Tying My Favorite Midge Patterns

I spent both Saturday and Sunday tying midge fly patterns. Three patterns in sizes 16, 14, 12 & 10. In the order they appear here, these three are my all time favorite stillwater midge patterns.

#1. Redd October

This is a very simple midge larva pattern and the most productive pattern I've ever used. I invented this bloodworm pattern based on the red holographic butt section of my third favorite midge pattern, the X-mas Chronie. The trout's response to the Redd October was simply unbelievable. I've never had as much success with any other fly before or since. For step-by-step tying instruction and recipe go to my web site here.


#2. Doc's Thread Midge

I came up with my version of the thread midge in the summer of 2006 after a day fishing deep for lunker rainbows at Star Lake. Black chironomids were emerging and I was doing well until I ran out of black colored patterns. When I got home I went to tie up a dozen but didn't have any black material for the body so I just used black 8/O thread. When I went back to Star the next day, the fishing was even better so I've been tying them this way ever since. Click the pic for a larger view.

RECIPE
Hook: Mustad C-49S sizes #18 - #8
Thread: Black 8/O (other colors can be used)
Head: Black Bead size 3/32
Body: Black 8/O thread
Rib: Fine gold wire
Thorax: Peacock Hurl
Gills: Stillwater Solutions Midge Gill (white yarn)
The shine on the fly is from applying Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails.





#3. X-Mas Cronie

I invented this pattern at a Flies 'N' Beer night at my old club (Santannas). I wasn't sure if the fly would work or not but when I got out to Muir I couldn't keep the trout off. I tie this pattern on a Mustad C-49S Caddis Curved hook but it can be tied on any caddis hook. I've had outstanding success with this pattern on every stillwater fishery I've wet a line and if you give it a try, I'm sure you will too. For the recipe and step-by-step tying instructions, visit my web site here.

Entomology Continued

I found some more videos regarding entomology. These videos are fly fishing related as apposed to the last ones I posted. I hope you enjoy them.

This first video deals with the bugs you find in streams.





This next video deals specifically with the Damselfly nymph.





So as of today still not able to get out to any open water around Edmonton. We had a horrid snow storm that started Saturday and finished on Tuesday. Even up here in north-central Alberta, we don't usually get snow storms like that in April. The storm dropped over 30cm's of Snow (that's just shy of a foot for my American friends). The snow is starting to melt now and should all be gone by Sunday (again). Let's hope that that's the end of the snow 'til October. Since I'm wishing, I might as well wish for no snow 'til the end of November.

For all you hockey fans out there, you probably heard that the Calgary Flames (Edmonton Oilers arch rival) were eliminated last night by the San Jose Sharks. Being an Oilers fan, it's hard to root for the Flames but since they are a Canadian, I was hoping they would win. Since they didn't win though, I'd like to add...

This post has been brought to you by

Entomology Classes

You ever wanted to go to university and take an entomology course? While searching around YouTube I found some videos called Introduction to Entomology both parts 1 & 2 brought to you by the University of California. The videos an hour each and are not specific to fly-fishing but they do give you some detailed information about insects and their life cycles. Very informative videos that move along quickly but not highly entertaining by any means. Anyway, if this is something that might interest you then give them a look.







Here's a great little video called: Midges: Chapter 5 of the "Bugs of the Underworld" DVD. This video is a little more fly-fishing related and gives you stillwater fly anglers are great look at emerging midges.




And finally (nothing really to do with entomology though) here's a podcast from Fly Fish Radio with Mike Andreasen on Stillwater Fly-fishing. Good information here.




Stillwater Fly-fishing
(Click this link to hear it now)

