Hackle and Wet Flies Explained

Wow! Another extremely invaluable article on when and what part of the hackle to use! This was brand new to me and really made me think before I tie!

Check it out here! Great stuff!

I hope you guys are enjoying these posts. They're short and sweet but seriously invaluable!

The Infamous Whip Finishing Tool

It took me a long time to use this tool....correctly. I thought I was doing it right and my flies turned out rather junky when I first used this tool so I quit using it. Then, I decided to give it another go. Boy, am I glad I did!

The whip finishing tool is one of the best tools to use. Granted, you can do the same thing without the tool but nevertheless, it's fantastic!

Above is how you whip finish with the tool itself. Great video!

Watch the video above to view how to use whip finish properly without the tool. Seriously invaluable technique which, personally, I think, is underrated.

DIY Hackle/Dubbing Combs

Ah, yes. Hackle...It gets annoying when you want it to go one way and it won't! So, you buy an expensive tool for one job, eh? Well, this DIY project can really save you a buck or more!

I personally have made the velcro brush and am working on making the toothbrush and comb tool.

Find the article here.

Fly Tying Tips and Tricks at the Bench

Yet another great article about how you can save time when tying flies. I have used some of these tricks and am bound to use more as my fly tying skills increase.

Be sure to check it out here whether or not you are an avid tier! Seriously cheap yet effective and invaluable tips for any tier!

Steaming Flies Back to Life!

This article follows up with the last article on washing fly tying material before use. This shows how to breathe new life into well worked flies!

Check it out here. This really has given me great tips and tricks on what to do with my flies that I use quite often. I'm so glad I found this!

Treating Your Fly Tying Material with Care!

Here's a magnificent article on how to treat your fly tying material such as feathers and buck tail. I know it's short and sweet but the facts and tips you'll learn are invaluable!

Go here to see the advantage of washing your material before tying your flies.

I'll be putting more of this info up every couple of days. I hope auto-posting will behave this time.

Fly Tying Business!

So, I have started a small hobby/business on Facebook called Stone's Flies. It's really taken off with the amount of people who like my page as well as people interested in my flies. My plan is to find a site that can host my flies as well as a shopping cart. I am very excited! It's keeping me busy but it's fun! I started to have giveaways at how many likes I have so it's great to bring in more people. My page launched on January 9 of this year so we'll see how well it takes off. Who knows? I may be the newest fly tyer in town! It has definitely made me learn more about tying as well as tips and tricks and more importantly, made me get better at my craft.

My parents and fiancée are very proud that I am taking steps to utilize not only my major but also my hobby into a business. I will keep you all posted on the happenings of my online business. Here's hoping someone buys my flies soon! : )

Here's the link to the page on Facebook. If you are interested in buying flies, I guess e-mail me @ serioussam1215@gmail.com with "Fly Order" in the subject line. I'll update this post in due time when I get a site up and running....That way it will make things a whole lot easier to order!

Tight lines!

Hunting for Steelies on the Ottawa

So, there was an article in our local paper (found here for those who are interested. Great article!) regarding steelhead being in a local river, the Ottawa. This, mind you, is totally unheard of. Why? Because the Ottawa is nasty, cloudy, and full of trash. So, what did I do? I went to find out if there were any way I could catch something!

I packed all my gear and left my house around 10 AM on the 10th, which was a lot later than I wanted to. The guy who caught the steelhead in the article was on the University of Toledo's campus when he caught it. The Ottawa river runs through UT which provides, apparently, excellent fishing for bass and pike even. I drove everywhere. It was crazy. I found some area that was close to UT and parked on the side of the road out in the open, got my gear packed up, put my waders on, and started to hike to the river. It took me 5 minutes to get to the river itself but to my dismay, it was super shallow. Of course. I then thought that I could hike all the way to UT but after attempting to walk through the woods in my gear, I decided against it.

