Top Ten Guide to Fly Fishing (Lyons Press)

One of the most accessible guide books on the market, this guide not only provides all the information beginning and intermediate anglers need in order to start catching trout, the information is also presented in a quick and easy, highly-browsable format of top-ten lists.

Curious how to tie and use the ten best knots and rigging techniques? Ever thought about the ten most essential things to look for when selecting a new fly rod? What are the top dry flies for trout? What mistakes do most new anglers make when learning to cast?

A fun conversation starter and a set of streamside tips rolled into one, this lighthearted look at a serious sport will give beginners the value of solid instruction while more seasoned fly-fishers will enjoy quibbling with the author’s rankings and choices.

"I've never seen so much good advice in one place. All how-to fishing books should be written by people who work in fly shops." --John Gierach

Order A Copy Today!

Big Sale and BBQ at the Fly Shop!

Do you have a Blue Ribbon fly design?

The Denver County Fair, a new urban twist on traditional county fairs, is this weekend, August 10-12 at the National Western Stock Show Complex.http://www.denvercountyfair.org/

One of their famously non-traditional County Fair competition categories happens to be Fly Tying. Deadline for online entries was July 31st but some categories, including Fly Tying, are open for late "Walk-In" entries. Since competition categories with less than 5 entries that cannot be combined with another category will not have a cash prize for 1st place, the more the better!

All competitions are open to all residents (12 years old and above) of Colorado!

Walk Ins can only be entered on Wednesday - August 8th from 3pm-7pm.

http://www.denvercountyfair.org/2012-walk-in-categories/

Rep Your Waters

Whether you cast a fly in the waters of Colorado or Montana, our simply awesome graphic apparel will allow you to represent your home water. Please don’t feel like you need to give away your favorite secret spots, but you were not going to do that anyway...





Check them out at repyourwater.com where you can also find  Colorado and Montana retailers!

Favorite Fly Shop Questions of 2011

Yes...I am still collecting them!


#5   "Do you guys sell any grasshopper emerger flies?"

#4  "Why do you guys sell a snowshoe rabbits foot...for good luck?"

#3   "I'm fixing my septic system. Do you guys rent waders?"

#2  "This yellow humpy fly...is it a caddis with its wings up ready to take off?"

#1  "Do you think he smells my kitty cat?" --said by very large, sweaty woman failing to fend off an English Setter in...let's say, a very aggressive point!

Best of: 2010
Best of: 2009

USING DENIER TO STANDARDIZE FLY TYING THREAD

By. Christopher Helm

In the late 1930's, the Chenille Company created the "aught"( 3/0,6/0, 8/0, etc.) system to indicate the size of thread. This was based on a system where the number or "aught" was the base point and as the thread became smaller additional zeros were added indicating that the thread was finer. As an example, a thread with six zeros ( 000000) translated to a 6/0 thread. As other thread distributors were born after the early 1960's, they followed the same system which was assigning a standard that does not provide as accurate a measurement for the fly tier as denier. In 1988, Tom Schmucker of WAPSI Fly, Inc. in Mountain Home, Arkansas introduced a nylon thread simply called 70 UTC and 140 UTC based on denier, which is the method of measuring thread. This is the system that the garment industry uses for thread to sew clothing. Denier is defined as the weight in grams of 9000 meters of nylon, polyester, rayon thread, etc. There is a correlation between denier and breaking strength of nylon and polyester thread, the smaller the denier number the lower pound/ounce breaking strength of the thread. At the present time, about the smallest denier nylon or polyester for fly tying thread is 40, which would be used for tying midges. The one exception to this denier vs. breaking strength rule is that gel spun polyethylene thread is two to three times stronger that nylon or polyester of the same denier. This transition to a denier rating system will take several years to be completed. Danville and Gudebrod are committed to making changes as they order new labels. UNI-Products has already begun the transition. 

Sculpin Helmet

As a fly tier and serious streamer fisherman I was very interested in the weighted Fish Skulls that hit the scene a couple years ago. I received my sample pack at the fly shop and tied two big baitfish streamers and crammed the weighted scull onto the front. They both looked great. I really liked the fact that I could wrap some schlappen or rabbit strip tight behind the hook eye and then mount the head from the front, pushing all the material back once the fly was finished. But there was only so much room for innovation. Besides, I have been really into articulated streamers weighted so they ride hook point up…and just couldn’t do that easily with the original Fish Sculls. Now the company has pushed the envelope a bit more with the Sculpin Helmets. These are about the same design, only they lay flat—like the head of a sculpin (think flat head catfish.) Plus they are making an Articulated Shank you can use to easily create a long, jointed streamer. Now, this I am into! When I received this sample pack at the fly shop I quickly cranked out two more with the material provided. I used a #10 TMC 8089 hook because they are big, but light weight—thus easier to counterbalance with weight to force point up. The rest of the fly I made as simply as possible; dubbing underbody, rabbit strips over the back and a couple rubber legs. My analysis? The fly tying world is full of gadgets that come and go…but, these are pretty cool.

