KYPE Magazine Volume 9 Issue 1, 2018 by Kype Magazine

Vol. 9 Issue 1

KYPE

Vol. 9 Issue 1

KYPE magazine

KYPE Magazine

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 A Journey of Fly-fishing and

4 Kasts

14 RULES An Appeal for Order

6 Kinder

Twin Territory

KYPE Magazine Boise, Idaho kypemagazine@gmail.com www.KypeMagazine.com

22 Driftless Tenkara an Unorth-

32 Kernels

KYPE Staff

Photography

New Beginnnings

odox Approach

40 C.H.U.B.S. CLUB

Scribbles: Why Fly?

44 SNOOK

Klips 18 Through the Lens 28 Diane Michelin 30 Habits of Trout 47 Down The River

MISC

46 Kastings

16 Fly-fishing I.N.C.

Grandpa's Potbelly Stove

36/39 Editor's Pick: ARTISTS 48 KYPE KAST

Publisher: Les Booth CoPublisher: Aileen Lane Cover Design: Les Booth Editor: Les Booth COPYRIGHT Kype Magazine © 2017 MKFlies LLC All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any way without the written permission from publishers. Contents Cover Image ... Argenta Gold, eLITHOGRAPH by Les Booth, 28" x 14.5". Based upon a photo by Bryan Gregson. ©2014 Les Booth

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1, 2018

Keeping it real... on the Fly KYPE

“AhHa” Moments THEN: New KYPE Publisher

think for most people, their “ahha” moment happened the first time they hooked a fish on a fly. My “ahha” moment happened the first time I tied a fly on a vise. I was fascinated, and still am, with how one can create a beautiful fly from all the fur and feathers...in awe with how a few turns of a single feather can transform a hook into something else. This changed my whole perspective of a river. Yes, the river is surrounded by such beauty but the real beauty lay beneath each stone in the water. I was eager to see with my own eyes, the amazing aquatic insects that lived in the waters. I wanted to replicate each life cycle on my vise. It’s a story of life and death. All this happened before I even learned to cast a fly rod. Since then, I have learned – and still learning more, how to fly fish, and that passion continues to drive through me. Through my tying, I developed a friendship with the late, Rich Schaaff – a talented photographer and fly fisher. To me, he was Opie, my brother from a different mother. Rich used many of my flies as props for his work. And I was eager to keep tying as many different kinds of flies for Opie. In 20I0, Rich asked me if I would put together a step by step fly-tying tutorial for George Douglas’ Kype Magazine since the original tyer was not able to make the deadline. This was my first introduction to George and my first tutorial in print was for that issue in Kype (Volume 2, Issue 2, 20I0). What

made that issue very special to me was that I was part of Kype that displayed Rich’s photography on the cover. Rich passed away not too long after that. Kype was the final work we did together. Since then, Kype Magazine has held a very special place in my heart and I feel honored to be the next publisher. My mission is to continue gathering and sharing the knowledge, beauty and passion of fly-fishing that continues to bring us all back to the waters and vise. This issue celebrates Kype Magazine’s fifth year anniversary. George and I have included what we felt were the “Best Of” from past issues. I like to think of this as a celebration of Kype’s past and future. Will you do the honor and join me on the River? KYPE

Fly tied MKFlies Photo by Rich Schaff

Ambassador at American Museum of Fly-fishing, Owner/FieldEditor Kype Magazine, Fly Tier & Owner of MKFlies, Pro Staff Tier for Deer Creek UK Located in Boise, Idaho Websites: KypeMagazine.com MKFlies.com Fly-fishingv.com Contact Info: aileen@mkflies.com

Aileen Lane

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Serendipity Strike

NOW: New KYPE Publisher

e envision our lives in many varied phases. Some are impossible, others are plausible, most are possible, IF everything goes right. And once in a great while; maybe once in your life; the stars align, the rains hold, the fish are ready and the hatch is beyond expectations. It’s those rare bluemoon times when we have to be most thankful for the varied opportunities plopping into out laps. I say plopping as in serendipitous occurances because rarely are such gifts planned. We can hope and maybe, be a bit ready but they will always leave us gobsmacked when they show up on the doorstep of our dreams. This was the case with this new chapter in my life: KYPE Owner, Publisher and Editor. Here it was. All wrapped into a nice neat thoroughly unexpected bundle tickling my overcaffeinated hyperexcitable, just waiting for this offer of publishing Nerdology!

many people who are now ‘Friends Not Yet Met’; who 9 years later are still in that digitallife descriptor; yet we remain close and grow closer daily. Almost totheday, a year later, Aileen and I became Facebook Friends, fascilitated by Rich. When Rich passed in 20I0 it was quite a shock and deep loss for all. But Rich’s passing was a powerful bonding agent for the ‘community’; continuing to this day. When Aileen began her tenure, as KYPE Owner and Publsher, I really wanted to be a part of the party, but I didn’t have time and there wasn’t room. That is, until I offered to write a story for Vol. 7 Issue 2. I was happy to just provide a story in each issue. But then, in December 20I7, Aileen said she was going to mothball KYPE. I thought, “No! You just got it going in such a healthy new direction.” I stewed on this for a couple of months then asked Aileen the right questions AND, well here I am.

I look forward to continuing to open KYPE up to Alieen and I have a uniquely interesting connec- new frontiers, readers, advertisers and support. tion Rich Schaaff. How curiously appropriate this Most importantly bring us all closer together and most fortunate of connections has led us both to enjoying more Fly-fishing. KYPE magazine. I met Rich in the spring of 2009 on Facebook. His photographs caught my eye, his demeanor engaged my heart, our shared passions thrilled my soul. Through Rich I met, and was introduced, to

KYPE ON!

Publisher/Editor of KYPE Magazine, O’fieldstream Outdoor Journal, Beyond The Ripples, Allusions Creek and more. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana Websites: KypeMagazine.com, Ofieldstream.com, OOAK.com, AllusionsCreek.com, BeyondTheRipples.com Contact Info: kypemagazine@gmail.com

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Les Booth 5

KID POWER IN FULL ACTION story by Aileen Lane photos courtesy Twin Territory

I can’t remember exactly how I was introduced to Twin Territory —perhaps while scrolling on Facebook. But, I do remember feeling admiration for these boys and what an impact they have had so far with the youth in their community. I was honored when they agreed to be interviewed and to share with us their mission. It was a pleasure to correspond with one of Twin Territory’s members, AJ and his mom, CaLyn. KYPE Hello AJ ! Please share with us what Twin Territory is all about! AJ My twin, Jace and I started Twin Territory a couple of years ago so that we could share our passion 6

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spending more time outdoors and sharing with them what our favorite things to do are. At these shows, we raffle off outdoor gear that have been donated by some awesome outdoors companies that also share the same passion as us. The kids love winning the prizes and we hope this will give them the opportunity enjoy a new outdoor hobby! KYPE

for the outdoors with other kids and teenagers. Video games have become such a big thing for kids and they spend hours in their homes playing on them instead of going outside and enjoying things like fishing, hunting, hiking, etc. We know there are a lot of adult programs across the country telling kids to get outdoors but we thought it would be better if we, as kids ourselves, were sharing how much fun we are having. They may listen a little more coming from someone their own age. We started a website and a facebook page where we could share our pictures and outdoor

What is the 222 Event?

AJ Because Jace and I are twins, we decided a 222 Event would be an easy name to remember. 222 stands for: every 2nd month, on the 2nd Saturday at 2pm, we will be somewhere holding a free outdoors event for kids! If a kid starts coming to these events at letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say age 11, and comes to all 6 every year for 5 years, he will have had at least 30 outdoor adventures before he even starts to drive. Our passion is fly-fishing, but we want kids to try all sorts of outdoors activities like skeet shooting, paddle boarding, hunting, ice fishing and more. The Utah DWR has started helping us with these events so they are just getting better and better! KYPE I see that you ask kids to turn in their used video games. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big sacrifice for a lot of these kids. Tell me more about it!

news for kids. Jace, Cameron (our little brother who does just as much work as us) and I have been lucky enough to be invited to a lot of outdoor expo events here in Utah where we have a booth just for the kids. We have the opportunity to talk to other kids about Vol. 9 Issue 1

AJ Another cool thing about our events is that at each one, kids are asked to turn in their used video games and promise to spend less time playing them. And if they do, they get entered into a raffle to win outdoor gear instead. Thanks to Cabelas, Orvis, William Joseph, Kast Gear and so many more great companies, we have been able to motivate kids with some really awesome prizes and support. The best part is that we take all of the video games that have been donated and give them to Primary Childrens Hospital in Utah. They have told us that they can use all they can get because

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be involved by helping him with the events. We have had some people telling us that they need a Twin Territory group in other places like Southern Utah, Denver, Texas to name a few. We are working on seeing how to do that as well. In those places, they would also need to hold 222 Events, teach lessons and represent kids that want to spend their time outdoors. We have also gotten requests to purchase tshirts and hats with our logo on it. We think it would be awesome they have so many children there that cannot get outdoors. Last year, the kids in Utah donated over 300 video games and we are on target to beat that for this year. KYPE Where do you see Twin Territory in five years from now? AJ In five years, we will be out of high school but want to see Twin Territory continuing and getting bigger. Our little brother, Cameron (who is almost a better flyfisheman than us!), and one of his buddies will be the â&#x20AC;&#x153;kidsâ&#x20AC;? that will continue to get other kids outdoors and we will continue to

to have a Twin Territory product line just for kids. We are trying to get a TT fly rod package that is affordable and sturdy for kids that want to take up our favorite sport! KYPE What do you love the most about what you do? 8

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AJ Besides getting to see kids doing things like catching a fish for the very first time or learning to cast a fly rod, we have been able to have a lot of stories shared with us. Just this past October, at our 222 Event that was a Zombie Fishing Day, a mom told us that her 6 year old son was so excited to come to our event that he woke her up at 7am ready to go. Our event didn’t start until noon! This means a lot to us that kids are that excited to come out with us. KYPE Any final words you would like to share with us? AJ One last thing we would like to say that is important to us is Stream Access in Utah and in other states. We have already, at our age, learned that we have to fight to keep our rights to have public access to rivers and streams in Utah. If we lose this right, we will lose everything we love and so will future kids, which means they will just keep playing video games. We want to tell kids and adults to be involved in helping the leaders that make the laws to remember our future in the outdoors. USAC in Utah is leading our fight here in our state. Everyone needs to find out who to contact in their own state to help keep our waters free. Lastly, we really want to thank Grant Bench for being an amazing artist / fly-tying expert and inspiration to us; Tyler Lyon, a crazy and awesome fly fisherman for helping us with our math homework and so much more in keeping us grounded, and to Kype Magazine for doing so much for our most favorite sport, fly-fishing and for thinking of us for this interview! KYPE

KYPE SUPPORTS

The Mayfly Project and en-

courages our readers to investiagate the organization with the desire to make an allout effort to get involved, with a Project in your own local area. If there isn’t a Project in your area, then START ONE! Find out more information at

TheMayFlyProject.com You’ll thank youself many times over; so will the kids and the future you support.

