size #10 Stimi Chew Toy in orange.

We started out pretty slow and were quite surprised by the lack of action but we pushed forward and found some fish. We also saw over half a dozen salmonflies fluttering around. We had some great "popcorn" style fishing in several holes - taking turns whether we were getting into fish or not.

We got to one hole and enjoyed teasing the fish. On one occasion we had one fish rise over 5 times to several different drifts and get missed or follow and not make up his mind. On several drifts later, John brought a different, prettier fish to hand.

We then tried a few more spots, fooled some fish then called it an afternoon. It was a wonderful afternoon on the water with excellent company.

Scott

P.S. As luck would have it, we didn't bump into any nude hikers (good luck or bad luck depending on where you sit)

Hot off the bench...

2011-06-30T22:35:00.000-06:00

I have had success recently on size #6 and #8 attractor patterns - namely the Chubby - and I have had them on my mind lately. Dry flies have never been a strong point in my tying but I would like that to change.

Here are my first attempts at tying the Stimulator:

Feel free to comment regarding improvements or suggestions.

Scott

P.S. Thanks to Hopper Juan for the stellar tutorial!

P.P.S. Don't Google Image "Stimulator!"

Little Blackfoot...

2011-06-29T20:41:00.000-06:00

I have had to drive from Missoula to Helena and back this last Monday and today for some professional licensure tests. Despite the tests leaving me with the feeling that I should have chosen a different career path the traveling was nice.

Monday was a hurry-up-and-drive day so I just was able to look briefly at the water as I drove. Today I left early and stopped for an hour downstream of Avon. I nymphed for half the time and I swung a monster white Muddy Buddy (mostly so I could see it) for the other half. [I have never fished a streamer before in moving water so I hope I was doing it correctly :P] I struck out on this particular stent.

I went into Helena, started my test, finished early and headed back across MacDonald Pass just in time to encounter a massive downpour of rain mixed with hail. By the time I reached a relatively easy access point (again, downstream of Avon) the rain had stopped and I rigged back up. My leader needed some work so I just switched it out and tied on an attractor dry.

I quickly began to get molested by mosquitos. Holy crap they were bad.

With my MFC Stimi Chew Toy in size #12 tied on I hit the water for the 30 minutes I had to spare before needing to head home. In slower water near a grassy bank, I received 4 strikes. The strikes seemed to be from fish too small or a fish just attacking because it was pissed. No hook ups after 5 strikes/rises/etc. Struck out!

Little Blackfoot on June 29, 2011... SKUNKED (for the 1.5 hours I tried).

Scott

Cutties and the Chubby...

2011-06-29T08:00:00.002-06:00

Between life-changing exams I had a day off. I promised myself I would not study and that I needed some "me" time to think, reflect, chill out and fish. My amazing wife is so supportive and she rocks. Thanks a ton for the day to myself, Babe!

I headed West of Missoula for some high, but clear, freestone water. I have been watching stream flows and the last few days the flows have been dropping. I wanted some fish!!!

I spent the day being pretty stubborn though. True, I wanted some fish but I wanted them on the Chubby!!! I am in love with the Chubby! What an amazing fly!!!

The water was actually on its way back up today but the message didn't get to the fish. They were cooperative.

While I didn't manage anything of monstrous proportions today I did work out some kinks in my presentation, or lack thereof. I had approximately 15 solid takes on the Chubby and I only missed 3 of them. I did have a number of "rise-refusals" but they were from what appeared to be smaller fish - big eyes but small stomach.

My largest fish of the day - that I landed - was right at the 16" mark. It was a pretty neat cast plus I saw him come up from the bottom, follow the fly for a split second then slam it with a vengeance.

The other big fish of the day came unpinned at my feet while my hand was getting wet to grab him. Another stellar take with the fish coming up from the bottom... this time he had his mind made up from the get-go. I imagine he was a solid 16" if not a tad bigger. He was a lot more red on the belly, too.

It was a great day of relaxation and laying low. It was neat to go at my own pace but I do enjoy sharing the smiles and fist-bumps after a solid CPR Cutthroat.

Scott

Alpine Goodness and the Asthmatic...

2011-06-28T21:30:00.001-06:00

Saturday Mike and I headed up to some alpine lakes in search of elusive trouts. The first set of lakes had a notice posted at the trail head saying that the lakes were still frozen. Strike One. We then headed a little bit south (and maybe lower in altitude). We got to the trail head and it looked much better than a few weeks before when Mike plowed through 3+ feet of snow in his wading gear. We started up the trail headed for the lake ~3 miles up and I wussed out maybe a mile in. Strike Two. I am NOT used to this high-ish altitude hiking with wading gear on stuff. A BIG thanks to Mike for being patient with the slowpoke.

We got to the lake and began making our way around it. The fish was tough!!! I picked up a stellar Westslope specimen in the early part of the adventure. This fish has virtually NO spots until right at the tail. It was gnarly and gorgeous at the same time! Base Hit!

The catching was minimal until about 3ish. On the way back around the lake we picked up another fish or two. It was not what we expected to encounter based on previous experience. At least it beast a stick in the eye. The company was awesome and the scenery was immaculate!

Mike caught me zoning off due to the view. Thanks for "photoshopping" out the seventeen chins!!!

We then hung around the outlet talking with a Forest Service Contractor and I saw some risers so I excused myself while Mike did some recon. We spent the rest of our time around the outlet. Mike brought to hand the prettiest and largest fish of the day. This cuttie had a kype, some serious chompers, all decked out to get his freak on and he was pushing 17" if not a solid 17".

Mike has some good camera skills, too boot! Always a pleasure Trout Tripper!!!

Later,
Scott

Things that go bump in the night....

2011-06-24T13:57:00.000-06:00

I had a dream a lot like this last night. Only, instead of Legos it was with midgets with Trout Tripper's face.

I need to fish/tie/pass my exams. This crazy dream/sleepless night crap needs to stop!!!

Scott

Should I sell all my rods....

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

... and get a Scott or two?

This video makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. [insert tearing up here]

My favorite part of it all was the good looking Shman. I think it would be hard to be married to her though 'cause I am sure she is a much better angler, rod builder and tyer than me. I am sure she cleans her boyfriends/husbands clock on the water.

This makes me want to get a Scott rod TODAY!!!

