CFFA Fly Fishing Expo Review

This past Saturday was the annual Connecticut Fly Fisherman's Association's annual Fly Fishing expo and Banquet held in South Windsor, CT.  The CFFA Expo is a small local fly fishing expo that offers up vendors from the local fly fishing shops, local guides, Local Fly tiers, product reps as well as some great guest speakers.  All that good fly fishing fun and knowledge in one room for a general admission price of one US American dollar, this is a dollar menu worth ordering from.

Steve O and JT - JT's Fly Shop

JT and Steve O from my local fly shop - JT's Fly Shop - had a presence at the show and it is always good to support the local business as much as you can.  These guys have been a huge resource to me offering up free fly fishign and tying classes, answering all my crazy questions and of course willing to order up anything I need anytime.  JT's is a throw back to those mom and pop shops that understood what customers and customer service meant and to them you are not just a customer, but one of their fishing buddies.  I made sure to stick around and help them break down and load up after the show just to say thanks for everything they've done for me.

Loren explaining staying in contact with your flies

The featured guest speaker was Loren Williams from Fly Guy's Guide Service.  Loren is a guide with over 35 years of fly fishing experience, a member of the Fly Fishing Team USA and a coach of the US Youth Fly Fishing Team where he has fished and coached all over the world.  Loren is also an experienced Fly Tier, and was introduced to Team USA in the summer of 2005 when he was selected as  its first official fly tier for the 2005 FIPS-Mouche WFFC in Lycksele, Sweden.  So when a chance to hear someone with Loren's fly fishing credentials speak, you take it and I was glad I did.

Loren's presentation was on nymphing tricks but started out with a story that took place during a world competition across the pond where he watched a young girl with her fly rod in tow enter this pond and feverishly work to entice those big trout to bite her fly.  Watching this young lady brought Loren back to a time when he would sit there himself as a young boy trying to trick a bluegill or bass to bite.  Much of this enticing was related to making weird movements, starts and stops, twitches, hard splashing, anything you could do to make the fish take notice. I'm sure many of you that have fished as a kid can related to this, I know I did.  This led to the basic concept of Loren's presentation which was to think outside of the box from the typical dead drift presentation of nymph fishing.  Obviously when dry fly fishing, getting that perfect drag free realistic drift is important, when nymph fishing is it as important?  Loren's experience shows that there are many cases where that perfect natural nymph drift is not going to get the job done and something needs to happen to induce the fish to strike your fly - not new news for many, but it was a gentle reminder for us as fisherman to think out of the box.  Many time when mending the line to get that perfect nymph drift we get concerned about fly movement, but is it really an issue?  When nymphs are drifting along they are doing all kinds of crazy movements thanks to the different water dynamics they are drifting through.  They could be tumbling along the bottom, rising and lowering along the way or even shifting from side to side.

Loren's table was always busy

Loren discussed how under certain conditions and times that trout react to the splash of something hitting the water and immediately move to take whatever made the splash.   This is common when trout are hanging along banks or under trees waiting for bugs to drop into the water or fishing faster shallow water where the fish have to react quicker. Because of this immediate reaction to something hitting the water, you need to be ready to set the hook and that may require that you cast differently and more importantly stop your cast differently so you are ready for the quick take.   I've experienced this when casting buggers along a bank where the fish violently took the bugger as it hit the water only for me to be day dreaming and miss the hook up or not get a solid hook up.  Loren discussed a technique he learned from one of his coaches that was created just for these scenarios which basically involved setting the hook immediately or close to it just after your flies hit the water - cast, settle, set was how he described it.  Another technique he discussed had to do with setting the hook as your flies enter the spot you believe a fish to be.  That's right, setting the hook without feeling or seeing a take.  This hook set works to elicit a reaction strike from the fish.  This technique would be used many times after a few passes through with no takes and it worked. Interesting concepts  for sure and Loren said that using these techniques had increased their hookup rate greatly. 

One of the questions I have for my fly fishing readers is, have you ever incorporated any motion purposely to try and elicit a strike?  I know I have done so when fishing buggers and it included some slight lifting and dropping of the rod tip when drifting a bugger along, or a few twitches of the rod tip to make it dart or the old Leisenring Lift which was found to entice the fish to take the nymph as it was swept up to the surface like a natural nymph would. 