Muir aerators are out

Dam! I forgot my camera at home today and didn't realize it 'til I was half way to the lake. I'm sorry to say I have no pics for this post and especially no photo of Emerson falling off the dock into the lake (he's so lucky no cameras were out). What a glorious day though. It got up to 23 Celsius which is 73F for my American friends. That's really nice for this time of year way up north here in Alberta. Our regular temps are around 9 degrees Celsius (48F) for this time of year. Anyway, I headed out to the lake but unfortunately not to fish. No, It's that time of year we take the aerators off of Muir Lake. If you're not sure what aerators are, they are like fountain sprayers that shoot water into the air to capture oxygen and it then gets cycled through the lake so the fish don't die during the winter. There are other forms of aerators as well but we use this kind. For more info click here. About 10 or 11 of us showed up all under the umbrella of the Fisheries Enhancement Society of Alberta (FESA). Included under that umbrella are four local Edmonton clubs: Trout Unlimited Canada (Edmonton Chapter), the Edmonton Trout Club, the Northern Lights Fly Tyers & Fishers and the Edmonton Old Timers Fishing Club. We have two aerators on Muir Lake and it took approximately an hour for each aerator. After that we enjoyed some BBQ'ed smokies and BS'ed for a while. There are some exciting things in the works for FESA and TU for this summer but I'll save those for another day. Anyway, Muir does have some open water but it's not open to fishing until May 1st. I didn't see any trout rising while I was there but I did see tons of water boatman, a couple of backswimmers and one damselfly nymph as well as a few adult midges. Michael Dell and I also saw two diving beetles, one was huge which he picked it up to show some of the guys. I thought it would bite me so I didn't even bother. Now that we've been out to Muir though, I'm getting really itchy to wet a line. Might have to make that Bow trip soon.

Naked Chick With Dick?

So what's all the internet buzz about right now? Well it has to do with fly-fishing. It also has to do with a naked woman. And a very well known someone by the name of Dick Cheney. This Whitehouse photograph of Mr. Cheney shows a great big smile and some nice dark sunglasses. But check out the reflection in the glasses. You gotta admit, it does look like a naked woman. For the whole story click here and draw your own conclusion. Oh; and how 'bout that title for todays blog post eh? Ya, I came up with that all by myself (Doc pats himself on the back). I wonder how many perv's will end up here?



Nice catch! But is it really fishing? I guess it could be considered fishing but it's definitely not my idea of fishing. This trout was caught at an indoor fishery located at Ouldleusen, near Dalfsen in the Netherlands.

Just outside of Edmonton close to Spruce Grove and just off the Devon highway, there's a pay and play pond. The name of the place slips my mind at the moment but my buddy Brent and I stopped in there one day just to take a look. We were told it's stocked with both rainbow trout and steelhead. The way it works is whatever you catch, you must keep and at the time we were there it cost $2.00 an inch. Now in my mind, that's not fishing as the pond is so small you could easily cast across it. I guess it would be ok to get a small child started into the sport of fishing but for an adult, I just don't see the sport in it. So an indoor pond would definitely be out of the question even at this time of year when our waters are either frozen over or closed to fishing. Your thoughts?

Stillwater Fly Fishing School

I must be a really good friend or just plain stupid. (I'm not looking for feedback on that statement). I'm now going to send potential clientel to my buddy Phil for close to the same thing that I offer (only I offer one on one instruction). What the hell, Phil's been a good friend and has taught me much since he's been in the Edmonton area. So with that said, if you're interested in a two day introduction to stillwater fly fishing school, here's your opportunity to learn from Mr. Rowley himself.

Fishin’ Hole – Stillwater Fly School Itinerary – May 24 & 25 2008

Saturday

9:00 – 9:15 Introduction and Opening
9:15 - 10:00 Understanding Lakes
10:00 – 10:15 Coffee Break
10:15 – 11:15 Equipment (Rods, Lines, Reels, Boats, etc.)
11:15 – 12:00 Knots and Rigging
12:00 – 2:00 Lunch Break (on your own)
2:00 – 3:00 Entomology (Bugs)
3:00 – 3:15 Coffee Break
3:15 – 4:00 Approaching a New Lake
4:00 – 4:15 Closing and Review

Sunday

9:00 Meet at Lake (to be determined)
9:00 – 9:30 Observation tricks and techniques
9:30 – 4:00 Fish ‘til you drop

NOTE: Course participants MUST have their own boat, pontoon boat or float tube

Course Cost is $150.00 + GST

Register Today at your nearest Fishin’ Hole retail store.




