WINTER 2020 | VOLUME 18, ISSUE 1

FOCUS Every organism is integral to the overall health of the landscape. It is crucial that we as anglers do our part to ensure that what we love is protected.

© Photo Jessica Haydahl Richardson

Group Art Direction Terry Paulhus

Publishing Team Chris Bird Jennifer Bird

Circulation Consultant Scott Bullock

Editorial Team Derek Bird Gary Bird John Van Vleet

Office Administrator Kim Carruthers Websites Breeze Web Department Editors Derek Bird Brian Chan Dana Harrison Jim McLennan Derek Olthuis Jeff Wagner Contributors Gabriel Bizeau George Daniels Jeremy Davies Flylords Curtis Hall Dana Lattery Landon Mayer Jessica Haydahl Richardson Brian Runnals Kayla Smith Illustrations Ed Anderson edandersonart.com

Fly Fusion is published quarterly by Fly Fusion Ltd, a division of Bird Marketing Group Inc. 111, 7 Avenue S, Suite A Cranbrook, BC V1C 2J3 1-888-435-9624 info@flyfusionmag.com flyfusionmag.com Canadian Mail Publication Agreement #41202551.

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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: $69.95CAD 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.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

CONTENTS 12

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COLD-SEASON DECREE George Daniel Whatever situation you find yourself in, the approaching colder season may suggest tweaking your gear and basic approach to match the dynamic waters and species you encounter. This change isn’t a total fly-fishing makeover, but following these suggestions will increase your catch rate and enjoyment during the cold season.

A CONSERVATIONIST’S MINDSET Curtis Hall As winter’s cold embrace draws in most of the continent, take time to appreciate the changing colors, slower pace, and fishing opportunities to be had. Try to view all this through the eyes of a conservationist, appreciating the little things and asking yourself what you could to improve your favorite fishery.

LAST SUMMER ON THE SAGE Derek Bird As the Founding Editor of Fly Fusion Magazine, Derek Bird has written many stories in the pages of this publication. However, he recently completed his debut novel, “Last Summer on the Sage,” set to be published this fall. This is an excerpt taken from his first book, which is sure to be listed among fly-fishing enthusiast’s favorites in the years to come.

THE UPDATED TROUT SYSTEM Jeremy Davies An ongoing feature that’s been revisited before, this is the most recent update to Jeremy Davies’ Trout System. His system is a top-to-bottom selection of flies that attract trout in a variety of different environments and conditions. The addition of these five dynamite flies will up your success with trout just about anywhere.

INSIDE 10 42 46 50

Stream Lines Profiles Long Lines Wandering Currents

54 58 64 66

Stillwater Secrets On the Vise End of the Line Watermarks

© Photo Curtis Hall | © On the cover: Dana Lattery

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STREAMLINES

Just Shy of Eighteen

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

My favorite stream is the one where the trout are plentiful and the anglers are few. © Illustration Ed Anderson edandersonart.com

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T

he logjam provided enough depth and structure to hold decent-sized trout. I waded in just below it to about thigh deep and made a good cast up to where it looked like the large fish should be holding. My beetle pattern bobbed and drifted a foot or two from about the halfway point of the jam where a few larger logs protruded into the river. I pulled quickly at the line to manage the slack as the current pushed the terrestrial toward me.

Then, just like I’d envisioned, a pair of lips inhaled the beetle—a very small pair of lips. I set and a six-inch fish skittered over the surface. My anticipation for a larger trout may have affected my overly forceful hook set. I say the trout was six-inches but it could have just as easily been four or five. Admittedly, I may miscalculate by an inch or two regardless the size of the fish. I don’t often actually measure my fish because I’m quite confident in my approximate benchmark measurements.

A six-inch trout could be anything up to six inches. A 12-inch trout is usually anything between nine and 12. After that I get a little more precise: a 15-inch trout is anything an inch or so shy of that, and a 16-inch trout is actually 16…at least in my mind anyway. An 18-inch trout…well, anything that looks like 18 inches or above I usually do a quick measurement against my rod before I send it back. Oddly, a few of my 18-inch trout have actually measured 16 inches.

I say all that to say the six-inch trout that grabbed my beetle was about halfway between me and the logjam when I saw a dark shadow dart out and ambush the small trout.

The battle immediately transitioned from a quick landand-release scenario into an uncertain tug-o-war.

I’d actually been in this type of situation before—the small fish takes the fly and then a large bull trout hijacks the poor little guy. Never have I ever actually landed the bull

trout. He always spits his prey just a few feet from me, so I assumed the same would happen this time. But there was something vastly different about this situation unfolding in front of me—there were no char in this system.

As I brought the two fish closer, something completely unpredictable happened. I’ve replayed the event multiple times, and I still have no idea how.

Without a change in tension or direction, I watched as the small fish swam away. Very nonchalantly…like he’d had enough for one day.

Somehow the little Houdini escaped the jaws of his captor and now the large trout alone was on the end of my line. At about four feet away, I reached for my net and pulled it from my backpack then promptly fumbled and dropped it just as the large fish took another run straight toward the lower end of the jam. I turned the rod to my right in order to guide him away from the submerged timber, but I was a little late. When I pulled on my rod,

I didn’t feel the head shakes of a large trout, just the solid and consistent tension created by deadwood.

At this point I faced a conundrum. Do I wade deeper toward the jam in order to see if a slightly different rod angle frees the line and possibly the fish if he was still on, or do I run downstream after my net, which was now getting dangerously close to a slightly submerged stump? I chose the latter because it appeared more attainable. I sprinted down the river and got to the end of my unspooled line then lunged for my net just moments before it became

part of the unretrievable mess around the stump. I picked it up and put it under my left arm and reeled in my line while trekking back toward the snag.

When I arrived near the bottom of the logjam, I was able to comfortably wade another two feet beyond my original position and then another couple uncomfortable feet beyond that all the while angling my rod upstream as far as I could. To my surprise, I felt the line release from the submerged log and immediately felt the headshakes from the large fish. He was still there!

I reeled him up as I moved back toward my initial casting position. Then I took the retrieved net from under

my left arm, raised the tip of my rod toward the slightly overcast sky and watched as the heavily spotted, yellowbellied cutthroat slid over the side of the net.

I’m really not sure how it happened, but the beetle was embedded in the corner of the jaw in the very same way as if he’d taken it himself. I removed the hook and slid my hand under the fish’s belly and lifted him toward my rod. This one, by my closest estimation needed to be measured. My mental yardstick placed him on the larger side of 18 inches.

When I placed his tail at the butt of the rod, his nose stretched well beyond any logos or weight hashtags. This one’s got to run a solid 20, I thought as I slipped him back in the water and held him for a moment before he decided to splash with his tail and swim quickly toward the chaotic ball of trees and branches.

The rest of the day I fished each of the deep pools with dries first and then made a second pass with streamers. I caught lots of fish on both but none rivaled that trout’s size. On the way home, I reminisced about the one…or more accurately the two. I’ve been fishing now for four solid decades, mostly for trout, and to that point I’d never had a cutthroat ambush a six-inch trout at the end of my line.

The only explanation…maybe I overestimated size of the trout that rose to the beetle. I guess he could have been four inches just as easily as he could have been six. That’s a possibility. Regardless, a trout eating another a third its size, then the beetle transferring from the smaller to the larger mouth, and then the trout running me into a jam and me getting the trout off the jam…he’s likely a trout I won’t soon forget.

When I got home, I grabbed my gear from the vehicle and placed it in the garage. I rummaged about for a tape measure and then stretched it from the rod butt to where his nose reached. By precise calculations, the trout measured just shy of 18. Hmm. I overestimated by two inches—glad to see even in the mayhem of a moment some things never change.

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Cold-Season Decree George Daniels

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

He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, two children, and Boykin spaniel. © Photos Chris Daniel

s the late summer/fall seasons transition to winter, a cooling effect occurs within and outside the waters we fish. This transition brings about changes in weather, stream conditions, and fish behavior. Sometime the change is gradual; sometimes it’s drastic. Whatever situation you find yourself in, the approaching colder season may suggest tweaking your gear and basic approach to match the dynamic waters and species you encounter. This change isn’t a total fly-fishing makeover (all done at once) but I believe following these suggestions will increase your catch rate and enjoyment during the cold season.

Let me start by providing context by explaining my definition of the “cold season.” I define the “cold season” when air temperatures hover near freezing (day or night). Fairly straight forward, right? For some, this cold season may begin as early as September.

For others, such as myself, the cold season begins closer to Thanksgiving. Below I share with you my top 10 tips for preparing for the cold season. Some are simple and straight forward. Some are more involved, in need of greater explanation. Although I consider the following tens tips to be absolute truths for my personal fishing, I extend these to you as mere suggestions. I hope this helps you to prepare for what I consider to be my favorite and, often, the most peaceful time of year to fly fish.

1

Purge All Unnecessary Flies From Your Boxes: Purging all fly boxes of everything except for the essential cold weather patterns reduces clutter and eliminates excessive fly choices. Usually the cold seasons means less insect activity, which translates into putting away patterns that have no value for the cold seasons. I have no use for ant, sulphur/pmd, green drake, or any caddis patterns during the months of December, yet I often find these patterns remaining in my box while fishing the cold season.

That was until several years ago, when I decided to purge my box, adjusting for the changing scenarios. For cold seasons, I basically work out of a single box and haven’t regretted my decision

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to streamline my selection. Blue-winged olives and midges are really the only significant hatches for my area during that time, so all other “match-the-hatch scenarios” are stored in other boxes. I also carry a small selection of junk flies, attractor and suggestive nymphs, and several streamers. In the two years I’ve decided to go minimal with my cold-season selection, I have not yet once regretted this decision.

2

Fishing Larger Patterns: I fish larger patterns, especially nymphs, during the cold season.

This sound counterintuitive since many immature insects, such as mayflies and caddis, are still growing and often nowhere near the size they are when hatching during spring and summer. While insect sizes are often smaller during the cold season, their activity and movement is less, so their importance as a food source is also less. And

because there are less insects drifting (except for midges and olives) with these smaller immature insects, I find trout are more willing to eat larger meals during the cold season—meaning trout don’t have the almost constant food supply of drifting nymphs as they do during the spring/ early summer months (at least in central Pennsylvania), when most of these insects are hatching. I don’t have empirical data to back this up but my experience over

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the last 30-plus years fishing cold weather has suggested that trout are willing to eat larger-than-average nymph and streamer patterns during this time. And this is a good thing since cold weather creates a challenge for tying on small flies with frozen hands. Both natural and flashy looking patterns, including larger Czech and Polish grubstyle nymphs and rubber-legged stoneflies make up a large portion of my cold-season box. Sizes range from 6 through 12 and may contain fluorescent-colored beads to act as additional attractors.

despite the frigid February temperatures—two months after the spawn.

