The Tellico, Battling The Flu, & Thoughtful Gifts

    The Tellico Nymph is quite possibly the most iconic fly of the southeast for trout.  I have done a few posts on it in the past and it has been well documented by various other southern trout fishing sites but in case you haven't heard the story - here it is.
  No -one is quite sure when it was created or by who but it was believed that it originated from the banks of the Tellico River in Eastern Tennessee.  The going theory is that in a true to form Southerner style, local fisherman prior to the early 1900 morphed a classic wet fly imitation to suit their needs.  Many believe that the bright yellow yarn or floss body was meant to simulate the giant yellow stone but the more likely scenario was that a local angler attempted to combine the wet fly with a type of food trout love but isn't viewed as a very sporting type of lure .... corn.  I don't know if this story is true but if a corn chucker ever wanted a better imitation that could be casted with a fly rod then they would have to look no further than the Tellico.  If you ever find yourself in the south then make sure this little guy is in your box.

    The other day I came down with a bit of a flu bug and find myself confined to a couch without much energy to do anything.  Consequently I have been doing a bit more sketching and reading up of fly fishing techniques.  Thanks to a Christmas present from my wife in the form of a mini blender, I have also mastered the art of making the perfect vitamin C / antioxidant smoothy to help fight the bug.  Its amazing how good old healthy food makes one feel.  I believe the trick might be in grinding up the orange ( rind and all) with a load of blueberries, a banana, and some baby spinach.  Nothing can cure a virus outright - I just got to let it run its course - but the vitamin rich drink just might shorten my down time.

  One other thing I have been meaning on sharing for a while was a little gift I received at our annual 'make a present gift exchange'.  Pairing the bottle caps from one of my favorite beers, a friend made up these very attractive lures.  Framed up in a shadow box, this is a great addition to my fly tying desk.  Thanks again - I love them.

Ringneck Pheasant

  As any fly fisherman can attest, the Ringnecked Pheasant is a bird that has contributed greatly to the world of fly tying.  This little fowl's feather can be used for everything from dry flies to the midges and nymphs that are a constant in any anglers fly box.
  As you spend the next few months tying flies to replenish your supply for the upcoming spring, remember this little bird and all it has to offer.
  And for you looking for simple flies - here are a few #14 Soft Hackles.  Enjoy.

Sea Monsters & Strong Roots Of An Old Oak

  Does this have anything to do with fly fishing?  In truth, no but then again isn't the Angler Fish thee embodiment of what we as fishermen strive to emulate every time we head out with rod in hand (minus the grotesque monster like qualities and nasty sharp teeth of course).  This Jewels Vernean type sea monster is often looked upon by the general public as a beastly creature from the deep but to us fellow anglers it should be viewed as quite possibly the best equipped fisherman on (or more accurately in) the water.  Besides, It just looks COOL.

 With the theme of sea monsters fresh in my mind, I also decided to sketch out another great beast of the Vernean bent.  Being a big fan of good sea stories and the rum that undoubtedly helped in the telling of them, I did this pen and ink sketch mostly just to share with the kids.  They just love weird sea creatures and cant get enough of them when ever we hit up and aquarium.  Truth is I cant get enough of them either.

I was really on a roll the other day with being confined to the house so what better way to work away the hours then with a sketch pad and pen.  My daughter loves the Tinkerbell fairies and although I'm not as big a fan of the Disney cartoons as she is, I can still appreciate the art that goes along with it.  I do however love the old school art that accompanied books like The Brothers Grimm Fairytales and those classic N.C. Wyeth illustrations that graced many a R.L. Stevenson novel.  The line illustrations just jumped off the pages and would make any young boy want to be part of that world.  My pen drawing of this old knotty oak embracing a clutch of rocks stemmed from memories of those classic prints.

WARNING - The Following is NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT
  Not to stretch a metaphor to thin but there is something to be said about a strength and persistence in the face of adversity with this illustration.  Friedrich Nietzsche once said 'For a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among the rocks'.
  I will struggle not to get to political here but will probably fail miserably.  While I am not in line with much (if any) of Nietzsche's ideas, I think this statement holds some water.  At this point it is also fair to say that he died after suffering various mental breakdowns - probably due to his struggle to reconcile his ideas with truth.  Regardless, the idea that in order to build a strong tree, person, community, or country - that entity needs to face adversity.  I wonder if today in this country we have lost that edge.  Have we lost that appreciation for hard won battles?  Have we lost that desire to stand on ones own two feet and say 'I did that'?  Everyone needs the aid of a helping hand once in while but should we always expect it to be there?  Shouldn't we have more self reliance or self respect than to trust someone else to always be there to catch use if we fall.  An occasional skinned knee or broken bone in life is not the end, just as it is not the end of learning to ride a bike.  Are we now a nation of vagrants that blame others for our problems and are so unwilling to face adversity that we always look to the government to solve our problems?
 Grow roots among the rocks people.  Or just get a pair of 'rocks' and overcome adversity.
Just my $.02.
 Maybe I just need to stop reading the paper.

