Ryan caught some short stripers and shad on an early morning incoming tide. The Striper ate a flat wing in dark colors. The shad ate a small white hair wing.
Shop customer Ryan Checked in after a successful trip to the Delaware beach. While a big Striper eluded him he reported steady action on Shad on the incoming tide. He reported that the water was a little turbid but that he pretty much had the place to himself. Check out the photos and video. As alway, if you need advice on where, when and what to fish swing by the shop. We have you covered. Last weekend Chris and Lee fished at the Indian River Inlet. They arrived in the afternoon and fished into the night. The tide set up just right as the light changes started and they were able to stick some fish. Chris is a very experienced caster and tier but most of his fishing is from the beach. We worked on adapting his game to the currents and seams of the Inlet.
We are strong proponents of circle hooks in the shop. They help when blues are int he water since they tend to hook the fish in the corner of the mouth, they do not get stuck in the rocks as often and since the points are turned under they do not dull when back casts hit the rocks or the beach. Our trips are not just for catching. they are learning opportunities. Chris wanted to expand his game and we helped fill some gaps. If you are new and just looking to get a head start or are an experienced angler that wants to branch out into an aspect of fly fishing that you have not mastered yet give us a call and we can construct a trip to match your needs. NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902 Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds anglers: Recreational striped bass regulation change to take effect on May 11 DOVER (May 7, 2015) – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife reminds anglers that the new recreational striped bass regulation will take effect May 11. The revised regulation brings Delaware into compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Fisheries Management Plan, which now requires a 25-percent reduction in both the recreational and commercial striped bass harvests in 2015. The new regulation reduces recreational harvest through changes in size limits, but maintains Delaware’s current seasons and possession limits. “This regulation maximizes opportunities for all of Delaware’s recreational anglers to catch striped bass, the favorite fish for many anglers, while also achieving the mandated reduction in Delaware’s recreational harvest,” said Division of Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis. Under the new regulation, a recreational angler is allowed possession of two striped bass per day (in any combination) from 28 to 37 inches or 44 inches or greater, with the season open year-round for all state waters except those covered by the summer slot season or spawning closures. The popular striped bass summer slot season (July 1-Aug. 31 in Delaware Bay, Delaware River and their tidal tributaries) remains in place, but with a reduced slot size of 20 to 25 inches. The summer slot season daily possession limit is two fish. The spawning season closure remains in effect from April 1 through May 31, with no striped bass to be kept from the Nanticoke River or its tributaries, the Delaware River and its tributaries north of and including the south jetty of the C&D Canal, or the C&D Canal and its tributaries. Striped bass caught in these areas during spawning season must be immediately released back into the waters. The commercial striped bass quota for 2015 has automatically been reduced by the required 25 percent in accordance with established regulation procedure. The notice of an expected regulation change was included in the print version of the 2015 Delaware Fishing Guide, but it did not contain the updated information; the online version of the guide will be updated to include the new size limits at 2015 Delaware Fishing Guide. For more information on striped bass regulations, call the Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914 or visitwww.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Fisheries. The Tuesday night class moved from under the water's surface to on top of it this week as we tied the Elk Hair Caddis by Pennsylvania's own Al Troth. For many in the class this was their first attempt at a dry fly and the results were outstanding. We can really see the progression and improvement by the tiers in this class. Before we get to the Caddis fly lets take a look at some homework from last week. Cory missed a a couple of classes and came in for a few private lessons to get caught up. By the look of his block he is doing a great job of making up for lost time. For more information about private lessons click here. I failed to get a picture of some flies Jim R tied. He did not have the pearl mylar at home so he decided to use silver tinsel for the wing case. I must say these were some of the coolest flies we have seen in a while. Good job with a material substitution Jim. A few shots of the class intro. Here Robbie is getting ready to wrap the hackle over his dubbed body. Good to see he is giving that new Regal vise he got for Christmas a good workout. Here Terry is putting the stacked wing on top, the last step to finishing the fly. A pattern that is just too versatile not to have plenty of these in your box. You can drift it like