Ever notice that fishermen always see the glass a half full?

Theo Bakelaar and friends spent a few day in Denmark fishing for sea trout. The winter’s ice had ripped out much of the near-shore weeds, and the bigger fish were not close in. The trip was great, but the fishing mostly for a few small ones. But as Theo mentioned, the big fish will be back in the fall.

Theo’s experience was the same as our steelhead fishing this year—basically didn’t happen. Too much rain and runoff. The fish came in, did their thing, and then left—all under dangerously high water. There’s always the fall when the kings and cohos and browns come in.

Nice looking water, but no near-shore weeds.

A nice, but small, sea trout. The big fish were not in close because the weeds were gone.

Big fish or smaller ones. It's unimportant when the glass is half full.

Bunyan Bugs aren’t just for movies anymore (A River Runs Through It). My old friend, John Beth, has breathed new life into this nearly century old imitation, using the basic design of a balsa body and hair wing as the foundation for a series of terrestrial imitations. They not only look tasty, but the fish think they’re tasty, too.

A Bunyan Bug Beetle.

A Bunyan Bug Hopper--Mmmm, looks tasty.

A whole box of Bunyan Bug terrestrials ready to fool some big trout.

A big brown that found a Bunyan Bug Terrestrial just too hard to refuse.

Fly tying is the mechanical application of materials to the hook. It can be done by any skilled craftsman, whether that person fishes or not. Fly designing is the process of combining the mechanical skills of fly tying with a knowledge of materials, the physical characteristics and life habits of the fish’s food organisms, the way fish feed, and the angling tactics that will be used to fish the imitation in order to develop easier to tie, tougher, more effective imitations.

Doug Ouellette’s “Stonedaddy” is definitely a great example of the fly designing process. Doug discovered that the trout of the lower Truckee love to chow down on both the big stonefly nymphs in the river and the small crayfish that crawl all over the stream bottom. His “Stonedaddy” fly is a highly creative blending of the features of both organisms. Trout can eat a big stonefly nymph and/or baby crayfish in one bite. And please note, this is not just a fly that “looks good.” It’s a fly that “works good.” Doug, and his friends and clients, have plied the Stonedaddy in the Truckee with powerful effects. Not just catching fish, but catching big fish—no, I take that back, catching huge fish.  For more info, se the link to the Truckee River Outfitters to the right.

I asked Doug if he would share his design with us, and he graciously agreed. Here’s the pattern recipe and Doug’s notes on tying the fly. If you fish waters with both stoneflies and crayfsh, give this design a good trial. Modify it as you need.

Stonedaddy
Hook: Size 6, 1XL, 2X strong, sproat bend
Thread: 3/0, brown
Bead: Gold Tungsten, 3.8mm
Lead Wire: 0.025, 0.030, 0.035 inch, depending on water conditions
Tail: Goose biots, gold
Rib: Small red wire
Abdomen: Orange vinyl rib, medium
Shellback: Golden thin skin mottled oak
Thorax: Equal parts of amber SLF prism dubbing and ginger rabbit dubbing

Tying Notes
1. Put the bead on the hook with the wide side facing forward.
2. Tie one piece of lead on top of hook, 7/8 the length of the shank.
3. Tie on biot tail, use a ball of thread between the tails to spread them.
4. Tie in wire for rib.
5. Attach material for shellback.
6. Tie in body material and wrap forward over rear ¾ of hook shank.
7. Pull shellback over top hook, secure at front of abdomen, do not trim waste end.
8. Wind rib forward, and tie off at front of abdomen.
9. Fold waste end of shellback to the rear and dub on the thorax.
10. Pull shellback forward over top of thorax and tie down at the head. Fold shellback rearward over top of thorax and secure in this position.
11. Tie in a biot on either side of the head, facing forward and cupped inward; leave butt ends of biots untrimmed; these represent the pincers of the baby crayfish.
12. Trim shellback material ½ length of body, and finish head.

Doug Ouellette's Stonedady.

This big female brown took the Stonedaddy in the bright light of mid-day.

Ann Miller has given us a very nicely done guide to the immature and mature stages of mayflies, caddises, and stoneflies, with additional information on dobsonflies, fishflies, craneflies, midges, dragonflies, damselflies, scuds, sow bugs, and crayfish. All the included organisms are shown in full color, one organism per page, and are described in terms of identifying characteristics. On the page opposing the photo of each organism are suggested imitations, again shown if full color. These flies were dressed by twenty top tyers from the Midwest, and are quite effective on the waters of the region. In addition, Ann has given us a useful hatch chart for all the insects shown, pattern recipes for all the flies listed in the text, a bibliography, glossary, and thorough index to the organisms. Although it lacks a key to the organisms, the color photos and hatch charts can easily be cross-referenced to locate and identify the insects and other food organisms.

