Fish of a Different Color

I am always amazed at the variety of patterns and colors on trout. I am even more impressed when a fish decides to break with the norm and take on some colors of their own. A typical Utah Rainbow Trout varies in shades of green and silver, whereas a Brown Trout varies in shades of browns and greens.

One of my recent trips out fishing a stream that is primarily a Rainbow trout stream, with the occasional Brown trout mixed in,  I could see a tail jutting out from behind a rock, lazily fanning the water. It took me a few casts to get the fish to take a fly, but I managed. My first glimpse of the fish was a yellow streak shooting out toward deeper water. I was certain I had hooked into a Brown. Imagine my surprise when I land the fish and see that it was a Rainbow wearing the wrong colors.

One of the prettier Rainbows I’ve caught, it had the right markings, but the colors similar to that of a Brown. Is there a reason for the color change? Maybe in today’s society, the poor thing was having an identity crisis. Do I care much? Only enough to share the pictures. Out of the dozen or so fish caught that afternoon, this is the only one that got a snapshot. Hats off to Mother Nature for keeping things interesting.

Fishing a Small Stream in the Fall

With winter being in full swing, I look back on my fall and summer exploits, picking out the days that really stand out as great days spent fishing. In my case, pretty much every fishing day is a great day. However, there are always ones that seem to stand out. One such day didn’t even start out as a fishing day. I was on a job site that happened to be next to a small stream. When I was finished penciling an estimate for the customer, I asked about the stream and what kind of fishing was to be had. What he said nearly struck me dumb.

“I have no idea,” he said. “I don’t even know if there’s fish in there.”

What? No idea? It was like he was suddenly speaking a different language. I felt very much the wizard talking to a muggle about cars vs. flu powder. We were just not on the same page. My priorities, being what they are could not allow me to leave his property without doing a little recon for future reference. As it was a sunny day, I walked the banks looking into the eddies and slack water trying to spot some sign of life. The beauty of the river soon captivated me and for a time I forgot the fish and stood still. A gentle, but firm, breeze stirred the treetops raining down the yellowed leaves of the fall Quakies.

And what about the fish, you may ask. Of course there were fish. And of course, I managed to catch a few in the short time that I had. I also was smart enough to snag a personal permission slip to fish the property anytime I wanted. To look at him, he seemed to have no idea why I would want to do such a thing. To each his own, right? Fishing aside, I keep looking at the video and pictures and hope that winter leaves in a hurry so I can get back to doing what I love.

Fishing Memories

It’s funny how different things can spark a memory. For me, it is usually a song or a smell. I don’t know why specifically those two things. Probably based off of how I learn things. The other day when I was finished with work I had an hour or two to kill before the sun set. This is a busy time of year and I haven’t felt like I’ve had the play time I usually enjoy. I decided to take a quick trip up a small canyon by the job site. I stopped at the gas station for a drink, and while I was waiting to check out I noticed the rack of cigarettes behind the counter. I see them every day and normally don’t even notice, but today was different. Near the bottom was a small selection of Swisher Sweet cigars. Suddenly I was taken back fifteen years into a time I had almost forgotten.

My brother and I used to go fishing on a more regular basis when life was a little simpler. One of us would always grab a couple cigars for the trip. I didn’t smoke but on occasion, one of them being when my brother and I would fish. Before setting out into the water we each stashed a cigar somewhere in the fly vest until the appropriate time. I don’t know how the tradition started, or even why. But the cigar was symbolic of our day on the water. Symbolic in the way that you weren’t allowed to light up until you had hooked and landed your first fish. We fished in all conditions year round. This meant there were times when we got to light up within a few casts. Other times it could be an hour before we would get a fish.

Since we always fished together, moving up the river taking turns casting to the runs and eddies, or fishing the edges and meeting in the middle, it meant we were both aware of who and when the fish was caught. Some of my favorite memories are of leaning against lay-down logs or boulders while the river flowed around us, unwrapping a cigar and puffing it to life in celebration of a job well done. I never thought about it at the time but looking back now I can see it was some small rite of passage. We had set out that day with a purpose, and the ceremonial cigar was our reward for being successful.

