Casselman River, 5.23.2009 - 5.24.2009

I went on my first real outing this weekend to the Casselman River in Grantsville, MD. Because of the weather my time on the water has been very limited this year, but I hope that changes. It was a great weekend, and probably the best two days of fishing I've ever had on the Casselman. For a holiday weekend I expected it to be very crowded because it does get crowded out there, but this weekend it was strangely empty. Saturday I had the river to myself and Sunday, the few people I saw were gone by mid morning. I like being alone when I'm fishing. For me, it just helps me relax and concentrate and I always fish better alone.

The fishing was simply amazing. I pretty much stayed in the same place all weekend. It's one of my favorite spots and it was so productive I had no reason to move. I did look at a couple of other areas at the end of the first day but I didn't see much going on.

I'm not a fish counter and I'm not good at estimating size. Neither of these things matter much to me and I get annoyed when I'm with people who play the numbers game. Having said that, I would guess that for two days I caught and released well over 30 fish. That's a lot of fish for that river or for any river in this area to be honest. Some were in the 12' - 14" range, most were in the 15" to 17" range and one was well over 20", maybe 24" or 25".

For the most part, I used a handful of flies. Stimulator dries with basically one of 3 droppers; a caddis larvae, a little brown nymph that I started tying last year, or a caddis pupae. I also fished a bwo viz-a-dun for about an hour and did pretty well, but with the exception of a few fish that went for the dry flies, they were mostly caught on the droppers. Once I got the depth of the dropper dialed in, it was just crazy. I caught fish on several consecutive casts from the same run.

Like I said, it was the best two days that I've had there and two of the best days I've had period. I make no apologies for that. To me it makes up for all of the hard days that I've had to grind through, all the while dreaming of days like these. The best part is that I learned a few things while I was out there too. I'll tell you about those things sometime soon.

Tight lines.

My Fly Box Fetish

That's right. I have a fly box fetish. But it's not just about fly boxes in general, though I do have my favorites of course and I think they are very cool. My fetish is for fly boxes that are full of flies in neat, well organized rows. Fly boxes that are full of one-off flies that are crammed in every which way don't do much for me. I know that some people look at a messy fly box like that and think that it says something about the owners dedication and passion. Maybe that's true, but to me, a well organized box that has row after row of the same or similar flies in different sizes and colors tells me that the owner knows what works and doesn't care to waste time searching through a hundred different flies to find the one that he wants. It tells me that the owner himself is well organized and methodical. Very seldom do you see anglers standing in the stream with their rods under their arms, staring into a well organized fly box. More often than not, they are staring into a mess and have no clue what they are looking for.

Very Nice!

A while back, Fly Fisherman Magazine published photos of John Barr's fly boxes. To me this was the equivalent of fly box pornography. I'm a big fan of Mr. Barr and I think his flies are exceptional. Of course, even he admits that his boxes don't stay in such a perfect state when he's doing a lot of fishing.

One of John Barr's Boxes from
Fly Fisherman Magazine.

I won't go into how fly boxes should or shouldn't be organized. To me that's a personal thing even though there are some sensible rules of thumb that most people follow. But very often, people organize their fly boxes in ways that sometimes makes sense only to them, which is cool. I like that there is a sense of personality and even mystery to fly box organization. I think that's how it should be. But I have to admit, the sight of some of these fly boxes just fascinates me. I could stare at them for hours...

This guy knows what he's doing!

What Are You Looking At?

We've heard it a thousand times haven't we? When you get to the stream, don't just jump into it. Wait a few minutes and observe the water first. How many of us do that? How many of us even know what that means? Today I'd like to explore this a bit and go into some detail about what you should be observing during that time. What should we be thinking about? What should we be looking for? Here in western Maryland, the rain has kept us off the streams for a few weeks now and when the weather finally cooperates, many of us will rush out to our favorite streams and in our excitement, most of us will ignore this critical first step and as a result, we'll make mistakes. So let's take a moment and prepare for success...

Observation.

We arrive streamside and jump out of the truck and quickly get into our waders, rig up our rods and many of us tie on a fly before we even see the water. What do we tie on? Well, if you're like most of the people I know and like most fly fisherman in general, it'll be the fly that you've had the most success with. Parachute Adams? Stimulator? Copper John? Some combination of those flies? Next time, hold off on your fly selection until you've stood streamside and gathered some information. Granted, your default fly choice may work just fine, but if you know more about what's happening on the stream, you may be able to fine tune your selection and have a lot more success.

First, let's touch on some general facors that will have an effect on that days fishing. Ask yourself these questions or make these observations...

