Whiting Farms - a video profile

I've written various postings about hackle and the history of genetic hackles. Here is a great video on the history of Whiting Farms and its current operations. No chickens running around the barn yard here. It's basically a laboratory.

Tying at fly fishing events

It has been a while I've tied at fly fishing events. I used to tie more regularly at events when I was in college some 20+ years ago.

This year I'll be tying at two shows no less: the Experience the World of Fly Fishing (Erlebniswelt Fliegenfischen / EWF) in Fürstenfeld, Southern Germany early april. I'll add a few days of fishing with friends in Austria after the event. The second event is the good old Dutch Fly Fair at the end of may.

Maybe I'll get to meet some of you at one of these events?… Please drop by!


Update 1 okt 2016:
I'll also be tying at the Niederrheinische Fliegenfischertag (NFFT), an event organized by Finest Fly Fishing, a fly shop just over the German border.

Elk River near Fernie, BC

After watching this video about the Elk River near Fernie in British Columbia, I had a flash back.

The Elk river is one of the prettier rivers I've fished. I fished the Elk river in 1998. A few years earlier I was supposed to make a nice float trip down the Elk river on a pontoon boat with my friend Doug, but that fell threw due to his busy schedules.

Last time I saw the Elk river was in 2005 when I drove highway number 3 which runs next to the river for miles, on my way to Doug in Coeur D'Alene in Idaho. Why didn't I just stop and toss a fly?...

Just over the borders of Alberta, about an hour drive from the Crowsnest River, the Elk river meanders through valley along the continental divide of the Canadian Rockies. Home of lots of wild cutthroats and bull trouts. There are some tributaries of the Elk river that's famous for large cutthroats. I still wished I had fished the Wigwam river...

The picture I took of the house with the bright red roof is located near the road ending at the Elk river. I always wondered how nice it would be to live in that house right next to the banks of the Elk…

By the way, do you recognize the other picture? :)

Feathers as artwork

We try to make nice flies out of feathers.
Here is someone who really makes art out of feathers. Wow...

What rod companies forgot to tell you...

I've posted several posts on the subject on fast rods in the past and wondering why companies like Sage keep on churning out fast and stiff rods. 99.8% of the time fly fishing isn't about casting 100ft or even 'performing'. Most fish is caught between 20 to 40 ft at the most. The rod should deliver a tiny fly. That's it!

Today Kelly Galloup posted a video and talks about fly lines, but he really hits the topic on the ever faster rods of the past 20 years in the first part of this video. I guess he is saying that rod companies (and the line companies following the rod companies) forgot to tell you something…

At the end Kelly also gives a great tip: stalk more, cast less.

Drone's view of Sockeye salmon run

Using a drone someone captured the yearly run of the Sockeye salmon to the upper tributaries of the main river systems around lake Illiamna in Alaska.

This radical new way to capture an yearly event is really amazing. My guess is videos captured using drones will flood the fly fishing videos within two years.

Joe Humphreys' nymphing techniques

Hot weather inspiration: Swimming Frog (Whitlock style)

A hot sunny day probably inspired me to tie this diving frog.
This frog is tied Whitlock style, which has a slightly flatter head than the regular Dahlberg diver style and a lower collar.

There were some questions about who originated this pattern: Larry Dahlberg or Dave Whitlock?
As I wrote in my posting about Dahlberg Divers in 2006, I watched a video (VHS tape!) somewhere early 1990. The article about the 'The Bass fly revolution' in Field & Stream of May 1990 (see below) also shows that Dave Whitlock came up with his Swimming Frog pattern somewhere around the same period.

The real answer might come up by asking both anglers (maybe I will in the future), but for now it seems both anglers were experimenting with deer hair patterns for bass and pike side by side, without knowing each other's work.

Anyway, here's a very interesting article about the history of fly fishing for bass.


Update Dec 16, 2015:
I asked Larry Dahlberg and he confirms that he is the originator of the shape that's so typical of the deer hair diver head.

