Chuck Furimsky, founder of The Fly Fishing Shows, is, as you would suspect, an avid angler. He is also an avid promoter of the sport, especially to the younger generations. He recently issued this challenge to the fly fishing industry:

“Pick a day and take a child, teenager, cousin, wife, or friend for a day of mentoring that just might change their lives forever. I want you to steal my idea. Every T.U. club, FFI chapter; fly shop, manufacturer, and fly fisher who wants to pass along their passion for our sport must band together and create a mentoring movement. Share your success on social media and make everyone, everywhere, and every day in May special for the future of fly fishing.”

For his MMM trip he fished with the two boys of the women that work in his office—Jenny Barkman’ 9-year old son, Ben, and Missy Schultz’s 5-year old boy, Diem. They had a great day, catching not only a goodly number of fish, but several species as well. As Chuck was helping Ben land the last of 14 fish for the day, he looked up at Chuck with a smile and said, ‘When I grow up I want to be a professional fly fisherman.’

Notes Chuck: “My goal was to perhaps introduce someone to fly-fishing and help grow our sport. Never did I imagine I might be mentoring the next Lefty Kreh.”

Note: In the movie, “A River Runs Through it,” there is a great scene where young Norman and Paul are lying on their backs in the grass, and Norman asks Paul what he wants to be when he grows up. Paul replies, “Mmmm, a professional fly fisherman.”

Note 2: Any month can be a mentoring month. Go for it.

Ben with a nice perch, Mentor Chuck smiles.too.

Nothing like fifty bass to hook you on fly fishing.

Diem nailed a really nice sunfish!

My friend, Ian Gordon, is a teacher of two-hand casting in Scotland, and a very fine angler, guiding for Atlantic Salmon on a variety of Scottish rivers. And what does he do for relation–go fishing. This time in Iceland for huge browns on Lake Thingvallavathn, the largest lake in that country. The browns get enormous because the waters are warmed a bit, year round, by hot springs in the bottom of the lake, allowing the fish to grow uninhibited all 12 months.

Not knowing what to expect, but being told it was single-hand casting water, Ian, none-the-less, stuck in his Hardy switch rod. And good thing. Thingvallavathn is a vast lake that gives the wind plenty of fetch to get going, and going very strong–like the zephyrs of Terra del Fuego. On one particular day, Ian found himself in an ideal spot, but not ideal for casting with the single-hand rod. So out came the 7-weight switch. The line weight for a 7 wt, 2-hander is basically the same as a 10 weight for a single hand, allowing Ian to heave his streamer the long 100 feet that he need to reach the spot where he’d seen a tail that size of a big Atlantic salmon’s. The fly sank for a count of 15 and on the first strip, the fish was on. And on, and on, and on.

Wrestled in at last, it topped out at 26 1/2 pounds, a true monster, and new lake record. Want to see it on video? Go here, and page to the bottom–read all the good info on the way down.

Now where is my switch rod….

Hey, Ian, that is one serious brown trout!

Chuck continued his week at Gangler’s Lodge in northern Manitoba with more pike rippin’. They decided to put Chuck to the test and took him to “Frustration Bay,” where the gin clear water showed every 36-40” pike as clear as day. These fish were all “frustration” trained. They would follow the lure or fly right to the boat, thumb their noses, and slide away. That is, until Chuck showed them the Turbo Tail flies. Then it was catchin’ time. The biggest was 42 inches; it just couldn’t stand the action and flash of a Silver Turbo Tail.

If you haven’t tried this design, it’s simple but, “Oh” so effective. Chuck uses his Bug Skin material for the tail, cutting it into a question mark, and lashing it firmly to the hook before dressing the rest if the fly (which can be dang near any style you like). Create deep divers, medium weight ones, and some top water beauties.

By the way, in the appropriate sizes, these are food for bass and trout, and anything else you want to heave them at.

Serious pike!

Turbo Tails ready to fish.

My good friend, Chuck Furimsky, is yanking pike out of Canadian waters with determination this week. He managed 90-100 in the first two days, with the 40-inch beauty below as the biggest. He didn’t tell me what he caught them on, but I know he was tying a series of big flies with twister tails cut from his Bug Skin leather. He’s off to bigger fish waters the next couple of days, and promised more reports. I will get info on the flies he used, and any stories he has about the trip.

Best so far–40 inches of northern.

My good friend, Chuck Furimky, recently developed a new crab imitation using his justly famous material, Bug Skin. Out on a flounder fishing expedition with his fly rod, he took this beauty. When he opened the stomach, lo an behold, it was filled with crabs that imitated his imitation. I can just taste those filets!

Nice fly, Chuck! I’ll bet Permit would gobble this imitation, too!

That’s a big flounder, Chuck. What’d ya git ’em on?

Aha! Chuck’s Bug Skin Crab along with real ones from the flounder’s stomach. Tasty looking flies! The flounder thought so, too. 

My friend, Jim Hagar, is a member of the Pere Marquette Rod and Gun Club and fishes its waters regularly. On May 19 he encountered the most spectacular Gray Drake spinner fall that he’s seen in 37 years of fishing the Pere Marquette. It must have been something because I’ve fished that spinner fall with Jim several times, and it was always fantastic. The spinners began dropping at 3:45 instead of close to dark, and continued until about 6. The fishing was stunning and Jim took full advantage of it. Below are a few photos of fish from the many that he caught. Let’s hope this is a harbinger of the Brown Drake and Hex hatches yet to come.

Spring has sprung in the NE and the blues are close in. Theo Bakelaar has been chasing them and found this beauty.

The Blues that make you smile!!

The Lahontan Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi) is the stuff of legends. I well remember, as a kid in the early 1950s, reading stories of the monsters that came out of Pyramid Lake. And then in the lat 50s and through the 60s, the population crashed and the legends disappeared from the lake, completely. This was primarily attributable to dam and diversion structures, habitat fragmentation and degradation throughout the species range, in addition to the the introduction of non-native trout species.

The Lahontans are also found in a three lakes in Washington, Omak. Grimes, and Lenore. These fish get big, but not genetically matched to the legends of Pyramid. So, those interested in adding the species to a life list often headed north to the eastern side of Washington to fulfill their dream.

But then in 1970s, biologists found a few small cutthroat in a stream near Pilot Peak along the Utah border. They were a genetic match for the original monsters of Pyramid Lake. Four decades of work has the lake producing its legends again. At the Fly Fishing Shows this year, I talked to several guides, anglers, and outfitters that regularly fish the lake, and was told that the big boys are indeed back. Not yet the 41 pound monster that holds the world record, but certain those in the 20 pounds range—with every possibility that they will get even larger in years to come. Keep you eye on this one. This is one of several sites you can explore.

Bluesman Keith Scott with an very nice Lahontan Cut from Omak in Washington.

Theo Bakelaar sent along a great photo of the huge pike fly he uses so effectively in the rivers in Holland. While some may think it’s too big, the pike really don’t think so, proving the old adage, “Big fly, big fish.”

Now there’s a handful–or should I say a pike’s mouthful.

Spring has sprung, the grass is rise, I wonders where the big pikes is? They’re in Theo’s hands! Our friend, Theo Bakelaar, has been out “prospecting” the big rivers in Holland with some really big flies and finding success with some really big pike.

It’s a big early here yet, in the Pacific Northwest, for bass and pike, but the steelhead are running and the spring Chinooks will be here soon. Let’s hope the weather modulates a bit so the rivers can drop back to more or less fishable conditions. We broken several records for rainfall here in the NW this winter, and the rainy season is not yet over.

Big fly, big pike. Look at the length of the fly hanging from the pike’s mouth.