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<strong>Issue</strong> 5<br />
August - October 2017
WELCOME<br />
No tweed, wicker baskets or trousers tucked<br />
into socks. Just a free digital magazine<br />
aimed at the fly fishing punk<br />
We warmly welcome you to the fifth issue of <strong>Fly</strong> <strong>Punk</strong>.<br />
It has unfortunately been a long wait, for multiple reasons beyond our control, but we thank you for<br />
staying with us during this tough time. Even though we have only been in existence for a short period<br />
of time we are grateful to have your support as our readership grows internationally and domestically.<br />
Throughout this issue we take you on an international journey, from the domestic rivers and streams<br />
of the UK through to the incredible scenery of Slovenia and even taking in some beautiful summer<br />
nights camping in the USA. Again, a really big thank you from the <strong>Fly</strong> <strong>Punk</strong> family to everyone who has<br />
submitted an article to us, there is only so much space in this issue so we promise that if you are not<br />
featured in this issue then we will put you first on the list for the next one.<br />
Through our extended hiatus we had a beautiful and picturesque trip to Slovenia, thanks again to Kevin<br />
& Rosie Smith of www.slovinia-flyfishing.com for hosting us and the wonderful food. We also spent a<br />
fantastic day out on the river with world renowned rod builder Renato Vitalini testing out the new <strong>Fly</strong><br />
<strong>Punk</strong> official rod which you can read about later in this issue.<br />
Our day on the river with Renato was particularly eventful as although we didn’t catch as much as we<br />
could have, we had one of the best days out fishing that I have ever had and made new friends in the<br />
process.<br />
As always we are trying to extend the fly fishing community to reach new and previously unexplored<br />
areas so if you have a interesting story about fly fishing or are about to head out on an exciting trip then<br />
please let us know at richard@fly-punk.co. As always we would be looking for new articles to conform<br />
to the fly punk ethos of “why you fish” then we would be happy to feature in a future issue. If you feel like<br />
you fit the ethos of us then feel free to contact us and we would be happy to talk to like minded people.<br />
Anyway enough talking, please enjoy our fifth issue of <strong>Fly</strong> <strong>Punk</strong><br />
There’s a <strong>Fly</strong> <strong>Punk</strong> in all of us…<br />
Guest editor<br />
Jack Fieldhouse<br />
Email: richard@fly-punk.com<br />
2 | 3
CONTENTS<br />
26<br />
6<br />
14<br />
SLOVINIA 2017<br />
Editor Richard shares the highs and lows of his<br />
trip to Slovinia with Darrell<br />
ST ARMAND JARTOUDIEX<br />
Learn about some of the many delights of fishing<br />
in France with Jo O'Hara<br />
mike crawford―<br />
IT AINT ABOUT<br />
THE FISH...<br />
20<br />
22<br />
TIPS ON FLY FISHING<br />
Mark Good teaches us all a few tips and tricks<br />
about fly fishing<br />
THE OFFICIAL FLY PUNK ROD<br />
Richard finally shows us the picutres of the <strong>Fly</strong><br />
<strong>Punk</strong> rod, this one is a must see<br />
28<br />
Stanislas Freyheit―<br />
SOCA NYMPHING<br />
26<br />
28<br />
32<br />
36<br />
IT AINT ABOUT THE FISH...<br />
Jeff Scoggin is back and this time tells us a<br />
story that goes beyond fly fishing<br />
SOCA: GO HEAVY OR GO HOME<br />
From the rivers of Slovenia, Stan teaches us how<br />
to fish deep all over again<br />
THE BOULDER FIELD, THE FLY ROD AND ME<br />
Jeremy tells one of his stories about fishing in a<br />
different place with some unusual creatures<br />
NEW YORK NYMPHING<br />
Fishing from the rivers and lakes of upstate<br />
New York, Mike crawford is back again<br />
14<br />
jo o'hara―<br />
ST ARMAND<br />
JARTOUDIEX<br />
Guest Editor<br />
Jack Fieldhouse<br />
Designer<br />
Jack Fieldhouse<br />
Proofing<br />
Aaron Good<br />
Contributors<br />
Jeff Scoggin<br />
Jeremy Clapp<br />
Jess England<br />
Jo O'Hara<br />
Mark Good<br />
Mike Crawford<br />
Richard Fieldhouse<br />
Stanislas Freyheit<br />
©fly-punk.com 2017<br />
www.fly-punk.com
Salmon Queen: Jess England in action
SLOVIN― richard f<br />
A<br />
s anglers we always like to travel<br />
and experience different<br />
things in different places. The<br />
lure of faraway fish in strange lands<br />
are a common thought in the off season.<br />
It was while we were fishing for<br />
Grayling in the depths of a cold winter<br />
that Darrell Upton and I decided<br />
that we needed to fish somewhere<br />
in the sun! After a few conversations<br />
over winter, a chance meeting at the<br />
British <strong>Fly</strong> Fair International with a<br />
guide (Kevin Smith – www.sloveniaflyfishing.com)<br />
and lots of googling,<br />
the photos of rivers and the fish they<br />
contained in Slovenia swung the decision.<br />
We were going to Slovenia in<br />
pursuit of Wild Rainbows, Grayling<br />
and the elusive Marble Trout.<br />
So, in early June we packed<br />
our rods and assorted gear and<br />
boarded a flight to Venice where we<br />
would pick up a hire car and drive<br />
to Slovenia (it’s only about a 3 hour<br />
drive).<br />
On entering Slovenia the scenery<br />
changed dramatically, gone were<br />
the plains of Italy and welcome to the<br />
