Fishing In the Moment

I had a compelling conversation the other day with a friend of mine in regards to the current interest in fly fishing. Over the past three or four years many of the outdoor retailers have been hit pretty hard based on the economy, peoples time, and even technology. Understanding how technology has contributed to the lack of interest in the outdoors is easy to see.

We have all of the techy tools to supposedly help heighten our overall experience outdoors. There are GPS systems to help us find our genitals at any given time of the day, high tech clothing to keep us from our own repulsive God given smells, super nano hologram enhanced floating lines, and apps for tracking mayfly hatches along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. There are those video games that allow us to fish in a reclined position, waders or underwear optional. There are fly patterns that are so overdressed and covered in synthetic co-polymers that its hard to believe that there is a hazmat disposal unit that will clean it up if it happened to burst into flames. There is a fully casted social network on the internet filled with creepy guys in front of newfangled fly tying vises claiming they have the one and only “NASA approved true rotary vise”.

Our time is split between our devices and our actual living experiences. If the devices were developed to expand and deepen the outdoor experience then there would be exponentially more interest in spending time in the woods. This is not the case. Simple observation cannot prove me wrong. I can’t tell you how many people I have seen on rivers lately spending time screwing around with their phones and not fishing! Two years ago I heard a guy screaming on his phone in a run above me for 45 minutes. He came sloshing down stream, passed right in front of me, scowled, and said “are you getting cel reception here at all?”.

Last season a canoe on a local stream passed in front of me. There was a little boy in the front of the canoe frustrated and holding a Sponge Bob spin casting rod. His father was busy texting and seemingly having his own conversation in his own little world called “else where”. It brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. As they meandered further downstream I heard an audible grind, they hit a gravel bar and the expletives started flying. Apparently the father dropped his phone inside the wet canoe. The little boy started to cry. So did I.
~Clint Joseph Bova

Slow Water Caddis Emerger

The Caddis emerger is a very important part of the trouts diet. During this life stage the Caddis is especially vulnerable to the elements and is easy prey thus making it very attractive to these very energy conscious fish. The insect is just about ready to break free of its nymphal shuck and the count down for its launch sequence begins with a few wiggles. I have always been looking for a great surface fly that mimics these little beauties. For a few years now I have gotten a lot of use of this little emerger pattern that tends to out fish most of my other emerger patterns even when there is no discernible hatch. This is a great pattern for super finicky Brown trout. I have fooled many fish with this pattern and with the right combination of materials it is a pattern that stays floating even in fast water for a long time. With the use of TMC's Aero Wing material (extended shuck) the fly is a great floater. The fibers are not only fine but hollow keeping the fly float

CB's Japanese Beetles

above photo: Provided by Debbi T. Walker an Ohio Photographer. Debbi is a talented outdoor photographer who loves to take pictures of insects, animals, and landscapes and often shoots photography around the Mad River and Cedar Bog. In the heat of the summer many fish hunker down during the day and will pass up the occasional Caddis, midge, or ant floating overhead. Often fish conserve energy for a larger more nourishing food item. During the summer months fish want to conserve energy and exert themselves only for the most significant meal. This is called the “Pounds Per Meat Law” again the least amount of energy is expelled for the most nourishment possible. This should be the mid-summer mantra for both fishers and fish! Large ants are another food item that fish will come off of the bottom for during the midday sun and heat. Japanese Beetles are one of those items on the surface menu that will spark a fishes interest when nothing else seems to work. Rise

Spidey Senses~The Irresistible Arachnid

Fishing spider patterns is a favorite activity of mine in the late spring, summer and fall. Many of the spring creeks that I frequent have adjacent fields of corn, soy, feed grass, as well as tall overhead trees and brambles. Spiders are prolific here and as much as I hate them I do love fishing with them. I have tried many patterns over the years most of which were not my own. Most of them were either too clunky, too overdressed, or just downright stupid looking. If I were to cast a wad of sheet foam and rubber bands to a big Brown on most of my usual digs I would be typecasted by most of the coherent fish instantly. After years of hit and miss I settled on my own pattern that just seemed to meet my criteria as well as the Trouts. When your standing in a “hot river” in the middle of the day and you spot a massive brown that just will not budge for the most ingenious morsel you have in your box whip out a spider. Spiders are protein intensive, they are like baklava on a silver

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