Fly Fishing

Tuesday’s Underground Entertainment

October 10, 2006, by No comments yet

Big Brook Trout.

OK, a Big Brookie will always lead the post here at the Underground, and this was clearly one of the biggest around. Still, read the article at the Dallas News and tell me if one angler’s description of catching 100 fish in a day – or catching big, big trout on a 4 weight – don’t smell just a little.

How many fish do you really need in a day? And using a 4-weight rod on 8-pound trout feels sooo… faux manly…

Comments invited. But now, happier news:

Even strangers think the L&T Nancy is the L&T Nancy…

In yet another post about the Outdoor Bloggers Ho Down, an impartial third party proves that the L&T Nancy isn’t a figment of my imagination (as in “how could that yutz really end up married to an L&T?”). Brownies. Hiking. Smarts. Need I say more?

From Nigeria, Goat Magic.

You’ve gotta read this chilling story of a man who turned into a goat, got pummelled by his brother with an axe, and then turned back into a man before dieing. (The Underground is not making this stuff up).

Either someonebody was under the influence of acid, or the axe-wielding brother has one of the weakest criminal minds (at least in terms of alibi) ever seen.

Speaking of Cosmic Weirdness.

After far too long a wait, we’re happy to report another post from the Wayward Fly Fisher, a man whose perspective is always interesting, though never, ever straightforward. This missive? About fly fishing trips to… other planets.

Most Telling Quote:

And if the bot-fly fails, the botfisher would probably put on what any reasonable botfisher would–a woolly bugger. It’s not going away any century soon. They’ll work in every current on every planet in every galaxy born since the Big Bang started pumping out galaxies.

That’s it for now. Gotta start my day of Quiet Desperation.

[tags]brook trout, nigeria[/tags]

Monday Morning Roundup

October 9, 2006, by 1 comment

You can tell I’ve been busy the weekend before when the Underground’s Monday Morning roundup is a thinly populated post with little in the way of cutting edge news.

The ugly truth is it’s going to be worth every cent you’re paying for it…

Girl guides

Falling Down

Looks like the fall fishing around Yellowstone is going big guns, at least if that shifty lot over at Fly In Yellowstone National Park are to be believed.

There are bugs, big fish, and bigger fish everywhere, and it makes me wonder why I’m sitting here typing this instead of gassing up the truck.

(Because I can’t, that’s why)

And speaking of guns, those same smut peddlers placed a link to Florida Fishing Guide who probably fishes very, very well, but clearly doesn’t have to.

New, Smut-Free Zone.

Of course, the Trout Underground isn’t simply all about smut. No, we’re also all about pain and suffering of the kind detailed in this Science Daily Report brought to us courtesy of FlyFishMagazine.

They think fly fishers hurt because they fish, but that’s laughable. I say fly fishers hurt because they don’t fish enough…

The Ho-Down.

The very first International Outdoor Bloggers Ho Down is history, and I can say with some relief that just because we’re electronic journalists, it doesn’t mean we’re limited to electronic alcohol.

While the Underground was the first to publish images of this groundbreaking event (the fan frenzy surpassed even that of the quest for pictures of the Bradd Pitt/Angelina Jolie baby), more images of the participants be found at the excellent Two-Heel Drive blog, including a couple of yours truly and yes – even the Wonderdog.

Shared Concerns.

While the other outdoor bloggers were mostly of the hiking/backpacking variety, it was interesting to hear them voice some of the concerns voiced by fly fishers.

Both hiking and fly fishing seem to be in a decline, and with a generation of kids more attuned to flatscreen monitors and texting than lakes and trees, both groups seem to be wondering about the future of their outdoor pursuits – even as we look forward to thinner crowds.

More on this last thought soon. In the meantime, I’ve got work to do, and I’m hoping to find the river this evening – if even just for a few minutes. It’s interesting that I can fish (and hike, and backpack) for weeks, and end up having fished the Upper Sac only once or twice.

See you on the river, Tom Chandler

[tags]bikini, hiking, backpacking, ho down[/tags]

When Good Mayflies Turn Bad

October 8, 2006, by No comments yet

Hell Hatch poster for fly fishers

Is that a Green Drake, or the Eastern March Brown?

