Monthly Archives: July 2008

Would Goldfish flakes be considered a dry fly

Now with Messenger RNA Inhibitors You know Rio or Scientific Anglers will rise to the bait, they’ve made a fly line for almost every conceivable gamefish, rod action, and water density, and this latest trend folds neatly into the light tackle phenomenon.

AFTMA will spew coffee out of it’s collective nose when manufacturers insist on either decimals or scientific notation to cover the line sizes smaller than #1, but as carbon nanotubes are mainstream science we can expect the rod companies to introduce something shortly .. after they’ve figured out that “sticky ferrule” issue.

A team at Kyoto University, Japan has designed the world’s smallest fishing reel to store, without any damage, long DNA strands that have a tendency to become tangled.

Can the 0.0002 weight be that far away – and will they be enough to subdue an enraged Goldfish? Forget “double taper” think “double helix” …

Transformed fishing forever … That would have to be the Pop Top Beer Can, what were they thinking?

Top 10 Lists The Wall Street Journal posted, “The Top 10 Products that Transformed an American Pastime” a survey of the American Sportfishing Association on their view of the top 10 products that changed fishing forever.

I couldn’t decide whether the fly fishing equivalent would be, “The Top 10 Products that I’ve tucked away never to Use” or “The Top 10 wallet-lightening items that I should have reconsidered.”

I’ll go with the straight face for once, and let you remind me of the seventeen other items I completely forgot about.

The Top 10 Products that Changed the Face of Fly Fishing forever? 

  1. The plastic fly line – likely a unanimous choice, prior to the advent of the modern fly line we had at least nine other indispensable items in the vest – including the mandatory fishless period wherein we draped our line over a sunny rock hoping to dry it out before the evening hatch started.
  2. The fly tying vise – If you’ve ever attempted to tie flies by hand, either out of desperation or on a dare, you’ll agree the vise is somewhere’s in the top 10.
  3. The fiberglass fly rod – The rod that mainstreamed fly fishing from an expensive and exclusive club to an everyday pastime. The first machine made rod,  the miracle of industrialization that lowers the price so everyone’s Dad could afford one.
  4. Matching the Hatch – The switch from flies-that-attract to flies-that-imitate, and the complete carnage that resulted in everyone rethinking absolutely everything. Attributed to Ernest Schweibert’s book of the same name.
  5. The House of Hardy – The standard for fly reels for over 100 years. Only in the last decade has the disk drag, large arbor flavor preempted their reign.
  6. Genetic Hackle – The complete overhaul of dry flies and the demise of the lightly dressed “Catskill” standard.
  7. The eyed hook – As revolutionary as the plastic fly line, removing tins to moisten gut snells, and adding everything from compartmented fly boxes, to leader enhancements like split shot and beads.
  8. Waders – Lumping a lot of technology into this single category, but this stimulates the “fly fisherman as predator” versus the tweed, monocle, and jodhpurs of vacationing nobility.
  9. Catch and Release – It’s both an ideology and a product, introducing everything from stomach pumps and barbless hooks, to stream etiquette and what’s socially acceptable once afield.
  10. Bottled Water Trash – redefines the wilderness experience, a shift from “make as small an impact as possible”  to “I’m ‘green’ and that’s enough.” The most common trash in the parking lot, littering the streambed, and bobbing in the current.

I tried to restrain the fly tier bias, removing the Matarelli Bobbin in favor of generalist gear, and opting for genetic hackle over synthetics. It’s a daunting and distinguished list, and I’m sure I missed some really important items.

“Kids” or “a job” are disallowed, that only changed your fly fishing world forever ..

The Yurok, one pound of hamburger with an imbedded treble

Sure, I can see that in the whitewater I’ve always thought the reason anglers treat aquatic insects with respect is the knowledge the winged version can’t suck blood – therefore trodding streambed was indiscriminate, without thought to repercussions.

Of all the aquatic bugs the giant stoneflies occupied that “reserved tier” among bugs; they’re easy to identify, only a little more agile than a rock when flying, and land with similar grace.

Wad a pound of anything on a fish hook and it’s a legitimate imitation, just the kind of starter fly for a novice tier – and no matter how well crafted the fish are usually receptive.

