Summer 2024 | Volume 21, Issue 3

3 years in development 16 Iterations of material packages 8 different variations of slickness formulas And over 2500 hours of field testing

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Executive Publisher Jennifer Bird Editorial Director Chris Bird Founding Editor Derek Bird Associate Editor Gary Bird Art Director Terry Paulhus Content Administrator Kim Carruthers Office Administrator Kaylee Davis

Department Editors Derek Bird Frank Brassard Brian Chan Kastine Coleman Jim McLennan Derek Olthuis Jeff Wagner Contributors Colin Callbeck George Daniel Jeremy Davies Jake Dicks Hooké Juliette Larocque Adam Raymayker Phil Rowley Arian Stevens Illustrator Mandy Hertzfeld

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© Photo George Daniel

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

CONTENTS 12 THERE’S NO CRUEL SUMMER IN FLY FISHING

George Daniel Depending on the geography of where you fish, the term “summer season” will have a different meaning. But, regardless of where you live, summer can be the best weather and angling opportunities of the year. George Daniel shares his favorite summertime fly-fishing tips for trout and covers some non-trout species you can target to avoid the crowds.

20 A RUGGED TRIP OF DREAMS

Juliette Larocque Join adventure-photographer Juliette Larocque on a breathtaking expedition. In the heart of the Muskwa-Kechika wilderness she captures the spirit of fly fishing and the raw beauty of the surrounding landscape. Inspiring encounters, abundant wildlife, and untamed nature shape her journey, which celebrates adventure at its finest.

26 THE EVOLUTION OF JIG HOOKS

Jeremy Davies Fly tying has been in a constant state of innovation for decades. The flies covered in this article by tying mastermind, Jeremy Davis, are a part of that process. Over the past few years, he has been tying more of his favourite patterns on jig hooks, which has proven effective on the water. They make an excellent dropper when fished under a foam attractor and they can be very effective in small to medium creeks or rivers.

34 A STILLWATER PRIMER

Phil Rowley Fly fishing for trout is skewed towards moving water, so much so that we often don’t consider the challenges, rewards, and charms that stillwaters offer. Phil Rowley covers the numerous reasons why anglers should give lakes a try and offers helpful hints and strategies for finding fish in lakes.

10 32 42 44 50

Stream Lines Flybrary Project Stillwater Secrets Tight Loops, Tight Lines On the Vise

56 60 64 66

Long Lines Wandering Currents Water Marks End of the Line

On the cover: George Daniel Contents: Derek Olthuis

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STREAM LINES

By the Numbers Psychoanalyzing a Fish Counter

Derek Bird I’m always willing to share a few fly-fishing secrets. My favorite fly, for example, is the one the trout are taking. My favorite season is the one when trout are biting.

My favorite stream is the one where the trout are plentiful and the anglers are few.

Mandy Hertzfeld @mandyhertz_flyart mandykhertzfeldart.com

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

I

often hear people bandy about the age-old question when it comes to catching trout—would you rather be lucky or good? I’m not sure a person can surgically isolate one from the other. Skill is something a person can control, and luck is something an angler needs on those days when everything appears to be tilted in Mother Nature’s favour.

I’ve run into a few people over the years, who by all appearances have short circuited this long-standing debate between angling luck and skill. On the surface they’ve developed a strategy to always outwit Mother Nature.

And I’m not sure if this person is lucky or good, so I’m going to explore the anatomy of a fishing affliction I call fish counting or bloviating piscis numerus if you’d prefer the more medically legitimate Latin terminology. You know, that angler who you run into every so often who announces the exact number of fish they caught and that number suspiciously appears to be grossly inflated.

I have a few people in mind who always do better than everyone else, if better is defined as most fish caught.

To protect identity, feelings, and dignity, I’ll treat this more like a case study. Please note, I’m more generally discussing a type of person, so if you’re offended, then you likely suffer from this condition. If, on the other hand, you think, “Hey, I know someone just like that” then you’re not the person I’m analyzing, or more hopelessly you are and you have no self-awareness. Either way, the psychological condition bloviating piscis numerus cannot be treated with medication. Though it’s not incurable, the cure likely starts with a healthy measure of what this individual lacks, which is self-awareness.

To avoid a common human error, which is to read about a psychological condition and then self-diagnose you have that condition, I’ll start by defining my terms. First, what a fish counter is not: you don’t suffer from bloviating

piscis numerus if you’ve spent a day on the water and you’ve caught three fish and you text your friend and say, “I had to work really hard. Spent the entire day and only caught three.” If you’ve ever communicated something like this then you do not need to be treated for BPN. A true fish counter would never admit to catching only three fish. In fact, a three fish day for an angler afflicted with bloviating piscis numerus is likely reported as a 16 fish day. An angler who spent the entire day on the water didn’t count the three fish they caught, they simply remembered the three fish they caught. I’d even say this number applies to a five fish day. Beyond that, you’re likely trying too hard to remember the fish you caught and are borderline diagnosable.

Also, you’re not a fish counter if you’re in the age range of child to teen. There’s an age of innocence where it’s excusable to count fish for very legitimate reasons I don’t have the space to explore. Another excusable reason to be someone who counts fish is linked to personality.

The Enneagram 1 personality (rule keepers), who naturally gravitate toward accounting and legal careers, have a knack for knowing exactly how many fish they catch in a day, and they’re very precise in their recollection. If a Type 1 personality says they caught 16 fish, it’s because they did and they state it as a matter of fact and not a matter of bloviation.

The two motivations are often conflated by a person with an untrained ear, but the former will just as likely declare a three fish day or an 11 fish day, and the latter will only ever declare a 16 fish day even in the event of three.

One other addendum. A person who counts steelhead does not suffer from bloviating piscis numerus no matter age or personality. When an angler goes two weeks without a fish and then catches one or two, this is a recipe for involuntary memory. Therefore, a steelhead angler will likely remember how many they’ve caught in a season without actually counting them.

Ok, so now that I’ve defined what bloviating piscis numerus is not, I’ll delve into what it is, which is quite simple really. A fish counter always “knows” exactly how many fish they caught, and they seem to never catch less than 16 fish. Why 16 you ask? They know enough to understand that if they say they only caught 15 then someone might assume they’re rounding up from 11. They also know the number one rule when lying about catching fish: never toss out a round number. That, and they’ll subconsciously throw out a number that’s going to be higher than anyone else they’re talking to. An angler with this condition avoids phrases like “I had a really good day on the river today” and instead replaces it with “I got 32 fish today.” If the condition is extreme, then they’ll follow that up with something along the lines of “which wasn’t as good as two days ago when I caught 46.”

You may think I’m using hyperbole to emphasize my point, but the most extreme case I’ve run into, which non-professionally I refer to in mixed company as stage four code brown bloviating piscis numerus, is a 78-fish day.

At this level, the condition is easily diagnosable but very likely incurable. I’m not saying it’s impossible for an angler to catch 78 fish. What I question is the ability to remember each and every one of those fish.

So why? What’s the primary cause of this condition? Fair warning—this is going to touch a nerve. Experts say the leading cause of BPN is insecurity. Ouch. That’s an uppercut to the ego, but honesty is the best place to start. Don’t worry. The only way the experts extrapolate insecurity as the leading cause of fish counting, is because of the common human condition of a person desiring to be better than they actually are. It takes deep personal growth and maturity to move beyond insecurity as a primary motivator.

The moment a BPN sufferer acknowledges the truth about fish caught is the same moment true learning can happen. I’m not saying a fish counter is not a good angler. I’m saying a fish counter could be an infinitely better angler if they

were always truthful about how many fish they caught. Not that the number of fish you catch makes you the best, but if that’s your standard, then tell someone that you only caught three (and don’t multiply that by seven), and you might learn something by having an honest conversation rather than torpedoing the conversation with an inflated number.

Here’s the crazy thing. Over the last number of years, I’ve had the opportunity to fish with some of the best fly anglers I’ve ever seen, far better than I am or will ever be.

And all of them have one thing in common: not one of them has ever told me how many fish they caught at the end of the day. They’ll say things like “that was a really good day” or “that was a really tough day, but I found a few good ones.”

I’ve never heard any of them say “I caught 32 trout today.

Sixteen on dries. Sixteen on droppers. And three on a secret pattern.” Wait? You can count but you can’t add?

That’s a pretty cool paradox. The best anglers I’ve ever fished with have never told me how many fish they caught, but the most insecure anglers catch the most fish out of anyone I’ve ever met. Weird. With that little nugget, I need to add a caveat to the timeless question “Would you rather be good or lucky when it comes to angling?”

I guess if it is all about the numbers, then neither. I’d rather be insecure.

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There’s No Cruel Summer in Fly Fishing

Tips for making the most of your summer season George Daniel

D George Daniel George Daniel’s true passion is fly fishing education George is an author, a clinician presenter, and currently is the lead instructor for The Pennsylvania State University Angling program.

He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, two children and Boykin spaniel.

Photos George Daniel

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

epending on the geographic location you fish, the term “summer season” has a different meaning. During the summer months around my home state of Pennsylvania our trout season is still happening, but peak opportunities left the region weeks ago.

Low water conditions create some of the most challenging conditions of the season: compared to the rocky mountain regions where fishing is just starting to heat up, where runoff is done and both hatches and stream conditions are in the best shape of the year. No matter where you live, some anglers feel the summer season could be the best weather and angling opportunities of the year. My goal with this article is sharing my favorite summertime fishing tips for trout anglers but suggest trying out some non-trout species to avoid the crowds.

Summertime is Terrestrial Time East or west, summer heat translates into terrestrial activity.

Often the drier and warmer the conditions, the better the terrestrial fishing, as insects move closer to water. Wind and rain are two excellent reasons to fish a terrestrial, because these weather events help relocate land-dwelling insects into an aquatic environment. Known as Plan B, when in doubt, fish a terrestrial. This was a favorite tip I learned from a Mike Lawson presentation, in my late teens, and I’ve used it ever since with excellent results. Even if wind and rain are not currently in Mother Nature’s plans, it never hurts to throw a terrestrial when you feel clueless to what trout are feeding on. Below are a few suggestions for fishing terrestrials.

Beetles are my favorite terrestrial for eastern waters, especially the way I like to fish them. The presentation is often aggressive, so the fly lands with a “smack” on the water. Beetles are hard bodied insects and create a “plop” when falling onto the water. Using a powerful downward casting angle (even including a haul) the angler aggressively lands the beetle on the water to imitate a fallen beetle. The ideal beetle presentation is like a euro-nymphing cast where only the fly lands on the water, while line and leader remain off the surface. Spooking fish is likely, if too much line and leader aggressively fall on the water. Another key element to getting this aggressive hookset is the beetle’s profile. I purposely use wider foam strips on beetle patterns to create

more commotion on impact. Think about slapping water with a narrow hand/karate chop versus a flat hand/slap. The wider hand position creates more sound.

If you cast to a visible fish with a beetle, make your first cast, behind the fish. The fish likely will feel the impact, turn around and head towards the fly, seeing the fly first, not the line or leader. The lower and clearer the water, the farther away the plop needs to be away from the trout. I’ve seen trout move more than 10’ for an aggressively placed beetle. An aggressive beetle-presentation is a good choice when fishing undercut banks, where trout position for safety and to stay out of the current. This trout may not see your fly drifting, but it will certainly feel the fly, aggressively landing on the water. What I love most about this presentation approach are the aggressive strikes that quickly follow. Even better, is the fact that shorter and heavier leaders are used for this tactic. Bob Williams, a longtime friend and client, is one of the best terrestrial anglers I know. Bob rarely fishes a leader longer than 9’ or a tippet diameter thinner than 4X, even during low-water conditions, so this is one situation where you can use heavier tippets during summer conditions. If this presentation spooks fish, it may be time to use a longer leader, finer tippet, and switch to an ant pattern.

