Self portrait with trout

By Steve Stracqualursi Original photo by Mikey Wier
Way Upstream Productions Copyright 2008

The Complete Angler - Chapter 3

James Prosek (artist/writer), Fritz Mitchell (producer/editor) and Peter Franchella (cinematographer) produced a Peabody Award winning film documenting Prosek’s travels in the footsteps of the 17th century English writer, Izaak Walton.

Way Upstream now brings you Part 3 of the mini-series - The Complete Angler. In this chapter James fishes a tributary of the Thames in London that Walton fished three hundred and fifty years before, the River Lea. Walton was forced out of London during the English Civil War and returned to the pastoral beauty of his homeland in Derbyshire and the beautiful River Dove in the Peak District.

Way Upstream Productions Copyright 2008

Wading into position

High water. Slick bedrock. Cobble like greased bowling balls. Riverwalker Wading Boots built their reputation in the most demanding wading conditions. They feature great flexibility, fast dry times and are lighter weight than most of what's out there in the water. Notched flex zones allow for more natural foot movement and a polypropylene insole/shank offers stability. But don’t let the comfort fool you—these are tough boots for serious wading. Details: molded EVA midsole, synthetic leather and polyester, 100% recycled, high filtration mesh uppers and protected lacing. Riverwalkers come in three sole choices: resoleable felt; tungsten-carbide studded; and sticky rubber. Engineered to accommodate neoprene stocking-foot waders. Felt • 1,108 g (39.1 oz) pair, Felt/Studded • 1,213 g (42.8 oz) pair, Sticky Rubber • 1,037 g (36.6 oz) pair

Fabric
Strong, lightweight, 100% recycled, high-filtration polyester mesh, synthetic leather upper, with nylon/spandex neoprene in tongue and polypropylene insole board. Full-length molded EVA Rockstopper midsole

Features

• Wide last is engineered to accommodate a neoprene foot wader without constriction
• Tough, durable, quick-drying materials and construction
• Padded ankle support
• Sculpted flex zones for improved flexibility
• Compression molded EVA midsole and polypropylene insole/shank combination provide excellent torsional rigidity, support, protection from stone bruising; creates a stable platform without sacrificing flexibility
• High-filtration mesh keeps out more sand and silt and drains quickly
• Protected lacing loops with two speed lace hooks at the top
• Padded insole for comfort and arch support
• Stout, reinforced toebox and heel counter
• Molded rubber toe bumper provides abrasion resistance
• Sole designed to hold fin straps for float tubers and kickboaters
  

Outsoles:

Felt: Long-wearing, polyester wool felt sole is bonded to a rubber carrier and stitched on for added insurance

Felt/Studded: Felt soles studded with tungsten-carbide tips embedded in a dual rubber layer to prevent wobble. The felt is also stitched on for added insurance

Sticky Rubber: Star-patterned sticky rubber sole provides excellent multi-directional traction and no grit, mud, debris or snow pick up. This outsole can also be customized into a "studded" bottom with several after market solutions.

All outsoles can be resoled

Color
Marsh Green synthetic leather with Sage Khaki mesh

"Lunch" photo by Brian Bennett
"Turned tail" photo by John Frankot

Before the runoff

I just returned from a trip to Big Timber, MT. The goals were to get some product testing (both Patagonia and competitor gear) in before the runoff and to work on some new design projects with a designer in Bozeman (more on that later). I couldn't have asked for better conditions. It was nice one minute and a full on snow accumulating blizzard the next (the two inset photos were taken 20 minutes apart). I should clarify that by "nice" I mean that the sun was partially out and the wind wasn't gusting too bad. The temps never really climbed above the mid 40's and it was high 30's on average. Mornings were below freezing and guides did ice up on occasion. Wool grid neoprene (wader booties and gloves), new wader designs, new jackets, new outsole ideas and a host of current gear all were put through the paces.....and the fishing was good too. My companions for the trip were new friends John Frankot and Alistair Stewart. We holed up at the Grand Hotel in Big Timber. We contracted the help of guide Lee Kinsey for a couple of days. He's a wealth of information having grown up in the area. I highly recommend a pre-runoff trip if any of you in the Way Upstream community have the desire. It's good for the soul. Don't forget your warm gear and a range of flies. Size 20 dry bugs and small emergers were just as important as stonefly nymphs and big stuff for exploring the carved out depths.
Photos by El Pescador
"Car Pool" photo by Alistair Stewart

The Complete Angler - Chapter 2

James Prosek (artist/writer), Fritz Mitchell (producer/editor) and Peter Franchella (cinematographer) produced a Peabody Award winning film documenting Prosek’s travels in the footsteps of the 17th century English writer, Izaak Walton.

