Looking Back

It’s funny – several weeks ago, while interviewing a local fly rod builder for a film I am working on, I asked him about the first fish he ever caught on a fly rod; he couldn't remember it. At the time I found that a little surprising. But upon later reflection I realized that although I could still remember my first fish (a 12 inch yellow perch caught on a worm), I could not for the life of me remember my first fish on a fly rod either. Perhaps the question was not an entirely fair one to ask. It seems the older we get, the more experiences we accumulate, the less inclined we are to recall events that have become diluted by the multitude of more recent and vivid memories. Looking back over a lifetime can be a daunting task.

Looking back over the past year is a little more manageable. And New Year’s Eve seems to be as good a time as any to reflect on the most memorable events, the most memorable trout, of the past fishing season.

I did catch my share of big fish this year - and had a few days where the fish were more than cooperative. But this year the nod goes to a 12 inch rainbow. Yup – a single 12 inch fish trumped all other fish – hands down.

This was a wild fish caught in a wild place that took more than a little effort to reach. It was the only fish I caught that day. Given the harsh habitat, this fish was likely as old as your average 24 inch rainbow on the Bow River. But if you can imagine taking all of the color, all of the vibrancy, and all of the spunk of that 24 inch Bow River fish, and concentrating it into 12 inches of sleek, feisty, chrome-bright skin and scales…

Sometimes it’s the big one, that 26 inch plus bruiser, that stirs fond memories; sometimes it’s the big one that got away; sometimes it’s the day where you caught fish after fish until you started taking things for granted, and thought you had it all figured out – and sometimes… sometimes it’s about going after the hard ones.

Bonefish Bound

For the fly tier, winter is the time to bolster ones dwindling fly collection, to re-stock near empty fly boxes from the past summer, and perhaps create a few new patterns to test out next summer. For the fly angler that ties their own flies, there is no off season

For me November was rather busy and it has only been in the past few weeks that I have had time to start tying again. There always seems to be a shortage of time around the holidays so it helps to set priorities – I like to start with the fly boxes that I anticipate using first in the coming year. In this case it will be another trip to the Bahamas in search of Bonefish, so the Bonefish box was the first one to get topped up.

I started by tying a few of the standard Bahamas patterns like Gotchas and crab flies.

Olive Gotcha - a standard pattern for Bahamas Bonefish

A simple Bahamas crab fly

After that I got creative and invented a few patterns of my own – a shrimp-like pattern in two colors along with a fan-worm pattern. Both patterns look like they might attract the attention of a bonefish. Not sure what to call them yet.

We’re heading back to Mayaguana in the New Year and I’m pretty excited about it. Mayaguana is a rather remote out island that sees few visitors each year. Endless beaches, endless bonefish flats and rarely a person in sight. There is better fishing to be had at other locations throughout the Bahamas but none are as remote and laid back as Mayaguana. There was a write-up in the most recent issue of Catch Magazine so I’m hoping the island doesn’t start to draw a crowd.

Endless Bonefish flats at Curtis Creek on Mayaguana
(that tiny spec in the distance is me)

Best Fly Fishing Videos: Part Two

Another video that is at the top of my list is Tapam; a remote location, 100 pound plus Tarpon, a fly rod, and a float tube. The film is nothing short of jaw dropping. This full length film was produced by Daniel Goz and Jan Bach Kristensen. You can watch the movie trailer at the Tapam the Movie website. The full length film is available on Blue-ray or DVD.

A custom cut (short) version appears in the January 2011 issue of Catch Magazine. You will need to sign up for a subscription ($12/year) if you want full access. This online magazine is well worth the nominal fee.

Watch the trailer, watch the custom cut, but if you want to get the full experience, the full length DVD is the way to go.

 

Best Fly Fishing Videos - Part One

Anyone who subscribes to Catch Magazine is likely familiar with the outstanding fly fishing videos produced by Todd Moen. I consider Todd to be the master of his craft and I look forward to the newest version of Catch Magazine just to check out Todd's newest film in each issue (especially through the cold winter months). One of his best short films, Fall Run, is available for viewing on his website:

http://www.toddmoencreative.com/

Winter Run is also a good video - but if you click on the right hand arrow it will scroll you over to Fall Run. Make sure you watch it in HD (even if you have slow internet speed and have to go do something else while the film loads) and turn up the volume - the soundtrack adds to the experience.