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Fishing

Record Shark: How Jason Johnston Caught What May Be The Largest Mako Ever

Earlier this week, Jason Johnston reeled in one of the largest sharks ever caught with a...
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2013 Father's Day Gift Guide

Father's Day is almost here. Is your pops one of those guys that has everything, or when...
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  • August 31, 2007

    Pigskin Picks ... By Trout

    2

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Take this, "College Game Day" ... we have the 2007 NCAA football season all figured out before it really kicks off. We took Sports Illustrated's preseason top 10 (plus Notre Dame, just for grins), assigned each team a fly that either corresponded by theme or colors to the school, and let the trout in the river do the jawing. The more bites, the higher the ranking. Granted, its not much more scientific than "chicken-sh@t bingo," but then again, it's probably fairer than the BCS selection process.

    The Final Six:

    Notre Dame -- the Golden Stone (for golden dome). Did better than expected early (a strong tradition), then fell flat on its face. In two words, highly overrated.

    Florida -- an Orange Scud. Pretty much just petered along all season, and in this case, didn't pull off the big shocker in the end. Game effort, but no title.

    Michigan -- a Yellow (maize) Hopper. Looked great throughout most of the season, then the tippet snapped on a 14-inch rainbow. Anyone who has watched the Wolverines in bowl games lately will understand the irony.

    USC -- the Red (garnet) Copper John. Our preseason favorite... [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 30, 2007

    Why You Wear Sunglasses.

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    This is why you ALWAYS wear sunglasses fishing. Especially if you're chucking big, nasty streamers like this one. It's up to you if the lenses are glass or plastic. In my opinion you catch more fish with glass, but I would say plastic is more safe.

    Streamerglassesweb

    Deeter my friend, you had better watch yourself these coming months. It's slowly turning fall and I'll be switching out my nymph rigs for gaudy bait fish patterns. Go ahead, continue to throw your dainty dry flies. I'll be poaching your runs and holes with what fish really want to eat. So watch my backcast as I wouldn't want you to literally feel solied when one of these babies whizzes by your face. [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 29, 2007

    Nymph Psycho

    5

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Had a chance to revisit the "Hogpen" the other day with my Fflogger friends Nate Matthews, an editor from Field & Stream, and Tim Romano, the photo/blog man. Frankly, the day was really hot and bright, so the fishing wasn't, except for a few sporadic hopper eats and a very sporty interlude of throwing tiny ant patterns at some rainbows laid-up in the same riffle.

    The fish finally turned on an hour before sunset, and while Nate and I stayed the course with dry flies ... master Tim tied on a nymph rig and proceeded to hammer fish in a downstream carnage spectacle that smacked of Sherman's "March to the Sea."Balloonicator

    Which would have been fine, except it left me feeling soiled ... violated. Maybe it's a generation thing, but I was taught that when heads are popping, it's "go dry or go home." Maybe it's that Colorado-bred nymph-o-mania issue. No doubt, Tim put the smackdown on the trout with at least a 10-1 ratio advantage on us. And yeah ... I know all about dry fly snobs, and have heard the arguments... [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 28, 2007

    Brain-Dead on Lead

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    I was guiding the other day, switching rigs from dries to nymphs. I got to that step where I routinely pop a piece of split shot into my mouth as I fumble with the tippet and the dropper fly. As the BB washed around in there, I paused and realized that I was sucking on lead.

    Lead poisoning is linked to brain damage, as well as reproductive problems, hypertension, stunted growth among children, and an array of other nasty things -- hence the reason millions of made-in-China lead-painted toys are being recalled at this very moment. I thought, "Wow, this might explain a few of my latest Fflogger posts."

    Truth is, lead is dead. Bosstinweb_2It has no purpose or value in the flyfishing context. There are better alternatives that sink just as well, made of tin, bismuth, or tungsten. See www.bosstin.com. Yes they cost a tad more. But they won't make you sick. And they don't kill birds and other wildlife. There are places where lead fishing is outlawed -- New... [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 26, 2007

    10 Weight Tuna

    1

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Xmas360web

    Jason Owens, a.k.a. "all star Boulder angler" got invited to go scope out a potential fishing operation on Christmas Island for travel group Angling Destinations. Late one day he spotted birds crashing. Birds crashing = Tuna. The problem? No boat and they were only armed with a ten weight. They quickly located the barely seaworthy craft in the photo above and headed out. Soon after they located the fish, Jason hooks one and proceeds to fight it for almost two hours. By now it was well into the night and they were way off shore. The estimated 50lb fish dragged them a mile and nearly spooled Jason. Finally, they got it into the boat, breaking the rod when thrashing beast came aboard. Needless to say there was endless sushi that night after they were rescued by photographer Eric Berger who brought them gas, headlamps, and a gaff.

    Xmas400web [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 21, 2007

    So Cal Skinny Water Carpin'

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Talkin’ Story: So cal carpin’ on the fly

    4 am comes awful early when you’ve been charging makos on a fly rod the day before and not hitting the rack until late. But, when the call came in from my buddy Johnny H, manager at a local

    San Diego

    fly shop, about some unreal sight casting to Carp in skinny still water over hard sand bottom I could not pass up the opportunity…

    No joke …this was the most unreal sight casting I’ve ever done!! Even better then sight casting to Reds in the Gulf!! Huge pods of big carp feeding on the surface gulping everything in sight.  The morning was clear, slick glass and air temps were hovering around 70 degrees.

    Our weapons of choice were 6 wts floating lines and looooong leaders! 15 feet 3x... [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 21, 2007

    How Low Will You Go?

