Big R Fly Shop eMagazine - May 2013

MAY 2013

FARM STORE FLY FISHING EXCLUSIVE: Dustin Bise’s Buck Tail Articulated Pike FlyFARM STORE FLY FISHING EXCLUSIVE: Dustin Bise’s Buck Tail Articulated Pike FlyFARM STORE FLY FISHING EXCLUSIVE: Dustin Bise’s Buck Tail Articulated Pike Fly

INSANEDEAL MONTHof

the

Lamson Guru& Scott 9’ A4 pg.3

Anatomy of Spey by Matt Gutzmann Speydicator setup on the Echo SR 5108 switch rod

Sandpoint Film Fest Recap by Calvin Fuller Photos and words from the fly fishing film fest in Idaho Film Fest in His Own Words by Josh Mills Sam Wike and Erik Haugen travel to Florida for big Redfish

Spring Fling by Fred Telleen and Matt Gutzmann Fred sits down with 1% For the Planet co-founder and

Wader Maintenance with Mat GutzmannPin hole leak repair

Creature Feature with Dustin Bise Bise’s BT Buck Tail Articulated Pike/Muskie Fly

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9

17

27

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FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

MAY 2013 • VOL 6, ISSUE 5bigrflyshop.comCONTENTS

ON THE COVER & THIS PAGE Photo by Josh Tarr

INSANE DEAL OF THE MONTHROD/REEL COMBO pg3

1. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups2. Catch and Release - Silversun Pickups3. It’s Nice to Know You Work Alone - Silversun Pickups4. There There (acoustic) - Radiohead5. Primus - Fish On

6. Eyedea and Abilities - Here For You7. Ween - I’ll Be Your Johnny on the Spot

8. Cortez the Killer - Neil Young9. Dashboard - Modest Mouse10. Pass the Dutchie - The Aggrolites

Willie NelsonLet’s Face the Music and Dance

The Flaming LipsThe Terror

Meat PuppetsRat Farm

Rob ZombieVenomous RatRegeneration Vendor

PhoenixBankrupt!

QueensrycheFrequency Unknown

April Album Releases

iFISH 14Rob GuevarraCorporate Office

Dustin BisePonderay, ID

Greg Bennett Omak, WA

pg 2Big R Fly Shop | May 2013

L I ST E N W H I L E YO

U R

EA

D LISTEN WHIL

E Y

OU

RE

AD

pg 3 Big R Fly Shop | May 2013

We’re Serving Up One

Lamson Guru & Scott 9’ A4 Fly Rod

BLACK Lamson Guru Fly ReelNewly introduced in 2009, Guru entered the Lamson family as its lowest-priced fully machined fly fishing reel. The signature arm-style element on the frame combines with open spokes to maximize structural strength and minimize weight. As with Lamson’s other reels, Guru features true large arbor ratios. Guru shares identical drag design and components with Lamson’s most expensive reels.

Format: Large ArborMaterials: Machined Aluminum, stainless steel

Guru 2 Specifications Diameter Width Weight Rod Weight Line Capacity3.30” 1.10” 4.90 oz 5,6 WF6 100 yrds 20#

ONLY AT BIG R FLY SHOP


Scott A4 9ft Fly RodHandcrafted from start to finish in Montrose, Colorado by the skilled artisans at Scott, A4 rods feature many of the technological and process innovations in top end Scott rods. The blanks are designed and rolled with multi-modulus lay ups on compound taper mandrels, and are connected using Scott’s industry leading low mass sleeve ferrule design. A4 rods are smooth casting high line speed rods with very low physical weights. They recover very quickly and cast flat, precise loops, yet load progressively and transmit feel extremely well.

Features • Multi-Modulus Design for fine-tuned flex and recovery • Natural Finish-Naturally stronger, naturally lighter • Handcrafted in the USA - Built from beginning to end in Montrose, Colorado.

RODScientif ic Angler GPX Taper F

ly L

ine

Rod $395 • Reel $210 • Fly Line $70Regular Combo Price: $675

DO THE MATH....

