Flip Pallot & Bob Clouser Fly Tying Weekend!

Are you a fly fishing enthusiast looking to enhance your skills and learn from legendary anglers?

Look no further! Mad River Outfitters is hosting a once-in-a-lifetime event, the Flip Pallot & Bob Clouser Fly Tying Weekend, from June 30th to July 2nd, 2023, at Flip Pallot's House in Mims, Florida. This exclusive weekend school offers an intimate setting with limited spots for only 14 students. With Flip Pallot, Bob Clouser, and Brian Flechsig as your instructors, this weekend is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

Meet The Instructors

Flip Pallot

Flip Pallot, legendary American angler, hunter and outdoorsman.

Flip Pallot is a true fishing legend, known for his incredible insight, humor, and unparalleled passion for the sport. From being a sought-after fishing guide in Florida's Keys and Glades to founding Hell's Bay Boatworks and hosting the famous Walker's Cay Chronicles, Flip has left an indelible mark on the world of fishing. His wealth of knowledge and experience is invaluable for anyone seeking to improve their fly fishing skills.

Bob Clouser

Bob Clouser, the brilliant mind behind the famed Clouser Minnow.

Bob Clouser, another angling legend, has made significant contributions to the sport with his versatile and widely-used fly pattern, the Clouser Minnow. A master angler, hunter, and keen observer of nature, Bob's ability to see things that others miss sets him apart. With his innovative fly tying techniques and exceptional casting skills, he continues to inspire fly anglers worldwide.

Brian Flechsig

Brian Flechsig of Mad River Outfitters and the Midwest Fly Fishing Schools.

Joining Flip and Bob is Brian Flechsig, the founder and owner of Mad River Outfitters, one of the largest fly fishing outfitters in the country. With over 40 years of fly fishing experience and 33 years in the industry, Brian is a world-class angler, instructor, and author. His partnership with Flip dates back over 20 years, and together, they have conducted numerous successful schools and trips, making Brian the driving force behind these events.

The Weekend

Flip and Brian teaching a class at Flip's house in Mims, Florida.

The Flip Pallot & Bob Clouser Fly Tying Weekend is packed with exciting activities. You'll have the opportunity to tie flies with both Flip and Bob, benefiting from their expert guidance. Additionally, you'll learn essential knots and leaders from Flip and Brian, enhancing your skills on the water. The weekend is also filled with storytelling sessions, a casting demonstration, delicious meals, and the finest Frigate Reserve Rum.

Get in on the Action

This exclusive event has limited availability, and spots are filling up quickly. Don't miss your chance to learn from the best in the business. Secure your spot for the Flip Pallot & Bob Clouser Fly Tying Weekend by registering today!

About Mad River Outfitters

Mad River Outfitters, the host of this exceptional weekend, is a premier fly fishing outfitter dedicated to providing high-quality gear, expert advice, and outstanding service to anglers of all levels. With a vast selection of top-tier fly fishing products and a wealth of knowledge, Mad River Outfitters is a trusted resource for fly fishing enthusiasts worldwide.

Join us for an unforgettable weekend of fly tying, learning, and camaraderie in the beautiful surroundings of Mims, Florida. Take this opportunity to enhance your fly fishing skills under the guidance of legends. Don't wait too long—reserve your spot now and be a part of this exclusive event!

Breaking news on the January Brazil Trip

 

We have recently learned that our January 2024 trip, hosted by Brian Flechsig, will be on the Itapera River.....about 2.5 hours by floatplane, Northeast of Manaus, Brazil. This is the river we have been waiting for now for almost 18 years. We could not be more STOKED!

Here is what the folks at River Plate have to say about this amazing river:

One of our most productive river that doesn’t forgo size over quantity. You can expect high numbers and one of our highest size averages of our selection of rivers. In ideal conditions, the Itapara can produce 2500+ peacocks per week for a group of 8 anglers with an average of 8 pounds. The river hosts quite a few Peacocks over 20lbs although rarely you will find fish over 23lbs.

It is a very long and narrow river, located very far north from Manaus, approximately 2.5hr on the floatplane. It is our second most remote location. Clear waters is one of the characteristics of the Itapara although it has high concentration of Tanins, giving it a strong orange color. Peak visibility of the water is 3 feet. Expect high river banks with just a few white sand beaches were to park our River Train, making it less feasible to move the camp more than once per week. Jungle is teeming with wildlife, much more so than other rivers we fish on that timeframe.

"This is truly going to be a trip of a lifetime....you don't want to miss this. Join me on the Itapera River. We are going to have some serious fun!!- Brian Flechsig" 

Peacock Bass Trip with host Brian Flechsig

January 6th- 13th, 2024

Click Here for full details and pricing!

