Keep your thirst quenched without the baggage
It’s late spring and everyday we’re moving one step closer to summer.
Air temperatures are climbing into the 70s and 80s on most days and will soon be even higher. These conditions make it extremely important that anglers are staying properly hydrated while they’re on the water fly fishing. I really enjoy hiking into remote locations to fly fish for trout. The only problem with me doing this, is I’m constantly fighting to quench my thirst and stay hydrated. I used to utilize packs with internal bladders for storing my drinking liquids, but there were quite a few disadvantages that came along with using them. First, when filled to full capacity, they become quite heavy and take a tole on your body lugging them around all day. Secondly, if you’re using them during the warm seasons and you’re doing some aggressive hiking and fishing, eventually that cold liquid you filled the bladder with in the morning will eventually warm up and end up tasting like bath water. Thirdly, internal bladder systems require maintenance and cleaning to keep them from building up bacteria and mold. Five years ago, I decided to ditch the internal bladder systems in exchange for a light weight water filtration bottle, and I’ve never looked back. Doing so, I eliminated the three negatives I mentioned above with using internal water bladders, and I no longer have to ration my water intake during the day. This product will keep you fresh during your time on the water and you’ll have far less
Read More »5 Tips For Teaching Kids To Fly-Fish
Taking the time to teach a kid to fly-fish is an investment in the future.
To my mind, there’s nothing more important than teaching kids to fish. If done right, it’s an investment that pays three times. For the child you teach, it’s a life of wonder and purpose, which builds character and keeps them grounded. For yourself, the satisfaction of knowing you have changed a life for the better. For society, another grounded soul with respect for others and the natural world.
We are not all, however, teachers by nature and the task of passing on the fundamentals of fly fishing to a young person can be as hard on us as on them. With all of the excitement surrounding 11 year-old Maxine McCormick’s performance at the107th ACA National Tournament, I thought there was no better person to ask for advice than her coach, Chris Korich.
CHRIS KORICH’S FOUNDATIONAL RULE AND 5 TIPS FOR TEACHING KIDS TO FLY-FISH
Foundational Rule: CONSERVATION OF ENERGY: Make it look easy, effortless, efficient, encourage rest and relaxation.
5 TIPS
•TRUST – Establish rapport by asking questions, probing about other sports & interests. Listen and repeat, prove that you care!
•SIMPLIFY – Teach the basics. Teach grip and stance with a pencil, not a fly rod. Next, practice the casting stroke with just the 2 tip sections of the rod and NO LINE to start, then add a third section and a line. Cast to 20-30 foot targets with short 0X leader and yarn.
•PRAISE – Ignore bad strokes, loops, etc. Immediately praise good strokes, positive stops, tight loops, good timing, mechanics and results.
Read More »6 Reasons You Might Catch More Bonefish By Wading
Wading a beautiful sand flat on some tropical island, looking for bonefish is an experience every angler should enjoy.
There’s nothing like wading for bonefish, especially in a remote location where the angler can enjoy breathtaking beauty, solitude and the thrill of casting to un-pressured fish. Wading is not just a cool experience, it’s also productive.
I was talking about bonefishing with Tom Rosenbauer the other day and he made the comment,
“I catch most of my bonefish wading. I just see the fish better.”
That might seem counterintuitive, but I totally agree. While the height the angler gains standing on the boat helps reduce the glare on the water, it also puts the angler in a very different space. I’ve always thought the wade angler was more in touch with the environment and conditions than the boat angler, and therefore more attuned to where the fish are moving. Tom agreed.
This idea stuck in the back of my mind and as the day went on I continued to think of reasons that wading for bonefish is so productive. It’s not the first time I’ve hung up the phone with Tom and sat down to write about the conversation. That should tell you a bit about the man. Anyway, here’s my list of reasons wading for bonefish is so productive.
6 Reasons You Might Catch More Bonefish By Wading
Awareness of your surroundings.
As I mentioned, when you wade you are more aware of things like water movement, contours in the bottom, the consistency of the bottom and the amount of forage. Being in the water puts you in the same space as the fish and you begin to see the cuts and channels they use to travel and the places they might regularly hunt for food. You begin to anticipate their behavior and you find fish because you are looking in the right places.
