JAWS; Ode to Spring

As I sit here in my office on a Saturday wishing I was on the river, I think back to warmer times and remember this fish.  I was on the sticks when this guy came to net, so I can't take credit for catching him, but I was fortunate to have charged batteries and a chance just to see it.  26 inches on the tape, which is about the width of the smiles RKJ and I had. I can't wait until Spring.

That's it, I'm outta here.  I'm going home to tie some big, articulated uglies and ship my 8 wt. off for repair.

Waxing....Waxing....Waxing....

The moon is waxing, which is only the case every 15 or so days per month.  That means that we should be fishing.  By the way, a waxing moon is the time period after the new moon when that bad boy is on its way to being full.  There is a great lunar calender at http://lunaf.com/english/moon-phases/lunar-calendar-2013/ .

When Half the Size is Twice as Nice.

The first fly I can remember ever tying was a tuft of black hair pulled off our family schipperke, "Robert", lashed to a small mustad hook with red thread.  The vice I used was the shop vice in the garage, and I'm sure I had never even heard of a whip finish, let alone used one on that fly.  This was of course before the days of  Youtube.  That fly caught lots of panfish growing up, but from there, my fly tying career got really big, and no, not as in "I'm a big deal".

Upon moving to Bozeman years ago I was gifted a Regal and some materials and really started cranking the flies out.  However, nobody ever told me that a streamer could be tied on anything smaller than a size 4.  I tied boxes of streamers that were all so large that when I was on the river I would look at them, close the box, and tie on a size 18 prince nymph.  Some were articulated with 2 #2 hooks and looked like something off of Sesame Street (See OYB Action Jackson).  Then one day it clicked... try smaller.

Since then I have enjoyed fishing streamers much more than I used to.  Why?  Because I catch more fish.  While I might catch one fish all day on the "huge/nasties", albeit a nice fish, I have realized that smaller streamers will still entice the big boys, but will also feed a few on the smaller side.  Several weeks ago I floated the Yellowstone with a good friend Mike Greener and Ryan Holm.  As Ryan and I were intent on catching a riser on a size 18 gnat, Greener picked up my St. Croix and swung a size 8 tan streamer in front of the boat.  One big brown trout and 24 inches later, Greener was also sold on small streamers.  Here are just a few of the benefits:

• Easier to cast;
• Easier, faster, and cheaper to tie;
• Can be fished with two flies;
• Catches greater numbers of fish than a large streamer;
• Smaller hooks hold better (or so I think);
• Won't draw as much blood when you hit yourself (or someone else) in the head with it;
• Still catch big fish; and
• Easier depth control.

So, try it out for yourself.  Below is one of my favorite streamers not only to tie, but to fish, give away, etc.  This particular model is tan, rides hook up, and slayed quite a few fish this past winter.  Materials:

• Rabbit fur strip in tan;
• Ice Dub UV brown;
• Ice Dub UV tan (bottom of fly); 
• Ice Dub red;
• Dumbell eyes tied on top so the fly rides hook up;
• Size 8 Dai Riki nymph/streamer hook. 

I'm not sure if it looks more like a small fish or like a fish that has been bitten in half, but get it wet and it looks tasty.  I love the way rabbit moves in the water, and the fish do too.  Drop me a line if you need some of these bad boys and get out and fish!!!

Sharp Hooks,

Sky

A dream about being arrested in Vegas = Streamer Idea.

I woke up this morning during the weirdest dream.  Let me rephrase that, because I've had some pretty weird dreams in my life... during an interesting dream.  My friends Brent Callaway and Joseph Young and I were in Las Vegas and had somehow found ourselves in trouble...with the cops.  We were being arrested and hauled away in a "police shuttle", I in the back seat, and Brent and Joe locked inside a steel box attached to the back.  Apparently they were a little more out of hand than I was.  I snuck the key to the box from the guard who was busy watching TV, snuck out the back, and freed my friends, who were laughing the whole time as we got away.

The Streamer idea came from what I think I saw on the back of the shuttle.  Attached to the hitch insert was one of those chrome boat propellers that some people have to say "hey, I have a boat", although the truth is probably more like "hey, I'd like to have a boat".

