Fly Craft Angling Adventures

Somerset Summary

2012-02-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I returned from the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset New Jersey, home of the world’s largest dedicated fly fishing show. This year marked the show’s 20th anniversary.

The aisles were packed at the 2012 Somerset show

In the fly fishing world the New Jersey Fly Fishing Show is the place to be when it comes to fly shows. If you had to pick one fly show to visit this one would arguably be it. Each day thousands of fly fishing enthusiasts packed the Garden State Convention centre. At times it was so crowded it was hard to navigate down the aisles. The seminar theatres, casting ponds and booths were home to the current who’s who of fly fishing. Lefty Kreh, Gary Borger, Bob Clouser, Bob Popovics, Simon Gawesworth, Barry and Cathy Beck were just a few of the celebrities in attendance.

The brook trout mount was a popular stopping point

This year, like last, I was at the show in support of The New Fly Fisher television show I have been a co-host of now for a number of years. The New Fly Fisher had two booths in support of the shows we have shot in the provinces of Ontario and Newfoundland Labrador. I was stationed in the Newfoundland Labrador booth. Home of the impressive fibreglass mount of two huge Labrador brook trout that weighed nine and ten pounds respectively. These mounts were popular talking and stopping points for many. Both of these fish are still prowling the waters of Labrador so you can still book a trip and cross paths with them. Labrador is one of the last bastions of trophy brook trout. In 2011, one of the guides we were filming with managed to catch and release an 11 pound monster! Check out the Osprey Lodge episode for the footage.

It was nice to see old friends and make new ones as countless people dropped by our booths both to inquire about trips and to personally thank us for the work we do on the show. People commented constantly on how they enjoyed the educational format The New Fly Fisher has become recognized for. It was for this reason that I first became involved with the show. We even received a few tips from viewers that would add even more educational elements which we will blend into future episodes. I am looking forward to filming again in 2012.

Shows like the New Jersey Fly Fishing Show are also great venues to see what’s new. This year two books caught my eye. The first, Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniels is an excellent full color book detailing the variety of nymphing methods and the flies now in use today. These methods were first introduced with Polish nymphing that took the world by storm during the 1989 World Fly Fishing Championships. Polish angler Vladi Tzebunia obliterated the competition, taking the individual gold medal by storm. Vladi’s performance was nothing short of spectacular as he garnered more points than the next three national teams combined. Since Vladi’s initial success, a variety of countries and fly fishers have put their own stamp on this nymphing technique. It is a method I have become a student of since first seeing it first hand by George and my good friend Pete Erickson over six years ago. George’s title is apropos, as methods and techniques are always changing. Dynamic Nymphing captures this current state of flux. I highly recommend picking up a copy.

George Daniels was on hand autographing his latest book

Dave Klausmeyer is the editor of American Angler and Fly Tyer magazines. I hold a special place for both of these publications as they were the first to take a chance on my writing many years ago. Since that time I have had the pleasure of working with a number of editors for both publications. Over the years Dave and I have bumped into each other on a number of occasions and have developed a good friendship. Dave’s most recent book The Master’s Fly Box features 15 of North America’s premier fly tyers. For some reason Dave felt I should be included in this mix featuring a chapter on my patterns, the Stillwater Solutions product line and my current work on the New Fly Fisher television show. My good friend Brian Chan also has a chapter dedicated to some of his favorite patterns and the legacy of work he created in fisheries management and with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. in particular.

If you are looking to add some new books to your library consider picking up a copy of both George’s and Dave’s new books. Both books are packed with information and excellent color photos.

I am now home for a few weeks trying to catch up on a number of writing assignments. My next show finds me in California. I will be speaking at the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show that runs from February 24-26, 2012. In Pleasanton I will be providing talks on a number of stillwater related subjects and a hands on fly tying workshop. The tying tying workshop includes all materials. Space is limited so if you would like to spend a couple of hours learning some of my favorite patterns while tolerating my jokes please join me. A complete breakdown of all the Pleasanton seminars and workshops, including mine, can be found on the Fly Fishing Show’s website. Hopefully you can find the time to drop by.

2012 Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo

2012-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

January continues to fly by. This past weekend found me at the Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo. What a great show. Show Coordinator Eric Moncada and his team from the Boise Valley Fly Fishers are to be applauded for a job well done. They were fantastic hosts. I am looking forward to returning in 2013.

Yes I now have to wear glasses when I tie!-Photo Courtesy of Erik Moncada

While at the expo I provided some of my more popular presentations including 10 Habits for Stillwater Success, Approaching a New Lake and My Favorite Western Canadian Stillwaters. I even ventured up onto the casting pool and provided a Stillwater Presentation seminar with a particular focus on floating line techniques and retrieves.

10 Habits for Stillwater Success-Photo Courtesy of Eric Moncada

All of my seminars were well attended and I enjoyed talking to so many people. Just about everyone I spoke to have an enthusiasm for stillwaters. I also provided an hour and half fly tying session tying some of my favorite stillwater patterns featured in my books and DVD’s. My Clearwater Pupa proved popular. I really enjoy tying these realistic epoxy style chironomid pupa patterns that are so popular in Europe and England in particular. I also featured my version of the Black and Red Ice Cream Cone, Herl May, Pearly Damsel and Foam Creeper from my latest book, Stillwater Selections. This pattern is also featured on the Learning with the Pros-Stillwater Fly Tying Volume #1 DVD.

Foam Creeper

Hook:          Mustad C49S #6-#8
Thread:      6/0, Olive
Body:          Furry Foam Body, Tan/Olive
Wingcase:    Stillwater Solutions ¼”Midge Flex, Olive
Legs:           Stillwater Solutions Midge Stretch Floss, Olive or Light Olive
Thorax:   Stillwater Solutions Soft Blend Dubbing, Olive or Dark Olive Green
Head:         3MM Tan sheet foam, use permanent marker to create eyes and mottle as necessary to match natural nymphs

Tying Note: You can make your own foam bodies by gluing Furry Foam to 3MM sheet foam using 3M's Super 77 adhesive. Use a River Road Creations Cherobyl foam cutter (tapered) to cut our the body.

I had hoped to spend some time on the water with my good friend Pete Erickson but unfortunately temperatures were below zero. The brisk wind further compounded things. We opted for football and catching up.

Jeff Currier (Left) and Pete Erickson (Right) enjoying a relaxing dring and great Mexican food

For those of you who don’t know Pete is an excellent fly fisher with a particular talent for Euro Nymphing. Each time I come to Boise I enjoy getting on the water with Pete and honing my contact nymphing skills. Pete provided his always popular Contact Nymphing presentation. The theatre was packed, standing room only. If you haven’t tried this nymphing method I strongly recommend it. Once mastered the results are nothing short of incredible.

I was first introduced to the method in Durango, Colorado when I was providing stillwater instruction to the U.S. Fly Fishing team. I watched a good indicator fly fisher work his way through a run taking a half dozen fish in the process, pretty good results in my opinion. My opinion was shattered when another teammate went through the run behind him using the Polish nymphing technique. I can’t recall the exact number but it was almost triple that of the indicator angler. I knew right there I had to learn the method. The original nymphing techniques that Vladi Tzebunia stunned the world with at the 1989 World Fly Fishing Championships have evolved into the one of the most popular nymphing methods today. It was also at this event where I first met Pete. In addition to his Euro Nymphing skills Pete has a particular appetite for stillwaters. Loch style techniques in particular. I can’t imagine why we became friends?

I am already looking forward to returning to the Boise area again this year for some focused chironomid seminars including hands on leader and tying sessions. You will also have a chance to spend time with Pete to learn more about his Contact Nymphing methods. Class size will be small to provide maximum learning and interaction. Pete and I are working out the details and we hope to be making an announcement shortly. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions please let me know. We are also hoping to add a few other session subjects too with other presenters.

I am busy preparing for the Northern Lights Fly Tyers Trout Unlimited Edmonton seminar this weekend in my home town of Edmonton at the downtown campus of Grant McKewan University. Jack Dennis will be my partner in crime for this fun educational event. If you are in the Edmonton area and are looking to escape winters icy grip why not drop in and check things out. Tickets, at $65.00 for two days and $40.00 for single days, are on sale at club meetings or via e-mail. Tickets should also be available at the door.

After my weekend seminar I am off a few days later for the Somerset Fly Fishing Show. I will be there manning one of The New Fly Fisher booths answering questions, both about our show and the great destinations we get to visit. Hopefully some of you will be able to drop by.

2012 Show Season has Begun

2012-01-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

The holiday season has come and gone. My 2012 show, seminar and workshop season has begun. January is a busy month for me as I will be busy every weekend. This past weekend I spent Saturday January 7th in Red Deer, Alberta with the Central Alberta Tying Club providing my annual fly tying session. The Cental Alberta Tying Club has become a tradition for me and signifies the start of my annual show, seminar and workshop season.

Stickin' Foam

For the past six years I have provided a one day tying seminar that included materials. Previous seminars include stillwater patterns, streamers, nymphs, dry flies and last year Flies for Big Fish. This year I was joined by 32 students as we had ‘Fun with Foam’.

Floating Minnow

Hook: Mustad R74-9672 #6-#12
Thread: 6/0 White
Tail: Stillwater Solutions Grizzly Marbou, Natural, Olive or Brown
Underbody: 2mm Sheet Foam, White
Body: SuperWeave Mylar, Medium

Over the course of the day students were introduced to a variety of foam and foam tying techniques. Things began simple with the Sugar Cube, a variation of a Shipman’s Buzzer. The Shipman’s Buzzer is an English pattern. It is an excellent chironomid emerger designed to suspend in the surface film. The original yarn breathers at the front and rear of the pattern are replaced with a loop of Ethafoam. Electronics are typically packaged in Ethafoam and a new TV or Computer can provide a life time supply. Right after Christmas there is usually lots of packing foam kicking around.

Sugar Cube

Hook: Mustad R50-94840 #12-#16
Thread: 6/0 Colour to match body
Trailing Shuck: White Packing Foam or Sheet Foam
Rib: Pearlescent Crystal Flash
Body: Stillwater Solutions Soft Blend Dubbing Maroon, Olive, Dark Summer Duck
Thorax: Stillwater Solutions Soft Blend Dubbing-Maroon, Olive, Dark Summer Duck
Suspender Bubble: White Packing Foam or Sheet Foam

Students were taught a variety of techniques including how to glue foam together, use foam cutters, tie extended bodies, make Booby eyes and glue dubbing to preformed foam bodies. By day’s end we had tied nine patterns and students had a cross section of surface and subsurface flies to use as templates for their personal tying. The Club Sandwich was popular with students as was the Ultimate Boatman, Extended Body Dun, the Floating Minnow and King’s Foam Dragon.

Club Sandwich

Hook: Mustad S-80-3906 #4-#10
Thread: 6/0 Color to Compliment Foam Body
Body: 2mm Sheet Foam, Tan, Brown and Orange glued together and trimmed to shape
Legs: Round Rubber Hackle, Knotted
Indicator: 2mm Sheet Foam, Hot Orange

Tying Note: Check out Juan Ramirez’s Hopper Juan Blog for an excellent video tying tuturial detailing how to tie the Club Sandwich.

Although foam is a common ingredient in many dry and emerger patterns it really shines when used for subsurface patterns. Foam provides not only function in regards to its natural buoyancy but form as well to suggest different features. When it comes to subsurface patterns water boatman, backswimmers, baitfish and dragon fly nymphs are personal favorites.

Matt King’s Foam Dragon was a featured fly in my latest book Stillwater Selections and is an excellent example of what can be done incorporating foam for subsurface patterns. Matt figured out how to glue dubbing to a preformed foam body creating a realistic dubbed pattern you can work in and around structure and over weed beds with minimal risk of a hang-up

King's Foam Dragon

Hook: Mustad C49S #8-#10
Thread: 6/0, Black or Olive
Body: Foam Body, Plump or Slim, Covered with Dubbing
Legs: Stillwater Solutions Grizzly Marabou, Round Rubber Hackle Barred
Thorax: Dubbing
Wingcase: Thin Skin, Mottled Oak, Two Sections
Eyes: 1/8” Wide Strip of 2MM Black Sheet Foam

Plans are already in the works for 2013 and if my schedule allows there may even be a fall class. Right now I am on my way to Boise for the Boise Valley Fly Fishers annual Fly Fishing Expo. I will be presenting a number of seminars, providing a casting and retrieves demo on the casting pond and a stillwater tying demo. This show is always well attended and I am looking forward to catching up with friends including Pete Erickson, Jeff Courier and Jack Dennis. I wonder what stories Jeff will have from his recent trip to Brazil. He always manages to have some escapade!

The weather is also supposed to be good. I hope to get a day or two in on the water. I have my gear with me. Not bad to be fishing in January. I will post a complete show and hopefully a fishing report next week. If you are in the Boise area this Friday and Saturday please drop by.

Winter Tying

2012-01-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and all the best for 2012!

Although I typically don’t make New Year’s resolutions in2012 I am trying to get a handle on my winter tying efforts in aresolution-like manner. Most of youprobably make similar commitments or promises each year. You know, review the fly boxes, figure outwhat patterns need to be replenished, which patterns you would like to add andthen set about some sort of plan to get them all tied before the 2012 seasonstarts. Concentrated, week before thetrip, binge tying has predominated most of my tying efforts in previous years.

Where I live in Alberta we are known for our long cold whitewinters. Open water fly fishing is fewand far between. Perfect conditions youwould think for some concentrated organized fly tying. Unfortunately this has not been thecase. My show and seminar speakingschedule starts in earnest in January and doesn’t wind down until mid-Aprilonly to be replaced with stillwater schools and workshops. Finding time to tie flies has beentough. This year I have allocated benchtime to get a handle on some of the white spaces in my fly boxes. So far it seems to be working.

Two patterns that made my list are a result of theirpositive impact during my last trip to Manitoba in mid October. I met up with producer and creator of The New Fly Fisher Colin McKeown to hosta stillwater episode for a new show, The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing whichbegins airing on the World Fishing Network (WFN) later on this year. We spent the better part of a week battlinghigh winds that made things more than challenging. The rainbows and browns we were targetingwhere, for the most part, willing to chase our flies. Although the water temperatures were higherthan expected due to the warm summer and early fall large fall fish were beginningto strap on their feedbags prior to freeze up.

Colin battles a large brown near a beaver lodge

At this time small baitfish representing both mature andjuvenile fat head minnows and backswimmers worked. The shoreline shallows were choked with fathead minnows. One of the best patternsduring my October trip was Crystal P-Quad a variation of Mark Olinger’sP-Quad. The P-Quad received its namefrom the four primary materials used in its construction, pheasant tail,partridge, peacock herl and pintail fibers. Pintail isn’t always easy to obtain and I find teal flank fibers make agreat substitute along with bronze mallard. The original P-Quad has worked well for me as both a searching fly andwhen trout are fixated on scuds.

P-Quad

Mustad 3609B #8-#12

Thread: 8/0, Olive or Red

Tail: Pheasant Tail Fibers

Rib: Small gold or copper wire

Body: Peacock herl

Wing: Teal Flank

Hackle: Partridge

Our most successful version of the Crystal P-Quad included asmall olive glass bead at the head. Thegrey phase partridge and teal flowed over the olive body and tail mimicking themottled look of the natural baitfish. Our glass bead headed version dragged up some impressive browns andrainbows as we explored proven forage fish hangouts such as cattails and beaverlodges. A slow 3-5 inch strip pauseretrieve or steady hand-twist worked consistently. If a trout was in the region we often hookedup within the first five casts.

Glass Bead Crystal P-Quad

Hook: Mustad 3906B #8-#12

Thread: 8/0Olive

Tail: Stillwater Solutions Long Marabou Olive, Mixed witha few Strands of Olive Crystal Flash

Rib: Small Copper Wire

Body: Stillwater Solutions Soft Blend Dubbing, Olive

Wing: Teal

Hackle: Partridge, Grey Phase

Bead: Olive GlassBead

Most of the boatman and backswimmer activity was over butthe browns, rainbows and tiger trout the Parklands region is famous for stillchased down our boatman and backswimmer patterns. A new pattern in my box was the backswimmerequivalent of my Water Floatman, the Greater Water Floatman. The fly's name sake came from the greater waterboatman the naturals are sometimes referred to in England. Since the backswimmer facelift made for alarger version of my Floatman the name made sense. I tie the shellback along the underside of the shank so the fly rides in the water in the same fashion as the natural backswimmers. The Greater Water Floatman is a simpler tieas compared to another of my favorite backswimmer/boatman patterns the UltimateBoatman I mentioned in my previous blog entry.

Greater Water Floatman make nice snacks for large brown trout

It performed so well that it made my winter tying list in sizes #8 and#10.

Greater Water Floatman

Hook: Mustad R-5094840 #8-#10

Thread: 6/0 Black

Shellback: BoobyBody Foam, White, Medium, Tie in the Shellback Along the Underside of the Hook Shank.

Body: StillwaterSolutions Crystal Chenille, Peacock Green, Medium

Legs: StillwaterSolutions Midge Stretch Floss, Olive

Tying Note: Applythe markings to the shellback using a Prismacolor Spring Green marker alongwith black and red Sharpie markers.

Join me in the Parklands for 2012!

As you probably know if you have been reading some of myprevious blog entries the Parklands region of SW Manitoba has become one of, ifnot my favorite, stillwater haunt in North America. For the past three years I have been hostingspring and fall trips to this region. Mytrips include all food, accommodation, seminars and time on the water withme. I run both weekend and weeklongexcursions. My spring 2012 trips havealready sold out completely. I didn’teven have a chance to promote them. Myfall trips slated for September 13-17, 2012 and September 17-23, 2012 stillhave space available. Please view theinformational brochure on my website if one of my fall trips interests you. Ifmy spring trips are any indication these trips will book quickly.

Falcon's Ledge offers first class facilities and fly fishing-Photo Courtesy of S. Higa

My last stillwater seminar of 2011 took place at Falcon’sLedge located in Altamont Utah. Falcon’s Ledge is a first class Orvis Endorsed lodge. The food and accommodation was nothing short of spectacular and provideda perfect backdrop for my workshop. Mystudents and I had access to all of their private lakes. Each lake was fishable from shore whichprovided a unique instructional perspective for me as I could easily movebetween students to work with them in a one on one setting to help with theirstillwater presentation techniques.

Dave Danley from Falcon's Ledge with a nice plump rainbow

Dave and Spencer from Falcon’s Ledge made a point of sayingthat the trout on the lodge’s lakes showed a particular affinity for any redfly or having red as key component color. The maroon/claret pheasant tail body and red holographic Mylar shellbackof my Red Back Pheasant chironomid pupa pattern was a consistent producer andtook a severe mauling. As a result thispattern is also on my winter tying list. You can also pick up this fly through the Stillwater Solutions fly program.

Red Back Pheasant

Hook: Mustad C49S#10-#14

Thread: 8/0 Black or Maroon

Rib: Gold Wire,Fine

Body: StillwaterSolutions Bleached Pheasant Tail, Maroon/Claret

Shellback: Holographic Mylar, Red

Thorax: PeacockHerl

Gills: StillwaterSolutions Midge Gill

Bead: Gold

I will be returning to Falcon’s Ledge again in 2012 foranother stillwater workshop on May 18-20. At this time chironomids, damselflies and Callibaetis mayflies shouldall be on the menu. My seminar subjectswill have a definite slant towards imitating these insects including both subsurface and surface tactics and techniques. For more information on booking please visit the Falcon’s Ledge website.

The landscape surrounding the private lakes at Falcon's Ledge is unique

Good luck with your winter tying efforts. I hope to see some of you at my seminars andworkshops in 2012 or if you are planning attending any of the shows listed onmy Calendar please drop by and say hello.

An Atypical Fall

2011-11-18T15:43:00.001-08:00

Continuing with my fall catch-up my next trip after FortressLake involved escorting a group of fly fishers back to my current stillwaterparadise, the lakes of southwest Manitoba. A region blessed with incredibly productive lakes, large browns, rainbowand tigers nestled within un-crowded rural landscape. A land of six or 7 weight rods and minimum 2xtippet! All in all, my kind of place!

Few things beat a spectacular sunset

I was fortunate to arrive the evening prior to everyonearriving to get things set up for the week. Unload and sort out the food, check out to make sure the accommodationswere in order and get my presentation materials organized for the seminars thatare a feature of these hosted trips. Boband I were able to get things done efficiently so we were able to pre fish oneof our featured lakes to see what we might expect.

