Warning: Filthy Amounts Of Fish Porn On the Way

It's been awhile since my last post but I haven't been slacking in the fly fishing department,  these cold winter days are the perfect time for stocking up on flies.  I have been trying to stash away a large amount of flies for my Montana trip this summer.  Stay tuned though because once it gets a little warmer out it will be fishing nonstop the rest of the year.  This year I will keep my blog up to date!

Info for the Fly Tyer

http://flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com is where this chart is from.  Please visit this blog for more great information and tips.

FACETED AND ROUND TUNGSTEN BEADS

BEAD SIZE	HOOK SIZE	SINK RATE (IN/SEC)
5/64 (.078IN / 1.98MM)	18 - 20	19.55
3/32 (.093IN / 2.38MM)	16 - 18	20.57
7/64 (.109IN / 2.78MM)	14 - 16	23.20
1/8 (.125IN / 3.18MM)	12 - 14	25.25
5/32 (.156IN / 3.97MM)	8 - 10	26.57
3/16 (.188IN / 4.76MM)	4 - 6	29.27

ROUND BEAD HEAD BEADS

 

BEAD SIZE	HOOK SIZE	SINK RATE (IN/SEC)
1/16 (.062 / 1.5MM)	20 - 22	N/A
5/64 (.078IN / 2.0MM)	18 - 20	13.45
3/32 (.093IN / 2.3MM)	16 - 18	14.88
1/8 (.125IN / 3.2MM)	12 - 14	15.79
5/32 (.156IN / 4.0MM)	8 - 10	18.21
3/16 (.188IN / 4.8MM)	4 - 6	21.07
7/32 (.218 / 5.6MM)	2 - 4	22.50

HOT BEADS

BEAD SIZE	HOOK SIZE	SINK RATE (IN/SEC)
1/8 (.125IN / 3.18MM)	12 - 14	15.79
5/32 (.156IN / 3.97MM)	8 - 10	18.21
3/16 (.188IN / 4.76MM)	4 - 6	21.07

TUNGSTEN CONE HEADS 

BEAD SIZE	HOOK SIZE	SINK RATE (IN/SEC)
SMALL 3/16 (.188IN / 4.8MM)	4 - 6 - 8	25.00
MEDIUM 7/32 (.218IN / 5.6MM)	2 - 4	27.14
LARGE 1/4 (.250IN / 6.3MM)	1 - 2 - 4	29.32

  

SEED BEAD APPROXIMATE DIAMETER

BEAD SIZE	INCHES	MILLIMETERS
6/0	.145	3.7
7/0	.134	3.4
8/0	.118	3.0
9/0	.102	2.6
10/0	.091	2.3
11/0	.087	2.2
12/0	.074	1.9
14/0	.063	1.6
15/0	.059	1.5

 LEAD WIRE TO HOOK SIZING CHART 

HOOK SIZE	WIRE SIZE
4 AND LARGER	.035
4 – 6	.030
6 – 10	.025
12 – 14	.020
14 – 16	.015
18 AND SMALLER	.010

Nothing in Fly Fishing is set in stone, but these are good guidelines to follow.  I found this chart on http://flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com/ and I have something similiar to this printed out and taped to my fly materials box as a reminder to size.

Frenchies and Green Weenies

Fishing has officially started for the masses in Pennsylvania!  With this past weekends great weather, fly fisherman, spin fishers and any other type of angler you can think of decided to come out and try their luck with the elusive central pa trout.  Not only were the local anglers out but a major fly fishing tournament was in the region, so it was even more packed along the streams.  The good thing about fishing is if you get off the beaten path, even on popular streams, and are willing to do some walking, you can get some nice sections of stream to yourself.

I had to work Saturday, so I missed the first great weather day of 2013.  I heard conflicting reports of how the local streams were fishing.  With the water being so low and clear, combined with the sunny day, I figured the trout would be spooky.

Sunday, I decided that I would get out and pull an all dayer. I decided to try a local spring creek where I knew if I was willing to walk, I should have a pretty good chance to catch some trout and not see many people.  I got out to the stream at about 9am and I was one of the first people on the water.  I used a size 16 frenchie and a size 20 wd40, adjusting weight many times, and the fish were really targeting what I was throwing.  I cherry picked good spots and covered a large amount of stream and only saw two people fly fishing the entire day, until I left and then I saw probably 30 people fishing or walking in to fish at 2:30.  They should have been there earlier because I had already caught the easy ones!

I ended up catching 31 for the day, which is an extremely good day for me!  Most were in the 9-11 inch range, but there were a few dinkers in there!  Below are a few of the nicer trout I caught.

Check out that Adipose Fin

Not a Large One but a Beauty!

