RvrWader Fly Tying and Fly Fishing: The Sweet Sounds of Summer

For me, there are a couple of sounds that represent summer to me. The first one is the buzzing of the cicadas on a hot summer day. When I hear the first cicada I know spring has passed and summer is in full swing. I cannot get enough of listening to them, sitting out on the deck enjoying a few frosty beverages and enjoying a good Robusto cigar. The other sound that means summer to me is live Grateful Dead music. Has it really been seventeen years since Jerry left us? I have really missed going to the shows and listening to some great music. The Grateful Dead channel on XM Radio does help…however, it’s just not the same as listening to them live. So, I really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that Bob and Phil's new band, Furthur, was going to be at the Meadow Brook Music Festival in July. I was not about to miss this show so I bought my tickets as soon as they went on sale, which was back in March. I couldn't wait for the show and to see if the parking lot scene was similar to what I remembered from Grateful Dead shows. This was Laurie's first Grateful Dead type-show and she not excited to go at all. However once she got to the parking lot she had a lot of fun people-watching. At the Furthur shows it looks like Shakedown Street has been taken to a new level than I remember from the Dead days. Instead of people selling their wares on blankets, everybody seemed to have easy-up canopies and full stores and restaurants. I was hoping to get myself a sexy happy grilled cheese sandwich but all I was finding were chicken dishes. Once we got into the show, the band didn't disappoint me at all. The boys put together two smoking sets of great music! They opened with a rocking Aiko Aiko and ended with an emotional Broke Down Palace. Here's hoping they come back again next year!!!

Back to the cicadas. When these big bugs are hatching they are sometimes blown into the river and the big browns just cannot resist such a big easy meal. Throw them close to the bank and hold on. If there is a big brown there he will jump for a chance at the tasty morsel you sent his way. Here is a quick easy cicada pattern that will bring a few fish to hand for you. I tied this one in black. You can tie it to match the naturals in your area. I need to head to JoAnn's and get some brown foam soon.