4wt Extreme Angling

European Imports

2011-07-18T16:42:00.013-06:00

What comes to mind when you think of European Imports? Mercedes, BMW's? Well how about thick Browns in high water slurpin' cicadas for a mid day snack. Ripping line out of your hands faster than you doing 100mph in 5 seconds. These are the things that make you go back for more, below are a few pics of the day mixed in were a few Cutties but the Browns ruled the day.

EP goodness

2011-07-10T12:16:00.003-06:00

Its been a crazy summer with high flows everywhere so I've been tying some

warm water stuff to pass the time until things start to settle some. I'll post up

a few more patterns in a few days. Enjoy!

Streamer Binge...

2011-04-03T16:51:00.007-06:00

I went over the the Wasatch Fly Tying Expo on Sat. and a good friend Nick Granato showed me a few tricks on tying some streamer patterns so I thought today would be a good day to sit and tie a few. Check out Nick's sick blog here at http://flyobsession.com/

Bug Slinger Fly Gear

2011-03-18T21:53:00.002-06:00

Rob McAbee at Bug Slinger™ Fly Gear continues to break away from the tweedy stereotypes commonly associated with fly fishing apparel. Bug Slinger has several new graphics in the works for the new year, including many more at their Web site.

Check'em out! Pretty cool gear

Harsh Winters

2011-03-06T15:55:00.002-07:00

Untitled from Pat Murphy on Vimeo.

Before viewing this video please pause the playlist player at the bottom of this blog.

Harsh Winters.

For those of you that need to get there fix regardless of the weather conditions, Winters can be brutal. Subfreezing temps, blowing snow, waist deep snow that you have to dredge through.

Frozen fingers,biting winds can send the most fair weather fisherman to hibernate until spring. For those of you that are hardcore, the rewards can be unbelievable. A few fish good fish can warm you up and you will forget how harsh the weather can be.

Mike and I met up at our usual 6:30 pick-up point. Mike hadn't got any sleep the night before so he was on a low tank of gas. We made the 2 1/2 hour jaunt north to a unforgiving place especially this time of year. The fishing was slow with just a few risers, Mike was determined to get his fish on streamers, and he was missing fish. With a few pattern changes he finally connected a couple nice rainbows. After a couple hours here we decided to drive further downstream to see what we could find. The thought of wading through 3 feet of snow and 300 yards to get to the river was a challenge. We hit a couple of nice holes were Mike was fishing about me and he had a couple hits but solid. Shortly after this I connected into a nice solid brown that almost tore the rod right out of my hand. We thought that fish fish had probably hit Mike's streamer than cruised down to where I was at and I connected with it. It sure made the long walk through the snow worth the trouble... and warmed our spirits as well. Nice to finally get out once again since it's been 6 months since my last adventure. Thanks again Mike, It was great to finally put everything aside and finally enjoy what I love to do.

Visit Mike's blog at http://trouttripper.blogspot.com/

Jesse James 44 Mag 4/5 Custom------ Pre Order Done!

2011-02-23T21:52:00.009-07:00

Inspired by Jesse James and West Coast Choppers, theJesse James Reel Company‘s goal from the beginning was to design and build fly fishing reels with a strong design element that are also tool-like in their form and function. Company president, Mark Mahoric, field-tested the 44 Mag fly reel for two years on the trophy waters of Alaska’s rivers and streams prior to its recent release.

All Jesse James reels are machined from 6061 bar stock aluminum and feature a machined aluminum reel handle, spool release and drag adjustment knobs. They have a drag system that provides silent line retrieval and a solid click with outgoing line. The 44 Mag features a gun-smoke-colored spool and a black spider-web frame pattern. The reel also features a custom skull spider logo, the Jesse James 44 Mag text on the handle, and the iron cross, which have all been laser-etched into the aluminum.

Currently available n a 7/8 model, the Jesse James Reel Company will release the Jesse James 44 Mag 4/5 (made from 3 1/4-inch stock) in May 2011, and a Jesse James 44 Mag saltwater/spey model (made from 4 1/2-inch stock) which will be available in early February 2011.

Green Drakes on the brain

2011-02-06T14:11:00.003-07:00

Its been months since my last blog entry but life has gotten busy.

Since than I haven't spent as much time out on the water let alone

to sit and tie for some time. Just wanted to see how much was lost

since the last session, You be the judge...

Recipe:

Hook ------- Teimco 200R size 12

Lead Wrap -- 7 turns

Abdomen ---- Thread built up and wrapped with Thin Skin. SM gold wire

Tail---------- 3 strands of Pheasant Tail fibers

Thorax ------ 4 strands of tan Ostrich Herl. 10 fibers of Pheasant tail for the Thorax

Thread ------ 8/0 Tan

5 minute Epoxy over wing-case.

Gotta Love Fall in the High Country

2010-09-19T20:16:00.013-06:00

Last night I was debating on where to go hit some water and since I had not hit this particular area I thought I'd call Scott from http://www.utahflypatterns.com/ and see if he was up to hitting some new water. Quickly he agreed and we had our destination and off at 7am we were. We couldn't believe the fall colors all around in the high country this time of year, it adds an extra bonus for sure.

Golds and Yellows all around

The fish were not of any size but they were eager. Plenty of Cutts, Brookies, and a surprise Rainbow in the mix. Hoppers, Trudes, Caddis, and Ant patterns were the ticket on these small fish.

Thanks Scott for a great time on the water today even if the fish were small. It was nice to get out and fish with ya. Scott has a video he's putting together I'll put up as soon as he's got it ready.

Quality over Quantity

2010-05-17T10:39:00.002-06:00

Check out the story here

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/4wt-Extreme-Angling/126126814069906

http://trouttripper.blogspot.com/2010/05/quality-over-quantity.html

Mercer's Rag Sculpin

2010-05-14T07:10:00.002-06:00

Material List: Hook- TMC 700 size 4
Thread- For tail 8/0 UNI Tan 3/0 Monocord Tan
Extended Tail- Body and Head EZE Bug Tan
Pectorial Fins- Medallion Sheeting Tan
Eyes- I-Balz Green/black size to match hook

Prismacolor Markers Olive and Brown for the Mottling Effect.

Follow 4wt Extreme Angling on Face Book

2010-05-13T21:57:00.002-06:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22742&id=126126814069906&saved#!/pages/4wt-Extreme-Angling/126126814069906

DIY Extended Bodies.

2010-04-14T18:16:00.002-06:00

Coming Soon!!........... Yeah Doughty your gonna have to wait man!

The North Face Terra 30 Pack Review

2010-03-25T18:17:00.006-06:00

If you are a fan of collecting gear for your addiction and you know who you are... You just cant pass up a deal when its presented to you. So a few days ago I had received one of those emails thats about a close-out or discontinued item. Well I fell victim to this pack. Now I have tried my fair share of packs, some I've liked and others a total piece of shit. Well I was curious of this pack and being that it was made by a well known company I thought crap lets see if this is something I'm gonna like.