I found yet another park that was a lot closer to UT, about 1/4 of a mile yet it was quite a ways off. This particular section of the river was on a public golf course. Giant parking lot with no one save a man sitting smoking in his car, I quickly got my gear on and started to walk towards the river. I saw an even worse site: the river was so stagnant the water was frozen. I found an open spot under the bridge and started towards it. I saw a raccoon along my travels. Cute little thing. Maybe getting a drink, I don't know.

Racoon!

What most of the river looked like.

Small patch of water through the ice.

So, I finally got under the bridge where I wanted to be. I felt that this was a good time for me to test my new waders out! I took my backpack off and got into the water. To my surprise, it got very deep very fast! I was almost up to my waste in a matter of 4 steps! I was moving around testing them for a few minutes but that was the probably the extent of my excitement for the trip....so far. I got my stuff and got back to my car. As I was about to leave, a lady stopped with her husband and was asking if I caught any steelhead. I told her no and we chatted for a bit. I showed her some places where she could do a bit of spincast fishing for bass possibly.

I found out as I was talking to her and her husband that her husband fly fishes or ties flies or something. We started to chat about that and I gave them some of my egg-sucking leeches along with some egg patterns telling them to fish it with some lighter line. They were very grateful for that. We exchanged numbers and then parted ways.

Yes, it was a bad day for fishing especially since I couldn't get into UT but I got to test out my waders and I got to network with a local fisherman on top of doing a kind deed. Made me feel good. I guess that was better than nothing, right? As the summer draws near, so does my graduation and wedding. I guess I have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. HURRY UP SUMMER!

Dreaming of the New Year

Ever since I went to Cleveland the week of my birthday, December 15, my fishing experience has worsened. Then again, this is because of the weather not allowing me to do anything except tie flies. This isn't a problem of course but it has been very discouraging because I have had a major writing block for the past few weeks which really stinks. Well, now all I am waiting on is my new rotary fly vise that should be coming in soon and that will give me an opportunity to tie more flies as well as the materials that are coming in to tie some crayfish pattern that I discovered.

Well, what happened on my birthday was this: I went to Cleveland for the steelhead run which was going strong on the Chagrin and other major rivers in Cleveland and the surrounding areas. I was pumped. I got all geared up with my new backpack and fly rods and took off. I was planning on spending literally all day fishing. My fishing trip turned into a flop and I then proceeded to help my grandpa with projects around his house. Fun? Eh...It would have been a lot better if I would have known that I was going to be skunked for the 3 days I was fishing. I literally fished lakes, ponds, and the rivers but with nothing on my line. I even went out of my way 40 miles to go to some places to catch some rainbow trout. This is when all my memories of successful fishing trips set in. I was missing my small pond in Sylvania, Ohio near the Meijer where I go often and catch some decent bluegill and see many 12" and even 16" bass. I have been day dreaming of carp fishing in the spring and summer and wonderful bluegill fishing in Lake La Su An on the far western part of Ohio near the Indiana and Michigan borders. I am really looking forward to spring when the spring run steelhead come in and I can go drift fishing with nymphs and egg clusters. *sigh* But alas, I am stuck at home, dreaming of spring, summer, and fall or even warmer weather that there is no ice on the lakes that I can fish deep pockets for big bluegill or at least kayak to the warm water discharges of Lake Erie.

So, as the year comes to a close, and my fly collection begins to grow, I will be anticipating at least a warm spell in the weather to permit me to fish some local ponds to hold me off until the warmer weather comes in. It just gets a bit depressing seeing the beautiful fish I've caught however it is something to look forward to as 2012 comes to a close and 2013 begins. I can sense it's going to be a great year for fishing. I am sincerely hoping and praying for a lot of rain to bring Lake Erie back to normal and fill all the streams, rivers, and lakes with more fresh water.

Until then, we'll talk next year.

Fishpond Tundra Tech Pack Review

All right, so a few weeks ago, I was privileged to pick up the Tundra Tech Pack from Fishpond USA. The price tag retail was quite hefty so I checked out eBay and sure enough I found a used one. Funny story, I was going to get the little brother, the Piney Creek Tech Pack but after seeing I could get the Tundra for less than the Piney Creek, used mind you, I nabbed the Tundra.

