Swing by the Embroidery Boutique for the complete selection of Lodis Redfish Wallets

It’s often said that captains are your teacher, best friend, story teller and sounding board for the day. That is definitely true of Captain Trent Malphrus. “Captain Trent” and I left the docks at Shelter Cove Marina one warm October afternoon in search of some low tide tailing reds. I had just made a hard drive in from TN to do some work in Hilton Head, SC, but decided I would give Capt. Trent a call and see if he had some time. Since I had first fished with Capt. Trent, when I was in college with my parents, and the many times since a lot of things had changed. He has since had two kids, I graduated college got a “real job”, married and had a kid of my own. We caught up on all of our life experiences as we left the dock and made our way through the no wake zones to the tidal creeks of the Calibouge Sound, but once there it was all about weed less spoons, leaders, and trying to sight that little fin trailing a small boil. I’m not sure what is about standing on a site platform while your guide polls through knee high water that makes your worries disappear, but I know I like it. The quite on the water during the middle of the week on a late afternoon makes you feel like you have the fishery to yourself. Both of us kept our eyes moving side to side looking for that distinctive red fish sign. It was not long before we spotted a school, and like only a seasoned guide can do, Capt. Trent gives me distance and time piece instructions in a quite composed manner, hoping that his client can control his “Redfish Fever” that can spiderweb lines and misguide casts. We finally hooked up with one that broke away from the school and was hanging out in some thick grass. Once we had the fish on Capt. Trent let me know his excitement and it is contagious. This red was in the slot and would have made for a nice supper, but I couldn’t help but think he was enjoying his late afternoon on the water just as much as us. So after some high fives and quick picture we released him back to his sanctuary and I thanked him for letting me share it with him this afternoon. The hope that that particular fish is still out there doing his thing and that me and Capt. Trent will one day get back together for another late afternoon trip gets me through the damp dark winter days of East TN. In the infamous words of Capt. Trent: “Its about to happen ya’all!”

- Tyler Slack

Who doesn’t like to burn their old Christmas trees after the holidays.

Filmed by Malcolm Rhodes using a GoPro Hero II Camcorder

Knowledge comes with age, experience, and an inventory of the past’s mistakes.  At the ripe age of twenty-one, I found myself at what I hope to be my own personal “rock bottom”; lingo spawned at various “anonymous” meetings.  Only a month later, with the taste of Leeds Avenue bologna still fresh in my memory , I sported an inerasable smile and thumbs vicegripped inside an enormous pair of fish lips.  I was holding on to a fish I had been chasing since I was a child, the elusive South Carolina tarpon.  I had spent years, fished Bulls Bay, Deveaux Bank, Botany, North Edisto, South Edisto, and countless other sandbars and mid-river drop-offs, fished with guides, fished with friends, but now I had the pleasure of coating my body with tarpon slime, and my guide that day, none other than my wonderful and talented mother.  Listening to mom was always hard through the teenage years, but whether I care to admit it or not, she was, has been, and probably always will be right.  The day before we hooked an even bigger fish, and throughout the thirty minute fight she’d say: “take your time with that fish, don’t bring her in too early.”  I didn’t listen, putting as much pressure as my tackle would allow on the fish after the first series of jumps, and the line parted boatside.  But not this time, I finally learned to listen to Mom, taking my time with the fish, admiring every athletic jump and breathtaking gulp of air the big gal took.  The next day I had the pleasure of watching her reel in her first big tarpon, and I enjoyed that as much as, if not more than the fish I caught the previous day.  I guess the moral of the story is an obvious one, but you can scour the world looking for a great fishing partner, but for me there’s always one that has been right beside me from the start, and will always be there for me on the water and land alike, good ol’ momma!

-Colt Harrison

-Harold Cercopely

Doing some redfish scouting and landed this double by myself in the wando just now. Both fish about 25 inches on kive shrimp that i netted earlier this morning in my deep hole spot!

Tight lines,

Captain Robert Olsen

Knot @ Work fishing Charters.

http://www.knotatworkfishing.com/

A Charleston Angler Endorsed Lodge

Fly Fishing in Alberta, Canada

Trip dates:  Saturday, August 18-

Friday, August 24^th, 2012

Fly Fish in Canada!