As I readied my boat and gear it still felt like summer,warm and muggy. The lake was still inbloom and the unseasonably water temperatures showed no sign of the fallfishing we were hoping to run into. We testedout our usual favorites but fishing proved tough. In the mid-afternoon backswimmers began tostir. These larger cousins of the waterboatman began to take flight while others returned to the lake crashing intothe surface like tiny pebbles. It took awhile for the trout to clue in and respond. As soon as I saw the firstaggressive swirl of a trout chasing a backswimmer I grabbed my Outbound Hovercomplete with a washing line set-up. I hadbeen hoping this might happen and had prepared my second rod in anticipation.

Backwimmers were on the move

The washing line is an English presentation technique. It isan excellent method for imitating water boatman and backswimmers. A buoyant fly is placed on the point. Between the buoyant point fly a traditional,non-buoyant pattern hangs from a dropper. The buoyant fly helps keep the other fly within the depth zone you aretargeting or when working near the bottom away from weeds and debris. I wanted to target the top 3-4 feet. So in my case one of my favorite boatman orbackswimmer patterns featured in my latest book, Steve Jenning’s UltimateBoatman on point coupled with a smaller boatman pattern and my hover line provedperfect. Or so I thought.

For those who don’t have my latest book, StillwaterSelections here is the Ultimate Boatman recipe:

Hook: MustadS82-3906 #12

Thread: 8/0 Olive

Body: 5/8thsFoam Body Slim, White or Tan

Legs: SuperStretchFloss or Stillwater Solutions Midge Stretch Floss, Olive

Tying Note: Usepermanent markers to provide the necessary markings on the foam body. Coat your finished artwork with thinnedC-Flex Cement or Soft-Tex.

Fish were swirling all around me. A few chased the backswimmers across thesurface pushing large wakes. Their behaviorreminded me of a dog snapping at your ankles. Despite my best efforts to plop the fly in the ring of the rise Icouldn’t hook up. After a few minutes offrenzied fish activity it went quiet so I made a long cast, let the fly sinkfor roughly ten seconds and then began a slow erratic hand twist retrieve. About halfway back to the boat the linesimply went tight and then a whole lot of head shaking began. After a number of runs a few cartwheels I hada beautiful fat pound rainbow resting in my hands. It was shaping up to be another memorableweek in the Parklands.

Ultimate Boatman 1 Trout 0 (Courtesy of B. Vanderwater)

Our group arrived, had dinner and after I provided anintroductory session settled in for the night. The following morning was just ugly. Strong winds from the northeast and driving rain. We lasted until roughly 2pm before coolerheads prevailed. Fishing was tough and ofthe people who accompanied me that day we only managed a couple of smallrainbows.

The next day was a typical post cold front day. Bright clear skies, a temperature drop ofabout 10C and strong winds once again. With all the change and transition following the passage of a cold frontfish had shut down. It proved a good dayfor sightseeing around the lake, showing different techniques for slowconditions such as hanging flies static beneath indicators, slow retrieves,working deeper areas, and targeting areas foraging fish might be found. Beaver lodges, weed beds, sunken islands anddrop offs. It was not a banner day forfish catching by any stretch.

And then there are tiger trout. These fish are a ‘bucket list’ experience for manywho attend my hosted trips. Abrown/brown trout hybrid these fish are unique, aggressive and in the Parklandsreach appreciable sizes. Twin Lake,located just north of Roblin is a catch and release fishery that isconsistently reliable. For me it is alake that fishes better as the day progress. This trip proved no exception. Wewere welcomed once again by a familiar companion, wind. Some of the strongest I have seen on thissmall and typically well protected lake.

As was the case earlier in the week the washing linetechnique proved a valuable technique. Backswimmersbegan to move in the mid-afternoon. Although the breeze was still an issue the aggressive swirls andsplashes began to increase in numbers and frequency.

I couldn’t resist any longer! Tigers are a blast on top. Often you can drag them up using a large #8or #6 popper or dry fly such as a Chernobyl Ant stripped and twitched acrossthe surface. In keeping with my washingline theme I grabbed my 6-weight rod rigged with a Rio Grand and rigged up a ChernobylAnt on point coupled with the Ultimate Boatman on a 6-inch dropper. Within a few seconds I had my first rise andpromptly missed it. Chalking it up to excitementI recast and began twitching and twisting the fly back. A second fish rolled, again on the boatman, Iwaited longer than the perquisite, “God save the Queen” count just to be sure.I missed the fish again. This happened seventimes in a row! I brought my fly inclose to see how it was working. Everythingseemed fine.

Tiger trout smash surface flies with almost reckless abandon at times

I swapped the flies around going for more of a hopperdropper approach. The tigers didn’t seemto like this arrangement nearly as much as I think the boatman dangled a bittoo deep, back to my original arrangement. Casting out, again my theory provedfact as I soon had a rise but once again no hook up. This was getting humorous! At least that’sthe way I remember it! The Ultimate Boatman rides in the surface film just likethe natural backswimmers it was called to imitate. I felt that the dropper set-up might beinjecting just enough slack so the fish spat the fly just as I was comingtight.

I stripped the flies in and re-rigged tying the Chernobyldirectly off the bend of the boatman so it trailed some 2-3 feet behind. Within seconds of placing the flies near arecent rise a rolled on the boatman. This time I did not miss. For the rest of the afternoon I hooked fishconsistently. It proved an interesting lessonthat I stowed away for future reference the next time I run into a similarsituation.

Beautiful Parklands brown (Courtesy of B.Stokes)

While the trip was the gangbuster event it typically is Twinand its typically cooperative tigers iced the cake. Getting them on top was an added bonus. The week proved itself to be one of perseveranceand patience. Driving home the lessonthat you have to play the hand you are dealt and make the best of the conditionsbefore you. Heck, it beats working doesn’tit?

Sight Fishing Stillwaters

2011-11-10T10:31:00.001-08:00

It has been ages since I last provided a post. This past fall has been one of my busiest. My travels have taken me to Manitoba twice, B.C. twice and Utah for stillwater seminars and filming. I have been home steady for the better part of two weeks now and I am only now starting to feel a sense of being in control and caught up

Breathtaking scenery awaits you at Fortress Lake

Rather than cram all of the experiences, tales and lessons in one entry I thought it best to walk through each adventure at an entry per week pace. So let’s go back-up to early September and Fortress Lake.
The purpose of this trip was two-fold. I had a small group to start that was part of a hosted trip I had put together with Dave and Amelia from Fortress Lake Retreat that was part of two auction donations we put together in support of Trout Unlimited Canada’s coldwater conservation efforts. For the second part of my trip I was joined by eight students as I provided one of my stillwater schools. The weather was spectacular and conditions couldn’t have been better.

Located in Hamber Provincial Park, Fortress Lake is located along the B.C./Alberta border, its eastern end a mere stone’s throw from the Alberta border. Running in an east west direction, Fortress Lake is approximately seven miles long and up to one mile wide. It is a mono-culture fishery full of trophy Lake Nipigon coaster strain brook trout first introduced in the early 1930’s. Fortress Lake Retreat is an Orvis Endorsed Expedition lodge and was the recipient of the 2011 Expedition of the Year. For all of its remoteness, the facilities and food are first class.


The flight into Fortress Lake is spectacular

Visitors have the choice of visiting Fortress Lake Retreat by float plane, an approximate five hour hike or three hour mountain bike trek. For those interested in the hike or bike option Dave and Amelia pick you up at the east end of the lake and ferry you down the lake to the retreat. The floatplane, of course, drops you off right at the lodge. For me I lean towards the floatplane option as the scenic flight alone is worth the price of admission.

At this time of the year Brook trout were beginning to congregate in large numbers at the mouth of Chisel Creek and in the Wood River which flows out the west end of Fortress. The Wood River is closed to fishing at this time of the year but the approaches are still fishable. Chisel Creek is minutes away from the camp and during calm evenings we would venture down there and sight fish to cruising brookies using #10 Elk Hair Caddis or Stimulators. At times mouse patterns also produce providing for some explosive surface action. Watching a large brookie leisurely rise to the fly is breathtaking. Not all of the brook trout were pushovers. Often they completely ignored everything tossed at them or worse followed it with apparent interest only to turn away at the last second. Combined with the short walk and sheer numbers of fish it was tough to leave the mouth of Chisel and shoreline areas around the camp to pursue fish elsewhere. The compelling scenery and a chance to explore provided a powerful lure you shouldn’t pass up.

No matter where you are on Fortess always keep an eye out for pods of brook trout

We had a number of sticky hot, flat calm days that were perfect for sight fishing. It something to see one or more large brook trout meandering leisurely prowling the woody debris or worse passing directly under your boat without an apparent care in the world. Cruising the edges of the lake, we often came across pods of brook trout, sometimes 10 to 15 fish or more, darker males above difficult to see silver females below. We always crossed open water slowly, always on watch for a wayward pod.

Watching a large brook trout chase down your fly is an exhilarating experience

As Dave from Fortress Lake Retreat told us, “Wood is good!” In and around sunken or trees that suspended out into the water brook trout were often around. After spotting a likely looking haunt we cut the motor well back rowing towards our target, rod at the ready. Often, you would see one or more brook trout suspended against a tree looking more like bass than brook trout. We learned to take our time, study our quarry and get into the right position to make the cast. If possible, getting behind the fish provided the best chance for success. Your first cast provided the best opportunity for a hook up.

Ken on 'point' keeps a watchful eye for cruising brook trout

My line of choice was a Rio Deep 4 line that sinks at about 4-inches per second. The crystal clear water gave the impression that the fish was only a few feet down but experience soon taught everyone that the fish were much deeper. It was important to get the fly down quickly and with the 4-6 inch strips we used most often the line kept the fly level during the retrieve. We also took fish using CamoLux clear intermediates and Nymph Lines and long leaders. My Balanced Leeches worked well in and around the sunken debris. These flies ride point up and tended not to get hung up should a tight cast be necessary.

Aggressive fish bolted from cover and pound large streamers without hesitation. The pace at which they rushed the fly was unbelievable. As the week progressed we found smaller #6-#8 dubbed leeches and Woolly Buggers worked better.

A palm full of healthy Fortress Lake brook trout

I recall one morning at Washout Creek. Ken, one of Dave’s guides, and I had spotted a pod of fish milling around the outflow of a small creek attracted by the cool stream of oxygenated water. Ken began working to these fish as they drifted in and out of view. After a few minutes something made me look out to the main body of the lake. Silhouetted against the turquoise blue background was a lone large brook trout, seemingly suspended in space. Doing my best to remain calm I lead the fish with my small black/blue leech. My fly plopped a good 15-20 ahead of the fish and I recall saying to Ken, “I think I led him far too much, hopefully he will see the fly.” I began to strip the fly back aggressively, in part because I figured I would have to place the fly a little closer to him. I was wrong. As the fly passed in front the brookie spotted it and pounced, covering the distance between itself and the fly in the blink of an eye. The memory is still as vivid now as it was then.

Will it take the fly or turn away at the last second?

The sight fishing opportunities at Fortress are amongst the best I have ever experienced. In 2012 I will co-host a specific sight fishing school with Dave Jensen from August 27-31. We will teach you how to approach fish, casting techniques, dry fly and streamer tactics, equipment and fly selection and much more. To get a measure of what to expect check out the sight fishing video segment Dave has put together on his website. Check out this video clip I took with my Pentax Optio camera.

I will also be holding a chironomid school from June 18-22, 2012. Fortress Lake has an unbelievable chironomid hatch at this time. At times you think you are sitting in a blizzard. The surface is littered with shucks and there are thousands of chironomids flying around. Brook trout of all sizes including some monsters take full advantage of this bounty gobbling huge numbers of large (#10-#12) chironomid pupa. At this time Fortress Lake offers the opportunity to take fish using strike indicators, floating lines and long leaders and a number of different sinking line techniques. Rarely do you find a location that offers the opportunity to target fish with such a variety of chironomid techniques.

Students will have the choice of hiking/biking in or by float plane. Please keep an eye out on my website Calendar or the Fortress Lake Retreat website for additional details.

For additional images from my Fortress experience please check out the album on my Facebook page.

Friends Family and Dry Fly Cutts

2011-09-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

After watering up in Rocky Mountain House I handed over my IPhone to my wife Patsy. For the next week I would be off the radar as I began a welcome vacation. The first one we had taken as a family in quite some time. Handing over the phone wasn’t too much of a sacrifice as I was going to be out of cell range anyway. But I understood the symbolism of Patsy’s gesture. Roughly an hour later we were nestled amongst the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

Not a bad view upstream from camp

Good friends Bob and Karen joined us, both familiar with the area and what we could expect. We camped in a field close to the river. Our 19 foot trailer set up less than 100 yards from the river. Each night the peaceful sound of running water soothed us as we drifted off to sleep. Scramble camping, as Bob referred to it. No fees, no rules, our dogs could run free and a good supply of dry firewood within easy reach. The flame broiled steaks and hamburgers were superb!

Bob likes his beef flame broiled

The river we were on teamed with Westslope cutthroat, each willing and eager to eat dry flies. My fly boxes were stuffed with all manner of foam and rubber, Chernobyl Ants, Charlie Boy Hoppers and Orange Crushes (a variation on the Chernobyl Ant theme). As it turned out foam and rubber wasn’t the order of the day. Mayflies were. Pale Morning Duns (PMD’s), Green Drakes, Less Green Drakes (Flavs) and Dark Red Quills greeted us on almost every run. Patsy, my two sons Brandon and Sean would be able to fish dry fly’s exclusively for the entire week.

Brandon, Patsy and Sean

I fished two dry flies the entire week, a poly winged olive Sparkle Dun and my own Stillwater Dun tied with an olive body and yellow rib to suggest the Green Drakes that the cutts seemed to show a preference for. The Stillwater Dun can be found in my latest book, Stillwater Selections. It is a thorax style dry fly that was originally designed for Callibaetis focused stillwater trout. By altering its size and color scheme it has proven deadly imitating river and stream mayflies. I have tweaked the recipe that is currently in my book by swapping the split partridge hackle tails with more durable blue dun hackle. Here is my Green Drake and Lesser Green Drake (Flav) incantation, tie up a few for your fly box.

Stillwater Dun (Green Drake/Flav)

Hook: Mustad C49S #8-#12
Thread: Olive 8/0
Tail: Blue saddle, trimmed to a V to form a forked tail, use one size larger saddle or neck than the hook
Rib: Yellow embroidery thread (one strand)
Body: Stillwater Solutions Soft Blend dubbing, olive
Wing: Grey poly yarn
Hackle: Grizzly dyed olive

Tying Note: Trim the hackle beneath the fly using a two-step process. First, make one perpendicular cut across the bottom hackles roughly on the same plane as the hook point. V trim the hackle to finish. The end result is a fly that always lands right side up.

Cutt released to fight another day

The river’s resident cutts were fat, healthy and polite. The day’s activity really didn’t get going until the air temperatures rose and the sun warmed the water. Still, we were in the foothills and frost was an occurrence on a few mornings. We had to be on the water at the crack of noon and by dinner time the day’s surface activity wound down to a trickle. A short window perhaps but one perfectly timed for the relaxing week we planned on enjoying. No mad sprint to the water to beat the crowds. For the most part we never saw another angler. Each run contained fish and some runs where literally boiling if a hatch was on the go, a common occurrence for most of the week.

Mayflies of all sizes and colors were out in force

I thoroughly enjoyed teaching and helping my family the finer points of river fishing. My sons have spent most of their time chasing trout on stillwaters so teaching them the value of short accurate casts, proper positioning, how to study a run, deciphering rise forms, and using controlled slack for drag free presentations was new to them. Both proved fast learners and were making intelligent reads and good accurate presentations in short order.

Sean with the reward of a drag free drift

This trip was also the first camping excursion for our golden retriever Tessa. She was a wonderful companion, never straying far and most importantly stayed out of the water. Tessa was always there to give each fish a sniff and a lick prior to release. When we were working a run she would stand patiently at ours sides or rest on the bank. With the hiking, wading and chasing the odd squirrel she was one tired mutt by days end!

Tired Tessa

My week long escape was relaxing, therapeutic and most of all fun. How can you beat time with your family, good company, great food, a few beer, dry flies and cooperative cutthroat? I hardly missed my IPhone at all!

The head of the pool. The place to be!

Please visit my Facebook page for additional trip images. Bob and Karen also have an album on their Facebook page too.

Something Different

2011-08-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Most associate fly fishing with trout and streams, but as most of you know the sport has evolved into much more. Near my Alberta home I have numerous opportunities from rivers to lakes, trout to pike.

Alternate species on the fly adds to your fly fishing repetoire

When I moved to Alberta I was intrigued by these opportunities, walleye and pike on the fly in particular. Over the years I have enjoyed many successful outings particularly for walleye, a species most don’t think of chasing with a fly. I have discovered that walleye are more than cooperative and on at least two separate occasions I have had large tournament boats pull up to ask me just exactly I am up to! Most non fly fishers associate dry flies with fly fishing and are surprised that we can work flies effectively to 20 feet or greater.
Interest has been so great in my walleye quests that I am often asked by my guide clients to chase them on the fly. A change I enjoy!

Little if anything has been documented about catching walleye on the fly, at least locally, so I had to learn by studying what methods traditional anglers used and adapt them to fly fishing. For the most part is has been a straight forward transition.

Walleye share numerous similarities with trout. They like the same water temperatures, eat the same things, hang out in the same spots (drop offs, sunken islands, weedbeds, humps) and can be very soft feeders challenging your strike detection skills.

Trout and walleye share a number of similarities

My favourite method involves using a floating line, both with and without indicators. This approach works well when walleye are in 15 feet of water or less such as the early spring to early summer timeframe. Suspending small balanced leeches and minnow patterns below a Quick Release Indicator in and around weedbeds or on flats adjacent to deep water works well in the same manner traditional anglers use a slip bobber.

Walleye are a challenging fly rod quarry

This past week I spent a day on the water guiding chasing walleye using both floating lines and clear intermediate lines. I often begin with a Camolux or Aqualux clear intermediate, covering water using Clouser Minnows and Popsicle Leeches in the same manner as an angler using a crank bait.

Temperatures were warm, the water was 70 degrees so the walleye weren’t as active as I had hoped. It was going to be a tough day. In the mid-morning I moved across from a favourite point to fish a weed bed next to the shore line that tapered into deeper water. Fish were moving at the surface and after catching a glimpse of a few some were lake whitefish. Lake whitefish are a salmonid and make excellent fly rod quarry as they love mayfly nymphs and chironomids. They are hard fighters and in the lakes around my home reach appreciable sizes, over 4 pounds in many instances. They are an excellent challenge when my local trout lakes are slow.

Believing the rolling fish to be Lake Whitefish we swapped our clear intermediates for floating lines and Quick Release Indicators. I put a burgundy/red Balanced Leech on my client Brent’s line and set him up to suspend roughly 12 feet down. Together we stared, waiting for the indicator to show signs of a take. After a few minutes Brent’s indicator disappeared. It took us both by surprise and the fish was missed.
Frustrating, but at least the odd fish seemed interested. After a few more minutes Brent’s indicator plunged once again, this time he hooked up. The fish battled hard taking line and then tried to run around the boat. Based upon how the fish was fighting we believed we had hooked a lake whitefish. Finally the fish came up to the surface and much to our surprise it was a nice walleye, Balanced Leech stuck in the tip of its upper jaw!

Brent's First Walleye

Things slowed down again after that initial excitement so we began exploring again. We bounced around to my favourite haunts and none produced. This included a spot that has never let me down, until today. As the day progressed we decided to head back to the scene of our only fish and wouldn’t you know it we hooked fish again. Brent hooked and landed another nice walleye. An old adage popped into my mind that has proven itself on more than one occasion, “Don’t leave fish to find fish!”

Walleye Number Two!

If you have different species in your area, give them a try. Many alternate species are both challenging and enjoyable on a fly rod and the skills you learn more often than not improve your traditional trout skills too!

Idaho Stillwater School with BS Flies

2011-07-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday July 20^th I headed south, boat intow, for Island Park, Idaho. I was lookingforward to a stillwater school with Lynn Scott from BS Flies based out of LakesideLodge on the shores of Island Park Reservoir. The drive was long, roughly 14 hours. I took my time to enjoy the sights of thisscenic drive down the eastern side of the continental divide. The drive takes you across and along some ofthe most famous trout waters in the west such as the Missouri and MadisonRivers.

Lakeside Lodge, located on the shore of Island Park Reservoir

As the seminar didn’t start until the evening of July 21^stI had time to fish a lake I have long wanted to fish, Henry’s Lake. Henry’s Lake is steeped in history and knownfor producing large Yellowstone cutthroat, brook trout and hefty cutthroat/rainbowhybrids. As we prepared the night before,Lynn informed me we would have to be on the water early. Now I have been up early many times beforebut we were up and on our way by 4:15am heading to the boat launch at Henry’sLake State Park. The temperature gaugeread a brisk 49F! It was definitely coldand dark.