I'm almost finished my indoor spring cleaning and fixing. It's a week long process, you know, cleaning the storage rooms, vents and light fixtures, the covers for the bathroom fans; all the things you leave for that once a year cleaning. Plus I fixed all the loose and broken things around the house like the toilet paper roll holder as well as changing all the burnt out specialty light bulbs, tightening bathroom toilet seats and replacing the spray nozzle in the kitchen sink, etc, etc, etc. I just have the windows left to clean and then the garage. Ya, that #&%$ing garage! That might take me a week. If you saw my garage, it's pretty much a holding tank for everything we've accumulated over the years and don't want in the house. I'm really gonna have a garage sale this year and get rid of this stuff (of course I say that every year). So what does all this have to do with fly-fishing? Well here in Edmonchuck, there's really no fishing possible at this time of year as the trout lakes are frozen over still and the open water at Wabamun is closed to fishing for the spring spawn. So it's the perfect time for fixing and cleaning. You see that way when it comes time to hit the open water, my wife can't hold me back for unfinished tasks. There's nothing worse then telling your wife that you're going fishing and hearing that hated reply: "Are you forgetting you promised to fix the...". Of course if I'm feeling really sneaky I could just say I have a client. That works until she wants the income for the bank deposit but by that time it's too late. And then I pay for being sneaky.

Movin' On Up

Wow, it's almost been a week since my last post. Time is flying for this cat. I've been training a co-worker to take over my job at Wild Game Consultants as I just agreed to a job promotion into management. I've been away from a high stress position since I sold my shares in Santannas and the need to move up and take on more responsibility has been gnawing at me. I've put my paramedic aspirations on hold for now as there is so much room for growth with this company I just couldn't say no. What I'm not sure about at this time however is whether I'll now have the time for my small guiding business. As it sits right now, I'm still planning on teaching and guiding for this summer but I'm only offering trips on the weekends.

Saw this video and thought I'd share it with you. It could have turned out so much worse but luckily it didn't. You know, sometimes I don't wear glasses because I don't like the 'raccoon eyes' look but this is just another example of how important eye wear is while fly-fishing.

Outdoor Show & Sale

For those of you in the Edmonton area, don't forget about the fishin' hole / Campers Village Outdoor Show & Sale at the Mayfield Trade Centre starting this Thursday March 27 and running 'til Sunday March 30. If you've never been it's a great time and features presenters on fishing, fly tying, camping and more. There is also a casting lane, a kids casting game, kids fly tying center (Northern Lights Fly Tyers) and of course one of the best fishing and camping sales of the year. To top it off there is no charge for parking and no entry fee. They are asking you to bring some canned or dry goods for The Food Bank though so please donate what you can. I'll try and make it down on Sunday to work the Trout Unlimited booth, hope to see you there.




Speaking of Campers Village. If you haven't heard, they've opened a new store on the south side of Edmonton at 3235 Calgary trail. The store has a nice, new, fresh look to it. I think it's time for them to move out of that old warehouse looking location on the west end and into something newer like their south side store. But hey, what do I know?

Good news on the Raven River study

I just received an e-mail from Michael Dell (President of Trout Unlimited Edmonton) with some great news. It appears the Alberta Conservation Association has granted $50,800 for our study on the Raven River. We (T.U. Edm) are putting in $30,000. Most of which has been raised at our annual Lloyd Shea raffle at the Fishin' Hole Outdoor Show & Sale. Jim O'Neil put together a proposal for a study on the Raven and his firm Golder is committing $16,500 worth of their time (in-kind contribution).

It was the late Lloyd Shea's vision to see a study done on the Raven River and thanks to Jim we have a way to spend this money to honor Lloyd's memory. As a lot of you may already know, the North Raven (Stauffer Creek) has had enhancement work done to it in the past (much appreciation to the Central chapter of TU Alberta and all the volunteers) making this piece of water a world class Brown Trout fishery. With the planned studies completed on the Raven, it too may need enhancement work that could see better opportunities for anglers.



The objectives of the study are as follows:

Objective 1 - Assess current status and temporal changes in brown trout abundance in the Raven River, by comparing results of a mark-recapture program in 2008 with the results obtained from a similar program conducted in 1977 (Rhude and Kraft 1978). Based on the perception of the angling community, sport fish populations (particularly brown trout) have declined due to land use, the development of the Dickson Dam and other stressors.

Objective 2 - Describe riparian conditions and fish habitat of the Raven River, from the headwaters to the Red Deer River confluence using low-level videography (Mills and Scrimgeour 2004); in combination with ground-based assessments. The Alberta "Cows and Fish" RHA protocol will be applied to impaired river sections investigated under Objective 3.