I have no clue where I saw the pack in the first place. Possibly I ran into it searching for fly fishing solutions where I could hang my tools on my bag and stumbled across the brand but I know that they make their products here in the good old US of A. I knew they were going to be expensive but I never expected the quality.

When I received the pack, I was astounded to see that even after being heavily used for a season in Colorado, it looked very very good! The pack itself comes with the backpack and also a chestpack. The backpack is a 25 liter pack so it would be good for a 2-3 day trip in the backwoods if you want to sleep under the stars. 

What first attracted me to it was that it a) had a chest pack for storing tools and flies and b) it had 2 4 piece rod tube holders. It was perfect for my needs! It fits very well and Fishpond even took the time to notice the little things. They have velcro straps so you can keep your extra straps that hang by your legs nice and rolled up so they aren't in your way, they have places for every single tool and places for your tool retractor. You can see in the picture there is a place for your wading rod, too! How handy! I really appreciate the pockets on the side of the waist belt. Seriously, there's a bazillion pockets! It's great! I have yet to test it on the field and will give an update later on the backpack. As far as the chestpack goes, it is wonderful! It can be detached and worn around the neck for standalone travel, worn on the back of the pack for travel, or worn on the front of the backpack for fishing moments on to fly (pun intended). : )

Overall, even though I just tested the chestpack and this is not a full review, I will say this: it is very comfortable. It is well fitting, the straps are well placed, the volume of the pack is big enough for my needs, and it was well worth the price I paid for it. I would definitely recommend this to a friend. In fact, if I find another one for the same price I paid for it, I would buy one for my fishing buddy, Mark! I'll update my review after a few test runs.

December 17 update:

So, after spending 3 days in the river hiking up and down several lakes and rivers in NE Ohio, I must say, this has been one of the most amazing purchases ever. I wore the backpack with the chest pack attached in front and it was so very comfortable. I was wearing a lot of layers and this did not hinder the performance of the pack whatsoever. In the past, my back has hurt because of layers and backpacks but the added cushion and support on the back of the backpack really made it very comfortable. I was able to store extra reels and 3 rods in the pack for backups. My only complaint, which is more of an understandable annoyance if you will, is when wearing the chest pack, it is frustrating to unbuckle the chest pack and then unbuckle the back pack to get into the back pack. It took a bit getting used to but it really was my only complaint about the pack overall.

The wading staff holder worked as expected. It really came in handy especially since I was hiking along the Chagrin which became very swift in parts especially for my hip waders so the staff came in handy and was very nice to keep it stored outside the pack. The hydration bladder pocket performed as expected as well. It came in handy so I didn't have to take the pack off to get a water bottle hence the design of the bladder and pack.

The mesh net pocket was unused this trip, sadly, because I didn't even get a hook up on the Chagrin or anywhere else! Of course, the day I decided not to go, everyone was getting fish on.

The side pockets on the waist buckle were extremely helpful. They were surprisingly roomy for being very small which helped me keep snacks and much needed tools in the pocket for quick access.

Overall, like I said, this is highly recommended. The chest pack alone is fantastic and paired with the back pack is great for day hikes of fishing and trekking. I keep discovering more things about the pack and more uses for the smallest of things. Even though my fishing experience was a flop, the Tundra Tech pack really made the experience of carrying a lot of gear around a breeze.

May 20, 2013 update

So, I have taken the chest pack and the backpack on several outings including several kayaking trips. It has held all the gear I have ever needed including reels, rods, snacks, clothes, safety gear, and other key essentials while kayaking and hiking in medium terrain. It has been very comfortable on long walks and hikes through the woods and streams. I added the Fishpond swivel retractor to three of the spots on the chest pack holding my nail knot tie took with nippers, hemostats, and a ty-rite fly holder. Overall, it's been a wonderful experience. The pack is comfortable, it holds up to abuse that I've put on it, the rod tube holders are quite nice, and the pockets are well placed to hold everything a fly fisherman would ever need. I also really like the small pockets on the side as I mentioned before as they were useful to hold the extra small fly boxes holding small flies for carp and panfish as well as snacks. I look forward to another year with this pack as it's been great so far and I know I'll get even more use out of it as the days roll on. 

