fuse-support, Author at Morrett Fly Fishing

Mountain Jewels

A young man in his thirties, Andy, alongside an older gentleman in his sixties, Greg, standing in front of a wild trout sign

Ohio Winters

The Winter here in Ohio has been tough to get through in regards to dry fly fishing. Lately, very few days have found their way above the 40 degree threshold which is our first indicator as to whether to break out our expensive underwear and head to the river. The second part of the equation is water condition. Home waters on the Mad have been pretty much low and clear since the Fall. Due to very cold temperatures, any precipitation has been in the form of snow that has stuck around since January. That being said, we had a few days in the 40’s and I believe we took every opportunity possible and found success plying the tactics that Buck and I laid out in our article that was included in the Winter issue of Matt Supinski’s Hallowed Water Journal. Small Blue Wing Olive cripples and emergers with a few Griffin’s Gnats did the job on any risers we spotted.

March has brought not only warmer temperatures with high hopes for Mayfly hatches coming soon but also snowmelt that can foul up the water overnight. This happens every early Spring in Southwest Ohio and is just part of the deal. The down time has allowed me to fill up my inventory of flies for Spring and early Summer. Every fly I have tied over the last couple of months has been crafted with the image of a beautiful trout breaking the surface and slurping my imposter. That kind of focus makes every fly I tie of utmost importance to me. I get a real rush when the plan all comes together whether it is on the end of my line, a friend’s, or a client’s.

I do thoroughly enjoy sitting at my fly tying desk with a cup of coffee and our Trout Bum Miniature Schnauzer “Willow” napping somewhere close at hand while the snow plows clear the roads outside. Recently, I have developed a twitchy casting arm and an adventure to the mountains of North Carolina seemed like good medicine. Luckily, my partner Andy Baker, also co-founder of CreativeFuse, has his home office nestled in the mountains near Columbus, North Carolina surrounded by beautiful southern trout streams just waiting to be explored. Road Trip!

Mountain Tribs

Although the main streams in the lower sections of the mountains had just recently been stocked, that was not what we were after. Andy had been scouting tributaries on his regular hiking trips around the area with his young family. I must admit, it was a nice change to show up with a fly rod in my hand and my guide ready to go to spots he had circled on his map. The only question was whether the old man could traverse the areas he had picked out. Steep climbs and descents around and over large slippery boulders, waterfalls, and rhododendrons were the theme of the trip. With this writing, I am happy to report that I can still get around well enough to keep up with the youngster. However, three days removed from the trip, I can just now go up and down our stairs without loud groans stemming from a sore lower back and tight hamstrings. Truthfully, I have asked myself if searching for and finding tiny wild trout was worth the effort. The answer is absolutely yes! The experience and the memories that have been etched in my mind are priceless.

We were able to find exactly what we were looking for and with temperatures topping out in the low 60’s, the hike was as comfortable as I could have hoped for. The clear cold headwaters coupled with the surroundings were like an image from a travel brochure. Every plunge pool and small slick run formed since the cradle of time held the jewels of the mountains, wild trout. Remaining hidden from the wild rainbows while stalking our prey was of utmost importance. In order to maintain proper drifts while hiding behind large boulders, I chose to use my 9 foot 4 weight Winston GVX Select rod with 12 feet of leader which allowed me to keep the fly line off of the water on most occasions.

In regards to fly selection, it was pretty much an educated guess. We rigged up two different types of presentations and we were able to find success with both throughout the day. A Mattress Thrasher in size 14 tied with an Olive UV dubbed body seemed right as an attractor pattern for the top fly. The dropper I chose was a fly that has saved many trips on various types of water, the “Little Red Bastard”. The fly got its name from requests from fellow fly fishermen “ you got anymore of those little red bastards?” The fly is pretty simple to tie, size 18 midge hook, red brassie wire body, peacock herl gills, and topped off with a fluorescent orange bead head. Don’t laugh, this fly has produced in at least seven different states that I can remember. My partner used a two nymph rig with a strike indicator to control the depth of the flies. A size 18 green Caddis larvae for the bottom fly seemed to be the trout’s favorite. I did find some natural green Caddis larvae under some rocks at the beginning of the day which means the trout were probably munching on these little morsels as they passed by in the biological drift of the stream. The great news was that we caught fish on all the patterns we chose and did not have to alter our plans in regards to pattern selection. That doesn’t happen very often in my experiences. At the end of the trip, Andy noted that while we were catching fish after fish, we had not lost or needed to change our flies the whole time. Though one of us did break off on the last cast. All said, I am not sure we could have had a better or more memorable day that didn’t include any kind of airlift or mountain rescue team. One definition, for me, of a successful mountain fishing adventure is to be able to walk out of the forest, find the truck, find the keys, then to drive home safely with no visits to the Emergency Room involved.