mountain vistas of Slovenia. To say<br />
the anticipation levels rose in the<br />
car as the mountains approached<br />
was an understatement. We could<br />
not wait to see the rivers we have<br />
been avidly devouring photos of on<br />
6 | 7
IA 2017<br />
ieldhouse ―<br />
the internet. On entering Slovenia<br />
and winding out way up the<br />
mountain passes, we came across<br />
our first sighing of the famed rivers<br />
– we had to stop!<br />
The river was just as it was in the<br />
photos, a translucent green – we<br />
were spotting fish some 100 meters<br />
away from a bridge high above the<br />
river, to say we were excited about<br />
the 4 days fishing ahead of us was<br />
an understatement.<br />
We arrived at our accommodation<br />
later that afternoon and were<br />
greeted by Kevin and Rosie – who<br />
were to be our hosts (and guide) for<br />
the next 4 days. Based high up in<br />
the mountains our accommodation<br />
was first class, and the food and<br />
drink served up by Rosie was<br />
excellent – we would thoroughly<br />
recommend basing yourselves with<br />
Kevin & Rosie and exploring what<br />
Slovenia has to offer from Logarse<br />
– with Kevin’s local knowledge and<br />
Rosie’s food you will be well looked<br />
after. Immediately making us feel<br />
at home on our arrival we settled in<br />
really quickly – by taking a trip out<br />
to the local river to walk the banks<br />
(flip-flops were not a good idea<br />
Darrell)!<br />
www.fly-punk.com
Day 1 – Tolmin Tackle shop –<br />
Tolminska River – Soca –<br />
Tolminska Evening Rise<br />
We’re up early and ready to go with<br />
a great breakfast inside us (no<br />
idea when we are next going to eat,<br />
so fill up when we can). First stop<br />
is to see Bostjan in the local tackle<br />
shop (http://www.socafishing.<br />
com) to buy our permits for the<br />
day. Bostjan is a great guy and had<br />
loads of info for us on the rivers<br />
we were to fish, even gave us some<br />
local flies to use – which worked<br />
straight away. We started fishing<br />
the Tolminska river just outside of<br />
Tolmin and were immediately into<br />
some really nice wild rainbows.<br />
The fact you could actually see<br />
the fish from distance (and they<br />
didn’t seem to be too spooked by<br />
our presence – I suppose they see<br />
quite a few anglers). Darrell was<br />
in straight away with a slab of a<br />
fish, I followed soon after with my<br />
first Slovenian fish. We steadily<br />
made our way upstream picking<br />
off fish here and there – a great<br />
introduction to the different style<br />
of fishing (I’m not used to throwing<br />
size 8, 10 and 12 dry<br />
flies to river fish – I’m<br />
more your size 18 & 20<br />
guy). We followed Kevin<br />
up to the Soca for the<br />
afternoon, a big big river<br />
with lots of flow and an<br />
enchanting emerald<br />
colour. This was quite a<br />
steep learning curve for<br />
me, having not fished a<br />
river so big before – it<br />
was difficult to know<br />
where to start. But start<br />
we did – we could both<br />
see fish, but getting<br />
them to take a dry fly<br />
(or presenting a nymph<br />
at the deceptive depth)<br />
was proving difficult.<br />
After a few hours of<br />
fruitless casting we<br />
decided to spend the<br />
rest of the day back<br />
on the Tolminska and<br />
fished through to the<br />
late evening. The photos<br />
of the fish do not really<br />
do the colours justice,<br />
the Rainbows we were<br />
catching almost had a<br />
metallic hue.<br />
8 | 9
Day 2 – Lepena – Marble Trout<br />
On to day 2 and we had over an hour’s<br />
drive to Lepena – through some<br />
stunning scenery and mountain<br />
passes – the view coupled with<br />
my dodgy driving (I will admit that<br />
driving on mountain switchbacks<br />
in a left hand drive car with Darrell<br />
screaming if I got too close to either<br />
the rock face or the edge of the<br />
road was a challenge). The Lepena<br />
is an upper Soca tributary and has<br />
been featured in many under water<br />
films and photographs. The fish and<br />
insects are as good as anywhere<br />
in Slovenia - It’s one of the highest<br />
alpine streams. Caddis line the<br />
boulders with their white cases. We<br />
arrived and picked up our permits<br />
and were then let loose for the day<br />
on the river.<br />
We parked up at the side of the<br />
river and started on what would be<br />
a memorable day’s fishing. Again<br />
Darrell was immediately into fish,<br />
whereas I was struggling to adapt<br />
to the conditions. After a brief chat<br />
I was on track and started to get<br />
takes. We fished all day (stopping<br />
briefly for a spot of lunch with<br />
Kevin and some of his other guests<br />
to tell tales and swap hints and<br />
tips). It was towards the<br />
end of the day when the<br />
magic happened. Darrell<br />
summed it up perfectly<br />
on his blog (www.<br />
thetreetrout.co.uk):<br />
“Moving further up as the<br />
evening drew in we started<br />
negotiating steeper faster<br />
runs of water with lots of<br />
rock formations. I was<br />
in front of Richard and<br />
came to the Goldfish bowl<br />
first, the rain was still<br />
spitting and as it began to stop the<br />
pool came alive. I cast my fly into<br />
a section of water about 6 inches<br />
deep which glided over a rock into<br />
the main pool. As it entered the pool<br />
