PT On Blue

I believe I have either painted, drawn, or tied this little bug more times than I can remember and it still remains a constant contender in my go-to box of tricks.  Variations abound with the good old Pheasant Tail but the classics never die.  Every nymphing fisherman has fished it and I venture to say nearly every single one of them has had a bite on one.  It continues to be one of the all time top flies in any top fly list.

As for the sale of this little bug, It is for sale for a reduced price of $15 plus $4 s&h.  Normally most of my daily flies go for $25 ea (and if you desire any of the past flies please contact me for info) but I have decided to reduce the cost of some of my flies for a short time.  This one is a bit more than 4x6 inches and comes mated in a black and white archival mat suitable for framing.  Please email me for details.

Check back on Monday for a one day only sale of some of my prints at a reduced price.

We Made It!

It was a long 36 hour door to door trip. Actually add 20 hours for me because I drove up to Bozeman, MT on Thur. Anyhow, we are glad to be here and ready to rock. We got in to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania two hours late, just after midnight Dar time. Everyone's luggage made it and we were pumped up enough to have some dinner and beers in the wee hours this morning here at the SeaCliff Hotel. As you can imagine our schedules are messed up bad. We are 9 hours ahead here. It will take a few days to adjust.

The program for us now is today we are taking a ferry ride to Zanzibar Island and Stone Town. We've been advised to either not go or be careful because Tanzanian elections start today. Evidently things can get out of hand particularly in Zanzibar. Whatever, we're going out there and spending the night there tonight than back to Dar tomorrow night to meet up Tourette Fishing company and Keith Clover.

Should be good. I'll try to post some pics tonight as long as I keep lucking into Internet access.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

 

White Wulff

A White Wulff fly in watercolor measuring @ 4x6 inches and for sale.  Not much to say today except enjoy the weekend.  Look for a PT watercolor on Sunday.

Half Way There

One 9 hour flight done. One more to go. We made it to Amsterdam and in two hours we will fly to Kilimanjaro - another 8 hours. We chill there for an hour then fly to Dar Es Salam. It will be another long day and we don't get in to Dar until 11 pm Dar time. At least we can crash out a few hours. Then in the morning if all our travel goes well we are taking a ferry out to Zanzibar. Our fishing for tigers will start Tue.

First pic is Jim Harris from Bozeman working diligently on his computer.

The second picture is me rewarding Jim with a drink from the classic self service airport bar in Amsterdam. I'll stick to Heineken. Good stuff!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

On the Way

Not much to say other than we have a long way to go. We are in Minneapolis just about to board our flight for Amsterdam. Planes are running late today. Tomorrow we have a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam then a long flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Can't wait to put this part behind us!

Photo - Jim Klug founder of Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures - He's all business!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

Casual Dress For Sale



Cacual Dress

 Casual Dress wet fly done on in high quality watercolors and light resistant ink on 100% acid free paper.  Measuring slightly less than 5x7, this work is for sale at a reduced price of $15 plus $4 s&h and comes mated in a white and black mat and backing board.  Please Email me for details.

Silver Rat & Selling Flies

Silver Rat

I love these salmon flies.  The Silver Rat is a variation of a type of hair fly common in the salmon fly world.... or so I have read.  Having no opportunity to fish them much less tie them, I can only speculate how effective they are.

Here is another item I will be selling at a reduced price.  Small Fly On A Trout Skin is mated in an acid free 5x7 inch two tone mat with backing board.  I have placed it in a frame to show you how it will look framed but due to shipping costs it does not come in the frame.  Cost for this piece is now $15 plus $4 s&h.  Please email me for purchasing information.

SOLD

Klinkhamer & Fly Sale Special

An inked fly colored on the computer.

Here as promised is a special offer for a few past paintings I have decided to sell as a pair at a reduced price.  Both of these original paintings are roughly 5x7 inches and placed in acid free white mats cut to be framed in an 8x10 frame.  They also come with an acid free backing board.  The price I am putting on the pair is $40 plus $6 s&h.  I picked these two paintings to be paired together because of the green backgrounds on both.  I also think that they would look good hanging on the wall together.
If you are interested in this set please send me an email and I will return an email to you with a paypal bill.  Once the payment is received, the item will be shipped.  I will be selling this pair to the first person to send me an email.


Hooked Brown

 

EHC On Green

Keep an eye out in the coming days for more deals on flies for sale.

Tiger Talk

Africa still has so many remote and unexplored fisheries that some of its fish species are not yet scientifically identified. I just spoke with Keith Clover of Tourette Fishing and he told me the tigerfish we will be targeting in Tanzania next week is no longer classified as the same type of tigerfish as those of the Zambezi and Okavango River systems. If you look back in my previous blog posted October 24th I mentioned that they were the same and want to clear it up.

My information came from an article “The Quest for Trophy Tigers” written in 2008. If you want a great read and to see some unreal photos it’s archived on the Tourette Fishing website in the articles section. At the time of the editorial there was little information on the Tanzanian tigerfish and despite its different appearance and larger size they were still considered to be (Hydrocynus vittatus). However, after recent studies of DNA from fin clip samples provided by Tourette Fishing, this amazing predator has been determined its own species. This Tanzanian tigerfish is (Hydrocynus tanzaniae).

The visual differences in tigerfish species aren’t nearly as dramatic as say that of trout species but I can see differences. In past trips to Africa Granny and I have caught at least two types of tigerfish.

The first hero shot on this entry is Granny with the Zambezi tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus). We were in Namibia fishing the Chobe River (five miles up from where it enters the Zambezi). It was actually my 40th birthday when she caught this beast!

The next photo is me holding a tigerfish that Granny caught in Egypt, (Hydrocynus forskahlii). We were Nile Perch fishing on Lake Nasser (the lake formed on the Nile River by the Aswan Dam). We were five days into a two week camping trip. Granny was tired of casting the 9-weight for Niles so I rigged her a red and white Clouser Minnow on a 7-weight. All I can say is she wished she had the 9-weight for this 7.5lb Egyptian tigerfish. Did I mention that tigers fight hard?

Lucky for me, Granny isn’t joining us to Tanzania next week and I’ll have a chance at a big Tanzanian tigerfish, (Hydrocynus tanzaniae). That’s the tigerfish in the last photo, courtesy of Tourette. They were only discovered a few years ago and the biggest caught so far is 28lbs.

The largest tiger is the goliath tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath) of the Congo and Lake Tanganyika. You can find pictures of them on Google but I have yet to hold one and don’t have a picture to show. I would do about anything to go try to nail one of these on a fly. Goliaths reach 100lbs!

There’s plenty of work being done studying tigerfish these days. For your average angler having one on the line is enough. But I find it very interesting and hope to catch them all before I’m done.

Tanzania should be a great trip with plenty of stories and photos to come. If they don’t appear on my blog next week - not to worry. My guess is there won’t be any chance at all of internet in the jungle, but I’ll keep a good journal and transfer it to the blog the minute possible just like on my past adventures. I should also mention I will be interviewed live on Fly Fishing - Internet Radio on November 17th. It will be entirely about fishing for tigerfish and I’ll share stories from this trip and past trips. You won’t want to miss it!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

Irresistible

 Here is a new inked irresistible and a variation on the fly I posted a few days ago.  This one is tied by Brk Trt at SmallStream.  I like his take on it and it looks like a fish could really take it. 

X Fish

Kansas has agreed to designate Xiphactinus or X-fish the states official fossil. This fish was found within a Kansas prairie, which was once covered by water. This was after a petition with over 3000 names on it.

Hmmmm fossils in Kansas how will the creationists feel about that?

Fish vs. Turtle

Well its high time I did a post. So here is a short one.....but worth it. Bad commentary aside it's worth watching!

PT Inked & tying The Fly

 Here is a PT Nymph done first in ink then uploaded to a paint program and colored.  the black and white sketch looked good but the added color makes it.

Here is the tied version of what Josh - AKA Bigerrfish - calls Triger Happy and BRK Trout calls No Mystery.  This is the version Josh tied...

As a side note, keep an eye out this week for a posting for a special deal on some paintings from this past year. Why, you might ask? Truth be told I need a new tying vise and need to raise some funds for this hobby of mine. If I can use one hobby to support the other and not invade the old bank account then I'll come out even. My current vise is a table top clamp style beginner vise that works for big flies but cant give my fingers enough room to tie the small stuff. I doesn't rotate and is cumbersome and I am sure that if I get an easier to use vise, my tying will not only improve but become more frequent.


That's my hope anyway.

Ginger Dry

Ginger and yellow dry fly done on acid free watercolor paper. Hopefully this coming week I can come up with more substance in my writing posts but for today (and probably Monday)  A daily fly is all you are going to get.

Back to Africa

The weather has changed. This October has been the nicest I can remember in my 24 years living in the Yellowstone area, but this morning the birdbath is frozen solid and the smell of snow is in the air. You may have noticed this past year that when the snow flies, so do I. That’s exactly why there haven’t been many posts this week even though late October can be the best fishing of the year. I’ve been packing, gathering info and pouring over maps.

I’m headed back to Africa. This time to Tanzania to fish for a colony of tigerfish only discovered in 2008. Although these tigerfish are thought to be the same species of tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) I've fished for in the Zambezi River and the Okavango systems, they reach sizes far larger. It is believed that the incredible biomass in this river allows the fish to grow faster and bigger than at other locations. They are also a good deal lighter in color and their stripes are much fainter likely because of the water color on these remote Tanzania Rivers.

