Hold That Fish

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I’ll be doing a few tips on how to take better fishing photos. Here are a few tips on holding a fish for a photo. First and most important, always respect the fish. They are a precious resource and we want to release them in good condition. Hold the fish gently under the peck fins and by the tail. If you squeeze him he will panic and struggle. A gentle grip will make your fish and angler more relaxed for the photo. Keep him close to the water and drop his head under for a few breathes every 10 seconds or so. Fish start to fade when they are out of the water and this will keep his colors bright. Be sure all of his fins are nicely displayed and not held back against his body or under a hand. Lastly, most anglers will instinctively tail a fish with an overhand grip but an underhand grip covers less of the fish and looks better in a photo. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com  

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Look At The Body On That Thingamabobber

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I use Thingamabobber’s almost exclusively these days for my nymph fishing. They seem to cast easier for my novice anglers than traditional synthetic fiber strike indicators, and I don’t have to load them down with fly floatant. Westwater Products caught my attention this year at the ITFD show, introducing their Thingamabody product line with 61 different colors.  That’s right, now you can tie some killer fly patterns with the super buoyant and waterproof Thingamabody. I really think this is a great idea, and it proves that Westwater Products continues to think outside the box, catering to fly fisherman with their innovative product development team approach. We’ll be trying these guys out the first week in September in Wyoming and we’ll follow up with you on how they work. Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com  

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Look Up Once In A While

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I’m driving from Colorado to Wyoming to fish the upper Green River. The sun is going down and I’ve just passed over Flaming Gorge when I come upon this view. I stop the car and walk out to the edge. The car door is open and Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” is blaring. The wind is cold at my back and strong enough that I have to lean into it, like it’s saying, go on, do it. I have goose bumps. It feels like a perfect moment. It makes me think of Spalding Gray. Sad, I feel sure he had one more perfect moment left in him. Maybe this all sounds pretty fruity if you weren’t there but it reminds me that it’s easy to get so focused on the fishing and the shooting photos that I miss the perfect moments. Look up from the water once in a while.   Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com  

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You Got to Know When to Fold Um

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Thumbing through the latest Fly Fisherman Magazine recently, I read an article about lightning safety while fly fishing. It was packed full of good safety advice, and I recognized the familiar photo of Louis’s, with our friend Brad on the Gros Ventre River with a lightning strike in the background. I tagged along with the two of them that day, and I’ll never forget how close we all came to being struck by lighting. My finger tips were literally tingling with electricity, which brings me to the purpose of this post. You got to know when to fold um when your out fishing. When weather gets nasty and life threatening, don’t be a hardcore idiot. End the day short to ensure you have the opportunity to come back and fish another day. When you get back to the truck and open that cold beer, you’ll know you made the right decision. Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com

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Slamtastic!

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Here are three reports from last weekends Denver Carp Slam. Ummmmm, tasty! The Denver Carp Slam, This Is Not Your Father’s TU When was the last time you attended a Trout Unlimited event where a bottle rocket fight broke out? That was the scene last weekend when I attended the Denver Carp Slam, as an observer, not to fish. The Carp Slam is a carp tournament started five years ago by the Denver chapter of Trout Unlimited. It takes place on the South Platte in downtown Denver and the proceeds pay for stream improvements on the river. The Platte, at least the stretch that runs through Denver, is truly a challenged river. OK, that’s too polite. It’s severally F’ed up. Full of trash, dead animals, murder weapons, and amazingly, fish. Carp of coarse but also walleye, smallmouth bass, catfish, and to my surprise, trout. Not in big numbers but pretty good size. That’s where TU comes in. They’re using the carp, to save the trout. It’s a great cause and a great time but most of all, a great bunch of guys. The group is young, energetic and energized about their mission but not taking life too seriously. The experience renewed my faith in TU. I am particularly interested in a group who call them selves The Greenbacks. A group of young TU members on a mission to preserve Colorado’s native fish, and have a good time doing it. Their enthusiasm is contagious. It’s awesome to see a great old institution alive with wish youthful vigor. Hats off to the Denver chapter of TU. Natural Born Carper While photographing the Denver Carp Slam I witnessed something strange and wonderful. The slam is a “pro am” event. Sixteen teams consisting of one pro and one amateur compete to put the most … Continue reading

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On The Road

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On the road to to New Orleans I spotted this warning sign on a semi truck so I pulled along side and took a photo with my IPhone. It’s a funny photo but a stark reminder of how fragile our fisheries are. It strikes me that we are always one careless moment from ecological disaster. We saw it last month on the Yellowstone. I don’t mean to be all “doom and gloom” but Yikes! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com  

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Boots, The Next Generation.

