FLY FISHING WITH ED SCHIRMER

Ed's Giant Winged Ant (weighted)

2010-05-11T15:11:00.004-04:00

The date: August 19, 1994. The time: 5:00 p.m.
I walked out of our front door, right into a thick hatch of flying ants, size #16. Boy, do those little critters bite! I watched, in amazement, as they crawled and flew up from their nests in the lawn, millions of small holes that I never saw before, each a tunnel of escape.
At first I thought that the hatch was local to our grounds but no, the air was thickening with these little winged insects as far as I could see. The buzzing of their beating wings produced an eerie, droning sound.
I jumped into the truck and drove through the neighborhood and some of the side streets. Flying ants were everywhere!
The hatch lasted about forty minutes. Suddenly everything was back to normal. Clear and still, no buzzing, no eerie droning.
I called my daughter the next day. She had witnessed a big hatch of ants at exactly the same time. She lives in Middlebury! That’s forty miles away! A call to St. Johnsbury also confirmed the event. That town is across the state! What was the extent of this rare occurrence? Never did find out, but the important thing to we fly-fishers is that a guy fishing imitation ant patterns on the New Haven River, during the hatch, caught and released more trout in those forty minutes than he did in any one day for the entire season!
Through the years that followed I faithfully tied and fished black ants, red ants, and cinnamon ants on 16’s and 18’s with limited success. Finally, in desperation I tied a very large, weighted and winged ant pattern, one that seemed ridiculously huge but one that served my appetite for the absurd. I imagined it to be the “King” or to be politically/socially correct, the “Queen” of all ants.
We have all heard the saying, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” This applies to my big ant in spades. The fly has proven itself worthy of anyone’s fly box. It produces consistently and often is taken by large trout.
I cast it three quarters upstream and mend the line so that the fly drifts freely near the bottom the same way that you would fish a weighted nymph. Try it…you’ll like it.

Wheatley Fly Boxes

2009-07-30T15:50:00.002-04:00

We at Schirmer's Fly Shop are very pleased to offer Wheatley fly boxes to you at very competitive pricing.
The Richard Wheatley standard for craftsmanship continues since 1880 and is prized by fly fishers throughout the world.
I have owned and enjoyed the Wheatley Signature box at two different times through the years but gave them up to ardent admirers who insisted that I sell them. Happy recipients were they.
On my first of many Atlantic salmon excursions to the Dartmouth and York rivers in Quebec we were lined up waiting our turn at Stony Brook pool on the Dartmouth. As is customary, we were showing off and swapping classic patterns that we had tied. I received polite compliments for my creations but the group was in awe of the fly box that contained my array of salmon flies. Of course, it was a Wheatley Signature and this time it was not for sale.
Owning a Wheatley you can rest assured that your favorite flies have the best in upscale housing and security.
Whether you buy a Wheatley or receive one as a gift, I'm sure that you will treasure it for a lifetime.

Now's the Time

2008-09-01T10:43:00.002-04:00

Did we have a wet 3 months? All local rivers were at flood stage most of June, July and August.
The last time we had a soaking season was in 1986.
There were days, here and there, when the rivers would recede allowing anglers access to some high but fishable "Hot Spots". One of these is below the Fairfax Dam on the Lamoille River where a very happy and excited fly fisherman landed three brown trout, 21", 23" and 28". He used a cone-head Muddler, a fly that will sink deep in heavy water.
A few other large fish were reported but for the most part things were very slow. Even the side brooks swelled over their banks.
The deluge is over and the rivers are now perfect and ready to provide excellent fall fishing.
The Blue QWOD nymph, Irresistible, Stone fly nymph and streamers are but a few of the flies that will entice trout during this time of year.
I would like to apologize to those clients who booked our guide service and to whom we had to refund deposits due to the unsafe water conditions this summer. I hope that you will give us another chance to show you an enjoyable day on Vermont's beautiful rivers.

