Pole Clips

It took a little trial and error but I was able to come up with some DIY pole clips for the boat that
1. Hold the pole in place while motoring or trailering.
2. Don't interfere with the option to row
3. Don't cause a line snagging issue from for the bow caster.

Here is how it went...

1 1/4" Schedule 40 PVC...

...worked out well but I was a little concerned with the strength of the bolt hole area.

UHMW - great stuff

2 identical for the bow and stern and a mirrored version for the midline

snapped tight...and doesn't mar the pole

Sturdy with just enough spring to POP the pole in.

Good clearance so it doesn't rattle on the road.

Revised Bow version...

...snaps down when fishing and doesn't grab line.

Anchor's away

The dog is too young for a kennel.
The girls have spring break.

These two items are the reason why my wife and kids are in FL basking in the sun and kicking back in the sand.

These two items are also the reason why I've finally found the time to get some boat work done.

Following the advice from the guys at Lee Lock, I installed a hatch cover on the deck of my boat.
It gave me enough access to mount the Bow Mount Anchor Sytem.  It was no problem to completely contort my hand with an adjustable angle socket wrench and line up the nut and bolt.  My knuckles bled a "little"... 
I made the mistake of not completely tightening the first nut so I could shift the anchor lock into position over the second hole and get that one installed.  The problem came when I went back to nut/bolt #1 to tighten it.

No amount of fumbling could get the socket seated on the nut...soooo, I ended up drilling it out and starting over, THIS TIME staying on the nut until it was tight.  My knuckles bled a little more...

I had just finished when JP showed up with some "DRY FLY Vodka".

I don't remember what happened after that.

Full Circle?

I was walking the banks of my home trout stream recently when I spotted a bit of fur.  I stooped, picked it up, gave it the sniff test and pocketed it. 

I figured an owl must've destroyed a squirrel and left it's meatless tail for me...

It sat on the dash of my car as MK and I drove north to a flyshop for a day of talking about steelhead with a bunch of guys that appreciate fish like that.

I glanced at it a few times as we drove and decided that it should become bonefish flies.

This morning I brought the vise upstairs to the dining room table and started in.

2 dozen flies...1/2 doz heavy dumbell eyes, 1/2 doz light dumbell eyes, 1/2 doz heavy beadchain eyes, 1/2 doz light beadchain eyes.

As I was tying, the birds at the backyard feeder ceased their singing. 

The hawk in the tree stayed around just long enough for a few photos.

I decided that perhaps it wasn't an owl that ate this squirrel after all.

It was probably a hawk and I hoped it was this hawk.

That'd be pretty neat.

"Angler visited by hawk that provides him his tying material"

If indeed it WAS this hawk that ate THIS squirrel I have some logistics to work out.  Do hawk's hunting grounds extend over 25 miles? 

Maybe. 

But the bigger question?...the tail that I found is the same size and "feel" of a squirrel's tail...EXCEPT, whoever saw one this color??  Ginger with white tips?

Before

 

  

During...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, during

After

Deschutes Round 2

Heading out this week to float the Deschutes.  I've been too distracted with the other responsibilities and projects to give the preparations their due.  Luckily I tied enough flies for the last trip to cover me for at least another 5 days (or years) on the river.  The decree came down from the captains of our boats...Skagit lines and heavy tips will be outlawed with the exception of the bright sun hours of high afternoon.  Scandies it is...swing'em up. 

I started a checklist last night and put together a few piles of carefully sorted gear.  When space and weight are important considerations, the idea is to bring just enough.  From there, it's necessary to fit the "just enough" into dry bags.  Between rain and river running, you can't afford to allow anything to get wet.  "Just enough" when wet, quickly becomes "not enough". 

Stay dry, stay happy.

Speaking of staying dry, part of my trip prep was to drop some new sheetmetal screws into the soles of my wading boots.  I was going to spring for the manufacturer's labeled carbide tipped versions for $30 but the $1.25 box of steel screws I bought 4 years ago isn't empty and they worked well enough in the past.  I'm usually all in on gear and gadgets but I have seemingly decided to draw the line on an extra $28.75 for riverbed grippage.

I started this post this morning and let it marinate on my desktop all afternoon.  Since my original typing I've received a few updates from out west suggesting that the lower stretches of the D may be unfishable due to high water.  There was a mention of a few other rivers as a fallback plan in case things don't clear in time.  As I read the options for plan B, C and D I chuckled thinking that ANY one of them was worth the price of admission and it was almost embarrassing to think of any of these places as a "back-up plan".

The Moon is flooded, we may have to settle for Saturn, Jupiter or Mars. 
Fire the thrusters...Giddyup.

Rigging 4

The lean bar and the deck Hydroturf are down.  The next step is to paint the floor and lay down some more Hydroturf.  It appears that the planning and research has paid off....exciting times.

