Hayward - Musky-bound!!!

   Finally heading back to Hayward this weekend!  Back in June I fished the Namekagon for trout and then headed to Chequamegon Bay to meet up with a friend for smallie fishing and sand camping. Timing for musky just wasn't in the cards on my birthday weekend.

   But now..... oh baby..... it's time for Musky!!
   Hitting the water with Musky Country Outfitter's head guide & friend Brad Bohen.  The water to be fished, as yet, is a mystery but I have faith Brad will get us the best opps for tail-walking toothiness!
   I tied up a new Musky fly.  It's current name is: Prototype... as that is exactly what I think it will turn out to be when it hits the water!  However, you put a little passion, a decent amount of thought, and a late night into something and it just needs to find some Esox water to truly discover its swimming potential.
   I have two months of work-free weekends.... just so I can drop most anything for a chance to hit the Musky trail.  Bring on that fall feedbag!!!!!!!  Let's hit the Musky Trail. Yeah baby!!!!

UV-Cured Adhesive (Resin) & Buoyancy of Fly Tying Fur for Musky Flies

   So, I sat down tonight to tie a musky fly.  I planned to experiment again with skunk tail.  Then, I recalled the one skunk fly I did fish was fairly buoyant in the water –something I didn’t want occurring with the next fly. 

   At that point, my plans ran amuck.  Experiments with buoyancy of 3 fly tying materials occurred, along with readying a few newer flies for an upcoming musky trip.

   I examined another skunk fly and a couple other musky flies I'd fished this weekend.  Then, I reinforced some fly heads with Loon UV Clear Fly Finish.  BTW, I give this resin –at this time anyway- an ‘A’.  If it didn’t still feel a little ‘tacky’ after hitting it with my Loon UV mini light, it would get an ‘A+’.  I make it a point of setting the flies outside in the sun for a short time and most of the tacky feeling is then gone.   I believe this commonly occurs with many light-cured resins.  The tiny version of the Loon UV light also has an on/off button which is easily pressed.  If thrown in a bag and there is pressure on the button, one may later discover the light has dead batteries.  If my opinion later changes on the resin I will post something at that date.  For now, I believe if one uses a good light-curing resin, there is no going back to other adhesives for big fly heads.  Time is precious.  (BTW, I've reviewed a couple of resin-curing UV lights.  Here is the link: http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-fly-tiers-comparison-of-uv-curing.html   ** I've learned that using these light-cured products can make fly tying more efficient and creative, but these resins are not without their 'quirks'.  Following more research, I plan to post tips and tricks to increase one's ability to successfully cure the resin and to maintain an appropriate resin-fly bond.  In the  meantime, visit your product's website for more information.  If your questions aren't answered there, visit the competitors' websites; chances are you will find some answers.  UPDATE 1/9/13: 'Tips for Use of Light-Cured Resins' to be posted very soon!) http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2013/01/major-light-cured-resin-players-answer.html

   Now on to ‘the nonscientific hairy experiments’:  I filled a glass bread pan with water.  Then, for the first test, I cut similar amounts of fur from near the tips of a skunk tail and a slightly crinkly buck tail.  I also cut fur from near the base of another skunk tail.  I placed all 3 bunches of fur on the water and they floated on the surface for ~20 minutes.  Then, I pressed each down uniformly below water level.  The slightly crinkly buck tail was the most buoyant, remaining in the surface film of the water with tips slightly lower.  Surprisingly, the skunk tail taken from near the tip floated mid-surface (tips slightly lower) while the skunk tail from the tail’s base sunk to the bottom.  After 8 minutes, I pressed down again & there was little change in the buoyancy, except that the buck tail and skunk tail (taken from the tail’s tip) had sunk the tiniest bit more in the water column.

   Then, to compare the base and tip of one skunk tail, I took hair hanks from the base and tip of the tail which had previously sank to mid-surface.  Again, the hair taken from nearest the tail’s base sat lowest in the water with the tips lower.  Buck tail again remained in surface film and & skunk fur taken near tail’s tip presented with tail tips mid-surface & base in surface film.

