Part 2- Field Testing AND NOW SELLING Game Changer Flies

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1760602510/chartreuse-game-changer-fly-gamechanger

So there I was, with a game changer fly that I had tied and was happy with.  I headed down to a local pond to see how my creation swam.  I was excited with how my fly had turned out but my excitement went through the roof when I saw how my fly behaved in the water.  On a constant retrieve, the fly swam like a swimbait.  When given an erratic retrieve, the fly twitched like a jerkbait.  I was in awe because whenever I tie a new fly, I am often shocked that it actually behaves the way I want it to.  I'm even more surprised when a new fly catches fish.  I was eager to cast this fly into water with some ignorant and aggressive fish.

I chose to test this fly on a farm pond that I have fished for 20 years.  It has always contained bass in the 15 inch range that somehow have passed along genetics that have made these fish aggressive and almost angry.  I use this pond like a laboratory.  If these fish will eat a fly that I am testing, then that tells me that the fly COULD work on other bodies of water.  This pond is like a testing ground.

I decided to cast this fly on an 8 weight rod because I had heard this fly holds a lot of water when cast.  That makes the fly sink faster in the water but also makes the fly heavier when cast.  I didn't want to overwhelm a 6 weight and after a few casts, I was glad that I had selected an 8 weight.  I also fished the fly on floating line because I wanted to fish the fly in shallow water and near the top of the water column.  I had caught some bass in this pond on topwater lures that I threw on spinning gear earlier in the morning and I was hoping that the fish would stay on the pattern long enough to maybe eat my game changer.

It only took 3 casts toward some shallow vegetation for a largemouth to dart out and chase down my fly.  I gave a proper strip set and the fight was on.  While I was ecstatic that the fly had been hit, I hoped that the fish would stay on the line.  I had tied this fly with a 1/0 B10S Gamakatsu hook which I felt was an appropriate size but you never know how something will work until you try it.  As the fish tired and I dragged it toward my net, I gained confidence in the hook I had selected.  When I was able to slip the net under the 2 pound (approximately) bass, I gave an uncontrollable "woohoo" that conveyed my excitement to critters within a quarter of a mile.

As anglers can often behave, greed set in.  I thought, "If one bass hit this fly in three casts and after seeing other lures earlier that morning, would other bass be tempted by this fly as well?"  In the words of Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street, "Greed is good."  While a person probably shouldn't apply that idea to all walks of life, it sometimes serves an angler well.  I caught two more bass that were about the same size and while I'm always hoping to catch a wall-hanger, my confidence in this fly grew exponentially.

So now that I have tied, trimmed, and caught fish on a game changer that I have tied, I now feel comfortable selling this fly in my online store.  For now, I am only selling game changers that are chartreuse, 5 inches long, and with a 1/0 hook.  I plan on selling some other colors and sizes at a later time but for now, I am only offering the one, aforementioned fly.  You will notice that they are the most expensive fly that I sell in the shop but please understand that these flies take a lot of materials/components, a lot of time to tie, and just as much time to shape with a pair of scissors which give it the tapered profile that the fly needs.  I'm not trying to gouge anybody with the price.  There just isn't any way around the cost, unfortunately.  If you're interested in learning more about this fly, seeing some more pictures of the fly, or ordering a few, just click on the link at the top of this post or on the link below!

Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1760602510/chartreuse-game-changer-fly-gamechanger

 

Last Reminder: Upcoming Book Selling & Signing Event- Saturday, August 17 at Rainbow Fly Shop

On Saturday, August 17, 2024, I will be at Rainbow Fly Shop from 10:30-1:30 selling books, signing books, and selling flies.  Like so many things that have happened to me over the last few years, I never imagined that I would be so fortunate to experience something like this.  I have been so fortunate to fish some amazing fisheries, catch some memorable fish, and meet some outstanding people.  I've gotten the chance to tell stories, hear incredible stories from others, and share the water with new friends.  I would really like to meet you at Rainbow Fly Shop and if you want to buy a book, have one signed, or buy some flies from me that would just be icing on the cake.  