Add caption

HEX - trade secrets

I have fished a fair number of hex hatches over the years and I have settled on certain aspects of fly design.  There are a number of excellent patterns on the market and many more tied by guys like me who have their own secret "Hex" weapon.  But, when it comes down to the few hours a year I get to fish the hexagenia hatch, (and if I am fishing dry) I tie on one of these two patterns.

Here is what I've concluded about dry flies for the hex hatch.
1.  I like an extended body...but I don't like them to be rigid.  I've had a number of fish suck a fly down and yet I never got a hook in them.  I believe that the rigid extended bodies have kept the hook from getting into the "hooking zone".  I originally switched to a segmented body threaded onto a 5wt running line thinking that the line would add floation.  The segmentation worked well as I believe that my hooking percentage went up.  I don't think the 5wt running line was as limp as it should've been so I've since changed to doubled over 4-5x tippet...you'll see what I'm talking about in the pics below.

2. I fish spinners 95% of the time.  If it's a spinner fall the spinners "match the hatch" (or more correctly the "fall".  If it's an emergence, I believe the fish see the down winged version as a cripple/stillborn or at least a healthy struggling fly with damp wings unable to fly.  I believe that fish that have spent a few nights feeding on a hex emergence see this version of the fly as easy pickings. 

I've reached a point in my Hex tying that I haven't revised this fly much in the past few years.  It's a little bit tedious to tie in terms of prep work, but once the extended body is assembled it's pretty smooth sailing.  Take a look and if you are interested, confused, or have some thoughts on improving these patterns... shoot me a message.

Salmo's Hex Dun

Old aluminum tent pole, sharpened and beveled to cut foam disks. 

 

 

 

Disks threaded onto doubled over 4-5x tippet

Zap-A-Gap on Tippet and then foam is slid into place. Doubled tippet left long to lash to the hook and as tails. 

Extended Body attached to the hook

Parachute wing post of relatively stiff (but not too stiff!) synthetic.

Under Thorax of foam lashed and thorax dubbed.  Add two hackle feathers.

Hackle wrapped, thorax foam pulled under and secured behind the eye.

Clip excess foam, whip finish and cement the thread.  Abdomen colored with marker (optional). 

View from below.

Salmo's Hex Spinner

Extended body attached to the hook.

Synthetic down wing + a little flash, figure 8 tied.

Top View

Dubbed Thorax

Foam Head/Thorax.  Poke a hole in the foam and slide over the eye.

Lash the foam behind the wing / in front of the extended body.

Cut foam.

Vice Time

Playing around with a little deer hair and epoxy...the Gulf of Mexico on my mind.

While we sit in the snow II

I decided a little more painting was in order and nothing warms the soul in dead of winter like dreaming about bonefish...here is what I came up with:

While we sit in the snow...

I got a message from Tim Pearson at River Blend Studios and he suggested that I dig my paints out of hibernation and paint a picture of a Brule River Steelhead in exchange for one of his.  Excited, flattered and a little scared were my emotions (in that order).  I haven't painted in 10 years.  With just the right push at the right time I decided to give it a go.  He suggested that I paint for an hour or so and, when finished, box it up and send it to him.  I headed out to the art supply store to update my supplies and returned with a few new drawing pencils, erasers, drawing pens, brushes and tubes of watercolor.  Tim is a masterful watercolor artist and I decided to follow his lead and give them a try despite never having used them.  Nothing like putting yourself on the spot...

Basically the end result was a graphic pen drawing with a watercolor overlay.  I took the hour deadline and multiplied it by about 15.  My painting, like my fishing is deliberate, intense and hard-earned.  As they say in the "Movie" "...all good things - trout as well as eternal salvation - came by grace; and grace comes by art; and art does not come easy."

The exercise was good for me and I was comfortable sending Tim the piece:

Tim followed up by sending me his beautiful rendition of a Brule Steelhead...I'm sure he probably cranked this out in an hour (which really pisses me off!)

More Rain!!!!

Another dose of the life giving liquid!!
Not a lot...but some.  Is the glass half empty or half full?
Neither, but at least it's no longer bone dry.

At the vice with new technology

I just recv'd my shipment of Clear Cure Goo.  I think I may be in love.  After years and years and years of trying to find the perfect epoxy for a myriad of patterns, ruining dozens if not hundreds of flies and watching the epoxy turn amber after a season....along comes Clear Cure Goo.  With a few different  in viscosities, it seems that the options are endless.   Once the Goo is in place, simply hit it with the UV light for 5-10 seconds and you are DONE!  No more drying motors!!!!!!!!!

I cranked out a 1/2 doz Deceivers and I was very happy with the outcome (at least the outcome of the heads and eyes, it seems I may needs some new Indian Strung Hackle in white and certainly some new bucktail...).

I also tried something else...By tying in a mono loop in front of the eye and covering with the Goo, it is likely that I have stumbled across a very viable "diving-lip".  I am not sure if anyone else out there has done this yet or if it will even work, but the end results are very, very cool.  Take a look:

I also messed around with some baitfish and all I can say is LIQUID GOLD (just ad UV)!