When reading back over my limited experience fly fishing, one can see that a majority of my limited success in catching fish has come from very specific flies. The parachute adams and other variations have produced very well for me largely in part because I can maintain visual contact with my fly and see the strike. Since buying a vice, my main goal was to become proficient at producing these flies with my own hands. Tonight I found several moments to give it a try and came up with something relatively close. As always, these metal hooks ensnarled in thread and feathers are very far from perfect let alone good, but I could not help but smile when they were done. I must keep practicing.
I find myself wandering more than I should over various blogs and sites looking at tyers that are more practiced and skilled than I could ever hope to be. It never ceases to amaze me the imagination and creativity some possess. Since buying my vice and my few meager supplies, I wander frequently to one particular site in particular and I have had my eye on tying the “Hopper Juan.” I sat and tied feverishly for an hour and completed two flies that slightly resemble the original and several that will find their way to the scrap pile. Summertime will be prime time to tie this to the end of my leader and tempt a fish or two. They truly do not do the creator justice so please check out the original at the Hopper Juan.
Despite monumental amounts of rain in the Valley of the Sun and road closing snow in the high country, my mind never wanders far from fish filled waters. I spent a good amount of time this week at my vice. My tying is far from perfect, but it has become much more enjoyable because my flies are taking on some resemblance of their desired goal. Starting off, I stopped by the Orvis store in Scottsdale and had it in my mind to spend a Christmas gift card that my very understanding uncle and aunt had given me. It took me less then 15 minutes to blow through the limit, which is actually more time than I had thought it would take. Loaded with tying materials and a good book, I was on my way to start tying up some flies. I started easy and launched into a batch of brassies followed by a more laborious project of the bead-headed pheasant tails. Over time, I actually started to enjoy tying the pheasant tail nymphs and look forward to getting them wet in Arizona water.
Pheasant Tail
I always look forward to Fridays. Generally, I am able to escape from work a little earlier than the usual 4 o’clock quitting time and my trip home takes me home close enough to stop by Cabelas or Sportsman’s Warehouse to say hi and paw through tying materials. This Friday, as usual, I stopped and was looking through various feathers and furs and actually opted out of several purchases because of the price. Usually my thought is, “I’ll just keep my eyes open,” or “maybe I can acquire what I need while I’m hunting.” After church on Sunday, Michelle had to stop at her “Cabelas” a.k.a. Jo-anne Fabrics. Usually, I wait helplessly in the front sitting area of the store specifically designed for men to drink coffee and look dejected. Today was different. Today, I felt empowered and started pawing through beads, feathers, fur, foam, and yarn. I believe I actually walked to the counter with more in my arms than my fiance did. I found that Jo-anne Fabrics is not a complete waste of time. I was able to find much cheaper beads, marabou, goose biots, and foam. Since being turned on to Jo-anne’s though, now I’ll have no excuse to complain when we go to a craft store. I had a bit of fun with foam once we left and tied several beetle/ant/bug contraptions. They are not pretty, but others seem to have success with them and they are extremely fun to tie.
Beetles
I am looking forward to tying more and can not describe how much joy I receive from tying flies, but there is no substitute for standing knee deep in water and feeling that tug on the end of my line. Michelle agreed and looks forward to the day when her kitchen counter is no longer considered “fly tying central.”
The score remains: Javelina – 2 Me – 0. Last year was my first year hunting javelina. Since moving to the Arizona, I have had a crash course in western big-country hunting. My experience hunting as a kid revolved around patterning deer and hunting well traveled trails from corn fields to bedding areas. In Arizona, glassing large portions of land searching for specks of color to move has been difficult to get the hang of but these past two years have taught me much. Saturday morning was overcast and windy and the sun never broke through the clouds as Travis and I glassed across a canyon searching for any sign of life. I had made my grid-like sweeps of the hills before me and was getting ready to move to a new vantage point when I caught a fat pig moving from under a tree into the open. Calling Travis over, we rechecked the location of the herd, found some landmarks, and planned the long trek across the canyon. Somewhere along the journey, we lost the herd and were never able to find them again. Mid-day was spent setting up camp and the evening produced nothing other than a few female deer feeding in the fading sun.
