Flymen Blog
Catching a pickerel, pike, or musky on a fly rod is an intense experience that translates into obsession very quickly.
There are only a handful of fish that I can say I’m obsessed with targeting on a fly rod.
Trout are at the top of my list, but any of the fish within the esocidae, or esox, family come in at a close second.
Spring and fall are the typical seasons when big pike are most vulnerable to a fly angler, but I can’t help but target them all year long, summer being no exception.
These tips will help you dial in summer pike within your local system.
Water temperature will tell you a great deal about where smallmouth bass are and what they're up to.
The first thing to do when you get on water you haven’t fished all winter, or even in the last week, is finding the right water to fish.
As conditions underwater change, fish swim to find a comfy spot that suits their needs.
Learning to read water and pay attention to the finer details will enable you to identify holding spots quickly and increase your chances of being in the right place at the right time.
A quick breakdown looks like this:
Sight fishing for bonefish, permit, or redfish is one of my favorite things in life.
It combines many of the visual pleasures of fly fishing with some of the toughest technical challenges, creating a scenario in which so much needs to come together perfectly to be successful.
Travelling to a beautiful tropical location and searching for an almost invisible, elusive quarry among endless sand flats, palm trees, mangroves and crystal clear water is incredibly relaxing.
Then add the heightened sense of anticipation, the sudden jolt and adrenaline rush as you first sight the fish – heart pounding, panic setting in, and of course the pressure! Pressure from your guide, your buddy, and yourself to put together the perfect cast at the perfect time to deliver your fly to the perfect spot in the hope (or prayer) that you'll be rewarded.
So much fun!
The idea for the Fish-Skull® Shrimp & Cray Tail™ first came to me during one of these trips to the Bahamas in late 2014. Out on a flats boat in the middle of nowhere, but somewhere between my fourth bonefish and third Kalik of the day, the idea formed to create an alternative to the established fly tying method of using bead chain eyes or small dumbbells to weight shrimp or small crayfish patterns. Continue reading
Forget the Squirmy. Forget the egg flies. The Mop Fly is the most sinful fly of all time.
You’ve seen them – you’ve seen the chenille fingers coming off an array of products these days, from dust mops to car washing aids to teddy bears to throw pillows. You can clip these off their backing and have a killer fly if you lash those fingers to a hook.