keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Feb 8, 2012, 8:18 pm
As our travels send us further South to the water consuming counties, we change our spots and adopt all the proper ritual to make us indistinguishable from the locals. Upon our return we notice small things common to the water-bearing provinces that simply don’t manifest themselves in the cold s...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Feb 6, 2012, 9:07 pm
It’s usually something commonplace like unfiled taxes or an out of wedlock debauch that tumbles presidential hopefuls back to earth, mostly because
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Feb 2, 2012, 10:02 pm
It should come as no surprise that despite my antisocial behavior – my fondness for bathroom humor, my shortcomings of hygiene and as an angler, I am a middle manager of little distinction. While my peers are hiring sub-20 year olds that giggle a lot and show acres of leg, I’m the curmudgeonly...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Feb 1, 2012, 8:26 pm
Simple housekeeping post, nothing to shrink away from … Item 1: Dry Fly Samples: I sent out 35 samples of dry fly dubbing to anyone who had the request to me before Sunday. As rendering the stuff into final form takes a bit of time, and I enclosed at least three colors for each of you, I had to b...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 31, 2012, 8:35 pm
I once prided myself on my understanding of Science, but this new stuff is a slow learn. I’m tempted to look at your exam and copy your answers, as I can’t seem to grasp some of these longwinded connections … The Greatest Estuary the world has ever known is dying, with the Delta Smelt simpl...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 30, 2012, 8:13 pm
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 29, 2012, 5:07 pm
Congress can’t agree on trimming a nickel from the federal budget, nor can they bring themselves to address any meaningful social issues, certainly not in a timely manner – but they’re determined to blow hell out of the Internet. They must’ve assumed that lacking a face or political affili...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 26, 2012, 9:06 pm
One of the horrors of being thoroughly enamored of a hobby is the fits of giddy that result when something attempted actually lives up to the original idea, versus flaming out midway through the development process. My ambition was to develop a dubbing that mimicked the superfine aquatic mammal ...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 25, 2012, 11:44 pm
Tying these fuzzballs reminded me of all the notes on competition hooks and their efficacy I’ve been scribbling over the last couple of seasons. I find myself having so many defective hooks of late, and at thirty-five cents a hook I keep trying to make up for poor quality control and fix them with...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 24, 2012, 8:47 pm
A brief article in some Fishing Wire spam caught my eye and I thought to pass on the tidbit for any proud father whose child might be planning on achieving their Fly Fishing Scout badge. A cursory eyeball of the exam suggests fewer than half of the anglers I know would pass it, given there’s no s...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 22, 2012, 4:49 pm
I’ve warned you plenty of times – yet still I’m the recipient of your extended digit and pronounced raspberry. The Pied Piper of Taut Flesh keeps you thinking you can mix pleasure and sacred avocation, yet us old guys know better – we tried it and perfection can’t be improved on .. Lar...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 18, 2012, 8:22 pm
There are so many absolutes, so many unequivocating terms in the below as to be downright scary: A new study has revealed that the impact of a hatchery environment on steelhead trout is so profound that in just one generation genetic traits are developed that cost fish the natural ability to be abl...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 17, 2012, 8:53 pm
It was a Northern California ritual, get a whiff of the dairy outside Redding, then slam on the brakes for the obligatory “The Fly Shop” pilgrimage. The excuse being to replace aging tippet which quickly morphed into fondling most of the upstairs plumage. While I was never able to exit the pr...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 16, 2012, 10:34 pm
As a means of belittling us fly fisher-types who have spent  a couple lifetimes studying flies and imitating their every move, pop-star Beyonce trumps our ”Teddy” Gordon by getting a horse fly named in her honor … According to the Australian National Insect Collection researcher responsible ...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 12, 2012, 4:09 pm
I expected most of the angling world to be in mourning, yet nary a mention of the possible demise of Wonderbread and the Twinkie, two of angling’s last remaining superfoods … Hostess and fly fishing have an enormous amount of shared lore which has been lost on recent generations due to their i...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 10, 2012, 7:03 pm
It started out as simply a shoulder shrug, but on a whim I was quickly transported from avaricious angler looking to impress his fishing pals to investigative journalist, then onward to devout PETA flag waver … It should have been a no brainer, how I was going to impress fishing pals by serving t...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 9, 2012, 9:52 pm
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 9, 2012, 1:08 am
