Fishing Art: July 2010

The Man Behind the Scene

July 30, 2010

There wouldn’t be a jeffcurrier.com if there wasn’t a man behind the scene. There may even be one less fly fishing blog in the world if it wasn’t for that same man. That man is, Ken Holder from California and Jackson Hole Wyomig. I met Ken over twenty years ago. I sold him a pair of Simms wading shoes back in the late 80’s out of the Jack Dennis Outdoor Shop. I was just a young fly fishing maniac trying to earn enough for my next days off and Ken was desperately trying to land a size 14 wading shoe.

Over the years we got to be friends and one day he suggested I have website. It was the thing to do and he could build it and keep it going as a hobby. He suggested that perhaps if I didn’t have enough material to post I could share the website with a friend. I blew off the idea but Ken went ahead and got it started for me anyway. The site was pretty cool and I started adding things like my books and art and the occasional story or article. Maintaining it was a simple side project/hobby for Ken when he was out on the road working for United Airlines. Neither of us dreamt that little website would turn into a huge 500 page step towards my self-employment and what is now Global Fly Fishing.

Ken works hours upon hours on the now massive website and that’s why whenever he visits the Yellowstone area I take him fishing. Today was one of his fishing days. He brought along his girlfriend Nati and asked one favor of me, help Nati catch a fish. We got an early start. The sky was deep blue and clear like the days of September even though its not. Throughout the day the clouds built up and it was hot. There were times today I couldn’t believe I was in the Rocky Mountains it was so hot. Regardless of the intense heat, the Pale Morning Duns and the Yellow Sallies hatched all day and the brookies, rainbows and cuttys were out in full force to eat them.

One of the best ways for me to get a fly fishing newcomer into some fish is to put them in the front of my boat where I can keep an eye on them. I went over some of the basics of casting with Nati and showed her how to manage her line and eventually how to go about fighting and landing a fish. Once that was done we were off and I gave instruction while I was rowing throughout the day.

While all this was going on up front, Ken fished from the back of my boat. He tossed a 5-weight and an elk hair type of yellow sally I chose from his box. In no time Ken was hooked up. While most the fish on this river are small, I heard the trout sip his fly and I could tell by the sound it belonged to a big one. By the time I looked over, Ken’s line was headed for some sunken trees. The last thing you want is for your fish to get into a snag so Ken prevented this by turning the fish. You accomplish this by putting as much pressure against the fish as you can based on the strength of your tippet by holding your rod tip low and bent. I like to pull downstream and get help from the current. On most trout, once you change their direction from going back to their home, they will usually fight you in from the middle of the river. Ken went on to land a spectacularly colored cutthroat-rainbow hybrid of which I netted and popped a few pictures with my new camera.

I knew I was in trouble the way Nati was looking at Ken's fish. It was the first trout she’d seen in her life and now she had to have her own something fierce. Fortunately her casting was getting good so I tied on a sally for her and sure enough the fish liked the fly. She didn’t exactly start putting fish in the boat. Like anyone learning there were a few mishaps, such as not setting the hook at all, setting too late and completely forgetting what to do when you finally do hook one. Then, Nati got so excited on her first good hook up that she nearly back flipped over the side of my boat!

Nati went on to land some fish and get pretty darn good at fly fishing. In fact, we had a stroke of beginners luck when she boated one of the nicest brook trout you will find in these parts. Ken caught at least a dozen trout of all sizes however he was most happy with Nati's success and the catch of his big cut bow. As for me, it was another great day on the water with friends.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site

Eggs with Extra

I've seen this fly with the extra material which simulates the stuff usually surrounding the eggs and hear it is quite effective. Might have to give it a try.

Gender Bending In The Long Dase Minnow

An article in the Vancouver Sun today discusses how scientists from the University of Calgary have found that Long Dase Minnow in Southern Alberta are feminising. In fact 90% of fish in two of the provinces rivers are female. This is attributed to man-made contaminants entering the rivers and includes chemicals such as pesticides, flame retardants, steroids, growth hormones and birth control pills. Nearly all locations studied showed that males had elevated levels of a protein that is typically only found in the girls. The two main culprits are agriculture and waste water that has not been treated sufficiently. Sigh.

Random Dry Fly

Never too Cold for Cannon Balls

July 27 - 28, 2010

I love to travel but it’s always good to be home. Granny and I wait many months to enjoy our summers. One of the favorite things we like to do is to float the many great rivers within a couple hours from home. This week we did our absolute favorite float, the Lower Nunya. It’s a two day overnight trip we dream about during the winter months.

