Golden Dorado on the Fly Require a Mix of Skills
By Louis Cahill
There’s nothing cooler than catching a new species on the fly.
I recently had my first encounter with the golden dorado, a species I have coveted for some time. I hosted a group at the Parana On The Fly lodge with Andes Drifters for a week and we caught an amazing array of species including piranha, pacu, pirapita, boga and, the king of the river, the golden dorado.
The dorado has quite a reputation as a sport fish and it does not disappoint. A beautiful fish and an acrobatic fighter, it’s known primarily for its unchecked aggression. The first couple of dorado to eat my fly scared the daylights out of me. Their predatory response goes way beyond simply eating the fly. They destroy it. They eat with pure rage.
Beyond the thrill of tackling such an aggressive predictor, the challenge of catching a dorado is compelling in itself. These fish are not easily caught and the fishing is both technical and demanding in ways I did not expect. I found myself combining skills in a way that was unlike any fishing I’ve done before and, for me, this made the whole experience much more rewarding.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CATCH A GOLDEN DORADO ON A FLY?
DSCF6539I have come to think of dorado fishing as a hybrid of fresh and saltwater techniques. It is essentially streamer fishing. Though we used rat patterns quite a bit, you are basically fishing them as top-water streamers. Like streamer fishing for trout or smallmouth, you’re working structure. Casting from a boat and covering water looking for the fish that’s in the right frame of mind.
Dorado utilize many different types of structure, which I will go into in detail in another article. They use that structure in interesting ways and they sometimes remind me of redfish and other times striped bass or trout. The key to success is understanding the different holding zones and how the dorado uses them, then rapidly identifying those zones and making the right presentation to each as they appear.
It’s fast paced and it’s a thinking game. You’re not just pounding the bank. You’re making a planned presentation, much like you would for tarpon or bonefish, in rapid succession as you float the river. It’s demanding both mentally and physically. Four days after arriving home, I still have a few sore muscles.
Dorado fishing can be
Read More »Buying A Fly Rod For The Young Beginner
By Justin Pickett
Bicycles, Red Ryders, footballs, and Barbie dolls.
These are among the many things that get scribbled onto Christmas lists this time of year in hopes of finding them beneath the tree on the 25th morning of December. Easy enough. A trip to the local department or sporting goods store can handle those requests.
But what about when a fly rod makes the list? Or maybe it didn’t, and you are just a super awesome parent that wants to introduce their kid to fly fishing?!
My first fly rod was a Christmas gift from my parents. It was a Scientific Anglers starter kit that I had seen in a Bass Pro magazine. I didn’t have a fly shop close by, and the internet was in its infancy, so finding options and checking things out first-hand just wasn’t an option. I remember showing it to my parents and just jotting it down at the top of my wish list. I knew nothing about what I wanted, or needed, and neither did my parents. I just wanted something, anything, to get me started… and then to figure out what the heck tippet was???
Luckily for today’s kiddos, things aren’t quite as vague. A quick internet search can pull up a handful of options for the beginning angler interested in getting their feet wet. Whether you’re looking for a first rod for your little tike, or maybe the next teenage protige, several companies have you covered for just about every fly fishing scenario. You won’t find many bells or whistles on these rigs, but as an initial investment into fly fishing, these kits are perfect for getting a young angler on the water without breaking the bank.
So, if a fly rod has found its way onto a Christmas list in your family, make sure you give these kits a look-see!
Echo Gecko
With a modest, forgiving action and kid/hippy-friendly cosmetics, the Gecko is ready for action. Featuring a small lower grip for two-handed casting, the Gecko can be fished with one or two hands. With a comfy EVA grip and Echo’s lifetime warranty, the Gecko will keep your kid fishing through the learning curve.
Redington Minnow
Read More »Swinging Streamers on Big Water
By Kent Klewein
MOST STREAMER FISHERMAN OUT THERE WOULD AGREE THAT POUNDING THE RIVER BANKS WITH A STREAMER WILL CATCH TROUT JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE.
