Tying and Giving Back Fly Tying Event

****Reminder****

Don't forget to get out on Tuesday night for the 1st Annual Tying & Giving Back Event.  This is an event you don't want to miss.  I will be tying along Pat Dorsey, Ken Iwamasa, Rick Takahashi, Jerry Huka and Charlie Craven  Please take the time for this benefit as these people mentioned above will take the time and money to attend.

Thanks!  

  

Orvis Top Ten Flies for the Southern Rockies

I was wondering what ever happened to that little "Top Ten Flies" bit I did earlier this summer.  Yesterday I got the e-mail from Phil Monahan, the news editor for Orvis News.  It made it to the Orvis Fly Fishing Blog.  Take a look.  What other patterns would you add to this?

http://www.orvisnews.com/FlyFishing/Top-10-Flies-for-Southern-Rockies.aspx

Waterworks/Lampson ULA Force 2 for sale

If you are interested in this reel, please shoot me an e-mail.  It's a 2010 model and is in excellent condition.  I have only used it a handful of times and it fits perfectly on a 4/5 rod.  

I am asking $200.00 plus shipping for the reel. 

ULA FORCE 2

3.25"

1.15"

2.60 oz

4,5

WF4

75 yds 20# *

I also have a St. Croix Legend Ultra fly rod for sale.  It's an older model, pre IPC.  It's a 8'6" 5WT, 4
PC rod in good shape.  Only fished less than 15 times.  Asking $80, plus shipping.

Shoot me an e-mail, juan@anglerscovey.com 

Thanks!

Arkansas River 10/01/11

After a way-too long hiatis from standing in a river, waving a stick, I was finally able to get out today.  Lately, I've been super busy at work and at home.  By the time Saturday rolls around, I am so tired, I just don't have the motivation to go fishing.  Am I the only one who feels this way?  I hope not.  Recently, my car has been acting up also.  It has been a great car over the last 10 years, but it is finally showing it's age. I picked it up form the shop yesterday and it ran great.  It ran great to the river today, but on the way back, it was still acting up a bit.  Anyone looking for a used car?  
As soon as I hit the water, it was on!  I broke off my first fish which ate a BHFB PT nymph and the re-tied with a shop van nymph.  I figured they would eat that pattern just as easily as a tungsten BHFB PT.  The shop van is easier and cheaper to tie.  I was right.  They ate it just fine.  It was about 50/50 with the Mercury RS2  I had on trailing the Shop Vac.    In about 45 minutes, I had landed or almost landed about 15 fish.  Not bad.  Throughout the day, that combo worked until the high sun pushed the fish down a bit.  Still they ate well.  Later in the day, I threw some dries.  Not much happening there.  Back to nymphs.  A caddis pupa and a Prince nymph moved a couple of fish, but since there were now a few clouds filtering the sun, I switched the Prince to a #20 Chocolate Foam Back Emerger as I figured those fish would switch immediately to BWO emergers.  Again, I was right in my assumption as the 2nd and 3rd and 4th cast produced fish.  About 12 fish later, I retired the Foam Back Emerger.  I was also ready to retire for the day.  A great day on the water with perfect water and perfect weather.  It was good.

BHFB PT Nymph moved a few fish this morning.  

This one ate a #20 Mercury RS2.  The hook came out in the net.  

Lunch Time!

2nd most popular pattern of the day.  #20 Chocolate Foam Back Emerger. 

Does it get any better than this?

1st Annual Tying and Giving Back-Casting for Recovery Benefit

If you are a resident of the Colorado Spings area, make sure to mark this down on your calender.  This is going to be a great event for a great cause. I am honored to be included in such a great circle of well known fy tiers.  I am a little bummed that I have to tie and that I can't watch the others that are tying. Stop by and say hi to me and all the others that will be taking time to drive here for this function.

 

 

 

1st Annual Tying and Giving Back-Casting for Recovery Benefit
Time   
Tuesday, October 25 · 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Location   
Colorado Division of Wildlife
4255 Sinton Road
Colorado Springs, CO
  
Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited
  
Please join us at CMCTU's 1st Annual Tying and Giving Back-Casting for Recovery Benefit! Professional fly tiers, authors, guides, members and non-members all tying and donating flies to benefit breast cancer survivors and Casting for Recovery Program.

