FlyTalk

Over the weekend I almost depleted my supply of fall egg patterns. Last night I pulled out the vice and materials to whip up a variety of salmon egg patterns so I did not have to run to the shop for eggs. McFly Foam has been in the market place for a few years and it flat out rocks. This stuff is almost magical and this forum is the perfect place to share these revelations.

 

You can tie the large fat eggs for attractors or micro-eggs on size 20 hooks. The colors are brilliant and very interchangeable and the ability to create Jerry Garcia Tie-Dye eggs is remarkably easy.

 

The old Glo-Bug yarn has been the traditional material, but McFly Foam is my material of choice. You have probably cussed your egg patterns in the past, but a few little trade secrets will give you huevos to be proud of when bragging to your fishing buddies.

 

1. Use a razor blade to finish the fly. When slicing it, cut in an arch motion. If you happen to get ragged edges, pull up tight and twist the material prior to cutting.
   
2. When tying, make sure to tie some in on the underside of the shank to have the material encompass the shank completely.
3. If you want an embryo, pull off a small amount of a contrasting color and tie it on top of the body material.
4. With McFly Foam you can pull off any amount of material without ruining the remaining amount.

 

Take a whirl with this stuff. You may have to practice a few times to get it perfect, but once you do let your imagination run wild.

by Anthony Bartkowski

Last week I went 11-3 and still did not rake in any cash. My featured picks were a measley 3-2. Overall I stand with a 49-26 record on the year leading the office with only winnings for second. The hell with the most biting fly challenge.

This week is easy - I went to the traveling fly shop in my truck and pulled out the extra flies container. I put the featured game logo on the tailgate and dumped the flies. With a little magnetics technology and basic math skills my pick is justifed.

Why look any further than Sunday afternoon's featured contest of the New England Patriots at the Dallas Cowboys. The battle of the undeafeated teams has plenty of story lines.

1. Bill Bellicheck vs. Wade Phillips - Advantage lies with Bellicheat and the Super Bowl Rings on his fingers to Wade's zippo, zilch, nada.

2. No. 81 Randy Moss vs. No. 81 egomaniac who needs no introduction - Advantage Patriot's Moss with 34 receptions and 500-plus yards in 5 games this year.

3. Tom Brady vs. Tony Romo - Advantage Brady and his three golden rings, as Romo is still wiping the butter off from last year's playoff.

4. The Fly Challenge - Patriots are represented by the Parachute Adams, while the Cowboys have a Grey WD40 pulling in fish. Advantage is the Patriot's. How can you diss a classic fly pattern.

5. Where would you rather fish? New England States or Texas. Advantage New England States have Classic trout streams, running steelies, salmon, stripers, bass, and other pan fish.

As of right now New England is looking like the favorite and the Chowderheads are starting to crack the clam shells and peel the potatoes. I would stop here, but I want winnings.

Scientific Tailgate Research Results: I might as well have played Rock-Paper-Scissors with any Cowboy fan, but the can of whoop ass would have been too much. For all of you fanatical Cowboy fans, melt the butter and pull out the lobster bibs as New England ruins your perfect season.

This week's battle is downright great on paper. The beantown Patriots celebrate in style by scalding the Cowboys by 9. The Cowboys will be trying to still figure out how to get a fly line wet on Monday.

by Anthony Bartkowski

By Anthony Bartkowski
 

After taking a beating on the entire week, I have changed the home waters. I moved predictions to Lincoln Hills Fly Fishing Club on South Boulder Creek in Pinecliffe, Colo. This change was made for going a miserable 3-2 on the featured picks, and 6-8 on week #4 picks. For the season I stand at 39-23.

Dirk’s Bridge is my crystal ball as it is a loaded hog pen of trout. Just reflecting back to last week’s fishing I am drooling in anticipation. My five hardest games to pick are below and the flies will do the telling. If you are wondering how this magical process works, it is simple, put these flies on the line during the year. What fly gets whacked the most captures this week’s pick.

 

Call me foolish or your selection of words, but the theory works.

