The Wally World "Fly By" Adventure ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

A two day fly fishing trip in RD's world usually is crammed with as much as you can get in.  Not a relaxing five day trip, that's for sure.  But, we still get plenty of fishing in and see a few side attractions as well.    This trip will go down as the Wally World "Fly By" Adventure...  I met up with Ross Slayton, who is one of the 5 flyfishers in the IF4 movie, "A Deliberate Life".  He has been a FB friend for awhile now and I have bought some really nice flies from him in the past.  He lives close to the South Fork of the Snake and I have wanted to have someone acquaint me to that river... So, I thank Ross for sharing some river time with me!







First, we had lunch in Idaho Falls.  At Pachanga's...my favorite chicken enchiladas with lobster sauce and my favorite cheesecake anywhere!  Yes, it's true. So creamy...

Ok...moving on.   The South Fork of the Snake.  Outside of Idaho Falls, ID.

 It was a fun afternoon as Ross, Bobo the river dog,

and I walked the river bank to find us some trout!

Then, it was time to land a nice, big brown trout!!

As I worried that he would break off as my rod did a nose dive, Ross just sat on a rock behind me exclaiming, "you got him, you got him..." 

After a couple short hours, I had to head to my next desination...

The Walmart "Fly Fishing Shop"

Ross was nice enough to take RD there for a post worthy report!

 Yes, it's true.  There are only a few of them.  The "Big Box" store gets it's tentacles into fly fishing.  I will always be an advocate for the small and personal fly shops, but I thought that it would be interesting for you to see what's in the "Box". 

Well, I do have a couple of questions about what is on this board.  I just have something about "wets" not being called "nymphs".   To each their own.  And "pick your favorite" under the "dries"!!  Ok...

Do you think that if they had Walmart river guides, that they might wear their

blue vests with a smile???  Maybe not, but I'm sure their thingamabobber indicators have those smiley faces on them!

Blue Damsels ~ Not well made, but still Damsels!

Yup, cheap enough flies.  Just remember you get what you pay for, usually.  A few fish might go after them.  You never know.  No, Ross.  Those don't look like your ties!

Rods and Reels.  Not names like Sage, Winston or Redington.  But, they do carry South Bend, Shakespeare and Eagle Claw to name a few.   Brands that appeal to those starting the sport or that are on a budget.  They did carry the Ross starter combo sets.  And a few bigger items, like pontoons!

Now we take you to the "tippet wall".  Hey, it's RD with some Cortland Fair Play tippet...  A decent enough tippet to make your outing successful.  I have tried three different brands of tippet and still go back to Rio.  But, in a pinch...this could very well work.  I have heard some decent reviews.

Now, wait a minute!  Ross...get your hand out of the bait fridge!!  What are worms doing in the fly fishing shop anyway?  And at the entrance no less.  Hmmmm...

I don't put live ones on the end of my line!  The "Big Box" is a bit confused here.

We must go back to the display case for a minute... Check out the plastic figures.

They must have had to fill an empty spot, so they placed a camping/fishing map complete with elk, wolves and bears.  And even a fly fisherman to boot!  I'm wondering if that came from the toy department.  = )

   

Sunday Tippet:  Yes, I can now say that I have seen a Walmart Fly Fishing Shop.  Will I be back?  Probably not.  But, I have 5 or 6 fly shops nearby that meet my needs and offer the most excellent customer service that you could ask for.  And that goes a long way in my book!  They know who RD is and the special needs like boot spikes, wading sticks, and magnifiers that I am in need of!  And I can always get an up to date fishing report along with what bugs are working.  Bonus!  But, if you are a bait fisherman, you can get your supplies along with worms (oh, you might have to check in the fly fishing section for that one), powerbait, and licenses in the separate Fishing Department.

Oh, I almost forgot... There was one more day.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day at the Warm River and the South Fork of the Teton River.  It was a perfect way to send me home with a smile.   = )  Yes, Yellowstone Country still has the white stuff stacked up!

Gorgeous, huh?  That's why I continue to find an "adventure in every riffle".

And Walmart, you will still continue to be the place that I buy my Black Forest candy.