I watched a fish rise from around<br />
15 feet below and spiral its way to<br />
the top before sipping the fly from<br />
the surface. The fish gave a spirited<br />
fight, the unhooking isn’t worth<br />
talking about as the fish tied me<br />
in tangles and caused all sorts of<br />
havoc to my leader and fly line.<br />
With all the activity in the pool I<br />
turned and whistled to Richard to<br />
get him to move up here quickly.<br />
I stepped aside and let Richard<br />
have a cast, which after some work<br />
got a very confident take. Quickly<br />
downing my rod to man the net I<br />
moved into place. As the fish neared<br />
the surface I was gob smacked, I<br />
turned to Rich and said it’s a Marble,<br />
I’m sure. In turn this caused some<br />
panic, with Richard in not so many<br />
words telling me to hurry up and<br />
net it!. Indeed it was a Marble which<br />
now sat in the net and gave us both<br />
a great big grin!. The timing of the<br />
capture couldn’t have been any<br />
better as we were both<br />
just considering calling<br />
it a day. For those of you<br />
who have never seen<br />
a marble in the flesh<br />
then I must say you are<br />
missing out. They are<br />
very peculiar fish and<br />
very attractive in and out<br />
of the water, it is easy to<br />
see why these fish grow<br />
so big when you see their<br />
habitats in person.”<br />
So there it was we had<br />
caught the famed Marble<br />
Trout. Nothing could<br />
top that, so a few casts<br />
later and with the light<br />
really starting to fade we<br />
decided to head back.<br />
www.fly-punk.com
Day 3 – Car Train – Sava Bohinjka<br />
River<br />
Today was going to be a days of firsts.<br />
It was the first day I was not going<br />
to be driving (Darrell looked pleased<br />
about that), it was also the first time<br />
I would have ever been on a Car Train.<br />
We caught the train from Most Na Soci<br />
to Bohinjska to fish the Sava Bohinjka<br />
river. It was one of the highlights of the<br />
trip for me, the train approached the<br />
station with what seemed like 3 empty<br />
trailers on the back, we drove onto an<br />
empty trailer and within a few minutes<br />
were on our way – it was a strange<br />
experience being sat in a car whilst<br />
the train took us to our destination<br />
– through deep valleys and tunnels<br />
underneath mountains.<br />
Eventually after about 45 minutes we<br />
reached our destination and caught<br />
sight of the Sava Bohinjka river, a wide<br />
slow moving river which we both took<br />
to straight away.<br />
It turned out today<br />
was going to be a<br />
Grayling day (my<br />
favourite species).<br />
Lots of long riffles<br />
and broken water<br />
and pods of Grayling<br />
everywhere, it was<br />
my idea of heaven.<br />
After spending<br />
the day chasing<br />
Grayling, Darrell<br />
had one final large<br />
Rainbow Trout and<br />
that was our Slovenian adventure over.<br />
All that was left to do was catch the<br />
train back, eat a stunning meal (thanks<br />
Rosie) and then head off to bed, ready<br />
to be up early for our drive back to<br />
Venice and an early flight back to the<br />
UK.<br />
So, what did we learn from our trip:<br />
1. Don’t wear flip-flops when walking<br />
the banks<br />
2. Remember to drive on the right hand<br />
side of the road at all times!<br />
3. Use a bigger fly<br />
4. Listen to the locals and take their<br />
advice<br />
We really enjoyed our trip to Slovenia<br />
and are already planning another trip<br />
somewhere for next year.<br />
If this has inspired to you take a trip<br />
out somewhere – just go for it.<br />
10 | 11
www.fly-punk.com
The Mighty Soca: Just one of the many picturesque<br />
views that Slovinia has to offer
ST ARMAND<br />
JARTOUDIEX, THE<br />
FRENCH FISHING<br />
EXPERIENCE<br />
―jo o'hara―<br />
14 | 15
L<br />
ast week my partner Antony<br />
and I fished a large lake in<br />
the middle southern part of<br />
France. It was like many out there, a<br />
‘big carp’ coarse fishing venue and<br />
the third time of visiting. However,<br />
we had it all to ourselves, set in the<br />
middle of the countryside with small<br />
stream tributaries to discover, this<br />
pretty place is full of wildlife and<br />
forestry with rolling hills, huge bulls<br />
and cows, large hairs, toads, butterflies<br />
and the odd wild dog. No one<br />
fly fishes it and so I was super keen<br />
to see what I could possibly catch<br />
with dries and nymphs.<br />
I already knew I was up against<br />
hooking a carp on a fly. Restricted<br />
swims and boilie fed fish who are<br />
rarely seen on the top presented<br />
a huge challenge. I can fish for<br />
‘smallies’ all day long and relish<br />
stalking and searching out their<br />
hidey holes. It gives me the<br />
opportunity to try out a range of<br />
tactics with presentation, using<br />
micro gear, casting and just<br />
making the most of being in the<br />
moment. For me, this can be just<br />
watching the water and waiting,<br />
observing the weather changes,<br />
deciding precisely where my<br />
next cast will<br />
be or being<br />
d i s t r a c t e d<br />
by the giant<br />
hairy dragon<br />
flies and<br />
insects that<br />
whizz past.<br />
Rudd, roach<br />
and hybrids<br />
c r u i s e d<br />
around in<br />
small groups<br />
and fell for mini sedges and<br />
