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Ontario
fly fishing
Fly fishing in Ontario:
Grand River guiding, fly fishing and fly casting instruction with
Ian Colin James one of the top guides on the Grand River. Try fly
fishing for carp with "The Carpfather" the man who made
it popular in North America. Ian was the first certified
instructor and full time guide on the Grand River, and he is the
author of The Bestseller: Fumbling with a Flyrod .
He caught his first fish on a fly,
a grayling, when he was 6 years old, from the River Clyde, near
the town of Motherwell, Scotland. 41 years of fly fishing have taught
him one or two tricks, which he painlessly passes on to his clients
and students.
For 27 years, professionally, he's
been showing folks how to cast, how to find fish and how to catch
the fish they find. Several of his students have gone on to open
their own fly fishing shops and guiding services. Yup, he is that
good. He was certified as an instructor by Peter Anderson - ex World
Fly Casting Champion - on the River Spey in Scotland. Will you get
more fish if you take lessons from him, or if you use his flies?
Absolutely.
Known for his 'No Bull' approach
to fly fishing, his quick warm wit and his down to earth teaching
methods, his instructional sessions are always entertaining. He
developed and promotes Common Sense Fly Fishing: The minimum amount
of gear . . . the maximum amount of fish. Ian calls a spade a spade,
and a strike indicator a bobber.
In 1995, he was part of the Canadian
Fly Fishing Team at the 15th World Fly Fishing Championships in
Galway, Ireland. Unfortunately, Team Canada received 'a butt kicking.'
Hey, it was a Loch Style event, and we don't do much of that kind
of fly fishing on this side of the Big Pond. That same year at the
Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships on Loch Leven, Scotland,
a fly he created called the Dunkeld Dabbler, took the largest fish
of the event for his team mate, Tom Murray. At the 2006 Canadian
Fly Fishing Championships he coached the Les Chiens d'Eau team to
a silver medal.
Ian's flies are sold world wide
- mostly in the US, Canada and in the UK. Several of his original
patterns have found their way into publications on both sides of
the Atlantic. He is the only fly tier to receive a Design Award
from the Ontario Arts Council.
Recently, Ian became a co-host and the resident fly tying expert
on the TV Show: The New Fly Fisher. He was also featured on the
prestigious US show, Legends of Rod and Reel.
Messages from Ian
Christmas Gifts for Fly Fishermen
Every year there are always a few fly fishermen who are bummed
out because Santa failed to deliver. That's sad. It's like watching
your buddy trying to net a 30 pound brown trout you hooked, only
to have him duff it. To help you make sure you get the fly fishing
gift you want at Christmas, this year I have posted the gift page
earlier than last year. You have no excuse.
learn more ...
Like the website?
Judging by the emails I have been receiving, there are a few of
you who have found the website by accident and you have enjoyed
the site once you have gone over it. If you enjoy the site, there
is a good chance your buddies will as well, so please don't be
shy about passing the address on to all your friends. Thanks.
What I said was ...
Some of you, I suspect those of you over 30 who are still living
in your mums basement eating gourmet Kraft Dinner, have been hassling
me about my comment on Lake Ontario. Let's clear this up. What
I said was, "Lake Ontario is the biggest stocked pond in
the world." If you want to take issue with that, that's your
choice. You best go now. I think your mummy is calling you to
head upstairs for your dinner, or as they say in Scotland, "Yir
tea's oot." Run along now and you may be able to catch the
Telly Tubbies, and the sun is always smiling in Telly Tubby Land.
Watch you don't get any ketchup on your Star Trek uniform.
Winter Fly Fishing Tips
Last winter this was one of the most popular pages on my site.
Take a read over it, it could save your life.
learn more ...
My Fly Pattern Book
My fly pattern book has been put on hold. I will be publishing
it in the Spring of 2009. I have been asked to teach a fly fishing
course iat Fanshawe College here in London, and preparing for
it has taken up a lot of my time. If you want to see what some
of the fly images in the book will look like this will give you
an idea.
Test Image: Fly pattern book
Fly Fishing Course at Fanshawe College
In a nutshell, the good folk at Fanshawe College have asked me
to put together a fly fishing course as part of their Gen Ed program.
