Drawing Trout & Random Stuff

Just doing a bit of sketching and watching the weather.  It will be interesting to see how it develops over the weekend.  It should prove interesting for those in the north east.

If this little guy looks somewhat familiar, it is.  I took the inspiration for it from my new header.  It was a solid holdover brown I hooked late this spring on a stretch of South Carolina water.  It really is just an excuse to have something to post since work and other stuff has been keeping me off the water.
This sketch is a 7"x 5" ink on 130lb paper and in available for purchase (Cheap) by email.
One other thing I got for today is a shot I took on a recent trip from the small window of a jet.  Sun setting over the western horizon and a few buildups bring up some amazing shadows and bright colors.  You really cant beat some of the views you get at 30,000 feet.

It is truly amazing the quality of today's small cameras.

I also wanted to give you another opportunity to win free music.  Just go to my Dean Brody post and leave a comment and you will be entered to win a FREE Dean Brody CD.  Who doesn't love FREE!  Contest ends on the 30th.

Bluegill And A Popper

For some time I have been wanting to do a watercolor of a bluegill but have always abandoned the idea for a brown or rainbow trout.  Maybe it is the panfish's low status among anglers or the fact that it often seems that when they are biting it nearly impossible to keep them off your hook, but these little guys are often overlooked or in the extreme case, seen almost as a nuisance fish.  I sometimes fall for this line of thinking but the other day as I caught one of these beautiful fish after another I took some time to appreciate the staggering array of colors and uniqueness each individual fish.  

I have never gone so far as to call them a 'trash' fish and I'm not totally convinced that title belongs to any fish (although a few nasty fish might come close) but I have found myself being aggravated when I was hunting bass to have to clean my line of those persistent panfish.

I recently received a comment from a follower on one of my posts commenting on the stunning colors of the river caught sunfish.  I believe this particular follower hailed from Europe if I recall and said that he had never seen one of these before.  He went on to say that this fish would look more at home swimming around the corral reefs of the big blue than some river.  This small comment made me stop and re-evaluate my take on the common bluegill and sunfish.  They are a perfect target for the fly angler.  They attack on the surface with gusto, often fight hard on light tackle, and are nearly always there for the taking.  They are never as finicky as bass or trout, the are in nearly warm water pond, river, or stream, and they display some of the brightest variety of colors of any species of fresh water fish.  I know a lot of anglers that follow blog do go out and target these fish and swear by them as nearly as fun as small stream trout, but an equal number of anglers regard them at best as an annoyance and at worst as a pest.  Well today I celebrate the panfish.  If not an equal then at least as a worthy fish to hook on a fly rod.  If it is something you have never done, I encourage you to take that prized 3 weight and head on down to the local drainage pond or slow water river and hook into a few gills.  Then take a moment to just admire the beauty God has given these fish.  Each and every one will be different from the last and each individual hookup will make you smile.

This watercolor is on acid free archival quality paper.  It measures @ 11.5in x 8in and is available for purchase via email.  It will come already mounted in an acid free mat and ready to be framed.  I was planning on doing a progressive photo record of this work but totally forgot about the photos until the work was nearly finished.

Green Wing Classic & A Side Dish

I have always loved the art of these big flies.  The colors and arrangement of them are a skill to any that tie them up and they look to good to fish.  Most deserve a frame and a small place in some gallery. 

when I started it I wanted to just have the fly on a white background.  Since it was just a 'messing around' type painting I wanted to keep it simple stupid, but as I finished it and took a step back I felt it needed something a bit extra so I dropped in a bit of color around the fly to liven the painting up.  If nothing else I feel it gives the work a bit of that watery feel.                    (Wantercolor and Ink on 130lb paper.)

I thought I'd also share with you a bit of my mother-inlaws cooking ideas.  Okay, I know she probably is not the first to come up with it but I'm giving her credit anyway.