Well I just got this pack yesterday and I can tell you that immediately I was impress by the quality of the pack. Plenty of pockets to stow away items with an ease to find them. The shoulder straps and padding fit perfectly and is very comfortable. The waist belt is padded well and I feel its constructed very nice. North Face does offer a internal water reservoir but didn't opt to go that route, I usually just carry a water bottle of something I didn't feel the need to purchase that. I feel this pack will suit me well I like the overall look and once its on it feels very comfortable so hopefully it will perform well, only time will tell. Later in the year I'll report back to this entry to let you know how it performed.

Cat Puke Skwalla

2010-02-04T22:55:00.003-07:00

Tiemco 200R size 8

Self created adbomen

Montana Fly Web Wing -- Grey

Green Krystal Flash

Poly Wing in white

2mm Brown Foam

Homemade Blend of Golden Dubbing

Green/ Black Barred Mini Taurantula Legs

Light Green Clear Hollow Tubing

8/0 Tan Thread

HB80 is out and we need your HELP!!!

2010-02-02T17:00:00.002-07:00

HB 80
Received this email today from Bryan Gregson today and wanted to pass the news along.
for regular updates visit http://www.utahwaterguardians.org

Utah Recreational Water user Bill is out!!! –> HB 80
Representative Fowlke released the much anticipated Recreational water Bill today!!
The process of this Bill started right after the end of last years session. It involved input from all sides, the DWR and it included the public. This was an ongoing process that lasted though the late Fall. Although, not everyone got exactly what they wanted, all groups on both sides compromised and tried diligently to make this a win-win. Unfortunately, there is always one in the bunch….the FB will not be backing this. They are unwilling to compromise and were set on the language stating “wet-boot” rather than “ordinary high water mark”.
HB 80 –> http://le.utah.gov/~2010/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0080.htm
PDF –> http://le.utah.gov/~2010/bills/hbillint/hb0080.pdf
Keep up the good work!

BWO..... coming soon near you.

2010-01-24T15:09:00.002-07:00

Guys its time to get ready for the spring BWO's and I am ready.

DIY Cliff Bugger Boxes

2009-11-29T20:40:00.002-07:00

If any of you guys have ever priced out the cost of those Cliff Bugger Barn Boxes well I have a solution for you. These boxes are very available through online craft stores and as well as drafting

supply stores also. At the most you can be into a completed box for no more than 15 bucks. Now depending on the size of box your looking for I have bought the Medium Size box and using 2 sheets of 6mm foam and a hot glue gun you can duplicate the same box as Cliff does with only a fraction of the cost. Once I have the box open what I have done is using a larger piece of paper use this to draw yourself a template for where the foam will lie inside. Once this is done transfer that template onto the foam. You could use scissors to accomplish this but a utility knife works best. Now once you have the foam cut out from the template, use a ruler and cut some grooves into the foam. Make as many rows that you need to accommodate whatever patterns your trying to fill the box with. Once this is done get your hot glue gun and lay down a few rows of the hot glue and insert your foam into the box. This process shouldn't take to long to dry, once done you can load it with whatever patterns you need.

Good Luck building your own.

I've listed a few places to start with.

http://www.google.com/products?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enUS347US347&q=artbin+Quick+View+Series+8010AB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=qEITS9W6JpC2M8v56TM&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCgQrQQwAw

Short but Sweet Stillwater

2009-10-11T21:31:00.006-06:00

The past couple of days I was in contact with Scott to see what he had planned for the weekend and to see if he could get out. There was talk about heading north into Southwest Wyoming but with the recent snow storms in the area and temps hovering in the high twenties I wasn't quite ready for chipping ice off the guides yet. So we had contemplated about heading into some Indian Land to try our luck for some pre-spawn brown but the plan was derailed since Scott couldn't reach anyone for his permit. So the decision was made to hit some stillwater action since the weather here was decent. Once we arrived it was partly cloudy but comfortable, the wind for the most part was calm. So we got the toons ready and we went through the checklist on what we needed on the water and off we were. The fishing was slow but Scott was able to connect with a Cutt on a chironomid close to shore. I was too far away to get back over to him for a photo, but I did witness the battle he had going from where I was. Shortly after witnessing Scott and his fish I soon connected on a nice Tiger which I would guess went roughly 18 inches or so. I got him on a surprise. I was casting and the streamer him the water fairly hard and just the quick this fish came up and hammered it, I don't know what he was thinking it was when it hit but hey!!! I'll take it. Soon after we both got on the scoreboard the wind came up and pushed us off the water. Even though it was short and sweet it was nice to get out and get some bendo.

October Caddis Series

2009-10-02T16:07:00.003-06:00

Some of the best caddis hatches can happen in October, so today I sat down and tied a few. Here is the pattern recipe.

Hook--------- Tiemco 100 size 12

Chenille------ Light Orange, Tan, White

Thread-------- 8/0 brown thread

Underwing--- White Poly Yarn

Overwing----- Amber Z-Lon

Legs-----------Whitings Furnace Hackle. 2 hackles wrapped together.

Feelers-------Stripped Furnace Hackle

Planning my 2010 Uinta Wilderness Expedition

2009-09-30T10:43:00.010-06:00

So for a while now I've been planning an Expedition Trip into the Uinta Wilderness. I did some camping and some riding on the North Slope of the Uintas earlier this summer and I found so many streams and creeks that I knew I had to return to fish this area. The streams are so clear and you could spot the trout just waiting on a nicely thrown hopper pattern. I've been compiling maps of the area as well as what trout are in these drainage's. I have a few places planned even on the South Slope of the Uintas as well. There is so much water and area to cover we'll see how much of it we can cover. So if you are up for an adventure this coming Summer let me know.

The T/A Brown Trout

2009-09-13T15:47:00.009-06:00

Damn, I cant believe its been since May that I posted anything on the blog. I've got out a few times with Mike http://trouttripper.blogspot.com/ and instead of doing all the copying and pasting i thought I'd just throw the link from our last outing. Here is the entry from Mike on his blog. http://trouttripper.blogspot.com/2009/07/pat-m-makes-apperance_12.html Work this past summer has put a huge damper on the fishing this year and being that I've been working out of state the opportunities to get out have been slim. Anyways I hope I can get into the swing of things again and take advantage of the fall streamer fishing that is just around the corner. Here is a pattern that is probably not new to anyone if they have followed Kelly Galloup and his innovative streamer patterns. Instead of the T/A Rainbow Series I'd thought I'd come up with the T/A Brown Trout pattern which I'm hoping for some good result. As you can see I took some pictures of the materials that I used. The only think I did was I Incorporated the Brown Trout colors on the pattern. Its almost time for the throwing huge streamers and looking for big hungry trout as this time of year can be the best the year has to offer.

