SHOP NOTES | C.J. BOVA RODS

  “Under the River Brush” 6x8 inch oil study, on wood panel  Clint Bova, Memoirs on The Mad, October 2016 I recently spoke with a gentleman about the Mad River and its fickle ways. He asked me how I typically “find fish” on The Mad. I replied “with great skepticism” not because of a lack of fish but because it is very easy to spook a 100 yards worth of fish with the wrong step. The best bit of advice I gave to him was always approach the fish from an upstream position and hug the bank quietly. No need to feel like you have to shoot out a gazillion yards of line out. A short rod will work just fine. Maybe its the American Indian blood in me but the quote from Daniel Boone “quiet as an Indian” holds true for The Mad.                       ~Clint Joseph Bova

  A field study on a feeder brook to the Mad River  “Late Morning Light” Oil on 6x8 wood Panel, Clint Bova Sept 2016 I suppose as I get older I streamline my life year by year. I consciously try to simplify and distill everything around me so I can see clearly, focus on the moment, and most importantly reflect upon joy. The joy of having a family, friends, and feeling a closeness to everything around me. Contentment is very very powerful. It is uncluttered and allows me to stand outside of myself and observe. Seeing simple creates space, pause, and ultimately fosters concentration. I have busy hands, they never stop moving. Yes...keeping it simple is a very good thing.                         ~Have a thoughtful and compassionate Fall 2016           Clint Joseph Bova

A client of mine asked me to tie up a dozen Grass Wasps for him before traveling to the Albany River in Ontario. He wanted to fish the wasps near steep fast stream banks and in some broken water so wanted extra flotation and profile. Using soft hackle in tandem with a conventional criss-cross hackle collar will add great buoyancy to this fly when fishing faster water. The added barbell eyes create a distinct profile from below. Using underwing material such as Aero Wing Dry Fly will also help keep the fly in the surface film at the proper angle. Barbell eyes created with 20lb singed mono with 2-3 coats of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails (Extreme) Black Out. Abdomens created with thread teardrop profile then 2-3 coats of  Sally Hansen Hard as Nails (Extreme) Black Out. Unlike most UV Resins available you cannot beat nitrocellulose (cellulose nitrate) . Nitrocellulose is a highly combustible material that is also used in making dynamite. It would take a trout a mouthful of dynamit...

The Grass Carrying Wasp is an abundant wasp both in the Midwest as well as in the North East. If  you fish water that is near forest edges, meadows, or gravel banks there are probably wasps present. There are around five species of Grass Carrying Wasps here in Ohio. They have a distinct teardrop shaped abdomen and a thorax that supports six robust legs. The waist that separates the abdomen from the thorax is quite thin and on the adults measures around 6-8 millimeters. Wasps can be a very effective pattern in the mid to late summer months and into the fall. I usually tie my wasp patterns on emerger hooks primarily because the partially sunken abdomen seems to evoke a heart stopping slashing takes. I also believe that when the wasp is stuck in the surface film it bends its abdomen downward while the legs struggle to help take flight out of the surface film. above: An abdomen built up starting with a black quill wrapped around a thread tear drop profile. Then UV...

Field Study, “Glimpse Through The River Bank”  ~Clint Bova, Oil on 6x8 Panel   (Upper Valley Pike, Mad River) Many fishermen think trout are colorblind, but that is nothing to what trout think of fishermen. ~Ed Zern

When Autumn sneaks up on me and the trout become increasingly more selective on the surface my midge box becomes a little more specific. I have used midges in a few color ranges at this time of year and one of my favorites is a cinnamon colored midge pattern that is tiny, stealthy, and quite deadly. Thread: Veevus 14/0 rusty brown Hook: TMC 2488 #18-24 Dubbing: Awesome Possum Burnt Orange Rib: Fine Gold wire Legs: Natural Knotted Pheasant Tail Underwing: Dun Aero Wing Dry Fly Fibers Wing: Dun Hen Tips Hackle: Medium Dun   This is a fairly simple pattern to tie up and this fly pays dividends when the fall progresses and the trout become more and more selective. I carry this in pattern in black, tan, and dark dun colors. Hopefully you will enjoy tying this pattern as much as I do. ~Clint Joseph Bova

“Track to Lippincott Run” Clint Joseph Bova Oil on 6x8 Panel I take long walks in the early morning hours to get to the fish. The walks provide me with time to think about how I'm going to fish, how I am going to enter the water, and what I will be fishing with. I suppose walking creates mind space for positive affirmation and the creative visualization process I need to go through prior to getting my feet wet. This always provides me with the confidence and wherewithal to pursue difficult trout. Along the way my mind takes me to oil painting and if I am lucky I may see something that I really want to paint. There is so much inspiration around me it is often easy to get side tracked and the fishing just becomes a fraction of the daily experience. I think just getting myself lost in the moment is my mental attitude this season, it seems to be working because the fishing has be phenomenal.               ...

I got a call from a friend the other day and he asked me if I had seen any October Caddis on the water yet. We have had a lot of rain on the Mad River so between the storms I took my bike down the street to go have a quick look. I typically see Caddis fluttering about at a little cattle crossing where there is a lot of oxygenated water. When the weather is in constant flux Caddis tend to pop up here and there at this time of year. It helps living so close to a trout stream, the downside is that my buddies call me for the daily river scoop. Lo and behold I had a few short glimpses of the little rusty colored Trichoptera. So I reported back to HQ and Ben asked me to tie up some Rusty Sedges for him. This pattern is a great extended body pattern I came up with on a short shanked hook. I tie it using medium gray, warm gray, tan, cocoa brown, and even a golden straw color. Clint's Cinnamon Sedge Extended Body   (October Caddis) Hook: Kamasan B160 sizes #14-20 Thread: Vee...

