tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37572490089060911252012-02-06T16:47:04.944-05:00Fly Fishing, Fly Tying Videos And MoreRich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.comBlogger1071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-81633193924413610212012-02-04T17:36:00.002-05:002012-02-04T20:49:09.088-05:00

I'll keep it short and sweet, although we only tied 3 patterns, the class as a whole was packed with useful information in regards to constructing sound articulated streamers.  I had intentions of teaching 4-6 patterns today, but the numbers of questions in regards to these style of flies construction were bountiful but more than necessary.  Tying large flies is one thing, teaching them is

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-20222252114280792692012-02-01T13:56:00.000-05:002012-02-01T14:05:38.705-05:00

Been a busy guy lately.  2012 has started out on fire and I am very thankful for every body's interest in my fly patterns.  I have been fortunate enough to have been given some leeway with some of my orders recently, and have had some really cool things coming off the vise. When I get the opportunity to customize an order it is a lot of fun.   Coming up with new color combinations and designs

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-80073539767327439092012-01-27T23:31:00.003-05:002012-01-27T23:31:37.005-05:00

Recent Order Of Dries Heading To Southern Connecticut Been a busy week to say the least, barreling through fly orders in an attempt to catch up so to speak.  Momma comes home tonight as my daughters would say, so life will assume some sense of normal again.  Although tying mixed orders of flies is a tedious task, I really enjoy tying selections of dry flies.  As you can see, one rather lucky

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-63396782114799628612012-01-25T22:41:00.000-05:002012-01-25T22:41:49.780-05:00

Dubbing Bags Measured In Ounces... Been a little quiet this week, Fly Deals are sold out, and I haven't posted a new one yet as I am a bit behind.  My apologies, but the wife's in Vegas for the week on business, or so she says, you know how that goes, not a bad place for a business meeting eh?  I could think of a few hundred other places that run through some stellar watersheds that would be

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-63092353858055213572012-01-19T20:59:00.000-05:002012-01-19T20:59:19.817-05:00

 Sometimes when mother nature deals you a bad hand, it pays to have a backup plan, today was one of those days.  When I spoke to friend Dan Harrison at Harrison Anglers a few days ago, and our schedules matched up to do some fishing, we established "Plan A" as I would call it.  Mother nature thought otherwise, and Plan A was soon scrapped when our original destination was an iceberg and slush

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-38834154085412481012012-01-17T00:12:00.000-05:002012-01-17T00:12:16.963-05:00

Going To Tame Some Browns On The Cumberland River  Been tying a good number of articulated flies for a change as a result of my recent orders.   Some consisting of patterns from last year,  some new ones including the "Snare".   A few of these are customized, one batch heading out to a guy who likes to chase large Browns on the Cumberland Tailwater in Kentucky and Tennessee.  Curious to see how

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-74486757907866246952012-01-11T15:57:00.000-05:002012-01-11T15:57:14.467-05:00

 So I got a nice email from an acquaintance I made a little over a year ago from Missouri, another guy bitten bad by the fly fishing bug.   Brian Wise from Fly fishing The Ozarks dropped in the other day to report that he and many of his customers are having continued success in his neck of the woods on the Ice Pick Streamer.  Being a bit selfish I asked Brian to send over any pictures he had

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-12617826969212514782012-01-10T19:18:00.000-05:002012-01-11T11:09:34.625-05:00

 For January, I would have to say the fishing today was very good.  I set off for the river after picking up my oldest from preschool and was stream side at about noon.  The first spot I started was devoid of fisherman; god I love the winter.  From the second I ran my first series of drifts, I knew I was going to have a nice little afternoon on the river.  The photos attached are only a

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-28730291773423139912012-01-09T11:13:00.000-05:002012-01-09T11:13:40.420-05:00

So as you probably figured, I was pretty much confined to the house last week, hence the bombarding of posts.  A major sinus infection requiring antibiotics and then the stomach flu rendered me stuck inside for the New Year.  What I did manage to do is get started on a few projects for the new year, one of which is bringing back the fly promos. 12 Woven Mayfly Nymphs, Two colors Each In Size 8

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-15966757361405116652012-01-03T16:41:00.003-05:002012-01-03T17:13:05.696-05:00

 A few small orders as of late, mostly mixed bags, Hog Snares, Winter Stones, Tiny Dancer Caddis etc etc.  I'll keep the post picture laden and less text.   Looks like winter has finally reared it's ugly head, as it is going to below zero tonight with the wind chill.  I may hit the water tomorrow, but I may also chicken out and stay home to tie.  As you can see I brought back the fly

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-868299822715341802011-12-31T15:46:00.000-05:002011-12-31T15:46:58.993-05:00

Consider this my gift to all of you my loyal followers.  Click on the picture to be rerouted to the latest tying video, one of which I have gotten a lot of requests for.  My double articulated Hog Snare Streamer.  Enjoy, be well and may 2012 bring you many successes on the water.  Hog-A-Rific

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-1351638317495656982011-12-30T18:30:00.003-05:002011-12-30T18:30:58.171-05:00

Web Wing CDC Caddis Although I haven't been a huge proponent of fixed synthetic wings on dry flies, i.e; web wing style flies, I do know that many other fly fisherman out there approve of them.  Hey, I know, any fly can have it's time and place, some are more consistent producers then others, and some fit into that other category of situational options as I like to refer to them.   If you

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-78087365297309570892011-12-28T12:54:00.004-05:002011-12-28T12:55:19.125-05:00

Although I spent a majority of my free time guiding clients this past season, I did manage to do some fishing of my own on some old water and new.  Next year looks to be a year of rebirth for me as  guiding is taking a backseat and all those better dates will be sorted out for some time of my own.  Click on the fish to see the video.....