I am now back in the low country of the Miami Valley watching the creek rise as well as the temperature. Perhaps this will be the Spring when the Hendricksons start popping in late March and last all the way through April. It has happened before. Hope reigns eternal! As for now, the images of those Mountain Jewels will get me through.

Mayfly Motives

Sunshine spotlighting a cove in the stream

The “R” Word

I have put a lot of time in over the years striving to cast as well on the water as some of my mentors. It is still a work in progress. That being said, nothing is more disappointing than executing the perfect cast and drag free drift right through a rising trout’s window to the outside world only to watch Mr. Brownie slowly rise to your Mayfly imitation and then, at the moment of truth, he gives you the fin on his way back to the depths from which the monster came. In other words, the dreaded R word, Refusal. A guide in Wyoming said it best, “that would piss off the Pope.”

My Polar Cripple patterns are tied with the assumption that all rising trout are selective by nature. They all take a close look at a Mayfly before they commit to eating. This may not always be the case, but why take a chance with all that is on the line. Each part of my Polar Cripple Mayfly pattern has a purpose that has been inspired by personal experience and Mayfly Masters of the past and present. I can assure you, this pattern has greatly reduced the number of slaps in the face that I have experienced when that little pea-brained trout has caught me trying to fool him with less than a natural imitation

Ingredients

What follows are a few notes on the ingredients I use and why. Bake them all together and you have my best recipe for connecting with the most elusive and beautiful prey available, a rising trout. One disclaimer, if your skills at casting and maintaining a drag free drift are wanting, work on it. The perfect fly will never save an imperfect presentation.

Hook: TMC101- size to match the hatch

Gently bent to imitate the posture of an adult Mayfly that, for one reason or another, did not make it off the water. I have witnessed trout zero in on these distressed or crippled adults while completely ignoring their healthy counterparts. The rise seems to be slower and more deliberate, as if the trout knows there is no rush, this bug is not going anywhere in a hurry

Thread: Uni-Thread in color to match the Mayfly.

Tails: Pre 1972 Polar Bear Hair

I like very long tails to help with flotation and the natural sheen of the fibers covers me if the trout is taking that close of look.

Abdomen: Moose Mane

Trial and Error has allowed me to arrive at this point in regards to body material. Beautifully dyed Moose Mane is available in many natural colors from Nature’s Spirit. Durability, natural appearance of segmentation, and ease of use make this a key ingredient until someone shows me better.

Thorax: Hareline natural dubbing in colors to match the Mayfly.

Wings: Pre 1972 Polar Bear Fibers

Tied split wing with one wing up to allow the trout to see what is coming when he first looks up and out his window. This material is durable, natural, water resistant, and floats like a cork. I have found gray variant markers from Prismacolor that have allowed me to detail the wings and tails to match the Mayflies wings in regards to value.

Legs: Whiting Premium Hackle Fibers

High quality hackle feathers make a big difference in regards to appearance and flotation. I trim the hackle for proper affect in regards to the distressed posture a crippled Mayfly would exhibit while struggling in the film.

All Natural

I am particular about using natural materials whenever possible. There is no better imitation of nature than nature itself. Is all the detail necessary and important? I think most definitely it is. I do know these ingredients are more expensive and harder to find than synthetic materials that may work. I guess you have to ask yourself, how much would you have paid to catch that 20” Brown Trout of your dreams that said NO to your pattern that was hand tied in Sri Lanka? Just saying.

