Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My most productive winter fly is a Purple Egg Sucking Leech (basically a purple wooley bugger with two turns of chartreuse, flame orange, or bright pink chenille at the head) on a size 4 or 6 hook. The second most productive is one I  call a Clown fly – basically a take-off of a Clown  colored Corkie – a fat body that is one half chartreuse chenille and half  flame orange chenille, with an oversized (2x normal +)white webby saddle hackle on a size 4 -8  standard steelhead bait hook (Gamakatsu or similar). I tie the PESL either weighted or unweighted – use the unweighted in large pools where I can effectively use a fast sink tip and get a good swing (short leader ~ 3′).  On other water I use a floating line, 9-12′ leader, & heavily weighted  PESL with the clown fly dropped off the bend about 18-24". When the water is low and clear and the fish tend to be skittish, a small (12-16) nymph (GRHE, PT, Copper John, etc.) on a 24" dropper from the weighted fly can be very effective. When you really need to get down, a very effective fly here (but one I really hate to use – pure chuck & duck) is the lead-eyed leech – a maribou leech in any of the standard colors with large lead (or tungsten) dumbell eyes.

That’s interesting to find your fly list both short and conventional – sometimes I think I try too hard.  My most productive fly this past season and a half was a purple and black marabou spey with a large, purple Krystal Flash wing and a large neon red head – very close to your PESL.  Last year I did OK dead drifting a black ESL under an indicator, but didn’t get a tap when I swung it. When I need to get really down, I try to avoid the lead eyes, preferring heavy duty sinking heads. I hate to fish deep for steelhead; much prefering to catch them on or near the top. So I pay alot of attention to water temperature.  I have found that if the water temp is above 41deg.F, I can be reasonably successful fishing with a floating line, standard unweighted steelhead patterns ( Skunk, GBS, Purple Peril, etc.) and using either wet fly swing or greased line presentations.  In fact, if the water temp is over 44deg. F, I can have reasonable success fishing riffling patterns ( Bomber, Moose Turd, Waller Walker, etc.) on the surface.  There is no denying though, that much below 45deg F water, you will usually be more successful  going deep rather than fishing on or near the surface for steelhead.  I’ve reached a point though that I’d rather catch fewer fish using methods I really enjoy than employ methods that I find to be not nearly as much fun. Bob Weinberger

Ya, that’s my curse too, persisting with what I like rather than what is needed to catch fish.  Frankly, I think of late I’ve been running too deep, snagging bottom constantly, then switching off to a lighter rig and zooming it over their heads.  This back ‘n forth comes from constantly trying new water of uncertain depth rather than plugging away at the same old, same old and getting to know the depths and features very well.  It certainly reduces my catch rate but perversely, I find it more interesting. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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Out this morning, one tap only.  It felt like the fish was nipping at the tail of the fly (rather long) and later when I got a call from a local steelheader, he mentioned that he moves to shorter flies as the fish don’t hit as aggressively when the temps drop. Since we have a few PNW steelheaders here, I’m wondering what they like to use as a winter fly.  The local float rodders tend to use a roe sack that makes the eggs look milky white and chartreuse so I’ve just finished a marabou spey fly that is white over chartreuse – should have the desired appearance.  The local shop owner likes purple, purple and black, or red and black as well. Also curious if you’ve noticed winter steelhead being willing to raise up a foot or so to snare a fly?   I spent too much time on the river bottom beautification program this morning as my tip was too heavy for the slower water, yet when I’m not hitting bottom, I’m second guessing myself about the fly being where the fish are.  The hit btw, was in the middle of a fast, heavy riffle and judging by the tap, tap, tap, the fish was chasing and nipping. Peter Visit The Streamer Page at http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharles/streamers/index.html

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Snip Since we have a few PNW steelheaders here, I’m wondering what they like to use as a winter fly.