Flymph Swap 1 [2009] images are online

2009-05-02T15:08:00.005-06:00

So this past winter I've been engrossed in tying soft hackles which I believe are very underrated patterns out there. If fished correctly with the right method can be effective if you use them correctly. These few months I decided to go up against some of the best names in the business and see if I had any game in joining the 1st annual Flymph Forum 1 2009 swap. Below are some pictures of the participants from that swap. My pattern is named the Baetis Buster. Scott, aka RnF was in this swap as well. You can visit Scott's site here at http://www.utahflypatterns.com/index/ I was very pleased on the patterns that I received.

http://www.danica.com/flytier/flymph_swap_1_2009/flymph_swap_1_2009.htm

The Olive Ghengis Kahn

2009-04-25T17:27:00.005-06:00

Since the last trip I was on and seeing Cory do some damage on some
streamers I thought I'd share this.

Hook----------------------------Size 2 Mustad 79580 Streamer Hook

Tail------------------------------Olive Brown Marabou

Body----------------------------Brown/Olive Dubbing applied with a dubbing loop

Hackle--------------------------Whiting's Olive Schlappen

Eyes----------------------------Weighted painted yellow eyes

Head and Back-------------Sculpin Wool Dark Olive

Bars----------------------------Black Sharpie Marker.

Legs---------------------------Waspi Sili Legs Nymph Pumpkin Barred.

Operation-----------------Black Crow

2009-04-17T18:17:00.010-06:00

So here is how the plan went down. 2 weeks prior to this weekend we had planned a trip to the Green River for an overnight stay however mother nature had a different plan and since highway 80 was closed, we simply bagged our idea and thought we could reschedule for another outing. Well that date came and I wasn't able to make that rescheduled trip so I was out. So Corey, Doug and Garth decided they were going to go to the Green minus me. So low and behold and Utah Spring storm canceled their plans and the weekend after we had discussed the option of hit the Green River below Fontenelle. The drive was further with a slim chance of catching a decent size fish. They were there we just had to weight our options to see if the extra 2 hours of driving would be worth it. Now Doug in the meantime is checking flows all over the place to see how the early season run-off is shaping up. So at work while I'm busier than hell I get an email from Doug saying.. "I think I want to go Tribal!!" well that sparked a phone call and after some quick discussion we decided the flows are really good and maybe since it would be interesting to check out we decided to get our Ute Indian Permits and have at it.
At this point Doug is calling Garth to leave a day early to see how things look. Throughout Friday now less at work I called Doug in hopes of having reception on his phone and low and behold he answered. So I asked him how were things looking and he said " I've landed a 20 brown 20 minutes ago and Garth has lost 2 so its looking pretty good being that they have only been on the water for about an hour. So I called Corey to relay the message and than both Corey and myself get another email stating to call the Ute Grocery Store and buy those permits!!! Right away I call and get mine set-up and I shot an email to Corey stating... " Yo man I got mine!!!" Right back at me Cor has got his as well. So the plan was to meet up with Cor at 7am to pick him up.

So Sat. morning rolls around and I meet up with Cory with the excitement of whats in store. Its a beautiful morning and the drive was quick. Talking about past trip and new ones to come the time quickly flashes by. Before we know it we are in town about an hour earlier than we were suppose to. I couldn't figure it out. How did we make such great time? So anyways we were not sure where Garth and Doug were staying the night so we stopped at a gas station grabbed a few things and we try Doug's cell again.... no answer.....crap!!! minutes later Corey's phone rings and it was Doug. Surprised at our early arrival, he gave us directions to dive of a motel that they were staying at and met up with them. This was the first time for both Corey and myself to meet Garth which by the way is one crazy and funny dood. Well our game plan was for 2 of us to fish high on the reservation while the other two fished the lower area. More or less to see what ares would produce first.

So the teams were picked I went with Garth to start on the lower section while Doug and Corey started up high. So what we did was since we drove 2 vehicles we decided to park mine upstream to get it later in the day and we drove Garth's rig and dropped off Doug and Corey in the middle section of river so they would be working their way towards my truck. Garth and myself drove down stream and started there.

early on the water was pretty cloudy and I was a little concerned but kept my spirits up hoping that something would come of it. Well after losing a few rigs to the tree behind us and some wind knots we moved upstream to some other holes which Garth said they are fail proof. We should get something out of the run up higher. Well after walking upstream and finding the hole produced zilch zero squat!! Well at this moment Garth realized he didn't have his phone on him so he decided to walk back over to his truck and grab his phone to see how the fishing was for Corey and Doug. To our surprise they were having a Hogfest!!! Damn It we said so we crossed the river and decided to move further upstream in hopes of some clearer water.

That idea paid off. Once we parked and decided to move into a nice run Garth hooked up right away with a decent Brown. That brown fell victim to a San Juan that Doug tied up and it worked great!! Even on the phone call to Doug earlier said that they were smoke'n on San Juan's and that we should try them. I wasn't ready to give up the big stone and soft hackles just yet so we walked up further and finally met up with Doug and Corey.

To my surprise there were Crane Flies in the river. Not many but they were there. I thought to myself.."That's probably what the fish are keying on."

photo credit Corey K.

These are some of what Doug got into with his SJ's earlier when we called him.

Photos by Corey K.

So here is how things start to get nuts!! in the picture below Corey and me are on the bottom end of this run. I simply had a change of heart and decided to totally switch up on what to use. I decided to throw on a Red Copper John size 16 and a Flashback WD-40 size 20. Knowing from the past that this river for some weird reason is always a small fly producer. I worked my way to the boulder in the middle of this run. casting upstream and letting it drift on either side of that submerged rock you see in the middle of that run. OK, so I'm drifting my rig and all of a sudden my junk stops... Thinking I had probably snagged the bottom of that damn boulder, I rip back in hopes that I can get out of my jam. Well that's when things go crazy...Suddenly that snag starts to move and its got some serious weight behind it. Now keep in mind I have about 30 yards of fly line at my feet and the current is somewhat strong through here. That fish or what ever the hell it was started to move upstream real sloooow. I've got that damn 5wt bending back into it self now. At the same time I'm trying like a SOB to get that fish on the reel so I can work him against the drag so now I'm trying to to reel in all this line while maneuvering this heavy bastard. I finally get the line on the reel and now the fish has changed directions now and is heading downstream. I couldn't see the fish from this vantage point due to the sun's reflection on the water. Not sooner than that the hook come out of the fish and all is lost. My heart just fell apart as I was at least hoping for a glimpse of that toad. My after thought on the whole ordeal was I bet it took the WD-40 and since it has a small gape that I didn't get a decent hook set on that damn boney ass jaw of it. So next cast yielded somewhat of the same results but this time the fish came out of the water and Shazam!!! Off as well. Needless to say I was fishless, but the thrill of hooking into something that large was insane!! I know its out there what ever it was and it was a shame I didn't get a chance to see its true size. Damn!!

