Fly Fishing Alaska - Royal Coachman & Copper River Lodge

Fly fishing trip to Alaska at the Royal Coachman and Copper River Lodges. Awesome Fishing. 

Euro Nymphing Rods

Fly Fishing in Iceland

Traveled to Iceland with my wife to fly fish the north eastern most region. My friend Matt at Iceland Fishing Guide helped me figure out where to fish and species to target. Thinking of Iceland, the first fish that comes to mind is the Arctic Char, a relative to our native brook trout here in Pennsylvania. Second, I think of brown and sea run brown trout. So, I talked to Matt and he supplied the proper fishing permits. Also Iceland offers awesome side trips to thermal pools (hot springs). Super cool to check out! We rented a Happy Camper Van - home for the week.

Flew into Reykjavik  direct flight from Pittsburgh, about 6 hours and under 600$. We drove around the ring road up to the small village of Porshofn, in the Langanese. The small and intimate river called the Losna. We arrived early in the morning to find a thick fog bank rolling off the ocean over the Losna. Started in the mouth of the river where it meets the Greenland Sea. Caught a few beautiful sea trout that were bright silver. Seriously, hardest fighting fish. The river was very flat down here. I got my fish tightline nymphing.

Moved up elevation to more familiar water type, pocket water! Char everywhere, caught to many to count! They were willing to eat streamers, and tight lining was almost to easy! Used my cortland MK2 1006 3wt. This is my go to rod when big fish are probable!

Planning on hosting a trip to Iceland with a couple anglers next year. Message me if this interests you!

Team USA Nationals - Bend Oregon 2018

First Session - North Twin Lake
This was a bank session. We did not get to prefish this venue. Each angler on the bank session (11 anglers) got to fish 3 different areas from the bank. We rotated each hour with a 10 minute break between rotations. I started the session out with an intermediate line with a damsel nymph on point with a callabaetis nymph on my tag. My first peg had a ton of logs and I was getting hung up a bunch. With about 2 minutes remaining I switched to my other prerigged fly rod that was set up with a Dry Dropper. First cast a trout ate a squirmy worm suspended under my dry fly.
Second hour, rotated to peg 5. First cast with the dry dropped rig a fish came up and ate my dry fly. After a half our and several tippet depth adjustments and no other bites, I switched to fishing a black leach under the indicator, caught one. Third hour, fishing really turned off. Missed maybe one or two. Ended the session with 3 fish total. Taking an individual 4th PLC.



Second Session - South Twin Lake
South Twin was just down the road from North Twin. Both these lakes were holdover and freshly stocked rainbow trout. This lake was just stocked, So my boat partner and I worked around until we found the fish. I fished a type III fly line (sinks 3.0 inches per second) with a blank saver on point with a peach bugger on the tag. Caught 12 fish. Took an individual 3rd PLC.



Third Session - Lava Lake
Second Day, Lava Lake, was a beautiful lake sitting under a couple volcanoes. With great intel from my team mate Russ, I was probably most excited to fish this session. Started out motoring across to the far side of the lake. Started my session fishing a type IV fly line (sinks 5.0 inches a second) with a booby damsel on point with a callabaetis on the tag. Session starts, first cast my boat partner hooks and lands a fish first 2-3 strips into his retrieve. I quickly switched to a intermediate line (sinks 2.0 inches per second) since he hooked that fish so high in the water column. My boat partner continued to catch fish. He was up on me 8-3 fish. Then suddenly fishing slowed down for him. I quickly returned to my type IV line and slowly caught up to him ending the session 11 fish to his 9. It was tough at first to mentally stay in the game. Took an individual 5th PLC.

Fourth Session - Deschutes River
The only river session at nationals! Mike and I walked the beats the day before the sessions started. We both did not want to draw beat number one. It seemed to lack the water type, (deeper) white fish holding water. I drew beat one. The beat took a 10th PLC every session.
I entered my beat with the mind set to just catch one fish, Since the total fish caught from my beat over 9 hours and 3 anglers was 15 fish. My idea was to wait until the shade moved over my best water. The beat was shallow and fast with 2 small holding water spots. I crawled up to the better spot in my beat making sure my cast was perfect before it hit the water, fishing 2 flies, a #16 walts worm and a #16 PT. My first fish came 38 minutes into the session after the shade moved over the better water. After each fish or each bite I would sit down and let the water rest fishing the small stream like a spring creek, making every cast count and trying my hardest to not spook many fish. I finished the session with 15 fish taking an individual 2nd PLC.

Fifth Session - Crane Prairie
Final session, I couldn't have been happier with the boat partner I drew, Chris is a great lake angler. All but one boat went to the far end of the lake, Chris and I stayed near the closer end. We started over weeds. We both didn't have any fish for what seemed like forever in our session. We moved a bit further out and I hooked and landed a rainbow. Chris quickly caught a fish too. I was using a hover line (sinks .5 inches per second) and a damsel booby on point and a damsel nymph on the tag. We both caught a few fish but I ended with 6 fish taking a 5th PLC.

Finished nationals in 5th place. Proud to make Fly Fishing Team USA for 2 more years!

For final scores: FlyComps.com

Fly Tying - GCL Caddis

GCL Caddis

Couldn't tell you how many fish I have caught on this fly over the years!

