Tag Archives: fly fishing

An enthusiastic thumbs up from — and for — Joan Wulff

Many thanks to the CFFCM for the speaking opportunity. As always, gatherings like Arts of the Angler are a wonderful way for those of us in the fly fishing community to reconnect — and make new acquaintances. I got to meet several currentseams.com members face-to-face — hello! Thanks also to everyone who came out to see me present. I appreciate you coming, and for asking so many good questions.

And now it’s bonus time. It’s not often that you get the opportunity to present to a legend. But there she was — Joan Wulff, sitting in on my “The Little Things” seminar. At the end, when I announce that it’s time for Q&A, she stands up and compliments me at length on my presentation.

That was so cool.

Steve C. That’s me.

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Small stream father & son outing

Yesterday was a brilliant day for a walk in the woods. No school for Gordo, so we packed up the 6′ Fenwick glass rod, a couple energy bars and some water, and headed northwest. Our hike was about a mile into the woods, and our reward was a gorgeous thin blue line with a fresh influx of groundwater. Even days after the rains, the brook was tea stained and filled with leaves. The fish were hunkered down — all our takes came on tungsten beadhead flies (size 18 2x short Frenchie and ICU Sculpin), none on the dry. We pricked a bunch, and managed two beauties to net, one brown and one brookie.

Gordo dapping a dry/dropper in a boiling plunge pool. No customers here, but a few yards downstream…

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We tag-teamed this jewel of a wild brown. Dad made the cast, Gordo landed him. I want to find a better word than exquisite — how about ornamental?

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Stripers from the surf

Better late than never goes the saying. So last night at 11pm I was walking with a skip in my step as I headed toward a jetty somewhere in SoCo. The SW breeze was light and warm coming off the water (it was much chillier in the interior of the salt pond I visited later) and I began casting into the pocket formed by beach and rocks.

I thought I felt a bit of odd pressure on a drift, but it wasn’t until I felt a sharp tug a few casts later that my suspicions were confirmed. Once I realized I’d left my Korkers in the car, I walked the bass along the rocks and landed it on the beach. I wasn’t up for doing that all night, so I waded into the surf proper and had at it, casting parallel to beach break and mending my line over the sets. Sure enough, there was a school of two-year olds in close. What they lacked in size they made up for in ferocity. I was fishing a three fly team of a clam worm on top dropper, a small sand eel in the middle, and a Magog Smelt soft hackle on point. They liked the two baitfish flies.

It would have been nice if they were a little bigger, but I hadn’t caught a striped bass in the surf in Rhode Island in years. So these schooligans were a treat.

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Why I like cheap (but good) cigars for fishing. Known among the cigar cognoscenti as canoeing, this is what happens when the wind is at an unfavorable angle to your stick. 

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A lousy photo of a peanut bunker bait ball. Stripers were darting in and out of its shape-shifting mass, picking off strays at will.

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Cape Cod Fly Rodders awarded the Legion of Fresh Fried Scallops with Hops Clusters

Many thanks to the Cape Cod Fly Rodders for their hospitality and welcoming nature. “Trout Fishing For Striped Bass” made its debut last night, fortified by a hearty scallop dinner and a Cape Cod IPA. (I’ve heard somewhere that a fed presenter is a happy presenter.) Good group of anglers, excellent turnout, and I hope they’ll have me back.

Next up:  “The Little Things” at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum’s Arts of the Angler show, Ethan Allan Inn, Danbury, CT, Sunday, November 5 at 10:30. A great little fly fishing show. Hope to see you there!

A handsome Cape stripah, taken this August on a Ray’s Fly flatwing on the greased line swing.

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The Fly Casters of Boston awarded the Legion of Oysters

Many thanks the The Fly Casters of Boston for their hospitality. These gentlemen do it up wonderfully right. The Union Club is a traditional, comfortable venue, and the spread — oh, my! Let’s start with the oysters. I would drive back to Boston tonight for those cold, briny, succulent morsels. Dinner was pheasant, which I’d never had before last night — also pushing the delicious border into sublime. Most of all, the people: a dedicated group of passionate fly fishers who made me feel welcome and at home the entire meeting. Did I mention the presentation was “The Little Things?” That was fun, too.

