George's Woven Stone - Skwala Edition

Yep, it's already time to start thinking about Skwala's.  Woven bodied flies have generally gone the way of the typewriter.  The old Grant and Pott style of weaving flies was difficult and time consuming but it produced beautiful and durable results.  The technique used to weave the body of this fly is very easy to do and it also produces beautiful and durable results.  Plus, you can lie and tell your friends it took you years to learn.

The basis for this fly was developed by George Anderson who has run the Yellowstone Angler in Livingston, Montana for many years.  The original pattern for "George's Rubber Leg Brown Stone" can be found in the book "Tying Flies with Jack Dennis and Friends."  That original pattern uses rubber legs for the tail, has only 2 sets of legs, has no wing case, and no antennae.  I added some new features for fun.  I have used the original pattern in different sizes and colors all over Montana and have found it to be incredibly effective.

Hook: Size 6-10 (for Skwala) nymph hook
Thread: Brown 6/0 thread
Weight:  .025 lead or imitation lead wire
Tail:  Brown goose biots
Body:  Standard yarn in tan and light brown
Legs:  Sili Legs  - crawdad pumkin flake
Thorax:  Hand blend rabbit dubbing - brown, black, tan
Wing Case:  Turkey tail feather
Antennae:  Brown goose biots

Step 1:

       























Tie in the tail and wrap some lead weight.


Step 2:

Take two 8 inch lengths of yarn, one dark , one light, and separate out two strands of yarn material.  There is usually 3-4 strands in yarn. For smaller stoneflies, you only want two strands or the body will be too bulky.


Step 3:

Tie the strands of yarn to each side of the hook and create a tapered under-body with the thread. This makes the finished body look nice and tapered.  Then, whip finish and cut the thread.


Step 4:

Turn your vice so that it is facing towards you.


Step 5:

Tie an overhand knot (like step 1 in tying your shoes), making sure that the color you want on the top of the fly is on top.  Repeat this 7-10 times making sure that every time, the same color is on top, until you have a body that looks like this:

Top view:

Bottom View:

Isn't that awesome?!  I just love it! Once the body is formed, re-start your thread, tie off the yarn, and cut the tags.

Step 6:

Tie in the bit of turkey feather with the nice side down and tie in 3 sets of rubber legs like you'd do for any fly.

Step 7:

Dub a nice thick thorax around the legs.

Step 8:

Wrap the turkey feather forward and tie down, then tie in the antennae.  Your done!  Super-easy. Now you've got a durable, effective fly that was easy to tie (even though it doesn't look like it). March Madness is not something that happens on TV!  You watch your basketball, I'll be on the river for some of the best fishing of the year.

The Fly Fishing Film Tour comes to the Mining City tomorrow!!

The Fly Fishing Film Tour makes its way through Butte, America tomorrow night at the fabulous Motherlode Theater.

Tickets can be bought at the Motherlode or at The Stonefly Fly Shop.

Show starts at 7!  See you there.

Happy, lucky, healthy Chinese New Year

Mai Wah's Chinese New Year Dragon

The Chinese New Year parade in Butte, Montana is a trip!

Businesses all around uptown were visited, had evil spirits scared away, and were wished goo luck for the coming year of the goat (or sheep).

Chinese New Year Parade with the Berkeley Pit high wall in the background

A good crowd of people showed up to chase the dragon around Uptown Butte.

Out front of the Mai Wah Museum in Butte's old Chinatown.

Dragon Scale

Yet another reason why Butte is the coolest city in Montana...

"Montana's Last Best River: The Big Hole and its People"

This is a wonderful book by Pat Munday about one of the most fabled trout streams in the world, the Big Hole River.  Pat is a professor at Montana Tech in Butte and author of the EcoRover Blog (which sadly, seems to have been abandoned).

Excuse my napkin, I was reading the copy at Quarry Brewing in Butte

"Montana's Last Best River" has fabulous photography and covers everything from pre-European history to modern day conservation efforts.  Pat does a great job guiding the reader down the meandering relationships this amazing river had and still has with the people who've used it and loved it.

Of course, you can't write a book about the Big Hole and not talk about the impact this river has had on fly fishing.  Hey, those flies look familiar!!

This is a great book for any history buff, conservationist, and fly fisher.  Check out the copy at Quarry Brewing next time your in Butte and be sure to get one for yourself.

Montana's only Chinese New Year parade!

Reader's Digest named the Butte Mai Wah Chinese New Year Parade one of the "6 most interesting processions in America!"

#ButteAmerica
#ChineseNewYear
#Montana
#Butte

Bella Italia - Alta Val Rendena

Bitterroot Water Forum - fishy news from the 'Root

Break out your day-planners, we have some exciting events on the near horizon that you will not want to miss. THIS THURSDAY, Chris Clancy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, (and of BRWF board member fame), will present at the Bitterroot Trout Unlimited meeting. Chris will touch on: fish populations West Fork Bitterroot angler use survey angler induced cutthroat mortality, cutthroat identification update on the Supply Ditch diversion Veteran's Bridge stabilization problem excavators in the river, and more. He will also discuss implications of the County Commissioners recent decision on building in the flood fringe. Catch Chris and his talk, "The Bitterroot River: Great Fishing, but Growing Challenges," at the Bitterroot Trout Unlimited Meeting this Thursday February, 19 at 7:00 pm at the Hamilton Elks Lodge, 203 State St in Hamilton. The public is invited to attend, and there is no charge for admission. Hope to see you there! The 2015 Fly Fishing Film Tour is rapidly making its way toward the Bitterroot! Join us Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 AM at the Pharaohplex Theater in Corvallis to see this awesome collection of films. Tickets can be purchased in advance here, or in the BRWF office for $12. They will be $13 at the door on the day of. Proceeds from the event will benefit BRWF! Thanks to Eddie Olwell of Fishs Eddy O Outfitters for bringing this great event to the Bitterroot and donating proceeds to BRWF! Thanks to all who made our night at Bitterroot Brewing a success! Between the awesome show put on by Malarkey, new 155 North members, good beer and good company, our fundraiser was a huge hit! Thank you to everyone who donated, swung buy, bid on silent auction items, or any combination of those. There are few things more fun than being able to gather together and celebrate clean water. Also, don't forget to claim your silent auction items! If you haven't popped into the office yet, give us a call at 375-2272 to arrange a time for pick up (or drop off). Curious about the lack of snow? This has been an interesting winter in terms of snow and temperature here in the Bitterroot. If you want to stay up to date with data from the National Water and Climate Center, be sure to visit their site, where you can explore current reports on snow water equivalents and daily data from SNOTEL monitoring sites. Best, Heather Barber Executive Director Get updates from BRWF. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter!