Product Review: Kershaw Skeeter II Tying Scissors

2011-06-22T08:00:00.005-06:00

It's hard to pass up a purchase when the product bears your family name!

When walking through a local sporting good store here in Missoula, I stumbled across these scissors hung amongst other tying shears that bear the names Tiemco, Anvil, Dr. Slick and Montana Fly Company. Naturally, my eye was drawn to the shears that had my last name on them. I had no idea that Kershaw Knives made fly tying scissors!

My family has always had Kershaw Knives products. My dad carried a Kershaw everyday. Since I was 16, I have had Kershaw knives off and on. While my habit to carry a pocket knife ebbs and flows, my loyalty with manufacturer never wavers. I couldn't leave this store with out these scissors that bear a name that excels in quality.

Since purchasing them, I have used these scissors in a wide spectrum of fly tying uses. They have cut various material from foam to antron to deer hair to elk hair to opossum fur to squirrel tail to sexi-floss to thread to feather quills. They are wonderful at cutting wire with the tips... PSYCHE! Never, never do that with tying scissors!

Pros:

Comfortable finger holes
Super fine tips
Serrated edges with non-serrated accuracy
Sharp enough to circumsize a gnat
Reasonably priced at ~14 bones
Lifetime guarantee
They are Kershaw

Cons:

Not the most comfortable in my hand while tying (I have yet to find a pair that feels invisible)
Fixed tension - not adjustable
So sharp I almost pierced an organ when I fumbled them out of the package

I am very happy with these scissors!!!

Happy tying!

Scott

P.S. I am in no way stating that I am qualified to do a product review. I also do not claim the authority, clout or skills to have this review negatively or positively impact your retail purchases. I openly admit that I do not have financial benefits, nor do I receive discounted products, from Kershaw Knives - dadgummit!!!

P.P.S. If someone is willing to donate a pair of Montana Fly Company or Dr. Slick adjustable scissors to challenge these stellar scissors I champion the cause and would graciously accept the challenge.

Reflecting on the Move to Montana...

2011-06-21T08:00:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking about the move to Montana a lot lately. In doing so, I stumbled across this stellar video about Jenny Grossenbacher after reading her and her husband's book Fly Fishing Montana: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters:

Despite the stress of licensing examinations and getting my butt handed to me every time I go fishing, I am very excited to be here in Missoula, Montana!

Wish me luck on my exams on Monday and Wednesday!

Scott

Epic PMD Fail...

2011-06-20T08:00:00.003-06:00

Yellowstone National Park has some good looking water - understatement of the year! The weather was less than stellar between Wednesday afternoon and Friday evening. We had everything from upper 60's to mid 20's with partly cloudy skies to thundershowers to full on snow.

The water was clear everywhere in the Park. It was super high but clear. Most of the creeks and all of the rivers looked fishable - fishable with some caution for wading. The Firehole looked to be the exception. It looked perfect for flow and clarity.

After the family reunion festivities my wife was super kind and allowed me to fish while she watched the kiddo, napped, read and walked around with him in the hiking pack. I am married to the best lady in all the world!

First stop was the Gibbon River above the falls in the Gibbon Meadows section. A lot of water looked excellent but access was sketchy with flooded plains, thick mud and geothermal fragility. We tried a nice section near a picnic area.

I took a goose egg at this stop... we will call it working out the kinks.

Next stop was further down the Gibbon on the way to Madison Junction. I stopped at some nice curvy bends that looked promising. As was mentioned previously, I found copious amounts of these guys:

So, I tried nymphing one with a PTN behind it through some sections like this in all paces of water:

With nothing to show for my nymphing, I changed gears and put on a Chubby to see if anything was looking up. I had one take but missed the hookset.

The kid was getting hungry so we stopped to pic-a-nic [in Yogi voice] at Madison Junction. After everyone's tummy's were full and the kiddos eyes were sleepy we moved on to the Firehole. Our first stop was some picnic area north of Fountain Flat Drive. There were anglers every 30 yards working water like this:

I started with a Chubby-dropper setup to see if I would move some fish along the banks and different runs. I missed a hookset on my Barr Emerger PMD #16. I started to notice some more mayfly activity when the wind wasn't hellacious. I changed to a Hi-Vis PMD Dun with an emerger pattern Roger showed me. I got a take on the PMD dun but missed the fish. After about 30 minutes of trying more drifts in every direction along both banks the kiddo got fussy and we moved on down the road.

Once the kiddo fell asleep for good, we headed to Fountain Flat Drive and stopped before Ojo Caliente in an open section of water (anglers ~100 yards up and downstream of me though). As I trucked it down to the water the rises were anything but subtle and they were plentiful. I continued with the previous setup but got frustrated with my Hi-Vis Dun. I changed to a hot pink Parachute PMD that I tied and it failed miserabley by floating on it's side the whole time. My final rig was a PMD Sparkle Dun trailed by Rog's PMD Emerger. I had a hard time seeing the emerger so I could have very well missed some takes. I choked on a couple of strikes on the Sparkle Dun.

I continued to fish in the huge wind with consistent risers all around me and I continued to strike out. I took off the emerger since nothing was rising to it - that I knew of - and just fished the Sparkle Dun. Of the two pinned fish that I had on the Sparkle Dun, this brown came to hand and I lost one in a similar size:

I didn't get skunked in the park but I certainly learned a few things! Here are a few new found pearls that will haunt me from the Firehole River:

After fishing bass bugs and Thingamabobber nymph rigs most, if not all, of my fly fishing experience, # 16 PMDs are hard to see!
30 MPH gusts are hard to fish in with dry flies
Chubby Chernobyls are a strobe light compared to #16 Spakle Duns
The drag free drift up and across is not my strong pint
The drag free drift down and across is not my strong point
Dry fly fishing is not my strong point
Matching the hatch is hard!

I am definitely humbled by this experience!!!

Scott

P.S. Enough said!

Bison On The Road...

2011-06-19T20:45:00.000-06:00

They weren't kidding!

The wife, kiddo and I spent 4 days in Yellowstone at a family reunion. I had never been there before so I was grateful to spend a majority of the time being a tourist instead of an angler. Of course, my angler tendencies came out when we got near water.

Yellowstone River looking downstream at Fishing Bridge:

Just like in A River Runs Through It this bug landed on me and I REALLY wanted to string up a Bunyan Bug:

Looking downstream at LeHardy Rapids on Yellowstone River:

Upstream at LeHardy:

I turned over some rocks at LeHardy to show the kids why I tie my own flies. This was a chunky stonefly nymph. He had some neighbors but they moved much faster than he did (I can relate :P ):

Yellowstone River at Sulphur Cauldron:

My amazing wife and kiddo:

My attempt at fishing in the Park will follow.

Scott

P.S. I love the diversity of bumper stickers in Montana/Wyoming:

Yes, Please!!!

2011-06-13T14:23:00.000-06:00

I want some of this action!!! The following is an excellent video of some Pteronarcys gluttony!

Video originally featured on MoldyChum.com.

The Motive by Evan Phillippe

Later,
Scott

Skunked...

2011-06-12T20:59:00.000-06:00

Mike and I hit up a couple three lakes yesterday. We had heard good things about one of them and we gave it a shot first. After a couple hours of fishing the water column up and down and sideways, we headed off to some other lakes. We struck out on a number of accounts for the next two lakes. One was almost as dirty as the Clark Fork is now and the other was big water with tons of debris in the water. Mike had some hits but nothing came to hand. I had a few questionable "snags." That was it. No fish! I am pretty sure it is one of two factors: I am a bad omen to my fishing partners OR something funky in the universe was off. Mike is a damn good angler (see here for proof) and I can hold my own most of the time so I am not really sure what was up.

The first Montana skunk... kind of depressing but I had to get the goose egg out of the way.

Scott

P.S. Off to Yellowstone - hope the water gives up some fish!

Dry Flies On My Mind...

2011-06-09T23:08:00.000-06:00

Since I botched all those takes on my Chubby Chernobyl I have had dry flies on the front of my brain. It seems that it haunts me - the coulda-woulda-shouldas of the day.

A good, new friend was at a nearby river and saw some PMDs hatching. I have heard that PMDs are a pretty fun hatch to fish. I have been hunting the interwebs for PMD patterns.

My fly tying has been in a funk lately, too. My whole brain actually. My licensure exams are at the end of the month and I am pretty worked up about them. They are breeding a wicked case of perfectionism. All my flies lack perfection and it is irritating.

The interwebs are an excellent tools for learning new skills to try and implement into your tying style. With enough practice they can become a habit in your tying arsenal.

Here is a great video of a parachute pattern. It can be adapted to anything I suppose.... baetis, PMD, generic Adams, and so on. Enjoy!

Tying a Sulphur Parachute Fly from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.

Happy tying and tight lines
Scott

Thinking about a new vise...

2011-06-09T08:40:00.000-06:00

The very first vise I tied on was a Regal. If I recall correctly it was the traditional jaw Medallion. I remember it being very easy to work, strong and versatile. My first fly on that vise was a #16 pheasant tail nymph.

I currently tie on a Renzetti Traveler. It is a great vise. It also holds an entire spectrum of hooks. However, I am finding one function of the vise becoming fairly annoying to me - adjusting the jaw opening.

In the last few months I have been a somewhat bipolar tyer - one fly here and completely different fly there. I have been tying a #2/0 bass bug then changing to a #8 Possie Bugger then to a #20 Mercury Black Beauty. Adjusting the jaw opening has just been a bit of thorn in the side as I transition from pattern to pattern.

I realize a new vise won't solve ALL my "problems." Especially if I go with the vise I have been eyeing lately - the Regal Medallion - stainless steel (SS) jaw.

As part of settling into our home in Missoula, I have taken a small amount of time to hit up each of the fly shops in town. I had heard that one, by a large measure, had the best selection of tying materials. So, naturally I went there first :)

The dudes at The Missoulian Angler are fantastic. They are friendly, down-to-earth, and accommodating. When I walked in the door I noticed the line of Regal vises they had on display. For those of you that know me, I usually don't hesitate to ask for exactly what I want. So, I did!

I arranged with the guys there to borrow the demo Regal vise with stainless jaws. With a little conversation about dates and a handshake I had the vise to borrow for a few days. True champs at The Missoulian Angler!

First thing I did was clamp it to the dining room table. It was stout as could be. I probably could have moved the table by lifting on the post.

I don't like clamps though. If I were to dive into this vise I would get a pedestal base. Regal has anvils for pedestals. Another beef with the Renzetti is the lightweight base. I make due though.

I didn't tie a wide range of sizes with the vise. I was mostly focused on the bigger hook sizes. Of course, the SS jaws only support hooks #2 through #32. I know it will hold the smaller hook sizes well. But how will it hold the "bigger" hooks?

I tied a few #4 Vanilla Buggers and was amazed how the well the jaws did. They did allow the hook to move a bit (it was not the long shank hook bending). I was kinda bummed that the hook slipped a bit. I recall the traditional jaws having a groove for larger hooks. I was sad to see that the SS jaws lacked that feature (is this a problem with SS?).

Overall I am very pleased with the vise. I think it is a vise that I would upgrade to.

All In A Day's Work - Part II

2011-06-08T07:48:00.000-06:00

Rock Creek...

After the bite shut off on Georgetown I meant to head home. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I was driving back into Philipsburg and I figured with the gorgeous day it was that I would check out Upper Rock Creek. I headed to Gillies Bridge for a look-see.

The flows have been up but were on the decline till Friday when the meter broke and the charts became worthless to predict the weekend. Either way, the flows were going to go back up with the stellar temperatures.

The Creek looked great! It was certainly high but it was super clear. Visibility was awesome. I rigged up with a 10ish foot leader and two Rubber Legs nymphs and a bobber.

A quick view above Gillies:

I did have all the wading gear on but I stuck to sure footing.

I started nymphing some likely water and all I managed were whitefish. The typical whities of the day:

I did hook some trouts on the nymph rig but none came to hand. Both were browns near "woody" structure in deep, dark water (they are, after all, anti-phototropic).

I knew the cutthroats were in there so I changed up the rig to a Chubby Chernobyl... I lost the original, shop fly on the first cast to a log jam... clearly overconfident.

I threw another one on and found some slower water. After about 12-15 drifts and 10 takes I knew I was fishing the right bug. The downside, though, I didn't hook any of them solidly... all came unpinned fairly quickly.

