Spring Cleaning

I've had it! My piles have finally become so high that I can't stand them. Then they fall over, mixing the A,B,and C piles together. I haven't seen the cat for days, not since he was rubbing up against the "B" pile. Hmmmmm. I have been setting up an office area in the family room so I can still be around the family while I work. In the past, I would always bring in some work to do while watching TV with my wife and my son James. Then, I would intend to put the stuff back but it would generally get placed on a table and sorted into A,B, or C piles. The piles got higher and higher, and then I wouldn't see the cat for days. Now I have one place set up where I can be with the family while I write, tie flies, and work on the computer for business "paperwork" and my consulting business. Of course, there is a dedicated area for the A,B, and C piles.
The next step is to clean out the garage. My wife said that if the garage was COMPLETELY cleaned out and organized, she would support my wish to put up a building in back to hold all my entrepreneurial acitivities. It will be a faux log cabin, barn style, with a storage loft (attic) above. Lots of workbench space, and a lounge area for friends and customers to relax. Of course the mandatory refrigerator/freezer, microwave, and sink will have to be set up. Windows and a skylight will bring in natural light, and the air conditioner and propane heat will keep it comfortable in summer and winter. On the front of the building will be a dutch door and a sliding glass door. It will have a nice shady front porch with chairs, railings, and maybe a rocker. Fifteen feet across the lawn, along the fence line, will be an artificial waterfall and stream. Bluegill will inhabit the water feature, and maybe some catfish.

Two Days at Big Tree Lake

Fished Big Tree Lake again Friday and Saturday. On the water around 11 and off by 4 or 5. Temps are changing enough that I feel I need ot arrange my scheduling for more early or late fishing. I am missing the hatches. Sporadic fish making splashy rises. On Friday one pontoon boater caught 4 on Black Wooly Buggers with a little flash on them. The other three or four on the lake each managed to catch at least one, using a light blue dun emerger that flew from my vise a couple of weeks ago. I am calling it an OFC Midge. On Saturday I expected a huge crowd on the lake. Just me, my guest, and two others in float tubes. We caught a few each, but the others on the lake got skunked. They were fishing Wooly Buggers. I honestly tried to find some other way to catch fish, but either the flies or my technique weren't up to the task. I finally went to the OFC Midge fished wet and still had no luck. I was in the pontoon boat, bobbing around in 78 degree windless conditions, trying to write and trying to stay asleep....I mean awake, and my rod tip dove for the bottom of the lake. I missed that strike. To be sure that that action wasn't a fluke, I remembered that the OFC map of Big Tree claimed where I was at was 10 feet deep. Simple calculation.....71/2 foot leader, three feet of tippet..I had a couple of inches of fly line out the tip of the rod....little flip out, and let it dangle. Less than a minute went by and BAM! fish on! That technique worked for three nice fish, then the action ceased. It is probably important that I was moving around in the water as carefully as a fat 56 year-old man sneaking up on a chocolate cake. No oars, fins, or chocolate cake dangling in the water. If this works for you, remember me.

Hamlet's Fishing Trip

To fish, or not to fish, that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The wind and rain of outrageous fortune

Or to fish against a pond of troubles.

-William Shakespeare's fishing buddy

Monday was like that. Finding myself in Oregon City already, I was torn. 15 minutes to Marquam Hill Pond or 25 minutes to home (and a hefty to-do list). The weather was lousy and not expected to improve, but the pontoon boat WAS in the back of the truck.

The pond looked bigger than I remembered. Memories are like that sometimes.....or was it because the fishing platform was under six inches of water? Light intermittent rain and gusty winds were my constant, but unwelcome companions. From the southern end of the pond, the wind pushed me along, allowing me to "drift fish" the structure along the west side. The surface of the pond was devoid of anything but wind chop. If flies were hatching, they weren't on the surface long enough for me or the fish to see them. There were no splashy rises to indicate fish chasing emergers. Off-color water and no observable insect activity called for a subsurface something that fish could find....a Wooly Bugger or some "secret something". My secret something is a Brush Bugger. It's an efffective variation on the good 'ol Wooly Bugger.

