Rob Smith’s Musky Sucker
Rob Smith is nothing, if not colorful so when I asked him to tie a fly for my readers I expected something bodacious, and I got it! Rob likes his fish the way he likes his mustache, big and scary. He’s our local authority on striped bass and musky. When it comes to putting pounds of fish in the net, Rob has you covered. This fly has been a proven producer for musky. It imitates the suckers that are prevalent in musky rivers. It’s a beefy fly and you’ll need to eat your Wheaties to throw it, but you’ll like the results. Check out the video! http://youtu.be/rwAGO-dJiJ4 I’d like to say thanks to the guys at The Fish Hawk for helping out and sharing their favorite flies. We’re lucky to have such a great fly shop and such a knowledgeable staff. Come fish with us in the Bahamas! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »It’s Good To Be The Hero…I Guess?
By Louis Cahill
Everybody wants to catch the big fish.
The skiff glides over the flat calm water, running from the dark of night into the blue and pink Rorschach test of the coming dawn. Every few minutes Jessie Regestor, our guide, kills the throttle and makes a hard turn when a big push of water breaks the perfect symmetry ahead. The lagoon is full of life, including a good number of sleeping manatees, wakened by the whirring propeller.
This is my first trip to Mosquito Lagoon. I likely would not have taken the time to fish, the day before the IFTD show in Orlando, if my buddy Johnny had not invited me. There are few folks I enjoy sharing a boat with as much and with him running two successful fly shops, we don’t get to do it enough. I’m always excited to see new water and, of course, I’ve heard all of the stories about how educated the lagoon redfish are. I’m looking forward to a challenge.
I live near the coast, so I insist the guy from Colorado take the first shift on the bow. The sun is just creeping up so we pole an edge looking for pushes and tails. Johnny gets a couple of shots but they aren’t easy ones and he’s met with the response we’ve been told to expect. Refusal. He makes a few more perfect presentations without a hookup and puts me on the bow.
Not long after, Jessie spots a group of tailers directly in the glare of the morning sun. He takes his time and poles us into position where we have the sum from our left, where I have good visibility and can make a cast without my line making a shadow over the fish. This is the first time Jessie and I have fished together but I’m already a fan. That kind of strategic fishing gets results.
These fish are all big, but a couple of them are downright beasts. Their big tails waving like fans at country church in August. I make a couple of casts, which go ignored, before putting the fly right in front of one of the better fish. The fish sees it and turns on it. I strip short and quick as the fish moves but the line comes tight on something small. A ladyfish has cut him off and grabbed my fly. I horse the little guy out of the water and go for the hook but he’s swallowed it.
“Give him to me,” Johnny says, reaching for the fish with his left hand, pliers in his right.
The big fish is still happy, doing headstands about fifty feet off the bow. Johnny gets my fly back and I make another cast. Perfect presentation, except the lady fish had trashed my leader and the fly sailed away on the first false cast. I land an empty leader in front of the fish and let go with some colorful language.
“Give me your leader,” Johnny calls from behind me.
He pulls a fly out of my box and ties it on. I don’t even look at it. I’m watching the big tail, keeping track of the fish. When he hands me the fly I see what he’s chosen. It’s an experiment I tied after a couple of beers. Something I thought was genius at the vise and later viewed with scepticism. I’d never had enough confidence to fish it.
Read More »Finding the Hidden Carp
By Dan Frazier
“FLASH YOUR BREAK LIGHTS A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE WE TURN OFF OR THE CAR BEHIND YOU WILL SMASH INTO YOUR REAR END,” TREVOR YELLED THROUGH MY PHONE.
I was following him through downtown Denver at 50 mph on our way to a second spot to fish for the day. All of a sudden, his break lights lit up like a strobe light at a rave and I begin tap-dancing on my brake pedal. In what looked like a scene from a heist movie, Trevor suddenly veered off the road, not at an intersection, and comes to a screeching halt on a tiny patch of concrete under a construction sign. I put my rental car to the test, swerved without slowing and then laid on the brakes before I climbed up Trevor’s tail pipe. Had I not had antilock breaks the screeching tires and blue smoke would have made the slide-stop that more dramatic. Instead, I came to a quick but reasonable halt behind Trevor’s car. The black BMW missed rear ending me by inches and the driver screamed out the wind at me as he flew past.
We geared up and waited for traffic to clear, eventually bounding across the 4-lane road to get to the top of the wall. The water was 25 feet down as we hiked along, but it wasn’t directly below us. Ten feet down was a dirt ledge and another 15 feet from there was a sloping shoreline. The ledge was littered with the encampments of Denver’s homeless. We walked along, looking for carp. When we saw our first tailer, Trevor started taking off his gear and handed me his rod. He then lunged over the ledge into the crotch of a tree and shimmied his way down to the lower ledge. From there he could get a presentation on the fish.
