Sunday Classic / Browns on the Move
Fall through winter is a busy time of year for trout. Water temperatures are falling, days are getting shorter and big fish are on the move. Among the species that spawn in the fall are Brown Trout. The cooling weather and longer nights are their cue to leave the deep pools, reservoirs and under cut banks they call home and head to the shallow gravel runs where they spawn. This annual migration offers anglers a rare shot at fish we would normally never see.
Browns are one of the most sought after species of trout. Primarily because they are so difficult to catch. They are moody and reclusive, the larger fish spending most of their days hidden by overhead cover. They do their feeding at night, hunting down bait fish and crawfish in the shallows then disappearing at dawn. They are homebodies. Browns will often spend their whole life in one pool where they have found refuge. Research has shown that they set such a high value on this kind of safety that some Brown Trout, faced with lethally high water temperatures, will stay in their hiding places and die, rather than leave to find cooler water. That stubbornness is exactly what makes them so difficult to catch.
Targeting moving fish is a lot of work. You have to cover water, but you have to do your homework too. The first step is
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Fires Creek In Peril
THERE ARE FEW SUBJECTS THAT I’M AS PASSIONATE ABOUT AS WILD TROUT.
Doubly so when the trout in question are at risk. These issues get a lot of attention in the west but are often ignored here in the southeast. The treasures of the Appalachians are, however, no less valuable and of no less concern to us all.
This week, Nathan Chapman writes about some North Carolina trout at risk for Trent Sizemore’s, Sizemore Outdoors. I encourage you all to get involved. Wild trout belong to everyone.
Read More »Early Season Tarpon Alert!
I THOUGHT I’D TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TEASE YOU WITH A QUICK TARPON PHOTO.
I’ve been on, kind of a roll, about bonefish lately and with my third trip to the Bahamas in five months just around the corner, that’s not going to change for a bit. I thought I should warn you however, that tarpon season is starting early this year and I will likely be rattling on about that very soon.
Prehistoric giants taking to the air! Big steel jaws like Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots! Exploding rods and reels! God I love tarpon!
The word from my boy Capt. Joel Dickey in Big Pine Key is that the fishing
Read More »Fly Fishing and Tapping into your Subconscious Thinking
Ever get that feeling, and you just know you’re going to catch a fish?
One of the most stimulating and interesting TV shows that I take the time to watch every chance I get is “Through the Wormhole” on the Science Channel. Go ahead and call me a geek, I find the show inspiring and can’t help to think if I’d been forced to watch this show as a kid I’d probably be three times as smart as I am today, and would have made it much further in my advanced education. “Through the Wormhole”, is hosted by the great actor Morgan Freeman, and it runs segments on all facets of life, discussing such topics as advanced science and mathematics, space travel and the human brain. The other day couch surfing and flipping through channels on the TV, I stumbled upon the show and quickly found myself glued to the screen as it talked about the mysteries of our subconscious, and how it’s used every waken moment of our lives.
Neuroscientists have prooved that the human brain constantly uses our subconcious to guide us and sway our decision making. The show talked about how it’s our subconscious that allows musicians to memorize and perform extraordinarily difficult pieces of music perfectly by keeping their mind and muscle control in harmony. I assume it’s very similar to how professional athletes are able to put themselves in a zone during a game by using their subconscious, then making game winning plays. It was explained that our subconscious always stays two steps ahead of our conscious thinking, and that it’s a major driving force that keeps us out of danger and allows us to use our gut feelings to make spontaneous decisions correctly when we lack the information needed. The show went on and on, in great detail about how humans benefit from their sub-conscious, and then backed it all up by doctoral research and testing. In the end, the show concluded that in the future, if humans can learn to regularly tap into their subconscious we’ll be able to be more healthy, become significantly smarter and more creative than we can possibly imagine.
After I finished watching that particular episode of “Through the Wormhole”, I began thinking about what degree our subconscious plays in our fly fishing. For years, I’ve felt like my subconscious has allowed me at times to put myself in a zone on the water. Allowing me to amplify my senses and get extremely focused when the fishing conditions demanded it. I now believe it was due to me tapping into my subconscious that explains how I’m able to look at a spot on the water and drop my fly with pin-point accuracy in an area the size of a dinner plate, over and over. Replaying years of guiding in my head, I can recall
Read More »The New Bruce Chard Grand Slam Fly Line From Scientific Angler’s
I’ve been a fan of Bruce Chard’s saltwater fly line designs for years. And why not? I don’t know anyone who understands the dynamics of fly casting or the art of presenting a fly on the flats better than Bruce. I guess if you guide the Florida Keys over three hundred days a year, for twenty years, you learn a thing or two.
