Fart Certified

I have been asked by the High Council of Salty Old Guides to take part in a review regarding some interesting stuff coming up for the Fly Fishing world.  There has finally been some cooperation between SOG and the National Chapter for Tormented Clients, which could lead to long over due changes to the "lying game" that goes on before a guide trip and the future of an Angler Ranking system.

At their routinely rescheduled 10 year board meeting, SOG introduced an interesting amendment to the American Development Model requiring Anglers to be "ranked or qualified for any participation in the art through real time training programs". In an effort to reduce the growing rate of Premature Guide Burn Out due to an overexposure to clients who lie about their talent level, the Council is recommending every Angler interested in taking part in a guided trip, take a Fly Fishing Skills Advancement in Real Time class. It's being called FART for short.

FART is a program dedicated to helping Anglers learn how to learn without a computer, in real time, while also providing an universally certified ranking system that Guides anywhere can believe. FART

I mean how great will it be for your favorite guide to never hear the words....
"Practice? Well no, but I watched a ton of YouTube videos. I'll be fine"
Now this guy can just take a FART

It is the Elder's hope to more accurately and honestly assess an anglers talent level before they are allowed to advance to the real fun this sport has hidden for the worthy. Guides have been spending too much time deciding what clients can realistically absorb instead of doing their job. This has resulted in some guides' programs growing stagnant and specialized in the dark art of distraction instead of guiding people and catching fish. The Council hopes that FART classes and certifications will help anglers and guides by better understanding and truthfully identifying client skill level. Trusting your FART score will help correctly match guides and anglers insuring the best possible experience for everyone involved. All through extensive live FARTing.

Classification of anglers used to be post trip parking lot stuff and it was really simple, an angler was either an AFC team (awesome freakin chances) or an NFC team (no freakin chance). The current system of  Beginner, Novice and Pro is not working when most people self-rank themselves a Pro after just a few hours on Orvisnews. All parties are in agreement that Pete Kutzer fellow is a world class instructor and Rosenbauer is really Yoda but a good three day FART goes way further.


This is the stink on what the proposed vocabulary may look like for Angler re-classifications:

Dabbler (thank you Kirk Deeter for your theory on The Three Knot Angler ) This is a first timer, probably only timer. Best matched up with a rookie guide who has resort level babysitting qualifications.

Bucket Listers. More than likely super nice peeps on vacation, not anglers. Usually a low key, enjoyable, easily met expectation kind of a day for all. Nice place for a guide with experience who might need an easy day or your cookie cutter 3rd year, not so fishy Guide who does that crap everyday.

Back Seater. No learning, non listener, know it all. The float guide in this case will have to be experienced and brave enough to keep this guy behind him or her all day trying to forget he's even there since he already knows everything. A 5th or 6th year guide about ready to lose his marbles from too many days with Dabblers is perfect if you want some fireworks.

Virtual Angler. The reason this program is being considered; Lots of click time but has no idea what cork feels like. Virtual Angler meet Virtual Guide (lots of these also) you guys can compare stats and Twitter hashtag stuff about your argument over what a hot spot actually is.

Caster. Not a great classification unless willing to learn a few new tricks. A caster is a fella who has actually practiced, usually on dry land and has probably been guided before maybe even some salt water experience. The Caster has a great understanding of how to make a fly rod cast 60' of line but can't get a good drift in moving water if there was cash on it. I've said this for years "Great drift" is high praise from a guide while "Great Cast" usually means you are boring me. Great casters rarely catch as many fish as a peep who throws half as far, but can control his flies drift. Good spot for Patient Guide with praise on playback and an uncanny tolerance for watching people get close, but not close enough.

A Stick. Experienced angler who very often down plays his experience level resulting in pleasantly surprised guide.  These rare, humble humanoids are around and they allow a guide to actually guide instead of hold hands and distract you from your suck. Guides should guide these types. Guides with mad real time experience deserving of spending the day with some true talent. Old guides with dirty tricks.

You just go fishing with a stick

10 Percenter. Catches 90 percent of the fish and enjoys 100 percent of the experience. These guys and gals don't need a guide but, chose to use one. In my opinion, they are the only demographic of our sport besides Military personnel that deserves a discount on their guide trips. Every guide, no matter the experience level, should get a chance to spend a few days a year with a 10 percenter.

