Streamer Dreamer, Return of Gear Porn

Thinking of going after those winter pigs?  Thinking of all those problems you had this year getting into position against banks, dead-fall, swift water?

Thinking trout spey?

Look. I know trout spey is the "hot" business. I know it is our fly fishing equivalent of chasing fireflies on a summer evening when you are six. I know technology does not solve problems.

Wait.

I have a Winston Boron IIIx 4wt. I have Wulff triangle taper lines (roll cast machines). I use Wotton SLF dubing.

Ok, maybe technology can contribute to the on-the-water experience. It isn't a substitute for competence but then, my mechanic uses more than a pair of vise grips and a hammer most days.

OPST: Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics.

OPST home.

These guys have micro-heads that seem to work for trout guys. Yea, I know.

"Heads" for "trout guys."

When did those words start coming together in a sentence?

I've spent time here these past four years improving my casting. I started using single-handed Spey techniques and found joy. Water I could access grew. Success on the water grew. Frequently, I could fish where I wanted instead of where the river conditions dictated.

I fish Michigan brush-piles -- er, rivers -- and not Colorado meadow streams.

Fast water. Deep water. Runs where I cannot get good footing (slippery clay). High banks. High banks with leaning brushy vegetation. These are all still problems.

I do think there is something that can help: OPST micro-skagit heads.

I'm going to try them. I'll let you know.

I'm buying several heads. I'll fish them on my fours (epoxy+boron and fiberglass), my fives (graphite, glass, and Hardy's epoxy and silica), and a big five/six (glass).  I won't use it on my cane. My collection I small (2) and I've protective of these bits of grass.

I do use a three frequently; but, I don't really need to change anything for the water on which I cast the three. It's fine as it is. YMMV.

I'll report. The super short head is attractive. 2018 might be a year of the swing -- streamers and soft-hackle teams. Still playing with that. Never too early to get a jump on next year.

I need a new seven.

I have two Sage sevens and both are two-piece rods -- wait, gave one away [ Trident ] and ... Look, I don't like graphite in two-piece. Seems hideously impractical. It's graphite, for dog's sake. It isn't anything like cane. Cut. It. Up.

Questions? I found a fellow to help answer some of them. Oliver Sutro seems to cover the basics quite nicely.

Listen for yourself.

Prost

Where Are They: Fish Porn

At left, copyright-free image for visual impairment.




I don't have a great deal of faith in video instruction. The lessons don't stick as well as does on-stream experience.

For the Amber Liquid guys who might have let their waders dry a little too long this summer, I offer this series from Orvis on the Sunday Fish Porn videos.

You could do worse than review these lesson segments.

Finding Trout.

Just about as instructive fo the "calm approach" technique, a lovely bit of brook trout hunting here:
Native Brook Trout from Derek Philippon on Vimeo.

Opener, and Fish Porn

At left, frontpate taken from the 1855 Art of Angling by Charles Bowlker. Interstingly, most of these flies are ones you know.

 No. 1. Red Fly. 2. Blue Dun. 3. March Brown. 4. Cowdung Fly. 5. Stone Fly. 6. Granam, or Green Tail. 7. Spider Fly. 8. Black Gnat. 9. Black Caterpillar. 10. Little Iron Blue. 11. Yellow Sally. 12. Canon, or Down Hill Fly. 13. Shorn Fly, or Maiiow Buzz. 14. Yellow May Fly, or Cadow. 15. Grey Drake. 16. Orl Fly. 17. Sky Blue. 18. Cadis Fly. 19. Fern Fly, 20. Red Spinner. 21. Blue Gnat. 22 & 23. Large Red and Black Ant 24. Hazel Fly, or Welshman's Button. 25. Little Red and Black Ants. 26. Whirling Blue. 27. Little Pale Blue. 28. Willow Fly. 29. White Moth. 30. Red Palmer.

Opener today. I went to the Huron and threw a little 4wt bamboo whose reel seat has just been replaced. She's a fine firm action. She'll do.