Professional tiers include;
Charlie Craven, Charlie’s Fly Box
Pat Dorsey, A Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte River, Fly Fishing Tailwaters and Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies
Juan Ramirez, Hopper Juan Flies
Rick Takahashi, Modern Midges
Jerry Hubka, Modern Midges
Ken Iwamasa, Iwamasa Flies

Fly Shops and Guides attending
Angler’s Covey
Ghillies Fly Shop
The Peak Fly Shop
Royal Gorge Anglers
Sportsman’s Warehouse

Please visit Casting for Recovery's website to learn more about this great organization and program! www.castingforrecovery.o rg.

Hope to see you all there!!

Friday Night Funnies

Check out this funny clip from a movie.  This is Dennis Leary, so there is some foul language involved.
It made me laugh and some days this is just how it is and how I feel.

09/11/01

I usually got up and turned on the news first thing in the morning.  That morning, I didn't turn it on for some reason.  I was getting ready for work that day.  It was the first day of work for me with my Uncle Sam.  I remember going to bed the night before, worried about going back to steady work.  I was 25 and had spent the summer guiding on and off.  I wouldn't call it steady work, but I spent a lot of time on the water and in the shop.
I got a phone call from my uncle saying he was late because he was watching what happened to the WTC.  I said, "Oh, what happened in 1993"?  "No", he said, "turn on the TV".  I did and by that time both the towers had already fallen.  I was only able to watch the news coverage for about 10-15 minutes before I had to leave.  On the drive to Las Vegas, NM, about an hour from Springer, we were glued to the radio, listing to what was happening.  It was hard to hear in that old van my uncle used to drive.  I spent most of the day in the attic of a motel, running electrical wires from room to room.  At the end of the day, in the lobby of the motel, we watched Tom Brokaw report live from NYC.  It was dark by then and most of the details of the day were know by then.  It was hard to comprehend what had happened.  Even to this day, it's hard for me to comprehend what happened that day.
That day changed all of our lives.  It changed the lives of my unborn children.  Last night, watching the coverage of that day, it seamed like it hurt more than it ever has.  I've grown accustomed to the faces and names of the heroes of Flight 93.  It feels like I knew them, their lives and their story.  I guess we all do.  People have moved on, but it's still hard to watch and hear the stories of the families.
My small kids still don't know exactly what happened and why it happened.  How do you explain hatred   to a 7 year old?  How do you explain why airplanes crashed into tall buildings to a 5 year old?  In time, they will come to understand what happened on that beautiful day in September.

An old childhood friend's son was born on September 11, 2001.  I felt so sorry for her.  Imaging having your child born on one of the worst days in history.  He is now a healthy 10 year old, and that is all that matters now.

I thought those were the coolest buildings ever.  They were iconic.  I remember as a small child how I thought they were so simple, yet so massive.  They were just long cubes in the city.  Standing at the base of them was amazing.  They were huge!   I remember driving out of NYC and staring at those building for as long as I could see them.  They were that dominate in a city full of tall buildings.  I haven't been back to NYC since.

Thank you to all who have served this country.  Thank you for being a cop, an EMT, a  volunteer fire fighter, a little league coach, a Dept. of Defense employee, a nurse, a Marine, a Cadet, or anything else in between.  Thank you.

New flies for 2012, MFC

I am honored and proud to be included in Montana Fly Company's 2012 catalog with 3 new patterns for you guys to throw.  They are the Tungsten Hot Shot Nymph, the Sniper Baetis Nymph and the i-Stone, a Golden Stone pattern.

The Hot Shot is a general pattern that I use to show the fish something different.  The tungsten bead helps to bet the fly down and the red colored bead also gets the attention of the fish.  I have had some really good days on the South Platte and Arkansas River with this pattern trailing a Hopper Juan and hitting spots most people won't fish.  It is a great pattern and in the smaller sizes, I like to put on a red glass bead to reflect more color.

Tungsten Hot Shot Nymph 

Hook:      MFC 7045 or TMC 2457 Scud Hook #14-18.

