Fly Fishing: Too Much Mending Can Ruin Your Drift
One of the most critical techniques of fly fishing that anglers often lack knowledge in, is understanding how to properly mend fly line during the drift. If I tallied up all the time I spend each day instructing clients on various fly fishing techniques, teaching the art of mending fly line would easily rank number one on the list. I bet I say the word “mend” a thousand times a day. It’s not that difficult to mend fly line, all it takes is a little practice and time on the water to get the hang of it. In my opinion, it’s much easier to learn how to mend than the art of fly casting. The main reason mending takes so long for fly anglers to master is because the timing of the mend, the direction of the mend and the size of the mend can change from one presentation to the next. Two of the biggest mending problems I see on the water is bad technique and mending fly line too much during the drift. When mending is done correctly, you usually only need one or two mends per drift to get the job done.
Read More »Fly Fishing Through My Eyes
By Carter Lyles
“MANY PEOPLE GO FISHING ALL OF THEIR LIVES WITHOUT KNOWING THAT IT IS NOT FISH THEY ARE AFTER.”
That quote by Henry David Thoreau is what makes up the fine line between a fisherman and then a fly fisher.
•The line is not drawn upon an “elitist” image that most portray fly fishers to be. We are not elitists, and to those who think we are, you’re wrong.
•Anyone today can pick up a fly rod and learn how to fly fish and I strongly encourage everyone to do so.
•This so called “line” that separates us from conventional and bait fisherman is about a journey, not catching fish.
Life Is Too Damn Short, That’s Why We Jump The Mainstream
Turn on the news today and I guarantee you that you’ll hear about at LEAST one of these issues: poverty, war, money and corruption. A recent Gallup Poll revealed that 70% of Americans are unhappy with their current occupation. And an even more recent study by The Hunger Projects uncovered that nearly three billion people make less than $2.50 a day from their occupation. This obviously causes stress, which is a reason why three out of four doctor visits in the United States are for stress-related ailments (www.stress.org). And with stress comes unhealthy eating habits, depression, sleep deprivation, and a series of negative health effects.
Listen folks, everyone in this world has problems they are facing. Just because you see Johnny constantly posting pictures of him on Facebook having a blast with all of his hip friends doesn’t mean his life is perfect. Don’t compare your behind-the-scenes to other people’s highlight reel.
This entire man-made test course of life that we have created overtime has run us aground. We’ve got nowhere else left to go! That’s why I believe that we will end up killing each other long before any natural disaster. Like good ole Rocky Balboa said: “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.”
Man is altered. We sin and no matter how hard we try, we cannot and will not ever copy what has already been provided for us. Haven’t you ever heard that natural is better? Natural diets are the healthiest way to lose weight. Water is the best liquid to put in your body. Natural beauty is much more magnificent than fake beauty. Natural forces that are held within us are the genuine healers of disease… As world-renowned scientist Neil Degrasse Tyson once said:
“Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we’re still at the mercy of nature.”
In the Buddhist religion, the Buddhist monks who practice deep meditation look within themselves and within the natural world to discover their enlightenment. For most, it takes YEARS to reach enlightenment and when it happens they find peace within themselves, the world, and a final understanding of being. It is their journey.
How Does This All Relate To Fly-Fishing?
Read More »Sunday Classic / 4 Tips for Making Better Backhand Presentations
MOST OF THE ANGLERS THAT I RUN INTO ON THE RIVER, WHO ARE BEGINNERS OR OF INTERMEDIATE SKILL LEVEL, SEEM TO ALWAYS HAVE A BAD TASTE IN THEIR MOUTHS WHEN IT COMES TO PRESENTING THEIR FLIES DURING THEIR BACKCAST.
For whatever reason, anglers that fall into this category, find it to be an awkward cast for them to make. Here’s what I find so ironic about backhand presentations.There’s really no difference between making a regular presentation with your forward cast and a presentation on your backcast. All you do differently is stop your rod and present your fly on your backcast instead of your forward cast, everything else should remain exactly the same. So why is it that so many anglers find backhand presentations so painful and unpleasant to deal with? Most of the time it all boils down to executing four simple steps during your false casting and presentation to pull off an easy and accurate backhand cast presentation.
