Ontario fly fishing
Fly fishing in Ontario: Grand River guiding, fly fishing and fly casting instruction with Ian Colin James one of the top guides on the Grand River. Try fly fishing for carp with "The Carpfather" the man who made it popular in North America. Ian was the first certified instructor and full time guide on the Grand River, and he is the author of The Bestseller: Fumbling with a Flyrod .

He caught his first fish on a fly, a grayling, when he was 6 years old, from the River Clyde, near the town of Motherwell, Scotland. 41 years of fly fishing have taught him one or two tricks, which he painlessly passes on to his clients and students.

For 28 years, professionally, he's been showing folks how to cast, how to find fish and how to catch the fish they find. Several of his students have gone on to open their own fly fishing shops and guiding services. Yup, he is that good. He was certified as an instructor by Peter Anderson - ex World Fly Casting Champion - on the River Spey in Scotland. Will you get more fish if you take lessons from him, or if you use his flies? Absolutely.

Known for his 'No Bull' approach to fly fishing, his quick warm wit and his down to earth teaching methods, his instructional sessions are always entertaining. He developed and promotes Common Sense Fly Fishing: The minimum amount of gear . . . the maximum amount of fish. Ian calls a spade a spade, and a strike indicator a bobber.

In 1995, he was part of the Canadian Fly Fishing Team at the 15th World Fly Fishing Championships in Galway, Ireland. Unfortunately, Team Canada received 'a butt kicking.' Hey, it was a Loch Style event, and we don't do much of that kind of fly fishing on this side of the Big Pond. That same year at the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships on Loch Leven, Scotland, a fly he created called the Dunkeld Dabbler, took the largest fish of the event for his team mate, Tom Murray. At the 2006 Canadian Fly Fishing Championships he coached the Les Chiens d'Eau team to a silver medal.

Ian's flies are sold world wide - mostly in the US, Canada and in the UK. Several of his original patterns have found their way into publications on both sides of the Atlantic. He is the only fly tier to receive a Design Award from the Ontario Arts Council.

Recently, Ian became a co-host and the resident fly tying expert on the TV Show: The New Fly Fisher. He was also featured on the prestigious US show, Legends of Rod and Reel.

Legends of Rod and Reel
Yes, I was one of the featured fly fishermen on the ESPN show, Legends of Rod and Reel. It was an honor to take part in such a great series and it was a lot of fun shooting the show.

 

Messages from Ian

Penn State Fly Fishing
I finally went down to Penn State to do a spot of fishing, and the word for the day is ... "WOW!" It was a blistering 93 deg, it was humid and it was sunny, but there were still lots of fish to be had. The Penn State area has some of the most technical and challenging fishing I have ever run into. It's tricky fishing but there were some cracking fish. I hooked up with John Stoyanoff, one of the best guides I have ever fished with, and he had me casting over some huge fish. The water was at it lowest in living memory, but the fish were still willing to have a go at his flies. It's one of the few occasions where I have used someone else's flies. Surprisingly, Penn State is only a 4 hr drive from the border and the highways are top notch. It's a lot closer than you think and well worth the drive. The season is open all year long, but if you are going, do not go there if Penn State has a home football game! Stoyanoff is a superb guide, I mean superb, so if you are thinking of a quick trip down there, flip him an email and hire him. It's well worth it, and you will learn a lot from him.
Email: John Stoyanoff

Cubic Meters per Second (m3/s)
This is the amount of water - a cubic meter = 1,000 liters - that flows past a point in the river in one second. So if the flow rate is 5 m3/s then 5,000 liters of water would be flowing past the point in one second. If the flow rate is 60 m3/s then 60,000 liters of water would be flowing past the point in the river in one second. So what's safe? That's your call but I won't guide when the flow is greater than 10 m3/s. I've fished and done very, very well in flow rates which are much higher, but that's my own personal choice and I would not recommend it. If you fall in, you simply won't get out again.

Coal Tar Classic
The Coal Tar Classic held in Hamilton Harbor is Canada's biggest, best and only fly fishing for carp event. Take a few minutes to read up on the history, the myths, the folk lore and the future of this iconic Canadian event.