Snip My most productive winter fly is a Purple Egg Sucking Leech (basically a purple wooley bugger with two turns of chartreuse, flame orange, or bright pink chenille at the head) on a size 4 or 6 hook. The second most productive is one I  call a Clown fly – basically a take-off of a Clown  colored Corkie – a fat body that is one half chartreuse chenille and half  flame orange chenille, with an oversized (2x normal +)white webby saddle hackle on a size 4 -8  standard steelhead bait hook (Gamakatsu or similar). I tie the PESL either weighted or unweighted – use the unweighted in large pools where I can effectively use a fast sink tip and get a good swing (short leader ~ 3′).  On other water I use a floating line, 9-12′ leader, & heavily weighted  PESL with the clown fly dropped off the bend about 18-24". When the water is low and clear and the fish tend to be skittish, a small (12-16) nymph (GRHE, PT, Copper John, etc.) on a 24" dropper from the weighted fly can be very effective. When you really need to get down, a very effective fly here (but one I really hate to use – pure chuck & duck) is the lead-eyed leech – a maribou leech in any of the standard colors with large lead (or tungsten) dumbell eyes. Snip Also curious if you’ve noticed winter steelhead being willing to raise up a foot or so to snare a fly?

Snip I hate to fish deep for steelhead; much prefering to catch them on or near the top. So I pay alot of attention to water temperature.  I have found that if the water temp is above 41deg.F, I can be reasonably successful fishing with a floating line, standard unweighted steelhead patterns ( Skunk, GBS, Purple Peril, etc.) and using either wet fly swing or greased line presentations.  In fact, if the water temp is over 44deg. F, I can have reasonable success fishing riffling patterns ( Bomber, Moose Turd, Waller Walker, etc.) on the surface.  There is no denying though, that much below 45deg F water, you will usually be more successful  going deep rather than fishing on or near the surface for steelhead.  I’ve reached a point though that I’d rather catch fewer fish using methods I really enjoy than employ methods that I find to be not nearly as much fun. Bob Weinberger – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Peter

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Question:

I went to the library a couple of hours ago and checked out a book about the sense of smell, simply because it caught my eye.  While reading it at dinner a while ago I was reminded of the second thing I noticed on arriving at Jay’s cabin in the UP; the delicious and unique aroma of the north woods.  Every place has its own smell (libraries are another favorite, or rather, class of favorites…they’re all different) and this one, in the spring, combines rich undertones of damp earth, crisp aromatic conifers dominated by balsam fir, pungent aspens, and a host of lesser elements.  Every time it hits me I am immediately transported back to innumerable other visits for fishing, hunting, wood cutting, and sitting on the porch, which brings me to the first thing I noticed and which cut short my reverie, for there on the porch was the supine form of one medium sized Asadi.  It was either dead or asleep.  A few light kicks at the chair confirmed that it was the latter. After a few moments of hale fellow well mets I bundled the poor boy, much bedraggled from a long journey a hot sauna and wrasslin with some barley pop, off to see Agate Falls.  Agate is one of the more spectacular falls in the UP, which is littered with the things, and would later prove to be the last place we fished on this trip. When we got back to the neighborhood of the shack we stopped to visit Jay’s brother Bret, who lives in a trailer just a couple hundred yards down the road.  Bret is a journeyman electrician, which would allow him to live virtually anywhere he pleases.  He is also a VERY avid hunter and fisher.  That he chooses to live in such a place is indicative of what it has to offer to the outdoor enthusiast.  As we chatted (Asadi tried to buy Bret’s hat from his five year old daughter but she was too cagey for him), Jay drove up.  A few minutes later we all arrived at the shack to find Mr. Petah Charles there.  The evening was devoted to making plans for departure the next morning, sorting through gear, eating, and pouring offerings to the fish gods and the great god Ethanol.  Asadi, having gotten a considerable head start on the rest of us, easily won the evenings round of libations.  We were all pleased to discover that Peter speaks pretty good English for a ferriner.   We arose tolerably early the next morning and after a few brief stops for breakfast, extra packing food, conferences, mapping, waterfall viewing, fly shop hunting (without noticeable success, I might add), and other piddling chores, we managed to hit the trail precisely at the crack of noon….or thereabouts.  Jay decided to take a rather more challenging route than the rest of us so it was up to me to deliver the requisite lecture to the newbies…….stop whenever you feel a need, drink plenty of water, ANY discomfort on feet is to be taken very seriously and attended to immediately, yada, yada, yada.  I set a moderate pace for the first half mile so as not to tax the rookies. After a ten minute break during which Peter never bothered to remove his pack, I let him take the lead, and I spent the next hour and a half sprinting to keep him in sight while John, carrying some very heavy and very non traditional backpacking food and a head that looked suspiciously larger than it used to, was left to bring up the rear.  We arrived at the mouth of the Big Carp, after a trip of 4 1/4 miles, an hour and fifty minutes after hitting the trail, and this with a couple of rest stops totaling about fifteen minutes.  Goddamn Cannuck voyageurs!   More later……gotta rest. Wolfgang