Brush Bugger - Rabbit fur as a collar hackle adds movement. If using a Bunny Brush, the rabbit is very dense and actually bulks up when wet and pulsing in the water. A heavy head gives a head-bobbing attitude with a twitching retrieve that also causes the rabbit hackle to move enticingly

Hook: 2x - 4x long nymph or streamer hook (Mustad 9671, 9672, or 79580)
Head: Bead or cone, light or heavy, metal, glass, or plastic, gold, silver, black, or colored
Thread: 3/0 to match collar hackle or black
Tail: Marabou to match body
Tail Flash: Krystal Flash to match body
Body: Chenille, dubbing, or dubbing brush (black, brown, olive, white)
Body Hackle: To match body
Body Flash: To match or contrast body (blood red for subdued color, neon or glow in the dark for very discolored water)
Collar Hackle: Bunny Brush, rabbit that is hand twisted on a wire, or in a dubbing loop
Optional: Rattle chamber (most effective in discolored water) and/or a weed guard

Casting a white Brush Bugger up against the structure drew one strike, resulting in a gorgeous bigger-than-I-deserve rainbow being released with a smile and a thank you. A thank you for being nice enough to take my streamer when all his peers insisted on being totally rude. Constant wind and rain is only an inconvenience if you are catching fish. In this case, however, the conditions provided a good reason to pack up and head home. This was only my second trip to Marquam Hill Pond. I caught absolutely nothing the first time I fished here. This trip was an improvement, but not a significant one. I will wait for some hot weather to bring out the bugs and get the bass to moving. Until then.

Lower Colton Pond

This is an OFC property I don't fish much. It is close to my favorite fishing spots, Big and Little Tree Lakes, so I have no excuse. I just have been in a Big Tree rut and not fishing other properties nearly as much as I could or should. The OFC president, CEO, CFO, and guy who lives on a trout and bass lake (I am NOT jealous...really....no, really) had mentioned that some members are in a Colton Ponds rut. Since they and I are in the rut I did something about it.

The geese took no notice as I parked in the grass next to the pond. As I approached the fishing platform at the edge of the pond, geese began to paddle around nervously. The geese were cool to watch, but those splashes all over the pond were trout, not geese. Splashy rises are generally indicative of fish chasing prey to the surface. The prey were rising rapidly to the surface from the pond's muddy bottom. Black chironomids work great in Big and Little Tree Lakes. Black chiros would obviously be my first imitation to try. Not a hit. Every technique in my bag of tricks was used. Not a hit. Dry imitations. Not a hit. Scuds. Not a hit. Wooly Buggers and Brush Bunnies. You guessed it....Not a hit. A long-handled aquarium net emerged from my pontoon boat's left pocket. Bending over to sample the water hoping to find whatever the trout were chasing to the surface, I saw, right in front of me, an adult size 18 chironomid. A gently positioned finger was welcomed as a way to get away from the voracious trout. As the insect crawled over my finger I noticed its overall blue-gray color which didn't surprise me. The body however, was different from other chiros I had found in OFC lakes. The front one-third was a beautiful medium olive and the rear two-thirds was the expected gray-black of other chiros. All I had was black or olive, no combos. I did have some light blue duns in a size 18. Again, the trout refused to take a dry. I examined the fly. What could I do to make it look like an emerger? The light bulb that went off might have spooked a few fish, but was worth the chance. I pulled the wings off. I pulled and pressed the dry hackle toward the rear of the fly to sweep it back wet fly style. After tying the fly back on the 6X tippet, into my mouth it went. A careful soak in saliva (makes it sink immediately) and I casted to the edge of the shorline structure, an area of partially submerged brush next to a fishing platform adjacent to the outlet of the pond. A ten-count got the fly down and then I began slowly and sharply twitching the fly to the surface. The next hour and a half were so much fun. I lost count of the two, three, and four pound trout that came to my boat. This was a great learning experience for me and I wanted to pass it along to you. Next time, and there WILL be a next time, I will have more of these dry flies and a LOT of the same pattern tied as an emerger. The addition of permanent markers will leave me totally prepared for any contingency......or, probably, until the next time I go fishing.

