Here is a simple yet effective pattern from Norvise ambassador John Schultz. John is a stillwater trout junkie. That concept is so foreign to me as we don't really have Trout in stillwater out here in Delaware. I can see this pattern fitting in in multiple situations; Trout, Smallmouth, Largemouth, Steelhead, basically anything that eats Minnows. 

Awesome job John, thank you for sharing this with us. I am going to have to get out there and fish those stillwater fish with you sometime. Till next time...

​                                                                                                                                          Tight lines - Tim 

This week I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to one of our Norvise ambassadors and all around great guy Jacob Nixon. Jacob is becoming a staple in the fly fishing community in and around the Richmond Virginia area. Aside from earning a PHD in Otology (the study of the anatomy and diseases of the ear)  Jacob was instrumental in starting RVA Bugs and Brews, a monthly gathering of local fly tiers and gear heads at Legends Brewing Company located in down town Richmond. These gatherings are really starting to attract a crowd each month, I am hopeful to attend one of these meetings very soon. Another cool thing he has done is started the "Geek on the Water" You Tube Channel. I have spent some time here recently and the content he is putting up is fantastic. Many Fly Fishers, especially salt water fishers, will appreciate the $20.00 dollar stripping basket video. Below are 3 short videos (full length versions are available on the channel) of three things that very much interest me. Check em out.  

I LOVE chasing wild Brook Trout on the fly. There is just something simple and elegant about a small stream set up, hip waders and a small box of dry flies. What wild Brookies lack in size (a typical fish is less than 7" long) they more than make up for in beauty. If you have never spent a day on a Brookie stream make sure you put it in your plans soon, you will be glad you did! 

As many of you already know chasing Shad on the fly is one of my favorite things to do. We are fortunate to receive 2 prolific Shad runs in my area of Northern Delaware each spring. You may have seen my presentation "Shad Fishing 101" at one of the local clubs or at the "Fly Fishing Show" in Lancaster or Somerset. You may have even purchased some of my Shad patterns at one of the fly shops in your area. As good as the Shad fishing in Delaware is the Richmond, VA area may be the Shad Capitol of the USA! Below is a short of fly fishing for Shad on the James River.  

The Northern Snakehead is probably one of the most mis-understood fish on the planet in my opinion. Years ago you would hear horror stories of these fish decimating ponds and drainage areas and moving on to the next. "They are an invasive species kill everyone you catch" etc. etc. While I am no biologist and while there may be some truth to some of the statements of the past I do know a few things. 1) Largemouth Bass and Brown trout were once consider "invasive species". That seemed to work out pretty well...2) Snakeheads are one of the coolest looking fish that swim, and 3) any fish with teeth that will readily take a fly has my attention. While I have yet to catch one (Jacob, maybe you can help with this) I really want to! Check the video below to see one of the coolest fish you can chase on the fly!   

As you can see Jacob is the real deal and we are proud to have him on our ambassador staff. Jacob has a goal to reach 1000 subscribers on his You Tube channel by the end of the year. Lets help him out and subscribe to his channel, the information is sound, the videos are great and you will definitely learn a thing or two. Check out Geek on the Water. Till next time...

                                                                                                                                       Tight Lines - Tim 

 I had a great piece almost ready to share this week about tips to take better care of your gear. I was almost finished when I came across this. With Spring turning to Summer and many people out on the water, I thought this was a much better post for this week. Many of these things are common sense, but these are tips that bear repeating. I can not claim writing privileges for these tips, I wish I could. This came to me through my Facebook page. I would like to thank the original author for sharing his or her thoughts.    

Please take a few minutes to read these tips and put as many of them to task while you are on the river this spring. Without the fish all of these things we know and love so much would cease to exist. My hope is that we all will benefit from reading this.

1. Use barbless hooks.  Yes, barbless hooks do less damage to your fish’s face upon removal – but more importantly, barbless hooks make it much easier to release your fish quickly and with minimal handling.

2. Minimize ‘air time’.  We all want hero shots – we get it.  You’re not taking the fish home in your cooler and you want a way to preserve the memory.  Keep the fish in the water until your photographer is ready.  Once they have the camera ready and have taken the practice shot, lift the fish from the water, smile real pretty, get the pic, and get that fish back in the water.  If you must do it again, do it again – but minimize the time that the fish is out of the water.

3.  Fight him hard.  Apply as much pressure as you can.  Get the fish to hand as quickly as possible.  Long battles mean exhausted fish, and exhausted fish die more.  Fight hard and fast and get that fish back on its way.

4. Stay away from the rocks.  Fish flopping around in the rocks can do serious damage to their own skulls – they’re just not built for that.  Find a spot to land the fish with as few sharp, hard objects as possible.  Sandy beaches are perfect!  If you’re in a run that’s totally lined with rocky shorelines, keep the fish in deeper water and do not swim him up onto the rocky bank.  You can land any fish that you need to land in a foot of water.

5. Keep your fingers out of the gills.  In normal life, a fish’s gill plates protect its very delicate gills.  Once he’s been tired out to the point that you can grab him, he’s very vulnerable.  Please, please don’t reach up under his gill plates for the grip and grin – that’s a really nice handle but it’s also often a death sentence.

6. Use appropriate gear.  “I landed a 25 pound king salmon on my 6 weight with 6 pound tippet!  It took 45 minutes!”  We’re not at all impressed by that.  That fish was so exhausted that it probably couldn’t even hold itself in the current on release.  Use the heaviest gear that’s practical so you can minimize fight times – see #3 above.

7. Watch for predators.  This one is particularly relevant in saltwater.  Any fish that’s been landed is stressed out and not at the top of its game.  Make sure that you don’t release a fish right into the wheelhouse of a hungry shark or barracuda.  Here’s a great tip courtesy of our friends at Bonefish and Tarpon Trust – if you’re near some flooded mangroves, release your fish there.  That’s a great spot for him to find a place to hide while he rests up.  In fresh water, just look for cover. Thanks again for being a responsible angler! Till next time...

                                                                                                                               Tight Lines - Tim