Nymph Season.

These next few months are nymphcentric. To gain a little more understanding of nymphs start taking some samples. Pretty easily done with a 3'x4' screen sieve. Caddis, stoneflies, mayflies, midges, craneflies, fishflies, leeches and aquatic worms can all be found within a few hours if you put your time in.

You don't have to turn into a Latin spewing geek to understand the basics of entomology. What you do need to do is transfer your knowledge to patterns and techniques. Quite simple really. Grab the Thomas Ames 'Hatch Guide for New England Streams' for a complete explanation on what goes on around here.

Better than wondering what the hell are those fish eating.

Open Daily.

It's official we are open. We did our first casting tune up class yesterday. Clients are getting ready for a better game this season. Putting the time in and making the investment into their recreational future. April is the perfect time for gaining experience and knowledge that will pay dividends later on. A few trips to consider:

• Casting introductions and tune ups. Everything starts and ends with the cast. One to two hours in length.

• Spey casting introductory trips. Simple, basic casts taught on water made for spey. Spey rods, lines and reels provided if needed. This is a solid half day of instruction that will provide you with a solid foundation base.
  

• Nymphing trips. Rigging, flies, casts, reading water, indicators and techniques covered. Nymping will make one a better angler. Having a complete understanding of nymphing styles and rigs is money in the bank.

We like filling April with a mix of different trips. From floats and wades. Spey trips, casting tune ups and the nymphing tours. Keeps us fresh and constantly helps improve our teaching/guiding skills. Grab some time, a partner and make a date with higher learning.

Czech Mate.

The simple but deadly Czech Nymph style has a permanent place in our nymph boxes. Sizes from 8 to 16. Colors range in wild to mild. Black, gold, orange and pink tungsten beads. Useful on small streams, medium sized freestones and large rivers.

We are reminded of when the Copper John first showed up. People would be amazed at it's effectiveness in catching fish. For many folks it was the first time they were actually fishing in the right zone, due to the weight of the fly. We are not disregarding the Copper John's ability to catch fish. It's got everything going for it in a nymph. Silhouette of many common nymphs, triggers, color and durability. Most importantly it's weighted well to get in the zone.

The Czech nymph shares those same traits. Get tying.

Indicate It.

While talking with a fellow angler at last nights presentation the topic turned to nymphing and indicators. When asked what we used for indicators, they were taken aback a little when I replied about five. Certain conditions require different types of support or visual enhancement. Here are our favs:

• Our fly line. Always there and bought and paid for. We nymph a fair amount without an indicator. Try it and commit to a few runs. You might find you're more in tune to your rig than ever before.

• The Thingamabobber or Sindicator. Bomber piece of flotation. 1" for high water and large nymphs. 3/4" for stable, clear flows and medium to small nymphs. 1/2" skinny water, small size bugs. The 1/2" is perfect in conjunction with the floating nymph gig.

• Indicator Fly. Size 6-10. Foam body, rubber legs and an massive amount of antron for float ability. Great when the golden stones are just starting.

• Antron Indicator. Old school. We design/build our own. Black and white. Also known as the Dr.J. Great in heavy pocket water. Soak in Loon Hydrostop for added float. Comb out every so often to get the full Dr.J effect.

• Rio Kahuna indicators. Perfect for the visually challenged during a midge, trico or Baetis hatch.

• Red Amnesia material. Use this as the leader butt material. Great for slower water presentations.

Nymphing season is here. With the milder weather and temps of late things could be happening sooner than later. Get started ahead of the game this season and spend a day doing a nymph trip with us. Rigging, flies, casts and indicators all covered. Grab a date for April and come to the dark side.

Party Of One.

We have more than a few single clients during the season. That's fine with Huck the guide apprentice. Opportunity to get another float in. More room to stretch out. Easier to mooch lunch scraps off one than two. All is well in Huck's world when the single rolls in.

Meet your new fishing partner for the day. He won't cast in your lane or low hole you either. Always there at the net with praise. Keeps a tight lip on all the missed strikes and crappy presentations. Never takes the last beer. Rides in the back.

Damn near perfect fishing companion. Can't row for crap though.

Next Month.

April is right around the corner. Many will make the effort to feed that Jones they've had all winter. Many will come back with the feel good standby statement of "It was great just being out". That's all well and good. But wouldn't one rather say " Man, what a great way to break in the season"!!

There is a technique for April. It is called by many names; nymphing, the dredge, bottom bouncing, junk rigging, short and long leash dog walking, etc. We dig the subsurface game. The rigging, flies, indicators and shot keep our interest. The light tug to the slam. The mends and drifts that are interrupted. New patterns get the test. Old standbys at the ready. The new leader formula that you've developed under high security clearances.

