Hot off the electronics — this is, after all, an online magazine — I have a new article out in the current issue of Surfcaster’s Journal. #95, to be exact. If you’re not a subscriber, it’s less than $25 bucks a year, and you can get there using the link above.
By now, most of you know me as an impressionist fly tier. That is, I’m not trying to carbon copy the bait. I’m trying to capture size, color, and profile. Most of all, I’m trying to create something that looks like it’s alive and like something good to eat. And that’s the Crayfish Jig Streamer in a nutshell. So many crayfish patterns go to great lengths to reach for the prize of realism. It’s all so unnecessary (see: Woolly Bugger makes a great crayfish fly). Our local waters are populated with the invasive species rusty crayfish. I colored this pattern likewise. The smallmouth approve. And oh, by the way, there are crayfish in the Farmington, too. Downsize the bead, and you’re good to go jigging for tailwater trout!
Here’s the article on Culton’s Crayfish Jig Streamer that appeared in On The Water Magazine.
Let’s clarify: too much rain is harmful, even dangerous. But that’s not what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about a parched state that was experiencing some form of drought for several weeks. Then the rains came. From the July 4th weather brawl through yesterday, the skies were open for a much-needed watering.
At first, even though the rainfall could be measured in inches, there was no visible impact to our two major fly fishing rivers, the Farmington and the Housatonic. Two factors were in play: the ground was a dry sponge, and the trees and vegetation were in full leaf, meaning you had millions of thirsty plants. But eventually, the rivers got their share. The Hous has yet to spike, rising more than double its 350cfs pre-rain mark. The Farmington experience was more of an exercise in moderation. The Unionville gauge merely doubled from 250. The Still River, which meets the Farmington below Riverton, experienced a huge percentile flow boost. However, it was only coming in at a paltry 15cfs, and its spike didn’t even reach 200cfs.
We desperately needed this rain, and I’m thankful for it. But not just from a systemic ecological point-of-view.
You see, I’m a total weather and stream flow nerd. I watch the River Data app like a hawk. (If you don’t have this app, get it. River Data provides on-demand access to cfs in select rivers throughout the US, and you can bookmark your favorite watersheds for fast reference.) Throughout the season, I eagerly anticipate rain events that will spike rivers — not too high, not too low. I’m looking for elevated river flows that introduce some amount of color to the water — not chocolate milk, but more like tea. This is when you can experience some of the best nymphing, and especially streamer action of the season. What’s more, water spikes shuffle the deck, move fish around, and provide a respite from warmer water temperatures.
You don’t need to wade very far from the shore. (In extreme cases, that may not be possible. Rules of thumb: never wade in water where you can’t see the bottom; never wade in water that you’re not very familiar with; never wade without a staff and spiked boots; never wade alone.) The fish, like you, aren’t interested in battling swift or raging currents. They’re close to shore, in pockets, behind structure, seeking the most moderate flows that will provide cover and food. In particular, I like to fish streamers in these conditions because the news gets even better: cfs and color spikes are when the big boys come out to play. These are often your best periods to up your chances of catching big fish, and sometimes multiple big fish. I like bigger flies, flies that create a commotion, and I will use both bright and dark colors, usually with equal success.
Use common sense. And enjoy!
It seems at least once a week, I get the request. “Where can I find the recipe for the Magic Fly?” “Can you send me your wet fly leader formula?” “What was that article you wrote on fishing droppers for striped bass?”
While part of my personal brand is that I’m helpful, I’d rather teach you to fish than hand you a fish. So yes, I’m going to be helpful here. But you’re going to have to be part of the solution, because I want you to learn how to be your own self-service librarian. You’ll be happier. I’ll be happier. Like Hot Chocolate sang, “Everyone’s a winner, baby!” So here we go.
There are two best ways to find stuff on currentseams. Let’s use the example of the wet fly team. The first is to use the search function on the website. On my iPhone, it’s the little magnifying glass in the upper right corner on the screen:
Depending on your hardware, you simply tap or click the magnifying glass icon, and a “Search” field magically appears. I typed in “wet fly team” and was immediately directed to multiple articles and posts, many of which had the diagram on full display. How easy is that!?!
Or, you could use your favorite default search engine. Using Google and the “Wet fly team” as an example, the first two hits were direct links to my website. But if you add “currentseams” to the search verbiage, the entire results screen consists of article links and images from my website:
You are now officially cooking with gas! I really hopes this helps, and that you’ll take advantage of the vast treasure trove of material that is currentseams. From its inception, one of my goals for this site was for it to be an easily accessible storehouse of fly fishing information, and in particular an online library for all my articles, stories, flies, diagrams, etc.
So have at it. It’s a great way to spend a rainy day.
When the rest of the world zigs, Steve Culton usually zags. Nowhere is this more evident than in my fly fishing (wet flies, anyone?).
When I was researching the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River, I spent a significant amount of time on and off the water with other guides and serious, highly skilled anglers. One thing they all had in common: they carried lots and lots of fly patterns. They also tended to have multiple fly boxes. Even a see-through plastic-lidded nymph box a little larger than a letter-size envelope has room for over a hundred flies, and many of those boxes they carried were filled. What they didn’t carry, they kept in more boxes in their vehicle. Out west, my good friend Pat Dorsey also has a — I think the scientific term is “shit ton” — of fly boxes stuffed with fly patterns. (He may have more midge patterns than I have total flies!) Pat’s one of the best guides on the planet, so he’s doing something right.
There are two points of consequence that must now be stated.
The first is that clearly, these people have a system that works for them. They will likely be prepared for any situation with any number of patterns, variants, sizes, and colors. They believe in their system.
The second is that this approach is not for me (see “Steve Culton zags,” above).
