107/200

I'm not much of a Bamboo Rod kind of a guy, just not one of my "things."A few years back, however, I got acquainted with Tom Morgan Rodsmiths near Bozeman and they kind of got my interested in them to he point that I decided that if I were to ever have a Bamboo Fly Rod...it would be a Tom Morgan.

You can learn more about the Tom Morgan story on their website, I'll just say that there are a lot of folks in "the know" that would rate their rods at or near the as good as it gets list (including graphite and fiberglass).

My wife put the deposit down in the rod almost 3 years ago...surprised me for my birthday to say the least. So I went out to their shop, tried a few of the rods and decided on the 4 wt as it really was the smoothest dry fly rod that I had ever cast. Tom called me a few days before Christmas to let me know that the rods was ready, so know I am the proud owner of 107/200. Needless to say, I still owed a ton of coin on the rod but what the hell...it's Christmas!

Winter Midges

Fished Depuys yesterday, guided it today. With highs in the mid 20's and bluebird skies, the conditions have been less than ideal. Still, there are plenty of fish to be caught and they are pretty much just eating midges. A little bit of a rise late morning/early afternoon but mostly on the pupae patterns in black or red. The weather is supposed to improve over the weekend which might make for some good conditions on the Gallatin and Lower Madison next week. I much prefer the Madison this time of year, but the srping creeks are about the only game in town when the nights are as cold as they have been. Tons of slush ice just makes it tough to fish the rivers.

Update

Christmas is fast approaching and with that comes friends and family. Christine comes home form Antarctica later this week and my parents will be here as well.
The weather outside is frightful...so I'm going fishing tomorrow and guiding on Wednesday. It's kind of like fishing in Hawaii, Stan, except that it's really cold and there aren't any Red Devils.
WInter fishing can be really good as the fish are generally congregated in the deeper pools so they are pretty easy to find. The bugs are generally pretty inactive this time of year with the exception of Midges and the occasional Baetis hatch, so fly selection is pretty simple. Long, slow drifts with plenty of weight will be the theme of the day tomorrow.

Thinking Kiwi

No, I'm not going to NZ in 2011 and yes I do want to go very badly. Duties call, however, and I'm sure the fish in the Oreti will be just as hard to catch the next time I go.
I have been working on contributing to a new blog that Orvis is trying to get going called Orvisnews.com. I've submitted a few articles whihc they have posted and am currently working on a 4 part article on NZ. The first one of these articles should be posted sometime in the next week. But as I need content here too...here it is.

Swanny on the Oreti

This article is the first in a 4 part series to help the adventurous angler with planning a self-guided trip to New Zealand’s South Island. I’ve travelled and fished extensively around this portion of New Zealand over the past 9 years both on my own and as a host for several groups of anglers. I do not guide on these trips as it is illegal for foreigners to work in New Zealand without the proper permits and there is simply no way that I can offer a comparable level of expertise in terms of local knowledge and access as a professional New Zealand guide. However, there are more than enough opportunities for the angler that wants to go it alone and these articles should help eliminate some of the guesswork while also setting some realistic expectations.

Winters in Montana are cold, that’s why I typically head to New Zealand for a few weeks of chasing trout in warmer climates. Although we’ve got some great trout fishing here, there is just no place like New Zealand. The scenery, people, and vast amounts of clear water is enough to ruin an angler for life, at least that’s my excuse. Add to that mix an average size trout of 3-5 pounds that will eat a dry fly and I’m already on way back. It truly is an amazing, one of a kind destination that every angler should experience at least once in a lifetime.

Swanny again on the Oreti...note the trout lower right near the bank...this is as close as we got to it.

New Zealand is a long way away from my home and the trout fishing is really quite different than what we are used to in the states and even in South America, so hiring a guide for at least a few days is the best bet for success early on during all of my trips. I typically rely on a guide to get me acquainted with a particular area and then spend the bulk of my time exploring and fishing a variety of waters on my own. Out of respect for the guide, I typically don’t return to the areas that they guide me on unless they truly don’t mind. There is more than enough water for everyone in NZ, but it always pays to respect the locals!

In my short time of almost 30 years as a fly fisherman, there is nothing that compares to the trout fishing in New Zealand. The waters are clean and cold. The trout are magnificent. Solitude is reality. The conditions and fish will test ones mental fortitude along with every phase of fly-fishing aptitude. No other form of fishing has given me such highs and lows while molding my outlook on fish, the environment, and myself as my days spent on the water in New Zealand.

