The Butch Caddis

Last year was my first trip to Montana and the vision of big brown trout sipping caddis on the side of the Madison River hasn't left me.  With only a few weeks until my next trip (I'm kind of addicted), I've been tying as many different caddis variations as I can find.  Kelly Galloup's Butch Caddis was particularly attractive to me because it floats like a cork.  With a large over wing of deer or elk hair, the fly performs exceptionally well in rough water.  If you fish in the west, like I do, you'll be fishing rough water quite a bit, so this pattern should hold a prominent place in your arsenal.  

I've only fished this it once, but it worked really well.  I'm looking forward to stalking some big browns on the side of the Madison in a few weeks.  After that, I'll give it a go with some high sierra trout too.  This little caddis may just take center stage in my dry fly box before you know it.   

5 Tying Tips

1. Zelon (or antron) is slippery stuff.  Lay down a good thread base on the bare hook to help keep the materials from sliding around.  
2. Keep the body of the fly slim.  Caddis have really narrow bodies, there's no need to build up a big profile on this fly with your dubbing. 
3. Try to position the rubber legs right between elk hair and the dubbing on each side of the fly.  This makes for a nice little joint to seat them in. 
4. Take your time when trimming the elk hair.  Trim the sides to keep the profile slim, and trim the top of the wing flat, just like those flat top haircuts from the 1950's. 
5. Tie a dozen of these little guys in a variety of colors and sizes.  I have a few in bright colors that I'll be using as an attractor dry fly in the late summer. 

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If you want to learn from the man himself, check out the video below. 


Entry Level Sierra

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On the precipice of Memorial Day Weekend I texted one of my best friends about the possibility of a camping trip in the Sierras.  It wasn't going to be one of those backpacking trips deep into the Golden Trout Wilderness or logging long miles on the John Muir Trail.  Nope.  The plan was to head up Highway 108 for some good old fashioned car camping next to giant trailers while fishing for both wild and stocked trout.  

Our destination is a place that brings back a lot of nostalgic feelings for me.  The men in my extended family have been heading to this area for 35+ years.  Traditionally, we plan for a "fishing" trip there twice a summer.  Ultimately, it turns out to be more of an excuse to get into the mountains and have some fun than it is about actual fishing. (Look for a blog post about that trip coming soon!)  

  With such little planning, Morgan and I knew our chances of finding a spot to set up our tents were slim, especially since I wanted to stop by my cousin's graduation party Saturday afternoon.  After some celebratory food and drink along with some well wishes for Braden on his way to college, we jumped in my truck and began our journey from the Bay to the Sierras.  With each mile the air grew cleaner and thinner, all the hustle of life in San Francisco, quickly loosing focus in the rear view mirror.

Once deep into the Sierras, we circled through a few sites full of RV's and 10 man tents, ultimately settling on the lone walk-in campground near the river.  After dragging our tents, gear, and Yeti Cooler to our spot, it was time to relax!  Over the next 48 hours we spent time tying flies near the fire, fishing, trail running, and even enjoying a drink and the Giants game at The Last Chance, a true cowboy bar and a favorite stomping grounds for my uncles.  

With runoff in full effect, the river was flowing high.  To make matters worse, it rained both Saturday and Sunday night making the waters dark and off colored.  The fishing wasn't as good as it usually is but we sill had a great time.  The river was full of people drifting worms and Power Bait on conventional gear but it's a great place to enjoy some fishing and take in the beauty of California.  Even entry level camping, where most people bring all the creature comforts of home can be fun.  Personally, it's the wild places of the American West that get me most excited though.  

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Small Streams

Small streams usually produce small trout.  It just so happens that streams in the Bay Area are really small and so are their fish. Not only are the fish delicate, so is their habitat. 
 
