Strip-n-Twitch

Regional Expo Updates and Blog Plans

2012-02-24T20:17:00.012-06:00

Last weekend’s Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association’s Annual Fly Fishing Meeting, i.e. an expo with a meeting, was a great success. It was held in Iowa City, IA. The speakers, including Brian O'Keefe, were well-received. The guest fly tiers were impressive tiers and educators. I spent time with Scott Nordby, http://www.flychucker.blogspot.com/, and Pike fly tier James Durbin, http://www.cowboyflyfishing.blogspot.com/, leaving with a foam beatle and a Pike fly. Of course, I came away with more fly tying supplies and… 2 skunk tails!!! I now have 3 tails but my new ones don’t smell like the one which is still sitting in my garage. I no longer have to debate if I should dare to take that scented tail into my home.

On that note, expect to see blog entries in the near future for a couple fly tying recipes using skunk tail. I spent at least 30 minutes sitting on the floor in the vendor’s room examining tail. It can be soft, supple or coarse, it is frequently luminescent, the white can be white or ‘pee-colored’ and single strands are a solid color or alternate between white and black.

I’m gearing up for the annual Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo, which will be held in Blaine, MN, March 23-25th. The main focus will be helping out at my friends’ booth, promoting fly fishing and Arrowhead Fly Angler guide service, http://www.arrowheadflyangler.com/, serving northern MN and WI). Jackfish Kate will also attend and may help at the booth. For more information about the show, visit this link and look for a discount coupon, too: http://www.greatwatersflyfishingexpo.com/.

The local chapter of HFFA is also in the planning stages of hosting next year’s ‘Annual Meeting’- AKA expo- in Bettendorf, IA. Rumor has it that there will be additional speakers about warm water fishing and local fly fishing opportunities, but many still hope for a fair amount of discourse about Trout in the Driftless Areas of IA, MN, and WI, or in other areas of the country. Attend meetings 1st/3rd Sundays of the month at Riverdale fire station and share your opinion on this club event.

I’ve added another non-profit organization to the ‘Casting It Forward’ page. It’s called ‘Reel Recovery’ and members/volunteers conduct free fly fishing retreats for men recovering from cancer. This year I plan to add more conservation-minded posts to this page on the blog. I am looking forward to posting first-hand accounts of volunteer conservation & fly fishing efforts while promoting organizations & individuals who work anywhere for clean water, happy fish, and happy/healthy anglers. Help me to fill this page!

In the near and distant future (this year), I hope to post informational articles about Smallie and Steelhead fishing after conducting interviews and doing my own research. And, I just thought to myself: why not a Carp story? I’d love a reason to again contact Barry Reynolds; a gentleman very willing to share his time and knowledge of fly angling. **The post to drive me crazy: adhesives. Everything from head cement to UV-cured adhesives will be covered (gulp!) with recommendations for their usage and the creation of a chart (double gulp!!) to provide a quick visual on properties (such as drying time) and their general uses. **I am looking forward to speaking with reps from the IA DNR. Expect a post about the Trout stocking program, including lesser-known information about stocked Trout and their wild counterparts, some added insight to the new trout map, and about the Driftess Area streams. **I'm still searching for fishy recipes. Send me an original! Of course, discourse on the magnificent Musky & additions to the WI-MN Diaries will continue. My goal this year is to self-edit. Entertainment stories must be under 800-1000 words.

**I do plan on posting more fly tying recipes. I'm currently working on the prototype of the ‘Double Buck’. It is my spin-off of a fabulous large-profile articulated fly I saw last year when fishing with friends from Musky Country Outfitters, http://www.muskycountryoutfitters.com/. And yes, I saw that fly meet with a Musky! Sadly it wasn’t when I fished the fly. I’ve added a collar on my fly to push water. I also plan to make a couple more changes to truly call this challenging tie 'my own'. I may post more info on the success or demise of the fly, but no recipe will be posted until (if) the fly is successfully fished. **I will soon post the PeaBody Nymph. And, can anyone say ‘Bass Flies’? I’ve got a real itch to get into some Smallies this year and who doesn’t like a good Bass tie recipe?!

So, as usual, I have grand plans for posts. IF I win the ‘Mega Millions’ next week, I will post fairly frequently after my month-long fly fishing vacation. If I am required to continue working full-time, I will travel and interview folks, and fish & tie flies when I can. Articles will be posted over the course of the year. Wish me luck!

Humility and the Fly

2012-02-17T08:56:00.003-06:00

Humility is fly fishing’s best character-building lesson. It is not a single experience which then becomes hosted by a distant memory, and soon forgotten. Humility is a perfect loop, formed again and again, with a fly rod.

Hope, confidence, ego, over-confidence spring up and then are stripped away by a few snags, a small wily fish, or a knot, poorly tied. Humility appears; the great balancer. It is the fertilizer we wade through that allows us to grow & casts us again and again, back to the fly rod with fresh humble eyes.

My time with the long rod has been short but the passion and the lesson have been long. I yearn for the big fish, strong artistic casts, & the sharing of my yet-developed wisdom. But none of these should be felt so deeply or appreciated so strongly without my fly fishing partner, Humility, returning always to my side.

2/15/12

Strike Indicator: Real Deal or Fly Fishing Puffery?

2012-02-13T21:59:00.004-06:00

Child sits on dock holding fishing rod, watching the red/white bobber & hoping for a fish to take the worm. 30+ years later, the woman wades in a stream, mending the strike indicator around a branch & maintaining a drag-free drift on a nymph rig, setting up for a take. Goals are the same: have fun & catch fish.

Heck yes, the strike indicator is a bobber! However, it can be more than that. I’ve never read a book or sat with friends for hours while watching my strike indicator. Both the bobber and the indy can set the depth of the hook and indicate when a strike occurs, which is similar in concept to how a screwdriver or a drill can drive a screw into wood. In particular situations, either tool can perform the same task.

The plastic, foam, cork, putty, yarn, or sometimes, elk hair object, with the edgy name, ‘strike indicator’, is a multi-tool. (The bobber may also serve other purposes, but that is a topic for another writer to explore) This article will explore how the indy can be used in ways other than as a classic bobber, and when used similarly to a bobber, how other considerations of its use still differentiate it from conventional angling.

But when is an indicator a ‘multi-tool’ not strictly a bobber?

How about when the indicator is a dry fly or a hopper with a dropper attached? How many conventional anglers hook a fish with a bobber?

The indicator can also be used in multi-current situations to set up the fly. When casting directly downstream through riffles and drifting into a deeper pool, I have intermittently used an indicator. As I strip out line to maintain a drag-free drift, first, it is easy to produce enough slack to not feel a strike and second, the disturbance to the line in the riffles can lessen the ability to sense a strike. Adding an indicator creates a waypoint where less slack is present on the side closest to the nymph and where a strike can be seen, especially during the nymph-led fishy transition into slower, deeper water.

A respondent to my query on theflyfishingforum.com provided another example: the angler uses the indy as an anchor point in a slack eddy, causing the fly that has landed in adjacent fast water to pivot around this section of eddy, hit the eddy line and then flow into slow current water. This strategy keeps the heavier fly from landing on the smooth water while still directing the fly into the current changes and to the slow flow water after the pivot-point, which tend to be popular fish hang-outs.

Furthermore, this same angler reported that he will purposely overweight his indicator, dampening “the rigid depth controlling effect of the indy.”

The ‘soft take’ of a trout might be felt too late for the angler to effectively set the hook. At times, having a visual reference to the fly can be invaluable. Once it leaves the hand, a tiny dry fly often becomes invisible on the water, and nymphs and wet flies can be become difficult to see in a variety of water conditions. Indicators can then be used as a simple aid to allow the angler to make better visual contact with the fly or, at least, to approximate its location in the current. The indy here may be a commercial design, or perhaps the angler simply adds fluorescent paint to knots on the leader. This technique could also be a teaching tool utilized to aid one with reading current.

A guide friend of mine dislikes the term ‘strike’ indicator, believing that this gives one the mistaken belief that its primary function is to indicate a strike. Regarding indicators, he wrote, “The main purpose is to telegraph to the fly angler how your nymphs are behaving underwater. Using an indicator gives the angler a better visual of what is happening below the surface.” He sure wasn’t describing a bobber.

Can this 'multi-tool' make one a better fly angler?

Well, the simple multi-tool can set fly depth, indicate a strike, be a visual indicator of fly location, aid with fly placement in multi-current situations, & telegraph what the nymph is doing on the water bottom. However, another valuable attribute is that the little gizmo is also a great teaching tool. Next time you chase the fish from a hole, use the indicator and keep fishing the hole. Without those fishy distractions, you will have a great visual with which to learn about water current, water depth & what your nymph is trying to tell you.

Indirectly, use of an indicator and a little patience will improve general fly fishing skills. When one reluctantly adds an indicator to a leader already burdened with a weighted point fly, a dropper, and split shot, either one’s fly casting or knot de-tangling skills will improve (& probably both). In streams and small rivers, presentation of both the indicator and the fly without disturbing the quarry is the new rule. Producing a drag-free drift on a windy day can be more challenging. Finally, when you learn what the indy is indicating and how to respond, life will be filled with more fish and fewer snags.

Fly fishing offers endless opportunities to have fun, to learn, & be creative in the outdoors. Improving my abilities to use and read a strike indicator have increased my general skills as a fly angler, regardless of whether I elected to attach an indicator to my leader on any given day. The indy is simply a multi-tool which allows the angler to be successful (or not!) depending on when and how it is used. Others may be just as successful foregoing the strike indicator while utilizing similar techniques… As fly anglers, we have many tools at our disposal. However, our enthusiasm & the application of our knowledge and skill, peppered with a little luck, ultimately determine our successes.

(In a month or two, this story will be moved to the 'Featured Article' section, but I will still make reference to it here so that it may remain easily found. Thanks, ~Twitch)

the Guelk Nymph

2012-01-21T00:52:00.000-06:00

A new recipe has been posted on the Fly Tying page. It is the Guelk Nymph, which is an easy tie and can be fished either as a nymph or as a streamer. I have fished it predominantly on NE IA streams but have also found success with this fly on WI streams. The trout really dig it!

Fiddling with Flies & Java at the Coffee Shop

2012-01-17T23:11:00.002-06:00

The first 2012 drink, fiddle, and tie at Java Java Cafe, 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, will be this Saturday, January 21. I plan to order sweet, hot java and a breakfast sandwich at 10 a.m. and get to tying flies shortly afterward. It's looking promising that Jackfish will make it and I'm making casts for musicians (including Joe Nobiling) and other fly anglers. All are welcome and the musicians undoubtedly added something special to the last drink and tie held back in December. The fun-o-meter dictates how long we stay. The cafe closes at 3 p.m.. Come on out if you want to tie, learn how to tie, want to learn about fly fishing, or just want to kick back and listen to some folk music. (*If there is a cancellation due to weather, etc., it will be posted on this blog page*) Thanks! ~Twitch

Winter Weekend Fly Fishing in NE Iowa

2012-01-04T21:09:00.001-06:00

No snow + tolerable temps + 365 days of legal Iowa Trout fishing = inability to resist yet another weekend fly fishing in the Decorah area. Last Friday I also enjoyed a brief, late visit to the microbrewery Toppling Goliath prior to heading to my favorite camping spot and then to S. Pine the next morning. While the beer & company were both enjoyable, this weekend it will be all water, woods, and fish.
Isn't life great? While the great lands of 10,000 lakes and rivers to our north leave the fly angler with little to do but tie flies & wish for the season opener, those who live in the land of Grant Wood have flowing streams year-round and laws which keep the angler from growing wonky with fish angst.
While I believe there is rarely a bad day to fly fish (aside from New Years Day 2012 ~wwwindy!), this season's winter weather has blessed us with prime opportunities for comfortable cold-weather fishing. Of added benefit to this season's fishing: the weeds are down, and so are the mosquitoes and tics! The only thing after you now could be the DNR. Don't forget to renew your fishing license and to get a trout stamp. Licenses expire on January 10th.
Hope to see you on the water! ~Twitch

2011-12-25T09:28:00.006-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

BTW, I'm planning on heading to NE IA next weekend. It is my desire to end the year well and to start the year off right. I will be fly fishing a couple of streams in the Driftless Area while celebrating the fact that in NE IA we have open water and can fly fish legally year-round! Perhaps I'll see you on the water. God bless you and yours this year.

HFFA Annual Fly Fishing Show - 2012

2011-12-24T10:16:00.002-06:00

UPDATE 1/4/12: Information is now posted for the show! Please visit HFFA's website for more details: http://www.hawkeyeflyfishing.com/
The Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association's annual fly fishing show will be held in 2012 on Feb. 17-19th. This year's event will be held in Iowa City at the Clarion Highlander Hotel which is off of I-80's exit 246.
   Two of the featured speakers will be Brian O'Keefe and Rich Osthoff.
   I realize the show is less than 2 months away and there is very little information yet posted about the show. However, I was also informed that a large swim meet will occur the same weekend. So, if you think you might attend the show and you wish to stay overnight, I recommend booking a room now.
   Previous shows have featured fly fishing vendors, a multitude of bucket raffles, a casting area, and a nice array of Midwestern-born and nationally-known speakers speaking about both warm and coldwater fishing. I will update the blog with more details and/or rumors as they become known. I'd recommend reserving a day or two in your schedule to attend the show even if the official details of the show have been slow to appear. I've attended the last 2 years and have found it worthwhile.

A Fiddler, Flies, Coffee and Friendship

2011-12-10T22:44:00.006-06:00

Griffith’s Gnats, Woolly Buggers, and Missy D’s were tied today to the accompaniment of fiddle, bodhran, and guitar. 3 tiers, Twitch, Dave, and Jackfish Kate, were warmed with coffee, music, and shared friendship today at Java Java Café in Davenport, IA.

Tossing emails to and fro earlier this week, local folk musician, Joe Nobiling and and yours truly (Twitch), shared opinions and YouTube links on artists such as the Avett Brothers, TxT, Tashina Claridge, and James Bryan. Naturally, this evolved into comments about fly fishing and Hayward, WI. I invited Joe & his fiddle to the coffee shop and, if he wanted, I would also help him ‘tie one on’.

I tried not to become too hopeful, but it is always a pleasure to listen to friend Joe play the fiddle. Well, I became positively loud and gleeful when our mutual friend John Kinser –bodhran in hand, walked in the door. Did Christmas come early? Not one gift but two! Joe and his wife, Kathy, arrived soon after.

Following introductions between fly anglers, musicians, & Java Java owner Daron, we dabbled in talk about tying and music. John, Joe, and Kathy were all given the opportunity to tie a fly, but they preferred to watch, then partake in what they came to do. Both groups delved into their individual passions, but on a cold December Saturday a bridge was formed and we were able to enjoy and appreciate each other’s artistry.

Jackfish Kate and I had arrived that morning during the ‘coffee rush hour’. Joe and Kathy arrived as the café was quieting down, and then Jackfish and I closed the place down. Prior to our leaving, Sam the ever-friendly barista, filled our bellies with delicious Thai chicken vegetable soup and oriental chicken wraps. I’d only tied 4 Missy D nymphs while Jackfish had tied and then filled a small container with the tiny Griffith’s Gnats. However, it was one of the most enjoyable ‘tie one on’ days I’ve had at the coffee shop. I hope the others felt similarly.

Due to the holidays, the next possible tying day at Java Java would be Saturday, Jan 7^th. I hope my musician friends return and maybe then they will share my vise and my vice. I’ll bring a fly rod, too. If anyone wants to brave the cold, we can head outside for impromptu casting lessons. Again, all are welcome to ‘tie one on’ at the coffee shop. I’ll keep ya posted about future tying dates! ~Twitch (Sat, Dec. 10, 2011)

Weekend to Tie One On at the Coffee Shop

2011-12-08T07:30:00.003-06:00

Jackfish Kate and I (Twitch) will once again pick up our vices, feathers and furs and head to the coffee shop for a morning/afternoon tie. We'll be at Java Java Cafe, 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, on Saturday, Dec 10th, arriving somewhere between 930-1000am. The coffee and the people who run the place are great! There are also breakfast and lunch items for sale. AND if someone can get Darren-owner, to have enough patience and tie his first fly, I'll buy that person a cup of coffee. Come and tie or just visit for awhile. (Pls see the newest post, "A Fiddler, Flies, Coffee & Friendship" about our fun day of tying and song-making. More tying/music days are in the works and the dates will be posted on the blog's Home page)

Musky Guide Details Pike Prep for the Dinner Plate

2011-12-07T21:12:00.001-06:00

Brad Bohen, the Afton Angler, recently provided Twitch with his Pike recipe, reported as delicious by mutual friends. Not only did the Musky guide from Hayward, WI, share his recipe, he provided a detailed and entertaining account on how he prepares the quarry for the grill or oven. Brad heads Musky Country Outfitters & in 2009 he was bestowed the official catch and release world record for the 36-pound tippet class by the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame for his 51.25” Musky. The fish was boated on Oct. 6, 2008, during a rare big Musky Doubles feat. For entertainment and some good eats, check out Brad’s Pike recipe on my ‘Reel to Creel’ page. You will also find the link to Brad’s account of his memorable record-setting catch on the same page.

Travelling the Autumn Trail for Musky ~ The WI-MN Diaries (Part 5... Oct/Nov, 2011)

2011-11-25T17:23:00.008-06:00

TALE OF THE RABBIT, THE MUNSTER, AND A MUSKY (Oct 28-30, 2011)

I would’ve driven the 14-hour round-trip every weekend this fall to fly fish for Musky. When autumn arrived and plans were made, something unexpected would occur and the trip would be cancelled… again and again. I gotta tell ya, this fly angler had needs which weren’t being met. I got so desperate I was willing to pay for some hard-core, all-day action, but the services were denied me (jeez, I’m happy this is fishing we’re talking about!) . Actually, the Musky guides were already booked.

Finally, the probability of trips for the weekend prior to Halloween and the first weekend of November began to look brighter, but I remained skeptical until actually on the road. WI-bound! The weeks of frustration were coming to an end.

Last year’s goals for this year were to land a Musky outside of Wisconsin and outside of fall –which I just realized is my favorite fishing season. Another goal was to watch Mike, a friend of mine, land his first Musky. While I’d be thrilled to land hundreds of Musky in the great state of Wisconsin, I also fish MN, IL, and IA waterways. My goals hadn’t been unreasonable. However, by late September goals were altered to simply being able to fish for the toothy critters a couple of times. Also, Mike had put aside the bulk of the fall season’s fly fishing for his other passion, falconry. When plans did come together it was late fall and we were back around Hayward, Wisconsin. After watching those around me boat the fat, toothy critters, I happily changed goals again to simply being able to land a Musky outside of the WI waterway in which I’ve landed all my Musky. And then yes, this one goal also changed…

During the whirlwind pre-Halloween weekend, I spent a 14-hour round-trip on the road listening to books on cd. Then, with friend and Arrowhead Fly Angler guide Ouitdee Carson, we sandwiched in a Saturday of fly fishing followed with a night’s entertainment at the Musky Ball. On that pretty fall day, Ouitdee and I put-in at Crowley Dam and we fished the Flambeau River. It was cool to watch my buddy pull his pontoon down along a steep, staired path most other boat-owners could not follow. I got to fish immediately below the dam but my intermediate line simply didn’t cut it in deeper, fast-current waters. Next, I rowed downriver while my friend painted water with a new, perch-colored ‘Supercharger’ fly. Within 15 minutes we boated a Pike and a few casts later, he landed the only Musky of the trip. It was hooked in fast-current, shallow water but at the tail of a deeper seam. As usual, we fished later than planned and finished by trailering the pontoon in the dark. That night, we learned from other anglers that even a Musky follow that day had been hard to come by. My buddy had done well.

Quickly, we cleaned up, tried to wake up, and then headed to Boulder Lodge for Musky guide Brad Bohen’s Musky Ball. My friend wore casual attire while I dressed as a Musky Fly, complete with bug eyes and a hook. The night was made up of food, friends, music, beer, and a tad of moonshine. Not having seen Brad all year, I gave him a hug and accidentally poked his –oops!- with the ‘hook’ protruding from my costumed belly. Sorry Brad. During the evening, we watched a tall white rabbit do the smooth groove on the dance floor & noted that ‘Eddie Munster’ could simply replace his pointy ears with a guitar and be mistaken for AC/DC’s Angus Young. We were also drawn outside to a campfire set in a circle of pines and listened to a bearded Scottish fly angler tell his riddles.

The following morning, my friend headed back home to his family, I explored some Hayward area waterways, and then made the long trek home, recalling the new memories and grateful for the chance to make and share them.

2-DAY SERVINGS OF MUSKY ON A MULTI-SPECIES ROADTRIP (Nov 4-8, 2011)

Late Friday I was back at Boulder Lodge, outside of Hayward, WI. I spent a night which would ensure me not to sleep in –I car-camped. Saturday morning I drove to meet buddy Ouitdee at the Spider Lake Café, which is the point of where this fish tale begins. Let’s summarize: On Friday, Ouitdee fished Chequamegon Bay for Smallies. On Monday, Doug, another fly angler from Duluth, and me went to the Brule River in search of Steelhead. Ouitdee was already there. The MN-WI guide was enjoying his 100^th day this year of fishing. By Tuesday, we were all either home or… ahem… bound for home. However, Saturday and Sunday were all about Musky and those who love to chase them.

The weekend weather predictors proclaimed clouds and wind, & this was true, except Sunday was more windy than expected. Ouitdee and I debated which water to fish Saturday and if we should chance different put-in and take-out spots for the pontoon should the wind get out of hand. We decided on a ‘safer bet’, electing to meet at the café for breakfast, then fish a single area of the West Fork of the Chippewa River. As soon as we met at the café, plans changed and we headed off for new waters, bigger fish, and the fun of fishing with MCO Musky guide Brian Porter and his friend Chris Willen.

Porter and I manned the oars while Chris and Ouitdee wetted flies. Soon, Chris was yelling. Each boat was rowed to shore and soon a 40” fat Musky was nestled in a cradle. Porter directed the landing of the toothy fish, ensuring it had very little out-of-water time and that it was handled carefully while pictures were taken. I was impressed by the thick-bodied fish and the guide. During the course of the day, Chris landed 2 Musky, Ouitdee brought one to shore where it threw the hook just shy of being cradled, and Porter, who rowed more than he fished, capped the day by landing another thick-bodied lady that was 44” in length.

The wind seemed to get brutal each time I rowed. I was thinking of this when my friend voiced the same thing, somehow allowing me to feel better about the situation. In retrospect, I guess I’d rather have the wind kick up when rowing than when casting with a fly tied on a 5/0 hook. However, on the homestretch of the trip, Ouitdee rowed and the wind kicked up again, this time giving very little mercy to my friend, and to Chris in the other boat. At this time, I was using Chris’s rod; a 10 wt Loomis which seemed more like a 12 wt, with 500 grain sinking line and the largest profile, articulated fly I’ve ever seen. The wind and the large fly necessitated increased attention paid to the timing of my casts. While I left the water that day the only angler without the sweet stink of Musky on her hands, we all left the water with body parts intact (aside from Chris, who was surprised to find his hand bleeding after one of his Musky encounters) & a desire to hit the water again tomorrow.

Chris and Porter stayed overnight at a friend’s cabin. Porter later told me, “We got one little musky and some pike that Sunday, saw a couple others and lost a decent musky“. Saturday was THE DAY to be on that stretch of water & I’m still pumped to have had the opportunity to fish it & to see those well-fed ladies.

Meanwhile, Ouitdee and I headed back toward Hayward. Along the way, I silently changed (again) my Musky goal for the year, and suggested to my buddy where we should fish on Sunday. It was the West Fork of the Chippewa. It was the last day that we would fish together in 2011 for Musky. It was also –I hoped- the last day I had to tote a bottle of ‘Mosquito Wine’ onto his pontoon.

During the previous trip, I’d scouted out our potential put-in at the West Fork and the then-current water-level. The season had been dry but while the water was as low as I’d ever seen it, I thought it remained very fishable. As re-enforcement of this, I watched at a distance as two men in a drift boat landed a fish.

So, on that November Sunday, after a Spider Lake Café breakfast, we went in search of West Fork Musky. Ouitdee hit the oars first. It was windy and chilly. I had my West Fork ‘Hang Time’ fly on the line and asked my friend to keep the boat in a particular stretch of water. Soon after I had my first Musky of the year! It was a ‘micro Musky’ but nonetheless, my revamped goal of simply landing a Musky this year –even on the water where I’ve landed all my Musky- was met. The Musky was released and I took the oars. Within 4 casts, Ouitdee landed another Musky in the same stretch of water! We traded on the oars, conquered the wind –again and again- anchored and fished together, and then finally my buddy hooked another fish! I was rowing and could see it was large for the water in which it lived. Ouitdee reported it to be about 40” and was ‘ugly’ & scarred. While rowing to shallow water and excitedly looking forward to seeing this ‘ugly’ toothy critter, it threw the hook. I was not happy, but my wise friend, who always seems to be happy, remained unfazed.

The wind continued to challenge our boat, but we continued on. We explored skinnier water and Ouitdee had another ‘micro Musky’ try for his fly. My friend then took the oars and we started to head back. He rowed back through a narrow stretch of water and Ouitdee pointed out a weed edge, asking me if I saw the small opening. I told him yes and he asked me to cast to that opening. I double-hauled and my fly, a modified Supercharger in reds, yellow and black, hit the opening. Two strips later, I gave two very hard strip-sets to ensure that the Musky that hit my fly remained attached to that hook. It wasn’t huge and it wasn’t fat, but it sure could fight. I put the fighting butt in my gut and did not give any slack while Ouitdee rowed to the shallows. I saw the fly at the corner of the fish’s mouth while Ouitdee clamped the Fish Grip on its jaw. At that point the Musky again began to fight, tossing the fly, but the fish remained ours to photograph and to release. As we neared the landing, I attempted to use all my senses to feel and to remember the weekend. At one point the sun lit the trees and water and all seemed to glow with a golden hue.

Well, reader, you’ve read how I whittled down my Musky goals and, in the end, how the Musky I finally landed lived in the same waters in which I’ve landed all my Musky. Perhaps you think I might be disappointed? On Columbus Day, 2009, I fished for Musky for the 1^st time. It was on the West Fork. It was 32* & light snows made land & trees appear lace-covered. The guide worked hard to put me on fish but they simply were not feeding. Yet, I still remember it to be one of the most satisfying days I’ve ever had on the water. Since then, whenever I’ve been on that water, I’ve landed Musky. Ouitdee is a guide and has fly fished since he has been a child. Prior to Sunday, he’d never fished the West Fork and it is always my thrill to provide him with the rare, new fly fishing experience. I can’t imagine ever landing a ‘trophy-sized’ fish out of this water, but one at least has a good chance at a ‘micro Musky’. We did more than that. And on that Sunday I accomplished another goal of getting Musky ‘doubles’ with my friend and mentor. It was for this reason I’d been carting around a bottle of wine on all of our Musky trips. And, near the end of the day when the sun was ready to set with a golden hue on our season’s Musky adventures, WE also landed that single, final fish. It was a fish which wouldn’t have been landed or even hooked without both anglers helping each other, carrying out specific roles and communicating well. Yes, we celebrated doubles and goals met, but in the end we really celebrated life and a strong friendship.

