Buddy, Quinn and a Few Ants for Good Measure

Summertime is officially here. Each year Laurie and I like to take in a few concerts and this year will be no exception. Friday night we had the pleasure of seeing Jonny Lang and Buddy Guy at the Meadowbrook Music Festival. We both we able to scratch someone off our concert bucket lists. While Laurie was more interested in seeing Jonny Lang, I couldn't wait to see the guitar master Buddy Guy.  Both put on a great show.  Towards the end of Buddy's show he told the crowd that he has a special guest to introduce. That special guest was 13 year old Quinn Sullivan.  This kid came out and tore it up! I could not believe how well he played.  Can you imagine being 13 years old and sharing the spotlight with a legend like Buddy Guy?  It was nice to see the kid after the show signing his album of the fans. If you get a chance check out his album Cyclone. This kid will be a superstar someday.

In addition to great concerts the summer also brings along some great terrestrial fishing. One of my favorite terrestrials to fish is the simple ant.  If you look around ants are everywhere and if the wind is blowing even slightly they will be blown into the water and instantly pounced on by a near by trout. They can be fished either wet or dry. While they are very productive while fishing them tight to the bank, I prefer to bounce them off a log extending out into the river. For me this always produces some nice fish. 

Here is a nice basic ant pattern that has been around for ever.

Black Ant

Black Ant

Hook: Mustad 94840 #14-24

Thread: Uni 8/0 Black

Body and Thorax: Black Dubbing

Hackle: Black Hackle

Step One

Start Thread

Step Two

Dub thread and create a round body segment

Step Three

Tie in hackle feather

Step Four

Wrap hackle forward four wraps

Step Five

Apply dubbing to thread and create front body section. Whip finish.

Getting Ready for a Blizzard of Ephrons!!!

The weather here turned to rain today, so back to tying. Originally I had planned on tying up a bunch of Hexagenia but for some reason I didn't restock my hook supply. Luckily, during my trip to Atlanta, one of my vendors gave me an Array Gift Card. I was wondering what to spend it on. Looks like I will be spending it on supplies at Cabelas! I had to take a quick inventory to see what else I needed. It sure didn't take long to spend that $25…the hooks should be here in a few days. Just in time for me to stock up for the Hex hatch in early July.

Well, since I didn't have the hooks for the Hex, I might as well start stocking up for the Ephron hatch in August. This is one of my favorite hatches here in Michigan. When the white flies are really popping, it actually looks like a blizzard. The only problem is there are so many flies on the water it is hard to follow which fly is yours among the naturals. Hopefully I will get some good pictures of a blizzard hatch this year. If I do, I will definitely post them for everybody to see. An added bonus to this hatch is that it gets the small mouths looking up and taking flies on the surface. GOOD TIMES!!!!

This pattern is an adaptation of Bear's CDC Ephron created by Bear Andrews. Personally I prefer the Z-lon wing post since I can see it easier on the water at dusk.

Ephron Parachute

Ephron Parachute

Hook: Mustad 94840 #10-12

Thread: Uni 8/0 White

Tail: Two Piccary Hair Fibers

Body: White Deer Hair

Rib: Tying Thread

Thorax: White Dubbing

Wing: White Z-lon 

Hackle: White Hackle Tied Parachute Style

Step One

Start Thread

Step Two

Tie in Piccary Hair. Be sure to wind thread back to 1/3 point. This is where you will start tying in the deer hair body.

Step Three

Tie in a clump of stacked deer hair. Start from 1/3 point and wrap towards the bend of the hook leaving the tips to flair slightly. Then warp forwards creating a crisscross rib.

Step Four

Tie in Z-Lon Wing Post

Step Five

Apply Dubbing to Thread and Wrap to Wing Post

Step Six

Tie in Hackle in Front of Wing Post

Step Seven

Apply a Little More Dubbing to Thread and Wrap To Hook Eye

Step Eight

Wrap Hackle Around Wing Post and Whip Finish.

Fire 'Em Up

One thing about having a very crafty wife is that I end up spending way too much time in either Jo Ann's or Michael's -- today was no exception! First, she tells me that she is looking for some notebooks for a project and that she needed to go to Staples. Of course, I wanted to go with her since I actually like going to Staples. On the way to Staples, she springs on me that she also wants to go to Michael's. It seems like whenever we go anyplace, we end up at Michael's. It's pretty bad that I know where just about anything is in the store without having to think about it! While she was looking for paper and other things, I did my normal routine and wandered around the store looking like a lost puppy and looking for things I could use for fly tying. I did need some black foam, so I picked up a sheet. I cannot believe they sell a 12"x18" sheet of craft foam for $.88! This will last me for a few years or maybe more! Why would anybody buy foam at a fly shop? After grabbing my foam I wandered over to the embroidery section. Instantly my attention was drawn to the section of fluorescent floss where this yellow material jumped out at me. Instantly I thought about how it would make great butts for Fireflies.