Like all Scott rods, design and craftsmanship are more than just blank design. Components and construction were carefully chosen to deliv-er top performance with the anglers needs in mind. New grip shapes were turned from Super grade cork to provide greater feel, TiCh coated reel seats with self aligning slide hoods make rigging easy and protect the hardware from harsh elements, and TiCh stripping guides feature SiC inserts. A4 rods cover a wide variety of fishing situations from small creeks to inshore and saltwater flats.

here is so much excitement this time of year. People excited to dust off their rods and reels and hit the river for some fair weather fishing. Kids, and adults, new to fly fishing

are coming into the shop telling stories of their first catch. It’s tough not to get wrapped up with the excitement and just start smiling, feeling the passion in their stories. The fishing this winter and spring has been incredible. I picked up my first spey rod and, shortly after, my first switch rod. It’s been a blast spending the winter learning an entirely new way to fish. Even if I didn’t hook up on a fish, I would still be amped up just to get out there to cast, learn, step downstream and repeat. Not that hooking into fish was much of an issue. Thanks to a couple of very wet winters a few years ago, we now have over 8,000 trout per mile over 10 inches here on the Missouri. That’s an unbelievable jump from the historical average of only about 3,700. Like I said, the fishing has been incredible. With spring arriving we’re finally getting longer days and more stretches of wind-free days after what seemed like five months of unrelenting wind. It means more lunch time battles for carp and after work swinging sessions on the river for this guy. I’m excited to reorganize my fly boxes and fish with more options than midges and firebeads. Even though there are record amounts of fish around, they are still crafty enough that I always have to keep stepping up my game, always trying to fish better. Maybe you’re stepping up for some monster ice-out rainbows on the reservation lakes. Perhaps some giant browns in some ‘secret’ holes. Or maybe you just want to get out fishing more. Anytime, anywhere. My wife, Dana, and I usually get out camping every weekend we have off together during the summer. I just built my first fly rod, a three weight, and can’t wait to backpack in to some high mountain creeks and break it in on some cuttys. Who knows, while I’m there I may even try my luck in tenkara. Scout, my dog, loves to go fishing and camping as much as I do, even if her idea of fishing is to see how many fish she can chase up stream. As long as she’s having fun, I’m having fun… at least for an hour or so until I send her back to guard camp and I can get my fish-sneak on. So, yeah. I’m excited. And there’s a lot to be excited about. The ice has gone out, the fish are here and warm weather is on its way. This sounds good to me.

Go with the flow,

Matt Gutzmann

F I S H F U L T H I N K I N G

GREAT FALLS MONTANA


T

Big R Fly Shop @ 10amBig R Fly Shop @ 10am

101101Want to learn more about fly fishing, but never know where to start?

FREE CLASSES

WE COVER: • Fly Selection • Gear Selection • Local Fisheries • Fishing Techniques • Stream and Lake Safety • Fish Habits and Habitats • Basic Entomology (bugs)

in OMAK 509 422-9840Contact the Fly Shop for more information


Using this switch rod is so much fun on the Missouri. Pairing this rod with Airflo’s Speydicator line makes this setup such a versatile tool. With one rod I can go from spey casting streamers to launching unbelievably long nymphing drifts, and even high stick some soft hackle emergers. The 5wt gives plenty of rod bending fun, even on 14” rainbows. While the Speydicator line isn’t the most ideal line for double handing streamers out, the fact that I can strip streamers all the way to the bank without dealing with shooting head knots, and that I can super mend while nymph-ing makes this a ridiculously fun setup combo.

Pictured: Echo SR 5108 - 5wt 10’ 8” Switch Rod • Lamson Konic 3.5 Reel • Airflo Speydicator 5wt Fly Line

by Matt Gutzmann

Speydicator Switch Rod Setup>>>

Using this switch rod is so much fun on the Missouri. Pairing this rod with Airflo’s Speydicator line makes this setup such a versatile tool. With one rod I can go from spey casting streamers to launching unbelievably long nymphing drifts, and even high stick some soft hackle emergers. The 5wt gives plenty of rod bending fun, even on 14” rainbows. While the Speydicator line isn’t the most ideal line for double handing streamers out, the fact that I can strip streamers all the way to the bank without dealing with shooting head knots, and that I can super mend while nymph-ing makes this a ridiculously fun setup combo.

Echo SR 5108 - 5wt 10’ 8” Switch Rod • Lamson Konic 3.5 Reel • Airflo Speydicator 5wt Fly Line


< < << < << < < From the Airflo website: The Speydicator was designed to throw an unreasonable amount of weight at the end of an unreasonable length of tippet with an unreasonably large indicator. With the help of Steelhead junkies (who would rather remain unnamed) the Airflo Speydicator floating line has evolved into a tool any serous Steelhead Nymph fishermen cannot live without.

