Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
Challenge Chapter does it again!
A few days ago I had the pleasure of addressing members of the Challenge Chapter of Trout Unlimited on one of my favorite subjects …me. I used my personal experiences in the out-of-doors (how it all began, at Palmer Park) as an example of how adults can leave a lasting impression on kids just by letting them watch.
The chapter gave me a copy of their newest stream guide, A Steelheader’s Guide, at the conclusion. (Not sure if it was a reward for giving or for ending my presentation.) But to be sure, this new guide is one of their best. It covers the major steelhead rivers on the west side of the state, and to be sure, like their other guides, it gives exact locations for stream access and precise directions on how to get there. It gives tips on how to fish and what to use, to include fly patterns, It is typical Challenge Chapter perfection in spreading “how and where” to fly fish.
I have all of their guides. I have the original paper editions that had county maps in the back pocket of the guides of streams that flow through different counties. The new ones are laminated, making them water proof. These guides opened doors for me when I had to rely on myself to find places to fly fish for trout …when money for guides was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
Good stuff then, and good stuff now.
TD
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
Do trout really know the name of the fly?
There are hundreds of different kinds of mayflies that hatch at different times on different bodies of water; and there are virtually hundreds of patterns that imitate those mayflies, but most mayflies can be represented by one of a handful of patterns generic enough to get the job done.
Blue Wing Olives, for one, can be represented with the same tie, only in different sizes ranging from 12 – 22 …smaller if you can tie them. Adams and Borchers are generic enough to cover most of the hatches beginning with the Hendrickson hatch.
Brown Drakes and Iso’s can share a common pattern and of course so can hex. Terrestrials are in that category too. Hoppers, for example have dozens of patterns, but I’m partial to Joe’s hopper in various sizes in a few different body colors.
The point is, trying to tie every pattern you see fills up a lot of boxes, (I’ve been guilty of doing this) but only a few will produce consistently. I think any hook with feathers and fur on it will at one time or another catch a fish, so it gets down to favorites with a lot of patterns getting seldom used.
I think Jerry Regan put it best when he said, “My grandmother told me, in order to catch fish, you have to keep the fly on the water.”
TD
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
Fly fishing / tying garage sale!
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
If it looks warm, it just might be!
There is an eerie silence shattered only by the gurgling of rushing water cascading over rocks and downed trees as it flows downstream to its ultimate destination. In winter, when white snow and clear ice stacks up along the edge, the water looks thin and clear and nothing appears to sit or float on the surface….or so it seems.
But even in the cold of winter, life goes on. Less than active trout occasionally rise to take minute offerings; tiny specs that dot the snow close to open water. Mostly they feed on what’s below, then, nymphs and streamers will be more productive than dries …but look closer, look for black dots or specks on snow along the bank or edge.
Sunshine is the key to finding hatches of little stones and midges. Feeder creeks that trickle into larger bodies of water keep ice from forming and should be fished or at least prospected. Anywhere the sun hits no matter how low the temperature, will be a suitable spot to fish. After all, if it looks warm, maybe it is.
TD
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
All they do is hold hooks!
The other day I was asked which vise I thought was the best for a first time fly tier to invest in. I was struck by the word, invest. Usually, I’m asked which vise will work and is the cheapest.
Whenever I give an answer, I always relate that I own at least five vices that I use for my tying and a dozen or so I use for classes I teach. I also mention that I’ve been playing at fly tying off and on for almost 40 years and have amassed quite a collection of “stuff” and vises compile a portion of the collection.
I own several Regal vises, several types of Renzetti vises and the old AA type. I probably use the Renzetti and Regal vises equally, but I tell them, If I were buying one today, I’d buy a HMH Spartan Vise. In fact, I bet a lot of the old-time tiers use some kind of HMS – they’re that good and they last.
Having said all that, it’s good to remember that all a vise does is hold a hook; everything else is just window dressing. But then, if owning a vise was totally by function, and I applied that to owning a fly rod, well, suffice it to say I’d still be using my Shakespeare Wonder Rod.
