ANGLING ON THE FLY

Lake El Salto Fly Season Wrap-Up!

2012-01-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

Primetime at El Salto ends with a SPLASH!

Well, I am excited to report that this past season's fishing at Lake El Salto was strong! We had multiple groups fish El Salto from mid-November through mid-January and all had consistent fishing for Largemouth Bass up to almost 9 pounds. There was good sessions of topwater on some trips, but most of the bass were fooled in the top of the subsurface water column (down to about 6 feet).

And of course, the fantastic accommodations and service was provided by Anglers Inn. It was great to see the all of the same friendly staff members such as Jose, Sammy, and Tony. Also, Anglers Inn purchased new boats that are absolutely ideal for fly anglers. The boats are configured with spacious, level front and rear casting decks and super comfy seats for each angler. Anglers Inn seems to keep raising the bar every year with incredible service and hospitality.

Finally, here is a recap of the top tackle that produced BIG bass this past season. The top flies this past season are as follows:

TOPWATER FLIES

Chewy Pop (yellow or white in size 2/0)
Bisharat's Flat Fred (shad)
Pultz's Popper (black over silver, black over chartreuse in size 2)

SUBSURFACE FLIES

Bisharat's AirHead (brown over white, chartreuse over white in size 1/0)
Big Game Gummy Minnow (pearl in size 2)
Clouser Minnow (chartreuse over white in size 2/0)

LEADERS

Topwater: RIO Striped Bass (7 1/2 foot / 20#)
Subsurface: RIO FlouroFlex (20#)

KEITH'S GO-TO SETUPS

Topwater: Sage BASS (330 grain line), Sage 4580 reel
Subsurface: Sage TCX 890-4, RIO Outbound Short Type 6, Sage 6080 reel

The bass will be going on the spawn soon at El Salto, which marks the close of primetime fly fishing season. The lodge continues to run strong for conventional anglers until July, but the spawn and springtime afternoon winds make conditions less than ideal for fly fishing tactics. So, with this said I look forward to another incredible fly fishing season at El Salto in Fall 2012 / Winter 2013. We already have weeks on the books for hosted trips, so if you are interested please drop us a line to inquire. Fish ON!

FAT El Salto Bass

El Salto Bass CRUSH the AirHead!

Mr. Hanely showing the goods at El Salto...

Lodge manager, Jose, putting on a show with Spanish Coffee!

Loretta showing off her BIG fish of the season. WOW, 8.8 pounds!

Morning run for topwater bass...

Ladies' double up for El Salto Bass...

Topwater "POP"...

The close of another spectacular season at Lake El Salto...

Trip Report: El Salto Largemouth (Nov. 19-23, 2011)

2011-12-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

Charlie displaying one of his many topwater trophy Largemouth at Lake El Salto

We are excited to share a recent report from our Anglers Inn - El Salto repeat clients, Charlie and Tim of Camas, WA. They had one of their best ever topwater trips to El Salto! Here it is:

Hi Keith,

I just want you to know that we hit it right this year and the fishing was great! Here is a pictures of me with my biggest fish and my son with a big smile (he got bigger fish and lost a couple of big ones). We got 27 one morning and lost 14 all on topwater. The next morning we landed 26 and the fish were a little bigger. Sure was fun watching my son have fun catching good sized bass on flies on top. We caught some under on gummy minnows and clousers and such, too. Thanks for all the help. We hope to go next year at the same time if all goes well.

Charlie

So far, this fall season has been excellent for topwater action at Lake El Salto! We have more groups heading down there this month and next, so we will share the upcoming reports soon. Fish On!

Trip Report: Amazon Peacock Bass (September 2011)

2011-11-02T01:25:00.000-07:00

An incredible trip of "double-doubles"...

After a number of previous trips to the Brazilian Amazon during our winter months, my group and I were intrigued to fish the Amazon during the earlier part of the season. We had always heard of anglers fishing in the early season in the southern region of the Amazon basin. As I would find out, venturing to this remote region would be an exciting and different experience than our previous trips. And last season, Anglers Inn International of Mexico extended their presence with this Peacock Bass program in the Amazon. Anglers Inn has raised the bar on the mobile camp concept in the Amazon with much improved living quarters, dining facilities, and overall service. My group and I have fished with Anglers Inn in Mexico for years and can attest to their high level of service, hospitality and quality operations. And, we were happy to have this same level of quality on this trip. Even more, we were fortunate to have Anglers Inn International owner, Billy Chapman, Jr., host our camp for the week.

As we flew southward by floatplane from Manaus, I peered at the jungle below and noticed it looked different than the region north of Manaus along the Rio Negro. I saw an incredibly dense forest canopy that showed no signs of stark white sand that anglers often hope to see when flying along the Rio Negro. It was explained that this region did not have the sand bars like in the north. The rivers ran deeper, with steeper banks and lighter colored water. We were headed for the Matupiri River, which is a tributary to the Madeira River drainage. Upon approaching our landing run, we circled the camp before touching down gently on the river. As we slowed, the guides and staff approached in their boats. I immediately saw familiar faces. Yes, during this week we would be fortunate to have some of our favorite guides from past trips. Guides Caju, Renaldo, and Carlos’ faces lit up when they recognized us. It was a great reunion from a few years ago when we fished with them on the Tapera River.

The Matupiri is relatively deep in the main river. It was explained that this river was unique because even at its lowest levels, the large supply boats that draft a great deal of water can easily tow the camp. Also, this depth allows the float plane to land on almost any section of the Matupiri. In geologic terms, the Matupiri was a very young river with incomplete rock formation making the river color somewhat turbid from dirt on the banks and deeper because of the lack of sand. Whereas, the Rio Negro drainage is an older river and thus has extensive influx and movement of sand flowing down its tributaries.

This trip would be marked with a myriad of memories that went beyond fishing. The flora, fauna, and entire ecosystem were different than we had ever seen before. Even more, we quickly noticed that we were able to get closer to wildlife in this part of the Amazon. It was explained that this part of the Amazon basin was one of the most remote regions of the Amazon from the perspective of native population and tourism. In the north along the Rio Negro region, wildlife is much more impacted by the presence of human population because of the numerous native villages and the subsistence fishing activities. We observed a wide array of avian wildlife such as osprey, egrets, macaws, parakeets, kingfishers, and many other colorful birds. A most memorable sighting was when we heard the defining screech of a bird of prey. As we rounded the corner, we came upon a large raptor perched on a tree along the shore. This amazing animal showed no signs of fear and actually showed interest in our poppers that we fished beneath its perch. During our viewing, it would make a series of short flights back and forth from one tree to the next. It gave us an incredible view of this awesome bird of prey as it stretched its wings and made flight. It was the closest encounter I have ever had with a raptor in its natural environment.

During our week, Jim and I were continually amazed at how the wildlife seemed to accept our presence. On numerous occasions, a butterfly would perch on us allowing us the opportunity to photograph their beautiful colors. We also saw otters, caiman, birds of prey, and a variety of other wildlife during our week. What was quite interesting and welcomed was the absence of any biting pests. Mosquitoes and sand flies were non-existent on this trip. It was explained that it was acidity of the water from leaf decay in the forest and the lack of sand that creates an environment where these pests can not thrive.

One of the most amazing moments on this trip was a firsthand encounter with the Amazon’s most intelligent species of wildlife, the freshwater dolphin. Many of us had seen dolphin from afar during many of our past trips in the northern basin. However, the dolphins in the north would tend to stay quite far from the boat and would only show themselves briefly before disappearing below. Well, on this trip we would have quite a different experience. I had just hooked and landed a tough 5-pound Paca that Caju put on the boga. Suddenly, Caju begins to laugh and point at the water. Jim and I were shocked to see a 6-foot long dolphin at the boat-side looking at Caju and the fish he had on the boga. It looked like a scene out of Flipper, as Caju enticed the dolphin to repeatedly come to the boat in hopes of an easy meal. The dolphin was gorgeous, and it was the first time I ever got a chance to see this unique species of dolphin close up. It was light grey in color, had a flexible neck, enlarged pectoral fins, and a stubbed dorsal fin. On a previous trip, it was explained to us that these bodily characteristics were adaptations to the jungle environ over eons of time. A flexible neck and lack of a dorsal fin allows them to slither through the dense jungle forest and feed when the high water season arrives. It was certainly a special moment to see such a beautiful animal up close. After a few minutes of engaging the dolphin, Caju motored toward the shore and released the fish in shallow water and away from the reach of the dolphin.

On this trip, Jim and I would learn a great deal from our guide Caju. His instruction would help confirm many of the fishing facts that were shared with us on past trips. In general, his English was quite limited but effective enough to communicate many fishing strategies. One of his guiding comments was “big tree, big Peacock…” Often, Caju would have Jim and I direct our casts around the base of large trees that were submerged in 3 – 6 feet of water. Caju would also say “big Peacocks on the point.” He would get especially excited if there was a large tree on the point of a lagoon entrance. On many occasions, we would hook large Peacock Bass in these areas. This confirmed that Peacock Bass are ambush predators and can be structure oriented when there is water depth as the base of trees. On another instance, we pulled up to a point and on the first cast I land a mini Azul Peacock of about 3 pounds. I didn’t think much of this small Azul, but Caju’s face lit up and his eyes got wide. He said “big Peacocks on the point!” Jim and I were certainly not going to doubt him or question what he “saw”, so we launched our streamers toward the point. Immediately, Jim hooked up on a ‘grande’. I kept stripping while I watched the commotion as Jim laid the heat on his fish. Then, I came tight on a trophy Peacock too. We had an epic double battle ensuing. Thankfully, we were able to coordinate the landing of both jumbo Peacocks. After Jim and I released our fish, we just glanced over at Caju in awe of his instinct. We began to discuss what just happened here and we came to a realization. Caju said, “small Azul, big Peacocks on the point.” He then gestured with his arms and said, “familia”. This confirmed a fact that was shared with us on a previous trip. Peacock bass will sometimes congregate by family structure with small Azuls mixing with larger ones. The Peacock Bass are an extremely adaptive species and some generation classes will evolve to reach maturity at a relatively smaller size class. This adaptation occurs when conditions in the Amazon change and affect spawning cycles. It is nature’s way of ensuring that the Peacock Bass will survive during drought years. And these various sizes of mature Azuls will congregate and feed as a family unit. It is with this knowledge that Caju knew that there were larger Azuls in the area. Simply amazing…

Another highly effective strategy was to arrive at a new spot and begin with topwater. Often, one might question why a guide would encourage us to fish topwater in the middle of the day with the sun high above. Any experienced angler knows that bright conditions are the worst for topwater fishing. Well, we would learn soon enough that it was all a part of Caju’s master plan to get us into a hot bite. We would not always raise fish to our topwater flies. However, the poppers would call the fish out of the structure and Caju would then have us switch over to fishing streamers deep. On most occasions, this strategy paid off with good numbers of fish being hooked subsurface.

Due to the deeper characteristics of the Matupiri River, we needed to sometimes fish fast sinking lines of 300 – 400 grains (RIO Deep Sea or Leviathan). Tropical rated lines were essential because of the intensity of the sun. We fished a variety of streamers this week with great success. My most productive flies were Bisharat’s Airhead (3/0 red/yellow), Thalken’s Cruiser (3/0 Peacock), Anderson’s Reducer (3/0 Night Rider), and UFM H20 Cut Bait (3/0). Throughout its length, the Matupiri has a series of shallow lagoons that would branch off the main river. It was in these areas where an intermediate line was highly effective too.

Another interesting encounter on this trip was the Popoca Peacock Bass. This smaller species of Peacock Bass is common in this part of the southern Amazon. Its behavior was somewhat akin to the Butterfly Peacock that is so prevalent in the northern basin. Here, these crazed Popoca Peacocks would run around like packs of wolves corralling their prey. In some lagoons, these feisty fish would bust bait with a fury. Albeit relatively small (1 – 3 pounds), these fish would still slam a fly with a vengeance and put up a great fight. It was yet another reminder that we were in a different realm of the Amazon.

Without a doubt, Jim and I concurred that this trip yielded the most incredible topwater fishing we have ever experienced in our fishing careers. We had countless episodes of pure mayhem. The heart-pounding event of having your 3/0 popper flushed as if a 16 pound bowling ball was dropped on your fly was epic. It is simply amazing to see the amount of water a double-digit sized Peacock Bass will move. Often, the water would explode around the popper, only to have the fish miss or slap the fly on the first pass. Then, if your nerves allowed you to not lift the rod and keep stripping, the behemoth Peacock Bass would come back around and absolutely kill the fly. It was amazing to see how committed these trophy fish were to our topwater offerings. Often, the fish would not be lip-hooked, but rather deep in its mouth. This was confirmation that these fish intended to fully consume our flies.

Jim and I worked a coordinated tag-team effort on topwater hot spots. As soon as one of us would hook up on a grande, the other would quickly deliver a cast adjacent to the hooked fished. On many occasions, this strategy would yield what we coined as a double-double (double fish-on of double digit size),… or in reality “double trouble”. Nothing is more exciting than trying to simultaneously battle dual trophy Peacocks on one boat. Needless to say there was a lot of clearing lines, yelling, and, of course, laughing going on.

Throughout the week, Caju imparted his fishing knowledge with us. After a few days of epic topwater fishing, I began to see a pattern regarding the type of water we were fishing. I noticed that our best topwater sessions happened to always be around a particular cluster of shrub. We would cast in and around the openings in this structure and jumbo Peacocks would surge out of these opening and crush our topwater offerings. Caju communicated that this shrub was called Karasu. He said, “Big Peacocks sleep in Karasu. Popper wake up big Peacocks!” In many areas where there was about 3 foot of water depth at the base of Karasu there was excellent topwater action to be had. Here was yet another lesson in successful fishing for trophy Peacock Bass.

