PATCHING THINGS UP…

Through the years, I and the fly people in my family have used various patches to hold and dry fly patterns that have been used or placed in a handy location for immediate access. Whether one uses a vest, chest pack or sundry other devices to hold equipment for fly fishing, fly patches have been a fly fishing mainstay for a long time…here’s our evolution with some other alternatives tossed in…

Some younger guy, on the Frying Pan River in CO with no fly patch around 1978…

Jean Marie, above the Roaring Fork River, Aspen, CO – with a vest and (count ’em) two fly patches made from sheep skin – one of the worst patches ever made when attempting to extract an un-de-barbed hook…leave one’s flies in there and watch them rust…

Ally, on the Madison River, MT with my TEENY VEST ( which I got for tubing) and a sheep skin fly patch..I recall her saying, “I’ll be takin’ that vest !”…

Me n’ Angelo on the Lower Owens River with one of the first foam patches Simms made for their vests…they didn’t hold up too well and I kept asking the guys at Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing store to see if they could get a replacement from the company…

On the North Fork of the Tule River with an almost destroyed Simms foam patch…

Simms foam fly patches…OK (above) – Mo’ Betta’ (below)…

Michael with the current Simms patch on the East Walker River…

Waterworks Fly Traps…a little Velcro and it goes here…

Upper left vest pocket flap on the older Simms Guide model – on the Madison River, MT…

Simms patch box…closed…

Simms patch box…open…

FINSPORT BUG CAGE…closed…

FINSPORT BUG CAGE…open…

FINSPORT BUG CAGE in use…on the North Fork of the Tule River…

Hardy Leather Fly Patch…I really like many of the Hardy leather products …unfortunately, this patch has sheep skin inside…

These are from STREAMWORKS …plastic with foam or magnetic insert…

This is the Wychwood Vuefinder Fly Patch…reviewed by Andy Buckley…

From C&F DESIGNS… magnetic and something to pin on your hat or vest…

A magnetic fly patch from Cabela’s…

I am personally keen on the Finsport Patch…It is enclosed and I don’t find myself losing flies when navigating “wait a minute ” bushes… Michael likes the Simms foam patch and is always asking me to replace fies…

Stuff that will grab yer’ flies on the East Walker River…

This is the new Tacky Tube which folds together and is held by magnets so bushes don’t snatch yer’ flies – (July 2015)…

NEXT: That Annelid

PT/TB

Wychwood Vuefinder Fly Patch

Wychwood Vuefinder Fly Patch

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The PACIFIC KING …A RETRO Fly Pattern – FINITO

This is the first fly pattern I ever tied, back in 1974 before there were Vimeo vids., You Tube vids., SBS’s on Forums and BLOGS and books with SBS diagrams (in color). It  appeared in Roy Patrick’s “Tie Your Own Flies”, published in 1956…

PACIFIC KING – Roy Patrick – Daiichi 1560, #18…

I tied this pattern on Mustad 3906 hooks in sizes #12 – #14 when I first began tying…there was not much else around. Here is the recipe for the original pattern which Roy Patrick designed for use in the Eastern Sierras in 1940…

The “original” recipe…

I first saw the pattern in this great listing of patterns – over 1000 in here – published in 1970. I picked it up in 1974…

This book, published in 1956, has the SBS for the pattern…drawings – no photos…

Some PACIFIC KINGS in #18, note that the tail is omitted, to imitate and emerging Caddis Pupa…I did this on the first batch I tied, as well…

Materials for the PACIFIC KING…

HOOK: Daiichi 1560, #12 – #18

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0, White – Under Abdomen – Tiemco 16/0, Black, Thorax forward

ABDOMEN: Micro Floss, Insect Green – Cascade Crest

BACK (OVER ABDOMEN): Micro Floss, C. Brown – Cascade Crest

RIB: Ultra Wire, Black, SM or x-sm – 4 turns

BEARD: Speckled Hen Hackle, Black, Nature’s Spirit

WING: Black Squirrel Tail, White Fox Fur and Feather

This is the place I first tried out this pattern…”dapped” and swung in the current…

Michael and Ally standing in Lone Pine Creek, Lone Pine, CA in just about the same spot I caught my first Trout on this fly pattern…

Lone Pine, California…in the High Sierras…

Another spot, on Lone Pine Creek, where a “bow and arrow cast” would work…and did – with this little guy…

Ally and HERO…above that same section of Lone Pine Creek where she and her brother Michael were standing in the middle of the stream…

PT and Nadia rockin’ it at Chilko Lake, BC where this pattern took some nice Rainbows back in ’76…

Jean Marie, swinging a PACIFIC KING, on the Roaring Fork River, near Aspen, CO…back in the day…

PT… used that pattern on the Frying Pan too !!!

