Rain

I referred in my newsletter last week to rain washing out my fishing. And since we’ve had an unseasonably wet spell of late, a quote – attributed to one Quinton Pollard – comes to mind where he says of the English weather: ‘If you can see the French coast, it means it is going to rain; if you can’t see it, then it’s already raining.

Whatever, Saturday’s weather was perfect. I got a photograph of a big fish we’ve been watching for some time to time, but on this occasion we spooked him. Given his awkward lie, the odds are stacked in his favour, but in time I will catch him off guard on the end of a good cast.

Click in images to enlarge them

Here he is. You can see his eye to the right and if you are somehow able to zoom on this image, you will actually see the spots on his back.

If you can’t see him here’s some help.

The rest of the day turned into what seemed like one missed take after another. The fish were in that sort of half-hearted mood, the stream was low and crazily clear and I guess we were also a touch off our game.

Carlin

Brodin

Still there was a new Carlin bamboo rod on display, a pretty Brodin landing net to admire (along with a bug net on the handle) and the landscapes were from heaven.

And if the fish were scarce, somehow it still didn’t really feel that the day’s fly fishing with a couple of mates could get much better.

And the fly that got the fish – and the most takes? Well, it was Agostino Roncallo’s single feather CDC Mirage. That pattern, in my book, was a moment of genius from a fine Italian fly tyer.

Agostino Roncallo’s Mirage dry fly

Fine fly tying materials

For years I tied with the late H.B. Huntley (nicknamed Hooks and Bullets) who was a master at fly tying. His insistence on needing exactly the right materials to tie the perfect fly became legendary. So when Leon Links, author of Tying Flies with CDC, sent me a batch of fine Coq de Leon feathers, I though immediately of Hugh Huntley. Below are Pardo Flor de Escoba Coq De Leon feathers I received. As far as quality CDL goes, these are the very best of their kind in the world and you can see why.

By the way, Hugh had a way of establishing if people who made bold claims that they could tie really well were authentic. He’d say, ‘Right, tie me a traditionally winged Connemara Black’. That quickly sorted the wheat from the chaff.

An example of a winged Connemara Black tied by Gordon Van der Spuy (above) and below, again using the perfect materials, Cordon’s flawless rendition of Kelson’s Silver Grey salmon fly.

Fine Rod

One minimalist, small stream Boshoff 7' 2-3#, single tip with spliced joints and clear wraps is for sale and immediately available. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.<This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> 0823767381. (This is a collector’s piece of the highest order.TS.)

Steve Boshoff in his workshop. Photo per Andrew Ingram below and the gem in question, above.

For more on Steve Boshoff’s splice joints see  http://www.tomsutcliffe.co.za/fly-fishing/friend-s-articles/item/144-ed-herbst-in-search-of-the-ultimate-small-stream-fly-rod.html

Rare Trout

Many species of trout remain threatened even in their own native waters, mainly due to environmental degradation and the careless hand of mankind. The McLeod River Redband trout is a fine example, a species, believe it or not, no longer found in the McLeod River (other than in a few of its tributaries), and the same goes for Apache and Gila trout, Greenback Cutthroats and many more.

James Prosek’s 1998 calendar on trout, illustrated with fine paintings from his first book Trout: An Illustrated History (1996) describes the Kern River Golden trout as probably evolving from Redbands, but being native only to the Kern River drainage in the High Sierras.

James Prosek’s Little Kern River Golden trout

Isolated in headwater streams by glaciation, they have evolved into unique variations in their respective creeks.  The Little Kern River Golden trout, once classified as threatened, has made an amazing comeback with the help of state agencies, volunteers and organisations like Trout Unlimited.

Photos by Carmen Cendejas and Ian Douglas

I have friends, Keith Douglas and Carmen Cendejas, who fish for them in tiny creeks flowing at amazing altitudes in the Sierras. I’m talking 10 to 12 000’ here. Keith asked me to paint one for him which I gladly did, although this photograph leaves a lot to be desired.

(Artist, writer, naturalist, and Yale graduate, James Prosek made his debut as an author at nineteen years of age with Trout: An Illustrated History (Alfred A. Knopf, 1996).  This book featured seventy of his watercolour paintings of the trout of North America and, as Prosek reminded me, the book has since been updated (2013) with an additional 30 paintings and text on 100 trout of Europe, Asia and North Africa.)

‘Cressy Cane’ conclave in Tasmania

I have posted an interesting report on my website from Nick Taransky who hails from the Monaro region of NSW in Australia. It’s about the first ever bamboo rod conclave in Cressy, Tasmania.

Val Atkinson

When it comes to fly fishing photography those of us who are as keen on cameras on fly streams as some of our brothers and sisters are on bamboo fly rods, or tying traditional salmon flies, model ourselves on this man. And why not? He has put in the hard yards and he is still top of the pile.

Val Atkinson

Andrew Fowler asks…

I wondered if you would be happy to punt our regular fly-fishers get together in your newsletter on Sunday?

We have been going with this initiative for something like eight months now and it is proving to be a lot fun.

