The National Park designation isn’t going to save them

I’d like to think that the only options were Good, Bad, & Ugly – but past experience suggests there’s the occasional Divine, and a lot of Ridiculous.

I’m headed up North again next week – this time to assault some overly content Rainbow and Brown trout that assume the National Park designation means safety…

I’m facing the traditional lake fare, Calibaetis and Damselflies predominate with all the usual suspects thrown in to confuse the issue. A lot of nymphs cover the traditional mayfly activity, but I’ve got an opportunity to address damsels and test some “no hackle” dry flies – with lake fishing offering a great opportunity to see how they set and how long they’ll float.

Prototypes, scads of them – but I’ll toss out only a teaser just to whet your appetite; it’s Friday and a little mirth sets well with your exodus from work and pursuits that don’t involve ties or bagels.

Brass Gull side view

Lead free for National Park use – Brass balls ensure the fly flops over – while I ignore the hoots and giggles of the unbelievers – kirbed Scud hook to give extra hooking, topped with fur combed through Fritz to dampen the sparkle just enough …

A flock of Gulls

Tail bead is lined with silver to glow, and when I give a yank both head and tail flop – offering just enough movement to motivate that fat Federal hanging off the sunken log …

I used some of Roughfisher’s Peacock cactus chenille for the bottom variant – we’ll lump both under “ridiculous” until their field trial – the Really Good Stuff I can’t photograph – my hand shakes too much from laughing …

Raised in an artificial environment what did you expect?

He died for your sins... Raised in a bubble with the press of humanity alert to your every move, tight security and handlers catering to your every need, with researchers and reporters combing through your trash -you’re certain to have reproductive problems.

Androgyny is the least of your worries, what with caretakers ensuring you’re fed and clothed, associations groomed to the privileged few of similar means, thrust together in some artificial world the rest of us only read about. Why wouldn’t the entire boy-girl thing gets skewed- where little boys look cute and girls are asexual … free drugs from a licensed physician, and never have to drive yourself anywhere …

I want to be a hatchery fish too …

Under those circumstances I’m surprised the scientists at Oregon State University were surprised that hatchery fish have trouble breeding  – and more importantly so do their offspring.

Fishery managers have suggested boosting the last vestiges of wild-spawning native salmon runs by crossbreeding them with relatively abundant hatchery fish.

Doing so may cause more harm than good, according to the OSU researchers.

As I’ve been keeping score their current management scenario is as follows: They’re shooting sea lion’s that eat the returning hatchery fish as there ain’t enough of them to feed us and the sea lions, but the fish they’re protecting are intermingling with the last few native fish, which undermines the reproduction of both, so:

“We have to go to greater lengths to (enhance) our ability to remove and harvest hatchery fish,” he said. “Those that aren’t harvested ought to be captured.”

… we’re going to kill all of the hatchery fish as they’re now the enemy.

It’s clear to me, kill %$#& everything, pave it, then blame our parents for the wanton despoiling of our precious fishery.

…. and that World War II thing, that was lame too …

A little scrimshaw will make that tie-dye less attractive

I had another chat with Kevin Compton the distributor for the Dohiku and Grip hook lines and was reminded to check up on our my favorite subject, competitive fly fishing.

My contention has always been that all real evolution in tackle is occurring due to the competitive angler – and us hobbyists are pretty content with the current state of rods, lines, flies, and fly fishing sundries.

Considering we’re enjoying rods and tackle whose roots are in the Space Race – competition merely showcases the trends and materials early. American manufacturers hindered by our reluctance to embrace the competition aspects probably scowl as did “Fatso” Goering, when he asked Adolf Galland what was needed to win the Battle of Britain..

“Finally, as his time ran short, he grew more amiable and asked what were the requirements for our squadrons. Moelders asked for a series of Me109’s with more powerful engines. The request was granted. ‘And you ?’ Goering turned to me. I did not hesitate long. ‘I should like an outfit of Spitfires for my group.’ “

… it must be tough on the Sage rep to walk off as the American team wave their Italian rods , but the B.A.S.S. circuit knows a sponsor when it sees one – and will be thrilled to wear the Sage decal.

Competition is by nature secretive and ever changing –  the only reason the Bassmaster’s winner divulges his secret bait is because he has to – and digging up information on contemporary competitive tackle is like pulling teeth – at best you get what worked last year.

Jiri Klima “googles” nicely –  the Czech fishing coach introduced a line of jig hooks and pre-weighted nymph forms unlike the “shrimp” style seen in past years. These are turned into Caddis jigs versus the more traditional nymph tie.