My most memorable fishing moment from the trip was being an observer to Jim’s battle with a massive Azul. We had just accomplished another double-double on topwater and celebrated with a high five and a few photos. We quickly got back to fishing, as we knew there were more trophy Peacocks in this spot because we saw these other fish following our hooked fish during the battle. Jim laid out a cast next to the Karasu and, half way back to the boat, a huge explosion of water erupted from beneath the fly. Jim gave a hard strip set, but did not connect. Then, as if time had been turned to slow motion, I saw the explosive wakes behind Jim’s fly clear and saw a massive Azul with its fins flared and colors lit up. Next,… a scene that I will never forget. Jim gave his popper another hard strip. The Azul surged forward with all its might, opened its bucket sized mouth, and completely annihilated Jim’s fly with fury. Jim came tight on the fish and this fish arched its body across the surface. Caju screamed, “GRANDE! 19 POUNDS!” Then, I heard Jim yell “OUCH!” as the massive fish ripped off line and burned his finger as it ran for cover. Suddenly, the line went limp and we were left speechless and in awe. What just happened? When Jim retrieved his fly line, we stood staring at a cleanly cut fly line. UGH! The chance for the fish-of-the-trip was trumped by some toothy critter that probably joined in on the feeding frenzy during the excitement of the battle. Whatever it was, it cleanly severed Jim’s fly line 10 feet up from the tip. This entire event was one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen.

Our go-to topwater fly was the Umpqua H20 Master Jack Popper in blue or yellow. We would affix this fly with a loop knot to 6 feet of level 50# RIO Max PLUS mono. The most ideal line for hurling this setup was with RIO Tropical Outbound Short floating lines. Jim used his Sage TCX #10, while I fished my Sage ONE and TCX #9.

Trophy Peacock Bass command respect from an angling perspective. It is incredible to hear the fury that a large Peacock will unleash on its prey. The jungle is a relatively serene environ, with the soft sounds of birds chirping, insects buzzing, and breeze blowing through trees. Then, this calmness will be shattered with the explosion of water and baitfish as a behemoth Peacock Bass kills its prey. It is this strength and fury that make this species command respect when hooked. My group and I each had our own encounters with the power of this species. Line burned fingers, broken fly lines and leaders, and long distance releases. I had one incident in particular that was a reminder that the Peacock Bass in the king of its piscatorial domain. Jim had just hooked up on a trophy Peacock Bass and he said to cast near his fish because there were other grande Peacocks swimming with it. I presented my fly and immediately came tight. Jim’s fish was pulling away from the bow, while my fish thrashed. Caju yelled, “GRANDE!” Then, my fish made a powerful run past the back of the boat. It was headed for the partly submerged grove of trees 100 feet away. My trophy fish ran between two trees and just stopped as I leaned into this fish. My rod was bent to the cork as I tried to move this fish back out between these two trees. It was a momentary standoff as I wondered if my rod was going to blow up from the pressure. I could not move this fish as it just held there in the shallows near the trees. Then, this behemoth fish, in an explosion of water, surged with all its might and broke my freshly tied 52 pound test leader. I stood there in awe… and just looked at Caju with a look of shock. The immense power of trophy Peacocks is amazing. Jim and I recounted once again, that before we ever made our first trip to the Amazon, we did not think it was possible for a fish of this size to break 50 pound leader. Well, this event was, yet again, another reminder that Peacock Bass are an amazing game fish that command respect.

At the end of the week, everyone in our group landed trophy teener-sized Peacock Bass. We finished the week with an impressive fish-count of almost 1,400 Peacock Bass landed between 7 anglers. On one day, Jim and I landed more than 100 Peacocks. Even more impressive was the number of trophies landed on this trip. Our group finished the week with 53 trophy Peacock Bass of 10 pounds or more, with more than half being landed on topwater.

In final, this trip was such an amazing experience in many ways. Certainly, the fishing was incredible with the epic topwater bite. But also, the entire experience was a different adventure in terms of the jungle landscape and the wildlife we encountered. It was just a reminder of how vast and diverse the Amazon environ is. Without a doubt, I will soon return to this region again to experience this different personality of the Amazon. Fish On!

Keith’s Tackle Notes:

Rods: Sage TCX 990-4, Sage ONE 990-4, Sage Xi3 990-4, Sage BASS II Peacock (390 grain)

Reels: Sage 6080, Ross F1 #4

Fly Lines: RIO Tropical Outbound Short WF-F and Sage BASS II 390 grain (topwater); RIO Tropical Outbound Short WF-F/I (shallow subsurface); RIO Deep Sea 300 / Leviathan 400 (deep subsurface)

Leader: RIO Max PLUS 40# - 50# (topwater); RIO FlouroFlex 52# (subsurface)

HOT Flies:

· UFM H20 Master Jack Popper (3/0 blue or yellow)

· Bisharat’s AirHead (3/0 red/yellow)

· Thalken’s Cruiser (3/0 baby peacock)

· Anderson’s Reducer (3/0 baby peacock or night rider)

· UFM H20 Cut Bait

· Fuch’s Peacock Deception (3/0)

(CLICK HERE for the complete trip slideshow)

Arrival on the Matupiri River...

Jim and his organized chaos of tackle and flies...

The gorgeous Matupiri River

An amazing moment... our encounter with the Amazon's freshwater dolphin

Our camp moved more than 60 miles upriver throughout the week...

Caju showing Peacock Bass' favorite food... the barracuda

Excellent service done the "Anglers Inn way"...

Caju saving the day for a snagged fly...

Eye of fury...

Jim and guide Caju with a "grande"...

The gorgeous markings of a Paca Peacock...

A trophy taken at the base of a submerged tree on the point...

Morning coffee being served at your doorstep...

A staple fly in the Amazon... Bisharat's Airhead

"Double-Trouble" for Jim and I...

Up close and personal with an Amazon butterfly...

Death of a fly... Piranha wreak havoc on flies

Joan showing off another one of her many grande Peacocks of the trip...

Gary and Susan relaxing on the back deck of their cabin...

Jim preparing for another day of battling Peacocks...

The Anglers Inn mobile camp - guest cabins and dining lounge...

Jim and Caju displaying one of many topwater trophy Peacocks for the week...

Admiring the release of a beautiful Azul Peacock...

Another topwater double for Jim and I...

Caju performing a Piranha dental checkup...

A view of commitment... trophy Peacock engulfs a Master Jack Popper

Double trophies for Steve and Joan...

Fine service and food at Anglers Inn's dining lounge...

Amazing comfort and amenities in the guest cabins...

Caju showing off his pet beetle...

The spotlight performers for the week... Umpqua's Master Jack Poppers

All smiles for another incredible Amazon adventure...

(CLICK HERE for the complete trip slideshow)

Trip Report: Freshwater Dorado of Salto Grande, Uruguay

2011-09-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

The roguish beauty of freshwater Dorado...

I am in awe… without a doubt, this trip to Uruguay was a complete eye-opener about my perspective on freshwater species. I have various favorite species because of certain qualities and characteristics they each possess – Largemouth Bass with their fly crushing grabs, Steelhead with their aerial antics and speed, Salmon with their bull-doggish stamina, and Peacocks with their roguish aggression and amazing torque. Imagine a fish species that encompasses all of these traits in one fish… meet the freshwater Dorado.

On this trip were my good friends, Shiz from San Jose, CA and husband-wife team, Steve and Joan, from Placerville, CA. The group and I traveled on American Airlines through Dallas and onwards to Buenos Aires. Upon our arrival, the River Plate ground host, Sofia, met us and transferred us across BA to our hotel. We arrived a day early to briefly see the sights in BA. As we were en route to Hotel Dora, the first word that came to mind about the city is “massive”. This was a typical metropolitan city with traffic, high density population, and more traffic. However, when we descended down the off ramp to the famous boulevard, I then saw the charm in this city. Albeit grand, this city is steeped in traditional architecture and history. Many of the buildings’ architecture have a euro influence from the French colonization, and Sofia was excellent at identifying and explaining each structure and its significance.

After arriving the Hotel Dora, we checked in and rested for a few hours. We then headed out for a firsthand tour of BA lead by Sofia. She did an outstanding job of taking us to see a variety of sights from an “insider’s perspective”. She explained the intricate architecture of many of the buildings and even brought us to visit the infamous Malba art museum. And of course, we even visited a few tackle shops to get a local’s view of Dorado fishing and the flies they sell for the same. Later that evening, we met my friend and fellow agent, Joey Lin, for a nice Italian dinner at Sottovoce Restaurant. It was a long day of travel filled with many activities in BA… exhausted to say the least, but excited about tomorrow’s departure for our final destination, the Uruguay River at Salto Grande Dam.

The next morning, we shuttled to the domestic airport in BA, “Aeroparque”, and were greeted by Sophia. She checked us in and we were on our way. As we lifted off the ground at the Aeroparque and circled the city of BA, we saw a birds-eye view of the massive Rio de la Plata. The river is formed by a myriad of major drainages from Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Our flight path took us in the upriver direction with our destination being Concordia, Argentina. As I peered at the topography below I was reminded of the Central Valley back at home – relatively flat with a checkerboard of agricultural farms and cattle ranches. It was a short flight of about 1 ½ hours before we saw the small city of Concordia in the distance.

As we approached, I looked out the window to observe the grand Uruguay River a thick muddy rust color. My heart sank and I thought ‘oh no…’ I had never been to this fishery before, but any fly anglers knows that when a river has a “dense” brown color it usually means tough fishing. I quickly recounted my mental research before the trip – recalling stable weather leading into our week that should yield good fishing conditions for our trip. I was stunned to see the water color and wondered how it was that Mom-Nature served up this surprise.

As we deplaned at the small airport at Concordia, the River Plate host, Patrick Brown, greeted us with a warm smile and handshake. After his welcome, he conveyed that the fishing conditions were poor due to a recent massive rain storm in Brazil hundreds of miles away. Apparently, the Uruguay River’s headwaters begin in Brazil and the resulting rust color was from the soil and tannins in the Brazilian soil upriver. My group and I just took this comment in stride, adjusted our expectations, and knew that we would have to fish hard this week to make it happen.

On the way to the resort, we had to stop at the border to clear customs and immigration. It was quite funny to see a long counter, with one half being the Argentinean side, and the other being the Uruguay side, each with agents wearing their countries official uniform. Our passports were checked by Argentine agent, then we moved over 10 feet to other side of the counter to be admitted by the Uruguayan agent. Afterwards, we drove over the infamous Salto Grande Dam that connects the two countries. It was a massive dam and quite alluring to think that just below it dwelled thousands of hungry giant Dorado. After the 20 minute drive, we finally arrived at the Horacio Quiroga Resort. It is a beautiful resort that resides on the shoreline of Salto Grande Lake.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by our friend and River Plate associate Gabriel Puig. Gabriel has always been our ground host for our Amazon trips and I was excited that he was there to introduce us to this new Dorado program. He showed us to our rooms and we then assembled in the private guest lounge for a toast to celebrate our arrival and beginning of a Dorado adventure.

This week, we planned to fish our first 2 days on the Uruguay River in the public waters below the exclusive zone. We thought this plan was to be an excellent plan to warm-up on smaller Dorado in the public waters, before advancing to the big leagues of trophy Dorado immediately below Salto Grande Dam. With less than optimal river conditions, we fished hard in the public waters for two days and still managed to land a number of Dorado up to 14 pounds. It was interesting to fish in the public waters and see the how the locals fished from both the bank and in boats. It was quite impressive to observe the size of the lures that many of the locals were fishing – some as long and thick as your forearm.

My first Dorado was a juvenile of 4 pounds or so, but I was astounded to see the amount of caution and respect that the guides exhibited while handling the Dorado,… even the small ones. I took a brief moment to note the beautiful and carnal features of this awesome species. This species is a work of Mom-Nature’s art, with their glistening gold body color and defining accents on the edge of each scale. However, my favorite features are the unique striations across the shimmering golden gill plate and the crimson blush of the tail. But amidst all of this refined beauty is a voracious set of teeth. It was amazing to meet a fish with such a contrast of beauty and roguishness. Without a doubt, these fish are killing machines. I quickly discovered that these fish wreak havoc on flies,… no matter the size of the fish or fly. Their teeth seem to have a combination of cutting and puncturing capability, and the guides definitely give them respect. One incident that reinforced this respect is when deckhand, Tito, was trying to handle a fish in the boat and it slipped onto the padded seat. The fish immediately sensed a presence in front of its mouth and bit the pad. Tito grabbed the fish by the tail and tried to wrangle it off of the chair pad, as it continued to “chomp” on the seat. It would not let go, until Tito used pliers to open its jaws and release its death grip on the chair pad. We all got a good laugh out of it, but it certainly reinforced the respect and caution that these fish command.

River Plate runs a split day program at Salto Grande, with the morning and evening sessions running about 3 ½ hours each. Breakfast is served continental style in the resort café. Each morning we were treated to an impressive spread of various pastries and breads, yogurt, cereal, made to order eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh fruits, and various juices and the best bold coffee you could ever hope for. Lunch and dinners are ordered from a full menu and served in the private guest lounge. The guest lounge is exclusive to River Plate guests and is dressed with a full open bar of liquors, beer, and wine. It was always refreshing to relax in the lounge with the group and recount the past day’s fishing stories.

After completing our fishing days in public waters, we geared ourselves mentally and tackle-wise to begin fishing the “zone” for the next 4 days. The zone has been designated by both governments as exclusive, and only one outfitter is permitted to operate from each country. It is strictly enforced, monitored, and patrolled – it is all catch and release, and no public fishing is allowed. This exclusive zone measures approximately 1000 meters X 1000 meters. To put it in perspective, the zone is about the size of 200 football fields and home to an incredible density of trophy Dorado. This zone is a safe haven for the Dorado, allowing them to reach their immense growth potential.

As we begin our first day of fishing, we were relieved to see that the river clarity was improving. Per the guides’ instructions, we were armed with heavy sinktips to counter the higher flows out of the dam. The influx of water from Brazil necessitated a relatively higher flow out of the dam. At the onset, I thought this would negatively affect the fishing. However, I would soon find out that more turbulent flows will often increase the feeding activity of Dorado.

As we set out on the boats, I glanced over at the horizon and saw thick cloud formations building. Rain was in the forecast and it was on its way. Within minutes, we were at the dam face. At first, it was a somewhat ominous feeling motoring up to the massive face of the dam. Flow from the dam was powerful and voluminous. My first thought was how “small” I felt in this body of water. I have fished many large rivers in my time, but this was dwarfing. I almost felt as if I was outmatched by bringing a pea-shooter of a 10 wt. rod to this giant sport fishing arena. Nonetheless, my fishing partner, Shiz, and I were up to the task and commenced our first fishing session at the “zone” below Salto Grande.

On this morning, Shiz and I started out by battling a few average sized Dorado of 8 - 10 pounds. We were both impressed with the sheer power and stamina that this species exerts. Our rods seemed to be torqued-to-the-max on this size class of Dorado. This led us to the thought… ‘Would our tackle be able to withstand the power of a mammoth sized Dorado?’ This question would be answered soon enough.