   So, to be clear, the slightly crinkled buck tail (fur taken near the tip) was the most buoyant –sitting in the surface film, the skunk tail with fur taken closer to the tip, sank to mid-surface, and skunk tail with fur taken near the base sank the lowest- just at/near the bottom.

  

   Then, I tested natural Yak hair (red) and more buck tail.  One tail (brown) was straight & had a sheen I wished my hair had.  The other tail (orange) was fairly crinkly.  I again cut similar hanks of hair & both buck tails were taken from near the tip.  I set the hair in the water and after ~1 minute I pushed each one uniformly down to the bottom.  The yak hair remained on the bottom.  No 2^nd-guessing the depth of that one.  The tips of the crinkly, orange buck tail sank to the upper portion of water’s mid-surface.  The smooth, brown buck tail was buoyant, remaining in the surface film with the tips sinking slightly lower.  Then, I cut fur from the base of the fairly crinkly, orange buck tail.  Pressing it in the water similarly, it remained very buoyant, sitting the highest of all the tying material, even after 10 minutes.

   In summary, if your goal is for your musky fly to sink, the more expensive natural yak hair is your best bet.  After this, the ever popular skunk tail with fur taken closer to its base is 2^nd best choice.  The skunk tail with fur taken from near the tip (it sat mid-surface) is still a 3^rd good option.  Crinkly deer hair taken from near the tip would be my final choice.  If you want your fly to remain fairly buoyant, look for that crinkly buck tail, taken from the base.  That sexy, shiny, straight buck tail, taken from the tip, is a good 2^nd choice.  I imagine that fur taken from the base of this latter type of buck tail would also be a good choice (but I forgot to check that out). 

   I won’t promise that you will have the same results in your tying room.  However, it doesn’t take much time to trim off a hank of fur, immerse it in a little water & experiment for yourself.  Back to that buoyant skunk tail fly:  the skunk fur was taken from the tip & I also incorporated buck tail, most likely taken from near the base.  A few feathers had been tied in as well.  Now I know why I had a buoyant fly!  As far as buck tail goes, generally if you tie with the fur from the base, it will flair more.  It is also generally longer than the fur at the tip.  These were characteristics I desired when attempting to create a larger, bigger profile fly, but now I fully realize the trade-off.  I sense a new, quicker-sinking musky fly in my near future!

Project AWARE's Trash and Treasure Discoveries on the Iowa River ~ 2012

   This year participants in the Iowa DNR’s 2012 Project A.W.A.R.E. had over 60 tons of fun, nearly twice the amount of fun (32 tons) they hauled out of the Turkey, Little Turkey and Volga Rivers last year!   Yes, from July 7-14th, volunteers and landowners removed over 60 tons of trash from 93.6 miles of the Iowa River.  No one measured the pounds of water in sweat they donated to the river on those 90* days, but the weight of recovered trash is nearly the equivalent of 38.2 new AWD Honda CR-V LX SUV’s.

   There were 1,371 tires and a few tons of scrap metal hauled out of the river, and there were 387 participants with an average of 146 volunteers on the river each day.  Volunteers, aged 3-78, represented 8 states including as far west as Oregon. 

   Happily, 86% of the trash was recycled.

   Brian Soenen, Project AWARE Coordinator, once again kindly responded to my questions about this year’s Project A.W.A.R.E. event.  An excerpt from his response, quoted below, leads one to believe that this year’s project may be talked about for years to come.

   From Brian: 

   There were a couple good stories this year:

•         An old (1800s?) plow, complete with some wood still in place, was pulled from the river and donated to the Steamboat Rock Historical Society.

•         A man upstream of Iowa Falls was planning to go out in the winter to recover the front end of a 1951 Dodge Diplomat (he didn't know how else to get it), so when he saw it floating downriver on a canoe, he asked if he could have it. I told him he owes me two pictures...one with the front end from the river and another of the restored vehicle. When he called me, the first thing he said was, "You have some of the craziest most dedicated volunteers I have ever seen!"

