Wild Rivers NZ

I don't often post too much political/issue posts here because this is a fly fishing blog, meant to be light hearted and fun as much as possible. I post the link to the recently launched Wild Rivers NZ website, to further the awareness of threats to wild trout rivers in other areas of the world, and what lobbying styles/tactics are being used:
http://wildrivers.org.nz/

Of mice and men

A short time to go, and the tying got serious recently. It's a mouse year in New Zealand and the word is that the fish are fat, healthy, and will give a ride to the rod. It's funny, reading the hype of beech mast years in New Zealand, how the trees give rise to masses of rodents in beech forests, there's a certain level of skepticism in my head. Sure, the entire ecosystem in the beech forests are heavy with nutrient right now, but how many fish are actually eating mice voraciously? Part of me wonders if a few foreign writers hit the waters looking for one fish here or there that will engulf a mouse pattern, and then write a long tale of the moment. Not every writer will tell the whole tale, leaving dangling bits out of the story that would actually tell the whole tale.

I do suppose that in a short time we'll find out about this New Zealand mouse year thing. Will we find fish for the 2 dozen mice patterns I tied this morning? Of course, our entire 2 1/2 month trip won't be spent in beech forests, but many of our favorite waters are. We'll cast at different times of the day and night just to be sure fish want these furry beasts. The excitement of the prospects of fat trout are making the next week a tantalizing wait. Just a little longer...

Orvis Catalog Cover Contest

Get your best photo ready, Orvis is opening the contest to everyone with a camera and fly rod. Amateurs, pros, or anyone in between is invited to enter the cover photo contest and win $1000 worth of gear or a Helios rod outfit. Worth the submission!
http://orvis.com/fishphoto

How to hook fish on tiny flies

A great article by Phil Monahan in the MidCurrent

"Question: How can I better set the hook when fishing size 20 and smaller hooks? I have such a hard time getting small hooks into fish—even small fish, especially when swinging emergers. I get frustrated feeling the tug, only to set the hook and pull the fly right out of the fish's mouth.

Joshua B., Belgrade, MT

Answer: THIS IS a very common problem, and I threw the question out to some guide friends who regularly fish with tiny patterns.

Jackson Hole-based guide, tier, and author Scott Sanchez notes that Joshua is facing more than one problem:

“There sound like two issues: Small hooks and swinging flies. Swinging soft hackles and wet flies is deadly, especially on fish that are feeding on caddisflies. Unfortunately, you will always get some strikes without a hook up. I think fish are following the swing and hit the fly, pushing at the hook bend and not the point. The point is away from them, and the fly is moving the same direction as the fish.

On small hooks, the hook-up rates goes down exponentially with size. The solution is to use hooks with bigger gaps. A Dai-Riki 125 or TMC 2488 are big-gap emerger hooks, and you can tie a size 20 fly on a size 18 hook. Tie the flies sparse, so that the body doesn't block the hook gap. Beadheads can block the hook gap on small flies, as well. Use a bigger gap hook or a longer shank hook, to keep the hook point available.”

Brant Oswald—a Livingston, Montana, guide best known for his mastery of the Paradise Valley spring creeks—addressed Joshua’s question so fully that I won’t even try to paraphrase him. This is brilliant stuff:

“As I guide, I find that teaching people how to hook fish more effectively makes a big difference in the number of fish landed. Even experienced anglers who are well above average in overall skills have rarely thought much about this part of the game. Somehow, when clients measure up their success at the end of the day, they tend to forget the fish they missed or lost right after the hookup. I feel I have done the lion's share of my job when I put a client in position to get the fish to eat the fly, but I won't get credit for any help until the fish is in the net..."

Click below to read the rest of the article by Phil: http://www.midcurrent.com/flyfishing/tinyhooks.aspx

This is Fly

Another issue of This is Fly is out. Check out the link below. Page 73 has one classic video, and I mean classic. Great to see the old footage. Page 103 has a good permit video too, pretty good stuff. And if you are young enough to ogle over April Vokey, she dispells the stripper rumors, reveals that she does have a boyfirend, and can patch a raft.
http://www.thisisfly.com/

Manitoba Rainbow

This fine rainbow is sent to us by a Fortress Lake guest and Manitoba fly fisher Andrew, who has been fishing the Parkland region's lakes extensively the past few years and watched many of the lakes develop astounding trout. This fine rainbow came out of a lake in its 4th season of growth.

If you haven't had a chance to check the area out, the SW corner of Manitoba offers something nowhere else in N America can - a vast variety of lakes with hellaciously large trout. The best part is that it really isn't too far to travel for lake fishing for incredible rainbows, tigers, browns.

Latest Issue of Catch Magazine

Looks good as always:
http://www.catchmagazine.net/