Practice Your Fly Casting With A Plan
I believe that most fly anglers don’t practice their casting because they don’t really know how.
Most anglers count on fishing time to improve their casting. Fishing and practicing are two very different things and if you are working on your cast while fishing, you’re not doing either one very well. Practicing, without a plan, isn’t that productive either. Simply going out on the lawn and hucking as much line as possible isn’t an effective way to practice. In fact, it can reinforce bad habits.
Of course, if you’re really struggling, the best thing to do is work with a casting instructor. That’s a commitment, so we thought we’d lower the bar and bring the casting instructor to you. I spent an afternoon with champion caster, Tim Rajeff on his casting pond and he shared a simple practice plan that will build skills and reinforce good habits.
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LEARN TO PRACTICE YOUR FLY CASTING LIKE A PRO.
Read More »Six Cutties in a Hot Tub
Are you fixing to head out west for an exciting trout fishing trip? If yes, and you plan to do some wade fishing, pay close attention to water levels before you decide on where to start your days fishing. Recently, Louis and I visited the Grey’s River in Wyoming for the opportunity to enjoy catching beautiful Snake River cutthroats on dries. Water levels were very high on the Grey’s and the lower sections of the river were too high to wade safely or fish effectively. We found out very quickly if we were going to get into some good fishing we’d have to focus our efforts on the upper sections of the watershed. That meant targeting the water above most of the tributaries dumping into the Grey’s, and driving 25 miles further up the forest service access road.
Read More »Dean River Steelhead in Crisis
By Steve Morrow
Seasons on the Dean come and go. From the rains of June to the dry days of July to the low flows of August. Winter rolls over the valley like a heavy blanket and the people disappear. The years come and go and conditions ebb and flow like currents in the river. Some years a few lucky fish squirt over the tidal flats into the Dean and other years, endless schools of nickel muscle swarm in.
BUT THERE IS ONE CONSTANT. EVERY YEAR, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE NETS DESCEND ON AREA 8.
Area 8 is a government management area that includes some of the most productive waters of British Columbia’s central coast. It’s home to famed rivers like the Kimsquit, Bella Coola, Kwatna and of course the Dean. It’s part of the famed Great Bear Rainforest and the geographic heart of Canada’s pacific salmon belt.
The commercial fisherman that inhabit these regions eagerly await the runs of chinook and chum each summer. Commercial fishing is a way of life here and the backbone of many coastal communities. Few here argue its importance to the locals.
But the Area 8 fishery is a textbook example of mismanagement. A human enhanced run, the inflated schools of salmon provide increased economic opportunity and seem on the surface, hard to argue with. But more fish attract more attention and those wild stocks, the ones mother nature intended here, are subject to longer seasons with pressure that otherwise wouldn’t exist. One day openings quickly become two days and potentially three, and few boats become many, followed by many more.
Then in a perfect storm
Read More »Sunday Classic / Wind in Saltwater is Your Friend Not Your Enemy
Its 6:30am in the morning when we arrive at the boat launch in Big Pine Key, FL.
Within minutes of stepping out of the car the stagnant humid air begins to suffocate my body. The North Georgia mountain weather that I’ve grown so accustomed to, feels like air conditioning compared to this, and my body is still in shock from the drastic climate change. As I walk down to the boat ramp to help unload the boat, I feel the first drops of sweat rolling down my back. I think to myself, are you freaking kidding me? The sun isn’t even up yet. There’s absolutely zero breeze this morning, so calm you could spot a fish rolling on the surface three hundred yards away. My eyes seem confused at what their witnessing. If you had blindfolded me, and taken me here, there’s a good chance I’d guess I was on a freshwater reservoir. Call me crazy, but I was under the impression there’s always supposed to be at least some wind in the saltwater. I’d know better, but I’ve spent very little time in the Florida Keys during the late summer. Apparently, it’s quite common to go days without any wind during the months of July, August, and September. Awww, it makes total sense why I saw all those sailboats anchored up now.
You always overhear fly fishermen complaining about too much wind on the saltwater flats, but you rarely hear fly fisherman begging for it. To much or too little of either can spoil your fly fishing on the saltwater flats, making fishing conditions extremely tough. Believe it or not,
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Hook Shots and Pickles
These boys are not right.
