Sharing My Passion for Fly Fishing

Some people believe I am obsessed with fly fishing, and they are not wrong.  I have reached a point where it is no longer just about catching fish.  It is about the serenity, the love of being in the wilderness, the challenge, the next adventure.  It has now also about the people I meet, the friendships I have made, and the stories that are told.

I have decided it is time to work towards sharing my passion with people who have never had the pleasure to try it.  For the novice, getting into fly fishing can be daunting.  What gear do I need?  How to cast?  What flies should I use?  Where should I go?  And many other questions.

In order to help with this, I have worked with the State of Idaho to develop a business model to allow me to teach fly fishing, ON THE WATER.  Many fly shops and organizations teach fly casting, on the grass, but I can now teach fly fishing on private property on the beautiful St. Joe River in North Idaho.

In a one day session, I will teach people the basics of rods, reels, lines, leaders, tippets and flies.  My clients will then get a beginning casting lesson, then we will hit the water.  The creek that runs through my property is the perfect place to continue to learn to cast, while learning to properly drift the fly and manage the fly line.  While on the water we will discuss fish behavior, how to read the stream, as well as a beginner lesson on entomology.  What kind of bugs are in the water.  How do fish feed on them, and how to imitate these bugs with artificial flies.

At some point, my clients and I will enjoy a barbecued lunch at my cabin.  I won't be trying to impress them with my cooking skills, but rather, having a conversation and becoming friends.

After lunch we will venture to the St. Joe river, and continue our fishing session.  On the bigger water, the chance of catching fish goes up significantly.  While fishing I will continue to work with the clients on their casting form, their drift and line management, and if all goes well, I will have the opportunity to teach them proper and safe handling of fish during catch and release.

If you are someone you know is interested in getting a taste of fly fishing, spending a day on the river, and hopefully catching some fish on a fly rod, please visit   https://kb2flyrods.wixsite.com/onthewaterflyfishing for more information.

Don't Believe Everything You Read

A while back I was reading John Mordock's book, Capturing Rogue Trout: Strategies of a Third Generation Fly Fishermen.  In one part he states that he has heard a myth that you should throw streamers during a hatch, and stated that this does not work.  When I read this, I thought, "well sure, why would you throw streamers during a hatch."

Yesterday I was on the St. Joe River trying to catch some early spring cutthroats.  Since it was April, the water was high and moving very swiftly.  It was difficult to find a good spot to get to the river that had fishy looking water.  I finally found a small jettie of boulders that created a nice back eddy on an outside corner.  I notice a few flies in the air that appeared to be March Brown Mayflies.  By the time I put on my waders and laced up my rod, the air began to fill with a swarm of flies.  Fish in the back eddy began working the surface and my excitement level began to rise.  I had many options in my fly box to match this hatch.  I began casting into the eddy and caught a nice cuttie on about the third cast. Then the hatch really took off. There was about 2 or 3 natural flies per square foot on the water.  Unfortunately with that many bugs on the water, it became difficult to get a fish to take my imitation.  I got several false strikes but no takers.  I tried several size and color variations but the result was the same, with that big of a menu, the fish did not even give the artificial fly much of a look.

With my frustration mounting, I remembered this myth that Mordock said didn't work.  I had nothing to lose as I could not get the fish to take my dry flies.  So I put the spool with the sink tip line on my Hardy Perfect, tied on a #10 bead head olive wooly bugger, and pitched it out into the current.  I let the streamer swing through the current into the back eddy and WHAM!  First cast, a nice 17" westslope cutthroat.

This was the one that hit on the first cast with the streamer

 I caught 5 more in the next 30 minutes.  I probably would have never thought to take that approach during such an impressive hatch had I not read the author stating that this does not work.

This is only one case where this approach worked, so I am not suggesting that it will always work, but I am suggesting that fishing is not a cut and dried affair.  Just because someone says "that won't work", or "you must do this" doesn't make it a fact.  Sometimes when something that should be working isn't, try a completely different approach, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Custom Fly Rod Components - Part 3 Get a Grip

While on most factory fly rods, the grip is just a shaped piece of cork to allow you to hold the rod easier.  They do come in several different shapes, Full Wells, Reverse Half Wells, Cigar, etc..., and different grades of cork, but they still are fairly plain and all similar.

The grip is one feature on my fly rods that I really like to make unique and one of a kind.  I use many different materials such as Elk Antler, exotic woods and other materials.

Elk Antler and Walnut Inlays

Changing the layout and look as well as the shape helps me add to the character of my customers personal fly rod.  Many times I have a discussion with the client about what they like, it might be they like dark wood finished furnishings, so I may choose a nice piece of burled walnut to accent the grip.

Burled Maple on a Full Wells Grip

If a customer is an elk or deer hunter, incorporating some antler into the grip would be their choice.  I am always looking and thinking about different materials and patterns to try.  

Hand Checkered Walnut

If you have an idea of what you think would make a great addition to your next fly rod, contact me and let's see what we can come up with.