Indholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2020 i Fly Fisherman

REDESIGNING THE YETI ROADIE The original Yeti Roadie was a stroke of genius—it’s a downsized cooler you can plop on the seat beside you for long hauls. Pop the lid with one hand and you’ve got a cold drink without ever slowing down. Whoever came up with the Roadie knows how important it is to get to the river in the morning ASAP, and how grueling it can be to drive home late at night after hitting that hatch right at dusk. While the Austin-based Yeti has put a lot of research and development into soft, portable coolers in recent years, there are undeniable advantages to a hard cooler design: They are easier to get in and out of while you are driving, rowing, or otherwise…

While the Tricorythodes hatch brings large trout to the surface, they aren’t the only fish that get triggered by mats of floating insects. On more than one occasion we have found carp in the back channels on the Bighorn, and in the afterbay itself, going crazy eating Trico spinners. Last August, Cathy and I spent several mornings fishing Trico spinner falls on the afterbay. The carp (and some trout) were up feeding on the surface every morning, and there was almost no angler pressure. Carp can be quite challenging, but it was exciting to see all those heads up, and to land some of the gold ones on 5-weight rods. We found that when carp are feeding on Tricos, accuracy and gentle presentations are every bit as important as when…

HALL OF FAME NCAA BASKETBALL COACH JOHN WOODEN SAID: “ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO PROGRESS WITHOUT CHANGE, NOT ALL CHANGE IS PROGRESS.” I CONTINUE TO HEAR HOW CONTACT NYMPHING (COMMONLY KNOWN AS “EURO NYMPHING”) IS A FAD. I ALSO GET EMAILS CLAIMING I’M TRYING TO “REINVENT THE WHEEL.” I AGREE THAT CONTACT NYMPHING PRINCIPLES (CASTING, LINE CONTROL, AND READING THE DRIFT) ARE THE SAME AS TRADITIONAL TIGHT-LINE TACTICS. HOWEVER, ADVANCEMENTS IN EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES HAVE BROUGHT THE NYMPHING GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL—THANKFULLY AN EASIER AND MORE EFFECTIVE LEVEL. I’M NOT TRYING TO REINVENT NYMPHING, BUT I AM SEEKING PROGRESS. IF COACH WOODEN FLY FISHED TODAY, I’M POSITIVE HE WOULD REFER TO CONTACT NYMPHING AS A PROGRESSION. I WANT TO SHARE THESE SMALL PROGRESSIONS WITH THE INTENTION OF IMPROVING YOUR NYMPHING…

Orvis is famous for its fly-fishing schools on the water, at Orvis stores across the country, and in person at the Manchester, Vermont campus, where the rod factory is located. But due to concerns and restrictions related to coronavirus, Orvis in May announced personalized “virtual casting instruction” using phone conferences and video analysis. The premium package ($179, orvis.com) uses a detailed student inquiry form and introductory phone call with an Orvis casting instructor. You provide a video of your casting stroke, and the instructor gives you a video analysis complete with on-screen annotation and audio feedback. You’ll also get the feedback and corrections through email and a follow-up phone call. After the initial analysis, the Orvis instructor sets up a real-time virtual coaching session via video chat. The standard package…

IT’S A TYPICAL SUMMER DAY: HOT, HUMID, AND SUNNY, AND YOU’RE ON YOUR FAVORITE BASS POND, LAKE, OR RIVER. THE BRIGHT SUN CREATES SHADE LINES ALONG THE TREE-LINED SHORE, AND THAT FAMILIAR LOUD BUZZING SOUND COMING FROM THE TREES TELLS YOU IT’S THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER. YOU MAKE A CAST INTO A GOOD-LOOKING SPOT WITH YOUR FAVORITE POPPER AND TURN YOUR EYES AWAY FROM YOUR FLY JUST FOR A FEW SECONDS TO TAME YOUR FLY LINE, AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK YOU FIND THAT THE FLY HAS DISAPPEARED. YOU INSTINCTIVELY SET THE HOOK AND FIND YOURSELF IN A TUG-OF-WAR WITH THE BIGGEST BASS OF YOUR LIFE. This scenario has played out countless times for many fly fishers across this country and beyond. What caused this timeless occurrence? You didn’t…

HOOK: DAIICHI 1167 #12-20. THREAD: VEEVUS 14/0 RED. BODY: 3MM BLACK FOAM. ABDOMEN: MAHOGANY SUPERFINE DUBBING. LEGS: BLACK SUPER FLOSS. WINGS: POLYPROPYLENE MACRAMÉ YARN, SMOKE, RUST, AND GOLD MIXED, TOPPED WITH UV BLUE RIPPLE ICE FIBER. INDICATOR: PINK RAZOR FOAM. HACKLE: BROWN ROOSTER NECK OR SADDLE. THORAX: MAHOGANY SUPERFINE DUBBING. A GOOD FISHERMAN IS PATIENT. I’VE SAID THOSE WORDS TO MY GUIDING CLIENTS AS WELL AS MY KIDS 1,000 TIMES. SOME OF THE BEST FISHING LESSONS I’VE EVER LEARNED, AND SOME OF THE BEST FISHING TRICKS I HAVE EVER PULLED OUT OF MY HAT, HAVE STEMMED FROM SLOWING DOWN, FINDING A GOOD PERCH, WATCHING, AND WAITING. THE POWER OF OBSERVATION REVEALS ALL . . . SOMETIMES IT’S A FISH RISING SUBTLY IN A TINY CUTOUT ON THE FAR BANK, AND…