Vol. 9 Issue 1

KYPE

A Journey of

Fly-fishing and Photography

Story by Kirk Werner photos by Richard Schaaff

stream a big rainbow continued to rip line from his reel. The scene played out within view of Three Dollar Bridge, and Schaaff can still hear the echo of uncontrollable laughter from his fishing buddy as the trout attempted to make short work of the man on the other end of the line. That night as the two compadres reclined on the grass next to the river, looking up at stars he never knew existed, Schaaff acknowledged, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” When he returned to his home in Chiphoto by Richard Schaaff cago, Schaaff knew that there ust before dusk on his first trip to Montana was something very special about the West. He in I984, Rich Schaaff found himself sprinting knew that he would come back again some day. downstream along the banks of the Madison River. A widening grin spread across his face as he A fly fisherman for most of his life, Rich grew up fought to keep his line tight with one hand while in Chicago and chased trout on small streams in trying to prevent his waders from falling around his Michigan and Wisconsin. He fondly recalls the day ankles with the other. Increasingly farther down- from his childhood when he caught his first fish on

J 10

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a fly: it was in ankle deep water on a small spring creek, and the brown trout wasn’t much bigger than the fly it had inhaled. “I went running down the bank with that poor little fish squeezed tightly in my hand, screaming to my brother,” Schaaff recalls. He still feels a twinge of guilt that the little brown “sacrificed its own life in order to bring me such fulfillment.” In addition to fishing closer to home, Rich would often make the 11 hour, nonstop drive to the White River in Arkansas with his brother, who had previously worked there as a fly-fishing guide. His brother knew the river well, and the two regularly fished for long weekends. Though the White was teeming with trout, Schaaff acknowledges that after the ’84 trip to Montana everything else paled by comparison. “It was the West that I longed for.” His trip to Montana had apparently ruined him. While he grew up fishing, photography was a hobby that didn’t come along until Schaaff moved to New York City in I994. To hear Rich tell it, “God only knows why I ever moved to NYC in the first place.”As he reflects back on that period of his life, however, it becomes obvious that his years spent living in Manhattan were good for something. Mesmerized by the lifestyle and architecture that surrounded him, Schaaff purchased a Nikon camera and spent his days off “schlepping around the streets of Manhattan shooting roll after roll of black and white film.” The dramatic urban settings provided endless opportunities to study composition and the play of light. He didn’t realize it at the time, but the Manhattan project was preparing Rich for what lie ahead, further to the West. Schaaff refers to his time spent in NYC as “the lost years of fly-fishing.” He regrets that probably one of the biggest mistakes while living in Manhattan was not taking advantage of the great Eastern fisheries. “I think I was too busy trying to absorb and balance all the craziness of that lifestyle,” he says. In I999 he snapped back to his senses.

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“Go West, young man.” Such was the advice of an Indiana newspaper writer by the name of John Soule, who in I85I wrote the words that would become a mantra for nineteenth century Americans pursuing their dreams of a new life in a new, unsettled territory. I48 years after those words were first published, Rich Schaaff answered that call to action and headed about as far West as he possible could, settling in the Pacific Northwest near Portland, Oregon. Rich admits that he’d grown weary of wading in a mass of humanity and left New York City “to avoid seeing people talking to themselves on the streets.” He still wades, but now he does so amongst rocks and water. He still sees people talking to themselves on occasion, but the difference is that now these people are usually harmless fly anglers, blurting out a few choice words when a fish throws their hook.

“I began spending more time taking photos than actually fishing” Rich Schaaff The slower pace of life on the West coast suited Schaaff perfectly and allowed him to fully immerse himself in two of his passions: fly-fishing and photography. Exactly when the two hit headon isn’t clear, but one thing is: “When they came together, I knew I was a goner.” He also knew he was a goner when he met “a wonderful Oregonian gal named Julie” who would become his better half. There was plenty of fishing to be done out West, and those fishing trips soon included a camera as part of the requisite tackle. “I began spending more time taking photos than actually fishing,” Schaaff says without a hint of remorse. He began to see fly-fishing differently through the camera’s lens, and a good fishing trip began to be measured not in the number of fish caught, but in how many quality shots he was able to capture.

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“Two good shots make the trip,” he adds. The more Rich fished, the more photos he took as he immersed himself in his passions. Soon it became clear that his photography hobby deserved an identity, and thus was born East Fork Fly Photography. In order to share his work with friends and fishing buddies, Schaaff created a website and began uploading images from his memory cards. Upon viewing his work, it’s obvious that what Rich captures with his lens goes well beyond the average ‘fish porn’ shots. “I try to avoid the typical grip and grin,” he adds, “But I’ll go there if it’s my fish!” During the winter months when he wasn’t standing kneedeep in a steelhead river, Rich began experimenting with a light box – a portable device that provides even, diffused lighting for shooting small objects. He saw the amazing artistry in flies tied by his friend Rocky Maley and sought to capture the beauty of the flies by showcasing them with other items of fishing gear as props. His background in interior design helped when it came to staging the shots.

Photo by Richard Schaaff

With increased exposure came residual interest in Schaaff’s photography, and his work caught the attention of Korkers, the Portland, Oregonbased footwear manufacturer. The day after a brief phone call to see if Schaaff was interested in shooting some possible catalog work for their 20II season he was interested, by the way), a pair of wading boots showed up on his doorstep and Schaaff got busy with his camera. The folks at Korkers apparently liked what they saw in his proofs and hired him for the shoot. Since then, Schaaff has also done work for Slate Creek Fly Rod Company and Umpqua Feather Merchants. He’s come a long way since schlepping the streets of Manhattan on his days off, shooting rolls of black and white film.

Due to his keen ability to capture the subtleties associated with all aspects of fly-fishing, after a couple of years, Schaaff’s work began to get noticed. Marshall Cutchin of Midcurrent.com invited Schaaff to be featured in the photography section of the popular fly-fishing website. The talent already assembled on Midcurrent was impressive, and Schaaff was humbled by the invitation. Up to As for the big rainbow on the Madison River near this point photography had been simply a per- Three Dollar Bridge, it’s hard to get a straight ansonal endeavor. swer from Rich as to how that scene finally played 12

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out. Without photographic proof we are simply left to wonder. Rich Schaaff lives along the banks of the east fork of the Lewis River in Washington state where he spends the winter months fishing for the elusive steelhead. He’s also been known to chase redside Rainbow trout on the Deschutes River in Oregon, and on summer evenings he waits for the “blessed hex hatch” on an undisclosed small lake not far from his home. Rich’s work can be seen on his website, www.eastforkfly.com. After this article was written, sadly, Rich Schaaff passed away on November 2nd after a brief bout with cancer. The love of his life, Julie Schaaff wrote these beautiful words, which are a fitting epitaph for her husband: “During the last few months of Rich’s life, so many things had come together in a positive way. He was able to leave a job that was no longer satisfying to him and his photography was becoming something that he could make a living doing. He lived in a place he loved, where he could be lulled to sleep by the sound of the river. We shared a deep and intimate love that gave our life meaning. He wanted to live!! But it became apparent that God had other plans for Rich.” Julie Schaaff. KYPE Kirk Wener is a feelance graphic artist and author of the Un-

accomplished Angler blog and is the author of a series of children’s fly-fishing books: Olive the Little Woolly Bugger, Olive and The Big Stream, and Olive Goes for a Wild Ride. Kirk enjoys trout and steelhead in moving water lacations on the wet side of Washington (the state).

CONTACT: Unaccomplishedangler@gmail.com

photo by Rich Schaaff, East Fork Fly Vol. 9 Issue 1

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RULES APPEAL FOR ORDER story and photos by Mark Patenaude

Rules. Rules are applied to virtually everything in our lives. Rules exist to ensure the outcome, no matter the process, is arrived at fairly and in the correct way. In fly-fishing we also have rules. These rules are in two basic categories: performance rules, which govern everything from where you place your thumb on the rod grip to how to properly execute a stack mend, and behavioral rules, which govern the conduct of the flyfisher while engaged in their pursuits. These rules are commonly and collectively referred to as Fly-fishing Etiquette.

Etiquette, the word conjures up visions of a group of ladies sitting around drinking tea from expensive china, while collectively ensuring their pinky fingers, while drinking, are standing at attention. When we apply this word to fly-fishing, it could easily be substituted with the words, “acceptable behavior.” Over time, these rules were established, refined and continue to be modified as the various behavioral situations dictate. However, you don’t want to run out just yet to find the book that contains a detailed description of each rule, because you won’t find one. It couldn’t be that easy. In fact the rules, not unlike the oral traditions of our past, have been passed over time from person to person. So unless you have been fly-fishing for some time, you probably aren’t aware of them.