Dry Dropper and Sunken Ants: Anglers usually think dry flies when fishing terrestrials. Good idea but don’t neglect fishing sunken terrestrial patterns. Terrestrials will float when falling onto the water, but passing through turbulent water will drown these land-dwelling insects. A favorite summertime approach is fishing an ant and dry dropper. You “kill two birds with one stone” when fishing a combination of a high floating ant and sunken ant. I don’t feel the need to fish the sunken ant deep, so placing the nymph 12-24” under the dry fly is ideal, since trout eat sunken terrestrials right below the surface. Summer is peak for both fish and bug activity, so there’s less need to use euronymph patterns near the stream bottom. This is why I enjoy summer, the ability to catch fish on or near the surface so my “go to” tactics are single-dry or shallow-dry dropper. I do everything I can to avoid euro nymphing in summer months and seek locations and times that offer the best surface or near surface opportunities. I enjoy euro nymphing but use it more regularly during the colder months when fish feed deeper in the water.

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Loop Knots with Hopper Patterns: Gary LaFontaine is one of my fly-fishing heroes. A deep thinker and innovator who has helped countless fly fishers. One of my favorite tips from Gary was using a loop knot for large dry-fly patterns. Anglers usually think “streamers” when discussing loop knots, but Gary realized years ago, large dry-flies move more naturally when tethered to a loop knot versus a standard clinch. I know of several excellent western and midwestern fly-fishing guides who use nothing but a loop knot when fishing large dryfly patterns, so learn this knot if you plan to fish larger terrestrial patterns this season.

Seek Overhanging Vegetation: You’re not fishing aggressive enough if you’re not occasionally hanging your flies in streambank vegetation. Vegetation provides shade from sunny days, offers fish a sense of security, and an endless supply of terrestrials falling into the water. Start with short casts at first but continue presenting your terrestrial until your presentation drops immediately under the obstacle, where fish are expecting insects to fall. One tip for casting under obstacles is tweaking tippet length based on a fly’s wind resistance. For example, if you find your fly hanging too long and high in the air (instead of shooting under an obstacle), then shorten the tippet. A tippet too long, lacks the power to turn over some of my favorite beetle and ant patterns in tight brush. This was a great lesson I learned from Joe Humphreys while watching him shoot bushy, dry flies into the tightest quarters. Long tippets are a must when fishing calm flats, but a long leader will not do you any good if you can’t shoot under obstacles in tight brush.

Fishing Before and After Often the best fishing doesn’t occur during the day, when guides typically run their trips. For example, Montana’s Madison River is a popular river and has steady boat traffic starting around 8:00 a.m. and runs to approximately 5:00 p.m. Fishing is still good during this time, but I find the first and last 90 minutes of light to be the best time to fish.

The Madison River is an amazing fishery and that is why it’s a destination for many summer anglers. However, I prefer the better fishing conditions, solitude, and beautiful colors found during sunrise and sunset. I’ll fish until I start seeing heavy boat and wading angler traffic, then I’ll

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

head to a small stream or stillwater for midday fishing.

Plus, I enjoy escaping the brutal midday sun and heat I encounter on many large western rivers, flowing through open valleys. Narrow canyons and small streams lined with tall trees provide refuge from harsh sun at higher elevations. This early and late approach applies to tailwaters like the Madison River and popular spring creeks, where water temperatures fluctuate less between day and night.

However, some freestone rivers and streams, flowing at high elevations, become chilled overnight and take several hours of sunlight to warm up, and fishing doesn’t start getting good until 8:00 or 9:00. This later approach also applies to small streams at high elevation, when the best fishing isn’t at daylight but later in the day where water temps need to rise 5-10 degrees to kickstart trout activity. Knowing how water temperatures fluctuate on certain streams will allow you to develop a game plan to fish waters during peak periods and possibly avoid crowded waters. All it takes is some planning and effort on your part.

Seek Stillwater Opportunities Until this year, I spent about four weeks trout fishing the American west. I’ve always enjoyed moving water but find myself seeking the less-crowded stillwaters these days. My attraction towards stillwater is the sight-fishing opportunities during the months of July and August.

Hatches including callibaetis, tricos, and damsel, continue to forge my favorite western fly-fishing experiences each summer. In fact, my experience fishing these amazing waters makes me question why I still spend so much time fishing the famed western rivers.

Good timing and conditions are a must for witnessing this visual utopia of trout-hunting the surface. Finding bugs may be the most important step as hatches may only occur in specific areas within a stillwater. Not an issue on smaller bodies of waters where you can easily move to the other side, but often a challenge when fishing massive stillwaters.

If you’re able to gather local intel on where hatches and feeding trout likely occur-great, but stillwater information is often limited or kept in secrecy. So, this means having to do your own recon, including walking or drifting miles of shoreline looking for rising fish or clouds of insects glistening within the sun’s rays before landing on the water. There’s

been days when I’ve driven miles around a large Montana stillwater before I could locate a cloud of trico spinners, where I quickly park my car and walk towards the cloud of dancing insects. Some days I’m not able to locate bugs, but when I do, it’s often the best dry-fly fishing of the season. If no insects or fish are showing during peak daytime periods, move until you find them.

Stillwater tactics force you to become a patient angler.

Rarely am I blind casting or flogging the water with no target in sight. Stillwater fish are usually cruising fish and spooky by nature. Fish cruising higher in the water column spook easier than those hunting in the depths, where fish feel protected. Blind-casting flies in glassy water results in spooked fish, increasing the chance you may not have a fish swim in your direction. Successful stillwater anglers behave like snipers, waiting for the perfect shot, which means waiting until you have a target to cast to. I’ve had so many trout, cruise within 5 feet and suddenly spooking while I was blind casting due to impatience. Wait to cast until you have a target!

Sight-fishing trout in stillwater is comparable to saltwater flats fishing, lots of walking and scanning the water with little casting. When spotting a feeding fish, try to understand the fish’s path and feeding rhythm, so you place the cast ahead of the fish. Pay close attention to the direction the trout’s snout is pointed when feeding, as this shows the direction the fish is immediately heading towards. If you don’t see the trout’s snout, look to see if the disturbance on the water is pushing in a certain direction. Try to identify any direction the feeding trout is moving so you can present your pattern in the trout’s feeding window. Sometimes you need to lead the fish 10-20 feet in order not to spook the cruising trout.

Rarely do I cast directly towards the ring of the rise but there’s always exceptions. For example, I will cast towards the ring of a rising trout during a super hatch, when masses of fallen insects create an all you can eat buffet at the surface while trout feed with reckless abandon. This is not saying you can place the fly line on the fish’s back, but such aggressive feeding frenzies usually means the ability to closely present

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the line and fly several feet away, without spooking the fish.

Leaders and pattern selection are highly dependent on the stillwater you fish and the fish species you find within those waters. For example, my brother and I fish two Montana stillwaters no more than forty miles apart. One is massive and full of weary brown and rainbow trout where the minimum leader length is 15-feet and a sparsely tied dry-fly attached to 5X-6X tippet is fished. The other lake is a high elevation lake full of cutthroat trout, where we’ve used 7’ 3X leaders, dragging chubby Chernobyl dry flies on the surface and couldn’t keep the fish off the fly.

I find the best dry-fly opportunities come to a dead stop as wind increases during late morning. If you’re mobile (walking, driving, or in a boat) you may still find calm, where surrounding topography shelters the water from the prevailing winds. Knowing wind direction and basic topography can provide additional hours of dry-fly fishing if you can find calmer waters. I usually depart for nearby rivers and streams the moment the wind picks up and the dry-fly opportunities cease. You can obviously nymph and streamer fish stillwaters, but I prefer dry-fly tactics and move to nearby rivers when the wind kills the dry-fly bite. If you enjoy the visual experience of stalking trout cruising in glassy water-I think stillwater dry-fly tactics are as close to heaven as we can obtain on earth.

Forget Trout and Target Warmwater Species Angling pressure is increasing everywhere, especially on well-known trout streams throughout the country. I still love

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

fishing western waters but sometimes I want to get away from the masses. I know I’m “shooting myself in the foot” by writing about where I go to avoid crowded trout waters, but it’s my obligation as a writer to truthfully discuss my favorite summertime tips, and this may be my favorite summer tip, avoid trout water all together.

Recently, smallmouth fishing is offering me that refuge from crowded trout waters while still having a fun day on the water. This year will be the first summer I’m not traveling to fish western trout-waters, and the reason is, my unbridled desire to target bass with poppers and other large dry-fly patterns. Think of dry-fly trout fishing on steroids, where you’re fishing large bugs for some of the hardest fighting freshwater fish. If you live in North America, there’s a good chance you’re close to smallmouth or largemouth fishing.

Poppers are synonymous with bass, but it took me too long to unlearn what I thought popper-fishing was about.

My first lesson in popper fishing was understanding, this pattern shouldn’t always be aggressively “popped” on the surface. What I’ve found is the clearer, shallower, and more open, that is, lack of cover, the less aggressive I’ll fish the popper when targeting cruising bass near the surface. Think of a dead drift, dry fly, with the occasional twitch, a concept I learned from smallmouth author, Tim Landwehr. The idea is to present the popper onto the water and don’t do anything until the wakes of the popper landing disappear.

Then move the rod tip just enough to pulse the fly on the surface. Allow the wake of the movement to disappear, and repeat. I like to pulse the fly just enough to get the fish’s attention, then leave it alone as the smallmouth slowly lifts to inspect the popper. Sometimes the takes are a slow sip and sometimes it’s a surface implosion. If the fish refuses the pattern and starts drifting away, pulse the fly a little more as this will often bring the fish back for a second and sometimes a third look. It’s a lot more finesse than most beginning anglers think. Aggressive popping is reserved for dirty water, deep water, or heavy cover when I’m trying to get the fish’s attention or pull it out of the depths. The seasons for topwater bass fishing will vary but July and August is prime time for my Pennsylvania waters and is the reason I’ll be spending less time traveling west to chase trout. It’s that good!

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A Rugged Trip of Dreams Juliette Larocque Juliette Larocque is an outdoor enthusiast with a passion for adventure and photography. With over five years of experience working for the renowned outdoor brand Hooké, Juliette now holds a position of jack-of-alltrades, specializing in outdoor photography. Her journey with Hooké has allowed her to develop a passion for fly fishing by exploring breathtaking destinations and learning from some of the best in the industry. Whether she’s capturing the beauty of nature through her lens or casting her line in pursuit of the perfect catch, Juliette’s love for the outdoors shines through in everything she does.

Photos Hooké

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Hiding in wide open spaces

F

or as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to wide-open spaces and the thrill of adventure. Fly fishing, hunting, mountain biking, trail running, backcountry skiing, I’ll take any excuse to spend free time in the great outdoors. Now, at 28, I’m lucky enough to make a living from my passion, which is adventure photography.

I have been a member of the Hooké team for five years. In that time, over the course of many expeditions, I’ve had the opportunity to hone my skills, both in front of and behind the camera.

I’ve also had the pleasure of photographing Fred Campell, friend and Hooké founder, during his most recent hunting and fishing adventures in the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

For our latest adventure, we flew to British Columbia to connect with inspiring outfitters and share the story of the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. I’ve been to this western Province a few times in recent years, but never ventured out this far. On the border of the Yukon and Northwest Territories, under the watchful eye of towering mountain ranges, I was blown away by its endless stretches of water, abundant wildlife, and the wild and untouched flora. We felt far from civilization and in complete harmony with nature.

We met up with Daniel, a guide at Northern Rockies Lodge, and his father Urs, lodge owner and bush-plane pilot. The fly-fishing opportunities they provide access to are an angler’s dream.

While fishing for pike on expansive glacial lakes, the water was so clear that we could see the large fish moving beneath our lines. Next up, on the hunt for arctic grayling, we set off on an expedition along the creeks hugging the foot of the mountains.

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Our adventure wrapped up with what was the most beautiful catch of my life. A large rainbow, spotted beneath the crystal-clear water’s surface, was hiding among the vegetation. We managed to coax it from its hiding place and caught it while sight fishing. It’s experiences like these that light a fire, keeping us coming back to the water to fish. Throughout all of these experiences, what stood out the most was the abundance of fish we found in the waterways, where fishing is kept to a minimum and the water is beyond pure.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

The Evolution of Jig Hooks Finding success in the balance Jeremy Davies

W

hen I first started tying thirty years ago, the fly-tying community wasn’t typically using beads to tie nymphs and streamers, and at that time used lead to make their patterns sink. Some time later, tiers would begin to integrate gold and brass beads into patterns to help enhance the sink rate. This was followed by an increased demand for heavier beads made from tungsten, and now interest in slotted beads has exploded over the past decade.

