crawdad kebari

I have no clue if it will work but I'll give it a go and will report back.

Recipe = pheasant, peacock, red wire, two rooster feather tips, #8 3xlong

crawdad kebari

skinny tropical kebari

recipe = orange thread, partridge, j.a blue/green body dubbing, black holo tinsel, #8 3xlong streamer hook

skinny tropical kebari

small school of bluegill kebari

this is my offering for the facebook group Tenkara-Midwest fly swap.  the theme was flies for panfish and/or bass.  so i made this bluegill kebari.

baby bluegill kebari

the glass ass kebari

Another great day at the Creek

salt creek slayer - kill'n'em

Another great day on the water.  Lots of fish and had the chance to sight cast to some monster chubs.  I tested 4 flies today and while they all produced, the salt creek slayer - just killed them.

Salt Creek Slayer

Breaking my own rules by keeping the Salt Creek Slayer on until it is no longer functional.  Had my best day this year at the creek a few days ago.  It had a shocking 1 out of 4 cast average, which is simply amazing.  Way over 50 fish on the day!

Blue Bird Kebari

The Blue Bird Kebari - blue thread, blue yarn with a Blue Macaw Parrot feather

Wisconsin's Driftless Area

I have heard about this little section of Wisconsin for over 15 years now and finally had the chance to fished it. The Driftless area southeast of LaCrosse.
It's near the Elroy-Sparta trail (which is an amazing place for bicycles) but also Trout.  Tight little streams called Coulee's and there are lots of them.  Most with little spots to put off the side of the road to fish.  You are not going to pull out any lunkers but the chance to get your feet wet and catch trout about 4+ hours from Chicago is a great find.  The Driftless Area is super cool and is perfect for Tenkara.  Lots of overhangs and corners where it could be next to impossible to cast western style.
Tenkara, once again.....TENKARA

Cow Crossing - hope you are upstream when they do their business (crossing or #2)

Jack's very first fish is on Tenkara!!

I took my oldest son fishing for his first time this week.  Let me back up slightly.  We went to a med-large outdoor store and found his first fishing pole.  Sweet little telescoping rod & reel combo in the theme of STAR WARS.  yes!!  The kit with was $14 also included a backback, sun glasses, tackle box with Stormtrooper cover, practice rubber casting fish.  All in all an ok deal.  He loved he.  We talk about fishing, I show him the pictures on the way out of the store with everyones mega sized fish, come home and even dig for worms in the garden.
Load up the bike with kid-trailer and head to the closest pond.  Get to the pond and by now he has befriended all the worms and even had names for them, so it came as a shock when I took good ol'Barnie and skewered him to a hook.
The set up is a total junker, its no propeal pocket fisherman but it was cheap, star wars, he loved it good enough.  After a stretching the line I get the set up out to the weed line.  We are fishing.
He is set and ready.  I rig up my biking Tenkara rod, a Diawa 33SF and start to cast.  No fish right away and while I am checking on Jack, I notice he is already tangled in the weeds.  So, I hand him the tenkara rod, explain to keep the tip high and go work on his set up.  Not 2 seconds later he is already on a fish!  He is screaming and of course my natural instinct was to grab the rod, so he doesn't break it but I notice that this fish has a little bit more muscle then a bluegill.  We fight the fish together for a short time, get him in and jeepers the boy just caught himself a bass.  First fish ever on a Tenkara rod with a fly I tied. Hash-tag proudpappa.

And as if that wasn't enough he also got a solid sized bluegill and we caught a few more small bass and more bluegills.  During all the excitement I also notice that the Star Wars rod bobber rig was in the same place with no fish on.

Once again TENKARA out fishes standard tackle.  And best of all, done by a 4 year old.

Fox River Valley Killer Bugs

Fox River Valley Killer Bugs (#20 & #21)

Hook Size 14

Thread - White 6/0

Body - Red Heart Camo

Tail - Red Ultra Fine Wire

Even Darth Vader is into Tenkara

Happy Monday!

micro flies

Dropper Flies, Micro Flies call them what you want, all I know is that you need good hands to tie flies this small.
I have always been fascinated by the idea of having a two or three fly rig going.  So between reading a lot about nymphing and an article of indicator kerbari, I have tied a few micro flies.  These are the first three.  No certain patterns, just seeing if I could tie flies this small.  These are size 26. Tiny tiny tiny