Bid on FR at the Paul H. Young TU Chapter Banquet

Okay, so I got this strange email a couple weeks back from my friend Brett Watson, president of the Paul H. Young Trout Unlimited chapter, asking if I would like to donate a trip for their upcoming banquet April 24.

The answer is- of course I would. Except that I'm not set up as a guide, so there's no cash value, unless you equate me with fly fishing's escort service. Still, it's for a good cause, and I really would like to see a cash value attached to my companionship. I would suggest the bidding start at no less than $10.

Think of the possibilities. You, me, hundreds of miles of river or shore, a lot of which I am familiar with. We could hit the big 5 rivers around here, or we could do some other stuff, fish for pike and bass in the lakes or maybe hit Wilderness for carp and smallies. We could hit a smaller creek, swing for the fence on brook trout. We could swing for the fences on anything really, as long as you can cast a bit, and don't mind breaking some brush.

This drift boat is just one of many top notch prizes being auctioned and raffled off at the banquet. Almost as good as an outing with yours truly

The Paul H. Young chapter of Trout Unlimited has a reputation for generosity in giving to support cold water fisheries. Their annual fundraising banquet will be held April 24. There will of course be a bunch of stuff auctioned off besides a fishing trip with me. Things like a drift boat, original artwork by FR favorite artist Becca Schlaff, trips with actual guides, a day in a private plane and even a puppy, plus a lot of stuff I'm probably not aware of. It will be quite the shindig.

So go- buy a ticket, pony up, mix, mingle, schwagger, sup and sip, and by all means bid on me. I guarantee you'll get your $10 worth.

To RSVP click on the link below-

http://www.paulyoungtu.org/


I'm going to put up some gratuitous fish shots to get you thinking of the possibilities. Not trying to toot my horn, but giving you some incentive to bid.

Alex Cervenkiak photo

Gear Review- Fish Like a Local with SmithFly

I have never been a vest guy. I hate those things. I can always spot a local- they carry next to nothing on the river. If you drove 250 miles to fish here you are probably decked out in as much gear as you can carry, with every fly imaginable. If you live here and you brought the wrong flies you can always go home and get them, or grab a burger at a local bar and fish tomorrow. It's a not-too-subtle and important difference.

I learned to fly fish as a teenager, and back then I used whatever my grandfather gave me. I left Northern Michigan for ten years, but fly fishing was forever ,in my mind, the ideal.

When yadda yadda yadda I was divorced and moved back to Northern Michigan I again yearned to get back into fly fishing. It took a few years, but eventually I bought a St. Croix rod (a bad one) and got back to it.

To be honest I knew next to nothing about the sport. I fought my own bad casting for two years before a friend told me what a loop was. I owned my own business and May and June were my busiest months, so I missed most of the major hatches. A new "casting club" had focused attention on my favorite river, and so I avoided the Hex hatch.

But in July my work would reach a comfortable level, in which I could take the occasional afternoon off, and so what I did was fish hoppers.

My approach, literally, was to load up my neoprene waders, my crappy rod and my Cabela's $12 reel, drive to a local convenience store and buy a leader and a dozen or so flies. Then, despite my terrible casting I would go and catch lots of fish.

It was all so simple- a rod, waders, a plastic cupful of flies and hope.

Things aren't so simple now. I know too much but not enough. I still carry my local sensibilities. I am better prepared these days, but you will never catch me on the river with multiple fly boxes packed with every fly imaginable. I will never wear a vest. I still like to keep it simple.

This is where my SmithFly 2X comes in. I do indeed carry more than a plastic cup full of flies these days, but I still want a minimalist approach while covering my bases.

Here's what I like about the SmithFly 2X. I can pack in several small or two medium fly boxes, some split shot, spare leaders etc. It  holds everything you need for a fun day on the water, if you know what you're doing. If you don't know what you're doing then you need a vest and every fly that was ever tied.

Another example of its simple utility- when steelhead fishing I pack it with two medium fly boxes, a variety of shot, a couple spools of tippet material, swivels and a breath mint. Sometimes I leave out the breath mint, but I'm not one to kiss fish, so I don't think they mind. The point is that I can spend an entire day on the water chasing steelhead with this one little compact pack and do just fine.

the 2X loaded with everything I need for a full day on the water

Or take a midsummer afternoon float. I pack it with extra leaders, 2-3 small fly boxes, some tippet and I'm set. No vests necessary.