My wife and I have tomatoes coming out of ears from our garden so in order to get rid of them we have been eating them with nearly every meal.  My mother-inlaws idea was to slice them in half, dress them in olive oil and seasonings and top with two types of cheese and place in an oven.  I took it one step further and tossed them on the grill with some burgers and dogs.  Heated up just enough to melt the cheese and these babies are one sweet side dish.  The burgers weren't to bad either.

More Quick Trout Sketching

Between business, messing around in the garage, playing with the kids, and brewing a few gallons of mead (more about that in the future) I filled a few more pages with sketchings. Since this is an art and fish blog I figured I would post another sketch of the Japanese trout that has been in my mind lately.
It isn't much to look at now but little sketches like this are the  building blocks for future works.  They help me get a feel for the colors and flow of water that will aid me in creating a frame worthy piece. 
(watercolor and ink on heavyweight, ph neutral paper)

Tenkara Shirts Are In

I picked up the new Tenkara shirts today and they turned out SWEET!  For those of you that have ordered them already I will be shipping them out early tomorrow.  For those Tenkara anglers that have not ordered your shirt you had better hurry.  I have printed off a few extras but you had better hurry, supplies are limited.  You can order your shirt HERE.

I have added a special feature for these shirts as well.  I thought the front needed a little something so I added a bit of the Japanese Tenkara as well as a little lined trout.  I think it really makes the shirt!
All the extra shirts I ordered are the Hanes preshrunk shirts in the Pebble color.
Order Shirts HERE.

Music Giveaway (Dean Brody)

Who Is Dean Brody?  This is what I asked myself when I got an email from Deans music promoter asking me to do a plug for her singer.  Well thanks to the technology available in today's world I was able to answer this question with little effort.  After downloading a few of his hits from the site http://deanbrody.com I discovered an up and coming country artist with down home roots.  Long story cut short, This guy is now on my playlist and I am giving you the opportunity for him to be on yours as well.
As my wife and friends can attest too, my music interest are all over the map.  From an Irish punk folk mix to Classical composers, classic rock to Jimmy Buffett, and quite often Country my library of music fits my personality.  As a guy that shies away from city life for the simplicity of rural life and the values one finds in the small towns of my youth, a Country artists like Dean Brody sing the songs that I can relate to.

In a world of singers who seem to lack truth in the songs that they sing (mainly from the fact that they don't write their own tracks) Dean Brody has a connection to every song he sings.  Hemingway once was heard to tell an aspiring writer "write what you know" and Dean seams to have done just that. His life seems to be in every line and every cord.   That truth will resonate with anyone that hears his music and likes solid country music.

So what do you need to do win his new album "Trail In Life"?   The answer is simple.
1.  You must be a follower of this blog
2.  You must leave a comment telling us what you look for in a good song.  What is it that makes that special song a constant on your play list or makes you get into a grove while tying up flies or driving to that secluded stream.

(The winner will be randomly selected from all the comments at the end on the month and Deans new album will be mailed out that first week of September.  This post will be re-posted periodically through the rest of the month.)

The Dun

Utilizing my new sketch pad today I penned a small Dun fly I had recently seen on a fellow bloggers site, then lightly colored it in.  See if you can match it to the original.  It shouldn't be to hard, this other Blogger loves the small flies and is a master at tying the most technically correct and beautifully created small dries you'll ever see.
("Small Dun" 3"x4" watercolor and ink on paper.) 

The Trout and The Spider

I got a new sketch book today.  I filled a few others and needed a new one for the days I spend on the road.  The moment I got home I planned on mowing the yard but instead I did not wait a second to sit down at the kitchen table and doodle out a trout on the first page.  There is just something about a blank pad of paper that is.... well it intimidating and I feel its necessary to get something in it so the rest of the book will be easier to fill.  This young Japanese trout seemed like just the starter to fill the first five inches.  Only 49 pages left to fill.  This doodle is a 6.5in x 3.5in ink archival ink on 130lb heavy weight, PH neutral artist paper.