Trevor isn’t the only master carp-on-the-fly angler that has taken me to spots that are insanely difficult to access; places that leave you scratching your head and thinking, “how the hell did he figure out how to get access here?”
John Montana has put me (and anyone that fishes with him) through the same paces. We’ve parked under overpasses and on unfinished off-ramps, slid down 60-foot scree slopes and bounded along railroad tracks. Both he and Trevor have taken me to spots that either currently were illegal to fish, or had been when they’d first been busted. Most you can sweet talk your way into getting permission… some you just get sneakier. Hell, I have places that involve crossing electric fences or parking at marginal pull-offs and hoping your car isn’t towed when you get back.
Until I was screeching to a halt with Trevor, however, this commonality had never occurred to me. We talk about carp being accessible to everyone and within walking distance of your house. And that’s true… carp are. But the guys putting up real numbers and big fish have spent hundreds of trips and thousands of hours scouting for both location and access. And they can be fiercely protective of these spots and access points. You
Read More »Fly Fishing Tips for Stocked Trout
My first memory of bringing a trout to hand with a fly rod took place back in the spring of 1990, on a seasonal trout stream, located 45 minutes north of Atlanta, GA. It was a far cry from a trophy trout at 10-inches, but that freshly stocked rainbow trout, touched my eleven year old fishing soul to the core. I’ll never forget the excitement I felt watching that stocker chase down and eat my olive woolly bugger at my feet. It felt really good for a change, not relying on that plastic blue can of worms to get the job done. From that day forward, I never looked back, and I’ve moved on to become a respectable trout guide in my area and I’ve fly fished for trout all over the world.
A lot of fly fisherman would laugh at me if I brought that fishing memory up in conversation. Many wouldn’t be able to look past the fact that I was fly fishing for stocked trout that weren’t naturally born in a stream or river. If you happen to be reading this post and you’re one of those fly anglers that I’m referring to, just remember that we aren’t all blessed to have easy access to wild trout. For many of us, wild trout populations are so low (because of poor conservation and land management), it’s not even feasible for us to strategically target them, and if it wasn’t for stocked trout, we’d have no trout at all. If you’re fortunate to be blessed with wild trout populations where you live, don’t forget how that special that is, and please don’t make fun or belittle others who take pride in catching stocked trout. You just make yourself look ungrateful and worthy of having wild trout.
Before I get into my fly fishing tips for stocked trout, I’d like to take a moment to mention a couple of reasons I feel stocked fisheries can be good for the sport. For one, they’re a great place to introduce kids and newcomers to fly fishing for trout. Timed correctly, an angler with zero experience can have great success catching trout. Secondly, put and take trout waters provide great locations for anglers who like to harvest trout, to do so without having to illegally poach on special regulation or wild trout fisheries.
Read More »Sacred Fishing Holes
By Alice Tesar
It might have been the coyotes that kept me awake the night prior.
More likely it was thoughts about the section of river we planned to visit that day. I’d heard a lot about the spot and debated it’s worthiness. I had heard that those who wander this stretch of river alone rarely find success, that it was imperative to partner fish, where one person spots the fish from a vantage point and the other casts from the hole below or further down river from the bank. My fishing partner had fished here many times and I was forced to swear secrecy.
“Don’t tell anyone about this spot you wouldn’t mind running into out there,” he told me.
The cool wet morning was filled with anticipation — I sipped my coffee and watched the sunlight peeking over land making everything shimmer. After loading up the truck, my fishing partner and I drove down the dirt road to the river. Pulling off at a nondescript field, we rigged up, took a swig of Fireball (hair of the dog), and hopped the fence startling the nearby grazing cattle. Off to a remote bend in the river we went.
We stumbled through the lumpy pasture to the river, where a drop created by a large fallen cottonwood made a deep pool in the otherwise shallow river. Standing far back on the shore, careful not to scare off any feeding trout in the pool, I cast in.
My indicator drifted along to a tangle of sticks that had accumulated where the river shallowed. Releasing the snagged fly proved difficult without disturbing the water and I feared I’d ruined our chances of catching anything in this hole. A few more casts and my bright orange indicator sunk fast and hard.
Read More »Not Today
“WHEN I SAY I LOVE TO FISH, THAT’S THE KIND OF LOVE I’M TALKING ABOUT. THE KIND OF LOVE THAT COMES WITH PAIN AND STRUGGLE AND DEATH. THE KIND OF LOVE YOU EVENTUALLY WISH YOU HAD NEVER KNOWN.”
The night sky is just opening its eyes. The first bright pin pricks in the cold blue firmament slowly twinkling to life. Like shining snowflakes falling on a glass dome they multiply, forming a blanket of heavenly light over the Wind Range.
There is no moon. The only real light is coming from the last sliver of white along the horizon. The sage brush fades from dusty green to black and the ribbon of pale dirt road that stretches as far as I can see, both ahead and behind, takes on an eerie glow. I feel the first bite of night air and hear the rustlings of nature’s second shift punching the clock. It’s a beautiful Wyoming twilight.
