Why stand when you can sit? (It’s harder than it looks…LOL!)

I have appreciated Kevin’s input in previous blog posts. This made me very excited when he sent me an email with some tips from his visit to the Little East River last week. To catch more speckled trout Kevin says:

-The little East fishes best around the bug time primarily as they give themselves away by rising to the top. I have done well with prince nymphs and Gold head nymphs size 18 and 16 as well as grizzle-gnat size 20 dry flies.

Use a 3 or 4 wt rod with floating line, 7foot 4x leader and 2 feet of 4 lb vanish fluorocarbon tippet. 

Also, a small spinning rod with the smallest kastmaster lures in gold/perch patterns have been good. My friend Ray has great success with a micro-hook and bobber system using meal worms.

I have had several fish 10-12 inches in 2 trips now. Last Monday was breezy and the bugs were not out it was great, I even had the dog come in the float tube with me (see picture below). Unfortunately with the dog in the tube I couldn’t takes pics of the fish I caught – he tries to eat them!-

Thanks Kevin. I can’t wait to see you on the water!! I love the dog’s collar.

On May 13, Rick Passek took a bunch of youth at risk from a local “Last chance” school to the Fraser Valley fish hatchery for a day of education and flyfishing on the Hatcheries ponds. Please take some time to visit his blog as he chronicles the special day. Rick proves that there is more to fishing than the fish you catch. Thanks Rick for helping Canadian youth.

The link to Rick’s post is here.

Rick has become the author of the “Freshman FlyFisher” book series, providing easy to read information for new fishers, complete with handy illustrations and photos. The books cover all of the fly fishing basics and tactics, and dispel any lingering myths about the sport; a sport Rick insists “is really for everyone.”

I enjoy getting to know ‘the heart and soul’ of the author behind the flyfishing books I read. It brings a spark of insight into the words on the pages that you may not have actually gleaned from just reading the book. More often than not, I find that the author is really ‘just’ the angler downstream from you – fighting the current and loving life. These interviews also allow me to corner them long enough to find out about their favorite fly. That, my friends, is something you can ‘bank’ right into you fly box. What follows is my ‘interview’ with Rick Passek. Rick, is the author of the Freshman Flyfisher book series and is known as the Flyfishing Fanatic.

1. Why has fly fishing become an important part of your life?

FlyFishing has been so important to me for many reasons. The main reason for starting this wonderful sport was because of my Father. My Father was an avid FlyFisher and we as a family spent many days and weekends on the water. While there, I noticed something different in him. He was a typical German born in the 40’s, tough and strict. While on the water though, he was a wonderful, calm, fun man. This I admired, and this is the main reason for my love of the sport, as it does the same thing for me.

2. If you were invited to the United Nations to make a special presentation about “How fly fishing could change the world”, what are some of the things you have learned from fly fishing that you could tell them?

If I were invited to the UN to talk about how flyfishing could “Change the world” I would talk about the above answer. This sport takes you away from the daily grind and teaches you the love and respect of the outdoors. Because of its graceful, artistic nature, it calms the mind, and the soul. This is a lesson that many people around the world need to learn and FlyFishing would help.

3. Why did you write your flyfishing book entitled, The Freshman Flyfisher? What is your favorite chapter? If you could summarize the book in a few sentences, what is the message you would like to get out to the ‘New Generation’?

Why did I write the Freshman Flyfisher book series? Well that is a simple answer for me. I have always loved this sport, and have always loved to share my knowledge with others, what better way than to write a book? If I were to describe my books, I would have to say that they are “Made Simple”. By this I mean that I have taken some VERY difficult and confusing subjects, and simplified them so that everyone can learn this sport with ease. So many books on the market tell you about flyfishing, But none are really simple, These are. In the first book, I simplified the sport of Flyfishing by breaking it down to the simplest form and explaining it in everyday language. The second book, (Due out next week, March 6th/09) is a simplified book on the insects that all flyfishers need to know. I have once again taken the insects, and explained their lives in a easy to read and understand manner. The message I would like to get out to “The Next Generation” would be this, Conserve you catch, enjoy the sport, and pass on your knowledge to the next generation. If they do this, this wonderful sport will be around as long as the human race will.

4. If you were on an unfamiliar trout stream and you could only take 2 flies. What would they be? Why?

If I were going to a stream that I had no information about, and were allowed only two flies what would they be? This can be a tough question for me because I would research the stream before I went, But let us say I didn’t. I would take a Hares ear Nymph (picture right) and a Tom Thumb, why you ask, simple. The hairs ear and the Tom Thumb are an searching patterns. They don’t represent any one insect perfectly, but represent many insects well. These two flies will be taking by trout as Caddis Flies, May Flies, Mosquitoes, Midges, along with many others.

