How To Unsnag A Fly
Every fly fisher gets snagged up once in a while.
It’s part of the game. If you aren’t fishing to structure, you aren’t fishing to fish. This is never more true than when streamer fishing. You’re constantly snagging logs and if you row over to get your fly, you’re spoiling a lot of good fishing spots where you could have hooked that big boy.
Most times it’s pretty easy to recover a stuck fly without ruining the spot. It’s a skill that challenges many new anglers. All you have to do is keep your wits about you and fish smart.
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LEARN HOW TO CLEAR A SNAGGED FLY.
Read More »Fly Fishing, Always Have a Plan B
Just about every fisherman out there is probably familiar with the saying, “never leave fish to find fish”. I live religiously by this common sense fishing advice. It’s saved my butt many days on the water guiding, and keeps me from straying away from productive water when I find myself being drawn away to fish other spots upstream that look great. Always remember that fly fishing is full of hot periods and cold periods of catching. So when fishing it’s hot, you want to capitalize on it as much as you can before it goes cold. Sometimes it can be hot fishing for several hours, while other times you may only have one hour of hot fishing, such as when a hatch is in progress. Quite often anglers can have more success sticking around fishing one area throughly, when it’s producing, than fishing a bunch of spots partially. Every stream is different of course, but it’s generally safe to say that some sections of water always will be fishing better than others througout the course of a day. A fly fishers job is to determine where those hot sections of the water are and fish them.
Read More »Weight is Great
Lot’s of days, more weight means more fish.
I’ve hesitated to write on this topic because it seems so elementary. Sort of a fly fishing truism but I’ve been encouraged lately after reminding several of my friends who are highly experienced anglers of this simple fact. If you’re fishing nymphs for trout and you’re not catching fish, the odds are very good that you aren’t using enough weight.
My split shot gets me laughed at. Fly fishermen have ideas about weight. I carry a box of the polite little split shot, made for fly fishermen, but I seldom use them. I go straight to the stuff made for the gear guys. I carry size B and BB but I also carry #7 (1/4 inch diameter) and I’m not afraid to use them. On several occasions lately I’ve been fishing with friends and come to deep runs where neither of us have been able to find fish. After we each fished the run thoroughly, I added one of those #7 shot to my rig and caught a fish on the first cast.
The fish are there in those deep runs but in the early spring with water temps still low, they’re hugging the bottom. They’ll eat a fly, they just won’t move for it. You have to put it right on their nose. It’s a changeling way to fish and dealing with heavy rigs requires making some adjustments to your casting but it gets results. I’ve always thought that the art of fly fishing is in showing the fish what he wants, not expecting him to eat what we want to fish. That often involves weight, lots of it.
The other day I found myself fishing a rig consisting of:
Read More »Small Wonder, Middle Georgia’s Shoal Bass
By Justin Pickett
THE SETTING SUN IS WARM AT MY BACK AS I STAND AT THE REAR OF MY JEEP.
I slip on my guard socks and wrench down on my boots until I’m happy with the fit. No need for waders today. The deep south humidity is smothering as I place my Buff around my neck. I dig through the mess that is my gear bag, and pull out my reel and place it on my six weight rod. I’m anxious as I slip the fly line through the guides, but I know that haste often does not lead to happiness. “Slow it down, take your time,” I remind myself.
I peer into my fly box, looking at all of its different inhabitants. Flies I’ve either bought, tied, found, or that have been gifted to me. The colors, the variety of materials. The unique purpose each pattern serves. There are several flies that have not so much as kissed the water, and a select few that have some serious frequent flyer miles. I don’t know why I stare for so long. It’s almost comical. I knew what fly I was going to fish with before I left the house.
I smirk and shake my head as I grab and inspect my go-to fly. It’s a simple fly, but a deadly one. It is a variant of an old, tried and true pattern. The materials reside around a size #4 streamer hook and are dark olive in color. The free flowing, marabou tail has just a bit of flash added to aide in piquing the interest of the fish that I seek. The body is wound with hackled feathers, and within the body are several rubbery legs, protruding from each side just before the nickel conehead. Ah, that’s where the life of this fly exists. The long, webby schlappen and the speckled tentacles breathes this fly to life. It is not prey. It is a seeker, and find, it does. My quarry just can’t seem to resist it once it is swung through their space. Add a little dash of confidence and a pinch of mojo, and how could one go wrong?
