Home Blog Page 167

5 Flies for the Month of March/Early Spring

Grant Michaels
-
0
5 Flies for the Month of March/Early Spring

Spring is officially here as of yesterday and boy are we excited! For most of us, we are thawed out and ready for a fresh delivery of hatches and hungry fish. This time of year brings a new perspective to anglers, the feeling of fresh air and bright sunshine. It’s time to dust off the waders and hit the streams to take advantage of what Spring has to offer. Below are the top 5 flies that will get you through the month of March and early Spring!

5 Flies for March/Early Spring

1. The Two Bit Stone Fly

Image Credit Trouts Fly Fishing
  • Freestone streams will have an abundunce of stone flies.
  • Very heavy and works well as a lead fly.
  • Made with two brass beads and one tungsten bead.

2. The Sizzlin Hot Spot Squirrel

Image Credit Trouts Fly Fishing
  • Soft hackle flies imitate emergers very well.
  • Can be dead drifted or fished on the swing as the tend to rise with the current.
  • Can be tied in a variety of colors and imitate mayfly hatches.

3. The Bead Head Egg

Image Credit Trouts Fly Fishing
  • Great searching pattern and water changes colors.
  • Works very well throughout the year.
  • Offers a nice attractor when drifting through off colored water.

4. The Tungsten Surveyor

Image Credit Trouts Fly Fishing
  • Pattern created by Lance Egan.
  • Imitates caddis and small stoneflies.
  • Best of both worlds between a rainbow warrior and hares ear nymph.

5. The Poison Tung

Image Credit Trouts Fly Fishing
  • Very durable.
  • Imitates a BWO nymph really well.
  • Also can get by as a midge imitation on spring and freestone creeks.

There you have it, 5 flies that will get you through the early spring. Feel free to try variations of these flies to find the color or size that works best for you. Ultimately, just enjoy this time of year and have a blast on the water. Tight Lines!

All flies from this article can be purchased from AvidMax by clicking here. Visit for other colors, patterns, and more!

Continue

2021 F3T Behind the Lens: Leap Year

Patrick Perry
-
0
2021 F3T Behind the Lens: Leap Year

On the surface, spey fishing for steelhead is a sporting pursuit steeped in tradition. Every year, these anglers and the wild fish they pursue both similarly migrate to the same rivers at the same time. Now, from issues like global pandemics to global warming, there are countless ways in which this tradition can be broken. In swinging flies for wild steelhead in British Columbia’s famed Bulkley-Skeena Valley, Leap Year explores the river and the colorful characters of this culture as it begs the question: who will carry on these traditions if the migrations come screeching to a halt?

For this installment of F3T Behind The Lens, we caught up with filmmakers Chase White & Jordie Lepage to discuss their film Leap Year. Check out the interview below and be sure to get your F3T Tickets here. 

Flylords: So, where did the initial inspiration for the film Leap Year come from? 

Jordie: At the inception, Chase came to us the previous summer with an opportunity to head up to Smithers, British Columbia to help with a film project loosely based on how COVID had affected the guiding industry in the Skeena region. As a spey angler myself, I’d spent the last couple of Fall seasons up there and thought it would be an interesting opportunity to see what would happen to these tourism destinations if the fishing were to collapse entirely.

Chase: Yeah, I think the inspiration comes back to our personal connections with these fish and the communities they foster. We love fly fishing for wild steelhead. To add on to that, Northern BC is just an incredibly special place. It’s hard to get to, it’s absolutely stunning, and it’s one of the last strongholds of wild fish. When you contextualize all of that with a global pandemic that seemingly spares no one (tight-knit fishing communities included), well I think the story kind of wrote itself. Ultimately, this is what drove us to ask the question: What’s at stake here?

Flylords: How did the story of the film develop from the initial inspiration?

Chase: Working alongside Jordie and Pat from TOPO Films, we really knew the outline of what we wanted to make here. But when you’re making a film like Leap Year, I think you also have to let the story write itself. And to do that, you really have to leave some room for the story to develop with its own special moments—things you just cannot write. So I think that’s where you get into a half-luck-half-skill thing. That said, we were pretty lucky to have some of these happenstance moments unfold while we were rolling cameras, and also to just find time with some of these incredible characters.

Flylords: Would you mind giving our readers some steelhead info or tips about traveling to fly fish in British Columbia?”

Chase: While I would love to tell you that BC sucks, there are only small fish here and you shouldn’t visit, some of that might be a bit far from the truth. As far as steelhead go, there are generally two main runs of fish: a winter run from January to April and a summer run from August to November. That said, neither of those runs are “easy” fishing (even outside of steelhead, most BC fishing isn’t easy). If I were traveling to BC to fish, I would 100% hire a guide service or get guided through a lodge. I have countless stories from close friends who come here from pretty far away and repeatedly get skunked. Find a good guide who can safely show you around and you’ll get ’em.

Flylords: Were the guides and lodges in support of the film? How did they react when you approached them? 

Chase: Going into this project, I had close relationships with the people in this film. They are important people to me personally, so I really wanted to do right by them. And I think they know that. Having worked with them previously outside of this film, I’ve learned a bit about how to best support them while also earning their trust. But ultimately, with a project like this, it has to be a collaborative process with an immense amount of trust. I think in short, they also wanted to share the story of how both the pandemic and the resource affects them and their business.

Flylords: You highlighted a couple of guides in the film, one character who stood out to me was Ray, he seemed like quite the legend. Can you talk about Ray Makowichuk and his impact on the fishery in British Columbia? 

Chase: Ray Makowichuk is truly a pioneer of some of the most prolific steelhead rivers in Northern BC. He’s more than just a gentle soul—he is truly an innovator who somehow manages to open up this pursuit of wild fish to many, while also preserving it’s soul and tradition. Legend is an understatement… He pretty much fishes bamboo rods and dry lines exclusively. Fun fact: Ray is the man who is tasked with tying the fly for the world’s largest fly rod, located in Steelhead Park of his hometown of Houston, BC. If I recall correctly, I think the fly is a goat hair Skykomish Sunrise that measures almost two feet.

Flylords: Were there any unforeseen issues/difficulties when filming and producing Leap Year?

