The Spot's Blog

Pyramid Lake Cutthroats With Dave Stanley

2012-02-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

Pyramid Lake, Nevada is famous for being home to giant Lahontan Cutthroat Trout and fly fishers from all over make the annual pilgrimage to sample this great winter/spring fishery. There are many anglers but only a few connect with the really big specimens each year and our guest speaker, veteran guide and outfitter, Dave Stanley guided many of these successful anglers.

Dave also authored the definitive No-Nonsense guide “Fly Fishing in Nevada” and has many years experience guiding and fishing in this region. Join us Saturday, February 10, 2012 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. for an informative day with Dave and Scientific Angler, Ross and Umpqua representative Darin Elmore. Dave’s presentations will be at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. but he will be in the shop all day to answer questions about this world-class fishery. See you at the Spot.

World Class Yellowtail Fishing

2012-01-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Join us in a sleepy Mexican village on Isla Cedros, BCS, Mexico. The waters surrounding Cedros offer world class Yellowtail from 15-40 lbs and Calico Bass to 12 lbs and it's just a short (5-15 minute) super panga ride from the harbor.

The summer months bring these fish near, or to, the surface, crashing bait. This makes for the supreme fly rod experience.
Cedros has been a go to destination for conventional anglers for quite some time now but, fly rodders have been few and far between. Fishing is from super pangas, two anglers per boat, and the fish can be seen chasing bait, squid, mackerel and anchovies, on the surface. Besides the schools of Yellows off shore and Calicos in the weeds there are White Sea Bass, Bonita, Barracuda and all the other species you would expect to find in So. Cal waters.

All inclusive package from San Yisdro, CA includes round trip transfer to Ensenada, round trip air from Ensenada to Cedros, four nights food and lodging, and three and one half (long) days fishing with two anglers per panga. Does not include gratuities, alcoholic beverages, and Mexican fishing license.

Cost is $1795.00.
Dates: July 9-13 or October 15-19
First date is filling up fast. Please call Ken or David at The Spot (818) 785-7306 to reserve your spot or get more information for this amazing trip.

80 Miles Of Exclusive Water

2011-12-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Fish With The Spot This Summer

Imagine being the only group of anglers on an exclusive 80 miles of a world class trout water. Browns, Rainbows and even some Northern Pike abound in waters only accessible by permission of the Blackfoot tribe. This is River Ranche, located on the Bow River near Calgary, Alberta, Canada and just an easy flight away.

Fishermen’s Spot will be taking a group of anglers north to enjoy this fantastic fishery July 28-August 3 2012 and you are invited to come along. This is a great opportunity to fish a very lightly fished section of this World Class river and stay at a very comfortable facility. In addition, you may take a cultural side trip during your stay to learn about the traditions and lore of the Blackfoot people.

Accommodations, meals, 6 Nights with 4 float trips $ 2250+5% GST/person with optional 5^th day of fishing.

Transportation to Calgary, license, adult beverages and gratuities extra.

Deposit 25%/person balance 60 days before trip. Call Steve at the shop (818) 785-7306 for more details or email steve@fishermensspot.com.

Squeezing-In Fly Time via So. Cal. Salt

2011-12-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how many So Cal anglers know of the opportunities on the beach yet never get there. I have dabbled with this for several years and am only now building myself a proper stripping basket. In other words, I am pretty guilty as well. I love my trout and my granite-lined streams. So, all that aside, this season has proven to be exceptional for surf perch. These fish are fun, strong and provide a great excuse for a pre-work stroll on the sand.... Give it a shot!
B.

Win An Orvis Helios Rod

2011-12-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

Win an Orvis Helios Rod

To help launch the Orvis Green Phone in Fishermen’s Spot we are giving away an Orvis Helios rod of your choice in a drawing to be held February 29^th 2012.

What is the Orvis Green Phone?

Basically it is a direct connection to purchase anything that Orvis lists in their many catalogs and their website. Need a nice scarf for your lady, Cashmere Sweater, or a flannel shirt? You can now order it on the Green Phone at Fishermen’s Spot and it will be shipped direct to you from Orvis with no standard shipping charges. In addition, if you receive Orvis in-store discount coupons you can now use those on the Green Phone at Fishermen’s Spot and get free standard shipping too. It’s a win- win and, maybe, win a new Helios rod as well.

How do I enter to win?

Each time you make a purchase on the Green Phone in Fishermen’s Spot, between now and March 1^st 2012, your name and email will be entered into the drawing. You will be notified via email if you are the winner. It’s that simple.

How do I use the Green Phone?

It’s very simple to order from Orvis on the Green Phone. Just stop by our store and tell us which product from the catalogs or website you would like to order. We will call on our direct line into the Orvis order desk and give your name and shipping information to the operator and hand the phone to you to place the order. That’s it! The product will be shipped to the address that you have specified.

Orvis has hundreds of thousands of products in their catalogs and now you can access it right here at the Spot and get free shipping and use those in-store coupons as well.

When Can I Start?

The Green Phone is already installed and ready at the Spot. We have Orvis catalogs available or you can access the Orvis website while you are at the store.

The more times you order the more opportunity you have to win.

Great Weekend Ahead

2011-12-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

Don't miss our annual kick off to the Holiday Season.

Abel/Winston Day
Saturday December 10
with Dale Hightower

All sales over $100 you wil receive a gift certificate for 10% off the pre-tax value. Good for 120 days from date of purchase.
All sales over $300 will include sales tax & gift certificate for 10% of the pre-tax value. Good for 120 days from date of purchase. These specials may not be combined with Winston and Abel Specials.

20% off all new and used books and DVDs (great gifts).

Buy any Winston "green" rod or Abel reel and we will include sales tax and shipping if we don't have the product in stock. In addition, you can buy an artist graphic or fish graphic Abel at standard black reel pricing. Plus we will throw in
a Scientific Angler fly line (value to $70) as a bonus when you buy the combo.

Henry Winkler Book Signing
Sunday December 11

Veteran TV and movie actor Henry Winkler loves the sport of fly fishing so much that he has written a book about it. He will be in the shop on Sunday from 1p.m. - 3 p.m. to talk about his experiences and sign copies of his book.

Lotsa stuff happening at the Spot.

Contact information.

Sumgummi Redo

2011-12-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

At the vice tonight trying to refine my Sumgummi Shad. The original Gummi Minnow is a very effective pattern at time but does not have much tail movement. My version has a softer tail and a little more flash which the fish seem to like. This has been a good pattern on LM Bass & Stripers. I even caught a wayward King Salmon on it. I like the shape on this one.

2011-11-24T12:43:00.001-08:00

Pre-Holiday Sale

Important: Show this post to your wife, husband, significant other or anybody you think might possibly be coerced into buying you a gift this holiday season.

Buy any premium rod ($300 or more) and get any premium reel of equal or lesser value at 50% off MSRP.

Or….

Buy any premium reel ($150 or more) get the fly line of your choice (up to $80 value) and backing installed for 50% off MSRP

Or….

Buy and install any premium fly line ($60 or more) get free backing and tapered leader.

Or….

All in-stock Simms luggage 40% off MSRP.

Or….

20% off all in-stock DVDs and Books

This offer is good from 10 a.m. Friday November 25 until 3 p.m. Sunday November 27 on regular priced, in-stock products and may not be combined with any other offer except the one below.

Happy Thanksgiving

In addition.....

Get $25 in FREE merchandise on "Small Business Saturday" Nov. 26 with your American Express card. Register here before the 26th & you will get a $25 credit on your statement after you make a purchase of at least $25 with your AMEX card.

Crisis In The Delta....

2011-11-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

We have a crisis situation in the Delta and you can help save this fishery. Please read the following letter from our good friend and Simms Fishing Rep. John Sherman. Let the Fish and Game Commission know how important this is to you. Just cut and paste the letter below John's and send to the Fish and Game Commission. Please act right away, thanks.

Subject: Ca Dept of Fish and Game plans CA Striper Eradication!

Hello All,

I wanted to make you aware of a very alarming regulation change that has been proposed by the Ca Dept. of Fish and Game. This new plan would basically set in motion the eradication of our West Coast Striper Fisheries.

If you look into how this potential change came into motion, it basically comes down to a law suit from water interests (Coalition of a Sustainable Delta, don’t let the name fool you) pointing the blame of the crash of the Delta ecosystem on introduced fished species like striped bass while water exports sky rocket. The lawsuit has been settled out of court and this proposed Reg change is part of the settlement.
This is a much larger topic than just Striped Bass. This would begin to eliminate fishing from one of California’s best fisheries and would allow “water hogs” to begin to move more water out of the Ca Delta estuary leading to its continued demise, which includes native fish species.
Here is what the editor of Fly Fisherman magazine thinks of the plan:
http://www.flyfisherman.com/2011/11/16/water-hogs-play-the-blame-game-with-striped-bass/

There was a public hearing held a week ago today in Rio Vista and 400 angry anglers from all facets of the angling community were unified in opposition of this plan including those who fish for native fish species like steelhead, sturgeon and salmon.

Striped Bass have coexisted with native fish and now endangered fish species for the past 130 + years, and historical data shows abundance of all fish species at the same time and a subsequent crash in the last 10 years as water exports have sky rocketed at record levels.

This regulation change not only will affect the Northern Ca’s striper fisheries the regulation change would impact the entire state including the Co River, and So Cal striper fisheries.

Basically here is what the proposed change is:
Move minimum size from 18” to 12”
Move daily bag from 2 fish to 6 fish.
Allow for “Hot Spot” which would allow 20 fish to be kept daily with 40 in possession.

The DFG commission is meeting in about a month to decide. I’ve been asked by many of you what can we do? Now’s the time to do something and it’s easy..
Cut and paste the letter below into a word document and send a letter voicing your opposition to such a plan.
Special thanks to Dave Sellers and Mike McKenzie, who helped draft this letter and to and danblanton.com and Striperfest for helping keep us informed and raising money to help fight for the Delta and it’s fish.

Thank you for your attention to this,
John Sherman

Mr. Jim Kellogg, President
California Fish and Game Commission
1416 Ninth Street
P.O. Box 944209
Sacramento, California 94244-2090

RE: Department of Fish and Game’s Proposed Striped Bass Regulation Changes

Dear President Kellogg and Commission members:

I am a California angler who has benefited from the Endangered Species Act as it pertains to better water management for our endangered fish species, and indeed all fisheries in our California Delta. As such, I am writing to express my deep concern over proposed striped bass regulation changes.

I have become aware of the fact that several of our State’s preeminent fisheries biologist have cautioned against these regulation changes as they may yield the opposite of the intended effect and could lead or contribute to the extinction of delta smelt and our endangered salmon species.

As you know, the Endangered Species Act encourages that all effort is brought to bear in assisting the recovery of listed species. However, it is also true that the Act discourages any action that is of dubious benefit and, indeed may do harm to the recovery efforts of listed species. Our State’s preeminent inland fisheries experts, Dr. Peter Moyle and Dr. William Bennett (Letter to Commission of Aug. 26th 2010) have stated specifically and convincingly that reducing the effects of striped bass predation on non native cohorts and predators of listed species could directly result in unintended harmful consequences for listed species. Their concerns are backed up by respected fisheries biologist Dr David Ostrach (Letter to the Commission July 19th 2010). These concerns are sufficient to suggest that the Commission’s first obligation is to “do no harm” to listed species, therefore, I urge the Commission for an outright rejection of this regulation proposal.

Directly related to the E.S.A., I have also become aware of this additional fact:

• The Department of Fish & Game (DFG) and other defendant interveners in the litigation that brought about the Settlement Agreement leading to the striped bass regulation change proposal prevailed in the summary judgments rendered by the federal court. The court found no merit in the legal arguments the plaintiffs (Coalition For a Sustainable Delta) regarding alleged population level impacts caused by striped bass to E.S.A listed fish species in the Bay-Delta estuary. The court ruled decisively in support of the position of the DFG and defendant interveners that the decline of estuary’s listed fisheries was not attributable to predation by striped bass. Specifically, Judge Wanger agreed that the best science available has not shown any population level effect on listed species and one of DFG’s own Biologists, Marty Gingras, has stated that there is no science that shows any population level effect on listed species due to striped bass predation. There are also numerous peer reviewed predation studies done in the estuary and its tributaries that conclude population level effects of predation (if any) is at the current time, “unknowable”.

In addition to my concerns regarding the E.S.A., I have learned the following:

• This settlement agreement does not supersede the provisions of the federal Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) and it's legal mandate to double the population of all anadromous fish species of the estuary, including striped bass, from their mid-nineteen nineties population levels. In short, the proposed regulations work at cross purposes to the CVPIA federal mandate, thus conflicting with the intent of the federal law and setting up the potential for another round of litigation regarding the striped bass fishery. The Commission could find itself in the untenable position of passing regulations that could result in violating federal law and having to defend itself in federal court.

• The proposed regulation change with the attendant increased bag and possession limits would encourage over-consumption of striped bass far beyond the limits recommended California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. In short, it is my view the possession limit in this proposal encourages consumption more than health warnings discourage the consumption of striped bass. The Commission should take into full consideration the well documented science on the health risks associated with anything beyond modest consumption of striped bass. Women and children, in particular, are most vulnerable to these health risks and should not eat any striped bass at all. It would not be good public policy for the Commission to advance regulations that would not safeguard the public from the health hazards associated with the consumption of striped bass.

