Florida Fishing Report: Capt. John Kumiski

Author and noted fly fishing guide, Capt. John Kumiski has posted a new fishing report. In between redfish trips he took some time to target sunfish.

My truck was in the shop for four days last week. After one day I was sick of being home (the weather was perfect) so I returned to the days of my youth, taped a fly rod to the bicycle crossbar, and peddled to the Econlockhatchee River to fish for sunfish.

There weren’t a lot of sunfish there. Usually as you walk the banks you can see a lot of them. I got six or eight, all redbreasts. One was the biggest redbreast I’ve ever caught, with vivid, almost surreal colors. But I didn’t get a stumpknocker, nor a bluegill. Kinda weird.

Read the entire report that includes information on a recent redfish trip via his website.

Photo: Capt. John Kumiski

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ESPN's Don Barone: Bass Dreams

Don Barone of ESPN Outdoors has a new article out. This time he is chasing bass with a fly rod while hanging out with Fred Wilson. Fred is an angler who isn't afraid to pick up the long rod during a bass tournament or two. Don puts him to the test by bringing along a novice fly angler and an accomplished professional bass fisherman.

Both Rich and Ken are listening to what Fred is saying. Rich is new to fly fishing and is pretty much getting a five-hour lesson, Ken has fly fished before, and is buying some of what Fred is say, but not all of it: "If I was going to try this, and I'm not recommending anyone do it in a tournament, but for fun fishing, I would do it in the summertime when I could throw some topwater."

Fred just smiles.

You can tell he's heard it before, "I been laughed at, sumthin'-sumthin' this or that ... I know I'm compulsive, but I'm telling you if you want an advantage over the guy in the next boat, fly fishing for bass will give you that advantage."

Read Don's entire article via ESPN Outdoors. Don's commentary on fishing licenses is priceless.

Reduce your felt footprint...

I recently learned about Recycledwaders.com, a site that allows you to recycle your old worn out and/or leaky waders into useful new products while keeping them out of our already crowded landfills or more importantly from mouldering in your garage.

I couldn't bear the thought of throwing away my very first pair of breathable waders - especially since they were pretty pricey to begin with! After a long drive back to Fairbanks, I sat down and sketched out a pack I could wear that would simplify my king salmon fishing. Then I enlisted my mom's sewing skills. A few weeks later, I had the prototype - and it was perfect! It held 2 large fly boxes, nippers, leader, fishing license, bug spray, hook file, and pliers. To this day I use the prototype on every salmon and steelhead adventure I make.

You have the option of simply donating your waders or re purposing them (sending them in and having them made into the product of your choice). The "Messenger Creel" pictured above sells for $85. They also sell breathable wallets, nook sacks, and fanny packs.

Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska Ebay Auctions

Scott Hed, the Director of the Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska and a leader in the fight to stop the proposed Pebble mine has announced a series of eBay auctions to raise money for the cause.

The SAA is launching a huge online fundraising auction to benefit the Bristol Bay campaign. The auction will last for at least a few months with new items being placed up for bid every few days. Each item will be open for bid for 10 days. The auction is being hosted by eBay, so the format should be familiar to a lot of people. The process to bid and buy is easy, so get ready to raise some money to help protect Bristol Bay!

This auction would not be possible without the generosity and support of so many companies in the sporting products industry. You will find fishing rods, reels, waders, other outdoor gear, artwork, and trips to some fantastic destinations in Alaska as well as Mexico, Chile, Belize, and Canada. The Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska and the campaign to protect Bristol Bay would like to extend a very sincere thank you to all of the donors who contributed to this fundraising effort.

The minimum price for all items and trips has been set at under 75% of retail value, but the hope is that every item or trip will sell for retail value or higher. We are definitely “David” to the mining corporation’s “Goliath” in this fight. Nothing worth saving or no fight worth winning ever comes easy. Much work will be needed to prevail in this fight, and your support is critical. Here’s your opportunity to help save one of the greatest sporting destinations in the world. Bid early and often.

