Tag Archives: fly fishing

Take the Stripers Forever 2015 Angler Survey

The following (within quotes) is a cut-and-paste from  Stripers Forever:

“If you have not filled out your 2015 Angler Survey please do it right now.  We are going to stop taking responses on January 7. This survey is the largest and longest-running gauge of striped bass angler sentiment. It is important for fishery managers to know how the angling public perceives the quality of striped bass fishing. We’re using an online survey from SurveyMonkey to make it easy to complete. The link below will take you directly to the survey. It will only take you a couple of minutes to fill in and submit your answers.
Your input is more valuable than ever. Please take the time to take the survey; your response plays an important role in the protection of Striped Bass. The more completed surveys we receive the better. This year we’ve added an important new question to gauge your perception if the 2011 year class lives up to what is supposed to be the third largest year class in history.”
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Who’s got her back?
Block Island All-Nighter first keeper

Many thanks to CWTU and Orvis

What a great turnout last night, generated by the membership of Croton Watershed Trout Unlimited Chapter. It’s always easier — for me, at least — to present in front of a larger group. Thanks also to Orvis in Yonkers for the venue. There’s something comforting about giving a talk while surrounded by fly rods and reels.

Thus closeth my speaking engagements for 2015. If you took the time to come out and see me, thank you. I truly appreciate it. Lots more coming up in 2016, so stay tuned.

Here’s to you!

Block Island All-Nighter Wee Drop

Some new events for January 2016

Yes, it’s late enough in the present year to be able to mention next year without it seeming like a ridiculous number of months away. Ladies and gentlemen, start your calendars.

I will be making two presentations of “Wet Flies 101” at the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, MA, Friday 1/22 and Saturday 1/23. More details once we get into January.

And a heads up: I will again be teaching “Wet Flies and Fuzzy Nymphs for the Farmington” on Saturday 1/30 at UpCountry Sportfishing. You cannot sign up for that tying class here, and you cannot sign up until they post it on their website. I’m just letting you know it’s coming. Last year’s class sold out in no time flat.

For those of you in the NYC/Fairfield County area, I will be at the Orvis store in Ridge Hill Shopping Center in Yonkers, NY, tomorrow night 12/17, presenting “The Little Things” to the TU Croton Watershed Chapter. You need to sign up to attend. For more information and directions, visit https://www.facebook.com/cwctu

What a fun job I have.

Soft hackles have been fooling trout for centuries — and the fish aren’t getting any smarter.

Partridge and Light Cahills

Farmington River Report 12/15/15: Low and slow

I really don’t like the river at this height (170cfs and falling in the the permanent TMA), especially in winter. Still, it’s hard to argue with air temperatures in the mid 50s in December. I bounced around to a bunch of spots today, switching between nymphs and streamers. Not a touch on the nymphs. The streamer thing was a little more interesting.

I had one solid bump (no hookup), bagged a juvy salmon, and had over a half dozen quality chases/follows that did not result in a hookup. A couple of the spots I fished allowed me to stand on submerged rocks or riverbank boulders. In addition to making casting easier, these also offered a tremendous vantage point for sight fishing to cruising trout — and to watch how they reacted to my offerings.

There’s one spot on the river where I’ve moved a fish my last two outings. He comes out of his hole, flashes at the streamer, then bails. Since I know where he lives, it is a moral imperative that I catch him this winter. Another fish today was an upper teens brown that was waiting in ambush below a ledge. Every time I changed flies, he came out to inspect it. During one follow — there were three of them — he even nudged the fly (Deep Threat) with his nose. But no completion of the transaction. Again, we have his address.

I had a conversation with Grady at UpCountry about all this on my way home, and we were in agreement that a faster retrieve is probably a good plan of action. Although I did plenty of speedy retrieves today, such as you can do with the fly rod.

If you’re heading out, be prepared for crowds. Of the six places I fished today, there were people in four of them — unheard of most Decembers — and none of the pools were named for a house of worship.

Steve Culton ties the 60 Second Redhead on HAN’s Yankee Fisherman

The host of Yankee Fisherman, John Kovach, was kind enough to feature me tying one of my favorite steelhead flies, the 60 Second Redhead, on the 12.10.15 show. The segment was recorded at the Arts of the Angler show back in October. You can see it here; I come in around the 17:40 mark. And of course there’s also the official currentseams tying video elsewhere on this site. Thanks again to John and Yankee Fisherman for their continued support.

Yes. The 60 Second Redhead catches steelhead. From November 2015.

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Farmington River Report 12/10/15: BWOs, anglers, and trout

The permanent TMA was crowded! Smoke ’em if you got ’em, I guess — it’s hard for the mall to compete with near-60 degree weather in December. Andy Lyons moseyed on over to say hi. (Please do likewise if you see me on the water — the internet is a great way to reach out to people, but it can’t replace a handshake. And Andy, if you’re reading this, I want that nymph recipe). (See comments below for Andy’s generous response.) Water was on the low side of medium at 225cfs. Didn’t get a water temp, but I think it’s fair to assume that it’s a wee bit higher than normal. Witnessed: a very strong BWO hatch around 1pm.

