I tie, therefore I am

Pelican yields bigness.

2009-06-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Adrian and Zach hit Pelican, and for all I know they only caught one fish all day long;) Here it is. It's worthy in my book. That's the Spro Popping Frog, which is quicly becoming one of my favorites.

For the record, Zach spanked his old man in Zach fashion. 16 to 4.

Wrickittttty Wrecked...

2009-06-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

There is no finesse in this story, but a well placed hole in a lawn claimed my ankle as it's own last week. This is a pic one week after. Swelling is down, but the nice colors are inspiring me to tie bass jigs in a nice junebug purple.

The medical term for this is "trashed," and I meet with the Ortho-Dudeness to determine my fate next week.

Disclaimers: I am not sponsored by Chaco. I also just DON'T bruise...

Drop Shot King, Cheech, and the Ferrari.

2009-06-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

Dropshot King: Hey I'm breaking in my new Ferrari up at Jordanelle you want to go.

Cheech: Dude, I just wrecked my ankle. I can barely walk... What time?

DSK: Uhhh just leave your house whenever you get up in the morning...

(The two anglers meet at Jordanelle to find peace and tranquility the next morning)

(Cheech limps to the boat dock and scans the horizon for a black Ferrari boat)

(Cheech sees a 1,000 foot roostertail from across the lake)

(DSK rolls up in his new ride, and subsequently asks...)

DSK: so whadda you think?

Cheech: Youch

What a day. DSK is really Adrian, Cheech is really Cheech, and the Ferrari is a Phoenix with a 250 that will rip you out of your seat. We rolled out for some smallies. I farmed out the cookies whilst DSK checked fish for swine flu... We have a confirmed case of the swine flu.

This fish began at 4 pounds when first caught, and I think it ended up at 8 pounds at the end of the day. Right now, folks at home, the fish is a world record smallie. Go out and throw for it...

Madman in This Is Fly

2009-05-31T23:18:00.000-07:00

Czech it out! www.thisisfly.com

Turn to page 67.

Big props to Bryan G and Corey K for this bad boy.

Big Trip #2. Snake River Demons.

2009-05-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

So as explained here I decided to limit myself to two trips of epicness this year. Really, I didn't decide this, but my pocketbook sure did. This trip was to be one of constant fishing action for the red eyed demons and Crappie that cruise the Snake River on the Idaho / Oregon border. I was particularly jazzed for this one because I don't fish for smallies as much as I do for Largemouth, and I really wanted to try to hone some techniques. We left around mid-day Wednesday and drove for 7 hours up to Ontario, OR to stay at Le Hotelle Frito. Believe me, you will not find a more friendly staff anywhere in the world. Thursday didn't come soon enough, and when it did, we headed out for some famous donuts. I could live on those maple bars, and It was reconfirmed that Curtis' dad, Rudy Guliani, is THE most talented baker in this world. On to Brownlee Res where the smallie reports were hit and miss. I hit 3 times in about 12 hours. That is how hit and miss it was;) That was OK though because we wanted to catch the trillions and bazillions of Crappie that inhabit the lake. Curtis surely had the advantage with them as he was the only one fly fishing that day. I filmed him for about 5 minutes and I think he landed 7 Crappie on 6 casts at one point. It was phenomenal fishing, and I did the best with a micro dropshot rig. We decided to keep a "few" for some Crapacos (Crappie Tacos) for the evening snack. A "few" turned into about 75, and we stopped at wallies to grab an electric fillet knife before tackling that little job. Brian and I cut fish, and Curtis was le petit chef de le hotelle frito. That was seriously some of the best food I have eaten. It was a combination of being HUNGRY, and eating excellent, excellent food.

Off to bed to get about 5 hours of shut eye until the next outing. Days two and three took us to Oxbow Res. This was the reservoir that held the quantities of smallmouth that we were looking for. Brian got a good one his first cast, although he'd disagree every time I would say "that's a nice fish!" We were floating fast current in a 21' bass boat casting gear to smallies. It was weird. Down river quite a bit we found said quantities of fish, and they pretty much ate whatever we threw at them.

The best baits were:

1- 3" Maniac Salt Stick in Green Pumpkin
2- Black Grape Roboworm on a drop shot rig.
3- White custom spinnerbait.
4- White Yum Houdini Shad
5- Yamamoto Shad Shaped Worm in smoke with black flake. Wacky rigged on a dropshot;)
6- Yamamoto senko 4" in smoke with black fleck

It was everything we thought it would be as far as numbers go. During certian times of day, if you weren't getting bit every cast, you were doing something wrong. Biggest fish was about 3 pounds, and one of the dinks of the trip came on Brian's jerkbait that was dern near as big as the fish it caught...

Biggest Fish of My Life.

2009-05-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Bill came out to the pond to rattle a few fish with his favorite chatterbait. He got several, so did I. We didn't bring a camera like usual, but when I caught a 4+ pound LMB out came the camera phone. I hate camera phones, but there is a time and a place. Then it happened. I was whacking the bass on a bluegill crankbait when this behemoth grass carp rolled on the surface before I even started retrieving. I was worried for my carrot stick's life, but I loosened the drag enough to fight it effectively. It finally gave in, and I used all my strength to lift it up. That... was fun.

Grass Carp were planted at the pond to control the weed issue. They commonly go way over 30 pounds. I don't even know how heavy this was, but I'm guessing that it was close to 50...

City Slickers.

2009-05-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

The call came unexpectedly. "Hey Cheech, we want you to take us fishing." Nice. My two younger bros finally got to that point in life that tells one that they must angle. See, we didn't really have the fishing kind of dad. However, if we would have showed any ambition to become a figure skater, we could have done that with mucho supporto. Uncles who fish, yes, but we don't throw down Bud, so not too many fishing trips with them either. Anyway, they just happened to have a friggin expert fisher for a brother, but he was unavailable, so they called me. The plan was set for Pelican Lake because if any place is good for a bit o' bendo, it's up ta ol' Pelicans. We were to fish from 6 am until the bite stopped. Jer and his buddy Ty were in Jase's drift boat with me (thanks again Jase), and Nelson was in the pontoon boat with his lonesome. Jase was nice enough to let us fish the boat while he fished out of his standing pontoon.

Ty's first cast produced a huge 8" bass on a handcrafted spinnerbait made by the aforementioned expert brother. Not another fish was taken on a spinnerbait by the slickers, so Jase finally led us in the right direction and told us to start flippin' tubes. On went tubes. Watching someone "try" to set the hook on a bass the first time is a popcorn-junior mint-eating spectacle. Jer was quite funny as he almost jumped in the air whilst trying to bury steel into their lips. I guess it didn't help that I had them set up with medium spinning gear, but still... COME ON! They ended up putting a few fish in the boat to boot. I, on the other hand, was having decent luck flippin' beaverish baits. I was dinkin' it up so I decided to throw a 10" worm. Guess what... More dinks. Frog... More dinks. Nelson outfished J and T pretty handily because he was on bluegill patrol, but Jase was the winner of the biggest and most fish categories.

We fished until about 6 pm and we were beat, reddened by UV rays, and full of Mt. Dew. They got to go to their beds, and I... I got to drive 4 hours home. My bros are my very best friends, and it was really cool to spend a day with them in my element. It was an EPICCCCK day in which skills were learned, fish were ripped, Dew was drunk, and The CITY WAS SLICKED!!!

Drop Shot King and the Mtn. Dew shirt.

2009-05-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

I like fishing with people that are better than me (which happens a LOT). It allows me to be the bass rookie that I am and backlash, break off, etc without feeling embarrassed. Adrian and I hit the water for a few hours to throw some wacky stuff at the fish, and we came out pretty well. I had been hooking up well swimming some crazy jigs that I tie, and Adrian threw about everything that you can think of on a drop shot rig. It's a very versatile rig and when "dragged" through the proper zone fish eat it. The flirt worm did best for Adrian and I fished the best with the secret "Dan-Special." It's secret, but if you want to see it click here. I fished said secret rig with a Yum Houdini worm in Green Pumpkin, which is a color that bass must have genetically engrained in their DNA to be food. Good thing Zach wasn't there because we would have had to fight to catch fish even though Adrian worked him over last time out...;)

Big Trip #1. The Hollow of Sand

2009-05-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Im my unemployed state, I decided to limit my "big" trips to two. Both for bass. Both were to be epic. The time came to go on trip #1 of the epicness. I can't divulge the name of the lake so we'll just call it "The Hollow of Sand" for now. I had been prepping for this one all spring, and I was super stoked because I finally have a better feel for bass fishing, setting the hook etc. I went armed with information from Zach and Dan at Fish Tech. Those guys are full of useful info like "Don't use Panther Martins," " Don't use 4 pound test," and most importantly, "Don't use that mickey mouse rod." The fishing started hot right off the bat. My second fish of the day happened to be one of the biggest largemouth I have ever landed. The first day we threw a variety of things. hula grubs, shaky head anything, drop shot anything, etc. Curtis got one on a sweet dragonfly that he had tied, and rallied up a few more on some clouserish bugs. One of the highlights was watching Curtis break in a new Rouge spinning rod with a shaky head. He had the technique down in a few hours. The second day started a bit slower than the first, but upon finding some deeper pots of fish we threw some shaky goodness at them and they obliged. The rain that was promised never showed up, but the winds did, and that was what eventually sent us back to In-n-Out one last time to get all animal style with some fries and burgers. All in all, it was a level 8 epic trip with epicness all around, but trip #2 might just be epic-er.

