Category Archives: General Ramblings

Thanks for taking me fishing, dad

My dad took me and my friends fishing on the Salmon River in Colchester — this would have been in the mid-1970s — and upon our arrival he announced, “I’m going to walk downstream and fish. You guys go upstream.” His intent was to find a little peace and solitude away from a pack of 14 year-old boys. Fifteen minutes later, he turns around and sees us in a line behind him, shadowing his every move. Where else would we be? He was catching all the fish.

Thanks for taking me fishing Dad. I wanted so badly to be as good an angler as you. I think the greatest fishing skill set you taught me was reading water and finding where the fish are. It’s come in pretty handy over the years.

Most of all, Happy Father’s Day.

Another generation of Cultons learning from old pro Paul.

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Wet Fly 101 class, articles, and guiding trips

Busy as usual, but I think there’s some fishing light at the end of the tunnel! Sulphurs, grass shrimp, Block Island sand eels, evening spinner falls, walking some snotty water swinging wets….these are all on my mind right now. And tying. I don’t know about you, but my fly boxes need some serious attention. But first…

Sunday, July 9, 9am-2pm, Wet Flies 101 class through Upcountry Sportfishing. This is both a stream side and an on-the-water class. It’s intended as a basic intro to wet fly fishing. Given our early season water levels, I think this will be a dynamite summer for wets on the Farmington. If you want to catch more fish, the art of the wet fly is a skill set you should have. Please note: you cannot sign up for this class here. You have to do it through UpCountry. For more information, click this link.

Taken on a soft-hackled March Brown on a hot August afternoon. The lengthwise opening of the net is 17″. As your GPS would say, “recalculating…”

20" brown on a soft-hackle

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I recently saw the galley proof for my summer smallmouth article. It’s titled, “Hot Bronze,” and you can read it in the August 2017 issue of Field & Stream. Multiple articles coming up in American Angler, too. And if you’re in charge of booking speakers for your club, some new presentations as well.

Finally, if you’re planning on doing a guide trip with me, its a good idea to get out the calendar and pick some date options. Summer is as time-space continuum-challenging for me as the school year, with multiple sports camps/tournaments for the boys and me mostly doing pickup/dropoff. For more information on my philosophy, rates, and contact info, click here.

And as always, thanks for reading currentseams.

 

 

All this damn work!

Last month, fellow Farmington River guide Mark Swenson shouted out to me across the river, “Don’t you ever work?!?”

The answer is yes, and if you’re wondering where all the fishing reports have gone, you can blame all this damn work I’ve got to do. I’m right in the middle of a huge (non-fishing) writing project, with another big one on the way. Then there’s yard work. ‘Tis the season, and I am so far behind my flower beds must be wondering what the hell is going on.

OK, I have been able to get out this month for a few late night striper forays (with mixed success). And I’m going to play hooky for a couple precious hours today. In the meantime, I hope you’re getting out. Let me know how you’ve been doing.

I just need a little time…we’re talking a pinch here…to go fishing.

Jack Torrance

Contest swag is on its way!

All good things to those who wait (and my apologies for the delay). The 500 followers contest winners are getting their flies shipped today. Coming to a mailbox soon near you:

Drew gets this section of early season bugs. Clockwise from 7 o’clock: SHBHPT, Hare and Copper variant, Frenchie variant, Squirrel and Ginger, Dark Hendrickson winged wet, Hendrickson spider. 

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Pete wins the classic North Country spiders, tied on light wire hooks with Pearsall’s Gossamer silks. Left cork: Winter Brown, Black Magic. Right cork, clockwise from 3 o’clock: Orange Partridge, Snipe and Purple, Grey Partridge, Poult Bloa.

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Greg gets this selection wet flies for the Farmington and Housasontic. Clockwise from noon: Pale Watery wingless (Magic Fly), Drowned Ant, Squirrel and Ginger, BWO spider, SHBHPT, Partridge and Light Cahill.

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Tight lines, gentlemen. And thanks to everyone for reading and following currentseams. Another 60 or so followers and we’ll do it again!

 

HFFA receives the Order of the Cheeseburger with IPA Clusters (and other ramblings)

Many thanks to the HFFA for hosting me tonight — and for understanding that a fed presenter is a happy presenter. Yummy burger, yummy beer, good company. On top of that, I was gifted some flies and a lovely La Aroma De Cuba El Jefe Corona Gorda. Thanks for your generosity. Thus endeth the 2016-2017 speaking season.

Speaking of flies, my apologies to the contest winners for the delay in getting your swag out to you. I have one more dozen to tie, then off they go. Your patience and understanding is appreciated.

The writing machine is humming along. Look for more stuff soon from yours truly in Field & Stream (summer smallies) and American Angler (streamers for trout). I’ll try to get some article reposts up on this site, too.