Sage One Rod Review

Friends Follies

A good friend of mine recently moved out to the west coast...and is getting into steelhead. He also just started a new website. It will show his trials and tribulations of catching a steelhead in the traditional manner. Let me know what you think: Steelheading, The Hard Way

The Backcountry Journal

The Backcountry Journal is a new online periodical created and edited by hunter, fly fisherman, fly designer, and writer, Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings.

Read it here! The Backcountry Journal.

"Enjoy Your Veterans" Day

Today is the day we celebrate all those 19-year-old borderline alcoholics with automatic weapons. Enjoy them. Don't thank them...they don't take praise or the spotlight well. But definitely appreciate them. Buy them a beer at the bar. Or take one out back behind the bar and let them get to second base. Hell, hire one! Trust me, they will work harder and longer for you than some trust-fund baby looking for direction... 

Keep it real, boys!

Free Fly Tying Classes! (At RMA)

At Rocky Mountain Anglers we are approaching our fly tying classes a bit differently this Winter. We will be offering ONLY one-on-one classes and I will be very open to scheduling. The problems I have always found with the way Intro-Fly Tying has been taught is twofold. First: These classes have usually been group events (3 to 5 students) mainly to maximise the profits for the shop offering the class, not necessarily with the benefit of the beginning tier in mind. Second: We all are busy these days, so it is hard to make extracurricular things happen on the calendar. My intent is to get someone trained and as fluent as possible on the tying vise without delay. Hence the one-on-one classes with open scheduling...If next Tuesday morning before work is your only opening, then let's do it!

Fly Tying Classes are $25 an hour (We do gift cards!) but we are offering free classes with purchase of certain essential tying equipment....such as this Peak Rotary Vise (made here in Loveland, CO!) that sells for $149. RMA will honor two free one-hour tying sessions. With the perchase of a Dr. Slick 7-piece tool kit ($54) you get one free class.

Call Rocky Mountain Anglers in Boulder: (303) 447-2400

Best Goal Celebration Ever

Another Backstabber Success Story

This is Mark, from Dharma of the Drift. Just had to send you an email about this..

A friend of mine, a hard core carp angler (in the euro bait fishing style) invited me to come carp fishing with him next week, in a place that he said I was likely to be able to take one on the fly. Having never hooked a carp before, I eagerly accepted.

In anticipation, I started tying some carp flies today, and remembered your backstabber pattern. So I pulled up your blog and got the step by step on the screen and tied up a half dozen or so. As I was tying I couldn't see any reason why they wouldnt work for other species too, so I decided to take them out and give them a try. A few hours later and I hooked and landed my first fish on a backstabber...and what a fish it was. A big beautiful tiger trout, easily my best trout of 2011, and maybe ever (gotta measure the rod in the picture as a reference and see if it's at least 20").

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about another backstabber success story!

Thanks, Mark

Thanks for the note, Mark! Stories like this make my day...hell, they make my year! I'll take this over Umpqua royalty checks any time! (well...until bills are due...)
--Jay

Frying Pan Report

The Frying Pan River is low and fishing well. It is at  90cfs last I checked (but click on it to see an up-to-date flow). This big rainbow was caught on a size 22 top secret midge with 6x, by Ben Schloesser. He was sight fishing the flats up from the bend pool.  There were definitely a handful of other 20"+ fish out there, he said. Great fishing, beautiful day and light crowds (it was a Thursday).  

 

The Save Bristol Bay Road Show

The Save Bristol Bay Road Show is coming to Denver in just 6 days!
This Thursday, Oct 27, 7pm at the Oriental Theater in Denver.

This promises to be a great event. Come learn about what's happening in the world's most valuable Salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska.  See the award-winning documentary "Red Gold" and hear first-hand accounts from Alaska natives, fisherman and guides. Plus enter to win over $500 in outdoor and fishing gear!  Be sure to RSVP and get free admission...(Corvallis, OR sold out!)

• FREE appetizers of Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon, prepared by Wild Catch Restaurant's Chef Justin Brunson
• Screening the award-winning documentary "Red Gold" and holding a panel discussion with commercial fisherman, natives, and sport guides from the Bristol Bay Region.
• RAFFLE for over $500 in outdoor and fishing gear including a Scott fly rod and reel!

RSVP HERE: http://denverredgoldroadshow.eventbrite.com/

Saturday Tying Demo In Longmont!