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With all of the research and development that goes into rods, reels and every fishing gadget under the sun, it surprises me that it’s taken so long for boots to go high tech. Up until a few years ago my wading boots were amazingly similar to what my grandfather wore. It wasn’t until Korkers came out with the revolutionary Boa lace design and interchangeable soles that everyone in the business took a serious look down. Those boots had some controversial features but since I put the first pair on my feet,I’ve waded in nothing else. Years ago I broke my ankle in a pair of boxy old school wading boots and that memory has staid with me. As important to me as my ankles, is the thousands of dollars of camera gear I carry. For me, a fall can be pretty expensive. In the last couple of years Rubber soles have been all the rage. I’ve heard plenty of my friends in the biz tow the line by saying, “it’s a matter of personal preference”. I don’t know anyone who really believes that rubber is as safe as felt, and more people are coming around to the idea that it’s no more environmentally sound either. IMHO, rubber soles just give folks a warm feeling about not washing their boots. Rubber or felt, you need to wash your boots. There are plenty of places for the rock snot to hide on a rubber boot. I stumbled across a new shoe technology that has been developed for pro basketball players. It was developed by a company called Ektio. It’s pretty interesting. Ankle sprains and brakes are the number one injury in basketball. The Ektio sneaker uses a system of straps and revolutionary sole design that they call a bumper which prevents the … Continue reading

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At What Point Does A Fly Become a Lure?

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  Are you carrying a streamer box full of lures? Every year new fly patterns burst onto the scene far from the norm, pushing the boundaries and raising the question, are these true fly patterns or just camouflaged lures? First off, let me get something straight right out of the gates, I”m not one of those traditionalist haters, trying to point the finger. As Rodney Dangerfield quoted in the comedy classic movie, Back to School, “I’m not a fighter, I’m a lover”. I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with materials traditionally only used in conventional tackle to come up with new innovative fly patterns. There’s no doubt conventional lures are amazing fish catchers, and the way I look at this topic is very simple. If I can figure out a way to mimic the action or appeal that conventional lures have in my fly pattern designs, I’m going to gain a significant edge over fooling big educated fish. However, I do understand whether I like it or not, we’re going to have to draw the line at some point and define what classifies and distinguishes a fly from a lure. Thankfully for me, constantly evolving technology continues to open previously locked doors, and in turn, categorizes most of my creations as legitimate flies. Take spinner and propeller blades for instance. Henry Cowen’s Coyote striper fly uses a conventional blade in it’s design. It’s been accepted in the industry as a fly, and has also become one of the most popular searching patterns for striped bass and other warm water species. Montana Fly Company sells a streamer pattern called the Kingfisher’s Heavy Metal Sculpin, that has a colorado blade trailing off the back of the fly. Recently fly tyers have utilized entire synthetic bass skirts previously only found on bass jigs to create … Continue reading

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A Closer Look

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Another look at the object of all my affections. This time it’s the gill plate of a North Carolina Brown Trout. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com  

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Something Wicked This Way Comes…..

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Or does it? Capt. Joel Dickey explains how tropical storms and hurricanes can create epic fishing conditions. Even with all the satellite imaging and sophisticated radar, we can never be sure as to where a tropical storm or major hurricane will strike land. The fish don’t have all this modern technology and yet they can predict weather much better than we can right down to the day the system hits. So with hurricane Irene barreling through the Caribbean, I’m getting prepared….to fish. Now you might ask what does this have to do with fishing? A LOT! Just like in freshwater before a summer thunderstorm or low pressure system steams through your area, the saltwater fish also know something is coming and therefore react. A couple days before a tropical system rolls through the Florida Keys tarpon, bonefish, and permit feed like there’s no tomorrow. Waking, tailing, and rolling, these species flood the flats gorging themselves in preparation to hunker down for the next few days of less than desirable weather. If you have the jewels to stay in town before a system moves through you will experience what most fly fisherman dream about. The fish we often consider shy and extremely smart on a day to day basis, become dumb and unaware eating our flies without hesitation. These conditions also hold true AFTER a tropical system moves through the Keys, and fishing conditions can even climb higher on the epic meter. Weathering the storm the fish have now been stacked in the deep channels and have not fed for a few days becoming hungrier by the minute. Look out for total flats chaos! The palm fronds, coconuts, and limbs will have to wait around my house. The aftermath will always be there but the extremely blue skies and calmer days … Continue reading

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