Speyitis
By Jeff Hickman
THE MOST COMMON FISHING PROBLEM I SEE AMONG SPEY FISHERS WHO CAN CAST WELL IS OVER CASTING.
I refer to this plague as Speyitis. Just because you can cast all the way across the river doesn’t mean that you should all the time. I know it is fun to throw a long line and its even more fun if you can get yanked way out there. For successful fishing it’s important to read the water and decide if a long cast is important there. Much of the time in many spots the fish is likely to be in the inside soft water. Casting across the seam way out into the heavy current you are wasting your time, not allowing your fly to sink and also not allowing it to effectively swing all the way in below you.
If fishing with sinktips, the question to ask yourself or your guide is
Read More »5 Reasons People Don’t Catch As Many Trout As They Should
By Kyle Wilkenson
These 5 bad habits will keep you from catching the fish you deserve.
Whether I’m guiding or working in the shop, one thing rings true– I talk to a lot of anglers. Living in Denver, a lot of these anglers have made it past the ‘beginner’ stage but still aren’t catching as many fish as they’d like, or with the consistency they’d like. It is not enough in fly-fishing to simply get comfortable with your clinch knot and roll cast and expect the numbers of fish you’re catching to increase dramatically. I guide a lot of our customers who fall into this category– let’s call it ‘intermediate– and over the years it seems we always end up working on the same 5 things.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, HERE ARE MY TOP 5 REASONS PEOPLE DON’T CATCH AS MANY TROUT AS THEY SHOULD:
1. They Cast First and Look Second. I started with this reason because, in my opinion, it is the one thing people have the most trouble wrapping their head around. In reality, the correct order would be Look First. Cast Second. This is particularly true if you fish anywhere that presents itself with sight fishing opportunities. Whenever you approach the river, take a minute (or sometimes literally several minutes) and study the water. You’ll be amazed how many times there will be fish right at your feet, ready to eat your fly. More often than not though, people walk right up to the river and charge on in without ever breaking stride. By doing this, not only did you likely just walk through fish that could have been caught, but you also just sent them darting for the depths in a panic which can put other fish in the area on alert. Spotting fish in the water is not an ‘easy’ skill and is not something you learn to do in one day. Sure, we guides may make it look easy some days to spot fish wherever we walk, but I promise you this skill was hard-earned. Start making it a point to study the water looking for fish and once you have those first few successes, you’ll never look at the river the same way again.
2. They Don’t watch the bubbles. If you’ve never paid attention before to the speed of the bubbles on the surface versus to the speed your indicator,,when nymphing, it’s time to start. Simply put, the indicator NEEDS to be floating slower than the bubbles on the surface and here’s why. When it comes to nymphing, most of the time the fish you’re targeting are going to be sitting very tight to the bottom. The water on the bottom of the river is moving slower than the water on the surface. If your indicator is floating the same speed as the bubbles on the surface then this means your flies are whizzing by the trout at an unnatural rate of speed, if they’re even getting down into the zone at all (which they’re likely not). This problem can easily be fixed by
Read More »Keeping Your Head Straight Catches Steelhead
I just got back from hosting two groups of anglers on this year’s Deschutes River Steelhead Camp.
This trip is always a highlight of my year. Because it’s just so much fun and because there is nothing I love more than swinging flies for steelhead. Camping on a beautiful river and sharing some water and whisky with like-minded anglers would be awesome even if it didn’t involve one of my favorite fish species.
Steelheading is a unique fly fishing experience, especially when done with a two-hand rod and a swung fly. It offers plenty of challenge and technique, even when the fishing is stellar. It’s definitely about quality over quantity and if you are the kind of angler who needs constant feedback, the biggest challenge can be in your head.
I’ve always said the reason steelheaders are so cranky is because they spend so much time staring at the water thinking about all the bad things they’ve done. It’s funny but all too true. We all know the voice in our head that, when denied a pull for a while, starts to chant, “You Suck! You Suck! Yes You Do!”
