Win a Half Dozen Batch of these baddboys! Comment suggestions, and I’ll pick a winner this month!
This pattern has turned out a lot better than I anticipated when putting it together. A simple conehead with an articulated tail, lots of flash. It has a small profile when moving through the water column with a larger profile when suspended or stopped. Lots of flash and movement in this fly. It also has the option of being tied in size 4 and size 2 with two hooks! The 6 has one hook.
Well anglers. I am on the down hill side of my 10th offseason as a fly fishing guide. Its gone by really quick. This offseason saw some of the highest caliber shenanigans I have ever experienced. Florida ended up being a somewhat dismal adventure. Got through it all and I have a new boat…although…we are a little meh about it all.
I have also moved to Michigan. Which has been pretty easy. Kristen and I are on track with our plans for the summer and we are making a lot of progress. She is doing most of the work. I am prepping for my guide season. Michigan is cold, there is a little snow, and most of the fishing is closed or its frozen. So its been a lot of sitting around. Being bored, resting. Got sick, that was fun. Holidays were painless and easy. Got to travel which I enjoy.
But the countdown to trout has begun. I am only a few weeks away from hopping on a plane back to Washington. I will be there until May. I will be making a drive back to grab my skiff in April and swap boat trailers with Kristen. We have boats, vehicles, and an RV stashed all over the country now. I am excited to head back to the Yakima. Getting far away and seeing new places did help me miss it a bit. Not much…but a bit.
Its been just over 2 months since I have touched a fish. Which is on par for the offseason. I hate fishing in the cold. The cabin fever is setting in hard. Days are filled with boredom. I am getting flies tied but I have been taking my time. With the 2024 season almost fully booked on the Yakima I am enjoying just taking my time with work.
The Yakima is frozen right now. As we get into February I expect things to start getting a little trouty. The forecasts are calling for a warmer and less precip season. Snow pack levels are above 80% so now we just wait to see how long the snow holds on through the spring. Skwallas are going to start waking up from the substrate and stage for their migration towards the bank for hatching. We saw stoneflies the first week of March last year. It was still cold, we had some snow and rain, but the fishing last spring and the previous was really good. Conditions are looking really favorable for the start of the trout season.
I am looking forward to getting back to camp life. I am bummed Kristen and I will not be working the spring together but we have all summer and will both be back for the Fall Season on the Yakima. The season filled up really quick. I thank all my clients for that. With only 30 days left open for the Yak I am pretty stoked to have most of the season booked before we even get started.
The next few weeks are when I start to switch gears. I have flies to tie for orders and for guiding. I have homework for each clients that is coming out. I start prepping the body as I don’t get a chance to row the boat very much before having to start work. Getting gear organized and shipped back west, lining up all the business stuff for the start of the year. The general pre season stuff that has become second nature to me now. This has been one of the quicker and easier offseasons once we got out of Florida.
So now I just wait. Countdown the days to when I have the river back under me. The pull of the river on the oars. The sounds of familiar birds, boats, and people. A trout rising, the sound of fly line in the air, the take, the bend on the rod, and that all to awesome and wonderful feeling of a fish on the end of fly…tis the season anglers. We are almost there!
The 2024 season is filling up quicker than I anticipated. I’m stoked and so grateful. When I started this business 10 years ago I didn’t think I’d be at the level I am at now. Thank you anglers.
2024 is going to be a different season. I am limiting my days. For several reasons. Main one is because I want my summers off to spend time with my kids before they are all grown up. I’ve got a 16 year old now. I haven’t had a summer off in a minute. I will be working minimally this summer.
I am also expanding my guiding to Michigs. Which requires me to explore and fish nee places on my own as I fine tune where amd what my business will look like here. I’ve relocated to Michigan for that very reason.
Less dates means less pressure on the Yak. I’ve run a lot of days on the Yakima. Less is more as I always say. Clients will have better opportunities at fish with less pressure and only fishing the seasons and conditions that are the most consistent for guiding.
A higher quality experience by limiting the days. So…only 38 left.
I’ve got more things changing that also pushed me to limit dates. I will be doing more pre and post work with clients. A different kind of guide service. Clients are receiving a journal for the year from me. I’ll be integrating social media into my teaching and guiding this season. And we will have an end of the season review with clients that choose. More workshopping and skill building while also sticking some trout.
I’m excited. And less days means I have time for that kind of service.
I’m not after every day filled on the calendar. I’m 10 years in. Body is getting wore out, I am tired of fishing the summer high water and all the traffic. Switching over to different water and a different boat in the summer.
