South Branch of the Raritan Bug Sampler

Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions posted this great video with a sample of he bugs found in the South Branch of the Raritan.

First appearing is a willow nymph, or early black stone fly nymph.  The early black stone is makes it's first appearance in February and March when temperatures start to rise in the late afternoon.  This hatch offers some great winter dry fly fishing, but don't forget the nymphs which are in the stream all year.

Next is the Isonychia bicolor, also called Iso, Slate Drake, or Lead Wing.  Found in fast moving  riffles in highly oxygenated water, these nymphs are fast swimmers that dart along the stream bottom. These mayflies start emerging in midsummer and hatch in to the fall.

Followed by one of my favorite bugs the scud because they are very abundant an in the streams year round.  Tim's video show how prominent the orange is in the natural.

Then there are two may fly nymphs one from the genus Ephemerella (Sulpher) and the other  from the genus Maccaffertium (March Brown or Cahill).

Trichoptera (Caddisflies) are next on the scene with Hydropsyche, which is a free living net builder, which are important because they get dislodged from time-to-time and drift down stream during times of behavioral drift.  

Finally a Gastropoda or snail which float and crawl most of our streams.

The one bug I did not mention was the Water Penny, which is a beetle larva that the Sulpher nymph was riding.  I don't know the type of beetle it becomes, but a cress bug imitation should represent this bug quite well.

Tim's South Branch Sampler 1/17/14 is a wonderful sample to the food available to trout in our streams in New Jersey and a great reference to use when designing fly patterns.

I recommend you check out Tim's other videos at Tightline Productions on Vimeo.

The Underwater World of Trout - 3 Volume Set Trailer

The Underwater World of Trout Series is an informative video collection, that every angler should own. Don't take my word here's what Lefty Kreh, Gary Borger, Jay "Fishy" Fullum, and Ed Jaworowski said.

“Not just trout fishermen but any fly fishermen stalking fish (bonefish, redfish and more) should buy and absorb what Ozzie has so well presented“.  - Lefty Kreh

“For most of us, this DVD by Ozzie Ozefovich, will provide a highly informative view of the world through the trout's window—a view that we all need to understand, but one that few have seen. Be certain that you see this DVD, it will make you a better angler“. - Gary Borger - Trout Vision & Refraction

“After viewing Feeding Lies,I plan to take a second look at stretches of water I passed up in the past. I will also re-think some of my presentations to the fish residing in these areas.” - Jay "Fishy" Fullum - Feeding Lies

“Feeding Lies will revolutionize trout fishing…no more guessing or imagining what goes on in the trout’s world.The most important trout video to date.”  - Ed Jaworowski - Feeding Lies

Wendell "Ozzie" Ozefovich has been filming and videotaping for more than four decades, so he has the skill and equipment to produce a quality experience. He is an accomplished fly fisherman who looks at a river not just as an angler, but also as a filmmaker. He asks the same questions you do—sometimes finding answers, sometimes finding more questions to ask.

There are no staged aquarium shots; these trout are in their natural environment. There is also footage of sea-run rainbow and brown trout. There are wild fish and stocked fish, fighting fish and spawning fish. You will see beneath the surface as trout feed on drifting invertebrates and surface flies, and how a trout views an angler through its window.

There is a segment on electrofishing and stream bank restoration, which will show that anglers, together with private conservation organizations and government agencies, can work together toward a common goal. This is one of the few presentations that almost everyone from rank beginner to crusty old cuss walks away having learned something!

For information please contact: underwateroz@comcast.net or visit http://www.underwateroz.com/index.html

In full disclosure I was hired be Ozzie to do the motion graphics on "Trout Vision and Refraction." I'm not receiving any compensation for this post or sales of his videos.  Ozzie gave me permission to post this clip, which is copyrighted © 2013 Underwater Oz Production.

Sulphur...are early...my post is late.

The Sulphur this year are two weeks earlier than last year.  Mind you last year was wet and cooler than this year, but with the low water this year everything is early.  It make it a little harder trying to time the hatches, but that's life.

As The Jersey Angler said to me in his last tweet "that's old news dude. Where have you been."  It's obvious I've not been on the stream at the beginning of the Sulphur hatch, but I do make up for lost time.

In 2010 the Sulphur hatch started around May 22, and in 2011 because of the wet spring it was May 28 and by The Jersey Angler accounts this years hatch started around May 11, 2012.  That's a big spread, but I'm afraid with funky weather patterns this is going to be the norm.

Sulphur Spinner returning to lay eggs.

Here is a short hypnotic video of this years spinners returning back in the evening to lay eggs.

 The last thing to add is make sure you have some Rusty spinners.

Bubble Pupa

The big caddis hatch everyone can't wait for is the Mothers Day Caddis or Brachycentrus.  The Brachycentrus is a cased caddis that lives in just about every stream.  This is a prolific hatch and trout engorge themselves on this abundant insects. This hatch in the east starts in May around Mothers Day and can go well in to June, making it an important hatch to fishers.

