Brew n' Bugs

Brew n’ Bugs is an open tie night at the shop. Every 2 weeks the TCO crew will be hanging out at the shop tying flies and drinking a different type of local micro brew. We will be setting up a table in the shop and tying flies to fill our boxes for the up and coming season. Come in and follow us step by step, or bring stuff and tie your own creations that go along with the theme of the night. We are going to be doing these through the beginning of April to see how it goes. If there is a positive showing we will be tying every 2 weeks for as long as people keep coming. There will be a $5.00 charge to help us with the beer and materials for the night. Each session will feature flies tied by a member of the crew, materials will be included to tie along.

Feb 3^rd: 6-8pm – Winter Tailwater Flies - Saucony Creek Brew 

Fed 17^th: 6-8pm – Spring Creek Bugs – Stoudts Brew

Mar 3^rd: 6-8pm – Spring Steelhead Flies - Appalachian Brewing Company

Mar 17^th: 6-8pm – Caddis Flies – Sly Fox

Mar 31^st: 6-8pm – Spring Tailwater Flies – Victory Brew

Apr 14^th: 6-8pm – Mayfly Season – Tröegs Brew

Shoot me an email if you are interested: Jake's Email

Photo Archives - Trout and More

This isn't going to be a long post. I was flipping through my camera today and realized that I had some photos that never made the blog. The Sculpin Beer goes along with the single little Brown, I spent about three hours on the stream for that little guy. So why not go to the bar and discover they had your favorite beer in the cooler? The rest are all from Big Spring.

Enjoy the photos:

Featured Fly - Thread Body Olive Nymph

Winter time around a tailwater means it's time to fill the fly boxes with BWO Nymphs and Midge Larvae. This little wonder would fall under the BWO category. It is a very simple fly that only takes a couple materials. I have fished it on local small streams around the shop and the little wild trout love it.

Materials:

Hook: TMC 102Y sz. 18 - 22

Bead: Tungsten Bomb Bead - Black

Thread: 8/0 UNI Thread - Olive Dun 

Rib: Ultra Wire sz. Small - Black 

Tail: CDL Feathers 

Body: UNI Thread - Olive Dun

Thorax: Ice Dub - UV Dark Olive 

Step 1: Make a small thread base behind the bead.

Step 2: Make a tight thread base all the way to the bend of the hook. Tie in the ultra wire as you go.

Step 3: Grab about ten CDL fibers and tie in.

Step 4: Wrap the thread forward over top the CDL fibers. This helps as a little bulk to the body.

Step 5: Wrap back towards the bend of the hook, stop short and bring the thread forward, repeat this step a few times. This will make a slight tapered body out of the thread.

Step 6: Wrap the Ultra Wire forward, making a nice even rib.

Step 7: Dub the thorax, making about 3 wraps of Ice Dub.

Step 8: Whip finish and cut thread.

Finished Fly:

Gear Review - Foot Tractor Wading Boot

The Patagonia foot tractor boot is in a category of its own. It is the latest and greatest from Patagonia and with the fly fishing show right around the corner, it is the perfect time to check them out. I wanted to do a review on these boots after I had fished them on all different types of water and terrain. They are one of the most comfortable pair of boots I have owned. They are not the lightest boot in terms of weight, but once you are wearing them, you hardly notice them. The aluminum bar boot is a newer concept that started off just as a hard plastic bottom with straight bars across them. Patagonia has taken the concept to the next level with this boot. There is sticky rubber in between each jagged-edged aluminum bar to help grip uneven surfaces. A high ankle collar gives you maximum support for those long walks over rough terrain. Patagonia's Clarino® synthetic leather is a durable and abrasion resistant material. Unlike natural leather, you don't have to worry about the material shrinking. Finally, the "D" ring makes attaching your gravel guards easy as pie.



With all good comes bad, such as the price tag of $279.00.  It is a lot of money, however, if you consider when you buy other boots, studs are typically sold separately (which often cost upwards of $60.00).  Another downside to these boots is that the aluminum bars are soft and flat making smooth surfaces like shale dangerous to wade. On the other hand, given that aluminum is a soft metal, instead of cutting and ripping the stream bottom, it molds to it so that you can gain traction.


I have worn these boots on the Salmon River, Tulpehocken Creek, Schuylkill River, Big Spring Creek, and Valley Creek.  Besides the price and difficulty wading on shale, I think these boots are awesome.  Stop in at the shop and check them out.  

If you look close you can see Patagonia Foot Tractors

Meet the New Guy - Dave Troop

We want to Welcome Dave Troop to the TCO Family! Dave has been a strong supporter for the shop for some time now, from being a loyal customer, to showing his support tying flies at some of our events. Dave has been an avid fisherman for much of his life, and like many of us, once he found fly fishing he decided to dig in deep. He is currently an electrician by trade, but with the love and support from his wife Holly and two kids Lilly and Connor, he is looking to change that, and take on the Dream (as I call it), working at the shop, and filling every free inch of life with fly fishing. Dave is a PA native, fishing many of the rivers and streams in southeast pa, like French Creek, Perkiomen Creek, Tulpehocken Creek, and the Schuylkill River. Dave loves fishing for musky and bass from a kayak, and finds time to make an Erie run for steelhead very year. When Dave isn't fishing, he is teaching his son and daughter to tie flies, camping, hiking, and well thinking about fishing.

Stop in the shop and say hi! We are very excited to add Dave to the Family!

Featured Fly - SYE Sow Bug

So here it is everyone, the fly that has made me so successful on the spring creeks down south. It is a very simple yet effective fly, and looks very close to the real thing. This sow bug, can be tied in just about any color you want, my favorite colors are, sow bug, tan rainbow, and rainbow. To go with this featured fly, I might as well give the the report from the last trip down on Sunday. Joey and I meet up and fished pretty much until we couldn't see. We had fish rising to Blue Wings, and every now and then one would eat a black stonefly. Sow bugs and little tiny olive pheasant tails where the only two bugs I had success on. It was warm and foggy most of the day, and the water temps stayed at a level 52 degrees.

Materials:

Hook: TMC C200 BL 14-16

Thread: UNI Thread 8/0 - Grey 

Under Body: Lead Wire .020

Dubbing: Sow Scud Dub - Tan Rainbow 

Shell Back: UV Curing Glue -  Loon Thick 

Step 1: This is important, make a very tight and solid thread base. It will help with keeping the lead from sliding around.

 Step 2: Tie in the lead along the side of the hook shank. Do this on both sides, making a thin and wide profile. Use a small drop on UV glue to secure once both sides are tide on.

Step 3: Pick your dudding color.

Step 4: You will need 3 times as much dubbing as you would think you do. 

Step 5: Tightly wrap the body, getting as much dubbing on the hook as possible. This will make combing trimming much easier.

Step 6: Whip finish and cut off thread.

Step 7: Brush and pick out all the dubbing.

Step 8: Once you brush all the budding to the sides, add a coat or two of UV curing glue to form a nice smooth shell back.

Step 9: Trim the sides, I like to keep them a little wider, this give the fly a little more movement. 

Finished Fly:

Joeys Sow Bug eating Rainbow

A chunky wild rainbow that loves Sow Bugs