WINTER 2019 | VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1

What lasts a lifetime?

To build the highest-performing and most durable wading boots possible, we paired our expertise in fly fishing and product innovation with Danner’s proud tradition of quality and craftsmanship. Engineered for the most demanding wading and built by hand in Portland, Oregon, our new boots are resoleable and can also be completely recrafted as they wear over time. They’re the best boots we’ve ever made—and we believe they’re the last ones you’ll ever need to buy.

Made for a lifetime of wild fish and wild places.

Patagonia built by Danner.

Sticks and stones. Eric Paulson peels line for a day swinging for steel on the Olympic Peninsula. BRYAN GREGSON © 2019 Patagonia, Inc.

FOCUS Oman could be described as a part of the Middle East that has neither fame nor notoriety.

Unappreciated? Underrated?

Perhaps both.

Publishing Team Chris Bird Jennifer Bird Editorial Team Derek Bird Gary Bird Jim Mclennan John Van Vleet Group Art Direction Terry Paulhus Circulation Consultant Scott Bullock Office Administrator Kim Carruthers Department Editors Brian Chan Dana Harrison Derek Olthuis Jeff Wagner Contributors Jeff Currier Jeremy Davies Faceless Fly Fishing Andrea Larko Dana Lattery Landon Mayer Jordan Oelrich The Bug Parade

Fly Fusion is published quarterly by Fly Fusion Ltd, a division of Bird Marketing Group Inc. PO Box 20029, RPO Tamarack Cranbrook, BC V1C 6J5; 1-888-435-9624 info@flyfusionmag.com flyfusionmag.com Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Fly Fusion, PO Box 20029 Cranbrook, BC V1C 6J5 Return undeliverable US addresses to: Fly Fusion, PO Box 227A, Eastport, Idaho 83826 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Printed in Canada.

Canadian Mail Publication Agreement #41202551.

The current issue of Fly Fusion can be found across North America in specialty fly shops, sporting goods stores, and retail outlets for $8.99. One-year subscription: $28.95, Two-year subscription: $49.95, Three-year subscription: $69.95 CAD. Add $12.00 shipping and handling per year for international subscriptions. Editorial submissions are welcome and should be sent to the address above attention to the Editor. Email queries can also be emailed to editor@ flyfusionmag.com. Visit flyfusionmag.com for the full writer and photographer guidelines. Unsolicited submissions will be considered and must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Fly Fusion assumes no responsibility for the return or loss of solicited and unsolicited material.

All facts, opinions and statements appearing within this publication are those of the writers and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions, or endorsements. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written consent of the publisher. Copyright 2019 Fly Fusion Ltd. Printed in Canada.

© Photo Dana Lattery

10

The Soul of Fly Fishing

CONTENTS 14

ALL THE LITTLE THINGS Jim McLennan It’s true, we should do all the “big things” properly; using the right flies and suitable leader, making a careful approach, avoiding drag etc. — but sometimes, success depends just as much on the little things as the big things.

22

FINDING OMAN Dana Lattery “Oman.” Often, after the word left my lips I would see a blank face staring back at me, to which I would have to repeat the word, followed by “You know. The country in the Middle East, by Saudi Arabia, close to Dubai?”

28

FIRST VENTURE TO SALT Jordan Oelrich Saltwater fly fishing is unforgiving at best, pushing you to limits you didn’t know existed. You will blow a cast, you will lose fish, break leaders, and probably hook yourself. It’s all part of the process. Here are a few tips to maximize the experience and get you started on the right path.

36

SUCCESSFUL SEASONS Landon Mayer Taking a closer look at all-season fly fishing, considering a variety of ideas for dry flies, nymphs, and streamers.

INSIDE 12 Stream Lines

54 Stillwater Secrets

42 Long Lines

58 On the Vise

46 Profiles

64 End of the Line

50 Wandering Currents

66 Water Marks

© Photo Dana Lattery | © On the Cover Faceless Fly Fishing

flyfusionmag.com

11

STREAMLINES

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 favourite stream is the one where the trout are plentiful and the anglers are few. © Illustration Adrea Larko @andrealarko

12

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Oh, the Places You’ll Go...Fishing

O

utwaiting a fish has never been a problem for me. Patience of this variety is not a superhero’s quality, but if it were, I’d be fighting crime rather than writing about fishing. So when I first stumbled upon Dr. Seuss’ book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! as a university student on a late-night outing to Chapters, I couldn’t understand why he portrayed “waiting for the fish to bite” with all the other negative aspects of waiting, like “waiting for a train to go / or a bus to come.”

Waiting to go fishing, on the other hand, requires an entirely different kind of patience, which admittedly I don’t possess. I realized this when my good friend Chris and I took off in a floatplane one stormy Friday, embarking on a summer weekend trip we’d been planning for months.

The pilot wasn’t optimistic about reaching the destination, but he did everything he could to get us to the lake as scheduled by flying low through the valleys under the heavy cloud cover. He navigated us within about 15 minutes of our destination before we ran into a wall of impassible cloud. Shortly after the midair U-turn, the pilot came over the headsets and said, “Sorry guys. We can try again in the morning.”

Because of the excitement created by the lengthy buildup to the trip, the announcement created a more crushing disappointment than any middle-aged man should feel. But that knowledge didn’t stop me from sulking a little before I mentally readjusted by telling myself we were only missing the late evening fishing and the early morning fishing.

The storm did what the forecast predicted and cleared at about the same time we reloaded our gear into

the Cessna. And on this flight, because the clouds did not confine the plane to the low valleys, we were able to fly beside a number of peaks before the pilot located the correct valley and eventually the lake that would double as our landing-strip.

As soon as the plane dropped us off, Chris and I hauled our gear to an accommodating looking spot on a small delta. Impatiently, we left the camping gear and started to set up our rods. Since neither of us really knew what to expect from the lake, I brought three rods, all different weights. The largest was a 6-weight, which I assumed to be too much, but it was a “just in case…who knows” kind of grab on the way out of the garage.

Looking out at the water, I took hold of my leader and fumbled through a loop knot to attach my secret searching fly. In a rush I scurried over to the drop-off between the small delta and the water and that’s when I saw a large shadow, which was so large I initially didn’t believe it was a fish.

It couldn’t have been more than seven feet from where I was standing. Though it barely moved, it repositioned enough for me to question whether it sensed me. I foolishly knelt down and began casting, and proceeded to pull the fly past the fish twice before I acknowledged I needed to actually relocate and let it rest.

I walked down the shoreline another 15 feet and

backed up five feet before kneeling again. I waited. Then I cast at a 45-degree angle about seven feet in front of the shadow and 20 feet past it. I let the fly sit for five seconds then I started to strip, fast. The clarity of the water allowed me to see the brightly coloured streamer as it streaked along. Just as the fly moved past the shadow, the fish tilted up then lunged to the left, causing my fly to disappear.

I felt the rod strain beneath the cork, far beyond what even a large trout should do to a 6-weight. The fish pulled away

from shore and then leapt and cartwheeled three times before my backing exited the last guide. I was so shocked by the fish’s size I forgot to steer it. Not until my backing started peeling from the reel did I angle the rod to the right. The fish immediately responded by swimming quickly toward me. I struggled to keep pace and gave up on the reel and instead controlled the line with my hand until the fish stole it all back and re-peeled line from the reel.

This tug-o-war repeated a few times before I brought a bright, silver 12-pound coho to the net. Its colour indicated it had left the ocean only a day or two prior and found its way up to the lake, awaiting fall rains before continuing up the small inflowing stream. I held up the fish as Chris snapped a photo with his phone. Then I placed the fish back into the lake and watched the broad shoulders disappear to the depths.

Before we heard the muffled sound of the Cessna approaching the valley the next day, we caught a number of coho, cutthroat, and even a few juvenile steelhead. But this fish stood out, above the others from the trip and also above the others from the angling year. It was more

than the size of the fish. On occasion, I’ve caught small trout that are memorable. And it was even more than the surprise of catching a bright silver salmon while standing on the shore of a freshwater lake. I’ve caught “surprise species” fish before. I suspect it had to do with all of that, plus the buildup to the moment.

We’d had to fight through conflicting schedules just to get the trip on the calendar. Then the storm created a great deal of uncertainty as to whether or not we could actually go on the trip. And after all that, my reckless enthusiasm caused me to spook one of the largest fish I’d ever seen in a lake.

I know I criticized Seuss for his placement of waiting for a fish to bite, and I won’t waver from that position. He does, however, make a number of valid points in the rest of his book, so valid in fact that it makes me wonder why Seuss has never been considered a great amongst modern philosophers. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is more about who a person is when they end up at certain places in life, and less about the places themselves. Seuss essentially says sometimes you’ll get out ahead and sometimes you’ll get left behind. Sometimes you’ll move forward quickly and sometimes you’ll have to wait. Sometimes you’ll be surrounded by people who adore you, and sometimes you’ll feel completely alone.

Like all good philosophy, it can be applied to most areas in life. In fly-fishing terms, sometimes you’ll have the trip of a lifetime and it will go seamlessly, and sometimes you’ll be fully packed and ready to go and you’ll have to delay or cancel. Sometimes you’ll tie unbreakable knots, and sometimes your knots will let go. Sometimes you’ll have to wait for a fish and then you’ll get it, and other times you’ll rest a fish and never see it again.

Regardless of where I end up, be it lake or river, flats or fen, I must always remember to ask myself this question: Can I recognize a situation for what it is and adjust to the reality of the circumstance? If the answer is yes, then I will succeed. In the words of Seuss, “Yes! [I] will, indeed! 98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.” Wait…maybe not quite that high for any honest angler.

flyfusionmag.com

13

All The Little Things Jim McLennan

T 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, but unfortunately this leaves very little time for the thankless task of keeping Derek under control during filming of Fly Fusion TV. © photo pages 14/15 & 18/19 Faceless Fly Fishing

16

The Soul of Fly Fishing

he Missouri River in Montana is a fine place to go for a serving of humble pie.

The hatches are often heavy and the fish seem to appreciate them, frequently gathering in groups to feed daintily in the glassy currents. But the smooth surface of the water and the ever-present assembly of fly fishers make the trout, well, just plain hard to fool most of the time.

There was one such day when Lynda and I walked in a short distance to a lovely long flat in hopes of meeting some pale morning dun mayflies along with a few rainbow and brown trout. Just where we arrived at the water an obviously good fish was rising quite nicely—delicately sipping something small off the surface every ten seconds or so. We each had a try at this fish with no success. The impatient angler—yours truly—left that spot and went looking for other fish. The determined angler—Lynda— stayed, on the premise that it’s rarely a good idea to leave a fish in order to find a fish.

