The Toad Puppy

Olive Toad Puppy

Last year I was toying around with a new streamer pattern. I wanted something big and juicy that larger browns would hammer. I had some specific goals in mind when I started designing this thing: it had to be big, have a big profile that would move some water, and it had to have a trailing hook. Ultimately I wanted something that was going to get those big browns really mad. They have a tendency to bite at things that invade their territory.

I took some inspiration from some of Kelly Galloup’s patterns I put together a 5” long streamer out of rabbit strip with a head from Hareline Dubbin’s Sculpin Wool. I used a nice big hook for the front- my favorite streamer hook the TMC 9394 in size 2 and I used some beading wire with a size 4 TMC 105 as the trailing hook (turned up). This combination with some copper flash and and rubber legs to help fill out the space under the wire worked out really well. I put in bead chain eyes and lead wire to weight it. 

Toad Puppy variety pack

Kevin and I put it to the test in late April of last year. It was a week after the trout opener and it had just rained. The rivers which had been fairly low and clear because of an early snow melt were on the rise and discolored from some rain. Perfect streamer weather. We put on our rain gear and headed out. We armed ourselves with 6 wt rods and put on Rio’s sinking Versi-leaders on the end of our lines. Those leaders are the bomb for getting flies down. I have a trick I use with them to make it a bit easier to work with huge streamers. I tie off about a foot or so of heavy tippet (15-20 lb) to the Versi-leader, tie a small swivel onto that, and then finish out with a couple of feet of 12 lb Mirage tippet. I use a non-slip mono loop knot to put the fly on the end of this rig.

Spot with Toad Puppy hanging from his jaws

We hit the river fairly early in the morning. The water was cold- about 40 degrees F- and stained grey with about a two foot visibility. Basically, it was great conditions for what we were trying to do. We headed to a place I knew a big brown was hanging out. I had caught him there the year before. Sure enough as I swung that fly through the hole he had been hanging out in I had a hard take. A few minutes later Spot was in my net and after a couple of pictures he swam away once again. Kevin had a hard take at the tail out of a pool a couple of hours later but a dulled hook spoiled his hookset.

The following day I headed back out to work the river again. I ended up landing two more fish- both browns- in a matter of 45 minutes of one another. I thought the second was a rainbow at first because of how it jumped. I would not have hooked that fish if it weren’t for that trailing hook too. Shortly after that I had another fish on.

Pike like the Puppy too!

Big trout like that are often called toads by anglers and I had told Kevin that we were going toadin’.  With that in mind my fiancée Beth came up with a name for the fly- the Toad Puppy. This fly has proven its worth on big browns (nothing under 20” so far!) and on pike. I haven’t tried it on bass yet, but I suspect it will be a killer.  If you are interested, I have them for sale on my website.  Time to get out toadin’ is just around the corner!

Accidental Salmon

I went fishing last weekend with my brother Pete and my new brother Kevin Favreau in the quest for the year's first pike. I got something else entirely. Read all about it on my latest Orvis News Blog Post:

Accidental Salmon

MadDog Trout Unlimited Raffle

For you folks who are local to Vermont and would like to come to a meeting of MadDog Trout Unlimited this Thursday (tomorrow) check out the flies I have donated for the raffle. I am a member of the board of directors of this chapter and we are a great bunch of folks trying to do all we can to improve coldwater habitat in Central Vermont.  We meet at The Steakhouse Restaurant on the Barre-Montpelier Road at 6. Joe Norton, with the TU Connecticut River Home-waters Initiative.  Joe is giving an update of his work and presenting part 2 of Steelheading in Idaho!  Joe is the lead on the TU Connecticut River Initiative and a former fly shop owner and guide in Idaho.

Here are some of the goodies I tied up. They are split into two groups- 18 streamers and 24 nymphs in a waterproof  fly box.

Olive Toad Puppy (one in black too)

Big Eye Mickey Finn

Big Eye Black Nose Dace

Yellow Saranac Stone

Caddis Pupae

Weighted Nymph Box (almost all tungsten beads)

Tungsten Eye Woolhead Sculpin Bomber

Conehead Bugger

US Carp Pro Magazine Issue #18

Check out my article about Lake Champlain carp fishing in US Carp Pro Magazine Issue #18.  It is toward the back starting at page 136. 

http://www.uscarppromagazine.com/uscarppromagazine/Home.html

Fly-Fishing-Vermont-in-February

Phil Monahan asked me to put something together for the Orvis News Blog. Check out the first piece I wrote about fishing Otter Creek with Jesse Haller of the Middlebury Mountaineer right here:

Fly-Fishing-Vermont-in-February

Looking forward to writing more for them too!  But no worries, I will keep putting lots of goodness here as well!