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[ominous preclavian rumblings noted and snipped] More later……gotta rest. Wolfgang

John, Peter, and Wolfgang "alone together" in the woodz? Whoa… /daytripper (Jealous – or grateful? Tough call…

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Question:

Hi Likely to visit BC in Aug 2001. Have read a magazine article on pink salmon fishing, which sounds good. Is it really, or is this just magazine hype? Fishing on Harrison and Vedder rivers. Any advice on fishing, flies etc. much appreciated. Chris

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Haven’t experienced it, but apparently if you look up "crowded" in an illustrated dictionary, there’s a picture of the Vedder. JR – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Likely to visit BC in Aug 2001. Have read a magazine article on pink salmon fishing, which sounds good. Is it really, or is this just magazine hype? Fishing on Harrison and Vedder rivers. Any advice on fishing, flies etc. much appreciated.

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Hi Likely to visit BC in Aug 2001. Have read a magazine article on pink salmon fishing, which sounds good. Is it really, or is this just magazine hype? Fishing on Harrison and Vedder rivers. Any advice on fishing, flies etc. much appreciated. Chris

Chris, I lived in Alaska for a few years and Pacific Salmon fishing in BC should be about the same.  Try not to target Pink Salmon is you intend to eat what you catch.  Pink Salmon, especially after 3 minutes in fresh water, is barely about one step below most cat food.  In August, you may be able to get some early Silver/Coho Salmon which fight like a bastard and are excellent eating.  Whatever you do, don’t bother eating any Pink Salmon caught in fresh water. Most of the Salmon fishing I did with a fly rod was done with egg pattern flies.  This is about the only type of fly to use.  Dry flies would be an entire waste of time, and streamers wouldn’t be as effective.  A double-egger on a long-shank size 6 hook is good, these are commercially available and I wouldn’t bother tying my own.  They are certainly not works of art by any stretch of the imagination and will probably be worn out after half a dozen or so fish. Salmon rivers are usually subjected to a significant amount of fishing pressure, so you might not be all alone when you fish.  The general technique was a simple roll cast and drift.  Over and over and over. Some lead 12-24" from the ‘fly’, enough to keep the lead bouncing off of the bottom, is generally required to be successful.  If possible, fishing in tidal areas on incoming tides is best. Good luck, and enjoy your trip. Tom G Before you buy.

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It’s not hype. Hit the runs just right and you can hook 2 or 3 dozen fish in a few hours. The Harrison alone supports runs exceeding a million fish. The best fishing is from the last week of Sept into the 1st half of Oct. Flies are simple. Size #8 of bright pink or cerise. A sparse wing of bucktail or synthetic. A bright body of tinsel. Use a sink tip or a mono-core line. If you need additional advice email me at: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Likely to visit BC in Aug 2001. Have read a magazine article on pink salmon fishing, which sounds good. Is it really, or is this just magazine hype? Fishing on Harrison and Vedder rivers. Any advice on fishing, flies etc. much appreciated. Chris

