At left, a 30” redband that
ate a swung Ginger Dabbler up on the Canadian Reach of the Columbia
River , in September. It went bananas & took me almost to the
spindle, twice.
There are several engaging
projects in the works for the coming year & I’ve promised myself to parcel time
better, so have decided to try running SHJ as a monthly online magazine,
wherein I dump accumulated angling eclectica. If anybody would like to
contribute – a story; a useful tip; a killing fly pattern; a photo; a poem; art;
a good joke – contact me at columbiatrout@sbcglobal.net.
Payment is ambiguous but may come in unexpected ways. Contributors retain sole
rights. Also, if you have a question or would
like to start a discussion, feel
free to use the comment box at the bottom of each post. SHJ averages about 200
readers a day & you might be surprised who reads it, or who might pop up for
a discussion. I admit the comment box isn’t very user friendly & many have
trouble with it. Here’s a tip if you’re having trouble: the fast-lane is to
comment as ‘anonymous’. Then sign your comment with your name, handle, or not
at all, as you like.
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| Ginger Dabbler |
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| Kirk Storer |
Glad to say I’ve sold out of the welsumer brahma hen capes we raised this year. Response from those who bought them was very good. One guy wrote to tell me he was so excited about the feathers he was wearing the cape. I didn’t ask where he was wearing it, assuming maybe dangling from his neck as a frontal ornament? a chest-piece maybe? A head-dress? I cackle to myself thinking what else. Another tyer, Kirk Storer, went straight to the vise. Along with a few other samples of his elegant work, Kirk sent me the photo of his quill-body spider dressed with the brahma. We have no doubt that one will hunt. Thanks for sharing, Kirk. Good looking softie.
Swing The Fly Magazine
Contrary to what electronic propaganda may indicate, real ink is not dead. True, competition from online media has diminished the number of print magazines in recent years, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. To be able to survive, print magazines have been forced to bear down & get better. There are a few angling magazines actually doing very well, & that’s because they offer authentic content that looks good, reads well, is both entertaining & useful. There is still truly quality content that you just can’t get online, & that is in print. And I still love the simple, tactile portability of a good magazine – relaxing in a favorite chair; placed on the nightstand; waiting within reach of the john. I admit to being a devoted fan of Swing The Fly magazine, creative brainchild of Northwest writer/guide/competitive Spey caster, Zack Williams, along with an able cadre of other writer-guides. STF may be unique in that it is assembled & written almost entirely by professional guides who also happen to be writers & artists. The content reflects the depth of knowledge that combined time on the water imparts, & shares it in an inviting, inclusive way. Going into its fourth year, STF keeps getting better, offering artful, eclectic content including stories, poetry, photography, fly tying, how-to features, environmental news, & everything to do with angling with two-handed rods (fresh & salt water), as well as swinging flies. And you need not fish with a two-handed rod to appreciate & learn from STF’s emphasis on swinging flies. As soft-hackles & trouty wetflies are standard baits for Trout Spey, there’s a lot here for soft-hackle, wetfly & streamer swingers. In layout & ethic, STF manages to bring the latest while deftly remaining detached from the lame hyperbole of the latest marketing lingo, staying rooted in & ever true to the authentic tradition of our game – what works. Swing The Fly is the real deal. If you’re considering subscribing to a quality magazine that will entertain, inform, & improve your game, you might want to check it out: http://www.swingthefly.com/
Contrary to what electronic propaganda may indicate, real ink is not dead. True, competition from online media has diminished the number of print magazines in recent years, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. To be able to survive, print magazines have been forced to bear down & get better. There are a few angling magazines actually doing very well, & that’s because they offer authentic content that looks good, reads well, is both entertaining & useful. There is still truly quality content that you just can’t get online, & that is in print. And I still love the simple, tactile portability of a good magazine – relaxing in a favorite chair; placed on the nightstand; waiting within reach of the john. I admit to being a devoted fan of Swing The Fly magazine, creative brainchild of Northwest writer/guide/competitive Spey caster, Zack Williams, along with an able cadre of other writer-guides. STF may be unique in that it is assembled & written almost entirely by professional guides who also happen to be writers & artists. The content reflects the depth of knowledge that combined time on the water imparts, & shares it in an inviting, inclusive way. Going into its fourth year, STF keeps getting better, offering artful, eclectic content including stories, poetry, photography, fly tying, how-to features, environmental news, & everything to do with angling with two-handed rods (fresh & salt water), as well as swinging flies. And you need not fish with a two-handed rod to appreciate & learn from STF’s emphasis on swinging flies. As soft-hackles & trouty wetflies are standard baits for Trout Spey, there’s a lot here for soft-hackle, wetfly & streamer swingers. In layout & ethic, STF manages to bring the latest while deftly remaining detached from the lame hyperbole of the latest marketing lingo, staying rooted in & ever true to the authentic tradition of our game – what works. Swing The Fly is the real deal. If you’re considering subscribing to a quality magazine that will entertain, inform, & improve your game, you might want to check it out: http://www.swingthefly.com/
