F3T: Cheers and Jeers

The Fly Fishing Film tour made it second stop in Rapid City, South Dakota March 7.  I attended the film tour for the first time last year in Rapid City.  I enjoyed it so much, I just had to make my way back for the second year.  Below are my cheers and jeers for the 2012 F3T.

We'll start with the good.

Cheers

Attendance:  I was very impressed with the attendance at this year's event.  It was so big, in fact, that they were able to utilize one of the two main theater screens in the Elks.  There were a large number of young fisherman along with a good number of female enthusiasts.  Everyone was excited about the film tour and had a noticeable passion for fly fishing.  

The Films:  As I mentioned in a previous post, the films last year were the primary reason for me attending again in 2012.  There were two films that I really enjoyed in 2012:  Doc of the Drakes by Bryan Huskey and Riding High:  A Season on the Fly by Waterline Media.  I thought it was interested that Doc of the Drakes was filmed entirely by coincidence.   Huskey had known Pete Wood (guide) for some time.  He oringionally planned to film story about the historic drake hatches of the Silver Creek in Idaho.  He had only heard about Dr. Robert Franklin "Doc" when planning had begun.  What materialized was an amazing story of an old doctor with Parkinsons doing something he loves to do, and a guide who works his tail off to make every moment count.  I'll just say the end of the film received a round of applause from a few of those in attendance, and everyone else wanted to cheer out loud!

A Season on the Fly followed a few guys on a road trip to catch the tarpon migration.  20,000 driving miles, $10k in fuel, 90 days of fishing, 15 nights sleeping in gas station parking lots, 270 tarpon caught during the season, over 1,000 tarpon seen migrating in ONE HOUR off Boca Grande and 2 tarpon weighing in at 175 + lbs.  And they did all this without the help of marine biologists or fishing guides telling them the route of the migration.  

These films would have left a permanent smile on my face if they had been the only two in the film tour.  Unfortunately, they were mixed among very mediocre, and dare I say downright bad fishing films.  I'll get to this soon.

The Hat:  This is one of those "little successes" I'm celebrating because I only had two other positive remarks about the tour.  I have a weird shaped head.  It's difficult for me to find a hat that fits just right.  I often buy a hat or get them as gifts and never wear them because I'm not interested in "settling" on the feel or fit.  I don't have to worry about that with the hats handed out at F3T.  I'd like to know where they get their hats made and just purchase them in bulk for my crazy head.  Thanks for the great hat!   

Jeers

The Films:  Outside of the two mentioned above, I found the films mediocre and uninspiring.  The style was that of a tourism ad or time share sales pitch.   They were filled with what seemed to be b-roll footage cut to b-roll footage cut to b-roll footage tied to a few shots of fish and fisherman in those settings.  I wondered if this was the new "trend" in fly fishing films.  And then I read Will Rizzo's article, "Making Movies" in Stonefly Magazine (the official magazine of the F3T).  Rizzo discussed the evolution of fly fishing film making and how what we are seeing is no accident.  The focus of the films on the tour is more on the story behind the fishing rather than showing a bunch of trophy shots in scenic locations.  Sounds great, right?  It worked well for Doc of the Drakes, but that story theory fell flat for all other films that made an attempt at it.  The worst was in Reverb, by Robert Thompson.  This story (which felt like it went on forever) follows a middle-aged punk rock band around Chicago.  The twist...they fish every once-in-a-while while one of the guys makes rods.  Would have been ok if the film focused on the fishing side of the group.  Instead, 90% of the flick discussed the history of each member, their punk rock stories and how punk rock has made them who they are.  I have a suggestion...No more punk rock flicks and stick with the trophy shots in scenic places.  If a story is there, great.  If not, no biggie.  

The Host:  Last year they had four guys running this tour, and it went really well.  This year, only two made the trip to Rapid City, and one was half-way to wastedville the entire time.  I'm fine with tying one on during a fun event, but when you're hosting and you want it to be a success, I would wait until the post-party.  