Want some other reasons to give SmithFly a look?

It's American made. Your neighbors have jobs because of you. Yes it will cost you a little more to not get it from Bangladesh.

It's bulletproof. No, I have not literally tested this, but if you choose to I'd like to see the results. SmithFly's lineup is incredibly well built and tough. You're looking at a one-time investment.

It's designed with MOLLE webbing and part of an integrated system. Every component in their lineup works with every other component. Buy the Poquito, pair it with a 1X, 2X, 3X, a belt, a bag, the (cough!) vest, or the trendy cooler kilt- whatever your needs from the minimal to the kitchen sink, SmithFly has you covered.

It's not exactly cheap- the 2X will set you back seventy five bucks, but it will last forever and SmithFly's integrated system will have you set up with a system that can handle any outing from stepping out your back door to heading off to Alaska.

Or until you go back to those little plastic cups.

Check out their full line-up at SmithFly.net

Now through the end of April Ethan is offering a special promotion on the 2X. Enter the coupon code "DONTFISHFIGHTCLUB" when checking out for $20 off the 2X. Get yours!

Monday Morning Coffee- March 31

Yeeeauupphhh- yawn, stretch, scratch, sniff- what is wrong with me? Resolve to wash hands thoroughly, then bleach rest of self.

But hygienic issues aside, it is Monday morning, so let's have some coffee.

We can skip over the rest of last week because this weekend was pretty darn good. It started with Pleasant Friday, then Bright Saturday, followed by Sublime Sunday.

Sunday was by far the nicest day of the year to date. It was, was, was- warm. It was pleasant. There was no wind. The sun beat down and left its mark on my face. So I did what anyone would do and beat my streamer curse.

If you haven't heard this before, it is true that until now I have been unable to catch fish on a streamer. Oh, I've caught a couple, but mostly by accident and bad luck (for someone), and never any of the largish fish you see on a regular basis bandied around like so many pin-up girls.

Alex Cerveniak of Northern Michigan Fly Fishing Guide Service called me on Wednesday via Bat Signal. I have no choice but to respond. We roped in our friend John Schmidt, but of course he came willingly. We met at Gate's Lodge then hit the river under bright sunny skies and warming air.

John and Alex at the takeout

It is difficult to explain to you, the rest of the country, the exhilaration and joy of being out on a pleasant day after a hard winter like the one we've had, to catch not just any fish, but some really good ones. It was like that moment in Shawshank Redemption but with sun and beer instead of rain and sewage.

Okay, so on my first good fish of the day Alex dropped anchor as soon as I made noise and we soon got it into his meager net. My next fish was different.

We dropped into a great spot where fast riffly water spilled over a deep flat. Sensing opportunity I wound up and made a reverse cast. On about the fourth strip my fly stopped.

I didn't react instantly, but when my rod bucked and a great golden slab rolled in the current I shouted enthusiastically  to my friends- "Big fish, big fish, BIG fish!!"

They did nothing. As a matter of fact they laughed at me and kept yakking, while my fish started to run downstream. When my line nearly wrapped around John in the front of the boat they turned and looked. Alex looked into the water, saw a dull yellow flash the size of an oar and started shouting expletives. He dropped the oars and the anchor and we managed to net it. It was 23" long and heavy, with thick shoulders and a mercenary look.

Alex Cerveniak photo

John Schmidt caught a really nice fish on an old glass rod that had belonged to his father, which had him totally thrilled. John works a night shift. He basically got home, slept one hour and then met us at the fly shop, yet he was energetic and upbeat the entire day, the kind of thing that can make you hate young people.

Alex, he worked the oars and kept us in position. He fished a little but not long enough to score. It's early yet, the streamer bite is just getting going. We're at that point when mid-afternoon when the day is warmest and the water has had some time to warm a little is the best fishing time. The slight stain to the water added by the daily run-off doesn't hurt at all.

It was a fantastic day all in all, with warm sun, a few good fish, and good times with friends. If I had to make a fishing forecast I'd say this coming week is going to be stellar- the forecast is for mid-thirties to mid-forties for the next ten days with no blow out rains. The steelhead should be pushing into all the rivers in earnest and the streamer bite will continue to improve, though at this stage sunny afternoons that warm into the forties will be best.

I'm out of time and out of coffee so I'll leave you with a few more shots of the day.