I have also heard it referred to as a “gentleman’s sport”; I apologize ladies. However, some of the behavior I have witnessed, couldn’t be further from being quiet or gentlemanly, and to be quite frank, it was downright disgusting. I can say with a high degree of certainty, the vast majority of you have either witnessed or have been directly involved in what I will politely call an “onthewater conflict”. With hindsight being 20/20, I’m sure, had cooler heads prevailed, we could have deduced, the entire situation could have been avoided, if two very simple aspects of acceptable behavior were adhered to; respect and the use of common sense. I know right now some of you are saying to yourselves something like “but the guy was a complete idiot...”. But ask yourself, did you give consideration to the fact the person may not have been aware they did something wrong? People newly introduced to our sport are at a distinct disadvantage, unless they have an experienced flyfisher mentoring them along, who will eventually make them aware of proper fly-fishing etiquette, and without this help, the only way they eventually find out is the “hard way”, which seems rather unfair to me.

Additionally, each one of us has a “hot button” rule, a rule, if breached, will for lackofamoreaccurate phrase, really piss us off. For many, it’s the blatant disregard for laws and regulations, for others it’s “low’ holing”, for some it’s seeing someone Fly-fishing is known as a one of the “quiet” sports. “shuffling”, and the list goes on. I don’t intend to 14

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list and describe each rule as this information already exists with you veteran anglers. What I do want to do is to appeal to all experienced flyfishers to make a concerted effort to communicate our rules to other flyfishers at any point where the opportunity presents itself. In doing so, you will be serving both the inexperienced angler by helping them to avoid potential issues, as well as the experienced anglers by helping them to more thoroughly enjoy each fly-fishing outing.

People newly introduced to our sport are at a distinct disadvantage, unless they have an experiencedflyfisher mentoring them along, who will eventually make them aware of proper fly-fishing etiquette. All of us wish we could spend more time on the water. We have family, work and many other life responsibilities. Some of us may have to drive several hours to get to some decent fly water, and all of us want to maximize our time fishing and to enjoy every second we are on the water. Finally, to situationally illustrate the “bottom line” of this article, let me leave you with this: most of the onthewater conflicts that occur, involve both wading and the position of a flyfisher who in essence has already claimed Vol. 9 Issue 1

Fly-fishing Ettiquette their spot. Before you enter the water, look up and downstream to determine if anyone else is there. If they are, do not enter the water below them. Move upstream of their position and begin from there. At no time should you attempt to crowd them or fish through water they haven’t reached yet. The rule of thumb is to stay at least one hundred feet from the nearest person. I know, I said I wasn’t going to detail any of the rules, but in my humble opinion, this particular scenario accounts for a very large percentage of the total onthewater conflicts. To wrap things up, I want to remind you, we have chosen to pursue a sport that is unique among sports, one that borders on a form KYPE

of “technical art”. A form of mystique exists as well as a perception by others that what we do is very special. Shouldn’t we all conduct ourselves with a level of respect and use of our common sense equal to the level of awe one feels when watching a master level caster throwing tight loops with seventyfive feet of line and laying it down, feathersoft? KYPE

Originally from Adams, Massachusetts, Mark currently resides in Cary, IL. He is a member of the following organizations: Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), Trout Unlimited (TU) Pro Team: Deer Creek Fly-tying Products. Mark is also a Pro Staffer with Trout Line Fly-fishing and Fly-tying, LTD. Mark’s preferred waters are, by region: EASTCOAST Deerfield River, Housatonic River, Hoosac River, Millers River; MIDWEST Driftless Area, Southwest Wisconsin, Root and Pike Rivers (Salmon, Steelhead, Lake Run Browns). Mark fishes for Brown, Rainbow, Brook Trout, Steelhead, King and Coho Salmon (primarily rivers); Lake Run Brown Trout (Lake Michigan). Mark is a consciouses fishwithbarblesshookonly flyfisher who practices strict catch and release. His favorite fly-fishing quote: “I love fly-fishing and fly-tying more than a fat kid loves cake.”

CONTACT: fisheswithfly@comcast.net

Fly-fishing I.N.C. W

...a foundation for a civil Fly-fishing future...

e live in a world of growing dysfunctionalities. It seems people are intent in only satisfying self. Brash selfishness has replaced kindess. We find it seriously fraying the edges, of what momma called, ‘neighborly manners’. Fly fishers around the world are encountering a drought of civil consideration, laxtononexistant integrity, and a general extinction of neighborliness. Many good points have been written in a genuine effort to reverse the parth of degrading ethics, so prevalent today. Here are 3 SIMPLE POINTS, as a reminder of the need to engage and how simple it can be. Let’s all strive to ... INTENGRITY 1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral and ethical code. To have INTEGRITY on the water, means your example is impeccable; unquestionable; foundational; 16

worthy for others to emmulate and passon. NEIGHBORLINESS 2. Congeniality for and towards both neighbors: human and resource. Stepping aside from our own wants and desires for the betterment of our fellow flyfishers and the environment upon which we ALL depend. CONSIDERATION 3. Civility and Kindness are KEYS to playing well in the sandboxoflife. Realizing the need to, BE THE ONE, to make the FIRST MOVE, in a fullonengagement of a Better Way, within a civil intention of kindness. Use these to alter the current trend. Enage for the rest of your life. Become the CEO of YOUR own, Fly-fishing, I.N.C. Then watch how fast the good returns begin to flow. KYPE

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Through tth of

A. J. Swentosky

Interview of A.J. Swentosky by Aileen Lane 18

photos courtesy A.J. Swentosky, thefrogwater Vol. 9 Issue 1 KYPE

The beautiful image on this month’s Kype Magazine cover was taken by the talented photographer, A.J. Swentosky, blogger of The Frogwater. As you can imagine, it was difficult to choose just one. KYPE Hello, A.J. Thank you so much for taking the time to interview for Kype as well as letting us use your beautiful images! Tell us about yourself. A.J. Well, I can be wordy at times so I’m going to try to keep the length appropriate (probably not a good start). I worked6 fulltime as a school psychologist, but I’m addicted to all things fly-fishing. I previously lived in Colorado Springs and really enjoyed the technical tail waters of Colorado (e.g. Frying Pan, Taylor, South Platte). I currently live in Jackson Hole and guide on the South Fork of the Snake in the summer months for Teton Valley Lodge. I live within a 90 minute drive to some amazing rivers and still waters. Extend that out to a 3 hour drive and the options are endless. I previously chased trout (and occasionally some

he LENS warm water/saltwater species) over 120 days a year, although that inevitably decreased a bit once my son (he’s 14 months old) was born. I’m guessing some mothers and fathers out there can relate. I’ve had him on my back quite a few times while fishing, but I can’t wait until he can start throwing a little rope!

uated from undergrad because he knew that I was starting to do more and more spin fishing. I went out on 6 straight trips (with the new VT2) in the late spring/early summer without a single fish. Being repeatedly skunked increased my curiosity in the sport even more. Eventually, I caught a 15 inch rainbow on a white wooly bugger. For me, the tug was, is, and always will be the drug. I truly became obsessed at that point and have since devoted much time to the physical and intellectual components of fly-fishing. Yes, I definitely define myself as a fly-fishing angler. For better or worse, the culture is an inherent part of my identity and personality. KYPE Which came first, fly-fishing or photography? How did you get into photography? A.J. Fly-fishing definitely preceded photography. I’m honestly just an amateur photographer who is trying to find time to take my photography skills to the next level. About 4 years ago I started getting bored with all of the grip and grins hitting social media (that’s not to say that I’m “above” posting some gripngrins every now and then). In fact, I would refuse to take a camera on fishing trips because I didn’t want to be “one of those guys” who has to take a photo of every fish. However, Catch Magazine (online), the Drake, Val Atkinson, Bryan Gregson, and others. Seeing the images that these magazines and photographers were producing inspired me to try to capture the different locations, actions, and personalities of fly-fishing.

KYPE How did you discover fly-fishing? Do you define yourself as a fly-fishing angler? A.J. Although I grew up enjoying spin fishing and bait fishing, I probably only fished a dozen times a year... Until.... my last year of undergrad. My dad bought me a 6 wt Sage VT2 when I gradVol. 9 Issue 1

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Soon thereafter, the process of getting back to my keep the camera in hand. However, committing to computer to review the day’s images became just the camera instead of the fly rod definitely leads as enjoyable as actually chasing trout. to much better photos. Sometimes I like doing product shoots because I know that I “must” get KYPE How do you “capture” that moment on certain images within an agreed upon time. This film? Where do you find your inspiration? Do expectation and structure lessens my temptation you look for anything in particular when you set to cast a fly all day. out to take photographs? KYPE Tell us about your blog, The Frogwater. A.J.: Well, just to be clear, I’m shooting all digital. A.J.: I started The Frogwater purely as a result of I don’t have the knowledge base or gear to shoot my love for fly-fishing. Essentially, if I can’t be out in film. As for my inspiration, I think I touched upon on the water, then the next best thing is talking

that above. I think that there are quite a few really good to really great fly-fishing photographers out there. I really enjoy the work of Bryan Gregson, Val Atkinson, and Matt Guymon, although I could easily extend that list out another 10 names. Although it seems like everyone has decent cameras, lenses, and gear these days, the really talented photographers still clearly set themselves apart from the hobbyists. In most cases I do not go into a day with a list of set shots that I need to get. Unfortunately, because of this laissezfaire attitude, I don’t get nearly as many high quality images as I’d like.

about being out on the water. I started off trying to cover all types of content imaginable, which was naive and overly ambitious. It’s evolved into a blog that discusses fishing tips and tactics, interesting research studies, conservation issues, product reviews, fly-fishing news, flies and fly-tying, and fly-fishing photographers, artists, and fly tiers. I probably don’t do a great job of tackling any one of those topics in great detail, but I touch upon all of them. Essentially, the content usually consists of topics that I find personally interesting and that I THINK other likeminded individuals will find intriguing as well.

