Tying in the Pines...the class is sneaking up on us!

It has been about three months since I put anything up on the 'Tying in the Pines' weekend tying workshop that I am co-hosting with Greg Senyo and, since it is only about a month from now, I figured it is about time to get the word back out there as there are a few open spots.

As taken from the original post: This is to be an all-inclusive workshop that gives the participants a broad knowledge base of streamer tying and rigging techniques. We will cover single hook flies and multiple articulated techniques as well as stinger flies...all you need to bring is your vise and tools!

If you have followed this blog then you have seen the sort of quality fish that I prefer to target. There are certainly many variables to my success in stalking, hooking up, and landing what I consider to be apex fish but none is more important than the fly design. I firmly believe that the realism and size afforded by articulated patterns has allowed me to be very successful where I otherwise may have been less so. It is these steamer techniques and patterns we will be tying over the weekend so the participants can take them back to their home waters and push that streamer envelope!

It does not hurt that the class will be held in beautiful northwest Pennsylvania; home to wild brookies; fantastic scenery, and Yueng. Here are a couple shots I took when I was at the cabin in April.



To see a few more shots of the area you can check out the blog posts from either the Steelhead Alley brookie retreat or the Schultz Outfitters brookie retreat.

It is an amazing area and we will have a great time pushing through a bunch of streamer patterns and techniques. If you are interested, or want more details, then drop me a line at 614.638.6727. We can discuss the weekend and hopefully get you signed up to join in on the fun!

-mike schmidt
www.anglerschoiceflies.com

Mystic Steelhead Camp and a few brookies

Made it back home for a day and a half between trips so I figure I may as well throw a few shots from the last few glorious days up!

Took off after work on Thursday and drove to the NW corner of New York to meet up with a group of guys for the Mystic Rod Steelhead Camp weekend. It was a great little cabin that easily accomodated the eight of us for a few nights. We stayed up pretty late talking flies and Mystic rods. Going in to the weekend I was looking forward to fishing a few of Mystics heavier sticks and they did not disappoint. The 10' 7WT and 8WT are ideal indi-rods for steelhead, and the 7WT switch cast like a dream. I ordered up the 8WT for myself and am anxiously awaiting the completion of their 8WT switch.

NY tribs were mostly blown so we headed over to some small PA tribs and proceeded to find fish in spots where fish should be. The water started off with hazy green tint that lightened over the three days on the water.

Some fish were beat up a bit but the majority of the fish we got in to were either colored up and clean or straight chrome. This fish had a beautiful coloration and pulled like a freight train.

As I came up on the pool this beast was in I could see a little bit of shadow so I made a few drifts and it happily munched an egg. This one was a bit on the larger side for the weekend and also was not happy about being stuck.

Saturday evening we were on our way back towards camp and stopped off at 20 Mile. She had dropped significantly over the previous few days so a few of us hit the mouth to make good use of the switch rod since the weather was so calm. About 30 minutes in we switched up to a smaller shiner imitation and it was game on! First I hooked up....

Then Thad hooked up!

Nothing so cool as a lake double of pure chrome! Coming from Oregon to hit the tribs with us for the week was a haul for Thad, but I am pretty sure he won't forget this.

Another nice male taken down close to the lake.

Proud papa Dennis with his son Fisher. This was Fisher's second time out and his first landed steelhead; I think the look says it all! He clipped off the fly that he used, so I am sure this is going 8x10 with the fly clipped in the frame.

Fisher handled the fish carefully and allowed me to get one more shot as he slid it back to the water.

After a great time chasing steelhead Sunday night an Monday were a welcome change of pace. I headed about an hour over to a private cabin on a small creek to fish for native browns Sunday night, then brookies on Monday. It is the second time I have been over to the Senyo property and it did not disappoint.

Spotted this guy as I crept along the rocks and was able to sprawl over a boulder and drop my camera down in to the plunge pool to get a shot.

Nice male brookie that decided to make a snack of a small streamer.

This was not the biggest of the weekend for me, but it was the biggest with someone right there to snap a shot for me while sporting my TFM gear!

This male had just phenomenal coloring to it...enough so that I felt it deserved the only color in the shot. Can't wait to get back and give the 2WT and 7x another workout.

-mike schmidt
http://www.anglerschoiceflies.com/

ACF customer Brock Dixon takes February SOTM!

Congratulations are due to ACF customer Brock Dixon for taking the Moldy Chum Slab of the Month title for February. With a total voting percentage of 37.5% it is obvious that there were plenty of others as impressed with this hog brown as I was...and the shot is totally worth posting again. Good luck on the Slab of the Year voting Brock!

The pattern that this hog took was an ACF tied Senyo Shaggy Minnow tied up in white with blue/pearl flash and blue eyes. Greg Senyo came up with pattern to chase steelhead, but it has been proving itself plenty deadly on a number of other fish species.

-mike schmidt http://www.anglerschoiceflies.com/

'Tying in the Pines'...a new streamer class offering

Over the last few months there have been a few shows in Michigan that I tied at. For those shows I had the pleasure of hanging out and talking a little shop with Greg Senyo the evening before the shows as he graciously allowed me to crash at his place. One thing we were kicking around was the idea of an all inclusive streamer tying weekend. I am happy to announce that Greg and I are teaming up to offer 'Tying in the Pines'!

'Tying in the Pines' will be a streamer junkies dream for the six participants that sign up. We will have a bonfire going to welcome them as they show up, on that Friday evening, to the Senyo family cabin outside of Russell Pennsylvania. The tying instruction will start Saturday morning and extend through in to the evening with breaks every few hours so we can kick back and enjoy beautiful northwest Pennsylvania. Saturday will also include a session in which we demonstrate how these flies are to be rigged and correctly cast, then likely end up with another bonfire riverside. Finally we will have a final tying session on Sunday morning and wrap things up by noon.

This is to be an all-inclusive workshop that gives the participants a broad knowledge base of streamer tying and rigging techniques. We will cover single hook flies and multiple articulated techniques as well as stinger flies. Greg and I will be providing two nights lodging, food, beverage and materials...all you need to bring is your vise and tools. The cost for this weekend workshop has been set at $275 and is limited to six participants. If you are intersted in signing up for this event please give me a call at 614.638.6727 and reserve your spot.

-mike schmidt
www.anglerschoiceflies.com