REWA Lodge - Arapaima on the Fly

The Arapaima is the world's largest scaled fresh water fish and can range in weight from 150 to 400 pounds. It can grow to over 9 feet in length.  The people of Rewa Village in Guyana have partnered with a group of anglers to use catch and release fly fishing to support their village and protect this endangered species.  Villagers, who once had to travel long distances to find work in mines, are now able to provide for their families via this fishery.

Situated about a day's journey from the USA, Rewa Eco Lodge offers anglers the opportunity to stalk these behemoth sized fish on fourteen weight rods and large flies that imitate peacock bass. The fish live in local rivers but seem most likely to "eat" when fished for in jungle ponds. Getting to the ponds involves a bit of effort. Local guides have to hack through vegetation to haul in the boats anglers use to get a shot at one of these beasts.

Outside TV Features is running a new film which tells the story of this effort:  "Rewa: Conservation through Fly Fishing."  Outside TV Features (not to be confused with the cable TV network) is a digital app with content aimed at outdoor pursuits.

Before you start tying giant peacock bass flies, check out more videos about Arapaima on the fly and Rewa Village by following  this link.

Gear: CorQs Strike Indicators

While we aren't admitting to using strike indicators... well we do and truthfully we use them a lot.  Fish  just seem to feed underwater quite a bit of the time.  A pack of these sustainable and light weight bobbers (dare we call them that?) ended up in the box with a recent order we placed from @Orvis. Of course we decided to give them a try.  What is your favorite form of strike indication?

Eco-friendly and straight-up darn effective. These strike indicators, constructed from natural cork are more buoyant than their synthetic counterparts, provide less surface friction for effortless drifts, and produce less splash thanks to their light weight. All that, and you can feel good about yourself for using an environmentally friendly product. 

Full Disclosure:  They gave us this product to try when we bought some other items. 

North Carolina Nessie?

Fox news is reporting that North Carolina might have it's own monster in Lake Norman.

While boating on the man-made Lake Norman, the man, along with several of his friends spotted the creature, describing it as “splashing around in the water." He noted it was around 10-feet-long and reminded him of the mythical Loch Ness monster. No photos were taken of the creature as it was only visible for approximately one minute until it went below the surface.

Come to think of it, there is a nuclear plant on Lake Norman. Break out the thirty weight fly rods....

YETI's 5 Gallon Bucket

Product Guy:   "Hey, what else do you think we could brand as YETI?

Marketing Guy:  "Hmm."  "How about a five gallon bucket?"

Product Guy:  "No way.. you can get those for like five bucks..."

Marketing Guy: "Precisely!"


Presenting the YETI LoadOut 5 Gallon Bucket

Nautilus Reels Micro-Film Contest

Calling the Cecil B. DeMilles'  among us..

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust and Nautilus Reels are getting together to host a contest open to both amateur and professional film makers.   From their press release:

"We encourage anglers of all ages and experience levels to submit their best micro-films telling stories from the world of fishing and conservation. The top videos, selected by BTT and Nautilus staff, will be played and voted on during the Nautilus Reels Art + Micro-Film Festival on Friday, November 10th at Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s 6th International Science Symposium in Weston, Florida. Each winner will receive a *Nautilus reel* along with other prizes."

The Force is Strong: Belizean Permit Edition

Photo Credit M. Mendez

Our Facebook pal and fellow Texan, Michael Mendez, recently got things done in Belize.  He landed this magnificent Permit while fishing the waters of Ambergris Caye at the El Pescador resort.  He gave a lot of credit to his guide, Micheal for putting him on this beast.  

This photo got me excited about my own trip to Belize coming up  later this year.  However, the fact that it took Michael three years to finally land one of these fish is not lost on me. Permit are by no means an easy catch. Nicely done Michael!  In the mean time, i'll just keep reminding myself not to trout set.

The Force is Strong in this one...

New to fly fishing, cousin Matt is lighting some piscatorial fireworks this holiday weekend.