A quick teaser from our Iceland trip earlier this year….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYpL4fo_36I
Check it out!
Keep your eyes open for the show, Fly Nation, a Fly Max Films production.
That’s right! We’ve teamed with Casters Fly Shop and are heading to Southwestern Virginia to help six ladies learn how to cast and fish for rainbow trout (huge rainbow trout I might add!).
Date: April 3rd and 4th, 2010 (there are only two spots left so don’t delay!)
Price: $625.00 per person (includes two full days of guiding/instruction, all meals and accomodations on Saturday evening in a private and quaint home on the river).
Guides: April Vokey and David Hise
To Reserve Your Spot Contact:
casters@castersflyshop.com
828-304-2400
Last weekend I headed over to the Mountain River Fly Shop www.mtnriverflyshop.com to visit with friend Steve Dally, do a little fishing, and teach a ladies learn to fly-cast class.
The women were fantastic, Steve was a hoot and fishing…..well, you can call me the rainbow queen, but I’m still waiting to catch that damn brown trout!
A short photo recap (photos by Steve Dally).
Everyones favorite….knot tying.
So serious!
Daughter teaches Mom…
Mom pouts.
Who says learning to cast isn’t fun!?
She was a natural!
Can hardly contain the excitement!
You go girl!
If you can control a stick, you can control a fly rod. Rid of intimidation from the start.
Thanks ladies! You were all amazing!
We will be having another ladies learn to fly-cast class on November 7th. There are only several spots left, so don’t wait too long to book!
Contact Steve at the Mountain River Fly Shop at 1-870-435-6166 to reserve a space.
Hope to see you soon,
Ape.
When I first launched Fies For Fins earlier this year, the response from people was tremendous! Flies from all around the world made their way into my mailbox and I couldn’t help but feel inspired….
Japan, Ireland, Oregon, Denmark, Newfoundland….You name it and there were flies sent from there!
People were kind and donated not only their flies and other cool product, but their time and best wishes as well.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to these people (even though it has kept me busier than hell!)
In fly sales alone we have made over $3,000 (exact specifics to be announced when I have collected all payments from the shops).
So as the steelhead season in BC’s lower mainland slowed to a halt, I felt it was only fair to the shop owners to pull the FFF boards from their stores and add their remaining flies to my ever increasing stock here at home.
Aware that getting people to buy the flies may prove to be a tricky task, I’ve gone about it in a way that I feel anyone would be foolish to resist…..
Here’s what I’ve done:
I have arranged all the flies into “goodybags”, pre-packaged and ready to be shipped! All proceeds from these bags go to the Steelhead Society of BC for habitat restoration and other improvements….
The goodybags are arranged into several different categories….
10 for $10.00 (though you may find one or two extras thrown in there). These flies are basic steelhead flies and are ready for you when you are! This breaks down to less than $1.00 a fly, plus you’re helping out a good cause. Seriously, how can you go wrong here!?
10 for $20.00 (again, you may find one or two extras). These flies are damn goodlooking steelhead flies. Intruder variations and all sorts. The material is worth more than what these are going for.
10 for $30.00 These steelhead flies are pimped! If you don’t pick up these ones, I will.
10 for $15.00 Atlantic Salmon (Double Pronged) Flies Traditional Atlantic salmon patterns (ex. Green Butt Skunk) that are beautifully tied (warning: these are double hooked so beware of your local fishing regulations.)
I need your help to clear out these flies! They are beautifully tied and looking for a good box… I’ve packaged all bags fairly and more than affordable; I’m not in the business of trying to piss people off : )
All you have to do is:
1) Mail me a cheque (or money order) made out to the Steelhead Society of BC. The address you can send it to is:
47075
Quarry Road
Chilliwack, BC
V2P 7X5
Canada
2) Make sure you let me know where you’d like your order mailed to as well as a contact number just in case if I need to reach you.
3) Include $2.00 on that cheque amount for Shipping and Handling.
4) Order as many packages as you’d like (note: you’ll only need to pay the $2.00 S&H fee once).
5) Smile because you’ve just done your part in helping out and your fly box just had a makeover!
AND THAT’S JUST THE FLIES!
I have scratched my head and pondered about how I could sell off some of this unbelievable product that has been donated (for the record, we are still looking for product donations if you’d like to contribute an item).
So, after months of pondering, I think I may have finally figured it out….
I am announcing an auction!!! A silent auction, that is….
Via Facebook! Starting right now, I will have an active silent auction on the Fly Gal group page of Face Book!
Items will be pictured under an auction album and then the rest is up to you! Start bidding, and the highest bet at the close of the auction will win (Oct 29th). Again, all proceeds go to the Steelhead Society of BC.
Some of the items currently on Face Book, ready to be auctioned off are:
A Loop Classic Burgundy 811
Fish Pond Pack
Art Lingren Custom Flies
Recycled Waders Gear
Bug Slinger Apparel
Fly Gal Apparel
…and much more to come!!!
This auction and fly offer closes on October 29th. This is a win-win-win situation and not a single helping hand goes unappreciated!
Please try to limit emails unless you are looking to donate an item for the cause (in which case I will add to the album for bidding opportunity).
If you would like to donate an item, we would love to have your help!
S&H fees may apply….
Thanks to all!
Good luck!
Ape.
And what an office it is!
Fishing has been great so I thought I’d share a few pics….
The pinks are here!
April Vokey photo.
Tom on the Fraser (Jeff Reed photo)
Jeff releasing a beauty (April Vokey photo).
![IMG_2278 []](http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/flygal/files/2009/09/IMG_2278--300x199.jpg)
Worst fish face ever (I’ve never seen a fish with Angelina lips before).
At the lake (Jeff Reed photo).
Jeff Reed photo
Mr. Jeffrey from Montana himself (Tom Jull photo).
Marianne with her first ever fly caught fish (Lorie Drummond photo).
Leath Strench photo
Leath’s first day ever fly-fishing! She rocked it! (April Vokey photo)
Relaxing at the lake with not another single soul around to bug us.
She was on a roll!
Shelley and her first fly caught salmon (April Vokey photo)
While writing this blog, the cackling of half-drunk ladies from the other room keep me chuckling….We’re at the Fraser River’s Edge B&B where we had an extremely successful day on the water at our Women’s Weekend Retreat.
