In Over My Waders......

......Could it be from the rains of Hurricane Fay, or maybe an unannounced change in the release schedule by the TVA on one of the TVA tailwaters, or perhaps a lapse in judgement of a rock ledge on the New River........actually its none of those.

Its that time of year again, and Fall is a big season for us here at Jeffrey Wilkins Fly Fishing. Fall is the time that many of us celebrate the change of season that brings with it some great colors and scenery, cooler temperatures, fewer of those pesky bugs and no seeums of summer, and great hatches of blue winged olives and rising fish. It ushers in perhaps the beginning of several months of my favorite time of the year....cold weather.

Why? There are fewer anglers. On the worst of days there are sometimes NO other anglers. And often the fish don't care. They still have to eat. Also, there's something in me that just likes to put on tons of fleece, gloves, you name it and go out and catch fish on a day where other folks will say "the odds are against you." Its sort of like being handed the ball at half court with one second on the clock and in position to launch a winning long range jump shot. But even in the most impossible situations those shots do sometimes go in. And so it is with the worst of days. A score is always possible.

When I think of being in "over my waders" I think of the challenges and opportunities of the new year coming. The planning and preparation for a new season begins sometimes several months to a year in advance. In this economy you simply can't wait around and let things happen. what used to take a few weeks to plan and fill like classes and trips now can take months. What used to be easy when "the movie" (a River Runs through IT) came out is now a great challenge....and that is marketing events and pretty much everything I do. Fall is the time when all of our fly fishing schools, classes, trips, pretty much everything that we do all year long has to be brought to completion as far arrangements and plans. So when a class or trip comes about it has been the result of many months of preparation, marketing, and planning. Sometimes when you are or want to be on the water everyday, or several days in a row like it can be when business is good..... it literally feels like "in over my waders."

But you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way.....

Whoa.....there's a Buffalo...and another and another....

They are pretty common, at least in this part of the world anyway, but still an interesting animal and always neat to see anytime you encounter them. I encountered this group of bison on my way up to fish the upper Gros Ventre. I had just left Jackson, WY and the rental car place and was headed up the road to Kelly and had just passed the massive Gros Ventre Butte when this large group of bison decided they wanted to cross the highway. And of course, when they decide to go somewhere its a good idea just to get out of the way.......which I promptly did of course.

Certified Casting Instruction.....What's the deal with that?

Casting is one area that folks are always working on, regardless of whether the person is just starting out or has been fly fishing for years. And with my business we certainly get a lot of lessons and teaching opportunities where casting is the subject matter. With that said, we also get some questions as to what it means to be a "Certified Casting Instructor".

When I got into teaching casting in the early 90's, little was known about the program. When it became apparent that I'd be doing instruction in the future, and with so many new folks coming into the sport, I decided to pursue certification.I studied and practiced for months even though I had been fly fishing for several years. I took my test at the FFF Conclave in Gatlinburg, TN, and met some very interesting folks. Joan Wulff, Bruce Richards (of Scientific Anglers), Mel Krieger to name a few.....and the gentleman in the photo above is who I took my testing from . His name is Macauley "Mac" Lord, and he is the head instructor of the LL Bean Fly Fishing Schools.

Macauley was gracious and man was he good. This guy could cast, and most of us just stood in awe. But all of the teachers were like that, but the one thing that stood out was that there were no attitudes there......none....no, not one. Each one of them had the heart of a teacher, better yet, they saw themselves as lifelong students of fly casting....making all of us taking the test feel more like comrades or brethren than subjects. I must say the test, even though I had prepared for it, was no cakewalk. That was apparent too for all the other folks who were also being tested.

The Casting Instructor Certification Program began in 1992 for the purpose of enhancing the overall level of instruction in fly casting, including instructor knowledge, casting proficiency, and teaching ability. The objectives of the program are:To educate and enhance the growth of fly casting instructors by (1) establishing high standards for teaching -conducting teaching workshops that are a required part of the certification -(2) administering a test that assesses the applicants knowledge of casting, teaching ability, and casting proficiency -(3)conducting clinics on how to teach flycasting at FFF shows, conclaves and at consumer fishing shows -and (4) establishing and maintaining communication networks for certified instructors .

