Sometimes Simple is Best...

Walt's Worm
This fly was originally designed by Pennsylvania resident Walt Young.  If I am not mistaken it was orginally tied to imitate cranefly larva.  I have had a lot of success with this fly before caddis hatches so the fish may take it as caddis larva/pupa.  I also think it would be a good scud imitation in smaller sizes.  What ever the fish take it for is immaterial because they take it often enough that it is a go to fly for me.
Recipe:
Hook -  2x long nymph hook (10-16)
Underbody - .015 lead wire
Body - Hare’s Ear dubbing (I use Hareline Plus #1)
Thread - Tan 6/0
The Procedure:

The Results:

This fish was caught on a Walt's Worm that was tied by my son, who was five at the time.

Tenkara Flies

This year for Christmas my wife gave me a Tenkara fly rod, leader and this vial of flies.  These flies which I assume are designed to imitate mayflies are very elegant.  I sat down at the vise to duplicate one and I think I did a fair job.

CF Design Marco Polo Travel Kit

I have been thinking about one of these travel kits for years and a few weeks ago I snagged one off Ebay for a fraction of what they normally sell for.  This kit includes a very good light weight vise and a selection of very high quality tools.  In fact these tools are better quality than the tools on a day to day basis.  Also included is a magnetic hook pallet.  It all fits in large fly box, prefect for traveling or streamside tying sessions.  Now I have an another excuse to plan a trip.

Another Bird and Trout

I picked up this Jerry Hossom Bird and Trout back in November at the New York Custom Knife Show. This one has been on my wish list for some time now. This is a beautiful little knife that will disappear when carried in a vest pocket or around the neck.   The next step is to find someone to make a sheath for it.  I may just give the blade a kydex cover for now, until I can find something better.  As much as I like the knife it is not exactly what I was looking for, but since these knives are so few and far between I jumped on it.
Just in case your interested, the version below is what I had in mind.  As you can see its a slightly longer blade with a little different shape.  You can't see it in this photo but there is a line cutter on the ricasso (on the other side of the notch).  The hunt continues...

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone had a great day whether you celebrate the day or not. After this year I am convinced that Santa is a fly fisherman. Plenty of fly fishing goodies in the ole stocking this year.

Merry Christmas!

One hell of a fisher...dog

Change in plans...

I was planning on wetting a line tomorrow morning but the forcast is calling for over a foot of snow.  I may chance it and give it a shot for a few hours before it gets too sloppy, but maybe a better option would be to stay home,  start a fire and tie some flies.

Pancora Streamer

I saw this streamer pattern tied for the first time this summer during TU's national meeting in Michigan.  Unfortunately I lost my notes so I can't give the creater of the pattern the credit that he deserves.  This streamer was one of my top producers this fall.  The pattern was originally designed to target trout swimming in the waters of Patagonia and was tied to imitate the Pancora.  Pancora are a crustacean which sorta looks like a mix between a crab and a crayfish.  

Luckily the colors do a pretty good job matching our local crayfish species.  I fish this fly in a heavily weighted version and try and bounce it along the bottom.  It works well being stripped like a traditional streamer as well.

Recipe:

Hook:  Straight Eye Streamer 2-6

Cone: Gold tungsten

Weight: .35 lead wire

Tail:  Olive or orange marabou (orange version shown)

Body: Olive Estaz

Rib:  Gold wire

Wing:  Olive zonker strip - secured zonker style with the gold wire ribbing

Legs:  White round rubber

Collar:  I tie two versions olive metallic dubbing as pictured or red metallic dubbing

Another Killer Czech Nymph

This is another pattern that worked very good for me this last season.  I have modified it slightly with the addition of the deer hair thorax dubbing.  I like this new version even better, hopefully the fish will agree with me.
Recipe:
Hook:Partridge CZ
Inner Ribbing:  Gold wire
Outer Ribbing:  Maxima Mono
Abdomen:  Light olive synthetic dubbing
Hot Spot: Pink ice dub
Thorax:  Simon Thorax dubbing -Brown
Shellback:  Tan magic shrimp foil

Hi-Viz Beadhead

This pattern is tied with a orange tungsten bead and adhesive lead tape under the thorax...very heavy fly.  Should be a good searching pattern for Spring's high, off colored waters.  I saw Kevin Compton tie a similar pattern at the Fly Tying Symposium a few weeks back so I can't take any credit for this one.