Yes, I eat bugs.
But, only juicy ones.

No Jurassic Park Here ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

Why do people care so much about BIG FISH photos???  It can't be because they think that it means the person behind the fish is a better angler because of the GIGANTIC fish that they are posing with.  Seriously, I have thought a bit about this during the past year as I scroll through fishy pics posted up on Facebook and G+.   I personally think that it is the average joe that catches regularly that is the best fisherman.  (That wouldn't be me either!)

One of my favorite people as of late, is Kathryn Maroun, who resides in Bermuda.  She is an unbelievable fisher lady with a style all her own.  She presented this picture in a recent post telling us of how not to pose with fish and use photography tricks to make the fish look bigger. 



Photo courtesy of Kathryn Maroun

This fish was a very nice catch by Kathryn... it didn't need an embellishment in any way!!  Kathryn agrees that this picture doesn't look natural because it is not to scale.  Holding out your arms way out to get that eye of the fish into the camera isn't the way to go.  Some people go to the fish-eye lens on a camera to make the front of the fish stick out in the picture.  But, the way I see it (and I believe Kathryn believes) is that if you have a big enough fish, you don't need to exaggerate it in a picture.

The fish should look perfectly fine in your cradled arms in front of your body.  No extended arms needed.  Jurassic Park is still a fictional movie.  Not a place where we take our fishing trips...



Just ask Mike (Troutrageous) if we found the "BIG FISH"!!  Nope, a Wyoming trip of many small fish.
  And we had a GREAT time!

So, let's get back to just creating great memories when we go out to fish, shall we?  Pictures should show a smile on an anglers face...rule #1!!!  I catch mostly 12-14 in fish on an average and I catch a few under ten inches from time to time.  I'm not concerned whether that fish gets up front and center amongst the other BIG catches on Facebook or the blogwaves.  Sure, when I get a biggun', you are going to see the dang fish, right here on this blog.  But, it won't be extended out.  It might even still be in the net.  (Because I  have a knack of losing my big fish after it gets into my hands)  Ha!  In my estimations, most of us catch that one-time BIG guy once a year!

STAY CLOSE, BUDDY!!!

Yeah, my fish pictures aren't the biggest or baddest... but, do I really look like I'm at all concerned about it???  Nooooo...  I am on the biggest adventure of my life!  Going to places that are beautiful.  Meeting great people along the way.  And catching fish.

Next up... The Madison  <"{{{{><<

Green Eggs & Hamlets... Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

GREEN EGGS AND HAMlets?  

Yup, that is what they are serving up over at the San Juan River, Navajo Dam, NM.  And I'm talking about over at the river, not over at the Back Cast Cafe in town (Which I highly recommend for a scrumpious breakfast).  Yes, it was a few days of casting out little green chartruese eggs and bacon red larva.  I mean, this is where the  "San Juan Worm" originated.  But, the smaller the better on the red annelid.  28??? Ahhh.

 I had a full box of San Juan flies to test out, but when you get out to the river after a long day of driving (4 pm) and you throw on something quick to catch a fish...well, if they take it, why not keep throwing it for the time being??? 

I only had an hour and a half until sun down.  Racked up eight little stalkers stockers... a good way to start out my fishing trip.  Now it was time to rest up a bit back at the hacienda. Oh yes, a fine suite with a courtyard.  Heehee.

  

The luxuries of home.  Minus the internet.  Minus cell phone coverage.  TV?  Yes, old movies as I remember.  Don't ask me what I watched... It's all a faded memory now.

Every morning started here.  Very friendly and helpful crew at the main fly shop in town.  Got the latest reports and then headed across the street for breakfast.

Hey, it's Zorro!   One of the many Triploids, (sterile female rainbow trout) that are raised in hatcheries and planted in the San Juan... The plan is to raise trout that won't interbreed with the natives and compromise the ongoing efforts to maintain pure-strain native populations.  Well, I caught my fair share of them.  It was fun to be catching all day long anyway. (They did their stocking one week before we got there of  another 30, 634)  So, you do have to wait your turn for the "gem" to find its way to the net.   Maybe when I go back in a couple of years, some of those little tikes will be a nice, fat 7 lbs or more... At least that is what the Midgeman tells me.  They don't burn up energy reserves and can get huge, fast...  The next trip out should be interesting. 