More good stuff at Blue Loon Fine Arts.

[tags]mayflies, poster[/tags]

Outdoor Bloggers Gather. Fish in Feeding Frenzy.

October 7, 2006, by 3 comments

As the blogging hordes descended upon Mt. Shasta for the Outdoor Bloggers Ho-Down, I shirked my adult responsibilities, “cutting and running” in the late afternoon so I could float tube Gumboot Lake – the heavily fished alpine lake where the ho-downers pitched their tents.

Outdoor bloggers gathering
A ho-downer (writer of the Little Po blog) around the campfire.

First, the fishing.

I’ve written about Gumboot Lake before; it’s very easy on the eyes and features fishy-looking cover like lily pads, thule weeds and… a lot of stocked trout. Still, like any alpine lake, it can turn dark and moody, leaving you to wonder if there actually any damned fish in the thing.

That wasn’t so much the case on Friday. After pushing away from the shore, tossing my fly over the side of the tube, kicking for 10 feet, and catching a trout, it seemed like this wasn’t going to be too hard.

Another 20 feet (and another trout later), I figured it might be pretty easy. It was. Laughably so.

Gumboot Lake Rainbow
Some call this a rainbow. The eagles and ospreys at Gumboot call it dinner.

Normally, I’m all for catching lots of fish.

But when it gets too easy, it’s hard to revel in the fact that you’re one crafty son of a bitch, especially when a pair of shore-bound ten year-olds are matching you fish for fish, and the trout are showing all the selectivity of starving hogs.

I’m guessing the lake was stocked just a day or two prior (I can congratulate myself on my timing if not my fishing skills), and feeding a family the size of the Osmonds would have been a 90 minute job (including cleaning).

For the record, I fished an intermediate line with a peacock-bodied soft hackle, a hare’s ear soft hackle, and even some sparkly soft hackle I tied years ago but never had the guts to fish.

All worked equally well.

I’d have to compare this fishing trip to a visit to Las Vegas; fun, but hardly real.

The Ho Down

It was nice to stand around a campfire for a few hours with a handful of other outdoor bloggers. Tomorrow we take a quick six mile hike to the Seven Lakes Basin (some real backcountry lakes).

Since I tend to get a little anti-social when alpine lakes and fly rods are in close proximity, I’m probably going to leave the fly rod at home. Still, I’m taking a camera and my now-world-famous wit.

So stand by. See you at the Ho-Down, Tom Chandler

[tags]outdoor bloggers, ho down[/tags]

The Ultimate Fly Tier’s Book? The Underground Asks its Readers.

October 5, 2006, by 25 comments

Winter means different things to different people. Some bundle up like the Michelin man before heading out to fish, while others fire up the vise and re-stock depleted fly boxes.

In the interest of speeding your winter tieing, the Underground’s asking for something never in short supply around here: an opinion. What is your favorite fly tieing book?

This isn’t a “one book on a desert island” kind of question. Instead, we want to hear about the book that altered the way you tied or fished – a book with a point of view or philosophy that worked its way into your fly fishing consciousness.

Dave Hughes bookMy pick? Trout Flies: The Tier’s Reference by Dave Hughes. His philosophy emphasizes “buggy” flies over exact imitation, and his approach to fly tieing is to strip away the window dressing, focusing on what actually catches fish.

This book introduced me to the Beetle Bug (Official Attractor Fly of the Trout Underground); unpretentious and clearly written, it’s not a pattern book (though there are plenty of those) but more a philosophy of fly fishing.

Tag. You’re it. Let’s hear it from the Undergrounders.

Germs, Deals, and BWO Weather

October 5, 2006, by 2 comments

Yesterday the first real “BWO day” of the fall descended on Mt. Shasta (drippy wet, not windy, grey), and if you’re a fly fisher who likes chasing working fish with tiny dries, you anticipate these days like a child anticipates Christmas (though xmas presents don’t swim away if you spook them).

The fantasy finds you out on a choice run, big fish sipping #20 BWOs, the weather just bad enough to make you feel like a monster stud, but not so bad that you’re suffering any real discomfort.