So, readers and fellow fly anglers, I wish you tight lines and even tighter friendships!

Anger Meets Ignorance on the Brule ~ The WI-MN Diaries (Part 4, Nov 7, 2011)

2011-11-13T22:09:00.008-06:00

With a smile, I greeted the landowner who had called out to me, expecting a ‘how is the fishing going?’ type of question. Oh no, this guy was mad.

Doug and I had headed out from Duluth, MN, the morning of Nov. 7, 2011, to the Bois Brule River in Wisconsin. For me, it was day 3 of fly fishing. 2 days of Musky followed by a final day of hunting for ‘Steel’ on a great river. I dig multi-species trips & Doug loves to fly fish for Steelhead. I was happy to be fishing with him.

At the Red Gait parking lot, I saw buddy OC’s Yota. Soon after, we found him at Howenstein Hole. We talked and he told us what to expect upstream, including that when we got to the state park sign it would be private property & we would have to stay off the land but could still wade. We thanked him and headed off to find holes of our own to fish.

We fished, crossed the river a couple of times , discovered one hole which had a huge blanket-topped picnic table bordering its shore, and near another hole I re-discovered an old enamel stove I came across last year when fishing with OC. My guide friend has fished these waters with clients & is very respectful of others & the law, so I knew this hole to be accessible to the public.

After rounding a couple more bends in the river, I discovered a property with a richly-colored golden-brown cabin on it and a vehicle in the drive. It looked peaceful and it was here I discovered the private property signs posted on its neatly-trimmed border. So, I backed up and left the trail staying 20’ clear of the posted property and respectfully staying out of eyeshot. Despite the friendly IL neighborhood where I live, I still like the opportunity for privacy on my tiny property but find it difficult unless I remain indoors. It is easy to appreciate another’s desire for privacy.

Doug soon came by, he crossed the opposite riverbank, and we fished a hole large enough for two. No fish. We elected to head back for a late lunch. I returned to the trail and it was here we met the ‘Angry Landowner’. He informed us that as ‘sportsmen’ we were to respect the rights of the property owners. I assured him that we saw his signs and had not crossed on to his property. He told us his property extended beyond the signs to the ‘pipeline’ and he was not required to post signs but as ‘sportsmen’ we should be aware of the rules and not be disrespectful of the property owners. He threatened us with law enforcement and fines unless we left his property. He asked us, ‘would we want him on our property?’ Doug replied that currently, he’d say no. We assured him we had been leaving and would continue on. Doug asked how far the pipeline was. Landowner replied it was obvious. Becoming angrier, he ordered us off of the trail and into the water, advancing toward Doug. Doug told him to back off and we waded downstream. Angry Landowner followed on the trail for a short time.

Back at the Red Gait parking lot, which is where the pipeline and the trail to the river are located, we again met up with OC. He was finishing off a beer left-over from our previous 2-day Musky trip. Dang! I thought that beer was in my CRV. No fish, angry landowner, and no beer for lunch. What a day.

We ate and told our tale to OC. We realized we’d never seen a state park sign and it was still very unclear where the landowner’s property ended and state property began. With no more than 1.5 hours of fishing daylight left, OC told us we could head back down the trail toward the Sauna Hole. However, he cautioned us that part of the trail was again on private property (posted) but as long as we remained on the trail, the landowner didn’t mind others accessing the property. When we came across the signs and entered the property, I admit to being a bit anxious. However, I trust my friend and continued on. The recommended hole was already being fished. We found a nearby hole. Near dark, we returned to the first hole and Doug and I again shared it. The inside shore of the hole was banked by the trail and the owner’s very cheerful-looking sauna. Now bankside, Doug watched me fish as the remaining sunlight was replaced by moonlight. Another angler began to fish upstream of me. Doug and he conversed. As I left the water, the other angler moved on. Doug told me the angler was also the property-owner. I wish now that I hadn’t been so involved in fishing to stop and say hello. I certainly would’ve thanked him for allowing us to share this section of the Brule River with him.

Overall, I believe both Doug and I would claim to have had a good day of fishing on the Brule, although we neither caught nor hooked any fish. I’d also claim we experienced some ‘adventure and education’ on the Brule, again not due to any appearance of fish.

I learned that I need to have more knowledge of the waterways I fish. While I wouldn’t recommend the Angry Landowner’s approach, he did further my education on the matter, so I appreciate crossing his path. Other than employing a psychic or a land surveyor during fishing trips, I’m still clueless how to know when un-posted land is private property but I intend to learn more. (If something clear-cut presents itself, I will add it to the end of this post.)

I think many people would label the ‘Angry Landowner’ a jerk or worse, and consider the ‘Happy Landowner’ to be a great guy. I simply think of the Angry Landowner as, well, angry and very frustrated. I feel badly for the guy. I imagine he put down a large chunk of dough to buy his riverside retreat; a place to escape. Perhaps all he wanted was a place in which he could leave civilization behind. Alas, he bought property on the Brule, a river well-known for its Trout and Steelhead fishing. No more can he stop the 2-legged human animal from entering this rich land than birds, bear, and deer. A few will knowingly trespass and, I believe, many others -like me- who are ignorant, will accidentally cross his property lines. This man, who paid a high price for property and peace will never truly get the peace he wants.

I imagined to myself, what if Angry Landowner grilled brats outdoors on occasion and invited the stray angler over for a meal? How many people from how many places would he meet and how many stories would he hear? Or what if he just conversed with those crossing his land and wished them well? I do know he would receive true ‘respect’ and while he would still find others on his property, responsible anglers would help ensure his property was cared for and avoided by the irresponsible few.

I believe both the Angry Landowner and the Happy Landowner deserve respect for their property rights. The Happy Landowner, and those like him, are also deserving of kindness and gratitude from those who are allowed to enter their land. But to answer the Angry Landowner’s question: Yes, I would let him enter my property. If I should ever realize my dream of owning a cabin with a little boat on a fish-filled waterway in which I give keys to all those who have offered me kindness and instruction in my fly fishing journey, I would give the Angry Landowner a key. Indirectly he did teach me about fishing. But more importantly, I wish this man more experience in feeling the kindness of others.

The morals to my tale: 1) Learn the rules of the waterway. 2) If you should err and meet this angry man or another like him, tell him he is right and give him your kindness and understanding no matter what he expresses to you. Returning a river of anger creates a dam; little penetrates either side but bad things spill over. Continued streams of kindness may alter the course of the river. Take the high road. You may be sent below the trail to wade in the river, but the river is beautiful and only you can remove yourself from the high road.

FALL MUSKY PREVIEW - The Anglers' Report

2011-09-22T19:05:00.017-05:00

Predictions are in for the ‘Fall Bite’ by those hot on the Musky trail! While I can’t say I received the well-rounded Midwestern fly angling responses that I’d hoped for, I received great responses from N. Wisco anglers and from a Minnesota guide. I’ve even included a report from a non-fly angler & wish I had time to hunt down a couple more.
Now on to business. I posted the fly anglers’ responses below from northern to southern regions & by state. To keep them as timely as possible, I would’ve liked to have posted responses as soon as I’d received them. However, I felt it wise to post all responses at the same time. Predictions for a good fall feedbag were generally high, but the early season fishing success was quite variable. Why? I dunno; too many variables & not enough responses to even make a good guess. However, I’ll make a bad guess and say that regional weather took a big slice out of my fish pie. My warm water fishing this year bit…& it was almost the only thing that did bite. Even the Smallies frequently snubbed my flies & the closer to home (further south) I fished the less time I spent with a bent-over rod.

I hope you take a gander at the responses below & let the anglers get you powered up to hop on the Musky Trail for the big ‘Fall Bite’! While you’re at it, check out the anglers’ websites to learn a little more about where and how to fish for Musky. I wish everyone fun & successful fishing. I know that when the opportunity strikes I’ll be hitting the water every chance I get! (Posted 9/22/11. Thanks anglers! ~Twitch)

Brad Bohen (www.muskycountryoutfitters.com)

Brad heads up Musky Country Outfitters in Northern Wisconsin. He spends May through November getting fishy on the flowages, lakes and rivers of the Hayward Lakes Area. Brad is a full-time guide, angler, and fly fishing educator who believes that MCO & its guides provide anglers ‘a professionally hosted fly fishing experience second to none’. Brad & MCO offer 3-day Musky fly fishing classes throughout much of the fishing season.

Bill Sherer (www.wetieit.com)

Bill and his wife, Dawn, own and operate the We Tie It Fly Shop in Boulder Junction, WI. Through his ‘Northern Adventures Guide Service’, Bill guides fly anglers across N. Wisconsin, especially for Muskies. Bill also teaches fly tying and fly fishing classes, and he designs flies for various manufacturers.

Pat Ehlers (www.theflyfishers.com)

Pat is the owner of The Fly Fishers Inc., Milwaukee, WI. Pat has taught fly casting and fly tying classes & has been a speaker and instructor at shows & seminars throughout the U.S. Pat’s other pursuits include the development, for warm water fishing, of a line of fly rods, & a series of fly lines(for Bass and Musky). He is a contract/royalty fly tier & is a writer for various fly fishing media outlets.

Kip Vieth (http://www.wildwoodfloattrips.com/)

Kip heads up Wildwood Float Trips, based out of Monticello, MN. He is a full-time fly fishing guide. Much of Wildwood’s guided fishing occurs on Minnesota’s Upper Mississippi, St.Croix, Rum, Kettle, and St. Louis Rivers. Kip also holds seminars at most of the major shows and offers tying and casting classes. In October, Kip plans to host a 3-day, 3-river, Minnesota Musky Tour.

Steve Ruhmann (flatlanderschapter.com)

Steve is the president of the Flatlanders Chapter of Muskies, Inc. He has been fishing for Muskies for 14 years & primarily uses baitcasting equipment. He strictly fishes for Muskies most of the open water season. Wisconsin areas fished include Lake of the Woods, otherwise he’ll be fishing every weekend at either Madison Chain of Lakes, or waterways in Polk, Vilas or Oneida counties. He landed his personal best 50” Musky this August.

1) WHAT HAS THE MIDWESTERN MUSKY FISHING BEEN LIKE THIS YEAR; A TYPICAL YEAR, BETTER OR SLOWER THAN USUAL, OR ??

[BRAD] At Musky Country Outfitters we have experienced an exceptional spring and summer as far as musky on the fly has gone in 2011. We have had to work for the fish at times...but have been consistently bringing both numbers and quality fish to hand. If this trend continues as expected MCO will shatter its best season ever (2010) with the number of boated musky on a fly. Typically this musky on the fly season has been challenging and rewarding for both the MCO guide staff and our clients. I'd rate the 2011 spring/summer as a bit above average.

[BILL] In the past 15 years I have averaged between 150 and 200 muskies per year, my lightest year was 145, the most I ever boated was 192, so if I continue on the trend I am on now, I should get very close to or exceed my best years... I had an exceptional year for all species of fish this year, but then I fish a much larger geographic region than most anglers do. We had the best Walleye bite I have experienced in quite some time this spring, the trophy trout fishing extended even into late June, then we had exceptional Smallmouth Bass fishing all the way through August, I had one of the best Pike years I have had in a long time, and from late spring to present I have experienced some excellent Musky fishing, all of this fishing is on the fly of course. We had some slow times during high water or cold front times, but these typically only lasted for a couple of days and were not really a factor in my overall fishing success this season.

[PAT] River muskies have been pretty good to us this summer. I filmed a show, LL Bean's Guide to the Outdoors with Tim Rajeff this past July. We had 3 days to film and were affected by a major front going through, 98 to 78 degrees in an hour and it messed up our smallmouth fishing some. We were able to pick the river apart and get some good film. On the third day I took us to a river with muskies to try and hit a home run on the last day and Tim caught one around 30" for the camera. It really enhanced the shoot. So we've been able to catch a few this year when we have gone out.

[KIP] I think this summer has been slower than I would have hoped. I think that it had everything to do with unstable weather patterns throughout the summer and the extremely high water that we had a good portion of the summer. I don't think the fish could settle into the happy spots and eat like we want them to…I was happy just to dial in some Smallmouth for most of the summer.

[STEVE] Fishing has been very streaky this year with smaller windows. One day they are on and then the next day with what would be ideal conditions you can’t even buy a follow.

2) DO YOU FEEL THIS YEAR'S SPRING AND SUMMER WEATHER WILL HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE UPCOMING FALL BITE?

[BRAD] Yes this exceptional spring and summer have set up the autumn to have big, healthy and feisty predator fish. Great forage producing conditions such as we have been experiencing this season stack the deck in the favor of great autumn conditions as far as fish health and vigor are concerned.

[BILL] We are definitely drier than last year, especially since early August, which changed the way I approached my Musky fishing late in the Summer and into this early Fall. ..I think we started into a fall pattern earlier than normal on the rivers I fish, since mid-August the fish have definitely changed their feeding patterns - this is probably due to the change of season and the low water conditions we are experiencing.