•         When digging out a large metal culvert, volunteers encountered a 30+ lbs. catfish, which freaked out some volunteer bystanders when it swam past them. The culvert was removed, catfish freed, and the frightened volunteers are recovering nicely.

•         It's not trash, but something that surprised volunteers on AWARE were the number of mussels along the route. In at least one area, they noted a mussel bed with mussels "too numerous to count". Jennifer Kurth, who studies mussels for IDNR, also found species that have never been recorded in the Iowa River (i.e., creek heelsplitter).

   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

Variation on the Shannon's Fly

On a visit to Lake Carlton, Rockwood-Morrison State Park in IL, I came up empty-handed when fishing... except when using the Shannon's Fly and a varient of this fly (pictured).  Bass love the Shannon's Fly but the bass and panfish were hitting the variation more heavily on this day when the temp was 92* and the water temp a mere 90 degrees.  The variation also sunk more readily than the original, which was a great benefit as the fish were not hanging in the shallows.

   For more information on this easy tie, please see the Fly Tying tab.

July 21. Tying Flies with Music and Coffee to Benefit our Java Friends!

(Update 7/19/12: Joe Nobiling, playing the fiddle, and Howard Hilliard, on the bodhran, will be playing folk and Irish tunes from 9:30-11:00 on Saturday! This will be the last tying session at least until the end of August.  Come on out!....7/21/12: formally, 3 musicians & family members and 5 tiers did their thing and had fun at the shop. Someday I suspect a little dancing will happen there as well. Thanks for coming out, drinking, eating, tying and playing/listening to the folk tunes!) 
We'll be tying flies this Saturday, July 21, 2012, at Java Java, located at 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA.  Tying will start at 9:15-ish and last until at least 11 or noon. As many know, part of the road is closed.  A detour is posted and the city has placed signs directing customers to the coffee shop.  The detour route I take adds under 3 minutes to my usual drive.  Directions are posted below as well.  Don't forget that the Farmer's Market is also going on!
   Local musician, Joe Nobiling, was kind enough to approach shop co-owner, Daron, about playing a benefit for them.  As folks can guess, the at least 2 month (so far) road closure has slowed business at the cafe.  I think I'm not the only one who is a repeat customer d/t not only great drinks and food but also because of the very personable folks who create those drinks.  Come on out & learn to tie a fly... &/or listen to music provided by some great local musicians!  But don't forget to at least buy a coffee or a latte!!
   I still need to get confirmations on the music and will post any updates to this very post.  They generally play folk/Irish tunes.  A time that musicians would start arriving will also be posted.  
Thanks! 
~Twitch

My DETOUR DIRECTIONS:  Heading from Bettendorf on East River drive, right on Bridge Ave, continue uphill & follow detour sign, left on East 10th St.  Then, I go left on Oneida down the hill and take a right on the alley behind Wonder Bread just past Charlotte St. At the end of the alley, cross the street and keep going straight into the next alley. Go left on Tremont, go down the hill and just past the light blue house is Java Java.  2 min 30 sec.

Tying Flies at Java Java in Davenport

  Update: Thanks to fellow fly-tier, Bill O, and musicians Joe Nobiling (joenobiling.blogspot.com) and John Kinser, for coming out to a cool place on a hot day!  It was great to have musicians present again! Spoke a little to others about musky and bass flies and the Java owners' son picked out a cool-looking chartreuse and black Guinea Bugger Deluxe to take home.  Maybe he'll tie a fly the next time. 
  Tying at Java Java is often last-minute during this time of year as actual fishing takes precedence and then there are those dang work weekends.  So, I typically post only a few days ahead of time if we'll be tying at the shop.  If you ever want to attend but think you'll miss a blog post, send me your email address and I'll drop you a line for the next date and time. ~Twitch

  I'll be tying flies this Saturday, July 7, 2012, at Java Java, located at 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA.  Tying will start at 9:15-ish and last until at least 11 or noon. As many know, part of the road is closed.  A detour is posted and the city has placed signs directing customers to the coffee shop.  The detour route I take probably adds only 3 minutes to my usual drive.  Directions are posted below as well.  Don't forget that the Farmer's Market is also going on, so it's a great morning to head to Davenport.
  Thanks!  Come on out and tie some flies!
~Twitch

My DETOUR DIRECTIONS:  Heading from Bettendorf on East River drive, right on Bridge Ave, continue uphill & follow detour sign, left on East 10th St.  Then, I go left on Oneida down the hill and take tight right on Charlotte St, left on Kary, and then, again, right on Charlotte (brick), left on Tremont. Go down the hill and just past the light blue house is Java Java.  2 min 55 sec.