Another good location to use this pattern…The East Walker River…in the early Summer and Fall…

Lil’ MOO…on a mission to find the elusive “German Black Squirrel”…in Bavaria… last week…

NEXT: An ANNELID

PT/TB

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ATTRACTORS III…

So…I completed this box of attractor patterns that is, as usual, over stuffed. All these guys will soon occupy an 18 compartment Myran box that is thinner and fits quite well into one of the lower zippered pockets in my Simms vest. I like tying these critters up and utilizing them in the Spring, when Trout are emerging from the Winter doldrums and a diet very small bugs…Many times, I will use them as the lead fly in a multiple fly rig. I have never NOT been surprised at the results of what will hop on them…

The finished attractor box….

RED SEREN VAC

HOOK: TMC 2457 #16-#20, Daiichi 1120 # 16- #20, Mustad CO68 # 16 -#20

THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 Sheer, Black

ABDOMEN: Red Zelon. twisted with one strand Black Midge Flash and one strand Root Beer

WING: White Zelon

BEAD: Black Brass or Tungsten, sized to hook

This is a nifty little, easy to tie pattern, that I first saw on the Madison River, about seven years ago. It was tied by this guy who I met at a mutual friends home, on the river, just above Raynold’s Pass Bridge. It was a killa’. I added the Midge Flash after some experiences on the Owens River with this material incorporated into several other Serendipity patterns I tie and use…the wing comes off  Craig Matthew’s Shop Vac…

 

FLASH BANG NYMPH

HOOK: TMC 2457 # 12- #18, Daiichi 1120 # 12-#18, Mustad CO68 # 12-#18, Dai Riki #12- #18

THREAD: Uni 6/0 or 8/0 Red

TAIL: Two Brown Goose Biots

RIB: Silver Wire, sized to hook

ABDOMEN: Red Holo Tinsel MED or SM or Spirit River Holo Mylar Motion 1/64, Red

THORAX: Peacock Ice Dub

WING CASE: Mirage Tinsel, LG, MED or SM, sized to hook

BEAD: Gold or Silver, sized to hook

This pattern comes from Montana Troutfitters in Bozeman, MT. It is a pattern designed for Spring although, I believe that tied in smaller sizes, it has further applications. Here is a VIDEO for the pattern. I anticipate that this little fella’ will work well on Eastern Sierra waters…

WILDE Tung FLY…

Some of the materials for this pattern…

WILDE Tung FLY…

HOOK: TMC 3761 # 14- #18, Daiichi 1560 # 14-#16

THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 Sheer, Black

TAIL: Fibers from longer feathers on Chinese Pheasant Patch ( Cascade Crest Tools)

RIB: SM or x-sm Chartreuse wire, Wapsi

ABDOMEN: Danville 6/0 # 47 ( Tobacco Brown )

WING / CASE: Yellow Razor Foam, 1mm.

FLASH: Red Holo Mylar Motion Strip

THORAX: Chartreuse Ice Dub

BEAD: Black Tungsten
I created this attractor pattern using a little from Craig Matthews (thread), Guy Jeans (foam) and some Chinese Pheasant Patch that’s been waiting for application for some time…using foam in weighted nymph patterns adds some very interesting motion to the fly…Guy’s Kern Emerger and the Delaware Caddis are two excellent examples of patterns that have this feature…try some…I believe in ’em…

SERENDer…

HOOK: TMC 3761 #12-#16. Daiichi 1560 #12-#16, TMC 100SPBL # 12-#16

THREAD: Uni 8/0, UTC 70 Denier, Gordon Griffiths 14/0 Sheer, Black

TAIL: Lemon Wood Duck Fibers

ABDOMEN: Twisted Brown/ Olive Zelon with 1 strand Chartreuse Midge Flash/ 1 Strand Root Beer Midge Flash