Up to this point I was fishing side channels the hefty flows had created. I moved to a little heavier water (mapping out my path CAREFULLY) and looked for slower flows. All takes that I had in the mainstream of the Creek originated from the bottom. I received 10 takes and NO fish to hand. The fly had all it's integrity. The hook sets were firm. The angler may or may not have been, but definitely was, trigger happy. About 50% of my sets got pinned then I blew it somehow. The other 50% were premature hook sets.

A little deflated, I headed back to the truck (after the fake, Chubby hatch turned off). I hit up a side channel where I received some promising looks. I am glad I did because I got some confidence back. While walking I was reflecting my bass hook set days in Nebraska. They require giving the fish some time to get the bug in the mouth. I could hear in my head "God save the Queen." That was my phrase before setting the hook on a bucketmouth.

I ran my fly threw some promising water and BAM!, [God save the Queen], set the hook and FISH ON! She headed down in the current and put up a good fight with the weight on the water helping her. My only cutthroat of the day came to hand:

She came out of this fun little run:

I have A LOT of confidence in the Chubby Chernobyl - even only after one fish to hand. My own chernobly's have let me down in the past but I like the Chubby's alot. It seems that they float better with the poly-yarn wing yet sit a titch lower in the water than my homemade standard chernobyls.

It was a good day on the Creek. I had some excellent time fishing. I had some good time thinking while I drove, too. It's hard to beat the scenery of this part of the country.

Now, I just need to save for the deposit and first month's rent and I will have this lovely place to stay on the Creek:

Scott

All In A Day's Work - Part I

2011-06-07T07:58:00.000-06:00

Georgetown Lake...

Saturday was just as the forecast predicted! Since it was the most beautiful day of Spring in Missoula so far I figured I would be up against all the other weekend warriors. No matter though I could just kick where I wanted to go in the tube.

My first stop was Georgetown Lake. I got a few tips from Flint Creek Outdoors on the way up. They were nice enough to point me in the right direction before I ever purchased anything. [Insert tangent: I make it a courtesy to purchase something from a shop whenever I ask for help - the advice is free but the electricity isn't]

I got to Comer's Point on the west side found the shores lined with worm-drowners. I didn't hear of or see a singel fish being caught. I did see a few pimp fish fanning some beds of the lady 'bows in the super-shallows.

I loaded up the tube and started fishing the weedlines I could find. Fish quickly came to hand:

I expected the fish to be bigger but I wasn't complaining since I was the only person in sight with a bent rod not hooked into a snag.

The scenery was amazing, too!

The fish of the day from Georgetown was taken on an olive and orange seal bugger from Flint Creek Outdoors. It was in ~ one foot of water and I took it on slow 2 inch strips. S/he was 17 inches and painted much nicer than the other trouts.

Part II to come...

Good Fishing on a Gloomy Day...

2011-06-06T01:37:00.000-06:00

The weather forecast for this weekend was supposed to be outstanding (and it was). Since Saturday was to be an amazing day I wanted to get out Friday to avoid some of the crowds. Friday was forecast to be a gloomy day with ~50% chance of precipitation any direction I wanted to go. I figured I would give it a shot anyway.

I began by opening Google Maps and mapping out my journey. I wanted to catch some trouts out of stillwater. I also didn't want to drive a half day just to get some fish. The closest variety came from the Seeley Lake chain of lakes up MT-83.

I started driving up the highway and I was amazed by the gorgeous scenery. Unfortunately all the water was chocolate. As I headed toward Seeley Lake I stopped at a couple lakes to give them a shot. First I geared up the tube and started relaxing by just kicking around to likely places of structure where fish would likely be feeding.

North side of Lake Alva:

The fishing was good! Even the catching was good. Lots of rainbows and cutthroats. Only one perch though Here are some fish to hand:

The fly of the day was an olive seal bugger. I tied it with Troutsmen Yukon Olive dubbing - it has quite the glow but I figured that the overcast day would calm the flash down a bit. I was also able to nail a bunch of cutthroats on emerging bugs near the inlet at Alva. A simple Hare's Ear in #14 was the ticket.

The catch of the day came on the seal bugger. To date, this is the largest rainbow I have ever landed. Fortunately, I borrowed a worm-drowner's net and he was able to shoot some pics for me. She was a hog!!!

My best guess on length and weight are low balls (in the eyes of the on-lookers). They are 26 inches and ~8 pounds (I was in a hurry to get her back in the water). She was aggressive, persistent and strong. It was nice watching her swim away back to the depths.

Scott

P.S. The signs are nifty!

Moving Sucks...

2011-06-05T20:31:00.001-06:00

As part of moving to Montana, I left all my tying stuff out and saved last for boxing. I figured that I would have time to tie some flies in the midst of moving. I didn't! Since we picked up and headed out of Omaha in a hurry, I just threw all my tying stuff in a few boxes. When we got here all of it was still in disarray and it has been one of the last things to organize.

The wife had a girl's night out so I decided it was time to organize after the Dude went to bed. Here is what the floor looked like after I emptied ONE box - my main tying box:

A little closer view (the chemo drug bag does NOT have chemo in it):

I cut some things out of the main box. I had a lot of bass popper, pike fly and baitfish pattern stuff in there. After the last couple of weeks doing some shop talk and observing, it looks like I will need more trout stuff in there.

I also came to Montana with a huge mess of foam. There were tons of scrap pieces of all different sizes and shapes. It needed some order. I made all of my pieces a uniform shape and some pieces pre-cut for things like Chubby's and HopperJuans (watch the sweet HD video here). I think dry fly fishing with foam will become a big part of my game.

Don't tell the wife I used here rotary stuff. ;)

The Man Cave has been decommissioned but I am in the process of getting a decent desk put together. My biggest challenge is getting the lighting I once had at the house in Omaha.

Idaho water and lots of it...

2011-05-29T11:19:00.000-06:00

John and I connected Wednesday to fish some Idaho water. The flows were up quite a bit but the water was clear. John scouted it Saturday and landed a couple on a stonefly dry. Even with the water high, some bugs were coming off when he was there Saturday. He saw an adult Salmonfly and had a Golden Stone land on his feet.

We felt it was worth a shot Wednesday so we headed off on the short, picturesque journey. It was my first time on this highway and it was gorgeous. The ride was very quick with the conversation and the scenery.

We stopped off at a hatchery on the system to ask some questions. Not a lot was happening on the river so we just shot the bull for a few moments then headed to some likely spots.

