Fishing Catalogs and Bass fishing

It's that time of the year that we come out of our man caves, dust off our catalogs, open a window and breath deep. We catch a whiff of spring and awake form our primordial daze to complain that we awoke to soon. No hatch to proclaim. I'm still banging on my garbage cans to break them loose from the ice encrusted ground. My battery is dead (again). What's there to eat?

Two months till opening day. Of course I'll wait till May to go Bass fishing. So I get out my Bass flies again! Stare at them in amusement realizing that I have have far to many to use in any one season. Crack open a catalog, pour a cup of coffee, peruse the latest reasons my synaptic gaps are even firing this morning and try to decide what new patterns I need. (again)

Do you loose any brain cells staring at the same pictures over and over. I know I've lost skin cells on my fingers turing pages.

I enjoy and look forward to get the next fishing catalog. When it arrives in the mail I take time right then to flip the pages, bend a few that interest me and plan my next reading attack.

Yesterday I received one of my favorite catalogs. This particular one I look forward to getting. It's a quality designed catalog, in other words thought went into its production. I turned to the section “Warm water flies”, What the frick........are you kidding me, who wrote this? I want names, numbers and e-mails and I want them now!!!!!

Quote: “Bass fishing isn't brain surgery, and you sure don't need to match the hatch.” yada, yada I stopped reading.

No it's not brain surgery, but since when does trout fishing involve the cerebral brain activity necessary to plum the depths of quantum mechanics. I guess Z0 and trout fishing are the the new (G)ods. Please take me off your mailing list. I will buy my flies on line. After all if I'm not taking apart some frontal lobe so I guess I can't understand the value of a $600.00+ fly rod. Written about by some polysyllabic marketing fanatic using the “Systematic Buzz Phrase Projector”. Lets see I (think) “there's a stretch” I'll use number 3,7 and 5 “Modified Versatile Performance” that'll open a few wallets Bob.

Its this kind of subversive under-toning in catalog descriptions that says to every new comer to the sport of fly fishing, let me see your Ph.D, you can't cast, better take my $300 an hour casting class or your going to look like a newbie. Fun what's that? Take a kid fishing, omg. $150 equipment. When you are smarter and have studied the art of fly fishing, read every book and logged 1,000 of armchair casting then you will be ready my son. Wax on Wax off.

That's my rant and I'm sticking to it. Till next time see you on the Bass water.

Yes, I canceled my subscription to the catalog.

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Fly Fishing

Learn to fly fish with: "Fly fishing from scratch"

I don't usually out-right suggest a product but, This one hits the nail on the head in its outlook on trout fishing.

It points you in the right direction to get you out on the water with confidence.

So if you want to catch trout like this check out this ebook.

Learning how to fly fish can be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever decide to do.

However, finding all of the information you need (just to cast your first fly!) can be frustratingly time consuming and very expensive.

I've found an online guide which I can recommend called Fly Fishing From Scratch which provides a really easy-to-understand introduction.

Learn to decipher the fly rod

The author's aim is to bring people up to the skill level of an intermediate fly fisher.

Learn the parts of the fly

Check it out and get your copy today!

Fly Fishing From Scratch

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Opening Day 4 months away

Someone said to me the other day, only 4 more months to opening day. It is a day that I look forward to as long as it is 50 degrees and above. I barely manage to get out of my man cave until june. After all the average temp is about 34 - 44 degrees at the beginning of April in NY. I just can't bring myself out to ice fish.

Trout fishing for me will start on the Hoosic river around April 15th this year. Water temp 45 - 55 degrees. As a rule water temp will be just about right around 2pm - 5pm. Its a stream that runs west out of Vermont into the Hudson. It is a river that has had its share of trouble. The tanneries all but destroyed its fish population. It is no longer stocked, but it does hold some wild rainbows and browns. What it lacks in fish is made up in the size of fish that are available.

Wide and slow and some fast, riffed water make for some good holding spots for some large fish. Early season above the village of Eagle Bridge puts out some good mayfly hatches. Tan, cream and white are the colors of the spring here. Wets are the preference. A lot of the stream side is unshaded so dries are an afternoon to evening technique. 9" min and 5 take limit, although in this river catch and release is the best way to go. As it is in most rivers.