Naturally we’re clutching our chest in horror, “jigs” being the Devil’s handiwork and proof the competitive instinct is damning our sport to perdition.

I don’t see it that way.

The return of the semi-automatic, in your face

.. now that the French are using semi-automatic reels it’s time to crack out all those old Martin wind-ups, as what’s old is new again.

Makes those tie-dye Abel’s look mighty drab – but scrimshaw will do that to you. The above Vivarelli Grayling runs just a bit under $1200, with the more mundane models, made from carbon fiber, around $250.

Nope, there’s no US maker with anything similar.

Eleven foot three weights are exciting to many, but competition is having its greatest impact on hook development. The absorption of the Redditch-based Partridge by Mustad marked a low point in fly hooks, the remaining manufacturers offering little variety and nothing but established styles.

Something as simple as a nickel/chrome hook for Shad or Steelhead left only Eagle Claw’s 1197N as the sole silver hook available. Targus has added one more in the 3908T – a replacement for the traditional Mustad 3908C that was swept under the carpet with all the other “marginal” sellers.

Dohiku_Nymph_Special_HDN302 While the Clouser minnow allowed fly tiers to consider jig hooks for streamers, the Czech nymph crowd have introduced the Nymph Special, a bent shank nymph hook designed specifically for bead usage.

Debarbing a traditional Model Perfect bend-forged wire hook has always been problematic; forged wire is much more brittle than its round wire equivalent – and the Model Perfect bend is the poorest for purchase and retention in fish flesh.

Sproat and modified Sproat dry fly hooks in round wire replace those missing short shanked Mustad’s like the 7957B and 7948A – both considered nymph hooks yet set the standard for tying our heavy water (large fish) western dry flies like the Humpy and many others.

Seeing the reintroduction of small niche players means big dividends for the rest of us. They’ll struggle with production, temper, wire, and all the other ills of hook making – but they offer us some interesting diversity – sorely lacking on the shelves now.

The upturned beak point, kirbed points,  and elongated “spear” style looks like it’ll address many of the barbless issues we’ve had in the past. Especially those makers that yanked the barb off their standard hook with no thought to redesigning point and bend to compensate.

I’ll be testing some of the styles from Knapek, Skalka, and Dohiku, in an upcoming article – I just need to learn Yugoslav and Czech first … maybe some Japanese as well.

Oxidation suggests a little caution is warranted

It’s one of those odd-duck materials that fills a need – only the need is ill defined. It’s a warning klaxon to us life long accumulators – we’ve learned the hard way, define the need before reaching for the 6.5 lb bulk spool…

I’ve been struggling with a lucid description for days; it’s akin to the rubberized “snot” that attachs your credit card to it’s stiff paper backing when delivered in the mail. Wrenching the plastic off the paper you’re left with a long swipe of transparent rubbery slime on the back of the card which peels off as a single piece.

If that isn’t awe inspiring I’m not sure what is…

The most recognizable name is Stretch-Magic, available as a bead cord for elastic bracelets and necklaces. It’s the only reason I dared take a chance on a rubbery material – as I’m still smarting over the Latex Craze of the mid-80’s.

Stretch Magic & Stretchy - a knock off

If you remember everyone was tying latex flies; peeling the skin off of golf balls and pestering their dentist for Latex Dental Dam – thin sheets of rubbery goodness that made spectacular caddis worms…

… spectacular that season, the next year you opened your fly box to find oxidized fragments and bare hooks. Like everyone else I’d succumbed and had a drawer that looked like the bottom of the potato chip bag after someone sat on it.

I learned a hint of caution around rubbery…

Stretch Stone Amber

I dropped $2.50 to test a spool, then went to eBay to see what I should’ve paid – found a generic knockoff in Korea for $2.00 for 10 spools, in hot pink.  I banged out a dozen Shad flies which were quickly ate – and buoyed by success I scored 8 more colors from China for a total of 99¢.

Stretch Stone Yellow

It’s available in 1mm, 0.8mm, 0.7mm, 0.6mm, and 0.5mm, and is a really tough gelatinous ribbing material. The fiber is round in shape and takes marking pen well, allowing smaller sizes to be used as rubberlegs on nymphs as well as traditional body material. (the flies shown above #8’s using 0.6mm and 0.5mm)

Close up of the body On most patterns I’ll stick a dubbing needle between coils and yank out the underbody. Slick and glassy looks great in a magazine – but I like scruffy and dirty, and have never had much luck on flies that seemed stiff and glossy.