Tying at Java Java Coffee Shop ~6/23/12

   Planning on tying flies this Saturday, June 23, 2012, at Java Java, located at 836 E. River Drive, Davenport, IA.  Tying will start at 9:15-ish and last until at least 11 or noon. As many know, part of the road is closed.  A detour is posted and the city has placed signs directing customers to the coffee shop.  The detour route I take probably adds only 3 minutes to my usual drive.  If I get the chance, I will post directions here as well.  Lunch/small breakfast items are also offered at the shop.  Don't forget that the Farmer's Market is also going on, so it's a great morning to head to Davenport.
  Thanks!  Come on out and tie some flies!
~Twitch

My DETOUR DIRECTIONS:  Heading from Bettendorf on East River drive, right on Bridge Ave, continue uphill & follow detour sign, left on East 10th St.  Then, I go left on Oneida down the hill and take tight right on Charlotte St, left on Kary, and then, again, right on Charlotte (brick), left on Tremont. Go down the hill and just past the light blue house is Java Java.  2 min 55 sec.

PS: Thanks Bill and Dave for the tying and the bs at the java shop. Small group but fun & coffee delicious as usual!

Mad Man's Fishing Special

   My Grandpa Davis (Everett) was a big man who who did manual labor to make a living for his wife and 10 kids.  He could also listen to a bird sing and tell you what kind of bird it was.  My Grandma Davis (Minnie) evidently was the 'glue' of the family.  I'm happy to say I inherited my Scottish descent from him & the Irish descent from her.  From the stories I've heard, the kids were, at their mildest, ornery.  The brothers once trapped my Aunt JoAnn in the outhouse.  Every time she'd open the door to exit, they'd fire their bb guns at her.  In a theater balcony, they would make 'ralfing' noises and dump cans of chili over the edge during scary parts of the show. 

   Now there are 4 kids left and my dad, Walt, is the youngest.  When he was still in the cradle, a sister nicknamed him 'Kitten' and it stuck.  I think he was in fights due to that name, preferring to be called 'Deke'.  The remaining kids still pull practical jokes, but maturity has mellowed them.  My dad is now the 'glue' of our family, he spoils his wife and is an absolute gentleman.

  Dad keeps spotless cars, washing them more in 1 month than I do mine in 2 years.  But, the family has always been into cars.  My brother Dave owns a '64 Mercury Montclair with the rear window breezeway.  I prefer the '68 Camaro, fastback Mustang, Corvair or Karmann Ghia but they just aren't practical for gravel roads, car camping and fly fishing.  So, when Dad brought pictures to our Father's Day get-together and told us we could take what we wanted, I snatched up the one with my dad in it, sitting on the 'Mad Man's Fishing Special'.  The car is a 1931 Dodge, the first vehicle owned by my Uncle Dave, who was then 13 years old.  While many of my pictures can only be viewed from my laptop or pulled from a box, this one will readily be framed.  It seemed to cross generations and meld family interests.

   Unknowingly, Dad gave his daughter a great gift on Father's Day!  While I have many paintings and photos waiting -some for years- to be hung, that photo will be the first to be officially hung in my tying room. 
   To my Dad, to my friends or to their fathers, & to those other dads kind enough to take the time to become a 'follower' on this blog, Happy Father's Day!

Flies on a Hat

 I wish that I should fish the fly,

 landing enough fish to grow a hat such as this.  

Of 11 fish each holding 2 flies,

all but 1 gave back his and another's to the N.E. Iowa guy.

 

This final fish took the guy's fly.