I came back an hour or so later and they were both still there. Lyn had tried a number of the usual pale morning dun suspects but the fish was still winning by a wide margin. One of us said to the other, “Do you think he’s actually eating PMDs?” The other said, “I dunno.”

Then we noticed the occasional caddisfly amongst more obvious mayflies, the former likely left over from an emergence the previous evening while we were having dinner or were sound asleep. “It’s probably worth trying a caddis,” one of us said. Lynda changed to a dry caddis and made several nice casts with good drifts but still received no love. Then I had the idea to trim the hackle off an Elk Hair Caddis, tear off about half the wing, rough it up a bit, and throw it in front of the fish without any floatant.

The thought was to try to imitate a low-floating, dead caddis left over from the previous hatch—the caddisfly’s version of a spent spinner. I didn’t think it would work but by now you know where the story is going. On her first cast, the fish ate it confidently.

This episode got me thinking that while we should do all the “big things” properly by using the right flies and suitable leader, making a careful approach, avoiding drag etc., sometimes success seems to depend as much on the little things as the big things. And when you’ve done all

the big things you can do, there’s nothing left but little things. Here are some I’ve stumbled across.

Stand in the Best Place Sometimes changing your position just a little makes it much easier to achieve a drag-free, acceptable-to-afish drift with a dry fly. A good example is when you’re working up a nice current seam where there is slow water along the bank and a strong current just a few feet out from the bank. If you stand on the bank and angle your cast up and out, the fly will land in the right spot on the edge of the current seam, but much of your fly line will lie on the slow water. As the fly drifts down the seam a right-angle bend I didn’t think it would work will form in your line and/or leader. Once that but by now you know happens you either have where the story is going. On too much slack to set her first cast, the fish ate it the hook if a fish takes, or the fly stops drifting confidently. naturally, resulting in a draggy drift that’s laughable to the fish. The solution is often to simply take a couple of steps out into the water (assuming, of course, that it’s safe to do so), and cast directly upstream so the fly line lands on water that’s moving the same speed as the water the fly is in.

Other times standing in the best place simply means getting to a spot where you can cast a comfortable distance rather than straining to the limit of your ability.

Think about this before you start casting. Check the distance to the target, the currents between you and the target that may cause drag, and whether there is clear space for a backcast.

Move to the Other Side of the Creek If you always find yourself casting from the “easy” side of the stream, as evidenced by the well-worn path along the bank, you’ll be doing exactly what everyone else does.

You might also be throwing the same flies as everybody else if you happened to visit the same fly shop or website they did. Look the situation over. Although the walking or wading might be more difficult on the other side,

you’ll likely have a less sophisticated audience of trout over there, and possibly an easier time getting a good drift. Of course you should only do it if it’s safe to cross.

Check Your Fly — Often Each time your fly finds its way into your hands for any reason — to tie it on, to take it off, to remove debris, to apply floatant, to attach weight to the leader — check to make sure the fly is still whole (i.e., no parts missing, not twisted around the hook, not torn up), and the hook is sharp. While you’re at it, check the tippet for wind knots and remove them or cut them out and re-tie with proper knots.

Fish at the Right Depth Okay, this is more of a big thing than a little thing, but it’s really important. It applies to nymph and streamer fishing. If you’re using nymphs, unless there’s a serious emergence in progress your fly should be near the bottom of the stream. This is true whether you’re fishing water that’s two-feet deep or five-feet deep. Don’t make the assumption that because you bought a “weighted nymph” the fly will automatically reach the bottom.

That depends on the speed and depth of the water. If it’s not getting there (as evidenced by no “indications” from the indicator, no fish, and no hangups on the bottom), add weight to the leader. Often the addition of a single split shot makes the difference you need. And if one weight doesn’t do it, add another and keep adding until you’re scraping the bottom or hanging up on it from time to time. (If adding weight is legal) It’s not imperative to get a streamer near the bottom, but it’s never wrong to do so. So try the streamer as-is first, and if it doesn’t work, add weight to the leader or switch to a sinking leader or a sink-tip line. You can also cast farther upstream to give the fly more time to sink before it comes tight and swings in the current.

Don’t Say “Oh Well” You’re fishing a size 14 or so dry fly on something like 4X tippet. Nothing’s happening and you decide to try a few casts with a fly about size 6, maybe a hopper or a streamer. As you’re removing the dry, a debate occurs in

flyfusionmag.com

17

your head: “I should probably beef up that tippet. Yeah, but that would mean tying an extra knot. I’m only going to make a few casts. Oh well, I won’t bother. What could go wrong?” You can get away with this most of the time but eventually the bigger fly will do what you hope it will,

18

The Soul of Fly Fishing

and then you’ll break that big fish off right on the strike.

I’ve done this and I bet you have too. Not knowing the importance of using heavier tippet with bigger flies is a reasonable excuse, but if we know it but don’t do it, well, maybe we deserve what we get.

Apply this premise to other things too. If you have a couple of good strikes but don’t hook the fish (check that, if you have one strike but don’t hook up), examine your fly to see that its point is still there, that the point is sharp and the tippet isn’t knotted or tangled around

flyfusionmag.com

19

the hook. Most of us wait until we’ve had several strikes before bothering to do this. That’s a bad plan. Do what you know you should do. Don’t say “Oh well.”

If It’s Fixable, Fix It This one is a relative of the previous one. We’re fishing dry flies and after awhile my companion says, “My fly is sinking.” Being a sarcastic type, I might respond with something like, “Gee, it’s too bad there isn’t something you can do about that.” If your dry fly starts sinking, put more floatant on it. Likewise if you can’t see your dry fly because it’s too small or the water is too rough or the light is bad, do something about it. Put on a more visible fly, fish the same fly on a short dropper behind a more visible dry fly, or put a tiny tuft of high-vis strike-indicator yarn on the tippet about a foot from the fly.

Give the Fish a Different Look If you’re still with me, remember back to the beginning of the story. When the fish aren’t buying what you’re selling, it’s time to change something. Of course you can change the fly, but you can also change the look of the fly you’re already using. You can trim down a dry or a nymph. You can fish a dry without floatant first, to represent an insect that’s drifting low in the film, and if it doesn’t work that way, apply paste floatant to make it float a little higher. After that you can give the same fly a dose of fine powdered floatant (Frog’s Fanny, and others) to make the fly stand even higher on the water.

At each stage the amount of refraction and distortion will change, giving the fly three different looks from the fish’s viewpoint underneath it. Similarly you can fish a small unweighted nymph like a Pheasant Tail as it is, then apply floatant on the leader to within a foot of the fly, which will keep the fly near the surface. Then you can put floatant on the nymph itself to keep it right in the film, effectively turning it into an emerger.

Give Them Something They Haven’t Seen I used to fish the famous spring creeks in Montana’s Paradise Valley every spring. The good news is that there are lots of fish there that feed on the surface a lot,

20

The Soul of Fly Fishing

taking advantage of the reliable and predictable hatches.

The bad news is that the trout in these small, heavily fished streams are some of the toughest of all trout to fool. But that’s why many fly fishers, including me, enjoy them. Like everyone else I buy a spool of 7X tippet and some microscopic wisps of lint with hooks in the local fly shop, and then spend most of the day crouching and squinting to fool an embarrassingly small number of fish. But somewhere along the way, likely to try and extract some revenge, I adopted the routine of using the last hour of my day to throw small streamers. I found that the same fish that would inspect and reject a whole series of tiny wisps of lint with hooks would sometimes turn themselves inside out to track down a size 8 Woolly Bugger. It wasn’t long till I happily embraced the sacrilege of such “coarse fishing” in this revered dry-fly water. I believe the reason it worked was because nobody else was doing it. Sometimes it works to show the fish flies they haven’t seen before or to use a method most of the other fly fishers don’t.

Do Everything There are times when none of the big or little things seem to help, and the fish win the battle in a big way. All I can suggest then is to do all the big things and all the little things you can think of.

The best example I know of is when I’m fishing tiny dry flies to actively rising trout and am getting nowhere. In these situations I might lengthen my leader by a few feet and switch to a finer tippet of fluorocarbon because it sinks and is less visible to the fish. I might also try a ridiculously small fly or at least the sparsest logical imitation I can find in my box. Or I’ll trim down my favourite imitation of the logical bug so it’s very sparse, which might help a bit with really selective trout.

If possible I’ll fish a dry or emerger downstream, using a reach cast to make the the fly drift into the trout’s view before the leader does. The hope is simply that by doing everything I can think of, one of these things or the cumulative effect of all of them will make the response more favourable. If you think this smells of desperation, you’d be correct, but at this point that’s exactly where I am.

WADING SYSTEM

PRO WADERS

PRO WADING JACKETS

PRO WADING BOOTS

PRO INSULATION

Finding Oman DANA LATTERY

All things coffee, but I prefer a Venti Flat white.

Nothing brings me more joy than watching a watching a wise old brown trout suck down a big piece of foam. I love spending my summers sharing time on the water with new and old friends! You can also find me running around the world chasing emotion to capture with my camera.

22

The Soul of Fly Fishing

“Oman.” Often, after the word left my lips I would see a blank face staring back at me, to which I would have to repeat the word, followed by “You know. The country in the Middle East, by Saudi Arabia, close to Dubai?”

It often seemed that no one had really heard of Oman.

Neither as glitzy as Dubai, nor known for its history as much as Jordan, Oman could be described as a part of the Middle East that has neither fame nor notoriety. Unappreciated?

Underrated? Perhaps both.

To confuse people even more, I added that we were headed there to go fly fishing.

flyfusionmag.com

23

Noukhada is home to some of the world’s largest giant trevally. Another highly soughtafter and rare fish found there is the IndoPacific permit. More common are queen fish, big-eye trevally, black-tip trevally, and trigger fish. It seemed that almost every other cast a trigger fish chased our flies, no matter the pattern or size. Perhaps they’re just naturally curious—or utterly starved.

We fished by surf-casting and drifting around shallow cliffs with a boat, but the method we found most fun was scaling cliffs around the islands, searching for monsters hunting in the shallows.

All three styles had their perks, but our greatest success came from exploring the Al-Hallaniyah islands. One of the most beautiful fish we came across was the broom-tailed wrasse. This fish comes in many different colours and sub-species, and we were fortunate to get into some of the most beautiful ones around.

24

The Soul of Fly Fishing

flyfusionmag.com

25

26

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Our purpose was threefold: We wanted to spend time with the locals to understand and allay our fears of the Muslim culture, as well as train the Noukhada crew to take on their fishery with a nine-foot rod and 90 feet of fly line. We also wanted to make a film to bring home and show the world.

