tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42628183298151883902023-11-15T23:52:46.936-08:00ACS - the FISHDOGThis is the site for Angling Consulting Services (ACS). ACS is owned and operated by Jerry Darkes a fly fishing product sales representative, guide, instructor, and writer. He is usually seen on the water with his yellow lab Aspen - the REAL fish dog.Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.comBlogger364125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-11629607329386468592015-02-09T08:13:00.001-08:002015-02-09T08:13:30.857-08:00
Castapalooza 2015 is Set and Scheduled!
This years presenters and programs include:
Rick Kustich- Overcoming Spey Casting Obstacles
Jeff Liskay- Controlling the Swing and Getting the Fly to the Fish
Greg Senyo- Selecting and Rigging the Correct Tip
George McCabe- Single-Hand Distance Casting the Tournament Way
Jerry Darkes- Tube Flies with ProSportfisher Components
Plus Will TurekAspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-76959613099877605612014-03-23T06:22:00.001-07:002014-03-23T06:22:37.389-07:00Castapalooza, 2014!
April 12, 20014, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Hidden Valley Park on Ohio's Grand River. Take Exit 212 off I-90, go south on Rt. 528, cross over the river and turn right on Klasen Rd. down to park.
Schedule of Events
On the Water
10:00AM – 11:00AM, Will
Turek “Spey Casting for Single and
Two-Hand Rods”
12:00PM – 12:30PM, Jerry
Darkes “Casting BIG Flies- the Double
Haul and Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-45769743564130366272013-12-20T07:09:00.000-08:002013-12-20T07:09:28.201-08:00See Me On Facebook!Due to time limitations I have been posting all of my information, updates on Facebook. Please feel free to check these out at https://www.facebook.com/jerry.darkes. This will give up to date info on anything of importnace that has been happening lately.
Here are a couple pics of a recent trip on the Niagara River with my good friend, Paul Castellano, of Cast Adventures. Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-6237000995883918452013-11-08T06:43:00.000-08:002013-11-08T06:43:05.367-08:00Book Signing Promotions & ProgramsSorry- I have been neglecting this site a lot lately. Most of my online info has switched over to Facebook and you can send me a friend request to get info and updates there.
I have a number of book signings and programs coming up. Here is my schedule, as of today, for the remainder of the year.
Saturday, November 9 at Lake Erie Ultimate Angler, Erie, PA
Book signing, "Great Lakes Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-31839609215132048712013-09-04T07:03:00.001-07:002013-09-04T07:03:43.551-07:00Castapalooza North and Streamer Freak SundayBig event this coming weekend at Schultz Outfitters in Ypsilanti, MI! On Saturday, Sept. 7, Castapalooza North will take place. Check out a bunch of gear including the new Scott Radian Rods! There will be plenty of rods to cast and both single and two-hand casting isntruction avaialble form casting pros including Mark Sedotti, Will turek, and Jeff Liskay.
On Sunday, September 8Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-14453697096104657712013-09-04T06:52:00.000-07:002013-09-04T06:52:03.586-07:00The Book is Out!After three years of on-water "research" and hundreds of hours banging away on the computer, my first book, Fly Fishing the Inland Oceans is finally on the retail market. This is the first-ever, comprehensive look at fly fishing IN the Great Lakes. All five Great Lakes are reviewed along with Lake St. Clair and various connecting waters. Both warmwater and cloldwater&Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-15926779718601571382013-07-17T09:07:00.001-07:002013-07-17T09:07:21.454-07:00Ross Reels Turns 40!Established in 1973, Ross Reels turns 40 this year. Yikes, that was the same year I graduated from high school!