Having beads in a wide variety of colours has become popular and, for my own tying desk, I have increased the colour count dramatically. Within this expanded selection I have adjusted the colour of beads on several of my favourite nymph patterns, which has proven effective on the water. Historically, I used mostly gold and black nickel beads for nymph and streamer patterns. I now find myself using bright colours such as chartreuse, pink, or orange during certain times of the year. For hooks, I have used scud hooks or 1x long nymph hooks for all nymph patterns and 3x long streamer hooks for all streamer patterns.

Over the past few years, I have moved to tying more of these flies on jig hooks. Tying these patterns as jigs has been very effective under several situations. They make an excellent dropper when fished two feet under a foam attractor and they can be very effective in small to medium creeks or rivers, as you’ll be able to discreetly bounce them along the bottom.

Balanced Leeches When tying balanced leeches, I recommend using a 90-degree or 60-degree jig hook. The length of these hooks can vary so a size-12 in one brand can be the length of a size-10 in another. Be sure to take the time to research hooks and find the length that works best for you.

I ordered samples from a few different hook companies and noticed that jig hooks come in different wire thickness. For my use, I opted to use Ahrex 540 as they were made with heavy wire and were the right length for the flies I planned to tie. Even though I promote

barbless hooks in most situations, my recommendation here is to leave On barbed, or not barbed, I typically prefer leaving the fly as barbed, which provides the angler with options.

Perhaps the biggest challenge when tying balanced leeches is getting them to balance. When I first started tying them, several years ago, I thought that they would magically balance whether you used a tungsten, brass or glass bead. I once put a balanced leech, tied with a glass bead in a glass of water and I noticed that it tipped vertically toward the tail. Also noted that when tied with a brass bead the fly also tipped vertically, but not as drastically as when tied with a glass bead.

The sample that I tied with a tungsten bead almost balanced perfectly. The reason for this issue with balancing is that most of the weight of a balanced leech is toward the tail. You can still use glass or brass beads, but if I am seeing an extreme balancing issue, I will wrap additional material on the pin behind the bead until it balances properly.

There has been some debate over how balanced leeches should be tied. Some anglers believe that the body should be tied with wire wrapped through, to make the fly more durable. I land on the other side of the conversation as I believe that wrapping wire through the body may limit the action of the dubbing fibres, which help provide action on the fly. I’ve also noted that a balanced leech, without the impediment of wire, looks more lifelike in the water and is unlikely to unravel or fall apart. Lastly, and a question I hear frequently is how to position the bead on the pin. Some tiers prefer to stick the pin through the larger opening to prevent trout from seeing the pinhead. I see this as more of a preference as I have had success tying them either way.

Peacock Balanced Leech This is my go-to balanced leech pattern and I have always had great success with flies tied with Natural Peacock, Arizona dubbing or Simi Seal dubbing. Whether using peacock herl or peacock dubbing this colour seems to be very appealing to trout and other species. About twenty years ago, I first started using a standard Simi Seal leech under an indicator. I tried several colours including black, olive, tan, burgundy, purple and peacock. Balanced leeches, tied with peacock

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Jeremy Davies Jeremy Davies resides in Southern Alberta and has been an innovative commercial fly tier for over twenty years. Specializing is trout patterns flies; he has created flies such as the Evil Weevil, used by anglers throughout the streams that wind their way through the Rocky Mountains. He looks forward to spending time on the water with his son.

and/or black dubbing always seemed to produce the best results. I recommend picking out and brushing the dubbing to give this fly extra life, so it undulates in the water. Using this fly, I have found great summertime success on pothole lakes and riverbanks over the past few fishing seasons, as the colours are ideal. I recommend tying this fly with an orange, chartreuse, or pink tungsten bead.

Be sure to also experiment with two-tone tails, such as black and olive. I’ll be experimenting with this modification over the summer and will report my findings in a future issue. I encourage you to experiment with two-tone tails and look forward to hearing from you on what works best on your local water.

Midnight Fire Balanced Leech This is perhaps one of the wildest and alluring flies that I have ever created.

It was first inspired by a Hareline Ice Dub colour, called midnight fire, which I use to make the body of this fly.

I found this to be a great choice during murky-water conditions in the spring, on pothole lakes and even rivers

Peacock Balanced Leech Hook: Ahrex 540 size 8-12 60-degree jig hook and pin Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 or 6/0 black or olive

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Bead: Tungsten Black Nickel or Metallic Olive Body: Arizona Simi Seal Natural Peacock or STS Trilobal Black Green Tail: Black Marabou with Krystal Flash

just after run-off. I have enjoyed using this pattern for a couple fishing seasons and have found success, under the right conditions. This past June, I fished this pattern in size-10 under an indicator, about a foot from the bank and caught two beautiful browns and a hard-fighting rainbow.

I also used this pattern in size-12 at several pothole lakes and netted small rainbows and even a few small perch.

This is perhaps the most time-consuming balanced leech in my arsenal, but arguably the most attractive and effective. I typically use a black slotted bead and, occasionally, will use slotted metallic blue or purple beads, if I have them available. I mostly use Simi Seal Dubbing, Senyo Fusion Dubbing or Hareline Trilobal for my balanced and Simi Seal Leeches. I have also experimented with Midnight Fire Ice Dubbing, from Hareline, and it works amazingly well for this pattern. The tail is unique as it encompasses three colours: black, burgundy, and blue. Even though this pattern takes a bit more time to build, I recommend having a few of them at the ready in your fly box. It is worth the extra effort.

Midnight Fire Balanced Leech Hook: Ahrex 540 size 8-12 60-degree jig hook and pin Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 or 6/0 black, blue or purple

Bead: Tungsten Black Nickel or Metallic blue/purple Body: Ice dubbing Midnight Fire Tail: Black, claret, blue Marabou with Krystal Flash

Jig Flies For years there wasn’t a need to tie nymphs with anything other than a standard gold brass bead because I always fished with a heavy worm and nymph combo, under an indicator. While fishing with a big, heavy worm or a split shot ensures the fly will reach the bottom, where the big guys hang out, I do find the set-up a bit clumsy. The introduction of tungsten has changed all of this.

When tying and designing jig flies, I mostly tie using sizes 14 or 16 and occasionally size 12. When choosing a slotted bead, I use a 3.5 mm for size 12, a 3.3 mm for size 14, and a 2.8 or 3.0 mm for size 16. All slotted beads are made from tungsten, as jig flies are designed to sink to the bottom quickly. When I first started tying jig flies I used gold and black nickel slotted beads. Over the last couple years I have taken advantage of the vast array of colours that are now available. As an example, I used to tie the Red Devil and BWO Killer larva jig patterns with a gold slotted bead. Now my preference is to tie the Red Devil jig with a metallic red slotted bead and the BWO

Evil Weevil Jig Hook: Ahrex 540 size 12-16 60-degree jig hook Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 or 6/0 black Bead: Gold slotted bead Body: Light Peacock Arizona Dubbing

Thorax: Natural Peacock Arizona Dubbing Rib: Fine gold fibers Shellback: Uni-Mylar Pearl Legs: Brown goose biots Tail: Female ringneck pheasant fibers

Killer jig with an olive or green slotted bead. Many fly anglers believe that using a bright coloured bead, such as chartreuse, orange, or pink, creates a hotspot which attracts trout.

Evil Weevil Jig This is the latest evolution in my signature Evil Weevil pattern series. The original Evil Weevil was without a bead, but I quickly integrated a gold brass bead, then tungsten and finally a slotted bead. Personally, I have typically tied the Evil Weevil Jig to be fished under a foam attractor pattern such as a Chernobyl Hopper or Fat Albert. A few fly anglers have reported success when using the Evil Weevil Jig, under an indicator, to mimic a mayfly nymph or caddis pupa, in lakes. My recommendation, for use of the pattern in rivers, is to fish close to the bank in mid to late summer or early fall for best success.

The debate with this pattern is whether to tie in the Uni-Mylar on top of the body, or underneath. I have tried tying the fly both ways, and have asked other tiers which method they prefer, and the general consensus is

Coral Snake Jig Hook: Ahrex 540 size 12-16 60-degree jig hook Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 or 6/0 black Bead: Black Nickel slotted bead Body: Yellow Floss with black and red wire

Thorax: Arizona Dubbing Natural Peacock Legs: yellow/gold and black/red krystal flash Tail: yellow/gold and black/red krystal flash

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that it makes little difference. I have also tied and fished both the Ice and Black Widow Weevils in jig form with great results.

I am experimenting with the creation of hotspot nymphs, where the collar behind the bead is built using chartreuse, fluorescent orange, or fire red.

My recommendation, when choosing slotted beads, is to go with bright or vivid colours. During murky water conditions, a bright colour such as chartreuse or fluorescent orange can help trout spot your fly. However, a word of caution, the opposite outcome may be realized during low and clear water conditions, as the use of bright colourful beads, or collars, may spook trout.

Coral Snake Jig I have always loved flies that have great colour contrast. What better colour contrast than a fly that exhibits the colour pattern of the deadly coral snake! It is this vivid and dramatic contrast that will get the attention of trout throughout the season.

I have had tremendous success with this new fly on

Jail Break Streamer Jig Hook: Daiichi 1760 2XL nymph hook in size 16, 18 Thread: Grey Brown UTC 70 waxed thread Body: Grey Brown UTC 70 waxed thread

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Rib: Claret Semperfli 8/0 Classic waxed thread Collar: Burnt Orange 12/0 Classic waxed thread Bead: Brown Magic 5/64th dia.

(2mm) Gills: White Antron Coating: Loctite Instant Adhesive

each of the streams where it has been presented. My recommendation is to use the pattern as a dropper under a foam hopper.

Jail Break Streamer Jig Most fly anglers are aware of balanced leeches and their effectiveness. However, many anglers have trouble balancing them and want another option. Tying a streamer as a straight jig has become much more popular over the last few years as it doesn’t require the tier to balance the fly. I have spent a fair amount of time fishing these jig streamers on medium to large rivers in late spring and early summer when the water is a bit murky or stained. I have always had the best success fishing these streamers under an indicator within a couple feet of the bank. The bright orange Antron stripe and orange bead seems to attract large trout. I also recommend tying this streamer pattern in chartreuse, pink, and yellow.

The fly-fishing industry, the art of fly tying and the sport of fly fishing are in a constant state of innovation.

The flies included in this article are a part of that process. Fly shops play an integral role in ensuring these materials are made available to the fly-tying community and I am amazed at the variety. There are a great number of dubbing options and colours available that will allow you to tie any jig nymph or balanced leech that you can dream up.

Research your materials. Always be researching other types of dubbing, hooks, and beads to create new patterns, especially jig flies and balanced leeches.

One of the most important aspects of being a proficient fly tier is being open-minded to experimenting with materials and tactics that are not familiar to you.

As an example, last spring I settled on one type of dubbing to tie purple balanced leeches. Three months later, after researching further, I came across a different shade of purple that has proven to be far more effective.

Lastly, after you know what materials you need, visit your local shop to see what they carry. Remember, these special places are not just a place of commerce.

They are a hub of local knowledge where, for example, you may just run into someone who knows exactly what shade of purple the fish are biting on.

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Pinks, Pup, and a Project Creating community one fly at a time

© Photo Adam Raymayker

Adam Raymayker

P

ink salmon season garners a lot of excitement in the southwest of British Columbia. Part of the reason is that this fishery only happens on a two-year cycle. Unlike other salmon fisheries, these salmon spend two years in saltwater before returning to the rivers, where they first came to life, to spawn. In my local river, the last pink-salmon season was in 2021 so 2023 was to be the next iteration. While pink salmon might not be the most sought-after fish, the excitement stems from it being a relatively easy and fun fishery. It happens during the summer months with long, warm days. Pinks are typically smaller than other salmon species and relatively simple to catch. The flies used for pinks are also simple, the rule of thumb being pink flies for pink salmon.

It can also be a challenging season. Anglers compete with beach goers, who may give way on colder and wetter fishing days. The fishery is also very beginner-friendly which leads to numbers of people with various fishing levels on the water. At the same time, however, it is a great season with wet wading, simple flies, simple gear, warm weather, long days, and other conveniences of summer.

