Baetis, Baetis Everywhere...and a Spot of Flash to Sink

There happened to be a baetis hatch. It happened to be as cold as certain portions of a brass monkey.   Brisk as it was, those little blue-winged freaks just kept on popping out of the water like a Janet Jackson Super Bowl mishap.  I so happened to stroll upon the river at just the right time, thus encountering what happened to be some pretty fun fishing. 

I had taken my time that morning.   I enjoyed a stellar ham, egg and cheese bagel with a side of boiling coffee and milled about the house contemplating the reasons behind fishing in the cold.  The night previous had wracked the Twin Cities with rain and a temperature drop of a stout thirty degrees. I came to the conclusion that because I could fish, I ought to.  Noon thirty...well...I supposed it was that time. The Jeep had been loaded up trout bum style for a month now.   I had the whole setup complete with waders, rods, an over-geared vest, and used and abused leaders.  A Fly Angler sticker adorned the hatch and the interior was beautifully decorated with McDonald's bags and gas station coffee lids. As my hour long drive started I envisioned the Rush River to be a chocolate colored rage-fest with heavy, golden beasts mashing unsuspecting bait fish near the banks.  A.ka. streamer water!  Alas, my dreams of fat brown grandeur were dashed.  Upon first sight of the modest stream I was baffled when viewing the sheer perfection of it's flow and clarity.  Where did all the rain go? None the less, a good problem to have when the baetis had been stirring in their shucks for a few weeks already. 

Rewind a week.

I had admittedly been owned by a very similar scenario.  Clear water and picky fish left me high and dry save for two small browns.  I don't mind not catching fish, but when I can see what the fish are eating and still can't hoist a few it makes me head straight to the vise.  One of the many joys of fly fishing is to think things through, solve problems, and then watch your solutions kick ass the next time around.  Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.

Back to  the future.
Frustrations and some amateur entomological surveying of rocks, floating bugs and a little thing called my brain had helped me to tie a couple of faux creatures that I thought would tease a few fish. Tease they did. It was one of those outings where three flies cut it all day. I still missed some nice fish, but caught droves of fat brookies and some browns on the swing, dead drifted in the film, and dry. I even accidentally lassoed a fish on a two fly rig.  I literally pulled a brown to hand without a hook piercing any part of it.  Odd, and perhaps a new X-games sport I'd like to call trout roping...Troping.  Anyway, the day was so fun I was inspired to do a few small fly drawings, as well as include a tutorial for the emerger baetis that caught most of the fish.  Get on that vise and cure what ails you.  What is better than tying your own flies and watching a flame bellied brook dweller inhale it time and time again?

"Hen Hackle ComparaBaetis", 5"x7", spray paint & sharpie, on black mat board

Tying the Hen Hackle ComparaBaetis (pardon the picture quality...iphone :/)

Recipe

Hook: Favorite nymph hook sizes 14-20
Thread: UTC Black 70
Tail: Brown hen hackle fibers or Grouse tail fibers(shown here)
Abdomen: Thread or black super fine dubbing
Rib: Pearl Krystal Flash
Thorax: Behind wing: gray dubbing, in front of wing: rust dubbing
Wing: Brown hen hackle, trimmed on bottom

step 1: hook in vise, start your thread wraps to the hook point.
leave space near eye for wing.

 step 2: tie in tails as far as the hook barb, wrapping up and down build up a body by folding excess feather back over the shank and secure with thread wraps. If using dubbing make a noodle and create a slim carrot shaped body getting fatter near the fore of the fly.

step 3: tie in your krystal flash to the rear and wrap your thread forward.  create your rib by evenly spiraling the flash toward the eye.  secure the flash with your thread and trim extra flash.

step 4:  create a gray dubbing noodle and use about three wraps for a small thorax just in front of your rib still leaving space for the wing.

 

steps 5&6:  tie in your hen hackle.  wrap 3 to 5 turns depending on how fluffy you want the fly, secure with thread and trim excess hackle.  create a rust colored dubbing noodle and complete the thorax with a few wraps.

step 7: whip finish to create a small black head. trim the bottom of the hackle completely leaving a comparadun style wing.