WING CASE: Razor Foam, 1mm., Black

FLASH: Rainbow Mirror Flash ( Cascade Crest Tools )

THORAX: Ice Dub Olive Brown

LEGS: Montana Fly CO speckled, Olive/ Black, SM or MED

BEAD: Copper or Copper Tungsten

I put this pattern together specifically for use under a March Brown soft hackle. The nymph of this species is a clinger that is seldom in the drift until just prior to emergence ( hence, the black foam wing case). They are generally found in the softer water above and below rifles…As the water warms, they leave the nymphal shuck underwater, progressively releasing higher in the water column as the temperature rises…weight accordingly…

Outside bend on the Owens River…good place for this SERENDer…

LIGHTNING PUPAE…

HOOK: TMC 2457 #12-#18, Daiichi 1120 #12-#18, Mustad CO68 #12-#18

THREAD: UTC Ultra 70 Denier, Black

RIB: Ultra Wire MED or SM, Black

UNDER/ABDOMEN: Silver Holographic Tinsel SM or MED…Gold for Amber version

OVER/ABDOMEN: Chartreuse Flashabou…Orange Glow Flashabou for Amber version

COLLAR/HACKLE: CDC Black ( two feather sides in a loop)

BEAD: Black Brass or Black Tungsten…may also be weighted with lead wraps or non-toxic substitute

A Caddis Pupae version of the ubiquitous Western Lightning Bug…I tie a version of this with Partridge hackle that also works consistently in the Spring and early Summer. Tied heavy, it goes where the deer won’t…

Stillwater River, MT in high water…

PRISMATIC  WINGED WEEVIL …

HOOK: TMC 2457 #12-#16, Diaiichi 1120 #12-#18, Mustad CO68 #12-#18

THREAD: UTC 140 or 70 denier Black for abdomen… then, UTC FL Orange for Collar

TAILS: Orange Goose Biots

RIB: Amber Ultra Wire, SM or Med

UNDER/ABDOMEN: Black UTC thread

OVER/ABDOMEN: Mylar tinsel SM or MED

WING: White Sparkle Organza

THORAX: Ice Dub Pheasant

WINGS: Prismatic Sheeting …cut to goose biot shape

BEAD: Black Brass or Black Tungsten

The Evil Weevil taken to extreme…Will it work ???…Heh, heh…

OLIVE/RED BLM…

HOOK: TMC 3761 # 14-#18

THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 Sheer, Brown or Black…or UTC 70 Denier, Black or Brown

TAIL: Olive ANGEL HAIR strands

RIB: Wapsi Ultra Wire, Red

ABDOMEN: Olive Angel Hair

WING CASE/ LEGS: Six strands of Peacock Krystal Flash

BEAD: Black Brass, sized to hook

Tim Heng’s little BLM Nymph which came out of Roaring Fork / Frying Pan area…and was developed on those moving waters…

Some “other” nymph I found in the Frying Pan River…

RUSTY/OLIVE BLM VARIATION…

HOOK: TMC 3761 #14-#18

THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 Sheer, Brown

TAIL: Strands of Rusty/Olive Lite- Brite

RIB: Copper/Brown Wapsi Ultra Wire, SM

ABDOMEN: Rusty/Olive Lite-Brite

WING CASE/ LEGS: Rusty Brown Krystal Flash

BEAD: Gold Brass

The abdomens on the BLM patterns imitate the bloated nymphal shucks on the  emerging bugs…gas on the inside, sparkle bubbles on the outside…

Some young ( NOW OLD ) “Dude”, plying the Frying Pan River long before Tim Heng, Taylor Creek Fly Shop or the BLM pattern…

“PINKIE”…

HOOK: TMC 2487, #16-#20, Daiichi 1130, #16-#20, Mustad c49s, #16-#20

THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 Sheer, Black

TAIL: Fluro-Fiber Brown, a few strands

RIB: Largutan Lilac, x-fine

ABDOMEN: Pink Holographic tinsel…coat thread abdomen with head cement and wrap over