The main reason of this expedition is to film a segment for the latest Confluence Films project. In the past three years Confluence Films has released two highly acclaimed fly fishing movies, Drift and Rise. The new movie to be released in fall 2011 is tentatively called Connect but that could change. The masterminds behind these movies are executive producer Jim Klug and director/cinematographer Chris Patterson. Jim is the founder and director of operations for Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and a long time friend. Chris is known for his stunning visuals and unparalleled camera work in numerous action sports. He has been the director/cinematographer of the Warren Miller Ski Films feature films for twenty years and has numerous other projects including all of the lead camera work for the winter action scenes in this year’s blockbuster DiCaprio movie, Inception.

Our hosts for this incredible shoot are South African natives Keith Clover and Rob Scott of Tourette Fishing – Fight it in Africa. Keith and Rob pioneered what they dreamt of for years – a place where one can catch a 20lb tigerfish on a fly. I’ve never met either but can tell from corresponding via emails and reading Tourette's incredible website that they are very keen adventure seeking fly fishermen. These guys not only guide tigerfish throughout Africa, but also on prime African saltwater fly fishing destinations including a place high on my list, the Seychelles.

Hopefully I’ll get on the water a couple more times this week before I head to Africa. Late October truly is one of my favorite times to fish my home waters, but there’s a lot that goes into preparing for a journey to Africa. If I don’t get out locally, I’ll be sure post on my progress of packing. I’ll also do my best to pass along some tips on preparing for an international fishing trip. It’s crucial that I'm ready for massive tigerfish so I too can be soon holding one of these incredible fish pictured here today!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

Name This Fly

3.5x5" water color and ink fly done on acid free paper and available to purchase.

I need your help to name this wet fly.  I just couldn't find a name that worked for it.  leave a comment if you have any suggestions.   Otherwise, Nothing new to add to this post today.  For those headed out to do a bit of weekend fishing - Good Luck.

Badger Spider

I have never fished or heard of anybody fishing this little guy so if you have please post a comment.  I suspect it would be a good dry fly for Tenkara fishing.

Blue Dunn & Wine

 Okay I cant be positive but I believe I have done the Blue Dun before but I like how this one turned out.  365 days and I'm bound to repeat a few flies but everyone is unique.

On another subject - Wine.  My wife and I took my in laws and a few friends a few days ago out to a very small local winery specializing in fruity, very tasty wines.  I had never been to this place before and had it not been for GPS and the Internet I doubt I would have ever made it there and man would I have missed out.  The proprietor broke out every wine he bottles and two he just got out of the secondary.  After about 15 or 16 tastings we all came to one clear opinion; These are the best tasting and smelling wines we had ever come across.  As an novice wine maker and enthusiast this excited my interest and wine making mind.  The only thing is that their releases are small which also added to the uniqueness of the flavors.  City Scape Winery even has the Greenville downtown Falls Park on their label.  And as an added bonus - they sell wine making supplies.
Needless to say we left there with a lot of wine, and some new wine making equipment.  I cant wait to try my hand at another tastier batch of wine.

Quick Fly & Hunting Blue Lines

 This is mostly a fishing report since the fly is lacking it quality, but its a good fishing report so I hope it makes up for it. 
    I got up early without much of a plan of where to go, all I had was my gear (Tenkara) my jeep loaded with gas, a full cup of coffee and a need for native trout.  After a 50min drive I hit many different spots in the upstate that looked promising including one great looking spot that got me in trouble with a local. 
    I am fairly sure he was just protecting his secret hole since there was no 'no trespassing' signs posted and it was just off a county road.  He did give me some advise on other waters to fish full of stocked trout - I suspect he thought I was one of the many bait fisherman that rape the stocked fish right out of the streams.  When I asked if he knew of any native trout around he looked puzzled then I told him that I'm strictly a C&R fly fisherman hoping this might ease his stance on me fishing his stretch of river.  It didn't and he told me once again that there is no fish in this water.  So, without even unloading my rod from the jeep, I decided to move on.  I have known people to be shot at for fishing a guys secret water and no fish is worth getting shot over.

 After about two hours of hitting blue lines near the county road and coming up with nothing I decided to park the car, load my pockets and do a bit of hiking for hidden trout.  After a mile or more I began hitting small pocket water with my Tenkara USA 12ft and the Sawyer Killer bug I got from Tenkara Bum.  As you can see I hooked up.

 The action was not fast and furious but I did hook some native fish with clean looking fins and great colors.