Embrace The Cold - Time For Fly Tying

    Its that time again. Stow the gear, clean the lines, and break out the fly tying equipment.  Its time to restock the fly boxes for the onslaught of fins in 2014.

  Today I awoke to a Canadian type chill in the air with an temperature leaking mercury out the bottom of the gauge.  I can't say for sure but the fist sign of an upcoming ice age might just be a temperature of 7 degrees in South Carolina.  I sure hope those coastal reds found a nice warm stretch of water to hang out in because if they didn't then there is going to be a whole lot of fishcicles floating around Charleston Harbor.
  Enough complaining and more flies.  I sat down at the vice and tied a dozen of these crafty little guys the other day.  Not much else to do since I was confined to the house.  Its a simple fly - I love the three ingredient flies - that is an extremely effective dry.  You can pump out these babies faster than Bode Miller does the Super G.  Tie them small and tie them quick.

After tying up a load of dies I went to work on a few large wet flies.  I've never had much luck with them but they are sure fun to create.

    Using the cold to my advantage, the wife and I sat down with the kids for a little plastic bead craft time.  Basically its a 'create your own mosaic' type thing with plastic beads then iron them out.  Good for having the kids use their imaginations but the down side is that I now have quite a few of these bead creations around the house.  Luckily once they are ironed out the beads stay pretty much together.  My son made a Loch Ness Monster (or Dragon), my daughter slaved away on an intricate coaster design, my wife came up with a heart, and I of course made a fishy looking thing.

    If you are stuck inside during this snap of cold, make the most of it.  Tie up some flies, do something creative with the family, or just grab an adult beverage (or hot coco) and settle next to a roaring fire.  Keep warm out there.

New Zealand Rainbow Trout Watercolor

New Zealand Rainbow

  First off - Happy New Year!  Some of you might have noticed that I took an uncharacteristic hiatus from the blog and painting scene for the month of December.  Serving to not only recharge my batteries and give my family some much needed together time, the month of December was just what I needed to start off the new year ready to further expand my fishing and painting goals.

  So for the first painting of 2014 I started with a painting that was requested from a mother as a gift to her son.  A few years ago he took a trip of a lifetime down under and spent his time chasing trout under the southern cross.  She contacted me to recreate one of his catches as a watercolor so with photo in hand I got down to it.
  For many an angler - New Zealand is a bucket type of place to dream of fishing.  I can only imagine how amazing it must have been to hook into the legendary browns and rainbows that dwell in those storied waters.

  Someday I hope I can make it out there but until then I will satisfy my angling dreams with a little pigment and water on paper.
  After sketching out the trout I proceeded to drop in a few layers of light washes to build up color and give the painting a solid base to work from.

  The rest is just a matter of building colors and shapes.  I have done only a few paintings of river rocks with fish so I tried to focus on building a realistic representation of a fish suspended slightly out of the water.  Adding a few ripples of white and shadows of water on the fishes flanks helps to create the illusion.

If you would like to commission your very own wall hanger piece of art of a memorable catch, you can Email me here at hexfishing@gmail.com or visit my art site at HexFishing.com

Streamline Design

Just a few simple designs for your humpday.  Sketched this out during a very long (10hr) and unexpected stay (Thankyou winter) in an airport terminal.  I think the black would make a great design for a sweatshirt.

Two Rainbow Trout Paintings

Over a decade ago I moved to South Carolina and I took up hiking the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.  Fishing wasn't a high priority ant the time and fly fishing was a complete unknown.  On these hikes I frequently found myself crossing the countless freestone streams that cascaded through ancient valleys and catching brief glimpses of active native trout. It was on one of these hikes that I ran across a fly fisherman casting to stream raised trout. Miles from a road and framed with the fragrantly green magnolias so common in the south, the angler made the picture of a classic American sportsman. He was straight out of a Winslow Homer watercolor: An Adirondack fisherman quietly alone communing with nature and casting to elusive rises. The poetic naturalist, H. D. Thoreau couldn't have placed words together to match the beauty of that moment for me.