As for the spider.  I got home last night from a long road trip to find my garden filled with neglected fruit, my grass longer than the wheat fields of Nebraska, and this big boy clinging to the side of my shed.  Part of the fun of the out doors is finding new things to go back research.  I thought I would solicit you help in my entomology research.  I suspect TexWisGirl or Jay might know what it is.  Whatever it is I doubt a trout would have any part of it.  A bass maybe but a finicky trout, not a chance.  I myself let it be and hoped it enjoyed feasting on the wasps that had taken up residence next to my mower.  ( I am not looking forward to doing battle with them today).

Big Jig-Heads For Bass

Just spent a some time tying up a few bass bugs. Not a specific fly recipe consulted on any of these flies (as you might be able to tell) just tied up with as much material and as ugly as I could muster.  Rabbit strips, squirrel tail, deer hair, and a touch of flash on all these jigs. Hopefully I can brave the temps soon to test them out. Maybe there will be a winner in there somewhere.

Chasing Blue Lines In 95deg

I decided the other day to brave the sweltering 95 degree heat and go chase a few new blue lines up in the mountains of SC.  I really shouldn't have gone but the draw of fishing was just to much to handle and I left early to explore this new water.

The first fish was a nice little rainbow caught deep on a Tenkara rod with a typical Tenkara fly.  It was down deep in a big 80 deg bend on this small stream way back in the mountains.  At this point it was a pleasant 90 degrees and I figured that this little guy was the only trout I was to catch that day.  After all, It was only going to get warmer and with the way the temps have been lately, I suspected that the trout were going to shut down as the temps rose.

My suspicions about the trout were soon confirmed when I caught this shiner.  I have hooked a few of these guys while fishing my favorite trout streams, and while I don't know their true names I figure they are the reason why the trout go after my Black Nose Dace streamers with so much enthusiasm.  This guy was the biggest one of its kind I have hooked.

Next on the list, I hooked into a pool of sunfish with the brightest yellows and reddest eyes I have seen.  There is always something about mountain streams and their effect on the colors of the fish that inhabit them.

 I hooked a lot of these guys on a big black stone or (as seen from picture on the left) a haggard Black Nose.  Bluegills and sunfish are such a fun fish to catch and doing it on a stream where both brown and rainbow trout are known to live is not really a letdown when you see how brilliant their colors are.

As noon approached and the temps reached into the mid 90's I started to make my way back to the car.  I figured that the fish were done and the snaked would soon control the waters edge and I do not like battling with snakes for a stream side spot.  As I waded the stream back I saw a few rises in front of me.  suspecting a sunfish was the culprit I tossed a fly in his direction and got a hit.  Imagine my surprise when in the next jump from the hooked fish, I noticed that a nice Brown trout had made an appearance.  In sun drenched 95 deg temps and in less than a foot of rushing water, a brown trout was actively feeding on the surface.  Amazing!  No pic because as I reached for the fish, he leaped into the air, gave a wave of the fin and broke free.  I hooked two more in the next five minutes, both of which where released in relativity the same manner.  I guess it goes to show that you never know what to expect while chasing those blue lines.
A few minutes later a large snake crossed the stream a few feet from me and gave me the eye.  I took his suggestion and headed for the car.  I cant wait to see what the stream gives me when the temps begin to cool down.

Also For those of you that are wanting a Tenkara Shirt, I have decided to offer the shirt in all THREE colors. They are only $17 plus Shipping (5.40) and can be purchased with Paypal or any major credit card HERE.  The shirts will be printed on the tenth and shipped out as soon as possible.

3 Colors Now Available

UPDATE!!  THE PAYPAL BUTTON NOW AVAILABLE

With such a split in the colors selection, I have decided to provide a choice when you purchase one of these shirts.  Like I said, I will only be doing a small printing run for these shirts so if you want one, make SURE you pre-order yours by the 10th of next month.  
First we have the Pebble color tee.