The boat strategy was to back drift down current as we made multiple casts perpendicular to the current. Due to the higher flow, it was imperative that the boat backed down the same speed as the current. This would allow our 400-450 grain lines to sink without tension/drag and be able to reach maximum depths before retrieving the fly. Often, our fly would be slammed by a Dorado as the fly was on a dead-drift while sinking. It was explained to us that, when the dam is releasing heavy outflows, the hydroelectric turbines act like a meat grinder chopping up bait fish that are gobbled up by the Dorado holding in the current. This continual food factory for the Dorado allows them to reach maximum strength and growth potential.

Later this morning, I would experience a product of this supercharged fishery. As we neared the end of another drift below the dam, our guide “Chopo” told me to make one more cast before heading back up to the dam. I laid out a long cast toward the middle of the river and gave it a 5 count before beginning my retrieve. On the first few strips, I felt the river current working my fly. Then, I suddenly felt the line go slack while stripping the fly. I knew the boat had been tracking properly down current, but this disconnected feeling made me quickly realize that something was swimming toward me with my fly. I quickly gave my line a series of long and fast strips trying to get tight. Suddenly, I felt that desirable solid “thud!” followed by heavy rod-pumping head shakes by something massive on the end of the line. In that instance, all of my attention went to my heap of fly line laying around my feet and stripping bucket. My line was flying everywhere while this fish screamed upriver. Thankfully, I cleared my line and this fish was deep into my backing before I looked up and saw the incredible sight of a massive Dorado going aerial off in the distance. Even from afar, this fish looked behemoth. Guide Chopo and deckhand Maxi gave out a gasp and cheer as it was confirmed that fish was a true trophy on the fly. It was quite a battle as this “grande” made numerous aerial appearances, powerful runs, and duking it out boat-side. I leaned into the guts of my 10 weight rod as hard as I thought possible, and at times it still felt like I was losing the battle. Finally, we were able to land this fish and admire its awesomeness firsthand. This gorgeous Dorado topped 30 pounds and it was an honor to hold a fish of this magnitude.

Throughout our days of fishing, my group and I varied our tackle to match the dynamic conditions produced by the Salto Grande Dam. What was interesting is that the dam outflow follows a schedule based on hydroelectric demand. Since the 4 days fishing program with River Plate is set for Friday through Monday, we saw dramatic differences in river height and flow during our time in the zone. The flows were highest on weekdays Friday and Monday because of the regional industry demands. Conversely, the flows were the lowest on Sunday. Without a doubt, a 400-450 grain sinktip fly line saw that most work below Salto Grande. However, with the lower river height and flow on Sunday, intermediate and even topwater fishing could be had around the rock structure and outcroppings. It was quite a dramatic difference in the “feel” of the river from high to low… almost like fishing a completely different river when the flows changed.

Dorado will test every weak link in your tackle system. Most notable, I had two instances where a mystery mammoth Dorado slammed my fly, only to part ways with a part of my leader system. Complacency has no place at Salto Grande. One of my mystery breakoffs was due to this complacency. I had already landed a few Dorado on a leader, and while checking it, I noticed a slight “wrinkle” in the 30# butt section of my leader. I pulled on it hard to check the strength of this thick butt section and it held just fine. So, I thought I was good to go. WRONG! The next cast I got absolutely ripped boat side by a humongous Dorado and broke my leader right where this seemingly superficial wrinkle in the leader was. This was a hard lesson learned, as the guide looked at me and gestured to me “grande” with his arms and the number 20 with his fingers… not pounds, but kilos! Lesson learned… ALWAYS replace your leader at the slightest hint of abrasion, nicks, and yes, even a wrinkle.

My preferred leader system was simple but very specific. Joey Lin highly recommended Malin BOA single strand titanium wire (35# - 40#) for the bite trace connecting to the fly. The characteristics of this wire resists kinking, stays straight, and seemed to hold up to the Dorado teeth endlessly. The downside to this wire is inherent in its qualities. Since it resists bending and kinking, it can be quite laborious to tie with. The most ideal knot to affix the fly is the Perfection Loop. Most interesting, this loop knot will not fully cinch down but is still 100% secure. This wire was then secured to a 30# mono butt section of RIO Max PLUS with an 8 – 9 turn Albright knot. This leader system can also be constructed with a class section of 20# if desired. I would not recommend fishing less than a 20# class section unless an angler is pursuing an IGFA line class record.

Here is an interesting observation about flies for Dorado. Before the trip, I had read from various sources that “eyes” on a lure or fly are essential for angling success below Salto Grande. Then, in another article about Dorado I read how this species has relatively small eyes, thus reinforcing the fact that these fish target their prey primarily with their lateral line and less by eyesight. So, with their eyesight being the least used senses, why would there be such a strong recommendation for eyes on the fly? Well, it was not until I visited the guides at their “guide shack” would I understand the importance of eyes on a fly. They explained to me that, yes, the Dorado search for their prey with their lateral line senses. However, the final urge or reaction to “kill” the lure or fly is by sight. They showed me a wide selection of handmade lures they recommend for conventional fishing for Dorado. Yes, all of them had distinct eyes and, even more interesting, they had a mid-section “dot” on each lure. The guides say they paint on this second eye to give a backup or secondary “kill-shot” target in case the eyes get chewed off from previous Dorado. So, with this explanation by the guides the “eyes” have it!

Also interesting to note about flies is that, due to the turbidity of the water, the successful flies were darker in color. Many combinations of black and other colors worked well. The motto for the week seemed to be ‘if you can cast it, they will eat it!’ On occasion, I fished a Billfish sized fly called “Big Eyes – Red Tail” in size 6/0 (red/black) by Enrico Puglisi. My other favorite fly for the week was Morgan Thalken’s Cruiser in size 3/0 (red/black). It was this fly that enticed and caught my personal best 30 pound Dorado.

During our days of fishing, it was exciting to watch Shiz, Steve, and Joan battle with these tough Dorado. We all agreed that these are the toughest freshwater fish that we had ever fought on a fly rod. A most memorable moment for me was watching Joan skillfully battle a big Dorado. She leaned into the fish as hard as her 10 weight could handle. She never gave it an inch and it still fought until the bitter end. Another memorable moment was being a spectator to Shiz’s battle with a Dorado that made a series of jumps that almost circled the entire boat! These fish are sometimes above the surface more than beneath it sometimes… simply amazing.

As our week in Uruguay came to a close, we were fortunate that the river clarity improved each day. What was originally a sinking feeling of low expectation due to a blown out river, turned out to be an eye-opener in how incredible this fishery can be. The guides said that we had the worst fishing conditions they had seen all season, and we still caught fish. We landed over 200 Dorado in the zone. We were all pleased with our success and amazed that this was a “slow week” in terms of numbers. It could only get better? Wow! In final, this was a special week of fishing with good friends. We are now Dorado fanatics and looking forward to our next fishing excursion on the Uruguay River below Salto Grande.

Fish On! - Keith

Keith’s Tackle Notes:

Rods: Sage TCX 990-4 and 1090-4 / TFO BVK 1090-4

Reels: Sage 6080 and 6010 / Hatch 9 PLUS with 30# Dacron backing

Fly Lines: RIO Leviathon 400 grain / SA Mastery Tropic Express 450

Leader: RIO Max Plus

Wire: Malin BOA single strand titanium wire

(CLICK HERE for a full slideshow of the trip)

Boarding the charter flight from Aeroparque to Concordia...

Which fly?... decisions, decisions...

Dorado are tough on flies...

Mean teeth on Dogfish...

Joan sampling the morning variety of pastries...

Airborne display by a Dorado...

Steve and Joan doubled up with Tito...

Shiz with a nice average sized Dorado...

Steve struck gold on this rainy day...

Dorado are tough on flies...

Shiz is all smiles about this robust Dorado...

Tito displaying Joan's "teener" Dorado...

Shimmering gold gill plate of Dorado... gorgeous

26 pounds of Gold...

Joan leaning on a jumbo Dorado...

Nice catch Joan!

Steve lands an odd by-catch species... a "Boga"

Maxi displaying Shiz's robust Dorado...

The gorgeous Horacio Quiroga Resort...

Shiz and I pulling double duty on Dorado...

An odd by-catch species named "Vieja del Agua"... translated as old woman of the water

Admiring a fish of a lifetime below Salto Grande...

Team Dorado for the week... we will be back!
(L-R: Maxi, Chopo, me, Tito, Pancho, Joan, Shiz, and Steve)

(CLICK HERE for a full slideshow of the trip)

Trip Report: Nicholas Dean Skeena Camp (Aug. 7 - 13, 2011)

2011-09-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

Skeena Chrome...

Here is a fantastic report and a few photos from our customer, Carlo Proto, about his trip to British Columbia while fishing with Nicholas Dean Skeena Camp.

"My fishing buddy Don Powell and I had one of our best fishing trips ever when we attended the Nicholas Dean Skeena River Camp August 7 - 13, 2011 in Terrace British Columbia operated by Dustin Kovacvich . It was a dream trip. We were set up to for success right from the start. We camped on an island in the middle of the Skeena River in B.C. The Skeena is the highway for Northern B.C. steelhead and salmon. The Morise, the Kispiox, the Babine and the Copper are all tributaries for the Skeena. The camp had all the comforts a serious fisherman could imagine. There were 5 guests in the camp and each had their own tent. The tents had a cot and a new sleeping bag was provided. We took our meals in a large cook/meal tent, and the food was prepared perfectly by an expert chef. The meals were tasty and there were generous portions. In addition there was a large equipment tent where we could store our coats, vests, and other fishing paraphernalia. There was also a fly tying station where the fly of the day could be created. Everything we needed was anticipated by the staff of Nicolas Dean Lodge. We even had a shower and an outhouse. After settling in late Sunday afternoon one could only think, “Man this is cool, let’s go fishing”, and that is exactly what we did.

All of the Nicholas Dean camp preparations allowed the guests to fish 15 hour days if we chose to and some days we chose to. We got up early and fished before breakfast. On the way to the river we picked up a cup of coffee or tea from the cook tent. We fished the early morning and the camp staff anticipated our needs and brought breakfast & lunch to the river. At lunch time the second day I did not want to stop fishing as I had not hooked a Skeena River Steelhead, so Dustin being a gracious host asked me if I wanted to eat my burger while fishing. I accepted the offer and half way through the burger I hooked a nice sockeye.

The attention to detail by the Nicholas Dean staff allowed Don and I to concentrate solely on our fishing. Both Don and I are into learning more about swinging for steelhead. Don has been there 11 times and this is my 4th B.C. trip. We got lots of expert advise from the guides and picked up tips from Dustin and Sky who are two of the best steelhead fishermen I have seen fish. We also were supported by Al & Yvan two other fishing guides that provided expert help. It is said that steelhead are a fish of a 1000 casts, For Dustin & Sky steelhead seem to be a fish of 80 casts. In working with these two experts I learned once again they are very fishy people because they pay attention to and notice little things going on in the water. All the little things add up to make big differences. I learned so much because they pointed out details and when asked they demonstrated techniques that produced on the water results. They do not just talk about catching fish they make it happen. A picture is worth a thousand words below are some photos of the first week of the Nicholas Skeena River Salmon Steelhead Camp. - CP"

Sockeye Salmon

Early-run Coho Salmon

Behemoth Pink Salmon

Dr. Don... in B.C. Paradise!

Don and a 12# Steelie...

Mid-Week Trip Report: Musky Country Outfitters (Hayward, WI)

2011-06-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

Jim lands his very first Musky on the fly...

Jim and I are having a wonderful week here in Wisconsin fishing with Musky Country Outfitters. This part of the country is breathtaking... amazing beauty and remoteness. I never thought a domestic destination could still be so remote and wild. In just a few days, we saw snapping turtles, bald eagle with yearlings in a nest, swans, white-tailed deer, and other wildlife. This region is the outdoor paradise and fishing is a way of life for the residents.

We are lodging on Spider Lake and in the midst of a myriad of lakes and rivers... there is water everywhere and it seems to be fish everywhere too! In addition to the glamor species Musky, Jim and I are also equally impressed about the other available species that are willing to eat the fly. Northern Pike, Walleye, Largemouth, Trout, and awesome Smallmouth. We are getting a true sampling of their waters and species this week. Their guides are total professionals and they run an excellent program.

Here are a few photos so far from our trip... Fish On!

An "oinker" Musky landed by guides Chris and Tim...

Head outfitter, Brad, and guide, Brian, reviewing the rigged flys for the day...

The "Tribe" at Musky Country Outfitters...

I landed my largest ever Smallmouth... landed on a topwater "Pike Fly"

A Story of the Importance of MedEvac Coverage...

2011-05-27T00:53:00.001-07:00

For the past years, I have been booking clients all over the world for fishing and have always recommended that clients elect, at a minimum, a “MedEvac” policy while traveling and fishing. As with all outdoor recreation, there are always potential risks of travel, being around water, transporting in boats, float planes, etc, and just being in the great outdoors. Another fact is that, while fly fishing takes us to some of the most beautiful and remote locales on earth, this pursuit also brings us to regions where there are often limited medical services and facilities, if at all. It is for these reasons that I have a medical evacuation policy with Global Rescue - a few hundred dollars goes a long way for peace of mind while traveling and fishing around the globe.

Well, this truth was never more apparent than last week while on the remote island of South Caicos in the Caribbean. I feel the need to share this event in hopes that you will evaluate your own future fishing adventures and realize that you “need” this coverage if you fish abroad and/or in remote regions. The story begins…

My group and I had already spent a wonderful week wading the flats for Bonefish at South Caicos. On the last morning before fishing, father Bob and son Dave were in their room getting dressed and ready for the day of fishing. Dave told his father that he was going down to the kitchen to get some coffee for them. Upon returning to the room, he noticed that Bob was standing at the foot of his bed with a blank look on his face… Dave immediately knew something was wrong. I was immediately notified, went up to their room, and Dave said that his father might have just had a stroke.

