I have always endeavored to make fishing an integral part of my entire being. To include my financial future and well being. The picture above is from 2007, by my friend Dale Dancy. He owns a scent company down in Geaorgia called Boarmasters. (The man loves to catch those redfish.) So I tyed him some flies and he agreed to send me these pictures as testimonial to how well they worked.

The samples

Now being a practical man,I was able to tye my love for bear hunting….ie the Boarmaster Products, with my devotion for tying. He wasted little time in taking out the flies and catching these redfish, for whom they were tyed. Then forwarded these great pics to me for use here at AFT. But I really wanted alot more pics than the few he shot up to me then. So I waited to see if he could send afew more.

Gartside Gurgler strikes again!!!

As it sometimes happens. The best laid plans often go astray. Dale and I had a few interpersonal issues in the interim and I never got the rest of the pictures I had hoped for. I will spare you the dirty details….but it wasn’t pretty.

Now here we are in 2009 and I am still trying to make fishing my core activity. Writing and tying, and trying to pull it all together. In the center of all things is this blog and my desire to guide. Yes, I want to share my love for flyfishing and Aroostook County Maine. So badly that I want to guide anglers into the back country of my home territory. As well as to host floats on area rivers. To share their inherant beauty to all who would come.

Anyone who has read this blog knows I love to fish the back country for Eastern Brookies. But that I also break with tradition and fish for Smallies too. (ie……my nickname Aroostookbasser) Both species are fighters and in their element are tough to beat on the fly. Add in some hot summer nights pickerel casting and “mousing” for browns on the Meduxnekeag. You’ll see that my fly rod stays pretty busy.

I look forward to sharing my adventures in the coming months with you. I will post them here and share with you through my pictures the scenes and thrills of life in Aroostook.
If you are interested in Fishing here with me or on your own…or have any questions. Please leave a comment here……or email me: aroostookbasser@yahoo.com

Take care and good Fishing…God Bless

I was alarmed to read the article in the March 2009 issue of FLYROD & Reel. Where in The Hatch’s seemed to be able to thwart common sense and are pursuing a permit to dam up one of the very few natural Landlock Salmon rivers.
Not for a good reason or even for hydroelectric power. But so they can make a water wheel go round!!!! In the name of realism….for the horse and pony tourist show they put on at the restored mill they own.
GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!! PACK UP AND GO BACK TO THE HUDSON VALLEY!!!!! LEAVE OUR RIVERS ALONE!!!!!

THE LEGENDARY BLACK NOSE DACE

The greatest Streamer ever created for Spring fishing!! My personal choice for trolling in the post ice-out period. Bright and flashy enough to be seen and taken in the turbid waters of lake inlets here in the northwoods.

Materials:

Black 6/0 Thread
Red Antron yarn
Silver Tinsel
Bucktail: White ,black,& brown
Hook: size #8, 3x to 5x shank

THE TYE:

Start by tying in the thread in the normal near the bend position. Tye in the tail, be stingy. Move the thread forward to the 3/4 position after you tye in the tinsel. Wrap the tinsel forward, trying to be as smooth as you can. If you have trouble laying in the tinsel smoothly. Add a shank of rope tinsel, when you tye in the flat, and wrap that over the flat to hide your “errors”. Now at the 3/4 spot add the bucktail, sparingly. First the white, then the black and finally the brown. Wrap the trimmed ends into a small smooth head and lacquer generously.

So remember the pretense here……tye this fly and send a sample (or two)to be posted here. All flies submitted will be posted here on the blog with the tyers name or “nickname”,if preferred. All flies are nonreturnable!!!

Any Question? Post your comments and such here. Or privately at: aroostookbasser@yahoo.com

Starting here in February I will post a special feature…a Fly Of The Month. I encourage you to try this fly in your arsenal. But more importantly, tye it and send a copy here. I will post all the flies on this blog and show the diversity. There is no contest as yet. Depending on the response, I would like to collect the flies and donate them to a CSF or Trout Unlimited event. I will be post the First fly in the next couple days. If you have one you’ld like to see, leave me a comment.

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