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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

Fish Science in the Heart of the Driftless Region

Jason G. Freund

Feb 25 min read

Fish Science in the Heart of the Driftless Region

This is from an article I wrote for the Winter 2024/25 issue of WisTrout, enhanced here with additional photos and links.

126 views2 comments

Demystifying the Dam Decommissioning Process - West Fork and Coon Creek Watersheds

Jason G. Freund

Jan 195 min read

Demystifying the Dam Decommissioning Process - West Fork and Coon Creek Watersheds

Originally written for WisTrout, I publish this here to add some photographs of the West Fork Watershed.

114 views0 comments

Fly Tying 101: All About Dubbing Materials and Techniques

Jason G. Freund

Jan 1210 min read

Fly Tying 101: All About Dubbing Materials and Techniques

Dubbing can be rather confusing - my goal is to avoid some of that confusion and provide methods to create flies w/ better dubbed bodies.

338 views0 comments

Fly Tying 101: All About Thread

Jason G. Freund

Dec 29, 20249 min read

Fly Tying Materials

Fly Tying 101: All About Thread

Thread is the most essential of fly tying materials (assuming you don't count the hook as a material). Fly tying thread's role is...

878 views1 comment

Seasons of the Driftless (with Fly, Food, and Drink Pairings)

Jason G. Freund

Dec 15, 202410 min read

Seasons of the Driftless (with Fly, Food, and Drink Pairings)

I present my idea of what the fishing seasons are in the Driftless Area and seasonal fly, food, and drink choices.

356 views3 comments

Fly Tying 101: All About Fly Tying Hooks

Jason G. Freund

Dec 1, 202410 min read

Fly Tying 101: All About Fly Tying Hooks

It all begins with the hook...this post is a beginner's guide to understanding hook shapes and sizes and gives some points on what to buy.

398 views0 comments

Fly Tying 101 - A Beginners Guide to Essential Techniques

Jason G. Freund

Nov 3, 20248 min read

Fly Tying 101 - A Beginners Guide to Essential Techniques

There are three things you'll do on nearly every fly - attach the thread, add materials to the hook, and finish the fly with a knot.

669 views1 comment

Fisheries Management Topics: Capture-Mark-Recapture

Jason G. Freund

Sep 22, 202410 min read

Fisheries Management Topics: Capture-Mark-Recapture

Capture-mark-recapture (CMR) is one of the most commonly used methods for estimating and better understanding populations.

246 views2 comments

Fisheries Management Topics: All About Fish Tagging

Jason G. Freund

Sep 8, 20249 min read

Fisheries Management Topics: All About Fish Tagging

There are many different methods for tagging fishes that differ in the information they provide, the cost and effort required, how...

383 views0 comments

Project Terrestrial: A Terrestrial Fly Box (Part VII)

Jason G. Freund

Aug 4, 202410 min read

Project Terrestrial: A Terrestrial Fly Box (Part VII)

This is the culmination of Project Terrestrial - these are the flies I tie, buy, and fish in the Driftless Area.

330 views1 comment

Project Terrestrial: Sunken Terrestrials (Part VI)

Jason G. Freund

Jul 21, 20245 min read

Project Terrestrial: Sunken Terrestrials (Part VI)

This is a minor tactic - at least for me - but it might be worth a try when all else fails.

348 views5 comments

Exploring the Importance of Population Size Structure in Fish Populations

Jason G. Freund

Jun 30, 202410 min read

Exploring the Importance of Population Size Structure in Fish Populations

Population size structure - the distribution of the lengths / ages of fishes - is a rather amorphous concept but it matters.

284 views1 comment

Add a Few Arrows to Your Quiver: Diversify Your Fly Fishing "Game"

Jason G. Freund

Jun 16, 20244 min read

Add a Few Arrows to Your Quiver: Diversify Your Fly Fishing "Game"

It seems that fly fishing has gotten more specialized in the last decade or so. There has never been as many options for fly rods, fly...

360 views2 comments

If I were the trout czar...

Jason G. Freund

May 5, 20249 min read

Fisheries Management

If I were the trout czar...

This is the kind of thing I think about during the mindless times when I am avoiding work or just day dreaming.

327 views3 comments

The Hornberg Special (Fly Pattern)

Jason G. Freund

Apr 21, 20242 min read

The Hornberg Special (Fly Pattern)

It is a classic "do everything" fly - much like the Pass Lake or "Pass Lake Special" - it is fished wet or dry.

379 views4 comments

Thermal Issues on the West Fork of the Kickapoo River

Jason G. Freund

Apr 14, 20246 min read

Thermal Issues on the West Fork of the Kickapoo River

This article originally appeared in WisTrout. It appears here with some enhancements that this blog allows.

681 views1 comment

Building on the Basic Woolly Bugger - Flies You Can Tie with Techniques You Learned from the Humble Woolly Bugger

Jason G. Freund

Mar 10, 20245 min read

Building on the Basic Woolly Bugger - Flies You Can Tie with Techniques You Learned from the Humble Woolly Bugger

Now that you have mastered the Woolly Bugger, there is a wide world of tying open to you! Here are some of patterns to try after the Bugger.

546 views0 comments

Cicada Hatch 2024: A Guide to Biology, Finding Them, and Fly Patterns for Catching Fish

Jason G. Freund

Feb 25, 20248 min read

Cicada Hatch 2024: A Guide to Biology, Finding Them, and Fly Patterns for Catching Fish

Cicadas are big, clumsy bugs that are really poor flyers and run into things quite regularly - this includes the water's surface.

4,423 views0 comments

Unlocking the Mysteries of Trout Stream Productivity: Exploring Nutrients, Calcium, and Stream Variability

Jason G. Freund

Jan 14, 20245 min read

Unlocking the Mysteries of Trout Stream Productivity: Exploring Nutrients, Calcium, and Stream Variability

There is a great amount of variation in the productivity of trout streams and the reasons why are quite complex and interesting.

540 views0 comments

The Beauty in Simplicity: Why I Prefer Tying Flies I Don't Mind Losing

Jason G. Freund

Dec 17, 20236 min read

The Beauty in Simplicity: Why I Prefer Tying Flies I Don't Mind Losing

While I enjoy fly tying a lot and tie a lot more flies than I lose most years, I have a preference for flies I don't mind losing.

562 views4 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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