Middle River Dispatches

A gumbo of fly-fishing, conservation, politics and days afield, for what it is worth....

My 12 “go to” trout flies in 2019

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During this post Christmas, pre-New Year lull I started working on reorganizing my fly boxes. It is a semi seasonal ritual that I undertake as my days on the water guiding start to reveal the flaws in my previous attempts.

As I contemplated the various organizational options, my mind wandered off and started thinking about the flies I used the most often. Before that fleeting recollection vanished, I wrote them down here.

These are what I used in no particular order or frequency other than I grouped them, dries, streamers, and nymphs. The sizes, weight and colors varied depending on location and conditions. And there were other patterns that I used as location and conditions dictated a change from my “go tos.” But day in and day out, these were the patterns I turned to, because they consistently caught fish for my clients.

Montana Fly Company Focus Group

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Last month I was asked to participate in a focus group for Montana Fly Company. The focus group was organized by those clever Outside Media folks who ran it on Facebook. It was a very entertaining way for those of us in the group to look at pictures, answer questions and make comments. Our moderator, Sammi, did a great job of keeping us on task while offering some very amusing commentary.

The chance to look behind the curtain a bit at some future offerings from Montana Fly Company and have some fun with Sammi was a treat in and of itself, but the deal got a whole lot better when MFC sent us some really nice tools as a reward for our participation. The gift box that arrived at The Middle River Group world HQ included a set of gold end nippers and a zinger (already attached to my Fly Vines lanyard); a stonefly/nymph box and a large waterproof fly box.

 

Some great swag from Montana Fly Company

While I can’t tell you what we worked on, you just might want to keep an eye on MFC to see what the fruits of our labors produced.

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Disclosure: Neither MFC nor Outside Media asked me to write this post.

 

A review of Tenkara: Radically Simple, Ultralight Fly Fishing

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Tenkara anglers or anyone wishing to learn more about tenkara fishing will be hard pressed to find a more enlightening book then Tenkara: Radically Simple, Ultralight Fly Fishing, (affiliate link) by Kevin C. Kelleher, MD with Misako Ishimura.

From the start Dr. Kelleher grabbed my attention. In his introduction he writes of his struggles with western-style fly-fishing. Tangled lines, over loaded vests, the time needed to rig up, all conspiring to make fishing less enjoyable.

He contemplates enforcing a self-imposed rule, “…that I will quit anything that gives me a headache or makes me cuss.” It was those frustrations that lead him to tenkara.

Boy, can I relate to that.
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Counting coup

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Fall

It is not always the best time for fishing, at least in the mountain streams here in Virginia. The water levels can be iffy and more importantly the brook trout are going about their biological imperative. Don’t want to upset that apple cart!

So with time on my hands I like to go scout out some of my favorite streams or pick a new blue line to investigate.

When I am fishing I tend to get a little tunnel vision. I am looking through the water so hard that I sometimes forget to look around and enjoy the view. I probably know my location on many streams by what the bottom of the stream looks like rather than what the banks or surroundings look like.

For me fall is a great time for hiking and sight (site?) seeing. I still look at the water but I really have a chance to see what is surrounding all that water. A chance to see where I am fishing not just what I am fishing.

Of course I tote my tenkara rod and a few flies. And while I am not looking to fish, if the brookies happen to be rising then I just might decide to float a dry their way. But in the fall I like to just count coup on them.

How to count coup

During the year some of my flies will get the hooks broken at the bend. I keep the Adams’, BWOs or  Wulffs  and use them in the fall. I am not trying to catch the fish, just trying to get them to take the fly.

Counting coup.

Kind fun and let’s them get back to the more important business of reproduction.

Headed to IFTD

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Dispatches is going mobile to Denver bright and early tomorrow.  First the AFFTA board meeting on Wednesday, then the IFTD Show Thurs thru Saturday.

If you want to stay up to date on the show, “like” the IFTD Facebook page and follow IFTD on Twitter.

I will also try and log in a few posts from the show as well.

Stay tuned!

Fly-golf Tenkara style

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If you are a fly-fisher and golfer and interested in tenkara this post from the Adiopose Fin blog is a must read!!!

It is a tribute to adaptation and innovation and adds fly-golf to the fishing lexicon. I won’t spoil it for you, make the jump and enjoy.

A hat tip to The Trout Underground‘s twitter feed for for pointing it out: @tcunderground: Finally, a use for golf courses