New Techniques

2009-04-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, yes... I know that the name of my blog involves tying flies, BUT, I do a lot of bass fishing with gear. Why limit yourself;)

Anyway, the bass have been on the bite on and off this spring and it's really fun to try to chase them in between and during the cold fronts. I have gotten to practice some really killer cold water techniques. I was in Fish Tech where Zach told me that I absolutely NEEDED some Jackall Wacky Jig heads. I obliged... I'm glad I did, because the bass were not on the proverbial chew this day. They were being fairly tight lipped, but when presented with the wacky jig flicka shaka, they couldn't help but eat it up! Larry the cable guy decided that shaky head was the technique he'd use, and he whacked some fish on it too.

Keeping Up With the Jensens

2009-04-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to live close to people who understand that there is no 12 step program for a fishing addiction. The Jensens were heading on one of their many Steelhead trips, and we always have a tying session late at night to prepare. They have it fairly dialed on the river, and they promised photos of fish. It ended up that both wife and son out fished the expert of the family...

Grumpy Frumpy Video...

2009-03-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

So Curtis used some ninja skills to sneak up on me while I was tying a Grumpy Frumpy at the Watatch fly tying expo. I wish it would have been a different color because the black is kind of hard to see. All in all I think the general idea is there.

Cold Water Bass.

2009-03-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Cold water and bass don't get along very well. They hanker down and can be very very stubborn, but Larry and I have been in hot pursuit. Jerkbaits are on the menu, and in water temps of 46 degrees, I finally remembered the camera to get a pic of Larry and the beast... (beast is relative. We put one fish in the boat in about 6 hours.) Too bad I didn't get pics of the crankbait that I had embedded in my side today. My wife was too queasy, so I had to go to the neighbor for first aid.

Organization is key.

2009-03-26T11:49:00.001-07:00

Yeah... That is organized for me. I actually had just cleaned my bench off the day before so I thought I'd shoot some photos. If you can't tie a variety of flies with just the junk sitting on your desk, you ain't livin'. A couple of key items to have in a bench.

1- Purple unicorn drawing from my daughter. Luck factor.

2- Trash can full of empty Dew cans. Means I have been working.

3- Driftwood tool caddy. No, really, it is way cool.

4- I-Love-Me cork board. To remind yourself how much you rock.

5- Porky pig piggy bank.

Many other items, but they are top secret as of now.

Herb Dennis Byron leech...

2009-03-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Fishing lakes is a totally different ball game when it comes to fly fishing. There are guys like ol' Boyd who only fishes lakes, is really dang good at it, and calls bass trash fish. Even though his assessment of trash is not to my liking;) I still think Boyd is a heck of a guy. There are the guys who are in a lake phase, and are hot and heavy in the pursuit of lake ridden fish, but next summer they will be chasing small fish in a small stream with HUGE dry flies. And then there are the guys who just plain catch fish no matter where they go. This fly has a little bit of all of the above in it. I remember back in the days when I'd visit our great friend Dennis before his passing. He'd inch over and whisper "check this out..." and then go on to give some gem of info that would effect your tying or fishing in a major way. It was when he told me (all the while looking over his shoulder and whispering) "tie your normal bugger, but instead of hackle, wrap a THIN (looks over shoulder again) dubbing loop of seal." Wow... that was great advise. I was just scared to carry such top secret information. I did it. It worked really well. I had to dig a secret trap door in my pontoon to store the secret seal hackle buggers... Then there is Herb. Herb is one of the best stillwater anglers that I have had the pleasure to fish with. It seems like he always has the bug, the depth, the right color indicator, the right flavor of chap stick, and of course, all the right Spanish swear words (EE ho day la pooo dah!). One of his faves is the Herbie leech which incorporates a thin loop of blood colored mohair over some really flashy mylar. That fly plain hunts, but it may just be that Herb is fishing it. The next time we fish I'm going to make him use a bare hook. Number three influence on this fly is Byron Gunderson Byron has been everywhere in the planet, and caught all of the fish in it too. He's old school, and he happened to create what very well may be one of the best lake flies EVER. Byron's Crystal Killer. The Crystal Killer is best fished in red with brown hackle. A normal bugger you say??? NO. He first tied the fly with a pheasant rump tail, but it has since changed to normal pheasant tail. I was talking to him one day about the fly, and he said that one of the biggest mistakes people make is that they don't use enough pheasant for the tail. I't almost like you have to have 3 birds to tie one fly! I now tie a lot of flies with pheasant instead of marabou, and they fish great!

Recipe:

Hook: TMC 5263

Thread: Black or Maroon

Tail: 587 pheasant tail fibers

Body: Mirage Opal stuff.

Overbody: Thin dubbing loop of blood colored Arizona Simi Seal

Brush it out with velcro for best bugginess.

Big thanks to Dennis, Herb, and Byron for the inspiration. In fact I know herb fishes this exact fly...

Thanks to Brett for the fancy little photo too. Check out his blog for some sweet photography. I promise he took down the pics of his rainbow colored poodle.

Petite Sirloin Stonefly

2009-03-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

This story starts out in the dreary world of the Wasatch Expo of 2008. I was slated to tie flies all danged ol' day long, and it was fine with me. I love tying flies, and I was going to get to hang out with my good buddies and BS for two straight days. I had just gotten the good word that Rainy's had picked up the Grumpy Frumpy and a few of my other bugs, so I was tying those up like crazy. Nick Jones came up to me and tossed a few super gnarley extended body things and said something along the lines of "INNOVATE!" To be more specific he handed me some Tube Bodiz in the biggest ugliest orange color I had ever seen. Now... lets get this clear. I have never really fished a good salmonfly hatch so I was just going on instinct and suggestions from some buddies who were going to be fishing them later in the year. The first prototype was tied purely out of moose and rubber legs. I soon realized that a bullet head out of deer hair would be a bit easier. I also only had steelhead hooks so this fly was just for looks (it was heavier than Rosie O'Donnell). This, or course didn't stop Chris B from taking it... There was really no debate, so he took it and fished it. I got a phone call a few weeks later that went something like this " #$%%^^ dude that bla bla bla bla first cast bla bla bla HUGE MOUTH fuz fuzz fuzz, ate it... bla bla, BUT IT DIDN'T FLOAT AFTER THAT!" Chris is a bit hard headed, and it's one of his good qualities. If I ever needed to break down a door, I'd use his cranium as a battering ram. Anyway, I finally settled on a TMC 200R for the big ones, and a TMC 2312 for the leetle guys. I also added some CDC on top of deer hair for the wings. It FLOATS!!! still use a floatant though. I had some out to Bry and Ralphie but 2008 was a weird year for salmonflies so I don't have any feeesh pics with it in their mouths. Just this month I got some examples to Brett who does some of the sickest photography around. In order for him to take the pics I had to get him in an arm-bar, but instead of tapping out, he said "fine! I'll shoot your crappy flies!" Thank you Rex-Kwan-Do Self Defense System.

Unsinka.... Beetle, Cicada.

2009-03-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

So I occasionally go back home to Vernal to work, fish, hang out with my mom... I had gone to teach a few tying classes (apparently people like to learn how to tie ratty flies) and I had my tying stuff on my mom's counter. I began creating a something or other out of foam, when a similar bug to this popped out. This fly is modified slightly to represent a Cicada. It immediately went into a bowl of water and my mom and I pushed it to the bottom of the bowl every time we went by. It lasted 3 weeks in the bowl and we finally gave up. It was deemed the "Unsinkabeetle" because of it's foam construction and it's Molly Brown characteristics. I tie it in a variety of sizes and colors.

P.S. It has not been fished. I think I may have to mail it over to Cat Pukey's and F/V Fishalot's blogs for testing.

