The Force is Strong in this one...

New to fly fishing, cousin Matt is lighting some piscatorial fireworks this holiday weekend.

Saving the Greenbacks

The Denver post has an interesting article about efforts to save the rare greenback cutthroat trout from effects of the Hayden Pass fire.

"Colorado Parks and Wildlife says many of the rare fish — with genetic links to the iconic, pure greenback cutthroat trout — were taken from the fire zone to an isolation chamber at the Roaring Judy Hatchery near Gunnison."

Quote of the week: Blind Luck

Darrell Pendergrass describes fly fishing for trout at night in his article "Fishing blindly for trout with the eternal optimist" via the Superior Telegram:

"Simply put, almost blindly a cast is made, a fly drifts casually for a bit, and then the soft sound of a trout coming to the surface is heard. You need only to lift your rod and line from the water to know that you’ve succeeded in hooking a fish. It’s calm. It’s quiet. It’s perfect. And I believe the term ‘blind luck’ was actually coined by Scottish fly fisherman back in the nineteenth century."

Colorado Reservoir Dogs

Big water


Big country



Big fish!

FlyfishMagazine.com's Western Correspondent, Ali Hassan and I spent a couple of days battling 30 MPH plus winds and tough conditions trying to catch some big Colorado reservoir trout. High winds and waves made the fishing tough but Ali managed to pick up a few nice trout using gear. I reverted to moving water in a canyon and got more than my share of fish mostly on dries. I wonder if people ever question why I always show up at business meetings tired, with wind/sunburn and a smile on my face?

A trip to the land of my birth

Ventured to the Great North to "visit family and possibly do some fishing". Visited family for three days out of six and fished every day. Here is a pic of the nicest trout I caught on the West Branch of the Delaware:



I must say that the biggest adjustment I had to make in going back to this fishing after so many years was setting the hook. I broke off a high number of very large trout. 7x just doesn't hold up like 12 lb. I had no trouble with the casting and/or seeing the rises however and was able to put my fly where it needed to be. Presentation is still the number one skill that needs to be perfected in order to get strikes from tricky fish. Setting the hook without breaking the line is the number one skill to get them in for the hero shot...

Capt. Gordon

Food: Candied Trout

Available from Cunningham's Scotch Cold Smoking; trout that will satisfy the angler's sweet tooth.

A favourite west coast treat, first developed by native peoples renowned for their creative smoked fish delicacies. At Cunningham's we put a twist on the idea by using trout instead of salmon. Our candy is marinated then cold smoked for 25 hours. When it has lost about 35% of its moisture it is finally kippered. It is sold vacuum-packed and frozen in portions between 110 and 180 grams.

Put & Take Friday: Quote of the Week

From CapeCodToday.com comes this Friday's Put & Take Quote of the Week:

"Smoked trout taste like salmon, and, best of all, the fish are free! That is, unless you are factoring in the cost of a freshwater fishing license, which helps to support the 'farming' of the gorgeous, pink-fleshed fish the hatcheries stock our ponds with. And unless you add up the costs of rods and reels and tackle and waders and aerators and jars of Power Bait and hours of watching bobbers or flipping spoons and more hours of gutting and brining and smoking... oh, and, of course, the smoker. And splitting and curing maple and apple and even cedar."

Orvis Podcast: Rosenbauer on Getting Small

Orvis has just released a new Podcast and this time acclaimed angler Tom Rosenbauer, expands on his winter fly fishing theme with some excellent information about fishing with midges. He gives some great tips and at the same time challenges us to put aside our excuses and catch more fish on these tiny flies. He also reveals why many anglers are addicted to small flies.

Listen to Orvis' latest offering via their website.

Trout Bearing Gifts

The folks at VosselerPro-Flyfishing sent out this cool salmonid Christmas card. We approve and take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas Eve.

Meine Forelle

Favorite dish of the most evil person to ever live? Brown Trout in butter sauce. We bet he poached them during the spawn as well.

"In the next episode of his series 'Plat Prefere,' or 'Favorite Dish,' acclaimed Belgian TV chef Jeroen Meus will be seen travelling to Hitler's haunts in southern Germany to prepare trout with butter sauce. The dish is described as 'a succulent festive meal' and is said to be one of Hitler's favourites. "

Link to the article about Hitler's favorite foods via the UK's Daily Mail.