It's forward thinking at its best and it's the first credited
fly fishing course in Canada. Yes, I am chuffed to bits about
that. If they pass, the students will get 3 credits. I am not
one to give out praise, but the staff at Fanshawe College have
been superb. They are giving me the resources to allow me to get
the job done, and to get the job done well. In the past I have
been approached by several universities to set up a course like
this, but within a week or so, it became apparent that there was
so much red tape and "faffing about" that it was dead
in the water. Not so with the folk at Fanshawe, it's more along
the lines of, "What do you want done, how can we get it done
and how can we get it done efficiently?" It's little wonder
that while enrollment in many universities is down, it's on the
way up at Fanshawe. Look for an update on the course on November
1st. Here is part of the course promo from Fanshawe College.
"In January 2009, Fanshawe College will deliver a 14-week
course entitled “Our Fresh Water Environment – An
Introduction Through Flyfishing” to be delivered by Ian
Colin James. This course, the first of its kind in Canada, will
give students an overview of the biological and environmental
influences on life in rivers or streams in the Great Lakes Basin.
Through a study on the sport of flyfishing, students will gain
an appreciation of the impact that natural and man-made events
have on the fresh water resource and the sustainability of the
resource."
A few of you have been asking me if you can purchase the notes
from the Fanshawe course. The short answer is no. The long answer
is no. Although I am writing the course notes, and drawing the
illustrations, Fanshawe College owns the copyright to the lecture
notes. So far there are no plans to sell the notes. Sorry about
that, but it's their call.
Oops:
Inadvertently a website posted a short blurb saying that I was
recommending a fly fishing book by Chris Hansen. It was an error.
I have never read this book and in fact I have never seen this
book. It simply was a mistake by the folk who were building the
website. That said, if you are looking for a fly pattern book
let me know and I will put your name onto the list for my book.
It's going to be a cracker. I kid you not
Fly pattern book.
The Youths Win It!
At the 6th National Fly Fishing Championships held in Quebec,
the top two individual medals were captured by two of the kids
from the National Youth Team. Mike Lennox grabbed the gold and
right behind him was his team mate Simon Wells who took the silver.
Not only did they beat the best in Canada, they also beat the
members of very powerful Team USA. The kicker being that the youth
squad were perfect examples of what fly fishing should be. Fishing
well beyond their years, they were an inspiration to everyone
who was there. It was a delight to watch them fish and it was
a pleasure to be around them. Coached by Bob Sheedy, one of the
best lake fly fishermen in North America, they worked as a "team",
they never wavered from their game-plan and they fished their
butts off. It truly was an inspiration.
For the record, here are their names and take note of their ages.
David Nonomura age 18, Simon Wells age 17, John Bransfield age
17, Mike Lennox age 16 and Colin Huff age 13. Yes, a 16 year old
won the Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships. It would
appear that the future of the sport is in very good hands.
An important link
If you would like the chance to own a unique bit of fly fishing
history, and help out the Tan Flies, a great bunch of kids from
Arkansas, click this link. You won't be disappointed.
A bit of history.
E-mail: No attachments please.
24hr reply.
Just a reminder ... if you send me an e-mail with an attachment,
it will get "nuked" and I won't even know that you sent
me the e-mail. Please, do not send me any attachments. Thanks.
If you send me an e-mail and I do not reply within 24 hours, send
it again as I did not receive it. I make a point in answering
all my e-mail within 24 hours.
Scratch and Dent Fly List
The latest list went out on March 21st. If you did not received
it, and you think you are on my scratch and dent list, please
let me know. Things get deleted in error and some of your email
address are not working. Remember that all the fish shown on my
website were caught on scratch and dent flies, or on flies from
the grab bag section on the website.
learn more ...
Ecologically friendly flies
Just so you know, all my flies are tied on grain-fed, free range
hooks. I can honestly say that not one hook has been harvested
from the wild.
Want to catch a lot of fish?
Here's a new incentive. If you absolutely, 100%, for sure and
without fail want to catch some fish this year, while helping
out the Canadian Youth Fly Fishing Team, click this link. These
flies are lethal.
learn more ...
Used Fumblings
Did you know that used "Fumblings" are selling for $228
online at Amazon, and that last year one of the limited editions
was sold for $870 in a private deal. The seller did well on his
initial $55 investment. I had to verify that the book was one
of the limited editions. It was purchased by a book collector
in Michigan. The book was in mint condition. It was nice to see
it again after 8 years. Don't ask. I do not have any "Fumblings"
left in stock.
Legends of Rod and Reel
Yes, I was one of the featured fly
fishermen on the ESPN show, Legends of Rod and Reel. I have not
seen the show, but judging from the 120 emails I picked up after
it was on air, I think it went over well. Considering what Bill
and Mike had to work with, they must have done a good job.