The Prizes:  This was the 6th year for the Fly Fishing Film Tour.  Sponsors have been a big reason for its sustainability and success.  Each year they donate great prized to be given away at the respective stops of the tour.  This year was pretty awful.  Rather than having one cooler with all names included for all prizes (like last year), they had two coolers up on stage with no explanation of how it would work.  When it came time to give away prizes, they made the audience cheer for which cooler they would select a winner from.  It's always fun to have a chance to win nice things that (I'm willing to admit) I'll never buy on my own.  It is a lot less fun, and a little humiliating, however, when your chances of wining a particular prize come down to how loud you can yell and scream.  I wasn't expecting a rock concert or huge party, and I don't think anyone else was either.  Use the KISS method when distributing prizes next time fellas.  

 Final Word

Unless the film tour is making a special stop for the 10 fly fishermen in Pierre, SD next year, I likely won't be back in 2013.  Of course, I'll still purchase a ticket from Dakota Angler and Outfitter and have a friend stop by to pick up the hat.  

5 Reasons I'll travel for F3T

I mentioned in a previous post that I'm pumped about the upcoming fly fishing film tour.

5 - Networking -  Living in Pierre, S.D. doesn't offer many opportunities to network with other anglers that prefer a presentation by way of the fly.  As a second year member of the Tuesday Tyers, I'm proud to have joined such great group of fly-fishing enthusiasts, and have already learned so much from our weekly tying sessions.  As I become more immersed in the sport that has taken so many before me, never to release them of its sturdy grasp, I find myself wanting (dare I say NEEDING) more.  The urge to visit far away lands in search of species I've only read about or witnessed at the F3T.  The desire to learn from those who have experienced so much more than I might in my lifetime.  This will only occur by meeting those who make it happen, those who are willing and able to drop everything and go when the time is right.  Only then will I grow as a fisherman.

4 - Amazing Films -  I was very impressed with the quality of films presented at last years film tour.  I sat, wide-eyed, with a hand in my popcorn and a permanent smile stuck on my face.  When a redfish the size of a schoolbus approached the presented fly, the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention.  This is what dreams are made of, and what makes it so fun to watch!

Here's a taste...


"The Kodiak Project" trailer - by LDR Media | Fly Fishing Movie from The Fly Fishing Film Tour on Vimeo.

3 - Fisherman Development -  I'm a strong believer that doing what successful people do will help you become successful.  This applies to any sport and to life in general.  Watching the men and women in the F3T videos practicing an art they have perfected over the years provides you with a very indirect and colloquial fly fishing lesson, so to speak.  Tricks, techniques and strategies used to land monster fish in far off venues.  If you want to be the best, learn from the best.

2 - Great Prizes -  This very informal event is not only great for all of the reason mention above, but they give free stuff to all participants.  Rich and poor fisherman alike can appreciate the acquisition of free, high quality, fishing gear.  Products that will make us all better fisherman while keeping our drive to excel ever-present.

1 - A Guy Can Dream, Can't I? - The familiar tingle of anticipation runs down your spine when watching these videos.  You can't help but think..."That should be me."  That's what makes fishing so fun for me.  Each fishing trip is an opportunity to catch "the big one".  A chance to do something that few if any other anglers have done.  Just as there is new hope and new possibilities with each fishing trip, with each cast,  watching the films of the F3T opens your mind to opportunities you may have never thought possible.