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-78674695964281473532011-12-21T13:47:00.001-05:002011-12-30T10:31:15.184-05:00

First and foremost, I wish you all a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.  Hopefully you will all have an uneventful and relaxing one with friends and family.  Secondly, the Articulated Streamer Class is full.  Was very surprised to see how quickly this one filled up to say the least.  If there is enough interest out there I will post a second date, but it will need to be a class with 6-8

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-72136901679406912782011-12-19T09:35:00.002-05:002011-12-30T10:29:42.396-05:00

I was panning through some of my older material and found a rather fitting piece I did for The Farmington River Anglers Association Newsletter back in 2008.  Read on if you are a winter fisherman, it might shed some subtleties on fishing midges this time of year.  The fish in the winter months are on average pretty nice as the pictures depict.  Remember, this is only one tactic, there are

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-77600798230659823002011-12-12T23:25:00.002-05:002011-12-13T10:04:25.746-05:00

Picture Perfect Farmington Brown Trout.  Wild?  Very Likely  Despite high water, I managed a rather fruitful outing today.  I managed a handful of nice wily browns on Tiny Dancer winter caddis pupa, and then I switched to some subsurface fare.  After catching several holdover browns and rainbows, I managed to stick this lively and spotless specimen. Close Up This is what I fish the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-87341578654746007122011-12-08T13:54:00.001-05:002011-12-30T10:30:14.462-05:00

Black Tiny Dancer aka Winter Caddis Imitation **UPDATE** CLICK THE PHOTOS TO BE REDIRECTED TO THE VIDEO If you're a regular visitor of the Farmington River in the colder months, you are very familiar with the steady hatches of winter caddis and eager fish chasing them on any given morning this time of year.  Over the last 8 or so years I have attempted to devise a pattern that would match

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-40422453134011407812011-12-07T07:39:00.001-05:002011-12-07T07:54:14.475-05:00

Various Means To Articulate Streamers February 4, 2012 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Tuition $75.00   8 Seat Maximum  $40 deposit secured for a seat through Upcountry Sportfishing.  Act fast, these classes fill quickly. I know I have been talking about this one for a few weeks now, well here is the particulars now that the date is set in stone.   Objective To demonstrate through participation how

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-33876449864335817402011-12-03T15:16:00.001-05:002011-12-03T15:40:56.550-05:00

The View From My Vise A big thank you goes out to the 8 gentleman who signed up for my tying class today.  We packed the table, tied some relatively easy patterns, and had a good time.  When all was said and done we pumped out seven of my most used patterns on the Farmington and elsewhere; a majority were of my own design, with a few from other notable tyers, full credit given.  I even

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-70196015581237211192011-12-02T18:05:00.001-05:002011-12-02T18:35:28.874-05:00

Balmy Opening Temperature Nice Steam Rolling Off The Water At Daybreak One of Seven From The First Run.  So I spent my 37th Birthday on the water.  After my original fishing plans grenaded, I had to regroup and fish my local water.  Not complaining at all.  The thermometer at 0 dark thirty was a chilling reminder that winter is knocking at the door.  22 degrees is hardly warm, but I

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-21614137817419139232011-11-30T13:32:00.001-05:002011-11-30T13:48:03.926-05:00

Staged For Completion With Final Product Been doing a few small orders here and there over the last week or two.  The one pictured here is one I was a little more fond of than the others as I was tasked with being a little more creative in color schemes, and was not going to have to tie dozens of flies to fill it.  A nice gentleman from Idaho contacted me and was looking for some of my

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-27012214773621112882011-11-29T09:58:00.017-05:002011-11-29T10:32:45.885-05:00

The Favorite T, That Was Spared  Sounds like a pretty stupid topic, but when your significant other decides she wants to dispose of a piece of your clothing you consider a mainstay, the thought came to mind.  I don't know about the rest of you guys out there, but me personally, I will wear a shirt till it literally falls apart.  Unlike my wife who basically tosses an article of clothing in the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-48974226482003893992011-11-25T15:14:00.001-05:002011-11-25T21:02:07.667-05:00

First Fish of The Day Loads of These Guys Today Decided to go for numbers today and broke out the nymph rig.  I have been hearing a lot of bellyaching on local forums about how slow the fishing has been and how catching one to none is the norm.  I had to find out for myself, so I put the switch rod down for a change and resorted back to the old standby as I would call it.  Fishing seems

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-86060296356455495642011-11-23T20:57:00.001-05:002011-11-23T21:06:25.956-05:00

A Handful Of Orange Busted Stones For Some Friends  Topside View Wow, six weeks later and I finally tied some flies.  I got into a groove and spun up some high water nymphs for this weekend, figuring the rivers gonna be up after the 3 plus inches of rain we received over the last 24 hours.  After about 5 dozen nymphs I decided to get cracking on a long overdue pile of promised specimens

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-68328506201684575232011-11-22T13:34:00.001-05:002011-11-22T13:41:52.523-05:00

