Great Beginners Flies Series: Betts Grim Popper

Popper season is officially here, and with the Bass spawning in our local lakes and ponds, now is the perfect time to throw your favorite small popper for bluegill.  For me, I have special reverence for the Betts Grim Popper.

The Betts Grim Popper is the perfect beginners popper

I may be slightly biased towards this popper, since it was the first fly I caught fish with, and have always found it to be my go to "cheater" fly...for when I just want to catch something.  The key to this popper is its ease of use.  Because of the excellent profile, coloration, and design, this fly is just as effective sitting still as it is in motion.  This is all the better when you are learning how to cast.  While I was learning, many times I had a fish hitting this popper before I was able to begin a strip retrieve.

The other nice feature of this fly is its overall size to hook ratio.  What I mean by this is the hook is set far enough back to ensure most panfish worth catching can be hooked, but the shape of the body and legs helps prevent a small panfish from completely engulfing the fly (granted this can still happen, but I find it occurs a lot less with this fly).  After using several other types of poppers, this is a design feature I am grateful for, as I always strive to release the fish as quickly as possible...and remember to crush your barbs!

One thing to remember when fishing poppers, especially those with legs, the fly will have a tendency to spin, which can cause tangles, and lead to a higher frequency of wind knots.  Always check your leader and tippet after several casts, and never be afraid to retie.  In the end, tippet is always cheaper than poppers.

As for what you may catch...really anything that will take topwater flies will crush this little bug.  I have caught countless panfish, and quite a number of largemouth bass with this fly.  Fishing this fly close to rocks has lead to many good sized rock bass, and even the occasional crappie.  For the bass, short strips of the fly tend to lead to better takes.

Finally, no matter what you read, there is no wrong way to fish a fly, and no fly design that is wrong.  The real fun of fishing is to develop your own preferences and styles, and to find what works for you.  True, there are some purist who only use those patterns developed 100 years ago, but for me, if it catches a fish, I'll tie it on!

Fishing Report 25-APR-2016

The past week saw the largemouth bass in our area move into their spawning beds in our local lakes and ponds.  As a result, I decided to switch over towards targeting bluegills and other panfish.  This is actually where I started one year ago, when I threw my first fly, and always results in a good deal of fun on the water.  Every trip resulted in more fish than I cared to count, and small fish or not that is never a bad day :)

To celebrate my one year flyiversary (yes, that is now a word), I took a special VIP out for their first fishing trip, and she loved it!

Penny's first fishing trip was a blast!

In general, the panfish are hitting most anything they can, with smaller woolly buggers and damsel fly patterns being good streamers to cast from your favorite lightweight rig.  Personally, I love to throw a two weight TFO Finesse setup, which, in addition to my bluegill rod, doubles as my mountain brook trout rod.  This rod has a more classic action, which is great for beginners to really learn to feel when the line loads the rod.  It also helps when roll casting in the tight confines of a mountain stream, and for quick loading during shorter casts.  There is definitely an emphasis for faster and stiffer fly rods, but for beginners, nothing compares to a medium to slow action rod...plus they are way more fun to catch fish on!

As expected for this time of year, the fish are stacked against the shoreline, and are likely to be found near any fallen sticks or logs, and under the shade of trees and bushes.   If your local pond has any rock formations, this is a great time of year to target rock bass with a small zonker or other streamer.  These fish are really getting aggressive, and will often leave a wake as they zoom in to crush your fly.

While small, rock bass are a fun fish to catch off a lightweight fly rod, and a great way to learn how to fish streamers.

One of the best things about bluegill fishing is it is an easy, and fun, way to learn how to fly fish, especially when using a small popper or other floating bug.  With the water temps continuing to rise, the topwater bite is really starting to catch on, so now is a great time to learn!  Try using different techniques to entice a bite.  Often, just casting the fly next to some cover, and letting it sit perfectly still will result in a good splash, but sometimes adding a few short strips to twitch the popper will be needed.  If bass are around, using a pause-retrieve-pause pattern with strips of only a few inches can really be effective.  While I was not specifically targeting bass this week, I wasn't disappointed when more than a few decided to take my topwater poppers.  Even a small bass on a lightweight rod can result in a lot of fun!

