So I have started putting together a box of Trico patterns for my Grandsons and me to use in late July / early August on some waters in the Eastern Sierra:
Michael and I have been taking the boys out to the Pasadena Casting Club so that they may give their fly rods a workout…
They seem enthused…
We will start them out on Hot Creek…
More to come…6.25.2025…
PT/TB
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS, FLIES I HAVE TIED | Tagged FLY BOX IN PROGRESS, Hot Creek, MILES AND CAIRO, TRICO FLY PATTERNS | 4 Comments »
I started venturing out behind the Orange Curtain, to Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing Store, in the mid 1980’s. They also opened a shop , for a short time, in the San Fernando Vally out near the 118 freeway, above the Burbank Airport. It was the superstore of fly fishing and to this day, I have never been in a fly shop with so much fly tying inventory on hand.
Back in 2001, I was fishing between the lakes on the Madison River in Montana, with Michael and Ally. Below me, a guide was fishing with two clients when the conversation turned to fly shops and which was the best for carrying the most fly tying products. It brought a smile to my lips when I heard the guide say, ” There is no shop in the entire U.S. that can compete with Bob Marriot’s down in Southern California !!!” Of course, he was correct…
Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing Store in Fullerton, CA…
This was a vest pin that I picked up in the 80’s that I still have in one of my gear boxes…
Bob Marriott created a legendary shop…He was a regular in the shop even after he sold it:
The the shop merged with Grizzly Hackle in 2013…
The shop closed it’s doors on March 22, 2025:
These are some memories that will remain with me and my kids…
The best fly fishing and tying catalogs ever produced…
Two fly tying fairs that I attended in 2013 and 2014…
Some images of the shop before it was divided into sections that reduced the amount of fly tying materials to a minimum…
My favorite twistons…
The wall of threads and wires…
Beads forever, tungsten, brass and glass…
Racks of Dubbings…
Fly boxes, flies, tippet material and all sorts of misc. gear in the front of the store before it was divided…
Rod racks and fly rods…over the years, the amount of fly rods on the floor for display, got smaller and smaller…
More material and gear, next to the counter, as one entered the store…
Materials on the back right wall of the store before it was divided…
Reel section at the back of the store…this section also became smaller through the years…
Hooks on the left and book case with magazines and books on the right as things start to change @ 2016…
The material racks in the back of the store along with materials on the right rear wall are gone, giving way to clothing…
Fly tying tools. At one time, all of these would be found in a giant chest of drawers …
Now a wall has gone up dividing the right side of the shop into two sections. Hooks are now located on this front wall with additional hooks and beads on the far wall…
Hanak, Firehole, Fulling Mill …
Beads and cones…
Drawers of threads and wires, mostly empty…
New location for reels on the wall dividing the front from the rear of the store…
The right rear of the store is now devoted to waders, boots and clothing…
Waders and boots…
More waders…
Miles trying on waders in November 0f 2022…
The last check out on fly tying materials …
Miles first and last visit to Bob Marriotts – November 2022…
My last visit, in April, before I went to Montana with family in 2023…The shop was an embarrassment… sadly…
Gone but not forgotten…
NEXT: Tricos and Baetis for August in the Sierra…
PT/TB
Posted in FAMILY PHOTOS, FLIES I HAVE TIED, Fly Fishing Gear & Links, My fly fishing story, Some Masters | Tagged Bob Marriott, Bob Marriott's Fly Fishing Store, Bob Marriott's Fly Fishing Store closes, Fly Fishing Vest Pin, FLY SHOP IN ORANGE COUNTY, Video of Bob Marriott's shortly before closing | 2 Comments »