The lines come in four sizes starting at WF4. They all have a short 21 to 23 foot head with a long 12 to 15 foot rear taper. Behind the rear taper is a 25 to 30 foot heavy level mending zone. The combination of the rear taper & mending zone allows the fisherman to reposition the head after casting and still have enough mass to stack mend line for 60 feet or more. After the mending zone the line is made with Airflo’s unique low stretch ridged running line, helping you to stick fish even at the end of the longest drifts.

Photos by Dustin Bise and Rob Guevarra


ig R Fly Shop along with Panhandle Trout Unlimited and the Water Festival joined forces to host the 2013 Sandpoint Fly Fish-ing Film Festival at the historic Panida Theater in Sandpoint, ID

in April. The Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) was featured on Friday night, with the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) gracing the big screen Saturday evening. Preparing for the event weeks before, we also decided to host a demo day with a 40’ x 100’ casting pond in the Ponderay Big R parking lot. Volumes of emails from industry reps, filmmakers, and guides began to stream in, all anxious to participate. Anticipation mounted with hopes of sold out crowds, good weath-er, and a few large fish filtering in to the rivers. Friday morning starts with building the casting pond. Raring to get to work was Patagonia rep Dexter Levandoski and Denver Rathbum, the newest memeber of our fly shop crew in Great Falls, MT. Not far behind was Fred Telleen, also from the Great Falls fly shop. eMagazine designer, Rob Guevarra from the corpo-rate office was there to lend some elbow grease and marketing support as well. Luckily it was pouring rain, which allowed our pond to fill natural-ly. Setup was accomplished in record time, knowing that we might be able to squeeze in an hour or so of fishing before we met at MickDuffs for the full team huddle. With nods of approval from the crew and permission granted by our gracious leader and Ponderay Big R store manager, Patty Arthur, we set out to grab a few more tables at my place before hitting a nearby creek in haste. As we arrived at the tiny creek, it was obvious that everyone was super excited as they poured out of their cars and into their waders in record time. Once rigged, it was like a polite greyhound race to the first set of runs; a “you go first, no you go first…okay!” type of thing.

Within 10 minutes the last person in our group, Brian “The Straggler” Neilsen hooks up and lands a nice fish in front of everyone. After jealous high fives were exchanged, we humped back up stream towards the vehicles to make it to lunch. We arrived at MickDuffs and met up with filmmaker Travis Lowe, creator of Thai One On, an official selection of the F3T. After some incredible food and conversation, we began setting up at the Panida Theatre, a few doors down from MickDuffs. We all drooled as the raffle items were brought out, generously donated by Patagonia, Echo, Airflow, Greys, St. Croix, Costa, and of course, Big R Fly Shop. We had some time to kill after setup, so we did what any responsible fly shop/rep/filmmaker/guide would do and got onto the water as quickly as possible. This year we had roughly 200 people in attendance and raised thousands of dollars for Panhandle Trout Unlimited and The Water Festival. Tom Anderson was this evening’s emcee and he did a superb

job. This year there were lots of great films. One of the favorites was Hit ‘em Again Doc, a story of a true fighter with a deep passion for fishing. Many people I spoke with really related to his story.

Saturday morning I awoke to the sounds of wind, rain, and hail. I sat there shaking my head, wondering how well our casting pond fared through the night. When I arrived at Big R my heart sank. The pond had drained and fold in half from the wind. Quickly, Mike Brown and I sprang into action, lining over half of the pond with railroad ties and bricks to weigh down the plastic. It worked. The pond began to fill with rain and water from the hoses. The turnout was good even though the cold, wet stuff blew in and out. We had several spey rods rigged from Loop, TFO, Echo, and Beulah. People were excited to get their first taste of spey casting. Of course there was a vast arsenal of the newest single handers on the market. A lot of casters came out

during our 4 hour demo day and many of them went inside to watch fly shop team member, Dustin Bise, tie up large pike flies for the huge pike we have right outside our door. With a few hours to burn until doors opened for the night’s showing, we of course, went fishing. Saturday night’s IF4 had a slightly smaller turn out due the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet happening that same evening. But that didn’t decrease the enjoyment level in the least. Spokane-based fly fishing blogger Josh Mills emceed the festivities, guiding the evening through its course, getting the crowd pumped and buying raffle tickets. The crowd was energized and the films were compelling. Joining us was film co-star Lacey Savage of Marc Crapos’ Beard Chronicles. She spoke fluent fish with all the guys and out fished half of them on the creek with an almost saltwater legal land of a nice

