Innholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2022 i Fly Fisherman

LET’S TALK ABOUT GEORGE DANIEL, THE GUY ON THE COVER OF THIS MAGAZINE. HE’S THE LEAD INSTRUCTOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE FLY-FISHING PROGRAM AT PENN STATE, THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES TO OFFER THIS CURRICULUM. THE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED BY GEORGE HARVEY IN 1934, AND IT BECAME ACCREDITED AND HAS BEEN OFFERED CONTINUOUSLY SINCE 1947. Because he started the first postsecondary fly-fishing curriculum, and went on to teach at Penn State for more than 40 years, Harvey was known as “the dean of American fly fishing.” In an age of face-to-face teaching (pre-Internet) Harvey taught 35,000 people how to fly fish in his classes at Penn State and at seminars abroad. He wrote one book and just a few magazine articles, but his flies, leader design, and slack-leader…

THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER NEAR THE TINY HAMLET OF DECKERS IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THE BEST TROUT FISHERIES IN THE UNITED STATES. ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO TWO MAJOR CITIES (DENVER AND COLORADO SPRINGS), STUNNING GEOGRAPHIC LOCALE, EASY ACCESS, WILD TROUT, AND CONSISTENT YEAR-ROUND FISHING ARE WHAT SEPARATE THIS WORLD-CLASS STREAM FROM ALL THE OTHERS. TOSS IN THE HUGE UPSWING IN FISH NUMBERS IN RECENT YEARS, AND YOU REALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT. WITH THIS KIND OF ACCESSIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITY, THIS STRETCH OF RIVER CAN BE QUITE CROWDED DURING FAIR WEATHER MONTHS, BUT BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND MARCH IT’S A DIFFERENT, QUIETER PLACE WITH FAR FEWER PEOPLE. WINTER WATER In the winter, choosing the right location and water type can make or break your success. It’s important to stay away from…

IN THE FLY-FISHING WORLD, WE HAVE FAR MORE THEORIES THAN ABSOLUTE TRUTHS. WE PASS ALONG OUR TACIT KNOWLEDGE OF TACTICS AND FISH BEHAVIOR TO ONE ANOTHER TO SHARE INSIGHTS, APPROACHES, AND THEORIES AS TO WHY ONE METHOD WORKS WHILE THE OTHER DOESN’T. BUT SINCE NO ONE SHARES THE EXACT SET OF EXPERIENCES, OPINIONS VARY GREATLY, AND THE OVERALL ANGLING COMMUNITY AGREES ON FEW CONCEPTS. However, there is one concept that is widely accepted by almost all anglers—a fly, lure, or bait moving in a vertical plane (up and down) entices more strikes. Known as vertical jigging, a lure swimming upward or falling downward is one of the deadliest tactics for any species, and that’s true in fresh and salt water. The word “jig” means “a lively dance,” which is fitting,…

CARP FISHING USED TO BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE LAUGHED ABOUT. CARP WERE CALLED TRASH FISH AND USUALLY THROWN UP ON THE BANK WHEN THEY WERE ACCIDENTALLY CAUGHT BY US ELITIST TROUT ANGLERS. THEN, IN 1997 BRAD BEFUS, BARRY REYNOLDS, AND JOHN BERRYMAN PUBLISHED THE BOOK CARP ON THE FLY. AND IN 1998, DAVE WHITLOCK WROTE “STALKING THE GOLDEN GHOST” IN FLY FISHERMAN MAGAZINE AND REVEALED THAT HE’D BEEN FLATS FISHING FOR CARP FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. SLOWLY BUT SURELY, FLY FISHING FOR CARP BEGAN TO GET THE ATTENTION IT DESERVED. It doesn’t take many dedicated fishing days to realize that carp are definitely not pushovers, and can be every bit as crafty and wily in shallow water as a brown trout or bonefish. They spook at the slightest flaw…

