Streamer Fishing

With the recent rain storms we’ve been having, there’s no better time to talk about everyone’s favorite thing (or soon to be)...chuckin’ meat for big wild trout. With all the new materials on the market and the fly tying scene growing rapidly, more elaborate streamer patterns are coming out every week, and everyone is jonesin’ to get out there and give it a try. Streamer fishing, when executed properly, can be a very effective way of catching not only numerous trout, but big trout too. Here are a few tips to get your streamer game up to par.

1.    Think like a baitfish

As cliché as it sounds, this is something that has increased my productivity with streamers tenfold.  When you’re chuckin’ meat, fish your streamer in ways that a baitfish (minnow, chub, sculpin, baby brown trout) would react in the water. My first impression of streamer fishing was that I needed to swing my fly downstream, then strip it against the current. While this can pick up a fish here and there, baitfish are almost never going to be evading a predator by swimming against the current; it is just inefficient and they will die by the wrath of a brown trout 9 times out of 10. So first things first, don’t be afraid to fish it downstream like you would a nymph, but with more action. When that trout sees your sculpin looking distressed, it’s going to be more willing to tear out from its hole and blow your shit up!

2.    Fish Everything

For whatever reason, the instinctive thing to do when you first start streamer fishing is to fish every big hole. While this will most likely produce some fish, you are missing out on some serious action by walking by those little undercuts and seams that are harder to fish. Big fish are still alive and growing for a reason! They’re not going to sit in a big hole just asking to get taken out by a predator. They’re going to be stashed deep in undercuts or log jams just waiting to ambush your fly. This is my favorite part about streamer fishing. Fishing these tiny seams and hard to reach areas will make you a much better caster, and fisherman all around. Learning to bow and arrow cast will greatly improve your chances to get that meat to the toads. Don’t be afraid to try anything, chances are it will pay off.

3.    Choose your conditions wisely

Streamer fishing isn’t always the best approach to catching fish. Most of the time, as much as it hurts me to say, nymphing is flat out more productive. There are times, however, where this is not true. My absolute favorite time to fish streamers is during a nice spring rain when the water is flowing and off colored. In times like this, the fish let their guard down from other predators and go on feeding frenzies. It seems like they can’t see nymphs and other bugs as well, so they are more likely to go after a sculpin or something else a streamer would be mimicking. This past week, myself and a few of my buddies were all fishing different water across the state during a summer rainstorm, and everyone caught beautiful fish on streamers. @rcase and I got into some great fish on sculpins, and Clark (@chasingbrowns on Instagram) absolutely destroyed it with Freshly Johnson (@christopherbfreshly). They caught more hammer browns than any day of Czech nymphing could produce. So the moral of the story when it’s raining…drop what you’re doing, quit your job, break up with your girlfriend and get your ass to the stream! These slobby browns aren’t going to catch themselves after all.

4.    Size Matters

Fishing the biggest streamer your 4wt can throw is NOT the most effective way to catch these fish. While big streamers can produce, slinging a 6” meat for a trout every time you fish is absurd, Fish a pattern that mimics the baitfish you know the fish are seeing on a daily basis. Turn over some rocks and figure out what’s good. Similarly, you don’t need to tie these patterns with size 2 saltwater hooks. Be mindful of the trout. They took a while to get this big and you want to conserve that. Most of my streamer patterns are tied with a single Gamakatsu B10S and a gamechanger shank. It gets the job done more than enough once you learn how to be patient with your hooksets. And people…don’t forget to pinch your barbs! I can’t stress this enough. There’s just no need for barbs.

Here are some of my favorite streamer patterns for PA

Ok enough talking, time to look at pictures of some PA meat eaters.

Shoutout to streamer junkies Clark (@chasingbrowns) and Chris (@christopherbfreshly) for the GoPro shots and the insight on Streamer Fishing 

Happy Hunting

Ty

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Musky Flies: No Exact Science

 Mooser here...before I begin I would just like to say this post is just my thoughts and opinions on tying muskie flies.  There are going to be those who disagree and those who take it as food for thought. However which way you take it, I hope there is something you can take from it.

