"There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting beat in the process" Paul O'Neil, 1965
Happy New Year to all!!
A few resolutions have been made on my part with some starting now and some when this winter passes.
First,
I've spent the last day going through my fly boxes, replenishing some old trustworthy patterns and rewarding some new patterns that made the grade this past year by tying up more. Into the trash went the "what the F_ _ _ was I thinking" crowd of bad ideas. I felt like an NFL GM who looks at a high 2nd round draft choice and says "what the F_ _ _ was I thinking". So out they went which left me realizing that most of these dogs were overdressed, overbuilt, with too much material involved and the team that will be with me are really SPARSELY dressed. Those flies work the best. Christophe Perez, when writing about the Swift in Eastern Flyfishing Magazine, mentioned that my flies are uncomplicated and impressionistic: a few turns of thread or dubbing can often go a long way. This year we will really take that it the extreme. My wooly buggers were "reduced" this summer. They work fine and really look like large insects. Gone are the Spiders from Mars crap which look more extraterrestrial than terrestrial.
Second,
I'll be continuing this blog in the same form as I have for over eight years. I'll write/report on the three rivers, where I was fishing on those three rivers, what I was using on those three rivers and a general idea of how well I did. It's been well received over the years except for a few sanctimonious types who believe everything should be a secret. Prediction - I'll still have plenty of water to myself in 2016.
Third,
"Conventional Wisdom" was taken to task last July (no need for 7x on sunken flies) and some very good flyfishermen backed this up with personal experiences. As Lefty Kreh said "there's more bullshit in flyfishing than in a Texas cattle yard". This blog will continue to shine the light of day on it.
Now, set aside Sunday, February 21 from 10am to 2pm at Charlie Shaden's Evening Sun Fly Shop. I'll be there working up some Swift and Millers flies and answering questions about whatever till about noon and will then do a slide show on the Millers and the Swift if time permits. My past events there have been very well attended and it is FREE, of course! I'm looking forward to this!!
Ken
7 comments:
Ken,
I like the idea of a "reduced" pattern. Low water salmon flies were "reduced", full dressed patterns and are effective in the summer. I guess tying smaller flies on larger hooks has it's place. I'd like to see on of those reduced buggers.
DG
I really enjoy your use of quotes in the blog header. And thank you for the continued insight you provide to fly fishing in the area. It allows me, a novice, to see through some of the sport's haze.
Ken,
Sparsely dressed ? Catch rather than scare ? I think you have something there.
Fishing the EB WB MB for 50 yrs
Thanks Gary
Bill/Tully,
I enjoy all of your comments and I enjoy meeting you on the river. Happy New Year!
Gary,
I think you get it!!Reduced flies and a minimalist approach.
"The MB for 50 Years"!!! There may not be a prettier river in Massachusetts than this little gem. I write about it in passing. Some secrets stay secrets!!! Happy New Year!
Ken
Ken,
Thanks for all the reports; looking forward to another year of them. They are very helpful to those of us who live far from these rivers, and want to know the local scoop.
Hopefully I'll meet you at Charlie's in Feb.
Scott
Ken said:
I've spent the last day going through my fly boxes, replenishing some old trustworthy patterns and rewarding some new patterns that made the grade this past year by tying up more. Into the trash went the "what the F_ _ _ was I thinking" crowd of bad ideas.
I too have done the same in the past with only one difference. I have a friend in Texas that works with the Wounded Warrior project and youth groups so when I did a major fly clean-up I sent him six boxes of flies that I knew I wouldn't use but were fine for him to use with his groups. Now each winter I just send him anything I'm not going to use when I start my restocking tying.
Joe C.
Good suggestion. I believe that there are some TU Chapters around that work with that project!
Ken
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