1 Spot to Share in Africa

We have a unique opportunity for one lucky woman. A good friend of ours has reserved a spot on our east Africa safari this summer (July 27-Aug.12), and is hoping for another woman to join her to share the accommodation. This is the very last spot on this exceptional safari, timed for the Great Migration. Without a doubt, a trip of a lifetime. For prices, dates & details.

The Family is Growing!

We're adding 3 new colors to the Super Bugger Family. Always a popular streamer wherever trout and smallmouth are found, we're excited to add yellow, chartreuse, and white to our long time standards of olive, black and tan. In stock and ready to go! Go to store.

*A Winter Diehard Talks*

Our guest blog this week is from our friend and neighbor, Jared, one of the most serious fishermen we know. Enjoy.

Winter Fishing  'A Window of Opportunity'  By Staskiel

When Cathy Beck asked me to write about my experiences with winter fly fishing, it quickly drew a clear recollection of how I fell in love with fishing during what amounts to the years harshest conditions. I was a younger man at the time, still sporting skin tight neoprene waders, boots tied with lashed together laces from random tennis shoes, these were the fish bum- budget days. I recall having just recieved my tax return, so like any other American patriot, I needed to help out local business, more specifically, purchasing a new fly rod.

I remember telling the fly shop owner he must think I was crazy heading out in 18 degree weather to try my new prize out, but to my surprise, he said "No, not at all!" He sent me on my way with the bare essentials, a pat on the back,
and somehow the rest seemed to fall into place. It's like anything else in life, what seems intimidating or daunting, seems unenjoyable, the fishing that cold afternoon simply was anything but that. That day a friend and I had our best catch rate of our lives, it just seemed like the fish wanted to eat anything and everything.  And like most best experiences we have in fishing, when I close my eyes, I can see see those brown trout in that emerald green central PA limestone water. 

As years past, more pieces of the puzzle began to come together with regard to fishing during the winter months. Key elements are of course the usual, dress appropriately, rig for deep slow drifts, usually in more drab colored presentations, but most importantly look for that 'window' as my friends and I call it here in central PA, that is, the time of the day when trout tend to be most active. During the winter months, this often occurs during the suns peak angle, and
thus, stream temperature. There is a big misconception that fish will not eat if the water temperature is below 42F. It's my opinion, that fish catch rate seems to increase more precisely with the rate and speed  that the water warms
throughout the period of a day, not the actual ambient temperature. Pay close attention to the shallow tailouts and inlets to deeper pools, these areas can act as staging areas for very large trout to bask in the mid winter sun. Some of my largest winter trout have been taken in exceptionally shallow waters, on exceptionally sunny and cold days.

If there is any key determining factor to lean on while winter fishing, attempt to determine your local waters best window of opportunity, once you accomplish that, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.  

Summer in January?

We've just been advised that there is a room available at at Coyhaique River Lodge during our January 14 – 21, 2017, week. Celebrate summer in January and come with us for a great mix of streams, spring creeks, rivers, and lakes. Lots of dry fly fishing, especially beetles and hoppers, and beautiful warm weather. Here is the itinerary. It's bound to be a great week. I think you should grab this last room and come with us!

Name that Fly

We have a new nymph pattern that we're going to include in our online store. It's been a proven winner both in Patagonia (a friend landed a ten pound brown on it at Tres Valles ), and in Spain this year it was the fly to have (no ten pound fish, but close). On our home waters Gary Hunt netted a beautiful 24 inch rainbow on it a couple weeks ago. OK, so we know it works – but we can't seem to come up with a catchy name, this is where you come in. Enter up to five names. The winner gets a RIO fly line of your choice (plus some fly samples). The fly has a tungsten bead head, a rough thorax of spiked dubbing and a orangey quill type body. The fly looks very shrimp-like in the water.  

The contest will end on December 10 so get your ideas in asap.  Email your entries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and please make sure to put Name that Fly in the subject line.

Sporting Gentleman Event

We spent last Saturday at the Sporting Gentleman in Glen Mills, PA. Barry tied flies, we had a casting class, and met lots of great folks. It's a lovely fly shop with a great restaurant in the same building. James Jindel representing Sage/RIO/Redington was present with lots of goodies – rods, reels, lines, tackle, etc. We had a gorgeous fall day and a great turnout. Thank you Christine and Ahmed for hosting the event and for the great food!

