Partnering To Protect The Tongass - The Forest Of Salmon

As a general rule all fly fisherman love wild places.  Its a fact that the desire to trek the untouched banks of a forgotten river and cast a fly to a fish that has never seen another human is a dream shared by us all. It is the reason why we search over topo maps and internet postings looking for that hidden blue line few people know about. It is also why when we find that special place we guard it like a grizzly bear protecting a cub. So when I heard the Outdoor Blogger Network had joined forces with TU, TenkaraUSA, Fishpond, and Rio in an effort to bring attention to the Tongass National Forest, I thought it was a worthy cause to support and share with you.

Frankly I had never heard of the Tongass but that is why I jumped into researching it. It only took a brief search to find that it was only the name I failed to recognize. The area known as the Tongass is the wild part of Alaska most of us lower forty eighters think about when we think about wild Alaska. It also is the nations largest National Forest. Covered with untouched stands of old growth trees, wild salmon streams, and lush green mountain sides, these forests are about as wild as we can get in this ever evolving world of highways, expanding suburbs, and cellphone towers. It is just the kind of place you would imagine Salmon populations would thrive. One glance at how much we have changed places like the Smoky Mountains in the east and the Western Rockies and you look at the Tongass as one of the few places where pure nature still can and does exist.

Trout Unlimited has always supported protecting wild places so it was no surprise that their Tongass 77 project sought to protect these wild salmon watersheds.

What might surprise you is that the Tongas77 effort also includes the support of the Alaskan commercial fishing industry and the jobs they produce. Using a common sense approach the folks at Tout Unlimited have put together a valuable collection of data that shows just how important these lands are to preserving the commercial Salmon fishery.
I have never been to the Tongass, or Alaska for that matter, but it is definitely one of those wild places I think about when sitting at my fly tying bench. Everything I have read on the Tongass and its wild rivers tells me that its lush banks and pure waters are the stuff dreams are made of. It would be a long trip from the Southeast but for this angler it would be the trip of a lifetime to cast a fly to a Tongass Salmon.

If you are interested in reading up on the effort to protect this wild place I have attached a few links below. Do your part and share in this effort to protect a wild part of America for future generations. The more people that know about the Tongass then the more people will want to protect it.

TU Article On Tongass

US Parks - Tongass

Tongass Salmon - pdf

This is my submission to the Trout Unlimited 2013 Blogger Tour sponsored byFishpond, Tenkara USA and RIO, and hosted by the Outdoor Blogger Network.

Backpacking Hazel Creek In GSMNP - Fly Fishing For Trout Photo Tour

    I have dreamed of this trip too the remote Hazel Creek ever since I read about it four years ago.  Three times I have planned the trip out over the years only to have the plans fall through at the last moment.  This time nothing was going to stop me from taking the trip.  As I recover from three days lugging a fifty pound pack around the back country and scrambling over river boulders, I took the time this morning to sit down and go through the mass of photos taken along the way.  All I can say is what a beautiful part of the country.... and man do my legs hurt.

  After a morning of church and last minute prep time my buddy and I set out from Greenville SC for the three hour drive to the banks of Fontana Dam and the edge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park where we had arranged for a water taxi to take us to the mouth of Hazel Creek.  We could have hiked it but that would have meant a long fifteen mile slog to our head water campsite.  With the heavy packs we had I am sure that kind of hike would have killed both of us.  As it was we crossed the lake in twenty minutes and still had a two hour hike ahead of us.

  Hitting the trail-head at five pm we buckled down for the trek and set out.  Along the way we passed the long abandoned towns of Proctor, Cable Branch, & Medlin which, if it had not been for the guidebook I consulted before the trip, I would have never known that they existed.  The history of these small settlements dated back to the 1830's but little more than a hundred years the creation of the Fontana Dam cut these communities off from the rest of the world and they were bought by the government.

  Today only a few hidden foundations remain as a testament to their history.  As is true with most every thing left untouched for a period of time, nature has reclaimed the land it owned so long ago.
  We camped at site 84 along the Hazel creek which was the site of the town of Medlin but you would have never known it.  Today it is a beautifully wooded site between the Spring Creek and Hazel Creek confluence without a trace of civilization besides an old river stone wall along the trail.  For me the sound of rushing water was music to sleep by.

