Showing posts with label caddis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label caddis. Show all posts

10.14.2014

Fall Color, Headwaters of the Stani 2014


Harvest moon rise,
color in the trees quake.
The creek's hidden leopard strikes.

Camouflaged golden,
fallen leaves conceal, speckled salmonid.
Baetis spinner dance.

Through canyons
into valley
My guide, a hawk,
beckons me onward.

Skinny water,
fishy water,
where brown trout lie
waiting for opportunity,
like me, stealthily stalk.





3.07.2014

Alpenglow on Celluloid

Yep thats right, I've found myself being the subject of a low budget film. It's being deveolped by a couple of guys about West Coast Fly Fishing. Today was the third day shooting, but not out on one of my favorite streams. This time its in my rod shop in Oakland. I thought being a film "actor" playing myself was going to be easy. i was wrong.... i'm totally whipped. A little of this... plane some rod strips... bla bla, and Bobs your uncle! WRONG! try CUT! Can you do that slower? CUT! Can you do that twisted this way? Cut! We really want the sound the plane makes as it goes across the cane! OMG! but its cool they're really cool guys really excited and that makes me excited. Here are some film stills that they just gave me.

6.07.2013

Boo on da'Beaver



Discomoecus, creep.
Granite stones swept and polished,
spotted friends hover.

Like this Honey Moon,
precious trout agresivly rise.
Each pool I hopscotch.




meat and potaoes:

Beaver Creek, 5N02 near Calaveras Big Trees State Park
weather, sunny warm,
Water temp 48 degrees, air temp 70 degrees
Flows 30cfs
water visability, gin clear
Hours fished, 10:30am til 4:30pm
bug activity; sporadic caddis
5wt single handed bamboo rod 7'6"
25+ trout landed, size; 12-6 inches



10.24.2012

October Shreders















These are going to shred! I'm getting ready for my annual hallowen trip to the Mac. This year i'm join friends of the GPFF club on the river and I really have focased on developing a true set of game changer flies for this river.
My go to caddis dry fly isn't neccesarily a dry but an emerger or spent caddis. I've had great success all over california with it. My R&D river of choice has been the A game Yuba River near Smartsville. hands down, these "Rainbow Trout" are as strong, witty and forceful as any Stealhead you'd meet and on top of it they all seem to have graduated with PHd's from an Ivy-league college.











Often sometimes I swear they seem to just want to humiliate you off the river. Fish seem to swirl flys just to see if there's line connected, often this is percieved by the fisherman as takes with no fish at the other end...
Anyways, these flys ive been tying for the Yuba have been specificaly targeted as Rhyacophila and Hydropsyche hatches. However for the McCloud I hybridized the patern to fit the Dicosmoecus syntax of Puppa and Emerger stages this fall on the "River Cathedral".

10.15.2012

Yuba-Ku, Fall Caddis


Shits and giggles,
even the Osprey's paying dues.
Swing-en and drifting.

Twilights fading day.
Under the scorpius marker,
its Rainbows rise.

Soon,
Fish and I,
like Perigee.


The Steak and Eggs;

Yuba River, below island to Hammond Grove. lots of walking.
Hours fished: noon to 7pm
2 fish total: 1@18" 1@14"
Water temp 54 degrees, flow 1000cfs, air temp 80ish degrees.
Method: Dry fly, Spey cast swung wet flies.
Gear: 6wt 11 foot Bamboo spey rod 350 grain scandi line, 10 floating polyleader.
Sage 5wt 9 foot XP
Flies: Fall caddis emerger dry size 4 "Dr. Octo" and "Poison Spider", wet fly size 14
Observed insects, Caddis, Caddis and more Caddis. lots of Caddis.

Dr. Octo,    fall caddis emerger

Poison Spider,   caddis emerger wet fly






























I'm Planning a trip to the McCloud River in a few weeks, and for "Shits and Giggles" I wanted to try some of my new Fall Caddis patterns. I had a good number of fish rise and hit the Dry but only hung onto one, and my wet fly only got one fish. A slow day until the very last two hours of the day. The four runs below the island, down river towards Hammond Grove was really pop'en with big fish until dark, especially by Rattlesnake Hill.