Click Here to see our Photo Album of these trips

Proudly hosting trips alongside River Plate Anglers since 2005!

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Friday Flies: The "Carpinator" by Pat Kelly

As much as I would love to tell you a fun filled story regarding the conception and development of the "Carpinator" one simply does not exist. The fly came from a book called Carp on the Fly, written by Brad Befus, Barry Reynolds, and John Barryman. By my estimation, this may very well be the best published book on the topic. This book set the standard and came out unapologetically. These guys were targeting carp and writing about it before people knew it was something that could be done. At some point they stopped printing this book and it was off the market for many years. I am happy to say that now, the book is available again Carp On the Fly. For whatever reason that fly was removed when the book was re-published. Since my original copy of the book is long gone I begin to doubt that it came from the book at all. I guess I'll never know. 

What I can say is it is without a doubt my favorite Carp fly of all time. I have made some tweak's and adjustments to improve an already stellar fly. This pattern has the unique ability to land on the water softly, sink quickly, and always lands upright on the bottom, no matter what. It can be tied in whatever color you can ponder and sizes can be adjusted to the situation at hand. In most cases, I tie it in sizes 4, 6, and 8 and use either medium or large bead chain eyes for the weight. I predominately target carp in slower moving rivers and streams so I have no need for a larger/heavier version. 

Step 1: Start your thread just behind the eye of the hook and make touching wraps to half way down the bend of the hook.

Step 2: Snip a bundle of rabbit fur off the hide and tie in so that it rides along the bend of the hook. Make sure the beginning of your tie in point is below the shank of the hook. This will be important and explained in the next step.
 

Step 3: The bump created by the rabbit's tie in point will create the platform by which you will mount the mono eyes. The placement and location of the mono eyes is critical to the fly landing and staying upright once it reaches the bottom and to ensure the current doesn't knock it over.

Step 4: Once the mono eyes are secured return thread to the bottom of the tail and begin to dub a noodle of Crawdub, doing your very best to keep the amount of dubbing to a minimum. This will ensure the fly sinks quickly through the column with minimal weight. Wrap the dubbing up the hook, figure 8ing around the mono eyes and half way up the hook shank.

Step 5:  Advance your thread up the shank to just behind the eye of the hook and secure the bead chain eyes. Once secure, take two rubber legs at full length and fold around your thread and secure, walking your thread back to where the dubbing left off. 

Step 6: Once the legs are secure, dub your way up the remainder of the hook to just behind the eyes. 

Step 7: Take a saddle from the middle of the patch. Hold by the tip and stroke the fibers downward toward the base of the stem. By doing so you will leave a small tag that you can use to tie in and secure the feather before wrapping the collar. One thing to note when tying in the feather, it pays to secure the feather so that the concave side of the feather is facing in towards the fly and facing slightly backwards. This will help make sure the fibers lay backwards when palmering your feather.

Step 8: Once the feather is palmered, tie off and secure. Advance thread to in front of the bead chain and secure with a whip finish. 

After that, take the fly out of the vise and rub it around in the river bottom before fishing. Doing this can remove your human scent and will help you convert more carp.  Hope this helps you out and thanks for reading!   

Recipe
Thread: Veevus 6/0: Color of choice
Hook: Daiichi 1650 #4
Black Barred Rabbit Strips: Gold Variant
Krystal Flash: Rootbeer
Medium Mono Eyes: Black
Crawdub: Tan
Large Bead Chain Eyes: Gold
Sili Legs Nymph: Barred Pumpkin
Soft Hackle Hen Saddle Patch: Brown

Watch the full video here:

Learn to Fly Fish in 1-Day?

 

Spend a day learning the basics of fly fishing with our professional fly fishing instructors. These schools are a combination of classroom lecture and hands-on practice capped off with the opportunity to catch and land your first fish on a fly. This is a great way to “get your feet wet” in the sport of fly fishing without having to make a huge investment in gear.

Plan to arrive at the location (map and details provided) at 9:00 a.m. Topics covered will be basic equipment, knots and leaders, rigging, basic fishing technique, basic fly casting, basic entomology and fly selection and of course the fishing! You should plan on the day lasting until around 5:00 p.m. See the Calendar page of this website for scheduled schools. Scheduled dates are also listed below for online registration.

Prerequisites: None. This class is designed for complete beginners or someone just getting into fly fishing who wants to jump start their learning process.

