A New Tube From Eumer

Eumer has introduced a new tube into the North American market. The Eumer jighead tube has a keel-style design with the weight of the tube centered on the bottom. The fly will then ride and move similar to a pattern with weighted barbell eyes. The advantages of the tube pattern are the ability to interchange hook sizes and styles, replace a damaged hook without trashing the fly, and being able to run the hook stinger-style, back away from the body. Check out all the Eumer products at http://www.eumertube.com/.

The King of Swing

Muskegon River guide, Kevin Feenstra has had more influence on the use of streamer patterns for Great Lakes steelhead than any other single angler. His flies and tactics also produce fish beyond our region and he is gaining a wide reputation.

Kevin recently released a DVD Searching For Steelhead. In this production he takes the viewer through the how's and why's of swinging flies, gives fly patterns and tieing instructions, and shows these in use in both large and small stream situations. Every serious steelheader should watch this DVD!

For a quick look or to purchase Searching for Steelhead, go to http://www.swingabigfly.com/. You should also be able to find the DVD shortly in your local fly shop.

First Atlantic for WD

Dog friend, Wael Dardir hoists his first Atlantic salmon from the St. Marys River Rapids. Despite howling wind, four inches of rain, and dropping temps, Team Fish Dog prevailed- we have the technology. 50 Mph winds made swinging flies impossible, so the boys nymphed 'em up with green caddis and black stones under indicators.

Scott's 11 foot, 8-wt. A3 switch has proved to be a great multi-purpose rod for The Rapids.

Great Lakes Pink Salmon

Here is a pink salmon caught in the St. Marys Rapids. Pinks were introduced into the Great Lakes accidentally when their eggs got mixed in with Chinook and Coho that were being shipped out for stocking. They are now totally self-sustaining in several locations with the St. Marys being the focal point.

There is also talk of a Chinook-pink hybrid existing called the "Pinook". I have seen these fish and they look like a giant pink on steroids or a small, humpbacked Chinook, each ones seems a little different. I don't know if their existence has ever been verified or not. To view pinooks check Hawkin's Fly Fishing Outfitters website and go to the Garden River link.

Now That's a D Loop!

Jeff Liskay, Patagonia & SA Pro Staffer, forms a classic D loop and leans into a distance cast at the Great Lakes Spey Fest. The D loop in the line creates the weight to load the rod which then transforms stored energy into kinetic energy as the cast is made. Just a little Physics 101.
Jeff is using his Scott 14'6" 8-wt. T2H rod to reach for the stars.

Great Lakes Spey Fest 2010

Dog friend , Wael Dardir, aka "The Spey Ninja" competes in the distance competetion at the recent Great Lakes Spey Fest at Henning Park on the Muskegon River. Throwing from both right and left sides, Wael averaged 105 ft., good enough for second place. Congrats Wael and a good showing for Team Fish Dog.

Farrell House Lodge

The spring creeks of northwest Ohio have some of the oldest private trout clubs in the United States. These streams originate from a huge aquifer laying beneath the limestone base that underlays much of the area. The clear, cold water supports lots of trout and year-round fly fishing opportunities.

Farrell House Lodge is located on two miles of the legendary Cold Creek. Overnight lodging packages are now available that can also include fishing access. The historic lodge has ten spacious guest rooms at several price levels. Different meal packages are also offered.

This is a great place for an overnight getaway with your significant other as in addition to world-class trout fishing there is also a lake with bass, bluegill, and tiger muskies on the property. Several wineries are close by and you are only a short drive from Sandusky Bay and the Islands area of western Lake Erie. Plenty to do for for anglers and non-anglers here. Check it out- http://www.farrellhouseldoge.com/.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Dog friend and SA Pro Staffer, Jeff Liskay, works out with the two-hander and a new Spey line from Scientific Anglers. Here he is using a Scott 12'6" 8-wt. T2H teamed up with a Scientific Anglers Skagit Extreme 640 gr. line. SA has revamped their whole lineup of Spey and Switch offerings and now has one most comprehensive lineups of lines on the market. Liskay will be a presenter at the Great Lakes Spey Fest coming up September 25 at Henning Park on the Muskegon River in Newaygo, MI.

A New Species on the Fly For Me

Here is a Central Quillback Carpsucker (Carpiodes cyprinus hinei) caught on a crayfish pattern from the Kokosing River and another species to add to the fly caught list. Research showed that this is a different fish from the Northern Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus cyprinus) that comes into the Lake Erie tribs in the spring and eats nymphs fished for steelhead.

They are suprisingly good fighters when hooked and can reach a weight of up to 10 pounds.

Santa On Vacation?

No, it's dog friend Walter Shockley. Walter runs Ohio Kayak Fishing and recently hosted JD and Aspen on a trip down the Kokosing River. The Kokosing runs through central OH and is an excellent smallmouth stream. It is also a State Scenic River and a 28 mile stretch has been designated the Kokosing River Water Trail. The Ohio Water Trails program was developed "to promote awareness of public paddling access by partnering with local communities to develop designated water trails on Ohio streams." Oh yeah, they even caught a few fish along the way, too.

Santa On Vacation?

Beetlemania

By request here is a photo and recipe for the Crowe beetle. This is one of the best terrestrial patterns ever for eastern trout fishing and has caught plenty of western trout, too.

Hook: Daiichi 1310 or 1130, #12-#18

Thread: Black 6/0 or Uni 70

Body: Black deer hair

Trim section of deer hair at the hide (around 1/8" in diameter for #14 hook) and clean out all the fuzz. Tie the hair in by the butt ends about 1/3 of the shank length back from the hook eye. Wrap back over the hair, binding it down around the hook shank, to the bend of the hook. Move the thread back to where you tied the hair in. Put a bit of head cement over the body and pull the hair over the top of the hook shank forming a shell back. Coat the shell back with a bit of cement. Adding the cement helps to strengthen the deer hair. Pull 4-6 hairs on each side of the head to the side and do a cross wrap over them, then tie off thread and cut. Trim the hair still sticking out front and trim the legs to about the length of the body. You can also add a small tuft of yarn to the top of the body for increased visibility on the water.