Bitter Root Water Forum | PO Box 1247 Hamilton, MT | 406.375.2272 | www.brwaterforum.org

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Bitter Root Water Forum PO Box 1247 Hamilton, Montana 59840 US

Give me Montana or give me death

Winter sunset on the Deer Lodge Mountains

I was bummed because I could not afford the trip to Helena for the Public Lands Rally yesterday.  I'm still stuck in that in-between time when you transfer jobs and you don't get a paycheck for a month and a half.  Not cool!  In lieu of the rally, I went and enjoyed some public land and reflected about how lucky I was to live in a place with so much of it.  

Upper Clark Fork brown trout

I've been working on my release shots lately.  They are not as easy as you might think but I'm getting it down.  I suppose a polarized filter will help but that's a couple weeks out.

Copper colored bone

The Upper Clark Fork is one of my favorite places to fish in America.  It's also a toxic mess.  I study this stuff so I love to go and take pictures and samples as well as catch tons of huge brown trout.  I'm going to guest lecture a class at MT Tech and I really wanted to get some pictures of some blue colored bones and stream-side slickens to show the class.  Mission accomplished!

Mine waste slicken on the Upper Clark Fork

Mmmmmmmmmm.  Phytotoxic soil.

Most folks don't fish up here.  I assume signs like these may keep the crowds away.  You'd think there'd be no fish. You'd be very wrong.

Upper Clark Fork River

Despite the insanity, the Upper Clark Fork is absolutely gorgeous.  I had as good a day fishing for large brown trout as I did on the Beaverhead but with no dry flies.  That's fine, I love to fish the streamer.

Brown trout release

Looks like the spring weather will continue here in Montana.  Better get your fishing in now because mid-summer flows are going to suck.

Spending V-Day with those you love

Beaverhead Brown Trout

If you love something, set it free...

It was 60 deg. F yesterday in the Dillon, MT area.  The fishing resembled April conditions more than February.  In fact, just like the weather, the fishing was unreal!

The first half of the day was probably some of the most fun I had throwing streamers in some time.  The browns were out in the shallows in force and they were just as pissed about it being Valentines Day as me.  They were doing that thing where they hear the splash of the fly hitting the water, leave their holding spot, and viciously chase it down.  They even wanted a fast strip.  It was unreal!

Then, at about noon, I started to see some consistent rises to the midges that were showing up in good numbers.  It took a while for me to actually cut of my streamer.  I was kind of in denial that the big guys were eating dries.  I figured it was just some dinks eating a sparse hatch in the sun. Nope!  I put on a Buzzball and every fish that got a solid drift, sipped it without a second thought. When I set the hook, they flipped out just as if it ware a summer evening.  They made huge runs and did acrobats galore.  Some did the Jesus tail-walk across the width of the whole stream.

Dry fly fishing midges in February on the Beaverhead

   
























That is a crappy trout picture but I wanted to post some evidence of the dry fly goodness.

The Dillon area is absolutely gorgeous, just like this horse.  And again, I already can't wait to go back.

Valentine's Day Sucks! I'll be fishing.

To be honest, I think of Valentine's day as the start of midge season here in Montana.  Even when I had a girlfriend, I would come home late on V-day because I'd be fishing the first solid midge hatch on the Bitterroot River.  This year, I'll be fishing the Beaverhead River in Montana in 60 degree weather with no one around.

A day at the Montana Fly Fishing Museum (part 2)

Here's the second installment of photos from the Montana Fly Fishing Museum display at the Visitor Center in Butte, Montana.

Bill Blackstone Flies:

Bill Blackstone Fly Emerger

Bill Blackstone must have been one of the original super-realistic fly tyers.  You've really got to see this one in real life.  There is a joke in the fly fishing world about "stonefly emergers" because stonflies don't emerge at the surface of the water like caddis or mayflies.  They crawl out onto the rocks or vegetation and are usually not available to the trout as emergers.  So fly fisherpeople joke about the existence of stonefly emergers much like a carpenter will joke about a board stretcher or mechanics do about muffler bearings etc.  Anyway, if your tying flies like this for art and not use, the stonefly emerger can be an interesting subject.

Salmonfly adult

Stonefly nymph

Norman Means (AKA Paul Bunyan)

Bunyan bugs were the flies they were "using" in that famous scene in "A River Runs Through It."

Norman Means' Bunyan Bug

Don Martinez Flies:

Don Martinez dry flies

Classic dry flies from Don Martinez

More classic dry flies from Don Martinez

Before there was fly tying blogs and Youtube, this is how people displayed the steps of tying flies:

"Tying the 'Dr. Dummy' Wet Fly 

I forgot these awesome woven sculpins in the last post with the George Grant flies.

Again, all of these displays and much more can be seen all year long for free in the Butte, Montana Visitor Center.

One more reason why Butte is the coolest city in Montana...