Who runs the program? The Board of Governors for Casting Certification developed the program and administers it. The volunteer Board is an arm of the FFF and is made up of some the most respected names in the world of fly fishing and fly casting, include Gary Borger, Mel Krieger, Al Kyte, Steve Rajeff, Joan Wulff , Tom Jindra, Macauley Lord, and other well-know experts. The tests for certification is administered either byone of these folks, one member of the Board of Governors, or by two Certified Master Instructors.

Why is it good for the sport? With FFF raising the level of flycasting instruction, beginners have a smoother entry into flyfishing. Flyfishers who want to build on their existing casting skill will have ready access to instructors trained to help them advance to the next level.The Program fosters the exchange of teaching and casting ideas among instructors across the continent.

Becoming certified requires a written test and a casting proficiency test plus the demonstration of the ability to communicate and teach others. The written test covers basic gear, lines, leaders, techical questions to insure that the potential instructor has knowledge beyond casting to the relevant equipment and fishing knowledge necessary. The proficiency and performance test requires :

1)Demonstration of six consecutive controlled casts at 35-40' with narrow, uniform loops on both the front and back casts.2) Demonstrate wide loops on the forward cast only on command.3) Demonstrate tailing loops on the forward cast only on command.4) Demonstrate the reach cast left at 35-40'5) Demonstrate the reach cast right at 35-40'6) Demonstrate the sidearm cast at 35-40' with narrow, controlled loops7) Demonstrate the pile cast at 35-40', and its use as a presentation cast8) Demonstrate slow, medium, and fast false casting at 35-40' on command9) Demonstrate normal roll cast to a distance of 40' on command with leader straightening completely10) Demonstrate presenting a fly to targets at 20, 30, and 40 feet w/only 3 attempts at each11) Same as #10 but over the opposite shoulder12) Roll cast to a target at 45-50'13) Demonstrate double haul casting with 45-50' of line14) Demonstrate a controlled distance cast to a minimum of 75' with line and leader fully straighteningVerbal and Teaching part of the Test: (the testee pretends to instruct the instructor)* explain and demonstrate how to cast narrow to wide loops, with the demonstration consistent with the "How to" needed to produce these types of loops.*explain and demonstrate the cause and correction of tailing loops*explain rod loading*explain and describe the casting stroke as it relates to casting distance*explain and demonstrate good timing when false casting*explain and demonstrate casting into a head wind* Explain and demonstrate casting with a cross wind blowing into the casting sideThe notion that the wind can cause the line to drift into the caster must be included in the explanation. At least one of several possible solutions must also be included. Possible solutions include the following: Pick up on the windward side but change to the lee side for the forward cast Cast only on the lee side of the body using the alternate hand or casting backhand.

As you can see the test is quite involved. Macauley was very much by the program above, but was very encouraging and I must say an excellent teacher. Myself and about twenty other applicants sweated through the testing, about half of us passed. It was a great experience for me, and it certainly gave me several new perspectives on fly casting, and more importantly, teaching it. In teaching casting, just being able to cast is not enough, what these folks are looking for are those who can teach. Fortunately, I was able to pass the test. And I must say I have been learning ever since!

Fishing with WXII NewsChannel 12's Austin Caviness....

Over the past couple of months I have gotten lots of questions about the fishing trip with WXII NewsChannel 12's Austin Caviness. Its really interesting that the only thing it took is an email and a phone call to get the ball rolling. Actually I was here one afternoon just tying flies and the thought had crossed my mind about his show and contacting him about possibly doing a segment. One email to him and a phone conversation and it was on the calendar.

I have done segments before with other folks from the local news stations, all of them lots of fun and the people very interesting and fun to be around. In that way, Austin was topnotch. If there's a nicer guy out there doing what he does I do not know of him. He's the same guy you see on the News doing the weather, and let me tell you - - - - the guy is a serious hunter and fisherman. It didn't take too many casts to see that he could fish, and was obviously no stranger to the fly rod. It only took minutes for him to hook up. Our original plan was to fish a few holes, enough for some footage and get him into a fish or two for the camera.

