Stephen

Below is an article/fishing report that Greg wrote about our trip that will be published in the next  Daniel Island Newspaper.

Fishing Report 03/07/2010

Fly fishing continues to grow in popularity.  As such, I receive a good number of inquiries from people seeking help in selecting a fly rod.  My advice most often is to cast a variety of rods before buying one.  When you pick up the rod that suits your personal casting style you will know it (immediately).   Events like The Charleston Angler Spring Expo are excellent opportunities to test a variety of fly rods (in one afternoon).  I met a couple friends at the Expo on Saturday and we cast every rod in the place!   During our casting marathon, Robert Bryant of Orvis was so helpful I invited him to fish with my brother David and me the next day.

When we met on Sunday morning, it was cold.  A thick layer of frost covered the skiff.  However, the sky was clear and the wind was calm, perfect conditions for pursuing Redfish on the fly.  Robert brought along the new Orvis Hydros fly rod (my favorite from the day before).   On the ride to the first flat, David rigged the rod and tied on a black clouser minnow.   When we got to the flat, the water was mirror smooth and we could see several schools of fish working their way into the rising tide.  I jumped on the poling platform and David got Robert situated on the bow.  As the first school approached, Robert made an incredibly long and accurate cast.  When the fly hit the water, the school did not spook, but altered direction.  I was amazed when Robert picked up the entire fly line (from the previous cast) and made another perfect presentation.   Once again, the fish refused to eat and slowly moved away.   We repeated this frustrating process several times throughout the early morning.   Thankfully, after the sun warmed the flat for about an hour, the Redfish began eating with a vengeance.  Robert released three of Reds and then handed the Hydros to my brother.  David (who has a lot of fly gear) commented on how light the rod was.  He then proceeded to make a long and effortless cast.  The fly landed a little close to the school and the fish spooked.  Using the power of the Hydros rod, David was able to pick up all the fly line and quickly cast again.  A nice Redfish ate the fly as it moved away.  Standing on the platform, I thought light, powerful and accurate.  I need one of those!  Amy, Elliott and Madeline (my wife and kids), an Orvis Hydros would be a great Fathers Day present (hint, hint).

After releasing 7 Redfish on the fly, I enlisted Robert and David to help me in testing the Z-Man MinnowZ (swim bait) rigged on a 1/8 ounce trigger hook.  We enhanced the lures with a little bit of Pro-Cure mullet scent and cast to a passing school.  Triple hook up!  We spent the rest of the morning scouting new areas.  Pretty much every shallow location with submerged oysters was holding fish.  The warm and calm conditions made spotting and catching the fish pretty easy.  A slight twitch and a long pause was the lure retrieval method that produced the most fish.

Could it be that spring has truly arrived?

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at captaingreg@shallowwatercharters.com or (843) 224-0099.

By Ron Silverman

So, you caught the big one and want a photo to add to your memories and to show others. But, you are alone in the boat and want to release the fish to fight another day. What to do?

Most of us end up putting the fish on the deck, sometimes on a fish ruler or with pliers in the pic for perspective, and then snapping the photo. This 21” trout and 27” redfish don’t really look that good in photos lying on the deck. And, what’s missing in these photos is the angler who caught the fish!

I’m no expert when it comes to taking photos, but I can think of three ways for an angler fishing alone to get a good photo of himself with his catch and release the fish. Of course, you always have the option of bringing the fish home and having someone else take the photo after the fish has expired. But, dead fish photographed in your driveway rarely look as good as a fresh caught fish photographed on the water and then released.

Option #1: Self Timer

Use your own camera to take the photo of you and the fish, using the self-timer on the camera. Put the camera on a mini – tripod ($6).  Stand the camera where you can focus on some fixed object in the boat, such as the center console. Estimate the height that the fish and your face will be at when framing the photo and zoom in. The flexible legs of the tripod make framing the picture a snap. Then, lock in the focus on that fixed object by depressing the shutter release half way.  Next,   push the shutter release all the way down, grab the fish and stand by or in front of the fixed object that you focused on and wait until the camera takes the photo. Self timers can often be set to take three successive photos, just in case the fish does the wiggle thing. Finally, release the fish. You need to have everything ready to do this as you don’t want to keep that fish out of water too long. Practice this a few times without a fish first and you will get some great photos when that big one comes along.

Option #2: Use your release well

Put the fish in your release well, bait well, or even a cooler with a battery operated bubbler, and keep it alive until you get back to the dock. Get someone at the dock to take your pic with the fish and release it. I did this with this large Sheepshead. It was the biggest one that I had caught, I was fishing alone. I wanted a pic, and did not want to kill the fish. So, I put it in my bait well, took it back to the dock, Paula took the pic, and I released the fish at the dock.

This large trout was caught on the Wando, put in a cooler with a bubbler, weighed in for the Trident Tournament, taken back to the Wando alive, and released.

Option #3: Only For Real Trophies – Get Another Boat to take the Pic

This won’t work if you are staked out over a school of reds and is only appropriate for a real trophy fish.