Next is the Fatigue Green color tee.

And finally is the original Steal Grey color tee.

These shirts are quality Hanes 100% cotton tees that are preshrunk.  As I said before, they are quality screen printed tees by a local American owned printing business.

(The above pics are representative of what the shirt should look like on the color tee.  These are not the actual printed shirts.  The actual print might vary slightly in size and color.)

Winning Olive

I recently, or should I say my kids, were recent winners of a set of Olive The Woolly Bigger books by Kirk Werner.  I'm not sure who were more excited when they arrived but thanks to the new website - takekidsflyfishing.com we both have new reading material.
Thanks to Kirk for the great books and nice messages he wrote in each. They will be treasured in my family for years to come.
If you have a minute, head over and visit takekidsflyfishing.com . It will be well worth your time.

Also, news on the tenkara shirts. I have gotten a good response to them and look forward to having them printed.  I should have a button up for payment in the next few days. Thanks for the support.

Tenkara Shirt

As If I didn't have about a thousand other things to do with my time, I have also decided to make myself a shirt.  I did this Tenkara sketch for a friend but soon decided that it was to good not to put on a shirt and show it off.  So I have decided to have a few extras printed to share with my fellow Tenkara followers.

Just a simple shirt with a simple design on the back which also keeps the cost down.  No advertising for this blog or Hexfishing.com, just a simple shirt with a simple design to sport your love of Tenkara.  If you are interested please let me know in a comment or an email so I will have a good idea the quantity and sizes to order.  They will be high quality screen prints done locally and not by a Zazzle type company.  The cost will be @ $22-$24 total (That's including Shipping!!!!! @ $18 per shirt + @ $5 shipping)  I need to know who is in before the 10th of next month in order to get them printed and shipped in time for the Tenkara Summit in late August.
I will also be posting a paypal button for purchase soon so you can get off the couch and commit to the purchase.

QUIZ TIME!!!  I was out fishing the upstate of SC the other day in a scorching 100 deg heat and ran across this little guy on a log.  Anyone out there know what it is?  Beside it being about 2.5in long, its big black eyes on its back made it really stand out.  I honestly have a fairly good idea what this big bug was but am not 100% so I appeal to the blogging community.  What Is It?

Cutthroat On The Idaho Coeur d'Alene

Fishing the upper Coeur d'alene river in norther Idaho was a Blast as you can see from the picture montage below.  I did this with my brother on the last day of my family vacation out west and it was worth the wait.

On my brothers coffee table is was a large book on the history of the Northwest and it was filled with photos just like this.  Beautiful trees and rivers with that typical mountain cloud cover hovering in the trees.  I felt like I was entering a movie period piece and somehow I just knew the day was going to go well.

  When we awoke early in the morning in Spokane the soft rain was falling outside and the weather channel was calling for a drizzle all day.  Needless to say my dad elected to stay at home with the kiddos and not aggravate his cold with the damp conditions and wet wading in a snow runoff river.  So my brother and I headed out alone.  Our first spot was a stretch of river recommended to me from the guy behind the car rental counter in Spokane.   He had noticed my original fly road case from HexFishing.com (Shameless Plug) and while I was driving the car around my wife did her best to sell him on getting one of those cases for himself.  When I returned the ensuing conversation led to this spectacular lead.

It was a great little run with a 45deg bend that babbled itself into a deep pool that hugged a solid rock cliff.
Due to packing constraints I chose to leave my waders at home in SC and brave the cold waters like a fisherman of  the old days when waders were only for the rich.  It was a cold first step into that river but with the adrenaline of that first take from the surface my blood warmed me up.   My brother and I hooked a number of these beautiful cuts here on dry midges and yellowish olive sulfurs but the vast amount of strikes came from what has developed into my favorite fly - the Black Nose Dace.

