27
Mar 11

The lights of Andros

The pictorial report will be up in a while, but I wanted to share a little bit of magic I saw tonight here in Andros.

I went out tonight after dinner to the little jetty at Andros South in search of ‘Cuda’s.  I didn’t fine them.  What I did find, however, where a couple hundred phosphorescent green flashbulbs going off in the water.

I don’t know what they were.

They weren’t there long.

They were beautiful.

Flash, flash, flash.  Green little lights that lit up and then faded away all over the water for a hundred feet.

It just doesn’t get much better than that, bonefish or no bonefish.  This is a special place.


24
Mar 11

Godspeed Joe

The summer I really got into fly fishing I was home for the summer, in college, waiting for a year abroad in France.  I was working as a fire watch at a lumber mill and doing some bartending too.  I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew rivers and water from years of steelhead and gear fishing.  I was picking it up, tiny bit by tiny bit.  One place that really helped was the Ted Fay Fly Shop, located (at the time) a few blocks from where I grew up.  I had never noticed the fly shop, tucked into one corner of a pretty cheap motel.  I started making pretty regular appearances there and one of the guys I met there was Joe Kimsey.  Joe had been around for a long, long time.  He grew up in McCloud and after service in the Air Force (Korea and Vietnam) he returned to Dunsmuir.  He remembered the Upper Sac and McCloud Rivers from when they still had steelhead and salmon.  He was always quick with a joke and a handshake and he was just a joy.

The shop moved downtown and Joe remained a big part of the Ted Fay experience.  I few years ago his health started to fail and he was forced to leave the shop he had given so much of his life to.  I understand the owner of the shop (Bob Grace) and his wife would go down every Sunday to take Joe out to dinner.

When my dad got into fly fishing (the year after I did) Joe took us down to the river and showed us how Ted Fay had fished it.  Two flies, short line, lots of weight, high sticking right through the pockets.  I caught fish where I didn’t even know they could exist.  It was eye opening and it started me on a path that has been full of joy and adventure and exploration and so much of what I think of as the best parts of myself.

Joe passed on Thursday.

Godspeed Joe.  You will be missed.

 

The Trout Underground broke the news.


19
Mar 11

Photo Contest Winner – Johan Persson Friberg

I had a little photo contest on the Facebook Page and we came up with a winner, Johan Persson Friberg (click the link if you are into Abaco… do it).  Really, the FB format makes it a bit difficult to do photo contests, but, I’ll look for a better way to get that done in the future.  The prize was 3 dozen flies from the Pile O’Flies I had dropped in my lap just before Christmas.  Johan said I should give those flies to someone that needs or could use them down in Andros… so… that’s where they’ll be going.

Here’s the photo that people liked most…

Yeah... n-i-c-e.

 

— paid ad below —

 

Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com


18
Mar 11

Journey Proud

Prior to my Belize trip in November, someone (that’s you Marlow) mentioned the term “journey proud” to me and it has resonated in my head a bit ever since.

With Andros fast approaching I am indeed, again, Journey Proud.

I had trouble getting to sleep last night thinking about flies and rods and leaders and reels.

I spaced on a commitment for my kid’s pre-school… something I just don’t do.

I have a general buzz in my head that certainly won’t cease until my first bonefish is released and swimming away.  There is certainly a lot to do between now and then… I’m still watching for the UPS guy to show up with a couple of packages (one from Redington and one from Skinny Water Culture). I just made sure my Patagonia pants and my Skinny Water Culture shirt were washed.  I want to make sure I have a little ziplock in my flats pack that has some TP in it… to clean my Costa’s (I’ll be taking a new pair of Fantails – not on their site yet – on their first saltwater trip) when they get a little salt spray on them). There are still a few odds and ends to pick up from the store… but I’m getting there.

The rods for the trip are my new Rise 8 wt. (thanks Amanda) and two loaners from Redington, a 7 and 10 (thanks Kara).  The reels and lines are a little more up in the air, but I expect it all to get sorted by the time next Friday rolls around.

The good news is my two Cliff boxes are pretty much full.  I’m still tying, for some reason.  We have a full house all next week involving two adults and three kids as guests, some of whom will be sleeping in the room I use for tying, so… good thing I’m ahead of the curve on filling up those boxes.

No room at the inn (if the inn were my fly boxes)

 

Get some Rise


11
Mar 11

Road to the Final Fish

There was a time when I actually gave a crap about March Madness and college basketball.  There was also a time when I watched the NBA (back before Jordan retired the first time) and I even watched the NFL (back when the 49ers didn’t suck).

Cheeky Fly Fishing is running a March Madness tournament that might get me caring about March Madness again… see, it’s about fish.