If you're in the area, stop by and say hello. 128 Glen Mills Rd., Glen Mills, PA 19342.
www.sportinggentleman.com   

New Twist on an Old Idea

Droppers are far from a new idea. Anglers have been using them for years. But what is new are some ideas on attaching the dropper to your lead fly and the combination of flies that many anglers are now using.

You'll see in the illustrations below (I know, I'm not trying to win any art awards), there are four places to attach the dropper fly. As far as I know, the original idea was to leave a long tag end off the surgeon's knot when attaching the tippet (the last section of the leader to which the fly is attached), and tying the dropper fly to the tag end. This works and a lot of anglers still use this method, but you will want to check the combo often to make sure the flies are not tangled. 

The second way, and perhaps this is as original as the idea above, is to attach the dropper tippet through the eye of the lead fly, thus having two clinch knots on the same hook eye – one attaching the lead fly and the other for the dropper. This method fell out of favor a number of years ago, but now it seems to be back in vogue again.  

Yet another way, and the most popular as far as I can tell, is to attach the dropper tippet with a clinch knot around the bend of the lead hook. This system seems to be the easiest and the cleanest, but there are anglers who will argue that the dropper fly (when using a nymph, pupa, or similar) does not drift as a natural insect would. That may be so, but we've used it successfully all over the world in trout fishing situations.

The last and newest method requires that you be a fly tier. When tying the fly a RIO tippet ring is tied into the back end of the fly body and the dropper tippet is attached to the tippet ring. We first saw this in Ireland (see photo) this summer. The tier attaches a piece of pretty stiff tippet to the ring and trims it to about an 1/8th of a inch tag. He then ties the tag into the fly, presumably as a last step, leaving the ring exposed to which is attached the dropper. The guides in Ireland swear that this method allows the dropper fly the most natural drift through the water behind the lead fly.  

I suppose, like anything else, that certain of these methods work better in certain situations than the others, but they will all catch fish. The length of the tippet will vary with the type of fly that you're using, the depth of the water, and where the fish are holding. If it's a late summer afternoon and you find a feeding fish delicately sipping in tiny insects that you can't see on the water, you might tie a small hi-viz beetle or parachute Adams with a midge or tiny ant dropper about 14" from the lead fly. If the fish eats the midge you might not see it, but if you watch the larger fly you may detect the take by either seeing the fish or seeing the lead dry fly move or go under. The 2-dry dropper method is very helpful in situations like this when it is difficult to see your fly.

Most of the time the rig will consist of a dry fly as the lead fly and a nymph dropper. One of the most effective nymphs we've found is the bead head pheasant tail. We keep a selection of these nymphs in sizes 14-22 in our box all the time and they work wherever trout are found. There are many other patterns that work well and are popular, copper johns, hares ear, black epoxy, and regional favorites. The length of the dropper tippet will vary depending on whether you want to go deep or stay near the surface but on the average and in most situations, if your dropper is 14-20" long, you're in the game.

It is still important to check your system often as the dropper fly can easily get tangled in the lead fly. You must also slow down your casting stroke and wait on the back cast until the leader straightens out or it will tangle. If you find that the dry fly is sinking, go to a smaller or lighter nymph or a bigger dry fly. If your parachute Adams is sinking, try a foam beetle or humpy. I find that if I apply a silicone fly floatant when I attach the dry and then occasionally use drying crystals or powder as needed, the dry fly will stay floating and easy to see. Of course after you catch a fish, you may need to dry it and reapply the floatant.

Experiment with fishing droppers. These methods are a little more work and require our attention, but you'll find that by offering the fish a second choice, you'll almost always increase your catch.

Cathy

Where has summer gone? While the thermometer says that summer is still very much with us, the calendar says otherwise. In just a few more weeks we'll see the school bus stopping for our grandsons each morning. Summer vacations will be over and fall will be on the horizon. For us, it means fall fishing kicks in. This week we leave for Alaska and so we are thinking about rainbow trout and silver salmon, our favorite of the Pacific salmon species. After that it's Montana and more trout fishing. We won't have to worry about water on the Bighorn, there's plenty of it. Our home stream, Fishing Creek, has had a tough season. It fished well into June, we had just enough water and no days this year when it was too high to fish. But since the beginning of summer, we've had low water and drought conditions. We're looking forward to fresh fall rain and a good fall fishing season, perhaps the prettiest time to be on the stream.