Oreti Love

Perhaps the most overwhelming aspect of panning that once in a lifetime trip to New Zealand is just determining where to focus one’s attention. I have travelled and fished extensively through the South Island, so my expertise is limited to this portion of the country. The North Island also has some fantastic opportunities and is certainly worth the trip as well. Both islands are incredibly diverse and offer everything from barren coastal prairies to dramatic mountain peaks covered by glaciers for millennia. So, where does one stat?

In the South Island, I recommend picking an area to base that offers close proximity to a variety of different water types and variable topographic features. The weather can be unpredictable and vary widely across relatively small distances so having plenty of options is always first on my list. I have found the areas around Murchison, Twizel, and Lumsden to be great bases of operation for all of my New Zealand adventures. Each of these towns has all the essentials such as lodging, groceries, and basic provisions, while offering 360 degrees of access to quality fishing.

I would rate these qualities as the highest priority when trying to put any trip together to New Zealand. The country is sparsely populated and having some semblance of a population center nearby becomes paramount once one realizes that there aren’t any gas station or restaurants open past 6:00 pm on a weekday, but the sun stays up until around 9:30. Options become highly appreciated when one of those legendary "Norwester’s" come up and blow 40 mph for 4 days and all of he rivers you have access to run NW to SE. Each of the areas I’ve mentioned has everything from large braided rivers to the tiniest of spring creeks, so there is plenty to explore despite the conditions.

10 Pounds of 6x Glory for Mr. Jones

Once I’ve picked the area for my next New Zealand adventure, the next phase is to develop a plan on how to go about fishing the waters. This is where a great Kiwi guide can make the difference between boom and bust.  There are dozens of great guides that specialize in catering specifically to overseas anglers looking for the quintessential Kiwi fly-fishing experience. However, there are only so many of them and they are in high demand during the busy summer season from January –March.  A guide is not necessary to catch fish in New Zealand for advanced anglers, but they will significantly shorten the learning curve, which becomes even more valuable when on a limited time schedule.

Once I’ve narrowed down my choices to a few centrally located towns and have hired a guide for a few days, next it’s time to start with the details. The proper equipment and knowledge of how it all works can mean the difference between success and failure. Having both will greatly increase one’s success in New Zealand and this will be the focus in next week’s article.

Toby Swank

http://www.finsandfeathersonline.com

Little Redd

I just wrapped up a whirlwind tour of the Little Red River in northern Arkansas. November and December is typically the time of year when the Brown Trout move into the shallow shoals to spawn. We planned this trip so that we could both sight fish and streamer fish to some trophy class fish. Well, as with just about every fishing trip, Mother Nature and the Army Corp of Engineers had other ideas regarding our fishing trip.

The river is at historic low flows with no hydro-generation to speak of for a while now. This coupled with 3 days of unsettled weather with conditions that varied between 70 and sunny to low 30’s with heavy rain, made for some unusual conditions.  So we made the best of the conditions and covered a lot of water looking for a big fish in some skinny water.

The Brown are typically well into the spawn by now, but they are just getting started this year. So, the coming weeks leading into Christmas should provide some fantastic fishing conditions. Swinging big streamers at the heads of the pools just downstream from any shoal will find some fish, especially in the early morning hours. Once the sun gets up, start looking for fish moving around above and below the redds. 

Sight fishing with sowbugs, midge, and egg patterns will turn some of these fish, but nothing works better than persistence when hunting a trophy class fish. In the 3 days we fished, we saw one fish that was over 10 pounds and a good ½ dozen in the 5-8 pound range.  Although we didn’t get any of these larger fish, there were plenty of fish in the 18-22 inch range that made for some great fishing overall.

If great BBQ and wild Brown Trout sound good, then I would really recommend making a break for Little Rock, AR.  Take the short 1-½ hour drive north up around Heber Springs and get lined up with the folks at Ozark Angler for help regarding the how, what and where to make the trip more successful. 

Pheasant Shoot

Swanny and I took the easy way today and headed out west to a shooting preserve this afternoon. More to get the dogs out and on some birds as we've both had a busy fall and haven't really had the time we usually do. The place we hunted today actually has some pretty decent birds and enough carry over that there are plenty of birds in the area. A few wild huns and sharptails help keep everything interesting as well. Got some cool pics and dinner for a few nights too.

