Editor’s note: These excerpts are transcribed from Mill House Podcast episodes. They’ve been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. Andy Mill has added recent reflections on the clips that are signified by italicized text.

Tackle was barbaric and fish were plentiful. Before GPS and sonar, navigation and exploration was about timing with speed and compasses. What was the evolution like for fishing sophistication?

Our history is told through decades of ageless, weathered anglers and guides who dedicated their lives to the pursuit of gamefish far and wide. Their quests and stories are riveting and compelling, instructive to those of us interested to know where we’ve come from and how we arrived where we are today.

If these stories are not told and documented, and if the emotion that accompanies them is not captured on camera, our heroes one day may only be remembered by name, their stories eventually lost with the trade winds.

Archiving our giants is our mission. For the rest of time, generations to come will have a chance to listen and see their forefathers and icons. Our goal at Mill House is to preserve these historical people and the lives they’ve led.

Included here are examples of two of our sport’s greatest statesmen, Flip Pallot and Steve Huff, speaking about when life gets closer to the finish line, a firsthand account of how weighted permit flies came into existence, and also how epoxy flies came to be. We also include moments from our time with Billy Knowles. We thought it would be valuable to share these snapshots as moments in time when a reflection made becomes a legacy for the ages.

From the Mill House Podcast interview with Flip Pallot

Andy: When I called you recently, I asked, “What are you doing, what’s happening?” You said, “I’m sitting in my Yeti chair looking at my backyard, looking at the woods, having a cocktail, trying to figure out what kind of mischief I can get into tomorrow.” What’s your life like now?

Flip: I sharpen a lot of things—hooks, arrows, and bullet points. I’m always happiest when I’m sharpening something or cleaning something.

Andy: I spoke to some of your buddies, great friends, prior to coming up here and they all agreed you’re the ultimate outdoorsman.

Flip: Well, I don’t know about that … but it certainly calls to me … always has. I never had an interest in sports, never knew who the biggest hitters were. It was never part of my stream of consciousness. I remember more than anything else sitting in elementary school classes looking out the window at the birds and wishing I was out there. School was always terribly difficult for me, not because of the school; it was because I didn’t want to be there, and I finished school because my parents wanted me to. It meant a lot to them. I wish I had those years in college back and do something really cool with them.

Andy: Your number-one rule, you’ve said, is to follow your heart. It appears as if you’ve done that now.

Flip: I have with the exception of a few little detours that were important to people that were important to me, family.  And so I spent some misguided years working in corporate situations which was like elementary school. I’d look out the window and wish I was out there, and then at some point I came to the full and certain realization life has a finish line and I was going backwards.

Andy: You know, I think, too, Flip, that we all go through those early years when we didn’t really understand who we were, and what our voices were saying, what our heart was saying. Are you listening to your conscience or your heart, but we’re not really sure until you get to the point with some experience and mileage. We all went through those years; it was painful but there was no way out, because we didn’t know the way out.

Flip: Exactly right! You have to find that, and there’s a price to pay for that, as there should be. But when you break through the veil, clarity exists. You realize this is what I was made for, this is where I belong and this is where I’ll stay to the finish line. And, just along those lines there is a point at which you clearly realize that you’re closer to the end than you are to the beginning. And so then every moment becomes precious. I mean, sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning and look at the clock and say what am I doing here? I could be doing something right now. And you realize there are only so many moments left, I should say so many vital moments left, and by vital I mean those moments you could spend on a poling tower poling, pushing a skiff into the wind. That comes to an end. How many moments are left that you could walk up a hillside at 9 or 10,000 feet and do your thing there? Those moments come to an end. And I don’t look forward to the time when all I can do is sit around and reflect and remember, I really don’t look forward to that. I look forward to to those vital moments that I just described, and many other things as well. You know what I’m talking about. It was so clear to me this past year when we lost Lefty, and I remember because I spent so much time with Lefty, and I remember when he couldn’t pole any more, and I remember when he couldn’t stand on the front deck of a skiff anymore. And I remember how sad … it wasn’t sad for him; he seemed to deal with it marvelously. It was sad for me because when vitality goes, you’re at the end of the trail.”

For me, closing in on 70 with a worn-out body makes it harder to stay in the game. When Pallot spoke of being at 9,000 and 10,000 feet, I knew he was directing that statement to me, knowing that’s where I live in the fall chasing elk. Since then, I dove back into a weight room and onto my bike. I want to still be successful at the things I love. Pallot’s voice hit me right between the eyes. But he’s telling us all to continue doing the things we love, the things we’ll be talking about for the rest of time. Take that fishing trip you always wanted to take. Keep skiing, rafting, hiking, and loving life to its fullest. Spend time with family members, grandkids. You can be tired when you’re dead. Do something this weekend so spectacular you won’t sleep all week. That’s a vital moment.

From the Mill House Podcast interview with Steve Huff

Andy: Tell me about those early years of permit fishing west of Key West with you and Del Brown.

Steve: Actually, I learned about permit fishing on Del Brown’s money. So he called me in 1980. He wanted to target permit and fish for permit a lot, and I’d done a lot of permit fishing, but had only caught 15 or 20 fish on fly so this was a learning experience … and we were using lots of different kinds of flies. Del was quite an innovator of flies. He was using other people’s ideas as well, so it wasn’t Del’s exclusively. There were a lot of guys trying to catch these things more frequently, but for whatever reason we started to catch a lot of permit and more permit than anyone had ever dreamed of catching. It was like if you caught a permit in your life it was a big deal. We had countless days when we caught five or six. Sandy (Sandy Moret) caught seven with me one day. That was the best permit fishing I’ve ever had, but also how the fish were getting in a feeding mode. Sometimes they were eating crabs off the surface like a dry fly. Basically, you could see them coming down a channel eating flies off the surface. It’s really cool, and that’s a caught fish when you get a fly in front of that thing. The right kind of fly, something that floats, quiver it, don’t strip it, shake it, cause these things are just coming down … they’re dead meat. The coolest permit strike I ever saw, I was with Charlie Causey, and we were going down this edge of a channel and the tide had fallen out, and we had on one of these floating flies looking for one of these cruising permit taking crabs and we weren’t seeing any. And this permit tailed in this little alcove maybe a foot or so deep, feeding on the bottom, you know. And we had the wrong kind of fly on, and he threw that floating fly over there and it drifted over this fish, and the fish had his head down and he looked up and saw this fly, and he was trying to get his head up to the surface but his tail was hitting on the bottom. He couldn’t get the fly and swam off into the channel, and Charlie said, “Goddamn, man, I thought he was going to bite that thing!” And I said, “Watch this.” And this fish went out into the channel, got a head of steam, and lunged up onto the flat and took the fly off the surface. His head was completely out of the water, like a 25-pound fish. So it makes your hair stand on end to see something like that.

Andy: Was there point in time with permit fishing when you got over the hump? Was it a fly design or you just understanding the dynamics of permit fishing?