No bass were eaten in the making of this post, but quite a few were licked :)

With the smaller bass already showing interest in topwater patterns, I cannot wait for the spawn to complete, and the topwater action to get really interesting.

Great Beginner Flies Series: Zonker

Originally developed in the 1970's by Dan Byford, the zonker has become a mainstay in most any fly fisherman's fly box, with many variations to target most any species of fish.  This fly is so effective for two reasons:  (1) it is simple to tie, and (2) it yields unbelievable movement in the water.  This makes the fly attractive to the angler as well as the fish.

My personal favorite is using a striped bunny zonker strip with some flashabou added for a more reflective tail.  The key is to allow the flashabou to be slightly longer than the zonker strip.  So far, I have tied this pattern in green and white.  Almost every trip, one of these two zonker colors is on my four weight rod, ready to target largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, and most anything else that swims by.

I have found the most effective technique is to use slow to medium strips, with a pause and retrieve method often proving deadly when the fish are less aggressive.  Since the zonker tail has so much underwater movement, you will find the fly flutters seductively down the water column when pausing the retrieve.  If a slightly deeper presentation is desired, a conehead can be added.  Personally, I never tie the fly without a generous amount of wire wrapped around the hook shank, which helps to get the fly just below the surface.

The White Tiger Zonker, AKA the Siegfried and Roy

The Chartreuse Tiger Zonker

While the debate still goes on about whether adding a red throat yield better catch rates, I always prefer to tie with red thread, and to add a touch of red bucktail towards the front, simply to make the fly look better if nothing else.  Then again, I have caught a lot of fish with this pattern, so I feel the hotspot works.

As you can see, the zonkers above are a bit smaller than average.  I have found this smaller size to be more effective, especially if you are targeting bigger crappie and bluegill.  I have also caught more than enough bass to justify the smaller size, and, in general, have found smaller flies to be more effective.  In the end, feel free to experiment for yourself, and, as always, tight lines!

Weekend Bliss in Maryland

Got to take the boat up to my old stomping grounds in Maryland this weekend, and had a fine day of catching crappie.  The second day was not as good, but saw the trip salvaged by a nice Maryland sized Northern Pike (aka, not that big compared to those monsters found up north).

It always strikes me how a hundred and fifty miles of northern latitude can affect fishing.  While the bass are nearing their spawning stage, and the topwater bite is already beginning in the lakes and rivers near Charlottesville, the Maryland waters are still too cold, with the fish down deep, and staging around the points on the outside of coves.

This weekend started with a Friday afternoon/evening trip up to Big Pool, near Ft. Frederick, MD.  There the water was more shallow, and therefore just warm enough for the crappie to really start getting active, and the slabs were stacked near the shoreline.  All in all we landed more than two dozen fish, and we took home a nice stringer  for my father and good friend to cook up.  While my friend and father were throwing traditional crankbaits, I did my damage with a clouser and waited zonker.  The fish were holding down deeper, and the trick was to get the fly near bottom.  Fishing would have been easier if I had a sinking or intermediate line.

A nice baker's dozen

Definitely a stringer worth a closeup

Day two involved a drive out to one of my favorite lakes, Triadelphia Reservoir.  Located north of our Nation's Capital, Triadelphia is a hidden gem containing both Stripped Bass and Northern Pike.  Due to the deeper depths, the reservoir was still quite cold, which made fishing much tougher.  All in all, we only pulled in two fish, but the second was a beautiful Maryland Northern Pike at ~30 inches (yes, up north they get much, much bigger, but this is what we have in the Mid Atlantic).  More importantly, it was my first pike on the fly!  Again, fishing deep was key, which made clousers essential.  This particular specimen found a chartreuse on white too irresistible to pass up.

