Streamer Fishing for Small Streams
By Jason Tucker
Small stream fishing often conjures to mind light rods and lines, small dry flies, an easy, pleasant day on the creek casting to small trout.
It indeed can be that, and most of my small stream fishing consists of this. But I firmly believe every small stream out there holds bigger fish, and more of them, than you think. One of the best ways to find out is with streamers.
Researchers have shown that as brown trout reach the twenty-inch mark they become largely piscivorous (fish eating). This means if you want to catch them, you need to throw streamers.
Streamer fishing has changed a lot since the days of hair wing flies and Grey Ghosts. If you have fly fished for any amount of time you have heard of or read “Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout” by Kelly Galloup and Bob Linsenman. Streamer enthusiasts today pound the banks with articulated monsters measuring five to as much as twelve inches long. This is great for bigger rivers but a bit of overkill for small streams. You’ll want to scale your efforts to the water you’re fishing. Still, streamer fishing small streams can be a very enjoyable way to fish them, and a great way to find out the true potential of the stream.
My streamer box for small streams contains the following:
Read More »Sunday Classic / Isonychia Nymph Patterns – 4 Proven Imitations
The Isonychia Nymph is a pattern that should be carried in the fly box of every traveling fly angler.
Although these aquatic mayflies do not inhabit all streams in great density, where they are found in abundance, they are shown great favoritism by foraging trout who will often key in on them exclusively. The Isonychia usually hatches during the summer months, with some locations in the United States and abroad, returning a second time during the fall season.
These beautiful mayfly nymphs are olympic class swimmers, and fly tiers should try to tie their Isonychia fly imitations with materials that breath and move naturally in the water to mimic this trait. Furthermore, twitching and swinging Isonychia nymph patterns during the drift, is highly suggested to help attract attention and trigger strikes by trout. The light colored stripe, that runs down the back of most Ishonychia nymphs, is the most recognizable feature that tips fly anglers off to the correct classification of these nymphs. That being said, not all species carry the white stripe in such flamboyancy, so it’s best to sample your local streams and rivers when tying your own imitations.
Below are 4 Isonychia nymph patterns that I’ve used in the past with great results. Most Isonychia nymphs measure in the size 10-12 hook range, but most fly fisherman agree it’s always a good idea to stock a couple different sizes in your Isonychia fly patterns to help insure you’ll be able to accurately match the bugs on the waters that you may find while fly fishing.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Down The Path
One of the most talked about stories in fly-fishing, Will Rice’s podcast “Down The Path” tells a story as addictive as it is chilling.
On April11, 2009, Ronald Scheepstra disappeared from Xcalak, Mexico.
Ron and his companions had been to this remote area on fishing trips in both 2007 and 2008 and, as avid fly anglers, had done extensive preparation and planning.
For reasons that are not completely known or understood, Ron broke away from his friends in the early afternoon that day. He reportedly climbed from the shallow water and as he began to walk down the path, called back, “You go on. I’ll be fine.”
Ron was never seen again.
With 4 episodes already online, I dare you not to binge this series.
“Down The Path”
Read More »The Fisherman
by John Byron,
A poem for Independence Day. Author unknown.
Behold the fisherman.
John catching salmon from a sub
He riseth up early in the morning
and disturbeth the whole household.
Mighty are his preparations.
He goeth forth full of hope,
returning when the day is far spent.
Smelling of strong drink
and the truth is not in him.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM GINK AND GASOLINE!
Read More »How I Almost Owned A Trout Stream
By Jon Tobey
NOW THAT THEY ARE SELLING IT, I CAN FINALLY TELL THE STORY OF WILLIAMSTOWN GULF.
When my dad was in high school, he and his 3 best friends bought a trout stream. I know it sounds like something out of Trout Fishing in America, but they really did. Can you imagine, getting out of school and heading out to your own trout stream, as a teenager, to fish with your best friends? Somehow, that story makes me feel like I really got my priorities completely wrong at a very early age. I didn’t even own a fly rod until I was 40, but I heard about this stream my whole life and finally one day when I was home I asked if I could go fish it. They’ve been stocking if for years even though nobody has fished it for 20 and my dad had to call his one surviving friend to get directions to it. It’s a little creek that becomes a tributary of the White River.
When we finally got there it was in an incredibly dense and verdant valley, but unfortunately the stream had been beaverized, with dams about every 100′ on it and a lush swamp in the resulting river bottom. I had to walk through a very dense swamp to get to it and I was a little nervous because it was filled with moose tracks and from what I’ve heard you would rather run into a bear than a moose. When I finally got to the stream it was about 8′ across, and beneath the dams almost that deep. In the crystal cold water there I could see the fry, every pool holding hundreds and knowing what cannibals trout, especially brook trout, are I imagined each stretch must hold one lunker or so. I mean 20 years….
Read More »10 Tips For Powering Your Fly Cast
By Louis Cahill
A powerful fly cast is about technique and timing, not power and speed.
That statement is often repeated, and it reminds me of something we used to say in martial arts. “Size and strength don’t matter…unless the other guy is bigger and stronger than you.”
In my experience, there isn’t one answer for every angler. Some folks use too much power and not enough technique, and others seem afraid of the rod and lack any kind of physicality. It does not take a lot of physical strength to make a good fly cast, but it is an athletic endeavor and requires a degree of physical prowess, or at least confidence.
I like the comparison of the casting stroke and using a hammer. I like it because it explains the smooth application of power and the abrupt stop, but also because it captures the idea of the appropriate use of power. You don’t pick away at a nail as if you had all day to drive it home. You also don’t wail away as hard as you can swing, hitting everything in arm’s reach. You use the right amount of power for the job. A gentle tap for a tack (read 3 weight), and a manly swing for a spike (12 weight).
