I will be tying wet flies at the UpCountry Sportfishing table at the CFFA Expo, Saturday, February 1. The event runs from 9am-3pm; unfortunately, due to some prior commitments, I won’t be able to tie the whole time. Figure something like 10am to 1pm-ish. Hope to see some of my local followers there.
The CFFA Expo is held at Maneeley’s, 65 Rye Street, South Windsor, CT.
This is one of my more popular tying classes. We explore buggy, impressionistic wets and nymphs geared toward fishing the Farmington, but the patterns and skills you’ll learn will serve you well on almost any trout stream. The class places an emphasis on using natural materials to create flies for specific hatches, as well as attractor patterns. Participants will need a vise, thread and tools. All other materials will be provided from my magical, mystical stash. The cost is $50.
Learn to tie the Squirrel and Ginger, and many other patterns that trout won’t be able to resist.
When: Sunday, February 9, 2014, 9am-2pm
Where: UpCountry Sportfishing, New Hartford, CT
Sign Up: I can’t enroll you; you can sign up by calling UpCountry at 860-379-1952.
If you’re interested in wet flies and are within driving distance of Danbury, CT, or Coventry, RI, mark your calendars for February 2014. I’ll be making my presentation of “Wet Flies 101” to the Candlewood Valley TU chapter (cvtu.org) on Tuesday, February 11, and to the Narragansett, TU chapter (tu225.org) on Wednesday, February 26. You don’t need to be a member to attend, and you can get directions and times from their respective websites.
Wet flies have been fooling trout for centuries — and the fish aren’t getting any smarter. While the wet fly fell out of favor in America decades ago, more and more trout anglers are discovering that the best match for a hatch is often a wet fly. “Wet Flies 101” is a basic overview of the method. I cover history, fly styles, leader construction, where to fish wets, and presentation. Hope to see you there!
This big summertime brown took a Drowned Ant soft-hackle on the Farmington River.
The Drowned Ant is a simple soft-hackle, based on the centuries-old pattern Starling and Herl. Trout can’t resist this fly.
I’m pleased to announce my first event for 2014: I will be returning to the Compleat Angler in Darien, CT for another tying demo. This year’s subject will be flies for small streams. Fishing small streams presents a unique set of challenges to the fly angler – and sometimes, fly selection (and size) is the difference maker. “Small Stream Flies for Wild Trout” will cover dries, wets, nymphs, and streamers that will help you build a basic kit for all kinds of waters, from shallow riffles on woodland brooks to deep plunge pools on high-gradient mountain streams. I’ll also discuss tactics and presentation. My demos are highly interactive, whether we’re doing Q&A or just talking fishing. Hope to see you there!
Where: The Compleat Angler, 541 Post Road, Darien, CT, 203-501-1713, compleat-angleronline.com
When: Saturday, March 1, 2014, 10am-2pm
This breathtaking beauty liked the look of a tan caddis skittering across the surface of a remote mountain stream. One of the things we’ll talk about is fly selection — dry or subsurface — and whether to fish up or downstream.
Tonight I presented my “Wet Flies 101” program to the Farmington River Anglers’ Association. Good crowd, plenty of familiar faces, and many engaging questions. I hope everyone who attended had as much fun as I did. Thanks again.
Tonight I kicked off my 2013-2014 speaking schedule with a presentation at the Hammonasset Chapter of TU: Wet Flies 101. I’d like to thank the group for being so welcoming (What? Food? Yes! Loved the pulled pork and the slaw and, oh, yes, the chocolate chip cookie) and for asking a lot of terrific questions. You made my night an enjoyable one.
I’ll be the featured speaker at the Farmington River Anglers Association meeting, Wednesday, October 16, 7pm in Unionville, CT. My presentation will be Wet Fly 101, a basic overview of wet flies and wet fly fishing. Wet flies have been taking trout for centuries, and the fish haven’t gotten any smarter. If you can’t make the September Hammonasset presentation, hope to see you at this one. You can learn more about the FRAA at their website, fraa.org. As always, If you’re interested in having me speak at your club meetings, you can contact me through this site.
A Hackled March Brown
And a big Farmington brown who found it to her liking.
I’m kicking off my 2013/2014 speaking schedule with an appearance at the Hammonasset Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Thursday, September 19, 7pm at the Wallingford Rod and Gun Club. My presentation will be Wet Fly 101, a basic overview of wet flies and wet fly fishing. Wet flies have been taking trout for centuries, and the fish haven’t gotten any smarter. Hope to see you there. If you’re interested in having me speak at your club meetings, you can contact me through this site.
The Drowned Ant soft-hackle
A wild Farmington River brown taken on the Drowned Ant, July 2013
Come explore the wonders of wet fly fishing on the Farmington River with my Wet Flies 101 class Saturday, July 27, from 9am to 2pm. Whether searching, imitating drowned terrestrials, or fishing under the hatch, wet flies can be a highly productive summer tactic. Wet Flies 101 will cover basics like rigging, fly selection, and presentation. Flies will be included. Cost of this 5 hour class is $100, and space is limited to 3 people. To enroll, please contact UpCountry Sportfishing at 860-379-1952.
A fine Farmington River holdover brown, taken last week on a Squirrel and Ginger wet fly.
Many thanks to Mark, Ron, and Ted for taking my Wet Fly 101 class yesterday. We had excellent weather and a good group of anglers who came loaded with questions. Unfortunately, we didn’t find too many cooperative trout (I found the wet fly fishing to be slow on Friday, too). But the day will come when those bashful fish be racing to get to that soft-hackled fly, and then it will all fall into place. We learned some new water, and plenty of new fishing tactics. Thanks again, guys.
currentseams.com 