Jordie: This year the number of steelhead in the systems were down quite a bit. Even with very few anglers on the water it was tough to get into a fish. We spent so much time fishing that it left very little to build the story off the water and while shooting fishing is great for a fishing film, it’s the other elements that create something unique. That was the hardest part by far. And in the edit, we used every last piece we had captured to bring the story to life. There was nothing left on the table.

Chase: Yeah, I fully agree with what Jordie said. While this is technically a fishing film, we didn’t want it to be about fishing. We really wanted it to be more about people. With that caveat out of the way, filming steelhead fishing is just not for the faint of heart. For starters, these are steelhead… One could definitely call them “camera shy”, to put it gently. They’re like a bad friend: they never show up when you need them to.

Flylords: For our cinematography-minded readers, can you tell us about some of the equipment you used for your film and photography?

Chase: I’ll let Jordie spill as much of the movie magic as he wants on this one.

Jordie: The film was shot primarily on a RED Gemini and a Black Magic Pocket 4K with Canon Zoom lenses. Canon zooms aren’t the sexiest, but they can handle getting beat up, soaked with river water and are pretty versatile, which is the most important thing in documentary shooting. Most days, we also lugged around a DJI inspire 2 and DJI Phantom 4 for aerial shots. We also had a pretty extensive lighting kit for the interviews.

Flylords: What were some of the conservation goals of the film? 

Chase: Working alongside our conservation partner for the film, Native Fish Society, we ultimately wanted to raise awareness about how we balance our own impact on the resource with our responsibility as anglers. Stevie Morrow says it perfectly in the film, “If you want to be a steelhead angler and you want to come out here and enjoy the resource, you have to find ways to limit your impact.” I’m personally very proud of this component of the film because, if we’ve learned anything over the course of major events in the past few years, it’s that we have to talk about these difficult things in order to gain consensus that drives action. And that discussion starts with acknowledgment, which is not easy for a lot of people to do. The reality is, as recreational anglers, we can find ways to enjoy the resource while mitigating our own impact and ultimately protecting these wild fish that we love to connect with.

I have an immense amount of respect for anyone who is picking up their trash, keeping fish wet, and practicing self control in how many fish they feel they need to catch.

Jordie: Personally, I think our main goal was to just highlight this fragile resource and how restoring our focus to the health of the fish benefits all of us. We simply need to care more about the fish than our right to catch them.

Flylords: What are some of the current threats to the steelhead in British Columbia? What is the biggest threat? 

Chase: In no way is this all-inclusive and I’m sure I’ll miss something here, but I think the shortlist includes global warming (ocean warming), deforestation, gill nets, hatcheries, open-ocean fish farms, and even poor governmental regulation/management of the fisheries. On top of that, you have people doing things like leaving trash on the river and handling fish poorly when they do catch them. Unfortunately, I think for some people these discussions have become very polarizing, and what we need to do is talk about these things openly and productively in order to foster course corrections. What can we do? Let’s chew gum and walk at the same time: mitigate your own personal impact while we collectively work on these bigger issues.

Jordie: Yeah, I think you’ll find many different opinions on this, from clearcut logging to climate change, but personally I think the biggest threat is the lack of information collected in regards to steelhead. We need to allocate more resources to learning about steelhead so that we can protect them on all fronts; logging, habitat degradation, bycatch, rising ocean temps, etc.

Flylords: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the steelhead fishing this season?

Jordie: For the fish numbers it would be 1, but I’ve never judged a fishing trip based on numbers. This generation of steelheader simply can’t do that because the numbers just aren’t there anymore. I was in the Skeena area for nearly a month and it was one of the best trips of my life. I saw so much new water and learned a ton, and spent time with good friends, that made the trip for me. We need to shift focus from the numbers game.

Chase: I couldn’t agree more with what Jordie said. The focus has to shift. I think if you want to catch a lot of these fish, it’s probably not the right species for you to be targeting. Are there as many fish this year as there were in past years? No, there weren’t. But it’s also worth noting that there have been blockbuster runs of fish in the past five years for some systems… As in, some of the most prolific return numbers on record. And I think the takeaway there is that these fish will recover if we let them. Until then, there’s an ebb and flow. But to answer your question, I’d rate it a 10, because regardless of the difficulty, it’s just one of the most fun things in the world to stand in one of these infamous rivers and swing flies for unicorns.

Flylords: What is the fate of the lodges and fly fishing guides in British Columbia? Will it ever be the same? Will some of the lodges and guides stop guiding due to a limited demand? 

Chase: That’s tough. I think the amount of people looking to connect with these fish will only continue to grow. And considering that, I think these lodges and guides will be just fine, as people are generally good natured and will hopefully turn the ship around to find balance with their impact. I think humans as a species will also become more conscious of how we can protect ourselves from things like this modern pandemic, which will decrease the likelihood of something like this happening again. Keep in mind, many lodges and guides did have to stop guiding due to a limited demand this year, which travel limitations obviously played a huge part of. Call me an optimist, but my fingers are crossed that this is mostly a one-year event.

Flylords: Will the Canadian borders open up in 2021? 

Jordie: I think it’s unlikely but stranger things have happened. It sure would be a good thing if they did for anyone in tourism. As long as it can happen safely.

Chase: I actually think they might open. We still have a lot of 2021 left. If we can all be diligent about limiting our non-essential travel, wear our masks in public, and get vaccinated where possible, we’ll look back on this as just a short blip in the history books. But if people stay on this me-first disregard for common sense, the border will probably stay closed this year.

Flylords: How can someone support the Canadian guides and lodges who have been negatively impacted by the border closure? 

Chase: Book a trip when the borders do open. Most guides and lodges are super flexible with bookings and payments right now. They totally get it and will structure arrangements that work for your availability. Or you can become a member and drop a small donation to the conservation organization of your choice, such as the Native Fish Society.

Jordie: I would be curious to hear from the guides on this question… they would know much better than me. I would hope, however, that they are seeing support from their local tourism boards. That said, anglers shouldn’t hold back on researching future trips. Guides and lodges are so helpful, and planning trips always gets me stoked. They may be able to connect with you remotely and work with you to develop your skills. Some guides have also taken to offering classes online or posting valuable info via Instagram or YouTube. 

Flylords: What do you hope the viewers got out of the film? 

