Now I'd like to talk about a subject beyond seasons, a very fundamental skill - casting. I have explained various methods and techniques with all kinds of fly patterns so far. Here I will focus on dry-fly fishing during match-the-hatch situations. I did cover this briefly yet essentially in PART 3 by using Fall BWO hatches (that would be the toughest condition at DePuy's). The basic techniques: "Reach Cast" and "angle of presentation" still hold the same. Some anglers or probably the majority of them tend to consider these are only for spring creeks and can only be learned and practiced through matching-the-hatch situations at spring creeks.

Soda Butte Creek is approximately twenty miles in length. It is a long major tributary to the Lamar River and is located in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park. During the past ten years this stream has become one of my personal favorites to fish and I believe that Soda Butte Creek offers some of the finest dry fly fishing to be found within the borders of Yellowstone National Park.

On October 5th 2011 there was a gathering of fishing friends on Soda Butte and neither the fishing nor the day of friendship disappointed any of the participants. Today wasn't really a guide trip though I have a hard time turning it off and I wanted the day to be memorable for all of us.

The indicator slipped slightly below the surface as my mind went through a moment of SPP, or "Stationary Piscatorial Panic". SPP is a common malady suffered by nymph/indicator fishermen. Even for the most seasoned of fly fishermen, when we are focused on that little strike indicator our senses seem to revert back to those of a high-strung 12 year old running on Little Debbie cakes and Coke. I've discussed it with many of my buddies and I am convinced the Fishing Gods are actually playing a cruel joke on us.

We have a friend that has wanted to have a fish fry. One day at church he asked if I would help him get some more fish. He is not at the point where he can go by himself. He is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and knows it.

My wife told me that I needed to go with him. We feared that he did not have a lot of time to be in activities like this. We were also aware that his personality is reversing. Not as gentle as he used to be.

If I asked you when was the last time you went trout fishing, bluegill fishing, bass fishing, crappie fishing or any of the other species of fish, after some thought, you would be able to answer my question, but, can you honestly say you went fly fishing? If you did, the lure of choice would be rather easy to acquire. Any road kill that has baked in the sun long enough should produce all the flies one could want.

I stood watching the water for several minutes and there were a few sporadic rises up and down the length of the flat. I decided to concentrate on the top half of the flat hoping that as the twilight deepened that the bigger fish would move up out of the deeper water and feed in the shallower water nearer the riffle. The lower part of the flat is deep and the bottom is soft making wading a challenge. I prefer not to wade in that type of water when I am alone. [I like to think that I have become wiser but perhaps it's just because I'm old.]

The Paraloop fly looks more difficult to tie than it is in reality. This fly is quite easy to tie, and there are just a few materials needed to tie this fly.

This fly can be tied in different ways, and if you tie this fly with a hook with a curved shank e.g.: TMC200R or Daiichi 1270, you've got an emerger imitation.

A few weeks ago one of our readers sent me a book from Australia and when I first received it I thought it was about fishing for trout down-under. However, when I began to read it I discovered that it was about the history of how trout came to find a home in Australia, and to some extent New Zealand.