I then proceeded to fish for smallmouth with an 8wt swinging Mickey Finns on a two-inch-per-second versileader. One especially stupid 8" smallmouth took the fly.

All in all, great opener. I also needed the practice with the big rod and the Ambush line. Had a blast.

Below, fish porn. Especially nice fish porn, too. The trout chasing damsel flies must think they taste like chocolate chip cookies.

Great stuff. Happy spring.

Prost.

Damsels in Distress from Sharptail Media on Vimeo.

Brookies - UP

Today's fish porn edition features some pretty nice amateur video of a group fishing the heart of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 2013.

These are impressive brookies.

On my list is to make the trip to the Fox and the Two-Hearted, do the bushwacking, and have a Hemingway moment where you earn the fish through blood sacrifice to the bugs and brambles.

Brookies this size look to make that trip possible (that, and the fact I have a pretty respectable Driggs River clone).

Thanks for the video, guys. I enjoyed it.

Amber anglers will as well.

Prost.

Fly Fishing for Brook Trout in the heart of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from Into The Wild Fly Fishing on Vimeo.

Special Edition - Porn

Cam Mortenson over at The Fiberglass Manifesto turned me onto this in his blog post but for my Amber Anglers who don't spend all their days cruising fish sites, here it is:


The Redicooler (pronounced properly as the /rəˈdikyələr/). A fine piece of April Fool's that we can only hope comes true.


 We've all been wanting Yeti coolers. Here's the model to buy. Christmas is coming, boys.

Yes, I believe that is Oberon from Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan there in the last second grab. It's what I have in my side bag when fishing in summer (when I don't have Two Hearted).

That, Mr. Marketing, is brand awareness.

Prost.

Fish Porn - Yes, Porn

Above, an image of the painting Two Women Fishing by Daniel Ridgeway Knight (1839 - 1924).

I'm more than a fair student of art history  but I was unaware of Mr. Knight until finding this painting. Thanks to Wikicommons and the copyright expiration, we have it here to enjoy.

To the present owner - lovely acquisition. Congratulations!

Tenkara on a fertile stream! The marsh marigolds are a nice touch. Cold water.

I love fish porn.

The pair above even show ankles! Girls I know on the water are always clad head-to-toe in poly-something, Gore-Tex, or synthetic fleece complete with beanie or enormous ear-flapped headbands. Sexy beasts.

Fish porn is of course the modern fly fishing film. I guess with music video saturation, videographers turned to the next mega-market: fly fishing.

I don't like the slashing-action-jump-cut-high-five style of fish porn at all. I like beautiful settings, calm, patient fishing, and the reward of a fish even when small.

Today's selection below features Yvon Chouinard most probably known to you as a founder of the outdoor gear firm Patagonia. Disclaimer: I've no commercial interest in the firm. I do own a nice leisure rain jacket of their manufacture.

Mr. Chouinard is an evangelist for many things and apparently from this video an aficionado of Tenkara style fishing.

I just like that it's a video of an old guy outdoors enjoying himself and using very simple fishing techniques with a mix of equipment - Tenkara and modern fly rod - in a very instructive style.

I wish more now fly fishers were introduced to the sport in this simple and enjoyable close-contact manner rather than visiting a mega-retailer and sold a 85' casting broomstick.

I think I'd put an inexpensive soft-ish fiberglass rod, click-and-pawl reel, and admonition to not cast more than 35' on longish light leader for the first year of fly-fishing. I know I've erred in providing other advice to new fly fishers.

Should probably go to a hosted beginners class by a professional outfit just to see how proper instruction looks. I only know lots of "wrong" ways to start folks out. I'll get better, though.

Fish like a heron, first. Slowly. Calmly. Enjoy.

Like I know.

Here's the video. Enjoy. I certainly did.

Fish Porn

John Singer Sargent above: Two Girls Fishing. Hangs in Cincinnati, Eden Park.

Sunday edition will try and bring a special piece of fishing porn. Today's kick-off: an especially nice piece.

Now all we need is someone to film and someone who's college French still works.

Pecheur du Tarn

Prost.