Fly Fishing Stillwater
by Gareth Jones
THE OTHER HENRY’S
Mention to any flyfisher that you’re heading for Island Park, Idaho and they’ll immediately think you’ll be packing a selection of CDC and biot creations intended to deceive the wonderfully selective leviathans of the Henry’s Fork.
However, my latest visit to see Rene Harrop and the boys at the TroutHunter, was all about fly fishing the incredible Stillwater’s of the region, and more specifically, Henry’s Lake. The plan was to see how fishing UK flies and techniques would work on the great Cutthroat and Hybrids that inhabit the lake. This wasn’t the first time I fished the lake. I’d visited it ten years earlier, and I remembered enjoying some wonderful sport-fishing from a float tube, fishing damsels through the gaps in the summer weeds. Needless to say, I was fairly confident that some of my own fly patterns and techniques would produce on this trip, and I was excited to hit the water.
Being mid-October, It’s always a little risky with the weather, but the fishing gods were in a kind mood and when I arrived at the county boat dock on the eastern side of the lake, I was greeted by a gentle breeze and mild temperatures. This certainly put the fish in the mood to eat.
Starting from the shore, I waded carefully into the water, and immediately saw a fish swim right by me. It was a nice cutthroat trout of about 18 inches, a prime target for settling me into the swing of things. I quickly made a short cast to the fish, then paused for the fly to sink, and like clock work, the cutthroat took my ‘Minkie” streamer on the drop. One cast, one fish–I really couldn’t ask for anything better than that.
With Henry’s being such a shallow lake, a good cast was only putting my flies in about six feet of water. Add to this, the extensive remains of summer weed growth, and my set up needed to have my flies fishing just over the weeds. This would put them right into the path of any cruising trout between them.
I chose to fish a 10’ 7 weight fly rod matched with a 7 weight intermediate fly line for two reasons. First, it gave me the ability to
Read More »Maxine McCormick Interview, August 2018
Now fourteen years old, Maxine McCormick is headed back to the world fly casting championship.
On the 17th of this month the World Casting Championship will be held in the UK. Maxine who, at age eleven, dominated the trout accuracy competition in the last world championship, will be competing on the USA team in all categories, including spey distance.
I took some time to sit down for an interview with Maxine and her coach, Chris Korich. Have a listen and see what’s on the mind of one of the worlds best fly casters going into the competition.
You can follow the results here.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Relax, Read the Water and Believe
Sometimes, wanting too much can get you in trouble on the water. If you set your goals too high and lose sight of the real reason you’re out there in the first place (to be blessed with catching a few fish and relaxing), before you know it, you’ll find yourself standing in a river feeling lost and heart broken. It’s not that wanting is bad, it’s just that too much of it, like most things in life, can be detrimental. Want has the ability to turn into greed very quickly if you aren’t careful. And fly fishing with greed on the mind is the quickest way to doom yourself to failure. Greed fogs your mind, keeps you from thinking rationally on the water and your fishing, in turn, suffers.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / My First Fish
Do you remember your first fish?
This great video, sourced from Orvis News, follows a five-year-old boy on his journey to becoming an angler. What a treat to see the wonder in his eyes, holding his first steelhead. Take a few minutes to watch and share. It’s magical.
MY FIRST FISH
Read More »Seigler Fly Reel: Video
The new Seigner fly reel is one of the coolest new products in fly fishing.
You don’t see a lot that’s really new in fly reels. Yes, you see reels getting lighter or cooler looking but it isn’t often something comes along that’s actually different. This reel is.
You might know the name Seigler if you are into blue-water gear fishing. They have made heavy-duty gear reels for years. It turns out that Wes Seigler is an avid fly angler and he decided to make a fly reel that solves some problems he found in fish fighting.
Among the cool features you’ll find in this reel are a lever action drag, which allows you to quickly and accurately adjust your drag within establish safe parameters while fighting a fish, and an asymmetrical spool that stacks your backing for you. Best of all, there’s a solid possibility that you could get one for free.
Check out the video for all of the details on the new Seigler fly reel!
Read More »Deschutes Steelhead Update
Things are looking up for this season’s steelheading on the Deschutes.