Steve Hunt won the 2010 event with only one fish. It was a very tough contest. For the second year in a row, Steve retains both the CTC trophy and the coveted leaders vest. It was an amazing bit of angling. Well done Steve.
Coal Tar Classic

Great BBQ chicken recipe here
BBQ chicken

E-mail: No attachments please. 24hr reply.
Just a reminder ... if you send me an e-mail with an attachment, it will get "nuked" and I won't even know that you sent me the e-mail. Please, do not send me any attachments. Thanks you.

If you send me an e-mail and I do not reply within 24 hours, send it again as I did not receive it. I make a point in answering all my e-mail within 24 hours.

Gift Certificates.
If you did not receive a gift certificate for a day of fishing with me as a Christmas gift, well not to worry as Valentines day is just around the bend. If you were lucky enough to get a gift certificate for Christmas well done! Flip me an email and we can get your day on the river sorted out.

Also, if you received a box of flies for Christmas and they are not the sort of patterns you fish with, just let me know and I will swap things around for you.

Flytyers of the World Vol #3
Well it is out. Flytyers of the World, Vol#3 compiled by Steve Thornton hit the stores in November. It is a stunning publication and I was very fortunate to be a featured in it as one of the tyers. If you want to find out more about the book, or if you want to purchase the book, you need to follow this link to VEM Publishing.

Rick Mercer Report
Along with C. David Johnson I was on the Rick Mercer Report teaching Rick all about fly fishing ... in only eight minutes. It was an absolute howl. If you want to have a look at it, the segment is posted here on the C.B.C website

Ecologically friendly flies
Just so you know, all my flies are tied on grain-fed, free range hooks. I can honestly say that not one hook has been harvested from the wild.

My Fly Pattern Book
Working on my fly pattern book has been a bit of a slow process. That said, I am am getting there.
Test Image: Fly pattern book

Great Bay Rod Company
David Gibson the owner of the Great Bay Rod Company from Rochester, NH, is one heck of a guy. Last fall he flipped me an email asking if he could help out the Canadian National Youth Team. In an economy going down the crapper, there was David offering to supply the team with fly rods. Not only that, he was willing to build a custom rod, if coach Bob Sheedy and myself told him what we needed. So we did. Over the winter David took our suggestions and put together exactly what we wanted. We needed an 11 foot rod which would very easily cast 15 yards with only one backcast. It had to be a 4-5 weight so that it could be used for nymphing and for lake fishing. It had to have oversized guides, just because Bob and I think that is nifty. No, honestly the oversized guides would help the kids cast a long line quickly.

Long story short ... David delivered. Not only did he deliver, but he delivered in spades. Actually it was rods, but you get the idea. Coach Sheedy and myself would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank David for his work. David, thank you. It's people like you who step up to the plate and who can see the value in supporting kids once they are in the sport.

The kicker is this. When I was field testing the rod, there were so many anglers who fell in love with it, that the rod is now in production. No guff. Take a look at it on David's web site. The part # EMG1104-5.

If you want to build one of these, the blank retails for $149.95 and the rod retails for $349.95. Yes, David donated 8 rods worth about $350 each to the team. Thank again David.
More info ... Great Bay Rods

Scratch and Dent Fly List
Yikes. I have been dragging my butt on this. I am making some changes to the set-up for this, and things will run much more efficiently staring in January of 2010. Remember: All the fish shown on my web site were caught on scratch and dent flies, or on flies from the grab bag section on the web site.
learn more ...

Like the web site?
Judging by the emails I have been receiving, there are a few of you who have found the web site by accident and you have enjoyed the site once you have gone over it. If you enjoy the site, there is a good chance your buddies will as well, so please don't be shy about passing the address on to all your friends. Thanks.

There are almost 11,000 links on this web site, if you happen to find one that is not working, please let me know and I will fix it. Less than nine years ago, this site consisted of four pages. It has grown a wee bit and as I am the guy who built it there have been a few errors along the way. I am a fishing guide, not an html expert.