Saturday Shoutout / Deneki Does It Right
I KNOW I SHOUTED OUT TO DENEKI JUST LAST WEEK, BUT THIS IS SERIOUS.
Today’s shoutout serves two purposes. To share some great Alaska fishing content and to set the record straight on a few things. I hope you will read this and indulge my rant. It’s from the heart and it’s something I care about so thanks for reading.
I f@*king hate river drama! It’s stupid, it’s inappropriate and it’s a waist of time. Attention fishing guides…stop being a bunch of bitches!
Read More »A Fly-Fishing Festival You Do NOT Want To Miss
By Carter Lyles
BLACKFLY OUTFITTERS, A FLY-FISHING SHOP IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA WILL BE HOLDING THEIR FIRST ANNUAL BLACKFLY FLOODTIDE FESTIVAL.
When: Saturday August 30th from 2-5pm
Where: Blackfly Outfitters, 11702 Beach Blvd., Suite 103, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Why You Should Be There:
Gink and Gasoline will be present with stickers and shirts.
There is a freaking BBQ Battle between Andrew Mizell and Captain John Bottko for the “Best BBQ Smoked Ribs.”
Live music
You will be able to test out the IFTD “Best in Show” Sage Salt in a series of different weights.
Fly Tying Demo by the pros…
East Cape Skiffs will bring down their new flats boat, the East Cape Glide…
Crazy ole Paul Puckett will be there with his crew from Floodtide Co. And he will be bringing LOTS of apparel with him.
Free Fly Apparel will be bringing their unique bamboo fabric clothing line…
You can donate your favorite flood tide fly for a chance to WIN all of the donated flies in a custom box.
There will be an open forum about floodtide fly-fishing directed by the Blackfly Pro Staff
Oh and one last thing…
GINK AND GASOLINE WILL BE THERE.
See ya in Jacksonville!
For more questions please call Blackfly Outfitters at (904) 997-2220
Read More »What a Gnarly Mug
NOW THAT’S A FACE.
Sewn out of saddle leather with a crooked jaw, gnarly teeth and bugged out eyes. That face has seen some miles. It’s ready for battle. It’s won its share and lost a couple too, all in the name of getting laid. It’s not the face he was born with, it’s the kind of face you have to earn. It’s what an Alaska river does to you. It’s a hard tough face for a hard tough customer.
But that’s just Hawkeye and we love him anyway. That chum salmon he’s holding has a pretty gnarly mug too.
Read More »Limit False Casting to Improve Your Casting Stroke
When we first start out fly fishing and we’re still learning the mechanics of the casting stroke, it’s very common for many of us to make excessive false casts in between our presentations. For some of us, excessive false casting is an excuse to impart quality control during our fly casting, for others, we justify it for the simple fact that we just love casting a fly rod. Whatever the reasons may be for excessive false casting, it needs to be kept in check, if anglers wants to fly fish at their best. If you’re currently in the beginner or intermediate skill level range, one of the best ways to take your fly fishing to the next level, is to make yourself minimize your false casting on the water.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Fly Fishing The Zombie Apocalypse
WILL SOMEONE PLEASE INVENT THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE VIRUS, BECAUSE I AM SO READY!
Do you ever wonder why the Zombie Apocalypse is so popular with twenty-somethings? Seriously, you get more than two of them in a room and there’s going to be an hour of discussion about where to go and what to do when the Zombie Apocalypse comes. My wife is even into it and I can hardly get her to watch scary movies on Halloween. It’s everywhere in pop culture these days. AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, after the comic of the same name, is the most popular show on TV. From dyed-ini-the-wool hipsters to Star Wars nerds, every young person in America is crazy for flesh eating freaks and I think I can tell you why.
First of all, if you’re not familiar with the genre, here’s the basic plot of every zombie thriller since “Night of the Living Dead”. The dead come back to life with limited intelligence and motor skills and a ravenous hunger for human flesh. The only way to “rekill” them is to destroy their infected zombie brain, which is generally ridiculously easy. They are only really dangerous in large groups and it falls on the ragged bands of survivors to dispatch them in the funniest and goriest manner possible. We never know how this all started but it’s generally assumed that it’s the result of some government experiment gone wrong. Oh, and by the way, if you get bit you’re now a zombie and obligated to eat your friends. I think that pretty much covers it.
