FlyFishNewEngland.net 7th Annual Fly Swap

FFNE 7th Annual Fly Swap

We are in to our spring fishing season here in New England -- rivers and ponds are freshly stocked, the herring runs are going strong and sea lice laden schoolies are being caught in Rhode Island. And in true fashion of the "occasional blogger", the 7th Annual FlyFishingNewEngland.net fly swap, that happened in January this year, is finally being documented.
It's actually the dead of winter 2020 and one year has passed since the last fly swap. I started to write this post in the spring of 2019 (see lined out intro paragraph above) and am finally finishing just a few weeks before the FFNE 8th Annual Fly Swap.
Better late than never....

6th Annual FlyFishingNewEngland.net Fly Swap

-- 6th Annual FFNE Fly Swap --

It's hard to believe we've been doing this fly swap for 6 years now. I've posted about the 1st, 2nd and 3rd FlyFishingNewEngland.net fly swaps. With a record turnout and the high quality flies submitted, this 6th annual event warranted a post from the "occasional blogger".
This year was the biggest with 15 tiers and 18 total in attendance at our host's (Chris M.) house. We also had friends, wives and significant others join us for the festivities. Several tiers submitted multiple flies (Matt B. submitted 5!) so we had a total of 23 flies for each tier to take home.

3rd Annual FlyFishingNewEngland.net Fly Swap

-- 3rd Annual FFNE Fly Swap --

The tradition continues. After finding Ryan's board three years ago, signing up for the 1st FFNE Fly Swap and meeting a bunch of great local fly anglers, I look forward to this winter event every year.

The highlight of the swap this year came from our host, Matt, who recently has ventured in to the world of tying classic salmon flies. Matt consistently produces killer, big meaty, pike and bass flies, but wanted to explore the deep and beautiful realm of the salmon fly. As one of the most creative tiers I know, Matt knocked out 11 unique patterns for each swap participant and himself based on stories shared on the FlyFishingNewEngland.net board.

Bonefish Dick's Betsy Fly

-- Tying "The Betsy" --

As the snowy New England winter wears on, we find ourselves enjoying some quiet time at the vise to prepare for the warmer months that are fast approaching. As much as I love fly fishing in the winter, the closest tailwater is about an hour and a half away that typically requires 7x tippet and a 32 midge just to fool a 12 inch stocked trout. I'd rather tie flies and wait for ice out and the schoolies to return to the tidal estuaries.

2014 was my best year chasing New England Striped Bass from the shore and it will be hard to only fish the freshwater going forward. My saltwater mentor, Mark, has shown me some great locations, techniques and flies that have led to this success. One fly, the Yellow Betsy, accounts for 1/2 of the stripers I've landed and has become the "go to" fly when nothing else is working.

One of several stripers fooled by the Betsy in 2014

Marlboro Fly Fishing Show

-- Marlboro, MA - 16 and 17 Jan 2014 -- 

If you live in New England and are a fly angler, you've attended The Fly Fishing Show in Marlboro, MA at least once. Also, as a New Englander, you attend the show in Marlboro (not Marlborough -- the proper spelling). This year, I attended Friday and Saturday.

This was my 6th year at the show and, frankly speaking, it hasn't changed much -- most of the exhibitors are the same, most of the speakers are the same, most of the tiers are the same, but (and a big but), I got more out of this year's show than I have in years past.

Family Fall Fly Fishing Firsts

-- NY & MA Landlocked Salmon --

We all love fall fishing. Here in New England, not only do we have excellent fresh and salt water options, we also get a spectacular display of color as the leaves change. As my favorite time of year, fall is too short, but that's what makes it all the more precious.

With my son, Matt, being about 300 miles away attending school in the Adirondacks, our fall fishing outings together are usually limited to just one around the Columbus Day weekend. We had a great trip last year on the West Branch of the Ausable in the ADK with Matt putting me on my largest brown trout to date (Matt just posted a video "Golden Brown" which captures the beauty of this big brown).

Low Tide in the Salt Marsh

 - Early Season Schoolie Hunt - 

Got out with my striper buddy, Mark, on Saturday looking for the first striped bass "schoolies" of the season. It was a beautiful day exploring some old and new water in Rhode Island. Also met some new fly fishing friends as well.

Water temps were 50 degrees, but the schoolies were not interested. We started at place where I had luck last year with my first striper on the fly and fished the tide change from high to low.

#theartofskunk

-- First 2014 Outing --

It's been a very long, cold winter here in New England and most other parts of the country. In the seven plus years I've been fly fishing, I don't remember the local streams being as frozen over and unfishable as they have this winter.

With Matt (aka Troutdoors) home for spring break, our first order business was to get out to the river and wet a line. We checked flows and they were rising so we knew the spring thaw had finally started.

The title of this post, #theartofskunk, comes from Ariel over at Atom Fly Fishing, who coined this hashtag about 2 years ago. It's become an unfortunate label to many of my Instagram posts, so if you looking for some fish porn in this blog post, leave now.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos and a Fly Swap

 -- Fly Fish New England Fly Swap -- 

I joined the Fly Fishing New England board a little over a year ago and am really enjoying the great local knowledge and camaraderie. Right after joining, I was able to get into the board's first fly swap and wrote a post about it.

