Deploying the Troops

Headed to the Queen of Rivers, Norway's Alta

     This coming August marks my tenth wedding anniversary. It has been a great ten years. I couldn't ask for a better wife. Due the milestone, I think I'll be on the outside looking in this salmon season.

     My favorite kind of fly tying is tying for a trip. If it's not for my own trip, second best is someone else's trip. After taking a fishing/tying break in January and February, I have been busy tying for anglers taking some interesting trips in 2018. Among the more interesting orders was a dozen Governors, headed for the big, powerful, early June salmon of Middle Camp's pools on the Cascapedia. Another few dozen are headed for the Rivers Tay, Spey, Nairn, and Ness in Scotland. I've  never fished in the UK, but would love to someday. 

Governors for outsized Cascapedia salmon

     The order that got me the most pumped was a dozen tubes, headed to Norway. There are many great Norwegian rivers, but none as revered as the River Alta, home of the world's largest strain of Atlantic salmon. While tying the other orders, I watched some Dave Chapelle specials and listened to a podcast about crime and corruption in Providence, RI (some familiar characters!). While tying Alta flies, I watched Alta videos. Sometimes I stopped tying to give the videos my full attention. I realized that it's a place I need to see at least once in my life.

    Fueled by over an hour of huge salmon videos, I marched into the room my wife was in and declared, "I'm going to start entering the Alta lottery. If I actually win water, I'll figure out what to do later. But I'm telling you right now, one day I'm going to say that I'm going to Norway. It might be next year. It might be fifteen years from now. But it will happen eventually. I have to fish this place before I die."

     She was sort of caught off guard by how abruptly I delivered my "serious" message, but she got it. I think she'd actually like to come along for that trip, which is great. I tried to pitch a tenth anniversary trip to Iceland, but she saw right through it. She knows next to nothing about fly fishing, but I think she understands how this river is different from all the rest. 

Willie Gunns, headed home to Scotland

     I'll probably be living vicariously through some of you guys this season, but that's okay. I still have to tie a bunch of Miramichi flies. It has been a few years since I was last there. Maybe I'll tie a few extra Undertakers and Butterflies for myself. Maybe I can sneak away for a quick trip if the opportunity presents itself...

Cockburn Shrimp for high water on the Miramichi

Atlantic Salmon Flies from Maine

Tales from a bygone era

Last fall, I bought several used books to help me get through the long, cold winter months. I added every reasonably priced Atlantic salmon fishing book I could find to my Amazon cart. I got an awful lot of books for my money. Despite the common subject, it was a diverse selection of books. Given the number of salmon fishing books I already own, a few were redundant. They were given to friends. Of the eight or so books I bought, my favorite was the simplest book of the bunch. It's not necessarily better written than the rest, but the subject appealed to me the most. 

Published in 1996, Atlantic Salmon Fishing in Maine, by Paul C. Rzasa (1939-2010), is a collection of stories and information about the subsequently closed Atlantic salmon fishery in Maine. A couple of years ago, I posted a brief interview with Topher Browne on this blog. When asked if there was one destination he'd like to fish for Atlantic salmon more than anywhere else, he answered "Maine." I was slightly taken aback by his reply. Had I been asked the question, it would not have been my first choice. 

At least in post-colonial times, I can't imagine Maine's salmon rivers ever equaling the Miramichi or the Restigouche (in terms of run size and fish size, respectively). Even in its heyday, Maine's most prolific river, the Penobscot, was probably no match for the Restigouche, which is one of the world's great big-salmon rivers. The draw is that Maine is the only state in America with a run of wild Atlantic salmon. Their genetic integrity is still intact. It has been that way for about two hundred years. 

Atlantic Salmon Fishing in Maine definitely didn't make the state sound like salmon fishing utopia. Nevertheless, Rzasa caught plenty of salmon in his home state. I have a couple of older friends who have both told me they used to "knock 'em dead" on the Penobscot decades ago. Rzasa wrote about catching salmon in the Downeast rivers, too. It wasn't just the Penobscot. A salmon fisherman had options back then. 

Now I understand why Topher Browne answered my question the way he did. There was a brief period of time in my salmon fishing history when I could have fished the Penobscot in autumn. I drove past it on my way to Canada. I wish I had at least stopped for a day or two. Who knows when I'll have that chance again, if ever? I still want to visit Iceland and fish more Russian rivers but, after reading Atlantic Salmon Fishing in Maine, I agree with Topher. If I could fish for Atlantic salmon anywhere in the world, it would be in New England. 

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Atlantic Salmon Flies of Maine

Here are a few patterns that were devised specifically for fishing in Maine. The vast majority of the flies I found were designed for the Penobscot fishery. From what I gather, the Penobscot River had the earliest run of salmon, so it's no surprise that many of the Penobscot flies I found were big and brightly colored. I found a fair number of fall colored patterns, as well. 

