So after all the back and forth between DeBie and I about dries versus nymphs it struck me as funny that my best fish of the trip fell for a 5″ black streamer. This beast was actually one of the smaller ones up feeding with a pod of big fish late in our float trip. Rich and I threw 14 different flies between us that we were able to identify afterwards with certainty. We may have tossed more. In an act of desperation, with light failing and lightning in the sky approaching us, I tied on my favorite streamer - the old black double bunny on a size 4 hook, 10X long! This beast fought well for such a skinny fish.

Hey Rich, look NO waders! Never again will I wet wade in 48 degree water…

What can I say - I’m giddy over the trip. It seems like we wait forever, but the time is nigh! The only mysteries remaining are the flows, the bugs and the poison that Rich’s ex baked into our desserts. Dust off the 5 weight and patch the old waders, we’re going fishin’!

Turkey Bitch is back!!!  What more can be said or needs be?  The gang is lining up to bring their favorite dishes and the bonfire wood has been split, stacked and aged.  Now, save for a quick trip to the liquor locker, it’s just a matter of a few weeks until “Bug Week ‘07″.  Tie ‘em up, boys!

I hooked up with fellow Lout Lindy DeBie down in the Florida Keys last week.  We fished a flat on Islamorada together, wading for bonefish.  Neither of us saw any bones, however, but fun was had by all.  Lindy caught a small cuda or two on the fly and I had to hit a small shark on the nose with the butt of my rod that was showing too much interest in my toes, but that was our excitement for the day.  We were supposed to fish on my buddy’s boat together but got rained/thunderstormed out that morning, so decided to hit the flats in the afternoon after it cleared up.
I did manage to get out on a friend’s boat twice during the week and caught my first two dolphin on the fly!  What amazing jumpers they are and great fighters on a 7 weight!  Landed numerous dolphin, false albacore (they call ‘em bonita down there), blue runners, yellowtail snappers and a big, nasty bar jack that put up a serious fight on light spin tackle.  All in all, a great trip and I know I can speak for Linden when I say we are very much looking forward to this year’s Trout Louts trip.

Looks like we will have a total of 12 for this year’s trip with 3 new Louts joining the gang.  I am also reporting that one of the new Louts is a martini drinker so it will be a nice change of pace for some of you stuck in the singlemalt rut.  After all variety is the name of the game this year as we’ve moved from a single hatch (Hendricksons) to “Bug Week” simply to satisfy our collective need for diversity - let’s embrace the change!  And also, a hearty welcome to our three new Louts.  I’ll nail down the final figures soon and let you know the new totals for the trip.

By the way, Little Black Stoneflies are out right now so head to your favorite stream for some surface action in the warm afternoons.  Look for me plying local north Jersey streams on Saturday if we don’t get blown out with the rain that is predicted for Friday.

Well, the Louts are all lined up for Bug Week in the Catskills. You wanted mayflies, you got mayflies! Here is a list of must have (dry) flies for the trip in addition to the regular cast of charachters such as nymphs and streamers:

Green Drake duns tied parachute or Comparadun style in size 8

Coffin Fly (green drake spinner) tied parachute style in sizes 6 and 8

Olives -because “olives happen” and are the # 1 most common mayfly on the WBD when adding all species- tied in emerger, parachute, CDC or Comparadun styles in sizes 12-20. We also see some Cornuttas at this time which are the big # 12s

Rusty Spinners tied spent wing style in sizes 10 - 12 and my personal favorite!
Isonychia tied in Comparadun, parachute or spent wing style in sizes 8 -12 (# 10 will do fine)

Sulphurs tied CDC, parachute or Comparadun in sizes 14 - 18 (# 18 should have gray wings to match Dorothea hatch)

Sulphur Spinner tied spent wing in size 16

Pale Evening Duns tied parachute style in sizes 14-16. I don’t have much experience with this hatch although I had great action one evening on their spinners.
Black Caddis (Rhyacophila) tied in Elk Hair and LaFontaine sparkle pupae styles. This hatch can fool even the best angler as you see fish taking subsurface and assume it is one of the many emergent mayflies that you see on the water (drakes, sulphers, etc.) while the trout are actually selectively feeding on black caddis emergers to the exclusion of all else. I saw this over a 2 day period last year during Bug Week on the West Branch. Tie these in size 14

Two of our tying fool Louts are working up a little care package for everyone of hand tied flies to cover many of the above hatches, but you will need more than one each of the above. I love you all, but I’m not a commercial tyer and can’t find time to stock everyone’s fly box, so stock up before you arrive or tie your own! Wasn’t fishing the Hendrickson hatch much easier???

It’s getting to be that time again. Our deposit letter has arrived, but, as usual, there are several changes that need be made. Seems we have 13 Louts for the June float this year. Brothers Mike D and Bob S (no, not that one, the other one - don’t worry about the deep fried turkey disappearing) cannot join us this year - Mike’s wife’s 50th and their wives are best of friends. They will be missed around the fire! Fred makes a repeat performance and is bringing his son along. Joe is always game for a Thursday night social call and our guides are all invited to drink our scotch and tell lies on Thursday night as they come off the river. Linden will challenge himself to get John D off the topic of fishing - a task he has yet to accomplish at the Troutskeller Bar or around our campfire the past several years. Scotch bottles will go down one by one with little more than a whimper. Bugs will hatch, fish will rise and great times will be had by all along the banks of the West Branch. We are occupying 3 cabins this year, our two normal ones on the end as well as one of the new ones replaced after the flood. We’ll make our traditional cocktail hour and dinner plans for Thursday night with everyone bringing a dish or bottle or both. Look for e-mails to all Louts for the deposit soon and write the dates on your calendars in blood (June 6th or 7th through Saturday morning the 9th). And PLEASE - watch out for those 80 lb beavers!!!

I bagged, tagged and dragged yesterday and was out of the woods by 8:15 am.  Venison for the Louts!  Don’t ask about the rack - as the old saying goes “you can’t eat the horns”.  He was legal and will be tasty.  I’ll head out Saturday and look for his grandpa on the final day of shotgun season here in Jersey.  Should I score again, I’ll bring along the backstraps, perhaps the finest morsels ever to be cooked over a wood fire!  If not, there are always venison skewers for the Trout Louts come June.

I hit the salt with Shore Catch Guide Service on Saturday.  Despite the best efforts of our guide, Capt. Kevin Halek, we only managed 4 runts for 3 anglers.  The fall bass season is going to be another late one this year.  I hear tales of fish the past couple of days now that the winds have switched steadily to the north and northwest.  I hope some of you salty dogs can get out the next few days, I cannot.  I’m headed to the hollers of Pensyltucky to hunt Bambi’s father and shoot many, many, many high powered firearms!  Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

After 9/11, Kenton packed up his family and moved to Oregon and hasn’t been heard from since. Maybe one day he’ll Google himself and this picture will turn up and inspire him to drop us a line.