"Lady Gaga" works her magic on the swing.

In the past 2 days this Lady Gaga variation has gotten slammed by 7 steelhead in the lower Salmon River.  Tied on a 45mm cut-shank the front & rear marabou stations are supported by spun deer and Artic Fox tail.   They can't seem to resist it as it swings slowly past them.

Holiday Season

Santa's Elves have been recently spotted fishing a few runs before the big day.  What's on you (gear) I mean Christmas list???

Speycasting in Slow Motion with Eoin Fairgrieve

Current or Classic??




Photo by Brad Loperfido


Which do you prefer?  Current reels like a Ross or the classic's like a Hardy Perfect???


Swing The Fly Magazine

                 The first issue of Swing The Fly is out.  If you haven't checked it out, you need too.  Great coverage from the West Coast to the East Coast.

Sorry Boss

Spey Nation 2013

Spey Nation VI Pineville, NY 8:30 AM to 4 PM Spey Nation offers the unique opportunity for enthusiasts and manufacturers of 2 handed rods to gather in a streamside setting. The Location is the NYS DEC Pineville Boat Launch on the Salmon River in Pineville, NY.

If you haven't made this event in the past your sure going to want to make this years event.  A great list of presenters this year, Travis Johnson, Josh Linn and Tom Larimer to name a few.  Plus all the raffles and rods to checkout.

*This years event will be on a water release weekend so the flow will be 750CFS and the rafting companies will be out.*

Flyline Stripper For Spey Casting

Flyline Stripper Clip for Spey Casting from Bintoro on Vimeo.

Being a gadget guy myself, I'm not so sure on this one...  Post your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Skagit Casting - Defined and Simplifyed

Great video expaining the basic's of Skagit style casting by Scott Howell.

Water Release Weekends

The water release weekends for 2013:

June 22nd-23rd, 400 cfs

July 6th-7th, 750 cfs

July 20th-21st, 750cfs

August 3rd-4th, 750 cfs

August 31st - September 1st, 750 cfs.

Who' going to catch a Atlantic on the swing this summer??

Inside Simms

The Fly Fishing Shop in Oregon recently toured the Simms Factory to see how Simms Waders are made, Check it out.  Amazing how many people it takes to make one pair of waders.  I'm a big Simms fan and they are worth every penny.

What's ahead

Quiet, peaceful Salmon River in the summer.

Big Water Swinging

                    Nothing beats swinging from a boat during high water.

Swinging flies from a boat is a great way to fish high water, Why??
You can position yourself to work water effectively. 
Greater line control.
Set yourself up for a great hang down.
Greater casting distance since your standing higher off the water.

Custom Dubbing Brush

                Greg Senyo at the Caddis Fly showing how to make custom dubbing brushes out of Enrico Puglisi dubbing brushes.

Dry Fly

Frozen Guides

The first day of spring is tommorrow, it sure doesn't look or feel it on the Salmon River.

So true..

Steelhead on the surface

This fly is a modification of Jack Gartside's famous "Gurgler" top water fly.

They are light, easy to tie and is another fly that just might take a steelhead on top in late spring, summer or early fall.  Tied on a #2 Bomber hook a materials list follows.

Tail: Ice blue Angel Hair over white cashmere goat overwhite bucktail (all sparse)

Back/head: 3mm white fly foam cut into strips 8mm in width

Body:  UV Pearl Ice Dub with 5 wraps of 1.25" Blue Crystal Trilobal synthetic hackle palmered

Eyes:  4mm doll eyes from craft store attached with Super Glue gel

The fly foam strip is first attached at the rear of the hook and then pulled forward over the body and bound down approx. 1/4" from the eye of the hook.  Then roll the foam back on itself and bind the tag end down again. 

Golden Muddler

Muddlers have always been a good fly for steelhead and when the river drops in early May I'll be giving these a swing through the riffles.

These are fairly simple to tie:
Hook: Ajec Jackson #5
Body: Orange Diamond Braid
Gills: a small amount of red Angora Goat dubbing
Wing: orange squirrel tail, 4 strands of orange krystal flash, 2 slips of motled turkey
Collar & Head:  orange deer hair
Thread: orange

Real Steelheaders Don't Chum

Welcome to Real Steelheaders Don't Chum. This website was created to help inform the fishing community and interested stakeholders about the chumming that is taking place on our Michigan rivers. This practice is having numerous negative impacts on our rivers and we are working to reinstate the ban on chumming of loose salmon eggs and other organic material.


Click here to sign the petition to ban chumming again in Michigan.

Scott Howell Tying a Squidro

Here is Scott Howell tying one of his Squidro's, he shares some good tips on tying them in this video. Wish this clip was in Skagit Master 3.

S&S Express

A little "stinger" action and a "Senyo shank" combined with some easy tying steps put this fly in the "express" lane when your at the vise.  The toughest part is tying on the grizzly saddle wings, but after you do a few it will become much easier.