Since that day, the orange egg is a “junk” fly I always carry. I still have no explanation for why it works, but it does, and that’s all I need to know. Normally, I’ll use a single orange egg while fishing low-and-clear cold-season conditions but switch immediately to a larger orange mop pattern when dealing with higher/off color conditions.

There’s something special about orange eggs and mops for me during the cold season.

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The Attraction of Orange Eggs and Mops: Of course, egg patterns are deadly during spawning times, but for me, the magic of the incredible egg continues into the dead of winter—long after the spawn. And orange is by far my most productive color to fish. This cold-season pattern selection came by accident. After one of my first Lake Erie steelhead trips (over 20 years ago) my box was bulging with glo-bug patterns, so I decided to use up them on my local trout waters. No logical reasoning, just a case of not wanting to let all my tying efforts go to waste.

Long story short, I couldn’t get over the aggressive strikes as the resident brown trout charged the drifting egg,

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Stalling Out Your Subsurface Presentation with Extreme Drop Shot Tactics: As I wrote in my previous article for Fly Fusion, “Slow Grinding Streamers,” presentation speed and position in water column plays a huge role in getting fish to commit during cold periods. In other words, create a slow moving/low hanging fruit trout can’t resist. Drop-shot rigs place split shot at tippet’s end while fly patterns (nymphs or streamers) hang on dropper tags above the shot. The shot slides or drags along stream bottom while the patterns slowly drift with the current.

When frigid water temps occur, a decline in a trout’s feeding frequency follows. One solution during these cold periods is to slow down, sometimes even hold, a pattern close to a trout’s position, and this is where excessive weight allows you to stall out your presentation.

In other words, placing too much weight on tippet’s end acts as anchor, stopping the rig from freely drifting. To move the rig, place tension by pulling with the rod tip.

In other words, you drag the shot along stream bottom at a slower speed. And sometimes I’ll stall or stop the rig in a sexy looking section, where the shot anchors to stream bottom, allowing the flies (tied on droppers) to flutter in the current for an extended period. Stalling a rig often becomes too much for the trout to refuse (remember-low hanging fruit). Whether it’s aggression or hunger, this antagonizing (in-your-face) presentation produces results when all other drifting tactics fail.

This works with both nymphs and streamers. I feel the key is to fish lightweight patterns, so they can flutter, so this means staying away from most heavy cone and beadhead patterns. Currently, I’ve been using Flymen’s Micro Game Changers in combination with a drop-shot

rig when streamer fishing slow, deep pools. Basically, you’re nymphing a streamer with a drop-shot rig. What I love about the micro changer (in combo with the drop shot) is how well it moves in combination with a stalledout rig. It’s not as much fun as ripping and stripping, but sometimes it’s the only way.

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Bright-Colored Streamers Used as Underwater Indicators: Within the same spectrum as the drop shot rig, I like to slow down and fish streamer patterns deeper during the colder seasons. When using traditional streamer tactics (i.e. casting and retrieving) with floating, sink-tips, or full-sinking lines, mending creates slack, allowing the streamer to sink closer to the strike zone before beginning the retrieve. This process of creating slack through mending is necessary during cold snaps. Using upstream mending tactics creates slack, allowing the rig to achieve greater depths before beginning the retrieve. Remember, sometimes you must bring the fight to the fish.

The slack often allows the streamer to drop vertically (especially when using a weighted pattern). This is a good thing, but there’s a disconnect for a brief period. And if you’re fishing drab colored patterns, the strikes will go both unseen and unfelt. By drab I mean patterns you can’t see in the water. This sacrificial period is necessary for working streamers deeper, but a loss of strike detection occurs as the streamer drops, before stripping in the excessive slack and retrieving the pattern. Any fallen pattern (streamer or nymph) is one of the deadliest presentations out there yet most strikes go unregistered due to the slack. The slack creates a loss of strike detection, causing a loss of feeling during the falling of the patterns, so the only way to know when to set the hook is by sight.

This is where brightly colored patterns come in. Basically, you set the hook when the fly disappears, since you can’t feel the strike.

I learned this approach from countless bass anglers but find it works brilliantly with trout. There’s something appealing about vertically dropping prey to any fish,

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and I feel so many strikes go unseen due to fishing drab colored patterns, when slack occurs after mending. Yes, some conditions dictate fishing drab-colored streamers deep. But when conditions allow for brighter colored streamers, do it! You’ll be surprised how many trout during cold season will jump on a fallen streamer. It’s an easy meal that even the most lethargic trout can’t resist.

Seeing is believing.

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Using Google Earth To Locate Hatching Hotbeds: I’m not an entomologist but I do know water temperatures affect timing of hatches. During the colder seasons I believe locating sections of river receiving highest concentrations of sunlight through the day may experience earlier hatching periods than those receiving less. I’ve compared previous journal entries, describing where and when I’ve seen my best cold season hatches, and most of the data confirms my most memorable coldseason hatch experiences (mostly midges and olives) occurred in areas of greater sunlight concentration.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Looking at variables including sunrise/sunset, mountain/ cliff height, along with the narrowness of the valley you’re fishing should provide a starting point for locating the hatching hotbed during the colder seasons. Sometimes you can use this information to start fishing locations where hatches will occur first, then move to another location where the timing of the hatch may be staggered due to a delay in sunlight intensity. It does happen.

Incidentally, I use this exact information when seeking colder water during the height of our hot summers.

Meaning, I do the exact opposite to locate colder water.

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Post-Spawn Streamer Bite: If I had to choose a time to fish large streamers for brown trout during the cold season, it would be approximately two weeks after brown trout spawn. There appears to be a lull (a break in action if you will) immediately after trout spawn. After two weeks, it’s been my experience trout make up for lost meals in a short period of time.

Furthermore, I’ve had some of my best days, fishing big

streamers, during this time. When I say “best” days, I mean fish that commit to eating the fly, not numbers of fish chasing my streamer.

Fishing streamers on the front end of the spawn should result in countless chases, but I find trout are more territorial during this period. Meaning, trout are chasing the streamer away rather than trying to eat it. You’ll see a lot more fish following your fly before and during the spawn, but you’ll catch more fish approximately two weeks after the spawn. Post-spawn fish tend to have higher commitment rates for eating streamers, at least according to my experience. I enjoy the visual thrill of a trout charge, but I love the feel of the tug more. Give it two weeks.

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Using forceps to attach fly to tippet. Hand functions decrease as the air temps plummet. The inability to hold patterns in your hand when attaching tippet is now a common occurrence for my 40-year-old hands. I’ve accidentally buried several large streamers in my hand— the result of my numb index finger and thumb losing grip while pulling on my clinch knot. Never happened before my 40s but it does now. Even worse, the loss of dexterity in my fingers while attempting to create a clinch knot by twisting the tag around the main line. They lock tight and refuse to move. It’s like one of those nightmares when someone is attacking you with a weapon but there’s some invisible force holding your hands back from defending yourself. It’s absolute maddening.

Using forceps will reduce these frustrations.

Gripping the hook bend with pliers (keeping the plane of the forceps in line with the hook shank) creates a better hold on the fly. Instead of holding on fly, you’re now holding onto the forceps. The enhanced grip allows you pull tippet to fly knots tight without the worry of accidently letting go of the fly and piercing your hands with the hook point.

When tying the clinch knot, allow the pliers to hang vertically and spin the forceps around five to seven times—just as you would wrapping the short tag around the main line when using your hands to tie the clinch.

Then push the short tag through the open loop, in front of the hook eye, and cinch the knot. Using forceps to tie

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a clinch has been my saving grace when weather put my fingers on strike.

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Black to Combat Glare: Snow is a common occurrence for most regions throughout the cold season. While this white fluffy element provides a beautiful backdrop, it also provides glare. Glare can kill your ability to see indicators, dry flies, and sighters (when euro nymphing) on the water. Using black indicators and dry-fly wing posts cuts through the glare by creating silhouette. When euro nymphing, I’ll carry a black permanent marker to color or band sighter material, creating a better (not excellent) view for detecting strikes.

Using black is a must when combating glare.

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Trout Feeding During a Polar Vortex: Fishing in extreme cold weather isn’t my first option, but when it’s the only game in town and I have cabin fever…I make it work. While water temps will likely fall below the ideal trout-feeding range during the cold season (in most regions), trout still need to feed.

Sometimes trout will even aggressively feed during the most extreme cold weather. I witnessed such an event in central Pennsylvania as a polar vortex suddenly invaded the region, with air and water temps plummeting immediately. I fished several hours (later afternoon) every day during that period. The sudden drop in water temps shocked the resident fish (at first), as I went fishless the first day. Then I caught a few fish on the second day.

Then I caught several more the next day. Despite water temperatures peaking around 34 degrees during this period, trout eventually adjusted to this change and fed for a short time period each day.

Like humans, trout don’t like immediate change.

Think about how you feel when you move from your airconditioned vehicle to intense outside summer heat. Your system goes into shock but eventually your body adjusts to the new environment. The same occurrence happens with trout during these extreme changes in water temps.

So, when the next extreme-cold weather system stalls over your region, give trout a few days to adjust, and expect a short bite window to occur each day afterwards.

You may be surprised with the results.

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Curtis Hall is a conservationist, photographer, fly-fishing guide, and hunter from the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Fernie, British Columbia. He spends his time advocating for people to enjoy what the natural world has to offer, and that we need to protect all the wild things we love.

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A Conservationist’s Mindset CURTIS HALL

The first crisp mornings and golden cottonwood leaves mean it’s time to put the rods back in their tubes and hang the waders in the garage; the end of the fishing season is here…or is it? Just because the long, warm summer days are fading away, the kids are all back in school, and the crowds of tourists go home doesn’t mean that the season is over; in fact, it’s really just getting started. Fall to early winter is a special time of year to be out on the water and is often overlooked by anglers. A time where the rivers aren’t cluttered with out-of-town folk and float-tube convoys. A time to reflect on the past season and plan for the next.

The slower pace and beauty of the changing colors make it easier to appreciate the natural landscape, an appreciation that often gets lost in the hustle and bustle of the summer months. I find my connection to the rivers and streams rejuvenated in this time of year, and often find myself thinking with a conservationist’s mindset.

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Every year I ask myself, “What can I do to give back to the waters I hold so dear?” As anglers, we all have the responsibility to take care of and give back to the landscape. Giving back can be as simple as picking up trash when we’re out or making a donation to an organization that does great work for local waters; organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, or your local Wildlife Federation.