If you’re willing to put in the time and hard work eventually you’ll be rewarded with a big fish. During high water flows on rivers where habitat is insufficient out in the main river, many trout will relocate to the banks where they can use the irregular banks and it’s abundant cover to shelter themselves out of the excessive current. There next move, once they’ve gotten to the banks, is to find prime ambush spots where they can easily pick off prey moving by. This is why casting to the bank and ripping streamers back to the boat is so effective. You’re repeatedly putting your streamer right in the kitchen where good numbers of fish will be feeding.
The majority of the time this scenario works great, but what do you do when you find yourself in areas where the water is super deep and the fish are sitting on the bottom? These places make it extremely difficult for anglers using the pounding the bank technique to keep their streamers down deep in the strike zone during a steady retrieve. Even with a full sinking fly line the cards are stacked against you. Don’t get me wrong, it can still work, especially if you cast upstream of your target water, and give your streamer time to sink before you begin your retrieve. Unfortunately, you won’t always have the time nor the room to pull this off, and that should have you searching for an alternative method that’s better suited for fishing your streamers in these deep water locations.
Swing Streamers through deep water hot spots
The best method I’ve found to consistently get hookups from deep water fish is to swing your streamers across their noses. This allows you to keep your streamers in the face of the deep water fish longer, which often will yield more strikes.
Step 1: When possible anchor your boat upstream and slightly across from your prime deep water. (It could be a nice drop off, a series of buckets, or just a long deep run or pool. The main point is that the water is too deep for you to use a standard strip retrieve, and anchoring up will provide you time to work the area thoroughly).
Step 2: Make a cast
Read More »Listen To Your Heart
Hear I am, in the front row of Symphony Hall, tears streaming down my face, thinking about Beethoven.
If you’re wondering what this has to do with fly fishing, that’s a fair question. Stick with me for a bit and maybe I’ll get there. Maybe not. First you’re going to hear about Beethoven, and a little about me.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. It’s one of a few things I am truly passionate about. My musical taste has never been defined by genre. I deeply love some pieces from every style of music, and passionately hate many more. It’s hard to have a conversation with me about it. I know what I think. At heart, my aesthetic is punk rock. Long before we coined that term. I have always been attracted to artists who rebelled. Creators so passionate and singular in their vision that they angered way more people than they attracted. For me, these are the ones who get it, and no one got it like Beethoven. If you trace the family tree of punk back past Joe Strummer, Iggy Pop, Brian Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis and Hank Williams, you will eventually find the first punk to stand erect and scream at the sky was likely Beethoven.
Of everything he wrote, the piece that really gets to me is the Ninth. I’m in pretty good company saying that it is the single most powerful piece of music ever written. I’ve been a regular at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for over thirty years and have had the chance to see the Ninth performed several times. I was even lucky enough to attend a dress rehearsal, with Yoel Levi conducting the orchestra and the late Robert Shaw the chorus, in which they played the fourth movement twice! My wife and I saw it again last night and it was one of the most powerful musical experiences of my life.
I had a bit of an epiphany there in the front row. I’m going to share it with you but first you should understand that I am not a musicologist or musical historian, just an enthusiastic fan. Scholars have argued about the meaning of the Ninth Symphony since it was written. I’m certainly not going to settle that. In the end, like any piece of art, the Ninth belongs to every one who listens to it. Its meaning is that which you ascribe.
Beethoven was a troubled dude. He had the reputation for being an asshole
Read More »Tie the Chard Choker Permit Fly
PERMIT FISHING IS AS EXACTING AS IT GETS.
When asked to list the top ten reasons permit will refuse a fly, Bruce Chard listed, among other things: a butterfly in Indonesia flapped its wings and because that’s what they do.
Getting a shot a a tailing permit is a test of an anglers resolve. Everything must be done perfectly. Even if everything is done perfectly there’s no guarantee of an eat. The first thing the angler must do is choose the right fly.
For tailing permit in shallow water the Chard Choker is a good choice. Check out the video to learn to tie this killer permit fly.
Read More »I’ve Got A 6 Foot Bed That Never Has To Be Made.
By Kyle Wilkinson
I did something interesting the other day.