Materials:
Black 8/0 Thread
Scud Hook
Copper Bead
.020 Lead Wire
Olive Rabbit Dubbing
Chocolate Brown Rabbit Dubbing
Small Copper Wire

Stream Report PA - March 2018

Stream Conditions  •  Guide  •  Trip Reports Fishing Report 03/16/2018 - Pennsylvania I have been fishing and guiding a lot the past 2/3 weeks. Fishing has been great! This week we observed blue winged olives, hendricksons, and a few caddis. Fish have been eating the olives pretty well on the surface. We have been catching some good fish in faster water. Rivers have been good but now the flows are higher. Fished in eastern PA for a day and the fishing was pretty good over there, it seems that the river temps and bugs are slightly further along than western PA. The streamer bite with the higher water has been pretty good too. Most fish have been caught using tight line tactics. Lately I have been fishing and guiding with the T&T 10' 8" 3wt. We have been catching a few fish with Dry Dropper techniques. This weekend looks high for a lot of PA. Some of the spring creeks will fish well if we don't get much more rain.  We did move a few larger fish recently. Cant wait to try again this weekend! Flies: Grannom Caddis Nymphs (Anything Chartreuse) #14-16 Olives #18-20 Frenchies #16-18 Rainbow Warrior #16 Sucker Spawn #14 -Josh Miller

Fly Tying : Egans Rainbow Warrior

Fly Tying : Egans Rainbow Warrior

1. Starting the thread at the bead, proceed the thread to the bend of the hook. Tie in a few CDL fibers for the tail. In wide wraps proceed thread to the bead. 

2. Take 4" piece of pearl tinsel and secure it behind the bead. Then take your thread and secure it in wide wraps back to the base of the tail. 

3. After securing your tinsel, take your thread back to the bead in wide wraps. 

4. Add a small drop of glue to the thread.

5. Wrap tinsel up to the bead. 

6. Add a small amount of Light Rainbow Scud Dubbing to the thread. 

I cut my dubbing before adding it to the thread. Makes it easier to work with. Finish dubbing close to the bead. Whip finish.

Materials: 

Hook #14 Hanak 400

Bead 3.0mm silver

Thread 8/0 Uni Red

Tail CDL

Body Pearl Tinsel

Rainbow Scud Dub

Tying Lance Egans Rainbow Warrior. This is a great pattern during winter and early spring months. Good searching pattern. I am unsure of Egans original Recipe. 

Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge

Fly Fishing Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge - South Andros Bahamas

Spent a week down in South Andros at Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge. Flew into Nassau and took a short flight over to the Andros Island. Saltwater fish pull much harder than the trout I am used to catching! Caught a bunch of Bonefish and some Baracuda. Bill runs a fabulous lodge with outstanding service.

Tying Egans Frenchie

Materials

Hook : Hanak 480

Bead : Copper Slotted Tungsten 3.0mm

Thread : Olive Dun Uni 8/0

Tail : CDL

Body : Natural Pheasant Tail

Rib : Size Small Red Wire

Collar : Florescent Pink Ice Dub

*(Not sure the Exact Recipe For Egans Original)

Wrap a base of thread to the bend of the hook. Tie in 4-5 Cdl fibers for the tail. Move your thread to the bead with wide wraps. 

Tie in 4 fibers of pheasant tail tips first in at the bead with the stems facing towards the point of the hook. Secure size small red wire to the hook at the same time. Using your thread wrap over the pheasant tail and wire until you reach the base of the tail.

In wide wraps more your thread to the bead before wrapping the pheasant tail up to the bead. Secure pheasant tail tight to the bead. 

Counter wrap the wire ribbing up to the bead. 

I like to use florescent orange and florescent pink as my collar on the fly. I am unsure of Lance Egan's original recipe. I dub my collars sparse. 

Finished Frenchie Fly

A Presentation about Fly Fishing in Chile - International Angler

I will be giving a presentation on my experience fishing in Chile. (Saturday February 10th - 9am) at International Angler. From fishing in Patagonia's Spring Creeks, Freestone rivers, to its beautful Lakes. 

International Angler

5275 Steubenville Pike

Pittsburgh PA 15237

9AM 02/10/2018

Fishing Report - South Holston Tenessee

01/21/2018 - South Holston Tennessee

Drove from Pittsburgh down to fish the South Holston River near bristol, TN for a few days. Currently TVA is working to upgrade the dams ability to generate power. Because of this, the dam is releasing a constant flow of near 450. This is perfect to wade the river! Air temps reached the low 60's and fish were eating, really well actually. The river was still clear, light ice still around on the edges. Fish were podded up pretty good, if you caught one you could camp on the spot and pull a bunch of fish. Blue winged olives were fluttering around, with fish willing to rise to them at times. Most of our wish were caught tight line nymphing. Size 16 pheasant tail nymph, tied on a jig hook - Caught the majority of the fish. Fish averaged 8"- 14" wild browns and wild rainbows. It was the highest number of fish I have caught on the holston in a day. We stayed at the South Holston River Lodge, great place with great people. John and Tony do a great job there. 

Flies:

BWO #16-18

Thread body Olives #18

Pheasant Tail #16

- Josh Miller