BEAD: Silver

WING CASE / LEGS: Pearl Krystal Flash…pull over bead and separate…

Pink works…watch it appearing in many more midge, nymph, pupae and adult fly patterns…now, try here for some options on holographic wrapping material…

PURPLE HOLO FLASH BANG NYMPH …

HOOK: TMC 2457 #16-#18, Daiichi 1120 #16-#18, Mustad CO68 #16-#18

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier Purple

TAILS: Natural Goose Biots

RIB: Silver Ultra Wire, SM

OVER /ABDOMEN: Purple Holographic Tinsel, SM

WING CASE: Pearl FIREFLY

THORAX: UV Purple Ice Dub

BEAD: Brass, Black

This pattern is like the guitar solo HERE…nuff’ said…

The way “it was”….

ATTRACTORs II

NEXT: MARCH BROWNS

PT/TB

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STILLWATER PMD NYMPH…

This particular nymph, which may look a lot like another PMD Nymph, was tied with a couple of VERY SPECIFIC locations in mind. If I were going to use this pattern say, on the Madison, Boulder, Roaring Fork, Owens, Big Hole,Big Horn, Jefferson, Missouri,Owens or East Walker Rivers, to mention a few, it would incorporate slightly different colors for the abdomen, thorax,and rib…I became aware of the effectiveness of Danville, 6/0 #47 years ago on the Stillwater River and on the Frying Pan River. There is a reason the colors work so well in just these places…let me know what that might be…

ALLY knows, but she ain’t talkin’…

I would use it here:

The Frying Pan River, several miles below Ruedi Res., near Basalt, CO…

The Stillwater River, near Moraine on a drizzly day in July…perfect for extended PMD hatches…

STILLWATER PMD NYMPH

HOOK: Daiichi 1560,#16-#18 or TMC 3761 #16-#20

THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 Sheer Brown, Danville 6/0, #47, Tobacco Brown

TAIL: Partridge, lower back, speckled Brown

RIB: Wapsi, copper/brown sm.

ABDOMEN: Danville 6/0, #47, Tobacco Brown

WING CASE: 6 strands, Holo Flashabou, Black

THORAX: Natural Mink underfur

LEGS: Partidge, lower back, speckled Brown – V Notched and tied in in front of thorax, wingcase then pulled over.

Angled to show wing case…

Seen from below…

Natural Mink fur plays an important role in its use in the thorax. This fur has the ability to trap air bubbles…it may be tap mixed with other materials in one’s blender…just a touch!!! The Holo Black Flashabou  Wing Case is there because…

Ready to go…

Angelo’s thinkin’ about it…

NEXT: Bat Wing PMD

PT/TB

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Jean Marie Hon (G): ASPEN 1978

 

I had been with Jean Marie for about 5 months when we decided to take a one week vacation to Aspen, Colorado in September, 1978. She had never been fly fishing. She had, however, taken trips with me to Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. Most of those trips required my presence because of the clients I worked with. We were not living together at this point, both of us had different residences, Jean lived on Olympic near La Cienega and I lived just off La Cienega near Burton Way in Los Angeles

I had just changed PR firms at this point and wanted to spend some time with the fish before I burrowed myself back into the insanity of the Music Business. We left LA on a clear and hot Friday afternoon, driving straight through Bishop ( the freshly mowed alfalfa smelled wonderful ) to Ely, Nevada – arriving at 3 AM where we spent a few hours in the most less than rustic motel that I have ever been in (It didn’t matter). We continued on, early the next morning, towards Green River, Utah. Just outside that speed trap, I was pulled over by a cigar chomping constable and fined for the same. He had me follow him into that oil spot, leading me to the local Justice of The Peace where I could immediately pay my fine (in cash) of course.As we stepped into the JP’s office, his wife came in and stated that her hubby wasn’t in but that I COULD make payment directly to her. She opened a roll top desk and wads of greenbacks spilled out of the desk and dumped onto the floor (retirement funds, no doubt). I paid my fine and eased out of town. For many years afterwards, I made a point of depositing bodily fluids whenever I crossed the state line into or out of that desert domain. It felt GOOD!

We continued on through Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs arriving in Aspen early on Saturday evening. We stayed with Stefan and Stascha Kaelin. They owned Kaelin Swiss Sports in Aspen and were great hosts.

