Ice in the Guides

Hey Everyone,

I know what you all are about to say, "guides?". Yeah Ive been using my Tenkara rods so much lately that I felt like I was neglecting my 4wt, and since I got a new Ross Arius for it last year for Christmas I though I should use it. With that being said, I decided to head up to a river that I don't normally fish. It was a nice cold crisp day and I watched my breath in the air as I walked that path down to the river. I could see several nice fish holding in slack currents. Needless to say, it wasn't long before I hooked up. This river had recently undergone a restoration project so with the stream bed disturbance there is very few if any caddis and or mayflies. So, diptera midges are the main food source for these particular fish. I quickly found that anything larger than an 18 was simply ignored. I spent the rest of the day throwing small midge emergers and landing quite a few nice fish. I'm not saying the you need to have a degree in entomology to fly fish but having an understanding of the bugs that trout typically eat can make the difference between a couple fish and a banner day on the river.

Wet Nets,
Lance

What They Look Like - October Caddis

Hey Everyone,

I was on the river the other day and couldn't help but notice a decent October Caddis hatch. If you know much about caddis flies then you know this is a major food source for trout before the winter kicks in. This caddis is usually orange in body color and about a size 16 to 14. Although, this year they seem to be much more pale in the body, I'd say cream colored. For any of you who might want to try tying a nice version of this caddis I have put up some nice photos. I would tie these as an elk hair caddis with either a dull orange with copper wire or a cream body with black wire.

Wet Nets,
Lance

What They Look Like - Midges

Hey Everyone,

If your like me (obsessed with all things fly fishing) you obviously tie your own flies. The one thing that has always interested me was insects. Yes, I was that nerdy kid that caught butterflies in nets and had bug collections. I even attended an entomology summer camp. When I started tying the one thing that I was determined to do was tie simple patterns that had attributes that best imitated the real thing. Ive studied the photos as well as the actual insects that I see on the river. I'm even considering making a small "butterfly net" to carry on the stream. Over the years I have produced several flies and now carry a selection of my best producers. If you are looking for a new pattern or just want to try something new on your local river, I have found some great images of midges since these little guys are not only the most common food source for trout but also the most likely one this winter. I hope you all come up with some great patterns. If they are "must haves" please share.

Wet Nets,
Lance 

A Few Fish of My Own

Hey Everybody,


The leaves have changed and the weather has cooled down. Every year around this time I start getting antsy. The itch to get outside is the worst it been all year. So when I get any free time I head up to one of the many trout streams and spend the day throwing craft supplies at fish.  I love it when I'm on the river in the fall. Seeing my breath in the air as I listen to the water rush over the rocks slowly stalking and walking the edge of the river with a warm cup of apple cider looking for long shadows on the bottom. I still get so excited on that first cast of the day and sometimes catch myself holding my breath on a cast that I'm almost certain will produce a fish any second. Although I'm not sure if I actually smile every time i set the hook and feel a fish on the other end I know for sure my heart does. I always thank every fish and release them back into the water for another angler to catch. Maybe a father with his son on his first trip to the river as I was so many years ago, or a beginner trying to figure out what all the rest of us are so obsessed with, or an old master who has cast more flies than I have ever tied. I guess I am and forever will be a trout bum. I do not care about the size of the fish I catch because, as I have said in the past, I just enjoy meeting every single one of them.

Wet Nets,

Lance

Fishing with Sydney

Hey Everyone,

Well even with all the guide trips I've been doing and work keeping me pretty busy. I did take the time to get up on the water and do a little fishing for myself. I was also lucky enough to be accompanied by a friend of mine Sydney Jenkins and her husband. We met at a familiar spot for me. It was a great day to be fishing. The only issue we had was our shadows were on the water for a half an hour or so. I told Sydney to get as low as possible and showed her where to be and how she needed to present the fly so that her line didn't spook the fish. I have to say that she was an excellent student and did exactly as instructed. It wasn't long before she hooked a fish and started to do so frequently. I had moved up stream and was fishing a tighter hole that I had seen some brookies holding in. That's when it happened. I actually saw the take and also saw the enormous shadow under the waters surface that took her dropper. I told her to be gentle, since we were running 7x tippet. She did really well and just held enough pressure on the fish and didn't try and horse it in. When I netted the fish I cant describe the relief I felt and excitement for Sydney at the same time. I forgot my measuring tape in my rod tote but I'm guessing that her rainbow was anywhere between eighteen and twenty inches. We took a few photos and revived the fish and it swam nice and calmly away. We fished for a few more hours together and landed a bunch more fish. I have to say that it was an epic day to be on the water. I had a great time and look forward to the next time that I get to fish with Sydney although I'm not sure how we can top a twenty incher.

Wet Nets,
Lance

Great Cigars and the One That Got Away

Hey Everyone,

I have had some great guided trips and met some really great people as well. One recent trip was booked by Micheal Ayers and a long time friend of his Gene McMasters. The weather could not have been nicer. We were on the river by about nine o-clock. The water was really clear and I could tell the fish could see just about everything. It tool me few minutes to find some schooled up fish but when I located them, I found them all. In fact I believe the comment was "I've never seen this many trout in one place" They were in a spot that I had not seen many fish prior to this trip. It was a beautiful day to be on the water and the smell of well rolled cigars were in the air...lol. It was a little slow going but they both ended up hooking up and landing fish as well as Gene's epic long distance release of what I'm almost certain was a twenty plus inch fish. I think I was more heart broken than he was. I think that both Michael and Gene had a lot of fun and enjoyed just being out there. I know that I had a great time just watching them. Oh OK I did get to make a couple casts and landed a couple fish of my own but I had to see what fly the wanted right...lol.

Wet Nets, Lance

Leaky Waders

Hey Everyone,

I thought I would write a post about repairing waders. I know that at one time or another we have all sprung a leak or two. The bad part about finding out that you have a leak is that it almost always happens while you are fishing. The only hope then is that you are not wet enough or it is not cold enough to ruin the rest of your day. I have a great fix that some of you may already know about, Seam Grip by McNett. I have been using this product for a few years on backpacking equipment and even work with this company for my backpacking events. I was on the river just recently when I waded out to my waste and found that I apparently had a small leak somewhere in the crotch of my waders. Thankfully it was not bad enough that it was much of an issue. I was careful not to wade out that deep for the rest of the day. When I got home that evening I laid my waders out and dried them. I then went and grabbed my seam grip. I looked and located a very small pin prick in the seam of my waders probably from a thorn or something similar. I very carefully spread out the seam grip over the hole and figured I would do the seams for a little ways down the legs (cant hurt right). I have used the waders since and guess what, not a single leak. As I was going through my equipment I also found some patches of tenacious tape that McNett also puts makes. I put some in my wader bag. I haven't had to use it yet but I figure it may be the answer to fixing a leak and salvaging the rest of a day on the water. I have attached some photos so you can see what I did.


(Tenacious tape comes in a roll. that is a demo patch of it in the picture)
Wet Nets,Lance