'Rock snot' infestation shuts Vermont hatchery

 

An infestation of the invasive algae didymo, or "rock snot" has prompted the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Commission to close the Bethel Federal Fish Hatchery in Vermont so it can be thoroughly decontaminated. Some 3,000 hatchery salmon will be donated to Native American tribes, while the fate of 434,000 lake trout will be decided later. Via AP.

More Ramblings

I was looking through my computer stuff and came up with this site http://globalflyfisher.com/ it is without a doubt one of the most informative sites for FlyFisherman on the Internet and all the info is free. Go take a look I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

The Global FlyFisher - The Internet's Cutting Edge Fly Fishing Site
Site Developed by GFF Partners: Martin Joergensen, Steve Schweitzer, Bob Petti, Bob Skehan & Kasper Mühlbach

Ramblings

I have a few things I’d like to give you today. The first being a podcast from The Orvis Company, Tom Rosenbauer :

Tom Rosenbauer's Fall Fly-Fishing Secrets

Crisp days in autumn bring another worldly beauty to the forest and winding Matapedia River. This is a time to get to know the river in an entirely new way.
Credit: Charles Cusson/Atlantic Salmon Federation

In the podcast this week, I go on a minor rant about the ethics of crowding on today's trout streams, and pretty much tell you if you don't like the crowds, take a hike (literally). I do give some suggestions on how to handle crowded situations if you have no other choice, but there is almost always another choice. And in the main part of the podcast, I share with you some fall fishing secrets. We have touched on this subject before, but since the last time I have received some more tips from all of you that I really should share.
I also announce a very special contest for the best suggestion for next week's podcast. The prize is an autographed copy of my new book, The Orvis Guide to The Essential American Flies, which is a large format book with spectacular color photos

Click the play button below to listen to this episode. Go to orvis.com/podcast to subscribe to future episodes
If you cannot see the podcast player, please click this link to listen.

Share my fall fly fishing tips with your fishing buddies:

 

 

The second is a neat video about An American Eagle that was raised by some folks after being found blown out of its nest when just five weeks old:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=oOZF4vTAF2M&vq=medium

Fly Selection Made Easy from the Orvis Company

 

Posted: 24 Oct 2011 08:33 AM PDT

Many anglers are turned off by fly-fishing because they think it is too technical. Oftentimes, experienced anglers try to impress new fly fishers by spouting off about the “Baetis hatch” or talking about the “Ephemerellas” they saw yesterday. It can seem a bit overwhelming for a beginner, and learning the Latin names of all the insects one encounters on-stream seems a daunting task. Fear not, because the fish know less Latin than you do!

What is important when fly-fishing is to be observant. If you see the fish are eating small olive-colored bugs with gray wings, that is all the information you really need to select an appropriate fly. Simply look into your fly box and pick the fly that best represents the natural insects. You don’t need to know that you are in the midst of a Baetis hatch.

Rather than taking courses in Latin, taxonomy, and entomology, there are a couple of things you can do to to find out what available food items the fish might be taking advantage of.

1. Shake some of the streamside bushes, watch what flies out, and match these creatures to an imitation in my fly box. The bugs in the bushes are usually those that have recently hatched or are about to mate and die.

2. Turn over some rocks. If there are no bugs in the bushes and you don’t see any fish rising, then you can look for food sources under the surface of the stream. Shallow areas with some current are a river’s food factory. Try picking up a few rocks from the river bottom or holding a fine meshed net downstream while stirring up the bottom a bit. You will find lots of potential food items on the local trout’s menu. Take a look at these creepy crawlies and select your fly accordingly.

3. Collect some bugs in film canisters filled with rubbing alcohol. (If you use river water, you will be surprised at how much stink can come out of a small film canister filled with rotten bugs!) A local fly shop or club can be invaluable in helping you identify your drunken-bug collection and select those flies that imitate your collection and work for local hatches. Over time, you will begin to pick up the names of the important local bugs, learn when these insects hatch, and know how to be prepared with the right patterns.

This trout was fooled by a pheasant tail nymph, yet it does not know the latin name of the bug it represented. photo by Steve May

Before long, you will also begin to recognize the major types of insects that trout eat, as well as what a mayfly, caddis fly, midge, or stonefly looks like in both its adult and nymph form. This will be helpful when you talk with other fly anglers. Put your observation skills to the test and present your fly well, and you’ll be able to tell the old-timer who asks what fly fooled that big fish you just landed, “It ate a little brown fly that looks just like the ones flying around.”