Loren took the time to answer everyone's questions and he even offered up some casting demonstrations out in the parking lot.  Lorean also turned me on Cortland's new Bicolor Mono sighter  material.  It looks very similar to the Jan Siman Bicolor sighter material that I'm using now, but the real test will come on the water when I get to test each of them in the same conditions and make my own determination.  I have already scrapped all my solid color mono sighters for the bicolor material as it just seems to work well under every condition.  I've found some claims on the web that the Jan Siman material is brighter then the Cortland material but is it enough to force me to stay with a product that is imported and only carried by a few places?  We will see.


I also got to check out the offerings from Fishpond as I am in the market for a new fly fishing vest.  As I continue to collect more and more gear, my current fishing vest isn't cutting it.  Not so much for the storage options, but comfort.  The Fishpond offerings are very comfortable, offer plenty of space and organization as well as adjust-ability.  One look at their offerings like this Wasatch Tech Pack and you realize just how far we come from your grandfather's fly fishing vest.

I'm always looking at fly boxes and and constantly re organizing and trying to find the right fit.  Of course what I should concentrate on is carrying just one box and a small one at that, but like my dad always says - you can't use it if you don't have it.  It's hard to beat these little Grey's GS Fly boxes as they are durable and come at a very nice price point, but I think I might have found a winner in Umpqua Pro Guide Fly Boxes.  The lids were extremely secure and rumor is they are waterproof.  Being as vertically challenged as I am, everything gets wet when I fish so if they are truly waterproof that would be a huge plus alone for me.  Some included little magnetic sections for those pesky tiny flies. 

One last bright spot from the expo was getting a chance to meet the folks from Mill River Fly Rods and to  look over their offerings of fly fishing rods and reels.  Mill River is a small local company located in Wallingford,Connecticut whose company mission is to offer up high quality fly fishing rods and reels at affordable prices.  They offer up a nice range of fresh water rods and reels that felt nice, looked good and to be of high quality and were definitely an affordable price.  The only true test of any rod is to get out on the water and fish it and I would definitely be willing to give their rods a try and just might do so.  It sure would be nice to have a small local business provide me with the tools to catch some fish.

These little expos and shows don't get the big draw and press that the regional shows do, but they are worth the visit for sure and a great way to find and support the local businesses in your area so make sure to visit one.

They Have The Passion - Small Stream Reflections

This weeks featured Outdoor blogger that has the PASSION is Alan (aka Brk Trt) from Small Stream Reflections.

A willing participant in Alan's Passion

For anyone that has ever fished or thought about fishing small streams with wild trout then Small Stream Reflections is a must visit blog. Alan's passions for fishing small streams that hold wild trout as well as for tying those flies, especially some beautiful streamers, for hunting those trout and I can't forget his passion for cooking, will always make for a very interesting and mouth watering read. Be warned, if you are trying to diet, then keep those rice cakes handy because most of Alan posts have a picture of food and it is hard to control your urges when you see his creations. I just now realized how those wild trout must feel when one of Alan's ties comes drifting by - Mouth a watering and an uncontrollable urge to feed.

Look at the markings on this one

Alan's posts are always filled with great images of the streams he is fishing and the fish he is catching.  I don't think there is anything more incredible looking than a wild trout, except for some of the streamers Alan is always tying up.   Alan always shares his ties and usually some history behind the flies and streamers he is tying.  

Just one of Alan's Streamer ties

There is more than just incredible pictures of wild trout and beautifully tied flies, as Alan will offer up some history lessons, gear information, book reviews,  and of course food.  Something for every fly fisherman on his blog.

So stop on by and visit Alan at Small Stream Reflections but remember, if you are like me and have a problem controling your cravings you might what to skip past the end of each fishing report or you could be faced with something like this.........