The first item up for bid is a week for two at the Rainbow River Lodge. The bidding starts at $8,000. Keep up with items as they are posted by searching for eBay user sa4ak.

Gloom, despair, and agony on me...

If you have to be stranded, you might as well be stranded somewhere nice. That might describe a recent article from the Associated Press that tells about a group of "high profile Louisiana couples" who had to spend several days on a remote Pacific Island when their plane had engine trouble on the way to Hawaii.

Their "bad" luck resulted in an unplanned stay on Christmas Island.

Sean Reilly of Baton Rouge said his brother Kevin wasn't too upset about being stuck on the island.

"Kevin is having a ball," he said. "He's a fly fisherman. He told me the only problem was there was a shortage of bone fishing flies."

Twin Engine Trolling Bobber..er Strike Indicator

We have probably all heard often heated debates between fly anglers about using strike indicators or not. Well if you want to give your favorite tweed clad purist a heart attack, simply tie one of these trolling bobbers from www.Trollingbobber.com above your size 6 copper john the next time you hit the local chalk stream. For reasons we won't go into, these look as though they might not be legal to possess in Alabama.

If you had rather not use indicators you might consider reading this article via FishandFly.com by Jeremy Lucas that addresses take detection.

Photo via Trollingbobber.com

Western NC Trout Jamboree - May 24th

The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce and Macon Bank are presenting their annual Western North Carolina Trout Jamboree Saturday May 24th from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM.

Members of the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team will be holding a casting demonstration and contest for adults and kids.

Midweek Fly Fishing Linkliness....

From the FlyFishMagazine.com corporate HQ located in an subterranean lair deep below the Mecklenburg County Landfill we bring you Wednesday fly fishy link goodness. Basically we do the work for you and point out a few items that caught our sullied eye.

Our fly fishing insider chums from Moldy Chum really managed to dig up some dirt on us this time. We can neither confirm or deny it but more than once our trophy wife has wondered about this very subject.

Internet media tycoon Marshall Cutchin from MidCurrent has a lot to say about the handling of the First Tarpon and more importantly about the, now required by Florida, practice of punching holes in tarpon jaws in order to tag them.

Maestro of the Florida Peacock Bass, Pete McDonald of Fishing Jones has been wetting a line in New York's Central Park. His fishing partner for the day was distance caster and author Randy Kadish.

Don't forget that the Project Healing Waters Two Fly Tournament is set for May 4th. We especially enjoy this rule that applies to the Vets who will be competing in the event.

B. The rule committee considers that it would be impossible for a veteran to lose a fly.

A Malaysian angler caught a snakehead with a horn. It is supposed to be lucky. Insert your own innuendo here.

The State of Maryland doesn't think Snakehead are that lucky. The 80 or so fingerlings they have tanked up are about to shake fins with Mr. Rotenone.

Deal Alert: Rainbow Point Lodge - Alaska

FlyFishMagazine.com received a dispatch from Alaska today advising us of a special deal on an all inclusive package at the Rainbow Point Lodge located 220 miles Southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. New friends of FlyFishMagazine Mark Higgins and Brad Hughes have alerted us to special pricing as they complete bookings for the 2008 season.

From their email:

Hello Lee,

Our available dates are:

August 4-8

August 18-23

August 25-30

September 15-20

September 22-27

September 29-Oct 4

As Mark had mentioned we are giving these spots away for $3,397.59 per person.

Take care and have a great day!!

Brad Hughes

Alaska's Rainbow Point Lodge

1-877-850-5858

This price equates to half off their regular rates and includes accommodations, gourmet meals, and having a float plane and large rainbow trout pretty much at your beck and call.

ebay live: 316 Salmon Flies used in book

Up for bid via ebay live are 316 Atlantic salmon flies used in the production of the 1991 book Flies for Atlantic Salmon by Dick Stewart & Farrow Allen.