Andrew Fowler on home waters

We simply gather at the “Old Main Brewery” (better known as “Crossways”) in Hilton outside Pietermaritzburg in KZN, on the evening of the fourth Monday of every month. The idea is not to have a fixed time, the need for an RSVP, or even a name or a club. It is rather an opportunity for fly-fishermen to go down to the local and chat fishing at any time on that evening.  Most people come in somewhere around 6pm. Some just have a pint, others stay for a bite to eat, but either way it is an opportunity to hear some fly-fishing chat and banter above all the less important sporting commentary. New friends are made, and some great ideas are spawned.

The initiative is not aligned to any club or organization. It is just a bunch of fly-fishers.

If you are ever in KZN on a fourth Monday of the month, it would be great to see you there!

(See Andrew’s charming blog, Waters and Words at http://truttablog.com/)

From Simon Cooper’s ‘Fishing Breaks’ newsletter

Scientists at Bath and Queen Mary Universities have proven that fish have 'parallel visual search' or the ability to pick out one object among many whilst ignoring others, just as you or I might search our fly boxes for a particular pattern. It was assumed for years that without the neocortex fish were unable do this and had to examine every item in turn before making a choice.

 This information confirmed what Simon has observed in the behaviour of feeding fish over many years as a guide and river keeper. Says Simon, ‘The activity is rarely random and there are frequently occasions when a particular fish will focus on one particular insect to the exclusion of all others. I'm sure like me you have been in that sort of spot, where a profusion of flies covers the surface but there is only one insect the fish want to take, and most likely the one you can't identify!’

 Co-author of the paper, Dr Matthew Parker, concludes, 'Fish don't deserve their reputation as the stupid branch of the animal family tree.'

To read more on the paper Parallel Mechanisms for Visual Search in Zebrafish visit the PLOS ONE academic web site.

Gordon Van der Spuy offers more Kai scissors and a range of hooks

Gordon has let me know that he has just received another assignment of the Kai scissors (second to none) and now has a range of Mouche hooks all available by mail order. To see the range or order scissors contact Gordon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Roger Baert on a trip to Argentat in France.

Argentat is a small fly fishing Mecca of sorts where brown trout and grayling grow very large and plentiful.  It is situated many miles up our Dordogne River as the fish swims and the eagle keeps an eye on him.  But it is many more miles by car with or without a GPS.  That’s why I only went to Argentat to attend a can’t-miss-it fly fishing show with no time to fish. It was very well attended but I’ll not bore you with details.  Simply this: it was impressive and indicative of the high quality of the goods available in France and the enthusiasm of the French fly fisher for fly tying gizmos and bamboo fly rods was extremely prevalent.  My own presence there was to show the fly fishing world that I am a genius at repairing or transforming broken or unbroken fly rods.  In a nutshell, I received only one rod to repair and nobody needed his old two-piece rod turned into a four-piece travel rod.  This confirmed me in my belief that France is really and truly a consumer world in which all that breaks gets thrown away and replaced by the latest model. 

(See http://clubfishworld.com/features/dordogne/index.htm)

We’ll be in S.A. for a full three months with occasional access to the internet.  Some of my time in S.A. will be spent signing copies of my book ‘Meandering Streams’. If you have bought or received an unsigned copy in S.A. while I have been in France, or if you would like to buy one during my trip, I will be able to advise you where and when I'll be in your area.

Keen fly fisher and South Africa’s leading herpetologist, Johan Marais, offers a course in Advanced First Aid for Snakebite

The Advanced First Aid for Snakebite training starts at 09:00 on Sunday 14 December 2014 at Butterfly World outside Cape Town and covers the basic do’s and don’ts of first aid for snakebite, scorpion sting and spider bite and includes a discussion on the medical treatment of snakebite. This is followed by a practical session on the application of pressure immobilization during which participants will be taught how to apply the correct pressure with pressure bandages as well as applying pressure directly to the bitten area. Then training on how to do basic mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, C.P.R. and the use of a Bag Valve Mask Reserve. This includes training on adding oxygen via the B.V.M. The oxygen administration segment of the course is internationally accredited by the American College of Emergency Physicians and offered through the Emergency Care and Safety Institute. It is a half day course and successful delegates receive a certificate in Advanced First Aid for Snakebite.

Equipment needed: Please bring along a notebook, pen and a copy of your identity document. All delegates have to write an exam on completion of the course.

The use of cell phones for text messages and calls is not permitted during the course and may only be left on for emergency calls. Photographs can be taken during training and a series of photographs of the training will be placed on Dropbox and a link provided.

If you are interested please contact Johan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by fax at 0865252559.

Jay Vice

I am now tying on a proudly South African made JVice, and it is as if a whole new world has opened up to me. My conversion  to the ‘JVice’ an interesting story and I will spin out some of it in forthcoming newsletters. Mine is No 1175 and I am delighted with it.

Quote of the week

I have fished with a couple of keen young fly fishers of late and whenever I do, Thomas McGuane’s lovely quote comes to mind.

Young anglers love new rivers the way they love the rest of their lives. Time doesn’t seem to be of the essence and somewhere in the system is what they are looking for.

Thomas McGuane, Midtream – An Outside Chance (1990)

Tom Sutcliffe