Steve: So I could go through an entire talk about the evolution of permit flies, but nobody was putting weight in flies back then for permit. You know Nat Ragland came up with a little fly that had glass eyes on it, which was essentially weight. It had glass eyes on a piece of wire. Nat had somebody, a guy by the name of Bill Levy, catch a couple of permit on this fly. So I said, “Holy shit! We have to put eyes on our flies.” I’ll tell you where the epoxy fly came from. I was looking for eyes, because all of a sudden I knew that eyes were the deal, right? So my wife had some shelf paper in the drawers in our kitchen that had daisies on it, but the center of the daisy was basically an eye, right? So I cut the centers out and it’s got sticky paper, and I tried to stick them on and they wouldn’t stick on, you know? So I made this chenille body and I took some epoxy glue and I tried to stick these things on which made a mess. So I said, “Screw it! I’m just gonna cover the whole head of this thing with epoxy.” So that’s where the epoxy fly came from. Harry Spear came over a couple days later. I think we caught a permit on it because there was more weight, it added more weight. Screw the eyes. The eyes didn’t mean a damn thing. It was about the weight. So then we started adding more weight. The epoxy fly had its day and we started putting on little barbell eyes to get the fly down. I think the real thing was the right amount of weight, because sometimes they’re in shallow and sometimes they’re deeper and sometimes they’re in 4 feet of water along the edge of a channel and you can see them down there mudding, and you need something that gets down there, because they won’t see anything up there, you know? But that’s how the epoxy fly got started.

The epoxy fly, as Steve said, “Had its day.” But the way Steve layered the transition to the epoxy fly and ultimately fly weight is possibly the most important transition in all of shallow saltwater fly design. In another Mill House episode, Michael Guerin said the inventor of weighting flies was something on the order of a genius. Well, we don’t call Steve Huff the “God of Guides” for nothing. This story is one of a million pertaining to Huff’s creativity throughout 50 years of guiding.

From the Mill House Podcast with Billy Knowles

Andy: Let’s talk about Homosassa, because you were there with Carl (Carl Navarre), right?

Billy: No, I went there the first year in ’71 with Jimmy Lopez. The first morning out, we were the first boat down the river, and we got down to just before Chassahowitzka Point. I mean the tripod. He said, “Maybe there’s a few fish right here. Let’s stop and take a look.” And I shut down. We were in his boat, no electrics, strictly pole, and I was standing on the back of the boat and pushing around some. I see a fish roll. I said, “Jimmy, stand up. A fish just rolled and there might be more with him.” He starts shaking, and I said, “Hurry up!” I said, “Five or six fish just rolled.” He’s still shaking, and I said, “Forget it.” And he said, “Why?” I said, “There’s more damn fish here than I can count. He said, “You’re serious?” I said, “Yeah, it’s a big daisy chain.” Andy, when the sun came up, we weren’t outside the daisy chain throwing in, we were inside throwing out. That’s how big the school was. And he said, “How many fish do you think’s here?” I said, “I don’t know—1,000, 1,500, 2,000. I have no idea.” That day we caught seven and wouldn’t say how many we jumped. But we did catch seven. We were there for ten days. We ended up catching 77 fish in ten days. On the tenth day we never caught a fish. We hooked a fish in the morning about 7 a.m. and we fought that fish till a little after 12. The fish was way past two (200 pounds). He said, “We got to get a shot with the gaff.” I said, “You fight the fish. Let me worry about the gaff.” So not having electrics I had to pole outside of the fish to get up wind of him so the wind could blow me down on him. So I poled outside of the fish, laid the pole down real quiet, picked up the gaff, and the fish turned around and blew the fly right back in his face. He got so mad he threw the fly rod and reel down in the boat, bent the reel all to hell, lowered the motor down, cranked up, and we came in. And I said, “You’re a real sport, aren’t you?” He said to me, “Bring the boat back to Islamorada. I’m flying home.” Now, he had his plane there then. I said, “Whatever you want.” That was my last year with him.

Billy Knowles died January 4th, leaving a profound hole in the collective heart of Islamorada, Florida, where his family homesteaded in the 19th century. At 81, he was still on his tower chasing fish daily. He was one of the first skiff guides. He started fishing offshore as a youngster and over time became one of the planet’s best bonefish guides, winning some of the biggest tournaments on multiple occasions. Billy’s love for his fellow man was prevalent over his entire life, and deep friendships resulted from it. Considered the “Mayor of Islamorada” and a father figure to all, his was the voice of reason. Over the years he fished with Ernest Hemingway, President Herbert Hoover, President George H.W. Bush, and Ted Williams. The term legend often gets thrown around too casually, but Billy Knowles was the real deal, and even “legend” falls short when describing Billy. He was as big as they get in every way, Rest in peace, Billy. We miss you terribly, son.

If you’d like to hear more stories from fishing legends such as Chico Fernandez, Stu Apte, Al Pflueger Jr., and Mark Sosin, check out Mill House Podcast on any podcast app, or watch on YouTube.

Homosassa:  A Reminiscence of The Greatest Tarpon Fishery

Topwater Permit

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The post Reflections from the Mill House Podcast first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Reflections from the Mill House Podcast appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Topwater Permit Fly Fishing

by Bob Haines

Perhaps my first inclination that I’d been doing it wrong was the day after I finally caught my first permit. While sitting over a Belikin and a hot dog at Jets in the outbound terminal of the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City, two likely fishermen saddled up to the bar to do the same. We exchanged the usual pleasantries—How’d you do? Alright, you? About the same. Then it was time to board a plane back to reality after a month in the Belizean salt.

Because it was the day after my first permit and subsequent grand slam, I carried a thick and vicious hangover onto the plane. (Somehow I ended up as guest bartender at the Lazy Lizard, mostly pouring drinks for myself.) As soon as I hit my window seat, the earphones went on and the eyes went closed. I woke up cotton-mouthed somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico between Belize and Dallas to find that one of the fishermen from the hot dog joint occupied the aisle seat in my row.

Conversation between fishermen is quick and easy,

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The post Topwater Permit first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Topwater Permit appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

by Joseph Ballarini

It was perhaps legendary Keys guide Harry Spear who originated the very effective style of fly that sports a flat body, allowing for linear movement without spinning. Spear used his Tasty Toad to target the large, spooky bonefish off Islamorada. The Toad landed softly, sank quickly, and refused to spin even when stripped aggressively.

You’ll see this same concept manifest in a number of subsequent flats flies, including Del Brown’s Merkin, the Tarpon Toad (with which Andy Mill has won five Gold Cups), the Kwan Fly (for redfish), and most recently, Dave Skok’s Merkin Shrimp. This concept is also the basis for the Bob Branham’s M. O. E. (Mother of Epoxy) Fly, which has proved itself deadly on permit.

One of my favorite pattens for bonefish and permit is Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp. However, this fly does spin if stripped aggressively, so I stopped using it in Biscayne Bay in favor of Branham’s M. O. E.