As a kid, I grew up fishing a few small streams here in the Bay Area.  I'd usually fish with my uncle when we weren't in the Sierras.  We'd throw little hopper patterns to eager wild rainbows covered in parr marks.  Over the course of a day we'd usually land 30-40 trout and I always left with a huge smile on my face.  These small streams taught me how to cast in tight quarters, although, I still spent just about as much time casting to rising trout as I did getting my fly out of the Bay Laurel and Oak surrounding the creeks.  

This weekend I revisited one of those small streams with a friend (Joshua) and the experience was no different.  The trout were eager and my fly spent a good deal of time in the trees!  Actually, there was one difference. The water was pretty low for this time of year.  The drought has been having a huge impact on the little streams around the Bay.  Last summer I saw one those childhood streams blink out.  The water was low, warm, and cloudy.  There was silt covering every inch of the river bottom and there were zero signs of trout. With that fresh in my memory, the sight of these small healthy wild trout were a welcome relief. In all, Joshua and I caught a good deal of trout, shared some old fishing stories, and sat on the bank of the creek sipping good beer and thinking about the future of this small local drainage. 

 These small streams tend to be delicate.  Fishing pressure, trash, drought, rising water temperatures, and pesticides can all quickly take a toll on these small watersheds. It's up to us, the ones that enjoy this resource so much, to take care of what we have left.  If you know of any little gems like this, keep them a secret and take good care of them.  In a blink of an eye, they may be gone. 

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Where'd we find this little stream?  Sorry, this one's a secret. 

Getting Skunked

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We've all been there.  It's one of the reasons we love this sport.  The challenge of an elusive brown that spooks at the slightest shadow on the water, a footstep that lands too hard, or a dragging caddis larva.  Those high pressured rivers too!  Why do we keep coming back to them time and time again?  The challenge?  The accomplishment?  The feeling of bringing that 18 inch rainbow to the net on a size 22 zebra midge?  Those are the feelings that bring us back. The Truckee River provides exactly that experience for me.  It's highly pressured and the fish are smart, but they're catchable.  Every time I leave the Truckee, I'm a better fisherman and most of the time I've learned something new.  If I'm not learning from the trout, I'm learning from a buddy of mine who I fish with on the Truckee from time to time (Thanks Shane) who know the river backwards and forwards.

A few weeks ago Octave Zangs and I made a quick stop on the Truckee while traveling between the Pit River to Los Padres National Forest. We stepped foot in the river with high hopes of hooking some sizable fish. Having come from the Pit where we were catching fish hand over fist, our expectations for the Truckee were high.  The first evening we fished some of the most productive waters I know, with nothing as much as a bite.  To make matters worse, the river was being hammered by other fishermen.  Every time we turned a corner there was another guy in khaki waders drifting hooks and bobbers over weary fish.  Octave switched to a streamer in one hole and felt his line come tight. Within a few seconds though, the fish had shaken the hook.  After a good night sleep, we tried our luck again for a few hours in the morning.  Again, nothing.  You know the feeling.  You're making good drifts in water that looks fishy, but nothing's working.  In all, we both hooked fish but each lost to the feisty trout.  You don't get many chances on the Truckee, so you've got to make them count when you get them. 

As I've gotten older, I've learned to shake the skunk off my back with more grace.  I've always admired those older fishermen who go to the river for the experience.  Just getting on the water is enough for them.  I'm not there yet, but I feel a lot better about going to the river with high hopes of landing fish and walking away without my hand smelling like trout.  I guess I'm getting more content with the experience of learning something new while doing something I love.  Really taking in the natural resources doesn't hurt either.  I'm lucky to live where I do and fish the watersheds of Northern California.  Before you know it, the experience will be all that matters to me.   For now though, I'm ready to get into some fish! Getting skunked sucks! 
 

Words by: Tyler Graff
Pictures by: Octave Zangs (Last two photos by Tyler Graff)

Small Streams

We all like to catch pigs!  Throwing streamers, dredging nymphs, or fishing midges on tailwaters can all produce those 17-22 inch hogs we love.  The grip and grin (#keepemwet) is always better with a big fish!  Equally fun, however, is a day on the river with friends throwing small dry flies to spooky trout on secluded small streams. 


