Few figures in fly fishing right now are as compelling as Oliver White. Owner of Abaco Lodge (and I think Bair’s Lodge) and co-founder of IndiFly, Oliver is the kind of guy you’d want to spend a day on the water with.
Here’s a well done video (the Felt Soul guys) with some of his story.
(Looks like they took this video down… not sure what is going on there, but it is no longer on the Felt Soul site)
If you’ve been here for a while, you know that for the last few years Spring Break has meant a trip with my daughter. She’s 12 now and maybe won’t want to do this sort of trip much in the future… I mean… how fun is it to hang with your mid-40’s dad?
Last couple years we went to Belize, which was a good time. This year, we are instead headed West to the Garden Island, Kauai.
Now… Kauai and I have a complicated relationship. It was the island I honeymooned on for my first marriage. It is the place where I saw my first bonefish. My folks brought us out there for their 40th anniversary. I went to this very same spot just after my divorce to try to catch one of those bonefish. The last time I fished here, for 4 days, I had exactly three very marginal shots.
It’s beautiful there… and rainy… and lush. I’m looking forward to it and, at this point, the girl is too. We’ll be camping for three nights and I hope the roosters let the girl sleep enough to keep her in good spirits.
Maybe there will be fish… maybe not. We’ll see.
When I think of Sudan I don’t think of fly fishing… but… maybe I should. This video looks super intriguing and I have a newfound appreciation for triggers after fishing Christmas Island.
I mean… there is this from the US State Department…
” Reconsider travel to Sudan due to terrorism and civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk.”
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/sudan-travel-advisory.html
I doubt Sudan is going to be really high on my list, but I’m sure that’s just part my ignorance of what’s happening there.
Do love the triggers though.
I love this river. I tried to name my daughter Ahdina (there’s a spot called Ah Di Na just upstream from where these guys were). The Conservancy property, Ash Camp, Fowlers… it is one of the most beautiful rivers I’ve ever set foot in. I didn’t fish it last year, but this has made my mind up to make a trip up there this year for sure.
Not bonefishing. Not triggers or tarpon, but a special place. Hope you enjoy.
Second Christmas is coming… about a month out. Some gear still left to acquire and about 100 flies left to tie.
The Cliche of Gin
The water, most days, in most of the places I love being is gin clear.
It is as clear as water, but you just can’t say that, right? It’s like you aren’t even trying.
It is as clear as stale 7-Up.
It is as clear as simple arithmetic.
It is as clear as a bag of IV solution
which is usually saline, which makes sense.
It is as clear as the nose on my face.
It is at clear as the rumbling, booming Dolby hi-def deafening audio at the movie theatre.
It is as clear as a clear day.
It is as clear as a dive in the box.
It is clear as clear.
That’s how the water is in the places I love on a good day when the wind isn’t up too much and there’s no churn from a cold front.
It is only the part in the middle that is clear.
The surface has ripples and currents and is seldom still.
The bottom is a jumble of refracted light and swaying grasses which confuse and trick the eye.
But the medium in the middle, the domain of the fish, it is clear as gin.
That is a picture to put a smile on your face, isn’t it? (photo by Peter Viau, originally from this post about South Andros).
Here’s something for you to check out if you want to know what Irma did to the Keys.
A story by Dr. Aaron Adams in This is Fly about what impact Irma has on the Keys, which should give you a pretty good idea of the shape of things.
Now that is purdy
I like Yvon Chouinard. The business he founded, Patagonia, has an ethic I dig and gear I cherish (I better cherish because it is damn expensive, but you get what you pay for).
Here’s a link to his op-ed in the LA Times about the challenges facing our public lands.
Pirates Casting
The Jackson Hole News and Guide came out with a really great story about long-time/monumental guide Bill Curtis, who passed away last year. Good read.
I never met Bill Curtis. Wish I did. Sounds like he was a really interesting guy.
And… because Florida… someone stole Bill Curtis’s ashes from a pick-up truck.
Oh Florida… you work hard to earn your reputation.
Some bad news for Belize, Mexico and Honduras… Earl is coming and he likely will become a hurricane some time tomorrow.
Not good.
Thoughts are with those in the path of Earl.