My first Pike on the Fly!

Fishing Report 11-APR-2016

Last week saw many groundhogs throwing in the towel as what should be winter's last breath crept across the area.

While of not too much of consequence to the mountain trout (the days were mostly still above 40 degrees), it had a major effect on the local lakes and rivers.

As a result of the Arctic blast, fish activity was severely dampened, and evening top water action was only a fraction of what was seen last week.

The good news is that with the warmer weather moving back in, the fish activity should quickly recover.  The larger bass are already in the vicinity of the flats (I spotted a nice five pound largemouth hanging out tight against a bank).  Once the warmer sunshine returns, I expect these larger bass to become more aggressive before they begin their spawn.

Great Beginner Flies Series: Clouser

The Clouser Minnow

Chances are you have heard of this fly, but if you have not, or if you have not fished it, you are missing one of the first, and best, flies you should ever use for fresh and saltwater species.  Known as probably the most versatile fly ever crafted, the clouser minnow should probably be the first fly you ever throw, and the first you should tie, especially if you are targeting bass.

The go to standard color combination is chartreuse on white, but I have found a white on white with a red accent on the head/throat can yield success, especially in the early spring for largemouth bass and crappie.

The white/white with a red head/throat clouser is one of my favorite early spring flies for bass and crappie

For me, I have found the most success fishing this fly with a slower retrieve in the spring, with a retrieve of 3 to 4 inches per strip per second.  Letting the fly sit on the bottom for a few seconds periodically can also entice a strike in the early season.  If you are specifically targeting crappie, a slightly more aggressive retrieve can be effective.

If, like myself, you prefer to try your own flies, the clouser minnow is one of the best begginner flies to learn.  Rather than provide my own interpretation, the clouser is best learned from the master himself, Bob Clouser:

Why learn from anyone else, when you can go straight to the source

If you have not already, give the clouser a try, and, as always, tight lines!

Fishing Report: 4-APR-2016

The icy grip of winter has finally slipped away from the smaller ponds, rivers, and streams in the greater Charlottesville area, and the fish are responding accordingly.  Over the past month I've been fishing the upper Rapidan River and Chris Greene lake, and if you have not picked up a rod you should rectify immediately.

The Rapidan is in full dry fly action, with strong bites on the usual assortment of go to spring flies.  Personally, my greatest luck has come from sulpher parachutes in the 14 to 16 size range, although I know plenty of others who have already switched to stimulators.

Got to love the mountain brookies

Over the past month, I've been watching the local lakes and rivers slowly clear from the abundant winter rains, and the big snowmelt from earlier this year.  The coffee colored water was really affecting the bite, although there were some bass already working the shallows enjoying the warmer water.

Although small, this was my first bass of the year (note the coffee colored water)

With the clearer water, the fish are really getting active, and the larger fish are moving into the shallows to begin the staging for this spring's spawn.  Always early for this event are the crappie, and Chris Greene is no exception.  Recently, I've been slamming decent sized crappie along the rock lines, and near beaver homes, with the greatest luck coming from casting small white clousers with a red head.

With the clearer water, the crappie bite has really turned on

All in all, it looks to be a good spring.  Tight lines.

Rain-X for Dry Flies?

Ah, the Rapidan River.  So majestic, so peaceful, so full of brookies....and nice swift flowing water.  When I visited my first fly shop in the Charlottesville area, Albamarle Angler (they're great), I was told in order to fish the mountain streams I needed a dry fly floatant.  This, I thought, was a silly notion, but after one attempt to fish still water, I realized quickly how important this stuff really is.  For the mountain streams and rivers, it is almost a requirement.

