Sporting Road

Silk Fly Tying Dubbing

Often times I am asked where do you get the natural beaver fur dubbing dyed in various colors for tying Rim Chung's original RS2? I was surprised the other day when Rim suggested to a guy that he buy silk dubbing. I didn't even know it existed. The problem with commerical beaver dubbing is that the fibers are cut and blended in a blender type machine. This results in a lot of short, coarse pieces that go onto the thread in a big clump. The natural fibers off the pelt, can be 1/2" to even 1" long and they can be aligned vertically with the thread, a few fibers at a time, to form a dubbing rope which is then twisted finely onto the thread. The problem nowadays is there are not many commercial companies offering beaver fur on the pelt, and if it is offered, it is usually only in the natural gray, brown and sometimes black, not the olive, yellow, and tan that Rim also uses. So to check it out, I ordered some Kreinik silk dubbing in the following colors:Adam's Grey Black Cinnamon BrownDark DunLight CahillOlive Hare's Ear Pale Yellow They are nice and fine fibers, with longer strands, perfect for substituting for natural beaver. So if you can't find natural beaver dubbing on the fur, and/or don't have time to dye your own then try some silk dubbing. Kreinik Manufacturing Phone: 1-800-624-1928 Fax: 304-428-4326 URL: www.kreinik.com

By Sporting Road|August 3rd, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Rim Chung and the RS-2 as Featured in The Denver Post

Chung’s RS-II a fishing pearl Rim Chung, originator of the RS-II, remains an active fly-fisherman.By KARL LICIS and SPECIAL TO THE DENVER POST | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: February 2, 2010 at 1:22 pm UPDATED: May 6, 2016 at 5:03 pm When Rim Chung came to America, little did he know he would create what might be the most effective fishing fly ever devised for Colorado’s South Platte River.ADVERTISING Perhaps it was inevitable. When he arrived in Denver in 1968, the elements for development of the RS-II were already in place. First, Chung already was an accomplished fisherman. “I probably had a certain knack for it,” he said, recalling his childhood in South Korea, where he grew up fishing with long, limber bamboo rods for saltwater fish, with live shrimp as the bait of choice. “I was a good fisherman when I was 15.” Equally important, he and his fellow fishermen were inquisitive. They engaged in lively discussions of the fine points of their fishing — the precise best way to place a shrimp onto a hook and exactly how it should be presented to the fish. He brought some pearls of Oriental philosophy, including an observation by ancient Chinese sages that man should strive to be as one with nature, in this case the water, and recognition of a moral responsibility to the effect, “Why disgrace the fish by not learning about it?” Those qualities would serve him well when he took up fly-fishing in 1970, but the main catalyst leading to creation of the RS-II might have been something in his nature that told him the prevailing approaches to the sport were not necessarily the best. “When I do some self-reflection, I think I must have been born an

By Sporting Road|August 2nd, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2|Comments Off

Do It Yourself Polo Mallet Repairs

Have a minor repair that is needed on your mallet, well here is the brochure on how to do it yourself from a reputable polo mallet manufacturer.HowToDoItYourselfPoloMalletRepairsDownload

By Sporting Road|July 31st, 2019|Categories: polo|Comments Off

Scuds

Below is the scud fly tying instructions/recipe by Jeff Goff who was legendary for bringing gallon jars of scuds to a local Denver fly shop that I used to frequent, which he brought in his vehicle all the way down from Grey's Reef, Wyoming, just to show how many were in the river during a few minute seining session he had done. It was a gallon jar and it looked like there were a million grayish scuds in it. To date, Jeff Goff's Scud is still the most realistic scud pattern I have ever seen, for when the fly was thrown in that jar of scuds, you couldn't find it (a trick he liked to perform at the shop after tying one of his flies). Many more realistic plastic looking patterns have developed over the years, but they don't look the same in that jar with the naturals, as Jeff threw a few others in the jar from the fly shop's bins. It's been over 25 years since those days, and I was sad to see that Jeff had passed away as I attempted to research what he was up to these days for this article, as I am grateful for this fly which has served me well throughout the Western states. I often fish it as the upper fly with the RS2 as the lower fly. He also devised a very cute little lady bug, which I never caught any fish on, but it was a fun little pattern to give away to friends. Jeff Goff's Wyoming Scud Hook: Dia- Riki 135 scud Size 12Tail mallard flank fibers at 1/8” or so, yellow thread light CahillScud back light grayLead weight, tie in at eye

By Sporting Road|July 30th, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying|Comments Off

Crystal Meth and Other Crazy Pink Flies

Our daughter is going crazy over pink flies. Here’s one of her favorite new patterns. Pink Crystal Meth: The Crystal Meth or Sucker Spawn is a another pattern that was originally designed for Great Lakes Steelhead fishing and now used a lot in the Northwest and Alaska. The flash in this pattern makes is especially effective in off-color water. Also a great fly for trout in high water conditions. Hook Daiichi 135, size 12 Pink Veevus 8/0 Thread Fluorescent Pink or Fluorescent Shrimp Pink diamond crystal braid

By Sporting Road|July 14th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

Dai-Riki Fly Fishing Hooks Discontinued!?!?

