The Tellico Nymph
THE TELLICO NYMPH IS A SOUTHERN CLASSIC.
Named after the storied North Carolina river where it was proven fool big browns, the Tellico Nymph is a southern as moonshine and just as effective. It’s a simple impressionistic fly that works in any size, although #10 is a favorite. Just because it’s a southern fly doesn’t mean it won’t catch fish on your home waters. In fact, showing your local fish something they’ve never seen might be a great idea.
Conner Jones is back to show you how to tie The Tellico Nymph.
Read More »Fly Fishing with Stealth – 8 Common Mistakes
How often to you think anglers miss opportunities catching trout because of the lack of stealth? The more educated trout populations are in a stream, river or lake you’re fly fishing, the more important it is for fly anglers to mimic the way a hunter stalks game in the field. I estimate that I give away upwards of 50% of my trout catching opportunities due to my lack of stealth. Below are 8 common mistakes fly anglers make on the water that blow their cover and success.
1. MOVING TOO FAST IN AND OUT OF THE WATER
Trout are amazing at picking up on the subtle movement of objects around them. Movement is often perceived by anglers as being more important than noise by trout when it comes to them detecting danger. Eagles, osprey, heron and anglers all fit the bill for danger by trout when they see movement. Don’t just pay attention to your movement in the water either, it’s just as important to pay attention to the movement we make out of the water. I’ve got a wild trout stream a couple miles from my house where the trout are known to spook from anglers walking along an access road high above the river 50 feet or more away. Make no mistake, trout can see very well out of the water, particularly if the water is calm and clear.
2. TOO MUCH NOISE EQUALS UNSATISFACTORY STEALTH
Never be in a rush to get into position so you can make a cast into that tasty looking trout water. If anglers move too quickly, they’re going to increase the noise they make during their approach and greatly increase their chances of alerting trout. Studies show that sound can travel as much as
Read More »The Fishpond Roll Top Boat Bag Makes My Life A Whole Lot Easier
ARE ALL BOAT BAGS CREATED EQUAL?
As soon as I got my new Adipose drift boat I went shopping for a boat bag. It’s the one boat accessory that’s as essential as oars or an anchor. Having your gear organized, accessible and protected in the boat is a must. There are a lot of boat bags on the market and most of them are pretty similar. As soon as I saw the Fishpond, Westwater Roll Top Boat Bag I knew I’d found the one for me.
The bag is roomy. 9″W X 17″L X 12″H. The interior is divided Into three convenient compartments by movable panels attached by Velcro. There are two cool zipper pouches, with clear fronts, which attack by Velcro and can be moved anywhere on the inside of the bag. These are really nice for cell phones and car keys as well as small gear items that like to go missing in gear bags. There is also a clear inner flap with a zipper compartment for frequently used items. The bag is rugged with a tough formed bottom, a comfortable carry strap and several places to fix items on the outside.
Sounds like every other boat bag on the market so far, right? Well, here is the very significant difference. The closure of this bag is a completely waterproof roll top, like you see in dry bags used by white water rafters. This is huge for me. It means that can put my camera and a couple of lenses in one of the compartments and it’s 100% safe from water.
If I get caught in a storm, no problem. Drop the bag getting in the boat, no worries. Sink the boat??? Unlike my heavy pelican case this bag will float. That means I don’t always have to carry a separate camera case and my life just got a whole lot easier. In fact, this bag would make a great camera bag itself. Expensive video camera or sound gear would be safe and dry, no matter what.
Anything you don’t want to get wet while your out in the boat will be safe and dry in the Westwater Roll Top. Still skeptical?
WATCH THE VIDEO, YOU MIGHT BE SHOCKED HOW MUCH I TRUST MY FISHPOND BOAT BAG.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Don’t Hate the River
I was talking with a friend the other day about doing some fishing in Colorado, his home state. This is a good topic to bring up if you are trying to lure me into an extended conversation. Colorado is near to my heart. He was throwing out places we might fish and said “I know you love the Dream Stream, but I hate that place”. This really took me off guard. How could anyone hate that place? If you’ve never fished it, trust me, the name says it all. A gorgeous high elevation tailwater, this section of the South Platte snakes thru a quant little valley between two reservoirs, bending back on itself time and time again, each glass clear bend stacked with big, beautiful, educated trout. What’s so terrible about that? I do love that place and I’ve had some great days there the best being the first. Kent and I showed up with one of the S. Platte’s famous trico hatches in full swing. Glass calm runs turning into boiling caldrons of rising fish. Kent’s triple trico was born that day. The hatch was epic but we caught great fish all day using everything from dries to streamers. How can you hate a place like that? The answer is pretty simple, pressure. You can’t put a stream like that a couple of hours drive from a major metropolitan area and not expect the word to get out. It’s true that the Dream Stream sees a ton of traffic but I’ve always had good experiences there and on a lot of other highly pressured rivers and I think it’s more than luck. Some of it is strategy and some of it is outlook. I have structured my life so that I can be on the water while everyone else … Continue reading
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / All About Tenkara
IT’S TIME FOR SOME TENKARA
I’m really excited about the positive response to the first article on G&G by Daniel Galhardo, founder of Tenkara USA. I’m excited to have him as part of the G&G family and you will be seeing more content from Daniel on this rapidly growing style of fly fishing.
But I’m not going to make you wait! I’m linking to three of Daniel’s efforts outside of G&G so you can get your tenkara fix today.
