Paradise Circus

Nothing like summer in Montana. It's a paradise of sorts. But, with summer comes crowds. The Bitterroot can become a circus. Access points flooded with cars, trucks, and trailers. But, weekdays, mornings, evenings, and cloudy days are the ticket. Less splash and giggle, more room to fish.

Check out the video in HD.

The After Work Special

With spring....springing and the sun setting around 8 pm, the after work special is again a viable option. Getting into to work by 6 am and setting off alarms, so you can get out on the water by 3 pm. You know, "The After Work Special." This edit features four separate after work specials on the Bitterroot. Some trout were caught. Some were lost. Enjoy the video in HD.




The After Work Special from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.
Music:
Jay Dee/J Dilla - "Track 12," "Track 21," "Track 05," "Track 10," and "Track 17"

Also, a big congrats to Mike of Of Dry Flies & Fat Tires fame for taking the 2nd annual YGF Bracket Challenge. Internet pride goes to the Michigan man.

If you haven't entered the Fly Vines giveaway, do so here.

The Leprechaun and the Yeti

Some fishing partners are tall. Some are short. Anthony of False Casts and Flat Tires is the Leprechaun. I, apparently, am the Yeti. A couple of days of fly fishing on the Bitterroot. We got into some solid rainbows and browns, but nothing too extraordinary. Things are heating up, but we could have said that about the entire winter. Although, it is good to have some dry fly fishing on the horizon.

Some guest appearances from Alec of Fly Fishing Life and Cody of Oakfish in the beginning and end of the video.

Music:
Wu-Tang Clan vs. The Beatles "City High (Instrumental)"

The Leprechaun and the Yeti from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

I went a little crazy on the effects this time. Messed with the saturation and the shadows/highlights. Let me know what you think of the effects.

King of the Herd

New and completely fake terms are being coined. That monster group of whitefish you see huddled around a big trout. That's a herd. And that big trout flanked by those pesky whitefish is the King of the Herd. A day of fishing with the False Casts Flat Tires (FCFT) crew on the Bitterroot. It was generally slow with the exception of the 22" cutbow that Zach hooked and Anthony miraculously netted. We found some pike in some shallow backwater. All of us stung one, none of us caught one. That goal will have to wait. Watch it in HD on vimeo.

Music: Soul Position "Run (Instrumental)"

King of the Herd from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Redington Sonic-Pro Wader - A YGF Review

As some of you may know, I have had some issues in the past with leaky waders. I can be tough on waders. The only things I shy away when wading or walking the banks is barbed wire, knives, AK-47s, and Revolutionary era cannons.

In the past, I have been rewarded for my aggressive wading and “pre-wading?” with leaks. Massive leaks. Massive leaks around the seams connecting the stocking foot and the waders...and the seams around the knees...and the seams on the inside of my legs. Those leaks lead to a great deal of discomfort while fishing in the cold Montana winters. Massive leaks leave your feet in a neoprene fish bowl of sorts and shorten your winter, fall, and early spring days on the water. Plus, there is that pesky hypothermia hanging aboot. Conclusion: Leaky waders are the worst...the living worst.

Recently, Redington offered me the opportunity to test out a pair of their Sonic-Pro waders. Considering my recent history with waders, I jumped at the chance to review their critically acclaimed waders.

The Sonic Pro waders come in three different styles: the Sonic-Pro Zip Fronts, the Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot, and the Sonic-Pro Wader Pants. I chose the Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot waders. After having the Sonic-Pros in my possession for about a month, here is my review.

This could go really quickly. Do they keep me dry? Yes. Are they comfortable? Yes. Do they have plentiful amounts of dry storage? Yes. Would I recommend them to someone looking for new waders? Yes. End of review. If I ended it now, the review would be short on valuable details and opinions. So, prepare for the opining and provision of facts.

