Alaska Album

We've put together a small album of some of our favorite shots from the recent Alaska trip. The silver salmon fishing was unbelievable and along with the silvers came dolly varden, chum, rainbows and pinks. It was fast and furious fishing and we're already looking forward to returning to Reel Action Camp on the Kanektok River in August of 2020. We hope you can join us.  Click here to view Barry's photos from the trip.

Single Handed Spey Cast

If you are ever in a situation with too little room behind you to make a back cast, and find that the roll cast doesn't give you enough distance or fails to make the angle change you want, you could do a whole lot worse than learn how to spey cast.

Take it from the master at RIO, Simon Gawesworth:

Salmon Systems are Out of Balance

From the Anchorage Daily News. Fishing guide Chris Tobias writes about the suffering salmon runs in Alaska. “King salmon returns across much of Alaska are the worst in recent memory, and fishing closures have touched nearly every corner of the state.” Learn more about what's going on in Alaska from this interesting young guide.

https://www.adn.com/opinions/2018/07/19/salmon-systems-are-out-of-balance/

Report from the Bighorn

The Bighorn is fishing well with tricos everyday. The hatch is early and boats are leaving the lodge at 6:30 each morning. Most of the trico fishing is over by 1:00, and after a late lunch we are fishing nymphs or streamers the rest of the day. Mornings are cool and fleece feels good. Fall is definitely in the air. Somedays there is some smoke from fires in the west and mornings often start out foggy. The river is beautiful and this is a great place to be right now!  

New Technology at Smith Optics

Plastic scratches, glass is heavy....what is one to do?

Smith has the answer. ChromaPop Glass is 12x more scratch resistant and 20% lighter than glass. Dusk to Dawn performance and comfort. Read all about it. Thank you MidCurrent for bringing us this news.

RIO Amateur Fly Fishing Film Awards 2018

A lot of time is spent in industry circles talking about how to get young people interested in fly fishing. Maybe we should talk to this young lady's father because she is hooked and the video has to make her dad proud. Congratulations Meris on winning the film awards and to your dad too.

https://mailchi.mp/rioproducts/our-2018-rio-amateur-fly-fishing-film-award-is-now-over?e=8b5f86f70f

Waterlogged

We just recovered from a flood a couple weeks ago and Monday we were hit again with more water and more force than before. Everyone in the Fishing Creek valley who lives near the water or low land has suffered loss of some kind, some have lost homes. EMS was busy evacuating people from homes and roof tops with hovercraft, helicopters, even front end loaders. For this normally sleepy little valley, it was surreal to see us on national news. It will take some time for us to bounce back, but we will. And before you know it, trout will be rising and flies will be cast. It’s what we do.

Here's a link to the news coverage with video

Jim's Tips 

I get a lot of questions from clients and fly fishing friends on what is my favorite strike indicators, split shots, floatant and other fly fishing essentials. So I decided to make a list of some of my favorite things. Keep in mind that I like “simple and easy.”

STRIKE INDICATORS – The most asked question about strike indicators I'm asked is: “Should I use them” Easy answer “YES”

Reasons: Easier to detect subtle strikes.
You can adjust the indicator to the depth you want the fly to be at. (Be sure to move the indicator up or down the leader as you move to different water depths in pools and riffles).
You will not hang up on the bottom as often with strike indicators as you would without them. Thus you don't loose as many flies but more importantly you do not disturb the pool trying to get free.

Favorite Indicators – First of all the there are a lot of different types of strike indicators on the market today. And each have their advantages and disadvantages. Over the years I have tried several different type of indicators and I narrowed it down to two that I use.

Thing-a-bobbers – These are basically a plastic ball that come in different sizes. Easy to use and easy to slide up and down your leader. One disadvantage is they do kink and twist the leader. I use them mostly for guiding beginner fly fishermen in small pools and riffles.