As a kid I loved catching fireflies and of course my daughters did the same. Here at my house we have them all over the place during the summer. Every time I see them they make me feel like a kid again. Besides being endless entertainment for the younger generation, they also provide food for fish of all kind. So why not use some of the materials I picked up today and tie up a few fireflies? Here is what I came up with…let's see how well they work this summer.

Firefly

Under side

Firefly

Hook: Mustad 94840 #10

Thread: Uni 8/0 Black

Shell Back: Black Craft Foam 1/4" Wide

Butt: Fluorescence Effects E980 

Thorax: Peacock Herl

Head: Orange Dubbing

Step One

Start Thread

Step Two

Tie in Foam at Hook Bend

Step Three

Tie in Floss at 1/3 Hook Length

Step Four

Wrap Floss Back to Hook Bend and Forward to Tie In Point

Step Five

Tie in Three Strands of Peacock Herl

Step Six

Wrap Peacock Herl to 2/3 Hook Length

Step Seven

Bring Foam Forward and Tie in at Front of Peacock Herl

Step Eight

Apply Orange Dubbing and Create a Small Head.

Step Nine

Whip Finish.

OH Deer They're Annoying

I swear Michigan has the strangest weather. It seems every weekend when I have had the opportunity to head north to do a little fishing, the weather has not cooperated. Personally, if I am going to head north fishing and camping, I do not want to be cold and wet. Hopefully the weather will turn a little nicer so I can get some fishing in soon…all I have right now is memories!

For some reason, earlier today I was remembering some of my excursions to the South Branch of the Au Sable River. There are certain stretches of the river where the deer flies seem to be particularly annoying. Why do they have to keep buzzing around your head non-stop? One time I had one that would not stop buzzing around my ears and in front of my glasses. I kept swatting at that little bugger and he kept getting closer and closer until finally I accidentally caught my glasses with one of my swats at him. Those glasses must have flown at least five feet before they hit the water and sank. Let’s just say I am as blind as a bat without my glasses, and this was long before I started wearing contacts, so I was in a little trouble! I desperately searched the river looking for my glasses, hoping I didn't step on them during my search. Thankfully, after about 10 minutes of searching, I finally saw a glare off the lenses and found them. I cannot imagine what would have happened if I hadn't found them. The two hour drive home would not have been fun -- this year I will be trying some Deer Fly Patches to see if they help. My fingers are crossed.

Since I know the weather will eventually make a turn in my favor, I better tie up a few deer flies to put in the box for when those annoying bastards are around. Here is a classic deer fly pattern that has been around for a long time here in Michigan.

Deer Fly

Deer Fly

Hook: Mustad 94840 #12

Thread: Uni 8/0 Black 

Body: Peacock Herl

Wings: Grizzly Hen Hackle Tips, tied down wing, delta style.

Hackle: Grizzly Hackle

Step One

Start thread and tie in four Peacock Herl strands

Step Two

Wrap Peacock Herl Forward to 3/4 Hook Length

Step Three

Measure the hen hackle feathers and tie in down wing delta style. (I find it easier to tie in each individual feather and pull them forward by the stem to straighten and flatten them.)

Step Four

Tie in two grizzly hackle feathers

Step Five

Wrap hackle feathers forward, tie off and whip finish.

Hemingway, McGinty and Puerto Rico

It has been a while since my last post. Lucky me, won our companies Sales Excellence trip this year! With the win came an all-expense paid trip to Puerto Rico. We just spent the last five days at the El Conquistador Resort drinking DonQ Rum, Madella Light Beer and eating some fantastic Puerto Rican food, all on the company’s dime. If you ever get to Puerto Rico, make sure you hit the local shack restaurants. They don't look like a place that you would want to eat, but the food is fantastic. I could get used to listening to the Coqui at night and having views like this during the day. Too bad it had to come to an end.

For some unknown reason while looking for books to read on the plane, I picked up Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. For those that have not read the book I highly recommend it. While it not the type of book I would typically read, I did find it a great read. At one point in the book, Jake and Bill go on a trout fishing trip a week before the fiesta in Pamplona. While Jake was fishing with worms, Bill was using flies. His fly of choice is the McGinty. What better fly to tie when I got home?