Sadly, the fantasy ran headlong into a raging virus (a gift from the L&T Nancy), and instead of doing my best crippled mayfly imitations on the river, I spent the day indoors, doing my best Steve Prefontaine imitation by dashing between the medicine cabinet and the bathroom.

Still not everyone was sick, and Chris Raine was last seen headed downriver, cane rod in tow, and I expect to hear – in graphic, minute, excruciating detail – just how good it was. When I do, you’ll hear it too.

Still, as long as you’re breathing and you’ve got an unbroken fly rod, hope springs eternal, and I’m much better today. Better enough that I’m squinting out the window, looking for any hint of good cloud cover instead of blue skies. Maybe that’s the beauty of killer BWO days. Unlike Santa, they come more than once a year.

See you on the river, Tom Chandler.

[tags] BWO, Blue winged olives[/tags]

Tuesday’s Underground Entertainment

October 3, 2006, by No comments yet

It’s a cloudy Tuesday and the BWOs are probably pouring off the water like shedding fur off the Wonderdog, and yet I sit here typing. And typing. And typing more. Aiiiyeeee.

Still, my loss is your gain, and the two upcoming days could even feature lots of cloudy, drippy weather. Be still my BWO-ing heart.

fly fishing the upper sacramento river
I took this months ago, but saved it for an art-less day. Steve Bertrand on the Upper Sac.

Shopping London.

From the Windknotter blog comes a fun article about shopping in Farlows of Pall Mall – a London outdoor retailer which traces its roots back to the 1840s. His take is predictably amusing, and the picture of the rod room alone is worth the visit.

Ouch.

If you’re the squeamish type, then Fly Fishing in Yellowstone’s latest post probably won’t be of interest, including as it does a picture of a hook in a pair of (quite pouty) lips. Plus another salvo in the “fly fishing bikini wars” which I apparently have no hope of winning.

Dating the Great Outdoors.

Finally, what should land in my inbox but this little bit of spam about a dating service for singles who enjoy outdoor pursuits. Look at the bright side; if you’re desperate enough to use this service, you likely have time for the therapy it’ll take to get over the emotional damage of the average online date (don’t ask me how I know).

And speaking of emotional damage, the Underground is still wrestling with skipping tomorrow’s brookie trip in favor of flogging the Upper Sac in what could be cosmic dry fly weather.

Those who live far from great trout water are probably having trouble working up even a smidgen of pity, but remember – all suffering is relative. See you on the psychiatrist’s couch, Tom Chandler.

[tags]farlows, bikini, dating[/tags]

It’s October. Do You Know Where Your Caddis Is?

October 3, 2006, by 3 comments

I’m still putting gear away from the backpacking trip and getting it assembled for tomorrow’s small stream adventure, which is to say I’m engaged in that mental tug-of-war where I balance my quest for minimalism with an unreasoning terror that I won’t have the one gadget/rod/fly I need on the water.

Recreation can sometimes be testing.

Upper Sacramento River October Caddis 2005
An Upper Sac rainbow with an October Caddis toothache. (2005 photo)

The good news for those prone to recreating on the Upper Sac is that anonymous, highly placed sources have admitted that October Caddis have begun to hatch. “Caddisgate” – as I’m calling it in deference to the media’s need to create a cute name for every event – is apparently a high point for a lot of Upper Sac fly fishers.

At this time of year, the river tends to draw pretty good crowds, especially on weekends. It’s likely the dry fly fishing’s better in spring, but spring flows and weather are largely uncertain, while fall flows are wholly predictable and the risks are smaller.

Chris Raine and I have been fighting a running battle over fly patterns for the October Caddis hatch, and at some point he’ll realize that he’s dead wrong and I’m dead right, but until then, the invective will fly and fish will be caught.

It’s a crazy week (FFF Conclave this weekend in addition to the Outdoor Blogger Ho-Down), but despite the gathering media storm around Caddisgate, I plan to keep you as up to date as possible on matters of absolutely no importance.

I know. It’s a gift. See you on the river, Tom Chandler.

[tags]october caddis[/tags]

Backpacking in Lassen; Fly Fishing the High Country

October 2, 2006, by 2 comments

Backpacking into the high country is essentially a sweaty way to fish water that others rarely fish. That’s the good news.

