Kiene's 2012 Expo

I'm passing this along from Aaron Stiny From Kiene's Fly Shop;

The Expo preparations are coming together and it looks like this year is going to be bigger and badder than ever! Come by and say hi to us, reps, and people from all over the industry. There will a ton of gear to test drive! As usual some of the top fly tiers in Nor Cal will be present and we also have a full batch of great slide show presentations in the works. This year we'll have more top Nor Cal guides than ever in attendance to bs with and pick their brains for tips on their local waters. As always there will be a ton of high end schwag to raffle away!

Some highlights:
Casting presentation and instruction from Rachel Andras...need we say more! Also Tony Yap will instruct on casting for distance and accuracy.

Fly Tying:
All of the usual suspects are back! 
Jay and Glenn Fair will be on hand again this year with more new materials.
Neal Pultz 
Jay Murakoshi
Ken Hanley
Bob Sheidt
Mike Henle 

Top Nor Cal guides:
A lot of folks will be on hand, take advantage of this to learn more about their home waters.
Keith Kaneko
Lance and Lincoln Gray
Confluence Outfitters
Capt. Mark Brown
Jay Clark 
Jon Baiocchi
Darrin Deel 
Jim and Rachel Andras (Andras Outfitters) 
Brian Slusser
Bill Ferrero
Rob Anderson & Doug Ouellette
Confluence Outfitters
Jason Hartwick
El Capitan Maury Hatch 
and more!

Additionally the crew from the Tahoe-Truckee chapter of Trout Unlimited will be on hand to talk about their success and future goals with the watershed. Tahoe Trout Bum Schwag will hopefully be available for purchase. 

If nothing else come have a free hot dog and soda and enjoy.


So there you go, for more info contact the great staff at Kiene's Fly shop;
http://www.kiene.com/  (800) 400-0359

Tying The March Brown Sparkle Comparadun

Genus Rhithrogena or the “March Brown” mayfly as fly anglers like to call them is an important spring time hatch for trout. It's easy to get excited about these bugs, presenting a big mayfly on the surface to a wary consumer is really what fly fishing is all about. If you have ever rolled rocks on your favorite river I'm sure you've seen these aquatic insects before. March Browns are in the "clinger" group of mayflies, they are very flat and wide with feathery gills protruding off their abdomen.  Their head and extremely large eyes look like an alien from another dimension. They make their home in the fast turbulent riffles of a river, their body profile and gills helps them stick to the rocks by way of a suction disc underneath their body so they are not carried off by the strong currents.

The actual hatch takes place during the warmest point of the day. It is at this time that the nymphs leave the bottom substrate by way of gas bubbles trapped underneath their wing pads which lift the nymph to the surface.  These gas bubbles also help split the exoskeleton for the emergence from nymph to dun. As the mayfly struggles to free itself from its shuck it is very vulnerable to an opportunistic trout.  Many times trout will key on this stage of the emergence only, and this is where the Sparkle Comparadun shines most brightly!

This fly is a must on rivers that have very sophisticated trout, you know the ones that haunt you at night when you’re trying to go to sleep and all you can think about is "Why wouldn't they take my fly"?  What I like most about this pattern is that it is a quick and easy 3 step twirl of the bobbin.  Shuck, body, wing, whip finish and you’re done!

The March Brown mayfly will be appearing at a river near you for the next month and maybe longer depending on your elevation. Stock your fly box now with nymphs, emergers, and dries before you head out on the open waters. 

RECIPE:

Hook:  Tiemco 101 #14.
Thread: Camel colored Uni Thread in 6/0
Trailing shuck:  Dun colored Z-Lon touched up with a brown sharpie.
Body:  Very fine brown dubbing mixed with some Antron fibers
Wing:  Dark moose or elk hair, make sure the height wing is as long as the body.

Note:  You can match many different mayflies with this pattern in sizes 12 and smaller by adjusting the size and the colors of the shuck, body, and wing.