Flush Cutters

Much rejoicing for the flush cutter!

yes, use safety glasses

Dave "McFluffchucker" Lindsay is an awesome tyer and a down right cool guy. He has been tying for Pike Trek in England and comes up with some pretty sweet flies on a regular basis. He is also a great teacher for those that are looking for help when tying big flies for toothy predators. His latest post is giving some great advice to folks about how to get rid of the plastic peice on the back of plastic doll eyes. His method uses scissors which works fine, but I have a better method that I wanted to share with him and with everyone else that reads the blog. And maybe introduce you to a tool you haven't used before but might find indespensible... the flush cutter (and they have nothing to do with reducing water use in toilets).

further proof of my geekdom

I found flush cutters when I got into building plastic models again a few years ago. Yes, I am a geek, no need to remind me of what I already know. Flush cutters are an easy way to remove a plastic piece from the sprue, the plastic "twigs" that model parts come in. I was using nail clippers for that, but they don't work that well. And I found out that the flush cutters work pretty well on nails too, but that is another story. Xuron makes some very nice precision tools for and I like their flush cutters the best. You can find other brands in hobby shops, hardware stores and craft stores, but I have to admit that they don't work quite as well- but they do cost about half of the Xurons. 

Properly cutting with it

Here is the great thing about using the flush cutters with doll eyes- they cut the plastic off flush to the eye itself. Yes it will send that piece of plastic zinging around the room, ricocheting into the dog and causing much hilarity, but you really should wear safety glasses. Better yet, point the plastic at a bundled up piece of cloth like a tshirt so it doesn't fly all over and cause further discourse with your already annoyed mate (because of the mess of your fly tying). You will also find the plastic post to dispose of it so you don't step on it barefoot later- take it from me, OUCH!

bye bye post!

Flush cutters are also great for cutting wire for flies. They will cut materials flat on flies too. Perfect for precision cuts that you sometimes need. I use them all the time for trimming all sorts of things from hackle ends to wire. They can be pretty useful on the water as a way of cutting your line and bite tippet- great flat cuts! Drop the cash on a pair of these and you will really enjoy having them on the bench. And you can do some really silly stuff like this too:

yea it ain't pretty, but it is 5:30 am (and props to Fat Guy Fly Fishing for the idea!)

The Other Fishing Gear

Beautiful river, but no convenience store nearby...

Everyone has things that they bring along when they head out fishing- rod, reel, tippet, flies, fly boxes, gadgets, etc. When you are in a boat you need to make sure you have PFD's, paddles, anchor, and things of that nature. If you are after big game it helps to have a BogaGrip, big net (or cradle for pike/musky), jaw spreaders and extra hook out tools. Water and snacks are great to have too. But what about other stuff?

What do I mean by other stuff?  Well a first aid kit is a very handy thing to have. After a few seasons of guiding I have found out how useful a few things like bandaids and bite ease can be. Alcohol wipes are great for wounds and for cleaning up things that need to be cleaned (great for getting goop from tape off new items!). I would say that a small first aid kit is something you want to throw into your pack or vest. 

Along with that little first aid kit I carry a pill bottle with some useful stuff in it too. A pile of Advil. Hey, I am almost 41 now and a little Ranger candy is pretty nice to keep the aches and pain at bay for a bit. Clients seem to appreciate having it around too.  There are a few quick dissolve Claritin can really help me out (I am allergic to a ton of stuff) and it can really make a day much more pleasant for a sport with hayfever too. One of the most important goodies in the bottle is Immodium. Is there anything worse than a case of the Hershey squirts when you have waders on? Put a cork in it and keep on fishin'!

Remember to put your undies on right after "The Inevitable"

In a similar vein, The Inevitable will indeed happen. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go. And you want to make damned sure that you have the ability to clean up right? I used to carry a Ziploc with TP in it and that works out fine but I now carry some baby wipes instead. Nothing better than that baby fresh feeling afterward. I also make sure that I have a small bottle of hand sanitizer to go along with it. 

Yea, I am suggesting that you add a little weight to your pack/vest/whatever you carry your gear in. I do like to minimize what I carry when I can, but these things don't weight a lot but can make a huge difference for you or the people you are with (or are guiding).  Just make sure that  your brother isn't around with a camera when you have a situation you need to deal with, otherwise you will end up with something like this:

Esox

A well adapted killer

Perhaps my favorite genus of fish is Esox. I have to admit that Amia, Lepisosteus, Moxostoma, Micropterus and others are right up there too, but there is something special about Esox. For those of you not familiar with the Latin, these are the pikes. Current scientific data shows these fish have been around for about 65 million years. A good amount of time to perfect themselves huh? There are only 5 species currently accepted by ichthyologists, there are several subspecies and a few hybrids even. Despite the lack of diversity within the genus, these fish are really successful. How successful you ask? Well the type species, Esox lucius, better known as the Northern Pike is the freshwater fish with the largest natural distribution. It is found all over the northern hemisphere throughout North America, Europe and Asia. It can even be found in brackish water. Not too shabby…

This pick looks like it wants to kill me, would you like to be a baitfish?

