What a great day to be out fishing

The weather has warmed up and it is a great day to be out fishing. Ants are going to be the go to fly right now. For some reason trout love them. I would also recommend having some unweighted foam beetles. Get out and enjoy this great weather and fishing while it lasts.

My Favorite Fly-fishing Reel

I have to say that my favorite fly reel is an antique automatic that was my great-grandfathers. What makes it even more unique is that I still have braided nylon fly line that is still good on it and I have more stashed away.
The reason I love to use it is first that it means a lot to me to have it. Secondly, I like to play the fish while holding the line rather than reeling it in like I was bait or spinner fishing. I know that you can't do that if the fish is too big but as I don't do it with salmon or saltwater fishing I think I'm ok. I also really like to use the bamboo rod that he had as well. They are well balanced together and work great for me. I may not be able to cast as far as I would with newer equipment but as I am on smaller streams and rivers with a lot of cover I don't need to.

For Our Nations Heros

I have started a petition to allow disabled vets to hunt and fish for free. They have sacrificed and paid for it with more than money. Let them enjoy this nation that they worked to defend.

http://www.change.org/petitions/allow-disabled-veterans-to-hunt-and-fish-for-free

Fly of the Week

This week we are going to show a great summertime pattern that I love to use. I have caught more trout on it during the summers here than any other dry fly. I have several sizes that I like to carry. This is the Elk Hair Caddis.
Recipe:
Hook: size 10-20 dry fly
Thread: Tan
Hackle: palmered reddish to dark brown
Wing: cream or bleached elk hair

Fly of the Week

The Muddler Minnow. A great streamer for trout as it imitates the sculpin a favorite meal of large trout. It can be fished right along the surface and even used like a jig to test the deeper waters.
Recipe:
Hook: streamer sizes 2-14
Thread: 3/0 brown or black
Tail: matched Turkey quill slips
Overwing: matched Turkey quill slips
Body: Gold tinsel
Collar: Natural deer hair

Fly of the week

This fly has caught more fish and different types of fish then probably all other flies. This week its the Wooly Bugger. A fly for almost all conditions and waters. The biggest difficulty can be choosing the colors, the size, and the speed that you strip them. I have caught some of my biggest Brown and Rainbow Trout on these.
Recipe:
Hook: 5263BL, sizes 4-16 yes I do tie them that small.
Head:bead; size and color weight of your choice, or none.
Thread: to match abdomen or contrast. You can also add some flash if you want.
Rib: Gold wire if desired
Abdomen: Black chenille, white chenille, Brown chenille
Hackle: black or colored to match abdomen, palmered.

Tips: personally I like the black unweighted version as I can fish it like a leech or a small bait fish. I have also had good luck with a black and pink coloration on it as shown below.

Fly of the week

This is the start of our second month of the fly of the week. I hope you are enjoying them as much or more than I am. This week we have a very special fly that works great all year round. The first of our dry flies, the blue winged olive. A truly great fly that we have hatches of all year long.
Recipe:
Hook: 900bl sizes 14-22
Thread: Olive
Wing: Dark blue dun hackle tips, upright and divided
Tail: Dark blue dun hackle fibers
Abdomen: medium olive to brown olive superfine(adjust to match hatch)
Hackle: Dark blue dunn

The best way to fish these are to just lay them on the surface of the water and watch the fish come up and grab it. There is nothing like the feeling that comes from catching a fish on a fly you made.

Happy New Year

Here is to having a great new year and I hope you get some tight lines.