Lousy weather, terrific energy. That’s a good way to sum up today’s festivities. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my tying table. It’s always nice to put faces to names, whether you’re from an internet forum or a faithful follower of currentseams. I always enjoy the discussions, and for those of you who had questions, I hope I helped.
The Purple Spider, a steelhead soft-hackle
And to those who walked away with one of my flies: do me proud.
I will tying at The New England Spey Clave II, Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Matthie’s Grove, People’s State Forest, Barkhamsted, CT. If you have any interest in two-handed casting, this is a terrific place to explore, with casting demos, instruction, rod vendors, and more.
Yours truly will be tying flatwings and soft-hackles for stripers…
…and more traditional steelhead patterns like this Ginger Spider.
Hope to see you there. Be sure to come say hi.
Join me Saturday May 18 from 9am-2pm as we explore the wonders of wet fly fishing on the Farmington River. Wet flies have been taking trout for centuries, and the fish aren’t getting any smarter. Wet Flies 101 will cover basics like rigging, fly selection, and presentation. Flies will be included. Cost of this 5 hour class is $100. I like to keep my classes small, so space is limited to 3 people. To enroll, please call UpCountry at 860-379-1952. Hope to see you there!
And of course, I am also available for private instruction and guided trips. For more information, please see the Fisherman LLC part of my site.
This fine, fat brown took a Dark Hendrickson wet a couple weeks ago on the Farmington.
I spent a very enjoyable two hours tonight at the Saltwater Edge tying flatwings. We kept it simple with single-feather and two-feather patterns, like the Morning Glory and the September Night. Another great group, very enthusiastic, with lots of good questions. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be able to teach tying these magnificent flies. Thanks to Peter Jenkins and his gracious crew for having me. And thanks to Ken Abrames for leading the way.
Some flatwing-bucktail hybrids. Even at rest, they have a palpable energy.
Another great class today at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, CT. UpCountry is my home shop, and it’s always nice to be tying along the banks of the Farmington River. We covered the same basics as yesterday’s class, took a few new directions, but the result was the same. We all learned something, and a splendid time was had by all.
Steelhead Spiders or Soft-Hackles
Next up: flatwing demo Thursday night at the Saltwater Edge in Newport, RI.
I love tying flies, but teaching others how to tie runs a close second. I am fortunate enough to be able to do it at a number of area fly shops. Today’s was at River & Riptide in Coventry, RI. Great group of guys, all eager students. It’s amazing watching the transformation that happens in someone’s tying in just a few hours. Our focus today was on wet flies. We covered basic soft-hackles, wingless wets, winged wets, and fuzzy nymphs. Thanks to R&R for letting me teach, and thanks to everyone who made the afternoon so enjoyable.
Drowned Ant Soft-Hackle
I’ll be doing the same class tomorrow at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, CT.
Tonight I gave a presentation at the Farmington River Anglers Association meeting on wild brook trout and fishing small streams. I’d like to thank the group for their hospitality and welcoming spirit. I had a lot of fun.
If your group is looking for a speaker, I currently have presentations on the Farmington River and Wild Brook Trout/Small Streams. I hope to be adding Wet Fly Fishing and perhaps Striped Bass on the Fly in the near future.
I think the biggest fears of someone who’s giving a presentation are that no one will show up — or no one will care what what you’re talking about. We were about as 180 degrees from that today as possible. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who attended, and grateful for all the questions that were asked. So, thanks to Scott and Scott and Bob for hosting (and for the sandwich — man does not live by soft-hackles alone). And thanks to everyone who helped make the day so much fun.
The Wet Flies and Fuzzy Nymphs class at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, CT originally scheduled for last Saturday has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 24, 9am-2pm. There are a couple spaces still available. Contact the store at 860-379-1952 to enroll.
Speaking of wet flies, I have a few new patterns to post. I’ll try to get them up soon.
I would like to thank everyone at the Narragansett TU Chapter for the opportunity to speak at their meeting last night. OK, so the power went out right when I was supposed to go on. Not to worry. We just gathered round the old laptop for what I dubbed “The Powerless Powerpoint” and had at it. Last night’s presentation was “The Eastern Brook Trout – New England’s Wild Native.” If you’re interested, I’ll be doing the same presentation February 20th at the FRAA monthy meeting.
February is a busy month:
Saturday, February 9, 9am-2pm, Wet Flies and Fuzzy Nymphs class at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, CT. Contact the store at 860-379-1952 to enroll.
Saturday, February 16, 10am-2pm, Wet Fly Tying Demo at The Compleat Angler in Darien, CT. This is a free seminar. I’ll be tying traditional spiders, winged and wingless wets, and fuzzy nymphs. Come down and say hello and let’s talk wet flies and wet fly fishing.
Saturday, February 23, Noon-3pm, Wet Flies and Fuzzy Nymphs class at River and Riptide in Coventry, RI. Contact the store at 401-392-1919 to enroll.
Thursday, February 28, 6pm-8pm, Flatwings and Bucktails Tying Demo at the Saltwater Edge in Newport, RI. This is a free seminar. I’ll be covering the basics of flatwings and color mixing with bucktails. If you love sparse, traditional, impressionistic striper flies, you’ll want to be there.
For small stream/wild brookie fans, I have an article appearing in the upcoming March/April issue of American Angler titled “Upstream, Downstream, Small Stream.” It’s about different tactical approaches to small streams, topwater and subsurface.
March, I’m going fishing.
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