These classes are held at Briarwood Sporting Club near Bellefontaine, Ohio and Sunnybrook Trout Club near Sandusky, Ohio. Two of the premier fishing destinations in the Midwest!!!

***All equipment and flies can and will be provided if needed. Just let us know!

Recommended Gear (if you want to bring your own):

• 4, 5 or 6wt fly rod and reel & matching fly line.

• 9 foot 4X leader(s)

• Selection of tippet material 3X-5X (at least 4X)

• Fly floatant, split-shot, strike indicators.

• Fishing Vest (optional)

• Polarized sunglasses (Glasses are required for safety.)

• Line clipper/nipper

• Hemostats/Forceps

• Hat or cap

• A sampling of flies including nymphs, dried flies and streamers.

• Pen/Pencil & Note Paper

• Folding Camp Chair (optional)

Additional Information

This is a school targeted towards education and not a fishing trip. No waders are required and it is recommended that you pack a lunch.

*Minimum Age: 12 years. Students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian - who is also attending the class or if not attending a $75.00 club fee must be paid. Always happy to discuss and work with folks though as the youngsters are very important to us! Give us a call if any questions.

2023 Dates:

Sunday, May 21st- at Sunnybrook Trout Club- Register Here

Sunday, June 25th- at Sunnybrook Trout Club- Register Here

Sunday, July 23rd- "Warmwater School" at Briarwood Sporting Club- Register Here

Sunday, August 27th- at Sunnybrook Trout Club- Register Here

Sunday, September 16th- at Briarwood Sporting Club- Register Here

Sunday, October 22nd- at Sunnybrook Trout Club- Register Here

Saturday, October 28th- at Briarwood Sporting Club- Register Here



1-Day not enough? We also offer several 2-Day Schools throughout the season. See our website for details and pricing. 

As always, feel free to give us a call if any questions about these schools or any of the other classes that we offer.

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

20 years ago......

 

2023 marks 20 years since we filmed the Walkers Cay Chronicles at the Wilds here in Ohio. Hard to believe! 

Flip and Brian recently sat down around the campfire and shared some of the "trials and tribulations" of the filming with their good friend Johnny Lucier. Some pretty funny stories and some serious history here.

Have a watch above and as always.....Thanks for being here!

 833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Boomerang Tool Company at Mad River Outfitters

 

Boomerang Tool Company

The finest tools, retractors and and line cutters that you can buy!

At Boomerang Tool Company®, we like to get outdoors. On our team you’ll find fishermen, hikers, campers, joggers, bikers and just about everything else that involves being outside in the sunshine. So we know firsthand how important having the right gear is to enjoying your time in the wild, and we build products we are excited about using ourselves.

Boomerang Tool Company® is founded on American ingenuity and the entrepreneurial spirit. Over 65 years ago, our parent company, West Coast Corporation, invented KEY-BAK, the first self-retracting key reel and we’ve applied that technology that has been proven to last 1-million pulls to our outdoor products.

We help people like you live life to the fullest –no matter where life’s journey leads.

Scroll down for a video on Boomerang Snips, tools and retractors!

Boomerang Original Snips

Easily Cuts Braided, Fluoro and Mono Lines

The Boomerang Original Snip Fishing Line Cutter cuts clean and precise through 50 lb braided, mono, and fluoro lines. One of the best line cutters you will ever use and sought out by anglers worldwide.

With the built-on carabiner, clip it to your hip, pack, bag or vest so it's always handy and never lost. Snip the fishing line and let it go, the built-in tether retracts back into place until you need it again. No more looking around the boat with your hands full for a set of fishing pliers or nippers. 

Also works on the fly tying bench for cutting Gel-Spun and Light wires!

Click Here to check out the Boomerang Original Snips

Boomerang Long Blade Snips

Trims feathers, flies, leaders and tag ends.....just like butter!

The Boomerang Long Blade Snip Fishing Line Cutter cuts clean and precise through 50 lb braided, mono, and fluoro lines.....as well as fur, feathers and tag ends. One of the best line cutters you will ever use and sought out by anglers worldwide.

Add the Long Snip line cutters to your list of essential fly fishing equipment. With long cutting blades, the Long Snip is perfect for trimming hackles, leaders, tippets, and tag ends. The stainless steel serrated blades cut clean and precise through mono, fluoro, and braided fishing lines. Also works great on the fly tying bench for cutting materials, heavy and gel spun threads and light wires. 

With the built-on carabiner, clip it to your hip, pack, bag or vest so it's always handy and never lost. Snip the fishing line and let it go, the built-in tether retracts back into place until you need it again. No more looking around the boat with your hands full for a set of fishing pliers or nippers. 

