SHOP NOTES | C.J. BOVA RODS

“Estuary Afterglow” 24 x24 oil on canvas |  by Clint Bova |  June 2025 “Often I will wait till the sun goes just behind a berm along a river then start sketching and making color notes.  Its in those few minutes that the light becomes filtered, there is a noticeable change in the sounds of the birds, trees, and water. Then like a flash the evening brings on a more monochromatic hush” notes from my sketchbook May 25th 2025 ~Clint Bova www.clintbova.com  

On my previous post I discussed some big advantages to carrying a few damselfly patterns in your fly boxes during the summer months. There are over 3000 recorded species of damselflies worldwide in the order Odonata. These waterborne insects have very thin, elongated abdomens and two pairs of wings. The eyes are compound and the hindwings are generally the same size as the forewing. Unlike their dragonfly counterparts they are very gossamer and less aggressive. These are delicate little insects so hopefully I'm doing them justice with this simple and sparse pattern. Over time I have experimented with foam bodies, detached abdomens, and even moving segments. For the last decade the following pattern is where I have landed on materials and hooks. Take your time with this pattern and it will pay dividends on the water. fig. 1 I am rendering this pattern using the Hanak 300 BL #14 with a cobalt blue stripped peacock quill. The Hanak 300 is a wonderful hook that I really like because of...

  The adult Damselfly is a prolific waterborne insect that doesn't quite get the press that it deserves. As a fly tyer this insect has a special place in my arsenal season after season. For a bug that has been around since the Late Jurassic period. The Zygoptera are an ancient blend of beautifully proportioned abdomens, wings, and thorax that all started 152 million years ago. So as a fly tyer it's top tier subject matter to say the least!  This micro pattern is displayed in this entry using the Hanak 300 BL size 14 and uses pullet tips fixed into a horizontal position coupled with SLF Spikey Squirrel UV and two pairs of knotted pheasant tail legs. The body is made of royal blue dyed Polish Quill. My intent was to create a micro pattern for selective trout in low and slow waters. Many patterns that render the the adult Damsel are very large and use a meriad of synthetics that underrates its very gossamer and delicate qualities. The above video gives you the materials breakdown...

“Silent Cast” |  18x22 Oil on Canvas |  May 2025 Along the banks of the Mad River during the spring storms I always find myself in awe of the extreme weather patterns in the Midwest. Being born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands I did not quite plan to stay very long here but there is a kind of lonesome beauty here that fuels me. Rivers are much more intimate to me than oceans but both have captivated my interest since I was a little boy.                                                  for more original riverscapes please visit clintbova.com

One of my clients requested a video short of my Biot Wing Caddis. This pattern variant I've developed over the last 22 years and has paid vast dividends and never leave home without it. A dubbing loop collar made of squirrel and beaver replaces a traditional hackle collar for this fly. Either a dun hackle collar or a fiber laden dubbing loop works fine. You can also view this video on my you tube channel simply click this link~  “Hook Shorts” ~Enjoy!           ~Clint Bova     ww.cjbovarods.com

One of my clients asked me last week to tie up a dozen Adult Grannoms on a Hanak 300 BL hook. H e wanted a specific blend of Beaver Belly and SLF Squirrel. Also as specified a warm dun CDC underwing. I felt the selections were notable so I decided it warranted an entry. I have been tying more and more flies lately on Hanak hooks more than likely because of the pattern flexibility and hooking success rates of these barbless wonders. The combination of Beaver Belly mixed with SLF Spikey Squirrel makes for a varied and holographic looking fly. Most of these two mixtures is natural but the SLF does contain some synthetic fibers but not a lot.  The antennae is rendered in barred lemon duck flank, the underwing is a subtle warm gray CDC  from an old stash of Marc Petitjean primo select circa late 90's. Adult Summer Caddis | Genus Brachycentrus Hook: Hanak 300 BL #16 Thread: Veevus 14/0 Gray Body: Polish Quill Natural Legs: Micro Knotted Pheasant Tail Natural Dubbing: Blen...

I am honored and thrilled to be part of Modern Impressionism Magazine Feature “Spring Visions” for May and June 2025 edition. The painting “Night Herons Last Call” was selected, depicting an early spring morning on the Mad River tributary in Logan County Ohio. The painting is 24x24 oil on canvas and can also be seen on my website~ www.clintbova.com “Night Herons Last Call” 24x24 Oil on canvas by Clint Bova 2025  

The  Hanak 530 BL  is a very versatile hook, effective for emerger patterns, wets, and drys its a variable Swiss Army Knife of hooks. On a medium wire it can handle large trout yet still delicate enough to maintain very positive hook angles and float on sparse dressings. For emerger patterns it's a great choice for both caddis and mayflys alike. The above video shows the CDC Split Wing Mayfly in full profile on the Hanak 530 BL. click this link you can check out the full Hook Shorts on You Tube  Shown is the quill body using Polish Quills in a golden olive using SLF Spikey Squirrel in a light olive mixed with Superfine Dry Natural. The Wing case is using Canadian goose primary feather fibers A sparse dressing and very simple fly to tie using just the basics. I will do a full step by step on this pattern on my next entry you can also check out my You Tube channel and click the above link. Thanks for reading and watching! ~Clint Bova    