Most of the regional rivers are very low due to the slight rainfall we have had recently, low water means clear water, and the fish are taking very bright flies right now. In the past month I have been exclusively using a 4/0 Perch colored Figure-8 and catching lots of Muskies. When I change flies to a Sucker or Smallie color, I can't even get a follow, but when I change back to the Perch, the fish jump all over it! I believe the fish will stay on this pattern until we get some significant rainfall and the water gets higher and cloudier, then they will immediately switch over to the Sucker colors, they may switch without the rain if we get significantly colder conditions, but usually that coincides with some decent fall rains.

[PAT] I don't think the weather this year will have any effect on the fishing this fall. I think it will depend on the weather that we get in the next 2 months.

[KIP] I think the weather will have an effect on the fish this fall; how can it not?

[STEVE] The heat of this summer made the fishing very tough. As things cooled down towards the end of August, the fishing improved.

3) WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THIS SEASON'S FALL BITE?!

[BRAD] It's silly in my mind to predict something like this. The best advice I can give is to get out there and give it a whirl whenever you can. An old time musky guide once told me...They are all good...some are just better than others. (I took it to mean days on the water;) Fall is always Prime Time...as for this fall...I'll predict it for you in December after I have a better handle on it!

[BILL] Currently I have 109 Muskies in the boat for this season and I don't see that letting up anytime soon; the "Fall Bite" is already on as far as I'm concerned. With a little luck and stable weather conditions we may have the best extended fall Musky bite we have seen in recent memory - let's hope so!
(Excerpt from update on 9/23/11: Get to the Northwoods asap, this ride won’t last forever, but it will be great for the next few weeks - hopefully through the middle of November!

Currently we have 126 Muskies in the boat for this season and the best is yet to come, we saw 24 and put 10 in the boat in the past 2 days! Go out and get em')

[PAT] I don’t see why we won’t have good fall fishing. Once that cold weather hits the apex predators start to eat and I think this year will be the same as long as there’s no weather curveballs thrown at us.

[KIP] Things are finally settling in and this should set up for a very good fall bite. If the weather and the flows on the bigger rivers that I concentrate on remain for the most part steady things should be good. Now that the water is low, the fish should begin to concentrate in the deeper water and when that water temp begins to really drop the alarms should go off for them. Musky are somewhat a creature of habit (when they’re not acting like moody muskies) and once they're happier and more content they should begin the fall feedbag. Muskies are a lot like kids, they don't like when their surroundings change. Let's hope the fall is steady as she goes and they get happy.

Good luck to all fall musky hunters it should be if nothing else, interesting.

[STEVE] I think the fall bite is going to rock. Too many inconsistencies throughout the spring and summer should have these fish rev'ed up this fall...... I hope.

THE CALM BEFORE THE BITE ~ The WI-MN Diaries (Part 3, Sept 3-4, 2011)

2011-09-08T20:16:00.009-05:00

IN PURSUIT OF MIDWESTERN MUSKY

Prime Musky season is quickly approaching. The sun is warm but the wind is crisp and delightful. The green of the trees and weeds are just past their prime. The grass no longer grows at a lawnmower-burn-out pace. Fall is nearly here & two nights past, I dreamt of Musky follows.

In honor of Labor Day weekend, a good buddy and I worked-out our casting arms with 10wts on Wisconsin’s Flambeau and Chippewa Rivers. On Saturday, we’d planned the Flambeau float with a mid-afternoon stoppage for meals and rest. Then, back to Musky water before dusk, to allow our eyes & other senses to adjust to the waning light, while continuing to fly fish into the night. However, too little discipline (or too much passion) birthed 12-hours of casting and rowing, accompanied by fatigue and empty bellies. Soon it was 830pm, darkening, with a waning moon and only one small light to guide our casting, rowing, fly changing… potential fish landing. Dang! Our fun and earnest hunt for the apex predator kept us from realistically and smartly exploring these creatures’ night-time habits. We headed back to camp after loading the pontoon on the trailer. I truly hope for another post-afternoon opportunity. 24-hrs on the fly/night fishing for Musky is on my bucket list, for good or bad, sane or crazy reasons.

Did I mention my buddy landed a Musky? It was small enough that he didn’t want a photo to commemorate his first WI Musky on the fly. However, I noted he sat back in the pontoon with a satisfied look about himself and his primary focus then appeared to be setting me up on good Musky water. Now that’s a mighty fine friend. He also fished successfully with an 8wt landing Smallies. I kept to the 10wt and ended up dry, as far as Muskies go.

Sunday greeted us with rain and a late start. Throughout the day, the skies would cloud over and it would rain. Then, after an indeterminate amount of time wearing hood-covered hats, we’d look up from our fishing and note the skies were blue yet again. Hoods on, hoods off. We’d also broken out the waders; another sure sign fall was on the way. All in all, however, it was a lovely day.

No Muskies landed on Sunday. However, at the start of the float, in deep, fast water I had a ~40” Musky follow my fly. Figure 8 but no take. Yet, the line was shooting out beautifully, the fly was hitting the targets, & I had a follow. I was stoked! The only fish landed Sunday on the Chippewa was a Smallie on a Musky fly. We tried a variety of flies, but the Musky, the Musky follow, and the little Smallie with a Musky appetite all came on the ‘Supercharger’. This fly is a Jared Ehlers creation; a quick tie which presents with a large profile and excellent action in the water along with a nice ease of casting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN8G64gHU4c . The photo shown is a Supercharger but with an added orange marabou collar.

The weather patterns varied throughout the weekend so how did that really affect the fishing? After our final day of Musky hunting, we stopped in at Wannigan’s in the town of Winter for broasted chicken. Greg, the owner whose business is next to a popular take-out spot on the Chip, told us that the fishing seemed to have been slow this year, attributing it to the hot summer temps. So I’ve been wondering, what has Midwestern Musky fishing really been like this year; a typical year, slower than usual, or ??? And, will this year's spring and summer weather have any effect on the upcoming Fall Bite?

I’ve decided to take these questions to the folks who have been fishing for Musky as much as I wish I could. I’ve e-mailed Midwestern Musky guides, and also fly shop owners who cater to those who crave the pursuit of toothy critters. Of course, the hope is for a good response. (UPDATE: The Fall Preview post, including the anglers' responses, is posted on my general posting (or Home) page. It will remain there until the end of November. After that time, I will move it to the 'Featured Article' page. -Thanks, Twitch. 9/22/11)

As for my predictions: I believe the Musky Bite was slow this season & that their prey did not flourish due to the same suboptimal weather conditions. If so, the Musky were able to feed adequately, but their typical body mass for this time of year is on the low side of normal. With that in mind, Esox will have enough stored energy to aggressively pursue their forage base and will do so. They will instinctively understanding the need to play catch-up in order to have the stored energy reserves available to survive the winter and be ready to spawn in spring. To get to the point, I predict the Musky will behave like dogs left alone in meat markets and the fly angler will simply need to locate those markets.

IA DNR & AWARE Volunteers Clean Up Waterways (...Trash Talk continued)

2011-08-21T19:44:00.013-05:00

On July 9-16, 2011, the Iowa DNR again backed up its trash talk with action. The DNR’s Project AWARE volunteer river clean-up of the Little Turkey, Turkey, and Volga Rivers netted 64,722lbs of garbage. That is the equivalent of 32.36 tons, or nearly the weight of 18.5 new 4WD Honda CR-V LX SUV’s, being removed by volunteers and their canoes!

This year, 429 volunteers participated in the clean-up. An average of 152 volunteers participated each day with 273 being new to AWARE this year and 61 having participated for 5 or more years. Of the total amount of trash collected by these volunteers, 96% was recycled. Scrap metal, then tires (611), composed the greatest weight of recyclables, and 335lbs of redeemable cans/bottles (cha-ching!) were found.

Participants ranged from aged 2 to 76. An Indiana father/daughter team participated and a father from Cedar Rapids, IA., had sons from Illinois, Colorado, and Oregon join him on the hunt for garbage.
When asked what the most unusual piece of trash removed from a river was, Brian Soenen, Project AWARE Coordinator replied, “While I don’t recall anything being incredibly unique, volunteers found quite a few wooden-spoked wagon wheels and an insane number of large implement tires. The great news is that most of the trash was ‘old’ junk…been there a long time and has now been forever removed.”

Photo Caption Information:

#1: On day 1, Nick Gaeta, Cedar Rapids, IA, transports trash through Gouldsburg Park on the Little Turkey River, following a 'pre-cleanup' of nearby Crane Creek. Gaeta has participated in all but the 1^st year of the Project AWARE clean-ups. #2: While at least 5 paddlers had already spent a good portion of this day plucking trash on a 'pre-cleanup' of Crane Creek, most volunteers set up camp at Gouldsburg Park, Hawkeye, IA, & enjoy the day's outdoor festivities. The confluence of Crane Creek and the Little Turkey River is located at the park. #3: KJ Rebarcak, Long Grove, IA, left, and 'Dutch Oven' Dave Brown, Springfield, MO, transport trash through the Little Turkey River on the first day of this year’s Project AWARE river clean-up. The trash was actually removed from nearby Crane Creek.

#4: Members of the Dubuque Fly Fishers and the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association were asked to volunteer their time and present a hands-on fly casting clinic. Approximately 8 fly anglers participated. Project AWARE volunteer Rose Danaher, Homestead, IA, (pictured) receives a fly casting lesson from Kate Lodge, a member of both clubs, & a Geneseo, IL, resident.

For more information about Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition), & methods of participating in the clean-up of Iowa waterways, please visit this link: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/ProjectAWARE.aspx . And, please e-mail me your 'trash talk'! If you pick up trash from waterways or want to share how you have changed your own habits of trash disposal while on waterways, if you want to comment about how waterways have improved over the years, or if you want to report about what you most commonly find in and along waterways, email me about it or send me a picture. I'd like to increase the attention paid to the maintenance and appreciation of our waterways. ~Twitch

Trash Talk About Garbage on Waterways (...continued from April post)

2011-07-05T23:34:00.002-05:00

Project A.W.A.R.E. will host its 9^th annual volunteer river clean-up from July 9-16, 2011. Volunteers will spend a day or up to the week helping to clean trash from 88.1 miles of the Little Turkey, Turkey, and Volga Rivers. A.W.A.R.E. refers to ‘A Watershed Awareness River Expedition’ and is an Iowa DNR program.

Volunteers travel the rivers by canoes, tent-camp, pay for the provided meals, and may partake in nature and environmental programs in the PM. Examples of this year’s programs include: a canoe skills and safety class (IA DNR), an owl walk (Fayette County Conservation Board) and a hands-on fly casting demonstration (Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association & Dubuque Fly Fishers).

Please click on the link to the website if you would like to learn more about the program or to become a sponsor or volunteer. http://www.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/ProjectAWARE.aspx

Following the week-long river clean-up, I will attempt to provide readers with general information about the volunteers, & the pounds of trash removed from the rivers, along with some of the oddities discovered in the waterways.

(And as I wrote in my first 'Trash Talk' post in April, 2011, if you happen to pick up trash from any waterway, anywhere, e-mail me a few lines and/or send me a picture so I may post it and encourage further waterway responsibility.) Thanks, ~Twitch

Fishdecorah Website: A Great Catch

2011-07-05T22:19:00.000-05:00

This evening, my mouse took me on a field trip to the fishdecorah website: http://www.fishdecorah.com/. I was impressed. No cutesy stuff (note ‘mouse’ and ‘field trip’ above), no protracted stories about one’s own fishing trips (really, I attempt brevity!), ….and it is not a fly fishing-specific site. It is a site dedicated to the NE Iowa Driftless region, specifically Winneshiek County & surrounding areas, for those who enjoy any type of fishing and who care about the region’s environmental concerns, it’s geology, and how we can protect what we love. In addition, it’s easily navigable and friendly, but without the excess fluff which can get in the way of tearing in to the meat of a topic. I invite you to click on the link above and learn more about the Iowa waterways unique to NE Iowa (and where else in the Midwest can one fish for trout year-round?).

Preparing for a Boundary Waters Vacation (or any camp/canoe trip)

2011-06-29T00:23:00.001-05:00

I highly recommend packing weeks early for a big trip so you can be wound-up, stressed and tired around your co-workers, family & friends. This way you avoid: (1) heading off in your vehicle on day 1 of ‘the big trip’, attempting to stay awake after 3 hours of sleep and a previously crazed night of last-minute packing, while wondering if all the pit stops have been worth the ‘caffeine buzz’, and (2) muttering to yourself and yelling at your fly rod during the first half of ‘vacation’ while your (currently annoying)vacation buddy continuously suggests you relax.

Prior to my latest fly fishing trip, I did just that: (drum roll) I packed early. My vacation pal –who, truthfully, never is annoying- did tell me to relax a couple of times, or something to that affect. Frankly, I think he was just saying it out of habit. I was so chilled out, that while we canoed we could’ve set the beer on my lap and I would’ve kept it comfortably cold. I was so relaxed, I should’ve worn a diaper. Oh, wait, too much information (Now my buddy will know why the beer never really stayed cold). But you get me drift. I…was…relaxed.