5. What equipment goes with you into a trout stream today?

What Equipment do I bring? Well, this can again Vary from stream to stream, In a small creek I would make sure to have a 00-2 wt rod loaded with a floating line and have a sink tip as well.  In a larger Stream, a 3-5 wt setup is what I would be taking, again loaded with a floating line and having a sink tip with. I would bring a vest or backpack that will be able to hold an assortment of flies along with tippet, weight, clippers, strike indicators, hemostats, throat pump, water and food (Enough for a few days in case you get hurt or lost). I would also be wearing a pair of good breathable waders and a good pair of felt bottomed wading boots.  I also make sure to have a rain jacket in my pack in case of rain.

7. If you could name a fly (perhaps you already have) what would it be called?

As of now, I have designed many patterns of my own, but have yet to officially name any. If I were to name it, I guess that would depend on what species it was for, colors, etc… I have one that I designed a few years back that I call “The Killer Caddis”, but there are a few flies called that out there. I am known as “The FlyFish Fanatic” so maybe something along the lines of “The Fanatic Frenzy” or something may be appropriate.

6. What was your favorite flyfishing moment and why?

My Favorite FlyFishing moment would have to be 4 years back. I went to Engelfeild Bay Lodge in the Queen Charlottes’ with a buddy and My Father (Just before he passed away) We were there for a 5 day trip, and on the last evening, my Father and I decided to troll for Coho Salmon in a small bay opening close to the lodge. While we were doing this, I noticed that there was a HUGE bait ball moving around in a very unusual way, so I decided to get the flyrod ready and have a few casts at this bait ball to see if there were any Coho harassing this bait. On went the Type 8 sinking line on my 8wt rod and I cast just to the edge of this Ball. After a few casts, I had nothing so I changed from a Clouser minnow pattern to a Lefty’s Deceiver Pattern that I tied Just for this trip. I took a cast directly into this bait ball, lefty the fly sink for 30-40 seconds and did a VERY fast irregular strip. Well, 10 seconds after starting my retrieve, FISH ON!!!!!! This was one hell of a fish, I said to my Father, He agreed as the fish took me deep into my backing. I said to him after a few minutes, “This is no Coho Dad” as I could see the wide dark back of the Spring (King) Salmon as it came close to the boat. 25 minutes later the fish came in after several attempts to net it, she was ours. I had NEVER had the pleasure of catching a Tyee, well now I did, and on a flyrod to boot. This was the last Fishing trip my Father and I had together (And he knew it would be) and seeing the smile on his face and how proud he was of me, made this the BEST trip I have ever had.

Thanks for your time and inspiration Rick! I will be checking out your book.

*Hares Ear Photo from maineflyfish.com

I say moment.

It could be a period of time as well.

For me, it was about a fly cast 498. I was just about to shatter the glassy surface of the water by throwing my fly rod into it. Everything within a 25 foot radius of me had felt the built up frustration within me. Intermixed repeatedly in my previous casts were results that included hooking small overhead trees, my back side, blades of grass and a picnic bench. Somewhere, around cast 75 I heard the noise of a whip cracking and my fly line became a touch lighter. I had just launched my fly into sub-space on an ill-timed back cast.

I found out very quickly that watching someone on a fly fishing video or observing another fly fisherman can NOT be equated to being ‘well on your way’. By cast 200 and something, I had put my back into spasm by twisting around to pull a tiny fly out of the ’seat’ of my pants. I took note of the obvious lesson here: go barb-less.

Casts 375 and 400 rolled around and I was getting that whip noise again and small knots on my tippet. I compensated and worked on the timing of my back cast and when I launched everything forward again.

That brings us back to cast 498 again. It represents those moments in our lives where we wanted to quit. All 497 ‘good enough’ setbacks seem to tip the scales to want to quit after that 498th botched attempt. It can be a critical time for anybody wanting to succeed. It’s critical because it does not take into consideration the potential reward of casts 499 and 500.

I overcame the urge to throw my fly rod into the water and worked my line up to prepare for cast 499. Unknowingly, everything became so routine now. I was thinking more of where I wanted the fly to go, then what I had to do to get it there. My line swished behind me – then back in front. My fly landed 10ft in front of me. No knots, no whipping, no boxer shorts attached. I repeated the process and, suddenly, I was at cast 500.

My fly went 20ft.

It was like something clicked and for the next hour I was able to place my fly in front of me at will.

What cast are you on in your difficult situation? If you quit now, you may be one cast away from success. Your current set of circumstances could be preparing you for what is to come.

{taken from Trout Waders – my other blog}

As posted previously on my fly fishing blog, Trout Waders.

I was thinking about fly fishing the other the night. Here is what I came up with.

“I think the learned fly fisherman (or woman) who can cast well is half magician and half physicist. They can take a length of flexible mono-filament tubing and change it to a fluid state with a simple movement of their arm.

As for me, I am part rookie and magician. How my fly gets from behind me to the water’s surface is a magical feat of ‘awkwardness’ and luck.

Yet, the physicist could be right around the next river bend…”