little black size 18 beaded leach<br />
patterns I had tied. I managed<br />
to wade in one shallow part of<br />
the lake to discover pockets of<br />
nesting rainbow perch guarding<br />
their round patch of cleared sand<br />
beds. Perch of the stripy kind,<br />
lurked in the shadows and the<br />
‘poisson chat’ were apparently<br />
multiplying out of control. I aimed<br />
to catch a little French catfish on<br />
a big yellow jig nymph and to my<br />
absolute joy, I caught just the one!<br />
After 3 days of catching small to<br />
tiny fish I found a spot to at least<br />
attempt to catch one of the 20 koi<br />
in the lake. Armed with a weighted<br />
orange blob and 2nd cast, Wham!<br />
A bright orange fin and back<br />
zoomed off into the depths<br />
hooked on a size 16 hook. I kind<br />
of just froze with a look of ‘what<br />
do I do know?’ I just held the fly<br />
rod in both hands for 20 seconds<br />
before it probably just flicked that<br />
super strong head and got off!! I<br />
couldn’t help but enjoy the fact at<br />
least I saw the koi and I hooked it!<br />
www.fly-punk.com
Tench also cruise the bottom of<br />
this lake and I tried and hoped<br />
and tried some more. I had one<br />
exciting take and line shoot out –<br />
was this my tench? carp? . . . . .<br />
another lost fish.<br />
After tackling bushes, reeds and<br />
trees, I discovered that evening<br />
a tick had managed to bury itself<br />
head first into my side and was<br />
quite happy feeding on my blood<br />
until it’s removal and demise. I am<br />
in my element squeezing through<br />
impassable looking shrubbery<br />
to access water more and more<br />
lately but after falling into a<br />
river and all alone on Xmas Eve<br />
and now acquiring a tick, I view<br />
this as a reminder to be happily<br />
more aware and cautious. It’s a<br />
wonderful learning curve and the<br />
wilder the better in my opinion.<br />
Back to the other side of the lake<br />
and a call comes through from<br />
Antony . . . . it’s the catch of the<br />
week I reckon – tench on the fly!<br />
We had both discussed liking the<br />
idea of fishing a couple of years<br />
ago and after walking Snowdonia<br />
Antony was adamant he wouldn’t<br />
be walking again the next day! So<br />
he suggested we tried something<br />
new - we went fishing for the first<br />
time on a very large lake in a boat.<br />
We had no clue about equipment<br />
and I had a phobia with touching<br />
the provided worm bait. We<br />
bobbed about the water casting<br />
the worm in here and there for<br />
5 hours quite happily with the<br />
hope of catching something. It<br />
was time to head in and then it<br />
happened! A bend in the rod and I<br />
screamed with the thrill and joy of<br />
catching a large perch! This was<br />
the start of it for us both. At the<br />
end of this month we have both<br />
been fly fishing for a year and the<br />
fly rod is never far from the end of<br />
my arm. <strong>Fly</strong> fishing is a lifestyle<br />
choice for me. I am outdoors in<br />
the countryside somewhere near<br />
a river, stream or lake whenever<br />
I can. I am fascinated by my<br />
surroundings and enthusiastic to<br />
fly fishing for any fish! It brings<br />
me well-being and has opened<br />
up a new world of possibilities,<br />
experiences and surprises.<br />
16 | 17
VIDEO INTERLUDE ...<br />
TSIMANE 3X -<br />
EPISODE ONE<br />
Untamed Angling has released the first episode of TSIMANE 3X — a series that will highlight the incredible jungle fly<br />
fishing for golden dorado that's to be found at Tsimane.<br />
https://vimeo.com/227657273<br />
Published: 30th July 2017<br />
www.fly-punk.com
A reel eye view of fishing<br />
in Slovenia with the<br />
<strong>Fly</strong> <strong>Punk</strong> rod
TIPS<br />
ON FLY<br />
FISHING<br />
― Mark Good―<br />
20 | 21
Y<br />
ou will find thousands of live-bait<br />
anglers that are excellent<br />
sports athletes; nevertheless<br />
the fly fisherman can practice<br />
better conservation immediately.<br />
Basically, fly fishing is not just<br />
one of the fastest growing sports<br />
it is probably the foremost kinds<br />
of conserving natural assets<br />
additionally to delivering marine<br />
entertainment.<br />
<strong>Fly</strong> fishing is, fairly simple when<br />
three the situation is right: you will<br />
want a appropriate fly fishing rod you<br />
need to get yourself a line to enhance<br />
you and also it has to learn correct<br />
casting technique.<br />
For individuals who have to know a<br />
few recommendations on fly fishing,<br />
here are all of the some pointers that<br />
might help anglers harness their fly<br />
fishing capabilities:<br />
1. Material in the fly fishing rod<br />
For starters of moderate means,<br />
especially for your beginners, hollow<br />
glass is recommended since it should<br />
take less care than bamboo and<br />
will not possess a set if improperly<br />
handled or saved.<br />
2. Line<br />
Your fly casting skill will not progress<br />
getting a mismatched fly fishing rod<br />
and line. About 99 occasions in 100,<br />
the troubled fly caster features a line<br />
far too light to produce out the action<br />
of his fly fishing rod.<br />
That’s why you need to understand<br />
that on the fly fishing rod, the fly<br />
fisherman should take advantage<br />
of the identical size line for from<br />
small trout and bluegills towards the<br />