From the minute we arrived we felt and expressed gratitude for the people of Noukhada Fishing Lodge, as well as all the Omani people, who treated us like their own. We felt felt loved and welcomed; not for a minute did we feel unsafe.

That’s the cool thing about a fly rod. It opens the door of connection to the most unlikely of people and places. Although we went for the fish, it was the incredible people of Oman that we missed most when we boarded the plane back to Canada.

flyfusionmag.com

27

First Venture to Salt Jordan Oelrich

“ Jordan Oelrich Following a few years as a professional musician, Jordan decided it was time to retreat to his more traditional, socially acceptable career path in the fly-fishing industry.

He spent multiple years guiding grizzly bear photographers, and once caught the same rainbow trout three times on four casts

Eighty feet. Two o’clock. Go!” The cadence of my heart increased until I thought it was about to beat through my chest. With a tarpon visible against the cream-coloured bottom, I was told to make a backhand cast into a stiff crosswind and drop my fly on a target the size of a dinner plate. Right.

But they say even a blind horse finds water once in a while and my white Tarpon Toad whistled through the air and landed precisely where I had intended, with slightly more authority than I would have liked. The tarpon now had a tantalizingly presented fly resting less than three feet from the tip of its beak. Strip, strip, pause. Both my hands were shaking uncontrollably. The fish swam slowly towards the fly but decided this was not to be my lucky day, then it exited the wind-blown flat. Game over.

Saltwater fly fishing is a voraciously addictive sport, one that leaves anglers yearning for more as soon as the plane touches home tarmac. I occasionally find myself obsessively scrolling through photos on my hard drive, immersing myself in the emotions of some of these saltwater fly-fishing memories. I can never forget the moment I cradled my first bonefish, coming to the realization that what I had seen in magazines and on television had just been manifested in my own experience.

With both heartbreaking defeats and slim slivers of victory, flats fishing can forever skew your perspective of what great fishing really is.

Your first saltwater fly-fishing venture will most likely be the most defining fishing trip of your lifetime. Here are six tips to maximize the experience and get you started on the right path.

1. Do your Homework In the world of saltwater fly-fishing travel, research or lack of it can make or break the trip. It’s all too easy to jump on the first great deal you find for a week of fishing in paradise, only to show up and learn that not only is your room infested with cockroaches and the toilet doesn’t work, but it’s actually low season and fishing has been dismal. The power of the Internet allows us to go indepth when researching and comparing destinations and various fly-fishing operations. There is also a multitude of spectacular booking agents in the fly-fishing industry

30

The Soul of Fly Fishing

who know their destinations inside and out and who don’t charge a premium for their services.

Saltwater flats fishing is often regarded as an expensive, unattainable goal for those outside the small percentile of wealthy anglers with ample free time. This is far from reality; it’s often much cheaper to travel to a renowned flyfishing destination than you might think.

In order to research a destination effectively, ask yourself this question: “What is it that I’m truly after, and what would make this a great trip?” Look at this as being the best saltwater trip you could ever imagine, and work backwards from there. How high are your expectations?

What is your main target species? What does travel look like getting to and from, and what is the best time of year to go?

A few key points to note when doing the background work: • What am I realistically willing to spend?

• Do I need any special visas to enter the country?

• Can I find a reputable lodge, hotel and/or guide service within my budget?

• Is this area safe to travel to as a tourist, and do I need to know a second language to converse in in case of emergency?

• What attracts me to this destination aside from the fishing?

• Will I be purchasing my own rods, reels, and lines prior to the trip, and will this affect how much I’m able to spend on the trip?

Take the last one into heavy consideration. Nobody wants to be on their dream fly-fishing vacation but afraid to spend the extra two bucks for a side of guacamole with their tacos. Know what you want to spend, give yourself a little wiggle room for unexpected events, and prioritize what matters most.

Are you the type of angler that is fine sleeping in a bare-bones room as long as it has good foot-access to a nearby flat? Is a DIY lodge going to be a much better experience than an all-inclusive one? There’s nothing wrong with dialing back on optimism if it means saving you from making an impulsive decision.

Lastly, if gear is not supplied and you are ready to invest in yourself, do it right the first time. Third-world

countries are not places for equipment failures or shortages.

This doesn’t mean you have to splurge. Quality gear at excellent prices has never been more readily available than it is today. Doing a bit of reading, and asking questions of experienced anglers will ensure you find quality products that fit your price range.

2. Practice And Prepare Few things rival the moment of stepping onto the bow of a skiff, pulling a generous length of line off your reel, cradling the fly in your fingertips and awaiting your guide’s call to cast. Guides in this game work exceptionally hard, and they expect the angler to deliver when given the opportunity.

Preparing both physically and mentally before your trip is imperative. There’s a giant difference between casting at a target in a soccer field and casting at a group of tailing permit. Learning to double haul is much easier at home under the watchful eye of a casting instructor than it is with your guide yelling at you from the poling platform between wind gusts.

If you are doing a DIY trip, the importance of practice and preparation goes a country mile further. Understanding what knots, flies, lines, rods, and equipment you’ll be using in which situations saves a lot of scrambling when it’s game time. Class tippet? Shock tippet? Stripping guards? Should I have brought wading shoes? What on earth is a “Slim

flyfusionmag.com

31

Beauty?” These are questions you want to ask your Google search bar while you’re still at home.

Pack extras of everything, and familiarize yourself with the behaviour of your rods, reels, and lines. Dedicating time to learn the small idiosyncrasies of your equipment before departure will eliminate surprises on the water.

Lastly, take appropriate clothing. It’s impossible to emphasize this enough, both for your comfort and your safety. When the sun is blazing and the humidity dial is cranked, you can be extremely uncomfortable if you’re not prepared. Sun-protective shirts, pants, hats, and face masks are necessary parts of the equation, along with the the best quality sunscreen you can find.

3. Learn to Breathe You probably think you know how to breathe. Yes, but the ability to go a step further in focusing on and controlling your breathing will allow you to exponentially increase your performance under pressure. No matter how much grass-casting, fly tying and bookreading you do prior to the trip, you’re still Your success is their probably going to freak out when the guide tells you to cast. success. Understand that Learning to use your breath effectively when flats guides are slows the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, being stern with you, and allows you to stay calm and balanced even when you feel you might pass out. Fly fishing is it’s because they want a relaxing sport until it’s not. There is nothing to see you succeed. relaxing about watching two dozen permit swim towards you while you patiently wait for your guide to call the shot.

A couple years ago I stumbled across a technique called “box breathing” to help calm the powerful nerves that would take over when it was my turn to cast. I owe some magical fly-fishing moments (including my first permit) to this simple practice. Box breathing is inhaling through your nose, holding the inhale, exhaling through your mouth, holding the exhale, and repeating. The key, and where this technique gets its name, is to perform this on a 1:1:1:1 ratio. Four seconds for each step seems to be the magic number for me. Familiarize yourself with this technique leading up to your trip and notice its ability to force you into relaxation.

32

The Soul of Fly Fishing

4. Listen to your Guide Countless times I have heard my guide call for me to cast, but I spent too long hesitating and attempting to spot the fish myself. The opportunity was totally blown because I didn’t listen. “Forty feet, one o’clock,” does not mean “Try your best to see what I can see from my incredible vantage point, though you are situated much lower.” It means “Cast. Now!” Understand that when you enter the skiff, you’re stepping into your guide’s office and workspace. This is where he makes his living, and remember that you are the student. Approach every day with a “beginner’s mindset”— one in which your ego is left at the dock and you’re fully committed to absorbing as much knowledge, direction, and information as possible every day. If you do this you’ll not only become a capable saltwater angler in a much shorter time, you’ll be an enjoyable companion in the boat.

In many destinations the people poling the skiffs are second or third-generation guides who have dedicated their adult years to mastering the local fishery. Their words hold weight; they will not tell you to cast without unwavering certainty that it is the right time to cast. Your success is their success. Understand that when flats guides are being stern with you, it’s because they want to see you succeed. They rarely take a rod in their own hands, so you are the means by which they fish these waters.

Lastly, just listening to your guide is often not enough.

Communication back and forth can erase any and all assumptions, and give you the power of clarity that’s so valuable when receiving instruction. If you’re called to make a cast and you truly believe it’s beyond your skill level, say something! Often the guides will do everything in their power to move you from your backhand to your forehand, or move the boat closer to the fish.

Flats fishing is often a team sport. Having a guide that is immersed in the craft and dedicated to making your time a success is a valuable component to any trip. All guides have their own character, methods of communication, demeanour, and tricks they have likely used for decades.

You’ll sometimes hear conflicting advice or instruction from different guides. Simply roll with what they tell you and try to pick out the bits and pieces that resonate with you most.

CAPT. SHANE SMITH

The all new

A whole new level of high performance handcrafted fly rods.

Scott Sector series fly rods are packed with innovative new technologies, and are crafted with the most cutting-edge components to ever grace a fly rod.

To see more of the Sector Series, or learn about our new Carbon Web and Ceracoil, visit scottflyrod.com or your nearest authorized Scott fly shop.

Colorado, USA | 970-249-3180 | scottflyrod.com

5. Master the Strip-Set A sad, short run-down of my first connection with a fish on the flats: A pair of wonderfully sized bonefish were cruising towards me as I waded a small flat. They dodged in and out of small patches of turtle grass, occasionally disappearing before making themselves visible again.

Their teal-blue backs glowed in the water as I prepared to make a cast when they came within my range. My size 6 Bunny Gotcha landed a metre in front of them as they nonchalantly cruised the flat in search of crustaceans.

I allowed my fly to settle for a second before making a few long, slow, steady strips. The nearest fish obviously noticed my fly and darted toward it without hesitation. I kept up the pace of my stripping cadence as I watched the fish inhale the fly, my running line jolting out of my hand. This was my moment, and despite all the articles I’d read, situations I’d visualized, shows I’d watched, and hook-sets I’d practiced, I lifted the rod tip as though I were setting the hook on a small rainbow trout that had just sipped a dry fly. The hook came flying back toward me as the fish spooked off the flat. Note: this is what you’re not supposed to do. What you are supposed to do is set the hook by stripping the fly line firmly with your line-hand while keeping the rod tip low. It’s much easier said than done—especially for a trout angler.

34

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Why does the strip-set work so effectively, and a trout-set not? Strip-setting is advantageous on a number of fronts, the first being that the shock absorption of the rod is removed from the equation, and the direct connection to your fly with the rod tip pointed at the fish gives you much more power to drive the hook into the corner of the fish’s mouth. Secondly, in the event that your fly gets picked up and dropped by a fish, a strip-set keeps the fly in the water where it has another chance to be eaten. A trout-set removes the fly from the water completely.