Eventually I got the idea to combine the best aspects of Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp with the technical aspects of Branham’s fly—with a few personal touches. I thought the Evolution was an appropriate name, since it’s best described as a mashup of two existing patterns.

The Evolution has superb action, is effective, and is relatively easy to tie. I’ve tested it everywhere I’ve fished, and it seldom fails to produce. In green, the Evolution is my go-to fly in Mexico and Belize. In Florida I prefer pink and ginger; in the Bahamas, pink and tan.  But you can tie it in any color combination and with any head color. Frankly, I don’t think the colored head really matters much for fishing, but they sure do look nice in the box.

If you have any questions, you can email me at admin@tailflyfishing.com.

Materials

Hook: Mustad S74SNP-DT 2XH/4XL size 6 long shank
Thread: Danville flat waxed nylon, 210 denier, pink
Tail: Orange fox and tan Craft Fur (alternatively, I use golden doodle fur after our dog is groomed), flanked at each side with a thin barred ginger hackle tied splayed
Antennae: Black Krystal Flash (optional)
Legs: Tan barred silicone ( I color mine by hand with brown and black markers Borski-style, but the commercial versions work well also)
Eyes: small red shrimp eyes
Flash: Tan Krystal Flash
Wing: Barred tan rabbit fur
Weight: I-Balz
Head: 5-minute epoxy tinted with fine orange glitter

Step 1: Tie in a base of thread on the hook shank above the point.
Tie in orange fox fur, leaving about 1/4 inch beyond the bend of the hook.

Step 2: Measure and trim the trailing portion of fur to bend back over the the bend of the hook and tie in creating a slight bulge for the legs and eyes in the upcoming steps.

Step 3: Tie in craft fur (or dog fur) that should be about twice the length of the fox fur.

Step 4: Tie in two small barred ginger hackles, splayed and extending to approximately the length of the Craft Fur.

Step 5: Tie in black Krystal Flash so it extends slightly beyond the tan Craft Fur (optional, not shown).
Tie in one of the silicone legs so that it extends the length of the Craft Fur (you can trim the legs later, if you wish).

Step 6: Tie in another silicone leg on the other side of the tail. Tie in one of the shrimp eyes to flank the tail. 

Step 7: Tie in the the other eye. The shrimp eyes should extend beyond the bend of the hook by about 1/8 inch.

Step 8: Tie in tan Krystal Flash on the underside of the tail.

Step 9: Tie in the weighted eyes. I-Balz have a wider gap and result in a flatter head on the finished fly.

Step 10: Tie in the first section of barred rabbit for the wing on the underside of the shank.

Step 11: Tie in the second section of wing, just in front of the first and behind the weighted eyes.

Step 12: Wrap the thread to just behind the eye of the hook and whip finish.

Step 13: Mix the two parts of 5-minute epoxy along with the glitter. 

Step 14: When the epoxy is mixed, place a small amount on the eyes. You will need much less epoxy than you think.
The big mistake here is adding too much epoxy and not leaving enough space for a flat, lightweight head.

Step 15: As the epoxy begins to firm, wet your fingers and shape the head using your thumb and index finger to flatten and smooth the epoxy. The key is wet fingers so the epoxy does not stick to your hands. Shape and smooth the head until it’s flat, smooth, and symmetrical.

Heres a quick smart phone video showing how to make the head

Subscribe to Tail Fly Fishing Magazine for the great features, the unique and effective saltwater fly tying and other information that will undoubtedly make you a better angler.  Here are some links to more great fly tying features…

Candy Corn Crawler

Soft Chew Wiggler 2.0

Saltwater Fly Fishing: Saltwater flies – Hammerhead Crab

Characteristics of a Great Bonefish Fly

The post The Evolution Shrimp Fly first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post The Evolution Shrimp Fly appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Well, as they’re seven and ten years old, I realized the answer now should be yes. I’ve taken them fishing many times on rivers and lakes here in the United Kingdom, and both of them have always been keen. I’ve always been very careful not to push fishing on them, or make them stay longer than they wanted to, in case it had a negative effect rather than a positive one. However, I had never taken them on a full-fledged international fishing trip, and I figured the time was nigh. Thomas, my oldest, has always been fascinated with tales of bonefish and saltwater species, and they both thrive in that tropical environment. As my wife, Elisabeth, has always loved bonefishing, this seemed the perfect opportunity for a family fishing adventure.

The next question was, Where? As this is what I do for a living, you would think that would have been easy, but it did take some thought. Then It hit me that the obvious choice was Turneffe Atoll in Belize. Why? That’s where I caught my first bonefish with my family—a trip that I have never forgotten. Taking Elisabeth and our children there would complete the circle. I began making arrangements.

One evening last autumn, I switched off my children’s usual YouTube viewing, flipped it over to the Aardvark McLeod YouTube channel, and put on a video of Turneffe Flats Lodge in Belize. The two of them watched the whole thing through, captivated by the location, the beaches, the bonefishing, and running around in flats skiffs. When their questions subsided, I hit them with the news: We were going there in August of the following year. A small riot of excitement ensued. This was exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

Over the next six months, a continuous stream of fishing kit began to stack up in the sitting room. I acquired each of them a Hardy Demon Saltwater 7-weight rod matched with a Hardy SDSL 8000 reel. We would spend some time each Sunday practicing casting in the park. Slowly but surely, they developed reasonable casting skill, with Thomas beginning to double haul after studying a Lefty Kreh DVD. I supplemented their casting practice by grabbing the end of the line and mimicking bonefish runs so they would feel comfortable with pressure and retrieve. I also offered them some tips on avoiding obstacles.

Finally, August was upon us. Our bags were packed, and the ten-month preparation period was over. I was excited.

Our journey began with a flight to Miami, the discovery of pancakes and bacon, the Miami Seaquarium, South Beach, and the sun setting over Biscayne Bay. We then flew down to Belize City, where I had a small surprise waiting for them. Rather than our taking the 90-minute boat journey out to the atoll, I had arranged a helicopter transfer. As none of them had ever travelled by helicopter, this was a whole new level of excitement. As we flew over Belize City and over the outer cays, Turneffe Atoll came into view, giving them an incredible perspective of where we were going and the remoteness of our location.

Having settled into one of the family apartments of the new Pelican Villa, we looked out across Home Flat in front of us, and I immediately began looking for fish. (What can I say? I just can’t help it!)

Elisabeth and I had agreed we would take the children out fishing each morning until they had had enough, and then we’d return to snorkel, swim, relax, and enjoy the island. We would alternate between them and fish close together so we could share the experience as a family.

The first morning we ran north in the flats boats to one of the last cays on the atoll, Mauger Cay, where our guides, Dubs and Alton, knew a large school of bonefish lurked in what is known as a mud. This is deeper water where a huge number of bones congregate and feed. It was the perfect spot for both children to get off the mark and hook some fish, figure out what it was all about, and practice some of the skills they had learned. It didn’t take long, and after some huge excitement, both of them were cradling their very first bonefish. For me this was quite special, as it took me back to my first bonefish here 20 years earlier. Thomas and Grace proceeded to land over 20 fish in a couple of hours. I wasn’t sure which they enjoyed more—the fishing or the speed of the flats skiffs!