Enjoy fishing along the beautiful Bow River while staying at the River Ranche Lodge in Alberta, Canada.  Approximately one hour from Calgary, this lodge is tucked right on the edge of the Bow River on the Siksika (Black Foot) Indian Reservation.  Guide and Owner Tom Brooks has secured exclusive rights to 80 miles of this scenic river through the heart of the reservation.  While others can fish the river, only River Ranche is allowed to run drift boat trips.

What does that translate to for you? You will likely not encounter another boat on the river the entire day, except for your fellow anglers at the Ranche!

River Ranche facilities include a lodge with an outdoor fire pit and chairs overlooking the river, and 4 double occupancy cabins equipped with bunk beds, stone fireplace and bathroom w/shower.

All meals are served in the lodge, with the exception of the picnics prepared for float days, and are prepared by either River Ranche staff, or Tom himself.

Using dry flies, nymphs or streamers you will catch Rainbow and/or Brown Trout.   Whether you are an experienced angler or a novice on your first big trip, you will enjoy the fishing this pristine river has to offer.

The fee for this trip is $2,250 per person. (Plus the 5% GST, tips and licenses.)  A 25% non-refundable deposit is due by June 15th.   We recommend that you purchase travel insurance.

This fee includes:

-                  Shuttle service to and from the Calgary International Airport

-                  Accommodations in one of the 4 cabins, double occupancy

-                  All meals

-                  4 all day floats (2 people per boat)

-                  One day off that can be spent with a walk and wade day (for an additional fee) or a day experiencing the culture of the Siksika Indians with a visit to the Interpretive Center on the Reservation.

River Ranche Lodge is a Charleston Angler endorsed lodge, with 2 staff members staying and enjoying 2 previous seasons, with this being our second shop trip.

A fishing trip to the Ranche would be a special experience for friends and families to share.  It is recommended that any children visiting be at least 12 years old.

You will need:

Your fishing license. Once you are picked up at the airport you will be driven to a store to buy your licenses (and any adult beverages you would like to have!)

Recommended Clothing:

-Typically, it will be warm to hot during the day and cool in the evenings (maybe even a snow flurry at night!)   You should pack layers to add/remove as needed.

-A good rain coat for your upper body, your waders will cover the rest.

-Chest waders and boots.  In July and August wading sandals with shorts or quick dry pants. Remember, the river will be cold!

- A hat

-Good polarized sunglasses.

-Camera (for pictures of all the fish you catch!)

Recommended Gear:

-For fishing streamers: 7-8 wt. rod, 7-13 foot sinking tip/type V or VI, 4-7 ft. leaders.

-For fishing dries: 4-6 wt. rod, 5-7 X leaders

-For fishing nymphs: 6 wt. rod, dry line, 9-12 ft. leaders, 3-4X

Flies:

-Dries:  Tricos 18-20, Blue winged Olive 14, Parachute Adams 14, Pale Morning Dun 14-16, Elk Hair Caddis/Green 12-18/Tan 14-18/Brown 14-18, Ant Patterns 14-18, Brown or Orange Stimulators 8-10, good selection of Hoppers, Stones

- Streamers: All 4-8 , Black/Olive/Brown/Purple Clousers, Bow River Bugger and Wooly Bugger

-Nymphs: Pheasant Tail 10-14, Prince Nymph 10-14, Copper John 10-14, Hair Ears 8-12,  Stones,  San Juan Worm 8-10(red and brown)

What a warm Winter this has been and boy how the redfish have loved it! Started fishing at low tide this morning and founds schools of redfish 100+ strong. They were a little spooky and did not want much to do with our offerings. We moved as the tide rose and found a grassy bank rife with large bait fish as well as a massive school of redfish who inhaled 4-5″ paddle tail artificials. The school was so big it rotated slowly in a wide circle and never tired of us. Caught twenty or so nice redfish under sunny skies and 70 degree weather.