  The next day we set out to fish this legendary water.  Stringing up my Fall River Bamboo Fly Rod and Abel Reel I began testing the water above our camp.  In a short while and the loss of a few flies I hooked into this juvenile Rainbow trout.  Unfortunately it was one of the very few trout caught on the trip.  A cold front had passed a day before our arrival and a guide we passed on the trail the day before had revealed to us that the fishing had been horrible.

  In addition to the cool temps and problems with the atmospheric pressures, a weeks worth of constant rain had swollen the streams up to extremely fast moving & deep levels.  I was lucky to even have a fly in the water long enough to hook a single fish.  Most of the time the nymph barely had enough time to sink a few inches much less then the many feet it needed to go to get to the fish.

As we continued on scrambling up hills and over rushing waters the one thing I noticed was that the bugs had taken the opportunity to come out in full force.

  On nearly ever rock and exposed surface was a new bug hatching.  I cant recall any other time I have seen so many different mayflies, stones, and caddis on the water at the same time.  Sulfurs, BWO, and March Browns were all over the water.  I often just sat and watched as a Surfer fluttered above the water and finally settle down to lay the eggs.  I even watch as the yellow bugs swam from the deep to the surface and emerged in short order to a winged insect.  There was so much aquatic life on the river I was at a complete loss why the fish were not there.
   With one last ditch effort out to find the fish I headed back out just before diner with my rod.  What I found was a great looking plunge pool that held some fun Browns.

  Tying on a Little Sister Caddis with green body, I tossed it into the back-flow and instantly hooked into some juvenile browns.  They were the only fish I saw the entire three days actually rise to take a fly but I was happy to have them.  With a green mossy backdrop and my beautiful Abel Reel to set off the bronze spots on his flanks I couldn't help snapping a few photos.  Even if they were small they were an absolute joy to catch.

  These colors are the why so many of us trout fisherman come back time and time again.  The originality of each fishes markings is amazing and when you hold a young trout in your hand and take a close look at the pattern you forget about the size and just see the beauty of it.

  The next morning after a filling breakfast of everything we had in our pack that we didn't want to pack out, we began the unpleasant task of packing up.  Some might think that a breakfast of beans and weenies is disgusting but for a backpacker ever sweet bite is a little bit of heaven.  Couple that with some oatmeal, trail-mix  and a lukewarm cup of badly brewed campfire coffee and you have got a meal to set out on.  Of coarse after a few miles a breakfast like that begins to take effect and you are glad your back-trail is free from other hikers.

  As I was packing up I grabbed my rod holder- a simple pvc pipe covered with stickers I have acquired over the years - and was surprised to see this mayfly had used my Abel it to shed his skin.  I was even more surprised that not far from his old skin the little yellow guy was still there just waiting for his wings to dry off so he could take flight

  I will say this for the little guy, he had taste.  If I was a mayfly I couldn't think of a better place to shed my skin.

  With a final photo of my buddy and I, we packed the rest of our gear, reluctantly shouldered the heavy packs and set out for our pickup point down stream.  Taking our time on the hike out, we would occasionally stop along the stream, shed the packs and eagerly go stream-side to fish an inviting pool but we never had another bite.
  In the end we didn't hook into the number or size fish we had hoped for but all around it was a worthy trip I would do again anytime.  Hopefully someday I will make it back and until then I will have the memories to remind me how wonderful a place the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is.

Fly Tying Bonanza For GSMNP

Bucktail Rainbow in size #8

So it is finally going to happen.  A buddy and I have wanted to hit Hazel Creek in the Smoky National Park for over two years and as of yesterday we have our site booked and are preparing for a killer of a fishing trip.  Unfortunately as I began to pack up the gear I found that my fly box was lacking in almost every fly I go to in times of need.  It is disgraceful how lax I have been on my fly tying lately but with all the other project I have had going on it is not a surprise.

  So first on the list is to tie up some of the most prominent flies I will expect to fish in the smokies and of course that is going to include a bucket full of caddis, mayflies, and the little green weenie.  Thanks to my boy I have a great photo example of what my Green Weenies needed to look like so to the bench I went and whipped up a few followed up with a few red and brown San Juan Worms because lets face it - they are almost identical except for the color and black head.

