delayed because of the perceived apocalypse...

So this post was suppose to go up Wednesday to keep in line with new fly wednesday and all but the arrival of the storm of the century it has been delayed…It was a big storm here in Nor Cal and yes every river is raging but in the grand scheme of things it was a normal storm…Rain was concentrated in a short period and really helped with our rain totals, reservoir levels, and such but at least in our area the wind did not materialize as forecasted and that is really what wrecks havoc. So here goes...

I am going to combine some posts here…in honor of the storm of the century that is rolling into to Nor Cal tonight I am going to provide some reading material for the public…not fine literature or anything more like dribble to drink coffee, whiskey, or beer to…wine may be a bit to high class for this so if you are drinking a glass a wine while reading this do one of two things…1) pour it out and get a beer or glass of water 2) set this blog aside and look at CNN, BBC, NPR, or Fox News/MSNBC (what ever your hideously biased political website of choice is).

NEW FLY WEDNESDAY

In honor of my promise to bring “new flies” to the public under the auspice of "New Fly Wednesday" I will introduce my spring creek geek in PMD and BWO. This is a very special fly to be as its origins can be traced back to a late night tying session in the guide house at Clearwater lodge with my good friend Gabe Duran who passed away almost a year ago this winter. Gabe and I were messing around with tying PMD nymphs and I was explained to my theory on  keeping nymphs trim and how using only 3 PT fibers on your basic Pheasant Tails for the Fall River keep the standard PT much trimmer – like the PMD nymphs in the river. He shared a new dubbing he was using to dub the body of his PMD nymphs so I started tweaking with some ideas and the first versions of the Geek were born.

Spring Creek Geek - PMD

Spring Creek Geek - BWO

This fly was originally designed as a really stripped down bug to fish the gin clear, slow moving waters of Fall River and Hat Creek. It is trim with no bead and one strand of flash. I have found that fish get hip to copper and gold beads at times, especially while eating small PMDs and BWOs in the flats. I tie this fly on a scud hook as it is a pattern that I fish leading up to, or during, a hatch and a scud hook best imitates the nymphs as gas builds under their exo-skeleton and they make the migration to the surface to emerge. As the season went on I also tied this fly to match BWO and Baetis hatches that fish would key on as the weather got colder.

I have fished this fly on the Lower Yuba, Lower Sac, and Feather for spring steelhead as well as the Pit, NF Feather, NF Yuba, and a few other places. I added the tungsten bead based on Jake Chutz recommendation at MFC. I am not a big tungsten guy but in many areas of the west tungsten beads are key to getting flies down fishing dry and dropper rigs. I fished the tungsten bugs on the Lower Yuba this last winter and spring and it fished just fine. Overall this fly is very effective nymph or dropper off of a dry fly during or prior to a hatch where fish are a bit skeptical of beads and flashy flies. 

Spring Creek Geek Tungsten - PMD

Spring Creek Geek Tungsten - BWO

REPORTS

Everything blew out big…wait. With this influx of water we should have a great late december early january this year. Flows will drop as reservoirs are low and as the Yuba, Sac, and butte creek clear fishing should be good - May even get out for some winter striper fishing the feather and sac if the flows cooperate. Either way should be some great swing fishing, skwala fishing, and maybe even a baetis hatch. 

Open Winter Dates:

Dec 23, 27-31

Jan 2, 4-10, 18, 19, 24, 25

Feb 8, 9, 14-16, 28

MUSIC NEWS 

Been listening to some great new music…

NORTHCOTE - aka Matt Goud - I discovered when Gas Light Anthem announced he would be opening for them on their next tour leg. He is offering his EP "Invisible Diamonds" on his website www.northcotemusic.com as a free down load and after I listened to that I bought his most recent album on iTunes - "Northcote". He is from Eastern Canada, but don't hold that against him. Great song writer and great mix of rock, americana, indie rock, and country. Check out the videos on his website of the lowville sessions…really really good!

AMERICAN AQUARIUM N - found these guys over iTunes…kinda country, southern rock, indie rock, alt-country…still sorting through these guys albums and songs. they have a new album coming out soon that I may wait for.