greatest sea food.<br />
In choosing the size line, anglers is<br />
worthy of a C level, an HCH doubletaper,<br />
or possibly a GBF threediameter.<br />
This different is founded on<br />
the fact a greater quantity of fly rods<br />
bought nowadays are hollow glass,<br />
which most of individuals is ideal<br />
with lines of people dimensions, very<br />
little matter measures or weights.<br />
3. The best casting technique<br />
In casting, you need to get about<br />
20 foot of line out front. Anglers<br />
should always make certain to cast a<br />
vertical line. Avoid jerky actions even<br />
if it is around the faster mode to have<br />
the ability to accomplish this.<br />
In addition, the angler needs to be<br />
relaxed because taunt muscles will<br />
ruin his casting.<br />
Boiled lower, there should not be<br />
reason why you ought to not uncover<br />
the essential concepts as quickly as<br />
people who now enjoy fly fishing.<br />
Probably, the most effective and<br />
surest approach to learn to cast<br />
effectively is always to spend every<br />
day round the stream having a couple<br />
of fisherman who’s a dependable<br />
caster.<br />
Training learned round the stream<br />
would be the most helpful tips you<br />
can purchase around your mission<br />
for learning fly fishing.<br />
Selecting a <strong>Fly</strong> Rod for Steelhead<br />
fly fishing<br />
Steelhead trout are, in a nutshell,<br />
rainbow trout on steroids. These fish<br />
typically weigh four to six pounds<br />
and are an average of 25 to 30 inches.<br />
These fish are extreme fighters and<br />
without the proper rod these fish will<br />
have you beat everyday. For regular<br />
trout fishing most anglers will use a<br />
five or six weight rod. With steelhead<br />
you will not want anything less than<br />
an eight weight rod that is nine or<br />
more feet long.<br />
An eight weight rod has a much<br />
stronger backbone, so to say, than<br />
a six weight rod will have. Another<br />
important fact is that when fly<br />
fishing for steelhead you will most<br />
likely be using larger flies. Common<br />
steelhead flies are wooly buggers<br />
which in most cases are hard to cast<br />
with a six weight rod. One more<br />
important thing is that you want to<br />
make sure you are using at least a six<br />
pound test line or more when fishing<br />
for these monsters. When selecting<br />
your rod for steelhead fly fishing buy<br />
what you can afford and remember it<br />
is not the rod it is the angler.<br />
www.fly-punk.com
― richard fieldhouse ―<br />
THE OFFICIAL<br />
FLY PUNK ROD<br />
F<br />
ollowing on from the rod building<br />
article we did in the last issue<br />
where we profiled Renato Vitalini,<br />
I thought it was about time that I added<br />
to the burgeoning collection of rods<br />
I own and asked Renato if he would do<br />
me a special <strong>Fly</strong> <strong>Punk</strong> build. I’ve always<br />
wanted to have something special, and<br />
22 | 23<br />
decided that what I was missing was a<br />
9’ 2 wt rod – I follow the long lightweight<br />
rod cult.<br />
After Renato agreed to build me a rod<br />
it then came down to the design –<br />
Renato asked what I wanted – I just<br />
said – “Do something that would upset<br />
the traditionalist”.<br />
What a master Renato is, what he<br />
came up with is the finest fishing tool<br />
I have ever seen, never mind owned. A<br />
verde ithaca green 9 foot 2 weight rod<br />
with an epic handle design and a reel<br />
to match.
Here’s the build photos of the rod:<br />
Renato mentioned that he and his<br />
family would be making a trip to the<br />
UK for a short holiday, I thought it was<br />
only right that I take him out for a day<br />
on one of our chalk-streams, to test<br />
out the rod and have a laugh with what<br />
seemed to be one of the nicest guys in<br />
fly fishing. How true that was.<br />
I checked out the location of Renato’s<br />
stay and found it was close to a river<br />
I had wanted to get to know better for<br />
a few years, The Wylye. I booked us in<br />
for the day at Langford Lakes (https://<br />
www.wiltshirewildlife.org/langfordlakes)<br />
here we could fish a 1 mile<br />
stretch of the Wylye all to ourselves,<br />
chasing wild brown trout and grayling.<br />
We were not disappointed either. Within<br />
a few casts Renato had the measure<br />
of the place, accurately casting to fish<br />
and catching his first sight of wild UK<br />
brown trout.<br />
Renato had kindly brought along some<br />
aptly named beers for refreshment<br />
during the day:<br />
Suffice to say we had a stunning days<br />
fishing along with using some top<br />
class rods. My 9’ 2wt is now my go<br />
to rod of choice and it even handled<br />
some rather large rainbows on a later<br />
trip to Slovenia (also included in this<br />
magazine).<br />
Renato – you are a top guy.<br />
www.fly-punk.com
Renato in action on a beautiful<br />
spring day on the Wylye River
I<br />
pulled into the driveway and shut<br />
off the truck. Two bouncing boys<br />
emerged from the garage and<br />
would scarcely let me open the door for<br />
their excitement to see me. We hugged<br />
and talked about their day, what they<br />
had learned, what they did at school, and<br />
what they were drawing on the driveway<br />
with their chalk. I greeted my wife and<br />
she whispered in my ear "I'm glad you're<br />
