All the other stuff

All the other stuff — 8 Comments
05
Jul 12

The Curious Case of the Missing Permit

There is a crazy amount of habitat in the Bahamas. As a high schooler might say… “there is, like, a lot.”

There are plenty of bonefish in the Bahamas. There are Jacks a plenty. Cudas are all over the place along with sharks. There are fewer tarpon, but they migrate, so that is mostly understandable.

Permit-lite.

Where are the frigging permit though?

From the 2011 Redbone Tournaments at Deep Water Cay:

BONEFISH: 79 – PERMIT: 0

BONEFISH 188 – PERMIT 0

Every once in a while there is a permit caught in the Bahamas. There are clearly some permit there, but they are few and very, very far between.

I asked Dr. Adams about that and he said the research hasn’t been conducted.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on why permit appear to be scarce in the Bahamas.

All the other stuff — 4 Comments
29
Jun 12

The Passing of Rupert Leadon

There are a great number of amazing people I won’t get a chance to meet and last night another one such man passed on. Rupert Leadon was one of the pioneers of bonefishing in Andros Island and owner of Andros Island Bonefish Club. He was an inspiration to a great many anglers and his absence will be felt by those who knew him.

This story talks about both Charlie Smith and Rupert Leadon (Rupert is talked about more in the second half of the piece) and it gives you a sense for some of what he’s contributed.

“Andros Island is the richest island in the world,” he said. “We’re the untamed spirit of the Bahamas, and we need to bring people back to fish here.”

Rupert, in the place he made.

While Ted McVay may have actually created the Gotcha, it was Rupert Leadon who named it.

Pink Gotcha with some white fox tail

Godspeed Rupert.

All the other stuff — 11 Comments
23
Jun 12

BOTB in the Drake

Well… who knew? I was just at Barnes and Noble and saw an issue of The Drake.

I don’t have a subscription and while I have heard really good things about the magazine, I had not ever purchased one. I had decided that this was the time to do so and as I thumbed through the magazine on the way up to the cashier I saw there was a poster insert. I took a peak and recognized, instantly, my own hand. Well… that’s kind of awesome. My tarpon is in The Drake. Jim Klug took the photo, and a damn fine photo it is.

My poon, photo by Jim Klug

All the other stuff / Fish Tails — 1 Comment
19
Jun 12

Santella and the Yucatan

Well, a nice story to see pop up in my Google Alerts, Chris Santella writing about the Yucatan.

Those of you who follow the blog will know that I got to fish with Chris a bit in Cuba earlier this year with Avalon. Chris was a good boat-mate and was just a fun guy to have along on the trip. He brought his own guitar along and belted out some tunes in the evenings after we were off the water, well fed and a bit boozed up.

Chris, on deck in Cuba.

Check out the story:

For nearly two millennia, the Mayan people along the Yucatán Peninsula’s Caribbean coast have relied on fishing for sustenance and trade. The tradition continues, though today many Mayan fishermen are as likely to be throwing a 10-weight graphite fly rod as a net.

All the other stuff — 10 Comments
12
Jun 12

Sacred cows that really should be sacred

Troutrageous unleashed a major comment firestorm by laying out some of the sacred cows of fly fishing that he thinks need to end… things like PBR, carp and go-pro’s. Now, I don’t agree with the whole list, but the PBR thing was kind of funny.

Got me thinking… there are some sacred cows that maybe should remain sacred, because they are kind of awesome.

Here are a few:

This is Fly. Yeah… some really interesting stories in a really interesting format. It might be promoted by everyone each time it comes out, but there is usually something I really dig in each issue. The photographs are great, but the writing is excellent and it is often from folks you’ve probably not heard of before. Keep it going TIF.

The Fly Fishing Film Tour. I say this without having even been to one yet. I just love what I’ve seen come out of the festival. I mean… come on. THIS is awesome.

Yvon Chouinard. The founder of Patagonia, Yvon seems one step away from going native. He’s a master of sustainability and he preaches conservation both because it is the right thing to do and because it is good business. I might not always buy Patagonia, but I respect the beejuzus out of that guy.

Joan Wulff. Say something bad about Joan. Go ahead… try it. She’s badass.

http://youtu.be/peQIVe5vJio

A River Runs Through It. Man, people act like this book nearly destroyed all that is sacred because people read it (or saw the movie) and wanted to get into it to have their own Brad Pitt moment. Don’t hate. It is an awesome book. Beautifully written. The story was powerful and it spoke to people.

What else do you think should remain sacred?

All the other stuff — 2 Comments
10
Jun 12

“The Thor of Crustaceans”

I’m from California, but with a name like Bjorn you know the headline “The Thor of Crustaceans” caught my attention.

Of course, we’re talking about the Mantis Shrimp.

