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St. Vrain Angler News & Muse March 14, 2006!
Greetings!
I hope this finds you well! We've had some good, wet snow the
past few days and some of it is still on the ground. Today the sun is bright so
much of the snow will melt. Thank goodness we hear that Durango and the SW
corner of the state received about 3-feet of snow over the weekend! They really
need the moisture in that area. At this point the northern portion of
the state has excellent snow pack while the southern areas are not looking good.
Let's continue to hope they receive more snow during this and the next two
months! I'm already sick and tired of all the drought and fire-monger news we're
hearing. Bah; humbug. Does it seem to you they hope for bad things?
Here's what we've got for today:
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I
just finished playing the piano music for a production of Godspell at the
church. My youngest daughter, Jessica, was in the production. The youth put
this together and did great! It was interesting how the entire thing came
together for them, and seeing them enjoy the fruit of their labor. We had a
run through/rehearsal followed by a run through on Friday night and they
struggled with it. Until then they hadn't tried to go straight through the
entire production.
When they did the work the second time there were rough spots, but they made
it and you could see a combination of confidence and unbridled fear in their
eyes. Saturday evening's performance came and the kids were energized and
ready to go. The church was full of folks who wanted to see and hear their
performance.
It
went very well. The smiles on everyone's face after was delightful to
observe.
On
Sunday morning the kids did two songs during each of two services. They were
tired - hey, most of the them are teenagers and teenagers are tired because
their still growing and dealing with all sorts of physical and emotional
maladies. Kind of like fly anglers, if you know what I mean.
Sunday night arrived; the snow was flying, the wind was blowing and the
roads were awful. I wondered if anyone would come out, and I think the kids
had similar thoughts. The place was full once again. And this night the kids
went through the work with gusto and without any rough edges. It was
amazing how the practice of Friday evening, the performance of Saturday and
Sunday morning prepared them and gave them confidence to get through the
work without worrying about whether they'd make mistakes or not. They were
energetic, responded to one another and the drama
After, I asked several kids how they felt. All of them were full of smiles
and bright eyes, and most of them said they felt great. They also said they
were glad it was over. The kids started working on this production back in
October and rehearsed every Sunday afternoon for three or more hours in
addition to working on lines and so on during the week.
What's the story have to do with fly fishing?
Correct practice works: it builds confidence.
Perseverance brings dividends when the pressure is on.
To
move ahead we have to do on and off the stage.
 All
things work together for liberty and the freedom to express what we know.
Here's an excerpt from a book I've been writing. It's not edited nor is it
complete. However, you can use the info here to improve your fly casting
which will help you be free to put the fly where it needs to be quickly and
accurately.
Enjoy!
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Practicing the
piano for five hours a day helped me understand the veracity of correct
practice. It works. I developed methods of practice that helped me
develop muscle tone and control, dexterity and accuracy. Certain
fingerings and hand positions work best for certain passages. That’s how
it is. When they appear in a work the hand naturally goes to the
position. If it doesn’t, isolating the spot and working it out
correctly, slowly and persistently always pays off.
Casting a fly well
and accurately takes similar persistence. There are several very good
casting videos and books, including those by Mel Krieger and Joan Wulff,
which are
clear and useful. Learn the basics in this manner, or take a few lessons
from a pro. Be sure they know how to cast, though. There are lots of
folks out there who may fish and hook lots of the denizens of the deep,
but that doesn’t make the good casters or casting instructors.
Once the basics
are in hand, practice. Do it on the water, if possible. Small ponds in
city parks are particularly useful. Beware the tricycles and strollers.
Start with two rod lengths of fly line, a leader and a small ball of
yard. Make several roll casts. Be sure to stop completely in back,
allowing part of the line to rest on the water while the other portion
forms a “D” to your side. Pull your forearm down and accelerate to a
complete stop. The line should lift off the water, form a loop over the
water in front and land delicately. Work at it until you get it right.
Make the yarn land in the same spot every time. After five good roll
casts in a row, move on to a pick-up, lay-down cast.
This time, with
the fly line straight and on the water in front, lift the rod using the
same amount of energy you were using for the roll cast. This time,
accelerate the rod tip and the stop the rod firmly on the back cast in
the same position the rod was in when it formed the “D” to your side.
The amount of energy applied to the cast should be just enough to bend
 the
rod and create a loop, allowing the line to straighten in back. Imagine
the rod tip stuck to a small dot of Velcro at the back of the casting
stroke.
When the line
straightens in back, gently pull the rod tip off the Velcro and
accelerate to a stop in front as with the roll cast. The line should
form a good loop, straighten in front and land gently on the water.
Do this several
times, then five times in a row correctly and accurately. Make the yarn
land in the same spot every time. If you make it to four then foul up,
start again until
correct five pick-up, lay-down casts are complete.
Now it’s time for
a few false casts. On the first back cast repeat the process learned on
the pick-up, lay-down cast. It should feel the same with the same amount
of fly line. When the forward cast is made allow the line to form a loop
and straighten in front, then repeat the back cast; then the forward
cast; then the back cast; then the forward cast. Make at least three
false casts, and then lay the line on the water in front. Put the yarn
in the same spot every time. Repeat until five correct false casts in a
row, with a stop between each, is complete.
Add about ten feet
of fly line and start again. When the rotation is complete, add another
ten feet of fly line and repeat the process. These three steps should be
enough and will
 only
take about fifteen to twenty minutes. Remember: don’t compromise. No one
is watching; this is not a performance it is practice. Making mistakes
is fine. Learn from them and continue practicing correctly.
As you continue
practicing you’ll find improved rod control – especially how the rod tip
tracks, which should be in a straight line – and line control – forming
a loop that is parallel to itself. This should get smoother and easier
under these controlled conditions. And it will translate to the stream.
Have fun and enjoy
the process.
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The St. Vrain Anglers Chapter of Trout Unlimited continues to
grow and wants to thrive. A core group of people are working hard to provide
solid stream surveys upon which the City, County and State and agencies
within can base future decisions.
As is the case with many such organizations the core group is
small and
 strong.
More folks are needed to participate and help the club move ahead. There are
opportunities galore for you to help. Most involve small commitments of time
and/or money while others are more involved.
Start small if you like; please start soon.
Here's what is happening:
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Thursday, March 16, 2006: General Meeting
Subject: The Arkansas River with Bill Edrington and Larry Kingery.
Here's your chance to meet the pro's who are in the know about the
Arkansas, including the upcoming caddis hatch. Want to know about the
flies? The seasons of the river? Where and how to fish?
You must attend this meeting. It begins with a social hour at 6:30 which
is followed by a short business meeting. The program begins at 7:15.
We meet at the VFW just south of the St. Vrain on Main Street in
Longmont. The VFW Hall is on the east side of the road. There's lots of
parking in back and the entrance is in back of the Hall. There's an open
bar, a raffle and the evening promises to be fun! |
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Thursday, April 20, 2006: General Meeting |
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Auction Notes
It’s that time of year again; time to think about our
annual fundraiser. We will be holding this year’s auction on
Saturday, May 6th, at the new Marriot Hotel located at
the Diagonal Highway and Hover Rd. Author, guide, fly designer, and fly
shop owner/operator Pat Dorsey will be speaking, tickets will be
5$, and we will have a lot of great stuff for you to bid on. In
fact, we just received a donation from Steamboat Flyfishing, a trip on
private water with full guide for 2, a value of $750! We will have a
fairly comprehensive list in next month’s issue, so take note; this will
be your place to enjoy a great evening of entertainment, fundraising,
and gear and trip acquirement.