Stay tuned for the full story and accompanying photos!
See you on the water!
Ape.
BC Steelhead make me ogle too…
Well, Fly Gal is proud to announce that we have teamed up with Nicholas Dean Lodge (www.nicholasdean.com) in Terrace, BC to offer some of the most memorable steelhead (and salmon) trips in the country!
Nicholas Dean is a fabulous lodge, fully equipped with a gourmet chef and top notch guides.
The Skeena and Copper Rivers are only two of their licensed world-class rivers and I am proud to associate my name with theirs.
I will be guiding with Nicholas Dean Lodge and am taking bookings NOW.
There are still several spots open for this Fall season, and we are booking steady for next year. Please contact me directly at april@flygal.ca to answer any of your questions or help you to plan the steelhead trip you’ve only ever dreamt of! I’d love to guide you into that fish of a lifetime!
The following bonus offer is on now….
Any clients to pay a 50% deposit for a 2010 fishing trip prior to October 1st, 2009 will be booked in at the 2009 rates (which I may add are more than affordable!)
Stop talking about it and do it!
Talk to you soon,
Ape.
Thank you ladies for all the wonderful photos and stories that each of you took the time to share with me!
Each of you is truly an inspiration to me and other ladies of the sport and deserve to be recognized as “bad-ass women of fly-fishing”.
Choosing a winner was harder than hell, though with careful deliberation I feel that the woman I’ve chosen to take this contest down has worked damn hard to get to where she is today!
Congratulations Pat Horn of Missouri!
Here’s the story as told by her hubby….
“My bride of 32 years is Pat Horn. No silicone here! hahaha! As a matter of fact this special lady has quite a story behind her. She is three years out from breast cancer. A mastectomy, reconstruction, chemo and radiation. Like I said no silicone, as she opted to use part of herself in the reconstruction ; ) I had somewhat introduced her to fly fishing and she liked it. I had read where she could apply to Casting for Recovery http://www.castingforrecovery.org/ she did and was accepted the following Fall after her treatment. What a deal! This turned her into something else. It was good for her mentally, physically and secured me a fly fishing partner forever. We both are volunteers now for the CFR cause and helped out with the retreat last Fall.
Attached are some photos of Pat. One of her with a local farm pond’s surplus for dinner which she helps clean. A series of shots from our vacation last week where she caught at a small stream in Utah. Pat said as she set the hook “Give me the net, I can do this myself”.
Ape I am a lucky man.”
Marty and Pat Horn
Thanks Pat for being you!!!
Other bad-asses that deserve mention:
Geneviève Fournier from Quebec
“Hey April,
These are three photos of fishing on the Alness River in Scotland. I
feel like silly connecting this story back to a guy, but this is the
first time I ever felt like a bad ass fishing chick. I was living a
broad in Spain and I had left my boyfriend back at school. He was my
fishing buddy. He was there when I caught my first fish, he helped me
pick out my first rod and he gave book after book about the the rivers
in Utah. When I found out, I no longer loved him, this first thing I
did was escape. I was shocked to find the only place I wanted to be
was on the river. On a whim I decided to hop on a plane and ended up
in Evanton Scotland, a tiny town with two pubs and a fly shop, forty
five minutes outside of Inverness. It was my first time using a spey
rod and my first time fishing without him. When I got on the river and
my guide handed me a 15 ft. 10 weight Rod. I looked at it and was
thinking to myself, “How the Hell am I going to Cast this thing?” But
once I experienced the sheer power of the rod, I knew I was hooked.
After fishing three days sun up to sun down in the freezing rain, I
got my first Atlantic Salmon! The hunt, the struggle and the victory
left me in tears. I don’t think I’ll ever have a more joyous moment
than pulling in my big beautiful hen out of the Alness river!
Thanks,
Christin Aucunas”
Ashleigh Paulk with a beautiful trout from Spring Valley Anglers www.springvalleyanglers.com
Anna Riggs teaching a new generation of fisherwomen the joy of the sport on the White River in Arkansas.
Jenefer Smalley (she’s one of my favorites)
“So This BAD ASS Beauty was caught off shore Lacey off Langara Island in the Queen Charlottes. So PIMP!! (as Yos would say!!) This was one of the best days of my life! It was a dream come true to catch and release a Tyee!
Hooked line and smashed her it was all me! I’m a DIE HARD Bad Ass man and I would love that hoodie and street cred haha!!
I’m relatively new to fishing. All it took was two summers in the Charlottes with the boyz workin hard, fishen hard, gettin ragged on for farmin fish…then proving myself with my Tyee and many other incredible Salmon. I now own a 5 pound test fly rod which I have put to the to good use and caught some lil beauty’s on this summer. I have found my true calling/passion…through fishing. I’ve heard you speak and share your passion. There’s nothing like the challenge and pay off of a successful battle and release.
UPness,
Smalley”
Jeanette Lark
“Hi April,
I hope I’m not too late to enter the contest. My name is Beth Godin. I live and fish in Vermont. Not only am I a bad ass fisherwoman, but my toy poodle is too! (See her behind me in the carp photo!) No…she is NOT Musky bait! Don’t get any ideas! : P
I have the great fortune of being engaged to a fly fishing guide and been “used” (oh poor me!) as a scouting partner. We fish for many “unusual” (well unusual for VT) species such as gar, carp, bowfin and sheephead. I really enjoy the sightfishing aspect of targeting these fish and I don’t think I’ll ever understand why anyone would just sit in a boat or on a bank waiting to feel a tug…how boring! Fly fishing engages all my senses and many interests. From photographing and viewing other wildlife, to getting a fun and good workout rowing the canoe around. And of course having fun adventures with my fiance. We plan to go to Belize for some flats fishing for our honeymoon! I almost am more excited about that than the actual wedding!
And I agree with you…I’m not at all against fishing bikini babes either. You can catch some nice bass in a bikini top…and man, does it feel much more comfortable on a 90 degree day on Lake Champlain than some fancy SPF infused expensive shirt! Ventilation flaps? So what…You get some extreme ventilation in a triangle top!
Tight lines (and tight knots on those bikini tops! Wouldn’t want to pull a Janet Jackson while fighting a big carp!)
