Does anyone here a hobbyist angler? I got introduced to fly fishing in 2007 on a trip to New Mexico, friend down there and his family are avid outdoorsy kinda folk. They completely kitted me out for the trip, spent 3 days doing some catch-and-release on the San Juan River and loved it. But so many other activities already on the go, it fell to the wayside.
Until Covid… I was given a couple of fly rods that came with my RV passed down from my great uncle who loved the sport so I decided to try it again as the rest of the world was closed. But there were no restrictions on the outdoors. two years later and I get out at least once a month in some form. Bought a little aluminum boat, motor and hit the local rivers and lakes whenever I can. By myself sometimes, mostly with a buddy or occasionally with my wife/kid as the boat is big enough for 3 adults.
Been getting a bit of exposure to all styles of fishing. have a traditional spinning road, a heavy baitcast rod for salmon fishing, and a selection of fly rods from a 4wt to an 8wt 13’6" Spey rod. I quite enjoy getting away from the city and spending some time outside on the banks of the local rivers or lakes.
I am. Have been since a kid. Started off bass fishing in the river, then started fly fishing, moved up country and caught tigers (the fish, that is) and yellows for a while, then started on carp fishing when I moved further inland. Been at the coast for 7 years full time now so fishing the surf takes up the majority of my time with rod in hand; sliding for big edibles, spinning for shad (Tailor) and I have a remote controlled bait boat to take out bigger baits from the shore onto the reefs up to about 700m out. So ja, over time I’ve adapted to my surroundings and picked up various techniques, both fresh and saltwater, bait fishing and with artificials that I could probably stack up with any angler out there but still so much more to learn. Except fishing of a boat on the ocean, that is. I get as sick as a dog. Been out a couple of times and yeah… not doing that again.
Winter is my time to fish now and its almost here. I’ve serviced all my reels, my rods are all in good nick and had a good clean and my boxes are pretty much stocked. Beginning of May is generally the start of the game fishing run as forerunners of annual migrations up the coast start to arrive in our waters. Can’t wait.
I’m pretty lucky to have some decent fisheries nearby, but I haven’t ventured out to the salt yet. hardest part is getting the time off to go out. I’ve got some small rivers nearby that hold whitefish and trout, odd seasonal steelhead and salmon. Bu the big fish don’t venture near the big cities anymore.
Been very lucky to have met some very good fishermen recently who are showing me the ropes. Two of my friends have industry experience. One worked for Sage, other for St Croix. neighbor is inventory manage for a massive distributor of outdoors equipment so I get lines and leader and flouro and such through her. most of my gear is gently used second-hand or former demo.
Spey rod is the new toy, haven’t tried it yet. Wrong time of year. but this particular section of water has been calling me for a year now and it’s right in my back yard. Just need to hitch a ride on a jet boat to get there, no road access. But from my door it’s about 90-120min if I can get a ride. that’s next on my list of places to go, once I figure the Spey rod out.
I have an 11’6" 6wt two-handed switch rod which I’m getting used to, could do in a pinch.
@wyld.at.hrt what are you targeting with the remote boat? What area are you fishing from, NZ?
My local salmon /sewin (sea trout) run is pretty poor for a place with some semi decent rivers. Sadly all the best stretches are private, so the stuff that’s left combined with a poor run hardly makes the cost of the tickets worth it.
Best fun option for me is the mountain lakes. We can get nice hatches which we match with local fly patterns. I love dry flies if the conditions are right.
Night fishing can be another level though. The bigger fish will be on the move and on the right night you can get a good hatch of sedges. Again the local patterns work the best and it can be mad going.
Part of the joy here is the connection to the old methods, fly patterns etc.