Recipe:

Hook: BIG

Thread: Thick 140 Denier

Underbody: Orange Evazote foam (YES EVAZOTE MAKES A DIFFERENCE)

Ribbing: Brown Bug Body (flytier's dungeon)

Overbody: Black Evazote foam

Head: Same foam

Wing: clear medallion sheeting

just dub on the ugly parts.

I'll get some more pics once I get my light box figger'd out.

Big Thanks to Brett for the additional pics of this fly. He is one of the most talented outdoor photographers around... even though he's a huge goober.

Couch Potato Brown.

2009-03-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

YES... It's time to update the ol' blog. Winter does a number on a bass fisher. I actually fished a lot this winter on the Green River (UT) with the great peeps at Bigfoot Fly Shop in Vernal. I had planned to hit the green again with Wade and Charlie, but the weather was sticking it's nose into our plans. Wade, Keith and I decided to hit a tiny water that I grew up chucking rocks and catching frogs on. Little did I know that every rock I threw in may have spooked a NICE brown. The water was running MUCHO CLEARO. That means MUCHO CLEARO in English. I busted a few 14"ish browns (because I was hogging all of the holes) when around the corner we spotted the beast at the bottom of the hole. It was nestled all cozy in a cradle cut out of the rock stream bed. On goes one of my crazy copper johns (colors were wine, and gunmetal blue) and the second drift saw the indication station stop, I lifted the overpriced graphite, and that fish TOOK OFF!!! It was a nice fight, Wade showed off his Kung Fu / netting skills, and to hand came the beast. Wade also showcased his underwater photography skills to get some shots. All in all, it was fun drinking dew, turning ankles, eating jerky, and not feeling my cheeks by the end of the hike out. I promise to update this thing within the next 18 months...

Crafty Minnow

2008-09-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's name comes because it's minnowish and craftish. Really though, I was challenged one day at work, and from that challenge this fly was born. Our Purchaser (We'll call him Tom for anonymity's sake. Well, his name really is Tom, but just pretend it's a fake name.) had gotten a bunch of "samples" from a vendor, and with said samples came several delicious colors of craft hair. He challenged me to tie a fly from it, so I did. I later used it on a drop shot rig and poked some chunky (Rosie O'Donnell shaped) bluegills on it. I plan to use it as a chub minnow variation for some chunky (Roseanne Barr shaped) Cutts this fall.

Receta:

Hook: TMC 811s #2/0
Thread: White strong
Top: Brown / Black craft fur
Bottom: White craft fur
Eye: Stick on eyes for lure making
Gills: Red marker

I learned this technique from Arizona Fly Fishing in Tempe, AZ. John Rohmer is the master of mixing blends that catch fish. This fly is originally tied with his Big Fly Fiber, and Diamond Hair. I have run out of my supply, so I have been subbing new materials. It moves great in the water, and can be used on fly tackle, or on a drop shot rig.

Great quote from a great fisherman.

2008-09-05T13:23:00.001-07:00

This applies to so many things, but especially goes well with fishing.

"There's no such thing as luck- good or bad. And, there's no such thing as a hot streak or a slump. Every day - really every cast - is a new experience. Success or failure in the past has nothing to do with the future."

"Luck, slumps and that sort of nonsense are excuses, not reasons. Bass don't know who you are or what you did yesterday. Go out and catch them and win the tournament."

~Kevin Van Dam~

This guy is probably the best fisherman on the planet. He fishes under more more pressure than most of us can fathom, yet he constantly produces and has success.

Snorkel Hopper

2008-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

So I have had a memo running around in my tiny brain to work on a sunken hopper. I mostly procrastinated it because I have been pursuing green fish with broomsticks and cable. It doesn't mean that I don't dream about it and come up with ideas though. It finally hit me... Use your bass stuff. So I did.

Hook: Gammy Jig hook. (these suckers are SHARP!!! They are the cause of much lost blood)

Thread: Strong

Body: Tan yarn

Rib: Brown bug body material (FTD)

Underbody: Lead (Thick)

Legs: Tan rubber

Wing: Elk

Head: tan dub

Eyes: 5/32 brass barbell eyes

New Pattern Archive

2008-08-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Run N' Fish put a beauty of a site together specifically for the purpose of creating a good archive for Utah fly patterns. I have put a bunch of my stuff on it, and it should grow into a great site to see creations. www.utahflypatterns.com

Stop in, post some pics, tell some jokes.

Stoneflopper

2008-08-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Yep... It works as both. A stonefly and a hopper. I like to fish natural materials on my big bugs, but it's so hard to be disciplined to the natural materials when there is tons of CHEAP, BOUYANT, and COOL foam laying around. I mixed them up a bit.

Hook: Sharp one. (J/K it's a 5212)

Thread: Tan Uni 6/0

Tails: Medium rubber legs with brown bars colored in

Body: Superfine dubbing (yellow) with bug body material (brown) to segment. Then I brush it out.

Overbody: Foam trimmed and singed for awesomeness

Wing: deer

Head: Foam

Legs: Same as tails

More Grumpies

2008-08-28T14:40:00.001-07:00

So with help, prodding, and suggestions of friends, I made a very cheap (Free) lightbox for the shooting of wacky creations of the fly kind. I had some fresh Grumpies on hand, so into the box they went. I was pretty pleased with the detail of the flies. With a few more tweaks here and there, I'll have a perfect (or near perfect) setup.

Here are some samples.

Froggy bass.

2008-07-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

So RnF and I have been trying to fish for quite a while now, and instead of it being a trip that involved trout rising to caddis flies, it involved fish rising to a bathtub rubber ducky. We started about 7 am got the flyrod snubbing from my friendly bass, so we had to get nasty with them. Spinnerbaits and the SUMO frog were on the fishy menu for the day. RnF went back to his spin / baitcasting days to hook up on the first few fish. The Pond Magic spinnerbait was the ticket for those fellas. He was very very accurate throwing that little bait to all the right spots.

I was dead set on catching fish on my new sumo frog that I made some slight modifications to thanks to Zach at Fish Tech. Well, I guess it looked so good that the actual frogs out there couldn't resist it.

That could be a good thing or a bad thing. After working several areas, I realized that it was indeed a good thing. The main mod I made to the frog was to put a Gamakatsu EWG frog hook in to replace the owner hook that had a much more narrow hook gap. See for yourself to see if it worked;)

RnF was throwing a frog shortly thereafter;) He had several fish BLOW UP his frog, but they didn't want to play for keeps (He was using the Owner hook). That frog will get the gama mod very soon.

The other hot bait was a nichols spinnerbait with a double willow blade (bluegill color)

It was funny being out there throwing some serious hardware at fish, yet we were talking about tying flies etc. It was a very fun trip that ended with sore thumbs, many bass brought to hand, and many new ideas for the fly tying vise.

Back to the vise.

2008-07-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

I finally had a long tying session after a long recess. Bry needed a bunch of salmonflies, so I transformed the kitchen table into a tying office. I didn't get any good shots of the actual flies I tied, but you can see my organized work space here...

Strawberry Shortcake

2008-07-25T08:52:00.001-07:00

Bass have kept me very good company for the last 4 months, but nature called... Not in that way, but it told me "Cheech, go try to catch trout on your fairy wand again." That, coupled with Improv's constant prodding to get out for some very healthy piscivores gave me the bug to go angle for trout with a fly rod. Piscovores they are, but this time they were keying on rodents, renegades (gotta love that renegade hatch), and callibaetis. In Heber by 4:45 am and on the water before sunrise. 41 degrees at the first honey hole and we weren't necessarily dressed for coat weather. Improv started by breaking off a fairly large rodent on a fairly large white mouthed creature. It was amazing to see the take, and equally amazing to see the stunned look on his face when he broke off.

Curtis was the next to strike a nice fish. I say nice fish, because it was a constant process weeding through 8 inch rainbows with the intelligence level of Anna Nicole Smith (RIP).

Dark grew into light. Recreational anglers and sportsmen like light. They also like Saturdays. Improv made a few new friends, and not on purpose. This dude and his wife obviously thought that Improv's hole was the only one on the lake, so he wadded up his powerbait ball o' goo, and hucked out literally about 3 feet from where Improv was fishing. They looked really friendly, but I stayed away because he was suffering from an incurable case of plumbers crack (I don't even think he knew what a pipe wrench was.)

Anyway, my turn to hook up. I had decided to throw on an intermediate line and a good ol' renegade (Mine just didn't have any white hackle. Strip... Strip.... BAM! Healthy cutt on board, and I was wishing I had my Carrot Stick and 14# test to horse this sucker in. Played him a bit, and eventually he came to hand...