Marina Update - February 20, 2012

Travel has put me behind the ball on my fishing and blog updates lately.  I last fished on President's Day with wind, snow and 20 degree temp.  I thought it would be the perfect time to fish with no walleye fisherman present.  Boy was I wrong.  Still two boats, and four walleye fisherman on shore casting away (only one of whom was catching).  Lucy and I fished for around an hour with nothing, but I did have a chance to speak to a few of the walleye fishermen.  The guy that had been catching a few fish has been fishing the marina every day for some time.  I asked if he had seen any nice trout caught recently.  He had!!!  Of course, this is heresay, and completely unofficial, but he watched a gal haul in a three lb. rainbow on Saturday (Feb 18) on a crappie rig and a guy on Sunday catch a six+ lb trout on a jib/minnow combination.  In my experience fish stories seem to get even more exaggerated when you're recalling the conquests of other anglers.  If these stories were at all accurate (even if the sizes of the fish were not) these trout were caught on minnows near the bottom.  I've been throwing streamers and large nymphs only to catch an occasional northern.  I'll try a different approach on my next adventure.  Maybe a deep-diving clouser worked slowly over the leaf and stick covered bottom.  More updates coming soon (as soon as the wind stops blowing 40-50 mph in Pierre!!

Oahe Marina - Day 2

The Mega Prince.  Looked amazing in the water combined with the black bunny leach, but not effective on this day.

February 15, 2012


5:00 p.m. - Began fishing the north side.  Ice formations had decreased substantially since Monday.

Fly Selection:  Black bunny leech with mega prince dropper.


Wind:  No wind

Air Temp:  40 degrees

Fishing Pressure:  Eight walleye fisherman.  I didn't see anyone land a fish until dusk.  Then one guy started having a hay day.  The eyes were still in there to a certain extent.

6:30 p.m. - Fingers too cold to operate any longer.  I really need to get that checked out... No bites, no bugs, no sign of big trout on this day.

Oahe Marina - Fishing Update

 The early bird catches the worm, right?  I'm hoping in this case the early fisherman has first dibs .  The Oahe marina has been a hotspot for big rainbow trout, northern pike and other predatory fish seeking prey during the warming days of spring.  Typically, the "timing" is right for these big fish when the ice goes out on the marina.  This year has been anything but typical.  The warm winter weather hosted by the great State of South Dakota has denied any ice formation in Oahe Marina.  In light of this unique situation, and because I've decided to devote a large amount of time seeking out these big rainbows, I'll be posting updates on this blog as often as I go fishing to keep anyone interested up-to-date.

February 13, 2012


What an amazing day to be out on the water.  Outdoor temp was about 50 degrees.  Not a hint of wind.  Every-so-often I'd see a little black midge fluttering across the top of the water.  The center of the marina is iced over with about a 3/4"slab.  Walleye fishermen have been hitting the marina hard and catching a lot of fish; only six guys and two boats out today.  I cant help but wonder about how this fishing pressure is going to affect the "Occupy Oahe Marina" event this spring.  The walleyes will keep the fishermen coming, and they won't leave until there isn't a walleye left to be caught.  I fished the marina in January during a few of the 60 degree days and caught a few walleys, a nice northern and saw numerous rises that could have only been big trout.  Of course, I was unable to entice the bite of a big bow in January, but I feel pretty confident they were there.  

With numb fingers (even with glacier gloves) after two hours of fishing under my belt, I was satisfied.  Dissatisfaction is lost on gorgeous days like these. No takers, but it was a great day.  I'm leaving day one looking forward to my next chance to chase.

Clouser Cures the Cabin Fever

The digital thermometer reading on the bank display board read 50 degrees.  It was almost five o' clock and I was bustin my tail to get out of there on time.  Then...the phone rang.  That's usually how it is.  It's late January, 50 degrees, and the open water is calling my name.  But what could I do?  I took the call, and it was 5:21 p.m. before I was on my way toward an excursion to cure my itchy fishing finger.  A quick pitstop at home to change and pick up the pup and I was gone.  Luckily, the water that was calling me before was just across the street from my house, so the walk wasn't far.   But time was running thin.  With the girls at dance class and the horizon carefully caressing the sun's south pole, I didn't have much time until dad's other duties began.  

As we arrived at the spot and my waterdog, Lucy, dove in immediately.  I followed shortly after in my trusty neoprene waders.  For some reason I had a really good feeling about a particular fly that evening and didn't bring along any others.  Either I was going to catch a fish, or I wasn't, and the blue clouser was going to decide my fate.  Having had the opportunity to check the water conditions on my walk with Lucy at noon, I had a little time throughout the day to make a decision.  Luckily, conditions hadn't changed and my instincts served me well. 