Objective 3 - Evaluate the success of previous riparian restoration efforts (e.g., stream bank fencing, livestock crossing installations) on fish assemblages in the Raven River basin (including North Raven sites). We will also examine candidate metrics [for provincial Index of Fish Integrity (IFI) programs] that represent various functional and structural attributes of the fish community (e.g., species richness, % carnivores or carnivore catch per-unit effort; Stevens et al. 2006). Data will be collected on fish assemblages via electrofishing and compared among river sections having degraded riparian areas (n=10), sections with restored riparian areas (n=10), and sections with relatively intact riparian areas (n=10; 30 sites total).

Objective 4 - To identify critical spawning areas for brown trout based on a late fall redd survey; and investigate the influences of riparian and instream variables on the abundance and distribution of redds. The late fall spawning (redd) survey will be conducted by volunteers from Trout Unlimited Canada; similar to the survey conducted by the organization in 1997. Riparian and fish habitat data will be collected as outline in Objective 2.

If you would like to get involved with this project, you can obtain more information at the April 21 Edmonton TU meeting.



Ever wanted to be a fishing show host on TV? Well get you DVC ready as the World Fishing Network wants to know if you have what it takes to become Canada s next great fishing TV host!


This taken from their website; "a WFN panel will select a number of contestants that will appear online at www.wfn.tv. The public will vote for their favourites. The top 50 entries from each region (Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto) will then compete in the contest s third round of live auditions during the 2009 Canadian National Sportsmen s Show (CNSS) season."

Audition Guidelines can be viewed here http://www.wfn.tv/casting_call/guidelines.pdf.

Hmmm... maybe I'll giver a go myself.

Oh snow you di-in't!

In my last post I did some venting about the snow that fell Friday night. It helped to vent a bit but of course it had to snow Saturday night as well. My wedding season kicked off Saturday night with my first gig of 2008. The show rocked and everyone was pleased especially the Bride but what a crappy way to end off a great night. MORE SNOW! So in the last couple days the snow has been melting with these plus temperatures and it's feeling like Spring again. That is until this Saturday coming up when the forecast calls for snow again! And of course it has to happen on the weekend, it would be way too much to ask for plus temperatures on Saturday and Sunday now wouldn't it. Yes I'm venting again.


Of course the reason I want all this snow gone and the warm temps to return is so I can spend some time fishing for monster Pike at Wabamun again before it closes on April 1st. I guess I could watch this video over and over again but I don't have to tell you, it's just not the same. Not allowed to embed the video for some reason but it is one of the better Pike videos I've come across.

Pike Action Video

Let it snow, let it snow, let it... I'm so sick of snow!

So here we are. It's March 15, the beginning of the spring season for most in North America. A time when we start to see the grass again, the birds start coming back, the ice is melting off of the lakes and the streams are opening up. Last Saturday I was fly-fishing for Pike on a warm spring day with some snow remaining on the ground but looking dirty, old and beaten up. You could tell it wasn't going to last long as spring was coming out of the corner with it's fists just a swingin'. And then today, exactly one week later; I wake up to this.











It seems that winter has pulled the old Rocky Balboa move. Just when you think he's done, he draws this strength from some supernatural place and starts giving powerful body shots to the ribs followed by a stunning uppercut.

I had these great plans for Sunday. It involved Wabamun, some monster Pike and either a boat, pontoon or float tube. That decision was to be made today. Ya, I heard about the forecast for snow but can you really believe these weathermen (or weatherwomen). And from previous experience, I've found that if you keep your plans 'til the last minute before pulling the plug, sometimes it pays off. Sometimes, but not this time.

You know, when I was a kid I absolutely loved winter. There was a time when I loved it more then summer. Hockey was the biggest reason but there was also snowball fights, building forts and ice slides, sledding, both cross country and downhill skiing and of course you can't forget; Christmas. That special time of year when magic is for real and dreams really do come true.

Now that I'm older however, I detest winter. The cold, the snow, the shoveling, the heating bills, the power bills, the starting your car 15 minutes before you leave for work and of course; Christmas. That special time of year that you need to get a 2nd mortgage on the house just so everyone you know has a present under their tree. Do I sound like a Scrooge? Sorry, it's just this dam SNOW! I know what you're thinking. Doc, you live in North-central Alberta, Canada and have for over 30 years. You'd think you'd be used to it by now. And your right, I should be. But you know when bad things happen to people and they sweep those unhappy memories under the carpets of their mind, pretending it never happened? I think i do that with winter and purposely yet unconsciously forget we still get snow storms as late as May. Actually, now that I think of it, I remember getting snow in August one year. Dam! I think I'm having a psychological breakthrough. But I don't want one... I JUST WANT SPRING!