The next morning was spent in the "Braids".  A diversion was constructed to direct more flow into the Braids area to increase the water’s depth and velocity.  

 The project as been deemed a huge success. 

 Past the Braids was my favorite spot.  The Sand Hole.  Boom!  I had a dozen 10-12 inchers reeled in the first hour before I could say, "Dang those mud holes, beaver ponds, cattails, and ice sheets!"   I was here now and lovin' it!! 

Then, my friend David from the fly shop comes over next to me and shows me how it's done.  Yes, there are bigger fish in the San Juan!!  Yeah, thanks D.  Oh, I know there are big fish.  You see, while I was netting my small bow fries, there was this big ol' 20 in brown trout staring up at me from two feet out.  He just looked at the River Damsel and laughed.  He knew that I couldn't get to him.  Well,...........hahahahaha.  SWOOSH!  My net couldn't help itself.  I had a half of a brown and a tail and back out.  But, it was a valiant try.  These San Juan brownies are not spooky in the least.  But, it was the rainbows that found my flies to their liking.

Jeri found a few nice bows closer to the Navajo Dam... We decided to venture upstream on Day 3.  A few larger fish and less concentration of the Triploid invasion! 

On Day 4,  I got the hits that I wanted.   Two nice, colorful "Rainbow Chaser" types.   And as the guide and his drift boat approached to see what was on the end of my bent rod and to give me "congrats"... My phone went krrrrr-plunk!   I think that I hid my embarrassment pretty well with dipping the net back into the water as my hand reached down to find the phone on the bottom of the murky water.  Yeah, right.   My sheer delight of seeing "real" spots  overrode the possibility of a washed up smart phone.

 

So, it was over to the bank to dry things out.  I had my fast dozen before we got back into the car to come home.  Pretty good I would say!  Got on the water at 9 and headed out at 10:30 am.  But, in the rush of it all... yes, there was a broken rod tip.  We won't go into that.  Let's just say thank heavens for a Sage warranty!!!  And to think that this all started out with Green Eggs and Hamlets...  

Sunday Tippet???

Every good fly shop carries it... Right.  Well, fortunately, Abe's Fly Shop is also a convenience store of sorts.   And after an 8 hr trip home, my phone was as good as gold.  It doesn't always work though... So, buying a waterproof camera is probably a better bet, if you really want to take pictures on the water...  = )

A special thanks to Mark Vibber,  who supplied me with some great flies for the trip.  Yes, I did catch on some of these special ties also.  Yes, those at the top... size 28/30... Wooohoo!  

Curing The Winter Blues

February... The winter months are almost behind us and Spring will be here before you know it!  But, the air is still bitter cold and the fish are still bunkered down for the most part.  How many times has RD been fishing this year, you ask?  Well, no different than summer really.  I can count 7 times out already into the new year.  Ok... I'm a glutton for punishment challenges.  Really, when else can you find icy ponds to cross, a foot of new snow to track through, and frozen guides to stop your line from time to time?   It's all part of the journey. 

But, I won't lie.  I have had a few skunks along the way.  And I was getting a little frustrated recently until this past week.   Even thinking about hanging it up for while...

But, RD took hold of herself, shook it off, and got back out there.  But, with different flies, different water, and a different attitude.   Yes, you see... I got a nice little fly box from the Back Country Fish Nerd, David Goodrich.  We exchanged cookies for flies.   Now, this is really not something that I do all the time.  I'm really surprised that he was so excited about it!  Yes, he realllly liked them!!  (I did kind of put a lot of tape on the package.  Ha.)  And those flies, they are gorgeous!  I sure do love the blogger flies that people send to me.  Such talented tiers out there.

