My Dutch friend, Theo Bakelaar, came up with a great idea for a new version of the San Juan Worm—a double worm tied from Powercord or other similar material used in beading. Powercord is stretchy and comes in a variety of colors and clear. It’s used in beading to make necklaces and bracelets. On his first trial run, Theo landed 7 rainbows all over 7 pounds with the double Juan—Juan, Juan—in bright red. I’d say that was a rather significant first trial. I immediately ordered Powercord from Fire Mountain Gems—go here.

Use size 6 – 10 scud hooks. Thread color should match color of Powercord. Lash two strips on, starting at the rear of the hook.

Wrap the Powercord down along the top of the shank; you may give the “body” a couple of coats of thread if you like. Tie of, and cut away the thread.

Color a small portion of the body to represent the clitellum.

Coat the “body” with standard head cement, hot melt glue, or UV set, thick head cement.

These are so simple that one can crank out 20 and hour–try them in red, pink, and orange–perhaps even brown.

Mmmm, Juan Juan for dinner.

My friend, Tom Sutcliffe, of South Africa wrote the other day to ask me to write a few paragraphs for his newsletter—which I am happy to do—go here to see his web site. He also included a few photos of trout fishing (its early fall there). I wanted to post these just to give everyone a true sense of what South Africa fly fishing for trout looks like. Having spent time there fishing with Tom and others, I can tell you that it really does look like this and the fishing is quite good.

Blue sky days are stunning in the mountainous country of South Africa–especially when you are fishing a beautiful stream like this.

Yes there are cloudy days, too, but that keeps the snakes at bay (well, not really, but not to worry, the snakes are few and far between).

The browns are wild, as wild as only Africa can be. There are rainbows, there, too, and they are equally as wild.

The browns were taken to SA from Britain in the 1800s, and planted in many streams, where they have become naturalized, wild populations.

I had a note from Jack DeHaven on tippet rings—he has found a good source for 2 mm rings at a fair price. Have a look here:   http://www.ebay.com/sch/theflyguy2011/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Thanks for the heads-up Jack.

Tippet Rings are highly useful in leader construction and re-construction.I like the 2 mm size for dry fly fishing.

I tie a series of “down and dirty flies” whose intent is speed without sacrificing fish-catching ability. Actually my definition of a “Down and Fly” is one that can be tied while sitting in the back seat of a van going 55 mph over a dirt road in Canada with your son driving. This egg is one of those flies.

When I head out for spring steelhead or salmon and browns in the fall, I often end up tying flies the evening before. Let’s say I’ve taken a dozen eggs along but lose 6. Well, I certainly don’t want to head out the next morning with only 6 in the box, so I’ll jerk out the vise, clam it on the table in our small motorhome, and crank out some flies. Down and Dirty is the method of the day. The knotted egg is one of those flies that has spun out of the necessity to tie flies while exhausted after getting up at 5 a.m. and fishing all day.

It’s fast, easy, looks great, and catches fish. The size of the egg can be varied in a couple of ways. (1) By using chenilles of different sizes. Obviously, the larger the chenille, the larger the egg. (2) By tying two knots, one on top of the other. The other secret to tying these flies is flexible head cement (make your own with 1 part Goop and 2 parts toluene). I put a healthy drop on the cut end of the chenille and another on the hook shank and allow it to soak back into the chenille. Basically you end up with an egg that’s as tough as the sole of a tennis shoe.

Tie in a length of chenille that is easy to handle and knot.

Tie an overhand knot in the chenille and loop it over the hook shank.

Pull the knot as tight as possible. Clip the tag end of the chenille tight to the egg. Place a generous drop of flexible head cement on the cut end of the chenille and another on the hood shank, allowing it to run back in the chenille of the egg.

Our friend from Holland, Theo Bakelaar, has started his spring season with a trout fishing excursion to a Dutch stream that harbors trout. His successful fly of the day was a black and chartreuse streamer. This is the original color of the Black Strip Leech—the contrast of the black and chartreuse colors makes the fly easy to see, and even in dark water, black is still black. It makes a great profile fly. I originally used chartreuse for the tail of the Strip Leech because it’s the one color that is easiest for brown trout to see (as a side note, it’s also the easiest color for humans to see).

I will open my season this year in Austria right after the EWF show in Munich, Germany. The EWF is the largest, dedicated fly fishing show in Europe, and a great time to visit with friends from that part of the world. You can bet I will have some Black Strip Leeches with me.

Not a bad way to start the season, to be sure.

Now we’re talking!! Theo’s big smile is well deserved.

The Black Strip Leech in its original color and form.This fly has caught more big fish for me than any other fly I’ve ever used.