6. Manage Your Expectations Understanding the multitude of possibilities allows you to maintain an open mind and enjoy the adventure regardless of circumstance or outcome. You might be given un-fishable conditions for the first three days of a five day trip, or your luggage might not only be delayed by a week, but could be missing important items when it does arrive. Or maybe you had the best trip you could ask for but came up short of landing a grand slam (bonefish, permit, tarpon). Understand the difference between aiming high and setting yourself up for disappointment. It’s great to have a vision of what you want to accomplish on your first saltwater trip, but it’s necessary to travel with the understanding that you can’t always plan things perfectly in advance. Assessing a worst-case scenario and coming up with a Plan-B can turn a disappointing trip into a great trip.

Remind yourself that the results of your fishing efforts are simply a by-product of travelling to and experiencing a new part of the world. Know what sort of experience you’re aiming for, do your research, enjoy not just the fishing but the diversity in culture and cuisine.

Saltwater fly fishing is unforgiving at best, pushing you to limits you didn’t know existed. You will blow a cast, you will lose fish, break leaders, and probably hook yourself. It’s all part of the process. Learn to laugh at your mistakes, because your guide probably already is.

7X

RESHAPE THE FUTURE

The new 7X rod series introduces the innovative design and performance advantages of our exclusive and pioneering new heptagonal blank construction process. The technical benefit to the fly fisher is a greater percentage of the rod’s energy is utilised in a positive tracking manner towards the intended target.

This results in effortless water coverage when both accuracy and distance is required.

7X FLY ROD SERIES | FIND OUT MORE AT LOOPTACKLE.COM

Successful Seasons Landon Mayer

I Landon Mayer Landon Mayer guides full time in Colorado’s South Platte River drainage.

He has developed innovative flies as an Umpqua Signature Tier and is known for his effective strategies for sighting, hooking and landing selective trout. He shares these tips in his books and instructional videos. © photos The Bug Parade

love the moment in fly fishing when, out of sheer frustration, you decide to throw a mouse pattern into the middle of a technical and frustrating bluewinged olive hatch. Then, bang—a tank brown jets up to kill the fly, turning what could have been a bad day into an angling victory. It’s in moments like this that we begin to see how thinking outside the box can dramatically increase our success.

Let’s take a closer look at all-season fly fishing, considering a variety of ideas for dry flies, nymphs, and streamers.

Winning in Winter Weather Watch The cold season produces storms that are known to turn anglers away from the water. There are times when you simply can’t make the drive, or can’t prevent ice sculptures from forming on your rod and fly line. But a lot of winter storm systems move slowly and bring cloudy skies, which can add up to perfect feeding conditions for tailwater trout. When everything is socked in, the air and water temperatures may rise to 5 degrees C (40 degrees F) or more in many situations, triggering off-the-charts midge and Baetis mayfly hatches and heavy feeding from the trout.

It’s often best to fish the stormy weather in mid-day or during the second day of a three-day weather system. In my home state of Colorado, the slow-moving storms that park over the state are called Albuquerque Lows, known to deliver warm skies and giant snowflakes. Investigate your local weather and see what type of storms might settle near your home waters.

Matching Midges A big advantage to the chilly months is not having to dissect a complex hatch to find what food the fish prefer.

A majority of the trouts’ diet will consist of midges with a side order of Baetis mayflies if they are available. Important components to the midge mystery are size and silhouette.

Your fly should match the natural midge in size or be one size smaller, and should present a proper midge silhouette.

For midges, thinner is better. Most of the larvae, pupae, and adults are skinny.

38

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Another part of the equation is colour. Because red seems to be a confidence-colour I normally start with a red-ribbed fly, often a Tube Midge in sizes 18 to 22 as my main fly. With that I fish a dropper in a dark colour, often a Dorsey’s Flash Back Black Beauty or a Dye’s Two Tone Larva in the same size. I use the dropper as a changing station through the day. It’s easy to change the dropper to experiment and determine what colour the fish prefer.

The final step is deciding what stage of the midge or Baetis life-cycle the fish are feeding on. Near the bottom of the river this is usually the larvae or nymph. An emerging pupa, or nymph, like Craven’s Ju Ju Baetis in sizes 18 to 22, Henderson’s M in sizes 18 to 24, or a brown Johnny Flash in size 18 or 20 can be fished just below the surface or near the middle of the water column. Adult imitations like a Griffith’s Gnat in sizes 18 to 24, or a Purple Haze size 18 or 20 can be used on the surface during the insulated warm, cloudy days winter can deliver.

Whatever your method, be sure to cover a lot of water

in search of actively feeding trout, as some fish will be lethargic and not willing to expend the energy to eat.

Spring Sightings Colour Code With the weather changing and more fish moving around in spring, there are some important things to remember when you’re trying to spot fish in the water. A majority of the trout’s dramatic colours are located below the lateral line—the red stripe of a rainbow, orange fins of a cutthroat, or yellow belly of a brown. This is important to know because when you’re positioned above the water you view the trout from a nearly 45-degree angle downward.

The refraction of light below the water’s surface will lift that angle to 30 degrees or so. This makes the trout’s back more visible than its underside. The blue, green, or brown of a trout’s back will stand out, especially when it contrasts against a light part of the river bottom. In spring, locating the targets of blue, green, or brown will help you not only locate more trout, but also identify

what species the trout is—the blue back of a rainbow, the green back of a brown, and the brown back of a cutthroat.

Imagine a picture of a trout with a dark outline and detailed markings and colour along the body. Now erase the outline and replace the detailed colour and markings with watercolours of blue or green. This is the subtle visual you look for when trying to spot fish—a rough, distorted, ghostly image that displays a pastel shade of the trout’s body colour. I use the term ghostly image because every time I see a cartoon or movie-image of a ghost, it has similar features: a whitish colour and a hazy image without an outline. This can also help if you’re colour blind. Instead of seeing the colour you see the shade of the colour—whether it is bold or soft.

Body Parts Don’t look for a whole fish, but rather look for the most visible parts of the trout’s body. At this time of year the fish are closer to the surface and thus easier to detect. I always hunt for the top of the tail or the dorsal fin. I find fins to be

flyfusionmag.com

39

either dark or bright depending on how much Imagine a picture of a trout exposure to light the fish has. Resident river trout usually possess more colour because they need with a dark outline and to blend in with their surroundings. Fish lying detailed markings and colour in deep stillwaters don’t need to possess as much colour and it’s common for the tail to along the body. Now erase be dark or transparent. Pectoral fins are also a the outline and replace great giveaway. Some of the best times to hunt trout are early and late in the day; these times the detailed colour and markings with watercolours provide great angled light that penetrates the translucent pectoral fins, giving away the hidden of blue or green. target. Brook-trout anglers have an especially good chance of locating fish by seeing the white stripes on fins that stand out in a dark environment.

Remember that these these body parts — especially the tails — move when the trout holds its position in the current. So when you see something that might be a trout or a part of a trout, watch and wait to see if it moves. It’s also good to realize that the visible parts of a fish can sometimes resemble something we see in everyday life. For example, to my eye the gill plate of rainbow or cutthroat trout looks like an apple or orange in the water.

In dark water or locations with contrasting colours of water, the white of the trout’s mouth is a big giveaway to the fish’s location and is also a sign that it is actively feeding. I sometimes see orange or pink inside a fish’s mouth. This is most common in large trout that have a high-protein diet, which changes the pigmentation of their bodies and the insides of their mouths. Instead of relying on body-colour to see fish, I look for mouthcolour of trout that are either feeding or are so big that the inside of the lower jaw is exposed even when the mouth is closed.

Summer Dries Supersize Me I use to think downsizing my fly was the best way to imitate the trout’s food, and quite often it is, because insects generally are smaller as a hatch progresses.

But this isn’t always the case. There are times when you can supersize the fly and find better results. The best example of this is in stillwaters in summer when foods like Callibaetis mayflies, damsel flies, and midges can be bigger

40

The Soul of Fly Fishing

than they appear. This is a perfect time to go up a size with your imitation.

While thinking this way has worked well over the years on still water, I recently tried it on rivers. This has produced great results at times. The fish seem to approach the fly with apparent curiosity about the difference in size. At the very least it’s a great way to observe the behaviour of trout by watching them react to your fly. Some of my favourite dries for this are Amy’s Ant, Parachute Adams, Morrish Mouse, and crane fly adults.

It’s easy to stick with the routine you’re familiar with, but I encourage you to try the opposite approach and see how the fish react.

Fall Follies Late-Season Leeches Fall is one of my favourite times of year. Visions of giant brown trout dance in my head. There is something mysterious about the way large gator-browns operate. It’s common to find them under cover of low light, waiting to chase down and kill a nutritious meal. I have also learned that large trout are lazy and won’t pass up an easy meal.

This is where leeches come into play.

The great advantage in pursuing trout with leeches is how versatile the pattern can be. I designed my Mayer’s Mini Leech and the Mini Leech Jig to mimic a variety of food items, including leeches, small baitfish or fry, and clumps of vegetation. Think of the latter as “burritos for trout,” with insects and crustaceans stuffed inside. If you match the size and colour you’re ready.

Near the surface you can drop the Mini Leech Jig below a favourite attractor dry or terrestrial. When connected with an improved clinch knot the leech pattern suspends horizontally in the water. For deeper nymph rigs I like to double up on the leech menu with a Mini Leech Jig on the end and an unweighted Mini Leech attached off a 6-inch tag. The Mini Leech Jig will bounce and jig with every bump, riffle, or mend.

The true benefit of shopping for trout in clear water is the wisdom you can gain from each adventure. We learn where the trout prefer to feed, what makes the food more available, and at what temperatures the fish prefer to feed.

LONG LINES

2020 Rod Review

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 like Fly Fishers International. Oh, and during business hours Jeff does business stuff.

42

The Soul of Fly Fishing

A

nyone involved in fly fishing who’s watched rods for more than a few years probably starts to yawn a little when new rods come out.

The fast ones stay fast, the slow ones stay slow and the rest merge to an ambiguous middle ground. Boldness and being different have, for the most part, gone out the window, probably because different does not always sell. A moderate, fast-action rod with subdued aesthetics made by a reputable company?

Now that sells. But we’re in a different age of fly rods. The days of dominance by a few companies is starting to ebb, or so it seems.

This is the fifth year of the rod review, and probably my favourite, as it was characterized — pleasantly — by new and different companies, rods, and actions. We counted over 20 rod companies and all received invitations to participate. Each of them has some market share as they are all presumably selling rods. What’s great about this influx of companies is that they are all truly trying to do something to stand out, and it shows.

