The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust Needs You To Go Fishing
Of you like bonefish, tarpon or permit, you’ll love BTT.
The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust is the only conservation group dedicated to studying bonefish tarpon and permit. That’s just a little frightening! Add to that that they only started in 1998 and you may start to understand why so little is known about these fish, their habitat and what must be done to protect them. Luckily, there is something you can do to help. Go Fishing!
BTT is asking anglers to help in their work by tagging and sampling fish. It’s a real contribution that will help to understand the issues effecting these great sport fish. Watch this video with Aaron Adams where he explains the work and how you can help. You can contact BTT for sampling kits at info@bonefishtarpontrust.org
Read More »4 Tips to Being a Better Guide
By Cameron Rhodes
WHEN I TELL PEOPLE THAT I AM A FLY FISHING GUIDE, THEIR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS USUALLY: “COOL! YOU GET TO FISH ALL DAY AND MAKE MONEY DOING IT!”
When I start to explain what my day consists of, they change their perspective a little. “So you’re telling me that you don’t fish every day, but instead you watch and teach people to fish? Well at least you get to be outside.”
I do fish a lot. I mean a lot. When I’m not with clients, I am usually on the river with some good friends. When I’m done with a trip, I head out to the river for an evening float, to relax and drink some beers. So for me to say I don’t get to fish would be untrue.
I am fortunate to fish as much as I do. I explain to people that there’s more to being a fishing guide than fishing all the time and drinking beers with buddies. It’s a passion. The guide business can be tough, but it’s the passion that brings us all back to the water year after year.
Here are four things that keep my passion alive and help me be the best guide I can be.
Create an enjoyable atmosphere for clients
This one is the biggest. A guide isn’t there just to put people on fish. A guide is there to show clients a good time and share a memorable experience. You are there to help make the most out of their vacation. To us, it’s another day another dollar, but to them it’s a getaway to the mountains, or beach or wherever and relax while enjoying some fishing. So treat it as just that. I wouldn’t want to spend my vacation listening to a fishing guide yelling at me because I missed the last fish or because I can’t cast. I want my guide to have fun with me and create a great experience. Joke around and have a good time. After all, It’s just fishing.
This is easier said than done, especially when the fishing is slow or towards the end of the season when guides get a bit cranky, which is natural. They’re worn out, they’ve been in the sun for months on end and have dealt with everything from losing anchors to forgetting lunch.
Last season I lost over $100 worth of flies off my boat. The flies in that box were the only flies that worked that day. That same trip I hooked my anchor on a rock and had to cut it. I tried my best and I made it an experience. We ended up landing a couple fish but most of all, we had fun and laughed about it later. I could have made a bad experience for everyone but instead I kept my chin up. Remember, when the guide is having a rough day, it rubs off on the clients.
Get used to not fishing
A buddy once told me, “Guiding is like watching some guy that you hardly know have sex with a super-hot chick and you have to sit and watch while he butchers it. There is nothing you can do but watch and tell him how you would do it better.”
Fishing is our super-hot chick
Sunday Classic / Nets, Go Big or Go Home
I received an email from a reader the other day asking advice on steelhead nets. I thought it was a topic worth some discussion. We put a lot of thought into rods, reels, lines and flies but often the piece of equipment that seals the deal is an afterthought. I was guilty of this for years, carrying a net that wasn’t up to the job for purely sentimental reasons. I finally realized it made no sense and tooled up.
HERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I LOOK FOR IN A NET.
Size Matters
Bigger is better and biggest is best! When your fighting the fish of a lifetime you don’t have time to run to Wal-Mart for a bigger net. Plan for success. My regular trout net is 20″ across. For steelhead you’ll want something bigger. It’s easier to net a tough fish and it gentler on them as well. Go big or go home.
The Bag
This is the most important thing to me. Traditional nets tear fins and remove slime from fish. The new rubber nets are the friendliest thing for the fish. Put them back the way you found them.
A Long Handel
I don’t care what they allow in competition, longer is better. If it means you net the fish faster it cuts down on the chance you will unbutton and it’s better for the fish.
Light Weight
I love the look of a wooden net but
Saturday Shoutout / Mitt Monkeys and Tuesday Bananas
THOSE MITT MONKEYS ARE UP TO SOMETHING GOOD!
This week’s shout out goes to Michigan Fly and it’s one of the beys things I’ve seen on the web in some time. I’m not sure when the idea of Tuesday Bananas came along but lately it’s really hit it’s stride. This series is timely, satyrical, unapologetic and plane hysterical. Even if you’ve never been to Michigan you’ll love Tuesday Bananas.
Here are three of my favorites, but I’d encourage you to explore the site. There are a great many more serious posts you will enjoy as well. Read up,and if you have the chance, get to the mitt for some of their great fishing!
Lost Michigan Salmon Run Found
Arkansas Residents Grow Weary of Michigan Anglers
Colorado Trout Dazed and Confused
Read More »Scientific Angler Makes Waves
New fly lines from SA are making a bold statement.
Scientific Anglers is certainly a storied brand in the fly fishing industry. The recent change of ownership has had a lot of anglers wondering what’s next for SA. The answer seems to be some bold new lines at a price anglers are really going to like.
The introduction of the SA Frequency Lines is definitely making waves. Six taper options loaded with SA features all for $49. That about half of what some fly lines are selling for these days. I don’t see how they can fail.