I waded in up until the point where I began to sink into the massive amount of mud deposited by flood waters last summer.  I found a few rocks for stability and started casting.  About 50 yards away, into the marina, sat three ice fisherman monitoring rods and checking tip-ups.  There are always a few big notherns hauled through the ice during a typical winter.  I was hoping they would be feeling the fly on that night.

  

As the sun faded away, Lucy shivered with anticipation.  Hearing nothing from the ice fisherman, I decided it was about time to pack it up and head back to the fam.  "Last cast," I told Lucy as she stood at the ready in water up to her chest.  Slowly, I worked the fly in while I daydreamed of what spring will bring for the Pierre fisheries.  And then, I felt the line suddenly bolt forward when the northern inhaled my blue clouser.  The fight was on and my 7 weight made short work of the hungry predator.  Lucy made a horrible attempt at helping, but somehow allowed me to land the pike in front of a few very curious ice fisherman.  

After removing the fly and snapping a quick photo, Lucy chased our fish back into the depths.  Hopefully it will grow large and fight hard during its next encounter with an angler.  I was pumped, and quickly went home to enjoy a relaxing evening with the fam.  For this evening, the clouser certainly cured my cabin fever.    

Fisheries meeting - Feb. 6 in Fort Pierre, S.D.

GFP will be hosting a number of meetings around the state regarding the flooding that took place in 2011 throughout the Missouri River system and what that might mean from a fisheries perspective.  GFP staff will present fisheries data and will discuss the impact of the unprecedented flows we had seen this year.  This will be an opportunity for the public to gather insight and ask questions about all the hard work put in by the GFP during the high water period.


Meeting dates, times and locations are as follows:

·    Feb. 1, 7 p.m., Rapid City, Outdoor Campus West (just off Sturgis Road)
·    Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Fort Pierre, Holiday Inn Express
·    Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Sioux Falls, Outdoor Campus East, 4500 S. Oxbow Ave.
·    Feb. 9, 7 p.m., Aberdeen, Ramada Inn, 2727 6th Ave. SE

F3T Coming back to Rapid City!

I'm so excited about the F3T tour returning to the Black Hills.  Last year's event was a huge success in my opinion, and while I heard some grumbling about the amount of saltwater footage, it was a pretty darn good group of video to enjoy for an evening.  This year's lineup seems very promising, and as always, offers us "warm water folk" a chance to get out for some cold water fishing in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  I can't wait!

The Future of Fishing

One of the greatest parts of being a dad (in my humble opinion) is the opportunity to pass on knowledge and passion for the things you enjoy most.  The two things I most look forward to teaching my little girls about are basketball and the outdoors (of course fishing is up on the priority list here).  I'm hoping to focus a bit more on basketball when hand-eye coordination is slightly more attuned.  Until then, fishing will take priority.

I don't often go out fishing anymore with the goal to catch as many fish as possible at the top-of-mind.  I've been fortunate to have caught a large number of fish to this point in my life (a few large ones here and there) and getting out on the water (however infrequently it may occur) is, in itself, what I look forward to most.  But when you have a child, and you are attempting to get that child "hooked" on fishing, that fire to catch as many fish as possible returns to it's rightful place in the throne on the top of your mind like it had never left.  And that's a good thing.  There is a direct correlation to the number of fish kids catch and their feelings toward the sport.

Stocked bows in the spring

We are fortunate to live in Pierre, S.D.  A place where we can fish all year round catching a number of species with relative ease.  Yes, we've got the bluegills and perch down on the grasslands, and those are all well and good, but I'd argue there is something better for kids fishing...BASS!!  More specifically, white bass and smallmouth bass.  For my money, there aren't many fish that will give you a fight on a fly rod (or a little princess fishing pole) like a smallie or whitie.  Yes, any fish is a good fish, but if you have access to these mighty fighters you can't go wrong getting one on the end of a scooby-doo or princess rod.