Our Guides Tell Us

2008-06-02T18:27:00.000-04:00

Nate and Aaron are having a fine time guiding, instructing and getting out together to enjoy a day out on the rivers when they can.
Good things are happening on the Little River and the Winooski River around Waterbury. Nice sized rainbows and browns taking a variety of flies; Woolly Buggers, Hendriksons, March Browns and some of the guide's own concoctions. They always share their imaginative designs with clients who appreciate getting in on local know-how.
Local rivers are in great shape at this hot time of the season. A smorgasbord of insects and fine dining for the trout makes it difficult to decide on the right fly. The Blue Qwod has been holding its own and will be even more effective as the river flows approach normal and the riffley sections gather increased numbers of feeding fish.
I've been busy in the shop and need to get out for some of the action. A plan is hatching.
I'm tying a "Black Qwod" and will test it soon.
That's it for now. Hope to see you soon. Be well, Ed

Fly Fishing Instruction, Why Its Important

2008-05-09T17:34:00.000-04:00

Fly fishing is a complex sport. Often times those who try to learn on their own or depend on a friend, who may not be qualified to instruct, wind up frustrated because they develop poor habits and don't catch fish as they had expected.
Through the years I have purchased used tackle from guys who became bitter about fly fishing and decided to hang it up and try something else. It doesn't have to be that way.
I liken fly fishing to playing golf, another complex sport. Instruction from a club pro can get one started on the right track. He will teach you the basics; a good swing, the short game, sand shots, putting and how to manage your game on the course.
We teach fly fishing in much the same way. We start with setting up the rod and reel, the various knots used in attaching backing, line, leader, tippet and fly. Next comes fly casting, line control, fishing on and below the surface, how to handle big fish, reading the water to determine where fish hang out, etc. We even discuss aquatic entomology, in layman's terms, so that the student will have an idea of which flies work best.
Instruction is "On Stream" and usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours. We don't stop until the client says that he or she understands what has been taught.
A learning session followed by a day fishing with the guide will help assure a great start into this wonderful, hopefully lifelong, sport.

Ed's Blue Qwod Nymph (weighted)

2008-04-13T14:08:00.004-04:00

Would you like to have a fly that you can use with confidence all season long? Sure you would.
Consider the following:
Paraleptophledia; Bicornuta------------------Blue Quill
Baetis; Tricaudatus---------------------------Blue Wing Olive
Paraleptophledia; Adoptiva-------------------Blue Dun
Hence the name, Blue QWOD
There are more than 50 varieties of Mayflies that fit these general descriptions. They start to
hatch in April and continue right through October. The hatches here in Vermont are generally sporadic but continuous day by day. Sizes vary from #14 to #20.
As you can see the Qwod is a simple fly to tie.
I start with a dry fly hook and weight it with fine lead wire. The tail is blue dun hackle and the body is dubbed muskrat. Blue dun hackle and a small head finishes the tie.
I use a floating line with 5X or 6X tippets and fish the Qwod both upstream and down in riffles and pool run-outs trying always for a drag free drift.
Don't confuse the Blue Qwod with the standard Grey Nymph. The Qwod is small and that's the key.

More later

Guides at Work

2008-03-17T15:35:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's true. Even though the fly fishing season is yet to begin our guides are busy tying flies and scouting some of the nearby rivers, looking for additional hot spots.
We do this at this time of year because the trees and brush are bare of leaves and visibility is good. We drive along the streams, occasionally stopping to check out new areas closely on foot.
It's all part of our goal, working to be the best guiding service in Vermont. We hope to serve you during the upcoming season.
Conditions: Lots of snow atop of Mt. Mansfield. We're hoping for warm, sunny days and cool nights so that the run-off will be gradual. An ideal spring, exactly the same as our Vermont
Maple Syrup producers wish for.
Hexagraph Fly Rods: Good News! The Hexagraph fly rod company is maintaining 2006 prices at least through July of 2008. I love my Hex. It's an 8' 6" for a 4/5 line, perfect for trout, salmon, bass etc. If you're interested in a lifetime of great casting and better fly fishing order a Hex through our shop and I'll pay the shipping costs.

We will be offering new products on our website very soon. Logoed T- shirts, Classy flies on Brooch Pins, and more!
Shipping Costs: I have reduced shipping costs to the minimum as you can see on our website. I know how high shipping costs can turn-off a customer. Some companies charge high S&H prices and make more profit by doing so. I think it's wrong, period.

More later, Ed

Think Fly Fishing

2008-02-07T17:46:00.000-05:00

It's a cold snowy, February day here in Northern Vermont and I'm tying flies in preparation for the upcoming season. I'm thinking "Fly Fishing". It's not that far away.

Here's what's new.

We are adding to our guiding staff this year. Friendly, experienced gentlemen who know our rivers and can help our clients enjoy the outing while catching fish.

I'm introducing my original extended body Mayflies on the web site. These patterns have a proven record of success on our nearby rivers as well as Lake Willoughby and Caspian Lake.
One of our best kept secrets is emerging out of the bag.

Maybe the snow runoff will be slow and gentle this spring, allowing the rivers to maintain a nice even flow rate so beneficial to fly fishermen who like wading to their hot spots.

More later. Ed