2. You take your time.
A wading angler covers water more carefully. It’s pretty common, when fishing from a boat, to roll up on a fish and spook it before you even know it’s there. By moving slowly and searching the water methodically the wade angler
Read More »ISO
TODAY’S PHOTOGRAPHY TIP IS SIMPLE BUT IMPORTANT.
Formerly known as ASA, the ISO setting on your camera adjusts the sensor’s sensitivity to light. Some cameras are capable of adjusting their own ISO. If yours is not, you will get better results by adjusting this setting for the existing light conditions. If you are in bright sun, a low ISO setting like 100-200 will give you sharper images with less noise. If you are in low light like dusk, a higher ISO like 400-800 will give you faster shutter speeds and minimize camera shake. When you start using your ISO setting, it is important
Read More »Making The Connection
By Devin Olsen
Better techniques for connecting fly line to leader.
I remember when the first welded loops became standard on most fly lines. I was working in a fly shop and guiding summers at the time. I always asked shop customers if they wanted me to leave the loop on or have me add a butt section that they could tie their leaders to— standard practice prior to loops. Almost everyone told me to leave the loop intact. I would silently cringe a little bit and wish them well on the water. Why would I cringe, you ask? After all, what could be easier than looping your leader to your line? Two reasons: 1. Loops further chipped away at the knot tying self-sufficiency I think is lacking in the fly fishing world. Even shop hands didn’t have to learn how to tie a nail knot after loops arrived and it’s a skill that’s nearly disappeared among the general fly angling populace. 2. Loops are pretty terrible at sliding through guides smoothly.
However, welded loops certainly have their place. For instance, they are an absolute godsend when switching sink tips on Skagit heads for Spey fishing. They can also be perfectly fine when fishing a short streamer leader when your line never enters your guides after it’s pulled through at the beginning of the day until you break down your rod when you’re done fishing. However, for the rest of my fishing, the first thing I do when I get a new fly line is cut the loop off straightaway. I’ve seen lots of fish broken off with light tippet when a loop to loop connection has caught a guide. You know, that run the fish always takes as a last gasp when you try and slide it in the net. I’ve also seen plenty of new casters get incredibly frustrated when they can’t get line out their rod tip to begin their cast. We’ve all seen the awkward 10 false casts when there could be one or two. There’s a definite loss of efficiency when this is the case. And while most situations don’t require it, when you are fishing gin clear smooth water to ultra-spooky fish, the loop to loop connection can spook a few extra fish because its extra mass lands on the water a little bit harder and pulls off with a little extra disturbance.
My aversion to loop-to-loop connections became even greater once
Read More »Stocked Brook Trout – Strip it, Skate it, Swing it
I’M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A GREAT TROUT STREAM NEAR BY THAT OPERATES A DELAYED HARVEST PROGRAM (CATCH AND RELEASE FISHING BY ARTIFICIAL FLIES ONLY) THAT STARTS IN THE FALL EVERY YEAR, AND RUNS INTO THE EARLY SUMMER.
I love visiting this trout stream because the DNR stocks big male and female brook trout, some of which, can push well over twenty inches. To consistently catch these beautiful brookies, I usually have to experiment with different types of flies and presentation methods to find out what’s the best option for the day’s fishing. Sometimes all I need is a simple drag free drift with a dry fly or nymph to catch them. Other times, the brook trout will completely ignore my dead drifted flies and I’m forced to impart extra action and movement on my flies to trigger bites. When I can’t get stocked brook trout to rise to my dry fly or take my nymphs dead drifted, I’ll then try fishing tactics like stripping a streamer, skating a dry fly or swinging a tandem nymph rig. For some reason, the added action and movement, often will trigger reaction strikes from stocked brook trout that have lock jaw. Moving your fly upstream, and causing it to make a wake, be it a dry fly or wet fly is another technique that can work wonders. Everyday can be different, so it’s important that you figure out what kind of presentation and type of fly the brook trout want to help you find success. Now that I’ve gone over how movement can trigger bites with the stocked brook trout, let’s talk about each in a little more detail.