7.28.2012

South Fork and the Monarch.


Tumbling freestone glides,
hidden Iridocytes hover in place.
You,
veiled in shimmering opalescence.

The gateway guarded,
Sentinel looms.
Fish of the Monarch.







Steak and Eggs;

South fork Kings River between Hotel Creek and Roaring River
Et; 4 hours, wet wadding.
18 fish total, 8-15 inches, 15 Rainbows and 3 Browns
flow 200cfi
gear; 3wt 7'11" sage SLT and 4wt 9' bamboo switch rod
flies; Goddard Caddis,Tasty Bite,Mac & Cheese, HS Stimulator and Partridge and Orange.
Beer; Sierra Nevada Torpedo and Mammoth 395 IPA

5.15.2012

Yuba-Ku 5-13-2012


Teal and cream,
swinging to the swallows swoop.
spotted rainbow friend.

Riffles woosh then glide,
from snowmelt,
              rolls then boils.
In my hand,
             she,
                  spring bright.



Steak and Eggs:

Yuba River above Parks Bar bridge, east side
hours fished; 8:30am until 4:30pm
6wt 12 foot Bamboo spey rod, and 5wt graphite rod
Wet flies, Nymphs
Blue Note size 18, Teal and Cream size 14, Tasty Bite size 4
11 trout landed, sizes; 1@22", 1@19", 3@ 18", 5@16, 1@12
5 trout on soft hackles, 6 on nymphs
river flow; 2300 cfm
water clarity; Gin clear
water temp 50 degrees F.
air temp 85
bug activity; pink PMD hatch 9am until 11:30am & lady bugs in afternoon.
slightly cloudy



5.05.2012

Putah-ku, 5-4-2012



Riffles run 454.
Planting moon rises like isoperla.
Putahs guarded secret.


Regulus and salmonoids,
        converging,
                 my rod's bent,
like the Alders sway.




Steak and Eggs;


Access 3,  
fished for 6 hours
landed 5 fish, one 19 inches, two around 12 inches, two 5-6 inches
flows 454 cfm
method; high sticking and swung at end of drift.
flies, size 18 zebra John, size 16 yellow birds nest, size 4 hot wired red worm.
weather; sunny slight breeze, high stratus/cumulus clouds.
water clarity;  clear/slight green tint  10 feet visibility.

12.29.2011

Etsy feedback

"You can tell these flies are made with the care and patience of someone who appreciates the art of fly fishing himself. Beautiful!"

Thanks Catherine Cavanaugh! Those flies you purchased are flies i carry in my fly box every trip to the river. I appreciate that you can appreciate them. Not all "work all the time" but by in large one or two of my signature flies produce a fish or two... always fingers crossed!

Don't hesitate to send me a picture of a fish you catch with one of the flies, i'd love to see it!

best Tony

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88886129/raty-rhyco

12.09.2011

Hydropsyco and Rhyco Rat



Two new flies i've been using with good success have been a Hydropsyche and Rhyacophila imitation.
Using them as a secondary fly to a lead attractor dry fly.
Dabbed with some Frogs Fanny and away I go.
The dry shake in-beds the dubbing and soft filaments with a coating that seems to create or hold tiny bubbles that add something that the trout turn on to.
I like using the fine Gamagatsu emerger hooks for these patterns.
Nice gap to hold large fish.
Finer than average wire to add a tad of stealth to the profile.

7.21.2011

Ultimate fly kit



Today i got another order for an Ultimate Fly kit from my Etsy store site.
Alpen Glow: on-line fly shop
With this order, flies come comp'd with a sweet, water proof C&F "design'ish style" fly box.
Most of the flies are of my own creation and/or with slight twist on old favorites.
Alpine Hoppers as well as Alpine Stimulators.
Some High Ridden Megan's.
Some really sweet spun deer hair Goddard Caddis in Tan and Black.
Yep Black, high in the alpine region caddis are often black.
Jet Black.
Plus in the kit are lots of secondary flies to drop of the leed fly.
One of my favorites is Spetanaz, a really cool CDC loop wing emerger that never fails to subdue the most finicky creekers.
Also a little Brown Sugar or lil JoJo to top it off.
Sweet!