My good friend, Jim Hagar, is a member of the Pere Marquette Rod and Gun Club in Baldwin, MI. He and his friend Tom McGraw hit the river over the past weekend to sample the early spring fishing. Saturday was hot—fishing wise, not temperature wise. Tom nailed the best fish of the day, with Jim in close and hot pursuit. Sunday was as cold fishing wise as Saturday had been hot, although Jim did hook a very nice brown that managed to jump off. Still, fish of this size and quality certainly make an early spring outing a very welcome experience.

A very fine spring brown that feel to a deep drifted nymph.

It’s hard to imagine after the coldest February on record, that the warm weather this week is a reality. But it is, and the snow is receding rapidly each day. I’ve begun my tying for the start of the season with a simple bead head Fur Bug. It works well in many situations, and so I like to have a variety of them in box at all times in the season. I often use it as the top fly on a two fly nymphing rig. It’s also an interesting fly in the way it’s tied. Fast, easily dressed in any color, using natural furs, yarns, a blend of the two, or even feather dubbing (a blend of many feather odds and ends).

To make a Fur Bug from yarn, cut the material into 3/4 inch to 1 inch long pieces and pop them in the blender cap.

I told the blender upside down when whipping the yarn pieces into dubbing. This eliminates tangles around the base of the blade.

Get the bead on, tie in the wire rib, and make a spinning loop. Insert a small amount of dubbing in the loop. No need to spin the dubbing onto the thread. I insert it over about 2 inches of the loop for a size 12 fly. Then add a small pinch of black dubbing in the loop at the very bottom of the dubbing. Spin it very tight..

Wind the dubbing forward to the bread. The small gob of black dubbing at the bottom end of the spinning loop forms the thorax of the Bug. Tie off tight behind the bead.Yes, tie off before wrapping the rib.

Counter-wrap the wire rib. This allows it to reenforce  the body material. Stroke all the fibers of the thorax forward and make two wraps of wire just behind the thorax. Clip the wire and then crimp the end tightly with your thumbnail. Put a dot o flexible head cement on the thread of the “head” and on the wire at the back of the thorax. This hot orange fly is good all year, and makes a great top fly in a two fly nymphing rig.

Hot pink is another color that can be used all season with great effect.

There are a number of other color combinations that I’ve found useful, mostly as a searching fly,  but occasionally as a good match for the naturals. Black is always good.

Green is great color to match the Green Rock Worm–this is a great steelhead fly, by the way.

Many nymphs are reddish brown, and this color of the Fur Bug often finds willfully accepting trout.

Rusty brown is a great color, too, to suggest a variety of nymphs and even scuds.

I like off-white to suggest caddis larvae, small cranefly larvae, and other dipteran larvae.

Today started with a Bible study at 7:45. The group had a good time discussing the Christian role of the Priest of our own life. Then came a 3-hour casting class. The students learned quickly are readily, and we had to end with a too-brief discussion of the Double Haul. But, they did get enough to learn it well if they will take the time to practice as advised. The casting class was followed by a PowerPoint discussion on Reading Waters, and then a book signing.

I had a hour at the end of the day to visit friends quickly—at least to say “Hi”—and spend a few minutes photographing some of Lance Marshall Boen’s incredible leather work. Lane always has something new to show me, and it’s always stunning. I love the Alaskan rainbow with all five of the Pacific salmon embossed on its side. The Catfish living amongst leather beer cans, straps, and other wonderfully crafted bits of bottom detritus, is really a delight. And then there’s the Dorado. Look closely at it side; Lance always has a unique surprise in his pieces. See his site in the links section to the right.

What a delightful piece of artwork—check out the salmon on its side.

Now here’s a catfish! Look carefully at all the detail that lance has built into this incredible piece.

What a delightful piece of totally unique leather artwork. Look carefully at its side.

For me, day two started with a bang—or rather a cast; a casting class that we held outside in the nice warm sunny day. It was a good class and everyone learned a great deal. All the participants received a copy of my new DVD, The Perfect Cast I. Then followed a casting demonstration on the outside pond, a Power Point presentation on Fishing the Film, a fly tying demo, and finally time at the author’s booth to sign books.

The crowd was heavy today, and the sound in the main hall was almost defining. But the crowd was also very excited and enthusiastic, and they spent much time in all the booths, looking at rods, reels, lines and leaders, flies, tying materials, lodges, and much more.

The crowd at the casting pond was delighted to show off their “six shooters.” Not a smoking gun among them.

Those in the crowd on the other side of the pond were equally fast on the draw; I’d say it was a tie.