One of the best trout fishing techniques I have found is asking owner permission before walking across a land owners property. Some of the best areas are behind some-ones home and common respect goes a long way for all fisher persons. Practicing this keeps the fishing open for all.

As for equipment, early spring brings out my 4wt, 7' leader, 4x tippet and size 12 - 16 flies.

Davy Cadis sz 14

Hairs Ear sz 14 - 16

Hairs Ear Bead sz 12 - 16

Gold Rib Haired 14 - 16 one of the best when you just don't know what to use!

March Brown nymph

Streamers:

Matuka sz 12 -14

Zonker sz 12 - 14

Muddler Minnow sz 12 - 14

Peacock Woolly Bugger sz 12 -14 the best of the best get black, brown and red

Wets:

Olive Woolly Worm

Drys:

Adams

Light Cahill

Dark Cahill

Black Midge

Blue winged olive good in early sprint late afternoon when sipping is in progress.

Ant

Daves Hopper

Sage Launch - $ 220.00
From: RiverBum, LC

Sage 1000 Series Value Reels - $ 99.00From: RiverBum, LC
You don't need a vest full of flies just some of your favorite nymph patterns will do. A few wets and a couple of streamer patterns and your off.

Lightning Bug, Pearl

Pheasant Tail Nymph, Bead Head, Flashback

Copper John Nymph, Bead Head, Copper

Hares Ear Nymph, Bead Head, Natural Grey

I fish up and across on a dead drift. Let the fly drift to the bottom and strip in the loose line to keep up with the fly. If your fishing a streamer let it go downstream and strip it back up to you. Vary your retrieve. Keep a tight line between your fingers and the line as a trout can inhale and spit out a fly in about a 10th of a second. You might never know a strike occurred if you can't feel it.


Credit: Our thanks to Frank Amato Publications for the use of this material from Oregon River Maps & Fishing Guide.
Most of your casts will be in the 20 - 25 foot range. If you've read any of my posts you know I believe this is the active casting and catching range of most trout fishing.
Hatch chart for Battenkill, VT. Hoosic River is about 1 week ahead: Hatch Chart
Just the tip of the ice burg so to speak.

So there, a little taste of spring here in NY. I have to end now and go and look at my fly rods and get to tying a few flies. This always happens to me this time of year.

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Care of fishing rods and line

When I die I hope my partner doesn't sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.

(not my quote) but a lot of truth to it I think

Well the summer is over, it's winter. Rather obvious I think.

Its time to put away the fishing gear. I don't ice fish. So it is a waiting game for me. Its time to arrange, rearrange, put away and get out again. Its a ritual played over time and time again through-out the colder climates.

So here are a few tips to get your gear through the season of non-use.

I fish my equipment hard so I don't clean it like I should at the end of a fishing trip. I'm looking for the next time I can get out. And a little bit of lazy too.

Guide care - Run a a pice of silk through each guide, any rough spots will show up as a snag. Clean guides with a mild cleaner, nothing abrasive. If the snag is bad a replacement will have to be made. Check out the many sites on line for the how to.

Rod care - Same process, take a piece of silk and run it over the rod between the guides. Any rough spots again will show up as a snag. Clean the rod with a mild cleaner. Nothing abrasive. Dish detergent and warm water will clean off old fish slime and scales. Some advice says you can use a furniture cleaner to give the rod a polish. I don't do this because most furniture polishes contain wax and nothing sticks to wax. So if you have to make a guide repair replacing a guide, any wax that is on the rod will inhibit the thread epoxy from sticking to the rod and fish eye. If this happens you will have to replace the guide again and throughly clean the rod. Again nothing sticks to wax! Not even epoxy period!

Fly Line - The same process can be used on fly line. strip out the fly line. Run it through a piece of silk, any snags, replace the line. Sorry, the line will only get worse. Snags on the line tend to pick up slime off the water and transfer it to your guides and reel spool. Your line should be cleaned with a cleaner between fishing trips.

