The 2016 G&G Fly Fishing Photo Contest Is On
It’s time to share your best fly fishing photos from 2015 and win some great gear!
This year’s contest is going to be even cooler than before. In addition to the contest here on G&G we will be running a parallel contest on Instagram, where the people decide the winner. So dig into the 2015 photo library and get your entries in today!
PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT INCORRECT SUBMISSIONS.
All submissions must be in by midnight EST Sunday January 24th.
PRIZES
1st – Sage MOD single hand fly rod
2nd – Redington Hydrogen fly rod and ZERO reel
3rd – RIO InTouch Line Gold fly line with Powerflex Plus Leader and Tippet
People’s Choice Award- Fishpond Thunderhead pack
THIS YEAR’S JUDGES ARE:
Greg Thomas
Photographer, writer and Editor of Fly Rod and Reel Magazine and Angler’s Tonic, Greg is a hard core angler with more than a little media experience.
Tim Romano
Tim is one of the hottest shooters in fly fishing. In his spare time he writes for Field and Stream and is the Editor of Angling Trade Magazine.
Robert Rostic
Robert is an advertising photographer and educator with over 30 years experience. He operates a photography school in Tampa FL. trgphoto.net
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
HERE’S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET IN ON THE ACTION.
Read More »Fly Fishing Patagonia: Video
Justin and I have a small part in this beautiful video.
Our trip to Patagonia last year remains the coolest trout fishing trip I’ve ever taken. We were fortunate to be on the water with Pablo Saracco and get a little screen time on his project for Andes Drifters.
This film features some of the most mouth-watering trout rivers on the planet. Watching the takes and jumps of the wild Patagonian trout takes me right back there. I know you’ll appreciate it too.
I’m hosting a group for this same trip again in February. If you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time to pull the trigger. We’ll be wrapping it up soon. It’s an amazing experience and a real bargain as destination fly fishing goes.
You can get all of the details HERE
And an itinerary for the trip HERE
ENJOY THE VIDEO!
Read More »Can Anglers and Trout Have Mutual Admiration?
WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PHOTOGRAPH?
This photograph reminds me of the blissful feeling I’m overcome with, just before I release a big beautiful trout back into the wild. There’s something very special about the last few seconds that an angler spends with his/her prized catch before it’s released. Everything seems to slow down, almost as though God is making sure we have time to capture the splendidness of the moment. I like to pretend that when our eyes lock, we feel mutual admiration for each other. I respect the trout for it’s majestic beauty and the thrill of the hunt. The trout in return respects me for my angling skills and belief in catch and release.
I’ve often thought about what it would be like to come back as a trout in my next life. I joke around with buddies that if I was a trout, I’d be one of the first one’s to be caught. After all, I’m always saying, “If I was a fish, I’d eat that fly.” In the off chance that there is such a thing as reincarnation on this planet, and some of us do go on to become trout in our next life, it would make sense that some trout would already know being caught is inevitable. As depressing and unpleasant as it must be for a trout to be caught, I wonder if there is some sort of similar blissful-like feeling that a trout is overcome with, when it looks out of the net after being landed, and sees
Read More »Sunday Classic / Flats Fishing is not All Sunshine
I was in The Fish Hawk picking up a few things before heading to the Florida Keys for my first ever week of flats fishing. My friend Gary Mariman asked me where I was going. When I told him he gave me a piece of advice that saved my trip.
“Take a fleece,” were the first words out of his mouth.
“Really?” I thought. It was already warm enough in Atlanta that I wasn’t carrying a fleece. “You’ll freeze your ass off,” he insisted. Gary, the creator of the Tarpon Toad, knows a thing or two about flats fishing so I took his advice and he was right. I’d have died without that fleece.
It’s tempting to think that it never gets cold in the tropics but I have fished in the Bahamas in two layers of fleece. That was highly unusual but I’ll never go down there without one. I’ve fished in the Keys in April when the temperature never made it to seventy. Even if it’s not uncomfortable to fish in shirt sleeves, running in the boat can get chilly.
The big couplet is water. If you get caught in the rain or splashed by spray you can get hypothermic on a chilly run. You never want to be on a flats boat without rain gear no matter what the weatherman says. The spray from the ocean is just as wet as the rain. Carry a good rain coat and a pair or rain pants that you can get into quickly.
If you’re planning a trip to some tropical paradise to do a little fishing, remember
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Stalking Your Rights
Dangerous precedents are being set in the New Mexico State House which could effect angler access everywhere.
In another great, and important, piece from Matt Copeland of Stalking The Seam, we learn that tide of anti-democratic sentiment has stripped New Mexico state residents of rights which are clearly granted in their constitution and upheld by their Subprime Court.
Copeland writes-
“Is it unconstitutional to bar New Mexican anglers from wading their rivers? Probably. The Attorney General and State Supreme Court have said as much. Does that make a difference if John and Jane Q. Public can’t afford to prove it? Nope, not one bit. Have fishing access opponents added that up? You bet they have. And at the moment, the calculus looks pretty solid from their perspective.
New Mexico Wildlife Federation Executive Director Garrett VeneKlasen sees the debate from a different angle.”