Being the agent/host of the trip, I knew that Bob had secured Global Rescue coverage and asked for his membership card. I immediately called Global Rescue and they took command of the situation from there. When the island doctor and ambulance arrived, we transported Bob to the island’s only medical clinic. It was a basic clinic with limited facilities and no specialized equipment to care for a serious medical condition such as this. While there, Global Rescue coordinated a phone conference between the island doctor and Global Rescue’s medical consulting team at John Hopkins Hospital – they diagnosed that he indeed had a stroke. They assessed his condition and confirmed an urgent status requiring the need for Global Rescue to deploy their medical team in a medical jet. While they were assembling their medical flight team, Global Rescue began communications with us to confirm passport numbers and the flight plan for arrival on South Caicos.

Within a few hours, we were notified that the jet was on approach to South Caicos and we transported Bob and Dave to the South Caicos airport to meet the jet. Never in my life have I been so happy to see a jet on an airstrip – help had arrived. After receiving approval of their return flight plan, the medical jet transported Bob and Dave to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Bob was admitted to one of the nation’s top medical clinics. He stayed there for 4 days while the clinic conducted the necessary scans and stabilized his condition. His condition improved during his stay and was cleared for transfer home to a hospital in Sacramento, CA for continued care.

Amazingly, Global Rescue’s care and service continued all the way back to Sacramento. Global Rescue booked Bob a first class seat on a commercial airline and escorted him with their flight nurse to monitor and care for him during the return flight to Sacramento. To summarize, Bob remained under the care of Global Rescue from the airstrip on South Caicos, to Ft. Lauderdale for intermediary medical care, and all the way back home to Sacramento where he was finally admitted to a hospital for further care.

Today, I spent time visiting with Bob and his family at the hospital. Bob was in good spirits and, thankfully, his condition continues to improve each day. He and his family are very thankful for the service and care that Global Rescue provided.

On my flight home from South Caicos, I had the chance to reflect on the events that occurred that morning. In my mind, I tried to run through the various scenarios of not having Global Rescue in this incident… it was a confusing, complex, and downright scary picture. What I realized is that securing medical evacuation coverage gives one peace of mind and, most importantly, the feeling that “help is on the way” when an incident occurs. Nothing was more hopeful and comforting in this situation than this feeling - “help is on the way.”

Also during my in-flight mental evaluation of this incident, I thought of some important pre-trip preparations that travelers should complete before commencing travel on any trip. Once you have secured Global Rescue coverage, here are some highlighted points that will help facilitate evacuation and proper medical response if needed:

Notify Global Rescue of your future travel plans (destination, itinerary, purpose, etc.)
Ensure that there is a reliable means of communication on the trip (international cell phone [GSM or CDMA], SAT phone, land line, etc.)
Keep a current list of medications and medical history along with your Global Rescue card; I recommend writing this information on a sticky note and sealing it on the back of your Global Rescue card.
Appoint a “buddy” (or host) for the trip who knows the whereabouts or has a copy of your Global Rescue card, emergency contact, and medical information (medical history, medications, etc.); the scenario is if you should become unconscious, somebody on your trip knows the whereabouts of your information and can communicate your medical information to the Global Rescue agent and medical team.
Leave your trip itinerary, medical history / medication list, and Global Rescue number with your emergency contact(s) back at home.

In final, I hope that this story will encourage you to evaluate your own future vacation travels and realize that Global Rescue coverage is essential. It can give you peace of mind and serve you in times of medical need while traveling abroad and/or in remote regions. Being a first responder in this incident and witnessing Global Rescue perform at the highest level of professionalism confirmed my confidence in their coverage and service.

I wish you safe travels while Angling On The Fly.

Keith Kaneko

Angling On The Fly

For more information, please feel free to email me at Keith@AnglingOnTheFly.com or visit the Global Rescue website

Back from South Caicos!

2011-05-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

Dave lands a "ghostly" Bone on a pure white sand flat...

Recently got back from another wonderful trip to South Caicos. We spent the week navigating across the beautiful Bonefish flats by airboat. We had some stellar sessions stalking Bonefish and even hooked some nice Barracuda too. I will have a complete trip report posted soon, but in the meantime here are some photos from the trip. Fish On!

The gorgeous flats at South Caicos...

Tad lands a jumbo Bonefish back in the creeks...

Yes,... these are ALL Bonefish. Can you count that high?

Our transport for the week... 24 foot airboat

Hosted Trip: Anglers Inn - Amazon Peacock Bass (Sept. 16 - 25, 2011)

2011-05-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

Remote mobile camps - the ultimate strategy for prime Peacock Bass fishing

Angling On The Fly is excited to announce that Anglers Inn (of Mexico - Lakes El Salto and Mateos) is partnered with the #1 outfitter in the Amazon, River Plate Anglers, to run an exclusive mobile camp for anglers pursuing Peacock Bass. Actually, Anglers Inn is not "new" to the Amazon,... owner Billy Chapman Jr. was one of the first outfitters to establish camps in the Amazon almost 30 years ago. Well, he has returned to the Amazon and has raised the bar on the level of accommodations and service provided in the midst of the Amazon. Here is a summary:

Nothing is more exciting than battling one of the world's greatest freshwater game fish on the fly, the Peacock Bass! Anglers Inn, with its mobile camp program, will place its anglers amidst prime exclusive water in the Amazon. This mobile program optimizes the fly anglers' success by relocating the camp to different sections of a river throughout the week and fishing for Peacock Bass that have not been pressured. This strategy maximizes our anglers' catch-rate and offers the best chances at trophy Peacock Bass. A variety of fly fishing tactics may be utilized, from large streamers on sinktips down deep to topwater offerings on the surface. To complete your experience in the Amazon, Anglers Inn provides unprecedented levels of service and amenities at camp. Their new Floating Mobile Suites are best-in-class, offering features that have never been offered before in the Amazon. From cabins with a rear lounge deck, rooms with a view, hot water showers, to excellent staff service, Anglers Inn comes through with your comfort in mind. This is Amazon fly fishing at its best, done the "Anglers Inn Way"!

I will be working with Anglers Inn to host their fly fishing specific weeks this season and beyond. Both Billy and I will be hosting a September 2011 week for fly anglers. Here are the details:

ITINERARY:
Anglers Inn Exclusive Fly-In Mobile Camp (September 16 - 25, 2011) - 3 SPOTS LEFT
Sept. 16: Arrive Manaus; overnight at Hotel Tropical
Sept. 17: Transfer by float plane and/or express boat to Anglers Inn exclusive camp
Sept. 18 - 23: Six full fishing days on Matupiri or other exclusive river
Sept. 24: Return by float plane and/or express boat to Manaus; overnight at Hotel Tropical
Sept. 25: Depart Manaus for USA

RATE: $5,250 per angler (double occupancy) from Manaus, Brazil

Please contact me for further details and bookings. Thank you and Fish On!

Keith Kaneko
Angling On The Fly
Keith@AnglingOnTheFly.com
(916) 539-3474

Best-in-class spacious guest cabins

Each cabin has a back deck/dock for relaxing and enjoying the sites of the Amazon

Attention to detail, service, and comfort is the focus of Anglers Inn - Amazon

Mid-Week Trip Report: Uruguay Freshwater Dorado

2011-04-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous 30 pound Dorado landed on Thalken's Cruiser fly

I am in Uruguay this week with a small group of clients. We are fishing the renowned Uruguay River below Salto Grande Dam - home to some of the world's largest freshwater Dorado. Simply put, this species is one of the strongest freshwater gamefish that I have ever fished for. Amazing power and aerobatics. The grab is arm-jolting, while the fight is a never-ending match with rod torquing runs and aerial displays.

We have been having some solid session so fishing with the average fish going 8 - 12 pounds. Everyone in the group has landed Dorado in the teens, with a few fish landed between 22 - 30 pounds. We have been fishing 9/10 weight rods, 350-400 grain sink-tips, 40# wire leader, and jumbo 3/0 - 5/0 flies. Black and red have been the most consistent color combo - Thalken's Cruiser and Puglisi Streamers.

Well, 4 more sessions of fishing here in Uruguay... I will post a full report upon completion of our trip. Until then, Fish On!

Shiz and I post a nice double for the day...

Guide "Tido" and Shiz with an 8 kilo Dorado...

Dorado have a serious set of teeth and know how to use them,... keep fingers AWAY!

An average Dorado... 8 pounds

All catch and release in the exclusive zone below Salto Grande Dam...

22 pounds of fury on the fly rod!

Joan lands a nice sized Dorado!

Joan laying the wood on a 7 kilo Dorado... way to go Joan!

Shiz lands a beautiful male Dorado...

Travel and Fish with Peace-of-Mind

2011-03-27T03:27:00.001-07:00

Angling On The Fly is now proud to offer MedEvac coverage by Global Rescue. Weather you are traveling to the most remote regions of the world (or anywhere just 161 miles from home) and need hospitalization, Global Rescue provides the most comprehensive MedEvac coverage. Visit Global Rescue to review their coverage and enroll. Safe travels and Fish On!

2012 Amazon Hosted Trips for Peacock Bass

2011-02-17T09:16:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,

I am excited to announce that I will be personally hosting a couple of back-to-back weeks in the Amazon next season. Once again, we are fishing with River Plate Outfitters and their exclusive mobile fly-in camps. Here are the details:

RPO Mobile Fly-In Camp / Jan. 20 - 28, 2012 (exclusive river program) - 2 SPOTS LEFT

Jan. 20: Arrive Manaus; overnight at Hotel Tropical (or other hotel specified by RPO)
Jan. 21: Transfer by float plane to RPO exclusive camp
Jan. 22 - 27: Six full fishing days on exclusive river
Jan. 28: Return by float plane to Manaus; depart Manaus for USA (afternoon flight)

RPO Mobile Fly-In Camp / Jan. 27 - Feb. 4, 2012 (exclusive river program) - 4 SPOTS LEFT

Jan. 27: Arrive Manaus; overnight at Hotel Tropical (or other hotel specified by RPO)
Jan. 28: Transfer by float plane to RPO exclusive camp
Jan. 29 - Feb. 3: Six full fishing days on exclusive river
Feb. 4: Return by float plane to Manaus; depart Manaus for USA (afternoon flight)

I hope you will join us! For more detailed trip information, please visit my website HERE.

Tarpon Cay Lodge on the Outdoor Channel this week!

2011-01-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Joe Daniel of Wild On The Fly has produced a TV Show titled "In Search of Sabalitos" about Tarpon Cay Lodge in San Felipe, Mexico. It airs this week on the Outdoor Channel. You can watch it Pacific Time at 6:00am Thursday, 3:00pm Friday and 10:30am Saturday.

Here is the link to the show schedule and further information about this episode - http://www.outdoorchannel.com/Shows/WildOnTheFly.aspx

Check it out!

Amazon Trip Report (Nov. 5 - 14, 2010)

2010-11-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

As I sit here on our flight back to Miami, I reflect upon my group’s wonderful week of fishing in the Amazon. This was my third trip to the Amazon and was certainly a week that would show many more facets of this very diverse environment. Our group of eight included George and Doug from the Lodi area, Shiz from San Jose, Steve and Joan from Placerville, Wade from Los Angeles, and Jim and myself from the Sacramento area. At the outset, we had heard reports of severe droughts in the Amazon Basin and wondered where our group would be camped. On approach to Manaus, we peered down and saw boat after boat stranded high and dry because the water levels near Manaus had dropped to 35+ year lows.

Despite this fact, my pre-trip communications with our outfitter, River Plate Outfitters, assured me that they had a camp with decent water levels for us to fish. Apparently, after the media reports of drought on the Rio Negro, the northern region of the basin began receiving heavy rainfall. Water levels on many of the tributaries flowing from the northern state of Roraima were up and rising.

Upon arriving Manaus, we were informed by our ground host, Gabriel, that we would be headed for one of RPO’s exclusive rivers – the Jufari River. We then boarded a Cessna Caravan float plane and our adventure began. As we flew from Manaus along the Rio Negro, it was amazing to see the drastic contrast of vast, exposed sandbars and extreme low water observed on the left side of the plane, and higher water and even blown out rivers flowing from the north on the right side of the plane. This was a lesson in itself,… it was a reminder that the Amazon Basin is massive, and the myriad of micro-climates can yield dramatically different conditions in one part of the basin versus another.

After a 1 ½ hour flight, the float plane touched down on the Jufari River where our camp guides greeted us in their boats. We boarded the boats and motored 15 minutes upriver toward camp. At first glance, we noticed that the water levels looked ideal – exposed sandbars in some areas and the base of the trees were just above the water line. There was no sign of drought on this river. Once again, this was confirmation that River Plate Outfitters’ mobile camp strategy is best able to adapt to the dynamic conditions of the Amazon.

Upon arriving camp that staff scurried over to greet us with welcome drinks and snacks. We all toasted to a safe arrival at camp and looked forward to a fun week of fishing on the Jufari. Our focus then turned to rigging our rods for the week of fishing to come. Based on the water levels, most rigged a topwater setup and an I-line setup. One of the biggest advancements in fly line design has been the RIO Tropical Outbound Short flylines. These lines are designed to cast the large flies and heavy leaders necessary for fishing Peacock Bass. The most common rod weight amongst the group was a 9 weight. This size is castable all day, and still provides the power to battle a trophy double-digit Peacock Bass. Group member, Doug, commented that he tried fishing an 8 weight one day and was amazed that even a 4 – 5 pound fish would torque his rod to the maximum and would definitely feel under-gunned if he hooked a trophy fish. On the otherhand, a few other group members fished their ten weights with RIO OBS 11 weight lines with chicken sized flies and said that it was just too much “work” to fish all day long. So, it was agreed that a 9 weight was the sweet-spot for a rod setup.

The next day our group commenced our first day of fishing and, throughout the day, was subjected to the weather extremes of the Amazon. In the morning, the heat and humidity was intense… it is so important that an angler’s intake of fluids keeps up with this tropical heat and the acclimation of the body in this environ. Then, in the afternoon the clouds advanced and brought with them a mass deluge of rain. Yes, this was a reminder that we were in the midst of the world’s largest rainforest. The tepid rainfall was welcomed as it cooled the air and made fishing more comfortable. Throughout our week, it rained heavily almost every afternoon. Although this weather kept the tropical heat at bay, it also yielded rising river levels throughout the week and would influence our camp locale throughout the week.

This week was a trip full of extremes… from scorching heat and humidity to heavy rainfall, drought conditions on some rivers to high water on others, and even the daily fish count through the week. In the earlier part of the week, we were on the lower part of the river. In the first couple of days, good numbers of fish were landed and a number of trophy Azuls were landed. Shiz landed 3 trophy Azul Peacocks on Day Zero of the trip. Most memorable, his first cast of the trip yielded an Azul Peacock of 12 pounds! Of course, he was fishing his trusty “Judy’s F/T Clouser” in blue/white – a fly that has yielded him numerous trophy Peacocks on various trips to the Amazon.