On the days when I am more organized and deliberate about shooting, and can commit to keeping the fly rod out of my hands, I usually come home with more high quality content on the memory card. My temptation to pick up the rod and stick some fish too often overrides my desire to just

KYPE If you were to fly to some beautiful fly-fishing destination, and you are only allowed to bring either a camera or fly rod, which would you choose and why? A.J.: Oh my, that’s not fair! If it’s my first trip to the location, then I’d bring the rod. If it’s a returning

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trip, then it’s the camera. The process of actually fishing new water, new locations, and for new species allows me to better understand and appreciate the fish and the location from an angler’s perspective. So, I guess I feel like I can’t actually know and intimately appreciate new places until I’ve fished them. Hopefully that makes sense. KYPE

Aileen Lane is an Ambassa-

dor at American Museum of Fly-fishing, Owner/FieldEditor Kype Magazine, Fly Tier & Owner of MKFlies. She is also a Pro Staff Tier for Deer Creek UK. Aileen is currently located in Boise, Idaho. She comanages the KypeMagazine.com and runs MKFlies.com and Fly-fishingv.com CONTACT: aileen@mkflies.com

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DRIFTLESS

enkara

an unorthodox approach

or starters, let’s be clear about a couple of issues. The fishing techniques described here are not really “Tenkara” in the traditional sense. Tenkara, which loosely translated means “from heaven,” is fixed line fly-fishing style used in mountainous regions in Japan. Since we have a noticeable shortage of mountains here in the Driftless region, what we are doing is not strictly tenkara. Calling what we do “tenkara” may offend some purists, but let’s face it, tenstory and photos by Mike Lutes and Matt Sment kara just sounds a lot cooler than “fixed line fly-fishing.” For better or worse, all fixed line fly-fishing in the US has been lumped under the tenkara heading.

Secondly, this article will not be another of one of those expounding the simplicity of tenkara and the wonder of fishing “with only a rod, line and fly.” I have reels. I like them. I just really like tenkara, too. And if you spend any time talking to tenkara fisherman or reading about tenkara, you will find that you can make it just as complicated as “regular” fly-fishing if you so desire. Additionally, that article has been written ad nauseam in the fly-fishing and outdoors press, so maybe it is time we focus on some other aspects of the sport. And lastly, I promise not to tell you how tenkara makes me feel “more connected 22

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to the fish.” I’m not sure the presence or absence your trophy trout but you could conceivably join of a reel on my fly rod has much of an impact on the 20+ inch club here. However, you are much my personal relationship with the fish. I suppose more likely to spend your days here catching you could ask the fish, but I don’t lots of fish, each think they’d have much to say on the measuring a few subject. inches on either side of the one The Driftless region in brief foot mark. The Driftless region is comprised of portions of Southwest Wisconsin, Northeast Iowa, and Southeast Minnesota. Well, okay, Northwest Illinois is also part of Driftless region, but we largely ignore the land of imprisoned former governors and excessive tollway taxes. The term Driftless is a geologic one that refers to a lack of glacial drift found in the soil. In other words, the ice age glaciers left this region untouched, which calls into question the “flatland” moniker the coasties give us. It is a scenic and pastoral region of hills, valleys and stunning rock structures. It is a land of twisty two lane highways, small but quaint towns and, most importantly, thousands of miles of springfed trout streams. The sheer number of spring creeks is astounding. Take a look at the Wisconsin DNR’s trout maps and you will feel spoiled for choice. Yes, if you come here on a summer weekend the pull outs on the wellknown creeks will be full of cars, but it is not at all hard to find solitude on some of the smaller or lesser known creeks. While the area is certainly becoming more popular with traveling anglers, there is still plenty of elbow room. The creeks in Wisconsin’s Driftless region are spring fed beauties. Many of them have been restored by the efforts of Trout Unlimited, Wisconsin DNR, and other organizations. Access is generally quite good. Most creeks have wild reproducing browns, and native brook trout can be found, too. Though some creeks are stocked, chances are most of the fish you catch have lived out their lives in the wild. This is not necessarily the place you come to catch Vol. 9 Issue 1

Tenkara in the Driftless region If you do much reading about tenkara, you will find a lot of people recommend a similar formula: a rod somewhere around 12 feet long (give or take a foot or so), and roughly 12 feet of fluorocarbon level line attached to 34 feet of 5x tippet. The fly of choice is a sakasa kebari, a reverse hackle fly associated with tenkara in Japan. I tried to like this set up. I really did. It just seemed cool. But I wasn’t catching many fish. Over the past three years, Matt Sment, my partner in all things tenkara, and I have refined our tenkara technique to catch trout in the Driftless region. After a lot of trial and error, we have dialed in a formula that is working well for us. Let’s break it down. The Rod We tend to favor tenkara rods somewhere around the 11.5 to 12 foot range. Shorter rods than this are really a disadvantage, as you are already limiting your reach with a tenkara set up. We sometimes fish longer rods, but going much beyond 12 feet make some of the rods ungainly to cast. Since the majority of the streams in the region run through meadows and valleys, the longer rod is really not a problem. In fact, I think it helps cut down on snags, since most of the snags you encounter on the streams in the region are the result of bank side brush, not trees. Rod choice is a matter of personal preference, for the most part.

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The Line Here is where we really start to depart from the orthodoxy. You will find a lot of the tenkara “experts” (in quotes since most tenkara converts got into the sport around 2009 or later, so it is hard to call a U.S. tenkara angler an expert with only a few years’ experience, this author included) praise fluorocarbon level line. Level line is also popular (though not exclusively used) in Japan. We tried really hard to like level line, but we just don’t. It has a lot of line memory, so any time you rig or rerig, you are spending time straightening out your line. We find it hard to cast well, particularly to full extension. It also tends to tangle much more than other types of line, particularly if you have not solved the line memory issue. It is not terribly wind resistant, which can be an issue in our region. It is also difficult to see, even in HiVis colors. On the plus side, it is fairly inexpensive and it excels at keeping line off the water, making it that much easier to get a drag free drift. We use floating line almost exclusively—a very light weight floating line. We like that it has little to no line memory and it casts easily. You can keep most or all the line off the water without too much trouble (level line has the edge here, but just by a little). It can turn over heavier or bushier flies without any difficulty. It does not tend to tangle and it is durable. We have tried many different types of line of our own making and from other manufacturers, and the light weight floating line still wins for us. We typically use a length of line roughly the same length as the rod, perhaps a little longer. If you are fishing floating line and you fish a length much more than about a foot longer than the length of the rod, it tends to get too heavy and not work 24

as well. With level line, some anglers will fish line lengths as long as 1.5 or even 2 times the length of the rod, but we just have not felt the necessity to do that in most of the circumstances we fish. I like to tie about 10 inches of HiVis nylon line to the end of my floating line. It acts as an indicator when I am fishing subsurface and makes it easier to tie on tippet.

Matt usually fishes without the nylon end piece, and it certainly is not necessary. Most of what you read about tenkara will tell you to use three to four feet of 5x tippet at the end of your line. Matt and I have both found that our catch rate for Driftless trout got a lot better when we started using longer lengths of tippet. Right about 6 feet seems to be the “dialed in” length. We mostly use 5x tippet for Wisconsin trout, which is what the rod distributors typically recommend. The concern is that heavier tippet may put the rod at risk. When we fish for smallmouth bass, we just use cheap 6 pound test for our leader and we have yet to break a rod. In fact, we have yet to have a customer return a rod because he or she broke it on a big fish. Here again we depart from orthodoxy. The sakasa kebari, a reverse hackle wet fly, is the fly most associated with tenkara. There are many patterns, developed both in the U.S. and in Japan. Tenkara anglers tend to use rather large sakasa kebari, with size 8 and 10 being popular. U.S. anglers do sometimes use smaller variants, particularly when fishing pressured waters. The kebari is an attractor fly that does not imitate any particular bug. The

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reverse hackle pulsates as it moves through the water, which is what is believed to be what gives it its fish attracting qualities. It is a good fly, but we haven’t had much luck using it on spring creek trout.

and a small streamer of some sort, usually about a size 12. I use either a bead head wooly bugger or a leech pattern depending on which one I feel like tying or can get a good deal purchasing.

I believe that the BHKB imitates a scud, which is a Some tenkara anglers have taken a “one fly” ap- major food source for Driftless trout. This fly is simproach, where they only fish the kebari. They be- ply casted and dead drifted. The BHKB is a consislieve technique and presentation trump fly selec- tent producer all season long. tion every time. I think there is a lot to learn from this approach, but unfortunately, some “one fly” Using small streamer patterns also works really anglers have taken to the philosophy like religious well this time of the year. If you are feeling lazy, zealotry, to the degree that they make the dry fly they can be simply be dead drifted, which works purist look uncommitted. On the plus side, the more often than you would think. You can also “one fly” approach has helped anglers like me twitch them as you retrieve. When I first tried fishlook in their fly boxes and ask themselves “do I ing streamer patterns with tenkara, I looked at really need all this crap?” On the other side of some online forums for advice and all I could find the spectrum, some tenkara anglers have adopt- was one guy who said he used his tenkara rod to ed the “any fly” approach: just tie on whatever you troll streamers behind his kayak. I’m sure other angrab out of the fly box. They also emphasize tech- glers were using them, too, but the practice didn't nique over fly selection. seem too popular early on. Taking some time to cast into clear water and twitch your streamer back So, I present to you our simplified break down on to you can be instructive. I think you will be surfly selection for tenkara trout fishing in the Driftless prised how much easier it is to make lifelike moveregion: ments with a fixed line set up versus a standard fly-fishing rig. Early spring (March, early April): Late spring/early summer (midApril to early Fishing can be pretty variable here, as is the weath- June): er. It can be cold and snowy or like early summer, sometimes in the same week. The streams tend to In some ways, this is the best time to fish the Driftrun cold during this time, so the fish typically hold less region. The weather tends to be very pleasdeep in the deeper pools. My two goto flies in this ant. The fish are active. The stream side weeds are time frame are the bead head killer bug (BHKB) Vol. 9 Issue 1

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not out of control yet and the gnats, mosquitos, and other pesky bugs have yet to reach full on nuisance level. There are a variety of hatches that take place during this time frame: caddis, sulfurs, olives, and so on. Fish tend to be more surfacefocused. I usually carry some caddis inabout size 14 and some smaller olive patterns this time of year. If I can’t catch fish with these flies, I will switch to a subsurface pattern. I like to fish the caddis because you twitch them on the surface with the tenkara set up pretty easily, which can entice some exciting strikes. Mid to Late summer (midJune through August): I’m not sure who coined the term “foam hatch,” but I’d like to buy that guy a beer someday. That pretty well describes mid to late summer fishing in the Driftless region. Foam hoppers, crickets, beetles, and ants are all highly productive. My favorite is the beetle, but you will find anglers that swear by any number of terrestrial patterns. Fish these guys tight to the bank and hold on. When the fish won’t go for the foam, I switch to, wait for it, a bead head killer bug or a small streamer. September:

[1] My fly spends more time in the water. I am free from spending time messing with fly line. No feeding line out or taking line in, tangling line about my feet and so on. Also, you really do not need to false cast at all with tenkara, so you

September can also be a pretty variable month in terms of weather, and likewise the fishing can vary. Early in the month, you can still find fish feeding on terrestrials. Surface flies like the caddis and BWO can still be a good bet, but if they are not tuned into the surface, I think you can guess what I would recommend. Wisconsin’s trout season closes in late September, but it looks like we could get an extended season in 2016. Iowa is open year round. Tenkara techniques in the Driftless region

spend less time doing that and subsequently spook fewer fish with your line. [2] I fish more often. My set up time with tenkara is so short that there is not much barrier to go fishing. It does not seem like a big deal to pull my rod out and fish for 30 minutes on my way to or from work. I can keep my rod collapsed with the line wrapped around the handle and fly tied on, stashed in my truck. It is very easy just to grab it and fish. [3] The (mostly) drag free drift. A big deal for both sub-

While my fishing log is in a sad state, I think I can say that I catch more fish on tenkara than on my standard fly-fishing gear. There is of course quite a bit of variability based on conditions, but I believe 26

that on average tenkara comes out ahead. Here are my: Top 9 reasons why I tend to catch more trout with tenkara:

surface and surface flies. It is easier to maintain a nice drift with tricky currents if you can keep most or all your line off the water.

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[4] The delicate presentation. Much easier to achieve that perfect presentation with a tenkara rod. [5] Improved fly manipulation: I would challenge you to do a side-by-side comparison of a tenkara rod and a regular rod with one of your fly-fishing buddies. Try manipulating both a surface fly like a caddis and a streamer and see which one looks more lifelike.

cited to be finding our Tenkara here in the Driftless, and encourage you to explore YOUR Tenkara this season! BADGER TENKARA is based in Madison, WI, home to the incredible trout waters of the famed Drifless region and a wide variety of warm water fisheries packed with panfish and bass. The company is dedicated to providing high quality Tenkara fishing equipment and experiences. Badger

[6] Fewer snags: you would think that with such a long rod you would snag more often with tenkara. I found the opposite to be true. Since we fish a lot of meadow and valley streams, it is mostly stream side weeds and brush that your back cast hangs up on, particularly when you are wading in

Tenkara approaches Tenkara fishing as an adventure of exploration. Rather than confine the techniques and equipment to their original and very specific origins, we embrace every opportunity to expand the style’s applications. We fish year round, for cold and warm water species, and adapt the platform to suit changing conditions. Our goal is to push

the creek. The extra length of the tenkara rod keeps you out

the limits and show that Tenkara simplicity can be effective

of the weeds.

for almost any fishing, almost anywhere!

[7] Less fly switching. Again, I’m not a “one fly” disciple, but by sticking to a handful of patterns I spend more time fishing and less time changing flies. [8] I am stealthier. I think we can all agree that a major reason fly fisherman don’t catch trout is because they get sloppy with the stealth piece. Or you think you can just make that 40 foot cast and not worry about spooking fish. With tenkara, stealth just becomes part of the package. You practice it a

Mike of Badger Tenkara

lot more and get better at it. You become better at “picking your shots” and planning your approaches. [9] I have more fun and I am more relaxed. I think we all know you tend to catch more fish with calm, positive mental state than an anxious or angry one.

Finally, one of Tenkara’s biggest strengths is that it lends itself readily to experimentation and personalization. There is a growing movement of Tenkara anglers worldwide that is adapting the style to their own unique conditions, local species, and personal preferences. We are exVol. 9 Issue 1

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Mike Lutes of Badger Ten-

kara is a lifelong outdoorsman, hunter, and angler. After becoming frustrated by certain aspects of “regular” fly-fishing, he was drawn to the simplicity of Tenkara. Mike has been fishing Tenkara style for 3 years.

Matt Sment of Badger Tenkara served as a US Army Paratrooper, and is a graduate of the North Carolina Outward Bound Outdoor Leadership program. Tenkara fishing has been his primary outdoor pursuit for 2 years.

Diane Michelin The Artist Behind the Brush

Interview

by Aileen Lane

photos courtesy Diane Michelin

KYPE Hello Diane! Thank you so much for taking the time to interview for Kype Magazine! First of all, where did you grow up? DM I am French Canadian, born in Montreal, Quebec. I grew up with my adoptive parents in a lovely environment outside the city in Laval and was encouraged by both of them to express and educate myself. They didn’t go to school past grades 6 and 9, and they knew that a higher education would be a good asset in my future. I was fortunate enough to have parents who gave me a sense of pride. I studied at the University of Quebec and received a BA in Education. I became an elementary teacher for 18 years. This allowed me to teach in France and later in Ontario, where I slowly learned English. Before my teaching career, I went to Paris to study for one year at L’École des BeauxArts. 28

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KYPE How did you get into Fly-fishing? What is your most memorable experience in fly-fishing? Who is your greatest influence in fly-fishing? Where do you enjoy fly-fishing the most? DM I never thought that one day, I would meet my second husband, who was already an avid fly fisherman, and move away from Ontario to be closer to the Sacred Waters of northern British Columbia. We love fishing the wild rivers of the Skeena or the Nass and their tributaries for the last wild steelhead migration still existing. My most memorable experience wasn’t necessarily on the river, but as a guest invited to A Graceful Rise, an international exhibition where 50 women from the fly-fishing community were invited by the AMFF (the American Museum of Fly-fishing) in June 2011. These three days spent in Manchester, Vermont was an eye opener for all of us. Meeting the legendary Joan Wulff was a blast. We had lunch together and she spoke about her husband, Lee. I talked about my fear of losing my husband, Deni, to lung cancer. But, after 6 years, he is alive and well with one lung. Miracles exist and fly-fishing is a huge part of that. We bought a house on Vancouver Island, and we’ve exercised our mutual passion since 2000.

in 1990, I stated my career as a professional watercolor painter. I belong to many art groups and follow many workshops in Ontario (Haliburton Fine School of Arts, Cape Code School of Arts). I also presided for 3 years as the president of BRAVO (le Bureau des regroupements des artistes visuels de l’Ontario: a group of French Visual artists of Ontario) and later—fly-fishing came to me as the most important subject to paint. KYPE Do you remember the time when you first realized that art was something you absolutely had to do?

KYPE Which came first: fly-fishing or art? What do you look for when choose your next subject for painting? Who is your greatest influence in art?

DM It is funny how a star shines above your head. Just prior to meeting Deni and starting my life with him, I was at the end of my rope: my money DM I started drawing at the age of 4, after watch- in the bank was dwindling and I was realizing that I ing my dad draw the head of a lion in just few couldn’t continue alone to do everything (marketminutes. I was blown away. I was always fascinated ing, exhibiting, producing, etc.). I almost quit. But by the artistic scene. After a long career as a syn- love came along with my husband who became chronized swimmer and coach, I started oil paint- my agent, my life saver, and my best partner in ing to occupy my free time away from the pool. crime. I know how liberating it is to paint: you are My parents never wanted me to follow an art pro- in your bubble, you forget everything, and your gram, not believing too much in it. But after 18 focus is just a sponge. I finally found my reason years of teaching, and in the process of a divorce, I to be. decided to jump into being a painter full time. So, Vol. 9 Issue 1

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KYPE Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?

Tim Schulz

DM Our life is not long enough to realize all our dreams but I am content. Art has always been part of my upbringing. I also followed for two years, a college program in theater and drama. Producing a play each year in my classroom was part of me and a way to let the students express themselves outside the rigid academic program. My quest to express myself is part of my being for sure. Playing an instrument would have also been sweet.... but what I want to do for the future is to learn more about my craft, be more immersed in the art and participate more in the watercolor scene. KYPE

is unique enough in character and knowledge, to the topics of fly-fishing, brook trout, magic and madness; a longtime resident living in Yooper Country; deems him, more than qualified to write such a book. The fact that he also pens (or keyboards if we want to be picky!) a blog called ‘Magic & Madness’, channelling his ‘affected Voelker/Traver consciousness’, has not hindered his ability to turn-a-phrase or tickle the fancy of those reading his work. The Habits of Trout is a humorous, serious, useful book, full of fun tales, pithy comments on fishing and true takeaways for living a more pleasing, less cluttered and maybe better directed life among the outdoors and its many pursuits. With a very poignant slant toward fly-fishing... for brook trout... with bamboo flyrod... in Yooperland. However, in my 65 years of experience I can attest, the wisdom, Tim imparts, is very transferable to any geographic, mental or spiritual location.

Aileen Lane is an Ambassa-

ingv.com

CONTACT: aileen@mkflies.com 30

This is not a ‘how to’ or ‘where to go’ book, per se. But if you’re so inclined to ‘read between the lines’ and enjoy the permutations of deeper contemplation, you’ll get that as a pleasing side effect of Tim’s endearing stories along with a delivery most pleasant. Enjoy a great read. Be warned though, you’re likely to get ‘Yooperized’... and really enjoy it. KYPE The Habits of Trout: and other unsolved mysteries by Tim Schulz Contact Uptrout.com Books available Paperback and eBook Amazon and Barnes and Noble

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KYPE

Southern Scribbles

Why Fly?

story and photos by Marty Heil

n the late 70s, I was seven or eight and got a Cortland fly-fishing kit and a vise for Christmas. I had started a campaign with Dad that we should become fly-fishermen. Ever the good sport, he obliged right down to not calling my pitch about how tying our own flies would save us lots of money for the BS it was.

enhanced it in ways I’ve not the eloquence to describe. If you’ll forgive the descent into rank sentimental existential gobbledygook, I’ll try to put into words why this passion we share is so full of healing power and perhaps suggest an appeal or two whose sparkle you’ve yet to enjoy.

