Fly Tying – The Adams

Fly Tying the Adams
Fly Tying the Adams on MidCurrent by Tightline Productions

MidCurrent has another good fly tying video, this time for the basic Adams pattern, courtesy of Tightline Productions. The Adams is of course the super popular and versatile pattern for imitating a lot of common mayfly species. It’s very easy to tie, and one of those flies that always seems to end up on everyone’s “if I could only have x number of flies” lists, even though there seem to be a lot of flies on those lists! There are tons of great resources for tying the Adams, such as this one on hipwader.com, a new site to me. YouTube also has a bunch of great videos for tying the Adams. Tons more, too, just search.

I’m especially interested in all this right now because for several days it’s been in the low thirties and very windy around here, and so the fly bench is getting some use!

Sage TXL-F Video

Looks like another great small stream fly rod. And small enough to fit under the Christmas tree.

Salmo Fontinalis, Snatching Flies the Livelong Day

Plate from The Speckled Brook Trout c. 1902
Plate from The Speckled Brook Trout © 1902

Poem from The Speckled Brook Trout, © 1902 by Louis Head:

I am Salmo Fontinalis,
To the sparkling fountain born,
And my home is where oxalis,
Heather bell and rose adorn
The crystal basin in the dell,
(Undine the wood-nymph knows it well,)
That is where I love to dwell.

Continue reading

Fishing (er, Hiking) Report – Jeremy’s Run, Shenandoah National Park

See him? Spawning Brook Trout, Jeremy's Run, Shenandoah National Park.

My wife and I decided to work off the turkey and pie the day after our Thanksgiving feast and go for a hike. The woods around here were crawling with hunters, so we headed to Shenandoah National Park. Neither of us had ever been to Jeremy’s Run so we figured we’d hike the trail there. Besides getting some exercise, I wanted to photograph spawning brook trout. Nothing like fishing, but this would also be something new. I normally don’t come out here this time of year and have never seen spawning brookies. I didn’t know if I would have much chance to see any. When you’re fishing, these guys are usually well hidden until they hit your fly. Without a fly rod, well, it didn’t seem so likely to me.

Continue reading

Spawning Brook Trout and Why No Fishing Lately

Brook Trout
Brook trout ready to spawn and looking spiffy.

I would love to be hiking around Shenandoah National Park right now catching brook trout. Any other time of the year I would regularly be getting out there. However, as you may know, brook trout spawn in the fall, typically from late September through December. Everyone who fishes for them hopefully realizes that it is best to leave them alone for a few months until after the spawn.

Continue reading