No solid entomology to back my assertion just personal preference.

Whatever is underneath the material will influence the final result, factor the color of the underbody with the color of overlay chosen. On Shad flies I used silver tinsel to turn the body into a glowing pink, the above flies used gray dubbing as the underbody.

I’m working on solving a Damselfly dilemma for next week’s adventure, having a rubbery lifelike material appears to fit that paradigm as well – one of a number of damsel possibilities I’ve got to test.

Me fiddling with the material and it’s success on Shad does not a season make – so be cautious if you purchase some; start with small amounts of black or clear and try it on a few patterns. If it’s intact and remains supple after a year in storage, you may consider buying a few more colors.

A long and fishless summer headed my way

It must be why them backwoods fellows always get tagged with toothless and inbred, their lack of interest in Physics is what separates them from their urban kinfolk.

Despite ample deer tilting with MAC trucks, locals don’t gather them up and fling them off the Interstate to see whether they splat or splash – while their urban cousins delight in the practice.

New trash to delight the onlookers

Discussing particle physics with Bud Light, only the particles are washing machines and dead domestic animals and bob in the current almost as well as the beer cans.

I call it home.

I’ve spent the last couple of months trodding the rarified waters, some considered clean, and some fit for laundry. Standing in the shade of the bridge I’m struck by the real difference between where the river starts and where she finishes is the shape of the trees, and local interest in  physics – big particles, goat sized even …

The Underwear is twice her normal size – so the Shad may be done until next year, and the Little Stinking hadn’t seen me for some time – so I paid my respects to her bony remnants.

New trash and new “NO Trespassing” signs caught my eye, the river is about 1/10 normal flow – and the beavers have moved in to claim what’s left. The Cache Creek Conservancy has posted the banks to ensure no one alters the foliage, but the channel is forgotten – and anyone can have their way with the damp part.

Funny how the watershed can be parceled into dry part and wet when money hangs in the balance.

The creek is now only a series of beaver dams, with a thin rivulet of water connecting them all. The largest edifice is nearly four feet tall and marks the Conservancy proper, a warm currentless holding pond we’d call “frog water.”

The Concervancy Frog Pond

The size of the dam is inspiring, keeping a mile of river channel filled to historic norms, where it’s bridged again by another beaver family both above and below the housing development.

Not many fish visible – and most of those were young-of-the-year rather than holdover fish. I stung a couple of four inch Pikeminnow and managed the capture of a live crawdad – which answered some of the questions I’ve had about their swimming style and streamlining characteristics, taking a couple of reference shots to capture their live coloration.

Olive Crayfish

They’re fast movers and with legs and antennae tucked under them, swim as gracefully as minnows – in short bursts.

Reddington GS4 #6

I’m struggling with testing a Reddington RS4 6 weight and matching reel (for a later product review), nothing’s amiss with the rod other than letting TC set it up as a “cast right, reel left” – more evidence them woodsy types have trouble tying their shoelaces.

…. by my account that 4″ fish took 86 feet of fly line – might’ve spooled me if I hadn’t discovered I was surrendering line with every turn of the handle. That’s the beauty of the path less trodden, flip the reel on top the rod and crank like you mean it.

… and no witnesses to point and laugh.

Brutus earns his keep

He can’t talk so he wouldn’t rat you out if you’d been skunked. Just smooth out the teeth marks, dry him off, and throw him a Milkbone…

I’ve got to get me one of these – sure he’d be a liability, but any flea bit chow hound can do sit and roll over…

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It might teach respect, but only if he’s the bait

Michael Vick Tony Dungy laments he never went fishing with Michael Vick?

Jesu Christo, if the lad is going to toe a bleeding hound into the brush, what good could possibly come from taking Michael Vick fishing?

Tony: Mike, you insert the needle into the earthworms and blow enough air to make ’em float just off the bottom – did I mention I respect your l33t football skills, but if you ever played for me you’d have to rein in that creative energy?

Mike: Does the air hurt the earthworms? … Really?

(Pfft, *POP*, Pfft, *POP*)

Tony: Save a couple for fishing Mike – did I mention you’re greased cat crap on the gridiron, but this boat is only fourteen feet long – and if you kill all my bait no way you’re gonna outrun the rod butt to the head I’ve got planned?

Mike: Oh. Sorry. Will them fish in the live well chew on each other?

Tony: No, Michael, most fish aren’t cannibalistic – did I mention you remind me of the son I never had?

