The San Juan worm is my kind of fly. It's about as simple to tie as it gets, and really catches the fish during high water on western streams. The 'fly' is intended to mimic worms that are washed into the stream from the bank and become part of the drift during high flows. It is especially effective during high flows in dirty water. I tied my variation of the San Juan worm … [Read more...] about The Tying Bench: San Juan Worm
Rippin’
River flows jumped about 1,000 cfs overnight after a combination of mild temperatures and a major rainstorm that dumped on snow sent plenty of moisture flowing down the valley. But the day was beautiful, warm and sunny, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to fish. We floated a short section of stream that normally takes three times as long to navigate. We stopped where we … [Read more...] about Rippin’
High and Fast
The water was ripping better than usual. Snowmelt runoff had finally started and the recent heavy rains helped give flows an additional boost. Despite this, we still had one thing working for us. It was clear enough to fish. We floated a section of river that spanned several miles upstream from a major tributary that dumps muddy water into the river and makes it unfishable … [Read more...] about High and Fast
Hooks, Hooks, Hooks
Keith over at the Singlebarbed blog gave a heads-up on some super sweet deals for bulk packs of vintage Mustad hooks on Ebay. Like a few others, I jumped in and bought more of the old hooks than I'll ever need. It may take a couple decades to tie all of them up, but I'm a sucker for a steal. … [Read more...] about Hooks, Hooks, Hooks
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
They're the only native trout species in the Yellowstone River drainage and certainly one of the most beautiful fish in the West. They were native to the river I was fishing, but the local population has long ago become extinct, due to predation and competition from rainbow, brown and brook trout. The one I caught on this day was a rarity, it must have come downstream into … [Read more...] about Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout