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.


18
Feb 11

Deneki Outdoors – the Moon and Bonefish

So… maybe I shouldn’t worry about the moon phase on my trip to Andros South.

There are many variables in bonefishing much more important than the phase of the moon – weather being the biggest. We think planning your bonefishing trip to avoid a full moon is a little bit silly.

via Deneki – Andros South.

Good… cuz… We Like The Moon… just say’n.


17
Feb 11

Acklins… Semi-DIY

Maybe you want to head to the Bahamas but want less than a lodge experience but more than a dirt-bag-esque DIY trip.

Well… there are options.

One of those options is Acklins and Salina Point. The deal is this… you won’t be guided, but you will get pointed toward the right, un-pressured flats at the right tides. You’ll get set up for success, you’ll just have to spot your own fish.  Some people prefer it that way.

If you want a guide, you can get one for about $300 (which is pretty awesome).

You can book through Reel Action Fly Fishing, a week of fishing, unguided, for $1,600 (with a special running right now for $1,460).

The fishing seems… inspired.

I’ve heard about Salina Point for a while now and the prices are right.  Once I run through some of the other places I want to fish (Andros, Aitutaki, Culebra, Florida), I may just make this the next trip.


16
Feb 11

Saltwater Reel Testing – It is ON!

Have you ever wondered how the different reels really stack up?

Sure, I’ve read field testing reports, but that is a very uneven way to really test reels.  Even if you had a great day of fishing, how much of a workout did the reel really get?

What happens when you get the reel wet or drop it in the sand?  Will it still handle the big pulls after you drop it off the table after your 7th Kalik?  All reels work great on the first pull.  How about the 100th?

Well… I figure I’m going to find out and I’m going to tell you all how it goes.

I’ve begun soliciting reels to undergo a battery of tests, all off the water, and I’m going to create a page for those tests and their results.

I’m still working out the kinks, but the initial response from reel makers has been really good.  So far I have positive responses from Sage, Redington (they pulled out, which is a bummer), Orvis, Nautilus, Able, Allen, Tibor, Okuma and Loop (add Ross to the mix) with a flood of other emails and phone calls in to just about every reel maker I could think of with a saltwater reel suitable for an 8 wt. (Hatch Reels became the first to decline today… bummer)

I have zero qualification to be doing this.  I’m just curious and I have this blog as a platform so I’m going for it.

None of the reels will be kept by yours truly, sad to say. I imagined it would be easier to get folks to send me reels if they didn’t know I was just trying to score free gear it didn’t look like I was just trying to score a free gear.

I’m putting the finishing touches on exactly how I’m going to carry these tests out so when the first one gets here I’ll be ready to roll.  I put together the set-up for doing the mechanical pulls and this is the first trial run with my newly acquired Lamson Lightspeed 4 (which is really mine).  I think this is going to work.

In the immortal words of Eric Cantona… “Watch this space”

My wife was quick to point out that not only am I not keeping any of the reels… I won’t be making any money by doing all of this work and I’ll get to foot the shipping to send all the gear back.  Such is life.  I’m still excited

Yeah… I’m going to enjoy this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JEYM3Lpbg4?rel=0

I should note, for the reel makers – mechanical pulls with the drill will be done in the range you might expect from a big bone or big Jack… 100-200 feet at a time (I won’t run the drag for 10 minutes straight or anything like that).


15
Feb 11

The Return of FIBFest – Andros South

I don’t really know how many people have been reading the blog consistently over the past year, but I’d bet not that many of you.  Last year, when FIBFest was going on down at Andros South I was only getting about 90 readers a day.  These days I get about 225 or so.  For new readers all you need to know is that I got the invite to Andros South last year as part of a fly fishing blogger boondoggle and couldn’t do it… life got in the way… a move, a home sale, a 3 year old.  I just couldn’t make it happen, which was kind of crushing.

This year, things have fallen in my favor.  Deneki is announcing today the official line-up for FIBFest II down in South Andros and I’ll be there.

My mug will be in these shots soon.