Having moved into a new place only a short walk from the river, I eagerly awaited my first real opportunity to fish for pink salmon during its next season. The flies were tied, I had my gear ready to go, there were reports of the first fish entering the system, and the anticipation was building.

But then, a curveball. Suddenly there was a puppy in the picture. A search for a new four-legged fishing partner that had gone on for a while, yielding no results, finally turned fruitful at the most inopportune time. Pink season was now put on hold to allow time to prepare my new fishing partner.

Days at the river would be more about playing with and training a puppy than about casting flies and catching fish.

The lingering feeling in my mind was this collection of flies that I had tied. The wall in my garage next to my work bench had a few eight by eleven-inch foam panels that were absolutely covered in pink-salmon flies. What was I supposed to do with these? Hang on to them for two years until the next pink salmon run? Between now and then there will be the coho salmon season, bull trout fishing, steelhead season, and stillwater fishing… all times two. Admittedly, the question of what to do with these flies consumed far too

much thought, but it felt like there ought to be an obvious solution. Then, there it was, accidentally, serendipitously, whatever word you want to use, I found The Flybrary Project.

According to The Flybrary Project Founder, Larry Littrell, the initiative is a mash-up between neighborhood libraries, where you can take or leave a book, and the small cup of spare change that sits by the register in fly shops; offering a penny if you need one. The idea is to create a place, next to a stream, river or boat ramp, where anglers can leave or take a fly, and possibly meet another angler. The more an area has anglers who feel they are part of a larger community, the more likely they are to come together for conservation projects or promote the fly-fishing lifestyle in general.

A great project! This serendipitous online stumble led to what I was looking for. Unfortunately, although in retrospect, very fortunately, mailing the foam board across North America’s 49th parallel was oddly and prohibitively expensive. So, I reached out to Larry Littrell, founder of the Flybrary Project, and the individual who, to my knowledge, coined the term Flybrary. Larry wrote back, agreed shipping was far too expensive, and encouraged a DIY version. Beyond my excitement of finding this solution, Larry’s encouragement and general vibe was exactly what I hoped to find. He assured me that Flybrary Project folks would love to see more DIY versions, and this was about community, not about a branded piece of foam.

The Squamish Flybrary is now about two-years old (as is the ‘puppy’ - not actually a puppy anymore), and both have been incredibly rewarding adventures. I never did get that first Flybrary sorted in time for pink season – but with it looming again, those flies are destined for the board. Starting this Flybrary has been, at least in my mind, a simple and positive contribution to the community. What started as a way to share an abundance of flies has become about building and fostering the local community. It’s been an avenue to promote stewardship of the land and river, share fishing notices and regulations, keep the environment top-of-mind, and a unique way to bring local and visiting anglers together.

My hope is that The Flybrary Project, including the Squamish Flybrary, will continue to be a positive influence in the communities they serve.

Adam Raymayker Adam Raymakers manages the Squamish Flybrary. In his professional life he spends most of his time in front of his computer doing health economics research. This is evident in both his fly fishing and fly tying. Originally from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, he now lives in Squamish, British Columbia.

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A Stillwater Primer Igniting the stillwater stoke Phil Rowley

F

ly fishing for trout is skewed towards moving water, so much so that many fly anglers don’t consider the challenges, rewards, and charms that stillwaters offer. Lakes offer numerous reasons for anglers to give them a try. Some of the best reasons include: Above Average Fish Size Trout in productive lakes can reach enormous sizes, well over ten pounds in ideal conditions. Stillwater fly anglers tend to reference their fish in pounds rather than inches.

Extended Season Seasonal closures don’t occur o n most lakes, giving you more time to perfect your stillwater skills.

Reduced Crowds With most fly anglers still attracted to moving water, chances are you won’t have to fight for space to fish.

No Annual Runoff Other than annual mixing events called turnover, lakes remain fishable throughout the season. Turnover only impacts a lake for a few days, and each lake turns on its own time, allowing you to fish other nearby lakes that have yet to turn or already have.

Hatch Matchers Delight If you like to match different food sources and decipher aquatic hatches with your fly and presentation choices, lakes will challenge you for a lifetime.

Bigger Bugs Food sources in lakes tend to be larger than those from rivers and streams. There is no need for tiny flies when fishing lakes.

No 7X Tippet requirements in lakes do not involve thin-diameter tippets. In most instances, 3X is perfect. 1X or 2X isn’t out of the ordinary, either.

Fly Rods The fly rod requirements differ for lakes as compared to moving water. Most stillwater fly anglers favour longer five to seven-weight rods between 9.5 and 10-feet long.

Anticipated fish size, presentation techniques, and wind velocity often dictate the appropriate rod weight. If you are fishing for a small trout in calm conditions, a five-weight or even a four-weight would suffice. When targeting larger fish, or if it is windy, a six or even a seven weight might be the better choice. A 9.5 or 10-foot-six weight is an excellent starting point.

Longer rods allow superior control when fighting fish around boats, float tubes, and pontoon boats. Strike indicator techniques are a popular stillwater presentation technique. As indicator rigs feature long skinny leaders, indicators, multiple flies (if allowed), and small barrel swivels, they can be tangle-prone. Long casts with this method are often detrimental to success. The roll cast is the perfect companion for this technique. A long rod is ideal for executing roll casts.

The hang is a rod raise coupled with a pause and should be implemented at the end of every cast when retrieving flies using non-indicator presentations. It is one the best ways to increase your catch rate as the ascending fly coupled with a pause or hang often triggers any following fish to grab the fly. A long rod provides a superior hang when using long leader setups.

Lakes are not still waters. Wind creates current that we can use to help our presentations, especially when using floating lines. With the wind at my back, I often use reach casts and mends to help control my presentation.

Much like swinging wet flies on rivers and streams. A long rod is an advantage in these circumstances.

Fly Lines The most significant equipment difference from moving waters to stillwaters is the volume of fly lines fly anglers have at their disposal. Depending on water depth, fish activity, retrieve speed, specific presentation techniques, and personal preference, you have many options. At first, understanding stillwater lines can be overwhelming and worthy of a deeper discussion.

Floating lines are among the most versatile, as you can use a presentation-style line to target surface-feeding trout with a reduced risk of spooking them. Your standard river and stream floating line will suffice.

When using a floating line for subsurface work, including indicators and long leader nymphing without an indicator, look for floating lines featuring oversized heads and short, aggressive tapers. This line style places its mass close to the tip, providing the horsepower to turnover complex indicator rights and long leaders, 15-feet or more, coupled with weighted flies.

Phil Rowley Phil has been fly fishing for over 35 years. His love of fly fishing has taken him across North and South America, and he is best known for his stillwater exploits. Phil has authored five books, is the proud recipient of Fly Tyer magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Jean-Guy Cote Award for his contribution to Canadian fly tying. When he isn’t on the water, Phil travels North America performing at outdoor shows, providing seminars, speaking to fly clubs, and conducting flyfishing schools and fly-tying clinics.

All photos Phil Rowley

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Midge or emerger tip lines feature a slow sinking integrated sink tip that typically range from three to six feet long and sink rates between one and 1.5 inches per second, depending upon the manufacturer. These lines are ideal for long leader nymphing in windy conditions as the tip bites into the surface chop, allowing you to better stay in contact with your flies. You can also use these lines for shallow water nymphing and when fish feed at or just below the surface.

Sinking lines make sense as lakes are deeper than most rivers and streams. These lines are available in

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

various sink rates measured in inches per second (I.P.S.).

For example, a Type III full sinking line sinks at three inches per second, a Type V at five inches per second and so on.

A hover line sinks at roughly one inch per second.

Clear intermediate lines sink between 1.5 and 2 inches per second. Depending on the manufacturer, fast-sinking lines have sink rates ranging from three to more than seven inches per second.

Sweep lines are a recent addition gaining popularity amongst some stillwater fly anglers. These sinking

lines feature differing sink rates along their length. For example, a line may have a tip that sinks at two inches per second, a mid-section that sinks at six inches per second and a rear section that sinks at four inches per second.

The differing sink allows the line to sink and be retrieved through an arc, enabling you to sweep your flies through various depths. These lines are valuable when prospecting deeper reaches where fish can stage at different depths.

Think of the number of line types like golf clubs. Most of the time, you can enjoy a good day using a minimum suite of clubs. The same is true for stillwaters. In most situations, a floating line suited for subsurface work, a clear intermediate line and a fastsinking line that sinks between three to seven inches per second will cover most presentation challenges.

Like golf, as your experience grows and you master various techniques or react to different challenges, you can add extra clubs, or in this case, lines, as necessary. I carry at least twenty lines whenever I am on the water.

Each line has its time and place. Few things are as frustrating as not having the right tool for the job or watching another fly angler successfully use a line you don’t have.

As with river and stream fishing, stillwater trout reels are primarily a line storage system. Stillwater trout can scream into your backing and tax your drag system, so having a reel that can handle those special situations is ideal. Look for a reel that can hold at least 100 yards of backing. The primary purpose of this amount of backing is to build up the arbour diameter, allowing you to gather more fly line every time you turn the handle. Look for reels with exposed rims that won’t pinch an expensive fly line between the cage and the spool.

The most important feature of any stillwater fly reel are interchangeable spools that allow you to carry a variety of line types. Be wary of a reel’s spool price.

Your spool cost should be 50% of the total reel cost.

Some reel manufacturers offer plastic composite spools.

These spools are lightweight, easily interchangeable and cost-effective. When you purchase a composite spool reel, many manufacturers provide three spools, enabling you to carry the minimum number of fly lines I recommended earlier.

Watercraft Having the ability to get out on the water can be a barrier for many anglers wishing to give stillwaters a try.

Some lakes provide excellent shore opportunities.

However, in most instances, backcast issues due to shoreline bushes and trees, land access, shoreline weed growth and the soft, muddy bottoms common to most productive stillwaters make shoreline fishing challenging. The ability to move around and target specific structure from a float tube, pontoon boat, or boat is critical to stillwater success.

There are several options when it comes to watercraft.

Float tubes are cost-effective and portable. Pontoon boats provide a higher vantage point than float tubes, making it easier to see a take when using indicator tactics. Pontoon boats work well if you like to fish in both rivers and lakes.

Many stillwater fly anglers prefer boats. Boats are usually the most expensive option but provide excellent mobility, allowing you to quickly cover large expanses of water. The best boats for small stillwaters are stable flat-bottomed prams or jon boats. The wider, the better.

Larger bodies of water, such as Idaho’s Henry’s Lake, can be treacherous if the wind picks up. In these instances, a v-hull boat is a better option as it slices through surface chop much better. When determining the best watercraft option, your local waters and where you plan on fishing are important factors.

Boat control is essential to stillwater success. If you are constantly fighting your boat to get into and hold a position, you can’t concentrate on your presentation, and frustration soon follows. My preferred boat control options are anchors and drogues.

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Anchors allow you to plant yourself in a specific location and remain there. I like double anchoring when fishing in my pontoon or jon boat and single anchoring in my float tube. Doubling anchoring at the bow and stern eliminates annoying sway, allowing proper presentation control and focus.

Drogues are an underwater parachute that allows you to slow and control your boat as you drift downwind using cast and retrieve tactics. Using a drogue is often referred to as loch style. It is an excellent way to cover water, and as your flies precede you, there is less risk of spooking fish.

Basic Presentation Skills Retrieving or suspending flies under an indicator is a popular stillwater presentation technique. Pulling or stripping flies requires you to be able to cast a reasonable distance so you can cover as much water as possible.

Indicator tactics are more of a close-range game. As I mentioned earlier, the roll cast is your greatest ally when using indicators.

You need to maintain the most direct contact possible when fly fishing lakes so you can react to every take.

PBR (Phil’s Black & Red) Hook: Daiichi 1120 #10-#14 Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed, 8/0, Black

38

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Rib: Uni Wire, Red Under Body: Holographic Mylar, Red Body: Buzzer Wrap, Brown or Fiery Brown Bead: White

Once the cast is complete, lower your rod tip so it sits 1-3 inches above the surface when using floating lines or stab it into the water with sinking lines.

It is crucial to allow your flies to sink. Most feeding activity in lakes occurs within 1-3 feet of the bottom. Not letting flies sink deep enough is one of the primary challenges new stillwater fly anglers must overcome to be successful.