From the flows and the feeder tribs being super aggressive, the flows looked to be super high. I was in shock to see the water that clear though.

Here are some beautiful views of the river:

We didn't see any fish move. We focused our attention on the slower water along the bank. John had on a creation of his own that was salmonfly-like in size 6 or 8. I didn't have any salmonfly or golden stone patterns to start the day with so I purchased a couple Trina's Carnage Stonefly dries from Bob Ward's in town prior to leaving. That is what I started the day with. I ended the day with a simple Chernobyl in tan.

Around 2pm I saw a couple reckless stoneflies fluttering in the air. One came to land close to where I was standing on the bank. It was probably a 6ish and was golden olive. My first golden stone since learning to fly fish almost 5 years ago. We also saw at least 2 dozen mayflies hovering. I imagine they were PMDs but I was not able to get a super close look. John landed a nifty 14" cuttie, our only strike of the day. I took a skunking. What the heck, I learned a lot about runoff and high water.

Regardless, it was great to get out. I was fortunate enough to see some wonderful country, some beautiful wildlife and bask in the wonder of an amazing Idaho river.

Our New Home....

2011-05-28T11:47:00.000-06:00

... is Missoula, Montana!!!

We have been here a tad over a week and we love it. This new home is gorgeous and wonderful. The scenery is breath-taking.

The view from our new home is very similar to this:

Unfortunately, all the water that I am familiar with is blown out and Nesquik-esque. In some parts of town, the Clark Fork is out of it's banks. Rock Creek is flowing a massive 5500ish CFS and its normal, so I am told, for this time of year is about 1600.

One of the shops that I have been to up Rock Creek Road posted this video on Facebook. It's pretty hairy. I don't think the video does it justice.

Despite all the high, chocolate water I was able to get out with a friend on Wednesday. We had to travel some but it was gorgeous and worth it.

Pat Dorsey's UV Scud

2011-05-22T11:57:00.000-06:00

Earlier in the week I received a request from a new follower (my third self-proclaimed follower :P). The comment on my last trip to Verdigre requested a pattern/pic/video of Pat Dorsey's UV Scud. This fly is amazingly effective. I think it fishes well since it is a very impressionistic scud and egg crossover.

Here is Pat Dorsey's UV Scud:

Mr. Dorsey certainly doesn't need my endorsement. I doubt if anyone that reads this will really be that affected by my review of his work and gratitude for what I have learned from him. Of my 3 followers (thanks Danielle and Mom), I hope that one of you benefits from the pattern above. If so, I recommend looking into the other two Dorsey productions that I own.

The first production I own is Pat Dorsey's Nymphing Strategies DVD.

This is a hour long DVD with nymphing techniques, effective flies and bonus knot tutorial for the beginner. While it is a video designed for beginners, I never tire of seeing it again and again and reflecting on my personal techniques and how I adapt on the water.

The second production that I own and LOVE is Mr. Dorsey's book Tying & Fishing Tailwater Flies.

This book is extremely well done in my opinion. It ranks up there next to Clouser's Flies and Barr Flies, both by Stackpole Books. Mr. Dorsey's patterns, as the title explains, are designed for tailwaters. He specifically mentions their use on famous Colorado rivers with which he is a resident expert. Undoubtedly, his patterns can extend to any tailwater and even many spring creeks and freestone streams.

I really enjoy that his book has some variety. He does spend some time, and great time at that, explaining his flies and how he develops them. However, he also promotes some other tyer's creations that he utilizes to fool trout. You can utilize Amazon's Look Inside feature to preview some of the excellent photographs, drawings and writing.

These resources are wonderful in my view. I am thankful for Pat Dorsey's contribution to fly fishing and fly tying. After using these two Dorsey productions, my fly boxes contain many of Mr. Dorsey's patterns. I hope to become as proficient of an angler someday!

Verdigre Creek with Roger - May 7, 2011

2011-05-10T09:00:00.002-06:00

Roger used to guide on the Henry's Fork for a good chunk of time. Needless to say, he has had epic days of fishing and he has landed epic fish. I thought the last thing he would want to do is chase Nebraska trout in a tiny spring creek - especially one with planted trout (just rainbows). However, as has been previously mentioned, Verdigre is a little gem to me since it has a sustainable population of wild brown trout. The browns make this "stocker" stream very unique and exceptionally fun to fish. Also, it can be quite complex getting that prefect drift.

Roger throwing a small dry to some likely water:

Roger and I made our way casually up to Verdigre. We started at the bridge section and started our way up stream. The weather was perfect - too perfect! The sun was high, clouds were minimal and it was getting hot fast. The water was loaded with midge adults and we even spotted the occasional little stonefly recklessly flying around the water.

Unfortunately, the fish were absent. Of the fish we spotted, they were small and tucked deep under structure. The fish were not that cooperative, either. I started the day with 3 small rainbows and a little creek chub that took my UV scud.

We worked a good amount of water before getting into more action. We missed a few fish on our dries in a "hopper"-dropper rig. We struggled to pin the fish when we got a good rise.

When we got to the end of that stretch of river, we did have some fish consistently rising. I was throwing a size 18 black Elk Hair Caddis and managed a decent rainbow. Roger was throwing a size 18 Hi-viz Parachute Caddis I tied. He hooked up with his first Verdigre brown and his biggest fish of the day:

We decided to give a different stretch of water a try. This time we were sticking to dry flies. Needless to say, nymphing was a bit boring and we weren't getting more fish as one would expect. Once we got some fish to rise consistently, we were hooked on dries and we were not about to look back.

We moved to the next stretch and once we made our way around the kids playing the the creek we were in business. It looked as if some bugs had started to make their way to the surface and before we knew it, the caddis were all over the place, bouncing around chaotically.

I had a hard time keeping my eye on my size 18 EHC so I changed to a size 14 stimulator. It must have looked like the little stoneflies or one of the the bigger caddisflies. Either way, the fish loved it. In one little seam, I hooked and landed 3 browns. One of them was my biggest of the day. He came to the fly right against the copious vegetation on the stretch:

We both managed some more fish. I am not sure how Roger did, but I missed more fish that I ever thought I could have. I also found myself really enjoying the topwater bite. I think I could get used to it.

We had a good time on the little gem of Verdigre Creek. To top it all off, it was a gorgeous evening fishing dries!!!

Screaming Reels - ZZZZZzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzz!!!!