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For several years we have gone to Vancouver Island about that time and fished  for pinks, and coho.  We have taken to using the fly rods for pinks and either trolling or casting flies from the boat in the bays.  Last trip 3 of us had over 30 pinks in an hour on the fly rods.  Pink and red hootchies in the smallest size worked well for trolling and egg flies when casting. There were so many at times that they fought over the flies. I second the motion on eating them. Don’t if they have been in fresh water at all and they aren’t very good still in salt either. Ted – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Likely to visit BC in Aug 2001. Have read a magazine article on pink salmon fishing, which sounds good. Is it really, or is this just magazine hype? Fishing on Harrison and Vedder rivers. Any advice on fishing, flies etc. much appreciated. Chris Chris, I lived in Alaska for a few years and Pacific Salmon fishing in BC should be about the same.  Try not to target Pink Salmon is you intend to eat what you catch.  Pink Salmon, especially after 3 minutes in fresh water, is barely about one step below most cat food.  In August, you may be able to get some early Silver/Coho Salmon which fight like a bastard and are excellent eating.  Whatever you do, don’t bother eating any Pink Salmon caught in fresh water. Most of the Salmon fishing I did with a fly rod was done with egg pattern flies.  This is about the only type of fly to use.  Dry flies would be an entire waste of time, and streamers wouldn’t be as effective.  A double-egger on a long-shank size 6 hook is good, these are commercially available and I wouldn’t bother tying my own.  They are certainly not works of art by any stretch of the imagination and will probably be worn out after half a dozen or so fish. Salmon rivers are usually subjected to a significant amount of fishing pressure, so you might not be all alone when you fish.  The general technique was a simple roll cast and drift.  Over and over and over. Some lead 12-24" from the ‘fly’, enough to keep the lead bouncing off of the bottom, is generally required to be successful.  If possible, fishing in tidal areas on incoming tides is best. Good luck, and enjoy your trip. Tom G Before you buy.

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I second the motion on eating them. Don’t if they have been in fresh water at all and they aren’t very good still in salt either. Ted

a saltwater pink salmon is fine to eat.  it is milder and less oily than coho.  the thing you must do is bleed the fish and get it on ice pronto… and eat it the same day. in the saltwater fisheries i fish, pinks are just by-catch during coho fishing. in august on the west coast of van. island the coho should be running pretty good.  while i fish the offshore waters between washington and van. island… i can bet the offshore fishing all down the west coast of the island will be pretty damn good… especially if next season resembles this past coho season.  i’m pretty sure there will also be some pink salmon fishing along many of the islands beaches. as for whether pinks are just magazine hype, it depends on who you ask.   cb

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Question:

Looking for someone familiar with saltwater flyfishing from shore in New jersey. Specifically, I need info such as equipment recommendations, and most importantly, WHERE to fish! All the sites I have found only talk about IBSP and other Northern Jersey sites in detail. Thanks in advance.

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Dear Mark, Fly fishing in Jersey can be absolutely phenominal.  Between now and november we have blues, bass weaks, false albacore, flounder, etc.  Flounder and weaks will fade shortly and albies and blues will rule with bass underneath to mid-late october.  From november to ? bass and blues will be king. IBSP and North J. are not nearly your only choices.  South Jersey has some places which are great for fly rodding.  I will break it down as simple as possible North-Mid: Sandy Hook, Raritan Bay, Asbury Park (dangerous), Belmar, Lavalette, Seaside park. Mid-South, LBI N. Jetty, any bridge in back water at night, April-December, Towsends inlet, Corsons Inlet, Cape May Inlet, Cape may point.  The key with any of these spots is to get on the rocks if possible (with spikes) and work the surf edge.  Check out stripersurf.com and reel-time in message boards for reports.  Equipment: out front, jetty and surf 10′10wt or 9′10wt intermediate line, type 2,4,and 6 sinkers.  12-20lb tippet.  In backwater same if fish are big, but mostly 9′  8-9wt.will be fine same lines, current and depth dependent. Hope this helps.  Feel free to email me to discuss. Damian NuWave Tackle Innovative products designed by fishermen for fishermen Fly Tying / Rod Building Equipment, Tackle… http://www.nuwavetackle.com/

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Question:

How is flyfishing this year in Kamloops Area?

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It was a long cool spring, and the past two weeks have been downright crappy, but the last few days of warm weather should be bringing up some bugs.  It’s still lake to lake as to action, some have been hot, many cold, but they should be consistently coming around in the next couple of weeks. Most lakes within a 1/2 hour of pavement have been quite busy on weekends, so going off the back roads will be needed for some quiet time on the water. Mild winter this year means that many of the smaller lakes haven’t winterkilled so prospects are good.  Cheers, Geoff McD.