 

San Diego (1-3) at Denver (2-2)

AK’s PMD Quill at Platte River Special

Lincoln Hills has been a sanctuary of PMDs all summer, and when the fishing gets tough pull a streamer off the bank and hold on. This will be a tough battle between both flies and the teams at Invesco Field on Sunday. San Diego is rebuilding with an entire new coaching staff while the Broncos’ true colors are changing like the Aspens around Pinecliffe, Colo. I am going to hang my hat with Denver this week but not put a lot of points on the contest as you may find a slurping trout holding in the deep hole that wants one last PMD. Denver pulls ahead on a last second cast.

 

Baltimore (2-2) at San Francisco (2-2)

Purple Prince at  Para Madame X Royal

Two outstanding flies and two average football teams... This almost seems unfair in trying to see who will win. If you walk up far enough at Lincoln Hills toss both flies on as hopper/dropper set-up and see what you will scare up. This is bound to turn many heads and pull fish on a 50-50 basis much like both squads. The Purple Prince produces consistent strikes as the Madame X floats just a little off balance in the pocket. Look for Baltimore to stymie the 49ers offense and improve to 3-2.

 

Jacksonville (2-1) at Kansas City (2-2)

Barr’s Natural Slump Buster at Red Asher

When in doubt toss a streamer and search for hidden trout, and the Slump Buster is bound to produce consistently. The trick with the Slump Buster is to dead drift it with a dropper and let it swing. At Lincoln Hills the swing can provide bountiful nets. The Red Asher can trick a few. Both flies will net the same, however the trophy sized trout will belong in the net thanks to the Slump Buster. Jacksonville wins.

 

Detroit (3-1) at Washington (2-1)

Blue Damsel Hi-Viz at Red Ass Soft Hackle

Both squads line up again for the first time since 2004, and both are dramatically different. The Detroit D is like swiss cheese, while Washington’s D is stout. The Damsel’s are flighty and never consistent so look below the surface for your action. The Red Ass is how Detroit will feel after the can of whoop ass is embarked upon by the Redskins.

 

Chicago (1-3) at Green Bay (4-0)

Miracle Nymph at Colorado Green Drake

The frozen tundra of Lambeau field will have another mid-way battle between two nostalgic teams. Even though the records don’t line up and there is quarterback controversy in Chicago this will once again be a classic battle between the hash marks. Let the drakes fly hi and land softly on the surface to see a crashing trout. My favorite hatch is done for the year but I still yearn for next year’s hatch. On a cool fall night in Green Bay, the Packers will fill the net for a 10-point victory.

 

My rod and reel are packed for another weekend of grid iron action. Next week’s report will come from the Taylor River in Almont, Colo. where the residents there are the true definition of HOGS!!!

 

By Anthony Bartkowski

I finally claimed winnings in the office pool, going 11-5 overall. It was not first but second paid out enough for a nice lunch. I am sticking with the same flies as last week and will feature only five of the 14 games. I have selected those that are the toughest to decide upon and will be looking into the magical waters of the South Platte River system to determine the outcome, which provides greater visions than the ESPN’s Swami Chris Berman.

I was finally able to spend a day in my recliner with the remote, junk food, beer and a large screen TV to observe the action of NFL Sunday. For the season I am a combined 33-15. May the winning ways continue into the Super Bowl in Phoenix, only 131 days away.

Five teams are still in search of their first victory, while five others are trying to remain perfect.

Game #1:

Baltimore Ravens – Purple Prince

At Cleveland Browns – Chernobyl Ant

Is it possible to have Cleveland at Cleveland? The dog pound will be rabid with passion for their former squad. One of my great tips for hot summer fishing is hopper-dropper-emerger. Put the foam Chernobyl Ant on top as the indicator and drop the Purple Prince below followed by an emerger and set your drag. When a fish sees this set-up they will change their minds in favor of the stylish purplish prince. The Prince drowns the Chernobyl Ant in a close 3-fish margin of victory.

Game #2:

Green Bay Packers – Colorado Green Drake

At Minnesota Vikings – Pyscho Purple Prince

Green Bay has picked up where the Green Drake has left off. There are still a few hidden spots on Colorado rivers where a Green Drake will pull lurking lunkers off the bottom. The perfect 3-0 mark could be tested in the Metrodome. The Viking’s rookie sensation Adrian Peterson appears to have some Pyscho moves of his own. If the presentation of Favre’s attacks can be consistent and steady the Pack wins by a passing touchdown to give the long lasting veteran another NFL record and improve their record to 4-0.