As always, thank you for your interest and support.

Peace on The Mad

Polar Parachute Caddis Fly hook in a brown trout mouth.

Going Mad

Like two kids, Buck Juhasz and I were looking forward to the possibility of dry fly fishing on the Mad River in the Fall. October caddis was probably going to be the last opportunity for rising brown trout on the Mad in this bizarre year of 2020. That being said, we took it seriously as we scouted various spots on the water starting in late September. After some absolutely beautiful October days filled with wading, watching, casting, and catching, early November rolled around and it was time to reflect on what we found as we re-discovered the wonderful trout stream that is the Mad River.

We made notes and discussed all things related to life and fly fishing and we found one thing for sure, fly fishing for trout can bring clarity when everything else seems so uncertain. At times, fly fishing is the only thing that makes any sense. The following notes represent some thoughts we explored and what we discovered in regards to trout fishing. The conclusions we came to in regards to the rest of the crazy world will remain between two old fishing buddies, the rocks we turned over and walked around, the wind we battled, and the trees we leaned on for rest. Who are we to tell the rest of the world how to live, right Buck?

Stream Conditions & Insect Activity

lower than average flows and gin clear water
Mild water and air temperatures throughout the month
Windy afternoons consistently had the entire water column laced with leaves and other floating debris
Caddis larvae and what appeared to be BWO nymphs moving around and under the river rocks
Observation of adult insects during hatches and remains left in spider webs strategically built in the branches of streamside trees
Splashy rise forms indicated trout were chasing Caddis Emergers and slower more deliberate rises from more experienced holdover browns in feeding lanes slurping adult resting caddis and floating olive adults

Finding Fish

low flows forced trout to populate in the deeper holding water
Stocking added to the holdover population and increased competition for food
Trout remained in holding water due to minimum fishing pressure and very few canoe hatches

Equipment

debris on the water called for longer rods (9’-10’) for proper line management
Low clear water called for light lines and long light leaders (3 or 4 weight floating line coupled with 12’-15’ 6x or 7x tippets)

Fly Patterns

Adult Caddis

Polar Parachute Caddis

Leaves and debris on top of the water column made visibility of the fly imperative for the fisherman to execute cast and drift
3D posture of this pattern helped separate from flat floating leaves
Color and size based on observation of naturals and enhanced visibility from the trouts perspective to allow for the fish to pick out the imitation of the natural from other floating objects (tan, light brown, yellow, caddis green, and UV olive)
TMC 102Y size 17 and TMC921 size 14

Elk River Caddis

Pattern design allows for natural movement of fly mimicking adult caddis escaping from river film
Natural colors of tan and brown
TMC101 size 14 and 16

Immature Caddis

Caddis Emerger with wing case

Effective when conditions allowed for dropper to be presented without fighting debris
When rise forms became more steady and less splashy, dropper became unnecessary
Caddis Green and Tan
TMC2488 size 16

Buck and I spent many hours chasing the elusive brown trout on The Mad in October this year, 2020. We were able to find and net more 8”-15” butter colored Salmo Trutta than we could have hoped for. The river truly owes us nothing! We started the month with the hope that a fish would rise and at the end of this particular adventure we found trout and I guess what we were really looking for, peace and contentment.

Tradition and the Green River, NC

Fly Fishing Soul

Tradition can be defined as a handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. I love this definition and I believe it starts with family and is what gives fly fishing a soul.

Two of my business partners, Andy and Eva Baker recently moved to the mountains of North Carolina in the middle of some great southern trout streams. I have had the great opportunity to fish the Davidson River on many excursions over the last twenty years. Truthfully, that was the extent of my local knowledge of the area, not much in the way of tradition to pass on to my Son-in-Law and granddaughter. However, a quick search for traditional North Carolina trout fly patterns turned up a few possibilities. I needed to tap into tradition and trust the fact that fly patterns developed many years ago, can and do still catch trout. The three patterns that intrigued me most and appeared to be patterns our nine year old Eva could learn to tie would be the Sheep Fly, Yellow Hammer, and Tellico Nymph. All three patterns could be used to swing downstream or be perfect for some tight line nymphing. I tied a few of each, a little rough, or as my fine artist wife Melanie would call, Artist Proofs.