A stunning display of modern salmon flies by tiers such as Jerry Doak, Jed Waterman, Fran Stewart, Ron Alcott, Bob Ververka, Dave Goulet and many others. All examples are in pristine condition.

Get out your check book. The estimate is $10,000 - $12,000 with a 22.5% buyers premium.

Arkansas "Open for business."

If you are planning on fishing Arkansas White River in the near future you might want to check out this press release proclaiming the state to be "open for business" even in light of recent flooding in the area.

Trout Fishing in Arkansas

"The increased water flow is helping the fish grow. We should have an excellent lake spawn," Linck said. He added that trout fishing on the White River is good right now even with all the high water, although for now, it is being done by boat.

Linck said people planning a trip to Arkansas should call ahead to the area they want to visit to determine the best time to go based on the water activities they want to enjoy, whether it's wade fishing, skiing or scuba diving.

A tip we learned from first hand experience, be sure to consult the US Army Corps of Engineers before planning any near future trips to fish the White River. A simple email to them got us very helpful response that gave us an accurate heads up about their generation plans.

People: Former President George Bush

Via the WPTV website comes word that the elder President Bush recently did rather well on a Florida Keys fishing trip. He boated a 135 pound tarpon. The news story made sure to state that the boat had a legal harvest tag which, as we understand it, is now required if you want to bring a tarpon into the boat with you even if you plan to release it.

Even though the boat had a legal State of Florida harvest tag, a decision was made to release the fish alive and have a reproduction mount commissioned.The fiberglass mount will hang in the Presidential Library at Texas A&M University.

I can think of more than one or two people who would question bringing the monster fish into the boat at all. However, at least we don't see the fish being held vertical by the gill plates.

DVD: Fish Bum I: Mongolia

It is always hard for me to think of fly fishing as a spectator sport. In my mind watching someone else fly fish just isn't high up on my list of priorities. Of course if I am watching the guys from AEG Media fish for the largest known trout in the world all bets are off.

I have been acquainted with the guys (and occasional gal) from AEG Media ever since their initial film, Trout Bum Diaries Vol I- Patagonia, was released a few years back. Their videos have been ground breaking and in my opinion (and that of my 16 year old son) the sort of thing that could interest a new generation in what might well have once been known as "the quiet sport." If you are not familiar with their style of film making, then you should know that they eschew the "visit a lodge and teach a technique" style of presentation in favor of fast paced films that showcase exotic locations and big fish. You won't learn to tie a fly by watching their films but you will be entertained.

The latest offering from AEG Media, "Fish Bum I: Mongolia - River Wolf" chronicles the adventures of Chris Owens, Thad Robinson, Justin Crump, and Brian Jill as they travel to Mongolia in search of the world's largest known trout, the river wolf or Taimen. Taimen are salmonids that feed voraciously and grow to sizes of a meter or more. They live only in the most remote areas of the world and when you find them you had better be throwing them something large. Flies the size of small dogs would not be out of the question.

One of the things that I have always enjoyed about the AEG video projects is the fact that chronicle the good right along with the bad. This video is no exception as it becomes clear early in the film that just finding these fish is going to be a major undertaking. In Fish Bum I, the AEG crew has to deal with travel in a country with few roads, scarce fish, bitter cold, blizzards, and yak milk vodka induced hangovers, in their search for these prehistoric behemoths. The also get to wear some very cool Genghis Kahn hats and ride camels.

All things mature and AEG Media is no exception to this. Fish Bum I: Mongolia is certainly the most polished of their projects to date. The film work is excellent and the music chosen as a backdrop for the scenery is the best yet. The lack of big fish early in the film might be a negative for some viewers but I felt it spoke to the scarcity of the resource and the difficultly of getting in to a postion to catch these giant fish. It also allowed for a bit more story telling than their previous projects bringing a deeper look at the geographic area and people of Mongolia. Don't worry though, despite early setbacks they manage to catch several very large fish.