The goo rod hatch was fairly prevalent, so we loaded up the Cheechmobile and headed to find the cruisers that are the bruisers. We got to destination #2 hoping to see toothy critters eating bugs on top. I'm convinced that ben dipped his bugs in smelly jelly, because he hooked up right off the bat. It's a riot when fish of this caliber will readily eat a dry fly. Improv is one of the best stillwater anglers I have fished with, and I noticed that he was fishing with his eyes closed this trip to give himself more of a challenge. Here you can witness that the eyes are sealed shut.

He obviously had his eyes closed when dressed himself this morning too.

Curtis got several rises, and got so frustrated that he shat himself,

And then instead of fishing the day out, he practiced his Mr. Roboto dance for the rest of the trip.

And....... The grand finale..... the lunch photo.

All in all a great trip where fish were punctured, Flobots were listened to, Ben fished naked... errr... I mean blind, and I took a huge nap in a nice 68 degree room for 3 hours when I got home.

Demon Smallies

2008-07-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Since the last trip to Pelican, I have been hankering to get back on the nascar boat with Brian and Curtis. That thing is a moving piece of shoreline. The call came, and I told them that indeed, I WAS IN!!! We were to meet at Jordanelle at 5:45 am. At that altitude 5:45 am calls for fleece pants and a heavy winter coat, not to mention that we would be zooming across the water at 50 mph! We were frozen upon arrival to the "spot." Topwaters got some hits here and there, and it's always fun to work a zara spook until it gets annihilated by a green flash. I got no love on top, but smallies are always suckers for a natural colored senko type bait. They also fell victim to Curtis' Craw Bouncer. Brian showed us how to wrangle the big fellas, and Curtis officially christened his "SMALLMOUTH" Sage bass rod. His demon made it look like a little toothpick, and I was sure it was going to snap any second.

These fish are truly demons that aggressively strike, and then try to capsize your water craft whether it be a bass boat or a float tube. I have not fished for trout for over 3 months, and I'm just fine.

Asado Argentino

2008-07-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here... I'm updating my blog. This fourth of July it seemed like we had all of the neighborhood over, and I was to grill my famous asado Argentino. Famous? well, that's debatable, but the food turned out really nice. I'm going to have to fine tune my setup, but the prototype worked well. It's also pretty cool to have a fire pit in the back yard.

More fishing stuff coming soon.

My thumb hates me.

2008-06-14T23:50:00.000-07:00

I hit the pond today with Curtis when it dawned on me that I forgot the camera. No biggie. I have a picture that pretty much sums it up.

I have had a great start to the summer. I've been saving on gas, saving on fly tying materials, catching huge fish, but... my thumb hates me.

This just in... Footballs eat plastic

2008-06-09T23:01:00.001-07:00

Cheech – Dude, you gotta get out here, the big boys are moving.

Jay- When

Cheech- Tonight!!

Jay – Can’t. I have to go to crochet class

Cheech – Ahh, sounds fun, how about Saturday at 6 am.

Jay – Deal. I’m bringin’ the cam, so we better bust some fish! Should a 5 wt be enough?

Cheech – Uhhh.. Bring the biggest stick you got.

Jay – Word.

Cheech– Word.

It kind of went like that, all except the crochet class, and us saying “word” at the end of our conversation. Oh, also the fact that it wasn’t even a conversation. It was a text battle.

Friday night, cats and dogs are being rained, so I call Jay up and told him that it would be better if we started a bit later. On the water by 8:30, and it was somewhat iffy to start off with. Jay brought a few up to his popper, but no dice. I wacky rigged a Senko and pierced the lip of a friendly 3 pounder right off with it. That spoke of things to come. Wacky senko… Check. Fish…. Check. That’s all we needed to throw for the rest of the day, and it proved the only way to have a truly EPIC bass day. Yes Jay was fishing an 8 wt fly rod. He needs to write a book on how to effectively cast a senko with a fly rod;) He had it figured out. We had an absolute blast on the water wrangling willing bass after willing bass. I caught a football, so I decided to get a Heisman Trophy pic of it. I kissed that fish on it’s release, just don’t tell my wife. After the trip was over we took the time to aliment our huge frames, so Kraver's in Stansbury was on the menu. For future generations, we also took the time to shoot pics of the fly pattern o’ the day. Make sure you throw a double whip finish on this bad boy.

Special thanks to Jay for taking the pics. Dude has skills. You can check out his side of the story at HIS BLOG

We was up ta pelicans...

2008-06-09T09:32:00.001-07:00

Yep, we hit Pelican Lake once again. This time we were armed with a bass expert, and a 21' bass boat that was capable of doing 126 mph across the water. Yes, we were going to cover some serious water today. That we did. Many smallish fish were brought to the edge of the boat, so there aren't a ton of pics. Curtis decided to throw one of his "HUGE" bass flies, because big fish eat big flies right... well, kind of. There was also a killer hatch. I say killer, because if you left your mouth open for long enough you would choke to death via bug inhalation. Brian caught the big few of the day. The highlight was the sunset.

Fish Rehab

2008-05-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Months ago Bill set the hook on a big Provo River brown trout that started it all. He probably set it more like a bassmaster than a trout fisher. The end result of that day was rotator cuff surgery that would follow. Well, it was the first trip out for the new shoulder, and a spinning rod with a spinner bait was the Rx of the day.

P.S. I also roped one of my personal best bass today.

Purple worms

2008-05-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yes yes, I know. The title of this blog is "I tie, therefore I am," but there comes a point where you have to choose the most effective tool for the job. The tool for the job at the community bass pond (that is THICK with weeds twigs, and pretty much everything else that likes to find it's way onto your hook point) was a weedless plastic worm. Bass were bedding and the good ol dropshot method seemed the worthy tool. Worthy is was. Got out with two good buds who were nice enough to hold the camera and take pics of my fish. Bry even did some great post production work on some of the images.

Two years ago I highly doubt that I could have been convinced to fish in such a non-elitist manner. Now, I like to have fun. This is fun.

It's too cold for Bass today.

2008-04-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

It's Bassin' tiiiiime... For some reason most of my fishing buddies and I have the Bass fever right now. We also planned many o' trip for this spring, and it was time for our annual "ice-off" trip to Matties/Calders. BUT... The roads were really bad, the ice was still on, and more importantly, we had received a report from the Mafia that there was a certain warmwater that was fishing as well as Rosie O'Donnell eats pancakes. I like pancakes too, so off we went to this lake... Pelican Lake if you must know. The first 3 hours were really slow for us. We then followed the mafia to the honey hole, got the honey technique, and ripped spiny fish for hours. They ALL would eat a well placed chironomid (it IS what they eat afterall). Bass on the Chirono? Yep. Gills on the Chirono? Duhhhh... However... This trip took a sudden turn when I pulled out Bry's baitcaster that I am very greatfully borrowing. Here's how it happened.

Curtis- What IS that thing?

Cheech- Buzz bait.

Curtis- A what?! Is it a toy?

Cheech- No.

Curtis- Does it take batteries?

Cheech- No.

Curtis- If you catch a fish on that thing, I'll buy you dinner...

(5 minutes later)

Cheech- FISH ON SUCKA!!!

I also hooted and hollered like a little girl like I promised. I enjoyed a free meal that night. I was also VERY stoked to catch a fish on the ol' baitcaster like I used to do years ago. I think it may find a spot in the starting rotation when the time is right.

P.S. That little yellow rod is a Fenwick "little yellow" 7" 3 wt. 5 piece. What a hoot catching fish on that thing. It belongs to a brother in Alabama that is probably looking at birds right now. Thanks Mark.

"I caught you a delicious bass."

2008-04-21T09:56:00.001-07:00

Yes, I would like the delicious weed encrusted sea bass with a side salad. No dressing....

Nice fish Bry. Wind blew and blew, so did the fishing until Bry stuck this pig. Nich did a good job watching.

Tis' the Season for Bass

2008-04-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

More than one day in the 70 degree range? Check. Been tying all kinds of wacky crap that no respectable trout would ever eat? Check. Sick and tired of tying sub #24 patterns that make my eyes bleed? Check.

I think this is the weekend where the bass will be moving ever so slightly. Just in case, I'm going to waste a few hours chucking this bologna at them. I hope the bass skunk gets taken away.

Lots of mosquitoes in my area mean that the mosquito abatement team planted many many trillions of bullfrogs into the pond. Great for the skeeters, and VERY great for the bass too. They are suckers for anything that halfway resembles a frog.