Twin Oaks Pond

My fishing buddy Trevor and I went to Twin Oaks Pond last week. He did the navigating. Yeah, you guessed it. We missed the turnoff to the ponds. The right turn finally made, and we only lost about 5 minutes of fishing time. We both fished the shallows with flies and never saw a fish. Spinners (single hook and barbless) didn't draw a bite shallow or deep anywhere in the pond. I was just about convinced that the pond was fished out. We had brought some worms to fish for catfish in the Tualatin River if it came to that so we gave those a try. I made a simple rig for worm fishing, barbless single hook on the bottom and a coupleof removable split shot two feet up the line. Tried worm and bobber in the shallows and in the middle of the pond. Nothing. Finally, the most boring fishing in the world unless bites come immediatley.......on the bottom, prop up the rod and watch the rod tip. Pepared myself to sit on the bench and wait 'till Trevor wanted to go. Cast out, let the rig sink to the bottom. Reel in the slack, prop up the rod and reel in slack again and wait forever to catch fish that aren't there. As soon as the worm got to the bottom the rod tip went tap, tap, tap. THERE ARE FISH IN HERE! Brought in a very nice rainbow in the 17 inch range. Yelled to Trevor and he re-rigged and started catching fish too. We caught fish for an hour and then it was time to leave. It's always rewarding to solve a fishing problem and turn a frustrating trip into a satisfying one. Every time this happens I learn. When I learn I become a better fisherman. As I become a better fisherman people benefit from my advice and finally I have someone else to pat me on the back......I threw my shoulder out last month doing it myself. This was my first trip to the pond and it's a cute little pond. An active small airport runway to the east and llamas across the fence to the west. A shaded picnic table, fishing platforms around the lake, parking close to the table, an outhouse with magazines and no toilet paper (always bring your own.....I left mine there for you to use), and Trevor squealing about the big fish that has just wrapped the line around the dock's leg. I vowed to return again soon. Conner and Kyle called today and tried to shame me into taking them fishing tomorrow....something about the last day of spring break and I still haven't taken them fishing. We leave at 9am.

Flyfishing Merit Badge Class

Last week I taught a 4 hour flyfishing merit badge class to six Boy Scouts . It's a wonderful opportunity to pass along flyfishing and fly tying skills to youngsters. Not all of them will catch the fire and continue to adult hood, but there are always a few. Through years of teaching these classes I have somehow managed to attract three fishing buddies that give me a call almost everytime there is a teacher planning day, spring break, or summer vacation to go fishing. Ten year old Trevor has continued on and comes to the house on Tuesdays to tie flies with me. We tie together for an hour and then he gets a half hour piano lesson from my wife. He is really sharp, and it's a lot of fun to watch the expressions and body language when he hooks a fish. It's a real hoot! It would be great to see him get good enough to tie at some sportsman's shows and expos. Last week we put our heads together and co-created a new pattern. It has been dubbed the Peterson Special. I wish I had a pic for you. The USB thingie to transfer pics from my camera to the computer gave out on me and I still have to get another. I will update pics in a new post soon.

I would be terribly remiss if I failed to mention the many individuals as well as industry wholesale and retail concerns that have donated tools, materials, and tackle at various times to assist me in my classes and I appreciate their assistance with all my being. I could not afford to offer this to the youth without you.

I have another class next saturday and look forward to that class as well.

March fishing

March 3 - 10am to 6:30pm - Big Tree / Little Tree Lakes
41 degrees air temp., 41 degrees water temp.
Cold, wet, windy, nasty day. Steady rain.
This time of year is prime chironomid time. The pupae seem to head for the surface when the air temp. reaches 50 degrees. There were sporadic splashy rises, indicative of fish chasing emergers. Unless there is a good hatch going on I prefer to drag or cast streamers (white, brown, or black Bunny Brush Baitfish) and Wooly Buggers (white, black, brown, or olive with a little flash). Tried a new Woolly Bugger color, black with red flash along the sides. Let's just say I need to tie up some more. Caught innumerable fish on Woolly Buggers, all about 17 inches. On successive casts from the fishing platform just south of the pontoon boat launch, I caught a couple of hold over fish estimated to be about 6 and 8 pounds respectively on a white Bunny Brush Rainbow Trout streamer.