GREEN WEENIE
Hook     - #14 Nymph
Thread   - Olive
Body     - Green
Head     - Peacock Herl

I chose not to include any weight for this fly because I figure most inchworms do not last long in the water long enough to sink very deep.  At least that is my hope.

  Another creation I came up is borderline as far as streamers go but I am one who like to push the boundaries.  What I call it is the Flash Blacknosed Dace.  Essentially I took the spoon head spinner off a lure and slid it on the front of the shank of my fly.  I then put a black bead on the head for the spinner to rotate around.  The rest of the Blacknose Dace is tied pretty much the same as the original. I don't know if it will work but I thought I would give it a shot.  For you purists out their that have cringed at the thought of making a fly look and act like those cursed spinning rigs I will give you my not so sincere apologies.  If it makes you feel any better I am not expecting to have much success with it.

  For those of you that would like to try it for yourself you can buy a hand full of these spinner spoon like this in the crappie section of the local store.  I simply took off the spoon and used it on the shank of my hook.  If any of you have success with it let me know.  When I get back from my trip I will also tie up a few bass bugs using this method to see how that works.  I suspect the bass with love it.

Trout Designs For The Fashionable Angler

   Its time for a few more examples of what I have been working on when I am not working or fishing.  Last year I had the pleasure of hunting big Speckled Sea Trout with a fly rod down in Florida and when a buddy of mine sent me pics of his catch I felt the flood of memories coming back.
    The thing I remembered most about the sea trout I had hooked into was their fangs.  For a guy that is use to the sandpaper mouths of browns and rainbows the sight of the fangs in a sea trouts mouth was enough to send shivers down my arm while trying to remove the fly.
    I have come to find that these coastal trout have a dedicated bunch of followers much like us land locked anglers stalk big browns.  Those speckled trout anglers watch the tides and the weather like a seasoned poker player waiting for just the right time to go all in.
  In honor of those hunters of the fanged trout I worked up a few images I thought might strike a cord.

    Of course if I put these illustrations on a blank canvas I feel that the point is missed so I went ahead and placed a few of them on the proper backdrop.  Thanks to the internet and the numerous websites specializing in teeshirt designs I was able to use a teeshirt as the proper canvas for this type of artwork.
 

  And finally with all these tools at my disposal I couldn't help but test out my recent painting on this background.  The line below the happy brown trout says it all.

Enjoy.

Brown Trout In Spawning Colors

  Its been far to long since I painted a trout so today with the rain coming down and a little Yonder Mountain String Band on the player I sketched out yet another Brown Trout. I bet I have painted about thirty plus of these beautiful trout over the years but it never gets old.  Like all anglers, I just cant get enough of them either in the water or on the paint.

 As with most of my works it all starts out with a fairly clear idea of what the basic painting should look like so with that in mind I sketch it out.  Over the years I have improved this process.  I use to sketch out so many details, trying to plan out every paint stroke but over time I have found out the minimum amount of pencil marks needed for a final painting.

  It is a simple fact that the beauty of a brown trout in full spawn colors is one of the most amazing palettes of color in the natural world.  It is for this reason that I choose the brilliant yellows and oranges in my paint box to paint most of my brown trout.
  After dropping in some clean water into the area I want to paint I then begin building up colors from yellows, oranges, and olive greens for the back.  Pre-wetting the paper before I add the paint allows me to blend the colors easily.  It also makes for a good boundary for where I don't want paint to flow.

  I also opted for a little background pigment on this painting.  Mixing in a little blue with some of the same colors I used on the fish I let them flow naturally along the edges of the fish.  I also began the process of lifting off some of the pigment around areas where I wanted the spots to go.  This adds a faint halo of color similar to what a fresh caught brown displays.
  The finished painting measures roughly 7x9 and fits very nicely in a 11x14 mat cut with a 8x10 opening.

    "Brown Trout"
         Spawning Colors
Size        -7in x 9in
Medium  - Watercolor on paper
Availability - FOR SALE

I would love to keep this one but honestly I have a ton more clogging up the studio corners and I just don't have the room.  If you are interested just shoot me an email.  As always this painting will come in its own mat and backing board.