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We just got back this week, and I’ll agree that the weather was crappy; everything but snow! Fishing wasn’t all that bad however. Caddis are starting to show nicely….. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It was a long cool spring, and the past two weeks have been downright crappy, but the last few days of warm weather should be bringing up some bugs.  It’s still lake to lake as to action, some have been hot, many cold, but they should be consistently coming around in the next couple of weeks. Most lakes within a 1/2 hour of pavement have been quite busy on weekends, so going off the back roads will be needed for some quiet time on the water. Mild winter this year means that many of the smaller lakes haven’t winterkilled so prospects are good.  Cheers, Geoff McD.

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Question:

I will be in Stowe the last week in August, and was hoping someone could direct me to some areas to fish. I was hoping to hit some Trico’s, if they were around. I’ve been known to drag a few nymphs also. It will be my first – and possibly last – time fishing the area, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Jerry Virzi

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I will be in Stowe the last week in August, and was hoping someone could direct me to some areas to fish. I was hoping to hit some Trico’s, if they were around. I’ve been known to drag a few nymphs also. It will be my first – and possibly last – time fishing the area, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Jerry Virzi

Jerry, Your trip sounds so fatalistic.  Areas you  ought to fish include the Lamoille in Hyde Park and from Morrisville to Wolcott.  You might also want to consider the Winooski in Waterbury and Bolton.  Trico’s may still be around depending on the weather but you are likely to hit the white mayfly (ephorons) and Blue Quill hatch.  White Wulffs and Millers work well when the white mayfly hatch is on as well as white soft hackles. Don’t forget a good supply of caddis and beadheads.  Good luck…let me know if you have any questions. James Ehlers Underhill, Vermont Uncle Jammer’s Guide Service Vermont Fly Fishing, Hunting, River and Woodland Outings http://pobox.com/~uncle

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Question:

Anyone ever rigged a dropper for smallmouth? For example, a humpy with a shenk’s minnow on a dropper. Is this a dumb idea? What other combinations might you suggest?

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Anyone ever rigged a dropper for smallmouth? For example, a humpy with a shenk’s minnow on a dropper. Is this a dumb idea? What other combinations might you suggest?

A combination of a #8 or #10 muddler, a #8 or #10 Wooly Bugger, and a sneaky little orange #10 or #12 Teeny Nymph dangling off the rear is always a reliable combo for lots of things, smallmouth included.   Early spring with higher than normal water flows, use a short sinking tip or, do like I do and cheat with a small split shot a couple of feet ahead of the first fly.  Let it drift more or less naturally.  No need to strip it.  The fish will find it. As the water runs off and clears up towards early summertime levels, go a size or two smaller on the flies and eliminate the extra weight. Best Regards,          Trent Roberson            Rx F Fish  For Your Good Health, Fly Fish URL=http://www.xnet.com/~rxffish

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Question:

I find it amazing that the "dead-solid ugly" water in the reservoir was transformed into "clear, cold and gorgeous" water by passing through the dam.

Not hard to do.  They divert most of the water from the McCloud reservoir to the Pit River hydro-electric generators.  The water below is amazing! It’s cold because it comes from the bottom of the damn.  Water clarity varies.  In truth the water in the reservoir is fairly clear but has glacial silt in it from Mt. Shasta and is usually a turquiose blue. Personally, I like it.                                                    Dan Dan Gracia                                                               Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

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Reservoir: dead-solid ugly (in the water). Some boaters/trollers were taking fish and filling in the bottom with beer cans. River below: about as incredible as one could imagine. No litter, almost no trails (tough to get to the water), no other fisherpersons to compete with for the resource- or to spook them either. Water was clear, cold and gorgeous. Lots of insects. Fished 9/23 in the first 1000 yds below the dam, landed a mixed bag of browns and rainbows to 14", and enjoyed losing several tailwalkers on the required barbless hooks. No sea-monsters on this trip… gotta pay my dues: & learn from the river.

   Most years the water is a light blue green-almost torquorse  (sp) ,this time of year because of the glacier’s on Shasta’s NE side.I always found it beautiful.   Harry

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d….