It's a constantly developing technique for us. Not the same 9'x4x leader, two flies, a Thingamabobber and some split shot. Keeping it fresh daily. We'll be out next month throwing the junk. Availability is good for the potential "Hello my name is------- and I'm nymphaholic. Help is just a email or phone call away.

Instructions Included.

Dates have been set for a couple of special trips for the 2012 season. Our fly fishing school located on the Dead river will be held on July 14th and 15th. Again on September 8th and 9th. If you are a novice looking to get off on the right foot this is a great place to start. Not to mention this is one of the most scenic places in Maine.

The two day spey/switch trip will be held on the West branch of the Penobscot on August 25th and 26th. This trip is designed for clients who already have a basic understanding of spey casts and wish to fish more productively with a double handed rod.

We will be based at Chewonki's Big Eddy campground. This base is riverside and has the basic amenities any fly fisher needs. Other lodging options include The Big Moose Inn and the New England Outdoor Center.

This trip includes guiding/instruction, use of quality spey and switch rods, terminal tackle, flies, transportation on the river and lunch. Price is $800 for two days for one or two anglers. Class size is limited to four clients. This gives us a two to one ratio that insures full attention to your needs.

If you've never fished the West Branch you owe it to yourself to experience one of Maine's best rivers. Book today and keep your guides from having to mow their lawn.

Pegged

Cast a fly enough and it's going to happen. Sooner or later the inevitable accidental body piercing occurs. Wind, new rod, bad line and any number of excuses will work. I get pegged at least once a season by the errant cast. Most times in the boat while witnessing a lone rise. Off the hip, combined with two or three crappy false casts. With me internally saying "STOP"! Usually in the back or shoulder.

Check out the video from the guys at Gink and Gasoline. I was considering doing a post on hook removal. After viewing Louis Cahill imbed the hook himself, I figured I'll leave it be. Simple technique and I can attest it works.

Thanks for taking one for the team Louis.

Wading Skills.

Wading. The overlooked essential skill. We view wading as an art form much like skiing or climbing. Good waders make it look easy. Smooth and controlled. We don't take on any piece of moving water without a healthy respect for the forces involved. Confidence with a side of humility is a safe combination.

• Read water well: Seeing a route through the current gives you a path to your destination. For a crossing, aim high. Pick a marker on the opposite shore line so you can gauge your drift and decide whether to continue or bail.
  

• Pace yourself: Don't rush the process. With heavy current, placing one foot solidly before removing your other foot can keep you stable. It's much like ice climbing with crampons. We view each step with our feet or wading staff as our belay.

• Tighten up: Before a wading in heavy current, tighten up the laces of your boots for better feel. It's a rock climbing technique that transfers well on the river.

• Wading staff: Having one and using it properly can add a bigger safety margin. Having a wrist loop that allows a non death grip will save energy. A lanyard that stretches for a further reach adds more function than a static cord. Place your staff firmly but not so far away that your center of gravity is compromised.

• Wading belt: Always. Sometimes for a deeper crossing we use two. One at the waist and another just below the top of the waders. Cheap insurance.

• Eyes up and down: If you're wading in a dropping water scenario or early season melting shore ice conditions play heads up ball. Keep an eye upstream for floating debris and be aware of anything downstream. Dead falls and sweepers are great fishy spots. They are also some of the most dangerous structures on any river.

• Entrapment: Never jam your boot between rocks for better purchase. Foot entrapment is a potential deadly situation. Avoid it.

• Pack it: For a tricky or difficult wade we will carry our rod in it's tube attached to our pack. Having all our gear in a pack works for us. We unbuckle the waist belt if we need to jettison the pack during a swim. If we are not using a pack we stuff our rod down our waders, below the waist belt, in the back. It helps keep our hands free to maintain balance or help clients.

• Self preservation: As a former whitewater river guide I've swam enough class 4 and 5 water to last a lifetime. One thing we always told clients is that if they do find themselves out of the boat was to maintain a feet downstream position while floating on their back. This is good advise for a rafting client. As a guide that go with the flow mentality doesn't fly. I'd swim hard to avoid rapids, hydraulics and sweepers. Worrying about your gear and you will loose time. The clock is ticking when the dunking happens. Be proactive and try to focus at the task at hand.
  

Practice wading fast, hard flows when water temps are warm. Go for a intentional swim while wearing waders in summer to get a feel for what you can and can't do. Wading well is skill that can get you into some great fishing. Be conservative. There are old waders. There are bold waders. There are very few old and bold waders.