March 13 - 10am to 3:30pm - Big Tree / Little Tree Lakes
56 degrees air temp.
Cold, wet, windy. Rain showers, wind, and rough water separated by periods of Sun, no wind, and glassy water.
When the weather was nasty there were sporadic rises and a rising black chiro pupa or #18 Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear worked well. When everything calmed down, the glassy surface of the lake was well covered by a #16 cinnamon colored mayfly. The topwater action was really fun. Later in the day a hatch of chiros joined the cinnamon mayflies. These new participants in the hatch were #20 extremely light blue dun, practically light gray, adult chironomids. The fish had seemed to switch from the mayflies to the chiros. A #20 Griffith's Gnat seemed to be the go to fly.

March 15 - 10am to 4pm - Big Tree / Little Tree Lakes
50 degrees air temp.
Fishing was very tough unless you had exactly the right fly and fishing technique. Nothing else worked except black chiro pupae rising off the bottom. I had one black chiro. I was fishing it below a bead head prince nymph. As the flies headed for the surface a fish apparently came up from under the flies. When I landed the fish I was amazed. Deep in its throat, farther down than I could reach with my forceps without damaging the fish, I saw the prince nymph. Somewhere below that had to be the chiromonmid pupa. Retrieve the last black chiro I had and kill the fish, or cut it loose. Well folks, if you need a black chiro pupa, just catch the right fish. He might be near the south shore of the northern most island.
A fellow club member and fisherman that lives 5 minutes from the lake....wouldn't that be just terrible?.....had the perfect setup and technique for fishing the chiro hatch. Sink tip line and #10 bead head Hare's Ear with a #12 black chironomid trailer. I think the Hare's Ear is there for the weight, getting the chiro pupa down fast. He casts out thirty feet or so and lets the flies get to the bottom. Then he slowly backs his pontoon boat. This causes the flies to rise off the bottom and head for the surface just as the real chironomids are.

Clark Skamania Fy Fishers Tie-ins

On tuesdays at the Washington State Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Clark Skamania has a room reserved for whoever wants to to come in and tie and watch others tie specific patterns. March 11 we tied Muddler Minnows, and March 18 we will be tying salt water flies. A great opportunity to rub elbows with fellow tyers in a relaxed atmosphere and listen to some good fish stories. Several of us also bring in surplus materials to had out to those in attendance.

Clark Skamania Fly Fishermen Fly Tying Lessons

For five or six weeks, usually the last week in february through the end of march, the Clark Skamania Fly Fishing club offers their introduction to fly tying classes on thursdays at 7pm, at Fronier Middle School. Class members get to use club tools and materials. Every week they have a different instructor, so they get to see the techniques taught with a little different twist from each instructor. I generally teach the final class. This year I will teach how to tie a Muddler Minnow and a spun deer hair bass bug. At the FFF NW Expo a pretty young lady sat down at my demo table and said "Hi, Rod!" I had no clue who this was, and I am not senile enough not to remember someone that looks like that that claims to know me. "It's me, Kelly, from the fly tying class." I asked her to turn around and let me see her from the back...the back of her head. She did, and yes, I did recognize her then. You see, I assist the tyers in the fourth row of the classroom. There are a couple of women in the third row, but I had never seen their faces....just the back of their heads. Hence the turn around and then I recognized her bit. We enjoyed visiting, and it turns out she also happens to be a new member of the Stonefly Maidens. She was present at their table for the dinner and auction. She also spent a lot of time talking with Brian O'Keefe.....he is old, but in great shape and dresses well. I think if any flirting went on, it came from Brian....that old dog....I am sooo jealous Brian....insert "lol" here. It is interesting having women taking a fly tying class. We have 5 in our class, I think. Two weeks ago, they all missed class because they were out together getting their hair done. That type of activity is rare in an all guy fly tying class.

