PF 2010

All the best in the year 2010 - have fun, be happy and be healthy, and do catch something monstrous!
Tight lines & Tight threads
Jindra

CDC/Soft Hackle Caddis

The tie:
#10 TMC2487 BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
Hare dubbing dyed olive
gold UNI #16 tinsel
two natural CDC feathers + one brown partridge feather, spun together in loop

This pattern was inspired by Triple Threat Caddis by Jim Slattery; while I really liked his pattern I thought it would benefit from a little touch of CDC. Did I mention I am a big fan of tying with CDC? :)

Hare's Mask Emerger

The tie:
#19 TMC103 BL hook
tan UNI 8/0 thread
two strands of orange flash
body of Hare's Ear ribbed with thin gold tinsel
wing of two CDC feathers
thorax/hackle of lightly dubbed scruffy hair from mask

Good fly late in season when the fall generation of Baetis mayflies hatches. Or anytime during the season when no major hatch is going on. One of my favorites :)

Winter Gloom Sets In

Winter has started for real. Puddles are all frozen and rivers will soon be too, snow is falling even in Prague, water is cold, low and clear and fish are inactive. Today's little chub is most likely my last fish caught in 2009. Ay de mí...

Eagle Owl Emerger / Výrovka

The tie:
#19 TMC103 BL hook
gray UNI 8/0 thread
two strands of orange flash
body of Eagle Owl herl
CDC spun in loop

European Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo L.) relies on stealth when hunting. Its feathers are covered in very fine fibers to mute any sound. This fuzz gives great mobility to any emerger pattern. It is also very fragile, making it best suited for grayling fishing. Trout would chew it up in no time.
This fly is best fished sunk in the film imitating a mayfly that almost, just almost made it to air - but for now it is tired, struggling and oh so vulnerable...

Heron Herl & CDC Mayfly

The tie:
#17 TMC103 BL hook
gray UNI 8/0 thread
barred Coq de León tails
Heron herl body
spun CDC for wing/hackle/thorax

Winter Nymphing Team

When the winter really hits grayling leave shallow running water and concentrate in deeper, slow moving pools. They will be still eating, but not so voraciously as in the main season. In the cold water they are unlikely to be rising or moving any far to get your fly and to catch them at all you must present them with a small morsel at their exact depth.

In order to achieve this I have designed a team of two flies - big and heavy "anchor" fly (Zátěžovka in Czech - literal translation would be something like weight adder) to sink fast to where the fish are huddled and a small micro nymph to actually catch them.

Closing of the 2009 Trout Season

The fishing season on Trout waters officially ends in the Czech Republic on November 30th, so the last November weekend was a good opportunity to close the season in style. I went with my good friend Vlado to our favorite small stream, where he most conveniently has a great fishing cabin.

Pink Bug

Like many other ladies, the Lady of the Stream has soft spot for the color pink. This nymph has proven very productive in the later parts of 2009 season when water temperature dropped below 7°C and grayling stopped rising and were firmly hugging the stream bottom.

The fly really comes alive when used together with strike indicator. Grayling were already quite sluggish this November and the takes were so subtle that they were extremely hard be detected otherwise. A small yellow strike indicator on the leader turned this fly into a true killing machine.

I am in Love!!

Finally. Now it is out, it is official. I am in love! In love with the Lady of the Stream. No use denying it now.

To celebrate my coming out I decided to start a blog following my pursuit of the grayling with the fly. I am not a prude and a trout might show up now and then, but my heart belongs to the Lady.