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Charlie Meyers describes a different kind of March Madness in Colorado: one that has anglers sorting through midges and BWO's to welcome the first real hatches of spring. "Eager anglers become weather watchers in an effort to target the windows between spring storm pulses. Pick a mild, windless day and you're in for some of the best action of the year. Miss the mark and, well, it's winter all over again." In the Denver Post.
On May 20, 2007 the Rose River Farm near Madison, Virginia will host the First Annual Project Healing Waters Two Fly Tournament. Rose River owner Douglas Dear explains his motivation for creating the event, which helps wounded vets rehabilitate through fly fishing and fly tying: "Having just spent an afternoon at Walter Reed recruiting for PHW I can tell you that there are many wounded members of the Armed Forces that need our support. The testimonials from the wounded heroes who have participated in the program were incredibly moving. They made me realize just how important a little time on the water can be for someone who is living in a hospital (in many cases for over a year) while undergoing treatment and rehabilitation therapy." The entry fee for a two person team is $500 and a sponsorship for a two person injured Veteran and Professional guide team is $2,500. For more information, contact Douglas Dear at Rose River Farm.
Chester Allen declares Portland's recent Fly Fishing show a "nerdfest," but a nerdfest that drew some distinctly non-nerdy types, like A.K. Best. "Best showed slides of actual trout stream insects - and then showed us how most fly tiers follow silly traditional rules that prevent our bugs from looking a little more like the real thing. 'There's a lot of b.s. in the flyfishing business right now,' Best said." In the San Jose Mercury News.
The oddest thing in this story about permissable evidence in the case against a Massachusetts trout hatchery owner and his employee is that it seems to involve the use of great blue heron decoys. We've never heard of using great blue heron decoys to lure eagles into shooting range -- or even that such things are made -- but if you have, please let us know.
According to the Associated Press, "The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear an appeal from New York City in a lawsuit by sportsmen and environmentalists upset over silty water added to an upstate trout stream that carries part of the downstate water supply." Some reports, however, indicate that the muddying of the Esopus may continue since some sort of permit was issued in response to a challenge by a coalition of fisherman and clean water advocates.
"Virginia has them, Pennsylvania has them, but if you ask most fly-fishermen whether Maryland has any good limestone trout streams, they'll probably say no. They'll be wrong, but only by one." Angus Phillips describes the great late-winter midge fishing (though they caught most fish on egg patterns) on Maryland's Beaver Creek. In the Washington Post.
A well-written opinion piece in New West magazine decries the recent attacks on public access to Montana streams. Montana House bills 424 and 642, K. Durham believes, promise more turnover of once-public fishing to private hands, using, in part, a sleight of hand that would give access only to "surface waters" instead of the traditional "high-water mark" that has long enable anglers to reach waters deemed public.
"On the Mayan Riviera, that resort strip on the Yucatan Peninsula south of Cancún, a brew pub actually produces a beer under the Permit label - subtitled: 'The Beer That Won't Bite.'" Charlie Meyers describes the aura of impossibility that accompanies fly fishing for permit, which he recently tasted while fishing in Xcalak, Mexico, near the border with Belize. In the Denver Post.
For more on fly fishing for permit, read "Hunting Permit" and "The Permit Puzzle" on MidCurrent.
A recent legislative proposal to add 150 bodies of water to the list of places where live bait fishing is not allowed may be amended to appease bait sellers, according to an article by Sam Cartwright in the Kennebec Journal. "'It certainly caused quite a stir among bait dealers,' Rep. Tom Watson, D-Bath, said of his bill, Legislative Document 163, An Act to Prohibit the Use of Non-native Bait Fish."
"Their casting was superb: distance casts, short flick casts between tree branches, side casts through narrow gaps under willows, roll casts, back casts and steeple casts - you name it, they had it in their repertoire." Harvey Clark tells an encouraging tale of two young New Zealanders who represent fly fishing at its best as they fish the difficult upper Ngongotaha. In the New Zealand Herald.
Buried in this story about the crumbling roads of Tasmania is a startling statistic: only 114 Americans purchased fishing licenses in Tasmania in 2005-2006, out of a total of only 405 foreign anglers. Compare that to New Zealand's 30,000 non-resident anglers, and it makes you want to book a trip right now.
Read Phil Monahan's take on Tasmania in "Down Under the Land Down Under" on MidCurrent.
