The 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 fish species are covered with the techniques and equipment needed to catch them.   There are also over 160 fly patterns presented with recipes for Great Lakes use.  Ask for it at your local fly shop!

Ross 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 number of top-sellers including the CLA, Evolution LT, and F1.  In fact, Ross has won more design awards than any other company in the fly fishing industry!

Casting Cane for Fun

I 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 down to the Rockwell Club to photograph some bug sampling in the steam and then fish some of his light-line rods.  I opted for a 7'9" 5-wt.  while he fished a 7'6" 3-wt.  His rods have hollow-butt construction which reduces weight noticably.  The actions are crisp and workmanship is flawless.

As you can see, the trout were cooperative, taking an assortment of terrestrial and midge patterns.  Hey Jimmy- thanks again for a great rod and the great photos, too!

Sandwich Terrestrials

Nothing 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 cut into various lengths as desired and tied on a hook with a thread base on the shank and secured with a touch of Super Glue.
Add rubber legs and you are good to go.  With the black side down you have a Sandwich Cricket.  Put the yellow side down and it is a Sandwich Hopper- a bit of orange yarn on top makes it easier to see on the water.
Cut the strips in half to a 1/8" width and you can then do the Sandwich Beetle.

These are all quick and simple and make a nice fish-attracting "plop" when they hit the water.

Sea Lamprey Still a Great Lakes Problem

The 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 populations once they entered the lakes and the effects are still felt today.  Spawning tributaries are treated periodically with lamprecides by U.S. Fish and Wildlife in an ongoing effort to keep lamprey populations in check.

My buddy, Bob Fout, landed this steelhead in Conneaut Creekd last month with sea lamprey firmly attached.  Despite an active fight with 4 jumps, the lamprey did not budge and was only removed by hand prior to the fish being released.

A recent episode of TV's "River Monsters" showed that sea lamprey have also entered Lake Champlain and are attaching themselves to long distance swimmers.  Now that is just plain creepy!

 

 

Final 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”

·       2:30 PM- Neil Houlding, “Skagit, Scandi, and Long Belly Casting”

 On the Lawn

·       11:00 AM- Jim Lampros, “Fly Casting 101”

·       12:30 PM- Will Turek, “Advanced Single-Hand Casting”

In the Pavilion

 

·       9:00 AM to 1:00 PM- Greg Senyo, “Steelhead Flies”

·       9:00 AM to 1:00 PM- Charlie Chlysta, “Warmwater Flies”

Plus, other unannounced guests!

There will be a number of “Castapalooza Pro Staff” helpers available to assist with casting on the water and the lawn throughout the day.