Barry's thoughts on the Ug Nymph

A few years back we were floating the Limay River in Patagonia and not having much luck. The water was a perfect level with good clarity and temperature, but for three hours we had not put a fish in the boat. Our guide, Nico, opened up his fly box and pulled out a fly he called the Ug. We knew the fly by another name although we had never fished it. One look at the fly and you realize how simple it is, a lot of rubber legs, a chenille body and weighted. Well, it saved our day then and it has many times since that day on the Limay. The Ug has produced some extraordinary fish here on Fishing Creek as well as other trout waters throughout the world. 

It works best fished deep with a dead drift technique. It certainly looks like a giant stone fly nymph or, in a darker color, a helgramite. That said, it also works on Susquehanna small mouth. If you like fishing nymphs and looking for big fish, this is a must have fly pattern in your fly box.

Click here to visit our Online Fly Shop

Salt Season

While we're knee deep in trout season here at home, we can't help but daydream about our Belize trip coming up quickly in early May. Sage has recently released a new Saltwater Campaign and we're happy to bring you the first segment.

If you've chased permit across the flats, you will love to read Tom Bie's perspective on permit, bones, and snook. It's easy reading. Enjoy.

https://www.sageflyfish.com/salt-season    

Eastern Pyrenees, Spain
October 14-21, 2017

We recently received a video clip from our outfitter, Ivan Tarin, in Spain which we'd like to share with you. It reminds us that Spain is about so much more than fishing. Yes, you can fish everyday if you wish, but there is also opportunity to visit medieval ruins, ancient villages and monasteries, vineyards, and castles. And the best part? You can combine lunch at the vineyard or a stop at the ruins with a day of fishing. Spain is also a wonderful destination for non anglers. Enjoy the video and consider joining us in October. Click here for more information.

Season Opens April 15

The season opens here this Saturday and Fishing Creek is in great shape. After lots of snow melt and rain in the last month, things have settled down and we're looking at a beautiful spring day to bring in the season. Flies are hatching, fish are hungry, and we're all excited! 

We're busy booking guides and hope that you can join us this spring. 

Argentina Recap

We had an amazing trip to Argentina traveling with four groups and visiting four estancias. We started out in Esquel and our first week was at Estancia Tres Valles with amazing late fall fishing. From there we traveled north to Estancia San Huberto with 5 days on the beautiful Malleo spring creek. After the Malleo, we visited historic Estancia Quemquemtreu but found dirty water on the Collon Cura and had to quickly change plans by finding interesting fishing on the lagoons (gorgeous browns) and the QQ spring creek.We finished up with 3 days of fishing on the famous Limay looking for a trip fish, and found a few. The Limay doesn't give up many fish, but what you get may be measured in pounds instead of inches. Our departure was bitter sweet. We love home, but we can't wait to return to Argentina.

We thank everyone who traveled with us.   

Cathy checks in

Hi from San Huberto on the Malleo River in Patagonia. We’ve had an amazing two weeks of fishing, last week at Tres Valles, near Esquel, and this week at San Huberto. It’s late summer here and the weather has been warm and sunny everyday. We put our raincoats on one afternoon for a shower and otherwise it’s been shirt sleeves. The lakes in the Rio Pico area gave up some huge fish in the 28” - 32” class and ranging from 14-16 pounds, fishing on the rivers was non-stop and lots of fun and here on the Malleo spring creek, we’ve had a week of dry/dropper fishing with lots of rainbows and browns and the occasional 17-21” fish. It’s been an amazing trip.  

The Travel Insider

Cathy subscribes to a travel newsletter called The Travel Insider. We thought you would find this man's experience worth the read.

Unaccountable Pilots 

So, a passenger on a flight from Las Vegas to Honolulu felt cold, which prompted him to ask the flight attendant for a blanket.

The flight attendant agreed to provide a blanket, but said that Hawaiian Airlines would charge $12 to sell him the blanket. (Note that on Hawaiian website, they appear to show that a blanket and pillow together can be purchased for $10).

Whatever the actual amount the man was asked to pay (most reports of the incident are saying $12), this upset the man and he said he would like to discuss the policy of selling blankets rather than being loaned one for free, with an appropriate airline executive. Apparently he complained about being cold and felt that if the airline was going to run its planes cold, it should provide blankets.

The flight attendant obliged, and arranged for the man, in mid-flight, to speak to some staff member, probably at the airline’s head office in Honolulu. During the course of the discussion, the passenger said, as part of complaining of the airline’s blanket selling policy that ‘he would like to take someone behind the woodhouse for this’. The pilot overheard the comment, and so, in a tour-de-force virtuoso display of command decision making, did the obviously only logical thing in response.