Once your fly line lands, pinch it against the cork using your rod hand. If you prefer, you can also place the line between the thumb and forefinger of your rod hand.

This tactic ensures you are ready should you get a take as your flies sink and you are in the correct retrieve position.

Should a fish take your fly as it descends, set the hook by raising the rod if using a floating line or strip set with a sinking line. In almost all instances, you must retrieve the line to make your flies come to life and convince a trout to take them.

Stillwater retrieves consist of four elements. The length you pull the line, the pace of the pull, the pause between pulls and the overall cadence or tempo of your retrieve. Of these elements, the pause is often most critical as this is when any fish following or seeing your fly move can pounce. The three stillwater retrieves I use are the handtwist, pinch strip or strip.

The handtwist, figure eight or hand weave, is the primary still water retrieve. Retrieve the line using your thumb and forefinger. At the same time, open your hand and pull the line with your pinky finger back towards you. Continue this process until the retrieve is complete.

Using your ring or middle finger instead of your pinky further shortens the length of each pull. The pace of any handtwist can vary from brisk and choppy to slow and pedantic. It is a busy retrieve that keeps impatient anglers at bay and is the primary retrieve of most chironomid anglers.

As its name implies, the strip retrieve consists of pulling or stripping the line from behind the rod hand.

The strip can range from long and slow to short, choppy and fast. The danger of any strip retrieve is moving the fly too fast. The best stillwater retrieves are slow and erratic.

Many times, a handtwist retrieve is the best option.

Moving the flies too fast is also a barrier to stillwater success. The best fly in the world won’t work if you can’t

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get it down to the fish and move it in a manner that the fish find appealing.

The pinch strip is a variation of a strip retrieve, which most anglers are familiar with. Begin by touching your retrieve hand to your rod hand. Don’t allow them to come apart. Gather line by pinching and pulling it with the thumb and forefinger of your retrieve hand.

The pinch strip is a slow retrieve that is an excellent alternative to the handtwist if you struggle to master the hand movements.

How to Find Fish in Lakes Compared to rivers and streams, lakes seem vast and featureless, making them challenging to read. Finding trout in lakes is a comprehensive subject on its own.

Over time, I have developed a basic philosophy to find fish in stillwaters similar to one many river and stream anglers use by targeting areas that provide trout comfort, protection, and food.

Comfort factors are arguably the most important to consider when locating stillwater trout. Water temperature and its relationship to oxygen content are the most critical.

As water temperature increases, its ability to hold oxygen decreases. For stillwater trout, I use a thermometer to

FAB (Sunburst) Hook: Daiichi 1530, #8 Thread: Semperfli Flouro Brite, Orange or White

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Tail: Booby Cord, 5mm, Orange, Split Body: Semperfli Ice Chenille or Jelly Fritz, Sunburst Orange

locate water between 50F-65F. When water temperatures are within this range, trout are active and feed. When temperatures are below 50F, a trout’s metabolism slows, and it becomes less active. Oxygen content reduces as temperatures rise. When temperatures exceed 65F, trout can become stressed. When this occurs, it is a good idea to leave them alone and pursue other more temperaturetolerant species.

Weeds also produce oxygen through photosynthesis, making them a likely looking place to find trout. In addition to oxygen, weeds protect trout through the camouflage and cover they provide and are home to the majority of food trout prey upon in lakes. Protection factors provide trout with a sense of confidence to feed.

These include the water’s surface, light, structure and weeds. A rippled water surface diffuses and breaks up light. Trout often forage aggressively under the cover of a riffled surface. Light also influences trout behaviour.

Cloud cover diffuses light, allowing wary trout to forage confidently. The low morning and evening light are also prime times to be on the water.

Trout are structure-related. They love to cruise along the edges of drop-offs and points. These are two of my favourite types of structures to explore. Sunken islands, weed beds, bays, and inflow streams are also excellent places. Underwater contour maps, available online or in specific books, and sounders are great tools to help locate suitable structure.

The last component of my, how to find fish philosophy, food, focuses on placing yourself where trout are most likely to feed, shallow shoals. As fly anglers, we should focus our efforts prospecting shoals, where the water is less than 20 feet deep. Here, the sun’s energy strikes the bottom, stimulating weed growth and creating an ideal habitat for the aquatic insects, invertebrates, and forage fish trout feed upon. In addition, the strategies and techniques we use are best suited for shallow water.

I have had the good fortune to pursue fish in both fresh and saltwater in various water types. If you asked me to limit my fishing to just one water type for the rest of my life, my answer would be easy. Lakes. I hope this primer ignites the same passion and encourages you to try lakes.

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STILLWATER SECRETS

Summer Doldrums The keys to unlocking summer success Brian Chan Often referred to as “Dr. Chironomid,” Brian has always viewed stillwater fly fishing through the lens of a biologist. Lakes and their inhabitants are always changing–no two days are ever the same–and that’s what Brian finds so fascinating about fly fishing in still water.

M

y stillwater fly-fishing mentors would often lament the arrival of summer.

Poor catch rates were always blamed on the warming water temperatures which the trout responded to by often going off the bite for lengthy periods of time. Now referred to as the Summer Doldrums, these warm and more recently very hot months can be a challenging time to catch fish but that’s not a reason to completely put our fly rods away.

Our small trout lakes will always follow seasonal warming and cooling cycles, however the impacts of climate change are now an unknown factor that must be considered each fishing season. Understanding how extended periods of hot weather impacts trout behaviour and feeding patterns, will allow us to enjoy at least portions of the summer season. But the bottom line is about trout survival and when surface water temperatures climb up above about 68°F (20°C) it is time to get off the water as catch and release fishing can result in unintended mortality.

Summer Stratification The water in a typical trout lake is gradually warming as the spring season progresses. Slowly increasing water temperatures trigger the annual parade of aquatic insect emergences that both trout and anglers eagerly anticipate.

However, most insect hatches are typically thinning out by the early summer period. The one exception are chironomids, as deep-water emergences, often occur during the warmest days of the year. As spring becomes summer, the upper layers of water warm up and become less dense than the deeper, cooler water below.

The heat energy from the sun can reach down to about the 20-to-25-foot depth range. Water clarity and level of

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

suspended solids play an important role in determining the extent of light and heat penetration. Below that depth, water remains much cooler. As the upper layers of water continue to warm, an invisible barrier called the thermocline forms. The thermocline prevents mixing of the two layers of water due to their differences in density. Through the summer months, wind action will mix the water above the thermocline. This results in recharged oxygen levels. Below the thermocline, oxygen levels will gradually diminish due to the lack of mixing and the ongoing decomposition of plant and animal matter which consumes what dissolved oxygen is present. In the most productive, shallow trout lakes, the water below the thermocline may not support fish due to insufficient levels of oxygen. However, the vast majority of stillwater trout fisheries will see adequate levels of oxygen below the thermocline which becomes an important factor as summer progresses. Continued warming of the upper layers of lake water eventually leads to declining oxygen levels. The combination of very warm water which supports less oxygen can reach a point where the trout are forced out of the shallower water at least during daylight hours. This is when that cooler water from the thermocline and deeper, becomes an important summer refugia for trout and other species of fish.

A depth sounder becomes a very important tool when fishing during the warmer months. It will show the presence and depth of a thermocline as well as mark fish in the water column. Turning off the Fish ID function will ensure what marks as a fish, is one. A fish passing under the transducer cone will typically appear as a horizontal convex-shaped arc. It is common to see fish congregated slightly above and below the thermocline where water temperature and oxygen levels are adequate.

Fish found living in the deeper water will be actively feeding on such food items as zooplankton, leeches, dragonfly nymphs and chironomid emergences. The depths that fish are suspended dictates what fly lines can be used and presentation tactics to employ. Indicators can be fished with leaders as long as 25-feet, making it a perfect method to present balanced leeches and blobs just below established thermocline levels. Fish holding in deeper water require the use of sinking lines so the fly gets down to, and even below, the depth of the fish. A faststripped leech, dragonfly nymph or booby will often result in an aggressive strike.

Marking fish sitting on or just off the bottom during the summer season often means there is some chironomid pupal pre-emergence staging activity. This provides an opportunity for vertical presentations which we refer to as dangling or deep lining. Summer chironomid emergences are often found in water 30-to-40-feet deep and sometimes at significantly deeper depths. This is the only way to present a chironomid pupa or larva to those bottom hugging fish. A type 7, full sinking line and a short, 3-to-

4-foot-long leader, is a go-to setup. It is very important to ensure your fishing craft is stationary when vertically presenting patterns at very specific depths. This means double anchoring your boat or pontoon boat. Keep an eye on your depth sounder as trout will sometimes move up in the water column to eat the chironomid pupa that are now beginning their ascent to the surface.

Early morning and late evening sessions can provide some exciting fishing action during the heat of the summer. In both situations the shallower water on the shoals and edges of drop-offs will be cooler and sufficiently oxygenated for trout to forage through these prime pieces of lake real estate. During these lower-light situations, consider casting and retrieving leeches, scuds or dragonfly nymphs on fly lines matched to the depth being fished.

The goal is to cover as much water as possible while always on the lookout for moving fish.

Cool morning or evening breezes are a welcome relief during the hot summer period. Finding some trout activity and fooling a few as the sun rises or sets just adds to the enjoyment of being on the water.

TIGHT LOOPS, TIGHT LINES

Through Her Eyes Bringing new meaning to fly-fishing guide

Kastine Coleman Kastine Coleman is a Fly Fishers International casting instructor, a two-time IGFA world record holder for Atlantic salmon, fishing guide and co-owner of Tight Loops Tight Lines with her partner Terry Byrne. She is a director with FFI and the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation and a SPAWN board member. She resides in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, with her three children..

All photos Jake Dicks

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

T

he rain was heavy on the roof of the camper, drowning out everything else around us. Millie put the kettle on and settled into the seat next to Allan, gently smoothing down the collar of his shirt.

She gives a nod of approval, and we turn on the camera.

Every year around the 24th of May, Millie and Allan would load up their camper and drive across the island, stopping to fish their favourite rivers: Setting up camp, cooking, fishing, and then picking it all up a week or two later to move to another river. For many years they have been doing this, every year, every summer, returning home in September. A challenging but fun adventure for a couple, - with one slight twist ~ Allan is blind. The journey is all in the hands of his patient and determined wife, Millie. This small piece of information turns their journey into an extraordinary one. These are

the kind of people that make you smile every time you cross paths. You’ll walk away feeling calm and inspired, even after a brief encounter. The kind of people we just had to share with all of you.

They were introduced to fishing through a family member a year after Allan had lost his eyesight. He worked hard at the sport in those early years, fishing for 10 summers before hooking his first salmon. He’s a wet-fly fisherman, because you need your sight to set the hook fast enough to catch a salmon on a dry fly.

Allan spoke of one of his early goals was to catch one on a dry fly, and with Millie at his side patiently watching the fly they gave it a try. Atlantic Salmon are often called “the fish of a thousand casts”, and Allan and Millie certainly put in their time on the water, living riverside for 3 months a year. One day, after many attempts, they hit it just right and an Atlantic Salmon rose to Allan’s dry fly. Millie, delighted, let out a sigh of relief and said: “Oh my Allan, there he is, pull!” With that lengthy sentence, the fish had jumped, spit the fly out, and was long gone. They both let out a hearty laugh as they relived the memory. There would be challenges that any couple would face when on the road for months at a time, yet they seemed to handle each with grace.

When Millie would park the camper in narrow campsites, she would have Allan stand at the back of the lot. She would reverse until she reached him. She knew she would never knock him down. I can’t help but smile as he describes how he stands there with his hand out, waiting for the camper to make contact. A beautiful

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definition of trust. Millie and Allan have been making this trip for 54 years now, stopping at different rivers over the years, and just recently settling on a few of their favourites to repeat. The drive to explore has been slowly replaced by the well-worn paths of the familiar, with old friends stopping by at the campsite to say hello and offering helping hands at every bend in the river.

The kettle whistled, and steam bellowed out of the spout. Millie rose to pour a few mugs of tea for us.