Hook:  Scud size 14
Bead: Orange tungsten
Tail:  Pheasant tail
Abdomen:  Olive biot
Thorax:  Hares ear spun in dubbing loop
Wingcase:  Black thin skin

Tis the season...

Siman Thorax Dubbing

Siman Thorax Dubbing

I love this dubbing for tying tying thorax areas on nymph patterns.  The chopped deer hair does a great job simulating legs.  It can be a little difficult to spin on thread but it works well with a dubbing loop.  I find that mixed a little rabbit fur with this material makes it a little easier to handle.

The end result...

Another Czech Pattern

This pattern is a heavily weighted nymph with three layers of lead foil tied in at the bend of the hook.  I use it as an anchor fly as it sinks like a rock.

Hook:  Partridge CZ #12
Shell back:  Pink magic foil
Inner Rib:  Oval gold tinsel
Outer Rob:  Gold wire
Abdomen:  Light olive synthetic dubbing
Heart/bright Spot:  Fushia UV dubbing
Thorax:  Tan UV dubbing

Czech Nymphs

Here is one of my most effective Czech nymph patterns this last season.  These are quick easy ties, a little sloppy but the fish don't mind.  You can turn out a couple dozen in no time at all.  The key to tying an effective Czech or Polish style nymph is turning out a fly with a good amount of weight and a thin profile.  I will weight these patterns with adhesive backed lead tape or square lead wire.  Both methods will allow you to load a hook with more weight than traditional lead wire.  Some flies have a single layer of lead some a double.  Its pretty easy to figure out which is which by just holding them in your hand.

This pattern is a basic olive Czech Nymph.

Hook:  Partridge CZ #12

Shell back:  Tan Shrimp Foil

Inner Ribbing:  Gold Wire

Outer Ribbing:  Mono

Abdomen:  Synthetic Light Olive Dubbing

Heart/Spot:  Clear UV Dubbing

Thorax:  Brown Hares Mask

You'll be missed Jack...

I was saddened to learn about the passing of Jack Gartside over the weekend.  Jack was an iconic fly fisherman and fly tier.  He had an incredible sense of humor and was always a pleasure to chat with at area fly shows.  Some of the patterns he developed are staples in many of our fly boxes.  I can't count the number of fish from trout to stripers that have fallen for his simple Gurgler pattern.  Jack had been battling cancer for some time now but always remained optimistic.  I hope he's in a better place now.

Jack Gartside  1942-2009

The Vise...

I have been tying with a LAW pedestal vise for close to ten years now.  The vice is made by Lawrence Waldron of England.  The vise has a pretty good following with British and European flytiers and I see more and more of them showing up stateside.  I just cannot say enough positive things about this piece of equipment, it is an absolute joy to use, and it is holding up extremely well.  Works as good as the day I recieved it.

Expensive yes, especially now with exchange rates being so out of wack.  I lucked out when I purchased mine.  The dollar was stronger, the pound weaker and in the end I paid less than a Renzetti Presentaion would have cost me.  I believe Lawrence is still making them one at a time.

As far as I know he still does not have a website or e-mail address, and does his business the old fashion way by mail and phone.  He was an absolute pleasure to deal with and I strongly recommend his work.


Contact information:
Lawrence A. Waldron
3 Crockington Close
Seisdon, Staffs. WV5 7EL
England
Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1902 896315

Tenkara fishing

Tenkara fishing is a traditional method of fly fishing in Japan.  Only a rod, tenkara line (which appears to be nothing more than a long furled leader), and fly are used for tenkara fishing.  No reel is used in this style of fishing.  The long leader is tied directly to the tip of the rod.
In recent years I have become quite successful with the Czech or Polish style of nymphing.  With this technique little to no fly line is used and there is no "traditional" casting involved.  Flies are pitched or lobbed upstream and then tracked downstream with the rod basically parallel to the surface of the water.  There is a little more to it than that but thats the basic concept.  It is not much different from our highstick nymphing.  Less line is used and rod positioning is different, but if you highstick nymph fish you will find the Czech/Polish methods pretty easy to adapt to.  I am thinking that this tackle may work well for this style of fishing.  I am not quite sure how successful I am going to be landing big fish in heavy water but I'm going to give it a shot.  From what I have seen trout in Japan run way smaller than our fish.   I put this rod on my Christmas list and hopefully Santa will hook me up.  The rod is twelve feet long and is designed for those who consistantly catch fish over 16"  (I can dream can't I?)

Tenkara USA is a good source for information and equipment for this style of fishing.  I'll keep you posted on how this experiment works out.