Let's get after it.

Monday Morning Coffee- March 24

Errrrgggghhhh! Yawn, stretch, scratch, sniff. Is it Monday already? Let's have some coffee. 

Yes, posting here has been a touch sparse, but with the bitterness of the winter I haven't had much fly related stuff to drone on about. 

Erick Johnson and Dave Karczynski tying at Tom Hazelton's place a few weeks back. 

That's not entirely true. I went to a bunch of tying events, mostly at friends homes. I've got two new fly lines to test from Scientific Anglers including the new Sharkwave line. I haven't finished my Mousing 101 series. I still have a review of the Sage Pike rod on tap. And I've finally gotten a couple of floats in with Alex Cerveniak, not that we had any success. I think I may need to set a writing schedule rather than just pounding something out when the mood seizes me. We'll see. 

Some new SA lines to try

The icy grip of winter is finally starting to ease a bit. There's little glimmers of hope here and there- long sunny days that set the snow and ice to melting on the roads, the occasional day in the forties and even a brief shot of rain here and there. The rivers are high and stained but the real run-off hasn't started yet. 

Meaning that the next couple of weeks will be the best early spring steelhead fishing. Then the run-off will occur. When the rivers start to drop and clear the main steelhead run will happen. In years like this with a heavy snow pack, it tends to happen fast. If you blink you'll miss it. If you fish any of the UP streams you can likely find fish the entire month of May. 

Alex Cerveniak at the launch

Well, that's all I know at the moment. Things are still kind of dull around here, but once spring hits it will get crazy fast. 

Have a great week. Let's get after it. 

Communion

There must be a starting point.

"I thought of inviting someone else to come, but then I decided there is no one else I'd rather share the first float with than you."

This is a rather heady compliment coming from Alex Cerveniak, proud and heretofore frustrated owner of a new used drift boat. We're sitting in a diner, eating biscuits and gravy, ham and bacon, fueling up for an afternoon on the Holy Waters of the Au Sable. It will be our maiden voyage in this boat, a baptism of sorts, the kind of thing that holy water is for. This is the warmest day we have seen in over fifty, and yet the temperature still hovers irritatingly below freezing.

We linger over our plates, our breakfast presided over by the head of a dead elk hanging above the mantel, before heading out to Gate's Au Sable Lodge and Fly Shop, to do the obligatory Parting-With-the-Dough. Fly fishing has it's rituals, and you don't dare dispense with the spending money part.

We drove out from there under a yellowing sky, the air still cold, but at this point nothing could dissuade us. Alex picked up his boat over a month ago and the bitter winter has stymied all efforts to get it on the water. He has spent evenings in his garage in his PJ's, drinking beer and imagining what it might be like to actually row the damn thing. There are times to concede defeat, and times like this when it is necessary to forge ahead. We got some intel (well worth the $22 spent on stuff I don't need) from the guide behind the counter and went from there.

I would like to tell you this was a wildly successful fishing trip. It was. For one thing the country store where I first met Alex had a sale on Combos and so I had snacks for the entire day. That Buffalo blue cheese flavor is killer. For another, we were actually on the water, instead of sitting at home wishing we were. Oh, and we both saw a fish, though not the same one.

Alex rowed and fiddled with his inadequate anchor. He's working on it. I did some casting and gave expert advice from the front stanchion ("slide into that spot right there past the downed cedar right next to the shelf ice"). He let me row for a little while, but he has a strong captain streak in him. This is a good thing in my opinion, as it guarantees I will get a lot of time up front. Alex put on his usual casting clinic. He lifted casts I would have been happy with and then would proceed to actually hit the log he was casting too. These casts should have triggered violent irritation strikes judging by they way they were irritating me, but it could be that brown trout do not share my jealousy of good casting.

I spent half the float dissatisfied with the water, however Holy it may be. Holy? Sure. Infallible? Never. This is my cover for my lack of knowledge, technique and skill. The water was too shallow, lacked cover, was too wide open, in my considered opinion. But rivers have a way of discerning this and responding, and soon we were into beautiful bends with deep water and jaunty crossover riffles, the kind that hold rainbows and brook trout, with surly, heavy shouldered browns lurking in the bends like bouncers at a club.

Stripped of my excuses, I kept casting and lost a lot of flies, all of which I had tied myself. This did not in any way remove the sting of their loss. Never mind that most of them looked like belly button lint. Yes I regularly find gold wire in my belly button.