IT WAS IN MAY, WHEN MELTING SNOW TURNS THE YAMPA RIVER INTO A FIRE HOSE, THAT THE WATER ALMOST TOOK MY DAUGHTER. SHE WAS TWO, AND WE WERE WALKING ON THE PAVED BIKE PATH THAT FOLLOWS THE RIVER THROUGH STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, THE SKI TOWN THAT I’VE CALLED HOME SINCE 2002. I WAVED TO MY FRIEND CLARK, WHO HAD JUST STEPPED OUT OF THE ART GALLERY THAT OCCUPIES THE OLD TRAIN DEPOT, AND THAT’S HEN MY TODDLER MADE A DASH FOR THE CURRENT. I still shudder to think how far that rushing river would’ve carried her, if I hadn’t scooped her up before she teetered off the bank. Yet the Yampa’s springtime power is precisely what makes it so special: Unlike virtually every other river in the U.S., it hasn’t been…

I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED HOW SUCH DIMINUTIVE MAYFLIES CAN CAUSE SO MUCH EXCITEMENT. WHEN TRICOS APPEAR, FLY FISHERS PLAN THEIR DAYS AROUND THEM. THESE LITTLE MAYFLIES GET ANGLERS UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN, MAKE THEM SKIP BREAKFAST TO ARRIVE ON TIME FOR THE HATCH, AND THEY’VE KEPT ME ON THE WATER UNTIL AFTER DARK ON MORE THAN A FEW OCCASIONS, SQUINTING INTO THE GLARE TO SEE MY TINY DRY FLY. My first experience with Tricos was on Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River. I was 11 or 12 and fishing with my father. My mom and dad ran a fishing tackle store in Berwick, Pennsylvania, just 10 minutes from the river. Dad was an avid angler, and we often fished for smallmouth bass for a few hours before the shop opened. On…

IF YOU ENJOY WATCHING FOOTBALL, YOU ARE LIKELY FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM “RED ZONE,” AN AREA OF HIGH SCORING PROBABILITY AND ALSO COMPRESSED DEFENSE. WITH LIMITED ROOM TO OPERATE, SUCCESS IS OFTEN A GAME OF INCHES, WITH LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR. THERE’S A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE OFFENSE TO SCORE WHEN THEY ARE CLOSE TO THE END ZONE, AND WALKING AWAY WITHOUT ANY POINTS IS A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT. My daily routine as a professional fly-fishing guide is similar in many ways. My job is to make sure that when we’re in the red zone, my customers catch fish and hopefully learn a thing or two. As a coach on the field, I get to decide when and where we fish, what flies we use, and the best strategies to…

THE “THUNK” YOU GET FROM THE GRAB OF A BIG BASS IS UNDENIABLE.AS I STRIPPED MY CRAWDAD FLY AROUND SOME FLOODED TIMBER I FELT THAT “THUNK,” BUT SOMEHOW DIDN’T COME TIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY CAST THE FLY BACK INTO THE SAME SPOT NEXT TO A SUBMERGED TREE TRUNK. BEFORE THE FLY REACHED THE BOTTOM, IT WAS ENGULFED. I WASN’T GOING TO MISS HER AGAIN, AND SWUNG THE ROD INSTANTLY. IT FELT LIKE A BIG FISH, AND I TESTED THE LIMITS OF MY 20-POUND-TEST FLUOROCARBON LEADER TO KEEP HER OUT OF THE HEAVY COVER. SHE TURNED, CAME TO THE SURFACE, AND TRIED TO LEAP OUT OF THE WATER, BUT HER WEIGHT WAS TOO GREAT TO CATCH AIR. I GOT A GOOD LOOK AT HER, THOUGH, AND KNEW SHE WAS the one. I…

I’LL NEVER FORGET THE HOT SUMMER AFTERNOON WHEN GRANDPA HARRY CAME STAGGERING DOWN THE SOUTH FORK TRAIL, BLOOD STREAMING FROM A GASH ON HIS FOREHEAD. “I JUST LOST A BIG TROUT,” HE BLURTED. “IT TOOK ME DOWNSTREAM THROUGH A FAST RUN BUT GOT OFF WHEN I SLIPPED AND HIT MY HEAD ON A BOULDER.” I REMEMBER BEING SHOCKED AT THE TIME ALTHOUGH THE MISHAP SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN A BIG SURPRISE. AFTER ALL, GRANDPA WAS GETTING ON IN HIS YEARS. I KNOW MY STRENGTH AND BALANCE AREN’T WHAT THEY USED TO BE AS I APPROACH THE SIXTH DECADE OF MY LIFE. The South Fork of the Walla Walla River is the larger of two directional forks whose origin is near the summit of northeastern Oregon’s Blue Mountains. It is a relatively…