Me, I like watching one of those big brutes crawl down someone’s shirt collar midstream – and applaud the “break dancing” that follows – if the bug don’t getcha the creek surely will..

For those driven to be overly serious about their bugs, Illiesia is an online publication devoted to stonefly research and populations. It’s strictly scientific literature, but before you scream “Skwala” you may want to look again with a microscope.

Me, I’m screaming ” SWELTSA YUROK “, a new stonefly discovered this year on the Trinity and Klamath Rivers here in California. Since no one else has a pattern, I’m going to be rubbing shoulders with Izaak Walton shortly..

Hush, I’ll put in a good word for you guys ..

To hell with tradition, them Carp have refined tastes

I’ve had ample time to get over them really monstrous fish kicking sand on my sandwich yesterday. I made a hasty pitstop at Joann’s Fabric’s and scored the necessary boa material – leaving the place in complete disarray…

All the old lady’s were having “hot flashes” when they found out the pear shaped male striding down the millinery aisle knew the difference between chenille and mohair, and when the aging starlet at the register asked, “Did you find everything you was sent for?” I leaned in close with my best “MacDaddy” squint, and said, “…sent for? Hell, ma’am I’m killing fish with this stuff..”

That set them hearts aflutter, and I beat a hasty retreat before I got called on the swagger..

I have to try this stuff out – and as I set the first hook in the vise, I’ve suddenly got cold feet. The San Juan Worm’s were for Minnesota, the good sister’s hydrilla fly was for Arkansas, and what I failed to consider was the influence of nouveau cuisine on them California fish. 

San Juan Sushi, California Carp Killer

Some modification was in order, and I set the boa yarn down reluctantly and start doodling on a napkin. A second cup of coffee vanquished my inhibitions and creativity came to the fore. The San Juan Worm was quickly adapted to California taste buds.

It would be so much simpler to live somewhere’s else…

There’s a fine line between desperation and inspiration

Help from Sister Carol Anne Corley Had to work straight through the weekend again, but I did get a chance to sneak out before dark last night to observe the “Carp Conundrum” and see if I could puzzle out a solution.

The issue isn’t their willingness to feed, it’s a combination of murky water coupled with what and how they eat.

I spent an hour on the bridge just watching and noted the two styles of fish available; a pod of fish facing the bank and eating what appears to be grass roots and weeds along the edge, and there’s the occasional solo fish that has a mud plume behind him – it’s slowly headed upriver in a traditional bonefish pose. Nose down into the bottom and tail just under the surface making an almost imperceptible disturbance.

I can’t get a fly into the bank fish, they’re facing the wrong way and there’s no water between them and their forage. The “bonefish” feeders are more skittish than trout and their mud plume can’t be seen when you’re down at the waters edge.

They’re creatures of habit, and once spooked they’ll return within 15 minutes, as long as you’re motionless. Makes for one hell of a difficult stalk – and I haven’t even got to the presentation part yet.

As I can’t get a fly into eyeball range of the grouped fish, looks like I’ll need to design something that’s heavy enough to ride along the bottom, carries the hook point up, and looks like whatever it is they’re feeding on.

Someone once asked, “If it costs so much more to tie flies, how come you do it?” Simple, if I could get a fly that looks like a severed stalk of hydrilla, with dull olive bead chain eyes, I’d buy snot out of them.

The Roughfisher blog has been kicking butt and naming names, and I’m thinking of trying his latest creations modified for my oddball presentation needs. He steered me to the above fly tied by Sister Carol Anne Corley that looks exactly like what I need – after I throw some copper bead chain eyes on it.

Bead chain will turn a hook over instantly so it’ll ride point up, copper is the dullest color commercially available, and if it fails to produce I’ll dip them in green “tool grip” – a fast drying latex rubber that’s used to dip tool handles. That’ll take the shine off the beads and hopefully I’ll have my Gutbusting BottomRoller Hydrilla Carp Killer.

Naturally I’ll forget all the help I got from the Good Sister and Jean Paul – claiming it “came to me in a vision…”

… which is the other reason you blow all that cash to learn fly tying, so you can appear humble and gracious when you take credit for someone else’s hard work … same as middle management, only with hackle pliers.

UPDATE: The Bernat Boa yarn used by the above fly is no longer made in the “Mallard” color. I found two skeins of it on eBay – at $5.00 each, and the vendor has a couple more at last look.