That said, technique always trumps power, and the skilled caster blends the two to make tight energized loops and control his line to make the best presentation.
Bend the rod
The most fundamental part of making a fly cast is loading the rod. Put very simply, loading the rod is putting a bend in it. The action of a bent rod straightening is what casts the line, not the motion of your arm. It’s much more like shooting a slingshot that throwing a baseball.
When I’m working with an angler who is struggling to load their rod, I like to have them hold the rod in front of them with two hands, one hand on the grip and the other near the stripping guide. Then I ask them to bend the rod. The natural reaction is to put their thumbs on the shaft and press away.
That’s exactly what should be happening when you cast. The only difference is that the hand near the stripping guide is replaced by the weight of the line. The thumb presses forward in a straight line, like driving a thumbtack into the wall. When the bent rod stops, the recoil of the rod sends the line like the rubber bands of the slingshot.
Accelerate the stroke
If you ever feel like you should be casting “harder,” too little acceleration is likely your problem. I see a lot of anglers who get no power in their cast because their casting stroke is all the same speed.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Bruce Chard Ties The Gnarly Bandit
SIMPLE IS OFTEN BEST.
Our good friend Captain Bruce Chard is back today to prove it. Fishing guides need effective flies that will put their clients on fish but don’t take hours to tie. Bruce calls these kind of flies,”guide flies.” These flies have all of the elements that attract fish in a simple recipe so you can knock out a dozen of them without breaking a sweat. I love guide flies and I fish a lot of them.
The Gnarly Bandit is a classic. I can’t tell you how many bonefish I have caught on this fly. It’s a simple fly but there are a few elements you need to get right. In this video Bruce goes step by step and explains the details that make the difference.
Watch the video and learn to tie The Gnarly Bandit.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Fish It Well
By Justin Pickett
We are all responsible for the memories we make.
We are the cast, the director, and the costume designer in an ongoing film where we write our own individualized scripts and ad lib as the cameras of life roll on. There are some things we don’t have control over. There will be instances of triumph, and, inevitably, there will be times of pain. Jobs. Love. Failures. Money…. All things that come and go. Well, except for that money thing…. It just seems to go. Life is a crazy ride full of ups and downs, but for an angler, like you and like myself, one thing will always remain constant. Fishing.
We only get one go at life, and our friends at Simms have come up with a great way to remind us that we need to enjoy our time here while we have it. And, for fly freaks like you and I, that means cramming in as much time on the water as possible! So to all you fly freaks out there….
YOU GET ONE LIFE, FISH IT WELL! CHECK OUT THE VIDEO.
Read More »Louis’s Saltwater Casting Drill
There’s no debate, practicing your casting makes you a more effective angler.
But all practice is not created equal. Simply heading down to the park and hucking as much line as possible doesn’t accomplish much. A while back we published a practice routine recommended by Tim Rajeff. If you haven’t seen that video, you should check it out. Any angler can benefit from Tim’s practice plan.
Today I’m going to add my own casting drill. This is a saltwater specific drill that works on a couple of techniques commonly used in saltwater fly fishing. It simulates making three presentations to a moving fish and it requires several tasks at once.
I lay out 3 hula-hoops in a line. The first at 40 feet, the next at 60 feet and the last at 80 feet. If you can’t cast 80 feet just shorten the gaps and work with the cast you have. I then step to the side so the three rings appear as a diagonal line. Starting in my ready position, I cast to the first ring, then pick up the line and cast to the second ring, and then the third. I do all of this with no false casting.
Don’t stress out about hitting the center of the rings. Your accuracy will improve with practice. Work on making the presentations efficiently without false casting, by shooting your line to the target. Pick the line up slow and smooth so your fly will not make noise and spook the fish. Work on making the three casts as quickly and accurately as possible.
I like this drill because it teaches several techniques in a realistic fishing scenario. If you can hit those three targets quietly in 10 seconds or less you’re going to do well on the water. It’s easier than it sounds. Just stay focused and keep practicing.
For the gear-heads, I’m casting the new
Read More »The Green River Below Flaming Gorge Is Where They Coined The Word Epic
If you have never fished the Green River below Flaming Gorge, its time to check it out.
Located in the northeast corner of Utah, the Green River is one of the premier tailwaters in the country. The river flows through a beautiful red rock canyon with towering cliffs suspended high above the water and with close to 13,000 fish per mile its hard to have a bad day. The Green is best appreciated from a boat, but wade fisherman can also equally enjoy the river from the shore. There are three main sections of this tailwater. The A, B and C sections are separated by mere miles, but can fish very different depending on the time of year and Ill go through each section independently.
THE A SECTION.
At 7 miles in length this is a true tailwater, with consistent flows and gin clear cold water, bug life is a little limited in its diversity but the fish are always active. Midges, Baetis and Caddis are the primary insects but due to the arid climate, there are always a plethora of terrestrials in the summer. The Baetis hatches in the spring is both world famous and frustrating at the same time.
The river can be blanketed with bugs and it looks like its boiling with all the fish on the surface, but the fish are ultra picky. Going smaller with your tippet is always a good bet and switching from a dun to a cripple can sometimes be the ticket. About the second to third week of May we start seeing Cicadas. In my opinion, this is the best fishing in the country. 50 fish days can be the norm and 100 fish days happen from time to time. This is dry fly fishing at its pinnacle. Big bugs and big angry fish smack these monster terrestrials with a recklessness that will make your heart race. Having said that, cold weather and rain will put them down so look for multiple day of hot, sunny weather.
your planning on floating this section on your own, there are a few things to keep in mind. There is not a lot of whitewater, but there are two rapids in particular