-Beth”
Terry Polk
“This is my Mom who is an amazing woman all around, but who really shines on the water…She sent me my first rod when I was living in Colorado and I was missing the water, never realized that the best fishing is a long ways away from the Chesapeake Bay sometimes. Anyhow her and her husband travel pretty much every chance they get to hike and fish. She says, the best thing about trout fishing is that trout live in the most beautiful places in the world and we get to visit when we fish.
I’m attaching a couple photos of her in Idaho and Oregon where she has a little fishing cabin. She is the real deal and outfishes the boys a lot of the times we are out. Well, there you go!
Hope you like these, regardless of whether she wins or not. Oh and she just called and wants me to add that not only is she a mother, she is now officially a fishin’ grandma. The last one is a pic of the family, me, my lil sis, my mom and stepdad fishing the Wallowa near Hells Canyon in Oregon.
Skoal!
Martin”
Sarah Exton is a hard-core angler who travels the world in pursuit of fins.
“Hey April,
My name is Stormie Tench. I live in Northeast Georgia. I have only been fishing for about a year now. My boyfriend got me into the sport. The photo that I have entered into the contest was a picture that was taken the first time I went fly fishing. Although, it took half the day for me to even hook one of the rainbow trout, and it wasn’t the biggest fish, I was so proud of myself! The feeling of hooking onto a fish is so awesome! It is very exciting. I enjoy this sport and want to continue learning all the techniques.
-Stormie”
Caca Zarif-Pires
“Hey April,
Robin from Portland here!
Hope you are doing well, here is a picture of me on the Deschutes that
my husband took. It’s always been one of my favorites.
Robin Healy”
Danielle Will- Simms Field Testing Coordinator
“I am super proud to be a fly fishing woman. I am competitive in nature (usually just against myself) but I drive along the rivers, watching people fish and 99.9% of the time it’s all men. Ever hear the song, “Anything you can do I can do better”? Well that songs starts up in my head and I get excited. I get excited that hell yeah I can do that just as well or better.
I am super stoked on more and more women joining this amazing sport and will do my best to push the development of new and improved WOMEN’S products.
By the way-ever going to make it to Bozeman one of these days?”
“One look at my picture and you might not think that I qualify as a “bad-ass” angler, but I can hold my own, even at the age of 49 and standing all of 4′11″ tall. (I’m sure I would never get a job as a model at that height!)
Mini Fly Gal….
My girl Rebekka!
Ginger Rowe
“I wish this was a better pic, but here she is…. your bad ass girl! She is my sis, and she is the one who got me into fishing! If it weren’t for her, I never would have picked up a fly rod! Like I said, not the best pic but she IS BAD ASSSS!”
Shannon Beall of BC.
“As for being a bad ass I am soooo not but… I am happiest with a cold wind
at my back and ice forming on the guides. They don’t call me “Blue Toes”
for nothing! Love ya girl, can’t wait to catch up, Shannon.”
“Hi April,
This was taken of my first steelhead fishing trip up at the Salmon
River in NY in February. I had been having a bad couple of weeks due
to a miscarriage and a cut in hours at my work, but my husband, an
avid fly fisherman, insisted that we continue with the trip. It was a
great idea — being on that river, hooking several steelhead and
bringing in a few, I was able to take my mind off of current events.
I was very proud to land this one — the biggest fish of the day.
As I said before, my husband is a big-time fisherman, and going out on
the rivers with him has been a great way for us to spend time
together. I’m still getting into the sport, but each fish I catch
brings me a little closer to being a true “flygal” myself.
Thanks,
Alicia Michels”
True Fly Gal Susan, who is about as bad as they get!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PHOTO OF HER HOLDING THE BOAT WHILE THE BOY STANDS BY!
Caitlin Patrick
“These pictures are from my trip to Alaska to fish on the Agula Pak river off of Lake Nerka. The trip was amazing, spending 8 hours a day on the river, I caught lots of fish and had a great time with my guides, especially Nick and Isaac English.
The first picture is with a 22in grayling. Caught with an adams.
the next two were a 19in grayling caught on a nymph.
The last picture is a 22in char caught with an eight weight and a streamer, put up a good fight.”
Val Young fishing the morning midge hatch while waiting for
her coffee. She is no slouch with the flyrod either and will outfish
the boys on most days.
The wonderful, fish crazy T-Bird (Teresa VanWinkle). This gal is beyond kick-ass! Her fly-tying skills speak volumes and she fishes more days than most. Damn you’re hot T-Bird! Keep rockin’ the nails baby!
My guide from the Queen Charlotte Islands; Sumiko Sakiyama. Sumi’s my favourite guide so far! If you’re heading to the Charlotte’s anytime soon, look for Sumi…she’s guaranteed to make your trip excellent!
“Hey April!!! I am entering this photo because it is something a little different compared to fishing in waders! I am a salt water fishing guide in the Queen Charlotte islands, ten hour days in all sorts of weather hunting the elusive chinook salmon. This day it was blowing 30-40 northwest, we are actually sitting in a 17 foot boston whaler waiting for a chinook bite! These days are pretty crazy, fighting the water and when you do get a fish on it can get pretty interesting when the fishing guide can barely even stand in the boat! I am super proud to be a “bad ass fisher girl” because I am able to spend time with people from all over the world, share that amazing adrenaline filled feeling of landing a giant salmon and show them a piece of BC that holds a special place in my heart. And to top it all off, I am just a little girl in green Hellys!”
“Hi April! Well I saw the contest on your blog and thought I would share my fav of the few pics that I have of me. I am on the water here in New Brunswick on the Dungarvon with my husband over the July long weekend. The HUGE smile on my face is because I just busted out a beautiful double spey cast and I was so damn proud! I had been practicing for what seemed like forever and my hubby has been so patient with me since I started fly fishing with him this year. I love to fly fish because it is something g that we do together as a couple, we have been together for 7 years now and just celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary on August 9, 2009. We are already planning our 10 year anniversary trip to Patagonia or Alaska, I can’t wait, and yet I can, I need more practice! I’ll be learning to tie flies this winter and will be sending in my creations for Flies For Fins. This chick loves fly fishing so much that my husband now fears he has lost his Meiser!
