Fish With G&G! 3 Exciting opportunities
Is a hosted fishing trip right for you? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT. Argentina Trout and Golden Dorado I’ll be hosting two amazing fishing opportunities for you in Patagonia & Argentina with Andes Drifters. Do either trip or both in two consecutive weeks! February 20-27 2016 Patagonia Trout This is nothing less than a week of the best trout fishing and greatest hospitality on the planet. I made this trip last year and it was the coolest fishing trip I’ve ever made. While your friends shovel snow at home you’ll throw big dry flies to hungry brown and rainbow trout of 18-24 inches, drink Argentinean wine, fish at the foot of a giant volcano, eat goat roasted on a spit and sleep under the Southern Cross. The fishing is truly remarkable. Think Montana times 10. There will be ample opportunity to cast to rising trout or work the bank with hoppers. If you like to throw streamers, hold on baby! These fish are aggressive. We’ll spend the first few days floating the Chimehuin and Alumine Rivers, and wading the beautiful Malleo River at the foot of the Lanin volcano. We will stay at the Spring Creek Lodge, which is as comfortable as it is charming. The Argentines are gracious folks and they are proud to share their country and their culture. There will be local wine tasting, music, tango dancers and food that you just can’t believe. If you never touched your fly rod it would be a bucket list trip. And just when you think it can’t get any better…it does. We’ll end the trip with an epic three-day float and camp on the legendary Limay Medio, The River Of Monsters. Although your average fish on this river will likely be 20 inches, it’s quite likely the best place in the … Continue reading
Read More »Sunday Classic / 12 Tips for Spotting More Bonefish
SO YOU WANT TO CATCH A BONEFISH?
To catch a bonefish, one must first see a bonefish, and there’s the problem. Bonefish are nearly invisible as any living creature. Their camouflage is almost flawless. Their sides are as bright as a mirror and reflect their surroundings perfectly. If the bottom is light, the fish is light. If the bottom is dark, the fish is dark. It can be maddening.
The problem is compounded for the angler who is making the transition from trout fishing to flats fishing. The method of spotting fish is completely different. In fact it’s almost opposite. To find a trout you identify the likely holding water and stare into that spot, waiting for the window to open so that you can glimpse a head or a tail. But trout are holding still in moving water. Bonefish are always on the move. If you stare through that window you’ll miss the show.
I can remember standing on the bow, listening to my guide’s voice become tense, then frustrated. “He’s right there Man, forty feet, right in front of the boat.” “You can’t see the fish, Man?” It will test your self confidence, make you wonder if you know anything about fishing.
With time, the lights turn on and you start to understand the subtle signs of life that you’ve been missing. You learn how to look for fish. Spotting bonefish never gets easy but it become doable. With time, a good pair of polarized glasses and a little patience from your guide, the bonefish will reveal himself.
HERE ARE TEN TIPS TO HELP.
1. Keep your head on a swivel
There are some rules for how fish move on the tide, but bonefish don’t care much for rules. They’re like kids, they mill around, get distracted, turn and stop suddenly. They could be anywhere on the flat. Keep scanning the water. The closest bonefish may be behind you.
2. Don’t get tunnel vision
It’s easy to anticipate where you will see fish. You can find yourself staring at a small piece of water trying to make fish appear. This tunnel vision can be its worst when your guide is calling out a fish. You may be looking ten feet to the left of the fish and never see it. Keep your eyes relaxed and look at the big picture. See the forest, not the trees.
3. Search the glare
The surface of the water reflects the sky and one part of the sky is always lighter than the other. That means that there is almost always part of the water where you can see well and a part where you see mostly glare. The natural tendency is to spend your time searching the water where you can see well but this is not the most effective method. Scan that water quickly, then slow down when you scan the glare. That will help keep you from missing fish.
4. Tilt your head
Polarized sun glasses work with the angle of the light. The angle of the light is always changing but your glasses stay put. If you are struggling to see through glare
Saturday Shoutout / Good News In The Bahamas
I think we can all use a little good news and Bonefish On The Brain has it.
B.O.B. Has been relentless in its coverage of the Bahamian regulation controversy. There’s been a lot of bad news in the past months and it’s really refreshing to hear something positive. I think it’s only fitting that you hear it from Bonefish On The Brain.
LIGHT ON THE HORIZON IN THE BAHAMAS
While you’re there check out this great interview with Justin Lewis from the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. You’ll get some insight on Bahamian regulation, the fishery, some tips on catching bonefish and even a rugby lesson.
INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN LEWIS
Read More »New Waypoints Packs From Simms
When you’ve got serious gear to carry, Simms has you covered.
If you’re into backcountry fly fishing or just need room for extra layers and you’re looking for packs that will get you and the gear you need upriver, Simms has some great new options. The new Waypoints packs are light weight, durable, comfortable, chocked full of features and they’re big enough to get the job done.
There’s a new aluminum frame backpack with rod storage, lots of pockets and lash cords that will carry everything you need for a day or work great for a light overnight. It has all the features you need to use it as a fishing pack as well as a backpack. There’s also a new sling pack that is big enough for lunch and a heavy jacket or great for the angler who just carries a lot of gear.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO TO SEE THE PACKS AND GET THE SCOOP!
Read More »10 Yellow Sally Fly Patterns That I Love
By Kent Klewein
WHEN I THINK BACK ON ALL THE TIMES I’VE FISHED YELLOW SALLY STONEFLY HATCHES OVER THE YEARS, I HONESTLY CAN’T REMEMBER EVER HAVING A BAD FISHING EXPERIENCE.
If I can find them on the water, I usually have no problem getting trout to take my imitations. Yellow Sally stoneflies hatch from coast to coast. Depending on where you live, they usually show up the month of May and in some areas will stick around until the end of August. You’ve got to love an aquatic insect that has a hatch period that lasts not weeks, but months. Even in the dead of terrestrial season, or when other aquatic bug hatches such as caddis or mayflies are in progress, trout will regularly forage on Yellow Sallies if they’re available. For that fact alone, fly anglers should always have a handful of Yellow Sally fly patterns stowed away in the fly box at all times. Trout love them and so should you.
With the gargantuan number of fly patterns out there these days, it can be a challenge at times to pick out the real rock stars amongst all the other players in the fly bins. Below are ten Yellow Sally patterns that I’ve personally fished and had great success with. Four are nymphs and six are dries. My hopes for this post is simply to help point fly anglers in the right direction whether it’s at the vise or at a local fly shop for stocking up on proven Yellow Sally stonefly patterns.
YELLOW SALLY NYMPH PATTERNS
Kyle’s BH Yellow Sally
Kyle’s BH Yellow Sally is highly effective fished as a dropper off the back of a dry fly or on a nymph rig. It’s extremely durable and has an accurate profile with nice contrasting colors. The other great thing about this pattern is that I’ve found it works year round for me, so don’t feel like the only time you should break it out is during a Yellow Sally hatch. It’s sold commercially by Montana Fly Company and should be available for purchase in most fly shops around the country.
Recipe: Kyle’s BH Yellow Sally
KYLE’S BH C-N YELLOW SALLY
Kyle’s BH C-N Yellow Sally is a twin of the pattern above. My best guess for the creation of this pattern was that Kyle found himself one night tying yellow sally nymphs, and all he had left in his hook inventory were scud hooks. I’ll leave the ball in Kyle’s court to fill us all in on the backstory for this fly. For now, I tell all that this pattern catches trout and it has a strong following by tons of other fly fisherman around the globe. Again, it’s a very durable fly that you’ll get your money’s worth out of fishing, and the scud hook gives the nymph a nice presentation in the water. Some anglers prefer to fish nymphs on curved hook shanks over traditional straight shanked nymph hooks. How much difference it makes, I can’t tell you, because I catch trout on both styles of nymphs. Go with whatever you have more confidence in.
SILVERMAN’S BH EPOXY-BACK RED TAG SALLY
Looking for a realistic Yellow Sally nymph that has a slim profile and will down to the fish quick? Silverman’s BH Epoxy-Back Red Tag Sally is a fish catching machine that few trout will pass up if Yellow Sallies are on the water. I have to say that I’m a big fan of Silverman’s fly tying. I’ve yet to fish one of his patterns that didn’t get me regular hookups. I like that it’s an easy tie and it’s a spot on imitation.