In a week & in fair water did they again meet,

that fish returning both flies to N.E. Iowa's Jeffery Skeate.

This hat, therefore contains the stolen remains of battles rightfully won by the fin.
No more do they wear the symbol of their victory,
held firmly to lip or cheek.
Yet, in the current is it water I hear or glorious tales about which they speak?

Bass Hot Legs

 Planning my first day of warmwater fishing for bass this year.  It will also be the first day this year to hit the water in my inflatable pontoon.

   The Hot Legs flies will also hit the water for the first time ever.  Tom at J Mac Sports had created the tie and on a Sunday of tying at the store I tied a few of my own as well.  Very excited to take these flies out on the water!

Friends, and the Fish and Fungus Amungus

   Things forgotten on a 5-person, weekend NE Iowa fishing trip:  polarized glasses, deodorant, tent.  Things not forgotten:  the ability to laugh and share, and to have one heck of a good time!

   No one wholly knew everyone else in the group.  Personalities ranged from the slightly reserved to, well, the polar opposite, sort of like comparing brook trout to dolphins.  Yet, all of us, Jackfish Kate, Theresa, Twitch (yours truly), Shani and her Aunt Terri (the latter two being members of Team Rang-a-Tang and a story I dare not tell)  shared a love of the outdoors and that each of us planned to have a great time come either the forecasted storms or high water. 

   And yes, storms did come.  The Rang-a-Tangs shared a camper and the rest car-camped.  So, the forgotten tent was not missed and –most importantly- the storms infringed primarily on beer-at-campfire time and not too badly on fishing time.  Priorities being what they were, we were happy.

   On the path Saturday morning along Trout River stream, Jackfish told me that a friend had told her this stream, located near Decorah, was pretty but not a ‘go-to’ stream.  By late Saturday afternoon she declared it a go-to stream worthy of both days of a weekend trip!  And yes, it sure was pretty.  All present landed fish.  Brooks, browns and bows would be baked that evening and Terri landed the trifecta on her first fly fishing outing for trout.

   I had the privilege of introducing two folks to the Driftless Region and of helping Terri with her nymphing.  We celebrated when she landed her first brookie and later, when I landed my 3^rd-ever brookie.  All that happiness got us a little tangled in fly lines but I won’t embarrass myself any further.   It just didn’t take much to get this group excited!  Theresa arrived in early afternoon.  The Rang-a-Tangs continued fishing while 3 of us trekked upstream in search of mushrooms.  Signs were everywhere that the woods had been hit hard with morel hunters.  However, along a dirt path near dead wood, I yelled when I spotted 2 morels.  Theresa spotted the third.  Then, we examined Theresa’s other finds:  a tiny brown snake, Trout Lily, and Jewel Weed (which you rub on your skin when nettles have irritated it).  Back along the stream, I pointed out a nice hole to Jackfish and recommended she wet a line.  I continued on the trek for morels.  Soon enough, JKate reported she had a big one.  It wasn’t a trout, it was a morel!  Two more followed.  The rear of that fishing hole was shored up by a large, dead tree and JKate had poked around with her wading staff to locate the fungi. 

   A dream was soon realized!  Since my first spring fly fishing, I’ve been divided between fishing spring streams when I could otherwise be hunting the woods bordering those streams.  I’m sure my obsession has annoyed friends who have only been bitten by the fly fishing bug.  Each spring I hoped for a day to hold both trout and morels in my hands.  Having always practiced C&R, I guiltily desired to taste trout for the first time after cooking both over a campfire during my favorite season.  So, I did ‘kill and clean’ our morels but I also disappeared down the trail when others gave streamside last rites to fish.

   That Saturday night, we all partook in a feast.  We shared foil dinners, hotdogs, watermelon, baked potatoes, baked trout, and fried morels.  In addition, Terri, who only knew her niece, Shani, at the start of the trip, had bought prime rib for all.  The laughter she brought to our meals was the only thing to outweigh her generosity!