As I look over the bridge I can see fish rising, splashing at the surface each time they take a mayfly that has perilously drifted into their feeding lanes. Topwater isn’t my game plan though. The river is running at the perfect flow, just a touch high, and that’s just how I like it. I know this is going to be a great evening. The “magic hour” is approaching as I cinch down on my loop knot and hang my fly on the hook keeper. I set my drag. I grab my sling pack and clip my hemostats to the shoulder strap. I check again to make sure that I have my fly box and the few tippet spools that I need.
For those that fish within its banks, this location is endearingly known as “The Promised Land.” It is a
Read More »Calling After Water: Book Review
By Jason Tucker Dave Karczynski started out as a fiction writer. Luckily for us he discovered fly fishing. “From the moment I took it into my hands I knew that I was dealing with something amazing, something exceptional, something no legal schedule of plasma donation was going to cover.” With this sentence in chapter 1 of his new book “Calling After Water- Dispatches From a Fly Fishing Life”, Dave Karczynski draws us into his world of fly fishing, his personal rabbit hole he has yet to emerge from. I hate to start a review with “Full Disclosure” but feel I must- I am friends with the author. Good friends. I stayed at his camp in Northern Michigan and fished with him this spring. We took a nearly two-week road trip together to Labrador in 2015, the story of which is chapter 10 of this book. You may think I’m writing this positive review as a favor to a friend, or because I’m flattered to be featured in a chapter. But the truth is I am friends with Dave because I’m also a fan. Right about the time my original Fontinalis Rising blog was taking off, Dave Karczynski’s writing seemed to explode onto the scene- it was everywhere in ezines and print magazines including such lofty publications as The FlyFish Journal and The Drake. Dave quickly became my favorite writer in the fly-fishing world, one of my favorites in any genre. So, imagine my glee a dozen years ago when I found out he was going to join us at musky camp that fall. I was a bit starstruck at first, but by the end of musky camp the next year we were fast friends. And Dave continued to produce astounding work. Over time he put out two books, Smallmouth: Modern … Continue reading
Read More »Why Don’t Saltwater Anglers Use Nets?
It is just some kind of macho thing?
That’s a question I got from a reader a while back. It’s a good question and it raises an even better question. As saltwater anglers, should we use a net?
First off, it’s not accurate to say that all saltwater angler do no use nets. Tournament permit anglers, for example, use them. Hose guys are not going to take the chance of loosing a permit at the boat. Most saltwater anglers do not, however, and there are several good reasons.
The most obvious is the size of some of the fish we target in the salt. What kind of net would you use for a tarpon over a hundred pounds and how many guys would you want hanging on to it? It’s simply not practical.
What about species like bonefish, redfish and permit? Those fish will easily fit in a net. To understand why most anglers still land these fish by hand you need to understand a little about flats fishing.
It’s all about making one perfect shot. You’re standing on the bow with ninety feet of line stripped off in the floor hunting fish. When you find them, you may only get one shot and everything has to be perfect. Among the ten-thousand things that can go wrong is that ninety feet of line finding that landing net. Space is at a premium in a flats boat and finding a place for it, that’s out of the way is a challenge.
The biggest reason most saltwater anglers don’t use nets is
Read More »Bonefish Heaven
By Owen Plair
Bonefish are a species that all fly anglers dream about, and hope to one day target.
Traveling to a tropical destination and combing the crystal clear flats looking for a grey ghost is something that intrigues all anglers. I have targeted bonefish a few times in south Florida, including areas like Biscayne Bay and Islamorada, with a little success but never brought a fish to hand. After working in a fly shop for 10 years getting anglers geared up for trips or poling clients on my skiff and hearing countless bonefish stories, it was time to feel that excitement first hand. Back in mid November I was fortunate enough to attend the G&G South Andros Bonefish School. The feeling I had, packing my bags, knowing exactly what to bring after helping countless other anglers throughout the years was incredible. Finally it was my turn to fly out for my first experience with Bahamas Bonefish.
Little did I know, as I looked out of small plane window at the blue, tropical water, that South Andros would soon change my life forever. We were a group of 12 anglers hailing all the way from Montana to across the ocean in England. All with the same heightened anticipation of a week in Bonefish heaven. Endless miles of water, absolutely gorgeous habitat, and a culture proud to host angers like us, coming to experience bonefishing in the Bahamas. When flying into South Andros you don’t see giant resorts and tall buildings, even though it is the largest island in the Bahamas. What you see are miles and miles of flats and an island that seems almost deserted from the air. This was surprising to me and made me smile, knowing that it was a sign of great fishing ahead.
After everyone was seated in our taxi to the lodge, the driver of the van says in a warming Bahamian accent, “Okay fellas, I have fresh air, saltwater and cold beer. What’ll you have?” Kermit, our driver, starts popping bottle tops and handing out cold Bahamian beer for the short ride to the lodge. That was one of the best beers I had ever had.
