Monthly Archives: December 2023

Currentseams Best of 2023: #4-#2

#4: Wesley’s First Trout on the Fly. Helping someone learn how to catch more fish is the non-monetary reward for being a guide. Helping someone catch their first trout on the fly, doubly so. But when it’s an eight-year-old kid doing it in front of his father, well, that’s something special. Wesley, who just about came up to my chest, was an unsure wader, and who can blame him on a big river like the Farmington? But once he found his “happy feet” place, he took direction supremely well, especially the part — we were indicator nymphing — about looking for a reason to set the hook on every drift. Suddenly, it wasn’t the bottom, and next thing you know, the rainbow is in the hoop. Fantastic job, Wesley!

One rainbow trout, two very big smiles.

~

#3: Guiding Members of Project Healing Waters. When PHW — here’s their website if you want to learn more or donate — reached out to book me for a large group outing over several days, I said yes. But I wasn’t sure how it would all go down. I wanted it to be good for everyone, and for everyone to feel like they got something out of it. And then, there was the weather and the flows to worry about. As it turns out, much fretting over nothing. What a great group of enthusiastic anglers. The energy was: we are happy just to be here, standing in a river, learning from you. Any fish hooked and landed are gravy. Well, we did some campsite picnic table classroom stuff. We did on-the-water lessons. We did small talk and life stories and fishing stories. And yes, we caught some fish. Thank you, PHW, for making my job not only easy, but also enjoyable. And thank you for your service.

Me and some of the gang. The fish were more cooperative later on this day, but we had a few players during out morning session.

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#2: Appearing on the Orvis Podcast. It’s the gold standard of fly fishing podcasts. So when Tom Rosenbauer called me to set up a recording date, I was only slightly delirious. We recorded “How To Swing Soft Hackle Wet Flies with Steve Culton” one day, and a week later it was live on the air. In case you missed it, you can find it somewhere here. It’s the next best thing to taking a wet fly lesson on the river with me. And right now, a heckuva lot warmer. If you like it, send Tom and email and tell him.

Currentseams Best of 2023: #7-#5

#7: Marlborough and Edison Fly Fishing Shows and another International Fly Tying Symposium. You already know that I’m a big fan of The Fly Fishing Show. Where else can you meet and talk to some of the best fly fishers and tyers in the world, find all kinds of cool gear, and get those hard-to-find tying treasures — all under one roof? When I’m not speaking or teaching or tying, I’m walking the show floor, shopping, meeting and greeting, and sitting in on as many seminars and classes as possible. You should be, too. My 2024 Marlborough Schedule for January 5-6-7, is here, and here — now just over a week away!

Hey! I know that guy.

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#6: The Great Diving Caddis Wet Fly Revelation. I’m a professional fly tier, guide, instructor, speaker, and all-around fly fishing nerd. Still, I don’t know it all. Far from it. And thank goodness! Learning new things and making new discoveries one of the things that makes fly fishing continuously thrilling. As evidence, I offer LaFontaine’s Diving Caddis wet fly. I read about it last winter, tied and fished it in the spring, and wow, did it ever produce. The first evening I fished it, positioned as my middle dropper, it accounted for two-thirds of the two dozen trout I landed. It produced untold numbers for my clients. It’s now a seasonal staple on my team of three. Brilliant!

All kinds of sizes and color combinations are possible. This is a size 14 in tan. You can find the recipe here.

~

#5: Completing My First Book Outline and Sample Chapter Draft. For years, people have been asking me, “When are you going to write a book?” Okay…how about now? The first pass stuff is off with a publisher, and I’m waiting to hear back from them. Fingers crossed. Oh! You’ll want to know what it’s about. The West Branch of the Farmington River.

Currentseams Best of 2023: #10-#8

Once again, we find ourselves asking, “Where did the year go?!?” This was a tough year locally; it was one of the wettest on record, and in the midst of all the water the Farmington River was maddeningly low and warm. I hope you got the chance to get out and fish. It never seems like enough, does it? Sometimes the fishing’s good, and sometimes it isn’t, but getting out there is 80% of success. Looking back at the year, I found more than enough high points for my annual best of list.

#10: Currentseams.com Reaches 1,000 Followers! The good news is, an important milestone has been reached. The bad news is, if you won flies in my 1,000 Followers drawing, I still haven’t tied them. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have some flies tied. Don’t think a day goes by where I don’t feel massively guilty about not having them in your hot little hands. So: thank you, winners, for your patience. Thank you, readers, for your loyalty and enthusiasm. This is true: I couldn’t have done it without you.

If I were doing this now, I might be done by the time you read this…I know. I Gotta do better.

~

#9: A Banner Year Speaking To Fly Fishing Clubs. I spoke to eight different clubs and organizations this year, some of them old friends, some new to my presentations, some TU chapters, some independents, some college clubs. Whatever the legacy or organizational level, speaking in front of a group about something I’m passionate about is probably my favorite part of this job. Thanks so much for having me. Keep those questions coming. And if you’re in charge of booking speakers for your group, you can find one of the best fly fishing speakers around (he said modestly) here.

Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.

~

#8: Salvaging a High Water Smallmouth Season. Stripers aren’t the only bass that are struggling in Connecticut. Between flood and drought and heat and poachers, it’s been a very difficult three years on our state’s waters. This year was both difficult and weird. The smallie fishing was generally slow…except when it wasn’t. I’m comfortable enough fishing in high water, and I had some off-the-charts days, numbers-wise, like I haven’t had in years. And some of those days, I hooked up with a very high percentage of quality bronze that put a burn in my forearms that I’m still feeling. OK, the topwater bite stunk — when the white flies came off, virtually nothing was feeding on the surface. (I caught one bass on a dry fly this year.) But when you’re landing fish that can be measured in pounds, you smile a certain sort of smile. Make sure you come to my smallmouth Seminar “Hot Bronze — Wade Fishing for Summer Smallmouth” at the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show, Friday, January 5, in the Release Room at 4:30pm.

This slob was taken on a Crayfish Jig Streamer fished under an indicator in some high, stained water.

Season’s Greetings From Currentseams

I came up with the concept, styled the set, took the photo, then forgot to post it. I wonder what else I could have had on my mind? Well, better late than never. I hope you’re having a swell holiday season. I’d also like to tell you how much I appreciate your readership. Loyal followers like you are a wonderful gift. I’m looking forward to sharing more fly tying and fly fishing adventures and advice with you in 2024.

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Erie Tribs Report: The Quest for 200 (Part 2)

I didn’t think I would land 17 steelhead today, but you never know. Crazier things have happened. We — Number 2 Son Cam was joining me today, along with our guide Bob Packey — would be fishing Conneaut Creek in Ohio. I love this stretch of Conneaut. It’s got the ubiquitous sheer shale cliff faces you associate with Erie tribs, and while it does have its share of shallow, easy-to-read flat bottom, much of it resembles a traditional trout stream like you’d find back east.

The weather was cooperating. At least at first it was. Overcast, which was nice, but then it began to shower, building to you-need-a-raincoat strength. Then, the wind picked up, whipping piles of leaves into the water. That was a wee bit of a problem. But when it comes to steelheading, you get what you get and you don’t get upset. The water was lightly stained, and with the leaves, increasingly tannic. Not necessarily a bad thing.

We started off at the tailout of a deep pool, hard against a shale ledge. We fished this mark last year, and did very well, but for the first 10 minutes this year the fish weren’t having it. Finally, they began eating. This is a challenging place to play a fish, as the tailout dumps into a series of rapids and pockets. If the steelhead goes down the chute, you’re either chasing after it, which can be dicey, or breaking it off, which is lose-lose for all parties. Fortunately, the steehead gods smiled upon us. Conneaut has several sections where playing a fish is difficult due to swift currents and rocky substrate. Landing fish on this day was far more challenging than yesterday at Elk. I felt like I earned every fish.

~

Adding to the challenge was a mix of fresher fish, and water temps that were a decidedly un-December-like 47 degrees. Many of the fish, like this one, were hot players not long from Erie. But I like a challenge. It sweetens the pot.

~

We worked our way downstream, banging away at pockets and runs that looked like good holding water. This lovely hen came out of a swirling pocket at the edge of a waterfall. I can’t say enough about the fine coaching Cam received from Bob Packey — and about Cam’s fly fishing. You see, Cam really doesn’t fly fish. But he gets it. Sure, he’s had experience landing steelhead on the fly rod (I used to hand my rod off to him when he was little and let him have at it) but as anyone who’s done it can attest, steelheading isn’t easy! Great job, Cam.

And so, dear reader, this is where the story gets interesting. We fished a tailout that held dozens of steelhead last year. This year, not so much. Only two touches, and zero fish landed. However, the run below was Yahtzee. At one point I hooked up on six consecutive casts. My landing percentage was good. Some quick math, and I was at 198.

Two to go.

And then, the steelhead gods stepped in and waved their collective index finger at me. Now, now. Not so fast, Steve. I had a chrome skipper just at the net before it bolted, ran between two rocks and wiggled off. I got snagged on the bottom and could not free it. A walk upstream and some direct pressure and…the bottom fought back. Big steelehead. Battle ensues. The fish spit the hook and got fouled on the dropper. Off it went. We made the command decision to stay a little later and finish the job. Again, the steelhead gods with their wagging fingers. Foul hooks, tippet failure, bad luck, no fish where they should be…200 would have to wait for another day.