The following day I graduated them from the muds onto the actual flats around the coral reef. The big, open flats areas stemmed from channels near the mangroves, up over the turtle grass to the rough, broken-coral areas of the reef itself. We could see barracuda patrolling the deeper edges and hanging in white holes, looking for an easy meal. Way up in the skinniest water, often amongst the broken coral, were large schools of bonefish, often tailing or showing their backs. This is not the easiest environment in which to hook and land bonefish, and it certainly presented a challenge—one that my son relished. Thomas had already flipped into predator mode, and with the help of his guide, Dubs, he was more than capable of sneaking up around the back of these fish and presenting a tiny Bonefish Bitters on a long leader.

I watched him stalk down to some tailing fish, and I was very proud to see him throw a lovely loop that stopped above the fish and then gently dropped to one side. The rod tip went down—twitch, twitch, and strip set! He was into a lovely 3-pound-plus fish that streaked off across the flat like a silver bullet as the rest of the school exploded in panic. Dubs was clapping his hands and clasping Thomas’ shoulder like a proud uncle. Thomas weaved the fish in and out of the sharp coral before he brought it safely to hand with a beaming grin. Seeing this vista unfold was not the highlight for me; rather, it was watching the expressions on Thomas’ face. I saw the mixed emotions of concentration, surprise, nervousness, and utter elation. I watched a passion ignite in him that might one day equal my own.

Grace, too, was enjoying the experience, though at only seven she was struggling with casting in the wind. She was more than content to stick close, participate in the stalk, and then take over once the fish was hooked. The first fish I hooked on the edge for her was not large, between 2 and 3 pounds. As I checked the drag and handed her the rod, the fish took off, and she watched the backing start heading very quicly across the flat. The vague look of terror was replaced with grim determination, and slowly but surely she started to gain ground. After what seemed like an age and a couple more blistering runs, the leader was in sight and I could see the fish. Sliding across the flat about 5 feet behind it was a massive barracuda, which obviously was reckoning on an easy meal. I charged it, flailing and splashing as I ran, and I sandwiched myself between it and the bonefish. I knew murder would ensue if Grace lost that fish after all the hard work she had put in. Luck was on our side: The barracuda backed away and soon we had the bonefish to hand.

The week progressed and both Thomas and Grace found their feet. Alton had been a marine researcher at one of the stations on Turneffe for 15 years, so as soon as Grace had had enough, he would take her by the hand across the coral and show her the flora and fauna inhabiting the flats and coral rock pools. Dragon snails, urchins, gobies, and crabs kept her captivated. The snorkeling and diving at Turneffe Atoll is phenomenal, so we kept snorkeling kit in the focsles of the skiffs. When the children had had their fill of wading the flats and chasing tails, the guides would take us to a suitable spot where we would snorkel together as a family under their watchful eye. Alton came into his own here as he could point out particular items of interest that the untrained eye would miss, such as a sleeping nurse shark tucked under an overhang (harmless!), lobster, grumpy octopus, or various species of crab. This allowed Thomas and Grace to experience a world they don’t normally see and to learn more about what lies beneath the water they had spent so much time gazing into. Afternoons were spent lazing by the pool, kayaking around Home Flat, husking coconuts, or just chilling under a palapa. Time slipped away into island life and the children slipped into early beds after tiring days.

On the last day the guides took us south to a stunning area called Calabash Cay, a huge shallow flat with mangrove islands and the ocean lapping over the edge of the reef. On arrival we could already see the glint of silvery tails in the waves and I felt my pulse quicken. After a short while the children announced they were tired—it had been a long week!—so we built them a den on one of the skiffs from the mooring rope and some towels and left them to it. They would be in sight wherever we were, so Elisabeth and I had the chance to spend some time fishing ourselves with the guides. I found some fish tailing against the pilings of a long-since-disappeared dock and managed to land one. Elisabeth hooked up but sadly was coral-cut. There’s something truly magical about hunting bonefish in really skinny water; the tails give away their position but also their mood. Stealth, long leaders, small flies and accurate casting are required, but the rewards are huge.

On the return ride to the lodge, the guides allowed the children to hold the tiller of the motor, which I suspect blew their minds.

Sadly, the journey had come to an end and it was time to leave this island paradise. For Thomas and Grace, this journey to the other side of the world gave them countless new experiences that will broaden their horizons as they grow. It has brought them closer together as siblings and us as a family through shared experience. I am sure, like myself and my wife, this trip will remain carved in their memory for the rest of their lives.

Fact Box – Family Fishing Trips

There are a few things I have learned about putting together trips for families over the years, especially those involving children. If you want children to engage with fishing, they must catch fish pretty quickly, especially the first time out, or they’ll lose interest fast.  Bonefishing trips work well, as it’s visual and the beach environment is always a hit, even without fishing. With that in mind, destination such as Belize, Mexico, the Bahamas, or the Seychelles are excellent. Plenty of fish, experienced, patient guides, and comfortable, well-established accommodations remove all stress and ensure your children will get the most out of the trip. Turneffe Flats had the added benefit of phenomenal snorkeling in a safe environment.

Bio: Peter McLeod began guiding fly anglers for Atlantic salmon in Norway at the age of 16. He is the founder of Aardvark McLeod, international fly fishing specialists. Peter is the author of the acclaimed GT: A Fly-Fisher’s Guide to Giant Trevally (Merlin Unwin Books, 2016). For more information on putting together a family fly fishing trip, you can contact Peter through www.aardvarkmcleod.com.

The post Next Generation Fly Fishing first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Next Generation Fly Fishing appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

By George Roberts

Arguably the most confusing subject related to fly fishing gear is the topic of fly lines. Today we have a mind-boggling plethora of fly lines from which to choose. There are specialty lines for various fish species, specialty lines for various types of flies, specialty lines for styles of casting, specialty lines for water temperature, and on and on. With the literally thousands of fly lines on the market today, it’s difficult for experienced fly anglers to select the right fly line for their needs—to say nothing of the novice.

One particular fly line configuration that has seen a resurgence in popularity in the last few years is the shooting head or shooting taper. Although there was a time when I was fairly dismissive of shooting heads—I viewed them as a crutch for those hoping to achieve real distance—experience has forced me to reconsider their utility for fly anglers in fresh water as well as salt. In this article we’ll take a look at what a shooting head is, the types of angling situations it might be good for, and how you can best make it perform.

Construction

A shooting head is basically a radicalized version of a weight-forward fly line. In its simplest terms, it’s a fairly short, compact head backed by a very thin shooting line (called a running line on a conventional weight-forward fly line). Traditionally the shooting head and shooting line were two separate entities joined together via a loop-to-loop connection. A number of companies still manufacture detachable shooting heads, though a number of modern shooting heads (such as Cortland’s Compact series of lines or Airflo’s Beach series) are produced as a single integrated unit. In the two-part system, the shooting line can be a thin-diameter level fly line, braided nylon monofilament, or single-strand monofilament. The head can either be floating, intermediate, or sinking—or a combination thereof.