Finally, an appropriate use of the word 'granular' sneaks into the fly fishing news. Christian Cryder does a careful review of the coffee shops to be found in Missoula, Montana, on New West. If you consider coffee a sacrament of sorts, as we do, and you have similar feelings about round-trip tickets to Montana, this is worth a read. (If you are wondering what's near Missoula, think the Blackfoot and Rock Creek for starters.) Here's what Cryder says about the Bear's Brew: "I've only been in once - the atmosphere would have been nice, but guys, can you PLEASE get rid of the little Christian fishy on the sign and ditch the whole Christian music over the sound system. Rich Mullins aside, I cannot STAND most contemporary Christian music (and heck, I'm a pastor - imagine what it feels like for all those poor folks outside of the church). Blech!"
"The trout grew to phenomenal size. Explorer John Freemont was the first writer of English to document the fish, in 1844. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian tribe offered his expedition fish 4-feet-long. The heaviest recorded specimen tipped the scales at 62 pounds in 1916." Craig Springer of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service tells how Lahontan trout have managed to survive the loss of habitat caused by irrigation dewatering and may even be on their way to recovery. On ESPN.
Ross Worldwide just announced two new reel series, a limited edition slate blue Momentum reel that will be available in April 2007, and a special Pink series that will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Ross produces an annual limited edition series under the “Reel in a Cure” name to help support breast cancer research. The Pink series spans the Rhythm, Evolution and Momentum lines in 2007. The slate blue Momentums will be available in limited quantities (100 or less) in sizes 4 through 7. For more information, see the Ross February 2007 newsletter.
An article by Ben Ianotta in the Keys News raises some interesting questions about how permit behave in response to cold water temps. As the article notes, a lower Florida Keys guide, Darren Doop, found permit in a surprising place during the recent cold weather: "After the last front, Doop went into the backcountry and couldn't believe what he found. Permit. Not a lot of them, but big ones. They were swimming near the mangroves in the rising tide, at a place where a creek enters a backcountry island. The water temperature was 66 degrees."
For those who wonder, 81 seems to be the ideal water temperature for getting permit up onto the flats, and if there are gobs of them around, that will continue until the water starts warming to 87 or so. The "slot", if you will seems to be 78-88. Obviously wind direction and cloud cover will make a 2-3 degree difference to the equation: I'd much rather fish for permit in 79-degree water with a SE wind than 82 degree water with a north wind. The strength and timing of the tides also makes an enormous difference. Here's an example: the air temperature could be 74, the rising water in the morning could be 70 degrees, but later in the afternoon, large sheets of water heating up over a dark grass flat might rise 5-6 degrees in temperature, so permit may begin feeding near the end of the outgoing on the edges of that flat, drawn up in to water that is now in the mid-70s.
As for whether big fish are more resistant, my guess would be yes. It seems that if the weather turns colder, the big fish leave the flats last. As to whether they come up first, I kind of doubt it, though if you see really big permit on the gulf side of the keys it is typically in cooler months, probably because they are stimulated by the same events that make early spring permit fishing so good.
(Thanks to reader David Dalu for the link to the Cold Water Permit article.)
There's a common misconception floating around that to extract the greatest enjoyment from fishing, you need to have fished many different types of water in many different places. Those who've been lucky enough to learn and appreciate everything there is to know about one body of water know different. Jack Overman has been fishing Kansas's Roaring River State Park for seventy-five years, and we're guessing he doesn't feel he's missed out. "For Overman, the most significant differences between then and now are the dramatic increase in numbers of anglers and the advances in their equipment. He isn't happy about the latter. 'Back in the '30s, open-faced and closed-face spinning reels hadn't been invented yet, so it was all fly-fishing. That was work.' " Jim Low on Kansas City's Infozine.com.
Eric Sharp reports on the second of the regional competitions held to select the U.S. national fly fishing team for the world championships in New Zealand in 2008. "A U. S. regional trial was held in California in October and there will be one in Wyoming and North Carolina this spring and summer." In the Detroit Free Press.
Intended to prevent the accidental spread of non-native and parasitic species into native brook trout streams, Bill LD 163 has bait sellers upset and ice fishermen vilifying fly fishers. "In several online forums, ice anglers have charged that fly fishermen are proposing the bill in an attempt to chip away at their right to use any live bait as well as their access to waterways. Bait fishermen have also accused their fly-tying colleagues of elitism." Kevin Miller in the Bangor Daily News.