I fished Bruce’s lines when they were made by Jim Teeny and I loved them. When Bruce teamed up with Scientific Angler he told me it would take the lines to a whole new level. That was no overstatement. SA’s materials and technology have really made the Grand Slam line sing.
The Grand Slam is the best saltwater line I’ve ever fished. That didn’t surprise me. What was a pleasant surprise was that it lived up to its marketing materials. This line actually does everything it promises and you don’t often find that these days. There is a lot going on in the design of this line. I’ll try to explain how some of the design features work and why they are important.
Read More »Don’t Keep Staring in One Place if You’re Seeing Nada
By Kent Klewein
My recent trip to the Bahamas, fly fishing for bonefish I got a chance to work out a bunch of kinks in my flats fishing.
From the help of my buddies, the helpful staff on hand and the fantastic bahamian guides, I eventually got to the point where I could respectfully hold my own on the flats. Despite me being in paradise there were a few times during the trip when I found myself hanging my head. The first problem I had was letting my mind get in the way of my fishing. That was to be expected though, since I’m most comfortable on the cold water streams and rivers, and it had been several years since I’d last chased the grey ghost on the flats. When I trout fish, I don’t have to think about my casts much these days and my confidence is through the roof. This is because I do it day in and day out. Take me to saltwater though, where I only make a few trips a year, and my confidence drops and the first couple days I find myself constantly battling my inner thoughts and nerves. I’m sure many of you out there no where I’m coming from. Anytime you’re lacking confidence and dealing with nerves you’re going to fish at half your potential. And there’s no place this holds true more than standing on the bow of a skiff on the saltwater flats. Lesson learned, if you want to fish more effectively and maximize your success when fishing locations that aren’t your norm, you have to stay relaxed, keep your confidence no matter what, and learn to let the bad casts roll off your back.
My next problem I had during the trip, and the point for writing this post, was learning how to quickly spot the bonefish my guide was calling out to me. I missed countless shots during the week because
Read More »Sunday Classic / Gift for the Fly Tying Enthusiast
I’m always looking for ways to make my fly tying more efficient so I can whip out a few more flies when I sit down at the tying bench. Sometimes the best ideas come from my friends and family who don’t even fly fish. I was completely surprised these holidays when my wonderful Mother-in-law handed me this magnetic parts tray to open up Christmas morning. What a brilliant idea on her part to find a way to help me keep track of my terminal tying materials and finished flies. God knows I spend a fair amount of time on my hands and knees searching for items that have fallen off my tying bench. No more will I have to deal with dropped hooks, beads and other materials on the floor when I’m tying flies. For any fly shop owners out there that happen to see this, I recommend you pick some of these guys up at your local Auto Zone and stack them next to the cash register. Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Block Ties Flies, Deeter Talks Bonefishing
This weeks Saturday shoutout I grace you with two quick reads. Erin Block stimulates our brains about the rewards of fly tying and Kirk Deeter shares three bonefishing tips that his recent guide in the bahamas taught him that’s guaranteed to help you find success. Have a great weekend and thanks for tuning into Gink & Gasoline.
Read More »5 Reasons I Dig My Flux Waist Pack
Most of you already know I’m a big waist pack gear head. All waist packs aren’t created equal though. For a waist pack to cut it with me its got to perform well in many areas of functionality on the water. I recently purchased the William & Joseph Flux waist pack for my guiding and personal fly fishing and I’ve fallen in love with it. Below are five reasons why I dig my Flux waist pack by William & Joseph and why you should take the time to check it out for yourself.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Strip Set, Dammit!
Quite likely the most frustrating thing for an angler who is new to salt water is the strip set. A dedicated freshwater angler will have thousands of hours of muscle memory to overcome. I did it myself time after time. I’d see a fish eat and my arm, without permission from my brain, would raise the rod tip and off would swim a happy bonefish. Then I would hear my friend Josie Sands, from the platform, “da ain’t no trout in the Bahamas Louis”. To be fair, as frustrating as this is for the angler it may be worse on the guide. He has to deal with this almost every day.
I wish I had a silver bullet to offer that would solve this problem for you instantly, but I don’t. It just takes focus and practice. However here are a few suggestions that may help. First, don’t
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