A season on the Fly

As I struggled to catch even one small trout in those reddish iron stained streams of western Wisconsin, my mentor “Grandpa Erne” would tell me “Don’t work so hard boy… trout fishing is simple! …just find the fish and feed them.” Grandpa was an avid trout fisherman, and understood better than most the seasonal movements, feeding habits, & general disposition of these small stream trout, Erne lived to 104 & continued to pursue his love of fly fishing well into his 90’s… It’s these lessons passed on that have keep me coming back season after season on the fly.
~ The basic principle behind "fly" fishing is our attempt as fly-fishers to imitate insects or other natural foods that have provided the daily sustenance for fish. Generically, we call these imitations "flies". A simple concept, with enormous implications for a lifetime of learning and pleasure.

As I was reading through a fly fishing magazine some time ago now; I came across an article…it was in regards to “matching the hatch.” I recall the author going on about trout keying in on the month and day a particular insect hatch would occur, and how the trout would stage in anticipation…as I read about this incredible phenomenon I thought, this could be true; it made sense to me….Duh!
Let us not humanize these FISH…fist of all trout have an I.Q. of about 4 maybe 6 at best! I’ve been fishing for 40+ years now and can’t remember which aquatic insect is hatching any given day in a month, but there are only 12 months in the year and a few thousand genes of aquatic insects indigenous to Wisconsin’s streams and rivers.
The most important point I’ll make about feeding trout;
Trout are always opportunistic feeders always! All trout live by a simple rule; fish learn very soon in life to measure the amount of energy it expends in relation to the rewards received. So this brings me to my point… trout will lay in ambush exerting as little energy as possible, so what did Grandpa say “simply find the fish, and feed them!”

The Winter Tie

Early Trout season is only a few months away let’s start tying!

Golden Ribbed Hares ear
• Hook: size 8-22 medium weight
• Weight: Lead wire
• Thread: Brown 0/6
• Body & Thorax: Hare’s Fur
• Rib: Fine gold tinsel
• Wing Case: Slip of gray feather fiber
• Tail: Hare’s guard hairs