Colorado Springs Fly Fishing Show

COLORADO SPRINGS
FLY FISHING SHOW
Saturday, March 13th 9:00am - 3:00pm
Click Here for more details
I am scheduled to tie at 1:00PM.  Come by and say hi.
Juan 

Rick's Go 2 Prince Nymph

The Go 2 Prince Nymph from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.
Rick Takahashi ties his version of the Prince Nymph. This variation is quick and easy, very durable and it catches fish.

Not fishing or tying but some good food photos.

I like to share a few food shots with you guys and to recommend a local place for the locals or visitors.  A visit to Musashi Japanese Restaurant to enjoy some excellent food and time with the family was well worth the wait.   I enjoyed Musashi Sukiyaki Steak with vegetables.  If you are visiting the area and would like to enjoy some excellent food and service drop by and enjoy the food.

Tying the RS2 HD video

I don't remember if I shared this with you or not, but I re-did this video and reposted it.  If you haven't noticed, you can find both video and photo tutorials on the right side bar just below the class listings.  Also on the bottom of this page is another link to my Vimeo page with all my videos on it.


Tying the RS2 from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.
A new updated version of this popular fly. I have deleted the previous video of this fly.

Rick Takahashi Fly Tying Demostration

Rick Takahashi and Jerry Hubka (co-authors of Modern Midges, Tying and Fishing the World’s Most Effective Patterns, Headwater/Stackpole Books) will be in the shop this weekend for a tying demonstration and book signing from 10 am to 12 pm for the tying demo followed by a book signing.  Modern Midges is going into it’s second printing.

Rick is a contributor to Fly Fisherman Magazine and has written several articles centering on his favorite fly patterns.  Rick has demonstrated his tying skills at the Denver Fly Fishing Show, ISE Sportsmen Exhibition, West Denver TU Tying Clinic and various fly shops along the Front Range.  Jerry and Rick were guest speakers at the 2010 New Mexico Trout Conclave and presented a program on Midges and fly tying. Rick is a Umpqua Feather Merchants Fly designer and a pro staff member of TL Johnson Fly Rods.  Rick is also a featured tier in Todd Hosman’s book “Colorado Trout Flies” and Randall Kaufmann’s book “Fly Patterns”.

Rick will be tying several midge pupa patterns that will prove to be useful for our near by waters. He will tie his Go2 patterns featured in Fly Fisherman magazine and will share a pattern he found highly effective for the Arkansas River.  In addition, he will tie some of his favorite all around patterns.

After the tying clinic, Jerry and Rick will stick around to sign copies of their book Modern Midges.

FYI--Look for my name on the back cover of the book along with some of the best tiers out there. 

Pretty Little Things

Let's just spend a minute thinking about a few things.  In southern Colorado, we are about two weeks away from some of the first Blue Winged Olive hatches on the Arkansas River. They generally start around St. Patrick's Day--maybe a week after--depending on the weather and water.  On some of our local tailwaters like Deckers and Cheeseman sections, the BWOs are not far off either.  Fish are rising to midges pretty good right now and that will continue with the BWOs.  On the Arkansas, BWOs will continue to hatch when the caddis show up around April 15th or so in the Canon City Area.  When the water comes down the hill around May 15th, we can hit the area reservoirs for some chironomid eating fatties.  Before we know it, we will be well into the early summer fishing and the best is yet to come.  So hang in there just a bit longer and those bugs will start popping and we will once again be standing in our favorite water, casting our favorite rod and hoping the day doesn't end too quickly.

I'd sure like to go fishing!

Donation T.U. Fly Box

It's that time of the year for fly-fishing orginizations to hold their annual auctions for fundrasing.  This year, I was approached by our local Cheyenne Mountain Trout Unlimited Chapter and the Colorado Trout Unlimited to donate some flies.  I said I would donate a small box for each.  Here is the box that will be going to the Colorado T.U. auction.  Included are:  Club Sandwiches, Hopper Juans, Tung. Hot Wired Prices, Tung. Glossy Back Baetis, Baetis Ice Emergers, Wired Juju Midges, and Floss Back Emergers.  This should cover most hatches and may last all summer or maybe a trip or two depending on the user.  If you are interested in purchasing a box like this, please let me know at juan@anglerscovey.com.  