One distinct trait I found in Maine's salmon flies is the use of the color pink as an accent color. There is no shortage of flies with pink components. Given how infrequently pink is seen in Atlantic salmon flies from the rest of the world, the high percentage of partially pink flies from Maine definitely stood out to me. 

Sidewinder (sz. 2) - Colburn Special (sz. 4)
Ruhlin's Riot (sz. 2/0)

Sidewinder (Gayland Hatchey & Gary Dinkins - Veazie, Maine)

Tag: Flat gold tinsel and fluorescent yellow floss

Tail: Fluorescent orange hackle over golden pheasant crest

Butt: Fluorescent yellow ostrich herl

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Peacock herl

Wing: Fluorescent yellow calf tail 

Collar Hackle: Fluorescent yellow

Cheeks: Fluorescent orange hackle tips

Head: Black

Colburn Special (Walter O. Colburn - Bangor, Maine)

Tag: Oval silver tinsel

Tail: Black monga tail over green monga tail (sparse)*

Body: Fluorescent green floss, butted in the middle with black ostrich herl

Wing: Black monga tail over green monga tail (sparse)*

Collar Hackle: Yellow (sparse)

Head: Black

*Often substituted with grey squirrel tail dyed green

Ruhlin's Riot (Dick Ruhlin - Brewer, Maine)

Tag: Flat silver tinsel
Tail: Red hackle fibers
Body: Fluorescent green wool
Wing: Yellow bucktail, fine
Collar Hackle: Yellow
Head: Black

Down East Special (sz. 2) - Pinkent (sz. 8)
Verdict (sz. 4)

Downeast Special (Phil Foster - Farmnington, Maine)

Tag: Flat silver tinsel

Tail: Golden pheasant crest

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Gray chenille or wool

Wing: Fitch tail or red squirrel tail

Collar Hackle: Bright orange

Head: Black

Pinkent (Robert Ent - Bangor, Maine)

Tag: Oval silver tinsel

Body: Rear half - fluorescent pink wool; Front half - bronze peacock herl

Wing: Grey squirrel tail

Collar Hackle: Orange and yellow

Head: Black

Verdict (Jerry Clapp - Bangor, Maine)

Tag: Flat gold tinsel and fluorescent pink yarn

Tail: Golden pheasant crest

Rib: Flat gold tinsel

Body: Black floss

Wing: Black squirrel tail

Collar Hackle: Hot orange

Head: Black

Native New England Salmon Flies - Part II: Southern New England

Upper Wood River (Arcadia, RI)

When I was thirteen years old, I hooked my first trout on a fly. I was fishing western Rhode Island's Wood River. Though the Wood is still home to native brook trout, it hasn't held a wild Atlantic salmon in well over a century. I probably don't have any ancestors who lived in the United States when the Wood's last wild salmon ran the river. I would have loved to fish for salmon in the Wood, though it doesn't strike me as much of a salmon river. I now call Connecticut home. In contrast to the Wood, there are some rivers and streams here that scream "Salmon!" to me. Most are tributaries of the Connecticut River, reputed to have once been the most prolific Atlantic salmon river in all of North America.

Though southern New Englanders never had a recreational Atlantic salmon fishery to call our own, it didn't stop many of us from pursuing the "King of Sport Fish" elsewhere. When it was possible, some of us pursued salmon in Maine, though most anglers were bound for Canada. Despite a deficit of salmon locally, some heavyweight flies have sprung from the minds of tyers in southern New England.

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Atlantic Salmon Flies From Southern New England 

Massachusetts: "Golden Pheasant Spey" (Bob Warren)

The "Golden Pheasant Spey" comes from the fertile mind and eminently talented hands of Bob Warren of Princeton, Massachusetts. Bob's flies can be seen in books such as Tying the Classic Salmon Fly, by Michael Radencich, Dick Stewart and Farrow Allen's Flies for Atlantic Salmon, and my personal favorite, Fishing Atlantic Salmon: The Flies and the Patterns, by Joseph Bates and Pamela Bates Richards. Created for New Brunswick's Miramichi River, the Golden Pheasant Spey is a fly designed for autumn fishing. Gary Tanner, author of the River's Course blog, is the most vocal advocate I know when it comes to the Golden Pheasant spey. Gary and the boys seem to knock them dead with it.

The Golden Pheasant Spey has a regal silhouette and natural glow. It's a fairly bright fly but not in a flashy or gaudy way. The golden pheasant might be the most versatile bird in all of salmon fly tying and its feathers are put to good use in this fly. The dressing listed below was taken from Spey Flies and How to Tie Them by Bob Veverka. 