"Fish Bum I: Mongolia - River Wolf" is 70 minutes long and is filmed in a widescreen format with Dolby Digital Stereo sound. It is available via the AEG Media Website for $29.95.

The future's so bright...

he has to wear shades.

Orvis to offer weekly fly fishing podcast

Today we received a dispatch from the Orvis Company indicating that they will be offering a weekly pod cast featuring noted author, inventor, and fly fisher, Tom Rosenbauer. Among other things, Mr. Rosenbauer is known as the author of the "Orvis Fly Fishing Guide" and is largely credited with bringing the use of bead head nymphs into the main stream of North American fly fishing. To put it mildly, he is the sort of fellow you would want to listen to about fly fishing.

This week's podcast begins a three part series on reading the water.

Books: "The Freshman Fly Fisher" by Rick Passek

I was first introduced to Rick Passek via his Vancouver, BC RP3 Fishing Adventures website and the FlyFish Fanatic blog. Rick is an avid angler and fishing guide who has devoted his career to showing others the enjoyment of the sport of fly fishing.

Rick's new book, "The Freshman Fly Fisher - A Beginners Guide for a New Generation," arrived at the FlyFishMagazine.com HQ via international post and immediately found its place in our reading room. Digging into the text of this book it quickly became clear that the book's small size was no indication of the massive amount of excellent information Rick had put into this guide for the novice angler.

The book contains plenty of information to get the new fly angler quickly on the correct path to a sport that they can enjoy for a lifetime. "The Freshman Fly Fisher" has chapters that cover everything from equipment such as rods, reels, and even boats to fishing etiquette and techniques. I found his tips to be a common sense approach to getting started in the sport. If this book had been around when I started fly fishing, I am certain that I could have saved a lot of money and caught many more fish earlier in my career.

If a picture is worth a thousand words then, at least when it comes to teaching about fly fishing, a video is worth a thousand paragraphs. The Freshman Fly Fisher is innovative in that Rick has included links to special instructional videos in the text of the book. Purchasers of the book get access to special sections of the RP3 Fishing Adventures website. At least for us this is a new wrinkle in the world of fly fishing texts.

The Freshman Fly Fisher has a definite focus on anglers who will be fishing the rivers and lakes of British Columbia, Alberta, and the Pacific Northwest. However, the techniques and tips that the book presents would easily carry over to similar waters around the world. I especially enjoyed Rick's excellent primer on the fishing of Chironomids in still water. I was not particularly knowledgeable about these techniques but after reading Rick's descriptions and watching the videos I am excited to try them out.

"The Freshman Fly Fisher - A Beginners Guide for a New Generation" ISBN 978-0-9783292-1-1 is available via the RP3 Fishing Adventures website for $19.95 Canadian. While the book is certainly marketed to the angler new to the long rod, even the most seasoned fly fisher can learn something beneficial from Rick's fly fishing expertise.

STP: Wright & McGill Large Arbor Fly Reel $129

Wright and McGill Co. Large Arbor Fly Reel - 3/4wt, Essentials Reliance

The good folks over at Sierra Trading Post seem to have gotten their hands on an ample supply of Wright and McGill Large Arbor Fly Reels in various sizes. The are made from bar stock aluminum and our resident gear junkie thinks that they have a modern yet classy look. Who are we to argue with weight saving fish shaped cut outs in your spool? Available in various sizes so if a 3/4 weight doesn't work for you be sure to look around.

Act quickly, deals this good are sure not to last long!

5 Point Film Festival: May 8-10th

The email inbox this morning held an interesting invitation to the 5 Point Film Festival to be held in Carbondale, Colorado May 8th - 10th. The outdoor adventure film fest is sponsored by Patagonia and Beattie Outdoor Productions.

It features a five-star roster of adventure films, special guests and panel discussions. Featured guests and speakers include Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, surfer Gerry Lopez, blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer, and climber Tommy Caldwell. Films incorporate all realms of adventure: fly fishing, mountain biking, climbing, surfing, base jumping, mountaineering and kayaking, just to list a few.

