Winter - 2

Here in eastern Washington, we finally got a snowy weather. It seems a 4 - 6 inches of accumulation, quite a snow for this dry country!!

But this is also the great time to go outside with my Micro Practice Rod. In my backyard, I practiced some over the snow. My casting with my left arm is not so bad. Also my right arm is getting into some shape. Next year, when the situation calls, I won't hesitate to cast with my right arm.

Micro Practice Rod is very fun to play with!! Also so pretty & lovely that makes me to take it a little mountain stream to catch 5-7 inch trout!?

Season's Greeting

I am up to tying several midge patterns and organizing my fly boxes.

I am already excited for the next year. I am thinking to get out in January with these midge patterns to Rocky Ford.

As 2009 and fishing season end, I'd like to post my greeting.

Here's the greeting for 2008. So far this is my biggest Madison trout, 20.5-inch. Guide Dan from Blue Ribbon Flies captured the moment. Brown was well-colored and hook-jawed. And then I like its contrast with my hand.

Which pic should I use this year? Maybe this one?? Similar shot (by myself) at the Depuy's on my last day of the fall trip. But obviously it's much smaller and my ring-finger looked crushed. It was an accident caused by a cow and the facility. Now it's getting healed pretty well.

I thought about for a while and I finally decided to make greeting cards with this photo.
Here are my intentions and jokes:
Right now we are experiencing the world-wide bad economy. I'd like to shout out loud that we need to be positive especially at this tough time to get through. During the holiday season, we need to be happy and filled with good foods. I wanted to express that with the buttery belly of fat brown trout, caught at Cable Car Run with a large soft-hackle.

You know the butter is the "symbol of fatness".

Also, butter is one of dairy products that I am involved in by breeding milk cows.

Talking about milk cows, suddenly the famous phrase hit me.

"got milk?"

Well, how about "got butter"? Maybe you are developing a butter belly, like this brown, filled with happiness and feast?? That's what I wish to you all!!

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Merry X'mas and Happy "Fishy" New Year!!

I will be celebrating both X'mas and New Year weekends with cows.............

Gear Review 2010 (??)

I love and hate gear review articles in fly-fishing magazines most likely in the first issue for the year. Every time, right after we consumers get a new gear or two with our best allowance, they advertize the newer models. Maybe a 0.10oz lighter rod or a stronger life-long reel right after the previous life-long reel. Like cars, rods, reels, and lines last long as long as we take care of them. And fancy and new gears won't help you cast longer or catch bigger trout. I pretty much see (not read) these articles as collecters' items. But then again, I apprecate the beauty and art intended by designers for sure. Sometimes, some brands try to produce affordable new gears too.

Anyway, here's my own review for my own acquistions that will be used for 2010. Nothing serious. All in Christmas present level with Christmas sales price!!

My hiking shoes was getting worn out. While tires of my truck were fixed at a local Les Schwab, I picked up a local newpaper ad of outdoor shop. Coleman pair was 50% of regular price, so I jumped in! This is very comfortable.

From one of my favorite fly-fishing authors, Jason Borger, I purchased his own Yamame drawing t-shirt. His drawing is so vivid and cool so I had to get two! Yamame, Japanese native trout (roughly translated as Mountain Woman because its skin is the silkiest among trout family) hits the soft spot in me. This t-shirt will be a lucky item while fishing.

Then I got a bit technical stuff here. I purchased a Micro Practice Rod. It's packed in this small tube (pardon some mess on my bench).

It's a 4-feet rod with a fluffy ribbon line. As advertized and as experts say, this kit really represent the actual fly casting gear. I bought this to improve my casting and then train my off-hand when the situation calls it. My off-hand (right because I am lefty) is often used in cows. I know I am doing something technical so I believe I can get a hang of it!!

Besides, I can't practice casting without fishing in my backyard or nearby waters as much as I'd like to do due to the limited space, that the Lower Yakima River is very bushy at the banks, and that I have to clean the dirt from my rod and line after 30-minute in practice. So this kit will fit for what I want to do. It seems I can wash and clean up the ribbon quickly when it seems dirty.

This is the book I am reading, purchased from Amazon. It's entirely dedicated to midges. Two authors colaborated with lots of other famous anglers. It is quite an effort.

First reading, second choosing flies I want to tie, third looking for materials to see if I already have or have to buy, and fourth finally I can get tying on my bench..............

I am having a positive feeling that Micro Practice Rod and tying midge patterns will keep me busy all winter without spoiling myself with boredom till next spring.

Cable Car Run & Soft Hackle Club??

There are not so many secret spots in Madison River even among visiting anglers like me. I think, among visiting anglers, it's whether you have once fished there or not or heard from someonce else. I myself pretty much get used to the wading section, above Lyons Bridge. I don't say I know every inch but I am getting familiar to it and most likely I can decode and do something.

But I have noticed there are a few "overlooked" spots. One is Pine Butte and the other is Cable Car Run in the Park section. In his book, Sylvester Nemes describes this section. First he mentions Barn's Pool #1 and 2 are ideal and productive waters for soft-hackles. Then he notes Cable Car Run just like as it is. This is "the" soft-hackle enthusists' mecca. It is tricky to fish from the near bank which is very high in your back and very fast and choppy that limits most of fishermen to wade in. I believe these two major reasons attract less people instead sending lots of people downstream for craziness (which helps me!!).

