2012 Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo

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

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

Happy New Year and all the best for 2012!  

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

Where I live in Alberta we are known for our long cold white winters.  Open water fly fishing is few and far between.  Perfect conditions you would think for some concentrated organized fly tying.  Unfortunately this has not been the case.  My show and seminar speaking schedule starts in earnest in January and doesn’t wind down until mid-April only to be replaced with stillwater schools and workshops.  Finding time to tie flies has been tough.  This year I have allocated bench time 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 their positive 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 host a stillwater episode for a new show, The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing which begins airing on the World Fishing Network (WFN) later on this year.  We spent the better part of a week battling high winds that made things more than challenging.  The rainbows and browns we were targeting where, for the most part, willing to chase our flies.  Although the water temperatures were higher than expected due to the warm summer and early fall large fall fish were beginning to 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 and juvenile fat head minnows and backswimmers worked.  The shoreline shallows were choked with fat head minnows.  One of the best patterns during my October trip was Crystal P-Quad a variation of Mark Olinger’s P-Quad.  The P-Quad received its name from 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 a great substitute along with bronze mallard.  The original P-Quad has worked well for me as both a searching fly and when 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 a small olive glass bead at the head.  The grey phase partridge and teal flowed over the olive body and tail mimicking the mottled look of the natural baitfish.  Our glass bead headed version dragged up some impressive browns and rainbows as we explored proven forage fish hangouts such as cattails and beaver lodges.  A slow 3-5 inch strip pause retrieve or steady hand-twist worked consistently.  If a trout was in the region we often hooked up 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 with a 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 Glass Bead

Most of the boatman and backswimmer activity was over but the browns, rainbows and tiger trout the Parklands region is famous for still chased down our boatman and backswimmer patterns.  A new pattern in my box was the backswimmer equivalent of my Water Floatman, the Greater Water Floatman.  The fly's name sake came from the greater water boatman the naturals are sometimes referred to in England.  Since the backswimmer facelift made for a larger 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 tie as compared to another of my favorite backswimmer/boatman patterns the Ultimate Boatman 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-50 94840 #8-#10

Thread: 6/0 Black

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

Body:  Stillwater Solutions Crystal Chenille, Peacock Green, Medium

Legs:  Stillwater Solutions Midge Stretch Floss, Olive

Tying Note:  Apply the markings to the shellback using a Prismacolor Spring Green marker along with black and red Sharpie markers. 

Join me in the Parklands for 2012!

As you probably know if you have been reading some of my previous blog entries the Parklands region of SW Manitoba has become one of, if not my favorite, stillwater haunt in North America.  For the past three years I have been hosting spring and fall trips to this region.  My trips include all food, accommodation, seminars and time on the water with me.  I run both weekend and weeklong excursions.  My spring 2012 trips have already sold out completely.  I didn’t even have a chance to promote them.  My fall trips slated for September 13-17, 2012 and September 17-23, 2012 still have space available.  Please view the informational brochure on my website if one of my fall trips interests you. If my 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 provided a perfect backdrop for my workshop.  My students and I had access to all of their private lakes.  Each lake was fishable from shore which provided a unique instructional perspective for me as I could easily move between students to work with them in a one on one setting to help with their stillwater presentation techniques.  

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

Dave and Spencer from Falcon’s Ledge made a point of saying that the trout on the lodge’s lakes showed a particular affinity for any red fly or having red as key component color.  The maroon/claret pheasant tail body and red holographic Mylar shellback of my Red Back Pheasant chironomid pupa pattern was a consistent producer and took a severe mauling.  As a result this pattern 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:  Stillwater Solutions Bleached Pheasant Tail, Maroon/Claret

Shellback: Holographic Mylar, Red

Thorax:  Peacock Herl

Gills:  Stillwater Solutions Midge Gill

Bead: Gold

I will be returning to Falcon’s Ledge again in 2012 for another stillwater workshop on May 18-20.  At this time chironomids, damselflies and Callibaetis mayflies should all be on the menu.  My seminar subjects will have a definite slant towards imitating these insects including both sub surface 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 and workshops in 2012 or if you are planning attending any of the shows listed on my Calendar please drop by and say hello.

An Atypical Fall

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

Few things beat a spectacular sunset

I was fortunate to arrive the evening prior to everyone arriving to get things set up for the week.  Unload and sort out the food, check out to make sure the accommodations were in order and get my presentation materials organized for the seminars that are a feature of these hosted trips.  Bob and I were able to get things done efficiently so we were able to pre fish one of 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 in bloom and the unseasonably water temperatures showed no sign of the fall fishing we were hoping to run into.  We tested out our usual favorites but fishing proved tough.  In the mid-afternoon backswimmers began to stir.  These larger cousins of the water boatman began to take flight while others returned to the lake crashing into the surface like tiny pebbles.  It took a while for the trout to clue in and respond. As soon as I saw the first aggressive swirl of a trout chasing a backswimmer I grabbed my Outbound Hover complete with a washing line set-up.  I had been 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 is an 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 are targeting 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 or backswimmer patterns featured in my latest book, Steve Jenning’s Ultimate Boatman on point coupled with a smaller boatman pattern and my hover line proved perfect.  Or so I thought.

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

Hook:    Mustad S82-3906 #12

Thread: 8/0 Olive

Body:     5/8ths Foam Body Slim, White or Tan

Legs:      SuperStretch Floss or Stillwater Solutions Midge Stretch Floss, Olive

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

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

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

Our group arrived, had dinner and after I provided an introductory 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 cooler heads prevailed.  Fishing was tough and of the people who accompanied me that day we only managed a couple of small rainbows.

The next day was a typical post cold front day.  Bright clear skies, a temperature drop of about 10C and strong winds once again.  With all the change and transition following the passage of a cold front fish had shut down.  It proved a good day for sightseeing around the lake, showing different techniques for slow conditions 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 and drop offs.  It was not a banner day for fish catching by any stretch.

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

As was the case earlier in the week the washing line technique proved a valuable technique.  Backswimmers began to move in the mid-afternoon.  Although the breeze was still an issue the aggressive swirls and splashes 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 #8 or #6 popper or dry fly such as a Chernobyl Ant stripped and twitched across the surface.  In keeping with my washing line 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 and promptly missed it.  Chalking it up to excitement I recast and began twitching and twisting the fly back.  A second fish rolled, again on the boatman, I waited longer than the perquisite, “God save the Queen” count just to be sure. I missed the fish again.  This happened seven times in a row!  I brought my fly in close to see how it was working.  Everything seemed fine.

Tiger trout smash surface flies with almost reckless abandon at times

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

I stripped the flies in and re-rigged tying the Chernobyl directly off the bend of the boatman so it trailed some 2-3 feet behind.  Within seconds of placing the flies near a recent rise a rolled on the boatman. This time I did not miss.  For the rest of the afternoon I hooked fish consistently.  It proved an interesting lesson that I stowed away for future reference the next time I run into a similar situation.

Beautiful Parklands brown (Courtesy of B.Stokes)

While the trip was the gangbuster event it typically is Twin and its typically cooperative tigers iced the cake.  Getting them on top was an added bonus.  The week proved itself to be one of perseverance and patience.  Driving home the lesson that you have to play the hand you are dealt and make the best of the conditions before you.  Heck, it beats working doesn’t it?

Sight Fishing Stillwaters

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

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

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!