Jordie: All I can hope for is that viewers will come away with a sense of respect for these fish and their rivers. It’s not our right to be able to fish for steelhead, so we should do everything we can to help protect them and honour them. If we do, then they will continue to offer the opportunity for us to cross paths with them and build good memories and livelihoods out of pursuing them.

Chase: Ditto. Ultimately, I guess my hope is that this film inspires people to appreciate these traditions, the natural resources they depend on, and also to just get outside and swing flies for wild steelhead. In the film, Derek says it best: “Similar to good health—we tend to take it for granted until it’s gone.”

Flylords: Anything else you want to add that we didn’t cover? 

Jordie: I can’t say enough about the team we had to put this together. Between Patrick and Chase and the guides, staff and everyone who gave us their time, we really got lucky on this project.

Chase: Pinch your barbs and have fun out there.

————–

Buy your tickets to the 2021 Fly Fishing Film Tour, here!

Also, follow along with the film tour @flyfishingfilmtour on Instagram.

Check out all of our interviews with the filmmakers behind the 2021 Fly Fishing Film Tour!

More about Chase:

Chase White is a commercial and editorial outdoor photographer based in Squamish, British Columbia. Often documenting the places and experiences that define The British Columbia experience, he draws his creative inspiration from nature and the outdoor pursuits that make people feel thrilled to be alive. His work has been featured in publications, films, and with brands around the world. As an avid fly angler, when Chase is not working, you can likely find him on his home river with his wife Lindsay and their pup Ted on the hunt for an encounter with a wild fish. You can follow Chase on Instagram at @anadromous and see more of his work at chasewhite.com

More about Jordie:

Jordie Lepage is the director and co-founder of TOPO Films, based in Vancouver’s backyard, Squamish, British Columbia. With extensive experience working behind the lens on small and large teams alike, Jordie is an adventurer with the technical skills to bring hard-to-reach visions to life. When Jordie isn’t working, you can often find him cruising the river with his dog, mountain biking or tying flies for his next steelhead outing. You can follow Jordie on Instagram at @jordielepage and see more about his film production company, TOPO Films at topofilms.com

2021 F3T Behind the Lens: Mighty Waters

2021 F3T Behind The Lens: Hardlined

Small Water Winter Fly Fishing Tips and Techniques

Michael Salomone
-
2
Small Water Winter Fly Fishing Tips and Techniques

Presented by Airflo.

One river comes to mind when thinking of small water winter fly fishing in the Colorado Rockies, Gore Creek. It flows through the world-famous ski resort of Vail in the middle of the Colorado Rockies. The watershed boasts a varied population of trout that anglers adore and the admirable designation bestowed by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife as a Gold Medal Fishery. Throughout the early 2000’s Gore Creek suffered from the negative effects of urbanization and the adverse effects of interstate traffic. In the past decade, Gore Creek has come back largely in due to the conservation efforts from the town of Vail. And the Gore remains one of the few easily accessible year-round watersheds in Colorado where anglers can catch the highly sought-after trout “Grand Slam”– Rainbow, Brown, Brook, and Cutthroat trout– all in one day.

How to Fly Fish Small Water in the Winter:

Winter fly fishing on Gore Creek is mainly a nymphing game. The stream is shallow at winter flow levels. Crystal clear water requires fine tippets for success and fluorocarbon gives anglers an added degree of invisibility. Lengthening your tippet is another variable that anglers can use to remain undetected. Nymphs drift more naturally, seemingly untethered on light tippet.

The best angling window falls between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., but clear sunny days can extend the warm feeding time another hour. Warm mid-day conditions dictate increased insect and trout activity. A few degrees of warmth increase the insect activity found in shallow water where trout gravitate to feed.

Cold overnight temperatures will form slush ice in the creek. This type of cold takes more time and sunlight to warm or a slow day of fishing is guaranteed. Chasing the pockets of sunlight that warm water and shallow river rock throughout the day is a productive winter approach.

There are deep holes throughout the Gore that anglers will discover with increased exploration. Knowledgeable fly fishers exploit these trout-holding depths. The deepest water will hold the largest trout during the winter season. Cast into the upstream riffle and allow your nymphs to sink in the water column and wash into the deeper downstream hole naturally. Mend frequently to maintain a natural drift presentation, not an actively swimming bug. Give your nymphs a few moments to swing toward the surface at the end of your drift which raises the bugs above active feeders positioned at the end of a hole.

Recommend Winter Fly Fishing Gear for Small Water:

Small in width and often canopied by treetops, Gore Creek works well with short rods for shallow water nymphing. The typical 9′ 5wt fly rod like a G.Loomis Asquith 905-4. And, longer rods work well for the line management game commonly found in winter fly fishing. The G.Loomis NRX+ 10′ 4wt (4100-4) Fly Rod is best suited for this. Long casts are not a necessity on the Gore in the winter. Proper line management is a necessity. Choose a rod that assists in presenting flies with proper technique and precision.

As for fly lines, Airflo’s new series of SuperFlo trout fly lines, the Universal taper, the Tactical Taper, and the Power Taper cover your bases for winter trout fishing. They handle the extreme cold temperatures associated with winter fly fishing quite well. The polyurethane lines from Airflo resist the coating of ice that robs fly lines of their performance. As a PVC-free fly line, Airflo has secured the designation of the most environmentally friendly fly lines on the market because it is PVC-free– A trait to be appreciated in a stressed watershed. PVC fly lines can leach dioxins, (toxic environmental pollutants) into the river.

Fly reels need to withstand the rigorous conditions wintertime fly fishing presents. Sealed drag reels provide the ultimate security for continued performance. Click-and-pawl type drag systems can freeze from exposure to dunking and bank snow. Open frame reels invite snow and ice to form and lock up. Reels like the San Miguel or Evolution LTX from Ross Reels work flawlessly providing superior drag systems while protecting the housing.

Ross Evolution LTX Reel lined with the SuperFlo Power Taper.

Recommend Small Water Winter Fly Patterns:

Big fish eat small bugs in Gore Creek during the winter months. Nymphs in sizes 18-22 are common. In the deep water midge larvae provide a constant food source all winter long. Trout will glide on currents like birds on thermals, making minimal movements to eat. This requires pinpoint presentations. Anglers that have already spotted a fish have turned the odds in their favor. Use the bright sun and shadows cast under fish to spot fish from high banks, bridges, and paths.

