Big R Fly Shop eMagazine December 2012

Keys To Finding Fish in Winter << Goals For The New Year? <<

2012 Holiday Gift Ideas << Slay Day 2013 <<

DECEMBER 2012 Farm Store Fly Fishing

BIG RFLY SHOPHOLIDAY

GIFT ITEMSpg. 14

pg. 6Winter

December 2012 • Volume 5, Issue 11

CONTRIBUTORS Fred Telleen, Rob Guevarra, Alfonso Martinez

To keep current in fly shop happenings and the latest fishing reports, visit us @ www.bigrflyshop.com

Big R Fly Shop Magazine is a free monthly electronic publication bringing the latest perspectives, events, blogs and products related to the sport and art of fly fishing. This magazine is published online @ www.bigrflyshop.com every month. To receive email notifications when new issues are released, enter your email address HERE. All email addresses will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used for purposes connected with Big R Fly Shop.

© Copyright 2012 CSWW Inc., dba Big R Stores. All rights reserved. No portion of this maga-zine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

Sam WikeAlfonso MartinezJohn [email protected]/[email protected]

EDITORPUBLISHERDESIGN & LAYOUTGENERAL INQUIRIES

ON THE COVERWinter on the Wenatchee RiverWenatchee, WAPhoto: Sam Wike A Division of Big R Stores

iFish Click to Listenplaylist

BIG R FLY SHOPPonderay, ID(208) 255-5757477181 N Hwy 95Ponderay, ID 83852

BIG R FLY SHOPOmak, WA(509) 422-98401227 Koala DrOmak, WA 83852

BIG R FLY SHOPGreat Falls, MT(406) 761-79184400 10th Ave. SGreat Falls, MT 59405

Fred TelleenJerrin UeckerMatt Gutzmann

Calvin FullerDustin Bise

Greg BennettStephan AvenaTom McCormackTanner Way

The Hook Point Contributor’s Corner

iFish Playlist Music Currently Playing in Our Ears

Rifishulousness Fishing Video of the Month

Eenie, Meenie, Mighty Mo’ So Many Access Options, We Cover the Entire Mo For You

Product Highlights Holiday Gift Guide 2012

Tour de Missouri River Sights of the Missouri River

Recreation Road 35 Miles of Fishing Road

Killer Trout Candy Best Mo‘ Patterns

Bugshot A Closer Look at This Bug’s Mug

Creature Feature By Fred Telleen

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Winter Transitions Keys To Finding Fish in The Middle of Winter

New Face in Great Falls Meet Matt Gutzmann

Slay Day 2013 Meet Us For The 3rd Annual Slay Day


Wade Out The Old, Wade In The New Last Year Is Gone, A New Year Begins

October On The Okanogan Big R Fly Shops Unite



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HOOK POINTHOOK POINTHOOK POINTContributor’s CornerThEThE

It’s the cold and dark season here in the northern regions of the U.S. That does not mean open water fishing is over. It simply means you will need to pick your days between wintery blasts. Many of us love to fish throughout the winter months. It somehow feels like we are grasping something more, earning a few extra special fish. A fish or two on an outing in January can feel pretty good. Though results might be comparatively poor for July, they mean something when you get off the couch and even attempt to fish during the winter. Just make sure you’ve got some warm socks and there are no leaks in the waders. Visit the fly shop whenever that fishy need arises. The coffee is always on and the fishing flap is going in all directions. Some lucky anglers are planning trips to warm waters in a southerly direction. Others are talking fly patterns and gathering materials for winter sessions on the vise. Winter is a great time for the fly fisher. A chance to plan, rebuild and rekindle that passion that drives us.

Fred Telleen




Eenie, Meenie, Mighty Mo’ So Many Access Options, We Cover the Entire Mo For You


Tour de Missouri River Sights of the Missouri River

Recreation Road 35 Miles of Fishing Road


Bugshot A Closer Look at This Bug’s Mug


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iFishWhat we currently listen to.

The Roots - The Seed (2.0)

Johnny Cash - God’s Gonna Cut You Down

Helmut - Unsung

Weezer - Say It Ain’t So

Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man

Nappy Roots - Good Day

Deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon

Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven

Restavrant - Pretty Little Blue Eyes

ACDC - Rock N’ Roll Train

Madcon - Beggin Rise Against - Swing Life Away

Craig Campbell - Fish

Click to Listen

Alice in Chains - Dam That River

Green Day - Nightlife

Junkie XL - Gloria (feat. Datarock)

The iFish playlist is now mobile!Download the 8tracks app for both

iPhone and Android now!

