While there are no secret patterns that are guaranteed to catch fish every time you are on the water, the closest thing to it would be the Pheasant Tail Nymph. This generalist nymph pattern is close enough in color to a host of invertebrate species that - when fished in a number of sizes - can be used to effectively imitate almost any mayfly or stonefly nymph in the water. Ask Steve Widuta about his killer version. Tie up ten of your own version and bring them to the October 10th Chapter Meeting.
Henry Ramsay-”Walk on the Wild Side” at October 10th Chapter Meeting
Henry will discuss Pennsylvania wild trout streams including tactics, flies, and conservation issues related to climate change and fracking. He is working on a book with this topic that will be completed in about 2 years.
Henry caught his first trout more years ago than he cares to admit, and the magic of catching fish has not faded with time or with repetition. His journey in the world of fly fishing began during boyhood over thirty five years ago when he first saw someone fishing with flies they tied themselves. That image was mesmerizing and still remains clear in his mind today. From that day on he's always been a fly tier. The connection between fly fishing, tying flies and the world of the trout is a natural one and the simple beauty of a well crafted fly; built from feathers, furs and fibers and designed for a moment when hatching flies fill the evening air over a pool dimpled by the spreading rings of rising fish is a never ending source of satisfaction and amazement. His career as a fly fisherman began several years later.
Today, Henry wears many hats, website owner, Henry Ramsay Flies and Photography; a labor of love, fly tier, angler, author and guide. His fly tying is a near daily activity for him and the focus has always been on learning new ways to imitate nature or to improve on older designs. While he ties nearly every variety of freshwater fly; he's always been partial to developing flies that mimic the stages of natural aquatic insects and create patterns to match their unique behaviors and characteristics. Growing up in the east and fishing all over his home state of Pennsylvania as well as in New York, Maryland and Colorado has been a lifetime of enjoyment and experience in fishing a diverse range of waters and the insect hatches they produce. The legendary spring creeks of the Cumberland Valley, the storied rivers of the Catskills, the mountain brooks of the Poconos and Appalachians of north-central, Pennsylvania, along with the tail waters has provided a great opportunity to develop, test and refine his fly patterns to match their hatches and the unique demands these different water types and their fish present to the angler
For years he has been a custom fly-tier tying flies for trout, Atlantic Salmon and classic and artistic full dress salmon flies; and his first book “Matching Major Eastern Hatches, New Patterns for Selective Trout” was released by Stackpole / Headwater Books in January 2011. His tying work has previously appeared in the Game Journal, the Art of Angling Journal and the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide.
Tim Flagler-September 12th Chapter Meeting Speaker
Tim Flagler has been fly fishing and tying for more than 30 years. He founded Tightline Productions in 1998, a video production company that specializes in promotional and instructional video. He's known worldwide for his tying videos. Tim's also a presenter, instructor and guide.
He will talk about the Kootenai and Yaak rivers:
The Kootenai and Yaak rivers of northwestern Montana don’t get the recognition that others in the state like the Madison and the Missouri do. This is actually a good thing. Imagine five days of fishing from a drift boat without seeing another one on the river or wading miles and miles of a crystal clear alpine stream and never seeing a soul. That’s what fishing is like on the Kootenai River and the Yaak drainage with the Linehan Outfitting Company. Presentation is entirely video-based.
September Fly of the Month- Griffith's Gnat
The Griffith's Gnat imitates a lot of different insects. Created by George Griffith, one of the founders of Trout Unlimited, it's a buggy dry fly and can be fished a number of different ways. It looks like a tiny woolly bugger with no tail and has the same effect on fish.
Tie 10 of your own best version of the Griffith’s Gnat and bring them to the September Chapter meeting!