In this video our friend Johnny Spillane talks with product developer Andrew Bosway about the Frequency Lines and a few other new offerings from SA.
Read More »2 Lessons I Learned from My Bahamian Guide
Most of you know that Louis and I recently spent a week in paradise fly fishing for bonefish in the Bahamas at Andros South Lodge. It was an amazing trip, providing me by far the best bonefishing of my life. I gained a wealth of knowledge during my stay, mostly saltwater angling skills, but what I really ended up cherishing when it was all said and done was the two guide lessons my veteran bahamian guide Freddie taught me.
Read More »Flood Tide Redfish, Part 3
By Owen Plair
Now that you all have a good grasp on how this flood tide fishing works, it’s time to put it all to use!
In this article we are going to focus on finding the right flood tide flat and the characteristics that make it a good flat. The great thing about the Lowcountry is that there are hundreds and hundreds of these flats all the way from north Florida up to North Carolina, so finding one near where you live should be pretty darn easy. Keep in mind many of these flats are found by kayak, or simply from a car, so it’s not like you have to own a boat to hit the spartina flats for tailers.
The absolute number one tool I use to find high tide redfish flats is Google Earth. Google Earth is a godsend to fly anglers. It allows us to not only look at new bodies of water from our living room couch but creates a different perspective on any given flat, by looking from a bird’s eye view. The key to using Google Earth is knowing what short grass looks like from an aerial view, so that you can identify more good flats. Before you can do any of that you need to find a flat and learn some characteristics that will help you find even more on Google Earth.
Another necessary tool is a tide chart, tide log, or tide app. Without one of these you are just wasting your time. You have to have the right set of tides to even fish for flood tide fish, so your first mission is to figure out the best tides for your area. Here in Beaufort/Hilton Head I like a tide between 7.8ft-8.5ft for solid flood tide fishing. A good east wind will bring in more water and a good west wind will hold water out, so also keep your wind direction in mind while you’re scouting.
Wading boots or a poling skiff are key to scouting a flat because you want to be able to cover everything around you. I like to walk new flats before the tide gets high to make sure there is a good population of fiddler crabs. It also helps you know areas you can, or can’t wade during the tide.
When looking for a flood tide flat you want to look for short spartina grass. Tailing flats have shorter grass, 8-16 inches tall. The grass is short because
Read More »2015 G&G Fly Fishing Photography Contest Winners
We received hundreds of great fly fishing photos for this years competition.
Once again, I am so glad that I don’t have to be a judge but the cream has risen and we are proud to announce the winners of the 2015 Gink and Gasoline Fly Fishing Photography Contest.
Congratulations to all three winners and a hearty thanks to all who entered! Thanks to our judges for their time and expertise.
And a very special thank you to Sage, Redington, RIO and Fishpond for the generous prizes they donated and for their continuing support of the G&G community! Let’s give them a hand shall we?
It’s impossible to share all of the great photos we received but below are the runners-up in no particular order.
Sunday classic / It Only Takes One Good Day of Fly Fishing to Make A Trip
A WHILE BACK, I WROTE A POST ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO NOT PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET (FISHING ONLY ONE RIVER SYSTEM) DURING YOUR FLY FISHING TRAVELS.
What I didn’t mention in that post and should have, was how important it is to not give up when it seems like the entire universe is conspiring against you. My last trip to Wyoming with Louis was pretty awful. We had to overcome a car break down in the middle of no where, water levels so low we couldn’t float in the drift boat we rented for an entire week, and one of us was almost hospitalized by infection. We lost 2 1/2 days of fishing that trip and we were constantly at each others throats. Even the cold beer flowing over our lips wasn’t enough to raise our morale. I’ll leave it at that, because I’m sure Louis will be writing a very humorous piece down the road shortly, detailing the trip, and I don’t want to spoil it. Here’s the important point I’m I’m trying to get at. It only takes one good day of fishing to make a fishing trip meaningful.
Yeah, we’ve all had perfect fishing trips in the past. The problem with that is perfect fishing trips aren’t the norm, and we often find ourselves in the middle of a trip, complaining about the not so optimal fishing conditions, and then start passing judgment on the present trip by comparing it to our past epic trips. Wake up…., fishing all over the world is getting tougher each year, and we better prepare for it by resetting our fishing expectations accordingly, otherwise we’re going to be setting ourselves up for future disappointment. Again I’ll say, it only takes one good day of fishing to make a fishing trip meaningful. Live by this, and you’ll keep the confidence that’s needed to find success when everyone else fails.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / 3 X Fly Fishing Tips
If you want to fish and cast better, these guys have you covered.
This week I’m sharing three fishing tip articles that caught my eye. Each has some solid advice that will have you fishing and casting like a pro. Who doesn’t want that?
First up our friend Tom Rosenbauer shares his secrets for catching more trout in the winter. This is solid intel from a guy who does not spend all winter tying flies.
TOM’S WINTER FISHING TIPS
Next up Whitney Gould gives you the low down on the lift. This article will open your eyes to how many Spey casts go wrong right from the start. Whitney will tune up you two handed casting in a hurry.
THE LIFT
Finally my good pal Kirk Deeter steals my story with Jerry Siem’s advice on matching your rod to your fly. That what I get for not putting my work off to the last minute! Read the story and you’ll see what I mean.
MATCH YOUR ROD TO YOUR FLY SIZE FOR BEST PERFORMANCE
Take a few minutes to read these great tips from three great experts and your fly fishing skills will improve over night!
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