Australian Wool – My favorite strike indicator and the only one I personally use. They float well but you do need to treat the wool with a floatant. Easy to slide up and down the leader and they don't kink and twist the leader.
I pretreat the wool with a dry fly floatant called “Agra XXX” and I attached the wool strike indicator to the leader using dental rubber bands. You simply form a loop in your leader and twist the loop around the rubber band five times. Insert Australian Wool into the loop and slide the rubber band up to the wool. The depth of the water and the weight of the flies determines how much wool you use. If you need to add more just open the loop by sliding the rubber band down and adding more wool.
Australian wool comes in an assortment of colors. Depending on the day certain colors are easier to see on the water then others. It might come as a surprise but personally I prefer black on most days.

SPLIT SHOTS – Several years ago a guide friend introduced me to “Black Bird Split Shots. They meet my “simple and easy” rule. They come in a convenient dispenser with two sizes of shot per package, one size on each end and a split soft rubber top to easily dispense the shot from either end. BB-1 and BB-3 in one pack and BB-2 and BB-4 in the other.
I believe you are only one split shot away from catching fish. I prefer these four sizes so I can add or take off a split shot depending on the depth of the pool I'm fishing. I always fish tandem flies and usually position the split shots between the two flies.

FLOATANT – All of my dry flies I pre-treat with Agra XXX. Simply submerge the fly into the solution and let dry. I also use this on my Australian Wool strike indicator.
After I catch a fish I dry the fly with drying crystals and then treat the fly with a powder like Frog Fanny. I also use only Frog Fanny when fishing emergers or dry flies with poly or cdc wings.

LINE AND FLY SINK – Most fly fishermen I've talked to never even heard of it. I prefer to use line sink instead of a split shot on my nymphs in low water conditions and when fishing a nymph behind a dry fly as a drop fly.
When fishing a dry fly to select trout I will put some line sink a foot above my fly to help hide the leader.

LEADERS AND TIPPET – I like RIO mono leaders 9 ft. 4x. They have a strong butt section and easily turn over even my heavier flies. I attached two feet of RIO tippet to the leader. As the tippet length shortens to the leader I simply add two more feet of tippet. This way I never go into my leader I simply add tippet to lengthen it.
I prefer RIO fluorocarbon tippet in sizes from 2x to 7x in my sling pack. Fluorocarbon vs. Mono tippet debate will go on forever. But I do prefer using fluorocarbon tippet over mono most of the times.

These are some of the things I have learned over the many years of fly fishing that just helps make the day on the water more enjoyable and more successful. Most of these things I learned from fellow guides, fly fishing friends, and clients that I have had the privilege of spending time on the water with.

Alaska
What a Week!

Last week at Reel Action Camp on the Kanektok was the best week of silver salmon fishing we've ever had. One big fish after the other, anglers were landing 50+ fish a day averaging 8-18 pounds. It was fast and furious, non-stop, action and a good part of it was on top skating mice and gurglers. Along with silvers, we had pinks, dollies, rainbows, and chum. Barry is still editing photos and there'll be more to come, but here's a quick look at some shots from our guests.

New Sage Rods

This season Sage is introducing the Ignitor and the Dart to the family of fly rods.    

The Ignitor is designed specifically for windy conditions, long casts, carrying line, accuracy and loop control. If you bring the will, the IGNITOR will supply the way.

On the other end of the curve is the DART. This sweetheart is designed for accurate delivery of small flies, small water, and light stealthy presentations. The lightest, most precise casting small water rod ever made, the DART is destined to become a cherished rod in any angler's quiver.

Check them out!

Africa Safari
July 26-August 9, 2019

We have one accommodation (2 people) and one spot for a woman (sharing with another woman) available on our 2019 African Photo Safari. Visit the best appointed camps in East Africa and experience the Great Migration, one of the world's most amazing spectacles.
This is the ultimate in African safaris and we promise it to be a trip of a lifetime.

Visit our photo gallery and the complete itinerary, and then grab these last spots.

Tim's Foam Beetle 2.0

A new take on an old favorite. Take a look at Tim Flagler's beetle in Midcurrent. It couldn't get much easier. Use these flies right through fall until frost arrives. It's a pattern that is hard to beat.  

Invasive Giant Hogweed

Those of us who live in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions have a new worry –   
Giant Hogweed. This plant, which looks an awful lot like Queen Anne's Lace, is very dangerous and can cause permanent blindness, blistering, and third degree burns.

