John Kent's Hog Magnet and Zucchini Chironomids

Hi Everyone!

Fly Tying Mondays are already off to a great start! Tonight we tied two versions of John Kent's Hog Magnet as well as zucchini chironomids. I have included the fly tying recipes below.

Next week, Rick Miyauchi is our guest tyer. Rick asks you to bring a dubbing needle and some 6/0 thread! See you there!

Hog Magnet (John Kent originator)

Thread: 8/0 Red

Gills: Unistretch-white

Hook: Alec Jackson Crystal Covert size 11or Daiichi 1760

Bead: 7/64ths, red

Rib: UTC Ultra Wire, red-small

Body: Largartun Flat Braid-silver-take out 2 strands for a size 11, 4 strands for a size 13

Shellback: Holographic Tinsel, red-large

Hog Magnet (John Kent originator)

Thread: 8/0 Black

Gills: Unistretch-white

Hook: Alec Jackson Crystal Covert size 11 or Daiichi 1760

Bead: 7/64ths, red

Rib: UTC Ultra Wire, red-black

Body: Largartun Flat Braid-silver-take out 2 strands for a size 11, 4 strands for a size 13

Shellback: Holographic Tinsel, red-large

Zucchini

Thread: UTC 8/0-black or red

Hook: Daicchi 1120-12-16 or Daiichi 1760 or Alec Jackson Crystal Covert

Bead: White-7/64ths for a size 12

Rib: Red Wire, small

Body: Holographic tinsel, black-medium

Tying Notes: 1.You can add a red butt by using red thread or red holographic tinsel, medium

2. You can add a second rib (optional)

3. You can use UTC Rusty brown for the collar as well

 

Fly Tying On Monday December 4th

 Hi Everyone!

We will be tying two versions of a Hog Magnet and two versions of a Zucchini chironomid. All you need tonight is red and black thread in 8/0 or UTC 70!

Fly Tying Mondays Start on Monday November 27th at 7 pm

Fly Tying Mondays for our Central Alberta group starts this Monday at Reliance Oilfield Services at 7 pm. Just bring your regular tying tools. The cost is  $5 to cover the materials that are used at the Monday workshops. Sadly the costs of tying materials is on the rise. The presenter will always bring the materials for the evening.

The first tying session is all about dubbing loops and we will be tying up some rabbit strip streamers that you definitely want to have in your fly box!

Bring a dubbing twister if you have one. We have a few extra to share!

Fly tyers of all skill levels are invited to come. See you soon!

 

A Bonus Day on the Water

The end of October was so cold and many of our lakes froze over. 

...but November has been warm and that thin covering of ice has disappeared on several pot hole lakes. My neighbour and friend Colin and I were able to get out today. The chinook arch over Red Deer was spilling warm air throughout Central Alberta. We headed out late morning and had an excellent late morning and afternoon session on the water. The lake we visited was 75% ice free. The water temperature was a frigid 38F. Burr! We bundled up with lots of extra layers that we really did not need. 10C  on November 13th is a bonus day! I had to track down the electric motor, battery and fly fishing gear. I had stored it away.

Colin and I both fly fished with Tokaryk Specials and had an outstanding afternoon. Several dozen rainbows were brought to hand. A bonus day indeed. Great fun!

 

Sparrow Glassworks Christmas Studio Sale on November 4th!

Darren and his wife, Deborah, make so many amazing glass works. Everything from scotch glasses etched with mayflies to vases with a fish theme and glass fish! Take the time to drop by his studio and take a look!

 

Are Getting You Fly Tying Area Ready For Winter?

Hi Everyone!

I am slowly gearing up and getting our gang organized for fly tying Mondays. I have taken the time to clean up my tying area. I have posted a picture of my main tools that I like to have handy. We will be again at Reliance Learning Centre thanks to Adam!

Our first tying session will be tying rabbit strip streamers. I will send you more details as the date gets closer.

I am still looking for presenters to help fill in the dates. If you have a favourite fly or two to share, please let me know! I have Phil Rowley lined up for February 10th.

Finally, Rick Miyauchi is going to be doing two presentations. Rick wants to know if anyone has anything specific that they would like covered. Please let me know and I will pass it along to Rick!

The schedule is posted in the previous post! See you soon!

 

Fly Tying Mondays Start November 27th at Reliance Learning Centre

Hi Everyone!