Henry's Lake at dawn

The boat launch area was deceivingly quiet. I thought for a moment we might have Henry’ssomewhat to ourselves. I wasmistaken. Henry’s was starting to warmso the outflow at Targhee Creek was our first stopping point. As we motored into position I could see werelate as in the early morning light I could count over 20 boats had beat us tothe punch. The ‘boat hatch’ as Lynn referredto peaked at 32 boats! Not to worry, wefound a suitable spot, anchoring in roughly 8-10 feet of water. I began with my Rio CamoLux line and a blackBalanced Leech. The new CamoLux is afantastic line, I can’t believe how well this line has performed thisseason. After letting the fly sink forroughly 10 seconds I began a steady 4-6 inch strip retrieve with prolongedpauses. About halfway through my retrieve I felt a snagging sensation anddecided to set the hook. My rod bouncedto life and I soon landed my first Henry’s Lake trout, a two pound Yellowstone cutthroat. A fish on my first cast, this could be thestart of a great day or a dark omen. Ihave taken fish on my first cast in the past only to struggle for the remainderof the day. On this day it was to be theformer as we all began to hook trout. Aftera while I tried hanging a Balanced Leech under an indicator with limited success. On this day the Henry’s Lake trout wanted motionto their flies. Throat pump analysis revealedno active feeding at all. We figuredthat the somewhat brisk retrieve appealed more to the trout’s aggressive predatorynature than a feeding impulse on this day. We didn’t mind.

Henry's Lake cutthroat

We fished until just after noon. I had over seven hours on the water catchingpredominantly cutthroat and few hybrids. No one in the boat crossed path with any brookies. After fishing Targhee for a couple of hourswe moved once the sun was above the horizon. Lynn toured me to some of Henry’s more famous spots including Pintail Point,Staley Springs and Duck Creek.

I took a good fish on a Cruncher at Pintail point as I ‘hung’the flies at the surface prior to recasting. The 20 plush inch hybrid rocketed from the depths as my Cruncher dangledjust beneath the surface. After everyretrieve always get in the habit of hanging the flies prior to casting. Any fish following pounce on the flies asthey change both direction and speed as they angle up towards the boat.

In the afternoon we wanted to launch my boat on Sheridan andgive it a bit of a pre fish as this would be the featured lake for ourstillwater school. Sheridan is a privatelake located just west of Island Park noted for its trophy rainbows.

Adult damselfly

As we prepared the boats we were smothered in a swarm damselflies. Nymphswere gathering in the shallows and clambering up the cattails and emerging allaround us. Needless to say we hastenedour pace to get on the water. We foundthe largest concentration of fish in the inlet bay taking advantage of the cooloxygenated water from a small feeder stream. Lynn and his guide Chris were using clear intermediate lines. As we were fishing in skinny water, at timesonly two feet, I opted for my Midge Tip line. Callibaetis shucks and spinners also greeted us on the water so I optedfor a #12 Gold Bead Pheasant Tail (GBPT) on the point and a light olive #12 PearlyDamsel on the dropper. On this day thePearly Damsel outperformed the GBPT by a considerable margin. My best fish came in less than two feet ofwater and weighed an estimated nine pounds!

Damsels were emerging everywhere!

The stillwater school went well. Students were provided over eight hours ofclassroom instruction and on the water instruction and assistance with bothLynn and I. Everyone caught fish, inboth good numbers and size. Jim Fawcettcaught and released a beautiful 6.5 pound fish while he was with me. Clay Hash had a great couple of days using aclear intermediate line and Denny Rickards Callibaetis nymph. For a student’s perspective on the seminarplease visit Clay’s blog. It also includesa step by step tying sequence for the Rickards Callibaetis Nymph Clay put tosuch good use.

Jim's 6.5 pound rainbow

Even though damsels were still present in good numbers Callibaetisnymphs was the preferred choice. Throatanalysis on some of the fish we caught revealed feeding on leeches, smallchironomids, damsel nymphs, snails and Callibaetis nymphs, duns andspinners. Of all the prey items I sampledCallibaetis nymphs were the least common but the trout seemed to want more! I did well with a tan version of my Herl Mayfrom my Stillwater Solutions Recipes book.

One of our students Clay holds a good Sheridan Lake rainbow

Student feedback from the course was excellent and Lynn and Iare already planning another event for 2012. We hope to build on the success of this inaugural event perhapsincluding time on Island Park for focused chironomid fishing and Henry’s Lakein addition to the trophy opportunities on Sheridan.

Sherdian Lake rainbow returned for next season

I delayed my return by a day for the opportunity to spend aday on the water with Rio’s Simon Gawesworth. As one of Rio’s Advisory Team members I was looking forward to catching upwith Simon to catch up and talk a little ‘shop’. Simon and I had talked on a number of occasionsabout getting on the water together but we could never seem to pull it togetheruntil now.

Simon enjoying himself on Hebgen

Simon and I had a wonderful day drifting Hebgen Lake ‘lochstyle’ working nymphs and teams of dries to fishing fish. It was one of the most enjoyable days I have hadon the water in recent memory. Simon’scasting prowess was humbling. He castsequally well either left or right handed. If a fish rose within casting distance Simon switched hands in the blinkof any to present his fly quickly and efficiently, often at a staggeringdistance.

In the near shore shallows brown trout cruised and sippedCallibaetis spinners that blanketed the water. In the calm clear conditions these trout proved both challenging andfrustrating but we did manage to coax a few to our flies. As the day wore on the breeze increased andwe were able to get in some great drifts working our team of dries into thelong slicks that formed. Believe it ornot Simon and I were hoping the wind would pick up. Using a team of three flies our goal would beto place the point fly in the slick the middle dropper on the seam and the bobfly in the adjacent ripple. Just aboutevery slick held trout. Once the flylanded I would retrieve the dry using a super slow hand-twist. The small movement this produced turned troutconsistently.

I began my journey home thoroughly satisfied with myexperience, particularly my day on the water with Simon.

I left the boat launch at Hebgen at 7pm andgot as far as Great Falls, Montana. Ichecked into a hotel just after 11pm and was up and on my way again by 6:30am. I made it home just after 4pm on Monday the25^th. Yes I was tired but Ican’t wait to go again!

Be sure to check out my complete photo album from this trip on my Facebook page

Getting Started

2011-07-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the first time you picked up a fly rod? Last Saturday my first memories of fly fishing were all brought back to me.

Michael Short from Lets Go Outdoors

I was asked to film with a new TV show called Let’s Go Outdoors produced by Michael Short. Mike had asked me to spend a day filming on Muir Lake, a small shallow productive water roughly 30 minutes west of home. Water levels were up but Muir Lake had a suspected partial kill over the winter due to the drought years we had experienced prior to this spring, one of the wettest on record.

Water levels were up at Muir

Muir Lake was a rehabiltation project for a number of local groups and organizations including Trout Unlimited Canada through the Northern Lights Fly Tyers Trout Unlimited Edmonton chapter just over 10 years ago. This conservation effort would be a backdrop for the show as I introduced Elma, a young lady to the art and mystique of fly fishing. We would be fishing out of pontoon boats. I would be in my Pac 9000 and Elma in my Discovery IR10. It would be Elma’s first time in a pontoon boat as well.

Elma is ready to go and only slightly frustrated!

Elma proved to be a terrific student who displayed great patience and a positive approach as she mastered a new series of skills including rowing a boat for the first time and casting.

As we filmed I walked her through the basic equipment, lines, rods, reels, waders, wading boots and flies. We then ventured to the water where I explained the dynamics of casting and how a fly rod differs from a traditional spinning or bait casting rod.

On the water, waiting for the indicator to go down.

Conditions weren’t great, the water was beginning to warm and fish had been moody at best according to the research I did prior. Suspending leeches under Quick Release Indicators would be the order of the day. Indicators are not originally designed with fly fishing in mind. Considering this fact I taught Elma the basics of roll casting and within minutes she was able to ‘flop’ out a reasonable cast and fish. Elma tried a few successful overhead casts as well but stuck with the roll cast. The best bet for a weighted leech and indicator. By the end of the day she could easily get out almost 30 feet of line, more than enough for our presentation method. Short casts work best when fishing indicators so any subtle takes aren’t missed.

We targeted a number of my favourite spots throughout the day but things were slow as I expected. Talking to other anglers on the water no one was catching fish. We finally ventured to my fall back spot, a deep hole in the western basin where we worked into 14 feet of water. I opted for a balanced maroon Soft Blend Leech from my Stillwater Selections book on point and a #12 black and red Ice Cream Cone roughly 18 inches above. Lady Luck was with me, as I managed to hook four fish over the course of the afternoon, the largest just over 20 inches. Two came to the leech and two the chironomid. A throat sample of the large fish revealed one tiny water boatman, one small leech and one caddis larva-all dead, a sign that fish weren’t actively feeding. The leech/chironomid cocktail I presented always seems to work in tough conditions as these are two food sources that typically always receive an instinctive response.

Elma seems to have enjoyed her day on the water

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and introducing someone to fly fishing. Hopefully Elma enjoyed it too. Her smile at the end of the day suggested she did. Elma promised to return to the water soon to continue her journey.

Fishing Local Water

2011-07-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I managed to sneak out and fish a local lake with friendBrian Wiebe. With my travels so far this is only the second time I have beenable to venture out locally. I was glad Brian motivated me to get onto thewater.

Weather was overcast with a slight breeze from the northeast. We were just experiencing the last of a low pressure system that has beenbombarding us with rain and wind for the past few days. Thankfully the sunnyweather is returning as I type.

I chose to fish out of my Outcast Pac 9000 as the launch wasa bit dicey for my 14 foot jon boat. The PAC 9000 is a beautiful platform to fishfrom, very spacious and comfortable.

My Pac 9000 loaded and ready to go

We rowed down to the far end. As I got my exercise in forthe day I asked myself, “Why is the fishing always the best at the far end ofthe lake?” About 10 minutes or so later I was in position ready to go, doubleanchored in 10 feet of water.

During my paddle I noticed lots of small chironomid shuckson the water along with a few #14 Callibaetis duns. Taking my observations intoaccount I began with #14 black and red Ice Cream Cone coupled with at #14 GoldBead Pheasant Tail (GBPT) Flashback dropper roughly 24 inches above.

Quick Release Indicator about to dissappear

I made my first cast settled into my seat and within secondsmy Quick Release Indicator disappeared. One of the lakes smaller residents,barely 12 inches long had inhaled the Ice Cream Cone. Not a bad start I thought.From that point on the action was steady. The fish were small but scrappy andlots of fun on my 4 weight. A few fish later I managed to get one over 14inches that I was able to obtain a throat sample. They were feeding heavily on#16 and smaller olive chironomid larva. There were also half dozen #14 dark olive and black chironomid pupascontained within the sample, some of them inflated and silver. Despite thereasonable numbers of Callibaetis duns drifting there were no nymphs or duns inmy samples. Chironomids were on the menu.

Fish were active and willing to play!

After a few more fish I took off the indicator as I waschanging my dropper fly to a small Chromie. I took a fish on my first castusing the ‘naked’ technique and continued to take fish on a steady basis. I switchedback to the Quick Release Indicator so I had something to stare at while I atelunch. I never moved until it was time to go! It was nice not having to chasefish all over the place!

Brian has success working the shoreline shallows

Brian did equally well and diligently worked the shallow reachesnear the shoreline bull rush. He lockedhorns with a few larger fish and managed to land on of the larger residents thelake is beginning to produce. His larger fish took his suspended leech patternbut as with my smaller fish it too was stuffed with chironomid larva and pupa.Brian’s leech must have looked like the perfect desert!

Brian is pleased with his results

I fished until just after 5pm, all in all a rewarding day. Imade a promise to myself to try and get out more often over the coming months.I am fortunate to have a number of great little ‘pot hole’ lakes within an houror so from home. Often we travel great distances to experience what is lying inour backyard.

Spring Parklands Report

2011-06-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

As some of you are probably already aware, I make a point of travelling to the Parklands region of S.W. Manitoba each season. This region currently offers some, if not the best, stillwater fly fishing in North America. From the diversity of the species, the remoteness of the region and the average fish size the Parklands is tough to beat!

An average Parklands rainbow

Earlier in June I had the pleasure of hosting two groups of fly fishers for a weekend and week-long adventure respectively. Based out of Arrow Lakes Lodge we visited a number of quality stillwaters within the region. Most within 40 minutes of our base, two of the better lakes are less than 20 minutes away.

Providing a casting and presentation demonstration

Each day I provided a seminar appropriate to the region or to the specific opportunities possible on the chosen lake for the day. Subjects included strike indicator techniques, how to fight big fish, stillwater entomology, forage fish tactics casting and presentation techniques to name a few. At the end of each trip the group gathered their images and after a photography seminar we all relived the fish and experiences of the trip. The final night always proves itself the most memorable. Check out my Facebook page for my Parklands Spring 2011 album for additional photos.

Bob and Karen Vanderwater

Good friends Bob and Karen Vanderwater provide invaluable assistance ensuring these hosted trips become a successful reality, both in the months prior and over the course of the event. Frankly, I would be hard pressed to do it without them. Their spirit, energy and organizational skills help keep all of us on track.
While on the water I spent time with each student as we worked together to unlock the challenges each lake threw our way. Spending time with each student is perhaps my most memorable part of each trip. I get a chance to get to know each student a little bit better and we both benefit from the inevitable exchange of ideas, information and experiences. The look on their faces as they release the trout of a lifetime is the icing on my cake!

Now that's a rainbow!

The weather for the 10 days I was there started perfectly, sunny skies and light winds. But as the weekend passed into the week our weather pattern shifted. A good day always seemed to be followed by a rainy blustery day. The up and down conditions did not deter the group from Spokane who joined Bob, Karen and I for the week. Seasoned stillwater fly fishers, this group donned their rain gear or waders, shrugged their shoulders and soldiered on. Our day on Pybus reminded me more of coastal steelhead or salmon fishing than the Parklands. By midday I gave up trying to bail my pram as the steady deluge made it pointless.

Our last day on Tokaryk, a lake we re-visited by popular demand, the wind blew from the N.E. at over 50 km/h. Despite the ocean like swells trout responded with unbridled enthusiasm for our leech and baitfish patterns suspended beneath indicators. The swells pitched our patterns aggressively and that’s just the way Tokaryk’s large rainbows and browns liked them. The takes at times were just down right scary!

Karen's 28-inch brown

Fish size was large, typical for the Parklands. We had numerous fish in the 6-8 pound range. A 23-inch rainbow for example, weighed between 6-7 pounds! A number of nine pound fish were caught along with one 10 pound monster. Karen took the largest brown of the trip on the final day of the week long trip. It measured out at 28 inches! Also during the trip Jason from Spokane caught the largest tiger I have seen to date while he was with me in my boat. It measured 27 inches and topped 7 pounds!

Jason's 27-inch, 7lb tiger

I began the trip using 3X 8.2 pound FlouroFlex Plus fluorocarbon tippet which did a great job. But there were a few instances where I had to switch to 2X 12 pound FlourFlex Plus to tame some of the Parklands trout I crossed path with. We had one fish that I estimated in excess of 8 pounds snap the hook clean off the bend on a #12 3XL black and red Ice Cream Cone!

Chironomids and some caddis were hatching in decent numbers. We apparently missed a spectacular chironomid hatch on Patterson Lake by a day. The volume shucks that were clustered together on the surface the following day was almost biblical. There were also clouds of fathead minnows gathered in the shallows. The browns and rainbows seemed to enjoy mauling them, almost at will.

The shallows were thick with schools of fathead minnows

While on Patterson my first student asked if I would show him how to fish chironomid pupa without an indicator using the traditional floating line long leader or ‘naked’ technique. Since chironomids were definitely on the menu we ventured out into deeper water targeting the sloped edge of the main lake basin. Double anchored parallel to the ridge that ran between a main lake point and the western end of the island we targeted water between 15-18 feet deep. I used a leader set up that was at least 25% longer than the depth of water we were fishing, 21 feet. A #12 black and red ice cream cone went on the point and a #12 Chromie hung off my sliding dropper some 4 feet above the point fly. After making a long cast roughly 30 degrees to my left I let the wind swing and drift the fly line. I let the flies sink 30 seconds before beginning a painstakingly slow hand twist retrieve. Conditions were calm. I concentrated on the fly line, watching either the tip or a slight ‘squiggle’ in the line for a take. Almost every take was seen before it was felt. After two hours I had my first convert.

The ‘naked’ technique proved itself as deadly as it ever was. Making me wonder why I don’t use this method more often. It also works great for imitating mayfly and damsel nymphs, caddis pupa, even leech patterns. By the end of both the weekend and week-long events almost all of my students had had the chance to take fish using the ‘naked’ technique. Some had such confidence in the method that they discontinued using indicators for the balance of the trip. I encourage you to give this method a try. he largest tiger trout of the trip resulted from this presentation technique. If you check out one of my previous blog entries you can find out more about this deadly stillwater presentation technique.

We are already planning on returning to the Parklands in 2012 for both a weekend and week-long hosted trip in both the spring and fall. I will be returning in September with another group. These trips have proven extremely popular selling out in a matter of weeks just through word of mouth. If you are interested in joining Bob, Karen and me in 2012 let me know right away. Our hosted trips include accommodation all food, seminars and one on one time with me on the water.

Spring Flurry!

2011-06-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

The challenge with blogs is when you have time, you really don’t have much to say. Well at least in regards to on the water fishing adventures. This is often the case over the winter months when fly fishing is tough if not physically impossible. Then once the season rolls around there is so much to communicate but no time to do so. Such is my dilemma!

Since my last entry in late May I seem to have been in a constant state of travel to and from various destinations across western North America. My travels have taken me to California for a Stillwater School with Bill Forward from Forward Bound Guide Service. During my time there I also had the pleasure of speaking to the Davis Fly Fishers and even managed to sneak east for a day on famed Pyramid Lake. Then back to BC to film an episode with BC Outdoors Sports Fishing T.V. on Horse Lake followed immediately by a Learning with the Pros Seminar with good friend Brian Chan at Ruddocks Ranch. I was also back home briefly where I spent one day chasing trophy pike on nearby Wabamum Lake. It has been a busy stretch. Here is a summary of my experiences.

California Stillwater School Participants

On May 19th I hopped a series of flights from Edmonton to Vancouver, Vancouver to Seattle and finally Seattle to Reno for a stillwater seminar on Lake Davis California. This was the second time I had the good fortune to be in the Sierra Nevada region of California. The scenic peaceful beauty of the region is something to behold. I once again partnered with Bill Forward from Forward Bound Guide Service to provide a comprehensive stillwater seminar over the weekend on May 20-22. Over 20 enthusiastic students joined us. Bill and I provided classroom sessions on a variety of subjects and students were able to practice what they learned on nearby Lake Davis.

Willows or cattails adjacent to deep water produced best

Compared to last fall when I was last on Lake Davis the lake had changed dramatically due to high water. Lake levels were up at least three feet. Areas that were high and dry last season are now new cruising grounds for trout. The challenge is targetting the right regions. Cattail or willow outcroppings close to deep water produced well. Too far back into the freshly flooded areas and you were casting over barren water. Few if any trout prowled these regions as the invertebrate population had yet to recolonize these regions. Small black and red or dark olive #16 chironomid pupa suspended 5-7 feet beneath and indicator worked best.

Bill and I plan on doing additional stillwater seminars, perhaps as early as this fall depending on my schedule. If you are interested at all please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Fishing from ladders or 'high chairs' is part of the game when fishing Pyramid Lake

On Monday May 23rd, prior to a speaking engagement I had with the Davis Fly Fishers, Bill took me for a one day trip to Nevada’s Pyramid Lake. Pyramid is famous for its huge Lahonton cutthroat trout and is one of North America’s hallowed stillwaters. Though it doesn’t not contain Lahontan’s to sizes that first made it famous Pyramid Lake is still home to some pretty solid trout.

Fishing from a ladder is a Pyramid standard

For those not familiar with Pyramid fly fishing there is unique, done almost entirely from shore using step ladders to gain access to deeper water and the edges of the drop off. Some season Pyramid anglers have taken step ladder evolution to new heights in comfort and functionality.

Some have taken fly fishing from a ladder system to a whole new level

We arrived late in the season as the typically large schools of Lahontan’s that cruise the shoreline margins had begun to disperse. We fished primarily at Pelican Point. I only managed to land one 20 inch fish choosing to spend the windswept gusty afternoon talking with fellow fly fishers about my stillwater experiences. One angler next to me managed a Pyramid grand slam, a number of Lahontans, a Tui chub and a large Sacramento perch! Bill soldiered on and landed a 30 inch, 10-11 pound monster on #10 Zebra Midge suspended about seven feet below an indicator. Pyramid is a unique fishery all stillwater fly fishers should experience. Located on tribal land, an inexpensive one day $10 license gets you into the game. I was pleased to strike Pyramid off my stillwater bucket list.

