SilverDoctor

Mailed a week ago.

I like emergers and have a couple of patterns that I fish, there are times when trout look like they are rising to take dries when in fact they are keying in on flies that are still trapped in the miscus . They've rescued me from a seemingly endless run of failed attempts to match the hatch. They weren't taking duns. Surface tension of water is an important thing that creates the "film" layer that is important to fish and anglers alike . Water surface tension is a major obstacle to Mayflies and other insects. Hanging below that film will entice strikes at times. When tying think of materials that make sense. This one has soft hackle tail and a ball of CDC to keep it afloat and create a bubble on the back just like many mayfly nymphs use to get to the surface. Seeing the back of a Trout "bulging" just above the surface with no bubbles or splash is one good indication. Nose poke and bubbles are a perfect indication of trout surface feeding. Oops better stop yapping as I can go on forever.

Hi Michael, I learned to keep my #16 - #18 sparse but to bulk up larger sizes. Snowshoe is so nice to tie small. I still love to be on a stream bringing in a Trout and having someone shout what Fly are you using.

The Usual Met the originator of this fly Fran Betters in the 70's when I fished the AuSable River in the Adirondacks for a week. Spent 4 rainly days in his shop with him, when he found I could tie I helped to fill his fly bins with his signature patterns. He gave me one of his rental fiberglass rods that he built (slighty damaged). Really nice guy, signed a book for me and fed me. His dog didn't like me so much though, liked to munch my cuffs. Even with the rain the fly shop was busy with guys and gals dropping in some to just say “Hi”. Got really good at tying Usuals, haystacks, Ausable Wulff's etc. Still have a half dozen of his flies that I treasure. Corresponded with him for a while till he got ill. I often change up my Usual bodies with Beaver to imitate the early March Brown etc. hatch. A really flexible fly, that I still fish a lot.

He does speakie Troutinese" I betach betcha.

On Thursday March 16th, 2017 the new recreational licensing season starts. You can buy online. Alberta Relm

Yes a shame, but they also have a total bait ban so no more maggots.

Yes I kind of hoped that they would have put barbless back in. Might help the step on the fish and pull crowd.

New changes. Bow River (from Banff National Park downstream to Bassano Dam including Bassano Reservoir) – Open all year; Bait Ban; Trout and Whitefish limit 0; Pike limit 0; Burbot limit 0; Walleye limit 0.

You can read the regs online here, download a pdf or order a printed copy. Time to get familiar with any changes.

They will not police themselves. The organized OHV group will but only with their members and on their trails. That leaves the bulk of riders who don't belong to any group and do their own thing. Some are careful but most take great joy in running streams and making bogs into mud holes. They want the status quo but refuse to use constraint or follow the rules. Most have no idea about the laws that are in place to protect sensitive areas. The hobby is to dig up as much as you can and wetlands, bogs, and creeks are the targets. Being involved with Trout Unlimited to try to undo damage to headwaters planting willows and other recovery work I've seen first hand the damage and the need to try to save delicate areas. Areas we planted where run over even though signs wherein place. Bridges have been placed over creeks with large boulders in place to encourage people from crossing without damaging banks. They removed the boulders and run through the creeks leaving the bridges unused. Plus we still have people washing off their units at the end of the day in rivers. Some of the areas look like a war zone. This is the kind of stupidity that finally gets the government to step in. I was discouraged but now see a light at the end of the tunnel with government action. Not that I want the government to step in but it's got to that point.

Tie always tie, use a long piece and ancher it on two points, tie in clumps. Very slinky

Use a piece of bead chain (like a pull chain for a light) tie as a trailer and add craft fur.

Done with large comment sections

Here's one, for years I used empty butter containers to hold flies as I tied them hooking them on the edge. They tended to pop off easily. For the last few years this drying tree has worked really well. Just some foam strips hot glued to a wood frame. I usually tie up a bunch then grab the base and glue up the heads. It also sticks above all the materials that accumulate on my table. Its double sided so I can get about 500 flies on it.

Yep sure is, I try to tie for Local waters. You are dead on for the waters.

Skittering Caddis

Very kind of you to say.

Yes, but I find using tweezers easier.

Thanks Murray, but I hate knotting legs. and I'm too cheap to buy em. There is another one Called the Mudder Daddy, I'll fish one out of my tying box and post it later.

Here are a couple of Guide spacings. The Flexcoat one is quite nice. It just depends if you are redoing an old cane rod to match the original specs or runn new guide spacing. Most of the older rods will benefit from new spacing which adds more guides. Some of the older rods had very small guides to accommodate the thinner diameter of Silk lines and also are better with larger guides. Perhaps Don our cane master will chime in. Hook and Hackle Flexcoat Have fun and post pictures.

Although I do fish some more recent Hardy's, I actually love the older Hardy's that where hand made in Alnwick. Some like the Perfect and St. George where made like a fine swiss watch.