You have to impress the fish, not other anglers, and trout do not study Latin.

Steve May is a fly-fishing guide at Grand River Troutfitters, as well as an Orvis contract fly tier.

Appetite for Catch and Release Is Tempered

 

By ADAM CLYMER

Published: October 22, 2011

• LEENANE, Ireland — After my years of faithfulness (well, almost) to the religion of catch-and-release fishing in the United States and Canada, I found it heretical to be told that the salmon I caught would have to be killed.

 

Delphi Lodge

The waters at Delphi Lodge in Connemarra, on Ireland's northwest coast. Delphi, which got into the hatchery business in 1990, releases 50,000 smolts each year; perhaps 1,500 return.

For the first five days, I fished in continual rain at Delphi Lodge in Connemarra, on Ireland’s northwest coast, it seemed a moot point. One tap, perhaps, but no real strikes. Nothing to test my faith.

But then on my last day, in another steady rain, I had a solid hookup on a Willie Gunn, a tube fly tied with yellow, orange and black bucktail. Two leaps and 15 minutes later, a seven-pound spring salmon was netted by Dave Duffy, the ghillie who rowed me around Finlough, the smaller of Delphi’s two lakes on the Bundorragha River.

Once the fish was in the boat, Duffy was excited to see that it was missing the adipose fin. That meant it was a keeper, not because it was deformed, but because Delphi runs a hatchery and clips those fins off before releasing the smolts. And the fish have to be killed to prevent interbreeding with the smaller stock of natural wild salmon. Indeed, when the season ends each fall, the remaining hatchery fish are netted and killed; the wild fish are released to spawn and return to sea.

read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/sports/appetite-for-catch-and-release-tempered-at-delphi-lodge.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

Giving in to Fly Fishing

Posted: 14 Oct 2011 06:40 AM PDT Cross-Posted from the Women in Fly Fishing blog: Fly Fishing was never on my radar screen until I moved to Vermont and started working for Orvis in the mid 1990s. I worked for the company for four years and learned what an “angler” was (I really had no idea), that fishing poles were actually “rods,” and that “wading pant” was not the correct term for those funny water pants. They are just called “waders.”  And I was surprised to learn that an office discussion about “nymphs” was not even remotely suggestive. I also learned that the target audience of the typical fly-fisher was pretty much the polar opposite of me. A few years later, I ended up marrying a fly-fishing addict—one who works at Orvis and has the sport so ingrained in his being that when he isn’t actually fishing, he thinks about it all day, and then comes home to write about how others can learn the sport at night and on weekends. Can you imagine? Before we were married, I was asked, “Are you sure you can live with this? This is just how I am.” so I knew what I was getting into before taking the next step. But I still did not want to learn to fish. “Nah, not for me,” I said whenever I was asked if I wanted to try.  When my husband would fish, if I came along, I would read or hike. I never actually picked up a fly rod.  This fact seemed to stun most people I know, but I was actually secretly proud of my steadfast resistance over the last decade. Recently, though, I had a change of heart. Robin receives casting tips from her instructor at the Orvis Manchester Fly-Fishing School. photo by Tom Rosenbauer Earlier this year, I felt I was in a rut. I needed to get out of my comfort zone and learn something new.  I set a goal for myself to try a few activities I have always assumed I would hate. These activities were primarily centered on fitness. But one day this spring, when my husband broached the subject of whether our son was ready to learn to fly-fish, the topic of me finally learning as well resurfaced. Me?  Hmmm… Instead of replying with my typical “Nah, not for me,” I actually thought about the learn-something-new goal I had set earlier in the year. I thought about the activities I didn’t think I would ever like, but which I now love, and realized this just might be the right time to give in to my stubbornness and give fly fishing a try. A few months later, I took the next step. Because women always need a partner-in-crime, I enlisted my friend Kiernan to take the Orvis Manchester Fly-Fishing School with me for two full days last month. The Verdict? I had a blast! This was against my expectations, as you can imagine. I had many preconceived notions of what fly fishing would be like from watching from afar all these years. I had expected that the class would be filled with all men (aside from us), and that I would feel out of place. This was not so at all—the class was actually half women and half men. I thought the instructors would be kind of boring and stuffy and serious, and that laughing, not-very-serious women might be judged as “not authentic enough” for the sport. Again, I found the opposite was true. Those people who teach the sport love it; they want you to do the same. Now that the vest is on, it's time to talk less about casting and more about fishing. photo by Tom Rosenbauer I expected I would be terrible at casting. What I learned? It takes practice, and basically it doesn’t matter what your cast looks like. The fish do not care if your cast looks like it came out of “A River Runs Through It.” What is important is that you cast so you can get the fly where you want it to go. I had expected that hanging out in the water waiting, waiting, waiting for the fish would be boring. Actually, I was incorrect there, too. Time went quickly as I was thinking of some key things: keeping myself from slipping and falling, not spooking fish, what fly I was using, if I had tied the right knot on the end of the line, not hooking trees. You may not look like you are doing anything out there, but I realized there is a lot of active brain power being used. I really enjoyed learning to cast. There are a few rules for success, and once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to tell the difference between a bad cast and a good one.  I felt the same satisfaction when getting the line where I wanted it to go, as I would if I were aiming for any target, like a soccer ball in a net. For any competitive, driven person, it’s really cool to see the gradual improvement with every new cast. There were other parts I liked, as well. I liked that we could look around by the stream and see what the fish were eating and try to mimic those insects with the flies. I enjoyed trying to look at the water and anticipate where a fish might be. I enjoyed wading in the water, taking in the scenery on a beautiful day. Most of all, I loved spending the day like this on the water with a great friend. Robin and her partner in crime, Kiernan, enjoy a pond-side laugh. photo by Tom Rosenbauer Did I think I would catch a fish? Never. Actually, catching a fish never even crossed my mind. I was having too much fun doing everything else.  I was told by the instructors that this will change after my first catch, but I’m not so sure. So, what didn’t I really get into? Well, honestly, I didn’t really want to think about the nitty-gritty details. I know fly fishermen love to talk about which rod specifically they need to use, which reel, which leader and tippet, sizes, shapes, lengths….to me, I say, “Whatever.”  All the knots, and all the different flies?  I don’t think I have the patience to learn any more than two or three knots and do not really want to think about all the fly choices or learning all the names of each. I would just want someone to give me the right rod, set it up for me, tell me which five flies might do the trick, and send me on my way. And from what I learned from this experience, that’s okay, too. I came to realize we can embrace the details if we like, or we take the parts of the sport that are enjoyable to us and make it our own. I’m not sure what my next step is in the learning process, but I just ordered my waders and boots, borrowed a rod from the basement, and started casting practice in the yard. My new fishing license is only valid for a few more weeks—I have some work to do! Robin Kadet is a former Orvis employee and is married to Tom Rosenbauer. Share this with your friends:

Cleaning and storing your gear for the off-season from The Orvis Company

Always make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and lubing your reels.

While the fishing season is by no means over, it may be time to start thinking about putting away some of your equipment—dry-fly rods, the 2-weight you use for native brookies, etc.—for the long winter. Although most fishing gear will last for years if you treat it right, incorrect storage can shorten that life span or ruin the aesthetics of a fine rod or reel. For instance, C. Boyd Pfeiffer, the godfather of tackle craft, tells of how he put a fly rod away wet, and when he retrieved it in the spring it was covered by tiny white blisters under the finish. Here are some tips to help you avoid such an unwelcome surprise.

1. The end of the season is the perfect time to clean all your gear. Before you store rods, reels, waders, and lines, you should wash them and allow them to completely dry.

Rods: An old toothbrush is perfect for lightly scrubbing around the hardware and guides. Pfeiffer notes that taking several rods into the shower with you is a convenient way to get the job done quickly. Make sure you rinse the rods thoroughly and allow them to air dry.

Reels: You can use the same toothbrush for getting all sand, salt, and grime off your reels. Take the lines off all reel before you wash them (although you can leave the backing on). Again make sure you rinse all parts thoroughly and put them on a towel to dry. When one side is completely dry, flip the parts over, so any water hiding in nooks and crannies can run out. Do this a few times.

Waders: Rinse them completely, wiping off any dirt or salt, and hang them to dry. Then turn them inside out an allow them to hang for awhile longer to air them out.

Fly lines: Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning your lines. Using dish soap will actually remove the slick coating. A moist rag will usually do the trick.

2. Now it’s time to inspect and perform routine maintenance.

Rods: Check all the guides and ferrules to ensure they are in good shape. Apply ferrule wax to the male ends of the ferrules. Check the reel seat to make sure the threads are clear of debris.

Reels: If your reel requires lubricant (although few modern models do), follow the manufacturer’s instructions for doing so. Make sure all screws are tight. Do a final inspection to see if you missed any sand or salt residue.

Waders: Check them for wear and tear or leaks. If there are abrasions or nicks that look like they may become leaks, you might want to do a prophylactic repair with a patch kit.

