3-28-11...Another Steelhead trip

So.....This is Buck...He was the first fish I have caught to successfully break one of my fly rods....



My first fish of the day. That's right, my beloved Beualah 7/8 wt switch...the tip is now in three pieces...but I landed the fish. As I was taking the pics, to ad insult to injury as my rod layed there in pieces, he milted all over my leg...Ahhhh...the life of a steelheader.




Thankfully I always bring two rods North with me. So I broke out the 9ft 6wt for the rest of the day. It felt a little like throwing around a twig, but I hooked up on another seven fish. Unfortunetly I was only able to fully land with photos two of those fish. I hooked and beached a monster hen, as I moved toward her she slid of the stones and back into the water, snapping my 6lb tippet and taking my fly with her. It happens, part of the game...





Dustin, my fishing partner and friend...after many skunked trips finally was awarded a beauty of a fish at the end of the day.





At this point in the game I am now beginning to consider myself a winter steelheader. I'm not sure what criteria needs to be met in order to consider yourself an actual steelheader. It seems as though it is an elite title awarded only to anglers tough enough to brave the harsh winter conditions to actually catch these beautiful fish. I have spent my winter chasing, catching multiple winter species, tying flies, exposing myself to the winter elements, learning to spey cast, learning high stick nymphing techniques, buying a switch rod, getting wet a few times, broke a rod, many suicide trips up and back in a day and reading anything I can on Great Lakes Tributary fishing. If I haven't won the title yet, then I'm not what else I need to do. I'm taking it anyway...

Everyone got on fish, got home safe and had fun. This might be my last Steelhead trip of the season, as warm water is right around the corner....Get Hooked...

3-27-11...Smallmouth madness

A completed order for a friend of mine....Looking for smallmouth flies....here it is...just the basics...the meat and potatoes....but more then effective

Eyes and Richard Johnson

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul...If this is true, then Richard Johnson of Custom Pike and Salt Water Flies has trapped the soul of fish in his masterful approach to imitating eyes. I received a package from Richard earlier in the week...



Now it was no surprise to me that the eyes were amazing, as Deer Creek was already a supplier of Richard's creations. Pictures do not do these eyes justice. They will add a flair of realism and turn any fly into a work of art.

Eyes are one of the things in a fly that I feel can make the difference between a successful day on the water or not. The idea is, that eyes fall into the category of "Supernormal Stimuli." These are simply greater-than-normal characteristics that trigger responses in predator fish. This means adding a larger then life stimulus to a fly that will attract a curious or hungry fish. Something that stands out, an extra movement in the tail, a brighter then life color, or better then normal eyes. If the fly is presented properly along side of these extras, the fish become excited and may even chase your fly more then the natural.

Richard's eyes do just that. They stand out more then a normal eye and add that extra I have been looking for. If you haven't used them, you're missing out. They are now the only eyes that will grace my flies. Here are some of my flies with these eyes...Just for comparison's sake, here is a fly with normal googly eyes....



Now on to the good stuff.....










Contact Rich at his blog... http://pikeflies.blogspot.com/ or check out Deer Creek...Cheers, remember stimulate those fish with some super realistic eyes...

My Work

So....I am a tattooist. The majority of people find it odd that I fly fish, tie flies and tattoo. The connection between the two seems natural and fitting for me. I think it's more the art then anything that connects the two, tattooing being my chosen field in the arts. I tattoo by evening and tie flies by morning when the weather is not cooperating...otherwise you will see me standing in a river with my yak waving a stick tossing bugs. That's how I role. Tattooing has been my livelihood for the last seven years. It's the most rewarding, frustrating, aggravating, fun, belly laughing, bbq-ing, stressful, time consuming, rocking job I have ever done...especially in the arts. Here's a sampling of some of my favorite pieces over the last few years......Enjoy...