12-28-09

Fished a couple of nice pools today. Again it was clear and really cold. In the second pool the water was just slightly less than clear. I put on a size 4 Grease Liner in Yellow which a buddy had just tied up for me. In this pool you are really fishing on the wrong side so the current is being pushed away from the bar on the other side and right into your bank. The bank is slanted at about 45 degrees and the fish usually sit withing 5 feet or so. At the top there is a place where two currents come together and just in the steady stuff after the joining a nice little nose came up and sucked it down. She was a hot fish, fresh from the tide. Not a mark or bit of color on her. A lovely hen who will hopefully stay in the system and make some more. A wonderful day for sure

12-16-2009

A lovely day on the water. Snow on the ground, chums and kings still in the water. Saw some REALLY big kings for the first time in a few years. That is very good news. Water was 42 degrees and freezing rain all day. Fished a big skating stone, small caddis, and even a wet Siren on one of the runs. No love for me. My fishing buddy got one on a light tip on a nice Spey-Spider pattern. Contitions were just perfect. I cannot wait to get back in.

Duncan's Golden Shrimp

For years I have been taken with the simplicity, beauty, and effeciveness of the old Irish Shrimp patterns. Starting from Curry's Red I have tied many of them, read many books about them, talked with folks in Ireland and Wales who tie and fish them, fished them myself, and muddled around with my own idea's. The first Duncan's was the beginning of my belief that I had put something together. I had tied a lot of Intruder style flies and huge shrimps and squids on Waddington Shanks. After fishing it another 6 years the new revision captures everything I was looking for in the beginning, and more. This pattern keeps the effective cone shape of the originals. It is tied almost entirely with Golden Pheasant feathers, hence the name. As a result it looks so buggy it may crawl out of your flybox or bite itself off the tippet. I fish it greased line on floating line or happily at mid depth on a sink tip or full sinking line. It moves fish. Winter or Summer. Salmon or Steelhead. I fish it in two versions. The regular size is about 3" in length and has a FITS Tungsten cone in M. This adds just a touch of weight but the fly still swims gloriously. The micro version is only 1" in length. The tube is only 1/2" so there is room for the hook behind. The micro get a FITS Tungsten cone in XS or S. If the water is clear or close then this will be one the flies on my tippet I can assure you.

Fot the recipe and step by step instructions click here

12-8-2009

Another clear cold day. High temp today was 24 degrees, water down to 35. Fished dries a while today and then some nice wet flies on the floating line. Conditions were perfect but did not find any love. Walked several miles and checked out some distant pools.

12-5-2009

Another clear, cold Winter day. Water temp again at 39 degrees. I fished a ways further up today. Water was very low up there and clear as gin. The skater was fishing like a dream pool after pool but no love to be found. The last pool I fished has a trough in front of some logs on the far bank where a couple of currents come together. I was wading way out and casting way downstream to fish the fly right as it landed and keeping it in the zone as long as possible. Third cast into it a perfect head and tail rise. A lovely hen with just a hint of rose on her flanks. Awesome! Two days in a row. That has not happened on the home river this year. We will see what tomorrow brings

12-4-2009

Fished with a new friend this afternoon on my home river. Fished a couple of nice pools about 3 miles above the tide. Caught one lovely chromer and raised one more on big skated stone. The dry fly will continue to be my method of choice at home for the rest of the Winter.

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