The nymphing class:

Last Saturday, rainbow fly shop in Korea invited a guest instructor to hold the nymphing class at one of the eastern creeks in a cold weather. It was mostly for new anglers, but some of us who are so used to dry fly fishing also wanted revisit nymphing techniques. The guest instructor Lee prepared special leaders that he made to share with the students, and also prepared many fishing images to share with the students for easy explanation. After finishing class, many of us practiced individually by splitting up to different part of creek. With cold weather, many of us weren’t able to see much of trout most of the day, but couple people were able to catch one or two towards end of the day. When sun was getting low, it just was too cold, my line was getting heavy with the ice build-up, and I had to fold my rod.

One last visit to Milwaukee River.

With the temperatures dropping and more snow on the way, I wanted to visit Milwaukee River one last time this year. It was a cold day, and I’m pretty sure the temperature in the water was warmer than standing outside. The most of the edges had ice and in some areas, entire sections were iced off. I know some people still manage to catch fish in conditions like this, but I didn’t see any fish and did not hook up with anything. It was just nice (and cold) being out here one last time. When the water ripples below edges of ice, it looks like a trout running off and this caught my attention several times. Even after I knew it was water, it was still pleasant to watch that. Stanley's Ice Off Paste by Loon Outdoors works well, it doesn't actually keep ice from forming, but it does make it a whole lot easier to get the ice off when it forms, I like it. I laced my boots slightly loose this time, so even after they were frozen, I managed to get them off. The waders stood there frozen. I stopped earlier than planned and stopped by the Jelly Belly factory & store to pick up a few jelly bean candies for my kids...like trout, jelly beans makes everyone happy. Time to hit the tying bench for a while.

tying tiny flies sucks

I generally have fat clumsy fingers and tying tiny flies sucks. My eyes hurt, my chest is filled with frustration and it takes three times longer to make a single fly. I’m ganna throw away my small hooks and only tie flies size 16 and up. I know the small flies are great for fishing in winter and when trout are nervous, but damn it – I can’t tie them. I’ll buy them or perhaps some of my friends with more nimble fingers will give me a bunch as a present ;-)

Which one of us is good at tying tiny flies? Please identify yourself.

Recent pond fishing trip:

The other day in the afternoon, my friends and I stop by one of the paid ponds nearby Seoul. It was supposed to be cold that day, but all day, the sun was shining down strong and there was no wind: The temperature was perfect for fishing. As we enter the pond, the facility wasn’t so different from last winter, but we were able to see more pets in and out of the main office. As we where stopping by the office for quick bite before fishing, the owner was nice enough to let us know where good spot for fishing. Using several types of hooks that I had from last year’s pond-hook box, I was able to catch several nice looking rainbows.

silence of winter

Everything becomes silent in the winter. Even a loud sound fades away faster in winter. Eventually the silence will become very loud, then spring will come.

NW Chronicles: Montana

I still have a couple of leftover grasshoppers in my fly box from when I was a kid. I loved fishing them in Michigan on hot summer days, but I have never used them out here in Oregon. Whenever I see them stuffed the box, however, a voice haunts me: Montana.

This September, the wife and I packed up the car and drove east to find out what the buzz was about. I’d heard of giant brown trout attacking hopper-dropper rigs on the epic Montana rivers surrounded by huge, snow topped mountains.

We spent the first night in Livingston, a classic old western town that seemed to be inhabited by drunks, fishermen, and drunk fishermen. We popped into the famous Dan Bailey Fly shop to get some info and licenses. Everywhere around town were images of fishing. I knew we had arrived in some sort of fishing Mecca.

On our first day, we hit the Gallatin river--a beautiful, crystal clear mountain stream. I managed to pick up a beautiful little rainbow on a BWO. There’s something about that first fish on a trip, you know? It’s a great relief to the soul and the pressure of getting skunked is shaken off. I always find at that point I can actually begin to enjoy the water, the scenery, and the spirit of a place.

One year wedding anniversary:

Since, my wife and I are so occupied with our little daughter lately in our small apartment in the city; we decided to celebrate our first anniversary by going to a trip out of city. We prepared our favorite food and beverages then headed toward east. I had an idea what direction to go, but we had to discover the place to stay by a chance because it is all new area for me and it is hard to judge the quality of place by looking at the internet photos. We often lucky to find a decent place by driving around like this; and again, we found a nice newly build yellow-clay house which supposed to used most of the natural building material. Friends may think, I purposely took my family to the mountain for the fishing, but my wife actually loves me taking her and our daughter trip like this since I only fish for a short period during the day then I serve my family well rest of the trip. It was a great our first wedding anniversary, and I also had a great fishing experience by seeing beautiful lenok and a large cherry trout which is in spawning period.

damn it, no more cat food.

