Merry Fishmas!!
As the Holiday quickly approaches, remember-
-most are caught in the hustle of Christmas concerts and programs, the bustle of work parties, family gatherings, wrapping gifts, finding the ‘Right’ present for that special someone, lack of sleep, travel, baking/cooking… some of us struggle with issues that are deeper than may appear. It can be difficult to keep it all together. This is a stressful time of the year for many. It is easy to become depressed because of financial matters, or loss of family members, attending work parties can easily lead to having a few more than normal. I know I had to make a few decisions to attend to more important matters rather than hit the steelhead run in nearby river, but it is for the best- next time I am hip deep in a swift run, it will be more serene because my mind is in a calm place. The rivers bring me peace. I hope you find yours.
The older I get, the more I truly appreciate time spent with family and merely relaxing, trying to keep it simple and being in the moment. The gifts I want can’t be wrapped & put in a stocking (insert shameless plug). I hope you get time with family and a blessed Holiday. Next year, more time on the water, chasing whatever finned creature helps you unwind and appreciate the beauty of what we have around us.
In recent weeks, REMOTE>NO PRESSURE. has put together an evening (2 episodes) with Jeff Andrews. We spent a weekend at Randy’s place on the North Branch and had Jeff Troutman come up to do a fireside chat with Bear. I had the idea awhile back, after hearing the many tales of Bear’s adventures with many icons of the Fly Fishing industry. Thank you Remote.No Pressure. for the great edit and taking time to join us on the river. Midcurrent shared an episode last week.
As the New Year approaches, I can’t help but get excited for what 2019 holds for True North Trout. Randy, Matt and I would like to than the many clients and great times spent on the river. We hope to see you again this year. There will be some changes in the near future. Matt has accepted a new position as sales for New York Life and Randy is on board with Scientific selling truck accessories. I have been added to the Umpqua Feather Merchants sales team for the Great Lakes, this means we may not have as much availibity for as many trips or large groups. It is unfortunate, but exciting as I know I am taking on a direction in the industry I feel passionate about. Next year, TEMPLE FORK OUTFITTERS will be added to my sales portfolio, travel and meeting many dealers with Ray & Kate have already been implemented. I look forward to meeting many more in the coming months and at Dealer shows. I will be at Midwest Fly Fishing Expo with Ray, Kate and Bear on March 9 & 10. The Grand Rapids show is February 2, I may have the ability to attend as guest; it is the same weekend as the Cincinnati Show where TFO already had a commitment. For a complete list of Fly Fishing shows <click here>.
My good fishing buddy from downstate- Jon Osborn, has completed his latest book. You might remember his name from doing the “Classic Flies of Michigan” book a few years back. His latest is a completely newly revised, I hesitate to even mention, version of Bedford’s Trout Streams of Michigan- “Flyfisher’s Guide to MICHIGAN“. Not giving away any secret spots, but he highlights sixty some rivers of notoriety throughout the upper and lower peninsula along with some great local brew pubs to visit along the way. A perfect gift for the angler in your life. Be sure to support your local fly shop, ask for a copy of this book, the new Umpqua HD & LT fly boxes, along with sling packs and bags. See you at the Warren show with some exciting new rods and reels from TFO. Until Next year, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Working some woody structure on the upper Manistee River.
Let’s Fish!!
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A recent project begun by Ray Schmidt of Temple Fork Outfitters Great Lakes Region has received some attention by local fly anglers and tyers across the country. Ray, former owner of Schmidt Outfitters in Wellston, MI and innovator of many Great Lakes patterns such as Ray’s Rattlesnake and STS Bugger, thought it would be a wonderful winter project to dig into the history and document the development of many patterns that made our area famous and also highlight others that may have had their 15 seconds of fame. I reached out to Mr Schmidt to get a little inside scoop. Here is where this endeavor is headed…
“I was about 30 years outside of the Michigan fly development stage- 1930 thru 1950’s. I was lucky enough to be visiting my older brother in Grayling that lived next door to my Uncle Clarence Roberts.
