Russ Miller from RIO talks about How To Fish European Nymph Style

https://midcurrent.com/videos/how-to-fish-european-nymph-style/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1566cb1ade-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_MAY_31_2019_VIDEOS_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-1566cb1ade-18929377&mc_cid=1566cb1ade&mc_eid=bb6eaedbe9

I used this style of fishing in Slovenia this past June and have to say that I was impressed. At first I didn't believe that bigger fish could be landed on 6X and 7X tippet, but this technique made a believer out of me. Our water here is the lowest of the year and the European style of nymphing is also a perfect technique for low clear water.

Am I converting? No way. I like my dry flies and fly casting, and I always find casting long leaders a challenge, but I do believe that if you adapt even some of this to your fishing style, there will be times when you will see a huge difference in the number of fish caught. Why not give it a try and see for yourself?

 Flight Attendant Safety Spiels

We all know the drill...before the plane takes off, the flight attendants have to tell us what we need to do regarding cabin safety in the event of an emergency. Most of us watch the demonstrations every single time because we know we should. It is exactly the same every single time. But what if the safety demonstrations went like these?

If you don't have time to watch all, don't miss The Comedian, The Sassy..., & The Rapper.

https://yourmileagemayvary.net/2019/09/08/some-of-the-funniest-flight-attendant-safety-shpiels-ever/?utm_source=BoardingArea&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=BA_Email_Sept1219

Super Simple Cinnamon Flying Ant

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie a hi-viz cinnamon ant that is a great choice for late summer and fall fishing. On many trout streams ants swarm in the fall and can provide some exciting fall fishing. It is usually this week that we see them on Fishing Creek and you can be sure the fly fishermen are watching for them to appear. Be sure to have some in your box.

https://midcurrent.com/videos/how-to-tie-a-cinnamon-flying-ant/?mc_cid=3572403975&mc_eid=bb6eaedbe9

Here are a couple more shots from the Bighorn trip.  Thanks for sharing, Randy.

This week our head guide, Jim Kukorlo, talks about early fall fishing and how it is different from summer fishing. We'd love to hear your comments and/or questions for Jim. Please use our comments section below.

 Early Fall Fishing Tactics

Where did summer go? School has started in most areas, football season is in full swing and people are talking about the Bloomsburg Fair. A hint of fall is in the air with cooler morning temperatures and the leaves are showing a slight yellow tint.

On the trout stream you can feel the difference in the water temperature and I replaced wearing shorts under my waders to long pants and a long sleeve shirt which feels good in the early mornings. It won't be long that it won't be necessary for early morning starts on the water and the best fishing times will shift from late morning to mid day.

I have already noticed that the trout aren't feeding on the surface has readily as they were just a week ago. Trout will still take a big juicy hopper or a Cathy's beetle in quiet pools so I'm using the hopper drop method with small zebra nymphs, cooper johns, pheasant tails, caddis pupa along with size 16 to 20 soft hackles.

As the day warms up the dry fly fishing gets a little better. Terrestrials patterns such as beetles, ants and hoppers work very well and are fun to fish.

Most fly fishermen are not aware of what great fly fishing the early fall season has to offer nor are they aware of the mayfly and caddis hatches that can occur. So here's a list of some of the hatches that occur this time of year and offer some good late season dry fly and subsurface action.

Early Fall Hatches – 
Flying Ants - I'm still hoping to see the flying ant hatch here on Fishing Creek. It doesn't last long but if you are lucky enough to be on the stream when it happens you might witness the water boiling with rising trout.

Slate Drakes – The first hatch of Slate Drakes happens in early June. The second brood hatches in early September and sporadically throughout the month and sometimes into October. It is characteristic of the nymph to crawl up on rocks along the shoreline to hatch into the dun. Duns will usually hatch mid day and often on rainy overcast days. This brood of Slate Drakes are a little smaller in size than the June brood. I use a size 12 or 14 hooks. Since the duns hatch on the rocks they very rarely hit the water so I concentrate mainly on fishing the nymph along the edges of pools and riffles.

Caddis – I have already seen small tan and brown caddis hatches this past week on Fishing Creek. And I had some success using a size 18 deer hair caddis pattern for my dry fly. Subsurface tan and brown caddis pupae and soft hackle patterns are also working very well. It's a little early to see the orange October caddis which I look forward to and tie on a size 10 hook.

