I’ve always had an interest in sailing, but it always comes down to this: there are lots of things I would like to do and do well, but one life doesn’t allow enough time to all of those things, let alone well. Neither does my garage, which is pretty much blown up by all the fishing, hunting, camping, backpacking and mountain biking gear. Sailing? No way. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like a good read about voyaging on the water. I read Slocum’s Sailing Alone Around the World this summer and that is a great read. Here’s a review from Patagonia, detailing Continue reading
Dream Trip—Sailing Baja
Check out the Skeena Headwaters
Found this on The Cleanest Line, Patagonia’s general blog. Good stuff here. Thought all of you could take a few minutes break and dream a little.
Belize Declares Turneffe Atoll as Marine Reserve
This is big news for bonefish, permit and tarpon freaks. Turneffe is one of the best places in the world to fish those species and it may be the best place in the world to catch your first permit or nail the grand slam. When I visited a few years back we landed three tarpon over 75 pounds, including two that may have gone Continue reading
Tying Loop Connections on Sink Tip Lines
As you know from yesterday’s post, I’m headed to British Columbia and that means I’ll likely be chucking some sinktips.
Making loop connections has always been an issue for me, especially on the water, but with a nail knot tool I can now make great loops that hold steady, even on larger fish. Alaska West Lodge/Deneki Outdoors offered a very informative blog post recently and I wanted to direct it to all of you sink-tip addicts so Continue reading
Posted in Alaska, Backcountry, Gear
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Gearing Up For a Week at Nimmo Bay, British Columbia
Just back from a three-day jaunt to Seattle and now it is time to gear up for a week in British Columbia, a mix of remote, but plush lodge chillin’, at Nimmo Bay Resort on the mainland coast, and a couple nights in Vancouver, eating and drinking my way to story ideas.
At Nimmo we’ll be flying out each day on a Continue reading
Nasty Bear Attack on Morice River in British Columbia
Beginner or veteran angler, if you’re fishing in the Pacific Northwest you better be on your toes. Here’s an account of a recent bear attack, the victim being an extremely knowledgeable and capable outdoorsman. A wake-up call for all of us.
From the Alaska Dispatch.
Alaska Bush pilot and avid fly fisherman Gary Limage spent much of his adult life around grizzly bears in the wilds of the 49th state only to end up getting mauled by one along the Canadian road system. Friends and former co-workers over the weekend identified Limage as the Alaska angler reportedly attacked by a grizzly last week in northwestern British Columbia.
Canadian authorities are reporting the bear ripped off Limage’s Continue reading
Review: Sage’s One Spey Rod on the Gaspe Peninsula
I wish the photos in this post captured the entirety of the cast or, better yet, I wish we had images from a day when I needed more river in front of me to cast as far as I wanted.
That was the issue I confronted with Sage’s new One Spey rod, the 12′ 6″ 7-weight to be exact (model 7126-4). I took that rod to Canada’s Gaspe Peninsula a couple weeks ago while fishing at Camp Bonaventure Lodge and Salmon Lodge (do it, do it now, book a trip there and you won’t be sorry) and threw it with a 480 grain Scandi head. Most of the time I used a full floating line and a relatively long tippet, but other times I attached a 60 grain light sinker to the head, along with about three or four feet of 10-pound test tippet.
I’m not a great Spey caster. Some days I have it going and other days I don’t. In fact, my talents seem to change by the hour—one moment I’ll be in control, not forcing the issue, taking time for the D loop to form and launching rockets; the next I Continue reading
Fly Rod & Reel Fall Issue
Giving all of you a sneak peek at Fly Rod & Reel’s fall cover. The magazine should be off the press and hitting newsstands any day. It’s a solid issue so make sure you check it out. You’ll find a fun article on the Delaware River and the “ghosts” of Lordville. You’ll get a really, really accurate portrayal of a fishing trip to Cuba. You’ll get to read the Robert Traver Writing Award winner, which is a piece on Michigan’s Hex hatch and night fishing. You can read a piece on how to build a killer microskiff. And you can learn how to tie some deadly patterns on jig hooks. And there’s Gierach on Oregon Chinook salmon. There’s also a Troy Letherman classic on his interest in fishing fall rainbows in western Alaska. Again, I think you’ll like this one so be sure to check it out.
Big Atlantic Salmon on The Bonaventure
Ok, there are three images in this post. In two of the images there’s a 25 to 30-pound Atlantic salmon. The smaller image is a detail from the larger image. Look close and I think you’ll be able to find the fish. The teaser image here is shot at a place called Alder Island on the Grand Cascapedia. I covered the heck out of those fish with a dry fly but couldn’t get one to eat. Fun to see, however. Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Spey, US & Canada
Tagged Bonaventure Lodge, Bonaventure River, Quebec
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Atlantic Salmon Fly Fishing on Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula
Apologies to all for my lack of posts lately. I tell you, it was tough, but somebody had to fish. That’s my excuse. Actually, I just spent eight days in pure bliss on Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula hucking for Atlantic salmon.
I have to tell you that the trip exceeded my expectations in every way. The lodges, Salmon Lodge on the Grand Cascapedia River and Bonaventure Lodge on the Bonaventure River (http://www.campbonaventure.com/; http://www.thesalmonlodge.com/), were top notch and the hospitality was phenomenal. The guides were as entertaining and knowledgeable as any I’ve been around in my life. And the fish were fantastic.
That’s not to say Continue reading
Posted in CANADA, Photography, Travel, US & Canada
Tagged Bonaventure Lodge, Bonaventure River, Gaspe Peninsula, Grand Cascapedia River, Quebec, Salmon Lodge
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