 I watched him from a distance until he coxed a trout to take a dry fly then stealthily returned to my hike. He didn't realize it, but in that quiet moment that idyllic angler hooked two creatures with that one cast. The next week I bought myself a cheap rod and reel setup and began my adventure in fly fishing. It wasn't long after that I began painting the fish I brought to hand and the rest has led me to this.

Simply put I cant get the fish off my mind.  I tie flies to catch them, comb over the internet for gear to cast to them, I read about them, paint them, and have a blog and website dedicated to them.  A psychiatrist might classify it as a sickness and they'd be right but its still better than the other afflictions out there.  

For all you fellow sickos out there I worked up a two completely different trout this morning.  Both are watercolor and ink paintings on smooth acid free Bristol paper and measure 14x11 in.

Rainbow #1 (12/13)

First is the classic sketch of a rainbow trout on a drab brown background.  A simple illustration of a trout in full breading colors.

Rainbow #2 (12/13)

The next is yet another rainbow sketch with a bit of artistic liberty thrown into the mix.  Two completely different styles of illustration of essentially the same trout.  Love them or hate them, they are the product of a trout infused diseased mind.  Enjoy.

Both Paintings Are For Sale

Email For Purchasing Information

Trout In The Mist

   I finally got a chance to drive up the mountain and do a little more trout fishing on the Chattooga river the other day.  It has been too long since my last outing and I was eager to get out so after dropping the kids off at school, I set the cruise, grabbed a coffee, and headed out.
   Some of you might remember that my artwork is now being sold as the Chattooga River Flyshop in the town of Mountain Rest South Carolina.  Well, in less than a week after being displayed in their shop they sold four of my paintings.  Never one to miss an opportunity, I used my trip to pick up the check to also get in some much needed fishing.  I also dropped off four more paintings to fill the holes left on their walls.

Abel Fly Reel  

    Karen and Karl, owner operators of the Chattooga River Flyshop, are two of the most genuine people I have done business with.  It is a real encouragement to an artist to have their work welcomed into a store but when I watch them admire my paintings, it really makes me want to paint more.
   I encourage any of you that ever find yourself fishing in Northern Georgia or South Carolina to hit up the small fly shop in Mountain rest.  Not only will you get to see a few of my paintings in person, but you will also be blessed with good deals and local fishing knowledge.

   Now onto the fishing.  After the stop at the flyshop I rushed over to the river to get a few gills on my line.  I was met with a full parking lot and a dense fog rolling through the valley.  Perfect fishing weather.

   Right out of the box I hooked into a large shouldered brook trout right from the fish hatchery.  For a stocky it was a pretty good fighter, even giving a few good leaps before giving up the fight and allowing me to bring it in.  The thing about stockies for me is always the color.  Give a stocky a few months to slim down and recover in the cool clean river and they will regain some of that vibrant colors but right from the hatchery they all look rather dull.  that being said, it doesn't take much from the fun of catching them even if the photos aren't that stunning.

  For this trip I once again strung up the Fall River Bamboo and Abel Fly Reel.  Fishing this combo has been rewarding and fantastic setup. The two were made for each other in terms of weight and performance but when you admire them from an artistic point of view, the combination is fantastic.  Add a rolling fog into a valley greened up my a falling mist, a few hold over rainbows that were as bright as a painting and you have a scene that deserved to be filmed for the next Fly Fishing Film Festival.

  Of course there were some some stocky rainbows to hook into but the trip was food for the soul.  I headed home with a smile on my face, a few more bucks in my wallet from selling a few paintings, and ready to tackle the rest of the week.

  And as an added bonus, before I got into my driveway, I got an email from the Chattooga River Flyshop that yet another painting sold.  Looks like I have another excuse to go do a little fishing.

Suspended Bloodworm - Red Midge

    The Red Midge is a massive food source for the fish we love to go after.  Easily identifiable by their bright blood red color these wonderful little larva may grow up into a pest that leave itchy welts on determined fishermen but in the worm stage these midges are simply awesome to fish with.
    While researching this painting I was reminded just how innovative fly fishermen are with the shear scope of patterns that have been developed to imitate these little bugs.  I have no doubt that all the patterns posted on the web and in books can fool a fish into taking this midge.  There are roughly over 1000 different types of Chironomidea throughout the world and since I don't think fish really care which species they eat I expect that they simply eat the ones they see floating by.  But if that is the case, why don't I hook into fish every time I fish them?
    I believe it has to do with the recognition of species to a specific stream.  In short, what works on a Maine stream might not work on a Utah river even if both water systems are choked with the blood worms.  That being said I am also convinced that there are a few patterns out there that work no mater what.  So I ask you - what patterns are the most effective for you?  And a follow up - do you commonly use them?

