Tying an Ausable Bomber

This is my first attempt at a fly tying film.  I decided to start out with a quick, easy and effective Adirondack dry fly pattern the Ausable bomber.  

High Water Dry Fly Fishing on the Ausable

The Ausable River has been running high and even more rain is falling.  After tiring of streamer fishing and nymphing.  I couldn't resist tossing a few dry flies to try tempting some hungry trout.  My dry fly choice to entice trout from deep holes and from the shelter of boulders is typically an attractor pattern.  A few of my favorite patterns are the Madame x parachute and the Ausable bomber.  They are both big, buggy and float well.

Small Brown with a big Madame X

Rainbow with a #10 Ausable Bomber 

Adirondack Brook Trout

Living so close to the famous West Branch of the Ausable River it is sometimes easy to loose track of the other fishing within a 15 minute drive of Wilmington.  Of course I fish the ponds at ice out and when the river is to high to fish.  But how about all of those small streams stretching down the mountains?  The truth is many of them offer the opportunity to catch the only true Adirondack trout the Brook trout.  Brook trout aren't known as a hard fish to fool almost any bunch of feathers tied to a hook will do the trick.  I remember my first time fishing for Brook trout in the High Peaks near Keene Valley hopping from boulder to boulder up the steep stream watching as the small pods of trout eagerly chased my bucktail streamer.  Only one or two casts in each pocket then the fish would disappear signaling the time to try the next pocket.  I don't remember catching a fish over 8 inches that day but it's impossible to forget the feeling of those fish tugging my line and how soft their skin felt in my hand compared to any other fish I had ever caught. Since that day I have had fewer great days of brook trout fishing then great days fishing for browns but every time I go hunting for brookies I get closer to the real reason I fly fish. 

Happy hunting!!

The Ausable Bomber has every characteristic of a great Brook trout dry fly unsinkable, buggy looking, durable and most importantly easy to tie!

thread: Hot orange

hook: 2x long dry fly

tail: Woodchuck 

body: Australian opossum dyed rusty orange

hackle: Brown and grizzly over entire body

wing: calf tail

Smoky Mountains North Carolina

Just as trout season opened in the Adirondacks and after a day of fishing in the cold Ausable, Saranac and Boquet rivers. I headed south to visit my parents in Florida with my brother. Our plan was to drive south to western North Carolina as fast as possible, fish for a few days and then continue south to Florida. The fishing on the Tuckasegee or the "Tuck" was very productive. We caught 10 nice trout within an hour of wading into the river. Of course the biggest ones managed to get away.

My Brother on the Tuck

Releasing a small Rainbow

On the second day the mission was to find some nice spots farther from the road with less fishermen. We found the perfect spot. I am not gonna print its name (I wouldn't want to offend any N.C. fly fishers). It was just the kind of fishing I love, tight, steep, pocket water loaded with trout! It was an incredible day on a perfect trout stream. We didn't catch a ton of fish, but catching trout on an Ausable Bomber dry in early April sure is a special treat. I wouldn't mind visiting again next Spring.