This seminar shows how the suspended particles in water filter light and how this effects the color of materials used in flies, lures, spinners and other fishing equipment.  This seminar addresses primary and secondary colors, bright and pastel colors, different metals ability to reflect light, fluorescent colors, phosphorescence materials, the myths of the fish and the angler, and the perception of different species of fish.  The seminar "Light, Temperature, & Water Color - Choosing The Best Fly" is a continuum to this subject.  This seminar must be done in a dark room so the full effect of the light filters that are used will be seen by the audience.

Light, Temperature, & Water Color - Choosing The Best Fly

This is a continuum to the seminar "Light, Color, and Perception of Fish".   This seminar incorporates the properties of materials, colors, and their appearance underwater with the effects of the amount of sunlight, temperature, water color, underwater background colors, ideal species temperatures, size of fly, speed of retrieve, and different fly presentations to which is the best choice of fly for that day. This seminar must be done in a dark room so the full effect of the light filters that are used will be seen by the audience.

Often The Best Presentation of an Invertebrate - The Art of Dead-Drift Nymphing

This Clinic begins with an invertebrate on-stream collection, then a short seminar and fly tying session of the aquatics that were collected. Next, a short casting clinic with the students trying out different weights of rods that could be used to match the terminal tackle and on-stream conditions.  Then a short lunch break.  After lunch, the remainder of the clinic is filled with on-stream demonstrations of reading different water situations, mending techniques that work best in each situation, situation drifting techniques, position of the angler to optimize the dead-drift, different styles of cast that are advantage for each water situation, properly setting the hook, fighting the fish, and landing the fish techniques.  Students participation is maximized by having each student practice his/her skills at each dead-drifting situation.  Each student will be evaluated at each dead-drift situation and given suggestions on how to make a better dead-drift.  The latter portion on the clinic is student dead-drifting with one-on-one instructions.  This clinic requires a stream with some kind of fish in it,  sunfish are acceptable.  This clinic should be limited to six students per day.

The River-Bottom Colored Sculpin

This presentation is entirely about nine species of freshwater sculpins in North America. It covers their life cycles, breeding periods, life expectancies, diets, habitats, importance to their ecosystem, colorations, adaptations and more.  A demonstration on tying Fox's River-Bottom Colored Sculpin that was published in the March 2004 issue of "Fly Fisherman Magazine".  If time allows a tying class for the participants will be conducted with one-on-one instruction.  This presentation is best in a classroom situation with a document video camera and wide-screen television or as a power-point presentation or as a power-point presentation.

HPU Patterns - Topwater, Slow-Descent, and Bottom Bouncing

This is a tying and explanation presentation on making some the most exciting and problem free flies that has been conceived in the realm of fishing.  The HPU concept can be used by the spin fisherman to the ultra-light fly fisher.  HPU patterns can be tied  for topwater,  slow-descent, or bottom bouncing.  They are flies for all situations and all species.  HPU's can be tied light and small enough for one weight rods or large for a saltwater ten weight.  Depending on the size and style these patterns will catch stocker trout and lily-pad sunfish to trophy steelhead, salmon, and tarpon.  Whether the fly is tied as a dry fly or a rock knocker it is always hook-point-up. This presentation is best in a classroom situation with a document video camera and wide-screen television.

Trophies On A Thread - Ultra-light Fly Fishing For Lunkers

This is an on-stream clinic that is best suited for the moderate to advanced skill level fly fisher.  This clinic starts with the selection of the rod and reel, then works it way from the backing to the tying of the fly.  There is considerable time spent on rigging the rig which covers attaching your backing to the fly line, the fly line to the leader, the leader to the tippet and the tippet to the fly.   From the tying of a knot to the selection of the hook before tying the fly is considered.  The techniques and finesses of large fish on small tippet from rod handling to angler position in relationship to the fish in the stream (even before setting the hook) and the explanations of why and how to successfully land large fish will be the major portion of the on-stream session.  Lot on hands on and one-on-one instructions and hopefully a few fish.  This clinic requires a stream with some kind of fish in it,  sunfish are acceptable.  This clinic should be limited to six fly fishers per day.

It's All Fly Fishing - Hair, Fur, Plastic, Metal, or Synthetics - Smallmouth, Trout, Sunfish, or What Ever

This seminar/clinic is about using flies and techniques that are in the "Out-of-the-box" category for fly fishers that produce lots of fish and are lots of fun.  Since fly fishing was the first fishing method that used artificials (and may have been the first fishing method entirely), "It's All Fly Fishing".   Some of the presentations are so simple that even a novice can successfully employ them but it takes a master to adapt them to various fishing situations.  A short history of different fishing materials and their uses is an eye-opener to various methods and "flies?" that can be used with a fly rod.  Whether the fly fisher prefers floating or sinking line presentations, he/she will find their niche in "It's All Fly Fishing".  This seminar can be given either in the classroom or at an on-stream setting. If an on-stream setting is chosen - bring your rod to try these techniques and "flies?" after the demonstrations.  This is a fun seminar/clinic for all skill levels of fly fishers and is great on a small warm-water stream with lots of sunfish and bass.

Spinner'd Minners - Why They Catch So Many Large Fish

This presentation is about the success of the Spinner'd Minner pattern in steelhead, salmon, trout and bass stream and lakes.  This is a discussion of the color combination creations and why they are so effective.  A Tying demonstration of both the Spinner'd Minners and the new Spinner'd Minner Lites will be included.  A discussion on the pattern attractive powers and why they were developed.  This pattern has proven again and again to be the pattern that succeeds when all else fails.  Whether you are fly fishing fresh or saltwater, trout or steelhead, bass or sunfish, Spinner'd Minners and Spinner'd Minner Lites will catch the better fish.  This presentation is best in a classroom situation with a document video camera and wide-screen television or as a power-point presentation.

Tail-Race Nymphs - One and/or Two Minute Flies

This presentation is a lesson in creating quick but effective nymph patterns for tail-race and natural streams.  As the nymph is tied, it is discussed.  The discussion will included the nymph's anatomy, life cycle, breeding habits, fly presentations, stream location, and other information and tidbits about it.  This presentation is best in a classroom situation with a document video camera and wide-screen television or as a power-point presentation.

Baitfish of the Mississippi Drainage - Highlands to Coastal Plains, Cold to Warm Water

This Seminar is localized to the minnows in your home waters.  My book, "Fishin' What They See" is about the cold, cool, highland, and fall line minnows of the Mississippi Drainage with emphasis on the White River System.  While researching the fish of the White System I discovered that there is a finite number of fish species in the Mississippi Drainage.  Because my research on the White River species was so interesting, I decided to research all the fish from the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Coastal Plain.   I discovered a simple way to tie these minnows so that they could be imitated effectively.  My Anatomically Correct (A/C) Minnows are sold in fly shops and Sportsman Warehouse stores nation wide.  I will demonstrate tying some of your local baitfish and translate what biologist have to say about your minnows into Anglish (Fly Fisher's Language).  This presentation is best in a classroom situation with a document video camera and wide-screen television or as a power-point presentation.