To give you an idea how shooting heads compare to conventional weight-forward tapers, the head of Royal Wulff’s 8-weight Triangle Taper fly line is 43 feet long, while their 8-weight Ambush (which is a radicalized version of the triangle taper, produced both as an integrated unit as well as a detachable shooting head) is a mere 20 feet. Despite its much shorter length, the weight of the Ambush head is 290 grains. This approximates the total weight package of the 8-weight Triangle Taper (that is, the tip of the fly line to the end of the rear taper). As more fly line manufacturers are beginning to list the weight (in grains) of their fly lines’ heads, you’ll do well to note the weight ranges that work well with your particular rod. Also be aware that some rod companies are now designing rods to better handle these compact shooting heads. For example, at this writing the Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS comes in two models—the 250 and 350, whose numbers designate the line weight (in grains) you should match to the rod. Keep in mind that these are suggestions. Any fly rod should perform well with a range of fly line weights, so if your fly line is a bit above or below the manufacturer’s recommendations, don’t worry about it.

Regardless of the length of the head or the AFTMA weight designation (which has very little meaning anymore), choose a fly line whose weight, in grains, complements the rod and performs as you desire on the water. The following chart, adapted from the Royal Wulff website, serves as a good general guideline when matching a shooting head to your saltwater rod.

The shooting line on an integrated shooting head tends to be thinner and lighter than the running line found on conventional weight-forward fly lines. The reduced weight and friction will allow you to shoot more line on any given cast for a longer delivery.

Pros, Cons, and Caveats

As with any specialized fly line, shooting heads have their advantages and disadvantages. Matching a fly line’s strengths to your needs will allow you to optimize your performance on the water.

Among its advantages, a shooting head will give you more distance with less effort. As a casting instructor, I hesitate to tell you that a piece of equipment will give you a longer cast, and I’m not suggesting that a shooting head is a replacement for refining your casting stroke. However, if your long cast with a conventional weight-forward taper is in the 40- to 50-foot range, you should notice a significant increase in distance with a shooting head. The increased weight package of the head coupled with a thinner, lighter shooting line will make all casts longer—to a point.

The more compact shooting head allows you to make your long cast with less line outside the rod tip. This is of particular value for the beginning to intermediate caster, who may have difficulty carrying a 40-plus-foot head as is typical of a conventional weight-forward line. To give an example, at a seminar I conducted last spring there was a female student whose casting stroke had a number of issues. She never would have been able to carry the 40-foot head of a conventional line. I handed her my 8-weight outfit, spooled with a 20-foot, 290-grain floating shooting head looped to a thin-diameter level shooting line. I instructed her to get the head section just outside the rod tip, make a couple of false casts, and then let it fly. I’d be lying if I said the cast was pretty, but it was eminently functional. She delivered the yarn fly 50 feet without a haul—a distance she could not have achieved with a conventional weight-forward fly line.

A shorter head makes for a quicker delivery—that is, fewer false casts. This could mean the difference between success and failure if you have to intercept a moving target. At the very least, fewer false casts translates to less time your fly is in the air and more time it’s in the water.

A shorter head requires less back cast space. This would be particularly useful if you were fishing from a steeply sloped bank or shoreline. When wading, the amount your back cast is able to drop during the forward stroke due to gravity gets reduced, increasing your chances of ticking the water. In such a situation a shorter head has a decided advantage.

The compact weight package of a shooting head can be useful for turning over larger flies and may help you to more successfully buck the wind.

Using a single shooting line with separate shooting heads in floating, intermediate, and sinking allows for a quick change and gives you a lot of versatility to address a variety of conditions. In short, it allows you to fish the entire water column without having to carry multiple reels or multiple spools or having to change out entire fly lines as conditions demand. Some companies market shooting head wallets that allow you to carry several heads and tips; these take up little space in your gear bag or on your person.

On the downside, the shorter head is less stable in flight than a longer taper. It’s easier to flub a cast—particularly if you overpower it. Also, the more compact head tends to make a less delicate presentation and is probably not the best choice when fishing for spooky game (e.g., tailing bonefish). You may find that the thinner shooting line tends to tangle more than the running line of a conventional weight-forward taper (though stretching your shooting line from time to time while on the water may help minimize this).

A final caveat: Because they were originally developed by tournament distance casters, shooting heads are often associated with ultimate deliveries in excess of 120 feet. Keep in mind that tournament shooting heads exceed 50 feet in length. Shooting heads intended for fishing—20 to 30-plus feet in length—are simply not designed for extreme distance. As soon as the head unrolls completely on the delivery, the shoot is over and the cast is finished. In terms of sheer distance, there’s no way a 20-foot head can compete with a 50-foot head—regardless of the caster’s ability. So rather than trying to cast into the backing, use the shooting head to make your functional long fishing cast—60 to 70 feet—with minimal effort.

Finding the Sweet Spot

Some fly anglers talk about the “sweet spot” in their fly line—that perfect amount of carry with which they can make a long and flawless delivery. Some talk about this as if it’s a mystical thing that happens only occasionally by chance. When you understand how a long cast works you’ll be able to find the sweet spot instantly on any fly line, including shooting heads, making your long casts much more consistent.

To make a long cast with any fly line you need to have the entire head, along with a couple to a few feet of shooting line or running line, outside the rod tip before you make your delivery. The amount of shooting line between the rod tip and the rear end of the shooting head is called overhang. If you try to overhang too much shooting line on your delivery your cast will fall apart, as you’re requiring a very thin shooting line to turn over a very thick shooting head. It’s simply an inefficient transfer of energy. Such collapse is more pronounced with shooting heads than it is with conventional weight-forward lines—but the same holds true for both. In most situations 2 or 3 feet of overhang should be ideal to make your long cast.

With a loop-to-loop shooting head system it’s obvious when the entire head is outside the rod tip. An integrated shooting head is not always so obvious. Some integrated shooting heads differentiate the head from the shooting line by using a different color. For example, the Wulff Ambush fly lines sport a bright green head and a blue shooting line. Simply get the green section a couple of feet outside your rod tip and you’ll be positioned to make your delivery. However, I’ve seen integrated shooting heads whose colors contrast poorly, making it difficult to differentiate the head from the running line. Still others are produced as a solid color.

If the manufacturer doesn’t clearly identify the head section you can mark it for yourself. Use a dial caliper to take diameter readings along the shooting line forward toward the head, and note the point at which the line becomes measurably thicker. Then use a Sharpie laundry marker to blacken the circumference of the shooting line for five or six inches back from this. To make your long cast, simply get this black bar just outside your rod tip before you make your delivery.

If you fish at night you can still find the sweet spot by equipping your integrated shooting head with a tactile mark. Simply locate the point at which you hold the running line when you’re positioned to make your long delivery (again, the entire head is two or three feet outside the rod tip). Use a small coffee stirrer or other tool to tie a nail knot around the circumference of the shooting line using 5 or 6-pound monofilament. Trim the ends of the knot close. This will allow you to locate the ideal amount of carry even in the dead of night, and the monofilament knot will shoot unimpeded through the guides.

