Broyhill’s Jackknife
Flymen is taking a “Go big or go home” approach for 2016.
The Flymen Fishing Co. (Makers of the Fish Skull) has a new musky fly this year for those who aren’t happy with a streamer under twelve inches. Broyhill’s Jackknife is an articulated pattern in the style of Blane Chocklett’s T-Bone. It creates a big profile without the bulk and weight which makes big flies such a challenge to cast.
You can buy these from Flymen, or you can buy the materials that make the design work and tie them yourself. Tying these big flies is fun and it’s easier than it looks. I’d encourage you to give it a try. There’s a video below that shows you how it’s done.
CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS AND CATCH SOME MUSKY!
Read More »3 Fly Fishing Situations When I Will Stop My Streamer During the Retrieve
I agree with this advice 95% of the time because most prey when threatened by a predator, will swim as hard and fast as possible to escape being eaten. That being said, I’ve been on the water many times when the constant-strip retrieve, or even the speed-up retrieve with my streamer, has failed to get me the hook up from a following fish. It was only when I thought outside the box, and found the courage to go against the popular view that streamers should always be kept moving when a fish is tracking, that I found myself with a bent rod.
Read More »Sacred Days
DAYS, LIKE MEN, ARE ALL CREATED EQUAL. IT’S THE PATHS THEY TAKE WHICH SEPARATE THEM.
It’s eighteen degrees as we get the skiff ready to launch. The first snow flakes are floating about. Delicate little flakes for now but the Weather Channel tells us they won’t stay small. It actually feels nice. We floated the South Holston River the day before when the temperature never made it to double digits. Today we’re kind of optimistic about fishing without full gloves.
The So Ho is known for its prolific summer sulfur hatches. That’s got nothing to do with this trip. There won’t be a bug on the water for about two months yet and then it’ll be black caddis. Myself, Justin Pickett and Chase Pritchett have not driven from Georgia to Tennessee, in the face of what’s promised to be the storm of the decade to fish dry flies, or even nymphs. We’re here to throw hairy-ass American streamers. The stuff the Brits call lures. There are big brown trout in this river and they have bad attitudes.
I’m working on breaking the frozen anchor rope off the floor of the skiff, Justin is changing reels and Chase is hefting some beer into the boat when his cell phone rings. He answers, listens for a moment, then walks a ways off and lights up a cigarette as he talks. Chase is a talented fly tyer, the owner of American Made Flies. He ties everything in the book beautifully, but he has a special love for streamers. He’s a big dude with a face full of beard. A coarse, almost biker-ish, exterior and quiet demeanor hide a big heart and a childlike fascination with Star Wars. Presently, his body language is showing his stress. I know this phone call. It always comes first thing in the morning because that’s when they find them, our loved ones who have passed.
Chase’s Uncle Vic was obviously a big influence in his life. He speaks of him as if he were his father. He’d been a Montana trout guide back in the day. After he came home from the war. Chase isn’t specific but I’m guessing Vietnam. His death was not a complete surprise. He suffered with dementia, along with a bad case of PTSD. Not a combination I’d wish on anyone, or their family. Chase is putting up a good front but he’s obviously shaken up.
“I’m sorry, so sorry,” I tell him, “Do you need to go? It’s not a problem, we can go right now.”
“No, no there’s nothing I can do,” he answers, “The weather is turning to shit. The roads are going to be bad. Let’s fish. That’s what Uncle Vic would want.”
The snow is coming hard by the time we get the boat wet. Trees become charcoal sketches as the world fades to white. Our steaming white breath seems to linger and fill the sky. The water turns to swirling steel. Idle rods and fly boxes disappear under thick quilts of white. Huge flakes of snow swirl around our heads like angels. Snow in the south is such a rare thing it feels like it comes from heaven, or beyond.
There will be plenty of oar time for me today and that’s just how I’d have it. We’re not playing a numbers game. You might get a fish or two, and you might get none. I desperately want Chase to get a fish today. He needs a fish today. He’s not touching the oars. He’s quiet for a while. He fishes hard, changes flies and eventually tells us a couple of stories about Uncle Vic. We pass a bottle of whisky in his name and I think how I’d have liked to have known the man.
Death has been my fishing partner this year. He’s been there on the oars, standing waist deep next to me in the river, on the bow of the flats boat for every cast. He’s been with me at the vise, with me as I pack my gear, next to me as I drive to the river. He has laid next to me in my sleepless bed.
Read More »Assault on the Au Sable
By Jason Tucker
Commercial fish farming threatens one of the world’s best dry fly streams. Is it too late to save it?
Michigan is a dream destination for any fly fisher, with a volume and variety of water, species and opportunities that draw anglers from around the world. The crown jewel of this freshwater mecca is the Au Sable River.
The Au Sable is a world class trout stream, and the dry fly fishing has to be seen to be believed, with hatches lasting from March through September, beyond that if you count blue winged olives and winter stones. The Hendrickson, Sulphur, Brown Drake, Isonychia, Hexagenia, and Ephoron hatches in their turn blanket the water with spinners, bringing out large trout to feed on the bounty, and legions of anglers in pursuit of the fish.
The Au Sable is a big system with several hundred miles of stream in the watershed. The North and South Branches are sizable trout streams in their own right. The whole system attracts anglers, campers, paddlers, tubers, birdwatchers and nature lovers of all stripes. It’s a prime example of “Pure Michigan”.
Which is why it’s puzzling that the State and Crawford County are green lighting what would be the State’s largest commercial fish farm near the headwaters, with virtually no water treatment requirements or oversight.