Photo's by Corey K.

Right before all this went down Corey decided to change up and throw some meat. To his surprise he's getting a lot of attention and he's witnessing follows but none of the fish wanted to commit to his streamers. There was something that these fish wanted but we just couldn't figure it out. We tried different colors and stuff but they would follow that flies to a point and turn away....frustrating none-the-less. We well have to be ready when we return with some other patterns and see if anything makes a difference.

Photo by Doug Barnes

As the afternoon progresses the Spring Thunder Clouds started to build and it was refreshing to have some sprinkles on this warm day.The birds were out and singing away. A nice sound to hear from a long winter behind us now.

Came across some private property and I thought this old stable was pretty cool so I decided to take a shot of it. Needless to say the day was full of excitement and disappointment on not bringing that beast in but that's what makes you hungry for more. Its the challenge that us as Fly Fisherman keep coming back for more. I know I'll be back again but until than I can only dream of what that fish could have been like.

Photo credits Doug Barnes

Thanks again to Corey, Doug and Garth for a great day on the water. It will not be forgotten soon.

Special thanks to Corey and Doug for their photo's you can visit their sites bellow. Check them out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coreyk/ Corey's site

Corey's Blog http://western-fly-fishing.info/wordpress/

http://www.nowpicturethis.com/ Doug's site

Photo credits Doug Barnes.

Typhoon Hopper

2009-04-12T10:18:00.003-06:00

The lowdown~
Hook-------------------TMC 5263 size 6
Body-------------------Sow Dubbing
Wing-------------------Hareline No Fray Wing--Tan
Overwing-------------Polypropylene in Tan
Head------------------2mm Foam
Legs------------------Mini Tan Tarantu-Legs
Tubing----------------Brown Hollow tubing from Waspi.

Honcho Hopper

2009-04-04T19:30:00.008-06:00

This morning I met up with Corey and Doug to hit the Green River to only be turned away due to snow on Interstate 80 past Evanston WY. So while we stopped and eat at the McD's and talking about summer fishing and Doug showing Corey and myself a few patterns that worked for him this past Summer I figured I'd tie this version up.

Recipe:

Hook-------------size 8 streamer hook

Thread-----------8/0 Black

Foam-------------2mm Tan Foam

Underwing------ White Poly yarn

Overwing-------- Cow Elk

Thorax----------- 3 strands of peacock herl

Post--------------White Poly yarn

Parachute------Grizzly Hackle wrapped downward on poly post.

Legs-------------Black Micro tubing and one strand of Tan Micro Centipede Legs

pulled through the Micro tubing using a piece of small ribbing wire

made into a loop. I than placed the micro legs into the wire loop

and pulled it together through the Black Micro Tubing. Once through,

I just trimmed the even the section.

Stillborn Baetis

2009-04-02T21:40:00.003-06:00

Receipe: Left Pattern

Hook:----------------- Size 18 Tiemco 206BL

Body:----------------- Olive/Brown UTC70 thread

Rib:------------------- Gold UTC70 thread twisted in a dubbing loop than wrapped forward

Thorax:-------------- Gray Ostrich Herl

Wings:--------------- Whitings Size 14 100 pack Med. Dun Tips.

Post:----------------- 2mm White Foam cut square.

LOOP ARMY

2009-03-26T22:37:00.003-06:00

Join the Revolution!!! Get on it!!!

http://www.looparmy.com/

Trailer | Drift | A Confluence Films Production

2009-03-25T16:41:00.001-06:00

Trailer Drift A Confluence Films Production

If you haven't had the chance to check The Drift it is an awesome production courtesy of The Drake.

Random 2009 Wasatch Expo Pics.

2009-03-22T06:42:00.009-06:00

The 2009 Wasatch Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Expo was a great success. Thanks to all the made this happen. There were a lot of excellent tiers that I got some great tips from. I personally took Cheech's class about tying with foam and I took Charlie Craven's Signature Fly Patterns class as well. Meet a lot of guys I already knew plus a few others. Below are just some random shots that I took yesterday. Cant wait for next years Expo!

Cheech showing his skills. He had quite the gathering at times at his station.

Scott aka RnF tying some mad soft hackles.

Joni, showing a few others how its done.

The start of the Raffle is beginning.

Plenty of tiers around to get any question answered.

Also there were a lot of vendors on hand to answer questions as well.

Mini Trude Series

2009-03-18T19:40:00.004-06:00

Since I've had a few days on my hands from work and I REALLY need to be on the water I thought I'd arm myself with a couple of small experimental Trudes. These are tied on a 18 dry fly hook and with this little spin and a little off the norm, I'm excited to give these patterns a try.

Left pattern------------------Mini Adult Midge Trude

Right pattern----------------Mini Baetis (BWO) Trude

Buffalo Midges.

2009-03-18T11:46:00.007-06:00

They are the hatch you dont want to miss for sure. These bugs are quite large in comparison to the norm. When the fish key on them it can be crazy!! Usually these larger midges usually show between Valentines Day and Presidents Day. Of coarse all this depends on weather and other factors. Usually you can have a mix of these midges and BWO which will drive you nuts cause you dont know what to throw. So you just throw both. Problem solved.

This is the actual bug pictured here. In this shot its roughly between a size 18 and 16.

This is what I came up with after looking at this midge closer. Here is the receipe, pretty simple.

Hook---------------------Size 18 dryfly hook in this picture

Body---------------------Brown 8/0 thread, I like to coat the body with Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails.

Rib-----------------------Tan 8/0 thread tied at the tail end of the hook that spun with a dubbing loop tool tightly to form a rope if you will. Than this rope is now wrapped up the shank of the hook.

Dubbing----------------None was used in this pattern I didnt want alot of bulk at the thorax. If you decide on using dubbing I would suggest the superfine.

Wing--------------------Light Dun Poly Yarn.

Hackle-----------------Grizzly which was used on this pattern or you can used a light dun.

Now tie some up.

Wasatch Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo

2009-03-17T18:53:00.007-06:00

***************Dear Fellow Fly Fishing & Outdoor Enthusiast,

The Stonefly Society and Cache Valley Anglers, chapters of Utah Trout Unlimited, are pleased to announce the Third Annual Wasatch Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo. The Expo will be held Friday and Saturday, March 20-21, 2009 at the Karen Gail Miller Conference Center, Salt Lake Community College, 9750 South 300 West, Sandy, Utah. This two-day Expo will feature fly tying demos from some of the best fly tiers in Utah, casting clinics, fly tying and fly fishing workshops, casting competition, fly fishing film festival, prize raffles, exhibitors, and more. Last year’s event was a great success and we anticipate this year’s Expo to be bigger and better. Saturday evening we will conclude the Expo with a banquet and auction featuring renown author and fly shop owner Charlie Craven (www.charliesflyboxinc.com) as our keynote speaker. Expo activities on Friday will go from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. The banquet Saturday evening will start at 6:30 p.m. and will include a live and silent auction.