Clients that have been waiting. I suggest you book soon. New anglers and clients wanting a spot on the roster now is the time. I’ll have a waitlist before too long.
Thank you again anglers. I’m looking forward to traveling back to the Yak and taking everyone fishing this season.
I hope you all are enjoying the Holidays and are getting some winter fishing in. I head to Idaho for Christmas via train to see my kids. Then, chasin some Michigan fish and maybe get the skiff out up here.
The 2024 guide season is coming up. I’m only running 80 trips on the Yakima in 2024. From March 1st to May 10th and Sept. thru Oct. 25. I’ve got about half those dates booked! Three booked today. I really appreciate all your support. You make my lifestyle, ability to travel, to fish and guide a reality.
I’m doing a lot of travel next season. Bouncing between multiple fisheries across several states. I’ve got a new boat for bass trips in late April and May for Washington clients. I’ll be exploring and offering trips in Michigan. And I’ll be heading south periodically over the season. I am doing a lot!
It’s why the schedule has to be set, and we are booking early and limiting dates. Clients that want multiple dates or are waiting to book more. Now is the time. New boat owners that want rowing lessons. Those that want fall dates, especially, they are going quick and retreats with Kristen have soaked up a lot of prime weekends. Lots of spring dates open. Wade trips, half days, and full days!
There are flies for sale. The online store should be working. I also take custom orders. There’s a Spring Clinic on March 30th with 6 spots open. Look out for more clinics! And Kristen and I have retreat dates open in the Fall together!
Book early before it’s too late. We won’t have a lot of wiggle room. Prime dates for Skwallas and March Browns are open. Bass Dates in late April and May. I also have Gift Certificates Available.
Only 46 dates left open $450 Full Days $375 Half Days $325 Walk & Wade
I’ve seen a lot of changes in this industry over the past 15 years or so. When I first started, I was one of the only younger people around. Social media wasn’t a thing yet. People didn’t have thousands of dollars worth of gear, and fly shops were dusty places with old men gatekeeping most of the knowledge. I was fortunate to find a mentor early on. Maybe my raw passion, my want for knowledge, or just my energy, but I was given the chance to learn and apprentice almost with one of those old timers and learned the basis for what I do for a living now.
I’ve seen social media take hold of things like fishing and other outdoor activities. I’ve seen the world of fly fishing open up to more people, the river traffic is more diverse than it ever has been. I’ve seen more and more anglers become exceptional at this gig and that wasn’t the case when I first started.
Things in this industry change. Like how I teach casting. Which started out the old school metronome style 10 and 2 way. And now it’s stopping the rod and noon, less false casts or none, point the rod tip, let the tool do the work. Things shift, the sport is learned quicker, and people require more reinforcement than having a decent cast. Gear updates, new ways of teaching and applying skills are learned. All these great positives come from the changes we see in fly fishing.
Investing is what anglers need help with. Unfortunately too many times, social media, shops, or companies push the narrative that you need to invest your money and time into gear and things. I don’t work for a shop, so the bottom line of running a brick and mortar is not a factor in my business. Only thing I’m trying to sell you is an experience on the water and learning how to fly fish well.
No rent, no lights or heat to keep on, no inventory to sell or stock, no employees. Shops need to sell shit in order to be relevant. And that’s what they are for. It takes a lot of money or time spent in a shop to achieve access to the inner levels of fishdom in a fly shop. The secrets, the gossip, all that shit. It’s a club that has an entry fee. And sometimes you won’t even be aware of it because the ‘powers that be’ are unwilling to open the clubhouse to you. Not all shops are this way, but the system in place is to get anglers to invest dollars into stuff as opposed to knowledge.
No one, I’m gonna put this out there…no one needs a rod over $500. It’s completely unnecessary. A $1000 rod is not built any differently than a $500 or less. It’s a blank of various materials, tied, lacquered, glued, with metal, cork, and maybe some flashy thread or inlays on the reel seat. Cosmetics are useless to the actual application of the tool. Which a fly rod is. Having a fancy rod that looks pretty is a little pretentious. It’s for looking good in a case or sitting in the boat. No one is looking at the rod when it’s being used. Fish don’t care either.
In all reality, if it casts well for you, then it’s a solid stick. Don’t spend $1000 on a rod. Our industry makes you think you need it or it will do the job better. It won’t. Almost 20 years of experience and having owned and used thoroughly rods from across the money spectrum…doesn’t fucken matter.
