Re-Vladi Worm - Curtis Fry, Fly Tying Tutorial

A very simple, and yet very effective worm pattern. Because of the way it sinks, I prefer patterns like this as opposed to the infamous San Juan Worm.



Don't be afraid to use a little silver or copper wire instead of the flash. When darker color is added as ribbing, it can turn the Re-Vladi Worm into a mealworm imitation, deadly on still water bluefills and panfish!

January Thaw

Every week of the winter I check the weather forecast with a glimmer of hope. I'm looking for those magic days when the temperature rises a little above freezing and I can get out on the water. Mid-January 2014 held just one of those weeks. 

We had a few days above freezing, up into the 40's, and even a couple days that were forecast to a high in the low 50's. Seriously, 50's in Connecticut in January. Well in advance, I already knew I'd keep my gear in the car for a few days. Even an hour on the water in January is better than nothing.

Sunset right now is about 4:45pm, and once the sun goes down the temperature drops quickly. With a busy day of work, I was hoping to get on the water by 3pm. Going back to work after a little fishing is never something to complain about. 

A little wild Brown on my Frenchie

At 3:40pm I wade into the water and make my first few casts. Third cast and I've got a fish on. Not only am I excited at the immediate success, but this is my first fish in 2014, my first little wild trout in what seems like ages, and my first fish on my own attempt at a Frenchie nymph. It was small, but the fish sure was pretty!

I know time is short, so I pretty quickly make my way to another pool. The nymph shows little success after a few drifts so I switch to some big meat. Again, just a couple casts into the pool and boom! This fat little Brown attacks my Sculpin pattern like something from a shark movie. I could actually see the fish turn from below to attack the Sculpin just on the last couple strips. 

After releasing him, I figure it's a pretty good sized pool, maybe I can get

another fish from here still. Just a few casts later another good sized Brown slams the Sculpin. Now I'm audibly laughing. Had anyone been within  earshot, they would have heard me laugh and exclaim [to myself] "This is awesome!" This Brown gives me a pretty good fight, but after a few pictures he's released as well.

What are the chances I can convince one more fish in this pool to take the Sculpin? Not even three more casts and I've got another one on! Geez, this is incredible! (This one was a little smaller, like the first trout on the Frenchie, so I released before any photos). 

I've gone since November without catching a nice trout on the fly. Several days of skunk on the Farmington had my confidence down. But here, in Glastonbury, just in a little window of about an hour, I've got four trout landed. Two of which were two of the biggest trout I've ever caught in this stream. 

What a great day on the water. This successful day [hour] should be enough to hold me over til the next 40 degree January day, if we get one.

Eli

Piscor Ergo Sum

Hookset Fly Rodders

Hookset: the act of tightening fishing line, either by hand or by raising the rod tip, in order to "set" the point of the hook into the fish's mouth. Setting the hook properly is the difference between "fishing" and "catching" and a proper hookset is often the deciding line between a decent fisherman and a great fisherman.