Golden Pheasant Spey

Hook: Daiichi 2139 (sz. 2)

Tag: Oval copper tinsel*

Tail: Golden pheasant crest over orange polar bear or bucktail, tail as long as body of fly

Body: Half hot orange silk, ribbed with oval copper tinsel* and veiled with yellow rump feathers from a golden pheasant, black ostrich herl butt at middle, and half oval copper tinsel*

Hackle: Claret hackle followed by two red golden pheasant feathers

*copper tinsel subbed with gold tinsel in the fly pictured above

Connecticut: "Mitchell" (Archibald Mitchell)
Plate B from M.O. Marbury's "Favorite Flies and Their Histories" (1892)
The Mitchell is fly #21 (middle right)

In the world of Atlantic salmon flies, some real gems have come from the state of Connecticut. The first one that comes to mind is Don Leyden's "Shady Lady," a fly that evolved into one of the deadliest salmon-catchers in Canada's Maritime Provinces. A far more obscure fly is the "Mitchell," created by Archibald Mitchell. Though born in Scotland, Mitchell spent most of his adult life in Norwich, Connecticut. Like the Shady Lady, the Mitchell has also undergone some pretty dramatic changes over the years.

As mentioned in Part I of this series, only two Atlantic salmon flies in Mary Orvis Marbury's book, Favorite Flies and Their Histories, were created in America. The Notion was one of them, though it was originally intended for landlocked salmon. The other was the Mitchell, which was a dedicated Atlantic salmon fly from the beginning. Mr. Mitchell submitted the fly to Ms. Marbury and had this to say about it:

I take pleasure in sending you the Mitchell salmon fly, as requested. Its story is short and easily told. I conceived the idea that a very dark fly would be a success on the Penobscot River, for salmon, and tied a few of them for the first time during the winter of 1887-88. It is my own invention, and was not copied from any other fly. It was first tried on the Penobscot during the following spring. (Marbury, 53)

The Mitchell might not have been "copied from any other fly," but it there was nothing unusual about its construction. The Mitchell wasn't gaudy by Victorian era standards but, in terms of architecture, it used a the same basic template as most winged salmon flies of the period.

"Mitchell" as dressed by Farrow Allen (1991)

Somewhere down the line, the Mitchell was reinterpreted. That is not unusual. Fly patterns tend to change over time. Complex Atlantic salmon flies have a history of being simplified to make tying quicker, easier, more cost effective, and/or more durable. The bizarre thing about the Mitchell is that it went the other direction. It actually "evolved" into a more unusual and complex pattern the original. The newer Mitchell lost the double rib (in favor of just one type of ribbing tinsel), but added a new floss section, kingfisher cheeks, and two-tone head. I do not know when these changes occurred, nor do I know who changed the dressing. I have at least three books with dressings for the Mitchell. There are slight differences between all three, but they all resemble the fly in the picture above. The dressing I tied comes from Flies for Atlantic Salmon by Dick Stewart and Farrow Allen.

Mitchell

Hook: Daiichi 2139 (sz. 2)

Tag: Oval silver tinsel and yellow floss

Tail: Golden pheasant crest and kingfisher blue hackle fibers**

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Body: Yellow floss followed by a red butt (wool)

Rib: Fine oval silver tinsel over the black floss only

Throat: Sparse bunch of yellow hackle, ahead of which are three turns of black hackle 

Wing: Black crow quill feathers or a dyed substitute 

Topping: Golden pheasant crest

Cheeks: Jungle cock, veiled by kingfisher

Head: Black, with red band at rear

**Actual kingfisher is substituted for the kingfisher blue hackle fibers in the fly pictured above

Rhode Island: "Cosseboom Special" (John Cosseboom)

Though it is the last fly in this series, the "Cosseboom Special," or "Cosseboom" as it is more often called, is the most influential fly of the six featured here. Paul Marriner refers to the Cosseboom as the "third of the super-flies'" (Marriner, 40). The term "super-flies" refers to patterns that serve as templates for numerous salmon fly variations (the other two "super-flies" being the Rat and the Black Bear/Butt series of salmon flies). There are sixteen different Cosseboom variations in Chris Mann's book The Complete Illustrated Directory of Salmon & Steelhead Flies. Aside from the sixteen Cossebooms listed in Mann's book, there are a plethora of other salmon and steelhead flies tied in the style of the Cosseboom. 

The creator of the Cosseboom Special was John C. Cosseboom, a poet, newspaper writer, and insurance agent from Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Mr. Cosseboom was champion fly caster and an all-around talented fellow. His signature fly, which has more than stood the test of time, was created on a whim.

In July 1935, John Cosseboom and Ai Ballou, originator of the Ballou Special, were aboard the S.S. Fleuris making the twenty-four-hour passage from Quebec to Anticosti Island. To pass the time, fly-tying gear was brought out, and Ai's wife, Annie, challenged Cosseboom to create a fly using a spool of olive green silk floss she had selected. He met the challenge, incorporating the floss for both the body and the tail, and hooked it to Mrs. Ballou's lapel. Later, Ai Ballou attached a note to the fly, "This is the original Cosseboom dressed by John Cosseboom on the S.S. Fleuris, July, 1935, and given to Annie Ballou." The fly is still in existence and exhibits a throat hackle rather than the collar that is usual on the pattern today (Bates, 93-94). 