Thinking of Summer....In Winter!!! You bet!

2009-03-09T18:42:00.005-06:00

So with all of the Soft Hackles I've been tying up I needed to shake off the rust and tie up a few Trudes. These pattern are great to fish as attractors so this Summer I'm hopefull these will produce somewhere. I cant wait for Summer if you didnt notice. lol

Experimental BWO Soft Hackles

2009-03-09T18:31:00.004-06:00

While getting back from my little excusion to the Ghetto I wanted to fine tune my BWO patterns so these patterns are what i've come up with. I'm going soon to test these out and I'll report back on the success on these in a week or two. If you would like a receipe for these just email me at p111562@hotmail.com and I'll shoot you the details.

Enjoy~

Back to the Ghetto

2009-02-22T19:59:00.010-07:00

Got a call from Corey to go hit it up and try our luck with some fish on the Ghetto and see what we could drum up. We met up, rigged and we were on the water. Now as of lately I've been on this Soft Hackle addiction so I was armed with my best arsenol that I could think of. I had Beatis (BWO) on the mind in hopes of some risers. Cor got into a few fish nymphing right away and I was getting a little discouraged that I havent connected yet.

Corey had told me that down stream further there was a large pool where there might be a chance to see if some fisher were rising so down stream we walked. I noticed some early midges on the water but not what I was hoping for. Once we got to the larger pool to my hopes there were some risers. I could make out what they were but the plan was to swing the Baetis soft hackles right into the feeding lane. Well it didnt take long before I connected. Once I had my first fish on to my suprise it was a Whitefish. Yes a Whitefish!! I was a little surprised myself because Whitefish usually feed on the bottom so even though I was a little bummed I was still determined to get into a nice brown. After few more drifts into the feeding lane I connected into another fish. LOL you guessed it...another Whitefish! "It must have been a fluck!" I thought.

Cor decided to hit the pool from another angle before we contemplated about moving on upstream. We packed our gear and moved upstream. The road that we had to take was covered with a fresh covering of snow. Roughly 12 inches of snow and we had to drive a couple of miles to our parking area. In the process I got stuck and got myself out but I shortly got a call from Cor saying..."I'm stuck big time Pat I think I'm going to need a tow truck!!" I told Cor start walking toward me because at this point I got myself stuck again. I could see Cor walking toward me but he was still along ways away. I finally got myself free and tried to keep the tires in the snow ruts the best I could. I met up with Cor and we drove the remaining distance to find Cor Toy buried big time. I got out and assessed the issue and told Cor." I got a tow strap Cor but I need to turn this truck around." Once we got me turned around.

We started digging Cor's truck out. I remembered that I had a couple of old wooded oars in the back of my truck. Dont ask me why I had them back there but they came in handy for situations like this. I also never go out on any venture without the Towstrap. Which I had to use once I got turned around.

Hooked up the Towstrap to Cor's truck and we got him out of his jam. It wasnt easy with all the snow and ice underneth and getting traction was tough at best. There was another vehicle down where we were but for the life of me I dont know how it got down there with just street tires. Once we got turned around we were able to park the trucks. Now lets go Fish!!! We earned it now!!

By this time the sun was starting to break out of the clouds. We walked up onto this first nice pool and saw a few risers and there were a small BWO hatching coming off but nothing major....yet. I picked 3 quick fish and we decided to move upstream. Cor seen a nice run where he was still nymphing and I moved upstream to see what was around the bend. Corey met up with me a little while later we hit some more water together before deciding on another run he had fished the previous weekend.

Corey pick off a few fish and the BWO hatch wasnt real strong but it caught the browns attention and they were picking them off. Ok, I thought now its game time. I slipped on BWO soft hackle pattern that I've been working on and it didnt take long before it was game ON!!

We carefully walked upstream in hopes that we wouldnt spook the fish. It was stealth mode from the get go. Our cast had to be spot on without spooking the rising browns. To add to the already challenging situation we had some overhanging trees to deal with as well. We had to fish on our knees of fear of being seen.

Cor and I took turns as we were picking off fish left and right. Here is a release that Cor got while I released a nice brown.

At this point the hatch was starting to die off but I knew we had about another 30 minutes before the risers would go deep. There was a nice little run that emptied into a nice pool. A lot of the browns were right up against the far bank and what our plan was is to cast upstream with some BWO Soft hackles and let them drift right the browns feeding lanes. This worked and I connected with a nice 20 1/2 Brown. I was so excited, by far the best fish I've taken from the Ghetto. I'll be back for sure. Thanks Cor for the fun. We worked our asses off to get ourselves unstuck but it was well worth it.

Photography Credits go to Corey K.

Thanks Cor~ Excellent job!!!

2009-02-13T07:15:00.006-07:00

Logo credits go to Mr. Loopy

HELP SAVE OUR WATERS! LET'S UNITE WITH THE
UTAH WATER GUARDIANS

This last summer the state supreme court decided unanimously in the conatser v. johnson case (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/u...tser071808.pdf) that the public had the right to use waters in the state for recreational purposes. This use includes streams and rivers on lands owned privately. This was a great victory Utah anglers as it ensured that the fish owned by the them, but trapped on a stretch of river that was privately owned, could be enjoyed by anglers who stayed within the confines of the river. Other legal recreation such as kayaking, floating and swimming is now also possible on these bodies of water.Unfortunately, a few Utah House Represenatives are trying to pass legislation that would overturn the conatser decision. Mr Ferry has introduced bill 187 (http://le.utah.gov/~2009/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0187.htm). This bill will not please the many recreation enthusiasts in Utah. Many anglers know of Mr. Ferry's bill, and everyone is very unhappy. We have begun to unite together to fight this bill. We believe that private land owners should not be able to hold public resources such as water and fish hostage from public use.I want to encourage anyone that has been a follower of my blog, family, friends, fellow flyfisher's, anyone out their lurking...... PLEASE, PLEASE, Help and get involved in writing Utah House Represenatives. If you live in Utah you can follow this link below and look up your District Represenative. http://www.le.state.ut.us/house/index.htmAlso, there is a website dedicated to this bill:http://utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com/UTAH WATER GUARDIANS and Fellow Fly Fishers U N I T E !!! We need your support. The outcome of this bill could effect YOUR state water rights as well.Anyone that has questions please email myself or visit www.utahwaterguardians.wordpress.com and help all of us spread the word.