Included in the movies is Destinations. It is an action packed fly fishing short film that features the stories of three different groups of anglers from different parts of the world. The film begins in Slovenia, transitions to the remote Alaskan wilderness, and then concludes with fishing for False Albacore in North Carolina. Additionally, Kate and Mark Rutherford will be at the festival and will be part of a discussion panel: Inspiring Passion & Lifestyle with Your Children.

Right now it doesn't look like we will get to attend but should you make it to the show drop us a note to let us know how you liked it.

Phishers Seeking Fishers...

Recently I was perusing my email in box and scattered among all the emails for vi*agra and male enhancement (my wife claims she has nothing to do with these) I came across an invite to test products for Cabelas. I am a cynical finance guy by day so I had my doubts from the get go. However, my schwag meter pegged into the red. Being a fly fishing media insider wannabe (and one with good antivirus software) I of course opened it.

Inside I found an link to C-A-B-E-L-A-S-T-O-R-E.c-o-m (dashes added to avoid any resemblance to linkage). Upon cautiously following the link, I found myself presented with a sign up form offering me a chance to test Cabela's products. If I were lucky they might even include a new Ford truck. When did Cabela's start selling trucks? I wondered.

Aside from the poor grammar and spelling errors in the email, a quick look at the header info for the confirmed that it didn't come from Cabela's at all. Apparently the phishers have started looking for fishers to scam. I am quite certain that any angler entering his or her information into the form on the suspect site would be subject to mass netbot attack or at least a bunch of spam (and not the tasty kind they love in Hawaii either).

Being the semi-journalistic type I sent out an email alerting Cabelas to the blatant corruption of their brand and got a quick response confirming the suspect website as having nothing to do with them. Hopefully they will find the perp and horse whip him with a twelve weight SLA series fly rod.

I thought I would pass this along as a public service. You should be thankful that I took time away from my emails with the Nigerian Doctor to clue you in to this scam. I dont want to give away too much, but lets just say that I am helping him and with the fee I'll be collecting a new yacht won't be an issue... Honey, have you seen our bank account numbers?

2008 Roanoke River Striper Trip

This past weekend was spent with friends Ron and Deanna who invited me along on a trip to fish the Roanoke River near Williamston, North Carolina during the early part of the striper run. We hit the water with our running lights on before daylight on Friday morning in Deanna's Carolina Skiff the "Miss Belle."

Conditions were not what one would call ideal for trying to catch river striper on a fly rod but I was determined to try. The water was very high and stained. It quickly became evident that my intermediate sinking line was not going to be enough to get my fly into the strike zone so I added a large sinker to my leader and commenced chucking and ducking (literally). Eventually I managed to hook up with and land a rather small rockfish. The nine weight fly rod I was swinging turned out to be a bit optimistic when it came to the size of my catch but I was able to land and release my catch quickly.

Ron and Deanna and I caught a few more striper during the rest of the trip but Deanna was the only one in our group to get a slot fish. It came in just under 22 inches. An interesting note was the many big bowfin or blackfish as the locals call them. We caught several of the hard fighting toothy fish. The prehistoric looking fish were rolling on the top of the water anywhere creeks flowed into the river. Try as I might I couldn't get one to take a fly.

Thanks to Ron and Deanna for a day on the water. They were excellent hosts and taught me a lot about one of their favorite places to fish.

Gear: Panoptx becomes 7eye

We got a email from the folks at Panoptx letting us know that they are now complete with their re-branding under the name 7eye. We have been sporting a pair of their spectacles for about a year now. Their integrated / removable foam eye cups designed for motorcycle riders and boaters have been keeping our contact lens laden eyes moist and warm while fishing mountain trout streams in sub freezing temperatures.

Check out their newly designed site.

Maybe we made the right decision...

When we decided to skip Arkansas this week. Paisley writes us with news of the generation schedule.

