Mustad 277 Size 32 Gold Plated Hooks

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Ed Mitchell

Mustad 277 Size 32 Gold Plated Hooks

I’ve been doing a bit of tying lately and that’s got me digging through my supplies. Well yesterday during one of these episodes, I came across something interesting. Something I thought you might like to see. Its a box of Mustad 277, gold plated,  size 32, hooks!

Mustad 277 size 32 gold plated hooks

What on earth was I doing with size 32 hooks?  Excellent question. Years ago I used to fish the upper Housatonic River in West Cornwall, Connecticut. Winding between the highlands, the river follows what geologists call the limestone valley. That kiss of limestone ensures these waters are rich with life. Overall, it’s a place of rolling hills, thick forests, and small communities. Yes, an old covered bridge too.

In the fall there is a big Pseudocloeon hatch. At least that is what we called them years ago. They are tiny BWOs that cover the river making for some very tactical fishing. Flies from size 20 on down fit the bill. Frustration during these hatches got me looking to go even smaller. So I searched for and found tiny hooks including these crazy things.

Four size 32 hooks on a dime

Now I bet you’re wonder just how small a size 32 is. Above you’ll see four on them on a dime. If you can find them. Lord almighty they’re tiny! Below is another shot that might help you more. The top hook is a size 16 Tiemco 2487. The middle hook is the same hook in size 24. And the bottom hook is the infamous 32. (Care to own these little critters? I’ll sell them to you. Drop me a line.)     The hooks sold!

Three hooks a 16#, a 24#, and a 32#

Honestly I never used them. Why? These 32 hooks do not have a conventional eye that you could thread a tippet too. It is just a flattened disc at the end of the shank. And even if they did have an eye, back then there was no tippet fine enough to accomplish the task. (Maybe there is today) All you could have done was snelled the hook. Oh well, I’ve pulled them out at group fly tying demos and got some wide-eyes and great laughs.

The Hooks are Sold!

 

Posted in Flies and Fly Tying | 8 Comments

Sherman Foote Denton Fish Prints

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Ed Mitchell

Sherman Foote Denton Fish Prints

Sooner or later every serious angler gets a hankering for some fish art. Maybe its only stickers on your truck window, or a decal on your stripping basket. Fine by me. But it could also be a nice framed piece of art on your mancave wall.  Go for it my friend!

Eons ago, when I was teaching in Albany, New York, I wandered into a antique shop hoping to find old fly gear. On a table near the front door was a pile of fish prints, that immediately caught my eye. Ummm really nice. So I picked up a short stack, thumbed through them and then inquired on the price. “Three bucks each you say?” Sold.

Sherman Foote Denton Fish Print

They were chromolithographs done by artist, naturalist S. F. Denton. The one above is a Squeteague or weakfish. Squeteague is an Algonquian word meaning fish of many colors. Please forgive the reflections in the photo. It was shot behind glass. But at least it gives you some idea of the accuracy and image quality.

Sherman was quite a talent in his day. (So was his father for that matter) He was so good the State of New York commissioned him to document all the wildlife in the state. Then New York published the artwork, from 1895 to 1909, in their The Fish and Game of the State of New York Annual Reports.  These mighty tomes were chockablock filled with bound Denton plates. They were nearly 100 fresh and saltwater fish in each issue. (Along with a ton of wild life). And in one annual, the state also add a complete unbound portfolio in the rear, ready for framing. Amazing. Those were the days.

Today you can easily find Denton fish prints on the internet. Some are 100 year old originals. The background is a light grey and the prints measures about 9″-12″. Prices vary widely, however. From $20 each to over $100. So search around for the best price. On the other hand, copies are typically dirt cheap, although the quality is often inferior.  If you really like Denton’s work you might look on line for one of those annual reports. An intact one will have a huge number of plates, and cost under $200. Quite a deal.

 

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The Stocking Truck Showed Up

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Ed Mitchell

The Stocking Truck Showed Up

Its been a cool, windy and wet spring so far. Rivers rising and falling. With a decent weather report and no rain, I decided to head over to the Salmon River in Colchester. Yeah it had been high, but I figured it was down by now. And it was. As soon as I got out of the truck, a guy walked  over and said “Do you know what time the stocking truck is going to show up?”  “Got me” I replied. He then added “Should be soon.”

