The flyfisher magazine january edition

The Fly Fisher’s Free Emagazine

Issue 11

January 2014

Women in Fly Fishing New Zealand Updates

Winter Solitude Monster Georgia Brown The Adventure Starts

World Heritage Wanderings Dispatches from the Potomac

Toothy Critters Love Flies

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Welcome to the January issue of “The Flyfisher” the free Emagazine by keen fly fishers for keen fly fishers throughout the UK and Abroad.

To advertise within the magazine or the website http://theflyfisher.webs.com please email [email protected] for an advertising rates quote Parent website: www.flyfishingdirectory.co.uk Sister website: http://theflyfisher.webs.com Cover Photo – The Editor having a great day on the Lake of Menteith If you would like to contribute a free story, a fishing report along with Photographs; please email them to [email protected] Please include a bio about yourself so that it can be added to your article.

Robin Lambert: Editor “The Flyfisher” Email: [email protected] . Contents

Women in Fly Fishing by Iona Allan: Page 5 New Zealand Updates by Peter Ryan: Page 6 Fly of the Month: Page 7 Tackle Reviews: Page 8 Winter Solitude by Nick Britton: Page 11 Recipe of the Month: Page 13

Monster Georgia Brown by Ron Wilson: Page 14 The Adventure Starts by Jack Van Delft: Page 15 World Heritage Wanderings by David Little: Page 16 Fishing Reports: Page 18 Dispatches from the Potomac by Ed Felker: Page 21 Hitting the Oregon Rivers by Stephen Seed: Page 23 Farlows Fly Fishing: - Page 24 New Zealand Fishing Lodges by Sue Farley: Page 26

Toothy Critters Love Flies by George A Bernstein: Page 29

Are you searching for a great family holiday with some fantastic fishing?

Do you want the very best accommodation coupled with fantastic fishing?

If your answer is yes then your search ends here. Check out the parent website for some fantastic fishing holidays around the world.

http://theflyfisher.webs.com/fishing-around-the-world

© The Flyfisher Magazine

Seasons Greetings and hope 2014 is a great year

for all the readers.

May your hook set fair.

May your line sing clear.

May you land the fish you sorely dear.

Tight Lines for 2014

Robin

The Editor

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Women in Fly Fishing

By Iona Allan

I'm Iona Allan (aka The Fly Lady), I've been fly fishing for around 16 years, tying fishing flies commercially for about 15 years and been the managing partner of Allandale Tarn Fisheries for 13 years now. My first instinct when Robin Lambert asked me to write something on women in fishing was, 'What's there to write about? Badly fitting clothes, needing the loo during a boat fishing competition? At the end of the day it's the wee flea that tempts the quarry, Herculean attributes never caught any fly fisherman more fish and for some unknown reason, historically women have held many of the records for capturing the largest specimen Salmon on various beats! Women have probably been fly fishing for pretty much as long as men, needs must after all if you've mouths to feed. A number of the big estates in Britain have old records on some of the Lady such & such who have partook of this fine sport for leisure too though and a few women have been given recognition for their skills as fly tiers. However fly fishing has traditionally been viewed as a man’s past time, even though there is no great physical prerequisite to cast out a line.

Never mind the ill fitting clothing, facilities in general never exactly catered for woman. Commercial fisheries have gradually saw the benefits of the introduction of basic facilities like the 'Port a loo', although haven't always concerned themselves with the upkeep of it. I recall the malodorous welcome of one particular chemical toilet many years past. It was squeezed into a tiny, donated rickety shed, with one sizeable window for light that faced out towards the path leading up to it. Luckily the years of spider web production had produced a make shift curtain to save a lady's blushes. On this particular outing, we were there fishing in a friendly Winter League match mid December, so a half time break for a coffee & trip to 'the wee hoose' is always welcome. As Mum headed up the path, fellow team mate Trapper Paton was just exiting the facilities, at which point he warned 'for f##k sake, whatever ye dae, dinnae smoke near that!'... I think that on large, aside from the lack of access to equipment, woman throughout the ages had simply too many other things to be getting on with in their already full days; dealing with bringing up kids, running a household, making money working elsewhere & of course making sure the tea was on the table for when he got home after work or even his days fishing adventures!. Also, the knowledge & personal experience of fly fishing used to be shared from father to son, but rarely to daughter. However I believe this chain of expectation was broken a couple of generations ago because of the 24 hours, 7 days a week work ethos of many a business in our economic times. Parents were simply too busy working all the hours going to take time to teach the next generation of anglers at weekends! It's sad to say, but the result is that angling has on large skipped a generation and it's been left to the fisheries themselves to try & fill this gap. As a result, learning the art of fly fishing has become more readily accessible to everyone. The increase of put & take fisheries has not only made fishing far more accessible for all, but there's a sense of security using these fishing venues; with safe & easy access as well as the knowledge that someone is always keeping an eye out. These venues have also made it easier to get the right advice on starting out, with most fellow anglers willing to share their top tips for the day. The general standards of facilities have improved. At Allandale Tarn, we not only offer fly fishing coaching with Paul Buchanan, we also run various other related courses throughout the year from fly tying to short courses on entomology & more. We have two women amongst the group attending the current fly tying course and they do fly fish too! Nowadays I'm seeing an increase in the number of woman taking a serious interest in the sport for leisure and competition fishing. The company's that produce the purpose made fishing clothing ranges have also realised there's a female market for their wears that's nothing to do with fashion trends, simply that the number of woman taking up our sport is on the increase. As for myself, I got into fly fishing by association. Although I had a few wee goes at bait fishing growing up, I didn't take to squeezing a hook through the live bait. I never really caught anything and after one summer down Linlithgow canal when most of my pocket money ended up as bubble float tree decorations, I pretty much lost interest in fishing. As I said, I came in to fly fishing by association. Originally dug out during the reign of Queen Victoria, Allandale Tarn was used to hold water for the steam trains used in the shale oil industry that founded the site of the now Allandale Tarn Fisheries where I currently live and have lived for 23 years now!. For the past 20 years, this water has been used as a Stillwater Fishery, established by my family. I originally worked in another industry before managing The Tarn, but my parents, dreaming of retirement, asked me to come and work at the fishery and the rest is history. Although my parents are still dreaming of that retirement! Would I have taken up fly fishing or fly tying if it weren't for my family? Possibly not, but I'm glad I did. Regardless of whether I'm talking about fishing to men or women, I give the same reasons why they should give it a try. It's a great way to mentally switch off & relax and you even get a bit of exercise whilst out in the fresh air. You can pick & chose times, weather & venues to suit your lifestyle as it is so accessible. You don't have to spend a fortune to get started; and it can be a lifetime of learning, from which you can learn as little or as much as you want. It can also be a greatly social activity or you can escape to wet a line in solitude if that's the mood your in. We're not lady & gentlemen fisherman, we are fellow anglers! So fill you flask, wrap up warm & tight lines wherever you manage to wet a line this winter, whoever you are! Tight lines!.. *Iona @ The Tarn* www.allandaletarn.co.uk www.allandaletarn.com Allandale Tarn Fisheries; Gavieside, West Calder, West Lothian, Scotland EH55 8PT (01506)-873073

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New Zealand update November 2013

By Peter Ryan

For many New Zealand anglers we are entering one of the most exciting periods of the fly fishing calendar. The unsettled weather and high flows of spring is a thing of memory in many districts, trout are hungry after winter and the first terrestrial life is starting to show itself. My young chestnut tree, pristine until a few nights ago, is showing the unmistakable signs of beetle damage. These small insects are now on the wing in vast numbers, usually the browns first then the green manuka beettle. After a long winter trout fairly inhale this sudden glut and a well presented beetle pattern can draw a slashing strike. As an aside, visiting anglers may wish to put a little more length in their leaders than usual when fishing dries and terrestrials in NZ. The longer rig may take a bit of getting used to, but will pay dividends on big, wary trout in crystal clear water. In many districts sea trout are now hunting river mouths and estuaries, though it will be baitfish they are hunting with enthusiasm. Traditional smelt patterns work well especially when there is a touch of colour in the water. Like many anglers, I would be happy to put up a solid sea trout, thick across the shoulders from whitebait and smelt, vivid orange-red when opened, as the equal of any salmon on the table. Just one man’s opinion, of course. In New Zealand school holidays fall over the Christmas and New Year period, and for many that extends over January. Popular and easily accessed fishing locations get busy at this time of year, but it’s a relative term. Kiwi anglers are a lucky bunch. Here on the South Island they might count a day spoiled if they see another fisherman’s boot print. Elsewhere in the world ‘busy’ means something else altogether. Don’t forget that Wild South – Hunting and Fly Fishing the Southern Hemisphere makes a fine present. It’s available as a print edition, or on

Kindle, Kobo or iTunes. Just go to the website www.faraway.co

Best of luck to the host of US, British, European and Australian fly anglers making their way to New Zealand this summer. As they say of a fine movie, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it will change your life. Good angling to you. Pete Ryan

Paul Macandrew of Aspiring Fly Fishing with a nice early season brown. www.aspiringflyfishing.co.nz

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Fly of The Month

Natural Zonker

The Zonker can be used as a general purpose lure but is most effective when tied in grey or white and used in the fry season. The wing is highly mobile which makes this fly so effective when fry are around. It can be fished static on a long leader using a floating line or on an sinking line and retrieved at various rates of retrieve. Tying Instructions

Take the tying thread down the hook shank to a point opposite the barb. Catch in some small lengths of straight Pearl Glister dubbing which creates a type of tail - roughly 1.5” past the end of the hook. Dub the Pearl Glister dubbing to the thread and start building a neat tapered body. Once the body is almost complete, dub finely back down to a position opposite to the hook point. Take a length of Grey Rabbit Strip and stroke the fur forward to create a clear view of the skin opposite the hook point position. Secure the skin using a few wraps of thread and stroke the fur back over it. Bend the rabbit skin back over the area just secured to give a clear view of the dubbed body. Dub the Pearl Glister dubbing again to the thread and move up towards the eye. Catch in some Grizzle cock hackle fibres to create a beard. Pull the rabbit skin forward and secure the front of the black rabbit skin with thread and build a neat head. Whip finish and varnish.

