The Quest For Heady Topper

The Quest For Heady Topper.
Disclaimer:  THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FISHING! 

When countless friends of mine that don’t know each other start recommending the same beer repeatedly, I take notice.  First off, what is all the hype?  Don’t get me wrong, I love my craft brews but to the extent that people get that faraway look in their eye at the sheer mention of it. Enter the Heady Topper brewed by the Alchemist Brewery in Middlebury, Vermont.  Geography time, Vermont borders New York.  No problem right, I’ll run to the local Wegmans grocery store known for its tremendous selection of crafty brews……no go.  A buddy mentions that the stuff is really hard to come by.  I begin calling several beer specialty stores in a two hour driving radius in search of….no dice.  Enough of this stuff I say and google the brewery itself to find out what the deal is.  The website has a distribution map that shows a cluster of retail locations all crammed into one area of Vermont.  Geography lesson: Vermont is not a monster sized state.  By now the “what the fuck?” has entered my head.  I attempt to call the brewery and get the scoop.  Of course no human answers the phone and I listen to the “come early in the week because we sell out quickly” recording…again WTF? pops into my head.  It is beer!  How good can it be?  I start contemplating whether or not to end the summer with a weekend trip to Vermont.  No, that is ridiculous to drive five hours for beer.  A lucky break came.  A co-worker was headed to the eastern edge of New York and volunteered to pick up some Heady Topper for me across the border into Vermont.  I mention that I want a case of this stuff sight un-tasted. A case will run roughly $72….not a keg, 24 cans of beer= $72.  My co-worker is certain I have lost my freaking mind at the absurdity I am bestowing upon her.  She was soon going to learn of the insanity even within the state of Vermont for BEER….not just any beer, Heady Topper beer.  She trekked to the actual brewery and they were sold out of cans of Heady Topper.  Dejected and rejected she was sent on a mini-mart quest for the said product.  Rejection followed more rejection, when low and behold she scored a display at one mini mart with a limit of one.  One four pack of beer per customer!  She was able to secure me a single four pack of the heady stuff.  Cash for beer was exchanged in upstate New York and I raced home from work to plan my course of action on how to consume said beverage.  It was easy, just get all the bullshit stuff done, kick back and taste the nirvana in a can.  I kicked on the classic rock radio station and sat on the screen porch, put me feet up and opened a can.  By now I am so annoyed at the ordeal to get a beer  that I’m ready to criticize everything I can about the beer.  I go to taste that first sip when the aroma hits me.  No, I’m not nosing a glass of fine merlot.  I’m drinking beer from a can….that telltale hoppy scent hits me nicely.  Then the taste encompasses my tongue and mouth……it’s hoppy, piney, citrusy, and overwhelming.  Heady Topper is a double IPA (India Pale Ale)….in a nut shell it’s supposed to be hoppy tasting.  It’s not obnoxiously hoppy by IPA standards.  It is wonderfully hoppy.  Descriptions abound for the actual taste, but it is so intriguingly satisfyingly complex.  Hands down I can find no fault with it.  By now the family dog is staring at me wanting to know what mental cloud I have landed on to not notice her.  I reassure her that it would be ok to pull up a chair and sit with me.  Careful not to consume the whole can to quickly I am surprised at every pull from the can how great this is.  Then “Turn the Page” by Bob Segar comes on and I cherish the solitude.  At 8% alcohol content these are somewhat potent by normal beer standards, but not out of control.  Then flowed Pink Floyd.  It’s a classic rock station not Pandora.  By now the can is nearly empty, and in order to fully understand the beer I needed to have another.  I begin to carry on a one way conversation with the family dog. 

When a 4:20 trivia contest comes over the radio.  I am certain at this point I can answer any trivia question in the world and start dialing.  The answer is a Popcorn Maker and my call gets through.  It matters not the actual question, just that I am a winner.  A winner to a pair of Bacon Fest tickets.  In all my glory of consuming Heady Topper, I am now the proud winner of tickets to festival featuring BACON.  I now understand why those countless friends got that faraway look in their eyes at the sheer mention of HEADY TOPPER.  It is magic in a can. 

After the second can dissolved into nothingness I reached into the frig to open a craft beer IPA to compare.  It was like comparing Guiness to Miller Lite for those of you not familiar with crafty beers.  Heady Topper is worth the quest.

2013 Arctic Circle Flies

Occasionally cool things happen to flies I tie. Sinking hooks into jaws is always nice.  Sometimes my flies get to travel to faraway places that I can only dream of fishing.  Thus I live vicariously through my flies.  In mid-June I was contacted through a social media vacuum by an individual in Germany who had stumbled across a picture of some flies I had tyed a couple years back for a buddy who was headed to the Arctic Circle.  This individual wanted to know if I was interested in tying some flies for him as he was going there himself in late August.  For me it’s always exciting to see messages like this.  There is a gamble involved with a prospect like this; meeting deadlines, shipping costs, lost packages, currency exchange rates, and just getting ripped off in general.  Fly fishermen are generally decent people and keeping initial orders small tends to minimize the risks.  Sven and I worked out an agreement for me to tie some flies for his trip to the Ekaluk River.  On July 22, 2013  mailed the flies to Germany.  Then the waiting began……lots of waiting.  It took nearly a month for the flies to arrive and Sven got them literally days before leaving.  PPPPHHHHEEEEEWWWW!  I never anticipated it taking that long for the flies to reach him and anxiety had set in over what to do if they had arrived after he left on his journey.  Part of our deal was to share some photos from his trip when he returned.  Sven delivered on his end with some cool pictures and a brief note. 