      I've been tying muskie flies for a good while now and have had the chance to fish for them quite a bit. However, to say I am as good as Brad Bohen at catching these fish , or tying these flies as any of the forefathers of hollow tying have done, such as Bob Popovichs, would be blasphemous.

      Are there many other tiers still better at this craft than me and more experienced? Absolutely yes! These are the people I have learned and are still learning from till this day. I will say , and, I thank those who have gotten into this microcosm of fly tying and fly fishing. I still see myself as a beginner or novice musky fly tier and fisher since I have not boated one or found a specific "go to pattern"that peaks the interest of this specific subspecies of fish. I have , however, had three hook ups and I don't know how many follows but that has caused me to pursue these fish.  The first time my eyes gazed upon this fish, I knew it was over.

       With Bohen's adage of fur, feather, and flash and the others I have learned from, and their patterns, I started. I started tying muskie flies that were, at least to say...okay. As time progressed, I found myself becoming more and more obsessed. I kept tying and tying only to find myself troubled by these fish. I.E. "When I am going to fish for these fish, how do I go about it. is there something I am doing wrong, what do they want, how do I present it, what should I look for ?" All of these thoughts poured into my head then I contemplated, "How do I land one of these fish?!"

      As I tied, I played with this adage, I flipped it and twisted it to see how many different combinations I could come up with.  I then realized how many combinations you can come up with, and that any one of them could be successful.  The flies are almost like Kramer in Seinfeld, if any of you are familiar with this show, you just never know what your gonna get or what crazy thing could come of it.  In regards to Kramer and the relation to musky flies, there are no rules, let go and just do whatever you want basically be yourself and tie.

      When at the fly fishing show in Lancaster, PA I over heard some guys talking about and I quote,"those long jawns, those bright beastly looking flies, they some shark meat!" As I continued listening in, they went on and talked about how hard it must be and how it, "at least takes three days to tie one." They could not be farther from the truth with this statement but bring up a very important point.
   
      Do I recommend you go out and buy your first vice and start with a musky fly as your first spun bug? No. Basic principles of tying are far more important in the beginning and to continue success. These will benefit you in the long run and help you be able to tie all types of bugs up, with consistency, professionalism, and pattern production.

      These three things do not come right away. For some people they can just hop on a vice for their first time and spin a mean bug just from the materials they have in front of them.  I admire these people, they have a gift that they should stick with. Although, if this is not you, a musky fly may very well take three days.

Three key things, that I feel are important, to focus on if you decide to get into this area of fly tying. (Predator Patterns) :

      Basics      

      The basic principles of tying such as; your idea, thread base, skill, etc. are most important in designing your own musky fly.  Think back to a whooly bugger. I am sure this is the most common first fly for any novice.  Simple, with basic materials and steps anyone can tie this fly.  You are taking in with this fly, am I using too much material, is my spacing even, is my tail too long, are my wraps of the chenille for the body loose or are there gaps?  All of these same questions will end up being asked while tying a musky fly.  Just stick to fur feather flash as your basic guide for starting out then play with it to see what you can create.

Always ask those questions to your self, but do not be too critical, and do not over analyze just tie.


     Design      

      When designing one of these flies it is important to get an idea of what you want to accomplish. Do you want a simple pattern consisting of a little bit of flash and a lot of feathers and some fur.  Do you want more flash and fur with only a couple of feathers ?  The possibilities of your design are endless due to the design being yours!  Once you know what you want, hold that idea in your head and stick with it.  Just like casting to a rising fish, don't have doubts of whether your going to spook him or not be confident in your casting ability, the fly, and be confident your going to catch him.  Be confident in your plan and stick with it.

