Friday, February 20, the show opened at 10 am to the roar of a fantastic crowd. Those of us who have been at the show for a number of years commented on the fact that the crowd was more reminiscent of a Saturday than a Friday. It was great to see such a enthusiastic and eager crowd. My day started in earnest at 11:15 with a casting demonstration at the outside pond. The day was perfect—sunny and in the low 60s—and the crowd was strong, and as always (I have not been disappointed yet) there were enough “wise” people in the crowd to yell out “The one that catches a fish,” when I asked for the definition of the Perfect Cast.

One member of the crowd asked if I had seen young Maxine McCormick cast yet. Not being from the area, I said I had not. But I did get to meet her a bit later in the day and have a chance to watch her cast. At 11 years old, she is truly superb. She reminds me of Jason when he was her age. Chris Korig is coaching her. He is a world-class casting champion and Maxine should flourish under his tutelage. The next Joan Wulff, perhaps? She certain has had a grand beginning in the tournament world, recording 98s and 99s in the dry fly accuracy event. To see her switch cast to the other end of the casting pond was a true delight for me.

Following that, I gave a Power Point presentation on Nymphing, signed books, and gave a fly tying demo. A great start for what looks like a great show.

Friday’s crowd was strong, and the aisles were stuffed .

The Angler’s Bookstore was busy all day long.

I had a real treat on Friday watching 11 year old Maxine McCormick casting. She is very deliberate and very precise in her movements.

My day started with a Bible study at 7:45. We had a fun and very useful discussion. Then later in the morning it was time for a Power Point presentation on Reading Water. We talked about the three basic biological drives of all living organisms, and then condensed them into: 1. Save your butt, (2) Fill your gut, and (3) Have kids. Protection of one’s life, fish or person, is always the over-riding drive. Second is getting something to eat, and third is reproduction. Knowing this helps us to understand why fish are where fish are in lakes and streams, as well as how to approach them and cast without spooking them.

Then following close on the heels of that presentation was a casting demonstration. Because this is a “show,” it’s not just a demonstration, but one filled with many tips and much fun. Everyone participates, and everyone learns something that they can use in their casting and fishing. Some come up afterward and want to see more detail on the Three Point Grip, or a little more discussion of the “C” Pickup, and so on. All these and much more are on the new casting DVD, The Perfect Cast I, and many get a copy for future reference. I am always happy to sign the cover of the DVD, and to sign books (which I did later in the day at the Author’s Booth).

Right after the casting demo, I gave a fly tying demo on hackling. We looked a variety of methods, including Down and Dirty hackle winding for dry flies, elk hair hackles, fur collars, the Down and Dirty minnow series, and the Hedgehog (tied with a brush style hackle wound on a loop of yarn and folded over the back of the imitation. The hedgehog is a “wow” fly that looks impossibly difficult to tie, but is very easy when one knows the tactic.

Next came the Author Booth, and then it was over. The days fly by, but everyone is so enthusiastic and excited and that makes the effort well worth it.

Next stop Pleasanton, next weekend (Feb20-22). I am offering fly casting classes Saturday and Sunday morning at the show, so if you plan to attend and want to enroll, please contact the Fly Fishing Show and sign up: flyfishingshow.

The crowds are gone, and it’s break down time. Getting ready to head to Pleasanton for next week’s show.

Our friend, Theo Bakelaar, from Holland is always exploring fly designs using freshwater eel skin. His latest “Mr. Twister,” using a tail of eel skin whallops walleyes, pike, sea trout, and others. Its secret is the tail of eel skin that vibrates as it whips back and forth on the retrieve. Further, the fish skull causes the fly to jig as it is stripped back. Its action and its sound are simply too much for most fish to resist. If you don’t have eel skin, use Bug Skin or a similar leather material.

The combination of a Mr Twister eel skin tail and Fish Skull are deadly.

My blog has been neglected these last few weeks because of The Perfect Cast I, my next book in the Fly Fishing Series, and a new DVD that I shot this fall. Editing the DVD is a very time consuming process, but a rewarding one as well. The DVD will certainly be ready for the show season beginning in Denver on January 8^th, 2015. The book is progressing very nicely, too, and should be ready later in the spring.

