Author Archives: Steve Culton

Marlborough Show Reminder

And suddenly, it’s almost here: the 2018 Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, MA. On Friday, January 19, 1pm, I will be giving a seminar in the Catch Room: “Wet Flies 101.” This is a new version of WF101 with upgraded content and video. For those of you looking to explore the ancient and traditional art of subsurface fly fishing, WF101 will be an fine introduction.

On Saturday, January 20, 11am, I will be in Room A of the Destination Theater for “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass — How to catch the stripers that everyone can’t.” This is a new presentation that focuses on using traditional trout and salmon tactics to catch more striped bass, especially the difficult and larger fish that escape most anglers. Tackle, flies, tactics — we’ll break down some barriers and open many doors.

Here’s the show PDF:

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I’ll be walking the floor and attending some presentations myself. Shows like this are a tremendous resource, not only for locating hard-to-find items or the rod or reel of your dreams — but also for learning. Take advantage, and if you see me please say hello!

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Fuzzy Nymphs

They’re not quite wet flies. They’re certainly not Euro nymphs. What they are is magnificently buggy and ugly and horrible and they catch fish. This wee trove of beasties will be appearing in “Wet Flies 101.”

Horrible little monsters: bottom left, Fox Squirrel; bottom middle, Hare’s Ear; bottom right, Ginger Caddis Larva.  

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A Winged Wet Fly Video Sampler

This selection of winged wets will be part of my “Wet Flies 101” presentation. It includes barred feather, quill, and jungle cock wings; English and American patterns; match-the-hatch and attractors like the Bergman-style flies from the color plates of Trout.

 

Greenwell’s Glory Winged Wet

An olde English pattern. If you peruse the ancient and modern literature, you can find any number of variants. I don’t fish quill winged flies much, but this is a spiffy little pattern — and it carries with it the cachet of tradition.

Greenwell’s Glory Winged Wet

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Hook: Wet fly size 12-16 (this is a TMC 3769 size 12)
Body: Pearsall’s Gossamer Silk, primrose yellow, darkened with cobbler’s wax
Rib: Fine gold wire
Hackle: Furnace hen
Wing: Starling primary

Wingless Wet Fly Video Sampler

A short tour through the art form that features classic wingless wet fly patterns developed by James Leisenring and others. This clip will be part of my revamped “Wet Flies 101” presentation.

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The sulphur hatch seems a long way off on this frigid January day. Still, an angler can dream…

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Happy New Year and “Wet Flies 101” at the Edison Fly Fishing Show

Happy New Year greetings to all! With this devastating arctic cold, I stayed home yesterday and binged on bowl games. Good stuff, along with a plate of pasta and hot Italian sausage and a glass (or two) of a tasty Tuscan red.

We start 2018 with 580 currentseams followers. It goes without saying: thank you for your loyal readership. As always, when we get to the next century mark we’ll do a giveaway. Also, a reminder to Connecticut readers that it’s time to renew your license. Geez, where did 2017 go?

Speaking of reading, the word machine is humming along. Much planned for publishing in the coming year. Of course, I’ll keep you posted

I am confirmed for the Fly Fishing Show in Edison, NJ. I will be appearing Friday only, January 26, at 9:45am in the Release Room, with “Wet Flies 101”. While the structure is the same, this is an updated, improved presentation with new video and photos and other groovy content. I hope to see you there. The link to a pdf of the Edison show brochure is below:

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And of course, the tightest of lines to all in 2018.

I remember shorts and boat shoes and t-shirts and eating burgers outside. Now I’m wearing layers of fleece and shivering in my lonely writer’s garret. 

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Soft Hackles for Winter Steelhead

Calling all steelhead fanatics and soft-hackle aficionados! “Soft Hackles for Winter Steelhead” first appeared in the Jan/Feb 2015 issue of American Angler.  It features six of my favorite winter steelhead soft-hackles, including detailed photos, pattern recipes, and a little story about each fly. Also included is my winter steelhead indicator setup.

I wrote this piece several years ago, but I’m pleased to tell you that I still use all of these flies. With the brutal cold approaching, it seemed like a good time to post “Soft Hackles for Winter Steelhead.” To read it, click on the pdf link below.

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This fine buck was taken in late fall 2017 on a Salmon River Rajah, one of the soft-hackled flies featured in the article.

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Merry Christmas and Best Fishes

I hope you have a safe and happy holiday filled with warmth and love. Thank you for your loyal readership, and I hope to see you at a show or on the water soon.

Someone’s been good this year! This is the actual stocking from my childhood Christmases at Nana’s house.

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“Streamer Kings” in the Jan/Feb 2018 issue of American Angler

I usually write from my own experience, but for “Streamer Kings” I interviewed George Daniel, Chad Johnson, and Tommy Lynch. Their comments and insights compose the bulk of the article. Whether you’re new to streamers for trout or an old Mickey Finn hand like me, I’ll bet you learn something useful. On newsstands now.

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Farmington River Report 12/19/17: Busy and slow

If you decided to play hooky yesterday and fish the Farmy, you weren’t alone. I would officially describe the permanent TMA as “mobbed” (for a Tuesday in December the week before Christmas). Air temps in the upper 40s, water temp in the mid 30s, flow at 210cfs. A few bugs flitting about (midges, W/S caddis, small grey stones) but no observed risers. I carpet bombed one pool with nymphs, both indicator and tight line, for about two hours and could manage only one trout. Chucked streamers for 15 minutes to no avail, then moved upriver.

Now dedicated to the streamer cause, I fished an overhead-deep pool and blanked. Moved downstream with about 15 minutes left in my session and connected with a nice mid-teens brown — and decided to leave on a high note.

The Hi-Liter produces again! The Hi-Liter is one of my high-confidence winter streamers. I like it on bright days and medium flows, and you can learn how to tie it here. A cast, a mend, and as I came tight to the line, a dull thud. Many thanks to Nick who graciously shared the pool with me.

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