I spent today guiding Colorado resident, Doug. This was
Doug’s first time fishing the Snake despite many visits to
Jackson. He did a fantastic job learning the ins and outs of tight-
line nymphing and was rewarded with a lot of fish. Here are a
few pictures. Nice work Doug!
Over the years, many of my clients have asked to buy
flies from me; ensuring they get patterns that work and that
are tied to hold up to numerous fish. This winter I decided to
put together a box of my favorite flies. I consider this to be a
great all around collection of patterns that will work well on
the waters in and around Jackson Hole. Each box (I chose to
use Cliff’s Bugger Beast Jr., a cool fly box made right here in
Wyoming) comes with 80 flies, but can accommodate many
more.
Each box (10″x6.5″x2.75″) includes 2 of the following:
Hare’s Ears, Royal Wulffs, Parachute Adams, PMD Sparkle
Duns, PMD Grey Drakes, Double Humpies, Stimulators, Elk
Hair Caddis, Goddard Caddis, X-Caddis, Yellow Stoneflies,
Yellow Sallies, Sofa Pillows, Skwala Stoneflies, Chernobyl
Ants, Turk’s Tarantulas, Parachute Hoppers, Dave’s Hoppers,
Grand Hoppers, Beatles, Pink Chernobyls, Wooly Buggers
(black and yellow), Muddler Minnows, Rabbit Streamers,
Montana nymphs, Yellow Stonefly nymphs, Pheasant Tails,
Hare’s Ear’s, Black Hare’s Ears, Red Copper Johns, Copper
Johns, Zebra Midges, Peacock Soft Hackle, Hare’s Ear Soft
Hackle, Zug Bugs, Rubber Leg Prince Nymphs, Brassies,
Griffin’s Gnats, parachute BWOs.
Cost for box and 80 flies: $300
If you’d like a box of my hand-tied flies for your upcoming
trip to Jackson, or as a souvenir, give me a call. I’m also
happy to tie custom orders too. Just tell me what you need!
Many times clients ask me what flies I recommend for fishing our many waters here in Jackson Hole. Take a walk into one of the fly shops in town, or thumb through your most recent fly fishing catalogue and you’ll see hundreds of different flies to choose from. And while I carry many different patterns in my fly boxes, there are several flies that I wouldn’t be caught without. Below is my list of go to flies. Whether you’re fishing on the Snake, or one of its tributaries, these are what I’d recommend carrying:
Stimulator size 8 and 10- can represent hoppers, stoneflies, etc.
Royal Wulff size 12- a great attractor dry fly.
Parachute Adams, size 10-20- a size 14 will get you through most situations.
Black Wooly Bugger– size 8- can represent stonefly nymphs, leeches, etc.
Parachute Hare’s Ear– size 10-18- size 12 is great and can represent several of our mayflies, also a good all-around searching pattern.
PMD Sparkle Dun– size 14- a great pattern for PMD hatches and can represent several of the insect stages.
Double Humpy– size 8- great dry fly attractor. Can be used to represent stoneflies, hoppers.
Copper John– size 14- fish it by itself, or as a dropper
Hopper (Dave’s, parachute, grand, etc.) size 6-10- fish key in on these during the summer.
Chernobyl Ant– size 8- I like to tie mine with a tan underbody, but other colors work great too. One of the go-to summer patterns around here.
Pheasant Tail nymph– size 12- 18- A great all around nymph to have in your box. Different sizes will represent several of our mayfly species; for instance try a size 18 or 20 during a Blue Wing Olive hatch.
Grey Drake Sparkle Dun– size 10- The Green River and Flat Creek have great Grey Drake hatches. The sparkle dun is a favorite of mine to fish when these large mayflies are on the water.
So there you have it, my favorites. I realize I left some great patterns off the list, but I think these 12 patterns will get you through almost any situation out here. For those of you in need of flies, or looking for a souvenir to take home with you, check out a box of my hand-tied flies.
