The River

Our fishing brothers over at Gink and Gasoline pass us this reminder or how life can be short.  The losses are tremendously hard, but living life can be great.

BY KENT KLEWEIN

Today’s post we honor a simple request from a Father to shed light on the one year anniversary of losing his son, and favorite fishing partner. Anthony Greer’s life ended far too early from a firearms accident, and we pay respect to this young articulate man and former guide, who was well on his way to becoming a fly fishing legend. Anthony spent many days guiding clients to trophy trout on the flaming gorge section of the Green River. His home water was the Provo River in Northern Utah. Anthony, we hope you’re spending your time in heaven casting dry flies to big beautiful trout on the prettiest water you’ve ever laid your eyes on.

Below is a powerful and moving short essay Anthony Greer wrote. Please take the time to read and pay your respects to one of our fallen fly fishing comrades.

 Full write up…..

Tags: Fishing brothers from other mothers

CARP SEASON IS HERE!!!!!

Early spring like weather means the carp are up earlier than usual. I hit the lake today for some early season carp on the fly. My friend Chris bagged a nice mirror carp as well!

First Carp of 2012!

Can you say Hoover?

Chris with a nice mirror carp!

If you have an interest in chasing carp on the fly, give us a call. 828-446-5552

Ryan

Tags: midget tossing, Ahhh-Carping we will go Ahhhh-Carping we will go

Quick Somebody shoot that Thing!!!

Derek Kuehl of Hayward, WI describes muskie flies in a way that no one else can.  “If, when you pull a fly out you don’t hear drums and can’t smell chicken blood in the air, put it back in the box, for if it is evil you seek, then it can only be conjured with the same.”  I’ve been searching the web over the last year or more for the best musky patterns the milky way has to offer.  I love to tye flies, especially this type of BIG FLY.  I have been on the stream before and watched my fishing partner get out of the boat boat and go in over his head after a big fly that he had tied for roughly an hour the night before.

Jason and I have been on the water a few times this winter and early spring putting flies and gear to the test on the water.  So far so good.  Just a few tweaks to our flies should have us dialed in.  Fly fishing for musky takes a lot time and effort to perfect yet still you may never even see a glimpse of a fish, let alone actually catch one.  Tossing 2 pounds of fur and feather 30 plus yards takes time to get used to, so does the repetitive stripping and figure 8 at the boat.  It all just doesn’t seem natural after years of casting dry flies and what we thought were BIG streamers.  The water is warming up as we speak and the musky bite will only get better as the temperature goes up.  Hopefully we will have a few fish to the boat soon.

Here are a couple of videos that will help you build a pattern to take some unique design steps and add them to your current patterns.

Tags: Great Balls of Flash Fur and Feather

Trash Treasure and Glory

Back in January, Ryan and I teamed up with Mr Cartel (another new character, another story, another day, another trip) to fish and film our trout friends from the other side of the tracks.  The water and weather were spot on but the fish seemed to still be recovering from their once a year river orgy.  Rainbows were on the menu and a few browns would join us from time to time.  None of the big boys were willing to cooperate for the camera, though I did briefly touch a very large specimen after the others headed for the boarder.  We got to put some new camera equipment upgrades on a trial run and Ryan did a great job once again spitting out a quick video for S.C.O.F. Magazine.   Stay Tuned for more to come…………..

Tags: fly fishing fun for all to see

Lets Go Tye 1 On….

Tags: Southern Culture On The Fly, tye one On-Athon

We Got some TAIL!!!!!

A gathering of friends.  There are those of us who are stricken with this untreatable fly fishing addiction or sickness.  Then there are those of us who seem to only have a few of the symptoms.  How will you know when your infected?  When every action you take or item you buy is influenced by fishable water.  Frequently I find myself in a Thorazine induced shuffle when there is nothing to related myself to that watery world.

Tags: Fly fishing is for the insane or does fly fishing make you sane?, I love to drool on myself, Tennessee has few Trout here and there, This fish smells funny., Thorazine? Yes I'll take some please

Another Reason to Protect the little Guys

In almost every corner of the fly fishing world you will find some form of protection for the little native brook trout.  Yes they are delicious, I will admit that in the past I have eaten them a time or 3.  Although at that time I considered it more a form of population control rather than a meal.  10 or more years have passed since my last taste of Native flesh and I have seen how fishing pressure alone can devastate a native brook trout population first hand.

Last Saturday I headed out for the first time in about a year to check on my little local friends. Almost immediately during my visit I got re-schooled on a few lessons that I had forgotten the Brook trout knew how to teach. So the next time you head over to your neighborhood Native Brook trout stream, not only protect it for it’s beauty and it’s rare inhabitants. Protect if for what and how the stream and it’s inhabitants can to each you to be a better fisherman.  Take and teach what we learn on our small native and wild trout streams  and apply them to other waters big and small.

A Few Lessons from the Teachers:

1.  Check your surroundings before you cast (look up and thank the fish god, then over each shoulder.)

2.  Don’t knock Small lines and small rods, they mimic big lines and big rods so bring your A game to the stream.

3.  Small flies + small lines + good knots = A happy fisherman and a happy fish.

4.  Stealth matters:  We don’t realize sometimes how much noise we project and how much backdrop distortion or shadow casting we do on a stream.

5.  Simplify what gear you take so it will be easier to find and manage.

Tags: Brook Trout of a Native Kind