Here is the McGinty. Looks like I am a little rusty. I really need to practice on my quill wings.

McGinty

McGinty

Hook: Mustad 3906B #6-12

Thread: Uni 8/0 Black

Tail: Red Hackle Fibers

Body: Alternating Black and Yellow Chenille

Beard: Brown Hackle Fibers

Wing: White Tipped Mallard Quill

Do I Smell Sulphur? OK Don't Panic!

One thing I realized when I was up fishing during the opener is that my eyesight sure isn't what it used to be. There were times it was really hard to follow the fly on the water. It is only going to get harder to follow them as the spring turns into summer and the flies get smaller and smaller. I cannot imagine trying to follow a #22 BWO! Looks like I will be tying a lot more parachutes with bright posts for smaller flies. I have always tied my BWO parachutes with a BRIGHT orange post for this very reason. Before it was for convenience, now it is truly necessary. With the sulphur hatch coming up, I figured I better get busy.

Earlier today I was flipping through the channels and PBS had on one of my favorite shows, Austin City Limits. I don't know how many bands I have discovered while watching that show. Several years ago I had the pleasure of catching a show featuring Wide Spread Panic. They quickly became one of my favorites. John Bell has a very unique voice which matches perfectly with Mike Houser's guitar playing. Well why not throw one of their CDs into the stereo? What the heck, why not their Live From the Backyard Austin TX?

Now to get to the tying. I used a white Z-Lon post for this fly. The Z-Lon really catches the light and makes it easy to see the fly on the water. Just what my old eyes need! I also used Coq de Leon for the tail. The stiffness of the fibers makes excellent tailing material. I also love the mottled look.

Quill Body Sulphur Parachute

Quill Body Sulphur Parachute

Hook: Mustad 94840 #16-#18

Thread: Uni 8/0 Light Cahill

Tail: Coq De Leon

Wing Post: White Z-Lon

Body: McLean's Quill Body Material Sulphur

Hackle: Dun tied Parachute Style

Thorax: Sulphur Dubbing

Step One

Start the Thread

Step Two

Tie in Tail

Step Three

Tie in Z-Lon Wing Post

Step Four

Wind Thread Back to the Tail and Tie In Quill 

Step Five

Wrap Quill Forward Until Just In Front of the Post

Step Six

Tie in Hackle Feather at Wing Post

Step Seven

Dub Thorax

Step Eight

Wrap Hackle, Whip Finish and Trim Wing

Let's see who is really paying attention or actually reading this blog. The first person FOLLOWING this blog that posts a comment telling me the step I inadvertently skipped will receive six Elk Hair Caddis flies. Comments are moderated. If you do not see your comment be assured I did receive it and I will post it once I receive the notification.

More Projects and EHC

I've been working on a few projects lately that people may be interested in learning about! You may have noticed that I added a bead head sizing chart. The other projects will have to wait to be released until a later date. I thought I had better put the projects on hold for the night so I can tie up a few more flies for my upcoming fishing trip this weekend. I have started posting step-by-step instructions for the flies I have been tying. Tonight I was working on some additional Elk Hair Caddis and I figured since I didn't post details originally for this fly, I am posting them now in case anybody is interested.

Tonight I felt like listening to some live Grateful Dead. How do you choose -- there are so many great live shows!! When all else fails, picking a home town show always works. The Dead released their June 20, 1991 show at Pine Knob as part of their Download Series. This show was Volume 11 in the collection. Listening…I am thinking what a great show…I wish I would have been there! This show happened before I started really listening to the Dead but I do remember thinking to myself that I should get tickets and go. It wasn't until about a year later that one of my friends in college called me and asked if I wanted to go see the Dead at the Palace. I should have listened to my original instincts and gone to see this show.

Elk Hair Caddis

Elk Hair Caddis

Hook: Mustad 94840 #12-18

Thread: Uni 8/0 Color to Match Natural

Rib: Fine Copper Wire Counter Wrapped over Hackle

Hackle: Brown or Color to Match Natural Palmered Front to Back

Body: Super Fine Dubbing to Match Natural

Wing: Elk Hair

Step One

Start Thread

Step Two

Tie in Copper Wire

Step Three

Dub Body, Wrap Forward and Tie In Hackle

Step Four

Palmer Hackle to Hook Bend. Capture Hackle Tip with Copper Wire and Counter Wrap Rib Forward

Step Five

Tie in Elk Hair Wing

Step Six

Clip Elk Hair to Form Head 

Step Seven

Whip Finish

Now go catch a few fish with this nice fly!!