Sooo. How's your day going?

It is a popsicle leech

In my last post, we were looking for the name of the fly I used to catch those Wabamun Pike on Saturday. Well, we've gone one better and not only found the name but got the recipe too. Phil has confirmed that the fly is indeed a Popsicle leech and here's what you'll need to tie it.



Hook= R74 #2 4XL
Thread = Orange 6/O
Tail = White Marabou & UV Pearl Flashabou (aka Blue Ice)
Body = Pearlessence Crystal Chenille

Body Hackle = UV Pearl Polar Chenille

Front Hackle = Grey Strung Marabou
Head = Orange Cone

To see the video, go to Phil's site, sign up (free), and search for popsicle leech.


Hey, looks like someone decided to make a couple bucks off of my X-Mas Chironomid pattern. I found it for sale on ebay. I e-mailed the tier/seller and let him know that the pattern calls for a silver bead and the red butt section should only take up 1/3 of the body. You can see it for sale here... X-Mas Chironomid on ebay.

Here's a pic of my original.




For those of you that live in Edmonton, don't forget the Edmonton Boat and Sportsman Show is this weekend. The Northern Lights fly tyers will be there teaching the young ones how to tie flies. Drop buy and say hi to the guys.

Thought I'd leave you this video. 'The Making Of The Orvis Helios Fly Rod'. I think the vid is pretty cool, maybe you'll enjoy it too.

What, this old fly?

I've been getting quite a few e-mails from folks asking what fly I was using to catch those monster Pike at Wab yesterday.

You mean this one?

Phil Rowley tied this up and gave it to me at the fishin' hole outdoor show last year when he was tying up some patterns at the Superfly booth. I never got the name of the fly when he gave it to me so I phoned him today and asked him what it is. He of course didn't remember so I described it to him. After some investigation Phil, Brent and myself all believe it's a simplified version of a white popsicle leech. I sent a pic to Phil via e-mail so he'll let me know Monday what he truly thinks it is.



Outcast has come up with some new products for 2008. Some of them I'm rather interested in so I thought I would point them here on my blog.


Almost all of Outcast's float tubes have been re-designed with the new "Line Control System" or LCS. The tubes in both the Fish Cat and Fat Cat series now incorporate an adjustable height stripping apron for easy entry and exit and a tension apron surface for better control of stripping line.





The new Discovery 10-IR is also new. This new 10ft pontoon boat, offers a unique casting deck and lean bar which deploys and stows easily, allowing the angler to stand up for better casting or sight fishing on both rivers and stillwaters It offers many more features including a 450lb weight capacity and can be purchased for just under $1,000.






Anglers inflatable PFD. I don't think we can get these in Canada as they aren't approved by the Canadian Coast Guard (but I could be wrong). However, they are approved by the USCG. This unit is manually inflated and one size fits all. The cost of this PFD is only $95.00. Mustang's similar PFD goes for $160.00.






The other new product I'm interested in is their re-designed wader bag. It has both wet and dry storage compartments, a fold out mat and extra pockets. It comes in two sizes: small = 19x10x13 @ $60.00 and large = 24x12x16 @ $75.00.



If you'd like to check out their web site you can view it here and see what else is new.

Still not fishing the Bow but check out these monster Pike

So here I am. It's Saturday night and I'm sitting at my PC, writing on my blog. I was supposed to be standing in the Bow River this afternoon, casting some nymphs, streamers and maybe a San Juan to some eager trout. Right about now I'd be driving back to Edmonton on the Q.E.2 with a great big smile on my face. Unfortunately, my buddy Brent (Weedy1) backed out again (this is his second time since the snow has fallen) because of another lame excuse. Like his job is anywhere near as important as fly-fishing. Not that he even had to work, he was put on call at the last minute. And to top it off, he has a three hour response window. Like we couldn't get off the river and back to Edmonton in three hours. Oh it can be done! IT CAN BE DONE!