S&S Express Recipe
Shank: Flymen Senyo Shank 25mm color of your choice
Stinger Wire: Beadalon 7 strand wire .018 (20lb breaking strength)
Hook: your choice of octopus style hook
Body: Polar Chenille
Collar: Schlappen
Under Wing: Arctic fox or similar with flashabou
Head: A small clump of ice dubbing tied on the bottom and top of the fly
Wing: Grizzly Saddle Hackle
Eyes: Jungle Cock or Prosportfisher pro jungle cock hd.

Another color combo for 2.5" swinger

Same pattern as in previous post in a Pink/white color.

Golden yellow colored pheasant rump for the wing.  I just started using this material in various colors last fall and it is becoming one of my favorites.  Its great for collars, wings or spey hackle and fairly cheap to buy!

Low water swinger

This smaller, 2.5" total length cut-shank should work on the lower flow levels of 185 - 335cfs. 

You can use any color combo you like.  This brown/orange pattern mimics a crayfish, one of the favorite foods of the steelhead in the river.

The smallmouth bass that enter the river in May & June will also find it to their liking.  Just attach a #4 Octopus stinger hook with a non-slip loop knot and you are good to go!

List of materials in order they are put on:

Shank - cut from #4 streamer hook 7XL to give lenght of 35mm, smooth the end with file
add a rear loop on the shank with .018 beading wire

Rear bump - 2 turns of flourescent orange chennile

Tail -  dark brown marabou plume wound on by the tip, with 2 strands of copper flashabou along each side.

Body - copper Ice dub with brown grizzly hackle palmered and counter wrapped with fine black ultra
wire.

Front bump - 2 turns of Brown/copper tinsel chenille

Collars - brown Artic fox spun in a dubbing loop (sparse)
            - 8 strands of black rhea
            -  2 turns of ornage pheasant rump

Flash - 2 strands of copper flashabou along each flank

Wing - 2 body feathers from golden pheasant tied in flat over top of shank

Topping - 4 strands of copper krystal flash

Head - medium black bead chain tied under the shank with 2 turns of flourescent orange antron dubbing.

Thread - brown 140 ultra thread
           

Heading To The Fly Fishing Show

              Keep this in mind!  Have a great weekend everyone.

Wade Deep To Cast Farther??

Wading Deep to cast farther??  Not so fast -

Wading deeper to gain distance isn't the answer to gain a few extra feet. Wading deep decreases the height from the water to your rod tip to the bottom of your D loop. The few extra feet you my gain by wading deeper, will most likely be lost in the cast. Wading deeper reduces the height of your D loop and it becomes smaller.

Good Day to Tie Flies

Cool BC Steelhead Video

A Moral Steelhead Story from Flying A Films on Vimeo.

A good color for dropback steelhead in April

White and pink always take some nice spring fish for me.

When the steelhead finish spawning and head back to the lake they get hungry!

More color combos for cut-shanks

Some more color combinations that work for me

 

Brown /orange

 
Black/blue

 

 Black/olive

 

Cut -shank Intruder

Black and red Intruder constructed in the same way as the ESL that was posted earlier.  Only changes are the addition of 2 wings (pheasant rump) tied on flat over the top of fly and the substitution of  XS yellow leads eyes for the egg head.

Top view:

Burkheimer Fly Rod Build

Burkheimer Fly Rod Build - Broadband from North Fork Studios on Vimeo.

A great look into how Burkheimer Rods are built.

4" cut-shank Egg Sucking Leeches

Getting ready for some winter swinging this weekend by tying up these ESL's.  They are a cross between 2 of Zack's designs posted earlier on this blog.

Shank is cut from a size 2 Mustad streamer hook that is 7XL.

Materials in the order they are put on:
1. rear bump - mix of angora goat and ice dub
2. tail - Finn raccoon with 2 strands of Krystal flash along each side
3. two long grizzly hackles
4. body - ice dubbing with grizzly hackle counter wrapped with small ultra-wire
5. front bump - 3 turns of estaz with 2 turns of Aritc fox spun in dubbing loop
6. flash - 2 strands of holographic flash-a-bou along each side with 4 strands of Krystal flash over the top of shank.
7. collar - 12 strands of Rhea followed by 3 turns of pheasant rump feather
8. egg - ice dub over lead wire base.

This is another color combination

The grizzly hackles are splayed out for more movement in the water.

The Fly Fishing Show - Somerset NJ

Garden State Convention Center

January 25, 26, 27 2013

Show Hours: Fri 10 - 6; Sat 8:30 - 6:00; Sun 9 - 4:30

Anyone who is planning on attending stop by and see our own Frank Swarner, he'll be tying all weekend.

A complete list on the event can be found here.

Got Dry Flies??

 

LW's Dry flies, someone is going on a mission!!

Great Way To Low Hole Your Buddies