My fishing pal, John Beth, will be on the river with me on Monday. He loves fishing egg flies for Steelhead, and is very effective at it. His egg “fly” is tied with soft, silicon eggs available from Cabela’s. These are Otter’s Soft Eggs. They are wonderfully simple to tie with and make superb flies. The hook is a red Gamakatsu or VMC egg hook. The red color “disguises” the hook–perhaps it looks like a blood trail or piece of the roe sack. Maybe not. Maybe it just appeals to our design sense. Anyway, pierce the egg and slide it up on the shank. Add a tad of dubbing at the rear of the egg to keep it from slipping back, then add a tad of dubbing at the front. John likes to use a bit of white at the front to give the imitation that “Sperm and Egg” fly look. He’s caught a pile of big ones on it over the years on this fly. I’ll have mine, along with a sack of leeches in a host of colors, a bunch of shrimp-style flies, and others. Look out steelies.

A tangerine egg fly tied with Otter's Soft Egg. Is this the fly for Monday? I'll find out.

Steelhead season is upon us in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes in general. We had lots of snow pack and then a fast, warming trend with rain that blew the streams out right proper. A big slug of large steelhead shot in on the flood wave and are now prowling the gravels of our streams in abundance.

A couple of friends went early to see if the fish were there, and they were. Even though the water was a bit high, they caught a large number of very strong fish. Many were chromers, fresh in from the lake, but some were fiery red. There’s an example of what they found, below.

I will be there with bells on, and every other fly I can think of, early Monday morning, ready to receive whatever steelhead want a shot at my fly. I’ll post any and all results Monday evening, fish and successful flies.

A lovely fish with just a bit of red

Now there's a red-hot steelhead!

I was rooting around in some boxes and found twenty copies of Designing Trout Flies bound in dark red leather with a reading ribbon. They are in pristine condition. Published in 1991, this book defined and refined the concept of designing flies, setting the processes aside from the procedures used simply as tying methodologies.

Designing Trout Flies is an idea book, overflowing with practical information to help you recognize that “just right fly”—for both opportunistically and selectively feeding trout. In addition to a thorough discussion of the primary and secondary triggering characteristics of each of the fish’s food organisms, there are highly informative discussions on materials selection, tying procedures, and design concepts. The detailed descriptions, region by region, of the most used sizes and colors of flies to match the fish’s food organisms are an invaluable aid to tying or buying the most effective imitations. The many illustrative anecdotes—drawn from actual fishing experiences—not only make the book fun to read but highly instructional as well. All of this in clear, precise language. Complementing and thoroughly illustrating the comprehensive text are 230 beautifully detailed drawings by Jason Borger. Sixteen pages of full-color photos show the flies larger than life size. A unique guide to feather colors offers a “first-time-ever” listing of hundreds of feathers indexed by color. The carefully designed layout by Nancy Borger, and the extensive index make access to the contents swift and simple.

If you buy flies, you will find the information in this book an invaluable air to selecting and fishing effective patterns. If you tie flies, you’ll additionally delight in the wealth of “why-to” “how-to” information on dressing highly successful imitations. You may purchase a copy at DESIGNING TROUT FLIES.

Designing Trout Flies, Red Leather Edition with reading ribbon

My great friend, maniac fishing companion, composer, luthier, guitar player, and etc. has been making knives for many years, but has never had the opportunity to delve into it as more than a very part-time hobby. He is now making custom knives in a serious way. When I say serious, I don’t mean that John is just busy turning out “some knives.” John is a consummate artisan with skills that others only dream about. His skill as a luthier is stunning, as are his skills as a piano technician. When he makes something it is spectacular.

So it is with his knives. I’ve put a small sampling of “fishing” style knives below–note particularly the blades that are chipped stone.  John makes plenty of other designs, and builds tomahawks, as well. If you’d like to keep up with what John is doing, drop him an email at johnbeth@rucls.net, and he will put you on his mailing list.

