Podcast Ep. 77: 5 Things You Need in Your Car for Fishing

There are a lot of articles and podcasts that tell you what you need for fly fishing. There is even content out there that details the backup gear you’ll need.

In this podcast, I talk about 5 (plus 3 more, at the end) non-fly fishing things you should have in your car if you’re going to be spending a good amount of time on the water. Sound abstract? Check it out, hear some of my horror stories, and think about if you’d be prepared in the same situation.

…and yes, duct tape is on the list.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Learning Under Rocks

Cast after cast; nothing. I added weight, I took weight off. I lengthened my leader, I brought the fly closer to the indicator. I tried just about everything. Everything, except tying on a small cream-yellow caddis nymph.

Probing some familiar water in the early spring, a hare’s ear nymph was a pretty safe choice. Fishing virtually any trout water a hare’s ear nymph is a pretty safe choice. Who knows what the fish think it is? It is buggy, visible, and purposefully generic. Usually I can use it to locate a few fish and potentially bring some to hand. Today, in a stretch I know well, I was coming up empty. It turns out I just thought I knew it well.

A few days later I took my family on a hike near the stream. The boys ran, climbed, and did little boy things all over the woods. After we got back to the car I threw on my waders and we walked down to the water. I didn’t have a rod or a fly on me. This was going to be fun, but it was also science class. We homeschool our boys. We believe in a comprehensive, well-rounded education. We also believe that they’ll get excited about the things we’re excited about. I like water and the stuff  that lives in it. Sure enough, they do too.

Today we were going to be conducting a stream survey. I’d rustle up some bugs, we’d check them out, and then take some fun specimens home to study. Decades ago I spent countless days on the water doing macroinvertibrate surveys for science classes. After that, it was an integral part of the teen conservation and fly fishing camp where I served as director. Even today, I rarely fish without picking up and studying a river rock or handful of sediment.

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The Mayfly Project Mentor Interview: Heather Sees

“There was one 17 year-old boy. When we got there, he was  off to the side and disinterested. The staff said that if he liked going out and going fly fishing, they’ll all follow.” Heather laughed, “and right then I made it my personal mission to get him on board!”

Heather Sees currently serves as the National Project Liaison for The Mayfly Project. Along with being a mentor for foster children within the program in her native Pennsylvania, she also offers support for other mentors in projects across the country. Prior to getting involved with The Mayfly Project, Heather lived in Colorado. There, she was president of the Greenbacks of Trout Unlimited. This young group of anglers was, and still is, all about conservation, education, and community. And in that context, Heather decided to reach out to kids.

“I signed up initially to be a part of a Big Brothers Big Sisters fishing event,” Heather recalled. “As a kid getting outside was what I liked, what benefited me. I wanted to share that with kids that never got out of the city.” Shortly after that experience, she came across The Mayfly Project on social media. “I reached out to Jess (Westbrook, TMP founder) and asked if they had anything I could get involved with in Colorado. He said, ‘no – want to start it?’”

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Podcast Ep. 76: Why You Should Fish at Home

I’m try not to be judgmental. However, if you long to get out on the water and ignore the ponds in your backyard you’re doing it wrong.

Across the country there are farm ponds, ponds in parks, and neighborhood retention ponds filled to the brim with fish. They might not be trout. But who cares? Bass, sunfish, and even rough fish are legitimate targets for the fly fisher.

In this episode, I talk about a few ways to think about approaching local bodies of water. I discuss gear, species, and ways to leverage your time in town into a learning opportunity. Most importantly, I encourage you to fish and to have fun.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Fast Flies: 3 Uses for Colored UV Resin

UV resins are a lot of fun to use. Expert fly tyers and beginners alike can open up a bottle and do amazing things with these quick-curing liquids. Certainly they excel as an alternative to traditional head cement. You can build up bodies with the thicker resins, and use thinner iterations for creating rock-solid  thread wrap finishes.

As an intermediate level tyer, I love reaching for UV resins to get flies in and out of the vise quickly. I have all the respect in the world for tying flies the hard way. I have every intention to continue learning and developing as a tyer. However my fishing and my time  don’t demand magazine-worthy technique or results. UV resins help me achieve those results quicker, more efficiently, and (if I may say) in some much more exciting ways.