  I thought that it was algae bloom in the reservoir that caused it……. That very well could be , It really is a nice color.The big browns like it as well G<. Any sculpin pattern will get them going !!   Harry

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Reservoir: dead-solid ugly (in the water). Some boaters/trollers were taking fish and filling in the bottom with beer cans. River below: about as incredible as one could imagine. No litter, almost no trails (tough to get to the water), no other fisherpersons to compete with for the resource- or to spook them either. Water was clear, cold and gorgeous. Lots of insects. Fished 9/23 in the first 1000 yds below the dam, landed a mixed bag of browns and rainbows to 14", and enjoyed losing several tailwalkers on the required barbless hooks. No sea-monsters on this trip… gotta pay my dues: & learn from the river.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Beautiful spot this time of year.  Water is high running at 200cfs (McCloud Reservoir is full to the brim) and extremely clear.  Water temps running 52 to 56 degrees. Fish are holding in the deeper runs and chutes and around structure in spots typically 5′ deep. Fishing is a little tough but with diligence you will get one fish where there ought to be 2 or 3. Good news, many of them are quite large.  Largest landed a rainbow a little over 20", largest lost, a brown between 22" &  24".  Most of the fish I hooked were in the 14"-17" range.   Brown trout came up for a Dan’s Hopper (my own fly).  Few browns in the river and few spawners up from the lake.  Evening hatch was sporadic with very few rises. Lots of poison oak and watch out for rattlesnakes on trail during heat of day. Flies that worked best:                 anything with a rust color or orange in it.                 Rust beadheads in size 16 (ran out first evening)                 Orange Soft Hackle size 14 & 16 fished dead drift. (tied up 12 used 6)                 Hoppers  size 8 or 10 (middle of the day)                                                   Dan Dan Gracia                                                                 Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools                                                       /                                                      /                                                     / If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

So when are we going? And you will clear the trail first, won’t you. BTW, at 2200 cps, I want to tie a rope to a tree when in that stream. Actually I’m going to fall River, the end of September and may spend a day or two on the Upper Sac. What do you hear? George Berns Trout Live in Beautiful Places

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Beautiful spot this time of year.  Water is high running at 200cfs (McCloud Reservoir is full to the brim) and extremely clear.  Water temps running 52 to 56 degrees. Fish are holding in the deeper runs and chutes and around structure in spots typically 5′ deep. Fishing is a little tough but with diligence you will get one fish where there ought to be 2 or 3. Good news, many of them are quite large.  Largest landed a rainbow a little over 20", largest lost, a brown between 22" &  24".  Most of the fish I hooked were in the 14"-17" range.   Brown trout came up for a Dan’s Hopper (my own fly).  Few browns in the river and few spawners up from the lake.  Evening hatch was sporadic with very few rises. Lots of poison oak and watch out for rattlesnakes on trail during heat of day. Flies that worked best:                  anything with a rust color or orange in it.                  Rust beadheads in size 16 (ran out first evening)                  Orange Soft Hackle size 14 & 16 fished dead drift. (tied up 12 used 6)                  Hoppers  size 8 or 10 (middle of the day)                                                    Dan Dan Gracia                                                                 Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools                                                        /                                                       /                                                      / If you kill that big fish you can’t catch ‘em again.  So what if they eat other fish?  If you kill the big ones there will only be little ones left (funny how that works!).

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Question:

Yes, me again!  In addition to the firefighter brother, another brother and my father both fly small planes.  So… I’m looking for designs related to flying, pilots, small planes (like Cessna 172), sea/floatplanes (like deHavilland Beaver or Cessna 172 floatplane), etc.  The more detail the better, but I’d like to hear about *any* design you know of.

I saw a bunch of these at the crosstitch store I now frequent. Also firefighter, fishing, etc. designs you requested in your earlier post.  So rest assured they do exist.  Unfortunately I will not be heading out there in the near future. THe designs ranged from extremely simple (it was a Piper or a Cessna plane — just a stick figure really) to more detailed pictures of fishing and a fireman’s prayer. Check out the latest CS&CC and Just XStitch magazines.  I think I saw the firefighter patterns in there. Lucinda

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: Yes, me again!  In addition to the firefighter brother, : another brother and my father both fly small planes.  So… : I’m looking for designs related to flying, pilots, small : planes (like Cessna 172), sea/floatplanes (like deHavilland : Beaver or Cessna 172 floatplane), etc.  The more detail the : better, but I’d like to hear about *any* design you know of. Barbara, Try A&L Designs, 225 Fair View Street, Pottsville, PA 17901-1719 (717)622-6102 EST Jean Spenser showed me her chart of a Cessna last month and I can attest their designs are good.  Since then I’ve spotted their ads in the magazines with other models shown.  I think you will find what you want here.         Deborah