Fishing Bags Chapman has a long association with fishing, having originally started life as a manufacturer of traditional fishing bags. We still make these bags using the finest quality materials and traditional manufacturing processes. We offer everything from a trout bag like the Troutbeck 12 to large and specialist items like the expandable Salmon bag. When you buy a Chapman fishing Product, you are investing in an authentic piece of fishing heritage which will stand the test of time. The head office of John Chapman Limited is: Gallery House Tannery Road Harraby Green Business Park Carlisle CA1 2SS United Kingdom Telephone (0)1228 514514 http://www.chapmanbags.com

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Tackle Reviews

This months tackle review is on the Jodea Fly Keep All tackle reviews are impartial and honest reviews undertaken by the editor. If you want an honest

and frank review of your fly fishing tackle please email me at [email protected]

When I first received the Fly Keep in the post I thought what the hell is this thing and what do I do with it. However once it was fuly opened up and I had read the covering letter that came along with the Fly Keep I understood what it was for. The manufacturing of the Fly Keep is top quality with good quality material and has good strength in the stitching and zips. What a brilliant idea and piece of equipment especially for the Loch Style “Fly Dapper Officianado” who likes to fish the old style way. So instead of fishing with man made dapper flies you can use fresh live insect bait attached to the hook. Just imagine it sitting in the boat on one of your favourite lochs or lakes dapping a true live Mayfly on the top of the water and the trout taking it with gusto. It has been absolutley years since I fished the lochs in Scotland using the dapping method. Roll on the Mayfly season next year when I can catch and keep my own live mayflies and set up my old 15ft dapping rod for a good day on the water. Dapping though is not easy to pick up straight away, but once you have mastered it, it is a great way to fish the top of the water.

There's an old proverb which avows that "The gods do not deduct from one's allotted span the time spent fishing" and indeed as any angler will relate there are times when it certainly feels that this could be true. There's good therapy in angling, that was recognized as far back as 1486 when Dame Juliana Berners published her "Tretyse on fysshyng wyth an Angle" [Treatise on Fishing with An Angle], and quoting a proverb of Solomon, which states that "A good spirit makes a flowering age [a long life], she suggests the sports that will help us attain that are " Haukyng [Hawking], Huntyng [Hunting], Fyshyng [Fishing] and Foulyng [Fowling], but that Fishing is by far the best of these. Dame Juliana, who had spent her youth as a noblewoman in these pursuits, was the Prioress of Sopwell Nunnery in Hertfordshire and her treatise is the first ever English Book on Angling. So since the dawn of history there have been treatises and innovations regarding fishing. This is because anglers with time on their hands during the grim frozen days of winter generally dream about nothing else but their favourite sport and how better to catch fish. And it was that other famous angling writer Izaak Walton who commented that at times "The fishing was good, but the catching was bad". A man who set his mind to rectifying this actuality is Jeremiah O'Dea, sculptor, innovator and angler nonpareil. Jeremiah advocates a return to the use of natural bait in flyfishing, and natural bait can be considered a good attractor - which anyone who has dapped on Ireland's midland or western lakes can attest to. For the non-initiated we explain that dapping is a method of fly fishing where the

angler generally fishes with a natural insect, using a long rod and a floss silk blow line so the wind carries the fly over the water to bob on and off the surface. In dapping the bait may be a mayfly, grasshopper, crane fly (daddy-long-legs), depending on which is in season, and the natural manner of its presentation makes it increadably alluring to the fish. There is certainly nothing as exciting as to see the torpedo-like shadow of a large trout tracking the dapped fly before a strike. In complete contrast Jeremiah also utilizes specialized roll-casts to reach the fish while wading and usually "gets in among them", fishing with a shorter rod from a kayak. This generally means that he is usually just a few Eskimo rolls from piscatorial success, and having worked for many years on trawlers off Ireland's South West coast, he has taken much boating experience aboard. To aid in his natural fishing approach Jeremiah has developed and patented an innovative new natural fly-carrying reservoir called the JODEA©, which can be clipped to an anglers belt or jacket and which eliminates the annoyance of having to travel back to the bank or boat to refresh your bait supply.

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JODEAtm is irelands first ever fishing tackle brand and soon to be reconised as the most prominent brand of fishing tackle throughout Ireland and in time the rest of the world,bringing awareness to the sport of fly fishing and its diversity world over and or fishing in general,The JODEA© fly keep itself is collapsible and stores away neatly into most all tackle bags,the reservoir section telescopes forward when required to act as the hold for the fly when in use,it also has a felt pocket for braids & hook storage. This new invention which can be considered a necessity for natural bait fly-fishers the world over, such as dappers, etc., the Jodea fly keep was launched at the Irish Fly Fair & Angling Show 2013 on November 9th and 10th in the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill. soon to be available in Irish tackle shops nationwide and UK & Scotland for this 2014 season and coming seasons, and may also be purchased online direct from our web site www.thejodea.com . Meanwhile Jeremiah O'Dea will be utilizing his vast experience in the development of further exciting fly-fishing innovations .

Generally all predatory fish take live fly from the surface, predominantly the types of fish that can be caught with live fly include:

• Trout • Sea Trout • Salmon • Pike • Carp

The Jodea Fly Keep is a device designed for collecting and keeping Mayfly And other such live fly for use as bait while fly fishing and or dapping the idea being that you can easly carry The Jodea Fly Keep on your person at all times having your bait at the ready for feeding fish as you come across them, its easy access opening make it practical for collecting the fly and stops fly escaping when searching the right fly for re-baiting your hooks. To Win on of 2 Jodea Fly Keep’s just answer the following question and email your

answer to: - [email protected]

Q. what is the JODEA fly keep used for? Visit the website for more information on this great innovative piece of equipment: - http://www.thejodea.com

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Winter Solitude

By Nick Britton

I am a fly fishing guide in Northern Michigan. We fish year round for Brown Trout, Steelhead, and Salmon. My favourite type of fishing is for Fall Run Chrome Steelhead and Mousing in the dark for Brown Trout in the summer. I have worked as both a guide and fly shop manager over the last 12 years. I have had my own guide service Fly Fishing Michigan Rivers for a little over 5 years

After what seems like a holiday marathon for some, family gatherings, work parties, dinner after dinner, and more food, you feel like you run right into a brick wall. January in northern Michigan truly slows the pace of life almost to a screeching halt with winter settling in, showing its cold grasp on the beautiful landscape we live in. Some outdoor enthusiasts love this time of the year and take to the ski hills, snowmobile trails, and frozen lakes and ponds. January in Michigan can also offer what a select few are constantly in search for, a place of solitude. Solitude can be defined as a state of seclusion or isolation, or lack of contact with people. Fly fishing Northern Michigan’s streams in January provides such a place for those that want to unwind, relax, think, and even reflect on the time that has passed and look at the year ahead. The silence of winter can almost be deafening with its soft white blanket and leafless trees. The swoosh of your crisp waders followed with the exaggerated crunch of the snow beneath every step of the trail; you enter into a world few have experienced. As you slide in off the snowy bank you are greeted with the bright shimmer of light bouncing of the riffles. You find yourself waist deep at your favourite winter pool knowing that it is just you and the fish at your feet. The frosty air tickles your nose as you strip line from the reel preparing for your first cast. As your flies enter the water searching for steelhead, you find yourself transported almost to a different world, a world of solitude. Everybody needs a little solitude in their lives. Whether that place is on an ice covered pond in the middle of nowhere, cozied up at home with a good book, or even standing in a busy shopping mall, solitude gives a person that mental break from their everyday grind. Having personally fished thousands of days and being blessed with a fish’s presence through many of them, I find myself asking what it is that draws me to such a place, day after day, season after season.

