Getting a Bit Previous?

I didn't really need to tie any extra big stuff, but there were a few open hangers in the box.  Plus, Captain Masuda had been sharing loads of pictures of big fly eating bass through the week. It was impossible not to sit down and quickly tie a couple of Sedotti slammers before heading out on the bay on Monday night. Fishing was actually pretty slow and we spent a few fruitless hours running around the bay looking for fish on big bait before we ran back to Yokohama and found a few fish feeding on anchovies. Although we did get a couple of decent fish, most were small and there weren't a great deal around. It seems like they've mostly headed off to spawn, a bit early and quite suddenly. We knew it would be the last trip of the year, but didn't expect them to have gone already. Anyway there's now a bit of time to get the gear sorted out and the boxes restocked before the bass return in late January.

After a spell when tying felt a bit of a drudge, I've started enjoying it again. I've no idea why I stopped enjoying it or why I started enjoying it again.. Funny how the mind works. Anyway, I decided to do 3 fly boxes to add to the Flicking Feathers Christmas giveaway this year. 1 cold saltwater, 1 river box, and 1 still water box is my current plan.  It's a nice  outlet and I'm going to be busy with it, but enjoyably so - especially tying the cold saltwater box as I'm going to be tying a few old school patterns from the likes of Kenny Abrames. I really like those early modern saltwater flies that are such pretty patterns that retain elements of traditional tying styles combined with modern material and techniques. And they're deadly!

In a first for me, I appeared on the Intermediate Line to talk about fly tying, the industry and fly fishing around Japan. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and it was very nice to be invited to appear on a show that I actually listen to and enjoy. If you are interested you can listen here https://pca.st/episode/9c8d8c5e-fe72-4f3e-aa3d-8f4ac11f0853

Even if my episode isn't your cup of tea, you might get something from it or from one of the others.