Aside from the switch from a throat hackle to a collar hackle, the Cosseboom underwent a couple of other changes since the original was tied in 1935. The original Cosseboom used embossed silver tinsel for both the tag and the rib. Nowadays, oval silver tinsel is most often used for both. Also, there is a great degree of variation used in the olive green floss used for the body and tail. The original Cosseboom was a fairly dark shade of olive. The fly is often seen tied in a lighter shade of olive or olive-yellow now. A dark olive Cosseboom variation, known as the "Miramichi Cosseboom," exists and is a very effective fly, though the head is black rather than the signature red of the standard Cosseboom.

The fly pictured above is a composite dressing, not culled from any particular source.

Cosseboom

Hook: Daiichi 2441 (sz. 4)
Tag: Oval silver tinsel
Tail: Light olive floss
Rib: Oval silver tinsel
Body: Light olive floss
Wing: Grey squirrel tail
Collar Hackle: Bright yellow
Head: Red

This concludes this two-part series on native New England salmon flies. I have more New England salmon fly patterns coming in a future post. I hope you enjoyed this series!

Click to download a detailed map of New England's historic Atlantic salmon rivers

New England Salmon Flies from all six states

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Bates, Joseph D. and Bates Richards, Pamela. Fishing Atlantic Salmon: The Flies and the Patterns. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1996. Print.

Mann, Chris. The Complete Illustrated Directory of Salmon & Steelhead Flies. Portland: Frank Amato Publications, Inc., 2008. Print.

Marriner, Paul. Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies. Mahone Bay: Gales End Press, 2011. Print. 

Orvis Marbury, Mary. Favorite Flies and Their Histories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1892. Print.

Stewart, Dick and Allen, Farrow. Flies for Atlantic Salmon. Intervale: Northland Press, Inc., 1991. Print. 

Veverka, Bob. Spey Flies and How to Tie Them. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2004. Print.

Native New England Salmon Flies - Part I: Northern New England

Historic Atlantic Salmon Rivers of New England
(courtesy of NOAA)

At one time, all six New England states had runs of Atlantic salmon. The northernmost U.S. salmon river is Maine's Little Madawaska River, a small tributary of the Aroostook River. The Aroostook is a tributary of the once ultra-prolific St. John River. The southernmost river with a (long extinct) salmon run is Connecticut's Housatonic River. As far as I know, a recreational Atlantic salmon fishery never existed in any New England state other than Maine. Most stocks of New England salmon were either heavily depleted or extirpated before sport fishing became a popular pastime in North America. As such, sport fishers had to travel to Maine or Canada to pursue Atlantic salmon. However, the lack of New England salmon did not stop fly tyers from experimenting with flies or developing new patterns. In this series, I will feature one Atlantic salmon fly created in each of the six New England states.

Despite a lack, or absence, of Atlantic salmon in rivers with historic runs, there are viable landlocked salmon fisheries in all but two New England states (Connecticut and Rhode Island do not have runs of landlocked salmon). While investigating native New England salmon flies and fly tyers, I noticed a common theme. Many flies were designed for trout or landlocked salmon, but have been repurposed for Atlantic salmon fishing. Ultimately, several flies became more popular with Atlantic salmon anglers than with trout or landlocked salmon anglers. Of the six flies featured in this series, two fit this description, both northern New England patterns.

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Atlantic Salmon Flies From Northern New England 

Maine: "The Chief" (Chief Needabeh)

The fly we now know as "The Chief" is a reduction of a Rangley-style streamer created by Chief Roland Nelson, also known as Chief Needabeh. Chief Needabeh, a member of the Native American Penobscot Tribe, was the proprietor of Needabeh's Shack, at tackle shop at Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine (Bates, 372). The original fly was called the "Chief Needabeh Streamer." This streamer fly was originally intended for brook trout, landlocked salmon, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass. Atlantic salmon anglers discovered its value when fishing for autumn salmon. It is particularly deadly on territorial male salmon, who likely consider the fly a potential intruder. Though its still effective when used for its original quarry, the fly is more commonly seen on Atlantic salmon rivers nowadays. In recent years, the fly's dressing has been simplified and its name shortened. Like many Atlantic salmon flies, the dressing constantly changes and evolves. Below is a composite dressing for "The Chief."

The Chief

Hook: Daiichi 2271 (sz. 2)

Tag: Oval silver tinsel

Rib: Oval silver tinsel

Body: Chinese Red Uni-Stretch

Wing: A pair of yellow saddle hackles inside a pair of red saddle hackles

Sides: Jungle cock (optional)

Collar Hackles: Red over yellow

Head: Black

New Hampshire: "Dragon" (Fran Stuart)

Like many other salmon flies conceived in New England, the "Dragon" was tied for the Atlantic salmon of Maine's Penobscot River. In terms of a sport fishery, the Penobscot has always been America's top Atlantic salmon river. Fran Stuart, creator of the Dragon, is from Peterborough, New Hampshire. The fly was first tied in summer of 1988 during a long, hot, dry spell on the Penobscot. Stuart first tied the fly "In a tent, by the light of a Coleman lantern." (Stewart and Allen, 42). It is a very simple, minimal fly that is most effective in low water. The Dragon is more of template than a rigid fly pattern. Though black, green and silver is the most common combination, floss and wire colors can be easily changed to suit the whim of the tyer. Unfortunately, the Penobscot is now closed to Atlantic salmon fishing. Hopefully, the Dragon will once again have the opportunity to swim in its native river. 