Bobbing away in some nameless lake last summer, I’d attributed my lack of success to a poorly designed floating midge imitation, and if I combined the air intake of an F-18E Super Hornet with a bit of deer hair, I could
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 5, 2012, 8:08 pm
We’re safe for the moment because there’s still an occasional Field & Stream mixed in with People and National Enquirer in the dental waiting area, and it’s inappropriate to hold us Sons of the Greatest Generation accountable for our Poppa’s fixation with archaic blood sports. … then agai...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Jan 4, 2012, 10:13 pm
I’m giggling while Science chides me about noise pollution and fish –hoping to make me feel bad. I suppose if I owned a boat I’d feel worse, but the article concludes that even short bursts of noise can distract fish while feeding, and they’ll make more errors in judgment and ingest things...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 31, 2011, 12:06 am
... hexed yourself completely, and Einstein and all his theories no longer matter. ... assumed to be lunchtime gas or that second donut … … so we delight ... with us none the wiser to all that dark evil we’ve ... my stinky little creek … And if that’s not enough he adds ... defended...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 26, 2011, 8:43 pm
The nature of our business typically has us arriving a week too late and a dollar short. If it’s not the fishing, then its the enormous fabled garage full of old bamboo rods, or a couple wandering crates of Jungle Cock necks, or something rarer that we’d gladly divorce the spouse over. I see it...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 25, 2011, 6:42 pm
I figure this is a larger lesson for society. The hubbub over perfumed and coifed Wall Streeters gambling with everyone’s 401K is moot for us outdoorsy types. As fishermen we knew whether tarred with the 1% label or granted membership in the other 99%, we’d land on our feet regardless of new eco...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 24, 2011, 9:50 pm
In traditional ass-biting fashion the Trout Underground
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 23, 2011, 11:46 pm
My mysterious benefactor appears to be the apron work on the bridge upstream. The source of thousands of fish my little creek is suddenly burdened with – as well as why it’s still flowing in October when it should’ve dried up in July. It’s a sudden embarrassment of riches, hundreds of fish ...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 18, 2011, 3:02 am
Until recently fisheries biologists have seen the adipose fin as largely superfluous, and have clipped it to visually distinguish planted fish from their wild cousins. Now they’re not so sure. Recent studies suggest the adipose fin is crucial to fish, aiding it in navigating turbulent water. W...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 16, 2011, 9:29 pm
There’s a point where swear words are completely ineffectual and only
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 12, 2011, 8:23 pm
One of the great frustrations of fly fishing has been our collective hope that the rest of the planet would view our small hobby as something larger, perhaps embracing it as a way of life, or reason for a conservationist Jihad … … how through us society would stop tossing empty water bottles in...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 11, 2011, 8:36 pm
We call it “Teardown Wednesdays” – where midweek shows and no massive oil spill has occurred on your favorite waterway, no invasive species is blissfully munching its way through your garage roof, and your daughter appears interested in an egghead for once, versus “SPaZ” the class psycho-k...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 10, 2011, 9:23 pm
I was reminded that my recent trip to the woods failed to include all my pals and therefore some proof of kinship was in order. All them road miles leading up to my “whang-leather” hardened-frame had not been shared with other road-conscious neighborhood residents and somebody was owed … Some...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 9, 2011, 8:46 pm
Last week’s trip to the Pristine was the first I’d used my RISE 9’ #4 as the main rod while relegating the lightly injured Sage LL 905 as my backup. The Sage reel seat epoxy had given up the ghost last season and tightening the reel seat occasionally results in the rod butt removing itself fro...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 5, 2011, 7:41 pm
If you’re still intent on impressing your pals that you’re foreswearing jobs and responsibilities, wives, and all other forms of material constraints – how it’s all about the fish, the woods, and damn little else - I’ll call that bluff. There’s little to fear, as outdoorsy trials g...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 4, 2011, 8:24 pm
Nope, there’s no gaudy beads or feelers, no articulated body parts or rare materials to keep you from owning these killers immediately … … although there is that trust thing … Nor will I mention the hair extensions you’ll have to tear out by the roots, or the groans of the feminine membe...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 3, 2011, 9:05 pm
With all the attention on the West and East Forks, in light of a wild trout designation and the attendant hordes that frequent such places, it’s not really surprising that we opted only to dabble in that group scene on the East Fork – and spent most of our time on a much smaller creek found by a...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Oct 2, 2011, 7:47 pm
