"Suh-low"

Yesterday, I was finally able to take my new double hander out to the river. I only had a couple hours but had to get started sometime. I watched the DVD, gone over it in my head, I was ready.

"The most basic moves practiced over and over again become the most advanced moves."

Or something like that.

The first few casts were rough but I got the fly out there, which in the end is all that really matters. Then I slowed things down a bit and started thinking about the different parts of my cast. I worked on my pick up, then my anchor and "D" loop, and a little bit on the forward cast. Occsionally it would all come together and I would send a decent looking cast across toward the other side of the river.

Just as I was about to call it quits and head home to baby I met a guy from Michigan who had came out here to fish for steelhead for ten days.

"Do you fly fish?" I say.
"Yeah, for 18 years."
"Do you spey?"

Dude speys. Watching me cast he gives me some pointers, tells me to slow down. I've heard that about spey casting. "Go slow" they always say. Again he tells me to slow down, "slow on the pick up, slower." Then he shows me what slow is.

His pick up and back cast are in slo-mo, so un-fast that the line seemingly just hangs below the tip-top, barely enough motion to load the rod, back cast into a nice "D" loop then POW!, foward cast and the line lays all the way across the river.

Oh, that slow.

I repeat, "Suh-low" out loud and over and over again as he hands the rod back to me. I pick up and cast, laying the line out there. I slow down some more and cast again and again repeating my new mantra the whole time, "suh-low." It works and already my single spey is improving dramatically.

Thanks dude from Michigan, thanks a bunch.

Old Timey: Finn Style

Olli over dere at Opax-Fly Fishing busts out some tradition and heritage in his latest post. He takes us to the historical epicenter of Finland's brown trout fishing scene and gives us a quick tour of the joint. He then finishes with this brilliant observation.

The tradition of fly-fishing is not static. It lives and evolves as we read, write, talk, and dream about it.

Good stuff Olli! I'm glad that someone is doing the heavy lifting around here.

Old Time Yellowstone

Fly Fish Yellowstone fires up the wayback machine to bring us some old timey fishing photos.
Theres also copious amounts of near-nudity, conservation info and the latest fishing reports. All that good stuff makes for good reading, check it out.

A River Ain't Too Much To Love

With Nature Trumps: An LA River Blog Jay Babcock demonstrates that good fishing is where you're at and also that water brings wilderness and renewal to the most unlikely places.

"Say Valley Maker"

Richmond Fontaine: Greatest Band in the West

Off work at 5:00 am. Insert road tunes, merge onto highway. Interstate-90, eastbound. Yakima, Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe, Clark Fork, Kelly Creek, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Rock Creek, Madison, Jefferson, Gallatin, Yellowstone, Boulder, Stillwater and rivers east; take your pick. The only hard part is coming back.

Johnny Cash - Ghost Riders In The Sky

Howdy pard. Looks like you're gettin' ready to set down at the tying bench. It's that time of year I guess, lots of boxes to refill before spring. You might as well make yourself comfortable and click it on over to the Cowboy Cultural Society and get your GRITS on. While you're there have a seat at the virtual campfire and enjoy a few more of your Western music favorites.

Reminder

Black Ant

hook: TMC 100
body: antron, black
hackle: black saddle

REMINDER:
- Fly Times is here to stay,
- trout love ants
- and Buster Wants To Fish is now banned in five states.

Baby's Toy's

Out of all of baby's toys Daddy's favorite is the two handed rod, a 13.5ft Echo Classic, loaded with an 8/9 wt Delta Spey on a Bauer JM5. Now I have to learn to cast the thing.

Doomed to Succeed

Infliltrating the blogosphere from all corners of the USofA, Buster Wants To Fish is on the ground and moving fast. Check your six.

I don't know but it's coming right at us!

Your Fishing Rights Are Under Attack!

Tom Chandler of Trout Underground fame has been fighting for our right to fish. It seems that there are a few Siskiyou County (Northern California) Commissioners who want to change the rules so that fisherman can't access area rivers. In short, The Man is paving the way for timber, mineral, and agricultural interests to have their way with public water.
For the latest on this issue visit Tom Chandler's Trout Underground. Read up then send some emails and make some phone calls because if they can take away our river rights down in California they can do it anywhere.