Speaking of the fall season, it's always a good time of year to run a dropper behind a large dry, maybe a caddis, stimulator or super beetle. We learned of a new fly while in Ireland that is perfect for a dry/dropper set-up and a new trick that makes it easy work. Barry is going to tell us about it.

RIO Tippet Rings Reinvented

Andrew Ryan, fly shop owner and guide on Ireland's River Nire, asked if we used tippet rings. We have used them, they have been around for quite some time, and we even wrote about the rings in an earlier blog. We were aware that RIO was now offering them in different sizes and we even had a selection with us. The rings are most often used by attaching it with a clinch knot to the end of the leader. It then becomes easy to change your tippet. But Andrew wasn't talking about using the ring for tippets, instead he showed us a Klinkhammer fly tied with a hi viz wing and a RIO tippet ring attached at the rear of the hook shank. The tippet ring works great for attaching a tippet and fly for a dry dropper combination. Actually, it worked incredibly well.

They say you're never to old to learn a new trick and maybe I'm out of touch, but I have always attached my dropper tippet to the rear of the hook shank and have often had the clinch knot foul with the tail material on the fly. The tippet ring solves that issue and Andrew claims that the dropper fly moves more naturally through the water with this method. He made believers out of us. Give it a try. I think you'll be a believer too. RIO tippet rings are available from any RIO dealer.

Ireland Recap

Ireland was amazing - as everyone said it would be. The country is stunningly beautiful — green and lush. The trout were bigger than we expected going in, we thought the average would be 12-14" with few above, but we found lots of fish in the 16-20" range thanks to Andrew Ryan and his Clonanav guides. We fished dry flies on small to medium size rivers, stayed at the lovely Hotel Minella, and enjoyed the countryside each day. The second part of our trip took us to Ballynahinch Castle and the Owenmore River which flows through the property. Unfortunately, the river was high due to recent rains and the salmon fishing was off. We saw fish roll and jump and hooked a couple that got off, but it was enough to make us want to return for another try. The guides, who themselves were most delightful and entertaining, did everything they could to get us into fish but it was not to be.The castle stay was an extravagance in accommodation, and all the staff were warm and hospitable people, and we'd go back in a minute. There's nothing like meeting in an Irish pub after fishing to talk about the day. We will return.

We're including a few photos from the trip here in our blog, but if you'd like to see more, feel free to check out the Group's Gallery here

What is ChromaPop?

I'm embarrassed to say that I've had my favorite sunglasses for years. So long in fact that the nose pads are beginning to deteriorate. I use them for everything, not just fishing. Barry on the other hand, seldom has more than two seasons on his before he moves on to something newer. So, after hearing so much about the new technology and listening to guides and clients talk, this year I got myself a new pair of Smith ChromaPops. The glasses arrived last week and even then, they sat on my desk for a couple days waiting for me to try them.

Well, I put them on the other day and immediately thought something was wrong. I took them off and looked at the lenses. Everything looked ok, I put them on again and thought, Wow! This must be what cataract surgery does for people. It was like a veil had been lifted. ChromaPop had painted my world in fresh vivid color. I'm telling you, you can't imagine the difference until you've tried it. There is some good information on ChromaPop at Smith Optics that explains how the technology works, but it's basically enhances clarity and natural color to let you live every moment in more detail. The colors are truer, more vivid and much clearer. All this results in less eye fatigue. It's truly amazing.

We are often asked what sunglasses we wear and our answer is always Smith. We've worn Smiths (formerly Action Optics) for about 30 years and sold the line when we were in retail. We're true blue and think there is nothing better. When you're ready to update your sunglasses, we strongly suggest that you consider Smith and the new ChromaPop technology. You'll be surprised!

You can purchase Smith optics at the following retailers:

Tulpehocken Fly Shop Online http://www.tcoflyfishing.com/
Bob Marriott's Fly Shop Online http://www.bobmarriottsflyfishingstore.com

Big Sky PMDs

And thinking about optics, here is a great example of how important being able to see clearly defines the moment when fishing small dry flies and setting the hook. If you can't see the take or cut the glare so you can follow the drift, your fishing will suffer. Thanks to YouTube, we found this very well done Todd Moen video on fishing PMDs in the west. The things that we instantly noticed were: The low profile by the angler, how still he is in the water, and the lag time between seeing the fish take and setting the hook. Does fly line color matter? Think about that as you watch the video. Very well done. Makes me want to be there