Facts:
The Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot waders are constructed of 100% nylon DWR coated wader fabric. 5-layer fabric on the lower leg and seat for durability and 3-layer fabric on the remaining portion of the wader. The seams are welded with sound (using Ultra Sonic welded construction) and have been double taped for added durability. The stocking feet are made of high-density neoprene. The waders have a zippered, brushed micro-fleece hand warming pocket and a laser cut exterior pocket with a YKK water resistant zipper. Additional storage is provided by a flip-out interior welded storage pocket with a mesh pocket, hemostat holder, and hypalon dock. A 2-inch stretch wading belt is secured by three belt loops. (and finally) The waders have gravel guards with a plastic anti-fouling lace hook.

Opinions and Thoughts:
Construction
The three-layer/five-layer waterproof construction is pretty standard in comparable waders in other brands. However, the seams of those comparable waders use needle and thread, not sound to secure the seams. The use of the ultra-sonic welding technology reduces the weight of waders and theoretically the durability.

The waders feel sturdy and heavy duty, but aren’t heavy in weight by any means. From personal experience, I can speak to the durability of sonically welded seams. I own a pair of sonic seamed waders and after a year of hard use, no leaks. Which, is more than I can say for the traditionally constructed waders of my past.

Fit
The Sonic-Pros fit extremely well. They fit true to size. The legs aren’t baggy. No front pooch is formed when you secure the wading belt. They keep a slim profile. All that being said, they aren’t too tight. They are comfortable. My legs aren’t Justin Beibering or hipster jeaning (I am pretty sure those are both verbs). A proper fit is important for wading. Extra bulk and fabric can impede someone while wading. I felt confident while wading some of the deeper, more powerful runs of the Bitterroot. My movement was not impeded or altered. Additionally, there was very minimal of the dreaded leg rub, which I can only imagine will increase the lifetime of the interior leg seams.

Bonus Points: I didn’t look like I have a kangaroo pouch for a stomach when wearing them. Vain, yes. But, I don’t want to look like I got a couple joeys underneath my waders. I gots ta look good for the camera.

just one joey

Features
These waders have pockets galore. Which, for a disorganized fisherman like myself, is much appreciated. The exterior pocket is spacious. Big enough to hold a small fly box, bags of split shot, a couple indicators, and several spools of tippet (note: split shot and indicators are winter tools...it could also hold any number of much cooler spring, summer, and fall items during those seasons). The hand-warming pockets are clutch, especially with air and water temperatures hovering in the low thirties during the winter. If I were to have my druthers, the fleece would be a little thicker. But, they did the job. For those anglers who use a lanyard or a smaller chest pack, the flip-out interior pocket could serve as a suitable replacement. Overall, my fishing experience was stream-lined with the ample storage provided by the wader’s pockets.

Specialized and ample storage

The stretch wading belt is perfect. All of my previous waders have had “static?” wading belts. What a difference the stretch makes. Mostly in comfort, but also in terms of function. It reduces the amount of bunching and the amount of time spent looking like Nuke LaLoosh adjusting his garter belt on the mound. With three belt loops positioned on the around the back and sides of the waders, the belt is easy to grab and adjust.

The gravel guards are tight, as they should be. The looser they are, the more likely gravel and sand will work it’s way into your wading boots. There is one feature on the waders that I have mixed feelings about. Depends on how you look at it, but the moulded lace hook that attaches to the boot is hard to attach to my laces. In comparison, the lace hooks of waders of my past were to easy to attach and easily came undone. When loose, the lace hooks (of wader’s past) provided the perfect place for fly line to get hung up in, which certainly impedes effective fishing. With the lace hooks on the Sonic Pro, once secured, they do not become undone. Additionally, if you don’t secure them, they don’t eat vagrant fly line like it’s their job. So, maybe it is more of a positive than a negative.

Conclusion
After four winter trips on the Bitterroot, I have been very pleased with the Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot waders. A durable, light fully featured pair of waders for a very reasonable $279.95. Certainly not cheap, but compared to other waders in it's class, that price point should be considered quite a deal. I would definitely recommend them to someone looking for a great pair of waders. They get the imaginary YGF seal of approval.

Want to see the waders in action. Check out my most recent videos, Cutties are for Suckers and Hog Calling.