• As you may recall, Sec. 1700 of the Fish and Game Code requires, among many important conservation provisions, the management, on a basis of adequate scientific information promptly promulgated for public scrutiny, of the fisheries under the state's jurisdiction with the objective of maximizing the sustained harvest. This and other relevant code sections require the public’s fishery resources to be managed in the long term, on a sustainable basis. The regulations that the department proposed would not comply with this legal mandate.

• The proposal does not exempt San Luis Reservoir and the O’neil Forebay, one of our Nation’s premiere trophy striped bass fisheries. These two bodies of water are not connected to the Delta biologically and are not home to any listed species. This adds to my perception that, beyond risks to listed species, the thoughts guiding development of this proposal were lacking in a comprehensive understanding of our state’s striped bass fisheries and the sensitivities of California striped bass anglers.

I am confident the Commission will carefully consider my concerns about the negative effect this proposal might have on listed species and my additional concerns regarding health, anadromous fish recovery and fish and game code directives. I am also confident that the Commission has the power to creatively direct responsible development of effective listed species recovery efforts. To that end, I would like to respectfully offer a possible alternative process. First, reject this proposal outright. Second, I would suggest directing the DFG to develop a priority list of stressors on our listed species in order of direct biological importance. Third, develop a specific list of suggestions to address each stressor and four, formulate policy suggestions solely on the merit of direct benefit to the listed species recovery efforts. Finally I would stress the DFG strive to avoid listed species recovery priorities that are perceived to be the most politically or legally expeditious. It is, of course, reasonable to expect our DFG, which is in part a scientific body, to behave in a thoughtful manner without regard to extraneous issues that ultimately may result in extraordinary risks to our listed species.

Sincerely,

The Dream

2011-10-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

The room was dark. My wife sighed softly beside me as I slowly surfaced from a deep sleep. I rolled over onto my elbow and looked at the clock, 5:45 a.m. glowed digitally back at me. In my minds eye I could still see what I had been dreaming about and I settled back on my pillow to examine my thoughts. In my dream I was designing a new fly, something that would revolutionize how streamer flies are made and fished. Oh, of course, like most flies, it borrowed successful ideas from other patterns but put them together in a new way. As I lay thinking about it I realized this might just work. My mind raced with the possibilities! The 6 a.m. alarm went off and I hit the snooze button so I could concentrate on my great idea. The more I thought about it the more feasible this fly style seemed. I had to get downstairs to my fly tying bench to see if I could tie what was in my head. I flipped on the lights and plugged in the kettle to get some hot water for the French Press. First I sketched out a rough idea of how the fly should look and by that time the water was boiling. I put fresh ground coffee in the press and poured a steaming brew.

The sketch looked great and my ideas began to solidify on the necessary steps and the sequence that would be required to get this fly tied. Carrying my fresh coffee into the tying room I began to search through the drawers for the correct hooks and materials to get the job done. In tying any new pattern it is important to have a plan of the order that the materials are attached to the hook shank or you may leave out a critical component and not get your desired results. I clamped a hook into the jaws of my Renzetti vice and started winding on the thread. Thirty-five minutes and two cups of coffee later my new creation was finished. It looked awesome! I needed to get up to the lake to see how it worked in the water and, most importantly, how the fish would respond to it. As I drove to the lake my head was full of imagined savage strikes and big fish on the line. Surely this would be a new Lefty’s Deceiver or Clouser Minnow. I would be famous like Lefty and Bob. My mind was in full overdrive.

To make a long story, short. My new wonder fly was a dud. It didn’t swim right at all and it twisted my leader too. I did have a fish follow it but, that was it. Was I disappointed, devastated or disillusioned? Hell no! I had a blast trying to figure out this new pattern, with a few tweaks it might still work well and there were fish around. I tied on a Clouser and caught Stripers and Largemouth Bass one after another for the next two hours. Nothing was over a pound, but it was great fun and a great way to spend a couple of hours on my day off. Keep dreamin’!

More West Slope News

2011-10-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

Our man on the West Slope (Sierra) Bernard Yin reports that Sierra Fly Fisher has been focusing on the Merced with solid results. Fall is kicking in and a cornucopia of mayflies and caddis are on the table. Sometimes the fish seem selective and other times it's just placement. One of the best fish this season was taken on a humpy! The trout are finally getting it into their heads that these huge October caddis are on the menu. They make a strong showing at dusk and a large EHC or Stimi does the trick. In the meantime, the ever-present PMD remains a reliable option and has been so good this year that Bernard claims he hasn't spent more than an hour fishing streamers since June. "I fish the duns and even torture myself with small spinners on long casts; with great results". As for nymphs, that's another story and fishing deep has been doing some interesting things. From large stones to classics like small PTs etc. you will get fish. The photo below is one of several October bows caught at dusk targeting an extremely subtly feeding fish along a rock wall. "One of the best dry fly moments of my entire life!" Bernard says. Contact Bernard through Sierra Fly Fisher for updates and guided days on the Merced at 559-683-7664

A Day On the Water

2011-10-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

I had a bunch of chores to do today but I needed at least a couple of hours on the water. I went to my home water, Castaic, and started fan casting with a small minnow imitation. Nothing doing! In my peripheral vision a coot was splashing water, he looked like he was bathing. Other than a few Silverside flashing on the surface, there was no activity that could indicate where the Bass/Stripers where feeding. As I worked my way closer to the West Ramp the coot was still very active (unlike the fish). Finally, I was a long cast away from the bird and finally I realized he was not moving and was probably tangled or hooked on some fishing line, although I could not see it from my vantage point on the shore. What to do? The bird was a long cast away but, the Rio Outbound Short Line was the perfect line to get that extra distance. I cast to the right of the bird hoping to snag the line that imprisoned the hapless bird but the fly came back clean. A long back cast and double haul powered the line to the left of the coot and after a couple of strips the line came tight. The bird started freakin' out! I realized that I had hooked whatever was imprisoning this little guy. I slow-stripped the line back in but, ten feet away, the bird, line and fly were hung on a submerged bush. Crap! Not supposed to wade. To hell with it! The entangled bird was fifteen feet away. It was hopelessly tangled! I was wading before I had made a conscious decision. I dropped my rod and grabbed the fly line, edging my way toward the trapped coot. He was much lighter than expected, weighing almost nothing and trying to hook me with his little claws. His little eyes were wide in fear. The line was wrapped around his head and the line was stretched toward the offshore bushes and was impossible to break off. I raised the tough line above the surface and bit through the taut line. The bird was freed quickly and with a quick toss the little guy was free. After a short flight he was paddling toward his brethren and muttering about his misadventure. Everyday on the water is a new experience and, if I had decided to stay home, this little life would have been snuffed out without anyone knowing. Tell your fishing friends not to discard their monofilament. Wrap it up and take it home so that our precious wildlife is not exposed to this type of hazard. Their real world is tough enough.

Lee's Ferry Revisited....

2011-10-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

The towering red cliffs of the Glen Canyon cast a welcome shadow on the clear green waters of the Colorado River. At 15,000 CFS and 55 degrees the powerful flows, are still very wadeable. The trout are everywhere, from the base of the massive Glen Canyon Dam, all the way into the beginnings of the Grand Canyon itself. Fine wild rainbows from a few inches long to some burly 18”-20” specimens that will rip line off your reel and make you wonder if they’re going to stop any time soon. They have a constant supply of midges, gammarus shrimp and annelid worms that are carried to them in the clear currents. Limited access ensures that these fish can feed and grow without undue pressure. Other than the walk in section the only access is by boat and, because of shifting gravel bars, the guides who fish this river every day prefer jet boats.

Steve and I were at Lee’s Ferry for a dealer meeting with the Orvis Company and we had planned an additional day to fish with the fine guides from Lee’s Ferry Anglers. We stayed at Marble Canyon Lodge and enjoyed our meals at the great little restaurant across the dirt parking lot from the fly shop. Owners Wendy and Terry Gunn are long time friends and it was fun to get together and reminisce about good times and old friends. Lee’s Ferry Anglers has been guiding in this are since the 80s and have seen the river go through a few changes. After some down years the river has made a great comeback in the past few years and multiple good spawns bode well for the future. It is very fine fishery with a huge number of wild rainbows in all sizes that eagerly slam the fly and fight hard in the swift currents.

While dry fly fishing can at times be outstanding, this is primarily a nymphing river where midge pupae, scud patterns (olive and orange) and San Juan worms (tan and red) will get tagged on almost every drift. Dry dropper and standard indicator rigs should be used to bounce the appropriate patterns along the bottom. We fished a dry dropper rig and had action all day long with fish to 18” landed and several broad shoulders models hooked and lost. I hooked one of the hottest fish that I have ever hooked in fresh water and she proceeded to tear all the fly line and fifteen yards of backing off my reel and rip the tiny size 20 Zebra midge out just as the guide was about to put the net under her. Too bad! She would have made a pretty picture. This fishery is about a nine hour drive away (perfect for a long weekend) and because of the awesome scenery and fast action is highly recommended. Call us if you would like more info on this great destination.

England was Wonderful....

2011-09-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

England was wonderful!!

Editor's Note: This is a wonderful first person report from one of our long time customers/friends Jean Latta who recently returned from a very special trip to the cradle of fly fishing in England. Thanks Jean!

I have recently returned from a three week trip to England and I would say that it pretty much came under the heading of “a trip of a life time”.

“The Lost World of Mr. Hardy” was the inspiration for the trip. Being from the “old school”, I was raised by my father on English fishing tackle and fished with Hardy equipment as a kid growing up in the Mid-West. I inherited all of his fishing equipment, flies and library. Reading about English flies used in the early days on the chalk streams Itchen and Test started “educating” me. “The Lost World” was the final impetus for the trip.

Southern England, the Hampshire

The trip consisted of two parts. On the first leg I fished southern England on the chalk streams. I stayed in Stockbridge, about seventy five miles west-southwest of London at a very nice little 4-star hotel, the White Hart Inn, a converted coach house. This is the heart of the River Test valley, the heart of the chalk streams. Here I went out six times, three on the Itchen and three on the Test. Both of these rivers offered up firsts for me.

On the Itchen I caught my first ever grayling. I had gone one day with a very good ghillie (I learned those are guides in England) and it literally rained almost all day. We were “stuck” in the fishing hut waiting forever it seemed for the rain to clear. About 4:30 the clouds passed and the river “exploded” with grayling. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Four in a row, and one a nice 12 incher.

A few days later I went out again with the same ghillie but this time we were on the River Test at Houghton. It was a relatively inactive day until I started fishing this really deep pool right in front of the fishing hut. I took three very nice brown trout from this pool, including the largest trout I have every caught. (I know, there are much larger ones.)

A fine brown from the Test

This was taken on the nymph version of the Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) damselfly, one of the most beautiful dragon flies I have ever seen.

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) damselfly

I fished the Itchen at Hockley north of Winchester (the former capital of England) and on the River Test at Lower Mill. I was out there without a ghillie and I must say that I was not very productive. This was where I learned that it really is worthwhile, in spite of the substantial expense, to go on the chalk streams with a ghillie, someone who really does know the rivers.

In Stockbridge I had my first encounter with the English people, and I learned very quickly that they are very warm and gracious. Everyone is respectful and courteous towards others and will help you with any issue that may arise. ORVIS opened its first UK store in Stockbridge and the store manager is a very knowledgeable young fellow. He GAVE me a net strap so that my landing net went over my shoulder, the way it’s done in England. If you love fishing, if you love the history of fishing, you will be well taken care of!!

Alnwick, Northumberland

I thought that the time I spent in southern England on the chalk streams made the entire trip. But I was not prepared for what transpired in Alnwick, the home of Hardy Brothers. This turned into something wonderful in a very unexpected way

I went to Alnwick specifically to visit Hardy Brothers. As I said above, I’m from the “old school” and was raised by my father on Hardy Brothers and H. L. Leonard equipment, at that time considered the finest (and probably still is). The trip to Alnwick was for my father. He loved everything English, he loved Hardy and in his lifetime he never had an opportunity to travel to England.

I stayed at a B&B, Tower Restaurant & Accommodation, in Alnwick, a place I just picked from the internet because it looked nice and was reasonable. It turned out that this establishment is owned and operated by Roy Hardy, James Hardy's son. When in conversation he found out I was there specifically for Hardy, all kinds of things happened. He introduced me to his father, James, who is the last living Hardy to have actually worked in the business. THAT was a real honor. James Hardy is probably the last living old-line tackle maker.

The Hardy factory is within walking distance of the Tower. When I went there for the first time, I could tell that something was very different: I was treated like royalty (which is of course a “big deal” in England). I could only surmise that James Hardy, who is a consultant to the company and still very influential, gave “orders” because I had come all the way from America just for Hardy.

Coquet River

One of the ghillies from the Hardy Academy took me fishing on the Coquet River there in Northumberland, which is very beautiful and tremendous trout county. I had with me my R. L. Winston 5-wt bamboo rod on which I caught on a couple small browns. However, I turned the rod over to the ghillie for a while; he had never fished with bamboo. I could tell that this was a new and enjoyable experience for him. Well, that led to an invitation to come by the Hardy factory the next day and bring my rods with me. (I also had with me a Sweetgrass 3-wt.)