Kickin’ tail in NB,
Kristy Arnett”
“Hi April!
I decided to send in a picture for your awesome Fly Gal contest. Still enjoy reading your blogs…and thanks again for all the advice you’ve given me!
Photo Attached:
Jessica Ruskin with golden trout, caught in Cherokee, NC. 19 inches and approximately 4 1/2-5 pounds. Caught on a hare’s ear nymph. My husband (who has been fly fishing since he was 10 and taught me to fly fish) and cousin had been attempting to catch this particular trout for hours while I was away shopping with my mother. I met up with them later for some fishing, took 2 casts, landed the fly right in front of this fish, and screamed in delight as I realized I’d actually hooked up with this beautiful trout. She put up a hell of a fight; I was actually shaking when I landed her. Please excuse the fact that my husband is in the picture – we forgot to bring the net, so he had to help me land the fish.
I’m proud to be a bad-ass woman of the sport because it allows me to prove to my husband that I can clean house and decorate, have dinner ready every night, dress up in a cocktail dress for a night out, yet still kick his ass out on the river. It gives me a chance to take part in a beautifully creative art form and is quite an amazing stress reliever.”
Jessica Ruskin
Proud Mother Adriana (above) and daughter, Tyla. While fishing for chub and other little critters, Tyla (6) managed to hook this sturgeon and landed it on super light tackle and 8lb test!
This is a family who truly loves spending their time together on the water! Check out Adriana’s lodge on the Fraser River at www.fraserriversedge.com
“Hi April,
My name is Caitlin Gifford, Im nineteen and have been fishing since I was
six. My home waters are the Bow River in Calgary AB and thats where I
spotted this brute.
I work in a fly shop full time during the summer and part time while I’m
at the U of Calgary, I literally don’t remember a part of life that hasn’t
been centered around fly fishing in one way or another. As soon as he
could my Dad threw a fly rod in my hands and I haven’t put it down since.
I’m a “bad ass fishing chick” because thats what I was born to do, I talk
fish all day in the shop and fish on my days off. I’ve traveled the world
in the name of fish from Mongolia to Cuba and many more to come. I fly
fish not only for the catch but also for everything in between, the cast,
the fly, the laughs, the eat. It’s my world!
On a side note check out the shop blog at
http://countrypleasuresff.blogspot.com/
for Bow River/southern Ab pics and such.
Thanks and if your ever in Calgary we should hit the river, there’s
nothing better than dry fly fishing for big ass browns on the Bow.
Caitlin”
Kaylin Bickle with an awesome Alaskan rainbow.
The one submerged was my largest GD…32lbs…largest they have caught there…about 40lbs…girl power!
Anyhoo—just enjoy the fish porn…
Cheers,
N”
I am Louise Dunn from Arkansas. Here are a couple of my photos I am submitting for this contest. This 22 pound brown was caught at the Bull Shoals Dam on the famous White River. This is my once in a life time fish!! Or maybe not. What a day!! It was the most thrilling day of my life to cast to this beast and have him take the fly and have the rush of my life when landing him. Not to mention being the only woman on the river and have all these fly fisherman stand and watch in amazement. This is my bad ass fly fishing adventure!!
Louise Dunn
PS- I had to just throw in this photo. One of my favorite fly fishing destinations. Alaska,
What a week of being in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and to catch these huge trout, one after another, and to be so fortunate to be fishing with the bears what an adventure!!
Thanks Louise”
Me, proudly teaching two young fly gals at a trade show in Abbotsford. These two ladies picked it up so fast! I was beyond impressed!
Well, there you have it folks! Some seriously kick-ass ladies who help to make the sport more enjoyable with that feminine touch….
Damn, I’m proud!
Hope to see each of you on the water!
Ape.
As previously published in Chasing Silver Magazine
*Note- all flies are designed and tied by April Vokey. For more information on purchasing any of these flies contact april@flygal.ca
British Columbia is world famous for its majestic rivers and legendary steelhead. A truly unique fishery, B.C. is home to steelhead twelve months out of the year where they are pursued by determined anglers who brave all the accompanying elements; icy guides, subzero snow storms, rugged hiking and treacherous wading are all factors that the serious angler will endure.
Matt Moisley knows what I’m talking about.
The arrival of West-Coast steelhead tends to be most abundant as the weather begins to cool down, typically drawing the fish deeper into the pools and often times easing their aggression.
To stay in the game, seasoned anglers rig up their Spey rods with sink tips, and tie obnoxious flies to help coax the fish to bite.
Brrrr. Ape with a double striper.
I remember the first steelhead I caught on one of my own fly patterns. The breeze was cold and fresh snow laced the felts of my wading boots. This was my favourite time of year. Freezing temperatures kept a majority of anglers indoors, allowing us diehards to menace the rivers in true steelhead bum fashion.
Never a huge fan of nymphing or dead drifting, I always loved the concept of swinging a fly. By casting towards the opposite bank and allowing my fly to sweep intrusively through the current, I was able to cover a maximum amount of water. Working my way through the run, I would envision an aggressive buck tickled by the teasing feathers of my fly before lunging forward to attack. Every step I made felt like one step closer to an epic battle.
Working the run (Michael Davidchik photo).
I had spent the entirety of my pre-season evenings behind my vice, stocking my fly box in preparation of this much-anticipated fishery.
I had always been drawn to the art of tying flies. Such a male dominated sport, I got a kick of how incredibly feminine steelhead flies tended to look. Popular flies with names like Showgirl and Cotton Candy, provoked me to take advantage of my creative side and display my ‘girly’ traits through my fly-tying.
Ape at the vise.
So there I stood with an overloaded fly box that looked like a foam lined candy store. I sorted through my flies until an aesthetically pleasing pink and blue intruder variation, stood out from the rest. I tied it on and cast it into the seam. Half an hour later, it was “fish on” and I had landed myself a heavy wild buck.
It was at that moment that my love for the feminine pink pattern secured itself as my favourite and, to this day, remains on the top of my “preferred flies” list.
A pretty typical fly seen hanging out of most of my fish’s mouths…..
The beautiful thing about fly-tying is that the tyer can showcase their creativity and originality through their invented patterns. As long as the fly appears to come to life in the water (which is the reason why Ed Ward‘s attractor pattern, the ‘Intruder‘, became such a big hit in B.C. several years ago) or is a reasonable imitation of a natural aquatic species, the tyer can create countless unique and efficient concoctions.
