February Freshwater Fly of the Month: Blue Winged Olive

February Freshwater Fly of the Month: Blue Winged Olive

Any good angler knows that it is important to know the tendencies and seasons of the flies in the area they fish in.  But the blue wing olive mayflies are a unique fly, because you will find them at almost every month of the year, wherever you are.  The blue wing olive mayfly looks like a tiny, greenish gray sailboat on the water to the human eye, but to the trout - that sailboat looking fly with wings that are light gray to black looks like lunch! The olives typically hatch and then swim to the surface.  After swimming to the surface, they split their nymphal shells and emerge as winged insects.  The blue wing olives are prime trout food from fall through spring. This gives anglers a distinct advantage over other anglers, as the flies are a sure shot at rising fish at almost any time of the day (particularly effective during the warmest part of the day).

The key to success is to wade as closely as possible to the rising fish, and then target individual fish (as opposed to shooting into a group of the risers).  By watching the individual fish, you can see what stage of the hatch the fish is keying on and where in the current he is feeding.  Be patient! With careful observation, you can pick out the largest fish in the pool and then specifically target it.  Try to position yourself slightly upstream and across so that you can make a fly first downstream presentation to the trout.  

The Blue Wing Olive Spinner Secret (from Hunting and Fishing Suite 101)

Within 24 hours, the spinners mate and fly to the river's surface to lay eggs and die. On many days, the spinners land on the water's surface at the same time the immature nymphs hatch into duns. Anglers see the upright wings of the duns - and tie on a dry fly with an upright wing.  Most anglers miss the secret part of the blue wing olive hatch. The adult blue wing olives that survive the trout fly off to streamside brush and molt into the sexually mature insect, which is called a spinner. Spinners have bright, clear wings and big eyes.  Few anglers see the spinners - with clear, almost invisible wings - sprawled flat on the surface at the same time.  But the trout - especially the bigger, warier fish - see them just fine, and they lock onto the safer, easier prey.Tie on a spinner - such as a Hackle Spinner - and watch tough trout get much easier!

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February Freshwater Lure of the Month: Storm Arashi Silent Square Bill

February Freshwater Lure of the Month: Storm Arashi Silent Square Bill

From:  http://www.wired2fish.com/storm-arashi-silent-square-bill-crankbait/

"When the Storm Arashi Silent Square Bill first hit the market, I was hearing rave reviews about its self-tuning line tie. After getting a chance to fish with it for a few weeks, I can tell you that the hype is well-deserved.

Banging big squarebill crankbaits through thick cover is an excellent way to catch fall bass. As the shad infiltrate the creeks, laydowns and grass lines become prime ambush spots for hungry bass, making shad-imitation lures a must-have for the autumn months.

The self-tuning line tie gives it a free range of motion that consistently keeps the crankbait running straight regardless of your retrieve speed. I love to burn a crankbait to elicit reaction strikes and this is an outstanding crankbait to do it with. I put it on a 7.1:1 gear ratio reel and cranked it as fast and as hard as I possibly could and the Storm Arashi Silent Square Bill will not—I repeat—will not kick out and helicopter at any point in the retrieve. This has proved effective in schooling situations and also on high-pressure days when you need to force the bass the react quickly.

When retrieved slowly, the Storm Arashi Silent Square Bill has a very wide wobble and runs nose-down. I’ve used this retrieve when fishing around shallow bream with a lot of success and again—it runs totally straight regardless of what it collides with. When you bang it against a piece of cover, it momentarily kicks out and comes right back to its path within a few reel cranks." 

Runs with a lively rolling action and a pronounced tail kick. The buoyancy to back out of cover and square lip design for increased deflection are a perfect match for contacting structure. Non-rattling for a silent approach to wary or pressured fish in shallow water. Premium black Nickel VMC® hooks.

FEATURES

• ROTATED HOOK HANGERS nests the hooks close to the body for improved action, preventing hang-ups and allowing larger hooks

• SELF-TUNING LINE TIE is a free-moving design that keeps the lure tracking true, ensuring non-stop fishing action (Patent Pending)

• CIRCUIT BOARD LIP starts right away at slow speeds and quickly reaches maximum diving depth. Extremely thin with superior strength and durability

February Saltwater Lure of the Month: Luhr Jensen Pet Spoon

February Saltwater Lure of the Month: Luhr Jensen Pet Spoon

This pet spoon was created by Luhr-Jensen, a world class company with humble beginnings.  The company was founded by Luhr Jensen, Sr. in 1932 in an unused chicken coop on a depression-ridden fruit ranch in the upper Hood River Valley of Oregon.  In the words of Luhr, “Things were simpler then. We made a few different styles of spinners and had special relationships with our Northwest jobbers.  Everyone was “your friend”… it was not a bad time”. 

In 1932, Luhr was 41 years old and his family’s fruit growing businesses was struggling.  With some extra time on his hands, Luhr began stamping and assembling very carefully made, hand crafted salmon spinners.  His fishing knowledge and careful craftsmanship helped to create a very high quality lure.  Before he knew it, friends and associates started demanding his lures.  And so, a little factory was born in his little backyard chicken coop factory.

With the help of his wife and his son and daughter after school, the business grew and prospered.  Luhr was the lead creator, and the kids then replicated his creations.  Most of Luhr’s earliest creations can still be seen in some evolved form today, such as the Ford Fender, named after the Model A from which he obtained the headlight reflector and built the blades.

Luhr Sr. has long since passed, but 70 years later the company is as strong as ever. His lures today are still made in only the highest quality, just as Luhr always wanted.

Description:

• Heavy-duty construction
• Genuine chrome or gold plated corrosion-resistant finishes
• Versatile, multi-species design
• VMC® Perma Steel® 2X Strong hook

Everyone needs a pet, and Luhr-Jensen's Pet Spoon fills the bill nicely. The lure makes use of genuine chrome or gold plated corrosion-resistant finishes in a versatile multi-species design. The Pet Spoon features heavy-duty construction so it won't blink when facing down hawgs. Equipped with VMC Perma Steel 2X Strong hook.