A quick reminder about our methodology: First, we start from the premise that there are no bad rods. I truly believe this. Some rods might occupy a niche and that niche might be very small, but they have a place and when used correctly, will shine. Second, performance is relative. Fly rods have few characteristics that we can absolutely define as “better.” Fly rods are about what you like and how you cast. Third, we combine quantitative and qualitative inputs.

Our qualitative (subjective) measures are pretty simple. All rods are fished as much as possible. They are also cast with lines lighter than, the same as, and heavier than the stated line weight. We fish and cast them in a variety of conditions and with a variety of flies.

The quantitative (objective) measures are weight, price, deflection, recovery rate, and tip-over-butt weightratio. The two primary metrics are deflection and recovery

rate. In our view, these define the most identifiable characteristics of fly rods. Our intent is to identify rods that are similar and dissimilar. The best use of this information for the fly fisher is in determining whether they like rods that bend more or less, and how fast they recover. Using these two characteristics, we make some general comments to classify the rods. Through your reading you’ll begin to find an area of the chart that defines the rods you like.

A rod that deflects less is considered stiffer, while a rod that deflects more is considered softer. In general, the less a rod deflects with a given amount of weight, the more power it has when casting further or in the wind.

A rod that has a fast recovery rate requires a faster cycletime and allows for faster casting, while a rod that has a slower recovery might be considered smoother and require a slower cycle-time.

These two represent extreme ends of the spectrum. At one end are rods with less deflection and quick recovery — fast-action rods which, in the hands of a competent caster, will be extremely versatile. However, they can also require more energy to make them flex or bend. At the other end are rods that bend deeper and recover more slowly. An extreme example of this would be a bamboo rod. Where things get more complicated is when a rod bends deeply but recovers quickly. This creates a rod that feels smooth in the hand but still allows for a faster cycle-time and a responsive feel. The Sage Trout is a good example. Conversely, a rod can bend less and recover more slowly. The Ligre is a great example. The Fiberglass tip is heavier, takes more time to recover, and the rod makes a good large streamer rod that is powerful and forgiving.

With all of this, as always, don’t just judge a rod based on price or brand but get out and cast them. Try different rods with different lines and find what feels best to you.

MODERATE MODERATE

STIFF STIFF

RECOVERY RECOVERY

SUPER FAST SUPER FAST

flyfusionmag.com

43

Sage SageMethod Method

Sage SageTCRTCR

Loop Loop7X7X

LLLLBean Bean Apex Apex

Echo EchoTrout Trout

G. G.Loomis LoomisNRX NRXPlus PlusLPLP

Loop Loop7X7X Med MedFast Fast

FLEX FLEX

Taylor TaylorAnomoly Anomoly

Orvis OrvisRecon Recon G. G.Loomis LoomisNRX NRXPlus Plus

Fenwick FenwickFenlight Fenlight

5 WT ROD COMPARISON

MODERATE MODERATE

Sage SageTrout TroutLLLL

Comparison Rods

The rods in this category we consider to be moderate-fast action rods that match well with true line-weights (or with line a half-size light). Moderate-fast action rods are ideal for situations requiring delicate presentation such as smallstream trout fishing (though they are not limited to these situations).

Generally speaking, these are fast-action rods, ideal for a larger variety of angling needs. Their tip deflection profile allows the rod to successfully load in shortrange casting situations, and the lower two-thirds generates enough power to access longer distances as well. Generally, the rods in this category are quite versatile.

The rods that fall into this section through our testing are what we’d consider stiff, super-fast action rods.

They’re fast from butt to tip and are great for fishing situations that require long casts, such as on large rivers or near a saltwater estuary where there’s lots of wind.

These rods would be prime candidates for a fly line that’s a half-size heavy.

ROD GUIDE LEGEND

Echo Trout

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

The Echo Trout is minimalist in appearance. It’s a softer rod that’s a pleasure for casting and presenting dry flies, light nymph rigs and even small streamers. Our casters kept returning to this rod as it’s a rare find with a smooth feel and strong recovery for under $500. We found it was adept with true-weight lines, but felt cumbersome with lines a half-weight heavy.

The recovery rate was the slowest in the group and that was a key defining characteristic that gave a unique feel and casting cadence. A rod that deflects deeply and recovers more slowly can still perform. - you just need to slow down. MSRP $349

Fenwick Fenlight

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

It seems cliched to say that I fished with a Fenwick when I was a kid, but then who didn’t? What I remember are softer rods with limited application that hit a price-point. This is not that. The Fenlight uses 3M Powerlux technology, and our testers were blown away. The rod cast great, it felt light in the hand and fished a variety of flies and conditions well. What was most surprising that we could make casts up close and feel the tip, but then strip off 50 feet of line and deliver a fly at distance with ease. The 10-foot 4wt was also a surprise. While it deflected more than other rods in the same category, the recovery rate was fast and led us to grab this rod to fish with when the testing was over. MSRP $349 (5 wt)

G. Loomis NRX+ & NRX+ LP

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

The NRX series has been on the market for a few years, has won a number of awards and has become an anchor series for Loomis. Anytime we see an iconic series get an upgrade it makes us a little nervous. The NRX+ and NRX+ LP however, did not disappoint. The NRX+ has an upgrade in damping and recovery, with minimal tip-bounce and a more lively feel in the hand. The LP is not as soft as some “trout” rods, but we welcomed that as it was different while remaining usable in a variety of conditions. This update to the NRX is a strong move from Loomis that’s sure to keep this popular series in the mix for anyone looking for a new premium stick. MSRP $745

LL Bean Apex

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

LL Bean has hit a home run with this rod that’s effective short and long, and feels light in hand. It is also attractive without being showy. The 8wt was one of our favourite rods to fish. Our testers kept coming back to it and found it great for beating the banks with streamers and making precise mid-range shots. We found one of the top rods in this series was the 10-foot 4wt. In our lineup of 10-foot rods, it had the least deflection and the fastest recovery. It was a pleasure to cast and fish, especially with heavy flies and when wading in deep water. We were surprised at how “right” the rod felt regardless of the price. MSRP $395

Loop 7X Series

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

The 7X is pleasant to cast and a good versatile fishing stick. The two 5-weight models are different enough that anglers will have a choice depending on their flex preference. The 9-foot 5-wt Fast has the fastest recovery in the 5-wt category. The 9-foot 5-wt Medium Fast fits in the middle of the lineup with a classic medium-fast action. The 9-foot 8-wt fell in line with the other rods in the series, with a crisp recovery and moderate deflection; a capable rod that performs better with longer casts and heavier lines. The 10-foot 4 wt felt different than the other rods in the series, with a deeper deflection and slower recovery. It’s a great, long, light-line dry-fly and light nymphing rod. The 7X may just be your ticket to fishing-buddy jealousy. MSRP $950

44

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Orvis Recon

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

When the Recon first came out we gave it high marks as a rod that could compete at almost any price point. The new Recon looks a little different cosmetically but fortunately hasn’t changed much in action. It is still a standout in versatility, recovery and power. Our casters enjoyed it both in close and out far. It felt most at home with true-weight lines. We enjoyed the cosmetics and pure fishability of this rod. The Recon is one of those balanced rods you forget you have in your hand.

MSRP $429

Sage Trout LL

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

The Sage Trout LL feels like a big departure - from what we have previously cast from Sage...but we liked it. The Trout LL had the deepest bend of any rod in the line-up. The Trout LL has damping and recovery we would usually find in a rod with half the deflection, and that is its magic. It not only performs in short, but also surprisingly well out there further and with larger flies. One of the characteristics that aided in its feel and performance was its damping - its ability to stop moving after released from a deflected state. As we would expect with a high-end rod, the Trout LL was the best in the line-up in this regard. It showed loop stability and an ability to respond more quickly than expected. MSRP $800

Taylor Anomaly

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

We admittedly have not cast many Taylor rods, but after the Anomaly we want to cast more, as the rods are well-designed and built. The Taylor had the fastest recovery rate in the 5-wt lineup, and was in the middle of the range in deflection. This equated to a softer rod with a good progressive feel, and smooth in the hand with a true-weight line. As we increased the length of line carried or wanted to cast faster to get a fly to fish quickly, it easily accommodated. The look is unassuming without much flare. If you’re looking for a rod so you can be different on the stream and still out-cast your friends, this is it. MSRP $559

Blue Halo Liger

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

“It’s pretty much my favourite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed...bred for its skills in magic.” With a name like Liger it would be impossible to write a review without a quote from Napolean Dynamite. The Liger is a rod with a tip section of aqua-blue fiberglass and graphite in the other three sections. It’s burly, with a large grip and a heavier swing weight. This rod is great for throwing big flies or sinking lines and for fighting big fish. It’s unique in almost every way. MSRP $499

Echo Prime

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

In usual form, Echo pushes the limits and successfully stands out. The Prime 4 is a beast that is stiff and recovers quickly, especially compared to higher priced rods. It was a pleasure to cast and seemed versatile enough to be your only 8-wt. The handle is unique with an extreme taper that gave a wide range of grip options. We did find it most usable with a half-weight heavy line that helped us load the rod faster and drive casts farther. MSRP $469

Sage Payload

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

The Payload is a workhorse. Moderately priced for a Sage stick, it is light in the hand and could easily throw pike, bass or musky flies as long as your arm will keep up. The handle is smaller than other rods we tested in this class, and over a long day of fishing this made the rod less cumbersome. A slower recovery rate and excellent damping give the Payload an ability to cast heavily weighted flies easily, smoothing out an uneven stroke or the effect of extra weight. MSRP $550

flyfusionmag.com

45

Scott Sector

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

The Scott Sector is a Scott through-and-through. The classic unsanded blank and hand-written label are highly recognizable, with true Made-in-the-USA craftsmanship. The Sector deflects less and recovers more slowly than its predecessors. It’s a smooth and easy-casting rod for times when you’re not in a rush. The Sector seemed most at ease with true-weight lines and smaller heads. It’s a great rod for flats bonefish. The Sector has the deepest bend in our 8-wt lineup but a quick recovery; the sign of a strong design team. The combination of deep bend and quick recovery is not easy to attain but in our experience creates a rod that appeals to a wide variety of casters and works in a wide variety of conditions. MSRP $985

Taylor Truth

FLEX MODERATE

RECOVERY STIFF MODERATE

SUPER FAST

A standout among the crowd, the Truth is a fast, crisp-action rod that was the most versatile in the group. It has by far the quickest recovery and least deflection in the 8-wt category. It responds well to casting off its tip in short and powering through when carrying more line or cutting into the wind. The Truth is as at home casting a short-head bass taper with big flies as it is a longer belly bonefish line with smaller flies. The rod felt light in the hand and is unassuming in appearance. MSRP $649

Echo Lago There’s a lot of fly fishing done from boats and the trend now is using kayaks and SUPs. The Echo Lago makes short work of long casts from a seated or less movable position. A softer tip but stiff butt section provides some delicacy but plenty of power to drive a line into the wind. Even big flies were fine with the Lago, especially when teamed up with a shorter head-length and half-weight heavy line. The key here is to let the rod do the work; as we eased back on the power and used the full length of the rod, we found it shone carrying short lengths of line and shooting long with minimal false casts.