I’ve got a work phone and emails, a personal phone In the intervening years, I’ve been and done many and emails, and a big TV. I’m a bachelor and rethings. Marine, college student, assistant, exec- sponsible for no one. I’m reading three books, there utive, husband, divorcee, laborer, unemployed, consultant: the list is long and varied, and the path convoluted and at times—difficult. I’ve had failures, heartbreaks, and losses we won’t dwell on and successes we won’t crow about. The constant factor in getting past all the hardships and celebrating all the successes is the fly. Tying, casting, fishing, and putzing about with tackle are all things that have literally saved my life, as well as 32

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are six books I’ve ordered that I want to read, I’m distracted by twitter, Facebook, Instagram, meetings, travel, a career path that needs to be charted, numbers to hit, conference calls, negotiations, a jeep in need of an oil change, not enough time, bills, weddings, first communions, a vacation coming up, work piling up while I’m on vacation, bar mitzvahs, barbeques ……and on and on…..To quote the great Zen philosopher Charlie Brown “AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Living in the age of distraction, we can lose sight of the

down, be gentle and concentrate. All the noise of the world fades to silence in the fluid unfolding of a properly cast loop. The four count rhythm, if you focus and feel, will come to mirror your heart’s beat and the fairy wand in your hand will magically wave away the fog and noise of life faster than anything I know. The trout care not if you’re rich or poor or why you left your last job. The only questions they ask must be met with calm, quiet, focus, gentleness, and patience. To really fish, you must put your mind in a different gear and your spirit in a place of peace. On those days when your troubles and heart weigh more than you can carry, the water offers a solace found in few other places. The sounds and sights that haunt your nightmares waking and sleeping are no match for light bouncing off the water and its music echoing off the rocks. Perched like a heron working a rising fish, I can feel no pain, no worry, no sadness, no guilt…. nothing but anticipation fills my soul and there is room for naught else. The diamond scattered droplets shaken in the sunlight form a leaping fish and the sound of a singing reel hold magical powers to make time stand still. A truly moment and forget how to focus on the now. The perfect moment. The physical discipline of yoga Buddhists call this mindfulness. For me, the place puts many in a mindful place: carefully wading, it’s easiest to be mindful, aware, and focused are casting, dancing gently and quietly amongst the either a stream or at the beach. In the last five or so musical water and rocks does exactly that for me. years, I’ve actively worked to translate this peace, mindfulness, and awareness into other facets of Tying your own flies is an abominable way to save my life with varying degrees of success. A perfect money but a great way to save your heart and soul. moment of satisfaction and true awareness is of- To sit at the vise with feathers and thread crafting ten hard to experience in the business world, but thanks to the fly, I find these moments more and more often in my personal life. Nothing in the physical poetry of fly-casting responds to hurry, strength, worry, or preoccupation. There’s a purity and meditative quality to casting that requires you to relax, slow Vol. 9 Issue 1

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I fish a great deal with old bamboo rods, old reels, and newer bamboo rods made by friends. When I clean an old reel I wonder about the hands that held and fished it before. I don’t know the hands that crafted my favorite tailwater Granger rod in the late 40s. I do know those are hands I’d like to shake, and that someday when I’m no longer around—if I’m granted a chance to look down and see my old reel singing on the river again—I’ll certainly smile. I lost a great friend and mentor, Leo, earlier this year. Every time I grasp the carefully crafted cork on a truly artful rod he built, I grasp a dear friend’s hand and get at least metaphysically a chance to fish with him again. Knowing that a a fly is to lash a dream to a hook. It’s impossible to craftsman’s hands traveled miles and miles over not think of the fish that will rise as you carefully the strips of bamboo gives a spirit and warmth to work. As with casting, nothing at the vise responds my experience that more modern materials do to hurry, force, and worry. No matter how Type A, not. There is warmth and affection for my tackle powerful, warrior strong, or successful you are— and randomly collected fishing junk that gives me only gentleness, patience, and focus will help you a great deal of pleasure. Again, it’s impossible to craft a fly. Yoga, Zen, and meditation all require do a bit of tackle maintenance without thinking you to clear your mind and participate actively: and feeling optimism and anticipation. tying is no different, but has the added innate optimism of painting a picture in your mind’s eye A trout steam is a beautiful and healing place in of the fish to come. Counselors and others in the and of itself. I’m a moderately religious and deeply business of healing bruised and battered minds spiritual man, though I don’t grace a pew as often and souls will tell you that there is enormous heal- as I should. I can hear the word from the pulpit or ing power in creativity. I can’t paint, my writing is read it for myself, but I only truly hear and undermediocre at best, my singing has been labeled stand it immersed in either the wood or stream. cruel and unusual punishment under the Geneva Flowing water, if you’ll let it, can carry away your Conventions, I dance happily but only a charita- worries in ways that nothing else I’ve found can. In ble soul would call it anything beyond spastic and this modern, fast paced, high tech life—it’s easy to arrhythmic…I can however, craft a pretty passable pass by flowers and dappled sunlight in all manfly that pleases both my eye and a fair number of ner of places. In some truly wild, deeply green fish. Almost every day, I spend at least a few min- places, it’s easy to believe one of Tolkien’s elves utes at the vise tying. Active optimism is good for your soul and those around me find the relaxed, fly-tying-Marty far more palatable than the hardedged business self I show at the office. Mindfully stopping everything to focus for a few moments on doing one physical thing as perfectly as I can reminds me that more of those focused moments are needed in every aspect of my life. 34

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doesn’t consume all…. a lesson learned late is better than one never learned at all and the fly is why I know now. I’ll end with a brief fish story (if anyone is still with me). I’ve not been yet blessed with the chance to be a dad, and memories of the time and patience my dad spent with me on the water fill me with great joy. I love seeing kids astream. I was standing waist deep in the local tail water not too long ago, and after some time—I realized that the kayak might meet you just around that next rock. Mod- slowly approaching held a dad and a really little ern man has, in many ways, lost his sense of won- guy (3 or 4-ish). Dad was paddling and balancing, der to science. Watch a cloud of hatching mayflies while keeping his hand over his son’s to help with dancing on the breeze in the evening sunlight and casting. When they were not too far away, a really you’ll find yourself believing fairies are real. Do yourself a favor and look down and around while you’re astream: you’ll find all manner of beautiful things mucking about in the shrubbery. Wildflowers, mushrooms, fossils, sprites, Nereids, and certainly at least one of my muses live there. I’ve yet to meet anyone whose life couldn’t stand a little more beauty in it. I’ve also found that awareness of those small, truly beautiful things astream better helps me to see, appreciate, and work for them in the rest of my life. I nice rainbow took my hopper and proceeded to can’t help jump and run wildly. As I snapped a picture and but believe released the fish I heard that incredibly loud child’s that wonder whisper echo, “Daddy maybe we should ask him. and appre- He knows how.” I looked up and waved, only to ciation of hear the little guy offer “We ain’t caught a damn the beautiful thing!” His dad’s response, “Don’t say that word! things and Your momma will kill me,” nearly made me fall in. people you pass in the stream of life leads you Chuckling, I waved them over and gave them a to see more—not because they suddenly appear, few flies and a couple of pointers. I learned it was but rather they’re all around you unnoticed until their second time out. If a little guy screaming, “We you become mindful and aware. If you’re aware got one daddy!!! We got one!!” and wriggling to and paying attention, you’re far more likely to take the point of near capsize doesn’t make you smile, care of the things that are important to you in your nothing will. The memory of that little guy standpersonal life. You can’t be truly successful in most ing up in his Sponge Bob life vest to wave and professions by keeping a 40hour week, but you say “thank you” just before they went around the can, through mindfulness, value and pay attention bend makes me smile every time I pause. to your personal life and those in it so that work Vol. 9 Issue 1

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We live in a fast paced, hard edged, competitive world, and kindness does as much for you as it does for those you practice it upon—maybe more. Tie a few extra of your favorite flies, and make it a point to give some away! Your life will be enhanced by passion and having at least one thing you deeply, truly love to spend time doing. For me that passion has held more healing and learning about myself, life, what’s important, and how to truly live well. I’d also, in a simpler vein, humbly submit that if it still makes you grin like the same idiot at forty-six as it did when you were twelve, you might be onto something. I’m better at my personal life and being kind and mindful of those around me thanks to the lessons of the fly. I wish you all tight lines and some unexpected beauty. KYPE KYPE Columnist Marty Heil I’ve been tying and

fishing since the late 70’s. Blessed to travel and fish all over but my heart lies with the small wild fish of the southern Appalachians. I fish waters big and small every chance I get from coast to coast and across oceans, but my soul sings best in those small wild waters I grew up on. I fish mostly for Salmonids but hit warm water now and then as well. Specks (Brookies) are my true love. I’m a bamboo and dry fly guy mostly but my purist rants are made with my tongue firmly in cheek. I make my home near Nashville, Tennessee (no, I don’t sing or play guitar.) CONTACT: Marty.heil@yahoo.com

SUPPORTS the artists bringing beauty to the World of Fly-fishing. With Vol 9 Issue 1, KYPE offers ad space to four artists Editor’s Picks and will continue to do so, in each issue.

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Connect with our Featured Artists support their work and the beauty they bring to the world of Fly-fishing. Les Booth, Editor 36

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SNOOK... continued micro poons, cichlids, and snapper, I need a real fish. I need to find new beaches. Clear beaches. Beaches cranking with bait-smashing snook.

Snook are a funny fish. Born male, they pull a hermaphroditic switch somewhere between 1 and 7 years of age and become female. A large majority of big snook on the beach are females, followed by the smaller males in wolf packs. Unlike a lot of fish fixated on spawning, the big girls are also very willing to eat while cruising the beach. On more than one occasion, I dropped a fly on a group of oversized snook and had two fish competing to close the gap to inhale my fly. On some occasions, these fish will also re-school once hooked giving you a potential shot at the other fish in the same group. There is no secret strategy to these fish. When the snook are present, you’ll see them. Get in front of them, cast the fly, and pull it away fast. If they are in an eating mood, they will eat. I haven’t had much success at casting to snook that are spooked or casting to snook and stripping a fly towards them. They’re too smart for that.