Game #3:

Denver Broncos – Platte River Special

At Indianapolis Colts – Zebra Copper John

Denver welcome to the house that Peyton built. Let’s look at the similarity between Peyton and the Copper John creator John Barr. Both have genuine personalities and the ability to captivate an audience. More importantly they both have a sixth sense in their competitive environments in able to command great respect. The Platte River Special is a good streamer, but when put up against a stylish offensive attack of Barr’s flies, Denver will be going home with a 2-2 mark while Indianapolis proves their determination for post season play.

Game #4:

Philadelphia Eagles – Hi-Viz Olive Parachute Hare’s Ear

At New York Giants – Bloody Mari

Before going into this week’s matchup, did the throwback uniforms of the 1930-something Eagles make you want to pull out a bamboo rod and silk line? It must have worked as the Eagles were able to throw 56 fish into the net for their first win. Will the blue collar fans of Philly be filling the airwaves with “keep the throwbacks” or will the green and silver of the Hi-Viz Para Hare’s Ear return to roll over for the Bloody Mari’s New York Giants dysfunctional team? Here I sit on the bank surveying the back eddy and toss just flies into the water. The false hatch speaks to me with great confidence to stick with the Eagles in week no. 4. The defense swarms Eli Manning and frustrates him while Donnovan lets loose for a 10-point win in the Meadowlands.

Game #5: MONDAY NIGHT… Dun Dun Dunnnnnn

New England Patriots – Parachute Adams

At Cincinnati Bengals – Red Copper John

Do you want to burn out the drag in your Hatch Reel? This is the game that will test that it. Wrap your line around Randy Moss and Chad Johnson and see who falls behind. This would be a great test to capture on video one day. Don’t look for this contest to be settled early and retire to bed. Look at the patterns and over the last five years they have provided ample quantities of consistent hook ups. Just based on tradition and longevity, the John Quincy Parachute Adams’ Patriots pull out a six-fish victory and improve to 4-0.

Hopefully this insight into a magical back eddy of water and opened fly boxes helps you claim winnings in the office pool.

By Anthony Bartkowski

Two weeks into the NFL season and I have yet to claim any monies from the office football pool. Philly’s miserable outing on Monday left me just shy of at least earning my entry fee back. I even picked 11 games correctly each week. I am going to follow the request of Evan, a dedicated Fflogger follower, to give it the GOOD TROUT FLY CHALLENGE.

Having attended the Fly Fishing Retailer Show in Denver and gathering some catalogs and samples from the major fly manufacturers, I will pit some of these hot looking patterns against some traditionals. I have not had the time to fish these new dandies, but this weekend I will be wetting a line with cold Rocky Mountain water.

This week’s picks are purely based upon inspection of the fly. If I happen to gather monetary winnings instead of ridicule, I may have to bribe Fflogger control to make this a weekly feature, and take my beatings for picking Notre Dame last Saturday.

A couple rhetorical questions…

Will any of the 10 current undefeated teams (2-0) eclipse the regular season record of 16-0 by the 1972 Miami Dolphins? This number will fall to eight as the 49ers battle the Steelers, and the Colts will be in a shootout with the Texans.

Will any of the 0-2 squads make the playoffs? A classic AFC East match-up will allow either the Dolphins or Jets to get one step closer to playing past December.

Week #3 Match-ups

Teams:  Arizona Cardinals (1-1) at Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

Flies:  Red Zebra Midge at Purple Prince

Two standard patterns that produce. The Purple Prince packs a strong strike and fished as an attractor will always come out on top. When in doubt tie on a Purple Prince and just wait.

Outcome:  When in doubt always trust the prince no matter what color. It may be close in the trenches for a winner and sometimes a great defense is your best offense.

Teams:  St. Louis Rams (0-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)

Flies:  Rook’s Berry Nymph (blueberry blue) at Nemes’ Soft Hackle Partridge and Orange

The Berry Nymph is new and stylish but appears to have just a little too much flash to be truly productive except for run-off. The Nemes’ Soft Hackle is another old school pattern.