    Taper         

      Taper what is a taper? Think of carrot.  It goes from fat at the top to skinny at the bottom.  The taper of your flies can look well like a carrot or be more stout and beefy.  This all depends on where you get your hair from and how much you use of it.  I have found out through trial and error of how to get the taper to where I want it.  I do this by looking at the buck tail and seeing which section of it I want to take the hair from.  The top of the buck tail, you have the more dense fur which does not flair out when spun.  This type of hair is perfect for the beginning and up to the half way point of your hook.  It forms that back portion or the ass end of your fly which if done correctly with the right type of hair will look like the bottom portion of a carrot when wet.
      The other section of the buck tail where I get my hair from is the bottom.  I choose this type of hair to start the middle up to the head of the fly to give it some profile and a water pushing effect. The hair down at the bottom is hollow and will flair out.  This is great hair for making a bigger profiled fly such as a sunfish or crappie pattern.

      For the taper and over all design of the fly do not use too much hair.  Using too much hair will cause your pattern to bulk up too quickly leading to some wasted deer hair and an unhappy and frustrated tier. With hollow tying I have found the sizes of every two clumps you use (about the circumference of a pencil for each) should equal to about the circumference of a sharpie. For starting the back small clumps taken from the top of the buck tail are more preferable to those of a bigger stature and of less density of the bottom hair.
      Folding the first small clump back then throwing in your feathers and your flash is the next step. After that is done tie in your next small clump and fold back onto the previously tied materials.  You will see that with the second clump pushed back you have a good amount of deer hair that you just put down and did not even notice it.  The two clumps still make up for the amount even though placed in different areas. When they join they improve in amount and protection ability for those brittle feathers and the flash.  When progressing up the hook you can increase in clump size if you feel comfortable enough.

     The slimmer the pattern, take your hair from the top,  The beefier the pattern, take your hair from the bottom.

Do not be afraid to  mix the types of hair together to see what you can come up with!

Like I said this is not stating an exact science on how to tie them.  These are just some tips to keep in mind that have helped me and I hope they help you

Mooser.

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Midges, Emergers, and Dry Flies, Oh My !

Well with Spring around the corner, and the snow pack melting, dry fly season is coming !

I personally, never grew up fishing a lot of dry flies, unless there was a noticeable hatch.  I never really even tied them, saw them as too complicated, bothersome, and stressful due to the hackle and trying to at least attempt to tie posts for a Parachute Adams or wings for the Royal Wulff.  However, with time I started to dabble and learn from fly tiers that are much more capable of tying them than I was.  So I sat back watched and learned.

As I became more in-tuned to bug life and constantly looking up others patterns and talking to guys at a local fly shop, I said I can do this ! Off I went, spinning up dry flies left and right, some better than others which is a given to any new fly tier.  Next was more dry flies, and more, and more, before I knew it I had tons of them.  As with any body who fly fishes, knows that the flies you tie usually are gone before you know it.

As I have gotten better at tying, my flies improved as did my fish catching ability.  What makes a dry fly, emerger, or midge really pop or stand out to a fish you might be asking your self?  I always just thought it was the replication of what is hatching.  However, it was during a caddis hatch at a very well known Pennsylvania stream where I REALLY started to figure it out.  I had regular elk hair caddis dries and some others that were roughly tied.  Bugs were coming off left and right, fish rising left and right.  Cast after cast, fly size change after fly size change, still nothing but rejections.

"Back to the drawing board!" I said while receiving a complete and utter beat down by some very, very smart fish.  While walking back to the car a guy stopped me and asked me how I did, I said,"well they seemed interested but not enough to get em to bite!"  after that the guy said one word to me,"different." I'm sure your saying to your self different that's it ? Well what does that mean ?

So I went home and tied "different."  I was tying like a mad man, so many different complex

caddis variations that at the end of it I had enough and decided to keep it SIMPLE but DIFFERENT.  So I came up with a pattern that absolutely had me blown away and others on the stream as well,"what are you using?" "Is there a worm on the end of that line?" "Jesus Christ Just leave already!" The gauntlet of words and profanity I received was actually humor-some.  From that point on I knew i was already in the dry fly game and with only one simple fly.