Colt Ford - Dirt Road Anthem (feat. Brantley Gilbert)

- John Ewald

- John Ewald

- John Ewald

- John Ewald

- Alfonso Martinez

- Alfonso Martinez

- Alfonso Martinez

- Alfonso Martinez

- Tanner Way

- Tanner Way

- Tanner Way

Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites - John Ewald

- Calvin Fuller

- John Ewald

- Alfonso Martinez

- Rob Guevarra

- Rob Guevarra

- Rob Guevarra




Winter Transitions Keys To Finding Fish in The Middle of Winter

New Face in Great Falls Meet Matt Gutzmann

Slay Day 2013 Meet Us For The 3rd Annual Slay Day


Wade Out The Old, Wade In The New Last Year Is Gone, A New Year Begins

October On The Okanogan Big R Fly Shops Unite



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rifishulousness [ri-phish-yuh-luhs-neyhs] ri•fish•u•lous•ness-nounridiculously fishy, causing or worthy of ridicule; absurd; preposterous; laughable, insane, full of awesomeness: That fly fishing video was so sick, it was rifishulousness!

RIFISHULOUSNESS

The entirety of this production was created by: RockHouse Motionhttps://vimeo.com/53419719 A Deliberate Life

WinterTR

ANSIT

IONS

written by Fred Telleen

he days are short and the temps are low. The season has changed, and so have our rivers. Many people are thinking about ice fishing or snow sports, but if you crave open water angling, you have options.T

6 Dec 2012

TRANSITIONS Montana offers multiple, year-round, open water fisheries. Tailwaters such as the Missouri can be fishable 365 days per year. As the smaller freestone rivers lock down with ice and slushy flows, we will continue to have open water and feeding fish, all winter long. Fishing weather depends on your constitution. I like calm days with temps near or above freezing. I know some guys will fish in just about any condition. In the cold season, you will need to pick your days, but they can be great days if you take advantage of them.

As water temperatures drop, the fish move from their summer haunts. You won’t find much action in the fast riffles and flats that were so productive during the warmer months. Fish seek out the slower edges of the current. They stack up below shelves and roam the slowest runs and deep froggy waters. This is not bad news. While there is less productive water to choose from during the winter, the productive waters will hold fish in higher concentrations. Work these areas deep and slow. Try a few different flies. Be patient. The fish still eat throughout the winter. They will bite eventu-ally, often during the warmest part of the day. That’s also pretty convenient for angler comfort.

Dec 2012 7

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8 Dec 2012

Best Choices Midges are the primary insect that will hatch during the winter months. Scuds, sow bugs and annelids (San Juan worms) are always recognized and draw attention throughout the cold water window. A fire bead Ray Charles or a Rainbow Czech Nymph followed by a Zebra Midge, Rainbow Warrior or tiny Lightning Bug is a solid combo. Be thinking size 18-22.

Dry fly fishing is always a possibility on the MO. In a few areas, you can chase your fix by offering tiny midge adults, Buzz Balls, or the intrepid Griffiths Gnat. A Pulsating Emerger below a cluster style midge is a fishy combo. As always, calm, overcast and milder days will offer the best top water action. At times, it can be very good. You just have to be there and be ready for it.

If you don’t feel like drifting the little stuff, try going large and fishing stream-ers. In the winter, streamers can be very effective for moving lethargic fish or for picking up opportunistic cruisers. You might even stick a walleye. In deep runs, dead drifting is an option if you have a floating line. Slow stripping with a sink tip or intermediate line is also productive. We’ve got the Rio Streamer Tips and SA Streamer Express lines if you need to add a new streamer line to your arsenal. You might also consider swinging with a switch or spey rod. Big swings in moder-ate flows will get plenty of attention most days. A twitch here and there will often provoke following fish to strike. Swinging also makes it convenient to warm one hand in a pocket between casts and fish. I

love fishing light 2-Handed rods for trout. Would you like to learn more about spey casting and trout fishing with 2-Handers? I’m in the shop during the week and I speak fish.