On Day One, the stars aligned for me somehow and I finally hit a personal-best on a beautiful Azul that was cruising in 18 inches of water. While Shiz and I were focused fishing to some busting fish on the left, our guide Zaza suddenly spotted a pair of trophy fish off the right side of the boat. I quickly backhanded my fly line and Reducer fly (tied by Rob Anderson) in front of these fish and, in a blink of an eye, my line went tight and screamed off like a bonefish on a flat. This fish got on the reel and peeled off 20+ yards of backing while the line was rooster-tailing across the surface. EPIC! I was fortunate to be able to direct him away from snags and finally bring him to hand. The power of a fish this size is incredible… I was completely dripping with sweat and my heart was racing. I had landed fish to 19 pounds on previous trips, but I peered at this fish as Zaza boga’d it and thought… could it be possible that I have hit a new personal best? YES! Zaza confirmed that it was a tad over 20 pounds! It was truly a highlight moment in my angling journeys. To be blessed with a Peacock Bass of this size is truly a gift.

We camped on the lower half of the Jufari this week. The first thing that many of us noticed was the difference in topography from other rivers our group had fished in the past. We noticed that many of the trees were quite short in height. It was explained that great expanses of this region were flood plain and this affected the growth patterns and cycles of the trees. It was quite apparent that the trees growing on high bluffs that were above the flood water line tended to be the tallest and most robust. Then, the lower lying areas would have very sparse younger trees. Another observation on this trip was the abundance of bird life that we saw around the river. We saw a variety of birds of prey, herons, Macaws, and Parrots. The most comical were the Parrots, who always flew in mated pairs and were quite noisy as if they were a bickering couple debating whether to go right or go left to get somewhere. In addition, we had sightings of otters, dolphins, caiman, crocs, turtles, and a variety of other species.

On Day Two and Three of our trip, the river continued to rise and the camp was moved upriver in hopes of finding lower water levels and better fishing conditions. To our surprise, the water levels upriver seem relatively higher than they were downriver. Apparently, the river and its braids were narrower in this region and less able to handle the influx of rainfall from upriver. The river level rose above the base of the trees in some areas and this affected our fishing. On these two days, our group’s daily fish count was the lowest of the trip with 20 – 30 Peacock Bass landed per boat. However, each day an angler or two would land a trophy double-digit Azul.

As our week progressed, we got to know our camp manager, Pelado, much better. It is always intriguing to get a local perspective on the Amazon and its fisheries. Pelado had more than two decades of guiding anglers in the Amazon before being promoted to a camp manager with RPO. His time guiding fly anglers developed his knowledge of fly design. The end result yielded a unique fly that he developed to imitate a Barracuda, a fish that Peacock Bass love to eat. At first glance, it looks like a simple skinny version of Lefty’s Deceiver. However, it was explained to us that the key element to this fly was its movement through the water. Many baitfish designs these days produce a jigging action, which in many instances produces fish quite consistently. However, Pelado explained that Barracuda move on a level plane through the water column, not up and down. Finally, Pelado incorporated an extended red tail to the fly – a key marking on the Amazon’s Barracuda. Thankfully, Pelado was willing to tie some of these for our group and they were very effective throughout our trip. The highlight for this fly was when 72 Peacocks were landed on one single “Pelado Fly” on Day Three.

After relatively slower fishing around the upriver camp for a couple of days, it was decided by Heraldo, Pelado, and the guides that our camp should be moved back downriver to the first camp site. The guides agreed that the fishing was going to be better downriver where the river braided out into a multitude of channels and lagoons. The layout of the river downriver reminded me of the CA Delta in some ways. A webbed network of waterways that created myriad of holding and feeding lies for fish.

One evening, Heraldo said he wanted to introduce someone to me. We walked past the staff quarters of the camp toward a boat that looked like it was out of a booked called the “Amazon Queen”. As I approached, a man name Manuel held out his hand with pride and a smile. Manuel was one of the “gatekeepers” for RPO on the Jufari River. He was a citizen of the nearby village of Caju and his primary responsibility was to continually patrol the river in his boat and ensure that no other competing outfitters were encroaching on RPO’s exclusive river. In addition, he also was given the responsibility of ensuring that the local fisherman were not harvesting Peacock Bass from these waters and following all rules agreed between RPO and the village of Caju. RPO purchased the boat and motor for Manuel, provides the fuel, and pays him to be the full-time monitor of this part of the river. This was, yet another, example of the amazing logistics and support that RPO provides to ensure that their rivers yield a good fishing experience for anglers, while employing and supporting the local communities.

On this trip, our group learned about the logistical, political, and conservation efforts that go into securing an “exclusive river program” offered by RPO. Most anglers view an “exclusive” program as the important fact that their additional paid cost ensures that no other outfitters will be “sharing” the same fishery. As important as this is, there is so much more to RPO’s exclusive river program than just yielding a quality fishing experience. Our host, Heraldo, and camp manager, Pelado, shared with us the fundamental purpose and principal of RPO creating an exclusive program. RPO has various rivers that are exclusive to their camps only and in return RPO works intimately with the local communities along these rivers to support their livelihood in return for them allowing us to fish “their waters”. This interdependent relationship of RPO and the local communities provides support for these communities through stipends and material goods such as boats, motors, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, etc. RPO recognizes that these rivers belong to these communities and respects their livelihood from the same by supplementing the people with goods and services. In too many places around the world, we see exploitation of native people and their resources. So, it is with great respect that I commend RPO for operating with appreciation and giving back to these communities. It turns out to be a win for the local communities, RPO, and anglers alike. This week, our group would be fishing the waters near the village of Caju.

Throughout the week, our group compared fishing notes and a common theme emerged. The now higher water allowed many of the smaller Peacock Bass to reside around submerged structure such as the base of trees or low lying branches. It was these areas where many Butterfly Peacocks would dart out and pounce on your fly. The closer you could present your fly to the structure, the better chance you were going to get a grab. Steve topped the week with a gorgeous 8 pound Butterfly Peacock.

Next, this week of fishing seemed to be fickle at times when fishing subsurface,… with the fish wanting just the right presentation. Jim and Wade discovered earlier in the week that often the Peacocks wanted a “falling-fly” presentation. Specifically, the presentation would be a few strips of the fly, followed by a long pause that would allow the fly to fall as if injured. Most often, the fish would grab on the drop. Another discovery was that, when you got a fish following your fly back to the boat and not committed, you could sometimes produce a strike by “fluffing” the fly next to the boat. It was amazing how many times a fish would slam the fly when you teased it next to the boat. Finally, this week revealed another required tactic to hook these Peacocks. It felt as if we were sometimes getting short strikes or tail-grabs. We would feel for the grab, set the hook, and then only have the fish on for a head shake or two. It was at that point when we realized that it was helpful to visually watch your fly as it was retrieved back to the boat. As soon as you saw a fish dart at your fly and/or your fly disappear, SET THE HOOK. It was amazing how many more fish would be hooked and landed by employing this tactic. The most amazing part of this tactic is that most often we never felt the grab when these fish ate the fly.

This week’s conditions yielded some of the best topwater fishing that my group has ever experienced. Now, I know that this sounds counterintuitive, but often when the subsurface bite would get slow we would switch to topwater and get immediate grabs from the Peacock Bass. Jim focused much of his fishing this past week on topwater and fished a variety of topwater flies that proved effective. We each had excellent topwater action around structure-lined areas with a Saltwater Popper (UFM), Ron Dong Crease Fly, Bisharat’s Pole Dancer, Haskin’s Magnum Gurgler and SubZero, or Popovic’s Banger. I have no explanation for why rising water conditions would produce better topwater fishing, but I guess this yet another one of the Amazon’s fishing mysteries. So, this confirms the need to be thorough in your fly selection and be flexible in your approach when fishing the Amazon.

The final days of fishing downriver produced some very consistent action. Each boat reported in each day with solid numbers of Peacock Bass landed. The group spread out on the lower region of the Jufari and it was a rare occasion that we would cross paths with other boats in our group. This is an experience where you feel truly remote… almost, as if this jungle river was your private fishing playground.

During this week, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the founder of the local village of Caju. He was visiting our camp because he was awaiting the delivery of some pain medications for his broken arm. He looked to be in pain, so I offered him some pain meds to hold him over until the delivery boat arrived the next day or so. He graciously thanked me with a genuine smile and a handshake. And of course, I thanked him for allowing our group to fish his local waters.

Throughout the week of fishing, it was often commented by the group and that the most “fun” fish were the Pacas. These are the younger, juvenile stage of the mighty behemoth Azul Peacocks. We all agreed that these fish, pound for pound, fought much harder than the Butterfly Peacocks, but yet fishing for them was quite different. Often, we found the Pacas out toward the middle of a lagoon or along the current seams of a channel. Sometimes, we would see Pacas busting bait in the middle of the lagoon and fish to them run-and-gun style. When you found them, often you could hook 5 – 10 of them before they moved on. George and Doug had some strong fishing sessions, with most of these Pacas ranging in size from 2 – 5 pounds. However, Shiz topped the week with a Paca that weighed in at almost 10 pounds! It was an amazing event that unfolded with the fish being spotted in 18 inches of water. We saw the wake of this large fish cruising along the tree-line of a flat and Shiz made a perfect presentation leading the fish. The wake of the fish turned into a swirl as the fish lunged toward Shiz’s fly. Then, all hell broke loose as the fish went on a long run, typical of a shallow water fight. Then, the fish turned back toward the boat and found a submerged snag to try to free itself. Our guide Deco, quickly saw the disaster unfolding and motored up to the snag and carefully unwrapped the fly line. Soon after, Shiz landed this beautiful Paca and we celebrated this awesome fish.

The final count for our week of fishing was 1,418 total Peacocks landed, including 12 Azuls of double digit size. Everyone in our group landed a trophy Peacock during the week. Different from other trips in the past, this week’s fishing for trophy fish was much more of a “flats fishing” style of pursuit. Often, we could spot the fish in a lagoon or flat by the wake that it pushed while cruising. The guide would then pursue and position the boat for a shot at the fish. This added to the suspense and made it much more of a visual and technical game. I can personally account for a number of “blown shots” on my part for various angling errors – stepping on my running line, lining the fish, etc. However, if an angler properly delivered the fly it would usually get eaten.

Steve and Joan were the strong finishers for the week by landing 12 and 19 pounders on the last day of fishing. They were both fishing a red and yellow Pelado Fly – another testament that sparse flies fished very well on this trip. After recapping the trip with our group, it was noted that the required fishing tactics and productive flies this past week were very different from previous trips. This spoke for the need to be flexible, creative, and tenacious in your approach to fishing for Peacocks. By the end of the week, our group was fishing sparse subsurface flies to stay in the action. Some of us, were even going to the extent of modifying our existing flies by cutting out material and reshaping them to get a slimmer profile. This confirmed the need to have a variety of flies on any trip to the Amazon. For sure, on my next trip this coming January I will have a good selection of sparser flies, including the Pelato Fly.

In final, more than anything,… this turned out to be a most memorable week of fishing with friends. We had a solid week of fishing, but I most remember the good times and laughter we shared throughout the week. It was the perfect week of travel, fishing, conversation, and memories. I eagerly look forward to my next adventure with these friends.

Keith Kaneko

Keith's Tackle Notes:

Favorite Topwater Setup
Rods: Sage BASS rod (Largemouth model - 330 grain)
Reels: Sage 6080
Fly Line: RIO Tropical Outbound Short (10 weight full floating) – or – Sage BASS line (330 grain)
Leader: RIO Flouroflex 44# or 52#; RIO Max Plus 40#
HOT Flies: Bisharat’s Pole Dancer (fire-tiger or red/white), Ron Dong Crease Fly, Pike Fly, Haskin's Magnum Gurgler, UFM's Saltwater Popper, and Popovich's Banger (Silver).

Favorite Subsurface Setup
Rod: Sage Xi3 990-4
Reel: Sage 6080
Fly Line: RIO Tropical Outbound Short F/I (intermediate tip)
Leader: RIO FlouroFlex 44# or 52#
HOT Flies: Bisharat’s AirHead (red/yellow), F/T Clouser (baby blue/white), Fuch’s Peacock Deception, Thalken's Cruiser (Peacock or Mullet) and Anderson’s Reducer.

(CLICK HERE for complete slideshow)

Arrival day...

Our camp on the Jufari River...

Incoming rain storm...

Doug and a nice trophy Azul...

BBQ Peacock Bass shore lunch prepared by the guides...

Evening story telling at camp... "the one that got away"

George and his trophy Azul for the week...

Jim enjoying the breakfast selection...

Shiz... first cast of the trip, first fish of the trip... grande!

Our camp manager, Pelado, serving up some Brazilian pizza!

Morning sunrise upon camp...

Guide Zaza showing a 2 pound Peacock that inhaled a Pole Dancer...

Joan showing her trophy of the trip... way to go Joan!

Steve and Joan... the dynamic angling duo!

Dinner is served! Peacock Bass Especial...

Steve diplaying one of his two "teeners" for the week...

Jumbo Azul cruising the shallows...

Shiz releasing a real beauty...

Shiz landed this big Paca while fishing a shallow lagoon...

Camp host, Heraldo, and his staff took great care of us during the week

Peacock release shot...

Stripping basket, a few rods, and a few (hundred) flies...

My trophy for the week, landed on Rob Anderson's Reducer ("Night Rider" color)

Happy campers and staff on the banks of the Jufari River...

(CLICK HERE for complete slideshow)

Back from the Amazon!

2010-11-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

Homebound! I am en route back to Sacramento now. My group and I just finished a successful week in the Amazon fishing for Peacock Bass. We fished with River Plate Outfitters and their mobile fly-in camp on the exclusive Jufari River. We had a solid week of fishing and thoroughly enjoyed our entire experience in the jungle. Please stay tuned for a complete report and photos... coming soon!

South Caicos Bonefishing: Hosted Trips 2011

2010-10-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that Angling On The Fly has secured a prime week for a hosted trip in Spring 2011 at our newest destination in the Caribbean, Beyond the Blue at South Caicos. This incredible destination is remote, pristine, and untapped for Bonefish... a truly special fishery that resides on the outskirts of the Caribbean. All classic wade fishing for jumbo Bonefish on the fly. Plan ahead and secure your spot on this trip with me. I look forward to our next adventure!

