Vol. 13 No. 20

Maine, Brookies, and Roller Coasters

Brookies are a fun and colorful fish that I love to catch and release whenever I get a chance. Here in Pennsylvania, I have a few secret places that are home to this beautiful fish. They aren’t easily accessible, but I bet you that some of my Pennsylvanian fellow anglers have already fished them, and are trying to keep them a secret as well.

STILLWATERS--FISHING THE MIDGE HATCH

How to fish during the hatch when the trout are selectively feeding on a certain stage of the hatching insect can indeed be a perplexing problem. Careful observation is the key to understanding what imitation to use and how to fish it.

FLY TYING - WHY?

It was back in the early 60's when a newly married boy, not really yet a man, discovered that fishing with a bit of fur and feathers attached to a hook was about as much fun as a guy could have wearing rubber pants and standing waist deep an icy cold stream. Not long after that epiphany I discovered that I too could create those bits of fur and feather that you attach to the end of your leader. The rest, as they say, is history.

BUT HOW?

Now that I've got your attention, what? How soon we forget. Last week I wrote about dinosaurs, the fact that we either resemble them or have become one. At any rate, there was a point to that discussion.

NOT A MUSKIE

It has rained for three days. There have been bands of heavier showers come through the area. A friend west of town got twice the amount of rain that we did. It is time to go fishing, but I know that trying to drive into a pond will not be a good idea.

CLARET AND GRAY

I really like the juxtoposition of the color claret and a dark gray wing, so I was quite pleased this week to find a package in the mail from long-time reader Tom Dorgeloh. He sent some dark Canada Goose wing quills, among other things, and I couldn't wait to do some flies with them.

CARP STEAK

Greetings from Big River country where we eat carp and we like it. "Carp fries" are still a common fundraiser around here. I've helped fry anywhere up to 400 pounds of fish in one shot many times.

STONE PALMER

The Stone Palmer is a special fly for me and It was created near Culebra´s Stream in San Martin de los Andes, Neuquen, Argentina. It´s a magic and beautiful place in Patagonia where we can admire some of the secrets that nature gives us constantly.