I spent all Monday packing our camping and fishing gear along with organizing the boat. It’s a shame, but because I’ve been gone so much this past spring and early summer we’ve only had the boat out one time. Life jackets were buried in the garage, my bent boat plug needed replacement and the list went on. Finally at 4:30 I made it to Jackson to pick Granny up from work and off we went to the river.

We camped out Monday night and then before sunrise we loaded up with coffee and drove to the launch. As hoped we pushed off the loaded down boat before 8 am. The weather predictions were a little sketchy to say the least. High winds and violent thunderstorms were in the forecast. I packed rain gear I’d typically take for us in October and lots of extra clothes. A brisk wind kicked in early and there was every indication that the forecast was right.

We went quite a ways before our first fish of the day. The water levels are extremely low. The Nunya is affected by a dam and irrigation. It was apparent that the fish were not in the usual spots. To try to find them we started twitching huge dry flies over the deepest of pools. Then we went tight to the grassy banks. Granny can drift her fly literally one inch from the bank better than anyone in the business. At first neither efforts made much difference, but finally she got ripped by a nice 16" rainbow.

Once the skunk is out, my boat generally leads us to a steady flow of fish. It was true Tuesday. Granny took the oars and I immediately botched up two nice browns. One I never set the hook on because I was watching a moose, then the next one I simply set too soon. When I finally got a nice fish on, I lost him on the first jump. It was Granny’s turn before I knew it.

We went a long way again without a fish sighting. This is typical on this section of river because of its lack of structure and wide shallow flats. The water temps get too hot for your average trout. We like it because not many other boats float here because of the mediocre fishing, but for the most part this place is where you enjoy the wildlife, scenery and camping.

It turns out the weatherman was wrong. By

2 pm it was easily 90 degrees and the wind completely stopped. There were a few puffy clouds but no sightings of thunderheads. I was shirtless all the way until sunset. Actually I was wearing half a can of Deep Woods OFF because the mosquitoes and horseflies are miserable. We stumbled into a couple more fish. Both were cutthroats living about fifty feet apart. And both were huge – pushing twenty inches or more. That was a good thing, but the slow fishing overall was a little disappointing.

We always bring plenty to eat and drink. At 7:30 we reached one of my favorite places in the world, beached the boat and set up camp. Granny cooked up an incredible chili dinner and we drank a bottle of red. As we sipped our wine we took turns scanning rock cliffs that we see enormous amounts of wildlife every time we go. Last year we watched two bobcats play for over an hour. This week the hillside was full of mule deer, the occasional moose and numerous raptors.

A storm moved through at about 4 am in the morning. It rained lightly for an hour but then stopped. I got up early and made a pot of coffee and we looked for the bobcats again with no luck. We were fishing before 7 am and the cooler temps made a big difference. Granny got into a bunch of very nice fish in one of my favorite pools. In three back to back casts she landed a hefty brown, a rainbow and then a cutthroat. It was in that same pool that we had the highlight of our weekend as well. I always fish two flies. At least once a year I land two fish at a time (I’m due). Granny only fishes two flies when she happens to pick up my rod. She has never caught two fish at once.

That nearly changed in an instance when a slow moving cutthroat took her top fly. She hooked him and as he turned the point fly (lower fly) got nailed by what looked like a brown that would put a smile on even the most spoiled of anglers. That brown took off the complete opposite direction of the cutthroat and snapped my 0X like it was nothing! I’ve seen it happen before and was not so surprised. Granny however went crazy and wanted to fish three flies the rest of the day if it were allowed!

Dry flies and 0X sounds insane to most people. But trust me, if you are fishing the big dries typical of the Jackson Hole area, heavy tippet is a must. Most Chernobyl ant type flies will twist a tippet while casting and light tippets will completely tangle and spin up on you. Although 0X is stout, if you are twitching your flies like we often do, the fish never hesitate to take the fly because of a thick tippet. And in this hot weather you can land them fast and release the trout unharmed.

Our favorite weekend of the year did not let us down. Although fishing wasn’t fast and furious, our end result was a few nice fish, fantastic (unexpected) weather and good food and drink. The wildlife was abundant and the scenery seems to get better every year. Today it’s back to work for both of us. I’ll be back on the water with my webmaster on Friday. I’ll be floating him and his girlfriend on some secret water.