rainbow. There were stand out films in this year’s IF4. I highly recom-mend to anyone looking to watch some serious fish footage to visit http://flyfilmfest.com/IF4 and browse through the 2013 film selec-tions. It goes down to the heart and soul of conservation, fly fishing, and fly fishing guide lifestyle. I would like to take the opportunity thank everyone who worked so hard to put the project together and those who made the trip to Sandpoint to help out. Now, whether or not they intended to hang out, help out, and watch good films or if they were just here to go fishing the entire time is a moot point. Regardless, their presence was appreciated and everyone worked extremely hard. So, we all went fishing on Sunday.

BRecap by Calvin Fuller


Rob Guevarra getting Josh Mills’ good side, if there is such a thing. “When I’m on the mic, I rock the mic right” says Josh.

“Can’t take that cup to the balcony sir,but I’d be happy to take care of it”









“Free beer to the man in the Patagonia jacket, no the other man in thePatagonia jacket, no no the other man in the Patagonia jacket to his left.Oh forget it!”


At the Ponderay Big R Fly Shop with Dexter Levandoski and Denver Rathbun

Dustin Bise ushers in the next generation Calvin Fuller, the 5wt heavy weight

pg 13








Lacey Savage pleased with her cast


pg 15

Clockwise from top left: Standing outside the Panida Theater the night of F3T. Great Falls Fly Shop’s Denver Rathbun at Demo Day. Inside the Panida Theater before the IF4 show. Barrett Mattison fixes lunch riverside. IF4 brought to you by. Fred Telleen being Fred. Fishing with Lacey Savage. Calvin Fuller and Fred sight fishing. Calvin showing Fred and Brian Neilsen how to post cupcake recipes on Pinterest. The incomparable Patty Arthur, Big R Ponderay Store Manager. The warmth and hospitality of the Mattison Mobile.

pg 16

Spokane, WA based Josh Mills has run his Millsfly blog (aka Chucking Lines and Chasing Tail) since 2007 as a creative outlet for his fishing and bird hunt-ing passions. Since then, he has focused more on conservation, especially with wild steelhead and their habitat. When asked, the confessed spey casting addict says “fly fishing is my outlet in the insane world that moves at a break-neck pace. It slows my life down to the proper pace and gets me through the long work week.” Well said, Josh. Now, what were you doing in Sandpoint again?


ake sure to mention this, this and this. Here’s a list of raffle items. Don’t forget to explain what we’re raising money for, and oh yeah, we’re breaking for intermission

at this time. Things get serious when your 5 cold ones deep and you get your script to emcee the Big R Fly Shop of Ponderay’s showing of the International Fly Fishing Film Tour about 10 minutes before show time. Back in February, Calvin and the Big R Fly Shop Crew gave me the opportunity to be their big loud guy on stage and I jumped at the chance. Thank god I managed to hold it all together, direct the show and enjoy great fishing and conservation fellowship. I can’t thank the guys and gals enough who let me get up and speak loudly into a mic. People say I like to talk, which just happens to be very correct. Everyone seemed to have a great evening. 170 or so fly fishing junkies filled the Panida Theatre in downtown Sandpoint to watch the films and raise money for the Pend Oreille Water Council and Pan-handle Trout Unlimited. As these tours crisscross the country, there’s a lot of common-ality in every night. Here are some of my observations that seem to happen at all the stops, and certainly happened with the Friday show-ing of the Fly Fishing Film Tour and the International edition on Saturday night in Sandpoint.

M

You actually get to meet people you’ve known online from fishing forums and blogs. Seriously…. there’s more first time face to face meetings at these events than you’ll ever know.

Sandpoint’s microbreweries, Mick Duffs and Laughing Dog repre-sented the hopheads well.

Lots of money is raised for conservation groups. The two afore-mentioned groups that were benefitted over the weekend got a lot of money thrown their way and lots of exposure. These shows are magnificent fundraisers for groups across the country.

The only thing you’ll see more of than flannel shirts are trucker hats. Guilty, I am of both.

Unlike other film festivals, shouting and marveling loudly at the screen is encouraged.