As I got ready to shoot photos of the second and third days of the expo, I noted that the camera battery was dead. So I reached into the bag for the second  battery, and guess what? It was still at home on the charger. How’s that for rushing around and forgetting an important item? Ah, well.

Saturday, March 27,  was the second day of the Great Waters Expo in Minneapolis, and it was a great one. The attendance was strong, and everyone was enthusiastic. My first program, “Really Matching the Hatch,” was a full house, and the fly designing program was standing room only. We explored the Collared Leech, Bullhead Leech, Collared Bugger, and the use of marking pens. It was a fun time.

Bluesman, Keith Scott,  (www.heavyblues.com) played one mean set after another. If you get a chance to hear him, do it. He’s a wild-eyed trout fisher, too, so he understands the passion of the sport and the passion of his music, too.

Day three, Sunday the 28th, was, as usual, a bit less crowded that Saturday, but the crowd was still more than adequate. I did three programs: a Fly Designing demo, a Casting demo, and “Reading the Waters.” There were plenty of participants at each presentation. Keith played his heart out, keeping the place jumping to his strong tempo-ed blues.

Next year, Tom will be back with two more strong Expos–the one in Chicago and the one in Minneapolis–watch his site for dates (www.greatwatersflyfishingexpo.com).

Today is the first day of the Great Waters Expo in Minneapolis. It is being held at the Sheraton South in Bloomington (7800 Normandale Blvd). It’s a great show with a full regalia of vendors and speakers, and it covers the gamut from trout to smallies to carp, muskies, and more. There are fly tying lessons and casting instruction all day every day, as well as seminars, demos, and some great blues.

I gave a presentation on “Presentation” this afternoon and tomorrow (Saturday) will give a presentation on “Really Matching the Hatch” from 10:30 to 11:30 am and a fly tying demonstration from noon until 2:30 pm.

On Sunday, I am scheduled to give a fly tying demo from 9 -11 am, a casting demonstration from 11:45am -12:45pm, and a talk on “Reading the Water” from, 1 – 2 pm.

If you are able to attend the show, look me up and say “Hi.”

My friend, Tim Holschlag, author of “Smallmouth Fly Fishing” has a vendor’s booth at the show (#253) and stands ready to answer all your questions on taking smallies on the fly. Watch for his articles in Midwest Fly Fishing.

My friends, Jeff Kennedy (left) and Bob White in Bob’s booth (#272-273). Bob is the owner of Whitefish Studios (whitefishstudio.com). His art is appreciated by angler throughout the fishing world. Jeff is the author of “Drawing Flies 365,” and he and Jason are carrying out an art project entitled Drawing Flies 52. See Jeff’s blog under links— the left—drawingflies365, and Jason’s blog at fish, Flies & Water.

The Surgeon’s knot is one of the “must know” knots for the fly fisher, It is immensely useful; so useful that it is used on every trip and usually several times a day on every trip. See the page showing the detail for tying the Surgeon’s Knot  using the rope kits–which also see.

The very useful Surgeon's Knot tied with the rope kit.

My friend Marcelo Malventano from Argentina is a most creative and skilled fly tyer, producing both highly artistic, realistic designs, as well as fishing patterns. He has honored me by designing both a realistic art piece of an emerging damsel fly (called a teneral), and a damsel nymph that is built for fishing. Thank you so much Marcelo for your brilliant efforts, and for thinking of me in the crafting and naming of these great flies. For more on Marcelo’s work, click on his link to the right.

The Damsel Borger Nymph by Marcelo Malventano.

The Damsel Borger emerging teneral by Marcelo Malventano.

My friend, Jeff Currier, has just returned from a peacock bass expedition to the Amazon basin. As you can see, it was a most successful venture. For more photos and info on the trip go to his blog, flyfishingbum.

Jeff with a very fine 13-lb peacock bass

The Reach Mend is the most important mend because it will solve at leas 80% of the fly fisher’s drag problems, and because it is the basic mend from which all the others spring. Learn this mend today and use it all the time. See the page on the Reach Mend.

Jason Borger executing an across-stream Reach Mend.