Cold Weather Tyin'

Got out of work a little early today and hit the vise hard.

These are sz 20 deer hair parachute trico/midge dry fly patterns. I've fished these during the trico hatches a few months ago and caught a fish on almost every drag free drift! I usually fished these in sz 24 but these should do the trick.

I've only ever tied bwo emergers in this pattern but these sz 20 flies are supposed to resemble a small trico emerger. The thread body creates a thin profile which seems more natural than the wooly flies sold at shops.

These pink squirrels of prey will catch fish. So will this hopper!

I hope to get out fishing by the end of the week if the weather cooperates but in the mean time I'll be tying up plenty of flies to last me through the summer and into next fall. Up next on the vise-midge emergers.

Messin' Around with Photoshop

That's me on the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park. It is among the most beautiful trails in the world!

This picture was touched up for clarity. This was taken atop Swiftcurrent Mountain.

This is my buddy from Montana hiking and fishing deep in the Salish Mountains near his house. He didn't catch any fish and this picture perfectly captured it!

This oil painting effect makes me want to take up painting. We'll see what the New Year brings.

This was taken high above the banks on Belt Creek outside of Great Falls, MT. Great fishing, even better hiking!

Trip Report: Mild Success on the Midge

Today I fished a state park near home for a few hours late this afternoon. The temps hovered in the upper 30's and clouds prevailed. Expecting a few midges coming off the surface I rigged up with a sz 24 olive zebra midge emerger. The small fish couldn't resist while the larger fish were able to shake the hook. I turned one that was probably around 16 inches but he was able to quickly spit the hook. 

This guy was the biggest! He has good colors and looked really neat streaking through the deep green pool adjacent to the lie from which he came. After the quick snap of a pic he was released to grow bigger.

 I ended the day with 5 or 6 browns and 1 little rainbow. I kicked up a bunch of little brownies as I walked around the deepest pools. There looked to be a good number of small browns occupying all of of the prime pools and the largest fish that I hooked and lost came on a pink squirrel of prey dredged through a pool.

For Christmas I received a few hundred sz 20 and sz 16 dry fly hooks so I will occupy the vise as soon as the weather turns colder...but any time I'm off work and the temps reach the high 20's or better I'm gonna get out fishing! The Minnesota winter C&R season starts on January 1. This season will greatly expand my options and I have a few areas in mind to explore!

Trip Report: Cold Day at a State Park

Today I was able to cut out of work pretty early so I went fishin'! The first hole that I encountered held some nice fish this summer so I figured I'd try a Pink Squirrel of Prey fished deep. It worked!

 He put up a lethargic fight but had enough power that I had to chase him downstream a little ways. After steering him in to the bank I hoisted him up for a quick pic and let him go. I hoped that the remainder of the day would be so good. I headed up stream to another likely spot and managed to catch a few little browns, including the one below.

These little guys fell for a size 24 stripped quill zebra midge emerger. I tied into two nicer fish while casting at a pod of risers but both managed to shake the tiny hook. Not sure if I'll get out fishing again before the new year but on January 1 a number of other streams open up for the winter season! I already have a number of spots in mind!!!

Trip Report: Mild Temps, Mild Sucess

The morning started out damp and foggy but with temperatures at a comfortable 45 degrees. I posted up at the tail end of a deep pool and tossed my fly into the depths. The fish bit so lightly that I turned a few fish without hooking them while reaching back to execute my roll cast.

 These rainbows put up a spirited fight but not spirited enough! I hooked into two nice browns, one around 15 and one around 18 but they were able to put up a spirited enough fight and swam away without coming to hand. The bigger one knew exactly what to do. He gently pulled out drag as he calmly swam around a large submerged log.

Three browns came to hand today with this one being the largest. Most fish came on the pink squirrel of prey. The browns that got away and a few suckers fell for a red tungsten beaded zebra midge.

It was a productive couple hours of fishing but I can't call the cay a success without having laid net on either of those big browns!

Some Fishin' and Some Tyin'

Got out fishing a few times last week. It was chilly so I didn't stay out for long but I managed to catch a few fish! Last Sunday I fished for a few hours near home and caught two nice rainbows around 13" and a decent brown of around 15". I was proud of myself for catching one on a nymph, one on a streamer, and one on a dry fly! Unfortunately I only had the camera on my phone.

I did bring my camera on Monday when I was able to get out of work at noon. I tried a bunch of the new BWO patterns that I've tied up but I figured they wouldn't work! I did manage to catch a few fish on the pink squirrel of prey and a small midge emerger.

 This skinny brown came on a black midge emerger on a long downstream cast. The fish are easily spooked by this spot so I had to be extra sneaky!

I also caught a few rainbows.

 These guys came out of some fast, cold water. After a few hours of fishing I managed to catch three rainbows and three browns. No big fish but it's nice to go fly fishing in December! Usually December is tying season for me and I dedicate most tying to flies that will sell but this year I've been working on patterns that will work in the Driftless.

These BWO patterns should work very well but we'll have to wait for spring to see for sure. If you look at the reflection of the fly on the tin you can kinda see what the fish will see before he strikes.

More Fly Tying

I spent this evening tying some bwo dries, sculpin flies, and midges dries.

I've never fished a parachute bwo with a red post before!

I also tied some of the same pattern with a deer hair post and one made of some type of feather.

These little midge flies worked great in the past on little brookies. Tomorrow I'll find out if the browns like 'em too!

These are big trout food. I got out yesterday at a spot close to home and caught two nice rainbows around 14 inches and a nice brown of around 15!

More Flies

With another day off of work I decided to tie some of the old reliable flies as well as some more experimental patterns.

 I can't wait to try these out on the fishes. I tied a few variations of these patterns before moving on the tying mouse patterns. I've never tied these before but had little trouble getting the hang of it.

This summer I saw a few little mice swimming by on the stream but I never saw the fish show any interest. Mouse patterns are typically fished under the cover of night so I'll scout a few spots during the day before going out. I'll also try fishing them during the day just in case.

Fly Box

It's been pretty damn cold for the last few weeks here in Southeast Minnesota! I haven't gotten out fishing but I have been busy at the vice. After looking into my fly box during my last trip I new I needed to tie some of the old reliable as well as some new patterns.

 These flies were only a few of the patterns I worked on. I typically pick a pattern and tie around a dozen before moving on to another pattern. The reason for this is because it is more efficient when I don't have to change materials.

 This skittering caddis and foam hopper have produced on streams from the Midwest to Montana. I had great luck on hoppers at certain times this season and can't wait to fish 'em again.

These flies are about 1 1/2 inch long. I can't wait to try fishing them through undercuts and deep pools. I tied these in a bigger version with a black tungsten cone head that's about 2 1/5 inches. These flies are supposed to look like minnows and sculpin.

After tying more traditional patterns I thought about all the leopard frogs that I scared from the banks. I often wondered if those frogs ever fell victim to an opportunistic hog of a trout. If they do this is the fly that will prove it! 

Stay tuned. Temps are supposed to rise over the next week and I'll fish in anything in the mid 20's!

Trip Report: Minnesota State Park Season

Yesterday and Today I got out fishing on a total of three of Minnesota's State Park Season trout streams. Yesterday my future bro in law and I fished two creeks in a State Park. With the streams running low and clear, temperatures in the low 40's, and bluebird skies it was hard to sneak up on the fishes! 

He caught two fish on his first time fly fishing! One came on a beautifully roll casted presentation and another came on a more traditionally presented cast. 

Fish rose most of the afternoon hitting little BWO Mayflies. I tried to coax them on a BWO pattern that I've tied recently but they wanted very little to do with it. I had two strikes and I failed to set the hook effectively on both. I finished the day with around a half dozen trout to hand, none over 14 inches. Most fish came on nymphs fished deep and slow.

 This is the headwaters of the creek that we fished. The water comes out of springs within the cave. We spotted no trout in the cave but many downstream! I'd love to see the water pumping out of there in spring.

After hiking and fishing a few miles we turned our attention to another stream. We saw a little luck on this stream and as the sun began to set the fish began to surface. We were sufficiently exhausted by the time we returned to the car.

 

Today I went to another State Park for a short trip. Temperatures hit the mid 50's this afternoon and again it was sunny. Fish were again easily spooked but i managed another half dozen fish caught on nymphs, a sz 22 bwo ermerger, and a sz 20 midge emerger.

 Both of these fish had great colors. Most of the trout I caught today were about the size of the brown trout pictured above. At one point I hooked into a fish that felt pretty nice but after two strong head shakes he was free. Fish rose consistently on midges for the afternoon.