Last year was an interesting one for Deschutes steelhead anglers. Between the fires and low numbers of returning fish, a lot of anglers decided to sit the season out. It was nice having the river to ourselves, and in spite of the well publicized low return, we had great fishing.
Things look much better for this year. Numbers of returning fish are up significantly over last year and guides I know are reporting good catch rates and reduced river traffic. There’s some blackened grass in spots but the bushes and trees are in good shape. It looks like it’s lining up to be a good season.
We still have a few spots open for our Deschutes camp trip in Sept. Shoot me an email at hookups@ginkandgasoline.com if you’d like to join us for one of the funnest fishing trips I know.
Read More »Should You Be Sharpening Your Hooks More?
Casting all day long, searching for that beast of a brown. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. I know that’s what it’s going to take if I want a decent shot at landing a big mature brown trout. I’m looking for a 20 plus-incher and they never come easy. And where I live, you’re lucky to get a few opportunities at legitimate wild brown trout of this caliber all year long. We’re approaching a bend that’s known for holding butter slabs and I present a perfect cast right against the deep undercut bank. The retrieve begins, strip strip, pause…, strip strip, pause. Without any warning my six-inch articulated sculpin gets slammed and my fly rod just about comes out of my hands. It’s just been devoured by something very big, and I think it’s what I’ve been looking for. I set the hook hard and my rod bends as the fish breaks the surface thrashing violently, shades of butter are spotted. “It’s a brown!” I yell, but two strips and two head shakes later my fly pulls loose and the beast swims away. My prized catch is lost.
Read More »Restock My Box Contest
By Bob Reece
As we near the weeks of late summer, fly boxes around the country are falling into disrepair. In an effort to remedy this situation for one lucky fly fisher, I’ve partnered up with Gink & Gasoline. I”ll be giving away one hundred twenty flies to the selected winner. That mixture of flies will include one dozen of each of the following patterns:
Size 6 Tan Beefcake Hopper
Size 8 Purple Beefcake Hopper
Size 10 Chartreuse Beefcake Hopper
Size 16 Amber/Peacock Fusion
Size 16 Chartreuse Fusion
Size 16 Yellow Fusion
Size 16 Brown Fusion
Size 16 Amber/Pink Fusion
Size 18 Red Fusion
Size 18 Purple Fusion
To enter yourself in the drawing, follow both Gink & Gasoline and Thin Air Angler on Instagram. Then post of picture of the inside of your favorite fly box with the hashtag #restockmybox The winner will be drawn on August 22nd. Thank you for taking part and giving us a chance to load you up with some late summer flies!
Sunday Classic / A Tight Line Presentation is Key in Saltwater Fly Fishing
SLACK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND.
When fly fishing in saltwater, keeping the slack out of the system is job one. Slack can cause missed fish, long distance release and even refusals. A tight line is key at every stage of the process, but many anglers overlook the initial presentation.
Triggering a fish’s instinct to strike relies on the fly having a lifelike action when the fish first catches sight of it. That means that the fly should move in the manner of the prey it represents from the instant it hits the water. In most cases that cannot be accomplished with slack in the system. Even, or maybe especially, when fishing crab patterns where the natural action is the fall to the bottom, slack kills. These flies are often eaten as soon as they hit the water and if the line has slack, you will never know it.
There is nothing more important to success in saltwater fly fishing than a tight line presentation, but it’s not an easy thing to pull off. Here are some tips and a video to help you get the slack out.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Your Dream Job Awaits
If you love trout, conservation, and live in the southeast, Have I got a job for you!
Trout unlimited is looking to seriously up their game here in the Southeast. In particular they are ramping up their efforts in brook trout conservation, which makes my heart swell. There is nothing more important, in my mind, than protecting our one native trout.
If you are passionate about cold water fisheries, work well with others and want to make a real difference, here is your chance. TU is hiring a full time Volunteer Coordinator for the Southeast. You can get al the details and apply for this important position at the link below. If you know the perfect person for this job, please forward this to them.
LET’S FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN MAKE REAL CHANGE FOR TROUT HERE IN THE SOUTHEAST!
Read More »