Snook fishing on the beach is a solitary allday affair with a fly rod. Some will argue low tide is better than high, but the fish are there regardless. You can do this all day. Sight fishing at its best, with crushing eats and committed fish in inches of water. Fish range from 20-40” in singles to groups upwards of 20 fish. It sounds all too good to be true, and sometimes is. Weather will stick it to you on some days, and other days it will be glassy, and the fish will crush a poorly presented fly ten feet away. Those days, when it all comes together with light waves, clear surf, and a constant supply of fish will have you booking next year’s trip before The weather eventually turns around. Hopefully in in time for a few good days of sight fishing beyou leave. fore boarding a plane home. It’s a great feeling when I make that walk to the beach and finally see soft breaking waves on a rising tide. “Oh crap” has turned into “Ooooh baby.” A little more sun over head will make the fish spotting terribly easy. And it does. The snook are there. Lots of them. Big ones. And they eat. I still haven’t seen another fly fisherman. All is right with the world. Next year’s trip… booked. KYPE

Every year between May and September, the snook start to pour out of the mangrove rearing grounds of the Gulf of Mexico and make their way along the Gulf Coast beaches to do their annual spawning. Because they’re broadcast spawners, they don’t make a nest. They use the shallow beaches to distribute their eggs which eventually wash back up into tidal creeks and mangrove roots to grow into baby snook. And—there are millions of them doing this right now. This is the time to be a fly fisher, staring at the beach, looking for groups of fish willing to smash a baitfish pattern. Hunting for the big girls. Vol. 9 Issue 1

Dave Zielinski is a working stiff

during the week and an obsessed fly fisherman in his spare time. He designs and crafts wooden drift boats suited for the Eastern US rivers he calls home. He has a passion for all aspects of the sport and prefers do-it-yourself trips off the beaten path. Dave lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters, who also row drift boats, cast flies at fish and spend most of their time outdoors as a family. CONTACT: thehappytrout@yahoo.com

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GrandPa’s Pot Belly Stove continued

One old painter from Idaho told him, that he’d caretakers and planners of a most wonderful fu- be better off in many ways, to keep a window ture. Both saw in the old house; certainly by then, cracked open most of the time. “Give’s better air since it was built in 1942; a real warmth they could in the room, you don’t lose touch with the vitality of your subject, and the only combustible left in call home. And did they ever! the room will be you.” Grandpa said that was one Growing up on the other end of the small town of the best pieces of advice he ever got. It worked, where they lived, my life was lived at Grandpa’s too. place almost more than at home. So the potbelly had a corner made just for it. I loved the smell of Grandpa’s studio. The paint, Grandpa liked to say the studio was built around the linseed oil, camphor, turpentine... all things art. the potbelly. As he said, “That’s the best way to They mingled so well with the other three loves of build a life…around the core of what you are most Grandpa: fishing, hunting and writing. And then inspired to attain.” there was the potbelly. All of this was topped off with the aroma of firewood, devoured by flame. Grandpa loved every aspect of firewood. He loved being in the woods; choosing and cutting the right trees; by species, age and location in the woods. He loved the gathering and preparation by the hands and sore muscles he offered in the sacrifice that became fuel, providing heat in the studio during the cool fall and spring mornings as well as the cold Midwestern winters. Grandpa loved everything about the outdoors. It was his world. Everything he did was about being a part of the outdoors. Nothing gave him more satisfactionthan to have his work reflect the deepest appreciation of the outdoors. He would say, “If one person is inspired to spend more time outdoors by anything I do, then my life has more meaning that I could hope for.” This wasn’t a platitude for Grandpa; it was more than an attitude; it was his fuel. It was…him.

For a long time I didn’t understand that statement exactly. But now, some 25 years since Grandpa passed on, I am beginning to understand. Grandpa looked at that old potbelly as a dependable, serviceable, congenial element of his studio. Without it, the studio would still survive, but it would be less comfortable and minus an important element of character. It’s not absolutely essential for life, but it sure makes it more enjoyable. So the last piece of work done on the house and the studio was the placement of the old potbelly. And every morning, at the start of the late summer cooldown, right on through the warm up of early summer, Grandpa was on his knees placing kindling starter in the potbelly to begin a firefortheday.

How fitting then was it that on that late August morning, 25 years ago, that Grandma walked into the studio to call Grandpa for breakfast, that she When Grandpa started building the studio he found him kneeling at the potbelly, kindling on wasn’t sure what to do about heating the room. the grate, a readytostrikematch in his right hand, He liked the idea of a wood stove, but wasn’t sure at rest, against the, still warm from the previous about fire amid the flammables of the painter’s day’s fire, front of his old friend, the PotBelly. livelihood. He talked to a number of his friends Many friends mentioned his end would have and they all assured him that if he kept the room been more fitting had his mortality arrived in a mighty struggle with a giant trout through a deep well ventilated, he’d have no problem. hole. Some thought it would have been more po38

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etic, at-the-easel. Still others thought, at the old Underwood typewriter, he loved to coax a story from, though agnostic keys and cantankerous mechanics. But I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it that way. I see that his end-of-days combined all of these. Because it was here. In the comfort of his old friend PotBelly, whom he made all of those integral parts of himself, cometolife. Here, in this small studio, the one I now use to paint, write and reminisce, is where the true magic, that was Grandpa, came to life. As well I, too, share the magic in the company of his warm friend, PotBelly. Like Grandpa I kneel each cool morning and throughout the frigid winter, and give thanks for the memories; for the future; for the warmth and inspiration of this room and PotBelly, for the comfort to continue doing it all. If I am so fortunate, like Grandpa, PotBelly will be my company into the next phase of eternity. Les Booth KYPE

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SUPPORTS the artists who bring the beauty of art, no matter the format, to the World of Fly-fishing. With Vol 9 Issue 1, KYPE offers ad space to four Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Picks artists and will continue to do so, in each issue. We invite you to connect with our Featured Artists support their work and the beauty they bring to the world of Fly-fishing. Les Booth, Editor

Vol. 9 Issue 1

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C.H.U.B.S. “Small fish in the hands of people with small hands, look relatively large” unaccomplishedangler.com

To use the language of the day, I generally don’t play well with others. Growing up, my parents called me “contrarian”. I disagreed. My teachers said I was “oppositional defiant”. But they were wrong, too.

CLUB story and photos by Charles N. Cantella

What I really am is a peace freak/change the with trout fishing. He then goes on to dedicate an world/ hippie throwback from back in the decade entire chapter to his desire “to write a book that ends with the word Mayonnaise”. Who does that? that was the 60’s, yeah baby, the 60’s. Such rebellious actions somehow stained, (I prefer the term “influenced”), my thinking and outlook, transforming me into what I am today: an average, not overly motivated, occasionally witty, rebel without a cause. Of course Brautigan and the othIt was a time when writer Richard Brautigan was er movers and shakers of the 60’s had something doing such edgy things as titling a book Trout going for them that I don’t: a cause, something to Fishing in America, while it only minimally dealt It was a time when such literary luminaries as Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, and John Steinbeck among others were pushing the boundaries of literature.

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stand for, something to rally around.

So deep into my mind warp was I that I almost missed the twitch of the leader signaling a strike. They rallied against the system. They pushed the Almost. envelope. They went where society norms said they couldn’t go. Me? I have trouble coloring in- I set the hook solidly into 6 inches of chub fury! side the lines. These folks rewrote the lines. Com- Upon landing and releasing the silver dart, I had pared to them, what do I have? Nothin’. So what I an epiphany. I had my cause. I had found my really need is a cause. purpose! You can get away with being a rebel without a cause in your teens and 20’s, they call it “going through a stage”. But when you get to be my age and you act that way and you don’t have a cause, what they call you is much less flattering. Phrases such as “lazy jerk”, “unmotivated slob”, and “jackass” start getting bantered about. So how does one go about finding a cause? Causes aren’t just falling out of the trees, you know. The good ones aren’t anyway. That was the question running through my mind the other day while I was out on the river with C.S. outfishing me by about a 3 to 1 ratio, which is par for the course. All that fishless downtime gave me plenty of time to think. The beauty of being a bad fly fisherman is that you have a lot of time to think. Consciously you are focused on your cast, the drift, and the mend while your subconscious works out the really important things in life like, will the beer still be cold when we get back to the truck, and what type of cause can an aging, cranky, wannabe hipster like me champion without over exerting his middle aged, out of shape body?

I would champion the cause of elevating the lowly chub from “rough fish” status to “highly esteemed game fish” status. Well maybe not “highly esteemed game fish”, I’d settle for just plain “game fish” status. Eureka! I had my Zen moment! I had found my cause! But my elation was short lived as I wondered if there was anyone other than me who actually had feelings towards chubs other than disgust. You can’t really have a cause with just a handful of followers. Groups like that are called cults. So I made it my mission, nay, my obsession to be as observant as possible to glean any hints from other anglers who may well have a soft spot for chubs and other small fish. Lo and behold, while on vacation in Virginia, I came across a “Chub Lane” and it got me to thinking, of all of the fish in the world that they could have chosen to name this lane, they chose “Chub Lane”. Was it a fluke, or was there more to it? Are there other people other who are feeling chub love? After all, there is a Steelhead Lane in Burlington, Washington and there’s a Trout Lane in Ocean City, Maryland.

