Chris_in_Louisiana

Hey guys, Just wanted to add a quick follow up to this post as I had an interesting catch on this fly yesterday morning. I've been using this fly predominantly as the second fly in tandem rigs (generally trailing a larger pattern) and have done quite well with reds while doing so. Yesterday morning, however, my first hit was a surprisingly light tap. And I initially assumed I had hooked a small White Trout as I saw a flash of silver below. To my surprise, the fish on the end of my line was a Striped Mullet (a first for me).

Finished up a set of size 18 Starling and Olive soft hackle flies on Tuesday. Then proceeded to go chase Redfish all day yesterday and forgot to get them in the mail. I'll do my best to get them out on Saturday morning. Chris

Made my way back down to the coast yesterday morning. Sunny and low 50s after a few nights with lows near freezing. Extremely low water due to tide and north wind. Not as easy as my last run, but still managed a few fish on a beautiful day. (Lost my only Bull though) https://fatfingeredflytyer.com/grand-isle-la-01-13-2021/

Redfish is one that needs to be on everyone's bucket list. The vast majority of mine are slot fish due to fishing out of a kayak, but I always marvel at the guys who chase the true bulls from boats. While I love the "cajun sleigh ride" experience of hooking into a big one in the kayak, at some point I still need to spend some time with a guide targeting true giants. Chris

Finally received some supplies I was waiting on. I'll be working the next few days, but hope to have my contribution tied up and in the mail early next week. Chris

2020 shifted my perspective a bit regarding fly fishing goals. Previously my goals had always revolved around specific trips with specifc targets, but I had to switch things up this past year as I found myself stuck close to home. The result was significantly more time dedicated to exploring local waters and targeting new species. I ended up finishing the year with 19 Species on the fly rod (all but two caught locally), a number of which were lifers. This year, I plan to stick with the theme and am hoping to achieve the following: 1. 25+ total species caught on a fly rod. 2. Catch at least one new species per month. 3. Catch the following lifers on a fly rod: Pickerel (either species), Grass Carp, & Bowfin. Of the three, I think the first is the most attainable. A little more time in the salt can hopefully help bridge the gap between my 2020 total and my goal. The second may prove a challenge if I don't travel much. I tend to catch all the easy species early in the year, so I'll be struggling with some less common species during the heat of summer more than likely. The third are species I had on my short list that just never happened. Chris

@niveker Excellent photo of some great flies. Thanks for putting that together for everyone. Chris

J Stockard (jsflyfishing.com) is my go to for tying materials online. If you're looking for synthetic materials (flash, faux fur/fiber materials, etc), The Fly Tyers Dungeon is always worth a try. They offer some interesting options at fairly cheap prices.

Do you have your tying tools/vise already? If so, I'd check into any local, region or even long distance clubs that offer tying sessions. A number that I'm involved with are doing monthly or twice monthly Zoom tying sessions at the moment. It might be worth signing up for one or more clubs and making a point of joining in on some of these zoom sessions. While not a local club for me, here's a link to a group in another part of Louisiana that I recently joined. Took part in my first Zoom tying session with them last month and have to say it was an enjoyable experience. http://kisatchiefly.blogspot.com/2021/01/january-virtual-tying-tuesday-sessions.html If there are any local clubs in your area, I'd recommend reaching out to them first and foremost. If they offer zoom tying sessions, it might be a nice way to get acquainted with the local group. Chris

Received mine Tuesday. I've just been tied up at the office since and haven't had the opportunity to take any photos yet. I'll try to this evening or tomorrow. Looks like a great set once again. And thank you for the bonus materials. First thing I did after getting home from the office this afternoon was sit down and tie a few patterns with it. Then followed that up by tying a few crappie flies with the Alpaca! Chris

Nice looking fly, @Maction17. That would definitely serve you well in the marsh down in Louisiana. I caught a few nice slot reds on a purple and chartreuse Redfish Ritalin earlier this week. I've been using "Redfish Brush" dubbing brushes from Sight Cast Fishing when I tie mine. Chris

Great idea. I've experimented with cutting craft foam before, but hadn't considered thin skin. I'll have to give that a try. Chris

Definitely delicious. I practiced catch and release today, but only because I didn't feel like cleaning fish after a long day on the water. I especially enjoy grilling them on the half shell. Chris

I completed something of a Christmas Tradition yesterday as I made the pilgrimage to the same small hole in the marshes of SE Louisiana that I've been visiting every December since 2012. A friend and I discovered it by accident that year and were so amazed by the stacked redfish, that we (now I) have been returning every year since. It has yet to fail when conditions are right and almost always produces redfish. The only December exception to this was the time it produced 0 Redfish, but 10 Flounder (something I'll never be able to repeat). Some years the bite is so consistent that it figuratively feels like shooting fish in a barrel. This year that equated to 30+ fish in under three hours. More pics at the link: https://fatfingeredflytyer.com/fish-in-a-barrel-a-december-redfish-tradition/ Chris

My wife got me a copy of Jay Zimmerman's The Best Carp Flies and a gift certificate to J. Stockard (already spent it). Chris

Thanks to Nathanael in VT for this great box of Trout flies. They've already been put to good use on the stocker "Rainbeaux" trout released by the local parks department over Christmas. This one took an orange soft hackle. Thanks again to Nathanael, swap master Nick, and all who participated/donated extras. Chris

I'm blaming this old dinosaur for my lack of success carp fishing yesterday morning. Only the second I've seen in the wild during my decade-plus in Louisiana. This one probably went 40-50 lbs. Not a true monster, but an impressive beast nonetheless. Chris

Hey Guys, Wanted to share this Damsel SBS that I put together earlier this fall. I've had luck fishing it for trout in stillwater as well as on bass closer to home. I may give it a try for carp one of these days as well. Let me know what you think. Chris Extended Body Damselfly Nymph

Batman Fly - Just learned of this fly as part of a Zoom tying session with the Kisatchie Fly Fishers. Often tied larger as a redfish fly, I tied a few up in size 6 (crayfish colors) for the local spotted bass. Hook: Firehole 811 BL (#6) Thread: 70 Denier Rust Brown Eyes: Gulff Resin dipped Mono (not part of the pattern, just me experimenting) Weight: 5/32" Dumbell (hidden under body) Mouth/Hotspot: Flash (Gold) & marabou (Crawdad) Body: Ice Chenille (Burnt Orange) "Wings": Pine Zonker Strips (Crawdad)

Haven't even started on my wet flies yet, but go ahead and mark me down for this swap as well. It has been a fun experience, and I have some great flies to show for it. Chris

Package arrived yesterday. Looking forward to opening it on Christmas morning. Thanks again for hosting, Nick!

I actually passed that title along to my wife a few weeks ago when she was asking for Christmas gift ideas. So with any luck, I'll have a copy next week.

Haha. Believe it or not, that wasn't an assembly issue. That was a result of frantically hauling in line after my first off the mark cast to a fish cruising across a flat about 40-50 ft in front of me. Got the line in and took another shot without any false casts. The fish had hit and was already on the reel by the time I realized the line had wrapped in the process. @skeet3t Thanks! I'll check out the link. Chris

I decided to try something different last week and tied up a set of carp flies with the intent of catching my first common carp on a fly rod. Turned out to be a great day and is something I'll definitely be doing more of in the future. Full story at the link: https://fatfingeredflytyer.com/carp-on-the-fly-a-field-report/

Thank you so much for hosting, Nick. I can't even begin to imagine the logistics of pulling this off. The effort is greatly appreciated. Looking forward to seeing what arrives (on the 25th, of course). Chris