Dragon

Hook: Sprite Low Water Double (sz. 10)

Tag: Fine silver wire

Underbody: Flat silver tinsel

Overbody: Fluorescent green floss

Rib: Black ostrich herl, counter wrapped with fine silver wire

Hackle: Webby black hen saddle

Vermont, via Massachusetts: "The Notion" (Shields & Marbury)

A very unique fly concludes Part I of this series. The "Notion" was created by John Shields of Brookline, Massachusetts. However, if not for Manchester, Vermont's Mary Orvis Marbury, the Notion would have been lost in time. Marbury's greatest contribution to fly fishing was her book Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892). The book was written based on submissions by North American anglers of the era. Each angler submitted a list and description of his favorite flies for the fish species found in his respective region. Marbury showed no preference for flies tied for a certain species, as flies for salmonids and non-salmonids get equal representation. 

There are no formal fly recipes in Marbury's book, however there are 32 color plates which show 291 different fly patterns. There are three plates of salmon fly illustrations. All but two salmon flies shown in the plates were created in Europe. Most were the standard salmon flies of the era (i.e. Jock Scott, Silver Doctor, etc.). The Notion was one of the two American flies included in plates of salmon flies. Like the Chief, the Notion was a repurposed fly which happened to be quite versatile.

The Notion was first made and named by John Shields, the veteran fly-maker of Brookline, Mass. It was intended for land-locked salmon, but we hear of it as also successful for salmon, trout, and black bass. Dressed on a large hook it is very beautiful, the gilt and golden brown harmonizing perfectly; it can also be adapted to a small hook. It is a fly that many anglers "take a notion to," and value for the good it does as well as for its beauty. (Marbury, 63)

Technically, the Notion is a Massachusetts creation, however, I've never seen the Notion mentioned anywhere Marbury wasn't also mentioned. Since the fly has been so closely associated with Mary Orvis Marbury all these years, I've decided to use it for the Vermont fly in this piece. Marbury is the certainly the most iconic fly tyer to come from Vermont as well as one of the most iconic of all American fly tyers. The dressing below is approximate, as no complete salmon fly dressings are listed in Marbury's book.

The Notion

Hook: Mustad 3370 (sz. 2/0)
Tag: Oval gold tinsel
Tail: Golden pheasant crest (long) and blue/yellow macaw
Body: Rear half-embossed gold tinsel; Front half-fiery brown seal fur
Hackle and Throat: fiery brown
Wing: Pair of golden pheasant tippets, back to back; veiled with strips of yellow and blue swan, dark turkey, and teal
Cheeks: Kingfisher
Head: Black ostrich herl

Click to download a detailed map of New England's historic Atlantic salmon rivers

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Bates, Joseph D. and Bates Richards, Pamela. Fishing Atlantic Salmon: The Flies and the Patterns. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1996. Print.

Orvis Marbury, Mary. Favorite Flies and Their Histories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1892. Print.

Stewart, Dick and Allen, Farrow. Flies for Atlantic Salmon. Intervale: Northland Press, Inc. 1991. Print. 

Fly Box, new v2.0

2014 Salmon Fly Box
Far Left: Singles, Sizes 2-8
Leaf Page 1: Singles & doubles; sizes 10-12

Here we go again. A new season means a new fly box experiment.

I want a fly box that:

• Can fit as many flies as possible, yet still fit in an average sized pack (wader pocket sized would be even better)
• Has the ability to comfortably hold flies from size 1/0 to size 12
• Won't crush the hackle on Buck Bugs or the wings on Butterflies
• Can hold a handful of Bombers without smashing them*

*I carry a dedicated dry fly box, but like to have a few in the box I use most frequently. 

Here is an assessment of my last three salmon fly boxes:

Classy...but not versatile enough

1. Wheatley Swing Leaf

I purchased this previously owned fly box for $35. In terms of size, I liked this box. It held lots of flies (of various sizes) and it even fit in the pocket of my waders. It crushed both Bugs and Butterflies, though. Bomber storage was non-existant. After sitting in a drawer for several years, I traded this box for an old Scientific Anglers (Hardy) trout reel. 

Ugly...but getting warmer. Unfortunately, both the leaf
and the foam slots were too flimsy.

