Step by Step Volume 3...off to the presses!

Hard to believe that the first big show of the year for me, the International Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset NJ, is just a few weeks away.  With that in mind this week was time to kick the show prep in to high gear.  The last few years I have compiled step by steps from through the year and compiled them  as PDF files on CD, and that has been very well recieved.  This year I really had not done hardly any new step by steps so I really had to buckle down, and last weekend shot a dozen to fill out this years edition.  I finished formatting of them all tonight and knocked out the cover art....and in the morning they are off to the replicator.  This years edition of the step by step CD will have a mix of stuff including single hook, articulated, saltwater, and even a basic old school standby.  Here is the list of patterns that are included:  Double Deceiver, Red October, Stimulator, Shimmer Minner, Chard Choker, Conrad Sculpin, Jonny Darter, PT Nymph, Sincredible Sculpin, Hobo Spey, Senyo Egg Raider, Surf Candy, Skull Flatwing Eel, Skull Craft Fur Eel, and a Marabou wrapping technique.  I will have copies along at each show as well as being available on the website.

This week I saw this shot from ACF customer and friend Jason Tucker from Fontinalis Rising.  Jason was out throwing a 6" articulated ACF fly and had this feisty fish, not more than twice the size of the streamer, come out and try to make a meal of it.  Big flies catch little guys too!

Here is another shot I got from good friend Brian this week.  Brian is one of the guys that makes it to northern Michigan for Salmonfest each year, but until the last year or so that was the only time he wet a line.  This last year, however, he has really been bitten by the fishing bug and spent many an evening stalking bass at a local lake in central Illinois.  Last Saturday I got a surprising message that he was out at 4:30 in the morning waiting to have at some water that had been stocked a few days earlier.  He had a tough time early in the morning, but later on was able to convince a few fish to eat including this beefy guy that made the trip back to Brian's place  for his first delicious fish sammich made with fish he caught himself.  Really awesome stuff if you ask me!

I'll leave you with a couple of fly pictures.  The group was sent out to a customer the other day and will hopefully see the inside of some fish mouths this weekend.  The last shot is one I tied up tonight for myself...just one more for the swinging box.  Looks like I will be here tying this weekend, but next weekend I will find water one way or another.

-mike schmidt

www.anglerschoiceflies.com