Bill Forward with a Lahontan monster 30 inches long and estimated between 10-11 lbs

After returning home from my California trip I was back on the water chasing pike with two clients on Wabamum Lake. Wabamum is a trophy pike fishery located roughly 45 minutes west of home. The weather was warm and the winds were light, near perfect conditions. In years past Wabamum was noted for its warm water discharge that originated from a power plant. The warm water discharge helped gather and concentrate clouds of baitfish which in turn attracted large numbers of hungry aggressive pike. The plant shut down last year and the pike have since dispersed. The large fish are still around but you now have to roam and hunt them down. From a guide’s perspective it was nice to have fish concentrated in one area but for the resource it is better to spread the pressure out. The good news was I found pike in every area we tried. We even ran into a couple of larger females one of which I managed to hook on a fire tiger Half N Half of mine while taking a few casts at the request of my client. She weighed out at just over 15lbs in my Moby cradle. However, just as she first swam into the cradle she performed a quick unexpected about face and with the near vertical rod position I had my 10 weight snapped at the tip section just above the ferrule. Bad angle it would seem.

After spending the weekend at home I was off to B.C. to film an episode of BC Outdoors Sports Fishing T.V. on Horse Lake located near the town of 100 Mile House. As most of you know, winter decided to hang on this year so everything was about two weeks behind. Water temperatures were cool and the lake level was up about two feet over last year. Callibaetis where just starting to stir but I was quite happy taking fish on chironomids as you might imagine. Horse is a long, clear lake that contains rainbows, kokanee and lake trout. We were hoping for a grand slam of all three species but only managed rainbows and lakers on the fly. The kokanee where still too deep for us to get at with our fly gear.

Bruno makes a few casts on Horse Lake

We stayed at Cariboo Bonanza Resort during our stay, a beautiful place for both those that like to camp or take advantage of their rustic and luxurious cabins. Resort owners Bruno and Dora Sprecher were wonderful hosts and Bruno was keen to point out all the best spots to try. If you ever need to find Bruno the best place to look is on the main dock that reaches out onto one of the better shoals. Bruno loves to spend a few moments whenever he can staying in touch with Horse Lake and its residents.

After finishing filming host Mike Mitchell and I were heading to the Lytton area and Ruddocks Ranch to meet up with Brian Chan for our first Learning with the Pros stillwater seminar of the season. Over 20 students joined Brian on the ranch’s private lake, Ruddocks Dam, an intimate body of water known for its trophy rainbows.

Brian releases a Ruddocks Dam resident

Students camped at the lake so provided all of our seminars lakeside, a beautiful backdrop for the weekend’s events. Brian and I along with the BCO staff that joined us had the good fortune to stay at the ranch house, a short 20 minute drive from the lake. The ranch house sits above the Fraser River and offers a stunning view. The accommodation was wonderful and provided a welcome respite after a day under the sun. If you have a group of anglers looking for a place to stay and fish Ruddocks Ranch makes an excellent choice. Contact Kevin Estrada for booking information.

Over the course of the weekend Brian and I provided seminars on a variety of subjects including lake biology, entomology and specific presentation techniques. Brian and I also spent time with each student on the water. I enjoy these one on one exchanges with students and working with them on specific questions or challenges they may be having. Often I learn as much as the students through the exchange of information and experiences.

Trout were in 12-15 feet of water feeding steadily but not heavily on a stream of small #14-#16 black and dark olive chironomid pupa. Hanging matching pupa anywhere from 10 to 13 feet below and indicator proved quite successful. I also did well on an olive body burnt orange tail Balanced Leech suspended beneath an indicator.

For the most part Ruddocks Dam trophies did not want to play but there were enough three pound trout to keep our students happy. Gary Elgear from Riverside Fly and Tackle in Port Coquitlam was on hand to help out. He managed the largest fish of the weekend that was an estimated 10lbs.

As we were packing up for the return trip home carpenter ants began falling on the water in numbers great enough to garner the trout’s interest. It was tough not to grab a fly rod and toss a large Chernobyl Ant at the fish that were taking the large ants in aggressive splashy rises! You have to a love a lake or body of water that leaves you yearning for more!

On the Water at Last!

2011-05-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

As most of you probably know, this past winter was one of most severe on record. Only recently have the lakes in my area become ice free. I have managed to keep myself occupied with a number of speaking engagements, seminars and schools. Getting on the water has been tough both physically due to the snow and ice and mentally as the excitement that precedes a new season could not be satiated!

This past week I flew to B.C. for three days of fishing with my friend and colleague Brian Chan. Brian and I don’t get to spend as much time as we would like together on the water so trips like this are a treat and we get to discuss future projects, seminars etc.

Six Mile Lake

Each day we visited a different lake. Day one started at Six Mile Lake. The weather was great, sunny and warm and a light breeze. The trout were reasonably cooperative and the day began using small #16 olive or lime green chironomid pupa patterns such as my Pearl Pupa from my first book, Fly Patterns for Stillwaters. Trout were shallow and we did best in the shallow water less than 10 feet. Callibaetis duns also appeared in our throat pump samples and in the early afternoon they began hatching in earnest. Anchored close to shore we watched the duns drift out over the deeper water on the shoal only to be consumed one at a time in splashy aggressive swirls. Brian took a number on a parachute Adams and I took fish on a bead head version of my Turkey Quill Callibaetis, all in all a great start to the trip.

Callibaetis began emerging in decent numbers during the afternoon on Six Mile

Day two saw a weather change. Temperatures dropped, the skies were gray, full of moisture laden clouds. Deciding to stay close to Kamloops in case we had to beat a hasty retreat we launched the boat at Jacko Lake. Chironomid pupa, black and red to be specific and balanced leeches were the order of the day. Chironomids were hatching in reasonable numbers and swallows were working the shallows hard dipping and diving to pick off as many of the emerging adults as they could. Swallows are an excellent hatch indicator to pay attention too. Fish were not in a terribly cooperative mood due to the changing weather but we managed to do reasonably well in light of the conditions. As with Six Mile the day before, fish were in the shallows. By days end were both satisfied and saturated. The warm shower at the end of the day provided a welcome respite.

Brian releases a small rainbow

Day three started with worse weather than day two. We were greeted by steady rain and as we headed higher in elevation to Heffley Lake near Sun Peaks Resort the steadily declining temperature gauge in Brian’s truck got us worried about the possibility of snow. Thankfully were a few hundred feet lower than the visible snow line. Steady rain stayed with us all morning testing our will, raingear and choice of layered clothing. By noon we decided to head for shore where we cooked smokies over a small campfire. Although challenging to get going the heat it provided made all the effort worthwhile. After lunch the clouds began to lift and rain abated. Fish were on the shoals and in the relatively clear waters Heffley is known for our quarry could often be spotted cruising the lighter marl patches. Trout were not concentrated and we moved often to keep in touch with the cruising trout. Areas adjacent to deep water proved to be our most consistent strategy. As with Jacko the day before fishing was steady but not spectacular. Trout were feeding on small chironomids and we did have some success using pupa patterns. But by far our best results came from hanging small black micro leeches beneath indicators. Brian and I chatted back and forth as to the reasons for this preference. We weren’t using balanced patterns for the most part and perhaps the small slender profile of our micro leech patterns suggested staging chironomid pupa? Most of the pupae that were emerging were olive, dark olive and black.

Keep an eye out for swallows working low over the water, a sure indication a hatch is taking place.

The Kamloops area lakes are starting to get into full swing. Water temperatures at Six Mile, Jacko and Heffley were all within a few degrees of each other, between 54F and 56F. Good temperatures, as 50F is the typical trigger point for the season’s first chironomid hatches to get going.

Now that the stillwater season is at my feet I intend to spend as much time on the water as I can, both locally and afar. Stay tuned for reports from California, BC once again and in June the magnificent lakes of the Parklands region of southwest Manitoba.

Wetting a Line for the First Time in 2011

2011-04-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last entry. My schedule remains busy as it is the peak of the show and seminar season. A few weeks ago I was in Boise for the Confessions weekend seminar with Pete Erickson and Jeff Currier. Although attendance was not what we had hoped due to the NCAA Final Four tournament and the last weekend of fishing before the annual spring closure we still had a group of enthusiastic students.

The head of this pool held lots of browns

On the Monday after the show Pete took me out to one of his favourite haunts, the Owyhee River. The Owyhee is a tail-water fishery located roughly 45 minutes away in nearby Oregon state. Some of you may recall an entry around this time last year when I had a chance to visit Owyhee for the first time. A year ago flows were low and the rivers large browns and feisty rainbows were stacked up in the large almost lake like pools sipping tiny midges. I tried in vain to join the ’20-20’ club, hooking a 20 inch or larger fish on a size 20 or smaller fly. I shook hands with a few breaking them off in the process.

Pete demonstrates how to Euro Nymph

This year we were a month later, things were warmer and the river was running higher. My goal with my previous year’s visit was to continue my Euro Nymphing education with Pete. This year the conditions were perfect. Pete is a master of this method using in on many occasions during his international experiences with the U.S. fly fishing team. We began by fishing the head of a pool as the water from a large flat above spilled over what appeared to be a beaver constructed dam. Pete went first demonstrating the correct casting techniques and rod position. It was nothing short of amazing to watch Pete hook up and land an impressive number of browns between 14-22 inches. He was a vacuum with a fly rod! So impressive that I will think twice about using a traditional strike indicator to nymph on faster flows!

Proof is at hand!

Using heavily weighted nymphs, a caddis larva on the dropper and a Vladi Worm on the point we cast upstream leading the flies through the run under tension, leader barely outside the rod tip, Polish style. Most takes were felt as you were tight to the fly or seen as you focused on the ‘slinky’ indicator section of the leader. Pete’s leader system consisting of a short butt section connected to 5-7 feet of tapered leader to the ‘slinky’ leader. From there 4-5 feet of fluorocarbon tippet was attached to the bottom end of the ‘slinky’ section to complete the leader. Pete’s system allows you to both fish the short line Polish system and the long leader Spanish and French systems.

Pete works to rising fish in the flat above

Later in the day we moved upstream to scout. We spent a number of minutes watch large browns cruise, sip and route out nymphs in a shallow eddy below a small island. Watching feeding fish is fascinating and provides an excellent opportunity to watch how they feed. This knowledge is invaluable when it comes to catching them. Small Baetis were hatching along with t a steady stream of midges. Owyhee trout are no dummies and over the course of their life time see more flies than most fly tying companies. Today was no distant. I had a couple of half-hearted looks to my tiny #18 Baetis pattern. Pete finally hooked one on a #18 or #20 gold bead Pheasant Tail Nymph. It proved a short firm handshake as the 7X tippet Pete was forced to use separated within seconds of the strike.

A handful of Owyhee brown

I have attached a few images with the content of this entry the rest can be found in an album on my Facebook page.

Winter is finally coming to an end here in the great white north I can finally see grass in my yard and the destruction left by a one year old golden retriever. At the end of the month I will be in B.C. targeting the trophy rainbows Ruddock’s Ranch is noted for so stay tuned for that entry. If I can I hope to sneak out prior to that. We shall see!

Seminar Update-Boise Bound for Confessions Seminar

2011-03-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

My hectic seminar schedule continues. I have been crisscrossing the continent with stops in Abbotsford, B.C. and last weekend in Ottawa, Ontario where Brian Chan and I provided a one day stillwater seminar. Over 70 enthusiastic participants were on hand.

Next weekend, March 25-27, I will one of the presenters along with friends Pete Erickson and Jeff Currier Boise Idaho for a weekend fly fishing seminar entitled confessions. It will be held at the Boise Hotel and Conference Center, 3300 South Vista Avenue, 8:45-4:30 each day. Two day or daily tickets can be booked ahead of time or purchased at the door. We are offering discounts for early booking.

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive educational seminar covering a range of fly fishing topics. We will touch on a variety of subjects including river and stream tactics, stillwater strategies, warm water and salt water techniques. Although aimed at the intermediate fly fisher this effect should offer something for every fly fisher. We will also be providing presentations on some of our favourite destinations such as one of my personal favourites, Fortress Lake, home of some of the world’s largest brook trout. Pete will be providing a session detailing some of his European travels while with the U.S. Fly Fishing Team. Jeff, our world traveller, will tempt our dreams with his Trout Bumming the World presentation.

From an educational perspective here is a sampling of our some agenda subjects:

Advanced Nymphing Techniques
Improve Your Fly Fishing Photography
Advanced Chironomid Tactics
Tactical Casting Techniques
Saltwater Fly Fishing-Bonefish to Billfish
Top 10 Habits for Stillwater Success
Warm water Fly Fishing-Bass, Pike, Carp and many More
Loch Style Techniques
Terminal Solutions, Favourite Knots

Each student will be provided with ‘goody bags’ and we will be raffling off a number of great prizes from our sponsors including Rio, Echo, Superfly International, Loon Outdoors, Outcast Boats and The New Fly Fisher.

If you are in the Boise area see if your schedule allows time to drop by, Pete Jeff and I look forward to seeing you there! Don’t hesitate to drop me an email at flycraft@shaw.ca if you wish to know more.

Winter Whirlwind!

2011-02-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a whirlwind it has been since my last blog entry. Show season is all around and I have been coming and going every weekend for the past month!

Somerset at a quieter moment

After the Marlborough MA show I headed to New Jersey for the Somerset Fly Fishing Show. It was my first time there and was thoroughly impressed. As with the Marlborough MA show I was there with the New Fly Fisher TV show I co-host in support of the episodes we filmed in Newfoundland and Labrador. Response to our show was overwhelming. Living in the west you are never sure if people are seeing the show. I was pleasantly surprised as countless people recognized the show and complimented us on the educational format we follow. Fellow co-host Bill Spicer and I had one young fan drop by the booth that knew every episode and the featured flies. He was a delight to talk too as he was so keen about the sort. It seems people can never get enough learning in the fly fishing diets. A good thing as it is my web site motto too!

Bill Spicer and I with a young fan of The New Fly Fisher

Show attendance was up and on Saturday it was difficult to navigate the aisles. They were completely clogged at times. In addition to fielding questions about the great fly fishing Newfoundland and Labrador has to offer there were lots of questions regarding stillwaters. Questions I was only too happy to answer. I saw enough pictures of some of the large brown trout inhabiting some of the local lakes to get me interested.
While at the show I had a chance to catch up with many friends and colleagues in the industry including Simon Gawesworth, Jeff Currier, and Bob Clouser to name a few. I particularly enjoy catching with Simon. Like me, Simon is a die-hard Liverpool fan.

After Somerset ended I drove back to Ottawa with the booth arriving back around 1:30am. We unloaded the vehicle and I was asleep by 3am. I awoke again at 6am, gassed up the rental car, dropped it off at the airport, checked in and boarded my flight back to Edmonton. I think I was asleep before they pushed back the plane!

The following weekend I was down in Calgary attending the IF4 Film Festival and the Fly Fishing Events Show in Calgary. This year I had no on the floor speaking commitments other than two tying demonstrations. I did put on two workshops, Fly Fishing Alberta’s Stillwaters and Demystifying Bugs. Both were complete sell outs. When I wasn’t tying flies or teaching a workshop I divided my time between the Rio, Trout Unlimited Canada and Superfly booths. Brian was in town and like myself did not have any speaking commitments. Brian was tying up a storm of sorts in the Superfly booth promoting the Stillwater Solutions line of products he and I developed in partnership with Superfly.

Simon was there once again and we had some ups and downs over the weekend as Liverpool signed Luis Suarez only to learn a few hours later that Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s premier striker put in a transfer request. We couldn’t believe it, ahh the ups and downs of Premier League Soccer during the January transfer window.

Talking to the the Central Alberta Tying Club about big flies

On Saturday February 5th I provided my annual tying clinic to the Central Alberta Tying Club. This year over 20 students enjoyed tying ‘Big Flies for Big Fish’.

'Big Flies for Big Fish' tying seminar

We spent the day tying nothing but flies intended for fish that like their food large. Students tied Pike Bunny’s, Articulated Popsicle Leeches, Intruders, tube flies, Shaving Brush poppers, Gurglers and Double Bunny’s. I don’t think any fly was less than three inches in length! We are already making plans for next year’s seminar. At this year we will be exploring the ‘Fun with Foam’.

Cross section of big fly patterns

My whirlwind show, seminar and presentation adventure ended earlier this week when I provided a tying demonstration and evening presentation to the Spokane Fly Fishers. During the day 20 tyers joined me as I toured them through six of my favourite stillwater patterns. Thanks to Superfly for providing the materials so everyone had the right stuff on hand. Later that evening I provided my ‘Tactics for Tough Days’ presentation to what I estimated to be over 90 club members and guests. This was a fun trip and I enjoyed my visit and I look forward to returning in the not too distant future. Thanks to Judy, Mike and the rest of the Spokane Fly Fishers.

My next trip is not until early March when I will be speaking at the BC Boat and Sportsman’s Show in Abbotsford. In the meantime I will be busy catching up on a host of article deadlines.

Keep your calendars open in late March too. If you are going to be near Boise Idaho why not spend the weekend with Jeff Currier, Pete Erickson and me as we provide a comprehensive weekend seminar on wide array of subjects such as river and stream techniques, stillwater tricks and tactics, warm water fly fishing, salt water, casting tricks to name a few. If you are interested in attending please drop me an email at flycraft@shaw.ca. Additional seminar details will be available shortly both through my blog and Facebook pages.

Please don’t forget to check out my Calendar page on my site too for additional shows and seminars such as my Fortress Lake and Learning with the Pros seminars. 2011 is shaping up to be another crazy educational year.

2011 Show Season is Officially Underway!

2011-01-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

Well the 2011 show season is officially underway, well for me at least. This past weekend found me at the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show. I was there manning The New Fly Fisher booth in support of the Newfoundland & Labrador Outfitters Association (NLOA) as part of the episodes we filmed there in the summer of 2010.

The Marlborough Booth Just Prior to Show Opening

Our adventure began on Wednesday January 12 as James Sidney, one of our cameramen, and I travelled from Ottawa to Marlborough. The weather was less than friendly and we were driving straight into the Boston area for what would appear to be just in time for a major snow storm. We didn’t have to travel far to find snow as it began in earnest just down highway 416 from Ottawa. By the time we crossed the border and travelled down the secondary highways along the west slope of the Adirondacks winter was in full force! James and I began to wonder if we might have to pull over and spend the night to ride out the storm. Looking back the snow coming down on the rural farms was beautiful and scenic, almost postcard like. I should have taken some pictures but we didn’t want to stop and both hands were on the wheel to allow for any ‘drive by’ images.

As we passed through Utica, New York the clouds lifted and things looked brighter. The roads were clear and we began to make up lost time. We ran into a few other snow squalls that made for an interesting drive. Snowflakes’ coming at you in full force at night reminds me of the jump to hyper-space in Star Wars!
Snow ploughs were out in full force and by the time we arrived in Marlborough at around 8pm Streets were clear and with the exception of the snow banks along the road you would never had known there had been a major snow fall. Luck was on our side as we were travelling just behind the leading edge of the front. The Boston area received over 20 inches of snow and we were fortunate to miss it. The rest of the weekend featured beautiful blue banner skies and crisp temperatures.

During the show I presented a couple of destination seminars on the Atlantic salmon opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador along with a presentation on the trophy brook trout Labrador is famous for. Saturday’s programs were particularly well attended. Feedback from show attendees was unbelievably positive. It seems The New Fly Fisher is well known through our WFN and NESN broadcasts.
I managed to catch up with a few friends at the show such as Jeff Currier and make a few new ones in the process.

James is a great caster and our location adjacent to the casting pond was perfect for him. During his breaks he managed to get up there on one occasion showing everyone his soon to be famous Sidney Shoot!

James Demonstrates His Soon To Be Famous 'Sidney Shoot'!

This weekend coming up finds me at the Somerset show, the world’s largest fly fishing show. It is a show I have always wanted to visit. We will be there once again in support of NLOA and the shows we filmed. If you are in the neighbourhood please drop by.

Pause and Reflection-Thoughts on 2010 & 2011

2011-01-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season winds down and 2011 begins it is time to pause and reflect on 2010 and look forward to what 2011 offers.