going. You need it."<br />
I put the finishing touches on my<br />
already packed truck, and waited on<br />
my good buddy Nate to arrive. It had<br />
been a long week. Heck, it had been<br />
a long month. It had rained earlier in<br />
the week causing river levels to rise<br />
and the water to muddy. It was late<br />
April, so I knew we were pushing the<br />
warm water bite a bit anyway. I didn't<br />
care. I didn't care one bit. I was going<br />
fishing, but it wasn't fish I was after.<br />
Nate pulled up, and we quickly<br />
transferred his gear to my truck for<br />
the ride up to camp. Our mutual friend<br />
Rich Walker was already waiting on<br />
us, sprawled in the shade in a camp<br />
chair, with his ever faithful blue heeler<br />
Tucker. This weekend, Rich planned<br />
to show us his old stomping grounds.<br />
A series of small rivers in the upstate<br />
of South Carolina. I said good bye to<br />
the boys , bribing quivering lips with<br />
promises of a surprise if their momma<br />
said they were good. I always get a<br />
hollow ache when I leave them behind.<br />
Out on the road, Nate and I blew the<br />
first hour up with work, politics, and<br />
family life. Once the pressure valve<br />
had been opened, we relaxed, and the<br />
conversation turned to fly rods and<br />
stick bows.<br />
We pulled in to camp to find Rich<br />
and Tucker right where they had<br />
been hours earlier. We exchanged<br />
greetings as we pitched our camps<br />
and surveyed our surroundings. We<br />
filled our tumblers with cold drinks<br />
and set about the task of checking the<br />
river flows, starting a fire, and planning<br />
tomorrows adventure. We talked into<br />
the night about this trip, trips gone by,<br />
and trips we still hadn't taken yet.<br />
We stood on the bridge over the<br />
river the next morning weighing our<br />
options. The water was a little high<br />
and off color, but it was definitely<br />
doable. The fish would be holding<br />
along the banks behind anything that<br />
created a current break. We eased into<br />
the water and waded downstream a<br />
26 | 27
IT AIN'T<br />
ABOUT THE<br />
FISH...<br />
― Jeff Scoggin―<br />
bit. We brandished glass 4wt's like<br />
gunslingers looking for a fight in<br />
some dusty, lost town. The sound of<br />
line being stripped off of a click pawl<br />
ended my day dream, and I turned to<br />
watch Nate start picking apart the<br />
bank with foam dry. It didn't take long<br />
and Nate was hooked up with a nice<br />
little redbreast. Tucker came over to<br />
have a look and give final approval. I<br />
noticed then that he was struggling<br />
a bit. The water was high and it was<br />
difficult to navigate for the ole fella. I<br />
turned and looked at Rich and caught<br />
the frown that flashed across his face.<br />
The truth was Tucker was getting on<br />
up there, but what he lacked in youth,<br />
he more than made up for in heart.<br />
We discussed it quickly and decided to<br />
go upstream, where Tucker might find<br />
better footing. We took turns fishing<br />
the holes and helping Tucker along<br />
the way. He was after all, one of US.<br />
He had been an integral part of every<br />
trip we have made for as far back as I<br />
can remember. We would never leave<br />
a man, nor a skiff dog, behind.<br />
We fished on through the day, and<br />
despite the conditions, managed to<br />
bring quite a mess of fish to hand.<br />
We rambled through the woods like<br />
we did in our youth, stopping to fish<br />
the good spots, checking out the<br />
deer trails, and playing with our dog.<br />
The highlight of the day, the slump<br />
buster if you will, was Rich finding<br />
large bass in a shallow feeder creek.<br />
Nate and I watched quietly from<br />
across the creek as Rich and Tucker<br />
worked to fool the wary bass. Rich<br />
delivered the fly, stripped once, and<br />
his rod bowed deeply. We all cheered<br />
loudly, as every fish was a notch in all<br />
of our belts.<br />
Back in camp that night, Nate seared<br />
hand cut ribeye steaks, I cut home<br />
fries, and Rich poured a fresh round.<br />
We recounted the day as we prepared<br />
our meal. Tucker lay quietly on his<br />
pad, eyes closed, sleeping soundly.<br />
Our little camp hummed with sound of<br />
content fisherman. We ate like kings<br />
and settled into our chairs in front<br />
of the evening fire. We all knew the<br />
fishing had been a little off. We all<br />
knew that we were a little early for the<br />
really good redbreast fishing. Most<br />
importantly, we all knew that none of<br />
this was about the fish.<br />
www.fly-punk.com
SOCA<br />
GO<br />
HEAVY<br />
OR GO<br />
HOME<br />
― stanislas freyheit―<br />
An old friend of <strong>Fly</strong> <strong>Punk</strong>,<br />
Stanislas Feryheit, tells us all<br />
about his adventures on the Soca<br />
river in Slovenia. Along with a<br />
helpful guide about which flies to<br />
use if you are erver lucky enough<br />
to fish it yourself.<br />
28 | 29
T<br />
he Soca river looks like the cliché<br />
of the paradisiac river for<br />
any angler : crystal clear waters<br />
packed with big fish. If you’re keen on<br />
the dry fly, then you’ll have the three<br />
species of the Soca rising on your dry:<br />
Grayling, Marmorata (Marble) Trout<br />
and Rainbow Trout. But when it comes<br />
to nymphing, the Soca is a tricky river.<br />