Popular winter flies for seducing lethargic trout are small, thin-bodied (think English Style) Pheasant Tails #16-20 and Zebra Midges #18-22 in a rainbow of colors with red, black, and olive as the top choices– but don’t be afraid to try something funky like orange or bright yellow. Top Secrets #18-20, Rainbow Warriors #18, BWO Larva #18, and Hare’s Ear Nymphs #16-18 become effective as the water warms throughout the day. And little, Black Stoneflies #14-16 can appear on any sunny winter day. A quick survey of the afternoon bankside ice and snow reveals the correct size of midges and stoneflies that anglers should imitate.

Small buggers with crystal flash or polar fiber to breathe life into dead-drifted flies. Minnows stunned in the harsh conditions drift and twitch near the river bottom. Jig-style flies ride easily along the bottom and imitate the struggling minnows that draw strikes from the most dominant fish.

Gore Creek has a massive amount of small gravel where large trout move up from the Eagle River to spawn. A chartreuse micro-egg fly bounced enticingly in the current draws the attention of hungry brown trout. Anglers can bulk up on tippet size when fishing an egg fly and trail a smaller nymph on lighter tippet.

Rigging for Success on Small Water:

When rigging up for Gore Creek and smaller rivers in general, anglers need to take into consideration the varied depths of the stream. In winter the water level is very low and clear, and bank ice limits fishable areas. Choosing the correct water is key but how you present your flies to shallow water targets is of more importance. There are myriad strike indicator choices. Knowing when and why to use different styles ensures success.

With such a varied bottom in terms of depth, anglers wanting to adjust their rigging as they fish will find the Airlock strike indicators the easiest to reposition when conditions require. Small white (new style) or clear (old style) Airlocks are inconspicuous when floating through shallow water.

Pinch on foam strike indicators will not give you the flexibility to adjust for depth. However, a pair of pinch-on foam indicators placed in the middle of a nine-foot leader gives the angler a great advantage as a shallow water nymph rig. The foam indicators will float amongst the surface bubbles and are unnoticed by educated trout. Foam indicators cast easily and land without report.

A pair of indicators will detect strikes by spinning in relation to each other when a trout eats. A single strike indicator can spin undetected by the angler. The foam indicators work when drowned in deep water too. Weights and flies that lead your rig into deep water may pull the foam indicators under but still remain highly visible and effective.

Yarn-style indicators work well but do suffer from similar faults as ball-style indicators. Undetected spinning is the number one reason for missing a strike when nymph fishing. And, yarn will spin but is more easily noticed than a round-ball style that spins.

Dialing in your rig to target a specific depth is more easily achieved using microshot placed “String-of-Pearls” style on your leader. The string of small weights equals the same total amount of weight as large BB or AB sinkers. But the weights will not hinge around small boulders the way one large sinker does. Rather, the string of weights will encounter the boulder and roll more easily over the top which reduces the chance of snagging.

Guide ProTip: Marshmallow pillows pile high in the winter on midstream boulders. Use the structure of the river to hide your wading approach when angling the deep pockets behind snow-capped boulders. High sticking your flies through deep pockets is an effective approach. The broken surface water hides anglers that are fishing in this fashion. And a few inches of added depth is all it takes to hold trout.

Where are the Grand Slam fish located?

Downstream of the junction where Red Sandstone Creek joins Gore Creek holds more rainbow and brown trout. This is also the start of the Gold Medal water on Gore Creek where rainbows and browns are the predominant fish. Anglers encounter a mix of all the trout in the Gore in the middle of Vail. The water immediately under the covered bridge on Bridge Street holds all the fish needed for a Grand Slam. And the stretch under the International Bridge, where the Go-Pro games are held, is a cool place to wet a fly.

In East Vail (pictured above), the creek is much smaller. There are some stream improvements that anglers can exploit. Brook and Cutthroat trout inhabit the upper stretches in great numbers. And Hybrid Cuttbows exist as well, a product of both fish spawning in close proximity.

Restore the Gore: A Restored Watershed Story

Despite the degraded conditions from the developmental days of Vail, the Gore is on the mend. Vail has taken an active role in protecting and restoring Gore Creek. One aspect of Vail’s deliberate focus has been the hiring of Peter Wadden as the Watershed Education Coordinator for the Town of Vail. Pete has negotiated with private landowners and professional landscape companies to eliminate the use of foliar-applied pesticides that have for years been flowing into Gore Creek with every rainstorm, snow cloud, and springtime runoff.

Pete Wadden from Restore the Gore

The town of Vail has restored bank erosion, blocked off sensitive habitat along the banks of Gore Creek, and planted over 15,000 riparian plants in the last four years. The town of Vail has “proven you can maintain beautiful native landscapes without the chemicals and excessive water.” said Pete Wadden.

Years of sand from the Colorado Department of Transportation and Interstate 70 have been removed. Which opens the flow and restores the creek bottom. Stream improvements have enhanced bug life and addressed warming water temperatures and invasive aquatics in slow, low flow sections.

“The fishing is great,” stated Pete Wadden who praised the results of focused efforts by the town of Vail. “There are still monsters if you know where to look,” said Wadden. However, a large portion of the Gold Medal section that flows from Red Sandstone Creek to the confluence with the Eagle River is closed in winter for elk migration. Some of the deepest sections of Gore Creek are within this wintertime closure.

The SuperFlo Power Taper, a PVC-free Fly Line.

“Microplastics and other plastic toxins like Dioxin which leeches from PVC have become a serious problem in waters across the globe. It’s great to see Airflo taking notice of this problem and creating an innovative solution with the PVC-free fly lines.” Wadden mentioned when we discussed the PVC-free fly lines from Airflo. As anglers, we need to be good stewards of the rivers and streams.

Where to Fish Gore Creek:

Walking the paved, creekside path accesses miles of Gore Creek for fly anglers. Forty percent of the stream front is owned by the town and that gives great access to the water. Vail Valley Anglers have a Bike-and-Fish guided trip where anglers ride E-bikes along the path and stop to fish the most productive sections.

