Fly Talk

Why Do Kiwis Measure Trout in Pounds?

Online Editors — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:30:00 -0400

New Zealand might just be one of the best places on earth to sight fish for huge wild trout. It's more like hunting than fishing there.

The fish you see here is legitimately my largest, wild, river-caught trout on a fly rod. It was ten pounds almost exactly and was caught on the south island of New Zealand.

In NZ they typically measure trout by weight and not by length, like many of us here do. Here's the funny thing...New Zealand uses the Metric system, but every Kiwi we ran into used pounds to measure their fish. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why the rest of the country went with metric measurements while anglers used the imperial system. Then I thought about it a little harder. This fish would have been about 4.5 kilograms. I simply think they use pounds because it just sounds bigger.

Anglers are a funny bunch and deal with fish sizes in many different ways. Anyone run into this phenomenon or anything like it anywhere else?

Stormr Typhoon Jacket Caption Contest: We Have a Winner

Online Editors — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:47:47 -0400

Last week's caption contest was a big one with many entries. After a bit of deliberation we've decided to give the Stormr Typhoon Jacket to agsfield who wrote, "Ahhhhh, you said SIDEcast."

Agsfield, send me an email with you contact details and size to tim@anglingtrade.com and we'll get your jacket sent right out. Congrats!

Here's a list of some of my favorites that were close to making the cut.

from Jeremy Marrero: "Everybody was Kung Fu fishing"

from Tres33: "There he goes! Romano is attempting to steal home-waters!! and he is...Safe!!!"

from Lovematic Grandpa: "She wouldn't take my subtle presentation, so I gave her the roundhouse!"

from abcdpete: "There! Now they're breathable."

from Noelie84: "Just as Biathlon combines Target Shooting and Cross-Country Skiing, the emerging sport of Anklesprain combines Break Dancing and Fly Fishing."

from Blase110: "Before taking on asian carp, its best to practice your flying leg kicks"

from Hunter00015: "An extreme outdoorsman who goes all out in both the field and the stream!"

from Motownsal: "The National Basefishing League went defunct after a lackluster first season."

from Hunter00015: "I guess he decided to go with the aggressive presentation."

from pfabian: "Nickens puts a pretty good SWING into this one and there's a FLY ball, this one might be just deep enough, folks. Romano DRIFTS under it and HAULS it in TWO-HANDED. Now Cermele's off from third... Here's Romano's throw... Looks like we're going to have a SPEY at the plate!"

Why Hockey Players Are Great Fly Anglers

Online Editors — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:22:38 -0400

I've been fortunate enough to have fished with many professional athletes in recent years. You'd be surprised by how many actually gravitate to fly fishing as a release from the rigors of playing sports under bright lights for a living.

I'll be honest though—some are way better than others when they put on waders, and I think that has to do with the dynamics of their professions. Golfers, for example, are usually really good fly anglers. After all, one could argue that fly fishing and golf are kindred pastimes, both born in Scotland centuries ago. It's all about planning the next move, and adapting to the current situation. The way the wheels spin in golfers' and anglers' minds are very similar, so it's not surprising to know that Tiger Woods, Mark O'Meara, Nick Price, and Davis Love III (among many others) are all avid anglers.

Football players? Not so much. They play on a static grid, and their game is all about force, muscle, and executing things that can be planned. Basketball players typically aren't so hot with fly fishing either, though I will say it's humbling to watch a 6-foot-9-inch person high stick a nymph run. They can cover water in ways you or I might only dream about.

Baseball players tend to be really good fishermen. Particularly the pitchers. Believe it or not, there's a resource for MLB players that tells them where to fish on the layover days, for every city, during the long season. A lot of them are southern boys anyway, so they have a natural affinity for fishing. Thing is, the pitchers think about casting flies with the same intensity they think about throwing a 3-2 splitter, so they're all about the cast, and they're usually very, very accurate.

But I have to tell you, hockey players tend to be the best anglers of the lot. I couldn't figure that out for a long time. I mean, having played a little hockey myself, I realize just how physical that sport is. But it's also very mental. And the crux of the issue is that great hockey players don't focus on where things are happening... they have an innate ability to know where things are going to happen. These guys also typically are born and bred in "fishy" places, like Minnesota, Michigan, Sweden, Russia, and, of course, Canada. They handle sticks for a living, so they know how to use an instrument (like a fly rod) to play a game. They typically have immaculate hand-eye coordination skills. But most importantly, I've decided, hockey is a fluid game, and so too, is fly fishing. It's all about anticipation and reaction.

Granted, I'm from the North, and I have a natural affinity for hockey, which I think is the most beautiful game of all (followed closely by baseball, then golf). It's why I felt obliged to plant a kiss on the statue of "Mr. Hockey" (Gordie Howe) when I made my last trip through Saskatoon (pictured here).

But if you want to plan a throw-down fly-fishing contest with professional athletes, and I get to captain a team, I'm going to choose my squad from within the ranks of current or former NHL players. You can have MLB, the PGA, the NBA, and the PGA, combined... and I'm pretty sure my team would win.