Weekend Ties

2009-01-27T19:21:00.008-07:00

Here are a few more patterns that I tied up over the weekend. Nothing special just keeping busy. I was introduced to a forum all about soft hackles and there is many great tyers on this site and some of their ideas has sparked my interest to tie more of these patterns. So as of lately I've been on this site
http://winglesswets.mybb3.org

The information that I've been finding and receiving has help me progress in my tying when it comes to tying these patterns. I knew Scott aka RnF http://www.utahflypatterns.com/index/ would appreciate this site as well since he fishes and ties soft hackle patterns and I believe has has enjoyed this site also. Thanks for contributing to it also Scott! I've learned alot from your patterns also.

Softhackle fun.........

2008-12-28T11:39:00.003-07:00

Usually this time of year I usually reflect back from the year and try to improve on patterns I've used or in this case, havent used as much. I'm suprised I dont carry more of these with me but I think I need to start. Here is a couple of patterns I tied last night. Enjoy!!

Fun with Marabou....for a great cause.

2008-12-15T16:28:00.006-07:00

I got an email from Cardiac aka Alan from the Utah on the Fly site to help out on a Christmas Box for a fellow board member that has battled cancer for most of the year. I knew I couldnt pass up the chance to help a fellow flyfisher so I jumped on the chance and since Dennis enjoys stillwater flyfishing I thought I'd tie up a few patterns for him. Thanks again Alan for letting me participate in your gift to Dennis.

1/2 day on the Middle

2008-12-08T14:05:00.005-07:00

Normally I dont get that chance to fish under the week but since I had plenty of PTO I decided to hit the Middle Provo. Being that I dont fish the Middle to often I was under a time restraint and fished somewhere close. I got a call from Mark and we decided on meeting in Midway and we decided to hit the Hoover's Hole area. It was damn cold too. mark hooked up imediately on a nice 12 inch brown. We walked up stream and just hit a few holes on the way up. Mark was using a small size 20 black Pheasant Tail and was doing well. I could see him for the most part of the day. I couldnt land anything for the time we were there but it sure was nice to be out again though. What was nice is that this section is usually crowded and we didnt even see another person the whole time we were there. Ice was getting tough to deal with which comes with the cold temps but it was again nice to be out instead of the office. Thanks Mark for a little break.

Back to the Five Dollar Footlong

2008-12-08T14:00:00.003-07:00

Nick and I got to talking about doing some fishing and we decided to hit the the Five Dollar Footlong. The last time I was here it was back in June with Mike and Jer. The drive up was quick. I met up with Nick at the Starbucks on Wasatch Blvd. and we headed out. Again it took about 2 1/2 hours to get there and there was no one in sight. The morning was cold but is was tollarable. The water was super low and from the flow charts that I had earlier read mentioned that we should expect a 70 cfs. Boy was that way off. Anyways Nick started below me and I was nymphing alot of nice water but nothing was seen. I worked a couple of holes that have produced earlier in the year, but no fish could be found. I finally met up with Nick and he scored a few browns on streamers so we decided to walk upstream. We found a couple of brown still on the redds. Nick was spotting me up on the opposite bank but from my vantage point I had a tree limb that was giving me grief and I didnt have a great shot at the 2 fish that were busy. I was either too short or too far right. I finally dropped a great cast up above them and one of the browns took off with my fly. He swam downstream from where I was standing and I could take the slack quick enough to get into him and lost him. Again we walked further upstream and found a school of browns fighting for dominance. Nice fat and healthly browns were going at it. Nick dropped into the water and hooked a couple of nice fish and decided to move up and give that hole a break. Nick fished ahead of me and when I got a visual on him he was fishing the spillway at the dam. I did manage to pick up another brown there that ranged in the 20 inch class. By this time it was early afternoon. We decided on leaving and go to another stillwater location that I have heard plenty about but never fished. Got to our destination and quickly rigged up. Nick walked the opposite bank from where I was and he mamnged to bring a Fat Tiger to hand. I had some success with throwing a few streamers. I got hooked up on a nice Tiger following the fly in and I saw him actually take the fly, but it wasnt enough and he shook off. The wind started to pick up and we decided to leave at that point. It was great to mix up the day with some moving water than hit some stillwater. Thanks Nick lets plan on some more outting next year man.

It's Fall and the Feedbags are ON!!

2008-09-28T21:31:00.007-06:00

Got the call from Mike that he was interested in hitting another lake we had our eye on for some time. From a reliable source, we were told that tigers were in this high unita lake. So we loaded up the toons and headed out. You couldnt ask for a better fall day. The golden colors of the aspens were on fire in the morning sunrise. We had to take a dirt road which led us up a mountain to get to our destination. Once we got to the lake the water was alot lower than we expected. We had to drive down to the shoreline to unload the truck and we prepared for the day. Right off the top Mike was throwing off of the shoreline and connected with a nice fish. The day was setting up to be a great one. Once in the water Mike was kicking my ass and I had a lot catching up to do. Once I found my grove the leader board started to shrink for Mike. We dodged a few rain drops but the fishing remained steady for the most part. Later n the day the sun broke out and the wind started to pick up and we started hooking fish just 50 yards away from the truck. Mike stuck some nice Cutts and with a few Tigers in the mix it was a great day. After loading everything up we decided to try up the road from where we were to visit another lake in the area. Once we got out the wind really picked up and than we decided to pack it up and we called it a day.

UOTF Stillwater 08 gathering

2008-09-28T21:24:00.003-06:00

The annual UOTF trip to Strawberry was great, this is an annual gathering of guys on http://www.utahonthefly.com/ Lots of food, drinks and just great conversation. The burgers that Jess had prepared were excellent. Chipolte Burgers!!! Some of the best tasting burgers you'll ever taste. Fishing was spotty at best but Ron was throwning down on us while we ate lunch on shore. He didnt want to come in while the fishing for him was on fire. The fish were not keying in on any particular pattern The great lunch made up for the lack of fish. While we ate there was a slight downpour of rain which didnt last long. Occasional break in the skies would turn the fish on. Later in the day as usual the wind picked up and it was time leave. Overall the Berry had been hit and miss for the most part. Great times were had and it was great to joke around with some of the guys I havent seen all year. Till next year.