The best part about this fly swap is that it's local and our host, Matt, brews some excellent beer. Last year, in addition to swapping flies, drinking beers and getting to know everyone, I brought some bacon wrapped jalapenos (BWJs). The BWJs were a big hit. Well, as the December winter froze over all the local streams and cabin fever sets in, posts on the board started up about "When is the next fly swap?" When the date got set for 1 February and the theme of fly swap was "your most productive fly", discussions about the BWJs also surfaced. A tradition is born.

Every Picture Tells a Story

 -- Every Picture Tells a Story-- 

Of all the social networks, I waste most of my time with Instagram. I keep two accounts -- @ginclear for fly fishing & tying and @deanwo for family, work & other random stuff. My affection for the Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins bleeds into both feeds from time to time.

If you are on Instagram, you've noticed everyone posting "Year in Review" videos that flash by the most memorable or liked posts. Both Statigram and Flipagram are two of the more popular sites/apps that provide this service for free.

I thought it would be fun to tell a little story for some of the most memorable pics this year from the @ginclear Instagram account. The year was full of fly fishing firsts in many ways. First fish, first hatches and first time fishing with new friends.

Instagram Fly Swap III

- Instagram Fly Swap III -

Finally finding time to put up this post about the 3rd Semi-Annual Instagram Fly Swap hosted again by Morgan Kupfer of Tight Line Tales of a Fly Fisherman. Also check out the 1st and 2nd Instagram Fly Swaps.

The call from Morgan went out on the @tltff Instagram feed back in March this year and flies were mailed to the 10 tiers the first week of May.

The popularity of this swap is way up from the first time. It took about 5 minutes to fill up after Morgan's initial post!

As with the previous two swaps, we had a great, well rounded group of excellent tiers including some celebrities. The theme of the swap was streamers - one salt and one fresh pattern.

For each set of flies below, there is a link to the tier's Instagram profile, pics of the flies and names/recipes if they were provided (for those who didn't send in names/recipes - it's never too late. Comment below and I'll add it to the post).

All the flies are "Bad Ass" and those with no names have that name for now. On to the flies...

New England Fly Swap

-- flyfishingnewengland.net Fly Swap --

There are so many great aspects of the sport of fly fishing. Time on the water and landing fish is what we all strive to achieve, but the time spent preparing, gathering information about your destination, deciding what rod and flies to use, how you want to hunt and present your fly to the fish, all are part of bringing a fish to hand.


Fly tying has become an integral part of my preparation. Learning what works from others is not only an educational process, but a great way to share our experiences with fellow anglers. Fly swaps become the channel to both learning and making new, like-minded, friends from which we share our love of the sport.

Instagram Fly Swap II

- Instagram Fly Swap II -

In mid-August, Morgan Kupfer of Tight Lined Tales of a Fly Fisherman and originator of the first Instagram Fly Swap, put out the call for a second Instagram Fly Swap. Previous and new tiers signed up. Baitfish and carp patterns were picked and the group of 11 tiers got rolling.

Below are the tiers and their patterns for the swap. Like the first swap, I was blown away by the quality and unique patterns that everyone put forward. Great work by all!

I've added recipes/links if available. I also took some creative liberties and made up names for flies that came without names or recipes. 

Instagram Fly Swap -- Part 2A

-- Graphics by @phishtitz --

Here's a follow-up post about the First Instragram Fly Swap. Of the original 9 participants, we have 5 that completed their flies, 1 that dropped out and 3 that plan to finish up in the coming weeks. Instead of waiting, Morgan, our host, distributed the first set of flies. These are shown below with tying instructions here. This will be a long post, so let's get started.

@mkupfer32 Flies

Our swap host, @mkupfer32, of the blog "Tight Lined Tales of a Fly Fisherman tied the MK Caddis Dry (center) & Glass Caddis Pupa (lower left) for trout, and the Bass Gurgler Popper (upper right) & B-Ass Clouser Streamer (upper left) for bass. I believe these are all original creations by Morgan.

Changing the World One Fish at a Time

We live through the eyes of our children. Not sure who said this, but I truly enjoy being a parent and watching my kids turning into adults. My son, Matt, is in his senior year in high school and is very excited to be attending Paul Smiths College next fall to study Fisheries and Wildlife Science.

While we are very proud and excited for Matt, we will miss having him around. This guy got me started in fly fishing and tying -- we go to the fly fishing shows, we've spent a lot of time on the water together and share our love for the outdoors in ways that are hard to put into words.

Matt had a school assignment to create a video with the theme "What did you do to Change the World". His choice was to show how he brought the love of fly fishing, conservation and the outdoors to his friends and family.

I will miss my favorite fishing buddy next fall, but I look forward to visits and continuing our fishing companionship during the next phase of his journey through life. 