That’s what keep saying but when I can’t find the browns, I throw a line their way anyways. I always feel cheap after I snag one and tug it to shore..all for the sake of stretching the line out. I didn't even hook this one in the mouth... I did see a good sized brown today, but after being so used to these blind, near dead fish, I approached it really clumsy, and it took off. I think he was sticking his middle finger/fin up as he swam away. Okay, time to head over to Michigan and Iowa. Enough cat food for this year…

Cat food they may be, but I am still very thankful to these fish.

getting in the zone

Winter is finally here, we had our first snow flurries today and it’s guaranteed more will come soon. The temperature is crawling down pretty low (26F/-3C) but always feels much colder than it actually is. Each winter, just as the cold really hits, I go through a mental adjustment to get comfortable with the cold.

I remember the days before I really got into fishing, wondering why the hell these guys would stand in sub zero weather to chase fish they were not going to keep. How insane that looked, and contradicting to the whole idea of fishing, which is supposed to be relaxing. I sometime still ask myself that as I try to tie on a fly, my fingers barely working and the cold wind piercing right through my face…but those questions fade away as quickly as they came. I sometime see people taking walks around where I fish, and I know they are thinking what I thought before.

As the lakes freezes over and the river edges gets narrower each day with ice, I say to myself – this year, I’ll spend more time at the tying bench and really get the flies to be “right”. I don’t really believe that, but I say it anyways and I’m pretty sure that my flies will never be right. I’m not an old man, but each winter I am getting older and that should slow me down in the winter. But then again, each year they are coming out with new gear that keeps us warmer and drier. Plus the built up knowledge of knowing how to dress for the cold weather keeps me out there longer each year.

I took a stroll up to Milwaukee river to check out the conditions up there. It was cold, empty, and quiet...just the way I like it. I hope to post some photos of fish from here soon. So winter is here, but I feel prepared and I don’t think I’ll be putting away tackle.

I hope I feel this way for as long as I can do this. Remember guys, as the old saying goes – there is no bad weather, just bad clothing.

hero shot

Our friend Kent from Reel Job Fishing was recently on the cover of FlyFusion! Check out the brookies Kent recently caught, amazing. Check out more at: http://kent-klewein.com/georgia-fly-fishing-blog/

Keep warm Kent!

funny flies by Fabrizio Gajardoni

Mr. Gajardoni’s funny flies are what took me to his site, but soon discovered he is an award winning tier. Check out more at: http://www.gajaflies.it

Mr. Fabrizio Gajardoni wrote us a little more about his funny flies:

“ about Nemo I tyied first on 2001 ( published on Art of Angling Journal on 2005), I believe that I tyied about 20 Nemo for customers and friends”
“ about Poldo dog it's a unique fly for my dear Friend Massimo Masi, he love so much his dog and I do a copy in deer hair”
“ about Gino fly it's the same a unique fly for a daughter of my dear Friend from USA”

Thank you again for allowing to post these photos and the comments about your flies. Best wishes from FSAC!

Steve’s Galien River Brown

From Dan, addressed to Lee:
“Steve Lagattuta caught this nice brown trout on spawn fly pattern on the Galien river (it might be called the Galena river when it crosses into IN) near Heston, IN on 11/21/10. A great day for late fall fishing. Of course we left a lot of the spawn flies in the trees in this very narrow part of the river. Hope all is well in your world. – Dan”

Thanks for the photos Dan - Four Seasons Angling Club.

Annual Thanksgiving Fishing Trip 2.

However unplanned, this Thanksgiving fishing is turning out to be a ritual for Fishfinder & me. Even without too many words, both of us knew that we have a lot to be thankful for during this Thanksgiving time. Things are challenging on many fronts with our work, family members, & general uncertainties about things we want to be certain about… Still, the way we see it – if you have the opportunity to spend a day fishing with your close friend - in the bigger picture of things, things are still alright.

Even with an aching back, Fishfinder took me out to some surprisingly scenic waters in New Jersey. It was fun watching Fishfinder hook into fish after fish, sometime 3 fish in a row, from a single spot. The stocked rainbows weren’t pretty but they were good sized & served their purpose well, it was good to see the brown & brook he caught. I didn’t hit no grand slam like Fishfinder, but I did hook into a fat hatchery rainbow, and that was good enough – at least that’s what I told Fishfinder, who kept complaining about how his landing net was too fishy from all the fish that had been in it that day. At the end of the day he rubbed it in good one last time with “so – I guess you don’t nymph much?”. I’ll get him back soon, and he knows it.

There was a lot of bird hunting going on in the woods and the long blowing sound of black powder guns in the distance made us both wish we have brighter colored hats. Like Fishfinder says, sometimes goofing off is exactly what the soul needs to recharge and get us through until the next time.