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- Written by: Rich
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As a kid growing up there was a time when a simple game of chance raised the heart rate a bit whenever I had some money burning a hole in my pocket. My grandma would take me to the corner store a stones throw from her duplex apartment in downtown Westfield to get my hands on some of that sweet chewy and gooey stuff that your mother would always remind you will rot out your teeth. Candy wasn’t a regular thing in my house, so when a trip to Grammy’s house was in order I always knew there was a chance we might make the trek to the sugar mecca of delight.
Penny candy was an amazing thing as a kid, for a couple dollars you could walk away from the store feeling like you actually got your money’s worth, something that seems all but a thing of the past in todays world. I can still remember walking out with an overstuffed paper bag full of goodies; Everlasting Gobstoppers, Root beer Barrels, Mary Janes, Atomic Fireballs, Swedish Fish, Dubble Bubble(worst bubblegum ever made), Lemonheads, Squirrel Nut Caramels, Bit-O-Honeys all come to mind.
Although the candy was the primary focus, collecting change became the highlight. Yes change; you know those shiny metal objects of varying sizes that are worth differing fractions of a dollar bill. Those things that some people just toss in that cup next to the cash register at any establishment. Most convenience stores that cup consists of pennies to round out a dollar that usually irritates the younger crowd waiting in line behind you when you actually pay with real money. It is true, physical currency seems foreign to most in todays world as it is readily apparent most people want everything streamlined and quick preferring to slide the plastic or tap to pay these days. Currency almost seems taboo in todays world where we can do and get anything at the tap of a finger.
Counting change has become a much more difficult task as I have experienced that on a regular basis whenever I have paid with such. It often happens when I begrudgingly decide to get a coffee at the drive thru on a roadtrip fishing, hand the person at the window the two dollars for that hot cup of coffee that astonishingly costs $1.95. Instead of getting my nickel back they close the window and assume the nickels their tip. Sorry folks, but hey I’ll take my nickel thank you. It’s not like you just served me a 5 course meal at a restaurant, besides I may have entertained your tip if you didn’t assume I was going to automatically give it to you.
But once again I digress, oh yes back to this little game. You see Grammy would always like to find those older vintage coins in that mix of change whereas I was always in search of that shiny newly minted coin in typical kid fashion. Never quite understanding why Grammy wanted those old battered and beaten coins; maybe it brought her back to her youth, or they were synonymous with the many hardships she endured raising a family of six in a post depression/World War II era. I never did ask her this but I can only assume as she never judged my longing for those shiny new objects over that weathered and forlorn piece of metal, but she did manage my change of heart on them.
Over time I too became more fascinated with finding coins minted from a time much longer ago. Today my youngest daughter has grown fascinated with change, and whenever we get some she quickly reaches over and checks the year they were minted. I can’t help but think my Grammy is with us in spirit everytime this happens and it makes me smile, which leads me to the point of my conversation. When I was in my teens and early twenties I like many kids that age was always excited to get new gear, I mean, who isn’t? But I quickly started to recognize that sometimes shiny new objects can be the brunt of others jokes.
One day while out in Utah fishing the fabled Green river with a close friend, I was the brunt of a few anglers jokes. There I stood, knee deep in a riffle, brand new waders right out of the box to be exact. I heard the voices of a few people behind me as they became increasingly louder. It seemed harmless at first but then I started to hear the conversation clearly; the three folks working their way towards me were not only irritated by my presence in the section of water they wanted to fish, but had used my new waders as a means to start throwing some shade. “Look at this f*$%ing guy, looks like he just walked off a Simms poster; clown, poser, noob,” were a few of the choice phrases inherently thrown my way.
Being a bit younger than I am now, and recently out of college and into the real world, these three had no idea what they’d done, and I don’t fault them one bit. Little did they know they decided to throw digs towards a guy who never talked trash whenever he stepped onto the playing field, opting only to let his actions speak louder than words in true sportsmanlike form. These three decided to drop in within earshot of me and my close friend, and unfortunately for them we got the last laugh.