Fly lines: Check the line for nicks, and test the loops at both ends to ensure that they are still strong.

3. Storing your gear correctly will ensure that it’s good as new when you need it.

Rods: Again, make sure the rod is completely dry before you put it in its sock or tube. Arrange your rod tubes horizontally, rather than standing upright. Finally, Pfeiffer suggests that you leave the end caps off entirely to allow the rods to “breathe” during the long months of storage.

Reels: The big enemy of reels is corrosion, so make sure they are fully dry. You can choose to store them in their bags, but leave a gap in the opening to allow any moisture to escape. Before you put a reel away for the winter, back the drag off completely. This will reduce wear and tear on the discs or other components.

Waders: The best way to store breathable waders is to hang them, but not by the suspenders or the boot feet. Instead, drape them over a hanger, allowing air to circulate all around them. This way, you don’t stress the suspenders or where the wader and boot material come together.

Fly lines: Fly lines should be clearly labeled and hung in loose coils over a hook or a nail. This will keep them from developing too much memory over the winter.

It goes without saying that all your gear should be stored somewhere that’s dry and is relatively climate-controlled—that is, a place that doesn’t experience wide swings in temperature.

The American Museum of Fly Fishing

After Irene:  Assessing Our Streams Saturday, October 22 2:00 p.m. When seemingly small streams become raging rivers, fish and other inhabitants have to fight their own battle to survive the rushing water, increasing amount of silt, and after effects of a depleted food source as insect nymphs are washed downstream.   Join fish biologist, Ken Cox, from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife as he talks about the damage done to our local rivers from Tropical Storm Irene and all of the work that is being done to protect and rebuild the wildlife habitat.

Annual Membership Meeting

Saturday, October 22 9:15a.m. The annual members meeting will be held at the Orvis Fly Fishing school at 9:15 am on Saturday, October 22.  Join us that evening for a celebratory dinner at the Wilburton Inn.  Here you'll enjoy fine wines, a gourmet dinner, and good company among your fellow anglers and members!  For more details and to make a reservation, contact Kim Murphy.

A Graceful Rise Exhibition Catalog The museum is pleased to announce that funds have been secured to publish an exhibition catalog to complement our current exhibition, A Graceful Rise: Women in Fly Fishing Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. The catalog will include the profiles of each of the women as well as some of the images and personal artifacts on display in our gallery. We hope to have these available by early December for your holiday shopping.  Check our website for details.

Improvements Continue Around our Casting Pond

After a site review by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we were approved for funds to remove the invasive plants along the banks of the back stream (which eventually deposits into the Battenkill). Over the three-year grant period, this will enable wildlife to again use these natural resources for subsistence. This past fall, the low-growth bushes were removed, and the overgrown weeds in the yard were trimmed and maintained. Most of the fish that were restocked in fall 2010 survived the winter weather and the high waters brought about by Tropical Storm Irene. As always, the public is en- couraged to cast a line or two in the pond (and to practice catch-and-release so others can enjoy!).

ABOUT THE AMFF

The American Museum of Fly Fishing promotes an understanding of and appreciation for the history, traditions, and practitioners of the sport of fly fishing.  It collects, preserves, exhibits, studies, and interprets the artifacts, art, and literature of the sport and uses these resources to engage and benefit everyone.

The Underground’s Short Casts for 2011-10-07

 

by Tom Chandler on October 7, 2011 · 0 comments

• Ready for another "brutal" winter? Brutal Winter Predicted for U.S.: Scientific American http://ow.ly/6PIoe #
• It's not just Vermont; New York suspends stream protection laws, trout streams getting hammered: http://ow.ly/6PIuW #

Noteworthy Dates

 

• September 24: Celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day.
  Don't miss the 40th National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day)(http://www.nhfday.org/Page/Home.aspx) celebration on September 24. The NHF Day recognizes hunters, fisherman, and recreational shooters and their explicit role in conservation, while providing Americans a chance to experience, understand, and appreciate the tradition of outdoor sports. Get the family together for the fun and educational hands-on activities that everyone will enjoy at one of the several events located in New York(http://www.nhfday.org/Page/Events-New-York.html).

A Japanese Form of Fly Fishing Gains Fans in the U.S.

 

James Card

Misako Ishimura with a Japanese tenkara rod in Arkansas. She began fly fishing in the Catskills in 1989.

