SilverDoctor

Wonderful pictures. I love the fall. I have to try ot get out next weekend and take some pictures. Unfortunitly I have to work this weekend. Love the bridge shot.

Isn't that a Winnipeg indicator?

I also tie it with the classic mallard wing but the hair wings are much tougher and take more abuse.

Actually it's tied in the classic manner with Squirrel. With all the focus on new flies people often forget about the classics.

Good eye for hooks man. it actually just fell away as soon as I touch it.

We where blessed with a solid run of Steelhead. I've been there when the water is dead one day and positively boiling the next. Nothing like when I was young and hit the rivers with my Dad. I would be embarrassed to tell you how many we released in a day (yes some fly fishers did catch and release in the 60's). I was lucky to know the water up there. But we quite easily have beeen up there just for the scenery. I must say that the Spey rods did make a big difference.

Yep she is getting chilly. The weather was cool and drizzly but great for fishing. Do do need the extra layers. I like wool as even if it is wet it's warm. The trees where starting to turn here and there. If you have any other questons give me a shout.

Too bad you couldn't make it, I've canceled many a trip in the past. Life gets in the way. But the fish will be there for next time.

And then use even bigger stinkin streamers. :lol:

Well like the saying goes “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. Such is life. I had planned a Steelhead trip of the Skeena this year. But once we got to Kelowna my wife’s dad was quite ill. We spent time with the folks and I did a fly tying demo at one of the shops there. Toward the end of the week things looked better and the wife said do your thing, but I would only have a day and a half to spend chasing steelies. My friend Nick and I flew out to Terrace. I normally like to drive having access to my truck that way but time did not permit. Nick had a distant friend who had a boat and as pre arranged was glad to run us upriver. My goal was to fish the Copper river (Zymoetz). I have fished the Skeena system with fly rod many times, growing up in BC and having had a dad who lived to fly fish helps a lot. It is familiar ground. There is something about the fall that sets me into migration mode. I think I have somehow inherited genes of those wild fish who seek the distant rivers. We where greeted in Terrace by a great guy who went out of his way to give us a hand. Aside from a bit of cash he asked me for a few flies and at the end of the trip I gladly gave him most of his request. Nick insisted on the other half leaving me quit flyless coming home to Calgary. We ran upriver early morning in an on and off drizzle. Reached the Copper and after a couple of k’s he dropped us on the shore with our rods and packs of essentials and possibles. You know this country is where God decided to hide beauty. It is the high wild where the river flows like silver ink through black timber. It’s fine mists inspire. We hurriedly assembled out Spey rods and parted up and downstream although Nick joined me hurriedly on the up walk after having a close encounter of the Silvertip Grizzly kind. He figured she was either getting romantic or hungry, and neither suited him. We did count 8 of his brothers that day. We fished the broken water and found fish quickly in slower water below and especially in front of large boulders tail outs or sections of river just above rapids. We saw during the course of the day over 20 pods of fish. We cast intruder tube flies, blue charms, tail gunners, General Practioners Spratly Spey and a variety of others. We had dozens of hits. A few spectacular takes on waking flies tied riffle-hitche style. Brought 3 fantastic fish to hand that where a chore to pick up. And a joy so see. Lost 5 Steelhead close in after great fights one at my feet which almost knocked me over adn left me with a sore knee. The event of the day was one large Coho that most have hit the 30 pound mark. This baby ran me to my backing till I could see reel steel twice before straightening out the no: 3 blue charm hook. A souvenir that I will treasure. We where picked up late in the evening and it was back to the world. Our “guide” had a great day also with a few of my borrowed flies. With all the fish I was really glad to have the Pfluger President. A reel with solid and quality drag is a must. We also sharpened hooks at every opportunity. This is important. I sit here this evening back in Calgary fairly exhausted this week. My shoulder hurts from the constant fish. A good hurt. I daydream a lot reflecting back on the trip and will sketch and paint my experiences through the winter. I’ll be tying Steelhead flies for myself and a few clients and with every fly I will think back on this trip.

Snails.... need..... to.... be..... fished... toooooo...... slow... for... my... taste.....................................................

pm me

What color intruders where you using?

Cost of materials to date $1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 Time to learn to tie to date about 48 years. Feeling I get when taking a wily brown on my own flies, teach someone to tie, or come up with a new pattern... priceless

They are kind of teardrop shaped. they form on the hook quite well and have a very streamlined shape. A lot of the guys that tie Czech Nymphs use them for the fast sinkers. Not cheap though.

Skid Bitches have been great for me this year. Standard streamers haven't worked well although the doc's Dodger bead eyed streamer I gave you Toolman worked great for me with quite a number of large browns and rainbows. Teh best for me have been classic north country wets in tandem and triple flies.

Bought a bunch in BC last year. They work great. All out now so have to look arround for more this winter.

I will make it a point to post when I get back. I've had most of my large fish on Intruders. I'm at work now and won't have time tonight as I'll be packing to leave in the morning.

Heading out to BC Saturday morning. Visting with the folks in Kelowna then off to the Skeena on my yearly trip (actually probably the copper) for a couple of days. Tied up Golden Demons, Red Butt Skunks, Montreal Silver but mostly intruders plus a few others. Post when I get back.

I only use a hopper dropper rig in shallow water next to the bank (less than 24"). And only when I see good rises. I fish other methods like high stick, swinging or indicator otherwise.

You forgot the part about casting and eating of the haggis while chanting the secret ritual broge "we seek thee yon bonney, little trout" and of course the casting of the blarney.

By the way flattening the stems is great for display flies to get everything to lay right but for fishing flies fracturing the stem by flattening can weaken the stem. I was chatting with a tyer in BC last fall who stopped doing that after client complaints his flies lost feathers.

I use a mini pair of needle nose pliers at the bench as I tie. The trick is to keep horizontal as you squeeze and only use enough pressure to pinch the barb. That said some brand of hooks are more brittle than others. I got a batch of tiemco's a few years ago that fractured every time you pinched barbs. I have been using some Partridge hooks lately that are barbless. The perfect way to go, unfortunitly not all hook makers offer barbless.

Just a point, trout are opportunistic. I don't believe for a moment that a trout will pass up a large morsel that it believes to be a meal. The trigger response may not be exactly that it is a hopper or a stonefly but a large something good to eat. I have Hopper patterns I fish that are orange and don't believe for a second that grasshopper are what the trout key on. Many of teh flies we fish are general imitations of life. Not exact copies. That's why such classic flies like the mudder work. In a given situation it can be mistaken for anything from a Stone fly to a Minnow. By the way great postes

The GP comes in a lot of different styles. Tied quite a few of these over the years for the Steelhead market in BC. Don't lacquer the tippets, it will spoil the look and action of this fly. When you use your Golden pheasant tippets be sure to cut a "V" out of the feather and tie down the stem under your thread wraps. There are two things to look for, first the thread and material base must be flat. if you have tied with an uneven base it will be impossible to have finer materials sit straight. Second is the tying thread pressure, too much will make the tippets flair. Keep the first back wraps with less pressure and then gradually give it more pressure along its length, also keep your wraps close together. As for the rumps,be sure to choose rumps that don't have an inherent curve. If you have a curve you can wet the feather and lay it on newspaper to dry to straighten it. Again be sure there is nothing under your rump (he he) to push it up, that is you base material should be reasonable flat. The same applies to the thread pressure (see above). Another thing that will come into play is the quality of your feathers. Hope this helps. It's always had to make a judgment call without seeing what you've done.