All the other stuff

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19
Aug 12

A look inside

It was an interesting thing to be at the IFTD show these past few days in Reno. This is a show put on by the industry for the industry and it has a different feel than those consumer focused shows where lodges are asked 300 times a day about the best hatches. There were some really fantastic folks at the show, some I’ve been talking to for years, but had never met face-to-face. That, maybe more than anything else, is what the show is about… face time, building networks and relationships on which to build future business.

We are fortunate to live in a time with so much great gear. There is more good stuff coming out. I had a few appointments with manufacturers and got to cast some rods and look at some reels and then there was the drinking… lots and lots of drinking. Social lubrication.

I’ll do some posts over the next few days about what exactly I saw, what I liked and think you might like.

Speaking about meeting folks, no sooner had I walked in than I saw Miles Nolte and Andrew Bennett. See, this is what the show was really about for me.

Miles Nolte and Andrew Bennett

Feed marks a la Deneki

A great post over at Deneki about bonefish feed marks. We’ve all seen them. Nothing makes you anticipate a fish like the sign that a fish has been there.

I remember being on a flat in Kauai wondering if there were, in fact, any bonefish where I was fishing. I had gone a day and a half without seeing any and while I knew they used to be there, I wasn’t so sure they were there anymore. Then I saw the feedmark. Good news. Soon thereafter I saw a bonefish (for a few, fleeting seconds before it shot out into the Pacific at speed).

One, old feed mark.

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15
Aug 12

A smattering from around the web

OK… there are a few posts from blogs I like that I am just going to share, all at once.

Flatswalker is on the flats again, but this time he’s chasing gold instead of grey. Another carp convert?
This River is Wild has a rooster fishing moment with his dad not too different from a bonefishing moment I had with mine.
The Fishing Poet and a movie I’d like to watch.
Mysteries Internal just keeps putting out some compelling writing.

That’s all for now. Just wanted to share the good stuff.

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13
Aug 12

Reno?

So… who is going to Reno? I’ll be there Friday to Sunday. Wondering who I’ll bump into. Hoping I get to log some interviews, check out some gear, maybe, just maybe throw back a beer or two.

I am not a fly shop, a gear manufacturer or a travel company. I don’t actually sell anything (unless you are talking about Enterprise 2.0 collaboration software, in which case… I do sell something). I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends and finally meeting some folks I’ve been talking to for the past few years.

Any of you folks going to be there? If so, let’s make sure to connect.

Yep, I’ll be there.

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05
Aug 12

Drama

I saw this posted up by the This River is Wild guys on Facebook and I made a comment about “bonefishing doesn’t have this kind of drama.”

http://youtu.be/2-ca0Oq3IMQ

Turns out there might actually be this kind of drama in bonefishing. I guess I can understand that. Your guide sets you up in the perfect position for a school of bones and then some a-hole motors by, putting down the whole school, or, worse, drops in in front of you. Yeah, that would get me going a bit I suppose.

Have you encountered any ugliness out there in your fishing?

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31
Jul 12

Interview with Buddy Pinder

I asked on Facebook who folks would like to see an interview with and someone said “Buddy Pinder in Abaco.”

Ta-DOW. Here ya go.

Sadly, I didn’t have the budget to fly to Abaco and fish with Buddy, but he did manage to get me the answers to my questions through his wife Cindy. Thanks for that!

As a guide in Abaco, what is it that makes Abaco different from other Bahamian islands?

The marls world-class fishing. There is no other fishery quite like it.

When did you get your first fly rod and do you remember what it was?

I got my first fly rod in the early 90’s. It was a 10wt Fenwick. It was given to me by my second client. He brought if for me the second year he came back to fish with me. That rod led to my passion for fly fishing. The first rod I actually bought for myself was a two piece 8wt Sage RPLX that I still have in my rod collection.

Buddy doing the business

When you are on the water a lot you see some interesting things. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen out on the flats?

A pod of dolphins in less than two feet of water out in the marls about 20 miles from open water. That’s not where you’d expect to see something so big because they are half out of water as they are swimming.

What is something that you think every angler should bring along with them to Abaco that many don’t?

Every angler should have a relatively new fly line on their reel and bring a spare line along with them too. Nothing casts quiet as good or quite as far as a new line! I have one client that fishes with a 20 year old line. He’d be amazed what a new line would do but no matter how many times I tell him that he keeps coming back with the same old line.

Buddy, hiding from the sun

What would you say is the biggest threat to Abaco in terms of bonefishing (netting, development, pollution)?

Because of the popularity of bonefishing and the increased numbers of visitors to Abaco overfishing is probably the biggest threat to bonefishing here.

What is something you really love about Abaco that is non-fishing?

One of the things that I love about Abaco is that it is still sparsley populated so it’s a very peaceful place to live. We only have one traffic light on Abaco so there aren’t any rush hour traffic reports here yet. Plus the water is stunning to see. Just looking at it can raise your spirits and relax you.

What is your favorite rod/reel for bonefishing?

