Don’t Keep Staring in One Place if You’re Seeing Nada
My recent trip to the Bahamas, fly fishing for bonefish, I got a chance to work out a bunch of kinks in my flats fishing.
From the help of my buddies, the helpful staff on hand and the fantastic bahamian guides, I eventually got to the point where I could respectfully hold my own on the flats. Despite me being in paradise there were a few times during the trip when I found myself hanging my head. The first problem I had was letting my mind get in the way of my fishing. That was to be expected though, since I’m most comfortable on the cold water streams and rivers, and it had been several years since I’d last chased the grey ghost on the flats. When I trout fish, I don’t have to think about my casts much these days and my confidence is through the roof. This is because I do it day in and day out. Take me to saltwater though, where I only make a few trips a year, and my confidence drops and the first couple days I find myself constantly battling my inner thoughts and nerves. I’m sure many of you out there no where I’m coming from. Anytime you’re lacking confidence and dealing with nerves you’re going to fish at half your potential. And there’s no place this holds true more than standing on the bow of a skiff on the saltwater flats. Lesson learned, if you want to fish more effectively and maximize your success when fishing locations that aren’t your norm, you have to stay relaxed, keep your confidence no matter what, and learn to let the bad casts roll off your back.
My next problem I had during the trip, and the point for writing this post, was learning how to quickly spot the bonefish my guide was calling out to me. I missed countless shots during the week because
Read More »Renzetti 2300 Traveler Vise Review
By Bob Reece
The Renzetti 2300 Series Traveler Vise is a serious upgrade.
Years ago I was blessed to receive a phone call form an elderly lady in my community. She knew that I was a young fly tier and fisher. Her husband had passed away several years earlier and had left behind a life time of fly tying tools and materials. Through her great generosity, I happened upon what has been the most valuable asset of my fly tying career.
When I arrived at her house she guided me into the basement and toward a bedroom. When the bedroom door opened I found myself looking at chest high boxes wall to wall. Each box was filled with either fly tying tools or materials. After recovering from the shock, I began the process of working through the extensive collection. As I worked my way toward the back corner of the room, I opened a small tattered box. Inside sat the slim silver frame of a Renzetti Traveler vise. Never having tied on any form of quality vise, I was elated over the find. Looking back, I could have found any brand of vise in that box. With the fly tying experience that I now have, I’m thankful that it was a Renzetti.
Until recently, every fly that I have constructed since has been on that vise. Several weeks ago I moved on, to another Renzetti Traveler. With the creation of their 2300 Series Traveler, I couldn’t help but reach for the upgrade.
Renzetti’s are known for their buttery smooth rotary function. This new member of the family maintains that solid reputation. The vise structure provides three optional length positions for the jaws. This allows the tier to make rotary adjustments as hook sizes change, ensuring that the rotational axis does not induce wobble as the vise turns. The petite but strong bobbin cradle effectively fills in for the role of side kick during rotary applications.
Read More »Sunday Classic / For Steelhead, The Swing Is The Thing…Or Is It?
WHEN SWINGING FLIES FOR STEELHEAD, HOW IMPORTANT IS MANAGING THAT SWING?
It seems like a simple question. I know how I feel about it, but when you start talking to folks about it you get surprisingly different opinions. I’ve been told it doesn’t matter and I’ve been told it’s all that matters. I’ve heard it matters on some rivers and not on others. So where does the truth lie?
I was talking with a friend the other day when he asked me why I was catching more fish that week than he was. That’s, kind of, an impossible question to answer, especially where steelhead are concerned. It could be the magic fly or the right sink tip. It could be a ‘right place, right time’ situation. I have a friend who thinks it’s karma and it could well be dumb luck or what my grandfather called, “holding your mouth right.”
After some discussion, my friend Kevin was convinced the difference is in how I manage my swing. I learned how to swing flies from some pretty damned good anglers and I like to think I do a good job of it. My technique is also informed by some basic things I believe about fish and fishing. I do think it’s important and there are other things about catching steelhead that I think are equally important.
For what it’s worth, here’s how I manage my swing.
First of all, a good cast is a real asset. Turning your leader over, casting distance and accuracy are all important skills. That said, you
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Battlefish
Battlefish is like Wicked Tuna, with a steelhead guide.
OK, right up front I’m going to adit that I feel more than a little funny about promoting a Netflix series that centers around commercial fishing. What can I tell you? It’s fishing and a good buddy of mine is in the show.