NEW. SCUDS. All about my scud pattern
Are you looking for a never-miss pattern you can use all year
long, even in the winter, and, one which will work when no fish
are showing? Lots of fly fishing tips on fishing scuds and lots
of insight into the life of the scud.
learn more ...
New mammal species:
Well what do you know? Scientists
in Tanzania have discovered a new species of elephant-shrew, a
small furry mammal, which they have called a Grey-faced Sengi
Rhynchocyon udzungwensis. Judging by the photos of its
distinct colouring I suspect the dark, well-marked fur would make
a cracking dubbing. At first glance the fur looks more "buggy"
than say hare's ear. If I can bag a Grey-faced Sengi pelt, I'll
spin out a bunch of Beadhead Sengi nymphs, a Sengi Sedge or an
Elephant-shrew Emerger and you can give them a try.
Privacy Statement
If you are a bit shy about sending me an e-mail, adding your name
to my scratch list or sticking your name into one my contests,
please read my privacy statement before you start browsing through
my website.
learn more ...
Michael Vick
On December 10th, Michael Vick the disgraced Atlanta Falcons QB
was sentenced to 23 months for dogfighting. Take a look at what
Torque had to say about it in his rant.
learn more ...
100% advertising free
It may have escaped your notice, then again maybe it did not,
this website is absolutely free from annoying advertisements.
I figure that just like fly fishing, viewing a website should
be a relaxing experience and keeping advertising from the site
does that. However, it still costs money to keep this little puppy
up-and-running, so ... if you enjoy the site, if you pick up a
few fishing tips and if you find some fish-catching pointers,
you can support the website by purchasing a few flies. Simple
as that. Similarly, sending along a bucket of fried chicken, an
envelope of unmarked bills, a bag of M and M's or a case of 15-year
old single malt would also be fine and worth while contributions.
What I said was ...
I have been getting a bit of flack from some of you lot, notably
one or two of the great unwashed wandering aimlessly in the fly
fishing wilderness with far too much time on their hands, about
the comments I made on false casting and strike indicators. I
did not say that someone who false casts and uses a bobber is
friends with the Devil. For the record this is what I said,
"False casting and the strike indicator were both invented
by the Devil".
I hope this clears things up.
Fly fishing in Scotland
A few thoughts from my last trip over there. Tips on accessing
rivers and tips on how to pick up the appropriate license. Well
worth a read.
learn more
...
Inspirational fly tiers
Junior Crow from Arkansas, is first up in this new section of
my site.
Mac Stark from the Northwest Territories will be up next when
I can get caught up on updating my site. This part of the site
started out as a bit of fun, and it has quickly developed into
a small nightmare.
View the flies: learn
more ...
Website pictures
I encourage you to use the images,
from my website, but you need to ask before you do. Only once in
7 years have I said, "No, you can't." Several folk have
requested higher resolution images so they could use some of the
photographs like: "Sunrise over the Detroit River" and
"Morning on the Grand River," as screen savers. No worries.
Just ask and I will try and accommodate your request.
My e-mail address:
If your e-mail system is not run though a browser you may have difficulty
contacting me by using the "contact buttons". Here is
my actual e-mail address:
E-mail: ianjames@sympatico.ca
Dedication
This website is dedicated to Buzz and Woody,
two great goldfish.
That's it
That's it for the moment.
rover and out
Ian
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... "Ian - apart from being
Scottish which, as a third "generationer" I can
still lay some vague claim to myself - is utterly refreshing.
He brings a sense and proportion to fly tying - no namby
pamby new fangled stuff here: just good, well constructed
patterns, using no-nonsense materials that actually catch
fish! But beyond that, Ian fishes with the tenacity of Robert
the Bruce and is one of the clearest thinkers on conservation
you could wish to meet. Beyond that, he is quite a nice
Bloke really; Seriously." ...
Charles Jardine - somewhere near to a trout stream in England.
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"Having Ian James as emcee at the National Club's annual
2008 Game Dinner capped a very special evening. His insights
on human nature gleaned from his years as a professional fly
fishing guide combined with his dry sense of humour had the
attendees laughing aloud on a regular basis and helped make
the event one of our best ever!" ...
Bill Morari, General Manager, National Club, Toronto. |
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"Ian presented a talk "Fly Fishing Unplugged"
at the Loaves and Fishes Seminar Series sponsored by the Institute
of Ichthyology, University of Guelph, in March 2008. He was
highly entertaining - great images of really big fish, good
fishing stories and bad jokes. Enjoyed by all!" ...
