Barry's Thoughts on Streamers

My rule on streamers is: They can save the day and I put a lot of faith in that rule. I know that everyone enjoys an insect hatch and rising fish but what if the stream is off color because of rain or snow run-off? Perhaps it's early morning and no sign of a hatch or rising fish? Or the water is high and cold, as in early season? The list goes on, but one thing is certain – if you fish streamers you can cover a lot of water and, in my opinion, streamers produce bigger fish. Big trout don't usually grow big on a diet of small insects. Streamers provide the angler with the perfect search-type fly which generally imitates a small baitfish, crayfish or sculpin minnow – something that a larger trout will want to eat. A meal.

Most of the time I like to fish streamers with an across and down stream presentation. Retrieve speeds are important, if you have super cold water temperatures the trout may be lethargic and sitting on the bottom so it's important to get your fly down to them. Keep your rod tip low and close to the water surface. Learn to slip strike by setting the hook with your line hand. If you have a strike and miss the fish you have only moved the fly a few inches and the trout has the opportunity to pursue the fly again. If you set the hook by lifting the rod tip you pull the fly up and out and the game is over. And, make sure you have the best line for the job. A favorite of mine is the RIO Outbound short. It turns over large streamers easily and comes in a variety of sink tips to get your streamers down.

Super Buggers continue to be my go to fly; black for off-color water, tan or olive if the stream has a crayfish population. After that fur leech patterns in white, black or olive; and articulated streamers are always in my fly box. If the pattern is not producing, change patterns. Make sure your fly is down where the fish are and vary your retrieves. Fish your streamers with confidence and you may catch that fish of a lifetime.

Shop for streamers & other flies here

Reading the Gauges

This piece comes to us from MidCurrent and is a topic that we all hear about, but can everyday fluctuations in fish catching be triggered by a morning-to-afternoon change in pH? Boots Allen gives us some interesting information on this old but still very important subject. Worth reading.

http://midcurrent.com/science/reading-the-gauges-ph-levels/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f0aebda8a8-MidCurrent_March_8_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-f0aebda8a8-18929377

Up Jeep Creek

We stumbled across this video and do you know what we like best about it? Well, the star is not a young rearing-to-go young guy. We think you might relate. Anyway, it doesn't teach or make you a better fisherman, it's just nice to watch. Enjoy.

And as promised, here are the links to the photo galleries of Barry & Cathy's most recent trip to Argentina. 

Jurassic Lake

Tecka

Don't Give Up on Winter

Winter has arrived. Gone are the warm early November days we so much enjoyed and with them go any hopes of finding rising fish. On the other hand, any day that the air temperatures rise above freezing we can and will get back out there. With the right gear and the right flies we can still catch fish. We will concentrate on the warmest part of the afternoon and our flies of choice will be tungsten bead head nymphs or if push comes to shove, glow bugs and squirmy wormies. If we find off color water it might be a slowly retrieved black super bugger. It will be important to get the fly down to where we expect the fish to be and a weighted streamer given time to sink will be in order. So break out the down jackets, wool socks, fleece buffs and hand warmers..... and don't forget a thermos of hot coffee. We'll see you out there.

The Thoughtful Robot

Michigan guide, Russ Maddin, hits the nail on the head with his observations and suggestions on being an effective streamer fisherman. There is a lot more to this art then just casting and stripping as you'll discover. It's an excellent interview and he makes some some very good points. Thank you Russ and MidCurrent for bringing it to us. Click here to read the article

Our 2017 Trip Schedule

Jan 12-23- Coyhaique River Lodge, Chile (trout)
Feb 12-Feb 20 - Laguna Verde/Tecka, Argentina (trout)
Mar 16-27 - Patagonia, Tres Valles, Argentina (trout)
Mar 25-April 10 - Patagonia, Argentina (trout)
May 6-13 - Belize River Lodge, Belize (tarpon, bones, etc)
June 20-30 - Ireland (trout/salmon)
July 28-August 11 - East Africa (photo safari)
Aug 19-Aug 26 - Bighorn, Montana (trout)
Aug 26-Sept 2 - Bighorn, Montana (trout)
Oct 13-22 - Pyrennes, Spain (trout)
Nov 30-Dec 11 - Patagonia, Tres Valles, Argentina (trout)

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   

Report from Spain from Barry & Cathy

Spain continues to be one of our favorite destinations, especially for couples with lots of things to do for the non anglers — great food, great wine, beautiful fish, and the fantastic background of the Pyrenees. Our days fly by much too soon but we know that we will return next season for more fun in this mystical region.