Beyond the Blue - South Caicos
Weeks: May 10 - 16, 2011 (6 nights / 5 days fishing)
Host: Keith Kaneko
Rate: $3,490 USD per angler (double occupancy)
Includes: 6 nights lodging; 5 days guided fishing; 3 meals per day; non-alcoholic beverages; fishing license; and ground transportation between South Caicos Airport and the lodge

CLICK HERE for more detailed information...

Trip Report: Nicholas Dean Lodge (Sept. 19 - 25, 2010)

2010-10-13T10:45:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous B.C. Steelhead

We recently received an excellent report from Jim Christensen and Greg Anderson who fished Nicholas Dean Lodge late last month. Here is Greg's report:

"We had a great trip. We landed 18 Steelhead between us plus 3 cohos and numerable trout. Fished the Upper Copper, Klore, the Upper Kalum and a few other remote rivers. We had some great hikes and only saw one other fisherman while we were fishing throughout the week. Saw wolves on the Upper Copper. Our guide (Jeff) was great. The food was great. We lucked out with the weather...no rain the first 3 days and then a little weather on the 4th. Friday it rained and the rivers were blown out as we left. Chad the lodge host was great."

Thanks Jim and Greg for a great report!

Bull Trout

Yes, it does rain in the coastal rainforest of BC!

Big bear tracks...

Trip Report: Tarpon Cay Lodge (Aug. 14 - 22, 2010)

2010-09-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Bill definitely needed two hands to handle this whopper

The following joint report has just come in from long time fishing friends Bill Ninke (New Jersey), Bob Huddleston (Minnesota) and Gary Fritz (Montana) who spent this week at Tarpon Cay Lodge. Bill and Gary are repeat clients, having spent a week last August at TCL. Bob, upon hearing their glowing reports from last year, decided to join them this year.

“To maximize our fishing opportunities, we booked the option where we each had an individual guide and boat each day. We also chose a schedule so that each of us spent two consecutive days with each guide. This proved to be a wonderful arrangement. Each guide is excellent but has a somewhat different style, giving us a variety of experiences.

Our three guide amigos – Martin, Cresp, and Carlos

Convinced that the baby tarpon would always be available, we tried for larger tarpon down near the light house the first four mornings. Winds were fair the first and third mornings and very calm the second. We caught some 20 and 30 pounders those three days. Bill landed the biggest that Carlos estimated was near 60 pounds.

Here’s Gary’s narrative.

‘From less than 200 feet away I saw the fish roll. Bill, who was 80 feet away, made two false casts and landed his fly next to the fish. The tarpon instantly ate the fly and the battle was on. That cast would not have happened the previous year because Bill was not a distance caster. He took the time and made the effort to become a vastly better caster in salt water and his lessons and practice his last year paid off with that gorgeous tarpon, as well as others. I’m particularly proud of Bill because, as a guide, I see tons of anglers, especially older ones, who cannot or will not improve their fishing experience by becoming better casters. Bill wanted to do this and did.’

We ran down to the light house area again the fourth morning but the winds were too high once we got there and we went back to baby tarpon. Bob and Gary discovered an easy test determine whether a try for the bigger tarpon was merited. They stood in the gap between the east end of the hotel and the next building first thing in the morning. If they felt a distinct breeze, it was going to be too windy to try. If near dead calm, it was off to the light house.

The last three mornings it was fishing for babies in the creek mouths and creeks. Most afternoons we had showers. One afternoon was entirely wiped out and another was cut short by two hours. Afternoon tides were quite low so the baby tarpon were on the flats. Gray skies and wind made finding fish and getting them to eat very difficult. But, we still all caught tarpon. Most were in the normal size range for TCL fish.

Occasionally though, one of us would jump a surprisingly large tarpon.

Bob’s surprise in the mangroves

Bill’s surprise on the flats

The showers, thunder, and lightning flashes provoked an interesting discussion one evening. Bill and Gary claimed that if you counted the seconds from seeing the lightning until hearing the thunder that this gave an indication of how far away the lightning struck. Each second indicated one mile. Bob claimed this was wrong. Sound travels at about 1100 feet per second (approximately one-fifth of a mile per second). Therefore, you need divide the time in seconds by five to get the distance in miles. Bill and Gary checked this out upon returning home and confirmed that Bob is right. Now they are trying to blot out the many occasions when they should have been scared but weren’t.

The food at TCL was superb. Beto (who serves as host, waiter, cook, bartender, and tour guide} prepared many luscious seafood dishes along with some local favorites using beef and pork. Baby octopus were in season and were incorporated in several excellent cerviches.

Beto, the Renaissance Man

At lunch one day, Beto promised to prepare his famous Guacamole recipe as an appetizer for dinner. Bob ventured that he had an excellent recipe too. So Beto invited Bob to join him in the kitchen that evening to prepare Bob’s version also. The two versions emerged and Bill and Gary were charged with deciding which was better. They wisely chose to completely consume both versions and declare the competition a tie.

Beto volunteered to take us on a tour after lunch one day, an invitation we gratefully accepted. We drove the waterfront and side streets of San Felipe, visited the nearby town of Rio Lagartos with its swimming cenote, stopped off at a wonderful white sand beach east of Rio Lagartos, and finished with a drive through the evaporation lakes and salt collection in Rio Colorado. We highly recommend this tour if you go to TCL.

While we took an enormous number of different fly pattern with us, we actually used very few of these. For the larger tarpon, we used chartreuse Toads tied on 2/0 Gamakatsu SC15 hooks, Sea Habits in the Sardina coloring tied on 1/0 Tiemco 600SP hooks, and chartreuse and white Rob’s Receivers also tied on the 1/0 Tiemco 600SP. We had some red and white Whistlers along but never got around to using them.

A touch of Chartreuse attracted the larger tarpon

For the baby tarpon in the creek mouths and bays, we used mostly smaller Toads tied on size 1/0 and size 1 Gamakatsu SC15 or SS15 hooks (chartreuse, purple, tan and orange). Additionally we used various colors of Seaducers on 1/0 SS15 hooks and rabbit strip baitfish on 1/0 SC15 hooks. A foam-backed version of a Seaducer with added eyes to mimic a shrimp worked particularly well.

Toads and Baitfish

Seaducers

For fishing the flats in the afternoons with the very low tides, very small flies were required so as not to spook the hell out of the fish. The rabbit strip baitfish rode high enough in the water so that it still worked. A foam-headed Toad on a size 1 hook did well as did two of the guide Carlos’ flies – a small black gurgler and a small deer hair slider. If we go back to TCL, we’ll have a much wider selection of very small flies than we took with us this trip.

Foam-headed Toads and Baitfish

Carlos’ Patterns

As a summary of our experiences, here’s a direct quote from Gary.

‘While I'm not sure who was the bestest or caught the mostest, I can say that I had a great time at San Felipe. As Carlos would always say, I had “good action”. He and I did a lot of fishing in the creeks where the “action” is amplified by the close quarters. I learned a lot about landing tarpon that were leaping over, around and through the brush.

While I thoroughly enjoyed each day, perhaps my favorite was a day with Carlos when we fished to tarpon exploding on bait fish just offshore from some sandy beaches and then went up several creeks to have fish wrap my line around branches.

I'm an anti-fish counter, but the first afternoon I had 17 babies eat the fly, jumped 12 and landed 7. And that's in a few hours of fishing. Of course, numbers are a woefully poor measure of a fishing trip. I had a ton of opportunities to catch fish, fished with some first class Mayan guides that I can call amigos, got to know a little bit about a spectacular marine environment, became friends with a irrepressibly good natured Mayan cook who made the best assortment of sea food that I've ever had, stayed in a little fishing town with no crime and no other gringos, learned new stuff about tarpon and the flies they eat, and enjoyed all of this with two great friends. Now that's a good fishing trip’

What more can we say?”

After the showers

Trip Photos: Tarpon Cay Lodge by Gary Kramer

2010-09-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

We are excited to have received a few photos from client, writer, and photographer Gary Kramer. This is Gary and his friends' 3rd season fishing with us. Gary is a renowned outdoor writer/photographer that is continually published in almost every major outdoor sporting publication. Over that past couple of years, Gary has published articles about Tarpon Cay Lodge in Fly Fishing in Saltwater titled "Yucatan Yearnings" (Jan/Feb. 2010 issue) and in Gray's Sporting Journal titled "Tarpon Reclinado" (April 2010).

This past summer, Gary and his group returned to Tarpon Cay Lodge and had stellar fishing for baby Tarpon. They reported many shots at Tarpon each day and, once again, thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. Thanks again Gary and friends! We look forward to your return visit next season... until then, Fish On!

Isla Blanca Report and Photos

2010-08-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

Jim lands a nice Palometa at Isla Blanca...

Here is a nice report sent by Jim Christensen who recently fished Isla Blanca for 5 days...

Hello Keith,

As usual we found lots of fish species to keep us busy. I guess the reason I’ve been going to Isla Blanca so often is the fact that with four key fish species to hunt, one is bound to find something that wants to eat. Although it sometimes took some searching, each day we managed to find snook, tarpon, bonefish and/or permit. The snook and tarpon seemed to like both a very drab (brownish grey) seaducer or one with some root beer to burnt orange crystal chenille underbody. The bonefish and permit went for rag head crab patterns, some weighted some only lightly so depending on water depth. The wind, though not bad, kept us in the mangroves for a couple of days. The tarpon were around so no problem. On calmer days we chased bones and permit. As you know one of the neat things about the IB venue is that there are “options”.

A brief note on tarpon: Ed and I had a period of missing hook-ups on tarpon. Sometimes the hook points were rolled but other times, try as we might, we could not get the hook set. We were both using twisted leaders initially but switched to a standard, single strand, leader and had fewer problems. Could be that our rods were too soft. Anyway a leader change solved the problem (or was it just us).

Our guide took us to several spots that I had not fished before………always something new there. I’d not fished with Enrique on any prior trips. His 25 years of experience was evident …. As with the other guides I’ve used at IB Enrique really knows that area.

The accommodations at the Sea Adventures were fine. It appears that management has tightened things up a bit since last year. By-the-way, it seem that if one leaves a relatively modest tip at the Oysters restaurant they will invite you back on subsequent nights even without the one-time-only ticket.

Soooooo I guess we need to take a look at tides/moon phases for next year. I think Ed is also interested so will check with him.

Best Regards,
Jim

Jim and his Snook landed in a shallow lagoon...

Trip Report: Isla del Sabalo (Aug. 2010)

2010-08-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

Robert lands a jumbo baby Tarpon at Isla del Sabalo

We just had a couple of stellar Isla del Sabalo reports come in from repeat customers, Monty (Naples, FL) and Robert (Billings, MT). Both of them fished the Yucatan with us last summer and decided to fish with us again this summer. They reported a "great time, weather, fishing and people were great." Most of the fish were around the bocas (mouth of rivers) and along the shoreline flats. Most of the baby Tarpon were 10 - 12 pounds, but there were some that topped 20, 30, and even 40 pounds! The HOT flies were the Puglisi Tarpon Streamers in hot orange and yellow, or purple and black (size 2/0). Thanks Robert and Monty for the continued business and we look forward to your next trip in summer of 2011!

Recent Trip Report: Isla Blanca

2010-08-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice testimonial from long-time customer Ed B. from Sacramento, CA:

Keith,
Isla Blanca! Once again I find myself wishing I was still there. As you know I went twice this year. In June with "new to the salt" friend Bill and in July with Jim. After all, what's not to like about fishing Isla Blanca? It's a relatively close destination, the guides are great and the fishing is varied. If the fishing is off for one species, you can chase another. A few times it was too windy to effectively hunt Permit and Bones on the flats it the morning, so we chased Tarpon and Snook in the quieter back country. We still got in our shots on the flats later in the day when the wind calmed. Sometimes there is some unexpected by-catch as my friend Bill poses with a Pompano which grabbed his crab after a nice cast into a pod of feeding Permit and I landed that Cuberra Snapper blind casting to pockets for Tarpon. No vast numbers of fish were caught on either trip but each day had its points of excitement. This year seemed to be a bit persistent with thunder storms and did get caught in a few downpours. One morning, during a light rain, wondering what kind of fishing we would have, our guide got us into a group of baby Tarpon frantically feeding on baitfish. For at least 20 minutes Jim and I cast to this group boating two each and jumping many more. The last afternoon, Jim and I were on one of the close large flats and many small groups of Permit began to show... At one point I counted 8 spots of nervous water around us with in 100yds. At first the water was barely 2' deep and the fish seemed to spook when someone said "Permit!" You couldn't even start a cast at 80 feet. As we got a little deeper, with allot of finger biting, crouching low and even the guide getting down from his perch and polling from the boat bottom, their spookiness lessened and Jim was able to score on a nice 23"-5.5 lbs.

Once again, thanks for the service, Ed Bielawski

Float Trip 2011: South Fork of the Flathead River (Montana)

2010-07-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that Angling On The Fly will be hosting a float trip in 2011 on one of Montana's premier dry fly fisheries, the South Fork of the Flathead River. The South Fork flows through the Bob Marshall wilderness and is home to incredible numbers of native West Slope Cutthroat that rise to a dry fly with vigor and Bull Trout that reach massive proportions. This is a full service, multi-day float trip outfitted by Paws Up Outfitters - they are renowned for offering the finest camp experiences in the wilderness. The remote headwaters are reached on horseback, where we will begin floating and fishing up to 50 miles of river during the week. Best of all, Paws Up retains the special permit to operate on this river and this means a week of fishing and camping in solitude.

I have personally made this float trip with Paws Up and was completely captivated by the entire experience. The scenery was breathtaking, while Paws Up provided unparalleled levels of service and amenities at camp. And, the fishing was... honestly, the absolute best Trout fishing I have ever experienced. The "catch-rate per day" was incredible and I was most pleased with the variety of methods that could be used to entice the Trout. Even more, it was exciting to be able to pursue Bull Trout - some of which reach double digit weight. So, I hope you can join me on this amazing wilderness adventure in 2011! Below are the trip details:

Paws Up Outfitters
Program: South Fork of the Flathead River float trip (Bob Marshall Wilderness)
Target Species: West Slope Cutthroat
Other Species: Bull Trout

HOSTED TRIP DETAILS
Date Options: August 1 - 7, 2011
Trip Length: 6 nights camping and 5 days fishing
Group Size: 6 - 8 anglers
Rate: $4,700 per angler (guided fishing) -- OR -- $3,500 per angler (non-guided fishing)
Travel Details: Fly to Missoula, MT

NOTE: "Non-Guided" option receives all of the same services and amenities in camp - full staff service, camp setup/takedown, cooking/meals/beverages, etc... but you and your fishing partner would row your own fishing raft during the day. The South Fork is not very technical river to row and much of the best fishing is done while wading (use the raft for transport and fishing down the river).

