Saturday Shoutout / Wild Reverence
WILD REVERENCE “THE PLIGHT OF THE AMERICAN WILD STEELHEAD”
This film by Shane Anderson chronicles one of the most sought after fish on the planet and the severe decline of wild populations with hope and solutions for a wild future.
If chasing wild steelhead is not your passion, it may be once you’ve seen this film. It’s hard to not get swept away by the powerful feelings surrounding this amazing fish and it’s perilous circumstances. If you are a devotee, this film is a must see.
Shane’s film is not only beautiful and moving, it’s important in its efforts to raise awareness of the steelhead dilemma. It has it’s heart in the right place, but it’s pockets too. Proceeds from the film go to help preserve wild steelhead.
Check out the trailer. You might learn a thing or two about wild steelhead. You might find yourself loving them.
Read More »New Orvis Fly Rods for 2015 Offer Innovation And Value
THE GUYS AT THE ORVIS ROD SHOP HAVE BEEN ON A ROLL FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
Some of my favorite rods of late have come out of that shop, including the Helios 2 and the Superfine Glass. For 2015 Orvis has a couple of new offerings that caught my eye. The new Recon and the H2 One Piece both look very promising. I haven’t fished these rods yet, but I will be very soon so stay tuned for full reviews on each.
The Recon is Orvis’s new mid-priced offering. Retailing for under $500 this rod is a great value. I honestly can’t see it as a compromise. It’s a beautifully made rod with a light, crisp action. The hardware is excellent and whole rod, even the tube, is made in the USA.
The Helios 2 One Piece is the next evolutionary step for the award winning H2. It combines the thermo-plastic design of the H2 with the accuracy, cast-ability and strength of a one piece rod. It feels amazing in the hand. Extremely light and lively. I’m really looking forward to trying this rod out.
Tom Rosenbauer took some time to talk about the new rods with me at IFTD. Check out the video.
Read More »Fly Fishing: Don’t Turn Your Cheek, Pay it Forward
By Kent Klewien
The other day I had the opportunity to guide a client who previously had put down his fly rod for many years. As he put on his waders and boots, and I began rigging the rods, he told me that many of his good friends were avid fly fisherman. Problem was, they had made it clear to him that they preferred he didn’t tag along with them, because they didn’t want to waste their precious fly fishing time teaching a beginner. I felt bad for the guy. He had been painted an outcast by his own buddies, and every year that went by, it made it harder and harder for him to pick up his fly rod. With a comforting grin on my face, I replied, “Man, I really wish you would have called me sooner. We could have nipped that in the butt a long time ago.”
During our hike in to the river, I decided my mission for the day was going to be getting my client back up to speed. I was going to teach him everything he needed to know, so that the next time his buddies went fly fishing, he could surprise them with his presence, and put on a clinic. I had a silent laugh going on inside me throughout the day, as I pictured the looks on his buddies faces as they watched their outcast friend out fish them. I used this to fuel my guiding efforts, and it kept me focused during the slow learning process.
Teaching someone to fly fish from square one
Read More »It’s Time to go bonefishing in the Bahamas with G&G!
Fish the Bahamas with the Boys from G&G!
November 9-15 2014 November 15-11 2014 & March 14-21 2015
That’s right, you can get in on the Gink!
WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE THIRD ANNUAL GINK AND GASOLINE FISHING TRIP AT THE ANDROS SOUTH BONEFISH LODGE.
This year we have exciting OPPORTUNITIES for everyone who attends!
Every Angler will receive a sweet package of flats gear from Simms and a new saltwater line from Airflo!
WE ALSO HAVE TWO EXCITING PRIZES TO BE RAFFLED OFF!
One lucky angler each week will take home a new Thomas & Thomas Solar saltwater fly rod! Another angler will win a new Nautilus CCFX2 reel! You cant beat that.
Experience the worlds best bone fishing and learn the ropes of saltwater fly fishing , all while enjoying the company of the G&G community!
Dates are,
March 14-21 $4635
Nov 9-15 $3600
Nov 15-19 $2410
Includes
• Guided fishing on the most productive bonefish flats anywhere
• Great meals and unlimited bar (all food and drinks included and unlimited)
• Single Occupancy Rooms
• Bonefish 101 school for those who would like. Learn everything you kneed to know to be a successful bonefish angler.
• Fly and leader tying instruction
THIS IS A GREAT TRIP NO MATTER YOUR SKILL LEVEL
Sign up today. Just email hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
Read More »Sunday Classic / Working a Steelhead
I had the opportunity to watch my friend Jeff Hickman work a shy Steelhead the other day and his effort was exemplary.
Swinging flies for winter steelhead is a game of numbers, very small numbers. It’s a given when chasing winter fish that there may be limited numbers of fish present in the river. Even fewer of them will be willing to eat a swung fly. You can not afford to miss putting your fly in front of every fish. These fish are on the move so you never know where they will be. You have to be methodical and know that it could happen at any time.
When you really think about it, the mathematics of the system are remarkable. For those not familiar, the idea is pretty simple. You cast across the current far enough to cover any possible holding water and swing the fly down and across until it hangs directly below you. Strip in your line, make the same cast with exactly the same amount of line, step down stream the length of a fish and repeat. Granted, this is a gross oversimplification of a very nuanced technique but that’s the general idea. If you take the time to draw a picture, using a drafting compass you will see that the concentric circles your swinging fly makes cover the water with amazing efficiency. It’s a bit like Tai Chi. You are always striving for perfection.