Let’s back up a bit for some context. In 1914, private interests built a hatchery on the East Branch of the Au Sable near its confluence with the main stream in Grayling, Michigan. It was taken over in the ‘20’s by the DNR to produce trout for stocking throughout the region, and was in production until the mid-1960s. It was transferred to Crawford County in 1983 and run as a tourist attraction until the present. This is an important point that we’ll come back to.
In 2011, the county decided it could no longer bear the expense of the facility, which was operating at a loss to the county, and they proposed closing it down. Dan Vogler, president of the nearby Harrietta Hills Trout Farm, heard about this, and in cooperation with the county, has been operating the hatchery since 2012 as a tourist attraction. It has been producing under 20,000 pounds of trout annually which avoids the need for a permit. All that is about to change.
Harrietta Hills Trout Farm has been issued a permit by the DEQ, and they plan to ramp up production to 300,000 pounds of trout annually, making it the largest aquaculture operation in the state.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Sealiced
I’m a sucker for a good steelhead video.
This video by Danish film maker Columbus Leth is a great example of what draws us to cold and dangerous rivers to swing flies for steelhead and salmon. I don’t know about “Ten times better than tarpon fishing,” but it’s pretty magical. If this doesn’t make you want to catch steelhead, you should see a doctor.
Read More »Western Rise, On The Way Up
Western Rise is one of the coolest new outdoor clothing companies I’ve seen in a while.
One of my favorite things about attending the IFTD show is meeting the folks on the cutting edge of design. The young companies with new ideas who are shaping the future of fly fishing gear.
Western Rise is definitely one of those companies. They produce technical clothing with smart, innovative features and a distinctive look rooted in the past, but with its eye on the future. You can feel the quality in every piece they make.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTERN RISE.
Read More »Green Light The Bahamas
It’s time to check in on the status of Bahamian fishing regulations.
I get emails every week asking if foreigners are allowed to fish in the Bahamas. As of now, all of the news is good. There’s been very little talk of changes to existing regulations since the big uproar on the part of the angling community in response to last year’s draft proposal. There have been rumors of a vote early this year, but it seems unlikely.
Currently, there is no change in Bahamian fishing regulations, nor does any change seem likely. There are no restrictions on DIY fishing, foreign-owned outfitters, guide licensing or even a Bahamian fishing license. It’s business as usual.
I was in the Bahamas not long ago and talked with many of my friends there, Bahamian and non-Bahamian.
I was a little surprised by what I heard. Generally when you talk politics with folks in the Bahamas you get an almost dispassionate acceptance of government corruption. They are very engaged in their politics but they accept that the government is going to do what they want, with or without the people’s support, and roll with it.
Not so in this case. The folks I talked to seem to be more sharply divided than I’ve experienced. I talked with guides on both sides of the issue. Some were vocally against the proposals made last year. Those were the loudest voices, likely because they knew where I stand on the issue. Others spoke out in favor and a few tried to bullshit me, even though I could tell they knew it was pointless. One thing is certain, they all understand how foreign anglers feel about it. I don’t think they will forget soon.
Our message came through loud and clear.
I’ll give you a little bit of inside info. It’s hear-say and I can’t prove it, so take it for what it’s worth
Read More »5 Reasons Why Turbulent Water Can Provide Great Trout Fishing
Many of my beginner level clients, struggle when it comes to reading trout water. More specifically, they find it difficult when they have to compare two different sections or types of water, and quickly decide which one of them should yield them a higher percentage for success. In turn, I get asked the question often, “What’s the type of water I like to target first, when I have the opportunity.” I usually respond with “If I have a choice, and I’m looking for consistent fishing locations year round, I prefer to target turbulent water (faster moving) over calm water (slow moving).” It’s the riffles, pocket water and main current seams that fly anglers will generally find the turbulent water, and that’s the kind of places that not only will provide everything a trout needs to survive, but furthermore, the trout will usually be less picky as well (easier to catch), since the water is moving more swiftly. Below are five reasons why fly anglers should search out and fly fish turbulent water when they’re fly fishing for trout.
Read More »Announcing The 2016 Fly Fishing Photo Contest Winners
Fly fishing photography is alive and well!
I’m always blown away by the submissions we get for the annual Photo contest. This year is no exception. The work was overwhelming in both quality and quantity. My hat is off to all who entered.
THE 2016 FLY FISHING PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS ARE,
Read More »Dehumidifiers Keep My Fly Fishing Gear Fresh & Dry
It used to be an ongoing battle all season long to keep my fly fishing gear dry and odor free.
There’s nothing worse than having to slide into a pair of stinky, sweaty waders that are still damp from the day before, struggle to slide your feet into a frozen solid pair of wading boots during the winter, or head out fishing on a rainy day with a rain jacket that’s already soaked to the bone. A couple years ago, I finally got smart and bought a dehumidifier, and now all I have to do is drop my gear on the floor next to the dehumidifier in the evening, and it’s waiting for me the next morning 100% dry and odor free. I’m telling you, it’s like heaven on earth, and I guarantee, you’ll find a whole new appreciation and respect for dehumidifiers when you take the leap of faith and put one to work. Dehumidifiers are also great for fighting the spread of invasive species for traveling anglers because they can suck the moisture out of every crack and crevice of your gear in a very short period of time. So keep that in mind next time you walk by one of them in your local hardware store. Splurging the couple hundred dollars will benefit you…, your fly fishing gear and your trout streams.
Read More »