Please learn about Giant Hogweed at the link below, tell your kids and fishing friends about it, take care with your pets, and avoid at all costs! This is not the first incident that we've heard about and it won't be the last. This warning should not be taken lightly.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/giant-hogweed-invasive-plant-sends-virginia-teen-to-hospital-burn-unit/

Jim's Tips  

This week our head guide, Jim Kukurlo, gives us tips on managing our gear.

Fly Fishing Gear Bag    

Every fly fishermen should have a gear bag that he takes with him on every fishing trip. How many times have you arrived on the stream and realized that you forgot something and in some cases you had to go back home. If you traveled some distance that might not be easy to do and it just ruins your day of fishing. Having a gear bag loaded with everything you use on the water will help prevent that from happening. Below is a list of items that you should have in your bag. Plus items that will make the trip more enjoyable and in some cases be very helpful in case of an emergency.

Sunglasses - Polarized with amber color lenses with a retainer strap is the choice of most guides I know. The amber lenses will help you see better in low light conditions. A retainer strap will keep the glasses around your neck when your not using them and help prevent loosing them in the water. Sunglasses with help in seeing your fly and the fish. But even more importantly they will protect your eyes from misguided flies that can occur on a missed set or trying to get a fly out of a tree. I keep several pairs of sunglasses in my gear bag for client's that didn't bring a pair. I wouldn't spend a day on the water in any kind of weather conditions without sunglasses.

First Aid Kit – Whether you are a fly fishermen or not having a good first aid kit in your car is a very good idea. I keep a large well equipped kit in my car at all times and I carry a small kit in my sling pack and camera bag.
Over the years I have added some items that can come in handy in the outdoors such as Benadryl tablets and cream. A few years ago one of my clients had a White Stingy Caterpillar crawl on his neck while we were fishing. The White Stingy Caterpillar excretes a type of chemical defense on contact — if you see one be sure not to touch it. The pharmacist at a local drug store suggested him to take Benadryl tables and use the cream on his neck. It saved the day and I now carry both in my first aid kit. Benadryl can help with other types of insect bites as well.
Another item that can come in handy is super glue. Which can be used for small items that can break while fishing or to patch a hole in your waders. But more importantly you can apply super glue to cuts and scrapes. My son is a Boy Scout leader and one of his scouts cut his hand while on a camping trip. He applied super glue to the wound and took him to the emergency room. According to the doctor super glue is sterile and it helped seal the wound and prevent infections.
Another fly fishing buddy who was fishing on the same stream as I was but at a different section called me and said he had a hook in his wrist and couldn't get it out. I removed the hook and reminded him to put antiseptic cream and a band aid on the wound. He replied, “Oh yeah, who cares that stuff with them when fishing.” I replied “Well, I do.”

Change of Clothes – Slip and fall into the water on a cold spring/winter day and you will be glad you carry a complete change of clothes in your gear bag. Comes in handy when you get caught in rain and on a hot summer day when you sweat a lot and decide to stop for a bite to eat on the way home.

Insect Repellent – Mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, and biting flies to name a few bugs that can drive you crazy while putting on waders and rigging fly rods. Plus protection from disease carrying ticks and mosquitoes.

Binoculars – Always a good thing to have with you when you are on a trout stream or traveling to and from fishing. It's fun to take a closer look at the different wild life that you can see on a trout stream. You can also use binoculars to identify hatches on the water. A few years ago I was fishing with a friend and we had rising fish but could not see what they were taking. To my surprise he took out his binoculars and identified the hatch as size 22 Blue Winged Olives that the fish were rising to.

Sun Block – It's very important today to protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Along with applying sun block on my skin I wear a long sleeve fishing shirt with a 50+ UPF and a buff around my neck. Wetting the buff also helps to keep me cool on hot summer days. Fingerless sun gloves are great to protect you hands from the sun, but I found that they can be a nuisance when tying on flies. Redington makes a long sleeve shirt with thumb holes that will protect your hands from the sun and it's easier to tie on flies.

Paper Towels and Toilet Paper – So many uses for paper towels and the toilet paper speaks for it self.

