jjthom2

I left the main hook on these so the trailer can be easily removed (I added the trailer just because there seemed like the pattern was too long for the single hook). No one ever has short strike issues with 8"-10" flies for pike?

Tying some stuff for pike this spring:

One more: This one and the last two are based on a pattern called "the Provo Hooker" from finpusher.com (cool site - check it out for a tutorial) And these for the long winter:

A couple more:

Coming from the Kelly Galloup school of thought (can't wait for spring run-off).

I've only seen a couple cutts in that branch, mostly further upstream (lots of grizzlies up there). Bulls there are fun as most will rise to a dry. I think that little canyon/gorge area may be a spawining area for the bulls - perfect sized gravel and good flows year round. Checked some of my pics and it is the same place for sure (just an awsome spot fish or no fish). Never caught a brown up there but last year caught a couple rainbows - wonder where they came from?

Nice pics Jay, I'm pretty sure I'm familiar with that cool little gorge. A few years back it had a huge log-jam hanging up top. Manage any cutts in that stretch? Jeff

Best of luck on this one. I tried everything I could (and recieved significant help from others with much more experience in these matters) to get something done about some of the poor logging practices on the upper Red Deer (entire feeder creeks logged nearly to the banks). After 2 years nothing changed. The general attitude is that it's all bound to burn anyways so might as well harvest it. The rules regarding buffer strips and stream classification need to be changed and people need to understand that a forest fire leaves behind a very different ecosytem than clear-cut logging.

Typical of the James - Browns are few and far between and some days they won't budge for anything - other days they are everywhere you'd expect them to be. There are usually quite a few small brookies but I suspect they are farther upstream this time of year. Deep pools should be loaded with whitefish staging for the spawn (they were 2 weeks ago). Just a heads-up, I have seen a pair of young grizzlies in that area a couple times this year.

A small mouse pattern that made a good wake got the attention of quite a few fish - I think I missed quite a few strikes because the fly was too big for some of the fish. There seems to be a bit of a mouse population explosion in some places.

A couple more pics;

Here are a couple browns from exploring a small, overlooked creek last weekend. Hoppers and mice were the ticket.

Tonight I caught what I'm sure was a lake whitefish on the Red Deer tailwater section. Has anyone else ever caught one here? How did they get in the river?

Agreed - not the classiest move on my part - but it is easy to get attached to the smaller streams, especially when certain trout you get to know and catch numerous times from the same place each year are suddenly gone for no good reason. I wish I was a 1000 fish/year angler.

Sorry to hear about your spot Jay. I met a guy with his wife and kids a few years back carrying his stringer of 5 browns out of the FT (legal limit for all in his party but come on?!). I told him that if he was hungry but couldn't afford food I'd be happy to give him a few bucks. A limit of 2 fish on a stream like the FT is ridiculous.

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I carry the pistol style - it requires those little 22 blanks to ignite the banger/screamer but feels safe enough to carry loaded (just not cocked). The downside is it is time consuming to load the banger, remove the spent casing, and chamber another blank so if you need to get a second shot off you are screwed. There is probably a better model out there somewhere.

I came across a family of four otters on the lower fallentimber last year. Never saw any there (or anywhere) for 10 years until then. I have heard rumors of them being re-introduced in some areas. I understand the point that our native trout evolved alongside the otters and have survival skills to keep them from being an easy meal, but my favorite streams contain non-native browns ( hopefully they evolved along side otters in europe as well). Doesn't natural predation serve to strengthen and improve the gene pool? (in theory anyways - as long as we haven't screwed things up to badly with the predators that keep trout predators in check). I hope the otters have a taste for brookies - maybe they can thin them out a little so we see some larger fish.

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Fishing near the Mariettas Islands off Punta De Mita Mexico. I was looking for roosterfish but only got one shot that I blew. I saw this guy smash through a school of sardina that the bonito had rounded up against the rocks so I tossed a cast into the frenzy. Took around half an hour to land it on a 10 wt. Caught lots of bonito and some sierra mackerel. I saw huge schools of milk fish feeding on the surface (thought you had to go to the Seychelles to find them) but all I had were big baitfish patterns that they were not interested in. I'll be bringing some floating algae patterns next time.

African Pompano

Very cool - I'll have to pick one up. Thanks Jay.

Great vids, Definitely one of the best parts of winter. Looking forward to more. Jeff

Good work calling it in. I overheard a disturbing conversation between 2 spin fishermen on the Red Deer tailwater yesterday; Two guys were on the opposite side of the river (sound travels amazingly well over water) and the one guy was describing to his friend the best way to catch spawning browns this time of year. He described a spot with a high bank over a run where many browns have their redds (a spot I am familiar with) and how if you swing a deep running rapala along until you're just over the redd and then "really crank on it so it digs right in to the nest" the big males would strike out of aggression. UNBELIEVABLE! Unfortunately you cant call someone in for describing their poaching technique. Good thing the fish manage to persevere in spite of these kind of idiots. Jeff