Something I haven’t done in years. I voluntarily didn’t go fishing. It was this past Saturday and the sun was shining and my wife was at work. (She’s a hair stylist, which I’ll add is the perfect line of work for a spouse to be in if you like to fish since they have to work every Saturday.) Aside from the fact that Saturdays always find me streamside when I’m in town, it’s a new year and that all-important ‘first fish of the year’ still needs to be caught. A quick scroll through Instagram will show that countless people have already crossed this annual milestone off their list- including some of my co-workers. But nope, the wading boots weren’t getting wet that day.
2016 was a big year for me, with over 130 days spent on the water between guiding and personal fishing. Running a schedule like that puts a lot of wear on your gear, as well as your vehicle. Thus the reason for not fishing- I really needed to clean my truck. This chore had been put on the backburner for the past bunch of months and if you’ve been in it lately you would be able to tell. It was getting pretty bad.
I pulled around to my garage, parked next to the open door- and just as I’ve done countless times- began pulling stuff out by the armful and tossing it on the floor. Boat bags, duffle bags of extra clothes, rod tubes, hip packs, sling packs, wet wading neoprene socks, 3 pairs of waders, 2 pairs of boots, my Yeti 65, what my wife would likely think is too many empty beer cans, some empty Gatorade and water bottles, three collapsible chairs (2 of which still worked), my roll top table, a half a dozen tangled leaders and a few loose strike indicators. Through all of this, I couldn’t help but find myself reflecting back on the past year and the memories that this heap of dirty gear helped create. It was as if I was instantly reliving the entire 2016 season- the nights spent sleeping in the bed, the early morning departures and late night arrivals, the cold beers on the tailgate while
Read More »The Kill
By Justin Pickett
The rubber basket of my net is stressed as it is stretched, enveloping what many anglers might consider the “catch of a lifetime.”
He is wild and full of energy. His hooked jaw chomping at the air, almost as if he’d bite the hell out of my hand if I just gave him the chance. Peering at me with those eyes, those discerning, brown-yellow eyes, I feel as though he is silently cursing me for ripping him from his underwater existence. His back is a dark brown-green. His flank is covered with random, irregular, black spots that are overlaid on a buttery-yellow canvas. There is a touch of bright red speckled amongst his sides, tail, and on the adipose. His belly is void of spots, accentuating the yellow that fades to a small strip of a grey on the very underside of his body. The stout nose is scarred, telegraphing a powerful jaw filled with tiny, tippet-trashing razors. His large, dominant tail no doubt commands the water. Two feet of sheer power and grace, he is, without a doubt, the prince of piscivores.
I am fortunate to have convinced such a sought-after trophy to attack my fly. The size #4 streamer (tied to resemble a juvenile brown trout) was too much for this meat-eating maniac to pass up. Like a starved cat that’s just found a fat mouse, he struck like lightning. Violently clinching my fly in his jaws and immediately turning back to his lair within the submerged wood. That split second before I set the hook into his jaw, his likely expectations were that of an easy meal. What he, nor I, didn’t realize at the time was that it would be his last.
I was fishing with a good friend of mine. We were enjoying a great day of fishing. We had already landed several nice fish throughout the morning and this was just gonna put things over the top for us. After the wily brown was netted, we took a few seconds to set things aside and prepare for a quick “keep ‘em wet” photo before we would recover and release him back to his watery residence. Everything seemed to be playing out just right.
Once we had all of our gear on the bank, I reached in to remove the fly. It was buried in the roof of his mouth. Not the easiest place to remove a hook, but the hook’s barb was pinched down so I was sure that would make it much easier for both the fish and me. He was lying on his side, cradled by the net’s basket. Calm, still half in the water while I positioned my hemostats to remove the fly. Watching carefully, I clamped down on the bend of the hook. At this moment I had the thought, “You don’t want to slip and injure his gills” run through my head. That would certainly cause harm, if not fatally injuring this fish. With a good hold on the metal, I began to back the hook out from his mouth. It was at this moment, things went awry. My hand was steady. The hemostats didn’t slip. As if to protest my efforts to remove the fly from his jaws, he lurched his head upwards and shook his head. I immediately cringed. I knew that, in that instant, these moments of fun and joy were ruined. Our initial feelings of pride and excitement turned to a gut-wrenching, silent emptiness. As if the Grim Reaper himself had appeared and the crimson red trail suspended within the current was his calling card.