Alex thinks I should have fished the inside bends more. I don't. Where we fished the river is relatively small and most of the inside bends are less than a foot deep. This debate will continue for some time.

There are so many things that can add up to a perfect trip. Before starting this blog I used to always fish alone. Fly fishing was my escape from human kind and their machinations, save their dastardly fly reels. This was a perfect trip. Two friends, an untried drift boat, two sketchy launches and a Hydroflask full of alcohol of indeterminate lineage. No fish were necessary.

I tied double bowline knots, one on each end of a hundred foot nylon rope Alex brought to drag the boat up the un-plowed part of the launch. They both failed, drawing up tight to the hitch points. I didn't think this was possible with a bowline knot, so if any of you have some insight into this I appreciate it.

Mindy Mourning Carpy- March 3 2014

Fontinalis Rising emerged from his ice cavern in the northern reaches of his peninsular home. He stood blinking in the bright sun, puzzled by this apparition in the sky. The sun was shining, and yet the air was brittle with cold, and when his nostrils froze shut he turned back into his lair. At that point he saw his own shadow and he knew- the long hibernation was not over. Six more weeks of apathetic sleep.

As Fontinalis Rising was returning to his wintry somnolence, something clicked in the reptilian core of his brain. It was telling him something, something vital to his very being. It was reminding him it was not enough to sleep and eat and breathe and rest in blissful slumber.

A syllable kept echoing in his mind, emanating from this primordial neural knot. It kept chanting to his subconscious telling him he was a b. . .

A Bluh. . .

A Bla. . .

A Blah-gur.

A Blahg-UR.

A Blaa- grrr.

A Blarger?

Then it snapped into his consciousness, like a towel to the tush in a locker room- Fontinalis Rising is a Blarger, with a Blarg, an entity he had created which had achieved a life of its own. Wiping the crap from his eyes, a phrase, a title started bouncing around the vast empty spaces of his skull like popping corn.

Mindy Mourning Carpy, something he used to blarg about regularly. He's not sure why. Something used to wake him in the mornings, snapping his mind sharply to attention so he could focus on such things, but he no longer remembers what that is.

Fontinalis can only assume that Carpy is a hot drink made by burying a carp underground, then exhuming said fish when it is fully fermented, unctious, liquid and aromatic. It is then macerated, heated, coddled, massaged, strained, whipped and the froth skimmed (it makes a great garnish for Caprese salad) siphoned into a cauldron, heated, stirred counterclockwise seven times with a dash of nutmeg and Sriracha. Then it is ladled into tankards and quaffed to ward off the winter blues, its rich aroma festerifously permeating everything, a reminder that never truly washes off.

Then Fontinalis remembered Mindy. How she liked, no loved, no craved Carpy. It was the one libation that got her through the Ice Times, summer malaise and PMS. Poor Mindy, and now in the depths of this harshest time when carp were nowhere to be found. The ground was buried under 4 feet of snow pack and frozen hard as granite. Even the carp she had buried like so many acorns would be locked in place until the spring thaw, sometime in June.

And thus Mindy Mourning Carpy.

So to those of you who carefully husbanded your Carpy I congratulate you. Savor it. Sip it slowly. Strain the bones through your teeth. Save up the residue as an emollient, salve and sunscreen. Sell it on the Black Market to Russian mobsters. After all, Carpy is the only essence of warmth left to us, the broth of the golden sun worshiping symbol of summer.

Thank you for reading my blarg.

Mousing 101- Mouse Gear

waiting for the moon to set

Mousing is a bit of a specialized pursuit. Beyond your waders the rest of your gear has to be tailored to night fishing. You might love your 5 weight rod, but the line typically isn't heavy enough to turn over a sodden mouse for example.

Here's what I take:

• Red LED headlamp and a spare.
• Raincoat.
• 8 weight rod.
• Reel with a good drag.
• the right line
• Nippers
• 12 lb. flourocarbon tippet.
• Box o flies.
• Insect repellent.
• Camera
• Landing glove.
• water bottle and snack.

Some of the items listed are essential, some are a personal preference. I'll cover each item with my reasons for using them.