Additionally, Rainbow Fly Shop will be open for business as usual.  Rainbow Fly Shop is an amazing place that I have frequented for over a decade.  Matt, the owner of the store, is an extremely knowledgeable guy with a great sense of humor.  He understands fly fishing techniques and patterns in a way that I am envious of.  The store has a good variety of new and used rods as well as reels.  There are fly tying materials and tools available as well on top of other fly fishing/tying equipment.  It's a great store with a great reputation as well as the only fly shop in the Kansas City area on the Missouri side of the border.  

If you have any questions about the event, please feel free to shoot me an email at showmeflyguy@gmail.com.  It will be an open house format so feel free to come and go as you please.  There won't be any formal presentations or anything as Matt and I just wanted to keep things casual.  I hope to see you there and please feel free to introduce yourself.  For a lot of you, you might be more familiar with my face than I am with yours so please don't be a stranger.

Part 1- I Tied My First Game Changer Fly

There used to be a time, not too long ago, where the idea of tying a new, complex fly felt intimidating.  One fly in particular that felt especially daunting, was a game changer.  While this fly doesn't contain a large variety of materials, it does contain a material that I didn't have much experience with.  The trimming process was also something that I was unsure about taking on.  Finally, I had attempted to tie a game changer before and it did not turn out well.  I tried to muster up some confidence by telling myself that my fly tying skills had improved over time.  I also looked at tying this fly as if I was trying to cook an unfamiliar dish.  If I took my time, watched what tyers did that were familiar with the fly, and paid attention to details, I thought I could tie an effective version of the fly.

I followed the plan that I had laid out and leaned especially hard on a YouTube that was published by Ole Florida Fly Shop.  You can access the video by clicking here if you want to check it out yourself.  The video was specific and informative which lead me to a version that I was pretty happy with.  I've included some step-by-step pictures in case you want to try and tie your own and prefer still images over video.  I plan on posting a follow-up review about how the fly performed and will hopefully accomplish that in the next few days.  At the risk of giving away too much information, things went well!

The Shoshone River- Part 3- The Conclusion

Link: https://www.wyomingtroutguides.com/

We took a few pictures of the fish and then safely released it.  I was happy to see him swim off and after seeing that he was most likely going to survive the encounter, I started casting again.  It took less that 5 minutes before I hooked into another fish.  This one jumped a few times and in doing so, it revealed itself to be a brown trout.  My pulse quickened a little more at this sight as I had never caught a brown trout on a streamer.  My focus narrowed and hope filled my consciousness.  He seemed to pull a little harder and have a more aggressive demeanor than the cutthroat and that’s one of the reasons I love these sticks of butter.  Nolan netted the brownie, I bellowed a yell of excitement again, and exchanged high fives.  Somewhere between the pictures and release, it dawned on me that there was a chance that the day was going to be memorable because of the frequency of my catches.  As the day chugged along, things only got better.

Hookups came close to the bank.  Fish took down the streamer near drop-offs.  I even hooked a few fish in the middle of the current when I wasn’t expecting a bite.  I caught more browns, more cutthroats, and even some rainbows.  Another highlight was when I landed a cutthroat that was 20 inches long.  Not only was I happy to catch such a nice-sized fish, but Nolan identified it as a Yellowstone Cutthroat which completed the Wyoming Cutt Slam for me.  I had previously caught Snake River Cutthroat and Bonneville Cutthroat.  On this trip, the Fine Spot and Yellowstone sealed the deal for me.  At some point, I started putting my list of “firsts” in my phone because I didn’t want to forget all of the events that had transpired.  The number of firsts was racking up to such a degree that I was scared that my small brain would start letting events slip through the cracks and be forgotten.

It's safe to say that I have had my eyes opened to how incredible it can be to throw streamers for trout on a river from a boat.  I realize that the success of this particular day is probably the exception and not the rule, but it is exactly what I needed to get me excited about utilizing this technique in the future.  I feel comfortable rigging up my own streamer setup, reading water, and what it takes to catch a trout on a streamer now.  Aside from the excitement of having a brown trout try to pull the rod out of my hand, I have become enthralled with the visual component of a trout taking down a streamer.  I wasn’t prepared for that but now I am absolutely fascinated by the aspect.  Watching a fish swim from several feet away and hammer the fly you are working is as intense and exciting (if not more so) than watching a trout sip a dry fly off the surface.  Being such an active participant in streamer fishing is a stark contrast to trying to dead drift a dry fly and that adds to the mystique and satisfaction of hooking a trout.