Bamboo's resurgence is one of those things that is hard to resist. Choose your reasons -- a re-awakening to the values of craftsmanship, a disconnect invoked by the over-the-top marketing of graphite, the Internet -- but bamboo looks like it's back to stay. More people are making bamboo rods, and more people are buying them.
For first-time cane rod buyers, there's plenty of mystery surrounding the process. Beyond exchanging axials and modulus for swelled butts and pinned ferrules, how do we even begin to evaluate the "feel" of a bamboo rod. And it seems as though every talented craftsman we know is hand-planing bamboo in his basement. With the pleasures of excess at our feet, how do we choose?
This week Zach Matthews pulls it all together for us in "Choosing Cane," an article that will bring you up to date on the options and potential pitfalls of evaluating and buying bamboo.
Canadian conservationists are worried that a new attempt to shift responsibility away from the federal government and into the hands of provincial governments means developers have a better chance of skirting environmental reviews. "A coalition of 29 groups says planned changes to the Fisheries Act allow Ottawa to shuffle off its constitutional responsibility to protect such waterways and give the minister too much leeway to ignore damaging development." Bob Weber on the Canoe Network.
"In its wet form the speckled feather is very similar in hue to the wings of many natural flies. However, anglers have a tendency to judge flies in their dry form whereas the elusive trout always judges them in their wet form." Moc Morgan talks partridge feathers, a tying component with a long history in Wales, on icWales.co.uk.
The organizers of the popular March Merkin permit tournament, happening March 14-16 in Key West, Florida, notified us this weekend that a late cancellation created an opening for two anglers for this year's event. Interested anglers should contact Jonathan Ain at (305) 745-3731 or jonathanain@aol.com. For more info on the tournament you can visit the March Merkin Web site.
"The chairman of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission said reopening the river to a catch-and-release season this spring is too risky for the fish population. Science must drive the decision to open any recreational fishing opportunity, Dick Ruhlin said." In the Portsmouth Herald.
The U.S. has 50 different states with 50 potentially different interpretations of who owns access to fishable water. As Dave Wolf points out in his excellent analysis of the state of the dis-union, where you live may determine whether you can float or wade a particular stream, but one thing every place has in common: private enterprise wanting to lock up waters so they can charge a fee.
"One evening on that trip, the master compared fishing to mystery novels. 'Why read a book if you already know the ending?' Lescroart asked. 'Fishing is like that. You can be the greatest fisherman in the world, but you still don't know the ending.'" Tom Stienstra spends time with author John Lescroart (pronounced Less-Quaw), whose recent mystery about a west coast outdoors writer accused of murder has been on the New York Times or San Francisco Chronicle's bestseller lists for four weeks. The Suspect
"It certainly comes as no surprise that the major spawning periods - spring and early summer for rainbow and cutthroat, fall for brook trout and brown trout - provide the best opportunity for this strategy. What many anglers don't realize is that some kind of fish egg is prominent in the drift almost any time of the year." Charlie Meyers sat down with Dr. Robert J. Behnke and Wendell Ozefovich (see our entry on Ozefovich's underwater trout studies) to talk about why eggs are such an important year-round source of food for salmonids. In the Denver Post.
Tom Chandler of Trout Underground wrote another of his insightful reviews yesterday, this time on the bamboo rods of Jim Reams, who lives and crafts cane on California's Fall River. As Chandler notes, Reams uses the hollow-built method on all of his rods: "Ask any accomplished builder why they hollow build, and most will tell you it’s not a weight issue, but one of performance. Removing the pithy center portion eliminates non-contributing mass, speeding dampening and improving performance."
The first field tests of a chemical that could be used to kill didymo while not harming trout was conducted Tuesday in a branch of Princhester Stream, on the northern slopes of the South Island's Takitimu Mountains. "On Tuesday, a helicopter had flown 831 litres of prepared Gemex to the release site, where it had been delivered into the water stream at a carefully gauged rate for an hour." Didymo algae infestations have spread throughout South Island streams in recent years. Bruce Fraser in The Southland Times.
The stocked water in the lower Arkansas below Pueblo Dam is as artificed as it gets, but arguments over water management there are just as loud as those surrounding any other tailwater. Ed Dentry writes about recent efforts to assuage the anger of fly fishers who saw the river almost dry up in 2005. The promise: 50 cubic-feet- per-second minimum flows. "Thanks to some creative water finagling by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and State Parks, trout pampered by $7.5 million in recent stream improvements through the City of Pueblo will have minimum flows for swimming and breathing." In the Rocky Mountain News.