Different lighting and water conditions are all important variables when it comes to steelheading. I make sure that at all times my fly box consists of a variety of flies suitable for all conditions.
Dark, bright, small and big flies all have their own unique purpose.
I find myself fishing dark flies when the water is murky, and bright ones when the water is clear.
The size of my fly usually depends on the level of the water, however I find that typically low and clear rivers fish best with smaller patterns.
But it’s not always that simple. Different strains of steelhead sometimes require different tactics. Different levels of aggression, time of year, genetic build are but a few contributing factors.
Some fish occasionally throw a wrench into my standard approach, keeping me on my toes. Though you’ll never hear me complain, for it wouldn’t be fishing if it were any other way.
With this, I give you five of my favourite creations.
*=Note
*I prefer to tie most of my flies with a trailing hook. This allows me to replace any dull or broken off points by simply switching the hook, rather than disposing of the fly entirely.
1) Snip off four or five inches of thin wire, thick monofilament, running line or something of the sort.
2) Folding it in half, lay each end on either side of the shank and wrap the thread over the wire, winding it upwards. The tie in point should be where the hook shank begins to curve.
3) Fold the wire back over and secure it with multiple downward winding wraps of thread.
4) Clip any tail ends.
5) After completion of the fly, use wire cutters to cut the main hook near the bend in the shaft.
Sugar Pop
Materials:
Pink thread
Silver oval tinsel
Krinkle Mirror Flash
Blue polar bear (or dubbing of choice)
Blue eared pheasant (dyed blue)
Pink rhea
Pink teal
Silver mini flat braid
Pink tinsel
Blue Flashabou
Jungle cock
Kingfisher
Tying Instructions:
1) Tie in a strand of silver oval tinsel and wrap it up the hook five times, creating a tag.
2) Dub in the under fur of blue polar bear.
*Any dubbing will work, though I find that polar bear shimmers the best in the water, and is the most efficient in preventing the rest of the materials from collapsing.
3) Tie in the tip of a single blue eared pheasant feather. Fold both sides of the feather fibres rearward and continue to wrap the feather several times until it fans over the dubbing.
4) Peel off a side of a rhea feather and tie in the tip (*if rhea is unavailable, marabou or ostrich can make a great substitute). Make several wraps until it fans over the blue eared hackle.
*You can stack the rhea if you prefer, though it will not result in the same fullness.
5) Tie in a strand of Krinkle Mirror Flash on either side of the hook.
6) Peel a pink teal feather and hackle it over the rhea.
7) Attach silver mini flat braid, pink tinsel, and blue flashabou.
8) Wrap the mini braid forward, ribbing it with the tinsel and flashabou.
9) Repeat steps 2-6.
10) Pluck two small secondary feathers from a jungle cock cape and tie them in as cheeks.
*Use flat-nosed pliers to pinch the stems to prevent them from rolling.
11) Lay a kingfisher feather over the jungle cock, again flattening the stem with flat- nosed pliers.
*The tip of a blue saddle feather makes a decent substitute.
12) Whip finish and coat with head cement.
*Clear nail polish works just as well (your wife will understand.)
Burnt Orange Prawn
Materials:
Black thread
Gold oval tinsel
Golden pheasant tippet
Orange seal dubbing
Red seal dubbing
Gold Mylar tinsel
Orange blue-eared pheasant feather
Black rhea
Dark orange ring neck pheasant
Tragopan
Tying Instructions:
1) Tie in a strand of gold oval tinsel and wrap it up the hook five times, creating a tag.
2) Tie in a single golden pheasant tippet.
3) Pre-cut a piece of gold Mylar tinsel and select an orange blue-eared pheasant feather. Fold the feather fibres rearward, in preparation of step five.
4) Dub the orange seal fur in a dubbing loop.
5) Make two turns with the dubbing loop, securing the ends of the Mylar and blue- eared pheasant with the wraps of the dubbing loop. Let them dangle freely, while continuing to wrap the dubbing loop forward ¾ up the hook.
6) Rib the tinsel forward through the dubbing, using a pin to free any flattened fur.
7) Wrap the pheasant hackle upwards, alongside the tinsel.
Secure with thread and trim all ends.
9) Peel a side of a black rhea feather and tie in the tip.
10) Dub and wrap the red seal fur up the remainder of the shank.
11) Hackle the black rhea through the dubbing. You’ll only need to make two or three wraps.
12) Sequentially stack and layer three ring neck feathers, flattening the stems with flat-nosed pliers.
13) Tie in a pair of tragopan feathers as cheeks.
14) Whip finish and coat with head cement.
The Five O-Clock Shadow
Materials:
Black thread
Small gold tinsel
Black polar bear
Red ostrich
Yellow saddle
Black mini flat braid
Silver oval tinsel
Red tinsel
Green tinsel
Red polar bear
Black rhea
Jungle cock
Tying Instructions:
1) Wrap the gold tinsel ten times up the shank, creating a tag.
2) Stack in a small clump of black polar bear as a tail.
3) Conceal the bump from the clipped tail ends with a strand of red ostrich.
4) Attach a piece of black mini flat braid, green tinsel, red tinsel, silver oval tinsel and tip of a yellow saddle feather (one side peeled).
5) Wrap the black flat braid first, then the green and red tinsel, and lastly the yellow saddle.
6) Counter rib over all of step five’s materials with the silver oval tinsel.
*This is to slow the wear and tear of the rib during casting.
7) Dub in the under fur of red polar bear or dubbing material of choice and make two turns.
8) Stack the strands of a black rhea feather all around the shank (top, bottom and sides).
9) Tie in a pair of jungle cock cheeks.
10) Whip finish and coat with head cement.
Purple Whisper
Materials:
Black thread
Gold oval tinsel
Silver oval tinsel
Turquoise silk
Blue rhea
Natural Amherst
Purple marabou
Cerise marabou
Purple ring neck pheasant
Tying Instructions:
1) Wrap the gold oval tinsel forward ten times, creating a tag.
2) Tie in the turquoise silk, silver tinsel, gold tinsel and peeled blue rhea feather.