You can use these marking systems to denote the head section on conventional weight-forward lines as well.

Casting Tips

Because of their more compact configuration, shooting heads can take a bit of getting used to. With practice, however, you’ll be making your long deliveries with less effort than you thought possible.

I suggest you get used to your shooting head by making your first several dozen casts without hauling. The shooting head’s compact weight package will make your rod feel significantly over-lined—clunky, even. Slow down your stroke and get connected to this extra weight as it pulls your rod into a bend on both the back cast and forward cast. As I mentioned previously, to make your long cast, get the shooting head just outside the rod tip before making your delivery. Again, the ideal amount of shooting line to overhang for any cast is two to three feet.

When you’re comfortable making long deliveries without hauling you can try adding the double haul. Once again, use your haul not to try to launch your cast into the next postal code; use it instead to deliver the cast with less effort.

No part of the taper should come inside the rod tip on your haul. Should you try to make your delivery with any part of the shooting head still inside the rod tip, this will impede your shoot or even kill the cast completely. With a loop-to-loop shooting head system you’ll feel it if you bring the loops inside the rod tip on the haul. For an integrated shooting head, use the built-in color change that denotes the shooting line, or use the mark you put in the line with a laundry marker, to keep the head outside the rod tip. Practice by making several false casts and hauls, and when you feel you have good command of the casting sequence, make your delivery. (To see an instructional video on casting shooting heads, visit my website, the URL to which is listed in the bio.)

Although it’s not a fly line for all occasions, depending on your needs and situation, a shooting head might fill a niche in your game and might be a tool worth adding to your fly fishing arsenal.

A fly casting instructor for 25 years, George Roberts produced the first video fly casting program devoted exclusively to salt water: Saltwater Fly Casting: 10 Steps to Distance and Power. He’s also the author of Master the Cast: Fly Casting in Seven Lessons (McGraw-Hill, 2002). For more information on fly casting and fly angling you can visit George’s website: masterthecast.com

The post Shoot the Moon: Shooting Heads in the Salt first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Shoot the Moon: Shooting Heads in the Salt appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

(Originally appeared in Tail 36 – July/August 2018)

As fly anglers, we are some of the luckiest people on the planet.  We have a great privilege that allows us to access the wildest and most untamed environments.  We get a front row seat to the beauty of this delicate world.  Fly fishing has become synonymous with conservation, environmental protection, and stewardship, which is an honor for anglers to take part in, but comes with a great responsibility. As stewards of this earth, we have the opportunity to lessen our impact everyday as we continue to learn how our habits affect the world around us.

Plastics are silently taking over our oceans and waterways.  Our current trajectory supports a staggering projection: there could be more pounds of plastic in our waters than fish by the year 2050.

Single-use plastics are consumed everyday with the major culprits including plastic bags, single-use water bottles, to-go containers, takeaway cups and straws (5gyres.org).  As consumers, we have the power to make changes that protect our waters and the marine life that depend on them. These changes only require a small shift in thinking and, of course, action to back it up.

The anatomy of our plastic problem is as complex as it is simple.  We use far too many single-use plastics. Eight million metric tons enter the ocean every year (5gyres.org).  You may be thinking “well, I recycle,” but the truth is less than 30 percent of plastic single-use water bottles are actually processed in the recycling system.  These wasted plastics enter our waters, begin to breakdown into smaller pieces, and act as sponges for toxic chemicals that have accumulated in the environment.

A single microbead of plastic is a magnet for pollutants, and can be one million times more toxic than the water around it (5gyres.org).  The compounding toxicity levels of our plastic trash can have big implications as they invade the food chain. They show up in fish markets and end up in our bodies.  “Microplastics have been found in mussels wherever scientists have looked,” says Amy Lusher, a NIVA researcher. According to Lia Colabello, Costa Sunglasses Kick Plastic Cause Ambassador, a single plate of mussels can contain up to 90 pieces of microplastic.

Plastic is an amazing material, but it never truly biodegrades, so why are we utilizing it in so many single-use applications?  The answer comes down to economics: it is cheap for corporations to package in plastic, and our environment is paying dearly for it. It’s not all bad news though; we can reduce our dependence on plastic and take back our oceans by making some small changes in our daily habits.

Americans use three million plastic water bottles every hour of every day (5gyres.org), so let’s start there.  Fishing guides all over the world have relied on plastic water bottles to keep clients hydrated and happy on the water.  Typically you’ll find a cooler stocked with single-use bottles, so let’s track that plastic across the guide season.  Let’s say a guide spends 150 days on the water with an average of two clients.  This single operation has the potential of producing 1,200 plastic waste bottles every year. When you magnify this footprint across the worldwide guiding community, it’s easy to understand how big the impact is.

The barriers have never been so low to incorporate reusable water bottles into every guide’s routine. Through its Kick Plastic Guide and Outfitter Program, Costa has rallied companies like YETI and Klean Kanteen to provide guides with the tools to NEVER purchase a plastic water bottle again.  It just takes a shift in thinking and a small initial investment to switch to reusable bottles. Nick Colas estimates that consumers are buying bottled water for 2,000 times the cost of tap water.  Over a single season, guides could be saving hundreds of dollars by switching to reusable water bottles while protecting their fisheries in the process.

Guides are in the perfect position to inspire progress on this issue.  As role models in the fishing community, they have a vested interest in the resource and have the power to influence change. We are at a crossroads and our choice is clear. We must reduce our plastic intake if we want healthy waterways and oceans throughout the world. And we all need to think about how much plastic we are consuming, whether it’s water bottles, plastic bags, disposable utensils or anything else, and find reusable alternatives.

In 2016, Costa helped facilitate the removal of plastic water bottles from the largest guiding operation in the U.S., WorldCast Anglers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  The successful elimination of plastic water bottles across the 43- person guiding staff has had a huge impact and sets an important precedent.  More and more companies are taking steps to reduce plastic consumption, and we all need to play our part.

Costa Sunglasses has been a major advocate for the issue and has invested a lot of energy into their #kickplastic initiative, setting a goal to kick plastic in every guide operation in North America by 2026.  Let’s all join the fight to take back our waterways and oceans: the fish deserve a plastic-free ocean and so do our children and grandchildren.

Costa has continued their mission by looking at their own footprint, analyzing everything from packaging to manufacturing materials and taking steps to mitigate their impact.  Recently, they teamed up with Oliver White to help eliminate plastic water bottles from Abaco Lodge and Bair’s Lodge in the Bahamas.  Oliver said, “it was a no-brainer to participate in the Kick Plastic Campaign with Costa.”  Ultimately, he is saving money while protecting the environment.

Bringing awareness to this issue is the first step.  Look around the grocery store, your coffee shop or any retail environment, and note the epidemic of single-use plastics that surround you. These plastics may end up in the ocean and negatively affect our waters for countless years to come. We all need to take a stand against it today.

