Quick & Dirty

Almost forgot to post - this ugly thing will have to do.

Light Spruce

Big Black Streamer

Black Nose Dace & Ice

First off, if you have never tried the dace (I can only assume most have) go and tie about a dozen of these little beauties and hit your local water. This is my goto streamer!!! I love this little guy, sparce bucktail and silver body (I add a bit of black ribing) with a red but and you'll hit something.
Also, a few days ago I was up in Northern Michigan and had the opertunity to go and do a little ice fishing. It was COLD and windy and the fish were not biting but it was the most relaxing fishing I have ever done. Basicly we got up and drilled a few holes in the 18 inches!!!! of ice droped in a few shiners and set the flags then walked back to the cabin and made breakfast. From the warmth of the cabin we ate our food, watched the olympics, and kept an eye on the flags with the aid of a teliscope. End result was a few tripped flags, some chewed shiners, but no fish. It was fun non the less and look forward to doing it again. (I know it not fly fishing but I believe in being a well rounded sportsman, besided how is one going to flyfish in a hole 6-7inches across.)

The Streamers

Although they might be looked down on in certain trout fishing circles, I love these minnow imitations. 

Hackled Brown

Midge #9

Midge #9

Midge #8

Bag Oh Deer Hair, Mount, & A Midge (#7)

Just picked up my deer mount from the Taxidermist last night and for those that are wondering what the head of a deer has to do with fly fishing - I'll get to that. I taged this beauty last November on the 13th - a friday (lucky for me and not so lucky for the buck). Got it with a single shot, breech loading 12g on a WMA I hunt just south of Greenville. (It took more than one shot to hit him so don't think I pluged him the first shot. I actualy had to breech load again and didn't get him till he was 180 degrees from where I first shot.)
The processor did a good job on the meat and at a fair price and recomended a taxidermist for the mount. Mike the Taxidermist did a great job and was the cheepest I have ever seen. He was a full $100 cheeper than any place I've ever looked at.
So what does this have to do with fly fishing you ask??? While I was picking up the deer mount I asked him what he does with the extra hair and tails he doesn't use. He told me he tosses them and I promply offered to take them off his hands. So for the cost of a deer mount, I not only got a good wall hanging but I got enough deer hair (already cleaned and treated) to last me till I'm 50. Black, white, natural brown, and verigated colors of hair for free. SCORE!!

Midge #6

Midge #5

Midge #4

Midge #3

The parachute midge.

Midge #2

Bring on the Midges

Who hasn't caught fish on a midge. Let's face it, the midge is s killer for trout.

The ultimate Caddis

In my opinion this simple Caddis imitation is one of the top flies in my box. Easy to tie and very effective, this fly kills if the fish are on the rise. Other caddis imitations might do it for you but for me this one is always a reliable favorite.

Slow Water Caddis (#9)

A Rainbow & A Caddis

A few days ago I was in Burlington VT for work and stopped by a good little fly shop just a block from the airport. Located in the basement of a house in a residential neighborhood, the small shop is owned by longtime VT trout angler Ed Schirmer and if you are put off by the location of the fly shop being in his basement, Don't. With a good bit of fly tying material (not as much as in the big Orvis or Bass Pro stores but trimed down to essential material) and a few other trouting equipment such as books, rods, and reels, what this shop has an abundance of is knowledge about the VT waters. With the VT waters closed for trout till April - I believe - I mas unable to hit any water but if I get another stopover in Burlington later in the year I am going to first stop by Ed's shop for local knowledge of hatches then try and wet a fly.
The second photo is of an unknown ski slope just over the NY border from @ 30000ft.

Dry Caddis #8

A parachute caddis just for something a bit different.

Dry Caddis #7

Dry Caddis #6

Hemingway Caddis

"... at the second cast there was a swirl like the explosion of a depth bomb, the line went taut and the rainbow shot two feet out of the water. He tore down the pool and the line went until the core of the reel showed. He jumped and each time he shot into the air we lowered the tip and prayed. Finaly he jumped and the line went slack and Jacques reeled in. We though he was gone and then he jumped right under our faces. He had shot upsteam towards us so fast theat it looked as though he were off.
After I netted him...He measured twenty six inches and weighed nine pounds and seven ounces. Thats rainbow trout fishing"
That little bit of classic fly fishing Lit was from my favorite author Ernest Hemingway in an article he wrote for the Toronto Star Weekly August 28, 1920. The strech of water he was fishing was the Soo in Canada but the imagery could be transposed to any number of rivers in North America and abroad.
For those that haven't read Hemingways Big Two Hearted River I suggest you take a look. There is also a good little bit of fishing in the classic The Sun Also Rises (also some bull fighting and partying in spain).

Dry Caddid #4 + A COLD Day Trying To Fish

Tried to hit a new bit of water today and only caught a bit of frostbite and some VERY sore muscles. On the advise of a SC DNR trout specialist I headed for a section of water hidden back in the SC hills. It was suppose to hold native brookies (as wild as they get in our neck of the woods). I had been looking forward to it for a week so 32 degree weather and a bit of continueous heavy rain wasn't going to stop me. The 6-8 inches of snow, roughly 9.5 miles of strenuous hiking and, and a river over running its banks - Now that just might Stop me right? No way.
After parking at the R- Cliff Falls parkinglot I headed into what I believed was only a 1 to 1.5 mile hike. The snow was heavy and the rain was coming down but the draw of good brookies was to much for me to stay in the car. After about 40 minutes and roughly 2 miles and still not at the water I was begining to dread the walk back since most of the trip up till now had been down hill. At last I reached the water and found that due to the heavy rains and snow melt the water was roaring down in torrents well above its normal banks. I did manage to wet a few flies - Woolly's and nymphs but the overhanging-ice incased branches and rough,fast moving water was to much for anything to last in the water to long. Soaked to the bone and not wanting to try a hike out in the late afternoon, I packed up and headed out.

The hike out was TOUGH. Over all it was a 9-10mile mile round trip Hike mostly due to the fact that I foolishly thought that hiking down below the falls might present me with better fishing. The only thing I got out of that decision was an added 5 miles and 2,000+ foot climb back up the mountain... Oh yeah, and what feels like a pulled groin. Man I am sore.

Lesson for today: When your wife says "Its to nasty a day to go exploring new water. Why don't you stay home." Listen. Maybe next time I will and stay home and work on my fly tying instead and wait till conditions improve before tempting another Bear Grills type adventure.

Dry Caddis #3

Dry Caddis # 2

Dry Caddis

The Caddis