Our children are never going to be too young, or too old to experience a great fishing trip.  They are the future of the fishing world, and yet another reason to get out on the water.  Take a kid fishing today!!

Getting the hang of taking a good fish photo (I'm so proud!!)

Afraid of the "Kitty-Cat" fish

The clouser and bobber get them every time! 

Favorite Winter Trout Flies

For many fly fisherman, wintertime means one thing...Tying!  But for a growing number in the sport, winter offers something different, something special... SOLITUDE.  Having a favorite stretch of water exclusively available to you on a snowy, windy day is almost better to me than fishing your favorite stretch in the midst of territorial fishermen and "their" fish.  While I haven't done a lot of open water fishing in the winter-time, I've done enough to dedicate a post to my top five flies to fish in the winter.

A quick caveat:  I don't get out much.  I haven't really fished outside of South Dakota on "foreign" waters.  These flies have worked great for me here, but you may not experience similar success on your home waters.  Either way, I'd like to know if these (or other flies) work on your home water.  Please comment below.

Let the countdown begin:

Articulated Olive Marabou Streamer

5) -  Articulated Streamers - You know you've got something special when a fly is listed as an anglers top 5 and they have yet to catch a trout on it.  I've been tying articulated streamer patters for a few weeks now, and love everything about them.  The look, the size, the movement, EVERYTHING!  I've read articles referencing big trout caught on these patterns.  Hey, there must be a reason they get so big right?  While I can't wait to throw these bad boys at some trout this winter, I've already enjoyed catching Northern and walleye with them here in Pierre.  And look out this spring smallies!  I'm coming in packing!

Golden Stone

4) -  Golden Stone - Fishing was slow on Spearfish Creek last Jan.  It was cold, snowing, and the "old reliable" patterns were only producing a few fish.  I decided to check some rocks (something I should have done long before) only to find three giant golden stonefly nymphs stared me right in the face.  I had never tied anything like this, so I checked my box to see what I had.  As luck would have it, my wife had purchased me a number of flies (to help me feel better after losing my box the fall prior) and this was one of the patterns.  Perfect size too!  Needless to say, the day got a lot better, and these have joined the others with a VIP (very important pattern) parking space in my box.

Cream midge larva

3) -  Midges - "The bigger the fly the bigger the fish".  You've heard this right?  Somewhat rings true when discussing articulated streamers.  But in the winter months, when midges are one of the only bugs hatching on sunny days, midges will produce fish of all shapes and sizes and are very versatile.   The thing I love most about midges is that fish eat them all year, they are relatively easy to tie and pretty easy to fish.  I have a box dedicated to midge patterns and carry it all year round.

Red and Orange San Juan Worm

2) -  Tri-colored San Juan Worm - If you're looking for an amazing fly to fish deep during high water, cold water months, in murky water or just when the fish don't seem to be biting like they usually do; this is my go-to.  I've caught more fish on this fly when my guides are icing up, my fingers are frozen solid and other fisherman have gone home for the day.  Big fish love it, little fish love it and it couldn't be much easier to tie (unless you're tying a typical San Juan).  I learned this pattern (and to a certain extent, the one below) from Hans Stephenson's Dakota Angler and Outfitter blog.  He ties some awesome patters that will work in waters around the country.  Check it out when you have some time.

Hot Spot Bead Head PT

1) -  Hot Spot Pheasant Tail - Do you ever feel like flyfishing is cheating?  I mean have you seriously considered it?  When you think about it, we (I mean, some of you amazing tyers out there) are tying near perfect representations of a trout's actual food source and putting it right in front of them on a silver platter.  If you're not using the silver platter technique, I'd highly recommend it.  When I fish with the hot-spot, I almost feel like I'm cheating in some way.  I think, "It shouldn't be this easy to catch fish".  Now, I know luck has a lot to do with this scenario and, I'll admit, I've had plenty of humbling days on the water.  But day-in and day-out, this fly out-fishes any other in my box.  Oh, and pheasant hunting is awesome, so I have to do something with all those tail feathers!