Rigging Two Flies

In this week's blog Pat Dorsey talks to us about rigging two flies, nymph/nymph, dry/dry, dry/nymph, streamer/streamer. We are always surprised when our guiding guests tell us that they never use a two fly combination and we use it almost all the time. Using two flies will definitely increase your odds of catching fish! Read all about it here. (From MidCurrent via Fly Fisherman)

Also, we wanted to update you about the Beck's upcoming schedule

2016:
Ireland (trout/salmon) July 8-18. Sold Out
Bighorn River (trout) Aug. 19-26, 26-Sept. 2. Sold Out
Spain, E. Pyrenees (trout) Oct. 13-20, 3 rooms
Tres Valles, Arg. (trout) Nov. 25-Dec. 5. Sold Out
2017:
Chile, Coyhaique (trout) Jan. 14-21. Sold Out
Argentina, Pira Lodge (dorado) Feb. 3-10. 4 rooms
Argentina, Jurassic Lake (trout) Feb. 11-19. 4 rooms
Argentina, Patagonia, 3 lodges (trout) Mar. 16-Apr. 12. 5 rooms
Belize River Lodge (tarpon, bones, etc) May 6-13. 5 rooms
Africa, East & South, Safari July 14-27 & 28-Aug.11. 10 rooms
Bighorn River (trout) Aug. 19-26 & 26-Sept. 2. 5 rooms

Please contact us or refer to our web site for further information.

Fishing continues to be good here on Fishing Creek.

2 New Argentina Destinations

Those of you who know us well, know how much we love Argentina, and what's not to love? The time in Buenos Aires, the beautiful estancias and the variety of fishing opportunities are all over-the-top. And it gets better every year. We
can't give up our favorite Argentina destinations so we just keep adding more and for 2017, along with our favorites, we're adding Pira Lodge and Laguna Verde (aka Jurassic Lake). It has literally taken us years to get a week at each of these destinations and we're excited beyond words to know that February will find us there.  These trips will be on our web site shortly.  In the meantime, please contact us or Frontiers for more information or with questions. 

If you've always wanted to catch hard fighting acrobatic dorado by sight fishing in crystal-clear water and have superb accommodations, Pira Lodge, is the ticket and we'll be there from Feb. 5-11, 2017. Dorado hammer flies and are known as the most challenging native freshwater fish, "tigers of the river", in Argentina. Better come with us and see why. It's wild and it's exciting. Check out the itinerary and video.
Pira video: 

 If you're looking for the brontosaurus of rainbow trout come with us to Estancia laguna Verde, for there's no better place on earth. River and lake fishing, walking and searching crystal clear water bays and inlets for cruising behemoths. We don't know what makes this particular lake so fertile and the fish so big, it's truly a spectacle worth seeing. Hook-ups are described as reel screaming, heart pounding, tug of war action. Gotta see it to believe it.  Join us Feb 11-18.
See the Itinerary and video.
Laguna Verde Video:

Thoughts on Fishing

This is my view as I sit here alongside the road on a warm late summer afternoon in Patagonia. Miles and miles of open space. The only thing I hear is the light wind and an occasional bird. It's lovely. I fished the first half of the day, caught a bunch of rainbows from 8 to 16 inches and a couple of larger Browns. Barry, our guide Nico, and I had lunch, and now I am taking little time off to write this blog. As much as I love this wild place, I find myself looking forward to getting home to spring and the opening of our trout season.

I have had the opportunity in our line of work to fish with a lot great fishermen. All of these men are very good at what they do -- and over the years I have gotten some sound advice from them. This week I would like to share some of their thoughts.

1. Fish where the fish are. This came from the late Jack Gartside. What he is saying is don't waste your time in unproductive water. Learn to read the water and know where the fish should be holding and concentrate your fishing time in those areas.

 2. The line will go where the rod tip leads it. Lefty Kreh has told me this over and over. You may have read it in his books too. Lefty is saying that, if you have sufficient line speed, the fly will go wherever the rod tip is pointed at the end of the speed-up-and-stop (at the end) of the cast. So, point your rod tip where you want the fly to land.

3. If your leader won't turn over at the end of the cast, don't shoot line on the last false cast. I don't remember who told me this, but I think of it often when I am trying to turn over a cast with a big fly, especially into the wind. Get your line speed and distance with your first two or three false casts and present the cast to the water on the final false cast without shooting line. You'll be surprised at how well this works.

4. If your beetle (or any big foam bug) lands upside down, just strip it. Again, I don't remember who taught me this, but I was re-casting whenever my big beetle landed upside down. With one strip, it rights itself, and often gets the attention of the fish.