By JAMES CARD

Published: September 15, 2010

• CROOKED CREEK, Ark. — Misako Ishimura waded knee deep into the current, the water temperature perfect for both swimming and soothing relief from the afternoon sun. But Ishimura, 58, had other things in mind as she swept back her rod and flicked the line upstream in a controlled, gentle cast. The soft-hackle fly dropped into the surface film and drifted near a rock undercut.

Related

• Times Topic: Fishing, Sport

A shiver vibrated up the line, and Ishimura leaned back with her rod and brought in a scrappy longear sunfish. From a distance it appeared she was fly fishing in the usual style, but the long, supple rod that she cast had no reel, and the line did not run through guides. The line was knotted at the very tip of the rod and formed a direct connection between her and the fish.

That is the minimalist essence of tenkara, a form of traditional Japanese fly fishing that has begun to attract anglers in the United States.

Although the etymology is unclear, the name tenkara is thought to mean “from the sky” or “from heaven,” which may describe the situation from a trout’s point of view: a mayfly gently touches down on a coldwater stream, a free lunch from above. To the angler, the mayfly is an imitation on a hook and an effective and intimate way to connect with the fish.

READ MORE http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/sports/16tenkara.html?ref=fishingsport

Hurricane Irene Update: Good News for the Battenkill

 

Posted by: James Hathaway

Date: 09/19/11

We have received a lot of emails from readers concerned about trout populations in Vermont post-Irene. For the Battenkill, anyway, there is good news for anglers.

It is not often that Monday morning brings good news, so I was very pleased to get an email this morning from our local state representative here in Sunderland. She was forwarding me a report from Ken Cox, VT Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Biologist on the state of the Battenkill river post-Irene and the condition of habitat restoration Orvis funded a couple of years ago.

There is good news, indeed, and it's a fascinating read. Here is his letter in its entirety:

Subject: Status of Batten Kill post Irene
This message concerns how the Batten Kill has fared with Irene with respect to stream damages, habitat impacts, effects on habitat restoration, and trout populations.
Yesterday, Dan MacKinley, Scott Wixsom (both with the U.S. Forest Service, Green Mountain National Forest) and I inspected the lower Batten Kill which I define here as the VT 313 bridge by the Arlington recreation field downstream to the NY state line. Even though the river overtopped its banks inundating numerous locations throughout its floodplain, the river came through remarkably unscathed. Very little new bank erosion has occurred, most of the large wood habitat structures installed into the river since 2006 remain in place, and the riparian woodlands are intact. Overall conditions remain pretty much as they were prior to the flood, and we were unanimous in our conclusion that it is extremely unlikely that the recovering trout population experienced any setback as a result of the flood. If there is anything good to be said for the timing of Irene with respect to trout populations is that it occurred before the spawning season and the river substrate is loose and not overburdened with sediments. So, the prognosis for spawning and egg incubation success looks good pending “normal” winter and spring river conditions.
Being that the majority of habitat structures weathered this record flood event, we do not see any need to change their design and placement. There is no evidence that any of the large wood placed in the river resulted or contributed to damage to private property, roads and bridges. No doubt Irene caused much debris flow but most of this material appears to have originated from the Roaring Branch and Kelly Road washout. The new concrete arch bridge that replaced two old undersized culverts on Benedict Hollow Brook and designed to provide trout access to spawning habitat came through the flood fine and conducted water and any debris downstream without incident.
Dan, Scott and I attribute the ability of the Kill to come through the flood event so well to so much of the flood plain continuing to be accessible river overflow which allows the river to lose power that can be destructive to transportation infrastructure, personal property and stream and riparian habitat. Furthermore, much of the upper river flows through wetlands that have the ability to dissipate hydraulic energy, store water and capture excessive debris and sediments. Where trees remain on the river banks (which is the case throughout much of the river’s length) banks are held in place minimizing erosion and large debris is retained within the river corridor.

Personal History: Birth of an Angler

 

Posted by: Gordon M. Wickstrom  
Date: 09/15/11


Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, just a few years before this story takes place.