So, I got bundled up in my fleece.  Put on the 3 layers of clothing and headed out.  It was a beautiful day and the sun was peaking through the clouds.  To my amazement, this new water seemed to even have some of my favorite little riffles coming out of large runs.  Tied a few midges on and 15 min. later, had my first brown trout on the hook.  Now, that was more like it.  Ahhh... Time to sit down and meditate about what I did different!  Was it the flies, was it the water, or was it my attitude?  Or all of the above...

My first fish of the day... A nice brownie.

And my last fish of the day...

A gorgeous rainbow.  This one was especially sweet.  There aren't too many bows on this river.  So, I had a nice surprise!  Of course, I still love my brown trout...

A great ending to a turnaround kind of day.   And a fond farewell to the skunk that had crossed my path the week before.  = )

Next Up...

Fishing in New Mexico

Oh yeah... I'm ready.  Sunshine, 50 degrees, and rising fish.  

I can smell fish, not skunk!

Caving Into Fly Tying

There is a reason why I haven't tied flies...  Ok, there are many reasons!  But, I have run out of excuses.   And I am so tired of paying $2.50 for every midge that I lose.  So, I am now signed up for a fly tying class in March.  And I have now organized and packed items out of a room downstairs and moved them into another storage room.  So... A whole room for "anything fly fishing".  Gear storage to tyin' table and vise and all that good stuff.  My fingernails even will be shortened.  But, not all the way.  = )  Unless I have to.

Will it be worth all the preparation?  We will see.  But, first I needed some ideas on how to set up a fly tying play work station.  So, I went around to some friends and asked them if I could post up a picture of their home work benches.  Now, I have a better idea of what I need and how I'm going to organize the room.  Batter up!! 

Well, you know who's work bench this is...  Well, wait a sec.  It could be anybody's!  Don't we all have a T! sticker lamenated on something fishy?  Yes, this is Troutrageous Mike Agneta's tying area... Nice little setup for his Tenkara flies. The lamp is way cool.

Here we have Brian Schiele, mtbbrian... Tenkara fly fisherman and Holga photographer.  Brian has a very "fishy" feel to his cave.  I especially like the trout poster!   And looks like he has all the light he needs.... = )

Whoa!  Now wait a minute here... Can I order one of these gizmos?  No, unfortunately, it is a fly tying table that Matt David over at FuncFish built himself!  It's got most everything right within reach... Even a toothbrush!

This is Howard's Corner.  You know that guy over at Windknots and Tangled Lines.  He has quite the fishy room with tying materials, books (Did you know that he likes to read?), fish on the walls, and even a fish clock!!  Nice.  Can I order one of those? 

Do I see a river map to the right?  Can't be...

Next up, Dub The Thorax... Mike Volensky.  Kind of looks like his setup is on a baby grand piano... = )  From markers to bins to spools... And even a waste basket for the clippings!  He has thought of it all.  Oh, wait!  I know that there is some kind of sound system across the room... there has to be! (Ok. T! gave that one away)

Now, Ben Smith over at AZ Wanderings, bring us a pegboard with all the goodies attached.  Geez, it looks like a fly shop wall!!  I personally like the fur lined TV set.  = )  Kind of gives it an outdoorsy feel, don't you think?

Here we have Jim Browning, who you can find over at Two Guys ~ Wet Waders

and Flies... I will take the bulletin board idea to heart.  Then, I can put up "my favorite things".  By the looks of this set up, he just might enjoy tying as much as fishing!   

Ok...this is getting serious.  Grant Bench at OversmartingFish, has a comfy cabin setting along with...yes, a twin bed.  What does this say about fly tying?  Eh?  No, he swears that it is rarely used.  Really...  = )  And the chair looks pretty comfy for late night tying sessions.  I think that I will take one of those!

There you have it... The many different looks of fly tying caves and all that extra stuff that goes in them.  I'm sure that I will be taking an idea or two out of each of these photos.  I used to be a big time craft lady... It's been years though since I sat down long enough to make something crafty with my own two hands.  Maybe that is why I have delayed learning to tie flies.  Because I know that it will become something that I like to do and I will spend too much time in the Damsel cave!  Well, here goes nothing.   The next phase of my fly fishing journey will begin in a couple of weeks.  The class.