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It was Henry David Thoreau that said it best, “Many go fishing without knowing it is fish they are after.” Many days this rings true to any angler whether they fish once a year or 7 days a week. Some go fishing just to get away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives. There are others, modern day vagabonds more on their own accord, in search of the rivers to escape from anybody and everybody. For the rest including myself, fishing is more of a passion of necessity. All have a common bond that they share in that they are all in search of solitude. Catching fish, of course, never hurt anyone either and puts the icing on the cake on an afternoon of fishing. Fly fishing Michigan’s rivers in the still of winter can provide that much needed get away as old man winter gets settled in. Granted with the normally cold temperatures, there are only a few windows of opportunity to get out and be able to fish, but steelhead and brown trout fishing can still be good even in the dead of winter. The key to success usually has little to do with flies and tippet size, but more about timing.

There is always a fish feeding somewhere at some time, but more often than not, there are a few more when the water temperatures warm. It usually does not take much, just a degree or two can be enough. Sunny or mild days when temperatures reach the freezing mark or better usually provide the needed bump in water temperatures and make for a fun afternoon of fishing. Fish tend to be more grouped up this time of the year too, making them more accessible in fewer places. Fishing the deeper, slower pools where most of the trout and steelhead hang out will give you a better chance as well. Patience and perseverance can go a long way as well to help with a successful day. Fish can be sluggish depending on conditions requiring a few more casts than you may usually try. Swinging Spey patterns or fishing with egg patterns or nymphs under an indicator will strike interest from your targeted quarry. Fishing doesn’t have to be the only thing to enjoy on a sunny winter’s day. The river provides an excellent place for photography as well. There is nothing like the clear day after a freshly fallen snow. Snow covered trees, wildlife, and the shadows of the low sitting sun all make for good picture taking. The river itself is a thing of beauty as it meanders its way through the winter landscape. The banks sometimes extended with a shelf of layered ice entrancing the camera’s lens into an icy kaleidoscope. The snowy backdrop makes for some great and colourful fish pictures as well. So the next time you think about staying inside with your hot cocoa for yet another day this January, grab some clothes, your camera, and fishing gear and head out in search of a little solitude for yourself.

For more information on winter fishing, fly tying, or an updated fishing report check out www.flyfishingmichiganrivers.com or like us on Facebook.

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Recipe of the Month

Trout en Papiotte

This delicious trout recipe really makes the most out of a fantastic fish. You can also change the ingredients according to what you have in the cupboard – for example, you could either use fresh lemon or bottled lemon juice, dried or fresh herbs, and whatever herbs you have to hand. Basil, parsley and thyme would all work very well.

Ingredients

4 trout fillets, scaled and deboned 4 tbsp. lemon juice 4 tsp. garlic granules 2 tsp. paprika Few sprigs of thyme Small handful of basil leaves Salt and pepper Directions:

Cut out four large squares of tin foil or greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180C. Wash the trout and place one fillet onto one square of foil. Drizzle with lemon and season each fillet with the 1 tsp. garlic granules, ½ tsp. paprika, a sprig of thyme, 5-7 basil leaves and a generous helping of salt and pepper. Wrap the trout up, making sure to leave a space between the trout and the seal – make a parcel that looks a bit like a Cornish pasty. Place the parcels onto a baking tray and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the fish is flaking and tender when pushed with a fork. Serve this fish with crushed potatoes or boiled new potatoes for a healthy and filling dinner. This recipe yields four portions.

Flyfishing Directory.co.uk www.flyfishingdirectory.co.uk

Welcome to the Flyfishing Directory.co.uk website dedicated to the discerning fly fisherman/woman who is looking for that perfect location

to enjoy a day’s fly fishing for either salmon, trout, sea trout and grayling. Or for the more adventurous ones fly fishing for bone fish in the sea. You will find fishing venues; tackle manufacturers and tackle distributors, holiday accommodation and fishing holidays locations

within the UK and abroad. There are also some great info pages on the site including recipes (my favourite is the trout in Drambuie)

Within the pages of the website there are many companies to choose from for the discerning fly fisherman/woman who is looking for that perfect fly fishing rod or the best flies to purchase. Each tackle manufacturer and tackle distributor has a great variety of selections for

you and ranging in price to suit even the tightest budget.

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Monster Georgia Brown

By Ron Wilson

Dukes Creek is located in North Georgia outside of Helen, Ga. It's located in the Smithgall Woods Conservation Area and is a state managed trophy trout stream. Dukes is a very humbling stream and more people go home with a donut over a pig. I've had a few skunks there myself, all part of "paying your dues” at Dukes! Stream length is a little over 4 miles and is limited to 15 anglers per day with reservation and is only open to fishing on Wednesdays, Saturday and Sunday only. Stream regulations are artificial and barbless hooks only. I was very fortunate on Saturday as I didn't have a reservation but made the 85 mile ride up from Atlanta hoping to get a walk on if there was a no-show.

Stream Conditions: Air temp at time of arrival was 28 degrees, partly sunny with 0 chance of rain. Water levels were low and gin clear thus demanding small and natural flies. This is a very tight and technical stream where stealth tactics are a must for success. After an hour fishing small and natural nymphs, I chose to go against the grain by fishing a #10 Pumpkin Bugger downstream with a dead drift -jig and strip motion. This was all it took to fool this big brown who was tucked up in a downed tree. It slammed my bugger and immediately went on a run and was 30' upstream of me in about 3 seconds flat! It went on a few more runs, back upstream and then downstream before I was finally able to net it myself after 10 plus minutes of fighting it. Fish was 26" and an estimated 7lbs The crazy thing is that there is a chance I can fish for the rest of my life and never catch another fish like this! I guess that's what keeps us coming back!

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The Adventure Starts By

Jack Van Delft

Jack Van Delft

Jack was born into a crazy fishing family in Richmond B.C Canada. As young as he can remember, fishing with his family was all about catching salmon. Growing up he spent a lot of time with mates heading to the local rivers fishing for trout, salmon, sturgeon etc. Basically whatever they could catch. His true love of fishing comes from his dad, George. George has a way of catching salmon when know one else can. Magic rabbit’s foot I guess. Jack came to Australia in 1999 and found a passion for surfing. After ten years, he hung up the surfboard, picked up the fishing rod and started learning about the wide range of Australian fish species that were available in the surrounding waters. He’s been lure/soft plastic fishing for many years now and has a great strike rate. Fly fishing will be the next big challenge

Well the trip was amazing a quick write up on the trip itself. Lithgow had fires just before we arrived with scorched hillsides and damage in the millions still had an awe inspiring feeling of wild wilderness. We met up with Jarrod Pattison. A young fisherman and his mates took us to Thompson Creek Dam to try to tangle with some big browns. Well the weather didn’t cooperate and the fishing was extremely hard we didn’t manage a fish and it wasn’t for lack of trying. Our company told us stories of the area and how at certain times of year the fishing is amazing. We’re definitely coming back. Heading south of Lithgow we find ourselves in the quiet town of Batlow known for there apples. We meet up with Wayne Dubois a name that keeps coming up in the fishing industry as a great cod and trout fisherman. He took us to his local waters and had many funny stories to tell us. You learn a lot from skilled fisherman. Many small brown trout where pulled out of Adelong and Gilmore creek and also Paddys River Dam. What a place, next time we’ll come at a better time of year and smash some big trout Wayne. Thanks for all your knowledge. Cameron Mcgregor from River Escapes Victoria has out done himself along side his partner Katie. They took us up Mt. Buffalo to some beautiful waterfalls and then at the top to Lake Catani. We fished hard out of the raft, fly fishing to every rising trout. Cam changed flies a dozen times to try convince these cautious trout to bite. As usual just before dark the hatch changed and the bugs got bigger ‘Fish on’ what a moment. Thanks Cam a nice little brown trout on the fly rod. Rafting the Mitta Mitta river was the high light the scenery and the water was so tranquil. Again only managing a couple of small brown trout. Cam assured us that the fish get bigger as the season goes on. Rafting with Cam should be on everyone’s bucket list. Thanks Cam and Katie so many great memories and that dog Ruger best dog. We also fished the Buckland River the potential there is incredible seen brown trout in the 1-2 pound rising in the near gin clear waters. We only pulled an 8 inch feisty brown just at dark. A must fish if your in the area. Naked Eye has been truly a master of his work. Capturing scenery, fish, casting, and the highs and lows of the trip. He’s made one small video called The Last Cast a year ago and now is excited to piece together the next one. There will be some small video teasers to get you excited on our Facebook page ‘adventure starts’ in the next coming weeks. This movie will be about the adventure of travelling up and down the coast in search of trout and all the amazing people and places we go to. Also I get taught how to fly fish properly by accredited guide Cameron Mcgregor. This video will show case spin and fly fishing.