Checking in from Alaska

Internet & communication has been spotty with the Becks this week, but we were able to receive this email & as always, a few photos to hold us over til they return.  Here's what they had to say....

We are at Reel Action camp this week on the Kanetok River in Alaska, chasing silvers, pinks, fresh chums, and rainbows. Weather has been rainy and mostly cloudy which has been very good for the fishing. We're about a mile from the Bering Sea and the salmon are fresh and hot. We are exhausted each night from fighting big fish. Camp is comfortable, food is simple but delicious, and fishing is off the charts. We'll have more next week when Barry gets the photos edited.

Fishing in the Land of Fire & Ice

If you follow the travel magazines and travel sections in the big newspapers you know that Iceland has become "the place to be". It's easy to get to, safe, and the extreme scenery and Icelandic people are, well, over the top. Two days ago Iceland was featured on Good Morning America. If you saw the show, you know what I'm talking about. We too are in awe of the landscapes and the people, but it's the fishing that takes us back each year (thank goodness GMA didn't talk about the fishing). Double digit browns and Highland char are simply amazing in the land of fire and ice. With our June departure, we will be right on time for the best of the trout and char fishing. Check it out on our website and then come along with us— and don't forget your camera!

Also From Cathy:
Remember when Flip Pallot hosted Walker's Cay Chronicles and we all loved listening to him talk about fishing and life on the water? Well, if you haven't seen his video clip for Yeti coolers, you have to take a look. It's 100% Flip and is especially relevant to the "over the hill" gang - not that any of you (us) would qualify for membership in this elite group!

We recently came across this video clip by Gin Clear Media and wanted to share it.  "The South Island has vast tracts of some of the most intact, undisturbed natural areas left on our planet—these last truly wild places deliver beauty and isolation in spades but it is the allure of giant trout in crystal clear water that draws anglers from around the globe to this treasured land."

We don't use rafts or boats, we don't camp, and we much prefer Sage rods, but this clip is about the island, the fishing, the adventure, and there is no place on earth like the South Island of New Zealand. We are there every February. This destination has drawn us back again and again for many years. If you've thought about New Zealand or if it's on your bucket list, come with us. Your itinerary can include one or two lodges and the most incredible scenery and fishing for wild browns that you'll ever find anywhere. Details here.

As promised, here is more from the Becks recent trip to Africa.  Barry has been busy editing images from their safari and we are beginning to get a glimpse here in the office of how great a trip it was. The wildebeest migration with the crossing of the Mara River looks fascinating. Below are a few of my favorite images & an excerpt from Cathy's journal which I just love reading...  Enjoy.

Monday - Aug. 10. Our vehicle stayed out all day, the others came in a little bit early. We both went back to the Mara River and watched another small crossing. Again all the wildebeests made it across safely. We saw cats, lions sleeping on the rocks, and later more sleeping by a ditch. We found one hot looking cheetah laying in the shade of a bush. We drove around looking for a male lion that our driver, Mohammed, thought should be near and found him with another female but they both looked hot and tired so we decided to go to lunch. On the way we stopped to watch a big herd of wildebeests gathering on the river bank and Mohammed thought they might cross so we went to the river with about 30 other vehicles. It wasn't long, after a couple false starts, that we watched as thousands of wildebeests and one topi all crossed safely to our side. It was an amazing spectacle and lasted for more than 10 minutes with no crocs which was amazing in itself. One little straggler on the end way behind all the rest even made it safely. Everyone was cheering him on and people clapped when he finally climbed out on our side. The sheer rawness of the event made it a very moving experience as the animals were frantic to get across and once in the water they were all kicking and bawling trying to climb over the slower ones. The panic was in their eyes and it was each one for himself, a wildebeest stampede in slow motion because the water was fairly deep and chocolate. Neither us nor they knew if or when the crocs would show.