Update Feb 22, 2018:
The search for the origins of the Dahlberg diver has ended!

In this article from Fly Fisherman September 1983 issue, Dave Whitlock gives Larry Dahlberg full credits for inventing the deer hair head shape and collar that makes this bass bug dive and float back to the surface.

Hook: Tiemco 8089
Weed guard: Mason hard nylon 20 lbs
Thread: Danville Flymaster Plus
Tail: Large bass hackle (3 on each side)
Body: Stacked deer hair (white for the bottom, olive, green and black for top).
Legs: Round medium rubber legs.

This frog will be donated to a friend who desperately needs a fly on his new hat.

Field & Stream, May 1990 'The Bass Fly Revolution'.
Best way to read this article is to place the mouse pointer on the article and press right button to 'Open frame in new window' to get a full screen view.

Getting a new hair cut, sorta...

Every once in a while you get this smile on your face when you start casting a rod. I ran into this (no name) 8 weight rod on a sale some 10 years ago. I rarely fish with rods this heavy, but I bought it because I was amazed how well the rod cast.

I have cast quite some 8 weight rods from various brands, both high end as well as up coming brands like Guideline, but none of them really struck me as a rod I would like to cast for hours on end. Most of them are simply too stiff for my taste. This rod has a really nice medium-fast action that feels very smooth. Very light in hand as well.

What I didn't like, and this goes for nearly all other rods from 6 weight (salt water versions) and up is the size of the full wells grip. They are just too large for my taste to feel really comfortable casting all day. Maybe the manufacturers assume heavy weight lines are only used by guys with big hands? I tried to slim down the grip using sandpaper, but eventually the grip got wasted… I found out I'm no rod maker.

Last year I asked my friend George Minculete of Tight Loop Fly Rods to put a new grip on it, but a shorter (13 cork rings equals about 6.5 inch) and slimmer grip. There was no hurry, so I didn't expect the rod being taken care of any soon. This week George sent me some pictures of the final grip. Simply outstanding as usual. Thanks George!


Update August 2, 2015:
The grip looks absolutely top notch. The thinner grip makes the rod feel much like a trout rod. The dark red/brownish anodized reel seat matches the translucent dark brown blank. Can't be happier!

RISE 2016 - Backcountry South Island

Backcountry - South Island is the feature movie of the 2016 edition of RISE Fly Fishing Film Festival and the follow up of the amazing Backcountry - North Island. The scenery looks just as we all visualize of fishing in New Zealand. Add some humongous trouts rising for your dry fly and you have your fly fisherman's wet dream.

I can't tell yet if RISE Fly Fishing Film Festival will return to The Netherlands in 2016. It's hard to understand 200 seats can't be filled in two cities to enjoy some of the best fly fishing entertainment you can imagine. And you get to enjoy a glass of beer afterwards with fellow enthusiasts?… I'll talk to Nick soon about getting RISE back here. Keep posted.

Cutties somewhere in Montana

A nice footage of cutthroat fishing somewhere in Montana.
Where do we line up?…

Still regret not fishing the .….. Creek (not sure I'm suppose to tell this in public) my
buddy David advised me to go to fish for big & fat cutthroats.

McCoy Spring Creeks (MT)

This little private spring creek near Dillon, Montana has some hot fishing as this video shows. The footages show a fishery very similar to the spring creek in the wonderful video 'Heads or tails'. Just love these intimate streams!

Not sure how much the fee (probably $100+ a day) is for fishing this spring creek. Contact the local fly shop The River's Edge for more info.

1998 - Crowsnest

1998 trip to Alberta (Canada) and Montana (USA).

First destination of the trip: the Crowsnest river.
Simply splendid.

Another oldie

Another oldie.

I think I tied this Matuka Sculpin somewhere around 1992. I was inspired by the sculpin tied by Dave Whitlock in the book 'The art of the trout fly' (page 61). I have no idea where this sculpin swam away to?..

