Catching up

You have your whole life to start a blog and about a day to update it.

Here's a great article on carp fishing:
A Taste of Saltwater in the Midwest
by Michael Schmidt

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I need to learn more about nymphing. Here's some notes on Czech nymphing:
- use three nymphs
- have the biggest in the middle about 20" from the other two
- red mini-con
- use about a yard of flyline
For more, read A primer on Czech Nymphing

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Fish your way out, you might pick a fish up on your way.
The fly that is in the water is the fly that catches the fish.

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More on ways not to freeze in the winter while flyfishing:
Don't Freeze

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Glen Hales
Michigan Wiggler
Coburg River late November
Egg patterns
Nymphs
- bright for sunny days
- dark for cloudy days or stained water
Ganny, Wilmot, Credit
6 pounds
4 pound in clear water

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Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout
by Kelly Galloup
Jerk strip for Trophy Trout
Manistee River, Michigan
Rio Density Compensated Full Sinking Fly Line WF6S4
Kelly's Formula:
Flyline 18" of 20 lb, 24" of 10 lb.
Bob's Formula:
Flyline 24" of 20 lbs., 10" of 15 lb, 14-16" of 10 lb.

Recommended flies:

• Maxima Cumma


• Zoo Cougar


• Kiwi Muddler


• Butt Monkey


• Strip Leech

Recommended Sizes: 2&4
Recommended Colours: Brown, Olive, Black, Chartreause

Big fish will take big flies. They will eat half their body length!

Remember to fish around rocks and fallen trees

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Casting Tips
Keep it simple
Move as little as possible
Don't open up the elbow
Make punch with fist
Waltz 1-2-3
Thumb to the sky
Slow down
Pull from behind hand
Practice hand on, hand off
Pick up at guides
Strip always have right hand on flyline
Pick up with no slack in line
Flick the tip
Lock in and down
Keep tip parallel to floor. Don't make an arc.
Keep hand in front of you
Lock in before laying down
Strip in through hand
Let out with left hand.


Don't line pull through the tip

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Smallmouth bass on Clearwater streams use longer leaders
3x tippets
smaller flies
fish direction minnows are swimming
shake tip gives impression of injured minnow

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Bob Jacklin
Recommends Courtland Intermediate Sinking Line

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Clink and Dink
- tie leader to clinkhammer with a loop knot

Hopper & Dropper Rig
Floating 5wt flyline, 9' 5X leader to hopper, 12-18" dropper to nymph

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Fish from the bottom of a pool up and from the shore out and from the bottom up in the river

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More Nymphing Setups
Two Nymph Rig
Beefy Nymph Rig
California Right-Angle Rig

Waking the Fly presentation


Bombers for Salmon/Bass
- Size six or eight
- Basic colours



Smallmouth Strategies for the Fly Rod
by Will Ryan

• Use crayfish patterns with short claws 1-1.5"


• Crayfish switch from baitfish to crayfish in August, switchback in late September


• Use a very, very slow retrieve


• Clouser crayfish, Bill Smith crayfish


• Lighter colours work best but match crayfish to local colour

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Four colours for flies:

• Black


• Tan


• Olive Green - lakes


• Chocolate Brown

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Knots to learn:

• Uni Knot


• Nail Knot


• Mono Loop Knot