Every Day in May Writer’s Challenge: ‘Bugs’

EVERY DAY IN MAY CHALLENGE TOPICS DAY BY DAY

BUGS? Once again, my short comings are brought forth in print. Entomology, Latin, Genus, Species, Orders and Families. I have enough trouble remembering everyone in my own family let alone memorizing fancy names. Colors, size, hatch time, hatch location and a little studying in advance is often as best as I can do. The common names: Mayfly (BWO, PMD, Callibaetis, Green Drakes)…Stoneflies (Goldens, Little Blacks, California Stones, Skwala)…Caddis (Long Horns, Traveling Sedge, Cinnamons) Midges/Chironomids…Dragon and Damsels…  

Nothing too fancy there. I turn a rock over in a stream and see dark mayfly nymphs scurrying for their lives. I saw the size and color but wouldn’t be able to tell you which mayfly it is. I can maybe tell it was a clinger/crawler or swimmer etc. The other morning, I started to put on my waders. Overnight, a Caddis hatch had taken place as my waders and the nearby railing had large adult Caddis sitting there. Over a half inch long and medium brown in color. Hmm? What Caddis is that? Would I fish it now, or did it hatch last night? At least I noticed the body of water definitely has large Caddis. Maybe that is what I saw skittering across the surface early one morning? 

Believe me I have tried. I study, I read and look at pictures, I study TroutNut and I certainly tie all Winter to match insects. Take away the hatch charts, books, blogs, outside advice, then I’m left  observing and trying this and that…it is the essence of observation and adapting and then, maybe, bringing to the table whatever else you learn from outside sources.

This beauty was clinging to the side of my car last year. I have a little spring in the back yard. I have seen the rare Caddis and then this large Mayfly. You’d think I would followup with some foraging in the spring to see what really lives out there. I haven’t….yet.

I do take satisfaction in turning over those rocks, looking into stream side vegetation, watching little sailboats float down the river or inspecting the Caddis fluttering on the inside of my sunglass lens. I look at the coloring of Stoneflies crawling ashore and sat in amazement as Waterboatman (Corixia…look at that!) dive bombed a lake one October afternoon. There you have it. I have bombed out at Bug Basics 200. I do believe that the more I can fish, I will add to my knowledge. Heck, I probably know more than I realize. Just don’t ask me any Latin Names…although I do like that Hexagenia Limbata name….sounds like some Cuban Dance or Caribbean VooDoo thing in New Orleans. 

 Tomorrow’s Every Day in May Challenge Topic: Runoff

Tattoo Design: Dragon Flies…Real & Imagined

The Fanciful Dragon Fly Protecting

The More Realistic Tattoo Images of a Dragon Fly Tattoo 

My Stillwater good luck charm, the Dragon Fly buzzing about, inspecting, landing, sizing up my pontoon boat as a likely party place, breeding station? Or, just imparting a dose of luck and good fortune as they have so many times before. Symbols of the mystical or just a superstitious, comforting sign for me. I love the Damsel as well. 

Symbolisms of the Dragonfly

• Maturity and a Depth of character
  The dragonfly, in almost every part of the world symbolizes change and change in the perspective of self realization; and the kind of change that has its source in mental and emotional maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life.The traditional association of Dragonflies with water also gives rise to this meaning to this amazing insect. The Dragonfly’s scurrying flight across water represents an act of going beyond what’s on the surface and looking into the deeper implications and aspects of life.

• Power and Poise
  The dragonfly’s agile flight and its ability to move in all six directions exude a sense of power and poise – something that comes only with age and maturity.
  The dragonfly can move at an amazing 45 miles an hour,  hover like a helicopter fly backwards like a hummingbird, fly straight up, down and on either side. What is mind blowing is the fact that it can do this while flapping its wings a mere 30 times a minute while mosquitoes and houseflies need to flap their wings 600 and 1000 times a minute respectively. (more)

Fly Tying: A South African Fly Tying Journey, Volume 2

I was recently rewarded with an opportunity to review Ed Herbst’s (and friend’s) DVD, A South African Fly Tying Journey, Volume 1. I found that DVD very rewarding and suitable for the seasoned beginner to intermediate fly tier. (posted here 12/28/2011)

As a followup, Ed asked me to also review Volume 2, which primarily focuses on Terrestrials, a staple of South African Fly Fishing. In fact, Ed mentions in the DVD that Terrestrials are far more important to the fly fisher, in South African waters,  than Mayfly or Caddis hatches. At times, this is probably true on many waters beyond South Africa when Hoppers, Beetles, Ants and the like are prolific. 

So, I watched the enjoyable Volume 2 and came away with the following impressions: like Volume 1, it is well presented and pleasant to watch. Ed Herbst and friends (Philip Meyer, Mario Geldenhuys and Fred Steynberg) are excellent in providing understandable instructions for tying patterns, which I believe are well suited for the Beginner to Intermediate fly tier (Mario’s Inch Worm and Fred’s Ant are good beginner patterns).

The beginning tier can certainly purchase the DVD and work toward the patterns, but right out of the case, the patterns components of foam, rubber legs and hackle might be a bit of a challenge. My favorite fly pattern was the one Mayfly pattern in the mix, the RAB by Philip Meyer.

RAB Dry Fly by Philip Meyer

Thanks to Ed Herbst for the opportunity to learn more about Terrestrials and enjoy the beautiful scenery of South Africa’s Cape region.

 The fly tying DVD can be purchased online through the Stream-X fly shop in Cape Town - http://www.streamx.co.za/index.htm  and its proprietor, Craig Thom – sales@streamx.co.za.

Fly Fishing Amongst the Riff Raff & Caddis

I escaped before the Labor Day weekend to get a little solitude and renewal. Folks were out in abundance and the banjo’s were playing the twangy sounds. I wasn’t too concerned as I was lost in my reverie. I fished and caught my share. I enjoyed the pattern puzzle, the weather was perfect (not too hot; a mild, cool breeze that produced a riffled chop to the surface). Hatches were consistent and continuous offerings of damsels, dragons, midges and a few Callibaetis spinners. Also, there was a nice flurry of longhorn sedges. 

First fish of the day to a Little Fort Leech.

For the most part, I excluded the current challenges in my life and was absorbed in the moment. The moment included certain segments of our society that need to assert their sphere of perceived influence via cussing, long kerplunking casts (heavy sinkers and spinners…seriously even I know how to rig a lighter slip sinker, treble hook and PBait) and dirty looks coupled with head shakes. I was so mellow, I didn’t get too uptight. I did not let anything get to me on the water. But, it is tempting…..

I ran the gamut of black, green, brown, mottled colored Woolly Buggers to start searching with, while I looked about for signs of insect life. In the end, it was black, black and black with a dash of red Buggers. Sunken caddis pupa patterns stripped to the top near the drop off produced some savage strikes (about that: when you do have those savage strikes…check your tippet! Somehow, I continued to fish on sans fly for several minutes in the midst of a perfect FF scenario…only when I decided to change flies, because of a lack of hits, did I notice the reason the hits had stopped…no fly!).

September & October loom: less crowds, steelhead marching toward Sherar’s Falls (Deschutes R.), lakes still inviting, October Caddis starting soon.

Fly Fishing: Entomology & The Cat

I left the house at 7pm intending to run an errand. I noticed a big, beautiful mayfly dun on my other car. I snapped a few pics and departed, figuring it would be gone when I returned. And, so it was, kind of. I returned to find the shuck in place of the dun. Now, I didn’t get a good enough look at the time to see what was totally going on when I originally left. So now, I gently secured the shuck with the intent of photographing it. I went to the front door and opened it and out jets Penelope the House Cat. Shoot it was 0845pm and almost dark. I chased after the cat and eventually removed her from beneath my rig. Hmmm….the shuck was destroyed in the pursuit of the cat! So much for my entomological studies…at least for tonight. What is very fascinating, for me, is that there is only the smallest little spring behind my house. So, was I watching a Dun prior to the emergence of a Spinner or…….