Bouncing around to different locations is the key to securing a Gore Creek Grand Slam. Utilizing parking structures, public parks, and park-and-ride lots, anglers can move freely and target specific species. Approaching Gore Creek with the goal of a Grand Slam requires knowledge of the water, where to locate specific species, and technical wintertime presentations.

Opening the morning up with fresh ski tracks on Vail Mountain and venturing into Gore Creek mid-day sets anglers up for winter fly fishing success.

Maximizing the warmth of the sun is the best approach to catching trout when fly fishing on Gore Creek in winter.  Mobility is the key for searching out a Grand Slam on Gore Creek. The warmth of the sun, focused efforts at watershed improvement and tremendous access all combine to make Gore Creek a wintertime Grand Slam destination that anglers will want to explore.

Article by Michael “Sal” Salomone @mikesalomone88, a fly fishing guide and writer based in the mountains of Colorado at Vail Valley Anglers. To book a trip with Mike, contact Vail Valley Anglers online here. 

Photos by Jesse Packwood. 

For more information on Restore the Gore and the work Pete is putting forth check out the interview below:

Restore The Gore

Video of the Week: Wild Fly Productions DIY Texas Redfish Trip

Landen German
-
0
Video of the Week: Wild Fly Productions DIY Texas Redfish Trip

In this Segment of Video of the Week, we take a look at Wild Fly Productions excursion down to the Texas Flats to chase Redfish with Bryant Patterson. Being a full DIY trip the boys get to learn a ton and test their skill on some tricky redfish. Everything from weather, wind, and finicky fish keeps the boys guessing. But in the end, lessons were learned, redfish were caught, and beers were had. So sit down and enjoy this awesome short film with Scotty and Bryant cutting their teeth in a new fishery.

 

If you Haven’t bought your Fly Fishing Film Festival tickets buy them here: F3T Tickets

Make sure to check out these awesome articles as well!

Video of the Week: One Man’s Trash

Video of the Week: Wild Fly Productions’ “Frozen Feathers”

Video of the Week: Huge Fly Fisherman and Redfish in the Marsh

Patagonia Releases New Women’s & Men’s Swiftcurrent Waders

Dan Zazworsky
-
0
Patagonia Releases New Women’s & Men’s Swiftcurrent Waders

Patagonia just released an updated version of their popular Swiftcurrent line. Featuring bunches of new, intuitive features, fans of the Patagonia wader line will be impressed. Check out all the info on the new line, below!

From Patagonia:

Completing a years-long process of design, materials research, and on-the-water testing, Patagonia has unveiled two new wader models—the Women’s and Men’s Swiftcurrent Waders. Boasting all-season and all-water versatility, the Swiftcurrent Waders come in two models for a better match for a range of bodies. Along with new patterning that ensures best-in-industry fit, both waders feature Patagonia’s innovative, 4-layer 100% recycled face fabrics. Puncture resistant, easy moving, and designed for long days in all conditions, these over-performing fabrics meet and surpass our rigorous H2No Performance Standard for durability, waterproofness, and breathability.

“We’re extremely proud of our Swiftcurrent waders,” said Matt Millette, Patagonia Fly Fish head of marketing. “Not only do they continue our industry-leading use of recycled materials, but they also redefine performance and fit for all anglers, regardless of the conditions.  From development to testing to the final product, our team outdid themselves.”

Women’s Swiftcurrent Waders

Designed, created, and field-tested by our female team of anglers, the Women’s Swiftcurrent Waders are the new standard for women on the water. Delivering more than just dependably dry feet, they’re more comfortable, fit more bodies better and provide features designed exclusively for female fly fishers.

“I was psyched to see Patagonia leading in terms of listening to women and what women wanted in terms of a women’s wader,” says guide, fly shop owner, and Patagonia ambassador Hilary Hutcheson. “That needed to progress.”

The Women’s Swiftcurrents move more athletically in and out of the water, with customizable-fit options that accommodate layering but won’t bag out when you go light. Along with a gusseted crotch and sock-like anatomical booties, adjustable sizing options in the top hem, waist, and suspenders make it easy to dial in a custom fit for all body shapes.

Waist-mounted EZ-Lock suspenders convert the waders from full-length to waist-highs, and our rear-buckle system means no more awkward, dangling straps during bathroom breaks. Integrated front and rear belt loops hold our new Secure Stretch wading belt, which flexes just enough to provide a snug fit without sagging under the weight of a net, bear spray, or a wading staff.

Other fishy features include a reach-through handwarmer pocket, roomy chest pocket with water-resistant zippers that allow quick access to tippet spools, nippers, and floatant, an interior welded waterproof pocket for a phone and keys, and burly scuff guards at the ankles.

Learn more about the Women’s Swiftcurrents, here!

Men’s Swiftcurrent Waders

The midweight Men’s Swiftcurrents deliver comfort, durability, fit, and features in no-compromise, four-season waders. Whether wading, tubing, or exploring the beach for sea runs or stripers, they allow unrivaled freedom of motion in all conditions.

Made with the same innovative, 4-layer fabrics as our Women’s waders, the Men’s Swiftcurrents also surpass our H2No Performance Standard for durability, waterproofness, and breathability. A gusseted crotch provides maximum freedom of movement, and single-seam construction reduces wear. Burly scuff guards protect the ankles from abrasion, and anatomical left and right-shaped booties give a more sock-like fit for all-day wading comfort.

Additional features include adjustable, waist-mounted EZ-Lock suspenders that allow quick height adjustments and quick relief without having to take off your jacket. A reach-through handwarmer pocket revives digits. A roomy chest pocket with a water-resistant zipper allows quick access to tippet spools, nippers, and floatant. Inside, a welded waterproof pocket protects your phone and key fob. Integrated front and rear belt loops hold our new Secure Stretch wading belt, which flexes just enough to provide a secure fit but won’t sag under the weight of bear spray or a net. A center-back hanger loop makes for easy drying.

Learn more about the Men’s Swiftcurrents, here!