The Colorado Equations

Business trip + Early flight + (Sultan of Slabs + belly boats) = unexpected fishing trip.

(High Altitude Mountain Reservoir + Belly Boat + angler who normally lives at 741 feet above sea level) + 40 MPH winds = Colorado Cardio Workout.

Anglers - Camera = Negative Fish Porn

Other angler remarking about my travel rod + "old and slow" = Potential for punch in face

Ali + Incidental Ingestion of Lake Water = Green Angler

Inside Scoop: New N.C. Trophy Trout Water

We here at FlyfishMagazine.com recently got a hold of a tidbit of insider information about a new trophy trout fishery that will be of interest to Carolina fly anglers. North Carolina Fly Fishing Team Director and Rumble in the Rhododendron organizer T.E. Shuler reports:

The Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly Fishing Competition will kick off the opening of the new Catch and Release section in Cherokee October 18th.The section will be fly fishing only, catch and release. and will be open year round. Rules are specific that you must be using a fly rod, fly reel, fly line and leader, with a fly made from natural and synthetic material. This will eliminate guys using a fly and casting bubble on Zebco or the guy using a cheese worm on a fly rod.

It is a 2.5 mile stretch of the Ravens Fork starting at the confluence with the Oconoluftee River and running up the Ravens Fork for 2.5 miles to a place known as Stoney Curve, which is close to Myer's store.The section will be clearly marked with plaques with regulations posted.To fish this section you will be required to purchase a Special Use Permit (word is that this will cost $20) which is good for one year from the date of purchase, and a daily Tribal Fishing Permit for each day you wish to fish the Tribal Enterprise Water.

The water will be stocked with a mind boggling amount of fish. Everything from Rainbow, Brown, Brook, Donaldson Strain Rainbows, to Golden Trout. And yes there will be plenty of trophy proportioned fish. With what I know about the section, I wouldn't step in there with nothing short of a 5wt. The water will patrolled around the clock by Tribal Game Wardens particularly assigned to just the Catch and Release Section, so would be poachers beware.

This is a momentous effort by the Cherokee Fish and Wildlife Management. They are offering to the public something that would normally be completely private, or cost $100's a day to fish for a fraction of the cost. They are very serious about conservation, preservation, and stream restoration. They are currently conducting studies on many levels with their fisheries and surrounding tribal waters. The things they are currently doing, and have planned for the years to come is truly amazing.

For literally dozens of years The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, who's tribal lands reside in the mountains of Western North Carolina, have long been know for their operation of a successful put and take trout fishery. Anglers who purchase a tribal fishing license gain access to some of the most heavily stocked trout waters in the state. Up until now this fishery has received limited attention from fly anglers and had for the most part been the domain of the meat fisherman. My very first trout fishing experience came on these very waters fishing with night crawlers and corn on opening day of trout season.

While there are no allusions that these won't be "pellet fed pigs" as we sometimes call fat hatchery trout, in my opinion the tribe's move to open a catch and release fishery that is managed for trophy trout in what was once pure put and take water is a bold step and one that will be a big draw to the area and just might open a large door for more anglers to try the sport of fly fishing.

For more information in the near future see the Cherokee Fish and Wildlife Website. If you are interested in taking part in what may very well be this year's largest fly fishing tournament in the Southeast check out the Rumble in the Rhododendron website for more information. Our informants have also told us that the original purse of $2,500 for this event has been increased a substantial amount. More on this later.

Mayfly Week: Jurassic MayFlies

Well actually Upper Eocene Mayflies in amber via The Virtual Fossil Museum. Bring on the prehistoric trout.

This fine example of a rare inclusion is found with a biting midge and a worker ant, making for a fine diverse example of the insects found in the Baltic some 40 million years ago.

Trophy Wife's First Trout on the Fly

What ever will we do with her? Now she is convinced that all wild rainbows are this big. She caught this one while fishing Alaska's Copper River. I managed to get a slab or two myself but jet lag or not she insisted that I get this posted tonight.