I was introduced to Callum Gladstone and Tom Moran, Hardy's bamboo rod makers. They were very interested in the American-made rods, spent a good deal of time pouring over them and casting them at their casting pool. I got the impression it gave them some ideas; one of the things they seemed very interested in is the lightness of the rods due to the hollow butt sections. Hollow rods were of course a Lew Stoner (one of the founders of Winston) invention in 1936. I was invited down to their bamboo shop; they showed me how they were "setting up" (my expression) the tapers for the new C. C. de France rods. These rods will be the 2011 Centennial C. C. de France rods and apparently they are going to be built on the taper of the 1911 rod.

The 1911 C. C. de France rod is something very special. This is a rod that was specifically designed and built by J. J. Hardy (“JJ”, one of the two original founders) in 1910 for the casting competition in 1911 at the Casting Club of France (C. C. de France). Of course it won; the cast was 81 feet.

Casting the CC de France

The crowning jewel for me was the absolutely phenomenal honor of casting the 1911 rod. Frankly THAT was emotionally overwhelming. This rod could be considered the holy grail of rod-making, the line just flies through the guides. And after that what else can one say.

News From the West Slope....

2011-08-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Our man in the field Bernard Yin reports that Sierra Fly Fisher's first year as a permitted guide service for the Kings and Sequoia National Parks is off to a great start. Fine-tuning certain beats and identifying the habits of the region's fish has been a blast and the feedback from the trout gods is favorable. The clients have been happy. The fish are wild and strong. This is an overlooked west slope destination especially for one who may wish to combine sightseeing and crazy terrain with some angling.

The region is much less crowded and Bernard reports with amazement the ease with which one can roll up and find a campsite, walk a short distance and have some fun with the fish. Higher elevation destinations for back country types is at one's fingertips as well. Also, important to note, is that many of the waters are a higher up in elevation than people realize and with the heavy water year we have had, they are staying cool for the trout. We're talking the Kings, Kaweah etc. Some of the region's waters are only now (in August!) becoming fishable. This means that a lot of trout have not be harassed by anglers when normally, by now, they'd be sick of us humans. Please contact Sierra Fly Fisher (http://sierraflyfisher.com) to discuss further.

Charles Jardine Here in July

2011-06-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

THE CHARLES JARDINE UNIVERSITY OF FLY FISHING

Go back to school for a day with legendary British angler Charles Jardine at the Pasadena Clubhouse. For thirty years Charles has been educating and entertaining students with his blend of wit and wisdom. Charles has received the highest awards our sport has to offer and enjoys worldwide recognition as a fly fisherman, master fly tier, FFF Master casting instructor, author, artist, chef and teacher. He was a streams of England. He leads groups as far afield as the Bahamas, Cuba and the Seychelles. He is equally at home on the big Western waters of Idaho and Montana as the saltwater flats of Belize. He has recently joined the G Loomis Pro Staff in the UK.

The seminar will include instruction in presentation casts, tying and fishing of soft hackle flies and special leader construction. There will also be time for individual instruction on casting, tying or general fly fishing questions. Charles brings to the table a vast knowledge of European techniques that will improve your chances on our local waters. For this who wish to focus on casting instruction, FFF Certified Casting Instructor Marshall Bissett will be on hand to help out those more interested in casting than tying.

Two, one day courses are available and will be limited to 10 students for each session:

Choose either Saturday July 16^th 9.00 am to 3.00 pm or Sunday July 17^th 9.00 am to 3.00 pm

Place: Pasadena Casting Club Pond

Equipment: Any rod/reel combo you wish to learn on.

Vice, tools and materials if you want special tying instruction.

Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and other angling essentials.

Notebook – analog or digital.

Lunch and soft drinks will be provided.

Class Fee: $100 Call (818) 785-7306 with any questions.

Piru Experience (submitted By Darrell Kunitomi)

2011-06-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

Good ol’ Piru Creek. Get bit, on flies and by no-see-ums. Itchy, itchy.

High water and snow pack in Sierra will probably keep Pyramid dam releasing a good rate through summer. This is a good thing after many dry years. And as most fishers who keep an eye on water matters know, the West is still packed with snow (wet snow), packs are far above normal and temps have remained cool. Runoffs may become scary if not downright dangerous this summer in several areas -- what? Runoff in summer? Skiing on the 4^th? True.

Piru fishes excellently at the moment, but take your repellent. Biting Diptera, black flies, no-see-ums the little bastards, whatever you choose to call ‘em are active and looking for your ears and elbows. Knuckles too, where I took itchy bites that took two weeks to calm. And I used spray. Must have been the releasing of fish that rinsed my protection away. Shorts not recommended, too many biters and poison oak (bumper crop this year).

Piru Creek is an excellent place to learn our sport. You use a variety of casting techniques, from rolls and sidearms in hemmed-in spots, to classic dry fly heaves on long flats that look like the typical western spring creek. The first trout below came up for a #18 CDC & elk on a 50’ cast upstream. Just for fun. Felt great to cast that far just 45 minutes from Fishermen’s Spot.

Hydropscyhe caddis – the house-building net makers – are present, and lots of Baetis nymphs, many ready to pop. Guys at the Spot will direct you to PT nymphs and caddis larva (who drift and who make easy targets for trout). #18 in tan and lt. olive on the caddis, #18 on the Baetis, fish both with an indicator set shallow as takes are quick and sure in the shallow waters of the creek. 2’ will work. Caddis dries and emergers, and small mayfly patterns will also take fish on ol’ Piru. The fish don’t seem to get picky until Trikes fall, or at dusk when caddis emerge or spinners fall. Then they act like real trout.

Piru has caddis. The one loose fellow on the rock (last shot) appears to be a Rhyac, the free-roamer, but it’s a net-spinning Hydro who seems to have been interrupted by me when building his house. Three dark head segments ID the Hydro versus two on our Rhyacs.

Piru has the baetis, and in many colors. Several here will be popping soon if not already spawned-out and eaten by trout.

One memorable day Spot regular Marcelo Tubert and I fished an overcast day. This was in neoprene days and I said, Hey look, they’re walking down your thighs. Baetis females had landed on Marcelo and were walking south on his waders, entering the surface to lay eggs. We looked and there were egg masses on the neoprene.

They may be of many colors and ages, but the #18 PT nymph will work fine.

Scuds are found in Piru too.

Larger fish don’t appear till late. But even the small rainbows at Piru will be well-formed, colorful things. And leapers. Very fun to catch. Take your repellent, parking pass, water and a small box of patterns. No need for the whole Scout outfit here, mobile is best.

Darrell Kunitomi

It Takes All Kinds

2011-05-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

John Dietsch of Hook.tv shared with us a photo of a nice local Largemouth Bass that he took with one of our bass flies.

Covering for Steve and Ken who were off playing hooky at Hot Creek, Dean and yours truly entertained the inquiries of several hair stylists and cosmetologists who have discovered the Spot a source for their grizzly.

Brian O'Keefe of Catch Magazine at The Spot in December

2010-11-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

Brian O'Keefe of Catch Magazine will be at the shop on Sunday, December 12, 2010.

Brian has been serious about fly fishing for the past 40 years. During the past 30, cameras have played a significant part in his outdoor lifestyle.

At age eight, Brian’s interest in fly fishing was born while spending summers in Montana with his grandparents. There he was taught the art of fly casting and fishing by his grandfather, a dry fly purist. From those first years fishing the waters of the Northwest and Montana, he has spent the majority of his free time fishing and taking advantage of all the outdoors has to offer. On family vacations, Brian would often go off alone to fish a nearby stream. His interest in photography began as a means to back up with pictures, what his family thought might be just “tall tales”.

Brian started fishing the world in the fall of 1973. He began with a solo trip through New Zealand and Australia, and a brief trek into the Himalayan Mountains to fish for brown trout. After returning from this two-year adventure, Brian spent his summers guiding in the Northwest and Alaska for trout, salmon and steelhead. During those years he accumulated quite a large collection of slides, occasionally selling one to a flyfishing publication. At age 30, he began his career as a fly fishing tackle rep. Brian is also an accomplished fly caster, earning the title of Master Certified Fly Casting Instructor from the Fly Fishing Federation (FFF). He has also placed in, and won many fly casting competitions.

Brian has traveled to some of the wildest and most remote angling destinations in the world, including: Bikini Atoll, the Seychelles, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tonga, Cuba and Kashmir. He has also traveled to more accessible locations, such as: the Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Chile, New Zealand, Christmas Island and more. In many of these locations he again chooses to venture off the beaten path, hiking, floating, sea-kayaking or taking a Zodiac into the backcountry.

Brian lives with his wife and fishing partner, Judith in Powell Butte, Oregon and continues to work as an angling and outdoor photographer, having had photographs published in periodicals such as: the Los Angeles Times; the New York Times; the Miami Herald; USA Today and many others. He has had cover shots in: Field & Stream; Outdoor Life; Fly Fisherman; Fly, Rod and Reel; Fly Fishing Salt Waters; Fly and Fish Magazine; Outside Magazine and Mens Journal. In addition to photography, Today, you could just as easily run into Brian on his way to a slide show presentation at your local fly fishing club, as you could in an airport on his way to some island in the Pacific.

Please Help If You Can

2010-11-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

Longtime Sierra Pacific and Federation member and superb fly fishing teacher Robert “Kazy” Kazahaya has passed away after his battle with cancer. It is unfortunate and heartbreaking that his affectionate boxer dog, Lucy, needs a home.

Lucy is a young 7 yr old - she loves people and kids. She is housebroken,
spayed and micro-chipped and is about 60 lbs. Lucy is on medication for
incontinence (which solves the problem) and she also has a little arthritis in her back leg but that doesn't stop
her from playing and being a dog. The only thing that Lucy doesn't like are
cats and other dogs. She is very protective of her home when people come to the
house. She sometimes barks until she meets the people and then she is ok. She needs to be in a
home where she is the only dog.

See the attached photo.

If there is anyone who is interested or knows someone who would like to adopt or
even foster her until we can find her "furever" home, please contact her current foster home, Bruce Altrock. 805.3731079 home, 805.2312978

Global Rescue Living Up To Their Name

2010-11-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

The letter below from my contact, Don Causey, at Global Rescue illustrates the need for the services they provide world wide. Something to consider if you are traveling to remote areas for fishing or other recreational pursuits.

"Dear Ken,

As this issue of your bulletin is being written, Global Rescue is handling another medical emergency for a member of the hunting community. As more and more hunters and fishermen sign up for memberships, the number of evacuations we perform for those that face medical emergencies continues to grow.

The latest incident occurred in Namibia late last month, where an American hunter, a member of Safari Club International and Dallas Safari Club, was bitten on the foot by an Angolan cobra (Naja annulifera anchietae) that delivered what could have been a fatal dose of venom. The Professional Hunter killed the cobra and rushed the hunter to a local hospital where he was administered an anti-venom. To save his lower leg, physicians performed emergency surgery that completely removed the skin from the top of the man's foot. This was necessary in order to prevent severe, life-threatening blood infections. At the conclusion of surgery, an attempt was made to graft replacement tissue to the wound.

After a thorough review of the medical records and images performed in conjunction with local physicians, it was determined the efforts to re-graft the skin had been unsuccessful. Global Rescue's medical team and Johns Hopkins specialists agreed that his foot should be operated on in the United States. He was immediately flown to Washington, D.C., via Amsterdam.

Global Rescue even secured the necessary permits to have the member's hunting rifle transferred in Amsterdam and cleared for carriage with him all the way home.

Once in Virginia, the skin on the hunter's foot was re-grafted to allow him to recuperate in his home hospital of choice.

This story, I think you will agree, points up the depth and sophistication of the Global Rescue operation. No medical evacuation firm in the world can perform like we do.

Yours in good hunting and fishing,

Don Causey

Senior Advisor to Global Rescue"

Massive Clearance Sale

2010-11-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

We just marked down a boat load of products to make room for all the new goodies that will be arriving soon. Now is the time, if you are looking for a great price on clothing, rods, reels and lines. Stop by and check out the deals.

Note: some of the products have shop worn packaging but the item itself is in as new condition.

Outcast Wave 9 Pontoon Boat (Floor Display Only) Reg. $525 Clearance $399.95

Galvan Spoke Reels 30% off MSRP

Hardy Cascapedia & St. George Reels 30% off MSRP

Hardy Canvas/Leather Satchel 40% off MSRP

Greys Streamflex & XFlite Rods 30% MSRP

Selected Simms Shirts 40% off MSRP

Greys Platinum Boat Bag 60% off MSRP

Sage 4580CF Reel 40% off MSRP

Rio Spey and Skagit fly lines 40% off MSRP

Ex Officio Boxers and Briefs 40% off MSRP

Redington CW 7/8/9 reel 40% off MSRP

Greys GRXI Cassette reels with 3 extra spools 40% off MSRP

Bauer JM1/JM2/Rouge Spools 50% off MSRP 50% MSRP

Galvan OB Spools 50% off MSRP

Ross Evolution Spools 50% off MSRP

Loomis Venture 7 Reel 30% off MSRP

Simms Freestone Zippered Wader 30%off MSRP

Simms Blackfoot & Freestone Wading Boots 40% off MSRP

Chota Rockloc Wading Boots 50% off MSRP

Simms Pursuit shoes & sandals 50% off MSRP

Gone Fishing Polarized Sunglasses Values to $39.95 Clearance $19.95

All products are limited to stock on hand.

