Tying flies, Teaching Fish, Learning How.

The last week has been ripe with fishing!!!  I started out the week by helping my good friend David Joel DiGiacomo learn how to Fly Fish and subsequently having him hook up his first Trout!  It was a beautiful North Jersey day, hot sun, cool breeze, and the Musconetcong River was flowing high.  The water temperature was noticeably colder than a few days before, so I figured the fish would be more active.  I was right!  We straightened out some casting and presentation issues with Joel's new Redington Fly Combo which he got a decent deal on at Ramsey Outdoors.  Got Joel used to the stop at the top of the stroke then showed him how to see and create the leading loop for better casting.  He took to it fairly fast!!!  Maybe he has a good teacher or maybe he's a phenom; I know it took me a few weeks of tree snags and losing flies to even see that loop!  A few casts in, he pulls out this bad boy Brookie! 

A great first Trout on the fly!  He caught it on a Yellow Stonefly, I believe.  Now, I've seen a lot of novice Fly fishermen hook up then loose the fish; especially when the transition from Spinning Reels to Fly is very recent.  I talked him through the adrenaline.  He was trying to wrench the fish in like he was Bass fishing and I didn't want him to lose his first fish.  "Ease up, don't grab the rod!  One hand on the handle, let the rod and reel do the work." I said.  Feisty as these Trout are, you can't just haul 'em in.  9 out of 10 times that's how you lose the fish or, worse yet, your only working fly.  He took the advice as it came and was a really quick learner.  This is what was instrumental in getting that fish in for this lovely shot which is Pic of the Day for 6/8 on one of my favorite blogs Tight Lined Tales of a Fly Fisherman.
  This week also began my new Fly Tying adventures!  I got a Targus Kit from Dick's Sporting Goods.  50$ and a decent package of materials plus, a DVD.  The vice has already crapped out, but that's to be expected for such a great price.  I took to the San Juan and segmented worm patterns really well.  They are relatively easy to make and you can color them how ever you want!  Here's a few examples; all tied by me.

So, I tied a few flies, then it was time to try them out!  I grabbed my cohort Benjamin Tharp and told him I'd show him how to catch Trout on the Fly if he accompanied me to the river.  Ben is an avid and knowledgeable Angler, but not the most refined.  The adjustment to Fly Fishing took him a bit as well.  I gave him a Copper John, size 18 and a Strike Indicator.  He went to work in the foam, watching for the suck, and trying to time the hook set.  After a few misses, he finally hooked in to one and he now knows the power of the Fly!!!

Nice Rainbow on his first Fly!  After that he went on to catch a bunch more Trout including our first ever Double Hook-Up on Brown Trout.  Ben and I have been fishing together many years and when we are both on our game at the Pond, we land a lot of double catches.  Bass, Crappie, Sunnies even, but never on these finicky bastard Trouts.  That day, we must have gone in with some good karma!

That was an excellent day as well.  I'm sad to report that none of my Worms worked.  The only success I had was on my first Leggy Bugger.  The legs were long when I started, but the fish didn't want anything to do with it!  I decided to clip the legs shorter right then and there and it started a world of pain for the resident Rock Basses!  I'm glad at least one of my flies works!
All pictures taken by me on iPhone4 unless otherwise credited.  Underwater pics courtesy of Lifeproof cases.  Next Blog: I'll review the ups and downs of the Lifeproof iPhone Case, the Targus Fly Tying Kit. As always:
Thanx for reading, Stay Tuned, and Tight Lines!!!