Good Fishing to All,
Keith

Trip Report from Tarpon Cay Lodge (July 17 - 24, 2010)

2010-07-27T00:37:00.000-07:00

Guide Cresp displaying one of Jon's 51 baby Tarpon landed at Tarpon Cay Lodge

We just received a fantastic fishing report from repeat Yucatan customer, Jon H. of San Jose, CA. For the past few years, Jon has made bi-annual trips to Tarpon Cay Lodge and/or Isla del Sabalo to pursue Tarpon. He is an avid Tarpon-holic, as he also makes multiple annual trips to the FL Keys to pursue Tarpon and other flats species.

Well, Jon just returned from a great week of fishing at Tarpon Cay Lodge. Despite the unseasonal windy conditions at San Felipe, he still managed an impressive 51 baby Tarpon landed in a week of fishing. Even more, he said that he jumped and lost equally as many throughout the week. Wow, impressive!

Unfortunately, the windy conditions did not provide an opportunity to successfully pursue the migratory Tarpon last week. This seems to have been a common theme across the Gulf and Caribbean this past spring / summer. Once this wind lays down, the fishing should be excellent. August is normally the lowest wind month, so we have our fingers crossed for some stellar reports on the big Tarpon next month.

Well, thanks again Jon for checking in with us and giving us a nice report about your fishing success at Tarpon Cay Lodge. Good fishing to all and Fish On!

Article: Tight Line Nymph Fishing by Bill Carnazzo

2010-07-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Bill Carnazzo, one of N. California's authorities on "Tight Line" nymphing tactics...

Here is a great mini-article written by guide and signature fly tier, Bill Carnazzo. Bill guides on the following Northern California premier Trout fisheries:

North Yuba near Downieville
Upper Middle Fork American River Canyon, including the following streams in that canyon: Rubicon River (upper and lower); the Middle Fork American above French Meadows; Long Canyon Creek; Wallace Creek; the North Fork of the Middle Fork American; and Duncan Creek.
Upper Sacramento River and McCloud River

He applies short line nymph fishing tactics on all of these rivers and has written a very informative piece about this technique. Here it is...

Short Line (aka Tight Line) Nymph Fishing

General points. Short line nymphing is a highly effective method for fishing pocket water—but it requires “paying your dues” in order to master its many nuances. This means a lot of patience and practice over an extended time. There is no silver bullet and no substitute for putting in the time on the water. Once mastered, the short line technique will become intuitive. What follows is a brief description designed to keep it simple.

Casting technique. Begin with about 3 feet of fly line outside the top rod guide. This means that you have 3’ of line, about 9’ of leader/tippet, 9’ of rod, and 3’ of arm length (plus all the distance you can lean forward) to work with. That’s at least 24 feet, enabling you to cover the water by fishing close in or farther out. Toss the rig downstream so that you can use “water load” to assist you in making the cast, which is a simple roll cast directed at the point where you want the flies to land. Do not try to execute a regular back/forward cast as you will end up with messy tangles and lost fishing time. Once the line is downstream, raise the rod to the vertical position, take aim, and make the roll cast.

Angler position to target. Angle the cast 45 degrees upstream—in other words, your target position for where the flies land needs to be ¾ upstream. This, of course, will determine where you position yourself in the stream. Remember: the short line technique always begins with an upstream cast. Don’t worry about the flies splashing down and making noise; ambient noise in pocket water is always present, and fish don’t generally spook when flies are tossed into the pocket.

The drift.

As soon as the flies hit the water, begin moving the rod tip downstream.
Keep the rod in a horizontal position; don’t raise the rod tip because that pulls the flies off the bottom. If you have a hard time with this, raise the reel instead of the rod tip.
Keep the rod tip moving so as to lead the flies through the drift. Never let the flies “get ahead” by sliding under the rod. This introduces slack which nullifies the effectiveness of this technique, which depends on maintaining a tight connection between the flies/weight and the indicator.
The line should remain in a 45 degree angle to the water during the entire drift; i.e., the angle formed by leading the rig should be 45 degrees. When the rig passes you, then you can let it swing through the remainder of the drift.
If the leader is moving through the water at the same speed as the top water current, you are probably getting fly drag on the bottom—which is just as bad as drag during a dry fly drift. This is caused by the fact that, due to friction created by a rocky bottom, the water flows more slowly on the bottom than on top. Slow the rig down by adding weight. Yes, you will hang up and lose flies from time to time—but you need to be on the bottom where the fish live.
Watch the in-line indicator* carefully. If you maintain your tight connection during the drift, the indicator will tell you what your flies are doing. If the indicator hesitates, or otherwise moves in an unusual manner, execute a strike motion. Don’t second guess—i.e., don’t rationalize that the hesitation was caused by a rock, stick or other debris. Just react.
Don’t strike by raising the rod tip; this takes the flies out of the water and, potentially, into the overhanging vegetation. It will also cause tangles and lost fishing time. Proper strike technique is to flick your wrist downstream and at the water. This keeps the flies in the water and, to boot, moves the flies faster than an upward motion due to the parabolic action of the rod, and its need to fight gravity.
The short line technique is entirely visual; if you are waiting for the “feel” of a strike, you are missing 80-90% of the strikes. If you keep a tight line with the proper angle back to the flies, your indicator will tell you the story and when to strike.
If you are not ticking bottom and occasionally hanging up, you are not down deep enough. Add weight in small increments to deepen the drift, and/or slow it down.

If you are interested in booking a guide trip with Bill, here is his contact information:

Bill Carnazzo
Spring Creek Guide Service
(916) 295-9353 (C)
www.billcarnazzo.com
bcarnazzo@ftcnet.net

Trip Report and Photos: Beyond the Blue - South Caicos Bonefish

2010-07-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Mike lands a trophy South Caicos Bonefish...

I recently received an excellent trip report and this selection of photos from last month's group trip to Beyond the Blue at South Caicos. The group had the opportunity to fish a variety of environs, from inland creeks / lakes to the pure white sand flats. In addition to numbers of Bonefish being landed, they reported some trophy Bones were landed too. Thanks Ron, Dick, George and Mike for a nice report and photos!

Guide Ganger (aka "G") and Mike point to a school of Bones on the flats...

George presenting the fly to Bonefish in an inland creek...

Mike hooked up on a "Grey Ghost" in the creeks...

Dick lands a typical SC Bonefish on the flats...

Dick connects with a "reel-screamer"

George battles a SC Bone as guide G looks on...

Dick makes a long-distance call for Bonefish and it answers...

Ron releases a nice South Caicos Bonefish...

Dick lands a trophy Bone...

Dick and G searching for Bones while running in the airboat...

Trophy Bonefish release...

Hosted Trip (Nov. 5 - 14, 2010): Amazon Peacock Bass - 2 SPOTS LEFT

2010-06-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

We have 2 spots available on our November trip to the Amazon for Peacock Bass. If you are interested in joining this trip, here are the details:

"Join Angling On The Fly for the pursuit of the Amazon’s finest gamefish, the Peacock Bass. Angling On The Fly is excited to offer trips to River Plate Outfitters’ remote mobile fly-in camps. Their mobile camp concept allows them to place anglers in low pressure fishing areas and the best fishing conditions possible. Join us for this pure angling adventure to the Amazon Basin."

Trip Information:
River Plate Amazon Outfitters (Fly-In Mobile Camp)
Dates: November 5 - 14, 2010
Host: Keith Kaneko (Sacramento, CA)
Group Size: 8 anglers - 2 SPOTS LEFT
Rate: $4,850 USD per angler (double occupancy room and boat/guide)

For more information, please visit our webpage for River Plate Outfitters - http://www.anglingonthefly.com/River...utfitters.html

Thank you and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Regards,
Keith
(916) 539-3474

Trip Photos: Tarpon Cay Lodge (June 13 - 19, 2010)

2010-06-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

Sheree displaying a nice baby Tarpon landed on the flats at Tarpon Cay Lodge

Here are some nice photos from anglers Sheree and Richard who fished Tarpon Cay Lodge last week. They gave an excellent report and landed some very nice baby Tarpon. Here are a few photos of their highlights during the trip.

Richard lands a baby T along the mangrove shoreline...

Sheree fishing amidst the mangroves...

Awesome baby Tarpon...

Silver-clad baby Tarpon

Sheree lands a nice baby Tarpon on a calm morning...

Richard and guide Carlos are all smiles about baby Tarpon!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

To all you Dads out there, Angling On The Fly wants to wish you a most Happy Father's Day. I hope you had the chance to wet a line this weekend since this is YOUR day! Take care and Fish On!

Regards,
Keith

Trip Photos: Beyond the Blue - South Caicos Bonefish

2010-06-08T10:56:00.001-07:00

Steve with a nice Bonefish landed on the flats at South Caicos

Here is a nice sampling of photos from our clients that fished Beyond the Blue at South Caicos last month. 100% wade fishing for Caribbean Bonefish... the largest Bonefish landed this week topped 8 pounds. Way to go Ruth! (aka... "Bonefish Queen")

Ruth lands a nice Bone in the creeks

Ruth and her jumbo trophy Bonefish...

A group shot with their favorite staff person... "Olive" the cook!

George and a trophy Bonefish on pure white sand flats...

Airboats are the means of transportation on the flats at South Caicos

View from the lodge...

Ruth and a nice Bonefish landed on the flats...

Tad and his Bonefish landed in the creeks...

Pete Ottesen lands a jumbo Bone on the flats...

The "Grey Ghost"...

South Caicos Bonefish...

Jim lands another Bonefish in the creeks / inland lakes...

Hooked up on the flats at South Caicos...

Great news for the Angling On The Fly family!

2010-06-06T04:49:00.000-07:00

Baby Ella,... no catch-and-release on this one!

Well, I must first start out with an apology for the long delay since my last post... but I think you can understand that it was for good reason! Yes, our family was blessed with the birth of baby Ella last month. Much to our surprise, she decided to enter the world three weeks early! My wife and I are proud parents and have thoroughly enjoyed our first month of parenting.

Anyhow, I am back in full stride with the blog posts now and will be sure to catch up on posts. A number of recent trips were underway last month, so I have much to share. Look for some posts in the coming weeks.

Finally, thanks to all of you who sent congratulatory wishes... much appreciated. And, to answer some of your questions... no, she can not double haul yet - only single haul! ;-) Next, I am putting in an order for some SIMMS infant waders!

Take care and good fishing to you all...

Best Regards,
Keith

Thank goodness she looks like her Mama...

Overtired, but overjoyed parents...

Video: "Migratory Tarpon" of Tarpon Cay Lodge

2010-05-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Nestled in the remote northern Yucatan town of San Felipe is Tarpon Cay Lodge. Tarpon Cay Lodge is the jumping off point for an incredible fishery for Tarpon, or "Sabalo" as translated in Spanish. This video shows the average sized migratory Tarpon of this fishery (40 - 80 pounds), and also includes a few "blooper" moments. Fish On!

Article: Phantom of the Caribbean (South Caicos Bonefish)

2010-05-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

Read today's Outdoor column on RecordNet.com - this article, titled Phantom of the Caribbean, was written by Pete Ottesen who recently returned from his trip to South Caicos. He gives a wonderful account of his experience of the fishing there.

Video: "Loco Sabalito" (Isla Blanca)

2010-05-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

Fly fishing for baby Tarpon at Isla Blanca can be pure mayhem at times. Watch this crazed baby Tarpon as it runs this angler in circles around the boat and into the mangroves. Amazingly, the Tarpon is finally brought to hand after this wild duel. "Loco Sabalito" = Crazy Baby Tarpon!

Gray's Sporting Journal: Tarpon Cay Lodge

2010-04-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

In this month's issue (Apr. 2010) of Gray's Sporting Journal, Tarpon Cay Lodge and Angling On The Fly are featured in the photographic journal section of this fly fishing issue. This photo essay, titled Tarpon Reclinado, displays the work of renowned photographer and outdoor writer, Gary Kramer. Gary fished Tarpon Cay Lodge last summer and had some epic days fishing for baby Tarpon. Check out Gary's nice photos in Gray's Sporting Journal!

Bass-n-Fly Tournament - CA Delta (May 21st)

2010-04-26T00:52:00.000-07:00

Angling On The Fly is a proud team member of Bass-n-Fly and we are excited to announce that we are holding our 3rd annual Delta Bass-n-Fly Challenge, a fly fishing only team tournament! This fun-filled event takes place on the CA Delta, one of the nation's top Largemouth Bass fisheries. In addition to friendly competition, there is prize winnings for top placing teams, raffle prizes, and giveaways for all contestants.

To register, please visit the Bass-n-Fly website for instructions. We look forward to seeing you out there! Game on, and Fish On!

Trip Report: Beyond the Blue at South Caicos (Caribbean)

2010-04-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

One of fly fishing's finest pursuits... wade fishing for Bonefish on gin-clear sand flats

Imagine this... a pristine, gin-clear, shallow-water environ that has hundreds of square miles of beautiful white sand flats. And feeding on these flats are populations of nice sized Caribbean Bonefish from bigger singles or doubles to incredible schools of 50 to 100 plus fish. And then, in the midst of this scene, imagine yourself wading these flats and casting to these athletic species. And, the finale would be a Bonefish pouncing on your size 4 Gotcha and a reel screaming run as the fish throws a rooster-tail across the razor thin flat. Welcome to Beyond the Blue at South Caicos!

