Ahead of the Game

I'll have some fun with these little guys come Spring...

So, I've set some fun outdoor-related goals in 2014. I've shared a few, but one is surprisingly simple. I really need to tie flies BEFORE the season so I'm well-stocked. Yeah, I can learn things during, but that may just mean a few fill-in colors or patterns. Real, true box stockin' happens before the heat is on.

I got a decent start last Fall. Tied up quite a few swung steelhead patterns before the Fall. And even more in advance of my New York trip. But I totally whiffed on smallmouth season. If you're trying to fill the box with Murdich Minnows in late July, you blew it. That was me.

So, as I look around, I'm pretty well stocked for the rest of Winter and into Spring steelhead. Fair number of swing flies, sh*tloads of eggs, and I buy stones.

Now what? Time to fill the boat box for Mr. Smallmouth in anticipation of the last weekend of April. Come August, time to start thinking about filling the steelhead boxes with more swingers and filling in egg sizes and colors.

This year I'll get ahead of the curve. Really.

-Sean-

Ham n' Eggs

Just when I thought I had my egg tying program down, I find a whole new world. I've been tying round eggs and nuke eggs using primarily McFly Foam. I've gotten very proficient at making perfectly shaped and sized eggs in a wide range of colors efficiently.

But, I've been mostly tying for Fall conditions. This Spring I've been exploring clown eggs as a solution for all the high water we've had in the Midwest this year. On a recent trip with Brad Petzke he turned me on to the clown egg pattern from Hawkins Outfitters. Now I'm bulking up my tying materials stock with yarn, which makes much better rag eggs than the foam. And after tying up a couple of dozen I'm getting very fast and with great quality results.

My last steelhead trip was on a blown-out day on the Pere Marquette where nothing was working. Hoping to get in one more trip this Spring and hope to prove these new flies effectiveness! Unfortunately, if they do work it will benefit me next Spring. For now, getting ready for trout on streamers and upcoming smallmouth season.

-Sean-