I hate to clean. I am not domestic. And something feels very unnatural about doing typical, cleanly domesticated things while on vacation. Some ignorantly call this ‘laziness’, but the enlightened (like me) know better. Jeez, it’s vacation(!) and all mundane thoughts of typical daily labor should be left at home. That is why I despised the 5 minutes it took to wash the dirty camp dishes. Plus, there was firewood to find and to cut, water to collect and to treat, a fire to successfully light, meals(campfire meals are not typical chores) to cook, & a bear bag to hang. Of course, all this took place during the last 1.5hrs of daylight, while the mosquitoes were sucking out the last ounces of fluid from our already dehydrated bodies, after a day of paddling and fly fishing in the sun and wind, which was after a late-night of drinking the not-so-cold beer.

Maybe that is why my buddy asked ‘if there was something wrong?’ at times... perhaps while also wondering if I should relax a bit more…. But, fellow fly angler, you understand, don’t you? You understand while, after a hard day of play, all sweaty and stinking, after hauling & cutting wood, hauling water, throwing rope-wrapped rocks over tree limbs and hauling up bear bags, then hauling off and smacking the insects bleeding our bodies dry, on vacation, why it irritated me to hunker down & spend 5 minutes scrubbing dirty dishes? Something wrong? I was simply in the zone. I was working hard to steal back those precious 5 minutes of relax-time I’d lost to the dishes at the end of each vacation day.

Heck, that isn’t true. Well... it’s partially true. Under very specific circumstances, I admit to being lazy. Some may say I’ve been a bachelor(ette) too long. I’ve come to realize that if I frequently get carry-out, not only do I avoid cooking, I avoid dirty dishes piling up in the sink. I’ve also wisely expostulated that if I knew I were going to die tomorrow, I’d regret not taking a fly fishing trip, but would not regret leaving behind a sink of dirty dishes(sorry mom—I recommend you just throw them out).

So, what’s the moral to the story? I don’t know. What I do know is that if my vacation buddy is still willing to vacation with me, I’d go back to the Boundary Waters again in a heart-beat, relaxed or not, hard work to be had or not.

Do you know what the irony is? Once I got home I unloaded my truck & immediately transported the mess to my living room & kitchen floors. Then, a couple days went by. The vacation mess remained, but I’d washed all my dirty dishes.

The Nam: Friends, Fishing, Fun, and Ticks ~ The WI-MN Diaries - (Part 2, 5/2011)

2011-06-07T23:17:00.004-05:00

We debated: fish smallies on Chequamegon Bay & camp on the boat, or float/camp the Nam for trout? No bad choices here, but ultimately the weather decided. Too much wind for the bay. Namekagon-bound!

After a night of suv-camping, I hurried off to Hayward. Aah, a sense of the ‘warm fuzzies’ came over me as I fell in behind the canoe strapped to the familiar old Yota. That Yota took me on my first fly fishing adventure in 2008.

We pulled in at the gas station, OC and I said our hellos & we eventually headed out. Eagle’s Landing first, then we unloaded the canoe and all of our supplies at Thompson Bridge. This trip was sort-of a mini dry-run for our upcoming BWCA canoe/fishing trip, minus 2 days. Surprisingly, we were cramming a lot of stuff into the canoe, but when portaging the Boundary Waters in June we’d need to scale back or be miserable. I wondered, ‘How would that affect the beer situation?’

Anyway, we hit the water around 11AM on Friday the 13^th. Temps were in the low 50’s and there was an intermittent stiff wind to accompany the light gray day. The few occasions the sun appeared, it was blessedly warm & wickedly short-lived. We shared the paddles, with OC providing tips on how to improve my canoe skills.

Of course the day was to be filled with fly fishing but there was a target in mind. Big nymphs with droppers, & big buggers were the main entrees. We were targeting Big Brown Trout. Early on, I landed a 13” Brown. I like to think it fought ‘big’.

During our own lunch break we banked the canoe near a bridge with a small rock dam. I ate and looked for mushrooms. OC started wading and fishing, then disappeared. I heard him yell. He had a good-sized fish on. At that point, I had other fish to fry. I knew my buddy had intended that I solo paddle the gear-laden canoe across the current, avoiding the little dam & rocky rapids, swing under the far side of the bridge, then head downriver. I was feeling that the only ‘buggers’ weren’t in the fly boxes! I was alone with no mistakes to be made.

I ignored my friend’s yells and pondered. I got in the water, grabbed the rear of the canoe and began wading upriver, relieved that the soft riverbed was firm enough to hold me. About 35 yards upriver, I was in better position to safely paddle to the opposite side of the bridge. I remained tense, however, as I paddled under the bridge, seeing and hearing the rough patches of water on my left side.

Perhaps my buddy was, so to speak, starting to ‘push the baby bird out of its nest’. However, this chick was a bit miffed. After all, the nest was holding all of our camping/fishing gear. I let him know I was irritated but told him I didn’t know how much, as that was directly proportional to how tricky paddling the canoe directly across the current would’ve been & I didn’t have a clue.

At least irked to not care(very much) when he said the 22”er he’d had on broke off at the knot I’d tied, I simply asked him why those knots only seem to break when he had fish on my rod? However, soon after, it bothered me. I felt I’d tied a good knot & I’d checked it. The only black and orange Guinea Bugger I’d tied was gone with the fish, too. I’d had a good feeling about that fly. Later, OC lost 2 more fish and one was at his knot. The leader was replaced.

We landed a few fish & lost a few that day. Come evening, I’d tied on a chartreuse/olive marabou concoction which, when I’d tied it, was told it was a good Steelhead fly. The fishing was down, might as well experiment. OC and I alternated rods, typically having one nymph rig set-up and one tied with a streamer pattern. OC hooked into a fish with the marabou concoction. He landed the bronze 11”er; his first Brookie on the Nam!

We politely slid the canoe around holes where other anglers were wading. At one hole, the man’s unsmiling face alone confirmed that the fishing was down. Then I saw a flash downriver of our canoe with the man soon setting the hook upriver of our canoe. We slipped away and cheered him on! It was his first fish of the day.

We’d intended to set up camp at 4PM and arrived on time somewhere after 630. OC had hoped for the rare occasion to cook up some trout (he’d read a book about an 1800’s Brule River guide frying the catch in bacon grease) and I’d hoped to treat my friend to his first-ever morels. The fish weren’t legal and the discovered mushrooms could’ve been lethal. So, hopes put on hold, we had more time at camp to light a smoky campfire and free winged insects from an over-winter in a lidded, open-air vault toilet. Due to tick concerns, we kept our waders on as long as possible. I’d also worn my fleece wading pants, socks over the stirrups, for the whole trip except when I carefully dropped them for, you know…. At least the view from ‘the vault’ was pretty in that gold n green pine tree hue sort of way(yes, there is a point to this latter part of the story!).

Later, I cooked up a BWCA menu test recipe: chicken with cranberry stuffing. It would do. OC fried bacon and we ate our fill while dodging the smoke from the camp fire(it was still windy). I hit the tent first. He soon followed &, having forgotten cards, we played the kid’s game, ‘Connect the Dots’. OC played it like he fishes; better than me. However, on a fluke, I won. That just emphasizes the moral to my story of life: Never give up. I guess that is why I am typically the last off the water.

We woke early the next AM to wind, cold and rain, & more deer ticks on the mosquito netting. Luckily, no ticks were in the tent. I got coffee brewing under the tent vestibule. With coffee to warm us, I went off to ‘enjoy’ the view under the pines and OC got breakfast started. He ate most of the half crispy/half limp bacon slices. I pulled off a few stray crispy pieces. Then, he threw the eggs in the bacon pan. Wow! Note to self: I fry the bacon on the BWCA trip but I beg OC to scramble the eggs. They were the best I’ve ever eaten.

Mid-morning we packed up camp and climbed in the canoe. 15mph winds easily. Brrrrr! And why is it so hard to find clear, polarized glasses? They would’ve been ideal for this gray day. I landed an 11” Brown and OC landed more, of course. He also landed a 23” Redhorse. Later, I switched to a smaller, size 10, bugger and got more hits. Due to the weather, I happily thought we’d have more of the river to ourselves. But it was also a Saturday and I was wrong. I found myself equally happy to share the water with anglers who also thought casting with 20 mph gusts in chilly temps was still a pleasurable way to spend a day.

Soon, it was after 7PM and it was getting a bit late to set up another camp without rushing ( mmmm… pizza and beer). So, we split the reasonable rate at The Riverside in Hayward. While OC went to the grocery store to prepare for his next day’s guide trip and to also pick up our pizza, I took advantage of some privacy and a warm shower.

Dangit! Small & wiggly sore spot on butt!! Attached. So much for a relaxing shower. My buddy returned with a hot pizza and I exited the bathroom strategically draped and embarrassed. Yep, it was a deer tick. While my embarrassment lessened but never entirely went way, what I believe he considered to be a minor inconvenience turned into his intriguing dissection. Two breaks, one his own tick-check(1 wood tick, unattached) and the other, a luke-warm pizza break; tweezers, a safety pin, and, finally, ice to numb the area so he could dig out the last stubborn remains, and the tick was gone.

What a long day! The next morning, OC headed out early to meet his client. I grabbed breakfast and changed my mind repeatedly on where to fish. I always say that heaven is just north of IL & it’s Wisconsin. But, in the evening when one is on a 7 hour drive home, deer run onto the road and one gains insight and, last year, large dents. Deer would not run onto the road willy-nilly in heaven. They would politely wait their turn to cross the road. My point? Wisconsin is not heaven, just similar. Therefore, I wanted to fish somewhere quickly so I could get back to IL prior to nightfall to lessen the chance of WI deer attacks on my CRV.

So, I headed south on Rt. 63 toward home. The Nam isn’t known for trout in this section, but remember my motto? Never give up! I went to Groat Landing, hiked a trail, found a hole and fished. Waded more, saw a guy and gal dump their canoe in the river, watched a hatch and knew I would not catch any trout at this place. With the hatch on my mind, I decided to return to my suv and drive back through Hayward to prime trout waters. New motto: Never give up, but be smart about it. Let’s just say I had a couple of hits, & it was sunny but still very windy. No delicate presentations today. Also, while I’d gone to prime trout water, I didn’t find a prime trout hole. Time and travelling by wading boot limited my options. So, as usual, I left the water late, around 3PM, driving a portion of the trip in the dark, but I was out of Wisconsin by then.

Today, I’m on day 13/14 of antibiotics. Lyme disease prevention. I did not want to take the chance of acquiring Lyme and missing our BWCA(Boundary Waters) trip in June. I hear the open-air vault toilets are erected in even prettier settings there, so, no reading material needed. However, I won't forget the TP and DEET.

The Fly Tying Trials of Skunk vs. Polar Pony Hair

2011-05-01T23:54:00.004-05:00

The quest for skunk tail started when I discovered, on-line, a Clouser-like musky fly made with 'Polar Pony'. My fly material sources didn't know what it was, but Google did. It comes from a pony which lives in Iceland. Evidently, Icelandic pony hair is a very special thing since a package of it, with dimensions similar to flashabou, runs about $14. Now, if that Clouser-like musky fly could guarantee me one 50"+ musky this season, I'd buy it. However, I never saw that claim on the packaging. http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2011/02/07/steve-silverio-ties-the-silverfishfly/

So....that is what led to my desire for skunk tail. Frankly, I no longer remember how or if skunk tail is similar to Icelandic pony hair. However, we all know that once one starts looking at a particular fly pattern, then looks for substitute material for said pattern, other discoveries are made. Then, the initial search is temporarily forgotten due to the curiosity elicited by discovering the potential for yet a different fly tying material. This is why a particular fly tier can gather a lifetime of tying material in a couple of years.
However, I do believe there is a correlation between an Icelandic pony and, well, a skunk. I want to tell you that the reason for the high cost of the Icelandic pony's hair is that the pony also values his hair and has developed a defense mechanism to prevent would-be fly tiers of Icelandic pony hair from creeping up and cutting off its mane or tail. I want to tell you the pony lifts its tail and tries to spray those wanting to steal away it's long, shiny hair. Therefore, one can understand why the hair is so expensive; it’s hard to get & hard to get rid of the smell if sprayed.

However, if I told you all that I would be lying. The truth, if I remember correctly, is that skunk hair is said to be long, shiny and almost translucent. Somewhere in my memory banks, skunk hair sounded like a nice substitute for Polar Pony.

'John', a hunter and fisher, goes to K&K Hardware every Tuesday to visit a friend who works in the hunting/fishing department. I occasionally stop by to visit with 'the boys' & to shop the best fly tying selection in the area. John is also becoming the man who provides me with 'excellent tail'. I was given my first tail shortly after deer hunting season. It was prime bucktail. The bone had been removed and the tail had been dried. I later thanked John with home-made cookies.

So, when I first started thinking of skunk tail, I thought of John. If 'the boys' were out hunting and happened to run across a dead skunk on the side of the road --in good shape, perhaps just a head injury-- maybe John would be willing to harvest the tail for me. Unrealistic to find one in good shape? Perhaps, but I tend to be optimistic.

Well, it just so happened that when I asked John about skunk tail, his neighbor had trapped one that day. I can't say I like it, but these boys are hunters and John says skunks eat the eggs of the birds they hunt; he said the skunk wasn't going to be around much longer. I emphasized I didn't want a skunk killed for me, but if it was going to happen, why should the tail be wasted?

A couple weeks later, I came into the store and John just as quickly left. Soon, he came back with a smile and a sealed bag containing the skunk tail. We could smell the tail through the bag. John noted that his cats, Connie Chung and #5, wanted that skunk tail more than catnip.