Recently I have been using colored UV products, specifically Loon’s UV Fly Finish. There are currently 16 colors available in the line from Loon. The consistency of the resin itself is right in the middle: not watery, but not a thick epoxy. It is easy to work with and cures in just over 10 seconds with a good UV light.

Obviously, you can use these colored resins for hot spots. These triggering target points have proven effective on all kinds of fish, and are an easy addition for fly tyers to make on their patterns. But there are other uses for colored UV resin. Here are three ways that I’ve used the product to cut some corners in my tying and produce more flies faster: read more

The Mayfly Project Mentor Interview: Greg Lunsford

Greg repeated my question, before answering quickly and firmly. “Why fly fishing? I think that just learning to cast, there is satisfaction from that. Before they even catch a fish there is accomplishment. And that makes it special for these kids.”

The kids that Greg Lunsford was referring to are the children who participate in The Mayfly Project. The Mayfly Project is a 501(c)(3) organization that uses fly fishing as a catalyst to mentor children in foster care. Their mission is to support children in foster care through fly fishing and introduce them to their local water ecosystems, with a hope that connecting them to a rewarding hobby will provide an opportunity for foster children to have fun, feel supported, and develop a meaningful connection with the outdoors.

Those words are the mission statement of The Mayfly Project. Greg, who is a mentor for the program in Arkansas, summed it up this way: “You can just be there for a kid going through a difficult time. You can help give them an experience. Even if it is just one day it can be very satisfying for them.”

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Podcast Ep. 75: 3 Angles of Short Fly Rods

In my experience, short fly rods are perceived as “small rods for small water.” While there is truth in that, a sub-7′ rod does a lot more than just measure a few feet less than your normal fly rod.

This episode, I share three things that I think anyone using a short fly rod should be familiar with. I talk about casting, presentation, and fighting/landing fish. I also make the case for why you should use a longer rod when you can get away with it on smaller streams.

If you fish small mountain streams or little spring creeks, you probably fish a shorter rod. Are you getting all that you can out of it?

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Ed Shenk, 1927-2020

It was absolutely a leading question, because I wanted one. He had made dozens over the years. I had plenty of chances to buy them in the past. I had never pulled the trigger, but now I was ready. So I asked if he had any of the little fiberglass rods available.

“Oh no,” he said. “Just the one. It’s the original that I landed Old George with.”

Ed Shenk passed away on April 10, 2020. He was 93 years old. Shenk lived in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and he fished the LeTort Spring Run.

Ed liked to fly fish the LeTort with streamers and tiny flies – using a very short rod. Partially from reading his book as a young man, I learned to fly fish the LeTort with steamers and tiny flies – using a short rod. Nothing as short as the 5’6″ fiberglass model he was referring to when I asked him if he had any left.

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This is My Favorite Spot

This is my favorite spot. It is my go-to, my sure-fire. I don’t believe in luck, but a man who does would call it his lucky spot. The fish I catch there with consistency reinforce this designation. I do pretty well. But having a favorite spot is more than catching big/lots of fish. When you find it, you know it. I’ve known it in other places at other times.

There was the spot where the spring creek widened below a bridge. Here, a small island and some rocks created multiple channels. A number of fish could take cover in parallel. The structure broke up my approach. It was always good for a trout, and in a stream that didn’t give up fish easily – maybe two.

There was the spot with the big plunge pool. Even on a busy stream it was somewhat secluded. Scampering up to a position where one could cast to and/or land a fish wasn’t for everyone. The pool held a number of fish. Catching one always put the rest down. I’d hope for a brookie, or one of the wild browns.

There was the spot with the steep drop-off. Post-spawn, big bass would hide up in the weeds and wait for cruising baitfish. Being shorebound, I’d cast over the fish and hope my movement didn’t put them down. From my vantage point,  the largemouth would move away from me and all I’d see of the take was the gills flaring.

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Podcast Ep. 74: CoronaCast, Week 4

Depending on how you look at things, a lot is happening… or not a lot is happening.

Still, I have a few things to share. I got an interesting email from a handful of entities within the fly fishing industry that I wanted to talk about. Also, I have a tip on how to pack your gear in light of quarantine once this is all over.

I’ve had some great feedback over the past few weeks, and I’d encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or comments.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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