Jean in front of the Kaelin house, September, 1978

The next morning, I stopped by Chuck Fothergill’s to pick up some gear – where my friend George Odier commented on my recent acquisition. Then, it was on to the Roaring Fork. We parked, ate some lunch and rigged up at Woody Creek Bridge.

Jean caught her first Rainbow down there, September, 1978

We used Rat Faced McDougals and Adams dry fly patterns. I wanted Jean to experience the thrill of seeing a big fish grab a surface fly. She had some inital problems getting her casting stroke down. However, by the end of the day, she a hooked and released a number of excellent fish.

Jean, laying out a cast, Roaring Fork River, Sept., 1978

We fished together for the next several days on the Fork and on the Frying Pan. Her angling skills increased with each outing and she got into several nice fish at this spot on the ” Pan”.

That obstruction in the center of the flow holds good fish in front, both sides and in the slow water behind the rock. I hooked a really big fish on the near side in ’75 that broke me off when it dove under the rock.

Jean takes a break, Aspen, Sept., 1978 ( band aid from fly wound – see below)

Most of our evenings were spent clubbing in Aspen which was a great place to pursue that activity. Also,the restaurants were great and less expensive in those days.

The Frying Pan, Sept., 1978

” No, you don’t UNDERSTAND – I WANT those sunglasses”

Jean rigs up on the Roaring Fork

On the fourth day, Jean was fishing a stretch of the “Pan” below me when I heard her let out a scream. She had hooked herself in the finger with a # 14 Adams. As I made my way out of the water to the road side, I saw a Game Warden approaching Jean. He asked her for her license ( yeah) and she proffered that she couldn’t reach it in her back pocket with the fly stuck in her finger. He offered to help ( how convenient) but noticed me approaching and demurred. That effectively stopped the day’s fishing. She wouldn’t let me push it through, crush the barb and pull it back out. We finally did that and looped a section of tippet material in the bend when we got back to Stefan’s. I paid for that – later that night (no comment).

PT on the “Pan”, Sept., 1978

Jean coming off the Roaring Fork, Sept., 1978 and…

Getting prepped for a night out in one or two of Aspen’s many restaurants and clubs to be followed by ….

Nymphet on a rock, Roaring Fork River, Sept., 1978

I had a client who called me and was becoming OBNOXIOUS and all kinda’ clingy so it was necessary for us to head back to Los Angeles. We spent a last night in Aspen with the Kaelin’s and headed out for Grand Junction the next morning. We spent a final (great) night in a small motel outside of Salina, Utah and arrived back in SMOGVILLE the next afternoon…

Jean said, ” I wanna’ come back to Aspen….and, will hold this position until I do….

We came back…( and she held several other unique positions before that happened)….

But, that is – another story…..

NEXT: Sleuthing the Owens Valley and the East Walker River with Jean

..

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Dad Takes Daughter feeding/fishing

“The Castles” section of the Frying Pan River holds some deep pools and big fish. I was taking my daughter Nadia, who was about 3-½ fishing with me and stopped in Basalt, CO where the Frying Pan enters The Roaring Fork. I picked up a container of worms (yes, worms) and intended on rigging a short leader to the fly line attached to a #20 treble hook. Driving up the road towards Ruedi Dam, my daughter looked forward to her fishing experience with mixed emotions. I asked her to sit on the bank and hold the worm container while I aired out a couple of casts up and to the side of a mid-stream boulder. On my third cast, a large rainbow surged over my Rat Faced and submerged as I started to lift the rod, I noticed, out of the corner of my left eye, Nadia dumping the entire contents of the worm container into the river.

By the time I had my rod tip almost vertical, the rainbow rushed upstream, separating the 5x tippet. At that moment a howl escaped my throat,” Nadia, WTF are you doing?” She looked up at me with her big green eyes, a smile stretched across her face, “I’m feeding the fish daddy!” An unarguable point…

Fish on the Frying Pan, 1975

I went back to that same spot on three more occasions, hooking what I believed to be that same fish twice. Each time that character either dove under or around that same boulder it occupied as a feeding station and broke me off. Some fish are just NOT in the celestial cards.

Leonard Graphtek and Frying Pan fish, 1975…

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