DELAWARE TAILWATER SELECTIVITY CATSKILL CLINIC

Look forward to seeing all my east coast friends for my September Selectivity tailwater clinic- contact Delaware River Club for more info...cheers!

Here is the link:
http://thedelawareriverclub.com/events/

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Posted in: Al Caucci , Big Delaware , Delaware river club , hatches , masking hatch , Selectivity book , selectivity dvd , tail waters , WEST BRANCH DELAWARE

FULL WOLF MOON, EL NINO THAW = IDEAL FRESH RUN STEEL /TROUT CONDITIONS

                                                    ( January's "wolf howling" full moon)
If any of you have read my 'Steelhead Dreams' and 'Selectivity' books, you know the importance I place on full moon cycles for fresh migrating winter steelhead and lake-run browns. Also it "jumps up" the biological drift a notch and puts resident trout on the a/a bite.

Couple this with a winter thaw from a sub/near zero Fahrenheit period and things start moving and coming alive.

The moon deals with the fish's pineal gland and the lessening of melatonin  secretions, thus promoting' around the clock migration'- aggressive/active feeding responses by resident trout. The thaw gives a slight bump in river flows from snow melt and sunny days. Thus fresh chrome steelhead and holdover darker fish start moving up the system in a sort of "winter awakening" period.

(Gene Kelly/Boston and the Steelhead Princess- Grace Smith/OH both with  three nights into a 'howlin wolf' full moon from years past-  even though sub zero conditions , the fresh chrome  fish were ignoring temps when the hormonal/endocrine system dominates behavior). 

So, if you are in the hunt for a trophy 'pre-spawn' winter steelhead leviathan, now is the time to get out. Your best bet will be to focus on biological drift items: stone fly nymphs and  larvae, burrow leaving hexagenia wigglers, small bait fish/sculpin leeches etc.- and the proverbial egg patterns. If you are a swinger , focus on the duller natural motifs with some bling/flash used as suggestive colors along with the pinks and fuchsia reds .

BIOLOGICAL DRIFT/TROUT AND THE WOLF MOON

The daylight hours are already on the positive increase side. Her , coupled with a full moon and thaw greatly increases the bio drift of stones, midges, scuds- which all in tune spark the trout's feeding from a dark window of semi- passive dormant behavior as a general rule' life survival strategy' rule. My records indicate wiggling black and olive stones to start downstream migrations with this moon cycle. Midge activity will be in full phase along with strong scud activity along the shorelines.

( Winter scud eater on the Muskegon for my lucky client)

It could be possible that our Polar Vortex was very short lived this winter- watching a Bundesliga Soccer match from Germany it was 40F there today- very unusual for Germany at this time and global warming -like!

cheers!- we are taking 2016 spring booking and will be on the water all winter with these 'balmy conditions'.

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Posted in: gray drake lodge , michigan fly fishing , michigan steelhead , muskegon fly fishing , Muskegon hatches , Muskegon River steelhead , scuds , tail waters

BEAVER CREEK,MD SELECTIVITY CLINIC...SPRING CREEKS/TAILWATERS

                                       MAY 16/17TH, HAGERSTOWN MARYLAND
                                                              BEAVER CREEK

                   CUMBERLAND VALLEY'S NEWEST RESTORED FLY FISHING HALLMARK
Many do not know that Beaver Creek was one of the first 'FLIES-ONLY' streams in the country back in the 1930's. Having had hatchery effluent problems, habitat degradation and siltation problems over the decades since hurricane Agnes came through in the 70's. Beaver
 Creek is now back! Thanks to the help of TU/FFF, Watershed Council, Chesapeake Watershed grant money and the creeks Watershed council and Maryland DNR, wild browns are once again thriving along with fat healthy rainbows. When I lived in Washington, DC for a decade back in my hotel executive days, I fished Beaver Creek almost weekly and worked with the biologists to establish wild brown trout- 30 years later it is now a success!

Join the Author and guide for an intimate in-depth, two day clinic- Saturday and Sunday, May 16th/17th. Learn to crack the code of the Selectivity stages and understand Cumberland Valley limestone spring creek/tailwater trout -like the Beaver and Savage River offers. Having guided tailwaters and spring creeks for over 28 years, I am well familiar with these fussy fisheries. 