BWO'S – The Little Blue Wing Olive fall hatch usually isn't as heavy as the early spring hatch, but this is one fly that you must have in your fly box in size 18 & 20s. I believe I have seen and fished a BWO hatch in all 12 months of the year. My favorite BWO nymph pattern is the BH Pheasant tail with a red, fluorescent green or orange hot spot behind the bead. For all of my matching-the-hatch dry flies I only tie compara duns — simple to tie and they catch fish.

TRICO'S – Although we don't have a trico hatch here on Fishing Creek, many streams in Pennsylvania do. The trico hatch starts in July and on some streams will last well into October. Pennsylvania spring creeks such as the Little Lehigh, Spring Creek, Falling Springs, Tulpehochen and others have a great trico hatch. If you don't like fishing small flies then the trico hatch may not be the hatch for you. I tie my tricos in hook sizes 22 to 24s with upturned eyes.

Although September is still too early to talk about spawning brown and brook trout, you will however start to see trout pairing up in preparation for spawning which usually takes place in mid-October. Depending on water conditions the pre spawn can offer some really good fly fishing. So let’s talk about other early fall fly patterns.

Early Fall Fly Patterns -
As we move into mid September small egg patterns and sucker spawn can be very productive. Trout seem to know what we do about the nutritional value of an egg. Do you remember the commercial - “The incredible edible egg?” With this in mind, I tie my sucker spawn and egg patterns in light yellow, pink and Oregon cheese colors in hook size 14 to 18.

Another must have fly is the Rusty Spinner. I carry rusty spinners in hook sizes 12 to 18. It's a great imitation for various spinners, not just in early fall but throughout the year.

Here's a quick list of non-hatch-matching fly patterns that catch fish for me when nothing else is working:

Black wooly buggers & super buggers
San Juan worms – pink and red
Squirmy wormy
Ugg bugs
Egg patterns
Sucker spawn
Pheasant tail nymphs
Caddis pupa
Small streamers

Early fall fly fishing offers pleasant weather conditions, hungry trout and some great fly fishing. Water conditions can vary from day to day so be ready to adapt the way you fish to the changes. It's just amazing to me to see how trout behavior changes with changing weather and water conditions. One day it's fishing small caddis dry flies and the next day small nymphs or sucker spawn is the only way to get the trout's attention. Either way it's just a great time to be out on the water.

The New Bighorn

From Barry
If you asked me my favorite tail water fishery I would immediately say Montana’s Bighorn. That’s been my answer for more than 30 years, and after spending the last two weeks on the ‘Horn with our Frontiers guests, that has not changed -- but the river has. For months I watched negative comments on the web about low fish numbers, high water levels, and woe-is-me complaints. At the end of two weeks I can honestly say that, yes, there are fewer fish and the fifty fish days are gone for now. The good news is the fish our group caught were some of the nicest and well-conditioned trout that we have ever seen on the ‘Horn. In my opinion the ‘Horn for the moment is quality versus quantity and I personally am fine with that.
The insect life is in great shape, tricos were on time every morning but anglers had to hunt to find heads up. The afternoon hopper fishing was incredibly good on the upper three miles but the best kept secret was the amazing fishing on the Afterbay. There were hundreds of carp and some nice rainbows eating tricos on the surface every morning. Heads were up everywhere and we had great fun fishing size twenty tricos. The carp became very selective and one bad cast and they were gone. Two Montana Fish & Game guys we met at the river made a point of saying that the big fish this year will be even bigger next season. We are excited about the future of the Bighorn River and look forward to returning in years to come. With that thought in mind our dates for the Bighorn are August 22-29 and August 29-Sept. 5, 2020.

Here are some images that our group took and shared with us.  Enjoy!

Report from the Bahamas

More than a week after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, thousands of people are without shelter and food, 2,500 are still missing and the death toll (currently at 50) is expected to significantly increase.

Some 15,000 people are still in need of simple necessities like shelter, water, and food according to the Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Limited commercial flights have resumed on Abaco, but the electrical infrastructure around Marsh Harbour, the island's largest city, has been destroyed.