5. Very few fish are caught on poor casts. Again, Jack Gartside. I heard him say this in a casting demonstration. He is saying to make every cast count. Put it where it should be and fish it with confidence.

6. Get your extra power from the haul, not from the rod tip. Brian O'Keefe was helping me get ready for a Best-of-the-West competition many years ago and I kept tailing the loop on my final cast. I was "hitting" the rod tip much too hard, shocking it, and getting very frustrated. I share this advice with my double-haul students. It works every time.

7. If you can't see your dry fly, re-cast or change it. How many times do we stare into the water trying to find our fly? In the meantime, it is floating along unattended and if a fish does take it, we may never see it. Don't take the chance, change flies or positions to alter the glare, or whatever is necessary to keep your eye on the fly.

8. Adjust your strike indicator when the depth changes. This comes from Barry. He is always doing this. It's very easy to tell yourself that the indicator is okay where it is, but the fish don't see it that way. If the water gets deeper, we must slide the indicator further back on the leader to allow the fly to go deeper. Otherwise the fly will be above the fish as it drifts through the water and they won't take it. If the water gets shallow, the indicator needs to be adjusted again, further down on the leader, or the fly will snag on the bottom, or if a fish takes the fly we may be too late with the strike and will miss the fish.

9. Keep your fly lines clean. Something I've learned over the years. If your fly line is not clean, it won't shoot well, float well, or last long. If you notice your floating line is sinking or feels "sticky" on the rod, doesn't shoot well, clean it. Use a good cleaner from a reputable line or tackle company. If you're fishing a RIO line, use RIO's line cleaner. Clean it at home or in the grass before you go fishing. You'll be surprised at the difference a clean line will make.

10. Keep your fly in the water. Simple, yes? Not always. When the fishing is slow, it's easy to think about how tired you are and soon you decide that you'll just reel in and enjoy the boat ride down the river, or take a little nap by the side of the stream. Sure, there are times when the fishing is more productive than others, but you won't catch any fish with your fly in the hook keeper! Never Ever.

Want to see more tips from time to time? Let us know and we'll keep them coming. Thanks for reading our blog. Cathy

New Redington Prowler Wading Boot

These new boots (Siren for women) are getting lots of attention and great reviews. Cathy has field tested the Siren for a year now, loves them, and refuses to give them up. Redington's premier wading boot for 2016. Exceptional performance and durability. Molded rubber rands, wide soles, and quick-drying and quick-draining synthetic materials. Built for long days in any river condition imaginable. Very comfortable.

- Felt or Sticky Rubber
- Molded rubber overlays for durability
- Molded Polyurethane midsole
- Strong & lightweight
- Wide sole-expanded surface sole for stability
- Padded collar for ankle support
- Mesh lined interior & drain holes for quick drainage
- Molded, non-corrosive metal hardware
- Sticky Walnut Rubber and felt sole options
- Stud compatible
- $149.95

Check them out:   

Men 9-13
Women 6-10

Also, we've still got plenty of Fall fishing ahead of us- just ask Brad Berlin!

Our extended forecast shows above-average temps and we plan on taking advantage of it.  We hope you have a chance to get out on the water before winter sets in!

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go.....  

Our 2016 trip schedule is beginning to take shape and here's what it's looking like so far. We're currently working on getting all of the itineraries updated on the web site. If you're interested in a trip that is not up on the site yet, please let us know and we'll get you an itinerary. Hope to see you in 2016.

January 7-18 Coyhaique, Chile
Febrary 2-15 South Island, New Zealand
March 1-8 Tres Valles, Argentina
March 9-20 San Huberto and Quemquemtreu, Argentina
March 20-22 Limay River, Argentina
April 4-14 Campeche/Grand Slam, Mexico
Iceland June (mid-late, dates TBA)
July 8-18  Ireland
August 6-13 Alaska
August 20-27 & Aug. 27-Sept. 3 Bighorn MT
Spain (Oct. TBA)
Sept. 26-Oct. 3 Mongolia
Nov. 25-Dec. 5  Tres Valles, Argentina

Our order of the 2016 Angler calendars just arrived!  We are excited to announce that Willow Creek is showcasing the entire new year exclusively with Beck images.  We have them for sale in our online store.  You can check them out by clicking here. 