 Most importantly , learn and understand my views on diagnostics for ' PREDATOR FORAGING PROFILES (PFP ),-( in my new upcoming Fly Fisherman Magazine article), which will make many of my  observations of spring creek and tailwater trout foraging more obvious and understood to properly present the right offering and style.

Two days of classroom clinics, learning to tie some new scud/crustacea patterns, blue-winged olives/ wiggle nymphs, getting ready for the sulphur hatch emergers, and the final delectables of spring creek and tailwater trout!- midges/chironomidae, and terrestrials.

Both days will revolve heavily on 'boots in water', on-stream instruction- study trout behavior, learn entomology, read 'taking water based on PFP, and understand perfect leviathan big brown holding water for sculpinating -sometimes it is so bloody obvious we walk right past it!!!. 

Learning to use your fly rod arsenal  by incorporating short and tucked modified single handed spey casts in the tight brush and tree cover that small streams command- ESPECIALLY BEAVER!!!-  attention to when presentation perfection- upstream/downstream- when to apply them- based on PFP, is all part of the gig !

Saturday night is an intimate dinner and cocktail hour to discuss comments/progress/ ..whatever is on your mind!- with a guest speaker from the Maryland DNR, and Watershed Council.

 I am embarking on a series of 'Selectivity Clinics' nationwide and next year in Europe- my homeland!

Hope to see you!

CONTACT INFO

http://www.beavercreekflyshop.com/index.php

EMAIL

james@beavercreekflyshop.com

jimmyjames387@gmail.com

Also

matt@graydrake.com

www.graydrake.com

HOPE TO SEE YOU!

any questions, concerns that 'you are novices' is not a problem- the gig is all about learning!- fly fishing is a complete empirical laboratory, where your minds are allowed to wonder and have fun! 

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Posted in: beaver creek , Big spring PA , Cumberland Valley Limestone spring creeks , Letort Spring Run , Md FLY FISHING , Selectivity book , selectivity dvd , sulphers , tail waters

SELECTIVITY- BOOK PRESS RELEASE

                              COMING JANUARY 1 !...from Stackpole Books by Matt Supinski
 
Forward by Al Caucci, author 'Hatches I & II'-amazing entomology photography by John Miller

An in depth look in to the complex and intricate world of Trout, Steelhead and Atlantic Salmon selectivity around the world. Featuring stunning color photography of  hundreds of the world's great rivers by some of the best photographers- featuring Ken Takata's cover image, underwater images from Quebec's Jean-Guy Beliveau and the amazing close-up photography of trout taking surface insects by Jason Jagger  -over 600 color fly patterns/plates and recipes- a lifelong project by the author and his photography!

TROUT- an in depth look at all species of trout and chars and their selective behavior , physiology/vision and evolutionary history around the globe- from Slovenia Marble trout, to European grayling and sea run  brown trout of the Baltic/Great Lakes , Artic char and the world's top brown, rainbow and brook trout rivers , with a special look at spring creek brown trout tactics on the author's favorite PA/VA/UK/MT spring creeks and Catskill  freestone/tailwaters like the Delaware/Beaverkill- to Michigan's trout utopia.

Trout tactics, flies and behavior on freestone, tailwaters, spring creeks, beaver ponds, the surf etc.

Trout habitat by ecosystem niche , structure, night fishing, trophy hunting.
 
Testimonials by John Randolph, Ed Shenk, Dick Pobst, Dave Hughes

STEELHEAD- a look into the introspective selective mind of 'the fish of a thousand casts'- strong focus on west coast steelheading and steelhead specific behavior when taking flies:swinging/dries/nymphs and holding lie  applications- stunning photography from the Babine to the Dean, to the Great Lakes- featuring some of the worlds top steelheaders - testimonials from Trey Combs and Bill McMillan- stunning images from California's Jeff Bright and the author.

