Flymen Blog
If you're used to fly fishing for tarpon in the Florida Keys or other crystal clear flats, then muddy jungle rivers and blown out river mouths probably aren’t high on your list of destinations… but they should be.
The history of jungle tarpon fishing in Costa Rica goes back decades and all of the big name dudes that pioneered saltwater fly fishing experienced its glory.
While adequate scientific research hasn’t been conducted, the tarpon population that is found here is likely to be the largest concentration of adult tarpon on planet earth. Schools of hundreds if not thousands of fish packed outside the river mouth on the ocean side and often found crushing bait along the shores of the river as well.
Taking the Classic Deer Hair Diver to the Next Level
By integrating the new Fish-Skull Chocklett's Articulated Micro-Spine system into a well-established pattern, Braden Sherwood has designed a total winner – in fact, he won the recent Micro-Spine fly tying contest with this fly pattern.
The added movement and taper through the spines in this smaller diver pattern is fantastic.
A Good Caddis Pupa Should Be a Staple in Every Trout Angler’s Fly Box
I like Caddis Pupae that are easy to tie, have vibrant colors, and are super quick to drop to the bottom. Tradd Little's Neon Caddis covers all of these bases, and then some.
Tied with a Nymph-Head Evolution tungsten beadhead and the perfectly shaped Kona USP Scud/Pupa hook, this little Caddis Pupa will be all you need.
River Pike: A Somewhat Predictable Creature
River pike are one of my favorite fish species to target on the fly, both fishing for them and guiding clients onto them, pike always give me an extra level of excitement. Rivers, compared to stillwater are more susceptible to changes. Water levels fluctuates faster and make the pike respond in different ways. When you drift down a river it’s a forever changing landscape. Behind each bend could be your new record pike waiting in ambush.
So, what are some helpful tips you can use for targeting river pike?
It's Mousin' Time
If you want to see river monsters crush your fly on the surface and put up a good fight, give the Magic Mouse a go!
Finding the right combination of a realistic yet easy-to-tie mouse pattern is one of the hardest things to do in fly tying, but Adam Kornuth found the Holy Grail in his Magic Mouse.
With a Double Barrel slider head on a Senyos Articulated Shank for Steelhead and Salmon Flies, backed up by the ultra-sharp and durable Kona Universal Strong Streamer hook, The Magic Mouse has everything you need in a great mouse pattern while being simple to tie.