Alan's homemade corned beef hash

Back away from the Fly tying bench

Well I've been MIA for the past few weeks but I haven't been far.  I decided to take advantage of the lack of major snow storms to get caught up on my preseason fly fishing prep.  Don't worry, we still have close to 3 feet of snow on the ground but we are making progress with it's departure.  In the meantime I have been putting in time on the bench tying some flies and experimenting with some new tying techniques, well new to me at least.

My local  trout stream is still un-fishable with all the ice and the recent rain will only hurt more than it helps but it won't be long now before I am back on the water and working on my nymphing skills.  I am looking forward to spending the spring working on some short line Czech and long line Euro nymphing tehcniques that I started learning last year - read my Introduction to Euro Nymphing post from last may and you can see why I am excited about this technique.

I recently received Aaron Jasper's European Nymphing DVD which just came out this past January and it really helped put everything together that I experienced last year and everything I've been reading and learning.  The video does a great job breaking down the basics of both short and long leader nymphing and includes a section on tying, knots and leader creation.  If you have been thinking about getting into Euro Nymphing styles then Aaron's DVD is a must.





So when I am not scouring the internet, or bugging my local Fly guy Steve Babbit up at JTs Fly Shop or watching Arron's video again, I am at the tying bench trying to make some head way on some flies.   I've only been tying flies for just about 2 years now but most of my ties have been buggers and streamers and some nymphs like the tried and true Pheasant tails or Hares ear nymphs so I had to expand my horizons to fill up my box in preparation for all the flies I will be fishing losing this spring.

Some of my recent ties - Bottom middle and left are woven flies

I am not a fan of dubbing flies and I'm sure it is just because I stink at it so I decided to try creating some woven flies just so I don't have to deal with my crappy dubbing technique.  Weaving flies basically consist of taking two pieces of material either floss or wire in contrasting colors and weaving them along the body of the fly to create a different color on the top and bottom of the fly.  It is a challenge for sure but once you get the hang of it there is no stopping.  I've been using DMC 6 strand embroidery floss from the local craft store.  It only cost about 37 cents a color and it is available in what seems like a gazillion possible color combinations.  

Just a sampling of some of the colors of floss I purchased.

There are a couple of tricks to weaving and the first is separating the six strands into 3 which is pretty easy to do.  The second is to use some empty thread spools to wind the floss on so you can use your bobin when weaving.  Do a search on your tube or goole and you will find plenty of video tutorials and step by step procedures like this one from Loren Willams Woven Polish Nymph Tutorial.  Lorens Website is a must have link for anyone who ties their own flies or looking to start.  Here is a short clip from Trout Predator Online that I used to help with my weaving. 



When I am not tying at the bench lately I am working on my knots, tying up some leaders and some coiled strike indicators and I can't wait for that bicolor strike indicator material that I ordered to show up so I can make some bicolor "Slinky" indicators.  I also purchased a new rod for nymphing and can't wait to get my new 10' 4wt Greys Streamflex out on the water rigged up with some of those flies I've been tying. 

So I apologize for being away the past couple of weeks but as you can see I've been busy preparing for the waters to open up.  I know this for a fact.  I will lose some flies and I will catch a few fish and I'm sure some will succumb to the net just because they are laughing so hard.  Either way old man winter will be gone and I will be on the water.  Life will be good.

Spring is just around the corner – I hope!

This is the time of year that I get real antsy and some might even say I get a little cranky.  As the last days of old man winter continue to fight and hang on I have to deal with those ever so slight hints that spring isn’t far off and it frustrates me to no end.  It’s like trying to reach something stuck underneath an immovable object and your only recourse is to try and squeeze you arm under this object only to find out your fingers are just millimeters to short.  ARGHHHHHH.   Some people call this cabin fever but to me it is just the plain old desire to be outside and doing the things I haven’t done since before winter.  It usually starts with having more daylight, spreads into rumors of Robin’s being spotted in the area, extends to more wildlife movement around like Skunks, bears and turkey and boils over with warmer temperatures.  It is actually just a taste of what’s to come in a few more weeks.

Sure, I get outside during the winter but it’s not the same as standing in the middle of a stream on a spring day tossing some flies and trying to hook that stubborn trout, or chasing turkeys on a spring  morning and that is where the my problem starts.  At this time of year I start to check out river conditions, review the upcoming regulations for turkey and fishing season, finish preparing my hunting and fishing gear, quick trips to see if the fishing waters are opening up and checking the normal haunts for signs of wild turkey and this is how it all starts.  Pure frustration.