If you have made a donation, thank you. If you haven't may we please ask that you consider making one today. It will make a huge difference to our friends, guides, and residents on Abaco and Grand Bahama.

We are linking to the Frontiers weekly newsletter for more information and to make a donation. We thank you very much.

 https://www.frontierstravel.com/bahamas-hurricane-dorian-relief   

54,331 Reasons for Africa

We asked our Africa group for the total number of photos they took.....before editing. The number was 54,331! That includes SLRs, cell phones, point-and-shoot – all photos. That's a lot of photo opportunities.

We also asked them to send in their favorite shots of the trip – up to 20 or so per person. This link takes you to the Facebook album of these shots. These are photos from experienced shooters to first-time-I-used-this-camera folks. It's an amazing collection of shots from an amazing trip.

Thank you again to the group that joined us in Africa. Our 2021 safari won't come fast enough!

 https://www.facebook.com/pg/barryandcathybeck/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2965743713466681

Hurricane Dorian

There will be many groups and organizations asking for donations to help rebuild homes, businesses, infrastructure, and lives in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. Many will be good honest groups with the monies raised going to the right place, but if you're unsure of who and where to donate and you want to help, the link below is a good place to start.

The Delphi Bonefish Club on Abaco has started a GoFundMe for employees and residents of the Marsh Harbor community and they can surely use our help. Read the message from the Delphi Club which was issued right after the storm passed.

https://mailchi.mp/delphi-bahamas/bonefish-permit-and-beaches-in-the-bahamas-2479397?e=c1b664fa12

Bighorn Report

After months of high water, the 'Horn is at a perfect water level and things are stabilizing. We're seeing tricos everyday but dry fly fishing has been spotty. We find the flies one morning and not the next, or in a new place. One day in the middle of the river and not at all the next, or tight against the bank. In the afternoons, and especially if we get a breeze, the hopper fishing has been better than in recent years. It's fun fishing big hoppers and not worrying about a delicate presentation. We're picking up fish on nymphs but nothing much on streamers.

It's a new river and everyone is optimistic that it will be a better river. The fish we're catching are all above average compared to recent years. There aren't as many fish as before but the fish are bigger and fatter. For the first time in many years we're seeing 20” plus fish and a lot of fish in the 16-20” range, mostly browns on the upper three miles and browns and rainbows below that.

Perhaps the best surprise is carp feeding on the surface on tricos. Trust me, carp are not easy and every bit the challenge of trout. We've been known to take the challenge on more than one morning this year!

See some photos here

We Have a Winner!

Sara Barnette won last week's Name the Puppy contest when she suggested that the owner should name the pup after her favorite fly. It happens that Nancy's favorite fly is the tracker streamer, so the pup’s new name is Tracker. Welcome Tracker, congratulations to Sara, and a big thank you to all who participated.

Corq Strike Indicators

You will like these cork indicators. They float high, can’t get water logged, are quiet coming off the water, don’t mark or kink the leader, easy to see, easy to cast. What’s not to like? We have them available in two sizes 3/8” and 1/2”. Each size is half neon, half natural. For a limited time, when you order two packs of indicators we’ll include 3 free nymphs or soft hackle flies. Click here to order.

British Columbia Whispers

Those of us who live in the east have a hard time understanding the obsession with northwest steelhead. We have friends who live and breath steelhead. This short 2-minute video helps us “get it”. Incredible filming, scenery, fish. We hope you enjoy it.

https://www.sageflyfish.com/experience/sage-blog/british-columbia-whispers?utm_source=Sage+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1b2c4f24ec-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_11_01_05_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a4f998861d-

A Day for Bristol Bay

AFFTA (American Fly Fishing Trade Association), our sole trade organization for the entire fly fishing community, is hosting “A Day for Bristol Bay” on August 24 – that's tomorrow!! As always, funds are needed to continue the fight to save Alaska's salmon fishery. If you're like us, you're sick of hearing about Pebble Mine. You're probably asking, “Will it ever go away?” And if you're like us, you certainly hope so.

This 2 minute video tells us what the fishing and environmental community is up against. It's enough to make one fighting mad when you see what our government is doing to try and push this through under the radar. Along with thousands of other concerned citizens, we've read the determinations and the proposals and it is just unbelievable that our government would look the other way and sell out to a foreign mining company and permit them to do this to our most productive last pristine wilderness salmon habitat in the world.