What makes these fishes so successful? If I had to make an educated guess (and I will), I would say that they have developed a form that works beautifully for their niche. They are classic ambush predators that will eat almost anything (fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals,  birds, even toy poodles). Look at that long skinny shape- perfect for an ambush predator. One quick S-curve and they can lunge forward to grab what they want to eat. The head on these fishes has been described as “gator-like” and it isn’t far off. A lot of very well adapted predators have that look: wide mouth, lots of teeth, eyes on top. It works. Ever watch a pike hunt?  Their eyes are constantly on the lookout, especially up. I have seen pike and musky going after stuff on the bottom- mostly crawfish- and it doesn’t quite look right. But something on top… lookout! 

Their mouth is probably one of the best adapted parts of their body. The design is simple- grab something and don’t let it go. Anyone who has had the misfortune of getting their hand stuck in the mouth of an Esox can tell you that first hand. There are teeth to grab prey fast and hard and then there are the teeth on the upper jaw. Several hundred smaller teeth that all point backwards. If you have the chance to check out a pike or musky skull do it. Those upper teeth are pretty impressive. Once something is in there it isn’t coming out easily. Just talk to your buddy “Burger Fingers” about the time he was too slow…

You can see some of the hinging here...

The other cool thing about their mouth is how big it can open up. Really frickin’ big! The mouth of Esox is pretty complex and hinged in several places to allow it to open very wide.  If you have seen a musky flare to grab your fly you know what I am talking about. It is often said that a pike or pickerel can eat something about two thirds their own body length. It is true. I have seen it happen. I used to maintain aquariums for a public aquarium in Vermont and we had two small chain pickerel in the same tank. They were about 8” long. One morning I came in, looked in the tank and there was the slightly larger one looking incredibly fat and with a tail hanging out of his mouth. It survived but if you do a search online you will definitely find pictures of pike that have bitten off more than they can chew and have choked to death on something they tried to eat. Like one another!

That fish will blend in the weeds well...

I think another thing that has lead this genus to success is the cryptic coloration they display. Their markings from the bright patches on a dark background on pike, dark stripes on a lighter background of muskies or the distinctive chain patterning that gives E. niger it’s common name really let these predators blend in with their environment. An ambush predator that can’t be seen is a successful ambush predator! I have been amazed at how well these fish blend in. I am sure that some of their victims are amazed too. For about a millisecond before their demise that is.

We have the greatest species distribution right here in North America with the muskellunge, northern pike, chain pickerel and grass pickerel (and redfin pickerel but the grass and redfin are just subspecies of the same fish).  I have caught 3 of the 4 of these. Well, that is unless they decide to split the muskellunge into the musky and the masquinonge into two different species, but that is a whole other kettle of fish. I am going to try to get a redfin this year in VT which should not be difficult. I have caught a tiger musky- a natural one not a stocked one and I would like to get a pike/pickerel hybrid too (any help from Mr. Capsey on locating one?).

The one Esox that I would absolutely love to get but cannot get in N. America anymore is E. reichertii. They were stocked in a Pennsylvania reservoir but never took hold well. The hatchery they were in lost all their brood stock and eggs in the 1970’s and the program sank after that. Looks like I will have to head to Mongolia after all….

Musky Secrets

September fish from 8 years ago

There has been a whole lot about musky on the fly in the media in the past couple of years. There are definitely some very accomplished musky fly anglers out there that have been bringing it to the forefront of the fly community. There are new rods, videos, lines, all sorts of stuff. It is definitely cool. I have to admit it is a kind of bittersweet to me. I have been fishing muskies on a fly for a long time now. My first fly caught musky was back in 1996. I have been pursuing them ever since. 

Musky tat poking through

I love muskies. I would not have a tattoo of one on my left shoulder if I didn’t. I have been pretty careful about what I say about muskies though, especially about where I fish them. Being an apex predator they tend to have small numbers of larger individuals and can be vulnerable to fishing pressure. With that in mind I have kept my musky angling at a fairly low profile. I have also made sure that I don’t give up locations to people when they ask me where to go. I know a number of people who have been upset with me when I won’t tell them. As far as I am concerned, they can go get stuffed- it took me a long time to learn my spots and they just want to me to give it to them?  Usually these are guys that I don’t know from a hole in the ground too. 

Tim and I know where this was... no one else...