We had an amazing dinner that night, full of laughter, drinks, and stories from around the globe. When 12 fly fishermen get together, it’s like you have been best friends for years. After dinner everyone went to their rooms and started rigging rods, tying leaders, and getting organized for the next morning. The rooms were not numbered but named after various fish and ironically the name of my room was “bonefish” which made me feel confident in the upcoming week.
I woke up the next morning feeling
Read More »Can Fasting Make You A Better Angler?
Science is finding evidence that the ancient practice of fasting offers a host of mental health benefits.
I’m starving. Quite literally. I’ve been on a pretty intense diet recently and as of today have lost 55 pounds in a little over four months. There are many health benefits to keeping that weight off but I really believe it’s helping me be a better angler, if for no other reason than I can hike to better water. In all seriousness though, I’ve seen a difference and it got me doing a little research. It seems I’m not alone in the idea that fasting changes your mental performance.
My initial theory was this. If I am hungry when fishing, my natural predatory senses could be enhanced. My body needs food and my mind could be sharpening my senses to help me provide it, helping me spot fish and focus on catching them. After doing some reading, I think there’s merit in that idea but there may be more going on.
Studies have shown that fasting can finding improvements in mood, mental clarity, vigilance, a sense of improved well-being, and sometimes euphoria. An interesting article from “Mind The Science Gap” gets into some of the physical details.
“The mood-boosting effects of fasting may be an evolutionary adaptive mechanism for periods of famine. In other words, when food is scarce our bodies release chemicals to help protect our brains from the negative effects. These chemicals can put us in a good mood–but, as you know if you have skipped a meal or two, it takes a few days. During the first week of fasting, the body begins to adapt to starvation by releasing massive amounts of catecholamines including epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, and dopamine as well as gluco-corticoids, steroid hormones involved in regulating the immune response and glucose metabolism. All of these chemicals are also released during the infamous ‘fight or flight’ response. After a while, our body responds to this stress through a boost of feel-good and protective chemicals.” -http://www.mindthesciencegap.org
There is also research which suggests that these chemical changes in the brain help in the long term to
Read More »Tenkara – Gear to Get Started
By Daniel Galhardo
Several years ago while visiting Japan I was introduced to the traditional method of fly-fishing called tenkara. Fascinated by the history and simplicity of tenkara, I decided to introduce tenkara to the United States and founded Tenkara USA.
In my view tenkara can be a breath of fresh air for the experienced angler and knocks down the barriers that face a novice getting into fly fishing. The equipment is minimal; to get started all you need is a rod, line and fly. That minimalism is one of the things that most appealed to me when I first came across tenkara.
Like anyone taking up a new sport, despite its inherent simplicity, at one point I too was a bit daunted by the process of selecting the gear I needed to get started. I have been down the road of selecting the gear I needed for tenkara, and have helped a lot of people choose the equipment they needed. I’ve tried finding a process to assist in the selection. I want to share my thoughts on how you too can get started with tenkara, right now if you want to.
Tenkara Rods
First things first, all tenkara rods
4 Tips to Get You Roll Casting Like a Pro
A solid roll cast is every angler’s best friend, here’s how to improve yours.
You’ve just spotted a big head break the surface on the far bank, gulping down a struggling mayfly drifting in the foam. The excitement of discovering the trophy trout feeding triggers your body’s adrenaline glands, and almost instantly, you feel your heart begin to pound, thump thump….thump thump. With the confined quarters and lacking room for a back cast, you realize your only viable option to reach the fish is going to be with an accurate roll cast. As you quickly try to present your mayfly imitation in the feeding lane, hoping that the big fish will mistake it for a natural, your fly shoots left of your intended target and lands in an overhanging branch above the fish’s lie, immediately putting down the big fish. With the fishing opportunity blown and the disappointment setting in, you find yourself asking, “What did I do wrong?”
As an avid small stream trout fisherman, I’ve lived out this exact situation many times, and felt the disappointment followed by a poorly executed roll cast. It wasn’t until I took the time to understand and learn the mechanics of proper roll casting, that I began finding myself capitalizing on fishing situations that called for precise roll casting. Looking back now on my past roll casting insufficiency, it’s clear I wasn’t at all, alone. There’s many anglers that struggle with roll casting, and that’s why I’ve decided to provide a short list of tips that’s intended to get anglers roll casting like pros.
4 TIPS TO GET YOU ROLL CASTING LIKE A PROFESSIONAL
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