Counting fish was never my forte, but on this particular occassion it was the case. I think we were somewhere around the 6th or 7th consecutive cast with a fish on when the three stooges couldn’t take it anymore and asked for help. You know, “hey what are they biting on?” Quickly I fired back sarcastically, “Butter midges dude, you got some? Or do I need to reach into my new waders and get you one?” The response was scripted bs, they weren’t eating those, and no I did not have any nor would I have given them any. From then on I never liked my gear to look new.
So in short order I really became fond of older worn and used gear, heck today I even jump at the chance when I can kick the dust off of some of my stuff from when I was a teenager and take that old keepsake out for an evening on the water. I guess you could say that I appreciate dirty cork handles, tattered waders(when I actually wear them) and my baseball caps sunbleached, torn and falling apart like they’ve been engaged in some sort of long battle. Used gear exudes experience and time out there actually doing something; it speaks for itself. The constant mixed messages sent daily thru todays network of communication vastly misrepresents how things really are. Shiny new gear isn’t reality for those who make a life in the outdoors, it is only new for a very short time before it has the look I prefer; battered, bruised and torn.
I say farewell now to you all for the remainder of the summer, in a matter of hours I will be driving in a westerly direction at zero dark thirty, driftboat in tow with a good friend who was so gracious enough to provide some company. We will finally settle in somewhere in the state of Montana where myself, some other friends, but most importantly my wife and kids will join me for some much needed adventures in the open air, big sky and plentiful outdoor playgrounds that Idaho, Montana and Wyoming provide. To say I am feeling like a kid with excitement is an understatement. The adventures on this trip will most likely provide some fond memories that we all will cherish and I look forward to visiting some places I have been in the past as well as all the new places to me that I plan to visit.
As some of you have already figured out the fly store is there, but you are unable to purchase anything at the moment and will remain that way until the end of August when I return. I currently have work thru the month of October so I will leave you with this; if you are looking for bugs this fall/winter and next spring, I would check back later next month to get that order in as the waiting list is still about 8 weeks out. Until then, have a great rest of your summer and I will see you upon my return. Be well.
-RS, July 23, 2022.
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- Written by: Rich
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I read a great deal, some weeks more than others, but for the most part I like to engage my brain as much as possible on a daily basis and manuscript is how I prefer to exercise that part of my body. Every day that I inch closer to that half century mark in age, I cannot help but notice the increasing appreciation that I have for some writers ability to set the tone with their work.
The tone of a well written piece can give you a pretty good idea on what the authors feelings are on any given topic. As I grow older I have recognized that my thoughts and feelings on many things fishing and non fishing related have changed, and my appreciation for those types of people who aren’t afraid to skirt an issue, dump the politically correct mindset and politely yet directly tell you what they think about a particular topic. I am however not going to lie, these types are getting harder and harder to come by these days; I don’t know if cancel culture, technology and it’s way of taking over communication are the culprits of pushing these types into a deeper hiding, but it sure seems that they are becoming an almost mythical creature of yesteryear.
Personally, I think society as a whole is getting soft; social media has built this fictitious alter universe where people are sucked into a world where everything is now one big fairy tale with the forever happy ending. This is an unrealistic, unsustainable way of thinking as life isn’t always a bowl full of cherries as one would say. Sometimes I feel as though we have all devalued just about every aspect of our lives as a result, because for example, if we aren’t posting some awesome picture or thing about ourselves well we are led to believe that we simply do not add up to those around us. Heck, if you were to use Instagram as your baseline, well you could easily be swayed into believing that a 20 inch trout is the norm and not a very special fish. But that is of course partly to blame for the camera savvy angler who knows all to well that if you stick the fish way out to the camera you can make that 16 inch fish 20 inches; come on bruh you didn’t you know?