Used Fumblings
Did you know that used "Fumblings" are selling for $228 online at Amazon, and that last year one of the limited editions was sold for $870 in a private deal. The seller did well on his initial $55 investment. I had to verify that the book was one of the limited editions. It was purchased by a book collector in Michigan. The book was in mint condition. It was nice to see it again after 8 years. Don't ask. I do not have any "Fumblings" left in stock.

SCUDS. All about my scud pattern
Are you looking for a never-miss pattern you can use all year long, even in the winter, and, one which will work when no fish are showing? Lots of fly fishing tips on fishing scuds and lots of insight into the life of the scud.
learn more ...

Privacy Statement
If you are a bit shy about sending me an e-mail, adding your name to my scratch list or sticking your name into one my contests, please read my privacy statement before you start browsing through my website.
learn more ...

100% advertising free
It may have escaped your notice, then again maybe it did not, this website is absolutely free from annoying advertisements. I figure that just like fly fishing, viewing a website should be a relaxing experience and keeping advertising from the site does that. However, it still costs money to keep this little puppy up-and-running, so ... if you enjoy the site, if you pick up a few fishing tips and if you find some fish-catching pointers, you can support the website by purchasing a few flies. Simple as that. Similarly, sending along a bucket of fried chicken, an envelope of unmarked bills, a bag of M and M's or a case of 15-year old single malt would also be fine and worth while contributions.

Fly fishing in Scotland
A few thoughts from my last trip over there. Tips on accessing rivers and tips on how to pick up the appropriate license. Well worth a read.
learn more ...

Website pictures
I encourage you to use the images, from my website, but you need to ask before you do. Only once in 7 years have I said, "No, you can't." Several folk have requested higher resolution images so they could use some of the photographs like: "Sunrise over the Detroit River" and "Morning on the Grand River," as screen savers. No worries. Just ask and I will try and accommodate your request.

Dedication
This website is dedicated to Buzz and Woody, two great goldfish.

That's it
That's it for the moment.
rover and out
Ian

Torque, a.k.a. The Dog in Black
A few of you have asked about my dog. He's a 7-year old Cane Corso. They are not a breed for the first nor even a second time dog owner, but they sure are lovable. Ya gotta love that face! Torque is a rescued dog from the humane society and no, I did not have his ears clipped. That's the way I got him from the dog pound.

 

... "Ian - apart from being Scottish which, as a third "generationer" I can still lay some vague claim to myself - is utterly refreshing. He brings a sense and proportion to fly tying - no namby pamby new fangled stuff here: just good, well constructed patterns, using no-nonsense materials that actually catch fish! But beyond that, Ian fishes with the tenacity of Robert the Bruce and is one of the clearest thinkers on conservation you could wish to meet. Beyond that, he is quite a nice Bloke really; Seriously." ...
Charles Jardine - somewhere near to a trout stream in England.

 
 
 
... "Having Ian James as emcee at the National Club's annual 2008 Game Dinner capped a very special evening. His insights on human nature gleaned from his years as a professional fly fishing guide combined with his dry sense of humour had the attendees laughing aloud on a regular basis and helped make the event one of our best ever!" ...
Bill Morari, General Manager, National Club, Toronto.
 
 
... "Ian presented a talk "Fly Fishing Unplugged" at the Loaves and Fishes Seminar Series sponsored by the Institute of Ichthyology, University of Guelph, in March 2008. He was highly entertaining - great images of really big fish, good fishing stories and bad jokes. Enjoyed by all!" ...
Patricia Wright, Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, U of Guelph.
 
 
... "Ian Colin James clearly captivated an audience of conservationists with his very educational and often hilarious power point presentation at London's Western Ontario Fish and Game Protective Association. Addressing home town and South-western Ontario hunters and anglers with examples of his deep appreciation and caring for both local and international riverine resources while encouraging everyone to actively challenge wasteful and ecologically damaging projects like London's Springbank dam was impressive indeed. Doing it in a funny and very effective manner was priceless."...
Felix Barbetti, Vice Chair OFAH Fisheries Advisory Committee.
 
