Mike Cline
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I am a retired USAF Lt Col who spent 28 years traveling around the world conducting special investigations and participating in counteintelligence operations.
Going through the posts after registering here…great post on Bob Clouser.
Was wondering; I tie Clousers and probably have more bucktail than a local herd of deer, however, I purchased the video of Bob and Lefty teaching bass fishing with fly. They talk about the new translucent materials for tying the Clouser…..
do any of you use these materials, what are they and where do you get them?Thanks, Jim
My Clousers are 100% synthetic with Krystal Flash for both the top and bottom wings with Holographic 3D Flashabou for the center flash.
Agree…but lets just pick a fly that someone ACTUALLY fishes with.
I kinda figured what ever fly I picked to make my point had a 1 in 1 million chance of pleasing everybody. There are really only 4 flies of any use anyway–The Woolly Bugger, The Clouser, foam sandwichs and the soft hackle.
Having lived overseas for many years in the USAF, workers participating in cottage industries like fly tying are not being exploited within their society, although many in our society might feel they are.
Zach, I would think that an article addressing the entire fly tying–production, materials and such industry would be extremely interesting. I doesn’t need to be nor should it be an expose. It would be really cool to see how that #16 Royal Coachman and all its raw materials, manufacturing, ordering and delivery were handled. Essentially an article on the entire fly tying supply chain would show the whole process from wire becoming hooks to a finished fly being tied on a tippet.
Using the fly-fishing techniques you have learned, catch two different kinds of fish and identify them.
This is where I fail regularly–I catch one kind of fish–the dumb ones, but the other kind–the smart big ones keep eluding me.
Who amongst you all that own drift boats or are guides would turn down $10K from Simms, Orvis, 3M, Sage, Rio, R. L. Winston or any other major fly fishing equipment provider for putting their logos on your boat that would be seen by other anglers as you float down your favorite river?
Having lived and fished in the West off and on for the last 40 years, it is really problematic to try and assess the Average Size of trout.
Above all, our precious fisheries as a resource for our sport—fly fishing–need strong constituencies. Despite what we all might think about the increasing pressure on our special places by other fisherman, the evidence is (through licensing data) that fishing as a sport is in decline. Once our resource loses a sufficient constituency to defend it, forces both that may want to destroy it or forces that may want to lock it up will eventually prevail.
When some environmental advocacy wants to ban fishing on Joel’s or Lando’s special creeks or alpine lakes—for whatever rationale—I would think they would appreciate dozens of others who might have experienced those creeks and lakes stepping up to defend them. Unlike Lando and Joel, I do more than fish, but I fish more than most and it’s a rare day that I feel crowded or squeezed on any of the waters I fish, even though they are literally within miles of relatively heavily populated areas. In fact there are days that are downright lonely on the water.
Violating confidences is a personal issue, reasonable promotion of productive, interesting and exciting fisheries is an obligation if we are to increase the constituency for fly fishing in the U.S. IMO
Just curious how people here feel about young authors selling out your favorite trout water just to get their name in print? Personally it really gets on my nerves! Some places need to remain secret in my opinion. As a guide I want to get my people on fish. It is my job. But I would never take anyone to my “special” waters if I knew they would go there on their own.
Joel, if you take a long-view, all of our public waters have been sold-out as you say many times over. There is probably not a stream, river, lake or pond that has public access that has not been written about, mentioned or otherwise promoted by sporting authors, government agencies and other media at sometime in the past. There is at least 150 years of stuff out there on our fishing waters. The collective “Wisdom” of our predecessors is pretty extensive, and is everyday getting more accessible via the internet, especially when you think about the aerial mapping that’s now available.
I think if you went into Borders Books or Barnes and Noble in Bozeman and surveyed the “Montana Fishing Literature” that was available, your favorite trout water is probably sold out many times over in one form or another.
It is disappointing to see any place or stretch of water over-hyped, bringing in crowds of “fashionable” fisherman. However, to deny “Authors”, whose job is writing the right to write about interesting places (and thus make money), because those places are “your” special places doesn’t seem fair.
I have a larger question for you—How did you find out about those “special waters?” I suspect you did some research, read some maps, and did some exploration! The places you found were un-crowded, productive and became your special space. We all have them, as did our predecessors before us, and god-willing, they will become other’s “Special Places” long after we all are gone.
Any chance we get the story behind this?
Spent last week at the new homestead in Bozeman doing some painting and trim work. Took Thursday off to fish the MZ Ranch with a friend. Fished from 9AM til 4PM and did well on both Benhart and Thompson Spring creeks. My friend had to get home, I didn’t so I ventured off to Sir Scott’s in Manhattan to have a few beers and a steak (16oz T-bone). This young lady was behind the bar and was curious about where I came from (Slapout Alabama) so in the tradition of IA’s around the world I got her picture with the greasy food and IA hat. After the beer and meal, I ventured back to the MZ for a few more hours on Thompsons. Pretty typical IA sighting.
Josh,
If you’ve got your yak with you, you’ve got lots of both fresh and saltwater opportunities within easy reach.
Checkout: http://americanriverfishing.com/ and the different state sites for ideas.