2010 was one of my busiest years. A situation I enjoyed and one I want to build on for 2011. My travels took me all over North America, from coast to coast. Over the course of the year my role as one of the co-hosts of the New Fly Fisher T.V. show took me to Nanaimo B.C. to film with long time friend Brian Chan, Red Deer and Edmonton Alberta, Labrador, Newfoundland and Montana. I managed my first Atlantic salmon on the fly. Topping it off with a 39” 15 pound nickel bright salmon on a 7 weight, definitively a fish I was not expecting! While filming in Red Deer we landed right in the middle of the Hexagenia or ‘Hex’ emergence. Large browns sipping huge duns and spinners were a sight to behold. As the light faded to a level too low to film we, including James our cameraman, transformed into excited kids as though it was Christmas morning as we cast to huge browns slurping and gulping well into the evening.

Big browns and 'Hex's' in central Alberta

My trip to Montana was one I had wanted to make my entire life. Chasing gulpers on Hebgen Lake was a dream come true. A definite ‘bucket list’ event! I can’t wait to return. Not only to fish the region’s lakes but to continue exploring some of its blue ribbon rivers and streams too!

Fishing with Bob Jacklin in Montana was a pleasure

In addition to my New Fly Fisher filming I also appeared as a guest on the fledgling BC Outdoors Sports Fishing show, currently airing on W.F.N. Together with editor and host Mike Mitchell I filmed a total of three episodes and look forward to filming more in 2011.

2010 also saw an increase in the number of seminars and club presentations. Amongst the highlights included a fall stillwater school in California , a stillwater school on scenic Fortress Lake and two hosted trips to the Parklands region of south-western Manitoba. Please see some of my previous blog entries for complete reports on these trips. The trips and seminars proved successful and rewarding for both me and my students. I will be returning to these regions again with an expanded presence while introducing you to additional regions as well. Instructional guiding on the lakes around north central Alberta will also continue in 2010 so if you are in the area and your plans allow contact me.

2011 is already booking fast and a number of months, such as June, are already full of seminars and trips. I will be heading back to the Parklands region once again hosting both a weekend and week-long trip. The week-long event is already full just through word of mouth! I will be providing additional details regarding the weekend event shortly. Limited to a maximum of 12 anglers, my Prowling the Parklands hosted trips include food, accommodation, seminars and one on one instructional time with me. At this time the Parklands region offers arguably the finest stillwater fly fishing in North America. You have the chance to trade blows with large fat rambunctious rainbows, browns and tiger trout in an unbelievably un-crowded setting.

Big browns, rainbows and tiger trout await in the Parklands region of S.W. Manitoba

As a result of the positive feedback we received in 2010 I will be joining Jeff Currier and Pete Erickson in March as we provide another weekend fly fishing seminar in Boise, Idaho. Our seminar will provide detailed comprehensive instruction on a variety of subjects including warm and salt water fly fishing, Euro nymphing, advanced stillwater techniques, hands on knot tying, casting instruction and much more. Additional details are forth coming shortly.

I will once again be providing seminars at Fortress Lake Retreat, a weekend event in July and a week-long session in September. The September session will have a specific focus on sight fishing for Fortress Lake’s trophy brook trout. The sight of a huge brookie pouncing on your fly right before your eyes burns into your psyche forever, please join me if you can!

Join me at Fortress Lake Retreat in 2011!-Photo Courstesy of Dave Jensen

In May I will be travelling south to California once again for another stillwater school. As with my fall 2010 session I will be working with Bill Forward from Forward Bound Guide Service. I am looking forward to this event as chironomids, Callibaetis and damsels should all be beginning to stir.

I will also be working with Brian Chan and Mike Mitchell from B.C. Outdoors Sports Fishing magazine providing the popular Learning with the Pro’s stillwater seminars. This year we will be at Ruddock’s Ranch in early June and Roche Lake Resort in September. Our September event, as was the case in 2010, will have a definite advanced flavour to it.

Please visit my Calendar page on my site and stay tuned for specific blog and Facebook entries regarding each seminar. I hope to have these completed shortly.

Response to my on-line store proved positive in 2010. The addition of my latest book, Stillwater Selections and DVD filmed with Brian Chan, Learning with the Pros-Stillwater Fly Tying-Volume I was well received. A number of you picked up autographed copies as Christmas gifts. There will be another planned expansion in 2011 offering access to additional specific stillwater products so please stay tuned for these announcements as soon as they are firm. I am hopeful for an announcement on the first level of expansion as soon as late January or early February. A few additional details are awaiting to be finalized.

I wish everyone all the best for 2011 and hope you manage to squeeze an extra day or week on the water. Explore a different region or chase a different species if you can. The lessons learned often transfer back to what you are familiar with making you a better angler in the process. Hopefully I will see you on my travels in 2011 and perhaps we can spend some time on the water together!

Season's Greetings

2010-12-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe another year has almost past. Man, as I get older the years fly by faster.

White and bright!

We have lots of cold weather and snow here in north central Alberta. We will definitely have a white Christmas. Right now it is -16C outside but the beautiful blue skies and sun lights everything up. It’s weird having to wear sunglasses when I go out in sub-zero conditions. Our dog sure seems to love it. Ploughing through the snow is a favourite sport with her.

No fishing for a while yet!

Tessa is now nearly a year old. She is full of energy and loves to get into everything she can. I am already looking forward to her joining in the boat with me next season. Hopefully she stays in and doesn’t use it for a diving board like she did on her first trip out earlier this year.

2011 promises to be as busy as 2010, maybe even busier, no complaints though! I am just putting the finishing touches on my school and seminar schedule. My travels will once again take me across North America.

Based upon your feedback and requests there will also be some new additions to my on-line store. As soon as things are concrete I will let everyone know.

Right now I am busy catching up on some writing assignments with a number of others pending. I am looking forward to kicking back and relaxing between Christmas and New Year’s, watching Premier League Soccer and the World Junior hockey championships.

I wish everyone who follows my Blog or through my Facebook page the very best over the holiday season. Thanks once again for your emails, kind words of support and best of all your stories.

Best of the season!

New Additions to Fly Craft Store!

2010-12-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

As probably most of you are aware, this past year I updated my website. It was time for some changes and a facelift. Based upon the number of requests I had received for my books, DVD’s and Quick Release Indicators a component of this facelift included a Store page. My Store page seems to be a positive addition as indicated by the positive feedback it has received.

Plans are in the works to add a variety of other products to this page so stay tuned.

The first step in my planned expansion is the addition of my latest book, Stillwater Selections and DVD, Learning with the Pros-Tying Stillwater Flies Volume I. As with the book, Stillwater Solutions Recipes my latest DVD is a joint venture with good friend Brian Chan. Both of these items are now available via my site both individually and as a combo. The combo packages offer a savings of over 10% as compared to the individual prices of each item within the combo package. You can watch a short ‘teaser’ of the Learning with the Pros DVD below.

I have also added combo packages for my first book Fly Patterns for Stillwaters and DVD Tying Fly Patterns for Stillwaters along with my second book Stillwater Solutions Recipes-Volume I and DVD Tying and Fishing Stillwater Flies. Each DVD contains in part many of the patterns featured in each of the books they are partnered with.

Please visit my on line store for more information on both my new book and DVD along with my previous titles.

The Perils of Social Media

2010-11-26T14:26:00.000-08:00

Social media has become part of our everyday lives. Facebook, Twitter and blogs are just some of the avenues we have at our disposal. The world now communicates and markets itself in a totally new way. I have become a fan of Facebook and the benefits it offers and of course I enjoy communicating through my blog. But for the pros of social media there are also a few cons.

One of my good friends chose not to have a personal Facebook page. Someone however, decided he should. As part of bet with friends this person set up an erroneous page. The goal of the bet was to see who could have the most friends by the end of a set period. I was first alerted to this when my friend asked me to become his friend via Facebook page. I did not accept, feeling something wasn’t right as through prior discussions my friend had stated that he wasn’t interested in having a Facebook presence. After a quick phone call it was clear my friend was being misrepresented. His page was gathering lots of friends who were asking questions of him. In some instances these questions were answered! I, along with a few other mutual friends reported the site to Facebook via the report/block feature at the bottom of the page. Another friend went on the page and posted that the page was false. His posts were removed by the originator of the page! Despite these efforts the page remained and his list of friends continued to swell.

Finally, the originator of the page contacted my friend via email advising him of what he had done and why. Hoping that my friend would approve! This person even suggested to my friend that he continue with the page and what he had set up. My friends response was swift and to the point. His privacy, integrity and reputation were placed at risk and my friend asked him to terminate the Facebook page immediately. My friend also asked for him to contact of the ‘friends’ to let them know that the page was false prior to shutting it down. Fortunately my friend’s request was granted and the page has since been shut down. The issue resolved to my friend's satisfaction.

So despite the benefits of social media there are still a few out there who have their own unique version of how things should work. Be wary. If you see or experience something like this yourself take the steps to make sure it stops and if possible so it can’t happen again. Make sure your privacy settings on Facebook for example are set for what you want the world to see or not see. Learn all you can it pays to be educated.

Haig-Brown Symposium

2010-11-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

This past weekend saw the last of my planned seminars and appearances speaking at the Haig-Brown Fly Fishers Symposium. Over 200 people attended the two day event having the chance to see a number of quality speakers including Brian Chan, Skip Morris, Peter Morrison, Dana Sturm, Don Freschi, Tom Johansson, Todd Oishi and me. Talks began at 9am on both Saturday and Sunday. I provided sessions on How to Find Trout in Stillwaters and a Hatch Guide for Lakes.

The Haig-Brown club was top drawer in their organization and providing a great environment for the speakers. Saturday night for example they organized a pizza and beer event for speakers and attendees to mingle. This symposium runs every two years so if you are in the neighbourhood in 2012 make a point of sitting in. There should be lots to learn!

Knee deep on a Vancouver Island Beach

In addition to the symposium I had the chance to spend a day on the water chasing sea run cutthroat trout. Barry Stokes from Islander Reels and I explored a couple of beaches in the Victoria area. The weather was pleasant and we bumped into a few other friends who were taking advantage of the sunny conditions. Cutthroat were present, which is always an issue as these fish are notoriously nomadic. Chasing sea run cutthroat is more of an experience trip rather than one of numbers.

The social aspect of beach fishing for cutthroat

We used either Aqualux lines or in my case Rio’s Outbound hover and small minnow patterns. Barry managed to land a beautiful 18-inch sea run on one of his neat streamers. Small forage fish such sculpins are popular forage items for these beautifully spotted fish.

Barry lands a nice cutt!

A unique seaside home

Casting flies knee deep on a gently sloping beach is both relaxing and therapeutic. During our day we saw a variety of wildlife including sea birds, harbour seals and on one beach a family of seven otters came down to inspect what we were up to. Unfortunately they did not get close enough to snap a picture. Beautiful creatures they are we all wondered what toll they took on the local cutthroat population.

Sea run cutthroat are gorgeous

Sea run cutthroat are fragile and as they often spawn in tiny creeks and trickles they are susceptible to urbanization and development. Creeks most wouldn’t know existed or be aware of their significant importance as spawning and rearing habitat. As new developments are built these small creeks are often manipulated and in some instances in the past filled in.

Final Fall Fling?

2010-11-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

On the Prowl for Pike-Photo Courtesy of Bill Gouge

So far this November I have been blessed by clear skies and relatively warm temperatures. You know the kind that makes you wish you were on the water. I am still busy with seminars but I did manage to sneak out on one of my local lakes for some late season pike on the fly. Joining me was my friend Bill who had purchased a trip with me through a Trout Unlimited Canada donated trip I had provided in 2009. Each year I donate a number of guided trips to Trout Unlimited Canada to support their efforts to conserve, protect and restore Canada’s coldwater resources.


Shoot to Target-Photo Courtesy of Bill Gouge

We had tried getting together only a few weeks before but cold windy conditions made use think otherwise. On this day Bill and I were greeted by light winds, highs of 10C and beautiful sunny skies. In the past my local lake had a warm water discharge that concentrated baitfish attracting lots of large nasty pike. The plant that generated the discharge closed its doors and my pike magnet was gone. The channel the outflow created has grown over and after an hour or so of prospecting we had nothing to show for our efforts. I was a bit disappointed that things had changed but in many ways it was good that I would have to explore and learn new areas of the lake.

Bill's First Pike on the Fly

Thankfully my efforts paid off and Bill, who had never caught a pike on the fly, was rewarded with a decent fish, the best we would get for the day. Bill got his fish on a variation of a Fire Tiger Half N Half I tied using Super Hair. It got pretty beat up during the fight but thankfully synthetics comb back into shape pretty quickly.

Pike are Tough on Flies

We were using 9 and 10 weight rods, floating lines and Rio’s Toothy Critter leaders to start. Once we had consumed the wire tippet after a few pattern changes I replaced it with some of Rio’s 20lb Knottable Bite Tippet. Rio’s Knottable Bite Tippet is outstanding, durable and a dream to tie knots with. Rio's Bite Tippet is so flexible and user friendly that I use my favorite knots that I use for traditional nylon and fluorocarbon leaders.

The Knottable Bite Tippet also has a secondary function that some might not be aware. It is excellent for large articulated flies such as those developed and popularized by Kelly Galloup. It also works well for Intruder style patterns too.

I Almost Have It!-Photo Courtesy of Bill Gouge

It was an articulated pattern that I was experimenting with that lead to my getting my right thumb into a place it shouldn’t go. One of my favorite patterns for pike is an all white Popsicle Leech. I wanted to make a larger version of this proven pattern and after meeting and talking with Kelly Galloup I knew that articulation was the only way to go. I decided to leave both hooks on the fly which in hindsight wasn’t quite the way to go as removing the trailing hook proved challenging as the pike refused to let go. I am not a big fan of jaw spreaders as I worry about their effect on the pike and most times I end up loosing them when the pike shakes its head. They spring free and pinball of the boat and typically end up in the water. Often I am able to get my fingers under the chin flap of the pike causing it open just enough to reach in with a large pair of forceps and remove the fly. So I began to work on getting my fly free. I started by holding the pike in the water using my right hand. Although I am left handed I have evolved into a hybrid of sorts doing many things right handed such as using forceps. Somewhere in transferring pike between hands and fumbling with the forceps and fly my right thumb ended up in the center of the pikes mouth, as though it was sucking it. It wasn’t too painful but those things can exert a fair bit of pressure. The one thing not to do was pull my thumb out as this would have made a right mess. Part of my guiding includes education but this might have been taking things a bit too far. Now the jaw spreaders came out and with a few seconds I was able to extricate my thumb. I had a number of ‘pinholes’ on either side of the thumb and I was squirting blood for a few minutes which delayed my preparing lunch. Bill thought it was pretty funny, as did eye. Thankfully it wasn’t a larger fish or my new nickname might have become ‘Stumpy’!

No Harm No Foul!-Photo Courtesy of Bill Gouge

It looks like now my season has drawn to a close, as there are lots of snow icons appearing on the weather forecast. I am looking forward to the down time so I can turn my guns on planning and preparing for the 2011 show and fishing season. I am sure if the weather warms up a degree or two so it is tolerable I might sneak out to find some open water somewhere.

California Trout and Pigskin

2010-10-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a week long speaking and seminar jaunt through Washington and California. My journey started as Spokane’s Inland Empire Fly Fishing club welcomed me where I presented my Favorite Western Canada Stillwaters program. This is the second time I have spoken to the Inland Empire club originators of the best selling book Flies of the Northwest. Bob Harley and the rest of the club members provided an excellent dinner and in addition to my presentation I tied a few of my favorite flies for them as well. The Inland Empire club is home to Jerry McBride, originator of the balanced fly concept that has changed the way I tie and present many of my patterns. It was great to see him and thank him personally for his innovative approach to pattern design.

After my evening in Spokane I flew out early the next morning carrying on down to Santa Rosa California where I put on my Going Deep-Sinking Line Strategies for Stillwaters presentation to the Russian River Fly Fishers. Prior to my presentation club member Joe Banovich took me out to a local smorgasbord restaurant for dinner. What a spread! I gorged myself silly, totally blowing my diet. I am a sucker for Sushi in particular and they had lots on hand!

Lake Davis is a beautiful place to drown flies!

After my presentation was complete I immediately headed north to Clio California where I would be putting on a two day stillwater seminar with Bill Forward. Bill is the Senior Editor with Sierra Fisherman magazine and owner of Forward Bound Guiding and Fly Fishing Instruction.

Bills beautiful 16' boat, perfect for a day's fishing!

Over the Friday night and Saturday Bill and I provided two days of instruction to 19 enthusiastic students eager to improve their stillwater fly fishing skills. Students were provided a number of seminars including how to read lakes, equipment requirements for stillwaters, stillwater entomology, presentation skills, and the intricacies of using indicators on lakes. In addition to the lectures students were given a chance to get on the water and hone their skills. At the end of the on the water segment of the seminar Bill and I provided a de-briefing as students discussed their successes, setbacks and observations. This format provides great interaction and arguably provides the greatest learning opportunity. Feedback has been extremely positive. This was our first seminar and based upon this positive feedback we are already working on plans for additional seminars for 2011. Stay tuned to my blog, Facebook page and website for additional details once they are figured out.

Pug nosed Lake Davis rainbow

During my stay I had the opportunity to fish Lake Davis, one of northern California’s most well known stillwaters and one of my ‘bucket list’ lakes. Fishing was steady and despite the slowly deteriorating weather both Bill and I did well. Trout were cruising high in the water column and small chironomid pupa and flashback gold bead Pheasant Tail Nymphs suspended 3-5 feet down proved deadly. On the last day in particular I did well presenting my flies within the foam of the wind lanes that began to form in the afternoon. As with most days the fishing hit a crescendo just as it was time to pull anchors and wrap up our stillwater seminar.

Hanging flies in and around weed pockets proved productive

Lake Davis is unique as it provides the opportunity to stalk fish from shore. Fish were in the shoreline shallows, often in barely enough water to cover their backs, rummaging for food. If your presentation was correct they took dry flies readily. This phenomenon is rare. Most lakes don’t allow much wading or stalking opportunities due to back cast issues, shoreline weed growth or soft muddy bottoms that make wading and stalking nasty or in some cases outright dangerous.

The line up to get in the parking lot 2.5 hours before game time!

After winding up the seminar Bill, his wife Carol and I headed south to San Francisco to attend the San Fransico 49rs vs. Oakland Raiders football game. For those of your familiar with the bay area this game offers an intense rivalry. This was my first NFL game and as a die hard Niners fan it was the icing on my trip. We were on our way by 6:00am for the roughly four hour drive arriving at Candlestick Park just after 10:00 for the experience that is tailgating.

Me in my 'colors'

Bill provided me with a Niners golf shirt and jacket to ensure I had my colors straight. He toured me around the parking lot as I took in the entire experience, from an inflatable Darth Vader to a big screen TV complete with satellite to watch the early games.

The tailgating experience

Raider Nation was well represented.

All manner of food was cooked and consumed in the parking lot along with sufficient quality of suitable beverages. Our tailgate group dinned on a full turkey dinner complete with brussel sprouts (which I actually like), stuffing and potatoes. A few glasses of red wine washed the meal down perfectly.

Nothing beats a full course turkey dinner before a football game!

The game itself was great as the Niners finally won their first game of the season 17-9. It rained through most of the tailgate party and first half so the ponchos we picked up on our drive proved wise to say the least.

We finally won!

I flew home the next morning after a tour of Bill’s home town San Francisco and a wonderful dinner on world famous Fisherman’s Wharf. It was a whirlwind trip but well worth the investment. I can’t wait to return in 2011!

Fall Paradox

2010-10-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

For me the fall season is a paradox. Mother Nature takes out her paint brush decorating trees with beautiful yellows, oranges and reds all contrasted against magnificent deep blue skies. At the same time fish sensing the onslaught of winter cruise the shallows consuming just about everything they come across. The days are numbered. In north central Alberta any warm days we get after Halloween are a blessing. Trout and some of the largest pike of the season are on my radar. I will be trying to get all fishing I can in before it becomes cold, white and hard again. As Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Fall colors are spectacular

In late September I wrapped up my final shoot for The New Fly Fisher on the North Saskatchewan River near my home in the Edmonton area chasing pike, walleye and goldeye with Keith Rae from Get Hooked Adventures. The weather was spectacular as the fall colors were just beginning to manipulate the landscape.

A definite no fingers zone!

Navigating the river via Keith’s comfortable jet boat we tossed streamers on sinking lines along the current edges for walleye and goldeye and in the slower reaches floating lines and large flies pulled some large 35-inch and longer pike. The savage grab of a pike on the fly is addictive and I recommend everyone give it a try.

Keith Rae and I enjoying fly fishing for Pike on the North Saskatchewan

At the same time water boatman and backswimmers begin their annual mating and migration flights. These insects become active in the mid to late afternoon when the sun’s rays warm the shallows and get them going. I spent a day on a local lake. Fishing began slow and sporadic at best. Random acts of kindness if you will. About four o’clock we began to see the first aggressive swirls of the day. Fish were working in and along the deep edge of the weed beds targeting backswimmers as they left the water and when they returned. Casting foam bodied Ultimate Boatman on hover and floating lines was spectacular.