a normal dry, you can skate it, or you can even drown it with split shot and fish it under the surface. Tied in black it is a great match for our early black Stoneflies that we usually start to see in March. Just a great all around pattern, we are happy you guys now have the skill to tie it. It was hatch night in the Wednesday night class. We have had a few requests to "tie through a hatch" so we decided to tie a 3 stage Sulphur life cycle consisting of an nymph, emerger, and a sparkle dun. The flies were received great by the class and this is something we will do more of in the future. I was really excited to see the homework from last week. Here you go. Here are two flies tied by Terry D. I am really excited about this pattern and cant wait to get it on the Smallmouth river this spring. Ed, Paul, Jimmy T, Nelson, Brian and Chris all had GREAT homework samples. I guess they looked so good I forgot to photograph them, Sorry guys. Biot bodies was the theme of the night as all 3 flies we tied used Turkey biots for the bodies. A Pheasant Tail is spot on representation for the Sulphur nymph. The pattern we tied was very PT like, but we added an Ice Dub thorax. Here is the finished fly. I really like the look of biot body flies! For the emerger we followed the same tying progression. Instead of the Pheasant fiber wing case we did a "sighter" using a dubbing ball of Ice Dub on top of the shank. A really cool technique that has a ton of possiabites for many other patterns. The nymph is in the hackle pliers on the bottom and the emerger is in the vise on top. Two great patterns for Sulphur season. For our third pattern of the night we followed the same tying progression as the second, we just replaced the sighter with a poly wing. This pattern could represent many different stages of a Mayfly's life; late emerger, dun, or spinner. This class was a blast. We tied three flies and showed the guys how using similar techniques and similar materials you can tie your way through an insect hatch rather quickly. Hopefully you guys will apply this system to other flies and insects. Who knows, you all might be carrying "hatch boxes" this spring. It was a three fly night in the salt class this week also. We tied a Schminnow, Gary's Albie fly and a Andros Bonefish fly that was showed to us by our good shop friend Andrew Neithe. All three of these flies have crossover potential and can be fished in our local waters. I have caught many a Smallmouth on the Schminnow, originally designed by Norm Ziegler as a Snook fly. The Andros Bonefish fly could be a Crayfish and I am sure a big 'ole Flounder would have no trouble trying to eat one of them. Gary's Albie fly is an all around great bait fish pattern, quick to tie and effective everywhere. Lets take a look at the class. Looks like the Ostrich is already on the tail and Jim is getting ready to palmer the cross cut Rabbit up the hook shank. The finished fly. K.I.S.S. method at its best here. Why is it that the most versatile, effective patterns are usually the fastest and easiest to tie? The next series of pictures shows the guys going through the progression of the Andros bone fish fly. Last but not least was the Schminnow. Again a simple yet extreamly effective pattern that can be tied with only 3 materials. You can make these as simple or as elaborate as you want and the color options are endless. As a capper to a great week of fly tying Jim shared with us the plaque he won for taking first place honors in the tying contest held by the Salt Water Fly Anglers of Delaware a few weeks ago. Congratulations Jim.
Well, we just finished week #2 of our fly tying classes. A quick check of the "homework" from all three classes tells us everybody is progressing great. Here are a few samples of homework from the advanced class. We started the Tuesday class off with one of the all time classics, the Clouser Minnow. Shad fishing was the theme of the evening and both patterns we did were tied in the classic red / yellow, or red / white color scheme. Perfect for American or Hickory Shad. Because we were tying these patterns "Micro" size Terry opted to use Calf Tail instead of more popular Buck Tail. After everyone in the class finished the Clouser we tied a standard Calf Tail streamer suitable for Shad fishing. The class was fun and informative. Remember guys, the techniques you learned in this class hold true for bigger flies as well as different materials. Ostrich was the theme for the Wednesday class. We introduced the class to two patterns that use Ostrich hurl as part of the recipe. The first fly is a very important, yet often overlooked pattern, the Crane Fly Larva. We used John Barr's pattern as the model for this one. The second fly was the Ray Charles. A Scud pattern that is so effective it is said a blind trout will eat it, hence the name. Both great patterns and we hope you had as much fun tying them as we did teaching them. The saltwater class tied what is possibly the best, wide profile bait fish pattern ever invented, Lefty"s Deceiver. Everybody in the class "nailed it" according to Terry. A box full of these in a few colors and sizes will go a LONG way in our local and not so local saltwater fishing. We did have an epoxy issue. Some impromptu testing on our part reviled it was the resin that there was an issue with. I think it looks kinda cool. I cant wait to see what next week will bring. Till then...