2008 Pacific Northwest Sportsmen's Show

A very big show. Tons of everything for hunting and fishing. My favorite item was a $90,000 jet boat. Big enough to live on, with a 5 seat totally enclosed weatherprof cockpit. The cockpit (or bridge) had so much room a person could live in there. That feature is convenient because if I brought it home, my wife would insist that I move out of the house and into the boat. This year O'Laughlin shows had a nice fly tying demonstration area. Room for six featured fly tyers along one side of a 24 person fly tying theater. The theater has guest expert tyers scheduled for one hour demonstrations throughout the run of the show. I had one session in the video theater and the rest of the time I was at a demonsration table showing people how to make and use my fur and feather brushes. I am the only one making and selling them that I know of. The only problem with the brushes is that very few people know how they are used because the product is not just another of a particular type of material that people are familiar with. My brushes are unique to the tying world and once a person sees what they can do they are generally impressed at what can be done with them. Another great opportunity to learn from some of the best tyers around the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

2008 Federation of Fly Fishermen Northwest Fly Tying Expo

There are two fly tying events in the Pacific Northwest that the professional and regionally famous fly tyers love to participate in and the fly tying public can't wait to attend. One of them is this Expo held in Albany, OR at the Linn County Fairgrounds the second weekend in March. Great venue, low cost to attend, and a great opportunity to learn tips and techniques from some of the most innovative tyers in the U.S. as well as from excellent tyers just tying 'fishin' flies". The other event is the Bamboo Rod Fair in Sisters, OR in July, which I will write about in another post. Every fly tyer learns something from the Expo. Attendees should bring a camera, notebok and pencil, and a container to put flies in. The approximately 150 tyers demonstrating their skills are there to answer your questions, show you cutting edge techniques, and in most cases, hand out the flies they tie for you. Pick a fly genre and you will find numerous tyers demonstrating how they tie them. There seems to be more Atlantic Salmon fly tyers every year. Those flies are absolutey gorgeous. It takes years to become an expert, but simple patterns are out there. If given enough time and enough money to buy the exotic materials any experienced tyer can tie one, although there are also special techniques for processing and tieing with these materials that will require you to find further instruction. For those of us that are considered featured tyers the Expo is a chance to renew friendships, shake a hand or two, and exchange hugs (there are some very good lady tyers as well). I got to see most of my fly tying buddies this year. Henry Hoffman (one of the nicest people on the planet), Jim and Donna Teeny tieing the famous Teeny Nymph, Mike Marchando, Joe "bead man" Warren, Don Abing (and his ever-present chihuahua), Steve Brocco, Kieth Burkhart, Lee Clark (Clark's Stonefly), Hal Gordon (atlantic salmon flies), Skip Hosfield, Alec Jackson, Gene Kaczmarek, Harry Lemire, Jackson Leong (realistic flies.....his butterflies have been known to fly away and actually mate), Ronn Lucas, Dave and Katie McNeese, John Shewey, Preston Singletary, Curt Stutzman (tied flies for my shop back in 1977...he is very very old), Gene Stutzman, Marc Williamson (another one of the nice guys....a role model whether he likes it or not), and Rich Youngers.
After the expo is over there is a banquet and live auction. There are always beautiful fly plates, rods and reels, guided trips, and best of all, a membership to the Oregon Fishing Club. At the banquet, at a table of their own, were the Stonefly Maidens, an all female fly fishing club that supports breast cancer survivors and raises money to teach women to fly fish. It seems to be rather easy for them to get fantastic items to raffle off as fundraisers. It never hurts to have a bunch of pretty women as friends, and I am really priveledged to know them. They are pretty good fisherpeople as well. I have the opportunity to spend a few hours on the Metolious River with them. I was invited t sit at their table for the banquet and auction, and we were the loudest table in the room. Good people, lots of laughs.....even if my masculinity was challenged by the aucitoneer for sitting with "the girls"....over the microphone, I might add! A very nice Friday and Saturday, looking forward with great anticipation to next year. All in all, a great tying show. Don't miss it next year.

