Artful Profiles of Trout, Char, and Salmon, and the Classic Flies That Catch Them

This past Friday was kind of a pretty awesome mail day. I've been patiently waiting for my copy of Dave & Emily Whitlock's "Artful Profiles of Trout, Char, and Salmon" to arrive at my doorstep, and guess what greeted me once I got home from work...

I'm sure many of you are familiar with Dave Whitlock's overall body of work... it sure would be hard not to if you're even a casual fly angler. Well, with an initial paging through this latest book, the contents far exceed my expectations. Such wonderful illustrations within, I can't wait to get some downtime this upcoming week and really soak in the pictures and complete text.

And the best part... and I know I'm not special or anything because this is pretty standard for Mr. Whitlock... I've been on a kick recently where if I have the opportunity to have the fishing books that I purchase signed by the authors, I try my best to take advantage. Well, this one is no exception. And just like when he signs his prints, Dave always adds a little something extra to each signature. Love it!

Grayling... Because Man Cannot Fish For Trout Alone...

Grayling have always been a "bucket list" species for me. Once or twice I've been in the right place, but evidently not at the right time to make that happen.

In relation to that pursuit, there have been two really quite thorough resources on grayling posted online in the past few weeks. Thought I'd share them here and I hope you enjoy the referrals if you happen to share the same interest in this beautifully different fish.

Image Courtesy: Discover Tenkara

The first resource is from Discover Tenkara (is there anything these guys don't do well)?  It's a very detailed breakdown of all the rods, flies, techniques, in grayling fishing and can be found HERE. I mean it's pretty much everything you'd want to know, without them actually taking you physically out on the water. And despite the fact that it's from Discover Tenkara, there is plenty here for those who are not tenkara-centric anglers.

The second is a very long infographic provided by Barbless-flies.co.uk, a UK-based fishing retailer. The graphic really speaks for itself and gives you a pretty solid A-Z on fishing for grayling. Definitely worth a scroll from top to bottom, and also includes a full list of source URLs at the end if you'd like to take your research to the next level.

Guided Getaway

Wow, can finally exhale. The last month or two has been a total blur. When you're employed in sports, major events like "The Big Game," create a lot of extra work in the weeks that lead up - in other words, working day and night rather than enjoying life and writing silly blog posts. But with an epic 25 point comeback in the rearview, let's talk fishing...

I know I could sure use an escape right about now. How about North to Alaska? That certainly sounds fun. Fortunately, friend-of-the-blog Paul Vertrees is hosting the FIRST EVER professionally guided tenkara trip to Alaska! According to Paul, here's the skinny:

Sunday, June 11, 2017 through Saturday, June 17, 2017

"Our guide service, Royal Gorge Anglers in Cañon City, has partnered with Intricate Bay Lodge on Lake Iliamna, Alaska, to offer a six-day, six-night lodge-based tenkara experience in the Lake Iliamna area.  This region is famous for its trophy arctic grayling and rainbow trout during June each year.  I could write pages about this area and how beautiful it is, how perfect it is for targeting bigger fish with tenkara, and how great the fishing is, but instead I’ll refer you to Intricate Bay Lodge’s website (see the "Combo Trip") so you can see for yourself and so you can get an idea of what the accommodations are like.  All I can say is that there is NO OTHER guided tenkara trip like this anywhere on Planet Earth!  Of course, you’re more than welcome to pick up a 6-wt western fly rod and have at it if you like!"

(Related aside: Paul is also a regular contributor to Tenkara Angler magazine, having written a great article about tenkara in Alaska in last Fall's issue).

Now as much as I'd like to go to Alaska with Paul and a bunch of tenkara rods in hand, I know I won't be able to this year due to other commitments in early June, however, this sounds incredible. My loss is your gain, I hear spots are limited, so if you're interested, you may want to look into it.

As for me, maybe Owl Jones will have me back up in North Georgia to go chase some trout in the not too distant future. We'll see...

The Friday "Five Fish On The Fly" Bucket List

I love fly fishing. Absolutely love it.

It's taken me to places I'd never thought I'd visit, introduced me to people I'd have never met otherwise, and provides the therapeutic elixir needed to offset the daily grind of everyday life.

Oh, and the fish. The freakin' beautiful fish...

(I mean it's practically translucent!)

That said, there are a lot more places I'd like to go, people to meet, and fish to attempt to outwit. Not all are exotic, heck most aren't, but I'd really love to expand my species list beyond the standard brookie-brown-rainbow trout trifecta, and of course, the warm water panfish & bass.

This is my short list of five fish I'd like to catch on the fly, in no particular order.

Arctic Grayling

Photo: Alaska Fish & Game

Yeah, there's something somewhat pornographic about how people take photos of them with their fin fanned out, and I've heard they're not the best of fighters, but there's just something about this fish that intrigues me. Word on the street is they might try to reintroduce them to Michigan waters, so perhaps the quest won't be that far out of the way after all. 

California Golden Trout

Photo: Wikipedia/Rayfound

Perhaps with the exception of brook trout, I think this is the prettiest trout/char on Earth. The colors are just...well...put it this way, I'd be heartbroken if the photos I've seen online are deceiving and the byproduct of some sort of post-production digital filter. Plus, from what I understand, these suckers live quite a bit off the beaten path, so finding them would be an adventure onto itself. "Tenkara Tanuki" Luong Tam is going to try and find some in August, I wish him luck!

