Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2024 i Fly Fisherman

IN MARCH I WAS IN NEW ZEALAND, FISHING THE SOUTH ISLAND OUT OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S FINEST FLY-FISHING LODGES. IT WAS NEAR THE END OF THE SEASON, THE WATER WAS LOW AND CLEAR, AND THE FISH HAD BEEN PICKED OVER THROUGH MOST OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SUMMER. THE GUIDES AT OWEN RIVER LODGE ARE AMONG THE WORLD’S BEST, AND THEY PLAY AT WHAT I CONSIDER THE TOP TIER OF FLY FISHING FOR TROUT. We dressed in camouflage, hunting with our eyes, casting only at targets we could see, and most of our success came on the first cast. You had to do it right the first time—drag, an errant shadow, or even an unnatural fly pattern spooked the fish. We used 22- to 24-foot leaders as a starting point,…

THE EXCITEMENT OF SIGHT FISHING FOR STRIPED BASS ON THE FLATS HAS CAPTIVATED FLY FISHERMEN FOR DECADES. FOR MANY ANGLERS, THIS ENGAGING ALTERNATIVE FOR CATCHING STRIPERS SERVES AS THE GATEWAY TO AN ADDICTION TO ALL OF THE CHALLENGES OF FLATS FISHING ALL OVER THE WORLD. But by midsummer, stripers in the clear shallows become notably more difficult to catch—suddenly, they’re as tough as big bonefish. When they reach 20 pounds and larger, they present a permit-like challenge . . . and it stays this way until the end of the flats season in late September. In July, three phenomena simultaneously take hold that make fishing for stripers much more challenging than it was in May and June. In order of relevance, they are: elevated water temperature, accrued fishing pressure, and…

BY MANY MEASURES, IT’S THE ULTIMATE IN FLY FISHING FOR TROUT: CATCHING BIG FISH IN SMALL WATER ON DRY FLIES. THIS IS THE TRUE GLORY OF HOPPER SEASON. APART FROM THE NOTABLE STONEFLY HATCHES, HOPPER SEASON STANDS OUT AS A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PERIOD FOR ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANGLERS. AND WHILE LARGER RIVERS PRESENT FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES, TARGETING SMALLER STREAMS AND TRIBUTARIES CAN YIELD QUICK CATCHES AND OCCASIONALLY SURPRISINGLY LARGE TROUT. WATCH THE VIDEO: SEE AUTHOR JOSH BERGAN STALK TROUT IN TINY STREAMS DURING HOPPER SEASON. Grasshoppers (order Orthoptera), piscatorially known as “hoppers,” are terrestrial insects that inhabit grassy areas, meadows, and fields. Known for death-defying vaults and their propensity for haphazard belly flops, these insects play a significant role in the diet of trout from midsummer to the start of autumn. And they…

The West Branch of the Ausable River boasts a rich diversity of hatches throughout the fishing season, making it a prime destination for fly fishers seeking both challenges and rewards. Understanding the timing and characteristics of these hatches is an essential component of a successful experience on this renowned river. The hatches of the Ausable River vary seasonally, influenced by factors such as water temperature, weather conditions, and the river’s unique ecosystem. Generally, the fishing season begins in early May, coinciding with the emergence of spring hatches. These first hatches often include grannom caddis, Blue-winged Olives (Baetis), Quill Gordons, and most importantly Hendricksons. These mayflies erupt between the first and second week of May, and signal the start of prime fly-fishing opportunities. As spring settles over the Adirondacks, the hatches…

Sometimes lessons are hidden in the songs of birds, or in the way the evening sunlight touches and transforms the landscape. But in this case, my teacher was the river itself with its winding ways and the push and pull of its circuitous currents. The Llano River is born among the limestone springs of the far western Texas Hill Country. It meanders across the Llano Uplift where pink granite, feldspar, and quartz of volcanic origin prevail, and red-winged blackbirds sing from the cattails and fenceposts. This place, like all places on planet Earth, is both wild and feral. It contains hints of what once was before the arrival of humans, and glimpses of the ghosts of living beings that have vanished—both human and not. As I’m drifting down this living…

THIS STORY IS AN EXCERPT FROM BEAU BEASLEY’S LATEST BOOK HEALING WATERS: VETERANS’ STORIES OF RECOVERY IN THEIR OWN WORDS. THE BOOK CONTAINS 32 CHAPTERS. EACH CHAPTER IS THE STORY OF A SERVICE MEMBER, AND TELLS THE STORY OF HOW FLY FISHING CHANGED THEIR LIVES. A PORTION OF EACH BOOK SALE GOES TO THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PROJECT HEALING WATERS. “On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a token of your loved one’s sacrifice. Semper Fi.” Decked out in his dress blues and struggling not to cry, Gunnery Sergeant Willis “Duke” Davis handed a flag to the solemn widow grieving for his fallen sniper comrade. Next to her stood another Marine, this one only…