2011-05-09T20:52:00.001-06:00

Over the last 4 years in Nebraska, I have been on a quest for a master angler wiper (white bass/striped bass hybrid). We have a lake relatively close to Omaha that grows monsters - at least I know a few guys that can catch the monsters.

As an aside, Nebraska has a program called the Master Angler Awards. Each species of fish has a specific weight that qualifies as a Master Angler eligible fish. Some folks regard the Master Angler Award as a thing of naught. I feel it is a great start for new anglers, or anglers pursuing an exceptional fish of a specific species, to find how a "larger" fish plays. More importantly for me, it teaches me about the species and what it takes to grow and fool a fish of larger than the average. The following are the qualifications for a Master Angler Award:

1) All fish must be taken from Nebraska waters.
2)Fish must be taken by hook and line. Fish caught on banklines are not eligible. Fish must be hooked, played and landed by the applicant for the award.
3) The catch must be verified. This may be done by an employee of the Game and Parks Commission, a permit vendor, a witness or a photograph.
4)Anglers 16 years of age or older must possess a current Nebraska fishing permit and enter the permit number on the application.
5) Only fish immediately released are eligible for an award based on length. Any fish kept in a livewell or on a stringer must meet the minimum weight requirement to receive an award.
6) Anglers may receive only one award, based on weight, per year for each species. There is no limit on the number of awards per year based on length.
7) Anglers who release a Master Angler fish will receive a "Catch and Release Master Angler" pin, in addition to the Master Angler certificate.
8) Minimum weights must be met to qualify for a Master Angler Award for a harvested fish.
9) Minimum lengths are used strictly for Master Angler Awards for an individual fish that was caught and released.

For a Nebraska Master Angler wiper, caught and released, a fish 24 inches in length is the minimum.

Up to this last week, I have landed several wiper. Unfortunately, all the others have been less than 24 inches, my first being just shy of it.

Here is my first wiper:

As our last "hoorah" fishing in Nebraska together, Targhee and I decided to chase wipers hoping we could find the MA wipers.

The morning started slow but we persisted and eventually found the fish. Targhee hooked up twice before I get into the action.

I finally got into the action but the fish were "smaller."

Things turned off for a bit but we kept after it.We both managed to find our MA wipers!!!

Targ was quick with the camera so we got some good picture and s/he swam off strong to fight another day.

I have yet to decided if I want to submit the application for a pin and certificate.... My memory is still pretty strong :)

Scott

Mother's Day Caddis Hatch

2011-05-01T20:53:00.006-06:00

I have never had the opportunity to fish a Mother's Day Caddis hatch before. I imagine this year I may catch the tail end of it if I am lucky. Either way, caddis are ubiquitous in many of the waters that I will fish over the next year so I have been thinking a lot about caddis and how I can fish them.

Here is a neat video out of Bozeman, MT (I think):

My blog stalking has piqued my interest in a couple new patterns I want to try, too. I shared my favorite blogger's caddis pattern a week ago. But here it is for your reference.

Tying the Colorado Caddis from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.

Also, a fantastic blogger and MFC signature tier, Carl P, has a very sexy caddis pupae. It seems like a winner.

If you have any killer patterns for the Mother's Day Caddis hatch or any caddis pop, please share them.

Happy Tying,
Scott

Fishing instead of blogging...

2011-04-25T09:25:00.002-06:00

When I did have some time away from school, I went fishing! When I was done fishing it was back to school. So, no blogging. But, I do have a bunch of pictures.

Here are some Nebraska fish from the last 2 years:

Some Nifty Flies

2011-04-24T20:30:00.000-06:00

I am OBSESSED with fly tying. I have not been able to put everything together to make my own videos so I thought I would share a few of my favorites.

The first set is from one of my best fly fishing buddies. Bryan is super creative at the vise and he knows how to catch fish!

Hammer from Bryan w on Vimeo.

I certainly don't want to offend anyone with the next comment but I feel that I must be honest. My favorite blog to follow is The Hopper Juan. Juan's flies are so practical, excellently tied, creative and inspiring. I would like to know how he developed the creativity. I would like to know how to tie so well. I would also like to know how I can capture my flies on film like he does. Juan is definitely one of my greatest inspirations for trout fishing with the fly.

The first fly is Juan's Flossback Emerger. You can purchase it at Dream Drift Flies.

This next fly is one I have yet to try but it looks like a trout slayer!

Tying the Colorado Caddis from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.

My favorite bugger pattern is tied by the dudes at the North Platte River Fly Shop. You probably need to be on Facebook to see this one though.

Vanilla Bugger

I could go on and on with my favorite flies but this should wet your whistle. I hope to feature a lot more of my favorite tying videos in the future. Happy Tying!!!

Also, Happy Easter!

The Snake Charmer

2011-04-23T09:28:00.001-06:00

While spending some time in Portland, OR I stopped in an Orvis shop to look for some materials I wasn't able to find at other shops in the area. I make it a habit to window shop the fly bar if I am buying some material. I stumbled across a fly called the Snake Charmer. It looked familiar but I couldn't recall from where.

When I got home I was "flipping" through my electronic copies of Southwest Fly Fishing and it was a featured tie. I knew I had seen it somewhere!

Here is a screen shot of Kevin Price's Snake Charmer (available from Idylwilde)

Last fall I became addicted to topwater bass! After tangling with two Nebraska Master Angler bucketmouths I have had thoughts constantly in the back of my head regarding the best ways to bring up that fish that flushes the toilet on my bug.

Here are two victims of my topwater adventures:

Kevin has a neat blog, though it hasn't been updated (like I have room to talk), with info about bass fishing on the fly. Here are my best attempts at Price's Snake Charmer:

I wound up using a 4/0 Mustad 3407DT. And, since I will be throwing it in the garbage and salad, I used TWO weed guards instead of KP's one 80 pounder.

I will return and report once topwater heats up a bit.

Nebraska Trout Streams

2011-04-22T08:39:00.000-06:00

As promised forever ago, I am writing about the little gems of Nebraska - Nebraska Trout Streams. If I had a nickel for every time some one said to me, "Nebraska has trout?" I would be rich! Nebraska, indeed, has trout. I will not go into it here, but the best trout stream in Nebraska is private water and requires a significant wait and monetary contribution to fish. Since I can't chase these monster tailwater trout, I have to get my fill on other streams.

