Late Season's Greeting & Great Humor

I just received a late season's greeting from my teacher (& a great friend also). It was (using "was" as I ate it already) a chocolate shaped like bass. Chocolate itself was pretty good too.

Then in the back of the box, there is (using "is" as I saved it and put on the wall) my kind of humor and joke. Though it's already February, everybody together!!

And one more!!

I don't use bait or pole but,

Right, thank you for finishing my sentence, Mr. Bass.

So far, my new year has been exactly "fishy" by which I mean"looks both promising and discouraging but who knows?" = exactly like fly-fishing!!

Wish everyone out there has started a happy "fishy" new year!!

First Trout Came (barely.........)

Another nice day in our area. So was yesterday, so I thought today would be a good day to get out and I'd better as cold weathers are predicted for next 10 days or so. With a great imagination, I went to Lower Madison as two weeks ago. But this time, I was well-prepared mentally and physically. I was going to make a hike along Bear Trap Canyon Trail with a lunch in the backpack. Most of ice along the shore was gone, which had been 3 feet or more two weeks ago.

The more I visit Lower Madison, the more I'm attracted to its unique characters. It's different from but also similar to upper section every now and then. There are this kind of "rock gardens" here and there. Then long riffles and glides of flatter waters come next. BTW, it's not sunrise. I ended up fishing till almost sunset.

Well, all above said, I didn't have any hot actions at all. Today, I covered all the good looking spots with nymphs. I usually fish very fast but thoroughly also. And I have confidence in my fly selection and assembling as well as in my water reading. Probably around 1pm, finally my bobber sank like being tugged. This little rainbow bit on a large Rubber Leg stonefly nymph. And this became the first trout for 2011. What a joke?, I thought. But now when I look back this little 'bow, I like its dark spots are vivid on top fins and tail, then body spots seem developing colors for now. It's indeed a native trout in Madison. I take it!!

I started fishing just at 10am as I planned. I was going to finish around 3pm as those hours would be the warmest hours of the day = fish would act more. But I came back to my truck about 5pm. With that, I covered only 2.5 miles upstream.

From Ennis Dam, this 10-mile section is referred as "too dangerous to oar" (except for highly experienced hands) and now I found "too long to cover on foot". It's hard to tell how far I walk on trails in mountains, not like walking blocks in town.

Lower Madison is known to hold more large trout than upper sections (entire trout population may be less instead, depending on sources) as I caught a 19-inch rainbow last October. Furthermore, this Bear Trap stretch is the best bet, I hear.

Did I misunderstand anything wrong? Did I read water wrong? Was my fly selection wrong? Or was I in a poor stretch? Or something going on with trout? Or just the season? I don't think I can figure out by only one or two more visits. Probably the simplest action is to go toward Ennis and fish the stretch below the dam.

Anyway, it was quite a day for me. I didn't expect I would be doing this long hiking & fishing from January!! Then again, I take a cute 10-incher in my book. Slow start seems always good because I usually catch larger fish as the season matures. So was 2010.

Hope everyone is catching your first trout for 2011!!

Winter Days Continue

Winter days go on.............. After the brief warm spell, it snowed some. Not really cold or dangerous or I don't feel bored staying inside as I have several things to do. But as for fishing I have to feel stuck and patient. Yellowstone River in the area seems frozen oftentimes. Gallatin and Lower Madison are mixed results, I hear. It just doesn't sound worth for me to drive all the way as I made sure my body and fishing sense are in shape last week at least. Not really desperate to catch the first fish for the year either. It will come soon as February is just around the corner.

Last year this time, I recall I practiced MPR (Micro Practice Rod) a lot in the backyard where I lived in eastern WA. Now in Livingston, I don't have a backyard but I have enough space outside to use MPR, but too windy to stand....... I have some space inside so I kind of cast just to scratch my itches. I caught imaginary Cutty while dreaming its rise on a hot summer day....
Remember my Velcro devise?


I have found a cozy & friendly used book store in Bozeman (you know used book stores are oftentimes friendly but they are not cozy and neat all the time......). These three are today's loot. They should keep me busy and might help me be smarter. Oh, but don't forget catalogues for 2011 from shops!!