Fly Casting 102 with Dad

I apologize for my lack of posts. For some reason, my auto-posting has not worked. : (

On November 16, my Dad and I headed up to the Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter, Michigan. We drove through many beautiful neighborhoods if you will and saw beautiful sights. There were no leaves on the trees and you could see the land in all its winter beauty. Very very nice. It was excellent father-son bonding time.

I was taking this trip to teach my Dad how to fly fish. I have asked him to go with me on a few occasions but he has been quite busy. So, I pushed him to go with me to the park. We did a lot of talking and driving and talking but we eventually go to our destination. I got the rods set up, tied on some flies and we were on the river in about 10 minutes. The river was slightly lower than it was in the summer but it provided the ideal condition for my Dad to learn how to cast and to let the current take the fly down river. After about 10 minutes of him practicing and me exploring, we moved down river to a larger portion where it branched off and really opened up to where he and I could really focus on casting and presentation. 

Dad at second spot practicing casting.

View of up river where smallies abound in the spring and summer.

Dad about to cast.

Beautiful day!

Clear water. Beautiful...

There were really no fish in the river. They were all in deeper water. I saw a few perch and a bluegill but I was wading in deeper water and bumping up against logs. My Dad didn't have any hip waders, just neoprene boots but they worked. Overall, his fly fishing casting 102 class went a lot better than expected. He was using my Redington Classic Trout #4 rod which helped him a lot because of how forgiving it was. He was really able to get the feel of how to present the fly in a natural manner. We both had a lot of fun. I can't wait to take him carp fishing! : D

Beadhead Nymph Creation

So, with my first attempt at doing a fly tying video, I tied a nymph variation fly. I took the beadhead and body of the prince nymph and knocked off the wings and tail, added some flashing on the tail and voilà! My very own bass and bluegill killer! I hope you guys enjoy! Be sure to rate, comment, and critique. I enjoy constructive criticism because I have not tied for very long. : )

PS: You can watch this in higher quality if you go to Youtube directly and watch it. I shot this in 1080p on my Canon T3i.

Small Pond with a Big Catch

So, I just got engaged a few weeks ago as you all know. The stress from school and now this wedding despite it being over a year away is settling in. : / Ugh. Between school, my fiancee and now me getting a new job, my life has never been so crazy! I've been upset since I have not been able to fish up until a week or so ago. I actually have forced myself to go fishing! Sad I know but I've enjoyed myself. I've also been obsessed with buying fly tying material. I have hooks, beads, and dubbing coming out of my ears. I think I have well over 1000 hooks alone in all sorts of shapes and sizes. It keeps me busy and keeps me fresh in my thinking of new fly creations, which is great!

Speaking of fly creations, I tied a variation of a bead headed prince nymph this past weekend. Man, this think is KILLING the bluegill and bass! In fact, I have lost more of this fly to the bluegill and bass than to trees. Yes, that IS a good thing. It means I at least did SOMETHING correct! : ) The best part is, it is really simple to tie, too! I'll get to that in another post soon.

So, this small pond is in Sylvania, Ohio right by Lourdes University where I attend. I would have never known about it but a friend told me about it. It's in some obscure place in the  midst of doctor's offices and financial buildings. 

Gorgeous sunset!

East part of the lake facing south.

Middle part of the lake facing south.

Another gorgeous sunset picture.

West part of the lake facing south.

Beadhead prince nymph creation works like a charm!

Beautiful colors!

Prize of the lake! 11 3/4" largemouth!

The lake, as you can see from the pictures is not small. These pictures are over the course of 3 weeks. The first sunset pictures are from the second time I was there ever. The bluegill pictures are from the first time I used the nymph pattern on the pond, and the bass picture is from this afternoon.

So, I walked around this pond numerous times casting in dozens of spots catching 4" to even fat 6" bluegill. They were all nice but only a few decided to pose for the camera. I have decided to press the barbs down on the hooks of my flies for the nymphs because it was easier on the fish. This is something I do not do often but since the pond is small, I wanted to fish to live longer. : ) I think I need to practice this more!