Barrett Ames, who I fish with every time I’m on the west coast, is a badass steelhead guide and one of the fishiest guys you will ever meat. In addition to guiding for steelhead, he is a partner in a tuna boat with a twist. While most commercial tuna boats stay out for weeks loading up with fish, Trefin (that’s their company) offers day boat tuna. That means that their fish are processed within 24 hours of being caught. It’s the most expensive and least efficient way to catch tuna, but you can absolutely taste the difference.
When Netflix set out to make a west coast tuna show, they recognized the uniqueness of this program and included them. The show is very well shot and full of action, as well as some of the “interesting” characters you’d expect on reality TV. It’s worth checking out, if you like that sort of thing. So is the day boat tuna! You can find that at http://www.dayboattuna.com
CHECK OUT BATTLEFISH
Read More »Simms River Camo: Video
The new River Camo from Simms let’s you dress from head to foot in stealth.
There’s little doubt among seasoned anglers that stealth is an important part of the game. Being able to position yourself as close as possible to the fish greatly increases your chances of a hook up. Simms has taken this idea to heart in this years offering of their new River Camo.
Not just a fashion statement, the river came was designed to work from the fish’s perspective, breaking up and disguising form and motion when viewed through water. It is available in a wide range of clothing from the industry standard G3 Pro wader to sun gators and gloves.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ALL OF THE DETAILS ON SIMMS RIVER CAMO.
Read More »Dry Fly Fishing and the Dead Drift
By Pudge Kleinkauf
The following is an excerpt from the book “Rookie No More: The Fly Fishing Novice Gets Guidance From A Pro”
Question: How do I achieve the “dead drift” when I’m dry fly fishing?
Answer: Most fly anglers find that fishing dry flies on the surface of the water is one of their favorite ways to fish. Seeing a fish rise up from beneath the water to take our bug imitation is a very exciting part of our sport. Called dry fly fishing, it isn’t one of the easiest of skills to master, however. Achieving the dead drift results from two things: good casting and correct management of the fly on the water.
Dry fly fishing is often referred to as “fooling fish with fur and feathers.” A good imitation of the fish’s food source, placed on the water with an appropriate cast, should result in a fly that looks and drifts on the water like the real thing. That could be an adult mayfly, caddis, or stonefly returning to the water’s surface to lay its eggs, or a bee or ant blown into the water from stream-side vegetation.
While learning to fish dry flies, you need to start by being able to track the fly on the water. Use a very visible fly a size or two larger than you need or a small fly with a bit of white or colored calf tail or poly yarn on its top to provide a focal spot for your eye to key on. Two of the best flies to use while learning to dry-fly fish are the Parachute Adams and the Royal Wulff (tied with white calf-tail wings) in a size #12.
“Find the fly on the surface just as soon as it lands,” I tell my students and clients, “and then never take your eyes off of it as it drifts along.” I also have beginners cast in fairly close to themselves until they train their eye to quickly locate the fly on the water at the end of the leader. As they become better able to judge distance, I have them extend their cast a little farther each time to learn how to spot the fly at greater distances. If you can’t follow your fly on the water, you won’t know how it is drifting.
A well-executed overhead cast is the best cast to help achieve the delicacy and gentleness of a wispy, weightless, imitation bug descending and landing on the water. The fly must land silently, delicately, and naturally. My instructor repeated over and over, “Think flutter, Pudge. The fly should ‘flutter’ to the surface, not slap down on it.” Because I could clearly see the difference between a flutter and a splat, that image worked for me.
Fluttering results from a
Read More »Fly Fishing and Tapping into your Subconscious Thinking
One of the most stimulating and interesting TV shows that I take the time to watch every chance I get is “Through the Wormhole” on the Science Channel. Go ahead and call me a geek, I find the show inspiring and can’t help to think if I’d been forced to watch this show as a kid I’d probably be three times as smart as I am today, and would have made it much further in my advanced education. “Through the Wormhole”, is hosted by the great actor Morgan Freeman, and it runs segments on all facets of life, discussing such topics as advanced science and mathematics, space travel and the human brain. The other day couch surfing and flipping through channels on the TV, I stumbled upon the show and quickly found myself glued to the screen as it talked about the mysteries of our subconscious, and how it’s used every waken moment of our lives.
Neuroscientists have prooved that the human brain constantly uses our subconcious to guide us and sway our decision making.
