Recent comments

I'm a book man too

Rory,

I have also always been a printed book fan, and never really much of an e-book reader or audio book listener.

I do read books on my tablet now and then, mostly because it's often easier and faster to borrow an electronic library book than to borrow a physical copy. I also enjoy the access to older books through projects like Gutenberg and other online sources.

But my book shelves reveal that I prefer physical books printed on paper - and that's not only in my fly fishing and fly tying library. I have lots of other types of litterature including cook books, photo books, comic books as well as lots of fiction.

I will probably keep on buying "real" books for as long as I live. I like to own my books, and have yet to pay for an electronic one. If I want it, I get it on paper. I like the feeling, the handling, the texture, the weight.

And audio books? I downright deplore them! I have "read" a couple in my lifetime, but have actually never finished one. I prefer reading in my own tempo, and that's quite a lot faster than a voice reading it loud. And not all those who record the audio books are really good at it.

Call me old fashioned ... I can live with that ... as long as I have my books.

Martin

New Books are Welcomed....,

More now than ever, actual printed books are welcomed for their heft and feel and fragrance. You really cannot get any of that with an electronic device screen. Good books provide an individual sensory experience which is different for each individual reader.... that really is the charm of hard copy. Keep at it, Nick and Martin. Cheers!

Great Colour Combination

This is the perfect colour combination for sea-run Cutthroat trout along BC's Vancouver Island coastline. Our local "American Coachman" fly pattern is a proven standard here and shares the same basic overall colour scheme.... red, white and yellow. The "Northener" should work equally well for our cutties.
Cheers!

So many gems

Serge,

That's the "problem" with GFF!
There's so much hidden gold in these ores, and discovering everything is impossible.
Even I find things that I forgot was there!

Martin

What I missed since 2013!

I only recently discovered this article. How could I have missed this demonstration? Thank you.

Night Fishing for Seatrout

Yes, indeed, fly fishing for seatrout, or as we have here on Vancouver Island sea-run Cutthroat trout, after dark can be exhilarating to say the least. I incorporate glow-in-the-dark beads along the top side of the body Ridj-Bak style. Webby chicken hackle palmered overall with a tail of glow-in-the-dark Flashabou. It moves water well and presents a bulky profile and the glowing beads help track the path of the fly. Some fun, for sure. Cheers!

Barcodes

Mark,

I did know that LibraryThing existed, but never tried it. My system is old, and already had basically all my books registered, and that made me keep on using it after an update.

And regarding barcodes: I actually added a barcode scanning function to the system right after I updated it. It was a fun little thing to develop, and a good technical drill to get it integrated with the phone. So now I have a link on my phone that lets me check a book via the barcode to see if it's in my register, and if not, it can look in Open Library for book details and add the book.

Very convenient.

Martin

Keeping track of books

FWIW, Martin, LibraryThing.com is what I use to keep of books: what I've read, what I want to read, what I own, etc. With a smartphone you can add to your "library" via the barcode on newer books. On the older books I've found and purchased at used book stores, well I just tediously enter the info manually. ;-) Cheers!

Travel, fish and eat!

A beautiful and delightful book! The kind of book that will sit on the living room table for months. An invitation to travel for fishing and delicious end-of-day moments. ❤️

Newts and Salamanders... yum!

Yes, indeed, native Cutthroat trout here on Canada's wet coast will take these squirmy critters at every opportunity.
Our little dragons are mostly black with a few yellow spots running along their length. They are sinuous swimmers that really attract a lot of attention.
Cheers!

How do you present a true passion?

Here's an original and provocative way to present a passion lol.

We don't get younger

Paulus,

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. It's always sad when it happens, and even worse when people are still young.

The group that I fish with also lost a very close friend at a way too young age some years back. He actually appears in many of the images in this series, and I think of him practically every time I'm on the coast.

It is as I wrote in this article some years ago: https://globalflyfisher.com/blog/do-me-favor-go-fishing

We won't get younger any of us, and it's about getting out there while we can!

Martin

seatrout

Those pictures will always bring back memories.My best flyfishing friend introduced me to Funen and seatrout 20 years ago and we went twice a year.
He died unexpected a few years ago and way too young, just before another fishing holiday on Funen,but those pictures show what we so much loved about seatrout fishing.The view and serenity,just like the pictures are showing.

Colour Combinations.... maybe.

Along coastal BC, red/yellow/silver combinations have been mainstay colour combinations forever, when fishing the beaches for sea-run Cutthroat trout and Coho salmon. I am not sure what it is about the Flashabou, whether it picks up hints from the layers of hair below it and refracts the light back as that electric blue-green hue, but whatever it is, seems to be the key to the Pearl Mickey's attractiveness. You may happily find similar quirky results with some of your colour combinations. Cheers!

Happy coincidence, indeed

Rory,

You wouldn't think that the choice of flash would make such a big difference, but the Crystal Flash reflects light in a different way with its many small surfaces pointing in all directions. The Flashabou on the other hand, reflects light in glimpses when it turns the right way, and I can imagine that this looks more like a small baitfish turning in the light and emitting a short flash.

It might be me overthinking things, but it sounds plausible to me. And the proof of the pudding, as you know ...

I will try tying some Pearl Mickeys - but probably also try with my "earthy" colors rather than red/yellow only.

Martin

Pearl Mickey sounds like a killer

Rory,

That sounds like a killer pattern. The flash will definitely add some attraction, and when fishing slightly murky or turbulent coastal water, a bit of flash won't hurt.

Exchanging the top wing of the streamer patterns shown here with a few straws of flash would be an excellent variation of these otherwise very stealthy flies.

Martin

Sea-run Trout and Coho Salmon

The venerable ol'-time Mickey Finn, a Canadian borne fly pattern, has been vastly improved for fishing in saltwater along coastal BC. The dressing is; silver tinsel body, with a layered wing of yellow Polar bear hair, red Polar bear hair, then several strands of pearlescent Flashabou, all on a size 6 hook. It is called the Pearl Mickey and has built quite a reputation for itself as a top fish producer off the beaches of Vancouver Island. Cheers!

old men's fishing

Hello Bob, I have reached the same stage as you after years. I am 85 years old, I have problems with my knees and wading in large rivers, but I also no longer carry 1000 flies and other stuff with me. Light equipment...
Wet flies are great.
Dry flies, streamers too...
Better than tungsten balls.
I fish mostly in Slovakia. So far I have managed with all types of fishing gear. I can only remember the fishing trips to Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, etc. I used to...

Old School Wet Flies still work

Thanks Bob, this article is particularly interesting. I'm increasingly using old school wet flies with success for brook trout fishing in rivers.

Soft Hackle Flies

Nicely done article, Bob. Yes, with maturity comes wisdom, as well as unsteady wading. No need to push it anymore. Let the flies do their work and hang on. No extra glitze, just natural goodness with a lot of soul.... that's soft hackles. Cheers!

AI Slop

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for keeping it real. Muchly appreciated! Cheers!

Everything can become dubbing

Rory,

It's a good example of the fact that everything can become dubbing. When I comb out fur, trim fluff off feathers or cut bits of yarn or floss off repeatedly, I usually keep the scraps, which more than once have made and addition - or even the foundation - for some great dubbing.
It gives some excellent material to experiment with, and if it works, you can always cut more on purpose and mix a new batch.

And stuff like polar bear is precious and every bit needs to be saved and used!

Martin