   Rain and thunder did haunt us, but we knew it could’ve been worse.  Friday night, soon after Jackfish got the campfire going and the moment the Rang-a-Tangs and I reached the campsite, the first thunderstorm hit.   Saturday mugginess turned to rain.  !t cleared, we cooked & then visited around the campfire without a rainy accompaniment to the crackling embers.  After midnight, I fished solo on Bear Creek under clear skies below the ‘Super Moon’.    

   Early Sunday it stormed again.  So, we hit a crowded North Bear stream late, but still hooked into fish.  Jackfish and I gave Theresa mini lessons about fishing with the long rod, and I watched with the camera as Theresa landed her first trout on the fly.  She yelled, jumped up and down, and she pumped her fists!   Then, after I took 3 crooked, self-timer pictures of our group, author and fly angler Jeffery Skeate came by & was kind enough to take a well-composed photo of the 5@NEIA anglers.  Even in this 4^th photo, everyone looked genuinely happy; a good sign your trip is going well.

   Yes, I achieved my small dream of trout and morels.  I’m smiling now as I think of it.  And, as we left the privately-owned, cow-dotted stream where only fishing is allowed, I suddenly threw down my walking stick, yelled, and ran!  Tucked among the grass and mayapples were more morels.  Having realized they weren’t running or hiding… I stopped running.  But, they did escape!  You see, legally we could take nothing from that property other than fish.

   And just what might be the morel of this story?? 

   We always have to leave things behind in life, but it may be for the better.  Sometimes it’s just a mushroom but we smile at the memories attached to it.  When I leave home for NE Iowa, I leave behind stress and a life which seems to move quickly but never fast enough to keep up with what is demanded of me.  As I travel the Driftless’ gravel roads and stream paths, my heart & mind re-fill with what is simple and beautiful about life.  I suppose that is partially why I enjoy eating from a cooler and sleeping in my suv.  There is so much freedom to be found in simplicity.

   And, for a couple of days, I had the opportunity to share this special place with others, & in their own ways, I think they understood.  We arrived as strangers and friends, we all fished, and we all left as friends.  The final morel… as there is often more than one:  Be a friend, make a friend, & maybe you take em fly fishing.  Share your dreams but write your own story!  Some ‘morals’ are never out-of-season.  ~Twitch, weekend of 5/5/12

Heading Into a Rainy NE IA Trout and Morel Hunt

   There initially were 4, now there are 6.  Does the weather chase anyone away?  It has started to alter our plans.  Tent campers are lessening. I will car camp tonight since we get in late.  If another friend tent camps, I will do the same.  However, with the threat of t-storms, my CRV will be available Saturday night for some snoozing.  The only things I want charred are the campfire hot dogs!

   I was initially optimistic since weather reports put the rain primarily on either side of the weekend.  That changed. Now, the rain is concentrated mostly on the weekend.  I continued to be happy as the wind predictions were low.  Now, they are double digits. 

   However, we will get in some fishing, and fun and discoveries always occur.  How many trout and if any morels make an appearance... who knows!  Jackfish is expected to leave for NE Iowa this morning.  Shani, her 'Aunt Terri' and I will leave after today's workday.  Theresa and Louise are expected on Saturday morning at the first stream. We are fishing two streams this weekend and their watersheds are smaller.  I'm gambling on less dramatic & briefer water fluctuations, so perhaps the trout will cooperate.

   Planning and prep is nearly done (let it be done!).  At this time, I simply yearn to be on the road.

   Tight lines, readers.

THOUGHTS FOLLOWING A SPRING TROUTING WEEKEND IN NE IOWA

SATURDAY –North Bear stream (4/21/12)

*If it’s hunting season and wearing bright orange clothing doesn’t leave you feeling comfortable enough to fish, visit a stream with a conservation easement.  While the owner may hunt or invite others to do so, one can expect fewer hunters to be present.  This weekend the WMA (Wildlife Management Areas – public land) sites were busy with both turkey hunters and fishers but the areas with conservation easements (fishing only – private land) were quieter.

*On Saturday morning at N. Bear, there were already 3 vehicles parked on the 370^th street access.  Feeling oh-so-smart, I elected to beat feet far downstream to new water, fish back upstream and miss the crowd.  Well, everyone else had the same idea.  I guess all of the ‘oh-so-smart’ anglers were on N. Bear that day!