The rough itinerary of our adventure… Day one: Saturday 2

nd November

Leave Byron Bay around 4:00am headed to Lithgow. Hopefully arrive around 3:00pm – cast out! Day two: Sunday 3

rd November

Leave Lithgow by 9:00am. Get to Jindabyne by 3:00 – spend the next few days in fish mode! Day five: Wednesday 6

th November

Say goodbye to Jindabyne and make way to North East Victoria – hope to be there by 3:00. Spend the next couple of days making our catch! Day eight: Saturday 9

th November

Leave early from Victoria and pull a long 7 hour haul to Sydney for a stopover (and hopefully a sneaky flick). Day nine: Sunday 10

th November

Early rise – homeward bound! Back in Byron Bay – What a trip!!!

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World Heritage Wanderings – Flyfishing in the Estuaries of North Queensland, Australia

by David Little

(Photos by David Little and Stephen Woodcock) Most of us take it for granted, but when you think about it we really do have a lot to be thankful for here in the North of Australia. When most of the northern hemisphere starts slipping into the depths of another cold winter, the temperature starts to rise and the storms commence their build up. It’s also this time that many of our tropical estuarine species wake from their relative slumber, and look to feed on whatever crosses their path.

Figure 1: Thunder Storms build every day throughout October to December in parts of the tropics, making for great photo opportunities, and muggy fishing conditions. The build-up of 2013/14 has been a long and humid one, and as we enter December many of the rivers are already starting to run fresh. This is fantastic news after a poor wet season in many parts last year. The fresh triggers the spawning response in many of the local fly fisher’s favorite target species, including barramundi and tarpon (ox eye herring), and congregations of fish are easily found. Here in Queensland the barramundi are off limits from 1 November until 1 February every year for just that reason, but thankfully we have many others to chase. After my first solo guided trip in 2012 (in the Northern Territory) I took the lessons learnt and have been trying to apply them ever since. As a result 2013 has been a great learning year for myself, particularly in the warm, mangrove lined waters of the World Heritage Listed Hinchinbrook Channel. Rather than simply bind casting

into partially submerged timber and rock bars, hoping for the best, I have began sighting numerous fish, all of which are fantastic sports fish and eagerly take the fly. Some of my most memorable trips of this year have come since September. All have been challenging, but rewarding, and the thrill of sighting and extracting fish, sometimes with gear more suited to the trout found in chalk streams of England, is insurmountable. The build-up has come early and the fish are on the chew. Use of the electric motor is paramount because of the flighty nature of the targets, but the rewards speak for themselves.

Figure 2: We spent close to 45 minutes fishing this snag, and when we finally decided a change of scenery was necessary this was how many pikey bream were still there. Leave the fish biting!

The purple patch started towards the end of September, when a Texas-based Englishman, whom I had come to make contact with through the pages of my fishing club’s website, made the journey to Australia with his wife, and was allowed 2 days fishing. We chose the Hinchinbrook Channel, and his goal was simple. All he wanted was to catch a barramundi and a queenfish. Despite sighting a few, the barra proved elusive, but we did get him a small queenfish amongst a total of 9 species over the two days. I’m not sure, but I’m thinking the most memorable capture was a nice little Ox-eye herring (Australia’s miniature version of the tarpon) that he extracted from a school we found rolling on the surface. Close behind would have been his first pikey bream and his queenfish of course.

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Figure 3: Tarpon at any size are simply fantastic: a) Stephen’s aussie tarpon had us giggling like chocoholic school girls; b) the ox-herring is a great target that is available all year round; c) and put bends in rods from 2 weights (in this case) to 10 weights. Many saltwater fly fishermen consider the Permit and Atlantic Tarpon to be their holy grail. Call me simple, but mine has been the dirty fighting mangrove jack, and humble pikey bream. Eager to take peeled prawns, and other baits just about every day of the week, they can be so much more of a challenge on the fly. And extracting them from timber is something else. Call me suicidal, but 2 weight fly rods, and 4 to 8lb tippets are just perfect for sight casting to jacks and bream. The best part is, if you don’t immediately turn their heads away from home it’s over in a heartbeat and a flash of red or bronze.

Figure 4: I love it when a plan comes together: a) this pikey bream was a great fight on the 2wt and 4lb tippet but the next one destroyed me; b) what a way to end a trip, I was buzzing for hours after I finally managed to extract this fella on what turned out to be the last cast of the day.

I know we’re a long way from a lot of places, but do yourself a favor. If you ever get that urge to visit Australia, make sure you pack your fly rod and a couple of clouser minnows. You won’t regret it! Figure 5 below: A selection of flies for estuaries in the North Australian tropics: L to R - Chris Beech thing, Jon Makimbarra bomb, clouser minnow, Marabou pink thing, a lightly weighted shrimp, and a Jon Makim spawning shrimp

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UK & Irish Fishing Reports

Scotland Burnhouse Fishery, Burnhouse Farm, Bonnybridge Stirlingshire FK4 2HH Tel: 01324 840404 Mob : 07742 755737 Website: http://www.burnhouse-fishery.co.uk

After the storms of the past week the lochan has still come up trumps producing some cracking results,Eddie Hunt C/Nauld had 6 fish for 14lb 8oz then went on to release a further 4 on Liime,Green and Orange Buzzers,Jim Jones C/Nauld had 3 for8lb 8oz on Black,Red Buzzer Eddie Cannon had 3 fish for 7lb 8oz on a F..K up,Roy Smith Denny had 2 for 4lb 8oz on Believe it or not a Cinnamon,Sedge and Ace Of,Spades, Donald Edmundson Dunipace had 2 for 5lb on the Yellow,Dancer,Bobby Robertson Cowie had 2 for5lb on Orange,Blob,Our regular angler Richard Taylor Brightons had 34 fish over 3 visits to the lochan on Grizzle,Cat and Pink,Nomad,Coral,Dancer,on c/r ticket Jim McAllum Fakirk had 3 on c/r Orange,Pink Shrimp pattern,The dynamic duo Mick and Pat Quinn had 3 fish for 7lb on Green,Black,Dancer,Allan Smith C/Nauld had 3 on c/r on Orange,Blob,Jim Ivatt the old smoothie fromAlloa had terrific day landing 18 on Oky Doky and Millenium Bug, Archie McLaren Banton had 3 on c/r on the Red,Apps,B/WormDavie MaGuinness C/Bridge managed 3 on c/r on the Humungus ,

Mixed bag weather forecast for week ahead but come give us a visit water is at 8 ,degrees fish still active,

All welcome tea and coffee free, Wee are open all year round weather permitting

Linlithgow Loch Tel: 01506 671 753;

http://www.fafa-linlithgowloch.org.uk And so another season ends As I write, the lads are out on the Jetty armed with power hoses and deck scrubbers cleaning the boats before they go in to winter storage. Same old faces, same of die-hards who are always there when work needs to be done. It was a very unusual season. For the first time in living memory there was practically no weed growth, even in the heart of the very warm summer. This meant that there was no natural oxygenation from weed in the loch. This along with raised water temperatures gave us a problem with oxygen levels. The loch is now in very good condition and we leave a lot of fish to overwinter.

We can only hope that next year brings normal weed growth; normal oxygen levels and normal algal blooms We wish all our anglers all the very best and Tight Lines for 2014 2014 Advance Bookings please use booking form on website or email Janet. For further information or booking please phone the lodge on 01506 671 753 Fishing for Pike is not allowed on Linlithgow Loch.

Anyone so doing is in contravention of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003

Which states “Any person who without legal right, or without permission from a person having such right, fishes in a proper stank or loch shall be guilty of an offence, and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale”

Forth Areas Federation of Anglers – the holders of the Fishing Licence for Linlithgow Loch – will press for Prosecution and Confiscation of all fishing tackle of the offender(s).

