Goldstock's Fly Tyers Expo....3-13-11

This is one of my favorite smaller events of the year. I got my start tying at expos here. The staff are the friendliest, down to earth people you will ever meet, a few of them being extremely knowledgeable fly anglers as well. This show brings in the top tyers in the region, including Bob Mead, Dave Brandt, Alex Cerviniak and Rich Bogardus to name a few. I came with some game, a couple of new displays to show off some deer hair creations...

Me hard at work....



This display will be at Wiley's Flies for viewing. Vince Wilcox is building a fly tyer's museum at his shop in the Adirondacks. I was graciously invited to be a part of it...



A closeup of the hummingbird...



This is my other display of some Punk Rockers...



These were a few smaller divers I brought to the show...These are tied on 1/0 hooks. They are my small mouth go to top water divers...



The show was excellent. I made some new friends, saw some old friends and had a great time...My fly collection grew a little and my boxes shrank a bit. Until next year...

Tight lines and screaming reels....

Hott Butt Toads...

Trimmed....



Complete....

3-4-11 Toads in the making

I've got 12 Hott Butt Toads in the process of being completed. You need these in your fly box for warm water...If interested...email me...pcohen4@nycap.rr.com....they'll be done in a day or so...

Carp'n Crunch

I love carp. I spent many days as a young man chasing carp with a spin rod. As a fly fisherman the respect for these fish has grown beyond anything I ever thought possible. It was taught that they are a low end fish, a bottom feeder, a garbage fish...Nothing could be further from the truth. They are intelligent, spooky, extremely finicky and huge. They will have you reel screaming all the way into backing every time. If you think a Steelhead runs, you haven't seen anything yet. It's like fighting a freight train....This is a new fly created for the creek that I fish. "Carp'n Crunch"....Can't wait to toss these at some tailing "Poorman's Bones"....




Another fly that I tie...I call it my "Carp Dart"...It's tied using red squirrel and red fox tail. Tied Clouser style, the hook point rides up.



No box for carp, smallies or walleye is complete without some leeaches. This is my "Stripabou Leech"....Brown rabbit strip, black palmered marabou...a tone of movement and a little flash....This is also tied hook point up...

3-3-11 Nymphs and Bluegills

I've got warm water on the brain. One of my guilty warm water pleasures is bluegill catching on a four weight. The best flies in my humble opinion to catch the big boys are nymphs. Of course nothing beats the excitement of watching a bluegill smack the surface after the distinct sound of a popping bug....but if you want the real big ones, get down a little deeper outside of those weed beds. I tie basic nymphs, nothing too crazy. As I was tying these up the other night, I realized they are the same nymphs that I use for late winter Steelheading. Funny....Oh well....

2-27-11 Fish On

Today I decided to step away from the vice and rock out on the water. A drive to the Salmon River with my co-worker Dustin took place. We stopped at the local fly shop to get the lowdown on the river today...The lower fly zone was shoulder to shoulder due to warm weather and the beginning of a major stone fly hatch.




We ventured lower in the river hoping to pick up some fresher fish....To the Staircase batman....Apparently no one has been fishing this area, no broken trail and three feet of snow let us in on the secret....



A trail we made...Stomping down the embackment and up the tracks ended with me face planting over the tracks and into the snow. A quick rollover and back on my feet....Well...more like a turtle trying to roll off of his back I would really say. I am wearing new waders today...I bought neoprenes due to the leak in my breathables. The boots are so heavy on the new waders, on top of Korkers attached to them that I can barely lift my feet. On we trudged. "Look" I say..."check out that bald eag..." bam....face first in the snow again...Oh my...one of those days has begun...

We fished and fished...swung speys, stripped streamers, bottom bounced every nymph in every size and color...notta....We walked back, loaded and switched areas...To the Compactor...We arrive...fish, fish, fish....a hookup, it rises, then takes off leaving me with my fly in a tree....Onward..We continue fishing there for an hour or tow...Now the day is counting down....Decision time...We have barely seen a sole all day...perfect fishing....however...we really want a solid hookup...Shoulders down...to the lower fly zone we go...

The common pools were over loaded with people....So down river we went....Dustin and I discussed some photo angles that would be cool if we landed anything today....We fish and fish...then finally I have a hookup...This fish ran me out almost to backing, then made me chase it 500 ft down river before landing...Only to realize that Dustin was nowhere to be found. So these are the photos that I managed while my partner was apparently chasing minnows....Enjoy...

2-25-11 Flashback Swimming Damsel Nymph

This is a flashbask damsel fly nymph I made on a size 6 streamer hook bent like a swimming nymph. Should be a killer on the smallies and bluegills.



Here is a pheasant tail nymph with sili legs...Bluegill getter....