“WHAT IS TENKARA?” A SHORT VIDEO ON THE BASICS OF TENKARA
ASK ABOUT FLY FISHING
The Ask About Fly Fishing interview with Daniel is everything you want to know about tenkara.
TENKARA BIKING
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“Tenkara Biking” a short video story. Go on a mountain bike ride and do some fishing with Daniel.
Pack The Heat So You Can Pack it Out
No trees here to climb and I can barely see the truck with my naked eyes far off in the distance. The recent run-in with the local WYDNR officer, who just gave me the run down about heavy bear activity in the area, has got me the heebie-jeebies. I’m trying to let loose and be one with the rod, but I can’t stop from thinking I’m smelling wet dog in the air, and I’m terrified of what could be lurking behind the thick moose brush out of sight. If you’re in the process of planning a trip into the deep wilderness where bear, moose, and other dangerous predators thrive, you just might consider purchasing a canister of pepper spray, and keep it holstered on your side. Hell it could save your life.
Two years ago, I stumbled right on top of a Boon & Crockett moose bedded down during a short hike-in to a secluded stretch of the Snake River. Luckily, we both decided to flight in opposite directions, and I only had to change my britches before wetting a line. Guiding in Alaska one season, I somehow managed to stay under the radar, as two giant brown bears went toe to toe battling over a spawning bed within inches of my outpost tent. And I’ll never forget the feeling of total panic, when I walked up on a fresh bloody mule deer kill on the Upper Hoback River this past July. With my heart pounding out my chest, and the realization of no one knowing my whereabouts, I quickly
Read More »The Airflo Super Dri, A Fly Line For Trout That Delivers On The Promise Of Technology
“YOU’LL FEEL THE DIFFERENCE ON THE FIRST CAST.”
That’s the promise that Airflo makes in its advertising. For once, that’s an advertising promise kept. I can honestly say that the first time I cast the Airflo Super Dri fly line, I was aware that it was unique. A product that clearly stood out. In fact, that’s exactly what I thought the first time I touched the line. It feels different in your hand.
I’ve become numb to words like hydrophobic and nano technology. Where fly lines are concerned there’s often a lot more marketing than science involved in those kinds of claims. That honestly was what I thought when I saw the name, Super Dri. I was wrong.
There are a couple of qualities that make this line stand out.
The slickness in incredible. Like no fly line I’ve ever touched, and it lasts. It’s not just a coating that wears off. It appears to be made into the line. The line stays slick and remarkably clean. This makes the Super Dri fly through the guides like no fly line I’ve ever seen. There is a significant increase in distance.
“Zone Technology” is a fancy way of saying
Read More »Sunday Classic / The Only Two Caddis Pupa Patterns I Need to Carry
Caddisflies, who doesn’t love them? I can assure you trout sure do. Tying a caddisfly imitation on, is usually not a bad move on any trout water you visit. Globally, there’s thousands of different species of caddisflies, and that fact alone, one could argue caddisflies are the most abundant and popular aquatic insects found in trout water. If I remember correctly, my first trout landed on a dry fly was with an Elk Hair Caddis. That was a long time ago, back when I knew nothing about fishing caddis pupa patterns and how important they were. I’ve since, with the help of the great Gary LaFontaine, author of the famous book, “Caddisflies”, deepened my knowledge of this aquatic insect, and I’ve built a whole new appreciation and respect for the importance they have in a trout’s diet. Year-round, but particularly during the spring, early summer and fall, fly anglers should be well stocked up on caddisfly pupa fly patterns.
It’s safe to say the most effective way to catch the trout during a caddisfly hatch is
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Other People’s Flies
JOSH MILLS IS FISHING OTHER PEOPLE’S FLIES, AND DOING PRETTY WELL.
Millsfly, the online project of Washington based angler Josh Mills, is a site dedicated to steelhead, conservation and family. Josh does a pretty nice job of balancing these topics and shares a few good ideas and photos along the way.
This piece caught my eye. It’s all about paying it forward and coming together as a community. A message that a great many of us should be taking to heart. So, take this link as a fly shared. Enjoy Millsfly and pass it along to someone. It never hurts to pay it forward.
“THE KARMA OF OTHER PEOPLE’S FLIES”
Read More »2 Alternatives for Attaching Split-Shot
YOU’VE BEEN FISHING HARD ALL DAY LONG SEARCHING FOR THAT PERFECT HONEY HOLE.
You know the one I’m talking about, it’s the one that holds that trophy trout that keeps haunting you in your dreams. It’s getting late, your tired and you know you should be heading back, but there’s a bend just up ahead, and your curiosity keeps pushes you forward with those powerful words, “This could be it, just see what’s on the other side”. Sure enough, as you round the corner, you lay your eyes on a picture perfect run, offering everything a trophy trout could desire. “Screw it”, you say to yourself, “I’ve got time for one more spot. You get into position, make the cast, mend your line, and begin following your strike indicator with your rod tip, when out of no where, it shoots under the surface like it was just attached to a iron dumb bell. You set the hook, and feel the heavy weight of the fish thrashing its big head, and you’re immediately on cloud 9. The adrenaline rush doesn’t last long though. It’s quickly replaced by painful heart ache when you feel your tippet snap, and watch your rod go straight. The excitement is all over…, you won’t land that trophy fish or even be graced with a quick glimpse of it for that matter. The only memory you’ll have to remember that trophy trout is the few aggressive head shakes after the hook set. You bring your fly-less rig to hand and find the tippet broke at the split-shot.
HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU BEFORE?
If you attach your split shot
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