Larry Kingrey and Curtis Andrews Fly tying Demo

On Saturday, Larry Kingrey and Curtis Andrews will be discussing and demonstrating the tying of springtime patterns for the Arkansas River. Kingrey is a master designer of trout flies, often using a combination of synthetic materials and natural fibers. He is head guide and instructor for Royal Gorge Anglers in Canon City and a contract designer for the Idlywilde Fly Company, based in Portland, Oregon. He also operates Larry's Line, a commercial tying and material company. Some of his most-popular flies include the Better Foam Caddis and Ice series of flies.Andrews, also of Canon City, also is a contract designer for Idlywilde, and with Kingrey ties thousands of flies for the Royal Gorge shop every year. He designed the High Voltage PT nymph, among many others.The clinic will begin at 10 a.m. and continue at least until noon.

Larry's Striped Ape

Larry's Better Foam Caddis

Ghillies Fly Shop

Colorado Springs, CO

719-531-5413

Fishing......Finally Some Action

I was finally able to get out last Friday.  It had been a while since I last got out.  With all the tying classes, demos and the weekly demos at the shop, there wasn't time to get out.  I finally got the chance on Friday.  Where to go?  That is always the question I ask.  I am fortunate enough to have a few tailwaters to choose from in the winter.  This time I decided on the Deckers stretch of the South Platte River.  I had wanted to go to Cheeseman Canyon, but going in alone, I thought, might not be the best idea, espically in the winter.

On the way up, a friend of mine pulled along side of me and he was also on the way to Deckers.  I jumped in with him and off to Deckers we went.   The fishing was not great, but we did manage a few and "at least got the smell on our hands".  We mostly nymphed and it's not always my favorite form of fishing, espically if it is not sight fishing.   

Next, we headed downstream and ran into several rising fish and proceeded to have a good time throwing dries to the risers.   I managed a few on #18 Parachute Adams and my buddy Kent fooled some on Griffith's Gnats. 

Yea, it was a bit cold.

Notice the change from the bright white Simms truker hat to the more subtle winter cap?

This one was the last fish of the day.  It came on a #22 parachute. 

We are almost there.  The days of the BWOs.  My favorite hatch to fish---I think.  Maybe it's the Tricos, although not reallly a hatch, but a spinner fall. I won't sit here and argue which one is my favorite.  Just put me in front of one and I'll fish it.  Now that things are starting to wind down, hopefully I'll have more from the water.  More stories and more pictures.  Stay tuned. 

Oh, one more thing.  I am having trouble getting motivated to start tying again.  I can't seem to find what I need on my table. 

New Hopper Pattern--Prototypes

Here is a new hopper that I have been playing around with recently.  I have borrowed from other patterns as well as from the Hopper Juan to have a pattern that has a more tapered look to it.  It still needs some work and I will continue to tweek it until I like it or it may just end up in my "idea" pile.  I will test them out this summer and see how they work.  If they work, I'll need some name ideas. 

Let me know what you think of this thing.

Juan

Images from the 34th annual West Denver TU tying event.

Carl Pennington's razor stimi.

Got hoppers?

My Graphic Caddis.

Deward Yocum's realistic stonefly.  Awesome!

Rick Takahashi

Rim Chung tying his RS2.  Note the vise.

Larry Kingrey's

John Gordon's

John's

My Copper John's.

Charlie Craven's Juju Midge.

Dennis Collier's Damsel.

Morrish Hopper.

Casey Dunnigan's awesome fly.

Carl's Razor Stimi.

Extended body Parachute Adams.

Nancy Cloos working on a Graphic Caddis.

Bob Dye's box.

My caddis pupa.

Bob Dye's.