Semi Finished Project Getting There Well here we are, almost six weeks later.  With more finish work to be done, we are livable once again.  The counter tops arrived yesterday with only one minor hang up, the opening in the background is slated for a sill of granite as well, but was measured wrong and will now be coming next week, otherwise things are good.  It is absolutely amazing and

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-8652875745538795952011-11-18T07:40:00.001-05:002011-11-18T07:48:47.550-05:00

As you all may have already figured out, I am no longer guiding.  It was a personal decision that was based around what is best for my family.  2012 would have marked my 10th year as a guide, and although I made some great relationships along the way, produced a great presence in the "fly fishing scene", it was becoming overwhelming keeping up with it all.  If this was my primary career it would

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-7659894341226331332011-11-10T15:44:00.001-05:002011-11-10T16:09:10.528-05:00

Kitchen Coming Together, Courtesy Of Rich Sr. Just A Taste Of The Devastation From Alfred, That's An Almost 3 Foot Across Oak Tree  Where to start, boy it's been an eventful three or more weeks.  The kitchen is finally coming together despite winter storm Alfred kicking me square in the coin purse and delaying the project a full 10 days.  A week long power outage will do that unfortunately

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-35319717007498609262011-11-07T13:35:00.003-05:002011-11-07T13:35:54.145-05:00

Effective January 1, 2012, the Farmington River TMA expansion goes into effect.  For all of you who helped the FRAA, DEP and all other fellow flyfisher's make this idea become  reality, thanks for your hard work and support.  This is a giant step in the right direction for a great trout fishery. 

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-69789429697081073132011-11-04T13:31:00.000-04:002011-11-04T13:31:54.089-04:00

If you have been wondering where I've been the last week or more after the kitchen detail, lets just say life has been upside down for the better part of  a month.  We just got our power back on yesterday, and I had to work through what was easily the worst storm I have ever seen.  To say it's a disaster area is putting it mildly.  A few near death experiences the night of the storm, left a very

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-48834726924827932652011-10-15T20:51:00.000-04:002011-10-15T20:51:33.875-04:00

Sorry to say it for those of you who might be looking for some flies in the next couple of weeks, but as you can see I am bit busy.  Renovating my kitchen, gutting everything, removing a wall to open things up a bit, etc etc etc.  My poor tying desk is covered in rock lathe dust, soon to be dry wall dust, and then it's clean up time.  So, I will be back in action in a few weeks, till then

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-75700532844230815852011-10-13T11:40:00.003-04:002011-10-13T11:40:43.019-04:00

Mixed Bunch O Micro Nymphs to Mega Streamers Hog Snare n Company Swingers...  Just a mixed bag of streamers and some nymphs to hit the mail.  Two pair of Hog Snares, bloodied bait fish, Meat Helmet Sculpins, BS Swingers, Iron Maidens, October Caddis Pupa, and some tiny olive Tungsten Spinners.   Looking forward to the stories these babies will produce..... More Snares, October Caddis

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-32298696681834262932011-10-08T23:58:00.003-04:002011-10-22T06:28:12.102-04:00

MM! Tasty BS Swinger.... Brookies Like Em Too.  I managed to get out on the water again today for a short 3 hour jaunt, targeting a new piece of water different from the other day.  It is really amazing to see how much the river has changed since Hurricane Irene.  Some runs are completely new, others are the same, some are much better than before, others just do not have that ole "fishy"

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-22891380270118748522011-10-07T00:06:00.005-04:002011-10-07T00:13:04.778-04:00

The Hog Snare, 6 Inches Of Dual Articulated Fun  Now that I have some free time on my hands before I tear my kitchen to pieces and begin a most certainly painstaking project, I have had the time to draw up, tie and test several ideas that have been bouncing around in my head.  One of the ideas I've had was a double jointed streamer using  one of the new articulated shanks in the middle.  The

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-87399570549260611032011-10-02T10:18:00.000-04:002011-10-02T10:18:07.024-04:00

5 Dozen Rock Candy  Back on the vise hard, prepping flies at night after work, then tying the remainder when the kids go to bed on the days off.  I have some pretty cool new patterns to unveil in the months to come, good simple flies with some newer and older materials that just plain catch fish.  Since the storefront went back up, I've been pretty busy spinning up  orders.  The storefront

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-17400730409524148362011-09-29T20:46:00.003-04:002011-09-29T20:46:17.224-04:00

Finally got a date ironed out at Upcountry folks.  December 3, 2011 9AM till 1-2 PM.  Tuition $75.  Class limited to 8 seats, contact Upcountry Sportfishing @ 860-379-1952.  A $40 deposit to reserve your seat will be accepted over the phone or in person at the shop, balance due on the day of the class.  Seats fill fast, so don't delay.  This is an intermediate tyers class, and not one for

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-15728317597940807622011-09-26T14:09:00.003-04:002011-09-26T15:49:05.608-04:00

The Fruits Of My Efforts.. The creative gene has reared its head once again. Maybe it's been the weekly text messages or phone calls with good friend and fellow tier, Mike Schmidt of Anglers Choice Flies. Or maybe it's the balance I have created for myself giving me some free time to conjure up more interesting and productive stuff. What ever it is, good things have surfaced thus far. If

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-37918945377511766632011-09-15T21:21:00.001-04:002011-09-15T21:21:48.071-04:00