So, I got up early, and tied this guy on a 2x hook, using 50 lb mono as the "tail" with beads and a plastic spinner that I picked up a while ago at Big R in Great Falls.  I thing they're used for steelhead rigs, but I'm not exactly sure.  I just thought it looked neat.  The idea is to have it spin on the mono while it's stripped through the water, giving it a little more action.  To facilitate the spinning I added several beads while trying to stay in the rainbow trout color scheme (note the pink belly and olive back).  I haven't had a chance to drag it through the water, in the bathtub or otherwise, so I'm still not exactly sure how it's going to work.  Hopefully it'll spin on the line and not twist the entire streamer.  I guess if that's the case I can certainly cut the garbage off the back and have a pretty decent bugger, if I do say so myself, and I often do.

I'll let you know how it "turns" out.  If it works, we'll find a name.  If not, well, I'll put it in the streamer box next to the other olive buggers.  Comment below for name ideas!!!

In other news, The Bobbin Droppers (www.facebook.com/thebobbindroppers) are about ready to get after it!  Stay tuned!

First Cast...

My name is Sky Jones and I love to fish.  From my beginnings watching a bobber on the stock tanks of our ranch in west Texas, to chasing rainbow trout in New Zealand, there is nothing I enjoy more than being on the water with a rod and reel in my hand.  I now reside in paradise (Bozeman, MT), right smack-dab in the middle of some of the best fishing in the world.  The Yellowstone, Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers are in my backyard and that's just the way I like it.  This is where I belong.

I started fly fishing in San Juan County, New Mexico as a kid, taught by my step-dad, Cutter.  These early lessons developed my love for fishing in general, but more specifically, catching fish on the fly.  Years later, that love was one of the main reasons why I chose the University of Montana for law school and Bozeman, Montana as the place where I choose to make a life.

Last year I began tying flies, studying the native aquatic organisms in this area, and learning new fishing techniques.  In essence, I decided to get serious about fly fishing...but not TOO serious of course.  For instance, I had rarely nymph fished, and I had no idea what a caddis larva looked like, so, I decided to learn.  My "Hatch Guide For Western Streams" is now well worn and I try to learn something new each and every time I get on the river.

I was joined last summer on many of my fishing trips on the banks of the Gallatin River by my good friend Ada Montague.  It was there that I pitched to her the idea of "a fish a day".  She agreed that I should pursue it and even bought me a small journal to start making entries.  So, here's the general idea:

I want to catch a fish for every day of the year.  No, not consecutively.  I have a job which I rather enjoy and would hope not to lose it.  I just want to mark off every day on the calendar.  All 366.  366?  Yes, that includes leap day, and you can bet I'll be fishing next February 29th.  So, say I catch a fish on May 18th, I make a journal entry for that day and mark it off on the calendar.  Right now I'm guessing that it's going to take me 7 years, that is, unless I win the lottery and can fish every single day, which is exactly what I would do.  I began making journal entries and marking off days last July and at this point I'm at 46 days.  I look at that and think that I'm well on my way, but at closer examination, it's only 12.5%.  And those are mostly from the easiest times of the year to catch fish around here.  When winter gets his grip on this place it can be a little tough.  However, I don't constrain myself to only catching fish on the fly.  Perhaps someday I'll get all 366 on the fly, but this year I landed a 4 lb. largemouth bass in Texas on December 23rd, and I will count it.  However, there are a few ground rules that I have imposed on this mission.

1.  The fish has to be brought to hand.  If I hook a fish and fight it right up to my feet and I don't touch it with my hand before it gets free, no fish.
2.  I have to document the catch within 3 days of catching it.  This is to ensure accuracy and the integrity of what I'm trying to do.  I don't want to try and remember what day it was when I caught one two weeks ago and risk getting it wrong.
3.  I document the species, size, method, location, and any other pertinent information such as who I was with, what the water and weather were like, etc.

So, I'll try to figure out a way to get a calendar on this thing and post my entries by date.  But the blog itself won't just consist of the pursuit of 366.  I've learned a thing or two the hard way, from fishing companions, sheer luck, and my imagination, so I'll be passing along a few of the tips and tricks that I've picked up that have helped me become a more efficient (e-fish-ent), productive, and successful angler.  Feel free to chip in where you like.  Enjoy.

Sky