She then passed Allan his guitar and he ran his fingers down the strings making sure it was in tune. He explained that in 1928 a man by the name of C.H. Palmer published a book called “The Salmon Rivers of Newfoundland”. We were familiar with the book, still using it as a guide occasionally, though the rivers have changed over the years. The book was incredibly well done, including 80+ hand drawn maps of rivers with pool names and significant landmarks of the island. In the book there was a poem written by P.C. Mars about salmon fishing in Newfoundland. Allan had turned

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

those words into a song and agreed to play it for us. We listened to him sing, and it seemed the lyrics were truly fitting for the life they were living together. When he finished his tune, the rain hitting the camper sounded like a round of applause.

As the weather cleared, Millie and Allan donned their waders, grabbed their rods, and headed to the river. She linked into him as they descended the rocky trail and led him out into the water. He has his favourite places and stops when he feels comfortable. Allan wades through the calm water and stops when the current picks up and is hitting him on the upper thigh. “This is it”, he says. He strips out a few feet of line and starts casting. Millie takes a few steps upriver and finds her own place in the pool. She’s quick to raise a salmon, and he asks for details, immediately wondering how far out it was and how it approached the fly. After he fishes out the pool, Allan demonstrates how he changes his fly for us.

“I don’t know what fly this is, I think it’s the Murray

Special. Is it a bronze hook? I always use a number 4” he says, as he pops the end of the leader through the eye of the hook on his second try. Allan makes exaggerated loops between his fingers, using his mouth to hold the leader, and counting rotations before pulling the knot snug. He clips off the extra leader with his teeth and flicks the line out to continue fishing.

They fish for a little while longer before the smell of food lures them in for a shore-lunch. Fresh pasta with a moose ragu. We sat on the beach listening to stories over lunch, and Allan told us about how he would row a boat here. With Millie in the boat with him, they would head upriver against the strong current. “Going up was never a problem, it was going down that was tough” recalls Millie with a smile. Millie sat up straight in her chair now, as she spoke, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she remembered the rush of the descent.

She explained how she would call out directions and Allan would maneuver the boat… “right, right, left, faster!”. With anglers peppering the river and other

boats around, it’s hard to believe they never collided with anyone. One time they even saved a man who had fallen in while wading, he was floating downriver, and they managed to get close enough to pull him in.

There was no shortage of stories or food, and we sat enjoying their company for quite some time before calling it a day. Then, as easily as they had arrived, they walked back up the steep hill to the campsite, arm in arm, stopping to chat with almost every angler they passed.

To echo the opening words in Allan’s song, Millie has truly given him a life in the open. Her guidance and unwavering support are uplifting to witness. With a gentle demeanor and a contagious smile, she shows immense patience as she guides Allan through life, ensuring they conquer the challenges together.

Editor’s note: If you’d like to get to know Allan & Millie, join Castine at flyfusionstreaming.com for her series Tight Loops Tight Lines and look for the episode, “Through Her Eyes”, which is now streaming.

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Kastine’s Riverside Pasta & Moose Ragu If you are making your own pasta, I like to prepare the dough first, and make the sauce while the dough is resting.

The sauce can simmer away as you roll out your dough.

Pasta Ingredients 4 large eggs (room temperature) 2.5 cups flour (all-purpose will work, “00” or semolina work better) 1 teaspoon Newfoundland Sea Salt (plus additional salt for the pot) 1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce Ingredients 1 carrot, diced 1 onion, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 lb ground moose 3 tbsp olive oil or butter 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)

2 cups passata or can of diced tomatoes.

1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving.

1/2 cup whole milk 1-2 inch piece of parmesan rind to add to pot while simmering for flavour (optional) Pepper to taste. Wait to season with salt until after you add the pasta water at the end

Cook the diced carrot, onion and celery in olive oil or butter on low heat until soft. Add your ground moose and break it apart slightly as it cooks. You don’t need to brown the meat. Add crushed garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and oregano. When the meat is cooked, add white wine (optional) and passata. Add milk, parmesan cheese, the parmesan rind if you have one, and let that simmer for 10-30 minutes while you roll out your pasta. If you simmer longer you may need to add more pasta water at the end to thin the sauce slightly.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

This will make approximately 4 servings of pasta. Measure flour onto a cutting board in a mound, and make a well in the centre. Add eggs, salt and olive oil to the well. Mix until it becomes a dough and then knead 1-2 mins until its smooth. Add more flour if it’s too wet, or a drop of water if it’s too dry. You can also do this step in a food processor or mixer if you are in a kitchen. Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic, letting it rest. Once the dough has rested for about 30 minutes, divide into 4 equal portions and flatten each into a disk. Feed each pasta disk through the machine, lowering the setting as you go, I usually roll to size 6. As a trick, I join the front and end piece together so it’s a continuous circle of pasta rolling through the machine, which gets through the process a little quicker. Keep dusting with flour if needed to avoid It getting too sticky. You can use a rolling pin or a wine bottle if you don’t have a pasta machine handy. When it reaches the desired thickness, prop your fly rod in the trees, and hang the rolled pasta on the butt section of your fly rod to dry slightly (I am not responsible for your rod warranty!), or cut it immediately and throw it into a pot of boiling, salted water. It will only take 1-5 minutes to cook, depending on the thickness of pasta. If you are using river water you’ll want to ensure the pot has been boiling for at least 5 minutes before adding the pasta. Reserve some of the pasta water.

Add pasta to your pot of sauce, and 1/4-1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Season to taste, serve with grated parmesan, and enjoy!

ON THE VISE

Frank Brassard Frank Brassard is a fly tyer and fly fisher based in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. When he isn’t chasing trout in cold, glacier fed streams, he enjoys taking traditional nymph and dry patterns and giving them his own twist. Frank’s flies can be seen on Instagram at @frank.brassard

Hopping Into Terrestrials Top 6 flies for meaty dries

D

uring a recent trip to Oaxaca Mexico, my 9-year-old son and I were walking through the local market, sampling various grilled meats, and buying handmade trinkets. The sights and smells were quite stimulating and after an hour or so, we had made it through to the other side and were ready to move on to the nearby ice-cream stand. Just as we were about to step out into the heat of the day, a little old lady was crouched over a half dozen baskets containing neat little

Dancin Ricky Textreme Powerthread 100D Gulf Minuteman Rainys Foam 2mm Cinnamon Ice Dubbing – Rusty Brown

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Razor Foam 0.5mm – Black EP Fibers – Grey Round Rubber Legs

mounds of dry-looking critters. I had come upon such offerings many times in the past. From scorpions in Thailand to giant caterpillars in the Congo. In many Asian and African countries people regularly consume insects as they are a readily available source of protein, calcium and many other essential vitamins and minerals. Personally, I’ve been sprinkling a few tablespoons of powdered crickets into my morning smoothie for over 4 years now. My son on the other hand had no connection to bugs other than something you torture for fun, run from to prevent bites, or keep out of your food. When I proposed he pick one out as a snack, his reaction was of uncertainty and disgust.

The only words coming out of his mouth being “You can’t possibly be serious”. This is an ironic statement, as most insects are edible and constitute the foundation of a healthy ecosystem’s food web. Some species spend their short lives with one goal, to reproduce as quickly as possible and in the largest amounts so they can compensate for the high level of predation they experience. Others mature slowly, underground, coming out every decade or so in some of the world’s biggest hatches and providing a nutritional bounty of epic proportion for wildlife and plant-life alike.

Humans have consumed insects since time immemorial.

Various mammals, from bears to mice, eat them. Most bird species won’t turn down a worm or beetle. Fish, of course, would not be without them.

In the eyes of a trout, not all bugs are created equal.

Although midges are abundant and easy to pick out, nothing compares to a cicada or grasshopper for the best

bang for your buck. We know that the calculation made by fish, when it comes to feeding, is to always remain caloric positive. Meaning, the number of calories gained by consuming the food source, must be more than the expenditure of calories required for the chase. For that reason, trout in rivers tend not to move far from their holding spot. A similar scenario takes place in stillwater, where fish will tend to roam the littoral zone area where the food is concentrated. The few times that a fish will move out of its way to chase a morsel of food is when that morsel is big and vulnerable. Terrestrials and some large, adult aquatic hatching insects are of particular interest.

One adult grasshopper contains around 9 calories, while a chironomid pupae or black ant, will provide between 0.03 to 0.07 calories. Following this thread, trout would need to consume hundreds of chironomids or ants to match the value found in a bigger insect such as a grasshopper, cicada or skwala. Of course, nothing is a guarantee when it comes to flyfishing, but a properly presented terrestrial pattern to a feeding trout, has a good chance to get some attention.

Following are a few of my favorite terrestrial patterns.

Open a manufacturer’s catalog and you’ll find out there are hundreds of options to choose from. Like other types of patterns in fly-tying, most terrestrial patterns are a slight variation of another. The patterns I have decided to present are mostly larger, dry flies that use highly buoyant materials. Some are fully synthetic. Others are hybrids and one is a classic pattern 100% natty. While I prefer working with naturals, it is undeniable that synthetic materials such as foam, EP fiber and polypropylene are far superior in maintaining their floating ability especially after catching a few fish. For that reason, all but one of the patterns below have a strong, foam foundation.

There are three important criteria to a good terrestrial pattern: floatability, profile, and movement. Let’s see how each of the five patterns I selected below, address those criteria. For a quick tying tutorial video, just scan the QR code beside each image. The link will take you to my Instagram page where I’ll show you the materials used, and how to tie each fly. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Chubby Chernobyl: Mark Forsland The Chubby Chernobyl needs no introduction. It is

the most popular hopper pattern in the US, and for a good reason. It hits all the key points mentioned above.

Developed in the 80s by Mark Forsland, it is a spinoff of the Chernobyl Ant. It’s a simple fly and easy to tie. The oversized legs give it tons of movement while the sail type, double wings allow even the most myopic of angler to spot it a mile away. Will it float? You bet it will, thanks to its 4 mm of decking, not only will it float high, but it is a great option in a dry-dropper setup.

I have tied the original version of the pattern here.

There are many variations that have surfaced over the years. I suggest also looking at Charlie Craven’s version called the Chubby Chernobyl Elevated.

This fly is an attractor. It will work great for anything from imitating stoneflies, salmon flies, grasshoppers, or beetles. Just adjust the size and color to what your local menu is offering.

Morrish Hopper: Ken Morrish There isn’t a more iconic hopper-pattern than the Morrish Hopper. This is mostly all foam, and rubber legs. I’ll admit that tying this fly feels more like two parts sculpting and one part gluing. The more traditionalist fly-tyers will most likely hold up their noses to this form of tying. The result is undeniable though, one of the most realistic looking

Foam Is Home Stone Textreme Powerthread 100D Round Rubber Legs

Rainy’s Crosscut Foam 2mm EP Fiber Elk Hair

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grasshoppers in the bin. The large foam body will keep it floating all day without any need of floatant. The profile is impeccable, and the legs really give the impression of kicking… just like the real thing.

The hard part of tying a Morrish Hopper (like a few of Ken’s patterns) is to get the proper shape cut from the foam sheet. Here you need to laminate 3 sheets of 2 mm foam and cut out the body of the fly. I have used 3M adhesive spray and a foam cutter from River Road Creation. Once the shape is cut and smoothed out, all that is left is to assemble the fly. Don’t be shy with the crazy glue here.

Foam is a slippery material and hard to affix to a hook shank. The same goes with the rubber legs, a dab of glue goes a long way in ensuring that they remain in place after many fights.

Foam Is Home Stone: Tim Sickles

Easy Peasy Ant Ahrex FW503 Textreme Powerthread 100D Fullingmill Bug Foam 2mm Vicuña Dubbing Black

Diamond Dub Antron Yarn Grizzyl Hackle Fullingmill CDC100D

This is my favorite pattern to tie. Tim always creates very clean patterns and this one is no exception. As the name suggests, this is a stonefly imitation. The profile is excellent, with a strong segmented body and wide wing. The wing is made of deer hair and EP fiber which in my opinion looks much better that just foam or EP alone. The downside is that you should treat the wing with floatant, as it tends to get waterlogged after a couple of fish and the whole fly

wants to sag under the surface a bit. The real kicker here is the movement from the legs. I can’t stress how important movement is. It is probably the biggest trigger to make a fish move 6 feet away to investigate. Next time you find a grasshopper on the banks, pick it up and take it for a swim.