“Passing laws to remove rights is the essence of anti-democracy,” he said. “You may or may not care about stream access. But you have to care about the precedent of the statehouse removing your rights. If we don’t stand-up together, we’re going to lose our incredible heritage in a single generation.”
LEARN MORE, INCLUDING HOW THIS EFFECTS YOU, AT STALKING THE SEAM.
Read More »Scott Meridian Fly Rod: Video
Fly Fishing: Belly Crawling My Way to Big Beautiful Trout
I know what you’re probably thinking, “Come on Kent, you wrote another freaking post about the importance of stealth for spooky trout? Yes, I did, but this isn’t your average stealth post. Most of us already know spooky trout require anglers to move slow and quietly. We understand how important it is to pay attention to our shadows, to work fish with our leader and fly only, and that delicate presentations are critical. Last, but not least, we’re smart enough to realize that even when luck is on our side, all we’re probably going to get is a couple good shots before the game is over.
Read More »Rod Review: Echo Shadow II
When it comes to fly rods, having a quality, versatile 10-footer in my quiver has been essential to my fishing tactics.
For a few years I was actively involved in competitive fly fishing and participated in events that were sanctioned by Trout Legend and followed the FIPS rules for competing. It was during that time that tight-line nymphing, or euro nymphing, became a huge part of my game. Whether I was going to continue to compete for years, or not, the techniques that I learned along the way would only make me more successful on the water.
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of fishing with an Echo Shadow II 10’6” 4WT rod on my local streams and rivers and I’ve gotta say, it’s quite a rod. Tim Rajeff and Pete Erickson of Team USA designed this rod to be one of the best high sticking, tight lining, euro nymphing machines on the market. However, they also wanted it to be more than just a nymphing rod and have the ability to take things to the air when the situation called for tossing dries. I think they’ve hit these objectives really well and have produced a very versatile weapon for the fly angler wanting to step away from the traditional “905-4” rods.
WHAT IT IS
rsf21ecshaii-lg(2)The Echo Shadow II comes in two versions – the 10ft 3WT and the 10ft 6in 4WT. These rods are made keeping stealth in mind. The blanks are a matte black which is great for cutting glare, especially when you are in close quarters with the fish you are targeting. The single-foot guides (which I am a fan of) are also black. The single-foot guides are a little lighter than snake guides, which helps a little with weight and balance over the length of a 10-10 ½ ft rod. All of the thread wraps are also black. The grip is a comfortable reverse-cigar style and made of high grade cork that isn’t covered in filler. The reel seat is aluminum and is painted black with a really neat white stonefly nymph design on the top side of the reel seat. Another nice feature is that the first stripping guide is set closer to the grip, preventing excessive slack in your fly line while fishing. Also available as an option is a “competition kit” that includes two extra 6” butt sections, as well as a screw-in cork fighting butt and balancing weights, allowing you greater reach and the ability to fine tune the balance of your Shadow II. An extra seventy-five bucks buys you the ability to have a couple of extra rod configurations at your disposal. The rod comes with a black divided rod sock inside of a black cordura rod tube with an embroidered logo.
PERFORMANCE
Setup – Orvis Hydros III reel, 150 yds of 20# Rio Dacron backing, Airflo SLN Euro Nymph fly line, and 3 weights and fighting butt from Echo Competition Kit.
Weight and balance
Having a light rod that is well-balanced with your reel is an important thing to consider when picking up a rod of this type. With advancements in graphite and resins, most fly rods are pretty light in the hand. Even with the longer rods, weight is becoming less and less of a concern when it comes to the performance of the rod, though it’s still something I like to at least consider. And yes, this rod is light. I couldn’t find exact specs on weight prior to writing this article, but is it very comparable to the handful of 10ft rods that I own. To me, balance is more important. Euro nymphing and tight lining requires
Sunday Classic / Catching Big Trout Sometimes Takes Multiple Attempts
SEVERAL TIMES GUIDING THIS PAST YEAR, MY CLIENTS MISSED A BIG FISH OPPORTUNITY DURING OUR FISHING TRIP.
Sometimes it would be because of a poor hook set, other times, it was completely out of their control by last second refusals or turn offs from the big fish. We’d always make several more casts and try using different flies, but most of the time the big fish would have already caught on and would ignore our offerings despite perfect presentations. Without giving up on the cause I would tell my clients, “no worries, let’s come back later in the day and give that big fish another go”. Not always but quite often, we’d come back and catch that big fish the second time around. When we were fortunate enough for it happened it was the most thrilling guiding for me, and my clients couldn’t have been more pleased and proud of themselves.
If you find yourself wading a river or stream and spot a big fish but don’t catch it, don’t accept defeat, let the fish cool off and come back an hour or two later for a second shot. If you do everything right, most of the time you stand a very good chance at catching the trophy. This simple fly fishing tip, is overlooked by a lot of anglers and it’s paid off for me time and time again throughout my years guiding. Don’t be disappointed if you strike out the second time around, because you’ve got one thing going for you that you didn’t have before, and that’s
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Arctic Unicorns
I do love me some char!
This trailer for the film “Arctic Unicorns” by Western Waters features some pretty awesome footage of char fishing in the Arctic. The film makers went on a quest to catch huge brook trout, Dolly Varden and Arctic char. And did they ever succeed?
CHECK OUT “ARCTIC UNICORNS.”
Read More »