Windmill
The final morning of the hunt was clear and cold, but we did not have to sit long. Within minutes of setting up tripods and getting comfy, I spotted a herd moving slowly through the prickly pear. Wind was gauged and hopes were high, but as I picked my way through the maze of cat claw and saguaros, the herd vanished. After regrouping, I learned I had spooked the herd and we climbed to another bluff to relocate them. Amazingly, they were spotted not 60 yards away browsing. They could not have picked a worse spot as they were smack dab in the middle of loose large rocks which made unimaginable noise no matter how slow a hunter moves. Halfway to them, a covey of 50 quail flushed and not long after what remained of the javelina herd could be seen running into the next county. So ends the tail of three weekends of javelina hunting. I cannot complain about the chances I had and blew. Each day out is a new experience filled with God’s beautiful creation with many lessons to learn. Next year will bring another javelina season and maybe I will have a chance to redeem myself…
Trying to work up a little mojo for a weekend of javelina, I began fletching some new arrows. By no means do I consider myself a master of building arrows and I do little more than the finish work. When I first bought my recurve, I spent a good while reading about different arrows. The differences between woods and carbons and right wing and left wing became tedious really quickly . Upon the advice of a friend I bought the cheapest carbons I could, slapped some feathers on, and found they flew as straight as anything else I had shot. The BEMAN Bowhunters combined with weight tubes are extremely tough arrows and can withstand being blasted off of countless rocks by a poor archer. My process of cutting weight tubes, glueing nocks, sharpening broad-heads, and fletching the arrows relaxes my mind and gives me a sense that I have some control over my slight archery abilities. The finished product always brings a smile to my face and a sense of hope for hunts to come. I leave bright and early tomorrow for two more days of javelina. With any luck, I may put my new arrows to work…
Saturday was a short day trip back to our honey hole that seems to be teaming with javelina. We arrived before first light and spent the morning glassing sunny slopes with Austin’s dad without any luck. We were back at it in the afternoon and a large herd of pigs were spotted on an upper hillside. With light fleeting quickly, gear was securred and we hoofed it to where we thought the pigs were going to be. The herd was moving much quicker than the hunters and we found ourselves slightly out of position. In the end, Austin was able to connect with a good size male javelina and as darkness fell, we headed towards the truck after a successful hunt. I still have Saturday and Sunday next weekend to try and put something together. Part 3 still to come…
I was lucky enough to draw a javalina tag this fall and found myself in beautiful northern Arizona sharing a camp with my good friend Austin and a couple of old-timers who could fill an encyclopedia with their stories of hunting and fishing. Last year was my first year out after javelina and, although I spotted them several times, I was unsuccessful in bagging a “pig.” Friday morning found us stuffing gear in Austin’s trailer and rumbling up north, stopping for our last taste of real food at a small Mexican place, and coming to a halt in a shady little spot by one of Arizona’s beautiful gurgling creeks. By 3:30 we were setting up tripods on a small knoll and glassing on of the bigger hillsides near our camp. As is generally the case, Austin spotted a fairly large herd of 15-20 javelina. We made a plan and the stalk was on. Within a half hour I was 20 yards from several of the herd. Luck was not on my side and I was unable to connect with the fat rodents and my commotion sent them scurrying towards my hunting partner. He was also unlucky and darkness found us a few arrows short and javelina-less. The rest of the weekend rolled quickly by with mornings, generally the best time to spot javelina, empty. We got into one more herd later on Saturday, but again could not connect on anything. Hunting camp was a highlight. Big campfires, good food, and plenty of laughs will not soon be forgotten. We still have several weekends left to get back and put some miles on our boots, but are a little less optimistic with the passing of opening weekend. More to come next weekend and I will try to remember to bring the camera…
This has become a nightly routine to sit down and tie several flies after dinner. It is quite enjoyable seeing these flies come to life. Even though they may not be perfect or even border-line good, I have never been more excited to go fish and see how they perform. At this rate, It will be well after Christmas before I return to Arizona and put these flies to water and the anticipation is already killing me…
Update from 2011: As I was looking back over some of my old posts, I was extremely embarrassed over some of these earlier flies. I debated taking down the pictures, but I decided not to. I am not a great fly tier now, but I’m not this bad anymore…