2008-04-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Spring is here, almost. This is the time of year when most everyone says, "hey Cheech, why don't you whip me up a couple hundred dozen Royal Thingamabobbers." I gladly oblige. I was in the moment when I figured that I should maybe shoot a few pictures of the flies that I had been working on. The Grumpies will be fished mostly on the Green River, UT. The Damsebaetis will most likely be fished "south of Wyoming." And the bassy stuff? That's for ME! Get your grubby paws off of it.

Korkers Responds!!!

2008-04-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

And in Disney fashion, Korkers pulls through and is the hero...

Read here.

utahcutthroat.blogspot.com/2008/03/korkers-review-update.html

EZ Parachute

2008-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

So, parachutes are intimidating. Puts the real fear into you. Life death experience every time. Lets get serious people. It's not Skydiving.

There is a very easy way to tie parachutes that are effective and simple.

Rule 1- get rid of any type of hair or fiber that you have to tie in with aligned tips (Deer, calf, hackle fibers, fibbetts, etc) Well, don't get completely rid of it because it's still fun to tie with.

Rule 2- There are certain materials that could be called "Parachute Helpers" very similar to Hamburger Helper. You won't want to throw these material in a sauce pan, but you will eventually add water. The materials are: antron, zelon, kling-on, poly yarn, carpet fibers, punch yarn etc. These materials will make the tail and post of the fly.

Rule 3- The body of the fly should be very easy. spanflex, bug body material, flexi-floss, or other bungie type materials make up the bulk of the bodies of my flies. Segmentation? Check. Durability? Check.

Rule 4- Whip finishing a parachute fly can be a royal pain in the vise. Buy some super glue. Once you tie off your hackle (I prefer to tie it off right on the para post) just dab a tiny bit with a bodkin where your thread last touched. You will have a very neat fly that will probably be more durable than a whip finish.

These rules can also be found in the Official Fly Fishing Manual (pp.101-125 sec. xxvi parts 3, 5 and 7)

Crazy Dad!

2008-03-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

Ice is off on the ol' bass pond, so now is a better time than ever to moisten some crazy dads and thooow em' over the edge. We knew full on that the bass would be on the slow bite, and they taught us a lesson. The crazy dads sure looked cool though. Chris took his weekly bath right in front of our eyes, and well, there is a reason that I'm only posting pictures of flies. We have a few weeks to go before the warmblooders get moving.

Crazy Dad:

Hook (very important)
4 Strands of sili legs.
Dubbing loop of your favorite green dub.
Barbell eyes.
Bucktail stacked and tied under the ol hook.

Extreme fishing is not for Korkers...

2008-03-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

As many of you faithful readers (more like people who are bored at work and can tolerate my mindless drivel) know... I fish a lot with Bry. He's probably the most hard core outdoors beat-the-hell-out-of-gear guy I know. His theory is "Good gear will perform, regardless of the price." That means that if he finds a $15 dollar sleeping bag that can perform along side him... it's game.

Anyway, he purchased a pair of Korkers boots becuase of the hikeability factor that they bring to the table... Well, I guess he tells the story much better than I do. Read from his righteous blog here---> www.utahcutthroat.blogspot.com.

My opinion is, that if Korkers doesn't realize who they are competing with in this "gear crazy" sport, they better get out tha' kitchen! If anything they will beg Bry to use his wicked photos for their marketing!

Rit dye + cheap hackle = good.

2008-03-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

I had a cheap #2 Metz hanging about. I also wanted some funky colors for my stillwater patterns. I made a point to go upstairs while my wife had all of her fancy friends over. They were like "wow... Clark is going to cook something." I proceeded to fill a nice pot with water. I then paraded a dead bird into the kitchen and began stewing with just the right mixtures of Rit. The smell was less than pleasant, but hey, it's the smell of sweet looking buggers to me. For some odd reason all of my wife's friends left before the finished product was ready. I guess they didn't want to try the smaples.....

Dark neck: Tan, yellow, orange.

Light neck: Yellow, orange.

Warm the water. Let it sit for a few minutes, take out and rinse, blow dry.

Slabs O' Carne

2008-03-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

Fished today.

Fun.

Chironomids.

Damsebaetis.

Black spots.

Bendo.

A thousand words would wear out my fingers, so I'll just post the pictures. I think they speak for themselves.

Fish are everywhere

2008-03-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

The company retreat happened to be high in the mountains, and there was a TINY creek going right in front of it. I kept staring and a co-worker who knows me pretty well assured me that there were no trout in it. After the meetings were over, I grabbed my spare rod (always in the car) and had this beauty on in about 3 casts. He missed the fly the first 2 times he tried to eat it.

2008-03-05T00:50:00.000-08:00

Rod Building started out as a way to save money on a good rod. The problem with this is that it turns into an obsession like tying. The next thing I realized is that I had 5 4wt rods. Time to slow down there Bucko. I now have a good mix of custom and factory rods, and they each have their benefits.

I got a great opportunity to build "the" rod for a friend. Nich didn't want to spare any expense on a 3 wt. It ended up being a Sage SLT, with "breakaway" guides, a custom grip fitted to his girly little hand, and some creative thread wraps. Here are pics before gluing. I'll hit him up for some post production pics. He has an iPhone so he has no excuse........

The Brithday Trip

2008-02-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

Every February it is the rule to go fish the Green River. The green is a great place to try to get rid of a bit of cabin fever. Curtis had a case of the fever so bad that he hallucinated that his Legos started tying flies. February also happens to be the month of both of our birthdays. It starts at 6:00 am and a 4 hour drive to the river. It ends with all you can eat steak, or in this trip's case, KFC. (We're kind of on a chicken and hot sauce kick.) The fishing wasn't fast and furious by all means , but the Orange Asher (to be highlighted later) got it's share of glory. Curtis also ninja fished a #24 thread midge pupa to bruise a few nice fish. Curtis also found out that next time he better bring some PB&J's so he doesn't have to slay a wild duck and drink it's blood.

2008-02-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

I have been remembering some of the great trips of the year. One was had over the 4th of July. I floated the Green with Charlie. I completed the "Hey Cheech, I bet you can't eat all of this watermelon in one sitting" challenge. I was also taught how to properly handle a wild kitten by my 3 year old.

Melt snow... melt.

until then, MIDGES!

DamseBaetis Part 2

2008-02-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Many times with a fly that is hot off the Mongoose, I'll give a few prototypes to friends who get to fish a lot more than I do. I gave the DamseBaetis to Ben Porter. Let me tell you a little about Ben. He has sandy blonde hair and has an affinity for his red sweatshirt... No, seriously, Ben is probably one of the best stillwater anglers that I have fished with. He could pull a trout out of a kitchen sink. Anyway, Here are his thoughts on the DamseBaetis.

"One of the biggest challenges when fly-fishing is finding a fly that will consistently produce. Most of the time, flies are subjective time of year, time of day and type of water. However the DamseBaetis has to be one of the most diverse flies that will consistently produce regardless of forenamed factors. The name implies that this bug could be taken for a damsel or a callibaetis. However, I would also argue that it could be taken for a Sow bug, Snail, a Scud and a Crane Fly Larva - all of which are very prolific in our Western waters.

Brain Chan has said that one of the most important food sources just after ice-off is the scud. I have done amazingly well with this particular fly during this time. I like to fish this fly with floating line and a long leader under a slip indicator. The slip indicator allows me to fish with leader lengths up to 20 feet. When fishing this fly, I look for weed edges; drop offs, shallows flats and points. I generally avoid “open water” – although I have had success using this fly as the “point fly” off the bend of the hook of a Wooly Bugger or a leech pattern. When fishing this fly under a indicator, I will often fish it tandem with another DamseBaetis sometimes in a smaller size or a slight variance in color.

If you tie, experiment with this fly. Some of the modifications I’ve made on occasion include:

· No eyes – and replace with sliver, gold or black colored bead.
· Leg lengths - by making them longer, you are also getting the benefits of a soft hackle bug – which is also wicked good!
· Rib – I use a gold flash-a boo or fine wire, but I have also used sliver, and iridescent.

Last year I managed to land a nice 25-inch rainbow from a lake in Nevada. I have also landed over 50 fish in one setting in a southern Utah lake with this fly. This is just one fly I would not be without. Here a few photos of some of the fish I’ve landed with this fly."

Fly Tying. Lego Style.

2008-02-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

Toy Story 3...

These guys show some major potential.

Curtis Fry is the one putting these things together. Big kudos to him. That is friggin awesome!

Sick Sick Sick

2008-01-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to Jaymorr for the new graphic on the blog. Check out his blog at www.flyfishermanforum.com.

The DamseBaetis...

2008-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Stillwater fishing usually starts by lobbing an olive, brown, or black wooly bugger into the water. The next 20 seconds is spent kicking backwards in your donut float tube to get away from the pile of sinking fly line that you left on top of the water. Then you strip the line in, and repeat. Weeks, months, maybe years go by, and then you finally think to yourself... "why can't I match the hatch on a lake?"

