2019 Summary

It's been quite a while to update here😶Lazy?......I can't deny. Busy?.....Yes with so many things.
I just wrote and released a year-end newsletter at my website: www.leftyanglerandflies.com
Please refer over there.
A lazy post? Perhaps...........😉
But as you can see, I had so much going on this fall and up until now that you understand. When I have one event/news at a time, I'll still try to update with a timely manner at here😎so stay tuned☝
Happy New Year🎉

'Tis The Season

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year🎄🎅🎉🎊
I have sent out a newsletter from my main website. If you have not joined, sign up or you let me know so you don't miss any future news and announcements from me😉

Also this is the season to be deeply engaged with Atlantic salmon flies and arts. Nowadays these tend to be published on social media = Instagram & Facebook = so if you haven't registered or found me yet, please do so and you'll get the latest updates ASAP😉

Also #2, I just conducted some major changes on my website. You know my other blog = fly catalog site. I moved all of my Atlantic Salmon Fly contents to my main website. I made a short update on my catalog site. Then if you go to my main website, you'll see all the improvements❗❗ 

As I have been doing for the past few years, I submitted my works to Livingston Center for Art & Culture. Items for this exhibition have grown to be an opportunity for me to show slightly unconventional, compared to traditional Atlantic salmon flies and framing methods. This time, both flies and framing methods are free-style and I decided to "go country"😲

Queen of Silver Dollar - an inspirational & interpretive dressing of the song by Emmylou Harris.

The Man in Black - an inspirational & interpretive dressing for Johnny Cash.

For both flies, I attached a laminated "artist note" about the concept. Feel free to ask!

Gaudy Fly - tied on a gold broach pin. Pattern itself is a very classic but dressing on a broach pin was the very first attempt😳. I tried to dress as Gaudy as I could, and managed the features of the pin💪👏

Presented in a showcase style box❗

Then I resumed my winter project. I completed George M. Kelson's "The Salmon Fly" Plate 4.
Here's a Bluebell (Traherne's)

Also Traherne's is The Chatterer

 This is one elaborated fly ever😲🙌👏

The Dandy. This is rather a simple whole-feather pattern yet very graceful. This is perhaps the smallest head I ever achieved👏

And here's the frame😬

I'm glad to get one done with a good note just at the year end😁❗
I'll keep working on GMK flies but no rush. I may work on one or two flies of Plate 5 but then I also have several more patterns I want to work on. So let's keep the artist mode running till spring😀

Till next post👋
I hope you all have a good year end and start😉

Winter Run Continues

Here's one post late CELEBRATION for THE 600TH Post!!
I was busy with other things and unconsciously forgotten when I updated last post, which made another milestone, 600th Post!! This blog of mine, which started just as a place to share my fishing stories and pictures (plus some other topics every now and then), has generated so many readers around the globe and even fishing clients over the years. Thank you for stopping by and hope to keep going!
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I've been having some of the most consistent winter-fishing in my note. That's because of fair and prolonging "Winter Run" on DePuy's Spring Creek. So the report seems not much changing for the past couple posts but it's just good! - with one surprising reward for this post!!

Pretty much any spots/sections I chose to fish, I've been having good bites with feisty trout.

Then, at one of overlooked spots, I spotted some shadows. That wasn't a spawning action. I just spotted something and challenged for the "sight-fishing" situation with excitement and concentration.............. I successfully got into hooking. Trout leaped and almost wrapped on and around the branches just above the creek. I was able to control the situation and successfully netted!!

This nice rainbow is noted as another memorable & satisfying catch from the creek!!

Different angle.............

On the way back to my home, I spotted this creature!!
This is the first time to observe a naturally black hare!! No need to dye and will produce thousands dozens of black stonefly nymphs!!!

Here's a reworked Silver Grey.

Current project is reaching its climax = two more challenging patterns and the grand framing.....

Hope to get out some more fishing this month and see how February goes.

2016 Starts - with Montana Life

Happy New Year 2016!
I hope you had some good times during Holiday seasons.

After some relaxing time, I went for the first day fishing (and the second one) to DePuy's Spring Creek on 5th (then 6th). My first trout for the new year was a nice-size hefty rainbow! I'd like to say it's a good start!

Certain strains of rainbows in Yellowstone River system are making "winter-run" and actually "spawning"..........

To end the first day of fishing, I was rewarded with a super bonus trout!!

Good color!

Day 2 was quite fun as well.

These browns will gain weight soon.

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Just before the year end, we cruised in Yellowstone National Park again. It turned out to be, as expected for this time of year, a "wildlife tour"!
Starting with sheep,

 buff,

 uh-oh.....

 Big Elk!!

We did the first ever cross-country skiing! Along the trail, we spotted a fox who looked as if guiding us.

Tower Fall is magnificent all the time.

Yellowstone River at Calcite Spring Overlook.

More wildlife close encounter!!

 Slough Creek is covered with snow and ice....... Hopefully our beloved cutthroat are doing well. And as you can see, Yellowstone Park = source of our rivers is covered with good amount of snow. Hopefully we'll have good water & flows this upcoming season.