Guys and gals are always planning the next trip out. Let’s just say Sunday after the show we made it out for one hell of an adventure.

Bucket list trips are discussed, and words like the Dean, Skeena, Turneffe and Argentina are tossed about. Few follow through but the ones that do come back and get to brag their butts off.

Watching great fishing films never gets old. Never.

Have you met

Josh MILLS?


ake sure to mention this, this and this. Here’s a list of raffle items. Don’t forget to explain what we’re raising money for, and oh yeah, we’re breaking for intermission

at this time. Things get serious when your 5 cold ones deep and you get your script to emcee the Big R Fly Shop of Ponderay’s showing of the International Fly Fishing Film Tour about 10 minutes before show time. Back in February, Calvin and the Big R Fly Shop Crew gave me the opportunity to be their big loud guy on stage and I jumped at the chance. Thank god I managed to hold it all together, direct the show and enjoy great fishing and conservation fellowship. I can’t thank the guys and gals enough who let me get up and speak loudly into a mic. People say I like to talk, which just happens to be very correct. Everyone seemed to have a great evening. 170 or so fly fishing junkies filled the Panida Theatre in downtown Sandpoint to watch the films and raise money for the Pend Oreille Water Council and Pan-handle Trout Unlimited. As these tours crisscross the country, there’s a lot of common-ality in every night. Here are some of my observations that seem to happen at all the stops, and certainly happened with the Friday show-ing of the Fly Fishing Film Tour and the International edition on Saturday night in Sandpoint.

You actually get to meet people you’ve known online from fishing forums and blogs. Seriously…. there’s more first time face to face meetings at these events than you’ll ever know.

Sandpoint’s microbreweries, Mick Duffs and Laughing Dog repre-sented the hopheads well.

Lots of money is raised for conservation groups. The two afore-mentioned groups that were benefitted over the weekend got a lot of money thrown their way and lots of exposure. These shows are magnificent fundraisers for groups across the country.

The only thing you’ll see more of than flannel shirts are trucker hats. Guilty, I am of both.

Unlike other film festivals, shouting and marveling loudly at the screen is encouraged.

Guys and gals are always planning the next trip out. Let’s just say Sunday after the show we made it out for one hell of an adventure.

Bucket list trips are discussed, and words like the Dean, Skeena, Turneffe and Argentina are tossed about. Few follow through but the ones that do come back and get to brag their butts off.

Watching great fishing films never gets old. Never.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

So as the last folks shuffled out of the theatre and we tore the nights set up down, we all had a big smile on our face because it all came out well. Money raised, films raised the bar on cinematography and bringing conservation issues to light and a rocking tavern was waiting for us down the street.

Check out Josh’s blog @ millsfly.blogspot.com

Are your socks soaking wet after you’ve been fishing. Do you have to turn you waders upside down at the end of the day to dump out all of the water that’s leaked into them? Is there a sculpin swimming around at the small of your back? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have a problem. Sometimes, it’s not even a huge leak that we’re talking about. It could just be a matter of a pesky wet spot on the top of your thigh. No matter how much of the wet stuff is getting in, follow these steps to track down that leak in your waders. We’ll be covering larger rip repair next month.

You’ll need a spray bott le, isopropylalcohol, and Aquaseal.

Step 1: Make sure your waders are clean and dry. Turn your waders inside out. With your spray bottle filled with alcohol, spray a light coat of alcohol in the suspected pinhole area.

Step 2: For Simms Gore-Tex waders, with the waders still inside out, the alcohol will soak into the affected pinholes. If there are pinholes, they will appear as dark spots. For all other waders, after the inside of the waders have been sprayed, turn the waders right-side out. The alcohol will soak into the affected pinholes and show as dark spots on the exterior of the waders. You can use a felt pen and circle the punctured area on the inside of the waders as you will be repairing them from the interior of the waders.

STEP 1

STEP 2

Spray generously with alcohol Apply Aquaseal

Holes will appear as dark spots Allow 24 hours to fully cure

by Matt Gutzmann

REPAIRPinholeLeaks

W A D E R M A I N T E N A N C E

in your WADERS


Step 3: With the waders inside out, spread a small amount of Aquaseal on the pinhole. Use your finger to rub the Aquaseal around, spreading it about ½” around the pinhole. A little Aquaseal goes a long way, so just a dab will do ya. It’s important to give the Aquaseal a full 24 hours to fully cure. It will be dry to the touch in about 10 minutes but it will take time for it to dry inside the waterproof membrane.