Snook

Photo: SaltyShores.com

I live in Florida, but a little bit too far north to really get into snook. We get some up in Jacksonville, but it's not like further south or on the Gulf coast. Like I said, not particularly exotic, but I haven't caught one yet, and probably the best part is they're typically accessible by walking the beach at the right time. No boats required. I think my best shot was the time I spent in Sanibel a few years back, but back then I didn't know what I didn't know...

Tiger Trout

Photo: John-Paul Povilaitis

My Facebook buddy JP posted some really sick tiger trout pics the other day, including the one above. I'm not ashamed to admit, I've never caught one of these brookie/brown hybrids. Heck, I'd never expect to catch a chunky one like this, but I think it'd be fitting, and absolutely Troutrageous!

A DIY Bonefish

Photo: Deneki Outdoors

Rod Hamilton's ears are probably perking up right about now...

I half-ass tried this once on vacation in the Cayman Islands. It was one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I've ever had fly fishing. Unfortunately, I really had little to no idea of what I was doing, and was just in the right place at the right time with the right tide. I totally spooked the few I was able to approach, but to see those fish explode and take off...well, damn...  Yes, I could probably get my first bonefish quicker if I hired a guide, particularly one with a boat, but I don't know, I'd rather catch one on my own, on foot. No offense to guides out there, I'm just weird like that.

So that's my five.

Any fish on your bucket list? 

Let's hear it in the comments below...

Ken Burns' The National Parks

I've been watching Ken Burns' The National Parks: America's Best Idea the past two nights and have been amazed by the beauty, especially of the parks featured in the Western United States.



The first two episodes have been primarily about two parks, Yellowstone & Yosemite, and men like John Muir who set the stage for them to become the first National Parks in the world. While I'm watching this, seeing the beautiful landscapes awash with large game, beautiful mountain vistas overlooking vast canyons, towering waterfalls emptying into cool valley streams, all I kept thinking was, "Damn, that looks like a great place to do some fishing."  

So if you're like me, here's an overview of fishing for both (courtesy of the National Park Service):

Yosemite Fishing Regulations  

Fishing regulations for Yosemite National Park follow those set by the State of California, including the requirement that people 16 or older have a valid California fishing license. The season for stream and river fishing begins on the last Saturday in April and continues through November 15. 

The only exception is Frog Creek near Lake Eleanor, where fishing season does not open until June 15 to protect spawning rainbow trout.  The late opening includes the first 1/2 mile of Frog Creek up to the first waterfall, including the pool below this waterfall. The late opening also extends 200 feet from the mouth of Frog Creek out onto the surface of Lake Eleanor and along its shore for a distance of 200 feet from the creek's mouth. Otherwise, all lakes and reservoirs are open to fishing year-round.  Six native fish species occur in the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, from Yosemite Valley to El Portal. 

Of these, only rainbow trout and Sacramento sucker occur as high in elevation as Yosemite Valley. Waterfalls created by Pleistocene glaciation blocked fish from populating the Merced River above Yosemite Valley and the Tuolumne River inside the park boundary.



Native Fish Species 

• Rainbow trout 
• California roach 
• Sacramento pikeminnow 
• Hardhead — California Species of Concern 
• Sacramento sucker 
• Riffle sculpin 

Nine non-native species and one hybrid of non-native fish occur in Yosemite National Park. From the first recorded planting in 1877 until 1990, more than 33 million fish were stocked into waters of Yosemite, primarily trout in high elevation lakes and streams.  

Rainbow trout, although native to lower elevations, are non-native to waters higher in elevation than Yosemite Valley. Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden and Piute cutthroat trout are believed to be extirpated, no longer existing, in the park. 

Nonnative Fish Species 

• Smallmouth bass 
• Arctic grayling 
• Brook trout 
• Dolly Varden 
• Brown trout 
• Lahontan cutthroat trout — Federally threatened 
• Piute cutthroat trout — Federally threatened 
• Golden trout 
• Rainbow trout 
• Rainbow-golden hybrid trout

Yellowstone Fishing Regulations

The fishing season begins the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend (usually the last weekend in May) and extends through and includes the first Sunday in November. Exceptions are noted within the Exceptions to General Regulations table within the Fishing Regulations handbook. Also note that there are areas within the park that are permanently closed to human entry and disturbance, have seasonal area and trail closures, off-trail travel and daylight hour limitations, and party size recommendations. In addition, some streams may be temporarily closed to fishing on short notice to protect fish populations in mid-summer due to low water levels and high water temperatures.  

Native cutthroat trout are the most ecologically important fish of the park and the most prized, and highly regarded by visiting anglers. Several factors, mostly related to exotic species introductions, are threatening the persistence of these fish. The Yellowstone Fisheries Program strives to use best available science in addressing these threats, with a focus on direct, aggressive intervention, and welcomed assistance by visiting anglers.



Native Fish Species 

• Arctic Grayling 
• Westslope Cutthroat Trout 
• Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout 

Nonnative Fish Species 

• Brook Trout 
• Brown Trout 
• Lake Trout 
• Rainbow Trout