It was after morning recess in Mrs. Winter’s sixth-grade class at Mapleton School in Boulder, Colorado. I remember the moment precisely, when the boy behind me, right in the middle of the lesson, leaned over his desk and my shoulder to whisper in my ear that if I’d take a nickel down to Woolworth's at Broadway and Pearl, I could buy this fishing “thing” with which I could catch lots of fish out at East Dagues Lake.
There’s no way for me to explain why my imagination was so immediately galvanized, if not downright obsessed. I could think of nothing else the rest of the day. And that was strange because I knew nothing of fishing. My father had never fished; though assorted of my uncles sort of had, and one of those had taken me at the tender age of five, out to Johnson’s Trout Farm, where I was allowed to pull out a lot of pan-size rainbow stockers.
But that was the extent of it. Granted that, as a small boy, I had doted on what was to be known as Goose Creek and is now lost under melancholy development. It was a lovely, small brook flowing east along the other side of this great old hill. There I could chase garter snakes, watch minnows and red-winged blackbirds, and generally dream away an afternoon with the sandwich my grandmother had made me.
READ MORE: http://www.orvisnews.com/en/FlyFishing/Personal-History-birth-of-an-Angler.aspx

Trout Survival After the Floods

 

Posted by: Drew Price  

Date: 09/12/11

 

|

 

When you see a trout stream transformed into a frightening, raging torrent—as the
Williams River was—you have to wonder how a trout could survive such power.

photo by Len Emery

My home state of Vermont was recently ravaged by flooding from the rains of Tropical Storm Irene. Tiny creeks became rushing torrents, midsize rivers hit record levels, and the state’s largest rivers flowed over parts of their floodplains that rarely see water. The devastating impacts of this flooding on the residents of the Green Mountain State have been widely broadcast, and recovery will take a great deal of time. I wondered about the impacts of this flooding on the local fisheries, so I began to research what happens to fish during floods.

Eminently Adaptable
Fish are incredibly adaptable animals. Stream-dwelling trout, for example, live in an environment that has a tendency to change a fair amount. Spring flooding is part of the normal cycle for these and other animals, and they have learned to make it through this annual event for millennia. A flash-flood event is somewhat similar, albeit far more abrupt.

READ MORE http://www.orvisnews.com/en/FlyFishing/Survival-After-the-Floods.aspx

A Better Way To Save Your Catch

• Home
• Custom
  Paintings
• Examples of
  Paintings
• Prints
• Merchandise
• News
• Other Art
• About
  the Artist
• Links
• Contact Us

Unique Fish Portraits by Josi Etter

Here is the alternative to a plastic mount of your fish. The modern way of fish taxidermy: Have Your fish painted!!!

From your photograph or description we create an original and unique watercolor painting of your fish.

Send us your fish photograph...

...and we create an exact life-size replica:

Fly Fishing Life Magazine

Fly Fishing Life Magazine – One of the flip-book online fly fishing magazines. This one has some great articles (New Zealand, guide interviews, etc.) and photography (Louis Cahill).

A Real Good Site

I just found a real neat site with a lot of good info on it. Go take a look.

http://www.flyfishingtechniques.co/

2011 fly tying and fly fishing symposium in Utica, NY

Saturday March 19th we will be having our 3rd annual Fly Tying Symposium.

It will be held at the Hotel Utica and will begin at 9:00am.

There will be no price for admission.

Come enjoy the fun with bucket raffles and seminars all day.  We hope to have at least 25 exhibition tyers at the event and we also will have side by side fly tying all day long for kids of all ages.

If you are interested in being a guest tier, please contact Harold... email here. 

If you are interested in having a booth or doing a seminar, please email JP Ross. 

We are looking for sponsors so please contact us if you are willing to send us a monitary donation for this event.  More details to come.

A Long Time and No Posts

I am afraid that I have been posting here very often I will try to change that and keep this Blog up to date.

Jack Gartside 1942 - 2009

Jack Gartside 1942 - 2009

Jack Gartside passed away peacefully last night. As many of you know Jack was diagnosed with small cell cancer in October 2008. The initial treatment was positive and Jack was able to enjoy trips to Florida in the spring and local venues throughout the summer. However in early Fall it became apparent that the cancer had spread and Jack was admitted to hospital last month. Jack’s fly tying skills were legendary and his impressionistic patterns fooled fish of all species. Gurgler, Soft Hackle Streamer, BMG, Gartside Hopper, Firefly & Sparrow to name but a few of the many unique patterns he developed - so often with materials discarded or overlooked by others. Anyone lucky enough to have fished with Jack will remember his stealthy, heron like approach, efficient casting style and repertoire of retrieves that breathed life into his patterns. Even on the slowest of days when you couldn’t “buy a take” he would keep your spirits up with his enthusiastic chant of “Any minute now, any minute now…” As many of you know Jack was truly one of those rare and special people who lived life to the full and who captivated so many of us with his infectious charm, enthusiasm and some truly terrible jokes & pranks... Jack will be hugely missed. More details to follow at his website www.jackgartside.com