Which was, alas, to turn the plane round, spend time dumping fuel off the coast, then do an emergency landing back at LAX, calling for police and FBI agents to be at the gate to take the man into custody for endangering the safety of the entire flight. The 66 yr old passenger was duly ‘escorted off the flight’ by police while the rest of the passengers were ‘on lock down’.
After interviewing the hapless man and crew members, neither the airport police nor the FBI felt any need to press charges. Apparently uttering that phrase is not the same as a threat to endanger the safety of the plane – who knew? Clearly not the pilot. But, noting the probable $12,000 or greater cost to the airline for the ’emergency diversion’ and fuel dumping, to say nothing of the inconvenience (the flight ended up in Honolulu four hours late) to about 250 passengers on board, a police spokesman said that if it was him, he’d probably have bought the blanket himself and given it to the man.

The man took a later flight to Honolulu.
Don’t we as passengers have the right to demand some common sense on the part of our pilot? Doesn’t the pilot have an obligation to his passengers to do all he safely can to get the plane to its destination more or less on time, and an obligation to his company to not waste five-figure sums after a mild-mannered 66 yr old man complained about having to buy a blanket because the plane was cold (ummm, how about offering simply to increase the heat onboard a bit)?

The person arrested at LAX should be the pilot, on charges of criminal stupidity.

The author's suggestion for the pilot might be a bit harsh, but what has happened to commonsense?

10 Tips on Fishing Nymphs  

1. Make sure your fly (flies) are getting down to where the fish are. If it's spring time and the water is high and cold, you may have to add split shot. If you're not picking up leaves and dirt on the bottom, you're not on the bottom.

2. Fish two nymphs. The first fly you tie on should be the heavier and bigger of the two. Start with something like a size 12 bead head hare's ear and with a cinch knot attach a 14” section of tippet onto the back of the hook. To the other end attach a size 14 or 16 caddis pupa, scud, or smaller nymph, this is your dropper. Refer back to #1.

3. Use a strike indicator or a RIO indictor line. Think about the position of the strike indicator and the approximate depth of the water. The indicator controls how deep the flies will be. If the indicator is too far up the leader you'll miss the strike and you will be hung up a lot. If it's too far down the leader it will hold the flies off the bottom. Experiment with different indicator positions.

4. Experiment with different kinds of strike indicators. Whether you decide on yarn, Styrofoam, balloons or plastic, each will ride a little differently on the water. The plastic balloon type will float better with heavier nymphs. If the water is clear a smaller lighter yarn indicator is best. You don't want to spook or alert the fish when it lands on the water.

5. Check your flies often and slow down your cast. With two flies, a strike indicator, and split shot on your leader your chances of getting a tangle will increase. Check also to make sure the bottom fly does not tangle on the dropper line.

6. If you find a wind knot in your leader, get rid of it.

7. False cast as little as possible. If you keep your flies wet they will sink faster and the more you cast the easier it is to get a tangle.

8. Experiment with different fly patterns, sizes, split shot, and indicator placement until you find the right combination for the right water on the day you're fishing.

9. Be aware of what is going on around you. Learn your hatches. If it is time for March Browns to hatch, a March Brown nymph is a good choice.

10. There are exceptions to every rule – be flexible.

Here's a link to our store where we've got lots of great flies to help you fill your fly box.

And speaking of nymphs, here's a link to the latest segment of RIO's How-To series, How to Fish a Nymph and Indicator.

Requirements of a Stream Trout

We found an interesting excerpt from Jim McLennan's book on what is needed for a healthy trout stream. Food for thought as we anticipate spring and trout season. While the book is based on streams in Alberta, Canada, the requirements for a healthy trout stream are the same everywhere. We hope you enjoy it.  Click here to read the article

Sili-legs Sale

Our last order of Sili-Legs bonefish flies came in with the wrong heads so we're putting them on sale.
Instead of bead chain eyes, they have small barbell eyes so they are not as pictured or described in our store. Other than being a little tad heavier, they are tied beautifully  

Chartreuse or Tan. Size 6.

Order Here While Supply Lasts

$1.25 each (Reg. $2.00)

Belize River Lodge
May 6-13

Thinking about a warm tropical destination with bonefish, permit, snook, tarpon? We've still got one room (1 or 2 persons) available at Belize River Lodge, May 6-13, 2017. Lots of species including a chance at big tarpon. It can be some pretty amazing fishing. View the photos and then call Frontiers and join the fun!