I too got sucked into this alter universe, it all seemed rather harmless and fun in the beginning, but over time reality settled in and I began realizing that I was spending a great deal of my day swiping through my feed like an addict. I’m not alone, I see it all around me with friends, family and strangers alike who are constantly doing the same. A quick second delay in anything they are watching, participating in, or listening to and the phone comes out and 8 times out of 10 they go right to their favorite social media platform to see what so and so is doing/posting so they can like it and then start thinking about what they can construct next to satisfy that dopamine drop. We all want to feel accepted, we all want to be liked, there is no disputing that. But the majority of us have let a small electronic device dictate our daily course of life, and for some several hours a day.
I digress once again but I think you all know what I am getting at; do yourself a favor and unplug. It does wonders for your mind and gets many of you close in age to myself back to a time with a little less anxiety and a lot more fun, and heck you might start valuing the smaller things in life that you very well might have forgotten about in this new world of multi tasking madness that we live in. To get back on point, I feel that today I can relate to that old curmugeon I used to bump into on the river when I was younger.
Some of you might know who I am referring to; the old grisled type, probably retired who frequents the river on a daily basis in search of that one thing that can make his battered and bruised persona feel like there is still some things right in this world every time that he finds a rising trout. He’s that guy who is either wandering the bank of a large flat pool in search of dimpling trout, wearing a tattered old curved brim baseball cap, vintage khaki Orvis vest, possibly brown neoprene waders or first gen goretex with no dazzle, and a rod with cork so worn out it practically matches the color of the rod blank. The guy who revels in how things were when he was a kid, or remember those days when he didn’t have to share water with anyone else. The guy who truly doesn’t care if he catches a trout today nor does he carry a counter in his vest pocket to tally his score like the folks above him wading chest deep in the fast water with their 11 foot rods and ten pounds of tungsten laden fly boxes. He is content visiting the water daily, sometimes he never even gets his feet wet, or unhooks his fly from the keeper of his rod. But, if a fish graces his presence with a surface display of affection, he might just unhook that fly and step into the water because well that is what draws him to the river. If he wasn’t here, he wouldn’t have witnessed it, and although his way of fishing might not be the most productive, he takes part in it because it is what he truly loves and it embodies what the sport once was when he fell in love with it decades ago; casting a fly line and presenting a fly to a feeding fish.
As humans, we all have a side of us that wants the things that we enjoy all to ourselves. For flyfisherman, it’s invariably that favorite stretch of water without another soul on it, and that may seem foreign to todays younger generation of anglers as fishing amongst groups of people is considered the new norm. It wasn’t all that long ago where solitude and a river to oneself was the tie that binds most anglers, the story that those who knew fully understood and appreciated. Although to some that may seem like more of a pipe dream with almost 8 billion people on this planet, it has become more and more of what makes a good day a great day regardless of how many fish I may tangle with, even though catching fish never has seemed to be an issue.
I am starting now to fully understand just where that guy was coming from........
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I am happy to say that I will be offering up some winter tying classes via zoom through the Deerfield Fly Shop. There are two (2) different classes being offered that will run for about 6 hours each. Each of these classes I will be supplying material kits for the flies being tied. Yes, you read that correctly, I will personally mail you a material kit that is organized with each and every material for the flies we will tie in the classes, you will only need to supply thread, your own vise and tools and a good attitude. The classes are as follows:
Strolis Streamer Class
You’ve heard it before: Big flies catch big fish. There’s a lot of truth to this, and what better way to up your big fly game than to learn a handful of streamers from one of the best? Rich Strolis will lead a Zoom class through the Deerfield Fly Shop on Tying Modern Streamers on Saturday, February 26 starting at 9 am. This six-hour class will go through tying a selection of single hook and articulated streamers that will illustrate a variety of techniques and materials that you can then adapt to tie a multitude of other modern streamer patterns.
The class will require an advanced beginner to intermediate level of tying skill, but will provide information and insights valuable to the most experienced of tyers as well. Rich is truly at the top of his profession when it comes to tying and fishing streamers for trout and other species.
