We Have Lost One Of Our Own.........................................

I am totally shocked this morning to read of the loss of Bryan Kristopher Dale, from The Rogue Outdoors..

Bryan's death is being confirmed so I have no details to pass on at this time.  Just wanted my fellow BlogBuddies to know of what I have learned this morning.

Bryan, has been a follower and supporter of my blogging efforts at Pond Stalker headquarters for quite some time.  He often commented on my blog, as, I did his.  In fact, my fly box for warm water fishing includes some Crappie patterns that he had sent to me to experiment with.  I always appreciated his insight and blogging creativity.  He has just recently, in the last year, became a married man.  Most recently, he had remodeled his blog and it was looking top notch.   
R.I.P. my friend.  The blogging world will miss you.  
The Pond Stalker sends my condolences to his family and all of his close, personal friends during this difficult time..............................................

****An update from Bryan's wife Jane:

 
For sure plans will be Friday funeral service for Bryan Kristofer Dale in Marshalltown, Iowa. Approximate time at 11am Friday at family church and then celebration of life (with memories of Bryan) to follow at the country club. The church is fairly small so not all may fit there, but family for sure would like a headcount regarding the celebration of life service following so please respond here or to any of the Dale family. They know you may be coming a long way and would like to welcome you. I will provide more details later when I know them.

Fly Fishing Size Don't Matter

Got up this morning and looked out the bedroom window. Yup, its snowing good in Northern Colorado. Also, supposed to be heavy snow this weekend and cold. Sounds like a perfect time to stay indoors and tie flies, read a good fly fishing book, or watch fly fishing video's if you have nothing else to do and honey-do's can wait. So, I am going to do something here that is sort of out of the normal for me. I came across a video that I liked pertaining to fly fishing warm water and rivers in particular for warm water fish. I thought it was very well done and set the mood for me this morning. Hope you enjoy.
**** A thank you should go to David Frazier for sharing this great video!

Pond Stalker 2015 and Beyond

From the ponds in and around Loveland, Colorado.

I am a retired Fly Fisher & Fly Tyer who has spent most of his fly fishing past chasing Trout in Stillwaters across the Western United States with brief excursions on small streams and warmwater ponds.

I won't make any attempt to mislead anyone here,  I have loved fishing lakes and ponds for years.  My passion has always led me to these waters and the fun they offer to the flyfisher and fly tyer.  Although, most trips out were for chasing the big trout that lakes produce, my secret passion has been the fun of fly fishing for Bluegill, Crappie, Sunfish, and other assorted warm water fish.  I am currently taking an interest in getting to know more about fly fishing for Bass.  Perhaps even some Carp in the future.  One step at a time you Ol' Geezer, I remind myself!

Living in Northern Colorado where I do offers plenty of opportunity for me to chase my dreams in warm water fly fishing and fly tying.  What I love most about it is that I can drive less than (15) minutes from my home and be on the water with a chance at a good time.  Economical, time saving, and, that word "FUN" again.  Which in turn means more fishing and tying time for me.   I am also very Grandchildren oriented so I have plenty of other activity to keep me busy so time on the water still needs to be worked around everything else.  

I, also, have to be a very budget oriented Geezer.   Being a Senior Citizen on a fixed budget requires that I spend my money wisely and my time efficiently.
I take great pleasure in keeping my fly fishing time as simple as possible.    From the gear I use to the techniques I use. It works! 

 Please take the time to look around on my blog and enjoy what is here. Your support is greatly appreciated! 

Please ignore this silly box here showed up and won't go away!!!!!

Featured BlogBuddy - Dave From Fishn' Dave

Well, here it is August, and, July is gone!  Colorado had some definite rains come during the month so fishing was hit and miss for me.  A couple of hours here, a couple more hours there, and so it went. Trying to get out in the best time of day for fishing the ponds is tough enough, but, when you are fighting the thunder storms and lightening strikes, that is whole other thing all together.

Anyway, time for me to give a salute to another of my BlogBuddy friends who make this blog a fun place for me to hang out when I am not fishing.  Say hello to Dave from Fishn' Dave.

I have been an avid reader of Dave's blog for quite awhile now and have really spent some quality time on his site reading and learning more about warm water fly fishing.  I have commented on Dave's blog regularly, and he in return, has been very willing to share information on fly gear, fly patterns, and fish species, or whatever questions I may have.  I have never met Dave personally, but, think I would sure like too.  We have a lot in common as far as our approach to warm water fly fishing.  Dave's blog focuses on the fish and waters/ponds of Iowa that hold Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Catfish etc.

Enough already, right! Dave certainly had had a great season of warm water fly fishing to this point in time.  It is easy to see how Dave's has become one I look to reading as soon as he publishes a new post.  

Dave is also a fine fly tyer also.  I have picked his brain on fly patterns for awhile.  From Streamers for Crappie and Bass, too, Poppers for surface fishing for Bass and Bluegill.
Here are a couple of patterns I have picked Dave's brain about.

               Let me wrap up this post by saying I am proud to feature Dave as my

 Next time that you are checking out other blogs stop on over to Dave's Blog and let him know that the Pond Stalker sent you his way.  If you like warm water fly fishing you won't be disappointed.

Crappie Flies: A Few Of My Favorites

I have been feeling a little under the weather this week, so this post which was previously scheduled (my own schedule) to be written has been left on the burner until tonight.  Decided I would make myself tolerate this stomach discomfort and put another post on the blog.

I received an email from a reader who wanted to know what a few of my favorite Crappie flies were.  So with that in mind, let me begin by saying when you are asked to list your favorite flies for any type fish, that it is really all subjective.  For instance: Where do you live? What type of waters do you fish for Crappie?  What time of year do you prefer to fish for Crappie? And, on and on........................

I certainly am happy to share with you a few of the flies that I have had decent success with.  That is my list for today.  A month from now if I were asked, my list might be a little different.  It all depends on the fishing success I am having and if I haven't came across a new absolutely great pattern that I saw somewhere that I just had to add to my fly box.  Plus, Crappie are not a picky fish in as much as what flies they might take on a given day.  The most significant issue is finding good cover (Crappie like good cover via down trees or stick ups or other significant structure), finding a school of Crappie (Crappie school up sometimes in large schools of fish), and then determining depth of fly presentation to reach the school of Crappie.  Last on the agenda is really what fly they might take.  They love small Streamer patterns, Leech patterns, Bead head Nymph patterns, etc. etc.  Crappie are not a fish that I have ever had much success with while fishing a surface Popper or Foam bug like Bluegill.  In the end, there are many, many effective patterns for Crappie.  

Like all the flies I tie anymore, my concept is to keep the patterns simple.  At my age, that means more time fishing and less time preparing to go fishing..................................................

Here are (3) of my favorite Crappie flies.  Note: While I list them here for Crappie understand that they will also fish well for other species of warm water fish and also for our trout efforts, too.

Chartreuse FluffButt

(6 - 10)

See what I mean by simple,  just a marabou tail and chenille body.  To get a jigging action either weight the hook, or, as I often do use a weighted bead at the head of the fly.  Color combinations are your choice and since it takes no time at all to tie, you are able to crank a bunch of these guys in a hurry.  More fishing............................................................

 

Chartreuse over Pearl White Ice Dub Clouser Minnow

(6 - 10)

Almost takes as long to type out the name of the fly than it does to tie this super effective Crappie pattern.  Weighted eyes get it down, Crappies do the rest of the work.  Also, tied in various color combinations, but, this is one of my favorite combinations. (Before anybody needs to remind me, I know this is not the best picture, but, when you want to go fishing it will work!)

 

Stayner Ducktail

(6 - 10)

The work horse of my fly box when it comes to many species of fish.  I believe I have caught more Crappie on this fly than any other.  Probably, because I have faith in the fly and fish it diligently.  Of course, I have talked about this pattern exclusively in a post most recently.

I never leave home to go fly fishing without this pattern in my box.

 

'Nuff said.

 

 
 

Confidence On The "Fly"

STAYNER DUCKTAIL

Many of those of us who tie flies seem to be always tinkering at the vise.  Working on coming up with that "Hot" new pattern that all the fish will just go nuts on this year out on the water.  Be honest now, if you have tied much or for sometime anyway, invariably, this has run through your mind.  Or, perhaps you just want to modify a certain established pattern a little bit.  That will make it a new fly right and all your fly fishing friends will credit you with be the creator of a great new pattern.  Especially, if it catches fish, and, you give them a handful to try!  Well, ya' know, you know the story from here.  There truly is probably not a snowball's chance in Hell that somebody, somewhere hasn't already thought of that or tied that pattern up during a session at the ol' vise.

