The Progression

I ran into a fishing client this week at the ski shop, and as our conversation turned from the subject of skiing to fishing, we remarked about the progression of fly fishing that he has gone through, like many other anglers. This client was someone that I had taken many years ago as a beginner, that had progressed through the sport to become a great angler. It is quite interesting to see the progression that almost every fly-fisherman makes from novice, to accomplished angler. Once a novice has learned to cast, all he or she wants to do at that point is to catch a fish...just one fish. The thrill of catching that first fish is like nothing else. After this, anglers tend to get to a point where they want to catch as many fish as possible; it becomes a numbers game. This phase can last a very long time, sometimes years. At some point in this stage, the angler will hook and land a very large fish. This is where the next stage starts; hunting for the largest specimens only. Numbers don't seem as important anymore, it's the quality that you are now after. At some point even further down the road, after netting many large, beautiful trout, there is a revelation. It's not about quantity, quality or even catching a fish. It is about the periphery experiences in fly fishing that keep us coming back for more. Travelling to new places, seeing old friends, being on the water in pristine environments, and forgetting about everything else but the moment. This has been the progression for me. Here is a shot that Scott Smith took of me in the "moment". Gorgeous, evening light on the Owyhee River, Oregon, working a large Brown trout taking dries. I didn't get him, but no matter...I had the river to myself, in a gorgeous spot, with a large, wild trout feeding just below me.

Gettin' The Goods

We are finally in the midst of a decent storm cycle right now that is bringing us some great snow. Our snowpack and water content has been hovering around 40% of normal, and everyone has been wondering when the dry spell will end. We've finally received some significant snowfall in the past few days all the way down to the valley floor, which is great news for skiers and anglers. It was a powder day today in Teton Village, and tomorrow should be the same. Not too much new on the fishing front right now. Unfortunately, team This Is Fly was not invited back to fish in the Jackson Hole One Fly this year. There were simply too many teams applying for the forty slots, and we couldn't sneak in. We are an alternate, so if anyone bails out, we'll be back in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Make sure to check out Josh Graffam's site at www.tetontrout.com, to view a picture of a 10.5 pound brown trout that he landed in New Zealand last week. It's an incredible fish. Also, my good buddy Brian Hodges has been working on a project in Montana with a friend, getting a new fishing lodge open near Bozeman. Check out http://www.fly-fishing-montana.com/...it's the website for the new Bar Z Riverside Ranch. It's a 10,000 acre working cattle ranch with exclusive access to miles of private water on a variety of streams. It's also within close proximity to the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers for those who want to float. It looks great, and can't wait to check it out! Here's an image of me "gettin' the goods", shot by photographer Jeff Diener. More soon!

Holding Water

I often meet and guide anglers that have been fishing for many years, and that understand the importance of casting, mending and fly selection, but still struggle to catch fish. The most common reason for this with fly-fishermen, time after time, is the inability to read the water correctly. Dave Hughes, author of "Tactics For Trout" and "Reading The Water", hits the nail on the head with this one: "Ninety percent of trout live in only ten percent of the water". This statement cannot be emphasized enough. No matter how graceful one can cast a fly rod, or how perfectly an angler matches the hatch, if the fly is not drifting through trout habitat, the chances of netting a fish drop dramatically. Trout living in streams and rivers have very specific needs and will only occupy an area if it can meet these needs. The primary needs are a food source, cover from predators and oxygen. When I approach a trout stream, whether on foot or in the driftboat, I tell myself or my clients: "Okay, look at the river from bank to bank. Now, realize that 90% of the water that you are looking at does not hold any fish. We need to look at the 10% that will hold almost all of the fish." From here, we will then look for the obvious "lies" or holes, that should hold fish; places where trout can evade prey, but still find food coming down the conveyor belt, and a place where there is sufficient oxygen (moving, aerated water). Riffles, deep runs, woody structure and bouldery pocket water are some examples of prime lies. Fish these spots, and you'll be successful! Add Dave Hughes' books to your winter reading list to learn more, or better yet, book me for a day next summer and we'll read some water together! Here's a shot of guide Chris Stump on the Big Hole River, Montana, putting my buddy Campbell Hough right in the zone. I've added a feed onto my site below the blog archive directly from the Trout Unlimited website and blog. Check it out for recent posts from this important conservation group. More soon!

Fly-Tying Season

Well, we are already one week into 2010, and more than two weeks past the winter solstice, and I think I'm noticing that the days are gettin just a little bit longer. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but by early January, I'm already daydreaming about my first day of the year hunting for trout. The winter is still trending toward the drier side. It has been very cold these past couple of weeks, with many of our low temps falling 10 to 20 degrees below zero at night. The snowpack is still running a little bit lean, around the 70% mark. It's still way too cold around here to be thinking about local troutfishing; hopefully by mid to late February, we can start heading over to the Henry's Fork of the Snake to throw some flies. This is a great time of year to tie flies, however. Tying flies is a great hobby, and a fun way to be involved in fly-fishing through the cold months. Tying a trout fly, and then landing a fish on that fly really completes the whole circle for many anlgers. Beginning fly tyers often worry about being able to catch anyting on their creations. Tying a durable pattern, whether it is a proven fly, or a new creation of your own, can easily net you a fish if the conditions are right. It's all about matching the hatch. This rainbow fell for a salmonfly pattern that was tied in just the right size and shape for the hatch that day. There are some great books and DVD's out there to get you started. Give the guys at Jack Dennis Sports a call for more info. One of the great fly tyers of our time is now running our fly shop...give Scott Sanchez a call some time and get some advice from the best!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of my readers, friends and family! It's hard to believe that we are starting the second decade of this century already. New Year's Eve finally brought us a significant blanket of snow to the Tetons and thankfully gave us some good powder skiing today. Many parts of the mountain saw skiers getting into knee deep powder and excellent windblown snow. It was a much needed boost to our snowpack and water content. Good news for anglers. The Jackson Hole One Fly board met last week, and it looks like team This Is Fly did not make it in this year. We are currently the second alternate, so if two teams decide to bail out, then we will be back in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I'm still thinking about the 21" rainbow that I lost on the South Fork during the second day of the event last year, that would have put me at 500 points. I'd like another chance! I managed to sneak out and ski today and had a great run down the headwall at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. This is about what it looked like in this Jeff Diener photo of me on Teton Pass a few winters ago. More soon!