TECHNIQUE #1 – TRY STRIPPING STREAMERS WHERE THE BROOKIES ARE LOCATED
I’ll never forget a day on the water with my good friend Joel Dickey several years ago, where he landed two brook trout well over 22 inches with a streamer. They were the biggest stocked brook trout I had ever laid my eyes on in the Southeast, and the only thing that proved effective for catching them that day, was retrieving a streamer across their noses erratically. Try fishing brightly colored streamers that incorporate flash for stocked brook trout. Multi-colored streamer patterns with yellow, orange and blue have served me well over the years. Take an attractor approach when tying or purchasing your streamers, you don’t need to fish natural looking streamers that resemble the local sculpins, crayfish or baitfish. These can work also, but I’ve found streamers that are colored loudly get the most attention. Your streamers don’t need to be very big either. A two to three-inch streamer is all you need to get the job done. Just keep in mind that the brook trout will not always be fooled by your streamers. I provided this technique first, because right after brook trout are stocked, they usually are suckers for streamers. After being caught with them a few times though, they start to wise up, and will chase but not always eat streamers. Try streamers where you can locate brook trout or know it’s good water for brook trout (usually slow moving runs or tails of pools), and if you don’t have any luck, be ready to try other types of flies and techniques.
TECHNIQUE #2 – TRY SKATING A BIG ATTRACTOR DRY FLY
Skating big dry flies across the surface of the water can be highly effective for stocked brook trout. I like to fish large dry flies that float well and have enough bulk that they’ll create a nice V-wake when I’m skating and twitching them. A bright foam body with rubber legs, stacked deer hair and a palmered grizzly hackle feather works well. If you don’t tie flies, a
Read More »Do Bonefish Eat Popcorn?
I LOVE POPCORN CLOUDS. PUFFY, BILLOWING WHITE MARSHMALLOWS FLOATING ACROSS THE SKY.
Like huge mounds of cotton candy picking up the green, blue and gold of the flats. Nothing says, “it’s going to be a beautiful day” like popcorn clouds. Who doesn’t love them, well, bonefish actually. Popcorn clouds can be tough but you can beat the game and have a great day by fishing smart. Here are a few strategies that pay off.
Be Prepared For Colorado’s Black Canyon
Colorado’s Black Canyon doesn’t play.
My buddy John is getting even more fidgety than usual. He’s whipped himself into a froth as I go over the pack-list. Sleeping bag, pad, headlamp, tecnu…” “Water?”, he asked. “No, I told you, filter bottle.” “Cliff Bars, peanut butter, whisky…” “So this trail”, he starts again, “eight hundred and some vertical feet and the road, the guy said four wheel drive, I don’t think the Subaru has a skid plate. “What’s your deal?”, I ask. “No, well, ok, it just sounds like a lot, we are fifty you know, my back’s not good.” He knows it’s pointless, there’s no talking me out of it. “You’re right”, I answer, “let’s wait until we’re sixty, it’ll be much easier then.”
All this noise isn’t for nothing. Colorado’s Black Canyon doesn’t play. You’re not exactly taking your life in your hands fishing down there but bad things can happen. You need a plan because the canyon is not forgiving of mistakes. On the other hand, there are few places in the lower forty-eight that offer the scenery, the quality fishing and the natural experience of the Black Canyon and the Gunnison river. It’s not for everybody and it does get more traffic than you would expect. I’m not trying to add to the pressure but if you are going to go, you should be prepared. Here’s what I learned on my trip.
WHAT TO EXPECT
For the record, fifty is not too old. You need to be in good shape for hiking but if your health is good and you don’t have breathing or heart issues don’t let age stop you. I live at sea level and I did fine with a pack, tent, food and fishing gear.
Most folks do it as a day trip but it’s a great trip to camp. You expend a lot of time and energy getting into and out of the canyon. It’s nice to stay at least one night. The extra weight of the camping gear makes it a tough call but I’m glad we did it. Just go light. Seriously light! Eat cold food before you carry a stove and fuel. If you have an ultralite tent that’s great, otherwise you might sleep under the stars. Camp sites are first come first serve. Get an early start.