Or how about matching two hatches at the same time. June is a great month for fishing because of the heavy damselfly hatches on the waters that I frequent. During that same period there is a great callibaetis hatch that proves irresistible to the trout. I wanted an impressionistic fly that would serve as both. Tie it in tan, tie it in olive, and I'm set (except for the pink one that is still currently on bluegill patrol).

This fly has done some pretty serious things in the last year. I'll try to get Ben to get me some pictures to post.

Recipe:

Hook: TMC 200R, or regular nymph hook. #12-16

Thread: Tan Uni 6/0

Eyes: Burned 20# mono

Tail: Natural rabbit (minus the guard hairs)

Abdomen: Tan buggy dubbing (I use the light part of my German Shepherd... see post. "Good Dog, Good Flies."

Ribbing: Copper wire

Wingcase: Mottled brown thin skin

Thorax: Grey buggy dubbing (I use the darker part of my German Shepherd)

Legs: Partridge or Mallard (anything speckly-looking and nice)

(I also added a bit of flash to the wingcase on this particular model)

Staring time

2008-01-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

There are times when I don't need to tie for quantity, fill a fly box, or to play with some new material. These times call for staring. Not the blank type of stare that you gave your Home Ec teacher in 7th grade, but the type of stare that creates a fly in your head just by looking at all of the junk and clutter on your fly desk. (If your fly desk is always clean and tidy, stop reading NOW, and go back to Mars.) Anyway, some of my best and worst creations come from staring time. These flies are a result of the latest session.

Staring session history:

Success- Grumpy Frumpy! Fish fear it.

Failure- Basketball sucking leech. After egg fishing season is long over, that urge to use that last oversized ball of orange craft fur hits. You impale it on a hook, tie a bugger behind it, and... Then you find out that the ball is actually the remnant of your daughter's craft project that found it's way to your desk. It's now clear as to why it was so BIG. Yes I fished the Basketball Sucking Leech. No, fish are not that stupid. No, I did not post a picture.

The Brother's Hike

2008-01-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

The famous “Brother’s Hike” of 2004 was set. We didn’t want to go back to the Timothy lakes because we found out that the destination was really 10 miles as the CROW flies… That’s the last time we let uncle Robin play with the GPS. 14 miles later I found myself too tired to fish for the first time in the history of sliced bread.

The Brother’s Hike is an event in which the crazy Schaefermeyer family delves deep into the woods for a few days to remember the good ol days of gallivanting through the Uintah mountains. It’s a great group to spend a few days in the backcountry with. There are 6 crazy brothers who used to do this all the time back when they weren’t so… well, OLD. The eldest brother happens to be my father in law.

Now that I have FULLY explained that, here’s the report of the 2004 trip. It took place on a chain of lakes that we will call lake X, Y, and Z. I usually don’t have any problem listing names, but these are true gems that held HUGE fish. Not just huge fish, but huge BROOK TROUT. You will have better luck getting me to wear a pink dress fishing than getting the names of these lakes.

The grueling hike up to the water from the base camp tested my ever fit and trim 6’5” 250 pound frame. I came around the final corner wanting to sit on a rock, eat some jerky, and pound a Mt. Dew. I heard Uncle Greg yelling to see if I had a net. I thought, “why in the world would you need a net for 6” fish?” I looked and saw a MONSTER! Big brooks! I strung my rod as fast as I could and proceeded to get skunked for the next hour. Then logic hit and told me to start fishing them like smallies. A few parallel-to-the-shore casts, and I saw my first red flash. It was BIG. 19.5” is what my tape told me. The fly-o-day happened to be a plain jane brown conehead bugger. One lake shined above the rest, and that's where I spent most of my time. Bill caught a fish that was just .25" smaller than mine, and I was sure to let him know that. Of course, I was the one driving the measuring device...

I’m usually a C&R fisherman, but this was the Brother’s Hike for Pete’s sake. We’re eatin’ fish! Brookies sure taste great when cooked right.

Palomino Caddis V.2

2008-01-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

The Palomino caddis has been a great fly for the dumb fish that I throw a line at. I morphed it a bit, and came out with something that works although I think I like the original better. Here are some prototypes. The key changes are: 1- Foam body. I burned the foam to taper it a bit. 2- The TMC 102-y hook #13. These things are ninja sharp and BLACK! I love black hooks. The TMC 102-y and the Daiichi 1130 are among my favorite hooks in the whole universe. Now id I could get the 1130 in Black...

One of these things is not like the others...
As you can see, the bottom fly is not actually a caddis. I tied this one to represent the Yellow Sallys that we have here in Utah. I think it's my favorite of the new foam-laminos.

Fun with deer hair?!?

2008-01-07T14:56:00.001-08:00

About once a year I get a wild idea that I want to become proficient in tying with deer hair. This urge usually lasts until my neck gets too stiff to drink Mt. Dew, or until I slice my finger to the bone with a paper thin razor blade. All in all, it's a fun/challenging material to work with. These are the some of the results of a streamer request from Bryan. There is a reason that not all of them are pictured. Yes, I'm a fan of the Zoo Cougar.

Redfish don't always live in saltwater.

2008-01-04T13:31:00.001-08:00

By far my favorite slimerocket is the Colorado Strain Cutthroat. Native to many of the streams that I frequent, they have not always had it easy. They have survived being bullied by more aggressive species for years, and are now making a healthy return to what was rightfully theirs. Someone forgot to tell them that only their throat should be red. It is evident in my pursuit of these creatures that the Man Upstairs knows how to work a paintbrush.

They are also suckers for flies. Perfectly tied flies with pre-calculated wraps of hackle and nice whip finishes, to scraggly flies that are on their second season of getting mangled. They like it all.

My favorite fly this summer was a "Noah's Ark" Imagine a chernobyl ant with twice the amount of legs, and tied on a 6x streamer hook. I have never laughed so hard as the day that I watched 8" fish try to eat that thing.

Bullet head.

2008-01-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

Griffin tools = Crazy Delicious.

This, my friend, is awesome.

2008-01-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to Mark for this watercolor. That is talent.

Check out his blog at. http://yuhina.blogspot.com/

Simi Simi Simi....

2007-12-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

The cold is biting right through me, so I have tying on the mind.

It's about time to stock up the stillwater box for those ice off trips in April, and no, not a single plain jane bugger will be in my box. The Wooly Bugger is a great concept, and a great fly, but there are so many things that happen when I try to sit down and tie normal flies. I think my brain hates me. I made my life easier a few years back when I was in Arizona. I visited a fine shop called Arizona Fly Fishing. These guys are serious about their stillwater bugs for both warm water and for trout. I was killing time, and in a conversation with a friendly shop employee, he mentioned Simi-Seal tying material. Now, everyone and their dog has "Pseudo Seal" or "Baby-Seal-Butt-Hairs" or something of that nature, but what I saw was a whole wall of the most tasty colors that I had seen. I spent some cash that day. Good thing it's only about a buck fiddy a pack. In short. It's easy to use, It comes in a HUGE array of colors, and IT CATCHES FISH!!! Here are some creations that I have come up with. The basic Simi Seal leech goes as follows...

Hook: TMC 5263 #6-12

Bead: Brass 5/32. Tungsten if you are rich, and like a fast sinking fly.

Thread: Big enough so your hot dog fingers don't break it.

Tail: Simi Seal Fibers

Rib: Wire

Body: Simi Seal fibers

Put bead on... Tie in tail... Tie in wire... Dub simi on the hook MINUS the dubbing loop (Ok. use a loop if you want)... Whip finish... Take a piece of velcro and Taze it like a cop on a burglar...

Glassy eyed.

2007-12-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

I had never met Mark until he came to Utah from Auburn University. He made an annual pilgrimage to Utah to fish for trout, and to visit a terrain that he would like to visit more than he really can. We met on a small Utah creek that was full of small eager trout that would eat pretty much anything. When Mark strung his rod, I took notice, and had to cast it. It felt like a dream to cast a rod that was sooooo slow. I liked it. Mark eventually had to go back to school to study what specie Big Bird really is, but he was kind enough to leave the Fenwick Little Yellow 7' 3 wt 5 piece little gem with me "for midge fishing." Well, Mark, the day has come when winter midges are on the menu. Thanks for the opportunity to cast and fish this little gem.

The fly is a sparkle cluster. It's a great fly that was spawned in a conversation with Tim Hannis, an expert guide and fly tyer. It's a dream fly because it will take c4 explosive to dismantle it.

Recipe.