Socializing Makes Thick-Skinned Fish

Cyprinid fishes (carps) show fright, or escape behaviour, when smelling alarm signals produced by conspecifics. These chemical alarm signals are found within special club cells and are released when these cells are ruptured. In nature, fish possessing the alarm club cells may become aware of a predator as it becomes labelled with the alarm pheromones when ingesting prey. In cyprinids it has been found that higher club cell densities exist in regions where there is a high abundance of predators. Higher club cell densities means the fish is able to produce a greater volume of alarm pheromones. Important when a predator could be lurking around any corner. The authors in this study hypothesized that club cell density is plastic in regards to predator presence.

For the study they raised crucian carp individually and in groups of four. For both rearing types, fish were exposed to the skin extracts of either conspecifics (alarm signals) or brown trout (without club cells), and provided food in either low or high food rations. Interestingly, they did not find an association with club cell density and the presence of an alarm pheromone or predator chemical cue. However, what they did find was that club cell density increased when fish were living in close quarters with conspecifics (ie group of four fish).

The data from this study suggests that group-raised fish are more chemically on guard than those raised singly. The data shows that club cell density can show a ten-fold increase through an increased feeding regime combined with group rearing. Club cell density is plastic and is likely to be controlled through internal physiological regulators such as blood androgen levels, but also through external regulators such as nutritional status and growth promoting factors via chemical sensing. But in the end it just makes sense to not spend growth energy on lots of alarm substances when there will be no one else around to heed your warning.

Stabell, O., & Vegusdal, A. (2010). Socializing makes thick-skinned individuals: on the density of epidermal alarm substance cells in cyprinid fish, the crucian carp (Carassius carassius) Journal of Comparative Physiology A DOI: 10.1007/s00359-010-0550-4

Silver & Yellow Crossaboom

Fisheries Collapse: When Predator Becomes Prey

In marine ecosystems overfishing of top predators has led to major changes in ecosystem properties at the most basic level. This is likely to be because a change in the food web directly changes the feedback mechanisms that are inherent within any ecosystem. In marine ecosystems a typical pattern occurs after overfishing, which includes a low abundance of predatory fish and a high abundance of small, pelagic, forage fish. These small fish are themselves predators of the eggs and larvae of marine organisms including the large predatory fish. Thus it is hypothesized that by controlling the numbers of these small forage fish the large predators are ensuring their recruitment for the next generation.

In this study they analysed a 44 year long time series of cod recruitment and herring abundance in the North Sea. In this ecosystem, atlantic cod are the top predators feeding on the small and pelagic herring. Herring have been shown to feed extensively on cod eggs, and therefore may negatively effect cod recruitment when they are found in high numbers. This study showed that abundance of herring in the North Sea was negatively correlated to the recruitment of cod. Other studies have found that this may be due to a reduction in prey for both groups of fish as was found in the Baltic Sea where overall zooplankton biomass was reduced. But this study controlled for larval food and still found a negative relationship. Thus, it would seem that a reduction in atlantic cod leads to an increase in herring. This increase in herring then reduces the recruitment of atlantic cod as their larvae and eggs are consumed by the herring.

Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems has been referred to as 'ecosystem hysteresis'. Ecosystem hysteresis occurs when changes in the state of an ecosystem are path dependent. Ecosystem hysteresis is generated by various forms of reinforcement that keep the ecosystem in a given state. Often there are two ecosystem states that occur under different critical conditions. This predator-prey reversal may keep the North Sea in a herring dominated state. It begs the question of whether it is important to reduce herring numbers in order to restore cod populations. Something that if true will bring a smile to any fisherman's face.
Fauchald, P. (2010). Predator–prey reversal: A possible mechanism for ecosystem hysteresis in the North Sea? Ecology, 91 (8), 2191-2197 DOI: 10.1890/09-1500.1

S.O.T.F. BB&G Nymph

Summer on the Flies continue with the BB&G Nymph. What does BB&G stand for? Bigerrfish, Biots, & Glass. This little trout killer is a bigerrfish creation made from goose biots, copper wire, flex floss legs, and a gold glass bead for the head. Check out his site to see the real thing.
This is 9x6in watercolor done on 140lb coldpress paper.

This shot was taken on a little family outing to the blueridge some time ago. What a beautiful country!

Red Needle Nose Tarpon Flats Killer

Here is a red and white needle nose flats tarpon killer fly. The painting is a 10"x8" done on 140lb watercolor paper.

Artic Grayling

July 22, 2010

Day 13

I’m sitting at the Oslo airport in Norway homeward bound. I can’t wait to get on planes for the next 20 hours so I can sleep!