Based in Montrose, CO, Ross is still one of the leading manufacturers of fly reels in the U.S. A number of classic reel designs have come from the Ross facility such as the Gunnison, Cimmaron,a dn San Miguel. These have been followed up by a Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-23967407899987864232013-07-05T05:38:00.000-07:002013-07-05T05:38:12.093-07:00Casting Cane for FunI have to say a special "Thanks" to my friend, Jimmy Chang, for sharing some of his cane rods with me recently. A professional photographer, Jimmy is also a cane rod builder. His favorite fly fishing activities are throwing small dries to trout and swinging flies on a two-hander for steelies. He builds rods for these activities and everyhting in-between
I recently invited Jimmy Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-56733856423315285212013-06-21T07:35:00.000-07:002013-06-21T07:35:11.417-07:00Sandwich TerrestrialsNothing earth-shattering here, but I tied up this assortment of terrestrial patterns recently and they have proven effective fish catchers. In addition, they are very durable and easy to make.
Directions:
Glue together with a good spray adhesive a sheet of black 2mm closed-cell foam and a sheet of yellow or tan 2mm closed cell foam. Cut into 1/4"-wide strips. These can then be Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-41786895449651510012013-05-23T03:59:00.001-07:002013-05-23T04:02:58.417-07:00Sea Lamprey Still a Great Lakes ProblemThe sea lamprey entered and spread through the Great Lakes with the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Welland Canal in the late-1940's/early 1950's. These prehistoric creatures attach to a host fish, then literally chew through skin and scales to slowly drain the host body of blood and other body fluids. They caused the near extinction of native lake trout Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-38632720381382162712013-04-01T13:18:00.002-07:002013-04-01T13:24:20.144-07:00Final Schedule for Castapalooza!
Castaplooza 2013
Schedule
Saturday, April 13, 2013 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
On the River
· 10:00 AM- Will Turek, “Single-Hand Spey
Techniques”
· 11:30 AM- Neil Houlding, “Intro to Two-Hand
Casting”
· 1:00 PM- Jeff Liskay, “ Rigging and Fishing
the Swung Fly”
·&Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-41973183715358979262013-03-25T16:22:00.000-07:002013-03-25T16:49:30.267-07:00Coaster Research Needs Help!I was fortunate to attend a presentation at the the recent Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo in Minneapolis, MN, by guide Scott Thorpe entitled, "Coaster Brook Trout- Past , Present, and Future". The coaster brook trout is the rarest of all Great Lakes sport fish and a true native species.
Coasters are a migratory form of the eastern brook trout, once extremely abundant in Lake Superior but Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-50948763177862939662013-02-19T06:40:00.000-08:002013-02-19T06:50:30.696-08:00Castapalooza 2013!
The Northeast Ohio Castapalooza details are coming together quickly. This years celebration of fly casting and tying looks to be another great one!
When: Saturday, April 13, 2013, 9:00 AM to 4:00 pm
Where: Lake County Metroparks Hidden Valley Park on the Grand River
Off Rt. 528 south of Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-62327136845827748872013-02-19T06:24:00.000-08:002013-02-19T06:24:02.323-08:00New TubesI have had a lot of fun working with all the new ProTube components. This is a great system where all the componets- tubes, sleeves, weights, cones, and discs all fit together. I am still learning about all the different parts and the versatility they give.
At a recent tying demo at Tightlines Fly Shop in DePere, WI, I tied the following patterns and can't wait to fish them! &Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-59382309023583211402013-02-14T07:49:00.000-08:002013-02-14T07:49:07.665-08:00First One for Serial #1
I finally had a chance to get on the water with the new Kingpin Great Lake Spey Reel! Despite 34 degree water I manged to swing up a nice steelie on the Chagrin River with a purple & pink rabbit mini-conehead tube. Great sound when the fish ran- just like a vintage Hardy!
Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-21143880169862643542013-02-11T06:25:00.001-08:002013-02-11T06:26:06.925-08:00Pro Tube Products Are Here!Pro Tube products from Denmark are recently arrived in the U.S. I am very please to be able to represent this product line in the Midwest and Great Lakes are. This is simple-to-use system where all of the various tube components are pre-sized to fit together. In addition, there are several products that cross over well to conventional tying- such as the HD Jungled Cock, Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-71225449788660900612013-01-06T17:36:00.003-08:002013-01-06T17:36:48.192-08:00It's Show Time!