In total, I ended up landing 25 fish on that streamer.  I lost one fly and missed 10-15 fish but I was able to revel and appreciate all of the events of that day.  At this point in my story, it is important for me to acknowledge the efforts and guidance of Nolan.  The memories that were created on this float were only possible because of Nolan.  His teachings, fly selection, and equipment assembly made it possible for me to have such an epic day on the water.  I’m a better angler because of Nolan’s efforts and there is no way for me to ever pay back what he has given to me with equality.  His excitement and enthusiasm were equal to that of my own which made every fish feel even better.  He’s an amazing angler, an outstanding teacher, and a great guide.  Nolan, if you’re reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart for a gift that I will always cherish.

Link: https://www.wyomingtroutguides.com/

 

The Shoshone River- Part 2

 

Link: https://www.wyomingtroutguides.com/

The diversity continued as I caught a fine spotted cutthroat about 20 minutes later.  From there, we caught a mixed bag of species.  The rainbows, cutthroat, and browns were all biting and it was fun to try and determine which one was on the line after a hookset.  The biggest of these was a 15 inch brown trout which I was thrilled about.  I have a special place in my heart for browns and prefer to catch them over any other species of trout.  Most of the fish were hitting the Duracell with a few of the larger fish taking the craw.  In total, I landed 15 fish on the bobber rig and while I was over the moon about the entire experience, the temptation of throwing a streamer rather than staring at a strike indicator loomed over my head like a specter.  When I eventually inquired about throwing a streamer to Nolan, his smile went from ear to ear. 

I got the feeling that Nolan prefers streamers over bobbers.  I don’t blame him.  The takes can be incredibly aggressive and the bites are often visual.  Smaller fish don’t tend to crush streamers which opens the door for bigger, angrier fish to end up in the boat.  This is all good for business.  A guide wants a client to catch bigger fish and that is always the hope of an angler.  Nolan quickly got the 7 weight rod out and showed me the black, articulated streamer that he had selected.  He showed me the sink-tip line that we would be using and instructed me to use an erratic retrieve that didn’t have any pattern to it.  He showed me how to cast perpendicular to the bank, fish the fly quickly into deeper water, and then hammer the bank again.  This was a run and gun style of fishing that I have done before with a hopper on the North Platte and while I was excited to get started, I was also intimidated by the fact that this was all foreign to me.

As I started casting the streamer, I attempted to remember all of the lessons that Ryan Walker had taught me on the two outings that I shared with him.  Those occasions were the only times that I have ever floated down a river and fished a streamer.  While those trips targeted smallmouth bass, I started to realize that the principles were the same.  I tried to use correct angles and focus on areas near the banks and just off the bank where the water got deeper.  I reminded myself to strip set rather than trout set and I probably ran that reminder through my mind close to 50 times and that’s not an exaggeration.  All of Nolan’s and Ryan’s teachings worked because after a few minutes into tossing a streamer, I got my first bite.

In keeping with tradition, I tend to miss my first fish while streamer fishing and today was no different.  I wasn’t shocked or disappointed because I had a feeling it was coming.  On the other hand, I felt a confidence boost due to the fact that my actions had produced a take.  I also felt like I had gotten over a mental hump and was now ready to hook up with a trout.  That’s exactly what happened just a few minutes later. 

A fine spotted cutthroat was duped by my streamer and a proper strip set initiated a solid fight.  Nolan had told me that I had a leader that was approximately 20 pound test and I felt like I had the upper hand as the fish bent the rod and took line.  Mentally, I hoped for the fish to stay hooked but I tried to not come off as desperate to my guide that I was building a great deal of respect for.  Eventually the fish tired and Nolan got him in the net.  Not only had I caught my first trout on an articulated streamer, I had caught my first cutthroat on a streamer.  I also appreciated the fact that I accomplished both of these feats from a moving boat on a river that I had never fished before.  I couldn’t contain my excitement and a “woo” of excitement came rolling off my lips which turned into a gigantic smile immediately after the verbalization.  I think I initiated the high five with Nolan but he was all too happy to return the gesture with a smile on his face as well.

Link: https://www.wyomingtroutguides.com/