Labor Day Weekend Bendo

2008-09-01T17:38:00.011-06:00

Well I had the chance to take a 4 day weekend and I jumped on the chance to take. With all the home projects I've been doing, I hadn't taken the pontoon out at all. So I dusted it off in search of some Bear Lake Cutts in the Berry over the holiday weekend. It felt good to get back in the boat and take a stab at landing a few fish. I had heard before we left that the weather was going to turn bad on Sunday and as you can see in the pictures the high clouds started rolling in but the wind was tolerable. Fishing in the afternoon at the Berry can be tough especially in the afternoon hours. So I rigged up my 6wt Loop Rod and a type 4 sink line and went hunting. A lot of the fish I graphed were suspended in about 19ft of water. Took my first Cutt on a Spectrumized Leech size 8. I like to use Leech patterns with no weight at all. With a short 5ft leader, that fly will sink just fine. After about another hour went by and no fish to the boat, I decided to change the Leech for one of Cheech's Estas Bugger in White. First cast with this pattern produced a healthy Rainbow which seem pretty rare at best at the Berry. Another hour had pasted by and the wind started picking up so as a last ditch effort I threw on the Brown Spectrumized Leech again and hooked and landed another nice Cutt. I could feel that my battery was getting low on juice, being that I was using the battery for a dual purpose for lights in the trailer. I didn't was to drain it completely cause I needed heat in the trailer for the night. While I was out on the lake I had a friend which was catching crayfish in traps with my daughter and we had those for dinner after they cleaned them and boiled them. I have to say that they tasted pretty good considering that I have never eaten them before. After I quick meal of crayfish I started a camp fire to warm up with and the bottle of Jack Daniels helped as well. Over all it a great weekend and I certainly cant wait for the best the Berry has to offer as Fall approaches.

Random Ties.

2008-08-24T11:27:00.004-06:00

Well this summer has been the summer of many house projects

and I haven't been able to get out as much as I have liked. I guess

things just need to get done. That's OK though, I've been tying various

patterns for hopes of some small stream fishing. I plan on getting out

again before to long. I guess this was the year a lot of things just

had to be either upgraded, or built. I miss getting out but tying a few

patterns and recent phone calls from fishing buddies have kept

my sanity in check. Above are a few flies that I tied last night just

to keep me from losing my tying skills. Late Summer has always been

my favorite time to hit the water, but I hope to get out there while the

fishing is good. Enjoy the patterns and if you have any questions

regarding how I did them drop me a line.

A Little PMX Love

2008-07-21T06:54:00.008-06:00

I've been on a PMX kick lately since my last trip and decided

to share the receipe with some of a few friends. So here it is.

Tiemco 200R----------size 14

Orange Thread for the butt----------8/0 thread

Black Thread for remaining Fly-----8/0 thread

Bleached Elk Hair

Black Bug Body from http://www.flytyersdungeon.com/

Poly Yarn Post in White

Black Bug Body for the legs

Peacock Herl for the Thorax

Grizzly Hackle for the Parachute.

This Pattern has a lot of steps involved but it sure is a killer fly.

Tie a few up! You wont be disappointed!

Central Utah High Mountain Pizza Delivery

2008-07-14T12:04:00.021-06:00

Got an IM from a friend Brandon telling me that a particular river in Central Utah was fishing well. After getting the low down and patterns that was working good for him I decided to give a few friends a call to saddle up were hitting some water. The calls went out to Jerry and Nich. Nich whom I haven’t had the pleasure of fishing with before was good company and full of laughs. We set the pick-up time for 8am and we motored out.

I was sent a google map of how to get to this location and after a missed dirt road we found our way traversing a mountain ridge at around 9000ft. Plenty of wildflowers all over the mountainside as we drove this single track dirt road. I would have hated it if we had to encounter another vehicle coming from the opposite direct but luck would have it that we didn’t see another vehicle on the way in. Sounds of chirping Cicadas were predominate throughout the drive down the mountain inching our way closer to the rivers edge.

By this time it was after 10:30am. As we pulled in the smell of hot brakes was in the air. We saw that parking area had 5 other vehicles which had the same idea's in mind. We quickly rigged our rods double check flies and all the other items needed for the day. Wet wading was the calling of the day and off we were.

Once at the river edge we saw fish rising in a nice pool. Nich quickly tossed out a Cicada pattern and "BAM" first fish of the day was on. Jer on the other hand was up above me having his own go at some fish as well. I was near Jerry when I heard him say "Fish On!" A nice 16" brown came to his hand using a Adams Dry. The fish were not very particular on what patterns they wanted but the presentation was the key.

I walked ahead of the guys to look at what the river looked like above where we were. I came across a nice slow running pool. I tied on a CDC Elk Hair Caddis and "WHAM" a nice cutthroat came to hand. Nich was working upstream and Jerry wasn’t to be seen until later in the afternoon.
I packed up my gear and started walking up river. Lots of stones fluttered the water laying their eggs in the slack water. Caddis were sparse but they were out as well. I could still hear the Cicadas in the trees. At this point I stumbled across an open meadow. Slow water and a lot different than the river below. The fish in this area seemed very spooky. Stealth was the answer in this section. Throwing patterns across the river to the opposite bank was the ticket. I took a couple nice fish throwing Hopper Patterns to get into a few risers.

Nich finally showed up and he was casting near a log in the water with about a 5 foot drop. He tossed his Cicada pattern by the log and pulled a nice brown out of there. That Brown tried to wrap him up into the deep undercut bank but Nich managed to pull him out no problem. By this time we walked up river a little and found a couple of other fly fisherman and decided to turn back to find Jer.
Once we got to the Railroad tracks we saw Jerry walking our direction. We stopped talked about how he did and what we seen down in the meadow section. We 3 walked back downstream talked about the various spots and holes that we fished earlier.

For one last shot Jer decided to throw a Black PMX out in this nice run and again he scored another nice brown. Than Nich scored again on his Cicada Pattern. Nice way to close the day out. We decided to fish where we entered the river in the moring before unloading all or gear and head out. Jer's Pizza was waiting for us when we got back and it was some good tasting pizza after a long day on the river. Let’s do it again guys!!

Experimental Hotwire Stone

2008-06-10T11:00:00.004-06:00

This is my latest creation of trying to simulate a Stonefly Nymph.

I love the alternating wire for the body of these flies. I havent really

put them through the test yet but I'm hoping for good results.

Reciepe.

TMC 200R Hook Size 14

2 Black Biots for the tail

Gold and Black SM UTC Wire

Black Thin Skin for the wing case

A special Blend of dubbing bought through Fly Tiers Dungeon

Under body lead wire

Bead head,

8/0 Black Thread.

Partridge in Brown for the legs.

$5 Foot Long River

2008-06-10T06:55:00.014-06:00

Well the day couldn't have started any better unless you enjoy rain and wind. The wind was a definite and it was hard casting a 4wt into a 25 mph wind. We got to our parking location and to our surprise there wasn't another sole around. Great times ahead as we hurried and rigged up. On this river we have our usual starting points and the water looked high but it was clear. With the sunny skies we knew the fish would be tough to catch and stealth would be the calling for the day.

As we walked up river Jer had the lead and I could hear Ol' Jer hollering that he had one on. From my vantage point I couldnt see him but from the sounds of his voice it was a nice Brown. The wind made it horrible with wind knots and the constant re rigging. Than Mike got into a few and I was still at zero around mid day. I was getting a little nervous thinking to myself " I cant get skunked again, I have to land one even if its a small fish. So about midway up there was a small deep stretch that Mike and Jer have already pulled a couple of nice Browns out of.

