Fly Tying: Wire Bodies for Density

Several years back, John Barr’s Copper John emerged upon the FF scene and gained immediate popularity because it worked and because, for its size, it quickly sunk. The copper wire body was adopted-adapted to many patterns. Consider wire wraps to suggest segmentation and to add additional weight to get a pattern down quickly and tumbling along. The wire body, metal bead and lead wraps beneath the dubbed thorax combine to get the stonefly pattern down quickly. A small chuck and duck pattern. Barb the hook streamside.

Note the Wire Abdomen on this Duplicated Commercial Tie

or, with this Wired Prince Nymph

Wired Prince Nymph (SwittersB)

Steelhead Debauchery @ Dharma’s

At Dharma of the Drift, he lays out the plain realities of fishing for Lake Erie Steelhead. Not a pristine experience, it sounds much like Salmon fishing near me. A cluster of techniques standing shoulder to shoulder and the niceties of pristine experiences lost on the realities at hand.

Drifting, nymphing, bouncing egg patterns may offend some that swing a fly. It shouldn’t. Dharma explains the truth re hatchery/put ‘n take fishing in the L. Erie tribs. No need for pontificating. An aside, how many fly fishers (even shop owners) do you know that fish gear at least once a year? Pulling plugs, sturgeon, seriously? I haven’t in a long time, yet I have all my gear and still have an educated thumb for a level wind and can lay a spinner in a pocket behind a boulder with the best of them. So, I don’t waste time judging people that fish egg patterns or San Juan Worms, let alone guys standing shoulder to shoulder dredging for hatchery Steelhead.

The assumption is often made that if you fish a certain way you don’t appreciate or respect the habitat/resource. It may not be pretty, but this is a reality of man made runs. There were no native runs to degrade.

Swinging a fly, for me, is purposely selecting a classic technique to enhance the experience. If I wanted to up the odds, I would fish smaller waters and shorter lines with an egg pattern. I choose not to for the fun and interest of it. Read Dharma’s multi part series on Lake Erie Steelhead Fishing.

Cell Phone & Water (Possible Saving Moves?)

 

Popular Mechanics

 

“Finally, use a desiccant to wick away any leftover moisture. The most convenient choice is uncooked rice. Just leave the phone (and its disconnected battery) submerged in a bowl of grains overnight. If you’re worried about rice dust getting inside your phone, you can instead use the packets of silica gel that often come stuffed in the pockets of new clothes. But acting fast is far more important than avoiding a little dust….The most important thing to remember is to avoid heat. That means no hair dryers, ovens, microwaves or extended periods in direct sunlight. While heat will certainly evaporate the moisture, it could also warp components and melt adhesives…”   (more)

Fly Tying: Ribbing for Flash & Segmentation

I tied two Prince Nymphs. One has ribbing (tinsel) and one does not have ribbing. I used a wider tinsel than I wanted. But, it was all I could find in the drawer. The other Prince Nymph was finished without ribbing. You can see the value of the ribbing. I also attached tying instructions or the Prince Nymph from Charlie’s FlyBox. Note in the tying tutorial the narrower ribbing material. I prefer the way I tied it, but you don’t want to smother one of the best fly tying materials either: peacock herl. The Prince Nymph is a great pattern for streams or lakes. Tying in the biot wing and tail requires a little finessing. I tied this pattern on a size 12 nymph hook. I did not wrap weight on the shank as shown in the tutorial.

T Pin for Suspended Emerger Pattern (Clever)

All the time, you jerk these little babies off of your new clothing and discard them. Here is a use for those, at least worth running an experiment to see if a small corkie device might suspend your emerger pattern just beneath the surface. I think these might come in two thicknesses if memory serves me. Don’t be marauding department stores and pilfering these though……………..   Saw this at Flugbindning Blogspot

Suspended Emerger Technique at Flugbindning Blogspot

Win Free Gear @ Great Lakes Steelhead Co.

Chris Tobias (The Angry Fisherman) wants to point you toward a promotional contest at at the Great Lakes Steelhead Co. Take a look.

Screw All of You! Tendered my Resignation…..

