The Double Haul
A good double haul is curtail wherever you’re fishing.
Never more than in salt water. A lot of anglers, however, find it mystifying. Here’s Capt Joel Dickyto explain how you can have a great double haul.
WATCH THE VIDEO!
Read More »Choosing a line for your switch rod Part one: Understanding lines and line tapers
SO YOU BOUGHT A SWITCH ROD…NOW WHAT?
The idea behind the switch rod is simple. What if you could have the best of both worlds? What if you were nymphing under an indicator but you had the length of a Spey rod to highstick? What if you could cast a dry fly eighty feet without a backcast? What if you could swing flies on a skagit head and sink tip in the morning and dead drift dries in the afternoon without going back to the truck for another rod? Is that a world you’d like to fish in?
Switch rods are a wonderful and versatile tool for fly anglers but they can be as vexing as versatile. In fact, it is their versatility that makes them so confusing. There are about a dozen ways you can set up and fish that new switch rod. They range from nymphing for trout to swinging for steelhead and even casting in the surf for stripers. How your rod will fish starts with the line you choose and it all adds up to make selecting a line for your switch rod the most confusing choice in fly fishing.
I know a lot of guys come to the switch rod from a single-hand casting background. They hear all the talk about two-handed casting and get to feel like they are missing something. The switch rod offers the option of single-hand performance and seems like a friendly way into the world of two-handed casting. The trouble is that lots of those guys never get comfortable putting their left hand on the rod, usually because
Read More »Be Like Bill
By Louis Cahill
What do you look for in a fishing partner?
I get the opportunity to fish with anglers at all skill levels. Guys who are my mentors and are way better than I’ll ever be, right down to guys who just picked up the rod. That’s perfectly fine with me. I enjoy learning and teaching. I also firmly believe that I can learn something from anyone, even if only because teaching them makes me think about something I’d overlooked.
A lot of folks feel some stress over fishing with a new partner. Whether it’s because they feel like they aren’t good enough and will embarrass themselves, or because they don’t like fishing with someone who is learning. I can understand both points of view, but if you can get past that way of thinking, you have a lot more fun, make more friends and learn a whole lot more about fly fishing.
On my last trip to the Bahamas I had the chance to fish with a fellow named Bill Eiche. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Bill picked up his first fly rod only six months before he landed on a flats boat with me to chase bonefish. He was so green he got on the boat in a trout fishing vest. In spite of being a complete beginner with a fly rod, Bill’s attitude and approach to fishing made him a great fishing partner. I thought his story was so cool I had to share it.
Like most guys who take up fly fishing, Bill has been fishing conventional gear his whole life, so he’s not new to fishing or even saltwater flats fishing. We started talking about places he had fished. It quickly became clear that Bill was into travel. He’s not a guy who’s sitting on piles of cash, just a hard-working dude from Milwaukee who had at some point decided that life was about the experience and set his priorities accordingly. Fishing, it turned out, was a priority.
Bill had been going to Belize for some time. Not fancy lodge trips, just DIY adventures. He’d been figuring out the sleepy spots that weren’t overrun with tourists, and where the fishing was good. He’d go down to the dock and meet some local guides and before you know it he had it figured out and was catching a bunch of fish. Every fish but one.
Read More »Clean Your Fly Line Anytime, Anywhere: Video
It pays to keep your fly line clean.
You can spend $90 on a fly line, these days. It just makes sense to take care of them and a big part of caring for a fly line is keeping it clean. Removing oils and chemicals, like sun screen and bug spray, will make your line last a whole lot longer. Keeping it free of dirt and river scum will make it float and cast better.
So why wouldn’t you clean your line every time you fish?
Because it’s a hassle or because you just forget. Well the good news is it’s actually really easy and convenient. I keep a hand full of moist towelettes, like you get at BBQ restaurants, in my fishing kit. I only takes a second to clean your fly line with one of these handy wipes. I buy them by the case but you can pick them up at the local BBQ joint if you like.
WATCH THE VIDEO AND SEE HO WEARY IT IS TO CLEAN A FLY LINE.
Read More »6 Tips For Flying To Fish
When fly-fishing means flying to fish, there are a few simple things that can make it a lot more enjoyable.
Let’s face it, air travel is an ordeal these days. Even more so when it involves traveling with a bunch of fishing gear. I should know, I do it all the time. While there is no silver bullet to turn back the clock to the days before baggage fees, air rage and the dreaded TSA, there are some things you can do to make it easier and even work the system.
