Early Season Right After Ice Off Tactics

Phil Rowley and Brian Chan gave an outstanding on line seminar about tactics right after ice off. Grab a coffee and take a look!

 

Kreelex Streamers with Doug Pullan

Hi Everyone!

Last night Doug Pullan spent the evning with us talking about fly fishing streamers. Doug then showed us all how to tie the Kreelex Minnow! The room was full of fly tyers who set to work creating their kreelex minnows. Below is Doug's presentation.

Next week, Rick and Bob will be honouring Bob Scammell by tying up the Henry's Fork Special and the Letort Hopper. The week after, Larry Prowse will be our guest tyer and Garnet Clews will end our tying season with a presentation. See you next week!

Streamer Fishing

Fishing a streamer is a fly fishing technique that suggests your artificial fly resemble a baitfish, small fish or other aquatic prey. Unlike some fly fishing techniques requiring a drag free float or slowly moving in the water column, fishing a streamer requires an active presentation which in turn will excite the predatory instincts of your targeted fish. Streamers patterns are usually larger and more substantial than other fly patterns. The materials that fly tiers use to create effective imitations are vast; they include marabou, chenilles, rabbit strips, feathers, deer hair, sculpin wool, synethic fibres and flash materials. The colour choices are endless however; the classic streamer colours include black, white, olive and brown. When you are unsure on what colour of streamer to use, a classic approach is a good place to start. Dark day, dark fly – light day, light fly – bright day, bright fly. To expand on this; on a cloudy day or the water is stained or murky, go with a black fly, on a lighter day, go with a tan or white fly, on a sunny day use a fly with lots of flash. Fly sizes can range from 1 inch up to 5 inches, some even larger. Streamers can be weighted or unweighted, tied on a single hook or a tube. Some even incorporate an articulated body to add more movement to the fly pattern.

There are some things to consider before you go fishing. 

1. 1. Rod Line Weight: Lighter line weights (4-5wt) are recommended for small streamers, heavier line weights (7-8wt) can manage larger streamers.
2. 2. Leaders: Fish are not usually leader shy when fishing streamers in streams or rivers. Up the leader or tippet size to 1X. The heavier leader/tippet transfers more casting energy to the fly and resists abrasion. This can be a negative factor to consider when fishing lakes with clear water but ok when water is murky.

Streamer Tactics

When floating a river there are various techniques to attract fish to your streamer. Most fish will be found within 10’ of the shore line, therefore casting your streamer to the edge of the bank and stripping back is a good tactic. If you’re wading the river, casting the streamer across the current and letting it swing downstream imitates a wounded or fleeing minnow. Stripping the fly line with variable speed and rhythm actions allow the streamer to mimic a swimming or darting prey. Casting directly upstream allowing the steamer to dead-drift is another less common method.

When fishing streamers in a lake, different tactics are required to be successful. Unlike rivers, lakes do not have a current to influence your streamer, therefore slow and steady retrieves are necessary. Other aspects to consider are:

• - Water temperature: 52-64F, fish are actively feeding in this range.
• - Water clarity: Murky water is best to disguise your fly line, leader and tippet.
• - Protection: Fish feel safe when they can find cover and at drop offs where they can flee if they feel threated.
• - Stealth: Avoid having the streamer slap the water, always aim for a light drop onto the water’s surface.
• - Retrievals: If stripping the streamer produces no results, try jigging the fly.
• - Colour: If natural coloured streamers are not successful, try a more colourful attractor  streamer.
• - Use weighted flies and sink tip fly lines to get your fly deeper.

Streamer fishing is an aggressive style of fly fishing. Due to the streamer being within the water column and retrieved energetically; fish will instinctually be attracted. 

Remember, big fish eat little fish.

Kreelex Minnow

Hook: 3X or 4X Streamer hook  Size 2 -10

Thread: White UTC 140

Eyes: Medium Hourglass eyes

Tail: Kreinik Flash Silver

Belly Wing: Kreinik Flash Silver 

Top Wing: Kreinik Flash Gold 

Betty and Steve in Argentina-What An Adventure

 

On Feb. 2, Betty and Steve embarked on an amazing fly fishing trip to Argentina. They flew to New York and then overnight to Buenos Aires Argentina. 

This is the story I got from Steve and Betty!

After an overnight stay in B.A. to recover from jet lag and a red eye flight we flew to the small city of Esquel in NW Chubut Province. Esquel is in a dry hilly area just on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains and on the doorstep of the Alerces national park. It is loaded with lakes and rivers for fly fishing.