I broke off my flies to add some more weight and used a peacock stripped Baetis pattern that I had tied a week ago and I grabbed it from my Experimental Box. Tied that on with a huge scud. Lobbed a cast at this time the wind was at my back. Easy to cast ahead of me but the back cast was tough.I saw the indicator go down and it was game on! A nice 15" brown came to hand and boy was I relieved. Wow, I felt good. Time to move up and try the notorious "Money Hole". We got there and the water in this pool looked outstanding. No risers but this is a deep pool where nymphing is the gameplan. Jer, Mike and I all dredged it with no avail. This one spot you could always count on but the river didnt see it our way so we walked upstream a bit more to one of the last deep holes before we called it a day. I decided to pack the rod and man Mike's camera to catch some action shots. The fellas didnt disappoint either. First Jer had one on than Mike. A Double on film....Sweetness!!

About this time it was about 4pm and we were burnt to a good crisp. Jer had it worst cause he had worked the night before so he was pretty much toast. We had some of Jer's Pizza waiting for us at the truck and it tasted good. I couldnt pull my keys out fast enough to unlock the doors. Those boys got hungry for sure. I dont think I was on the road for 10 minutes and the ladies were fast asleep.

It felt good to be out in the sunshine with the cold water running past your legs while being out with great friends catching nice fish.......That to me is what its all about.

Photo’s courtesy of Mike Doughty

3 Strikes.......I'm out!!!

2008-05-02T14:31:00.005-06:00

Well its been a tough spring for me

this year. In the past 3 trips I've been skunked. Dont know what the deal is but I've gotta fix it. Jer thought it could be because I'm using the Thingamabobber and he could be right. Its time for a different game plan.

Flies of the Week.......March 2rd 08

2008-03-02T10:50:00.004-07:00

I've tied these up as to see if they have any chance for success. In the next couple of weeks the Baetis should start to appear. I'll post some pics of those patterns next week.

Fly of the Week....... 2/24/08

2008-02-24T13:44:00.007-07:00

Double Midge

Body-------------Black 8/0 thread and twisted black antron for the extended rear
Hackle----------Grizzly
Hook------------Size 18

Wyoming is going to be great this year..........

2008-02-23T08:43:00.008-07:00

A typical Brown from this stream.

Mike with a decent Wyoming Brown.

Here is what the area looked like just a year ago.

Not alot of snow last year, but things look promising for this year.

Wyoming is a great state to fish. Prolific Hatches and all the solitude that one can enjoy.

I've been in this area in the past with only sparse snow at best
in other years I have fished this river.

The river supports great fish that I have landed in the past and I hope the heat doesnt stress the fish to bad this year.

Brown Bonanza.............Jan 08

2008-02-23T08:41:00.010-07:00

Nothing beats fly fishing with good friends. Mike is no different when it comes to jabbing and joking on a drive anywhere. I had got a call from him earlier in the week trying to decide on where to go. We quickly decided and met up on a Saturday Morning. Corey which I have fished with in the past had joined us as well. I have fished with Cor one other time and Mike has fished with him on a number of outings. Mike had just got back from a deployment to Iraq and he wanted to get out and jump right back into fishing as he did before he left. While on the drive up we talked about some of his experience over in Iraq and the seriousness quickly led to some joking and jabbing which isn't unusual when we drive together on any outing. The day started as a bluebird day and no wind to speak of. I had a feeling that this day would be very different. I couldn't put my finger on it but its was something I couldn't explain. Once we got to or destination we quickly met up with Bryan, Chris, and Cary. We spoke for a bit, exchanged some flies and we decided to fish upstream while they would fish below us. Only later did we find out that Chris had broke his ankle and they left. Chris I hope the leg is feeling better and your out swing'n your stick. It was nice to met you guys.

We rigged up at the truck and walked upstream to our 1st hole which has always produced for us. I wasn't finished rigging so once we got to the spot I put on a Blood Worm and a Glow Bug. Being that these fish were in the post spawn mode I knew they would be hungry. Mike and Cor decided to look over the run and said they thought they seen about 60 Browns stacked up tightly in this short run. Now I usually don't start with any Glow Bug but something told me to do it so I did. While Mike and Cor were finishing their rigging I jumped in to the back edge of the run and made a cast. I was rewarded with a nice 17" brown on the first cast. It had took the Glow Bug. I was somewhat surprised and I knew it was going to be a killer day. Mike was up next and he caught his first..a nice 24" pig. Then Cor caught one as well. We fished this run for about 2 hours before deciding to give the run a rest and we would return after fishing upstream. We did well on some of the other pools and riffle water and returned late in the afternoon and gave it another shot. This time Cor decided to climb up the opposite bank where there was a cliff and he could see down the run and all of the fish in it. As I was casting Cor would direct me on where the school of Browns were located and I adjusted my casting to his directions. Mike got into the run and got a few as well. After a few more fish Mike decided to climb up to where Cory was sitting and he decided to climb down and get a few more also. It was a great day with friends for sure. Below are some of the day caught on film by Cory. Thanks again guys and we'll do it again soon!

Photo’s courtesy of Corey K.

Mike's Brown
Mike's 24" Pig!
The Release!

The End of the Day.

A Glow Bug victim.
From Corey's vantage point.
Another nice Brown.
Solid Fish Mike!!
The 24" Beast

Walking up to the next hole.
Spotter.
Afternoon Brown.
Another Nice one!

Egg Eater!

Mike's Nice 24" Brut.

4 weights........the arsenal.

2008-02-22T16:39:00.004-07:00

4 weights have been a large part of my evolution as a fly fisherman. Since I first picked up a fly rod some 30 years ago. I remember the first rod that I saved and bought was an HMG Fenwick 8ft 2 piece 4 weight. Thats all I have ever fished and thats what I love to throw.

When I was a young boy I prefered to fly fish over any other way to catch fish. When I lived in California I would always string my Fenwick and leave everything else aside. As a teenager I often went after Bass and Bluegill till I couldnt take it anymore. I had some highschool friends that flyfished as well so we always had so many things to talk about in class that's if the teacher didnt catch us while he was talking. As the years went by the Fenwick was lost in a move to Utah back in 1982.

After recovering from that Fenwick loss my next purchase was from a local fly shop here in the Salt Lake Valley called Western River Fly Fishers. I noticed online that they had a used SAGE RPL+. Well I went down there and looked it over and took it outside on a cloudy and rainy day. I dont fish with it much and I dont know why but I still have it and I break it out now and again.

Well about 3 years ago I had heard about the Sage XP. I talked to a few friends and other anglers about this rod and what the rave was about it. I had casted a friends 490 XP and loved it. I soon bought one and use it often and I really enjoy the fast action of this rod. The only regret I have about the XP is that I wished I had bought one in 4 piece.

Last year I had the chance to buy a Loop rod and I jumped on that chance to see what this rod was about. I've only fished it once this year but I know it will see more playing time as the year moves along.