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Atlantic salmon fly project is going OK. Again, these are based on Dr. Pryce-Tannatt - perhaps some of you would be getting idea of what I'm up to.
Orange Parson

Silver Grey

So 2016 has started well. Hopefully it will be another great fishing season for everyone!

Season's Greeting

Here in Paradise Valley, and surrounding areas, we are finally experiencing a winter-like winter, as it's supposed to be. Yes, it's cold to be outside and shoveling is the extra workout, but fresh snow on the ground is beautiful to see and greatly appreciated for next year's river flows around here.

I was able to get out and fish DePuy's Spring Creek for two afternoons. I just picked up two nice days! Just as I expected, based on my experience and journal entries, "winter-run" rainbows are in the system and some browns are still active.

No photoshop or bad angle of my camera, this rainbows appeared just as in this picture!

 I didn't catch any large specimens, but some browns are still in bright spawning colors.

 Good 'un!

Somewhat surprising to encounter this stranger at this time of year!

My salmon fly framing project is going well.
Followings are based on Dr. T.E. Pryce-Tannatt "How to Dress Salmon Flies" (1914), and dressed on Partridge of Reddich Sprite Pryce-Tannatt 4/0.

Candlestick-Maker

 Dreadnought

Rosy Dawn

Perhaps some of you might get an idea about what I'm up to....... I'm not setting any due dates to complete this one. I dress one by one.

Merry Christmas and Good Holiday seasons for everyone!
Faithfully Yours, Satoshi Yamamoto - LEFTY ANGLER & FLIES

CELEBRATION!! 500TH POST!! - Spring Actions Continue!!

NEWS: This post marks THE GRAND 500TH POST!! It's a milestone for me. It just started as my journal. Main purpose was to show my fishing stories and pictures to my friends much more easily than individual emails. Eventually readers and accesses increased. Now it even serves as the important part of my business!! Then, all of accesses and comments from readers have been the driving force for me to keep this site running. THANK YOU VERY MUCH and would like to ask you keep visiting.
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Another "THANKS" I'd like to mention is many appaloosa for my big catch in the last post. Things are normal now. I mean "normally good"!!

More rainbows are coming into DePuy's (www.depuyspringcreek.com) from Yellowstone River. Rainbows depend on feeder streams for spawning so if you spot trout that are actually mating, it's advised to leave them be as they are so vulnerable. I'm not preaching or anything, rather, don't worry there are plenty of hungry trout (before and after spawning)!!

This picture doesn't show well but another nice rainbow was caught on my own B.P.C.!!

 It was like a "submarine"!!, which suggests I was at a deep spot..........

 Next day, it was slightly chilly but not dangerously windy. At one particular spot of the creek, I saw many rainbows were their rituals to produce their offspring under the afternoon light. I skipped there. I was looking for midge/baetis hatches and rising trout. Somewhat downstream from the aforementioned spawning area, I spotted a couple of rises!! It was just like a couple of golden pyramids were surfacing every now and then!! I wasn't exactly sure what was hatching; midge or BWO? Or Both? I was with my 4-wt-8-footer (I haven't unsheathed my serious dry-rig = 5wt yet). I tied a midge adult pattern to get started.

Goose Biot Midge #20

Just about when I was thinking to change to a BWO dun pattern (after several casts), a golden shadow turned and rose on my midge!! It was quite a fight for the light rig!! I worked quickly but very carefully!! I was rewarded!!

 

He was actually feeding on baetis only....... But it's not surprising that he took my midge dry as well. Midges were also present at the water. Then my presentation caused his rise!

Now I switched into a baetis pattern.

CDC Sparkle Dun #20 - 22

I moved to another likely spot with some expectations of "rise". Got it!! Sizes don't matter to me. I'm showing my BIG "V"!!

Hmmmm, midge & baetis, just I interpreted.

Another smiley!!

 On my pump......

Here's my observation that I'd like to share.
When browns come into the creek in the fall for their spawning, they feed on their own eggs. Rainbows follow right behind browns and devour on egg dishes as well. Now it's rainbows' turn to spawn as I've been reporting recently. On this day, I was fishing for hatches below and above rainbows's prime spawning area. I just couldn't help wondering and eventually smirking. These brown trout could have swum just below or among redds and fed on eggs!! Rather, they chose to rise and feed on insects!? It sounds to me very inefficient, considering nutritional values and mass of availability!! Were they just "feeling so" or they were pickiest gourmet critiques?  Brown trout do have some "personality", don't they? 


After hatches were over, I went back to my heavy rig. Surprisingly, I came across to a nice brown!! Again & again on my own B.P.C.!!!

Same "personality" matter applies here........What was he doing there? It wasn't an ideal spawning spot for rainbows = no eggs around. Did you swim up from the river for......what?

Thank you again for all of your "clicks"!!
I go back fishing in the new week. After the long & severe winter, spring fishing is super good right off the bat!!