Yesterday Vladi and I fished the Trysilelva River for Arctic grayling. We slept in and started about 9 am. It was nice to end the trip with a casual day of fishing. Even though nymphing was by far the best method to catch fish I fished an elk hair caddis throughout the day. If the grayling wanted my dry they could have it and if not I relaxed on the bank and watched Vladi vacuum the river. He used three of his gorgeous nymphs at the same time and the method of nymphing referred to as “Polish Nymphing.” The method that Vladi is famous for. He tore them up! He is undoubtedly the best at nymphing I’ve ever seen.

We whacked three 13” grayling and had them for dinner as a treat from the pasta we’ve lived on for nearly two weeks. It was delicious, skin, bones and all (that’s the way Vladi does it as not to waste any meat). Then we slept two hours and drove slow and carefully as to avoid many moose on the way to the Oslo Airport. It’s been a remarkable trip!

Night Hawk Salmon Fly

If you don't like the fly you have got to like the name. Night Hawk - a killer black a salmon fly.

The Moment of Truth

July 19 -20, 2010

Day 10 & 11

I’ve done it again. I’m delirious. I’ve fished myself into another stupor by literally fishing 40 of the last 48 hours. But I had to. I’m running out of time.

You remember I finished up dinner with Vladi on the banks of the Orkla River at 10 pm two nights ago. I was feeling lucky so

rather than go to bed; I went out for another pass through my beat. Well, I went through it a few times and went to bed fishless at 1:30 am. Of course Vladi had been sleeping since 10 pm so when he woke up to the sunrise at 3 am, he got me up to fish again. Talk about being a wreck! Naturally I went.

I fished from 3:30 am until 11 am without stopping, determined to catch a big Atlantic salmon. I fished through some drizzle but for the most part it was an amazing setting of a rising sun and glistening moss covered rocks. My fishing technique became more of a routine and my concentration level dropped off dramatically as the morning went by. At 10:10 am, during my last hour I literally fell asleep standing up fishing. I kid you not. But that didn’t last long.

I guess I was staring aimlessly at my line. My line was like a pendulum. I’d cast at the 45 degree angle and let the current swing it across the river and back to the bank I was standing on. Then I’d take three big steps, strip it half way in and do it again. Imagine doing this for a week with very little action. Then as I was gazing pointlessly at my swinging fly line and I thought I saw a huge figure moving with it. I didn’t know exactly where my fly was but the figure had to be near it. I was seeing things I thought to myself. Then I got the touch. I’ve only heard about it, but I’m told the bigger the salmon the lighter they touch your fly. This touch I could barely feel.

It was near heart failure to actually have this traditional Atlantic salmon situation happening to me. I’ve known about this since I was a kid because Lee Wulff wrote about it in his classic book The Atlantic Salmon. He gives one of the best descriptions ever written and I’ve had this event painted in my mind for most of my life. I never expected to experience it.

I let my fly dangle below me for a minute but there was nothing. When you feel this famous touch, your not suppose to panic. And you absolutely are not supposed to set the hook. You just wait for the touch to hold on and then give the fish line (A very difficult thing to do without experience). Then after the salmon takes line you don’t even set the hook, you just lift the rod up and he’s there.

This salmon wasn’t there at all. He touched my fly and left. All I could do was cast again, and again and again. Then ten casts later, when I was beginning to believe the episode didn’t happen, it happened again. But, I’d lost my concentration. I committed the ultimate sin. I set the damn hook! I felt my hook just nick the mouth of the fish and tear loose. I could picture my fly just dinging the tip of this huge salmon’s hard mouth and now he was bolting all the way back to the sea. He was gone. I was mortified.

There’s no other type of fly fishing that has you talking to yourself like Atlantic salmon fishing. I was mumbling to myself like a drunken fool. A lot of swearing too if I remember. It was horrible. I prayed for two things. Maybe the salmon is stupid enough to give me another chance or maybe there’s more than one. I got a grip on myself and cast again. I didn’t’ move my feet an inch. I just covered the same place over and over and over again. But nothing. About ten minutes and twenty-five casts later still nothing. I assumed it truly was over. I told myself three more casts then change flies. Amazingly, on my third cast an enormous salmon devoured my fly. Not knowing what to do when an Atlantic salmon devours a fly, I set the hook hard and by complete miracle he was there! It was a gargantuan salmon and as he began to realize he was hooked he thrashed on the surface. I screamed at the top of my lungs, “Yes!” hoping Vladi would hear me at our distant camp. Then the huge fish started up his turbo thrusters and took off into the fast current and less than ten seconds later the monster was gone. You guessed it, I swore a hundred times and loud. The event took every ounce of energy out of me. I was feeling so weak I couldn’t even shake. That was it. I made a hundred more weak-effort casts in hopes of another big salmon in the area, but I knew it was over and it was over.