Discover the full Spring ’21 Patagonia Fly Fish Line below:

Women’s

Men’s 

Continue

Sea-run Brook Trout in Danger from New Development

Nate Holmes
-
0
Sea-run Brook Trout in Danger from New Development

While the vast majority of people have no idea whatsoever of their existence, there is a population of wild, native Brook Trout on and around Cape Cod. These trout thrive in the small streams of our area, but there is one thing that makes them different from every other Brook Trout. In a handful of small, hidden spots, some of these Brookies decide to get a bit adventurous and head out into saltwater. These Sea-run Brook Trout, called Salters, are a gem to the few who know of their existence but have recently come across a large obstacle in their already impressive comeback. We had a chance to talk with Geoff Day, the Executive Director of the Sea-run Brook Trout Coalition about what exactly is happening and what we as anglers can do.

Photo: Chrisophe Perez

Flylords: What are Salters? 

GD: Ecologically, like all brook trout, (brookies are the canary in the coal mine) they are bioindicators of clean, cold water, and the unique life history of salters represents they have access to both the oceans and estuaries, and the upper spring-fed headwaters. These fish use a habitat that is as close to what the brooks and streams were like pre-European Contact. We call them America’s “first sportfish” because Colonial American literature tells who fished for them – John Rowe, born 1715, was one of the financiers of the Tea Party. He fished for salters. Daniel Webster, born in 1782, was also a famous salter fisherman. There also is an indication that there were sea-run brook trout on the table at the first Thanksgiving, but we’ll never know for sure.

Salters live in coastally-connected cold-water streams, from Long Island NY to the Canadian border and beyond. Of course, if the stream is dammed or altered by agriculture or pollution of any type, the salters will be gone.  Long gone in some cases.

So we know we’ve really altered the environment whenever the brook trout are gone.

How do we know they were there? Fortunately, there is literature to help. Absent that, science might be able to help.  

My great love of brook trout is because they are so incredibly elegant and beautiful, they’ve got a plucky kind of personality, and they know far more about ecology and the environment than anyone will ever know. Plus they inhabit special places that come from a far-off time.

The map of the area surrounding Red Brook and the proposed development area

Flylords: Can you give us the rundown of what is going on?

GD: The short version is this; a powerful and wealthy development group, called the Notos Group, has been pushing for years to develop a nearly one-thousand-acre plot of land in Wareham MA, quite near the headwaters of Red Brook. If they get their way on this land, we might be telling the Red Brook salters “Goodbye” in the coming years.

Notos Group is calling this a “Hospitality, Recreation and Entertainment” zone. The cold and clear waters of Red Brook mark the boundary between Wareham and Plymouth, MA, and it runs 4.5 miles from White Island Pond to the Lyman Reserve. From there it flows into Little Buttermilk Bay, which is only a short skip to the western end of the Cape Cod Canal. Fortunately, Red Brook is surrounded by a small protected riparian zone that protects the brook and the sea-run brook trout, which are still on the rebound due to some 3.5 million dollars and tens of thousands of Trout Unlimited volunteer hours invested over the last two decades. Numerous agencies and nonprofits got together to do this, notably, the Trustees that own the Lyman Reserve, and Mass Fish and Wildlife that own the Red Brook Wildlife Management Area, as well as Century Bog, which marks the topmost end of the headwaters.

Red Brook also acts as a model for others who are interested in doing stream/habitat restoration. The story of the success of Salter restoration in SE Massachusetts has already spread far and wide throughout the community, and it continues to spread.

What’s going to happen if this rezoning goes through? There’s no clear indication of plans (as their plans for the Casino/Racetrack option was sidelined), but the rezoning effort could support many things, and our concern is the “City” they are planning to build will likely withdraw so much water from the aquifer, that Red Brook’s headwaters could run dry. Before it does so, the development will likely add a new source of thermal pollution, additional water pollution, decreased dissolved oxygen. This type of development also increases the concern for “forever chemicals” and things of that nature. Locally, we are seeing measurements of the new emerging contaminant of concern known as PFAS to be going “through the roof” in other salter streams and this is absolutely one more concern that we have to keep our eyes on. 

While this is potentially quite bad news for the trout, it is also extremely bad news for the two species of herring that use the brook for spawning in the spring. More broadly, there are also some 20 state-listed or endangered species that live in the specialized Pine Barren habitat such as the Eastern Box Turtle and the Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake, both known species-of-concern as listed by the State of MA.

Photo: Geoff Klane

FL: What can we as anglers do to help?

GD: Wareham Residents – you need to Vote No on # 1 to protect this special habitat.

Non-Wareham residents, if you wish to write a letter-to-the-editor or to the selectmen, that’s probably our best cause of action.

TU National is helping us to raise money to help with the fight and the link is here:

https://go.tulocalevents.org/saveoursalters

Anglers everywhere need to know that while it is true that restoration works, it can all go to naught in the blink of the eye. The Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition and other organizations like the local TU Chapters monitor as many of the Cape salter streams that we can, and we had the sad news of learning that one of the more exciting (and less spoken about) rivers has winked-out, on our watch. Efforts to restore the population with wild transplanted fish from a nearby population to the Santuit River have failed as well. How has this happened? We don’t know, but after years of analysis, the current theory has to do with excessive water-withdrawal, possibly combined with damage from toxic algal blooms running down the river.

So we now know these fish need ongoing protection. We not only need to take dams out and add woody structures to our re-covering rivers. We also have to watch that they aren’t pumped out to provide water for super-sized developments.

One more reason why I love brook trout; is because we have figured out how to turn back the clock on these special streams, and brook trout are the vector that helped make this happen. Turning back the clock also means our efforts are allowing fish access to forage food, spawning areas, and places to shelter from predators and springs where they can protect themselves from warm summer water. All of this means the population can also grow. After centuries of degradation and abuse, we can actually help fish to grow, both in size and numbers.

But to me, there’s far more to it than this, we’re also training and growing a population of conservation-minded anglers.  Some may become fisheries biologists, stream hydrologists, or land managers who specialize in buying up key properties. You never know who you’ll find on the river, or who they will become.

Cover photo also courtesy of Geoff Klane

Continue

Fracking Banned In Delaware River Basin

Dan Zazworsky
-
4
Fracking Banned In Delaware River Basin

Featured Image: Nicholas A. Tonelli via Flickr Creative Commons

As of February 2021, fracking has been banned in the Delaware River Basin. The Delaware River Basin Commission – the body in charge of protecting the water quality of the watershed – voted 4 to 1 to ban fracking extraction in their region.  The incredible multi-state agreement made by the Commission and the governors of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York, took a firm stance saying fracking “poses significant, immediate and long-term risks to the development, conservation, utilization, management, and preservation of the water resources of the Delaware River Basin.”