Slide Show: Fly Fishing Wedding

Online Editors — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:54:54 -0400

Last week I had the privilege of attending friends Geoff Mueller and Kat Yarbrough's wedding on the Bighorn River in southern Montana. The families put on one hell of a cool shindig. I've been to weddings where there was a little fishing here and there, but this one it ran deep.

There were rain jacket tuxedos, the ceremony was on the river, the officiant was wearing a fish tie, a wedding party "trout-derby" the night before, late night casting lessons, etc. Heck, Deeter and I even floated nine miles the day of the wedding. All in all it was as fun as they come and simply spectacular.

Enjoy the show and should any of you be planning a wedding anytime soon, I suggest you take notes.

Do You Use Loop Connections or Nail Knots for Trout?

Online Editors — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:55:21 -0400

When it comes to attaching my fly line to a leader, I like the streamlined profile of the nail knot. I've been a nail knot guy for years. I think it helps the line and leader run through the guides with less resistance. This is particularly important during the end stages of landing fish, when you crank some leader past the tip.

I also trust the strength of nail knots more than I do loops. Over the years, I've had 10 loops break to every one nail knot that's failed. So now, when I buy a packet of pre-looped leaders (or a loop end fly line), I often cut off the loops and use a nail knot tool to tie the leader on.

But I'm starting to change my mind. There's just something to be said about the convenience of the loop to loop connection. Attaching a pre-looped leader to a pre-looped fly line takes seconds, not minutes, which can actually matter in the heat of the battle. I also think the manufactured loop ends on fly lines are at least 100 times stronger now than they were 15 years ago. I don't know exactly what happened, but most manufacturers seem to have figured it out.

I also have many friends who insist that a loop-to-loop, done right, is far stronger and more reliable than a nail knot, especially on larger fish. At a certain point, when you're using heavy leaders, a loop has always been the natural choice. For example, when Oliver White showed me how to catch the arapaima in Guyana, every rig was a loop connection.

Still, in the context of 4X leaders for trout fishing, I'm on the fence. You tell me, please, what's best?

Caption Contest: Win a Stormr Typhoon Jacket

Online Editors — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:51:10 -0400

You all know how this works. Write the funniest/wittiest caption to the image above and we'll pick a winner next Wednesday, the 22nd of May. This time the winner gets a Stormr Typhoon Jacket.

Good Luck and get writing.

Is the Bighorn the Best Tailwater in America?

Online Editors — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:38:45 -0400

I will never forget my first trip, years ago, to Montana's Bighorn River. Until then, most of my fly-fishing experiences had been focused on smaller rivers and streams in Michigan and Pennsylvania. I'd been told by friends and family members who had fished the Bighorn that making the trek to this fairly isolated spot (far from the more "tourist-friendly" locales like Bozeman or Missoula) was worth the effort. In my first few minutes of fishing the Bighorn, wading among hordes of eager trout, and learning about the area's huge volume of insects first hand, I knew they were right. Fishing here can, at times, be a jaw-dropping experience.

I just spent three days fishing the river again with Tim Romano, and I have to say, the appreciation and appeal haven't diminished. The thing I like best about the Bighorn is it has many faces, and offers many opportunities. The fishing can be easy, or it can be technical. It's completely up to you. If you want to nymph deep runs and pull on many fish, that's usually no problem. But posting up on a subtle dry fly run and casting at finicky risers can test your hatch-matching and casting abilities as thoroughly as anywhere you might go.

Streamer fishing can be unreal. On any given day, you can try various approaches to push your limits. You can wade it or float it and, in fact, the Bighorn is also a great river for beginning rowers to hone their skills.

Granted, the allure of the Bighorn is no secret. The things you may have heard about massive "drift boat hatches" are true. But even if you shudder at the prospect of sharing a river float with dozens of other boats, you'd be surprised at how easy it is to find your own little section of water that makes you forget the others are even there.

Not every angler is into tailwater fishing. And for those who are, there are dozens of wonderful options, like the Delaware, the Green, and the Colorado at Lees Ferry, to name a few. It is impossible, in my mind, to single out one as the best tailwater in America. They're all incredible and unique. But the Bighorn is no doubt special, and worth experiencing, whether you're a newbie to the sport, or a grizzled veteran. There's always a new wrinkle to be found here.

Video: Free-Diver Kimi Werner Rides Great White Shark

Online Editors — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:30:46 -0400

This video isn't about fly fishing, but it should resonate with anyone who fishes or hunts for food. Kimi Werner, a free-diving spearfisher, talks about why spearfishing is her favorite way to collect food, what she feels is her place in the food chain and what hunting means to her. The video culminates with her encounter with a large great white, which pulls her through the water as she holds on to its dorsal fin.

10 Reasons Why Alaska Should Top the Serious Fly Angler's "Bucket List"

Online Editors — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:59:40 -0400

I often get asked the following hypothetical question: "If you had one day to fish anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

My answer is always the same: Alaska.

