By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

-By Will Rice

"There was no evidence to show they’d been around. There were no boats,
no wreckage. There was nothing." - Henry Bain. Andros Island, Bahamas

On the morning of August 5, 1995, Stanley Bain stood in front of his
Cargill Creek Lodge and surveyed the small flyfishing empire that he’d
built. The resort sat near the North Bight on South Andros Island, The
Bahamas, concealed among lush tropical gardens and manicured lawns.
Three satellite cottages peppered the outskirts of his property, which
included an in-ground swimming pool and a Cessna 402 for his more
affluent clients who wished to arrive via private charter. And
surrounding it all were some of the most productive bonefishing waters
in the world.

Stanley was preparing for a two-week fishing trip to harvest
lobsters for the coming year’s clients. A recent hurricane had just
passed and he and his brother William were getting a late start on
opening season. But soon after fueling up the 36-foot Luhrs Sport
Fisherman and two Dolphin skiffs that would accompany them, Stanley,
William, and three lodge employees set out into the emerald waters
surrounding Andros. As they headed away from Cargill Creek, the group
passed Simon Bain, another of Stanley’s brothers, who was returning
with a client from the North Bight and Moxey Creek after a morning
chasing big bonefish. Simon ran his boat close in front of his older
brother’s cabin cruiser, and he can still remember his two brothers
laughing as he passed. It was the last time he would ever see them.
Stanley Bain and his crew of four disappeared that day forever.

To continue Will Rice's, The Disappearance of Stanley Bain click here and finish reading at The Drake Magazine. It's not that long.  Go get a fresh cup of coffee, take your ten minute break and enjoy a good mystery story.

TR

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

Does anyone else have the winter fishing blues?

Every year around this time I decide I've had enough of it, I absolutely have to get out and fish. Every year I come to the conclusion that it's usually a bad decision.

It always sounds like such a good idea the night before... Yeah, it'll be great! We'll get up early, drive for two hours, rig up as fast as humanly possible (so as not to get frostbite), slog through three feet of snow to the quarter mile of tailwater that's open for fishing. After we get to said spot we realizie the sun will never make a full appearance in our little spot of canyon and curse ourselves repeatedly. After an hour of catching nothing but bottom, rigging and re-rigging a solo fisherman with a pipe wanders past. Of course we make the mistake of asking him how his fishing is. "Managed a few", he says. He also mutters this same sentence a hour later as he wanders back through our spot.

Time to go.

We've had it. Time to take off our ten layers, get back in the car and drive. Of course, it's sunday and ski traffic is at a standstill. What should have taken two hours takes three and a half getting home.

I got skunked yesterday and I'm bitter. All I wanted was one fish. I didn't want to ski, snowshoe, icefish, or watch TV. I just wanted one fish on my fly rod. I know Deeter hung up the waders months ago. Maybe I should have listened when he said he was done...

I'm done until March, when the blue wings start hatching and the temps warm up. Or so I say...

TR

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

I like tying flies. Except for when I have feathers flying up my nose, fingers covered with glue crust, and miscellaneous animal parts littering my desk. Which is most of the time. Sure, I get the creativity, the history, the cultural attachment. It's very cool to catch a fish on your own fly. I wish I could be John Barr, or even Dan-Bob. But I'm not. So I've decided to focus my efforts on 10 patterns, and buy the rest, because for $2 I'm more than willing to yield to the talents of the good people in Thailand or Sri Lanka.

The 10: 1) Woolly bugger, 2) Pheasant tail, 3) Parachute Adams (transpose materials to make BWOs and PMDs); 4) Joe's Hopper; 5) Elk Hair Caddis; 6) Muddler minnow (for reasons previously explained); 7) Prince nymph; 8) Stonefly nymph; 9) RS2; and 10) San Juan Worm (because it is a crime to pay more than a nickel for a fly that takes 23 seconds to tie). What am I missing?

I think I'll put the cap back on my head cement now.

Deeter

By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

One more reason to get off your duff and see the Fly Fishing Film Tour this winter. The new film from the AEG group looks like they've amped up their production level and have a movie with more than just fish porn this time. The new flick has the group traveling to Mongolia to catch the infamous taimen. A fish that they claim can live to 50 years and eats small puppies... Watch the trailer and try not to get jealous that it's January and you're watching this from a 5 X 5 cubical. It'll be spring soon...I promise.

TR