Ok that didnt workout so good.

Starting to use Pinterest for the first time

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Ok this one actually works, sorry about that.

Jay Zimmermans Backstabber Carp Fly in Purple and Black.

Lets Try this with an embed video

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/e1gdXU64m5k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Jay Zimmermans Backstabber Carp Fly.

Tying the Zimmerman Backstabber

My first attempt of a fly tying instructional video demonstrating the Zimmerman Backstabber.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=e1gdXU64m5k

Working on the Carp Fly Box for 2012

I am just starting to build my 2012 seasons fly box for Carp.  The majority of the flies will be Zimmermans Backstabber in varied colors, wine, white, rust. Also included this year will be some type of dry fly to imitate the top water version of a Cottonwood seed.  Our local ponds in Northern Colorado are surrounded by huge Cottonwood trees and these trees shed huge amounts of white fluffy seed that carp sip as they are cruising.
I plan to tie the Cottonwood dry fly using a foam parachute surrounded by either white CDC or white hackle.  
As I learned this past season, I will have to tie up several different weights of each color Backstabber.  On rougher water the heavy weight flies will sink faster and settle into the stick zone much faster.  The mid weight fly tied with just chain eyes will sink as a much slower rate and disturb the water less thus allowing me to cast closer to spooked fish.  Non weighted flies will ride high in the water and draw surface strikes on very calm, glass like pools.

Autumn Carp Fly Fishing

Hit up a local pond for so autumn carp fly fishing.  This is my first fall specifically targeting carp on the fly.  There was more water in the pond since I fished two months ago with my mother-in-law.   I was surprised with how many tailing carp where just a few feet from the bank.  For some reason I had it in my head that the carp would be staging off shore and not interested in feeding, glad I was wrong.
Overall I hooked up with 4 medium size grass carp and landed 3 of them.

 
This guy was the best take of the entire day.  I cast past him and stripped my orange and black Zimmermans Backstabber slowly toward his head.  I witnessed the carp stop, turn on his side and bury his head into the silt as he inhaled the fly!  A gentile tug on my Sage TCX and zing! went my reel.  Oh how I love that sound.

 A huge frog sitting on the bank.

The smallest carp of the day.  Still a great fight though.
Get out there now! Fall Carp fly fishing is on fire.

Lonny

A week and a half spent on Maui, Hi.

Jocelyn and I went for a trip to Maui, Hi. this past month.  This trip really was a combo trip, honeymoon, birthday trip and wedding anniversary all wrapped into one.  Jocelyn and I really didnt take a honeymoon so our trip together was special.

For several weeks before the trip I was taking private photography lessons with Skippy at:

https://www.facebook.com/OnTheFlyPhotography?sk=wall

I really feel that with his help I have made some progression with my photography, but I am always looking to learn more.

Enclosed are several of the pictures from our trip and I hope you enjoy the view.  Now back to some fly fishing!

 Wasabu,  sticky rice with Spam.  Love the stuff, get it a a 7-11 or in Foodtown.  Just 99 cents, easily the cheapest food on the island but so worth it.

 Jocelyn took this one on one of our daily walks along the beach. Behind me is the Mana Kai Maui condo's where we stayed.

Haleakala National Park This special place vibrates with stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture and protects the bond between the land and its people. The park also cares for endangered species, some of which exist nowhere else. Come visit this special place - renew your spirit amid stark volcanic landscapes and sub-tropical rain forest with an unforgettable hike through the backcountry.

 The green avocado looking fuit is called Pineapple Gauva.  A bit bitter at first but the middle is delicious.

Flowers flowers everywhere.  Such variety and the scent of flowers everywhere we went. Wish we could bottle the scent up and take it home.

 One of the best snorkel sites on the island.   Mokapu and Ulua are two beaches separated by a nice little snorkel point. This is a nice place for the family, especially if you are staying in the Wailea area.

 We took a helicopter ride around the entire island.  This is the best way to really see all there is to see on Maui.  Just incredible!

Started to upload some images for microstock photography

http://www.dreamstime.com/Lonnyinco_info-resi3739405


This is the site I will use as my primary upload site.

Carpin with the Smother-In-Law.

My mother in law(smother in law) and I have been out the past two mornings trying out hands out at Carpin with fly rods.   Yesterday was tough as we only landed one carp but we were able to cast to well over 20 fish.  I still seem to have that 'put the fly right on his head' syndrome, and I spoked more that I should have.

This morning we awoke earlier, 5am, got to the pond around 6 am and started catching carp.  I landed three and Joan caught her first carp but it popped off as we were dragging it into shore.  We kept the three and gave them to a work friend who is from the Ukraine.  Her mom evidently makes a mean Carp stuffing.  Hmmm.

Enjoying the Stalking of the Carp. Hunting the Big Goldfish!

The last two days have been hot, hot and muggy.  The sun is intense, and there is humidity that we usually dont have to content with here in Colorado.  Reminds me of Michigan.

Carp fishing for me has been incredible, not that I have landed large numbers of fish, but that I have had the opportunity to stalk and cast to so many fish.  I have developed a a skill where by I plop my Backstabber fly... right on top of the carp, over and over!  Hey what about that cast in front of and past the carp!  Hmm I need to work on that.

Often I would walk up on Carp in just inches of water, tailing, rooting in the mud.  If the carp was facing me it freeze and wait for them to change direction.  Nothing like trying to blend in and pretending to be a tree.  At least I had a fly rod that is green, right?

Carp were very easy to spot, thus making it really easy for them to see me.  As long as I was able to stay quite, move slowly, I would sometimes be able to sneak up and make a proper cast.
Each one of these guys took a rust or orange color Backstabber.  I love to put a darker color hackle on this fly to create some contrast.

While I am running at the ponds I always try to stop and smell the flowers like this little bumble bee.

Some Recent Photos after a Photo Class Project

I've been taking some photography classes to help improve my exposure and composition.  Not being an artist I have struggled with getting the correct light, I am either way overblown or just downright dark.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was how to use a 'grey card' to help determine exposure and assist with  white balance.  Since the camera wants to turn everything grey, this tool helps the photography determine what is true grey and expose correctly.  This small piece of cardboard has really helped improve my photography.

One of the last lessons I worked on dealt with Composition. I understood that to center an object tends to be wrong.  The other rules...who knew there were so many rule, kind of escaped me.  I would always place an object to the side, looking straight down.  Kinda of boring.

As I learned more, I started to experiment.  Let me know what you think.