The 4 Plus, Trout Town Workhorse Unlike other gear reviews floating around on the net, I choose to wait a while before I review any of the products  I use.  It's only fair to the reader, I mean think about it, if you put a review up based solely upon your excitement for a new gadget that you haven't even used yet, are you really giving a true and honest assessment?  I use the same approach

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-65166632295716611452011-09-13T10:11:00.002-04:002011-09-13T10:11:21.669-04:00

 So if you were wondering where my focus aside from family is these days, read on.   I have come to the conclusion that with all that is going on in my life, I needed to sit back, reassess, and come up with a new game plan for the time being. The guiding portion of the business unfortunately is going on the back burner till further notice.  On the flip side of things the fly store will be

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-28786950822593553112011-09-11T13:27:00.002-04:002011-09-11T13:27:19.701-04:00

Micro Tube With Some New Materials Same Flies, And Others Under UV Light... So there is a time and a place for just about anything, especially in fly fishing.   I know these days, bigger seems to be better when it comes to streamers, and many of the newer patterns out there are pushing the envelope in all sorts of directions in terms of materials, size, movement, articulation etc. 

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-57224690595080116462011-08-28T15:23:00.001-04:002011-08-29T09:07:52.454-04:00

Various photos from today's hurricane in the Town of New Hartford.... Satans Kingdom at 15,000 CFS Farmington River Tpk, Behind Dog Pound Black Bridge The Pond Behind River Run Apartments Michelangelos Parking Lot The Island Behind Upcountry, 5 feet under water Route 219 Bridge - Posted using

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-34238921424007481232011-08-22T22:45:00.003-04:002011-08-22T22:45:22.440-04:00

The Switch Rod Arsenal So if you haven't  noticed,  I've been in hiding lately.   The rumors are flying about what's going on, and some of you have so cleverly  figured it out.  Catching-Shadows is shifting gears in 2012.   I know, hold up, 2011 isn't even over yet so what's the deal?  I have made a conscious effort to spend more time with the wife and kids, couple that with a huge

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-67962026694809302612011-08-07T10:35:00.001-04:002011-08-07T10:35:21.645-04:00

Perch City You are all probably wondering why I am off Facebook, been putting up very little if any new content on the site, and where the Agitated Angler blog came from.  At first glance it probably appears that some pretty dark S@*t is unfolding in the life of Rich, right?  Well not exactly, actually some very positive things are taking center stage, and I have just been too busy to keep up

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-2955189790398893902011-06-30T10:55:00.000-04:002011-06-30T10:55:45.236-04:00

Bighole Put In So, where to begin.  I flew out Thursday evening and was succumbed to some hellatious layovers, one of which was 9 hours in Denver (totally sucked ass).  I ended up finally landing in Bozemon around 9:45 AM on Friday, and Mike was ready with new Hyde in tow.   Having already been out here for a week, he was already at ease and fished a number of days already on the Henry's Fork.

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-71189532911071945412011-06-19T22:07:00.001-04:002011-06-20T08:19:06.502-04:00

Tessa's Card  First and foremost, Happy Fathers Day to all you Dad's out there.  I hope each and every one of you managed to enjoy your day with friends and family, relaxed, or spent time doing what you love.  As Good As Fishing....   I am going to take some time here to bring you into my world, and give you a little taste of why this Father's Day was so special for me.  It all started with

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-67723471269447241752011-06-05T01:51:00.000-04:002011-06-05T01:51:12.308-04:00

 Well despite some serious winds, this week was yet another productive round.  Another great father son duo came to town, and another youngster is well on the way to becoming quite the fisherman.  I'll keep the text to a minimum as the pictures vividly express the gist of how things went.  On the flip side of things, the bugs are getting very active, and from the pictures at the end, you can

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-47523617994687873192011-05-29T06:16:00.000-04:002011-05-29T06:16:32.689-04:00

So to say this week was a good one is an understatement.  Memorial Day Weekend is usually the kickoff of off the charts fishing.  Well the week leading up to this weekend was red hot.  The caddis have been thick all week and the fish have been all over them, with pupa and larval forms taking the bulk of the fish with some surface fish in the evenings.  All kinds of bugs are showing their faces

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-62619087412999274932011-05-22T23:50:00.000-04:002011-05-22T23:50:02.379-04:00

Jack And His First Fly Caught Trout Some say a picture's worth a thousand words.  In this case, I'd say times 10.  When I started guiding I can honestly say I don't know exactly why; the challenge, a sense of confidence, I can't quite tell.  But it had something to do with seeing if I had what it took to place people in my hands on the water, and magically impress upon them the knowledge that I

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-75850281142541902011-05-22T00:28:00.000-04:002011-05-22T00:28:37.728-04:00

A Nice One In The Rain..  So it was a good week of trips and an added outing with my buddy Mike.  Some days the fishing was red hot, other days it was steady with enough action to keep you interested all day.  Streamers worked very well some days, and non-existent the others.  Various styles of nymph techniques shined all week long and some new bugs entered center stage this week.  Every day

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-83301987740812099292011-05-17T22:04:00.000-04:002011-05-17T22:04:44.765-04:00

My friend Mike aka Porky Pig Mask is selling a boat, here's the details: For Sale:   2000 Hyde 16.8 High Side drift  boat, front seating storage box w/ Tempress fishing seat, double lid rowers storage seat with low-back rowers seat, rear seating bench with Tempress fishing seat, foot brace, raised level floors, side anchor system with easy-pull mechanism, brand new 9.5' hyde counter balanced