TODAY NOTHING’S SAFE FROM THE POLARIZATION MENTALITY CURRENTLY PLAGUING OUR CULTURE. YOU NAME IT—POLITICS, RELIGION, GENDER, SPORTS, SEX, EDUCATION, AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF IS AFFECTED. EVEN WITHIN FLY FISHING, PEOPLE ARE GRAVITATING TOWARD OPPOSING CAMPS. I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE BECAUSE OF MY WEEKLY INBOX OF FAN MAIL FROM FLY FISHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND BY FAN MAIL, I MEAN MY STRONGEST CRITICS ACCUSING ME OF BEING THE “MODERN-DAY LUCIFER OF FLY FISHING” BECAUSE I DARE TO DISCUSS THE MOST PROFANE TACTIC KNOWN TODAY IN FLY FISHING . . . MONOFILAMENT RIGS. THESE ARE TACTICS SO DIRTY AND REPULSIVE THAT “OUR FLY-FISHING PIONEERS WOULD TURN OVER IN THEIR GRAVES IF THEY KNEW WHAT YOU WERE PREACHING TO YOUR STUDENTS.” Such debates are nothing new.…

IN LATE SPRING A FEW YEARS AGO, MY BUDDY AND I HAD PLANS TO EXPLORE A NEW PIECE OF WATER FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS. AS WITH MOST DAYS IN THE SPRING, WE WERE RIGGED UP WITH 8-WEIGHT RODS AND 4- TO 5-INCH WHITE ROAMERS, CIRCUS PEANUTS, AND CRAYFISH. I HAD A 7-WEIGHT ROD STILL IN ITS TUBE SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK, BUT DECIDED ON THE DRIVE OVER THAT IT WOULD STAY THERE. AS I BACKED THE BOAT IN, WE SAW A COUPLE RISES FROM SOME UNKNOWN SPECIES. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A BASS, TROUT, FALLFISH, OR EVEN A SUNFISH. My buddy saw the rises too, and gave me a look that said, “Mere mortals would be fishing a baitfish imitation today.” I knew he was goading me into…

I MAGINE A BONY VEIN OF SPRING WATER FLOWING BENEATH THE MOUNTAINS OF IDAHO AND WYOMING. ABANDONED CABINS DOT THE FORESTED HIGH-DESERT LANDSCAPE, THE LAND BEING RELATIVELY USELESS SINCE THE LOSS OF ITS LIFEBLOOD. THE ONLY CIVILIZATION IS THE VEHICLES ON U.S. HIGHWAY 20, WHICH SERVES AS AN AVENUE BETWEEN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AND SOME POPULATED PARTS OF IDAHO WHERE THE FORMERLY CELEBRATED HENRY’S FORK OF THE SNAKE RIVER USED TO FLOW. IT’S ONLY A REMNANT FLOWAGE CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING FEW FISH AND LITTLE AQUATIC LIFE. This could be the case if not for the efforts of the Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF), one of the nation’s first watershedspecific protection and conservation organizations. You might find that a bit farfetched, but with all that we ask of our Western rivers today,…

ST. CROIX TECHNICA Every rod manufacturer in the country has a deflection board that shows the bend profile of a rod when loaded with a specific weight. Most of these charts show the deflection of all the rod series within in a brand, some others visually display how one brand compares to others. It’s a very common and graphic way to show how rods bend. Rods that bend mostly in the top third are generally referred to as “fast action” rods because that short tip section snaps back to the straight position more quickly. These rods depend on the stiffness of the lower portion to provide power for driving large flies, long casts, or powerful casts into a headwind. Rods with “moderate” or “medium” actions bend deeper into the middle…

MY CHILDHOOD WAS A TAPESTRY WOVEN WITH THE THREADS OF NATURE AND ADVENTURE. I GREW UP IN A PRISTINE WILDERNESS ALONG THE WEST BRANCH OF THE AUSABLE RIVER, IN A FLY-FISHING FAMILY, SO I WAS DESTINED TO DEVELOP A DEEP LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS AND AN ENDURING PASSION FOR TROUT. THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS, WITH THEIR DENSE FORESTS, CRYSTAL-CLEAR LAKES, AND MEANDERING RIVERS, PROVIDED THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR A YOUNG, CURIOUS MIND TO EXPLORE. From an early age, I found myself drawn to the West Branch. The gentle murmurs of its currents created a melody that still echoes through my memories. It was here that I first dipped my toes into the world of fly fishing, under the guidance of my father and a team of Adirondack fishing guides. Learning to…

THERE’S LITTLE NEW UNDER THE SUN, LET ALONE SOMETHING NEW IN THE FLY-TYING WORLD, BUT I MIGHT POSE JIGGED TROUT STREAMERS AS A CAVEATED EXCEPTION TO THAT STATEMENT. WHILE STREAMERS HAVE BEEN TIED ON JIG HOOKS FOR A LONG TIME BY GUYS LIKE CLIFF WATTS WITH HIS DEADLY KILOWATT PATTERN OR DAN BLANTON AND HIS JIGGED WHISTLER SERIES, THESE PATTERNS HAVE BEEN EXCLUSIVELY LIMITED TO STEELHEAD, SALMON, AND SALT WATER AND NOT DIRECTLY TOWARD OUR TROUTY FRIENDS. THERE COULD BE A LOT OF REASONS FOR THIS, THE FIRST OF WHICH COMES TO MIND BEING THE THOUGHT THAT JIGGED STREAMERS DON’T SEEM TO HOOK FISH THAT WELL WHEN THEY’RE BEING STRIPPED FAST. I RECALL HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE STAR OF THIS COLUMN, LANCE EGAN, YEARS AGO WHERE HE RELAYED THAT…