I can hardly believe that winter set in so fast. Karen and I were lucky enough to get our boats serviced and put away just in the nick of time. It is time to start thinking of getting our fly tying gang together for the winter. I have posted dates below. I hope to fill in presenters in the coming days. If you are willing to do a tying session, please get in contact with me (403-598-3802) so I can get you on the schedule. You do not need to be an expert to led a tying session. New fly tyers are always welcome to join us!

Fly Tying Monday Dates for 2023-2024

November 27th-Bob Vanderwater

December 4-Rick Miyauchi

December 11-Bob Vanderwater

December 18th-Steve Luethi

January 8th-Bob Vanderwater

January 15th-Steve Luethi

January 22-Dan Reaman

January 29th-Dr. Bill Young

February 5th-Rick Miyauchi

February 10th- Phil Rowley All Day Workshop

February 12

February 19- Family Day-No Tying

February 26th-Doug Pullan

March 6th-Larry Prowse

March 11th-Ralf Kuntzemann

March 18th-Garnet Clews

March 25th

 

Winter is Just Around the Corner!

Finally Karen and I were able to get out and fly fish yesterday. I have been under the weather lately as well and it felt great to get outside. After taking a look at the long range weather forecast, I am glad we were able to get out! It looks like we are in for a big weather change. Sigh!

Well yesterday was beautiful. It was a bit windy but I was still fly fishing in my shorts and light sweater. The rainbows yesterday were eating shrimp and daphnia. Karen and I tied on a Bubba Gump Shrimp, Tokaryk Specials and blobs. The action was not fast and furious but it was steady! Later in the day I started stripping backswimmers and I was able to connect on a few rainbows as well. I was hoping their memory made them interested in boatmen. The hits were vicious. 

Time to find your cold weather clothes. It looks like winter is just around the corner! Bundle up and get out this weekend, it maybe your last chance.

 

Kerbes Pond Near Erskine

Kerbes Pond just 25 km south of Erskine is a designated trophy fishery.  Karen and I managed to get out there yesterday afternoon. It was another beautiful afternoon! Warm fall days are to be cherished. We even fished until dark because it was so pleasant! We had Kerbes to ourselves. How were the rainbows, tigers and browns doing at Kerbes?

I thought we were going for a drive because I figured the water levels were going to be extremely low. Once we arrived, we realized that fly fishing from shore was going to be extremely limiting because of the tules (reeds) that have grown all around the pond! We launched our pram at the tiny but quite useable boat launch! We motored over to the area near the 5 working aerators and we found the water was still close to 18 feet deep in places. The water temperature was only 50F and the visibility was about 2-3 feet, which is typical of Kerbes Pond.

As usual we set up along the edges to fly fish and we were into fish all afternoon. We started with Tokaryk Specials and Ice Minnows. We caught mostly stockers. After a while, we fished with floating backswimmer patterns and had a blast catching rainbows. I did hook a very large tiger trout that became unbuttoned near the boat. We saw several very large wakes of sizeable trout! We did not connect with any of them after I lost the big tiger trout! Darn!

I was quite encouraged with the fishery. So many sloughs were bone dry in the area. I hope we get lots of snow this winter. Out water table is low. It was certainly worth going. If you do go, take your pontoon boat or pram. Yes there are places to fish from shore but they are few. 

 

Thanksgiving Sunday Fly Fishing at Sylvan Lake

Our house was full of family yesterday afternoon. We enjoyed our dinner outside on a beautiful fall day to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. Karen and I love having our home full of family. It is the best of times and makes our hearts full of happiness. We feel very blessed.

Thanksgiving Sunday was another warm day although there was frost on Saturday night! Karen and I loaded up the Gulf station wagon and headed for Sylvan Lake. Sylvan is down just a bit in water volume. We launched on a side road and headed to some weed lines we like to fly fish! We hoped to sight fly fish for lake whitefish along the tules (reeds). We had a great time in just 3-4 feet of water trying not to spook the lake whites and getting them to eat our bloodworms. If you get the presentation right, fly fishing 2.5 to 3 feet below our strike indication; you can watch the whitefish slurp down our bloodworm imitations. We spooked so many but we also had lots of success.

We did catch a few whitefish in deeper water but we enjoyed the sight fishing so much that we went back to that strategy! The water temperature at Sylvan was 54F. It was perfect.

I cannot remember too many days in October where I could fly fish in shorts and a light shirt/sweater. Looks like tomorrow is going to be a repeat in the weather. You know we did not unload the car. I wonder where we will go tomorrow.