Way Upstream now brings you Part 2 of the mini-series - The Complete Angler. In this chapter James goes to Ireland to experience what may be the earliest form of fly-fishing, dapping live mayflies impaled on fine-wire hooks for brown trout on the lakes of the Connemara region. He visits with a boy who collects and sells live mayflies to the fishermen, and salmon fishes along the Eriff River.



Way Upstream Productions Copyright 2008

Trout Season

It’s almost the beginning of trout season. With the stirring of insect and fish comes the preparation of shop, stock, guides and gear. Angling dreams of hatches and takes are mixed with business hopes for ideal water, bookings and revenue. It’s a tangled, intertwined, biological and economic web….and all because of fish. Let the season begin and may your fishy goals be achieved. Feel free to share a season opener comment, story or photo.

Illustration by El Pescador

Where should I park?

TROUT UNLIMITED announced that its new television program "On the Rise" will begin airing on the Outdoor Channel this spring. Hosted by Telluride, Colorado fly fishing guide, Frank Smethurst, the show will feature some of the best fly fishing around the country. Traveling in an Airstream trailer painted in trout patterns, Frank travels to rivers and streams where TU has made a difference and takes the viewer on a fish-filled journey across America. Those of you who see the current AEG Film Tour will get a glimpse of this project.

Filming continues on the east coast this spring. If you have a suggestion of where Frank should park his trailer alongside a river and cast a few flies, please fill out the online form (click here).

Photo courtesy of Jerry Darkes

World Trout

The mission of World Trout is to identify individuals and groups that protect native fish, tell their story and support their conservation efforts. Since its inception in January, 2005 (through March 31, 2007), anglers purchased 41,612 World Trout t-shirts and raised $208,060. World Trout supporters have also been seeking out grassroots groups to donate funds and volunteer their time. Patagonia plans to continue the World Trout efforts which help provide funding for groups who protect fish and enhance natural habitats. Help support grassroots groups in your local areas (fresh and saltwater) by volunteering your time and/or providing financial support. In the case of World Trout, simply buying a limited edition, organic cotton t-shirt can help protect species at home and around the world. Click on the bold text to learn more. Visit a Patagonia Dealer or Patagonia Retail Store near you.

Click here to watch a short video on artist and World Trout co-founder James Prosek.

Puzzled

Original by El Pescador Original Photo by M. Wier

NPR covers Rock Snot

Way Upstream posted twice about invasive species issues in 2007 (Invasive Algae and Aquatic Hitchhikers) . National Public Radio covered the "Rock Snot" story recently which has given the invasive species problem more needed national exposure. Click here to read the Morning Edition story from 12/31/07. Click here to listen to the NPR broadcast. The broadcast is about 4 minutes long. Be sure to wait a few seconds after the 12 second intro for the broadcast to start. Listen and share your thoughts.A rock snot bloom (Didymosphenia geminata- "Didymo") can cover a stream from bank to bank and reach for miles. Twenty years ago, the algae was found only in isolated mountain streams in western Canada. But a more aggressive version has spread to streams in the western United States and to the East Coast.

Got Worms?

On September 14th David Smart (photo below) caught a large Puget Sound cutthroat on a popper that was puking up a big pile worm around ten inches long. He had seen a number of these large marine worms swimming freely near the surface with sea-run cutthroats attacking them. He knew Dylan Tomine had developed the String Thing for steelhead. This fly has a long profile, skinny body and a trailing hook. This tying method fit the bill so Dylan quickly turned out the first String Worm fly for David. After a few on-the-water design/color experiments and the process of figuring out how to effectively swim this fly through the water, David started to catch some big fish.

