West Branch Resort Photo Contest

West Branch Resort Photo contest.
Check this out and submit your photos.
I think theres going to be a lot of fun pictures show up. We all have a great time on the water. Check this link frequently and don't forget to post your own photos.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Branch-Angler-Resort/183228928380171?sk=app_451684954848385&app_data=dlt-1


Here are some grip and grin pics to get you thinking about fishing with us.

A nice brown on the Delaware. We got four great fish that day all on match the hatch dry flies.

This rainbow below was sitting in a small bucket and we ran some nymphs through and wam he was hungry. This fish headed up stream into deeper water, made 3 jumps then headed back down river right at us.  Then into the backing and finally we saw him and he saw me with the net and headed back into the backing again. He wanted no part of us or the net. That happen 2 or 3 more times and finally we managed to get him into the net.  That fish got the old heart pumping.

This bow was lively

He was almost as happy as I.
Fish was taken near the lodge.
 

This fish was actually bigger than it looks.
It gave us a battle.

Merry Christmas everyone.  I'll be back online after the holidays.

Scott McClintock
www.rsmflyfishing.com

Stream Improvements - Sulphur Springs Watershed

I had the privilege of working with the Chagrin River Watershed Partners (CRWP) and Cleveland Metro Parks (Mike Durkalec) along with TU and many volunteers on a stream improvement project. CRWP received a Grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service's for the purpose of restoring a section of the Sulphur Springs creek near Solon and Bentleyville. One of goals is the reintroduction of the once native brook trout. 

The impact of urban development has been somewhat negative, but with efforts such as this one it can be improved. We can all help make a difference by volunteering our time for stream improvement initiatives as well as being more aware of how we manage our storm water, fertilizers, and construction of new homes. The CRWP is putting together education programs and will provide communities with information on managing the resource.

Our focus for the day was on streamside and flood plain stabilization by planting grasses, willows, and trees along the bank that will reduce the siltation and provide a canopy helping to keep the waters cooler. Visit the CRWP web site  http://crwp.org/Projects/crwp_projects.htm   for more information.

We had about 15 volunteers of all ages working on Saturday. We all made new friends and walked away with new found knowledge and respect for our environment. I highly recommend getting involved with this effort as it does benefit us all. 

Below are some pictures of the event. 

This is a great way to spend the day for young and old. Bring your kids, get them involved, have some fun and help make a difference. Keep your eyes open for the next volunteer request. You won't be disappointed.

I will try to announce upcoming events on my web site, http://www.rsmflyfishing.com but also check with http://crwp.org/Projects/crwp_projects.htm .


As always if you have any questions don't hesitate to drop me an email scott@rsmflyfishing.com  I will get back to you.

Best Regards,
Scott McClintock
RSM Fly Fishing

Other relevant links
http://americasgreatoutdoors.gov
http://www.doi.gov/Americas-Great-Outdoors-Highlighted-River-Projects.cfm

Tying Scott's Hopper

Scott's Hopper

In preparing for my guiding adventures in Montana I am working hard at the fly bench. While tying up my favorite patterns I decided to share some of them with our fly fishing friends.

The first of which is a hopper that I created specifically for Montana. It's a hardy fly and can be tied with many variations of size and color. The technique used is certainly not my design in fact the techniques are used for many hopper and terrestrial patterns. It's the different use of materials that make this fly somewhat unique.
This hopper is easy to tie assuming you know the "x threading" method of forming a body. It has a simple parts list using readily available materials.





Materials Used

Pictured above are the materials used for this fly.  The tan and yellow foam can be purchased from your local hobby store in large sheets for about $.90. You can buy CDC feathers from your local fly shop (Top quality CDC is not necessary). I would suggest buying good deer hair as it will make it easier to tie down and trim.





Step 1.  Add body foam strip to hook as shown

 Cut a strip of foam for the body about 3 - 4 inches long and a little wider than 1/8".  Then in the center (length wise and width wise) insert the hook as shown above. Add a base of  6.0 thread.

Step 2. create the first segment

You will create the first of 5 equal size sections of the segemented hopper body by lining up the foam strip along the top and botton of the hook and bind down with 3 or 4 thread wraps. Then add glue to the exposed threads along the hook shank. This will help prevent the finished fly from twisting.





Step 3. Finish the segmented body

The body should have 5 distinct segments. This is accomplished by after tying a segment, you pull the foam strips back and advance the thread on the hook shank then pull the foam back over the hook shank and bind it down with 3 or 4 wraps. Try to keep all segments the same size. Trim off the excess behind the hook eye and bind down with thread wraps.




Step 4. Add CDC Under Wing

After you have bound down the foam behind the hook eye, draw the thread behind the first body segment as shown and make two wraps. Then add two CDC feathers extending about 1/4" beyond the body. Place them one on top of the other and secure with 3 thread wraps and trim butt ends.




Step 5 and 6.  Add the Deer Hair Overwing and Legs

If you have good quality deer hair there is no need to stack. Just cut off a section of hair, comb out under fur and position it on top of the hook with the tips extending just past the CDC. Bind down using the pinch. Make sure you keep all deer hair on top of the hook. I like to add cement to the butts of the deer hair on top of the hook shank. This will hold the hair in place and make the fly more durable.
 Add the rubber legs on both sides. Note: on this fly I used two strands of rubber legs and knotted them, then cut one of the strands below the knot to give a tapered appearance.







Step 7. Add the Yellow Foam to be used for the Bullet Head

Just behind the hook eye tie down the foam to be used for the head and indicator. Trim excess and cover with thread wraps. 





Step 8. Cover thread wraps with dubbing

Add dubbing to thread and try to keep it as tight as you can. Cover the thread wraps behind the hook eye. After covering the thread wraps, move the bare thread to just behind the first segment in preparation to add the front legs.

Step 9. Add the Front Legs

Front legs can be the same or a different color than the back legs.  Get creative here.




Step 10. Form the Foam Bullet Head

Pull and stretch the foam up over the first segment and bind down with two or three wraps. Cut leaving about 1/4" beyond the first segment and trim to shape as shown.  Then add a whip finish and glue.




Finally The Finished Fly



You can use a sharpie to color the legs
 



Experiment with different colors of foam bodies, legs, bullet heads and indicators. The one we tied today with the yellow bullet head is an ideal fly for  poor light or rough water conditions in that it is much more visable to the fly fisher.  




Some Variations

Check back next week for another of quick "guide fly" pattern that I use to fool our trout. Good fishing to all of you and get out and get a couple with this fly.

Scott McClintock