Three 10 Percenters

Hater. Not everyone likes guides. Like the DB that tried to steal my boat. Or the DB who keeps taking the Colorado Angling Company stickers off my truck and the DB that stole wallets and slashed umpteen tires on guide vehicles this summer. Oh and the outfitter who complained to the BLM about this stupid blog.
Probably scared to FART
Don't be a hater, but if you are that guy, comfortable with the hate, I would hate to see you have any fun so if you want a trip, ask for me, you'll hate it.

Guiding is a fun job, when I get to do it. I don't mind wearing different hats per say, I just like to put the right one on before I leave the house. Don't blow sunshine all over the situation by trying to convince your guide you are a stick because you have gear fished your whole life. It's Apples and Oranges and it's OK. This sport is like none other and in many ways you need a guide or a good FART to make those giant steps to being a 10 Percenter.  Enjoy yourself, no matter your new ranking, there is a guide for you. Being guided is fun, I hire guides and LOVE it. Go with the intention of having fun but try going prepared. There is no substitute for going outside and practicing.

So where do you think you will grade out after your first FART?

What if I told you there was going to be a school that will help you score high on any FART certification?

Check out PREP SCHOOL on Colorado Angling Companies school page. Two opportunities that are guaranteed to take the suck out of your game and have you fishing better than your guide.

Winter small

Winter has finally come to the Central Mountains........... sort of. 

  

Baetis have taken a back seat to the Midge here on the Eagle in the last few weeks. It is still a useful attractor nymph along with Eggs and small Stones.

Less is more in winter

Everything is smaller in winter.
The days are shorter, making for a small feeding window and the water is lower as flows slow to a creep and turn absolutely Gin clear. The deep hole from July is usually 75% smaller in the cold months here on my home freestone, obviously effecting the depth and speed of my rigs. The tippet gets smaller to match the available naturals which happen to be on the extremely teenie side for the next 3 or 4 months. The low clear water  combined with the lack of vegetation in the drift allow trout to see a higher percentage of available microscopic bugs but you can scare low water trout easier by showing them too much. I believe the menu of small appetizers narrow a trouts focus, helping them see small bits better, but it also makes that steak sandwich stand out on a buffet table of jelly beans.
It takes me back to my roots on Spring Brook in Caladonia NY where if your size 22 was the wrong shade of the right color you were screwed. This little spring creek was where I discovered midge fishing with super small patterns, long fine leaders and tippet for technical trout. Being a spring fed creek we fished it all year long but especially in the winter when the tribs had no fish in them. I learned a lot from that place.

Miss this place

Winter also begins to blow around my tying studio (that is what they call them in "tieland" nowadays) Cold weather patterns are served up #18-24 with little to no bling and super small beads. Low clear water means fish will have a great advantage noticing all the imperfections in an anglers presentation but I believe they also see bobbers and split shot better. I use small bobbers during the winter and in certain conditions I color the bottom with a black sharpie. Eliminating the bobber and using a small piece of yarn or better yet nothing at all has huge benefits if you can play that game.

Try hiding your bobber in a floating nymph in the winter.

Never tried it, but I own a couple that I must have spun up during some bout with the voices in my head.

Split shot is a vital tool when it comes to getting nymphs into a zone where the fish are but in the winter it can be too heavy as well as too noticeable. I fish at least one bead head fly in my winter rigs, sometimes two, and I always tie with tungsten, mostly black in color. A very large percentage of the junk falling from the vise during fourth season is tied on TMC 100 or TMC 101 light wire dry fly hooks with small 1.5mm-2.0mm slotted tungsten beads.

Yep those are light wire dry fly hooks for nymph patterns.

I like slotted beads in 1.5mm but you can find a small plummeting tungsten beads. The metallic brown one makes for a sexy PMD in the summertime.

Just a touch of flash. Use a good dubbing with some guard hairs like Hare Plus from Hareline and you can skip putting legs on your smallest nymph patterns.

It creates a different game plan at the vise as well as on the river when you are trying to solve the depth issue without split shot. Building small, dull colored beads into the profile of my bugs help camouflage the necessary act of getting my tools to the job site with out highlighting the bead like I might during high water.

Carry On
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