Fall Pilgrimage 2010

2010-11-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

For many years my partner Steve & I have made an annual trek up Hwy 395 to the Eastern Sierra Nevada. The beauty of the area never ceases to please the eye and the prospects of fine fishing, old friends and good food outweigh the drudgery of the 4 1/2 hour drive. This year the weather and the fish gods were in alignment and our trip was a rousing success. Our first day was spent with the ever energetic David D'Beaupre from Sierra Trout Magnet fishing the wild trout section of the lower Owens River. After a long summer of high flows, over 500 CFS, the stream was running clear and flows were a manageable 250 CFS and the trout proved willing on small 18-20 baetis nymphs. Although I had fished the Lower O. many times before David showed me a few new spots and we must have been having fun because the time flew by.

The rest of the week was spent with a group of old friends at Hot Creek Ranch and the Baetis hatch was in full swing. Each day, beginning at around 10:30 a.m., the wild residents of this world famous creek began rising to a robust hatch of BWO aka. Baetis. Below is a slide show with pictures of some of the trout we caught and the sights we enjoyed. EnJoy!

Locals!

2010-10-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we lose sight of what is right in front of us. We dream of fishing trips to faraway places and substitute wishing for fishing. This year I have been lucky enough to fish in some pretty cool spots and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. However, I was determined to not wait so long between fishing outings and to fish locally when time permitted.

For many years I would fish the lakes around the LA area with varying degrees of success and I knew of the potential for good sized fish that put a bend in your rod and a stretch in your string.

Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Carp, Crappie and Bluegill are all fun targets for the flyrodder who is tied to LA either by business or family commitments. Within minutes of all of you LA residents there are hard fighting species that will sharpen your skills and fine tune your reflexes so that when you actually go on that long awaited trip it won't have been six months (a year? Two?) since you actually cast a rod at a live target.

So Cal is fortunate to have a system of lakes/reservoirs that are loaded with all kinds of fly eating critters and all you need to do is get out there and give it a shot. You probably already have the right gear to chase a lot of these species and with the addition of a few different flies, and some intel from your local friendly fly shop you can be harassing the locals within minutes of your home.

Don't turn your noses up at these, not so exotic, species. There is a lot that they can teach you about setting a hook, fighting a fish, making difficult casts into the wind, spotting fish and relaxing.

And when it comes right down to it that is why you took up this crazy hobby to begin with. In the ever increasing hubbub of our everyday lives these local denizens will provide hours of welcome, blissful, mindless relaxation.

This morning just 15 minutes from my house I caught and released some really fine LM Bass and thought about absolutely nothing else while I did it. Relaxing? You bet your bippy it was!

OK, so I'm stepping down off my soapbox and heading to the refrigerator to continue my relaxing day with a nice glass of Chardonnay. Have fun out there!

Update from Jimmie Morales - West Slope Fall Conditions

2010-10-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

As pilfered from the Sierra Fly Fisher Blog (http://www.sierraflyfisher.com/streamreport/index.htm).
"We are chompin' at the bit in anticipation for the appearance of the October caddis. Anticipation is also high for a significant spike in "brown trout friskyness" and we couldn't be happier. Browns love fall and they love "weather". This coming weekend we'll have co-host and special guest Andrew Maurer at Mono Hot Springs. For those of you with a soft spot for photography, you may wish to join us for our evening "hang time" at the restaurant there. Andrew's photos speak for themselves. See: http://www.troutstreamdesigns.com/Photos.htm and check out these recent Eastern Sierra. sample photos below."

2010-09-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Fishermen's Spot is proud to be the SoCal source for Dan Blanton's Striperfest raffle tickets. Each year Dan hosts this great event to help raise funds to protect this awesome fishery and this year we are proud to be a part of it. Below are ticket prices and the very impressive list of prizes that are up for grabs this year. Stop by the shop and get your tickets and help us keep this great fishery great. Check out the very cool prizes listed below......

Raffle Ticket Sales – Dan Blanton Striperfest 2010

$20 - single ticket
$100 - 6 tickets
$200 - 15 tickets
$500 - 40 tickets

$1000 – 100 tickets

Striperfest Raffle Donations

1. Mike McKenzie - Used, prime condition, Abel Reel Super 10 – Mike McKenzie.

2. Captain Mike Costello - One day (weekend) guide trip on the delta with Captain Mike Costello – value $450 – must redeem within one year.

3. Mike Costello - Book – “Fly Fishing the California Delta” – donated by Mike Costello.

4. Dan Blanton - One day guided trip for one angler on the delta with Captain Dan Blanton – must redeem within one year – value $550. 4 ea. Rigged `N Ready rod bags. Book, Fly Fishing California’s Great Waters – hard bound.

5. Habervision – 2 pair glasses.

6. Corey Cate – wine, wine, wine.

7. Steve Potter – box of his famous flies.

8. Captain Jerry Neuburger - One day Delta guided trip, Trip by DeltaStripers, all day, for two, lunch and refreshments included. Novices welcome. Value $350 -

Captain Jerry Neuburger.

9. Ron Dong - Ron Dong Crease flies - by Ron Dong.

10. Captain Bill Hutchinson - Half-day guided trip on the delta in November with Captain Bill Hutchinson.

11. Jonny King - Flies by Jonny King.

12. California Fly Shop - Five $100 gift cards that can be individually raffled.

13. Henry Cowan - One dozen striper flies tied by Henry Cowan.

15. Brad Bohen - Musky Country Outfitters in for a full day musky on the fly float for this event. Good for June 1st 2011 through September 1 - 2011 – Brad Bohen.

16. Leo Gutterres - Box of poppers – Leo Gutterres.

Additions as of 8/28/2010

17. Bill Kiene - Sage LMB outfit – rod, reel, line and case – Bill Kiene – Kiene’s Fly Shop.

18. Noel de Guzman - dozen striper flies – Noel de Guzman.

19 Charlie Gonzales - One day guided trip with Charlie Gonzales on the American River.

20. Goodies from John Sherman and Simms: Dry Creek Boat Bag – medium; Dry Creek Boat Bag – large; Dry Creek Duffle – medium.

21. From artist/author Bill Bishop: 1 snook print remarked, 1 redfish print remarked, 1 trout print remarked, 1 bonefish prink remarked, 1 permit print remarked and 1 tarpon print remarked. Also include are six signed artist proof stripers and six signed artist proof speckled perch, one of Bill’s favorites. Total of 18 prints and a remarked copy of Bill’s tarpon book, “High Rollers”.

22. Steve Cali - Box of striper flies.

23. Orvis – Tom Rosenbauer - great new rod called the Access. Almost as light as the Helios, similar flex pattern, and retails for only $375 in the 909 version.

24. The Fishient Group - A hamper full of fly tying materials and flies.

25. Tomas R. Pero – Publisher Wild River Press - Signed copies of: A Passion for Steelhead; A Passion for Tarpon; Fly Fishing for Striped Bass (limited edition worth $250); Plus one each of all four tarpon posters from the new book.

26. Ken Hanley – 2 ea. Mexico Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing Guidebooks

2 ea. “Saltwater Salmon on the Fly” DVD's.

27. Dennis Papike – Cal-West Custom Rods – Special Striperfest rod (last year’s was a beauty! Dan).

27. Stan Pleskunas – one of his LMDs (line management devices)

28. Brandon White – Lateral Line – XL Crisfield Shirt and XL Miles T-shirt. 50 ea. Lateral Line hats will be given to the first 50 who register at the event with Matt Havelock and the Smith mob – they hats normally sell for $20 each.

Additions as of 8/29/10

29. Captain Steve Santucci – one day guided trip for two on the Delta.

30. Keith Kaneko – Angling on the Fly Travel Service - 10% discount (coupon) on one travel package offered by Angling On The Fly (must redeem within one year) --- OR --- One day guide trip by Keith Kaneko on the Lower Yuba River (value: $395 / must redeem within one year)

31. Doug Jeffries – a dozen poppers – 6 balsa and 6 foam in hand-made aromatic cedar boxes.

Additions as of 8/30/10

32. Mark Rockwell – two day guided trip on Fall River 2011 – hopefully to include lodging and breakfast.

33. Albright – Michael Kahn – Albright XXT 10 rod.

34. TFO – (new series) BVK 8-wt., with TFO 340 large arbor reel.

35. Rio – Rio Outbound Short Fly lines in both sinking and floating.

36. Sage – Xi3 rod and reel outfit.

36. Hardy North American/Hardy-Greys – Zane 4 pc. 9-wt. & Zane 2 fly reel – Jim Murphy.

37. Duplicate donation removed.

38. Solitude Reels – Solitude SR5.

Additions as of 8/31/10

39. Fishermen’s Spot – Ken & Steve - Redington Redfly Outfit. It includes a 9' 8 wt 4 piece Redfly rod, SV Reel and a WF 8 F line and backing and a Rod/Reel Case. This lists for $300.

40. Sea Level FlyFishing – Ray Hutcherson – fly rod - Sea Level Extreme Inshore 7' 11" 4pc 7 WT – value $250.

41. JC Poulton – Case of Redhawk red wine – hmmm…

42. Fly Shop – Mike Michalak - two nights at Antelope Creek Lodge for two anglers for the 2011 season. Dates to be arranged, value = $295 X 4 = $1,180.

43. Abel Reel –Super 9 reel with a solid frame in the striper finish - Retail value of $1025.00. .

44. Ben Byng – Balsa-wood poppers and other cool flies guaranteed to catch fish.

45. Dave Inks – 36 Flashtail striper flies.

46. Targus – Complete set of Targus jig hooks and various fly tying materials.

47. Carl Blackledge – half dozen Tube, Ron Dong Crease flies.

48. Jay Murakoshi - 1 dozen deer hair poppers - combined hair bugs (Dahlberg's, flat face deer hair poppers)

1 dozen sea habits for Baja/stripers

1 dozen Clouser, varied colors.

49. George Smith (AKA GES) – New TFO 8-10; 300-400 grain Mini-Mag rod.

50. Boga Grip – Gary Alldredge of Boga Grip.

51. Scientific Anglers – 4 ea. Gift certificates for fly line of choice. Jeff Weiringa.

52. Bobby Barrack – one day guided trip on the delta for one.

53. John Quigley - 10 - 2 packs of my Quigley Twisted Leaders.

54. Excellent Adventures – Al Smatsky – two, one-day passes to Kelsey Bass Ranch – value $200

55. Vladan Milenkovic - dozen of striper flies-some floating/suspended baitfish, and also some imitations tied on jig hooks.

56. Outdoor Specialty Products – Jamie Lyle - Sage Typhoon Boat Bag; Redington CDL 7/8 Reel; 1 pair Smith Gallegos Glasses; 1 Rio Outbound Short line.

57. Al Quattrocchi – Qbonefish/permit flies.

58. Joe Kohn - Abel QC 7/8 Green finish.

59. Orland Outfitters, Wayne Syn - One spot on the two-day Kay Mitsuyoshi Memorial Shad Fishout - May 20 - 21, 2011.

60. Dr. Slick - A pair of Pisces Pliers - $40 retail value

61. MAKO – Jack Charlton – a MAKO reel to be announced soon.

62. Nautilus – Kristen Mustad - Nautilus NV 89 - Custom grey ghost anodized - MSRP $700.

63. Fly Fishing Specialties Fly Shop - Sacramento – 5 $20 gift certificates – Bernie Halterbeck.

64. Umpqua Feather Merchants - 3 large boxes loaded to the gills with

Delta-selected striper flies.

65. Scott Rod Company – Jim Bartschi - Scott A3909/4, 9ft 9 line 4 pc.

66. No Nonsense Fly Fishing Guides – Howard Fisher, publisher – Four of Mike Costello’s book “Fly Fishing the California Delta”.

67. Icon Products – John Ryzanych – Braided Loop Leader Kits.

68. Bass the Movie DVD: Donated by Howard Films and John Sherman.

69. Limited Edition Fly Fishing the Ca Delta Book: Donated by John Sherman

Oh no more product endorsements!

2010-09-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to try out in the coming days one of those Freedom Hawk kayaks. Look for that report soon.

After rummaging through the Spot's bargain bin fly boxes, I threw some streamers into the waters of the Merced River. The rewards were bows, browns and a hog pike minnow(eeeek!).

B

International Fly Tackle Dealer Show

2010-09-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

New products and old friends! 

Steve, Ted and I went to the International Fly Tackle Dealer show in Denver, CO to check out the new products for next season. Wow! Talk about sensory overload!

Highlights include Hardy's new Sintrix rods, which include new Zenith freshwater and Proaxis saltwater ranges of fly rods. Each range is built with Hardy’s proprietary new Sintrix material. Sintrix is the result of ground-breaking technology in the use of Silica Matrix Resin technology in collaboration with the 3M Corporation. Hardy has developed their own specific formulation from this technology, and the results have been extensively field tested over the past 18 months. Their team of fishing pros from the Florida Keys to Montana has hailed the rods as truly innovative and exceptional fishing and casting tools.