The closest stream, a 3 hour drive away, is called Verdigre Creek. Of all the little spring creeks in Nebraska, this is the one I have spent most of my time fishing. It is a unique place. It is stocked weekly with 10-12" rainbows for put-and-take reasons. The rainbows are not very discriminating so a tug is almost a guarantee. The best part of this stream is that is has a wild population of browns! The browns were last stocked in the 1980's and all the browns that are in there are skiddish and smart. It has taken me several trips to key in on the "browny" structure but I have managed to get a handle on it (crossing my fingers). The hold-over 'bows are fun as well.

Here are some wonderful Verdigre trout:

The Sandhills in Nebraska are known for the amazing, nutrient rich lakes that hold bass, pike, yellow perch and trophy bluegills (which I have not had the fortune to tangle with). Amidst the Sandhills are wonderful streams that support trout. These streams are no longer stocked and support wild browns and rainbows. The commute to these streams is approx. 5 hours so I have only gone a couple times.

Here are some beautiful Sandhill trout:

Since trout in Nebraska seem to be unheard of in most parts of the country, I consider the time I get to fish for wild trout in Nebraska very precious. The brown trout in these gems are all the more special to me!!!

RESURRECTION!!!

2011-04-21T19:10:00.003-06:00

It has been OVER 2 YEARS AGO that I last posted something here. It is time to resuscitate this blog. I have been contemplating getting the air back in the tires here over the last week and I think it is time to go on our first adventure in quite some time. So, here we go.

As many of you know, I have spent the last 4 years in a Doctor of Pharmacy program here in Omaha. Along with the fourth, and final, year of school comes deciding where to start working upon graduation. And one step past that is figuring out if you want to go straight into the workforce or do some post-grad training as a resident - similar to a medical doctor. I chose going into residency. As part of getting a resident position, you are required to apply to any number of programs and then interview at as many as invite you.

Our family had our hearts set on the Northwest - close to family - so I applied to programs in Montana, Oregon and Washington. Fortunately I received invitation offers to most of the programs I applied to. Needless to say, I selected all of these area with the fly fishing in mind!

My final interview was in Missoula, Montana at the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy/St. Patrick Hospital and Medical Center. How could I go to Missoula and NOT fish? So, I DID!

I spent a day on Rock Creek with a new friend. Here are some pictures:

Some of my first casts on Rock Creek. From this run I managed 2 decent Westslope Cutthroats and a couple whitefish.

The flies of the day seemed to be Pat's Rubber Legs (size 2, 4 or 6 didn't matter) and copper, olive, red or black PTNs and Copper Johns.

Maybe this is why my initial choices in flies worked? So, I stuck with it since no surface activity seemed to be occurring

My long forum, new in-person friend fished a Tenkara rod all day and had some good success. With a little arm twisting, John talked me into trying it. After a few casts that required me to SLOOOOOWWW WAY DOWN, I hooked up with a decent brown.

It was a fantastic day on Rock Creek. After last summer's trip to Rock Creek and this day-trip, I have a VERY special place in my heart for cutthroats. It would be neat to see these fish in full-on spawning colors.

It was also a great introduction to the next year of my family's life. I am the newest pharmacy resident at the University of Montana/St. Patrick Hospital and Medical Center. Here we come Missoula!!!

How Time Flies

2008-11-05T07:03:00.007-07:00

Well, the year has gotten away from me. Between work and school, I haven't scratched up enough time to blog. I have had time to fish!!!

Of the opportunities to fish this year, some have been outstanding. A week in Colorado, the NEFGA Catch and Continue Contest sponsored by Cabela's, the new lakes, the new species and the friends.

It's been a great year of fishing (and it ain't over yet). Here's a little dabble of what 2008 has been like on the water.

Coming Soon: Nebraska Trout Streams

2008-03-21T21:53:00.003-06:00

Durangler

The Wife Took Me To School!!!

2008-03-02T16:53:00.003-07:00

Well, the wife and I went to our secret little hole. We spent an hour there and had a good time. I was trying out a new 7-wt rod and reel. The spouse was throwing my 4-wt with an orange foam spider I tied. Her casting is beautiful! She is an exceedingly fast learner. For the record, she has out fished me EVERY TIME she has fished with me!

My 7-wt was a fun find! One late night in December we randomly went to K-Mart in West Omaha. As is customary with me, I drag the wife to the fishing section. The fly-fishing selections in stores out here are pretty slim pickin's, at best!

Just so happened, I saw a "longer" rod in the rod selection. So I hunted a little more to find that it was a Berkley 7 foot 7-wt fly rod. I quickly began drooling over the $20 find. Well, we walked out with the rod and now it was time to find a 7-8 wt. reel. Off to Cabela's!!!

Got a nice reel and some good line (all more $$$ than the rod) and we were in business.

So we went fishing on a cold evening last week. The wife picked out here fly and I tied it on. She was in business. I went and strung up the 7-wt with a new size 6 jig fly... I was looking for bass and crappie.

The wife got into fish right away and was constant till the sun went down. That little size 12 foam spider had a fish on it the entire time.

I was trying to get my fly far up into the spillway and I kept hanging up in the bushes behind me. My casts were shoddy at best. I finally realized that I was fishing a rod 2 feet shorter than normal. I thought I was good at this point... Nope!

My cast kept falling short. I was casting a wet noodle! My rod was flimsy as could be. So, now I needed to slow my cast down. After the wife's 20th fish, I finally hooked a crappie. Got it close and he came off.

The wife managed about 30 bluegill in an hour. I got 3 crappie to hand. Didn't manage any crappie. The last 10 minutes of light I was throwing a larger foam spider just so I could know that I can catch fish.

I decommissioned the 7 wt that night for a time. Great reel and line... just can't see the need (now) for a short 7 wt rod. Maybe I will reconsider. The rod is off to a friends home to spend a few weeks. He like the slower action rods; maybe it will be a fit for his fancy.

Till next time, Durangler

Is It Spring Yet???

2008-02-20T09:42:00.005-07:00

I have had the shack nasties for some time now. This winter is a tease. One day it will be 30 below with wind chill, the next day at 4o and no wind, then back to negative temps with the wind chill. I think Al Gore is full of crap!

Any way, last month I was driving home from school different ways looking for open water. After stopping at Cabela's to buy hooks and ask around about open water, I had a thought to try something close to home. So, I pulled over, strung up the rod with a hopper-dropper setup and walked down to the spillway.