Now that we rarely fish the rivers together anymore, the idea of buying a cigar that day didn’t seem to hold the same appeal as it once did. Perhaps the meaning wouldn’t be the same. Or maybe it was life’s way of telling me it was time for a new tradition. Either way, I left the convenience store cigarless, but I did not walk away empty handed. I had half a lifetimes worth of freshly stirred memories to keep me company during my solo journey on the river that day. They say that a river is ever-changing, and never stays the same. Each time you set foot into the depths is the first step on a new journey. If I have learned anything in 43 years, it’s that life never stays the same, and it will never be like it once was. That doesn’t mean you’ll never fish the same stream, you’re just fishing in new water.

This post is dedicated to my big brother Kelly.

My 5 Tools For Successful Day On The Water.

Most of us carry an obscene amount of tackle when we go fishing. As we have all experienced, the fish don’t always behave in the manner we are expecting so it’s essential to be prepared for this. However, regardless of the conditions, there are 5 things I never fish without.

Nothing screams ‘good fishing’ like a trout stream in the warm summer months. A fly rod should be used in accordance with the type of fishing one is doing. My ideal water is a small stream. For this I rely on my 7’6” Redington Classic Trout 4pc, 4wt fly rod loaded with Cortland Fairplay floating line, mint green in weight forward floating. Why you ask? Small streams are abundant in Southern Utah making a lighter rod ideal. The Classic Trout offers the backbone of a heavier rod with a light action tip to finesse the small trout from their rests.

When fly fishing, mid-summer months are the opportune time for topwater bites. Nothing will excite an angler more than watching a fish break the surface after a fly or bait. It’s necessary then to carry my Caddis fly box loaded with several dry fly patterns such as Stimulators, Hoppers, Elk Hair Caddis, and Adams generally tied on a Mustad standard dry fly hook sizes 18 to 10.

As the day warms and the sun beats down, the fish tend to tuck under the banks and behind submerged rocks and trees looking for some protection from predators and the heat. For this reason, I like to use a dry fly, wet fly combination, aka a dry and a dropper. For this I carry another fly box full of wet flies and nymphs like a Gold Bead Head Prince nymph and Pheasant tail nymphs tied on standard Mustad wet fly hooks, ranging in size from 18 to 14. To round out my arsenal I also have some small Zebra Midge patterns tied in various colors tied as small as 24. The idea behind the dry, dropper combo is to still take advantage of the surface bite, and to entice other fish that have taken refuge from the sun, invariably upping the odds of catching fish.

A spool of 6lb Lost Creek Freshwater tippet in 5x. The heavier pound line is overkill at times on smaller fish, but it can save a wayward fly stuck in a tree more often that using the lighter poundage. And if any of you have fished small streams, you know that trees and other foliage are always hungry for a mis-cast fly. Over the years I have tried an assortment of different leaders and tippets and found this size to be a perfect balance of finesse and strength for almost any condition.

A good sharp, pair of nippers are an essential part of my fishing. Conditions on the water are constantly changing as the day moves on. Adaptability is key in successful fishing. In fly fishing, this means a constant changing of flies, whether it be different styles or different sizes. Sharp nippers are key in getting clean cuts and faster turnaround time getting the new fly back to the water. Nippers don’t need to be brand specific to get the job done. I have had the same success using dollar store clippers as I have spending upwards of five dollars a pair. What does matter is replacing or sharpening them when they become dull or chipped.

Lastly, no fishing ensemble is complete without a good pair of polarized sunglasses. The same with polarized glasses, being brand specific is more of a personal choice. I have had 100-dollar Oakley’s from Cabalas that were no different than the 20-dollar Strike King’s from Walmart. More important is the fit. Polarization reduces glare from the water making it easier to track your fly, but also gives the ability to site fish on many occasions. I’ve never known an angler who didn’t like to sight fish.