South Caicos is on the southernmost end of the Turks and Caicos Island chain. My fishing partner and friend, Jim Bare, and I traveled from the west coast, through Miami, and arrived Providenciales ("Provo", Turks and Caicos). We then hopped on a short 25 minute charter flight from Provo to South Caicos. As I peered through the window, my heart raced as I saw the miles upon miles of shallow, bleach white sand flats that we were to fish over the next few days. Upon touching down at South Caicos airport (XSC), it felt as if time had been turned back 100 years to the era of angler-explorer Zane Grey. The airport being "quaint and rustic" gave me a feeling that I was about to visit and fish someplace special. A place far and away from the melee of tourist traps and overcrowded waters. Surely, I had heard accounts of how remote and unspoiled this destination is,... but, to step off the plane and breath in the tropical air instantaneously lowered my stress from travel and daily work life back at home. I was now on "island-time"...

Upon arriving the lodge, we were warmly greeted by owner, Bibo Jayne, of Beyond the Blue Charters. He introduced us to his staff and gave us a quick tour of the facility. I was pleased to see that it was on the ocean front of a peninsula. This offered refreshing views of the adjacent deep water channel, where whales would sometimes breach and put on a show for us at the lodge. The accommodations are townhouse style with double occupancy guest rooms and common areas for lounging and/or dining. Each guest room has air conditioning, ceiling fans (yikes! watch those rod tips...), comfortable beds, and a private bath and shower room. There is daily housekeeping service that makes the beds, cleans the floors/bathroom, and replaces towels. The entire lodge was spotless and clean,... quite a task for housekeeping considering the salt air and sand that can sometimes find its way into everything.

After we settled in, we immediately began to setup our Bonefish outfits. Rigging rods for Bonefish is always a wonderful exercise in minimalism. I call it "back-to-basics". A fly rod, reel, floating line, leader, and a fly... that is it. On so many trips, rigging tackle can be a dizzying experience with multiple weight setups, floating to intermediate to fast sink tip fly lines, specialized leaders with multiple knots, and an array of flies that requires multiple boxes to organize. Not the case for Bonefishing.

My favorite setup is a Sage Xi3 890-4, Sage 6080 fly reel, RIO Bonefish or Saltwater fly line, RIO 10 foot Bonefish taper leader to 12#. As I peered into my single box of Bonefish flies, it was, again, a view of simplicity... Gotchas, Charlies, Miheve's Flats Fly, and a few Boggle Heads. That's it. Pink and/or tan are always the prime colors for South Caicos Bones. My "confidence" fly is the Miheve's Flats Fly - I like this fly because of its buggy hackles, split tail, and weed-guard. This fly has always fished well in a variety of conditions - sand flats, turtlegrass flats, etc.

After rigging tackle, dinner was announced and we eagerly assembled in the dining area. Meals at Beyond the Blue were a pure delight. BBQ steaks, jerk chicken, baked lobster, or shrimp were menu items throughout my stay. Red beans and rice are a staple offering with each meal... my favorite side dish while fishing in the Caribbean. Additionally, each dinner meal was served with salad and a vegetable dish. All this was presented family style with very generous portions.

Breakfast meals are served in the dining area and include all-American food items like eggs, toast, sausage/bacon, pancakes, potatoes, and/or grits. The lunches include simple ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, fruit, and drinks (sodas and water). The lodge uses an R/O (reverse osmosis) water purification system throughout the lodge (tap water, drinking water, ice, etc.) - it is safe to drink. If you have a sensitive stomach or have concerns, the lodge has bottled water available at no charge.

The next morning, we finished our breakfast and gathered our tackle. After a short walk from the lodge to the beach landing, we met our guide Ganger (aka "G") and boarded the airboat to start our first day of fishing. We motored around the peninsula and headed northward to the flats. About 15 minutes later, we were skimming across razor thin flats in search of Bonefish. The flats at South Caicos are vast, stretching for tens of miles in many areas. It is a true paradise for Bonefish as they peruse these these expansive flats and feed vigorously.

While the sheer vastness of this fishery is beneficial to Bonefish and other marine life, it could pose a challenge to anglers if they were needing to park a typical flats boat in distant deeper water and wade these flats in search of fish. Lucky for us, Beyond the Blue utilizes flat-bottom, shallow-drafting airboats. This enabled us to access all of the shallow flats, inland lakes, and creeks of South Caicos. The use of airboats allows the guides and anglers to navigate across expanses of shallow water and spot Bonefish before wading and fishing to them. This strategy is very efficient and maximizes the anglers' shots at Bonefish throughout a day of fishing.

What I found most intriguing was the ability to view these flats from a high vantage point. Each airboat has an elevated passenger seat next to the captain/guide and a viewing perch on top of prop housing. It is not often that one can view flats from an elevation of 10 to 15 feet above the water. Wow! Talk about being able to spot fish from a distance! This elevated position enables the guides to spot schools of Bonefish far off in the distance.

The fishery at South Caicos is varied... some flats are bleach white like a sheet of white paper, while others are sparsely covered with turtlegrass producing a mosaic of dark and light patterns across the flat. On some tides, the guides will venture back into the inland lakes and creeks to find Bonefish. These areas can be havens for schools of Bonefish as they try to avoid predators such as sharks and barracuda that roam the flats on higher tides.

What I was most amazed about this fishery is the "comfort" these Bonefish exhibit while in shallow water. Most of the schools of Bones were lazily cruising, tailing, and/or mudding on the flats - happy fish. Often, I was able to make multiple shots at Bonefish on the edges of the school without spooking them. On other flats, schools of Bones were not present, but in smaller pods or single/doubles. It is in these areas where the Bonefish seemed to be quite a bit larger. Most schooling Bones were in the 2 - 4 pound range, while the bigger singles/doubles were at the 5 plus pound mark. My largest Bonefish for the trip topped out at 7 pounds, but I did see and/or get shots at fish in the 8 plus pound class, and possible, double digit class. My overall impression about these Bonefish is they were quite grabby and non-selective when it came to fly selection. When asking our guide about fly choice, he would cheerfully reply, "Hey mon, if ye box gots pink and tan in it, close your eyes and just grab one... them Bones love'em all!" Granger was correct,... I tried all of the flies in my box and each caught Bones at some point during the trip.

In addition to the wonderful Bonefishing at South Caicos, I was equally amazed by the size of Barracuda that we encountered. We witnessed Barracuda in the 15 - 60 pound range... some of the largest cudas I have ever seen! It was daunting to see a 6 foot long shadow moving across the flats with seemingly no fear of us or any other predator. Where you find good numbers of Bonefish, one will always find of Barracuda too. My fishing partner, Jim, pursued a 40 pound Barracuda one morning and got it to eat his fly... unfortunately, it ate the back half of the fly and it resulted in no hook up.

On day 2 of our fishing, our guide "G" pointed out a huge school of Bonefish. As we approached, I saw the school erupt into a froth and then settle. Uh oh... did we spook the school on approach? The answer is NO. Upon closer view, we saw a massive Barracuda of 50+ pounds working this school of Bones. It was an awesome sight to see the dark mass of probably 200 Bonefish with an open circle in the middle (like a donut). And in the middle of this open circle was the 6 foot long barracuda slowly parting the school of Bones just after it swallowed its meal. Needless to say, this school of Bonefish was quite nervous and only a few fish were hooked in that school before we decided it was better to move on to a different area.

Next, a species that deserved an "honorable mention" is Tarpon. I had heard that there was the occasional Tarpon encounter at South Caicos. On the last day of fishing, while motoring next to the mangroves, we ran across (almost literally!) a Tarpon of about 45 pounds. We were all surprised to see this solo fish just cruising lazily. I quickly grabbed my Bonefish setup (UGH! no tarpon rod setup on this day!) and cast my Miheve's Flats Fly to it. Without hesitation, it jumped on this relatively diminutive fly. I could not believe my eyes! Here I was, connected to a medium sized Tarpon with a #4 fly and a 12 pound tapered leader. I was hoping, just hoping, that I had him lip-hooked and might have a remote chance to land this fine specimen. I jumped out of the airboat, and went after this fish on foot... all the while trying to maintain as even of pressure as possible. All I could think is 12 pound test, 12 pound test, and NO shock tippet. I survived the first jump and then the second. Finally, the fish decided it had enough harassment and made a more spirited jump and parted ways. Upon inspection of the leader, the Tarpon did indeed have the upper hand in this battle as the leader had been abraded in its mouth. Oh well, what a surprise to encounter this species at South Caicos. Lesson learned... always bring at least one Tarpon setup per boat.

Well, I am still coming off of my buzz from fishing South Caicos. Surely, there is nothing more pure in our great sport of fly fishing than wade fishing on a beautiful flat for Bonefish. I enjoy the hunt and sight fishing for these species. It is truly a visual experience, and there is great joy in seeing your quarry before you connect with it. I have already secured a couple of prime weeks for next season for a return visit to Beyond the Blue - South Caicos. I look forward to sharing this special fishery with you! Fish On!

Keith Kaneko

Bonefish release...

The charter plane between Provo and South Caicos...

Typical sized Bonefish at South Caicos...

Ganger (aka "G")... our guide and airboat captain

Our group fishing to a giant school of Bones

Other inhabitants of the flats... at red starfish!

Mudding Bonefish

Sparse turtlegrass on over white sand... can make seeing the Bones challenging!

Pure white sand flats, large school of Bonefish, and angler... a perfect scenario

Running in the airboat,... in search of the "Grey Ghost"

The lodge at Beyond on the Blue - South Caicos

Oceanfront views...

Staff member, Olive, prepares your delicious dinner meals...

Simple, clean, and comfortable rooms at Beyond the Blue

Room with an ocean front patio...

Mirrored scales on Bonefish allow them to blend in with their surroundings...

Ahhh yes,... "Life is good" while fishing at South Caicos!

Releasing a jumbo Bone to fight another day...

Beautiful scenery... Osprey nests on the bluff above

Fishing to a massive school of Bonefish... the hardest decision is to choose a fish to cast to!

Nice sized Bone on white sand flats... it doesn't get any better than this!

On-Location: Beyond the Blue at South Caicos... BONEFISH!

2010-03-13T03:45:00.001-08:00

A few pics from yesterday's fishing here at South Caicos. What an amazing fishery... all wade fishing for nice sized Bones that eat with a fury. I will post more pics tomorrow... gotta jump on the airboat and head out to the flats now.

Social Networking On The Fly!

2010-03-04T23:15:00.001-08:00

Angling On The Fly is excited to announce that we are now on Facebook! Become a fan!

Bill Kiene's group is back from the Amazon...

2010-02-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

Steve Cotta with a massive 19 pound Peacock Bass

Bill Kiene and his group of anglers recently returned from the Amazon with reports of good fishing. They fished with River Plate Outfitters and their fly-in mobile camps. I am still receiving photos and reports from the group members and will post more details later.

Bill Kiene and guide with a nice Peacock Bass of 17 pounds

Mid-Week Report: Amazon Peacock Bass (Kiene group)

2010-02-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

(click on image to enlarge)

We just received the mid-week fishing report from River Plate Outfitters and it looks as though Bill Kiene (Kiene's Fly Shop) and his group are having a great week of fishing in the Amazon. This report only accounts for 2 1/2 days of fishing, so it will be quite amazing to see the final count at the end of 6+ days of fishing! I will post their final trip-fishing report next week. Fish On!

Trip Report: Stellar Fishing at Lake El Salto!

2010-02-10T09:36:00.001-08:00

George with one of many topwater bass landed last week at Lake El Salto

Well, it is always exciting to receive a "photo report" about a great fishing trip... last week, father-son team George and Jon Honore, with friends Ron and Fred, fished Lake El Salto on the fly. They had a stellar week of fishing topwater. They reported that their best fishing was along steep walls/cliffs and the rip-rap along the dam face.

The top producing flies were Bisharat's Airhead (brown/white size 1/0), Crease Fly (blue or black back - size 4), Bubble Head (silver size 2), and Chewy Pop (yellow or white size 2). They had a very unseasonal cloud cover for most of their trip, and this made for some prime topwater fishing throughout the day. I almost hesitate mentioning this, but,... they reported that they were hooking about 100 fish per day!!! The Honores said this was, by far, the best fishing they have had in six trips to Lake El Salto. The largest bass was Jon's behemoth 9 pounder on top.

The cooler months of November through January are prime for topwater fishing at Lake El Salto and Lake Mateos. The bass are entering prime spawn season now and will be hugging tight to their beds. In April, they will be coming off their beds with a ravenous appetite and be ready to eat on top again!

Jon with a jumbo topwater Bass...

George getting bent on big bass...

All smiles from Ron for his trophy bass!

Ron working prime topwater structure at Lake El Salto...

Jon lands a jumbo bass around deep water structure...

Fred with one of many topwater bass landed...

"Jumbo Jon"

George with a nice bass around submerged trees...

Fly Fishing in Saltwater Magazine: Tarpon Cay Lodge by Gary Kramer

2010-02-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

I am excited to announce that Tarpon Cay Lodge and Angling On The Fly are featured in this month's issue of Fly Fishing in Saltwater magazine (Jan/Feb 2010 issue). The article is titled "Yucatan Yearnings" (page 44 - 49). Last summer, outdoor writer and photographer, Gary Kramer and friends fished with us in San Felipe. Gary wrote a very informative article that describes the many highlights of Tarpon Cay Lodge. Check it out!

The cover of this month's issue - "Baby Tarpon of the Yucatan - pg. 44"

Gary displaying one of many baby Tarpon on the flats at San Felipe...

Yucatan Tarpon School by Chico Fernandez

2010-02-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

Chico and guide Cresp displaying a nice Yucatan Tarpon

We are excited to announce that renowned fly fishing instructor, author, and speaker Chico Fernandez will be hosting and instructing another week at Tarpon Cay Lodge this summer. This is a fishing focused trip, with Chico supplementing your experience with evening discussions and presentations about various aspects of Tarpon fishing. In addition, he will be available to rotate throughout the group and spend time on the water with each angler. Whether it be help with your casting technique, knots, presentation, fly selection, etc... this is an incredible value for the aspiring Tarpon fly angler. Here are the trip details:

Tarpon Cay Lodge - Chico Fernandez Tarpon School
Dates: June 25 - July 1, 2010
Package Includes: 6 night lodging, 5 days guided fishing, Chico Fernandez's onsite instruction, meals, beverages (non-alcoholic), MX fishing license, and ground transportation between Cancun and the lodge
Rate: $2,995 per angler (double occupancy room / boat)

This will be Chico's 3rd season with us and we are excited to have him back again... the Tarpon think otherwise! To read Chico's latest article (titled Yucatan Babies) in Fly Rod & Reel magazine - CLICK HERE

Migratory Tarpon release at Tarpon Cay Lodge