Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy ThanksGiving...I'm Chillin at The Beach For a Week!

Happy Turkey Week

I escaped the snow in Colorado to head back home down South! Nothing like enjoying the beach, some incredible seafood and some Saltwater fishing in Clearwater with Family members.

More Turkey, Pumpkin pie and a cold one...it's that time again to hit the Beach!


Sunday, November 20, 2011

Florida Redfish on The Brain! Fly Fishing for Big Reds

Florida Fall Reds Here I Come

The redfish fly fishing action continues to be fantastic. The redfish were all caught sight fishing. It's an awesome sight to watch a red charge and grab your fly! . The past few weeks have provided some great days on the water. All of my redfish trips have yielded at least one nice sight fished red on fly. There has been plenty of shots at fish on any clear, cold day. The amount of fish we've been catching depends on the anglers ability to see the fish, and deliver an accurate 20-30 foot cast. Anglers who can do this have been catching between three to six sight fished reds a day. I welcome any skill level and work patiently with my clients to develop their skills. It's a truly fun and addictive way to fish!

The Trout fishing has been great in Tampa Bay. As with the redfish, the cold weather gets the trout going. I have been finding trout along the edge of a flat in about three feet of water. The incoming tide has been best. I fish DOA jigs or chartreuse clouser flies on sink tip lines. Remember to handle the trout gently when releasing them. I find a fish de-hooker tool to be the best option for release. The season remains closed in the month of December.

Fishing Report from Shallow Water Fly Fishing Guides

Pics provided by Shallow Water Expeditions




Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Fly Fishing Still Going Strong in Asheville North Carolina




ASHEVILLE — The economy still stinks, jobs are scarce, the price of gas and peanut butter are up, and now Christmas — and all the expenses that come with it — is on the way.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by it all, grab a rod, some waders and flies, and go fly-fishing.
That’s the theory Frank Smith has as to why, after years of faltering, fly-fishing is on the upswing in Western North Carolina.


“Our business has been up the past year, after falling the past couple of years,” said Smith, owner of Hunter-Banks Co. fly-fishing shop and guide service in Asheville. “It’s tough. Fishing depends on people buying gear, traveling to fish and spending money on gas. But people are now finding a way to do the things they want to do. They’re going to find a way to fly-fish.”
And a great way to kick off a fall fly-fishing trip, learn about the best new gear, hear about the sweetest honey spots, try your hand at fly-tying or casting and, yes, get a head start on Christmas shopping is at the third annual WNC Fly-Fishing Expo Saturday and Sunday at the WNC Agricultural Center.


While fly-fishing is often considered an elite and expensive way to catch trout, with fly rods running up to $800 and the waders necessary for walking out into icy cold trout streams costing as much as $700 a pair, Smith said you can get started in the sport without shelling out so much.






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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Derek DeYoung Brings Fish To Life via Canvas Fish!

Spruce Your Home Up With Some Canvas Fish


No doubt that if you have visited a Fly Shop in the last few years you undountedly seen some of the best artwork out there showcasing manhy fly shops and galleries abroad. If you are looking for true to life artwork in relation to fishing, this is the guy!


Derek DeYoung is one of those artists that was born painting. By age six, he was declaring to his schoolmates and family that he would one day be a famous artist. Few people who knew him well ever doubted this prediction. His parents say he was a stubborn little kid, but that very stubbornness is what now gives him the strength to persevere the hardships that accompany the life of an artist.

“I’ve committed my life to being an artist, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. To be an artist is more then just painting a scene on canvas. An artist sees the world differently then most people. I am always seeking out the beauty in life and in the world, searching for that magical experience or vision that will inspire me to paint at a higher level. The act of pursuing trout and steelhead with a fly rod contains so many of these magical moments. For me the truly inspirational vision, both as an artist and as an angler, comes once I’ve landed a particularly beautiful fish. I hold it up, tilting the fish back and forth in the sunlight, allowing all the subtle colors and patterns to come alive.”

Derek is often asked why he paints fish. “I find fish so interesting and they are truly a challenge to capture on canvas. When I paint a fish, I try to capture all the intricacies they possess, their scales, patterns, dimension and texture.”

DeYoung’s work has veered off from the traditional fish illustration style. His paintings are very contemporary, placing more importance on using a unique style and palette rather than painting a fish to look photo realistic.


We had a great time this past year in January attending another great showing of artist in the Fishing Industry, some incredible work as well as Fly fishing Art.





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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Fly Fishing Florida in November



This is one of my favorite months for fishing both inshore and the coastal gulf waters. Seasonal species like cobia, Spanish and king mackerel will pass through our area as they follow warmer water and baitfish south. Albies (little tunny) will thrill fly anglers and tripletail will also provide sight casting opportunities. Reds and trout will feed aggressively in shallow water and snook will stage around bars and docks and bridges in the ICW. Deep grass flats will have a smorgasbord of activity with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, flounder, pompano and more.

Trout will be aggressive on both shallow and deep flats this month and will feed longer during the day due to cooler water. You may find big trout in skinny water early in the day where they should be aggressive on fly poppers or Gurglers. Later in the day, my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny and Clouser flies fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line on deep grass flats will work well. A popper/fly combo may also work well. Tie on a popper, add 30” of leader tied to the bend of the popper hook and put a smaller, lightly weighted fly behind it. Make sure you pause after each strip to allow the trailer fly to drop. I like deep flats that have a good mixture of sand and grass and good tidal flow, such as the Middleground and Radio Tower flats, Stephens Point and Bishop Point in Sarasota Bay. Trout season closes this month and will remain closed during November and December in the south region. It is inevitable that you will catch trout, especially since so many other species will be found in the same water this month, so handle them gently. You can get more details and boundary information at www.myfwc.com .