Mike: You want to bet on the next fish?

Sorry, fishing is many things but if a fellow is going to stomp dogs – it’s not likely to teach him respect for wildlife of any kind – unless it’s Shark fishing … and then only if he’s the bait.

The hoary spectre of precise imitation rattles its chains

They compare culinary notes...I’ll unleash a storm of precise imitation, a half dozen tell-all manuscripts, and turn both coasts of fly fishermen on their collective ear…

… and I’ve always wanted to do that, just once …

Having fished for American Shad for many years I’d always subscribed to the “attractor” theory; they smack flies out of spite/anger/curiosity but they didn’t feed in freshwater…

Conventional wisdom said, “Shad feed on krill and plankton in saltwater, but don’t feed while migrating…” This is “fishing wisdom” talking and after you get a similar response from the first nineteen fellows that know more than you – you stop asking.

A recent article in the American Fisheries Journal suggests Shad do feed in freshwater, but neither regularly or with much gusto..

(Extract follows – the article body is available only for purchase)

We evaluated the feeding habits of American shad Alosa sapidissima on spawning grounds in the St. Johns River, Florida. Feeding intensity in freshwater was generally low but highly variable. The items consumed were mainly pelagic (cyclopoid copepods and woody debris), although benthic (mollusks and sand) and surface (adult insects [Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Odonata]) organisms occurred occasionally. The stomach fullness index varied by location for males, suggesting that ingestion is related to prey availability. Feeding by females also varied by location and continued during final oocyte maturation and active spawning. Egg cannibalism was suggested by the presence of some eggs morphologically similar to American shad eggs in the stomachs of males and females collected when females were running ripe. The results from diel sampling suggested that individuals consumed approximately 1.727 kJ/d in freshwater, which represents only a small fraction of the estimated daily energetic expenditure during the spawning run. Unlike iteroparous populations, Florida’s American shad probably do not conserve energy for out-migration. While this low incidence of freshwater feeding did not maintain fish weight, it may increase available energy and thereby increase fecundity.

Gives us something to think about. Shad don’t feed much and when they do eat mollusks, wood, shad roe, moths, damsel/dragonflies, and midges.

…which neatly explains why Shad are attracted to florescent flies with eye-watering vibrancy and dripping shiny … after completing a thousand mile journey to an exotic locale they’re sampling the local cuisine – same as we would.

shad roe Before you run out for eleven dozen egg flies of steelhead vintage, shad eggs are about a size 20.

Calf liver would be a close approximation to an egg sack – but the bait issue would send you mincing about gashing yourselves in mock horror – so I’d go for a couple packs of rubber dogshit and shape it with a paring knife…

… that shouldn’t offend them delicate sensibilities too terrible much.

Fish like you’ve got a pair

In a typical shad season I’ll plow through 10 feet of bead chain easy. Handing out handfuls of whatever works combined with those buried into the bottom consumes plenty. It’s the weighting standard for most shad flies because it flips the hook over giving a shot at the upper jaw, traditional hook-ups tear through the sides – which is why so many fish are lost.

Years ago I had the foresight to score about 10 lbs of the silver and gold 3.2mm style, I was tying commercially and winter would bring steelhead orders, summer it’d be shad – and I was burning through a fair amount each year.

This season I’d seen little packs of anodized aluminum beadchain in two or three colors – and the lamp section of Home Depot had a couple pull chains in a nice glossy black – so I figured somebody was making this in quantity.

Black bead chain They are – the assortment is broader than what we’ve seen in fly shops. Many styles are available; brass, stainless steel, bronze, and aluminum – and those can be broken down into additional finishes like black nickel, polished brass, and all the colors of the rainbow.

Fly shops sell the basic chain for $0.10 per inch, and most of the online chain vendors are half that, metal is heavy and large quantities will drive up the postage, but the resulting selection is worth it.

Tungsten and brass beads are expensive – and I’ve often wished I could find the cheaper bead chain in colors suitable for trout flies – as the physics of a weighted nymph suggest if the hook rode up – we’d be losing less of them. With bead chain so much cheaper than tungsten or brass there might be some small economic reward as well.

Enough of a motive to get me to dig through the Internet looking for them…

Regular Silver and Gold are available at Home Depot and Lowe’s – what I needed was the “freak” stuff – the beads we don’t know exist, and would kill for should they ever surface …

All the colors you'll ever need

I’m just starting to work through the respective vendor offerings – but I saw the above spool and about spewed lunch through my nose. Infinite combinations and colors and all of them yelling “Eat me.”