The Redfish Painting

    The Redfish.  For those that haven't caught one of these on a fly rod, you are missing out.  I am not a dedicated redfish angler by any stretch.  The only one I have caught was a silver specimen on a fly rod (a pitiful 6w).  It gave one heck of a fight and I have to tell you that it deserves a place on you bucket list.

 I haven't picked up a paint brush in quite some time but when I found myself with a morning free I picked up a pad of paper and started to sketch out my next painting.  For this go around I chose a fish I have never painted before.  The redfish or red drum is a distinctive tidal fish that has been an up and coming fish in the sport fishing world for many years.  Its easily identifiable black spot on its tail is a sight that anglers that hunt this fish drool over.  Quite often these fish are seen feeding in the shallows of a tidal area, their spotted fin the only thing visible above the surface as they hunt crabs and shrimp.

    I took a little more of a quick approach to this painting because after such a long hiatus from the bush I really just needed to get something on paper.
Like most of my works I started with a simple form of a redfish and elaborated on the design as I went along.  My original concept for this had the fin of the redfish completely hidden from sight.  Once I stood back and looked at that idea I quickly erased it and re-did the sketch with the black spot clearly in view.
  One thing I have also been doing on a lot of my more recent works is the addition of white as a highlight.  For a fish with an abundant amount of scales, this feature is almost an immediate requirement.

  I also made a conscience decision to add a darker back on this fish as I went along.  Of all the red drum I have seen, I think that the deep colored fish are the best looking of the bunch.  The silver backs are still a beautiful fish to hold in your hand but when it comes to laying pigment on paper the deep browns, yellows and reds of the darker fish just translate better.
  For all of you that are lucky enough to chase these beauties on a regular basis, I am very jealous   And as a side note, if any of you on the SC coast ever need an extra deck hand while fishing the tidal waters and beaches - just shoot me and email.  I will make the drive!

Quiet Beauty In Nature Plus A Green Weenie

Beauty surrounds us daily you just have to keep an eye out for it.  While on the beach last week I couldn't help but snapping a few pics of just a few of these wonders.  Sometimes it takes just a moment to pause and make your mind take in all that the eyes are seeing.  If you do, you might just be amazed what you find.

   Passing this giant palm while hiking I noticed that the nights rain had done it a favor of washing away all the yellow pine pollen from its surface and left a bright green color behind.  With the sun behind the core of the frond the pure greens lit up the forest floor.  This example of simple beauty and texture in nature is amazing to me.  I challenge you to take a moment and  stop thinking in terms of this as just another palm frond and instead look at the geometrical pattern of lines and color.  If you look deep enough you will be just as astonished as I was.

  Another discovery was not an unusual one in terms of what ones discovery while walking through a forest but if you really take the time you will see the minute detailed beauty of this simple bug.   Most fly fishing enthusiast will back me up when I tell you that as a group, we anglers take a keener interest in the small details of bugs than the average human.  For us it is a mater of necessity in our sport to note the characteristics of these insects as they relate to fish food.  It not only helps identify the names of these small creatures but helps us in our crafting of flies through the use of colors, materials, and size required for such an insect.
  My little boy - whose hand is holding the little green guy - was also extremely excited to discover this insect.  He was also very interested in all the fine details which goes to prove that as humans our desire to learn about the world around us starts from a very young age.  It is up to us as parents to nurture that interest in order to raise children that can grow into intelligent grown ups.  A bit off topic but its my blog so here it goes: Don't count of others to raise your kids and educate them. Just like you shouldn't expect the government to supply all your wants and desires.  Its your life and your kids, if you don't take an active part in their development then they wont grow up to be very productive in life.
  Now that you had your dose of common sense for the day I'll continue.  After holding this for a minute my boy put two and two together and said, "Will fish eat this?"  That's my boy!

  All that time having them poor over fly tying books for the next recipe to tie up had payed off.  "Of course it will.  In fact I have seen those sunfish and trout you like to catch gobble them up." I told him.  I then made a note to tie up some examples of these little bugs once I got home.  This poor example is my take on a #12 Green Weenie without the tag.  Simple yet effective I used:  green wire, bright green dubbing, black dubbing for the head, and green thread.  After that I topped it all off with a coating of Clear Cure Goo.