2. Poor Man's C&F w/add-on Swing Leaf

I traded British elegance for cheap Chinese functionality with this box ($10). It held smaller salmon flies well. Flies from size 1/0 to size 2 killed the slotted foam slots over time, however. It was a good size for the smaller outer pocket of my sling pack, but was too large for my waders pocket. Unlike with the Wheatley, Bugs and Butterflies stayed intact. Bombers fit in the right side, though the hackles got pushed around a bit by the raised foam hook holders. The biggest strike with this box was the swing leaf. It was very flimsy. The adhesive wore off quickly and the thin plastic eventually ripped. Flies could only be stored on one side of the leaf. Plus, I couldn't find a generic swing leaf and the OEM C&F leaf was almost twice the price of the box itself ($18). This box got pretty beat up after only one season. 

Nubby Tack...a waste of a perfectly good patent.

3. Millstream Nubby Tack Box

I bought this box at Cabela's, though similar boxes can be found just about anywhere for about the same price ($15 or so). The box itself is very large, bigger than the phony C&F. It fit in my sling pack, but only in the large pocket. It holds large and small salmon flies with no problem, though it seems to be better at holding larger flies. Flies can work themselves loose if the box is dropped, but I can only recall having that problem once. Bugs, Butterflies, and Bombers were all held safely and securely. 

Honestly, I still like this box. I'll probably continue to use one to house flies tied on larger double hooks. I really like Nubby Tack. Too bad Millstream's bread and butter is their fly box personalization more than fly box innovation. A Millstream box with slots to add a swing leaf would be awesome. I'd love to Frankenstein a box that includes both Nubby Tack and a slotted foam swing leaf. In its current form, however, this box is too bulky for the amount of flies it holds. 

2014 Salmon Fly Box
Leaf Page 2: Buck Bugs and Butterflies
Far Right: Shrimp and a few Bombers

The 2014 Fly Box (pictured above) comes partly from Cabela's. The box itself is a Cabela's waterproof streamer box. Another style of Chinese C&F knockoff, it can be found plenty of places, including eBay. I paid $9.95 for this box. The slotted foam leaf was purchased on eBay for $8.95. It is far sturdier than the leaf in my previous fake C&F box. There are no adhesives, which is a huge plus. The leaf has three tabs which snap right into the box and is easily installed and removed. The leaf is double sided, which is another bonus. 

It seems like this box is a little deeper than my old C&F knockoff. The right side of the box has more depth than the left side. As such, Bombers are stored safely on the far right, while Bugs and Butterflies are stored safely on the corresponding side of the leaf. The left (shallow) side of the box houses standard wet flies, while the corresponding side of the leaf holds small wet flies, both double and single. 

This is not a perfect solution. This box was not made to hold flies this size when a leaf is used. I don't have to sit on the box to close it, but I do have to force it shut a bit. It doesn't seem like the flies on the shallow side suffer much though. I guess we'll see how it fares over the course of a season.

In the meantime, I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for potential 2015 fly box candidates. 

The Atlantic Salmon Flies of Dave Goulet

Clockwise from upper left: Catch-A-Me Lodge, Bette Jane,
Chipper Lodge, Cockburn, Golden Girl, Mezmerizer

      If we were to play a word association game with Southern New England fly fishers, what words would the name Dave Goulet conjure up? Most would probably say, “Classic & Custom,” the name of Dave’s fly shop. Others would mention the Farmington River. After moving Classic & Custom from Holyoke, Massachusetts to New Hartford, Connecticut, the shop sat near the banks of the Farmington until Dave’s retirement in 2009. Some might mention the wary Farmington brown trout, on which Dave was an expert. And you might hear mention of some of Dave’s most well known trout flies, such as Moby Dick, Unicorn, Dirt Diver, or a host of others. Regardless of the words associated with Dave’s name, most would agree that Dave left an inedible mark the local trout fishing community. 

A much smaller percentage of us tapped into Dave’s other area of expertise. Dave is a hardcore atlantic salmon fisherman. Though he has fished all over maritime Canada, Dave knows the Miramichi River inside and out. In terms of atlantic salmon fishermen, Dave Goulet is my favorite kind. He has never been afraid of public water. In a world seemingly full of pricey lodges, pristine Bogdan reels and an overt sense of exclusivity, Dave is the real deal…a salmon fisherman’s fisherman. 

Though Dave is mostly known as an innovative trout fly tyer, he has created some fine atlantic salmon flies. I am aware of six original patterns. Four of which can be found in Flies for Atlantic Salmon (Stewart & Allen; 2001) and The Complete Directory of Salmon & Steelhead Flies (Mann; 2008), among other publications. As far as I know, the two remaining flies have never been published.

      Below are the dressings for all six of Dave’s original patterns. I didn’t try to copy Dave’s tying style, but I did try to respect his choice of materials whenever possible. There are a few unavoidable material substitutions, however. For a more personal account of my experiences with Dave, please see my piece in the Spring 2014 issue of the Atlantic Salmon Journal (Fit To Be Tied, p. 62). 