Our buddy Joe Cermele is back in action with another episode of Hook Shots. This time, with the help of Joe Demalderis and (ringer) Tim Romano, he’s taking on the world of competitive fishing. The Dream Team travels to Lake Champlain To fish The Ditch Pickle Classic.
This is high-stakes competitive fishing as it should be, with manhood on the line. There’s pizza, there’s beer, there’s fish of laughable proportions. Do you know the difference between a pickle and a banana? You don’t want to miss it, when the boys from Field and Stream pull out the Pickle Stick!
CHECK OUT HOOK SHOTS AT THE DITCH PICKLE
Read More »Is That Fly a Nymph? A Look At Insect Life Cycles
I’m not generally one to engage in exercises of semantics but I believe there is more at stake here than clarity of the word. I know that when I first became aware of midge patterns many years ago, I was reluctant to fish them because
Read More »3 Ways to Make Your Wiggle Minnow Fish Better
The foam wiggle minnow has been a mainstay streamer for me for trout and other predatory game fish for several years now. When you combine its realistic swimming action and the significant water it pushes during the retrieve, its one of the best streamers I know of for calling in fish from great distances to eat. Plain and simple, the wiggle minnow will catch fish just about anywhere you visit in both fresh or salt, regardless of the water conditions you may find yourself fly fishing. Furthermore, it also fishes well on all types of fly lines (floating, intermediate, sinking) and on a wide range of rod weights. This can prove to be very valuable if you find yourself on the water with limited gear options. The last few years, I’ve been experimenting with modifications to my wiggle minnows in the effort to improve their fishability.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Crazy Water on the Dean
THIS VIDEO IS FROM A TRIP SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
I recently saw a very different Dean River. The river was as low as I’ve ever seen it at the end of this June. The fishing was still great and you will be reading more about that trip soon.
You will be reading more in the coming weeks about my trip to British Columbia to fish the Dean River. In every post I will likely mention the tough fishing conditions. In order for you to really understand what I mean by “tough fishing conditions” I put together this little video.
I have never seen a river so crazy high. The fact that we fished the very next day and the fact that we caught fish that week is a testament to what a truly remarkable river the Dean is. I can’t wait to go back but I hope I have better conditions.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Pesqa on Trailer Hooks
I’VE BEEN LUCKY TO SPEND SOME PRETTY SPECTACULAR DAYS ON THE WATER WITH SCOTT BAKER-MCGARVA.
It was on one of these days that Scottie showed me how to rig a Hobo Spey to help prevent fish mortality. It’s a lesson that stuck with me. In fact, it was at that point that I started fishing tube flies exclusively when steelheading.
It turns out that some of the flies that catch the most fish also do the most harm. It’s a simple problem to fix once you’re aware of it, but many anglers just aren’t. When I saw this interview with Scottie on the Pesqa Blog, I knew I had to share it.
Read the interview and learn to rig your flies so they catch fish, not kill them.
THE DAMAGING EFFECT OF FLIES
Read More »Handling An Anchor Safely And Easily
Too many anglers don’t understand how dangerous a boat anchor can be.
I was talking to a good friend the other day about an auto accident he was in. He was T-boned at an intersection while towing his drift boat. His wife was in the passenger seat and his two year old daughter in her car seat behind them. Luckily, they all walked away with only minor injuries, although his boat was completely destroyed.
Later, viewing the footage from a traffic camera, his blood ran cold. The video clearly showed his pyramid anchor punching through the back window and sailing across the intersection, missing his daughter’s head by less than a foot.
The energy of a car accident can turn a boat anchor into a cannon ball. I know way too many anglers who drive around with an anchor in their truck or SUV, just waiting to turn a fender-bender into a fatal accident. Don’t be one of them.
A couple of years ago I had a brain-storm while in the Home Depot. I bought one of those XXL carabiners they sell for bundling tools and drop chords. It’s turned out to be a great tool for managing my anchor safely and easily. I don’t know how I ever got by without it.
Order one HERE, NOW!
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE HOW I HANDLE MY ANCHOR SAFELY AND EASILY.
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