Ireland Recap

Ireland was amazing - as everyone said it would be. The country is stunningly beautiful — green and lush. The trout were bigger than we expected going in, we thought the average would be 12-14" with few above, but we found lots of fish in the 16-20" range thanks to Andrew Ryan and his Clonanav guides. We fished dry flies on small to medium size rivers, stayed at the lovely Hotel Minella, and enjoyed the countryside each day. The second part of our trip took us to Ballynahinch Castle and the Owenmore River which flows through the property. Unfortunately, the river was high due to recent rains and the salmon fishing was off. We saw fish roll and jump and hooked a couple that got off, but it was enough to make us want to return for another try. The guides, who themselves were most delightful and entertaining, did everything they could to get us into fish but it was not to be.The castle stay was an extravagance in accommodation, and all the staff were warm and hospitable people, and we'd go back in a minute. There's nothing like meeting in an Irish pub after fishing to talk about the day. We will return.

We're including a few photos from the trip here in our blog, but if you'd like to see more, feel free to check out the Group's Gallery here

From Ireland

We heard from Barry & Cathy. Their group is with Andrew Ryan and his guides and are trout fishing for a few days. We'll have more next week but we can say that everyone loves the new Sage X, the new fast rod just released-- fast but not so stiff, a joy to cast is the report we're getting

Tournament Helps Punta Allen Kids

Many of you have traveled to Isla Hotbox and/or Campeche and Grand Slam Lodges in the Yucatan with us. In this short video clip you'll see some familiar faces, but more important is the reason for the tournament - to help the children and the school at Punta Allen. The smiling faces on the kids say it all. Our congratulations to the sponsors, the winners, the guides, and most of all the kids in Punta Allen!

What is ChromaPop?

I'm embarrassed to say that I've had my favorite sunglasses for years. So long in fact that the nose pads are beginning to deteriorate. I use them for everything, not just fishing. Barry on the other hand, seldom has more than two seasons on his before he moves on to something newer. So, after hearing so much about the new technology and listening to guides and clients talk, this year I got myself a new pair of Smith ChromaPops. The glasses arrived last week and even then, they sat on my desk for a couple days waiting for me to try them.

Well, I put them on the other day and immediately thought something was wrong. I took them off and looked at the lenses. Everything looked ok, I put them on again and thought, Wow! This must be what cataract surgery does for people. It was like a veil had been lifted. ChromaPop had painted my world in fresh vivid color. I'm telling you, you can't imagine the difference until you've tried it. There is some good information on ChromaPop at Smith Optics that explains how the technology works, but it's basically enhances clarity and natural color to let you live every moment in more detail. The colors are truer, more vivid and much clearer. All this results in less eye fatigue. It's truly amazing.

We are often asked what sunglasses we wear and our answer is always Smith. We've worn Smiths (formerly Action Optics) for about 30 years and sold the line when we were in retail. We're true blue and think there is nothing better. When you're ready to update your sunglasses, we strongly suggest that you consider Smith and the new ChromaPop technology. You'll be surprised!

You can purchase Smith optics at the following retailers:

Tulpehocken Fly Shop Online http://www.tcoflyfishing.com/
Bob Marriott's Fly Shop Online http://www.bobmarriottsflyfishingstore.com

Big Sky PMDs

And thinking about optics, here is a great example of how important being able to see clearly defines the moment when fishing small dry flies and setting the hook. If you can't see the take or cut the glare so you can follow the drift, your fishing will suffer. Thanks to YouTube, we found this very well done Todd Moen video on fishing PMDs in the west. The things that we instantly noticed were: The low profile by the angler, how still he is in the water, and the lag time between seeing the fish take and setting the hook. Does fly line color matter? Think about that as you watch the video. Very well done. Makes me want to be there

Independence is one of the most valuable gifts that one can enjoy. We pray that God's blessings are always with us so that the coming generations can also enjoy the fruits of independence. Have a great holiday with family & friends!

The Sage Bookends — "X" and Pulse

   Two exceptional rods at two very different prices.

We've said it before, how does Jerry keep coming up with new rod designs? True to form, Sage is introducing the new "X" fast action rod this week. Kirk Deeter reviews it in the Angling Trade News (via Field & Stream) and if you like being on the cutting edge of fast, accurate and technical rods, you'll be falling in love all over again! Read the press release in MidCurrent here.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have to say that we've been using the Sage Pulse rods for our clinics, casting lessons, and as loaner rods for a couple seasons and these rods continue to impress us. At a cost of $450, the Pulse is classified as a fast action rod, but with a RIO Grand line, it loads beautifully close up and doesn't hesitate to step up to the plate for longer distances. Beautifully finished blanks are lichen green blank with olive wraps. Same lifetime guarantee, made on Bainbridge Island. View the video below.

Take the Kids Fishing

 Last weekend our good friends and trip clients, Ken & Foy, organized a weekend in the country with their grandchildren Leland and Benjamin, ages 3 and 5 and their parents. We paired them up with our grandsons, Bridger and Colter, ages 6 & 8, and what fun it was. We got all the boys fishing with fly rods at the pond for bluegills. The pond also has hybrid striped bass which I use in my casting classes but I thought the bass which average 4-5 pounds would be a bit much for the boys. The bluegills were in spawning colors and were lots of fun. They started out with bluegills but it wasn't long before one of the kids hooked into a bass, and then another, and another. Soon they were all fighting, landing, and releasing bass along with the bluegills.