Earlier this season, I was fishing a river that has single 3/8″ hook size regulations, I wanted to throw a large streamer for coho and steelhead. Frustrated after drifting multiple egg patterns and stoneflies that were not getting attention from anything larger than 11″ stocker trout, I nearly gave up my day on the river. This spey style articulated leech pattern was sitting in my steelhead box and never saw any action. I gave it a go. The action and depth were exactly what I needed. Fish started coming out of shadows and deep pools to inspect this likely looking egg sucking leech fly. I reached out to Morgan Thalken to get some more info on his soon to be famous “Chloris Leechman” from Umpqua Feather Mechants.
Chloris Leechman from Morgan Thalken.
“I began fly fishing when I was eleven years old. I began tying flies earlier than that. I was fortunate enough to have an anadromous fishery just a short bike ride from my house. Summers were spent swinging Caddis pupa, or skating heavily hackled dries for juvenile steelhead. Winters were spent chucking Teeny lines with egg sucking leeches in hopes of a grab from something larger. The obsession with swinging flies for Steelhead became engrained in me at a young age. The years and the travels have only fueled the fire.
The Chloris Leechman was a pattern that I began tying about five years ago. Essentially just a tweaked bunny leech to add some elements I desired. Nothin’ fancy. It had to be rabbit and it had to be articulated to have a natural fluid motion. I preferred a bead head over dumbbell eyes. I could achieve an egg sucking look with a hot bead, or go a little toned down sculpin style with a metallic bead. I also wanted to add a little accent color with a picked out dubbing collar.
Since I began tying these, I now probably have forty variations stuffed in my box. Different sizes, color combos, some with standard beads, and some with tungsten. I typically throw this pattern using a Skagit style head and a variety of sink tips depending on conditions with a 3’ leader. This pattern has proven itself very versatile from fall to winter fish all along the Pacific Coast and beyond. “
Start with Rabbit and Gamakatsu Octopus Hook
Tie in connector and either Waddington Shank or hook you can sacrifice at the bend. Be sure to slide Bead on prior.
Wrap rabbit strip, Ice Dub head add some flash. Very simple effective pattern. Cut hook with pliers. (wear eye protection)
Finished product. Be sure to tie a variety of colors.
Barred Rabbit in olive and/or orange are very attractive under water. Cream/Yellow/ White in multiple sizes are a good idea. Purple for Bass and Pike is a must have fly. Here is what you need.
Materials List:
Shank: U302 sz 6-2
Stinger: Gamakatsu Octopus hook sz 6-2
Bead: 5/32-7/32 size to match hook, color to match pattern
Thread: Uni 6/0 color to match body
Connecting material: 30lb braid
Body material: rabbit strip, standard or cross cut
Flash: flashabou to accent body or collar color
Collar: Arizona Diamond dub, set in a dubbing loop and picked out. Color to accent body
Recently saw a streamer on Facebook that caught my attention. Mr Paul Brown of KC Fly Co. and guide in Alaska at The Alaska Rainbow Lodge ties up some beautiful beefy streamers for Pike/muskie and other predatory fish that can engulf baitfish imitations.
A little bit about Paul and how he works up his patterns:
“I work as a fishing guide for Alaska Rainbow Lodge in the amazing Bristol Bay region on the world famous Kvichak River. I’ve been guiding in Alaska for 3 years now and I love every minute of it. During the offseason I shift my attention from the giant rainbows of the Kvichak to tying flies. I started KC Fly Co. 3 years ago to be able to stay in the fly fishing industry during the offseason. I specialize in tying large, articulated predator flies for anything from trout to musky and exotic species. The Heatseeker is one of those patterns that can cover all of these species in one fly.”
Let’s take a look at the HEATSEEKER>
Ok so to start the rear hook is a 2/0 Ahrex Aberdeen Predator (any light wire hook will do) Run your thread back about a 1/4 of the shank from the eye and that is the starting point.