  ...“Ian James is one of the best fly fishermen in the world, without question. His patterns are irresistible to the brown trout here in Arkansas. As the coach of the USA Youth Team I'm a bit worried about Canada having access to Ian's flies. They are almost an unfair advantage.”...
– John Wilson,
Coach, USA Youth Fly Fishing Team, 1997-2007.
USA Fly Fishing Team Member
 
   

My flies and the Orvis Company
As some of you may know, the good folk at Orvis have picked up a few of my fly patterns for their 2008 catalog. Some of you may have fished these patterns, and if you have, I am asking you to take a minute or two out of your busy day, or when you are slacking off at work playing on the internet, to post a review of the flies you have used. Note that I said, "the flies you have used." Only review the patterns you have fished with.

Now the Smack em Spey pattern is interesting. If you have fished with me and we were using streamers, there is a very good chance that you fished this pattern, but you may not have known that at the time. If you have any doubts, let me know and I will get it sorted out for you.

If you have fished with me on the Grand River for Brown Trout or Smallmouth Bass, you have fished the Brass Ass and the Crunchy Caddis. Similarly if you have been out steelheading with me, at some point you used the Crunchy Caddis. If you have been out fishing Smallmouth Bass, Sheephead or Carp with me, then you used the Crunchy Caddis ... for sure you did.

Donation of my royalties
For the record, I am donating 30% of my royalties from the sale of the flies to the Tan Flies, a great bunch of kids from the High School in Cotter, Arkansas. They do a lot of cleanup work on the banks White River.

Links to the flies on the Orvis website:

view Orvis ... Crunchy Caddis

view Orvis ... Brass Ass

view Orvis ... Smack em Spey

Note
It takes about 4 days for your review to get posted on the Orvis website, so check back to make sure it's uploaded. Mistakes happen, even at Orvis. Also, you can't use the word "Ass" when reviewing my Brass Ass pattern, so you will have to be creative.

 


The Fireline Leader
I have been picking up a whack of emails from the folk visiting my website, wanting more information on my simple leader system. Well, here it is. I have never been a fan of a tapered leader, I grew up fishing 20 foot leaders with three flies and I have always been happy with the results.

Years before Fireline made it into the marketplace, I was fortunate enough to have been given a few spools to try out. When nymphing I found that the bite detection was unbelievable, and some 10 years on, I am still using it. When you are nymphing, if you are having a tough time detecting soft takes, try using a leader of Fireline. When you are connecting Fireline to a section of mono with a blood knot, you need one less turn of the Fireline. So, you would have 6 turns of mono, but only 5 turns of the Fireline.
 

Muncher Nymph fur
This a a big "Woo-hoo." John's Fly tying Materials and Jay's Fly Shop here in London have teamed up with Superfly to produce some of the seal's fur used in tying up the thorax for my Muncher Nymph. The fiery brown colour is dead-on. It's by far the best match to the colour of the original fur I brought over from Ireland back in the early 1980s. If you want to purchase some of the fur, please contact John directly. I do not sell fly tying materials.
E-mail: John's Fly Tying Materials,

 

What I said was ...
Some of you, I suspect those of you over 30 who are still living in your mums basement eating gourmet Kraft Dinner, have been hassling me about my comment on Lake Ontario. Let's clear this up. What I said was, "Lake Ontario is the biggest stocked pond in the world." If you want to take issue with that, that's your choice. You best go now. I think your mummy is calling you to head upstairs for your dinner, or as they say in Scotland, "Yir tea's oot." Run along now and you may be able to catch the Telly Tubbies, and the sun is always smiling in Telly Tubby Land. Watch you don't get any ketchup on your Star Trek uniform.
What I also said was ...
I have been getting a bit of flack from some of you lot, notably one or two of the great unwashed wandering aimlessly in the fly fishing wilderness with far too much time on their hands, about the comments I made on false casting and strike indicators. I did not say that someone who false casts and uses a bobber is friends with the Devil. For the record this is what I said,
"False casting and the strike indicator were both invented by the Devil".
I hope this clears things up.
 
My e-mail address:
If your e-mail system is not run though a browser you may have difficulty contacting me by using the "contact buttons". Here is my actual e-mail address:
E-mail: ianjames@sympatico.ca