The elements are brutal. It’s dry and sun baked and you will be too if you’re not careful. You have to be serious about hydration. My buddy Andrew Grillos who has guided the canyon for years told me has drunk two and a half gallons of water in a day and still been dehydrated. A filter pump and a gallon jug is a good idea. Filter bottles work great but you will need plenty of water for the hike in and out when you’re away from the river. An extra filter bottle is a good idea anyway. I fell and broke the filter in mine. We got by ok sharing on the river but the hike out with one bottle was rough. Sun screen and a buff are a must. It’s hot as hell and the black rock heats up like a wood stove. Leave the
Read More »Float Tube Tour: Video
By Herman deGala
In mid-March and everyone is in the middle of their tying season.
But for me bass season is right around the corner when my local reservoir opens for fishing. If there is any ice on the water they won’t let us launch boats or float tubes but we can still fish from shore. They still need to launch the Rangers boat and place the Off Limits buoys.
Like everyone else I am stocking up on flies so that I won’t have to tie during the middle of the season. I also know though that I need to make sure all of my equipment is in top shape and ready to go especially my float tube, rods and reels.
I’ve included a short tour of how I have my float tube rigged and some of the reasons behind the equipment I use. My tube is setup for stillwater fishing and for chasing bass and trout.
Float Tube – Outcast Super Fat Cat
I love this tube. I have fished it for over 10 years and I put a minimum of over a hundred days on it each year. The best thing about it is that it keeps my okole out of the water so that I don’t get as cold in the early Spring. I also love it because it fits perfectly in the back of my Subaru Forester. I can have it fully inflated and completely rigged. I just pull it out of the back, place my rods in their holders and launch from the side of the ramp in no time at all.
Pressure Gauge – Kwik Check Pressure Gauge
It never fails. 95% of the fishermen launching from the ramp have under inflated tubes. I always offer to check the air pressure of their tubes and also offer to help them to top it off. First off it is safer to fish from a properly inflated tube. Also, you can travel faster with a properly inflated tube because there is less surface area touching the water. Having a properly inflated tube also allows you to fight fish more effectively. When you are fighting a 5 lb. smallie the last thing you want to do is to fight your tube to hold position in the wind.
I also admit that the last thing I want to happen is for someone to get hurt just because their tube was under-inflated. I have seen guys that looked like they were wearing a life jacket because their tube was so under-inflated.
Read More »Arrogant. Selfish. Proud. A Wyoming Fisherman in the American South
I spend a lot of time fishing with my buddies out west. Frankly, I’m spoiled. My western friends show me some pretty outstanding fishing when I’m out their way. It’s very seldom that I get the chance to reciprocate. Few of my friends from the west find their way to my neck of the woods. When I made the acquaintance of Jackson Engels, a talented fly anger from Wyoming, and he mentioned he was visiting North Carolina, I was excited to show off some of my water for a change.
Jackson and I had a great day on the water and he brought some Wyoming whiskey that helped. Later I got to thinking. What does a North Carolina trout stream look like to a guy from Wyoming? I emailed Jackson and asked for his thoughts. I told him I was thinking of writing a piece for G&G. His reply was so well written I decided to share it with you as he wrote it. In his words, from his heart.
For the record, Jackson did not strike me as arrogant, selfish or proud. Thanks Jackson, for a great day on the water, for the whiskey and for sharing your thoughts on our day.
L.
ARROGANT. SELFISH. PROUD. A WYOMING FISHERMAN IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH.
BY JACKSON ENGELS
Arrogantly, I don’t like fishing anywhere but Wyoming. Selfishly, I don’t want anyone else fishing my Wyoming streams. Proudly, I KNOW the people of Wyoming are the most genuine and generous in the country.
Weeks prior to my trip, sarcastic farewells actually started to scare me. Maybe my friends were right, maybe a trip to Georgia/North Carolina to meet a fishing HERO…ahem “fishing guide”…ahem “fishing bum” was a a bad idea. Surely jokes about canoes and banjos weren’t really starting to concern me? And holy hell, squealing like a pig! What am I doing? Where am I going? Trout fishing in the South? Does that even exist? There’s no such thing! This Louis Cahill is going to kill me and bury me next to some backwoods moonshine shed!! HELP!!!
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