 On Monday I decided I would fish on Fishing Creek and try to redeem a skunk from an earlier outing this year.  If there is one stream that has my number it is this one!  I was determined not to get the skunk again!  I decided to start off with a frenchie and a zebra midge.  That didn't work.  Then a frenchie and my AP BH olive nymph.  That didn't work.  Then I looked in my fly box and there sitting were two very lonely green weenies.  Those two had been sitting in my fly box for about three years and I thought, "Well, I couldn't possibly do worse!"  I matched one of the green weenies with a wd40.  Before too long, wham! I caught my first fishing creek trout of the year and it was a good one!

The trout were targeting that green weenie and I ended up catching four on it.  I will be tying some for my future fishing creek trips.  Four fish may not sound like a lot on one fly, but its four more than the last two trips combined got me!  I did catch two other trout as well.  One on a wd40 and one on a secret zebra midge I tie.

The nice thing about fishing creek is that even if you only catch a couple, they will almost always be larger than twelve inches and usually nice an fat.  They really put up a fight!  Here are a few pictures to prove I didn't get the skunk again.

It is hard to find a better looking brown trout!

This one put a nice fight!

If you check out my Google profile all the trout I caught in these two outings are in my pictures, as well as a couple nice scenery shots.

This entry in my blog is named Frenchies and Green Weenies because they were the ticket to catching a lot of fish the past two days.

Until next time... Good luck!

WD 40: The Best Best BWO Emerger

Hello Everyone (Check out the Photos Page for another BWO Nymph),

This post is dedicated to the BWO nymph/emerger.  I won't cover everything about them, but I will try to hit the main points.  I think it will be better to make a list, with each point bringing need to know information on the BWO.

1) BWO is the first major Mayfly hatch of PA's Hatches.  While they can hatch in February, March and April bring the most consistent hatches of the BWO, until their reemergence in the Fall.

2)They usually hatch best on overcast days.  On these colder overcast days they hatch late morning until mid afternoon.

3)Their nymphs are a tan color and as they get closer to the hatch, they get darker.

4) They are best imitated by size 18-22 hooks.

A pattern that has been growing in popularity in the East the past few years is the WD 40.  It is tied on an emerger hook and can be fished as a dropper off a dry fly or as you would a regular nymph.  Both ways can be very effective.  My favorite way to fish emergers is to use them as my second nymph on a tandem rig and let them swing to the surface at the end of the drift.  If you don't use this technique give it a try!

If you look online at BWO nymphs you will notice there are dozens of varieties, some with dark wing cases, some that aren't.  Some light bodied and dark dubbed, while some are dark bodied with light dub.  The pattern shown today can be tied with a hundred possible color combinations so don't be afraid to tie different ones.  A few simple variations I like to use for this fly is the dub color and/or wing case color.  After looking at this pattern below, I use two main dubs for this, regular olive dry fly dub (which is lighter) and olive antron dud (which is darker) for the thorax.  I also will take a black permanent marker and color the wing case, if the nymphs I find in the stream are darker.  I have talked to guys who fish this same pattern, just different colors, as their main midge imitation.  The combinations are endless!  

                        A very popular imitation of the BWO is the WD40, shown below.

WD 40 Pattern

Hook: Tiemco 2487 (Size 20 is shown above)

Thread: Olive 6/0

Tail: Dyed Mallard Flank (Olive dyed shown)

Thorax: Dark Olive Dry Fly Dubbing (I prefer olive antron, that is what is shown)

Wing Case: Dyed Mallard Flank (Use a black or brown marker to make wing case darker if desired)

Step One:  Tie in the thread about a 1/3 of the shank length away from the eye of the hook

Step Two:  Wrap down the shank to just above mid point on the bend of the hook

Step Three: Cut about a 1/4 of an inch of Mallard Flank.  Tie it in with a tail about the length of the gap of
                   the hook.

Step Four: Tie the tail down to the bend of the hook, making sure it stays on the top.  Then wrap back to the
                 eye of the hook.

Step Five:  Place dub on thread, make sure it is tightly wound on.  I use dubbing wax to assist usually.

Step six:  Dub the Thorax, be careful not to dub too much!

Step Seven:  Tie the Mallard Flank back over the thorax.  Wrap Twice to Secure.

Step Eight:  Cut the excess Mallard Flank, whip finish.  It is Complete!

I hope you enjoyed and learned something from this!

 If you click on my photos page, I am posting a BWO Nymph pattern I created/copied from other nymphs.  I call it my All Purpose Olive BH Nymph and it is my go to  lead nymph when the BWO hatch on.  I fish this WD 40 tied off the bend.