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England

South West Lakes Trout Fisheries (December 2013)

Trout Fishing report for the lakes and reservoirs in Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset. General:

The colder weather conditions during November made rainbow trout fishing challenging and not for the faint-hearted at the six rainbow fisheries where the season was extended for bank fishing during the month of November (Kennick, Wimbleball, Siblyback, Burrator, Wistlandpound and Stithians). The fish were generally fairly deep, with darker bigger patterns taking the majority of fish. Season Summary:

Rod averages at all the sites were slightly down on the 2012 season – largely due to the hot weather and high water temperatures in July and August. The wider availability of ‘Catch and Release’ tickets across the region has proved popular with anglers, with twice as many anglers choosing the option this season. Wimbleball anglers averaged 3.06 fish per rod, Siblyback 3.09 fish, and Kennick 2,64 fish per angler (the hot weather had more effect on this smaller fishery). The best fish caught at fisheries: Siblyback – Two Rainbows of 5lb 14oz were caught, one by Mr. T. Nankivell (from Plymouth) in April, and the other by Mr. P. Garrett in

May. Wimbleball - Rainbow of 6lb ¼oz caught by Ian Hicks (from Liskeard) in May. Kennick – Rainbow of 6lb 2oz caught by Barry Ware snr

(from North Tawton). Roadford produced some excellent fishing, with some superb quality grown-on brown trout being caught, particularly from the boats, with

Andy Birkett (from Bere Ferrers) catching fish of 6lb and 5lb 8oz from a boat in June.. The upgraded fishery at Burrator continued to prove popular, with Peter MacConnel (from Plymouth) catching the best fish of the season – a 4lb 5oz rainbow caught in June. The Peninsula Classic individual Bank Competition in June was won by Barry Ware jnr. (from North Tawton). The Wimbleball Pairs Open Boat Competition in September, supported by Orvis, was won by the ‘The Siblyback Raiders’ (Tony Chipman and Paul Jones from Cornwall). Tony and Paul also won the new Kennick Winter Pairs competition held in November. South West Fishing For Life (the Breast Cancer Fishing project) continued to flourish, with regular monthly events at Wimbleball, Kennick, and Siblyback, and was rewarded for its efforts by being awarded The Queens Award For Voluntary Service.. Fly Fishing Taster sessions and Beginners’ Days were again held throughout the season at Kennick throughout the season in conjunction with the Environment Agency, in addition to beginners’ and family fly fishing events held at Siblyback, Wimbleball, and Stith ians. Kayak Fishing proved to grow in popularity at selected Trust fisheries in 2013, with many anglers bringing their own craft. Chris Hall (December 2013) Bellbrook Fishing Report week ending 18

th December 2013

It was a busy weekend at Bellbrook – we had the Christmas Fish-off with 20 enthusiastic anglers. The weather forecast wasn't good but that didn't deter anyone and it was near perfect conditions right up to the last round when the heavens opened. Competitors fished in pairs with the winning team being those with the most fish. First place with 9 fish went to Chris Mahoney and Gordon Ball from Paignton. Their prize was a couple of fishing tickets worth £72! Second place (2 bottles of Port) went to Dom and Ben Garnett with 8 fish. Dom writes a fishing blog so check out http://dgfishtales.blogspot.co.uk/. Third place with 7 fish, went to Derek Bradshaw and Andy Doyle from Bampton. A warming lunch with plenty of grog ensured everyone had a good day out with nobody blanking! Biggest catch was a 5lber and that was hooked by Alan Jukes of Taunton. With the lead up the Christmas the rest of the week has been pretty quiet. Father and son duo Ben and Sam Carlisle from Kingsdon netted a couple of 3+lbers using a small white fly with a green flash. Nigel Croft, from Sidmouth, also had a rewarding half days fishing on a Rover Lite. He favoured a Montana and was rewarded with a full bag, a 4lb being his top catch which he took home as a couple of nice fillets. And last, but not least, Geoff Surtees from Weston-super-Mare, after his 1-2-1 lesson, fished the normal lakes and caught a couple of rainbows, 1lb 12oz and 2lb 2oz. It was the Claret Pheasant Tail that worked for him that day. Finally it just remains for us to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful 2014. We're open every day over the holiday period so you'll definitely get some peace if you come and visit us. Any questions about the fishery please call Chris on 01398 351292.

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Wales

Cwm Hedd Lakes Bassaleg: Fly-Fishing report 16th December 2013:

A very merry Christmas to all! Your continued support has been very much appreciated in the last few months and we hope to see you all again soon. Although the relatively mild and overcast conditions have kept the fish predominantly deep, the fishing has improved on the previous week. Cwm Hedd fishes at its best in turbulent weather demonstrated by the success of Owen Watkins on Sunday. Others had left when the storm clouds gathered whilst Owen persevered in the mid-afternoon torrential rain. He was fully rewarded by taking onerainbow and releasing four in an hour on cats whiskers on an intermediate line with slow retrieve, with one rainbow being over 5lbs in weight.So be prepared to get wet and head over to Cwm Hedd you can always dry off later in front of the woodburning stove! Most anglers prefer clement conditions; more took fish than in the previous week, although still found it challenging to release high numbers of the fickle rainbows. In contrast, Ken Bowring demonstrated his experience and expertise, taking one and releasing six on black tadpoles; Mick Arrowsmith took one and released four on green tadpoles, while Paul Elsworthy and Alan Powell each took one and released five and four respectively on mini cats whiskers. Cwm Hedd has a packed Christmas stocking arriving from Exmoor Fisheries this week, so anglers can look forward to a yuletide treat. 8th December

The rainbows have been deep in the water at Cwm Hedd this week and fishing has remained challenging. Sinking lines and a very slow retrieve is recommended, with anglers also experimenting with a variety of flies: daddy- long-legs, green, yellow and black fritzes, montanas, cats whiskers, black & green tadpoles and orange damsels have been successful, with the far bank being the most favourable spot. The difficult conditions resulted in just over fifty per cent of anglers taking fish, with John Metcalfe being the most successful, taking one rainbow and releasing 5 on daddy-long-legs, Paul Elsworthy, Ted Lyons and Terry Griffiths each took one and released two on brown daddies and mini cats whiskers. Open Wednesday-Friday 8am-2pm; weekends 8am-dusk, with last admission at 12 middday. Closed Christmas day, Boxing Day and New Year’s day. Tel 01633 896854 during opening hours; out of hours tel 07813 143 034 or visit www.cwmhedd.co.uk

Fly Girl Leather Creations by Annie Margarita

[email protected]

Tel: 520-982-0293

http://www.flygirlleather.com

21

Ed Felker is a fine artist graphic designer, writer and outdoorsman. He can most often be found near his studio overlooking the Potomac River in Virginia, usually with a camera, often with a fly rod, always with a dog, searching for art and humour in the world around him

http://dispatchesfromthepotomac.com/

I just returned from a few days of fly fishing the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia’s Piankatank and Rappahannock Rivers with my friend Douglas Dear of Rose River Farm. We were targeting mainly striper or rockfish as they are more commonly called on the Bay, but there was a chance for redfish or speckled trout as well. Mostly, though, we were just on vacation. I’ve spent a lot of time and miles this year exploring beautiful parts of this great state that I’ve never visited before, and this place is high on the list. This shot below is at New Point Comfort Light House. We arrived on a windy afternoon and had an evening trip scheduled, the first of three outings with Capt. Chris Newsome. Despite a week or more of forecasts calling for clear weather, a stubborn system stuck around. But the rain stayed away and Chris found spots out of the wind for us to fish. To be honest, I had a week off and was on a boat with a great friend. I hoped that the fishing would be good, but at that point it mattered very little.

Early on we got into some stripers. Douglas got a quick start, catching many fish before I got my first. But I got my casting down and before long we were both hooking up. At the end of that first day, we had about a half hour of the absolute best fly fishing I had ever experienced. This was a common sight, Chris removing a fly from my fish while Douglas was hooked up with his own. These stripers are beautiful, strong, aggressive fish that are an absolute blast on a fly rod. Most of the fish we caught were between 16 and 24 inches. Some of the hardest fighting fish were the 20 inchers We fished the morning of the second day, and had an even better day than the first. And after a cloudy start the weather improved too. Here I am wearing my new lucky striper shirt from the fine folks at Covey & Paddle Clothing Company. I just love their shirt designs, “Born from Field and Water.” Check out their web site, I know anyone who enjoys this blog will appreciate their shirts. We spent some time that afternoon combing the shore looking for arrowheads. Indians lived here for thousands of years, and arrowheads turn up constantly. Douglas, sporting his cool Covey & Paddle speckled trout shirt, found three arrowheads. I found zero. I think, as with antler shed hunting, I’m just not very good at finding stuff.

Our third and final morning of fishing began well, with a stunningly beautiful sky across the Bay. I took dozens of photos of this sunrise, each time assuming it could not get more vibrant, then a moment later realizing it had. But even the most brilliant sunrises fade quickly. Mother Nature, though, as if to signal we were in for a special day, gave us an encore to that sunrise with this amazing, full rainbow in the western sky.

With so many fish already taken on the fly and returned safely to the water, with big laughs and great meals and cold beers enjoyed, with two nights of falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing on a sandy shore and the smell of salt in the air, with this amazing morning sky, my vacation was already complete. I didn’t need to catch a single fish this day.

But catch fish we did, early and often. Top water, open water, subsurface, oyster beds, shore lines, docks, pilings, Chris had us on fish all morning. It was one of those magical days when fish fight over your fly on every cast. I caught a striper on eight consecutive casts at one

point, and I didn’t think to start counting right away.

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Capt. Chris tying on a crease fly for some top water fun. These fish are loads of fun slamming Clouser minnows just under the surface, but when they explode on a top water fly it’s enough to make a couple grown men giggle at their good fortune.

We loved this spot out in the bay, but literally caught so many fish we both were fatigued from pulling in fish and relieved when Chris said to reel ‘em up, we were going to try another spot. Keep in mind; we only left after the fish “slowed down” to a couple of fish per minute.