*To peel rhea, pinch the strands at the tip of the feather and carefully pull down. The membrane should separate from the stem with all its fibres intact. This gets easier with practise but is well worth a few casualties to be able to have such a remarkable hackle, free of the bulky stem.
When tying the peeled rhea onto a shank, wrap the membrane as though it were the stem of a regular feather.
3) Wrap the silk upwards and rib the tinsels atop the silk, side by side up the shank.
4) Palmer the rhea up the hook, laying it directly beside the previously ribbed tinsel.
5) Pick out a purple marabou feather that isn’t overly plumy. Choose a stringy feather over a fuzzy one to guarantee a crisp appearance.
*When buying packages of marabou, take a moment to take the feathers out of the package and find the package with the least plumy fibres. These affordable feathers can often double as rhea or blue-eared pheasant in many patterns.
6) Tie in the tip of the marabou feather, fold its fibres rearward, and wrap it forward several times.
7) Do the same with a cerise marabou feather.
8) Tie in an over-wing of three overlapping purple ring neck pheasant feathers. Flatten the stems with flat-nosed pliers to avoid them from rolling.
9) Tie in two strands of natural Amherst on either side of the shank, and top with a pair of jungle cock cheeks.
10) Whip finish and coat with head cement.
Wizard of Oz
Materials:
Turquoise silk
Silver oval tinsel
Blue-eared pheasant (dyed blue)
Blue-eared pheasant (dyed purple)
Bright green ostrich
Jungle cock
Blue ostrich
Purple silk
Hammered silver tinsel
Blue tinsel
Gold tinsel
Green synthetic dubbing
Golden pheasant
Tying Instructions
1) Tie in turquoise silk and silver oval tinsel. Wrap the silk forward half an inch and rib the tinsel on an angle atop the silk.
2) Tie in the tip of the dyed blue blue-eared pheasant and fold both sides of the feather fibres rearward, while wrapping it forward.
3) Stack the green ostrich, spreading it evenly around the diameter of the shank.
4) Tie in a pair of jungle cock cheeks.
5) Conceal cut off ends with a strand of blue ostrich.
6) Tie in the strands of purple silk, hammered silver tinsel, blue tinsel and gold tinsel.
7) Wrap the purple silk towards the hook’s eye, and rib all three tinsels upwards on an angle, making sure they’re wrapped side by side.
8) Dub in a small amount of synthetic green dubbing.
9) Repeat step three.
10) Repeat step two with the purple blue-eared pheasant feather.
11) Repeat step four.
12) Tie in an over wing of two overlapping golden pheasant feathers. Flatten the stems with flat-nosed pliers to avoid them from rolling.
13) Whip finish and coat with head cement.
Fly Gal has teamed with two different lodges in both Terrace and Smithers, BC. To book a trip on some of the world’s best steelhead rivers, contact april@flygal.ca
As previously printed in the Canadian Fly Fisher magazine (2008).
I have a confession to make.
I’ve always been a sucker for a woman casting a fly rod.
I can’t help but watch in awe as she casts effortlessly into the cool breeze, gently throwing mends upriver, concentrating on her fly’s presentation before stripping the line back in and preparing to cast again. I try so hard not to stare but, the truth is, I just can’t help myself.
Ade you’re sexy as hell babe!
Don’t get me wrong, I love to watch a tight loop cast from just about any angler, man or woman, but there’s just something different about a cast kissed with a feminine touch.
Ape throwing one out there.
Hello ladies, please allow me to introduce myself.
My name is April Vokey and I’m an avid angler and fishing guide in beautiful British Columbia. Like so many of you, I’ve been bitten and deeply infected by the fishing bug, and, quite willingly, I allow it to consume my life.
Mathew Moisley photo.
My fascination with fishing began when I was a little girl. Never having the luxury of a father or grandfather who was really serious about fishing, the origins of my obsession with the sport has always been a mystery both to me and my family.
Nevertheless, my parents, always huge supporters of quality family time, were more than happy to take my sister and me to spend the day at the water, picnic basket and mini fishing rods in tow. Although, as children, we had great fun casting worms and wedding bands, it wasn’t until I was old enough to drive, that I was able to take myself fishing and truly learn the ways of the river.
My first car; the Blue Beast (Buick Skylark). This thing got me to the river and back and was the most reliable fishing buddy I had for a long time.
Getting started was intimidating. I had a lot of questions and, with no one to answer them, I made my way to the library and took out every book I could find on different species of fish and methods of catching them.
I learned how they fished in the UK and the habits of countless ocean-dwelling creatures, but remained fairly ignorant about fishing in the Lower Mainland, B.C. For this, I had to seek help from somebody with experience, so I headed to my local tackle shop.
The guys in the shop were more than helpful and provided me with knowledge about the river that I was interested in fishing, making sure that I was properly equipped. They set me up with affordable gear, drew me detailed maps, and explained the basics of proper river etiquette.
Off to the river (Damn, BC is awesome!) Aaron Goodis photo.
Little do they know it, but that was a day I will never forget. Barriers dropped, and fears were forgotten, as I was welcomed with friendly faces, sincerely interested in showing me how to grow in the sport. In return, that shop gained a loyal customer, never too proud to ask for advice and always eager to share her reports and experiences.
It is a relationship I strongly urge any aspiring angler to commit to.
As my days on the water accumulated and the years passed, a natural progression began. I found myself being lured by the beauty of the art of fly-fishing….. I longed to cast that fluorescent line with ease, my body flowing gracefully and my fly taunting unsuspecting fish as it swung across the current.
It has always seemed romantic to me, a classic sport as old as time, consisting merely of a patient angler, several trusted flies, fly rod, spooled reel, and sheer appreciation of the tranquil surroundings and therapeutic songs of nature.
I never could, and never will for that matter, wrap my head around why such a poetic pastime has for so long been pursued primarily by men.
April Vokey photo.
Aaron Goodis photo.
Andrea and Jenna ready to rock ‘n roll (Trevor Welton photo).
For the longest time, my friends and family thought I was losing my mind. Seeing me endure long drives and freezing weather, they knew there must be something extremely unique about this sport that I continued to stubbornly pursue.
Typical scene of a BC canyon wall. Looking back now, no wonder my parents freaked….