I’m pretty OCD about air travel. I minimize the stress of the situation by over preparing and being early for everything. I know, however, that my personal travel habits don’t work for everyone so I’m going to cut out the minutia and give you some tips which I think can apply to most traveling anglers.
Here are 6 tips for flying to fish.
Know the rules
The rules for air travel change from place to place and even by airlines or tickets. While most airports and airlines have relaxed quite a bit since the knee-jerk security reaction to 9/11, there are still times when carrying fish gear onto a plane just won’t fly. For example, Argentina does not allow any fishing gear on planes. No rods or reels, no lines or flies. Everything must be checked right down to your 6X tippet. You can fly into the country with your gear in hand but it will have to be checked when you leave and if you didn’t plan for that, it can be a real challenge.
In general, checking gear is not that risky. You’ll want your rods in tubes inside your luggage or in dedicated travel cases. It’s smart to put reels in their original boxes or stuffed into wading boots. The biggest issue you have to worry about is lost bags. The best way to avoid that is to fly direct whenever possible. If you do carry gear onboard it’s best to get yourself into an early boarding group and be at the front of the line. The difference between a good day and a bad one is an open overhead bin. Be polite to your flight attendants as they have some discretion on what happens to carry-ons.
Pack light and smart
Checked bags
Extra fees for overweight bags can kill your budget and who needs to carry all of that weight anyway? You probably need less than you think. I start saving weight by carrying a duffle bag rather than a heavy rolling bag. Less weight in the bag means you can carry more gear. If you are headed somewhere remote, you may find yourself on a flight with weight restrictions well under those of major airlines. If that limit is in the 30-pound range, a rolling bag eats up a big chunk of that. I like waterproof, roll-top duffles for when I find myself in some remote location and bad weather.
If you are checking a bag with gear, planning to wash out some clothes on your trip will make room for things like waders and boots. You can save weight on rod tubes by swapping tubes. For example, I have several rods with carbon fiber tubes. I don’t always fly with those rods, but those tubes carry plenty of rods that came in heavier tubes. I’ll also use a large tube from one of my saltwater rods to carry two trout rods.
Anything with zippers, especially zip-front waders, should always be packed unzipped! If a zipper gets folded while zipped, and then is subjected to pressure from stacked bags, it will fail and you will be sad. Trust me, I spent a week of winter steelheading in open waders. No fun.
Carry-ons
I have a couple of carry-on bags I truly can’t live without.
Read More »Cool Enough For You?
EVERY JOURNEY STARTS WITH A SINGLE CAST.
For some reason, this morning I’m thinking of losing a fish. A big fish and, worst of all, someone else’s fish. That’s the worst kind to lose.
A hundred years ago, when I was still pretty much a Gomer, my wife bought me a guided day of fishing on a private trout stream. That’s a pretty common experience here in Georgia. I’d been catching pretty average trout on my own for some time and, like most novice fly fisherman, I had been sucked into lusting after the monster trout I saw on the covers of fly fishing magazines. In the same way that young girls get the idea that they are supposed to look like Barbie, I was dying to see a photo of myself holding some massive drooling piscivore. This obsession was just as healthy as a case of bulimia and pulling it off seemed just as likely as my looking like Barbie. My darling wife had clearly heard enough about it and sought professional help.
I’d never been guided before and was wholly uncomfortable with the idea. I’ve never been comfortable asking for help and still feel a little guilty about being waited on in restaurants. Having a guide tie my flies on was excruciating. The guide, who’s name has long faded from my memory, was great and I learned a lot from him but I was so nervous about fishing in front of a professional that I was a shit show for most of the morning.
By lunch time I was fishing like I had a brain and, with me more relaxed, my guide able to put me on some nice fish and actually enjoy the afternoon himself. He expressed an interest in my bamboo rods and I insisted he take one and fish with me the rest of the day. I’m sure that made him nervous as hell but I felt a whole lot better. For the minute.
Read More »Holding Your Bone
I WATCHED MY SHARE OF GUYS FIGHT TO GET HOLD OF THEIR FIRST BONEFISH AND I REMEMBER BEING THERE MYSELF. IT’S PRETTY PAINFUL FOR EVERYBODY CONCERNED INCLUDING THE FISH.
They aren’t trout and nothing will bring that hone for you like trying to tail one. Landing them and handling them is really pretty simple once you know how. Here are a few tips for getting a grip on these slippery little guys without anybody getting hurt, even your pride.
