Jeff Bright Photo"New Weapons in the Indicator Revolution"
wow, I knew it was popular but I was unaware of the "Revolution" status. Is this like the teaparty revoltion? Where and how can I join in the radical newness of this technological, lipripping advance?
I'm not even sure why I get their mailings, since I've never spent a dime in their shop. Some NorCal buddies tell me their guides consistently alienate locals on the Trinity and Klamath with bad manners, competitive dick measuring attitude and an air of entitlement that could only come from working for "The Fly Shop". While I'd long turned off by their emphasis on indicator fishing from the boat two things tipped the balance for me.
1. a friend of a friend took a guide trip with this outfit and upon arriving with his two hander and excited to swing flies was told that fish on the Trinity dont take swung flies and they would be nymphing out of the boat all day.
2. A couple of years ago, riding the wave of newbie enthusiasm for Dec Hogans star power the Fly Shop decided they would come out with "Dec Hogan Edition" steelhead flies. These included second rate commercial ties of a Mahoney, and Skagit Mist. Worst of all however was a skating pattern called "Hogans Caddis". An exact copy of a McMillan caddis with no credit given to the originator.
Turns out Klamath and Trinity fish do in fact eat swung flies. Just ask Jason Hartwick, or Jeff Bright (This post does not reflect the opinions of Jason or Jeff).
Jason has a guide service which can be found at http://steelheadonthespey.blogspot.com
and is a fly designer for Idylwilde.
Jeff is a fantastic photographer, fisherman and graphic designer who's website is:
http://www.jeffbright.com/
The Indicator revolution, that's funny. Atleast as a part of that revolution you're just a bobber fisherman, unlike the teaparty revolution where you become a teabagger.
ReplyDeleteYup, now you can spend up to seven hundred dollars on a rod designed to chuck lead and bobbers. Hmmmm... And here I thought that the Shakespeare "ugly stick" was the pinnacle of evolution. The reason a lot of guides (not just the ones you mentioned) prefer side drifting bobbers is that it gets the dudes into a ton of fish without much effort on anyone's part. The clients go home with their fly fishing bragging rights intact, and the guide gets a reputation for putting his folks into fish. A friend from Montana said "it's great. They don't want to learn, and now I don't have to teach 'em."
ReplyDeleteThe Fly Shop has become a travesty in recent years. My grandparents live in Redding and I can remember when it actually had some redeming features. A couple years ago I went in there looking for a double taper line. the "salesman" who picked me up at the door was arrogant and supercilious, and in no uncertain terms announced that what I needed was not a double taper, but some new whiz bang weight forward that was "perfect" for indicator fishing. Apparently the only way you can catch fish in Norther Cali. is by dredging them up under a bobber...
Right On! I just got a Fly Shop catalog and thought the same thing.
ReplyDeleteRevolution is such a misused word. It's kind of like the misuse of the word guru today. If your a guru aren't you the first with the thought or method? I think since the dawn of fly fishing's commercial days there's always been some ass clown self claiming guruship or revolutionism.
I say let em "start" the indicator revolution- fuckin sucks anyway. Oh well,it gives me something to laugh at.
Steelhead not taking swung flies? That's laughable!
Great post. So nice to see a fish blog with some substantial content you can sink your teeth into! Got your link up skatethefly.com
ReplyDelete