Bottom view -->

I fished this pattern wet on the swing, in the film with the wing tips greased, and pure dry.  I caught fish in all three manners.  Give it a whirl! 

Here are the other two fly works I conjured up the same day. All three of the pieces started with a layered base of spray paint.  I then created contour line drawings of the flies, meaning I didn't lift my sharpie for the duration of the drawing. I got a nice random effect from this technique that went nicely with the sporadic sprayed background. I then embellished them with color and darkened the lines to finish up.  All are framed and for sale at $30 a pop, or $75 for all three.  Please email me at desmitj@gmail.com if you would like to inquire.

"Deep Olive Stones"

5"x7"

spray paint & sharpie

on black mat board

"Pearl Belly Sculpin"

4"x6"

spray paint & sharpie

on black mat board

Wait for it...wait for it...

Sorry to the readers for the March hiatus.  A new job and some quality time on the river made for a busy month and some great fishing.  The last month has seen a lot of flies tied and the continuation/completion of art in the process.   In this first post of April I would like to unveil a piece I had spent a lot of time on in February, and completed in March.  It is titled "Wait For It".  The subject matter is result of an encounter with a portly hen brook trout late last summer. It was big fly, hopper time on our little home water.  The work reflects the combination of a few missed strikes and the inner monologue of the angler during another lesson on the river.  It tells of the time when he uses his head for once and adapts to the situation to finally bring a nice trout to hand.  For some reason I chose the fish to be a rainbow.  To please the Alaskan's no doubt, and I do have a brookie piece on deck...whatever.  In terms of process, I utilized a found background that I scored in the printmaking studio last year, and then worked up from there.  I enjoy chance encounters and happy mistakes such as this in my work. I felt that the geometric square of the found surface could lead to something interesting and work well with some of my organic imagery.  I used spray paint, sharpie, and oil pastel to finish this bugger off.  Enjoy!  Ill throw down a fly and a hot song to finish things up.



"Wait For It"
20" x 15.5"
oil pastel, spray paint, sharpie on found black mat board
2012




Fly Times:

Josh's RTPZ streamer (Ready To Pop Zit)

Hook:  Mustad Long Shank Streamer # 4
Thread:  Red UTC 70
Tail:  Red Marabou, Krystal Flash
Abdomen and Thorax:  Red Marabou
Wing:  Light Colored Rabit Strip Zonker Style
Collar and Head:  Spun White Deer Hair

Haven't tried this one yet, but thought it turned out cool.  Might work on those blood thirsty brookies or bass.

Song of the Day:  Chinese Translation by M. Ward.  Dude's coming out with a new album, but cannot beat this video and story.

The Old Man and the Sea

Photos by Kelley Duffey

Rubber hit the road.  The three amigos were going on a fitchin' adventure.  Kelley Duffey, my lovely girlfriend, and her sassy brother Sean had made the trek with me to the Yoop.  The first voyage of the new year and it felt right. 

We had spent the morning bumming around the cabin taking walks, tying flies, soaking in the wonders of the winterland. We were hoping and waiting for the little bit of sun to warm whatever open water we might stumble across in the post noon hours.  Over the past couple of years Upper Michigan has allowed for winter angling on a select few of it's streams, and coincidentally two of these beauties are right around the way from our humble spot in the woods.  I had yet to chuck bugs into either of these streams during the extended season, and was simply giddy to get on with it. We were off come mid-afternoon.  Perhaps a little later than we should have, but so the weekends tend to go.  A beer here, a viewing of a picked deer skeleton there, food...it all adds up and sometimes the prime fishing hour just slips away.  Better during the winter than during the hendrickson hatch, if you will.

 

A medium sized ride later we arrived at my super secret bridge, and if we didn't find a frozen river to the nearest bend in either direction.  Snow and wading shoes didn't allow my usual, venturous nature to take hold of the situation. With a humph and a cuss we moved up to the not so secret bridge. By golly a car just happened to be there waiting...weird, eh?  The water was open and that sufficed as a quick remedy.  We deciphered the assailant, who had stolen OUR back-up bridge, had gone down stream.  The obvious tracks in the snow that jutted from the back of his rig and meandered into the pine forest had to be what gave it away. 