A fat fall rainbow taken on an Ultimate Boatman

Throat pump analysis revealed backwimmers were on the menu

Takes often came as the fly landed, its arrival. I recall one large trout that took my fly in a graceful but aggressive porpoise rise. If the fly isn’t taken upon landing or on the drop a brisk hand twist or 4-5 strip retrieve typically garners a strong response. Large trout hooked in water less than five feet deep often go berserk. When the ‘fall’ is in full swing boatman and back swimmer patterns offer some of the most memorable fishing of the season.

I had the chance to check out Stoney Lake before the students arrived

The first weekend in October saw me at Stoney Lake Lodge in British Columbia. Good friend Brian Chan and I put on our first Learning with the Pros-Advanced session in partnership with B.C. Outdoors Sports Fishing magazine. Fourteen ardent fly fishers joined Brian, Editor Mike Mitchell and I. Some of the students came from as far away as Ontario and Wisconsin! Both the weather and fish cooperated as students spent time on the water with Brian and I after each mornings seminars. Boatman, , backswimmer, leech, dragon nymph patterns and Boobies all took their share of fish. From the feedback we received everyone enjoyed their experience and the accommodation and food was fantastic. Saturday nights prime rib dinner was one of the most memorable feasts I have ever experienced.

After the weekend school I stuck around for a couple of days and filmed two episodes for BC Outdoors Sports Fishing new television show. This new show begins airing later on this fall on WFN and a number of B.C. networks.

So if you can get out this fall and experience some fishing for yourself, it won’t be long before the winter is upon us. Our memories will be the only things left to carry us through the cold months and at the fly tying station.

Terrestrials and Gulpers in Big Sky Country

2010-09-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Just over a week ago I found myself in West Yellowstone Montana to film two episodes of The New Fly Fisher. We based ourselves out of the luxurious Hibernation Station a unique complex of log homes nestled right in West Yellowstone.

A few of the Cabins at the Hibernation Station

For me it was a dream come true to have the asphalt of West Yellowstone beneath my feet. Within an hour’s drive of this small town located on the western approaches to Yellowstone National park are countless rivers and a number of renowned stillwaters. Rivers such as the Gallatin where a River Runs Through It was filmed, the Firehole, Madison, Slough Creek even the famed Henry’s Fork drew mention on the town’s fly shop report boards.

The West Yellowstone region offers spectacular scenery

We spent the first two days of our adventure filming with fly fishing icon Bob Jacklin. Bob has been based out of Montana for over 40 years and few know the nearby rivers as well as he does. Bob’s store, Jacklin's Fly Shop is one of seven fly shops located within this beautiful small town. It was an honor to share the water with Bob, his casting prowess alone was something to behold.

It was an honor to share the water and swap stories with Bob

The weather was during our stay was, for the most part, spectacular, cool in the morning and close to 70F in the afternoon. The focus of our filming during the first portion of our trip was on fall terrestrial fishing. Grasshoppers were active and during our first day’s filming we saw countless numbers drifting downstream. Many disappeared in large confident rises. My first Montana trout proved a dream sequence of sorts. Bob directed me to crawl on my knees upstream to a large bend. Camouflaged in the grass I dropped my hopper into the main flow that cut diagonally across the run and pushed against the far bank. My hopper drifted all of three feet when a large set of lips poked through enveloping my hopper and dragging it below. Fifteen minutes later, after a spirited battle, the 20-inch brown lay in the net ready to pose for the camera. We admired and released the fish my only regret was not getting a still shot. We did how ever get the entire take on film so you and I will both have to wait until the show is aired to see it. During the day we also took other fish including good numbers of lager Rocky Mountain whitefish. Typically bottom feeders the whitefish rose freely to hoppers. Due to their under slung mouths their rises were splashy and clumsy. Not the refined sip synonymous of a brown or rainbow. I did well hanging my small Stillwater Baetis nymph below my hopper taking a number of good sized whitefish.

Bob releases a hopper caught Rocky Mountain whitefish

The next day Bob took us to the Madison where it flowed between Hebgen and Quake Lakes. This stretch was what I expected the Madison to look like, not the gentle meadow stream section Bob had us on the day before. Fishing was not as good but we still did OK. We managed to film a number of casting and instructional segments. I also made a point of turning over a number of the larger rocks in the riffles. The number and size of the large Pteronarcys nymphs I found was staggering along with Hydropsyche caddis. Some of the Pteronarcys nymphs were as long as my index finger! It was easy to see why trout in the Madison and many of the other blue ribbon waters in the area are conditioned to look up. The region is a dry fly fisher’s paradise.

Pteronarcys nymphs from the Madison

The best fishing took place in the afternoon and into the evening so this gave my cameraman Jeremy and I lots of time in the morning to shoot scenic footage and visit some of the area attractions. Ironically, because we didn’t have permits to film we did not visit Yellowstone National Park. We did however visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. As listed on their website the center’s mission, “Is to provide visitors to the Yellowstone area an opportunity to observe, learn and appreciate grizzly bears and gray wolves.” We were able to film large grizzly bears and wolves in their large open area pens. One of the center’s programs I found interesting was their bear proof container certification process. If a container can last 60-90 minutes in the bear enclosure it is considered certified. During our visit we were shown a number beaten and battered containers that didn’t all pass muster. Our visit was one of my personal highlights and I recommend anyone visiting West Yellowstone make time for a visit on their trip planner. Both grizzly bears and wolves are likely to be seen during your stay and having an awareness of these impressive animals is highly recommended. We saw a number of wolf and bear tracks along the river and one evening returning home we rounded the corner to see the large brown butt of a grizzly bear crashing through the woods to safety.

Grizzly bears abound in the West Yellowstone region

The second half of our stay saw us on Hebgen Lake targeting the gulping rainbow and brown trout this lake is famous for. We based ourselves out of the Firehole Ranch for our two days filming. Firehole Ranch managers Mark Parlett and his wife Kim were unbelievable hosts and Josh Duchateau our guide was a fellow stillwater addict like myself and just fun to be with. Hebgen is known for its Callibaetis, chironomid, caddis and damsel emergences as are other lakes. What makes Hebgen so special is the consistent dry fly fishing. No where else I have fished have I seen fish up on top like on Hebgen. If the wind wasn’t up pods of fish cruised the shallows ‘gulping’ Callibaetis spinners, duns, damsel adults and terrestrials. As trout take your fly they make an audible gulp that is quite distinctive. I did well using a simple winged foam ant casting both to the rise and in front of fish moving in a predictable rise pattern. Josh took a number of quality fish using a damsel adult. We didn’t hit Hebgen at its peak as the hatch was winding down and the wind always seemed to follow us. August is apparently unreal and I am already making plans to return in 2011. Perhaps even to do a stillwater seminar on Hebgen so if you are interested please let me know or stay tuned to my website and Facebook page. Other world famous lakes in the region well worth a visit include Quake Lake and Island Park Reservoir and Henry’s Lake in nearby Idaho.

Our guide Josh with a 'gulper' brown from Hebgen Lake

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the West Yellowstone area, do it. The only challenge would be not spending your entire time on one water or one section of that water. I am looking at taking two weeks to explore the regions lakes and rivers and making sure I take the time to visit Yellowstone National Park. Of course it wouldn’t be right not to wet a line in one of the park’s rivers and streams as well!

Yellowstone National Park is literally across the street from West Yellowstone

If you want to see additional images from my stay please visit my Montana album set up on both my personal Facebook page and The New Fly Fisher’s page.

Prowling the Parklands-Fall Report

2010-09-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

This past Labor Day weekend found me once again prowling the productive stillwaters of the Parkland's region of southwest Manitoba. As with the spring, I led a group of nine enthusiastic fly fishers, most of which had only heard about the stillwater riches this region has to offer. Bob and Karen Vanderwater worked with me once again helping coordinate this event. Their help and support is invaluable and provides an element of polish to the whole trip.

Twin Lake Tigers, just one of the Parkand's stillwater attractions

We based ourselves out of the Barn in the Bush located at the southern end of Lake of the Prairies. Barn in the Bush, as its name would suggest, is a refurbished barn converted into squeaky clean comfortable living quarters. All of the lakes we visited on this trip, Tokaryk, Patterson and Twin were roughly an hour away. Owners Steve and Betty Morris provided wonderful accommodations and put up with our early morning convoys to the various lakes. If you are looking for great accommodation complete with queen size beds, kitchenettes, individual washrooms and showers in each room then Barn in the Box is the place to be. It was the perfect base for our group.

Barn in the Bush provides great accommodation

Day one began bright and early with a large bacon and egg breakfast. Lunches were made and we were soon on our way to Tokaryk Lake near the town of Oakburn. Those of us within our group who had fished Tokaryk in the spring were full of anticipation. Tokaryk had been spectacular in June, both in average fish size and quantity. This time fishing was a bit tougher as the region was just recovering from a bout of unsettled weather. We did not get into the numbers we had originally hoped for but the size and quality of the fight was as we remembered. A variety of patterns produced fish for most of the group including leeches, dragon nymphs and flashback bead head Pheasant Tail nymphs. Although it was early fall I took all of my fish on chironomid pupa patterns. By the fall stillwater trout have typically seen so many chironomid pupa over the course of the season that they respond to a properly presented pattern in an almost Pavlovian fashion.

Tokaryk rainbows still like chironomids

The next day we visited Patterson Lake, a mere stone’s throw from Tokaryk. Patterson is a large trophy lake containing browns and rainbows. Typically this lake challenges the fly fisher but every time the line locks up or the indicator plunges beneath the surface chances are it is going to be a big fish. Today was no exception. The day was sunny and pleasant but the wind was blowing from the east, a precursor to changing weather. I expected tough fishing. One of the students, Mike joined me for the first two hours and was into fish almost immediately on a balanced leech. This fish managed to wrap the line around both the bow anchor rope and electric motor. However, with some creative ‘gymnastics’ and teamwork we were able to free the line and land a nice fish. Two other students Rob and Gerald joined me later in the day catching some of the largest fish of their lives.

Gerald's first Patterson brown

Bob and Karen began at their usual spot near the beaver lodge on the southeast end of the island but soon moved through the narrows and into the bay on the island’s north side to get out of the persistent easterly wind. Taking advantage of the wind lane that formed downwind of the ‘narrows’ they did well hanging flashback bead head Pheasant Tails beneath an indicator. Soon the rest of the group gathered there and I experienced one of my best days on Patterson. A flashback Pheasant Tail on the point and a small #14 boatman dropper produced consistently. The waters were alive with immature fat head minnow fry and the flashback Pheasant Tail did a great job suggesting them. Throat samples revealed minnow remnants and tiny water boatman. As the day wore on a few browns trickled into the mix and both Karen and I managed to wrestle a few Patterson residents.

Patterson browns are big and fat

Two members of our group, Doug and Rick, supported by a desire to explore and a well charged battery explored the far end of Patterson and had a fantastic day. Doug took the largest fish of the trip, a magnificent 28 inch rainbow.

Now that's a rainbow!

It was a great day, all of us were glowing from the bright sun and the numbers of fish we had caught and released, a true testimony to the quality of the Parkland's area lakes.

Twin Lakes tigers like foam boatman and back swimmer patterns

Our final day found us hunting for tiger trout on Twin Lakes located a short drive north of Roblin. Twin is a catch and release fishery full of large aggressive tiger trout. The day however started slowly. A large low pressure system had swept up from Montana and blanketed Saskatchewan and south western Manitoba. The normally cooperative tiger trout weren’t willing to play right away. By midday most had yet to dance with a tiger. I was fortunate to land one on an Ultimate Boatman cast tight to the shoreline tules. In the early afternoon fortunes began to change. Doug figured things out by casting tight to the tules with a variety of boatman patterns, managing to land over a dozen tigers.

Steve and Betty admire a Twin Lakes tiger

During the previous nights session I provided the group with an overview of Twin and made a point of mentioning a tiger trout’s willingness to come to the surface. Doug soon switched from his boatman patterns to a large Chernobyl Ant and continued to take large tigers on the surface.

Twin Lakes tiger returns to its haunt

Foam based boatman and back swimmer patterns were the patterns of choice as their buoyant nature was perfect for the shallows when used in conjunction with a clear AquaLux line. On many occasions I would make a cast and a tiger would roll aggressively where my fly landed. From time to time I thought the tiger had rolled on a natural boatman and as I stripped to cast and cover the rise I soon found out that the rise was actually to my fly. The take had not had time to transmit down the fly line. Casting into gaps and channels in the tules was the winning ticket as tigers cruised in water barely deep enough to cover their backs. This is a common sight during the fall period as trout stocking up for the long winter ahead prowl the shallows eating just about anything they come across.

Mike enjoying his Parkland experience

Our Twin Lakes adventure was the perfect cap to another superb trip. Everyone in the group was beaming from their experiences over the weekend. We are already working on a larger scale trip in June of 2011. The June trip will offer the choice of a four day trip straddled over a weekend and a longer Tuesday to Sunday excursion. Amongst the trip curriculum I will once again be providing a series of stillwater lectures, daily de-briefs and focused one on one time with each student to ensure maximum learning and the most rewarding experience possible. If this sounds like something you would like to experience please let me know. I will be putting a course handout together shortly. By preliminary interest we have already received these trips will sell-out in short order.

For more information and images from our trip please drop by my Facebook page and read Bob and Karen’s report on the Central Alberta Fly Tyers Blog.

The Wet Fly Swing

2010-08-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

This past week I rounded out my Newfoundland/Labrador trip at Tuckamore Lodge located near Main Brook on the eastern shore of the northern peninsula. I was there filming another episode of The New Fly Fisher featuring Atlantic salmon.

The drive from Deer Lake to Tuckamore Lodge is scenic

Tuckamore Lodge is a luxurious four star destination that is popular not only with fly fishers but hunters during the fall months. The food and accommodation was outstanding. While we were there each evening saw a different group at dinner as tourists traveling Newfoundland used Tuckamore as a rest stop during their travels.

Tuckamore Lodge provides luxurious four star accommodation and food

The area offers lots of tourism opportunities including whale watching, ice berg tours and cultural tours including L'Anse aux Meadows, North America's only authenticated Norse settlement. A visit to Tuckamore’s website details a host of opportunities to experience.

The region, like most of Newfoundland is home to a dense moose population. These huge animals are a common site along the road side and caution should be exercised when traveling in the early morning or evening. High speed night travel is not recommended as these animals cause serious damage and injury should you collide with one.

Newfoundland and the region around Tuckamore in particular is home to countless moose

As for the fishing our schedule had us there at the tail end of the season. Waters were beginning to drop and temperatures where beginning to rise, close to 70F in some stretches. The salmon had been in the river for a while and where becoming more focused on their reproductive task at hand than chasing our flies. When Atlantic’s are active the traditional methods involve either a dead drifted dry fly or riffle hitched wet fly. Both of these presentation styles are predicated on taking advantage of a fresh salmon’s aggressive nature. We did have some success with the dead drifted dry fly. A White Wulff was particularly effective as was the reliable Bomber. The trick with the dry fly was to repeatedly cover an area known to be holding salmon. Short 6-8 foot drifts over a particular stretch worked better than trying for the world’s longest drag free drift. My cameraman James was quick to adapt. It took me a while to accept this approach as I always aim for long drag free drifts when using dry flies.

But as our week progressed our dry fly success dwindled. We resorted to a traditional method, the wet fly swing. Our challenge was getting the fly down to the fish. In Newfoundland and Labrador you are only allowed to use un-weighted flies and floating lines. Strike indicators are also a no no.

I switched to an Steelhead/Salmon Fluorocarbon leader to help get the fly down and a larger #6 sparsely dressed dark fly such as a Blue Charm. This combination offered me the best chance to get my fly down in the water column to where the fish were holding. We could see them from time to time flashing in the run and of course the odd rise or jump really helped! Atlantic salmon also love to hold in front of large rocks. A trait learned early in life as we observed parr holding in front of rocks beside us in the runs were fishing on the Salmon River.

Atlantic salmon parr learn early on about the value of holding in front of boulders

I placed a cross current reach cast and added additional mends, typically upstream, to help sink the fly. As the line and fly drifted downstream the takes typically occurred in the lower quarter when the fly was at its deepest just before starting its cross current swing as it came under tension. Takes were very subtle. I recall one where I only saw the tip of the fly line move suspiciously upstream. I struck more out of instinct. The water erupted. A large salmon went airborne immediately. They aren’t known as the ‘leaper’ for nothing. Two cartwheel jumps were followed by an energetic sprint down stream. Within seconds it was over. I swear the fish turned its head back toward me and spat the fly out complete with a look of disgust. Oh well, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all!

A grilse that feel to a swung Blue Charm

I managed to persevere and land fish and we will have some great footage for an informative educational show The New Fly Fisher is known for. In the future I will make a point of visiting Newfoundland Labrador in July when the runs are at their peak!

Labrador Atlantic's

2010-08-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

This past week found me in Labrador chasing Atlantic salmon for the first time as I filmed an episode of The New Fly Fisher. I have caught all five species of Pacific salmon and steelhead on the fly. The chance to exchange blows with Atlantic salmon was too good to pass up. Landing one would complete my list of anadromous salmonids on the fly.

The view downstream from the spectacular Forteau Falls

During my week long visit I stayed at the Labrador Salmon and Lucky Strike lodges courtesy of new owner Paul-Amie Joncas. We began filming at the Labrador Salmon Lodge fishing the Forteau River. Labrador Salmon Lodge is a very comfortable facility with a traditional cozy feel to it. The food was fantastic and provided much need fuel for our treks up and down the banks of the Forteau River. The scallop savichy was perhaps my favorite. Served on the half shell they just melted in my mouth!

From left to right; Armand, James, myself, George, Dawn and Herman

James, my cameraman and I were joined by four other fly fishers, Armand (Paul Aime’s brother) his friend Herman, George and Dawn. Together we hit it off immediately and our trip was filled with good hearted banter, laughter and new found friendship. James and I managed to defend our ‘mainlanders’ honor over a five game crib tourney with Newfoundlanders George and Dawn. I am fortunate to have made five new friends from my Labrador experience.

Our trip for both lodges was at the tail end of the season, peak season on most Atlantic salmon rivers in Labrador and Newfoundland. Atlantic's were still in the river but they had lost some of their aggressive tendencies and were beginning to focus on their primary reason for being there, reproduction. July apparently was one of the most memorable on record with numerous reports of high catch rates and some large fish.

During my two and half days on the Forteau I managed to hook five fish. All on dead drifted dry flies, a favorite method for many, myself included! Of the fish I hooked, including a chrome bullet we estimated well over 10 pounds on the first morning. Unfortunately I was not able to land any salmon. Three where lost right at my boot laces. The common practice is to use a glove to tail the fish to minimize any risk of injury from a traditional knotted landing net. While I understand some of the reasoning behind this practice I know that if we had a good quality catch and release net we would have landed all three fish. Successfully tailing a large spirited Atlantic requires delicate fish fighting to tire the fish enough to grab them. I personally believe that using a proper catch and release net would result in less stress to the fish as the fighting time would be less.

The Blue Charm hair wing, a Labrador favorite

While on the Forteau my guide Cecil provide comprehensive lessons on how to properly swing wet flies using a riffle hitch. The riffle hitch places two half hitches behind and under the hook eye at the rear of the fly’s head. The hitches cause the fly to plane and wake at the surface when swung under tension. It is heart stopping to watch the wake of a large Atlantic salmon pursue the fly as it swings across a run. I had a few ‘chasers’ but none resulted in hook ups.

Half way through our week long trip we drove up the Labrador coast to the Lucky Strike Lodge based a short drive from the Pinware River. As with Labrador Salmon Lodge the accommodations at Lucky Strike were very comfortable and a welcome sight at the end of a day’s fishing.

The Pinware River, big rugged water

The Pinware is a completely different river to the smaller gentler Forteau River. Rugged and fast, the boulder strewn Pinware is home to some huge salmon. Humping camera gear up and down its steep banks along its rocky shorelines burned more than a few calories. A good thing as our fantastic cuisine followed us as well. Gorging on fresh Atlantic lobster is a treat I seldom pass up. We went up and down one stretch affectionately called ‘Heart Attack Hill’. A fact I didn’t learn until the trip was complete.

