And I Thought Brownies Were Mean

Bull Trout Eats Cutthroat Trout Underwater: Fly Nation TV from Fly Max Films on Vimeo.

23 Inch Brown Trout My PM Personal Best!!!!

Jeff Hubbard and Me

Saturday was a great day.  I spent the afternoon and evening hours floating the Pere Marquette river with my Dad and friend-guide Jeff Hubbard of Outfitters North (www.outfittersnorth.com).  We were throwing big ugly bugs at the bank, raising a great number of fish as well as catching a handful of solid, healthy and wild 12-17 inch browns.  That alone made Saturday a great day.  However, as the day light dwindled the river decided to turn it up a notch.  As we turned a corner my Dad's bug gets blasted - a deep, low pop.  The sound of a big brown is unmistakable.  Unfortunately, the hook didn't catch but that sound put us all on full alert.    A couple bends later, Jeff tells me to hit a dark corner adjacent to a log jam. Wham! 23 inches of brown trout wallops my bug and proceeds to go nuts.  After a tough, white-knuckle battle, which pushed my 4 weight to the limit, we had the beast in the net.  My personal best on the PM and our Michigan family record on the dry.

Oh we caught more than just the one...

The Life

Steelhead Dreams Part 2 - by Todd Moen from Todd Moen Creative on Vimeo.

Last Video for a while. I'm just getting lazy.

Southwest Florida Report

I was down in southwest Florida a week ago and the fishing was slow.  The snook population does not seem to be back to where it once was.  Further evidence that the intense freeze was devastating.  Good news is that the FWC are requiring catch-and-release until 2012 for snook on Florida's west coast, which is a step in the right direction. We caught a couple, including a nice one well over 30 inches but that is all.  We did get a handful of big ladyfish, which are a blast on the fly (still not even close to a snook).  Also, I had an interesting encounter with a BIG bull shark on the flats.  Pictures and stories to come.

Trouble in Chicago River

The Chicago river is not the cleanest river in the U.S.A. So what!? No kidding! Duh! Well, read the following:

"Although [the Chicago river] supports six million people "it is one of the only rivers in the country where undisinfected sewage is dumped directly into the river every day," says American Rivers. "Unless the Illinois Pollution Control Board requires disinfection of this wastewater, Chicago residents and visitors will face increasing health threats."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in early May 2011 ordered the state to clean up the river."

Click here to see link to MSNBC Rivers of Controversy

I don't know how that statement sounds to you but "undisinfected sewage" sounds pretty bad to me.  FYI the Chicago river connects to Lake Michigan .2 miles from Ohio street beach.  For sure, there are river currents and lake currents to consider but the point is that we play where we . . . well you know.  Just something to think about.

Tight lines.

One of the most underrated fish in the ocean...

APRIL JACKS from SHALLOW WATER EXPEDITIONS on Vimeo.

Prom Dress Fly

Recipe
Base: Waddington Shank (size will vary).
Hook Connection: Beading wire.
Hook: Octopus style hook size 2-1/0
Body: Pearl mylar, pearl Ice Dub, white arctic fox tail.
Wing: Glow Flashabou (or any Flashabou of your choice)
Hackle: Large mallard flank feather.
Eyes: tungsten or lead-free db of your choice and 3D stick-on eyes.

Instructions
First, secure the WS in the vice and create a thread base.  Second, lash wire to the WS leaving a trailing loop that is large enough to accommodate the hook.  Third, secure pearl mylar tinsel and wrap forward roughly a third of the hook shank towards the eye, tie off and trim.  Fourth, where you have tied off the mylar, create a medium size ball of Ice Dub and tie off.  Fifth, create a dubbing loop and fill the loop with an inch (or so) of arctic fox.  Sixth, spin the loop and wrap it around the WS (be sure to stroke the fibers after each turn).   Seventh, apply a generous amount of Flashabou by securing the Flashabou at its middle and doubling it over.  Be sure that the Flashabou extends all around the hook shank and completely covers the arctic fox (like a dress, although I'm not sure that's where the name came from).  Eighth, wrap the mallard feather forward so that the fibers slope back toward the hook.  Finally, tie on the eyes using a figure-eight wrap.

The Story
A few months ago, I came across this fly while looking over the online fly shop www.flyfishusa.com.  The website includes the fly's story and a how-to video, which is worth checking out.  Then, I got a shot of the fly in action while watching Scott Howell's new video Skagit Master II - also worth checking out.  In short, the fly was designed by Scott Howell and is, essentially, the fly fisherman's spoon.  The fly is bright with lots of movement.  Moreover, the fly is fairly simple to tie and invites adaptation.  Since it is made from synthetic materials the color combinations are endless.  I tied this particular fly in glow - thinking about bright early-run king salmon.  However, all silver is a logical choice.  How about fire-tiger? Or, gold with an orange back? I'm looking forward to swinging a few of these through the favorite tail out.

Tight Lines.