Fall reminds us be in tune with the seasonal changes of a river: are the water levels consistent with the previous year, are the hatches as frequent, are the temperatures higher or lower? This yearly inventory of knowledge allows an angler to see firsthand the health of our waters and to take action. A day on the water is a great feeling, but it’s an even better feeling knowing that your observations have helped preserve the waters you love.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Aldo Leopold once said, “The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, ‘What good is it?’ If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of eons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.” Every organism is integral to the overall health of the landscape. It is crucial that we as anglers do our part to ensure that what we love is protected. Strive for a natural world where future generations can enjoy those first crisp mornings and the golden cottonwood leaves.

So next time you find yourself on a quiet stretch of your favorite piece of water, think with a conservationist’s mindset and ask yourself “What can I do to give back?”

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Last Summer on the Sage Derek Bird

I Derek Bird As the Founding Editor of Fly Fusion Magazine, Derek Bird has seen these pages grow from a grassroots family affair to an international fly-fishing publication. His first book, “Last Summer on the Sage” will be out this fall. This is an excerpt from his debut novel.

© Photos: Faceless Fly Fishing

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n the first 15 minutes Jane landed three and Ryan brought up one. He saw the broadside of the cutthroat come up and turn on the fly, but he set late. He wasn’t comfortable yet. Casting from a drift boat proved to be more of a challenge than Ryan anticipated, with the movement and the worry of hooking Nick while shooting a cast towards the bank on their left.

Then there was the nagging feeling originating from the knowledge that Nick acted differently after the incident. He went inward into the place of the brain where the illogical makes sense and violence is the only option to release the nagging issue, which acts like a mosquito hovering near the ear.

Ryan felt like he needed to bring it up because Nick never volunteered any information about where he’d gone.

As a farm boy, with hours to oneself out haying, the deep recesses of the mind was a normal place to reside, and in most cases, this is a fine place to go when not pushed there because of an overarching unsettled issue. Now all he could ever do was think about how he’d avenge his best friend and his sister.

Ryan sent a perfect cast inches from an old logjam and mended upstream and waited. Nothing.

“I’ve forgiven those guys. Whoever they are. You know that…right Nick?” he said as he sent another cast a foot from the bank.

Nothing.

“At first I wanted them to pay for what they’d done to Jane and me, but then I found that destroyed me even more.

I went to a place of darkness where all I could think about was how I would have swung ten times as hard with that beaver-chewed branch. I wanted to take off their heads,” and with these words Ryan at least got an unintelligible grunt from Nick.

Ryan carried on. “Out fishing one day, I realized I wanted to inflict the same amount of hurt they’d caused me and the people in my life. I thought of nothing else until an unfamiliar thought grabbed my attention. I was casting on my favorite stretch and not enjoying it because I was so lost somewhere in the darkness of my mind.

At that point, I knew I had to choose another path because I saw the one I sprinted down was stealing my love for life.”

Nick pulled hard on the oars, hard enough both Jane and Ryan momentarily lost balance. Then he yelled, “I hate those guys. If I ever find them I’m going to rip their heads off and punt them through the school uprights. Then I’ll reattach their heads to their bodies so they can feel their testicles rupture when I kick them in the junk because of what they did to Jane.”

Nick paused for a moment and tried to fight a powerful and unfamiliar feeling surging up from his soul.

Then through tears he said, “I wasn’t there for you. I could have lost you guys…”

Jane placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder, “Do I need to list all the times you have been there. Not being there this once does not take away from what you’ve already done for us.”

Then she started a list: “Last year at the bus stop when Robby McDougal tried to kiss me because of a dare, you stepped in and grabbed his top lip and asked if he’d ever had it pulled all the way over his head. And in elementary school when the two boys in my class held me down and tried to kiss me, you grabbed each of them and pinned them against the wall, one in each hand. Then

there was my favorite, at the corner store a few years ago, when that guy walked past me and tried to slap my butt, you grabbed his hand squished it until he cried and told him to grab his own ass and get out of the store. You scared him so much he walked out of the store grabbing both cheeks and just before the door, he let go such an enormous fear-induced fart everyone in the store burst into laughter.”

Nick chuckled for the first time in a few weeks. He’d forgotten about those times.

Then Ryan said, “Do you want me to start my list?

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It’s not quite as entertaining with all the kissing and the butt slapping, but it’s equally as long. The well. The tree.

The cliff…” Ryan transitioned, “This is our last summer together, and I lost you before it even started. I need you back if we are going to make this the best summer ever.”

For the first time since the incident, Nick felt the desire for revenge loose its grip on his body.

“Who cares about those guys. This is our summer, not theirs. Promise me. No more thoughts of revenge. They will get what’s coming to them one day. We just might never get to witness it “This is our last summer and that’s fine,” Ryan said then he held out his together, and I lost you hand. “You’ve got to shake to the promise of never laying a hand on them.” before it event started. I Nick met him half way. For the first time need you back if we are that summer he heard the sound of the river. going to make this the best Ryan stopped casting and looked summer ever.” For the first downstream. The hole looked like it housed a large trout so he waited and readied himself time since the incident, to cast his large orange-bodied stone into Nick felt the desire for the perfect section of the riffle—the point where it drops and gains depth. His cast revenge loose its grip landed perfectly, he mended, and he set the on his body.” fly upright. A shadow appeared from below the broken water and Ryan fought the urge to set too soon. He waited until he saw the riffle break beneath his fly and the large yellow side turn towards the depths—then he set. The fish took line like no other trout he’d ever hooked on the Sage. Ryan looked to the pool below the riffle to search for any obstructions, and he saw a submerged log that the wise old trout swam toward. The trout had performed this ritual before but so had Ryan. He quickly moved his rod from a heavenward direction to a sideways position and in doing so pressured the trout and turned him away from the log. The trout paused for a moment, so Ryan brought his rod to the upright position again. As he reeled, an odd feeling overcame Ryan. Though he’d never fished this stretch he felt like he’d been here before, like, at that moment, he existed in a painting.

“Pull out here…river left,” Ryan shouted at Nick. Nick lowered the anchor and reached for the net then held it in position and Ryan led the enormous trout into it. He

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

jumped out of the boat and Nick brought the fish over to Ryan. He reached in the net with his left hand and used his index finger and thumb to firmly cradle the tail section then he gently placed his right hand under its plump belly and pulled it from the net. He held the fish toward Jane and she snapped a picture.

“That’s the one. That’s the biggest trout I’ve ever seen,” Jane said.

Ryan’s smile matched the size of the trout as he lowered its shoulders into the river. Then he stood up fully prepared to absorbed the event and his surroundings, but his demeanor took an unexpected turn.

“I think I’ve been here before. There’s something about the boulders and the way the water enters the run that makes me feel like I’ve fished this run,” Ryan said in a confused tone.

“Who cares if you’ve been here before! Look at the fish you just landed!” Nick said enthusiastically.

Ryan looked at the image on Jane’s cell phone and then realized why he felt this way. The setting behind Ryan appeared similar to the paintings on the cabin walls.

“Help me look for a trail. There’s got to be one around here,” Ryan said. “It might lead us to the cabin.”

“What are you talking about? We’re in the middle of nowhere. There are no roads within miles,” Nick said checking the anchor hold.

“Over here guys. Someone or something walked through this tall grass within the last few hours,” Jane called out.

The faintly trodden grass led to an indistinct trail through the firs, poplars, and the undergrowth. Ryan followed it and his breath momentarily left when he first saw the cabin for the second time. The log hermitage blended perfectly in a clandestine grove, tucked out of sight from the river and any angler who floated past.

“Where are we Ryan?” Jane called out in a confused tone.

But Ryan was too focused on the building in front of them to answer. Jane turned to her brother hoping for an answer.

Visit flyfusionmag.com for more information about ordering Derek Bird’s novel Last Summer on the Sage.

Photo: Todd Field

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

The Updated Trout System Jeremy Davies

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I Jeremy Davies Jeremy Davies has been commercial fly tier for over 20 years in the Calgary area. Just recently, he discovered that he is the father to a six-year-old son. He is looking forward to teaching him all about fly fishing and fly tying, following in Jeremy’s footsteps.

© Photo 34-35 Gabriel Bizeau

haven’t written an article on my trout system for a few years, so an update of new flies in my everyday arsenal is long overdue. My fishing exploits as far as designing and testing new patterns is more difficult these days as I am raising my six-year-old son, William, as a single dad. I have dabbled in some new patterns and I changed the manner I fish as well. Over much of the past 20 years or so I would spend much of my time nymphing streams in Alberta, British Columbia, and Montana with an acetone Anchor Worm and a nymph.

I spend more time fishing (especially in the summer) a very heavy tungsten nymph under a small indicator or an unsinkable attractor. In the spring, I still manage to make a few trips to the foothills streams northwest of Calgary, in which I am always trying to experiment or create effective streamers. Over the past decade, most have either been black or olive leech patterns or bright yellow minnow imitations. I have finally created something quite a bit different and highly effective in the right circumstances. I hope I am not going blind in my old age, but I really crave extra visibility on my smaller dries, such as caddis and mayflies, so I am now tying them more often with bright foam or Antron indicators. Due to these changing needs over recent years, I have added the following five flies to my system.

Fat Albert Over the past 20 years my go-to attractor pattern on virtually all streams was some variation of a Stimulator because it was a good imitation of a salmonfly, stonefly, hopper, or large adult caddis. However, after careful reflection I have discovered that it is not unsinkable and at times can be tricky to see. I did replace the standard dubbed body with orange foam and that did improve the buoyancy somewhat. I was Fat Albert introduced to an almost entirely Hook: 2XL dry-fly hook, sizes 6-12 foam attractor about seven or eight Thread: 6/0 Uni-Thread, black Under Body: 2mm foam, yellow years ago under very cold and windy Body: 2mm foam, black conditions on a cutthroat stream in Indicator: 2mm foam, orange southwestern Alberta. It was tough Legs: Rubber legs.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

and I only caught two small fish, so at that point the Fat Albert—as it was introduced to me—did not stand out as being better than my go-to Stimulator.

It was three or four years ago on the streams in the east Kootenay region of B.C. that the Fat Albert started to earn its stripes. One of the streams that I fished was absolutely on fire and I must have landed over 50 cutts, rainbows, cuttbows, and one 15-inch bull trout. It was then that I was extremely impressed with the Fat Albert as it was super easy to see and I caught all these fish on a single fly. If I were using a Stimulator, I might have missed some of the takes and I would have had hackle unwinding or falling off. The past couple of years I have used this attractor as a strike indicator because of this visibility—and it never sinks!

