Waiting for the Cicada Hatch
Most of the savvy local fly anglers I know are on high alert.
Fly shop phones are ringing. Fishing buddies are organized into call lists. Everyone has their ears up, listening for that buzz. Except for me, of course. I’m deaf as a post and I hear that sound all the time. It’s 2017, and it doesn’t take a math scientist to figure out what that means. Our last 17 year cicada hatch was in 2000, so it’s time to spin up some foam monsters.
Any angler who has fished a good 17 year cicada hatch is not likely to forget it. It’s the kind of experience that leaves you wondering about everything you thought you knew about fish. If you haven’t fished it, you’ve likely heard the stories. The best one I’ve heard involved huge striped bass sipping dry flies. That sort of thing will change a person.
If you’ve chased this hatch before, you probably also know about disappointment. Maybe you drove 400 miles for a hatch that never happened, or maybe you’ve seen the cicadas on the water and fish ignored them. I’ve done both, and with the chance coming only every 17 years, that’s pretty heartbreaking.
A couple of years ago, after spinning up a mound of cicada patterns for a hatch that was supposed to happen several states away, and didn’t, I got sick of waiting. I decided to fish those flies anyway, right here at home, in the absence of any hatch. Guess what?
Read More »4 Worm Patterns I Always Carry In My Fly Box
Worm Fly Patterns That Consistently Catch Fish
It’s no secret worm patterns are super consistent most of the year for catching both stocked and wild trout. They work especially well for stocked fish, after a big rain, and during the spring, winter, and fall seasons. I’ve had days when the only thing I could get trout to eat was a san juan worm. There’s a bunch of haters out there that will not fish them, claiming it’s the next closest thing to fishing a real earthworm, but look in their fly box and I bet you’ll find a few. I on the other hand, have no problem fishing worm patterns, because they do a great job of keeping my clients rods bent, which in turn, pays my bills. To top it all off, worm patterns are among the cheapest and easiest fly patterns for me to tie. I can rip out about a dozen in less than ten minutes, for about $2.50 worth of materials. Choosing to put worm patterns in your fishing line-up, will almost certainly put more fish in your net. Below are four worm patterns I always keep in my fly box.
Click on Photos For Larger Views
Fly Patterns Left to Right: Chamois Worm, Fl. Pink Flash San Juan Worm, Squirmy Wormy, Delektable Soft-Hackle Worm
The Chamois “Shammy” Worm
Yes, you read the name right, this fly is made out of a car drying chamois. For $10-14 you can buy one and tie about 100+ chamois worms with it. This pattern can be deadly after a fresh rain, when earthworms have been washed from
Winston Air 2 “Dark Horse” Review
A great fishing rod has to cast great, but not every great casting rod is a great fishing rod. By Louis Cahill Back at, what proved to be, the last IFTD show, I cast the new Air 2 from Winston. I was blown away and I shot a video where Adam Hutchison and I talk about the rod. I will include that below. However, no matter how well a rod handles the casting pond, I will not write a review based on that. There’s a whole lot more that goes into a rod that fishes great than the cast. Especially when it comes to trout rods. I don’t own an Air 2 but my buddy Dan Flynn bought one recently, after I told him how much I liked it. Dan is one of the best Trout anglers I know, especially on a small stream, but he’s not a gear guy. He might drop some coin on a beautiful jungle cock neck but he’s never owned a premium rod before now. He’s thanked me about eight times for suggesting the Air 2 and when he and I fished together last week, I asked if I could fish it. He was more than happy to oblige. Real quickly, I’m going to address something that bugs me. I often get negative comments on reviews about people not trusting the review because I got a free piece of gear. Anyone who knows me knows that’s ridiculous. That’s not how I roll and I have pissed off rod manufacturers and lost advertisers for telling them their products weren’t up to my standard. At any rate, I’m writing this review of a rod I don’t own and Winston has no idea I’m writing it. You can take that for whatever it’s worth. I do not accept … Continue reading
Read More »Muddy Water Redfish
BY OWEN PLAIR
WATER CLARITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN SALTWATER FLY FISHING.
No matter what fish you are targeting, simply being able to see the fish, and the fish being able to see your fly is key. Targeting fish on the flats in muddy water is a challenge, but there are ways to get past the dark side my friends!
Many things can cause water to be muddy. Wind, rain, current, temperature, big schools of fish moving, and tides, especially when it comes to shallow water redfish flats. Targeting redfish, on mudflats with poor clarity, can still be productive. The fish are still feeding, they’re shallow enough for you to see them push, and it’s easy to get close enough for a simple cast.