As for fly tying, I haven't been sitting at my bench for a while now. I think I tied enough just for my own (myself and guiding days). But considering kind & positive reviews from people whom I gave away or sold my flies, I am thinking to start a sales blog soon. I have to make sure that nobody is going to sue me when I tie and sell somebody's patterns.

Let me make some calls and emails and figure them out..............

First Trout Denied

Today, as I woke up late in the morning, I first felt warm (upper 40s is considered spring in Livingston!!) and didn't hear any winds galing. I suddenly decided to get out fishing for the first time in 2011. I figured there would be lots of people along Yellowstone River around town as I was late and it's Friday today. Then I thought Lower Madison can be good too as I wanted to drop by fly shops in Bozeman. Besides I was slow and late to get to the river, I noticed it wasn't only me that felt warm today. There were crowds of people on Highway side banks. But crossing to Bear Trap Canyon, I saw only 3 cars and 1 boat floating nearby. Good guess!!, I thought. Probably fishing with nymphs very slowly would have been a better bet but
Since I finally got ready around 2pm and now wind started from up- to down-stream, I decided to fish down quickly and thoroughly with streamers.
These were today's "junks" thrown into Lower Madison....

Well, result = nothing, nada, zero............... There was even NO taps at all either.

Since it was a sudden decision, I brought reasonable amount of expectation rather than Happy First Fishing Day!! I gathered up flies quickly in the morning, which I usually do the night before when I really plan to go.

But also (I'm not making this up), my biggest objective was to check the shape and condition of my body by casting and wading. Not because last time I fished was early November when the Park closed but because I'm having very inconsistent and lazy day to day schedule in my semi-retirement life. I was afraid if I lost some muscle and sense of fishing. Once I started to breath fresh mountain air, I felt great. In spite of wind and standing in the water, I started to sweat. Going up & down steep hills, stepping on ice, and then wading, my body worked very well. Recently I do some stretch exercise while reading on the floor. Clever, huh? Then I could read water fairly well and started casting like bringing food up to my mouth.

Next time, I plan well wherever I choose to go. It's really no big deal that I didn't catch anything today, as I live in this greater area so I can get out any time I want!!

Happy fishing, every one!!

Prescription: Book Reading & Fly Tying

I have been with myopia since a lower teen. Mostly because I studied very hard!! and then too much Nintendo, I guess....... Anyway I have to wear contact lenses when I go outside and this prevents me for serious backpacking and camping and fly-fishing to mountains. I have to be within the vicinity of my truck in which I stock water to wash my hands before I take off my contact lenses. But then again, though I would enjoy solitude and quiet camp night, I am not much interested in 3-inch Brookie in high mountain lakes or Golden Trout secluded somewhere in Sierra.

I just dropped by an eye care clinic here in Livingston and got a new prescription. And I found it's been really funny. Since I started to tie flies and read lots of books for the last several years, my eyes need less correction every year, i.e., slightly improved so to speak. I think it's really funny because as I concentrate and focus for each fly I tie, I notice myself I am getting pickier as I tie more and more, which sounds like more strains on my eyes. Probably just spending on computers is not bad either as long as I'm not typing for my Masters' thesis or anything serious. This does not make me out of the list of potential LAZIK candidates though......

Indeed right after I got a new pair of contact lenses as a trial, they fit very well. Instead my old glass started to hurt my eyes. Just yesterday, I received a pair of glasses based on the new prescription. It's far lighter and righter for my eyes!!

I might even get a pair of FITOVERS for this new pair of glasses if I really plan to make backpacking camps over a few nights somewhere in Montana wilderness.

So Slick!!

Happy New Year!!
Here in Livingston, we are experiencing cold temperature, snow, and not to mention winds. Not as bad as Thanksgiving Day though. Though spring creeks are available to fish all the time, probably my first day out fishing would be a bit later this year. I have completed several dozens of tying order for a fly-shop in town (yes only one.....C'mon American shops, why you depend on Pakistan or Sri Lankan flies when a handy guy lives right here!!) and my friend Chris contributed me cash by buying up lots of my flies (Thanks, Chris!!) so I am back to my bench to fill my boxes again. I noticed my scissors was getting dull and needed to replace it. I think I can say typical pairs of scissors, $13 - 15 range, last for about a year for my amount of tying. Of course I was looking the similar kind. But at this time of the year, fly-shops seem to carry less items as they just clean up their inventories of the previous year. I didn't see any typical/average pairs of scissors. But then again, not due to that, I was somehow attracted to the one of which price was double!! It was a Razor Scissors from Dr. Slick in Belgrade, MT. It cost as much as my weekly grocery bill...... Anyway it is indeed razor-sharp. In case you haven't seen this, one can adjust the tension by the dial (or nut) in the middle. I have tied up several of my favorite large soft-hackles.