“Storm Rift”  20x20 Oil On Canvas |  Clint J Bova 20205 I am very honored to announce I have been selected and included in this years American Tonalist Society Shades of Gray III. A line up of some of the best Tonalist painters in America will show this year including myself in Sheridan Wyoming. I will be submitting my trout river paintings that have been completed over the last 14 months. Visit my site for original fine art trout stream landscapes:   www.clintbova.com I will post my final submissions in a few months for the Shades of Gray III Exhibition in Sheridan Wyoming, thanks for all your support! ~Clint Joseph Bova www.cjbovarods.com  

This is a fly I often turn to in late September and early October. The late season caddis are coming off the water and around here it's usually in the late afternoon hours. A relatively simple fly to tie you can substitute a CDC main wing and dial it down for a slower water version. The above and below photos show this pattern with micro knotted pheasant tail legs but you can leave them off if desired. Tied on a Tiemco 212Y #16 this fly has proven itself in my arsenal for a few decades. Ginger Snap | Fall Caddis Emerger Hook: TMC 212Y or Hanak H 530 BL sizes 16-20 Thread: Veevus 14/0 ginger Body: Polish Quill ginger (Holly Hansen Top Coat) Wing 1: Ginger CDC x3 Underwing 2 : Coastal Deer Hair Legs: Knotted ginger pheasant tail Dubbing: Beaver Belly or SLF Spikey Squirrel light or dark ginger The above two photo shows an alternate hook for this pattern, the Hanak 530 BL, is a great choice for those fishing in barbless only water as I often do in Pennsylvania. Tie in Polish Qu...

“Spring Pocketwater”  18X22 oil on wood panel Spring 2025 On my walks in many of the tributaries around Logan County I'm constantly looking for hidden gems. This little confluence is no exception. Logan County is riddled with hundreds of spring fissures and karst phenomenon. These geological factors paired with exceptional light make it a Mecca for my landscape painting pursuits. ~Clint Bova for more of my trout stream original fine art landscapes visit:  www.clintbova.com  

  Many of my subscribers have been asking me how I tint my fly bodies so I will hopefully divulge some useful information on this topic. Alcohol dyes typically will mingle well with lacquers and solvent based clear coats. Top coats such as Sally Hansen nail products work well too. I use these “top coat” products quite a bit with tints especially for emerger bodies, caddis, mayfly, and terrestrial abdomens.  Liquid tinting products that are alcohol based tend to mingle better with clear coat lacquer based products. TransTint is a product line that is sold by Woodcraft that has a dozen or so color tints that cover my tinting needs for fly tying. You can achieve nice transparencies and dial opacity up or down depending on your mixing ratios. For those who like to create UV resin bodies the tints also mingle well with the resin but too much will cause the resin to take longer to kick or not at all. Special care should be taken when mixing and applying these products because you'r...

  A few days ago one of my followers asked me if I tie up my sparse spent wing midges using alternate colors and materials so I thought I would write an entry on my Goblin Snatcher. As we well know crippled mayflies, caddis, and midges in their “wings down” position signals a red light to trout. They will pass up duns in their upright position and focus completely on sipping in the crippled unfortunates. Midges flutter at 1000 + WBPS otherwise known as wing beats per minute. That's one very athletic water born insect! There are more than 20,000 different midge species worldwide. The scientific name is Chironomidae and are even found in the Arctic and Antarctic.  Most adult midge imitations are rendered with the wings back in a more delta wing position which is considered a resting position. Once stuck in the surface film wings are splayed and no longer moving at break neck speeds. Trout being the opportunists that they are, now dial in on the less athletic and considerably han...

  This is one of my most popular rods going 23 plus years strong. It has caught record fish dating back to 1998. A quick tip and fast loader in tight, The “Iron Midge” is a very versatile rod and is my own personal favorite for smaller spring creeks and high elevation tributaries. The venerable 6'9" 4wt. 2pc. “Iron Midge” with spalted maple spacer a highly responsive tip yet soft enough not to break off 7x tippet. www.cjbovarods.com All “warm blued” nickel hardware applied with iron oxide bluing, hence the name “Iron midge” Blued amber agate stripper coupled with crystal clear wraps tipped with scarlet red ...and I mean crystal! All of my rods are fitted with a custom finial ferrule plug Iron Midge 6'9" 4wt. brings it home with a 28" Brown on 6x select this link to go to www.cjbovarods.com to see all weights and models “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin curr...