----- Original Message -----
From: Paisley, Jeffrey
To: zugbug, Garwood ; Lee Murdock
Sent: Thu Apr 10 09:24:17 2008
Subject: News Paper Article

Update: All Norfork floodgates to open 2 feet

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it will open all the Norfork Dam floodgates 2 feet each at 7:30 a.m. today, said Corps lake manager Jon Hiser.

The floodgates first opened at 4 a.m. and opened one foot each at 6 a.m., the Corps reported.

The 12 floodgates will release water at 30,000 cubic feet per second, Hiser said. With the generators running, the amount of water released will be equivalent to 11 to 12 generators, he said.

At 5 a.m., Norfork Lake was at 580.83 feet and Bull Shoals Lake was at 688.76 feet, according to Corps information

Thanks,

Jeff Paisley C.P.M., A.P.P.

Friends with Boats Weekend!

Today is a travel day for the staff of FlyFishMagazine.com. We are heading out for our yearly celebration of "friends with boats" weekend. We all know that the only thing better than owning your own boat is having a friend who owns one and doesn't mind ferrying your sorry hindquarters around.

This year we will be joining Ron "long arm of the law" Barnes, for what we hope will be a visit to the Roanoke River striper run. Initial reports are good and the weather is looking to be excellent. This will be my first trip out with the new 9 wt rod (wishful thinking) so I am looking forward to casting into water and not lawn.

This will also be my first shot rockfish in a river setting. I think that my efforts might be hampered by the fact that I only have an intermediate sinking line. The experts all indicate that if the water is up a fast sinking line is needed in order to get to the bottom as quickly as possible. I just couldn't quite make it to the store for a new line so I intend to improvise my way around this by using some nifty crimp on bullet weights. I am hoping that these will sit close enough to the fly to avoid the usual problems with the chuck and duck but still not impact their rockfish appeal. I'll let you know how these work. With any luck the flows will be down and then 1.5 ft per second sink rate on my line will be enough to put me in the strike zone and on fish.

Dont be that guy....

Via MaineToday comes a story of fly fishing conversation etiquette. I think we all have met that guy...

"I caught a 22-inch rainbow yesterday," he offered, with nothing else. I could see he was waiting for me to, pardon the pun, take the bait.

He waited a few seconds, maybe 10, and took a quick puff of his cigarette.

"Not here, you know."

I just nodded, and he puffed again.

He then went into a long litany of where he'd been fishing, how many fish he'd caught and how long they all were. To hear him tell it, he'd filled an entire wall with trophy-sized mounts -- all from the last six days!

He caught a brown out of China Lake. "You know that's open, right?"

He caught splake by the bucketful near Bingham. "They're all, like, 15-24 inches up there."
And then there was the rainbow.

"Oh, they're biting all right. You just got to know where to go."

Did I mention...

That my wife picks out some pretty sweet birthday gifts?
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Brookies on the Caney

FlyFishMagazine.com's Tennessee troutmeister, Jay Moore will have a few thousand new opportunities on his favorite tailwater, the Caney Fork. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission recently stocked Brook trout in Jay's home waters. From an article in the Tennessean.com

An estimated 4,800 brook trout were released Thursday with 25,000 more expected in the weeks to come, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

The stocking of the third trout species isn't an effort to restore an ecosystem, but rather a recreational and economic plum for the angling world that's taking advantage of a situation unlikely to change any time soon.

"We'll actually have bigger brook trout here than you can catch anywhere in the mountain streams," he said, adding food is limited in the high reaches of East Tennessee where some are found.

Found in today's mail

"Fish Bum I: Mongolia," from Justin Crump and the AEG crew. The popcorn pops even as we thumb type.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

We have been neglecting our friends at Sierra...

Hopefully this will help make up for our recent lack of blatant commercialism. Seriously though. Great gear - excellent prices. You know the drill.