The Sintrix material allows the design team to build the first series of rods that combines the best attributes of the modern reserve-power, fast action fly rods with the more technical requirements of tracking, tippet protection and a taper that shifts the load to the butt when you need to lay into the fish.  The company’s development and marketing teams from both the UK and the US were at the Denver show. Chris Bond, Director of Research & Development, Howard Croston, Product Development Manager and well known Salt Water angler Andy Mill, who coordinated the field testing (check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwJvDs5MnFo ) and analysis were on hand to present the new rods.

We have had a prototype 10wt (here is the 10wt in action on a big Barracuda during the field testing process http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTeIuqOvULA )on hand this summer to check out but it was impressive to see and cast the finished products. These are good looking, tasteful rods with a deep blue finish and a smooth, powerful casting action. Fast, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. Available January 2011.

Fishpond's new luggage features lots of new colors and a new backpack/chestpack combo that allows you to attach the chestpack to the front of the backpack so that it is out of the way when you are hiking. This is a simple solution that makes for easier, more comfortable hiking and fishing.

Tibor's new, ported reel with a sealed cork drag was demonstrated to us by living saltwater legend Ted (Tibor) Juracsik. It is the first Tibor reel to be ported for weight reduction and Ted was proud of the obvious upgrades. The reels are beautiful with an innovative sealed drag that reduces maintenance to almost nothing. This will be a fast favorite with the saltwater and spey guys.

Redington’s new entry level, Crosswater waders are one of the highlights of their expanded line of clothing and gear. We can finally offer a quality wader from a national brand at just $99.95 great for a beginner or as a backup pair.

Abel has a new line clipper that will literally last a lifetime and it will work on braided lines as well. The clipper features replaceable cutter blades and comes with an adjustable lanyard. You’ll never need another one.

Winston Boron IIIX rods are the next generation of ultra light boron rods from this Twin Bridges, Montana company. These rods continue the Winston tradition of sweet casting rods and gorgeous high end finish. It’s just a beautiful fishing tool.

Ross F1 reel is a really sexy newcomer to the Ross Reel family and incorporates a drag based on the braking system of a Formula 1 racecar. The stacked, sealed carbon fiber drag will stay cool and smooth no matter the speed of the fish’s run. Check out this video from the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yotaz6YD8o

Micro snaps from Traun River Co from Germany allow you to quickly and easily change flies without retying. This will be particularly helpful when chasing busting pods of picky strippers and LMB at the local lakes.

Freedom Hawk Kayaks were really interesting and although it would be difficult for us to stock them we were really impressed by the design and function of these boats. 12’ and 14’ models have easy to deploy outriggers that allow you to stand and cast with ease.

Well-made and very portable, these boats are ideal for inshore, lake and bay fishing here in SoCal. Here’s a video demonstration of the 14’ model http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfp1Rp_tmwQ . I may just have to get one for myself.

Oh no a product endorsement!

2010-09-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there isn't enough time to tie. Sometimes a cool fly will catch your eye. A few months ago I bought a streamer from the The Spot for some trout hunting and it paid off. This summer, while in Montana with Noah Snyder and Jim Lowe had me learning a little about the ever-fascinating Bull Trout. Here's a shot of a Montana specimen with a Coffey's Conehead Sparkle Minnow in its mouth.

There are some additional shots at my Photobucket account. Click HERE and both Noah and Jim have posted fun reports HERE.

Early Summer Yosemite Report from Sierra Fly Fisher

2010-07-08T11:34:00.001-07:00

This report came to us recently from Jimmie Morales and Bernard Yin who are getting busy in the Yosemite area. Small streams appear to be the order of the day and show no signs of disappointing the angler. Visit Sierra Fly Fisher at: http://sierraflyfisher.com
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Hello Everyone,
The rivers remain unusually high for this time of the year but the air temps are pleasant to warm and if you hit the edges of the bigger water or smaller streams, the fishing is wonderful. Summer in general should prove to be very solid this year. In the weeks to come, the Merced should be coming down to a workable level. All that said, we are getting busier and busier with fun-seeking clients of all ages from all over. A recent outing with Bernard guiding on a small stream with Chris, Jake and Logan proved nothing short of a riot as they honed their chops on some dry fly action for browns and brookies. Don't be fooled either. These small and beautiful fish were skittish and gave us a quality game. Thanks guys for a truly fun day. Bernard reports that it was excellent therapy after his recent road mishap. Everyone, please check the road conditions online with the park service. Current construction on the 41 (and other park roads) is creating hazards, delays, dusty conditions as well as reducing turnouts. Just be careful. Here's a helpful link: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. The waterfalls in Yosemite Valley proper are doing very well and we are finding happy clients who integrate a day on the stream into their Yosemite visit. Smiles all around.

Christmas Island Slide Show 2010

2010-05-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

A slide show with some great pics from our Christmas Island adventure. The fishing keeps getting better every time we go.

Cane Mutiny BBQ It was a Small and Good Time

2010-05-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

A nice report on this weekend's Cane Mutiny and Hardy Day activities from cane addict/aficionado and old friend Darrell Kunitomi. Darrell has agreed to contribute here from time to time on all things cane, collecting and local (LA and environs) fishing so we have that to look forward to.

It was a fine day. Is it ever not when boys and bamboo and barbecued meats get together?

We had but half a doz of the faithful -- many members were called away by honey dos and travel, fools -- so the faithful handful ate tons of grilled meats, sausages, chili, rice and salad, drank mostly water and juices, fools -- and we cast one of the finest representations of roddage ever seen in my yard. Some Brandin fella. Old Young thing, 7 1/2' of perfection. Mr. Leonard, Mr. AJ, a five-sided Mario, no dogs on Saturday.

Some fine hand-planed George Boehme (Bay-me) rods, our pal who's been ill. Watercolorman savored a cool quad, at 7 1/2' for a five line. I own two of his creations.

George in the California sunshine, sitting in the cactus garden holding his fine quad rod.

Been about three years since the last gathering, life intrudes you know. Jerry I. drove down from two hours away. Jim, jz2, stands at George's rod rack, occupied mostly by that Brandin fella -- rods 8'6 on down, with other assorted rods.

Life in California is so hard. I planned on weather, 60s, breezy, cleared the fire pit for a fire to keep George warm and dammit, it was a beautiful day. Again. Hummingbirds in the pomegranite, jays squawking around their nest, hell, just hell.

Jerry, George, John and Alan, Watercolorman, do the casting hang-around thing here. Jerry brought his Perfectionist. Found in an antique shop for a nickle, restored by Bob Summers. I cast it. Now, I'm not normally a para sort of fella, preferring the Goodwin-meets-Payne vibe, and variations thereof. But something has gotten to me. I'm liking that butt. I'm liking that firm, high butt. I'm starting to like that stiffy thing when you swing forward and drive your thumb like you're snapping a fly swatter and the rod doesn't complain but kicks. He was lucky to get away from my place.

Then again, there was that Brandin fella. We cast a three-piece, not usually seen. And I swung a Brandin hex that suited my arm nicely. John liked one model too much. He dropped a bomb. Jim grinned, it was his rod. John, a strong and precise tournament caster: "It's better than mine...".

New man Watercolorman dropped by and had a fine time. We always welcome a fellow caniac. We come not to rid ourselves of the addiction but to celebrate it.

The next day was Hardy Weekend at the Fishermen's Spot, Van Nuys, California. John Shanner who knows two tons of historical fly knowledge and can handle a lube tube and screwdriver to fix your old reel was really on-hand. Rodmaker Robert Bolt drove down.

I flexed every model he brought, about nine of them. I've owned several Howell rods, dealt them off over the years, fool, and retain one 7'. Bolt's renditions are fine rods.

He mentioned his 8' for a three. He cast a wary eye at me. I said put a damn reel on it and hand the noodle over, rover. It worked deep and medium. I liked it like I liked a fella's 40L back on the Gunpowder. In the right place at the right time, sweetness.

He found himself in a sea of asphalt. Then, he went for street cred and turned his cap around. It worked. No one shot at us.

Larry is grinning because he, like a cat with a sparrow in-mouth, was planning. He was taking a Bolt rod home. He bought the famed 7'3 for a three.

It's a collector's dream at the Spot. Several 7 1/2's showed, a Black Beauty Featherweight sold, 600. All manner of piscatoriana, wallets, tools, lures, flies, the good stuff.

The reels. Now, sure, lots of white-handled Medalists, SAs, Cortlands, Johnson automatics in Googie colors, stuff for kids and guests on rocky streams. With big old ugly lines on them, with bad knots. You know the sort you see at swap meets.

Then there's the heavy metal, Hardy fly reels to die for. Hard rubber too, bone handles, reels you don't hand over to examine. No, you can see them just fine inside the glass of the case.

Over the years I've been fortunate to have acquired some nice reels for my fishing. My drooling has stopped. But I still look, and it's a longing look -- 3" flat-head screw St. George, small Uniquas, Perfects, lots of brass and aluminum. Metal line guide St. George, then I don't have to worry about cracks in the fragile agate, hm.

You know your rods if you can recognize the fine little rod box here, and this maker's work. Beautiful work, box, form, and rod. Stiff on the flex, probably a five for the dry. Not for sale. I asked.

But the rod below was killer.

I state that it is the finest from Mr. Leonard I've ever coveted, flexed! I mean flexed! in mine hands. Circa 30s, 7' 3/2 Catskill, for a true DT2 line, deeply medium but with enough wood above the hand for a feel so exquisite I sweat right now thinking on it.

So fine so light so perfectly diminuative that the 2 9/16s St. George looks huge on it. It is a whisper in your hands. It is poetry and it is not for sale.

It belongs to a lady flyfisher who inherited her father's fine tackle. A Rube Cross fly was identified. The gear came from the finest stores from the Depression era. The sort of stuff from the sort of gentleman you'd read about in Swiebert's reminicences in Trout. The guy who gave him the new silk and gut points.

The stuff of dreams.

So it was a good weekend for the bamboo and for friends. We'll have more in the future, long as I last. The Spot guys love the old gear and the camaraderie.

Odd how so many weirdos can be united by a simple fishing tool, a fly rod made of split cane. Somehow it makes sense.

March and April Browns

2010-04-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

We just got a great report from the Sierra Fly Fisher crew
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The annual March Brown "event" on the Upper Kings has remained true to form: Mysterious yet rewarding.

Photo: Artin Marootian

The hatch would shift in time and even location but it held enough onto tradition and we got into some action. Between the feeding frenzies we were spoiled by the amazing spring beauty and while smelling some flowers SFF guide Bernard Yin planted his face roughly two feet from a sizable rattler. "I never heard a flower like that!" As he adjusted his focus, he tells us, "All I saw were scales and huge diamonds" (as in Diamondback Rattlesnake). Luckily the only thing bitten were our flies. Pocket water hunting provided fish when the bugs were less active. Mayflies and numerous types of stoneflies were and are the predominant insect at this time. This river is truly an interesting game. What is this all about? We look for good weather but not so hot that the high country slopes start to melt. We then dash in and work hard at finding the hot zones. Upper Kings bows are strong and wild. A foot long fish is average but a few in the "teens" are always sprinkled in. Look at the bend on client Dave's rod...

Photo: Andrew Maurer

Note that this is the catch and release section of this massive river and also remember that most streams are not open for fishing until the last Saturday in April. Don't be discouraged, just know the regs.

We have been blessed with great photographers. Last year Stephanie Skiff shot a multitude of great shots. Over the last few days we had the honor of guest photographer Andrew Maurer (see: http://www.troutstreamdesigns.com ) in our company.

Photo: Andrew Maurer

The collective crew be they guides, clients or others crated a wonderful mix and camp every night was a great hang with food and laughter. Some of these shots are a sneak peek at Andrew's stellar work and look out for more photos very soon. For those of you in So. Cal. Jimmie and Bernard will be present at The Fishermen's Spot (April 8th). More of Andrew's photography, Stephanie's photography and even some exclusive 2010 helicopter footage of the drainage will be showcased. The conversation will be about Yosemite, The Kings, our Fall brown trout camp and mucho mas.

LATE BREAKING NEWS
April 1st UPDATE: The upper Kings continues to be fishable fish despite a "false alarm" on Weds./Thurs. that spring runoff might kick in.

Suddenly a cool front curtailed the rise in flows and we're seriously considering heading back on the river! April Browns we call them (nudge nudge wink wink).

Contact us if you want to talk trout or we'll see you March 8th in the early evening at the Spot. Call Ken or Steve for details.
The Sierra Fly Fisher Team

Alaska Bans felt....

2010-03-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

I guess it's coming wether we want it or not.

Fisheries Board bans anglers' felt-soled boots
The Associated Press
Published: March 22nd, 2010 02:10 PM
Last Modified: March 22nd, 2010 02:10 PM

JUNEAU, Alaska - Alaska anglers will be banned from wearing felt-soled wading boots in streams and rivers starting in 2012 under a decision by the Board of Fisheries.

The ban is aimed at preventing the spread of disease and invasive species.