The Overland Journal Article You Won't Want to Miss

In 2014, after a week of taimen fishing in Mongolia Barry and Cathy and a small group of friends packed up sleeping bags, a week's supply of food, spare tires, water, and extra gas cans and drove across Mongolia to the western province of Olgii and the world famous Eagle Festival, a rendezvous of nomadic golden eagle hunters and spectators, to experience and capture images of this amazing event involving contests and competitions. Their essay appears in the current issue of Overland Journal. Although I heard the stories when they returned from their trip and I was involved in submitting the story for publication, when the printed magazine was delivered to our office I couldn't help but take time out to read it.  The magazine editors did a fantastic job printing some of Barry's best photos and Barry & Cathy wrote an engaging story of their time in Mongolia.  We hope you'll take the time to find a copy and enjoy it! 

Iceland, 2015- Cathy's Report from the Field

Summer (as it is) is arriving late in Iceland this year and some of the fishing areas are still closed because of snow. That said, Barry & Cathy had a good trip with lots of beautiful char and brown trout caught on dries, nymphs and even a few on streamers. We'll let the photos tell the story. It was pretty incredible and we are anxious to explore more of this new region next June.

I don't know about spring where you are, but here in northeast Pennsylvania it's been slow in coming. And even though nice weather is sure to come, we're expecting the early season to include a lot of high water, cold temperatures, and late hatches. That could all change, of course, but it's looking that way at the moment. We're still getting snow run-off from the mountain and our nights are very cold. With these conditions, it might be wise to make sure the sink-tip lines are in the gear bag and ready to go in case you run into high, cold, water this spring.  

A sink-tip will get the fly down deeper and faster than adding split shot to the leader of a floating line. When the water is deep and the current is moving along at a good pace, the leader and fly will often be swept through before it can get deep enough to reach the fish. If the fish are sitting on the bottom, as they often are in these conditions, you've got to get the fly down to where they are. It won't work if your flies are continually going over their heads. By using a sink-tip the fly line sinks and the leader is pulled down with it. For instance, a RIO 15' Type 3 WF6 Sink Tip has a sink rate of 3" per second. By using a weighted fly like a Super Bugger, the cast will sink quickly and the fly will get in front of the fish. The fish won't want to move quickly in cold water temperatures, so a slow, deliberate retrieve will often produce results. At the end of the retrieves, try wiggling the fly up to the surface before lifting the cast from the water to recast. You might be surprised to find that a fish has followed the fly in and as the fly is wiggling toward the surface, he will often take it here at the last second. If the water is off-color, you may otherwise pull the fly away from the fish that you can't see.

Casting sink tip lines is not difficult if you remember a couple things. Unlike a floating line which is on the surface, a sinking line is — well, sinking. This makes it difficult to recast unless you've stripped in most of the line. A trick that will make it a little easier is to roll cast the sink tip back up to the surface before recasting. Don't give it time to sink again, as soon as it turns over on the roll, pick it up to recast. (Shoot a little line to add to the amount of line you're recasting during the roll if you can.) You will also find that as the amount of sink-tip increases that you are casting, you'll want to slow down the speed of the casting stroke so allow the rod to load. A fairly fast action rod will help with this. You want to be able to feel the rod load but at the same time you want a rod with enough power to keep the line moving without collapsing. A very fast action rod might be good in a strong wind when you're chucking heavy flies, but in general spring conditions, a rod that allows you to feel the cast is best. Since you're not looking for delicate presentations, a shorter leader, maybe 5 or 6 feet, is often all you need. If you find that the leader is landing in a pile upon delivery, keep the rod tip up a couple inches higher on the last cast. This will give the leader time to unroll before landing on the water.

When the fish are sitting on the bottom, you have to go to the bottom to get them. Using a sink-tip line will help make the job easier.

Until next time.  -Cathy

We also wanted to share with you that we are putting our Super Bugger Selection on sale for the start of fishing season.  For the next month we dropped the price to $24.95 plus shipping so you can replenish your streamer supply.  Click here to go to our store site to order. 