The show talked about how it’s our subconscious that allows musicians to memorize and perform extraordinarily difficult pieces of music perfectly by keeping their mind and muscle control in harmony. I assume it’s very similar to how professional athletes are able to put themselves in a zone during a game by using their subconscious, then making game winning plays. It was explained that our subconscious always stays two steps ahead of our conscious thinking, and that it’s a major driving force that keeps us out of danger and allows us to use our gut feelings to make spontaneous decisions correctly when we lack the information needed. The show went on and on, in great detail about how humans benefit from their sub-conscious, and then backed it all up by doctoral research and testing. In the end, the show concluded that in the future, if humans can learn to regularly tap into their subconscious we’ll be able to be more healthy, become significantly smarter and more creative than we can possibly imagine.
After I finished watching that particular episode of “Through the Wormhole”, I began thinking about what degree our subconscious plays in our fly fishing. For years, I’ve felt like my subconscious has allowed me at times to put myself in a zone on the water. Allowing me to amplify my senses and get extremely focused when the fishing conditions demanded it. I now believe it was due to me tapping into my subconscious that explains how I’m able to look at a spot on the water and drop my fly with pin-point accuracy in an area the size of a dinner plate, over and over. Replaying years of
Read More »Simms Intruder Boot Review
By Louis Cahill
The Simms Intruder boot answers a lot of questions for anglers who wet wade.
You haven’t seen me review a wading boot in quite some time. My G3 guide boots just won’t wear out so I haven’t had a reason to replace them. I still haven’t, but when I started preparing for my trip to Argentina last February, I realized I need something different. I knew the weather would be warm and there was no way I was carrying waders half way around the world to not wear. I wasn’t crazy about the idea of lugging those big wading boots either. Now that I’ve spent a season in the Intruder boots, I wish I’d bought them sooner.
Like most anglers who wet wade, I generally just put my regular wading boots on over a pair of neoprene socks and go for it. It works but it’s overkill and not especially comfortable. I had seen the Intruder boots when they were still prototypes and always thought they looked cool. I ordered a pair and hoped for the best.
When I took the Intruders out of the box, I was immediately impressed by how light they are. Way lighter than the Vasque boots I wear day-to-day. I slipped them on and was equally impressed by the fit and how comfortable they are. They truly feel like a hiking boot on your feet. I was excited to try them out in some Argentine water.
The Intruder is available with eithe
Read More »Autumnal Trouting
By: Alice Tesar
With high water temps and river closures this summer throughout the west it is likely you’ve been fishing some unfamiliar high-country creeks and lakes.
Exploring new water shouldn’t end because summer is over. Fall fishing in the high country can produce some of the feistiest and color-rich browns and brookies you see all year. I’m all about hucking streamers the size of my head at angsty browns in the fall along my usual rivers but there is something exhilarating about catching a pre-spawn brook trout in cool water, surrounded by changing leaves and mountain peaks dusted in the year’s first snow fall. Early October can be a great time to head to the high country to get in some fishing before winter gates close and the rivers and lakes freeze.
Brook trout spawn in the fall when the water temperature drops to around 52 degrees Fahrenheit, so pay attention to water temps and look for redds to know when to stop fishing. Prespawn they are eager to eat any well presented blue-winged dry and emerger patterns. My favorite patterns for this time of year are a BWO Film Critic, a Barr’s BWO emerger, a parachute BWO, I’ll also set any size 18-20 black midge pattern behind a natural colored terrestrial. Rivers this time of year can be low and clear so expect the fish to be spooky. Getting at these fish may require army crawling, smaller tippet, and longer casts. If you are in a space where long casts aren’t an option, try high sticking with a longer tippet section. When you’re fishing emergers, lift the rod tip slowly before you recast, you’re more likely to find fish making quick decisions on emergers and you can get some hard strikes using this tactic.
If you’re lucky enough to get out there after a hard rain, go. Rains drop water temps and with the influx of water from muddy banks large terrestrials and small rodents are swept into the water which means you can throw the bigger meat- ugly hoppers, streamers, and yes, mice. Browns are especially
Read More »Sunday Classic / Tarpon on the Fly: 10 Rookie Mistakes
I’ll never forget heading down to the Florida Keys for my first fishing trip for tarpon on the fly. Cruise control set and adrenaline pumping through my veins, that fifteen hour drive south only felt like it took four hours. My rookie confidence was overflowing, leaving me zero doubt that I had the necessary fishing skills to step up to the challenge of landing a tarpon on the fly. After my first trip was completed and I played it all back in my head, I realized I could have been a whole lot more prepared. My guide Capt. Joel Dickey did his job. He put me on plenty of fish, I hooked up with a couple nice tarpon, but I never landed one because I made too many rookie mistakes on the bow. Below are 10 common mistakes I wished I would have taken the time to read over before I made my first tarpon outing.
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