Putting Experience to the Test

The Green River is a twenty minute drive from the Kid’s house and is a beautiful hatchery supported trout stream, plenty of fish! Andy and I bought some nice maps, opened them up on the hood of the truck and began to start a tradition of our own. I must admit that I am responsible for the first coffee stain on the brand new map. Hopefully, he can share the map and the adventure with my daughter Sarah and the two girls, Eva and Lila, on many excursions for years to come.

We scouted and found a few spots that were young family friendly in regards to wading. The time had come to put tradition to the test. The look of the stream was familiar to me, plunge pools, flats, riffles, pocket water, long runs, etc. Andy wet waded into position armed with a Yellow Hammer tied to the bend of the hook on a Sheep Fly. I watched as he found the feel for swinging a fly where he wanted it to go. I must admit I felt a little guide pressure to put him on and land a trout, any trout. The pressure escalated within ten minutes as Andy hooked up his first North Carolina trout. In retrospect, I was hoping it was a stocker that would come to hand without much trouble, it would still count. Instead, he hooked up a holdover with good sized shoulders and the fight was on! As he fought the fish, I remember telling him to enjoy the tussle, probably because I wasn’t sure the three of us were going to meet at my net. I cannot remember feeling so satisfied with any trout I have landed as when I looked at Andy’s face as he admired his beautiful rainbow trout resting in the cool water, safely in the net. Not a monster in size, but a giant in terms of what that trout meant to both of us. The Yellow Hammer was secure in the side of the trout’s jaw just as it has been on many trout over the some seventy-five years since first tied. I would imagine, if you run into Andy on the stream he will have a few Yellow Hammers in his box. The tradition continues.

Mayfly Pattern Inspiration

Over the last 120 years or so, there have been countless numbers of American fly tiers that have studied, observed, and obsessed over a trout’s behavior in regards to the mayfly. It seems to me that the true innovators in regards to a mayfly pattern, identified and confirmed their theories on what they considered the most important part of their patterns. I have studied and had the good fortune to observe some of these tiers for the last twenty years and have come to the conclusion they either knew or know what they are talking about.

For the best view, I believe in standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before me and have tried to incorporate a piece of each of their ideas in my patterns. I am sure my patterns take longer to tie than most tiers. That’s OK, I am not, nor ever will be a mass production tier. Every part of my flies have a purpose and that is important to me.

The following is what I call my inspiration list or at least some thoughts on what I have gleaned from what I consider these masters of the mayfly.

Theodore Gordon:

Colors and texture imitated in fly pattern by using natural materials found in nature. Nothing imitates nature more effectively than nature. Quality hackle for legs and flotation. Observation of the trout’s world from above and around.

John Atherton & Matt Supinski:

Impressionistic art — movement and life created by color, shading, segmentation,value, etc.

Vincent Marinaro:

What a trout sees from below based on observation, study, and theory. Upright wings are the first impression the trout has of a drifting adult mayfly. Tails are used for flotation.

Kelly Gallup, Bob Linseman, Rusty Gates & Howard Parks:

Observations of different stages of mayfly hatches and discerning the most successful stage to imitate for the fly fisherman is many times a crippled imitation. Bent hook patterns developed and refined.

GEM Skues (English):

Size and color of mayfly critical elements in fly construction based on observations of the visual abilities of the trout. “I think, however, it should be the ideal of the sportsman angler to take his trout, where he can do so, by means of imitations,representations, or suggestions of its natural food presented in the conditions in which the trout is feeding on.”

Custom Fly: Big Horn River in Montana

Tom Frick, a long time friend, mentor, guide, and fishing partner of mine came to me and was excited to share news of his family fly fishing trip planned for Summer 2019 on the Big Horn River in Montana. I have very limited personal experience in regards to the hatch chart on the western rivers he was going to be fishing. Knowing that, as well as me knowing he was only going to be using dry flies no matter what, we discussed what kind of bugs we were going to try to imitate. Tom is the kind of fly fisherman who is going to be prepared for possible hatches and stages of hatches with flies that will allow him to do it the right way, upstream and dry.