I can’t say that I was mortally disappointed. 15 in the hoop is very, very good day.

ASMFC Stripers Addendum II Written Comment Deadline is Friday, Dec 22!

If you have not done so already, please take ten minutes and send an email to the ASMFC regarding Addendum II.

Here’s the ASGA’s (the good guys) official positions on Addendum II. You want to mirror these, but don’t cut-and-paste everything or it looks like a form letter/email, which the ASMFC will disregard.

Email your letter to: comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum II). you’ll know your email was received because ASMFC will send you an acknowledgement.

I know you’re busy, but it really only takes 10 minutes and we need your voice to be heard. I thank you. The stripers thank you. ASGA thanks you.

If I was a striper, I’d look concerned, too.

Additional Steve Culton talks added to the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show Jan 5-6-7

I’m hoping you’ve already penned in the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show, now less than 3 weeks away! In addition to my Classes, Tying Demo, and Seminar, the show has added three more talks:

Friday, Jan 5, 11am, Destination Theater Room A: The West Branch of the Farmington River. This will be the next best thing to getting out on the water and learning about southern New England’s blue ribbon tailwater.

Two of my favorite things: swinging wet flies, and catch big, fat Farmington River trout. Come to my talks at the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show Jan 5-6-7 and learn how to do both.

Saturday, Jan 6, 1pm, Destination Theater Room B: Modern Wet Fly Strategies. I’ve designed this presentation to replicate a wet fly lesson on the water. Except here, we’ll be doing it in a nice, warm room. If you’re not fishing wet flies, you’re missing out!

Saturday, Jan 6, 3pm, Destination Theater Room A: The West Branch of the Farmington River. Even if you’re a Farmington regular, you’ll probably learn something new about southern New England’s blue ribbon tailwater.

Sunday, Jan 7, 1pm Destination Theater Room A: Trout Tactics For Striped Bass. This is for everyone who wonders if there’s more to catching stripers than cast and strip. There is. And you can learn how to catch more, and bigger stripers if you come to this presentation.

If you want to learn how to consistently catch stripers like this, you’ve got to go beyond simple cast-and-strip. I can teach you how.

Erie Tribs Report: The Quest for 200 (Part 1)

I don’t normally count fish. But steelhead are a special case. They can be hard to find, hard to hook, and hard to land. You can do everything right, and still lose the fish. So every one you bring to the hoop and safely release is to be savored, even treasured.

Last Friday morning found me on Elk Creek in western PA at first light. The tally at that point was 175. I figured that 200 might be in reach on this three-day trip, and that five on day one would be reasonable. (In retrospect, it’s a little foolish to plan on catching a certain number of steelhead. You just never know what stream conditions, the elements, or the fish will throw at you.) I was flying solo, and got to the creek early enough to secure a prime mark. Within ten minutes, I was one-for-one. Then things slowed. I worked down the run and bagged another, a shiny fresh hen just in from the lake. Then nothing. By now the sun was up and I could clearly see into the tailout. It looked barren.

Every substrate is different, and ever-changing light also affects how well you can spot fish. As you can see, steelhead are masters at adapting their coloration to the environment. Sometimes you see them; sometimes you don’t. Learning to determine where they might be holding in any given condition, especially when you can’t see them, goes a long way toward improving your catch rate. I fished a couple pools and runs that certainly must have held fish — except they didn’t. At least not on that day and hour. If you’re not catching and you’re not snagging the bottom, you’re not fishing deep enough. And if you are fishing deep enough, and you’re not fouling a fish or two, there probably aren’t any steelhead in the pool. I lost many a rig in one indescribably sexy pool without a single hookup. But once I found the fish, it was go time.

Since another angler had jumped into my original spot, I decided to take a chance and walk upstream. As I neared some prime water, a guide materialized from the river banks to deter me from slipping in below his client. I gave them both a friendly wave, and announced that I had no intention of crowding them. This put everyone at ease, and I struck up a conversation with Glen, the client, and T (dagnabbit, I forget his name) the guide. Cigars were offered, flies and pleasantries exchanged, and before you know it I was fishing in a nifty slot above their pool. Funny how kindness and politeness goes a long way!