The Stocking Truck Showed Up

He then proceeded to show me a fly he planned to use on a Euro-nymph rig. I think he called it a “Squiggly Wiggly”.  He said it was a killer. Absolutely deadly. I had heard of the fly, but had never seen one. To me it looked like a weighted San Juan Worm, a fly I first saw years ago on the New Mexico’s San Juan River. It was an effective fly that many anglers bad mouthed. They said it wasn’t a truth fly. Bull sh*t! There were small aquatic worms in the submerged mossy all along the banks of the San Juan. And I’ve seen them in other rivers too, especially tailwater rivers. Nowadays guys say the same thing about the “Mop’ fly.  Oh well.

The Squiggly Wiggly

For a time I though he might be joking around about the stocking truck.  But sure enough an hour later the truck came rumbling down the road. Oh boy, here we go. Wham, they dumped in fresh trout by the net load. Decent size fish too. I saw one big, brood stock rainbow go it. Real tank. That bad boy is going to lit up someone’s life.

The Stocking Truck Showed Up

Now that doesn’t mean you’re going to catch those fish right off. Typically freshly stocked fish are in a state of shock. Hell, they have spent their entire life in a concrete swimming pool, and suddenly they are in strange new surrounding. Puzzled and confused they are. Don’t be surprised if they nail right to the bottom for an hour or more. And ignore flies too. After all up to now, they have been fed by a machine. But once they get acclimated to their new digs, wow the bite is on. Still its best to keep your flies slow and low. Don’t expect these fish to chase sometime flying by. Creep it by their nose. They may hit it two or three times before you hook them. Yes, yours truly released a bunch trout. And my friend with the “Squiggly Wiggly” did too.  I imagine there were a lot of happy faces up and own the river. Hey, the stocking truck showed up.

The Stocking Truck Showed Up

Posted in Flies and Fly Tying, Fly Fishing in Freshwater | Leave a comment

Hareline Dyed Pheasant Tail Feathers

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Ed Mitchell

Ringneck pheasant tail is one of those material you should always have on hand. Great for nymphs and pupa. Well a few days back I went digging through my fly tying mountain of materials to find some and came up empty handed. Ugh. That send me searching the internet to remedy the situation.

While there I came across something I hadn’t seen before -Hareline Dyed Ringneck Pheasant feathers. Ummmm. Kinda nice. They were available in a 9 colors as well as natural.  Black, green, orange, to name a few. And they come two feathers to a pack.  I thought I would pick natural and green. J. Stockard Fly Fishing had a good price, so I shopped there. But natural was out of stock. So I took a chance on orange and green. 

Overall I think these dyed pheasant tail fibers are a good idea. Happy with the colors. My only concern is that the fibers on the feathers I received were shorter that I would like. It made tying on size 12# a chore even on a Tiemco 2487 which has a short  shank. I had you use two bunches of fibers to complete each fly.  As a result I do not think the flies turned out are as neat as they could have been. Well, they are still going to catch fish.

 

 

 

 

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Stripers 2021 – What can We Expect?

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Ed Mitchell

Stripers 2021 – What can We Expect?

Stripers 2021- What can We Expect

Yes, the striper season has begun. The question is – what can we expect? If last season is any measure, mainly schoolies. Sure, I know some guy, somewhere had  great fishing.  But overall, in most locations, the bass blast last year in New England was disappointing. And when you look at the stock assessment, there is no good news. None. The spawning stock biomass is down, and recruitment is poor. In fact 2016 is the only good year class coming up. You can find that data here.

Stripers 2021-What can We Expect?

Those 2016 bass should be about 25-27″ this year. So they’re sublegal until at least 2022. In fact if it was up to me, I’d raise the minimum size to 30″ next year. That would give the 2016 bass another shot on the spawning rounds. And a chance to reach 30″.  Both would be great things. So for the time being, lets enjoy what we have. A striper of 25-27″ is a fun fish on a fly rod. I’ll be leaning on my Scott Meridian  much of the time. It is a terrific performer, top shelf rod.

Please take care to release these fish unharmed. Pinch down your barbs and use heavier tippets so you can land the fish quickly. And remember that hook & release mortality is much, much higher in warm brackish water, such as you find up rivers. Limit your time there. These 2016 critters  are pretty much all we got. I mean it.

Stripers 2021 – What can We Expect?

Posted in Fly Fishing in Salt Water | 2 Comments