Hook: TMC 100 18

Thread: Pink if you want. I used black.

Body: Purple UTC holographic tinsel

Over body: Loon UV Knot Sense

Hackle: #20 dun whiting saddle

Tie in hackle and tinsel. Wrap tinsel forward and trim. Coat tinsel with the UV glue (don't treat it yet). Wrap hackle through the glue. Whip finish. Treat glue with UV light. You can use any color of tinsel for this.

Flies for stupid fish.

2007-12-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

Many of my trout flies go on "Bluegill Patrol" for a short stint. It is kind of like a minor league system for flies. Bluegill will eat anything, even if it is tied on a mustad...

Bass aren't too picky either as you can plainly see.

Warm Water.

2007-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Warm water fishing is often thought of as an act that requires no fly rod. That's a lie. Another lie is that the water is all that warm.

Anyway, it's a blast to catch rougher, hellion-like fish when you are used to the delicate nature of trout. I don't know whether it's the fact that I'm using a fly that looks like a little stuffed animal, or that I'm slapping it down on the water waiting for that heart-stopping-almost-fall-out-of-the-boat strike of a largemouth on the little teddy bear. I've seen bass eat baby ducks, frogs, and water snakes. My conclusion is that they are very stupid, and that they are very pissed off. That is a good combo if you are the one holding the cork and waving the fly.

Bluegill are another story. In a sense, these fish have little man's syndrome. I've had an 11" gill bend me past the stripping guide on a 6 wt many o time. Sight fishing for these bad boys can be hilarious... Watching a big female come up to your fly and eat it, then spit it out, then eat it, and then spit it out. This goes on for a while, until she FINALLY makes up her mind. I know. Sounds familiar doesn't it.

FRIGGIN NOOBS...

2007-11-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

I am not a very good guide. I have tried to do it before, but my urge to "just fish" always gets the best of me. Steve has old man's disease and just turned 50. His son Kip decided to get him a fly rig for his birthday, and guess who built it for him?? Long story short, we planned a trip to the mighty Weeb. Steve lives an Uncle Rico's football throw from the Weber, so we decided to hit his home water. It took a while to find fish, but upon arriving at the "honey hole" Steve and Kip proceeded to pierce several fish. I had fun with a fish that had no respect. It ended up with a piece of chemically sharpened steel stuck through it's lip;)

Highlights of the trip...

1- Steve and Kip catching first fish on a fly.
2- Steve breaking in his new rod properly.
3- Talking of how attractive people are in Evanston.
4- Getting asked to leave by Jose, the parking lot attendant.
5- Corn dogs on the way out of town.

Great fun was had by all. Thanks Kip and Steve.

Here kitty kitty.

2007-11-01T09:42:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you mix a Brook Trout with a Brown Trout?

A bad attitude.

El Sculpito

2007-10-09T10:17:00.001-07:00

OK, so I get a few calls from Bryan, and he's foaming at the mouth about streamers. Sculpins to be exact. Thank you very much Mr. Galloup. Anyway, we talk about streamer season a bit and how to fish these bad boys. Somewhere in that conversation, we talked about 4.5" articulated streamers with gnarley stinger hooks. Great timing, because I had just bought a bunch of wool. Wool is our friend. Deer hair can be the devil at times, but wool is definitely our friend. I sat down at the vise and just stared at it for a while. Drank some Dew, and then materials were getting attached with reckless abandon. I had a few criteria. Long, bulky head, and barbell eyed tied ON THE BOTTOM of the hook shank. Yes, so it will ride hook point down. The finished fly got in Bryan's (aka R&D) and he was off to the river. He came back with a few pics of some obviously stupid fish. They ate it though. The verdict, They like it, BUT, needs improvement. Bulkier head, more flash, smaller stinger, mix up the beads a bit. I like guys who do the dirty work for me...

Fish Camo works!!!

2007-09-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

It has been a work in progress this summer. My neighbor, an avid duck hunter, had just finished putting the finishing touches on his newly "murdered out" duck boat. With that, came a couple of cans of spray paint that he offered to me. The juices started to flow, and I began to paint the new FV Cheechcraft. As you can see the boat really works to attract fish (especially Piranhas) to where I am fishing. The looks I got through small "big truck" towns were priceless. Some people really don't have a sense of humor. Strawberry Res was on the docket. We got on the water right about 7:00. The fishing was a bit slow because there was a HUGE cold front moving in. We would cruise around mostly looking for swirls at the surface. When we did find them, it only took one cast to the area to hook up. Big fish of the day was a 23 15/16" Cutt.

Curtis was the mad man with the camera.

Lots of Grumpy fish...

2007-09-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

These fish were found actively feeding... On #18 PMDs. Once in a while logic kicks in and tells you to throw a #10 fly with psychadelic colors. Thanks logic.

Too Simple? No way.

2007-09-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Kemp Bug entered the arsenal when a High School friend (BJ) ordered some custom flies that he liked to fish back home. He gave me a copy of the bug, and I thought "whew, I'm glad it doesn't have spun deer hair." Curiosity usually gets the best of me when someone has a special request like this, so I decided to tie some for myself. As is the norm, they sat in my box until I had one of those days where the fishing is great, and you decide to see what kind of whacky fly you can get the uneducated slimers to eat. On went the Kemp bug, and the action was NUTS!! Granted these fish were dumb, but they would move at the slightest view of this fly. The action picked up even though I had caught my share. This fly has since become a big part of my arsenal even though I don't fish streamers often. I have caught big fish, small fish, red fish, and blue fish with it... No, not the REAL red and blue fish, but you get the point.

Kemp Bug (thanks BJ)

Hook: 3xl streamer 6-10 (I like #8)
Thread: Black
Underbody: Wraps of .020 lead
Bead: proportionate to body ( I like 5/32)
Tail: 5 strands of peacock herl
Body: Same strands of peacock herl
Rib: copper wire
Hackle: Oversized brown hackle
Wing: Grizzly or Cree hackle (I prefer 4 cree hackles from a CRAPPY neck)

Grumpy Frumpy. Ugly, but fish eat it.

2007-08-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

I love to fish big, visible, high floating attractors as much as the next angler, but with most of the traditional patterns out there, there is a lot of work with difficult materials. Well, maybe not difficult per-se... How about pain in the butt materials. I loved to see Blue Ribbon Flies come up with the Royal Wulff Cripple. It was genious. A synthetic wing and tail. All the guts were the same, but they turned a 15 minute tie into a 3 minute tie. I thought of the possibilities with this method and hit the vise. Attractor #2 to modify... the Humpy. People have been substituting foam for the "hump" on humpies for years, but this one was getting the synthetic tail and wing too. Rainy's evazote faom was the ticket as it retains floating capabilities better than others after becoming depressed. So there it was. The..... (you know I like to name flies....) FUMPY! it fit. I tied a bunch more. It wasn't attractor season so testing would have to wait. Little did I know that this fly would not get fished. At all. I lay in bed as I usually do. My mind racing nascar speeds trying to figure out what would "look cool", or what would "be fishy." In popped to my head another fly that I fish a lot. the Royal Trude. I got finished the fly (Middle Photo) and I loved what I saw. I even thought it would be cool to have a band that went all the way around the foam. I quickly added the "band" to all of the other fumpies on my desk. This fly was going places. I went in to see the Sushi Guys and had a handful of flies. (NOTE: be cautious when you dump a handful of insect looking things in a restaurant... nuff said). I had told Bryan about the Fumpies. He told Andy, and just like the gossip drill that is done in Kindergarten, when it got to him, he was calling it a Grumpy Frumpy. Thanks for naming the fly Andy.

So there I had it. The Grumpy Frumpy. It had one more evolution to endure, and then it was water ready. Late night again, yadda yadda yadda, 2 am and I'm flying down the stairs to put rubber legs on this bad boy. WOW. that was it. I added Centipede legs to a Grumpy, and the fly was complete. It was a Royal Wull, Cripple, Humpy, Madam X, Power Ant, Beetle. In other words, Grumpy Frumpy.

Still not attractor season, so I decided to get some out there are get some feedback. I got a call that went something like this "DUDE, CHEECH, I NEED MORE GRUMPIES!!!" Bryan has taken the time to field test this bad boy a lot more than I have. For that I'm grateful. It pays sometimes... SOMETIMES... to have friends that fish a lot more than you do. It has caught fish in Wyoming and everywhere "south of Wyoming."