Rod Tested: 10-foot, 6wt

LL Bean Double L One of my favourite rods of all time was a 6-foot 6-inch 2-wt that is now almost 20 years old. With the trend toward fast and long rods, I never thought I would see a quality short rod again that wouldn’t break the bank. Enter the LL Bean Double L 6-foot 10-inch 2 wt. My preference for this rod is high mountain streams with pocket water where I fish dry/dropper rigs in tight quarters. Crisp in action, responsive and light in hand, it casts small dry/dropper rigs with no issues and with a deep flex makes small fish feel like big ones. Rod Tested: 6-foot 10-inch, 2wt

Orvis Mission This is the new normal - a shorter two handed-rod meant to send short-head lines into the next county with little effort. The Orvis Mission does just that. A quick cast with a short head loads it easily, yet it’s forgiving and drives down into the butt to create power that generates high line speed. It could also be fished as a switch-rod with indicators and heavy nymph rigs.

Rod Tested: 11-foot 6-inch, two-hand

Sage Trout Pure fun! That’s the best way I can describe this one. Short and light enough to be used single-handed, but designed to be cast two-handed, this might be my new go-to stick. It’s light and not meant for the biggest water or biggest fish, but I would feel comfortable fishing this rig anywhere you would fish a 9-foot 5wt. The rod bends deep but recovers quickly, boosting confidence when casting anything from dry flies to heavier streamers. Sage sent the rod with a recommended short-head Skagit line which clearly gets the job done, however, I really liked a longer-head line which allowed full spey casts achieving those beautiful loops. Rod Tested: 10-foot 3-inch, 3wt, two-hand

46

The Soul of Fly Fishing

COVER MORE WATER

FISH CAT CRUZER

New for 2020, the Cruzer is modeled after the top selling Fish Cat 4; equipped with 2-piece oars so you can cover more water with ease. Above-water seating helps you stay dry, warm and make longer more accurate casts. Features include oar rest, two cargo pockets, and a new adjustable magnetic apron attachment system. Available in January 2020.

outcastboats.com | 844.243.2473

PROFILES

Jeff Currier Jeff Currier Jeff worked at Jack Dennis Sports in Jackson Hole Wyoming for 23 years.

He’s fished in 62 countries and caught 412 species of fish on flies.

48

The Soul of Fly Fishing

John Van Vleet: What took you to Wyoming and the flyfishing business?

Jeff Currier: I grew up between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, but I went to college in Wisconsin. At a very young age I did some trout fishing with my dad out in Montana. I particularly fell in love with the Madison and Henry’s Fork. I had been very determined at a young age to eventually move out there. When I finished my senior year in college, I sent resumes to a number of fly shops around West Yellowstone, hoping to end up in Montana.

The only one that really accepted a resume was Jack Dennis’s fly shop in Jackson Hole. It had an opportunity, where other places that were interesting did not have that. It made sense to go to Jackson, and it was a good choice.

JVV: Were you guiding out of that shop? Or were you just working in the shop full time?

JC: Well, 99% of my 22-year career at Jack Dennis was in the shop. But every kid that moves out west wants to be a fishing guide. I started in the shop, and worked my way up. Then finally I was doing guided trips. I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. The guiding was cutting into my own fishing more than I ever knew it would. An opening to be the manager of the fly-fishing operation came about. I was only 22 or 23 years old, but I had been there five years and kind of knew what was going on. They gave me a shot at it and I showed them that I could do the job. It was actually way better than being a guide because I could give myself time to fish. I met the right people by being behind the counter as well.

JVV: Travel is a huge part of what you do now. How did that start? At what point did you think you could turn it into your life?

JC: When I started my travels, I never thought I was going to turn it into my life. My first travels came about while working in the fly shop. We had customers in Jackson Hole wandering in in December to get flies for their New Zealand trip, new rods, and all this stuff. Maybe they were

going to Argentina or going saltwater fishing. One winter of that and curiosity got the cat. I went to a couple of lodges in Belize to sample their business so I could help sell trips for them. My only avenue to go back was through hosting.

I asked some of my clients from Jackson if they wanted to go to Belize with me, and they did. The next thing you know, I was hosting back-to-back weeks to Belize every April and November. It just branched out from there to other saltwater places: Christmas Island, Mexico, and Brazil trips. Then I started the Africa stuff. It was a great way to see the world at the start for sure.

JVV: What is the scariest or tensest situation you have had while you’ve been traveling?

JC: I have had a few. But hands down, the tensest was when I ran into a Bengal tiger on a mahseer trip. The first thing you ask when you’re camping in India is, “When was the last time you saw a tiger here?” Nobody in our group had ever seen a tiger there. But that day I felt something was watching me. I had to assume it was a leopard or an elephant. Neither of them showed themselves, but the feeling wouldn’t leave me. Eventually I saw what I felt, and it was a tiger, even though there were “no tigers there.” It was hiding in the bush about 40 feet away, about ready for me to take the next couple steps. I was ahead of my guide at the time, and when he caught up to me the tiger spooked, stood up, and left. That tiger went on to take about four people in the next six months. It finally had to be put down. It was a female with two cubs and had moved into the area from Corbett National Park. Outside the park there are not enough animals for them to eat. She started feeding on people. I would have been her first.

JVV: How did you come to write your books?

JC: In the wintertime, Jack Dennis was part of The Traveling Fly Fishers—Jack, Mike Lawson and Gary Lafontaine were traveling and speaking to fly-fishing groups. I basically went along and set up their tables and sold their books and products. I really loved what they were doing and thought

I needed to be doing that. But you have to have a book, some DVDs, something behind your name. On those little road trips Gary and I roomed together. I was always talking about my saltwater trips. He said, “You know what Currier?

You need to write a book about saltwater fly fishing. The book by Lefty Kreh has been out forever. It’s time to put a new face behind it.” I locked myself in a closet for the next six months and wrote every chance I got. When I got done, it probably was fair at best. Gary got out the red marker and changed a bunch of things. He had me rewrite it maybe five times. It was like I was back in school. In the end, I had a good book. Then I started getting some speaking gigs.

JVV: What about your art?

JC: After Gary was happy with my book he said, “Now you have to pay somebody to illustrate it.” That was not an option. So I went home and did all the illustrations. I also loved doing that. I was going to try to stay at the shop until I was 50, and then maybe go off on my own and be an artist. Then 2008 came along, and changed everything financially. I decided instead of waiting until I was 50, I

was going to go at 44 and try to start that art career. I did.

I walked out the door of the fly shop planning to be an artist. I was nervous as hell. But what I didn’t realize was that I had made so many friends in the industry. A week after being out of that store, the phone started ringing.

JVV: What kind of advice would you give somebody who wants to be the next Jeff Currier?

JC: I had no idea this would all happen. I had gone to college to study Wildlife Management. I envisioned myself being a game warden, park ranger, or a fisheries biologist. I probably would have done that, except I got a D-minus in genetics and flunked out of calculus.

I didn’t realize you needed those things. I graduated as a naturalist. But what was I going to do, sit in a visitor’s centre in Yellowstone Park? No. I figured I’d play around in the fishing industry for a while and see what happened. Then things just fell into place. There is no formula. I just got an email from a guy that I think is maybe 19-years old and wants to be just like me. All I tell him and other people is, fish hard; be a good person.

Maybe it will happen. There are no guarantees.

flyfusionmag.com

49

WANDERING CURRENTS

Autumn Perfection

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.

50

The Soul of Fly Fishing

T

he leaves shiver in the crisp Alaska air as the approaching autumn is made manifest by a slight morning breeze. The bears seem anxious to put on as much weight as possible before the landscape is cloaked in a blanket of perfect white. The fish seem to share the same sense of urgency, as even the largest trout lose themselves in the feeding frenzy of eggs and flesh.

Swing is the main game here, something new to me. The muscle memory of past experience seems to fight the idea of using anything other than an overhead cast with a single-handed rod.

There’s something addicting about the thought of catching a giant trout on a swung fly. Perhaps it’s the cast itself as much as anything but whatever the reason, many have become obsessed with it. The concept is foreign to many: step, cast, swing, repeat. Somewhere between the cast, swing, and step you find yourself nearly lost in the overall experience of standing knee deep in cold, clear water, watching the occasional bear wander down the bank in search of food.

With each day fishing pressure lessens as salmon lodges close for the year. This is trout season on the Naknek River, when a handful of dedicated guides and anglers make do with the cooler fall weather and shorter days in an attempt to catch some of the largest and hardest fighting rainbows out there.

Almost anywhere in Alaska a 30-inch rainbow qualifies as the trout of the year. On the Naknek there is a real chance of passing that mark any day of the season, but especially in the fall. The river flows out of Naknek Lake in Katmai National Park. As temperatures drop large rainbows leave the lake and take up residence in the river to feed on eggs, flesh, and an abundance of sculpins. These trout don’t come easy and if you’re lucky enough to hook one you’ll be deep into your backing before you have a chance to collect your wits.

Cartwheels and rod-pulsing jumps make your heart race as the fish tries to throw the hook. Battles go about 50/50 between angler and fish. If you’re on the wrong end of that ratio, you’ll shake your head in amazement that a trout could humble you so quickly.

These are wild fish, the apex of Alaska, and they fight with the same attitude.

flyfusionmag.com

51

52

The Soul of Fly Fishing

The Naknek area is most famous for its abundance of bears, especially at Brooks Falls. Every year thousands of tourists go to Brooks to watch bears trying to catch salmon that try to jump the falls on their upstream spawning migration. The salmon fuel an entire ecosystem, bringing millions of pounds of nutrients inland from the ocean.

This steady stream of protein arriving daily over the course of the summer shapes the fisheries and allows bears and rainbow trout to grow to enormous sizes.