You’ll see it kick in circles, sending ripples out to every fish around. Ringing the proverbial dinner bell.

So, take your time tying-in those knotted legs. Observe in my video the angle at which I align them. Again, dab them with some glue.

before use, and change it after a fish or two.

Here, I’ve tied it on a size 6 hook. It can easily be downsized to match the size of hoppers or stoneflies found on your home-water banks.

Dancin’ Ricky: Andrew Grillos Grillos is known for designing some really nice-looking foam bugs. This one is no exception. Looking good isn’t enough to make this list though. This pattern also hits hard when it comes to movement and durability. The knotted legs will react to any little movement from the rod tip and the fly is built to last. On the other hand, this fly doesn’t float as well as the other ones I’m presenting. The Dancin’ Ricky sits low, and the dubbed abdomen tends to get waterlogged after a few casts. You will need to treat this fly

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Chubby Chernoybl Textreme Powerthread 100D Ahrex FW581 Crystal Flash Ice Dub Shrimp + Rusty Brown

Rainy’s Crosscut in cinnamon EP Fiber Round Rubber Legs

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Easy Peasy Ant: Gordon Van Der Spuy Gordon is not only a tier he’s also a writer. He is the author of “The Feather Mechanic”. Once having read his books you might also refer to Gordon Van Der Spuy as an engineer. His patterns are built with purpose. All material, every element of his flies, is there for a reason.

None of those reasons are purely to please the eye of the fisherman. Gordon’s flies have one goal, fool fish into thinking it’s food.

The Easy Peasy Ant is the perfect example of this. It has a two-segment body, just like an ant. It sits low in the film, just like an ant. The CDC legs provide subtle but realistic movement, just like… you get the idea.

In my opinion, “Easy Peasy” does not refer to the tying of this fly. It is not really an easy fly to tie with its parachute and CDC dubbing loop. I presume the term relates to how easy and peasy it is for feeding hungry trout. This is the smallest pattern on my list and could be, in a pinch, used as an imitation for some large flying midge hatch.

Parachute Hopper: Ed Shroeder Although created half a century ago, Mr. Shroeder’s pattern is to this day, one of the best-selling hopper

Moorish Hopper Textreme Powerthread 100D Gulff Minuteman 3x 2mm Foam laminated and trimmed

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Rainy’s Rubber Legs

patterns. If gluing synthetics is not your thing, and you prefer a more holistic approach to fly tying, this one’s for you. I’m a big fan of the Parachute Hopper for a couple of reasons. First, it is quite visible from a distance thanks to the bright post. Second, it looks very natural. There’s nothing like mottled turkey and pheasant tail to mimic the colors of bugs.

It does lack the ability to float all day and will require you to treat it after each fish you catch. It won’t have the level of movement that big knotted, rubber legs provide.

It is nevertheless a pleasure to tie and to cast. We don’t fly fish because it’s easy. I personally do it because it’s complicated, sometimes frustrating, and often rewarding.

Those are the same reasons the Parachute Hopper is my all-time favorite.

Just like the collection of baskets in front of that lady in the central market of Oaxaca, it’s your choice of which hopper in the bins of a fly shop demands consideration.

Which one will best suit your water, your needs, or your taste. After a few minutes of coaxing and a healthy dose of peer pressure from his brother, my son’s final decision landed on a deep-fried cricket.

One generously coated with spices and a hint of lime.

Lineas apretata amigos!

Parachute Hopper Ahrex FW501 #12 Textreme Powerthread 100D Calf body hair Stretch Floss

Vicuña Dubbing – welsh gold Mottled Turkey Pheasant Tail

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LONG LINES

Delivering Big Bugs Smoothing out a cumbersome cast

Jeff Wagner When he’s not fishing or casting you’ll find Jeff hiking or biking the back country with his family.

They also volunteer their time to conservation efforts with groups such as Fly Fishers International.

Oh, and during business hours Jeff does business stuff.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

O

ne of the draws of fishing for trout is the seemingly effortless casting. Presenting a size-18 dry fly at 30’ to sipping trout in minimal wind. Idyllic. Compare that to fishing an exposed lake for bass. Winds are common, wading can be deep, the boat is exposed, the flies are big and often heavy or wind resistant, the rods have larger grips and are heavier, and the fly lines are heavier. Add to this, most bass anglers work hard, too hard, at getting line out. Often making a number of false casts as they work harder and harder until they finally have enough weight out of the rod tip to make a delivery. Then the shoot is often cumbersome, with fly lines wrapping around the fighting butt and the fly lands with a ton of energy and a splash and not accurately. Then as the angler begins the retrieve they pull in the excessive slack and all of that effort ends in a minimally fishable cast. Sound familiar? All of this can lead to frustration and fatigue: A combination that doesn’t lead one to readily decide to pick up bass, or other warm water species, as a fly-fishing avenue at least not on a regular basis. The goal, like all fishing, is to keep the fly in the water and present it with minimal effort. You won’t catch fish with the fly in the air.

It is not often I will start a casting conversation with equipment. Even in this case, a good caster CAN deliver a big or heavy fly, even with a soft 4-weight. But, let’s be real, that is neither fun nor efficient. We have a huge variety of products to choose from and these situations are perfect for investigating new equipment that can make fishing easier. To be honest that is why we buy all of the equipment. If we can make a cast with no rod and we can deliver big flies with a 4-weight, why do we need expensive 9’+ rods and a half-weight, heavy fly line? All to make fishing easier, create mechanical advantage, and have more fun catching more fish.

Let’s start with the flies and fishing situation. The first consideration when choosing the weight of rod is not the size of the fish or the distance to cast, but the fly size, weight and wind resistance. Be real about what you are fishing. Any rod can cast a size-18 dry fly but few rods can effectively cast a size two, lead-eye crayfish. Add a type V sinking line to get down fast and you have a lot of mass and wind resistance. The larger and heavier the flies, the heavier the weight of the rod (and the line). We need more mass in the fly line to offset the weight and resistance of the flies, and we need a heavier weight rod to effectively control the heavier fly-line. My warm-water rods start at 6-weight for small poppers and unweighted streamers. I quickly ramp up to an 8-weight for weighted crayfish patterns, larger clouser minnows and sinking lines. Don’t be afraid to go 9-weight or even a light in the hand 10-weight if you are fishing very heavy flies, sinking lines or very wind resistant flies. For bass an 8-weight will suffice in most situations while pike and muskie may require a 9 or 10-weight. Don’t let what you think your buddy might think affect your choice. There is nothing cool about putting undue stress on your arm and shoulder.

With your flies selected and the relative range determined, let’s look at rods, lines, and leaders. This is where a good equipment combination will make casting and fishing these larger flies much easier. First, as noted above, choose the correct rod-weight, 8-weight is a good all around choice for warm water. Second, “action”. The recommended rod is likely NOT the fastest and stiffest rod on the market. In fact a rod with a softer tip and a deeper deflection with a quick recovery rate will be best.

This allows for some “shock absorption” at the end of the stroke and damping with a faster recovery rate for a quick delivery and reaction to power adjustments. Also, be

that matches the end of the fly line. They are also made of stiffer mono and have a fast taper. This helps to hold and turnover the heavy or wind-resistant flies. When tying on a tippet be sure it is the correct diameter and stiffness.

This isn’t the time for supple tippet material. Even going to straight monofilament in a 10+ lb Trilene XL or XT is fine.

Now that we have our gear, let’s cover casting. As the Fly Fishers International mantra goes, longer stroke, easier cast. And all things being equal and without adding in additional issues this is true, especially here.

Remember that these heavier outfits require more energy to hold, move, and flex. This also means it is harder to stop. Starting and stopping requires more energy, and as such will also be putting more wear and tear on you. With a longer casting-stroke you will find it easier to get the rod to max acceleration. Most of that strain comes from accelerating and decelerating the rod rapidly and in this case it’s not necessary. Once you have that mass going, especially with a more dense, sinking line, weighted fly and heavier fly line, it will continue to travel to the target.

Slow the rod down enough to cause loop formation, and control the line, as it falls to the water, concentrating on making an accurate cast.

© Photo Arian Stevens

mindful of the grip. Be sure the handle fits in your hand easily and comfortably for an entire day. Too skinny or too fat, and it will cause hand strain.

Now to the meat of it with fly lines. I will be the first to tell you there are too many fly lines on the market, but it is possible to cut through much confusion by improving your casting. To that end, consider hiring an instructor.

But with large flies, a good fly line can be worth its weight in gold. I prefer one of the many “bass” or “big bug” tapers or streamer tapers, that have a shorter head, a short and aggressive front taper, and a shorter rear taper, and quickly get into the running line to make shooting easier. For the most part, casting shorter will be more effective if you are going to a long-shoot line. These lines will turn over the larger flies and are often a half-weight heavier to offset the weight and wind resistance of the flies and drag them along easily. Today many lines are even three-quarters to almost a full weight heavier. Of course we would not need to do that if the rods were not stiffer and stiffer but that is a topic for another article.

To match the fly line, you will need a leader that will also turn the fly over. Here choose a “bass” or “pike” type of taper. These have a larger and stiffer butt diameter

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Hauling will help immensely. As we all know two hands are better than one, and hauling allows us to impart energy to the stroke with both hands, and in the case of heavy bass rigs the haul can be even more important where we can add even greater energy and speed to the cast with the hauling hand than we might with a lighter weight line. In doing so keep everything smooth. Those longer casts and hauls, and pulling the additional mass and wind resistance through the air, will only be made more challenging if the cast is jerky or overly aggressive.

Let’s go through a casting sequence, but start by defining our desired outcome. First, we are making a forty-foot cast with an 8-weight rod and using a 7’6” bass leader with a streamer line and fishing a size six popper with a dropper below. We know the fish are sitting just off of the bank, as the water quickly deepens less than 10’ from the bank. We are fishing from a boat and cruising parallel to the bank. Here is what an optimal cast might look like: 1. With the fly near the bank, we will make a few strips until the flies are out of the strike zone (away from where we believe the fish to be and possibly spooking them).

2. Make a few quick strips to get the fly within 15’ of the boat or the bank. We don’t want to pick the fly up 2030’ out for two reasons. First, it would cause a ton of resistance and put more strain on us as we are casting.

Second, there is a greater likelihood of spooking fish, as we try to pick a popper up at that distance, that will likely create excessive noise and disturbance.

3. a. With the rod tip low and the hauling hand near the first guide we will begin the stroke from this low position and accelerate smoothly up and high behind, using a long haul and a long smooth casting stroke, or; b. A modification to this would be a roll-cast pick up. With the line extended out as in step 2 perform a hard and slightly above the water roll cast so that the fly line unrolls over the surface of the water. As the loop unrolls and is aerialized, make your backcast with a long haul.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

4. As the loop has formed and is unrolling, shoot additional line into the backcast, keeping the line in control in the hauling hand. Allow as much line to shoot as possible. It is likely this will only be a few feet as you extend from 15’ to approximately 20’.

5. Drift by extending back in the same direction as the unrolling loop to extend the length of the next casting stroke. As you are drifting be sure to give back with the hauling hand as far back as you can comfortably reach toward the first stripper guide to give the maximum effective length of the next haul.

6. Giving the loop just enough time to straighten (important here with large flies to allow them to turn the corner and the loop fully, not almost completely, unrolled).

7. Begin the forward stroke with no creep from this drifted position, smoothly accelerating forward aiming just above the target and stopping high enough above the water that the fly will come to its extended position before hitting the water. This will prevent the fly from slapping down on the water (although, at times, this can be effective to instigate a strike).

8. As the fly line is falling, follow the line toward the water’s surface. Keep the line in the hauling hand and adjust the length as needed to insure an accurate delivery.

9. When the line hits the water the tip of the rod should be at the water surface with a straight line from the rod tip to the fly to eliminate slack. It is very common to have fish eat as soon as the fly hits the water and it is critical there is no slack to ensure a quick connection with a striking fish.

10. Strip and repeat As noted earlier, casting with these rigs does require a bit more strength. That is not to say you need to be “strong”, but it is not the same as casting a 4 or 5-weight.