Winter fishing may not be for everyone, but for those of us with the unquenchable fishing gene; it’s just one more season. Take a good friend. Make sure to bring the

hot coffee or maybe a flask of good bourbon and take it slow and easy.

TRANSITIONS

Dec 2012 9

New Face in the GREAT FALLS Fly ShopNew Face in the GREAT FALLS Fly Shop

PARADIGM SHIFTMatt Gutzmann

undergoes a PARADIGM SHIFTMatt Gutzmann

undergoes aSTORY AND PHOTOS BY ROB GUEVARRA

Many of us in Great Falls washed onto the shores of this stretch of the Missouri River from different parts of the map. Minnesota native Matt Gutzmann grew up in a suburb of St. Paul, just under a thousand miles due east of here. When the tides brought him to Cen-tral Montana he was quite frankly, nervous. “It’s been a while since I’ve lived so far away from the mountains. They’re usually right outside my door”. He and his wife Dana spent 2 1/2 years at Mammoth Mountain Resort in California where he worked ski patrol, afterwards spending 3 1/2 years in Bozeman. In August of 2012, Matt and his wife moved to Great Falls so she could attend school. Their first weekend living in Great Falls was spent camping in the canyon area of the Missouri River. "I took out my one-man pontoon and realized that the Missouri has some huge, monster fish. Rivers like the Madison have lots of fish, but not the numbers and the sizes of the Missouri." From that moment, he shifted his focus from the mountains to the river. “After that weekend I realized that being in Great Falls might not be all that bad.’’

Matt cut his angling teeth early, catching bluegill since the age of 3. He went to college at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, where he met his wife. It was during their stay in Bozeman that he first got his feet wet fly fishing, regularly hitting the Gallatin,Madison and Yellowstone Rivers.

His initial impression of Great Falls was that it didn’t support the sport of fly fishing due to its seeming lack of shops. Then a friend suggested he visit Big R. "What!?" he asked, "a farm store!? What are they going to have?" Then he walked into the shop. "The Great Falls Fly Shop is impressive - bigger than any place I've seen in Bozeman with a much bigger selection" he exclaimed. His Lamson/TFO have been put to the test often in the short amount of time he’s been on the Mo’. Though his attention may have shifted, he is still a hardcore skiier. “I look forward to this season and I plan on skiiing a lot. Showdown Mountain, here I come!” ∞

NEW

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NEW FACES

Dec 2012 11

12 Dec 201212 Dec 2012

Fishing onFishing on New Year’s DayNew Year’s Day

More to itMore to it than just the Fish than just the Fish

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. –Thoreau

Whether or not the men of the Great Falls Big R Fly Shop are staunch Transcendentalists like Thoreau, I can't say. Though if asked, I am certain they would all agree that Henry was on to something. It would have to be more than just the pursuit of our aquatic brethren that calls us out to the rivers and lakes. And it would have to be something very special that compels us to brave the wintery weather to congregate on New Year's Day at Bull Pasture on the Missouri River for the last 3 years. A handful of us: co-workers, acquaintances and friends, shake off as best we can the cobwebs of the previous evening's libation to make the hour long trek down snowy Highway 15 to Bull Pasture, a fishing access point just below Holter Dam. A bend in the river, it's proximity to a dam and a subsurface shelf make this spot arguably one of the most productive areas of this blue ribbon fishery. It comes as no surprise that we are usually the only fishermen standing on the river on what is typically a frigid day. Year before last, the temperature sat at around 0˚ with last year's temperature hovering at a balmy 20˚.

As each vehicle makes its way into Bull Pasture's circular parking area, the excitement builds. Some of us haven't seen one other in a good number of months while others were together just a few hours prior. As we gear up; pulling on waders and lining up rods, we talk of fish and follies, what the last year has brought and what we hope the new year will hold. And then, as if with divine purpose, we attack the river with wet fly, dry fly, nymph and streamer. On any given winter weekend, we could easily have a portrait captured, holding a glistening winter rainbow just above the surface of an icy Missouri River. But when you are asked when that picture was taken, would you be able to say that it was shot on a crisp New Year's Day flanked by good friends? Were there brauts on the grill accompa-nied by a little hair of the dog to take the edge off of what was left of New Year's Eve? And can you say that at that particular moment, you had been fishing everyday that year so far? I'm uncertain how long something has to be in place before it can be called a tradition, but that's what we're calling this and we will continue to uphold our ritual as best as we are able. It's not just about having a fish in hand, and despite Thoreau's implication, I believe a good portion of us out there are pretty tuned into this as well. ∞

Words and Photos by Rob Guevarra

Cold weather, hot brauts

Top Left: Gathering at Bull Pasture

SLAY

DAY

Dec 2012 13

14 BIG RFLY SHOPHOLIDAY

GIFT GUIDE

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2 GI

FT G

UIDE

Great Falls, Ponderay and Omak stores only.We reserve the right to limit quantities and correct printing errors. Prices are subject to change without notice. Some items limited to stock onv hand. Prices quoted in US currency.