Patricia Wright, Professor, Department of Integrative Biology,
U of Guelph. |
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My
flies and the Orvis Company
As some of you may know, the good folk at Orvis have picked
up a few of my fly patterns for their 2008 catalog. Some of
you may have fished these patterns, and if you have, I am
asking you to take a minute or two out of your busy day, or
when you are slacking off at work playing on the internet,
to post a review of the flies you have used. Note that I said,
"the flies you have used." Only review the patterns
you have fished with.
Now the Smack em Spey pattern is interesting.
If you have fished with me and we were using streamers, there
is a very good chance that you fished this pattern, but you
may not have known that at the time. If you have any doubts,
let me know and I will get it sorted out for you.
If you have fished with me on the Grand River
for Brown Trout or Smallmouth Bass, you have fished the Brass
Ass and the Crunchy Caddis. Similarly if you have been out
steelheading with me, at some point you used the Crunchy Caddis.
If you have been out fishing Smallmouth Bass, Sheephead or
Carp with me, then you used the Crunchy Caddis ... for sure
you did.
Donation of my
royalties
For the record, I am donating 30% of my royalties from the
sale of the flies to the Tan Flies, a great bunch of kids
from the High School in Cotter, Arkansas. They do a lot of
cleanup work on the banks White River.
Links to the flies on
the Orvis website:
view
Orvis ... Crunchy Caddis
view
Orvis ... Brass Ass
view
Orvis ... Smack em Spey
Note
It takes about 4 days for your review to get posted on the
Orvis website, so check back to make sure it's uploaded. Mistakes
happen, even at Orvis. Also, you can't use the word "Ass"
when reviewing my Brass Ass pattern, so you will have to be
creative.
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The
Fireline Leader
I have been picking up a whack of emails from the folk visiting
my website, wanting more information on my simple leader system.
Well, here it is. I have never been a fan of a tapered leader,
I grew up fishing 20 foot leaders with three flies and I have
always been happy with the results.
Years before Fireline made it into the marketplace,
I was fortunate enough to have been given a few spools to
try out. When nymphing I found that the bite detection was
unbelievable, and some 10 years on, I am still using it. When
you are nymphing, if you are having a tough time detecting
soft takes, try using a leader of Fireline. When you are connecting
Fireline to a section of mono with a blood knot, you need
one less turn of the Fireline. So, you would have 6 turns
of mono, but only 5 turns of the Fireline. |
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Steelhead
Guiding, October 29th:
It snowed last night and we have a good 5-inches of the white
stuff on the ground. For you folk reading this on Columbia
or perhaps Miami, that's snow, not cocaine powder. Over the
last few days, many of the rivers were up, so this snow will
help in bringing down the water temps which will bring in
some steelhead. There were still a lot of leaves on the trees,
so the snow has busted off a whack of branches. |
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Glass beads
I have picked up a bunch of email asking about using glass beads
when tying flies. Here is what I know. If the bead can fit around
the bend of the hook and up onto the hook shank ... use it.
If the bead don't fit, well, it ain't gonna fit. If the bead
hole is too big for the eye of the hook, the bead will slip
off the hook shank. Green, yellow, clear, amber and black are
all good bead colours, and they have all caught fish for me. |
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Muncher Nymph
fur
This a a big "Woo-hoo." John's Fly tying Materials
and Jay's Fly Shop here in London have teamed up with Superfly
to produce some of the seal's fur used in tying up the thorax
for my Muncher Nymph. The fiery brown colour is dead-on. It's
by far the best match to the colour of the original fur I
brought over from Ireland back in the early 1980s. If you
want to purchase some of the fur, please contact John directly.
I do not sell fly tying materials.
E-mail:
John's Fly Tying Materials, |
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Lake Fly Fishing
Over the past two years more than a
few of you have wanted information on getting into lake fishing
with a flyrod. I never thought about it until I bumped into
Bob Sheedy at the National championships. He is the author
of two books, which you should pick up and read. I have both
of them and I learned a lot from them over the years.
Bob Sheedy's Lake Fly Fishing Strategies
Bob Sheedy's Top Fifty Stillwater Fly Patterns
The books are $30.00 each but if you purchase
the set, both of the books, it's $55.00, so you save a bit
of cash. Believe me it's money well spent. You can use this
link to order the books or to contact Bob.
Bob Sheedy e-mail: flyfisher@mwflyfishing.net
Stillwater Fly Fishing: Tools & Tactics
by Paul Marriner is also a very useful book on stillwater
fishing with lots of good information in the pages.
www.galesendpress.com
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