We're having an interesting week here at Coyhaique River Lodge in Chile. Our first day was rainy, chilly, and windy and we all suffered through it and hoped for better weather ahead. And we got it - As it turned out the first day was our worst day and now we are more than half way through an absolutely beautiful week of weather, guides, and fishing. Our group is fishing an interesting combination of rivers, spring creeks, and lakes.  We've seen winds gusting up to 40 mph (first day), beautiful mayfly hatches, big rainbows on the lakes, and lots of fish landed. After the first day, the weather straightened out and we've had lots of sunshine and moderating breezes. The dry fly fishing has been very good using a lot of parachute Adams and today we caught a number of big fish on Super Buggers on the lake. It's been a perfect week for the Sage Method and ONE rods throwing foam flies. We've put both to work everyday. It's nice to have a rod that steps right up to the plate when a little more backbone is called for in these Patagonia breezes! On one lake we found big rainbows cruising just under the surface and had a lot of fun casting big beetles to them. The take was very slow and gentle, but immediately upon being hooked they would explode and take off across the lake. Great fun. Actually our guide, Gaston, asked what line we had on the ONE. It was the RIO Perception, a beautiful line on either rod. In addition to the interesting fishing, Coyhaique River Lodge is new, spacious, and comfortable with an excellent staff and amazing guides. I suspect this will be a week we won't soon forget and we'll look forward to coming back.

Thinking of new destinations, we're working on two new trips for 2016, Ireland and the Seychelles. Our itinerary for Ireland will include several castle stays with private trout/salmon fishing at each. This will be much more than a fishing trip, we'll tour the castles, enjoy the accommodations, and take advantage of the fishing. Timing will be summer. Details will be forthcoming. Please let us know if you're interested. It won't be a big group.

It's been at least ten years since our last visit to the Seychelles and it's way past time for a reunion. We loved the amazing fishing and accommodations on our first trip and we don't know why we've waited so long to go back. If you've thought about Giant Trevally and the Seychelles, we'd love to have you join us. Planning is still in the very early stages, but if you've an interest in the Seychelles, please let us know and we'll keep you posted as we finalize plans. It's bound to be an exciting destination.

We also have one room still available (1 or 2 people), at Tres Valles, Argentina for March 1-8, 2015.  It's a great destination and a great time of year to be there.  Trout fishing in the Andes, beautiful scenery and lots of fish.  Give our office a call at 877-278-5638 if you'd like more information.  

We'll talk more next week.

Cathy

 We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year! We certainly enjoyed the time with our families and the optimism that comes with the start of a new year. We wanted to take this opportunity to give you a quick overview of some of the new and exciting things going on here looking at the year ahead.

 First of all we are currently working on improving our website. Since launching our new site 2 years ago, we have updated, changed and worked on most every part of it, and continue to do so. We are looking to make it easier for you to navigate along with adding more options to keep you in the loop of what Barry & Cathy are doing. Their trip schedule, our store, and Barry's photography continue to be our top priorities and we are always looking for ways to improve your online experience with us.

Where's Nancy going?

On a more personal note, we have some upcoming changes in the office. Nancy, who has run the whole show here for more than 10 years is looking to semi-retire. She has recently become a Grandma for the second time and is looking forward to spending more time with her family. Although we have a huge void to fill with her leaving, we are thankful that she is willing to help us through the transition and will still help us out one day a week.

Eddie & I will attempt to pick up most of Nancy's tasks. She is currently showing us the ins and outs of all that goes on here, and although I'm sure some things will change, our goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible for everyone. We are looking forward to getting to know each of you through email, phone calls, and hopefully even in person. I look forward to talking to you the next time you contact the office.

Me a photographer? I don't think so.

 From the photography end, I know Barry is keeping up with the new technology and cameras. Evidence of this is found in all the boxes that have been delivered from Roberts Camera. I can't tell you much more about this as I'm still most comfortable with my iPhone camera (see office selfie)! I'm sure these new cameras will deliver the best in photo imaging for 2015. I'm looking forward to seeing the photos from his next trip. In regards to photos, my goal is to share more of his images with you this year. I get to "travel" to so many amazing places through his lens, and I know you would love to see what I see here while editing. I'm adding this to my to-do list.

Any new trips?

And last but not least, Barry & Cathy as Frontiers hosts have some exciting travel news for you....Cathy and Barry are currently on their way to Chile with a group to visit a new lodge, Coyhaique River Lodge, which they are very anxious to see and anticipate it being another great trip and destination for us. In March they are taking a few "regulars" along and fishing a new lodge on the Limay River in Argentina. The Limay is a favorite of theirs, but the destination has always lacked adequate accommodations - until now. In April, they will be in the Yucatan fishing for baby tarpon and snook in Campeche and dovetailing it with Grand Slam Lodge for permit, bonefish and tarpon. A combination they are excited about. And in June they will be returning to Iceland, but this time in association with Fish Partners, who specialize in customized angler excursions throughout Iceland, and are excited about seeing new water, relatively close to Reykjavik. This means lots of new photos will be coming my way!