Dec 2012

737234

737237

737240

Geofish: Vol. 1 Mexico DVD

Big R Logo’dVaccuum Insulated Mug

Big R Logo’dStainless Steel Pint Cup

0-MOT-10742316

Insulates hot food or beverages up to 6 hoursInsulates iced drinks up to 24 hoursDurable, double-walled constructionHigh-performance vacuum insulationSlim design fits in most cup holdersMade of 18/8, food-grade stainless steelNo liner needed100% stainless interiorExtra-wide mouth (2.125")Doesn't retain or impart flavorsRounded corners are easy to cleanExternal, stainless steel threadsReusable and recyclableEasy to hand washLifetime warrantyNo BPA, phthalates, lead, or other harmful substances

18/8, food-grade stainless steelDurable and won't break like glassEasily stackable and transportableElectropolished interiorLaser-etched exteriorDishwasher safeDoesn't retain or impart flavorsPint Ring available as accessory

$1999

737231$999

16oz

20oz

12oz

$2399

$2599

$1995

2012 GIFT GUIDE


GIFT GUIDEDec 2012 15

• Superlight, windproof shell has high tear-strength and is treated with a Deluge DWR (durable water repellent) finish• Quilted construction stabilizes 800-fill-power premium European goose down• Single draw hood accommodates a helmet• Zippered pockets: Two handwarmers and one stretch mesh stuff-sack (with a reinforced carabiner clip-in loop)• Nylon-bound elastic cuffs and drawcord hem seal in warmth, seal out drafts• Drawcord hem seals in warmth, seals out wind• Shell and lining: 1.4-oz 22-denier 100% recycled polyester ripstop with a Deluge® DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Insulation: 800-fill-power premium European goose down

Down SweaterFull Zip Hoody

$1499584700 CHB

When the sun dips and the wind kicks, nothing beats high-loft down. The Down Sweater Full-Zip Hoody features 800-fill-power down, stabilized through a quilted construction and protected by a superlight but tough, windproof and water-resistant shell (100% recycled polyester ripstop) with a Deluge® DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Pockets: two zip-pered handwarmers and one interior zippered stretch-mesh that doubles as a stuff sack with cara-biner clip-in loop. With a single-pull, 2-way adjustable helmet-compatible hood and a drawcord hem.

VERY

HOTBUY!


16 BIG RFLY SHOPHOLIDAY

GIFT GUIDE

Dec 2012

2012

GIF

T GU

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• 2-layer nylon waterproof/breathable GORE-TEX fabric repels moisture• Helmet-compatible Optimal Visibility Hood™ with laminated visor pro-vides good visibility in poor conditions• Touch Point System™ with embedded cord locks in hood and hem for quick-and-easy adjustment• Gusseted underarm panels let you reach without raising the body of the jacket• Harness and pack-compatible pockets and pit zips feature supple, watertight-coated Slim Zips that reduce bulk and weight; internal zipper pocket• Pleated Gasket Dry Cuffs provide a tight, low-profile wrist seal• Shell: 2-layer, 2.7-oz 40-denier 100% nylon GORE-TEX® fabric. Rein-forcements: 2-layer, 4.3-oz 70-denier 100% nylon GORE-TEX fabric. • Shell and reinforcements have a DWR (durable water repellent) finish

Men’s Piolet Jacket$14995 High-country all-arounders understand a simple truth: From

spring through summer, anything goes. Rain, snow and sun, hike, ski and bike – for all but the day-end soak in the hot springs, Patagonia’s Piolet Jacket protects, moves and breathes with a 2-layer nylon waterproof/breathable GORE-TEX® fabric that uses a DWR (durable water repellent) finish. The hanging lining gives terrific comfort, the helmet-compatible, 2-way adjustable hood has a laminated visor for optimal visibility, and the Touch Point System™ embedded cord locks in the hood and hem allow quick adjustment without opening the jacket. Finer details include extremely low-bulk, watertight, coated zippers on the pit zips and three external pockets (the jacket also has an inter-nal zippered security pocket), low-profile cuff closures and full-reach gusseted underarm panels for mobility.