Let’s face it, musky anglers have been a pretty tight lipped community for a long time. Great spots for big ‘skies are not something you tell a lot of people about. Pressure does nothing good for these predators. I have made mistakes before. I took a “friend” to a spot a number of years ago under the distinct understanding that he would never divulge where I had taken him. About a month later he tells me about bringing a friend to the same place. I don’t fish with that guy anymore. Plain and simple- if you take advantage of me, we are done. Hell, if I had ties to some friendly, well dressed garbage types, I might have gone for cement boots too…

Hey Marty- I'm not talking- are you?

Feel free to ask me about techniques, flies, leader set ups, gear, etc.  That kind of stuff I am happy to help you out with. The nuts and bolts of angling are one thing. I want people to know what they are doing. I would much rather take you out on a guided trip to show you. But ask me to tell you where to go for musky?  Or even any other species?  Seriously?  If you are asking a guide to tell you where to go to fish for any species that the guide for, don’t expect an answer, especially if you don’t know them. That is similar to asking a guide you have just met to go out fishing with you. Would you go to an accountant you just met and say “hey man, lets hang and do my taxes!” or go up to a chef you were introduced to at a party and suggest that  you host a dinner party together?  Ever consider that you might be asking someone to do something for free they get paid to do? Good guides know their stuff and don’t give it out to anyone who asks them about it or worse, just puts it up online for anyone to see. Leave that to the guides who don’t know what they are doing…

ps- to all the great fly rod musky guides out there- kudos! Especially Brad Bohen- you know your stuff man and you have put your time into it. You deserve all the credit you get. I hope some day we have a chance to wet a line together. I have some great spots for you if you ever make it out east- get in touch!

Redington Predator Rod

New rod and line with a trusty ol' reel (and hand)

With all the angling I do for pike and musky and a trip to the Everglades looming on the horizon, I decided to shed my 13' 9wt spey rod (which has very few uses in Vermont) and parlay it into a new "predator" style fly rod. For those of you who are not familiar with this relatively new group of rods here is the lowdown on them: They were originally designed for the bass tournament trail guys to use flies to pull big bass out of heavy cover using big flies. The rods were short- around 8', stout, and designed to use a heavier than  normal line for one backcast quick casts into pockets in lily pads, under trees and tight spots that bruisers like to hide in. The first of these rods on the market were the Sage Smallmouth and Largemouth but Redington, TFO and Ross have all put similar sticks out on the market. 

Not only have these rods found a serious following with the bass crowd but pike and musky guys love them too. Marty got a Largemouth a couple of years ago and I have fished it a couple of times- but not as much as he has!  Great rod and it has become THE topwater rod to use on musky trips. Saltwater guys love these rods too, especially for snook and baby tarpon in the mangroves. They put the flies into the roots and pull the fish out. Quick accurate casts with a minimum of false casting, and then right back at it. No messing around with a fish on either. These rods are intended to have a lot of backbone!

with a name like Predator how can you go wrong?

After doing a boatload of research into the various rods out there and then looking at what I got for my spey outfit, I settled on the Redington Predator 9 weight. This rod had everything I wanted and reviews showed it to be the best of the lot. It had even been rated by a number of guys as better than the Largemouth... I got the rod a couple of days ago and I got a Rio Outbound Short Tropical F/I 10 wt line to go with it. The first line I tried it out with was a Cortland 444 Lazerline 10 though. That rod was fast and accurate with the 444!  One false cast and it was out there!  Pretty awesome. Putting an old heavy Clouser minnow on the line didn't change the speed or accuracy of the rod either. I was able to put the fly right where I wanted it every time. Any issues with the casting were my fault, not the rod's.

dodging dung for accuracy

I got out this morning again with the rod to give it another go. So I have to admit that using a fly line designed for tropical heat when in Vermont in February isn't perfect, but the rod and line still performed accurately. And let's face it, 42 degrees on February 18 is downright tropical in Vermont! I put on a short piece of 25 lb mono and a heavy Clouser again. The rod performed admirably!  It put the fly right where I wanted it. Check out that picture- right between the two piles of dog poop! (the two poop colored arrows point them out!) and it did that consistently until I finally hooked one poop tarpon and tore it apart... damn things with their paper mouths... maybe a 6/0 hook was too big...  I also wanted to test out the power of the rod so I tossed it at my neighbor's snow shovel that was firmly entrenched in a snow bank. I hooked that thing with a good hard strip set and put the cork to it.... the Battenkill Large Arbor reel helped keep that shovel in line and I eventually used the butt end of the rod to pull the thing right out of the snowbank! Some great reserve power there... and yea, cabin fever has set in... I need to fish!

I am impressed with this rod at this price ($199). I will do a more thorough review once I get it on the water with some real fish, but for now I have to say that it is a pretty awesome buy. I will stick with it until something better comes along.  I was talking to someone at a rod company a lot closer to home the other day and made the suggestion.... hopefully I could field test something they come up with on some pike and muskies this summer! Hint hint ....