Sunset over the Common. I can tell you that wine glass eventually got filled. (And joyously emptied.)

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Next week: “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass” at the Cape Cod Fly Rodders, Thursday, October 19, Hearth and Kettle, Rt 28, Yarmouth, MA, 6:30pm. This is a members only club presentation.

November:  “The Little Things” at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum’s Arts of the Angler show, Ethan Allan Inn, Danbury, CT, Sunday, November 5 at 10:30. A great little fly fishing show. Hope to see you there!

Some striped bass soft hackles for your viewing pleasure

This is a short video sampler of soft-hackled flies for striped bass. It’s going to be part of my new presentation, “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass.”

“The Little Things” at the Arts of the Angler show November 5

I will be presenting “The Little Things” at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum’s Arts of the Angler show, Ethan Allan Inn, Danbury, CT, Sunday, November 5 at 10:30. Unfortunately, due to prior commitments, I don’t think I’ll be able to tie this year. But I hope to see you in the presentation room. If you’ve never been, this is a terrific little show and event, with tyers and vendors and even a few good speakers. For more information, visit the cffcm website.

A reminder that I will also be presenting “The Little Things” at the October 4 — that’s Wednesday night — meeting of the Connecticut Surfcaster Association at the Surf Club in Madison, CT.  The meeting starts at 7pm and is open to the public. For more information, visit the Surfcasters’ website.

If you want to catch more fish, pay attention to the little things. Cam and Gordo get a knot tying lesson from the man who taught me.

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Conn-RI Coastal Fly Fishers awarded the Order of Cheeseburger Merit with Oktoberfest Clusters

Many thanks to the Conn/RI Coastal Fly Fishers for hosting me last night, and for recognizing that a fed presenter is a happy presenter. Burger and lager and company were all most excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed our spirited Q&A session.

Next up: “The Little Things” at the October 4 meeting of the Connecticut Surfcasters Association at the Surf Club in Madison, CT.  The meeting starts at 7pm and is open to the public. For more information, visit the Surfcasters’ website.

All this talk of surf and coastal and fly fishing has me daydreaming of Block Island stripers….

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Farmington River Report 9/26/17: low and deep

I guided Ira and Dan yesterday. Hot, sunny, low flows (105 cfs above the permanent TMA), but the water was plenty cold. We spent the first half of the trip sifting through the pockets and seams of a 200 yard-long boulder field with a team of wets. After my success doing likewise on Monday, I was surprised that we didn’t get a touch. I was demoing a short line deep presentation in a deeper run when hook point connected with salmonid mouth. Armed with that new intel, we headed downstream and re-rigged for nymphing.

And that proved to be the difference between fishing and catching. We found fish in the hot water at the head of the run and just below in the front end. Both Dan and Ira proved themselves to be capable, thoughtful anglers, and it was rewarding to see their persistence pay off. The method was short line, no indicator, drop shot.

Ira probing current seams in the boulder field.

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A ray of light. Our first fish was this fine native, taken on a size 14 Frenchie variant.

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Dan being the man. He hooked a bunch of trout in this medium-sized pocket.

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Farmington River mini-report 9/25/17

A quick dash to the lower river to see if anyone was home. Water was low, 175cfs, about half of what it normally is this time of year, and felt like it was in the 60s. (Brief editorial: I must confess the logic behind water releases from the dam often escapes me. If periods of drought are the new norm, and September and October are traditionally low water periods, why run 300+cfs from the dam from April through July? Would we have more water now if they only ran 250 or even 200cfs all those months? What am I missing here?)

To the fishing: I swung wets in two runs for about 15 minutes each and came up with two customers, a nice 11″ wild brown and a much bigger, recently stocked rainbow. Both fish took the top dropper, a Squirrel and Ginger caddis. Lots of bug activity (caddis, midges) but nothing rising to it.