Brook Trout~Todd Fuller
Todd Fuller, at North Branch (Au Sable R.) Outfitters http://www.fullersnboc.com (Lovells, Michigan) took two amazing photos here. I found them at http://www.wagnerrods.com/news.html
Hexed Up~Todd Fuller
Archive for January 25th, 2009
I have it on great authority that Mel loves the suggestiveness of this song…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU
Rainbow Trout~Johan Soderberg (Sweden)
http://flyfishonthefly.ning.com/
This is a compilation of Johan’s travels and fly fishing exploits combined with other fly fisher’s work. Lots of great travel pictures with relaxed, natural shots that really capture the sites in Europe and beyond. htm http://www.flyfishing-slovenia.se/gallery
You know what this means? No, not that I have caught so many fish, I am lounging about in a euphoric stupor resting and exercising my artistic inclinations. Nope, it is below freezing air temp with water temp 35 degrees and with an East wind pulsing down the Gorge. The Compline running line is trashing my fingers and the river right position is playing poorly against the river right wind. I am not that good anyway, but once I could not feel my fingertips the stripping of the running line, the pinching of the running line and the laser quality of the line played hell on my fingers enough that even though I thought they were frozen, I managed to stay in touch with my nerve endings…ouch! I swung easy and pulled my bottom hand in just so, but I was muddling one cast after another with only a few out a respectable distance. Wasn’t happening. River speed a touch too fast.
All that effort to get into my gear and now the trudge back and the effort to remove the gear. I long ago sprung for Simms Waders and have always touted that purchase as one of the single best investments I have ever made in my fly fishing life. But, even they are hard to remove if so many layers are worn beneath and your fingers cease to function. Ugh. I have weathered through several respiratory setbacks this winter and I finally decided to venture forth against my better judgment. Hmm, no whining allowed…the wind was the culprit…it can only get better. Oh, for those with drift boats, be careful taking out at Dabney. Several rigs stuck in sand at take out. Drift boats need to be winched or dragged up to firm ground to even get near a trailer.
25
Jan
09
Phantom Midge by Jeff Morgan
Phantom Midge~Jeff Morgan
Imitates pupae of the phantom midge. Jeff Morgan writes about this pattern: “While not an everyday pattern, this one can save the day when fish are feeding on the pupae of the nearly transparent phantom midge. The name phantom midge originated from the ghoulish ‘face’ that appears on the thorax of the natural, making the creature look like a miniature ghost.
“Standard patterns, with their solid colors and firm silhouettes, are almost worthless if fish are picky. A thin, flashy pattern like this one can be the only answer. A pearlescent fly, while not perfectly the clear-white of the natural, is the best color, since using exclusively clear materials will let the dark hook shank show through. I guess this insect will remain a challenge for tiers to imitate until some wacky engineer comes up with a fluorocarbon fishhook!”
http://www.westfly.com/fly-pattern-recipe/wet/phantommidge.shtml
Jeff moved to Nebraska a year or so ago. What an amazing fountain of info re trout, habitat and NW fly fishing! I imagine he has found waters to fish nearby the University and is accumulating even more knowledge. Jeff wrote many fine articles for Westfly-Oregon.
One of the things I like about WinonaFlyFactory is that Justin is exploring and presenting his findings and in the process he comes up with his own creations. In doing so, he often makes you think beyond the standard. Tim at Planet Trout does much the same. I recognize this in SE Euro sites as well. It makes me consider how often we regurgitate the formula, because much of it works, but we can look past the innovations born from reinventing the wheel…
Winona Swimming Pheasant Tail Nymph
A little experimentation, a Mustad hook (discontinued), a little visualization. I like the scraggily, impressionistic tie. I am all about impressionistic.
http://winonaflyfactory.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/the-swimming-pt/
Mark Yuhina Illustrations
Yellowstone Cutt~Mark Yuhina (Yuhina Illustrations)
About my work
25
Jan
09
Carbon Credits Horseshit
Similar stories are repeated across China and elsewhere around the world, as hundreds of hydro projects line up for carbon credits, at a potential cost of billions to Europeans, Japanese and soon perhaps Americans, in a trading system a new U.S. government review concludes has “uncertain effects” on greenhouse-gas emissions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090125/ap_on_re_as/china_s_golden_dams
As you pound your chest in glee and flip off Bush/Cheney on their departure, I hope you will be equally vigilant in the years to come as O steers us toward absurd ‘green’ policies. If you value your liberty so much, I imagine you will recognize an immensely greater threat to your liberty than Bush or Cheney ever imagined…unless you have bought into all this horseshit…if you have already changed your bulbs, you probably have.
Green Drake~http://www.wagnerrods.com
Tube flies, Temple Dog wings, skagits, scandi’s, running line, Snap T. Do you remember how to present a drag free drift with a dry fly…not a skater…a dry fly for those trout you have ignored the last five to ten years. This is crazy cool and I am sure if you were fortunate enough to be here, you would figure out how to present a dry even if all you had was a two hander. I have heard of steelhead on the D rising to October Caddis. I am sure this happens beyond the fabled waters of B.C., but again this exploration of the B.C. rivers yields one amazing image-visual after another and always reinforces how valued these fish are. Thanks to http://www.fishingfury.com/categories/fishing/fly-fishing/
Wulff Green Drake~Virgin