I am so happy that Sage got my broken 7-weight Z-Axis repaired and returned to me in time for this trip. It was a joy to fish with and got a particularly strenuous workout with absurd numbers of very strong fish on this last day. When the fish are relentlessly hammering your fly, you really have to force yourself to spend a few minutes taking pictures here and there.

Another double. It was so much fun to be fighting a nice fish and look over to see Douglas had one on too. This was our favorite spot of the week, long casts toward shore, super aggressive, nice sized fish. One, after the other, after the other.

I’ve heard people talk big numbers when it comes to fishing. Fifty fish days. Hundred fish days. Whatever. I always assumed those people were bullshitting. I will not hazard a guess as to how many fish we caught that morning, because people would just think I was bullshitting. But this day was, by quite a lot, the most amazing day of fly fishing I’ve ever had or even imagined; truthfully. To have a captain bring you to the right place, at the right time, with the right fly, for such a sustained frenzy of fishing was just astonishing. I simply did not know there was fishing like this. And I’m so glad to share it with such a good friend. I could live to be a hundred and never have another day like that.

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Hitting the Oregon Rivers

By Stephen Seed

Biography My name is Stephen Seed, aged 23 and I have been fishing my whole life. The past few years I have turned to fly fishing and tying flies for salmon and steelhead. I live in Hermiston Oregon and I fish the Umatilla, Johnday, and the Deschutes rivers for these magnificent fish. I have only been fly fishing for the past few years but my passion for fishing has been a life long journey. I would like to thank my dad Chris Seed for teaching me how to fish and for getting my obsession started at a very young age. Without your knowledge I wouldn't be able to enjoy this sport or the outdoors like I do. To all other fisherman tight lines and enjoy every day like it’s your last.

It was a cool clear morning on the Umatilla River in Oregon as I started on the drive to meet up with my good friend and fishing partner Chase Winters. Finally I had reached the parking spot. My car was reading that it was 25º outside and clear. I began getting my gear ready and setting up for today’s fishing adventure as I waited for Chase to arrive. He arrived and we started on our walk to the river. We made it to the first hole we wanted to fish and I put on a Fly Du Jour I had tied the previous night. As I began to cast my new 13' Spey rod my fly hit its mark on the river. As it began to swing through the pool I felt a tug. I let my line go and the reel began singing. I lifted my rod and the adrenaline instantly filled my body. The fish broke the surface and leaped 2 feet into the air. I had finally hooked a steelhead on my new Spey rod. Being as I had just recently received it.

The fight began as the fish shook its head and ripped through the river into my backing as soon as it had taken the fly. I followed the bright and energetic fish down river making sure to keep pressure on the fish as to not loose it. I was determined to land this fish even if it meant getting wet from a fall in the ice cold river. I played the fish for roughly 10 minutes when finally I had her on the bank. After taking a couple pictures and admiring her strength and beauty she was released unharmed and back into her home for another person to catch and enjoy the experience I had that day. Considering this being the first steelhead I have hooked on a Spey rod I can easily say I have caught the Spey bug and I don't know if ill ever be able to fly fish without it. I am hooked for life and hope to have others that enjoy my passion of fishing follow in my path and try new things. Who knows you may just find out your true passion and hopefully share it with others as you follow your passion and learn for years to come.

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The Kharlovka Company and Farlows/Sportfish – The perfect partnership for travelling fly fishers! As many will already be aware, Vladimir Rybalchenko, owner of the Kharlovka Company which administers the Atlantic Salmon Reserve (ASR) in Kola Russia, has acquired a majority shareholding in Farlows Group in London. Included in the acquisition is the familiar presence of Farlows of Pall Mall with its 173 years of heritage including its Royal Warrant, as well as the award-winning fishing tackle supplier Sportfish. The consolidation of all these operations under one organisation offers exciting opportunity for the co-ordinated development of the retail operations to meet the needs of the discerning fly fisher in all branches of the sport. Commenting on the acquisition, Vladimir Rybalchenko said: “optimising the future for two of fly-fishing and country sports’ iconic brands is a challenge that I’m delighted to be spearheading. Farlows has a long history of providing the very best service to its game fishing clients and safeguarding the future for a new generation of fishing aficionados is now achievable. Sportfish will continue to develop its award winning direct sales channel, and with both brands we will be looking closely at the sporting agency and international travel sector”. Fishing Opportunities! Salmon and Trout of the Atlantic Salmon Reserve, Kola Peninsula Bookings for the 2014 season for the magnificent salmon and wild brown trout fishing on rivers Kharlovka, Eastern Litza, Rynda and Zolotaya are well under way, with groups returning year after year. Nevertheless, opportunities do arise and we urge you to register with the new Farlows Travel newsletter at farlowstravel.com.

Saltwater Trips/Alphonse The Kharlovka Company has expanded its range of fishing beyond the Kola with the launch of a new saltwater fly fishing trip to Alphonse in the Seychelles. Considered a fly fishers paradise, the Alphonse group of atolls is home not only to incredibly large populations of Bonefish but many other exciting fish such as the mighty Giant Trevally. The fly fishing is superb for novice and experienced fly anglers alike. With two prime weeks in November booked for 2014 they are offering you the chance to join them. See the new farlowstravel.com website for more details and to register your interest.

Celebratory Offer To celebrate the exciting new tie up of ASR and the Farlows Group, they are offering a 25% discount on any new salmon rod and line purchased at Farlows or Sportfish, for anyone confirming a booking at ASR for the 2014 season. To claim the discount, all you need to do is show your deposit confirmation from ASR at the time of purchase - the offer is available for any purchases made before 31st January 2014. If you have any questions please contact Justin McCarthy, Director of Fishing on [email protected] or telephone +44 (0) 7460 292 170

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Islander Precision Reels

http://www.islander.com

26

New Zealand Fishing Lodges

By Sue Farley

The long hot summer has only just begun as we look forward to many months of sunny summer days here in New Zealand. What a great time to be out on the rivers and lakes and the sea, making the most of it. We are getting reports from the various lodges (when they can take a moment) telling of some great fishing. The weather wasn't kind to many places through November with plenty of rain in some areas, but that's behind us now as the sun shines on. Brown and rainbow trout and salmon are the fish to look out for in the rivers. Trout are found in both the North and South Islands while salmon are basically confined to the eastern and central areas of the South Island. Out at sea there are plenty of snapper,

terakihi and kahawai, with the game fishing up north sounding promising as well. We would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a fabulous New Year. Here in New Zealand Christmas is all about the beach, barbecues, scrummy pavlovas for dessert, swimming and long hot days. Its annual holidays for many people so there are family camping trips, boating holidays, what we call tramping trips (hiking) and lots of sleeping under the pohutukawa trees

Featured Lodge – Poronui

Earlier in the year I visited Poronui in the central North Island. One of New Zealand's most highly regarded fishing lodges, this fantastic place is tucked away on the edge of the Kaimanawa Forest Park on the North Island's volcanic Central Plateau. Part of a large working farm and forestry enterprise Poronui offers fishing guest’s excellent wilderness fishing in some wild, remote places. There are also rivers close to the lodge if you want a quiet day, and if you're serious about eating, sleeping and fishing throughout your stay then take a few days at the Safari Camp, deep in the heart of the property. This little place is superb. It's a 40 minute 4WD trip from the main lodge and on the way you'll get to see some of the property's rugged backcountry. While the main lodge at Poronui overlooks the Taharua River, the Safari Camp is across a ridgeline and sits beside the headwaters of the Mohaka River. Accommodation is in tented cabins - a la safari style - and there is a well-equipped kitchen and 'proper' bathroom with hot steamy showers and fluffy towels. This is no bare-bones camping by any means. You can choose to spend your whole stay here or have a few days at the lodge and a few at the Camp. You can also choose to self-cater while you're at the Safari Camp or the lodge chef will keep you well-fed.

On the way back to the lodge you can check out the Red Hut, a relic from the pioneering days when Poronui was first surveyed. Blake House is a separate luxury venue for use as an exclusive accommodation sleeping up to 16 people. It is a short drive from the main lodge but can operate completely separately with its own kitchen and staff. For more info on Poronui check here

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Riverview Lodge - a new listing for 2013-14

Riverview Lodge is one of our new listings for this year. Sitting high on a terrace above the Waiau River at Hanmer it has commanding views across the valley to the mountains beyond. At times the hills are covered in snow but with the Hanmer Springs thermal area just up the road there's no problem there. Hot pools and day spas take all the pain out of a cold, wet unfishable day. Riverview is only open for the summer trout season - October to April - and with just 5 accommodation rooms it's a sought after spot. It's a 90 minute drive from Christchurch so is an easy weekend getaway if you're flying in from Australia. Both these things also make it a very desirable spot for an exclusive small group booking. John and Robin own and run the lodge and John is also head fishing guide. The large braided rivers of the area offer great fishing, with new pools being uncovered by the shifting gravel after each big rain. There is excellent sighted fishing and lots of options for heli-fishing as well.