The Delaware River system is beloved by East Coast anglers of all kinds and is the longest free-flowing river drainage east of the Mississippi. The “Del” hosts incredible wild trout and warm water species along its freshwater path and is also one of the major spawning rivers of shad and striped bass.

Learn more about the ban and the Delaware River Basin Commission, in a blog on the subject from the Natural Resources Defense Council, here!

Continue

How to Tie: The Mayhem Midge

Grant Michaels
-
0
How to Tie: The Mayhem Midge

In this week’s “How to Tie” video feature, Fly Fish Food gives us a great tutorial on how to tie the Mayhem Midge.

Learn About This Fly:

Difficulty: Novice

This week, we will be learning how to tie the Mayhem Midge. Spring is right around the corner. The time of year where colors begin to pop, birds and animals become more noisy, and bugs begin to hatch. As the temperatures warm, midges, baetis, and PMDs begin to litter our creeks and rivers with activity. This ultra simple pattern will easily become a mainstay in your fly box throughout the year.

Simple yet effective, two words that make a fly-angler’s ears perk up. This ultra versatile pattern will leave you questioning why your box wasn’t previously filled with them. If you know, you know. The Mayhem Midge is designed to imitate midge or a mayfly depending on what is active in the water column. Unlike other midge patterns, the Mayhem Midge is designed with a foam wing-case. The thin foam creates extra buoyancy and movement in the current and is very effective when fished deep on a nymph rig.

Most fly-anglers will omit giving the Mayhem Midge legs. They will just pull the wing case over, throw it in the box, and hit the river. While it will still catch fish without legs, the subtle addition of hen hackle can really make a difference to a hungry trout. In this tutorial, Cheech brings light the the importance of a minimal tail on this fly. Having a large, bulky clump of antron fibers in the rear of the fly will lead to un-natural movement and can slow its sink rate. The key takeaway with the Mayhem Midge is to keep it simple. There is no need to over think this fly. Sure, feel free to experiment with colors and variations, but the proof is in the pudding.

Ingredients:

Now you know how to tie the Mayhem Midge

Video and Ingredients courtesy of Fly Fish Food

Continue

Pennsylvania Ranks 6th in Nation for Outdoor Recreation Economy

Grant Michaels
-
0
Pennsylvania Ranks 6th in Nation for Outdoor Recreation Economy

Pennsylvania, also known as the “Keystone State” was ranked in the top 10 states receiving the most funding in the outdoor recreation sector in 2019. With the influx of government funding, PA took the 6th place spot netting $13 billion dollars in revenue. Pennsylvania was accompanied by multiple states including New York ranking 4th, Virginia ranking 17th, and Maryland ranking 23rd according to the Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Recreation has many facets but not all were considered in this study. The key components considered were money spent on travel, accommodations, food, retail sales, and employment related to outdoor product manufacturing. It is no question that the recreation and outdoor industry saw a spike due to COVID-19. We all saw the impacts of the pandemic in the outdoor industry first hand. Kayaks were quickly hard to come by as well as hiking and fishing equipment. It will be interesting to see where PA will land during the next analysis.

Read the full article on recreational revenue, here!

Continue

2021 F3T Behind The Lens: Hardlined

Nate Holmes
-
1
2021 F3T Behind The Lens: Hardlined

It is difficult to find a species more iconic to the East Coast than the Striped Bass. Every year, Stripers migrate between their spawning grounds in bays and rivers as far south as the Carolinas to their summer waters of New England and Canada. This migration has anglers all over the East Coast running down to their favorite beaches, flats, estuaries, rocks, and shoals to get a shot at what some dub to be “The Perfect Sportfish”. As fly anglers, we get to experience just about every side of Striped Bass, whether they are cruising along a shallow flat looking for crabs or violently charging squid on an open-water rip, we have developed a great appreciation and love for these fish. Unfortunately, over the past few years due mostly to overfishing, the Stripers we all know and love are in danger. Clearly, something needs to be done to bring the Striped Bass stocks back to their once-thriving numbers, but how we do that is still undecided. 

The film “Hardlined”, in this year’s Fly Fishing Film Tour tells the story of the Striped Bass and offers insight on a solution to this problem; and of course, highlights what an awesome fishery these Stripers have to offer. For this installment of F3T Behind The Lens, we sat down with Chris Kitchen and Rex Messing to talk about their film.

Flylords: So, who are you guys?

Chris: I am Chris Kitchen, a self-started filmmaker, director, producer, and whatnot. KGB Productions is my company where we have a couple of guys that work for us and a bunch of freelancers. We’re just trying to make cool outdoor commercials and films that tell people’s stories as effectively as possible. We do dabble in some commercial work too, but we love the outdoor work more. It’s a collaboration of a bunch of different people who come together to make films, but I’m the principal owner-director guy.

Rex: My name is Rex Messing. I am the brand communications producer for Simms Fishing Products. I am also formally the Northeast community leader for Simms, so I’m very mentally invested in all things East Coast. I work with guides, non-profit organizations, different events, and just to try and build the Simms name out on the East coast and get Simms involved with any of the conservation issues out there. Also, I work on any of our marketing materials, including videos, photoshoots, and any commercial projects we’re working on.

Flylords: What is your film called and what is it about?

Chris: Our film this year is called Hardlined and it is about Striped Bass. More specifically, it’s a conservation-focused film about the Striped Bass and their legacy. They almost got over-fished in the late seventies/early eighties, and they had this amazing comeback, some would say the best comeback ever in fisheries history. They’re such an iconic fish. If you are in New England or anywhere on the Eastern seaboard as a fisherman, you’ve probably fished for Striped Bass, it’s the entry fish that everybody gets into. It’s also the biggest fish and a huge fighter. Everybody loves them! They’re currently on another decline due to mostly overfishing.