With a frontal system moving in, and clouds very thick, the fish were on, maybe wide open would be the right way to put it. In two pools we'd caught some really good fish, maybe a dozen or more, and plenty of footage for sure. Austin's camera man said,"Boy we usually don't have this problem....too much footage." It sure was good.

I watched as Austin fished every rig I handed him, nymph, dry , dry /dropper, emerger. He really put it to those Helton Creek fish. Our plan was to fish maybe an hour /hour and a half or so, but it was good enough that Austin didn't want to stop. It was good enough too that his camera man even got in on the action, catching maybe half a dozen fish of his own. Needless to say, what was going to be fish for an hour or so and get some footage and be back on the road by noon turned into fishing until 4pm and then quickly taking the waders and other stuff off and blasting off for home. It was a great day, we caught maybe 30 or more fish all together, a good day anywhere. Our plan is to do another segment this winter, on fly tying and I will be looking forward to that.

As I said earlier, Austin is one of the nicest folks I have ever met. Only a few minutes with him and you felt like you were with a long lost buddy from high school. He 's great......literally, at about 6'6" or 6'7" he really is. To see the clip from our onstream segment you can click here .

The Start of a New Year....

Now that the Christmas and New Year's holidays are past, we can get down to business.........You know there's only so much eating and loafing you can stand. If you are like us, there's only so much of Xbox 360 and a house full of kids that you can take. Although I must admit I have, with the help of my two boys, developed somewhat of an addiction to Guitar Hero. I guess it just gives me an opportunity to pretend I am a star doing another passion I used to have....and that is playing the guitar. Anyway, you know something's up when you find yourself playing with the kids toys as much as they do.

I always reflect on last year, years past, and to the year ahead, knowing that this year will hold some great things. We'll visit some of the same favorite holes or haunts, battle with a few fish I now know by name, develop some hot new "gotta have it" fly, and more. In all seriousness, and I won't disclose the location, but there was a 19" rainbow we named 'Junior' that allowed me the pleasure of photographing him on five different occasions, every time with a different customer. I know some folks thought I must have had a blow up fish to use as a photo prop.

Well, we are just past a bitter cold spell, its 60F outside today, and looks like I better get back to tying some of those fly orders.......

My Favorite Dry Fly Would have to be a Beetle......

As I sit here pecking away at the keys on this blog I dream of the summer and fall days of 2007 gone by I can't help but think of all the wonderful terrestrial moments I had both myself and with many of my guide clients. It makes me look forward with great anticipation of the coming 2008 terrestrial fishing...........it simply can't come soon enough!

My favorite fishing has to be summer beetle fishing to large fish that are in inches of water. There's something that makes it like hunting and fishing, and in the end one of the things that makes or breaks it is an angler's ability to stalk a fish. What a heart throbbing thrill it is to see a large fish, make a cast to the rear of its position (fish hears fly hit, turns and takes, and never sees angler, line, rod, or leader....). I have seen large browns lift half of their head out of the water. Then you, the angler, have to wait a microsecond as the fish starts down with its head to set the hook. Its interesting that so many folks bypass these opportunities, like walking upright into the tail of a pool without ever seeing the fish at their feet. The problem is that once you spook the near fish, he then runs upstream and spooks the next, and then all of the fish are spooked just like dominos, once set in motion, fall one by one. If there's a way to catch the fish of a lifetime, and maybe the brown of a lifetime, this may be the way to do it. Did I say I love to fish beetles........?

In the above clip, we had been casting to cruising fish in Dunlap Creek near Covington, VA. It gave a really neat opportunity to watch the slow, deliberate rise to a beetle that trout often do. I got really excited, and my first words were "there, he's got it, ....sweet!!!!!......." and to which the person fishing, Mike Perry of Thomasville, NC, whom I was guiding replied ".......that's intoxicating." And it definitely is. Once you've had a taste of it, you can never get enough. I can't wait !