Outcome:  Flip a coin for your pick. It will be a close call with what one pulls in the most and I am leaning towards the soft hackle as it is traditional. The Bucs seem to be the confident choice.

Teams:  San Francisco 49ers (2-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0)

Flies:  Para Madame X Royal at Autumn Splendor

It appears these two former Super Bowl Champions are back into the form of the 70s and 80s. How can you mess with new patterns with these two squads squaring off? Both the teams and flies are high output offenses. Both attract solid hits and will come out from the holding positions to pounce.

Outcome:  If you are searching for big lurking trout toss the Autumn Splendor and strip it off the banks. The Para Madame X is a great attractor and usually starts out fast but will fizzle towards the end of the day. The Iron Curtain of yesteryear will come through with some amazing hits and pull out of the trophies.

Teams:  Detroit Lions (2-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (0-2)

Flies:  Blue Damsel at Hi-Viz Olive Parachute Hare’s Ear

The last few years this would be an easy pick, however the tide has turned towards the Lions’ favor. Most fishermen are going to pick the Hare’s Ear as a trusty pattern to pull fish to the surface, however I will lean towards the experimental Blue Damsel and throw the foam pattern from Brush Creek Flies as it just appears to be tasty enough for rivers with lakes nearby.

Outcome:  This NFC match-up is one that can go either way. I almost have to look at the stats to see on a traditional pool picking method for this one, but with the Hare’s Ear being used as somewhat of a trusty fly I will lean on Detroit to maintain their offensive prowess to reach a 3-0 start for the first time since Barry Sanders last few years.

Teams:  Miami Dolphins (0-2) at New York Jets (0-2)

Flies:  None at Any Caddis pattern.

You can’t have a fly represent a fish that is already bait for other large monsters in the sea. On top of that, I still use the Squish The Fish mantra that is prevalent in all NFL cities when the Dolphins come to town. Just Google search “Squish the Fish” and to see for yourself. Throw a Caddis in Colorado from Mother’s day until the end of October and you will definitely find fish.

Outcome:  Hands down, the Jets and Caddis’ take their first fish of the season.

Teams:  Buffalo Bills (0-2) at New England Patriots (2-0)

Flies:  Blue Egg at Parachute Adams

First off, I am a die-hard Bills’ fan through and through. I spent two seasons as an intern during their glory years of the 90s, and the last six are still rebuilding for another run for the Lombardi Trophy. Now that the spy-tape crisis is old news you just can’t go wrong with one of America’s forefather’s patterns – the John Quincy Adams Parachute. It does not really matter what time of year it is, the Para Adams will pull up winners. The Blue Egg is just a simple match for the start of the Bills season – Goose Egg and two. Don’t count the blue egg out in the winter seasons. This is trusty when the snow flies as well as the Buffalo Bills as they round the wagons later in the season.

Outcome:  Spy-Tapes will not need to be implemented against the staggering Bills this week. The season is too new and the weather too warm for a Blue Egg. If it is overcast, throw on the Para Adams and get ready for a fun day of rising fish.

Teams:  Minnesota Vikings (1-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)

Flies:  Pyscho Purple Prince at Red Asher

My thought for this one is real simple. Tie both flies on about 10 inches apart and see what happens. There is no crystal ball willing to provide a logo of anything identifiable.

Outcome:  Flip a coin, cross your fingers and hope you are right.

Teams:  Indianapolis Colts (2-0) at Houston Texans (2-0)

Flies:  Zebra Copper John at Umpqua New Sloan’s Outrigger Yellow Sally

The new kids on the block are turning heads and it is not just in Texas. The new Umpqua fly is impressive, and with the number of Texans that visit Colorado we should be able to push this fly onto them regularly. The Colts are coming off a Super Bowl victory and picked right up where they did last year even after free agency. You have to give the Colts a strong pattern as it is always reliable to toss in the water.

Outcome:  Can you say hopper/dropper? What a better way to determine the favorite fly of choice. With Sloan’s pattern adding a foam underbody/tail you will be able to fish this strong summer pattern with a larger dropper. Being a strong supporter of hopper/dropper fishing, you know that the dropper is going to pull more fish. The Colts may be challenged but will improve to 3-0 and may be our only team this year to challenge the 1972 Dolphins perfect mark.