Today, when I went to the pond, it could have not been more perfect. The weather was gorgeous, the wind was nonexistent, and there was no fountain. YES! For the first time in a long time, I put my hip waders on and waded in the water. So, there really isn't anyone around despite it being mid-day (I went around 2:30 PM). In fact, no one has ever been fishing while I was there except for one gentleman when I first went to the pond about a month ago. I first got in the water and started to cast and hit a few small bluegill. Nothing too major. I worked my way around to where the fountain used to be. I kept getting bites, a bluegill here and there. I worked my way around to the east side of the pond and that's where I hooked into this beautiful bass. It fought like a bluegill I imaging because of the temperature of the water. I had to bring it to shore because I forgot my net for the first time. : / The entire fight maybe lasted 30 seconds, which is sad but actually good because I tied the fly on very poorly. It makes me realize how blessed I am to get that beauty in! I have seen this bass every single time I have gone to this pond. I'm just so glad I caught it!

Oh, something I should mention. I did not have the bass out of the water for more than 30 seconds. I set the rod and bass down, took the picture, and gently put him back making sure to hold him by his underbelly so to swim away and make it. I get VERY frustrated by fishermen who throw their catches back. DO NOT DO THIS!!!! If you do this, STOP! It doesn't matter if the fish is 2 inches! Put it in the water and make sure it swims away on its own. If the hook is in too deep for you to get it out, cut the line. I cannot stress this enough! You can traumatize even the biggest fish and it won't make it! I have lost about a half a dozen flies to this pond from the trees to the fish. So, don't be too careful when handling the fish. The fish do grow up some day! End of rant.

All in all, I enjoy this pond. It may be small and the catches few but it's a very relaxing time and it really helps to master my technique at presenting and casting. 

Dead Deer....Dead Deer Everywhere...

So, this year, I was really excited because I was planning on going deer hunting something I have never done before! Truth be told, I have never been hunting in my life! I have always wanted to do it but what has turned me off is that people don't truly "hunt" anymore but "bait" which, to most hunters, is not a problem. The hunters that do lay apples on the ground to lure in the deer obviously have no problem with this. Me, on the other hand, am very neutral on the subject. If you are out there just wanting some trophy 10 or 12 point buck and don't care about the meat, well, there's something wrong with you, personally. Hunting, just like fishing, to me is about catching or killing to eat because you a) want something better or different on your table or b) you are hurting for money and cannot afford that much meat.

Anyways, moving on to this hunting escapade of mine, there are deer all over the place in SE Michigan and NW Ohio. The only problem is this year, the weather has been so dry, the water has been stagnant. When there is stagnant water, the mosquitoes decide to visit and lay their eggs down. Not good. The deer then drink the water and the eggs because they're thirsty and they get sick with whatever virus and whatnot is in the mosquito larva. The deer then run around having, at least this year, bluetongue which apparently is all part of the West Nile virus. I have not read up on it enough but from hunters I have talked to on separate occasions say all the same thing. I have no clue where they get their information. For all I know they could be friends telling horror stories! : ) However, personally, from my own observation, I have noticed less and less deer in my backyard much less around the area because of very little rain. I mean, I have seen deer but they've all been dead. On the side of the road. It has been very discouraging from every outdoor activity this year in my area. The fishing has been terrible this summer from mid-June to the end of August into September. I just hope that the squirrels are prevalent in my yard so I can at least shoot something with my bow. I'm just itching to hunt much less fish. I know in northern Michigan and southern Ohio the fishing and hunting is great. In fact, a buddy of mine went salmon fishing a few weeks ago and caught a half a dozen beautiful salmon in the western part of Michigan.

Who knows. Maybe the winter will really bring in some good cold weather and fill the streams up. I mean it's raining as I type, which is fantastic but not so fantastic because tomorrow I plan to get engaged. I'm hoping for a beautiful day tomorrow much less a great winter and a fantastic spring and summer full of fishing this coming 2013! I will keep you all posted on the engagement! : )