What action can you take?

-REDUCE: Find reusable alternatives for water, coffee, grocery shopping etc. and always bring them with you.

-INFORM: Talk to your friends and family and become an influencer on this issue.

-BE AWARE: Continue to be aware of the single-use plastic you consume everyday and take steps to reduce it.

-CHOOSE: Spend your dollars wisely. Place a higher value on the environment than short-term conveniences and look for products made from recycled materials (check out this issue’s gear guide for some reusable and recycled products we love).

-ACT: Support responsible brands and check out the plastic-free shopping guide.

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The post The Plastic Plague first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post The Plastic Plague appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

(originally published in Tail #30 – July/August 2017)

Humans, like fish, are fickle creatures. We have certain proclivities and idiosyncrasies, both defined and obtuse. There are some things we can take, and some things that we just can’t.

I love to fish, but a banana in my boat will ruin the day – regardless of my client’s protests or potassium deficiency. “Hop in that guy’s boat, then,” I say, not willing to give the banana a chance. Why do I have such a vendetta against water-borne bananas? If I knew, I’d tell you. It’s just one of my ‘things’.

Bonefish and tarpon have their ‘things’. Rockfish and other cold salt species have a few. Permit are the very definition of ‘picky’, but you already knew that. When it comes to fish handling and sensitivities specific to particular species, it pays to do your homework. Many proactive fishing handling practices can be applied across species to great effect; others are only impactful to a handful of taxa. Below are guide-tested guidelines for minimizing angling’s impact on caught fish in various marine environments. The more suggestions you’re able to employ, the better poised we’ll be to support sportfishing’s longevity.

Tarpon (Megalops genus)

This big-eyed denizen of the flats is numero uno on most anglers’ bucket list. Capable of incredible runs, tarpon are famed for long fights and breaking hearts. If you have to ask yourself whether you spooled up enough backing before a tarpon trip, the answer is going to be ‘not even close’. Despite tarpons’ size and power, the IGFA maintains records for fish caught on tippet down to the #2 class. That record? 106 pounds, zero ounces. That fish? Not in good shape after landing. While there isn’t any credible record of the fight time, landing a fish of that magnitude (in any sort of real ‘sporting’ manner) on #2 tippet would require total exhaustion on the fish’s part. Total exhaustion opens the door for now-incentivized predators, including bulls and hammerheads waiting for an easy meal. Considering the state of many of our fisheries, fishing adequately-rated tippet is the least we can do as anglers. It’s important to learn to gauge a tarpon’s exhaustion during the fight. It takes practice, but it’s worth the effort. If you’re able to approximate how tired the fish is (an inexact science, certainly), you can know when it’s time to put the wood to ‘em without breaking off or ending up with a damaged fish on the line.

Bonefish (Albula genus)

Bonefish reside in temperate waters worldwide, though most are found near the tropics. The species most often targeted by North American anglers, Albula vulpes, is the quintessential flats fish: smart, spooky, and built for speed. For those who have brought bonefish to hand, their defining characteristic is something less romantic. A thick coating of mucus covers the fish from stem to stern, making them exceedingly hard to hold onto, a helpful trait in predator-filled waters. This slime layer also plays a similar role to the mucus found on most fish, acting as a protective barrier against parasites and pathogens. The slime contains antibodies, antimicrobial peptides, and enzymes that actively break down pathogens that would otherwise attack the fish, though the exact composition varies from species-to-species. When a bonefish’s slime is removed by rough handling or other abrasion, it’s less able to repel these ne’er-do-wells. Keeping hands wet and fish away from clothing is the best way to prevent slime loss when releasing bonefish. Gunnel rails don’t do much for slime, either. Bonefish that don’t calm down after being brought to hand can be charmed into submission by turning them over onto their backs as the hook is being removed, ideally leaving the fish’s gills below the waterline during the process.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that predators cue in on fish whose slime barrier has been damaged. The guides that I spoke with in the Keys suggested that removing a bonefish’s slime releases a scent that sharks interpret as that of a wounded fish. Wounded fish make an easy meal, and you can actually see sharks change direction as they pick up on the smell. While important for all species, preventing slime loss is of special importance for bonefish.

Rockfish (Sebastes genus)

With such ‘A list’ species being tackled in this article, rockfish seem strange to include. The fact of the matter is that rockfish are a blast to catch and can be found in both the Pacific and Atlantic. Rockfish typically dwell at greater depths around rocky outcroppings and subsurface structure. Anglers targeting rockfish are often fishing at depths greater than 30 feet, and sometimes much deeper. Bringing rockfish up from these depths too quickly creates an extreme pressure differential on the fish’s organs, causing distended bowels and bulging eyeballs. Acute barotrauma, as this is known, is often lethal. While rockfish sportfisheries are typically catch-and-keep, bag and slot limits mean that anglers should still be treating caught fish with enough care that they survive the event. If a fish is exhibiting signs of acute barotrauma upon landing, it’s possible to reverse the effects by using a descending device. The descending device lowers the fish back down to depths with greater atmospheric pressure, allowing organs to revert to their normal state. Descending devices can be made with milk crates or inverted, weighted jig hooks. They can also be bought from many fly and tackle shops, but that’s not nearly as fun. ‘Fizzing’ is still en vogue in some bass fisheries, though the practice has been found to do more harm than good. A misplaced fizzing needle can easily cause organ damage, and the residual wound offers an entrance point for pathogens.

Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)

“Lipping” bass is an age-old pastime, and it’s easy to see why. Bass are feisty, and the mouth seems like the most appropriate place to hold onto the fish’s business end while removing the hook. And, in reality, it probably is. In order to hold the fish still enough for hook removal (and to prevent self-injury), lipping the fish is often best bet if you don’t have access to a fish cradle, with one express caveat: you need to use your other hand to support the fish’s weight. Stripers are objectively big, and even larger when compared to some of their warmwater cousins. They’re built for life underwater and can’t support their own mass above the surface. Held by the lip exclusively, the fish’s organs are oriented vertically and gravity takes over. Lacking the internal support of land animals, the bass’ organs are ‘squished’ and can be irreparably damaged. The (much) better option is to use your other hand to support the fish’s weight, being sure to avoid squeezing too tightly. Milt and eggs are both delicate and can be affected by overzealous hands. If you have access to a cradle, use it. Pike cradles have the size needed to handle larger stripers and, when used properly, allow for hook removal while the fish’s gills are still in the water. The bigger the striper, the more imperative it becomes to help avoid organ damage by applying these alternative techniques.

Different strokes for different folks. With such variation in the species we catch, it’s only natural that there is variation in the ways caught fish should be landed and handled. Tarpon are not rockfish. Hell, tarpon aren’t bonefish, either. Recognize each of your target species’ needs and proclivities; it’ll make you a better angler and a better steward, guaranteed.