Now, do you have something you can
donate to this cause? A trip? Some flies? Some good working gear you no
longer use? Art? Anything? We would love to turn that stuff into
resources to benefit the club and the St Vrain River, plus your donation
is tax deductible. Please feel free to contact Mark Feigal at
m.feigal@comcast.net
or 720-494-9179 to get your donation in. Thank You! |
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Please participate! Thanks
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Tip #1: Tie more flies. Take your time and make each wrap of
thread do what it is supposed to do. Be sure each material is properly
selected and the right amount of it lashed to the hook using the right
amount of thread.
Refer to a sample pattern you like and match it.
Tip #2: Concentrate on proportions, shapes and sizes more
than colors. Use the materials you have. Make flies that are the proper size
for the hook. If you err, do so on the small, rather than the large, side.
For example, a fly that is a size 18 but tied on a size 16 hook is much
better than a size 14 fly tied on a size 16 hook. Always use the hook for
proportions!
Please look at the following table for a few basic
proportions and pictures of the flies. I hope you enjoy this.
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For additional information about class offerings please follow this link:
http://www.stvrainangler.com/newsmusefeb282006.htm#BackToClasses
Thanks!
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Hopefully my willingness to share information is apparent to
all of my readers. I love learning and teaching fly fishing skills, and
solving fly fishing problems so folks can enjoy their sacred time on the
water.
To this end I'm offering guided trips that will be enjoyable,
instructional and fun! Many will be to private waters so we'll be alone and
able to fish without interruption.
Here's what's available.
You've heard about it, and now you want to go. Right?
Boxwood Gulch and Longmeadow
are great places, full of big fish and beautiful water.
When would you and a friend like to go? Please let me know. I
can
accommodate up to six anglers. More info will be available next week on the
site. Plan now; times will fill very fast, and I'm only going to guide there
two or three days a week!
Call me at 303-651-6061 - leave a message if I don't answer
and I'll call you back - or drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com to let me know
of your interest.
Lake Maria!
The fishing here is
 fabulous
and available for the next two + months. I'd love to guide you on this
property and teach you about lake fishing with flies. Sessions will be two
days in length and we'll stay at the lodge on the property.
Please call 303-651-6061 - leave a message if I don't answer
and I'll call you back - or drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com to let me know
of your interest. We'll set a time for you and two or three friends and have
a dandy time hooking huge, dripping trout on flies!
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Estes Angler: As
you remember I sold the shop to Grant Rollo. He's planning on opening the
Estes Angler on April 1, 2006. I hope those of you
who love Rocky Mountain National Park and visiting the Estes Park area will
stop in the shop, say hi to Grant and his staff and buy lots of flies and
goodies to go fishing. Grant will do a great job up there and looks forward
to seeing lots of old friends while making lots of new ones, as well! You
can reach Grant by calling 970-586-2110.
Dale: I'm
working on writing a book, as mentioned earlier, as well as
 several
other projects, including this missive.
Here's the deal. In order to keep working on the web site and
writing and mailing this informative letter I need to sell some trips,
classes and product.
It's that simple. I'd like to know what you need and want. In
the meantime, please book a trip, register for a class or purchase one of
the many products I offer.
Please call me at 303-651-6061 and leave a message; I'll call
you back. (The reason the phone is off is because I'm writing and
practicing.) Or, drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com As long as I receive the email I'll answer it.
For Class offers please follow the link:
http://www.stvrainangler.com/newsmusefeb282006.htm#BackToClasses
To Book a Guided Trip:
Please call me at 303-651-6061 or drop me a line at
angler@peakpeak.com Thanks!
Products you can purchase online:
Solution Booklets & Fly Boxes:
Good Flies; Good information designed to solve fly fishing problems! Check
'em out. Get a set for a friend, too. They make great gifts.
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I
hope this day finds you living and thriving.
Thanks for reading. I'll talk with you again soon!
Dale Darling
303-651-6061
angler@peakpeak.com |
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The
perfect compliment to the midge family is a copy of
Winter Fly Fishing Solutions Booklet Remember: midges are on the
water every month of the year and fish eat them! Price: $9.95