Gear: See SPOT Find Your Sorry Rear End

With all the natural disasters that seems to precede our fishing adventures lately, I have been thinking about purchasing one of the new SPOT Personal Satellite Messengers. With a MSRP of $169.99 and$99 per year for service being able to summon help or just check in with the wife at the touch of a button seems like a bargain.

SPOT features four key functions that enable users to send messages to friends, family or emergency responders, based upon varying levels of need:

Alert 9-1-1 – Alert emergency responders to your exact location
SPOT sends one message every 5 minutes until power is depleted or 911 is cancelled.

Ask for Help – Request help from friends and family in your exact location
SPOT sends one message every 5 minutes for one hour or until Help is cancelled

Check In – Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay. SPOT sends three identical messages to the SPOT service for redundancy. The first of those three messages is delivered.

Track Progress – Send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress using Google Maps™ SPOT sends one message every 10 minutes for 24 hours or until SPOT is powered off.

I like the idea that you have the option of asking for full blown help from emergency responders or just sending a message to family or friends asking for a bit of assistance. That flat on your mountain bike might not require a helicopter evacuation so it's nice to know that you have the option to summon a fishing buddy or two. The fact that they are endorsed by Les Stroud closed the deal for us.

We have seen them at our local Bass Pro but they are also available direct via http://www.findmespot.com/.

Fly Fishing Quote of the Week: Barack Obama

Via the Great Falls Tribune:

"It's good to be in Missoula," he said. "You guys have a good deal around here. This is some pretty country. I think I need to learn fly fishing, get myself some waders."

This leads us to ask who might win a Fips / Mouche style fishing tournament beteween Obama and this guy?

Check out the video of his speech via our pals at Moldy Chum.

Someone is trying to tell us something...

Did you ever get the feeling someone was trying to tell you something?

Paisley sends this photo of one of our favorite spots to eat BBQ when we fish Arkansas' White River. It seems to have been on the losing side of a dance with a tornado. Due to the flooding and foul weather I'll be sitting in my office next week instead of tossing sowbugs at big rainbows.

When it was intact, K.T.'s BBQ had some of the best beef brisket we have ever eaten.

Sister Carol's Grass Carp Fly

Psycho T. and my home state UNC Tarheel's Basketball team will be meeting up with the Kansas Jayhawks in San Antonio this Saturday. In the spirit of good will (before we unleash our big man in the middle on them) I have been taking a look at a few of the Kansas fly fishing sites. I found this excellent "Sister Carol's Grass Carp Fly" on the Free State Fly Fishers site.

Free State Fly Fishers is a Lawrence, KS based club dedicated to promoting the sport of fly fishing in Northeast Kansas through education, conservation and community service. Formed in August 2005, Free State Fly Fishers is an affiliate club of Federation of Fly Fishers operating as a 501c-3 corporation under FFF's charter club program. Our FFF club number is K99784.

Membership in the Federation of Fly Fishers is required to belong Free State Fly Fishers. At this time, we don't have any local club dues.

We meet monthly at Conroy's Public House, 3115 W. 6th in Lawrence, KS

Oh and we apologize for that whole Roy Williams deal but it was one of those things that just couldn't be stopped.

**Update** Unverified sources report that in the moments just before the NCAA Semi-finals the entire UNC basketball team was replaced by a group of homeless Texans. We are sure at some point the real team will be found locked in a closet or something. This is the only explanation we can muster at that this time. However, congrats go out to the Kansas Jayhawks for the A$$ whooping they put on the heels. We are dumbfounded but still major Tarheel fans.

Spousal Conversion: Only a matter of time?

It is only a matter of time before the high end fly rod manufacturers take a cue from the recreational boating industry and offer an online course in convincing the significant other that you really do need that new fly rod.

From the "7 days to boat ownership" section at DiscoverBoating.com's Spousal Conversion Kit:

Day 3

DINNER WITH FRIENDS
Plan for your dinner date with friends to be close to a boat dealership. Make sure that you pass the dealership both on the way to dinner and going home. On the way to dinner, subtly point out the dealership and the beautiful boats on display.