Watch for announcements to come.

The Perfect Cast is the one that catches a fish, and in the book and DVD I cover a wide ranging look at fly casting and all that it offer us as anglers. Watch for more info coming soon.

Our friend, Theo Bakelaar from Holland has started growing his nose hairs for fly tying material. They tend to be a little curly, but make very good, inexpensive flies, especially for pike–according to Theo.

The northern pike is a great gamefish, and occupies many waters in both the U.S. and Europe, and they take the fly very well. Those who fish for northerns understand that big, as in BIG, flies are the most effective. After all, a fish that weighs over 20 pounds and has a mouth of needles for teeth is not going to survive sipping size 18 Baetis mayflies off the film. And when they decide to take the fly, the strike is stunning. Our friend, Theo Bakelaar sent photos of this big pike he took from a small canal near his home. Check out the big fly in its mouth.

Big pike like this live in the many canals in Holland.

Look at the size of the head on this pike! That will give you an idea of the over all size of this big fish. Note the fly in its mouth.

Harry Schoel, from Holland, and a mutual friend of Chuck Furimsky and mine, likes to arrived a week or two early for the International Fly Tying Symposium to spend time with Chuck, perhaps going to a football game at Penn State, but certainly trout fishing, weather permitting. And then, a couple of days before the Symposium, I arrive, and we all fish for stripers and blues, again weather permitting. Last week Chuck and Harry fished on Pennsylvania’s Fishing Creek on a cold, raw day when not much was going on. Chuck managed a couple as did Harry. Harry took a very nice rainbow on an egg fly—always a good bet in the cold times of the fall and winter. That’s a very good thing to keep in mind if you get to fish in the more bleak months of the year. Fish the egg deep, bouncing along the bottom like a dead-drifted nymph. I typically use a translucent red or pink  Otter’s egg in 6 or 8mm size, and fish an indicator with it.

Even though it is a cold, raw day, a big fish gets the blood pumping.

Harry had to rub his cheeks briskly to get them thawed out enough to smile–as smile he should..

Today I awoke to a very brisk morning and bitingly cold wind here in Ocean City–not a day to be out on the ocean, at least to my way of thinking. But in late morning, Ben Furimsky headed out with a friend as the Gale Warnings waned and the sun weakly heated the mid-day air. I have trouble with rough seas, even when I take Dramamine, and that on top of the very frigid conditions kept me in my room at the Northwood Inn, busily working on my next book  (The Perfect Cast I), sorting photos, and editing my new casting DVD (also titled The Perfect Cast I). Just at diner time, Ben messaged to show us his prize of the year: a really big striper (at least 30 pounds if not more). We were all delighted, and maybe a tiny bit jealous, but no one really regretted staying in today. Still there is tomorrow….

Now that’s a striper! Good on you Ben.

Keith Scott, bluesman and then some, (heavyblues.com) is touring the Pacific Northwest right now, playing his great music and fishing up a storm. He got into chum salmon and discovered how strong they really are—and “my, grandma, what big teeth you have.” He’s also been worrying the steelhead, keeping them just a bit edgy (like his blues). Keep ‘em guessin’ Keith.

Check out the teeth–the fish’s teeth.

Gotta love those rainbows.

My long time friend Jim Hagar is a member of the Pere Marquette Rod and Gun Club and manages to get to the river in the fall for the salmon, steelhead, and browns. Unlike our rivers here in Wisconsin, which fluctuate greatly, in tune with every rainfall, no matter how small or large, the Pere Marquette flows strongly all year long. It is ideal water for the fall runs of salmon and trout, and Jim is good at finding them and catching them. He loves to fish big streamers, and to see the fish take them with zeal. It’s great fun, and we have shared the waters together; one fall we took so many kings that it almost got embarrassing—almost. Good on you Jim!

Yes, I would be smiling, too. Nice fall brown, Jim.

Now, there’s a steelhead! Look at the big streamer hanging in its mouth.