Who is Farbank?

This was one of my first questions when I started here and I am asked it often. Farbank is the company that owns the three brands that Barry & Cathy are ambassadors for - Sage, RIO, and Redington. Cathy & Barry have been with Sage, and now Farbank, for over 25 years and have recently signed a rather long term contract continuing their association. Farbank is in extremely good hands with Jay Green at the helm. The Becks have always said that Jay is the kind of owner every company dreams of, he's totally dedicated to the sport of fly fishing, has an appreciation for the history of the sport and is an outstanding angler. Barry and Jay fish together each year here on our home stream, Fishing Creek. I've looked at many photos of beautiful fish that Jay has landed on water that can be extremely complicated at times (so I'm told). On the Sage end, rod designer Jerry Siem continues to create incredible casting rods. Simon Gawesworth and his crew at RIO continue to push the envelope in fly line design and technology. I think that the Beck's relationship with Farbank and hosting trips for Frontiers is a perfect fit.

I should also mention that they have worked and represented Smith Optics for probably as many years and have a long standing relationship with Nikon camera, two premier companies in optics. We welcome your questions with regards to any of these brands and products.

Thanks for supporting us in 2014, we are truly grateful for our clients and friends. Happy Casting in 2015!
Brooke

That was the question we started to get as soon as we arrived home from fishing the Eastern Pyrenees a couple days ago. This was our second trip to Spain and the first one with a full group. We have to say that we couldn't have had nicer weather. Every day started with a cool, fresh, fall morning in a down vest or jacket, but by afternoon some of us were fishing in shirt sleeves. This part of Spain has had a cool, wet, season until recently and we found some of our favorite streams were chalky instead of clear and some of the tailwater streams were too high to fish, so we were limited in where we could fish. That said, there were several 7 - 9 lb. trout caught and lots of 5 lb. and better fish. Some of these were caught on dry flies and some on nymph droppers trailed behind dries. On the clear streams we could sight fish, which was everyone's preference, of course. Everyone commented on the medieval ruins scattered throughout the country, the old stone villages, cathedrals, watch towers. Some of us took time away from fishing for sightseeing. Hotel Domenec and the Domenec Restaurant were great and we loved the little village of Aren, our home for the week. Chef Juan Antonio spoiled us with amazing multi course meals and good wine and the Salvelinus guides were outstanding. We loved it all and look forward to a return trip. Here are some of our favorite photos from the trip.

We have two rooms left at Owen River Lodge on the South Island (space for 2 singles or 2 doubles).  We all read about the double digit fish caught on dry flies and tiny nymphs in February in crystal clear water, so I'm going to show you a few photos of how incredibly beautiful the forests and trails are along the rivers, with maybe a fish thrown in for good measure.  New Zealand is a place all of it's own, there is nothing like it on Earth.  Come along with us in February and see for yourself.   Read the Itinerary here.

We have a few favorite images to share with you from our recent trip to Bolivia.  It was an incredible experience once again, the interaction with the Tsimane Indian tribe, the amazing lodges in the middle of the jungle, exceptional food, great guides, and Golden Dorado!  (and even fun with a catfish).  If this trip is not on your Bucket List, it should be. 

There's no place prettier in the fall than the northeast, particularly so on our freestone streams.  Our home stream, Fishing Creek, is heading into fall with excellent water levels and lots of healthy fish.

Terrestrial fishing will stay good until the hard frosts come - along with baetis and cinnamon ants.  It's a beautiful time of year to be on the water.  We still have a few days available for guided fall fishing.  It's a short season and winter is just around the corner.  Treat yourself.  View our Guided Fishing page here and contact us for available dates. 

Barry & Cathy are in Montana at Kingfisher Lodge this week.  We've heard great things about their past trips to the Bighorn and the photos are always stunning.  Cathy emailed this morning and here's what she shared with us here at the office.  Sounds like this year won't disappoint either!

"We're having a very unusual two weeks here on the Bighorn. Last week started out hot and sunny, typical for this time of year. Toward the end of the week though the weather turned cold, wet, and windy. We pulled out our fleece and down jackets. The mahogany spinners and tricos kept on coming and fishing was good despite the weather. Yesterday the sun showed and summer is coming back. 90 degrees is predicted before the end of the week. Lots of rising fish. It's a great time of year on the Bighorn!  -Cathy"