This story will appear in our forthcoming book, Nymphs and Wets, as an illustration of the modified Czech Nymphing tactic.

Montana had been under a siege of rain for weeks when Nancy and I arrived in late June to participate in a memorial service for our friend, Jim Greenlee, past owner and president of Weinbrenner Shoes. It was Jim that had invited me to work with him to design what eventually became the Ultimate Wading Shoe. We had planned to fish the Madison in Jim’s honor, but the river was running high and dirty. We would be back in ten days, and have another look.

Upon our return, Nancy and I found the river still high but only the slightest tinge away from its usual summer clarity. The willows were alive with Hydropsychid caddis adults, and in places also held adults of the big Golden Stonefly (Acroneuria californica), hanging like so much ripe fruit. In addition the PMDs (Ephemerella infrequens and E. inermis) were just beginning to hatch. It looked very much like my options were open. I sat in the motorhome and dressed a half dozen size 10 caddis larvae with a palest olive body, dark brown thorax, and copper bead head. The larva would be the lead fly in a two fly rig; the second fly would be a size 16 Flash-Back Pheasant Tail Nymph.

I set up the basic UniBody leader design using a leader ring between the .013 Maxima Chameleon and four foot section of 1X tippet. I added another leader ring to the terminal end of the 1X, also. A size 3/0 shot went just above this second leader ring. To this second ring I then tied on 15 inches of 4X, and knotted on the caddis larva. I used the in-line arrangement for the second fly, clinch knotting a piece of 4X directly to the hook bend of the larva, and added the size 16 Flash-Back P.T. The indicator hung on the leader about 15 feet above the terminal fly. It was a modified Czech nymphing rig, using shot to help hold the flies along the bottom in the Madison’s swift waters.

As the evening waned into dusk, I headed off down river, looking for a most favorable section of the “secret river” along my side of the white water rapids. About a half mile down stream, I located a huge rock with a small current on the inshore side and a powerful current on the river side. The smaller current ran across the backside of the boulder and tucked neatly into the heavy water of the main river. The waters formed a boiling turbulence line where they remixed on the riverside of the rock. It was certainly “fishy” looking water. A gravel bar edged its way along the downstream currents, and I could fish without the need to wade. A perfect setup.

I was using a bright fluorescent red and yellow “Turn-On” indicator; one half fluorescent red, the other half fluorescent yellow. These elongate cylindrical indicators consist of two, interdigitated halves, divided cross-ways of the cylinder with a slot cut lengthwise along the axis of the cylinder and to its core. A rubber band in the slot holds the two halves together. The leader is slipped into the slot, and the two halves turned to wind the leader around the rubber band, effectively securing the indicator and allowing for immediate removal as needed.

I plopped the rig into the currents at the rear of the boulder and held the indicator about a foot above the surface, watching it intently for any indication of a take. It’s bright colors made it easy to see in the waning light. Several casts later and I had not seen a single movement that would indicate a take. I just couldn’t believe that I had not had a take. It seemed to me in this strong, almost violently mixing current zone that the indicator was too far from the flies, and I was not getting a good sense of what they were doing. I shortened the distance between the terminal fly and the indicator to 9 feet, and plopped the imitations back up into the swirling water at the rear of the boulder, holding the indicator about 6 inches above the surface. Almost immediately the fluorescent marker leaped upstream, and I tightened on a 14-inch rainbow. “Now that’s more like it,” I mused, as I reeled the fish to hand.

Well, it was one of those spots that one hopes for. In the next half hour seven more nice fish came to hand from that single pocket. Five of them were rainbows and three were browns. Five had taken the larval imitation, three had taken the trailing Flash-Back P.T. The rainbows were all in the 14 to 16 inch class, but the browns ran larger—between 15 and 18 inches. Certainly a good evening hour’s of fishing.

The next morning I was up early and eager to try my “modified” Czech tactic on more of the Madison’s finny denizens. The blue sky promised a bright day, with a good chance for a PMD hatch later in the morning. I had only an hour or so to fish, and decided to stay with the same set up I’d used the night before.