I was devastated as I rolled back into camp at 11:10 am when my permit expired. Vladi had the trailer hooked up and ready to go. As I approached he said he tied me a special fly. I really wasn’t listening. I wanted to tell my story but I was too far gone. I’d tell him later. We were headed back to the Gaula River on 2b for one more 24 hour session. I just dropped out of my waders and plopped in the front seat of his car. Even though it was two hours, it seemed like two minutes went by then I was wadering up for the Gaula 2b beat.

It was 2 pm. I felt awful. I remember saying to myself I felt worse than a hangover. I dreamt of my first nights sleep in my own bed three days from now. This was not fishing, this was torture. While waiting for my first turn I told Vladi and the crew at the salmon shed about my event in the morning. Everyone was excited about it. They could see I was sick about it but filled me with encouragement and even gave me some flies they believed in. They said I’d catch another here but I still couldn’t get my mind off the lost salmon.

With the exception of one huge dinner and breakfast and a two hour nap, I fished through the entire 24 hour session. And nothing. Only Lars caught a nice salmon. Naturally, he caught it at 1 am when I was taking my 2 hour nap. When I got to the bottom of 2b at exactly 2 pm today, I chopped off my fly and reeled my line completely in. It was over. I’ve never been so tired in my life.

I was disappointed but I shouldn’t have

been. I came to Norway with a goal – catch an Atlantic salmon. I had written in my journal that I didn’t care what size he was. I just wanted to catch one. I caught two. To experience a classic hook up with a giant was a bonus. If I caught him, I may never come back to Norway. Instead, I have to.

Since getting off the Gaula River, Vladi and I drove six hours to the Trysilelva River near the Sweden border. Its Vladi’s favorite grayling river so it should be incredible. It will be our last day before I fly home. I’m so tired I can’t think about grayling fishing right now. All I do know is I’m fishing dries and my 4-weight Ross all day. I can’t wait.

Ginger Quill

10"x8" Ginger Quill painting on high quality 140lb watercolor paper. A standard wet fly used for those elusive trout.

Episode 1: Birth of an Ocean - Episode Guide - The Series - One Ocean: The Nature of Things with David Suzuki: CBC-TV

Robbing the Cradle

July 18, 2010

Day 9

The weather has changed. We woke up to a downpour and much colder temps. Throughout the day we had rain and sun and lots of wind. As planned, we slept in and then relaxed and drank our coffee in the salmon shed over looking the Orkla River next to where we are camped. Than at 9 am we went and got our waders disinfected and bought me a permit. Once again, Vladi is going to be a spectator.

My permit for the Orkla River started at 11

am and like on the Gaula, it runs for twenty four hours. It was great to be on some new water. Much of the beat is fast and deep and I used my Rio StreamerTip DC 300gr to get my fly down. At the lower end of the beat the fast water gives way to a magnificent deep pool. All in all it’s an interesting beat with a lot of character. And to top it off, the scenery is fantastic. It’s very wet here and all the rocks are covered with bright green moss. There’s thick forest on both sides of the river and moose poop everywhere.

It’s about 10 pm now. I fished about ten of the eleven hours so far. I just start at the top and swing different flies all the way down to the bottom. It takes me about an hour to fish the whole beat. Then I walk back up and do it all again. There is no one else here so I have it entirely to myself. I saw only about three fish free jump all day and never got a bite. They were big boys so it keeps me going. But overall I’m losing confidence and considering quitting on the

hunt for a big salmon and going inland to grayling fish.

Actually I did catch some fish today. First thing this morning I caught a small brown trout. He was stunning in colors. Then I noticed a lot of little guys chasing my fly at the end of the swing. They were too small to eat my salmon fly so earlier this evening I grabbed my 4-weight and a nymph and caught few of them. They were baby salmon referred to as parr. They were gorgeous

little guys and kept me entertained for an hour. I landed another brown trout too.

Vladi and I just finished dinner. Vladi is going to sleep and I am heading out for couple more passes through the beat. I’m not sleepy and I have a feeling. We’ll see.

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