Tight lines We started the winter fly tying classes last week and they went great! Tuesday night is the beginner class. This class is as full as we have ever seen with a total of 17 people attending. We started class with the venerable Green Weenie. A staple pattern in the White Clay and a perfect pattern to start beginning tiers off with. The second fly of the night was the Wholly Bugger. Terry used the verigated chenille for the sample pattern. It is easier to see the two tone chenille when it is being wrapped around the hook shank, and this is why Terry used it. After seeing the end result I think we may have stumbled onto something. It was great to see all of the guys in class learning new techniques. We are proud to say that every fly that was tied in class is "fishable" and everybody did a great job. I am really excited to see some of the homework next Tuesday night. Here are a few more pictures from the Tuesday night class. Night two, the Wednesday night class, is the advanced fresh water class. This class has a core group of guys that return every year. This is a great thing for the shop, because it forces us to come up with new and innovative patterns to teach in class. We say "teach" some might say "torment" but it is all in the name fun. The best way to strengthen your skill set is to tie flies and patterns you might not normally attempt. We jumped right in with a cased Caddis pattern. Definitely an advanced pattern with a section of the fly tied with a dubbing loop consisting of Pheasant tail fibers. A mess for sure while tying the fly, but if done correctly it looks way cool after it is trimmed to shape. The second fly of the night was a "gimme" compared to the first one, the Teeny Nymph. With only 3 materials including the hook and thread this is a "box filler" as you can crank out a bunch of these in short order. Its ease of tying is only matched by its effectiveness in the water. A great night was had by all and once again the homework results will be interesting to see. I am sure everyone will do a great job. Here are a few pictures from the Wednesday night class. The third night of class is the Thursday night Saltwater class. Staple patterns were the theme of the week with the two flies being the Clouser minnow and the Half and Half variation. Do you think it is a coincidence that we start the saltwater tying class with arguably the most effective pattern ever? This is usually the smallest class, which is a shame because there will be a ton of knowledge gained by the attendees after the 6 weeks. The guys did great. The Stripers and Blues are going to be in real trouble this spring when these patterns hit the water. Here are the pictures from the Thursday night class. The tying classes are a great time for both the teachers and the attendees. If you think you may be interested in taking a class click here for more information. Till next week...
Tight Lines Well in the almost two weeks following Hurricane Sandy have been interesting. We have seen our rivers swell to overwhelming proportions only to return very quickly to normal or below normal flows. Things at IRI are a mess with Rt 1 south being closed for several days due to sand on the roadway. If you are down that way please stop in and support out friends down south at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle. Reports were almost 20 inches of water in the shop. I am sure they could use some good business. Rick and I did get out on Sunday the 4th. This would mark the first time this year we went to heavy socks, fleece pants, and Windstopper hats and gloves. The air temp didn't get too far into the 40's that day, water temp's were around 49. The water was high and running hard, but it was clear. Surprising as we were only a few days removed from the Hurricane. Long leaders, lots of weight. and tandem nymph rigs were the order of the day. We started at the first productive spot and "leap frogged" each other up the river. I started with a #14 prince and a #16 Flashback PT. I believe Rick had a Copper John and a PT. We were fortunate enough to get in to fish relatively quickly, This wild brown was the first to come to hand for me. We continued moving up stream at a snails pace being sure to cover a piece of water thoroughly before moving on. Winter conditions were in full effect as it seemed as if the drift was not absolutely perfect the fish would not take. As we moved up river We both noticed fish striking at our indicators. I actually had a trout hit the indicator, roll down and had it pulling for a few seconds. He just would not let go. All of a sudden the line went slack. I pulled up my rig and my indicator was gone. The Trout pulled it right off of the leader. I yelled up stream to Rick to show him, then I thought "I hope he is smart enough to spit it out". We looked down stream and could see it floating away. It was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. After that we both switched to a Dry and Dropper set up. Rick stuck with that the rest of the day, I on the other hand, spent the afternoon switching from a tandem indicator rig to a D and D set up. I just could not decide which was better. I would fish a run with the D and D set up, then go back and come back through with the tandem rig. It was an effective way to cover the water, but I spent a lot of time tying rigs. All in all we had a great day capped off by this beautiful rainbow Rick landed right at dark. Even though we were cold, tired and hungry when we got back to the truck, I believe it was worth every minute of it. Reports from the White Clay, West branch of the Octoraro and the East Branch of the Brandywine have been positive. Water temps are holding in the low to mid 50's. Fish are there to be had with the most active times being the hours between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Caddis and Midges have been coming off with some regularity. A #16 tan body Elk Hair Caddis with a bead head Caddis larva or a Zebra Midge would be a deadly combo. A small Bugger in a size 10 swung in the current should produce fish as well. In the winter we usually tend to stay on the darker side of things and black, brown, or olive would be a good choice. If you get no action try white or chartreuse. The main thing is to cover the water thoroughly before moving on. Patience is the most important piece of equipment you can have in winter time fishing.