Sometimes a door opens in life and you walk through to better opportunities. How lucky am I that over night my door opened……..

Your Email I.D was selected at random and you have therefore been awarded the sum of US$800,000.00 (Eight Hundred Thousand United State Dollars)in the end of year UK NOKIA GRANT PROMOTIONS 2010/2011 AWARD.
To claims your Prize please contact:

Mr. Tony Liang
FINANCE DEPARTMENT

and further,

Dear Cash Bénéficiaire,
Fondation De France has awarded your e-mail adresse a cash grant/subvention of  € 814,054.00 (Eight Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Fifty-Four Euros) in a random e-mail sélection programme involving 700,000 e-mail addresses in this year’s ballot programme.

and finally,

I am Mr. Paul Mrozinsky, personal account manager of late Dr.Edward, who died of a cardiac arrest a few years ago leaving behind a large sum of money with a commercial bank in the Island of Seychelles which is a tax free zone, a place where plenty of rich people tend to hide away funds not ready to be used or invested, I am also the Client Service manager of the London branch. I will not mention the amount of money which runs into several millions in United States Dollars and name of bank presently until we have agreed to deal. I trust you will understand the need for such precautions. All legal documents to aid your claim for this fund and to prove your relationship with the deceased will be provided by us.

Now, finally, I can afford that Nomad trip to Chile and that Atlantic Salmon trip to Northern Russia on the Rynda or maybe Christmas Island again? I can do it all………………..

Fly Tying: Blue Below

Blue's in Fly Tying (Pattern by Chad Gauerke)

Blue in trout flies is a color I seldom consider. Chad Gauerke (Life on the Fly) uses the blue bead and ribbing and it pops doesn’t it? My son has tied Lighting Bug nymphs with blue and less silver. Blue/Purple are highly visible deep in the water column. Worth a consideration?

Fly Fishing Characters by Toney J. Sisk

Sisk turns a perfect image for all these ‘characters’ one encounters. Thank goodness none of them are you or me, in part or whole. Quite a few knowing laughs here…….

“We’ve all seen them–Characters. Fellow flyfishers who have given us pause–either because they inspire us, humor us . . . or cause us to run the other way. The following is a collection of people I’ve seen or fished with who strike me as interesting fishing characters (some bizarre, a few possibly insane). None of these characters remotely resemble you or me, keep in mind. And it is not relevant that some of them catch more fish than you or me. That’s not the point. The point is . . . well, I’m not sure what the point is, but follow along anyway.”  The Rest of the Characters

Sandy River (Take Action for What Remains)

Trout Unlimited Chapter 678 McKenzie Upper Willamette put out some info re the state of the Sandy River (while announcing a club event). The facts speak for themselves and beg action.

Call on ODFW to restore Sandy River salmon and steelhead.

The Sandy River flows just 20 miles from downtown Portland and has the potential to be one of the healthiest suburban salmon and steelhead rivers in the world. Over the past decade $75 million has been donated towards Sandy River habitat restoration, yet the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife continues to resist any reductions in their Sandy hatchery programs. This is extremely detrimental to wild fish.

Runs of salmon and steelhead on the Sandy are currently 3-10% of their historic abundance, and continuing to decline year after year. Much of this decline can be linked to an unaccountable hatchery program. In a recent Portland Tribune article, ODFW District Biologist Todd Alsbury said that reducing the Sandy River hatchery program is a last resort.The ODFW has known for decades that hatchery fish reduce the fitness and long term abundance of wild fish, yet they have demonstrated that they are more interested in protecting their hatcheries than in protecting our wild fish. If future generations are to ever glimpse a spawning salmon, this must change.

Sandy River fall chinook, spring chinook, coho and winter steelhead are currently listed under the Endangered Species Act, and chum salmon have gone extinct.

As a supporter of Oregon’s native fish, take action here: http://tu678.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=83b81d79dfb8964f786c6133c&id=0a88b044e7&e=a57a3af76c

This is in my back yard. Ten minutes from my front door. No excuse to not be involved. I just joined the Native Fish Society.