How many fly patterns does an angler need to carry with him or her for a day of fishing? Well, that is a topic for another post sometime, somewhere else.  The point I would like to make here is that it really is a matter of confidence when you tie and fish a fly that works for you.  Both, at the vise, and, on the water, if you have confidence in that fly you will concentrate more when tying them and fishing them.  Why? Because you know they work and you have been rewarded with many a memory of a day{s} on the water when you caught fish after fish on that fly.  Call it what ever you want, but you know, that "Fly" is going to produce more times than not.  You have confidence on the water and confidence on that "Fly" It has become one of your favorite flies that you know you can always lean on when the weather, or the fish, or both are playing hardball with you!  Now, that is a lot said in order for me to introduce you to one of those "Flies" for me.

The Stayner Ducktail was made popular by Ruel Stayner of Twin Falls, Idaho, back many years ago.  Ruel, designed this fly to imitate Perch in the local stillwaters in Idaho.  Little did he know at the time what he really had on his hands with the creation of this pattern.  This pattern went on to become extremely popular in the stillwater fly fishing circles.  I was a member of the "Float Tube Navy" out of Boise, Idaho area.  The Float Tube Navy spent their time learning the concepts of stillwater fly fishing from a float tube and fishing many of the great lakes of the Rocky Mountains. The Stayner Ducktail became the go to fly for many of us back in the day.  It was fished with a sinking line of some sort and fished very well for Trout, Bluegill, Crappie, Bass etc. etc.  It became legendary! Now, I will add to this, that it not only became a legendary, local pattern, but a pattern whose success goes far beyond that.  The Stayner Ducktail has been fished on the rivers in Russia, on the big ponds of New Zealand and Australia, and, for the the giant Rainbows that reside in the lakes of Argentina.  Sadly, not by me, but I have seen many photos of big fish from these waters from friends who made trips to these magnificent waters.  Please bare with me as I recall a story once told to me by my fly fishing mentor, the late Ken Magee of Boise, Idaho.  Ken and several friends from the Boise area had made the trip to Russia and paid for guides to fish some of the great rivers.  He said that they had a really difficult time understanding what the Russian guides were saying, and, particularly what patterns they should use.  None of them had any of what they needed!  So, the group decided they will just fish with Stayner Ducktails.  A Rainbow Trout is a Rainbow Trout, right?  Long story short, Ken and the group had a terrific trip fishing Stayner Ducktails for big, Russian trout!  

There are more stories I could tell, but, let's refocus on the tying of the Stayner Ducktail.  Now, I might be able to tie Stayner Ducktails with anybody, but, I don't shoot video.  Being the subject just gets me all discombogulated!  So, I have done a You Tube search and found a very good fly tying video for you to watch and learn how tie the Stayner Ducktail.  Hope you enjoy watching and tying this great pattern.  Beware warm water fly fishers of the guy fishing the Stayner Ducktail!

Some Blog Posts Are Self Serving......

Ok, 99.5% of my blog posts are written with an attempt to share some information, knowledge, fun, or, just plain goodness with all my blogging friends (AKA: BlogBuddies).  My hope is that someone will read them and benefit from whatever tidbit they want to take with them.  The post becomes a part of my written memory bank for me to reflect back on.  In that sense, the blog is self serving for me.  However, this particular post is 100% self serving as a reminder too me before I go fishing again.

That is a new Colorado 2014 fishing license for me.  In Colorado, I have to get used to the wrinkle in the fishing season.  While living in Eastern Idaho for (35) years, fishing season ran from January 1st - December 31st of each year.  Licenses were required for all adult residents as long as they monitored and followed the Idaho Fish and Game Regulations.  That being said, once I retired to Northern Colorado, I have had to change my thought process.  In Colorado, fishing season begins on April 1st of the current year and runs through March 31st of the following year.  So with very few days left in March and winter still hanging on, I doubt if I get out before the new season kicks in.  Therefore, this post, will be front and center for me to remember to purchase my license in the next few days before I head out to chase me some Bluegill, Crappie, or Bass.  To all of my fellow Colorado anglers, don't forget to ante up for your new license real soon!