For some anglers, and especially for beginners, this can be a real problem. Not just because it will melt your spey cast down but because it’s no fun. The best way I know to catch fish is to fish with confidence and if you lose your confidence you’re on a slippery slope to skunk town. Trust me, I’ve been there.
One of the coolest things about the Steelhead Camp is that I get to see a lot of anglers catch their first steelhead. The Deschutes is a great place for that because the fishing is so good. While the fishing this year was good by almost any standards, it was off for the Deschutes.
The generation of steelhead which are returning to the river for the first time this year faced some rough conditions. These fish, known as “single salt” fish, usually make up the largest part of the run but this year they returned in smaller numbers. It’s kind of a good news / bad news situation. While numbers are lower than normal, average size is larger. Again, quality over quantity.
I’m really proud of all of my anglers, who kept their attitudes straight, fished hard and had fun. In the end, all but one caught fish, but several paid their dues getting it done. That, of course, makes it that much sweeter. The other good thing about the camp is that anglers have great support, both technical advice and communal encouragement. It makes a big difference.
HERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU’RE NOT CATCHING STEELHEAD.
Read More »Gold Nugget
Trophy brown trout like this one are worth their weight in gold.
I’m a big fan of that Gold Rush TV show filmed up in Alaska. I don’t know what it is about that show but I’m hooked. Go ahead, call me dumb for wasting my time watching it, I’m just dying to see one of those crews dig up a fortune of gold that will give all of their families peace, security and well being. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after watching Gold Rush for almost three seasons now, it’s that gold mining does not come easy. It requires every ounce of energy and stubborn persistence to find enough gold for you to come out ahead, and then, even the biggest of crews can get outperformed by one lucky schmuck with a metal detector. Just ask that Australian amateur gold prospector with a metal detector who recently found a 12-pound nugget worth well over $300,000. Sometimes, no matter how diligent you are, it all boils down to timing and luck. The entire deal felt eerily similar to a giant 26″+ wild brown trout a client of mine landed last week.
Read More »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 »Shrimp Part 2: Cannula Shrimp
By Herman deGala This fly came about because I was changing out my cannula for my oxygen when I noticed that it looked like a shrimp. At the time I was also working out a grass shrimp pattern that a friend had asked me to take a look at for those double digit o’io(bonefish) from my home in Hawai’i. I adapted my technique for crimping the abdomen with a heated pair of hemostats from my mysis shrimp and just increase its scale. You can purchase cannulas off of the web get them from a friend who is on oxygen. As for me I’ll have a lifetime supply. Watch the video and learn to tie deGala’s Cannula Shrimp. Mahalo, Herman deGala Signature Fly Designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants. / http://flytyingclips.com Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Big Salmon and Rock N’ Roll: An Interview With Eric Clapton
The name Eric Clapton is synonymous with rock and roll, but in certain circles he’s just as well known as a fly angler.
Clapton has been fishing his entire life but didn’t get into fly fishing until his status as a rock star was well confirmed. He even planned tour dates around famous rivers he wanted to fish. There was a time in his life when Clapton lived the ‘Rock N’ Roll Lifestyle’ like few have done but, since putting down heroin and alcohol in 1987, his life has been more like a John Gierach book than a rock and roll memoir.
Clapton’s recent angling obsession has been Atlantic Salmon. In August of 2016 he landed a fish measuring 42 1/2 inches on the Vatnsdalsa river in Iceland. That would be the fish of a lifetime for any angler, but Clapton returned in 2017 to land another salmon measuring 41 1/2 inches and weighing in 3 pounds heavier than the first. Not content to rest on his laurels, the rock and roll icon is heading back to Iceland this year and is predicting a personal best, if not a record.
I AM DEEPLY HONORED THAT ERIC CLAPTON TOOK THE TIME TO SIT DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW AND SHARED HIS THOUGHTS ON FLY FISHING WITH G&G READERS. BELOW IS OUR CONVERSATION.
G&G: Eric, may I call you Eric?
EC: Absolutely.