- What's the weather like? Is it sunny? Overcast? Does it look like rain?
- What time of year is it? Which insects are the most likely candidates to be active?
- What time of day is it? Is it early enough that it's going to get warmer soon? Is it late enough that it's going to get cooler soon?

Now, you can be more specific in your observations about the stream. Some of these may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many things get overlooked because we're in a rush.

- What is water clarity like? What is the flow like? What is the water temperature?
- Can you spot any fish? Do you see any rises? If so, what types of rises are they? Are they loud and splashy or are they more subtle? This will give you a clue about whether the fish are feeding on or just below the surface.
- No rises? Pick out the most obvious lies. I know you're wearing polarized glasses, so try to see into the runs and maybe you can see the flashes of fish feeding more deeply.
- If you don't seem to see any fish, read the stream and identify all the locations that might hold fish.

You'll also notice any insect activity around this time. Sometimes it's as easy as seeing them on the water or in the air. Sometimes you'll see birds feeding on insects above the stream. Sometimes the bugs will be really cooperative and land on you while you're observing the stream. You can also give the streamside vegetation a shake and see what flies out. This makes fly selection much easier...

Of course, it's just as likely that you won't see any insects at all. This is when your local knowledge comes into play, but if you find yourself in a new area or if you're exploring a new stream, you may not have that information. Fortunately you can find hatch charts and plenty of up to the minute information online or from local fly shops. This just means doing some homework before you hit the stream.

If you don't have any information about the local insect activity and you don't see anything when you get to the stream, you can always use a sein to get a sample of any insects that may be present. But if not, you'll have to rely on what you've learned in your fly fishing experience and make the best guess that you can. When I'm in this situation I fall back on patterns that I've had success with and have the most confidence in. If the fish aren't rising, you might just tie on an attractor nymph pattern and start prospecting. If they are rising, and you can't tell what they're eating, pick an attractor dry pattern and give it a shot. The Adams is such a productive fly because it passes for a variety of insects and is a great fly to use in situations like this. You might try tying on a small pheasant tail nymph as a dropper and increase your odds.

Fly selection can be a complex subject to discuss, so I'll say more about this in a future post. Just know that the more you understand about what's happening in the stream, you'll make better choices and have more success.

Make a plan.

Now that you know things like where the fish are (or might be) and whether or not they are feeding and how they are feeding, it's time to make a plan. Choose the prime location that you plan to concentrate on and decide how best to approach that location. Chances are, there will be some potentially productive areas between where you will enter the stream and where you intend to fish. You should plan to cover these areas as you slowly make your way to your chosen destination. I should also add, that unless you absolutely have to wade or enter the water, you should avoid it. My favorite streams have so much tree cover along the banks I almost always have to wade, but when a situation comes up where I can avoid it, I do.

Another thing to think about when making your plan is whether or not you'll be able to make a backcast from where you'll be standing. If not, then you should think about your casting alternatives before you get there. There's nothing more frustrating than going through all of this preperation, taking the time to get into position slowly and silently and then snagging your fly on the branch behind you.

One last thing I want to mention about casting position, is that casting positions are not always the best places to land a fish once you've hooked it. If you're releasing your fish, this has to be a consideration. Releasing a fish in fast water almost guarantees that that fish will not make it. When I get into position to make my presentation, I always ask myself if this is a good place to release a fish. If not, I make a plan for playing the fish into slower, safer water so I can release the fish with a high probability of it's survival. Another option is to net the fish and then wade into a better spot for release. If I'm in a situation where maneuvering the fish into slower water is dangerous for me because of the current, slippery rocks, etc..., I will simply choose a different place to make my presentation or I'll move to another area of the stream.

You can see now that there is some real value in having a plan, not only for where you want to fish and how you want to fish, but also for including a plan for what to do when you hook a fish.

Execute.

Once you have these things figured out it's time to execute your plan. It seems like a lot to think about, but in reality it only takes a few minutes. Use this time to relax a bit...breathe. It's still important to remember to wade slowly into position, and once you get there, it often pays off to take a few moments to observe the situation again now that you're closer. Things can change. Now that you're in position, you might notice a large fish feeding near the opposite bank that you couldn't see before, and suddenly you have some new decisions to make. My point here is that you must stay aware of your surroundings and be flexible. Fly fishing is about making adjustments and the best fisherman are observant, persistent and methodical.

Execute your plan with confidence and stay positive. After all, you're fishing and as far as I'm concerned, that fact alone is almost enough to call it a successful day.