One of our favorite hook companies, at least for scud and streamer hooks, has discontinued business as a hook manufacturer. It was a less expensive alternative to Tiemco/Umpqua hooks, and was better for scud hooks as the hook was offset to the eye, which improved hooking performance. Now we begin the search for a substitute, as there are many new hook manufacturers entering the market in the last few years. We loved the Dai-Riki 135 for my daughter's favorite fly.

By Sporting Road|July 12th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

Fat Ratios When Grinding Game Meats

I read a recent article by David Draper on "The Perfect Game Meat to Fat Ratio is None at All - Stop adding fat to your healthy ground game meat, you don't need it." Draper writes: I've been processing my own (and others) deer and elk for about a dozen years and view adding some type of fat to ground venison as a necessary evil. I prefer ground pork, adding anywhere from 10 to 20 percent. Due to a calculating error on my part... the grind ended up at about 25 percent pork, a bit more than preferred. You don't need to add fat to your ground game meat to make it taste good. This math problem set me to wondering why hunters take a healthy source of protein and fatten it up? That's like someone on a diet taking a carrot stick and dipping it in ranch dressing. Quick research shows no clear consensus on what or how much fat to add. Some hunters swear by 50/50, others just 10 percent. Some like pork, others beef tallow. Some add bacon ends and pieces. Certainly, there's a rationale to adding fat, including enhancing flavor because, hey, we all know fat tastes good. Fat also keeps meat from drying out when you fry it and helps patties from falling apart. But is there a better, healthier alternative? Yes, depending on how you're planning to cook it. Burgers on the grill are probably how much of the ground venison in America makes it to the table. I'll be the first to admit, making a good burger without fat sounds impossible. The fat not only makes a burger juicy, it also helps it stay in patty form. Next

By Sporting Road|July 10th, 2019|Categories: Recipes, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Utah Killer Bug

Those of you that know me or follow this site, know that I am a big follower of the late Frank Sawyer and his grandson, Nick Sawyer, in their carrying on of the traditions of the Sawyer Pheasant Tail, Grey Goose and Killer Bug flies. After may years of trying to follow in the traditional way of tying the Killer Bugs and acquiring Chadwick's 477 and every possible variation of substitute yarn (over a dozen now), for the last 20 years and a good deal of experimenting with them on the stream, I am about to break with tradition. https://sportingroad.com/friends-met-along-the-sporting-road/frank-sawyers-killer-bug/ I feel more than a bit ashamed, actually probably lower than the likes of a crack whore who has cheated on her pimp, but I have to confess that I've recently been tying the Utah Killer Bug and I'm going to fish it. I ordered the New Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift Oyster 290 Utah Killer Bug yarn. I got the pink thread and wire. I got the ugly Klinkhammer hooks, and I found myself whipping out lots of Utah Killer Bugs at the vice, like the junkie that I have become. This fly was developed by the Tenkara Guides in Salt Lake City. The fly shown to the left was tied by Tenkara Guide Erik Ostrander. It is a variation of the Killer Bug that I have been tying and fishing for years (and catching lots of fish with ever since I first tied it). It looks very similar to the Dirty Politician and pink scuds that we have been fishing with great success on a nearby river that is running very high. So we are going to give them a try. UTAH KILLER BUG RECIPE

By Sporting Road|July 8th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

Hatch Green Chile Season Aug-Sept

HATCH CHILE RECIPES AT BOTTOM OF THIS POST...

By Sporting Road|July 8th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

Fitness and Stretching for Polo

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2714deba6dbbe9a4b11e052d6/files/ec1556e8-956f-46de-8f5d-bdd1ffc4c58f/30_Day_Core_Training_Challenge_HDb.pdf?mc_cid=e4be164d75&mc_eid=9500f108f7 Martin Perez has a new website with a lot of information on fitness for polo. I used to do a fair amount of yoga before and after polo, but this guy is a professional trainer for polo athletes at the highest level and he's onto an even better stretching regime. He has nuitrition, conditioning, and loads of other information on his site. Check it out. https://www.fitnessforpolo.com I used to be a sun salute stretcher, incorporating some running and hockey stretches, but I am taking a closer look at Perez's program because he has a lot of great information on his site. Whatever you do, do some stretching before and after polo and it will help your game and your recovery times.

By Sporting Road|June 24th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

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