From there I tie in either Jerkbait Mania’s Pike Skinz or SF blend cut in half and tapered. I tie this all the way around the shank. And this is going to provide the taper you want depending on how long you cut the fiber.
I then tie in full length DNA Holo Fusion or Jerkbait mania Buck Blend. If it’s buck blend I mix in some ice Wong Fiber for a little flash. I have this extend about 2.5 shank lengths behind the hook.
Then I tie in 2 hackle feathers on the top half of the fly extending the tips of the feathers just past the buck blend.
I then create a dubbing loop and put in ripple ice fiber trying to keep it as thinly distributed as I can.
Wrap the flash and whip finish and that’s your tail.
The front hook is a 3/0 Ahrex 26* Bent Streamer hook. For my articulations I use 6mm beads and 49 strand .024 inch wire.
Then I tie in pike skinz cut in half and then cut in half again. Tying it all the way around the shank.
Tie in more buck blend. The top wing ends halfway down the shank of the rear hook and the bottom wing ends at the eye of the rear hook.
Spin another dubbing loop of ripple ice and wrap it.
Tie in pike skinz cut in half and cut in half again. I tie this stage in about 1/3 of the way back from the bend in the shank.
I tie in the last wings of buck blend measuring to the back of the front hook.
One more dubbing loop of ripple ice.
Then I switch my thread to GSP and tie in my collar trimming away the short butt pieces.
I make 3 spins of deer hair for the head.
I always start on the bottom and trim it totally flat.
On the top of the head I follow the angle of the hook trimming back to my collar.
For the sides I trim looking from above the fly starting at the eye of the hook at a 45 degree angle curving to 90 degrees halfway back on the head.
On this size I add 8mm eyes and call it good.
You can get Pike Skinz from my website www.kcflyco.com, I am currently running low on stock to sell but I am expecting another order from them to be showing up soon. You can also get it from www.jerkbaitmania.co.uk
The Heatseeker, this is the wedgehead version of the Clincher by Paul Brown. All synthetic except for the head for durability.
Great Looking pattern~ get out and get your line wet!
My good friend and video/photographer Alex Childress spent some time with me this fall chasing a few brook trout and trying to capture that perfect moment of color from the landscape and the trout of our local rivers. Although we spent several hours throwing streamers for large browns, the weather either was too nice for fishing or on the nasty side for shooting video/drone work. If you are looking for a top notch photographer for your family/real estate/product shoot, give Alex a shout and spread the word.
The 2019 season holds a lot in store for the learning & new Fly anglers. So many rivers and endless possibilities. The Tip of the Mitt has exploded with great places to stay and dine, Boyne City/Petoskey seem to be flourishing along with the TC area. Take your family on a weekend get away and perhaps save a couple hours to share some quality time on a cool spring fed river.
I have recently added Sales Representative for the Great Lakes Region under UMPQUA FEATHER MERCHANTS to my business. This will mean a few less trips in years ahead as I make road trips to dealers and attend sales seminars for brands I represent. I plan to maintain my guide License/insurance with the State of Michigan. Over the holidays, it would be great to support local businesses & Fly shops you frequent by purchasing a fly box/flies/vest or sling pack from Umpqua. Look forward to seeing and meeting many new fly folks at various Fly Fishing Expo’s and Demo’s in the coming year.
Ask your fly shop to carry the best, #TIEDTOTHEWATER
Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!
Tight Lines,
Koz
Enjoy some Fall Foliage and brook trout from this great area.
WELCOME to UMPQUA
New boxes include HD and LT along with Bug lockers in great colors.
Killer new pattern from buddy Zach Ginop. Think Conrad Sculpin meets Drunk & Disorderly. Dead Sexy.
Riley talks packs and product development. A ton of R&D goes into the Zero Sweep bag.
Entryway to Umpqua HQ. Meandering bamboo floor is mirrored with Pacific Northwest wooded ceiling.
Official UFM shuttle vehicle.