So, I took the tail home, did a little research, and soon the tail was double-bagged and sitting in borax. I only needed a nice day to be able to mix up a ‘cocktail’ which has been known to neutralize the odor created by skunks. Now, I live in a little slab home with an attached tiny garage in a tiny yard, surrounded by neighbors who don’t like the smell of skunk. It’s also been raining a lot. Due to the smell, the rain, and the fear of a cat carrying my tail away, it’s been sitting for a month or more in the bag in the garage.

But today, it did not rain. I took the tail outside, mixed up the ingredients (1 pt 5% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 tablespoon liquid dish detergent –use when freshly made) then placed the tail in a bowl with the ingredients. The mixture frothed up like the head of steamed milk on a cappuccino. It pushed half the tail out of the bowl. I waited at least 5 minutes, pushing the tail back into the liquid. I noted the greatest odor was coming from the bag which now only contained borax. I sniffed the tail before and after rinsing it off and estimated at least 75% of the odor was gone. After letting the tail sit outside for a while, I sealed it in another bag filled with fresh borax. I would buy the recommended fresh hydrogen peroxide soon and give the tail another bath.

Then, I left for the fly fishing club meeting. Upon returning home, I noticed a slight odor in the garage… Well, I was wrong. I now estimate the tail odor has actually been reduced by 50%. I can’t say the tail is fly tying material yet, but it’s getting there.

(By the way, when the tail is ready and a fly is tied, I’ll post a picture. Perhaps it will be a Clouser-like fly tied with a great substitute for Polar Pony. And, while researching how to deodorize and dry a skunk tail, I came across a very funny article about ‘The Skunk Hair Club’. This is the link: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Skunk.html)

~Twitch

Trash Talk About Garbage on Waterways

2011-04-10T16:10:00.003-05:00

   What is a simple way we can all 'Cast It Forward' when we head out to fly fish?? Bring a bag along and pick up the trash you see at the waterway or in the parking lot. Forget to bring a bag? So what? Simply picking up one or two pieces of trash on the trip back to the car will help to keep our woods and waterways a better place for all to visit. If all anglers picked up 1-2 pieces of trash every time he/she went out fishing, it would make a big impact on our environment. Of course, don't litter, and try to keep those clipped tag ends of leader material -esp fluorocarbon- off the water and in the garbage.
   I plan to post pictures of garbage taken away from our waterways...or pics of cleaner waterways! Send me your pictures(even if it's 1-2 pieces of trash!)...or even an email telling me what garbage you've picked up, your first name(optional) the name of the waterway, and its location. If you have dates of stream clean-ups, etc., I'd like to know that, too. I will post this 'trashy information' on my 'Casting It Forward' page in its own section. Format unknown as it depends on the type of response I receive. I don't care if you are from Slovenia or Iowa; in reality it's everyones' 'backyard' and it's the home to all finned/feathered/furred creatures. Thanks, ~Twitch  stripntwitch@yahoo.com
  (A fellow reader felt someone reading this post may have interest in a link she provided me, so here it is: http://www.connectutilities.org/blog/2011/10-things-most-garbage-services-wont-take/ )

Tight Lines and Smallmouth Bass

2011-03-14T21:14:00.004-05:00

The ‘hole’ was actually a span of riffles located next to a seam of slow-moving pocket water abutting the bank. Following a couple of roll casts, I casted traditionally, aiming near the edge of the pocket. With more line out, my soft hackle nymph drifted out along the slow water & began to swing across & into the riffles. Just as I began to strip line in, FISH ON! The temps were cold enough to freeze water on the rod guides, it was windy, & my soul was lifted. The fish fought well, leaping from the cloudy water. It was a 14” Rainbow; a feisty stocker. It was landed on Swiss Valley stream on my last hole of the day. Jackfish Kate and I had started out fishing together, but our paths split when Jackfish headed downstream, fishing and exploring. Soon after, I'd discovered a nice view of the stream when trekking along an uphill trail. Jackfish was framed beautifully while fishing in mixed ribbons of golden brown earth & milky brown water. We met back on the trail, readying for home. That was how we ended the day of March 12, 2011 in the NE Iowa Driftless region: fly fishing.

We started our day walking into the Swiss Valley Nature Center, Peosta, IA., just as the programs hosted by the Dubuque Fly Fishers and presented by Tight Lines Fly Shop owner Tim Landwehr and shop guide Nate Sipple were set to begin. Forty to fifty guests had come to listen to the men from the De Pere, WI, fly shop give their presentations. Topics included: how and where to fish for river Smallmouth Bass; demonstrations on how to tie smallie flies; and why the Midwest, and especially Wisconsin, is a fantastic & underappreciated freshwater fishery for fly anglers.

Of course Tim gave an overview of the offerings of his fly shop, including guide services with the 7 guides on staff, free winter programs of guest fly tiers, a large selection of flies for sale & the shop’s websites. He then delved into the meat of the first topic, which was how to successfully fish for river Smallmouth Bass. While standing in the heart of Iowa trout country, Tim reminded the anglers that trout live and interact differently in their habitat than smallies do in their habitat; therefore each species should be approached differently. For example: prey in the trout environment often move slowly whereas forage for smallies often move quickly & are generally chased; trout typically face into the current, but smallies face many directions; and trout hold close to, or in direct current, but river smallies prefer to hold in little or no current.

Then, with photos displaying on the video screen of river structure, interspersed with photos of happy clients with rotund 19”+ smallies, Tim provided examples of how to fish the given structure, the forage type & how it presents itself, and followed with how & when to fish top water, intermediate and sinking flies. Tim stated that 85-90% of a smallie’s diet is crayfish yet 2 of the most successful shop patterns used are the Bart-O and Mudich Minnows. Tim said, “Opportunity trumps quantity always”. More energy and risk are involved with eating a crayfish than a baitfish. Due to the aggressive nature of smallies, Tim also reminded the anglers not to cast in the same spot twice.

Nate presented the 2^nd portion of the program. He demonstrated how to tie the Murdich Minnow & another un-named baitfish imitation he’d created. Additional tips, such as how & why to use an adhesive gel vs. the liquid version when attaching eyes, and why one should gently lift a fly tied with ‘Fish Lips’ to the water’s surface prior to casting again, were provided. The shop’s top 6 fly recommendations were given, and Tim gave a demo on how to tie a Fordyce Loop when attaching a fly, especially a popper or streamer pattern, such as a Clouser, to the leader.

Tim finished the programs emphasizing how the Midwest & particularly Wisconsin is a great freshwater fishery for fly anglers. He spoke of stream improvements in NE IA and SW WI, the amount of free public access granted in these states & the diversity of fishing opportunities afforded those lucky enough to regularly fish the region. Tim claims the Midwest has the best Smallmouth Bass fishing available. He also spoke of trout streams, the Hexagenia Limbata hatches, the Musky Capital of the World, migratory fish including big Brown Trout and Steelhead, & of the hard-fighting carp.

Tim also displayed a graph comparing the length of the fishing seasons in Montana versus the Midwest. Shortly afterward, Jackfish and I donned our waders. The program was over but we had more Iowa winter fly fishing to do!

Fly on the Tie

2011-02-25T00:13:00.001-06:00

Life provides us with the sun and the clouds and sometimes we cause the sun or the clouds to come in to our lives. As fly anglers, occasionally we may wonder if we can ever bring back that pure happiness of fly fishing with special friends. Oh Amazing Sunshine...even on cloudy days!
Tonight, someone else's sunshine parted the clouds I'd created for myself.
I attend a 'music night' in the basement of 'Dot's Pots', the pottery shop of friends Dot and Dan. A few who attend have dabbled in fly fishing but none currently fish. But, whenever I go, people always ask about fly fishing & if I've been out lately. Jerry, a man who collects old ashtrays and who generally has tales of a well-lived life to share, recently began to attend. While he is a pleasure to be around, we still barely know one another. I know he's an intelligent man who sports unusual neckties and he knows I fly fish.

The afternooon before the most recent music night was to start, friend Dan called & left me a message. He was excited. He said Jerry had been by and had dropped off a few presents for me. For me?! Sadly, I couldn't attend music night. However, I stopped by the shop to visit Dot and Dan tonight. Dorothy waited for Dan to get home. Together they watched me as Dot pulled out Jerry's gifts, one-by-one, from a plastic bag. The first was a pamphlet from 1941 with the cover depicting a miffed man holding his small catch next to a teen holding her large catch of fish. The next item was a mug showing a flyangler hooking a rainbow. All lovely gifts. However, Dot was right when she held out the 3rd item in her closed palm & said, "You're going to love this!"
I knew it was a bolo tie but I couldn't see the clip until she opened her hand. And there it was.
A metal-framed white pendant with an actual fly for trout/steelhead encased in a clear topcoat. Oh, we were all smiling!!
Jerry may never truly know how much his gifts and how much more his utter kindness and selflessness brightened my heart.  Today, he was my rainbow. As we are not perfect, we are given the wonderful opportunity to grow. We can't undo our past but we can use the past to improve who we are and how we interact with others.
Jerry's thoughtful actions, which may have seemed small to him, had very positive effects on me at a time I needed them the most. I will make sure Jerry knows this.
And Jerry reminded me to continue to try and do good & be good for others. Sometimes the smallest actions have the greatest effects. Many times we are not aware how strongly our actions can make another's day...or not. Life with others can be sort of like fly fishing for trout. You have to be able to read the water, not spook the fish, be aware of your surroundings, provide a delicate presentation, & respect and handle the fish carefully. It can be tricky.
Sometimes, though we try to do it all just right, we miss something. The clouds come and the rains fall. We lose or hurt the fish despite the lack of intention to do so. While fish don't readily provide do-overs, I still choose to grow from my mistakes and be the best fly angler (and friend) that I can be.  If I ever hook the same fish again, I will have the no-how to treat it better. However, I also know there will be other fish to catch and I can positively say that 'the best I can do' is a little better now.
As we are not perfect and will make mistakes, I believe it becomes even more important to treat others kindly; to ensure that the positive actions one performs in life outweigh the negative ones. Jerry's gifts are a great example of this.  Small gifts from a near-stranger had a powerful effect on me.  What we do or don't do in the life of family, friends and strangers can have a powerful effect. And, as we are reminded of our own mistakes it becomes easier to forgive others. Happily (& sadly), I've become a very forgiving person.
From the gal who ties flies: Thanks, Jerry, for the fly on the tie!

Guinea Bugger and Guinea Bugger Deluxe

2011-02-07T23:11:00.003-06:00

The olive Guinea Bugger was the 1^st original fly I tied, the first fly with which I landed a fish(an 18” smallie), & it was the 1^st day I fished it. It was also the first fish of the day. To top it off, it was my birthday. On a solo fishing day, I landed my first largemouth bass on the first cast, using a red Guinea Bugger.

The Guinea Bugger Deluxe came about when the orange guinea feathers I ordered were too short to wrap too far on the hook shank. The 2^nd portion of marabou took up extra space and gave additional bulk to the fly. In the water, it produced a pulsing up and down motion to the fly’s body. Frankly, on a float trip I was a little embarrassed to fish the bright orange fly, so I initially didn’t. After a different fly did not produce, I popped on the orange GBD. That little fly landed the most smallies of the day.

There were much better fly anglers than me on these trips. I believe that is why the olive and orange GB and GBD’s have become my confidence flies.

If you are interested in tying these flies, please read below for further tips. Also, visit the Fly Tying page for the recipe(s). I keep the body color lighter or the same color as the marabou. I typically use chenille for the body. However, you may also use other material, such as estaz or frosted yarn, to add more flash and to de-bulk the body, allowing another wrap or two of guinea on the body. Look for pkg’s of guinea with spotted portions of feathers 1.5” or more in length(pretty-plumes on eBay is starting to pkg these longer feathers). The GBD works well when feathers are shorter. I tie in the base of the guinea near the eye of the hook & wrap rearward. In this manner, I’m ensured the front of the fly always looks good. You may also tie in the tip of the feather midway up the hook shank & wrap forward. This latter method of tie-in produces other considerations and I’ll provide more info if desired. I always tie in a solid black flash at the tail. This balances the black in the guinea and may look like a ‘lateral line’. In the GBD, I will also add Krystal flash to the 2^nd clump of marabou. The fly tends to look better if the thread closely matches the color of the body. It is important to firmly bind down the guinea stem, so I use 3/0 up to 210 denier thread.

I’ve also tied chartreuse, white, black with blue, grey Guinea Buggers, and more. Some won’t be fished at all. Others, like the grey, will be fished as soon as I can. I’ve had ‘fish on’ in trout streams with the GB, but nothing landed to date. I still struggle to land trout. I believe the GB and GBD will be successful with more than bass & hope to find out this year. But hey, bass are fun!

Dahlberg, Helm, and Sherer at Hawkeye Fly Fishing Show

2011-01-30T23:58:00.003-06:00

My plan today was to post the recipe for my fly, the Guinea Bugger Deluxe. However, a chaotic day filled with… nothing, ensued. An overabundance of laziness and disorganization filled my time & soon I was staring at 8:30 pm with a lot of... nothing to show for a glorious day away from work.

Time to tie the GBD! However, a partially tied deer hair bug still sat in my vise. Last week, I’d checked out Chris Helm’s dvd on spinning deer hair bass bugs and gave it a go Thursday…but soon realized my own version of a deer hair packer was not sufficient. Today, knowing that if I removed this fly from the vise, it would probably never be completed, I opted to finish it instead of work on my GBD recipe post.

I really impressed myself! Aside from sounding like Charlie Brown: Arrrrrrrrgh!!; and yelling, “Crap!” numerous times, I never once cussed.