-Capt. Geoff Bennett

www.charlestoncharterfishing.com

Tuna #1: My two friends and I trailered my 19 foot Mako center console, and arrived at North Lake, PEI in September, 1974. I rigged a daisy chain of 8 freshly-jigged Boston mackerel tied onto a double-wrapped 500 pound, 15 foot length of airplane cable. The trailing last mackerel was sewn to a humongous forged j-hook the size of my hand, and the likes of which I had never seen before. We connected the rig to an 8/0 Penn Senator loaded with 80-pound Dacron. We trolled all day long on the Mako, using an old discarded truck tire as a teaser. A massive tuna of several hundred pounds ate the trailing mackerel, but broke off after several minutes. We were out-classed!

The following day I enlisted the talents of a local eager PEI fisherman and his lobster boat which was equipped with a fighting chair and a 12/0 International packed with 130-pound Dacron. The (non-flying) “gaff” was a 9 foot fixed-length of discarded half-inch rebar, otherwise used to reinforce concrete in an earlier life. The end of the rebar was crudely bent into a U-shape, and only roughly resembled the curve of a real gaff  and terminated in a very dull point.. We trolled for several hours, hooked up and fought a monster tuna for more than an hour before bringing her to boatside. The fish was estimated at 900 pounds, but was lost after numerous unsuccessful attempts by the mate to penetrate the hide of the behemoth. I was disappointed, but undaunted! And still a bargain at $125 for an all-day charter!

Tuna #2: I returned in 1976, and fished with another captain on his converted lobster boat.  After two days fishing, I hooked and landed a 678 pound giant bluefin. We were greeted at the dock by PEI wildlife personnel, who straight-faced claimed that this was the smallest tuna they had every seen on PEI!  I was red-faced and embarrassed!

Tuna #3:  I refused to give up in my quest for a true giant bluefin. Two years later, in October, 1978, we arrived at North Lake, PEI, at just after 12 noon.  I had arranged to fish on yet another chartered lobster boat with experienced captain,  including gaff! As a predictor of good luck to follow, a seagull flying overhead splattered a large glob of guano on my friend’s head just as we were about to board the boat. Little did we know at the time,  that in less than two and one-half hours, I would hook up and land a Volkswagen-sized 1127 pound giant bluefin tuna. This most exciting battle in 90 feet of water lasted a relatively short, but extraordinary and epoch 50-minutes. At long last– my quest for the Giant was over!

-Jerry Kurent

The first thing you have to know when you are reading this is that I am not a person.  I am a fish.  A redfish.  The only place I have ever been is my home creek.  All my friends have told me about all the stuff outside the creek but I was scared to go out in the open water.  I have heard stories about dolphins attacking fish in the open water.  So one day I decided to try and go out in the open water to see what it is.  When I was just getting to the mouth of my creek just like that someone caught me in a big net.  It is called something like a cast net, I think.  He pulled me in his boat and took all kinds of measurements of me.  Then I felt something poke me in the back.  After that the best thing happened.  He let me go back in the water.  I realize the thing that poked me in the back never came out.  I tried to shake it out and it would not come out.  It hurt for a couple of days then I learned to live with it.  After about a month I decided to try again.  Once I got out of the creek I decided to go to some of the places my friends had told me about.  The first one I went to was the Yorktown.  Fish, that thinkg is big.  I just could not believe how long that thing is.  After I looked at the Yorktown I wanted to go somewhere else, so I decided to go to the Isle of Palms.  My friends had said don’t eat anything there because a lot of people fish there.  When I got there I smelled something, it was Coppertone.  I didn’t like all the people so I decided to go home.  After a long trip home I finally got there.  I wanted to get something to eat and when I saw a crippled looking mud minnow I could not resist having a snack.  When I bit him there was a sharp pain in my mouth like when the person stabbed me that time before.   It also felt like there was a hook like piece of wire in my back.  I panicked.  When I tried to swim away I was held back.  After a long fight I gave up.  They netted me and put me in a bucket.  I died in a bucket on October 11, 2010.  I lived most of my life in my home sweet home Bull Creek.