During the summer months my midge box evolves and changes slowly. Hook sizes progressively get small and smaller, and the patterns themselves get more and more sparse. My quilled green midge fly is one of my most productive patterns. It is easy to see, floats great when tied on a short shank wide gap hook, and seems to fool the fish in the most shallowest of water. As the summer transitions into fall my midge colors become darker and eventually black is the dominant color in my box. The green midges are relatively successful for me through October. Green Quill Adult Midge Hook: TMC 531 #16-22 Thread: Veevus 14/0 light green Body: Quill dyed Ritt Apple Green over dyed Kelly Green Legs: Pheasant tail dyed Ritt Brown over dyed with Ritt Lemon Yellow Underwing: Aero Wing Dry Fly small clump of fibers Medium Dun Wing: Hen cape tips dyed medium dun Hackle: Medium Dun This is a relatively easy fly to tie. A single quill body wrapped around a short shanked wide ...

 above & below: A just completed  7'9" Isaac Zane  for Nathan Hale of Colorado Springs CO. (click photos to enlarge) {7’9” 5wt. “Isaac Zane”} This has become my favorite go-to rod for new river prospecting. I’ve fished this taper for many years over a wide variety of rivers primarily because of it’s diverse casting range.  A delicate combination of clear wraps and black or red tipping with a down locking domed cap and ring reel seat. A subtle tapered swelled butt is eye catching above the grade A cork grip. This rod may also be ordered with a down sliding cap and ring set or threaded barrel set. Blued or polished nickel hardware and a hand rubbed curly Koa or walnut burl reel seat make this rod very pleasing to the eye. This rod is a great throughout the season go anywhere rod. All Signature Rods come with a milled nickel finial style ferrule plug. Each rod is hand rubbed and polished then fitted with a cashmere rod bag. The Signature Rods...

Turning a tiered winding check for  a new “Trails End” 7' 4wt. If you've ever seen a model 1873 Colt .45 Peacemaker from the barrel to the grip all of the elements of the hardware have a definitive cadence. The craftsmanship when it comes to the original intent of the firearm from function to form is unwavering. I often use the term “Mr. Potato Head” when I look at a fly rod, firearm, automobile, etc... that have both features and functions that are unintentional adaptations and lack harmony. Unlike the Colt .45 Peacemaker, the result is a product that has no sense of place or point of view.  When I was 26 years old I was called out of class at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena CA and driven out to San Bernardino to meet the engineers and designers at Saturn (prior to the brand launch in the marketplace) they were unveiling their vehicles for the first time in a large auditorium. I was 1 out of 8 other designers pulled from ACCD to critique the new Saturn vehi...

 I wanted to do a second followup post on the TMC 531. In my original post I spoke briefly about the merits of the 531. I also mentioned to be mindful of the fine wire on this hook and that care must be taken with larger fish. The photo below shows a recent 18" brown taken on a TMC 531 #16. Noticeably the following photo of the actual fly the trout was taken on shows the hook bent to about the 4 or 5 o'clock position. The hook still held the fish securely till landing. For picky large browns the venerable TMC 531 is a great choice. above: A large Mad River brown taken on a #16 Biot Wing Caddis (BWC) below: The fly it was taken on using a TMC 531, still in tact and held till landing the fish. Notice the the deformation of the hook gap.

The world of dry fly hooks can be a mind numbing experience when considering all the choices worldwide. There are a lot of considerations when it comes to the specific pattern and hook. The geometry of the dry fly hook and uniform scale relative to the pattern is what I always think about. If your testing patterns constantly like I do it can keep you up at night. I have gotten in some mind numbing conversations with guides (typically Canadian) and weekend warriors alike. Over the years I have found a common ground with my tying tastes and given fishing circumstances. I typically “tie small” which means that the patterns tend to be somewhat sparse, compact, and often deceptively small. The Tiemco 531 is the hook I use to tie deceptively small. The 531 is the most effective hook I have ever used, and I have used it for years. I would say seventy percent of my dry flies are dressed on a TMC 531. The 531 is a fine black wire hook with a slight barb. It is a short shank hook with a wid...

I have spent many years using a product by the name of Novus. Many years ago I wrote an article for The Planing Form news letter on this particular line of products. Novus cleaners and polishes will clean water spots, clear up minor scratches, and maintain a clear conditioned finish on your rod sections and wraps. Originally this product was used for keeping aircraft cockpit canopies clear and conditioned. Over the years it has proved itself in many different categories when it comes to cleaning and conditioning both plastics and certain finishes. Polyurethane, spar, spar polyurethane, and even tung oil finishes benefit greatly when combined with a regular cleaning regimen using the Novus line. Graphite rods also benefit when using this product for cleaning and conditioning purposes. ~For general cleaning halfway through the fishing season use the #2“Fine Scratch Remover” followed by the #1“Plastic Clean and Shine”. Rub the compounds in lightly using an old t-shirt scrap or a so...

Depending on where your fishing in the world odds are there will be a Caddis somewhere ready to land on the water. The variables of this prolific fly are seemingly limitless. Most of the Caddis coming off the water in my neck of the woods are a steely gray that leans towards a warm bronze color as seen in the above photo. These little guys are generally what you see throughout the summer months but vary depending exact hatch and month. I tie a lot of detached body patterns using my own dyed micro chenille. The Caddis fly in a few of it's life stages lends itself to using a wide gap hook such as the Kamasan B160. In tandem with the detached body I use dyed biots for wing cases. The Detached Body Caddis with Biot Wing (click below images to enlarge) Thread: Veevus 14/0 Gray or Brown Hook: Kamasan B160 Wing: Book matched dyed bronze gray biots (left feather biot, right feather biot orientation~ both biot ribs meet at top portion of wing case, concave around dtached body...