I would classify the Fat Albert as an intermediatelevel attractor as far as difficulty to tie. For most of my dry flies I tend to use 8/0 thread; however, this fly requires heavy thread pressure to create segmentations, so 6/0 thread is highly recommended, as you will break your thread otherwise. I tie this pattern on a 2X-long dry-fly hook and I tie them in sizes 6 all the way down to 12, in several different color combinations. One of my favorite variations has been black tied in sizes 10 and 12 with an orange or yellow indicator. This version invariably mimics a beetle, cricket, or large ant which floats like a cork and is super easy to see. For variations that mimic hoppers or adult stones, I tend to use foam combinations of tan, brown, olive, with orange, yellow, or pink. I generally would not recommend that beginner tiers start with this pattern, but novice/intermediate tiers should have it down in an evening.

CooCoo Caddis One of the biggest issues that I’ve had with casting caddis imitations to rising trout is that I often lose sight of the fly. I have alway been a big fan of the Troth Elk Hair Caddis and my PMD Caddis Emerger but the tan color of elk or deer hair can be challenging to see in riffles. Two summers ago, I started tying a caddis adult/emerger that had bright foam or Antron indicators which ensured that I never lost sight of it. I spent a couple of days that July in the southwest Alberta cutthroat streams almost exclusively fishing

this pattern that I called the Coo Coo Caddis. At first, I was skeptical whether such a vividly colored fly would spook or turn off the cutts and rainbows in these heavily fished waters.

At first my fear was realized, as a couple of decent cutts rose and rejected the patterns in sizes 10 and 12.

I immediately changed to a size 14 and drifted the fly.

In the same spot, one fish rose and missed, but then a slightly bigger trout connected. On several occasions I had great success with sizes 14 and 16 when rainbows and cutts were rising in both riffles and tailouts. I caught my second Yellowstone cutthroat on the Lamar River (Yellowstone Park) on a size 14. I have also caught a fair number of decent trout on the Bow around dusk using this pattern.

This pattern can be described somewhere between a novice and intermediate fly to tie, mostly because you still must neatly stack elk hair and wrap hackle which can be challenging for some. Like several of my mayfly and caddis dries, the Coo Coo Caddis is tied on a light wire scud in sizes 10 through 16 to maximize hooking power. I like

the way this pattern rides low and stays visible no matter where I try and fish it. I trimmed the hackle flat and used a chartreuse Antron and orange foam to ensure it. The one thing that is a bit different about this caddis pattern is that I wrap Uni-Mylar pearl for the body. I first wondered if such a flashy body might spook fish, but this does not appear to be the case. In fact, it might be adding extra visibility. This fly is also exceptionally durable, as I caught over 20 trout on a small stream in southwestern Alberta on a single fly without damaging it.

Psycho Prince

CooCoo Caddis Hook: Light-wire scud hook , sizes 10-16 Thread: 8/0 Uni-Thread, black Body/Thorax: Uni-Mylar, pearl Thorax: Arizona Dubbing light peacock Hackle: Brown Indicator: Chartreuse Antron yarn and orange foam Shellback: Pheasant tail reg or black, Thinskin mottled oak Rib: 8/0 Uni-Thread, red Legs: Krystal Flash, rainbow Tail: Antron/floss, brown or olive

There really is not any real proof, but sometimes I think that flies tied in funky or odd colors attract more fish than flies tied in

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more common shades such as brown or olive. A theory that I have heard rattling around is that trout will adapt to being constantly caught by patterns of similar colors, thus “crazy” flies tied in blue, purple, Color Variation or orange should stir up some attention. A couple Calgary-area fly shops and two of my corporate fly-tying clients asked me to tie up a funky Prince Nymph variation called a Psycho Prince. It caught my attention immediately because of its bright purple color, there was no Color Variation hackle tied around the thorax, and it had a tuft of chartreuse Antron tied behind the bead.

As usual, they were my client and I wanted to give them what they wanted so I ended up tying about 500 or 600 before my spring deadline. I first fished the purple or standard version in 2017 on the Crowsnest Psycho Prince River and, boy, did I have a great day Hook: 1XL nymph hook, sizes 12-18 catching hordes of rainbows, cutts, Thread: 8/0 Uni-Thread, black Body/Thorax: Ice Dubbing, olive, and even a bull trout—all between 8 UV black, or UV olive and 18 inches. I also had a great day Indicator: Chartreuse or on the Bow River last fall catching fire orange Antron about a dozen trout (mostly browns) Shellback: Pheasant tail, reg or black, between 12 and 23 inches—and Thinskin mottled oak about 15 whitefish. Last summer I Rib: Copper wire Legs: White goose biots experimented with two new colors; Tail: Brown or black goose biots one that I only changed the color of body to olive, the other I drastically changed to all black with a vivid orange Antron tuft behind the bead. This olive version has already caught fish in both the Crowsnest and Bow River. The black version I fished once earlier this year near Caroline, Alberta, and caught three small brookies just stripping it in a small creek.

The most common way to tie the Psycho Prince is with UV purple Ice Dubbing with a tuft of chartreuse Antron behind a gold bead. Over the past two seasons I have had

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

great luck with an olive variety also tied with a chartreuse Antron tuft behind a gold bead. Only just in the past few months, I have been experimenting with a black variety tied with a body/thorax tied with UV black Ice Dubbing with a black biot tail, black bead, and a fire orange Antron tuft behind the bead. The one feature on all three of these variations that many tiers overlook is the shellback tied with pheasant tail. Sometimes I substitute this with a piece of Thinskin to give the back a glossier look. I have also experimented with using a heavy wire scud hook to tie this fly when I have had difficulty keeping fish hooked.

I encourage anyone tying this pattern to experiment with other color combinations on this wild Prince imitation.

Ultra-Brite Leech Anglers must deal with the reality that the streams they most cherish will not always be in prime condition with clear and lower water flows. Runoff in late May through June and periodic rainy periods will often produce high and murky fishing conditions. Fishing on our streams can be both difficult or easy, depending on our approach. The high water can make wading difficult, even on smaller streams, and the trout’s visibility is greatly reduced. The key is to flip a disadvantage and turn it into an advantage as this lower visibility can make trout less wary and more vulnerable to highly visible flies. I have had success in these conditions with both Buggers and leeches, however, the very bright flashy streamers can yield even more success during these conditions.

On a cloudy day in June I fished several streams both northwest and southwest of Calgary during highwater conditions. I used this fly two days after the June 16 opening day on a tributary of Jumping Pound Creek during the end of runoff with less than a foot of visibility.

I gently flicked this fly into a deep pool where another little creek emptied in and immediately a 12-inch brookie pounced on it. Over the next 20 minutes I caught seven or eight brookies, including a 16-inch whopper that had no earthly business being in a creek that tiny. I also had some luck on the Livingstone River three days later under high, dirty conditions. Fish were not rising to attractor dries and this flashy streamer seemed to get chased a lot, and I landed 10 or 15 cutts between 10 and 19 inches,

along with a 17-inch Bull Trout. The great thing about fishing this time a year is that it isn’t anywhere near as popular midsummer when dries are working—you can have most sections to yourself. The trout are there, you just have to go after them.

The main purpose of the Ultra-Brite Leech is to attract attention during poor water conditions. This pattern is typically tied on a 3X streamer hook in sizes 8 to 12. I first put a gold or nickel silver bead or cone and layer the first half of the hook shank with lead. You want to tie in a tail with white marabou and three or four strands of Krystal Flash poking through. You may also want to cover the front half of the hook shank with lead if you need to get this fly down deep. I then make the body by dubbing the Ice Dub and then laying three side wings with Krystal Flash until I reach the bead, where I will next create a collar. Making the Krystal Flash collar is perhaps the most difficult part of constructing this fly. To accomplish making this collar, I take four clumps of Krystal Flash and tie one on top, one on the bottom, and two on the sides. I pull tightly and spin the Krystal Flash a bit until I

create a reasonable looking collar, then I take my scissors and trim both the collar and side wings to neaten the fly. To complete the fly I take a small amount of Ice Dub and apply behind the bead. I have also experimented over the last year or two with using other colors of Krystal Flash such as gold, copper, or silver—all of which have produced decent trout. I have had good success with the gold version in some of my favorite brown trout streams.

Ultra-Brite Leech Hook: 3X-long streamer hook, sizes 8-12 Thread: 8/0 Uni-Thread, black or tan Weight: Lead (optional) Body: Ice Dub minnow body Side Wings: Krystal Flash Collar: Krystal Flash Tail: White marabou with Krystal Flash

Rainbow Bomber Since I now use the Fat Albert for much of my attractor dry fishing, I have the confidence when fishing a dropper that it wont sink even when tied with a heavy bead. When I was thinking of a new killer nymph to fish as a dropper in 2018, I had just

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received a big shipment of fly-tying materials which included several hundred rainbow beads, both in brass and tungsten. Within a week of getting this shipment I started experimenting with the rainbow bead heads and after a few nights of manipulating materials, I created a winner. It sort of looked like a Hare’s Ear nymph on steroids, with its oversized rainbow bead and colorful flash. It was July of 2018 before I tried this pattern, first on the Crowsnest River and then a few cutthroat streams in southwest Alberta. The most productive way of fishing this fly was in a size 14, tied with a 7/64 or 1/8 bead with a 2-foot leader under a size 8 Fat Albert. While fishing the Crowsnest, the first three fish I caught were on the Fat Albert, which was not surprising because there were still some adult stones skittering around. The first fish that took my new nymph came up for the Fat Albert initially and then came back and grabbed the nymph.

Over the next three hours, I caught four more trout on this nymph, including a 16-inch bull trout and a 17inch cutt. The cutthroat streams were somewhat high, and a tad murky and cold, thus the fish were hesitant to rise to an attractor such as a Fat Albert. As a result, I had a prime section of the Oldman nearly to myself. I caught a 15-inch cutt and a 12-inch bull trout on the attractor and an 18-inch cuttbow on the Rainbow Bomber before I changed tactics. I decided to nymph with a size 12 Rainbow Bomber tied with a 5/32 bead and a piece of split shot for extra weight. Even though I despise fishing this way on these beautiful freestone streams that appeared tailor-made for dries, it paid off big time. On the second cast, the strike indicator shot under and I landed a nice whitefish, which was my first on the Oldman River. I kept Rainbow Bomber nymphing the slack water near the Hook: Heavy-wire scud hook, sizes 12-16 seams and I caught one fish after Thread: 8/0 Uni-Thread, black the other, including a 20.5-inch Body: Wrapped Uni-Mylar, pearl cutt and a 16-inch bull.

Thorax: Hare’s Ear dubbing.

Collar: Chartreuse dubbing The Rainbow Bomber is Rib: Red and blue wire essentially designed to be heavy and Legs: Rainbow Krystal Flash flashy, thus ultimately testing the Tail: Antron yarn with Krystal Flash

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

buoyancy of your favorite attractor pattern. I primarily fish it in sizes 12-16 and I always look to tie this fly with the heaviest bead possible, typically 7/64 to even as large as 5/32. In one situation last year I even wrapped the hook shank with five or six wraps of lead “This is the beauty of fly to made certain it sank quickly in a swift run. I like to create tying, you continually even more flash by making evolve to produce the wing case and legs out of something that is an rainbow Krystal Flash. I always tie this pattern on a heavy- improvement on what wire scud hook to improve you were using before. hooking percentage, especially I can almost bet that by on those subtle takes. This is a rather easy pattern to tie as it is the time I write my next basically a cross between Hare’s trout system update Ear Nymph and a Lightning Bug my fly-fishing needs with a rainbow-colored bead.

Time has become such will again change and a precious commodity these I will have to adapt by days, with my new role as creating new flies. This father and increased workload at my job, that I try to take is the way of life for a advantage of any free time I successful fly tier and can find to tie new patterns and test them in the field. The fly fisher.” above five flies reflect the type of fishing that I am doing the most often. I absolutely cannot get enough of watching a large cutthroat either inhale an attractor, or miss and take the trailing nymph.

The Fat Albert and the Rainbow Bomber have really served this purpose well and I continue to fish them unless I change my tactics or find better replacements.

I was having difficulty seeing the standard Elk Hair Caddis, so I created something that worked as well that I could see. This is the beauty of fly tying, you continually evolve to produce something that is an improvement on what you were using before. I can almost bet that by the time I write my next trout system update my fly-fishing needs will again change and I will have to adapt by creating new flies. This is the way of life for a successful fly tier and fly fisher.

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PROFILES

Landon Mayer Landon Mayer Landon Mayer has been guiding in Colorado full time on the South Platte River for the last 21 years, and one full season on the Naknek River in Alaska.

He resides with his wife, Michelle, and their four children in Florissant, Colorado. © Photo p.43 Jakob Burleson

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

John Van Vleet: You were present at one of the most traumatic events of my entire life, and we’ll just refer to it as the New Jersey incident. So, for the rest of the world who doesn’t know the story, can you walk me through what you saw, as you were the only eye-witness to this horrible occurrence?

Landon Mayer: Absolutely. So we were at the Scientific Anglers booth, and this in in Somerset, New Jersey, at the Fly Fishing Show. It was myself and you, and a gentleman came in inquiring about fly lines, which you were kind enough to help him out, pointed him in the right direction mentioning some lines. And I was behind the gentleman facing you, so he was sandwiched between you and I. As you were describing the new line, he looked at you and asked a question. And I’ll never forget, as he’s asking you the question, something out of his mouth, whether it be mucus, food, or a combination of both, came out at a high arch, landed on your beard. And instead of him saying, oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry, that just landed on your beard, he gave you a face swipe with his hand.

It was the most dramatic thing. He literally, from the top of your forehead, like he was slapping you five, all the way down your face and your beard, almost touching the beard to the point, took care of whatever landed on you. I could not help but feel so much anguish for you that you were violated in that way, but I’m proud of you for doing this, John, you did not move. It was awesome, man.

JVV: It’s one of the things that haunts me most.

LM: That was a good one, man. That will forever go down as the ultimate hand-to-face interaction at the Fly Fishing Show forever.

JVV: All right, well, thank you for revisiting the incident.

Personally, it’s very tough, but I know it has to be difficult for you, too. Trauma all around. But anyway, let’s get on to some less serious, hurtful topics.

Are you originally from Colorado? Is that where you were born and raised, or are you from somewhere else?

LM: No, you bet. I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and that’s where I learned fly fishing from— family and friends—and I really just fell in love with the South Platte River.

JVV: Would you consider the South Platte your home water?

LM: It is, yeah. One hundred percent. I guide primarily in the South Platte. I’m a fan of the public water systems all the way from the headwaters up in South Park down to Cheesman’s and Deckers. And my playground is primarily the South Park region where you have Antero, Spinney, Eleven Mile Reservoir, and over 20 miles of public waters between. It’s incredible. It’s like a giant playground. I mean, it’s an amazing place.

JVV: So what led you to getting into the fly-fishing industry?

What was the spark that made you decide to devote your life to the sport?

LM: Oh, you bet, that’s a great question. I remember as a kid watching the 3M series from Scientific Anglers, and I used to watch Jack Dennis travel to New Zealand by helicopter, Gary Borger and Doug Swisher on the trout rivers in the West, and then Billy Pate doing the tarpon. And then seeing that in the water in Eleven Mile Canyon as a kid, man, I was so enthralled and fell in love with it. I thought, man, this would be a great activity, something fun to do. I was just mesmerized by the giant fish and being able to cast a beautiful line. And it didn’t hurt that A River Runs Through It came out in ’96 and everybody fell in love with it that way as well.

JVV: So how long now have you been guiding? When did you start doing that?

LM: I started guiding in 1997. And I can’t believe it now, but this is my 23rd year. So I started right out of high school, while I was attending college. I guided one year in Alaska to

save up some money. I did the odd jobs during the winter, guided all summer long.

And at the time, I started out with Colorado Fishing Adventures, service out of the Broadmoor Hotel. I gave trips and offered trips to clients in the South Platte River.

And I was really fortunate because when I started out I was exposed to some awesome legends: Ed Engle, Dusty Sprague; these were all people that were friends, fellow guides, and managers. And from there I just continued moving forward, and just loved every bit of teaching on the water.

JVV: What were you studying is school?

LM: General studies to start out. I really didn’t have a path.

I thought teaching would be my calling. I really did enjoy when I was with teachers or people that took the time to show me, not only in classroom studies but also in the river studies, I really appreciated that. And that was one of the things I held dear inside and thought if I had the chance to learn enough or know enough about something I would really love to give back.

I think that would have been the motivation and the path I would have travelled if it wasn’t on the fly. But the fact that I could start guiding, I could remain a student even outside of school, a student on the water, learn from others and be able to give back and help others become students as well was really important.

JVV: That’s really cool. What advice would you give anybody who is thinking about getting into the fly-fishing industry or getting into guiding?

LM: Oh yeah, that’s a great question. You know, the biggest thing for me, I believe, is that every trip and every angler is a customized day. So it’s a customized day for your time on the water, customized trip to where you’re trying to make sure that whoever you’re working with is getting the most out of it, and primarily speaking, I would say it’s a learning/ catching experience.

It’s one thing to go out, catch fish, land fish, high five, and get the shot. But it’s another thing to go out, catch fish, land fish, high five, and then go over what you just learned to where that angler or that person you spend time with becomes a better angler.

And the patience factor is huge to just remember: we’ve all started in the same point and in the same spots. Whether

it be learning dry flies, nymphs, or streamers, and while we struggle and people can land fish and be successful or lose fish, my quote that I live by, and I teach to this to everyone every day I’m on the water is that the fish you land teach you something, the fish you lose teach you everything.

JVV: I like that. Did you see that on a coffee mug in the airport or something?

LM: As I’m walking by and I’m looking over I’m like oh, that’s a great quote. I wish, man. I wish it was inspired by something. But honestly, what it was inspired by was the act of being patient and just learning to relax and make a positive out of a negative.

Because it you take clients out on the water and it’s negative like oh, man, that was a great fish, you should have landed it, but if you stay positive and know that hey, I can still have a shot at landing something like that in the future, I think that’s the way to go. And that’s really what inspired that quote for sure.

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JVV: No, that’s cool. You’re mainly known as a trout guy.

So are trout your favorite, or do you have other favorite fish you like to target?

LM: Man, I love that question, JVV. I really am happy that you asked that question. For me, I love trout. I love teaching trout. I love learning from trout and being a student. But I would have to say The quote that I live by, and that there’s no possible way that I could be an I teach to this to everyone, accomplished trout angler today if it was not for my adventures with other species in salt from every day I’m on the water, my twenties and beyond. I mean, from tarpon to roosterfish, bass to pike, every single thing that is “The fish you land teach you something, the fish you you learn from a new species, if you bring it back to your home waters and what I call your home lose teach you everything.” species—trout or pike or bass—whatever species you fish to a majority of the time, you can apply those techniques and strategies.

So that’s a great question. But I really do recommend other anglers to learn from the salt. Learn from the fresh.

Other species make you better.

JVV: Over the years, what techniques have popped up or things that you have learned that have been complete game changers or something that just completely opened your eyes to a whole new way of doing things?

LM: I think for me it was, to be honest, when I went out with my mentor in the sport, who was John Barr, who’s a great man—you know John, and he’s just a really good angler, a good person. And I think the moment when I went out with JB, and it was on so many different watersheds, from Colorado to Alaska to Texas to all these different places that we travelled together, it was knowing that from the top water down below, so the dry-dropper technique, is not only effective to not spook quality or large trout, it is one of the most effective ways to land larger trout no matter where you fish.

And it doesn’t always have to be a dry fly with a nymph dropper below. It can be a popper on the surface with a streamer below. Whatever the technique is, it’s just keeping your flies natural to where whatever’s on the surface won’t spook the fish and make them wary.

I can’t tell you how many large trout have been landed that way because you remove the indicator, you remove the tip of the rod connected to a sighter. Everything’s out of view, out of focus, and the trout remain happy and feeding,

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

and that really I think is a game changer for me.

JVV: You’ve been able to make a name for yourself in the industry, and I’m sure that that was due to a lot of work and effort on your part. But what drives you to go to all these shows and meet all these people? Does it go back to the teaching aspect? Is that what you really love about being out there and having your name out there?

LM: Absolutely. Yeah, it’s about the giving back. And I’ve been told by every single legend I’ve met in this sport and had a chance to get to know, from Lefty to Humphries to Swisher, you name it, everyone over the years has mentioned to me and said the only way this sport grows is to give back.

And it really is that desire and motivation that just inspires me to go. Meeting new people.

The other thing that I really appreciate about other anglers, John, is that if you are around smart, intelligent people and you’re around people that have the passion that you share, you learn something. So the only way to be the ultimate teacher is to remain the student. You learn something new every day. You allow yourself to teach and give back to others. So I’m always thankful. I’m always grateful, man. And I really do believe that giving back is the most important thing.