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| Salar's Nemesis |
Salar's Nemesis
I learned about Sylvester Neme’s salmon fly, Salar’s Nemesis, when Bill Shuck posted his redux of it on the Flymph Forum. The much-respected Mr. Shuck is one of my favorite fly tyers & some of his fine soft-hackle designs have been featured here in SHJ. The pattern caught my attention as a likely wee lure for trout, so I tied some in #8 & #10, altering the original dressing somewhat, adding a bit of antron to the dubbing. These proved worthwhile for local rainbows last Spring. The Nemesis is a passing match for an October caddis pupa, & the fly worked well through the Fall OC season too. Most impressive though, was when I traveled to theStehekin
River
I learned about Sylvester Neme’s salmon fly, Salar’s Nemesis, when Bill Shuck posted his redux of it on the Flymph Forum. The much-respected Mr. Shuck is one of my favorite fly tyers & some of his fine soft-hackle designs have been featured here in SHJ. The pattern caught my attention as a likely wee lure for trout, so I tied some in #8 & #10, altering the original dressing somewhat, adding a bit of antron to the dubbing. These proved worthwhile for local rainbows last Spring. The Nemesis is a passing match for an October caddis pupa, & the fly worked well through the Fall OC season too. Most impressive though, was when I traveled to the
The Continuing Breakdown
Lots of political opinion on the major networks, both fanciful & considered, but you have to dig some to find the real news. The real world issues that seriously need to be addressed. Here’s a few things that worry me:
Lots of political opinion on the major networks, both fanciful & considered, but you have to dig some to find the real news. The real world issues that seriously need to be addressed. Here’s a few things that worry me:
The broken nuclear power
plant at Fukishima is being kept from meltdown by continually pumping seawater
through the hot, radioactive core, & the radiated water flowing back into
the Pacific Ocean , & this will go on indefinitely
until another solution is found. Radiation from Fukishima is being measured in
the kelp forest off California
Educated, trained,
well-intentioned scientists without political/cultural agenda are warning us
that ocean temperatures are rising at an accelerating pace. West Coast albacore
sport & commercial catches have sharply declined over the past ten years,
& fish more concentrated in the northern reaches of the historical range.
And everybody in the Pacific Northwest is
aware how low steelhead returns have become. One of my sons, a commercial
fisher, says the schools of baitfish are getting harder to find.
Everything’s connected.
The World Wildlife Federation
now estimates the planet has lost 60% of the number of mammals, birds & fish, it had in
1970. Seriously concerning, if not alarming, at even half that percentage.
Parts of India
The only rational way I can
think of to fix these things is to vote in leadership who are committed to
fixing them. Hold feet to fire. Lest everything burn. I don’t think voting has
ever been more important than it is right now.
Hero Shots
One last thing: Read a very informative article in Swing The Fly regarding research on the affects of catch & release, wherein I learned that trout removed from the water for even ten seconds may suffer neurological damage that can result in slow death. Hence, I have sworn off taking any more hero shots, holding trout out of the water. If you’re planning a hero shot then I hope you plan do get it done in well under ten seconds. But I’m drawing a line – it’s okay if you’re 16 & under & do it swiftly & gently. Other than that you are a grownup & no longer have the need to show off your angling prowess with a silly photo of you & the fish. That’s not to say a photo of the fish by itself, in water, is a bad idea. In water the fish becomes art. Instead of gasping for its life while we mug, we see the undefeated beauty of the fish itself, like art, evoking importance, & meaningful memories. Please keep ‘em wet.
One last thing: Read a very informative article in Swing The Fly regarding research on the affects of catch & release, wherein I learned that trout removed from the water for even ten seconds may suffer neurological damage that can result in slow death. Hence, I have sworn off taking any more hero shots, holding trout out of the water. If you’re planning a hero shot then I hope you plan do get it done in well under ten seconds. But I’m drawing a line – it’s okay if you’re 16 & under & do it swiftly & gently. Other than that you are a grownup & no longer have the need to show off your angling prowess with a silly photo of you & the fish. That’s not to say a photo of the fish by itself, in water, is a bad idea. In water the fish becomes art. Instead of gasping for its life while we mug, we see the undefeated beauty of the fish itself, like art, evoking importance, & meaningful memories. Please keep ‘em wet.