I’m an optimist and will say the fly turned out ‘alright’ for the first time. It’s not packed tightly enough to put on the eyes, and the unbalanced red, deer hair face may not be anchored too well, but, by golly, it will see some water time prior to its demise!

Why the urge to attempt to spin deer hair? Well, the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association’s annual fly fishing show is Feb 25-27 in Des Moines, IA. Larry Dahlberg, Bill Sherer, and Chris Helm are the guest speakers and Sherer and Helm will each be teaching classes on tying flies. Let’s just say I caught a little ‘bug’, called ‘deer hair fever’. I may have recovered, but I’m not too certain just yet! On the flip side, I’m happy to report that ‘Musky Fever’ has a viscous hold on me. It is, happily, incurable. Bill Sherer understands. He has the fever, too.

It should be a good show. The ‘bucket raffles’ & auctions with fishing-related items are always popular, and the raffle rod outfit featuring a Sage TXL-F, a Ross reel, Sharkskin line, and hand-tied flies would be a great ‘win’! The rod raffle will benefit educuation & conservation needs. There are fly casting clinics, youth events, and fly fishing equipment vendors. If you’re not out fishing, it’s a great way to spend some free time!

BITE IT! Fly Anglers Answer Bite Guard Surveys

2010-11-27T20:45:00.008-06:00

The 2nd of two articles, BITE IT: Fly Anglers State Preferences for Fluorocarbon or Wire Bite Guards When Fishing for Esox, is complete! Please visit the Featured Article page if you would like to read about what professional fly anglers prefer for bite guards when they fish for Esox! On this page, there are profiles of the anglers, photographs, and the anglers' answers to the surveys about fluorocarbon and wire bite guards. (The first 'Properties' article is posted below on this Home page & includes a quiz question in which the winner will receive a Twitch-tied musky fly)
Comments about the Featured Article post may be made here and are welcome. It was a pleasure to write the articles and a greater pleasure to post the responses from these anglers who are so obviously enthusiastic about fly fishing.

BITE IT! Properties of Fluorocarbon & Wire Bite Guard Materials for Esox

2010-11-22T23:37:00.008-06:00

Determining which bite guard material to use when fly fishing for pike/musky can be daunting for some, and for others, there is only one possible choice. Many factors can play a role in this decision and a follow-up article (to be posted this week under the Featured Article tab), complete with feed-back from fly anglers well-versed in angling for Esox, will address these factors.

However, knowing the properties possessed by the various ‘leader materials’ used to make bite guards can provide a solid foundation to help one better understand the potential outcomes of using each material. In other words, which material do you believe boats more Esox, is reliable, and not a pain in the backside to use?

To clarify, this article strictly discusses the bite guard (shock guard, bite tippet); generally a 10-16” length of the leader which attaches directly to the fly. Fly line material, which has different construction and characteristics than leader material, is not discussed. Furthermore, the super-lines or ‘spectra-based’ lines, while they may work in a pinch, are also not discussed in depth here. They have some excellent properties, but they are not very cut resistant. Therefore, scissors, sharp-toothed pike & sharp rocks can cut this material.

A Clearer Understanding of Fluorocarbon

Prior to the advent of ‘Seaguar’ the first fluorocarbon monofilament created by the Japanese company, Kureha, & officially introduced to the United States in 1992, heavy nylon monofilament was used by some for bite guard material. However, nylon mono is more visible in water, is prone to abrasion, has more stretch and breaks down in sunlight. While some undoubtedly still use this material as a bite guard, others may agree that the affordable nylon mono has a better place in the leader -such as the butt section- where its purpose is well-served farther from the mouth of a toothy critter.

Then, fluorocarbon made its appearance and over time it has improved in quality to allow for a more fishable material. Many of the characteristics purported by manufacturers appear to be comparisons to nylon mono, but are, nonetheless, characteristics to consider when determining a bite guard choice.

The light refractive index is 1.3 for water, 100% fluorocarbon (in contrast to line material which may have a fluorocarbon coating) has an index of 1.42, and mono’s index is 1.52. Hence, fluorocarbon is less visible in water. The material is also abrasion resistant, dense, and does not absorb water. Therefore, it is resistant to toothy attacks, rocks and other structure, it sinks uniformly, and its breaking strength does not change when wet.

Manufacturers also claim that the material has good knot strength, low stretch rate, is chemical and weather resistant, and is unaffected by UV light. However, many believe that fluorocarbon is not ‘knot-forgiving’. A knot poorly tied with fluorocarbon will have a high failure rate. And while the initial cost of fluorocarbon may be considered by some to be off-set by its long shelf-life, this also means it does not readily break-down in the environment. What type of impact do those clipped fluoro tag ends and the broken-off bite guards have on the environment? (For that matter, what pollutants are created when any leader materials are produced?) While improving, fluoro still carries the reputation of having more memory than nylon mono and of being ‘stiff’, affecting the action of the fly.

In summary, fluorocarbon is abrasion-resistant, yet bite-offs can still occur and nicks can severely weaken a bite guard; it sinks readily, so a subsurface fly may be helped, but your popper may struggle to ‘pop’; it refracts light similarly to water, possibly increasing hook-ups, but your bite guard is only as clear as it is clean; it is nearly impervious to the sun’s rays, therefore having a longer shelf/water life, but environmental factors could cause others some concern.

In addition, all nylon mono knots can be tied with fluorocarbon, plus the diameter of fluorocarbon (.026”) is smaller than mono (.030”) when comparing the same pound (50#) test. It generally appears that the most popular pound tests in use for bite guards range from 40-80#. As one approaches the latter range, knots become more difficult to tie and some choose to use snaps/swivels to attach their bite guard to the rest of the leader and to the fly. Of course knots are still required, but it is easier to switch out the bite guard and/or the fly without having to tie as many knots. Some fluorocarbon is also marketed to change color when in the water and another brand is pink in color yet the manufacturer claims it is still ‘invisible’ to the fish. Expect to pay at least $23 for 25 yards of decent quality fluorocarbon, but one can spend more than $50.

No Breaks for Wire

Unlike fluorocarbon, wire offers different materials from which to choose. Leader material choices include stainless steel, both single-strand and multi-strand; and of the latter, there are either nylon-coated or non-coated options. Furthermore, titanium wire is also available in single-strand and multi-strand construction. This includes nickel-titanium (Nitinol), a type of titanium wire which is widely offered for leader material. The alloy was developed in 1962 for hand weapons and tools, other products evolved, and in the very latter 1900's it was also developed as leader material.*

In general, all wire materials mentioned above are corrosion resistant, have very good strength, and are impact resistant. Many anglers, regardless of which bite guard material they use, will agree that wire can stand up to a toothy attack better than non-wire bite guards.

Single-strand wire has a smaller diameter than multi-strand wire of equal strength. Pertaining to stainless steel, it has been claimed that it is easier to make a bite guard with this material than with multi-strand, yet many users of the latter would argue this.

While both single and multi-strand wires, particularly stainless steel, can kink, single-strand will do so more readily and it is also more difficult to straighten when simply bent. A kinked or bent wire, at the least, can affect the action of the fly, and, at most, cause a break-off. When a kink occurs it is often best to trim off or change the bite guard. Stainless steel multi-strand wire is more flexible than single-strand wire, potentially improving the action of the fly and allowing it to be coiled and transported more easily with less risk for damage.

With the advent of nylon-coated multi-strand stainless steel wire, manufacturers claim that it is easier to tie a coated wire to monofilament line and it helps to prevent knot slippage. Other features are that it offers increased abrasion resistance, increased line life, and a reduction in line visibility. There are also a steadily growing number of colors available. However, it is also possible for the nylon coating to become damaged, necessitating a trim or a bite guard change, and some coatings can be more reflective, increasing the visibility of the bite guard.

Compared to stainless steel wire, manufacturers and anglers claim titanium wire has more kink resistance and abrasion resistance. It is also flexible and has a 10-15% capacity to stretch. The material has very little memory, generally returning to its original shape after being bent. This durable material has a darker, non-glare finish. However, others have expressed concern that the material can be brittle. There are also claims that it is more challenging to tie knots with titanium wire and that the types of knots available to be tied with this material are limited. Furthermore, it is not possible to complete a haywire twist with this wire and it may be challenging to effectively crimp the wire. This strong material does, however, possess a smaller diameter, making it less obtrusive in the water.

In summary, wire is very abrasion resistant, with little chance of bite-offs. However, kinks will severely increase the chances of a break-off. Wire is more visible than fluorocarbon in water & some wire can be more reflective, possibly affecting the number of hook-ups. Newer wire materials are more flexible and offer improved tie-ability, yet special skills and tools may still be needed. The smaller diameter of wire may leave some considering: if a material possesses a smaller diameter and is very abrasion resistant, could it increase the likelihood of causing harm to the body or teeth of a toothy critter?

In addition, only a specific number of knots can be tied with wire. One should start by following the manufacturer’s recommendations. The approximate inches in diameter of stainless steel wire: single-strand (.016) and multi-strand (.024), and titanium wire: single-strand (.018) and multi-strand (.021), at 50# test, for example, is smaller than nylon monofilament (.030) and fluorocarbon (.026) of the same test strength. It generally appears that the most popular pound tests in use for wire bite guards range from 20-50# tests, partially dependant upon material used. Knots, swivels, snaps, crimps, and a (nylon) twist melt can be used. There are a greater number of colors now available to match the environment/water conditions. Expect to pay $1.85-39.00 for 30 feet, dependent upon material used, and then plan for additional costs if you need wire cutting tools and wish to use snaps, etc., with your bite guards.

My Take On All This Mumbo Jumbo:

A greater share of the choice between materials will boil down to:

1) Reducing bite-offs or break-offs

2) Decreasing line visibility and increasing hook-ups

3) Comfort-level and skill with which the angler uses the material

4) Personality-type

5) What material is readily available in the angler’s location.

I have friends who use either material and I’ve fly fished with guides who use either material. At this time, I use fluorocarbon bite guards, but my mind remains open to change. I’ve never had a bite-off or break-off, but I have not landed large quantities of Esox... yet. I generally fish in stained waters and the success rate when fishing with others who use wire is running fairly even. The fly has appeared to make more of a difference than the bite guard. For me, it’s about comfort level and personality. I love the ease of a loop-to-loop connection. I can pre-tie all of my musky flies with bite guards, toss them in a case and switch out flies with ease. While I’ll cast all day and into the night if the choice were all mine, I’d tend to over-fish an unsuccessful fly because I wouldn’t want to re-knot the wire bite guard, or I’d let the bite guard get too short prior to changing it. I am selectively lazy. On the flip side, I do occasionally imagine hooking up with that first 50-incher: An amazing fight ensues, that is, until I get my first bite-off. Like I said, my mind remains open to change.

Which Bite Guard Material to Choose?

There isn’t an absolutely right or wrong answer. It’s an individual choice. However, I do have a few suggestions to help one on to the path of bite guard happiness.

Visit a fly fishing shop; one that caters to those who love to fish for toothy critters (& there are a lot of similarities with shops that cater to saltwater fishing, too) would be more beneficial. You will know you’ve found one when you see tying and fishing materials geared toward Esox, and if they offer guided trips for musky and pike. The personnel here can help one narrow down which material to use and then provide instruction in how to attach it to the fly and the rest of the leader. Don’t forget the local fly fishing club, which could certainly be of assistance.

Using the internet, research specific materials and don’t forget to visit the fly fishing forums to read comments and to ask questions. Once the material type is further narrowed, I’d recommend revisiting the computer and searching for customer reviews of specific product brands, not forgetting to differentiate between customer-use error and product faults.

Also, if you elect to use snaps, swivels, or crimps, buy the best quality possible, since they are more pieces of equipment added to the leader which could fail. Furthermore, stay size-appropriate, as you would be adding more weight and visibility to the leader.

Practice tying bite guards before you get to the water. If you’ve elected to use wire, visit a craft store to purchase 49 strand wire. While you may not get the same flexibility and ease of tying that you would get from fishing-specific material (or the knowledge from fly fishing junkies at the shops), you can still purchase material for less cost to hone your knot-tying skills. For fluoro users, buy nylon mono or 20# test of fluoro to begin tying knots. After all, this other material could be used elsewhere on the leader. Finally, buy quality materials! If you cut corners when it comes to bite guards, a toothy critter is more apt to do some cutting, too. (Written November 2010)

*Links to reference materials for wire leader material:

northcarolinasportsman

saltwatersportsman

floridasportfishing

Quiz Question: Why is it hypothesized that pike deposit their feces outside of their forage range?
(E-mail me by 12/26/10 at stripntwitch@yahoo.com with your answer and a number you've chosen from 0 to 300. The person with the correct answer who is closest to the number I have chosen will receive one of my hand-tied musky flies.)

Bite It! Fluoro vs Wire. The Research Goes On

2010-11-03T23:23:00.003-05:00

I'm still doing research for the fluoro/wire bite guard articles. (first article now posted 11/22/10) AND... 2 days ago I began contacting a number of musky and pike junkies, including fly shop personnel and guides. Responses were coming in the next morning and I couldn't be happier. There's alot of knowledge & experience out there & I'm happy these folks are willing to share it! Support your local fly shop, tip your guide, and why not make the effort to teach someone else something about fly fishing? We've all got something to share. ~Twitch

Forget the Lettuce...Put Some Trout in Your Salad!