Here’s what strikes me about pretty much every zombie story I’ve ever seen and why I think they are so popular with the college-age crowd. When you find yourself in your little band of misfit survivors, usually no more than a dozen average joes from all walks of life, look around the campfire. Here’s what you’re not going to see. A politician, a banker, a lawyer, an oil baron, a televangelist, an insurance company executive, a talk radio host, a vapid celebrity, a snooty barista, that bitchy woman from the neighborhood association or pretty much anyone else responsible for the giant mess that the real world is in today. That’s right, somehow the brainless ghouls got it right. They staggered straight out and ate all the people who make this world almost unbearable to live in. So, is it any wonder that every young adult about to graduate college and go out to face double-digit unemployment, a soaring tax burden, overpriced healthcare and ecological disaster at every turn is enamored with the idea of seeing ninety-nine percent of humanity become an all you can eat asshole buffet. Frankly, it’s starting to sound pretty damn good to me!
Let’s take another look around that campfire and, once we’re over the shock of finding that the guys from the pebble mine aren’t there, let’s see who’s left behind. A couple of guys that know how to hunt and fish and fix cars. Maybe a good cop and an independent farmer and a couple of fairly hot outdoorsy gals who know their way around a shotgun. That’s a camping trip I’d like to go on! So what the hell, I’ll play along. After all, I’ve got all kinds of guns and my my kid rocks a katana, I’m sure we’re going to be just fine. So here’s the Cahill family plan for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / A Dog Named Kalik
THIS WEEK’S SHOUTOUT IS NEAR TO MY HEART.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a sucker for dogs, especially Bahamian Potcakes. They also likely know that my two favorite place to fish are South Andros and The Dean River in B.C. What everyone doesn’t know is that I am truly, madly, deeply in love with a certain little potcake named Kalik.
I was there on South Andros when Kara Knight adopted this awesome little puppy. It’s a truly great story and far too modestly told. Kara saved this sweet little dog, who was very sick, from a certain end. Now she’s Kalik The Steelhead Dog, and princes of The Dean.
Potcakes are the worlds best dogs. If there’s room in your home for one you should not hesitate. Check out Kara’s story and follow the link to learn how you can adopt a Bahamian Potcake.
A Dog Named Kalik
Read More »The Land Before Time
By Carter Lyles
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IN 1867 BOUGHT THE 49TH STATE,
twice the size of Texas, for two cents an acre from the Russian Empire, who feared that it could be seized by Britain if war were to break out. The territory officially became part of the United States on January 3rd of 1959 under the Eisenhower Administration.
If you have ever been to the great state of Alaska, then you would know that it is literally like taking a step back in time. With just 1.2 persons per square mile (quickfacts.census.gov) you are truly in complete touch with the good Lord’s work. Tremendous mountains with snow capped tips, astonishing rolling green valleys as far as the eye can see, a plethora of the most startling plant life on the Earth, an astronomical wonder of breathtaking lights in the sky that indicate you are far away from human intervention… The rivers wind their way throughout the mystic grounds carrying large populations every summer of big, fat, healthy salmon who travel miles up river to spawn.
If this proposed plan, known as “Pebble Mine,” were to take affect, it would pollute Bristol Bay tremendously, one of the worlds, and Alaska’s, most productive wild salmon strongholds.
The Pebble Limited Partnership, consisted of Anglo American (whom recently backed out) and Northern Dynasty Co., discovered that The Pebble deposit, located in the headwaters of the Kvichak and Nushagak Rivers, holds massive amounts of gold, copper and molybdenum. The Kvichak and Nushagak Rivers are two of the eight major rivers that run into Bristol Bay. Their proposal is to construct a Pebble Mine complex on these rivers that would span twenty square miles in the Bristol Bay watershed.
The Pebble Mine would also demand the world’s largest earthen dam, 700 feet high and several miles in length, be built. This dam would hold back a 10-square-mile containment pond that carries from 2.5-10 billion tons of
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