We began a hilarious rig up session turned revealing of Kelley the Mossy Oak Marshmallow Girl. Papa Duff had handed her down some neoprene beasts that were guaranteed to keep the cold out.  My laughter faded when I discovered my own waders had turned into a strainer, but that's neither here nor there.  Sean casually sipped the upscale bottle of Seagram's 7 we had picked up in case of medical emergency. The love birds threw snow balls, giggled and tied on behemoth buggers.  At last, we were ready for battle. 

"You guys are going fishing?!"  The voice came from our backs as we walked toward the bridge. 

We all whirled back like a choreographed Michael Jackson video to see what in the hell was going on.  It was our villain. To our surprise he had no fly rod, vest, or waders.  The man was decked out in what looked like his best attempt at trapper garb and a can't do attitude. 

"You can't fish here, it's the middle of the winter!", he yelped out.  The man, looking to be in his seventies and very set in his ways, remained at high voltage. 

"Yea, we are.  We're going fishing, why?" I manged back to him. 

"Well that's the South Branch, it's a designated trout stream, you can't fish there!"  At this point we didn't know if the guy was going to shoot us, eat us, or both. 

"Sure we can there is a fly fishing only, catch and release season that is open on this very river.  I'm reading the regulations right now," I offered. He had none of it.  It appeared that the trap line was found empty that day and a good old-fashioned argument was just what the doctor had ordered. 

"I've been fishing that stream for fifty years, and I ain't never heard of a winter season.  It's a designated trout stream!"

"I'm sorry sir, I don't know what to tell you, but there IS a winter season.  I'm reading it right now in this DNR book, do you wanna see?"

"No I don't wanna see, trout is all that's in there.  You can't fish it until April!  Fifty years I've been fishin' here." 

Having never fished the stream in the winter I began to second guess everything.  I was getting flustered.  There he was standing in his snow shoes yelling at us like a crazy and repeating himself like a songbird.  Though to him we were the crazy ones.  It was one of those moments that happen only in the weird world of sport. One that will surely be looked back on again and again.  I gathered myself before any choice words flew, and the hockey rat came out of me. 

"Sorry, but I just don't know what to tell you, we are headin' out."

One last appealing jolt from the mad trapper rang out, "How you gonna wade that thing?!"

"Well...it's freakin' open!"  I allowed myself a little animation on the rebuttal, but did kepp it PG for the kids.

"Suit yourself, harrumph."

Ah, the last word.  He nailed it.  I smirked a smirk and made sure my streamer hadn't shrunk a hook size. We turned and headed for the stream.  A great laugh was shared after we heard him pull away.  Quickly we forgot the scene with a couple pulls of the sacrament and the awesome visuals we got as fluffy snow began to fall around us.  It didn't matter that we froze our tails off and didn't catch a thing.  We had our story and a sweet time in the inspiring wilds. It was a familiar feeling having that old line move swiftly through our guides...when they weren't iced up. 

MIDCURRENT.COM !!

I am very honored and excited to announce that MIDCURRENT.COM, a site dedicated to fly fishing,  has agreed to feature a sampling of my prints in their next newsletter which will be out this Wednesday.  A big shout out to Midcurrent publisher, Marshall Cutchin, for taking an interest in my art and as Bon Iver's Justin Vernon would awkwardly say, "The sweet hook-up".  Along with the feature, my work will be seen in their artist thumbnail gallery for further viewing amidst the company of some of the most renowned artists akin to the sport of fly fishing.  It is a true privilege to have my work seen on their pages, and I am very grateful for the opportunity.  Please peep it out at midcurrent.com/art/joshdesmit. 

Soooo...How about a piece that will be seen on the site you ask? Absofrigginlutely.

Pick A Winner 2011
Spray Paint, Sharpie, Water-Based Crayon
11"x10"
Original Sold

To The U.P.!!

Headin' to the land of the Yooper.  Hopefully get in a day of fishing if the clouds part and rays of hope hit the river just right.  Should have plenty of new material to write aboot after da weekend up der ya, eh?  Will be working on the latest and greatest prints this weekend as well.  Next week will be a busy bloggin' bonanz'.  Totals.  Until Monday, stay fresh.

