All the Best Things Come From Chico, CA

Chico is the home to Chico State University and Bidwell Park, one of the most beautiful city parks in the world.

Upper Bidwell Park
Photo: Wikipedia

The city is also home to Sierra Nevada Brewery.  One of my favorite breweries, and by far the best tap room that I have ever been to.

Cans, so you can take them with you fishing!

It is also the home of Aaron Rodgers.

The Man!

Not to mention Chico (or right outside) produces Lundberg Chips and Santa Cruz Organic Juice.

But the newest and best product that I have found recently to come from Chico are Hogan Brown's nymph patterns.  

I was a conventional fisherman all through college.  Totally intimidated by fly fishing which I knew nothing of.  I still don't really know that much.  But my fishing buddy who did occasionally fly fish and I would frequent the fly shops in Chico, because they were nice and would point us in the right direction to try and catch the areas trout, salmon, steelhead, largemouth and smallmouth bass, shad, and striped bass.  On those trips I remember meeting a super nice kid about my age behind the fly shop counter who was stoked on fly fishing and always helpful.  His name was Hogan Brown.

Fast forward 10 years.  Now I have a minor obsession with catching fish on flies that I tie myself.  My fishing buddy, yes the same one, told me about some patterns he had been tying that I just had to tie.  The flies were Hogan Brown patterns called the Golden Child nymph, Red Headed Step Child, Military Mayfly, and the S&M nymph.  I was really stoked to learn how successful Hogan had become in the fly fishing/tying game.

Hogan Brown's S&M nymph
Photo: Idylwilde

Check out Hogan's Blog. He has descriptions and a short story for all of his flies. 

I have been tying a version of his S&M nymph with a flash back instead of a goose/turkey biot back.  The fly has been deadly.  I have had success with this flashy mayfly with all of the low clear water fishing that I have been doing over the lat couple of weeks.  

This sucker fish wanted to sniff the nymph.

This is my S&M with a flashback or Military Mayfly with a copper bead.

Thank you Hogan and thank you Chico.