I will not go into the best way to land a bonefish because I’ve done a post and video on the topic with the help of my buddy Bruce Chard. It’ll save you a broken rod so if you haven’t seen it click HERE.
Once you have the bonefish to the boat and the leader in your hand, assuming that you want to hold the fish and are not content to pop the hook out without touching him (the best practice for the fish), you need to get a good grip on the fish that will let you control him without injuring him. The best place to do this is just behind the pectoral fins and gill plates. The bonefish is pretty firm here and not so tapered so you can get a grip without him immediately squirting out of your hand like a bar of soap. Kent is doing a good job in this photo. You don’t need a death grip. Like any fish, the harder you squeeze him the more he will struggle.
If the fish is too green to hold for a quick photo without him leaping out of your hands and flopping around on the deck there are a couple of things you can do to settle him down.
Read More »There’s No Such Thing As A Bad Perm
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY. THERE ARE NO SMALL PERMS.
Just perms, and big perms. Happy perms and happy clouds. If you can’t catch perms, you can always drink.
Here’s Bob Ross to teach you how!
http://vimeo.com/32582348
The Bob Ross Drinking Game
Read More »Better Casting for Bonefish
By John Byron, The Bonefish Beginner
Tons of great advice out there on how to cast a fly rod. Tons more on how to catch bonefish.
These two streams of good information come together in the universal charge you read over and over again: hey dummy, practice your casting!
These days, travel dead, lodges closed, bonefishing a hope for the future, practicing is good therapy and a great opportunity to be a lot more ready when things do open up again.
Yes it’s true, sometimes you need all the range you can get, heroic throws to the edge of your best abilities. Sometimes too it’s not a cast at all, just a quick flick to put the fly 15 feet from the boat where a fish snuck up on you.
But what should be the goal of your casting practice to tune you best for the majority of shots?
I say it’s fifty feet. An honest fifty feet from the reel to the fly where it lands on the water.
Mark your flyline with a Sharpie at fifty feet, leader included, and leave the rest of the line on the reel when you’re practicing. Hone your casting and aim your practicing to reliably cast fifty feet — all conditions, all directions, all winds. Get good at fifty feet and you’ll catch more bonefish.
Yes, there are guides who’ll say you’ve gotta be good at everything. The answer is … give me as much time on the water as you get and I will be.
The rest of us? Let’s work on what gives us the best shot without all those years’ experience. That’s skill at fifty feet.
If you keep the practice range to fifty feet and ease off the long throws, you’ll gain the abilities you need most of your time on the water. Tighten the loops, land the fly softer, end the wind knots, get really comfortable with your gear.
Probably better at…
Read More »Bait Dunkin’ to Lure Chuckin’ to Fly Floatin’
By: Alice Tesar
You could say that a desire to be a trout bum was in his blood, but you’d be ignoring the fact that Tim Widmer has found his own drift. What was in his family, specifically with his dad, was a desire to live a life that allowed for living off the land and being able to enjoy wild places. Tim’s dad never stopped dreaming of a life of living and exploring. Widmer recalls a time when his dad killed, skinned, tanned, and proceeded to sew his own clothes from an elk that the then-municipal employee had hunted, “he was doing bead work on the garments.” This intention is something Tim reflects on in times of life’s transitions. Tim credits his dad for making fly fishing into a career. You may remember Tim from “A Conversation with Fly Tier Tim Widmer” in 2014 but today we’re going to take a closer look at what it takes to be a guide, the value of mentors, and the “natural progression” of an angler.
As a small kid growing up in Estes Park, then “Timmy’s” dad worked for the city and would come home for lunch. After they ate together Timmy would go back to work with his dad and spend the afternoons fishing the ponds behind the office — “Bait dunkin” for browns. As he grew older, he started “lure chucking” along the Big Thompson with friends, they loved the wildness and the ease at which they’d catch fish. On an unlikely day where Timmy and his friend had been skunked, they headed back to their homes, along the way they encountered an old timer with a fly rod. They watched as he proceeded to catch six quality trout out of one hole. In awe they retreated. True to his father’s character instead of buying Timmy casting lessons, his dad bought him lessons to build a fly rod. Every day after track practice, Timmy would swing by Estes Anglers and sit with the owner and learned to build his first fly rod. Years following this, Timmy proceeded to cast this fly rod like a spin rod. He’d throw out the line and drag the dry fly in, like he’d known to do with a lure. Eventually the guides at the fly shop gave him some pointers on a better cast and some tips for fishing the Big T and lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This is the part where “Timmy” becomes “Tim.”
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