I walked the channel for a few yards to see that it was only 4 or 5 inches deep and began to be disappointed that I couldn't see any fish in the gin clear water. Ah well, I kept walking toward the dam and the channel dropped of into some beautiful blue water.

I threw out a cast and half expected nothing to happen. The other half of me expected my dropper to tug on my hopper. Next thing I knew, my hopper got slapped and I set the hook. Here's what I pulled in:

Another cast, half bewildered, produced this nice little gill. Dry flies in the middle of winter? What the French, Toast!!!

Thinking that I was gonna have fun with some ignorant gills, I threw out another cast, this time with no dropper. This time, the hopper was smothered with a crash and I pulled in a little bucketmouth.

Now that I knew bass where hanging out in here, I switched flies. I tied on a little stand-by called the Crappie Candy. After a few strip - strip - pause motions, the line tightened and I brought this guy to hand.

Out of the blue I switched flies to a White Red-faced Wobbler I saw tied by a fellow tyer named Ward Bean. Check out his site at Warm Water Fly Tyer. As I cast a few times with no results, I changed the pace a bit. I would cast and let it sink for about 15 "one-one thousands." After my first or second 2 inch strip, it felt like the Loch Ness Monster was on the other end. This fish behaved as if it was middle summer.

I had to take two pictures just for proof's sake

I kept at it till the sun went down and the deer wanted their watering hole back. I managed a few more decent bass and happened to take another picture for kicks.

This particular Monday night was so much fun, I went back the next afternoon. Luckily, for me, school got out early on Tuesday. So, the rod got strung up and I walked carefully down the muddy hill for more fish.

What I failed to mention was that I tied some flies Monday to take on Tuesday. My best pal here in Omaha has a fly tying blog called Lime Trude; check it out. This particular Monday, he tied a little jig fly, on the hooks which I happened to purchase the day before while shooting the bull at Cabela's. So, I tied them up and put them in the truck on my way to school.

About 2pm I got to my little hole and started throwing, my new favorite warm water fly, the Jig Fly. First cast up into the spillway produced this nice little sunfish.

I took a close up just for Trude. Here you go bud.

Ward Bean ties his Wobblers in white, olive and a few other colors. After a few gills I switched to a bigger fly for bigger fish. The Olive Red-faced Wobbler was the ticket.

I managed 2 bass on this guy, then his red-face became tattered. I switched to Ward Bean's Plan "B." Supposedly this is his bass crusher fly. I can back that up!

I got 2 bass back to back on the Plan "B." I think it is my new Bass Plan "A!"

This behemoth is still swimming! I go back and fool him occasionally. I tend to find him, or a close sized friend, in a little different spot every time. What a great fish!!!

Bass on a 4 weight rod! What a good time! Get out a give it a shot! For now, dress warm. Bring on Spring!!!

Till next time,

Durangler

A Stroll Down Mem'ry Lane

2008-02-18T09:50:00.005-07:00

With the creation of this blog, I have found myself looking through the past at my fly fishing adventures. Most of the time, my mind reverts back to my favorite waters with my favorite fishing buddies. Although I love to think back on the fish I catch, I mostly enjoy thinking about the situation and the scenery.

Of the trips that stick out in my mind the most, one is a trip up in the High Unitas in Utah. Frequently, my school friend Ben and I would go. We had a blast walking up the river in our tennis shoes stalking the brookies. On one occasion, however, my beautiful wife joined me. She reminds me often that she out fished me too! These trips will forever linger in my mind as the best fishing on earth!

Here are a few pictures to give you a glimpse into my memories...

The replenishing alpine water flows down the Upper Provo. Every hole, riffle and run houses nature's beauty. What a place to go to "get-a-way!"

The blogs mascot!!!

My first and only Tiger trout. Since moving away, I regret never targeting them; they were so close to home; bigger and more aggressive too.

Can fly fishing get any better than this?

The wife's first brookie. This would have to be one of my most prized pictures!

This is the wife's biggest fish on the fly to date. Since the coming of the new year, we both have committed to spending more time together fly fishing. We hope to get her into more fish and bigger fish.

Till next time, Durangler

Who, What, Where, When and Why...

2008-02-17T21:17:00.008-07:00

I have been pondering some time over putting a blog up. I am very passionate about fly fishing and I didn't want to crowd our family blog with all my stuff. I am very blessed to have a sincere and loving wife, who, has never mentioned taking my fishing else where. These are the beginnings of this blog.

About 7 months back we moved to Nebraska to further my education. Along with that move from the mountainous state of Utah, we left a home on the Provo river. Since moving to Nebraska, trout fishing is, at the closest, 3 hours north and west of us. Needless to say, I have had withdrawals of all kinds, urning for the fishing I adore.

Here are some beautiful fish caught and released back in a natural spring near Royal, NE. The beautiful, picturesque stream is known as Verdigre Creek. It is home to these, still swimming, fish and a growing portion of my heart.

Above is my first Brown Trout caught out of these waters. Hiding deep in the undercut banks of the narrow stream hold naturally reproducing Salmo trutta. Of my 4 trips thus far, this is the first and only brown I have talked into hopping into a landing net.

My comrade joined me on this recent trip. Here, above, is the fruit of his second cast of the morning.

The stream is also filled with many rainbow trout that the NGPC stocks on occasion. Above is the most beautiful Nebraska 'bow that I have landed. Although a possible stocker, it is the only fish that I have not seen blemished. Her tail fin was perfect, her mouth untainted, and her appetite for an epoxy-backed gold-ribbed hare's ear was overwhelming. Of all my catches that day, she was runner-up... the brown took first hand's down!

After an entire day on the stream and many beautiful scenes engraved in memory, we called it a day. Last weekend the wife and me made the 3 hours drive to K & K Fly Fishers in Overland Park, KS to pick up some gear. I snagged a hat, as is custom when I go to any fly shop, to sport my support of the nearest long-rodder like myself. I thought this scene was deserving of a snap shot.

Well, I am excited to have this site dedicated to my passion for fly fishing and the beautiful fish I pursue. I will share with you many, if not all, of my fly fishing adventures, both still and moving water; warm and cold alike. However, the most treasured posts will be the times that I spend with my friends, the Brookies and Browns!!!