G&G: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk. It’s ridiculously exciting for me, I’ve been a big fan since I was in high school. I was in several bands and my buddies and I used to cover your songs, so I apologize for that. We were awful.
EC: (Laughing) Well, thank you just the same.
G&G: I renumber seeing the photos of that big salmon you caught in 2016, good lord what a fish that was, it was easily the biggest salmon I’d ever seen. What went through your mind when you hooked that fish?
EC: Oh, it was total panic. The first run was like nothing I’d ever experienced. You know, that fish took me nearly a half mile downstream.
Read More »Making A Rattan Fly Rod Grip, Part 1: Video
There’s nothing quite as classic as a well made Rattan grip on a fly rod.
In addition to being beautiful, a rattan grip has a great feel in the hand. It’s the finishing touch that sets off a rod build and makes it just a little different. It’s especially nice on a split cane rod, but great on graphite and glass as well.
Our buddy Matt Draft, of Proof Fly Fishing is here with a great tutorial video on how to make your own rattan fly rod grips. It doesn’t take a lot of experience or fancy tools to ad this beautiful finishing touch to your rod.
WATCH THE VIDEO AND LEARN TO MAKE A RATTAN FLY ROD GRIP.
Read More »Dunnigan’s Panty Dropper Nymph
By Bob Reece Dunnigan’s P.D. Nymph is a trout magnet. As I’ve moved further into my fly tying and fishing journey, I’ve been blessed to meet some outstanding people. Casey Dunnigan happens to be one of them. A skilled welder by trade, his ability to create with his hands is evident in his fly tying as well. Casey’s inspiration for designing his Panty Dropper (P.D.) nymph pattern, came as a result of extensive time collecting live specimens. He wanted a highly accurate P.M.D. imitation that combined realistic traits, like the fibbett antennae, with enough subtle flash to set it apart from the underwater mix. The enlarged wing case of the pattern is perhaps its most dynamic characteristic. This element was included to parallel the distended state of that feature in naturals as they near emergence. I was lucky enough to get my hands on this pattern a few years ago when I traded Casey a dozen of my Beefcake Beetles for equal amount of his P.D. nymphs. The dozen that I received were size sixteens. Casey typically ties and carries the range of eighteen to fourteen. It was late summer when we made this exchange. In the weeks that followed I spent several days on a few of my favorite steams throughout Wyoming and Colorado. I was blown away by the effectiveness of this pattern as it produced multiple days of more than thirty fish to my net. Every once in a while a pattern comes along that truly sets itself apart from others. I firmly believe Dunnigan’s Panty Dropper to be one of those. This highly accurate imitation turns fish at level that I’ve seldom seen. Whether you tie or buy, take the time to add this bug to your nymphing arsenal this year. Watch this video … Continue reading
Read More »Why I Always Carry a Backup Gear Box
HAVE YOU EVER MADE IT TO THE RIVER AFTER A TWO HOUR DRIVE AND REALIZED WHEN YOU GOT THERE, YOU HAD FORGOT TO PACK ONE OF YOUR CRUCIAL PIECES OF FISHING GEAR?
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been that unfortunate angler plenty of times, and it can ruin a day of fishing. A few years back I was forced to spend a day on Depuy’s Creek in MT wading around in a pair of my Justin cowboy boots. It was really ironic because I spent the morning packing all the gear for my virgin fly fishing buddies, and I was the one that ended up leaving my damn wading boots on the front porch. Those Justin boots were surprisingly comfortable wading in but they had zero traction, and I looked like a moron. I’ve never forgot my wading boots on a fishing trip since.
Backup Fly Fishing Gear Box. Photo By: Louis Cahill
These days I always try to keep a box of backup gear in my vehicle at all times when there’s room. This way I’m covered if a piece of gear slips my mind during my packing or if I have gear break down on me on the water. Don’t get carried away with the backup gear box, just pack the essentials. I”m talking about focusing on the gear that will cause you to shout multiple four letter obscenities when you find yourself without them. Below is a short list of gear I carry with me at all times.
CONTENTS OF MY BACK GEAR BOX
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