The nutrient-rich waters create sportfishing opportunities unlike anything else on earth. The diversity of the Bristol Bay area is staggering; an angler can pursue all five species of salmon, plus rainbow trout, arctic char, Dolly Varden, grayling, pike, and lake trout. It’s hard to choose where to fish and what to target, but once you hook a giant rainbow it’s difficult to think about anything other than the line-burning power of these fish.

I’m not sure my mind has thought about much else since my first Naknek rainbow. We were fishing with our friend, James Johnson, who grew up along the banks of the river. As he explained the fall fishing program it was hard not to be

slightly skeptical. The claim was that we were going to catch some of the biggest rainbows ever and that our best shot was on the swing. As we approached the water there was some doubt in the back of my mind. Lots of people tell you that their home waters have big fish or some of the best fishing around, but few can really back it up. And swinging flies has never seemed like the most productive way to approach large fish. Nonetheless, we worked down the run as instructed, stepping downstream after each cast. Before long I felt a grab, my line started flying off the reel, and in a matter of seconds a blur of backing appeared. Doubt thusly erased.

From that fish until the last fish of the week every single one was impressive. No matter the size they all fought hard, were healthy and commanded respect. It might be awhile until I can focus on something other than a chromed-out rainbow trout, and even longer until my return trip to Alaska. Until then, day-dreaming and staring at photos will have to do.

For more information about fishing the Naknek River or booking a trip to Katmai Trophy Lodge contact Zach Emig at zach@blackfinflyfishingco.com

STILLWATER SECRETS

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.

54

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Flies That Up Your Stillwater Game

A

nother stillwater fly-fishing season is in the books and I’m actually enjoying the winter tying time. The season provided some fabulous fishing memories but the lakes are now iced over and the trout are getting a well-deserved rest. During the open-water season my fly tying is restricted to last minute refills or tweaking a pattern just before another day on the water, but winter is a different story.

Like many anglers I think a lot about improving existing fly designs or using other people’s more creative ways to tie specific patterns. I write ideas and tying tips down in my fishing journal so I don’t forget them before the winter tying sessions begin. After all, we all know we can never have enough flies.

I spend a lot of time tying and fishing chironomid or midge pupal patterns simply because they’re such a dominant stillwater food source. I often get asked “With such a simple-looking insect, why are tiers so fixated on adding to the multitude of proven patterns already out there?” Fly fishers are always on the lookout for that perfect imitation, at least in our own minds, and that fascination is at its highest level when we consider chironomid pupal patterns. As an example, the current body material of interest is window tint, surpassing the use of anti-static bag material used by many of those in the know. Window tint is thinner and more translucent, plus it comes in a number of colours that all shout “Chironomid pupae!” Add in various thread underbody colours and you create another subtle and effective colour spectrum to your pupal arsenal. Do the fish see the minor differences of colour or shade in a pattern? I’m totally convinced that trout living in clear-water lakes can become ultra-selective, particularly after they have been eating chironomid pupae for a period of time. That’s when those extra-special ties can pay big dividends.

At the other end of the pupal tying spectrum is the use of thread for bodies and ribs, which seems like taking a few steps back in our tying evolution. Thread-based patterns are in stark contrast to popular chironomid pupae with a reflective sheen and bright or flashy ribbing. As my good friend and fellow guide Jordan Oelrich says, “Tying threadbased patterns allows you to create the perfectly shaped pupal abdomen matched to the exact thread-coloured ribbing. The final product is a super slender, tapered pupal body that becomes a deadly and durable fly with the addition of a coating a cyanoacrylate glue or UV resin.”

This lacquering creates the subtle illusion of gas building up around the abdomen of the soon-to-emerge pupa. Often a more subdued pattern is much more effective when fishing heavily pressured water and increasingly wary trout.

Now let’s switch gears from small chironomid pupae that emerge in massive numbers and over a prolonged period to dragonfly nymphs that emerge in much smaller numbers but offer a substantial meal to any trout big enough to swallow one. Trout, and especially big trout, eat a lot of dragonfly nymphs, particularly during the nymphal emergence migration.

Dragonflies can spend up to five years developing as nymphs so these continually growing bugs are dinner for foraging trout throughout the year. Imitating dragonfly nymphs can be a rather intricate tying process. These insects can get big, with some species reaching nearly 4 cm. in body length. Getting the right body proportions

takes a lot of tying practice. Some of the more traditional tying materials include seal fur, synthetic seal fur and chenille. Dragonfly nymphs come in a wide variety of colours, including all shades of green and brown as well as solid black. I used to tie intricate patterns in a variety of body colours, but have now switched to just tying and

“Rush Hour”

888.512.8812

www.tflats.com

reservations@tflats.com

fishing patterns tied entirely out of spun and clipped deer hair. This pattern, commonly referred to as a Gomphus or mud-dweller dragonfly nymph, offers several advantages, most important of which is the buoyant nature of the fly.

The hollow deer hair allows the pattern to suspend in the water, which adds a whole new dimension to its action when retrieved through the water column. The up-anddown motion while moving across or up from the bottom seems to attract a lot of attention. Different coloured patterns work on different days. While natural coloured deer hair flies are very effective, it pays to have this fly in a few other colours. Chartreuse green ones, which imitate newly moulted nymphs, are always worth trying. Light or dark olive are also known fish-catching colours. I like tying this pattern with natural or light-coloured deer hair and then using waterproof marking pens to create other colours. Dyed deer hair in a variety of colours is also readily available at your local fly shop. These are labour-intensive patterns to tie but the anticipation of a no-hesitation, heavy grab from a big trout makes it time well spent.

Prime emergence time for dragonfly nymphs is the early summer period. There is typically about a twoweek period when the majority of fully matured nymphs crawl and swim along the bottom of the shoal zone to the shoreline zone of the lake. They then crawl out of the water onto plants or the trunks of trees to complete the transformation into the adult form. Take a close look at the riparian vegetation at the lake for the empty nymphal casings of recently emerged adults.

Casting and retrieving dragonfly nymphs up and over the edges of drop-offs and onto the shallower shoal areas can be extremely effective during that prime hatch period.

The same patterns also work well during the hot summer months and into the fall simply because dragonfly nymphs are such a large meal. And always remember to tie your dragonfly nymph on with a loop knot.

Make sure to tie up some new variations of chironomid pupae as well as some colourful dragonfly nymphs this winter. I’m sure you’ll be happy you did, even if the trout aren’t.

SPEY

DAY SATURDAY

APRIL 4

2020 “Last one of the day... maybe.”

FOLLOW US

MYFLYSHOP.COM 1.800.663.6407

myflyshop

SURREY

VANCOUVER

10484 Whalley Blvd.

Surrey, BC, V3T 4H5 604.588.2833

#105-1245 W. Broadway Vancouver, BC, V6C 3E8 604.639.2278

STEELHEAD/SPEY SPECIALISTS • EXPERT STAFF • FULL SELECTION OF COURSES • TROPICAL TACKLE AND EXCURSIONS Photo courtesy Aaron Goodis

ON THE VISE

Trout-Spey Flies

T

rout-Spey, which can be defined as using lighter two-handed rods for trout, has been growing in popularity over the past Dana Harrison Dana feels that he is not decade or so and for very good reasons. just a fly fisher and tier, but The gentle, almost passive nature of a steward for the streams fishing a wet fly, nymph, or streamer down-and-across, and lakes we enjoy. He is swinging it on a tight line, is a pleasant, almost hypnotic passionate for positive way to fish. Not only that but it is very effective, and change in our industry, allows you to cover much more water than other troutwith a focus on preserving our environment for stream methods. future generations.

There are more rods and lines to choose from for trout-Spey than ever before. There are Skagit heads, short Skagit heads, Scandi heads, and various integrated line options as well. You’ll find a line or head available for just about any situation you run into. The casting can be tricky at first, but if you can roll cast, with a little practice you’ll soon be Spey casting well enough to get a fly in front of a fish.

The fly selection for trout-Spey fishing is quite diverse, ranging from traditional wet flies to modern, complex, dubbing-loop-style flies, and just about everything in between. When I started Dave’s Panic Button swinging flies for trout I carried about Shank: 25mm Return Eye shank half a box of flies, but now I carry two Trailer Material: Senyo’s Intruder wire boxes nearly full. If you can swing the Trailer Hook: Firehole Outdoors 714 Stick Thread: Uni 6/0 fly and it catches a fish it’s a trout-Spey Dumbell Eyes: Spirit River Real Eyes, in size fly in my eyes. I can almost guarantee suitable for the waters you fish there’s a fly in your fly box right now that Rear Body Material: Hareline Dubbin UV will work perfectly on the swing. What Polar Chenille I hope to accomplish with this article is Hackle: Waspi large select barred to expand your fly selection, teach you mallard flank Rubber Legs: Waspi Sili Legs how to tie a couple, and keep your mind Fly Body: Hareline Dubbin marabou occupied over the winter until it’s time to Head: Hareline Dubbin Micro Pulsator strips get back to the water.

58

The Soul of Fly Fishing

New FliesDave’s Panic Button This fly caught my eye and interest this year, and became one of my favourites, though I haven’t reached for it in a state of panic yet. It is fishy in every way and uses materials that most people already have on their bench. David Lisi of Cooper Landing Fishing Guides developed this pattern that’s simple to tie, can be tied in any variety of colours, and catches a lot of fish. This past season I had success with it on five different rivers. It caught all the species I encounter — rainbow, westslope cutthroat, and bull trout. I don’t see why a brown trout or smallmouth bass wouldn’t take this fly given the chance. I encourage everyone to give this one a try and play around with the colour combinations.

Mini-Graboid Leech If you have even the slightest interest in trout-Spey it’s highly likely you’ve heard the name Jonathan Farmer.

If you haven’t I’ll assume you’ve been living under a rock. The guy is a beast of a fly tier, an amazing human being and premiere fly designer for Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics (OPST). Jonathan runs Midnight Sun Custom Flies out of Alaska with a team of tiers mostly from the Pacific Northwest, producing flies for custom orders and doing their best to keep the OPST online shop stocked. Jonathan is responsible for some of the great modern trout-Spey patterns such as Beast of Burden, Ribeye Caddis, Wake N’ Skate, The Avenger, Led Zep Prawn, Kryptonite Sculpin, Graboid Leech and Mini-Graboid. The Mini-Graboid may be a little difficult for a novice tier, but it’s a great introduction to the use of dubbing loops because the dubbing doesn’t require stacking in multiple layers. Learning and becoming comfortable with dubbing loops will pay dividends with your trout-Spey fly tying down the road. Again, due to the simplicity of the materials, it’s easy to change the

Mini-Graboid Leech Shank: 38mm Firehole Outdoors SS-150 Stick Trailer Material: Power Pro, 30 lbs Trailer Hook: Firehole Outdoors 714 Stick Thread: Veevus 8/0 Bead: 4mm Firehole Outdoors Stone, gold Body: Pine squirrel strip Dubbing Loop: Fly Tyers Dungeon Super Kraken, Enhanced Kraken and Kraken Dubbing Rubber Legs: Hareline Micro Grizzly legs Flash: Cascade Crest Tools Krinkle Mirror Flash Head: Pine squirrel strip in a loop

flyfusionmag.com

59

colours. The Mini-Graboid was one of my top-producing flies during runoff this past season. If you check the Midnight Sun Custom Flies Facebook page you’ll see photos of customers from all over the world landing trophy fish on this pattern. It’s simply one you need in your swing box.