For quick in-the-field repair, follow the above steps and use Aquaseal UV. Just remember to apply this in the shade as it will quickly cure when exposed to direct sunlight, hence the UV part.

STEP 3

PATCHED!

Spray generously with alcohol Apply Aquaseal

Holes will appear as dark spots Allow 24 hours to fully cure



CREATURE FEATUREThis is a pike and musky fly that I have been working on this spring, with good results. The idea behind the fly is to have a high contrast fly that pushes a decent amount of water while still being castable. With a double hook, weighted head, and articulation the fly swims well. It is designed to trigger strikes via both visual and lateral line stimulation. It can be tied in red/white, black/white, chartreuse/white, or really any color combo you want. Fish this on a sinking line along weed beds and drop offs. It can be fished on a floating line as well with a longer leader for presentations in the top three feet of the water column.

by Dustin BiseBise’s Buck Tail Pike Fly

MATERIALS:• UV White Buck Tail• Red Buck Tail• Grizzly Hackle• Red Grizzly Hackle• Pearl Flashabou• Arctic Fox Tail• Fish Skull Heads• UTC 140 Red• Dai Riki 4x Long Streamer• Gamakatsu B10S


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Start with the 4x long streamer hook

Introduce the red grizzly hackle to the hook and tiein the pearl flashabou

Add the UV white buck tail about the thickness of a pencil

Add two hackles to both sides of the fly

Add a clump of red buck tail

Add two more red hackles and flashabou


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Add more UV white buck tail

Add two red hackles to both sides of the fly

Add another clump of red buck tail

Add two hackles to both sides of the fly

Tidy up the head and add head cement

Add a cone head and some beads for rattle


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The finished tail section

Tie on the tail section to the front hook

Add UV white buck tail

Add pearl flashabou to the top of the fly


Try not to advance too far up the shank just yet


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Add red buck tail and two more hackles to bothsides of the fly

Add a smaller clump of UV white buck tail


Add another clump of red buck tail

Add a clump of arctic fox

Add the fish skull and eyes

New

at thefly shops

by simms & bucks bags

New

at thefly shops

by simms & bucks bags

LidsLids

Starting as low as Starting as low as $599$599


Rob GuevarraOn one of the last opportunities we had to take Fred out, before he readied himself for his busy guide season on the Kenai River in Alaska, we decided to take our friend and confedant to fish Holter Lake and the Missouri River, just below the dam. We'd been waiting weeks for the right weather condi-tions. Finally on one bright, relatively windless day in April (a rarity in out part of the state), we experienced a coalescence of weather and scheduling, so we were off on our spring fling. Even rarer than a wind-free day in Central Montana are the chances I get to rig up with my friends from my home fly shop in Great Falls, so we made it count.

Fred TelleenWe happened to hit Holter Lake during its ice out. If you’re unfamiliar, this is when ice fishing suddenly gives way to open water angling once again. As ice begins to leave the lakes the resident trout often go on a feeding spree in shallow waters of 3-5'. If you can hit a lake just right, the fish can be quite concentrated in the open leads. Not only are the searching for food, but they are often forced into shallow water as the deeper zones are oxygen depraved by late winter. Being in the right place at the right time can pay off with great success. In rivers, trout are able to position themselves in current lanes and let the moving water bring the food to them. In lakes, the fish must cruise in search of food. The more food they find, the slower they will swim. In more sterile waters, they often move quite fast. As spawning time approach-


es, fish will begin to concentrate in specific areas with clean gravel if it is available. Think windy spots and beaches. In waters where fish are stocked as juveniles, they will often return to the site where they were released. Chironomids, leeches and scuds are typically on the menu. It will be several weeks before other insects will become active. Eggs also enter the game in spawning areas or simply because of the season. Single eggs can be effective when fished in areas where wind can move them around. Adding an orange hot bead or egg head (egg sucking leech) to buggers and nymphs can also be productive. The key to catching hungry ice out trout is simple. You need to get the fly right in front of them. If you are not catching fish, move to another location. You might need to move several times until you find an area where fish are cruising by. In clear waters, it is often possible to spot pods of trout as they travel. They will often follow a pattern or swim a constant route. Smart anglers will time their movements and make sure their line is in the water and the fish is waiting as the fish pass by. In cold spring waters, a falling or suspended fly is often better than a retrieved fly. If fish are cruis-

ing at a constant depth (they often are), an indicator can be an excellent means of suspending a fly at the correct level. A little wind doesn't hurt either. It's kind of like fishing in a river, only much slower. Maybe it's not the most exciting method, at least on of those fat 15-20 lb rainbows takes off with your line. Then it's fish on!