As anyone who has fished heavy water knows, keeping your fly on the water's surface can make all the difference in getting that selective trout to rise and strike.  Regardless of what fly floatant you use (Gink, Aquel, Mucilin, etc), it is likely the same thought has occurred to you while fishing:  is there something better?

Recently, I was at a fly fishing show, and someone suggested what they thought was that something better:  Rain-X.  This, at first, seemed silly, but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered about the feasibility.  On paper, it sounded as if it would work, and browsing through the internet (a scary notion I know) did not seem to object, so I decided to give it a try...scientifically...or at least as scientifically as my kitchen counter would allow.

For this test, I pitted a non-treated Rusty Parachute against two other, treated flies.  One was treated with my current floatant, Loon Aquel, the other with Rain-X.  For the Rain-X fly, the fly was suspended for 5+ minutes in a container of Rain-X, before removing, and hung overnight to dry.  I was very careful not to matte down any of the dubbing, or hackle fibers.  The Loon Aquel treated fly was prepared just as if I was on the Rapidan:  coated with a pencil eraser sized dollop of gel, which was rubbed into the fibers of the fly.

The three Rusty Parachute dry flies:  (1) untreated, control fly on Left, (2) Loon Aquel treated fly in middle, (3) Rain-X treated fly on right

These three flies were then placed into a container of water, and the clock started.  After an hour, it was clear that the surface tension of the water was keeping the flies afloat, and no fly was showing any indication of being water logged.

The three flies initially placed in water

It was at this point I decided to push each fly underwater, to see if the fly could recover to float again.  The result of this was surprising.

After an hour, surface tension held all three flies afloat

The control, untreated fly struggled to stay afloat, and sank after every attempt to get it to cling to the surface.  This was no surprise as the fly was fully waterlogged, with little air still trapped to increase buoyancy enough to allow surface tension to do it's magic.

What was surprising is what occurred with the Rain-X treated fly.  While the untreated fly at least stuttered at the surface, before sinking (seen during multiple attempts to refloat the fly), the Rain-X fly sank like a stone.  Clearly, any water shedding properties were gone, and the fly was completely water logged.

I was worried none of the flies would float, until the Loon Aquel treated fly saved the day.  Albeit not the highest floating fly at this point, the Loon Aquel fly was able to cling to the water's surface, and thus remain afloat.  This was repeated several times with the same result.

Only the Aquel treated fly (far right) could float after being fully submerged

In retrospect, the results of this test were not surprising.  Even though I made every attempt to prevent the Rain-X from affecting the dubbing of the fly, after drying it was clear that the dubbing had hardened and compacted, reducing the amount of trapped air, and overall fluff.  These are things that are needed to help the fly remain afloat.  Once the fly was introduced to water, whatever air pockets remained were filled with water, and the fly had no chance to win the contest.  The Aquel, on the other hand, was able to fill the crevasses of the dubbing, post, and hackle, reducing the amount of water the fly could absorb, while keeping enough of the buoyancy of the fly intact, so as not to overcome the strength of the water's surface tension.

After this test, I stopped introducing my dry flies to Rain-X.  Just goes to show that not everything you hear at fishing shows is correct.

Hello, and welcome!

Hello Everyone!

A year ago I made the plunge, and tried my hand at fly fishing.  What followed was a series of hilarious casts (my false casts were...false), hooks going everywhere but the water, and a sea of bad, good, and confusing information from everywhere and everyone.  Somehow, through it all, I figured out how to catch a fish...and then I caught another...followed by a few more.  Eventually, I got addicted to the art, challenge, and calamity that is fly fishing.

Where I fish:  This blog is going to focus on fly fishing in the Charlottesville, VA area, in some of the best mountain brook trout fishing in the world.  But this blog is not just another trout love fest (but brookies are too adorable not to fall in love).  In this, I will try to cover fly fishing in mountain streams, ponds, lakes, rivers, and saltwater.  Hopefully, as I learn these waters, and the rhythms of the long rod, I can pass that information along to the next, novice angler.