We based out of a small lodge on a big lake for three days and then fished out of a sister lodge in the Rio Pico area three hours south. Three days river floating and three days lake fishing is what we picked for an agenda.The seasons are reversed there so we enjoyed their summer weather and lack of bugs! River fishing set ups were chubby chernobyls with a pheasant tail nymph dropper on floating lines with 5wt.rods. Some fires were burning in the area but the lodge was safe as a lot of the area was already burned last year. The shore lunches were quite a step up from our sandwich and a beer lunches up here. Felt bottom boots are not allowed in Argentina to try and stop the spread of the invasive algae that we saw in one river. The fishing in the Rio Pico area concentrated on big brook trout and big rainbows.Our brook trout rigs were 6wt. rods with type 7 sinking line and big streamers called Rusty Trombones. In two days were boated 55 brookies from three to six pounds.The guide was tech savvy and did some great slo mo underwater shots and took videos from a drone over our raft.Fishing pressure is very light on the waters and very few boats were seen on the rivers and lakes, Its a long way to go but definitely a great fishing experience.

Another Fabulous Day for Touy in San Pedro, Belize Chasing Permit

Touy spent 3 days with my buddy Hilian Martinez fly fishing around Ambergris Caye chasing permit this past week while on vacation. Touy definitely wanted to have a chance at hooking and landing a permit. The last day early in the day, Touy hooked this 15 pounder and skillfully landed himself a trophy! Well done Touy!

 

Permit and Bonefish Fly Fishing in Belize

Touy and his wife decided that a a vacation in San Pedro in Belize was in order. Touy also wanted to get out to do some permit and bonefish fly fishing with my buddy Hilian Martinez. Hilian is a top notch guide and as Touy found out, he will give you the chance to catch a permit and of of course bonefish! Well on Touy's very first day out with Hilian, he had 8-10 shots at permit. He hooked up and landed a beauty too! Touy also had lots of fun chasing bonefish as well. Touy was quite enthusiastic about his first day fly fishing around Ambergris Caye. I am pretty sure he was celebrating. I hope the two other days he has on the water are amazing!

Happy Family Day Everyone! Remember it is free fishing weekend too. If you like ice fishing there are lots of options and the RDR is still open as is the Bow River. Enjoy!

There is no FLY TYING MONDAY on Family Day. We will resume fly tying the following Monday when Doug Pullan is our guest tyer. Doug has an outstanding program for us that you will not want to miss!

 

Fabled Salmonfly Hatch

The late Bob Scammell was a champion of access for all on public land in Alberta. Bob was a true sportsman and he loved his home water on Prairie Creek. Prairie Creek has a fabled salmonfly hatch that had every brown trout in the vicinity devouring these gigantic stoneflies.

A few days back, Doug Wood paid our fly tying club a visit. Doug owned a fishing shop in Red Deer in the 1980s. Well Doug and Bob were friends. They often talked about this fabled hatch that probably happened in May. Doug was able to secure a roll of phentex yarn that was pretty much an exact match for the colour of salmonflies. Bob Scammell told him it was the only material you will need for the body of a salmonfly. Well Doug donated the roll of phentex to our club. I took the time to tie up some Henry's Fork Special salmonflies. These are a bit small at size 6. They could have been size 2.

We are glad to share the phentex yarn. I will bring the phentex to our tying sessions for anyone to get a few yards.

The late Bob Scammell

 

Stonefly Construction with Dan Reaman-Including the 20 inch Stone

Dan Reaman spent the evening teaching our gang some basics of tying stonefly nymphs. Dan taught the gang how to tie a smaller stonefly so we all could see the main components of a stonefly nymph. Trout love stoneflies. They are a big meal. When they start to migrate to shore or tumble down a rapid, trout devour these tasty treats. Once we all had a good idea of the main components of a stonefly nymph, Dan showed us how to tie the 20 Inch Stonefly. Take a look!

Thanks again Dan for another excellent evening of fly tying!

Remember that next Monday is Family Day so there is no tying session! We will be tying again in two weeks when Doug Pullan is our guest tyer! See you then!

Dan showing us all the steps and proportions of tying the 20 Inch Stone

20 Inch Stone Fly Nymph

Hook: TMC 200 R sizes 6-10 

Weight: 5/32nd silver bead and 6 turns of 0.015 lead

Thread: Olive UTC 70

Tail: Biots

Body: Peacock herl

Rib: French tinsel, silver or gold

Wing Case: Turkey

Thorax: Hares Ear Dubbing-Tan

Legs: Partridge

Basic Stonefly Construction

Hook: 3906B sizes 12-6

Weight: 7/64ths black bead and 6 turns of 0.015 lead

Thread: Olive UTC 70

Tail: Biots

Body: Olive spanflex

Wing Case: Turkey

Thorax: Hares Ear-Tan

Hackle: Brown

Hal and Murray are building stonefly nymphs!