And so we're asking for your help again. Please help us kill the beast that is Pebble Mine. By supporting one of the participating businesses tomorrow you can help fund the fight. Or, do what I did just now, select the Donate button, make a donation, and feel good about doing your part to help AFFTA and Americans fight the fight.

The link to DONATE is https://www.affta.org/fisheries-fund/donations/

Name the Puppy Contest

A good fishing friend of ours, Nancy, has a new puppy. He's an Australian shepherd and as cute as can be. She wants to give him a name that has something to do with water and/or fishing. She's thinking “Splash” or “Beachy” but I think you can do better than that.  

Get the kids involved and give us some catchy names. Put the names in the Comments section below with your email address and if your name is chosen we'll send you a 2020 full color daily calendar by Willow Creek. She's anxious to get the pup named so you've got until Monday morning at 9:00 EST. That's only a few days so let's hear it for the new puppy! 

Fall Fishing

Fall is just around the corner. Our guiding has continued through the summer this year which is very unusual. Most years we have a number of weeks in late July and August when our water levels are too low for good fishing. We're lucky to have cold water for the fish to sit it out and wait for rain. Not so this year, we've had good water all the way through the summer thanks to a rainy summer.

One of our guiding clients sent this to us this week:

Dear Cathy and Barry, I recently spent two days fly fishing on your water at Fishing Creek with Jimmy Kukurlo. Cathy, I am sure you don't remember but I took a lesson from you several years ago and I have have been fishing on Fishing Creek ever since. I wanted to say thank you for maintaining such a great fishery especially after the devastating storms in recent years. I can only imagine how much work that entails. I would also like to take this opportunity to say what a great time I had fishing with Jim. Although I have fished with Jim several times, this recent trip was my greatest experience on the water to date. The water was flowing at over 1000 cfm and was chocolate brown, Jim was able to get me to water that was fish-able and very productive. I caught many many bows and browns several of which were in the 20 to 25 inch range. Jim is an outstanding guide and teacher and has become a good friend. Please continue the good work and give my best to Jim. I cant wait for my next visit. John  

We're proud to say we have terrific guides- they all care about our streams, our clients and the fish.  They have all given of their time to help us maintain the stream and work to restore what the flood had destroyed.  That being said, we're going to have some incredible fall fishing, with nice clean water, unlike John's day, and we hope you can get out to enjoy it. 

It won't last long, a few weeks if we're lucky. If you have some time in September or October and are looking for a pleasant day or two on the water with good company and above average fish, give us a call. We still have lots of days open. For details on our guiding program please see our web site.

Discover NEPA   

Discover NEPA is a non profit group committed to getting the word out about all that is Northeastern Pennsylvania. DiscoverNEPA.com is full of events, Things To Do, Local Deals, and Life in NEPA. Need ideas for the weekend or looking for something fun to do this fall? Browse through the site and we're sure you'll get lots of ideas.  Check out their Facebook & Instagram for weekly deals.

We're excited to be featured currently with our fly fishing instruction, programs, and guiding. The film crew came for an afternoon on our stream with Cathy and put together a short promotional video. Thank you Dave, Brian, Ryan, and Courtney! Please enjoy and share.

Blog Comments    

There's nothing more rewarding in blogging than knowing that our subscribers are reading the blog. We try to include a mix of new products, fun stories and videos, fly tying, photography, and how-to articles. There is now an opportunity to comment and ask questions. You'll see it at the bottom of the blog. Please join in and let us know if you have a question, or like a post, or would like to see a specific topic. We want to hear from you! It's what keeps us going.

E. Pyrenees, Spain

We've written often about the Eastern Pyrenees in Spain and are anxiously awaiting our week to the mountain village of Aren in late September. It's a beautiful time of year to fish and there is no prettier place than the mountains of Spain.

Our outfitter, Ivan Tarin of Salvelinus, just informed us of several unexpected rods that are available
October 20-26, at the Aren Lodge. Ivan says, “Fall is one of the very best moments for targeting trophy trout in the Pyrenees.” Yes, we know. Big fish start to move in the fall and it's a very exciting time. It's a wonderful destination for the non-angler as well.

