Weekend Rivers, A Hornberg Redo And Fly Fishing Solitude

"I don't know about you, but I can get tired of fishing in a crowd, even when the fishing itself is real good.....I can even be sociable and have made some friends along trout rivers, but to me a large part of fly fishing is the quiet and solitude" - John Gierach, Fly Fishing Small Streams

This may be a decent weekend. Actually it could be downright great. A lot of the rivers are coming down and their temperatures are from 55-65 degrees. I'll be up on the West Branch of the Westfield (WB) Friday, on the EB Saturday and hopefully the Millers Sunday. I've got the WB on the brain and have actually dreamt about the place. More on that river later and yes, I guide there.

The Hornberg is a classic wet fly and a classic dry fly rolled into one.This version above is strictly a dry that I will probably pull under on a strip retrieve to entice a trout. It's construction is slightly different than the usual version:

Size 12 to 14 dry fly hook
yellow or green dubbing for the body
A bunch of CDC feathers tied along the back
One barred mallard breast feather tied flat along the back
grizzly hackle at the shoulder

This fly is a real riffle walker (hmm...that's a good fly name) and it can take a beating and just continue to float. This is a good caddis and stonefly imitation.

The reoccurring theme with most of the people that I guide is that they want to fish a river or section of river that is not crowded. I'm glad that I attract fly fishers like that. I think that if I "guided" them to the Pipe or the Y Pool or to Rezendez for the day they would be asking for their money back.

That's why I guide on six different rivers and visit multiple locations on each. They get to know their way around a river and they get the monies worth and catch trout! The weird thing is that some people have to go where everyone else is and that is probably due to some need to be seen like being seen at the hottest club in NYC. Can rubbing shoulders with celebrities and the best Manhattan hotties equal being around the fly fishing illuminati and big trout along the Farmington? Gierach says that he has met fly fishers who will only fish rivers that they have read about. I made my case.

We all love to catch nice trout and it's nice to see blogs that see something other than fish but the places where fish live. Small Stream Reflections, that great blog from Connecticut, will show you wild trout (beautiful) but will give you a glimpse of their world (beautiful) instead of a list of mug shots. I try to do the same with river scenery shots that will remind you of fly fishing on a mid January night quicker than fish porn. Note to self- take a photography course!

We are becoming more like golfers in our endless (and pointless) discussions over the merits of one piece of equipment over another. Really, what's the difference in a $400 road and a $700 rod besides hype and markup. One friend of mine, well known in the eastern Massachusetts fly fishing establishment, has said good-bye to the Swift because people there can't stop talking about equipment and technique. I said that's only because of the crowded conditions where he fishes on the Swift. "Find a lonely place and nobody will bug you". I hope he does but the truth is we have become obsessed with "stuff" to the delight of tackle manufactures and retailers. The endless pursuit of the best rod, the best reel, the best leader construction and so forth brings us back to the old saying: It's not the arrow, it's the archer!!!

Yes, I'll be guiding on the West Branch BUT will not be so open about locations. Hints will be dropped.