Directly in front of the parking lot were a series of boulder headed pockets. They all looked good, but one seemed a bit more attractive to my eye than the others. Like the pocket of the night before, there was a sharp drop into deep water along the outside edge of the boulder, forming a dark slot in the currents. In addition, the water seemed to boil and foam over the top of the elongate rock in a very different fashion than it did over the other boulders in the vicinity. I waded into position, and set up my first cast. Immediately I was fast to a very fine whitefish—20 inches of twisting, current using muscle that gave a good account of itself. It was the first whitefish of the trip, and I released it happily, unhooking the little barbless P.T. with a quick flick of the forceps. Back at the boulder, things got hot fast. First a monster—all five inches of it. The little rainbow jumped and splashed around like a much larger fish. It was in superb condition, and I rejoiced at this strong come back of the Madison’s rainbow population. It too had taken the P.T. Then, it was back into the bigger fish. Four more came to the nymphing rig, three to the P.T. and one to the caddis larva, and all of then were very nice fish. The rainbows were from 15 to 17 inches in length, and the two browns were 17 and 19 inches long.

The tally for the evening and morning’s fishing was most interesting: 9 rainbow and 5 browns, 9 on the P.T. and 5 on the caddis larva, and all before 9 and after 5. And, oh yes, one very nice whitefish.

The trip is over, and we made it home between violent Mid-West storms. Wisconsin does get tornadoes, and we had three in our locale just before we arrived. The last part of the trip was a two-day fishing excursion on the Madison, probably my most favorite river in the US. When we visited in late June it was high from weeks of rain, but upon our return 10 days later, the river was in good condition, and I had the opportunity to fish two hours one evening and two hours the next morning. The fishing was like I remember from the “old” days–the early 70s. I took 14 trout, one of which was 5 inches long–a very healthy rainbow. The others were all very nice fish. 8 rainbows between 14 and 17 inches and 5 browns between 15 and 19 inches. All of the fish were very healthy. The rainbows showed no signs of whirling disease, and were as active as any rainbow I’ve ever caught from the Madison. All the water and the excellent condition of the fish promises a great summer’s fishing on this blue-ribbon trout stream.

These fish will be the center of a story–“9 to 5” in our forthcoming book, Nymphs and Wets. The story will be excerpted here in a day or two.

17-inch Madison rainbow; note the spotting--like a Feather River bow.

Sorry for the long pause between posts. I’m in Washington at the moment, working with Jason to put the last touches on the first book–Fishing the Film–in our 20 book series on Fly Fishing. Our optimism at having the fist book completed and out by this time was a bit short sighted. Not so much because we ran into problems with writing and other major details, but because a 20 book series takes much more planning that simply doing 20 books. We have to look at the entire set as if it were one long book, and place the information accordingly. That done, we’ve had to develop a whole new set of  illustration concepts and layout protocalls. Jason has shouldered the greatest part of this burden, as series editor, illustrator, book designer, and layout artist. The good news is that the process is complete and the book is only a few days away from heading to the printers. The remainder of the books will all fall within the same design, illustration, layout parameters established by this first book, and the flow will be much faster and easier. expect the books at 4 a year once this first one hits the presses.

In fact, I have finished Reading Waters, and  it will go into the layout mill this month. The third book, Long Flies is in process and will be written by the end of August, The fourth book, “The Predatory Angler” is in the final planning stages and portions have been written already. The series marches on. Watch fro blog notes and excerpts as the books takes shape.

In that regard, there’s a story newly posted from Long Flies just below.

I will be fishing in Montana in the following week and will post on successes and failures, etc.

Book number three, “Long Flies”  in our Fly Fishing book series is coming together rather nicely. Like the other books, it is focused on the topic and the how-to information is developed around the underlying concepts. There are stories to illustrate the technical information as well as color photos and design sheets for the over 130 long flies discussed in the book. This story is one that illustrates the potency of a fly with the all the right stuff.

Nancy and Jason and I had gone to fish the Yellow Breeches and Boiling Spring Creek in south central, Pennsylvania, and we were having a fun day. It was one of those soft, warm mornings in spring when the blue of the sky seems to overwhelm all of nature. The leaves were fresh and new to their work, and flowers just couldn’t seem to show off enough.

In addition, we’d been finding some fish. The world seemed a good and happy place. But then I saw the rainbow. It was holding on the bottom, right in the middle of the stream, with no apparent cover any place in sight. It was if to say, “nah, nah, nah, nahnah nah, you can’t catch me.” No kidding. Mr. Fish. I tried everything I could think of: tiny cressbug imitations, minute midge larvae, tiny mayfly nymphs, and every other little thing that I had in the box. It was obvious the fish was not interested in eating, and was just sitting there oblivious to the world.