Every year a slew of flats fishing addicts descends on the homes of Dr. Robert Brown, aka Buttonwood Bob, and Jim "JJ" Johnson near Big Pine Key, Florida, to celebrate the fishing life and to raise money for good causes. This year's Poontangle, on June 8 and 9, will likely be the biggest ever, and one of the highlights of the two-day event is a big raffle and silent auction that features cool stuff from lots of important contributors, from Scientific Anglers to Tim Borski to Temple Fork Outfitters. (By the way, if you are looking for great exposure for your products, it's not too late to send something off to the Poontanglers.) Folks always look forward to Jean Johnson's Road Kill Stew (Friday)...and the big BBQ at Bob's place where pork ribs, Texas sausage, and the cooking of Kathy (Brown) and Martha (O'Hare) takes center stage. For those who don't plan to fish, Kathy and Martha lead an eco-kayaking trip. For more information, check out the Poontangle 2007 Web site. All proceeds go to a great cause: Casting for Recovery. See: http://www.castingforrecovery.org/.
"If you're a newcomer on a budget, instead of buying a $200 vise, I'd suggest spending $50 on a solid basic vise and putting the other $150 into a couple of pairs of high-quality scissors, three or four good tying bobbins and a selection of other tools like a hair stacker and whip finisher. For hackle and tail feathers, buy grade 3 necks for $10-$15 in gray, reddish brown, medium olive and black." Beyond not marrying a woman smarter than yourself, Eric Sharp advises those getting started in fly tying to spend money on the essentials and ignore the frou-frou. In the Detroit Free Press.
Those who fish the middle Florida Keys will be happy to know that Delta Airlines is once again flying into Marathon, 6 years after commercial flights to the airport were stopped.
SA recently announced several new spey lines and shooting heads as part of its Mastery Series, each designed for a specific purpose. "Skagit Deluxe" shooting head lines feature short tips designed for situations with little room for backcasts. The "Shorthead Multi Tip" lines include four 15-foot tips of various sink rates. "Classic" lines have a short head and long taper. "XLT" lines are specifically for anglers looking for maximum distance and for tournament caster. And "Tungsten" leaders are type VI sinking heads that come with welded loops on both ends; available in 10- and 15-foot lengths, Tungsten leaders are designed for use with the Spey Classic and XLT lines.
The discovery of whirling disease in a population of fish destined for Maryland streams will mean that the state may lose up to 20% of the trout earmarked for stocking this March. "The dreaded whirling disease that in the past decade severely damaged wild trout populations in the western United States has appeared among approximately 80,000 Maryland hatchery trout that were kept in two 'grow-out' facilities in Garrett County. " Gene Mueller in the Washington Times.
When we first came up with the notion of looking inside people's fly boxes, it was because we were tired of reading lists. After all, what does a list tell you, other than what someone thinks they're going to fish with? Reality is often much different.
We wanted to open our new monthly feature, "What's In Your Fly Box?," with a unique personality and with someone who wouldn't take the time to gussy up their collection. Fortunately, the idea appealed to Steve Huff, who by virtue of guiding fly fishers to dozens of world records on the flats of the Florida Keys pretty much proved that others' opinions of his fly choices didn't matter. Steve, for those who don't know, is the most famous guide you will never hear about. Despite being sought after for decades by anglers who want to learn from one of the sports icons, he shuns media and attention generally. "It's all about fishing," he says, "nothing else." We're lucky to have Steve talk about his personal fly choices for tarpon and snook in our first installment.
Burkesville, Kentucky mayor Keith Riddle pretty much sums it up when he says "Everybody's got their own idea of how to cook bacon." Those downstream of the Wolf Creek Dam on the Cumberland River are either happy the Army Corps of Engineers is working to prevent a wall of water from coming out of Cumberland Lake, panicked because they've seen the Corps at work in New Orleans, or wondering whether the lower lake levels will allow them to finally catch all those bass that are hiding in deep water. As we noted two weeks ago, managers of the Wolf Creek Hatchery are certain of an impact.