Teams:  San Diego Chargers (1-1) at Green Bay Packers (2-0)

Flies:  A.K.’s PMD Quill at Colorado Green Drake

Both strong producers. One has subtle hits, one has voracious tugs. Finesse vs. Power. This is the description of both the teams and the flies.

Outcome:  Lambeau Field, Vince Lombardi Legacy… I would always pick a Green Drake over a PMD any given day. This is not an easy pick as I do enjoy fishing both patterns, but always enjoy watching a trout crash the surface for the drake. Packers eek out a victory.

Teams:  Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

Flies:  Red Copper John at LaFontaine’s Caddis Larva

Based on flies only there is only one choice – Barr’s Red Copper John.

Outcome:  The Copper John is still flashy much like Chad Johnson, but has the stamina of Chris Palmer to come out on top. The Caddis Larva is only good for a short period of time, and the Seahawks do not have the durability. Bengals will look to rebound after giving up 51 points last week.

Teams:  Cleveland Browns (1-1) at Oakland Raiders (0-2)

Flies:  Chernobyl Ant at Disc O’Beetle

Throw foam or go home… Both squads were offensive moguls last week, however a timeout at the last second left the Raiders pondering what they did wrong. The Browns showed they can let the other team score. I am a foam believer and will toss a variety. You can’t go wrong with either pattern.

Outcome:  Grab a co-worker and play rocks, papers, scissors for your pick. Do the same on the river in July and August.

Teams:  Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) at Denver Broncos (2-0)

Flies:  Barr’s Natural Slump Buster at Platte River Special

A true battle of streamers. Both have been tested during the early part of the year and will one show any true domination as in previous seasons. Both streamers are effective. I love both and find myself arguing about final selection.

Outcome:  Denver is at home and has an altitude advantage and should squeak out another lucky victory.

Teams:  Carolina Panthers (1-1) at Atlanta Falcons (0-2)

Flies:  Egan’s Rainbow Warrior at Craven’s Poison Tung

No offense to either fly author. The Atlanta Falcons had their trouble over the off season – Dogface Vick. Carolina has stumbled coming into 2007. Both flies are capable of pulling in fish but tend to be either on or off, much like the Trico hatch in Elevenmile Canyon.

Outcome:  The Rainbow Warrior pulls out the victory this week, and Atlanta should start to warm as the season progresses with a new gunslinger.

Teams:  New York Giants (0-2) at Washington Redskins (2-0)

Flies:  Smoot’s Bloddy Mari at Red Ass Soft Hackle

NFC East showdown in the capital. I have never fished Smoot’s Bloody Mari, however it resembles the New York City team almost perfectly. It has that New York City swagger and flash, but the durability looks questionable much like Eli Manning’s pass protection. Joe Gibbs has put together a strong showing of super stars but will they be able to keep up the teamwork.

Outcome:  Solely based upon fishing production, I will go with the Red Ass Soft Hackle for a slim margin of victory.

Teams:  Dallas Cowboys (2-0) at Chicago Bears (1-1)

Flies:  Grey WD40 at Miracle Nymph

This could be a high scoring output in the river and on the field. Both flies can produce fish but the Miracle seems to sputter off as the season moves on. The WD40 is solid but questionable at times.

Outcome:  Cowboys and the WD40 provides another winning week in the Baetis infested waters of Colorado.

Monday Night Football

Teams: Tennessee Titans (1-1) at New Orleans Saints (0-2)

Flies:  Befus Wired Stonefly at Newbury’s Stinger Stone

The city of New Orleans will be backing the Saints strongly and look for them to pull out the Red Fish to put the trout waters of Tennessee into a quiet back eddy. These could become the classic stoneflies of the future. If you have not seen them, take a look and don’t be shy in asking your fly shop to get them. I am a stonefly nut. They have always been a pleasure in latching into great fish.

Outcome:  The pool is always settled on Monday night. I am basing my predictions that I will be in the money come Monday morning.

There it stands. Until Tuesday…