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Showing posts from December, 2010

Effective PT Nymph Variant Pattern

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While we're on the subject, here is a very productive Pheasant Tail variant: The PM Stone. A buddy of mine showed me this pattern as he demolished pink salmon after pink salmon at the Baptism one afternoon while I was resigned to playing tiddly-winks for lack of better things to do. I've subsequently caught everything from panfish to inland trout, to steelhead & chinook/coho salmon on this pattern. Just size the hook/fly appropriately to species. Where legal such as on the Brule, this fly makes an absolutely deadly dropper. Pattern illustrated was tied for salmon on a #10 TMC 2457 with 0.025 lead wire under the thorax & no bead. Hook: TMC 2457 Thread: Black 70-140 Denier based on fly sizing Bead: Gold or Copper optional Weight: 6-8 turns of 0.010-0.030 lead wire (optional & to size) Tail: 8-10 Rooster Pheasant barbs from the bottom 1/2 of the tail Abdomen: 2-4 long Peacock Herl barbs Thorax: 2-4 long Peacock Herl barbs Shellback/Wing Pad: 8-10 Rooster Pheasant barbs

What are you doing in the "Off Season"

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As NMF stated in the previous post, the off season is a great time to go through your gear and review your notes. The mapping info he has provided is also a terrific plan and I strongly recommend following his lead.  Having a good grasp on the water you will fish is essential for increasing your likelihood of  an excursion with fish on the end of your line. This time of year is also a great time to start tying flies or if you do not, maybe start giving it some serious thought.  If you are like several of us here at MS, you not only fish, you also do a bit of hunting.  Personally, I enjoy a few weekends each year out in the prairies of South Dakota pursuing the clever Ringnecks that have been in wonderful abundance over the past decade.  This passion is mostly due to my inherent love of the outdoors and the joy of upland hunting that started in my youth,  though the camaraderie with buddies, enjoying great table fair and the collection of an endless supply of tying materials is not wi

Map Magic

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Now that everything is locked up in ice until spring, all we can do is dream about the tribs opening up again. But there are some important things you can do to get ready for next spring's runs. There are all the usual tasks: Wiping down rods, cleaning ferrule joints, swabbing guides, cleaning reels and backing down drags, cleaning line, repairing waders etc. All important tasks because North Shore tribs and the sediment they carry are heck on equipment. Then there are things like restocking the fly-boxes, making leaders or slinkies, tying spawn... If you're like me, the vest finally gets pulled out of the trunk and gets a once-over. My vest is usually an atrocious collection of debris and junk come November that takes hours to sort out, having been piled into the car in late March and staying there until freeze-up. Even simple things like waxing a stubborn zipper can save you from big headaches later on. I also like to go back over notes I've made so that I can do some win