Fly Shipment hot from ‘Tie-a-Fly’- Umpqua has the single most on hand inventory in the States.
Wall of Flies~ all new flies for 2019 #tiedtothewater
Recent rip to Umpqua Feather Merchants allowed me the opportunity to meet and integrate with other members of the Umpqua Team. The innovation of sling pack and waist pack design went beyond my imagination. The smallest details, from hidden nipper ports and tapered covers on fly patches, to extra support on hip belts and closely trimmed flaps on waist seams prevent the angler from unwanted line tangles. Getting background from Riley Cotter on how the Zero Sweep technology went full throttle after meeting a former Special Ops veteran on all packs and bags was nothing less than amazing. Each pack has been carefully thought through to make your time on the water most effecient and enjoyable. Look for exciting new digital-Camouflage packs this fall and hot orange hemostats/nippers to accent these great looking bags. I might be getting ahead of myself~ Who is Umpqua Feather Merchants you ask?
Since 1972, Umpqua has been blazing the way for hand tied flies from coast to coast. Owner Dennis Black had the foresight to envision a group of select and established tyers to teach and produce the best production flies to reach US market. He saw production of jewelry in Southeast Asia and converted a manufacturer to tie some of the first overseas flies. This did not receive a warm welcome stateside, it took time to establish credibility and consistency for a very particular fly market in the US. Dennis spent the better part of a year teaching managers who to tie a fly properly. Umpqua keeps a close on on quality of material before it even gets to the tying manufacturers, which helps eliminate a good portion of bad flies. The use of TIEMCO hooks, which are chemically sharpened, set Umpqua flies apart from lesser quality tied flies. It also started with a great team of fly tyers. Names like LaFontaine, Barr, Quigley, Mercer, Nemes, Dennis, Andrews, Kaufmann, Lawson and Mathews were a part of the senior roster. Later, Umpqua added younger and innovative tyers, some you may have heard, like Charlie Craven, Lance Egan, Landon Mayer, Andrew Grillos, Bob Reece and Brian Silvey are part of a much larger and well established crew of great fly tying history. Ask your local fly shop if they carry Umpqua Flies and why they set a standard for other companies to follow.
#tiedtothewater
“You mean you float this in the dark?”-
“Yes.”
“Actually cast and catch fish without any lights?”
“Often, not all the time, but once you do, you will be forever changed….It is not the delicate soft presentation of a #16 Madame X, actually quite the opposite.”
Client conversation that has happened on more than one occasion over the years floating some of our heavily wooded northern Michigan rivers. Yes it’s true, we do it in the dark, not entirely true, red or green headlamps are acceptable, and they don’t blind the guide/client nor giveaway you presence to any suspecting trout. But what does it take to be a good ‘Mouser’?
Know your water, hire a guide and be safe at night.
Like most fishing, time and patience are critical, but on a totally different level. First, understanding your prey. They are large nocturnal predators, specifically built for hunting swimming tenderloins- whether they be in the form of amphibian, fish or mammal. Brown trout have been found feed almost exclusively at night and are most active just before dawn. They like to hunt in shallow sandbar regions- think Orca attacking seals near islands, smaller prey can out maneuver predators in open water, but in less than two feet of water, the 24″ brown has the upper hand- and nowhere for likely mouse/frog to escape. So flip the normal methodology of casting at LWD(large woody debris) and cast to the shallow side of the river. Next, patience. No really. A LOT of patience. Very few occasions has an angler actually hooked up on his/her very first actual mousing ‘take’. Many big browns will swipe or slash at the mouse pattern to immobilize or stun the prey and more often than not, client and guide have been jacking up on coffee and 5 hour energy drinks to make it through the late night/early morning hours. Your Sense of sight is gone, heightened are all your other senses, hearing & feeling become your primary inputs. When you hear the subtle take from a twenty inch something or the unmistakeable toilet bowl flush from a cavernous mouth of Hog Johnson, it takes every once of restraint not to set the hook and pull the mouse pattern directly out of the trouts mouth. Waiting, patience, feeling the weight of the fish on the other end of the line, connection. Now you have your hands full. Be sure you are properly outfitted.