Protect Pennsylvania's Streams

Penn Future is urging the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to take action on the upcoming PFB&C vote that, if successful, would protect 146 of our state's cleanest streams and home to many wild trout populations. Read more, get involved, and sign the petition. With enough public support, streams throughout the state will be protected from development and other industrial uses tha could threaten water quality and trout populations. www.pennfuture.org

Barry's Thoughts on Streamers

My rule on streamers is: They can save the day and I put a lot of faith in that rule. I know that everyone enjoys an insect hatch and rising fish but what if the stream is off color because of rain or snow run-off? Perhaps it's early morning and no sign of a hatch or rising fish? Or the water is high and cold, as in early season? The list goes on, but one thing is certain – if you fish streamers you can cover a lot of water and, in my opinion, streamers produce bigger fish. Big trout don't usually grow big on a diet of small insects. Streamers provide the angler with the perfect search-type fly which generally imitates a small baitfish, crayfish or sculpin minnow – something that a larger trout will want to eat. A meal.

Most of the time I like to fish streamers with an across and down stream presentation. Retrieve speeds are important, if you have super cold water temperatures the trout may be lethargic and sitting on the bottom so it's important to get your fly down to them. Keep your rod tip low and close to the water surface. Learn to slip strike by setting the hook with your line hand. If you have a strike and miss the fish you have only moved the fly a few inches and the trout has the opportunity to pursue the fly again. If you set the hook by lifting the rod tip you pull the fly up and out and the game is over. And, make sure you have the best line for the job. A favorite of mine is the RIO Outbound short. It turns over large streamers easily and comes in a variety of sink tips to get your streamers down.

Super Buggers continue to be my go to fly; black for off-color water, tan or olive if the stream has a crayfish population. After that fur leech patterns in white, black or olive; and articulated streamers are always in my fly box. If the pattern is not producing, change patterns. Make sure your fly is down where the fish are and vary your retrieves. Fish your streamers with confidence and you may catch that fish of a lifetime.

Shop for streamers & other flies here

Reading the Gauges

This piece comes to us from MidCurrent and is a topic that we all hear about, but can everyday fluctuations in fish catching be triggered by a morning-to-afternoon change in pH? Boots Allen gives us some interesting information on this old but still very important subject. Worth reading.

http://midcurrent.com/science/reading-the-gauges-ph-levels/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f0aebda8a8-MidCurrent_March_8_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-f0aebda8a8-18929377

Up Jeep Creek

We stumbled across this video and do you know what we like best about it? Well, the star is not a young rearing-to-go young guy. We think you might relate. Anyway, it doesn't teach or make you a better fisherman, it's just nice to watch. Enjoy.

And as promised, here are the links to the photo galleries of Barry & Cathy's most recent trip to Argentina. 

Jurassic Lake

Tecka

1 Room Left for Belize

May 6-13, Belize River Lodge. Join us for a week of tarpon, permit, and bonefish. 1 Room for 1 or 2 people. This trip is scheduled for big migratory tarpon which pass through at this time of year, but there are always baby and juveniles around – a lot of fun on a fly rod. Permit, bones, jacks, and other species too. Check it out and come along.

The Rearview Mirror

We got back a couple days ago from Laguna Verde (aka Jurassic Lake) and Estancia Tecka, in Argentina. Had amazingly huge fish at Jurassic, as hoped for, with the biggest being 20+ caught by Jan Georing and lots of fish in the 12-14 pound class. We had all kinds of weather – wind, calm, rain, sun, hot, cold. It is an amazing place!  

Then we traveled to Estancia Tecka and fished the lovely Tecka River, Corcovado River, and small lakes on the 435,000 acre merino sheep ranch. Stayed at the historic early 1900s ranch house and enjoyed a week of mostly dry fly fishing, good weather, good fishing, and of course, good wines.

The more we see of Argentina, the more we love it. Keep it on your bucket list.  If you'd like to see more photos, next week we'll share a link to our gallery folder.   

How To Mend

We are happy to announce the next installment in RIO's How To series. Mending is so critical in allowing the fly to float or drift at the proper speed and to delay as much as possible the point in which the fly drags and you have to re-cast. Russ Miller not only shows up how to mend correctly, but also how NOT to mend. It's helpful and informative. We hope you enjoy it.

Availability on the Bighorn

We still have a few rooms left on our 30th annual trip to the Bighorn River in August for what might be the most incredible dry fly fishing you've ever seen. In recent years the trico fishing has been amazing and we expect a repeat in 2017. Float the river in comfortable skiffs and get out to fish the productive runs, pools, and side channels. Check out the video clip. For prices, dates & details.

Featured Fly: Mayfly Spinners

Mayfly spinners are incredibly important to a fly fisherman who enjoys matching the hatch. The final stage of the adult mayfly mates in the air often high above the water until finally both male and females come to the waters surface and after egg laying by the females, both lay spent on the surface with their cellophane-like wings out to the side. Most of the spinner falls happen in the last hour or two of light and they can provide a feeding frenzy with trout quick to take advantage of the massive numbers of insects. Like most rules in fly fishing, there are exceptions though, for example the early morning trico spinner falls. But whenever you encounter a spinner fall you want to be prepared with a hatch matching imitation. 