VERY

HOTBUY!

83380-NHG

Great Falls, Ponderay and Omak stores only.We reserve the right to limit quantities and correct printing errors. Prices are subject to change without notice. Some items limited to stock onv hand. Prices quoted in US currency.


GIFT GUIDEDec 2012 17

2012 GIFT GUIDE


Men’s Torrentshell Jacket$5995


Amazon downpour, Rocky Mountain squall, gutter spray at the bus stop – wet is wet. Pull shelter from your pack with the ultimate emergency rainwear: the Torrentshell Pullover. This H2No® Performance Standard nylon ripstop pullover is pared down, lightweight and simple – it’s focused on protec-tion with 2.5-layer nylon fabric that has a waterproof/breathable barrier, a Deluge® DWR (durable water repellent) finish and minimalist features. It packs into its single chest pocket (with a carabiner clip-in loop), has elastic cuffs, a drawcord hem and an adjustable, roll-down hood with laminated visor.

• H2No® Performance Standard 2.5-layer nylon ripstop shell with a waterproof/breathable barrier• 2-way-adjustable hood with laminated visor rolls down and stows• Microfleece-lined neck provides comfort and protects waterproof/ breathable barrier• Center-front zipper with storm flaps to keep water out• Secure elasticized cuffs• Stows in zippered chest pocket• Drawcord hem• H2No® Performance Standard shell: 2.5-layer, 2.6-oz 50-denier 100% nylon ripstop with a waterproof/breathable barrier and a Deluge® DWR (durable water repellent) finish

HOTBUY!

83930-FGE

18 Dec 2012

OLD

& NE

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I don’t have good footing. Just ask anyone who has ever fished with me; sooner or later I’m going to end up in the water. So as luck would have it, I did some major damage to my knee last October. After griping and moan-ing for months and warding off sound advice from my friends and family that it was probably nothing major, just being over dramatic about it, I finally decided enough was enough and threw in the towel with a trip to the Ortho Sur-geon. It turned out to be a torn ACL. Not just torn but totally severed where it lay there lifeless, incapable of performing it’s purpose of supporting mobility for months. Huh, so that’s what that feels like? I went in for surgery on the day before the unofficial first day of summer, Memorial Day. So started what I knew would be a totally unproductive and inactive summer filled with lots of physical therapy and patience. I accepted defeat and knew my days of getting to the gym at 4:30 am for two-hour workouts and standard eight mile runs after workdays were soon numbered. Well, there was always fishing. Oh wait; this is how I got hurt in the first place. Walking down a boat ramp without soles trying to keep my precious electronics dry as I once again lost footing and plummeted to my frigid destination.

My morning routines always coincided with work-days and they were just that, another day at work. I didn’t necessarily like them, but it makes me feel extremely good and that’s just the price I felt it was worth. Head-phones on, tune the world out, focus and get through it. Fly fishing though? Wow, fly fishing was big. Fly fishing was my escape from that guy I was every day 6 days a week 430 am to 9 pm. Fly-fishing takes me back to how I grew up; free. Free to be where I want to be when I want to be with whom I desire. Free away from what has become acceptable ambient background noise of busy city traffic, phone calls, mail alerts, Facebook status, tweets, target demographics, core customers, lead times, ah make it stop! Fly fishing was precious time to be with good friends, learning, teaching, or just time to be alone analyzing what is important in your life; friends, family, a good job, opportunities. The day came mid September where I felt my foot-ing was at least good enough to take on a small, not very deep stream by myself and just reflect the past few months. This by far has been one of the most humbling experiences for me, and I am blown away with the amount of support and patience people have had with me. Through it all not being able to be on waters myself I eagerly awaited new blogs, fly fishing reports, and any general word about fly fishing conditions. It has amazed me how this little farm store fly fishing passion has taken on life of it’s own and totally engulfed us in it’s allure.