It is really hard to assess the depth<br />
of a pool of crystal clear water, and<br />
most of the time, you will fish with<br />
underweighted nymphs, because the<br />
pools of the Soca are really deep, and<br />
of course, the biggest fish are always<br />
feeding on the bottom. Moreover, the<br />
powerful water currents of the Soca<br />
are twisted by counter-streams that<br />
are influencing on the drift of your<br />
nymph. So if you want to trick the big<br />
fish you will see on the bottom of the<br />
emerald pools, go heavy or go home!<br />
Ceramic flies and heavy tungsten<br />
nymphs will do the job from size 18 to<br />
size 6! Do not forget that Marmorata<br />
trout can grow very big, so they won’t<br />
be afraid by a heavy caddis tied on a<br />
hook n°6. Marmorata Trout are also<br />
known as Marble Trout, and they have<br />
an astonishing olive colored marble<br />
dress. Grayling are really hard to see<br />
on the bottom of the Soca, because<br />
they have this characteristic milky<br />
appearance, they are really unique<br />
graylings !<br />
If you’re lucky enough, you might hook<br />
a one meter Marmorata Trout on the<br />
Soca, so if you do so, send us a picture!<br />
www.fly-punk.com
<strong>Fly</strong> rods in France
THE BOULDER<br />
FIELD, THE EEL,<br />
THE FLY ROD<br />
AND ME:<br />
A LOVE STORY<br />
― Article: jeremy clapp ―<br />
32 | 33<br />
― Photos: Elliot Thomas, Kaitlyn Ruark ―
T<br />
he boulders sitting in the<br />
shadows of the Connecticut<br />
shoreline are the rubble left<br />
by an ice-age twelve thousand<br />
years prior. Migration routes of<br />
the Striped Bass were decided<br />
during the movement of these<br />
stones. Waves and wind; crash<br />
in, out, and above these fields of<br />
rock. Some of the Bass are small,<br />
moving in and out following forage<br />
and hunting an elusive, active<br />
prey. Others lie in wait, these as<br />
large as a small child or a man's<br />
leg. They recognize the value of<br />
delayed gratification. They wait<br />
for a square meal. They, after a<br />
dozen thousand years, have learned<br />
to not resist the slow moving<br />
and hearty sustenance of the<br />
American Eel.<br />
In New England, a small and<br />
dedicated group of men and<br />
women live to catch the Striped<br />
Bass and in my of the six states<br />
(Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,<br />
Massachusetts, Connecticut and<br />
Rhode Island) we are fortunate<br />
enough to get two runs of fish<br />
per year. Individuals skilled in<br />
surf casting for Striped Bass are<br />
called ‘Sharpies’. Often slightly<br />
grumpy, typically past the age<br />
of 40, travel alone or in a group<br />
of two or three and really aren't<br />
friendly unless they recognize<br />
their own dedication, in you.<br />
Those who fish in boats are not<br />
so lucky to have a term. Which<br />
is fair. They don't walk miles in<br />
the sand, they don't swim out to<br />
rocks a quarter mile from shore<br />
in a wet suit just to get closer<br />
to the school and they often<br />
won't go out in a heavy rain or<br />
at night. Sharpies love rain and<br />
darkness. Striped Bass love rain<br />
and darkness.<br />
Personally, I've got quite a few<br />
more years to go until I could<br />
be considered a Sharpie, in<br />
fact, more likely than not I won't<br />
achieve that status by fact that<br />
I am a fly rodder. There's no<br />
term for us, but we are equally<br />
as extreme. We walk the same<br />
beaches and climb up and down<br />
the same rocks. We sleep in the<br />
same trucks, and stay out just as<br />
late into the twilight. <strong>Fly</strong> Rodders<br />
however add a few layers of<br />
difficulty to capturing our query.<br />
We don't use bait, our flies are<br />
much smaller than plugs, we<br />
often can't reach the bottom<br />
and we can't cast nearly as far<br />
as an eleven foot surf rod. I get<br />
plenty of looks walking down<br />
a jetty or as Rhode Islanders<br />
call them; Breechways, with<br />
a fly rod. Strange looks aside,<br />
there's always some unspoken<br />
respect a Sharpie gives to a <strong>Fly</strong><br />
Rodder. They'll never admit to it,<br />
that would involve them saying<br />
something nice, but they know<br />
how difficult it is and I'm sure<br />
many know that even they, aren't<br />
THAT crazy.<br />
Typically fishing for Striped Bass<br />
www.fly-punk.com
with a fly rod is done in tidal estuaries,<br />
herring runs or salt ponds. Often<br />
we're looking to get out of the wind<br />
and into an area where we can see<br />
signs of life. Nothing is worse than<br />
blind casting in salt water, in a word<br />
it can be described as demoralizing.<br />
It's not fun, it takes a lot of effort<br />
and you're often rewarded with<br />
absolutely nothing. We really like to<br />
find the fish, and often those aren't<br />
the larger of the fish. The small<br />
“schoolies” or fish under twenty nine<br />
inches will feed all day and out in the<br />
open. That isn't to say their instinct<br />
to seek cover doesn't come into play<br />
but it often gets overshadowed by<br />
their insatiable appetite for forage.<br />
Bass are always hungry and there<br />
aren't many times they'll pass up a<br />
meal. We often look for splashing<br />
or bait moving around or birds<br />
picking up scraps that float to<br />
the surface during a blitz to<br />