Sulphur Salvation

No Drag Allowed

Lamson Konic Review

The Konic....I have decided to name it Stormin Normin the Caveman He Man Women Hater Club Reel

I recently picked up a Lamson Konic after I played with it in the fly shop a few times.  Not only did it seem like a sturdy no frills reel, which is what I wanted,  it was also highly recommended to me by a few fly fisherman whose opinions I highly regard.  I paired it up with 9ft 5wt Helios 1 and an Orvis Hydros Power Taper line. I have found that most modern fly reels are actually too light for correctly balancing a fly rod and the konic, being the heaviest in the Lamson lineup, is still just a little too light for a correct set up.  I find that on a typical 9ft fly rod that weighs under 3 ounces, a reel that weighs about 5.5 ounces, before even adding backing and line, once filled will balance the rod just about perfect.  I can prove this to you very easy:  Take your rod and put your reel on it.  Grip it like you would to cast and note where your thumb is.  Now take it and set it on your pointer finger in that spot as if it was a see-saw.  If the tips hits the floor, its too top heavy and could use a heavier reel.  You will find a rod that balances nice, doesn't have to perfect or great- just nice is suitable, will be much more comfortable to fish on an all day outing than one that is too out of balance, one way or the other.  Without looking it up the weight, I would guess it to be about 4.5 ounces before its lined, which is close enough to my target for me.

First Impressions of the reel

Before I even took it on the water, there were some things I liked and some things I didn't like about this reel.  Let me note here, the Konic ii is now out and I got my Konic for under a $100 on closeout and it would seem Lamson actually fixed a few of dislikes on the new one, this leads me to believe they should hire me as a reel tester!

Great, solid feeling reel.  This thing doesn't beg to babied, it begs to be abused.  If somebody tried to fight me, I would just hit them with this thing and I am confident they wouldn't come back for more.  The drag is awesome, I refuse to understand what conical drag system means, to me it just means they use magnets and some other parts to make a great drag.  I like it!  I am a big fan of sealed drag reels, less open parts means the less I can mess it up when I take it apart.  I actually like the look of the konic as well, which doesn't mean much for performance, but I like to look good on the water!  I think of it as a 'caveman' looking thing, and I am more of a caveman than most.  Its warranty really is great as well, for less than $100 I got something that will last me a lifetime and if it wears out, I can get a replacement or get it fixed by Lamson.

Things, I didn't like... The drag lol  I know I just said I like the drag but its how the drag is applied and lower limit of it I don't like.  With it being a caveman reel it also has a caveman attitude when it comes to applying its great drag system.  I can reel probably a 1/8th of an inch before I hit any drag and then its straight into it, its not smooth its an abrupt drag.  Here I am and no fish is going to pull me without knowing it!  That is what this reel says.  It makes you think, is this going to protect light tippets?  Which is a BIG deal because if you hook into a big fish, you don't want to loose it because your reel is trying to pound that SOB into submission.    Now an 1/8th of an inch does not sound like much, BUT its like driving an old truck compared to modern sports car.  Old truck = turn the wheel a few inches before it turns.  Modern Sports Car = You just think about turning and it turns.  Sports cars can be dangerous but to those who know how to make them work for them can do some amazing things.  Same with reels. (Lamson fixed this with the Konic ii - or so I have been told)

Second thing I didn't like...  I wish the drag could be set lighter.  Most fly fisherman don't put the trout on the fly reel, ever.  I put every fish I can on it!  I bought that thing, I am going to use it dammit!  Disc drags are a beauty because you can make it as loose or as tight as you want it.  The Konic's lightest setting is what I would consider to be about a perfect 12-15 inch trout drag, but most trout I catch aren't that large so its like bringing napalm to a hand grenade fight.  Those poor suckers don't stand a chance.  So, my problem isn't the lowest drag setting is too high, because its probably perfect but I just don't like to be limited!  I am an American and if I want a 2 incher to pull my drag, then I should be allowed.

I Took it Fishing and I really Liked it!

That is the title of this section and it sums it up.  My dislikes are still there and I still think it will not protect tippets from big trout like some of my disc drag reels but I am willing to give it a chance.  I did get one trout to pull the drag out on its lightest setting, but I think the fast riffles helped it. LOL  I think this reel will become my go to for the summer and defintley be my first choice for bigger waters like the Delaware because the fish bring big fights there but I am bringing Stormin Normin and he don't mess around!

BTW, I am no fishing expert so everybody else in the world may tell you something different about this reel BUT Lamson did fix that delay on the drag to make it a smoother transition, so I must know something. At least a little of something.  Let me know what you think of the Konic, if you have it.  Also, if somebody wants to explain the drag system, please do.

A.S. aka Sulphur Salvation

No Drag Allowed

A few flies...

Back at the Tying Bench

With my recent success with size 16 frenchies, I decided to tie a few to stock pile them.  I whipped up a half dozen and then I tied three size 16 sowbugs, to replace the three I lost over the last few times I went fishing. My hands are so rough, it makes dubbing and finesse ties a real pain.  On the other hand, I don't need a dubbing pick or velcro to make my bugs extra buggy.  I won't be getting out fishing this weekend as I will be out at camp for an annual event, so I may try to get a couple hours on the stream tomorrow night.  The next fly on list to try is the WD40, supposed to be a great imitation for the blue wing olive nymph/emerger.  With BWOs around the corner, I need to get on it.

I'll try to take a few pictures of some of my flies, as pictures are worth a thousand words and I don't have the urge to replace them with a thousand words.

A.S. aka Sulphur Salvation
No Drag Allowed