Fill our your bracket, pay $5 and vote on the match-ups.  If you win, you can get some cool “Stuff” from folks we like, like Skinny Water Culture, Fishpond, Jim Teeny and The Fly Shop.

The money won’t be used to pay, under the table, to pay some phenom’s tuition.  Instead, 100% of the funds raised will be used to support good peeps, like the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Casting for Recovery and Stripers Forever.
What’s not to love?

Support BTT


09
Mar 11

Fly Rod and Reel Magazine 2011 January – Adventures in Art

A piece about Vaughn Cochran and Stu Apte in Fly Rod and Reel Magazine.  I’ve done an interview with Vaughn and am going to be doing one with Stu in the next couple weeks.

Lots of characters and character in the diversity of folks that chase after bones.

 

 

“Now Stu, it may not look like you, or much of anything, right now,” Vaughn said, chuckling, “but it will soon enough.”

via Fly Rod and Reel Magazine 2011 January – Adventures in Art.

 

— paid ad below —

 

Learn everything about boating safety at BoaterExam.com


27
Feb 11

Heading to the Fly Fishing Show – Pleasanton, CA

Tomorrow (today, as you read this), I’m headed to the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton.  I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and seeing some new gear.  The Pleasanton show is the only show in town, for the whole Bay Area.  I once heard that San Francisco has more fly anglers per capita than any other major city in the US.  I don’t know if that is true, but if it is, it seems odd that the only show catering to that particular group would be a bridge and tunnel away.  So it is.

There used to the the International Sportmen’s Expo in San Mateo, but after years of decline they didn’t even do that show this year.  I worked the ISE a couple years and I worked the Fly Fishing Show a couple of years, but this year I’m going just as a regular ole’ consumer.

I generally don’t buy much at these shows… I once bought an Elkhorn 3/4 weight and a T&T 5 wt.  The T&T broke and when I sent it in for repair I learned it was a used rod and that they would repair it this time, but never again. Sadly, it is my favorite 5 wt… on the fast end of medium… good for my short line nymphing but still soft enough to throw some #20 tricos… ya know, back when I was actually fishing #20 tricos.

Really, I go to see the folks.  This year, I also hope to talk to a few folks about doing interviews for the blog.

Should be a good time.


19
Feb 11

Reason #3 Saltwater Fishing is Superior – Iced Guides

Michael Gracie has some ideas about why Carp are better than Trout.  That prompted me to get back to listing all the ways the Salt is better than fresh water fishing.

Yet another reason saltwater fly fishing is way more super fantastically awesome than freshwater fly fishing. – Iced Guides.

It is mid-February now and things are cold.  Here, in the SF South Bay that means temps getting down to the 40’s!  Brrr.  Elsewhere temps are dropping to the point where stuff starts to freeze and if water is freezing and fish live in water… well… comedy and complications must ensue.

The coldest weather I ever went fly fishing in was 16 degrees on the Scott River in Severe Northern California.  Steelhead were the intended target and despite my falling into the river about 30 seconds into the trip, I managed to A. Not freeze to death, and B. Catch some.  The cool thing about the trip was that the Scott is a small river and the fish are mostly in the half-pounder range and you can high-stick/short-line nymph for them.  I caught 2 and had a decent time, my dad was there too, which is always a good day on the water, even if that water aspires to ice-cubes.

Still… I’m going to have to say that the whole scenario does present a pretty clear-cut case in favor of saltwater flyfishing.

Reason #3… Iced up guides

That there is cold...

There is no ice in bonefishing, except maybe in the cooler to keep your beer cold and that is how things should be.

PS – If you haven’t figured this out, and I’m surprised I need to write this… this is really tongue-in-cheek.


07
Feb 11

Let’s see some feesh, bonefeesh that is.

OK, so, back in December I had several dozen flies land in my lap… well, they came in a box really, probably best they didn’t actually land IN my lap… barbs and all.

Anyway, I got a bunch of flies and I’ve been pondering a good way to distribute them to folks… good folks like you… you are good folk, aren’t you?  Sure you are.

I’m figuring I’ll do a photo contest and that contest will be done on Facebook, as it’s the easiest way to get folks to upload their own photos.  Upload a photo and whoever has the most “likes” at the end of February will get four dozen flies.

Go here to the FB page.

That there is a lot of flies... a LOT of flies.

So, put up some fish and let’s have some fun.

If you are not on Facebook… wow… how are you not on Facebook!?  Send me a pic and I’ll try and get it up in there.


06
Feb 11

Bonefish Art by Stan Harmon

I found this yesterday on-line… I like it… I like it very much.

Nice Stan... very nice.

The artist is Stan Harmon and you can find more of his art on his site.  The site says you should call for the price of the above bit of artistic awesomeness.  Given the beauty and subject matter, I’m going to guess that it is worth $3B… maybe more.