Instagram Fly Swap -- Part 1

-- Taking over the Dining Room --

It's been about two months since my last post for no other reason than not having much news or good fish porn that warrants blog space. It was unseasonably warm in New England in November and December, so we were able to get out to the local streams, but no fish were brought to hand. The temps have finally settled into the normal range for this time of year (5 degrees F this morning), so my attention has turned to fly tying and, with another good cold week, ice fishing. I'll save the ice fishing story for a future post.

The Christmas tree came down, decorations and lights packed away and "occupy dining room" is in full swing. What really got the tying cranked up was getting involved with the first ever Instagram Fly Swap. 

Outdoor Blogger Network 1 Year Anniversary Celebration!

Never one to turn down the opportunity to win some swag promote a great community, the OBN is celebrating its one year anniversary with some great giveaways. Posted this week under Outdoor Blogger Network 1 Year Anniversary Celebration!, I want to congratulate Joe and Rebecca for one amazing year of growing a very engaged and passionate community.


I have yet to meet any of my fellow OBN bloggers in person, but through OBN and this community, I feel like many are long time friends.

Thanks, Joe (Flowing Waters), Rebecca (aka The Outdooress) and all of the support team (Owl Jones) for the great work you do to promote an outdoor life through this online community.

'via Blog this'

Change

The last couple weeks have been a bit hectic, but in a good way. I started a new job in a new industry and much of my focus is there. We completed the first phase of a home improvement project laying a new floor in downstairs bathroom and laundry area. The Red Sox went from the basement of the American League East to 2 games in front of the Yanks. They just won their last 9 games sweeping the A's, Yankees and Blue Jays by outscoring them to 83 to 35. And the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup for the first time in 21 years.

-- White Perch on Fresh Pimp --

Needless to say, the time on the water has been few and far between.  We have been hitting the local rivers and ponds with some success. My son and I have been chasing pike and carp on the Concord River, but have not had much luck. Roughfisher's Fresh Pimps didn't get the carp, but did land my first white perch.

Blessed

-- Blessed by Local Brooks --

With Memorial Day approaching and many other positive events in my life over the last few months, I am moved by good fortune and truly feel blessed.

Like most fly fishers I know, we possess a healthy obsession for the sport and look to learn new techniques, locations and fly patterns that will improve our game. I got addicted to fly fishing podcasts and now listen to everyone that I can find and load onto my iPhone.

I've been listening to "Ask About Fly Fishing Internet Radio"  for almost a year now and have done very well with their contests winning Skip Morris' "The Art of Tying the Bass Fly" DVD, a one year membership to the Federation of Fly Fishers, Aaron Jaspers' "European Nymphing Techniques & Fly Tying" DVD, and my most prized win, Tom Rosenbauers' book "The Orvis Guide to Small Steam Fly Fishing".

Bluegill, Bass and some weekly ramblings...

Native Fallfish on Parachute Adams

I know, this is not a bass or a bluegill. The week started out with high hopes of landing some trout on a local river. The mid-week conditions where good -- normal flows, warming stream temps and a decent mayfly hatch. Nymphs, streamers and dries where all used and the only fish to hand were these native fallfish. These are aggressive little guys that go after your dry with reckless abandon.  Only saw a couple of trout rising and one 14" bow on a spin caster's stringer. Sometimes the trout gods "just say no".

Fat Bluegill on Woven Nymph

 On the other hand, the local ponds are heating up. No shortage of action with just about any fly tied on. This becomes a great way to fish all those flies you have tied and to work on different presentation techniques.  Granted, bluegills are not trout, are not very selective and really don't get spooked, but they do spit a fly so a good cast and tight retrieve can be practiced when fishing for these guys.

Colorful Bluegill on Parachute Adams

Small Bass on Micky Finn

Also had good luck with landing bass on both nymphs and streamers.  Even had a double hook-up with a bluegill on a Klinkhammer and a small bass on a Copper John dropper.


I started tying flies about 3 years ago and one of the first was a Micky Finn.  I rarely fish this, probably because it has never produced for me, but it did come through with this small bass on the first cast.

Ian's Streamer and a Simple Pheasant Tail

Ian's beadhead black and gold streamer (exchanged in a fly swap earlier this year) continues to produce. Ian sent me two of these in the swap and, since one was lost, I tied up a couple more. While at the vise, I also tied a very simple Pheasant Tail by Ben Turpin shown on the Fly & Fin blog. I used orange thread to add in a hotspot.

I posted some more pics on the Gin Clear Facebook page as well. Do me a favor and "Like" this page, if you haven't already. Once I reach 20 "Likes" it becomes official in eyes of Facebook.

Ian's Black & Gold Streamer lands this Bass

I've yet to land a trout in 2011, but am glad there are plenty of options for warm water alternatives in my backyard. Also discovered a native brook trout stream about 5 minutes from my house.  Hooked into a small brookie about a week ago but he was camera shy and got off before a picture could be taken.

And the Red Sox.... Vowed not to post again about them until they reached .500, but here is something to get excited about.  They just took two from the Yankees in the Bronx with Josh Beckett throwing a 6 inning, 4 hit shutout last night and bullpen only giving up three more hits with no runs to close out the game.

19-20, one game shy of .500 -- will this series with the Yanks be the Red Sox turning point this season?