It’s fitting that with the spring time change comes sunshine and good fishing on the Snake! The past few days here in Jackson Hole have been beautiful, with temperatures in the high forties and blue skies. This weather has been great to fish in. We’ve spent time fishing some select spots on the Snake and have been rewarded with trout; taken both on dries and nymphs. Midges are hatching like crazy right now, evident by the HUGE piles of shucks on the banks as well as the hundreds of adults floating on the surface. Here are a few pictures from our outing.
Husks, bigger and thicker than my beard…
Yesterday, despite a winter storm warning, I took two hardy souls fishing on the Snake. Josh and Hanse were determined to fish; blizzard be damned! These guys worked the water hard with their double nymph rigs and were each rewarded with a few fish; and of course there was the colossal cutthroat that got away! (it’s not a fishing trip without one!) Here are a few pictures from our outing.
After enduring a few months of Wyoming winter, one can’t
help but feel the need to get out of town; if only for a change of
scenery and chance to fish some different water (that is NOT
lined with several feet of snow). So, after dropping Jamie off at
the airport to catch a flight to Vegas, Sage and I continued on
with a car full of supplies and fishing gear. My friend Matt was
nice enough to blow off some work and join us for a few days of
fishing and relaxation. Fishing was good, company was great and
I feel recharged since returning home. Enjoy a few highlights
from the past week…. thanks to Matt (and a few trout) for
demonstrating how things are done!
Like many fly fishers out there, I am a huge John Gierach fan. It began when I picked up his book, “Sex, Death and Fly Fishing” in college. Reading it confirmed my suspicions that some people do indeed reject convention and spend the majority of their waking hours pursuing trout. Since then, I’ve read all Gierach’s books, some more than once, and look forward to his Sporting Life columns in Fly Rod and Reel magazine.
While perusing the Trout Underground site (a great blog) the other day, I came across a link to an interview with John Gierach. Gierach doesn’t seem to do many interviews, so when I stumble across one, I read it. It’s nice to learn a little more about the man who pens such great fishing tales.
Check it out if you’re a fan: Interview
Just got in from an outing on the Snake. The day won’t go down
in the record books, but it was nice to get out and wet a line. I
expected conditions to be fairly lousy, but I didn’t expect ice to
be floating in the main channel…. although it makes sense. After
walking a good mile up river with Sage, I post-holed my way to
the bank and rigged up my rod. I opted for the usual, a double
nymph setup with a twist of weight. The floating ice made it
challenging to get a good drift in the fast, deep current. Every
once in a while though things would work out and I’d feel a bump
on the end of my line. After about an hour, I reeled up; content
with the 2 cooperative fish that found their way to my hand.
Well, it happened. After what seemed like months of waiting,
we got our first proper snowstorm here in Jackson Hole. I’d bet
there’s about a 14 inches here at the house, and it looks like the
mountains got several feet. Needless to say there were quite a
few folks “sick” yesterday; both school kids and adults took
advantage of some great skiing. Here’s a shot from this morning
of Sage assessing things in the backyard.
No snow and not much in the way of fishing (or skiing).
That’s how it’s been around here lately. And while it hasn’t
been dreadful, a little new snow would certainly boost morale,
both for folks around town and the trout that depend on a
robust snowpack for survival. Not time to worry yet though,
we still have a lot of winter left.
I’m been keeping myself busy around here tinkering with
various art projects and playing some music, both on the guitar
and a newly acquired ukulele. Speaking of music, I saw a great
band last night- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at a local
watering hole. The music itself was fantastic; alt country fueled
by whiskey and struggle. Unfortunately the venue was less
than adequate for such a great band. Somewhere along the
way, live music has taken a back seat to superficial chit chat
and constant cellphone checks. I watched the show intently, as
did a quarter of the other folks in the bar, but it was clear that
$20 ticket or not, most folks were there to socialize and show
off their first ever attempt at facial hair. (Yes, I realize I
sound like a curmudgeon) Regardless, it was great to see some
rock n’ roll in a mountain town that’s become increasingly more
interested in techno music and energy-drink fueled dance
parties. If you like rock n’ roll and alternative country music,
do yourself a favor and checkout Jason Isbell.
Couldn’t resist the vinyl…..came with a free digital album
download as well.