Large cutthroat are rare and it is very difficult to regularly catch fish over 18 inches but the String Worm fly does just that; it catches big fish and lots of them. Since development of this fly, David caught more big cutthroats in two weeks than in the last 10 years combined, including a mammoth 24-incher and a couple equally impressive 22-inch fish. In addition to catching sea-run cutthroat trout, it has also taken blackmouth (immature chinook) and silvers (coho salmon), proving surprisingly effective on some staging coho in a local estuary. The best way to fish this fly is very slowly with slow smooth strips so that it slithers through the water. The fish see this as a large, very easy meal to grab as it swims by, and while the takes may be subtle as a fish engulfs the fly, the results are amazing.

Contribution by David Smart and Dylan Tomine

Hoppicator

I saw this pattern in Fly Fishing Life Magazine. It seemed brilliant to me so I asked Mikey Wier for a Way Upstream story. Here are the words and some of the pictures that he sent:

"The Hoppicator has been a great pattern for me. I’ve been developing the system for a several years now. I usually fish it in conjunction with weighted nymphs. The main premise is to get away from using lead or tin weights, foam or yarn indicators. I don’t like the weights because they are just more litter than needed and often tangle on your line if you overhead cast. I stopped using indicators because they scare spooky fish around here in some of our technical catch and release fishing areas. Now I just use the Hopper Dropper or Super Hopper Dropper as I call the heavier set up for all my trout fishing and even some steelhead fishing in heavy water. The system is just as versatile as traditional indicator fishing, as far as depth and weight adjustments. You just have to be slightly more perceptive about the current flows and actual river depths when choosing the right fly combo. I usually use a heavy “bomb” fly like my double tungsten Jawbreaker or Tungsten Caramel Caddis Pupa to get down deep. I then use a dropper of something smaller like my Mint Chocolate Crawler Nymph or Butterscotch Sprinkle. This system also really came in handy for the Team USA competitions. The rules call for no weight or indicators so most people just dry dropper or Czech Nymph. That’s great for some water but some places require the kind of long dead drift you can only get with an indicator. My Hoppicator set up conforms to the Team USA rules and no one else had anything like it. It won a couple beats for me. Many of my trout patterns, including the Hoppicator, will be available soon from Idylwilde Fly Company." Photos by Mikey Wier

Local waterway

I got this story from Andy Mitchell in Patagonia Dealer Services (Reno, NV) and it struck me as a great example of a vital ingredient in maintaining the health of the activity we call fishing. I read articles about fishing participation being down. Many in the industry ask, how can we foster new participation? My view, it’s right here in this story. We need to make sure that our local spots are healthy. These local spots are where all of us, including the budding 14 yr. old angler got and/or get hooked on fishing. The local waters are where we bust out for an evening stint to test a new pattern, line, rod or reel. It’s where we polish our techniques. It’s where we observe the things that teach us lessons, like how a heron or egret patiently “fishes” or how stoneflies crawl out onto rocky platforms to shuck their exoskeleton for wings. I applaud those that invest effort in making their local waters viable ecosystems and I applaud those that work with the novice angler. It’s not all about the 185lb tarpon or the searing run of a Christmas Island bone. It’s really about the "BEHEMOTH" that lives under your local waterway bridge. That’s where we get “obsessed”.
Here’s Andy’s story:

“Hi Steve-- I wanted to fill you in on the epic trout that has been sighted here about the Reno DC lately. I haven't done much all summer accept study for a graduate school test and plan an internship with Save Our Wild Salmon. To ward off the stress and desk fluff that can accumulate with a lifestyle like that I took to "experiencing fitness" during lunch by running a quick 4-mile loop along the Truckee River. I can't cross a bridge without peaking over to spot fish. There is one footbridge about a half mile east of here that spans the Truckee right above where a tributary enters and it is usually pretty easy to spot trout wiggling around in the current. Last month I looked over the edge and saw a BEHEMOTH calmly pointing upstream swishing his mighty tail to the rhythm. I almost swallowed my jogging do-rag. I thought for a second it might actually be a carp but I climbed up on the railing of the bridge to get a better look. When he banked hard left I a saw the silver/pink glint-- a monster ‘Bow.

I spread the word-- people confirmed the sighting, some called me a liar, others claimed they saw different and bigger fish-- but spotting that big daddy became bit of an obsession, so much so that I finally got the camera out and made my way down there daily to try to spot him. So here is a picture of the bridgewhere the mythic beast of the Truckee lives. I’ll let you know if anyone gets him on the line.”