Looks like some swollen rivers this weekend. After last year’s drought disaster, I’ll take the surplus.

The Hous at 100cfs. You won’t be seeing any of those rocks this weekend.

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How I’d rate the 2017 striper season so far

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What else is going on?

— I’ve been working on (and testing) a new large flatwing design/color scheme. I’ll publish it this spring.

— Just got back from a steelhead trip with youngest son Gordon. Report (meh, but fun) coming soon.

— Contest winners! Some of your flies have been tied, others are still bare hooks. I’ll try to get those out by the end of the month.

— Just finished a feature on summer smallmouth for Field & Stream. You can read it in a few months. Lots of other stuff in the publishing pipeline!

— Finally, while I don’t mind (and even appreciate) last minute guide requests, the best thing to do if you want to fish with me is book well in advance. (The people I’m taking out this week booked me moons ago.) Basically, my weekends are filled from now through June, so weekdays are best.

As always, thanks for reading currentseams.

500 Followers Contest Winners

Drew landed as first seed. He passed on the North Country Spiders and will get a selection of early season Farmington River bugs.

Old pro Pete Simoni took the second slot and snapped up those NoCo Spiders like hot cakes. Smart man.

Greg Tarris, where are you? I sent an email to the address I have on file but have not heard back from you. You are the third lucky winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Thanks for your readership. And thanks for your loyalty. It’s much appreciated. And now, on to 600.

Second place swag. Picture any of them seated perfectly in the corner of a trout’s mouth.

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FCF&GPA Awarded the Legion of Hot Dog Merit

Many thanks to the Fairfield County Fish & Game Protective Association for hosting me last night. One of the larger crowds I’ve presented to, and their clubhouse is a great venue. FCF&GPA understands that a fed presenter is a happy presenter, and since I thoroughly enjoyed my monster dog and chili, I hereby award them the currentseams Legion of Hot Dog Merit.

Much later, I went striper fishing. It’s a new spot I reconnoitered last year, and it looked fishy as hell in the daylight. It was a little creepy in the rain and the dark, and there wasn’t much sign of any activity, bait or predator. But I was standing in water throwing a Rock Island flatwing and fishing it on the greased line swing, and life was good. It got even better when I landed my first striper of the year, all 34 inches of her. Nothing like starting the season off with a bang — or in this case, a massive thud.

Gadzooks! The contest! I’m going to try to announce the winners in the next 24 hours.

The Rock Island flatwing continues to produce big bass. It’s become one of my confidence  patterns for stripers.

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Contest closed. April is wide open.

Thanks to everyone who entered the 500 followers contest. The winners will be chosen at random in a few days. I hope the new group of followers who signed up will stick around — currentseams is more about content than contests.

To April. This weather system may suck for outdoor activities, but it’s a blessing for our poor drought-wracked state and fisheries. Water in the reservoirs and woods is a very, very good thing. As the water temps rise and more sunlight penetrates the depths, stripers will be on the move. It’s an embarrassment of riches for the Connecticut angler, and there never seems to be enough time to balance Hendricksons and herring runs. (Not to mention a shot up to the Ontario tribs for drop-back steelhead.)

I’m appearing at the Fairfield County Fish & Game Protective Association on Monday, but that’s a members only meeting. Next public event is “The Little Things,” Thursday, May 4, Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association, Wallingford, CT. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 65 North Main St, 7pm. For more information, visit the HFFA Facebook page.

See you on the river.

April showers, yada, yada, yada. Spring will come. Really.

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Five Hundred Faithful Followers. Let’s celebrate!

TGIF, fellow Currentseamsers. And thank you for being part of the Faithful Five Hundred! To celebrate, we’re doing our customary flies-tied-by-Steve giveaway. Here are the contest rules:

1) No purchase necessary.

2) You must be a follower of currentseams to enter. (If you’re not one already, you become a follower by clicking on the “Stay current with currentseams” button on the home page.)

3) To enter, leave a comment on this thread saying you wish to enter AND share with us the name of a favorite fly pattern. One entry per person. Deadline for entering is 11:59pm March 31, 2017 (no foolin’). Three winners will be chosen at random. The winners will be notified in the comments section of this thread or by email, and will be responsible for sending me their address so I can ship the flies out. Sorry, I can only ship to U.S. addresses.

4) All decisions by me are final.

Thanks again for reading and following currentseams.

A dozen classic North Country spiders — and they could be yours. One lucky winner will get to swim these in a river this spring. They’re tied on light wire hooks with Pearsall’s Gossamer silks. Left cork: Winter Brown, Black Magic. Right cork, clockwise from 3 o’clock: Orange Partridge, Snipe and Purple, Grey Partridge, Poult Bloa.

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