2010-11-03T23:18:00.003-05:00

Click on the Reel to Creel page if you'd like to add your freshly-caught trout to sandwiches or appetizers. Afterall, so many things taste even better with horseradish! ~Twitch

A Great 4 Days of Fly Fishing!

2010-10-19T23:29:00.011-05:00

The WI-MN Diaries - Oct. 15-18, 2010

2 states, 3 rivers, & 2 broken rods in 4 hard days of fishing. Return again for more photos and tales of musky, pike, smallie, and steelhead fishing, and -of course- good friends. (Photo: Capt. Ouitdee Carson casts for musky on the Flambeau River.)

2010-10-11T21:13:00.021-05:00

The WI-MN Diaries - Part 1, Sept. 25-27, 2010

Kate and I load up the CRV as quickly as we can. I'd just finished a long day at work and we knew there was a long night in front of us. We head out from Moline, IL., by 6:30 pm. We are Hayward-bound. We hope we are musky-bound, too.

Day 1: For the love of fly fishing and the Northwoods, Kate and I reluctantly get up early after the previous night's 7 hour drive to Hayward. A breakfast stop at the Spider Lake Cafe nets me the pleasure of visiting with MCO musky guide Brad Bohen and introducing him to Jackfish Kate. Brad tells us the guides and a film crew are taking it to the water today. We discuss how the current high water-levels may affect all of our fishing. After breakfast, Bob, owner of the Spider Lake Motel, kindly provides Kate and me with a map marked with areas to fish. Today, we hope to explore as much water as possible. The 'real' fishing begins tomorrow.

Next, we head off to the urban, clear-water, sand-bottomed Round Lake. It's purported to have musky and trophy-size smallies. We split up and wade waist and chest-high, casting in the clear water. No fish today. Walking back along the shore, I scan for unusual rocks, but end up with a rubber salamander(it now rides on the dash of my CRV). I also leave with a wet leg. My waders have sprung a leak. Oh well, whaddya do? We get back in the suv and keep exploring.

We are boat-less and the water is far from optimal. Yet, if it's possible to shore-fish, we wet a line. As with anything in life: If you don't try, it definitely won't happen. At the swollen Teal River Boat Access, I cast solo while Kate briefly checks out the water upstream. We again run into Brad and the boys, checking out the water conditions. They are shocked (& I'm amused) when I tell them I've landed 3 musky here. Of course, I quickly admit the truth! I feel a bit foolish being 'caught' shore-fishing this water, but I tend to walk my own crazy path.

Lastly, Jackfish and I shore-fish along the Chippewa and then head for Don's cabin. Good company and home-made pizza await us. Along a 1/4 mile stretch of road, we spot turkey, a large black bear, and elk. Kate, who regularly fishes in Canada, says it's the largest black bear she's ever seen. Nice way to finish the day!
That night, our musky guide, Don Larson (the Pondmonster), provides tips on proper musky leader construction, including the wire bite guard. Kate is also 'pro-wire' and her 9wt gets a new leader. My opinion remains open, but I stick with my Seaguar fluoro. We discuss our fly selection for the next day, and get to sleep early.

Day2: Don treats us to coffee and home-made blueberry pancakes, and we then head out for our full-day float on the Chippewa. A mist rises from the water on this beautiful morning and by 9:30 we're in the drift boat. Within 5 minutes, Kate has a fish on! I have the camera, Don has the net, but (dang!) the musky unhooks itself at the boat. Kate is using one of Don's flies. It has good action and rides 'hook up', proving itself to be weed-free. I enjoy casting my flies to the weeds' edges, but must frequently remove weeds from the hook, greatly reducing my opps of engaging a musky in battle. I will be tying some flies differently in the future.

It's a beautiful day on the Chippewa. Trees paint the shoreline in green, red and yellow. A few trees appear dead, but Don tells us these are 'Black Locusts', the last trees to dress and the first to undress. We have a quick lunch on the boat and get back to fishing.

While Kate has fly fished longer than I, this is her first time fishing for musky and the first she has been in a drift boat. She taught herself to double-haul the week prior to this trip (impressive!) and today she is learning where and when to cast when 2 anglers are fishing in a smaller boat. I occasionally duck, hold my cast, or smile; remembering when I learned these same lessons last year. In February, when I was confined to crutches and a cast, Kate was one of a few friends who helped me continue to fly fish. I'm very happy she's come on this trip.

"I got one!", I yell. The fish leaps from the water and puts on a good show. Soon, a frisky little musky with a toothy, over-sized mouth is netted. I liken it to a large-pawed puppy - minus the cuddle-factor. Pics are taken and the fish is released.
Kate briefly hooks another fish, and then, I later miss a strike. Too soon, our day-long float is over. However, I'm so hungry even I think our flies are looking good enough to eat. Don is soon out of the boat, towing us up the creek where we drop anchor for the day. Kate and I are grateful for our guide's hospitality and knowledge of the water. However, we are thrilled when he invites us to fish the next day! I believe the water-level is stabilizing and quietly think 'the bite will be on' tomorrow...
Day 3... starts with another home-made breakfast. Today, a light wind is blowing. We head down the creek and back to the Chippewa. Soon, our flies take to the air and water. We have only 1/2 day to fish, so no time is wasted. The wind keeps me on edge as, a couple of times, I hear my fly whiz past my ear, much closer to my head than I prefer. I initially avoid casting up the middle of the boat, but eventually adapt. Kate seems to have found her groove.

  "Bite me!" and "Eat it!", I say, as I try to impart these feelings to the action of the fly. Today, we are all more relaxed and loose, therefore more alert and ready to set a hook. Also, 9, 10, &12 wts will paint the water and Don will allow himself a little fly fishing. It's a great day!
   After a little 'strip-n-twitch' action, I retrieve my fly and say to Don, "Rub this fly and give me a little luck!" Don decides he can do a little better than that, opens his cooler and produces a cold can of Leinenkugal. Our flies are all christened with Leinie's Au jus and we get back to casting. Don ensures that the rest of a good WI beer does not go to waste.
   "Fish on!!", I yell. This musky is larger than yesterday's and likes its acrobatics. It takes a little longer to fight, and the pleasure is all mine. Then, I see another boil and yell to Kate. She sheds her camera for her 9wt, but there will be no doubles this day. With the help of my friends, I boat a respectable 35" musky, pics are taken, the victory Musky Dance is completed, and the fish is released...never so annoyed as to be so popular.

And that is how our day continues to progress. We sauce the flies another time, Kate has a fish on, and I boat 2 more leaping, tail-wagging Esox under 34 inches. The fish seem to like my fly, a modified 'Hang Time' pattern, so I never switch it. However, after the first fish, Don politely suggests I check my bite guard. Frayed! Lesson learned. Always check the leader after any strike.

Near the end of our short day, Don gives the oars to me and he unleases his 12wt. In the meantime, he also suggests that Kate try my fly. She picks up my 10wt & begins to cast.

Soon, STRIKE! Jackfish is visibly excited but remains cool. I, on the other hand, want her to land her first musky so badly, I'm barking out, "Set the hook hard! Keep the line tight! Let out some line!" Jeesh, a slap may have been in order but her hands were full. She lands it!! Don nets it and we take pictures of Jackfish Kate proudly posing with her first musky. That, readers, is an ideal ending to a Northwoods Fly Fishing Trip.

(Thanks Pondmonster!) ~Twitch.

Fly Fishing for the Soul, Mind & Body.

2010-10-05T21:49:00.001-05:00

Cast for Recovery into the Healing Waters! Please visit the page, 'Casting It Forward', to look at national, non-profit organizations which are fly fishing specific and helping others. Perhaps you or someone you know may benefit from becoming a volunteer or a participant in one these organizations' outings.

CAMPFIRE TROUT is here!!

2010-10-04T23:35:00.002-05:00

Feeling hungry? Looking for some Omega-3's? Take a gander at the first fish recipe on the Reel to Creel page! It's healthy, tastes great(so I'm told), and fun & easy to cook. And even better: you can cook this fish fresh on a campfire every day of the year in NE Iowa. Winter doesn't stop us from fly fishing here. In Iowa, the trout season never ends. Is it heaven, no, it's Iowa.
Please check back again. A lake trout salad recipe will soon be posted.

Check Out the Fly Tying Page!

2010-10-03T22:37:00.003-05:00

The Fly Tying page is up and running! 'My Fluffy Butt' is the first fly tying recipe to grace the page. This fluffy but not fancy streamer/leach pattern has proven to be a tempting morsel for bass and pike. Tie it, try it, and let us know what you think!! ~Twitch

Headed to Hayward

2010-09-22T23:54:00.002-05:00

Why all the silence? Gearing up for another fishing trip! Wishing that all the rain with potential flooding doesn't spoil opps for another musky fly fishing adventure on the Chippewa in Wisconsin or affect my fly fishing buddies too badly. Hope to come back home with more fishtales to tell, and more time to get the pages on this site up and running(before the next fishing trip)! ~Davis

CHASING FIN IN AN IOWA LIMESTONE FISHBOWL

2010-09-09T00:19:00.010-05:00

Jackfish Kate and I arrived at the quarry around 10AM on what would soon be a hot, August day. The water-level was down, but we could still cool ourselves wet-wading the nearly knee-deep water flowing above the limestone ‘shelf’ bordering much of the quarry. Fly fishing, photos, and exploration ensued.

I cracked out the 10wt, knowing this was too much backbone for the intended quarry, but wanted to prepare for upcoming blind dates with musky. The rod was loaded with a Guinea Bugger. Jackfish chose a 3wt and smartly fished the steep quarry banks.

I landed & released a skinny 15” largemouth on my bugger. Then, time was made for photos and exploration of the sister quarry. Just a ~30’ thick wall separated the two stone fish bowls. The banks of this latter quarry were more suited to spin fisherman, but I expect to wet a line there someday. Rock and brush habitat made great cover for the bluegill, shiners, suckers and lone bass that we discovered when stopping to scan the clear water at one end of the stone tank.

Amidst the hot afternoon when the fishing was slow, we had a quick lunch of PB&J & got back at it. Despite the skimpy quantity of fish landed, the challenge of fishing this water and the diversity of fish present here will easily draw me back again. I hope Jackfish Kate agrees to return.

Jackfish chose to get acquainted with her new 9wt (We’re both headed to musky country in October.) and to tie on a heavy fly. I switched to ‘My Fluffy Butt’; a red, lead-eyed, white-colored fly which pike find tasty. I was beginning to doubt Esox still lurked here, but knew this fly would get me down more quickly to cooler water.

And Bang! Fish on! Oh, was I happy. During the fight, I was able to direct the victim onto the limestone flats & net me an Iowa Quarry Bonefish. Well, not a bonefish but a slick-looking, lively white bass that was also a species-first for Twitch.

A little later, just when I thought My Fluffy Butt was safe from toothy critters, it was nipped and followed by a pike! Strongly marked and no longer quite able to carry the tag, ‘hammer handle’, it re-submerged into the cooler depths, never having known the thrill it provided me.

I believe that My Fluffy Butt and a certain pike will have a date in October. Bite it again, Esox; I dare you!

Fly Fishing at an IA Quarry

2010-08-28T19:07:00.002-05:00

   Late last week a close friend came from the great fly fishing waters of N. MN to visit me and my IA homewater. Must be one heck of a friend, right?! LOL!! Seriously, though, while quantity of fishing opps are not the same, quality fishing and fun are certainly present in Iowa. I believe he enjoyed the fishing more than we both expected. I'd also planned music and rib fests, & time with friends. However, once that fly fishing fever hit, thoughts of all else but fishing faded, aside from catching a few winks and grabbing a couple of cold ones. We fished French Creek and then Bloody Run(day 2) in NE IA. Buddy couldn't believe how many trout were in French. He fished hot both days. Lots of browns, then bows. I didn't fish my worst and really started to get the hang of nymphing with a dropper on the Run. On day 2, we had two doubles. Cool beans! A hot day + hiking + quik-dry clothes= swimming in trout stream. Whew weeee!
   Next day: sleep in, burn gas getting lost driving through an area which could've been found in the movie Deliverance, then find quarry. Let's just say at least one of us used a fly rod that day, and I won't say who, and my buddy will remain anonymous. haha. The bait caster did land more largemouth. However, when we experienced our 3rd set of doubles(!) that weekend, twins in the 15-16" range, I'd swear the one on the long rod was just a little larger. While there are many bass out there much larger than 16", that was my best fighting fish to date...it topped the fight of 'Dale' the 18" smallie I took on my birthday in June. Both bass were taken on a Guinea Bugger; my confidence fly. Do you remember the feeling you had the first time a fish took the fly you tied? Fly fishing as a sport and an art is not easily or quickly learned. I expect to be a lifelong student of the fly, enjoying & appreciating each new discovery along the way. I'm into my 3rd year of fly fishing, and when one is 'in the groove' slightly more frequently and for longer periods of time, that feeling reaches the soul & I believe that is what keeps most of us casting the long rods. Heck, you don't even have to boat a fish to be awash in that awesome feeling(think 'musky on the fly')...but then land one, too, and ooh lala!
   Anyway, tomorrow morning I will take 'Jackfish Kate' to the quarry.  She has introduced me to new waters and now it is my turn to return the favor. Life is good. The 8 wt was perfect for the first trip, but I plan a little 10 wt action this time around. I hear pike lurk in the quarry...but more importantly I also sense musky in my near future. The 10wt is calling. Gosh, I love casting that rod!
I hope to add some pics from the quarry to the blog soon. Either way, it will be a mighty fine day.