There are many outstanding patterns to imitate the pupa (it's most vulnerable stage).  The best well know is LaFontaine’s Sparkle Pupa.  Again I'd like to point you in the direction of Matt Grobert's video Tying the LaFontaine Sparkle Emerger  produced by Tim Flagler aka Tightline Productions for instruction on tying this classic pattern.  Another notable pattern is Barr’s Graphic Caddis.

My take on the Mothers Day Caddis is simple, like most of my patterns, mainly because I want to spend more time fishing than tying (the real reason is I'm lazy).  With most of the patterns I develop the golden rule is Keep it simple, Stupid.  For those who don't know the K.I.S.S. rule it's attributed to Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works think spy planes Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird. 

This patterns is developed from observation. I always have a small seine net and will do a kick sample of the stream I fishing to see what bugs and numbers.  If you look at my Popular Posts you'll see that "Emerging Caddis Pupa" is one of my most popular post and those are the images and video I used as reference.

I must give inspirational credit to Davie McPhail videos where I pick-upped using Flashabou for the rib and tinting it with a permanent marker to create a darker but flashy rib.

Bubble Pupa

Hook: Light Wire Caddis Hook.

Size: 14 - 16

Thread: Brown 6/0 or 8/0

Tag: Flashabou

Rib: Flashabou tinted with olive permanent marker.

Abdomen:  Hareline Dubbin HD13 (Insect Green)

Gas Bubble: 1/8" Micro Foam (used to protect electronic)

Legs: Hungarian Partridge

Thorax: Brown Squirrel Dubbing

Start thread and tie in Flashabou.

Wrap tag tie off and dub abdomen.

Tint the inside of the Flashabou and rib abdomen.

Tie in micro foam 1/8" wide.

Tie in Hungarian Partridge by tip.

Wind Partridge tie off and fold over wing case.

Dub Thorax and whip finish.

Your finished Bubble Pupa.

This pattern is a impressionistic pupa designed to be fished in the film. The micro packing foam helps it float and allows light to pass through to mimic the gas bubble of the pupa.  Hence the name Bubble Pupa. This pattern can be tied in various colors to match the caddis coming off on your stream.

Opening Day 2012

Over the years a tradition has developed around opening day of Trout Season. My boys and many friends have a dinner on the banks of a river and many of us camp out to fish the next morning at the 8:00AM start of the season.

This year we had 30 for dinner with just less than half camping out. The large turn out is in direct proportion to the weather, which this year was fabulous.

I'm the grill master with help from The Jersey Angler, and every one brings some thing to table, whether it's appetizers, sides deserts and adult beverages of one sort or another.

While the season only closes for 3 weeks, this is the first outing for many after a long cold winter. This year we didn't winter, more of an extended Autumn.

For me it's a day where I guide my boys and spend time teaching them the art of angling.

Fish on!

Happy Camper

Nice Brookie

Stream entomology

More bugs

Nice Brown.

Could be the big one.

20" Rainbow

Scuds and Belated Happy New Year

Belated Happy New Year!!!

Scuds have nothing to do with the New Year.  I just fish them more in the winter when not much else is happening hatch-wise.

Scuds are found in most waters. Most are herbivores and scavengers feeding on the detritus (leaf litter and dead stuff). They're light sensitive and prefer low-light conditions - dawn, dusk and cloudy days. I've found them to be a great searching pattern when nothing much is going on. Now who wouldn't like a shrimp cocktail before your main course?  Unless of course you have a food allergy. Lucky trout don't.

My K.I.S.S. Scud is my go-to-pattern, but you can use any imitation. Remember they're fast movers with seven pair of legs, so trout don't have time to inspect your fly.

Typical Scud, notice the detritus.

K.I.S.S. Scud in the lip.

Let's see that Brown.

Rainbows large,

and small love scuds.

 K.I.S.S. Scud

Emerging Caddis Pupa

I always carry a little seining net in my vest and take samples from time-to-time. Looking at the insects in the river always influence my tying. I like simple impressionistic patterns and there is no better way to do that than by first hand observation. Seining nets are easy to make some nylon screen and dowels from your local or big box hardware store. Just glue staple or sew the screen to the dowels and roll it up and put it in your vest.

Here are some shots and a video clip of a emerging Caddis pupa. You notice straight away the bright green abdomen the dark wing buds in the thorax and the light translucent head, not to mention the sparkle throughout. You can see why Lafontaine's Sparkle Pupa Emerger works so well.

Emerging Caddis Pupa

Emerging Caddis Pupa side view.

Stone Flies

While on the river the other day I spotted some stone flies fluttering about. Here's a female waiting for the right time to lay her eggs.  One thing I noticed was the difference in color between the  head/thorax and the abdomen.  I'm going to tie my stimulator a little more drab in the abdomen and high light the segmentation, just keeping the color to the head and thorax.

New Jersey Golden Stone and nymph shuck.

Notice the egg sac.

Close-up top view.

Close-up bottom view.