Their on-site tackle room will ensure you have all the gear for a few days on the water. For more details about Riverview Lodge check here

What's Happening Around the Lodges Owen River Lodge is reporting some great early summer fishing. From their blog - 'a delightful South African couple were staying with us last week to experience 3 days of fly fishing in New Zealand. Unfortunately the weather gods weren’t being especially kind. We’d had some rain over the previous few days and the conditions remained moody. The grand total catch after the first two days’ fish ing was a single brown of around 6 pounds. The pressure was on for the 3rd and final day and thankfully the sun came out, the mayflies hatched all day and Adrian hooked 11 browns and landed 10 of them – all on dries!' Blanket Bay is one of NZ's top end lodges, offering a superb stay in either a lodge room, lodge suite or chalet cottage. It is one of the few South Island lodges where you are close to great river and lake fishing, for both trout or salmon. The lodge is open all year round and there are fishing opportunities all year as well Bay of Many Coves Resort in the Marlborough Sounds is bringing lots of seafood on to their summer menu - 'terakihi, lemongrass & mango, scallops with apple and ginger, quinoa, or crab and summer fricasse and blue cod, and so much more.' It's a great place to join a fishing charter. If the weather's good you can head out to Cook Strait for some deep water fishing, and if it's not there are 100 places to shelter in the sounds and catch some cod and get some scallops Tongariro Lodge in the central North Island is a reliable option for fishing all year round. Accommodation is a mix of twin/double chalets and larger villas, some sleeping 8-10 people. So if you're travelling as a small group or extended family this is a great option. They can also arrange backcountry camping trips for some exciting remote fishing

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CORTLAND INTRODUCES NEW PRODUCT PACKAGING

Thoughtful approach is environmentally responsible while tipping hat to Cortland’s storied history

Contact: Brooks Robinson

(607) 756-2851 ext. 103

CORTLAND, NY – December 16, 2013 - Cortland Line

Company announces it will unveil new product packaging

beginning with orders that ship in January, 2014. The

new look will feature a cleaner layout and color scheme

to catch the consumer’s eye. It will also provide more

clarity in conveying essential product information such as

species, casting type, line weight / lb. test, and technical

specifications. But the design effort didn’t stop there. It

has a more far-reaching objective; a unique approach

that is environmentally sound, and pays tribute to

Cortland’s heritage as it looks forward to its centennial

celebration next year.

“During a planning session, we noted the trend toward

heightened environmental awareness, using recycled

materials and minimalist packaging,” recalls CEO Randy

Brown. “And in the same discussion it was suggested we

pay tribute to our illustrious past as we prepare to

celebrate 100 years as a leading fishing line company.

The new packaging, reminiscent of our vintage 333 tins

from the 1950s, accomplishes both.”

“While new packaging isn’t as exciting as a new line

featuring some game-changing innovation, in this case it

is solid evidence that the new Cortland is gaining

momentum,” said Randi Swisher, Sales VP. “And when

we showed prototypes to retailers who dropped by our

booth at the Las Vegas show, the response was incredibly positive. There wasn’t one person who was not blown away by the tins.”

The tin will initially be available for Cortland’s Precision fly line series, featuring an embossed Tarpon for saltwater product and a Trout for

freshwater product. Inside, line is stored on what Cortland calls their “eco-spool” made of 100% recycled material (wood, rice hulls and flax

fiber). The tin comes in a recycled cardboard sleeve ready for shelf or pegboard display. The sleeve will feature the new look and a

minimalist design using 50% less material than traditional packaging, while allowing the tin to be prominently displayed. And the tins are

reusable, ideal for storing flies, tying materials, tippet spools, leaders, spare coins, river snacks, you name it.

Cortland’s other fly lines, as well as its growing array of sport fishing lines, will abandon the plastic containers in favor of the more traditional

boxes, using recycled material featuring the new design. Fly fishing product orders will ship with the new packaging beginning January 6,

2014, and all sport fishing products will be delivered in the new packaging beginning January

27th.

Says Brown, “Personally, I was looking to elevate our image with retailers and anglers while announcing that Cortland is back. The new packaging does that in a big way.”

Cortland Line Company 3736 Kellogg Road Cortland, NY 13045 607-756-2851 www.cortlandline.com

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Toothy Critters Love Flies By

George A Bernstein Author of: “Toothy Critters Love Flies”

Fly-fishing for pike and musky is burgeoning in popularity for several good reasons. Unlike trout fishing, which requires years of experience to reasonable succeed, even neophyte fly-casters can easily master taking Toothy Critters on flies. This exciting sport doesn’t require great technical skills. You don’t need to make long accurate casts or know how to mend a line… and stealth may actual ly be a disadvantage. Nor do you need the years of stream lore experience required for a trout bum, where intimate knowledge of insect species and hatch patterns usually separates the successful trout fisher from the pack. Also, to the probable amazement of plug casters, flies frequently take bigger and more pike (and even musky) than hardware, fished side-by-side. How can that be? Don’t these toothy critters want big, flashy, fast-moving lures. Well, yeah, if you’re casting hardware. It’s the only way to get those lures to work. But the right pike streamer can provide a big profile and lots of action while barely moving through the water, giving Mr. (or Mrs.) snaggle-tooth a better chance to decide to eat. Now many Canadian camps feature fly-fishing pages on their web sites, but their advice, while well-intentioned, is often flawed, especially regarding tackle recommendations.

My most recent trip for fly-fishing for monster pike was at Lac La Martre, Northwest Territories, north of Alberta, Canada. I flew to Lac La Martre (www.nwtfishing.com) from Yellowknife on their chartered float plane on June 26, arriving about Noon. After a quick sandwich lunch, I set-up A 9-weight and 10-weight, loaded with Bass/Pike weight-forward lines, and I went fishing. The schedule was for a “full day,” with a shore dinner of pike. As it’s never dark that time of year, we easily fished until 9:30, and I got a real taste of what to expect. I started with my favorite white-over-red, flared-wing marabou streamer, and my very first fish was 39” (17#). We saw her sunning herself in a shallow bay. It only required a 15 foot cast, and she pounced on the fly before I even got it moving. My guide, Little John, roared with laughter as she tail-walked twice and took off on a 50-foot sprint. Eight minutes later she was released, unharmed. After a few mid-size fish, taken blind casting, we saw a40” beauty, cruising. A short cast, and a few strips brought a slashing strike. A quick “butt-set” with my 10 weight and the fight was on. She (most big pike are females) was quickly released.

Without descending into a “play-by-play,” I saw eight others from 40” – 45” and at times, had strikes on nearly every cast. The average fish were 28” – 32” with several in the mid-30’s, and I lost 2 bigger fish that hit close to the boat, coming right at me, so there was little chance of hooking them. The 2

nd day was pretty much a repeat, with my first 6 fish (in 40 minutes) all between 8 -14 lbs., taken on a pink marabou streamer. The

water in many bays was only about 55 degrees, which made the fish a bit sluggish, and several very large pike just didn’t move for the flies. We saw one that was surely 4 feet, just lying there. She never moved. Big pike like water temps between 60 and 65 degrees. Early in the season, you find them in shallow, dark-bottom bays, warming their blood. Still, I caught 41 fish that day, with a dozen from 14 – 18 pounds, and saw 6 or 7 others over 20#. We ended the day in a small bay where the water was warmer, and the fish were hitting well. Great scrappers, with many good runs, even from small, 3 -5 pound fish. Lac la Martre pike are the best fighters I’ve ever encountered, with many uncharacteristically jumping several times during the fight. Each of the next days were similar, with 40 to 56 fish in the boat every day. During the 6 days of fishing I caught 265 pike. It could have been a lot more, but I started taking the fly away from any fish that looked under 10 pounds. I took a total of 9 pike between 20 – 23 pounds, and probably 50 or more from 14 to 18 pounds. I missed another of probably 25 pounds when she (again) took coming right at me near the boat. No way to hook her. I caught more over-twenty-pound fish than any of the hardware casters during the week. The exciting thing was, we saw many fish (probably 8 – 10 a day) over 20# throughout the bays. Some were pushing the 30 pound mark! It’s an adrenaline rush to see a big pike on the bottom or cruising (the water on Lac La Martre is crystal clear) near the boat, toss a fly, see her turn, follow, and suck it in. That is usually followed by a big splash and a speedy run. Several fish took me into my backing, and many made beautiful jumps. While I caught many good fish blind casting, the real rush is spotting them close to the boat and teasing a strike. I dangled a gold Flashabou streamer (my other favorite pattern) in front of an 18 pounder at the boat side for probably two minutes, as John kept backing the boat slowly away to keep the fly moving, and she finally ate it. What a charge!

