When I was looking over the posts for the site, I realize that nothing had been posted since January… Whoops. Every now and then I have an idea for a post, but other things get in the mind and the post never happens. So here we are: a compilation of thoughts that I’ve been meaning to post over the last few months. Before we get there, a quick fishing update: check those temps on the streams around here around 11am, don’t be afraid of throwing the ABCs (Ants, Beetles, [Small] Chubbies) during the day. Tricos are happening on Spring Creek in the mornings, too. Expect a bit of a lull when the sun is out midday, try to get out in the early morning or later in the evening for the best fishing.
Continue readingFly Pattern
Chowtime Sculpin Pattern Recipe
Back in the fall of 2016, I was working on a sculpin pattern that took a few different ideas from other patterns and blended them together. As Gunnar Brammer says in one of his streamer videos: “I don’t have a lot of original ideas… almost all of my bugs in general… are original compositions… different materials, different ways to build bulk, different silhouettes. It uses unique techniques or features or materials to make it different… it’s all from the people who came before me… I just take things that I like, things that I know to be successful, and then I base a composition that hasn’t been done kind of around that.”
Continue readingThe Carp Box
The summer of 2016 was really hot around here, and coupled with a vacation to a place along Lake Michigan, I (Caleb) was looking into what exactly it took to catch carp on a fly rod. Between Jay Zimmerman’s great book, The Best Carp Flies: How to Tie and Fish Them, and a number of good articles on that (including this one), I was intrigued. I’m still learning a lot, so I’ll admit up front that I’m not an expert at all.
From the Vice: Back to Basics
Revisiting the basic patterns that you first learned is a good exercise. Maybe there are some new techniques you’ve learned to tie the pattern quickly, or maybe you just want to remind yourself that no matter how many new patterns come out there are some old standbys that are always worth having in the box.
Friday Five: 9/1/2017
My default on-the-go coffee mug.
It’s Friday. Perhaps you’re taking a short break from work to check out this week’s content, or maybe you’re enjoying it from home before starting the work day. Either way, grab a cup of coffee and have at it!
Our five picks this week include some fly patterns, some tips for fall fishing and fly color, and a newer pattern by Gunnar Brammer.
From the Vice: August 2017
Where did the past month go? Hard to believe that we’re already on September’s doorstep. The weather has been on the cooler side the past two weeks, giving us a taste of fall.
From the Vice: July 2017
It’s hard to believe we’re at the last day of July already. Where did the past month go? There has been some good time at the vice in the past month tying some regular patterns to fill an order and getting to do some experimenting with new patterns (new to me and ones I haven’t tied before).
From the Vice: May-June 2017
Over the past two months I’ve had some time here and there to do some experimenting with different fly patterns amidst the normal tying. No originality is claimed on any of these, since they’re all based (to varying degrees) on existing patterns. It’s always good to experiment!
Fly Tying Video Week: Nymphs
This week is our first Fly Tying Video Week (FTVW for short): each day we’ll be posting 4-5 videos of fly patterns to help get your creativity flowing at the vise. The fishing is starting to pick up more and more around here, so we’re going to be posting patterns that we know to be effective (almost all of the patterns are ones we use, or variations of ones we use).
We kick off FTVW with Nymphs!
Top Flies of 2016: Erdosy’s Carp Crab
There are a lot of people in the fly fishing realm who are developing new fly patterns (dry flies, nymphs, streamers, etc.) It’s always enjoyable to skim through the latest fly fishing catalog or world of YouTube to see what patterns are out there and use them to develop your own “variation on a theme.” Continue reading
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