Tao Closing the Deal on a Wonded Bird

HO HO HO

It's that time of year when they say the books go from red to black...yeah right! Whatever it is, this is a good deal that we are running up until Christmas. Buy a Hydros or Helios Rod and get a Battenkill Large Arbor or Mid-Arbor (why would you do that?) for FREE. We've got a great selection of rods in stock this winter, so order one soon to be sure that you have it for Christmas.

Don't know much about the rods? Here's the synopsis for you. Both rod models are essentially the same blanks. Very high modulus graphite which makes them very lightweight and sensitive which makes them easy to cast and powerful. Proprietary technology makes them even lighter than many other graphite rods. The Helios have recoil snake guides and come in a graphite rod tube. The Hydros have standard guides and come with a cordura rod tube. The Helios run around $775 and the Hydros are closer to $495. Give me a call at the shop (877-790-5303) or send an e-mail if you have nay questions or want to take advantage of this great offer. No sales tax or shipping either.

Remember the J

I just returned from a great working vacation down in Texas in which I was able to combine some work along with some free time with family. On a couple of those days away from "the grind" of fly-fishing, I had the opportunity to hunt ducks with my dad in central Texas. Duck hunting is something he and I've done together for many years now and if nothing else, it's always great to just sit in a blind with him and remember how it felt to be in awe of the natural world.

We were planning on hunting a small, private lake in a part of Texas that could be considered "pothole country" when describing it in terms duck hunter would understand. Not a lot of grain or any large bodies of water to speak of, just lots of small ponds and lakes which makes for a great winter home for thousands of ducks every year. The hunting in these areas can be very unpredictable as there is no shortage of habitat and the ducks can move around from pothole to pothole for no apparent reason. A little pre-trip scouting never hurts as this allows one to get a feel for the where, when, and how the ducks are using various potholes.

On our pre-hunt scouting trip last week, my dad and I had our jaws banging into the dashboard of the old suburban as we crested a small dam on one of the larger ponds in the area. After seeing no ducks on any of the other ponds in the area, this one was full of well over 1000 ducks of a wide variety of species. There were divers and puddle ducks almost completely blanketing the lake. We backed up and got out of the area to minimize our impact on their peaceful afternoon, we'd save that for the morning

After a restless nights sleep, dad and I were up with plenty of time to spare so we made our way over to the pond to put our spread out, get the calls warmed up, and settle into the blind well before the first flights arrive. The first hour was simply amazing to watch and unusual in my experiences hunting this region of the country. Large groups of ducks, mostly divers like Bluebills and Redheads would come pouring over the decoys only to flare about 10 yards out of range, The shear number of birds was amazing to watch in itself but the behavior seemed odd to us.

There was something that they just didn't like about the setup, so we set off to see if we could determine the problem. The calling was probably not the best, but may dad has been doing it a longtime and it apparently works most of the time so we eliminated that one (with hesitation). We double checked our blind and made more of an effort to stay concealed and motionless while the birds were in the area. Next, we walked around the blind to see if there was anything out of place that might be alarming the incoming ducks. Finally we started moving the decoys around.

Decoy spreads are an often overlooked part of the whole duck hunting process. Sure, there are times when all you have to do is wildly toss a dozen or two mallard decoys out in random fashion and the birds come in just fine. However, if you take the time to think about it, you can use those decoys to not only bring the birds in but also bring them in closer which makes for easier shots and cleaner kills (and easier retrieves if you lab has a blown ACL). I always like to have an opening in front or to the side of the blind in which I am trying to get the ducks to aim for when approaching the spread.  The classic V pattern will usually do the trick just fine and is the way to start out most of the time. That's what we had on this morning, and there just seemed to be something about our spread that was keeping those birds from committing.

That's when I remembered the "J" or "fishhook" decoy spreads that the commercial hunters of the early 20th century used to use on flocks of diving ducks in the Chesapeake. So, we changed our spread so that there was a single line of decoys extending from 5-60 yards away from the blind. We then made a small "J" shape curve just out in front of the blind with 5-10 more decoys which were slightly bunched together. The thinking with this type of spread is that the ducks will see the single line and follow them on into the curve of the J where they will sit or flare, either way they will be well within range if everything goes as planned. It seemed to make a difference this day as we were able to get many more shots on ducks as they came much closer to us on each approach with several groups landing in our spread.


Now if I could only shoot as well as my dad.