Traditional Wet Flies Not all trout-Spey flies have to be large and complicated to tie; sometimes the simplest flies are the most effective.

You can use traditional English wet flies, and because of their long history in fly fishing there is a vast catalogue of patterns to draw from that have been around much longer than trout-Spey. An extraordinarily simple traditional wet fly is a Spider. These can sometimes be

nothing more than a hook, thread and partridge hackle, and yet are as effective as flies with five times the materials that take five times as long to tie. I prefer to tie Spiders with a wire body, a small thorax of peacock and a partridge collar. The partridge hackle should be sparse. One complete turn of the feather is all it takes, and sometimes stripping the fibres off one side is a good idea.

Irish Dabbler I’m particularly interested in some of the wet flies tied in Europe, and more specifically the Irish Dabbler flies. I’m drawn to flies that have an extremely buggy look and the Dabblers qualify. It’s easy to change the colours of materials to match the insects in your waters.

Familiar Flies An easy transition into trout-Spey flies is to take familiar patterns and reimagine them as wet flies you can swing.

You can do this with stonefly patterns. In order to get

a little more wiggle from a stonefly nymph I use MFC Sexi-Floss for the tail and legs instead of biots, and add a sparse hackle collar.

Guides Choice Hare’s Ear There are plenty of other examples of adapting patterns but one most people might already be familiar with is the Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear. While most people probably fish this as a traditional nymph under an indicator, it’s just as effective on the swing, and can be tied with or without a bead, depending on the depth you’re trying to reach.

When it’s all said and done trout-Spey is just another way to catch fish. It can be just as effective as the other methods and easily as enjoyable. I love the swing and try to do it anywhere I can. I also really enjoy tying these flies. There are complex techniques for some flies and dead simple techniques for others.

There’s a fly here for all tying levels and they will all find you some fish.

FEATURED RECIPE

Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle 1

My favourite fly for this type of adaptation is a Pheasant Tail Nymph. This version is almost identical to the standard pattern, except that I leave the tail a little long and add a collar of partridge hackle. I’ve had outstanding days swinging this fly for westslope cutthroat in my corner of British Columbia.

Recipe Hook: Firehole Outdoors 718 Stick Thread: UTC 70, brown Tail: Natural cock ringneck pheasant tail fibres Body: Natural cock ringneck pheasant tail fibres Rib: UTC gold wire Thorax: Natural peacock herl Collar: Partridge breast feather

3 2

4

6

Tying Instructions 1.

2.

3.

4.

62

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Secure the hook in the vise and attach the thread.

Remove four or five fibres from the stem of a pheasant tail-feather and secure them tightly at the bend of the hook with two or three turns of thread.

Tie in a couple of inches of wire at the same place as the pheasant tail.

Leaving the tips of the pheasant tail fibres for the tail, wrap the butt ends forward to form the body. Secure them with a few thread wraps and trim.

5

5.

6.

Wrap the gold wire forward in the opposite direction to which you wrapped the pheasant tail. Secure it in place behind the eye and cut or helicopter the wire off.

Tie a single strand of peacock herl to the hook where the pheasant tail ends.

8

7

10

9 7.

8.

Wrap the peacock herl forward, leaving enough room for the next material. Secure it in place with a few wraps of thread and cut off the excess.

Prepare a partridge breast feather by removing the fluff from the base of the feather. Stroke the majority of the feather backwards to create a tie-in point and secure the feather to the hook directly in front of the herl.

9.

Stroke the remaining fibres of the feather toward the rear of the hook. Make one full turn around the hook with the feather. Tie off the feather and trim the excess.

10. Build a head with thread and whip-finish. Coat the head with varnish or UV cure.

New for 2020 UNI-Thread 8/0 Royal Blue Waxed or Unwaxed on spools of 50 or 200 yds UNI- French Twist Medium Gold 3 strands

UNI-Thread 3/0 Purple and Light Orange Waxed or Unwaxed on spools of 50 or 100 yds

Look to UNI for the best in spooled fly-tying materials!

www.uniproducts.com

UNI PRODUCTS J.G. Cote Inc. 1004 Principale, Ste-Melanie, QC. Canada J0K 3A0 Tel: 450-889-8054 Toll-Free: 1-877-889-8054 Fax: 450-889-5887 Email: info@uniproducts.com

END OF THE LINE

Winter Fly Patterns JEREMY DAVIES BWO Killer Hook: Scud Hook sz 14-20 Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 Olive Head: Gold bead Body: Olive Tying thread Thorax: Olive Ice Dubbing Rib: gold wire Tail: Brown Floss

Red Devil Hook: Scud Hook sz 14-20 Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 Red Head: Gold bead Body: Red Holographic tinsel Thorax: Red Ice Dubbing Rib: Red wire Tail: Red Floss

Black Gnat Antron Emerger Hook: Light wire scud hook sz 14-20 Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 black Body: Antron dubbing black Hackle: black Wing: Florescent orange or pink antron yarn Tail: Black antron fibers

Arizona Dot Hook: Scud hook sz 12-18 Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 Olive or black Body: Arizona Dubbing Natural Peacock Hackle: Grizzly

Tung Stud Hook: Scud hook sz 10-16 Thread: 8/0 Uni-thread Olive Head: Black or black nickel tungsten bead Body: 8/0 Uni-thread Olive Thorax: Hareline DubbingDark Brown or black Wingcase: Thin Skin Mottled Oak Tail: marabou Olive Legs: Dark brown pheasant fibers Rib: Gold or copper fine wire

64

The Soul of Fly Fishing

D-Rib Worm Hook: Scud Hook sz 6-10 Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 Red Head: two black nickel beads Body: D-Rib Red Tails: Ultra chenille Red

flyfusionmag.com

65

WATER MARKS

Helpful Definitions (WITH APOLOGIES TO ED ZERN)

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, but unfortunately this leaves very little time f or the thankless task of keeping Derek under control during filming of Fly Fusion TV.

66

The Soul of Fly Fishing

I

n an effort to continue unabated my assistance to fly fishers far and wide, I’ve decided it wise to clear up once and for all the unfortunate confusion created by some frequently used but misunderstood flyfishing terms. No need to thank me.

Hot-Spotting: Recently developed manifestation of generosity, whereby with the indispensable aid of the Internet a person instantly and easily tells 18,357 other fly fishers the location of his favourite fishing place. Often followed by periods of deep regret, depression, and harassment by former friends.

Google Earth: Extremely powerful fly-fishing tool, especially useful for facilitating hot-spotting. With its use, fly anglers are now able to reveal within a few inches accuracy the best places to fish and which rock to stand on, using satellite photographs and GPS co-ordinates.

Frenchman’s Creek: A favourite destination of deceased fly-fishing writer and novelist, Robert Traver, who referred to his favourite trout stream this way because that wasn’t its name. Currently declining in use as fly fishers adopt the more contemporary practice of hot-spotting. See also north fork of the east branch of upper Frenchman’s Creek.

San Juan Worm: Best “fly” ever devised. Currently favoured by nymph-fishers. Fly fishers around the world anxiously await the dry and emerger versions currently in development and undergoing rigorous testing in New Mexico.

Stonefly Fishing: Obviously a typo. See Canada’s new cannabis legislation.

Fluorocarbon: A controversial government tax, soon to be applied to fly fishers everywhere.

Euro Nymphing: Mispronunciation of the frequent desperate cry, shouted from across the river by a frustrated Derek Bird: “Jim! Are you nymphing??”

Arctic Char: An often-photographed (and usually oversaturated) fish, sometimes confused with Swiss chard,

which I believe may be a vegetable.

Leader Shy: A state of fear, caused by skipping work to chase a brown drake hatch, resulting in determined avoidance of employer or spouse.

Double Haul: 1) Catching twice the legal limit of fish; or 2) Mis-spelling of double howl, a vocalization uttered by a person who’s caught twice the legal limit of fish.

Size 24: Fictitious hook that no one has ever seen. But hey, good joke, Tiemco, Mustad, Partridge, Daiichi et al.

Redditch Scale: Oddball sizing system, whereby the larger the thing, the smaller the number used to identify it.

Inexplicably, still used today to designate hook sizes. See also wire, thread, tippet, shot, shotguns, golf clubs, for other nutty uses of the same principle. Devised in the Dark Ages by — you guessed it — the British.

March Brown: Another British gaffe. A mayfly that hatches in May. (It is brown, though.)

Downstream Dry Fly: A flimsy notion, presented as a factual possibility or even an intentional fly-fishing tactic (hah!), by Doug Swisher, Mike Lawson, Gary Borger, George Anderson, and a myriad of other fly-fishing gurus, who obviously believe that the average fly fisher is a bit thick or at least extremely gullible. See also Chironomid Fishing, Czech Nymphing.

Ausable/Au Sable: The good work of several clever, forwardthinking American fly-fishing clubs that planned and succeeded in establishing immediate inherent confusion over two different rivers in two different states, with the desired result of making bewildered fly fishers go to Maine instead.

Chironomid Fishing: Myth propagated by Brian Chan, Phil Rowley and other equally devious Canadian fly fishers.

Sadly, the myth has been taken hook, intermediate-line and indicator by American fly fishers.

Next issue: Tying a blood knot with nothing more than an electron microscope and an ordinary flux capacitor.

CRUSH VARIABLES. COMPLEX HYDRAULICS + NATURAL STRUCTURE + SUSTAINED WIND

ELITE AMBASSADOR KYNSLEE SCOTT

Edgy environmental factors like sustained wind, complex hydraulics, and natural structure all pack the potential to punish productivity. With favor stacked in nature’s corner, your ability to adapt and conquer common variables requires fishing tools forged to level the playing field. NRX+ with Dynamic Recovery Technology expands tactical opportunity in difficult fishing situations, providing power, energy transfer, and stability expected from a fast-action rod, while simultaneously offering feedback under load. This improves timing and application of power, especially when making unconventional presentations in lessthan-ideal scenarios.

gloomisflyfishing.com