A Size 24 Bead Head Caddis Pupae

A Size 24 Bead Head Caddis Pupae

No fun tying these itty bitty babies. Used Veevus 10/o thread; I had too. Still I wanted a few in my vest. Increasingly it seems our heavily pressured streams are populated with learned trout. Trout that have been around the brook a time or two.

 

 

 

Posted in Flies and Fly Tying, Fly Fishing in Freshwater | Leave a comment

100 Square Miles of Red Tide

100 Square Miles of Red Tide

About a week ago, a 100 square mile patch of red tide was spotted off the Gulf Coast of Florida. Should all of it drift into shore, it will cause enormous damage to fish and other marine life. The chart below gives you a more recent update. As you can see, at this time the worst of it is in Charlotte and Lee County. But offshore the bloom extends for roughly Tampa to the Keys and is slowly moving eastward. Watch this YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeW1nN3njoc

Historically red tide arrived on the Gulf side in late summer or fall and early winter, lasting only a few weeks. But nowadays red tide can be far more persistent. Back in 2017-2018 it lasted a year! I know, I was there. With tens of thousands of dead and rotting fish stretching along the beaches, towns had to bring in payloaders and dump trucks to haul them away. You heard right, heavy construction equipment. If I remember correctly Sanibel removed 250 tons of dead marine life in a two week span.

While there is never a good time for a red tide outbreak, the present one is particularly troubling, coming during the tourist season and the peak months of the already whacky real estate market. But it is issues such as these two that may finally push Florida’s legislators to act. Lord knows they have long hated spending money on water quality. Instead allowing themselves to be bamboozled by the lobbying dollars of ” Big
Sugar”.

During the years I lived on that coast, I reported on red tide several times.  Here are my links from those years offering additional information. What the hell is causing all of this, red tide? You can bet your favorite fly rod that coastal eutrophication, releases from Lake Okeechobee, and climate change are all part of the problem.,

https://edmitchelloutdoors.com/2018/04/30/the-red-tide-remains/

https://edmitchelloutdoors.com/2018/04/30/the-red-tide-remains/

https://edmitchelloutdoors.com/2016/11/14/red-tide-charlotte-harbor/

If you’re interested in learning more, visit this site.   https://captainsforcleanwater.org/ 

 

Posted in Environment, Looking Downward | Leave a comment

Mastering the 10-Weight Fly Rod

Mastering the 10-Weight Fly Rod

If you’re hunting large striped bass, large blues, large false albacore and such you should know how to operate a 10-weight rod. Now that is easier said than done. Ten-weights are hard to master. For one thing they are just bigger. And unfortunately many of them are ultra-fast action rods, which makes casting them far more difficult. Avoid them like the plague.

For the sake of this post, I’m going to assume you’re already a proficient caster, and have conquered the double haul. If not, you have some preliminary ground work to do. Okay onward. To master a 10-weight fly rod, to make it your baby, you must tap into the reserve power of the rod. Never assume you can simply muscle your way through it. Yes strength is a help, but over the course of tides, you’ll burn yourself out, or end up hurt.  Instead to master the 10-weight, you need to get the rod to do more of the work.

Check this out. Most every angler learns how to shoot line into the forward cast. You make your forward haul and release the line. No brainer. But far fewer anglers know how to shoot line into the backcast! Yes, into the damn backcast. Try this – lay out 40 feet of fly line on the grass. Make a simple backcast, with a haul, no forward cast. Do it sidearm, with your casting arm 45 degrees away from your shoulder, watching the line travel to the rear. If you release the fly line immediately after the haul, line should shoot through the guides to the rear. Bingo! Practice this dozens of times until you are comfortable shooting line into the backcast. Once you have that down, try seeing how much line you can shoot into the back cast. Get good it. Get better at it. Hell, shoot a shit load!

Ready to connect the forward cast? Again with 40 feet of line, this time make an overhead cast to the rear, haul, then shoot line into the backcast. Okay we’re at a critical moment. As the fly line slows in the guides, but is still aloft, catch it, haul forward, shooting line again. Yes, you’ll likely mess up the first ten tries, but hang in there, over time you’ll get the knack. And when you do, you’re on your way to mastering the 10-weight fly rod.

Now you’re shooting line in both directions! Bravo. You’re getting a double shot of your baby’s love. Obviously, the longer backcast is going to make for a longer forward cast, but the longer backcast is doing something else terribly important. It loading the rod deeply, tapping into its reserve power. Translation? Less work for you!

In the photo above, I’m about to make a forward cast with a 9 foot, 10-weight graphite rod. Look closely; note how deeply I’ve loaded the rod. Now you’re talking, now you’re mastering the 10-weight fly rod. Now you made it your baby.

Posted in Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Fly Rods, Gear | Leave a comment

Kabuto Rods 15th Anniversary Fly Rods

Kabuto Rods 15th Anniversary Fly Rods

I was over at the Fiberglass Manifesto a day or two ago and noticed that Kabuto Rods were issuing a limited run of 15th Anniversary Fly Rods. Amazing.  I have a lot of respect for Yasuyuki Kabuto, a true rod-smith. His simple, elegant workmanship speaks of his culture. Would not surprise me if the majority of the new rods are already spoken for.

Also discovered that Yasuyuki now makes both bamboo rods and fiberglass rods. And there are many more models to choose from. Clearly Kabuto has grown greatly since the early days. The new 15h Anniversary rods “glass” rods, seen above, are finished in black. And available in 2, 3, 3/4, 5, and 6/7 line weights. Lengths go from 7’3″ t0 8’3.” Tip of the hat to him.

I tuned in to his work over 10 years back and purchased a 7 foot, 2 piece, 3 weight. Model 3819. At that time he only offered a couple of rods. Given a continent and an ocean between us, and the fact the Yasuyuki was a one-man band at the time, it took 6 months for the rod to arrive. Well worth the wait.  You’ll see my posts below covering many aspects of the rod.

https://edmitchelloutdoors.com/2014/06/18/kabuto-fly-rod/

https://edmitchelloutdoors.com/2014/06/27/casting-kabuto-7-foot-3-weight-fly-rod/

https://edmitchelloutdoors.com/2016/05/30/

Best I know he is the first and still the only rod maker to use flamed bamboo as a reel seat insert. It is a wonderful touch. In the photo below, I shot a closeup of the bamboo insert in my Kabuto’s reel seat.

 

Posted in Fiberglass Fly Rods | Leave a comment

Years ago I Fished in the Winter

Years ago I Fished in the Winter

Back when I was a young Turk, I fished in the winter. Here I am fishing a trout stream in icy February. Days prior I had helped live-cart this water. Me and a guy from a local tackle shop waded over half-a-mile, steering the cart downstream, as we slowly dispensed big browns and brookies. Our legs were frozen by the time we climbed out of the current.

Days later I returned. Suited up with 5mm neoprene waders, wool sock. and fingerless gloves, I fished a deep pool were a tributary entered, probably swinging a woolly bugger or a large wet fly. Not sure. Did I catch anything? Frankly I don’t remember.

 

Posted in Fly Fishing in Freshwater | Leave a comment