James works Chute Pool

The Pinware is home to the legendary Chute Pool, a huge expanse of water beneath a large waterfall that holds large numbers of Atlantic salmon. As with the Forteau, dead drifting dry flies such as spun deer hair Bombers and Bugs and hitching hair wing wet flies was standard practice. I was amazed that Atlantic salmon would rise up from the depths of Chute Pool to pluck dry flies floating amongst the foam the falls produced. The rise of a large Atlantic is as delicate as a trout rise and is easily confused with the large numbers of aggressive parr that are maturing in the river. I soon learned to strike at anything as I missed some large fish during my first hours on the Forteau earlier in the week passing them off as tiny salmon parr not worth setting on. Another lesson involved knowing where Atlantic salmon prefer to hold, in front of large boulders protected by the hydro-dynamic cushion the flow creates as it splits around a rock.

On my first day on the Pinware I had a couple of rises that I missed and I hooked two fish riffle hitching a #8 Blue Charm. As with the Forteau, I lost another fish in the shallows as it came unbuttoned while we attempted to tail the fish. I was beginning to wonder if we would be able to land a fish for the camera. We had some great takes on both rivers along with cart wheeling salmon but we needed something in our hands to provide closure. We were down to our last day.

A Humpback sounds

In the summer months whale sightings along the Labrador coast are common

As we ate dinner James and I discussed the plans for the next day. Paul-Aime told us that whales were close to shore and he had made plans for us to do a little whale watching. Large humpbacks and bottlenose dolphins worked as a team herding capelin, a small smelt-like fish. It was an impressive sight as humpbacks in excess of 40 feet passed with yards of our boat. The dolphins zoomed past us in groups of 5-10. We estimated that there were five humpbacks and well over 20 dolphins working around us. Humpbacks are great to film as they dive elegantly, bodies arched and huge tail flukes almost waving good bye. It was an awesome humbling experience.

Bombers and Bugs, a must for any Atlantic salmon fly box

The next morning we scrambled over the large boulders and rock edges up to Chute Pool to try our luck once again. I chose my 10 foot seven weight Sage SLT as it was already strung up with a large #6 orange Bomber. My guide Dennis positioned me so I could cover the large boulder that the water leaving Chute Pool rushed over. I had made probably half a dozen casts when I had a rise to the fly. I was too quick and missed the hook up. Thankfully I didn’t stick the fish. I knew if I placed the fly back in harms way the salmon would probably return. A few casts later the fish rose. Once again I was premature. It is common for an interested fish to rise repeatedly, Atlantic salmon are that aggressive. I continued casting and as the fly approached the leading edge of the boulder the fish rose again. This time I delayed my response, I managed to drive the orange Bomber home. The fish surged upstream, hidden beneath the surface. As it started to run I realized that I had the drag on my Islander locked down. I had to back off the drag fast or I was going to break the fish off before the fight started. In my excitement gave the drag knob such a hard twist I now had hardly any drag at all. My reel overran and I had to put my head down, hold the fish tight by pinching the line against the cork handle and get my reel ready for the fight. During this time the fish jumped. I did not see it as I was preoccupied with getting my line under control. All I heard Dennis say, “That’s a big fish!”

Chute Pool is a vast expanse of water

With the reel now under control I gathered the loose line, and got the fish onto the reel as fast as I could. The power of the fish was incredible and it became obvious that I would not be able to contain this fish within Chute Pool. Within seconds the fish shot downstream through the chute at the end of pool and into a large run known as the ‘Black Hole’. Line and backing pealed off in short order. Rod held high to avoid the midstream boulders I jumped and hopped across boulders the size of cars and trucks I had cautiously navigated minutes before as I scrambled into position. Now in position on a huge boulder at the head of Black Hole Dennis directed me to hold my ground and stop the fish from running, easier said than done. The long rod proved its worth as I was able to keep the line high and avoid catching the line or sawing the leader on the ragged edge of a boulder. The salmon and I began an exhaustive tug of war. It ran into my backing three times, cart wheeled at least 3-4 times and ran across the run at least twice. My forearms were on fire, I felt for sure I would never see this fish. But as the battle wore on I began to gain the upper hand. Dennis had jumped down into a calm stretch of the pool and after a few anxious moments tailed the fish. I passed the rod onto the other members of my group who had gathered to watch the fight and jumped down to my waiting prize.

What a fish!

It was a magnificent fish, silver bright with a pearlescent blue iridescent stripe running along its sides that I will never forget. As I held it in my hands we measured the fish, 34 inches and an estimated 15 pounds. My heart was beating like a hamster. My first Atlantic on the fly and it was a prize. James my cameraman followed the battle throughout hopping about the rocks with the camera. He recorded it all, in his words it was, “Epic!” I can’t wait to see the footage. It gave the show the explosive closure we needed. What a fish!

Prowling the Parklands. The Sequel!

2010-08-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

In the spring of this year I provided a Blog entry regarding the 12 fly fishers from central Alberta who accompanied me to the Parklands region of Manitoba. For those of you who perhaps aren't aware the productive lakes located in the southwest corner of the province near the towns of Russell and Roblin are producing arguably the finest stillwater fly fishing in North America.

Patterson Lake, home to trophy rainbow and brown trout

From the remoteness of the experience, the average size of the fish and species diversity lakes such as Patterson, Tokaryk, Twin, and Pybus are tough to beat. The lakes in this region are home to trophy rainbows, browns and the ultra aggressive tiger trout.

Tiger Trout

The response to my spring trip was overwhelming with many of the group who accompanied me wishing to return in the fall. So once again I am leading a group of fly fishers back to the Parklands this fall from September 2-6. We will enjoy three full days of fishing the regions lakes based out of the Barn in the Bush situated between the towns of Russell and Roblin. The trophy lakes we will be targeting on a daily basis are less than 40 minutes away!

An average Parkland Rainbow!

In addition to spending quality time on three different venues I will be providing a series of seminars each day along with a daily debrief. I will also be available to provide assistance at the lake as well. Here is an idea of what we will be covering.

Understanding Stillwaters-The Fall Perspective
Indicator Tactics for Stillwaters
Fall Food Sources including Boatman and Back Swimmers Scuds and Leeches Instruction regarding retrieves and gear set-up

Fall offers the chance to catch a true trophy

The cost for this fun and educational long weekend is only $575.00 CDN. This fee includes accommodation, food and all seminars. Your only additional cost would be alcohol and your transportation to and from the Parklands region of Manitoba.

Space is limited to 12 and only five spaces remain!

If you need any further information please don't hesitate to contact me either at flycraft@shaw.ca. It promises to be comprehensive, fun and informative weekend. I hope to see some of you there.

Dry Lines and Long Leaders

2010-07-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

This past week I visited some of my local stillwaters. The weather was hot and muggy, trout are beginning to slow down and go deep. Our lakes are hovering at a surface temperature of 70F. Right on the boundary for safe survival for stillwater trout. As water temperature increases its ability to hold oxygen decreases. Trout become lethargic and if hooked often become stressed and unable to recover. It is time to consider rivers or targeting species such that are tolerant of higher water temperatures. Until the water temperatures drop I will be choosing one of the two considerations I mentioned.

On one of the stillwaters I visited I expected trout to be deep and would need coaxing to the fly. I believed they would chase an active fly, depth and retrieve speed would be my keys to success. I focused on the windward shore as the lee shore would have the warmer water pushed into it by the stiff breeze that was blowing that day. A degree or two can make all the difference.

Pond Rainbow
(Courtesy of Nick Sliwkanich)

I opted for perhaps my favorite presentation method, a floating line and long leader to work up the gradual slope I was fishing. I anchored in 15 feet of water and cast into 20 plus feet of water. My sounder was invaluable in telling me not only the depth I was anchored but the depth my flies would be working through and the bottom slope. In these situations I would be blind without the information my sounder provides.

Using my 4 weight 10 foot Helios and Rio Indicator line I began with roughly 2-feet of .020” butt material Nail Knotted directly to my fly line. From there I added a 2X 12-foot tapered leader via a Blood knot. I added approximately 3-feet of 2x tippet via Triple Surgeons knot. Using an improved clinch knot I attached a #12 black barrel swivel. . To the bottom end of the barrel swivel I added another 4-5 feet of 2X Flouroflex Plus tippet. Barrel swivels add an inline weight, help reduce leader twist and when using fluorocarbon tippets as I often do eliminate any knot concerns with nylon leader material as the two never meet. My total leader length from fly line to bottom fly was approximately 21 feet. I placed a balanced Sparkle Leech on the point and a #12 black and Red Ice Cream Cone on a 10-inch Looped Tippet or Sliding dropper just above the barrel swivel.

Floating lines, long leaders are a personal favorite!
(Photo Courtesy of Brian Wiebe)

The thicker butt section and butt section of the tapered leader helps in part turn long leaders over. Your casting stroke needs a degree of modification. Break your wrist slightly to open the casting loop. Tight loops are a recipe for nasty tangles. Allow the fly line to completely roll out on the back cast and maintain a smooth powerful casting stroke. Only cast what you comfortably can, avoid the urge to cast across the planet! If possible allow the line to shoot to the reel or pinch the line tight to slingshot the flies and leader over. As the flies land look for three distinct separate splashes of the flies and swivel. If the splash down is concentrated strip the line in and see if there is a tangle. Deal with tangles early and they can often be addressed repeated casting leads to frustration and exponential leader and tippet consumption.

Once the flies had landed I counted my flies down using my watch, 30 seconds is a standard starting point. I then began a painstakingly slow retrieve. I want to ‘drag’ the fly line across the surface without causing a disturbance. When you think you are slow enough cut the pace in half again and you should be in the game. Make sure there is no slack in the fly line. If you go too fast your flies no longer track horizontally but rather track toward the surface out of the depth zone the fish are holding.

Presentation depth and retrieve speed are critical to stillwater success
(Photo Courtesy of Brian Wiebe)

Watch the line for signs of a take. Takes with this method are often seen before they are felt. Most of my takes felt like a dragging sensation as though the leader was being pulled through a phone book. A smooth rod raise drives the hook home. Fish are typically hooked in the upper lip, top dead center. All my takes in deeper water were to the balanced leech. As the flies worked up the slope at the end of the cast the chironomid became the fly of choice. I pumped one fish and it had about 15 chironomid and Chaoborus pupa along with one lone caddis adult. A sure sign fish were feeding predominately at depth.

A throat sample confirms the presentation method

This method once mastered is deadly and extremely versatile. I managed well over 10 fish in roughly four hours of fishing. I use it for chironomid pupa and larva, caddis pupa, mayfly nymphs, damsel nymphs, and leeches. Give it floating lines and long leaders a try it is a deadly versatile method. And quite addictive too!

Bucket List Hexagenia

2010-07-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

This past week found me in central Alberta filming an upcoming episode of the New Fly Fisher. Each year I host or co-host a number of the 26 episodes we film annually. Tom Rosenbauer, Marketing Director for Orvis Rod and Tackle joined me as we hosted an episode entitled "Hunting Trout". We were guided by Dave and Amelia Jensen from Fly Fish Alberta. Dave and Amelia know this region like few others. It was one of my most memorable shoots and fishing trips all wrapped up into one. We based ourselves out of the Black Knight Inn in Red Deer, an ideal location for targeting central Alberta's blue ribbon trout streams.

Tom Rosenbauer and Dave Jensen with an 'average' brown.

Since moving to Alberta one of my goals involved spending more time exploring its world class rivers and streams, especially those containing brown trout. An item on my bucket list if you will. In addition, I wanted to experience new hatch opportunities such as the legendary Hexagenia emergence. I had experienced a Hexagenia (Hex) hatch once previously but not in the biblical proportions we had on this trip. For those not familiar with Hex, they are one mutant mayfly.

Hexagenia Dun

We sampled nymphs that were easily two inches long. These burrowing nymphs are accomplished swimmers. They propel themselves through the water using rapid undulations in combination with their interlocking external gills located along the sides of their bodies. A serious mouthful for any trout.

Hexagenia Nymph

The adults are slightly smaller, their bodies are just over an inch long. Due to their large size we managed numerous takes of large brown trout lips poking through the surface to pluck the duns and spinners into their waiting jaws. We managed to film some spectacular takes to both naturals and our dun patterns on camera. Dave provided us with a unique foam based pattern we christened the 'Get R Dun'. Casting a buoyant #6 dun imitation is my idea of dry fly fishing! The 'eats' to both the naturals and our impostors were unbelievable.

Tom hooks up

Another natural bites the dust!

During the course of our stay, cloudy overcast days increased the hatch intensity and the browns were quick to slide out from the undercut banks to dine at their leisure. When darkness fell things went from good to stupid on some nights.

When darkness falls the big boys come out to play.

Placing the landing net in the water at the surface for a few seconds gathered staggering numbers of duns. The browns went nuts and we followed suit, leap frogging each other along the banks targeting the sounds of large slurps that filled out ears.

10 seconds of landing net sampling.

My only regret was that our time passed too fast and that the hatch is short in duration only lasting a couple of weeks. Don't worry my calendar has already been circled for 2011!

Casting Indicators on Stillwaters

2010-07-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

This past week, I spent some time on a local private pond courtesy of a friend. These waters were mere minutes from my house and proved a welcome change. Small personal ponds like the one I fished allowed me to fish from shore, a rarity for most of the lakes and ponds I fish. Often there is little or no back cast room or the bottom is so soft that one step into the shallows could be your last.

I chose a two fly set up, a damsel nymph on the point and a Pearl Shrimp on the dropper. When I looked around the shallows I saw a fair numbers of small scuds scurrying about and the odd damselfly nymph. Recent throat samples confirmed that the fish cruising the margins were picking of stray scuds who ventured too far from the protection of the weedy carpet that covered the lake floor. At one point I swapped the Pearl Shrimp for a #12 gold bead Pheasant Tail (GBPT) and started hooking fish consistently. Landing them proved to be another issue at times but enough came to hand to keep me satisfied. I figured the added weight of the gold bead got the fly down deep enough. With about half an hour to go I finally relented and swapped up to a balanced leech beneath an indicator, a presentation method that has proved to be perhaps my most consistent producer. For my guide trips earlier this year suspending leeches or chironomids below an indicator has proved itself to be the right choice time and time again.

(Photo courtesy of Nick Sliwkanich)

Most people casting indicators on stillwaters often get themselves into trouble in regards to tangles. From my observations this is a result of trying to cast too far. My preferred line for this method without a doubt is Rio's Indicator line. This weight forward line features a light green front section and an ivory running line. Its construction and configuration is all about casting indicators and the paraphernalia that seems to accompany them. The junction of these two colors is the maximum you need to cast.

(Photo courtesy of Nick Sliwkanich)

Repeated false casts is one of the primary causes of tangles. Modern weight forward lines are designed to shoot to the target. Unlike the multiple false casts common to casting double taper lines, let the weight forward section load the rod and then shoot the line to the target. Keep in mind, the slender running line behind the weight forward section is not designed to false cast, it is intended to shoot. An indicator, swivel or split shot and a couple of flies, where permitted, is not a natural combination for a fly rod. It tends to fight back. Reducing the casting distance reduces false casts there by lessening the tangle factor. In addition the closer you are to your indicator the better able you are to see the subtle strikes that would not be visible at distance. Using a smaller indicator keeps you honest too. Use powerful smooth stroke and avoid 'punching' the line as this leads to tailing loops and tangles. Watch your back cast. Make sure it unfolds completely behind you so the energy transfer from your casting motion can take place.

Finally, if you are using a Quick Release Indicator place the plastic peg on the fly side of the indicator. This placement results in less tangles as the tippet and flies roll away from the indicator. If you through a tailing loop it should not catch the peg. When using Quick Release Indicators place a small swivel between your indicator and fly or flies, it provides a number of benefits. The swivel acts as a stopper and should you break off the dense black peg will not slide off the leader and sink.

In many instances the short distances best suited for success can be covered with a roll cast. When hanging flies in deeper water, say over 10 feet, you may have to roll cast the line successively to cycle the fly or flies up through the water column. Once clear of the water make one false cast and allow the weight forward line to do what it is designed to do, shoot to the target. As the indicator and flies land watch for the distinct separate plops of the flies or flies, swivel and indicator. If they land within inches of each other, strip in and investigate. The tangle is often in its infancy and can be quickly cured. Pinching the line or allowing it to shoot tight to the reel slingshots the indicator and flies providing the necessary separation for proper presentation and reduced tangles

To summarize;

Avoid excessive false casts. Let the weight forward line do what it is designed to do. No more than two false casts and shoot to the target on three. After some practice you should be able load the rod with one false cast and shoot to the target.
Try to cast only the weight forward section of your fly line. Watching your indicator from a distance is not necessary and in many instances you miss subtle takes. Not all indicators are the firm bubble trails to the depths we dream off.
Let your back cast unroll in the same manner as the front cast to ensure complete energy transfer. I am bad for this one at times!
Place the indicator peg when using Quick Release Indicators on the fly side of the indicator. The unfurling leader and flies has less to catch in the event of a tailing loop.
Pinch the line or allow the it to shoot to the reel to slingshot the indicator, swivel and flies or fly over. Look for separation between the components as a clue to a tangle free cast.

Dangling chironomids, leeches, scuds and other patterns beneath an indicator is deadly. Particularly when fish seem dour and unwilling to chase a fly moving at a faster pace, such as when water temperatures are cool or unsettled weather disrupts normal feeding activity. The next time you are struggling with your indicator setup consider these tips. You should hopefully spend more time watching your indicator disappear beneath the surface than fumbling with a frustrating tangle that might have been prevented.

Some Fish are Meant to be Caught!

2010-07-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday evening I accompanied Dave and Amelia Jensen as we prospected a central Alberta stream. We were scouting potential location for an upcoming episode of The New Fly Fisher which I will be filming with Dave and Amelia along with Tom Rosenbauer from Orvis during the week of July 19th. Our goal for the evening was to drift and search for snouts sipping quietly along the river's edge. As there was goldeye in the river as well I had to learn to distinguish the difference between the somewhat aggressive concentrated rises of gold eye verses the individual slurp of a large brown.

(Photo Courtesy of Amelia Jensen)

The brown trout population is sparse so a keen eye was required by all. It is amazing how subtle rises can pass unnoticed if you are not prepared to look and study a section of water. Just as darkness approached we found a small number of browns rising along the edge of a high grass bank. As Dave had yet to cast to a trout it was his turn. Amelia and I had targeted a couple of risers with no success earlier in the evening. Dave made one cast and as his fly drifted into the trout's window it disappeared in a confident deliberate rise. After a spirited battle the large, 25-inch plus brown lay at our feet. She was, beautiful fat and healthy.

Another trout rose a few yards upstream from where Dave had taken his gorgeous brown. Now it was my turn. Since my rod was downstream in the boat Dave offered me his rod. After all, his large brown drake imitation had already proven its worth. Up steps challenge number one. Dave prefers double taper lines, I have been using weight forward lines for years. I didn't realize this right away and it took me a number of casts for me to get used to casting a double taper once again. Finally I was able to get the distance and accuracy needed to cover the fish. My fly drifted down to where we had seen the fish move and it was taken in a gentle deliberate slurp. I let the fish take the fly and game on. Up steps challenge number two. As the fish bolted I realized that Dave's reel was set up for right hand retrieve. As lefty hybrid who casts right handed, the product of being brought up in a right-handed world, my reel is set up to retrieve left handed. I was not able to gather line and control the fish as I would have liked. Up steps challenge number three. Another fish was rising upstream of this fish so I did not want my fish to spook that fish as Amelia was next up to bat. Due to my trying not to have the fish bolt upstream and my battle trying to reel right-handed I was not forceful enough with the fish and it forged its way out into the main current and proceeded to wrap itself around a rock. The fish was still attached as I could feel it throbbing through the line. Now what? Well thankfully, at over 6-feet tall, Dave offered and was able to wade out and above the fish and free the line. Game on again. Up steps challenge number four, my final challenge. Now the fish took off down stream and decided that under our anchored boat was good place to go. The leader rubbed against the anchor rope which we were able to free and not soon after the fish was in the net resting and recovering before being released.

(Photo Courtesy of Amelia Jensen)

I couldn't believe I had been fortunate enough to land this fish. By all rights I should have lost it on at least three or four occasions. I guess some fish are just meant to be caught. The moral of this story is to use your own equipment or at least get comfortable with and know what you are borrowing before going live!

Amelia stepped up to bat after my adventure but darkness had taken over and the swarm of mosquitoes was intensifying with every minute despite our multiple applications of bug juice. I felt bad as my bumbling had consumed valuable time and daylight. Next time Amelia goes first!

Good Press!

2010-07-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

They say any publicity is good publicity. Thankfully some recent publicity has all been good, both on a national and regional scale.

As most of you are probably aware, a number of years ago Brian Chan and I partnered with Superfly International, a Canadian based fly tying and equipment distributor, to create the Stillwater Solutions line of tying materials and flies. In the Summer issue of Fly Tyer magazine you can find an article by Jay Jacobs on the Stillwater Solutions product line. Jay interviewed Brian and me on a number of topics including the product line, how it came to be and our thoughts on stillwater fly design. If you can't get on the water perhaps picking up this issue might lessen the pain. This issue as with others contains a number of excellent fly tying articles.