Frank Amato Publications, Portland, OR
Paperback, 4 x 6 inches, $29.95 ISBN: 978-1-57188-481-7

Each stage of each organism and its imitations are in full color on opposing pages.

In February, while speaking at the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton, CA, I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Doug Ouellette and discuss the fishing in the lower Truckee River. Doug operates the Truckee River Outfitters: truckeeriveroutfitters.com For those who have not fished this river, let me say that it produces some rather sizable beasts—both browns and rainbows.

In our discussions, Doug mentioned his “Stonedaddy” fly. It’s an imitation that can match the big stonefly nymphs of the river and simultaneously mimic a tiny crayfish. The huge trout of the Truckee love it, and Doug has the photos to prove it. It’s a wonderful imitation that very nicely demonstrates the concepts of fly designing, and so I asked him for permission to include it in a couple of forthcoming books. He has graciously said. “yes.”

Have a look at a few of the big boys he and his clients have hoisted out of the Truckee on the Stonedaddy, and contact him if you want some of the same.

The Stonedady will be featured in an upcoming blog post.

The big browns of the Truckee love the Stonedaddy.

A fine, pot belly rainbow that gobbled the Stonedaddy.

My old friend, Cap’t Jake Jordon is having a great tarpon season. The excitement of catching a big tarpon is only exceeded by catching them after dark. Here’s his latest report.

Greetings from Tarpon World

April 18, 2012: Tonight, Ann McComas (originally from Woodstown NJ) replaced her ill husband Jim to fly fish with Brian Long and I aboard “Fly Reel.” Brian is a Musky guide while Ann and Jim are avid Musky anglers from Wisconsin. After a short lesson on how to operate a 12 weight fly rod, Ann hooked, jumped, and fought seven Tarpon, weighing between 70 and 120 pounds. She had three of those fish within 10 feet from the boat however we did not land one. Ann is an awesome person, fun for me to fish with.

Brian wound up hooking, jumping, and fighting four Tarpon on fly, of which I leadered and released a big fish well over 100 pounds.

April 19, 2012: Tonight Brian was my angler while Jim who was not feeling well and he was aboard but not fishing. Brian Jumped 7 Tarpon tonight with a south wind of 10 knots, he landed two of them, one was 80 pounds while the other was close to 120 pounds. These guys are lots of fun to fish with and will be back next year for more Extreme night Tarpon on Fly! Stay tuned for more Tarpon on fly reports, I love my job, wish you were here.

The thrill of a big tarpon made all the more exciting at night!

Only a few days remain in the Pre-Release offer for Long Flies. I’ve been signing books all week, and want to say thank you very much to those of you who participated in this event. For those still waiting, now is the time; the offer expires on April 22rd. The book is just $25.00, personalized to the buyer and signed; shipping included.  Just go to www.ebay.com/itm/200728537970?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1152

Update: The offer is now over. Thanks very much to all who ordered.

I've finished signing all the pre-release orders and am ready to sign more. Order now.

Last evening (Wed. April 18^th, 2012) I appeared on Ask About Fly Fishing to discuss Long Flies. We discussed the 10 groups of long flies including bucktails, streamers, strip flies, muddlers and divers, collared flies, etc. We also talked about tying tactics and fishing techniques for long flies. Listeners sent in emails that we discussed during the program. It is surprising how fast 1 ½ hours speeds by. For those who have never tuned into Ask About Fly Fishing with Roger Maves, listen to it here.

We talked about techniques like the Baitfish From L used upstream to take chums like this one.

I spent the weekend with Miami Valley Fly Fishers in Dayton, Ohio. On Sunday I conducted a fly casting class in the morning and a fly tying class in the afternoon. We worked on single-handed casting and two-handed casting with switch rods. Everyone did very well, despite a rather March-like wind howling across the casting field.

The tying class spun flies all afternoon—Down & Dirty Leeches, Collared Leeches, Woolly Buggers, Down & Dirty Sculpins, and more. The synthetic fur flew, and the flies marched steadily from their vises. The we switched materials and dressed Hen Saddle Matukas. The fish in the Mad, the Little Miami, and Great Miami are in serious trouble.

Monday evening it was club meeting time, and I spoke on Nymphing. It was a great evening, and everyone had a very good time, starting with a good meal and ending with the crowd departing with smiles. Thanks to John Young for hosting me, and for everyone else for being so gracious and enthusiastic.

The books are here, and I’m shipping them to all those on the Series Pass list and all who have purchased books under the pre-release offer. Because I will be traveling and unable to sign books for the next five days or so, the publisher has agreed to extend the pre-release offer for another week, until April 22. So, if you want to purchase an inscribed copy (personalized to the buyer), please go to

www.ebay.com/itm/200728537970?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_905

All books in the pre-release orders are personalized to the buyer.