So here we are at the beginning of new month, and the end of another year. Seems like just yesterday a group

Written by Alfonso Martinez


Dec 2012 19

OLD & NEW My morning routines always coincided with work-days and they were just that, another day at work. I didn’t necessarily like them, but it makes me feel extremely good and that’s just the price I felt it was worth. Head-phones on, tune the world out, focus and get through it. Fly fishing though? Wow, fly fishing was big. Fly fishing was my escape from that guy I was every day 6 days a week 430 am to 9 pm. Fly-fishing takes me back to how I grew up; free. Free to be where I want to be when I want to be with whom I desire. Free away from what has become acceptable ambient background noise of busy city traffic, phone calls, mail alerts, Facebook status, tweets, target demographics, core customers, lead times, ah make it stop! Fly fishing was precious time to be with good friends, learning, teaching, or just time to be alone analyzing what is important in your life; friends, family, a good job, opportunities. The day came mid September where I felt my foot-ing was at least good enough to take on a small, not very deep stream by myself and just reflect the past few months. This by far has been one of the most humbling experiences for me, and I am blown away with the amount of support and patience people have had with me. Through it all not being able to be on waters myself I eagerly awaited new blogs, fly fishing reports, and any general word about fly fishing conditions. It has amazed me how this little farm store fly fishing passion has taken on life of it’s own and totally engulfed us in it’s allure.

So here we are at the beginning of new month, and the end of another year. Seems like just yesterday a group

of us met on the Mo’ to bring in 2012. So what does this 2013 have in store for you? Well, for me personally I vow to take back all those missed opportunities and then some with pro-ductive, unselfish time on the waters. I feel I have paid my dues and have reached the end of my learning curve. I am grateful to be surrounded by a group of anglers who have taught me many lessons along the way and feel it is now my turn to give back.

Don’t get me wrong; I am by no means a fly fishing master. Fly fishing is a life long pursuit. No matter what you choose to do in 2013, just get out there and do it! Don’t be intimidated to ask questions along the way and by all means, field a few yourself if you can. Use your local fly shop to get the answers you are looking for. That’s what we are here for.


OLD

& NE

W

20 Dec 2012

If these guys can teach an old dog like me to fish, trust me, they can teach anyone. Maybe you just want to learn the basics or you are looking to spend more time with your significant other. Perhaps you are looking at your first “serious” rod, or you are ready to take on a hosted trip to some far away exotic land. What ever you desire, and however far you want to take your skills, go for it! The important part is to find your comfort zone and develop a set of skills that work best for you.

My ever-curious son is eager to be introduced to fly fishing. At the ripe age of seven I think his coordination has developed enough where he can handle the basics. I only hope I can be as patient and as good of a teacher as those who taught me. I look forward to having purpose on the water and will work hard in making every minute memorable as he develops his skills.

We are all at different stages in our lives, with different circumstances that work with or against us. In life, just like fishing, you’ll never know what opportunities lie right around the bend. My son wants to spend more time with me on the river? Well, there’s an opportunity I’ll take any day. Hopefully he develops better footing than I.

• Lightweight, packable PrimaLoft® One insulation to keep you warm even in wet conditions• PrimaLoft® One insula-tion offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio available and has superior water-repellency• PrimaLoft® One fibers are highly compressible & soft - like goose down yet maintains insulating prop-erties even when wet• Hand warmer pockets and zippered chest pocket• Classic diamond quilting pattern with reflective logos•Corrosion-resistant YKK® zippers utilize nylon coil and slider

Late October marked the first Fly Stock event for our three shops with the Great Falls,

Ponderay and Omak crews meeting at the Guest House, a cabin situated just a few feet away

from the Okanogan River. The Fly Stock was an opportunity to meet with a handful of product representatives to discuss, make decisions on, and

place orders for our spring 2013 inventory. Tanner Way, the newest member of the Omak crew said "I personally

learned a lot being along side co-workers from Montana, Idaho, and Washing-ton who fish completely different waters but are passionate just the same. It

was more than what we could ever get from a brochure. We actually used the different prod-ucts hands-on. Getting a feel for them really helps us sell these products to customers, not just talk about them. I can now say Yes! I have used this, and this is how great it is!" "It was great meeting the guys from the other shops" says Matt Gutzmann from the Great Falls store. "Getting new insights, hearing about their experiences, it was fun. It was interesting to meet the different reps and to see how passionate they are about their products" We’re not at liberty to discuss the specifics of what’s in store for 2013, even though it's killing me not to. Some exciting gear is coming, I can say that. I've already begun to sell my old gear to make room! What we did to get 2013 inventory ordered was important, no doubt. But let's face it, there were six shop guys, two guys from marketing and two buyers in attendance — all fishy fellows, right on the Okanogan. I don't have to tell you what we did in our off time. ∞