 

Click Here to check out the Boomerang Long Blade Snips

Boomerang Retractors

Some of the finest zingers and retractors made!

Boomerang Heavy Duty Zinger with Belt Clip

Boomerang Heavy Duty Zinger with Caribiner

Boomerang Mid Size Zinger

Boomerang Mini Zinger- Two Pack

Tie Fast Knot Tyer

Tie Fast Magnum Knot Tyer

Tie Fast Line Clipper

Tie Fast Magnum Line Clipper

Tie Fast Combo Tool

Check out the video here:

 

Check out all Boomerang Tool Company Products at Mad River Outfitters

833 Bethel Rd. 

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Friday Flies: Wooly Worm by Ryan Ratliff

 

The Wooly Worm is a staple in my fly box for many different species.  Basically, it is a Wooly Bugger with a yarn tail. This fly is simple and productive!  In the right colors this fly can replicate anything from mulberries to fish eggs, to Zooplankton clusters.  Although it catches many species, Bluegills are my favorite fish by far.  Any panfish for that matter seldom let you down by turning up their nose to an improperly presented fly.  You can either match specific food like Dragon Fly nymphs or use this as an attractor in fluorescent colors.

The Wooly Worm can be fished in many different water columns.  Fish it near the surface by not adding weight and using a light wire hook or add a few wraps of lead wire to fish it deeper.  In this tutorial, we picked a slightly heavier hook to help the fly sink slowly.  Often I find that our flies will sink too fast out of the strike zone or will snag/grab debris on the bottom of lakes. When fishing lakes, a fly that sinks slowly will often out produce all other patterns. Being able to see the fly and how the fish reacts to the retrieve will teach you a lot about their behavior and what the fish like.  

It is early Spring right now and the water temps are fluctuating from the cool night temps.  A key for finding big Bluegills in the Spring is to fish drop-offs close to shallow flats.  These locations will hold fish most of the year, but in the transition seasons this is the place to be.  I like to make a long cast out over deep water, let the fly sink just out of sight and then begin slowly stripping it back.  With a floating line, the fly will slowly rise in the water column with every strip. I will try to keep the fly in view if the water clarity allows.  As you continue to strip in the fly vary your speed and pause length to keep the fly off of the bottom as not to collect debris.  Watch for the fish to actually take the fly or the end of the floating line to twitch and pull.  A small strip set is needed and you are in for a battle.  Do not be surprised if a large Bass, Catfish, Carp or anything else in the lake is on the other end!

Step 1: Place hook in vise. Start thread one hook eye length back from the eye and wrap back to the hook barb.

Step 2: Cut a short piece of Sparkle Yarn. Starting one hook eye length back from the eye carefully tie the yarn down on the hook shank.  Make sure that you create an even base with thread.  

Step 3: Cut a short length of 4x tippet (approx. five inches).  Tie it down with crossing wraps over top of the yarn and the length hanging out over the tail/back of the hook.

Step 4: Place the tippet in the material keeper back out of way. 

Step 5: Lash down Chenille evenly just like with the yarn using even thread wraps.  Place the chenille out of the way in the material keeper.

Step 6: Select a properly sized grizzly hackle and strip off fibers from the left-hand side.  Tie in the feather about an inch down from the tip.  Make sure that the fibers are facing you when you tie the hackle down.

Step 7: Advance your thread toward the eye of the hook, place a half hitch in your thread, and then place it over your bobbin holder.

Step 8: Wrap your Chenille forward evenly using the rotary feature of your vise. Tie off the Chenille making sure not to crowd the eye of the hook. Trim off the Chenille.

Step 9: Place another half hitch in your thread and place back on the bobbin cradle.  Carefully wrap your hackle forward with spaced out “candy cane” wraps.  Make sure to add an extra turn of hackle right at the head before tying off and trimming the feather.

Step 10: Place a half hitch in the thread again and place on the bobbin holder.

Step 11: Firmly grab the tippet out of the material holder.

Step 12: Wrap the tippet counter wrap style (the opposite direction as the hackle) over the hackle making sure not to trap the hackle fibers down.

Step 13: Tie off the tippet and whip finish your thread at the eye. Create a slightly larger thread head. In this pattern, a larger thread head is an expectation. This thread head is used as a hot spot.

Step 14: Trim the tail to a length just shorter than the hook shank.  Add some UV resin to the thread head and your done.  

Recipe
Hook: Tiemco 3769 Fly Hooks
Thread: 6/0 Veevus
Tippet (4x)
Aunt Lydia's Sparkle Yarn (Orange)
Chenille-Medium (Tan)