• an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts
• the idea that natural systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not as collections of parts
• the idea that natural systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not as collections of parts
ASPHALT TURNS INTO GRAVEL AS I SWING INTO THE LOT NEXT TO THE RIVER. My Jeep, Betsy, relishes in a brief off road moment kicking dirt and rocks under her chassis. I roll down my window and take a deep breath of salt air as the waters edge comes into focus. I park and hike down the nearest path to check out the water conditions and see what is going to work best for today. Its almost a 6.5 high tide and there is no floating kelp or exposed eel grass. The wind and tide are perfect today for fly fishing. I tied this all black Clouser Minnow Fly to target Spotted Bass and today looks ideal for it.
Fly fishing takes time and patience because some days you may put in a thousand casts for just one fish. It is a humbling experience if your used to bass fishing with artificial lures and a baitcaster. But as your casting away and hiking up and down the rocky banks of the river you get to observe subtle glimpses of nature unfold in front of you. White egrets in the flats stalking their prey while delicate Turns dip and dive along the surface of the river. Crabs creep in and out of the cracks along the rocky bottom while big corvina cruise by your feet like ghosts. Each path you explore through tall golden marsh grass reveals hidden clues to natures ebb and flow of life. I come across the remnants of bird who met its demise earlier from some stealthy predator lurking in the rocks. Its pristine body with white feathers folded perfectly against the jet black rocks engages your mind to try and piece together this "crime" scene. Fishing is more then just catching fish, it is an opportunity to engage with nature and the creatures we respect. If you collect everything you experienced that day as a whole its more then just the one fish you were lucky enough to catch. ~Photos and Words Scott Wyss © 2017
Try the "Dirty Bird" my spottie go-to fly. It's just a clouser with a brown piece of rabbit fur (zonker strip) on the eye (facing down) side that starts ahead of the eyes and wraps over them - a couple wraps behind the eyes and let the rest trail behind. Orange bucktail or orange Flash 'N Slinky on the "up" side (where hook bends up) no extra flash needed - tie the buck tail kinda sparse. I like chartreuse or red XL dumbell eyes and red thread - if you tie the rabbit fur just right the fly looks like the black chicken on the Tecate can... thus, The Dirty Bird.
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