TD
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
Thoughts from a dinosaur
There are many different ways to tie a fly. Take an Adams for example. The original was tied with different material than the one we know today. They have even evolved into variations of themselves: parachute Adams come to mind as well as paradunns.
With the introduction of new material (all synthetic) some patterns look more like a plug or spoon than a fly pattern …especially streamers. I’m surprised no one has come up with a Rapala imitation.
But, different strokes for different folks, as the saying goes.
What has evolved along with the “new and improved,” is cost. Not only are these glittery, long, creations gaudy, they’re expensive. If you don’t tie your own, expect to spend four-six dollars and up for a single one. And the by-product is, impatience and the expectation of catching big fish every time you hit the water …usually with a guide.
For “my two cents” it’s taken the craftsmanship out of fly tying. I know some of the new glittery creations are colorful and pretty, but who knows if you made a mistake tying it? As far as I can tell, the more glitter and fluff tied to a big hook, the better. I’m surprised there isn’t a movement to allow treble hooks.
Don’t mind my grousing …just thoughts from a dinosaur.
TD
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
If you close your eyes, you can smell yesterday!
There is a cup on my desk that holds pens, pencils, odds and ends and a few old pipes I used to smoke when I was much younger. I didn’t really want to smoke a pipe, but it was what men did that I looked up to, so I tried to emulate them.
Smoking a pipe is an acquired taste. Unlike smoking cigarettes, smoking a pipe is an ordeal: you need to find a pipe that’s just the right weight, shape and composition (a distinctive grained briar). Then it has to be stuffed every time you want to smoke – lighting a pipe with old tobacco in it, is one of the worst, bitterest, biting, taste you can experience. That means you have to carry tobacco with you and keep it fresh, and that means, a pouch.
My dad smoked a pipe when I was growing up. He smoked several blends: Half and Half and Cherry Blend. I remember large tins of tobacco sitting on the coffee table, the kind that were supposed to look as though they belonged on a coffee table, complete with a self-opening top.
I can still smell the cherry Blend if I close my eyes and think back.
There was something cool …no, natural, about a man standing in a stream, fly rod under his arm, lighting a fresh bowl of tobacco, then working the fly rod as he gripped the pipe in his teeth, occasionally letting a puff of smoke escape from his mouth. Or walking through a grouse covert, following a bird dog, both hands on his shotgun with a pipe in his mouth, smoke circling his brimmed hat.
Of course, today, we know better. Smoking sent a lot of people to an early grave, but then, so did bacon …don’t worry Seamus, I only gave up smoking.
TD
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
Thought of the day:
An expert is a guy from out-of-town with a slide show ~ Jerry Regan, philosopher.
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
Everything in moderation!
There is no sense of biting off more than you can chew, or, more precisely, more than you can absorb. Everything in moderation …that’s what I’ve learned over the years.
Seamus, too, needs to take things in moderation. Though I’m not sure he understands the concept, he does know enough to ape me at times, and that helps to keep us bonded. All I have to say is, “It’s time for a nap,” and he looks to see where I’m going to lay down or recline and he’s right there …that is, until I start snoring. Then he finds a room that’s far enough away to muffle the sound of a herd of elephants trumpeting their way through the jungle …at least that’s what “She Who Must Be Obeyed” tells me. Actually, I think she’s exaggerating. Seamus never says a word.
TD
Category Archives: Two Cents Worth
In case you haven’t heard, it’s cold and snowing!
Enough already, I know it’s cold, it’s January in Michigan. Is anyone else as tired as I am at hearing about wind chill? No matter which channel I turn on, radio station I listen to, wind chill and snow – a whole 3 inches – is force-fed to an apparent eager public that can’t get enough of bad news.
It’s not below zero – it can feel like below zero if you stand out in the cold like a birdfeeder waiting for an onslaught of hungry birds – but it’s at least ten degrees warmer than the “town criers” are leading off with to get you to tune in. Where is Sony Elliot with his chalkboard and 5 minute weather report. He told us everything we needed to know …and only had to do it once.
TD