I came to be attached to this scissors immediately. I started to pay some respect to this inorganic and lifeless product. I also felt some responsibility to be qualified to use the best of it as I do to my Regal vise, that I go to the grave with.



Hopefully I can get out soon and do the first fishing for 2011. But I don't mind idling in my house by reading books and tying flies some more.

Probably I'd better clean and dress my lines first. As I moved to Montana and fished its clean waters since last October, I haven't been washing or dressing my lines since......

Year in Review & Season's Greeting - Part 2

Wish all of you had a great Christmas weekend. Here's the review of latter half of 2010 as I'd like to say "Happy New Year!!" to every one. Again, there are too many memories & trout to pick one or a few for making a card. This year would better be like this.

July: I resumed serious camping and fishing in eastern WA again since 2007.

My objective and enjoyment were to catch 12 to 16-inch Westslope Cutthroat in my secret mountain stream.

August: There are more times for camping and fishing in August also. I prepared hearty meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I hope there will be more opportunities like this in the next year right here in Montana.

After the lunch above, I caught a nice Brookie. I really enjoyed their colorings.

September: It ended up the highlight of this year that made me feel I was done in WA State and leave to Montana. September 2nd, I landed a huge Chinook Salmon while I was hunting for 16 to18-inch Westslope Cutthroat with my 6-wt rig.

It was so heavy and satisfying that I still feel back on my arms.

Two weeks later, I caught the best Westslope so far at the same spot where I landed the Chinook above. I really felt I fished enough and accumulated enough experience to go back to Montana.

October: While I was looking for a place to live in Livingston, I could manage some fishing during the short trip. I caught the tie record of rainbow at Madison, 19-inch. And that became the last trout caught as "non-resident angler" in Montana.

Right after I moved into Livingston, I enjoyed to fish around Yellowstone River around Livingston. Also I could make out to Madison River within Yellowstone Park on the second last weekend from closing (Oct 31st).

November: As the cold weather was coming in, I went to O'Hair Ranch to fish Armstrong Spring Creek on November 3rd. This huge brown was caught at the end of the day and became the 2nd last trout for 2010.

On November 6th, I made another day-trip to Yellowstone Park as my Park entrance from Oct 31st allowed me. It was a very slow day with bright weather and too many people all along Madison in the Park. But finally at the very end of my day, I swung my Coyote and caught a respectable rainbow as the last catch of 2010...............

Next year, I will do my best for breeding beef cows all around in Montana and then becoming a fly-fishing guide around Livingston. I'm working on to "import" Japanese anglers into Livingston or at least guide in general around here.

Thank you for dropping by my blog and wish all of you will have great New Year Eve & Day and then after. All of your reviews and comments have been what keep me going and keen to fish & write at this blog. Please keep them coming and we will fish together whenever we meet up at the river!! Thank you again!!

Year in Review & Season's Greeting - Part 1

I decided not to make a greeting card this year like I had been doing for the past three years. One is because of nothing but the big change in my life: bagged the job in WA State and moved to Livingston. And this year, though 10 more days still left, I fished the most in my life. I counted with my fishing log and picture-folders by days in my computer. It was "55-days" plus several more days for driving between WA and Montana. I also counted what I did in 2009 and it was "only 29 days". It was inevitable that I moved to Montana. Hence too many pictures and stories to pick one or a few to make into a greeting card.

For this week, as I'd like to say "Merry Christmas!!" to everyone, I'd like to review from January to June. Then next week, I will review the rest of the year for "Happy New Year!!".

January: This little one was the first trout for this year at Rocky Ford. This was the second day of fishing, I recall, and the first day for this year was "skunk". So it was a slow start for this big fishing year but it was lucky enough to go out fishing from January.