After it was all over and the animals were off in the fields they immediately started to feed on the grass. Maybe it's how they calmed down. We decided to have lunch and talked about what we had just witnessed - the great migration, the stuff we see on National Geo and Animal Planet documentaries and how lucky we are to have seen it. The migration doesn't happen all at once or all in one place. There are many crossings and often the animals will change their minds and turn back. This is the stuff that keeps us coming back again!

One Spot Left

We have a spot available for one angler in our November departure to Tres Valles, Argentina. This is spring time in the Andes, spring creeks and streams are in great shape, lots of dry fly fishing for browns and rainbows. It's a great time to be in Patagonia. You will room and share a guide with a retired professor from Princeton and will enjoy 7 nights/6 days fishing. November 27 - December 7, 2015. Check out the details.    

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust

Where do bonefish spawn? If you fish in saltwater, you have probably wondered about this. The BTT group is doing amazing research on this subject and many others. Enjoy the eye-opening video clip on bonefish and please consider joining BTT, so they can continue to research and protect bonefish, tarpon, and permit fishing. Our fishing future depends on it!

Today I wanted to re-post a blog that Sage published a few weeks ago.  It's a great story that Barry wrote & we hope you'll take a few minutes to read it.  Click here to go to the Sage Blog.  Enjoy!

Cathy & Barry have been in Africa on safari for the last 2 weeks.  Internet has been spotty for them and I've been anxiously awaiting photos.  When I got to work this morning and checked my email here's what I found....  Enjoy!

"We have had an amazing safari. Four fabulous destinations in the Serengeti and Masai Mara. Our group has seen lions, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, zebras, all kinds of antelopes. We visited Maasai villages, danced with warriors, enjoyed beautiful evenings with sundowners, caught the animals at first light and adored the cheetah cubs. We say good by tomorrow to this first group. Everyone has mixed feelings about it as we've all become good friends and will miss each other. Barry and I are hoping for a total repeat of this past safari with our new group."

Holbox Recap

There is a small, quiet, laid back village called Holbox located on an island "around the bend" from Cancun that we have fallen in love with. On the island is a small fishing lodge on the beach whose manager, Luciano, spoils his guests with expresso delivered to your door in the morning as a wake up call, fresh ceviche and cold beer on the veranda in the afternoon, and wonderful stories about the island and the people.

The fishing is all about tarpon, big and little. The babies are perfect 8 & 9-weight sport, but just because they're babies, it doesn't mean that they're easy. These fish see   a lot of flies so anglers change patterns often and extend their leaders hoping for an edge. The acrobatics begin as soon as one is hooked, for these "babies" love to jump and run line. Heck, it's so much fun that we've got anglers who only chase baby tarpon.

On the other hand, when the weather permits and the seas are calm, the guides can get out for big tarpon. Now the 12-weight rods and sinking lines come off the rack. Small tarpon flies are replaced with 4/0 and 6/0 black snakes and tarpon toads. Adrenaline ratchets up and you can feel the excitement as the pangas race through the liquid glass sea in the first light of day. Soon the guides are searching the horizon in search of rolling fish and once spotted, they rush to position the boat. We usually get one shot as the fish pass by and then it's leap frogging with other boats to get into position again, praying that the fish will stay up and we'll get another shot. It's an adrenalin rush, no doubt about it, but the real rush kicks in when a big fish is hooked. There's absolutely nothing like it. Ask Harry. He's in the photo with his 50th birthday tarpon.

Sound like fun? Well, we'll be going back to Isla Holbox next summer. Keep us in mind. You'll be glad you did. Contact us for dates and to get on our trip list.

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