I wandered off and went to look at the old, stone, iron furnace that stood nearby. There had been one only a mile and a half from my parents’ home near Cooperstown, in Venango County, Pennsylvania, and when I was very young, we’d stopped and looked at it several times and discussed the iron industry in early colonial times. This one along the banks of the Boiling Spring was in better condition than the one near my parents’ home, and I spent perhaps an hour looking it over carefully. Then I headed back to the creek to fish, specifically to fish for that big, sullen rainbow.

When I got back to its lie, it was till there, plainly visible to everyone that walked past. I’ll bet it had seen ever artificial fly every created. As that thought passed through my mind, I grinned to myself. “I’ll bet it had never seen a Silver Leech; I’ll show it one and see what it does.” The Silver Leech had literally just come off the vise a few days before in a fit of preparatory tying for the trip. It was a modification of the original Strip Leech, which I had tied in black, brown, and olive as leech imitations. For this trip, I had added one in gold and one in silver to mimic baitfish.

The fly plopped into the water a few feet up current from the big trout and began to sink, swimming enticingly as it dove head first for the bottom. The rainbow never hesitated. It blasted off the bottom and inhaled the fly in one seamless movement. I was startled at the suddenness of its action, but I still put the iron to him with serious determination. After a rather exciting period of ripping up and down stream, the 23-inch rainbow came to shore, got unhooked, and returned to its “spot” as if what it had done was an everyday occurrence. I can guarantee it was a not an everyday occurrence for me. But, then again, it happens far more often with long flies than with any other imitation.

The Silver Leech has proven to be a great fish attracting long fly.

This past weekend I travelled to the Mid Missouri TU meeting in Columbia, MO, to present a day-long seminar on fly fishing. It was a first-time event for them, and I trust that it will continue as an annual event, featuring other speakers in the same format. The event was held on Saturday, and ran from 8:30 until 5, focusing on a series of discussions including, Nymphing, Reading the Water, Casting, Really Matching the Hatch, and Presentation. Because there was an hour and a half for each topic, there was plenty of time to explore them and for questions. This format is very relaxed and easy on both speaker and audience members. The burger/slaw/and beans lunch gave the event a nice informal, picnic-like atmosphere that further helped everyone stay relaxed and on target. Y’all done good! Scott Gerlt, his wife Claycie, and their European Brittany (Jack) hosted me at their home. Thanks guys–that’s woof, woof to you Jack.

Sunday was a Master Certified Casting Instructor Prep day. Gary Eaton (himself a MCCI) had everything organized, and in the morning–a very hot morning with high humidity, I might add–we put the three CCIs through their casting paces. Gary E. had brought tape, casting cones. hoops, and even some chartreuse softballs for targets. He also remembered the water. Boy are you organized, Gary! After each casting event, we retreated to the shade and discussed the cast and what the certifying examiners would expect of the candidates. We retreated from the heat to eat and then spent the afternoon discussing other topics of the MCCI exam, such as teaching, fishing, gear, and so on. All in all, the three potential candidates got a rather large pile of information to take home and begin digesting.

Left to right--Jeff Trigg from Columbia, me with my back to the camera, Bill Armon from Columbia, and Jim Phillips from Colorado. They're sweating out the casting events of the MCCI prep day. I'm just sweating.

Monday saw us on the waters of the North Fork of the White with Jeff Trigg and Chris Gates graciously acting as our guides.

The fishing crew, from left to right: Scott Gerlt, my contact and host at the Mid MO TU chapter, Jeff Trigg who captained the boat I fished from, Gary Eaton--Mr. Organization and my fishing companion for the day, Chris Gates who captained Scott and Jim's boat, and Jim Phillips--a retired Air Force Col. who has a true zest for fly fishing and skiing (not a bad combo, there Jim).

For those who have never fished the North Fork, let me note that it is a most lovely river. Because of the heat, we waded wet and stayed cool. The day was filled with plenty of casting, but the high, very bright sun and lack of any hatches had the fish deep with their mouths zipped shut. That’s not to say that we didn’t manage to catch a few—both trout and bass. The trout were mainly rainbows, but there were some browns on the end of the line on occasion, too.

The North Fork of the White is a lovely stream, and I fished it hard with the Czech Nymphing tactic as well as with my own nymphing style.

Scott caught the fish of the day–a very nice 18 1/4 inch brown that had a robust body and used it well in his tug-of-war with Scott. Jim, besides loving fly fishing, also guides in CO, and he coached Scott during the fight–great team work guys.

Scott with the very fine hog brown that he wrestled from the North Fork to will the victor's garland for the day.