Mantis Shrimp, are, as you might imagine, prey of bonefish and it turns out, they are kind of badass too. The article talks about how their armored weapons/claws could be the key to new, stronger body armor. Pretty cool.

I can give a pretty convincing account of the life of a mayfly or a caddis or a stonefly, but I know just about zilch about the actual prey of bonefish.

I should work on that. It might just come in handy when I’m tying up flies or, ya know, trying to fool bonefish with imitations of their prey.

All the other stuff — 15 Comments
04
Jun 12

OK… advice time

Thinking of the honeymoon… El Pescador down in Belize… 1 day of guided fishing WITH the new Mrs.

Would you go look for big Tarpon? I mean… seeing one of those things suck in a Black Death 30 feet away and then leave a Fiat sized hole in the ocean is pretty awe inspiring.

Would you go into the mangroves and look for the 20-40 pound Tarpon? That is a really cool environment and the odds are higher of getting one of those as opposed to the big boys/girls.

Would you go pound the little bonefish that are abundant and not the 70-foot-in-the-wind-to-super-spooky-fish type of bonefish?

So… what would ya chase?

It will be good to be back, especially with the Mrs.

All the other stuff — 2 Comments
26
May 12

Remembering on Memorial Day

For you American readers (that’s most of you, but not all), I wanted to send a shot out to our Vets. Thank you for your service.

When you think of Vets and fly fishing, Project Healing Waters comes to mind. Here is a story about that fine organization from Outside Bozeman.

For almost a decade, news stations have inundated the American public with stories of wounded veterans returning from combat, only to face an uncertain future due to their newly-acquired injuries. We know that countless numbers of US service members return every day with life-changing wounds—both physical and emotional. But there is something most people don’t know: there are organizations right here in the Gallatin Valley that actively help wounded veterans recover and cope with their injuries.

All the other stuff — 5 Comments
22
May 12

Know Thyself!

I think it is important to have a view of yourself that is honest and takes into account your flaws. Sitting where I sit (as the guy who writes a bonefishing blog), it is easy for people to assume I’m an expert bonefisherman, that my casts are always true and that I’ve caught so many bonefish that I hardly celebrate or hoot when I hook up.

In the words of the Avett Brothers (The Weight of Lies):

I once heard the worst thing
A man could do is draw a hungry crowd
Tell everyone his name in pride, and confidence
But leaving out his doubt

Here are things I am pretty sure about myself, as an angler.

I continue to be a better trout fisherman than I am a bonefisherman.
My casting is better now that it has ever been in my life, but when you put me next to a really, really good caster, you know I’m not in the same class.
I am prone to put a 20% trout-set in my hook-set, the kind where you strip, but also sweep the rod a bit off to the right. Still screws up my hook sets.
There are some days where I just can’t see the fish.
I really suck a tying with deer hair, so I don’t do it.
My Merkins are getting better, but largely still suck.
I prefer a reverse Gotcha, but almost every guide selects the standard and most plain Gotcha’s, making me wonder if they are just creatures of habit or if I am barking up the wrong tree on those patterns.

In short, I know my faults and want you (the reader) to know that I have no super powers… really, I’m just a regular guy who loves the flats.

On the deck in Cuba.

All the other stuff — 12 Comments
10
May 12

Has bonefishing ruined you?

I know Rebecca’s email was partly in good fun, but I got to thinking about what’s happened to my trout fishing since I discovered bonefishing.

I have to say, I do it less now and if I had to choose between walking a stream and wading a flat, I would likely pick the flat 99 times out of 100 times. I guess I need to explain that I LOVE walking my streams. My home waters are dear, dear places to me. Sacred, even. It is an odd thing to acknowledge that they’ve slid down the pecking order and that places like Alaska or Montana are now further down on my desired destinations than Abaco and Andros.

I don’t know how to fit it all in. I want to get on the flats every opportunity I can and yet I know that I really can’t do it that often and that I have many, many more opportunities to fish places like the McCloud, the Metolius or the Madison than I do Belize or Los Roques or Christmas Island.

At the same time I see my trout fishing slump, I know that my bonefishing has probably made me as good an angler as I have ever been. My casting is much, much better. I can understand stalking fish now. I understand gear better and know many more knots.

I am more well rounded, but my days on water are down to the 20’s now. My high was the one season I guided when I was on the water (either fishing or guiding) for a total of about 200 days that year.

This weekend I’ll actually be back up on my home water (with Matt, who I met on the Cuba trip). I’ll be on the McCloud and maybe the Upper Sac or the Pit or Hat Creek. I’ll enjoy it. I’ll love it even. Still… it isn’t the flats.

Have you had this experience with your own fishing? I think I’m probably not alone.

The McCloud... Upstate California.

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