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The Scientific Fly Angler

Naturally Curious

Welcome to The Scientific Fly Angler

Naturally Curious

About The Scientific Fly Angler

Jason G. Freund

Welcome to my COVID project.

This page explores fly fishing and fly tying from an mostly - but not entirely - scientific point of view. Expect a random collection of fly tying, fish and stream ecology for the fly angler, and well, whatever I feel like posting at the time. From time to time, I will branch out from fly fishing into fisheries management and science.

This website and blog is for fun - not profit. I'm coming at you from Wisconsin's Driftless area but am hoping to interact with anglers from around the world. It is not necessarily a blog about Wisconsin but we are shaped by our experiences.

Send me an e-mail if you have question, comments, ideas for posts, etc.

STAY IN THE KNOW

The When and Where of Fishing Terrestrial Flies

Jason G. Freund

Aug 15, 20229 min read

The When and Where of Fishing Terrestrial Flies

If I had to pick a month of days to fish for pure enjoyment and often a great challenge; it would be from mid-August through mid-September.

1,261 views5 comments

In Praise of Traveling Light and Shirt Pockets

Jason G. Freund

Jul 25, 202210 min read

In Praise of...

In Praise of Traveling Light and Shirt Pockets

Not every day is a "throw a fly box in a shirt pocket, grab a hemostats, and go" kind of day but it can be a great way to challenge yourself

163 views1 comment

Economics of Dry Fly Hackle

Jason G. Freund

Jun 27, 20229 min read

Economics of Dry Fly Hackle

What about the economics of fancy chicken feathers? First, whatever you buy today, it is likely to be the best hackle you've ever bought.

2,886 views1 comment

Crowdsourcing an In-the-Film Terrestrial

Jason G. Freund

Jun 13, 20226 min read

Crowdsourcing an In-the-Film Terrestrial

This my attempt at figuring out how to tie a summer / fall terrestrial for once the fish have become a bit more educated and picky.

283 views0 comments

The Fly Designs of San Marco

Jason G. Freund

May 30, 20227 min read

The Fly Designs of San Marco

Fair warning, this post is geekier than most I write but if you do choose to read on, you may learn an interesting bit of evolutionary bio.

162 views2 comments

Fly Tying to Save Money

Jason G. Freund

May 16, 202212 min read

Fly Tying to Save Money

Can you save money by tying your own flies instead of buying them? Absolutely! But what is the fun in that?

2,444 views1 comment

Dry Fly Hackle - All About Genetics

Jason G. Freund

May 2, 20226 min read

Fly Tying Materials

Dry Fly Hackle - All About Genetics

Artificial selection gave us our "fancy chicken feathers" and the gains we have seen in the last few decades is pretty amazing.

2,270 views3 comments

In Praise of Andrew Grillos' Hippie Stomper

Jason G. Freund

Feb 21, 20224 min read

In Praise of Andrew Grillos' Hippie Stomper

The Hippie Stomper is the perfect Driftless terrestrial, no exaggeration. It is as if it were created for the Driftless (it wasn't...)

2,950 views0 comments

Getting to Know the Baitfishes: From Trout to Musky Forage

Jason G. Freund

Jan 17, 202213 min read

Getting to Know the Baitfishes: From Trout to Musky Forage

This week, I let out my inner-fish geek and probably dig a little too deep into the species we are trying to imitate with our streamers.

770 views1 comment

So you want to start tying flies...

Jason G. Freund

Jan 10, 20228 min read

So you want to start tying flies...

There is a wealth of information online about how to get started fly tying - some of it is pretty good. Here is my list of ideas and answers

5,570 views3 comments

Move them flies...or make them look like they are moving

Jason G. Freund

Jan 3, 20227 min read

Move them flies...or make them look like they are moving

As fly anglers, we all learned that getting a good, drag free drift is the key to catching fish both on dry flies and on nymphs - but is it?

671 views1 comment

A Pox on Collectors? Or a Rising Tide?

Jason G. Freund

Dec 27, 20215 min read

A Pox on Collectors? Or a Rising Tide?

My lament is maybe one of disappointment or jealousy and it is maybe a bit misplaced. We are in the golden age of fancy chicken feathers!

297 views2 comments

It's Fly Tying Season

Jason G. Freund

Dec 6, 20215 min read

It's Fly Tying Season

It is official! Fishing season is over and it is now tying season. Are you an organizer or a fly by the seat of your pants kind of tyer?

272 views3 comments

Angling Entomology: Six Hatches for Wisconsin

Jason G. Freund

Nov 22, 202116 min read

Aquatic macroinvertebrates

Angling Entomology: Six Hatches for Wisconsin

There are certainly more than six hatches but to keep things simple, these are the hatches that I think are worth chasing in Wisconsin.

6,471 views0 comments

In Praise of Scuds

Jason G. Freund

Nov 1, 20215 min read

In Praise of Scuds

There is probably no more important aquatic invertebrate in the streams of the Driftless Area than scuds.

1,912 views0 comments

Angling Entomology: Five Hatches for the Driftless

Jason G. Freund

Sep 27, 202114 min read

Macroinvertebrates

Angling Entomology: Five Hatches for the Driftless

These are my 5 hatches for the Driftless Area - Grannom caddis, BWO mayfly, crane flies, Hydropsyche caddis, and winter midges and stones.

5,698 views1 comment

Angling Entomology: Life Cycles (A simplified guide to knowing the "bugs")

Jason G. Freund

Aug 30, 20219 min read

Angling Entomology: Life Cycles (A simplified guide to knowing the "bugs")

Understanding these stages, how insects transition between them, and for different hatches, which stages or transitions are important is key

8,345 views0 comments

Angling Entomology: How much do I need to know? (and do I need to know Latin?)

Jason G. Freund

Aug 2, 20217 min read

Angling Entomology: How much do I need to know? (and do I need to know Latin?)

The answer to that question is no, but you can learn as much - or as little - as you want to know and learn.

887 views0 comments

World Class Fisheries - Northern Wisconsin Warmwater Rivers

Jason G. Freund

Jul 19, 202110 min read

World Class Fisheries - Northern Wisconsin Warmwater Rivers

Some of the best smallmouth, musky, and Walleye rivers in the World might be the St. Croix, Chippewa, Black, Wolf, and Menominee Rivers.

2,599 views0 comments

Lower Wisconsin Riverway - a World Class River

Jason G. Freund

Jun 28, 202110 min read

Lower Wisconsin Riverway - a World Class River

While I have a predilection for flowing water, I have a particular fondness for our state's namesake river - particularly the lower river.

2,011 views0 comments

Fishing Rod

Contact

Thanks for your interest in The Scientific Fly Angler. For more information, feel free to get in touch and I will get back to you soon!

Driftless Area, WI

jason.freund4@gmail.com

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