So Brent and I headed out to Lake Wabamun in search of monster Pike instead. Yes, with the fly rods. There's open water at Wab all year due to the coal generated power plant in town that uses the cold lake water to cool the generators, then forces the warm water back out into the lake. This warm water discharge keeps bugs and aquatic life active meaning the fish stay active all year as well. So during the cold days of winter and into the spring it's not uncommon to see 10 - 20lb Pike sitting in 2 - 10ft of water feeding on smaller fish that are taking advantage of the numerous simple life forms. Before we headed out to Wab though, I had to find all my Pike stuff. Not an easy task if you've ever seen my garage (something I have to remedy this spring). When I started looking for my Pike stuff, I noticed that I couldn't even find my regular fishing gear like my waders, boots and my fishing jacket. So while I'm searching Brent shows up and I decide to take my old neoprenes and an old pair of wading boots (these boots are brutal, made of canvas with no ankle support). Anyway, we reach the 7-11 where Brent stops to buy some pop and I realize that my fishing license is in my waders. For a brief minute I thought about taking the chance and fishing without it. Wouldn't that have been nice if I got caught. Headline~"Fishing Guide gets caught fishing without license!" Well No Spank You! I told Brent to go back to my house and wished him good luck as there is no way I could fish without my license. So he thinks we should look for my stuff some more when suddenly a light bulb clicks on. BINGO! We're in business. We're in a hurry now so I don't remove the neo's and the old wading boots from the back of Brent's Cherokee as we don't want to run out of light before we get at least four hours in. As we drove up to the lake through the town of Wabamun, I couldn't believe how much open water there was. Then I saw all the ice fishermen. Wow, driving on the ice only about 100yrds from open water. Nuts I Say, Nuts! Anyway we make our way towards the power plant and park at the gate that leads down the warm water outlet with the six other vehicles. As we're getting ready, Brent exclaims that he forgot his wading boots. Uh oh! "Heh, wear mine", I tell him as I point to my old canvass boots. He tries them on and they fit. Back in business again. So we make our way to the lake climbing over the gate, crossing the railroad tracks and following the path beside the fence that parallels the outflow. When we start getting close we start seeing the other anglers, some fly-fishing but most bait fishermen. I ask one of the ladies I see, "how's the fishin'?" "Not so good, one little one so far" she says. I then asked a guy tightening up his line, "catch anything?" "Nope, nothing yet" he tells me. Then I see a familiar face (can't remember the name however, but that's not surprising I've always been bad with names) of a guy the works part time for the fishin' hole west (a tackle shop retail chain in western Canada). He's fly-fishing and tells me it's slow and he hasn't caught anything yet. So I decide to tie on a white bugger with an orange cone head (a fly Phil Rowley tied up for me) and within 10 mins. I hooked into this 40 inch pike. It was my biggest for the day. Unfortunately, I didn't get a pick holding it 'cause when I started to lift it, it shot right out of my hands.






Here's the second pike I caught, taped in (according to the measure net) at 35 inches.















And the third pike also at 35 inches.































The fourth was a decent size pike but didn't bother netting it. Probably around 8lbs. Brent caught one for the day, a little smaller than my 8 pounder but it gave him a good scrap. Man it was nice to get out, I'll be going back before April 1st for sure. The Bow? What's that?

Trout Bums cancelled, now I'm bummed out

I was really looking forward to the Trout Bum Film Tour coming to Edmonton. They were supposed to be here on Thursday March 6 showing their film at the Edmonton Public Library. According to their Blog, we should have been expecting to see; "films shot in extreme, exotic and distant locations; epic scenery, cutting edge music, and conservation pieces that are as entertaining to watch, as they are important; and of course gigantic fish on the end of a fly." Well, with a description like that you can see why I'm disappointed they canceled. I wonder if they canceled because of low ticket sales? I looked but other than the Edmonton date being removed from their schedule, I couldn't find any mention of the cancellation. I was planning on buying a ticket at the door. I guess everyone else had the same idea. For those that just have to see it, the show in Calgary is still on for Wed March 12.



Speaking of film (or is it video?). Talked to Phil tonight and asked him what plans he has as the new Director of Marketing and Communications of the TV show 'The New Fly Fisher'. Phil told me he's got feelers out for some new and exciting destinations to shoot new episodes. Some new locales may include areas of California, the Yukon and possibly even right here in the Edmonton area. I told Phil he needs to do a show on Lake Deifenbaker, catching 20+lb rainbows on flies after dark. Could you imagine the take by one of these pigs while you're holding a fly rod? Of course he'll need some scouting reports and I'm always up for that.