I’ve fished with a lot of great equpiment over the years. My favorite reel is the Tibor Everglades that was given to me by a client many years ago. I have a room full of rods and I still use a lot of them. I even had my own signature rods built a few years ago which are great casting rods. But I’d have to say my favorite rod is the 8 wt Orvis T3 because it is a very stiff fast rod that casts great in strong winds. Interestingly enough that rod was also a gift from a client. You may have realized by now that I have had a lot of pretty special clients over the years.

If an angler were going to bring just one fly with them in different sizes and weights, what would that fly be?

Probably the best all around fly would be a Gotcha tied on a size 4 hook with either lead eyes or bead chain eyes.

Thanks Buddy. Enjoy paradise.

Cindy Pinder

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30
Jul 12

What I did this last weekend instead of blogging

I went camping and fishing with my little girl. It was my fiancee’s bachelorette weekend and that meant some time with just the 5 year old any myself. We went up to the Upper McCloud River, at the foot of Mount Shasta, about 5 hours from San Jose. For those of you in NYC or Florida, this kind of California may surprise you. It is a deep, dark green with towering trees. Flowing through this dark and pervasive wilderness green are several extremely fishable rivers. This was my destination.

The not-Hollywood part of California

We got up to the campground on Saturday morning, grabbed one of the last two spots and quickly set up camp. My 5 year old was immediately enamored with a 6 year old boy across from us, which I fear foreshadows a certain amount of trouble come the teen years. Eventually, I ~~threatened her into~~ convinced her it was time to go fishing. We got down to the water quickly and on the 2nd or 3rd cast I was hooked up. She got to fight the fish and then touch it. I asked her if she wanted to kiss the fish and she said yes. So, she did. This, when I asked later that night what her favorite part of the day was, proved to be her favorite incident of Saturday. All told she says she kissed three fish that day. She also told the neighbors that I caught “one million two” fish.

I can hear my dad saying “Keep the tip up!”

None of this hurt my feelings.

ABS with her trout. Love it.

My folks came for dinner and that meant I got to hit the water with my dad between dinner and smores. In the two little stints of fishing I had I don’t know how many fish I caught, but it was a lot… maybe 40. Turns out they had just stocked the river with truck trout. I don’t really go places to fish for hatchery fish as I love wild fish over human-raised fish, really regardless of size. Still, “the tug is the drug” and I can’t complain.

A few special moments were created on and around the waters of the Upper McCloud. Water has a way of doing that.

Just a girl and her trout.

Once the sun came off the water, ze brownz starting poking about.

One of the things learned by fishing with a 5 year old is that the line between “we are having a great time” and “I… (sob, sob) want to go back to the camp ground… (sob, sob)… NOW!” is a perilously thin line, easily crossed with no warning or explanation. There is a fair bit of balancing between pure joy and pure frustration, but I guess life is like that to one degree or another.

I urge all the parents out there to get their kids out on the water. Let them kiss a fish and watch it in a bucket and hold the rod and take credit for landing it. Turn over rocks and show then the bugs and talk about the trees and the flowers and the plants.

Don’t forget your daughters. Happy fishing all.

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23
Jul 12

Guys Weekend

This last weekend was my Bachelor Weekend and saw 7 guys hitting the waters around North Tahoe. Three of us had experience with fly rods, most had little to none. The fishing was secondary to the drinking and eating and that was a good thing, because the drinking and eating was much more successful than the fishing. It was pretty out there though… really pretty.

The Truckee River

Yes… Clint is wading in jeans.

It is hard to get a group that big on the water and we had some difficulty finding the right bit of stream or river to make that happen. A few caught fish, most didn’t, but a good time was had anyway (I can say that, as I caught the most fish).

newbies

There was a large amount of beer consumed and we stayed up until about 3:00 AM each night. This did prevent an early start to any fishing expedition, but again, that was really secondary. Glad to report there were no injuries either from the booze or the fishing.

There is something just profoundly satisfying about getting a group like this together in a beautiful place like Tahoe.

On Sunday most of the group headed back to their various home ports and my friend John and I struck out to try some new water. I’m glad we did. Fantastic little creek with some surprisingly large fish in it. I can’t divulge the name of this creek as I don’t think it can stand the pressure, but it just goes to show that trying new places sometimes really pays off.

John + Nice Fish = Happy John

Accidental photo, but pretty cool shot.

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21
Jul 12

Batching it

This weekend is my bachelor party weekend… there will be on posts for the weekend while I’m fishing with some friends up in Tahoe. Very unexciting, from a bachelor party perspective, but I just want to fish.

A good way to kick things off.

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19
Jul 12

The Fishing Poet is Ruined

Yup… he’s ruined, and I understand it.

Read his piece about his first tarpon experience. Fantastic stuff and not something I can really except well.

Here it is.

I talked to him soon after he was off the water there in FL and it sounded like he was pretty much thunderstruck with those big, beautiful beasts.

I love bonefish, but tarpon… I think I am not really ready for tarpon, for that level of saltwater affliction. My biggest regret from my trip to Cuba was that I switched to a bonefish-only menu after a tough, tough day of tarpon hunting and the day I switched, the rest of the group got into fish. I would have liked to have gotten into another tarpon… to cast at some, feed some, jump some. They are just such impressive specimens.

Yeah, I understand where he’s coming from.

Yup. I understand.

Bonefish on the Brain Bonefish and all that relates (maybe a bit about tarpon too).