During dinner, make sure your friend brings up the boating topic so you don't sound like a broken record and your S.O. does not catch on to your ulterior motives.

After dinner, drive by the boat dealership again and casually suggest that the two of you make an appointment to see what types of boats they offer (leave message at dealership immediately when you get home).

We are holding out for Montauk

Are you in need of a base of operations / fishing retreat that will literally out shine the competition? You might want to buy an actual lighthouse. GPS is making them obsolete so the U.S. Coast Guard is auctioning a few of them off to the highest bidder.

Pete Jurewicz couldn't believe he'd won. The online auction, which he had entered on a whim, closed at $65,000.

"Honey," he told his wife, Bonnie, "I've got good news, and I've got bad news. The good news is we own a lighthouse. The bad news is — we own a lighthouse

Link via USA Today

Opening Day of Trout Season

April marks opening day of trout season for many folks across the nation. This prompted me to post the above photo which I have titled simply,"Dang it!". Here is a handy link to all the coverage of the topic today.

If someone can correctly identify the the location of the body of water that is home to the often snagged wires pictured above, I will send some FlyFishMagazine.com schwag their way. Here is a hint: It's in the Carolina mountains but not necessarily on technical US soil. Bonus points if you can name the campground on its banks.

Heave to and prepare to be boarded...

According to this article in the Windsor Star the United States Department of Homeland Security is denying rumors it is planning a stepped up campaign to interdict fishing boats on the Great Lakes.

Chief Ron Smith, spokesman for the Detroit Homeland Security office, said Tuesday that there has been misinformation circulating that U.S. authorities will launch a special campaign when the fishing season begins this month to stop all U.S. boats re-entering the U.S. from the Canadian side, sending them for inspection.

Don't get them wrong though you still should play by the extensive rules if you don't want a customs inspection:

He acknowledged that U.S. citizens fishing in Canadian waters will be expected to carry a passport or two other valid pieces of identification, according to laws governing all cross border travel. But only those craft that anchor in Canadian waters, dock on the Canadian side or hover alongside a second vessel in Canadian waters will be expected to pass through U.S. customs and immigration upon re-entry.

Read more comment about the regulations and why some charter Captains are saying it could hurt their business via the Crazy Fisherman's blog.

Photo via USCG.mil

Fly Fishing April Fool's Day Posts We'd Enjoy

If you are reading this blog or others of its ilk then obviously you are far too smart to be hooked by the typical April Fool's Day blog posting. Since we didn't have time to put the work into it that some others on the net do, we decided to forgo the trickery and skip ahead to a few April Fools Day Headlines we would particularly enjoy seeing:

Rare Breed of Fresh Water (insert tropical gamefish of your choice Tarpon, Peacock Bass etc.)to be Stocked in Carolina Lakes.

In a "perfect storm" of subprime mortgages and housing bubbles the Federal government siezes all private trout streams as part of a massive bail out and opens them as national parks.

Michael Jackson announces bid to purchase Spring Ridge Club. Present owner staying on as "personal" assistant.

Bamboo declared over-priced invasive grass, graphite is for pencils, fiberglass only rod for true purist. Eagle Claw stock at all time high.

In what can only be equated to the days of the Internet bubble, venture capitalist's fervently seek out fly fishing bloggers in blatant move to dispose of excess capital. Burn rates thought to be at their highest since 90's.

We know you can do much better - Leave your own April Fool's Day headline in the comments.

Eugene Shuler Wins Inaugural Pisgah Fly Masters

Eugene Shuler takes the overall winner's trophy at the 1st ever Pisgah Fly Masters held this past weekend on the Davidson River. To take the win Eugene had qualify on a casting course and score three fish during the second day's fishing totaling 63 inches.

You may know Eugene from our coverage of the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team which he helped form or from the Southeast Fly Fishing Forum which he sponsors.

Congratulations to Eugene! Read more about it via this article in the Citizen-Times.