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-76408852219444291032011-05-11T11:22:00.000-04:002011-05-11T11:22:57.667-04:00

Our Ride at days end. Housatonic Float With Paul and Glenn 05/08/11.  Well, much to the chagrin of my wife, I guided this Mother's Day.  Trust me, I felt really really bad about it, and I owe her big time.  I am very much indebted to her, she is a saint for putting up with my obsession.  Enough of the small talk, lets get down to business.   So Paul gets the email to meet at Cellar

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-7360878487724155162011-05-03T07:47:00.000-04:002011-05-03T07:47:39.774-04:00

Morning Fog It's been a decent weekend on the river.  The water continues to drop, the temps continue to rise and the bugs are getting more and more abundant.  Aside from moderate fishing pressure, everything appears to be finally falling into place. A first light leviathan got away for me this morning prior to one of my guides.  Kinda funny, this big butter belly stuffed a 6 inch articulated

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-40664383172185656422011-04-23T07:41:00.000-04:002011-04-23T07:41:41.074-04:00

So I've returned from Ohio and Steelhead Alley where I managed to fish four new rivers for steel, and one other for browns.  The trip was a great get away and I had a very good time despite some tougher fishing conditions.  I met up with my friend Mike Schmidt of Anglers Choice Flies and he was the most gracious of hosts.  I am not a guy who likes to buy flies, as you all probably know.  But, one

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-42291957730427509562011-04-06T22:15:00.000-04:002011-04-06T22:15:07.402-04:00

Got a few of these.  So today goes like this, supposed to guide a couple of very nice guys  looking for some dry fly action.  Although there has been some to be had, albeit even if it is down on the mud flats of Church Pool, the pickings have been slim to say the least.  Rather than battle with a dozen other fisherman over one pod of risers, and cold water temps we opted to reschedule. The

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-58356539495662686132011-04-02T01:32:00.000-04:002011-04-02T01:32:26.857-04:00

John Working A Nice Drift  Opening day of Baseball season, longer days of daylight, birds singing, water temps rising and fishing feeding more and more readily each day.  These are some of the things I look forward to each and every spring.  When the Final Four is in check and the bats and gloves are out, I know that great fishing is only a few weeks away.  Kicking off my 2011 guide season a

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-46355689982311307462011-03-15T23:57:00.001-04:002011-03-16T17:10:13.707-04:00

Dan Locked On In A Familiar Heavily Fished Spot..... This past year has been one of my better years for meeting new really cool people who are about as touched with the sickness of fly-fishing as myself.  I met a slew of great people at the International Fly tying Symposium back in November, and about a week later I was lucky enough to float the Deerfield River in Western Massachusetts with Dan

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-78197714458218003812011-03-14T01:09:00.001-04:002011-03-14T01:17:19.861-04:00

A Handful Of This Winters Spooled Casualties.... I write this entry counting the days till my guide season officially kicks into high gear.  It's been the busiest winter to date, and I think next winter I'm gonna have to scale things back a bit.  I shouldn't feel drained this early in the year, I mean s*%t, I haven't even really begun guiding yet.  I guess the countless nights up after work

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-40341897381312329612011-03-06T08:36:00.000-05:002011-03-06T08:36:48.750-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }  TMA Expansion           Hearing         Wed., March 16th    6:30pm.  DEP Hdqtrs     79 Elm St. Hartford.This is the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-51256191965275582252011-03-03T15:17:00.001-05:002011-03-03T15:17:28.921-05:00

The guys at the Compleat Angler are putting together a pretty cool show to get you geared up for the upcoming season. For more info on the event, check out the particulars at www.saltwaterslam.net. From Scott, apparently It's not fly only but leans heavily that way. There is going to be a bunch of local saltwater tiers there as well. Any tickets purchased will is also be good for a 1 time

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-17895932821975046452011-03-01T07:47:00.001-05:002011-03-01T07:47:38.817-05:00

Well, it took a while but my sophomore writing effort is now live in the current issue of Eastern Flyfishing Magazine. My Classified Caddis pattern is now mainstream for all you fly junkies out there. I'm happy to see this one go to print, it's a very simple and effective fly pattern that has been working for the last three seasons. What is even cooler to me is the launch of the article

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-75447277245350968012011-02-25T17:28:00.000-05:002011-02-25T17:28:20.321-05:00

So Ed Mitchell contacted me a week or two ago and made me aware of some really interesting stuff in reference to Striped Bass Research.  Read on: @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Garamond"; }@font-face { font-family: "Calibri"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-15051982522446795022011-02-23T18:21:00.001-05:002011-02-23T18:21:56.231-05:00

All of my clients will be fishing with sports car reels this season. Need I say more- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-41474562466783000502011-02-18T09:21:00.000-05:002011-02-18T09:21:56.654-05:00

I have made the jump, I have always been the guy who blazes his own path, and the Hatch Reel company is very like minded.  When they jumped into the reel making business they were told they couldn't do a lot of the things that they set out to do.  In short notice they not only accomplished all of them, they far surpassed anything they had imagined.  Hatch reels define performance and durability

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-30153072514261929492011-02-15T10:02:00.000-05:002011-02-15T10:02:44.012-05:00

Just shy of 19 Frequent fly customer Paul reported back yesterday with another 3 hour round of success on the winter stone pattern.   This time a brown colored stone in a 16 was the ticket, accounting for the majority of the 9 fish he landed, apparently the remainder fell to the classified caddis pupa.   Although yesterdays weather was refreshing, last night's temperature drop and flurries were