Seeing the fish in muddy water is the first step to having a productive day. You’re not looking for the bodies of the fish but the push of water caused by fish moving or chasing bait. These pushes are shaped like a U and give away the direction the fish is moving, which will help you make the right presentation. You can also look for tails, backs, and other visual signs of redfish without having to see their whole bodies.
The most important thing, when targeting redfish in muddy water
Read More »Fly Tying Material: DMC Embroidery Floss for Midge Patterns
As we work through fall, and move our way into the winter months, midges will start making up a higher percentage of a trout’s daily diet. Midges may lack the high caloric value of their larger aquatic friends, but they more than make up for it with their year-round availability, and high densities on the water. Veteran trout bums understand the important role that midges play, especially as a mainstay food source for late fall and winter trout. Tiny midges don’t pack a lot of weight on trout, but they do supplement trout enough to help slow up winter weight loss, until the smorgasbord of food returns in the spring. If you went around and snuck a peak in as many hardcore winter trout bums fly boxes as you could find, most, if not all, would be stocked with a nice variety of midge patterns that imitate the three life stages of the aquatic midge (larva, pupa and adult).
The past month I’ve been bulking up my inventory of midge patterns. That way, I’ll be ready when the trout start consistently keying in on the tiny stuff. If you know your way around a vise, I suggest you take the time to do so as well. Most midge recipes are quick and easy to tie, and I promise, the time and energy you spend tying them up, will be paid back ten fold on the water. One of my favorite fly tying materials that you can find in your local craft store or Walmart for tying midge patterns is DMC (Six-strand) Embroidery Floss. All I can tell you is I flat out love this stuff.
Read More »Fishing With Your Kids
By Justin Pickett
If you’re like me, and planning to hit the water with your kid, here’s a few things to take into consideration before strapping them in the car seat.
Hot and sticky days are beginning to give way to the hints of fall that are felt amongst the fog laden mornings and it gets me all worked up. Fall has got to be my favorite time of year here in the Southeast. Leaves are beginning to change color, water temps are dropping, and the fall spawners will be on the move in the coming weeks. But there’s one other thing that gets me excited about fall, and that’s getting my little girl back out on my local rivers and streams with me. Georgia summers are hot and heavy, so many of my fishing outings with my little one are limited to very short, bank hopping sessions in the evening. Far from the fishing I enjoy the most, especially with my little fishing buddy. For me, the upcoming days will no doubt have me preparing for long, streamside days with my kiddo. If you’re like me, and planning to hit the water with your kid, here’s a few things to take into consideration before strapping them in the car seat and screeching out of the driveway!
Be Realistic: Before you go running out the door thinking that you’re going to have some crazy, epic day of fishing, let’s be realistic about the situation at hand. You’re not going to be doing near the amount of fishing as when you go with your buddies. Though it is very rewarding and some of the most fun a parent can have, it is going to be more work than you’re probably thinking. While your kid may be excited about going fishing with mommy, or daddy, or both, they’re still kids. They have short attention spans and limited physical abilities. When planning to fish with your kid(s), your destination needs to be greatly considered and chosen accordingly to fit your child. Climbing Barrier Falls in search of Appalachian Brook Trout with a toddler probably isn’t going to be the best idea. Keep safety in mind. Choose a creek, stream, or pond that is easy to navigate and doesn’t require a ton of hiking.
Food: Don’t get caught with your pants down! Make sure to take the time to pack away the essentials for a successful day in the outdoors with the little ones. Water, juices, snacks, and sandwiches should be no-brainers. You won’t last very long if you forget food and drinks for the kids. You also don’t
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 »Bug Juice Ain’t The Only Thing Missing!
THE EVERGLADES IS CERTAINLY KNOWN FOR ITS AMAZING FISHING, SCENERY, BIRD LIFE, AND THE MYRIAD OF OTHER ANIMAL LIFE THAT INHABITS THE ECOSYSTEM.
Unfortunately, the one thing that has everything else well outnumbered is the mosquitos. And not just any mosquito. These damn things have evolved into a dominant force that could easily be used as a form of biological warfare. Even urban legends exist of people dying from incessant attacks from mosquitos. I’m not even getting into the diseases that mosquitos can carry…. Don’t wanna get that zika!