ATLANTIC SALMON- This complex and perplexing 50 million year old beast's psychology and behavior to the fly and its river lies receives an in depth look into the three selectivity stages this fish frequents constantly.. The author's use of Freudian theory and applications to the extreme mood and behavioral stages of salmo salar when confronted with the fly and river migration is an exciting and thought provoking look at these noble 'fish of kings'. Along with the insight and contributions of world famous Ichthyologist- Dr. Bror Jonsson from Norwary- author of  the epic bible on the subject, 'Ecology of Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout'( Springer University Press), there is never a dull moment when measuring up all the insurmountable difficulty in tactics, presentation and fly selection that the ' Leaper' presents.
Atlantic and Landlocked Salmon  salmon rivers from the Gaspe of Quebec, to Scotland, Scandinavia, Iceland and Russia all are given a strong analysis from the author's journeys and   some of the top Atlantic fly fishers in the world. Stunning images from Arni Baldursson- LAX-A , Hakan Stenlund and the author to mention just a few.

NOTES: Matt will be speaking and signing books at The Fly Fishing Show- Somerset N.J in January and will be the featured presenter at the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival in April.He will kick off the book in Michigan at Glen Blackwood's Great Lakes Fly Fishing Co January 18th followed by other Michigan flyshops.  He will also be doing book signings at your local  fly shops/clubs around the country. More updates will be posted when finalized. Matt also has a feature article in The January issue of FLY FISHERMAN on ' Hatch Matching Steelhead'. His '12 Year Anniversary Edition - STEELHEAD DREAMS'- is now back in print and available again. 

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Posted in: freestone , gray drake lodge , matt supinski , michigan fly fishing , selective steelhead. selective atlantic salmon , selective trout , Selectivity book , spring creeks , tail waters

SUMMER TAIL WATERS...........COOL,CALM AND REFRESHING

( The tail water arsenal-Orvis Helios 10ft-5wght.-Abel Super 6N new brown trout design, Orvis green wonderline-power wf,Varivas deep green supple standard leader........and a box of selective trout CDC mayfly emergers and duns

( Mr. Big!- a fat and wary tail water brown that fell for my Potamanthus wiggle nymph)

( my Potamanthus wiggle nymphs- using Caucci/Nastasi spectrablend dubbing material which changes color when wet to match the naturals perfectly)

( Potamanthus dun and nymph courtesy of euroflyangler.com-excellent web site packed with great information)

( many tail waters have cold , oxygen loving vegetation like elodea, duckwort and chara- perfect homes for scuds and clinging sulpher and bwo mayflies)

( fog and steam off the tail water is the classic scenario)

Now that summer is here, it is time for tail waters and spring creeks to come into their own spectacular value.Whether you are on the Bighorn or Green out west, the Taneycomo, Muskegon or Cumberland of the Midwest, the White, Holston or Smith of the south, or finally on the wild trout rich Delaware or Neversink of the Catskills, these magnificent trout fisheries were tailor made from hydro dams- without the dams, these fisheries probably wouldn't exist!

In an age of "dam busters" and enviro nazis trying to undo what has already been done, these reservoir fisheries of cool , oxygenated, bio-rich environments are perfect trout homes even during heat waves and droughts- common today with the global climate change conditions and up-and-down weather conditions changing from day-to-day.

So.........before you want to take down a dam, think twice about what already exists-bottom line,' if it ain't broken, don't try to fix it!"- what needs to be fixed is how the dams control their flows- run-of- river stable and mandated releases are the trout friendly things to do-BUT, drinking water for N.Y.C. and hydro power are businesses and the trout thing just happened to come as an after thought.YES........in many cases, taking down non-functional dams is the smart thing to create better upstream spawning migrations and further the range of fish migration.But trout and tail waters are a perfect combination- just like limestone springs and the same.Reservoir impoundments contain tons of plankton, which are the food source for all benthic aquatic vertebrate and invertebrate-this is what the trout need to get fat and sassy!

Muskegon conditions -excellent. Rains and cool weather have good flows. Green caddis starting up and there are still good numbers of gray drakes at dark. The blue-winged olives are at their prime now and will be the whole rest of the season until November.

Catskill tail waters have excellent sulpher and bwo hatches, also the giant golden drake-Potamanthus distinctus.

Have fun!!!

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Posted in: Abel , Bighorn , brown trout , Delaware , Green river , Holsten , muskegon trout steelhead , Neversink , Orvis Helios , potamanthus , Smith , tail waters , Taneycomo