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-86217688663873428942011-02-13T09:09:00.001-05:002011-02-13T12:29:19.709-05:00

The Beach Comber Yesterday I was fortunate enough to talk about the Farmington River and tie some of my more noteworthy flies with a great bunch of people who call the Bedford Sportsman their home fishing store.  When Charles informed me that it was an RSVP event I was a bit taken back.  Needless to say they packed the shop like a sardine can with people as all the seats were occupied and there

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-36827976043261327832011-02-08T10:08:00.000-05:002011-02-08T10:08:16.353-05:00

Caught on a #16 Black Rich's Winter Stone So a repeat customer of mine was fortunate enough to find some time yesterday to do some fishing on a local tail-water.   On his first drift with one of his recently purchased size 16 Black Rich's Winter Stone, bam, he hooks this guy.  For a short outing he managed 4 fish, 3 of which fell to the black stone.  I guess it's pretty safe to say that the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-30406544903763506442011-02-07T09:56:00.001-05:002011-02-08T09:49:19.775-05:00

Size 16 Micro Stones, mmm tasty! Size 6 Black Shimmer Stones, Even Tastier! Seems like lately stonefly nymphs have been the hot item.  Here are a few of my micro stones from one order in the three color configurations available.  These are nice simple little flies that catch well.  So you know, these are size 16, thought the business card would give you some scale. The next photo

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-78161495125047032142011-02-02T00:37:00.000-05:002011-02-02T00:37:41.466-05:00

Here is tonight's fare, some more size 4 Ice Pick Streamers in an assortment, with some Intruder style tied lead eyed Mophead Streamers in Olive and Black.  They look pretty tasty, I'm sure some poor fish will have a sore mouth from these guys this spring.  Only half of the order though, as some nymphs were supposed to go with them.  Hareline has a package in transit hoping to arrive later this

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-74462646316391030392011-02-01T10:08:00.000-05:002011-02-01T10:08:06.453-05:00

Recent small order of size 4 Ice Pick Streamers to hit the mail today.  Black, Grizzly, White, Tan and Olive.  These are exactly 3 inches long and a perfect size for any fish. 

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-13297160744852772772011-01-30T08:52:00.000-05:002011-01-30T08:52:19.839-05:00

Been busy at the vise quite a bit lately.  The weather and low temperatures have seemed to habitually fall on days that I would be free to fish.  Updating the website and storefront along with spinning some creativity have been the norm.  Here are a few of the things I have been tying. A small order of sorts, From top Left heading clockwise, size 18 brown DT nymphs,

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-81516472547408534712011-01-14T08:57:00.001-05:002011-01-14T08:57:09.550-05:00

So a close friend of mine being very generous gave me a great gift this holiday season. Always searching for anything fly tying related to add to my ever growing and out of control fly fishing library, this particular book is a huge score. Hooks For The Fly by William Schmidt is a wonderful addition. This particular book has been in print since 1997 and although there are some newer models of

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-26043923866690534932010-12-02T09:36:00.000-05:002010-12-02T09:36:08.362-05:00

So, yesterday a good friend and loyal client Josh treated me to a day of fishing.  We tried to do some Albies this fall but the weather prevented us from taking part.  The weather yesterday although damp and dreary wasn't going to shut us out this time.  Growing up in western Massachusetts, there have been a few things that I have wanted to do for years, and floating the Deerfield is always been

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-81651585380649161872010-11-25T09:05:00.000-05:002010-11-25T09:05:40.159-05:00

With the whisp of cool air settling in, it's a chilling reminder that we are slowly knocking on the door of winter.  No need to be upset, the fishing is still pretty consistent on the Farmington.  The winter caddis hatches are in full swing as are the afternoon olive hatches, and if you stick around till dark you might even hit a blanket midge hatch on the head.  The rising fish are podding up

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-92166803902679598472010-10-27T11:57:00.001-04:002012-01-15T11:50:14.076-05:00

So as you now very well know, the Ice Pick is one of my latest creations, and in my opinion one of my better flies. The original version I tied was in white, then a yellow orange fly came to life and lastly a grizzly colored version which is slowly gaining steam and competing with white as a top producer. Well, as I write this I have concocted two new colors which are now available under the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-9942424962439443882010-10-14T14:46:00.000-04:002010-10-14T14:46:09.095-04:00

The older I get, the more I find myself sitting back and taking things in.  A balmy 31 degrees on the dash thermometer, no sunlight at 6:30 and frost on the lawn are all good reminders that the winter months are not too far around the corner.  7:30 and the boats in the water and we are already chucking streamers in hopes of our line stopping dead upon retrieve, hopefully by the mouths of a pissed

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-27968503834966646992010-10-06T15:16:00.001-04:002012-01-15T11:49:38.095-05:00

So as you all have probably figured out by now, I'm a bit of a gadget geek. Well I guess all of us flyfishers and fly tiers are to some degree. This has been a pretty banner year for new materials and tying tools. The first one I blogged about earlier this year was the MP bobbin, and now I'm squawking about the Twisted Loop Scissors by Dr. Slick. I probably own somewhere around 2-3 dozen

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-1290289040007088062010-10-05T08:15:00.001-04:002010-10-05T08:15:17.842-04:00