So Ally, Nick and Mika took brief trip up to the Westside of the Sierra to roads end on the South Fork of the Kings River …
Map of the area…
Looking West as evening falls…
Looking East, into the Sierra…
A slow, glassy section of the River…
The River flows through a wide canyon…
Nick and Mika taking a break…
A Kings River Caddis…
One of a couple of Trout taken on their trip…
NEXT: Some BWO/Baetis and Tricos for later this year…
PT/TB
Posted in FAMILY PHOTOS, Outdoor Family Photos | Tagged Ally Barker, Kings River Caddis, South Fork of the Kings River, Westside Sierra | Leave a Comment »
In July 2024, Michael, Aimee and Cairo traveled up to Island Park, ID for Aimees’ family bi-yearly get together. This was RoRo’s second trip up to Idaho and Montana, the first being HERE: Michael was somewhat limited on the number of days he could spend on the water but I turned out to be a perfect trip…
Cairo ready to go…
Rocket Boy at Schnee’s in Bozeman…
Pancakes for breakfast at the cabin near Island Park, Idaho…
A familiar spot on the Madison River above $3.00 Bridge…
Looking downstream ( North ) at $3.00 Bridge…
Nice Rainbow to net…
Late afternoon at $3.00 Bridge…
Cairo, Michael and Mr. Brown…this is my favorite photo of those guys taken by Aimee. Michal had it framed for me as a Christmas present…The fish took a $3.00 Bridge Serendipity…
Ready for his close-up…
Path along the Madison at sunset…
Cairo and the horse…
Cairo at the falls in Yellowstone National Park…
Mesa Falls, YNP…
Cairo in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park…
Junior Ranger…Yellowstone National Park…
At the Trout Pond near Island Park, Idaho…
NEXT: Ally and Nick quick trip to the King’s River…
PT/TB
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS, FLIES I HAVE TIED | Tagged $3.00 BRIDGE MADISON RIVER MONTANA, $3.00 Bridge Serendipity, Bozeman MT, Brown Trout, Cairo Barker, Falls Yellowstone National Park..., Idaho, Island Park, Junior Ranger Yellowstone National Park, Lamar Valley Yellowstone National Park, Madison River, Mesa Falls Yellowstone National Park, Rainbow Trout, Schnees in Bozeman, Trout Pond near Island Park | 1 Comment »
So tomorrow, Sunday January 5, 2025 Cairo will be gifted his first fly rod …
I am going to let him try out both of these reels from my stash to determine which he likes best…(L) Ross Gunnison G-1 and (R) Lamson Velocity V2. Both are already rigged with 5 WFF lines and each has an adjustable drag. The Lamson has a larger arbor and slightly larger diameter…
Time to ditch the fly and bubble rig…
PT/TB
Next: The boys in Montana…
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS, Fly Fishing Gear & Links, My fly fishing story | Tagged Cairo in Idaho, Echo Gecko Trout fly rod, Lamson Velocity V2 fly reel, Ross Gunnison G-1 fly reel | Leave a Comment »
We spent the last day in Bridgeport , CA fishing Little Virginia Lake. Miles and Nadia headed over to visit Bodie in the afternoon while I fished alone.
Heading up to Little Virginia Lake…
The largest Trout of the trip , a 4 1/2 lb. Rainbow caught on an Owens Offender Conehead Hot Spot Seal Bugger…
The fly…
Fire over in Nevada on the way down the mountain, back to Bridgeport…
Miles, on the rocks…
One last Virgin Bloody Mary at the Bridgeport Inn…
Conway Summit and Mono Lake on the way back to Los Angeles…
Next: Cairo and Big Moo in Island park, ID and Montana…
PT/TB
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS, FLIES I HAVE TIED, My fly fishing story, Uncategorized | Tagged Bridgeport California, Bridgeport Inn, CONWAY SUMMIT, Fie in Nevada, Little Virginia Lake Bridgeport, Miles Maratea, Owens Offender Hot Spot Conehead Seal Bugger, VIRGIN BLOODY MARY Very Spicy | Leave a Comment »
Michael has been playing around with a logo for me and gifted me with a hat and coffee mug with a logo that he created…
The hat…more colors and fabrics in the works…
The coffee mug…more colors are planned…
Thanks Big Moo !!!