Food: Trout Sausage

Ok, so it isn't exactly trout bacon but it is probably the next best thing, trout sausage.

From Sunbursts' Kitchens comes a terrific idea to spice up a brunch or breakfast. Sunburst Trout Sausage Patties are a flavorful, healthful alternative to bacon and traditional sausage. A tray containing four 2 ounce patties will be a great addition to eggs, cooked potatoes, or a new wrinkle to Eggs Benedict

Available for purchase here in North Carolina or shipped directly to your door from the Sunburst Trout Company of Canton, NC. We are buttering our cat head biscuits as we type.

Public Access Fight Comes To Carolina

photo: Doug Lester

The North Carolina Public Access Foundation has received IRS approval making donations to the group tax deductible. The group was formed a year and a half ago with a mission of working to maintain and improve public access.

The North Carolina Public Access Foundation was formed to identify, protect and enhance access for the general pubic to North Carolina’s array of natural resources. As property values have risen dramatically over the last few years access points for the public have been converted to private use areas. This has severely diminished or eliminated access to outdoor activities for the public. The North Carolina Public Access Foundation is working to improve this situation for all.

According to the information we received their plans include "oceans, lakes, piers, boat ramps trout streams, public parking, walk-overs and anything else to make sure the public is able enjoy one of the things that makes North Carolina special."

The group's Board of Directors includes notables such as the Deputy Director of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Gordon Myers and Al Baird, the Vice Chair of the North Carolina Fishing Pier Society.

The group is currently seeking donations in order to get their efforts started. Checks may be sent to:

NCPAF
1502 Ebb Dr
Wilmington, NC 28409.

With property values skyrocketing along all kinds of bodies of water in the Carolina's, residents will no doubt benefit from a strong organization looking out for the access rights of the public. For additional information contact Info@NCPAFonline.com

Bear Grylls Stocks Trout

From NewberryToday.co.uk comes a report that Everest climber and T.V. survival guy, Bear Grylls, took time out to help a group of primary school children stock trout in an area river.

All 30 children in Class 5 took it in turns to fish the 40 young trout out of a bucket and drop them in the river, helped by television survival expert Bear Grylls, who was invited by children at the school to join them. “It’s brilliant to encourage the kids to understand about nature and the cycle of life, after they have seen the fish grow,” he said. “A lot of what I do with survival is eating fish when they’re much bigger, and that’s all part of the cycle. I know some of the kids here, so that’s why I got involved.”

In our warped minds this act of salmonid kindness officially absolves Mr. Grylls of any issues that he might have had with hotel stays or bear suits in the past.

photo credit: BearGrylls.com

Monday Fly Fishing Photo Zen / Caption Contest

Roscoe, NY AKA Trout Town USA where the trout are as big as the gas prices. Best caption wins a copy of Fish Bum I: Mongolia - River Wolf the guys at AEG Media. The editor's Trophy Wife will be the inpartial judge. Leave a comment and get some righteous Schwag.

Photo Credit: Midhudsonnews.com

The Fat Trout Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Because fly fishing for trout and drinking go hand in hand.

What distillery does The Fat Trout come from? In the world of angling, it is one thing you don’t brag about. That is where the good angling spots are. Cork does not want to tell what distillery the Lowland comes from, this has to do with bottling contracts and such, but they admit that it has been bottled by reputable independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, but that doesn’t help us identify the distillery. That said, the number of operating Lowland distilleries are quite few, and those producing today are Auchentoshan, Bladnoch and Glenkinchie. Of course there are stock of shut down distilleries around, for instance St. Magdalene and Rosebank, but since The Fat Trout retails at such a good price, it seems unrealistic that it could be rare whiskies like these. We leave it at this, even though we think it is slightly (very) annoying for a connoisseur not to know the distillery.

Visit The Fat Trout.

Avoid Fishing Pressure - Visit Minnesota

According to this article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune the trout streams in the South Central part of the state are virtually untapped.

"I'd be awfully surprised if we see another trout angler, especially now that walleye season is open," said Mickey Johnson of Brainerd as we walked with fly rods in hand along a faint woodland trail earlier this week.

The photo above if of the Davidson River here in North Carolina. As you can see it is quite "tapped".