Tag Archives: fly tying

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

 

Howdy, Pilgrim

And a happy Thanksgiving to you.

I have so much to be thankful for, but I would like to start with you. Thanks for taking the time to read and visit currentseams. For those of you who have signed up (wow, 343 people), thanks so much for following. As Ray Bergman wrote in Trout, “This is my visit with you, our fishing adventure together.” I am grateful for the opportunity to share my time on the water with you.

And of course, I’m thankful for the blessing of fishing with my sons. Here’s Cam with a recent acquisition.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Master Splinter mouse fly on the J.Stockard Fly Fishing Blog

The Master Splinter is an impressionistic mouse pattern I put into heavy rotation this summer. You can read all about it on the J.Stockard blog by clicking here.

Mouse flies like the Master Splinter bring out the worst in big Farmington River browns.

Big wild brown hen 8-2015

Here we go again with proposed hatchery cuts — and here’s how you can help.

Once again, the Governor of the jolly old yo-ho-ho State of Connecticut has decided that a good way to save money would be to close our hatcheries. Never mind all that stuff about Connecticut and the Farmington River being a destination for anglers all over the northeast, or those bothersome guides and small businesses that would go under without a viable fishery, and never mind all the pesky retail sales and business entity taxes — who has time to count all that up, anyway?.

(The author of this post now gives out a long sigh, and searches for a word that best describes Governor Malloy’s thinking. Ah. “Obtuse.” Yes, that’s it.)

So, here’s how you can help. Sign this petition.

Thanks.

Fred here is in favor of keeping our hatcheries. But Fred can’t sign the petition. Help a brother out, will you?

October Brown 2014

 

Hare and Copper nymph variant (AKA that fly everyone has been asking about)

Now you can meet, up-close and personal, the fly that has taken the currentseams community by storm: the Hare and Copper variant.

I first saw the Hare and Copper in the Spring 2012 issue of Fly Tyer, in a piece written by George Daniel called “Confidence Flies.” The original calls for a Knapek Nymph Hook, red wire, Dark Pardo Coq de Leon tail, black tungsten bead, and an entire body of dark brown SLF Squirrel dubbing. You can see below how I modified it to suit my tastes. This is really nothing more than a slightly souped-up cross between a Pheasant Tail and a Hare’s Ear. No wonder trout like it. A fine addition to your fuzzy nymph stash.

Hare and Copper Nymph variant

Hare and Copper Variant

Good Times at the Arts of the Angler and Wet Flies 101 Thursday 11/5/15

No scary monsters. No ghoulish goblins. Just a good group of people who share a passion for fly fishing. That’s a pretty fair way to describe Halloween at the Arts of the Angler show. If you’re one of the people who stopped by to chat, ask questions, or watch me tie, thanks for taking the time. I truly appreciate your interest and your enthusiasm. And many thanks to the people from the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum for your hospitality.

Steve C. That’s me.

Arts of the Angler

My next appearance is this week:

Thursday, November 5, “Wet Flies 101 — The ancient and traditional art of subsurface fly fishing” at the HFFA meeting, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Wallingford. For more information and directions, visit https://www.facebook.com/HousatonicFlyFishermen

Soft-Hackled Bead Head Pheasant Tail

Consider the humble Pheasant Tail. Basic brown. Unpretentious. Traditional. Looks like nothing specific and a lot of things in general. Add a bead head — copper, if you please, which feels more understated than gold. But let’s not stop there. Let’s give our fly the breath of life. A soft hackle will do. Webby brown hen that pulses and moves and whispers to the fish, “I’m alive.”

If you told me I had to choose one fly to fish for trout for the rest of my life, it would be a soft-hackled bead head Pheasant Tail.  You can fish it like a nymph, fish it like a wet, or do both. All on the same drift. Woo-hoo!

~
Hook: Orvis 62KC size 8-12 (steelhead), 2x strong/2x short scud size 10-20 (trout)
Thread: Brown 6/0 or 8/0
Bead: Copper, sized to hook
Tail/Abdomen: Pheasant tail
Rib: Small copper wire
Thorax: Peacock herl
Hackle: Soft brown hen
When I first tried to catch a steelhead with a fly that used all-natural materials and drab colors, I chose this pattern. Mission accomplished, and now it’s a staple.
~
The Soft-Hackled Bead Head Pheasant Tail Rogues’ Gallery:
Late winter Farmington brown, size 18.
3-10-14 Brown

Tying at Arts Of The Angler Show Saturday October 31

Calling all fly tying and fishing geeks — the planets have aligned and I will be tying at the 2015 Arts of the Angler show in Danbury, CT, Saturday, October 31. From the Catskill Fly Fishing Center’s promotional materials: “It’s about flyfishing.  It’s about flytying. It’s about rodmaking. It’s about collectables, it’s about tackle, it’s about destinations, techniques, people and you.”

I will probably focus on soft hackles for trout, but I won’t rule out some striper soft hackles, bucktails, and flatwings. If they have a writer’s roundtable on Saturday, I’ll be doing that, too. If you’re there, please be sure to come say hello. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/CFFCM

Arts of the Angler ad from Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide

Arts of the Angler ad

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More upcoming appearances:

Thursday, November 5, “Wet Flies 101 — The ancient and traditional art of subsurface fly fishing” at the HFFA meeting, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Wallingford. For more information and directions, visit https://www.facebook.com/HousatonicFlyFishermen

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

Plus, a steady supply of stories and articles (both online and in print), and tying videos.

Whew. I really need to go fishing.

FVTU Awarded the Currentseams Legion of the Cheeseburger with Crossed French Fries

Hats off to another welcoming group that understands that a fed presenter is a happy presenter. Many thanks to the Farmington Valley TU for hosting me last night. Good to see some old familiar faces, and some new ones, too. Another strong post-presentation Q&A — well done, everyone! Looking forward to next time.

Pre-game dinner: Cheeseburger. Fries. Beer. What else could you ask for? Oh yes — a Mets victory! Thanks Jake, Thor, Murph, and Jeurys.

Cheeseburger

A shout out to the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Thanks again for being such wonderful, welcoming hosts. Thanks to everyone who took the time to come out. And thanks for so many strong followup questions. I’m already looking forward to my next visit.

When my rose bushes display their first bloom, it means there are Light Cahills on the lower Farmington River. Every year. Always. Take note of the natural markers in your area. There is an order to everything in nature.

Partridge and Light Cahills

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In cased you missed last night, I will be presenting “The Little Things” to TU Farmington Valley, Thursday, October 15,  at the Whinstone Tavern at Stanley Golf Course, New Britain, CT. For directions and times, visit fvtu.org.