So, be sure to practice. I recommend not only casting the same rod with the same line (a practice version preferably) but also the same fly (cutting off the point at the start of the bend). Just spending the time with this equipment in hand will create strength and muscle memory and familiarity that will go a long way next time you are out on the water.

WANDERING CURRENTS

Punched in the Face Preparing for the unknown

Derek Olthuis Derek loves researching and exploring new places to fish–the more remote the better. He is obsessed with sight fishing; to him there is nothing more enjoyable than stalking a fish and watching it eat a fly.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

M

ike Tyson once said that, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”.

Packing for Jurassic Lake the pre-trip plan was to fish dries the entire time. I sat down at the vise and tied beetles and other oversized dries on stout hooks with long rubber legs and foam bodies. Fishing a dry fly in 3-foot breaking waves isn’t really a productive endeavor. The wind can make fishing a dry fly unrealistic, when near-hurricane winds descend off the Andes and rip across the high desert of Patagonia.

Knowing this, helped prepare a plan B of minnows, buggers, and nymphs, necessary to ensure that traveling halfway around the world to catch a fish wasn’t wasted time. Wasted, if I was unwilling and unprepared to change tactics.

We stepped off the plane and were greeted by cold winds and flurries of snow and rain. This was summer in Patagonia, although it looked more like the winter I had just left. Before we reached the lodge it had snowed 15 cm, making the weather more appropriate for a day of skiing than fishing.

The wind howled through the night, and we woke to the remaining bit of snow that hadn’t blown away. It was cold, our breath lingered in front of our faces, like small icy clouds as we pulled on our waders and headed out for the day.

Fishing started out slow, the previous warm days of summer, now turned winter, had taken their toll. The group brought a few fish to hand but they were few and caught deep, below an indicator. Fishing dries was fruitless, not a single fish rose to even look at what I was offering. I had been punched in the face, the plan simply wasn’t working, and things didn’t seem likely to change.

Moving from the lake to the Barrancoso River was a little more productive but only slightly. The water was stained, as the snow melted, pulling dirt and debris into the

usually crystal-clear water. Reluctantly the dry-fly box was retired and replaced by the plan B box of nymphs. Landing a fish in this river can be more than challenging. The river is strewn with volcanic boulders, each with sharp edges that easily cut leader material as giant fish thrashed and weaved downstream. This desperate attempt to throw the hook often ends in disappointment for the angler. After hooking a few fish and eventually landing one, it was time to head back to the lake.

The morning plan of dries hadn’t produced a single fish.

At least a few people in the group had caught fish on nymphs, bobbing below an indicator, in the oceanic sized waves. It was tempting to return to the original game plan and switch back to a dry fly. The visual aspect of sight fishing is really what drives me as an angler. The debate went back and forth between what seemed the most productive method, indicator fishing nymphs, and the more appealing technique of seeing a fish rise to the dry.

Walking down the riverbank toward the lake, the decision changed as many times as a tennis ball in a Wimbledon match. Ultimately the thought of traveling from one end of the world to the other only to fish in an unproductive way seemed foolish. It was decided, leave the indicator in place and work to land a fish. Then, after some success, we could mess around with dries again.

Reaching the lake, I walked into the cold water and situated myself on a larger rock. The clean water of the lake created a seam as it mixed with the dirty water, flowing in from the swollen river. Casting to the left of this seam, I placed the fly in an ideal location, just at the drop-off, with the fly bobbing up and down below the indicator. On the second cast, a large shadow appeared below my neon-green indicator. My breathing slowed and eyes glued in hopes

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the indicator would disappear below the surface. In this moment, time seemed to stop, broken only by the sight of the fish swimming away. My heart sank. But then the indicator dipped below the surface and followed the shadow. The fish had eaten!

I set the hook, and the fish took off at top speed, screaming line from the reel. The fish jumped, spraying water across the wind torn surface and causing my heart to skip a beat. This fish was big. In fact, so large it could barely get its tail above the surface when it jumped. Whenever it surfaced it looked as though bowling balls were being dropped into the water. Trout just don’t usually move in this kind of water. This was a classic battle, a tug-o-war, with the fish taking me into my backing five times before showing signs of slowing.

On the final pull, it raced across the inlet and down the far shore. Even though it didn’t take backing again it was far from out of gas. Hopping from rock to rock, trying to keep up, I worked my way down the shore in pursuit. The fish slashed on the surface and then bulldogged out to the dropoff. Again and again, the fish took line, pulling into the safety of the deep. Finally, the fish got tired and gave up. It was a dream fish and the reason people travel so far to fish this lake.

Sitting on the shore as waves crashed into the rocks, holding such a magnificent fish was humbling. Things hadn’t gone according to plan and it wasn’t the desired dry-fly-eat, but somehow it was better than the plan.

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TRAILERS | SCHEDULE TICKETS | STREAM f ly f i l m f e s t. c o m

WATER MARKS

Best of the Craft The art of tradition Jim McLennan Jim McLennan has been fly fishing and writing about it since sometime in the last century. He continues to indulge his passions for fly fishing, bird hunting, writing, and music from his home in southern Alberta. His latest book is Trout Tracks, Essays on Fly Fishing.

Mandy Hertzfeld @mandyhertz_flyart mandykhertzfeldart.com

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I

f you don’t live in northeastern North America or western Europe, you might not have had occasion to encounter the highest representation of the flytying art. It traces its roots to people who have fished for Atlantic salmon in rivers with flies, since the Victorian age. Whereas fly fishing for trout has moreor-less followed the premise of attaching feathers, fur, tinsel, and other stuff to a hook in such a way as to imitate something the trout are accustomed to eating, the salmon fishers were forced to take a different approach.

Because Atlantic salmon don’t eat after they return from the ocean to spawn in the rivers, imitation becomes something of a moot point for those trying to catch salmon in a river. Experimentation-by-necessity freed the fly tiers from the constraints of the imitation game and allowed them to try anything and everything to find out what sorts of flies, a returning salmon would actually eat (disregarding for a moment the possibility that something called “juvenile retention”, may be a factor in determining what fly a mature salmon will respond to).

Initially, some simple types of flies succeeded and rose to the surface, so to speak. But over time the flies became more elaborate, requiring more materials, then more materials still. The appearance and beauty of the fly, gradually becoming more important to the tier, than to the fish. Simply stated, the flies became too pretty and too fragile to throw in the water. Call it a clear victory for form over function.

Today Atlantic salmon flies fall generally into two categories: “Hair-wings,” which are simplified versions of classic patterns, that use hair instead of feathers because they hold up better when being used to catch fish, and “classic” or “full dressed,” which are tied mainly with

feathers for the wings, tails, and most other parts, thereby adhering to the “beauty first” premise.

As well as tying old and traditional patterns, today’s cadre of tiers create new patterns, based on the principles of colour and composition. But that’s not all. Some tiers don’t think they’re doing everything they can unless they also make the hooks they tie on. Do a Facebook search for a tier and hook maker named Yuji Wabe, to see examples of how the hook has become more than just the canvas upon which the art is placed, but an important part of the art itself.

The best full-dressed Atlantic salmon flies are tied for display purposes only, framed, and suitable for museum placement. At the pinnacle of their development, these flies are high art, and their tiers are revered in their field. The flies are beautiful, complex, and extremely difficult to create. The materials list for the Childers, a fly designed in 1914, calls for twenty-five different materials, many obscure and difficult to find. A shadow-box framed Childers, tied by Tak Shimizu, one of the top tiers of classic full-dressed salmon flies, is valued at $1500 to $2500.

Over the two-hundred or so years of this art’s development, many of the original materials have become rare, expensive, or illegal. Some of the feathers specified in old traditional patterns come from birds that are now extinct. The Dew Drop pattern, for instance, calls for toucan, gallina, blue chatterer, and Indian crow feathers.

These are not likely available at your local fly-shop. I took a quick look online though and found some feathers that presumably are simply rare and expensive, but not illegal.

For example, you can pick up a single pair of Kory bustard feathers for just $325.

For a fascinating look into the depth of the rabbit hole that the search for exotic Atlantic salmon tying materials can become, check out the book, The Feather Thief, by Kirk Wallace Johnson, which tells the story of the “natural history heist of the century.” In 2009 a young American musician made off with hundreds of bird skins from a branch of the British Museum of Natural History, home of one of the world’s largest collections of rare bird specimens. The young American was a fly tier, and a shifty entrepreneur who began selling feathers from these birds to fly tiers via the dark web. It’s a story of intrigue and suspense, and I won’t spoil the ending.

On the weekend of September 13 to 15, 2024, the city

of Calgary is hosting the Atlantic Salmon Fly International, a gathering that will showcase the work of eighty of the world’s best tiers and hook makers (including Yuji Wabe) from thirteen countries.

There will be live presentations and seminars by the tiers and a space where fly-fishing vendors and exhibitors will show their wares. Visit asfi2024.com for complete info. This is a good place to see photos of the flies that many of the event’s tiers have created.

I’m trying to think of a good way to say this without offending too many of my friends: If a full-dressed Atlantic salmon fly is a Rembrandt, a good trout fly is a velvet Elvis.

Ladies and gentlemen prepare to be amazed.

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END OF THE LINE

Fully Dressed Colin Callbeck Colin Callbeck lives in Calgary, Alberta and is President of the Atlantic Salmon Fly International 2024 (ASFI) which will be held September 13, 14 and 15 in Calgary. He was introduced to the art of fly tying by Jim McLennan in 1980. Since that time his passion has been to teach future generations this art form. His Atlantic Salmon Fly artwork can be found internationally and in several magazines.

For more information on the ASFI please visit www. asfi2024.

Smoky Haze

Lady of the Island

The Swan

Hook: Bartlet traditional blind eye 2/0 Eye: Silk gut Tip: extra fine gold oval tinsel Tag: orange gold silk floss Tail: Temminck’s tragopan pheasant crest Tail veiling: indian crow Butt: brown ostrich herl Body: black silk on half Rib: copper tinsel Collar: starling body feathers Body: front half brown light seal fur Hackle: light brown Throat: light crest of Temminck’s tragopan pheasant crest Wing: Temminck’s tragopan pheasant wing feather under breast feather, placed under eyed back feather; three sizes Cheek: green tinged starling feather Crest: golden pheasant crest Horns: yellow blue macaw Collar: light brown ostrich Head: black

Hook: Bartlet traditional blind eye 2/0 Eye: Silk gut Tag: scarlet floss Tail: golden pheasant crest Tail veiling: green parrot Butt: black ostrich herl Body: first 2/3, green floss; last /3 peacock tail herl Hackle: green Ribs: fine silver lace and narrow flat silver tinsel Throat: white and green hackle Wing: golden pheasant tippets, back to back/ married strips of yellow, white and green goose; florican speckles bustard; cinnamon turkey tail; bronze mallard as a roofing; jungle cock as a wing veiling Cheeks: Indian crow Crest: golden pheasant Horns: yellow macaw or turkey tail dyed yellow Head: black

Hook: Partridge sprite pryce-tannatt blind eye 4/0 Eye: Silk gut Tag: oval silver tinsel and black silk Butt: white herl Body: flat silver tinsel Ribs: black silk with medium oval silver tinsel running on each side of it Throat: guinea fowl Wings: five pair of Amherst pheasant tippets, partially overlapping and partially veiling a pair of jungle cock feathers; a jungle cock feather is tied in between each pair of tippets with a topping over all Cheeks: jungle cock, indian crow substitute and rifle bird of paradise Horns: lady amherst tail fibers Head: black

Royal Vulture Hook: Partridge 3/0 Bartlet blind eye Eye: Silk gut Thread: black silk Tag: purple metallic tinsel, blue floss, silver oval tinsel, purple floss, silver metallic tinsel, yellow floss, blue floss with silver metallic over yellow and blue floss Tail: kingfisher wing feather Butt: purple ostrich Body: blue floss, silver metallic tinsel, pink floss, silver metallic tinsel over blue floss, pink floss,

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

silver metallic tinsel, blue floss, silver flat tinsel, black floss, silver flat tinsel Throat: vulture guinea fowl back feather under blue vulture guinea fowl back feather Wing: vulture guinea fowl back feather under spotted vulture guinea fowl feather Cheek: Kingfisher wing feather Topping: wild golden pheasant crest Horns: blue eared pheasant Head: purple ostrich feather

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