Scientific Anglers GPX Floating Fly Line

Cork Handle - Inspect the handle for any loose cork. If there is a loose spot that comes out of the handle do not glue it back with wood glue, epoxy or any glue that is harder then the cork. Glues that are specifically designed to be used with cork can be found on-line. Any other glue will produce a spot on the handle that is harder then the surrounding cork. That spot will loose its supple feel under hand. Clean the handle with a mild detergent and softly clean the cork being careful not to soak the cork. Let dry. A mild 220 sandpaper will take out deeper marks. Use a light touch only.

Reel Seat - Clean the reel seat with a mild detergent. Rinse with clean water. Dry off. Make sure the threads are clean and the locking rings work smoothly. Again no wax of any kind.

Thats about the basics of rod care. So I'm off to take my own advice. Right after I cast one more time.

Check out this link on beginning fly fishing you won't be disappointed. Fly Fishing

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New to fly fishing

Beginning Fly Fishing Learn the basics with this video.

As the saying goes tie one on. In this case I mean a fly. What is it about fly fishing that is such a mystery? Maybe a “misery”.

If I told you it is as simple as, get a 6wt fly rod, a 5/6 fly reel, 6wt forward floating line, 7' 4x leader, 2' 4x tippet. Put these items together to make a fishing system. You know backing on the reel, line attached to the backing, leader attached to the line, tippet attached to the leader.

Put the reel on the fly rod and bring the line through the guides. Hold out the tippet and 4x tippet and put a size “10 – 14 fly” on it. Pick a fly! Blue winged olive good for most of the northeast around spring and through the early summer. I've used them into Sept.

The Blue Winged Olive Sparkle Dun imitates emerging mayflies just prior to the full dun stage. At this time the mayflies are extremelly vulnerable and fish will feed specifically at this stage of the hatch. Fly fishers who fish Sparkle Duns find great success and will catch fish others won't by matching this specific stage of the hatch.

Blue Winged Olive, Sparkle Dun, Baetis
The Blue winged Olive is a great emerging pattern. Use it in the spring and early summer. Try out sizes 12s - 14s - 16s

Now go to a river, lake, stream what ever you want to call it and cast it and fish. Don't let some expert scare you into hiding in your garage or basement thinking it takes some other expert to tell you how to fly fish. I know “what are all the experts on the river going to think”.

I got news for you. $1,500+ in fly fishing gear does not a fly fisherman make. Most of them don't cast any better then you or me. Oh they'll tell you they can put a size 22 fly on a dime at 60 feet into a gale force wind in the pouring rain at dusk. So what! let me ask you this? Can you cast accurately to 20 to 25 feet? Can you do it 90% of the time. Then you can cast a fly rod.

Most trout are caught are within that range. Don't believe me look it up. Also think about this. A trout can take and spit out your fly in a 1/10 of a second. Can anyone detect that at 60' away across moving water that is rising up and down and dragging your line along with it. I know you mend your line and fish on glass. Me to.

So there you have it. Just enjoy the sport of fly fishing. Put that rod together and loose a fly in a tree. Get out there and fish.

Fly fishing can take a life time of learning. Along the way stop and enjoy it. Who cares if it was a trout that took your fly or a bush. Tie another fly on and continue the day.

If you want to get the best out of fly fishing take a child fishing and catch their enthusiasm. They will teach you how to catch a tree and not mind.

Let the professional lessons come later. We all need them. Casting is about proper rhythm and mussel memory and a lot of other esoteric mysterious secret hand shake stuff. But you can wait a little while.

Check out Fly fishing for Bass in the spring. See post Largemouth Bass. This is where you get to fish big flies that make a lot of noise. Bass fishing with a fly rod is a great way to practice your casting. In the spring when the bass are hungry a little bit of noise on the landing just gets their attention.

Some of my favorite springtime bass flies:

Matuka, Sculpin, Olive

Bunny Leech, Olive

Zonker, Lead Eye, Silver-Dark Olive
Lets not forget My favorite The Natural Mouse

Mouse, Natural

Check these flies in all colors and the larger sizes 2 - 8 for largemouth bass fishing. Search this blog for more info about flies for bass, rods and gear. Oh, don't forget the Knot Tier: Knot Tier

There's my rant and I'm sticking to it.

Tight line till next time

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