--------------------------------------------

The Atlantic Salmon Flies of Dave Goulet

(tied and photographed by Ben Bilello)

Bette Jane

Bette Jane

Tag: Oval gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green wool

Tail: Red hackle barbs

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Rear half: medium green floss; Front half: peacock herl

Throat: Yellow hackle over light green hackle

Wing: Badger hair

Head: Black

Catch-A-Me Lodge

Catch-A-Me Lodge

Tag: Oval silver tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green wool

Rib: Oval silver tinsel

Body: Black seal fur (or substitute)

Hackle: Golden pheasant breast feather dyed black (or other spey-type hackle)

Throat: Speckled guinea fowl

Wing: Two strips of white goose shoulder, tied short and splayed (Dee style)

Cheeks: Jungle cock (optional)

Head: Black

*The original was tied with a black silver pheasant body hackle.

Chipper Lodge

Chipper Lodge

Tag: Flat gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent orange floss

Tail: Golden Pheasant tippets, tied in at the second black bar

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Black wool

Throat: Purple hackle

Wing: Woodchuck guard hairs, topped with soft orange hackle fibers 1/3 of wing length

Cheeks: Jungle cock (optional)

Head: Black

Cockburn

Cockburn (unpublished)

Tag: Flat silver tinsel

Tail: Chartreuse bucktail with a few strands of peacock green Krystal Flash

Body: Fluorescent green floss

Underwing: Chartreuse arctic fox or bucktail with black tips

Wing: Chartreuse arctic fox or bucktail with black tips

Hackle: Black-Laced-White hen saddle dyed fluorescent yellow; tied collar style

Head: Black

*The underwing and wing were originally tied with dyed mongoose fur.

Golden Girl

Golden Girl

Tag: Flat gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green floss

Tail: Golden pheasant tippet strands

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Black floss

Throat: Black hackle

Wing: Black squirrel tail

Head: Black

Mezmerizer (top view)

Mezmerizer (side view)

Mezmerizer (unpublished)

Tail: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material)

Shellback: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material)

Hackle: Black, palmered up length of body

Body: Fluorescent green floss

Wing: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material), doubled back and evenly distributed on both sides of the hook shank (same flash as used to make the shellback)

Head: Butt ends of the Krystal Flash wing and black thread

*The original was tied with a generic Krystal Flash substitute with which I am unfamiliar. It is less kinky than the original Krystal Flash. I substituted Crystal Mirror Flash in the fly pictured. 

A Brief Departure - Part II, Some Flies

An eclectic mix from around the globe

Pictured above is my box of flies for CT sea run brown trout fishing 2013. Like I said, I'm fairly new to the game, and several of these patterns are new to me. I tried to include a smattering of patterns from the UK, Denmark and America. The UK flies came from various sources. They're all common wet flies. The Danish flies came from Martin Jorgensen's great articles on the Global Fly Fisher website. The American flies are a mix of trout flies and saltwater patterns. There are a couple of salmon flies thrown in, just because the formulas seem to work well*. 

Left side of fly box:

Elk Hair Caddis (just in case!)

Crazy Charlie

Burning Man

Medicine (Hugh Falkus)

Red Tag

Grease Liner

Mummichog Muddler  (post #12)

Li'l Stinker (see below)  

Green Butt Blue Charm*

Grey Fred

Chartreuse and White Mini Clouser

Sunray Shadow (aluminum and plastic tubes)

Right Side of fly box:

Teal Blue and Silver 

Red Tag

Mallard and Claret

Bloody Butcher

(some of these flies are transplants from other boxes and have already been chewed on, so forgive their scruffy appearances)

Most of these flies are impressionistic as opposed to imitative of specific food items. Of course, to a trout, the impression might be of something very specific. Last season, my largest sea run brown (about 5#) took a Sunray Shadow tied on a plastic tube. I lost another in that size class on a Black Sheep tube fly (tied on a Shumakov Long Range aluminum tube). I'm not one to try to rationalize what a fly looks like to a fish or why they take it. I'm just happy they take it at all. However, to me, those long, skinny tubes could have easily been taken for sand eels, especially the Sunray. 

Another fly which worked for me was the Mummichog Muddler, which is probably no surprise given its track record on Cape Cod sea run browns. We have plenty of mummies in our estuaries, so I'm sure these browns are very familiar with them. 

*The outlier for me last year was a Black Bear Green Butt. It was a really dark, overcast, drizzly day. I wanted a black fly and that was the only black fly I had on me. I figured what the heck...well, it worked. Why not, right? The fish that took it was a real beauty...a plump, football-shaped, silver trout, fresh from the sea. 

So flies that look relatively similar to actual food seemed to work best for me. That led me to create this fella for the upcoming season:

Li'l Stinker Grass Shrimp

It gets its name from the antennae and tail, which are made from the guard hairs from a skunk's back. It should work well for striped bass as well. I'm sure a Crazy Charlie would work well enough (I have caught plenty of resident trout on them), but this one was a fun tie. I'm anxious to take it for a swim.