We started a list of possible hatches and terrestrials he might encounter at that particular time of year on that particular river. Blue Wing Olives, Pale Morning Duns,Yellow Sallies, Tan Caddis, Hoppers, and Ants. I started working on samples to show Tom which of the bugs I would be able to imitate with a pattern custom tied for his experience, at the family price.

I suggested we try some patterns in the Klinkhammer style to imitate emerging Mayflys. Probably most successful early on in regards to the hatch timing. Tied a few samples of both the BWO and PMD in Biot body Klinkhammer style and we settled on size and color to proceed with the order, one dozen of each. Tom decided to get an order in for a few Hendrickson emergers as well. I am sure he will be doing his sampling out of my box this Spring on our local waters.

My favorite Mayfly pattern was originally shown to me by Howard Parks. Howard hand bent a standard dry fly hook to imitate a crippled mayfly body as it would appear to the trout. The pattern he taught me to tie, the crippled dun and crippled spinner, has not changed in design since Howard first showed me the “proverbial half hitch” from the anal fly tier many years back. Of course, Tom will need a couple dozen crippled duns and spinners in size 16-18 tied to imitate BWO’s and PMD’s. He has seen these two patterns tied by me before, so I proceeded without pattern approval. Same deal with caddis. We decided on tan as the best bet in regards to color. Size 16-18 range. My parachute caddis tied with a Biot body has proven to be a great all around pattern when trout are surface feeding on adult caddis or small terrestrials. One dozen each tan and one dozen assorted natural colors. Durability is important to me. If a fly is working, you certainly do not want to replace the fly with a new one because the fly fell apart after you removed it from the trout’s mouth with your forceps. From experience, Tom knows he will go through less of these flies because they work and they hold up.

I have tied a few size 16 and 18 yellow sallies in the past with elk hair and premium hackle that floats great in fast water that presents well, just in case he encounters the little yellow stonefly. Expect the possible wind blown summer days with the likelihood of various terrestrials available for the trout to ambush from cover. A pattern I tie called the Mattress Thrasher found its way to my vise by way of Rusty Gates. The Thrasher tied in size 12 and 14, does a great job of imitating a variety of bugs from Michigan down through Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Whether the trout’s search image for food includes the details of hoppers, crickets, beetles, bees, or large caddis, the “Mattress Thrasher” seems to work in fooling a trout to make a fatal mistake. Tom will let me know if they work on the Big Horn.

The last part of the equation for summer dry fly success anywhere Coldwater trout water flows would be ants. I tie an ant pattern in various sizes and colors that is quite visible to the angler, with high flotation materials and is very natural in appearance in a view from the trout’s perspective. Tom has some size 17 in his box from last Summer. Maybe he only needs a few fresh ones for this trip. Maybe a few size 16-18 crippled spinners with an egg sac. He will not leave the stream before a shot at a Spinner fall.

This has become a natural process that goes on in my mind anytime a fly fisherman mentions or announces he or she is going on a fly fishing adventure. Whether it be on a local stream or some far away destination. My challenge is to have the opportunity to learn about the multitudes of possibilities in regards to the destination where the fly fisherman is headed. Then, apply what I have learned to be able to tie the right fly for the right time on the right river.

The Origin Story

Artwork above created by Morrett Fine Art. View full piece.

1965-1981

Dad gave me the ability and access to fish freshwater ponds and lakes in Northern Indiana and Wisconsin while on our yearly fishing vacations. Patience, focus, and stealth are what I take from my early training watching dad wield his cane pole filling the fish basket with bluegills and perch for the table.

Uncle Rex was a little more exciting when it came to fishing. Fly rods, bait casters, and spinning tackle were all part of his arsenal. I learned to take care of your gear if you wanted it to last. The smell of muscelin today takes me back to stretching the wet fly line from the day across the clothes line in his back yard to dry before treating with a fine film of muscelin for flotation. Uncle Rex seemed to think like a fish and doing things the way he instructed seemed to work. I was always impressed by his Northern Pike mounted heads on the side of his work shed.

