Fishing Report - Late September

Well, its been a while since I wrote a Tully report, the Schuylkill took the front seat throughout the summer. So here we go, Casey and Kyle went out Friday morning, it was a tough morning of nymphing, only a couple fish landed. They covered a decent amount of water, zebra midges, lighting bugs, and BWO nymphs, were the ticket.

I went out Sunday evening to find a nice selection of bugs flying around. White Flies, BWOs, tiny sulphurs, Caddis, and Cream midges. I only had a short time to fish, that was all I needed. I took fish on size 20 CDC BWO patterns. The water is low and clear, so light tippet is a must have.

Tully Nymph selection for the fall

Tully Dry Fly Selection for the fall

Schuylkill on the other hand, well I try to keep everyone up to date weekly. Last weeks rain storm brought levels up for about 24 hours. Then it plummeted back down to, super low and clear. The fishing has been slow, but we have moved a few super nice fish despite the levels. So pray for a couple more storms and the bass will be on. Water temps are dropping, mid day to evening is the best time to get out, with the cooler temps the bass are putting their feed bags on, getting ready for the winter. Zuddler minnows in olive still prove to be my favorite fly of the season, and last season, and the season before that, pattern hmm, I think not.

Featured Fly - Hard Candy Stone

The Hard Candy Stone is the close cousin to the Thumpin Jack Flash Stonefly. It is very close to it, with a few new twists. The Thumper has proven itself over the past 3 seasons from the Great Lakes to Alaska. Change the color and it can be a golden stone, little winter stone, or even a giant black stone. Check it out.

Materials:

Hook: TMC 2457 sz. 10 - 6

Tail: Goose Biots - Black 

Abdomen: Ultra Wire - Black & Matching Color

Legs: Goose Biots - Black

 Thorax: Estaz -  Black, Pink, Blue, Chart

Wing Case: Thin Skin - Mottled Oak 

Step 1:  Tie in the first color of ultra wire, on the side of the hook.

Step 2: Tie in the second color of ultra wire, on the other side of the hook.

Step 3: Make a small dubbing ball, to help split the biot tails.

Step 4: Tie in 2 biots making the tail. Wrap your thread half way to the hook eye.

Step 5: Wrap both colors of ultra wire to the thread point.

Step 6: Take a pair of pliers, with tape(Helps to not scratch the ultra wire) smash the wire down  making a flat body.

Step 7:  Tie in 2 biots for the first set of legs.

Step 8: Tie in the estaz and make 2 wraps forward.

Step 9: Tie in the first wing case.

Step 10:  Tie in 2 more biots, making the second set of legs.

Step 11: Make 2 more wraps of estaz.

Step 12: Tie in the second wing case.

Step 13: Tie in 2 more biots, making a total of 6 legs.

Step 14: Whip Finish and cut off. Add a little head cement to seal the head.

Step 15: Take a pair of scissors, and trim the estaz on the bottom. Making a thin profile.

 Finished Fly:

Calendar of Events - TCO Reading

We have been busy planning a few fall and winter events. Below you will see dates, times, and costs of the events. But first I want to talk about the first event coming up, October 5th we will be having our second TCO Movie night to raise money for the Tully Fingerling Program. Last year we had plans to stock them the weekend Sandy hit, high water, turning into cold water, made us postpone the stocking. This year we will be stocking 1500 fingerlings on the 14th of October. We will plan on doing this each year for as long as we can. We will be having Frank "Chip" Swarner Tying flies at the shop all day, and throughout the event. Every fly he ties that day will go into a box and be raffled off to support the program. Just like last year, we will have a silent auction, including a 1/2 day guide trip with me, Chip's flies, and a few other products, and a raffle at the end of the event. We will have a local micro brew supplying beer, Pizza, and other drinks. Oh yeah and the movie, Low and Clear a steelhead video from BC, with some Colorado Trout, and Texas Redfish, an awesome video with great footage, and fish. So come out and support your local fly shop, and help us put fingerlings back in the stream we all love!!!

Calendar of Events

October 5^th: Movie Night 

Movie -  Low and Clear

Beer – Working with a local brew company – saucony creek or Appalachian 

Start Time – 5pm

Movie Start Time – Dark 

October 5^th: Frank “Chip” Swarner Fly Tying 

Time -  All Day 

Tying Salmon and Steelhead Flies

Details – Chip will be donating the flies he ties that day to the raffle, Stop by throughout the day, and check out Chip’s talents with tying steelhead flies. Pick is brain about his extensive knowledge of these fish and the waters around the Great Lakes where he fishes.

October 9^th: Fly Tying with Casey 65.00 per person

Time 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Lake Erie Basics

Details – Casey has been fishing and tying flies for Lake Erie steelhead for over 10 years now. He knows the ins and outs of size, color, and style fly to tie for Erie success. He will be teaching how to tie some of his go to flies, from eggs to small nymphs that will work any given time you go up.

