This last week I finally had some time to relax and tie a few flies for myself. After heading our for dinner with the wife I had a few Yuengs and tied up some or Rich Strolis' Headbanger pattern. It is a super cool articulated sculpin pattern that has been cleaning it up around the country. I tied up the blakd and olive version along with a tan with burnt orange versino as those are my go to colors in Ohio.
Saturday morning I got up and hit the water with a buddy. Hopes were high but the fish were not cooperative. Tried both sinking and floating line presentations, different flies and colors, and every conceievable type of water to no avail. Despite the lack of action I did learn a few things, but was feeling pretty crappy about the morning until getting back to the car and finding that the guys who fished the other way from the bridge with live minnows and chubs on pinner rigs had the same luck. The water flow did nearly double while we were on the water and vis went from a few feet to under six inches so I will go with those variables as the reason the fish were lock jawed. Yeah, that's it...
Earlier in the week I tied up some flies for Shafter Johnson from Blue Moon Expeditions down in Florida. They run a mothership outfit with trips deep in to the Everglades, down in the lower Keys, and out to the Marquesas...pretty awesome stuff. This batch of flies was sent down as he was going to be spending a few days personal fishing in the Everglades. Sent him a bendback version of Daminno, some Foxee Roaches, and a variation of it using rabbit tails rather than the schlappen. Looking forward to seeing what he tangles with this week.
This was a pretty solid group of streamers going to a return customer out in Arkansas. With a few styles and colors he should be able to dial in some fish.
What to get for the fisherman who has everything....how about a custom assortment of flies!?! This is a batch of big flies headed out for a lucky angler who loves to chase pike and musky. For a bit of scale, the Double Decievers on the bottom are 8" flies!
Getting in to the home stretch of 2012 now. Will be tying like a mad man all week then heading up to Detroit for the Schmidt family Christmas this weekend. Hope you all have a great week.
-mike schmidt
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