Conservation — Leave a comment
17
Aug 11

Turneffe

Ya know what… the Turneffe Atoll Trust has some real fly fishing cred on their board.  Like… A lot (that was two ellipses, if anyone is counting).

One of those guys is Jim Klug of Yellow Dog.  Another is Craig Matthews of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone.  That a group.

They are working hard to keep Turneffe as beautiful a place as it seems to be.  A place with bones and permit and tarpon and lots and lots of space for those fish to roam and feed and breed.

This is a bit of what they are up to:

TAT continues to lead the way in instituting a Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve. The process is moving ahead at a rapid pace with half of the required stakeholder meetings completed and a first draft of the Turneffe Atoll Management Plan forthcoming.  This past week, the Belize Minister of Fisheries was presented with a proposal to establish the reserve.  It was warmly received and it is expected to move on to the Belize Cabinet. (read on)


Check them out.

Gear — 3 comments
16
Aug 11

Fishpond’s new flats pack

Finally. I’ve been waiting for them to put out a new flats pack.

The Low Tide Hydration Lumbar Pack will keep up with you all day while chasing rooster fish on the beach or permit on the flats. Recycled, lightweight CYCLEPOND™ fabric covers the exterior, and the air LTE lumbar support keeps you comfy all day. A front zippered pocket allows access to quick access items while two exterior pockets accommodate large water bottles. Dual webbing straps with Velcro® hold a plier sheath or accessories and plenty of attachement points exist for tools. MSRP: $69

Not bad.. not bad at all.

Have to say, I wouldn’t mind taking one of these out for a spin… just doubt the guys at the office would appreciate my wearing it to work.

Hmmmm.

Fish Tails — 4 comments
15
Aug 11

TRIW = ruling

It isn’t a competition, this whole blogging thing.  Well, not really, anyway.  There are a lot of players, more every day, and we all offer some unique voice.  I, for example, am tied down in California without any waving bonefish tales in front of me, while others, like the guys at This River is Wild, actually go fishing for bones.

Yeah. I’m really glad it isn’t a competition.

Locations — Leave a comment
14
Aug 11

Someone else’s trip to South Andros

Oh, South Andros… I miss you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmMOs_spT8M?rel=0

 

Fish Tails / Locations — 2 comments
13
Aug 11

Longboat Key Bonefish

Whatever the reason may be that a bonefish is swimming off our beaches, it is a once-in-a-lifetime catch.

via Bonefish catch once-in-a-lifetime experience – Fishing/Boating – BradentonHerald.com.

A bonefish in Florida?  What’s so odd about that?  Well, this bonefish was on the wrong side of the state.  So… this fish may actually be once-in-a-lifetime.  Check out the link to see the picture.

Well... that's weird.

Conservation — 1 comment
11
Aug 11

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust

On May 31st Mike Berardi, fishing out of the Belize River Lodge with Pedro as his guide, caught a bonefish that I had caught and tagged on March 19th, the first recapture of a tagged bonefish in Belize.

via Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

Tagged bones are beginning to be recaptured.  This is a good thing. Recaptures tell us all sorts of things about growth rates and fish movements and from there policies can be developed that really help the fish.

Way to go Bonefish and Tarpon Trust!

Support BTT

Locations — 4 comments
10
Aug 11

GBI… deal

I subscribe to the Cheap Caribbean newsletter/emails mostly because I like to be reminded of the places I won’t be going.

Still, this stood out… 4 nights in GBI, air included, for $339.  That may be the best deal for bonefish out there. The deal may not even be on by the time this runs, but it is fun to think about.

Of course… you get there, you need a car, at the very least.  A guide is also a really good idea, at least for a day.  That tends to push the cost up dramatically (guides there run $450 for a full day). The fantasy of the idea is way, way cheaper, of course.

Grand Bahama

Gear — 3 comments
09
Aug 11

Rio Bonefish Line – Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

So, I did a poll a couple weeks back asking what line folks used.  The overwhelming winner was the Rio Bonefish line.  Rio, as a company/brand did very well.  27% of anglers reported using the Rio Bonefish line.

I don’t think I have actually fished the Rio Bonefish, but I threw the Rio Tropical Clouser in Andros and kind of loved the line.

Well done Rio. Keep putting the good stuff out.

I’m starting to sound old when I say things like “$80 for a fly line??” Sadly, that is true for the Rio Bonefish line and not really out of line with other offerings from many of the big players.

The SA Bonefish line was second with 15% of the vote and comes in at $70.  I’ve actually fished the SA and it feels a little light to me, but that could be me with the crack smoking again.

One thing is clear… there are a lot of options for the angler today and the lines come at a variety of price points.  One thing to keep in mind when you are selecting a line is how you plan to fish.  Fishing from a flats boat often means longer casts (since you see the fish from further away).  For those trips, a line that is weighted closer to the weight of the rod is usually best.

If you are primarily wading, you may want to have a line that is a little over so your rod can load at short distances (the Rio Redfish is a little heavier than the Bonefish line and is prefered by some for that application).

So… go forth and select a line.  Just do me a favor… get it wet.

 

All the other stuff — Leave a comment
08
Aug 11

Fishless Weekend

Sometimes it doesn’t bother me to have a fishless weekend.

Pretty.

This is Lassen National Park (my dog in named Lassen after it) in Northern CA.  Probably not the vision of California you have, but this is part of it I love.

Yes… there is still SNOW up there… in August.

Happy fishing, or not, depending.

All the other stuff / Tactics — 7 comments
07
Aug 11

Backhanded Cast

I saw this post over at Deneki about backhanded casting.  I agree.  It is a great skill to have. I wouldn’t have gotten my Grand Slam in Belize if I didn’t have a backhanded cast.

One thing I noticed in South Andros was that my backhand cast is actually better looking than my forward cast.  The loop is tighter and seems to lay out flatter.  I don’t really know why, but my backhand cast is a thing of real beauty.  I’ve been trying to figure out why and trying to make my forward cast more like it, but I haven’t cracked that code just yet.

Anyone have that answer?

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