Pat Clayton's underwater photos of native and non-native trout do a terrific job of capturing color, so much so that many of them look like paintings. If you've ever wondered what a sea-run cutthroat in California's Smith River or a Greenback from the glacier-fed streams of Colorado looks like, this is the place to go. (Thanks to reader Michael Santangelo for this link.)
Maine naturalist R. J. Mere does an excellent job of explaining a phenomenon called "behavioral drift," in which nymphs intentionally release themselves into the current and spread out at key times of the day, often in the morning but particularly in the evening, two or three hours after sunset. "They crawl to the tops of these rocks and stones and allow the currents of the river to take them away. They drift for a few yards and then cling to a new rock and crawl to its underside and make it their new home." In the York County Coast Star.
Rumor has it that the Chilean Department of Agriculture is closely inspecting the gear of anyone who looks like a fly fisher and confiscating anything with feathers, for fear of bird flu spreading to their country. There's a related post on the Florida Sportsman board.
"Pott's favorite material for the hackles - fibers that extend from the woven body of the fly to keep it afloat - was hair from the Asiatic badger. He found that the hair is different, and more attractive to a trout, than that of the American badger. It sells for $398 a pound these days." Kim Briggeman writes about Franz Pott, a master of Montana tying, whose trademarked wet flies taught Montanans that a fly could be more effective than a worm. In The Missoulian.
"The water is 37 degrees, the air temperature 35. You get the call. Midges. The Monsters of the Midgeway, size 20-24 black dry flies." Randal Sumner calls it civilized. We call it "too much time spent indoors." In The Seattle Times.
The idea, floated by Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer, is that land will never be cheaper than it is right now, given the seemingly endless supply of real estate dollars coming from those buying access to Montana's forests and rivers. "Places of interest include part of the Rocky Mountain Front south of Glacier, and Alberton Gorge northwest of Missoula, [parks director Joe] Maurier said." Article by Susan Gallagher of the Associated Press.
If you are a Trout Unlimited member, you are now likely the owner of a collector's item: their Official 2007 T.U. calendar, which features 3 extra days. Turns out there were 500,000 of these calendars printed showing 31 days in February, and like the good folks they are, instead of burying the fact in some poorly circulated press release, T.U. is turning lemons into lemonade with a contest. You can enter their "Leap and Bound Year" contest by telling T.U. what you plan to do with your extra three days in 2007. The winner(s) will be published in the summer issue of T.U.'s Trout magazine.
Let's see ... three extra days of tarpon fishing ... or three days in meditative repose on unnamed spring creeks in Montana.... Hmmm.
Temple Fork Outfitters announced yesterday that two-handed rod designers Mike Kinney and Bob Meiser are contributing their skills to new TFO spey rods, beginning with the new Deer Creek Series that will be available in early May. "Prices for these 4 piece rods will range from $324.95 to $349.95. The blanks are a beautiful translucent dark amethyst color with fittings and components selected by Mike and Bob. Our initial production run will include a 12’ 6” 4/5 wt, a 13’ 7/8 wt., a 15’ 8/9 wt. and a 14’ 9/10 wt … with more rods to come." Read the full press release in the extended entry.
Press Release
February 7, 2007
While some might argue that properly executed Spey casts are the highest art form of fly casting, we would probably all agree that these casts are visually compelling, personally gratifying and a wonderful way to present a fly to a fish. For a collective 65 years, two Pacific Northwest Spey casters, Mike Kinney and Bob Meiser have perfected this art and have shared their knowledge through guiding, teaching and perhaps most importantly, by designing two-handed rods with casting properties that marry perfectly with modern Spey lines. Many of you may already be familiar with the custom finished R. B. Meiser fly rod, considered by many to be some of the very finest available. Rest assured, he will continue to produce his exquisite rods as we move forward.
We at Temple Fork Outfitters are pleased to announce that Mike and Bob will be working with us in two-handed rod design. In joining our family they have made a commitment to our pledge to offer affordable high performance rods for TFO customers. They have worked tirelessly and patiently with us in designing the Deer Creek Series of traditional action two-handed rods that will be available in early May. Prices for these 4 piece rods will range from $324.95 to $349.95. The blanks are a beautiful translucent dark amethyst color with fittings and components selected by Mike and Bob. Our initial production run will include a 12’ 6” 4/5 wt, a 13’ 7/8 wt., a 15’ 8/9 wt. and a 14’ 9/10 wt … with more rods to come.