• Photo on left: I caught this estimated 34+ lb jack crevalle and wanted to release it. Another boat passing by, captained by Capt. Billy Glen, paused and watched the last 10 minutes of the fight, until I boated the fish. Billy offered to take photos of the fish with my camera before I released it.
• Photo on right: Jack caught in 2009.  Several people have asked, “Isn’t that Ralston Creek in the background. Did you catch the fish there?” After I caught the fish near the tip of Daniel Island, I was taking the fish back to the dock on Ralston so that it could be weighed in for the Trident.   Still, I did not want a photo of a grayed out fish hanging from a scale. So, on my way into Ralston Creek, I waved to a boat on its way out and asked if they would take a pic of me and the fish with my camera, while the fish was still fresh. The photo won third place in the Trident Photo Contest. A dead fish hanging on a scale surely would not have been considered.

So, these are just three ways that I think an angler fishing alone can get a good photo of himself with his catch.

Got some more ideas on how to get good fish photos when fishing by yourself? Please email them to me, Ron Silverman, Editor, at retrdnhpy1@aol.com.

Just  a reminder: The sign up deadline for Brookside Guides’ Women’s Fly Fishing School is March 25.  Join Starr and Charity Rutter of R & R Fly Fishing for a fun- filled, informative weekend that concludes with a full day guided trip on beautiful Western NC trout water.

The school will be held May 28-30 at beautiful Lake Logan Center.

ALL SKILL LEVELS welcome.  Call or email for more information.

Learn to fly fish or enhance your skills!

Starr Nolan

Co-owner and Guide

Brookside Guides, Inc.

25 Tacoma Place

Asheville, NC  28801

www.brooksideguides.com

1-877-298-2568 toll free

This 59″ Rooster Fish was caught by local fisherman Terry Schwartz in Garza, Costa Rica.

The Charleston Angler is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year! To kick of the year and the fishing season, The Charleston Angler is having its Annual Spring Fling Fishing Expo at all three locations on Saturday, March 6^th.  There will be vendors in the stores from shimano, G.Loomis, Columbia Sportswear, Orvis, Zman Baits, Big Bite Baits, Costa Del Mar, Gamakatsu, Sperry, Russell Outdoors Mossy Oak, TFO and Seatow with giveaways, free samples and raffle prizes.  Bessinger’s Barbeque will be providing lunch from 12-1 for registered participants!  Seminars will be held in each store as well:

West Ashley: 654 St. Andrews Blvd.

9:00 “Fishing for Trout and Reds” with Capt. John Irwin, Fly Right Charters.

10-12 “Zman Bait Demos of Soft Plastics in Tank” with Daniel Nussbaum

10:30 “Making Your Own Wind-on Leader and Rigging Ballyhoo” with Capt. Josh Whorton of The Charleston Angler

1:00 “Fishing for Kings” with Capt. Brandon Long of The Charleston Angler

2:30 “How to Rig it Right from Artificials to Live Bait, Knots & Rigs” with Capt. Steven Fields, IFA Tournament Angler

Mt. Pleasant: 1113 Market Center Blvd., Towne Centre next to Lowe’s

Special Guest and Columbia Sportswear PFG Raffle! Mt. Pleasant Only!

George Poveromo!

9-2:30 To help The Charleston Angler celebrate even more, George Poveromo, Master Angler, a Host of ESPN2’s “George Poveromo’s World of  Saltwater Fishing”, and Senior Editor/contributing  will be on hand in Mt. Pleasant only to sign autographs and hand out over 500 giveaways, sponsored by Columbia Sportswear!

Register to win a complete Columbia Sportswear PFG Blood ‘N Guts collection valued at over $400!

Seminars:

9-4 “Knot tying, fly casting, rigging demos and stations, kid’s corner” The Charleston Angler staff

10 “Reef Fishing and Live Bait” Capt. Robert Olsen

2:30 “Tailing Redfish on the Fly” and excerpts from The Drake Fly Fishing Film Tour Winner, “Carolina Reds” with Capt. “Mad” Mike Benson

Summerville: 2139 N Main St, Pope Plaza near College Park Road Intersection

10-12 “Zman Bait Demos of Soft Plastics in Tank” with Daniel Nussbaum

10:00 “Inshore Tackle and Boat Rigging” with Capt. John Friel

11:00 “Fly Tying and Casting Demo” with Jim Scagline

1:00 “Offshore Tackle Rigging 101” with Michael Farmer

2:00 “Inshore Tackle and Boat Rigging” with Capt. Tom Siwarski

All Day Kids Station to design fishing T-shirts

Thanks for the recommendation on the poles.  Probably wouldn’t have caught the hoo without the upgrade.

Thanks,

Shannon

Being right beside the retriever and fly fishing demos, The Charleston Angler had the ultimate setup. Once everyone finished watching the dog demos and got schooled on the art of flyfishing by Capt. John Irwin and Capt. Mad Mike Benson, they’d horde into The Charleston Angler’s tent to warm up and to find some of the best fishing gear and apparel offered in the Lowcountry.

Not only did The Charleston Angler carry all the gear and apparel you could ever need, but they also carried all kinds of local merchandise such as Amanda Mclenon’s custom aquatic paintings (Which can be seen on her website @ www.circlethestream.com) and Tom Mauldin’s hand made belt-buckle-bottle-openers (Which can be seen @ www.hooknhide.com). Helping to support these unique vendors has been a great way for The Charleston Angler to, not only fuel the local economy, but carry a great selection of merchandise that can not be found anywhere else.

All in all, the 2010 South Eastern Wildlife Expo was a blast. The Charleston Angler would like to thank everyone that helped make this event possible and an even greater thanks to everyone that came out, rain or shine, to see us!

All photos were taken by Shane Clevenger. To see more of his art and photography, please visit www.thelowcountryphotographer.com