As mentioned earlier the storm has wreaked havoc on the IRI area. Bill O'Connor was at the inlet this past weekend. He fished the North Jetty. He said the water was still pretty cloudy and there were very few birds working. The bait folks were doing ok with the Tog, but not much in the way of Stripers. Bill did see a few small pods of bait fish, but no fish were on them. We have some warmer weather coming up this week. That might help our salt water fishing for next weekend. In the meantime Trout fishing should hold strong through the winter. Tight Lines...Tim It seems like one of the most popular questions we get in the shop lately is to whether to go with a pack or a vest. Vests will always have their place in the fly fishing world. I have used a vest for most of my fly fishing career as I am sure many of you have done the same. Vests are great and there are several high quality models available from company's like Simms and Fishpond. We have several models for sale in the shop. We always say there are a million different ways to do this obsession we call fly fishing and we never say one way is better or worse than another. The important thing is that you find a system that works for you. For the sake of this post I would like to focus on "fishing" packs. We won't go into backpacks, dry bags, boat bags or wader totes. That is information for another post. Here we will talk about packs you wear while walk and wade fishing. There are many different types of packs available for fishing. Today's models are manufactured to top notch quality standards. The features that are built into them let you know they are designed specifically for Fly fishing. Everything from tippet pockets, ripple foam inserts, zinger and nipper holders, and external fly patches have been built into these high performance fishing tools. They are roomy, light to carry and you can get PLENTY of gear in them. Several different styles are available and we will outline a few here. The first thing you want to think about is what type of pack do you want to carry. Chests packs are nice and they keep everything close at hand. Most of today's are "form fitting" and you don't get the bulk that you used to get in years past. Here is a new model from Umpqua. As you can see the people at Umpqua had one thing in mind when designing this chest pack. You can carry everything from fly boxes to flotant. There is even a D ring to carry your net. All of this is available to the fisher person within a 24" by 24" area located on the front of your chest. Truly a well thought out design. Beware, packs that ride high up on your chest can block your vision of what is down by your feet. Be careful not to trip on roots or rocks while walking. Also this might not be the best choice for certain body types or for women. Remember comfort is the key. The second type of pack would be the shoulder or hip pack. Many of the models today have both a shoulder strap and a waist strap so they can be worn as a shoulder bag or a fanny pack. We fish out of this type of pack a lot and we recommend using both the shoulder and the waist strap. Doing it this way will distribute the weight more evenly. Because you are using both straps they don't need to be set as tight which will make it easier to move the pack around your body. Here are a couple of my personal shoulder bags. One is my "Trout" pack and the other is my "Smallmouth" pack. I also have a pack for Shad and one to use when I am fishing with my 2 handed rods. When leaving for an outing all I have to do is grab the correct bag and go. With the exception of maybe swapping a fly box or two everything I need is already packed and ready to go. "Marblehead tip...If you buy your fishing license online print out several copies. This way you can have a copy of each state's license in each pack you own. If you trout fish in the morning then shad fish in the afternoon you don't have to worry about switching your license from one pack to another". Like the chest pack these shoulder bags are designed specifically for fly fishing and will hold everything you will need for an day on the water. The third type of pack is the Sling Pack. These bags are kind of a hybrid between a backpack and a shoulder bag. Typically only having one strap they are meant to be worn on your back and out of the way while fishing. When you need it you can swivel the pack around to the front and get what you need then swivel it around to the back out of the way when you go back to fishing. Seen more frequently in the salt, sling pack manufactures have made a big push to the fresh water with a big emphasis placed on the Steelhead crowd. Here at A Marblehead Flyfisher we carry a full line of packs and bags from company's like Simms, Fishpond, Sage, and Clear Creek. Stop in and see what these new packs have to offer. Tight Lines...Tim
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