This year has been a little more difficult for me than years past and I blame it all on my new found passion – Fly Tying.  About three years ago I picked up Fly fishing, which was actually my second attempt at fly fishing.  My first was about 15 years prior to that and I was still too young and didn’t have enough patience or appreciation for the art and skill of fly fishing to make it stick.  So 3 years ago I had spent the winter getting up to speed with the concept of fly fishing and making my desire to learn how to fly fish known to my lovely wife.  Well, she was obviously listening because for my anniversary that year I got a full day guided fly fishing trip and instruction as a present.  A month after my anniversary I found myself heading toward an old familiar haunt from my childhood in the form of the Farmington River where I would spend the day reacquainting myself with this incredible river where my guide Jack Smola was going to teach me how to cast and present a fly to a fish I couldn’t even see.  Not an easy task for sure but one in which Jack was successful, but we’ll save that day for another entry.  For now let me just say that this day started my newfound passion for fly fishing.  Ofcourse I went about trying to learn as much as I could about fly fishing after that, which actually includes trying to determine what bugs the fish are eating so you can figure out what type of fly to present to them.  Sounds simple doesn’t it?!

The more I learned the more I wanted to take the next step in what I felt was a normal progression and that was fly tying and so the adventure began.  Now maybe it’s the easy access to technology that allowed me to enter this new realm as it offered the opportunity to learn at my own pace and on my time instead of trying to find a tying class nearby. Ofcourse the internet is loaded with videos and tutorials with information from basic tying techniques to tying a specific fly or pattern, but the video is only the visual component.  My new problem was who would I bounce questions off of when I had them and believe me, I have had plenty.    That is where access to fly fishing forums on the internet comes in, especially in the areas where you do not have a local fly fishing shop, Fly fishing organization or a mentor.  These forums are loaded with people just waiting to help out a newbie with all his fly tying and fly fishing questions.   These forums were a major part of my success as was my introduction to a new fly fishing shop that had just opened up minutes from my home.  Now there is an over abundance of information to discuss for someone looking to get into fly tying so I will leave this for another day. 

So last summer I decided to give fly tying a try and started off with a starter kit that my dad had laying around the house that had never been opened or used which was good for me, but it also meant that dad wouldn’t be much help with my tying endeavors, but it was the kit that made it easy for me to give it a go because I didn’t have to spend loads of money on equipment only to find out I didn’t like it.  So I set out to tie my first fly the ever popular Woolly Bugger.  It was something I fished often, mainly because everything I have heard or read said that it was a fish catching fly and there was no wrong way to fish them and I did try to prove that theory wrong, but I still caught fish.  So I did tie up some woolly buggers and after a couple I started to get the hang of it and actually had tied some that looked good and fishable.  The nest step was to fish with something I just tied.  Well I did and guess what; I actually caught fish…Holy crap!  I can still remember standing in the middle of the Willimantic River with a huge Cheshire cat grin on my face as I brought that trout to hand trying not to fall in from all the pent up energy and emotion that I was overrun with.  Then after thanking that wonderful trout for giving me such joy, I ever so gently put him back to fight another day.  I’m smiling now as a matter of fact.

That day was the day I knew I was hooked, no pun intended, on fly fishing and fly tying.  To actually catch something on a fly that you tied yourself…Man what a feeling.  Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, my yearly bought with my version of cabin fever.  So I spent my winter learning more tying techniques and patterns and I even took a formal class at my local fly shop.  This new found passion of fly tying has forced a much larger than normal urge to get out on the stream and fish and making this time of year even more difficult to control than any of the years past.  The desire to get out and fish the flies that I spent all winter tying with my own hands was getting the best of me.  The good news though, is that I just need to get past this latest group of winter storms and I will be out presenting those flies to a hungry trout and hopefully he will be as inexperienced as I am and easy to fool but for some reason I doubt that will be the case.   That trout is so close I could almost touch it.