I don’t want to carry that many patterns, let alone tie them. It’s not a matter of brain freeze, or fear of paralysis by analysis. Clearly, I do not suffer in the slightest from FOMO. It’s simply this: I have, over time, curated a selection of high confidence patterns that consistently produce. Yes, I do occasionally add new patterns into the mix. But many of the patterns I use on the Farmington have been in my rotation for decades: the Magic Fly, BHSHPT, and Squirrel and Ginger, just to name a few. I’m in good company. Legendary guide and Catskills trout angler extraordinaire Ed Van Put was famous for using precious few flies over the course of the season, even on highly technical rivers like the Delaware.
Use the system that works for you. Because this is true: confidence catches fish.
Happy Tuesday. I’m sure we’re all chuffed that it’s April, with winter (despite subfreezing temps tonight) in the rearview mirror. The glorious promise of a new season is spread before us like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Since I haven’t written anything instructional in a while, here are some considerations for April fly fishing in the northeast, submitted for your approval.
Is this a great time of year to be a fly fisher, or what?
I tend to be slightly messy in my workspace, whether it’s tying flies or writing about fly fishing. I think it adds a creative, mad-scientist je ne sais quoi to the experience. But, there’s a point where messy looses its charm and morphs into the dreaded enemy of productivity. Worst case, it threatens your sanity. I’m generally a happy guy, and no one wants or needs to get pissed off when they’re tying flies. But writing the Farmington River book meant that I had less time to do other things, and one of them was to organize my work/tying room in the basement. This month, I finally got the toolbench under control and hung up a shiny new pegboard. My bigger tools and other implements of destruction are now all neatly stored in their proper location on metal shelving. That left my tying area.
As I use the cart and test drive the work space, I’ll revisit the subject and let you know how it’s working in a future post. But for now, I’ve got flies to tie…
Part memoir, part how-to, Ed Van Put’s A Flyfisher’s Revelations: Practical Tips, Strategies, and Wisdom From 50 Years Experience from Skyhorse Publishing. print ISBN: 978-1-5107-8333-1, is absolutely essential reading for any serious trout angler. I loved this book. I’d only heard about Ed after he passed away a year ago, so the name carried no particular weight. That’s a pity, because this is a man I would have like to have sat down with for a chat or an interview — or even better, spent some time together on a river.
Your permission to believe me comes in the form of a back-cover blurb, where Lee Wulff calls Ed, “one of the best trout fisherman I know.” Once you dive in, you quickly glean that Lee is spot-on. While one of Ed’s claims-to-fame is that he valued presentation over fly selection (he’s known for using very few different patterns on the river, and clams that 70% of his dry fly hookups came from on an Adams), there are plenty of fly patterns pictured, and recipes, in the book. That’s of particular interest to a fly tying nerd like me.
This book works for both beginning and advanced anglers alike. I’m always thrilled when someone who I perceive to be a better angler than me talk about concepts and tactics that I myself teach. Rookie anglers will be able to grasp the over-arching principles without getting bogged down in minutia. I also liked that he starts every chapter with a meaningful quote from another angler. My copy is filled with highlighted sections for future reference.
Now, I’ve gotta go through it all again. There’s more fish to be caught!
I spent a few hours the last few days restocking my steelhead boxes, mostly egg patterns. But I did whip up a batch of White Death Zonkers as well. (What an appropriate name on Halloween!) I also tied a few new patterns, because I like to occasionally experiment with flies and steelhead and conditions. It’s a never-ending project, and while I’ve made huge strides in the last five years toward mastering that fish, steelhead remain wonderfully enigmatic and fickle and subject to the whims and caprices of nature.
First up this year will be the Erie tribs. On that fishery, I use a different leader system than I use in Ontario tribs. I learned it from steelhead guide extraordinaire Bob Packey. The butt of the leader is a 9-foot stepped down taper: 4′ of 20lb., 3′ of 17lb., then 2′ of 12lb., terminating in a power swivel. I use clear Stren nylon for the butt. From there, it’s tippet, typically 6lb. fluorocarbon, 12″-18″ to the first fly (you can fish two flies in PA and OH), then about 16″ of tippet tied from the bend of the top fly, terminating in the point fly. Steelhead fly fishing is one of the few instances where I’ll use fluorocarbon.
Your shot goes on the butt section just above the power swivel. In normal-to-higher flows, the top fly is typically a brass bead head. In low-to-trickle flows, I may not use any weight, and both flies will be unweighted and sparse. I like wingless shot. I struggle with seeing white and certain shades of orange, so my indicator must be bright or fluorescent yellow. Missed takes are missed fish! If I can, I like to use my own yarn indicators. In base flows, conditions dictate that I use one of those foam tab indicators.
The vast majority of hookups come on the point fly, so that’s typically my high-confidence pattern of the moment. Blood Dot Eggs in egg with an apricot supreme dot are a favorite, along with White Death Zonkers if the flows are good. You can see more on “Building a more Erie tribs-Appropriate Fly Box.”
Steelhead fly fishing is one of those endeavors where you can do everything right and still have things go wrong. However, the more things you do right, the more you tend to have success. Confidence catches fish, and having a proven leader system takes rigging guesswork out of the equation. Fish on!
My latest and greatest (or at least moderately non-sucky) piece is now available for your reading pleasure. It boasts the clever title Small Flies for Striped Bass, or: Betcha the Bass Can’t Eat Just One. Like your favorite bowl of chips, you’ll want to enjoy this one over and over. As a bonus, I’ve included three of my favorite small striper patterns. Surfcaster’s Journal is an e-zine that is loaded with sage advice, even for fly fishers only. You can get a subscription for just 25 bucks a year right here.
currentseams.com 