Night Fishing Anticipation

Night Fishing. There is something special in it, but it is hard to say what. It is much more difficult and I rarely (read: never) catch more fish at night.

But that fish, which I don’t really see but only hear splashing the water, can be the biggest and fattest brown trout in river. He's a hunter. I’m a fisherman.



Oh, and I like bats!

Three things of importance

An Illuminated Tree

It has been on the river bank for decades. It has been in the sunshine for thousands of days. But for the first time it was illuminated for you.

A Discussion and the Practice of the Underhand Cast

In this cast, leader and fly are used as an anchor to load the fly rod against tension of water. When the timing is perfect, and only then, the fly line will shoot like an arrow from bow. Practice it a hundred times, and each time you do it right (maybe once or twice in first hundred casts), you feel it like you had never really cast before. It is that magical; a pure form of joy.

A Piece of Wood

Once living, now dead. It served its purpose and still does.

The Proof

It's a small stream, so the pool is a miniature version of the ideal pool. It has all the characteristics however: strong current feeds it from upstream run, its bottom drops deep slowing the current and trapping drifting insects into the turbulence. The current gathers again at the tailout where the trout lie.

The pool must be approached carefully, taking cover from bank and trees, and finally casting a streamer to the current. The streamer mimics the dying minnow perfectly, swimming slowly, flashing its side, slowly but surely dying as an easy prey. The animated death sequence becomes prolonged, yet the fly is left untouched.

Same pattern in a different color, the motions repeated but the results remain. Give the pool a rest.

* * *

Later the line is rigged with two nymph patterns and a spilt shot. One of the flies is a flashback caddis larva pattern and the other is more natural and subtle nymph pattern.

The take is so subtle that it is almost unnoticeable. Tighten the line and a trout is on. It is hard to judge its size, and then it splashes water throwing the hook. There is only one person near the pool so it is clear who should be blamed.

New cast and eyes fixed to the end of line drifting through the pool. The motion stops just before it should speed up.

Just before landing the trout it becomes evident which fly has been accepted. And that is the best part.



A fly tied and designed by The Mad Fishicist.

Awe

Sometimes Nature pulls her special tricks. It happened yesterday, on a calm early summer evening. All the sudden, out of nowhere, it came: the high winds bending the trees, bring sunset-sunlight, a few raindrops and the roaring of the stream. It felt cold and warm at the same time. Everything was very much alive.

From Small Streams

I tried to take a few pictures of the moment, yet only a fraction was captured to digital media.

From Small Streams

No Comment

From Misc 2007

Fish Prints by Jack Brown

Gyotaku (pronounced something like "jo-taku") is an ancient Japanese art form in which prints are made by inking a fish and pressing rice paper on it. In Japanese, "gyo" means "fish" and "taku" means "print" or "rubbing." It's harder than it sounds.
- John Giearach

Jack Brown lived seven and a half years in Japan during the late seventies. During that time he fished, and learned the six hundred years old art of Gyotaku. Used originally to record impressions of fish, nowadays Gyotaku receives enthusiastic reception as a decorative and interpretive art form. Today fish rubbings and prints can be seen displayed alongside other notable pieces of art.


Jack sent me two absolutely beautiful prints: a brown trout and a steelhead. The fish rubbings made by Jack Brown are great gifts for fishermen.

Visit his website at www.kechenenyfishprints.com

Rod Building - Part 13: The stripping guides

From Fly Rod

After little fun with the power tools (must use them at least once a year) the stripping guides are ready to be attached to the blank.

From Fly Rod

This Temple Fork Outfitters blank was supplied with large stripping guides. They will add a bit weight to the rod but will make the shooting of fly line a bit more effective.

Note: I'm waiting for a shipment of single footed guides for this rod to arrive in any day. Should that happen, this rod might actually be finished in time for the May/June streamer fishing.

Small streams (I am in love)

Saturday morning I decided to take a look at some small streams no more than an hour drive from my home. Small streams are true treasures, best of them usually hidden and hard to find.

A road less travelled - From Small Streams

I found the stream.

From Small Streams

And finally had time for my precious little girl.

From Small Streams

She is even more amazing than I thought. She casts like an angel, and none of the fishes - ranging from 35 cm to 42 cm or about 14" to 16.5" - were match to her.

From Small Streams

New fishing season is beginning.

From Small Streams

I am in love, and alive again.

Leadercalc 2007

Steve Schweitzer has updated his Leadercalc formulas. If you make your own leaders or plan to do so, check Leadercalc 2007 at Global Fly Fisher - it is the best resource you can find about hand tied leaders.

In 2006 I used exclusively hand tied leaders, this year I plan also to use some ready made standard leaders and as well as braided leaders.

Respect

My grandfather was a farmer. He was also a fisherman, but I wouldn't call him an angler as he preferred fishing with nets. And he caught a lot of fish in his lifetime. Those fishes he caught were the meat; he fished because his family needed it. But he loved it.

As long as I can remember I've always been greatly interested in fishing. Never the nets, which was a disappointment for him I am sure, but the angling. In my childhood, we spend the summers at my grandfather's farm, and I fished most of the time. I caught only a fraction of what my grandfather caught.

There is a single moment in my life that I remember my grandfather best, it was the moment when I landed a big pike and my grandfather was there, and he looked at me and said finally with certain respect in his voice “Well Olli, it looks like you are fisherman after all.”



It still feels good.

Rod Building - Part 12: The tip-top

If you, like me, have spent your lifetime wondering things, and if you, like me, are fascinated by fly rods, then you know that I just had to do this.

From Fly Rod

One isn't enough.

Realistic Stonefly Nymph. Tied by Tomas Whitehouse

From Tomas Whitehouse

It feels just as real as it looks.

Tomas and Tuuli have a great website and shop at www.tntflies.com