FLYMPH FORUM

ForumGhillie wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 12:05 pm

ronr wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 10:08 am Until today there was snow along the banks on the Metolius, last night heavy rains will have washed that away. But, I did not see any little black stones on Sunday. I did see what I think may have been willow flies. I think they are a variety of stonefly and both DUBBN's and Roadkill's bugs would have been good imitations...

There are several Winter stoneflies. I am not aware of what early season stonefly species you have out West. In the Upper Midwest i have identified two Winter stoneflies - the early black stonefly (size #18) and the early brown stonefly (size #12).



John

John right on the money. pretty sure this was one of the winter browns... right size, right colors...

Washington State has a Black Skwala Stonefly hatch that happens around early April, depending on weather.

We used to live a ten minute drive from the Deschutes River in Washington, not Oregon. The river runs past the old Rainier Brewery and the State Capitol Campus in Olympia. The river is open to fly fishing year round.

Vickie and I were tossing flies at rising fish on the river and they wouldn't eat anything we had. After about an hour of frustrating fishing we headed home. On the way we stopped at a store and I picked up a fly fishing magazine. At home, I was reading the magazine and there an article about tying a little black skwala. Black foam, black deer hair and black rubber legs in sizes 12 to 16. I had that stuff, so I tied a few in different sizes.

W went back to the river the net day to see rising fish. As we were lining up our rods, I got to the tip top and sitting there looking at me was a little black skwala, about a size 14. Vickie and I proceeded to catch fish after fish. We both had more than 30 fish to hand that day.

Knowing that, I'd have some of DUBBN and Roadkill's flies in my box.

Roadkill wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:26 pm Fishnkilts,

Kind of like casting... Practice, Practice, Practice.

It also helps to have started tying over 60 years ago and learning at a couple decades of Expos with world class tyers! Today the NET brings those expert tyers right into your home.

I don't think I have 60 years left in me. I'll be happy if I have 30 years left. By then, I should know what I'm doing. . . or doing wrong.

You guys are an inspiration to me.

Fishnkilts wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:41 pm

Roadkill wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:26 pm Fishnkilts,

Kind of like casting... Practice, Practice, Practice.

It also helps to have started tying over 60 years ago and learning at a couple decades of Expos with world class tyers! Today the NET brings those expert tyers right into your home.

I don't think I have 60 years left in me. I'll be happy if I have 30 years left. By then, I should know what I'm doing. . . or doing wrong.

You guys are an inspiration to me.

I have been tying for close 35 years. A person that takes a good fly tying class for 2 sessions can tie rings around me.

DUBBN wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 4:57 pm

Fishnkilts wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:41 pm

Roadkill wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:26 pm Fishnkilts,

Kind of like casting... Practice, Practice, Practice.

It also helps to have started tying over 60 years ago and learning at a couple decades of Expos with world class tyers! Today the NET brings those expert tyers right into your home.

I don't think I have 60 years left in me. I'll be happy if I have 30 years left. By then, I should know what I'm doing. . . or doing wrong.

You guys are an inspiration to me.

I have been tying for close 35 years. A person that takes a good fly tying class for 2 sessions can tie rings around me.

Makes me wonder if you guys are just being nice when I post my flies. But I'm happy with them because they catch fish.

I have heard from other tyers that when it comes to tying, we are very hard on ourselves at times. I have had tyers at expos ask why I'm not on their side of the table tying flies after looking at the flies I tie. Maybe I'm not as bad as I think.

ronr wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 12:06 pm Hank... some years ago fished the San Juan with the guides at Fishheads. One of the guides was a giant man, whose name escapes me.. about 6'4" 250# great guide, great sense of humor... His take was that you could catch all the little fish you wanted on the smaller flies... but if you wanted to catch bigger fish, go bigger... we fished large dries with him and he was right. I love the San Juan. It really got my daughter hooked on fly fishing when she joined me for a trip.

I just wanted to comment on what a tremendous fish your daughter caught. Her smile is just as big as the fish.