And that reminds me of this dragonfly pattern. It was Phil that first designed it as a booby fly (although it was pretty plain) . I suggested the marabou body and tail, the wing case as well as some silly legs to give it some life. The final pattern is what you see here. The idea with a booby fly is to fish it on the bottom with a sinking line and enough leader to keep the fly just above the top of the weeds. The big foam eyes and foam body will keep the fly buoyant and with some experimental stripping, you should be able to find a retrieve that the trout can not refuse. Just a warning though. Hold on to your rod. From my experiences, the takes on this fly are very intense. As far as I know, this pattern still doesn't have a name so if you come up with one that is catchy enough, let me know.

I really need to go fishing

Oh, the shack nasties are really setting in now. Wetting a line is no longer a want and not just something to dream about but to maintain sanity, it has now become a need. I'm gonna start to plan something in the next couple of days and see who out of my fishing buddies is on board for a day trip to Cowtown. Phil messaged me about a doing a Bow trip soon but if you've ever seen his schedule in early season from Feb 'til early June... well let's just say we'll be fishing the Bow in July sometime.



I'm sure you remember reading about the world record Rainbow caught in Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan this last summer by The Fish Geeks. Adam Konrad hooked and landed a massive Rainbow using a Mepps Syclops spinner. The Rainbow officially weighed in at 43.6 pounds to break the old record established in 1970 at 42 lbs 2 oz caught at Bell Island, Alaska. Well now there's a video coming out entitled "Diefenbaker Rainbow DVD". By clicking on the title you can download the trailer video to your own PC. These really are some 'Big Ass Bows'.


Of course fly-fishing is the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think of when I fall asleep (on a normal day). But one of my other passions is severe weather. I'm simply obsessed with lightening strikes and tornadoes. If you find yourself with this same obsession (and many do) here's s great site I've been visiting for quite a while. TornadoVideos.net has video taped some of the best tornado footage ever seen and Reed Timmer was even there for the Pipestone tornado that hit Manitoba last year. These guys are the extreme when it comes to tornado footage.

I keep missing fishing dates

Saturday night was the Edm Tu & NLFT&F's fundraiser at Bo-Diddley's. I missed that due to family issues. Monday was the monthly TU meeting. I missed that due to my nine year olds science fair (I helped her with the project part of Saturday & all day Sunday, it was a project on the human stomach. Why the stomach? I'm not really sure but it turned out well). Of course I let my daughter Hunter (on the left) and her science partner Cali, color, paste and write out all the information them selves. When I got to the fair I found out that apparently, I could have done all the work for her. Hmm. Anyway, between work and family, I just can't seem to get out to any fishing events. I hope the summer is a little kinder to me.


Speaking of work and summer, not only do I guide in the warmer months but I also DJ. Not to toot may own horn; but I am pretty good. Ok, I'm tooting my own horn. Anyway, I specialize in weddings, birthdays and company parties. The season will be starting up again in March and by May I'm usually working every Saturday night until October. If you're looking for a DJ, check out the company I work for; AJ'S Group. For those that have been to West Edmonton Mall, you may remember AJ as the piano guy at Sherlock Holmes back about 10 years ago. Now you can find him at O'Maille's Irish Pub.



In my last post I put up some videos that I personally enjoy watching. Well the video with the great cinematography has few more up on the net. The company's name is Danica. Check out both of these. Teaserkort & Teaserlang. I love both of these videos, just awesome to watch. I hope this is what we can expect from the Trout Bums Diaries Tour coming to the Edmonton Public Library on March 6.

If you've got a small boat (14' or smaller) and you'd like to haul it around on the roof of your vehicle but it's just to heavy and awkward for one person, you may be interested in this. I think it's a great idea. There's even one for a canoe. Best Selling Boat Loader In The World.

Some pretty cool videos

Just added these to my favorites on YouTube. I have fun looking for videos that I actually enjoy watching. I might enjoy them for different reasons. This one I enjoy for the calm serenity I feel while watching it. It reminds me of how i feel when I'm on a stillwater fishery. Check it out;

Here's one that I really enjoyed because of the cinematography. Who ever shot this is very good at their craft. I believe it's a trailer for a film called "Fly-fishing Europe".

If you fish you've definitely heard this song by Brad Paisley before and more than likely saw the video. It's always fun to watch it a few times every year however, so if you haven't watched it in a while, give it a look.