Hook: Standard Dry Fly (#14 being the most popular)
Thread: Whatever color you want the band to be (Red is most popular)
Tail: Brown Kling-On yarn. (or Zelon if you are made of money) (Brown is most popular)
Body: Dubbing, floss, Holographic tinsel, Peacock (Yellow floss is the most popular)
Hump: Rainy's Evazote foam 3/16, 2mm craft foam, 1mm craft foam (I like Rainy's tan best)
Wing: Poly Yarn (White is most popular)
Hackle: Whatever you want (brown is most popular)**

** I tie in 2 saddle hackles and wrap them at the same time. If I am tying a #14 hook, I'll use one #14, and one #16 hackle. This makes the point of the hook easier to bury deep inton the jaws of that monster brown.

Glass will have to wait

2007-08-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Some days it just wasn't what you expected. I wanted to get out and fish the Yellow Ramen Noodle (aka Mark's lamiglas 7'3wt). Bry and I left SLC at 5:15 sharp. We were there for the great dry fly fishing, but when we got there, we found that the water was about a foot too high. It also rained all day, so with the prospect of wind and rain all day, I rigged the G2. Dried, nyphed (using Mark's ninja techniques), and streamered. The streamer fishing was hilarious. I was fishing a fly designed for stupid little trout, but the bigger fish liked it too. Also nymphing was quite fun as I had not done it in about a year!

Thanks for the pics Bry.

"All on top. All over 20"."

2007-07-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

Good Dog, Good flies

2007-07-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

When she's not trying to esape the fenced yard, or digging holes to china, Sasha is the ideal dog. She listens to what we say, she keeps the bad guys away, and most of all, she's a lifetime supply of dubbing (for about 20 people). The first time I brushed her out, I ended up with anbout a gallon sized ziploc of hare's ear dubbing. Little did I know that German Shepherds are regarded also as the German Shedder. It's a long story that involves irritable bowel stuff and just plain old being old, but she lives outside in her Taj Mahal built of plywood. I admitedly don't get her out to fish as much as I should, but when she goes, she stays out of the water and likes to bark at, and lick fish. Anyway, I was out in the back yard and decided to get some of her tricks on film. I also will show some of the famous sasha dubbed flies.

P.S. When you are going to blend dog hair with other goodies (angel hair, sparkle dubbing, etc) don't let your wife walk in the kitchen right as you are putting a big bunch of dog hair in the blender. Just my $.02

2007-07-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

It's a great thing when a major holiday is in the middle of the week. Take two days off before it, or after it, and you have a pretty sweet week lined up. Off to Vernal for a family reunion that included all of the family members that I hadn't seen for a long time. It was great to catch up, but this was a week for fishing. I called Charlie on Monday out of the blue to see if he was free for some fishing. Thursday morning it was. I was finally goign to get to fish out of the famed fish camo boat. It was non-stop on a caddis fly right out of the shoot. I could have thrown that thing all day. Then Charlie says "It's bout time to start throwing the big stuff." On goes the big glob of foam that I had crafted at the vise while I was tying Grand Hoppers one night. This was one fat fat bug. Too fat for any respectable fish to eat it. Eat it they did. The day was great. I caught my biggest ever Green River fish that day, and I was glad that I was fishing a 5 wt with the ol conical drag on my reel. I ended up rowing (which was awesome) for part of the day and watched Charlie pull up fish from some less than desireable water. After my big chubby fly got pounded pretty good it got named the Chubby Chernobyl. This was the most fun I have ever had on this river. Nice weather + 2x tippett + huge flies + stupid fish + Chuck's wicked skills = a great day fishing. I learned a lot fishing that day. The biggest thing was that a trout is just a trout... They are all pretty stupid.

Chubby Chernobyl

Hook: 3xl streamer hook (light wire really isn't necessary here)
Body: 6mm tan evazote foam
Legs: Orange / black centipede legs
Indicator: White 2mm foam

Color eyes and spots with a sharpie.

Advise from a great guide. Palomino Caddis

2007-07-02T10:15:00.001-07:00

No it's not tied from the blond hair from a medium sized pony. I have fished a palomino midge during the epic hatches on the rivers that I frequent, and I even have some of my own variations, but I had never thought to extend the "palomino-ism" to a caddis pattern. I was talking to a friend and great guide on Utah's Green River Charlie Card about caddis hatches and patterns. I figured that he had some long complex answer to what is an ideal caddis pattern. He told me about the Palomino caddis that he uses and has great success with. I went back to the vise, grabbed the ultra chenille that I tie my san juan worms out of, and started to whip a few up. They seemed entirely too "quick" to tie for them to be a super slayer on one of the west's most technical trout waters. I got to try them out a few nights later, and on top of being a super slayer, it was one of the most bouyant flies I have fished in a long time. I was fishing a small creek that had a lot of pocket water, and turbulent runs. As many dry flies do in that type of water, it got sucked under quite a bit, but it simply just popped right back up once it got to the more calm water. This fly is great as a caddis pattern, but it is equally great as an attractor pattern. Fact is, it's a buggy fly that catches fish.

Recipe:

Hook: Dai Ichi 1130 #14-16 (I really prefer this hook as opposed to other brands)
Thread: Brown or black 6/0
Body: Worm brown ultra chenille (singed at the end)
Under wing: Natural CDC
Over wing: Natural cow elk
Thorax: Dubbing to match chenille.

Fripple...

2007-06-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Yep, Fripple. Not Cripple... Fripple. I know this fly doesn't have the most PC of names, but then again, the fish don't have the backing of the ACLU, so we should be OK. I may end up editing this post after I get more detailed info from the grand Fripple master himself, but we have talked at length about this fly. Curtis came up with this fly after spending hours upon hours observing the baetis hatches on several Utah rivers. As many of us know, fish like to key on items that are less likely to escape. During mayfly hatches, many times the adult emerges only to realize that they were born with jacked up wings, tails, etc, which prevents them from flying away and living a happy mayfly life. Many of the cripple patterns that are commonly available are portrayals of the bugs that have not quite come out of thier nymphal shuck, and that are stuck in a rather compromising situation. Curtis noticed that there were also many mayflies that make it out of their nymphal shucks, but have jacked up wings/tails, thus the reason for the Fripple. Here is the recipe I used for this fly.

Hook: Straight eye dry fly hook
Tails: 4 strands of dun colored antron (microfibbets work too)
Body: Procupine guard hair (quill body) (dubbing also works)
Wing: Medallion sheeting
Thorax: Olive dub

The key to tying this bug is to have a very steady hand with a very hot bodkin. If you melt the wings just right they will crumple in all the right places, making a bug that the fish can't stay away from. It's not a very high floater, and because of that, I usually fish it behind another dry fly, or use a lot of goop on it

Starting point

2007-06-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

I guess I should start with a little bit of history. In the opinions of some, I'm still new at this game. I have been in "fly tying school" for about 60 months now. I started fishing with velveeta as a kid, and just like anything else that you love, it evolves. It went from cheese, to real bait, to nightcrawlers, to spinners, to rapalas, to plastic baits, to topwater bass plugs (this IS the proper evolution of a flyfisherman. Look it up.) Then, when I was dating who is now my wife, I threw an old fiberglass rod in the back yard with her dad. How the ____ could he throw that thing in such a straight line?? I didn't understand it, but that didn't keep me from casting it for about 3 hours in the back yard. It was a big, clunky, rust colored fiberglass jobby that he had custom made. Graphite was just coming out when he made this beauty, and fiberglass was just more economical. I'm glad that day happened. It has been a tool that I have been able to use to feel joy, and deal with pain. It has turned into a great conversation piece, and also a place for absolute peace and tranquility. It is the ultimate form of fishing. I am also an artist (by some explanations) many a day was spent in the high school pottery lab making creations that resembled absolutely nothing more than a bunch of shapes to look at. I liked to create.

Christmas came that year, and I was newly engaged. From the soon-to-be inlaws, I recieved one of the greatest gifts I had ever gotten. A basic fly tying kit. You know, the one that comes with the Thompson vise, and a bunch of materials that you might still have 20 years down the road. I was in heaven. I immediately started to tie flies; UGLY flies. My wife also gave me a great gift that year. A Pflueger Trophy Tamer 8'6" 6/7 wt fly rod. I WAS LEGIT.

Skip about a year until I caught my first fish on a fly (Royal Coachman. "If'n they ain't gonna eat a royal coachman, I'm a headed home.") So that is what it was like. Yep. I hooked him, but now how am I supposed to get him close enough to let him go? I finally figured out how to strip the line, and it was in hand. A 10" planter rainbow that was just as scared as I was.

It all headed downhill from there. I was introduced to "the river" by a good friend, and mentor on how to match the hatch and how to fish subsurface flies. It was then that things really started to get crazy at the vise for me.

The thing I want to share the most on this blog is the collection of whacky flies that I have tied through the years.