The bad news is the season is short, the fish are usually small, you can’t bring a lot of gear, and the fishing can be moody. Still, even if the fishing isn’t spectacular, the views almost always are.

Lassen park moonrise
Moonrise, Lassen. The daytime views are cool, but the star views are even cooler.

Hiking in, setting up camp, eating, sleeping, breaking camp, and walking out don’t leave a lot of time to fish.

And when you get up early in the morning to fish and can’t because the line keeps freezing in the guides, it’s clear you’re about to experience a “quality outdoor activity” as much as a fishing trip.

The final tally wasn’t nearly as spectacular as the Lassen scenery; three grabs, one frisky rainbow landed.

Lassen Park map
The closer the squiggly lines, the harder you’re going to breathe.

Because you can’t fish anything you didn’t haul yourself, I left the 22 pounds of float tube, fins and gear behind and simply brought my 8.5′ 4-pc fiberglass rod and a few flies. The fly fisher in me didn’t appreciate the compromise, but my back sure did.

Lassen park leaves

The fishing wasn’t spectacular, but lots of other things were. The deciduous trees were dropping their leaves, and the Lassen Wilderness is pretty stunning on its off days, and it doesn’t have any off days in the fall.

Lassen park treeThe hike out wasn’t long (7.5 miles), but it was mostly uphill, and it was during that hike that I developed a deep and abiding appreciation for the trend towards ultralight backpacking, where 40 pound packs are a thing of the past, and 18 pound packs are perfectly doable.

The success of the experience suggests I should take a hard look at my fishing vest.

What about the Brookies?

Originally I planned to fish a brook trout stream on Monday, but – crafty devil that I am – I pushed that back to Wednesday, when I get to fish it until dark.

Some say that modern fly fishing’s all about hunting trout, but I disagree. Most of the time, it’s really about the sleight of hand you play just to get the chance.

[tags]lassen, backpacking[tags]

The Backcountry Trout Beckon. And Ian Lives!

September 29, 2006, by 2 comments

While the tech wizards at SBC scratched their heads over my dead DSL service ALL DAY LONG, I spent my Internet-free time pulling together gear for this weekend’s backpacking trip to the Lassen backcountry.

This, I think, will be fun.

You gotta sneak up on ‘em…

High altitude trout are best approached with a guerrilla mindset, but one tempered by a minimalist approach (remember; before you can fish all that gear, you’ve got to carry it there first).

When I fish the river, it’s often a contest to see how much gear I can jam in my vest. When I fish the backcountry, I wrestle with how little I should load in my pack.

Fortunately, backcountry trout are rarely picky (note the “rarely”). The hard life in the rarefied backcountry environment rewards aggressive feeders, but also creates trout that are pretty damned spooky (that guerrilla thing again).

In the end, you end up fishing for naive, innocent trout that freak at the sight of you (much like the girls in high school).

This backcountry trip ends Sunday afternoon, but I’m going to play the self-employed card and tack on a Monday exploration of a Brook trout stream near Lassen.

I’ve never fished it and the whole thing is speculative – based as it is on rumor and the fly fishing equivalent of a ghost story – but dismissing anything that’s not a “sure thing” is probably a sign of impending doom (not physical doom, but the metaphysical kind where fear wholly overwhelms your sense of wonder).

As always, I’ve got a camera in my pack and a pad of paper in my pocket, so you’ll hear about it right after the L&T Nancy does. See you on Tuesday.

The Rutters Return…

Ian and Charity RutterThanks to the magic of e-mail, we can now safely end the Underground’s Ian Rutter: “Lost in Montana” Vigil.

Twenty-four days after disappearing into the trout candy store that is Montana, Southeast Tennessee’s hardest-working guide(s) finally surfaced with an e-mail suggesting Montana was wonderful, but that it was good to be home.

If Ian ever figures out his new digital camera, we might even see pictures of the trip. Ian also mentioned stumbling across Alert Underground Reader Matt Smargiasso, who left home Labor Day weekend and wouldn’t go home until early October.

Some might applaud that kind of commitment, but once again, the Underground is left to wonder why the hell weren’t we invited?

I weep bitterly. See you in the backcountry, Tom Chandler.

[tags]backcountry, lassen, backpacking, brook trout, Montana[/tags]