Wind Knots and Tailing Loops

As promised. 

Jim N. - I use CDC for wings on everything but spinners. Never fish comparaduns or parachutes as I don't think they look anything like the real things (see the Magic Fly).

Jack M. - There was no creative writing allowed in any of  the courses I took in college or thereafter. My high school English teacher Mrs. Haskins, (God rest her soul), not only patiently corrected my spelling but encouraged me to go to Duke University (she being from the south) and take up writing.  

The isos first hatch in numbers around Memorial Day.  The heavy hatches move up through the river system rapidly over about a ten day period. The fish know when and where the hatch is taking place each day but it's hard to get them to talk. During the next two and a half months the isos can be seen sporadically hatching (as fishermen like to say)in limited numbers. About mid August the fall isos begin to appear on the lower sections of the river system. The colder the water temp, the earlier in the day the hatch time is. Unfortunately in warm weather the only evidence of an iso hatch are the isos on my screens in the morning. The fall hatch occurs daily sometimes into October.

Ed S. and Dennis - I use the Trouthunter finesse 12 foot leader tapered to 5x and add about three feet of Cortland's fluorocarbon tippet. I fish 6x all year long unless the water is so high that I can't follow a fish downstream in which case I fish 5x. I carry 7x and occasionally use it if I'm fishing tricos (mostly it's just for show).

Dennis - You asked when to be on the river for morning fishing. It's a Zen thing. Tricos are easy, be there when the air temp reaches about 65, (trico spinners fall at 69 degrees). Spinners require some warm air, no wind and usually some sunshine.  Caddis like sunny mornings.  The cornuta (the big olives) are late risers and often don't hatch before 10:00am. Go, enjoy the sparkle of trico wings in the sunlight over the riffs, watch the deer come to the river for a drink,  and don't bother to look back over your shoulder for the next boat until afternoon.

Andrew Gennaro - Who cares about the zeros in your log book.  Just being able to be on the river at your ago is cause for celebration. Without having seen you fish, I obviously don't know what the problem is but I would suggest that you go back and read both "Making the Cast" and "The Magic Fly". You can find both pages if you scroll down through the list of page titles on the Troutfitter web site. If you are one of the many anglers that always goes to the same spot, trying out a new place will also help. Someday soon I will be doing a blog page on the need to fish different water if you wish to catch fish more consistently.

Ed S. - The color of sulfur bodies and wings varies quite a bit. Don't know if it's coloration differences between male and female or if there are sub species. I take samples home and try to have all colors in my box. The only fly I tie with a two colored abdomen is the pink lady which sports a three piece suit of yellow, pink and yellow.

John Sperat - You are not alone in asking that question. Start at the old iron bridge in Deposit.  Take the road up the right hand side of the river. Go past the Shaffer Farm stand, around two right angle bends and on your right a couple hundred yards up the road will be a big red dairy barn with a freshly painted sign that tells you where to park and where to put your $5.00 dollars. Across the road is the cow lot and the pool which you will find to be full of both fish and fishermen. The pool is also called the "Pasture Pool" by many.