Had a Great Trip, flies worked well, cold and storms (Winds over 100 mph), very nice people, Good Camp, loads of big, big Char!

Flies ready to go!

A view from on top of the world

You know it's windy when shit flows sideways.....LOL



Awesome!!!!



What it's all about!!!!



This is what it’s all about…..it fuels the fire within and drives the motivation.

A huge thank you to Sven for his patience and sharing his experience with me!!! 
Sven stayed at: Camp Ekaluk with B&J Flyfishing Adventures

Here is a link to my blog post from a few years back:

http://vern-o.blogspot.com/2011/09/artic-circle-flies-part-two.html

Salmon River Trip 8/25/13

Tom Coughlin Stadium Sunrise.

I swear I see a brook trout.

The great eye in the sky.

Swimming fly.

Magog in color with Flymen Fishing Company "Fish Mask"

Not a lot to say about the fishing, it was more of a visual trip.  There were a few fish around, but they weren't players in my game.  Really a good experience.  Sorry for the stupid sideways photos, the pics appear rightside up, but blogger turns them and won't let me correct...

Advanced Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead (Book Review)

With the hint of fall in the air, what better time to brush up on our quest for Great Lakes steelhead than with a review of Rick Kustich's book. Advanced Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead is a sort of follow up book to Rick and Jerry Kustich’s 1999 book Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead.  The timing is perfect with the viral explosion that has become a never-ending pursuit for many of us that is steelhead fishing, in particular Great Lakes steelheading with a fly.  Rick Kustich was the first fly tier I went to actually watch do a solo fly tying demo.  I remember that brisk Buffalo, New York winter day at the Oak Orchard Fly Shop.  Rick was on hand to tie tube flies and I was just scratching the surface in my curiosity for the tubular knowledge.  I remember being captivated by the simplicity in execution and the fluidity in which he spoke and educated his audience.  Every step and material had meaning and purpose.  One thing I took away from his demo was that tube flies are a great way to have youngsters learn the skill of tying.   No hooks to pierce inexperienced appendages until they are ready to be fished. It wasn’t long after that I was enthralled in his first book. Detail, detail, detail, every page had it.  It opened a whole spectrum of new ideas for me and destinations to ponder.  The ending notes of protecting our beloved surroundings and resources sealed it for me.  As the years have evolved so has my quest for steelhead along with many of my fellow anglers.  I no longer chuck parachute cords filled with lead to dredge the river bottoms with tiny nymphs dangling six feet away.  I now prefer the quality of the tug rather than the numbers landed. 

Rick Kustich has evolved as well and his detailed ability to capture every nook is chronicled in his new book Advanced Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead.  Rick methodically breakdown our sport covering virtually every nuance and niche.  What I like about Rick’s approach is that he covers many aspects and options and then states what style he likes and why.  It’s a no-nonsense style that doesn’t dance around what is politically correct. I applaud his stance with statements like, “Personally I have nothing against any sporting means to catching a steelhead, but when one approach significantly takes opportunity away from other anglers, there does seem to be something that borders on the unethical about this type of behavior.”   Rick certainly doesn’t soapbox issues, but rather his on the water experiences have exposed him to a vast array of individuals and techniques.  Rick explores countless tactical approaches and keys in on environmental factors that affect the success of connecting to our quarry.  Rick points out the advancements in technology to make our gear that much more versatile.  Rick makes no qualms about the fact that pursuing steelhead with a two handed (Spey) rod is his driving desire.  This style alone warrants a title using the word “advanced”.  Rick takes the time to describe several casting strokes, many of which are designed but not limited to two handed rods.  Careful descriptions are given followed by outstanding photo sequences taken by Nick Pionessa.  The book is peppered with stunning scenic photos and many a magnificent Oncorhynchus mykiss specimens.  This book really makes you appreciate and want to preserve the natural beauty that encompasses the Great Lakes region.  The book nears its conclusion when Rick discusses the search for a quality experience and gives insight into possible new trends to improve our sport.   Much like catch and release or catch limits have evolved through years of education, Rick hints to pool rotation and sharing in the experience as new avenues for improvement.  The book wraps up with chapters on flies tyed by many of those who fish these great lakes with passion and a breakdown of the many rivers and streams in which to challenge our desires.  There are no real spot burns, but rather a point in the right direction.  Rick has a grasp on this fishery that can only make one wonder what lies ahead in the next fifteen years or so.

Mental Health Day

As real life would have it I occasionally get overwhelmed and frustrated mostly with the real life job.  I then need that mental release, thus the need for a mental health day.  For me there is usually a bunch of planning, on what species and what body of water, etc.  What makes a mental health day more complete, than to score some fish.  This day was designed to score some warmwater species from the kayak.  The weather forcasted changed on me last minute making me rethink my original destination.  No problem I usually have a backup plan.  I headed to the North end of Cayuga Lake and searched for a launch spot.  Once I did I was off and eager to get the day reeling.  No dice, I moved to another location, and another, and another.....no dice, no dice, no fish.  A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.....right?  So be it, not every outting can be what the vision in my head wants it to be......thus the quest continues.  I did manage to take both my girls fishing, so that brought smiles to everyones face, myself included.