The Longmont fly shop The Laughing Grizzly will be kicking off their free Saturday morning fly tying demonstrations this weekend! Come on up and visit with Mike, Dick and Frank in north Longtucky from 10:00 'till linch time. There will be bear bait (doenuts) and hot coffee for sure. I will be tying some new stuff, too...some Booby Frog action and some Clownshoe Stone Flies. Maybe this time I will even keep my clothes on...but all bets are off.

Visa State of Mind (Or: The Grand Journey of My Fishing Licence)

So, yeah...I dropped my wallet into a river awhile back. I had it tucked into my fishing pack next to my camera—in a little padded, waterproof compartment. As we were de-wadering and loading up at the end of the day I realize I had no billfold. Not too big of a deal...'cause I have a terrible short-term memory and I misplace important items daily. Probably just forgot it at the house. Right? But no such luck. And I had no idea where to start looking. So, I did all the responsible things one must do when misfortune such as this befalls. Cancel the credit card, buy a replacement fishing license and take a weekday off work to spend at the DMV to get a new "convict/pedophile” photo taken and a new driver license sent out to me. Done. Survived.

I printed myself a new fishing license on day one. Simple, I spend most days in a fly shop that sells them anyway. Day five I had off so I went in and sat on the Group W Bench alongside all the mother rapers and father stabbers (and father rapers, too). Day ten I receive my brand new license in the mailbox—sweet—even though the new photo is straight out of the D.O.C., minus the orange jump suit. Then, day twenty after the billfold went missing, I receive a funny letter from Lois Ott at the Nederland Police Department. The letter contains my old fishing license and my old driver license…as well as a little blue post-it note wishing me a great day! Apparently James Stevens—a Ned resident (and fisherman)—had attempted to send me these missing items, but had sent them to my old address which appears on my licenses. Included in the original envelope was a note from James: “I found these in the N. ST. Vrain in Rocky Mountain Nat. Park. Hope you are OK.”

Now, let me recap. My billfold fell out of my pack and into the stream where it drifted for days, eventually empting its’ contents to include my licenses. Then they are discovered by another fisherman who takes the time to mail them to me, but they come back to him Return to Sender. (You know how long that turn-around time usually is!) So eventually this Good Samaritan decides to drop his returned letter off at his local police department. Then the days of investigative work began…and they track me down! And send me my licenses with a nice post-it note! Wow!

Now to the point of this drawn-out story. It has been a month now since I lost my stuff. All the above drama has unfolded. AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY VISA CREDIT CARD REPLACEMENT! Yo Visa. Pull your heads out, will ya? WTF? (yes, Miss Sue…the F is for fiddlesticks!) I mean, thanks for the month-long forced savings plan, but seriously…

Hatches Fly Tying Magazine

Hatches 2011: Geezus Lizard and Texas Ringworm by Jay Zimmerman

The Geezus Lizard and Texas Ringworm are two bass flies that have finally evened the playing field. They have allowed fly fishermen to dabble into the not-so-secret voodoo world of conventional bass anglers worldwide. Their existence was born of a desire to find a viable fly rod application for lessons I’d learned in youth about [...]

Hatches 2011: Emerging Patterns – Tying the Missing Link by Russ Forney

For some, a flurry of mayflies hovering over the water is the initial sign of a hatch. In reality, though, insect activity might have been churning frenetically below the water’s surface for many hours before. Emergence begins well before the first dun pops off the water, and so does some of the most productive fishing. [...]

Hatches 2010: A Midwinter Refection on Flies by Bob White

It was my first season in Alaska, and I was one of several new fishing guides that had gathered around the bonfire to unwind, review the day, and listen to Rusty. The old guide was the consummate bush rat, and had forgotten more about living and working in the North Country than many of us [...]

Hatches 2010: Tying the Devil’s Reject by Brent Drew & Alex Cerveniak

A deceptive calm fills the air. The river gurgles. A light breeze whispers like a witch’s spell, enticing the angler to take a nap at the water’s edge. But even as he dozes off, he senses that something isn’t quite right. A sixth sense has his subconscious on guard. He glances uneasily over his shoulder [...]

Hatches 2010: Covering the Hendrickson Hatch by Nick Pionessa

My mind leafed through the pages of a crumbling paperback to drawings made by a master with whom I was barely familiar. “This must be a Quill Gordon,” I said. “No, I think it’s a Hendrickson.” I remember the day as if it were yesterday because it was my birthday and that Hendrickson was one [...]

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Connect (The Colorado Premiere)

Did you like the film trailer I posted as the Sunday Morning Movie at the start of the week? Well, you can go see the entire production at the Oriental Theater (4335 W 44th Ave. Denver, CO 80212) on thursday, October 20th at 7:00PM. To learn more go to: www.thegreenbacks.org  To buy tickets ($12) Click Here!

See you all there!