Headlamps

using the red LED helps preserve your night vision

A good headlamp is essential. You will want one that has both white light and red light capabilities. The less you use your headlamp the better, as you will want your eyes to adjust to the darkness as much as possible. Shining your white light onto the water is a great way to put the fish down. Red LED settings allow you to tie on flies and shine the banks to judge cast distance and look for obstructions and snags without spooking fish. If you can get one, a light that switches the red LED directly on and off is preferable.

I have some cheap Energizer lights I bought at Home Depot. The red LED setting is the first to come on, but I have to cover it up and cycle it through all the white light settings to turn it off. This inconvenience is mitigated by the fact that they are a third of the cost of my previous more convenient headlamp which I left on my friends bumper at 3 AM after a long night's float. The Energizer lights are also brighter than my old light. Whatever you choose, don't go out without a headlamp.

Raincoat

This item is one of personal preference. You never know when it is going to rain as it is, and it serves as a good wind break, and keeps me warm on cooler nights. It also serves as a barrier against mosquitoes. I don't like covering myself in bug spray. The mosquitoes where I live tend to thin out after dark anyway. I wear my raincoat almost every night I fish.

8 Weight Rod

This is not so much personal preference. Mice are big flies and difficult to turn over. You are targeting the largest fish in the river. You need a rod that can handle both. If you know that your river only has fish 24 inches and under you could make do with a 6 weight rod paired with a seven weight line. I have been beaten badly several times on my 8 weight. You may skate a few teen sized fish across the water with the big rod, but when a big one makes a hard run for the lumber you'll be glad you went on the heavy side.

Reel

Any reel with a good drag. I'm a Ross fan myself. Unlike daytime fishing, I use my drag on a regular basis at night, so don't skimp on the reel.

Line

I like the RIO Grand. You need some sort of floating line that roll casts well and turns over a big fly. RIO makes the LumaLux , a glow in the dark line that lets you see where you're fishing. I have one but have never used it. Some guys and guides love it, others hate it. I'll dust mine off next summer and give it a try. I contacted SA line guru Tom Hazelton and he says the SA Titan line is hands down the best mousing line. Going up a line size is always a smart move. Experiment until you find what works for your set-up.

Nippers

I don't like a lot of stuff jangling on me at night. Nuff said. Some sort of forceps for removing the hook from a toothy mouth is also a must.

Tippet

I used to fish 3-4 feet of straight 12 pound flourocarbon. I had my perfection loop fail on a really big fish this year and so started tying my own leaders consisting of a foot of 30 lb. butt section, two feet of twenty pound and eighteen inches of 12 pound flouro, all joined by blood knots. If anyone can suggest refinements to this I appreciate it. I just won't go lower than 12 pound for tippet and don't want the whole package over 5 feet long.

Box o' Flies

I'll share fly patterns,  designs and rationale in a later post. Bring multiples of several different types and colors.

Insect Repellent

I prefer to wear my raincoat over dousing myself in chemicals, but for the remaining exposed flesh I prefer 3M Ultrathon. A little goes a long way and lasts a long time. It is also resistant to washing away. Pick your poison, but bring it.

Camera

I have been flirting with danger bringing my Canon DSLR with me. Mike Sepelak showed me his camera, the Olympus TG-1. There is also a TG-2. They are waterproof and capable of taking video. Definitely on my wish list. Just bring something. A picture is far more effective than the thousand words you will regale your friends with about your fish of a lifetime.

Landing Glove

I don't like nets. They are heavy and are prone to snagging on brush etc. I prefer to hand land all my big fish. I buy fingerless wool gloves and grab my fish by the knuckle in front of their tail. if you're not comfortable with this then by all means bring a net. Whatever you do, be gentle with the fish and do not remove them from the water if at all possible. Most of my night time fish pics are snapped in a few seconds time. We don't keep fish out of the water for minutes at a time while we scramble for cameras and gear etc.  We leave the fish in the water while we get ready, then lift, snap the shot and return it to the water, pretty much in the amount of time it took you to read this sentence. Anymore than that and you risk killing your river's breeding stock.

Refreshments

For those long nights it's nice to have a snack and some water to re-hydrate with. Sometimes it's nice to bring a celebratory beer or hip flask. Jerky is always good. I guess now I'm wandering off into optional territory.

Some other things to consider bringing may be guidebooks, maps, gps unit, smart phone, sidearm, portable tying vise and materials, Playboy bunny, flares, and Goiter the fish landing robot, but those things are entirely up to you.

hopefully it all comes together like this. Zach Ginop releasing a 24" brown