Rich will take students step by step through the construction of both his personal proven patterns and other time-tested patterns. Flies tied in the class will include Rich’s Simple Baitfish, the Modern Double Deceiver, Articulated Ice Pick, Hog Snare 2.0, and the Alter Ego.
Students should have their own vise and tools, including a hair stacker, scissors, dubbing whirl, bobbin and whip finish tool in addition to a compliment of threads in a variety of colors (UTC 140 or an equivalent recommended as well as some 100 denier gel spun thread—all thread and tools are available at the Deerfield Fly Shop). All materials will be provided in kits that Rich himself will put together and mail to all participants prior to the class. Bring an open mind and any questions you might have. Rich will go over hook choices, material choices and substitutions and most importantly, how to effectively fish these patterns.
Tuition for the class is $125 and includes the material kits. Advanced registration with payment in full is required by Feb. 16. Contact
Tying Modern Streamers with Rich Strolis
Feb. 26, 9 am
$125 fee
Limited to ten students
Pre-register:
Class 2
Strolis New England Trout Flies
Though perhaps best known for his streamer patterns, Rich Strolis has also developed numerous nymph and dry fly patterns that flat out catch trout. On Saturday, March 5, at 9 am, Rich will share some of these in a Zoom class presented by the Deerfield Fly Shop. In this six-hour class, he will lead you through a selection of time-tested patterns that have proven effective here in New England and beyond. With a few alterations in color and size, these patterns should cover a majority of your insect hatch matching needs in New England throughout the course of the season.
The class will require an advanced beginner to intermediate level of tying skill, but will provide information and insights valuable to the most experienced of tyers as well. Rich will lead the class step by step through some of his best insect patterns as well as some other flies that have proven effective over the years, including: Shucked Up Emerger, R-F Caddis, Dust Bunny Winter Stone, Morgan Midge Variation, Classified Caddis Pupa, DDT Nymph, Quill Bodied Jig, and Shimmer Stone. Other patterns may also be tied if time allows.
Students should have their own vise and tools, including scissors, dubbing whirl, bobbin and whip finish tool in addition to a compliment of threads in a variety of colors (in size 70 and 140 denier or 8/0 and 6/0—all thread and tools are available at the Deerfield Fly Shop). All materials will be provided in kits that Rich himself will put together and mail to all participants prior to the class. Bring an open mind and any questions you might have. Rich will go over hook choices, material choices and substitutions and most importantly, how to effectively fish these patterns.
Tuition for the class is $125 and includes the material kits. Advanced registration with payment in full is required by Feb. 16. Contact
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding These Types Of Classes
1. I have your book and I have watched Videos of you tying many of your flies. I would like to get an idea how the Zoom class will be different from the instructions/experience presented in your book and videos.
-The zoom class will take place exactly how I would teach an in person tying class. I will lead the instruction and the students will follow along and tie the patterns step by step with me. If there are any questions we will take them as we go or at the end of each pattern. We will not move along to the next tying step until I see that everyone is completed with the last tying step. Everyone should try their best to keep their vise in frame while we tie together so I can monitor progress.
2. Will the Zoom call allow you to see the students vises and give instructions on how I/we are tying the streamers and correcting mistakes?
-As long as you position your camera in a way that I can see your vise as we tie along (Highly recommended) then yes that will be the case.
3. Is the class from 9-3?
-Yes. It may go a little longer if all the students are fine with that. Anyone can leave then if they see fit or have another obligation.
4. Are we taking breaks?
-Yes. In between each pattern there will be a short break to gather the materials for the next pattern. Midway we can have lunch or snacks and keep rolling.
5. Will there be enough material and supplies for 1 of each fly or more than 1 of each fly?
-I will be building material kits for each fly as stated in the write up. These kits will have enough material to tie one (1) pattern with some possible leftover afterwards.
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