The best thing about this fly is how simple it is, but there is an underlying factor of what I believe is the real successor for the fly. PROFILE.

You can see below of what I'm talking about, looking upward (3rd photo) you can see the wings and the shuck, with a slim body and semi fat head you can see why I believe the fly's major, fish catching characteristic is its profile.

This caddis cripple as I call it has been more than a huge producer for me, it's a staple in all of my boxes anywhere I go, because chances are there are caddis on the stream bed and if they start hatching and fish start rising this is the only fly I will use. Slap some gink on the hair and watch it float like a cork, great for skating and great for fishing in the film. There is no wrong way to fish this pattern, hell even strip it back subsurface and just hold on !

This pattern can also be tied in a variety of body colors for any type of bug. Hendricksons, caddis, sulphurs, isonychias, and the list can go on!

I really hope you add this pattern to your boxes, you will not be disappointed !

Mooser

Recipe:
Hook: sz 14-20 3x Long
Tail: Antron yarn, play with different colored Antron yarn, any color you think would work, well, will in fact work
Body: Any superfine dubbing in any color for the specific bug you are tying
Wing: CDC under some superfine deer hair, yearling elk hair would be another great substitute as well
Head: same colored dubbing as the body, doesn't hurt to change the color of the head as well.

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5 Tips for Braving the Thaw

Well, it's that time of year again; you know, the time where all the streams are blown out from the massive snow melt. With all the snow we've gotten this year, it's shaping up to be a murky one. Chances are, for the next week or two, all of your local streams will be stained brown and flowing pretty well. But it's warm outside and you want to fish!! Here are a few tips on picking up fish during the thaw.

1. Choosing Color

When the water is stained especially, you want to make sure you are fishing with flies that will stand out to the fish. This means focusing on your bright or dark flies. Black, dark brown, and purple are some of my favorite dark colors to fish in muddy waters and alternatively, White, Chartreuse, and Yellow are also some good colors to try out.  Don't be afraid to get flashy either...this is the time to try out those crazy patterns you tied up that night you had one to many. 

2. Choosing Water

When the water is high, your favorite riffle may not fish like it does during normal conditions. As the water rises, the fish will be moving to places where it is easier for them to hold in the current. This usually means they will be going to the sides of the stream. Don't be shy...hit every pocket! You'd be surprised how many trout hold within a foot from the shore, especially during high water conditions. 

3. Presentation

As the water rises, more and more food get stirred up. Target these spots on the stream where the food will be plentiful. Look for foamy water, especially where there is an eddy. Fish will hold in these areas and eat all the food they can see. This is where having your boxes prepared will help you...start tying anchor flies! The water is going to be raging and you're going to need that extra weight to get your flies down. When fishing a double rig, it seems to get the flies down quicker when you put your heavier fly as your second (bottom) fly.

4. Fly Selection 

During the thaw I like to keep my fly selection broad. As long as you're using dark or bright flies, anything can work; from streamers to stoneflies. Streamers can be very productive during the muddy waters, but if the fish aren't cooperating, don't be afraid to switch to some nymphs that will "pop." This is also the time to swallow your pride and fish that sucker spawn, egg or greenie weenie! The fish pictured below was caught on a lime green scud in very muddy water this morning. The only flies I would shy away from are tiny midges and nymphs. Although they can be extremely productive in other conditions, the fish just don't seem to see them in these conditions. 

5. Don't Lose Hope

If you aren't catching fish right away, don't lose hope! Yes, you may not get as many fish as you do when the conditions are ideal, but the chances of picking up the fish of a lifetime are still there. Take the time to enjoy yourself on the stream...it is much better than being locked in your house tying flies and avoiding the polar vortex! The fish below was one of two fish all day today. We did not catch many, but this is the one that made it count! 

22" PA Brown

Ty

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