Even some of the old poaching methods are fascinating. Ever heard of an otter board?
don’t ever get caught doing that here. huge fine and they’ll take your gear and your boat! Interesting practice though, I could see back in the old days when it was for food stores that generation could get away with that. definitely not allowed nowadays.
just closer to the city, I’ve noticed a lot of spraying for mosquitoes and such around the borders of the city last few years. As more people spray for weeds instead of manually pulling them. Fertilizers and other cleaners getting washed down the drains into the system it every so slowly kills off the wildlife.
This is why I want away from the city eventually. Much of society has lost sight of balance, it’s all about $ and how easy can they make it.
I’m in South Africa and I’m pretty lucky to have some of the best fishing right on my doorstep. With the RC boat I generally fish a spot called Trafalgar which has 3 reefs just offshore one after the other; about 250m, 350 and one at about 600m. I’m targeting yellowbelly rockcod and black musselcracker with the bait presentation but being on a reef I’ve picked up quite a few interesting species such as bronze bream, sea barble, lemon fish and some species I don’t even have a name for. But ja, rockcod and musselcracker are the species of choice as they are superb eating fish and a big mussel cracker coming in from a few hundred metres out will certainly let your body know it has work to do.
The gear itself has to be pretty robust; at least a 13 or 14 foot surf rod with a heavy tip, at least 50lb braid so there is no stretch when setting the hook with high abrasion leader of at least 80lb and a robust coffee grinder or multiplier. You’re basically on a reef but not on a boat so you don’t have the advantage of being able to reel straight up and as soon as the bait is taken they head straight back into the reef so the first 10 seconds is crucial; set the hook hard and reel in like crazy with no slack at all to get its head up and away from nooks and crannies it can go into. Pretty intense and after a 600m pull it feels like your arms are going to fall off but quite rewarding when it comes right.
well life just got more interesting. Through a stroke of luck (purely, I’m not that experienced) I’ve been invited to the Canadian Fly Fishing championships next month. three days of fishing with the best in the country. Should be entertaining!
I don’t even know if I have all the necessary gear yet. Just got the landing net as you’re required to net your own fish for C&R. But from what I’m hearing from my team captain, a lot of the fishing is sub-surface retrieval 5m+ down. So I’ll be needing to get some intermediate sink-tip lines and possibly a beefier rod than my 5wt. May need a 7wt if I get into a Kamloops trout on the 8+lb range. I’ll know next week when my captain is back from working up north on a film set.
I’ve connected with the kid who ties my flies for me (I don’t know how to tie, yet) that is fishing that region next few weeks who will be giving me a kind of scouting reports on the lakes and what’s hitting. He’s going to do a couple dozen flies for me to match what’s hatching up there. likely scuds, leeches and minnow patterns.
It’s alright actually. I also found it a little strange at first when out on my float tube but once you’ve done it a few times you don’t even think about it although balance does feel off. Prefer standing, though.
I have a 14ft tinny. will be practicing when I can over the next month just to get a feel for the casting of heavier sink lines. tournament starts in 4 weeks this Friday. Unfortunately rules stipulate no shooting heads are allowed, only traditional casting lines. which is a shame, because skagit heads are fun to play with especially in windy environments.
It’s actually ok. Normal practice in the UK on larger reservoirs where we’ll drift the boat sideways and cover fish. A little more awkward if your casting over the gillie’s (boatman’s) head, I tend to cast the fly over my left shoulder in that instance as distance is often not important.
I nearly fished for Wales once. I started to learn fly casting at an event put on by our local club. As a group we went to the Welsh Junior Trials (under 16’s). Top 12 went through from memory, I came in 14th. I’d lost a fish too, which would have been enough to get me in. Kind of glad I didn’t to be honest, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. The guy that won had more flies in his hat than I had in the world at that point. Competition fishing like that is a different world.
I can cast backhanded if needed, could make for a long 3 days if I get stuck on the wrong side of the boat every session. will be interesting how this all pans out. I am hoping another friend of ours can make the trip, he’s been invited as well. He grew up in the biz, they both used to rep St Croix rods. Has already forgotten more than I know and helped me immensely over the past two year of learning this
