"High Stick" nymphing in the 1960s and 70s

[Larry S]

This is a great discussion. Thank you, gents!
Larry S

[Dave E.]

For those who may not have any idea what the patterns these guys are talking about, might have looked like.....

[royewest]

My new desktop background, thanks!

(Replaces Gordon L.'s bead head nymph for now.)

[BillB]

I don't know about you other "older gentlemen" out there but we didn't wear waders often either. First we couldn't afford an nice pair of rubber or nylon waders and resorted to vinyl, a few bucks, waders when we absolutely felt it necessary. Second the nature of the game was to keep moving to new water so waders were actually a hindrance. Through the brush, over boulders and very dangerous swims across the river. Heck, I have the joints to verify all that tom-foolery! Wouldn't change a thing.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks 'Dave E'....we had one of those charts around here some years ago.

Thanks 'BillB'.....my brother Dick and I didn't wear waders on the Pit River in the fall either. We swam the river some too.

When I saw "A River Runs Through It" for the first time I thought of my brother and I on the Pit River.

I just hope I can still wade the Pit, slowly, with my grandkids.

[Frank Alessio]

Bill,

Not to change the Subject but.... I fished the Upper Sac Monday at 10:00 am.. The fish were coming uo top for Large Salmon Flys. The wind was Blowing hard. I fished long enough to get my FIX... It did not take long I was returning from Steelhead fishing on the Grand Rhonde..... White tail hunting in MW Montana... Mule Deer, Coyotes and Antelope in SE Montana.... What a trip.....

Frank

[koffler]

Nice thread -

Frank - Hoping to get what you got; heading to southern Montana tomorrow for 10 days; this time of year we typically shoot a lot of coyotes and antelope. Also looking for a few whitetails and have a turkey hunt throw-in. The remaining days will find my on the Bighorn - will post an update when I return.

Jason

[Frank Alessio]

Jason,

I hope you also have a good time...

Frank

[pgw]

I had the opportunity to fish with Ted a few times. He liked to use a ten foot eight weight rod with a ten foot leader. He said that if the fly line was touching the water you were casting too far.

Wading was the way to cover the water. I was about 20 and he was about 75 and I had a hard time keeping up with him. He wanted to fish up stream and passed up the runs and flats for the most part. I still use the wading staff that he showed me.

The way Ted fished is a lot like czech nymphing, bring the flies downstream a little faster than the current. He would look for a flash of the trout as he hooked more fish by seeing them than feeling them.

One of my favorite flies that he developed is Crow Fly.

I met a former Yankee 2nd Baseman in Ted's shop for whom I believe the Cro fly was named...a very effective pattern that I've used with success anywhere there are stoneflies or caddis.

And I can still here Ted telling me, "keep the rod up, don't let the flyline stay on the water!"

Paul

[pgw]

I don't know about you other "older gentlemen" out there but we didn't wear waders often either. First we couldn't afford an nice pair of rubber or nylon waders and resorted to vinyl, a few bucks, waders when we absolutely felt it necessary. Second the nature of the game was to keep moving to new water so waders were actually a hindrance. Through the brush, over boulders and very dangerous swims across the river. Heck, I have the joints to verify all that tom-foolery! Wouldn't change a thing.

I felt like a wimp wearing my Seal-drys or the "new" lightweight RedBall's when I fished with Ted Fay and Roy Haile in Dunsmuir...those two were in their 70's and waded wet wearing Olive Green jumpsuits and Weinbrenner wading shoes...makes me shiver just to think about them wading wet on cold mornings in October.

Paul