Emilio's Steelhead, Zoom, CFFA Day on the River, Asked to Leave Cabela's

Another week and another Zoom call, 18 joined us this week when we discussed Redds, how to identify them and how to fish during spawning, the proper way to release a fish, and bear encounters on the river and at home.  The call was quick paced and full of great advice with a few laughs by the group.

John L, one of out vets says he's been loosing a little weight recently, but he can still haul ass Down the river. Pictured on the right in his guide boat getting ready for a day on the water.

Emilio, one of our volunteers recently caught this beautiful steelhead.  He had built his rod specifically for this trip and both the angler and the rod fared well. Emilio is a relatively new volunteer with our group and has found himself a new home fitting right in.

Pictured are Vet participants Sean and Mike P who participated in CT Fly Fisherman’s Association (CFFA).  Many of the members of CFFA are volunteers with our organization and CFFA is a great supporter whenever we need help.

John S (Santa) was recently asked to leave the Cabela’s store.  He was stalking 2 trout, a brown and a rainbow with a fly rod in hand.  See the attached pics.  He was spotted just as he reached the top of the ladders above the large tanks, center store.  After some discussion, they allowed John to stay, and he agreed to only stalk though the windows of the large aquariums.

Our next in person meeting will be Fly Tying at the American Legion Hall in Newington on 10/30.  We will be tying the EZ Silverside Spearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9f_p8ll2hg 

Back in the mid 1990’s when the Striped Bass population was on the increase, fly tying innovation became the name of game. There were few saltwater patterns on the market that could match one of the most prolific baitfish found in our waters, the Atlantic Spearing or Silverside. In order to truly match the small shimmering baitfish, a creative tyer from Connecticut experimented with computer cable tubing and created the EZ Silverside. The pattern is deadly for not only Striped Bass, but also Bonito, False Albacore and Bluefish. It is a fairly simple pattern and tied in sizes 4-6 can be a terrific Trout pattern.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6wMaYEO1Z8  Note: Tim Flager’s version varies from the instructions.

Materials:

Hook: Saltwater short shank, wide gap sizes 2-1/0

Thread: White 140 denier

Abdomen: White Select Craft Fur

Dorsal: Olive Select Craft fur                                              

Lateral line: Silver Mylar strands

Over body: EZ Body Tubing size medium,

Eyes: 3D stick on, Yellow or silver

Overcoat: Fly Fusion, or UV Coating, or Sally Hansens

Instructions:  Note: Sparse Is Best

1.     Securly insert hook in jaws of the vice. Start thread behind the hook eye and take 3-4 wraps rearward. Snip off the excess thread.

2.     Take a bunch of white craft fur, about a pencil width, and while holding the clump at its mid-point strip out the short fuzzy hairs from the butt end. Holding the fur segment in the middle, even up the tips on wing end

3.     Measure the wing against the shank so that it equals about 2 ½ times the length of the hood shank. Transfer the fur to your off hand, pinching the material where it measures behind the eye.   Cut off evenly the excess forward of the pinch location. Mount the wing firmly on top of the hook shank, behind, but not crowding the hook eye. Leave approximately an eye length of space behind the eye.  Take 3-4 tight wraps of thread around the fur and the hook shank.

4.     Take a pencil width of the olive craft fur and prepare it the same way as in Step 2. Measure the olive material so it measures slightly longer than the white fur - 3 times the length of the hook shank. Mount the olive craft fur directly on top of the white fur. Be sure the wing extends only slightly beyond the tail of the white wing. Mount the top wing firmly in place immediately above white using tight 3-4 thread wraps to firmly secure the fur.

5.     To create the lateral line, take 4 strands of the pearl/silver Mylar and bend the strands evenly around the tying thread. Slide the Mylar into position on top of the hook shank behind the eye. Separate the strands, 2 on each side, so they lay evenly and equally on both sides of the hook shank. Take hold of the strands at the back of the fly, pulling so they do not slip and secure with a couple of thread wraps. Do not crowd the eye. The Mylar should lay evenly on each side of the fly. Whip finish with 3-4 wraps. Do not crowd the eye.  Trim off the excess thread.

6.     Take the 2-3” EZ Body.  Note: One end will be already cauterized to keep the strands from unraveling.   Next using scissors make a ½ inch short straight cut from the cauterized butt end toward the middle of the tube. Take the tubing with the slit belly side down, with your off pull the craft fur and the mylar up at up at a slight angle and carefully slide the tube smoothly over the hook shank, stopping at the hook bend. 

7.     Take your bobbin, while pulling the material rearward to avoid twisting, make 3-4 strong thread wraps over the tube just back of the eye.  Cut the excess thread. Next take 3-4 even whip finish wraps.  Cut the excess thread.

8.     Trim away the protruding excess tubing, by making a cut on top of the eye, careful not to catch the thread wraps. Carefully trim along the sides and bottom.  Once the majority of the excess tubing is cut away, using a cauterizing tool or a lighter carefully melt away the excess tube strands.  

9.     Tame the fur pinching the tubing by wetting your fingers and gently stroking the fibers reward. 

10. Next take the eyes and place one on the near and far side of the thread head behind the eye. Be sure they are even.

11.  The fly is finished with a coating of urethane craft glue or Fly Fusion, Sally Hansen’s, or UV resin may also be used. Run a bead of glue over the top and sides of the fly from back to front and over the eyes. Be extra careful not to go beyond the back or tag end of the tubing or into the eye. Take your bodkin and smooth the resin/glue all over the body’s entire circumference from the cauterized butt end to the head. Pay attention to any overly saturated areas. Turn the fly in your vice slowly to cure evenly.

Brown trout are getting into the beginning of spawning time now, keep your eyes out for redds, the light-colored oval areas in shallow gravelly riffles where trout drop their eggs. Avoid walking through them, and the first 15 feet or so below them as the eggs will often wash 5-15 feet below the redd. Favored spawning areas typically include side channels and pool tailouts, but riffles at pool heads can also have spawners if there is pea gravel present. The bulk of the spawning on the Farmington River is typically from about mid-October through late November, and the eggs/fry hatch out in February through early March. Walking on the eggs at this time will crush and destroy them and future wild trout. Please also refrain from fishing to spawning trout on redds, it is unsporting & unethical. They are stressed enough already, just let them do their thing and make more wild brown trout. There are always lots of non-spawning trout to catch, as well as trout that are still pre-spawn, and soon there will be plenty of trout that have completed spawning. Some trout will position in the first deeper water downstream of spawning fish to eat loose eggs in the drift.

If you are a vet with disabilities, or know one that may be interested in our program, maybe you are interested in supporting our program as a volunteer or donation, you can contact us or support us by using the links on the site.