This video is for the guys. Ya, Chicks Gone Fly-Fishing (behind the scenes). What can I say? I'm weak to the sins of flesh. How does that song go? "You can look at the menu but you just can't eat." Words to live by when you're married. That was a big hit in the 80's. Remember the name? 'No One Is To Blame' by Howard Jones.

I didn't make it out to the TU Edmonton / NLFT&F's fundraiser at Bo-Diddley's on Sat night. Had some family issues come up that had to get dealt with and it was way to late by the time things were settled. I was looking forward to it too. Oh well, next year. I heard they had a good turn out though. Hope they raised some good money.

They don't understand us

Have you noticed that people who don't fly-fish, don't understand us. And it gets even worse with those who don't fish at all. When ever I try and explain fly-fishing to a non fisher, I feel like they have a mental picture of me sitting on a dock, shoeless with my straw hat and coveralls holding an old wooden pole that hosts a string with a worm dangling from an old rusty hook. Sort of like an old Norman Rockwell painting.

Even those that do fish (spin or bait), just don't get what fly-fishing is all about. And there are so many folks out there that believe fishing is directly linked to consumption. Countless numbers of people I've talked to when asked if they fish respond with statements like, "no, I don't like the taste of fish" or "no, the fish in Alberta don't taste very good". We've really got to change this correlation.

So my view on fly-fishing is this: Fly-fishing is the next step, the evolution if you will of fishing. It's the enlightenment of not just with what can we catch fish with but the why, where, when and how. It's like a life-long search for all the answers, a determination to absorb all that can be absorbed from the never ending amount of information involved into the sport of fly-fishing. It's hunting but on a different level, a level where our brains are more of a weapon then the rod and lure. Fly-fishing is a sport, passion, hobby and an art all rolled up into one. It involves physics, entomology, botany, ichthyology and hydrology. And yet with all that we cram into our brains, we get in or on the water and just enjoy the moment, take in the beauty, relax and just try and catch a few fish.

My fly is not so original

When I invented the X-mas Chronie, I fashioned it from the Illuminator. There were obvious changes. Bead head, colors, materials, etc... So lately I've been in correspondence with an American fly angler by the name of Joni who apparently has a version of my X-Mas Chronie. Her pattern is a little different but basically the same tie. She uses a copper bead and copper wire wrap as well she named her pattern the 'Irish Spring'. As you can see, it looks pretty darn close. I guess Phil was right. There are no new flies out there. Somebody somewhere has already thought of it. I guess the trick is to add your own little personality traits to it, traits that will catch you lots of fish to boot. What really caught my eye though was a double pupa fly. I've seen this done with other patterns but never a chironomid. I asked Joni if the catch rates were higher with the double and she responded; "I have caught fish on the double, but don't notice it being an improvement. More one of those flies for the fisher. But I did tie some for a swap and one of the FF's here did well with it." Definitely an intersting tie Joni and maybe worth a try come spring. Thanks for the use of your pics.


Just a reminder not to forget the Trout Unlimited fundrasier happening this Saturday night February 23 in conjunction with the Northern Lights fly tyers & Fishers. It all takes place at Bo Diddley's Roadhouse (11650 142 Street) starting at 6:00pm. Tickets are available at the door for $12.50 and that gets you a steak sandwich with caesar salad served at what ever time you order it. If you're at all worried about not knowing anyone, just show up and sit at the table with me and my wife, we're fairly hospitable.
We'll be raffling off a Winston Boron flyrod and a Loomis GL4 fly rod. There is also a silent auction featuring fishing and non-fishing related items and a 50/50 draw. Come and bid on silent auction items and support the chapter. I believe that NLFT&F's will be donating some of the money raised to Casting For Life as well.

Also, there will be an Edmonton chapter TU meeting on Monday February 25 in the Seminar room at the Northgate Lions Seniors Centre (7524 139 Avenue) at 7:30 pm. Our guest speaker from the Alberta Conservation Association will be talking about a restoration project on Bearberry Creek (near Sundre). Hope to see you come out as all are welcome even if you haven't yet purchased a membership this year.

I'm trying to get the wife to let me go fish the Bow now that we're seeing temps up above zero but I seem to be getting some resistance. Seems there's a lot of chores that need to be done around the house. Hmmmm! Shack Nasites really setting in now! This fishing game I found only gets me through a few minutes, I'm going snaky.