The same goes for most reels, except in specific cases like steelhead, or marlin. Fly line…matters. Spend a little money on that. It will make a $50 rod cast well. Nets, bags, waders, boots….don’t spend too much. I fish 200 plus days a year. I use my waders maybe 25 days, my boots even less. I have a decent puffy and a decent rain jacket. $500 boots hold up just as long as $200. I should know. I blow through gear fast. A $700 pair of waders will leak just as quick as the $200 pair. I promise. Not worth your money.
Invest in things for comfort. Like a good lumbar supporting fishing bag if you wade a lot, or a good wading staff. Or maybe you have sore feet so invest money in comfortable more expensive boots. Maybe you have a hard time tying flies on, invest in tools to help with that and forgo the $350 polarized sunglasses. Maybe a long handled net to make landing things easier. Invest money in things that help you specifically not just because you are told you need them.
I’m saying all this because people go nuts during the holidays with fly fishing stuff. And people get suckered into buying shit they don’t need. I’m also saying this because if you want to be a fly angler, your time and money need to be invested in skill building and knowledge. That’s where the richness of fly fishing is…and the gear and stuff has absolutely zero bearing on fly fishing.
Put your time and money into yourself. Take casting lessons. And ask a lot of questions. Or find a good instructor. Too many people own a fancy stick but have zero idea how to cast it well or use it as a tool. Take courses and workshops on entomology, flies, water reading. Do use a fly shop for things like tying nights, or when speakers come in to do clinics, or presentations. Engage in the community outside the shop by hosting get togethers. Use resources like social media to gather and learn skills. Invest in a guide trip with a guide that does all those things and more like Kristen or myself. Invest your money and time into the things that will help you learn, find success, and give you tools to fly fish on your own. That is what fly fishing is. A mostly solo activity within a natural space where fish live and eat. It allows you to be a part of that space in a very intimate and raw way.
All the stuff and the things can overhelm and distract from the essence of what we are trying to accomplish with a flyrod. It’s just not about all that shit. It’s just not. It’s a craft that is learned, then applied, which gives connection to the natural world and allows individuals to experience wildlife and their environment in a unique way.
That’s it. A $1000 rod, a magic fly, or anything of that sort isn’t going to give you that any differently. It just does not matter. Our industry tends to get this way. It tries to sell, it tries to expense people right out of the activity, it gatekeeps, it shoots itself in the foot with hype, high prices, and poor service. And I sound like I am shitting on things it’s because I kind of am. I’m getting older, and I’m seeing shit in the industry, social media, and from shops and companies that’s just elitist, a little dated, and just kind of sad. There is no reason for it.
We are just going fishing. It can be just that. Because at the end of the day that’s all it is. Not some epic adventure every time, not some session that needs to be chopped up into 30 second reels to help sell some shit, not some hyped up ridiculous slay fest…its just fishing.
Invest in the space, put time into yourself, learn and gain knowledge because that is where fly fishing really rewards, put your money into skills, not stuff. Engage in the community, not the commercialism. Enjoy the time on the water for what it is. Just time…fish come or they don’t. That’s fishing.
Invest accordingly anglers. Your time and money are worth a lot. And fly fishing doesn’t have to be a huge cost.
30 days of travel is a lot. The trek from Washington to Florida was a doozy. Kristen and I learned a lot about how to trout bum travel and also the inability of vehicles to perform when needed.
That being said I also learned a lot from Florida. It’s a lot like LA in California but swampy. Lots and lots of people. And concrete. The waters are…different. Salty rivers that are more like big estuaries, mangroves filled with dolphins and manatees, and silty, sandy, lagoony waters.
It’s a lot like lake fishing in the PNW. Sneaking around trying to see feeding fish in some form. The redfish tail, push, and splash a lot like carp. They are spooky, a lot like carp, and they eat little crustaceans or Crunchy flies, like a carp. If you haven’t figured it out it’s similar to carp fishing.
The motor boat is to get you to and from these places separated by large open areas of water. It’s not the easiest thing to fish out of compared to a drift boat. The skiff is cumbersome compared to the dory or drift boat. Weighted by a 200lbs motor, battery, fuel, and then people and gear. It’s considerably clunky compared to moving and using a drift boat. I’m sure it’ll get better with practice, but it’s definitely not in the same realm as the dory.
It needs some mods to fish better. Smaller casting platform in the front, with a space for an anchor to also help weigh the front end down a little more. Which will help with poling. A longer stick will get me motor clearance while poling, but the boat rides like a spoon with 70% of the weight in the rear. Getting the nose of the boat into the water will help keep the boat from spooning while poling. As will practice.