Fly Tying Travel Kit – This a great little bag that I use when I'm teaching a fly tying class or when I'm going on a weekend fly fishing trip. You just never know when you might need to whip up a few extra flies or run into a hatch you weren't expecting to see.

Camera – Just a great way to keep the memories alive. Especially when you are fishing with family and friends. Today most of us, if not all, carry a cell phone and today's cell phone cameras are taking better and better pictures. I carry a Nikon DSL camera in a water proof sling pack with a telephoto lens that takes great photos and adds another dimension to the day on the water.

Fly Fishing Accessories – Now a list of fly fishing accessories and gear that should be in the gear bag:

Extra - Leaders, tippets, fly floatant, line sink, split shot, strike indicators, reels, lines, flies, knife, scissors, nippers etc. Basically everything you carry in your fly fishing vest you should have extra in your gear bag.

Gear Bag – You can buy gear bags in all different sizes. I suggest that you buy a larger one because if you are like me you will run out of room sooner than you think. I know a guide friend that made a wooden box for his gear bag. It has a drawer that can be removed on top and on the outside he attached clippers and a fly patch to use as a work station. I use a gear caddy that goes around a large plastic tote. The gear caddy has places to hang scissors, nippers, floatant and pockets to put fly boxes, leaders and other items. Inside the box is where I store many of the items listed above. Another guide friend of mine uses plastic boxes set up in the back of his SUV with a wooden top that keeps everything in place.
Every few weeks be sure to do an inventory of your bag and keep it updated with any items that you may have used.
If I'm going on a trip or going in another persons vehicle I have a gear bag set up just for traveling. It's not as fully stocked as the one in my vehicle but it has most of the accessories I will need for the fishing trip.
I'm sure once you start stocking up your gear bag you will have items I forgot to mention or items I never though of. Being prepare for the unexpected is always a good idea and can turn what could have been a bad day into another good day on the water.

Walk Away from Pebble Mine

We might save it yet. 

https://www.anglingtrade.com/2018/06/06/fishermen-applaud-first-quantum-minerals-for-walking-away-from-pebble-call-for-gov-walker-and-sen-murkowski-to-take-swift-action/

Ireland & Scotland in the Rearview

We arrived home just a few days ago from Ireland with a Scotland extension added on to look around. We had very good trout fishing with Andrew Ryan at Clonmel. Ireland is having a very dry summer and while they need rain desperately, we have to say that we had wonderful trout fishing. Lots of fish caught on dries and dry/dropper, pleasant stream side lunches, and good accommodations. The salmon fishing was another story, a beautiful castle, lovely water, but very finicky fish. They weren't eating and fresh fish were not moving into the water while we were there. I guess that's Atlantic salmon fishing....

After Ireland most of our group flew to Edinburgh while Al & Mary Casale spent a couple extra days enjoying Dublin. As in Ireland, Scotland is having the driest, hottest year since 1976. We caught some trout on Carron Valley Loch, but the salmon would not cooperate. We had three days on the famed River Spey on the Gordon Castle water (which couldn't have been lovelier), but no fish. Water was warm and fish were sitting still.....unresponsive.

It was enough though to wet our appetite and we will certainly return. We love both Ireland and Scotland and we think this first exploratory blended itinerary is perfect for the future. Here are a few images from the trip.

ICAST/IFTD Show  

Barry and Cathy are with Sage, RIO, & Redington at the annual ICAST/IFTD show this week in Orlando, Florida. ICAST is the world's largest sportfishing trade show and is the showcase for the latest innovations in fishing gear, accessories and apparel. IFTD is paired up with ICAST for the fly fishing part of the industry. We'll hear all about the new products for 2019 when they get back in a few days. Make a note of Ignitor and Dart. Do they sound like rod models?

Fishing Creek Update

We are having an incredible season here on Fishing Creek. Water levels continue to be very good and with cool nights the fishing continues to be exceptional. Here are a few photos from recent angling guests to our water.

We hope everyone had a great 4th of July yesterday and can enjoy this beautiful weekend coming up with family & friends!  We'll be back next week!

