ARE THERE REALLY ANY NEW FLIES?
When I read about the scud fly on today’s home page, and the mention that there nearly aren’t any truly ‘new’ fly patterns out there these days, it set me to thinking.
My mind took me back to 1969, and I was about to spend that spring, summer, and fall fishing Oregon’s fabulous North Umpqua river.
Well written story Dan. I can relate to the hand dug worms, we got most of our down by the damp spot in front of the barn. The first flies I ever saw belonged to my cousin James Earl who fished for bream primarily. I sculled the jon boat (before trolling motors) for him a couple of summers when I was 12 and 13 and fell in love with fly fishing although it was another 10 years or more before I bought a $7 Heddon rod and a $2 click pawl reel and a Cortland level line (which is still in good condition). For years after getting a trolling motor I would shut if off and take my 3 ft. paddles, get on the bow of the jon boat and slip closer with the sculling motion to not alert the bream sitting on their beds. Good times and memories, thanks for awaking them.