I’m interested in both brass and aluminum; brass for obvious reasons it’s heavy as can be and cheaper than beads, aluminum because it’s not – and I can envision many uses for both. Shad and steelhead will remain brass, but I can envision stonefly nymphs and lake flies, damsels and dragonflies, where I don’t need the massive sink rate yet could still use weight and the “eye” affect.

Beady-Eyed Olive Stonefly

Here’s the Olive Mutt that worked so well on the Upper Sacramento last weekend, adapted to the Black beadchain. The fly will ride as shown so it’s tied “upside down” in the vise….

… fish don’t really care which side the wingcase is on – but we sure as hell do – hence the attention to detail.

Tied on a #8 3X long shank, it’ll make a wonderful dragon fly nymph at the same time – in fact, if asked what you’re catching all them fish on I’d call it a dragonfly nymph, it’d scare hell out of all them fellows playing Mayfly-Stonefly-Caddis, and you’re guaranteed they won’t have anything close as they left those in their “lake” box.

… besides, when they see the color and tinsel they’ll think you’re an idjit – everyone knows stoneflies is either brown, black, or golden …

…except us.

These are 25 foot spools of 3.2mm (#6) Brass beadchain – sold by the folks at BallChain.com – available in 19 colors if you include the silver and gold. You may be interested in Mystic Red and Antique finishes they have as well.

colors available at BallChain.com Called “Cool Spools” – they show the connector colors but only have violet, rainbow (shown above), black, and dark blue to purchase online. It’s a rather poor web presence – but I called and they mentioned the other colors were available – but not all were in stock.

I’m itching to try the Rainbow for shad – I’m sure the orange would work really well also. I’ll keep looking for a better deal – and the aluminum is already enroute from a different source, we’ll feature that when it arrives. Note the hollow tubes available in similar colors – just right for tube flies; either insert a nylon sleeve or make sure you deburr both ends.

My public school system only awarded degrees in Modern Chemistry, now the kids get Angling?

Degree in Timewasting mostly The credential is slowly winkling it’s way into our sport, and I have mixed emotions about the legitimacy that implies..

It was the same when I worked for a large brokerage house (now deceased); I asked the traders what it took to be a stock broker and was surprised how little training was required, “Basically, we offer positions at $1100 per month (1990), and after they take their Series Seven exam they’re brokers – so we turn them loose on their friends and family, and if they ever ask for their salary – we fire them.”

… OK, maybe I’m less surprised after the last six months …

If my kid ever darkened the doorway and announced proudly how he’d chosen to spend the next five years studying angling – he’d taste the boot heel, and as the door slammed behind him he’d hear the tail end of, “Good, start with the Fillet O’ Fish…”

Five years of womanizing and beer drinking I’m expected to pay for – but angling? Screw that …

We’ve got certified casters, certified instructors, and the Certifiable, can we assume there’ll be a “certified angler” shortly?

I’d bet on it.

Vendors have been “endorsing” all manner of anglers for decades, it’s the best way to cement brand loyalty and outfit a new angler from head to toe. A couple days on the lawn and a pancake breakfast on the Battenkill, with little pewter pins tacked on starched olive vests to mark coming-of-age.

That’s neither extreme nor hardcore, so the process will be amended to include rigor, that way we can have gradations of certification akin to military awards – with Oak Leaves, 1st Class, and with Cluster.

… then again it could be Boy Scout badges, where you can drape your accomplishments over your gut, and watch the riffle clear of riffraff at your approach.

The current flavor emphasizes the Big Three; casting, knots, and entomology (flies). Certified “fly fishing schools” all list some variant of the above like an intro to fly tying – or some similar difference. That’s way short of the mark. Angling certification should make you sweat akin to your driver’s test – where you hoped that little squinch-eyed fellow doesn’t ask you to parallel park.

A couple of weeks on etiquette is sorely needed; it’s bad enough the SOB can’t cast – but he’s put down all my fish too..

Toss in a couple of heartstoppers like, “identify which feather is called ‘Greenwell’ ” – have them demonstrate a Bimini Twist, and for graduation we could have them barehand a Ling Cod, replete with those icicle teeth …and we’d be getting somewhere.

Lastly, issue them an identity card with a unique serial number so you could build a database like the Sexual Predators system. Internet based so when you sidled up to your next prospective mate she could find your shortcomings via her cell phone.

… besides, that pick up line was truly awful, now she suspects …

Yep, he’s a certified angler.