Moving forward, and in addition to two handed rod design, Mike Kinney and Bob Meiser will assist us in increasing this most compelling sector of our sport by working with us to address the needs of fly fishers who are interested in getting started. Please join me in welcoming them to our team.
Rick Pope
President
Temple Fork Outfitters
Fanatic about leaving a small carbon footprint? Two Scottish scientists may have made your day. They've come up with a way to make fly rods with carrots. "At the moment, the company can make materials which are around 80 per cent carrot, with carbon fibre making up the remainder. The new 'Just Cast' rods are around 50 per cent carrot - each made with around 2kg of the vegetables." Our only advice is that you not take any streamside naps with rabbits in the vicinity. Lyndsay Moss in The Scotsman.
Rio has just brought out a new line for those wanting some flexibity in the amount of sinking head they want on their 8-10-weight lines. "The line is 120 feet long and has a 35 foot long, level head of T-14, fast sinking material with a sink rate of around 9 inches per second, followed by a translucent green intermediate running line. The level sinking section is designed to be cut to the right length and weight of a particular rod, casting style or situation." Read the full press release in the extended entry.
For Immediate Release
RIO Products Intl, Inc. introduces the OutBound® T-14™ Custom Integrated Shooting Taper
IDAHO FALLS, February 2007 – RIO Products is pleased to announce the launch of their new OutBound® T-14 custom cut fly line.
Following the success of the OutBound and Tropical OutBound series of fly lines, and based on the large consumer interest in an adaptable, fast sinking distance line, RIO has just released a new OutBound T-14 custom line.
The line is 120 feet long and has a 35 foot long, level head of T-14, fast sinking material with a sink rate of around 9 inches per second, followed by a translucent green intermediate running line.
The level sinking section is designed to be cut to the right length and weight of a particular rod, casting style or situation. At 30ft, the head weighs 420 grains and will load most #10 rods perfectly. For a lighter rod, such as a #8 rod, the head can be cut back to around 23 feet. The OutBound T-14 custom line has a coldwater coating over RIO’s unique Powerflex core that ensures the line will retain high line speed when casting and have little memory for a tangle-free performance.
The line’s durable coating is combined with a taper design and an ultra thin, yet manageable, running line that ensure the longest flight time for ultimate distance casts.
For striper fishers in the Delta and off the North East coast, or for fly fishers everywhere that need an adaptable distance line that will really get down deep to the fish, this line is a must. The OutBound T-14 custom line has a recommended retail price of $59.95 and is available from all authorized RIO dealers.
Contacts: Simon Gawesworth, Zack Dalton
Email: simon@rioproducts.com, zack@rioproducts.com
For a complete list of lines, leaders and tippets, visit the RIO website: www.rioproducts.com
RIO Products Intl, Inc. • 5050 S. Yellowstone Hwy. • Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402 USA
Tel. 208-524-7760 • FAX 208-524-7763 • Website: www.rioproducts.com
Fly Fishing’s Creative Specialist in Fly Lines, Leaders & Tippet Materials
University of California, Santa Cruz, biologist Patricia Morris discovered something unlikely while crawling through gull nesting areas at the Ano Nuevo State Reserve: lots of tiny microchip tags from hatchery salmon and steelhead.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool recently determined that trout have personalities and behave much like humans when it comes to playground fights: the losers tend to be more afraid, and the winners get more aggressive. Charlie Meyers has a hard time drawing conclusions, though: "Certain strategies might prove useful. If you fail to get the desired response with a certain fly or lure, try something smaller and less threatening. Should you occasion to find two fish battling for territory, make certain your first cast is aimed at the winner." In the Denver Post.
We are only a month or two away from Opening Day on many streams in the northern hemisphere. Three years ago Ernest Schweibert wrote one of his less lyrical (trust us, that's just bringing him a few steps closer to common) pieces on the beauties and memories of opening day. He writes for The New York Times about friends fishing in rumpled jackets, celebrations at the Henryville House on the Broadhead in eastern Pennsylvania, and spent bullets on the floor in Colorado. "Thinking back across more than 60 years of sport, I remember a cornucopia of rivers at the eve of Opening Day. Most involve anglers no longer with us, and the ranks are getting thin. My good friend of 50 years, James Cornwall Rikhoff, never begins a fishing trip without raising an old infantryman's glass in salute to our departed colleagues."