One aspect I’m particularly excited about is the prospect of tagging some bonefish for the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.  I asked Andrew if that were a possibility and he said “Hell yeah!”

This is going to be one heck of a trip and I’ll take readers along as much as is possible (which is through the blog, in case anyone was reaching for a passport there).

The hunting grounds of Andros South.

The other FIBers (Fly Industry Bloggers) are chiming in as well…

Like Michael Gracie

And… Kyle Perkins over at Complete Thought


14
Feb 11

Bonefishing Honeymoon

Happy Valentine’s Day.  Trying to play on that theme I found a story about a bonefishing honeymoon.

The Fall issue of the Times of the Island is now available with a great article “If You Love Me, Let Me Fish….A newley wed’s quest for Provo bonefish.”

via Times of the Island Bonefishing Honeymoon « MyTurksAndCaicosBlog.com.

Now, it turns out my first wife and I honeymooned in a location that also has bonefish.  I didn’t know that at the time and bonefish hadn’t camped out in my waking thoughts back then.  I used to be glad that I didn’t know bones back then, but now… I wish I knew. Could have saved some time.

Cool island.


13
Feb 11

Flatswalker and Catch and Release

Flatswalker muses on C&R.  Truth seems to be that most folks aren’t doing it right.  Look around the web and see the number of grip and grin photos.  I have some from my first trip before I knew any better and now I try really hard to make sure the fish I catch have a fighting chance.

For the longest time I’ve lauded fly fishing for it’s low-impact on the species we chase in our silly little obsession. On the face of it there’s something to such a notion: fly fishing is often catch-and-release, the mechanics of it usually prevent gut-hooking fish, and (frankly) we often catch far less fish than other techniques, which limits the impact further.

Read the Flatswalker story here Flatswalker.

Um… you are doing it wrong…

Before I knew better

You are doing it right…

Good on ya.

What info do you need?  Bonefish & Tarpon Trust has it all.  Check out their C&R page.


12
Feb 11

Fly Fish Chick – Seeing is Beliezing

All sight casting, tails tails tails tails. Thousands and gazillions of bonefish tails. Saw a massive snook, no shot. Spooky spooky spooky bones. Shallow water. Damn wind. But managed to catch 3 on first day, 8 on the second day. Loved it.

via Fly Fish Chick » Blog Archive » Don’t Stop Beliezing.

The Fly Fish Chick went to Belize (hey, I’ve been there!) and fish were caught. She has a slide show on her site.  Get ye there and commence viewing.


11
Feb 11

The Freeport News – Gill nets concern West End fishermen

If it isn’t guides getting fired, it is gill nets wiping out fish populations… Grand Bahama seems to have a number of things working against it these days.  Thomas Rolle is quoted below.

“I know that one time ago there were maybe one or two guys netting but now it’s out of control now. We have about 15, 16 or 17 boats – they’re netting the same areas every day and we’re in trouble now but before long there isn’t going to be anything there,” he lamented.

via The Freeport News – Gill nets concern West End fishermen.

Nets are bad for bonefish, and, oddly enough, bad for fisherman since they wipe out damn near everything they come into contact with.


10
Feb 11

Essential Saltwater Items by Orvis

[Editor’s Note: Our friend Conway Bowman has a new book out, The Orvis Guide to Beginning Saltwater Fly Fishing, which is full of great information, tips, and tactics. Here’s an excerpt, in which he discusses the essential gear for any saltwater fly-fishing trip. The man spends hundreds of days on the water every year, and a few of his suggestions may surprise you.]

via Essential-Saltwater-Items.

I thought this was an interesting list of stuff and since, really, I’m at the bottom part of the learning curve, it is always interesting to hear from the pro’s about what they choose to take with them on the water.

There might be a few tweaks for bonefish anglers, primarily, you shouldn’t take the Boga grip out on the water with you.  Bogas and Bones don’t mix.   Maybe they are for cuda’s and that I can certainly understand.

The list would certainly be different if you were wading all day.  Not enough room for all that stuff when you are on foot all day and there wasn’t mention of anything to put on your inner thighs when they start to chafe (what, am I the only one who has had that happen?).