Flash Bunny Bugger

I have mentioned the Flash Bunny Bugger in previous postings on this blog. I figured I should put in the pattern discription.

Hook: 2x or 3x long wet fly hook in various sizes. I generally tie them in sizes 4-8, but have tied them from size 18 to 3/0. In larger sizes, you don't need a long hook shank. I even go to 2x short hooks on Bunny Buggers above a size 4.

Head: Many options here - bare thread, cone (choose color, style, and material), or bead (choose color, style, and material)

Thread: 3/0 or 6/0 black. Some tyers use a particular color to indicate the sink rate that has been built into the fly.

Weight: None or lead wire/non-toxic wire in your choice of diameter/sink rate. Weight the entire length of the hook, or for more action, just use thorax weighting.

Weed Guard: One length of monofilament. Tie in at the mid-point of the hook, on top of the hook, and continue wrapping the thread back and down the bend of the hook to a point just above the hook point. Be sure to maintain the position of the mono on top of the hook. After the rest of the fly is tied, you bring the mono forward and through the eye of the hook. Use thread to secure the mono on the underisde of the hook just behind the eye of the hook. Trim close and super glue. If necessary for a clean look, use a cautery tool to very carefully melt the tag end of the mono that may be sticking out from under the thread. The heat from the tool can easily burn your thread and your fly will explode as the thread quickly unravels. You can use clear or colored mono. Mono, even colored mono, does a great job of disappearing in the water. Red is a great fish-attracting color. It may look like blood from an injured fish. Mono to match the body color looks great on a finished fly and catches fishermen when buying flies. I generally use 30#, really cheap mono. Even among cheap brands of mono, the stiffness varies between brands. Find what you need in stiffness as to brand and breaking strength and stick with it. Different conditions may call for different strengths of mono. If I am fishing bass in heavy wood cover, the 30# or 40# mono is needed. If I just want to discourage weeds from fouling the hook, 20# or 30# will get the job done without reducing hookups from less agressive fish like trout and panfish.

Tail: Zonker strip tied in long (two inches). Tail can then be trimmmed to whatever length you prefer. I find that I prefer long unless fish start striking short.

Tail Flash: Crystal flash (5 pieces) extending 1/2 inch beyond hook bend. I generally match the tail color. The fly pattern calls for either just tail flash tied in after tieing in the tail, or, after wrapping body, tie the flash fibers in at the collar of the fly and pull the free ends over the back and extending past the bend of the hook where teh fibers are tied down at the usual tie in point and then trimmed to the desired length.

Body: Chenille (solid color, variegated, or flash....fine, medium, or large) or dubbing, to match or contrast with tail color. If you use dubbing it is easier to use the sewing needle method to attach rubber legs.

Rubber Legs (or not): If used, color to match or contrast with the body. Either tie in before wrapping body using the figure-eight technique, or use Whitlock's sewing needle method after the body is tied in.

Palmering: Bunny Brush - Rabbit fur taken from the skin, placed between two wires, then twisted. This material is the very best way to palmer rabbit fur on any fly, especially here, where the rabbit fur is used in place of hackle. More movement, more fish....simple equation.

By coincidence, I just happen to be the manufacturer, wholesaler, and one of the retailers of these fantastic products....lol. Just let me know if you are interested.

Collar "Hackle": Two or three turns of Bunny, Mink, Finn Raccon, Arctic Fox, or Marabou Brush to match or contrast body color. Pull the material back with a lot of force to get it to lay down "wet fly style". If you need more of a swept back angle, wrap a few turns of thread over the materialwhile pulling it back with a lot of force.