We have two favorite spinner designs that we fish with. The first was made popular by the late Vincent Marino who believed that the spent hackle wing was the perfect imitation – and we agree on water that is flat and smooth. But on faster rougher water we like the poly wing spinner which floats better under those conditions. We offer both to imitate the major eastern hatches. Click here to go to our store.

Two-Handed Season

Are you a subscriber to the Sage blog? Two Handed Season is a beautiful piece written about, well – you guessed it – two handed rods. If you love steelhead season and this type of fishing (and even if you don't), I think you'll enjoy the story and the photographs. Oh, and don't forget to subscribe. You won't want to miss the next issue.

http://www.sageflyfish.com/two-handed-season

1 Spot to Share in Africa

We have a unique opportunity for one lucky woman. A good friend of ours has reserved a spot on our east Africa safari this summer (July 27-Aug.12), and is hoping for another woman to join her to share the accommodation. This is the very last spot on this exceptional safari, timed for the Great Migration. Without a doubt, a trip of a lifetime. For prices, dates & details.

The Family is Growing!

We're adding 3 new colors to the Super Bugger Family. Always a popular streamer wherever trout and smallmouth are found, we're excited to add yellow, chartreuse, and white to our long time standards of olive, black and tan. In stock and ready to go! Go to store.

*A Winter Diehard Talks*

Our guest blog this week is from our friend and neighbor, Jared, one of the most serious fishermen we know. Enjoy.

Winter Fishing  'A Window of Opportunity'  By Staskiel

When Cathy Beck asked me to write about my experiences with winter fly fishing, it quickly drew a clear recollection of how I fell in love with fishing during what amounts to the years harshest conditions. I was a younger man at the time, still sporting skin tight neoprene waders, boots tied with lashed together laces from random tennis shoes, these were the fish bum- budget days. I recall having just recieved my tax return, so like any other American patriot, I needed to help out local business, more specifically, purchasing a new fly rod.

I remember telling the fly shop owner he must think I was crazy heading out in 18 degree weather to try my new prize out, but to my surprise, he said "No, not at all!" He sent me on my way with the bare essentials, a pat on the back,
and somehow the rest seemed to fall into place. It's like anything else in life, what seems intimidating or daunting, seems unenjoyable, the fishing that cold afternoon simply was anything but that. That day a friend and I had our best catch rate of our lives, it just seemed like the fish wanted to eat anything and everything.  And like most best experiences we have in fishing, when I close my eyes, I can see see those brown trout in that emerald green central PA limestone water. 

As years past, more pieces of the puzzle began to come together with regard to fishing during the winter months. Key elements are of course the usual, dress appropriately, rig for deep slow drifts, usually in more drab colored presentations, but most importantly look for that 'window' as my friends and I call it here in central PA, that is, the time of the day when trout tend to be most active. During the winter months, this often occurs during the suns peak angle, and
thus, stream temperature. There is a big misconception that fish will not eat if the water temperature is below 42F. It's my opinion, that fish catch rate seems to increase more precisely with the rate and speed  that the water warms
throughout the period of a day, not the actual ambient temperature. Pay close attention to the shallow tailouts and inlets to deeper pools, these areas can act as staging areas for very large trout to bask in the mid winter sun. Some of my largest winter trout have been taken in exceptionally shallow waters, on exceptionally sunny and cold days.

If there is any key determining factor to lean on while winter fishing, attempt to determine your local waters best window of opportunity, once you accomplish that, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.  

Farbank President Moves On

Travis Campbell, president of Farbank Enterprises for 8 years, has accepted a position at Smart Wool. Travis is a long time employee with Farbank, owner of the Sage/Redington/RIO brands. He will be missed by all of us. Good luck with your move and your new position, Travis. Read More.

Winter Fly Fishing

We found an interesting perspective and short story in MidCurrent by Michigan guide, Tom Hazleton, on winter fishing. We hope you enjoy it. We're having a mild winter here in Pennsylvania – a good winter to continue fishing.  

http://midcurrent.com/techniques/walking-the-line/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=97a2dbd9e1-MidCurrent_January_25_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-97a2dbd9e1-18929377

Fly Fishing Show Season

It was great to see so many of our readers and friends at the Somerset, NJ, Fly Fishing Show over the weekend. Unlike many years, the show had great weather and no interference from play-off or Super Bowl games, so we enjoyed record attendance and lots of new interest in tackle. The star player in the Sage booth was the new "X" rod. RIO was busy helping anglers match proper lines, explain tapers, weights, presentation, spey, etc. Of course, Redington was showing new waders, boots, rods & reels. The show is an excellent opportunity to see new products, ask questions, and to test rods. Thank you to everyone who attended.

The Fly Fishing Show moves to Atalanta, GA, this weekend, Friday & Saturday. If you're in the area, stop by. For location, hours, presentations, and seminars, go to flyfishingshow.com