Fly Fishing: Bug Catcher

Common Garden/Cross Spider (Araneus diadematus) SwittersB

To me, there is nothing seemingly ‘common’ about this spider. It was a long ways from any garden as well. As I explored along the rocky shoreline of the Clackamas River, I came across this sizable spider working away on a web. A steady up river breeze ushered along hatches of assorted Caddis, PMD’s and midges. Remnants of a sizable Stonefly emergence littered the moss covered boulders. This busy spider prepared to intercept some portion of the shore bound insects. Once he was done, he tucked himself beneath some mossy growth attached to a boulder that supported his fly catcher. You are exactly right: the fishing was less than stellar on the Clack/Collawash R., so I passed off the time looking about the shoreline for this and that.

Cross Spider Hiding and Waiting for a trapped morsel (SwittersB)

Mt. Hood National Forest Proposes Decommissioning 255 miles of Collawash River Drainage Roads

Fly Tying & Fishing: On The Edge…Hoppers

Hot Summer days and the dusty shoreline and grass are buzzing with grass hoppers. This is a perfect beginner’s pattern where presentation may be more important than size, shape or color. Whether it is a Joe’s, Dave’s or some other buoyant hopper pattern, work it near the shoreline, close to the edge. Depending upon the size of the river, primarily focus within five feet or so on windy days. When it is hot and still, cast right in toward shore. If the waters allow you to safely wade in, then wade out a ways and cast in toward shore. If you are lucky enough to get an invite on a friend’s drift boat, then a hopper pattern will be a nice morsel to throw in off the grass and dirt banks. Hopper patterns are also, as you may have read in your studies, part of the touted Hopper/Dropper set up, providing an indicator/dry fly offering with a trailing subsurface pattern. Some people also fish two dries, say a Hopper and a Caddis pattern. I know an older gent, who years ago traveled the West, while working for the U.S. Forest Service, and primarily fished the Joe’s Hopper. There are newer Hopper patterns constructed of the new synthetics as well.  

Joe's Hopper (Montana Riverboats)

Fly Fishing: Mayfly Dun to Spinner

As a beginning fly fisher, you are primed to observe. You have been prepped on what to look for on the water to provide a hint of what fish might be feeding upon. Fish rising, insects fluttering up ward or hovering over the water’s surface, birds swooping over the surface of the water feeding on something flying, over turning rocks, seining….all in an effort to figure out the likely menu. All this match the hatch effort begs some studying on your part: on the water observations, reading, watching videos and of course talking to fly fishers who share their wisdom. 

So, when those delicate little mayflies land upon you, a couple general points to think about for later study: Color of the wing? Color of the body: in this case yellowish green or is that greenish yellow? How many tails: 2 The general size of the body for identification/re-creation purposes. Time of day, location, conditions: late afternoon, 15′ up a sloped river bank and breezy.  A random study of the streamside vegetation revealed other such may fly spinners clinging to the vegetation. There were no fish rising. There were no birds swooping. There were no insects coming off the water or on the water, hovering above. 

So, for this particular stretch of the river, I found a Pale Morning Mayfly spinner, already molted out of the dun stage. I didn’t observe any signs of that stage and rarely have. The spinners were in a waiting mode. So I already missed their emergence and they had yet to descend down to the water to lay their eggs. Did any of that help me catch a fish on this day? Well, I wasn’t fishing but I was observing and adding to my discovery bank of streamside observations. Then I do home study and learn more about the habits of Pale Morning Duns and Spinners. Most important where and when do they generally hatch.

TroutNut provides a nice pictorial sequence of a mayfly molting from dun to spinner.