Bead:       Red MFC Lucent Tungsten Bead, Christmas Red

Thread:   Brown UTC 70 or MFC 8/0.

Body:      Hareline Dubbin, Cinnamon Caddis.

Rib:         Small Copper Wire.

Shellback:  Natural Pheasant Tail.

Tail:         Natural Pheasant Tail.

Thorax:    UV Olive Brown Ice Dub.

Wings:     Brown Hen Back.

The Sniper Baetis is a sweet little pattern that you know will work on the techinical waters where big Rainbows line up to eat baetis nymphs in the late fall and early spring.  This pattern has proven it's self in the toughest hatches and on some tough fish.  A thin profile helps to get the pattern down and the fish eating it.  Easy to tie, make sure you have some of these in you box for the next time you find fish eating nymphs and emergers.  

Sniper Baetis Nymph

Rusty Brown 

Hook:      MFC Emerger Hook, TMC 2488 #18-24

Thread:   MFC 8/0 Rusty Brown

Tail:         Mottled Brown Hen Hackle

Rib:          Hareline Ice Thread, Black  

Thorax:    Rusty Brown Superfine Dubbing-very sparse

Wingcase:  Fluoro Fibre, Brown 16 strands #18-20, 22 & 24=14 strands.

Legs:        Fluoro Fibre, Brown 

The Tungsten i-Stone was developed by finding a sheet of foam that was used to pack up my i-Mac.  A little fooling around with a caddis wing cutter and some new dubbing from Natures Spirit in a golden stone color and the i-Stone was developed.  Initial testing on the Animas River was not too promising but that may not be the best place to test a golden stone pattern.  More testing on the Arkansas River was a better idea.  The Ark. is loaded with golden stones.  It preformed awesome.  The wingpads held up and the tungsten and lead helped get the pattern down where the fish are.  It has quickly become one of my favorite patterns to use year around.  

Tungsten Golden iStone

Hook:      MFC 7231 or TMC 2302 #10-12

Bead:       MFC Lucent Coffee Tungsten Bead, 2.7mm

Thread:   UTC 70 Yellow or MFC 8/0

Underbody:  .20 lead laid on the sides or lead tape.

Body:      Nature’s Spirit Amber Emergence Dubbing.

Rib:         Small Copper Wire

Shellback:  Medallion sheeting or MFC Gold Silly Skin

Tail:         Gold Goose Biots

Thorax:    Nature’s Spirit Amber Emergence Dubbing or similar.

Wings:     Brown Hen Back

Wingcase:  Computer Packing Foam Colored with Dark Brown Marker. I use foam from an Apple iMac.  Dell or HP foam would work as well.   Cut with #18 Caddis Wing Cutter.  

Some new 2012 products

I've been pouting a bit for the last week or so, since I wasn't able to make it to the dealer show in New Orleans this year.  I had been to the last few 3 or 4 in Denver and was just getting used to getting my free swag which included fly tying catalogs, sample tying materials, hats, and beer.  One year I even scored a pair of waders.  I poured over the internet trying to find out what is new this year.  I assumed that my fly patterns didn't make it into the MFC catalog this year.  I caught glimpses of new products that won best of show for this and for that.  If you look now, you can find some stuff out there that is new.  What I really wanted to get my hands on was the MFC catalog.  I had heard they had some cool new stuff.  Well yesterday as I was cruising the internets, I ran across the link to the new 2012 MFC pdf. catalog.  If you click HERE, you will get the goods.  Please note that MFC did like 3 of my patterns and now have them in the 2012 catalog.  I'll have to post some tutorials of those bugs later when I have some time.  That's also the same thing I tell my wife when she asks me to fix something around the house.

Some New Bugs from MFC, 2012

MFC also has some sweet new fly boxes and other things you have to see for yourself.  The boat box won Best of Show for best fly storage system this year. You have to check it out! The new fish print items look really sweet also.  The boat box can hold up to 4,000 or so flies.  I think I might have to tie a dozen or so more flies to fill that thing.  I am not sure how a person like me that doesn't have a boat fits that thing in the vest.