PT/TB
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS, My fly fishing story | Tagged PlanetTrout Logo, Planettrout swag, PT COFFEE MUG, PT Hat | 4 Comments »
This particular day was devoted to a trail ride and photography for the early to mid-part of the day with a lot of driving included. We had to rise early to be up at the Pack Station on the Sonora Pass Highway ( 108 )…
Sunrise in Bridgeport at the Walker River Lodge – 6AM…
Route to Leavitt Meadows Pack Station off Highway 395…
Heading up 108 past the Jarhead Base … my unit ( 10th. Special Forces Group (ABN) ) helped set up this base back in the early 1970’s …
Leavitt Meadows Pack Station…
Miles and his trusty steed…
Nadia onboard…
Meanwhile, while those guys were trail riding , I headed down to the town of Walker, CA to pick up some ice and cold drinks…This is the trailhead for Kirman Lake which, in good years, kicks out some big Brook Trout and Cutthroat Trout…one has to hike or bike in…
Walker General Store in Walker, CA…
The “World Famous” Walker Burger… the best burger on the planet !!!
I headed back up through the canyon to check out the flows on the West Walker. There were a couple of folks wetting a line in the waist deep water…This is looking Northwest
…and Southeast …
This is Pickel Meadow heading up the Sonora Pass Highway ( 108 )…
The West Walker River blasting by a campground above Pickel Meadow…
View look East, above the Sonora Pass Highway…
The West Walker River flowing East out of the Sierra…
Looking East towards Nevada…The Jarhead Base is on the left…
After Nadia and Miles’ trail ride, we packed up and drove back to Bridgeport with visions of a Chocolate Shake and Onion Rings…Soon realized at The Jolly Kone …
We decided to spend a few hours up at Little Virginia Lake…resulting in a few Brookies for the “old guy”…
Nadia’s persistence in tossing an “Owens Offender I “…
The hot fly…
Paid off with this 3lb. Rainbow…
…down the mountain for another dinner at Rhino’s in Bridgeport…
NEXT: Bridgeport Part IV
PT/TB
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS, My fly fishing story, Outdoor Family Photos | Tagged 1oth. SPECIAL FORCES GROUP ( ABN), Bridgeport at dawn, Jarheads, Jolly Kone Bridgeport CA, Kirman Lake, Leavitt Meadows Pack Station, MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, PICKEL MEADOW CA, Rhino's Bar and Grill Bridgeport, Sonora Pass, Walker Burger Walker California, Walker CA, Walker General Store, West Walker River Bridgeport CA | 4 Comments »
Our second day in Bridgeport wasn’t filled with expectations and that was good thing. The morning started out overcast…
Sunrise at 6AM…
We headed up to Twin Lakes and Annett’s Mono Village for some breakfast…This is the Hunewill Ranch property on the right…
It’s about a twenty minute drive from the town of Bridgeport up to Twin Lakes. Lower Twin Lake is one of the places that I taught all of my kids to fish for Trout through the years…
Miles was impressed with this Brown Trout hanging on the wall in the restaurant…Most of the big Browns on this lakes are caught just after ice-out which generally occurs around the opening of the season – the last Saturday in April.
Nadia and I were impressed with the bacon…
After breakfast, we found a spot by the side of the road where Miles could toss some Hot Spot Conehead Seal Buggers and Soft Hackles.…
Nadia chills…
Miles said he had a couple of followers but no takers. So, we packed up and started the trek up to Green Creek and Dynamo Pond…
Screenshot
Dynamo Pond – Photo by James King…It was starting to cloud up heavily when we parked in the small area above the pond. I don’t think anyone has been down to that pond in years. The “wait-a-minute bushes ” were extremely thick, thunder was starting and the clouds of mosquitoes were unbelievable…rather than risk a heart attack ( for myself at altitude, with COPD ) we opted to head back to the vehicle and try our luck at Trumbull Lake…
Trumbull Lake…before the thunder , lightening and rain…
Miles casting from shore on the near side of Trumbull Lake…He caught a couple of small Brookies and a medium Rainbow before the sky opened up and sent us down the mountain…
Nadia munches in the rain…
Now it’s really starting to come down…
Port in a storm…Virginia Creek Settlement for dinner…
Miles and Nadia mulling over the menu…the food is always good here !!!