Here are some stills of the waders. Many thanks to Zach from False Casts and Flat Tires for all of the images. Notice the amazing model and his amazing Phillies hat and his amazing fishing skills. That guy is so amazing. Amirite?

GoPro'n it in my Sonic Pros

No Joeys to be seen

waders on.

fishy waders and a fishy fish

DISCLAIMER: The Redington Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot Waders tested in this product review were provided to me at no cost, but hold a retail value of $279.95. I currently hold no association with Redington whatsoever. As with this review and all future reviews, I will do my best to offer up my honest and unbiased opinion, good or bad.

Calling Hogs

Spent this past Saturday on the Bitterroot with Matt Breuer and Blakely. Floating in the Breuer's skiff, we enjoyed the slightly seasonally warm temperatures, and to a lesser degree, the biting winds. While the float was a little hurried, we were able to stick some fish, including two solid rainbows who were both caught on streamers. Icing on the cake. As always, watch it in HD on vimeo.

Music: Diplo "Sarah"

Calling Hogs from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

In other news, I now have a friend with a boat. It's nice.

Cutties are for Suckers

A warm January day on the Bitterroot with Zach and Stan from False Casts and Flat Tires. Before the day on the water started, we slapped a Fiberglass Manifesto sticker on Zach's truck. For a while, it seemed like all I could catch were suckers. 4 or 5 of them in a row at one point.  Big ones, too - 21 to 22". But, eventually we found the trout. Which was a refreshing change for me from my previous winter experiences on the Bitterroot. We caught our fair share of cutthroat and rainbows. I caught a nice 18 to 19" cutthroat and 16 to 17" rainbow to end the day.

I was a little taken aback about the physical condition of a lot of the upper Bitterroot fish. Seemed like every other fish had some level of eye trauma and/or mis-shaped mouth. It was a little alarming.

I went with a more vintage film look this time around. Admittedly, I was a bit inspired by Instagram. But, you guys don't need to know that. As always, watch it in HD on vimeo.



Cutties are for Suckers from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Music:
Jake One
"Gangsta Boy"

On the 'Root with FCFT

This past weekend, I met up with two of the members (Zach and Stan) of the False Casts and Flat Tires gang to do some winter fishing on the Bitterroot. The Bitterroot and I have always had a somewhat rocky relationship. While I had solid, productive days on the Bitterroot, I have never had "one of those days."

That is not the case for the boys over at FCFT. They seem to have the Bitterroot dialed in. So, I felt pretty confident about getting into some fish when we hit the water on Saturday morning. Alas, the weather schemed against us. After consistent air temperatures in the low to mid 40s for most of the previous week, the air temperature dipped into the low 30s. As a result, the fishing was a little slower than desired.

"They are like guide land mines" FCFT - Photo courtesy of FCFT

As it is with winter fishing, you have to find where the fish are stacked up and feeding. We never really found them. We found some whitefish, but the trout were few and far between.

While our efforts were not quite rewarded, it was a great day to be on the water.

An idiot with a broken fly rod. Photo courtesy of FCFT

Zach is always producing great content over at FCFT. His skills with a DSLR make me want to get acquire some talent and grab a DSLR and start snapping photos. All of the photos in this post were taken by the FCFT crew.

Red wire worm = iridescent blue spot - Photo courtesy of FCFT

We are planning on getting back out on the water this weekend. We have a hot tip about some good winter fishing on the 'Root. Hopefully, it makes for some good footage as it has been too long since YGF put out a video. Damn you Holidays (Shakes Angry Fist) !!!!

toxic

A foggy morning on the Bitterroot turned into a tough day of fishing. No epic streamer fishing was to be had. Two streamer takes all day. A 17-18" brown was angry and/or hungry enough to take an original and a 20" rainbow wanted to become internet famous until it threw the streamer's hook. When 2:30 rolled around the BWOs started hatching and some fish were caught up top. Check it out in HD.

music: yael naim "toxic"

Also, this is the 100th post on YGF. Fitting that it is a video.