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The last day gave the most excitement, when a 46”, 23 pound pike leaped at the boat, snatching my fly out of the air as I was lifting it from the water. She made a speed run of about 100 feet and jumped clear once and 2 porpoise leaps. Great fight, and a heart-thumper strike. A month later, that pike may have been an IGFA Tippet Class record – over 27 pounds. They are thin after ice-out, but fatten quickly as the water warms. Lac La Martre offers some of the best pike fishing (especially sight casting) I’ve ever encountered. The fish are strong fighters…even the small ones…and we saw many huge fish lazing in the shallows every day. The two most productive flies were my marabou streamers, and my Flashabou flies… especially in gold. They, along with a deer hair Mega-diver, are they only ones you need to catch pike and musky, despite the plethora of patterns now appearing on the market. I avoid the bunny-strip patterns, even though they catch fish, because the absorb water, are heavy to cast, and don’t stand up to sharp teeth. Surprisingly, the marabou is tougher, and continue to take fish, even when badly chewed. Patterns for my flies are in my book, Toothy Critters Love Flies. Lac La Martre is a 50 minute floatplane flight from Yellowknife. The lodge is modestly rustic. The individual plywood walled cabins are reasonably large, with 2 beds and sufficient storage and hanging areas, but there are only four cabins with “in-suite” plumbing. They plan on adding two more for the 2014 season. For the others, there’s a central bath house with sinks, toilets, and 2 roomy showers. It’s less than a minute walk from any cabin. The clubhouse and dining room are adequate, with a huge store of videos and movies, and the food is good and plentiful. And they have satellite connection for computers. Good 16’ boats with casting platforms, powered by 40 HP, 4-stroke engines, with marine radios and depth-finders. The guides are both Indian and Canadian, and they know this large, 1000 sq. mile lake well. By the time you read this, I will have completed a return visit in July, 2013. You can check my web site for a follow-up report. SIDE BAR IF YOU GO:

Trips are for 6 nights, with 6 full days fishing. The season runs from mid-June through early September. Arrange for an overnight in Yellowknife (the capitol of the NWT) the night before. Several hotels and Bed & Breakfasts are available. The 50 minuteflights from Yellowknife to the lodge typically departs mid-morning. You will have a buffet lunch on arrival, and then fish until 9:30 – 10 PM, with a shore “lunch” at dinner time. Return flights from Yellowknife to your home town should be scheduled after 3:30 PM on your final day. Contact the author, who will host a fly-fishing week at the lodge in 2014 & 2015, or the lodge, directly. Lodge web site: http://www.nwtfishing.com TACKLE:

The perfect rods are a 9 foot, semi-fast 9 or 10-weight, with a “Pike” or “Bass” weight-forward line, available from all the best line companies. These concentrate the shooting weight in a shorter head. We recommend overloading the rod by one or even two sizes, but #10 is the heaviest Pike line available. Most companies make similar lines in “saltwater” tapers as heavy as #12. It’s seldom necessary to cast more than 50 feet. After retrieving the fly to the boat and doing the necessary “Figure-8”, the heavier line helps load the rod quickly for another quick cast. One hundred yards of 30 pound backing, on a mid- or large arbor reel, is more than sufficient. No need to break the bank on a reel, as even huge pike seldom takes you far into your backing. Any modern reel will have a more-than-adequate drag. My Marabou and Flashabou patterns are all you’ll need to take loads of fish. If you’d like to make these easily tied flies yourself, here are the recipes: MARABOU STREAMER: There are many color variations. Pink over Red has become one of my favorites. Other winners are White over

Red, Orange over Red (or Yellow), Chartreuse, and Black. I like to add a touch of red to the throat of the latter two. After a lot of experimenting, I’ve pretty much stopped using weed guards. If I DO use one, I’ve gravitated to a 30 pound, stiff-mono. Hook: 3/0 to 5/0 (Mustad 34007, etc.) Optional Weed-guard: Closely wrap a piece of 30# mono on top of the shank, continuing about 1/3 of the way down the bend. Heavily coat all wrappings with hard head cement Body: Wind an (optional) large glass rattle atop the hook, using heavy crisscross windings. Heavily coat with hard head cement and slide on a piece of large or extra-large Mylar tubing. Wrap down tubing on both ends and cement. Wings: A pair of 5” - 6” premium marabou feathers of the “under-color” (usually red), securely tied back-to-back, flared outward. Cement the wrappings, then top them with a 6” – 8” pair of the “over-color,” tied over and outside of the 1

st pair, also flared. Wrap thoroughly and

cement again. For black flies, use one or two pairs of feathers and add a small red throat of something like Icelandic sheep wool. Topping: 8 – 10 strands of Flashabou (silver or pearl works for every color, but feel free to experiment), tied above the wings, extending about 2” longer than the longest feathers. Cement well. Eyes: These are a strong strike “trigger.” I use large titanium dumbbells with molded holographic eyeballs (Red w/black pupils) added with a touch for Gel Superglue. Securely crisscross wrap them below the shank, positioned where the wings are tied off. Cement. Bring the weed-guard mono forward, curving it slightly wider than the bend of the hook. Tie it off, trim, and whip-finish the head and, again, add a heavy coat of cement. NOTE: A new product, called “Fish Skulls” can be substituted for the dumbbells. More expensive, but sleeker and less likely to catch weeds, which is a problem with the dumbbells. They make a great-looking fly. You’ll be amazed at the action of the marabou, and the longer strands of Flashabou weave back and forth as you strip, simulating a beating tail. Even when badly chewed, with half the feathers gone, it will still look yummy in the water, continuing to take fish. FLASHABOU STREAMER:

Hook: Same 3/0 – 5/0, as above Weed-guard: Same as for Marabou streamer Underbody: Add a rattle and Mylar tube body, as above, then tie in a small, 6” long bunch of white Icelandic sheep wool. Cement wrappings. Over body: Add a large bunch (15 – 20 strands) of the newer, wide-strand Silver or Pearl Flashabou (or gold

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Flashabou over yellow hair; or the newer “Perch” Flashabou over yellow hair). Wrap ends thoroughly and cement. Eyes: Same as above, or, as this fly sinks more easily, build up a large thread head and glue eyes to threads. Heavily glue and reglue to try to keep them in place beyond 1 or 2 fish. This is also a great fly for lake trout and musky (especially in Perch for the latter). For either of these fish, I tie on a “stinger hook,” using 30 pound TygerWire (or similar) before tying the fly on the first hook. When finished, I cut the shank of the front hook at the top of the bend, leaving the rear hook, placed well back in the wings, to accommodate these often short-strikers. I recently took a 37” laker in northern Manitoba on a silver fly, tied this way. DEER-HAIR DIVERS: These are only other flies you’ll need, when the fish are in shallow, clearer water. Also effective with low visibility,

when disturbance is needed to attract fish. It’s easier to buy these than tie them…at least for me… and they are readily avai lable at most fly shops, as well as outdoor super stores, like Bass Pro Shops and Gander Mountain. Look for weedless varieties in 2/0, although smaller hooks will work, too. Best colors are R/W, yellow, chartreuse, and black. I carry a few of each color. TIPS:

Bring layered warm clothing (it can be quite cold, even in mid-July and good rain gear. Fishing gloves are handy, too. I used an all-weather right-hand golf glove. You need insect repellent, although I’ve never been badly bothered by insects there. And of course, good Polaroid sunglasses, even on cloudy days, to spot fish and keep an eye on your fly. Light brown lenses seem to do best in spotting fish. WHO IS GEORGE BERNSTEIN?

George Bernstein, ex-president of a small publicly held appliance company, is more recently the retired owner/operator of Outdoor Safaris, one of the earliest fishing and hunting travel services. George started fishing at the age of ten, from their summer home at PawPaw Lake, Michigan. A 12” perch fired his enthusiasm for the sport, but with no outdoorsmen in his family, everything was self-taught. By his mid-teens he was already an expert, and took his first bonefish on a fly-rod…no mean feat for a kid. A true sportsman, he pursued big fish on light tackle, and was practicing “catch-and-release” by the early 1980s…well before it became popular. He also authored several articles on chasing IGFA World Records on light tackle, providing new insight on fighting techniques that are now common practices. Fishing all over the world as research for Outdoor Safaris, he acquired eight fly-rod International Game Fish Association (IGFA) World

records, including 2 for pike, 2 for Arctic grayling and 1 for smallmouth bass. He was the official fishing & hunting tour wholesaler for Lan Chile, Aerolineas Argentinas and Pan Am Airlines. Over the past 20+ years he has concentrated mainly on fly-fishing for pike, musky and smallmouth bass, plus the other Bonus Species often available in their waters. He has rubbed shoulders with baseball great and fly-fisherman supreme, Ted Williams, as well as internationally revered anglers like Leon Chandler, Lefty Kreh, and others in the fly-fishing world. Now George has organized his life-time of experience into a definitive and easy to read book, Toothy Critter Love Flies, available in print and Kindle (http://amzn.to/TjkxJi),giving you everything you need to know to catch BIG pike and musky on fancy feathers. Not a fly-fisherman? The book will show you how easily you can learn to catch this aggressive predators on flies…and how exciting that can be! See George’s web page, at: http://www.pikeflyguy.com. He’s also published two award-winning suspense novels. See the details at: http://suspenseguycom.