It's good to try new things.

I am the world worst to get into ruts. Especially with types of flies I make. As a members of a few groups and forums I get to see design for patterns from all around the world. That helps to keep new ideas coming. One example was for a weekly tying contest on a forum I a members of. The host posts a pattern and you tie your best effort. This weeks was a 'Redneck Rabbit'. I had heard of it but never given it a try.

My attempt. I tied four for my oven finickiness.



Today I decided I would try them out. Took them out to one of the big rivers around this afternoon after lunch. Swung them on a switch rod.

They work :)

THE SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS

I went out to the hazel wood,

Because a fire was in my head,

And cut and peeled a hazel wand,

And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,

And moth-like stars were flickering out,

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor

I went to blow the fire aflame,

But something rustled on the floor,

And some one called me by my name:

It had become a glimmering girl

With apple blossom in her hair

Who called me by my name and ran

And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering

Through hollow lands and hilly lands,

I will find out where she has gone,

And kiss her lips and take her hands;

And walk among long dappled grass,

And pluck till time and times are done

The silver apples of the moon,

The golden apples of the sun.

William Butler Yeats

Teaching some fly fishing to a high school senior.

We went to the local Delayed Harvest stream. I casually discussed fly fishing, techniques, and the fly fishing culture. He listened and applied what I said and showed him. We started off nymphing and did that all evening. Lots of leaves in the water. The stream was a little up and definitely off colored. 


I taught him to roll cast and told him to stick with it. He did. Got pretty good at it. I tried to not overwhelm him. Also I had the same rig on my rod for demos and visual references.

He caught his first trout on a fly.

Crappie Fishing on the Fly

Went this afternoon to catch some fish from the French Broad River. Took my 'Switch Rod' that is 11' long. Put on a 5' 'Slow Sinking Leader'. Found some good water and started to swing a Conehead Muddler Black and #12 Hares Ear. Business was good .

My shoulder is sore. Still a great time.

First Delayed Harvest trip of Fall 2011

I believe it's fall.

I am not one of those folks who believes seasons follow the calendar. It has been a particularly hot summer in my opinion.I have gotten use to it. Well this weekend it turned cool. Down into the 50's deg. F. That's a major change to me. I wanted to fish the tail-waters and knew that 'sulfurs' were slowing down. With that knowledge BWO's should be taking a bigger role. When I got to the river I felt really good to be right. Looked around as I put my waders on for the first time since the spring. There was nobody else fishing. I smiled to myself. It's always cool to be the tough 'old bull' willing to take the challenge. The wind was gusting around 20 miles per hour. That made a 15ft leader and a dry an interesting proposition. Just to make it more intense I decided to use a 11ft switch rod. As a friend use to say ' If you're going to be a rabbit then be the Daddy Rabbit'.

The fish ate when I could get the fly placed right into the wind. Here's some examples.

I caught a lot of fish. Caught a few brown natives (leaves). Also had a few wind kited casts that went wild. But I would not have changed a thing about the afternoon.