With this in mind, I packed a few pairs of lightweight pants to wear along with my usual long-sleeved shirts and HooRags while out fishing in the creeks and bays “inside” the Glades. I wanted to prevent being eaten alive so that I wouldn’t be constantly scratching and smacking myself like a lunatic. I did completely forget to pack bug spray, but I knew I could pick some up a local grocery store. Besides, I think bug spray for these gnarly gnats and mosquitos only adds seasoning to our already tender meat…
Day one in the Glades came early. Rising well before the sun, Tim Harden, the Venturing Angler, and I met up with our guide, Capt. Jason Sullivan of Rising Tide Charters, at 4:15am. Waiting for Jason to finish fueling up the boat, we carried on a casual conversation. Jason stepped around from the gas pump and gave Tim an inquisitive look followed up with, “Did you bring pants? The mosquitos are awful. They’re probably the worst I’ve ever seen.”
I hadn’t paid it any attention in my morning stupor, but Tim had ventured out of the hotel room wearing a long-sleeved shirt and… a pair of lightweight shorts. Apparently, Tim had never experienced mosquitos bad enough in the years past that he had visited the Everglades. At least not enough for him to think of wearing pants
Read More »Posture Matters For Fly Casting
How many times did your mother tell you to stand up straight?
Well, I’m guessing she wasn’t a casting instructor. Almost every time I work with anglers on their casting, we end up talking about posture. I realize that fishing is a leisure activity, but fly fishing at least, is also an athletic activity and like anything athletic, posture matters. Better posture means better casting and that means catching more fish.
Here are a few basic tips for fly casting posture.
By far the most common problem I see in folks struggling with their casting starts with their knees. If you’ve ever stood up in a wedding, you’ve likely gotten the advice from the preacher about locking your knees. It’s apparently not uncommon for folks who lock their knees during a long ceremony to keel over like a drunk.
It makes sense; you have no real balance or control over your body when your knees are locked straight, but I can’t tell you how many folks I see trying to cast a fly rod stiff-legged. Even after I point it out, everyone is resistant to bending their knees when casting. I think they just feel silly, but would you feel silly bending your knees to hit a golf ball, or a baseball? What about throwing a pitch or shooting a basket? Would you take a shot at a big buck with your knees locked? Of course not. I can’t think of any sport you’d approach with you knees locked straight. Don’t try to cast that way either.
Bending your knees gives you solid balance and engages the powerful muscles in your core. This will give you better control of the rod and line, and add power to your cast. Having a firm stance is a huge help in making the all-important hard stop in the casting stroke.
This is never more important than when
Read More »Good Indications
I VAGUELY REMEMBER THE DAYS BEFORE STRIKE INDICATORS.
I don’t know for sure when the first fly fisherman looked over at a bait fisherman using a bobber and decided that he couldn’t beat ‘um and it was time to join ‘um, but I do remember when I first discovered strike indicators. I was fishing nymphs with greater and greater regularity. I was catching a lot more fish but far from what I’d call proficient. A friend gave me a yarn indicator and promised I’d catch a lot more fish. He was right.
It wasn’t long before I found myself using the indicator every time I tied on a nymph. It worked so well I couldn’t see fishing without it. It was such a revolution that I figured there had to be something more. I went on a quest for the perfect strike indicator. That sublime doohickey that could put on my line that would make me a nymphing god.
I started with yarn and at first I wasn’t aware that there was anything else. I experimented with colors and sizes. Yellow, pink, chartreuse, white, black, each had its application but I never found anything I liked better than the yellow one my friend had given me. Fish liked it too. It got eaten routinely so I tied a hook into it. I caught a few fish but mostly I hooked my fingers while adjusting the indicator.
Next came foam. I tried emulating the yarn indicator with strips of foam bound together, thinking it would not get waterlogged like the yarn. It didn’t but it cast like an umbrella. Then I discovered stick-on foam indicators and they worked OK but they didn’t float very high. I eventually lost interest in foam and went back to yarn.
I tried a new style of yarn indicator with a tiny O-ring used to attach it to the line. It was an interesting idea. It was easier to attach but the O-ring always broke before long and it was tougher on the leader.
Then putty indicators came along. I couldn’t resist this idea. It was great to be able to choose the size of my indicator for the fishing conditions. To add or pinch off some putty to get just the right size. I even bought glow-in-the-dark putty which I am embarrassed to say I never used. Putty didn’t do it for me either and it left a sticky mess on my leaders and everything else it touched.
Next I went through a stealth phase.
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