13

I probably have more gear than I need. Ok, maybe I shouldn't say 'probably' - I definitely have more gear than I need. So lately I've been thinking about gear and trying to decide which items I consider to be essential. These 13 items have become mainstays for me because they are all well designed, durable, functional and they are all pretty cost effective. The list is in no particular order and the fact that there are 13 items has no hidden meaning either.

1. Petzl Tikka Plus Headlamps
2. C&F Design Fly Boxes
3. Cliff Outdoors Days Worth Fly Boxes
4. Morningstar Lanyards
5. Rio Tippet and Leaders
6. Scientific Anglers Mastery Series Trout Fly Lines
7. Fishpond Waterdance Guide Packs
8. St. Croix Legend Ultra Fly Rods
9. Temple Fork Outfitters TiCr Fly Rods
10. Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor Reels
11. Okuma Helios Reels
12. Smith Optics Polarized Sunglasses
13. Dr. Slick Tools

Lastly, I would just like to add that when you're evaluating gear it's important to know what your expectations are for any particular item. Not everyone's definition of quality is the same and we all look for our gear to perform in slightly different ways. Understanding exactly what you expect from a piece of gear will not only help you decide if it works for you, but will also help you choose new gear in the future. Let's face it, there's a ton of choices out there and many of us cannot afford to make mistakes...

Resolution Calling

It's snowing outside. For those of us who thought that we'd rush right into spring and soon find ourselves back out on the water, this is a mental setback. A couple of weeks ago I ran out to the Casselman in hopes of stealing a decent day on an empty river, but it was high, fast and that shade of chocolate milk brown that tells you that you're several weeks away yet. Maybe the best you can do is stay home, tie flies and try not to let your spirits get too low. I actually enjoy fishing through the winter. There's a unique satisfaction that comes from being outside in bad weather, and catching fish makes it that much better. I've made it a personal tradition to fish on the last day of every year. So far there have been two exceptions. In 2007 I was recovering from back surgery. In 2008 I was in the process of healing fresh tattoos. This year will be different. I'm aware of the need to make 2009 much more extreme than the last couple of years have been. My back has been a major setback, but I'm determined to overcome the constant pain and get back to doing what I love. Maybe I'll camp on New Year's Eve and fish on New Year's Day. That way I can catch the last fish of 2009 and the first of 2010. That seems like a pretty good plan. The camping part will make up for missing the last 2 years...

I used the word extreme and maybe I shouldn't have. It's become overused recently and I don't want to be associated with the latest extreme fly fishing fad. It's a curious thing. It seems to me that the fly fishing manufacturers have teamed up with some young, adventurous folks and have created new ways to sell products to people. I fell into the trap myself until I realized that I have no use for a lightning fast fly rod that will cast every inch of fly line from my reel. I'll spend the $700 + on something else. I also can't see myself standing in a river wearing a pair of $800 waders. Mine were less than $100 and they keep me dry, which I understand to be the main selling point of waders. Truth be told, I wet wade more than I wear waders these days , so the decision not to spend that kind of money on waders is easy. Not to mention the fact that I don't have that kind of money just laying around anyway, but I seem to have gotten off topic a bit here.

My plan this year is to spend the kind of time on the water that I've been telling myself I am going to spend. I intend to walk a line somewhere between casual and extreme. I think if I can manage two trips a month I'll be happy. Any more than that and I will consider myself lucky. I don't have the kind of life that allows me to spend weeks or months in exotic destinations, so I will focus on the areas that I can drive to within a day or so. It's pretty much always been this way for me. Still, I hope for one trip out west somewhere and I'll plan and save and if it happens, it'll be great and if it doesn't, at least I have Maryland, Pennsylvania and maybe even West Virginia and Virginia. So while it continues to snow, I'll take the time to fill in some of the gaps in my fly boxes in preparation of a very active spring.

Yes, this year will be different. I'll fish more. I'll tie more flies. I'll sleep outdoors more. I'll teach more. I'll write more. I'm bringing back my old South Mountain Angler site and I intend to make it bigger and better than it was before. The Trout Tribe will be much more active this year as well. I'll tell you more about the Tribe and it's members in the days ahead. For anyone that finds this blog and decides to stick it out with me, I thank you for that and promise good things to come - both entertaining and educational. I'm not much into resolutions, having never really lived up to them in the past, but I feel inspired to be better this year, and I look forward to telling you all about it!

Talk to you soon.

Dark on the Horizon...

South Mountain Angler returns in March 2009.

Wait for it...

In the mean time, buy some South Mountain Angler Gear!!