Granted, I still have much that I want to explore. And I have been fortunate enough to experience and write about some amazing places, from the virgin jungles of Guyana and Bolivia, to the austral settings in Tierra del Fuego, to the tradition-laden rivers of Ireland, to the sun-drenched flats in the Bahamas and Central America. But Alaska remains my top choice, and here are my 10 reasons why:

1. Fishing in Alaska Will Change Your Life
I didn't get to Alaska until I had been fly fishing for more than 20 years, but I've been back several times since. I will never forget the feeling I had when I looked out the airplane window as my flight descended toward Anchorage at 11 p.m. and the sun was still casting a glow over the mountains and glaciers. And when you see bald eagles flying around the rivers en masse, akin to robins in the Lower 48, you are inevitably overcome with a sense of awe and appreciation for the true power of nature. You literally have to experience it to fully understand. The air smells different. It's raw and primal. And it never goes away.

2. Massive, Native Wild Fish
Most of us start by chasing stockers. We eventually aspire to catch "big" fish. Then, maybe, we endeavor to catch wild fish. And then, catching native fish tickles the fancy. In Alaska, that can all come together at once. This is where the big rainbows have lived for centuries. The steelhead all have adipose fins. The grayling and Dolly Varden shimmer with colors that take your breath away. And the salmon follow the same life routines they have for millennia. The fish in Alaska are the real deal.

3. The DeHavilland Beaver
I typically hate to fly. I am the "Accidental Tourist" when it comes to buzzing off to exotic fishing locales; I'm usually white-knuckling the whole way there and back. But put me in the original bush plane—the ultimate utilitarian aircraft, a tractor in the sky—and I am snug as a bug in a rug. I still don't snap the aerial artistry my partner Tim Romano can, but the images I have ingrained in my mind after flying over the tundra are indelible. If you get a chance to visit Alaska, take a ride in a Beaver—whether to fish or to just go sightseeing, it's worth the cost and effort.

4. The Culture
People who live in Alaska, especially, and also those who visit Alaska, share a common bond that is a genuine appreciation of the wild outdoors. We all end up here for a reason. You can walk down the street in Anchorage, or be sipping a brew at the Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer, and odds are, you're going to bump into a kindred spirit with stories to share.

5. Midnight Sun
Let's face it, there's something imminently cool about standing in a river working on your "Snap-T" move with a Spey Rod, glancing at your watch to notice it's 11:53 p.m., and realizing you still have plenty of quality fishing time to enjoy.

6. Proud to be American
The more I travel to find "exotic fishing places," the more I appreciate the opportunities I have to stand knee-deep in an Alaskan river, and know there's an American flag flapping outside the lodge where I am staying. Alaska is a treasure for every American. When you fish here, you're inevitably proud to know this is part of your country.

7. Bears
Alright... when they pop up in the "wrong place at the wrong time" (like when you're hiking through the alders to find a place to relieve your bladder), brown bears can be, well, a bit disconcerting. But there's also something inherently satisfying and interesting for the serious angler when they find himself or herself tossing fancy loops with a fly rod (for sport) opposite a massive mammal fishing the same run for subsistence. It's sometimes a good thing to realize that you are not necessarily occupying the top slot in the food chain. There are few people in New York, or Miami, or St. Louis, or San Francisco who have ever felt that.

8. You Get Better
You might think you are the "hot stick" on your home stream in Connecticut, Michigan, or New Mexico, but I promise you, after you spend a week in the bush pulling on wild fish, and more importantly, making the casts in the challenging Alaskan weather, you're inevitably going to go home a better, smarter angler than you were when you showed up here in the first place. Alaska doesn't just change the angler in terms of perception and appreciation... it forces you to up your game.

9. The Grip 'n Grin Won't Matter Anymore
Once you spend some serious time fishing in Alaska, you inevitably realize that what matters most is the 360-degree view around you. You'll catch fish, and take pictures with said fish that far exceed anything you'd want to photograph on your stocker river in New Jersey.

10. You Realize You'll Never Do It All
It's always good to have goals. But the beauty of Alaska is that it is so vast, you almost immediately realize you will never be able to experience all its splendor, and tap into all the fishing opportunities to be had here in one lifetime. The seasoned angler actually appreciates this... it's the ultimate tease. Here's one thing I believe about fly fishing: The minute you think you've done it all and learned it all is when you've lost touch with its essence.

Slide Show: 48 Aerial Photos From The Last Frontier

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:32:31 -0400

I've been to Alaska twice. Both times I was there for the fishing and to shoot photographs for work. Both times all I wanted to do was get back in the airplane or helicopter that was providing me transport and just keep flying. Don't get me wrong, the fishing was amazing, but there's nothing like flying a few hundred feet above the Alaskan wilderness in an fixed-wing aircraft with the windows down or a helicopter with the doors off. It's spectacular country that words and photos can't do justice. Here are 48 images that at least attempt to show you the last frontier from a bird's eye view. Enjoy.