In the very last piece of water for the day, Jeff stated that they always caught a brown or two from this area, and sure enough, on the next cast, I hooked a nice brown that fought very strongly–but not strongly enough to keep from getting its picture taken

A nice 15-inch brown that couldn't resist my copper bead head Peacock Nymph. See, the picture didn't steal your soul, you're still swimming and growing bigger for my return trip.

Tuesday morning, Gary, Jim, and I hit the upper Current a couple of miles below the trout park. It’s a fly fisher’s delight, and we caught both rainbows and browns, all of which fought with about as much determination as any I’ve ever caught. There’s a story that came out of the morning that will be in our forthcoming book, Nymphs and Wets, entitled “The Prophet.”

It was the kind of trip that is fulfilling on many fronts, and I take my hat off to the Mid MO TU chapter for hosting me for the event and the fishing days. Thanks to Gary, Scott, and Jeff for photos.

If you’re headed to Georgia anytime and need a fly fishing fix,  head to Unicoi Outfitters in Helen. They not only have the gear, but they have guiding rights on the best of the best waters in NE Georgia. Besides, they’re a great bunch of good guys. You can find them on the web at Unicoi Outfitters.

I will be in Columbia, Missouri, this weekend (June 12, 13) to speak to the  Mid-Missouri TU group. On Sunday I will hold a day-long session for those studying for their Master’s Certification for the FFF Casting Program. It promises to be a fun weekend. Of course, I’m staying to fish a day. More to come.

I’ve been in internet no-man’s land for the past 5 days at the SE FFF Conclave and then a day’s fishing, so no posts were possible.  This is a catch-up.

The Conclave was really fun. As always, there was plenty of talking on my part and on the part of others. I many ways it was like old home week–better than a high school reunion. I presented a casting program for 12 on Saturday morning. It was a great class with good casters and they got a good dose of curve casting, mends galore, distance casting (including the triple shoot), and more. Everyone did very well.

The Casting Class coming together in preparation for some serious grass whipping!

Sunday morning, I gave a class on Stream Lore–well not too much lore, mostly a discussion of reading water, nymphing and fishing the film with a dead drift. The 12 had a fun time on the Nacoochee  Bend section of the Chattahoochee, just behind Jimmy Harris’ fly shop–Uniquoi Outfitters.  Although it was strictly demo, with no real fishing going on, I still caught two smaller rainbows on a Czech nymph that I borrowed from Oscar Feliu see below). Both fish took the fly on the swing as the end of a Leisenring Lift.

Nacoochee Bend, just behind the Unicoi Outfitters shop.

Both Saturday and Sunday afternoons I presented talks on Nynmphing and Presentation, and on Saturday, I also gave a talk on Reading the Water. The projector was not working for that talk, but I was able to use a large flip-chart paper pad and make drawings to carry it off. It worked just fine.

Saturday evening ended with a Bar-B-Q at the lake, and then Oscar and I stayed and entertained a bit with guitar playing and singing. I will not soy how good any of it was, but will say that Oscar has played professionally for many years and has trained as an opera singer. Me? Well I play and sing, too. When we were in touch before going to the Conclave, Oscar asked if I would bring my guitar, but I told him I only have one and can’t chance using it for a travel instrument. To my absolute surprise and delight, Oscar brought me a gift of a Harmony guitar that is most suitable for travel; so were able to play together and sing a few songs. Interestingly, I started playing guitar in 1961–an old Harmony arch top. Sunday evening also found us playing and singing (?), and in general making the ends of our fingers quite numb and sore. We had a great time.

My old pal, Oscar Fileu, was a featured fly tyer at the SE FFF Conclave, and an unofficial, after-hours entertainer with guitar and song.

My new Harmony guitar has already been strung with a set of John Pearse phosphor-bronze, extra-light gauge strings, and it will get a new case next week. It’s first major trip will be to Montana this summer for a fishing excursion, and then on to Vancouver, WA, to spend time with Jason and Kelley. Sorry guys, this time I’ll have a guitar with me.

My "new" Harmony with its John Pearse strings awaiting its new case in preparation for travel.

Of course there were a number of other  long-time friends at the Conclave, too. Here are some photos of them, with notes on their efforts at the conclave.

Jim Casada and I spent a week trout fishing together in South Africa in 1990 at the invitation of the South African Government. There will be a story in volume 4 of the book series “Fly Fishing” by Jason and me. The book will be “The Predatory Angler,” and the story will be entitled, Leopard on the Rocks.

Jimo both spoke at the Conclave and had a booth offering a variety of sporting books for sale, including his new one on fishing in the Smokies. I have a one, and it's filled with great info. If you're headed that way, get a copy; it will be a tremendous help.