Friday was a tricky day. Whether due to pressure or other environmental factors, the steelhead went through stretches where they just would not eat. I got pretty good at recognizing early if a fish was fouled, and at taking steps to quickly de-hook the fish. I did land every fair-hooked fish, and on a challenging day where many anglers reported slow-to-no action, I was delighted to land eight steelhead. Many thanks to Glen for taking net duty, then this photo.
Glen’s on! I can’t say enough kind words about Glen and T, who were kind, matey, and so generous with their water. In a matter of minutes, it was as if we were all old fishing buddies . You can see the different colored strata on the stream bed. The basic rule of thumb on a creek like this is to fish in the dark water, and near the edge of ledges. I hooked up several times by targeting a deeper, darker slot just downstream of a ledge. I’d toss my rig onto the ledge upstream, then let it drift down into the hole. If there was a player steelhead holding there, it would eat the egg fly the moment it dropped off the ledge.

I gave myself a hard stop of 1:30pm. I had to drive to OH to pick up Cam at college. Tomorrow, we’d be fishing in OH with a guide, and I wanted to be rested and ready. 183. We’re getting there.

Take my class, “Beyond Cast & Strip — Presentation Flies for Stripers with Steve Culton” at the Fly Fishing Show, Saturday, Jan 6, 8:30am-11am

As I mentioned last week, I’m doing things a little differently this year with my classes at The Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough. Rather than leading a striper fly tying-centric class, I’ve decided to turn it into the closest thing we can get to an actual lesson in the salt! I’m really excited about the change, and I think everyone attending the class will get a lot more out of it. So, instead of spending a few hours on a salt marsh or estuary, we’ll gather in a cozy meeting room and learn all about tying and fishing presentation flies for striped bass. If you’ve ever wanted to fish with me, but have been unable to do so, this will be a great opportunity to get some quality instruction.

What are presentation flies? They are flies that rely on specific materials — mostly natural — and specific construction — mostly sparse — to create the illusion of life. Presentation flies are highly impressionistic. They look alive and like something good to eat, even when at rest. Most of all, you don’t need to strip them in, ad nauseum, to get stripers to eat them. In this class, I’ll talk about materials and construction and will demo at least one pattern.

There’s a time and place for this rig, and for flies so sparse you can read the newspaper though them. Regiter for my class, Beyond Cast & Strip — Presentation Flies for Stripers, and we’ll talk about it.

So, how and where do you fish such patterns? I’m glad you asked, because that’s the next part of the class. I’ll show you how to build a saltwater team of three flies; we’ll discuss different bait and feeding scenarios; we’ll talk about the different kinds of water where presentation flies shine; and of course, we’ll dive into presentation — you know, that thing you do when you’re not treating your fly rod like a glorified spinning rod.

This bass was caught on a fly with no weight, no eyes (you can see it floating on the surface) and from cast to hookup, not a single strip was attempted. Come learn how traditional salmonid tactics like the greased line swing can work wonders for you.

If you want to catch more striped bass, and do it in ways that are under-appreciated and under-utilized, but powerfully effective, this class is for you.

Jeff took this class last year. Here’s what he’s been doing this year! Photo by Jeff Carson.

You must sign up for this class in advance. You can only do that on the Fly Fishing Show website, here.

Take my class, “Tying & Fishing Wet Flies with Steve Culton” at the Fly Fishing Show, Sunday, Jan 7, 8:30am-11am

Class-wise, I’m doing things a little differently this year at The Fly Fishing Shows. Rather than a fly tying-centric class, I’ve decided to turn this into the closest thing we can get to an actual lesson on the water! I’m really excited about the change, and I think everyone attending the class will get a lot more out of it. So, instead of sitting on a picnic table bench next to the Farmington River, we’ll gather in a cozy meeting room and learn all about tying and fishing wet flies. If you’ve ever wanted to fish with me, but have been unable to do so, this will be a great opportunity to get some quality instruction.

Why is this angler smiling? Because he’s smarter than the fish…and because he’s wet fly fishing.

My plan is to offer a combination of video and real-time demos. I’ll demo-tie some wet flies so you can see what goes into building an effective soft-hackle, wingless wet, and winged wet, from construction to materials; demonstrate how to build a traditional three fly team; show you how to prevent that rig from tangling; talk about essential wet fly gear and tackle; and more. Of course, you’re going to want to learn how to present wet flies and catch more fish. Yep, we’re going to cover that, too.

Why can’t trout resist soft hackles like these? Find out at my class, “Tying and Fishing Wet Flies with Steve Culton, Sunday, Jan 7, 8:30am-11am.

Wet flies have been fooling fish for hundreds of years, and the fish aren’t getting any smarter. Learn the ancient and traditional art of the wet fly, and you too can become a dangerous fish-catching machine.

You must sign up for this class in advance. You can only do that on the Fly Fishing Show website, here.