I’m twenty miles, if I have my bearings, from the nearest paved road, a few more to the nearest house. Thirty miles from the nearest cell tower or tandem truck moaning down the highway. Fifty miles from the nearest town. This is what I love, the kind of thing I live for, work for, go way out of my way for. To be alone under the night sky with a trout stream near by and the promise of another day. A perfect ending, to any other day.
Read More »The World’s Best Blood Knot
Chris Fave ties a lot of blood knots. About half a million a year.
You’d expect him to have a trick or two up his sleeve. I saw this video he put on Facebook and immediately asked him if I could share it. Chris uses a toothpick to tie a blood knot perfectly in seconds. It’s a pretty sweet trick.
Chris’s hand tied leaders are available in fly shops or on his site. He has tapers for every ovation. Check them out HERE. Thanks for sharing Chris!
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LEARN TO TIE THE WORLD’S BEST BLOOD KNOT!
Read More »Save Your Night Eyes With The Right Headlamp
By Justin Pickett
Having the right headlamp makes a world of difference.
Whether you are floating the river at night or find yourself tying knots in the twilight hours of a spinner fall, one piece of gear that you’re likely to have with you is a headlamp. And if you don’t, you should. During the twilight and moonlight hours, a headlamp can be an invaluable tool to make tasks, such as knot tying, navigating, and casting, much easier. Having said that, the most important piece of gear is still your eyes.
Even on the darkest nights, there is usually enough ambient light to find your way around. The human eye is an amazing thing and is designed to react to lighting conditions and optimize your vision. Your eyes are vulnerable, though. At night, just one quick flash of a flashlight or headlamp in the eyes can take you out of the game.
High intensity light (especially white light) bleaches the chemical held inside the rods of our eyes (rhodopsin), which allows us to see at night. Once hit with high intensity light, it can take several minutes for this chemical to regenerate allowing you to see and function, and up to a half hour for your night vision to completely recover.
On the river, losing your vision for only a few seconds can be disastrous, several minutes is not an option. Treading around water after dark can be a risky endeavor. Falling off of a boat or losing your footing and taking a dive into any body of water can certainly put an end to your trip, or worse.
To avoid ruining your night eyes, and crippling your vision when you need it most, make sure to
Read More »Why Are We Out There?
By Kyle Wilkinson
It’s a question as old as this great sport. Why do we fly fish?
Why do we make the sacrifices—whether it be time away from family, perhaps less money in your bank account, the risk of possible injury (I could go on)—just to catch a fish and let it go?
Now, I don’t typically do this sort of thing but I had a guide trip the other day that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since. And trust me, I’m not trying to sound all preachy or holier-than-thou in the paragraphs to come. Like I said, this day has simply remained on my mind.
I had a 3-person guide trip with a good, repeat customer of mine. Our destination was the Dream Stream section of the South Platte and the group consisted of a father/son duo, and the father’s friend. As seems to be a resounding theme in Denver, the son lives here and his dad/his dad’s friend were in visiting from the Midwest.
We met up early and hit the river. Both dad/son are good anglers, however the dad’s friend had never touched a fly rod. (which happens to be one of my favorite customers to be dealt). I got him up to speed and within the first 5 minutes we were staring at a chunky 18” rainbow wiggling in the net. This was his first fish ever on a fly rod and we were all excited! As the day went on, he brought many more fish to the net, however
Read More »4 Flats Accessories From Simms That I Can’t Live Without.
When you set off on a trip to an exotic location for a little flats fishing it’s important to have the gear you need. Islands known for great saltwater fly fishing aren’t usually known for having great fly shops. It’s often a major ordeal just to come up with some sun screen or batteries. It’s smart to take what you need. Being stuck on an island for a week without essential gear really sucks. Here are four pieces of inexpensive flats gear that I love and count on, that all happen to come from Simms. Simms Sunsleeves $29.95 I am dead serious about sun protection. When I am fishing in the tropics keeping safe in the sun is job #1. I was skeptical about the Sunsleeves at first but after a couple of my buddies started wearing them and raving about them I decided to give them a try. They’ve become one of my favorite pieces of gear. With Sunsleeves you get the protection of long sleeves while you enjoy the comfort and range of motion you get from a short sleeve shirt. Plus, you can go without them in the mornings and evenings and put them on when the sun is at its worst. It’s great! And from a dollars and cents point of view it’s cheaper than sleeves. Long sleeve flats shirts cost $10 more than short sleeves, so the Sunsleeves pay for themselves. (GET ‘EM HERE) Simms sun gloves $24.95 Sun gloves are absolutely essential for me. Being able to keep the sun off of my hands when the sun gets high is not a luxury, it’s mandatory. I’ve used several styles of sun gloves and these are my favorites. Cool and well fitted with open palms these gloves have abrasion-resistant pads where you grip the rod and … Continue reading
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