These five items together give me the best chance for success on any water. If there were room for a sixth item, it would be to always take along a good fishing buddy. Doesn’t matter if that’s your favorite dog or neighbor. It’s just nice to have someone else to compare fishing stories with. My advice…take the dog. At least the dog won’t call you out for being a liar.

 

The Little Things That Count

Sometimes things don’t always go according to plan. For weeks we had been planning a family campout. It’s fall, so we expected the weather to be chilly so we chose a place in the valley, yet close enough it still mimicked the mountains. I was personally stoked. It had been a busy year and I was looking forward to some R&R. I realize that putting relaxing and family in the category of R&R might seem a little self-contradictory, but love’em or leave’em, my family is my life.

I just happened that Mother Nature planned a hurricane that same weekend. Well, the only thing to do was to share space and hope we didn’t step on each other’s toes. The weekend was cold. And of course, it was a constant barrage of rainstorms and low lying clouds that kept us in a constant state of damp. What could we do but make the best of it? The family gathered under canopies and umbrellas as close to the fire as was possible. Although the weather was poor, it didn’t stop us from having a good time. Pork and beef roasted in the dutch ovens, crisp fried bacon, and eggs on the hot griddle and ice cold Mountain Dew to wash it down.

During a small break in the rain, I busted out the fly rod to take advantage of the small respite. A small stream trickled through the campground with some planted Rainbows and some wild German Browns. I was rewarded with one of the best half hours of fishing I’ve had this year. The rain had pushed plenty of food into the river and the fish knew it. I cleaned up, catching several of each using a size 16 Elk Hair Caddis on the surface. The last fish I caught I decided to take a picture so I would have my necessary bragging rights. Without a doubt, one of the smallest, but prettiest fish of the year. 

It’s important to take stock of the small things in life that really matter. Too often we get so caught up in the struggles of life that they threaten to overtake us, burying us in stress and unhappiness. Every once in a while, you need to get out of that mindset and remember what brings you joy. And it never hurts to get out and do a little fishing.

What Was The First Fly You Tied?

I love fly fishing. Shortly after making my first catches, I decided that to truly enjoy the experience, I needed to tie my own flies. For me, tying flies, casting them, and fooling the fish into taking them is what life is all about. The first fly I cut my teeth on is a local to Northern Utah. Not sure if that is still the case. Let’s just say that outside of Utah, I’ve not yet run into a fly tier that’s heard of it. The story as I know it is as follows. The fly was developed by a warden, Dave Thomas, that lived in the Uinta Basin in Utah. The fly is aptly named the Dave Thomas Special. The hook size varies. Originally tied on a #8 long shank and developed for Brown Trout and Brook Trout.

I believe the hooks I started on would have been in size 12 or 10. One of the reasons I started with this fly is its simplistic design. Much the same as most tiers that begin with Wooly Buggers and Gray Hackle Peacocks, the basic patterns are all about developing the muscle memory and basic techniques used to tie. The Dave Thomas is a very basic pattern of a black chenille body with a single wrap of Grizzly hackle on the collar. The fly is meant to be fished wet. The fly is not meant to imitate a particular bug, but any number of aquatic insect. The man who introduced it to me always says, “It’s the fly that imitates nothing really well and lots of things kind of poorly.”

Basically, it imitates everything and nothing. I have fished the fly in dozens of different waters, for different kinds of fish, and it’s surprising the results. I have used it as a searching pattern, as well as the “last resort fly”. It is very basic but is very versatile at the same time. In fly tying, we sometimes tend to seek perfection in what we tie. We also are always looking to improve upon those tier’s who’ve come before us. We forget sometimes that nature has not changed. A fly pattern that worked a hundred years ago is still going to work today. For the most part, we have simply forgotten about them.

Next time you need a new pattern to try or simply want to get nostalgic, grab a few snippets of fly fishing history and brush up on some now-forgotten fly patterns. May turn out to be the best fly you ever use.