  I don't know if there are many people left out there that have not seen or used Clear Cure Goo products before but if you haven't then you are missing out.  This stuff is the catch all for any epoxy or sealant you need.  From coating the back of a #20 nymph to crafting the head of a #1-0 tarpon streamer this stuff works!  This company is run by a couple of  Great Guys I have actually had the privileged of meeting and this un-solicited endorsement is a long time coming.  If you haven't used it before, do yourself and your fly tying a favor and click over, buy a starter set, and give them a shot.  You won't be disappointed.  You might also want to check out their blog HERE.

  As if one un-solicited endorsement isn't enough, I'll add in another.  While traveling for work or pleasure I am always on the lookout for fly shops.  This past week while down on the coast I once again had the pleasure of stopping by the BayStreet Outfitters of Beaufort, SC.  If you are ever fortunate enough to be down in that small corner of the world and want to drool over gear or book a chartered redfish trip - look them up.  Great small shop with the friendliest staff.

SC Beach Camping - Full Photo Report

     Every year about this time my wife looks at me and says "We NEED to go camping!"  A moment later she is on the computer looking up campsites and booking reservations for our favorite campground.  Our annual spring camping trip has become a tradition and for us its a sure sign that winter is officially behind us and we are looking forward to summer.

 This past weekend we packed the kids in the car, loaded up all the pre-arranged camping gear and took off to the beach.  Our destination: a special campground we have visited every year for ten years.  It is a place where my wife and I have camped before the kids. A place where both kids have cut their teeth as babies.  A place that when we think of camping is the first place we look at.  In short it is a place we consider our own.  Even if every other site is booked solid for two months, it a place we feel at home.

    This year despite our many attempts to snag a prime tent site next to the sand dunes, we ended up getting a spot near the back.  We typically avoid these spots because at certain times of the year the mosquitoes can literary carry you off into the jungle, tie you up, and rob you of every ounce of blood you own.  Luckily for us the mosquitoes stayed mostly to themselves and as it turns out the beach side sites took most of the pounding that the weather handed out throughout the weekend.  For us it was a different scenery than we were typically use to and the kids loved it.
    A few years ago I read a great book written by William Henry Hudson titled Green Mansions.  The 1904 masterpiece follows a rich Spanish man as he flees after a revolution and disappears into the jungle to find a mystical world.  Surrounded by the mysterious palm frond and pine forest one gets the feeling they are living in the midst of the very same setting as the book.

  Backed up against a swamp with waters black from decayed foliage and bordered large by large palms, we were lulled to sleep by frogs and a gentle breeze through the trees.  Night two however was a completely different story.  We had known that a storm front was on the way and one quick look at the forecast and the radar and we knew we where in for a rough night.  Battening down the hatches the night before, we settled down like Noah before the flood.
 
  After a night of constant rain and sorting out wet sleeping bags and soaked clothing, we were glad we could have a day free of rain.  In order to get out of the girls way and give them a few hours to relax, my brother-inlaw and I decided to take the kids on a nature hike.

    Off we set on a beautiful 3 mile trek through the forest looking for birds, deer, and any other curious thing that crossed our path.

  These mushrooms looked briliant on a background of black soil but when you got down to their level and took a bugs eye view the true beauty of them really showed up.

  This was just one of the many frogs that visited us throughout the weekend.  The night of rain really got them hopping and more than once we heard them as they blindly hopped into the side of our tent.

  As if to top it off when we got back to camp and after a light lunch we were lucky enough to have a deer wonder from the black waters and into our camp.  More than likely this deer has gotten use to handouts and with what looked like a baby on the way she was probably hopping we would oblige her.  I had to explain to the kids that hand feeding wild creatures is never a good idea for us humans and even more so for them.  We were content to observe her quiet movements as she munched on the swamp grasses before heading back into the forest.

    In the end it was another great trip.  The weather didn't permit much time on the beach and even if my two hours braving the wind and the surf casting a line failed to net ant fish we all had a great time.  All that is left now is the unpleasant task of unpacking and drying out all our equipment.  Today the kids return to school, My wife and I head off to work, but we all have the memories of yet another successful spring camping trip to our special place.