The winter consumer shows started this past weekend. I was in Indianapolis for the Indiana on the Fly Show. The first show of the year is always a good time to catch up with friends and see how everyone is doing. Attendance at the show was good, people were buying from vendors, and there were good presentations and demos.
Here Michigan guide and fly tier extraordinaire, Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-73909656187915040572012-12-13T05:01:00.000-08:002012-12-13T05:01:07.196-08:00Sad NewsFor all of you who knew Aspen, The Fishdog, I am very sad to report that she died a couple days ago. She was my best friend and constant companion for 13 1/2 years and beat the average lifespan of her breed by a number of years. Aspen had a great life- she made it into the newspaper, magazine articles, DVDs and even an episode of Trout Unlimited Televison.
Aspen traveled with me Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-14107176962146600772012-12-06T14:26:00.000-08:002012-12-06T14:30:02.513-08:00Alaska, 2013- Put Yourself in this Picture!Fellow Scott Rod and SA Pro, Jeff Liskay and myself are organizing a a group trip to Naknek River Camp just outside King Salmon, Alaska for July 20-27, 2013. This will be one of the prime weeks of the summer to get the biggest assortment of species. We will fish for sockeye, king, silver, and chum salmon, along with rainbows, dollys, char, grayling and pike.
Naknek River Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-34706574200566070882012-11-23T06:07:00.000-08:002012-11-23T06:07:05.161-08:00A Morning With My Best Friend
Aspen and I did our annual Thanksgiving Day fishing trip yesterday morning with a quick trip over to the the Chagrin River. It was likely her last trip out for steelhead. At 13 1/2 years old, the Fishdog has arthritis in both lack legs and hips. She showed her usual interest in hooked fish and had to give a lick to those brought to the bank. Cold water just Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-40132604534064106022012-11-09T11:07:00.000-08:002012-11-09T11:08:35.301-08:00Swing dat Thing!The rain that accompanied Hurricane Sandy served to flush out the tributaries of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, getting rid of fallen leaves and bringing in good numbers of fresh steelhead. With the still-modertate temperatures, the bite has been on all over.
Swinging flies continues to grow in popularity around the Great Lakes. When conditions are right, it is the most enjoyable way toAspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-32338637388952102642012-11-07T11:40:00.001-08:002012-11-07T11:40:39.677-08:00April Vokey in the Buff!Here is the photo we all have been wating to see, April Vokey in the Buff!
Ok, it's actually April Vokey in a Buff. Our favorite Flygal shows her new custom "trout dream" design available exclusively through her website, www.flygal.ca. Get one for the Flygal in your life!Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-69722389742472198322012-11-07T11:25:00.001-08:002012-11-07T11:25:31.072-08:00Friends on the WaterIt's been a crazy last couple years for anyone in the fly fishing biz. Everyone- manufacturers, retailers, sales reps, and guides have been working double time to keep positive cash flow. Once in a while we get to spend a day with close friends to just relax, talk a little shop, and just have fun. A couple days ago I was able to link up with a couple of my Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-27118162199131657972012-10-08T06:56:00.001-07:002012-10-08T06:56:59.505-07:00Snake Rolls, White Mice, and Bloody LsSpey casting is enjoying a significant increase in both interest and popularity on this side of the big pond from its origins in the UK. In the Great Lakes area there are several events each year to teach beginners and advanced anglers both the fundamentals of this most interesting style of fly casting with its own unique terminology. Attendees also get a chance to try out the Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-16201639968802582812012-09-25T05:22:00.000-07:002012-09-25T05:22:42.100-07:00Work In ProgressFly fishing for musky is growing very quickly. Whether it be river or lake, more and more anglers are starting to chase this toothy predator. September is a prime month for chasing musky with flies as the fish have started feeding heavily for the coming winter and prey species have reached their maximum size. Flies this time of year can range from around 6 inches to 16 inches Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0