Even my little sis, Dana, began to understand what all the fuss was about (Steve Morrow photo).
I suppose it was inevitable that I would eventually find myself agreeing to bring some of my close girl friends out with me to share the experiences of a day of catch-and-release fishing on the river. The outcome proved to be something I’d never experienced before.
As an angler who had always preferred to fish solo or with capable male fishing buddies, I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t slightly concerned as to how the day would unravel.
April and Nicole (Marcel Saring photo).
The truth is, I was completely taken aback by how incredibly enjoyable our time together on the water was.
With conversation not varying much from that we’d exchange over a cocktail on a girls’ night out, we easily lost track of time as we enjoyed our freedom and surroundings—hiking along the river bank, searching for that single adrenaline-packed moment.
It was much like taking a yoga class or a cleansing hike with a close friend—the adventure, movement, relaxation and concentration of fishing provided an escape from all the accumulated stresses of work, home, and life in general. Spending time on the river with these patient, energetic and persistent women, it didn’t take me long to conclude that having a woman fishing buddy was the link that had been missing for me.
Guide Kate Taylor knows what I’m talking about.
Soon, I began to get phone calls and emails from other friends and acquaintances and, before long, I was taking women of all ages with me to experience a sport which so many of them had an interest in but were too intimidated to try. These women included co-workers, relatives, friends of friends and guiding clients.
My girl Ashley.
Client Sheila.
It’s such a shame that intimidation prevents so many women from participating in fly fishing. Afraid of lacking the strength and the skills necessary to be a successful angler, a vast majority of women opt to stick with sports more suitable to the physicality of a woman. This is truly unfortunate, as there is nothing further from the truth than this major misconception. In actuality, it is a fact that women are better casting students than men.
Giving a lesson.
Ask any reputable fishing guide or casting instructor, and most will agree that women do indeed learn more rapidly than men.
This is not meant as a put-down of the opposite sex, but rather as an observation of how each sex absorbs instruction and how easily they apply it to the task at hand. Enthusiastic and open-minded, women sincerely listen to constructive criticism, immediately focusing on improving their faults. Please note that this is not always the case when receiving instruction from one’s significant other, as that can often cause more harm than good. You all know what I’m talking about!
Women tend to have a more gentle stroke, controlling the fly rod with careful movements, taking special precautions not to overpower it, the way most men do so regularly.
Maintaining the rod tip’s proper path in casting is crucial, and women are more apt in applying that unexaggerated, delicate motion, in which the tip is prevented from being forced too far back or too far forward on either side of the angler, enabling a sweetly loaded rod which delivers a beautifully timed, tight loop. With the realization that brute strength plays no part in the process of becoming a great caster, the intimidation factor is soon overcome and forgotten about completely, being replaced with the joy of perfect, effortless motion.
Right Shannon? (Rod Vanderlinde photo)
As a firm believer in equal opportunity and a fishing buddy to both men and women, I have spent countless days on the water with a wide ranging assortment of anglers.
Over the years, some days have proven to be undeniably frustrating, and others, unbelievably picture-perfect. However, my favourite days are just indescribably……..girly?
Yup! With bright pink hats and manicured nails, I am self-admittedly a ‘girly-girl’. I’m simply a woman who likes to play in the water, rather than a diva or a feminist—a serious angler in touch with my feminine side, who spends all of my free time chasing fish in the hope that they, in turn, will chase my fly.
You can be certain that there are more of us out there than you might think there are, and with time, as each woman begins to break through the subtle barrier of what has been up until now a ‘boys only club’, we are slowly finding each other and establishing our own niche.
Sarah Exton is feisty with her red nails!
Although it’s only natural that there will be days when an intense conversation with a female fishing companion is the last thing you wish to engage in while angling, I strongly encourage all women to make some effort to get to know other fellow female anglers in their area, as these fishing relationships do have a lot to offer. If meeting a stranger isn’t for you, don’t give up, chances are that one of your close girlfriends or co-workers are probably interested in having you take them out for a day or two. Whether it be meeting someone in your area, or introducing that lovable but completely novice friend who wants to accompany you (remind them that instructional magazine articles for beginners are not gender specific), your local tackle shop should be able to assist you.
A local angler, Radine, who has blessed me with a smile on more than one occasion.
A day of fishing with a female friend is like nothing else, as it forges a bond that only another woman can fully comprehend. Women speak the same language, and with this advantage in communication, we are able to teach and learn from each other with great ease. Accepting each other’s flaws and idiosyncrasies, there is an inherent comfort level between us that makes the day so special.
As in Sex and the City (only without the sex and without the city), we giggle as we hike, discussing relationships and life, never fretting about how much we are sweating or how often we have to use the bushes as a bathroom. It’s a perfect partnership.
A day of fishing full of laughs, girl talk and serious misbehaving….
We hurt from laughing the next day.
Alright Fly Gals, unite!
Stay tuned for a chance to win a free hoody in part 2 of ‘For The Fly Gals’.
Ape.
Every so often in a woman’s life, there is a calling to do something a little crazy (ok, so maybe it’s a little more regular than every so often)…..
Women acting crazy? Nah…… (What the hell am I doing in this picture anyway?) (Brian Niska photo).
See, I believe in living life with no regrets, staying true to yourself (and your heart) and living every single day as though it were your last. You never quite know when your time will come, and you can be damn sure that you don’t want the last thoughts that run through your head to be thoughts of regret.
Sometimes it takes one of these to make you realize just how important those things are…
Head-on at 200km combined speed on the freeway. Courtesy of a drunk driver who opted to drive after a late night party. I was heading to the lake to go fishing, trailer and boat in tow….
3/4 ton Chev takes on my little Toyota. Poor thing didn’t stand a chance….
My accident from last year that opened my eyes. The result? Appreciation!
Always find a positive through the negatives, no matter how hard it may be at times….
Remember that fishing is not about the race to the river, nor about the mere bite of the trout. Life is about enjoying these experiences as a whole. Treat each day as though it is your last and savour every raindrop, cool breeze, laugh and moment. Savour your friends, your family and yourself.
For in a world when each breath you take may be your last, believe me when I tell you that these are the things that you will wish you had taken the time to cherish and the time to love.
Dana Vokey (my little sis) taking it all in. This girl’s the epitome of appreciation.