This is Tom Travis. He was another featured tyer a the Conclave. We go way back. He’s appeared in my instructional video, “Fishing the Midge,” and there’s a great story about Tom in Chapter 5 of  the forthcoming book, “Reading Waters” (volume 2 in the series “Fly Fishing” by Jason and me.

Tom Travis has spent many hours on the middle seat of a guide boat and tromping the spring creeks just south of Livingston, MT. If you're headed that way and want the best, contact Tom at ttravis@mcn.net or phone 406 222 2273; there's more info at Master Angler.

Dusty Sprague was at the Conclave as part of the FFF Casting Instructor certification that took place over the weekend. I certified Dusty lo these many years (has it really bee, lo these many years, Dusty?) and he’s gone on to become a member of the Board of Governors. Great Caster, Great person, Great friend.

Dusty Sprague, on the BOG of the FFF Casting Certification Program, was there to certify casters.

Mac Brown at the Conclave to help with the certification. I had known of Mac for years, but we had never actually met. He generously look me up so we could meet and get to talk for a few minutes, anyway. His book, “Casting Angles,” is a serious, and goo look at fly casting. Unfortunately, we met at breakfast when my camera was still snoozing back in the room, so I lifted his photo from the back of his book.

Mac Brown was in attendance to help with the FFF casting certification.

Sunday evening was the fund-raiser and awards banquet with none other than my old pal, Johnny Chamnuess. Johnny has been helping the FFF raise money with his auctioneer skills, and story telling craft, for many years. No one was disappointed with an evening with Johnny.

The Awards banquet and auction raised substantial money for the FFF.

Monday was fishing day, and fish I did, with Jonathan “Hamp” Hampton and Jimmy Harris, both of whom were most enjoyable companions. Hamp and I fished the morning at Frog Hollow on the Chestate, using, as Hamp described it, “Bait and Switch”–a pale pink San Juan Worm with a size 20 WD40 dropper. It was great angling, and we each took a good number of really nice rainbows up to about 6 pounds. The morning will serve as a story in “Nymphs and Wets,” volume 11 in the “Fly Fishing” series.

Hamp into a nice one with the "Bait and Switch" at Frog Hollow on the Chestate

Jimmy Harris showed up at lunch time and the two of us spent the afternoon fussing with the fish. At first we explored with a Czech Nymphing rig, and Jimmy found his center with a Stonefly Nymph as the point fly. Three nice bows fell to the rig. I got one on a size 10 bead-head Prince Nymph on the Czech rig before switching to a black beetle and  hammering them on top. The beetle experience was classic–wind blows, a few leaves come down, the fish rise sporadically as few times and them quit. It was so clasic, in fact that it will be a story in “Terrestrials,” book 16 in the “Fly Fishing” series. The title of the story is “Shrimp and Grits,” and you’ll have to read the book to fid out the why of the title.

Jimmy Harris at Frog Hollow on the Chestatte with a nice bow he earned with the Czech Nymphing tactic

And yes. there were a few village idiots around–the fish I mean.

A nice beetle eating rainbow that took the fly under the trees in the flat below the Big Pool at Frog Hollow on the Chestate.

I’ll be in Helen, Georgia, at the Unicoi State Park Resort for the FFF SE Council Conclave being held on June  4-5. I will be offering presentations on a variety of topics. There will be other great speakers, fly tying, casting, and a general good time. Y’all come see us, ya hear.

The concept of selectivity is an easy one to understand–there’s a really, really high concentration of one type of food organism, and the fish feed on that organism and shun all others. This allows the fish to target a known food item and thereby maximize food intake and minimize energy expenditure. Well, we normally think of selectivity as a trout thing, and it’s certainly true that they can become highly picky about the grub the eat.

But other species can, too. Tarpon are one of those species, especially when the Palola worm is swimming from the flats out to the edge of the ocean to mate. They flow out on the tide at full moon near the end of May, by the billions. I’ve seen tarpon, literally by the thousands, rolling and eating worms like a giant school of ravenous trout sucking down mayflies. It’s quite a sight to behold.

Well, it’s the end of May and the moon is full, and on the outgoing tide, the tarpon are there waiting. Capt. jake Jordan just sent these photos of the worm and imitation, a school of happy, worm-eaters, and one on the line. If you can get there, now is the moment.

The Palola Worm and its imitation--about 3 inches long.

A big school of happy, worm-eating tarpon.

"What is it with this worm?"