Two Ways to Recover Slack
from Troutbitten

Domenick Swentosky's Tip #43. There are two ways to recover slack after the cast: stripping in line or lifting/moving the rod tip. Here are two scenarios for consideration.

https://troutbitten.com/2018/05/27/fifty-fly-fishing-tips-43-two-ways-to-recover-slack/

To quote Domenick, “So much of what we do out on the river comes back to the basics. It's a simple, intuitive game where all advanced techniques have their kernel in simplicity.”

Winter Here....Fall There

 As many of you know our favorite place to be in a northeastern winter is Argentina, and we try to be there as much as possible. There is nothing better than to be trout fishing in Patagonia in the fall season. It is easy to love thousands of miles of trout fishing, pristene high mountain lakes with trophy trout just waiting for a fly, miles and miles of wide open space, beautiful estancias, exceptional guides, great food and lodging, wine....well, you get the picture.

This is what our 2019 February and March schedule will be:

February 9 – 16 Estancia Laguna Verde (Jurassic Lake) 
February 17 – 23 Estancia Tecka
March 16 – 23 Estancia Tres Valles
March 24 – 30 Hosteria San Huberto (Rio Malleo)
March 30 – Apr 6 Limay River Lodge

Come with us. You'll be glad you did! More details.

Suppleflex, Powerflex, Fluroflex-- choose wisely

Ok, we know most anglers just grab whatever tippet material is handy as long as it's the right “X” but Simon tells us why understanding tippet choices can make a huge difference in our “catchability”.   

Bird's Nest Sulphur Emerger

It's all about sulphurs here in Pennsylvania right now. Anglers who stay on the water until dark will see incredible hatches of these mayflies along with a spattering of other summer flies. In this video from Midcurrent, Tim Flagler shows us how to tie the Bird's Nest Sulphur Emerger. Perfect timing for summer fishing.

https://midcurrent.com/videos/how-to-tie-a-birds-nest-sulphur-emerger/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a4d21ffba9-MidCurrent_October_5_2017_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-a4d21ffba9-18929377

First Aid Kit Essentials

If you're headed out on the Appalachian Trail or taking the kids camping, these are some essential items to keep in your First Aid Kit. In a recent piece for MidCurrent, Jess McGlothlin gives practical tips on what to include in your kit and why, but perhaps more importantly, how to pack it for convenience and efficiency. You can read his excellent 2-part article from the link.

Sponges, band-aids, butterfly bandages
Prep pads, moleskin
Tweezers, allergy ointment
Antibiotic cream, AfterBite
Ibuprofen
Towelettes
Medical tape
Clot material (pad)

Benadryl tabs
Imodium
Mucinex/DayQuill
Water purification tabs
Ibuprofen
Amoxicillin/cipro
Cough drops
Less drowsy Dramamine (seasickness)
Electrolyte tabs
Activated charcoal tabs

Suture kit
Gauze, tape, co-flex wrap
Leatherman or similar tool

Thank you, Jeff and MidCurrent.

Flying With The Family

Read about this family's interesting flying experience with Southwest Airlines..... it's a happy one. Good to know about this airline.

https://boardingarea.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6d73013b796c0ecc02ebb36aa&id=b66743b85b&e=a29a88a0e5

Our complements to Southwest.

It's Summer Time!

Sulphurs, slate drakes, beetles, flying ants – it is summer time fishing and everyone is loving it. Trout streams all over the northeast should be in great shape and fishing well. We continue to have a wet late spring/early summer and the extra water has kept our stream, Fishing Creek, fresh and cold. It's a great year to be fishing every chance you get as some of our guests here will attest!

Adipose & Frankfurter

As we move into summer and warmer air and water temperatures, it is more important than ever to be careful when handling and releasing fish. Here is a cute tongue-in-cheek clip from Redington on just that with Bob Frankfurter and Dr. Adipose. Enjoy.  

Stay Safe Stay In Touch

At one time or another we have all lost track of a partner, a child, a pet and the experience can be terrifying. It doesn't have to be in a remote area either, it can be at the county fair or a concert. The LynQ is ingenious, it's safe, doesn't require cell reception, and easy enough for young children to use.
Stay connected with LynQ.

https://www.anglingtrade.com/2018/05/21/lynq-a-new-way-to-track-people-for-safety-in-the-backcountry/