To the outing: Mark is an experienced fly angler who is making the transition to trout. He’s all in on the immersion process, and this was our second trip in as many weeks. Like our first time out, we focused on traditional late fall/early winter holding water, with an emphasis on indicator nymphing and streamers. We hit five spots, and found players in two of them.

Mark’s first fish of the day came on a simple egg fly (donated to me the previous night by Gary S of the CFFA). What a lovely early winter brown.

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After our session ended, Mark wanted to keep fishing. I pointed out a likely spot for him to toss some streamers. Look what he found on the second cast. Check out the transparency of that tail. Nice job, Mark!

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Thank you, CFFA

Many thanks to the Connecticut Fly Fisherman’s Association for hosting me last night. As always, it’s a treat to get out and connect with fellow anglers, share information, and see some familiar faces. Please mark Saturday, February 6, 2016 on your calendar. That’s the date for the CFFA Expo at Maneely’s in South Windsor. Since I was officially invited last night, I will once again be tying.

Pay no attention to that man in front of the curtain. Taken at last year’s Expo.

CFFA 2015

Next week’s gig: Thursday, December 17,  “The Little Things” at TU Croton Watershed Chapter, Orvis store in Ridge hill
Shopping Center in Yonkers, NY. For more information and directions, visit https://www.facebook.com/cwctu

No cuts for hatcheries!

Good news, but something that never should have been under consideration.

For more information, visit the Farmington Valley TU site here.

Fred says, “Thanks for all those emails to your representatives.”

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Farmington River Report: Let’s get out the tape measure

I figured this would be a good day for streamers. Yesterday’s rain would elevate the flows (just over 400cfs in the permanent TMA) and maybe give the water a little color. Then there was the wind, supposed to be gusting to 30mph. Throw in temperatures nearing 50, and  yup, we’re going to spend the day targeting big browns on the feed.

But since I’m an iconoclast, I started off by nymphing. I had a few experiments I wanted to conduct with egg flies. (You may remember I spoke with a centerpinner Monday who caught over a dozen on eggs.) I wasn’t sure if he was using real eggs, flies, or beads. Since I was going for the eggy mass visual, I tied up a couple horrible flies last night that were basically Nuclear Eggs with a trailing 8mm trout bead. To convince myself that the pattern qualified as a fly, I put a soft hackle on one. I stuck two fish, but since I landed neither, I couldn’t tell if they took the eggs or the nymph dropper. (Dammit. I really wanted to know.) I’m going to continue research with some smaller hooks and beads at a later date.

A pretty brown that swiped the Deep Threat, missed, then came back for more.

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I dedicated an hour to the nymphing cause, then re-rigged for streamers (full-sink integrated tip and a size 6 Deep Threat in grey/olive). Nothing, nothing, nothing. Then I moved downriver about 50 yards to fish a long, slow, deep stretch of water I was sure held fish.

Second cast, mend, slow strips, THUD. I love big browns. They just never miss. It feels like you’ve hooked a submerged log, but the log is shaking its head at you. I could tell it was a good fish. And it was. Just over 18″, and very disagreeable about being forced from the comfort of its lie.

Ever notice that no one ever catches  a 17″ trout on the Farmington? Somehow, the fish grow to 15″, then suddenly shoot up to that magic   universally-accepted-as-impressive number. However, I can confidently tell you this brown was duly and accurately tape measured at just over 18″.

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I fished four pools today and found players in two of them. All I ask from the river in winter is one trout. That makes today my Christmas bonus.

December Appearances and Upcoming Events

It’s a busy time of year, and we’re certainly keeping our end up at currentseams:

Wednesday, December 9, “The Little Things” at the CFFA meeting, Veterans’ Memorial Clubhouse, East Hartford. For more information and directions, visit https://www.facebook.com/CTFlyFish

Thursday, December 17,  “The Little Things” at TU Croton Watershed Chapter, Orvis store in Ridge hill
Shopping Center in Yonkers, NY. For more information and directions, visit https://www.facebook.com/cwctu

Looking forward to 2016:

Tuesday, January 19,  “The Little Things” at Coastal Flyrodders, Wyckoff, NJ. For more information and directions, visit http://www.coastalflyrodders.com

I have not confirmed yet, but I will probably be tying at the CFFA show at Maneely’s in Manchester on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

I am in the process of scheduling a “Wet Flies and Fuzzy Nymphs” tying class at UpCountry Sportfishing, also in 2016. Date TBD.

I may be tying at the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, MA in January, but it’s an outside shot.

Your humble scribe in action.

TU_NYC