Words and Photos by Rob Guevarra

on the

Counterclockwise from left:John Ewald - Great Falls Marketing, Stephan Avena- Omak, Calvin Fuller - Ponderay Asst. Mgr., DexterLevandoski - Rep, Travis Morris - Rep, Tom McCormick- Omak , Sam Wike - Great Falls Corp., Dustin Bise- Ponderay, Matt Gutzmann - Great Falls, again withD-Bise, Greg Bennett - Omak, Erik Haugen - GreatFalls Buyer, crew working hard, Tanner Way - Omak

quality time in North Central WashingtonSpenging a little

22 Dec 2012

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Trick or treat Trick or treat

egg SuckingLeechegg SuckingLeech

ClousabouClousabou

sculpzilla whiteSculpzilla White

Purple Zebra MidgePurple Zebra Midge

Pink Amexpink Amex

Dec 2012

TroutCandy

Dec 2012 25

TROUT CANDY

Purple Zebra MidgePurple Zebra Midge

Pink Amexpink Amex

Tungsten SunkistTungsten Sunkist

Jujubee midgeJujubee midge

Poxyback SowbugPoxyback Sowbug

D-Midge purpleD-midge purple

CREATURE FEATUREFred Telleen ties up the Ice Water Leech

CREA

TURE

FEA

TURE

Fly Recipe:Hook: Mustad 7XL Streamer size 10 Spirit River Real Eyes 5/32Winter Run Purple New Age ChenilleBlack MarabouWhite Senyos Laser Dub

26 Dec 2012

Have you ever wondered how that Royal Wulffor Parachute Adams you use so much was tied or how to tie it? EMAIL US. We would be more than happy to tie up the pattern as close to the original as possible for your viewing pleasure. Describe the fly as best as possible or better yet, send along a pic of the fly and the name of it.

Don’t forget to check out the fly tying section up on the Big R Fly Shop website HERE. We upload a new fly tying video weekly as our featured Fly of the Week, and the fly tying section continues to grow with some of our most popular fly patterns.

Small and sparse, this fly makes it easier for a slow chasing rainbow or brown in cold winter temps to grab and turn on this fly. When you get a number of grabs but no hooksets on larger streamer patterns, it’s time to go small. A more lethargic fish will be able to fit the hook in it’s mouth a bit easier with this smaller profile streamer pattern. It’s still flashy enough to get the attention of a feeding fish and will make catching fish in the dead of winter alot more tolerable.

Let Us Tie One For You!

GEAR NIGHTGot an issue!?We have back issues!

Not those kinda back issues, previous issues you can read if you missed one!

next month

Stop! Hopper Time» Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh, We Break it Down Hopper Mania» Big R Fly Shop Presents a Short Film

AUGUST 2012 Farm Store Fly Fishing

BugShot» Killer Closeups of Hoppers in Their Habitat

HOPPERISSUE2 0 1 2

Hopper ManiaHopper ManiaBig R Fly Shop Presents

Watch on Page 8

MorrishHopper

Idaho Metalhead» Steelheading in Idaho Steelhead Lifecycle» 900 Miles From Start to Finish

SEPTEMBER 2012 Farm Store Fly Fishing

The Cast: Spey Casting Video Series» Learn to Spey Cast with Calvin Fuller

Layer Up» Stay Warm This Fall and Winter October Caddis» Don’t Miss One of the Best HatchesHunt for Browns in October» Fall Spawner and Ethics

OCTOBER 2012 Farm Store Fly Fishing

www.bigrflyshop.comwww.bigrflyshop.com

Great Falls, MT4400 10th Ave South

(406) 761.7441

Ponderay, ID477181 North Hwy 95

(208) 255.5757

Omak, WA1227 Koala Dr

(509) 422.9840

Great Falls, MT4400 10th Ave South

(406) 761.7441

Ponderay, ID477181 North Hwy 95

(208) 255.5757

Omak, WA1227 Koala Dr

(509) 422.9840

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Big R Fly Shop eMagazine December 2012