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another brother and my father both fly small planes.  So… I’m looking for designs related to flying, pilots, small planes (like Cessna 172), sea/floatplanes (like deHavilland Beaver or Cessna 172 floatplane), etc.  The more detail the better, but I’d like to hear about *any* design you know of.

fiance. The chart was only 3.75 or so, and I haven’t tried it yet, but since I can’t find anything else, this will do. Hope this helps! Chris Loria P.S. The folks at Stitchers Source are wonderful!! I highly recommend making purchases from them !

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Yes, me again!  In addition to the firefighter brother, another brother and my father both fly small planes.  So… I’m looking for designs related to flying, pilots, small planes (like Cessna 172), sea/floatplanes (like deHavilland Beaver or Cessna 172 floatplane), etc.  The more detail the better, but I’d like to hear about *any* design you know of. Thanks very much!  …and, as I’m saying in each of my "Looking for…" posts, I will summarize to the newsgroup if I get any email responses. Livermore CA  /  Weather always looks worse through a window                                 |   Mark & Barbara Laufersweiler  |          What is a weed?                                 |        not been discovered.

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Well, Merry Christmas, Paul! I too, had the good fortune to catch a few Christmas Trout a couple days early.  We had the same balmy weather in Iowa. Let’s hope it returns in January so we can get another cast at our slippery friends. Happy New Year to all! Jim Elias Blue Grass, IA h.y.m.r. Jim Elias Blue Grass IA H.Y.M.R.

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Tell me about Iowa Fly Fishing.  I’m from Omaha, NE.

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  Santa brought me some very hungry cutthroat trout.  The Bighorn is a great fall/winter fishing river, if you don’y mind getting cold.

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Oh my, your story warms my heart.  I spent the few days off practicing 8wt. lines on 6wt. rods (see other article), dropping flies on hard ice. Also working on the side casts.  City boys gotta dream during down time… Good luck on the Spring thaw. Tom  

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Those of us in the Northeast USA were blessed with some outrageously balmy weather (about 45 – 55 degrees where I am) around Christmas.  With two days off before I had to travel, what else was there to do but try to catch a December trout, something which for me is a rare and wondrous thing…no spring creeks or tailwaters in the immediate vicinity.   The water was in good shape thanks to the melting snow.  Ice covered much of the slower portion of the pool I had chosen to fish, but the feeding lane was still open, and I was hoping that I could pick up a fish by bouncing a stonefly nymph along the bottom.  A few minutes of uneventful casting went by, and then what to my wondering eyes should appear but a trout head breaking the water across the stream from me, tight against the spot where a log and the bank made a break in the current.  I never would have expected to see a rising fish in this creek in late December, but careful observation showed that he was definitely on the feed, rising about once every minute or so.  From the rise form I guessed he was eating midges, but I couldn’t see any on the water so I figured a midge pupa pattern fished in the film would do the trick.  I tied a #16 White Wulff to the end of my 6X tippet, then tied a length of 7X to the bend of the hook; to this I attached a #24 pupa pattern I tie with a black thread body, gold wire rib, and peacock herl head.  I rose that fish three times, but was so excited that each time he came up behind my Wulff "strike indicator" I struck way too early…I kept telling myself to wait until I saw the Wulff move but just couldn’t control my hair-trigger nerves. Finally my fish (for by this time I had decided he was mine) stopped rising.  I switched back to my nymph rig, and lo and behold on the first cast near the log my strike indicator paused and I struck back, more out of surprise than anything.  Sure enough, there was my Christmas trout, a 12 inch brookie, and after a careful fight I had him, cold and firm and healthy, lit up like a salmonid Christmas tree.  A short pause to twist the hook free and to admire the contrast between my dark fish and the winter landscape around me, and then I let him go, watching him swim slowly back to his lair beneath the log.  There were other likely looking spots beckoning downstream, but I decided to preserve this happy moment by reeling up, getting out of the water, and strolling back to the car through the quiet, snow covered woods.  Christmas was on its way. Paul DiConza NY Capital District Angler

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