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Rafthatch2_2

    Ah, prime tourist season in the West. The raft hatch is in full swing; the guides are churnin’ and burnin’ those low (mostly) clear waters in the dwindling days of summer with flocks of ride-along anglers, en masse. If you’re keen on tailwater fishing … especially if you row your own … or just want to get away from the armada mayhem, I have two words of advice: Fish downstream.

    Personally, I’m high on the solitude factor, so I’ll always trade hookup volume for some river space. And, by fishing downstream of the “prime” water, you often get shots at bigger fish (especially browns) though, admittedly, they’re fewer and farther between.

    Yesterday, for example, I fished the Byington-Lorenzo section of the South Fork in Idaho with Charlie Meyers and Matt Woodard. The wind was hoofin’ but we coaxed some classic eats by using Rainey’s Grand Hopper patterns, and landed a good number of fat cuts and browns.

    My favorite “downstream” options: Putting in at the 13-mile access on the Bighorn in Montana, and chasing the alligator browns, especially in the fall; The Gunnison in Colorado, from Pleasure Park down... [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 17, 2007

    TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Toga

    Only in Colorado! Jeff Rogers sent me this image after floating and fishing last weekend. Halfway through the fishing day he came upon one of our favorite campsites on this specific float overflowing with people clothed in Togas. Apparently there was a serious hippie wedding taking place and this little dude complete with crown-o-holly decided to take a break and whack some fish. Go little toga dude, go.

    Thanks for the shot Jeff! [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 15, 2007

    Brown Trout Are Sissies

    8

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Uh, yea that post a couple of days ago about brown trout being the biggest, baddest, mutha's... This you-tube video begs to differ. [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 13, 2007

    SUMMER STEEL IS IN FULL SWING.......YEEEE-HA

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    We got rain and that means fresh summer steelhead on some of Oregon's finest the Deschutes River, North Umpqua, Rogue....sure there are far more steelhead litararies to write about but these are the mainstays that bring people wide and far to partake in the greatest freshwater gamefish alive. As of last week there has been good numbers for August at the Dalles Dam on the Columbia River, 1000 to 2000 fish days. A good friend of mine and fellow industry sales rep Derek Fergus went 2 for 5 in 3 hrs on the new "FERGUS MARABOU MOAL" which if you don't have yet contact myself. I suggest stocking the entire box with varying colors and they can be used for summer and winter steel as well as salmon. On another note the Rogue River half pounder run will be gearing up in the next few weeks down low and they are a blast on 6wts and elk hair caddis. The adult fish are around but still a little early for bang up fishing..contact  www.trophywaters.net and tell them TYLER sent you.....Goes the same for the North Umpqua this time of year..great for skaters if the water temps... [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 13, 2007

    Happy To Be Floating!

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Dancin_3

    Okay, Kirk can wax poetic all he wants about airplanes and fishing.
    Personally, I'm much happier gliding through a much slower state of matter -
    water. Don't get me wrong, I also love to travel. But give me my raft, a
    cooler full of beer and some good friends and I'm pretty content. There's
    something to be said about home waters...

    I took this picture the first day we floated this spring. My buddy,
    Charlie Bloch was blaring tunes and couldn't help himself. He stopped the
    car, got out and did a little jig to please the fish gods. Sometimes were
    so happy to be out that it doesn't matter where we are. [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 10, 2007

    80 Minutes at DTW

    0

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Whenever I have an airport layover, I make a point to sit by a window in the terminal so I can watch the planes take off. I hate flying, but I love going places. And it soothes me, as I wait, to watch aircraft lift away from the runways, if only so I might imagine the adventures to be had.

    There goes a Northwest jet. The sign on the gate told me it was headed for Anchorage. I watch it taxi for 10 minutes, convinced that somewhere on that plane is a man (or woman) who will see the Northern Lights for the first time tonight. And tomorrow, by dinner time, they might just scratch the tail end of a run of silvers.

    A 757 lifts and sails directly toward the sunset. San Diego? Makos? Tuna? Maybe Baja … Gonzaga Bay. Yet another flight thunders down the runway and banks to the south, then levels its wings. New Orleans? Maybe Miami, and from there, on to the Keys. Ah, the salt, the flats. “Be warned,” I think, “One silver king will change your life.

    Off another jet goes... [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 9, 2007

    Mullet VS. Mullet

    4

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    Mulletvsmulletbig_2

    This little gem has been on my refrigerator for years. I thought I must share this bit of genius with all who might have missed it. For everyone not familiar with The Drake please go buy the latest copy at your local fly shop or better yet subscribe. Click on image for a more legible version. [ Read Full Post ]

  • August 8, 2007

    Is Flyfishing a Sport?

    7

    By Tim Romano & Kirk Deeter

    I never quite bought those made-for television flyfishing competitions.

    Fly casting … I can see that as a competitive sport, in as much as darts or bowling are sports.  But flyfishing is a pastime, not a sport.  The threshold should be:  If you can smoke and drink beer during said activity, it should not be considered a sport.  Well, okay, pole dancing might count.
              
    And golf gets an exemption because people will pay money to watch golfers do their thing. So does pro bass fishing. 

    But when it comes to flyfishing for trout in the same river, there are good runs and bad ones, and drawing fishing beats is nothing more than a lottery. If we’re hell-bent on making flyfishing a competitive sport, we should judge it qualitatively, not quantitatively.  Have all the competitors work the same 200 yards of river, with a panel of five judges on bleachers watching every move. 

    I can see it now: “Here comes Chet … ooh a nice roll cast right into the run there, on the left side of the river, that’s going to impress.  He’s really tuned in here with that Green Drake.  Whoops, he slipped and stirred the... [ Read Full Post ]