*Saturday afternoon, the fish were hitting the water’s surface.  I tied on a sz 18 or 20 white Elk Hair Caddis and had the pleasure to watch the take multiple times.  Landed browns were 8 to maybe 11” long.   After the risers had died down a bit on a particularly fun section, I tied on a Guelk Nymph, landed a spirited, leaping bow and soon afterward lost the fly…but what a quick thrill!  Then I tied on a Missy D.  I fought what felt like a large brown.  Rod tip up & line snug, it hung low and slow in the water.  It threw the hook and I never even got to see it!  Two more times larger fish threw my hook.  While I won't  

debate my skill on landing trout, I will suppose that for a short time, smaller browns were keyed in on surface bugs and the larger browns and rainbows were striking subsurface/nymph patterns. 

Top fish of the day/weekend: The only rainbow of the trip; so uniformly-silver it looked like another species (but spots at the tail gave its disguise away).  Proof that one should always look beyond first appearances.  My overall top fish as it had the greatest spirit; it went air-born like an Olympic gymnast. Gold medal performance! 

SUNDAY – North Bear stream & vicinity (4/22/12)

*Travelling from Ferris Mill road to the Clear Creek access (not the Lansing Clear Creek-see trout map coordinates) was one of the prettiest drives I’ve been on in the Decorah region… and there are so many pretty drives to be had!  Also, to the right of the parking lot there is a grassy area to tent camp plus another nice spot up the short hill to the left of the truck path.  Hunters had left turkey remains there.  The stream is not stocked with browns, hence it has natural reproduction.  However, the silted stream bottom & eroded dirt banks left me surprised to know this.  I suspect Bill and Theresa at the Decorah Rearing Station can quickly tell one how far and which direction to hike to find better trout water on this stream.

*During my previous trip to N. Bear I was reminded to check not just the sharpness of the hook but also the hook gap.  The hook had straightened somewhat, leading me to believe that is why I was losing so many fish on that fly.  On this trip I tried but was unable to check the hook point or gap on a Missy D and then on a Geulk Nymph.  After fishing with each for a little while, the portion of each hook went missing below the bend!  Check your flies frequently for hook condition, to check if caddis casings, moss, etc., are interfering with the hook, or for any freakishness one might encounter.

*I met a man who is a neighbor of my special, primitive camping spot.  His very smelly and happy lab hastened our introductions.  Friends of ‘Paul’ were camping across the road and had told him they’d seen me the last few years at ‘my’ site, located below a bluff where stream meets river.  He told me there used to be many rattlers in the area but not for 15 years. He told of finding a large one in his child’s sandbox.  He also shared that there had been recent mountain lion sightings above the bluff and expressed mild frustration that he wasn’t immediately made aware that a bear had been relocated adjacent to his property.

Top fish of the day:  This fish was a healthy brown.  It hit on the edge of a deep hole of churning water at N. Bear.  Along the perimeter of that hole I’d fed a Missy D nymph which was rigged a shorter length from the strike indicator than I’d intended.  My leader had recently fouled and one tiny knot kept me from changing the indicator’s distance from the fly without changing the whole dang set-up.  It was late & the last hole of the day.  Happily, that hole landed me the last fish of the day! …I guess I should admit that it was the only fish of the day…  It wins the contentment award.  If a person were to land only one, it would be a fine example of a Driftless Area brown trout.

MONDAY – Trout River stream (4/23/12)

*As the saying goes, all roads really do seem to lead to the Sattre Store.  Very convenient since it is also one of the few areas where one can get cell phone reception in rural NE Iowa!

*Why would people leave used condoms in a fishing parking lot?  Who wants to pick up that trash on clean-up day?  On a side note, a friend of mine used a strip of (unused) condom for a scud back. I don’t quite remember why, but he didn’t recommend a condom for that purpose. Perhaps because he later wished he’d had one that night?