It reminded me of how much fun it is to be a kid in the summer. Not a care in the world and nothing is more important than the moment. We went from fishing to visiting goats, playing in the barn, and kicking the soccer ball until the kids were exhausted. Everyone slept well that night! Thank you Ken & Foy for giving us the pleasure of being a kid again for a awhile.

2017 Safaris- Booking now

Barry and Cathy have two very exciting African safaris planned for Summer, 2017. The first (July 14-27), is a Big Cat Safari to Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. This safari was featured in the Chicago Tribune, the Orlando Sun, and Courant this past week. The second is to East Africa (July 28 - Aug. 11) for the annual migration, their third migration safari. Read more on the Frontiers Website here or call us for more details.

Rigging Two Flies

In this week's blog Pat Dorsey talks to us about rigging two flies, nymph/nymph, dry/dry, dry/nymph, streamer/streamer. We are always surprised when our guiding guests tell us that they never use a two fly combination and we use it almost all the time. Using two flies will definitely increase your odds of catching fish! Read all about it here. (From MidCurrent via Fly Fisherman)

Also, we wanted to update you about the Beck's upcoming schedule

2016:
Ireland (trout/salmon) July 8-18. Sold Out
Bighorn River (trout) Aug. 19-26, 26-Sept. 2. Sold Out
Spain, E. Pyrenees (trout) Oct. 13-20, 3 rooms
Tres Valles, Arg. (trout) Nov. 25-Dec. 5. Sold Out
2017:
Chile, Coyhaique (trout) Jan. 14-21. Sold Out
Argentina, Pira Lodge (dorado) Feb. 3-10. 4 rooms
Argentina, Jurassic Lake (trout) Feb. 11-19. 4 rooms
Argentina, Patagonia, 3 lodges (trout) Mar. 16-Apr. 12. 5 rooms
Belize River Lodge (tarpon, bones, etc) May 6-13. 5 rooms
Africa, East & South, Safari July 14-27 & 28-Aug.11. 10 rooms
Bighorn River (trout) Aug. 19-26 & 26-Sept. 2. 5 rooms

Please contact us or refer to our web site for further information.

Fishing continues to be good here on Fishing Creek.

2 New Argentina Destinations

Those of you who know us well, know how much we love Argentina, and what's not to love? The time in Buenos Aires, the beautiful estancias and the variety of fishing opportunities are all over-the-top. And it gets better every year. We
can't give up our favorite Argentina destinations so we just keep adding more and for 2017, along with our favorites, we're adding Pira Lodge and Laguna Verde (aka Jurassic Lake). It has literally taken us years to get a week at each of these destinations and we're excited beyond words to know that February will find us there.  These trips will be on our web site shortly.  In the meantime, please contact us or Frontiers for more information or with questions. 

If you've always wanted to catch hard fighting acrobatic dorado by sight fishing in crystal-clear water and have superb accommodations, Pira Lodge, is the ticket and we'll be there from Feb. 5-11, 2017. Dorado hammer flies and are known as the most challenging native freshwater fish, "tigers of the river", in Argentina. Better come with us and see why. It's wild and it's exciting. Check out the itinerary and video.
Pira video: 

 If you're looking for the brontosaurus of rainbow trout come with us to Estancia laguna Verde, for there's no better place on earth. River and lake fishing, walking and searching crystal clear water bays and inlets for cruising behemoths. We don't know what makes this particular lake so fertile and the fish so big, it's truly a spectacle worth seeing. Hook-ups are described as reel screaming, heart pounding, tug of war action. Gotta see it to believe it.  Join us Feb 11-18.
See the Itinerary and video.
Laguna Verde Video:

Last Minute Openings in Alaska

Sold out for months we now find ourselves with a couple of available tents at Reel Action on the Kanetok River, August. 5-12. Prime time for silver salmon, rainbow trout, and lots of other salmon and char. At the mouth of the Bering Sea, Reel Action Camp offers fishing that no other camp can offer. Get the fish first as they come into the river. An amazing week of action! Individual tents, $5,000. per person. Check the photos and itinerary for details and then call us!

Recap on the Frontier's Fly Fishing Weekend

It was a fun weekend here on Fishing Creek with the group. We learned about casting, bugs, leaders, flies, stripers, bluegills, and trout. The weather was uncooperative, rainy, windy and cold — it even snowed for a couple minutes. From Canada, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania the group had a great time. Can't wait to do it again. Thanks to Frontiers, Sage, and the Lodge at Raven Creek for hosting a great event!

Great News! Denver International Airport Rail Link

A reminder for anyone traveling to Denver this summer.  Check out the Travel Insider article here

Hendricksons, Caddis & March Browns

Our guiding is off to a great start here on Fishing Creek. With light drizzle for most of this week, the fishing has been very good each day with Hendrickson spinners, grannom caddis and the beginning of the March Browns. The weather has been cold and we're dressing warm, but that comes with the season and it won't be long until we're hoping for some of the cooler spring temps!

Speaking of the early spring hatches, we can't hardly write about the fishing without mentioning the new Sage MOD fly rod. Paired with a Sage 4250 reel and the RIO InTouch Perception fly line, it's been the perfect rod for our eastern spring fishing. The MOD has just enough backbone for handling light streamers or a couple of small nymphs, but switches easily to a beautiful presentation when the hatch starts or the spinners fall. It's accurate, sensitive, and an absolute joy to cast. If you haven't tried one yet you should the next time you visit your local fly shop. We're pretty sure you'll fall in love all over again.  Check out the video of the rod here