Couch Potato float tube

Couch Float tube, that's living I’ve been struggling with the need to update my aging float tube, now I’m glad I waited.

The eighties version surrounded the angler in a donut of inflation – with little fear of slipping out of the beast accidentally. The latest tubes offer the open front – which aids an awkward entrance and exit ritual, but takes a little getting used to for us water averse types.

Leave it to Coleman to come up with what’s really needed, complete with “integrated cup holder”, it has all the safety features necessary to make me feel … drowsy…

All that’s needed is an inflatable remote and we can forget about that lawn entirely.

If they were out of season, I’d call it "bacon" too

The Montana It’s too damn convenient a tale not to have some kind of unsavory involved. No one busts a rod without pointing fingers and wailing horribly, and the deadpan delivery aroused my suspicions:

Adding to the Extreme Fishing Situation (imagine a rock soundtrack playing under this report) was the oddly pleasant high-modulus “crack” generated when a high-end graphite rod simply snapped in half when my big, burly, sinewy, extremely manly arms attempted a hookset into a big, big brown trout.

…then there’s the ever present food reference – with the implication that downing a brace of “bacon” dogs was positively drenched in testosterone.

“[Name Redacted]” was the final straw, some shadowy figure conveniently unavailable to corroborate any of the stories posted to date, culminating in the “18 hour gap” between the last known escapade and a furtive arrival in California…

I could swear there’s a naked woman in the reflection of that trout’s eye – either that or it’s a partially dressed slaw dog. I think we’re owed an explanation ..or two…

Dohiku Barbless Hooks – Black Nickel

Dohiku barbless fly hooks I saw these on a Slovakian fly shop’s web site, black nickel finish barbless hooks that look mighty interesting. Czech nymphing being all the latest rage, it always pays to see what everyone else is using just to keep abreast of change.

A slight upturn to the point and a hint of a Sproat bend makes these singular among the mainstream vendors, almost all of which are using Model Perfect bends – and have at most one or two styles of barbless hooks available.

Dohiku Barbless While the US dollar has suffered considerably overseas, and is nearing uncharted lows against most currencies, it’s something to keep in mind if you have unique needs and the conventional stuff just doesn’t apply.

I like the wide gape and narrow angle of the down eye, these remind me of old Partridge hooks of years past – and look strong enough to handle large fish in the small sizes. I would mention Carp, but they ignore my best efforts regularly.

I requested a price list in US dollars and Euro’s, anyone had a chance to play with these yet?

UPDATE: At the current exchange rate these are $5.28 per 25 hooks (3.32 Euro’s per 25) There are no import or export taxes associated with the purchase.

 

That about covers the fly-by’s ..

cafire14 With 109 degree temperatures outside and the smoke reducing  visibility to about two miles, it’s a wonder that anyone has a desire to go out-of-doors.

I sure don’t, and now the Mayflies hatching in my driveway want inside to lay eggs – can’t say I blame them with everything outside all the same color.

I have always been fascinated by airtanker’s doing what they do best, and Tanker 00 used to be stationed next to me when I lived in Redding, California, some years ago. This is a USFS contractor buzzing some high rent real estate in Santa Barbara, part of a 17 photo series hosted by the Boston Globe on our California fires.

Makes for some serious wallpaper for your desktop.

My Garage Door attracts the Slow Learners

The difference between my garage and the Pooty water might not be muchIt just goes to show you how ungrateful Mayflies can be..

I always invite them to the party, the fact they rarely show is likely a source of amusement – but mighty damn important to me. Then I turn my back, and they cover my garage door with moot evidence of their scorn, no courtesy knock at the door, no chance for me to attend.

The empty beer cans I can handle, but the fact that they leave their clothes lying around makes me grit my teeth, am I some sexual miscreant that I have to clean up their debauchery?

I bet that pavement was a shock, while idly pleasuring themselves in mid air them females ignored the “wave off” and found concrete an unwelcome companion to egg laying.

I’m sure the Mayfly males were appropriately sensitive, “Get up, let’s do it again – this time higher.”

It’s one of many perils when air, water, and land are all roughly the same color palate – there’s no telling what you’ll find with your morning paper…