Contribution by Andy Mitchell
Photos by Greg Ponte and Andy Mitchell

Trout Eldorado

This Way Upstream video post follows Svein Røbergshagen (Patagonia ambassador) and a group of dedicated Norwegian fly fishermen as they chase monster browns in a spectacular wilderness setting on the tundra of the Kola Peninsula. The beautiful rivers are teeming with big browns, sometimes hitting the fly with an explosive take. It's awesome to see these fish settled in a steady rising pattern, showing their broad tails in the surface, posing an ultimate challenge for the dry fly fisherman. This wilderness region of Russia has been closed to the public until recently. Now this undisturbed wilderness fly fishing is highlighted on DVD. Check out this 3 minute compilation and get your passport in order.

Contribution by Svein Røbergshagen and Jeff Leopold

Only in Costa Rica

It may be the only place in the world to do it: Catch wild rainbow trout on dry flies on a frosty morning, enjoy a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup while cozying around a fireplace then drive less than two hours and take a dip in the bath-tub warm Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. Do it all in sight of palm trees, quetzales and spider monkeys. Never mind the sailfish and the tarpon.
Only in Costa Rica.

Story and photo by Capt. Dave Sherwood

Invasive Algae

This is Didymo algae (Didymosphenia geminata), also appropriately known as "rock snot". It continues to spread a deadly path in trout habitat. This algae forms a thick layer on stream beds, in time choking out most aquatic insects and greatly reducing food supplies for trout. New Zealand has had a significant problem with Didymo for some time. Since the mid-Eighties, Didymo has become a growing nuisance in North America. It is present in rivers throughout the West, Arkansas, and Canada. This summer the algae was discovered for the first time in New England waters (Connecticut, White and Battenkill Rivers). The rapidly growing territory of this invasive single celled organism has led many scientists to believe humans play a significant role in it's spread by inadvertently transporting Didymosphenia geminata on fishing boots, waders and boats. Please check out the links below to learn more about Didymo and what you can do to help prevent the spread of this freshwater diatom.

Global Invasive Species Database

Protect Your Waters

Contribution by Greg Davis

Release (Dark Version)

I was in SLC, UT for the Outdoor Retailer Show and took advantage of a dusk fishing offer from Thad Robison. It was a perfect opportunity and it turned out to be a memorable session. We stopped by (continued below)

Release (Light Version)

Western Rivers to get my license, great service and a good cup of coffee before heading out to fish a section of the restored Provo River late into the night. We had take-out burritos and cold PBRs for dinner at the parking spot. It was AEG ceremonial. Caddis and trout were active. We caught fish on small caddis drys while we still had light but when the dark came on we V-waked a mouse pattern and brown trout crashed it ferociously. I created these two images from a photo taken that evening.

Just a little further

Every time I see films and videos by Mikey Wier, I'm, well.., moved. He often casts a certain soulful light on the bigger picture of fly-fishing. In this video he exposes an angling facet that many know, "It's all out there waiting. You just have to go and find it." I recently asked him to write a Way Upstream intro to this 5 minute Fish Eye video. Here's what he said:

"I love catching fish. Don’t get me wrong. They are some of the most beautiful and fascinating creatures on this planet. But for me, a bigger part of fly-fishing is the total experience. It's about that sense of adventure. I love looking at a map and trying to discover new places to catch a fish. I'm always so intrigued to know what's just around that bend, or what does it look like up stream of here. It's that feeling of exploration and discovery that often motivates me to keep searching for the next great fishing spot. There are lots of times when I see a place on a map that looks like it has potential, or hear about a "Great spot", and when I get there, it's nothing more than a nice stretch of river. The fishing might not be good, but I'm still outdoors and seeing something new. Then, inevitably there will be days like this, where it all comes together and I might have the chance to catch the fish of a lifetime. It took my brother and I almost 10 years to get to this spot at the right time of year. It’s all out there waiting. You just have to go out there and find it."

Mother Board

I've been creating images inspired by the Inside the Box post. Artistically, I like the compositions that the boxes and flies lend themselves too. This piece in particular struck me as interesting and worth an audience view. It's a small aluminum fly box containing a series of nymphs. The image looked like circuitry to me. The circuitry metaphor seemed to resonate as it related to fly fishing. Something just seemed right. The title of this image is Mother Board. Way Upstream, Copyright 2007