After hours, or days, covering water in this way it can be heartbreaking when you find a fish who’s interested but won’t commit. Often a single tug is the only evidence that you have found a player. I had the opportunity to watch my friend Jeff Hickman work just such a shy player the other day and his effort was exemplary. Here’s how it went down.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Red Legg’ed Devils
THE TRUTH, THE DIRTY TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, ABOUT “THE RICH MAN’S PARADISE CLUB”
A little off topic but right on target. Red Legg’ed Devils may be a hunting blog but this issue is right at the heart of fly fishing. RLD doesn’t spare the rod when it comes to calling out the crooked bastards in Washington for stealing our public lands. This is an article that every sportsman should read and act on.
“We came for the truth and a drink, and there ain’t nothin but sober lawyers here.”
I love this guy!
CHECK OUT “THE RICH MAN’S PARADISE CLUB”
Read More »The New RIO Line Selector App
THAT’S RIGHT, I SAID APP.
The coolest thing I saw at IFTD this years isn’t even a piece of fishing gear. At least not in the conventional sense. The new Line Selector App from RIO is simply brilliant. It’s never been easier to find the right line for your fly rod. This app, available for iPhone, iPad and Android, breaks down RIO’s vast product line into a straight forward flow chart that let’s you find the perfect line for any rod, location, species or style of fishing.
The app is highly detailed and surprisingly streamlined. It anticipates a wide array of fishing options and walks you through the process of narrowing down the hundreds of complicated choices. It an amazing piece of work, with Simon Gawesworth’s finger prints all over it. It’s like having Simon on speed dial!
I’m sure this will sell a lot of lines for RIO but it’s also great as an educational tool for anglers who are overwhelmed with option paralysis. Watch the video to see the full lineup of features, then head over to the App Store and get this free app for yourself!
Read More »My Most Memorable Bonefish
By Kent Klewein
ISN’T IT FUNNY, HOW CERTAIN FISH WE CATCH DURING OUR FLY FISHING TRIPS CAN END UP PROVIDING US WITH TEN TIMES THE SATISFACTION OVER ALL THE OTHERS.
Sometimes, the size of our catch has little at all to do with the amount of reward it brings. I love catching big fish just as much as the next guy, but for me at least, it’s often more about overcoming the challenges along the way that’s what really makes one catch end up standing out amongst all the rest.
For example, my most memorable bonefish to date, only weighed around four pounds. I’ve landed much larger bones over the years, but what made this particular bonefish so special to me, were the extremely difficult fly fishing conditions I had to work through to hook and land it. Before it all unfolded, and I found myself feeling that special fish tugging on the end of my line, I was holding onto the last remaining tidbits of hope I had left inside me for dear life. I thought success was just about impossible. Never give up when you’re out fly fishing. For when you succeed when everything is stacked up against you, it will provide you the feeling of complete bliss.
I’ll never forget that day of fly fishing in the Bahamas. It started off beautiful. The water was calm as can be, and there was barely a cloud in the sky. Louis and I were both confident it was going to be our best day of bonefishing for the week. Forty-five minutes later though, that all changed
Read More »Sunday Classic / How to Stop the Dreaded Fly Fishing Birds Nest
DOES THIS LOOK FAMILIAR?
Just about every angler has created this tangled artwork at some point, some more than others. I’m pretty good at untangling knots because I get more practice than the average angler from my guiding, but even this one required me to break out a fresh leader and completely re-rig. If you find yourself untangling knots more than you’re fishing, try fixing the problem by following these five helpful tips.
1. Watch your forward cast and backcast when false casting.
“In the film A River Runs Through It”, Jerry Siem (one of the casting stuntmen) never watched his backcast. It’s important to note that his fly casting skill level ranks among the best in the world, which allowed him to get away without doing this. It’s also pertinent to point out he was casting a single dry fly in the movie scene, not a tandem nymph rig with split-shot and a strike indicator. Could he have made the same casts in the movie with a tandem nymph rig without tangles, of course he could, but that doesn’t mean every other angler out there should try to mimic him. The majority of the best casters in the world watch their backcast, especially when they’re fly fishing in areas where casting room is limited. Your first step to limiting the number of tangles you create on the river is to watch your forward and backcast diligently. Your timing will be better, you’ll find you won’t need to make as many false casts, and you’ll keep your flies out of the trees and bushes.
2. Cast with grace, not with power and muscle.
Many fly anglers out there cast their fly rod much harder than they need to. So hard in many cases, that they end up overloading the rod and also get a out of control sling shot effect with their flies. Let your fly rod do the work by executing a smooth pick up of the fly line starting at the 8 o’clock position (rod tip close to the water), then begin loading the rod by smoothly accelerating the fly rod between ten o’clock and 12 o’clock. Make sure
Saturday Shoutout / Flyanthropy
By Carter Lyles
FLY FISHERS, WE TOUCH HEARTS AROUND THE WORLD
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” – Helen Keller
Founders Ben Glick and Jonas Nyqvist were an unlikely match, as Ben was a fly fisherman from America and Jonas was a Swedish fishing guide who had been living in Thailand for 30 years. However, they shared the passions of fly fishing and helping others.
They banded together under the ideal that they could use fly-fishing to help others and did so with their Flyanthropy project. By bringing fly tying to the impoverished community of Trat, Thailand, they were able to supply extremely high paying jobs to individuals who were in desperate need of aid.
Trat, Thailand, is a community in which there is an extreme shortage of jobs and resources. It is very common for families to become split, as one family member will leave to search for jobs elsewhere in order to send money back to their family. However, this quest is often unsuccessful and their families are left without income in a town with little resource and opportunity to improve their conditions.
Ben and Jonas decided to bring fly tying to this community and utilize the flies created to offer high paying jobs to the broken families of this community. The salaries are much higher than any job that these people could have dreamed of having. Flyanthropy utilizes fly tying to take impoverished people and allow them to become artists.
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