When I was down speaking at the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show in February I was overwhelmed by the response. The crowd was interested and enthusiastic about stillwater fly fishing and the particular topics I presented. After one of my shows a gentleman by the name of Bill Forward approached me and asked if I would be interested in providing an interview for his regional magazine the Sierra Fisherman. Bill has fly fished California for over 35 years and is a former biology instructor. In addition to his editorial duties with the magazine he also provides guiding and instruction through his guide company, Forward Bound.

The interview contained in the summer issue is entitled the Wisdom of the Cast consisted of my answering a series of specific questions regarding stillwater fly fishing. If you have access to this free publication hopefully you had a chance to catch the article, if not if you can find the article here.

The Sierra Fisherman is a neat regional publication serving the Sierra region of California. Regional magazines such as this offer unique tips and techniques along with a number of fly patterns. If you ever travel make a point of searching out these local magazines as the information they contain often has a far greater reach than their geographic region.

On a final note I will be down in California this fall and will be providing a stillwater seminar in Graeagle, CA, October 15, coupled with a lakeside program on the 16th (Lake Davis). I am looking forward to sampling some of the excellent stillwater fly fishing opporutnities Lake Davis has to offer. Enrollment is limited and discounts on lodging are available. For more information or to register please contact Forward Bound at (530) 836-0206 for more information.

Learning With The Pros

2010-07-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well June has come and gone. It proved to be one of the busiest months I can ever remember. My seminar trail took me to Manitoba, Fortress Lake and this past weekend in British Columbia for a Learning With the Pros Seminar. Brian Chan and I, in partnership with BC Outdoors Sport Fishing magazine, have been providing weekend Learning With the Pros stillwater seminars at a variety of B.C. locations for the past three years. This year we based ourselves at Tunkwa Lake and Tunkwa Lake Resort.

Tunkwa Lake Resort was an excellent location, easy to get to and the hospitality they provided to our group made the weekend an even greater success. It had been a number of years since I last stayed at the resort and the improvements they have made are quite noticeable. Especially the new cabin we stayed at. Our cabin was a beautiful clean facility that can easily sleep 12. It comes complete with two full sized bathrooms, large kitchen and dinning area. It was the perfect place to unwind and relax at the end of the day.

Brian and I had over 30 people attend this year's event, another complete sellout. We provided seminars on a wide variety of subjects including chironomids, leader construction, sinking lines and lake biology to name a few. I really enjoy the interaction and discussion these seminars provide.

While the learning was good the fishing was not unfortunately. Tunkwa Lake is at full pool and the high water in conjunction with a full moon really had the fish out of sorts. The lodge reported that they had a really unsettled wet spring and the lake was not where it usually was for late June. Brian and I both noticed how clear the lake was. In late June the seasonal algae bloom is usually in full swing. The water was still quite clear for Tunkwa. Not everyone caught fish, over two days I only managed to shake hands with two fish and Brian managed to land only one! We tried a variety of tactics and had our best success, if you can call it that, suspending small leeches and chironomid patterns below an indicator. It was tough to get fish to chase a fly. We had one person drift by us on the Saturday passed out in his boat, working on his tan. In hindsight he may have had the best strategy!

The Learning With the Pros event sees a new expansion for 2010 with the addition of an advanced seminar format. The advanced session is intended for past Learning with the Pros attendees and any fly fisher looking to improve their stillwater fly fishing skills and knowledge. The advanced event is slated for for October 1-3 at Stoney Lake Lodge located on the Douglas Lake Ranch. Stoney Lake Lodge is a beautiful place to stay offering deluxe accommodation, great food and the trophy lakes Stoney and Minnie are minutes away. Actually, Stoney Lake is mere seconds away! The large trout Minnie and Stoney Lakes are noted for will be cruising the shallows, aggressively stocking up on just about anything they can chase down for the long cold winter ahead. Fall is the time for the largest fish of the season and we should experience some exciting fishing.

In addition to personal one on one time with Brian and I on the water here is a sample of what we will be covering.

Hands On Leader Construction
Advanced Lake Limnology
How to Fight Big Fish
Advanced Floating Line Techniques
Presentation Secrets
How and When to Use Attractors
Tactics and Techniques for Tough Days

Brian and I will also be providing on camera tying demonstrations detailing some of our favorite patterns.
There are only 14 spaces available and I know some spots are already taken. Cost for the weekend is $850/person and includes food, accommodation & courses. To reserve your spot or for additional information please don’t hesitate to email events@bcoutdoorsmagazine.com or call 604.464.1876.

Please contact myself or B.C. Outdoors Sport Fishing magazine right away if you are interested. I know a number of the students from this past weekend were keen on signing up.

Simply Spectacular!

2010-06-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

My latest trip had me at Fortress Lake Wilderness Retreat nestled amongst the spectacular Canadian Rockies along the B.C. Alberta border.

Although I have had the pleasure of fishing Fortress in the past this is my first since Dave and Amelia Jensen took over. While I was there I thoroughly enjoyed the world class trophy brook trout fishing Fortress is renowned for but also provided one of my comprehensive stillwater seminars.

Fortress Lake is not easy to get to. It can be accessed by mountain bike and hiking but it is not a trip for the faint of heart. The route in takes over three hours to complete and involves crossing the Chaba River and traipsing through grizzly country. The Rockies abound with these magnificent creatures. I chose the easier option, a scenic 45 minute flight on a Jasper Air Cessna 185 on floats. My only complaint regarding the flight is that it is too short. The route out of Peppers Lake near the small town of Hinton to Fortress Lake is spectacular. After leaving Peppers we headed west to Jasper, turned south along the Athabasca River and then hung a right at the Chaba River and west into Fortress Lake. Throughout the flight I was going crazy taking pictures of snow capped peaks, rugged ridges and scenic lakes along the way.

As Fortress Lake swings into view the lake’s ice blue coloration provides a beautiful contrast to the adjacent ridges and peaks. As Fortress Lake swings into view the lake’s ice blue coloration really stands out. Within minutes of first viewing the lake we were taxing up to the dock at Fortress Lake Retreat. Our trophy brook trout experience was about to begin.

Dave, Amelia, Nick and Dustin were at the dock to great us. Our luggage was quickly removed from the plane and distributed to our respective cabins. Since my last visit Dave and Amelia have made a number of significant improvements to the facilities. The cozy tent cabins complete with queen size beds, cozy comforters and small wood stoves still remained. No reason to change these. Additional yurts have been added including a full shower house complete with on demand hot water and a dinning room complete with leather couches. The dinning yurt was a perfect venue for the PowerPoint seminars I provided on a daily basis. These new yurts are spacious and well lit.

Perhaps Fortress Lake Retreat’s most unique features are its two washrooms complete with squeaky clean flush toilets. The washrooms face away from the rest of the camp. This is for good reason as they have no doors. A simple turning of the fish signs to the horizontal signifies the facility is in use. The view from the bathrooms is spectacular as you gaze upon snow capped peaks. If you are lucky the rumble of small avalanches catches your attention. The snow tumbling down the mountain side rounds out your ‘biological experience’. Dave also makes a good point, should a bear show up while you are taking care of business you are definitely in the right spot!

After a quick tour and orientation we were soon scrambling about getting gear ready and getting into one of the lodges comfortable aluminum boats complete with 4 stroke outboard motors. The waters of Fortress are crystal clear most of the year with the exception of a couple of weeks in July when the freshet swollen waters of Chisel Creek cloud the lake with glacial till. The crystal clear water provided an excellent environment for some impressive underwater shots with my Pentax Optio camera.

Dave suggested we head down to the west end of the lake and within minutes our convoy of aluminum boats was motoring down the lake. When traveling down the lake from spot to spot it is difficult to focus your attention on your next destination as the spectacular scenic vistas promote long periods of gawking and amazement.

The debris fields left by avalanche chutes are impressive as boulders the size of small houses litter key spots along the shoreline. These areas are proven brook trout haunts.

Fortress Lake’s trophy brook trout are a naturally sustained population first introduced by Jasper Park rangers in the 1930’s. These Coaster strain brookies average 3-4 pounds. Five to seven pounders are a daily occurrence. They are beautiful silver blue with odd darker fish decked out in traditional brook trout color schemes. I have to admit a preference for the nickel bright variety. Once landed, Fortress Lake brookies are hard to hold. The large ones in particular seem to be camera shy but we managed to get a few to pose for the camera. Brook trout are not known for their searing runs as rainbows but they still pull line and bulldog and struggle, significantly testing both your mettle and equipment.

What amazes me about Fortress is its productivity. During our stay I was amazed by the size and intensity of the chironomid hatches. Throat pump samples revealed that the brookies were keyed into this protein enriched bounty. One sample from a 4-pound fish revealed over 200 wriggling pupa! One of our most productive approaches during our stay was suspending size 10 and 12 black and red Ice Cream Cones 18-22 feet below an indicator. Hanging chironomids at this depth is near the limit of practical indicator fishing and my Quick Release indicators proved their worth.

Thankfully, brook trout tend to be more gregarious than rainbows in their feeding habits than rainbows. If staring at an indicators required a break casting and stripping leech and baitfish patterns provided a welcome alternative. Fast sinking lines from type 3 through 6 proved most effective. After making a long cast letting the fly sink from 15-20 seconds worked best for the 18-24 foot water we were working. A quick glance into the shallows often revealed large brookies cruising the shoreline rocks and sunken debris. If you could get a fly down to them a firm take often followed. Sight fishing with fast sinking lines is unique and exciting. Barry and Pauline from my group did well on a number of occasions casting and stripping small size 4 and 6 brown over white Clouser’s. Fortress Lake is a mono culture fishery and brook trout are the only inhabitants. As a result, immature brookies are a favored prey item of the larger residents.

Our four day adventure was blessed by gorgeous blue skies and great weather. We only had a brief wind whip up the lake for a couple of hours on our last full day. As I recall I only got the rain gear out for a couple of hours in total as a few rain squalls traveled down the length of the lake. The stillwater school itself was a success and I am already looking forward to providing schools again in 2011. Next year’s schools will include two options, a four day weekend session running from Friday through Monday, and a comprehensive week long session from Monday through Friday. Students are provided with morning and evening sessions covering a variety of stillwater strategies, tactics, equipment preferences along with daily debrief sessions to ensure everyone is provided with a complete stillwater experience. If anyone is interested in either of these schools for 2011 please let me know. Fortress Lake is a spectacular place to hone your stillwater fly fishing skills.

Prowling the Parklands

2010-06-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

I just returned from four days of some of the best stillwater fly fishing I have ever experienced. Preparations for this journey began back in April when I provided a one day informational session and fly tying clinic for ten of the 12 anglers I would host on a trip to explore some of the quality lakes located in the south west corner of Manitoba, near the towns of Russell, Roblin, Oakburn, Rossburn and Sandy Lake, better known to many as the Parklands.

From my Edmonton area home the drive took approximately nine hours punctuated by strategic Tim Horton's stops for a stretch and caffeine top up. Driving across rural Saskatchewan has a relaxing almost therapeutic effect on me. You have lots to see as nothing is there to block your view. Just outside of Saskatoon I had to stop and snap a picture of Combine World. A dealership dedicated to selling both new and used combine harvesters. I knew I was in Saskatchewan for sure after this sight.

The group arrived around dinner time on the evening of Friday June 4 in groups of two to four anglers. We based ourselves at Arrow Lake Lodge near the town of Rossburn. Arrow Lake Lodge is strategically located amongst some of the finest trout fishing in the region. The facilities are perfect for large groups. The main cabin we were primarily occupied in sleeps up to 10 people. The large dinning room table seats up to 16 and was a perfect platform for my evening lectures. Ray Lazaruk from Arrow Lake Lodge was a pleasure to work with. I strongly recommend booking a stay, especially if you are part of a larger group of fly fishers. A word to the wise though, book early, Ray's lodge is popular with both anglers and hunters throughout the year.

After settling in and devouring a healthy dinner of barbecued smokies I provided two seminars to get the group prepared for our first day on Tokaryk Lake. Each evening I provided seminars after dinner along with a detailed de-brief session to review the key lessons learned from the day's experiences and to set up the following day. It was a format that proved quite successful. On the last evening we gathered around my lap top and pluged in cameras and digital cards for a photographic review of the trip. It was the perfect conclusion to a fantastic trip.

Day 1-Tokaryk Lake

Based upon reliable reports we targeted Tokaryk Lake for our first day. My personal thoughts were that if Tokaryk Lake fished well it would provide an element of confidence to tackle some of the more fickle waters we would visit in the following days. Tokaryk did not disappoint. In fact it excelled to the point of mythical. The day started with a threat of rain and it did open up for a short while in the early afternoon. The clouds broke soon after and I had the raccoon weather marked face to prove it! I started by making a few initial stops in the shallow reaches of the lake. With nothing to show for my efforts I moved to slightly deeper water and suspended a brown and copper Ice Cream Cone beneath one of my balanced Sparkle Leeches. It didn't take long to get a response. The indicator drew under and when I set the hook all went crazy. About five pounds of nickle bright rainbow exploded on the surface and tore line from my reel at breakneck speed. After a prolonged battle I felt fortunate to have the magnificent fish lying beside my boat in my Moby net. I removed the Ice Cream Cone from its upper jaw and stared at the beauty of this fish. It was as bright as a chrome bumper, beautiful fat and perfectly conditioned. Tokaryk fish are so bright that they over expose if you are not careful when taking pictures as evidenced below. It was going to be a good day.

Two members of our group, Andrew and Wade had anchored themselves in about 14 feet of water, drawn there by the number of low flying birds working the area. They proceeded to put on a clinic using chironomid patterns. They had numerous double headers and I managed a few shots of their 'Tokaryk twins'.

Chironomids were hatching in numbers and the trout were definitely keyed into them. I joined Andrew and Wade and had a fantastic day taking over 20 fish to 8lbs on chironomids and balanced leeches. Tokaryk fish are gorgeous, large and strong. On two occasions I was snapped off by headstrong fish. The last time resulted in my forgoing the indicator and fishing perhaps my favorite method, a floating line and long leader. Nothing beats the take of a trout using this method. I finished my day reluctantly at 6pm as dinner beckoned and I had to prepare for my evening session. I was fortunate that the lodge was about 15 minutes away. I capped my day with one of Tokaryk's browns but I have to admit I was smitten by the 4lb average nickle bright rainbows. What a start to the trip, everyone had similar results to mine and for many they caught some of the largest rainbows of their lives.

Day 2-Patterson Lake

Patterson Lake, an even closer drive from Arrow Lake, was our target for day two. I had the pleasure of fishing Patterson on previous trips and it is one of my personal favorites. I was looking forward to visiting it once again. Like Tokaryk, Patterson is another trophy lake containing both large rainbows and browns, Patterson did not give up her treasures as easily as Tokaryk but results were still impressive. The rainbows seemed to be focused on small scuds despite the large numbers of cinnamon caddis and chironomids that were coming off in the morning. Doug from our group did well early on using a small Diawl Bach. The Diawl Bach is a Welsh pattern featuring a brown hackle beard and tail, peacock herl body and wire rib. At least this is its original configuration there are now tons of variants. My personal favorite features a pearlescent Mylar shellback. The Diawl Back like many peacock based patterns works well when trout are fixated on scuds.

I was also successful using balanced leeches for the rainbows. The brown trout favored larger meals and along the cattail lined edges of the lake they patrolled beats rounding up and slashing through the large numbers of stickleback and fat head minnows that inhabit the margins. We learned to move often and target the weed edges. Once a brown had been hooked or landed move along and work on the next stretch. Watching these large browns work small schools of baitfish into compact balls and aggressively plow through them was quite educational. My best fish was a 25" brown.

Not everyone in the group caught fish but those who did all managed large fish. Patterson, after all, did not receive it's trophy status by accident. Like Tokaryk thought the average size of Patterson fish is impressive.

Day 3-Pybus Lake

We had originally planned to drive north of Roblin to sample some of the tiger trout that inhabited Twin Lakes. After discussing some reliable reports we decided to head for Pybus Lake near the town of Sandy Lake. Pybus was about 40 minutes or so from our Arrow Lake Lodge base camp. At first the lake looked promising, clear skies and a light breeze. Within 30 minutes I had landed a plump silver bright 4.5 pound rainbow on a balanced leech suspended beneath a Quick Release Indicator. A throat sample revealed scuds, leeches, zoo plankton and a variety of chironomids. All the samples were dead though indicating that this trout had not fed recently. It proved a bit of an omen. As the day progressed the weather changed for the worse. Clouds rolled in the temperature dropped, a classic warm front was approaching. The weather change had an effect on the fishing and we had to work for them. Moving often and working the shoreline weed edges where food would be we took advantage of any foraging fish there. Most of the group adopted this strategy and bumped and ground their way around the lake taking fish hear and there. Bob from our group took full advantage of this strategy. Casting towards shore using a slow sinking line and a Marabou Thunder Creek we tied at our tying session in April Bob hooked a monster rainbow. I was on hand when he landed it and it measured out at a whopping 29 inches. What a toad! The fish was magnification as bright as an open ocean coho or fresh steelhead. The grin on Bob's face was almost as long as the fish itself. Bob's 'grip and grin' image says it all, "Come to Manitoba!" I tend to underestimate fish but this fish had to go at least 10 pounds, its girth was impressive to say the least.

This trip could not have turned out any better. Everyone caught fish and enjoyed each others company. A real sense of team permeated the group as everyone pitched in to help out with food, clean up, loading and unloading boats and perhaps most of all sharing information regarding flies, locations and successful presentation techniques.

We are already planning on another hosted trip for the fall and another for 2011. If trip interests you please let me know by emailing me at flycraft@shaw.ca.

To round this tale off and put it into perspective I have had the good fortune to chase trout on lakes right across North America including British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. At this moment I don't think you can beat the stillwater fly fishing the Parklands region of Manitoba has to offer. In my books that's saying something. For example, when our group visited Tokaryk on the Saturday we were the only people on the lake! The same was true for Pybus and we only shared Patterson with a few other anglers. If you want a quiet remote experience, large average fish size, diversity of species visit the Parklands region and find out for yourself. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Tough Conditions!

2010-06-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

Who says fly fishers aren't tough! Last Friday I spend an educational day guiding on Millers Lake located just west of Edson Alberta. Weather reports were calling for overcast skies, 60% chance of rain and cool temperatures. I confirmed with my client, Ruth the preceding day to see if was OK with the conditions. Sunday was predicted to be a better day. More on that later! Without hesitation she wanted to go. We arrived on the water around 10am and begin setting up the boat and gear. As with all clients I ran through the set up we would be using, the flies and rationale behind my plan of attack. The goal of all of my trips is to educate clients on the charms of stillwaters so they can apply some of my approaches the next time they get on the water.

As conditions were dour I expected fish to be somewhat inactive, reluctant to chase the fly and to be located in the deeper regions. My suspicions proved correct. Our approach for the day involved hanging a small chironomid pupa about about 2-3 feet above a balanced Sparkle Leech under one of my Quick Release Indicators. Within about half an hour we had our first fish of the day take Ruth's black & red Ice Cream Cone. A careful throat analysis revealed zoo plankton. Confirmation once again that fish were hanging out along the deep water edges or suspending in deep water. Zoo plankton are light sensitive and tend to stay deep during daylight hours. As the day progressed trout changed their focus and began targeting the balanced leech. I experimented with a number of depth settings and having eight feet between leech and indicator was the winning ticket. We toughed things out until 5pm when the almost constant rain let up. Thanks to my wife for the hot soup she provided for lunch. It provided much needed warmth to our cores.

All in all it was a great day that exceeded my expectations given the conditions. Ruth caught and released numerous fish with a few going at least four pounds. Millers is clear lake so the resident rainbows are nickle bright. Gorgeous well conditioned fish.

If my guiding season is going to proceed like this when conditions are challenging I can't wait for warmer weather to get the hatches going. Don't worry I know better but still it is fun to dream.

I still have a few limited guide days available so if you are interested in spending some time with me please let me know right away.

Although the weather office called for better weather over the weekend it was not to be. It turns out that Friday was the best day. A nasty low pressure system rolled in from Montana and spat out ugly weather for the balance of the weekend. This included a couple of inches of snow. The balance of my weekend was spend peering out of my window shaking my head extolling the virtues or lack there of when it comes to prairie springs! I did have a chance though to catch up on my Fly Fusion column and prepare for my next trip. Four days exploring the Parklands region of southwestern Manitoba for trophy browns, rainbows and the hyper aggressive tiger trout. I will be provided a complete report when I return.