Spring Flurry!

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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

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!