Bob Mitchell's Fly Shop Seminar - Brad Bohen's Big Flies

Photo Courtesy of Musky Country Outfitters

On January 14th I took one of the best fly tying seminars I have been to in years.  Bob Mitchell's Fly Shop had Brad Bohen come in to teach a "Big Fly" class and it was fantastic.  We learned to tie two patterns, the Hang Time Minnow and The Beauford.

Bob Mitchell's has historically been a place for trout guys, but now that Robert Hawkins has taken over it is becoming a real warm water mecca.  Guys like Brad are coming back in and our little warm water habit is now getting some traction.  If you haven't stopped into Bob Mitchell's since Robert has taken things over you need to get in the car and pay them a visit.

The class was way above my expectations.  Brad was down to earth and taught a comprehensive class that inspired the whole room.  He is passionate about the sport, has created innovative patterns and is a flat out nice guy.  If you ever get a chance to attend a Brad Bohen event, or hire him as a guide you should not hesitate.

Great class....thank you Bob Mitchell's.

Brad Bohen - Swim Jimmy Part 1

Brad Bohen - Swim Jimmy Part 2

Brad Bohen - Hangtime Optic Minnow Part 1

I wanted to share a video from a local legend, Brad Bohen.  Brad is conducting a seminar at Bob Mitchell's Fly Shop in mid-January - I am stoked.

Brad's flies look very complicated, but after you watch the videos a few times you realize things aren't that bad.  My first few were not great, but like anything else I'll get it it time.

Brad uses the Gamakatsu B10S hook in 2/0.  I found the hooks on Amazon here for a great price.  They are labeled as "Gamakatsu Black Stinger Fly Hook, 100 Pack", but when I got my order the box was labeled B10S.  Great hooks!  Brad is a fantastic fly tyer.

Here is a link to Brad's website.

Brad Bohen - Hangtime Optic Minnow Part 2

Fuller Mini-Maid Vacuum

Fuller Mini-Maid

Hi everybody!  My apologies for not posting on a regular basis, my job has had me hopping.  Kind of a strange post for a fly tying blog, but let me explain....

My fly tying/reloading bench is famous for being cluttered with all kinds of materials, especially little floating hair clumps and feather bits.  If I go on a deer hair packing binge....forget sitting at the bench with anything other than overalls....a real friggin' mess!

My last organizing session led me to look for a dedicated vacuum that can suck up my fur and feather bits, lead pellets  and spent primers from my reloading press.  The old Dust Buster just didn't cut it, the motor was too wimpy.

A quick internet search revealed an interesting machine, the Fuller Mini-Maid.  The rave reviews prompted me to bite, so I ordered one up on Amazon.  I'm glad I did...

The Mini-Maid is one of the smallest and lightest vacuums I have ever used.  The horsepower of this little unit is impressive.  Lead pellets, spent primers, dust bunnies, shotgun powder flakes....all of it was gone in the flip of a switch.  My bench is spotless now!

No little bags to fuss with either!

If you want to keep your bench tidy I highly recommend this vacuum.  The attachments will also be helpful when detailing the cars.  The little dusting attachments will get into every nook and cranny and the motor will suck up anything I can fit in the hose.

New Kayaks - Crow Wing Pro-Angler 1080

Crow Wing 1080 Pro-Angler

Kids on the Water

As most of you know, I prefer fly fishing on foot.  I took Tim Holschlag's stream side class a few years back and really got into wading rivers and streams.  Wading is simple......I like simple.

I decided to make things a little more complicated by adding kayaks to the mix.  We attended an event on the St Croix river last week called Kids on the Water.  The event gave kids an opportunity to try a variety of different watercraft.  My boys tried sit in and sit on kayaks, paddle boards, various types of canoes and the Hobie Craft kick boat.  I was shocked how quickly the boys took to the kayaks!  Within 2 minutes they were cruising all over the river with confidence.  After the event we decided to make the investment in kayaks.

Crow Wing Kayaks

A local outdoor show called Minnesota Bound highlighted a company called Crow Wing Kayaks up in the Brainerd  lakes area.  Crow Wing manufacturers lightweight, stable, sit on top kayaks with a large cargo hold capacity.  After the event on the St. Croix we know who we were going to call for kayaks.

We called Jim Bergquist at Crow Wing and discussed our options.  After some thought and budget review we opted for the 1080 model.  We purchased four 1080's total, three Explorers and one Pro-Angler.  The specs for the kayaks are listed here.  All four fit into the bed of my pickup, no need for tie downs or roof racks.

Canine Friendly

The family wanted to have the ability to bring our german shepherd with us on floats.  The Crow Wing's large cargo area holds all sorts of things, including dogs!  

Crow Wing 1080 - Canine Friendly

We haven't taken our dog yet.  I'm sure the first few times will be an exercise in patience, but she will eventually get used to the idea of riding.

Family Memories

Fishing will be fun, but the family memories will be priceless.  My boys are getting bigger and bigger and next thing you know they'll be off to college.  No phones, Ipods, XBox....just us, the river and the dog.