    Now about the painting.  I again went to the canvas on this painting with the objective of gaining experience in the medium.  Determined to paint a Bloodworm I was faced with choosing the right worm to paint.  Painting just a simple red line on the the canvas just didn't seem exciting enough so I choose to go with the suspended worm.
   Imitating a struggling worm as it attempts to break the surface of the water, the suspended worm is a popular choice among anglers.  Not only do fish see a struggling worm as a prime feeding opportunity, the white foam ball near the head of the fly allows a keen angler the ability to track the midge in smooth water.

  With the subject selected I then decided to make it really pop off the canvas with a background that would showcase the white foam ball of this iconic fly.  You might not be able to truly see it in the photographs but the background is a mix of dark reds, blues, and blacks.
 Unfortunately I am discovering that photographing the final work is almost more difficult that doing the painting.  The soft gloss effect of the paints coupled with the texture of the canvas and paints make photographing the true colors of the work near impossible.

The Suspended Bloodworm

Acrylic On Canvas

For Sale

 

The Mayfly - Acrylic On Canvas

"Mayfly"

  Its a subject that only fly fishermen and entomologists get excited about.  In fact, if one would ask the normal human being if they would ever consider hanging this painting in their house the answer would undoubtedly be no but the those select few, the Mayfly is a thing beauty.

   They mayfly constitutes a bulk food group for the trout of not only North America, but the world at large and it is for that reason that we anglers love that odd little bug.  We read about it, study the different species, take time away from fishing to look for them, and have more than one photo of them in our archives.  The flies we tie and fish with emulate the wide range of species in our streams and we constantly search for new and more effective patterns that might deceive the mayflies primary enemy.  So, yeah, We love these little bugs.
    It is for that reason that I decided to sit down the day before Thanksgiving and paint a representation of the mayfly.  My wife may not get it but I am sure a lot of you out there will.

    Having recently completed a Tiger Trout painting using acrylics on canvas I thought I'd give it another go.  Using a very sparse palette of browns, yellows, oranges, and white I chose to use as little definition on the background as possible and focus instead on painting the mayfly.  I then went back and highlighted the areas I needed to with whites and blacks.  In the end its a painting that could easily hang over any fly fishermans tying desk.

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody !!

"Mayfly"

Acrylic On Canvas

For Sale

Tiger Trout Painting

 

  Sometimes you need to escape your comfort zone to achieve something special and I think I did just that with this painting.  As most of you know, I am primarily a watercolor artist and am really comfortable with that medium.  I have done a few oils and acrylics before but have never got a good feel for it  On this one however, I thought I'd give it another shot.

    Like most anglers that are in tune with the world of fish artwork, certain artists names are easily recognizable and heavily sought after.  If you like salt water fish then Guy Harvey is your guy but if you like fly fishing for the American fresh water species then the biggest name out there has got to be Derek DeYoung.  Other great artists also come to mind but the real hot ticket for trout artwork has got to be Derek.  His stuff is on everything from beer glasses, to flasks, fly boxes, tee shirts, and even drift boats.  If you have been to a fly shop in the last five years then you have seen his work and all of it is brilliant.

    Well, as you can tell, I am a big fan of his work.  My watercolor style may be completely different than his oils and acrylics but it hasn't dampened my desire to try my hand at a style of painting trout that he has made famous.  This artistic representation of a Tiger Trout is an acrylic on canvas and giving credit were credit is due I would feel like a real dolt if I didn't directly attribute this style of painting to Derek.  Of course the subject and design is still all me.

  Anyway, enough hero worship.  I painted this just to see if I could and I think I did it justice.

     So what is a Tiger Trout you ask.  Its a freak of nature.  A sterile cross between a Brown Trout and a Brook Trout, it is one of the few instances in the world where two groups can interbreed to produce offspring.  It is only possible through a rare (or laboratory controlled) heat shock to streams where spawning Brown and Brook trout live.  The dramatic change in weather allows the Brook Trout (with 84 chromosomes) fertilize Brown Trout (only 80 chromosomes) eggs and produce the distinctive Tiger Trout.
    Known for their aggressive appetite for eating other fish, the tiger has been used by stream managers to control populations of invasive fish and since it is sterile there is no danger of mixing them into the native population.  Eventually they will die off and the stream can return to normal.