find the fish. That being said,<br />
the majority of Bass activity, at<br />
least the keeper size up to fifty<br />
pounds eat after dark. Less<br />
than ideal for a <strong>Fly</strong> Rodder.<br />
We remedy the issue of getting<br />
a fly rod out to a boulder field full<br />
of large bass by paddling out<br />
in a kayak. We fish from Hobie<br />
Mirage Drive kayaks of varying<br />
sizes, anywhere from eleven<br />
to sixteen feet. Seaworthy<br />
vessels by a marginal standard<br />
but with the right mindset,<br />
they work even better than a<br />
real boat. Additionally they<br />
don't make any noise and we<br />
can get right on top of fish<br />
sitting in less than eight feet<br />
of water undetected. Now, we<br />
do bring conventional tackle<br />
along for the voyage . In New<br />
England it is widely accepted<br />
that the spinning rod is the<br />
more effective way to catch<br />
Stripers. I know that in other<br />
parts of the country and other<br />
species this is never true. But<br />
here, it absolutely is, and the<br />
most dedicated to the species<br />
understand this fact. Re-enter<br />
the American Eel. The absolute<br />
favorite bait for catching Bass.<br />
Simply rigged through the jaw<br />
with a circle hook either alive<br />
or dead (an issue also complicated<br />
among Eastern surf casters) and<br />
worked painfully slow in and around<br />
rocks. Some nights we can hook<br />
dozens of fish and land a few, some<br />
nights only a few and land none.<br />
More likely than not July through<br />
November this method, in proven<br />
feeding grounds, can yield anyone<br />
patient enough a fish. Sitting<br />
patiently in my rod holder in the back<br />
of my kayak is always an 8WT fly rod.<br />
I usually tie on a very large all black<br />
surface popper or a large 3/0 hook<br />
with black feathers, ice wing and<br />
flashabou. Simply mimicking an eel.<br />
I usually cast an eel out, drag is very<br />
slowly behind the kayak and fan cast<br />
all around with the fly. For obvious<br />
reasons the fly has never been bit<br />
faster than the eel. However, I always<br />
have it and I'm always casting. It's<br />
been a few years since I've been<br />
fishing for Striped Bass and not for a<br />
second have I lost hope of catching<br />
a lunker on a fly. I've landed above<br />
keeper size but nowhere near the<br />
size I've landed with an eel. As a <strong>Fly</strong><br />
Fisherman it's a bit of a dilemma for<br />
my purist leanings, but the addiction<br />
I have to catching Bass makes me<br />
do strange things, always working<br />
toward the next high.<br />
I love being from New England, I<br />
love catching Striped Bass, I love fly<br />
fishing the salt water with a fly rod<br />
and I sure do love hooking a monster<br />
Striped Bass from a kayak on a live<br />
eel.<br />
34 | 35
VIDEO INTERLUDE ...<br />
THE GILL<br />
TICKLER<br />
Jeff Scoggin ties one of his favourite flies. A deadly fly for panfish, bass, trout, carp.... bring your forceps.<br />
https://vimeo.com/219227654<br />
Published: 27th May 2017<br />
www.fly-punk.com
NEW YORK<br />
NYMPHING<br />
― mike crawford ―<br />
36 | 37
W<br />
atching television adventures<br />
of western guides floating<br />
on big famous rivers<br />
might have you thinking that the dry<br />
fly presentation is the fine art of the<br />
sport. But you just may be mislead.<br />
Here in Upstate New York we have<br />
been inundated with heavy rain for<br />
months. Rain has been the pattern<br />
that will not break and high turbid<br />
water is the "norm" on the regions'<br />
trout streams for the 2017 season.<br />
Anglers waiting for dry fly hatches<br />
of any consistent nature continue<br />
to be disappointed. The key to<br />
catching trout is nymphing. It<br />
is always the key to catching<br />
trout. Day in and day out. Here or<br />
anywhere trout exist.<br />
The fly rod is, to me, just a tool. Like<br />
a canoe brings me to wilderness, a<br />
fly rod brings me to trout. The right<br />
tool always does a more efficient<br />
and better job. And nymphing is<br />
really what a fly rod designed for<br />
trout should do well.<br />
High modulus fast action fly rods<br />
can push a fly, deliver a package,<br />
far, precise and accurate. But these<br />
attributes are often lost on the<br />
average fly caster. And throwing 60<br />
feet of line, on a trout stream in the<br />
Northeast, is unnecessary most of<br />
the time.<br />
Rolling tungsten out, again and<br />
again, is the name of the game<br />
when the creeks and streams are<br />
high and turbid. It is THE mode in<br />
which the vast majority of trout are<br />
caught in high water.<br />
So before you purchase an<br />
expensive rod, consider where you<br />
will be fishing the most, and get a<br />
wand that will aid in learning how<br />
to catch trout in close with short<br />
and fast roll casts.<br />
Many fly fishing writers have<br />
depicted nymphing as highly<br />
technical, difficult fishing. I<br />
suppose it can be. But learning<br />
the fundamentals of how to fish a<br />
nymph is where each beginning fly<br />
fisher should start.<br />
Bounce the bottom, up close with<br />
flash-back hares' ears and other<br />
rubber-legged, heavy-headed flies.<br />
Catch trout. Sub-surface, every<br />
day, in mud and flood, right at your<br />
feet.<br />
Peace.<br />
Mike<br />
www.fly-punk.com