Fly Fishing: Observe & Study

One of the enjoyable aspects of fly fishing (and also of fly tying) is the why of it all. This is then followed by the how, what, where, when of it all. You observe as you pass through the wild. You take it all in. Insects on the rocks, on the water, in the air, on the shore side bushes. Birds scurrying about and maybe the fish visibly feeding.

You observe what is going on and make a selection or many selections in attempting to solve this transitory puzzle. Maybe you are partially or totally successful; maybe you zero out. If so, only a few will really be certain of the why. The rest will ask why and launch into followup study.

This past week, I had occasion to work over a sporadic hatch of PMD’s and two types of Caddis. I worked the convergence of currents below an island. As I watched the slashing rises down stream, I noted the pattern of rises just inside a seam on the slightly faster water side.

I only saw a few insects alighting and steadily drifting toward shoreline vegetation. I put on an a PMD emerger, a PMD dry, a PMD floating nymph. Nada. But, a greenish yellow bodied, brown hackled wet fly sporadically took fish as it swung into the area of the seam. But, there were a lot of missed/hits and bumps. Why? I noticed drag. I noticed when I reached beyond with longer casts, I through quite a few upstream mends to avoid the drag. This resulted in the wet fly sinking more before it came around and started to rise….bang.

Now, I kind of new, by now the theoretical why of this…the fish turned off by drag; the rising fly simulating an upwardly emerging something. But, I wanted to study the why a bit more. I turned to David Hughes fine book: Matching Mayflies.

SwittersB

 I researched the why and reaffirmed and improved some of my correct but muddled thinking about how mayflies emerge toward the surface. This studying of the various ways mayflies emerge from the nymphal confines was beneficial as to how I would tie various patterns in the future and as to how I would present them.

Also, tucked in Hughes book was a bit about presentation in exactly the same kind of shoreline slack water/adjacent to faster water I had encountered that same day. The casts were perfect but the offered mends did little to get the fly down or avoid drag even while I missed fish after fish. Hughes offered up: present from farther upstream and inside more; reach cast with a wiggle stack.

So, my why’s from the stream were researched when I got home to research (or you could call a friend, talk to a fly shop). I developed some what, how, where, when info (I am the who) and am eager to get back out there and try it out. This is, as I say, one of the enjoyable parts of the sport. Observe and then ask why as you pass through. 

Fly Fishing: Stillwater Random Thoughts

Green Butt Carey Special SwittersB

~When fishing a lake with an algae bloom, reduce or eliminate the number of knots in the over all leader. They collect scum. A one piece tapered leader or a uniform length of leader are suitable for descending down through the bloom to the feeding trout, just beneath.

~Indications of OCD: spending hours on a calm, still, smooth surfaced lake; sun high; hot, very hot. I have spent countless hours fishing such waters, picking up a small trout here and there. Short of doing recon on the contours, weed growth, identifying the drops, shelves and stumps there is little benefit to spending hour after hour out there. There are other activities back at camp and in the area that may better occupy that dead time on the water. 

~Are the fish refusing my fly? I have changed flies 6 times this past hour. Could it be the presentation/line selection and retrieve are not balanced to the flies or to the location you are fishing? As enjoyable as it is to use, the floating line cannot be your primary line on a lake if you intend to fish the depths. Research clear intermediates and faster sink rate lines for presentations beyond the shallows. Once the fish move off the shallows (sun rising, water calming, hatch ending) the waters just past the drop off should be explored with sinking lines.

~Presentation…the retrieves: it is nice to bob about out on a lake, kicking, rowing or drifting along in a day dreaming daze. Lost in thought and picking up the occasional fish. Again, considering the pattern you are using, what are you imitating and how is your presentation copying the real life movements of that food source: bait fish, leech, vertically ascending Chironomid pupa, emerging Callibaetis, diving egg laying Caddis, swimming Damsel headed for the reeds? If you are satisfied to kick along the edges of the drop then at least vary your retrieves to provoke a take.