For more information on this rare opportunity, please contact us or Kristene Fitzgerald at Frontiers. 800-245-1950, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. View our Spain photos here.

Global Rescue

We've endorsed Global Rescue for years and have had to use it a couple of times although, thankfully, not for a life and death situation. When Scott Siries set off on a trip to a remote region of Russia, he was in search of only one thing, the perfect fishing spot. And then everything changed.

Read about Scott's experience with the camp dog.

https://www.globalrescue.com/common/blog/detail/An-Unexpected-Emergency-in-Kamchatka/?mc=CMP-01246-S4B5N7&_cldee=Y2F0aHlAYmFycnlhbmRjYXRoeWJlY2suY29t&recipientid=contact-e67a0fcc1893e411b63e000c2952cf5c-91248daefef741e0ab5a78b7ec136539&utm_source=ClickDimensions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CMP-01246-S4B5N7&esid=0a0193a2-9b88-e911-80da-005056b04ad6

Here at Home

Things are quiet here in the office at this time of year. Fishing has slowed down, but will pick up again in the fall, and Susie and I are busy getting caught up on projects that have been waiting for us. Barry & Cathy only have a couple more days on their hosted safari to Kenya & Tanzania. It sounds like the group is having an unbelievable time with excellent game viewing and beautiful weather. We'll hear all about when they get home next week, but in the meantime here are a few images that they were able to send to us here in the office. -Brooke.

Summer Tactics Part Two – Late Summer Dry Flies by Jim Kukorlo

My July blog article was basically on the different types of dry fly/hopper drop methods of fly fishing. If you read that blog you will already know that one of my favorite flies for summertime fishing is the crackleback dry fly. Cathy let the cat out of bag and she even attached a video showing you how to tie it.

The Crackleback
It was created by Ed Story of Feathercraft in 1952 which also happens to be the year I was born. I tie it a little different than they do in the video. I add micro fiber tails to give the fly more stability and to help the fly float better. I also tie some with grizzly hackle which helps me see them better. Like everything else I do in fly fishing I tested the grizzly vs. the brown hackle and I don't believe I catch more fish with either, but I can see it better. I use light cream, olive, brown, orange and pheasant tail ice dubbing for the body but I favor the light cream.
I tie the crackleback in an assortment of hook sizes and fine more success with hook size 10s and 12s.
The crackleback can be fished as a dry fly or a wet fly and sometimes a trout will hit it just as it starts to sink just under the surface film.

A friend of mine told me he added a small bead head to sink it and fished it behind a hopper pattern and landed a 27” rainbow. Thanks Art. I did the same the other day but only landed a 22 inch rainbow.

Although I very seldom fish a dry fly when no fish are rising, I really do enjoy an early summer morning fishing a crackleback before the sun hits the water. I become a trout hunter looking for a rising trout or spotting fish high in the water, looking for something to eat.

Some days the crackleback just isn't what the trout are looking for. When that happens, Cathy’s beetles and super beetles are my go-to early morning flies. On days that the trout are very selective and don't seem to be interested in large flies, I will switch to smaller flies such as red and black ants, low profile beetles and even small soft hackle flies just under the surface film.

Let's talk about tactics.
Start early in the morning before the sun hits the water.
Check the water temperature. (I quit fishing when the water temperature is 70 or above)
Wear natural color clothing.
Keep out of the water as much as possible.
Keep a low profile.
Cast from a kneeling position. (If you’ve never done that, it's a good idea to practice in your yard)

Equipment Setup
Use longer leaders. I start with a 9 ft leader and add tippet to lengthen my leader to 14 or 16 feet.
If you are not used to fishing with longer leaders it can be difficult to turn a fly over. If the fly isn't turning over, cut back on the tippet. Taper your leader with small sections of tippet. I always start with a 9ft 4x leader. I will add a two foot piece of 4x tippet and then add two foot of 5x. If I go to a smaller fly I will add a foot of 5x.
Keep in mind the tippet size must match the size of the fly you are fishing. A large hopper pattern will need at least a 5 or 4x tippet. Using a size 10 or 12 crackleback you can use 5x. Small ants and beetles will require a 5, 6 or 7x tippet. If I'm fishing a 4x tippet I put line sink on my tippet a foot above my fly. Sinking that section of the leader will make the tippet harder for the trout to detect.