So, as you can see the tying tornado has hit once again. With the Fall comes new tying products and a lull in the guiding which affords some time to get creative. So far this fall I'm 1 for 1 and batting a 1,000. Tied another skull headed streamer 2 days ago and yesterday it performed successfully. Another baitfish/zonker spinoff I think I'm going to call the "Ice-pick", tutorial to follow

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-78588695985113577142010-09-23T09:18:00.001-04:002010-09-23T14:06:16.657-04:00

So I've been back tying daily, stocking up for next year, the upcoming show season, presentations etc. Currently tying compara style dry flies, as evident by the attached photo. Simultaneously, I'm amassing material and a broader selection of patterns to add to the new online catalog. A compara promotion will be forthcoming, I will most likely limit the selections to mayflies size 16 and up. I

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-16282607962944649962010-09-21T08:31:00.001-04:002010-09-21T08:31:44.621-04:00

So the new Hareline Dubbin catalog arrived last week with a small selection of samples of their new products. Needless to say I was excited to say the least, the thought of concocting new patterns is about the only thing keeping me excited these days after a summer of low water and tough conditions as of late.I am looking forward to the presentations and show season, and promise to have some

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-67342947492128753482010-08-11T11:26:00.000-04:002010-08-11T11:32:02.212-04:00

Well it's August, and as you all know, August for the trout fisherman can be a tough month, unless you have a cold tail water to practice your craft.  Living within 10 minutes of a pretty darn good one, I often take it for granted, and somehow always long to drive to a much nicer one about 3 hours west of my locale.  Maybe it's the wild fish, maybe it's the true western feel, the hatches, the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-901581966135972212010-07-25T10:12:00.000-04:002010-07-26T07:01:46.328-04:00

So I made the suicide run up to the West branch yesterday with good friend Josh.  Josh has been chomping at the bit to fish this river for the last 2 years, so when an opportunity presented itself to go, we seized the moment.  The 5:00 alarm clock came too soon after working late the night prior, but adrenaline and some good coffee got rid of the crusty eyed daze real quick.  5:45 on the nose

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-91047002083445154302010-07-06T13:19:00.000-04:002010-07-06T13:19:09.211-04:00

So I learned today that a recent court decision involving an individual recreating on MDC property equated to a pretty hefty payout, the MDC is seriously considering closing all of it's properties to the public for recreational use.  As an angler, and guide who frequently uses some of these areas that are adjacent to the Farmington, I find this a rather problematic dilemma.   There is some sort

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-45580199486326999362010-06-09T20:58:00.000-04:002011-12-31T08:28:24.418-05:00

So I have been fishing the Echo Shadow PE for the better part of 6 weeks now and am as impressed now as the day I put my hands on it.  I have fished with both the 11 foot 4 weight and 10-1/2 foot 3 weight, and am very partial to the 3 as it is perfect for various reasons I will elaborate upon later.  If you are looking to make a plunge into the realm of "Euro-Nymphing", this in my opinion is a

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-9083221276806857282010-06-01T08:53:00.000-04:002010-06-01T10:44:48.631-04:00

Well, as usual we made the trek to our families cottages on Cape Cod this past weekend in hopes of some fun and relaxation.  Well, although we did have a good time, my wife and I are thoroughly exhausted as a result of it, her more so than I.  We came to a very abrupt realization that traveling with two kids is a monumental task,  especially when our youngest has some difficulty while in the car.

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-72646014835052159402010-05-15T21:32:00.000-04:002010-05-15T21:32:41.548-04:00

So over the past few months I have quietly jumped in with both feet learning the ins and outs of some of the long leader competition nymph techniques.  More commonly known by some as "euro-nymphing, Spanish nymphing, french nymphing", what ever you want to call it.  As luck would have it prior to several guide trips this year and on several of my own personal endeavors I ventured into "dialing

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-48419943216199521802010-05-05T09:09:00.000-04:002010-05-06T14:39:39.519-04:00

So if you've been fishing in and outside the Farmington W/B TMA you've probably noticed that a lot more of these guys are showing up in your net than in recent years.  I know a about 4-5 months back Neal from the DEP had mentioned that a viable possibility for boosting the future wild stocks of brown trout on the Farmington may very well be to stock rainbow trout instead.  Well it looks like

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-14021032390277086092010-04-19T21:21:00.000-04:002010-04-19T21:21:49.688-04:00

So here I am, got about 2 hours to fish, the Farmington westbranch TMA is exactly 12 minutes from my door.  So theoretically speaking, less than 2 hours in all actuality, but who's counting right?  Being a bit sick and tired of the same old same old, you know, throwing weighted and unweighted nymphs dredging, dredging, dredging.  Knowing that the insects are really starting to crank now, and the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-34358471048581831292010-04-12T08:39:00.000-04:002010-04-12T08:39:11.812-04:00

Watching the flows like a hawk, and Josh eager to get out, we crossed our fingers and picked a day to float the river.  Figuring that things would be at a nice floatable range taking into account that hopefully we wouldn't get struck by another large batch of rain, and the recent unseasonably warm air temperatures, we figured why not, things should be full speed ahead.  Especially with the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-39536578480760553162010-03-30T19:47:00.001-04:002010-03-30T19:47:40.431-04:00

Well to say things are high and muddy is an understatement. Most if not all of the areas that one would normally wade on the Farmington are under a few if not several feet of water. Can you catch fish in high water? Sure. But under these circumstances I would advise not going. Give it some time and things will be back to normal. I will post on the main site when things are better, I.e.; a bit