With that out of the way, I would like to share with my readers that more than any other year, this year seems like Winter and adverse weather has had a real grip on my fellow Bloggers around the country.  Everyone appears to be chomping at the bit to get some warm weather and break out the casting arm and have some fun.  There are some that have toughed it out and had a good time with some fun catching.  Like, Bill over at Fishing Through Life.  Great Dry Fly fishing already!  Or, Kevin at The Feather Chucker.  He is on ready, set, go with some new Bombers for Bass!  Then there is Alan at Small Stream Reflections.  He has been getting out in the winter weather more than us and is a great read.  Here he shares some Jack Gartside fly patterns that are Pond Stalker Approved.

I just could not finish this post without directing you over to a great  post I read yesterday from Quill over at Fish In The Barrel Pond.  Oh, boy can I relate to this post!  No, I have not forgotten  Mike's last post over at Mike's Gone Fishin.  Read it for yourself.  Which half of the bottle do you prefer?

Maybe Someday My Sunfish Will Grow Up

Do I love fly fishing for Sunfish, Bluegill, Crappie? Of course, I do! That is why I am known as the Pond Stalker.  I mean what a wonderful relaxing way to spend a few hours on the pond catching fish after fish on a good day.  I love it because just as my blog header says, I like to keep it simple because it works!

Now some of my Sunfish are like this one.

Obviously, many of my Sunfish are much smaller.  They border on the "runt" size, to tell the truth.  But, I love them just the same.

Now along comes an angler fishing on Lake Havasu in Arizona that puts into perspective what a really gargantuan size Sunfish is..

Angler Hector Brito pulled a 5.78-pound 17-inch redear sunfish from the waters of Arizona’s Lake Havasu. His catch may have set a new International Game Fish Association world record, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. 

Congratulations to Hector Brito!  Maybe someday my Sunfish will grow up....................................

Can anyone imagine what it would be like to hook this big Sunfish on a light weight fly rod?

Internet Implosion! Oh, And I Tie Pretty Flies...............

I would bet that some of you readers and lookers thought I would never get that last post off my Blog.  You tired of looking at Peyton Manning yet?  No, it did not take me two weeks to get over my Super Bowl hangover and disappointment.  What a pathetic performance.  'Nuff said!

What I do want to vent on here, just briefly, is how important good reliable internet service is for all of us that rely on our Blogs and Facebook and Pinterest  etc. for our form of communication with others about what we love to do in our spare time.  To get to the point, you pay your bill, you expect to receive the service necessary.  Granted, your computer could become a virus heaven and could crash on you.  We all live with that little thought somewhere in the backs of our minds.  What I am frustrated with is what I call Internet Implosion.  Computer works fine, no problem.  However, your local provider takes a crap............................. Just gone in about a days time.  No warning!  Wait I payed for the service.  Woe is me! I now have to find another reliable resource to use that will insure me this will not happen too me again.  Find the Provider.  Next up, scheduling the hook up.  Unbelievably, this has taken about two weeks to complete.  Hurray, I am back blogging, but, what a pain in the arse!

Now, to that pretty flies part.  Having basically no computer for anything worthwhile for two weeks gave me some extra time at the tying bench. I will share here a little of my work.  I enjoy tying simple fly patterns that don't take lots of time to tie or use material that is cost prohibitive.  That way if I leave one in the bushes like Howard over at Windknots & Tangled lines it is no problem to look in the fly box and dig out another or tie some more up quickly next time I sit at the vise.   They may be buggy looking.  That is actually what I strive for.  Pretty, they are not!  However, when my wife drops by my bench and looks at what I am tying she usually responds in this manner.  "Oh, you tie pretty flies!"  I love her support, but, I won't tell here they are not pretty....

Let's start with a bright orange leech pattern tied for Bluegill, Crappie etc.

I call it the Orange Crush Leech.

 

How about a Partridge & Yellow Soft Hackle.

Bluegill, Trout, classic pattern.

 

This is a fly I call the 'Gill Getter.

Simple, easy to tie, and catches lots of Bluegills, Crappie, and a Trout or two!