The board voted 6-0 in favor of the ban Friday in Anchorage.

Anglers wear felt-soled boots in streams to help their footing on wet rocks.

Trout Unlimited pushed for the ban. Project director Mark Kaelke (CAL'-key) says felt stays wet longer than rubber boots and carries more river sediment.

He says invasive species can survive on felt while boots are transported to different fishing grounds, creating the potential to spread disease

The Fisheries Board has jurisdiction over anglers only and the ban does not apply to other stream users.

Fly Fishing Show Pleasanton, CA

2010-03-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

Better late than never I guess. Spent the last couple of days catching up in the shop after a very busy weekend in Nor Cal.
The Flyfishing Show in Pleasanton, CA was outstanding this year and it was really nice to see the enthusiasm and excitement in all the attendees. Many of our old friends stopped by and we were able to catch up on old times and plan new ones. It was great to see Dan on Friday and finally meet Ed Given after all these years. We had fun reminiscing about our old buddy Andy Puyans and the about fishing in the 70s. Charlie Bisharat and Charlie Gonzales stopped by for a visit and Noel Guzman showed up a few minutes later followed by John Sherman making the rounds. Later in the day Lee Haskins came by and introduced himself and it was like meeting an old friend. I felt like I’d known him forever and we had a nice time visiting and talking fly tying for a few minutes. Many of the guys from the forum came by and introduced themselves and it was nice to put a face with the names that are posted online.
On Saturday Mike Costello was out and about and reporting a decent week of fishing for stripers to 26 lbs. The crowd on Saturday was huge and we were kept very busy and unfortunately we did not have time visit with the many friends who stopped by. Jimmie Morales came by in the thick of things and it was all I could do to say “Hi”. We’ll have to catch up another time. Old friend Mike Michelak, owner of The Fly Shop in Redding, Ca, stopped by to shoot the breeze and we had a laugh or two.
I was tickled to meet Ron Dong when he and some friends came by and I got a chance to tell him how much we enjoyed using his flies down in Baja each year.
Lots of other old friends were working the show including Ken Hanley, Jay Murakoshi, Howard & Janee Mc Kinney, Joe Contaldi, Gary Anderson and Al Perryman so it was a fun weekend for me personally. I’m certain I have forgotten to mention some of the folks but my memory isn’t what it used to be. It was great to see so much enthusiasm and even a few youngsters either just getting started or already seasoned anglers. I look forward to doing it again next year.

The Spot 2009 Slideshow

2010-01-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Pics of events and fishing trips from the past year.

The History and some fishing tips on using the Charlie’s Airhead by Charlie Bisharat

2009-12-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Charlie’s airhead fly was designed to fill a huge gap in my fly arsenal. The gap that almost all other fly fishers and fly tiers often grimace about when they see a conventional fisherman doing well in the boat next to them with a bait that is large and moves a lot of water during it’s retrieve.

The driving force behind the airhead was to create size while still making a castable fly. I had been fishing the turbid waters of some of our local Northern California rivers for striped bass, using flies I had tied employing conventional tying methods and with combinations of both natural and synthetic materials. In order to create enough bulk in the fly for it to be noticed in 8 to 12 “of visibility they quickly became like a drenched sweat-shirt and too hard to cast for me and my fishing partners. I was at a crossroads with a serious need to get something that worked better.

I started to play with different means and methods and arrived at the idea of the airhead. I wanted to create a hollow head that was nearly weightless and that could be shaped to be aerodynamic and hopefully provide some erratic action when retrieved. After much R&D and many a failed effort, I came to understand what was required to make it work. What was missing was a way to form the head. I tried silicone, sof tex, etc but could not find anything that did all that I needed. Some materials were too rigid, some too soft some were too heavy.

I was buying my sons football cleats at Big 5 Sporting goods and on the rack across from where I was sitting was a display that included shoe goo.The final piece of the puzzle had been found and the airhead was off and running.

Once the mechanics of the fly were complete and I could make the fly the same each time, it was time to test it. Going back to those same Nor Cal rivers the following season was a much different experience. Me and several of my close friends were having amazing results in the very turbid waters that had frustrated us previously. Many trophy stripers, in excess of 20 pounds were brought to hand and our confidence in the fly gained momentum.

It was now time to test it on the world stage, so off it went to Australia, Baja, the Amazon, Christmas Island, etc. The results were staggering. Many trophy fish were caught by the folks that I asked to field test for me. Now, the airhead has really started to take off and is well known at many fishing destinations as the “go to” fly.

How to rig and fish the airhead

In terms of how to rig the fly, it should be tied on with a traditional loop knot so as to give the fly the very best opportunity to dart away from a straight line retrieve during the pauses of your stripping cadence. A loop knot gives the micro currents in the water the opportunity to change the fly’s direction as they contact the round portion of the head. Once the direction of the head is changed the momentum of the fly will have it travel that direction until you strip your line again. Sharp hard strips followed by long pauses can be a very effective way to retrieve the Airhead when water temps are down and fish are not interested in a high speed chase.

One of the wonderful aspects of the airhead is that it can be very effectively fished at all depths in the water column depending on the chosen line.

Starting at the top of the water column, with a Rio, outbound short floating line, I really like to use a longer leader and strip and pause the fly in shallow water. It will not stay afloat but will be working just at or under the surface based on the speed of your retrieve. This is spectacular as you get most of the visual treats of top water fishing , with a much better strike to hook up ratio as the fly is surrounded by water and does not get knocked away like some traditional “high floating” top water flies. Again, a loop knot is key and will allow optimal movement. Although Umpqua’s production models do not come with weed guards they are simple to add by wrapping hard mason on the hook shank and poking the line into the head where desired and securing with goop.

Fishing 1 to 3 feet below the surface of the water is accomplished with an intermediate line. Again, the Rio outbound short Intermediate line is my choice to fish these depths. Your rate of retrieve can and will need to vary based on the mood and species of fish and the time of the year. I usually experiment with different retrieves until I find what they want on a given day.

I also use this set up to fish very slowly in 8 to 10 feet of water when winter water temperatures plummet to the mid to high 40’s.It allows you to dance the fly in the fishes face making it too hard to resist. My personal best Large Mouthed Bass of 8 plus pounds was caught utilizing this method in mid 40 degree water. Patience seems to be needed in large supply to fish this way effectively.

If the need is to fish 3 to 8 feet with a medium to fast retrieve then a type three Rio outbound line is my choice. If I am fishing much below 8 feet or so then the Rio T-11, T-14 integrated shooting heads are what I reach for. If the goal is to get the fly down deep, then it is imperative that you give a quick strip when the fly hits the water. It is critical that the fly get pulled under the top of the water to release the air pocket that can sometimes get trapped in the head of the fly. Once the air is out of head of the fly it will sink very rapidly allowing effective fishing to be accomplished at depths of up to 30 feet.

I am thrilled that all the appropriate and proven colors and sizes are now in production at Umpqua. There is not a predatory fish swimming that one of the many sizes and colors of airheads won’t readily catch. Good luck with the fly and be sure to take a few photos so that I can feel like we fished together.

Cheers, Charlie

Email questions pics to 411@fishermensspot.com

Capt. Kev's Delta Blog..

2009-12-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

Our buddy and ace Delta guide Kevin Doran has a blog dedicated to fly fishing the California Delta. Check it out here http://captainkd.blogspot.com/

You'll learn a lot about fishing this awesome fishery by checking out this blog and even more if you book a day on the water with Kevin sometime. We highly recommend it.

Delta Fishing....

2009-11-29T23:41:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to get out on the water with John Sherman on Tuesday morning and, despite the cold and fog, the fishing was good with 26 fish landed. We caught schoolie striped bass, largemouth bass and a lost chinook salmon that I managed to foul hook on the pectoral fin. Biggest striper was 7lbs but all were in primo shape and it's only a matter of time before the bigger fish start moving in.

The fly I was using is the SumGummi Shad. I hate to say it's a new pattern because invariably someone has already come up with something similar. Anyhow, I came up with this to match the shad in our local lakes (Castaic, Pyramid etc) were it has worked well. I developed the style because I had a hell of a time tying Gummi Minnows and this was a quick and dirty pattern that was easy to tie and seems to be pretty durable. And best of all, the fishies like it. The one in the picture (sorry for the poor quality) landed 11 fish before I replaced it.

Hot Creek Fall '09

2009-10-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

A few pics from our recent trip to Hot Creek Ranch. First two day were really cold and fishing was tough but the weather warmed and the bugs began to hatch.

Our last day was epic, with caddis and Baetis hatching and fish feeding voraciously. All in all a great trip with good friends.

shockwave

Fish of a lifetime?

2009-10-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Two friends in recent days have emailed or called me with reports of their "fish of a lifetime". David called me on a Sunday morning with the news that he had landed and released a huge (8.25lb) Calico Bass that, had he decided to keep it and submit it, would have been a new fly rod world record. Jamie emailed me with a picture of a 30lb plus Permit that was made all the more special because he was on a treasured fishing trip with his Dad. What defines a "fish of a lifetime"? Is it the size of the fish or the circumstances under which the fish is captured. Both of these guys will cherish the memory of that special catch, but for different reasons. I guess what I am saying is that a "fish of a lifetime" is what you dream it to be. I remember one special "fish of a lifetime".

Fifteen years ago I was fishing with my young family on the wonderful Williamson River in South Eastern Oregon. My oldest son, Chris, was about 10 or 11 at the time and was already a skilled fly fisherman. It was early morning and the river was shrouded in a fine mist that was penetrating and cold. The water was an even 57 degrees and the fish were not cooperating. I had waded out into the cold currents and Chris was positioned down-current from me with his short 5 wt rod. We were high-stick nymphing in search of some of the giant rainbows that migrate up from Klamath Lake to seek sanctuary in the icy currents of the Williamson. The very cool air temp and the icy currents combined to start Chris' teeth chattering and I was concerned that it would deteriorate into hypothermia.

"Go back to the tent and warm up" I told him and, despite his protestations, he complied disappearing into the campground toward our tent. I continued fishing my way down the wide run covering the water with successive fan casts that covered the holding water thoroughly.

I became aware of a disturbance to my right and turned to discover Chris wading out toward my position. My first inclination was to scold him for not following directions but the look on his face made me pause. I remembered wanting a fish that badly. Wanting to please my dad, wanting something sooo much that I was willing to face whatever came along to get there.

Tears welled in my eyes as I watched this determined kid brave the cold currents in search of a trout. I choked down my feelings and coached him on how to position his cast to get the best angle on the run below him. And, inside, I prayed to the fish Gods to smile on this little angler and give him a strike. My prayers were answered within seconds as a 20" rainbow slammed his Hares Ear wet fly with a savage boil and a twisting acrobatic run and then stayed pinned long enough to slide into the net. A pure silver hen fish lay gleaming in the net, but I could only see the face of that little boy and the pride of his accomplishment through a blur of my tears.

A fish of a lifetime is what you make of it. Get out there!

Bass Time.....

2009-10-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Spent a really pleasant Wednesday morning with David Wratchford and Artin Marootian at the Castaic Lake chasing LM Bass and Stripers.

It was still dark when I rolled into the Mickey D’s parking lot. Artin and David were already there and their enthusiasm was infectious as we trooped into the restaurant for a quick bite. My usual breakfast, these days, is a bowl of granola with yogurt but, today, I treated myself to a Sausage McMuffin, Hash Browns and a coffee. It’s been years since I had one of these sandwiches and, I have to admit, that it was delicious. Maybe it was because of the anticipation of a fine morning on the water or the fact that I was cheating a little but that damned thing tasted great.

We soon completed our fast food fix and headed to the lake to wait for the gate to open. At this time of year the gate opens at 7:00 a.m. which is about a half hour too late to really hit the morning bite, but we would have to make do. We had intel that the bass had been pushing bait against the shore along the west side of the lake.

We rigged our rods with Threadfin Shad imitations, all the time staring at the water for signs of activity. We saw a few small, scattered eruptions as the predators ripped into the hapless bait schools but not the frenzied activity that we were looking for. We began to work our way along the shoreline, which was accessible because of the extremely low water levels, casting our sinking heads into likely areas and counting down to try and find the schools. I spotted some fish breaking in a deep cove and alerted the guys who spread out along the shoreline and began fan casting as we moved along. Artin was rewarded with a fiesty LM bass in the 12 inch size range and I got a hard pull but didn’t hook the fish. David made his way carefully along the loose boulder rubble on the opposite shore toward a small but persistent school of busting fish. His efforts were rewarded almost instantly with a 3lb Striper that slammed his fast-stripped Electric Deceiver. I was feeling left out. David soon landed a LM and another Striper and I decided I needed to move. I had had some follows and short strikes but no solid connections. I worked my way around the cove and shuffled along the steep unstable slope, past David and finally, down to the water’s edge, but still no love. It was one of those days when the fish were breaking were my fly wasn’t. I would cast to the left and the fish would come up to the right and vice versa. That was the way the morning went. Dave ended up with four Stripers and two LM Bass, Artin had three LM Bass and I had zilch. Still, it was a fine couple of hours and we were well satisfied with the morning.