The motor was never opened up to full throttle. Never needed it. At 3/4, throttle we are at 20 mph, and it’ll go 30 to 35. By the last day of us on the water, I was more comfortable running the boat. It still needs the steering wheel upgraded with a different part, but she works. I logged 6 days’ worth of hrs on the boat. Far less than I had planned for in the 20 plus days I was down there.
We had a lot of shenanigans that almost busted the whole trip. Almost left without the boat. Had one of the worst business experiences with a Marina in Orlando and wasted well over $800 on gas just in the first week of being down there. Almost got screwed out of $3000 if it weren’t for some awesome Crystal River Locals. Once we had the boat working, we were dealt some shit weather and were put down for 5 days. We scrapped our plans to drive and experience more due to a stack of issues when we finally arrived. And that was after the car troubles on the way down.
Long distance trout bum travel is a different thing. We see a lot of this leisure travel life shit in social media all the time. It’s an insane amount of money. I’ve been to $1000 plus a night places, fancy lodges, hotels, and outfits. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. The trade-off is sometimes your guide rig tries to explode, or your camper you’ve lived out of for a year has its water pump go out. But the AC works, and the bed was wicked comfy compared to anything I’ve ever slept on. But the on the road life after camper living all guide season definently tugged on the patience during our trip. Kristen and I got through all of it without anything crazy. All issues were handled even when the truck was getting funky 200 miles left to go. We drove over 4000 miles together, saw countless things, and experienced some real stuff that was different and new. To be able to share the whole adventure was dear to me. We travel and live this trout bum life well.
Experiences that are raw and self-made are the best. I got to see 16 new states I’d never been to. I got to see some of the real beauty and diversity this country has. Meet all sorts of people with a dash of culture shock in areas. I set out to have that experience. Dealt some shit but learned and will have a different experience next time. Planning only works so far. The ability to wing it and be comfortable in the chaos is key.
I went to Florida to see if I could see myself guiding in that space. The short answer is no. I don’t. At least not where and with what I experienced. More is needed. The areas I was in were too populated, too busy, and not what I want to guide in. It’s a little too like lake fishing for me. I plan on trucking back down there before I come back to the homewater for the spring season.
I got to experience some fish, but that wasn’t my goal. Fish come later. Just like trout did for me. Kristen got into fish, and next time we will take a guide trip earlier in the trip, we got too burnt out to perform at that level by the time it came around.
It was quite the experience to be on the poling platform and see redfish pushing, see snook move for baitfish. Dolphins hunting in the backdrop, manatees breathing and breaking the surface. To see Speckled Trout come from nowhere and smash shrimp fly patterns I tied was neat. I got to see my partner light up with the success of saltwater fish on the fly after a hell of a time on the trip.
I watched huge thunderstorms 30 miles out in the Atlantic. Saw Alligators and Armadillo. Listened to 2 dolphins hunt together one night less than 40 feet from camp. Could hear them clicking and sounding to each other, swimming fast breathing hard, then smashing food in the mangroves. Pretty cool, that was a new one.
My time in Florida reminded me of my time in Alaska. I dug a lot of the experiences, but it definitely wasn’t a full-time or part -time thing for me. Florida left me with similar vibes.
I’ll be back, and I’ll be visiting more places. I want to go back to Louisiana really bad. That place is cool. But I am also looking forward to trout season. Trout are one of the cooler things you can chase on a fly anglers. I fished for a lot. Trout definitely have a lot more going on. These kind of experiences do make me appreciate my time trout fishing.
I’m really looking forward to chasing trout here in Michigan. Totally different than out west. And that new boat opens up a lot of things for me.
There are 47 days left open for Yakima Dates in the Spring and Fall. Michigan stuff comes soon, and a hosted trip to the St. Joe in Idaho is in the works. I’m getting started on fly tying and working on a bunch of soft goods and stickers that go up on the web store.
Reserve your dates early. They go quick anglers. Trip prices have come down below $500. I’ll have a slew of my own hand tied flies for guide season. But trips are now bring your own lunch. I also have Bass dates open in late April to May 10th with the new boat!
Regular blogs will be coming out. Discussing topics and integrating with my social media. I’d like to hear from anglers on things they’d like broken down and cracked open. Fly tying videos, other content, and partnerships with Troutfreckles and Trout Psychology over the offseason. New things happening, chasing fish all over. Let’s get ready for 2024.
I’ve lived the trout bum life for a bit. It’s not easy and I’ve touched on it in other blog posts. As I get older. Almost 38 now. Things are definitely different, perspectives change, we grow, we learn more about ourselves and who we are and what we want. I’ve discovered most of these things on the water.