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-87707132612359262642010-03-24T14:01:00.000-04:002010-03-24T14:01:06.090-04:00

Being a gadget junky, and a guy who likes handy tools for tying, I figured I would give the MP Bobbin Holder a try.  A steep price tag of $60 will probably deter most people at the onset of purchasing one of these neat little gadgets, but I will forewarn the thrifty, give this nifty item a fair shake before you put your wallet back in your pocket, it quite possibly is the nicest and most

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-1413004775301877432010-03-12T23:45:00.000-05:002010-04-05T06:57:44.598-04:00

I don't know about you, but when it comes to mixing two-part epoxy for saltwater flies, nymph wing-cases and shell-backs, streamer heads etc., I just about get sick to my stomach thinking about the mess, the waste of material and the awful smells that ensue.   Well, those ailments are a thing of the past, as I recently got my hands on this new product called Liquid Fusion.  The magic mix comes in

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-51765758213510408212010-03-09T13:54:00.000-05:002010-03-10T16:02:37.997-05:00

Familiar face and repeat customer Bill Glass had a great morning.  5 fish, 4 browns and a bow all were over 16 inches with two touching the magic 20 inch mark.  The Shimmer Stone has been working overtime, taking all but one of the fish landed today, and both bigger fish.  Smiles all around, looks like spring is a knocking at the door.  Nice weather out there despite some gusts of wind and the

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-79740797698464680982010-02-26T23:30:00.000-05:002010-02-27T10:43:23.577-05:00

So I have permanently affixed myself to my tying bench as of late.  I somehow concocted some sort of bacterial virus after our visit at the hospital, and it has run it's course for the most part.  Started out with a 100 degree fever, chills, shakes, sweats, razor blades sore throat and all kinds of science projects in my mouth.  I think last weekend I was so messed up I spent 36 hours in bed.   I

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-8097090842062133892010-02-23T13:22:00.001-05:002010-02-23T13:22:38.703-05:00

Just came in the mail today, and is a cornucopia of competitive angling methods knowledge. If you have any questions on leader setups, rigging and positioning look no further. I give this book a two thumbs up.- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-42660682816722451542010-02-17T22:47:00.001-05:002010-02-17T22:50:02.593-05:00

Well as luck would have it, my lovely wife gave birth to our second daughter yesterday around 2:21 pm. Nora Dale Strolis, 6 pounds 10 ounces. I know this really has nothing to do with flyfishing, but to a proud father who flyfishes, words can't explain how blessed I truly am to have another great catch of a lifetime. First my wife Megan, then our daughter Tessa, and now baby Nora. What more

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-36472546189880121702010-02-14T17:46:00.000-05:002010-02-14T17:47:37.165-05:00

 It's hard to believe that the last time I wet a line myself, was over 4 weeks ago.  Boy today was well deserved, and even though the fishing wasn't off the charts, it was pleasant as always.  This past month has been very very busy; wifes nearing the end of her pregnancy, works been nuts, the days off have seen guided trips, fly orders, presentations and all kinds of interesting new things from

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-48653328772270901962010-01-23T07:42:00.000-05:002010-02-04T08:43:04.562-05:00

Back sometime last year, the FRAA, DEP, MDC, FRWA and NPS gathered together to discuss topics of interest involving improvement to the habitat and overall wellbeing of the Farmington River. Several ideas have come to the table, and some of the projects have already broken ground as of last year. The removal of invasive plants has been a hot topic in recent years, and last fall some projects

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-3815232732390950112010-01-03T00:22:00.001-05:002010-01-03T00:22:23.781-05:00

So here we are, a new year and in need of a new gear bag for my days spent on the water. So I've been using the large Drycreek Boat Bag by Simms now for 3 years, and it's beat to say the least, I mean look at it for Petes sake. The outer zipper is shot for starters and it also has some pretty good cuts and scrapes to it from several float trips worth of abuse. I liked the bag most of the time,

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-60763582279214919722010-01-01T14:52:00.001-05:002010-01-01T14:52:55.179-05:00

So I already have been beating up a pair of the felt bottomed Headwaters boots for the past 8 months. I got the streamtreads about a week ago and am equally as impressed. I think I used my headwaters boots more than any of my other wading boots mainly because they are very comfortable, spacious and very light. Having very wide feet myself, accomodating footwear is a prerequisite, and when

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-62500208080465672302009-12-13T19:54:00.000-05:002009-12-13T20:09:49.819-05:00

12 Degree air temperatures keeps most people inside, that's when I try to get out on my local tailwater to clear the head. Over the last few years I have come to the realization that the colder months are my safest bet for finding solitude on long stretches of my favorite river. Repeat client, and good friend Josh has had the knack to fish in the colder months, so we decided to get out no

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3757249008906091125.post-47490863511358315032009-11-25T13:44:00.001-05:002009-11-30T08:49:46.988-05:00

Well to say I was psyched when the Fed-ex guy came today is an understatement. I just got my new Ross Evolution LT and out of the box I am absolutely awestruck. Being a huge fan of it's predecessor, I honestly didn't think that Ross could improve upon what many deemed fly reel perfection. The reel is not only ridiculously light, it is a very aesthetically pleasing piece of modern engineering.

Rich Strolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05117750889436076972noreply@blogger.com0