February: Debut at Yakima River was welcome by a handsome Westslope Cutty. From this day, I fished Yakima once a week till the end of March.

March: Northern pike minnow (aka squaw fish) at Yakima. One of the native fish in the area. These guys are known as predators but it's so funny that they don't fight at all once hooked.

April: I made a big trip to Livingston in early April. I caught a potential state record breaking whitefish caught on fly at Yellowstone River.

Also, from April trip, I caught a nice brown at Nelson's.

May: Rocky Ford turned out to be in a good shape this year.

June: Another big trip to Yellowstone National Park. Dry fly fishing turned out to be one of the best experience ever. First here's grayling on midge,

brown on PMD,

and nice brown during the complicated caddis hatch at Firehole.

There were some tough periods on the job but fishing never let me down during the first half of this year. In other words, fishing was becoming my life............

Wish Merry Xmas to everyone!!

Fat Albert

My tying list is growing and shrinking back and force. I was working on a terrestrial pattern which utilizes lots of foam. Fortunately, the art & craft shop Michaels' is in Bozeman. I'd like to say if you need foam in various colors, DO NOT go to fly-shops but to Michaels', period. I bought 3 huge foam as you can see which are 99-cent each!! while the little bag on the top is the one typically sold at fly-shops with $2. I've purchased a life-time supply for each color.

The pattern I was working on was called Fat Albert. I just like the name. Because it's really fat!! and then fun to tie. I heard that this is originally developed for Argentina or Patagonia trout. Fat trout down there must eat fat meals, I guess. Using tri-color of foam along with an indicator and realistic legs, Fat Albert must be a great imitation for hopper, ant, and beetle. Legs are supposed to be barred by a marker but my marker came off during tying process. I should get a better one yet I still like what I came up with.

This is the top view. Making a knot with a single string of round rubber legs is difficult if not impossible as it doesn't stay. That's why rear pairs consist two strings and a touch of cement on knots.

For gloss appearance on the belly, cement can be applied as much as one wants to!!

Here are color variations I could think of. Top one is meant to be a cricket and bottom one is meant to be a relatively large beetle or ant with touch of black foam.

Trout can't count number of legs as their IQ is 6 (Dr. Gary Borger) so they don't care whether my flies have 8 legs while ants, beetles, and hoppers actually have only 6 legs.

Well, this pattern will be counted on my favorite list but then again, I'm short of fly-boxes......

Too Many Flies & Short of Boxes

Great news first!! Everyone is enjoying mild weather with no winds here in Livingston, especially after the hazardous & brutal snow storm around Thanksgiving. Furthermore, today I really felt I became a Montanan again (I was a student at Montana State in Bozeman and worked at a ranch in Sidney) because I felt hot when it was only above 40F outside!!!! I opened up windows and door for fresh air instead of smoking & ash like smell inside caused by wood stove. Also it almost all made me go fishing........but calm down and analyze first. I thought about Yellowstone around town and Lower Madison but snow piles haven't melted yet and I doubted if those public accesses had been cleared. I would get stuck and possibly further worse accidents could happen. Maybe I would go either one of spring creeks right here then.
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At least, this weather break motivated me to post one. Assuming and hoping I will be guiding next year, I'm tying lots of lots of flies. Most of them are generic patterns for Paradise Valley Spring Creeks. I'm confident of my tying so I'd like to sell them to clients rather than just give them.




Counter-clockwise from the top, shown are Sparkle Dun, Foam Nymph, Improved Sparkle Dun, Soft-hackle (all these are meant for Sulphur mayfly or smaller PMD), and small olive-black X Caddis.


I'm working on how to organize and store all of these flies and I'm getting short of boxes. But there should be a smart way or two to organize, so just buying more boxes doesn't solve my dilemma.

I could think of one solution off the top of my head...............some of you readers out there may be interested in purchasing my flies?? That will reduce my inventory and give more spaces among my current boxes. And then I will have a bit of funding to buy boxes if needed......

I'm just being funny and "fishy" about money-making idea but there's NO JOKE about my fly tying and products so if some of you happen to be interested in my flies, just let me know!