Saturday Shoutout / Stalking The Seam
SEARCHING FOR THE SWEET SPOT.
That’s the motto of Stalking The Seam. One of my favorite sites, it’s a raising star in the fly fishing online media. Steven Brutger and Mathew Copeland consistently produce thoughtful, fresh writing and stellar photography.
The focus of Stalking The Seam is fishing, hunting and family. Their mission is finding the perfect balance of the three. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing there for the single guys and gals. Even though I don’t have young kids myself, I always find something that feels like it was written for me.
Check out these two great pieces. You just might find the sweet spot yourself.
Two Handers For Winter Trout by Steven Brutger
Ultra Sensitive by Mathew Copeland
Read More »Strategies for Streamer Fishing High Water on Tailwaters
IT’S REALLY HARD TO BEAT STREAMER FISHING HIGH WATER ON TAILWATER’S FROM A DRIFT BOAT.
Especially when your wanting to target trophy class fish. Although numbers of trout caught during high water flows usually are lower than fishing during low water flows, the size of your catches generally are much larger. In my opinion, the biggest fish in the river prefer to feed during high water because it’s easy for them to ambush their prey, and they feel camouflaged and protected by the high water flows.
For those of you that fish tailwater’s you probably understand water flows change significantly during generation and non-generation periods. Some tailwaters during minimum flow periods have water releases under 100 cubic feet of water per second (CFS), and when generation is taking place, water flows can be 10-20 times higher. Because of this, it’s very important for anglers fishing high water to outfit themselves correctly, otherwise they may find themselves coming off the water fish-less. Below are some tips and strageties I use on tailwaters when I’m fishing high water conditions.
Tip 1. Leave your 4-5 weight fly rods at home and pack your 7-9 weight fly rods.
Your best bet for going after the big boys during high water flows is fishing streamers. There are some tailwater’s out there where you can still dry fly and nymph fish effectively, but most of the time, if you want to target the largest trout in the river, you’ll want your flies to imitate the larger food sources. Some examples of these food sources are: sculpins, daces, crayfish, and fingerling size trout. These guys are the food choices that trophy class fish prefer to hunt down and forage on during high water flows. Since you’ll be fishing a variety of sinking fly lines and large profile streamer patterns on the water, outfitting yourself with a fly rod in the 7-9 weight range will cut down on your fishing fatigue and allow you to cast much more efficiently. High water streamer fishing is demanding on the fly angler, and ideally, you want to be able to make one or two false casts between presentations.
Tip 2. Spool up these two types of fly lines for high water.
When I’m fishing high water on tailwater’s, I primarily fish two types of fly lines. The first fly line I have rigged is a
2014 Tarpon Rod Roundup
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SPEND THAT TAX REFUND!
It’s tarpon season and if you are headed out in search of silver, you may be considering a new rod. I had the chance recently to try out four excellent eleven weight fly rods that are great for tarpon. The Thomas and Thomas Solar, the Winston B3SX, The Scott S4s two-piece and the Orvis Helios 2. Each has its strengths and individual feel. Hopefully these brief reviews will help you find the rod that’s right for you.
The Thomas and Thomas Solar
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The new fast action Solar from T&T is a precision casting machine with a big WOW factor. When I let off my first cast with the Solar (into a stout wind) my buddy on the platform let out a pronounced, “DAMN!” The Solar manages to deliver blistering performance without sacrificing feel. The power is brilliantly balanced from butt to tip. It makes a short presentation with ease and delicacy and it will show you your backing. It’s powerful, accurate and castable. The quality and finish are wonderful, which you would expect from T&T. The Solar is one of, if not the best, saltwater rods I’ve ever cast. Casting it makes you feel like a rockstar and that’s a pretty good way to feel when your chasing the silver king.
The Winston B3sx
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The B3SX, Winston’s fast action saltwater offering, is everything everything you would expect from a Winston and yet still surprising. I love Winston rods but, like a lot of people, I thought of them as a trout rod company. When I picked up the B3SX I expected great feel and castability. I didn’t expect a saltwater action that unloads like a canon. The powerful butt of the B3SX gives you distance and authority in the wind and the tip is soft enough for accurate short shots. A great all-around performer and a beautiful rod to look at. Boron rods are tough too, which is a plus in a tarpon rod.
The Scott S4s 2 piece
Scott
This has been my go-to poon rod for years. The castability of this rod is
Read More »Introduction by Johnny Spillane
Nothing could make me happier than to begin my good friend Johnny Spillane.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Pack Your Gear in Half The Space
Terminal Fishing Packing Checklist
Fly Rods & Tubes
Fly Reels
Leaders & Tippet
Fly Floatant
Split-Shot
Nail-Knot Tool
This list goes on and on with what I need to pack for my guide trips and fly fishing travels. It’s astonishing how much room all this gear takes up in your vehicle once you’ve packed it all in, and the list above is only a partial list of what I need for my days out on the water. I still need waders, boots, fishing packs, net, camera, and enough room to transport my clients. Anyway I looked at it, I was in desperate need of finding a better way to organize all my gear. It was taking far too long for me to strategically load and unload my truck every day.