JVV: That’s a great way to look at it, great way to put it.

You know, I think if there weren’t people like you, you’re absolutely right, the sport would shrivel up and die.

LM: Yeah, you just got to give back, man. Just be positive.

And we’re all out there to have fun and high five and cry together when we lose a fish of a lifetime.

JVV: You’ve been able to have a lot of really great experiences traveling, catching different types of species. Is there something that you haven’t done that you are just itching to do, something on your bucket list?

LM: Oh yeah. No, there’s quite a few. I actually has a trip that was scheduled this year with Andes Drifters to go up and target golden dorado on the fly, especially topwater golden dorado bites. I do have a trip that’s still remaining hopefully for 2021. But that is for sure bucket list.

And to be honest, there’s so many different adventures that I want to share with myself and my wife Michelle and other friends, from Iceland for the browns to other species on the salt. I mean, there’s an endless supply of bucket list trips that I want to do.

Decisions, decisions.

®

LONG LINES

In Close Quarters

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

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

Oh, and during business hours Jeff does business stuff.

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e were exhausted. We had been driving for almost eight hours, and even worse I was out of coffee— add to that a flat tire that required a change, resulting in a three-hour detour and layover. But, I was ready to fish and we finally arrived at the stream. Stumbling out of the truck, we each took a few minutes to grab our packs and rods and, after some rigging, we were down the trail. Little talking, some grunting, and we focused on just stretching the legs and getting to the water. The stream was small...smaller than planned based on a warm, dry fall and low flows. In fact, we paused for a minute to decide if we even wanted to fish based on the low flows. After some debate, but confirming

the water temperature was cool enough to not harm the fish, we proceeded. The group split, each taking a section of river. I went upstream a few bends where a tree on the right bank up river was leaning over the stream creating some shade and a deep pool. Positioning across the river in what I thought was the ideal position, I stripped off some line and made my first backcast.

Fly fishing is intended to be peaceful—or at least less stressful than work or life. But I can tell you that, as I felt the tension from my fly grabbing the tree behind and instantly snapping my 6X tippet, it felt anything but peaceful. In fact, my nine-year-old probably exhibits better composure. The drive, the flat tire, and now this all came to a head.

So, after a few minutes of tying on a new dry-dropper rig and deep breathing, I took stock of my situation, moved upstream, and successfully landed a fly right where I wanted it…I wish. Nope, caught another tree. Switched to a nymph rig and, trying to make a short cast, threw a tailing loop that ended in a big knot, having to retie...again.

My first mistake was just jumping into the stream.

Never underestimate the power of observation. I hate waiting to get into the stream. On a stream you have fished many times, it is probably ok to just jump right in, but on a stream that is new or a stream you have not been on in a while, it is a good idea to take a step back, take a deep breath, and watch. In fact, I have gotten into the habit of not even rigging at times to be sure I can focus. I now love to wader up and start with an observation from a high position over the whole stream. Then I move to the river, stake out some good water, turn over a few rocks for some bugs, and watch the water.

Once I have observed, I work to be intentional— meaning specific with rigging, flies, depth, location, and cast. Too often, I fish the water instead of fishing a rock, a

seam, an edge or other feature. By doing so you will be able to intentionally set the rig and define the cast.

While I love to cast distance, when fishing small streams I work to create the best presentation, and generally that is with the shortest cast possible. It hurts me to even admit that. I remember years ago taking a prominent saltwater guide to a high-mountain location in the Colorado Rockies.

We were fishing a small stream with native cutthroat, maybe 12 inches wide, with deep plunge pools. He was an accomplished angler and can fish, so I left him to it and headed up stream. About 30 minutes later I worked my way back down to see how he was coming along. On a stream like this, he should have been several fish in. When I came to where I had a clear view, he was standing in a small flat making a 40-foot cast upstream over two pools and one bend, creating lots of unfishable slack and drag.

When approaching a fishable location, get close, make your cast short and present the fly effectively.

It is only after I observe and create a game plan I start to think about casting. When casting in small streams, my goal is to make the presentation as easy as possible. But with small

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streams we often find very tight locations. Small streams are often characterized by riparian vegetation and being highly sinuous, creating challenging casting situations. I have a few casts I go to over and over again, but I start with three important tips: 1. Rig - Make your rig controllable. Often, this means a short, fast tapered leader and a few flies. Longer leaders, multiple flies, weight, etc will create a rig that is less controllable, especially in tight places.

2. Pick your casting location and look both ways - on bigger streams while floating or wading, the back cast is not even a question, you can simply focus on the target. When fishing small streams, look where you want the fly to go AND 180 degrees away. Make sure you have room to back cast and, if neither opportunity exists, use another cast.

3. Focus on the target - Here, I mean in both directions.

If you have enough room to make a back cast, pick a specific location for your back cast. It could be a gap in a tree or bush, it could be a low spot or just an opening over the stream. It is just as important to choose your target location for your fly presentation.

Having both targets 180 degrees apart will allow you to visualize the cast and be specific and intentional with your casting and fly placement.

With the rig and location selected along with the front and back cast location selected, we can explore a few casts.

Roll Cast - One of the best and simplest casts to use.

I probably fish a roll cast more often than any cast when fishing small streams. My objective is to keep the fly in the stream. With no aerialized line, it is possible to set up the roll at the bottom of a drift, and then immediately move into the next presentation.

Bow and Arrow - I reserve this cast for truly tight situations.

It is not common to use, but I have employed it more and more over the years. For casts the length of the rod or a little more, using the energy of the bent rod to deliver the fly and line is easily achievable. A few things to help you with the bow and arrow: • Start with a short line, get close, and use the bow-andarrow in tight cover when it is really your last option.

• Place the fly between the thumb and forefinger with the point away from the palm (and pinch the barb).

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Control any additional line by either having it clear of debris but on the water or controlled in the other hand in large or small loops.

• Bend the rod with the back of the hand pointing away from you and aim by creating a line between the fly, the rod tip, and the target.

• Release by opening the fingers and pulling directly away from the target.

Steeple Cast - Defined by the back cast being made up, maybe vertical to 30 degrees back, like a steeple, not behind.

The steeple cast breaks the 180 degree “rule” in fly casting by having less than 180 degrees between the front and rear casts but works because it is only used with a shortdistance cast, maybe two times the length of the rod. A few things to consider: • When lifting for the backcast of a steeple cast, turn the palm up and make the backcast a forward cast, pushing up with the arm and extending the stroke. This allow you to control the back cast and specifically place the back cast.

• After the stop, turn the hand back toward the target as the loop unrolls.

• Since the line is heading upward it will require additional power and may not fully straighten. Because of this, wait for it to almost straighten before making the forward stroke, but more importantly, start your forward stroke just before your back cast loses upward momentum and begins fall down.

• For the forward cast, I pull my arm back down, removing some slack and extending the stroke.

Lob - The lob really isn’t a cast but simply taking the fly from a downstream position to an upstream position. By using the tension of the line against the water in the downstream position and lobbing or throwing it to an upstream position, you can virtually eliminate a back cast. This works best when you have some weight in the rig but can also be done with weightless flies (such as dry flies) as long as there is some tension on the rod putting a bend in the rod to load.

Personally, I often find small streams more gratifying to fish because of the heterogeneity of the environment and techniques. Wherever you go, whatever the size of the stream, whatever the species of fish observe, plan, approach, and then fish.

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WANDERING CURRENTS

Child’s Play

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

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xploring new water is always fun. It might be a small stream that holds little native cutties, a river with big browns, or a small swampy spring-fed pond that is filled with brook trout. This year has afforded me the opportunity to travel closer to home. Drive times might be a few hours or 30 minutes. Having so much time near home has forced me to look at water that I may have otherwise overlooked. It has brought a new appreciation for places that receive little or no pressure but are special in their own right. Looking at maps can only provide so much information; sometimes you just have to go and take a look. After having spotted an area on Google maps within an hour of the house that was dotted with small creeks and little beaver ponds, no more than an acre or two in size, there was nothing left to do but go and see what the area really had to offer.

Packing always goes a lot slower with a 3-year-old hanging off your leg begging to go fishing. After a few minutes and countless repeated pleas to join, I caved and agreed to take him on the condition of good behavior and no whining. Of course, taking one meant taking both my little boys who were not yet in school like their older siblings. Anywhere my 3-year-old goes, his younger brother is sure to be found, likely imitating whatever wild thing his brother is up to.

With both boys in their car seats, plenty of snacks, and a realization that this had just become a part-time fishing trip and part-time rock throwing contest, we headed out. From the moment the pavement ended, the CD started skipping. This created question after question as neither of my boys had ever heard music skip before. My truck is just old enough to lack modern electronics and has enough scratches to not have to worry about tree branches scraping along the length of the vehicle as we wound up a narrow road.

After an hour on the dirt road we came to the first pond. The deepest spot visible from the road looked to be less than a foot or two deep. Certainly this little pond was not going to hold any fish; however, the stocking report indicated that it had been stocked with 2-inch brook trout every year for the last five-plus years. While we unbuckled car seats and strung up a rod I noticed a rise on the other side of the pond. We slowly made our way around the muddy bank and found three holes no bigger than my truck that dipped down to about 8 feet. Stacked in the holes were dozens of brook trout, widely ranging in size from 2- to 14-inches.

This was a welcome sign to know the fish must be over wintering and would be here year-to-year should we decide to revisit. Every few casts resulted in a fish. Once the fly would hit the water someone would decide it was too tempting not to chase down and eat. Watching these feisty brookies dart out from a branch or weedy hole to grab the fly makes this type of fishing fun. None of the fish were particularly large, but being able to see them respond so aggressively was part of what makes fly fishing so much fun. Being able to watch my boys light up with every fish we caught was the real highlight of the day.

Fishing with them reminds me that every fish is special and the joy of fly fishing is more than just breaking the 20-inch mark. Without a doubt, I love targeting large fish and find it incredibly rewarding to put in the required effort to do so, but having my two youngest take turns reeling in 10-inch brook trout was more than satisfying to watch.

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Fishing with my two youngest isn’t always a smooth experience. Often I have to remind the angler within me that a 3-year-old launching a rock into the middle of the pond isn’t that big of a deal. Sure, it can be frustrating but having them with me while I travel around the back roads searching for new places to fish is worth the pain of watching every fish in the pond scatter in a life-or-death race to find shelter. This was a clear sign to move on to the next pond.

Each pond was much like the first: shallow, no real promise of life, and yet every deep pocket, log jam, or hole held several fish, almost all willing to take a swipe at the fly. Working our way from one pond to the next was and is about the best way possible to spend a day. I am not sure who was more excited, my two boys or me. Maybe this is why fly fishing is so special to me. It is a theme that I seem to come back to time and time again as I reflect and write down these types of experiences. Fly fishing seems to revert me back into a child. It is my fountain of youth.