The film is a celebration of how awesome the fish and the fishery is and all the people involved in it, but it’s also a call to action. What I like about this story is it is unlike a lot of conservation stories, which are super complex, the solutions aren’t that easy; the solution to this is actually relatively easy. With some fisheries management and regulation, we can really help this fish population out.

Flylords: Why did you choose this story to tell?

Chris: I chose to make this film because we enjoy good conservation-oriented stories and we’d been hearing a lot about the Striped Bass recently and what’s going on with them. The East coast is such a big fishing community that I don’t think gets represented that well in all these films. The whole zone is pretty fishy. We definitely wanted to focus on the East coast and we wanted to tell a great story, so there’s nothing more iconic than the Striped Bass.

Flylords: From the flats of Maine to the Vineyard rips, to the wide-open blitzes of Montauk, you clearly experienced some epic fishing. If you had to give a summary of “Fly Fishing for Striped Bass as a whole”, what would you say?

Rex: It’s just such a diverse fishery. These fish occupy so many different environments. They’re so interesting in all of these different situations. They act really, really uniquely in each of the places that they’re at. Like on the flats, when they’re cruising along looking for crabs, it’s so similar to any of your traditional flats fishing down south. But, if you go out to the rips of Montauk, they’re angry. They’re just pissed off and trying to gorge and get as much food as possible. 

You can find any style of fishing that suits your interests in these fish and they’re easy to access. You don’t need a ton of money to do it and you can go out on any given morning during the season and have a chance at catching fish, wherever you’re at and however you want to do it.

Flylords: In the film, you said you were not pushing for a moratorium, but you said the Bass need a break. What are some of the solutions being discussed for Striped Bass fisheries management and what is your opinion on them?

Chris: In the film, we’re reiterating what people that are respected in the industry have to say. Their general recommendation is to limit the amount of fish you can keep, and change some of the regulations around harvesting the Bass. Right now, in one state you can kill juvenile fish, and the next state over you can kill spawning-age females, and then the next state over you can only kill any fish over 40 inches. With these scattered regulations, no class has a chance, right? So, to me the biggest thing that would benefit the Striped Bass the most is if people can agree on coast-wide management plans, not state-by-state piecemeal plans.

Rex: My opinion is that we should be protecting the fish that stand the best chance of rebuilding this population. We experienced the moratorium in the ’80s that was super successful, and the reason it was so successful was that we had one good class of fish left and the managers of the fishery realized that those fish needed to be protected.

Right now, we’re in a situation where our best year class is the 2015’s and they are about to hit the size limit. For me, those fish should not be getting killed. If we’re going to do anything with a kill fishery, it should be one fish over 36 inches and that’s what a lot of the people that are in touch with the science are saying as well. 

The trouble is there are just so many states that are looking out for their own fisheries best interests, whereas we really need to think about this fishery as a whole and get behind the idea that there are certain fish that really do need to be protected and we need to protect these fish to give them a chance to spawn before they’re even considered being killed.

Flylords: What would you say to anglers who think “I just want to go fishing and not worry about fish populations and environmental problems”?

Rex: I would say that you can’t go fishing if there’s no fish. That’s just the reality of the situation. It’s such a fluid fishery that if you want to be able to go out and enjoy the resource, you have to think about what’s going on behind the scenes and what your impact actually is. If you want to be able to go out and have a good time catching fish, you have to think about what’s going on with the bigger population and what environmental issues are affecting it. It’s impossible to be completely ignorant and hope that you can continue to do it the next day.

Flylords: What is the main thing that you hope people watching your film will take away from it?

Chris: We want viewers to take away, one, that Stripers are an amazing fish. It’s a great fishery. We all want New England to get the credit it deserves. I also want people to take home the fact that the solution to this problem is easy. We can solve this problem. We can all do something, whether that’s, pushing for better regulations, paying attention to legislation, calling your Congressman, or donating money and volunteering. Or like we just said, simply releasing fish properly, releasing more fish, and doing it the way that they survive more.

Flylords: You filmed in a lot of places with a lot of people for this project, what was the most memorable moment?

Chris: It was Montauk. I mean, Paul Dixon is a legend. He’s been fishing for Striped Bass forever and figured out how to do it on the fly. I said to him, “I want to see blitzing fish. That’s the only thing we haven’t seen.” He told us to come down there in October and we came, and it was, as you see in the film, mind-blowing. It was as good as it can get. Another piece on the conservation side of that Montauk trip was that we were out there for four days, and there was crazy blitzing every single day. But then to hear the locals talk about, the fact that there was a seven-year period where this just didn’t happen. And that was recent. These insane blitzes have only appeared in the last couple of years.

Flylords: There were some incredible drone shots in the film, what is it like trying to capture those moments with the drone?

Rex: It really just boils down to a lot of time on the water. While we were with the film crew, it was a little more challenging for sure. We had anglers running around, boats constantly changing angles trying to figure out where the best view was going to be, just all-around chaos. It’s just tricky, but those fish were pretty cooperative for the most part. We definitely missed a lot of really good shots where the drone just wasn’t quite in the right spot at the right time, but it was just a lot of hours and we were pretty fortunate to be able to have the drone in the air for some incredible, incredible days.

Flylords: What is next for you both?

Chris: We actually have a last-minute super exciting project going on where we are going to be sailing around Belize and Mexico for almost a month, starting in two weeks.

Rex: Yeah, Simms is getting behind that project as well, so we’re supporting those guys on that adventure. I’m very excited to see how that one goes. Personally, I’m just running around, trying to get a whole bunch of stuff worked on for Simms and hopefully catching a few fish along the way.

Flylords: Any last comments before we finish up?

Rex: Yeah. This has been a story I’ve really wanted to tell for the last several years and I’m really, really happy that KGB shared the vision and that we were able to tell a compelling story and hopefully help these fish, while still showcasing the badass fishery that it is. It might not be in its best state, but there’s still unbelievable fishing to be had. We just really need to think about what the future holds for these fish and hopefully, everything in the film gets that message across. I just feel really fortunate that we were able to spend the time this summer, despite all the craziness that was going on with Covid and be able to put together a project that I think is hopefully going to be very powerful.

 

Buy your tickets to the 2021 Fly Fishing Film Tour, here!

Also, follow along with the film tour @flyfishingfilmtour on Instagram.

 

1...166167168...360Page 167 of 360