My chores were waiting to be completed when I got home but I took the time to tie a couple of flies that more closely matched the size of the Shad that we had seen. After the chores were completed I decided to head back up to the lake and see if could get rid of the skunk smell on my rod and reel.

The wind had pick up to a stiff on-shore breeze that made casting a little more challenging but my reel was loaded with 30’ of Rio T8, a tungsten impregnated, sinking line followed by 110’ of Rio Slickshooter and I was able to blast out 80’-90’ consistently without too much effort. My persistence paid off when a 10” LM Bass jumped on the fly and was soon followed by another about 12” a few casts later. Goodbye Mr. Skunk. The full-on bite, however, did not materialize and I had to be content with those two small fish. I took heart in the fact that the guys fishing with live shad as bait were skunked and a young man fishing a silver Kastmaster lure caught the only other fish I saw. I did run into Larry Kurosaki who was walking the shore with his little dog Katie and he reported catching a few fish in an adjacent cove.

So, take this as a heads-up to get yourself out on our local lakes before the colder weather drives the shad deep. This is prime time to get hooked up with these hard fighting fish and in good numbers. So, no excuses! Time to get out there!

Zorro Trout...

2009-10-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Estancia del Zorro sits on the high "pampas" on the Chilean side of the border in Southern Patagonia. The spring creek meanders across the landscape with deep curling currents that harbor huge brown trout. The grazing alpaca and sheep glance up occasionally to assure themselves that you have no interest in their offspring and the Andean Condors that wheel overhead watch carefully in case you have suddenly kicked the bucket. This high prairie has few features to slow the upwelling winds from the Pacific coast line so, to catch trout here, you must be able to cast effectively with the wind pushing from different directions. Pinpoint accuracy is key to getting a drag free drift over these big fish who leisurely sip bugs at the very edge of the prolific weed beds a and tight against the grassy banks. What is a huge brown trout? For me, anything over twenty five inches is big but in this creek there are browns well over thirty inches and a few over thirty six. This is a dry fly fishery without peer, although you can fish it with nymphs etc., and people from around the world travel to sample it each season. The Galilea family has been ranching here since the 1940s and their reputation for fine wools and succulent free range meat is international. Sebastian Galilea and his brother Juan Andreas manage the fishing side of the family business and they have honed it to a fine art. To arrive at Zorro is to immediately feel welcome and like you are, perhaps, a visiting cousin or long lost family member returning to your roots.

On Tuesday, October 13th, at 6:30 pm Sebastian and, head guide, Claudio Joost will be here at the Spot to meet interested anglers and show us the beauty of this tremendous resource. We will supply the Chilean wine and some fine cheese to accompany it. Claudio will be tying some of the flies that work well in this part of Patagonia and we hope to see some of you here.

New Products at the Denver Retailer Show

2009-09-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

Denver Airport is a vast labyrinth of concourses connected by a shuttle that is usually crowded with weary travelers and wheeled luggage. Steve Ellis, Ted Fukuhara and I found a spot on board and were whisked at an increasing rate of speed to the main terminal to pick up my checked bag. We had arranged to meet our old friend Nick Curcione, who was to arrive soon from San Francisco, and share a cab together into downtown. We were all in town to attend the annual Fly Fishing Retail trade show and renew old friendships throughout the industry. Each year the fly fishing industry comes together to show of new products and prepare orders for the following selling season. This year would be interesting because of the wild economic climate and the attrition caused by it.

Exhibitor booths seemed down by half over the previous years and, we had been told, that many retailers had chosen not to attend. The usual big boys however, where there in force, although some of the booths were smaller and the usual SWAG was less plentiful than in previous years. Attitudes, however, were high on the new products and better prospects in the coming year, and those of us who were there couldn't wait to see what the future had in store for us, product wise, that is.

Our first stop was at Fishpond, whose innovative, colorful, and well-made bags have changed the way we buy luggage. The standout item on this years list is the ultra light, Bumpy Roads, wheeled duffle that is a perfect blend of duffle and wheeled travel bag. It is the lightest bag that we have seen and will be a big help in making sure you are not over the stringent weight limitations that the airlines are enforcing with renewed zeal.

Scientific Anglers continues to expand their offering of Sharskin lines with the new Streamer Express line designed by our buddy, Kelly Galloup. This will be an awesome surf line as well as a super streamer line for big browns in the fall. In response to consumer’s comments on the initial lines SA has also quieted the Sharkskin significantly by reducing the embossing without losing that great castability.

Simms displayed a trimmed down offering compared to previous years and it did not include any felt soled boots. Simms is serious about their commitment to reducing transference of invasive species.

Their new “No Fly Zone” technical sportswear combines high performance COR3 fabric with a Permetrhrin-based, natural, insect repellent (odorless, water-based and biodegradable) that offers excellent protection from multiple species of crawling and flying insects. The COR3 provides maximum sun protection (UPF50) combined with Simms’ superb fit, moisture management and odor control.

My favorite jacket is the Windstopper DL and Simms has upgraded it with the new Guide Windstopper Jacket which features the addition of a removable hood and a fleece lined collar . This is a must have for early mornings in the high country, ripping through the Delta in a bass boat, or heading out on Crowley to midge for fall browns.

Sage has replaced two series of rods this year and both new models are a real step up in performance, lightness and cosmetics.

The Launch series has been the beginner rod of choice for several years and it’s replacement the Vantage is a beautifully appointed rod with superb castability that will be an awesome adult beginner rod. Made in Bainbridge Island, this is a fine casting rod at any price. It also comes with a Cordura covered rod and reel case that will be handy for transporting the rod to and from the fishing location.

The XI2 saltwater series have always been my go-to rods for tough ocean-going game fish but the new lighter XI3 series is significantly lighter and feels much more alive and responsive in the hand. I cant’ wait to try one out against a big, mean trevally on Christmas Island next March.

Redington was showing a new line of women’s performance clothing that is as functional as it is flattering. Fishing shirts, wicking undershirts, hoddies and pants that are practical on stream and look great around town.

Our friend Ray Hutcherson of Sea Level Fly Fishing showed us a couple of new Big Game reels that he has developed that will allow the average angler to afford a great quality saltwater reel at a good price. The reels , a 10-12 wt and a 13-15 wt are priced at a reasonable $300 and $350 respectively, feature 6061 aluminum construction, easy left/right changeover, high density neoprene reel bag and a large cork drag and also include a limited lifetime warranty. These will be in stock soon.

Other fun little items included some cool looking fly boxes and reels from Montana Fly Co. that have fish prints, river rock prints and camo prints that are reasonably priced. These should make great gifts for the holidays and birthdays. A hit for us was from a small Canadian company that was demoing their “Fishing Rod Butler” which provided a simple but effective way to tether your rigged rods together so that they will not tangle during transportation. For those of you who have purchased flies from us and have a bunch of our plastic containers around we will be carrying a cool new dispenser that you can use to stack and store small items on your fly tying desk or even in your garage workshop.

Over the next couple of months we will be getting in the new products as they become available and some, like the Sage rods are already here. Come on by and check ‘em out.

Addicted to the Internet?

2009-08-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Dear friends of the Spot. For you west slope Sierra anglers I think it's fun to point out that some of those Cal Trans rest stops along the 99 have impressively clean and fast WiFi signals. You can be minutes off of the stream and catch up on emails. After all, you are at the office!
* Also posted on http://thetrouthugger.com *
Enjoy!
B

2009-07-13T00:13:00.001-07:00

Break in at the Spot

2009-06-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

As most of you probably already know, we were burglerized in the early hours of Thursday morning. They smashed the front door of the store with a hammer and then shattered the reel display cash as well. They pretty much cleaned out, or damaged, every reel in the case (101 reels gone and 18 damaged) and they got 35 rods (4 others damaged) off the rack as well. The alarm company called us and we found the store in shambles when we arrived. Police did their thing and they did find blood where one of the thieves cut themselves on the show case glass, the hammer and a plastic garbage bag that had been left behind. I put the word out on the flyfishing forums and we have a lot of eyes looking to see if this stuff starts showing up. Steve and I wanted to thank all of those who called, posted on the boards or emailed with offers of help and condolences we are truly part of a great community and we appreciate your kindness and support.

Here is a list of rods and reels that were stolen from the shop last Thursday. If you see any offered for sale online or are approached to buy them by someone please let us know asap at the following number (818)785-7306

Rods

Winston SERIAL #

Vapor 486/4 16920

Vapor 480/4 17605

Vapor 590/4 19398

BIIX 8’ 6” 5wt 119579

BIIMX 9’ 10wt 153213

Scott

S4 905-4 313596

E2 904-4 237647

E2 804-4 243097

E2 854-4 237108

E2 855-4 237872

E2 753-4 243679

X2S 908-4 292408

X2S 910-4 292921

X2S 9012-4 293101

G2 905-4 310472

G2 906-4 276128

G2 772-4 300292

G2 885-4 278081

Hardy

The Test 7’6” 4wt

Aln 5’ 2wt

Greys

Streamflex 10’ 4wt 4pc

Sage

Z Axis 490-4 AB18443

Z Axis 890-4 Marked DEMO

Cortland

Big Sky 9’ 8wt 4pc

Big Sky 9’ 10 wt 4pc

Big Sky 9’ 12wt 4pc

Big Sky 9’ 4wt 4pc

Templefork

Professional TF05904P

Professional TF04904P

Axiom TF08904

Finesse TF 02734

TICR TF10904

TICRX TF07904

Reels

ROSS

CLA -1 BLACK

CLA -1.5 BLACK

CLA -2 BLACK

CLA -3 BLACK

CLA -4 BLACK

CLA -6 BLACK

VEXSIS #1 BLACK

VEXSIS #1.5 BLACK

VEXSIS #2 BLACK

EVOLUTION -0 BLACK

EVOLUTION -1 BLACK

EVOLUTION -3 BLACK

EVOLUTION -0 BLUE

EVOLUTION -1 BLUE

EVOLUTION -1.5 BLUE

EVOLUTION -2 BLUE

EVOLUTION -3 BLUE

ROSS WORLDWIDE

FLYWATER 4 TITANIUM

FLYWATER 3 BLACK

FLYSTART 1 BLACK

FLYSTART 2 BLACK

FLYSTART 3 BLACK

FLYSTART 4 BLACK

ABEL SUPER SERIES (LARGE ARBOR)

SS-4 GOLDEN TROUT

SS-5N RAINBOW

SS-5N BLACK

SS-5N OLIVE

SS-7 SLATE

SS-8 BLUE

SS-9 BLACK

QC7/8 BLACK

TIBOR QC

EVERGLADES BLACK

RIPTIDE GOLD

GULFSTREAM BLUE/GREY

EVERGLADES SPEED HANDLE QC BLACK

RIPTIDE SPEED HANDLE QC GOLD

GALVAN

OB 2 BLACK

OB3 BLACK

OB4 BLACK

OB5 BLACK

OB2 GREEN

TORQUE 3 BLACK

TORQUE 4 BLACK

TORQUE 6 BLACK

TORQUE 8 BLACK

TORQUE 10 BLACK

RUSH 3 BLACK - 2

RUSH 5 BLACK

SPOKE 3 CLEAR/BLACK

SPOKE 4 GREEN/BLACK

SPOKE 5 BLUE/BLACK

STANDARD 2.5 BLACK

STANDARD 3.0 BLACK

SAGE

2030 3-4 BLACK/BROWN

2080 7-9 BLACK/BROWN

3850 CF GREY

3880 BLACK

4580 GREY

CLICK I COPPER

CLICK II COPPER

CLICK III COPPER

ORVIS

BATTENKILL MID II 3-4 GREY

BATTENKILL DISC 7/8 SILVER

G. LOOMIS

VENTURE 3 GOLD

VENTURE 7 GOLD

SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS

SYSTEM 2L 45-L

CONCEPT 2 5-8 BLACK

CONCEPT C1-C BLACK

HARDY

FLYWEIGHT GREY/SILVER

BOUGLE 3” SILVER

PERFECT 2 7/8 GREY

GREYS

GRXI 5/6 BLACK/SILVER

LAMSON/WATERWORKS

VELOCITY 1 HARD ALOX

VELOCITY 1.5 HARD ALOX

LITESPEED 1 HARD ALOX

KONIC 1.5 SILVER

KONIC 3 SILVER

KONIC 4 SILVER

GURU 1.5 SILVER

GURU 2 SILVER

GURU 3 SILVER

GURU 3.5 SILVER

GURU 4 SILVER

FORCE 2LTX

FORCE 3LTX

PURIST 1

PURIST 2

REDINGTON

RISE 5/6 DARK CHARCOAL

RISE 9/10 DARK CHARCOAL

REDFLY 456 COPPER

REDFLY 789 COPPER

CD 9/10

SV I BLACK

SV II BLACK

SVIII BLACK

CW 456 BLACK

CW789 BLACK

We Lost a Friend Last Week.....

2009-06-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Oh! Sorry. Nobody died or left town but we were saddened by discovering that someone had stolen two Sage rods from our demo rack. You have to understand that we have a unique relationship with our customers. Many become close friends and fishing buddies so it is painful to think that someone that we care about and trust may have stolen from us. I guess we are naive in a lot of ways but we like our customers and we always want to think the best of them. Now we have to act like business men and install a security system to monitor our store. Something we have really resisted doing. I guess times change and we must to. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's not someone we know after all. But, if someone you know shows up with a nice used ZAxis 904-4 or a 908-4 ZAxis (both without a case or rod bag) or someone tries to sell them to you give us a call or drop us an email. Oh! If the thief is reading this just know that you stole more than a couple of rods, friend.