Anyhow, enough preaching. Let me get back to my point….
So when my heart called me to spend some time away from BC and venture into the unknown terrain of the South, I opted to get a little crazy and take the leap.
So long as the steelhead weren’t running, I was quite content chasing after trout and bass in good ‘ol Arkansas.
Colby and I found a cute place to stay on a small Spring creek and arranged to teach and aid the clients of Spring Valley Anglers www.springvalleyanglers.com to help them improve their angling and fly tying skills.
Two happy clients in Arkansas (April Vokey photo).
We packed our bags (and kennels) and temporarily relocated to the land of Southern drawls and ‘sweet tea’.
Heading down South.
Naturally, as word spread through friends of mine, stories of the White River found their way to me and began to plague my mind.
The White is famous for its gigantic brown trout, and I was itching to see one. I had never managed to land a brown, and still had yet to see one in person.
Thankfully, word had also managed to spread to the notable guide and writer, Steve Dally of Mountain River Fly Shop www.mtnriverflyshop.com
Steve is an Aussie who found himself relocating to the USA almost a decade ago.
Perhaps he understood what it feels like to be the “new kid in the neighbourhood” because he sent me a welcome invitation to try and break my brown trout curse.
Steve is one of those witty people who’s able to balance an intelligent sense of humour with just the right amount of dry sarcasm.
This is the sort of guy that I could find myself getting along with…..
We booked a day to hit the water.
Steve Dally working the motor. (Rebecca Dally photo)
Steve maintains a fantastic blog called Splashes With Fishes www.splasheswithfishes.wordpress.com
I thought I’d let him tell you how our day was in his words….
In the words of Steve Dally…
The cast splashed down deep into a nook in the bank, right where it needed to land.
The mass of wool, marabou and steel composing itself into something fishy enough to attract the interest of the Lord of the Eddy.
Ape casting a fly the size of roadkill, and a sink tip that would make BC steelheaders blush (Steve Dally photo).
The fly sashayed its way out into the current with a BIG shadow below and astern, and closing. It was at about this time I lost my guide cool.
“Strip April, Strip, Faster! Strip, Strip Strip,” echoed across the water in an Aussie accent….
It would only be later that we got the giggles, as we were both intent on that fish; the one we were after, tracking the fly out further and further, into the current, and right up to the stern.
Here I thought it would have turned away, but now it followed all the way to the rod tip. This brown was not boat shy.
How big? I’m a chronic under estimator when it comes to fish in the water, but it had mid-20s length and big girth; probably 10+ maybe more, it doesn’t really matter.
April’s eyes were huge, and words were coming in a rush. “I didn’t know trout could be so predatory! Wow they aren’t like rainbows at all.”
And this wasn’t the only monster brown we would meet.
I knew of the April Vokey internet sensation, Simms calendar pin up, fly fishing ubiquitous “hot chick”, television presenter, and the subject of a popular Face Book group “I want to fish with April Vokey”. All other opinions were based on a few photos, gorgeous though they are.
Since I’d heard she was going to be in the area, I started a little research which lit a fire to get her connected to a White River trophy brown.
April and Colby on their way to ‘the spot’ with Steve. (Steve Dally photo)
Far from an internet creation, the real April Vokey guides in British Columbia, running rivers and offshore. Here was a person crazy enough not only to go trout fishing just after emerging from the hospital with screws and plates in her foot (courtesy of a major car wreck), but heck doing it out in the back of beyond, and lugging a film camera.
Here was a fish-rat crazy enough to cast monster streamers in the Arkansas humidity all day long for a crack at a trophy brown.
She casts better than I do single handed, and I’m trying to work a trade for her to teach me Spey.
In short as they say April’s “bonafide” and a kindred spirit. Even better, she and my lovely wife Becca hit it off a treat; to the point where April could harass me about my word selection when that monster brown chased that fly.
“If only we could get him to stop asking me to take my clothes off…” April joked, referencing my continual demands of “Strip, strip, strip…”
The girls were shaking with hysterics, and I’m scrambling to defend myself. Ratbags the pair of them.
Poor Steve getting picked on by the girls….
Sometimes it’s the friends you make on the water that overshadow everything else.
April and Colby share a romantic Titanic moment.
But I badly wanted to get her her first brown trout, and a big one at that. We fished hard in all the zones that had been producing, for a handful of rainbows, a few better smacks and quite a few trees.
No animals were harmed in the making of this blog. (Steve Dally photo)
Then as the day faded I picked up a stick to try and help focus our efforts, running a big Zoo Cougar, trying to stir up a fish.
It was then that I found an aggressive feeder; a big yellow slash shining gold as it missed my fly. We retied the yellow Zoo Cougar onto April’s rig and ran back upstream for another pass.
Damn, I was thinking, it’s gone as we floated over the zone.
It was then that I heard April say softly, ”I’m on”…
Her 6wt bent hard. It had to be a brown, head down and doggedly pushing towards the tree line. She held that effort and we worked the fish to the middle of the river.
I took a breath at this point, thinking now we had a good shot, when mysteriously everything went slack. Those big browns have mouths of bone and a secure hook set is hard to achieve.
Last fly, last run, last light (Steve Dally photo).
That’s fishing.
Nope I didn’t come away with a pic of “The April Vokey” holding a big brown, but Bec and I had a really cool couple of days fishing, yakking and laughing with April, Colby (her St. Bernard/Coonhound cross), and her friends Adam, Phil and Dalt.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a tower of midges!?
Do you have any idea how many of those got stuck in my lip gloss?
There’s always a shot at another big fish- oh yeh she’s coming back and we are due, but kindred spirits are a greater treasure.
Steve Dally
________________________________________________________
Thanks Steve! We love you and Becca too!
I will be teaming with Steve and the Mountain River Fly Shop to put on a ladies learn to fly cast workshop on October 10th and 11th. I will also be at the Arkansas Conclave Oct 2, 3, 4.
Stay tuned or contact me for further details.
For regular blogs by Steve, check out splasheswithfishes.wordpress.com
And for regular reports on the White and the Mountain River Fly Shop, check out mountainriverjournal.wordpress.com
Special thanks to Gary Flippin for letting us borrow his boat rimshoals.com