I have a variety of these little guys in my box at all times and they always do well.  They often are tied a bit different from each other, some with black ribs, some with a bit of yellow buck tail, others with a brown or red nose, some with a tag of red or black and others so sparse of hair that if I didn't know better I would just pluck it from the box and toss it in the trash.  Why do I like these little minnow imitations   Honestly, I am not a very good master of the presentation and this streamer is a great way for me to hide my faults with fish.

One other reason is the tug one feels when a fish attacks the fly.  This fish hit the fly so hard and in the current that it added a bit of red blood to his already red cut.  He still had a lot of fight in him when I released him so I hope he survived.  If not then he just became food for one of the many forms of wildlife around the area.

Most of the fish we caught were all in the 6-9in range but man they are fun.  Every one of these fought like a champ with so much head bobbing and dancing one might have thought he had a fish twice the size on the end of his line.

Our next section of river was about two miles up stream and just around a bend in the road.  I saw how the river took a sharp turn with a number of runs and bends up stream then cut far back from the road and against a mountain and out of sight.  We decided to pull off at the next turn out and fish this great looking stretch.  Up to this point I believe we had seen only about 3-4 other people in about as many hours and wouldn't you know it as we cleared a tree we spotted another truck with a big spey fly sticker in his window.
Not one to like to crowed out other fisherman I sat in the car and contemplated if I should even get out or just keep driving.  In the end I am glad I did.  
The guy was a guide from Double Spey Outfitters on his day off. After a bit of small talk about the weather I told him I was an eastern on vacation and was wondering if he cared if my brother and I might fish part of this big bend and that I didn't want to crowd him.  "Sure"  he said, "I'm not going to stray to far from this road but back up a ways is some great water you guys can have."  He then proceeded to tell us were the fish were likely to be holding and what was the best flies to use.  After a bit more talk we parted company and after a short walk through an elk traced meadow we lost sight our impromptu guide and never saw him again.

After a brief dry spell we beat down the brush and hopped a few large trees to a run that was cutting into a deep bank way back from the road.  I perched myself on a downed tree that stretched out into the river about 20 feet and made two casts with my haggard Black Nose Dace.  Careful not to hang up on the big spruce behind me I kept my casts out over the water and then let the fly settle on the calm water about a foot from the shore.  Then a monster rose for my half submerged fly.

The best fish of the day by far.  It was also the last fish for me and that was okay with me.  A great trip, a great time with family and a great end to a great day.  The next morning with the family in tow we headed back to the scorching temperatures of the southeast, are memories and our photos to remind us of a trip to Eastern Washington. 

More Washington Trip Pics

My kids rock!  This was a pic from the first day of our trip out west.  It is on a point overlooking Lake Coeur d'Alene in western Idaho (which coincidentally is fed by a killer Cutthroat river I fished a few days later).  We had taken a little hike out to this breezy point to toss rocks and watch the waves.  Just stunning.  The kids did great and had a blast.  I am sure this is a pic they will look at later in life and smile.

As a bit of a aviation nut I also enjoyed watching the small plane that was doing touch and goes on the 30knt chop.  sorry the pic doesn't do it justice but there are limits to what a cell phone will do but still, I am impressed with the quality this new phone has with its camera.  I believe its an 8mg camera and take real sharp photos as you can see from the pics on this post.

This pic and the one above are from atop mount Spokane where the snow was still hanging around and the temps didn't reach far into the 50's.  What A View!  For a family that had just left a hot 95 deg southeast with 105% humidity this was a shock to the system but well worth the drive.  There was a ski lift to the top of this mountain and I am sure during the season this run down the mountain would be great.  I absolutely love the mountains.

And then there is these two views which were just down the road from my brothers place.  I caught these pics just as the sun was setting against the mountains and poppy fields.  The golden color and bright greens were just down right amazing.

And finally I leave you with a doodle I did the other day because, well this is a fly fishing blog and you need a fish to keep that status.