Our first baby is due in the next couple of weeks, so this might be my last post for a little while. As far as fly tying goes, it's all trout flies on the docket for the time being. I have a feeling I'm gonna want to spend as much time as I can with my new little buddy, so the fly tying might take a back seat for a bit. If I catch any sea trout and manage to get pics, I'll post them. I'm really looking forward to warmer weather and longer days...

CT Salmon Fishing News - Late November

Yet another victim of the infamous HM Sunray Variant 

Warm, cold, warm, cold...I think we've about seen the last of the warm weather until April or so. Fishing, however, has been red hot. My last day out saw four hooked and all four landed, the smallest being around 7# and the largest a hefty male in the 16-18# class. Three of the fights were nothing to write home about, but the big boy fought well, jumping over 10 times. I saw four other fish hooked that day, three of them landed.

Fly wise, it was a day of stark contrast. My first fish was caught on a small #10 wet fly called the M1 Killer. I was fishing a very shallow riffle, so I decided to go small and subtle. The next three fish came from a deeper run with a much heavier current. The two middle fish (including the big guy) were taken on a Gold Bodied Willy Gunn tied on a brass tube. The total length of the fly was about 3.5"-4". The fourth fish took the orange HM Sunray Variant, a tube pattern which has been one of my top two salmon flies this fall (as well as being one of my top trout flies this past spring).

The other fly which has produced quite well for me is the venerable Ally's Shrimp. Still nothing on the Sugerman Shrimp since Russia, but I haven't been fishing it much this season for some reason. When I've needed a dark fly, I've been fishing the Same Thing Murray. Flies with orange in them have been producing so well, it's hard for me to fish with anything else.

Between playing gigs, teaching and fishing, I've been burning the candle at both ends lately. In between the insanity, I've been busy at the vise, tying flies for custom orders. As it gets colder, the less I fish with conventional flies and the more I fish with various tube flies. As far as single hooks go, I've been really happy with the Owner SSW straight eye hooks and I have been including them on all my tube fly orders lately.

Get out there and make sure you try some orange flies/tubes!

Expanded Naugatuck River Fly Assortment

Rosy Dawn - An Evolution

I. Classic
Rosy Dawn
4/0

II. Modern
Rosy Dawn - Temple Dog
1.25" plastic tube

III. Postmodern
Rosy's Spawn
Dual Yorkshire Flybody Hooks #10

Fly Box-Doubles for the Kola River

A big box o' doubles

Though I mainly plan on fishing various tube flies while in Russia, I couldn't help but tie a box of doubles for myself. I guess I just love the way a fly looks on a double hook. These are large flies, in sizes 2/0 and #1-#4. I think some of the 2/0 flies might weigh at least as much as some of my flies tied on copper tubes.

Most of these doubles I tied are established Canadian fly patterns, though there are some European patterns represented as well. The flies can be divided into three categories:

1. Large to jumbo-sized versions of flies I have found to be particularly successful, such as: Sugerman Shrimp, Ally's Shrimp, Same Thing Murray, Red/Green Butt Butterfly, Black Bear Green Butt and the Green Machine.

2. Proven flies I have fished, but have not yet had success with, such as: General Practitioner, Rusty Rat and Silver Rat.

3. Flies which are totally new to me, such as: Ghost Stone Fly, Picasse, Sunburst Flamethrower, Green Highlander Longtail, Blue Charm w/Green Butt and the Pompier.

I tied the large Green Machine with chenille, but I think I'm going to tie a couple with deer hair (as well as a couple of large Shady Ladies). I don't think the buoyancy of the deer hair will offset the weight of the double hook very much, especially considering I tend to pack the deer hair on my bugs rather loosely. This was my first chenille Buck Bug-style fly. The deer hair versions look more durable to me.

Anyhow, we'll see what happens!

Fly Box, new

A Chinese-made C&F knockoff, not yet overflowing with flies

Well, here she is in all her glory. Even though it's a phony C&F waterproof box, the insert is the genuine article! Actually, the stupid name brand  insert costs more than the box itself. The box was a $13 eBay special. The swing leaf insert was a little over $20. I think I paid roughly $35 for the used Wheatley swing leaf box. We'll see how this one fares. I am optimistic. There is still room for more flies! Let the tying of obscure patterns (that won't catch fish) resume...

Fly Box, old

A classic Wheatley fly box, overflowing with flies

This Richard Wheatley box has served me well over the past two seasons. It has always felt a little crammed, however. It isn't a particularly good box for storing Butterflies. I am going to try out a C&F knockoff-style box and see how that fares. It's bulkier than the Wheatley, but the wings on the Butterflies won't get crushed and it should do a better job of holding large streamers/bucktails, as well as larger shrimp patterns. Of course, the new setup is much less elegant than the old one, so it won't be photographed surrounded by rare and expensive feathers. Seeing as how it's not even a genuine C&F box, maybe a pic on a dirty sidewalk, surrounded by pigeon feathers would be more appropriate?