About 40 days to go…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YaiuqUjb_U?fs=1&hl=en_US
Kind of looking forward to it.
Archives
23
Sep 10
Saltwater Fly Fishing School in Belize with Shane Kohlbeck
Well, look at this…
Over the years, The Fly Shop®, has built one of the premier Fly Fishing School programs in the country, and starting in 2009 we expanded the program to include a Fly Fishing School devoted entirely to Saltwater Fly Fishing, held at Belize River Lodge.
via (Link to the school) Saltwater Fly Fishing Schools with The Fly Shop®.
My good friend Shane who will be coming with me to El Pescador in Belize in a couple months will also be down in Belize to help teach at The Fly Shop’s Saltwater School at Belize River Lodge.
From the days when I sucked played basketball and soccer, I know that you get better only when you play with and against good players. Shane is one hell of an angler, so I’m glad I’ll be fishing with him in November. I can imagine how good this class would be at the Belize River Lodge.
Shane taught me how to do the single handed spey thing on the Lower Sacramento River back when I was coming off my first/last full season as a trout guide and I had moved to Redding to work for a small community foundation. Shane didn’t need to show me the ropes, but he did. He’s a great instructor, one hell of an angler and a mean fly tier.
For the overwhelming majority of folks out there, Shane could probably teach you a thing or two (dozen).
Buddy Shane sticking a fish on the Lower Sac at dusk.
10
Apr 10
More Adam Barker in Belize
So, I juuuuust posted something about my fishing friend Mikey Wier heading down to Belize and fellow trip-mate Adam Barker shooting some great pics. Well, Adam has a blog and pics from that trip are now up. Worth a gander.
Some of Adam's fine, fine work.
17
Mar 10
Tag, you’re a Permit
Building on the data gathering goodness from their bonefish tagging program, the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust has launched a Permit tagging program with the support of Costa Del Mar. Seems things kicked off on March 15th while I was away paying attention to other things.
Thanks Costa del Mar
Here is what BTT has to say about it:
Costa Del Mar has agreed to fund and support a multi-year, statewide tagging study of Permit in Florida. A donation of $15,000 in the first year will allow us to purchase thousands of tags and materials for tagging kits, and will go a long way toward researching permit movements and the fishery.
Seems Costa Del Mar is doing some pretty interesting things these days between this investment in Permit research in Florida and their recent short film about Permit/salty goodness in Belize.
Only good stuff can ensue
The hope really is to build the body of knowledge about Permit. If you want to preserve Permit, or Bonefish or Tarpon, you need to know what they need, where they go and where they breed so you know where to focus your efforts. This is a great step forward.
23
Feb 10
Those Currents of Belize
Costa del Mar makes some sunglasses that are pretty good, from what I understand. They just recently put their weight behind a movie project about Belize, the fly fishing guides who make their living there and the pressures of development. The flick is called “Currents of Belize” and it was made by Bradley Beesley for Costa del Mar.
In the movie Abbie Marin scores a Grand Slam, the only appearance of a bonefish with a much heavier focus on permit in the movie.
The guides shown in the video are from Blue Horizon Lodge and Go Fish Belize.
The rates are pretty good with Go Fish Belize at $300 for a full day of bonefishing.
Costa del Mar is teaming up with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust to launch a Permit tagging program in Florida to gather more information about Permit. This should be some really important and interesting research and I commend Costa del Mar for stepping up to provide the funds necessary.
10
Dec 09
Simms + Mexico + Bonefish
As I sit here in my own stink, I just don’t have much energy to put into a blog post tonight… this storm and accompanying freezing temps have drained me just as sure as they busted the water line to our house, depriving me of hot water (or cold water, for that matter) and that clean-as-a-whistle feeling.
I also have the great comfort in knowing that I am not alone tonight… seems I picked up some sort of mite from the dirty river water there in Vallarta. Of course the cream I’m supposed to use does require me to shower it off after 12-14 hours… a feat that is currently impossible at my present location.
So, I give you some Simms fish porn that does include bonefish, as well as a permit. I know Simms is a good company, I own two pairs of their boots and a pair of their sandals. I don’t own their waders or, well, any of their other stuff. You can only wear one set of clothes/gear out there, as it turns out.
06
Dec 09
Florida prepared to kick Bones and Permit in the nads
There was a great Op-Ed in Field and Stream about upcoming (and very important) meetings in Florida that will further detail what protections are and are not given to bonefish and permit.
The news isn’t so great. It appears that the good folks in the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission think that “catch and release” means you can’t touch the fish, despite C&R being on the books in lots and lots of states and countries.
From the article…
At the FWC Bonefish Workshops in October 2009, FWC staff stated that the FWC interpretation was that “catch and release” was equivalent to “prohibited species”. Based on FWC’s interpretation, this means that even touching the fish (e.g., holding a bonefish to take a photo, remove a hook, or to measure) constitutes ‘”possession” and a fine/ticket if witnessed by an FWC enforcement officer. This interpretation is counter to responsible fisheries conservation.
Catch and release is used as a fisheries management tool throughout the United States and in many places in the world. In these locations, catch and release is interpreted as releasing the fish alive soon after capture. Responsibly photographing, measuring, and weighing of the fish are permitted in these states.
They also appear set to roll back protections for permit that would include opening the species to spear fishing in federal waters and eliminating spawning season closures.
The comments to Field and Stream bit speak with one voice in opposition to the thrust of the article. In fact, they use very similar wording and recite the same points. Kind of reminds one of the Bush team hitting the political talk shows all reading from the same playbook. Democrats aren’t organized enough to do that. It all smells very organized and that smell stinks.
Midcurrent.com had an op-ed directed at the permit issue.s
You can read the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s press release about the issue here. Once again, BTT is the leader on this issue.
Support BTT if you enjoy the tug of a bone, permit or tarpon.
06
Nov 09
There is a bonefish record in Texas, 1977
Wha? Bonefish in Texas? Well, they even have a state record set in 1977 that went a massive 3.75 pounds, 23 inches.
I found this interesting article about the changing catch off the Texas Coast that is including more and more permit and mangrove snapper.
See, global warming isn’t all bad! OK, it is overwhelmingly bad, but bonefish in California and Texas are some tiny consolation for folks who can’t think of anything but bonefish, and who might get a beach front home if water levels rise 2000 feet.
On the Totally Texas board I found some pics of honest to God Texas Bonefish… small ones.
I guess not everything is bigger in Texas.