Summer is slowly coming to an end and early fall fishing is just around the corner. The crackleback will be my go to dry fly right into October. Tied with an orange body, it's a good imitation for the October Caddis. Check out the July blog video on how to tie the crackleback and get out and enjoy an early summer morning on the water.

Beyond the Bobber

Polished and refined are not words that anyone would use to describe the video clip below. Actually, it's a little rough around the edges, BUT, it is loaded with good tips and information about fishing with a strike indicator.....and somewhat entertaining. It's just a smidge over 3 minutes so take a look. Thanks to MidCurrent and Marshall Cutchin.

https://midcurrent.com/videos/beyond-the-bobber-fly-fishing-with-nymphs-humor/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=451f8ad59a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_JULY_19_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-451f8ad59a-18929377&mc_cid=451f8ad59a&mc_eid=bb6eaedbe9

***Correction:  The trip schedule on last week's blog should have read Suinda & Pira, January 11-21, 2020***

Argentina Departures

At this time of year interest is high on winter and early spring fishing trips to someplace warm. For many that's a trip somewhere in the southern hemisphere. For us, it means that we are thinking and talking a lot about Argentina, our very favorite winter destination.

We're in Argentina in December for the opening of trout season, and we return for the late trout season – and some years in between. We're going to have an exciting 2020 in Argentina. At the time of this writing, our December departure is full, two departures in January are full, Jurassic Lake is looking good for February and we're now working on March.

We're changing things up a bit this year, and our first stop will be Villa Maria in Tierra del Fuego for sea-run brown trout on the Rio Grande. We've tried to get a week at Villa Maria for years and have finally secured March 13-20, 2020, exclusively for our group.
The following week (March 21-28) we'll be at Tecka, an amazing 435,000 acre ranch with over 100 miles of private trout water on the ranch. We finish up at a San Huberto, a long-time favorite for more than 20 consecutive years for us, March 29-April 4, and the famous, legendary Malleo Spring Creek for early fall hatches and rising fish. 

We currently have rooms available on all of the March departures and 1 room at Laguna Verde (Jurassic). Check out the details here and let us know if you can join us or if we can help you plan your Argentina fishing trip.

“Paul”

Think you have problems? We found this video on MidCurrent by Erin Block, and presented by Orvis. It kind of puts everything into perspective. Thank you all for sharing your story.

https://midcurrent.com/2019/02/28/video-hatch-paul/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=616cd53785-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_11_29_01_43_COPY_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term

I think Paul would say that we all need to fish more.

Beck Hosted Trips:

2019: Coming Up

Aug. 23-30 Bighorn River, Montana, Wk. #1 (trout)
Aug. 30-Sept. 7 Bighorn River, Montana, Wk. #2 (trout)
Sept. 28-Oct. 5 E. Pyrenees, Spain (trout)
Dec. 7 – 14 Estancia Tres Valles, Argentina (trout)

2020:

January 11-21 Suinda & Pira, Argentina
February 8-15 Laguna Verde, Argentina
February 16-20 Dorado Cruiser, Argentina
March 13-20 Villa Maria, TDF, Argentina
March 21-28 Estancia Tecka, Argentina
Dates TBA San Huberto, Argentina
April 25-May 2 Turneffe Flats Lodge, Belize
June (TBA) Ireland/Scotland
August 6-15 Reel Action Camp, Alaska
August 22-29 Bighorn River, Montana
August 29-Sept.5 Bighorn River, Montana
October 4-11 Spain
Nov/Dec Tres Valles, Argentina

Sage's new LL

What's old is new again! Sage has introduced the new TROUT LL for 2020. We know that many of our readers love their old LL's and probably think that there will never be a rod like it, but you might want to take a look at the new LL.

With a delicate touch and medium action the TROUT LL is perfected for wading, closer casts, small flies, and light tippets. A relatively supple tip maximizes light tippet protection and gives way to a smooth easy-loading mid-section that increases feel and feedback throughout the casting stroke.