Update May 4, 2015:
Wow, I got a compliment from Emily Whitlock, Dave Whitlock's wife!

My memory goes back to May 1994. I met Dave and Emily Whitlock at the Dutch Fly Fair. We met during the dinner on the eve before the fair. Both Dave and I were attending the fair as fly tier. Dave tied for me this Red Fox Squirrel nymph during my break from the tying bench. Time flies…

Rising grayling & fiberglass

Here is a very nice footage of a very nice stream in the Italian alps with a rising grayling caught with a short fiberglass rod.

Yvon Chouinard about the road fly fishing is heading...

Two quotes from Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia:

“Fly fishing has built itself into a corner,” he reflects. “There’s a dad with so much gear, the kid looks at it all and goes ‘forget it.’ The daughter looks at macho fly fishing magazines and doesn’t want to do it. It’s a dying sport, dying so fast you can’t believe it.”

….

"In the fly-fishing industry, where we are told the secret to success is a more complex fly, a faster rod or better-fitting waders, it’s a new concept. The more complicated something seems, the more important and elusive mastery appears, (and the more value placed on the skill sets of those who “get it done”). The industry survives by convincing consumers the only way to catch the fish of a lifetime is to buy more stuff. When did fishing become less about spending time outside, feeling the sun on our faces and the water swirling around our legs, and more about one-upping the guy downstream?"

Fly casting explained simply

Where does it end?...

I recently picked up tying some dry flies again to get warmed up for my Catskill project. I found out I didn't have a few hackle colors needed for a some core flies, mainly a darker dun and a lighter brown.

So I ordered a few capes recently from Whiting Farms, the leading breeder of genetic hackles. Although they are known for the superior hackles for dry flies, Whiting has broadened their product line with any kind of feather imaginable, from feathers for streamers, spey flies to bass bugs.

The most popular line of hackles are the capes and saddles for dry flies from the Whiting line, also known as the red label. This red label capes and saddles are basically from the birds Whiting bought from Henry Hoffman. The other, of a more historical importance are the capes and saddles from the Hebert Miner (green label) line. The current birds have evolved from the very first roosters specifically raised for dry fly quality hackles by Harry Darbee. Here's a very nice overview of the history of hackles.

I ended up with a dark dun, medium ginger and, a rare find, cree cape from the Hebert Miner line. This color (in fact it's a mix of three colors black, white/cream and brown) called Cree seems to be the most sought after color in the hackle universe. Most crees never make it to the fly shop. Most of them end up in the hands of the owner of the fly shop for his friends or as gifts for big customers of Whiting. I'll post a separate posting about this Cree hackles soon because it is indeed fascinating!

About the improvements of the hackles:
Most of my capes and saddles are from the late 1990 and early 2000 era. The most recent one I bought was a Bronze rated Whiting cape (darker barred ginger) I bought in 2006. It's now almost 10 years later and the improvement in quality is quite remarkable. From what I read and heard, every generation seems to be an improvement over the previous generation of birds.

I got the Pro Grade rated capes, which are supposed to be the entry level quality, because I want a good selection of hackles in the larger sizes 10 and 12. The higher rated Bronze and Silver have predominately hackles in sizes 14 (or even 16) and smaller.

The highest rated (Golden or even Platinum) capes or saddles (which has an even narrower size range than capes) with predominantly hackles in the size 18 and smaller (as wonderful as they are!) is simply not very useful for general use. It's an odd thing to say but Whiting has improved their hackles too much!  So, where does this end?...

Update Nov 25, 2015:
Here is a nice article about the history of hackles from Field & Stream (March 1985):

Chris Helm passing away

Yesterday Chris Helm passed away. He will be missed.

I've known Chris for more than 20 years. We met at several fly fishing shows during the early 1990's like the Dutch Fly Fair and Danish Fly Fair where we both tied flies.