*Tickling my arm hair, crawling on my cheeks and the underside of my hat brim, the day-long waves of caddis hatches greeting both me and the Trout River trout on Monday were both an annoyance and a pleasure to experience. 

*Grass, too, grows in the fertile woods that cradle the lower access of Trout River.  The grass also grows along the small dirt paths that border this cold water stream which carries a river’s name.  The tree canopy still allowed the light of a sunny day to enter its domain and, kneeling on the water’s edge, I looked about me and thought that God may have left a little bit of Eden here.

*Due to being overstaffed, I’d been informed Friday that I was called off of work for Monday.  While I was frustrated to be forced to use my time off, on Monday I was thanking God to have the opportunity to be exploring new, beautiful water in addition to catching fish!

Top fish of the day & the overall beauty contest winner:  a 14" brown holding next to a small brush pile & feeding on the surface.  It still took a Guelk nymph well-drifted through his hidey hole.  The heavily-spotted beautiful fish also put on a good fight. 

ETC.

*I practice catch and release on our streams, but during this 3-day weekend I made a single exception.  In fact, I hope to eat him tonight!  Its appearance surprised me and it was about 10’ from the water’s edge, hiding under last year’s brush.  I landed it quickly but there was no fight to be had.  It was tucked in a bag in the front pocket of my waders for the trek back to the suv.  Last night when I got home I took it out of the cooler and put it with the other morels in my refrigerator.  In two weeks I hope to return with friends to the NE Iowa area for camping and fishing.  I’ll let you know if we’re lucky enough to cook morels over the campfire.

 

Whaddya Get When a Skunk & a Musky Cross Paths? Hopefully, a Hook-Up!

(*Update 4/13/12: Trialed fly in local quarry.  Happy with this first edition. Plan to trial more sparse skunk tail. Profile in water was good. I'm pleased with the action. When fly drying on my jacket's fly patch, I could smell slight skunk odor. However, after a few hours the odor is gone. The fly was allowed back in my house.)

   After partially deoderizing a skunk tail last year (it is still sitting in borax in a sealed bag in the garage) and then rifling through a boxful & choosing two non-stinky skunk tails at the HFFA fly fishing show this year, I have finally tied a couple of flies with the black and white fur.

   Of course, a musky fly called to me.  While skunk tail will never replace the easily-dyed buck tail, the suppleness and luminescence of skunk fur lends itself very well to hook and vise.  Furthermore, the length of portions of the tail and the ease with which the fur can be reverse-tied was, frankly, a thrill for one who loves to hunt musky.

   I'm still working out the recipe and hope to take a fly or two for a swim in J-Mac Lures (a local & on-line biz for mucho fly tying supplies including those for toothy critters) minnow tank.  If the action proves as good as I expect it to be, I will post the recipe under my Fly Tying tab.  

Arrowhead Fly Angler & Friends Attend Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo

   I enjoyed the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo, held in Blaine, MN, from March 23-25, 2012.  Spent time casting Sage, TFO, and Allen 10wt rods, listened to speakers Brad Befus and Kelly Galloup speak, respectively, about carp and nymphing, and just enjoyed speaking with vendors, tiers, and friends.  Oh, and I also took a lesson from Don Lawhead, MN, a certified master casting instructor for the Federation of Fly Fishers.  I need to work on that ‘homework’ he gave me!    

   Year 2009 was my first expo, which I attended in Chicago.  After 1.5 days, visiting vendors and casting and re-casting 10wt rods, I started the drive home.  Realizing I was crazy to leave without a rod, I turned around and spent another day there.  I left with a rod which, to this day, is my favorite casting rod. 

   During this year’s expo, I was pleased to help Ouitdee and Mike at their booth promoting  Arrowhead Fly Angler (http://www.arrowheadflyangler.com/).  The fly fishing guide service is based out of Duluth, MN.  The guys are the first two people who really took the time to show a new angler not just how to fish but they also shared the passion of why they fly fish.   They do it because they love it and they guide because they have maintained that pure desire to share with others what is so addicting about fly fishing.   This will be the 4^th year we’ve shared a friendship, and it was nice to help them, if only for a little while.