Somewhere between my first and fiftieth cast I came upon the realization that fly-fishing is proba- There are Bass Lanes in Senecaville, OH; Winbly the ultimate counterculture sport: chester, VA; and in Summerseat, United Kingdom as well! So why wouldn’t the developer The idea is to catch fish…with many of us releas- have chosen to name his lane after one of the ing the fish we catch anyway; and while we enjoy more “glamorous” or “popular” fish? I believe catching the fish… we give almost every advan- it was chosen intentionally, I believe the develtage to the fish, intentionally fishing the smallest oper was a chubber [author’s note: follow up of flies with pinched barbs on the thinnest of line. research has revealed that the term “chubber” Vol. 9 Issue 1

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may or may not be politically correct and/or may be offensive to an overlysensitive population, so for future references in this story I will use the terms “small fish specialists” or “SFS”]. “What is a small fish specialist?” you ask. An SFS is a term designated for those anglers who actively and intentionally fish for chubs and other diminutive fish. While you may not fully believe it, I’ve found signs of a small, but growing underground contingent of SFS out there hiding in the shadows of the trout and bass fishermen. Perhaps they’re afraid of the mockery they may be subjected to if anyone ever found out about their “little” secret. So they go on using many of the same rods, reels, and flies as the “real” fishermen. They fish the same rivers and lakes too. But they always have to temper their enthusiasm when they land that chub, lest their jubilation expose them for what they really are…small fish specialists! Up until now they have had to enjoy their sport clandestinely, lurking in the shadows, paranoid and unsure with whom they can share their secret …until now. That’s why I’m proud to announce my idea; my cause, my snub at the pomp and pageantry of trout and bass, the creation of the C.H.U.B.S. Club. Here is my vision, my manifesto, my gift to the world: C.H.U.B.S. Club!

size of the institution to avoid potential mismatches, and it would be unfair to match a sprawling, prestigious Division I school against a smaller, more humble Division II or Division III school, so too we rank the fish. And for too long the Division I fish of the freshwater world (the trout and the bass primarily) have had more than their fair share of the glory, but no more.

I yearn for a world where a man or woman is not judged by the length, girth, or species of the fish they catch, but by the enjoyment and etiquette they embody while in pursuit of said fish, and with the launching of C.H.U.B.S. Club a whole new swath of the angling population will now have a Chub Hunting Union of Brothers & Sisters Club voice. would be an organization where chub aficionados can get together and discuss their favorite In a safe, nonjudgmental atmosphere, C.H.U.B.S. sport, chub fishing, without fear of retribution or Club gatherings would provide these small fish backlash. specialists a place to relax. Perhaps they would choose to sip an Angry Minnow beer and enjoy I use the term chub loosely to include any number its smooth flavor straight from Hayward, Wisconof smaller fish, not just chubs. Just as colleges and sin (ironically the home of the National Freshwacollegiate athletics are ranked according to the ter Fishing Hall of Fame where people gush over 42

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big fish). Maybe those who enjoy darker beers will like to sample the Old Chub Scotch Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery, brewed in North Carolina, but headquartered and originated in Colorado, traditionally a trout stronghold. Those whose tastes run toward wine will find that a glass of fine Minnow Creek wine from the exotic land of Australia will quench their thirst. Members may also enjoy a nice tin of sardines, Swedish Fish, Goldfish crackers or pizza topped with anchovies to sate hungry appetites while mulling and debating the trials and tribulations of small fish fishing deep into the evening. Perhaps we’ll get Tshirts and hats made, proudly proclaiming our love of the chub. Maybe local, then state chapters will spring up [Chubs Unlimited, perhaps?], bringing tens, then hundreds, and maybe thousands into the fold. Dare I think there could ever be a C.H.U.B.S. Club national organization? Rod and reel manufacturers, aching for new rods and reels to develop could entice us with new gear specialized for the sole purpose of pursuing dainty fish.

important thing is that you went fishing. It would take a lot of hard work and effort to make this work. It would take a whole lot of hard work and effort. Probably more hard work and effort than I could muster. Yeah, now that I think about it, it would take a huge amount of hard work and effort. But I’m up for it. Kinda. Maybe I’ll start tomorrow, or the next day. I’ve already accepted and admitted and embraced that I’m not an overly motivated person. So I guess I’ll get to it, when I get to it. For now, I pretty much have the chubs all to myself. And that’s ok with me, because at least I have my cause, and I’m pretty sure that’s all I can handle right now. KYPE

Charles N. Cantella is a writer from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife Megan and their children Colin and Anna. His work has appeared in Hatches & Rises, the awardwinning newsletter of the Penn’s Woods West Chapter of Trout Unlimited. CONTACT: mail.com

c.n.cantella@hot-

And then the magazines, and TV shows would start up, along with the advertising revenue that could be generated by plastering glossy grip and grin photos of happy anglers, gently releasing their chubs back to the water to fight another day. The liberation these specialists may feel after being relieved of living the lie of preferring bass and trout over chubs will undoubtedly be overwhelming. C.H.U.B.S. Club hopes to soothe frayed nerves and foster fellowship and goodwill among all anglers, not just the small fish specialists. Chub fishing isn’t for everyone, we under stand that, but all are welcome here. Because all large fish were once small fish, and because we believe that ultimately life (and more importantly, fishing) is all about the experience and the perception. If one plans on releasing the fish anyway, does it matter if the fish was seventeen inches or seven? No. The Vol. 9 Issue 1

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SNOOK

story and photos by Dave Zielinski

“Snook!” I say to myself albeit aloud as the last set of waves wash back the surf. Frantically trying to locate the fish again, I wave the line in the air, ready to drop the fly in the snook’s face. Too much time has passed. She’s gone. “Aw crap,” I mutter to myself, still staring into the crashing waves. It’s been three days since I’ve seen a fish. “Damn wind. Waves. Grr.” Insanity. What’s the definition? Something about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Yeah, that. Well, at least it’s not musky fishing. At this point, I talk to myself a lot, mostly profanities, or an occasional “There’s one!” and sometimes to shake out an awful 1980s arena rock anthem like “Sister Christian” that I heard on the radio in my rental car. “mmmmmMMMMM MOTORIN” Yeah, now you’re hooked too. 44

I walk a couple miles on the beach, looking like a cross between a storm trooper and some kind of terrorist covered head to toe in long sleeves, pants, gloves, and face mask to hide from the sun. The middleaged beachgoers look at me funny and say things like “Are you cold?” “What are you fishing for? “Fly-fishing? …here?” Occasionally, locals out for a morning beach walk will stop and say, “Oh, Snook? Last week they were all over the place. The water was so calm,” they say. Not knowing how much proverbial salt is being poured into my wounds. It looks as if I’m walking aimlessly with a fly rod to the casual observer, but I’m quite fixated on what could happen at any time now. So far though, the days have been filled with look-

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ing at tides, planning where to be, monitoring the winds and praying for clear surf. But it’s all good. It’s fishin. I haven’t seen another fly fisherman since I’ve been here. It’s kinda like paradise, and it beats working for the man. Despite other people on the beach, I’m alone: working out strategies and plans in my head by myself. I’m good with it, but it’d be nice to have a buddy around to be miserable with. Not to mention if I were to hook a good fish, it’d be awfully hard to get a good picture. The boys back home would call BS on any fish stories without proof. On a lot of these trips, nighttime is the right time for retying leaders, rigging a different fly, looking at Google Earth for other options, and pouring over weather reports. I have a few drinks and go to bed. Tomorrow comes fast, even though it doesn’t feel like it’s fast enough. If I’m lucky, I’m tired and maybe a little drunk so I fall asleep quickly.

Somehow, I can’t get myself out of bed back home to go to work on time, but here, in paradise, I’m up as soon as daylight peeks through the blinds. A quick glance at the clock says it 6 a.m., and I’m ready to make it happen. I throw on yesterday’s shorts and a clean shirt to check off the first order of the day: coffee. My morning ritual here is a quick ride to a coffee shop for two large dark roast whateverisontaptoday, as long as it’s strong. After, I stop by a promising inland pond that I scoped out on Google Earth last night and find cichlids, bass, and gators. Bugs are bad, so I leave for now. I make that walk to the beach only to get there and see 3’ crashing waves. “Sonofabitch!!” Now Vol. 9 Issue 1

what? Three days of dirty surf is enough. Options… what else is there? The snook on the beach are the big draw, but they aren’t the only show. Inland ponds? Tidal creeks? Canals? It’s nice to have options. For this reason, I brought a new tool in the kit: the inflatable SUP (standup paddleboard). Fly-fishing from a SUP is starting to be a thing, and it’s one more way to open up possibilities previously out of reach. I’ve made the trip to Gulf beaches to chase snook for several years, with only minimal secondary fishing options. If the winds blow up the beach, you’re likely not fishing much. This year, the inflatable SUP went with me, partly as an insurance policy, but partly as a tool to explore some of the other options in the area. It’s been a game changer. In many cases, the SUP gets you across mud flats that can’t be waded and nonmotor zones, and it provides a perspective well above that of a kayak or canoe. SUPs specifically designed for fly-fishing are stable platforms, carry a huge capacity, and travel compact under the 40 lb mark. But back to the snook at hand. I still haven’t touched a big one yet. After spending some time exploring new areas, finding micro snook,

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GrandPa’s potbelly stove G

randpa was a splendidly amazing man. Grandma agreed, he was splendid. Of course Aunt Eunice thought he was the most talented man alive. Uncle Burt was admittedly jealous of Grandpa’s rarified adventures. Aunt Marguerite just said, in a voice of utter embarrassment, “He was a painter, you know how they are.”

All-in-all, Grandpa was like that potbelly stove in the corner of his studio. Comforting to know he was there, when engaged he provided warmth, security and charm. Needed a little care, but only now and then, to run at maximum expectations.

To many who knew him, he was a consummate guide. To others he was the epitome of a fisherman. Yet others knew him though his paintings. Still others knew him as a writer. But no matter how they knew him, they all admired, respected, envied and enjoyed him.

When Grandpa and Grandma bought the old house, I knew as ‘their home,’ in late 1971, now nearly 100 years ago, it was in need of attention. That house could not have found two better

That potbelly stove…what storyline it could tell.

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continued on page 38 Vol. 9 Issue 1

review and photos by Aileen Lane

Down By The River... a beautifully written book by Andrew Weiner, is a wonderful way to introduce or share your love for the outdoors and fly-fishing to children.

Down By The River is a story of a multigeneration family that creates memories on the river. It captures the passion and essence of fly-fishing. The emotion avid anglers can appreciate. Down By The River is beautifully illustrationed by April Chu, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warmth and charm supplies the icing on the cake. Author, Andrew Weiner is an avid fly fisher who lives in Albany, California. Down By The River is now available through abramsbooks.com and amazon.com. Vol. 9 Issue 1

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Vol. 9 Issue 1

KYPE Magazine Volume 9 Issue 1, 2018

Articles inside

Twin Territory REVISITED