Chris helped me a lot during my first ventures tying with deer hair as I was struggling with getting good deer hair. Good deer hair was not easy to come by here. Chris owned a fly shop called Whitetail Fly Tieing (yes, this is how Chris spelled 'tying') Supplies with the largest selection of deer and elk hair in the world. Or any fly tying material for that matter.

Early this year he sold the fly shop so he could travel more and enjoy his retirement. My most recent contact with Chris was earlier this spring.

Just about 6 months prior to this sad moment, Chris gave me the scissors he personally used. He said they are the best he had used.

Thank you Chris!

Here is an interview with Chris.

Chris Barclay fiberglass rod

I've got more rods than I can ever fish during my lifetime (and longer). But recently I have been talking with Chris Barclay about building a rod.

Chris, although building rods for some years, has become a highly acclaimed rod builder. Chris improved his work quite dramatically the past few years and got really noticed when he released his own line of fiberglass rods, starting with the 7.2 ft 3 weight later followed by a 7.8 ft 4 weight and 7.10 ft 5 weight, as recently as late 2013. The blanks for his rods are made in Japan to his specifications and his rods has received lots of praise.

Earlier this summer I sent my 3 weight Orvis Superfine Glass back to Orvis. Since I still wanted a 3 weight fiberglass rod, I decided to go for the Barclay 3 weight.

I love light rods with dual reel rings, so I was looking for finish that is a mix of Chris' own mini wells grip and bright dual reel rings like the Bob Summers' Deluxe version of the 275 model. Along the way Chris told me he was expecting a new batch of brass hardware but now with his name stamped. After seeing a picture, I chose to stay with his signature finish. I also asked Chris to make a slightly shorter 5.5 inch grip.

Any small reel would fit the rod fine, but a lightweight vintage reel like Hardy Featherweight or the Orvis CFO 123 will look stunning on this rod. This rod will do great on any stream or small river, but I'd say it's made for fishing gin clear small streams like the one I fished several years ago in the hills of the Austrian alps. I just can't wait to sight cast a small nymph to a holding trout in the slower edge of a bend of the stream.

Bobbin holders, just holding bobbins?

A few items are as non controversial as a bobbin holder. Yet there is more to know about this essential tool for fly tiers. I've been using Frank Matarelli bobbin holders for ages. Unfortuntaely these are harder to get as Frank's age gets in the game. If you can get one, buy one! And yes they are worth the price.

Martin from Global Flyfisher decided to get into the subject and wrote the ultimate guide to bobbin holders. It will take a while to read it, but anyone who is serious about his fly tying should read it.

At last: the end of the fluorocarbon myth...

You've probably heard and read the raves about fluorocarbon tippet being the magic wand. It's invisible to the fish, it sinks like a rock and it's much more abrasive resistant than regular nylon tippet.

I must admit I have been carrying a couple of fluorocarbon tippet spools in my vest for the past few years. The few times I used them I couldn't see any difference in catch rate nor any noticeable higher strength.

My tippet of choice for almost 10 years has been Rio's Powerflex and they have served me well. I love their Guide spools (100 meter) as I change a lot of tippet when fishing.

However recently I have been curious about René Harrop's Trouthunter brand tippet. Unfortunately the Trouthunter tippet comes in 50 meter spools and they are about 40% more expensive than Rio Powerflex. The fluorocarbon version being about 15% more expensive. Both compared in 100 meter lengths.

But to really give it a test, I have been thinking about switching over to 100% fluorocarbon for a whole season to see for myself how much more fish I would catch. But the price of these buggers! Roughly at least 3 times as expensive than regular nylon tippet. Three tippet sizes (4x - 6x) and one extra for the most used size (5x), would set me back at least $160!

Well anyway, the experiment never materialized. The proverbial if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it probably kept me from this. Here's a posting at Swift about the same subject. I'm glad Carl doesn't own a fly shop...