I’ve got enough solid information after spending the last four days afield to keep you entertained for a couple of days at the least … But before we get into all those tales of daring-do, the overcoming of adversity, and the weakness of wild trout for Peach yogurt, we’ve got the odd tale of th...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 29, 2011, 3:02 am
Back when I was young and virile they invited me because of all the dope I smoked I was in tune with the fish, I knew what they ate and where they slept at night … Now that I’m simply another aged burden on society, I’m thinking that with this new slimmer physique, how I’m liable to scamper...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 28, 2011, 6:21 pm
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 26, 2011, 8:20 pm
Would the splintered fiberglass suggest it was the classic “head & tail” rise – or could we claim he was turning the boat in a panic, making him a spinner? … This is a real whale … That’s a real dentist … Actually, that’s a real LUCKY dentist … Technorati Tags: riseform, floati...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 25, 2011, 10:07 pm
It’s the only part of the fly that works entirely against you, whose real value is the spot of color it leaves when closing the gap between tail and wing. It absorbs water, resists drying, and if ever there was a case for “less is more” this is it. Dry fly dubbing is comparatively humdrum whe...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 22, 2011, 9:23 pm
1.08. Artificial Fly. Any fly constructed by the method known as fly tying. 1.11. Artificial Lure. An artificial lure is a man-made lure or fly designed to attract fish. This definition does not include scented or flavored artificial baits. California’s Fish & Game regulations weren’t crafte...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 21, 2011, 8:32 pm
Is it a vast conspiracy of vendors dictating to a few well meaning, yet chronically underfunded conservation agencies, and can this omission of information be the final straw we need to demonstrate our collective frustration in a molten pool of self-immolated 6X tippet? For years we’ve been...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 20, 2011, 11:56 pm
I’m reminded how much of the skill is in the hands of the tier, and how much of the finished look is in the materials he selects, and for many flies the mechanical attention to proportions simply cannot fix a bad choice of materials and their effect on the final look. Which is why we spend so muc...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 18, 2011, 8:42 pm
The thought itself is fairly unnerving, you’re all part of a vast fly fishing conspiracy, whom I’d like to think will be undone by my plaintive squeal, but more likely my driveway will fill with black sedans, and I’ll be having high tea with patriots like Ollie North … … right before my ...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 16, 2011, 1:27 pm
A first ever glimpse of real dinosaur feathers preserved in amber. … right before they’re chipped clean and served with Chardonnay, intertwined with some minor celebrity’s bangs via salon on Rodeo Drive … Technorati Tags: dinosaur feathers,amber,hair extensions,science
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 15, 2011, 8:43 pm
His lordship is spending the next fortnight despoiling the Royal and Ancient with a Singlebarbed lid. While I mentioned that both respect for the out of doors and culture existed across the pond , and not the flavor us colonials practice, with our four wheel, gas guzzling offroad equipment and me...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 15, 2011, 8:28 pm
The Thrill: Noticing that Bass flies look nearly identical to flies for rockfish and perch. The Thrill that Comes Once in a Lifetime: Confirming that theory by prying the brightly colored SOB out of the wrong fishes mouth … and noting that the hint of rust didn’t appear to spoil the recepti...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 14, 2011, 9:11 pm
The firm that I knew as “The Scourge of Grizzly Hackle”, Fine Featherheads – has apparently ignored PETA’s repeated “cease and desist” warnings about false advertising, and has drawn a law suit as its reward. At issue was the Featherhead claim that Whiting Farms treats its roosters “e...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 13, 2011, 9:45 pm
Scientists have finally discovered the reason behind declining worldwide salmon stocks, and the answer will both surprise and alarm … For the first time scientists have discovered that migrating salmon can detect mammalian predators by the scent of already digested salmon in wastewater, which all...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 12, 2011, 9:56 pm
It’s the trip every guide fears and every father dreads; how to introduce Poppa’s lifelong love to his progeny,  in a way that results in beaming children that gaze at their father in complete adoration … … add the pressure of yesterday’s post, where at this young age we can BUY precious...
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keith b. posted an article on Single Barbed - Sep 11, 2011, 7:56 pm
Healthy living is browsing a web page that mentions, “eating whole foods” – and as I finish ingesting a whole box of donuts, I can snicker, “I do that.” Unfortunately the United States ongoing love affair with processed white flour, fast food, and the Internet has overcome the miracles of...
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