My brother Jeff and my Aunt Chris imparted upon me the fact that hunting for big fish is worth getting dirty and wet while in pursuit, or in Aunt Chris’ case, actually dying for, when the day is won.

1981-2000

Moving south after graduation from the PGA program at Ferris State College and nothing else to worry about except golf and monster southern black bass, I dove into both with both feet. From 1983 until we moved to Ohio in 2000, Melanie and I hunted farm ponds and bays across southern Alabama and north central Florida looking for that legendary 10 pound largemouth bass. While on our adventure, both Ben and Sarah developed a love for fishing and all that it entails,and that is being spread down to another generation of extended families today.

Big Gene and Mel reintroduced fly fishing to me on our bass pond around 1989. I enjoyed the whole deal except I didn’t think it was enough ammo for my ten pounder. I stuck with bait casters until I was able to check the big bass off the board in a small lake in the Ocala National Forest. Where do you go from there? The pursuit of catching wild trout on a fly rod and all the shenanigans that go on during the journey!

2000-Present

Todd wanted to go trout fishing at his Grandpa’s cabin on the Tellico river in Tennessee. We used corn and rooster tails and caught enough stocked rainbows to burn a hole in Grandpa’s deck with hot cinder blocks while cooking. Needed tools, the hippy over the hill hooked us up. Trout moved up to number one on the fish totem pole.

Family vacation to Jackson Hole, Wyoming started a new lifestyle for Mel and I. I think we both became trout bums right there on the Snake river trying to cast further than 25 feet without killing someone in the wind. The first truly wild trout I believe I caught was a Yellowstone Cutthroat with all the cool scenery everywhere.

Moved to Southern Ohio and met Tom Frick, owner of the Rusty Drake Outfitters in Dayton. Through the shop, Mel and I were able to meet and become good friends with the lead instigators in our trout adventures. Bill Loveless, Howard Parks, and Buck Juhasz. The sum total of what these guys know about all things trout fishing is really amazing. I paid attention while fishing and tying with these gentlemen and I like to think I picked up a few things along the way.

Jeff Cagle led us through the woods of Tennessee looking for native Brookies. Walker Parrott showed us the trophy waters of the Davidson in North Carolina. Young guides out of the Holston River Fly shop put us on rising tail water brown trout during one of many sulfur hatches on the South Holston in Tennessee. Bill Loveless took us to Pennsylvania for rising brown trout on the Little Juniata and introduced me to Steelhead on Lake Erie tributaries. Buck introduced us to the history and soul of fly fishing on the Cumberland Valley limestone streams home of Vince Marinaro.

Michigan waters have been shown to us by many individuals over the last twenty years. Tom Frick, Howard Parks, and Rusty Gates welcomed us to the Holy Water of the AuSable River. Bob Linsenman personally showed me how to streamer fish on the Big Water below Mio, also on the AuSable. Of course, the legendary Matt Supinski netted my one and only Atlantic Salmon on an unnamed river in Michigan. Matt also introduced us to first class accommodations and food during super hatches of various mayflys during spring and early summer on the Muskegon.

My western water experience is very limited but most memorable. James Whitescarver gave us a full detailed accounting of all things outdoors in Montana. Melanie’s 21” loch leven brown trout and my 25” Bull trout are totem fish with memories unto themselves. I could certainly get used to drift boat fishing along as James manned the oars.

New friend and fishing partner, Jim Oates teamed up with Buck to show Mel and I the Driftless Region in SW Wisconsin. Truly native brook trout and wild brown trout all caught on either a purple hopper or a hippy stomper is a tough act to beat. New favorite place to go for terrestrials.

Every April for the last twenty years has included our pilgrimage to home waters, the Mad River. Hendrickson hatches spent with my family and closest of friends pulls me to Old Troy Pike early every Spring. I have had epic days as well as scoreless days in regards to number of fish caught or even seen on the Mad. The boys at the fly shop always used to tell me. “If you can catch a trout on the Mad with a fly rod, you can catch fish anywhere”.

Our Kitchen Concepts

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