JACK’S KNOT George Daniel’s story “Faster Knots” in the June-July 2021 issue was excellent, but you should take another look at Jack’s knot. I wrote you about it in 2012, you mentioned it in your June-July 2012 issue, and since then it has also appeared in Trout magazine and in the Orvis News. As Daniel pointed out, tying knots quickly and efficiently keeps your fly in the water longer and improves your overall success. Jack’s knot is strong and also takes about five seconds to tie. It is just as good in 7X as it is in 20-pound-test and stronger material, and it works equally well with nylon and fluorocarbon monofilaments. I believe it’s the best knot for adding droppers as it can easily be tied “in the air” without…

THE MENOMINEE RIVER IS A MAJESTIC WILDERNESS RIVER SITUATED IN NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. THROUGH MUCH OF ITS COURSE, IT WINDS THROUGH DENSE PINE FORESTS WITH DRAMATIC ROCK OUTCROPPINGS, CASCADING FALLS, LONG RUNS, AND DEEP POOLS. IT HAS PRODUCED SUCH ABUNDANT FISH AND WILDLIFE THAT NATIVE AMERICANS MADE IT THEIR HOME FOR MORE THAN 4,000 YEARS. The Menominee forms the border between Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and while it has faced adversity brought about by logging, paper, and energy industries over the years, what remains today is a stunning landscape and resilient watershed that produces healthy, naturally reproducing populations of smallmouth bass from the top of the watershed to the bottom. The Badger State, and northern Wisconsin in particular, is well known for its lakes and rivers. So, what makes the…

I’ve guided the South Platte River near Deckers for the past three decades, so I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the trout populations and overall health of the stream. Over the past three years my catch rates on guide trips and personal days on the river indicate there is a substantial uptick in brown trout populations. I recently reached out to Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) to see what they had to say. Their recent electroshocking data confirms my hypothesis. CPW surveys two different stretches of river near Deckers—one above town and the other a third of a mile below. The end result is that the trout populations have been on a steady rise since 2010, despite an increase in fishing pressure. Catch-and-release works! The most…

A WORD FOR “LEECH” CAN BE FOUND IN ALMOST EVERY LANGUAGE ON EARTH. THAT’S BECAUSE THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. LEECHES ARE AQUATIC WORMS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE ANNELID (RINGED OR SEGMENTED WORMS) PHYLUM, AND ARE FOUND ON EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT ANTARCTICA. THIS MAKES LEECHES EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN FLY FISHING, AS IT IS ALWAYS LEECH SEASON. WHETHER YOU ARE FISHING A LAKE OR RIVER, IN HIGH OR LOW WATER, WINTER OR SUMMER, THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE YOU CAN MIMIC THIS COMMON FOOD SUPPLY AND CATCH FISH. Some leech species can grow up to 18 inches long and live as long as 20 years. That sounds like something from a horror movie. Thankfully, most of the leeches of interest to fly fishers live in fresh water and are commonly ½ inch…

1 Begin by cutting two precisely measured 4mm pieces of lead wire. Start the 70-denier thread about an eye length behind the hook eye and attach the lead pieces to the direct top of the hook shank with several firm wraps of thread. Once the wire is anchored, whip-finish and clip the 70-denier thread, and apply head cement to the thread wraps. 2 Start the 140-denier thread at the back of the lead pieces, then move it to the front. Attach the beadchain eyes using a series of x-wraps and by wrapping around the base of the eyes. You want to build a bit of thread around the eyes to clean up the head area. Once the eyes are firmly locked in place, whip-finish the 140-denier thread and clip. 3…

DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER SHANNON VANDIVIER AND HIS TEAM AT COLD COLLABORATIVE PARTNERED WITH THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF FLY FISHING, COSTA, AND SIMMS TO CREATE THE FILM MIGHTY WATERS, A 17-MINUTE DOCUMENTARY THAT TELLS THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ANSIL SAUNDERS, A LEGENDARY BIMINI BONEFISH GUIDE. MIGHTY WATERS WAS SELECTED FOR THE 2021 F3T FILM TOUR AND THE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL, AND HAS WON THE SOCIAL AWARENESS AWARD PRESENTED BY THE WASATCH MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL. “ANSIL SAUNDERS IS ONE MAN WHO LIVES ON A TINY ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS, YET HIS VOICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVIL RIGHTS CAN STILL BE FELT THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY TODAY,” SAID JOHN FRAZIER OF SIMMS, ONE OF THOUSANDS WHO HAS FISHED WITH SAUNDERS IN BIMINI. “HE’S LIVING PROOF THAT PROFOUNDLY POSITIVE IMPACTS CAN COME FROM THE SMALLEST…

AT HIS VERY CORE RICHARD MAY IS A FLY FISHERMAN. NOT THE KIND WHO DABBLES HERE AND THERE OR TAKES ONE OR TWO TRIPS A YEAR, BUT THE KIND WHO SLEEPS IN HIS CAR TO CATCH THE EVENING RISE AND BE ON THE STREAM FOR THE MORNING BITE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE SHOWS UP. THE KIND OF FLY FISHERMAN WHO SHOWS A UNIQUE DEDICATION TO THE CRAFT AND APPLIES ENERGY AND THOUGHT TO CONSTANTLY HONE HIS SKILLS. THE KIND WHO MASTERFULLY THROWS A HOME-TIED FLY ON A BAMBOO ROD FAR UPSTREAM AND LANDS IT IN THE LANE OF A SINGLE FEEDING TROUT ON A CRYSTAL-CLEAR SPRING CREEK. May is obsessed with catching fish, and makes multiple trips a year to places like New Zealand and British Columbia that are known for…

LEARNING THE ROPES AT FISHCAMP In the Feb.-Mar. 2021 issue, author Herb Miller wrote the story “The Color of Fly Fishing,” and in that same issue, The Fly Shop, Redington, RIO, and Fly Fisherman started an annual Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship offered a complete set of fly-fishing apparel and tackle, travel expenses, and a week at The Fly Shop’s FishCamp at Antelope Creek Ranch in Northern California. There are already dozens of other scholarships in the U.S. intended to get kids involved and educated in fly fishing, but this was aimed specifically at minority youth who might not otherwise have an opportunity to become fly fishers. For the first quarter of 2021, Fly Fisherman accepted dozens of nominations for the award, and finally decided on Te-geen Lee Albers of Orleans,…

Hook: #12-18 Umpqua XC400BL BN or Umpqua XT500 Thread: 8/0 UNI-Thread. Bead: Black slotted tungsten bead (2.3-3 .2mm) Body: Black/green/root beer UV Krystal Flash. Wing: Black/olive/brown micro pine squirrel or micro mink Collar Black/brown/olive ostrich herl (large). These tying steps are excerpted from the new book Landon Mayer’s Guide Flies: Easy-to-Tie patterns for Tough Trout (Stackpole Books, 2022). 1 Slide the slotted tungsten bead with the small opening facing the eye of the hook and the slotted opening toward the bend. Clamp the hook in the vise and start your wraps behind the bead. 2 Build a runway of thread behind the bead a quarter the length of the hook shank. This will help keep the bead in place. 3 Bend a 6-inch piece of Krystal Flash around the thread…

A TROUT EATING A DRY FLY IS A MARVEL—A LITTLE WONDER THAT BECOMES ORDINARY WHEN PRESENT EVERY DAY. BY THE END OF MAY, I FIND MYSELF RELEASING BROOK TROUT WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THEIR COLORS. HOOKING THEM, THEN STRIPPING LINE WITHOUT WATCHING THE FISH FLASH LIKE LIGHT BETWEEN BIRCH LEAVES. I watch dad’s fly disappear at the head of the riffle, replaced by the small flash of a brook trout retreating back under the rock it darted from. He brings the struggling brookie closer, its moss-green back bending in an effort to escape the pinch, and the pressure leading it downstream to the two human shapes standing on the bank. But a new marvel, a bigger fish, intercepts the hooked brookie on its path toward us. The brown trout’s impressive…