Reds will also become more aggressive this month. You’ll find them in potholes and along bars when the tide is low or along mangrove shorelines and the top of bars when the tide is high. They will feed on a variety of baitfish, including finger mullet, pinfish and pilchards, but as it gets cooler their diet will shift more towards crustaceans (crabs and shrimp). I like to target reds on a rising tide beginning at low tide. Less water means they should be easier to locate. I prefer sight casting whenever possible but you’ll probably need to do some blind casting to locate them. Best visibility for sight casting will be on light colored bottom on top of bars or along mangrove shorelines. When blind casting, focus on mullet schools and seams where grass and sand meet. Start with short casts and then lengthen your casts to avoid lining fish that you may not see. My Grassett Flats Minnow or crab fly patterns should be good fly selections when sight casting. North Sarasota Bay is one of my favorite areas for reds in November.

Snook season remains closed, so use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly with minimal handling. If you need to remove the snook from the water to remove the hook, be sure to hold them horizontally and support their body. You’ll find snook around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW where you can cast small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, around shadow lines. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action. I like to fish the area of the ICW near Venice known as “snook alley” for snook at night. On the flats, snook may be staging along sand bars or in potholes when the tide is low or along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high. I would use a wider profile baitfish pattern, like a Deceiver or EP fly for snook on the flats. The same areas of north Sarasota Bay that hold reds will also hold snook in November.

Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay will have a lot of variety and action this month. In addition to trout, you may also find blues, Spanish mackerel, jacks, flounder and pompano. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with lightly weighted flies fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines to locate fish. Surface activity or diving birds may also indicate the presence of blues, jacks, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel. A fly popper/fly combo is also a good choice especially when blues and jacks are around. I fish the same deep Sarasota Bay flats that I fish for trout when targeting these species.

Fishing the coastal gulf in the fall is one of my favorite things to do when conditions allow it. Look for albies (little tunny) and Spanish mackerel feeding on the surface. You might also find ladyfish, blues, jacks, sharks and even tarpon in the frenzy. Terns are one of the best indicators of baitfish and predators. Get ahead of schools of breaking fish by following the birds and cast small white flies on intermediate sink tip fly lines to them. They will also take Crease flies and fly poppers if they are the right size. “Match the hatch” by observing what size baits that fish are feeding on and duplicating it with the same size fly.

More info



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Monday, November 7, 2011

Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Fly Fishing For Carp

Fly Fishing for Carp - Eleven Mile Reservoir from Colorado Parks & Wildlife on Vimeo.Link


Nick is at it again filming some outstanding Carp footage for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Carp fishing is an amazing experience if you haven't tried yet and Nick does a great job at showing just how challenging they can be! Whether it's in a local pond, the South Platte River or 11 Mile Rez, there's plenty of options out there to hook up on a few.




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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Largest Dam Removal in US


Diversion Channel Completed
Link

The log boom just upstream of the Elwha Dam, seen in the photo above, will be removed on Friday, October 21. During the life of the dam, the log boom kept logs from hitting or damaging the dam. No longer needed, it will be removed, allowing the river's woody debris to float naturally downstream where it will enhance habitat for fish and other wildlife.

Today, the Elwha River flows through a new diversion channel, allowing contractors to access and remove the 'stairstep' gravity dam on the left side of the photo.

The new diversion channel at the Elwha Dam is finished, and yesterday morning, crews opened the coffer dam above it. The photo at right shows the river flowing through the new channel. Thanks to videographer and Olympic NP volunteer, John Gussman, for sharing this time-lapse series of film clips. In the space of less than 90 seconds, John shows us the 3-hour transition from the old channel to the new. (Side note: John filmed these clips from the Elwha Dam Overlook trail, a ten-minute walk from the trailhead parking lot on Lower Dam Road.)

Effective immediately, the exposed reservoir areas of Lake Aldwell and the remaining Lake Aldwell are closed to public use.

This emergency closure is designed to protect the public from hazardous conditions caused by the draining of Lake Aldwell and removal of the Elwha Dam and associated structures. The log boom that prevents boats from drifting over the dam will be removed at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, October 21. Without the log boom, there is no barrier between the remaining reservoir and the swiftly moving river as it flows over and down the new diversion channel. These factors make the area around the dam extremely unsafe for boating and other forms of recreation.

Once the log boom is removed, the raft of large logs behind it will move downstream with the river. Anglers and other downstream river users are urged to use caution around the river in the coming days and to be on the lookout for logs moving downstream.




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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Red Tide Threatens Millions of Dead Fish in Texas

Sad State of Affairs


AUSTIN, Texas — The algae bloom known as red tide has killed 1.2 million more fish along the Texas coast in less than two weeks.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported Monday that about 4.2 million fish have died since the red tide outbreak began in September. The agency on Oct. 20 estimated 3 million fish had been killed.

State health officials last week banned, until further notice, commercial and recreational harvesting of oysters, clams and mussels due to red tide. Tuesday would have been opening day for public harvest of oysters through April.

Experts say red tide, often present in the fall, is worse this year because of the Texas drought and recent excessive heat. The algae thrive in warm, salty water.

Red tide can cause respiratory problems in people.







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