The vicious attacks are what keep us coming back, night after night.
Some anglers go big and heavy, that is personal preference and completely acceptable. Fly rods in eight weight are good for pulling a two foot bruiser out of multiple stacked logs or deep mysterious pools, but I prefer a solid 6 or 7 weight. Some of our rivers are so heavily overgrown with cedars that a 8′ rod with sold backbone works perfectly. TFO Mini-Mag is that stick, but the new AXIOM II is perfect. BVK or Clouser are great options as well. If you have limited access to rods, you will most likely want to use your streamer rig and adapt it to the night game, which really isn’t ‘that’ much different. You line choice should have an aggressive forward taper, Scientific Anglers Mastery MPX Magnum or Mastery Titan will assist in flipping that foam/deer hair/rabbit strip creation will little effort. SA also makes a Frequency GLOW– great for beginners to get an idea where they are casting. Keep your leader short and stiff. While fishing in Arkansas on the White, I learned to never go below #15 fluorocarbon and 6′ or shorter. Some will argue to use mono because fluoro will sink, but at less than 7 feet, it won’t sink a mouse pattern. Sometimes, we would actually through double deceivers, or other large baitfish style patterns that push some water, so the fluoro comes in handy. Let’s talk about flies…
Potentially catch the fish of a lifetime. Daytime temps are too warm to fish, we choose to float at night.
Make your fly presence known. Seriously SPLAT your water logged drunken lemming pattern on the water, then give it a pause. You want the Mr Salmo trutta to hone in on his next meal. You can then begin to proceed with either short little strips with occasional pause, or some anglers like to jiggle/swing the fly across the water with intermittent pauses. After fishing with many different styles, I can’t speak to which one is more effective, what works one night on one river may not be the key in your neck of the woods. Have faith in your method and your flies. One of my best clients, who has boated a couple decent trout, watches YouTube videos of mice swimming. Sounds crazy. Have fun tying mouse patterns, look for bouffant materials that will also hang just a little in the surface film. A few of my personal favorite and successful patterns come from Rainy’s. Steve’s Loco Mouse hits the water hard, takes a beating and come back for more. Nick’s Cheeky Mouse– when in stock- is a killer skating pattern. Be sure to carry a few of the classic MouseRat by Whitlock. Check out the new Mason’s Mouse Trap– dead, sexy.
The more times you go, the more likely you are to connect. Don’t get frustrated if you miss a few times, we have all been there. It’s part of the learning curve. Keep it fun. Enjoy the journey!
Tight Lines,
Koz
True North Trout
Umpqua Feather Merchants UPG Premium Fly Box
Protect your investment. Keep your flies safe and dry. Aren’t these two of the best services a fly box can provide? True. What about durable and long lasting? You want materials and construction that will last more than one or two +90º days on your dashboard. Ever notice how the foam either peels or delaminates from the box on many other lesser fly boxes. Waterproof- no, REALLY waterproof, like dunk it under water for 5 minutes and see if your flies are wet. The HD from Umpqua Feather Merchants is completely sealed and will keep your flies high and dry. Made of high density shatter proof plastic, which is also see though for visibility, has a latching clasp with a water tight closure. The LT Weekender is slim and perfect for stashing an assortment of your Go-To patterns and hitting the water. Both have 3-D injection molded TPE(Thermoplastic Elastomer) and magnetic closures. The LT Weekender has a magnetic pad for smaller flies and multiple sized slots for a whatever hatch may come your way.
Do you value your flies? Then they deserve a worthy home. Keep them safe and dry in a UPG LT or HD Fly Box.
The HD Large is perfect for your Rubber legged bugs or drake patterns.
Fly boxes that will keep your flies safe and dry from Umpqua Feather Merchants.
You can find these great boxes on Amazon.