UPDATE: It's actually my 87th post. Apparently, I have 13 drafts laying around.

toxic from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Sometimes Whitefish eat Sex Dungeons

The Bitterroot is fishing well. Yes, of course, the March Browns were hatching. But, in news I care about more, streamer fishing is picking up. So well that, a tiny whitefish decided to join the party by hooking itself on an articulated sex dungeon. I have no clue how it fit the hook in it's tiny tiny mouth, but I am guessing it didn't mean to. It promptly gave up when hooked and did none of that signature whitefish head-shaking that helps an angler identify it on the other end of the line. I imagine it didn't like the sizable intruder that was the sex dungeon and nipped at it to make it go away. When the sex dungeon bit back, the poor poor whitefish just gave up. Oh yeah, some nice browns and rainbows were also caught. As always, watch this gem on vimeo in HD.

sometimes whitefish eat sex dungeons from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Fly Skwala Fly

I hit the Bitterroot recently. The beginnings of the skwala hatch seem to be here. Apparently, the thing that people like about the skwala hatch is the fact that it brings up some of the bigger fish to the surface, as evidenced by the 17" cutbow that I caught on a skwala imitation. Not going to say too much more, just going to let the video speak for itself. Watch in HD on vimeo.

another day on the rock revisited

I went casting on the Bitterroot just outside of town and down near Florence Bridge, this past saturday. Tried to catch fish, but i suspect (and secretly hope) that the cold weather and incoming cold front slowed the fish down. I saw a handful of rises, a little more than a handful of midges, one muskrat, a pooping dog, a couple homeless people's humble abodes, a deer with what appeared to be a huge gunshot hole around it's jaw, four bald eagles, three herons, and one dead four-point whitetail mid-channel.

I also realized that I have enough pinhole leaks in my waders to warrant a wash and patch session in the very near future. I could have filled a water bottle with the near freezing water in my waders and absorbed by my sock. No fish to net and as a result, there was very little useable video footage.

So, I revisited an old video from I made in late June 2010 titled "another day on the rock". It is exactly what the title suggests, a day of fly fishing on upper Rock Creek. I wanted to remix the video to a new song with a new look at the footage. I tried my hand at a little "stop-motion." I did my best to align the clips with the hi-hat in Guru's "Lifesaver" from the Jazzmatazz Volume II album.

If I am being honest with myself, the video has it's moments (both good and bad). This method highlights some details that might be lost in normal video including the fact that (at least in June 2010) I started backcast too early. Also highlighted by the stop-motion is a pale-morning dun in flight around 1:26. Do not adjust your computers - most of this video is supposed to be choppy. Tell me what you think. Should I use this technique for any of this year's upcoming videos? Or should I drop it as quickly as David Akers missed two important field goals this sunday?

another day on the rock revisited from Ivan Orsic on Vimeo.

Watch in HD on vimeo.

Oh, yeah, ygf is on the facebooks. like it on the facebooks, even if you don't in real life.

False Hope on the Bitterroot

I still have not finished my first full year of fly fishing. I am learning. But, I expect to be great. For no other reason than my ever growing ego. So, when I went fishing this weekend on the Bitterroot, downstream of the Florence Bridge, and I caught a 12'' whitefish on my second cast. I expected to have my first truly productive day of fishing. I have fished this reach four or five times this year and I have yet to catch a trout. Prior to that day, I had caught two whitefish. Total. That's right, two fish during five trips. My fishing production is akin to the snowpack of the Clark Fork and Bitterroot drainages, pitiful. Now, in my defense, I am learning how to fish, cast, and think at the same time. A monumental task for those who know me. Fishing the Bitterroot in winter is primarily subsurface, especially nymphing, as a trout's metabolism slows down with drops in water temperature. Needless to say, when I netted the tiny whitefish on my second cast, I thought my perfect storm of fly fishing was upon me. I thought I had finally put together everything I had learned about line management, nymphing, stacking, and the like. I was sorely mistaken. Nothing for the rest of the day. I fished that section hard. Changing flies. Changing tactics. Changing tippet length. But, save for a couple of nibbles here and there. Nothing. It was a beautiful day though. Maybe next time.