My guide career is set. It’s been in motion for enough time now that it flows the way it should. It’s a smooth ride these days. I’m changing things up but it takes care of itself.
Trips book, money is made, bills get paid, life happens, fish get caught and released, and the stuff keeps on going, juice keeps flowing.
I haven’t thought much on the Yakima since I hit Utah. I’ve thought about clients and people, and good times, but not the river or fishing it. The farthest away from the yak I could drive really. Which in itself is pretty cool for me. I’ll have touched the tip of Washington and the tip of Florida before I am in Michigan. I’ve gotten to do one of things I’ve always wanted. Travel. And I don’t like airplanes so driving suits me.
As an adult I fell in love with discovering new to me places. I developed this want to go nomad from time to time. Walk about. I used to chase mountains and trails, then switched to river and waters, and now I travel for water.
I’ve been in Florida for a few days. Haven’t fished yet. The back end of business has taken precedent. My partner and I also have just offseason stuff we settle into this time of year. Coming out of guide season is a process. We shared it in the car over 12 days. But the trip and travel in general comes with stress, anxiety, and exhaustion. Travel isn’t easy. It’s part of the adventure. Weather it’s driving for days, or hiking miles and miles, or rowing river bend after rapid. The journey to destinations is where the vibe, the people you share things with, and relationships and connections become more solid.
My partner and I travel well together. Social media and all the shit out there now doesn’t show you the real parts. Just the destination and stuff for the gram.
Sharing travel is by far better than solo, which has been most of my experience. This trip down was an adventure to say the least. From broke cars, to laughing and crying. Watching brown trout spawn in Idaho. Hearing my children laugh while sharing an evening. Listening to nothing as the Grand Canyon fell into darkness. Or watching the sunset over the Red Canyon in Utah just in wonder and awe. To the feel of a good hot shower. The fuck all of Texas, the absolute vibe of Louisiana. The sounds of frogs and humid cool air and the sweetest people I’ve encountered. To a sandy backroad off the freeway in Florida in the dark just to sleep before landing at our first destination. This trip had been wonderfully adventurous. Take the bad and the good.
Arriving here things hit hard and real again. But got through. Exhausted but got through. Essentially miscommunication and unprofessionalism on the part of a particular marina made for a craptastically cock up of a day. A wasted day. A defeating day.
I am still exhausted from it today. Checked out today. Whatever is pressing can wait. I have little care to solve, do, or talk. Yesterday was rough, today will be easier, tomorrow shit will get done.
I met some amazing people when I picked up my boat. The kind of people I set out to encounter on trips like this. The passionate, local, knowledgeable, unassuming people. Good-hearted, welcoming, and downright wonderful people. They are the sauce of travel. The good stuff. The ones that go put out their way and call in on others like them to move things and people forward positively and with that good energy.
Thankful for those kinds of people, and I always strive to be one. I was reminded yesterday to be myself, be the chill fishy dude, and put the energy out there, and things will get done. I am too old to put my head down though. 22 year old me would have let a lot of yesterday get to me but would have not done much about it. Now me has the patience of a saint… but knows when it’s abused or taken advantage of and how to pivot. I get shit done and I make things happen. I’ve been good at making something out of nothing as I’ve gotten older. Yesterday, with the help of aforementioned people…shit got done.
I’m here to fish. To learn, to experience, explore, and discover. I’m a damn good angler and that’s why I’m here. Boat has been handled. So that I can fucken get to it.
Previous shop that was supposed to do my boat dropped the ball, treated me like I didn’t matter as a customer, miscommunication and misled, and apparently overcharged me when asking and calling around. So. I don’t give my patience to people like that, and I definitely don’t give them my money. Really don’t want them anywhere in my orbit. Money is being returned, and boat goes to the locals that went out of their way, made calls, put in work and passion and foster the people side of this experience. Which was the point.
I don’t have time to waste on anything that doesn’t have the kind of energy, vibe, passion, atmosphere, that I want. Nor do I have to give my time. Getting to old for that.
Florida by the way is a fucken mess. And it ain’t humid. It’s just fucking hot. I like Louisiana way better. Now I may change my mind as I experience the water but anything down here that has concrete, or doesn’t have water touching it…sucks. You all think driving in Seattle sucks…fuck. this place is worse than LA. Florida is definitely weird. But there are fish…so I’m gonna go chase a few and see what happens.
Tis this life… sometimes. Plans never go accordingly. Embracing the chaos is the main operating procedure. The universe does as it will, and I just ramble through it. Chasin a fish or 3 before the next bend in the river breaks and I see what’s next.
Tamarack's Guide Service 