Vol. 13 No. 13

ANGLING AND TROUT

It’s a good bet that many modern warm-water anglers have been frustrated at one time or another by a well-meaning person's Angling-Impaired assumptions about fly fishing. Many is the time that a person has seen my fly gear and immediately said, "Oh, you're a trout fisherman, huh?” I'm sure they mean no harm. But why is angling so tightly associated with trout? I have a few ideas on the subject. Please bear in mind that they are strictly my own ideas, rather than proven fact.

SPOTTING STILLWATER TROUT

When arriving on the stillwater, the angler should try to discover where the trout are feeding and what they are feeding on. This is simply a matter of observation, but often anglers don't know how to accomplish this task without spooking those trout which are working in the shallows or feeding close to the surface.

THE PIONEER SPIRIT

I have recently been reading a number of historical fly-fishing treatises covering not only the origins of fly-fishing on the continent but also the early history of fly-fishing in the America’s. The one thing that has impressed me is the resourcefulness and pioneering spirit of those early fly anglers. It has caused me to wonder where that spirit has gone in our modern day.

WHAT'S NEW IS OLD

Had a message this week from Fly Anglers OnLine (FAOL) reader Thunder Thumbs, and he has moved from Kansas to of all places Havre Montana. His real name is Hugo Gibson, the nick name having something to do with his career choice, he is a chiropractor. He tells me his dream was to live and work in Montana, well I fudged a little on that, he actually wanted to spend a lot of time fishing in Montana. Other than the fishing places mostly being frozen over (and I didn’t ask if he is into ice fishing) he is working on another of his interests, recording, as in video and audio. Podcasts anyone?

THE BENCH CLOTH

Each of us (tiers) has a table, bench or designated area where we practice our craft. I prefer to keep my area clean, neat and organized. The tools and materials for each fly are brought out on a need-to-tie basis, and then returned to their storage containers after the completion of the tying session.

TYING CATSKILL-STYLE DRY FLIES

Once every few years a very special book comes on the market. In recent years we have had an abundance of fly-fishing books that cover every aspect of the sport of fly-fishing. While many of these books have provide fly-fishers with valuable information about various aspects of the sport many of them have merely been a rehash of what has already been published elsewhere. Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies is a truly outstanding addition to angling literature, and a substantial contribution to the history of one of the truly special places and special people that have left us a considerable legacy.

THE SPORT OF FLY FISHING

The sport of fly-fishing can do little to gain one's physique. I've yet to see one gain muscle from throwing a fly at the end of a fly rod. If he or she did, they were doing it wrong. No... This is the sport for me. I'm good for walking lazily through foggy mornings to rambling rivers and standing in the water while the fog lifts and mists fall. Today it took thirty minutes to reach the Brazos from where I parked my truck (fifteen minutes away), but while I stood and put on my fly, I listened to the small birds rustling in the brush fussing at me for invading their territory. A short time later, a Tufted Titmouse gave me a real talking to, and I smiled at the wonder of it all.

FLY OF THE WEEK - GRAY SQUIRREL AND DUN FLYMPH

I really like simple flies. If a fly is easy to tie and catches fish, then it’s probably going in my fly box. Last September I was asked to teach Kat Hise (Ron Hise’s wife and Jack’s Sister-in-Law) how to tie a fly. As I sat in the Rumpus room of the Three Rivers Resort I tried to think up a simple fly that would be easy for her to learn, plus have a few different steps so she could try some varying tying techniques. The fly I came up with is a Gray Squirrel and Dun Flymph.

THE SANTA TRAP

The ladyfisher thought we needed some levity in this issue. A little digging on her part brings us some classic FAOL courtesy of the late Al C.

THE FIRST TRIP

The knock on the door came at 5:00 AM. “Kevin, time to get up!” The door opened and the twelve year old boy closed his eyes for the first time that night, so that Granddaddy wouldn’t know that I hadn’t slept a wink the whole night, anticipating the day that was to come- my first fishing trip with my grandparents. Oh, I had been fishing before, but that was on a pond, or a dock, not in a boat. Going with my grandparents also allowed me to watch them use these magical long rods called “fly rods” instead of just “normal” spin casting rods and reels like I used. I got out of bed, put on my fishing clothes, and tried to walk normally into the kitchen, instead of listening to my emotions telling me to run to the kitchen.