Recipes!

Thanks pops for the callout.  It was brought to my attention that my blog is in disarray...#parentalguidance.  Dad was thumbing through my vast array of posts, and as a man of the vice, he naturally wanted to tie the flies that were set before him.  However, to his dismay a certain chap, the so-called "brains" of this operation, forgot to provide a list of materials needed to complete said imitations.  So, like Emeril trying to bribe his way out of a parking ticket, I will gladly offer up some recipes.  Also, since it has been a bit since my last post perhaps a look into the arting life is in order...maybe a hot jam or two or three to spin on the wheels of steel...while spinning deer hair. 

Hows about we kick out a few remixes whilst tying these creatures.  First up, everyone fell in love with Foster the People last summer, fact.  So let us fall in love with RAC's take on Houdini.

Mixed Dub Foam Back Emerger

Hook:  Favorite Scud/Emerger size 12-16

Thread:  Brown or Tan

Tail:  Brown Hen Hackle Fibers, trimmed

Abdomen:  Mix Rust and Olive Dubbing
Thorax: Mix Rust and Black Ice Dubbinski
Wingcase: .5mm Brown Closed-Cell Foam

Legs: Partridge

Do the d-a-n-c-e, 1-2-3-4 fight,  stick to the b-e-a-t, get ready to ignite...A bit of an older remix, but one of my favorites.  MSTRKRFT is beaut on this edit of Justice-D.A.N.C.E.

Foam Butt Rusty

Hook:  Fav Dry Fly size 10-16

Thread: Red

Butt:  .5mm Yellow Closed-Cell Foam, cut to egg sack shape

Tail:   Brown Hen Hackle Fibers

Abdomen:  Rust Dub

Wingcase (For Buoancy): .5mm Brown Closed-Cell Foam

Wing:  White Poly Yarn

Last, but not least, Grum revamps the easily mixed vocals of The Good Natured's lead woman Sarah McIntosh.  Song is Skeleton.  Great workout tune.

Stone Zone Black

Hook: Stimulator size 6-10

Thread: Red

Tail:  White Deer Hair

Body:  1mm or .5mm Closed-Cell Foam Black(top), Tan or Gray(bottom)

Underwing:  White Antron or Zlon, or Krystal Flash

Wing:  Black Deer Hair

Head:  Black Ice Dub

Legs/Antennae:  Black/White Centipede

ARRRRT FIX!! Get it hot and fresh out the kitchen! 

Girls Fly Too 2012
Monotype, Spray Paint, Sharpie, Oil Pastel
20"x14"

So...I'm fresh off a return trip from the white, north frost-hole of Finland, and let me holler that it is good to be in the States again.  A goal to play professional hockey was satiated while I was abroad, and an experience it certainly was.  Sadly, I happened to be in an area riddled with rivers and streams alike for several months with no fly rod and a layer of ice over most of them that would give wedding cake a short man's complex.  But hey, at least the tying bench had it's days...so many days...winter knows where to shove it at this point.  Tying has consumed a better part of my brain over these last several months and it has continued upon my return.  Practice is certainly not making perfect, but it is amazing how time on the vice equates to better and better flies.  Due to my pending unemployment, art and tying of the fly are topping the list of choice activities.  Sean, my better half's brother, swung by yesterday to whip up a couple bugs.  He is just getting started, and it was really fun to help him with some of the basics and to revisit some of the flies that I first tied when starting out.  We were able to hack out some classics like the Adams, Woolly Bugger, EHC, and one of my favorites, the Bird's Nest all the while listening to the glorious Minnesota Public Radio's 89.3 The Current.  Of course the only thing left to do is fish these little creations and hearing "Go Outsitde" by Cults practically had me in the car to So. Minnesota for some spring creek action...maybe soon!  On that note let me share with you a pattern or two that I came up with across the pond and how about a link so you all can sample Cults and wanna get the hell outside.  Lates until next time.

Cults-Go Outside  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAM9diyVRiM

Mixed Dub Foam Back Emerger #12-16

Foam Butt Rusty #10-16

Stone Zone Black #8