Random Thoughts of the Day - March 10th, 2026

I'm working on a summary of my trip to the mountains this weekend.

Today's Ponderings:

1. Should I start using split shot? I don't have full fly boxes with all the different weights I may need. I could see having a small container of shot being useful.

2. I need to start bring some spools of different nymphing rigs pre-tied onto tippet. This would save me a lot of time on the water.

3. I've also started using some neat leader "cards" for swapping leaders more quickly on the water. I'll highlight that in the next post as well.

4. I'm going to revamp the About Me section to make it a little more engaging.

   
   

From the last rumination post:

1. Should I adopt a "multi-use" hook for some of my fly tying? I've had my eye on the Firehole Sticks 718 hook for a while now as a default hook for anything subsurface that doesn't require a short shank. They run a bit large, but have a full range of sizes. On the other hand, the business closed last year and reopened this year under new leadership. Still to be determined is whether some of the quality issues mentioned on numerous fly fishing forums have been addressed (mainly some bending hooks during fights and spotty finish issues).

   
   

   I'm going to give Firehole Sticks a try. I'll pick up a single pack of size 18s for this hook and stress test it in my vise. If I don't get any that bend or break, then maybe I'll see about picking up some more sizes.

Random Thoughts of the Day - March 5th, 2026

I'm thinking about making posts like these a regular occurrence. I think it'd be good to have a place to keep track of the thought process as I'm trying to get better at...well everything.

1. Should I adopt a "multi-use" hook for some of my fly tying? I've had my eye on the Firehole Sticks 718 hook for a while now as a default hook for anything subsurface that doesn't require a short shank. They run a bit large, but have a full range of sizes. On the other hand, the business closed last year and reopened this year under new leadership. Still to be determined is whether some of the quality issues mentioned on numerous fly fishing forums have been addressed (mainly some bending hooks during fights and spotty finish issues).

1. I'm getting ready to hit a nearby national park to attempt a trout species slam on Saturday. This is going to involve moving around the park to target rainbows, browns, and brookies, which occupy different streams. However, there is rarely cell service in this park. So I dug out my maps and Garmin, and realized I have not put together a Google map of places to scout in the park. I'll need to be able to move around the park without getting lost and without cell reception. This should help.

   
   

2. Also, I'm figuring out my route for this weekend. I'm torn between exploring a new watershed and fishing one that I've fished before. On the one hand, it'd be nice to see how a place I'm familiar with changes with the hatch. On the other hand, I do like exploring. Decisions, decisions.

   
   

3. I'm following along with Troutbitten's skill series on dry dropper techniques. In the intro podcast episode, they're talking about how your dry fly selection shouldn't just be a big dry that the fish won't eat, but something that has a good chance of being eaten. Otherwise, why not just throw an indicator nymphing rig? Ehh...I don't know. I've caught ONE fish on a pure indy rig, and it was by accident. But I've caught a bunch of fish on a dry dropper rig where I can't help but feel like the fish came up to look at something more buggy than a yarn indicator, never really intended to eat it, and then snapped up the nymph floating behind/below it.

   
   

Just a short update

So in prep for the BWOs, I've got a dozen Parachute Adamseses in light olive ready to go. For my nymphs, I've also started tying Pheasant Tail nymphs. I absolutely despise tying them, but I'm set on getting better at it. This is the best I could do out of 6 flies today. Not great, but it'll get better. I made poor decisions on the hook and bead combo. It's a size 16, but only a 1x long shank instead of the recommended 2x. I'll skip the bead for the next half-dozen.

Meh. Mediocre, but it'll hunt.

For my emergers, I'm going with an RS2. Versatile and quick to tie, it's an easy decision. It'll also give me an opportunity to work on my dubbing game.

Things are looking pretty good for the weekend. We've had some rain over the past week, temperatures are warming, and we're due for some foul weather on Saturday, which means there's a good chance for a BWO hatch.

In site news, I really need to get on designing a logo so I can do a bit more with social media. I'm also going to re-write the "About" page to provide a bit more detail about myself, my background, and what I'm looking to do this year.