MFC Boat Box

Other items that I have played with is the new Sage "One" rod.  It's nice and I said "it's like a sniper rifle, it's that accurate".  It did make me feel like I was hitting every nook and cranny I aimed for, but maybe I just thought that since that was what I read somewhere.   It is definitely worth checking out though.  I don't think that it is head and shoulders above other high end rods, but it is right there at the top.   I'd like to have a shoot out with the G Loomis NRX, the Hardy Zenith, the Sage One and the other big dogs out there to see where it fits in.

Sage "One" Rod.  

Another new item I was able to fondle recently down at Ghilles Fly shop was the new Hardy DD & CC Ultralight reels.  These are nice also and for the price, you probably can't beat them.  They are made in Korea, if you don't mind going that route.  I prefer my reels to be made in the USA, but some don't really care as long as the fish don't care.  The CC reels have a click drag and come in smaller sizes than the DD as you may have guessed.  The double D's are bigger than the smaller C's as in life but depending on your preference, they are both pretty nice.  The DD's have a disc drag and the smaller sized DD is around a 5wt. size reel.

Some new offerings from Scott Fly Rod Co.

This year brings three new Scott Series rods for 2012.  As a Scott head, I am pretty excited.  I wish I could get one of the M series!

Scott Fly Rod Co. recently announced three new rod series for 2012. Here they are.  

Developed from our Custom Shop program, Scott M Series rods feature components and craftsmanship most often found on the finest split bamboo rods. These are heirloom quality rods that will make you proud to own them and to fish them.

The freshwater rods are appointed with blued nickel silver components like custom reel seats with amboyna wood spacers, hand made Snakebrand guides, real agate stripping guides in hand soldered nickel silver frames, strap and ring hook keepers, and unique grips turned from the very best Flor grade cork.

These rods are built on the most popular G2, S4 and S4s blanks but use the finest components money can buy. In essence this is a collectors series of rods.

A4 rods are smooth casting high line speed rods with very low physical weights. They recover very quickly and cast super flat, very precise loops, yet load progressively and transmit feel extremely well.

Scott L2h series two handed rods are designed and optimized for today’s new line tapers and casting styles. 

These rods transfer power smoothly and are incredibly stable when changing directions or applying forward stroke power. They to cast flatter, tighter loops that deliver greater distance and accuracy.

Components are top of the line, with new grips shaped from Super grade cork, TiCh coated reel seats with self aligning slide hoods, and TiCh stripping guides that feature SiC inserts. 

L2h rods deliver a new level of performance in mid priced two handers.

Need hoppers?

If you guys are looking for the Hopper Juan fly, there are many places you can get a hold of them. You can find them in several of the Denver and Colorado Springs area fly shops or you can order them through Dream Drift Flies. The link to Dream Drift Flies is to the right on the side bar. Look for the "Buy Hopper Juan Flies" button and it will take you right to my page of flies. As for the shops, Anglers Covey in Colorado Springs has them in stock, Anglers All, Discount Fishing Tackle, Trout's Fly Shop, & The Denver Fly Shop in Denver all carry the Hopper Juan. So if you need some, give them a call or stop by and pick some up.

The Hopper Juan is available in size 8-12.

Where's Waldo?

Just so you know, I haven't fallen off the edge of the Earth.  Well, it feels like I have but I haven't.  In the last three weeks or so, I have attended 2 funerals, fished 4 days, and traveled about 2,700 miles witnessed a motorcycle accident and was the first on the scene.  Nobody died, but there was lots of blood and I found out, I would be worthless if I found you on the side of the road dying. All I could do for you is pray.   I spent way too much money on gas and eating out, drank too many Cokes and sat on my ass way to long.  But, I did see some family that I haven't seen in a long time, travel some roads that I haven't been on in a while and enjoyed almost all of it.  Here are just a few photos for you since a post is worthless without pictures.

Mancos, Colorado

Arizona

11 Mile Canyon, Colorado

My client, Kevin seeing the results of throwing a Hopper Juan.

Dang Bubba, that's how it is done!  Gallup New Mexico

Umm, not sure.  

Navajo Nation, USA

Some where on 1-40