Every time I find myself wandering around the woods with a fly rod in my hand the stresses and worries of life seem to disappear. Perhaps if I ever discover this magic to be gone, fly fishing will have lost its appeal.

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THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING

PROUDLY MADE IN MONTROSE, COLORADO U.S.A ROSSREELS.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.

© Photo FlyLords

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Strategizing for the Next Season

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or many stillwater fly fishers, winter puts at least a several month pause on our open water activities. Those frozen months allow time to review our notes or daily fishing diaries regarding further fly pattern refinement or development as well as acquiring specific tackle items identified during the past season. It’s also the time to think about trying other techniques to catch fish in lakes.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am an indicator addict.

I simply love watching a strike indicator disappear into the depths. It’s also an extremely effective way to present many staple trout food sources and while it sounds like a simple technique there are many subtle tactics that make this such a productive way to fish. However, focusing on indicators can lead one to miss a lot of other good fishing action that can be had when casting and retrieving various densities of sinking lines.

A prime example is fishing shrimp or scuds. These crustaceans are the key food source in so many productive trout lakes and they are probably the number one reason why a trout can reach double-digit weights in the tiniest of waterbodies. I used to think that fishing a shrimp pattern amongst the hoards of real ones was a waste of time. I now know there is a time and place to fish scuds and the rewards are definitely worth the effort.

While trout can eat scuds at all times of the year it is the early spring and fall periods that work to our advantage as there is far less competition from other food sources to divert the attention of the trout. To fool the fish into eating our shrimp imitations, we need to fish patterns that stand out from the crowd in both

appearance and in movement. It often comes down to fast-stripping flashy attired patterns just ticking off the lake bottom in shallow water. Trout are in this skinny water zone during spring and fall, as that is where the food is most concentrated. The feel of a fish grabbing a stripped fly is a wonderful sensation and one that helps build confidence in trying other food imitations on the sinking line.

That is reason enough for the lake fly fisher to carry intermediate through type-7 full-sinking lines in their kit bag. There are times when all these lines are going to help you have a great day on the water.

Now is the time to visit your local fly shop and get your sinking line setups figured out, not only for those first days after ice off but for other opportunities that occur throughout the rest of the open water season.

The bottom line is that probing the depths from very shallow water to the deepest parts of the lake with the appropriate sinking line can definitely enhance your fishing experiences.

Winter is also the time to think about how you approach your day on the water each and every time you go fishing. Following a set game plan goes a long way in figuring out what is happening on the water and hopefully allowing you to cash in on the bite. For instance, on any given day the aquatic insect hatches that do occur may be as brief as 45 minutes in duration or could last for several hours or more. We need to be able to find and recognize what insect hatch is actually occurring and that’s why we never leave the boat launch without a simple bug net so that any emerging or fully emerged insect can be scooped up and examined closely

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for size and color. Take the time to regularly scan the water around your boat and the water further afield. It’s not uncommon for a chironomid or mayfly emergence to occur in specific locations on a lake. Watch for signs of bird life such as swallows and night hawks who invariably appear for any chironomid, mayfly, or caddisfly hatch.

Don’t develop frozen anchor syndrome where you stay put too long in one spot while hoping the fish are eventually going to show up and be in a biting mood.

Be prepared to move to find potential hatches and/or actively feeding fish. I am always scanning the lake for jumping trout and if I see several jumpers over the span of several minutes I will be pulling anchors to have a closer look. While those leaping trout may not be feeding they are a good sign that a bunch of fish are in the general area and perhaps those fish will go on the bite. Use your depth sounder to confirm the presence of fish. Chasing jumping fish is especially beneficial during non-hatch periods such as the mid-summer and late fall months.

Catching that first fish of adequate size allows you to do a quick throat pump. This quick-and-easy sampling technique will provide valuable clues as to what, if any, hatch may be going on. Sample your fish while in the landing net and in the water. Turn the fish upside down and cradle it with one hand behind the pectoral fins. Once sampled, turn the fish upright and wait for it to swim out of the net on its own. Refine your pattern selection from what is in your sample vial. Consider the season you are fishing and what should be happening, hatch-wise. For instance, during prime chironomid season your first few fish sampled that morning may have likely been caught on a small leech pattern, but the throat samples reveal only live daphnia, aka zooplankton. Later that morning, another fish may produce several wiggling chironomid pupae.

That sample is often a very critical piece of information that shapes how the rest of your day will unfold.

Learn to recognize the numerous clues that mother nature provides while on the water. Your days will be that much more rewarding.

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ON THE VISE

Winter Got You Down?

Dana Harrison Dana feels that he is not just a fly fisher and tier, but a steward for the streams and lakes we enjoy. He is passionate for positive change in our industry, with a focus on preserving our environment for future generations. © Photo page 59 Kayla Smith

T

he snow falls gently from the skies above, gathering in my windowsill as I stare out over my desk. The leaves have long since changed color and are nowhere to be seen on the branches outside. There is just a blanket of white that encapsulates as far as the eye can see. The days are short, the nights are long and I am beginning to miss the warm touch of the summer sun. The lakes are frozen along, as are most rivers, and this leaves us fly anglers with only one thing to do: tie some flies.

I am not about to lead you down the road of fly tying for ice fishing, that’s just not my thing. My heart is and always will be wet wading in a southeastern stream in British Columbia, chasing trout in the beautiful places they call home. Nothing screams wet wading in the summer more than dry-fly fishing and nymphing, so let us explore some of my favorite patterns to throw in the summer.

Quill Body EHC

Quill Body EHC Recipe: Quill Body EHC Hook: Firehole 419 Thread: Body: Polish quill Thorax: Dry fly dubbing Wing: Nature’s Spirit select cow elk

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This fly has become a very effective pattern for me the past few seasons. It is no more than a play on the Elk Hair Caddis.

You know the classics are always going to work, so why not operate from a tried-and-tested platform.

As you can see from the photo, the hackle has been dropped from the pattern and the body replaced with a Polish quill. I personally believe that the slender shiny body helps this caddis pattern stand out in a crowd. A small dubbing thorax and I just could not bring myself to substitute the

elk hair wing. It is a simple pattern that can be tied in sizes as small as 18 and likely as big as 10 if you are inclined to go that large. The materials used are offered in various colors, so choose what is right for your neck of the woods and start tying up an army of caddis.

Hair Body Drake This is my go-to drake pattern, hands-down. It does take a little more time to tie than other designs, but sometimes being unique is what it takes to get that picky fish to bite. I first saw this pattern/variation tied by an amazing fly tier by the name of Tim Sickles. It is likely a play on a few other patterns, but I am not sure which.

What I do know is, in this form it catches fish—and quite a few at that. The tail consists of moose mane in which I believe is one of the most realistic hair choices when it comes to the tail on a drake. The body can be on the trickier side of things if you have never worked with this hair in this way. A little patience is required for the first few, but once you have the hang of it they are a breeze. As with the last pattern, a simple dubbing thorax is all that is required. Finally, a classic elk hair wing with a grizzly parachute is the icing on the cake.

Dubbing Rope Caddis You cannot live in my region of British Columbia without at least a dozen different types of caddis patterns. The rainbows of the Columbia River feast upon caddis during the summer months and if you don’t have the right fly, you are missing out. This fly is also a combination of other flies and tying techniques smashed together in order to create a new fly. I really enjoy the look that the dubbing rope technique gives to the body on this fly. It is definitely a little more work than just dubbing the body, but the unique look is worth the effort. The legs are probably an exaggerated touch when it comes to a caddis pattern, but I find it

Hair Body Drake Recipe: Hair Body Drake Hook: Firehole 419 Thread: UTC 70 Tail: Nature’s Spirit moose mane Body: Nature’s Spirit all-purpose deer hair Thorax: Dry-fly dubbing Wing: Nature’s Spirit select cow elk Parachute: Whiting Farm’s grizzly hackle

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FEATURED RECIPE

SKINNY STONE FLY Pretty sure I saw something similar to this on Instagram some time in the past year.

For some reason, it popped back into my head this past month and I decided I had to tie some. This may or may not be close to what I remember seeing and, if not, I still think it is pretty cool. I don’t always think a fly needs to look exactly like the real thing and, oftentimes, a decent representation of the bug does the job if the presentation is on point. If we had to be exact all the time, we would all own a 3D printer and be excellent figurine painters like the kid down the street with the 3,000 Warhammer toys.

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Recipe

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Hook: Tiemco 200R 6-12 Thread: UTC 70D Antenna, Legs, Tail: Nature’s Spirits goose biots Rib: UTC wire, small Thorax: Ice Dub Wing Case: Thin Skin, UTC Holo Tinsel

Tying Instructions 1.

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The Soul of Fly Fishing

Place your bead onto the hook then secure the hook into the vise. Now, start the thread in front of the bead and cut away the tag.

Select two biots that are as close to the same size as possible. Tie them in just behind the eye, slightly on top of the hook shank. I like to tie them in one at a time in order to get the placement how I like, but if you can do them both at the same time by all means do so.

Cut the excess part of the biots off, then either do a few half hitches or a whip finish. Cut your thread, push the bead forward and start your thread again behind the bead and cut off the tag.

Get your lead or lead-free wire and make around 15-16 wraps behind the bead. Make sure the wire is pressed tightly up against the bead.

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Make thread wraps over your lead or lead-free wire to secure it into place. Right behind the wire make a little dam or slope towards the bend of the hook. These thread wraps are used to both secure the wire into place and make an easier transition for materials in the future. With your thread just above where the barb is (you should be pinching those), tie in another two biots.

Advance your thread up to just behind the lead wire.

Now take your black wire and tie it in right behind the lead. Secure the wire all the way back to where we tied in the biots for the tail. Again, advance your thread to right behind the wire. This is also the time to smooth out this section of the body from any previous sloppy wraps. The reason we tie it in this way is so the body maintains roughly the same diameter as the

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tail to right behind the lead so we don’t end up with a large bump by the tail.

7. Take the black wire and wrap it forward towards the lead in an even open spiral. Capture the wire just on top of the lead and cut or break the black wire off.

8. First, cut a 6-8 cm section of holo tinsel off the spool.

Secure the holo tinsel to the top of the shank, starting about one bead length behind the bead and wrap back, just past the lead wrap towards the tail. Cut off a section of Thin Skin about 4-6 cm long and about 4-5 mm wide. We will secure it to the same place as the holo tinsel. The reason the tinsel goes down first is when we are done and pull both forward we want the tinsel on top.