When the hatch is on, the TROUT LL is an angler's best friend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz0TOJ9y4Fs&utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=517314d6cf-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_17_19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-517314d6cf-18929377&mc_cid=517314d6cf&mc_eid=bb6eaedbe9

 RIO Creek Fly Line  

We are in that time of year when many anglers like to head up into the head waters to fish for wild brown and brook trout. If you are a small stream enthusiast making average casts of 10 to 30 feet, RIO's new Creek fly line is designed specifically for anglers like yourself. The Creek line loads at close range to allow anglers to make ultra-short casts. Available in WF0F through WF4F. Check it out.

https://www.rioproducts.com/learn/rio-creek-line

The Bighorn

In just a few weeks we'll be on the Bighorn enjoying late summer fishing. The lodge has been expanded since new owners, Brock & Jenny Bodecker, have taken over and we have a couple rooms available for Aug. 31-Sept. 7 & Sept. 7-14. Guests can do the full week or a shorter stay (4 nights/3 days, or 5 nights/4 days). This is a great time of year to be in the American West. Why not drop everything and jump on board for a few days!

It's seldom that we have openings in this trip, so give us a call is you're interested. Check out all our trips at https://www.barryandcathybeck.com/site/index.php/hosted-travel/2019.

Capture the Moment

There’s no question that thanks to the cellphone, more people are taking pictures than ever before. That said, photography is still just that and the basics of a good image haven’t changed. I think you’ll agree that capturing the moment still rates first on anyone’s list. How many times have you looked at something and thought, “Wow, that would make a great picture.” It is important at that very moment to get out your camera, cellphone, GoPro, iPad, or whatever and take the picture!
With the software we have today you can fix or edit your digital images in your cellphone, camera or at home on your computer. Sharing your images with your friends or family has never been easier and making prints is easy with apps like FreePrints and others. And, you can shoot great video on you cellphone too. Most of us don’t take advantage of some of the options our cellphones offer for photos and video — portrait, square, pano, light settings, focus lock, zoom, slo-mo, etc. Just take a look at YouTube and you’ll see videos on just about any subject that comes to mind. Want to learn how to tie Cathy’s Super Bugger? Go to YouTube and we’ll show you. That old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words still rings true. We live in a visual world and imagery opens up the world to us and others.

Here’s some helpful hints on taking a better photograph:
1. Capture the image. Take the shot.  

2. Composition. If there’s time think about how you want the picture to look. Is it best as a vertical or horizontal? Not sure? Shoot both and you can delete what you don’t like.

3. Horizons. Keep the horizon straight.   

4. Use the light. There are times when the light is simply magical, early morning sunrises, sunsets, fog, storms coming in, unusual cloud formations, a rainbow after a storm, photography will give you a better appreciation of the quality of light.

#5. Shoot more. It’s easy to delete unwanted images but beware that you don’t delete the good ones. There are many mistakes (like crooked horizons) that can be corrected with editing programs.  

6. Know your device. Learn the features of your camera, take advantage of the great online tutorials. Perhaps the best tool is experience, play with the features and settings and get to know what you can do and how to get different affects so you can be ready when the  opportunity comes along.

Shoot shoot shoot — your kids, your fishing friends, landscapes, animals. Mix it up, pay attention that your subject is not squinting, watch for shadows on the face from a hat brim. Turn him around, take off the hat, learn to use fill flash. Don’t ask your angler to reach out to the camera with the fish, it might make the fish look larger, but it distorts the image. Be aware of what makes a good photo and plan accordingly. Don’t hesitate to ask your subjects to reposition, move into the shade or out into the light, turn to face the light. In the end they may be glad you asked when they see the resulting photo.

Have fun with your photography and enjoy making memories.
Cathy and Barry

Maxine McCormick

Google Maxine McCormick and you'll see her all over the internet. Now 15, Maxine is the youngest world champion in fly casting history. At age 12, she won the women's World Casting Championship in fly-fishing. She is America's No. 1 female caster.

 She's the girl next door and she's refreshing and I bet she's fun to be with. Maybe you've heard of her, her name comes up often in fly fishing circles. She's cute and she's amazing to watch.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/19/sports/maxine-mccormick.html

For the Fly Tiers

Leave it to Tim Flagler to come up with a cleaver way to deal with loose hanks of tying materials like Krystal Flash and Flashabou. Like they say, you learn something new everyday! Thanks Tim and MidCurrent for sharing this great idea.

https://midcurrent.com/videos/tying-tip-managing-material-hanks/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=70383fd574