Took Guests Out to Some OFC Lakes

Saturday morning I took a friend, his two boys, and his brother in-law out fishing. We started out at Margaret Lake and Pond. The boys were fishing with PowerBait and bobber from the fishing dock on the North side of the lake. They got lots of bites, but form where I was standing it looked like they had too much PowerBait on the hook. It was a pretty good-sized gob of sparkly chartreuse and I think the hook point was having a hard time getting through that bait to ever hook a fish. I don't remember the brother-in-law's name.....I will just call him "the guy" in this post. They guy and I were fishing flies in the NE corner of Margaret Lake. I gave him a size 8 olive flash bunny bugger and I fished the same, but mine had a rabbit strip tail. I was taking my time getting ready, pretty content to watch everyone else for a while at least. He had four hits within three feet of shore in as many casts, but couldn't hook the fish. He was getting frustrated. I couldn't stand just watching any longer. Besides, I wanted to show him how to "get it done". First cast and a 13 inch rainbow. On the next cast he finally hooked one and instead of trying to play the fish he turned and ran away from the lake, dragging a 13 inch rainbow behind him. Just as the fish cleared the water, the hook pulled out and he pounced on the fish. We had a good laugh and the fish was successfully released. I told him when he backs away from the lake like that he should have a beeper going. Like the garbage truck that intrudes on my neighborhood each week. Everytime it backs up.....beep......beep......beep....beep.

I managed to catch two fish and he had the one he winched out. We eventually headed over to Big Tree / Little Tree Lakes. All five of us fished Little Tree for an hour. We saw enough casually rising fish to keep us fishing, but no follows or hookups. I had been fishing flies the entire time, but now I switched over to a silver bladeed, yellow-bodied Panther Martin Spinner and crossed over to Big Tree Lake at the fishing dock adjacent to Little Tree Lake. Two casts in the area of the dead trees to the left of the dock yielded twin twenty inch rainbows that fought extremely well. One of them jumped clear of the water five times immediately after being hooked. The guy said "I've been to lakes all over Colorado and California and have never seen a lake as beautiful as Little Tree Lake". I agreed and looked around. I am sure a lucky person to be able to fish here and share the experience with others.

Getting in the Mood to Tie Flies

In a previous post I promised to start my fly tying for the year. Last night my friend Dave came over just to tie flies together and for some help with parachute flies and chironomids. That session got my tying juices flowing again. I left the tying stuff on the dining room table. I need to get some done right away before my wife orders me back out to the garage so I can mess up that floor instead of our carpet. I misplaced the catalytic heater head that makes it all comfy cozy out there......got to find it.....today? I also got out my fly boxes to sort through to make a list of what I needed to tie and to get the boxes organized. I need to get samples out to the fishing magazine product reviewers and too make sure I have enough flies to give away and sell at this year's sportsman's shows.

2 am and on the water

My friend Ken invited me to go steelhead fishing on the N. Fork of the Lewis River. He wanted to leave early, to be able to fish from a particular rock before someone else got there. I have always thought that early means 6am or so. Ken came to pick me up at 1am. A side trip to Wal-Mart for bait and tackle and we found ourselves on the water by 2am. Someone had taken Ken's rock already. They claimed to have been fishing all night. As I was rigging up my fly rod, several other people drove in. It started to get a bit crowded. I didn't know the water and couldn't see the river too well by flashlight so I had to fish where I was sitting already. I was going to swing a fly, and when it was just me and Ken there was plenty of room. By the time I was rigged up there was no room to fly fish. I didn't have anything but a fly rod. I found a baitcasting reel in the bottom of my tackle bag. It needed line and I had a spool of 8# mono in the bag. I put the baitcasting reel on my 12 foot, 8 wt. spey rod. I rigged up for plunking and just sat there waiting. This is boring fishing, but it does work. It works every day except today. 2am, 40 degrees, 4 layers of thermal and windbreaking clothing, 1 pair of gloves and 1 pair of mittens, and it is pitch black. We fished for 3 hours without a touch. Ken reeled in to check his tackle. He casted out to the same spot he was in before. As soon as the corky and shrimp hit the water he connected with a 7 pound male silver. We called it quits soon after that. I get spoiled fishing the OFC private access river fishing sites and the lack of crowds and water that doesn't get pounded. It was still a great trip. Any time I can get out of doors, it is still better than staying home.