The post Playing Proclivities first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Playing Proclivities appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

(originally published in Tail #26 – November/December 2016)

All hooks have an eye, shank, gap, point, and (usually) a barb. Each component of a hook plays an important role in catching a fish but not all hooks are the same. With so many hook styles available, it can be a difficult task to sort through the noise. Many anglers eventually settle on a few styles that fit their fishing needs so this short tutorial may help you make your decisions.

For beginners, this will get you started off right and for you grizzled old goats, it will serve best as a quick refresher. Nonetheless, this is good intel when preparing for your next outing.

The Eye

The hook eye is the connection point to the tippet. Ringed eyes are the most common. The metal is bent in a uniform loop and the end sits flush against the shank. Braised, flattened, needle, looped and tapered are some other types of hook eyes but they tend to be used for specific applications. Looped are typically used for wet flies for salmon and steelhead. The others have no real consequence to us unless you are fishing blue water in which case a braised hook would be best. This is because it is a finished closed circle on the end of the hook and there are no edges to wear down your leader like on a ringed eye hook. The eye can bend up, be straight or bent down.  Many question if the direction of the eye matters. Short answer is no, it does not. But there are two wide spread myths that exist to propagate the confusion.

Myth 1 – The direction of the hook eye affects the angle of pull on the fly and this angle will affect how well the fly hooks the fish.

Myth 2 – The direction of the hook eye affects the hooking gape. A down eye hook will have less hooking ability and should be avoided because it narrows the hooking gape.

Neither one of these are true. The reality is that despite the bend of the eye, the fly will move in a straight line in the direction it is being pulled.  That being said, the start-up motion of the fly when pulled should theoretically swing the point of the hook downward and into the jaw of a fish. Because of this, we do use up-bent eyes for some topwater and mid-column flies but again, there is no evidence that this is accurate or factual.  Why not give it a try though if there is no difference in fly presentation?

The Shank

The shank is the section from the eye to where the bend starts. Shanks come in short, medium or long and they are either straight or bent. The bent shank hooks are used in flats fishing particularly for bonefish though the only real advantage is a wider gap and different look to the fly. Short shanks are often used for finesse fishing when a compact hook and minimal weight are critical to presentation success. When we talk about presentation, we must point out that many tarpon flies are tied on short shank hooks with wide gaps. Medium shanks are the most common and can be used in almost every situation. They seem to be the general purpose hooks.

Long shanks are used to match a longer profile baitfish so most streamers and baitfish patterns use a long shank and are almost always straight.

The Gap

The gap is the size of the bend in a hook from the shank to its point. An average size gap will do in most situations but sometimes a wide gap is needed. A wide gap is used for tying flies that are bulky to ensure that the point the hook of will be exposed on the set.  They are also used to ensure that there is a good hook set on blue water species like sailfish and marlin as well as flats species like tarpon, permit and bonefish. The wide gap is a bit more generous if you are setting the hook. This offers the angler a little bit more time and grab.

The Point

This is the tapered end of the hook and the sharp point that penetrates the mouth and jaw.  Shapes include needle, knife edge, spear or rolled. Most common is the needle which is a tapered point. Somewhat popular are the cutting point hooks which have 3 or 4 sides instead of a taper. Cutting points are believed to be more damaging to fish and are not used as frequently as expected. With regard to points, there are two major types of hooks: chemically sharpened hooks and all the others. Chemically sharpened hooks utilize a chemical in the final step to remove microscopic burrs and roughness which cause friction and make the hook seem dull. If you look at a chemically sharpened hook under magnification it will be visibly smoother than a non-chemically sharpened hook. The cost for the chemical sharpening is steep in comparison to the other, but most anglers will notice a huge difference. If you can’t spend the money on the chemically sharpened hooks, buy yourself a file and hone those points. It really does matter.

The Barb

The barb holds the hook in place once it penetrates the jaw. The larger the barb, the more difficult it is for the fish to get the free. [or for the point to penetrate the fish’s mouth] Catch and release anglers pinch barbs with pliers for easy hook removal. You might lose a few fish but it is less damaging to the mouth area.  We recommend barbless fishing except with billfish as you usually cannot afford to lose many, especially when fishing for striped marlin.

Hopefully this will improve, refresh or revitalize your fundamental knowledge of the tools you need to be successful.  Tight lines until next time.

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The post Anatomy of a Hook first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Anatomy of a Hook appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

As we ran out, we quickly realized that the forecast was way off. The wind was blowing closer to 20-25 as the boat cut through white caps and big waves, though it was less cloudy than we expected. We decided to give it a go since we had already made the effort.

We began looking for permit when we got to the first flat. We saw only bonefish here and there, but the wind and glare made it tough to spot them in time to get a good shot, and the fly I had on was a big permit crab. The wind was irritatingly strong and relentless, blowing in our ears and making it difficult to hear each other. Balancing on the casting platform was a challenge.

We moved on to the next spot and began to see permit almost immediately. Even through the chop, their black tails stood out, mostly as they bounced off the boat and fled. The casting was tough, and the wind made it hard to position the boat in time for a good shot. Still, they kept coming, and we finally got some serious interest and follows from a few fish. We could actually get pretty close to them because they couldn’t feel the boat in the wind.

We got to another spot just as water was filling the flat. Rays and sharks started to meander, which is usually a good sign that permit might show up. We were chatting away when suddenly, Rick’s voice took a serious tone. “Isn’t that a school of permit, 10 o’clock?” I turned my head and saw a school of ten or so very large permit feeding in shallow water about 25 feet from us. Normally that might be too close, but the wind helped disguise our presence. I made a quick cast, and the fly landed a foot in front of one fish, the choppy water muffling the sound as it hit the surface. The fish lit up, charged forward and tried to pin the fly. I started to set the hook but quickly felt that the fish wasn’t there. He charged forward again, pinning the fly with such force that his large tail came clear out of the water and mud fanned out around him. With a long strip set, the fish was on.

We hooted and hollered, delighted to have hooked this big fish. He raced across the flat going one way, then quickly changed direction, the line slicing through the water, the slack in it giving me anxiety. We motored after him, getting within feet of the leader a few times. Then he swiftly left the flat and entered the deep channel, fighting to keep himself on the bottom. The 10-weight was doubled over in my hands, and he was still taking line.

My heart was in my throat the whole time. We peered through the choppy water, and just as Rick commented that the channel looked pretty clear, I realized the fish had run to the only sea fan in the whole channel and wrapped himself around it. And in the blink of an eye, I felt slack in the line and brought a cleanly broken leader to the surface.

It felt like a kick to the gut, and we were both seriously disappointed to not land that fish. Getting a big permit to eat is always a feat, and it was one of the coolest sequences either of us had seen. We caught some nice bonefish later that day, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that fish. Later that night, after spending way too much time replaying it in my head, I finally decided that if that permit could figure out how to find that sea fan and break me off on it, then he deserved to win that battle.

The post Sometimes you lose the big one. first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Sometimes you lose the big one. appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Consider the Ostrich

The post Consider the Ostrich first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Consider the Ostrich appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.