 

Picture not really clear here, my apologies.

This is another of my favorite Soft Hackle patterns.

Partridge and Orange!

 

This is another Leech or Bugger type fly.

I call it a Beadhead Flesh Hair Bugger.

 

 Ok, enough for this post.  I am staying busy tying flies to fill my warm water fly boxes.  I am working on some Nymph and Streamer patterns that I really like.  Will share them in the near future with you all.

 

Is Spring coming?

 

 

 

 

 

Pond Stalker In Distress

I had full intention of putting up a new post with some of what I have been up to at the tying bench during January.  With the new vise I received from Mrs. Santa Claus, I had been re-energized and looking forward to focusing on filling my Bluegill and Crappie fly boxes with some fishy looking patterns.  I have worked on some Soft Hackles, some non-descript nymph patterns, some Stayner Ducktails, and some small versions of my Mohair/Bugger patterns just right for Mr. Bluegill.  Heck, maybe even an unsuspecting Bass might give it a whack if I was lucky!

Ok, flies tied.  Thought I would take some pictures of the flies and have them ready for my post.  The flies, along with some fly tying chat would make for a good post.  Ok, pictures taken!

Next, I needed to transfer them from my phone camera to my email.  Thought everything had gone fine and  was ready to fire up this post.

Wrong, my email has crashed and somewhere in cyberland is my pictures.  Well, no post without the pictures.  I will post them along with the other matter as soon as my email is up and running again.  Ok, so I was distressed.  But, only temporarily!

I came across this video posted by Hopper Juan over on his blog.   Problem solved! This is one of the most dramatic and incredible videos I have seen on the net.  Thanks, Juan, for sharing.  Now, I will share.  Besides, this video puts my blog writing post that I was going to post in shame!
Damsels in Distress from Sharptail Media on Vimeo.

Fly Fishing For Cats

As I was pondering what I wanted to talk about in this post, my mind kept drifting back to another day and time.  Time when I lived in Southwestern Idaho.  I kept thinking about a couple of unusual fly fishing experiences I had back then.  At the time, they were very unusual, in my mind anyway. What experiences I am talking about here is that of Fly Fishing For Cats!

No, not this kind of Cat you silly fool!

Nor, this one either!

Must give credit here where credit is due.  These fine looking Catfish were borrowed here from the good folks at Moldy Chum 

Back to fly fishing in Idaho.  I had on two different occasions while fishing for other fish, stumbled upon the fact, that I could catch Catfish on a fly rod.  More than one fish also each time so I had to figure that it could be done.  Complete surprise and lack of new camera technology didn't allow me to have pictures to show you so I will quickly identify with just a short note on the fishing experience.  

My first experience came while out float tubing  a lake that was filled with downed trees on a fairly shallow end of a reservoir.  I had targeted this area with some friends in attempting to find schooled Crappie.  Me like Crappie!  However, in tubing into the shallow water preparing to cast to Crappie, I viewed several Catfish lurking around.  Well, the rest of that story is that I landed several Catfish on streamer patterns that were intended for Crappie.  I was duly impressed.

Next story: I am floating a section of the Snake River down below Parma, Idaho, with a friend.  This time from a small boat.  We were targeting some Smallmouth Bass.  As we floated along preparing to fish nymphs,  fish were spotted rising in some calm water off to my right.  I am thinking Smallmouth on a dry fly now.  Off comes the nymph, and, quickly comes a Parachute Adams in a size #14.  Rest of the story: No Smallmouth, these were Catfish actually rising to take my Parachute Adams.  We had a blast fishing the slack water that midday.  I kid you not, we could not find anyone to believe our story.  But, I have the memory!

Now, that I am a Colorado resident and am focusing on writing my blog about WarmWater species of fly fishing for the most part, Catfish seem to be on my mind again.  Can Catfish be caught on a fly rod? 

Yup, my friend Dave says so over on his blog.

You might know these two fellows if you hang around fly fishing much.  Plus, this is home for me now so I have to share this video with you all.

 

Thanks to, Jay Zimmerman and Brian Schmidt for the use of their video here.

On my next post, we will review a few Catfish flies and talk about tying them up if you are interested in Fly Fishing For Catfish!