October 12^th: Fly Tying with Frank Chip Swarner 65.00 per person 

Time: Noon 

Steelhead and Salmon Beginner Class 

Want to learn how to tie steelhead flies? Chip will be going over the basics for steelhead fly tying, types of hooks, materials, and of course tying them. You will learn how to tie stoneflies, Eggs, and everything in between. Get yourself ready for the fall, learn skills that will help you fill that steelhead box for any Great Lakes Trip you have planned for the season. 

October 23: Fly Tying with Jake – 65.00 per person 

Steelhead Tube Flies

Time: 6:00 Pm 

Details – Join Jake for a fly tying lesson, learning one of his favorite types of flies to tie. Tube Flies have been around for a while now, and there is so much to learn about tying on them. Jake had been tying tubes for steelhead, trout, and bass for some time now, check out these awesome flies, and learn the technology behind them.

November 6^th:  Fly Tying with Jake – 65.00 per person 

Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm

Stoneflies and other Natural flies for Steelhead

The creator of the Thumpin Jack Flash Stonefly, Jake is borderline obsessed with tying stonefly nymphs for great lakes steelhead and browns. Come learn how to tie “guide simple” stones, to more complex stones. Jake has almost 10 years of steelhead experience from Alaska to New York, and one thing has stayed the same, he’s always loaded up with stoneflies. 

November 13^th:  Fly Tying with Casey 65.00 per person

Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm

Lake Erie Streamers

Now that you have the nymphs down, come check out some of Casey’s go to streamers for Lake Erie steelhead. Size is everything out there when the water is low and clear, pick Casey’s brain about his years of experience walking the banks of Elk and many other Erie streams, while he teaches you his favorite streamers.

November 16^th:  Fly Tying with Chip 65.00 per person

Time: Noon 

Intermediate Steelhead and Salmon Class

Ok, now that you have the basics down, sign up to take the next step in fly tying for steelhead and salmon. Chip will be teaching the fine art of streamer tying for the great lakes. You will learn skills like, tying in a shank with stinger hook, and tying on a hook directly. Chip has been swinging and striping flies for great lakes fish for over a decade, so while he is teaching pick his brain on, anything great lakes. 

December 14^th: Tropical Movie Night 

Time: 5:00 pm

Are you ready for it to warm up yet? Well if you are, take a break from tying your steelhead flies, come grab a beer, some pizza, and relax while we show a movie “not sure yet” to warm your thoughts up. Enjoy a 10% off coupon for your next purchase at TCO for the holiday season. We will have fly tying demos, Holiday gift ideas, food, and drinks. So Stop out and say hi and enjoy a nice evening at your local fly shop.

September Smallmouth

Eric Snyder from Maryland came up yesterday for a full day float. Eric is a repeat client from last year, and a commercial fly tier, he specializes in foam topwater bugs. TCO has carried a few of his patterns in the past, and will be carrying more next year.

Ok back to the fishing, the water was the lowest I've seen all year, it was a bit sunny out, and gin clear. Despite the odds, Eric fished hard all day, good things come to those who wait. We ended up landing one of the biggest bass of the year, had a musky follow a huge crayfish, and saw at least 4 other musky in one hole. As the sun went down, the fish got a bit more active and we managed a couple more fish. The water is cooling off nicely, hopefully with this next storm rolling in, we will get some water, and the fall feed will be on. I also got some awesome shots of crayfish yesterday, and a couple darters (little baitfish), anyone that tells you there are no crayfish in the Schuylkill are dead wrong, I counted over 50 right at the launch, then at least that many, when we stopped for lunch.

Hot Flies: Crayfish, Zuddlers, and Mice

Here are a couple examples of Eric's work:

Featured Fly - Fish Mask Deceiver

This guy is tied just like Mike Schmidt's double deceiver, however it is only the back half of the fly. There are many different colors, styles, and sizes of the deceiver, but one this will always be the same, I love this fly. I fish deceivers for everything, trout, bass, stripers, and pike. My recent trip to VT, is the motivation behind this fly, on top of Fish Skulls new sick product "fish masks". We have had great luck with smallmouth using this fly, and going to VT and watching the pike destroy anything orange was just crazy, so here we go.

Materials:

Hook: Partridge Predator - 2 to 6/0

Tail: Schlappen Feathers - Color to match Deer Hair

Flash: Flashabou or Holo Flashabou 

Body: Deer Hair - 2 Contrasting colors 

Head: Fish Skull - Fish Mask (Coming Soon)

Step 1: Tie in 2 Schlappen feathers.

Step 2: Tie in 2 more feathers.

Step 3: Add a clump of flashabou, making the length of the flash about 1 inch longer than the feather.

Step 4: Tie in a small clump of deer hair, on the top.

Step 5: Tie in a clump on the bottom.

Step 6: Repeat step 4 and 5.

Step 7: Repeat step 4 and 5.

Step 8: Repeat step 4 and 5.

Step 9: Tie in some flash as accent.

Step 10: Repeat step 4 and 5.

Step 11: Repeat step 4 and 5.

Step 12: Tie in 2 longer barred hackle feathers, then add a small clump of red deer hair for the throat.

Step 13: Put a little CCG, and slide fish mask on, hit it with a uv light.