Pull up a chair and take a listen to George Black talking about his recently released book about the history of bamboo rod making in the U.S. An interview conducted by Daniel Hinerfield for OnEarth magazine examines what the author brings to the study of the craft from long journalistic experience. Making a bamboo fly rod is like making a cross between a shotgun and a violin, says Black, and "the extraordinary character of the people who make these things" is mostly what Casting a Spell is about. Ultimately Black was inspired by the ownership of one of Eustis Edwards's Perfection rods, by a man who represented integrity, both attractive and melancholic, in resisting the corporate influences that might dilute his talent with mass marketing.
Del Brown once said to me, "Between you and I, all I care about is hooking them." For many anglers, the excitement crests when the fish first follows, swallows and comes tight. For the same reason, seeing a fish eat your fly and finding nothing there when you lift the rod tip is one of the bitterest moments we know. It's especially true for tarpon and steelhead fishing, where heart-shocking takes are often followed by wilting silence and a limp fly line.
This week master steelheader Dec Hogan, whose recent book A Passion for Steelhead (Wild River Press, 272 pages) has already gone into a second printing, shares his secret for making every take count. "Striking the Fish" looks at the standard methods for ensuring a hookup and demonstrates one that makes all the difference with these incredible fish.
California's Trinity is a river that at once demonstrates the dangers of dewatering and shows that with proper attention, a wild steelhead river can maintain its magic for generations of anglers. "'There aren't many rivers that I can step into and say it's every bit as good as it was when I first fished it, and probably better,' [guide Herb] Burton says, even though he has reasons not to want to say this. The Trinity, which can be as narrow as a trout stream in places, has been discovered by the big river guides from Alaska and Canada." Sam Whiting offers an excellent article on the Trinity in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Touting itself as "the show that launches the new flyfishing season," the 2007 Spring Flyfishing Show, to be held in Newark, Notts March 3 and 4, will have plenty of celebrities on hand, including Charles Rangeley-Wilson, John Bailey, Iain Barr, and Charles Jardin.
The long-time outdoors columnist for the Houston Chronicle, Joe Doggett, retires after today's column. Doggett's writing has entertained and informed readers for 35 years, but he says it's time to travel, write a couple of books, and go surfing. For those familiar with what is happening in the newspaper industry these days, it is tempting to read between the lines and guess that classic journalism is struggling to keep its place at the Chronicle. "Tremendous changes both at the desk and in the field occurred during my run. When the Chronicle's late outdoors editor, Bob Brister, plucked me off the street in 1972, the big paper still used manual typewriters."
"'I am writing ... to inform you that the Commonwealth owns the Little Juniata River, a navigable river of the Commonwealth and the associated submerged lands in the vicinity of the river's confluence with Spruce Creek, and holds them in trust for public use.'" That is the beginning of the 2002 letter sent to Spring Ridge Club managing member Donny Beaver by the Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary for Water Management prior to the club erecting cables across the river to block public access to a portion of the Little Juniata. This piece by biology teacher Mark Nale gives some interesting background on the case, which was decided in favor of public access last Monday. In the Centre Daily Times.
Maine outfitter Bob Mallard notes several new -- and old -- efforts to prevent "non-native" fish from populating Maine's classic trout waters. "One bill calls for a ban on live-fish-as-bait on 'wild' (not currently stocked) brook trout lakes and ponds. Considered by many to have better fishing and thus more important recreationally and economically than the previously protected 'native,' never stocked waters, these waters deserve protection." On MainToday.com.
Comparing the danger to the difference between driving in rush hour versus driving in the middle of the day, seismologists say that the is an increased likelihood that a severe earthquake could strike southwestern British Columbia in the near future. "The experts noted rumblings from deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, along Vancouver Island, which could foretell a giant quake. But they said the probability of a quake was still low." From a Globe and Mail report.
Turn your Temple Fork 9-foot 7/8 rod into an 11'3" two-handed rod with the new TiCrX conversion kits, which cost $149.95 and carry the same TFO unconditional lifetime warranty as all their rods. The two-hander kits replace the butt section of the single grip rod with two rod sections. Read the extended entry for the full press release.
Press Release:
February 1, 2007
TiCrX Two-Handed Convertible Fly Rods
Its big water, the amount you can cover often makes the difference between catching fish and getting skunked. A two-handed rod with a shooting type head can make this job much less taxing than banging out double hauls all day. As the day progresses, you decide to move to smaller water or stalk cruising fish in the shallows; this is where all that double haul practice and a great one hander pays off.