 Notice the Killer Sawyer Bug in his lip...
Overall A good day despite more searching for fish than catching them but the clean bright colors of the fish that found my fly made it worth it.  I only wish a brookie would have showed up.  It seems it is getting harder and harder to find these native fish in the waters I normally fish.

Red Stripe Rainbow

Red Stripe Rainbow

Here is a 8x10 rainbow I decided to paint the other day.  As always it is painted on acid free 100% cotton Arches Watercolor paper and high quality, light resistant paints.  Available in 8x10 prints as well as the new 5x7 size, this print can be purchased using the BUY A PRINT button on the top of this page.
This painting is also available in its original form for the LOW price of $80 plus S&H

For those of you interested in the process I have added a progressive record of this work. 

I have also added a few other paintings that are available as prints.  A few of the originals of these paintings are also still available for purchase.  Please email me for information.

On the fishing front - i plan on hitting the water this morning so expect a fishing report in the coming days, as well as a few pics of some trout.

45 Doesn't Seem So Bad

I turned 45 today. 20 years ago that age seemed ancient to me. Even on paper it’s a little scary. But the truth of it, I feel great. I still feel like a kid and hopefully will never act my age.

Naturally I wet a line on my birthday. Good friend Rob Parkins and I did a short float on some sacred water. Our weather continues to baffle. It was easily in the upper 60ºs and the sky was cloudless. To top it off, we hardly had an ounce of wind. It was absolutely perfect!

Fishing was ok. I must admit we didn’t fish that hard but I think the weather is so nice that the big fish are inactive. Normally late October is a time of the first cold cloudy days that deliver blankets of blue winged olive hatches. Big trout are usually on the surface eating every mayfly in sight to fatten up for winter. But instead it’s bluebird days and the random blue wing, October Caddis and believe it or not, it’s so nice there are a few hardy late season grasshoppers around.

Nonetheless, we caught plenty of fish but the biggest was probably less than 13 inches. It was a variety pack however of good-looking little rainbows, cutthroats and brook trout and we caught them all on dry flies. We even caught a few whitefish which leads to the highlight of the day. Robs dog Shang loves to eat whitefish. Yes you heard me correct, Rob owns a fish eating dog. Obviously trout are kept a good distance from the jaws of Shang. In fact as I unhooked a brook trout Shang fell overboard trying to get him. However, when it comes to a whitefish, if he’s a good boy, he gets him. I watched Shang slam down three whities today in which he devours in less than eight seconds!

I don’t think I need to tell you it was no less than an ideal way to spend a birthday. We caught fish. We saw some moose. We saw a porcupine. We woke up some owls. And once again the weather was unbelievable. If only the Cubs were playing on October 18th! Someday. . .

Fishing was ok. I must admit we didn’t fish that hard but I think the weather is so nice that the big fish are inactive. Normally late October is a time of the first cold cloudy days that deliver blankets of blue winged olive hatches. Big trout are usually on the surface eating every mayfly in sight to fatten up for winter. But instead it’s bluebird days and the random blue wing, October Caddis and believe it or not, it’s so nice there are a few hardy late season grasshoppers around.

Nonetheless, we caught plenty of fish but the biggest was probably less than 13 inches. It was a variety pack however of good-looking little rainbows, cutthroats and brook trout and we caught them all on dry flies. We even caught a few whitefish which leads to the highlight of the day. Robs dog Shang loves to eat whitefish. Yes you heard me correct, Rob owns a fish eating dog. Obviously trout are kept a good distance from the jaws of Shang. In fact as I unhooked a brook trout Shang fell overboard trying to get him. However, when it comes to a whitefish, if he’s a good boy, he gets him. I watched Shang slam down three whities today in which he devours in less than eight seconds!

I don’t think I need to tell you it was no less than an ideal way to spend a birthday. We caught fish. We saw some moose. We saw a porcupine. We

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

Orange & Black Plus a Table Project

Here is an orange and deep purple wet fly of my own creation and a little note on a project that kept me fairly busy last week. 

 This table is my own design and goes great in the breakfast nook I made last year.  After many sandings as well as many hours on the table saw this table came together nicely.  I put three coats of poly on it but think a few more couldn't hurt.  Total cost for materials in this project is less than $60 and is primarily constructed out of good old southern pine which kept costs low.  The top is a butcher block pine I constructed with the aid of my new dowel jig tool and the rest is ripped pine 2x4 selected for their lack of knots and bows.  With the help of my father and father-inlaw, it all came together nicely.  The kids love it since its bigger than our previous table, my wife if afraid to damage it with hot dishes and I just like how it turned out.

I make alot of stuff with my hands since I am really cheap but I also like the satisfaction I get when the project is complete and turns out looking so good.  The knowledge one receives from such a project is invaluable and the pride one has in the accomplishment is lasting.  I know this has nothing to do with flyfishing but I just wanted to show it off.