Virginia Creek Settlement – Menu…
NEXT: Bridgeport Part III…Trail ride, exploring and Rainbows...PHOTO HEAVY
PT/TB
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS, My fly fishing story, Outdoor Family Photos | Tagged Annett's Mono Village, Bacon Annett's Village Restaurant, Bridgeport CA, Dynamo Pond, HOT SPOT CONEHEAD SEAL BUGGERS, Hunewill Ranch Bridgeport CA, Lower Twin Lake Bridgeport CA, MENU Virginia Creek Settlement Bridgeport CA, Mono Village, SOFT HACKLE FLY PATTERNS FOR LAKES, Trumbull Lake Bridgeport CA, UPPER TWIN LAKES CA, VIRGINIA CREEK SETTLEMENT BRIDGEPORT CA | 1 Comment »
After lunch in Bishop with Michael, Nadia and Miles. we transferred all my gear to Nadia’s vehicle and headed up to Bridgeport, CA – about an hour and half drive North on Highway 395:
This is one of the most beautiful drives along the road that parallels the Eastern Sierra mountain range. I have been coming up here since the early 1950’s…
After we unloaded or stuff at the Walker River Lodge, we made a visit to Ken’s Sporting Goods to pick up a few items before they closed. We then walked across the street to, the Bridgeport Inn where I ordered the usual Virgin Bloody Mary before dinner…
When I was a kid, this was never on the menu…Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes and gravy…mmmm good !!!
Miles had the usual…chicken nuggets and fries…
Nadia had the steak salad…everything on the menu at the Bridgeport Inn is really good…I have seen four different owners in the years that I have been dining here…
Sunrise at 5:20 AM…
Heading up to Virginia Lakes…
Carolyn Webb serves up a great breakfast at Virginia Lakes Resort…
Nadia and Miles waitin’ for the bacon…
Tally board of what has been weighed in by Carolyn…
Fishing side of the resort…
…a collection of some of the soft hackles we used…
…some soft hackles tied just for Little Virginia Lake…
The Hot Spot Conehead Seal Bugger that took all the larger Rainbows…
Miles…ready to go…
Undoing the tangles from sloppy casting…
Yay !!!…Miles scores a nice Rainbow…Mom is pleased…
The “Old Guy” gets one…
It started to cloud up quickly around 1PM and thunder could be heard in the distance. I am not one to stay on the water when there is lightening…We headed back down to Bridgeport…
When we got back to the WRL, storm clouds were building up North of Bridgeport…
A bit of open sky to the East…Miles got on TikTok (of course) and I downloaded a bunch of photos before we decided to try Rhino’s B&G for dinner…
Nadia…playing with apps…
The mysterious guy buried in his phone and coke…
Yesssss!!! Pizza…It was great !!!
Next: Bridgeport Part II
PT/TB
Posted in Family fly fishers, FAMILY PHOTOS | Tagged Bishop, Bridgeport, Bridgeport Inn, Carolyn Webb Virginia Lakes Resort, Highway 395, Ken's Sporting Goods Brideport California, Little Virginia Lake Bridgeport, Mashed potatoes and gravy, meatloaf, Nadia Barker, Owens Offender Hot Spot Conehead Seal Bugger, Pizza, Rhino's Bar and Grill Bridgeport, Soft Hackle Fly Patterns, Virginia Lakes, Virginia Lakes Resort, Walker River Lodge, Wheatley soft hackle fly box | Leave a Comment »
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SWITTERSB BLOG 55 ON THE FLY Gal Gone Fishin’ TROUTFISHERMAN FLYJUNKIES’S FLYTYING A pelo y pluma CADDIS FLY SHOP 2 FLYGIRLS TENKARA ON THE FLY OUTSMARTING FISH FLYTYING: NEW and OLD URBAN FLYFISHER IRISH FLY FISHER LE. MOUCHING. CADDIS CHRONICLES FEATHER CHUCKER FLY CURRENTS BLOG (kept for FLY PATTERNS) DW Fly Tying FFCS -ROMANIA FRANKENFLY BAKSLENGEN WINONA FLYFACTORY FLOATFISHER OldSmuggler FlyFishing RIVERWOOD FLIES A FLY TYING JOURNAL RODTRIP SMALL FLY FUNK Valgerdur Arnadottir Fly Fishing CA Foldis Fly
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