9. This step is straightforward. Using the dubbing, create a nice even dubbing noodle on your thread and then form a dubbing ball right where the last wrap is tying in the Thin Skin and holo tinsel.

10. Select two more biots and tie them on either side of the

hook shank, right in front of the dubbing ball. When you wrap back to directly in front of the dubbing ball, it will serve as a ramp to splay the biots outwards.

11. Basically, repeat steps 9 and 10 until you have three legs on either side of the shank. You are aiming to end right behind the bead.

12. Now that all of the legs are in place and the thread is right behind the bead, it is time to pull things forward.

First, start with the Thin Skin. I like to pull this forward and capture it in place with a firm 2-3 wraps. Then I do the holo tinsel separately in order to line it up to where I want it. Once everything is tied in and lined up, give it a 2-3 turn whip finish. No need to do a big whip, as it is going to get a solid UV resin treatment.

13. In this step, I build up a nice little dome of UV resin.

Make sure the resin goes over the wraps and slightly onto the bead. I normally do two or three coats, curing them in between. I find this cures the best and allows me to have control over the shape and form.

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hard not to sneak some MFC SexiFloss in when I can. The hackle is classic furnace brown and, as always, an elk-hair wing. As with almost all patterns I tie, the colors can be swapped endlessly in order to suit where you may be fishing.

The Humpy The Humpy, an absolute true classic when it comes to dry flies, Hook: Firehole 419 and yet it strikes fear into our Thread: UTC 70 hearts when we think about tying Body: Dubbing rope, dry-fly dubbing it. The original method of tying Legs: MFC Sexi-Floss the Humpy was unforgiving, as Hackle: Whiting Farms furnace brown the same portion of elk hair was Wing: Nature’s Spirit select cow elk used for both the hump and the wings. If you were off, even by a small amount, the proportion would be out of whack and you were left with another

Dubbing Rope Caddis

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fly to give to a friend. I personally still tie it this way, as I think it looks cleaner in the end, but I cut away some of the elk hair for the hump. I find I want a lot of hair for the big wings, but then the hump ends up being too large.

There are other ways to tie this pattern as well which can be seen in the photo. The wings are actually mallard flank and not elk hair at all. This can be a great way to get some nicely colored split wings while not having to battle the elk hair. The hump and tail still remain true to the original, though.

The Humpy should not be overlooked as it is one of the great trout flies that exist today. The fly may not be as popular as some of the fancy patterns springing up these days, and it certainly isn’t matching any hatches, but it does have fish-catching power and that is something some flies will never have.

For the full recipe for the Humpy, please visit us online at flyfusionmag.com

END OF THE LINE

Sub-Zero Series JEFF ENWRIGHT When not busy at the vise or working as an executive chef, I can be found stripping and swinging meaty flies for walleye, bass, and pike or drifting nymphs and dries for brook, brown, and rainbow trout. Stoneflies, flashy nymphs, leech patterns, Intruders, and articulated streamers are my go-to files on the vise and water this time of year. @FishWhistleFlies

Quill Body Nymph

Olive Intruder

Hook: Ahrex FW560 traditional nymph, sizes 8-16 Thread: Hemingway’s 8/0, purple Tail: Nature’s Spirit goose biots Body: Purple Holo Flash, Hemingway’s synthetic quill Thorax: Purple Simi-Seal dubbing, Sili Legs Wing Case: Purple Holo Flash Bead: Black tungsten, 3.5mm Resins: Gulff Ambulance purple, Thinman

Hook: Ahrex HR483, size 6 Thread: Veevus Power Thread, olive Shank: Stonfo 35mm, tubular Rear Station: Peacock dubbing, saddle hackle, Lady Amherst Body: Lateral scale flash Front Station: Peacock dubbing, saddle hackle, marabou, schlappen, Lady Amherst Bead: Painted dumbbell eyes, pearl med Glue/Resin: Gulff Minuteman, Big Daddy UV resin

Feather Gamechanger Hook: Ahrex FW580 wet fly, sizes 4-14 Thread: Veevus 8/0, black Tail: Hungarian partridge tail feather Body: Turkey center tail fibers, gold wire rib, Hemingway’s gold peacock dubbing Collar: Hungarian partridge wing feather, jungle cock eyes Resin: Gulff Thinman

Hook: Ahrex PR330 Aberdeen, size 2/0 Thread: Veevus Power Thread, white white Shank: Spawn 15mm/20mm/25mm Body: Whiting black-laced hen saddle, lateral scale flash, black/purple Sili Legs Head: Stonfo streamer head, Whiting grizzly saddle hackle, purple peacock herl Glue/Resins: Gulff Minuteman, Thinman, fl. red

Articulated Golden Stonefly

Stone Clinger Jig

Wild Turkey Wet Gold

Hook: Ahrex FW560 traditional nymph, sizes 12 and 14 Thread: Hemingway’s 8/0, yellow Tail: Nature’s Spirit mottled turkey biots Body: Hemingway’s synthetic peacock quill Thorax: Peacock dubbing, Hemingway’s realistic legs and wing buds Antennae: Pheasant tail fibers Resins: Gulff Thinman

64

The Soul of Fly Fishing

Hook: Ahrex FW551, sizes 10-18 Thread: Veevus 8/0, brown Tail: Pheasant tail fibers Body: Pheasant tail, Hemingway’s .2mm brown tying wire Thorax: Brown Brick Canadian Simi-Seal dubbing Wing Case: Pheasant tail fibers Bead: Coffee 4mm, tungsten Resin: Gulff Thinman

IMAGINE BEING

SKUNKED FOR ALL OF TIME

Photo: Silver Kings

AND NOW YOU KNOW WHY WE HELPED MAKE THE KEYS CATCH AND RELEASE.

WATER MARKS

Rules? What Rules?

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.

66

The Soul of Fly Fishing

A

new and enthusiastic fly fisher signs up for some sessions with a qualified instructor.

He drinks in the information, quickly learning to cast and understand the theory and mechanics of fishing. Shortly thereafter he takes a trip to a remote fly-fishing lodge. His first day in the drift boat on a big western river he’s fishing with dry flies, and after a short float the guide anchors the boat in a productive run, they step out, and the new fly fisher begins to “fish the water” with a dry fly, searching for trout that are ready to come to the surface. Our hero makes a nice cast, then an equally nice mend to extend the dragfree drift, just the way he was taught. When drag sets in he picks up and re-casts, just the way he was taught. “No, don’t do that,” the guide says. “Jerk the fly around a little bit. Then let it swing downstream of you on a tight line so it skates across the surface. Let it hang straight downstream for awhile, then strip it back slowly.” New fly fisher does as he’s told, the fly makes a noticeable wake, and a bold rainbow trout slashes at the fly.

The new fly fisher reflects with puzzlement on what his instructor told him a couple of weeks prior: “Do everything you can to prevent the dry fly from dragging.”

So what’s going on here? I think it’s mostly just a case of fish being fish and, no matter how well we think we have them figured out, we’re going to be wrong part of the time. I know; that’s not much of an explanation. Could the technical reason be because fish feed on different foods that exhibit different behaviors in different places? I know; that sounds lame too.

As a bit of a humility exercise, I offer from my own sizable repertoire some other examples of fly-fishing “rules” and beliefs that are less than universally true.

Trout are Smart This is a good one, for it gives us a nice bit of ego-stroking. If they’re smart, we must be even smarter to catch them. Okay, but what about the fish that was foul-hooked in the dorsal fin, broke off and returned to

its lie where it ate a dry fly and was caught moments later?

What about those infuriating individuals that immediately eat a ping-pong ball-sized, fluorescent strike indicator after we’ve cast dry flies at them for hours without a sniff?

Boats Scare Fish: Sure, we all know this, but why do some steelheaders prefer to run the jet boat through the pool to “wake the fish up” before fishing the pool?

Cutthroats are Dumb: A pod of them was feeding earnestly and obviously on green drakes, each dun disappearing in a happy and apparently hospitable gulp.

They were cutthroats and we were experts, so my friend and I agreed to take turns so we wouldn’t get in each other’s way while hauling them in. We tried a lot of different flies.

It got dark. We went home.

All Fly Fishers are Liars: This one has confused people for generations. To reference an old saying: Yes, they are all liars, except for you and me, and I have suspicions about you.

In order to enhance communication and hopefully eliminate the odious and spurious word liars from this generalization, I have adopted a pre-emptive compensatory maneuver with regards to the telling of my fishy stories. Because whomever I’m telling my story to assumes I’m exaggerating the size and number of fish I’ve caught, it’s pretty much incumbent on me to inflate the statistics in advance to compensate appropriately. For example, say it’s a slow day and I catch just 29 brown trout averaging 19 inches in length. My adoring, if perhaps skeptical, companion assumes that whatever I tell him is an exaggeration in the range of 20%. So, he believes I caught only 20 brown trout averaging a mere 15 inches.

How could I live with this? My conscience would never allow him to carry these erroneous facts around. So I tell him I caught 36 brown trout, averaging 23 inches, and after he applies his standard mark-down we both wind up knowing the truth. (Except that maybe they weren’t all browns. But I digress).

There’s no such thing

as a good PVC line.

All PVC fly lines contain plasticizers - it’s what makes PVC flexible enough to even function as a fly line. And here’s the thing with plasticizers: over time, they leach out of the line into places they don’t belong - namely, you and the environment.

Some of these plasticizers contain chemicals that are known to adversely impact reproduction in certain aquatic species. So, they for sure don’t belong in your favorite trout stream. And while we admit we want you fishing Airflo, we also don’t want you contaminating your favorite waters. (Hell, they’re probably ours too.) So we’ll give you $10 off every new Airflo line when you trade in a PVC line. We’ll even make sure they’re safely recycled. Just visit your local shop, give them your old line, and get $10 off a brand new Airflo. That’s good juju any way you look at it.

PVC FREE SINCE 1984

Isn’t it time you mend your line?

The new Superflo Tactical Taper

flyfusionmag.com

67

Delicate Domination.

Perfect, delicate drifts require slinging unconventional slack yielding casts, and drag inducing micro-currents, obstacles, and other naturally occurring variables can limit tactical opportunity. When success rests on a razor’s edge, take control with balanced fishing tools built to boost effectiveness in ultra-technical scenarios.

NRX+ LP is the ultimate tool for accurate and effective dry fly presentation. Tailored for supreme versatility over a wide range of casting techniques, actions are sweet, smooth, and stable, with plenty of “spank” when conditions call for an additional pinch of power.

gloomisflyfishing.com