Recently, I ran across and purchased the Orvis Safe Passage, Carry-It-All Rod and Gear Case, and it’s completely blown me away with it’s ability to safely store an insane amount of gear in half the space. Everything I need is right at my finger tips and that keeps me organized and saves me a ton of time rigging up. From one fellow guide to another, since I’ve started using this gear case, I’ve no longer found myself turning around and heading back to the cabin for a critical piece of gear I forgot to pack. Below is a break down of what the Orvis Carry-It-All gear case can handle and I why I love it.
No more Fly Rod Tubes
I know longer lug around multiple fly rods in their metal tubes on a daily basis anymore. They’re difficult to manage in transit and end up rolling around in my vehicle all the way to the river. With this gear case I leave the tubes at home and can safely stow up to six fly rods in their socks with no problems. I love that at the drop of a hat, I can quickly outfit four clients with fly rods for the day, and still have plenty of room to carry two back up rods in case we encounter any foul play during our fishing. Orvis sells two different sizes in this Safe Passage gear case series. I opted to purchase the large size for the extra room, but mostly because it can accommodate up to 11′ rods. That’s a nice feature most rod cases can’t offer, and that’s a plus since I’ve been known to break out switch rods for my big water fishing. Just relocate one velcro divider and you’re ready to load up the long rods.
Keep Your Reels with Your Rods
I used to have a separate reel bag that I toted around with all my fly reels. The need to
Saturday Shoutout / Don’t Cross Fishbeer
IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I SHARED FISHBEER.
A long while, but I keep it in my heart. It may not be for you, but if it is you will love it. Matt Dunn is one of my very favorite writers in fly fishing. He’s like Cormac McCarthy with a fly rod. Well sometimes, and others he’s Hunter Thompson. You never really know what to expect from Fishbeer.
This raw and honest tale of loss and anger really blindsided me. It’s been hanging around in the back of my head for a while and I think, maybe if I share it it’ll go away. What you do with it is up to you.
FISHBEER, “DON’T CROSS ME”
Read More »Tips for Fishing to Spooky Tarpon on Clear, Calm Days
WHAT’S A BIG TOUGH FISH LIKE YOU SO AFRAID OF?
Fishermen, that’s what. I’m told that, in the early days of tarpon fishing on the fly, big fish charged big flies and ate with reckless abandon. You know how stories about the old days are, but I certainly missed that experience. The tarpon I know are super spooky and show all the signs of highly pressured fish.
On clear, calm days when the water is still and visibility is good, tarpon fishing can be a bitch. It’s not uncommon to see fish over a hundred pounds run in terror from a three-inch fly dropped thirty feet ahead of them. If you’re going to get a fish, you have to be on your game.
Some of the best techniques for catching them are the same ones you’d use on any species of spooky fish. They work, but with tarpon you have to do everything right. They are an unforgiving fish in every respect.
Here are some tips to help you get the better of them.
Keep it down
Tarpon have great ears. When the surface of the water is like glass they can hear conversation on the boat. I saw a tarpon spook once at the sound of my camera shutter. That should give you an idea of how well they hear. Keep the chatter to a minimum and the volume low.
Dress for success
Glass calm days are not the time for the red fishing jacket. Tarpon have great eye sight and even a brightly colored ball cap can give you away. Dress in colors like light blue that blend into the surroundings.
Take a Chill Pill
A tarpon’s eye is attracted to motion just like ours. Keep your movement slow and easy. If you are prone to talking with your hands, maybe you should just keep it to yourself. Don’t rock the boat when casting. The fish can hear the water against the sides. Cool, calm and collected is the way to go.
Longer Leads succeed
Increase the distance by which you lead the fish. Thirty feet or more is
Read More »Sunday Classic / The Belgian Cast
THIS CAST SAVED MY LIFE LAST WEEK!
You know that feeling you get when you watch a school of bonefish swim away while you squirm and wrench your arm out of socket trying to get your fly out of your back? Yeah, me too. Casting with a strong wind off your casting shoulder is the toughest shot in fly fishing. Well, our buddy Bruce Chard is back to show you how to take that shot like a hero. It’s called the Belgian cast and it can save your day so watch and learn.
Saturday Shoutout / Hook Shots Gets Weird
TIM ROMANO IS “NOT ON DRUGS,” BUT HE SHOULD BE.
In this weeks shoutout Tim hits the road to weirdness in the Arizona desert with Joe Cermele and Dale Merry. A perfectly normal bass trip gets out of hand. When the wind picks up, the pants come off and the carp come on. See the worlds larges goldfish and smallest striper!
Maybe it was the peyote.
HOOK SHOTS, ARIZONA BASS AND DESERT WEIRDNESS
Read More »Bends Are Like Best Friends
BENDS IN RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE LIKE MY BEST FRIENDS.
They possess all the qualities that I value and they always provide me consistent support in my endeavors. I don’t know about you, but when I find myself staring at a section of river or stream and I see a nice bend, I quite often head straight for it. I do this because I know it will usually produce a quality fish or two on the end of my line, and it’s generally very obvious to me where I should present my flies.
Just about every bend you encounter on the water will hold these three qualities.
1. One Well Defined Current
There usually will be one well defined current, collecting and moving food through the bend. This clearly indicates to anglers where the most food is drifting and where the fish should be positioned to intercept it.
2. Clear Channel or Trough
That well defined current usually has cut out a deep channel or trough in the bend. This reinforces further why fish will be located here. The deeper that fish can get below the surface and current, the less energy they’ll have to exert to maintain position and feed. The deeper water also