Here's a direction.

First you pull in Barn's Pool #1 parking area.

After you watch a deer calf wandering around in the opposite bank and get annoyed by over-crowding, walk upstream.

This is the "monument".

Just below here, I caught the fish of the year with a large soft-hackle (report here).

Above all, I have decided to found a soft-hackle club and the first meeting will be held at Cable Car Run Monument next year. It is called "Scientific Angling Team Of Soft Hackle Institution" (S.A.T.O.S.H.I.).

Object and pupose of this club are:

- Get shakey when finish tying nice soft-hackle flies with soft-hackle materials and catch nice trout with them, like Shakey Beeley (I mean him and the fly).

- We accept swinging streamers in our section but when we see someone catching whitefish with a bobber in our section, we will show our attitude.

For the schedule of the meeting and following events, please check at:

http://www.scientificanglingteamofsofthackleinstitution.com/.

I will be sitting and waiting for you at cable Car Run Monument till I get sepia.

There are some fee and donation welcome when you want to join the club. All the funding will be used to enhance our soft-hackle fishing such as to get me a better SAGE rod so I can cast better and longer!!!

Winter

I am in the middle of mindset. Winter has set in eastern Washington. I am enjoying a slow season but also feeling that I am getting bored. To me, it's a transitional period for next season. I have purchased several books, CDs, DVDs, and fly tying materials to keep me entertained.

Well, here in Lower Yakima Velley, we had the first snow for this coming winter last Saturday 12th. Probably 8mm or so. Before more snow and ice come, I started my F-150 for the first time since I come back from my last trip to Yellowstone. 37 days exact. Last winter (this February or so), when I tried to start my F-150 after a few months of sitting, battery seemed totally gone and I had to jump and feed from my work car for over 30 minutes. So this winter, I am thinking to start and make sure once a month or so.

Last Saturday, I ran the engine for 30 minutes and drove to Prosser Hill. It was remodeled and paved so I wanted to see. Uhhhhh, quite a snow!!

10 Flies to Choose

I saw this article at Midcurrent. Experts picked their own top ten fly patterns. This is really a tough task, as the answer explains to the questioner. First it really depends on where (which states or countries), types of water, and season. Then how about sizes and colors? Do we need to consider personal enthusiasm such as dry fly purist, nympher, soft-hackle enthusist, and streamer man?? It is interesting for me to see that each expert has his own tendency, either more inclined to his own favorites or well-balanced..........

In my own level, I wanted to think about how my choice would be like. If I simply choose patterns I like to tie and keep in my boxes, my list would consist of lots of soft-hackles. That might do but I always wanted to be a versatile fly-fisherman. So I wanted to include dry, nymph, wet (soft-hackles), and then streamers. Then I had to think about insects; mayfly, caddis, and midge. As for sizes and colors within the pattern, I don't discuss. It's impossible without mentioning certain conditions (water, season, etc......). I just thought about one situation: I am at the river or creek (not lakes or ponds) with my 6wt and floating line. So my list has become more like "10 ultimate patterns" that I carry all the time with great confidence.

Sparkle Dun works anywhere I have fished. This happenned to be Epeorus color.

Royal Wulff Cripple is one of the most effective attractors, I bet!! It is fun and simple to tie.

As for caddis, I chose Improved X Caddis (X2). This is shaggier and more visible than original X Caddis.

These top 3 are pretty much what I need during the summer time, especially when I wet-wade to mountain streams.

Now it's down to wet flies.

Nick's Soft Hackle by Mr. Nick at Blue Ribbon Flies is an amazing and super effective emerging caddis pupa imitation!! During my June trip to Yellowstone, this out-fished famous Lafontain's patterns at Firehole and Gibbon during caddis hatch!! And as he intended, this is much simpler to tie.

I won't forget midges. Though I have more favorite patterns to show, Syl's Midge must be the all-time favorite. With the greased leader technique, this can be fished as dry and surface film, then swing it!!


I am getting to the bottom. $3 Serendipity is the must. This resembles everything or anything, mayfly nymph to midge larva (when tied with small curved hooks).

Beadhead Crystal Serendipity is always a brown trout fly to me.

Streamer time!! Not just because I did pretty well during my fall trip, I can't emphasize how lovely this fly is to tie and to fish with.

Nowadays, there are hundreds of streamer patterns. Yet my own and probably for most of anglers' all time favorite would be Scott Sanchez's Double Bunny. Here, I adapted this pattern with a barbell eye so it sinks upside down for less snagging.

The final 10th fly........... Well, I go with my Coyote (Coyoted Pheasant Soft Hackle). To me it's something among minnow, smolts, maybe an imitation, and an attractor in general.

These 10 flies are always with me along with other good patterns. Here is the glimpse of my project during the winter, related to these flies, besides watching DVD and reading books. I will up and post when it's done.

If you have your own idea and selection for 10 flies, let's share!!