Chile Fishing Videos...

2009-06-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of videos from my trip to Chile last April. I'm using Imovie to edit the footage and any creative input you may have is appreciated. Enjoy!

Retro

2009-06-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I am interested in knowing whether anybody is using fiber glass fly rods anymore and what rods they are using? For the first time in 25 years, I used a fiber glass fly rod and boy, did I have a ball.

Ken and I fished Hot Creek Ranch in early May and for much of the five days we fished it was pretty darn windy. But, Friday morning I figured it was just about perfect for me to give it a shot. It was still windy, but manageable. I was using a new Hardy 7 1/2' 4wt that I was dying to try and it was better then I remembered from the old days. I was having such a good time dry fly fishing and catching browns and 'bows to about 18" that morning. The rod seemed practically bent in two and I was putting major pressure on the rod with great results. Hot Creek is a terrific place to fish short glass rods. Lots of open spaces with not much worry about obstructions.

I started out fishing glass back in the "Stone Age" and glass rods weren't that great until Fenwick came along. Better than that were the old Scott Power-ply glass rods and the Winston glass rods. With the introduction of graphite to cut the weight down and the rise of prices in production, glass just faded into the sunset.

But fiber glass may be poised for a comeback. So with that in mind, why don't you bring out from moth balls some of those old glass rods and give them a shot again. You may be pleasantly surprised. Just a thought!

Random thoughts

2009-06-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about fishing and friends a lot lately. I know to some of you me thinking anything is a dangerous proposition, but hear me out. With our Baja trip now just a couple of weeks away obviously this has been the main focus of my daydreams. The Sea of Cortez at sunrise is as flat, glassy and beautiful any lake can be, with an equally amazing variety of fish to test you and your gear. Last week it was fishing a secluded bass pond on Tejon Ranch. I haven't done a lot of bassing or any other warm water fishing since I moved to California and it really brought me back to my roots as a kid on the East Coast fishing for bass and pickerel with my brother. The One Fly Tournament was another great event in the past couple of weeks. On the horizon are trips to the Kern, the Eastern Sierra, Montauk in October and hopefully Christmas Island in March of next year. So as you can see I have been thinking a lot about fishing. Which brings me to friends.

While there are times that it's great to be fishing in some secluded spot, alone with your thoughts, what makes this sport really special for me are the people who share it with me. I consider myself to be so fortunate to have met and fished with the people I have met since I became a full time flyfishermen. The "Spot" has only expanded my access to some really great people and some fantastic opportunities that I wouldn't otherwise have had.

I was there when Dean finally caught his first Roosterfish last year. I was there when Dave won two of the three awards at the "One Fly". I watched Artin fish the surf for the first time. Last year I caught my first Rooster, first Dorado and first blitzing surf Striper in the company of some of the same guys. I always look forward to Steve and Ken's Chile reports, mink and all! There are way too many names, places and memories to list here, but I think you see where I'm going with this.

The common thread here is not only the shared experience and passion for the sport but the friendship, camaraderie and love I feel for my friends. They make me happy. They make me laugh. They accept me for who I am. I only hope that I am as good a friend to them as they are to me. It has been said that "no man is a failure who has friends". Truer words were never spoken.

Tejon Ranch Trip

2009-06-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

Our store sponsored trip to Tejon Ranch was a big success thanks mostly to the hard work of our buddy Russ Gabel who provided shade canopies, chairs, coolers full of beverages and a fantastic lunch delivered by his better half, Debbie. Everyone enjoyed success on LM bass and fat bluegill which were willing to slam a variety of flies from nymphs to poppers.

Inhaled!

The bluegill are really fat and very strong.

A fine selection of very tasty sandwiches delivered for lunch.

No, this is not a gypsy encampment. Just a group of intrepid anglers after a fine morning on the water.

The male bluegill are impressive in their spawning regalia.

The females, although not as bright, pull just as hard.

This is why they are called Largemouth Bass.

The LM Bass came in this normal colored variety and...

in a pale version from deeper water.

All in all a very satisfying day on the water.

We will be doing more of these in the future. Stay tuned.

Ken

Just Fish - Chapter II - The Shadow of Mount Diablo

2009-06-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Years ago I'd drag small flies around a local pond at the end of my spinning rod. This was before I could afford fly gear (I still can't afford fly gear ha ha ha). This was in the sacred city known as "Creek of the Walnuts" to the north of here in the shadow of Mount Diablo. It was in this scum-filled pond that I learned to flycast. Overlooking it, at its recreation center, the Diablo Valley Fly Fishers would meet. I could walk to the meetings! I was in the area over the weekend and decided to drag a small fly as dusk set in (A Chiaki mini-bugger). Within seconds I caught a small crappie that was 100% cookie cutter what I used to catch as a kid. It was a very strange moment. It truly was identical to the fish I caught hundreds of decades, no centuries ago! HG Wells chuckled from on high.

* Sorry about the blurry shots. It was well into dusk and I was shaking with excitement.*

JUST FISH!!!!!!

2009-05-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking of a subject for my first entry so here goes. I would say that the most important thing to do is get out and fish. I hear people complaining all the time of the difficulties they face getting fishing time. Why? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that most folks think fly fishing=Trout. That's not the case at all. Fly fishing is my favorite way to spend my free time (bird hunting is a close second), if all I ever fished for was trout I'd get maybe a week or so a year in.
Instead I concentrate my efforts on fisheries that are reasonably close to home. One reservoir I fish is six miles from my house has Bass,Crappie and Bluegill in it. I can be fishing within ten minutes of pulling out of my driveway. Okay that's pretty tame as far as fishing outside the box goes. Well, how about Carp in the local park ponds? There is one where I landed a fifteen pounder not long ago only eighteen miles from me. I know some of you may go Carp blah! Can you think of another freshwater fish that can peel off 40-50 yards of backing?What about hitting the beaches for Surf Perch, Halibut, Yellowfin Croaker, Leopard Sharks that are five feet plus and more! A big Leo will have you wondering if you have enough backing on your 8wt to finish what you started.

The fact that I fish all these areas that are within a half hour or so of my house equates to more fishing time for me. That in turn means more time working on my casting abilities and reading various kinds of water. In the long run these things make a better much more rounded fly fisherman. if that doesn't do it for you how about more time fishing= more fish caught. That ought to grab your attention. After all isn't catching fish the reason we fish? Regardless of the beauty that can be found even in places like the L.A River.

I'll lay off for now but the next time you flub a cast or miss a fish think to yourself, is this due to a lack of practice? If so then the next time you find yourself "wishing you were fishing". Do something about it! Get out there and explore what's in your area. I think you'll be very surprised. You may even find yourself thinking less about Trout and more about that eight pound Bass or a double digit Bonito you want to catch. When all you have is an hour or two you CAN fish. In a lot of cases you can be landing fish and home again in less time than it takes to drive to your favorite Salmonoid spot.

Baja Flies.

2009-05-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm gearing up for a July trip to Loreto, Baja and it occurred to me that I should share tying instructions for a basic baitfish imitation that will work for any species just by changing size and color to suit your specific target fish.

Materials:

Hook - Tiemco 600SP (for freshwater species I would use a longer shank hook like the 777SP or similar)

Thread - Fine Danville Monofilament

Wing - white Slinky Fiber with pearl Krystal Flash

Over Wing - Tan SF Blend

Topping - peacock herl

Head - Flexicord 3/8" pearl

Eyes - Prismatic 3/8" chartreuse or silver

Begin by tying down a length of Slinky Fiber in the middle and folding the clump back over the hook shank and tie down. Hit it with some Zap a Gap.

Tie in your Krystal Flash on top. Zap a Gap. Tie in the SF Blend in the same fashion and hit it with some Zap a Gap.

Now tie in the Peacock herl being careful to keep it on the top. Zap a Gap. At this point I will usually stop and begin another fly. I tie up a bunch to this point and do the heads all at the same time.

Cut a 2" piece of FlexiBody and slide over the hook. Start your thread again just behind the hook eye and secure the Flexibody in place.

Color the Flexibody with a Sharpie to match the peacock. Add the self stick Prismatic eyes and then using either epoxy, UV Knot Sense or Tuffleye coat the head for durability.

That's it! This simple pattern will work on a lot of different species and is fast and easy to tie. You can trim the wing to shape if you want. The fish don't care.

Below are some of the color and style variations that I will be using in Baja In July.

Call me if you have any questions on these tying instructions or Baja trips (818) 785-7306.

Thanks for looking.

Ken

Seasonings

2009-05-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

So far this year I lightened my obsessive focus on brown trout and tried harder to understand the migratory nature of wild bows. Obviously, intercepting them is the goal. I wish to share some fun observations. Some are no-brainers but sometimes you need to be reminded. These observations, by the way, are the result of both So. Cal. and Sierra explorations. Please, use them, believe in them and you just might get a take from a great trout. Mix and match the following:

- Migration barriers great and small. Waterfalls, high-velocity rapids or man-made barriers will often provide an accumulation of fish below them. Even if this is a "doable" barrier, the fish still will hold below it. They may also hold above to rest.
- Turbid waters rule. Use the above rule and fish in a spot that may be fishless at any other time and with cloudy or high water, there may be fish in there.
- The decreased velocity factor. In some cases, the fish will not move until the water decreases in intensity. This means that finding quality fish at times when you think their migrating should be over does happen. In other words, don't be afraid to be surprised; keep a sharp eye out for an errant hog well into the season.
- Above a lake. The inlet and/or first pool theory really can be a winner. Anadromy is anadromy and be it the Pacific Ocean or a local reservoir, the rules apply.
- Remain stealthy. High and turbid waters don't mean that being stealthy can't earn you an extra fish or two. It still pays to keep that tactic warm.
- Mood Swings. I recently was alerted to a hog-heavy run which in less than a week had frisky feeding fish turn dark and start digging redds. Timing and luck do play a role here. Please leave spawners alone and mark your calendar for returning a week or two earlier next year.
- Trapped or new-resident fish. Fish will get trapped. It's a fact of life. As water levels decrease after snowmelt or storms, look in isolated pools or side-channels. Heck, save a trout. Catch it and release it into the stream.
- Use the closures. Freshly opened roads, trailheads etc. allow you to be on a spot before the hordes. The fish have had a break from humans and may be ready to bite.
- Last but not least: Pre-Runoff. Sometimes a small pre-runoff window with a light spike in water temps will have fish feeding before your arroyo becomes the Colorado.

Ok, I'll shut up for now.

B

It's time to get out there.....

2009-05-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

It's time to get out there. This morning my friend Artin came by the shop on his way home from the beach. He was excited by his latest surf fishing outing and wanted to share a picture of his first California Halibut that he landed on a fly and with a story of his first Corbina almost. The Corbina escaped as Artin tried to beach it in the rolling surf but he was still pretty pumped up about the whole deal and his excitement was infectious. The trip next week to Tejon Ranch seems too far away and I may have to sneak out for a morning session at Castaic Lagoon mid week.

My fly tying has taken a hit for the weekend. My grown kids are in town for a visit and my fly tying room is one of the guest rooms. It feels odd not to wander in there and tie a few flies each evening. It's my relaxation each day and helps me to wind down after fighting the 405 traffic madness. Each evening as I negotiate the traffic tangles I think of new patterns that I want to tie or new ways that I can tweak an old pattern to suit a particular fishing scenario. I allow my imagination to roam over ideas and try to come up with new patterns that will work better than what I already have. My wife, Palma, laughs at all the flies that I have. I could open a small fly shop and stock it with flies and materials but maybe the next one will be "the one".

What the hell is a Blog????

2009-05-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure about this whole blogging thing but, friends and clients have suggested I have one so, here goes.

I am part owner of Fishermen's Spot, a fly fishing specialty store in Van Nuys, CA. The store was started by my partner Steve Ellis along with his Dad and brother back in 1970 as a general fishing tackle store. We service the entire Southern California area but, because we are near LA we get visitors from all corners of the planet (and maybe some from off the planet). I'm not sure what I will write about except that it will usually be fly fishing related. I love to tie flies so some of the posts will be related to flies that I am tying either for fun or for an upcoming trip. I will also have periodic trip logs from some of the fishing trips I am lucky enough to go on.

Right now I'm tying for an upcoming trip to Loreto, Baja so my tying desk is littered with bucktails, super hair, and a dazzling array of flashy stuff. I'll try to get some pics of what I am working on soon and post them.

Steve and I went to Hot Creek ranch with our buddy, Rob Rubin and I had the unique experience of watching a large brown trout kill and eat a 14" rainbow. I shot some very marginal quality video with my Olympus still camera and posted it on Youtube and was stunned at how many people have viewed it (1300 up to this point). I'll try and load it here too. Wow! It worked. Kinda small though. You can go to my website to see it in a larger format.

So I guess this is enough to get the blog started. I have lot's more to say and I have been working on videos of my recent trip to Chile to edit them for the web. Still learning!