"The Tiger"

16in X 20in.

Acrylic on Canvas
(and wife says its going into the living room, soooo Its not for sale) 

Weekend Flies & Much More

Orange Brookie Killer

 Its been far to long since my last fishy post but it is not because I have nothing to share.  Quite the opposite - I have had a deluge of stuff to share but due to life I have not had the time to sit down and put it all down.  So I am glad to finally have a moment to sit down and catch up with this hobby thing.  But first I wanted to talk flies.
  For some of you out there you might actually recognize the simple ( and poorly tied) fly that leads this post.  I don't know if it has an actual name but for me I call it the "Brookie Killer".  Tied with a #16 - #20 Dry fly hook, Orange dubbing, orange thread, and a little grizzly hackle wrapped around its length, this easy fly is deadly for small stream brookies.  The most interesting thing about this fly is just how species specific this fly actually is.  All other fish seem to ignore it completely but the Brook Trout will hunt it down with reckless abandon.  It is a definite go-to fly on any brook tout stream.

  Next up is yet another three ingredient fly.  The Peacock Herl Dry may not be the most glamorous gal at the ball (or in the box) but it will lure a few trout to take her out. More of an all around killer in the winter months, this Peacock Hurl dry will never fail when trout are rising on those warmer winter afternoons.  Best if tied small, I choose a #16 or smaller hook, then wrap three Herls forward followed by a little grizzly hackle.  Tied with black thread this simple fly is simple and deadly.
  Quite often the three ingredient flies are overlooked by anglers and it is for that reason I feel the need to promote them as much as possible.  I am also a pathetic fly tyer but you can probably tell that.

    Next up is a little creation that probable wont catch a darn thing but I got this new fur substitute and thought I would play around with it.  With a #12 nymph hook, black thread, red wire, a tuff of synthetic bear fur, and some Magic Stretch to cover the body this fly will probably look better in a salty environment than my rivers and ponds.  Next time I'm at the pond though I will be sure to give it a whirl.  Until it hooks a fish I am holding off naming it. There are far to many flies out there with fancy names that never catch a fish and I refuse to contribute to that list until it produces.

As for the other stuff, you might remember the odd looking $8 lounge chair I whipped up a few weeks ago.  Well one can not just have one fireside chair so with a little more homemade engineering I decided to improve the design and whip up another.  It is a little beefier and architecturally pleasing to the eye but still remains under the $15 goal.  They are bound to get a lot of use year round because unless it is raining we are a family that loves the outdoors.

And since this is an art and fishing blog I thought I'd share a little painting I did quite a while ago.  I ran across this little bird while cleaning out my studio and had completely forgotten about it.  It was just one of those little paintings I did back in 2008 while on the road prior to launching this web thing.  Relatively small in size, the watercolor is only 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches.
Unfortunately if any of you had a mind to buy it from me I will now refer you to my grandmother-inlaw.  You are going to have to go through her to get it.  I suspect she would sell it for the right price (everything has a price) but you better bring your big boy wallet because it might be steep :-).

My Grandfather

    After a long absence from this hobby thing, I wanted to share a bit about my Grandfather.  The belt you see here is a hand crafted piece of work done by my grandfather nearly 40 years ago.  Part of the reason I have not posted anything recently was because my beloved grandfather passed away last week.  Buried with full military honors - complete with gun salute, and taps - my grandfather was a veteran of World War 2.  At the age of 17 he joined up and served in the Pacific.  He also was an almond and walnut farmer in the central California valley, a carpenter, and a dedicated fisherman.  He was a God fearing dedicated family man that raised a large family with my grandmother on a farm that dated back to the turn on the last century.

  When I was a little snot, I remember watching as he helped my father build our first house in the mountains of California.  He was a tireless worker at everything he put his mind to doing and worked every day to provide a solid home for his family
  Before I was born he was working on framing up a house and took a spill from a second story roof and busted nearly all his bones in his hand.  As part of his rehab he made this belt.  Some of my fondest memories of him were us on Lake Don Pedro and Pinecrest Lake in hills Central California as we trolled for large lake trout.  Using lures that he hand crafted and cut from copper pipes he had shaped into deadly effective spoons, we would troll around all day till the limit had been reached and then head back to do the cleaning.
   Needless to say, I was extremely honored to be given his belt.  I cant think of a better way to remember my grandfather than with a piece of his artwork he used.  It is something I can tell my children about and it is a great way to remember a life well lived.