Last weekend, I spent a day in Los Padres National Forest with Octave Zangs andJason Fitzgibbon.  Jason is a master at finding small blue lines on topo maps that hold fish and had scouted a secluded little creek, far from any foot traffic or fishermen.  Although Jason had fished here before, we were all unsure of the creek's productivity. With years of sever drought under its belt, the creeks of Los Padres (and the rest of California) have been severely impacted.  The longer we hiked down the canyon, the more worried we were.  There were a few signs of fish, but not nearly as many as we had hoped for.  To make matters worse, the first few runs and riffles we fished were completely void of any takers.  

As we worked our way back up the drainage, we changed tactics and started throwing small yellow and red humpies, a fly I never fish.  The bushy dry flies were floating high and the small Costal Rainbow Trout (The third heritage tout to be featured on the blog) began to rise!

As with any small stream, it's imperative that you find the deep cold water, where fish tend to hide, and use as much stealth as possible when making your approach to the river.  Fishing small streams can be a ton of fun because of this.  The biggest challenge is usually keeping your backcast out of the trees.  

Once we locked on a pattern, the fish came easily.  In total we landed 40-50 fish, all small native trout who've probably never seen a dry fly.  They weren't pigs, but they were a lot of fun.  At times, it's the adventure, friendship, and fast action of small streams that lures us away from the bigger fish.  The different perspective a small stream gives you can be rewarding and fun!  

Words by: Tyler Graff
Photos by: Tyler Graff and Octave Zangs

The Pit River

Last week, I was lucky enough to spend a few days on my favorite river (The Pit River) with Octave Zangs of Zangs Films.  Although early April, we woke up to cold temperatures and snow.  In total, we spent three days fishing from sun up 'til sun down and found its fish to be strong, healthy, and eager to take a fly.  Most of our fish were in the 10-15 inch range but we saw many easily exceeding that size. 

The reason The Pit is so special to me is the solitude it provides.  Living in San Francisco can be hectic and there's solitude, miles of fishable river, and healthy wild fish fish on The Pit.  Providing hydroelectric power, irrigation, and recreational opportunities over its 207 mile course, this river plays an important role in the Northern California landscape. Its waters come from one of the largest contiguous freshwater spring systems in the US and runs through the Cascade Range. Only the Columbia and Klamath (great company) flow through this range with it. As the longest tributary to the Sacramento river,it is a major water source for California and it provides upwards of 80% of Shasta Lake's water.  

 Located just east of Redding, fewer and fewer people come to fish this rugged river.  It's bowling ball sized cobbles covered in algae and increased water flows make for one of the toughest wading experiences you'll have.  If you go, don't go alone and be sure to bring a wading staff!  Every review of the river says the same thing.  It's completely doable to fish alone and to not carry a wading staff.  However, if you do, you'll find yourself at some point wishing you had some support.  I've spent many cold winter days up there as one of the only people on the river and have regretted not having a wading staff or fishing buddy.  It can be a dangerous river with the current water flows. 

The best parts of the river though, its beautiful wild stocks of rainbow trout!

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Any way you look at it, healthy fish need healthy habitat.  Water flows, dams (or the lack there of), strong riparian zones, large amounts of river biomass, and water temperatures all play into the health of a river.  The Pit has many of these important features in place but the impact of the hydroelectric damns on the river have certainly weighed heavily on the anadromous fish species that use to ply the depths of The Pit.  I can't help but feel lucky every time I step foot in this beautiful river but can only image how it could have been different if left to its own devices. 

Words by: Tyler Graff
Photos by: Tyler Graff and Octave Zangs

The Slump Buster

John Barr's Slump Buster is a great streamer pattern to have in your fly box!  If you don't have any, you need to tie a few before your next trip to the river.  They range form size 10 up to a 2 and are typically tied on a 3x long streamer hook.  The fly was designed to push a lot of water with the cone head and wraps of fur at the front of the fly.  This makes it a great fly to fish in off-colored water or to swing through dark undercuts.  Its a simple fly to tie and catches both warm and cold water species.  With a little practice and a few tips, you can make them look as good as the one in the video above.  Tim Flagler is the master!

