Starling and Purple

[Roadkill]

Back in '92, I built myself a 6'6" Lamiglas 4 Wt. for those brushy little creeks in Eastern Oregon. Didn't need much distance, but relied on a bow and arrow cast most of the time.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Back in '92, I built myself a 6'6" Lamiglas 4 Wt. for those brushy little creeks in Eastern Oregon. Didn't need much distance, but relied on a bow and arrow cast most of the time.

High banks and over hanging branches are the name of the game around here, unless your fishing a still water from a boat. In most places you need a 20 to 30 foot cast to get to the fish. I can get 40 with my little 3 weight, with no problem. A side arm snake roll gets me under the bushes and away from the high bank. Around here river smallmouth and crappie inhabit most of the moving water here, unless they stock some decent trout.

[Brooktrout52]

This post inspired me to tie up a bunch in 14 & 16. Added a small bead head to some of them. Yesterday was on a small stream that I had not had any success on for several years. After trying some of the usual suspects and getting nothing I tied on a #16 with bead head. Took a nice 12 inch brown that gave a great fight on my 5x tippet. Was great to catch a healthy brown because last summer this stream had a catastrophic fish kill in this section. Nice to see the stream is recovering.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

This post inspired me to tie up a bunch in 14 & 16. Added a small bead head to some of them. Yesterday was on a small stream that I had not had any success on for several years. After trying some of the usual suspects and getting nothing I tied on a #16 with bead head. Took a nice 12 inch brown that gave a great fight on my 5x tippet. Was great to catch a healthy brown because last summer this stream had a catastrophic fish kill in this section. Nice to see the stream is recovering.

Very cool! That makes me smile.

[Mike62]

Back in '92, I built myself a 6'6" Lamiglas 4 Wt. for those brushy little creeks in Eastern Oregon. Didn't need much distance, but relied on a bow and arrow cast most of the time.

High banks and over hanging branches are the name of the game around here, unless your fishing a still water from a boat. In most places you need a 20 to 30 foot cast to get to the fish. I can get 40 with my little 3 weight, with no problem. A side arm snake roll gets me under the bushes and away from the high bank. Around here river smallmouth and crappie inhabit most of the moving water here, unless they stock some decent trout.

No smallies or crappie up here, but the salmon to trout ratio this spring is staggering, more so than usual. If I catch 10 fish, 9 of them are going to be salmon. Brookies are a rare commodity so far. At one point I tied on a starling and purple that Alan (Brktrt) had given me, but no no avail. Alan would have scolded me for not fishing it with 'passion'.

[DOUGSDEN]

Mike,
Well said about Alan P. He was a peach of a guy and a whiz at the vice not only with soft-hackles of all sorts but with feather wing streamers tied in the traditional way! Mounting two and sometimes four long hackles vertically on top of the hook shank is never as easy at the tying videos make it out to be! He did it and did it well!
His soft-hackles were to die for!
Doug in the Den

[Mike62]

Mike,
Well said about Alan P. He was a peach of a guy and a whiz at the vice not only with soft-hackles of all sorts but with feather wing streamers tied in the traditional way! Mounting two and sometimes four long hackles vertically on top of the hook shank is never as easy at the tying videos make it out to be! He did it and did it well!
His soft-hackles were to die for!
Doug in the Den

I'll put your soft hackles right next to his, all day long. I'm a better tier for having known you both; so thank you.

[DOUGSDEN]

Mike,
Huge compliment and I really appreciate it! Really, I stand in the shadows (peering out) of the tall timbers that make up the Flymph Forum! I learn and try to retain (it's getting tougher all the time) the info that everyone has graced me with including yourself! Our sport is so richly blessed with info from the past masters and the current disciples! The literature is the legacy that we have to fall back on with the current leaders providing the wisdom and practicality that enriches both our tying and fishing!
Yes, there are many great and wonderful benefits to being a Forum member! There are simply no other places like it anywhere!
I want to put a big shout out to John Shaner for his encyclopedic knowledge of the subject and his willingness to share what he knows and has with all of us! Thank you John! You are my modern hero!
From the Summertime Den,
Doug

[joaniebo]

Awhile back, I tied a bunch of starling hackled flies using the YLI Eggplant silk.