Temple Fork Outfitters introduces a most unique concept… Imagine a two-handed rod and a 4 piece nine foot rod that will fit in the same length case. TFO now has two lower rod sections designed to replace the single-handed grip section on existing 7 and 8-weight 9’ 4-piece TiCrX fly rods. With a total of 6 rod sections of equal length you can now have both, a great 9’ 4-piece traditional fly rod, and a 5-piece 11’3” two-hander for easy overhead distance casting. Convertible rods.
TFO Advisory Staff member Jay Horton states, “I have fished these TiCrX convertible rods hard over the past two-years for Great Lakes steelhead and Cape Cod stripers and blues, and am amazed at the versatility of the combos. Super-light overhead casting rods for blind casting the saltwater estuaries, or great line control for nymphing steelies, these rods do it all in an incredibly compact and efficient package, and you get both rods for less money than you would pay for many single handers.”
Offered separately from the 9’ 4 piece rod, the TiCrX two-handed conversion sections include a full two-handed grip with Flor grade cork and heavy-duty knurled reel seat, large Titanium Oxide stripping guides and handsome rod sock. Suggested retail for the TiCrX 7/8 conversion kit is $149.95 and features TFO’s lifetime unconditional warranty; simply return the damaged rod with $25 for shipping and handling, and we will repair or replace your rod.
Please ask your local dealer about TFO or visit our website www.templeforkflyrods.com for more information
Contact:
Jim Shulin
Temple Fork Outfitters
8115 Sovereign Row
Dallas, TX 75247
(800) 638-9052 Ph
(214) 638-8143 Fax
jim@templeforkflyrods.com
www.templeforkflyrods.com
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George Black, author of the recently released Casting a Spell
Why own a fancy kayak if you can't paddle in sartorial splendor? That's the question apparently keeping a St. Petersburg Times staff writer up at night. Here are thirteen items that the well-bedecked kayak fisher must have if serious about the sport, including:
"3. Tuf line backing for fly line: With a smaller diameter, Tuf line allows you to nearly double your backing. Cost: 8 cents per yard in bulk.
4. Simms deck sandals: Ideal for wade or boat fishing. Quick-drying strap and heavy-duty rubber bumper toe protection are added benefits. Cost $89.95."
Fly fishing photographer Mike Dvorak and his fellow "boat punks" decide on a most risky venture down the Mekong and find a particularly apt moniker for their untrustworthy vessel: the Tainted Nipple. "The name was selected in reference to a cautionary tale about Thai prostitutes who would rob johns by applying knockout drugs to their nipples. 'Given the number of people who doubted and advised against our river journey, it was only a matter of time before "the Tainted Nipple" became the obvious and unavoidable choice of name for our boat,' Bruce Shoemaker would later write." Mike Mosedale in Minneapolis-St. Paul's City Pages.
We're not quite sure how Charlie Moore rates a spot alongside Ted Williams and Curt Gowdy at the new exhibit at Boston's Sports Museum of New England (what about Jack Gartside?), but there you have it. Maybe we should ask the Sacred Cod.
Taking credit for bringing good conservation practices to the Little Juniata, Spring Ridge Club managing partner Donny Beaver deftly noted yesterday that the Club has done a good job of protecting the trout there. While leaving open the option of pursuing Monday's ruling in court, Beaver says "'I’m delighted with our progress so far and look forward to helping conserve more trout streams for future generations,' Beaver said. 'It makes a lot more sense to invest our resources to conserve more trout streams than to spend it on lawyers and court costs.'” Rebecca Berdar in the Altoona, Pennsylvania Mirror.
"'I've never caught more bonefish in a single session, not even in the Seychelles. What made it so incredible was that the fish were on the flat all day long — one school after another, tails twinkling in the sun all the way down the shoreline.'" Angler Ed Cappel effuses about bonefishing out of Casa Blanca lodge on the southern end of Mexico's Ascension Bay. In an article by Joe Doggett that offers a realistic look at the options for fishing the area, in The Houston Chronicle.
"In a decision that could trigger the largest dam-removal project in world history, the federal government said today that four hydroelectric dams on the troubled Klamath River must undergo costly modifications to allow passage for salmon." Interestingly enough, it would be cheaper -- by about $101 million -- to remove the dams, according to Blaine Harden in the Washington Post.