The Materials 

 

Five Tying Tips

1. Use 140 denier thread. 
 This allows you to use more tension when securing the fur.

2. Weight the fly with a cone-head and plenty of lead-free wire. 
 The weight forward design allows it to "jig" as you strip it back from the bank. 

3. Wet the fur when wrapping the wire up the shank of the hook. 
 This allows for the wire to be wrapped without trapping any fur.  Take your time with this, it's well worth the effort.

4. Wrap the fur 2-3 times once at the head of the fly. 
 This produces a nice dense head, ultimately pushing more water. 

5. Tuck the last wrap of fur under the cone head. 
 Creating a clean finish to this fly has always been a challenge for me. By tucking the fur right up against the cone-head and using the 140 denier to force it further under the lip of the cone-head, you'll have a nicely finished fly. 

Bonus 
Experiment with different body materials and colors.  Crystal flash, ice dub, and diamond braid all work well. 

It's always nice to have a few Slump Busters in your bugger box.  They're bigger than your average Woolly Bugger but smaller than the popular articulated streamers.  They'll fill out your box nicely and allow you to downsize on those day's your not connecting with the big stuff!

Start From Yes

How often is it that we miss out on meeting great people and experiencing new adventures? How often have we meet great people, planned to meet again, and left things hanging without following through?  Too often we find ourselves staying within our comfort zone, fishing the waters we know best, with the friends we're most comfortable with.  I'm guilty of this more than I'd like to admit.  This time, I thought I'd start by saying yes!

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from Octave Zangs , a complete stranger who had found me on Instagram.   In the e-mail, he proposed a trip to the Owens River Gorge, a place I'd never been, seven hours from the comfort of my San Francisco studio. Yea....usually that's a no, but thanks for the offer. I'm glad I took time to look into it though, because I found that he'd done some really great work as a cinematographer.  He's an avid fly fisherman, former commercial fly tier, and super talented photographer to boot. Making the trip even more enticing, he had invited Jason Fitzgibbon, a wildlife biologist, photographer and passionate outdoorsman.   Through the magic of Instagram, Octave had assembled a great team of people with a passion for wild trout, solitude, and the beauty of California's natural resources. 

With a plan in place, Octave and his wife headed north from the LA area along with Jason and his buddy Joe Bustos, who also happened to be a great fly fisherman and enthusiastic mountain biker.  I threw my gear in the back of my truck and weaved my way through the Sierras to Highway 395 from San Francisco.  Upon arrival, I wasn't sure what to expect. In fact, I only had GPS coordinates that led to a random unmarked dirt road on the edge of the Owens River Gorge.  Upon arrival, I found two cars, and the silence of wilderness. I peered over the edge of the gorge and saw nobody. I strung up my rod, swung my pack over my shoulder, and headed down a steep single track where the river came into focus.  Thats when I saw Joe and Jason fishing side by side and Octave and his production partner Eryc Trammon setting up a drone to fly over the river while we're fishing.  

The following 48 hours were filled with great stories of past fishing trips, conversations about the wild resources we love most, and lots of brown trout in the Owens River Gorge and the Upper Owens River.  In the end, the weekend was more than I could have imagined.  I came away with a resolute determination to explore the unknown more often and seek the hidden creeks and rivers that I only know as faint blue lines on the topo map. I'm starting from yes more often!

Jason throwing small dries for wild Brown Trout.

Jason throwing small dries for wild Brown Trout.

Photos above by Jason Fitzgibbon.

Late winter on the Upper Owens River.

Late winter on the Upper Owens River.

Joe swings streamers at last light.

Joe swings streamers at last light.

Octave documenting the trip || Photo by Chloe Lepeltier

Octave documenting the trip || Photo by Chloe Lepeltier

Mug shots by Octave Zangs