Matt Gutzmann I think we did a pretty good job of really using everything around us to our advantage at the lake. The wind was blowing pretty strong so we set up just on the edge of a sheltered cove. This let the wind blow food our way and deposit it in the cove area, almost like a seam in a river. While this may have enticed schools of fish to hang around the area, I believe it was the flat sitting profile of the Spring Breaker Leech that led us to out fish all the other fly and gear fishermen in the same area. The action that it gives while moving under a bobbing indicator is second to none. Using my 10’6” 4wt Echo SR and speydicator line with an indicator, I kept 4-5 feet between the indicator and the Spring Breaker and it was fish on.

O N L O C A T I O N

on Holter Lake and the Missouri RiverSpring Fling

by Fred Telleen & Matt Gutzmannforeword by Rob Guevarra

Rob GuevarraOn one of the last opportunities we had to take Fred out, before he readied himself for his busy guide season on the Kenai River in Alaska, we decided to take our friend and confedant to fish Holter Lake and the Missouri River, just below the dam. We'd been waiting weeks for the right weather condi-tions. Finally on one bright, relatively windless day in April (a rarity in out part of the state), we experienced a coalescence of weather and scheduling, so we were off on our spring fling. Even rarer than a wind-free day in Central Montana are the chances I get to rig up with my friends from my home fly shop in Great Falls, so we made it count.

Fred TelleenWe happened to hit Holter Lake during its ice out. If you’re unfamiliar, this is when ice fishing suddenly gives way to open water angling once again. As ice begins to leave the lakes the resident trout often go on a feeding spree in shallow waters of 3-5'. If you can hit a lake just right, the fish can be quite concentrated in the open leads. Not only are the searching for food, but they are often forced into shallow water as the deeper zones are oxygen depraved by late winter. Being in the right place at the right time can pay off with great success. In rivers, trout are able to position themselves in current lanes and let the moving water bring the food to them. In lakes, the fish must cruise in search of food. The more food they find, the slower they will swim. In more sterile waters, they often move quite fast. As spawning time approach-


es, fish will begin to concentrate in specific areas with clean gravel if it is available. Think windy spots and beaches. In waters where fish are stocked as juveniles, they will often return to the site where they were released. Chironomids, leeches and scuds are typically on the menu. It will be several weeks before other insects will become active. Eggs also enter the game in spawning areas or simply because of the season. Single eggs can be effective when fished in areas where wind can move them around. Adding an orange hot bead or egg head (egg sucking leech) to buggers and nymphs can also be productive. The key to catching hungry ice out trout is simple. You need to get the fly right in front of them. If you are not catching fish, move to another location. You might need to move several times until you find an area where fish are cruising by. In clear waters, it is often possible to spot pods of trout as they travel. They will often follow a pattern or swim a constant route. Smart anglers will time their movements and make sure their line is in the water and the fish is waiting as the fish pass by. In cold spring waters, a falling or suspended fly is often better than a retrieved fly. If fish are cruis-

ing at a constant depth (they often are), an indicator can be an excellent means of suspending a fly at the correct level. A little wind doesn't hurt either. It's kind of like fishing in a river, only much slower. Maybe it's not the most exciting method, at least on of those fat 15-20 lb rainbows takes off with your line. Then it's fish on!

Matt Gutzmann I think we did a pretty good job of really using everything around us to our advantage at the lake. The wind was blowing pretty strong so we set up just on the edge of a sheltered cove. This let the wind blow food our way and deposit it in the cove area, almost like a seam in a river. While this may have enticed schools of fish to hang around the area, I believe it was the flat sitting profile of the Spring Breaker Leech that led us to out fish all the other fly and gear fishermen in the same area. The action that it gives while moving under a bobbing indicator is second to none. Using my 10’6” 4wt Echo SR and speydicator line with an indicator, I kept 4-5 feet between the indicator and the Spring Breaker and it was fish on.


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Big R Fly Shop eMagazine - May 2013