I felt sick. Death was certainly imminent.
Even so, we did what we could.
Read More »Deep and Slow
By Alice Tesar
The biggest mistake folks make during spring shoulder season in the Rocky Mountains is heading to the desert to mountain bike. I enjoy biking – just like any angler, it gets me to the fishing hole when my car is in the shop. With that said, fishing during runoff should be embraced and not run (or biked) from.
Not only are the rainbows making moves up your favorite tributaries, but larger trout are more willing to go for your fly, because they feel protected by the murky water. You may observe that the icy water from the snow melt has slowed the midge hatch from your winter fishing days. Even the BWO hatches, while present, aren’t magnificent here in NW CO.
I stick to two setups this time of year:
Read More »Choosing the Lens That’s Right You
The most common camera question I get from my friends is “what lens should I buy.”
My usual answer is, “the one that costs the most.” It’s a joke, but there is some truth to it. Here are a few tips on choosing a good lens that’s in your budget.
First of all you do get what you pay for and it’s better to save up and buy a good lens than to buy one that you will not be satisfied with and need to replace. Be wary of third party manufacturers. If you have a Nikon camera you are likely better off with a Nikon lens. The term “prosumer” means amateur. These lenses have poor glass and good marketing.
Modern zoom lenses are very good but no one lens can do it all well. Choose a zoom with a modest range like 24-70 not 18-200. Lenses with fast apertures like 1.8 can be wonderful for freezing action but a zoom lens with that kind of aperture will be very expensive. If a fast aperture is important to you you might consider a prime lens like an 85mm f 1.8.
Special purpose lenses like fish eyes are fun but a fish eye is a one trick pony, even if it is a pretty cool trick. A lot of guys see a cool photo taken with a fish eye and run out and buy one. They shoot with it all the time for the first month, then it lives in the bag. If you’ve got the cash, why not, but if your on a budget put that money towards a better quality wide angle.
The other question I get all the time is, “What’s your go to lens for fishing?” Hands down it’s the 12-24 zoom. I like to be close to the action and a wide angle helps with that. It’s great the boat where you can’t
Read More »Trout Fishing The Low Warm Water of Summer
By Kevin Howell
Low, warm water is tough on trout and anglers.
Over the years I have been forced to fish for trout in some of the worst possible conditions, from high water, to days that the ice freezes instantly on your guides. The absolute hardest fishing of all though is the low hot water of late summer. Not only do the fish not want to feed but you have to worry about killing them when you hook them.
When water temperatures reach 70 degrees, it’s time to chase carp or bass. The main thing to remember is that you as an angler have an ethical responsibility when trout fishing in low, warm water. Use as large a tippet as you can, so you can land the fish as quickly as possible. If you are struggling to land a fish, break it off, so that you don’t stress it and kill it.
Spend as much time reviving the fish as you spent landing, if you spent 10 minutes (which is way too long) landing it, then spend 10 minutes reviving it. In low hot water you should not spend more than 1-2 minutes to land any fish, regardless of it size. The other big issue in the summer is taking pictures; in this low hot water do not take the fish out of the water. It is kind of like you running a half marathon and the very second you are done, someone holding your head under the water.
HERE ARE SOME OF MY BEST SUMMER TIPS:
Fish are reluctant to feed in times of warm water, or low water. They are just trying to survive so you need to draw a reaction or impulse strike. Your flies should have extra life added to them, rubber legs, soft hackles, Emu feather gills etc. The more annoying the motion of the fly the better your chance of getting a reaction strike.
Trout will not move a great distance to feed in low, warm water; your presentations will have to be almost in a direct line with the fish. This may require more sight fishing and/or multiple cast to the same area.
Be exceptionally careful of making waves in slow or shallow water. This will spook fish quicker than an errant cast.
Fish any decent
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