Recipe: Silverman’s BH Epoxy-Back Red Tag Sally
LITTLE YELLOW SLOAN – NYMPH
Dave Sloan hit a home run when he created his Little Yellow Sloan nymph. I fished it
Read More »Sunday Classic / Realistic Flies Are Worthless Without Movement
Worthless may be a little overboard, but there is some truth behind it. Every year new fly tying products burst onto the scene that are specifically designed for making our fly patterns look extra realistic. I’ll be the first to admit many of them are amazingly cool and innovative. I mean, who wouldn’t want black eyes on their tungsten beads, or a perfect set of pre-molded wing pads or stonefly legs you can plop on a hook to make your nymphs look ultra life-like, right? Seeing these new innovative materials for the first time always gets me giddy, like a fat guy spotting a 5 for 5 deal at Arby’s. But here’s the real question I think we should be asking ourselves. When it comes to purchasing and tying our fly patterns, should we only be focused on how realistic they look? I say hell no, but you’d be surprised how many fly fishermen out there believe “a realistic look” trumps all other attributes in a fly. Ask a fly shop owner why they carry them if they don’t catch fish, and they’ll quickly tell you, because they sell like hot cakes, that’s why. I think a fly being realistic is great, but there needs to be more working elements in a pattern than just a flashy realistic look. I’ve personally found, that a lot of the time the more realistic you go with fly patterns, the more unrealistic they end up moving and looking in the water. And if they don’t look good in the water, chances are, they’re probably going to be worthless for catching fish. For me, the key to tying and picking out successful fly patterns from the bins over the years has been to always make sure a pattern incorporates equal parts of realistic features and … Continue reading
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Terrace Chrome
Maybe it’s because I love steelhead so very much.
Or maybe it’s because I just got home from a steelhead trip and wish I was back there. For whatever reason this beautiful film on wild steelhead of British Columbia really hit home. It’s soulful and beautifully shot and I just can’t stop hitting the replay button.
Take a ride with guide and steelhead bum, Darren Wright. Chase some wild steelhead in Terrace, British Columbia. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself in a whole new state of mind. God! I love steelhead.
ENJOY TERRACE CHROME
Read More »GoPro Hero 4 Session, The Next Generation
GoPro gets smaller and better.
GoPro cameras are quickly becoming standard equipment for a lot of anglers. Their compact size, simplicity and rugged, waterproof design make them perfect fishing cameras. It’s no wander they are showing up on rivers, lakes and flats everywhere.
The new GoPro Session, the latest evolution in the Hero-cam lineup, offers the same great image quality and features as earlier models in a remarkably small package. Roughly the size of an ice cube, the Session is even easier to carry and mount than earlier GoPro cameras and has some new functionality that I really like.
Simple one-button operation makes the Session easier than ever. Built in wifi and smart phone control makes it remarkably powerful and the waterproof body no longer requires a housing. That makes the camera easier to mount and conceal and solves some problems, like fogging and poor audio, that comes with camera housings.
I have a couple of GoPro cameras including the Session. The Session is now my go-to GoPro. It’s simply a pleasure to use.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO, SHOT WITH THE SESSION, AND LEARN ABOUT WHAT’S NEW FROM GOPRO.
Read More »3 Tips for Swinging Flies for Trout & Other Species
A couple weeks back, for one of my Saturday Shoutouts, I showcased a great fly fishing article on MidCurrent titled, Beyond the Swing by John Likakis. It was a fly fishing techniques piece packed with tons of information about the how-tos of swinging flies. It’s a great read for any angler wanting to become more competent and effective at swinging flies for trout and other species. If you happened to miss reading this one, please check it out after today’s post. After I read John’s article, it inspired me to share three swinging fly tips of my own. Each tip is meant to help the anglers out there who’ve just recently started swinging flies on the water.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Rookie Mistakes Cost Fish
IT’S SUCH A SIMPLE THING TO CHECK YOUR FLY.
It’s 6:45 in the back country of the Florida keys. It’s mid summer and the water is like glass. I can feel the sweat running down my neck and legs. I’m trying to be as quiet as possible as I frantically strip line off of my reel. My buddy Joel Dickey has cut the motor and is on the platform before the prop stops turning. As our wake bends the clouds reflected in the water, we coast silently toward a school of rolling tarpon.
The set up is perfect. I feel a little breeze pick up. It feels wonderful on the sweat soaked back of my shirt. The breeze, the light and the tide are all coming from behind me. Joel puts me in position. A fish rolls at eleven o’clock fifty feet ahead. I drop the fly just in front of him and strip once, twice and the line comes tight.
I strip set hard with my left hand, then lock the line against the grip and stick him again with my right. The light off of the scales is almost blinding when the fish comes up for its first jump. A brief flash and it’s over
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