Category Archives: fly fishing

DIY, fly fishing, Instruction, lessons, Tactics

A Little Bit Of Buddah Goes A Long Way

“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things.  Strive on with diligence.”

– Buddah

Salt Bum
Buddah & Mangroves Mark The Spot.

A lot goes on in my mind when I’m standing on the bow of a skiff awaiting a glimpse of the intended target of the day.  Whether it be a bonefish, redfish or tarpon the decision making process remains the same.  The responses vary and their sum total dictate the difference between success and failure.

Understanding how to  best  choreograph your response in the face  of chaos will dramatically improve your results.

I find it helpful to draw from past training that was unrelated to fly fishing and apply its principles to help me on the water.

The training highlighted the human decision making process. A simple acronym of the equation OODA sums it up.

It translates to Observe + Orient + Decide = Act.

It describes what we as humans do all day long, every day, as we move through life.  How well you apply it in specific, performance driven, instances directly relates to how successful we will be in that particular endeavor.

My son and I exploit each other’s failure in the Observe part of the equation routinely around the house.  Its a never ending game.  One of us lurks around a corner or behind a piece of furniture awaiting the other to casually pass by, oblivious of the others presence.  When one of us strikes, the victim is typically left reeling, trying to recover from being startled, sometimes to epic proportions.

When on the water, I do my able best to observe my entire surroundings. The Observe component is important.  Your situational awareness has to be on point to spot fish at a distance.  The further out you can set your range, the more time you’ll have to complete the remaining portion of the equation.

Orient is a simple way of describing the process of recognizing what is happening within your immediate focus and situate yourself for a response.  When you have inadequate time to orient, chaos follows.

Once you have processed the observation and orient to meet its particular challenge, you’ll only then come to a decision on how you’ll respond. The Decide portion of the problem in my opinion is where the game is won or lost.  Taking time to process the information you’re absorbing properly allows you to execute a cast when and if its time to do so.

In real world, daily life, the Decide component is often the easiest to parse and thereby get yourself in trouble.  Think of it in terms of traveling down the interstate at 65 MPH with only 5 feet between your bumper and the car in front of you.  The best mind can’t complete the Observe, Orient & Decide in that space.  You’re going to end up making an insurance claim if you make it a habit.

On the water it most likely means a lot of missed shots and blown out fish.

By compressing the OOD, you’ll have ample time to Act.

Be diligent in the complex portion of the equation where you have to recognize an opportunity, prepare your response and decide based on great preparation to turn it into a cast. Both you and Buddah will be jolly.

Film, fly fishing, Tactics

Fully Invested

Fly fishing gets easier the longer you do it.  Just like a pilot’s log book, filled with hours of experience, most often translates into the airplane becoming an extension of you, the more time you spend on the water, the more naturally the movements become.

Fly fishing and flying are very similar activities in my mind.  Both require attention to detail in the three dimensional realm and flawless execution to pull it off the way it was meant to happen.

An uncoordinated turn in a plane is akin to a sloppy loop, sure it gets you there, but very inefficiently and the result ain’t pretty.

Thats where experience steps in and creates flow and prowess.  Hard work is rewarded by becoming habit.

A health dose of obsession can be the driver that separates the elite from the also rans.

The folks that go, no matter the conditions, are the ones that will develop the skill set that is ultimately going to deliver consistent results.  There is no quit in them, they persevere.  The drive and motivation they possess help them achieve the level of competency that makes them successful on the water.

If you have the desire and feed it, you’ll reap the rewards long term.

When I see a film like Obsession by Patrick Rhea I know he’s  to be the kind of guy that is fully invested.

 

Watch him work, there is no wasted energy with false casts and he’s accurate and purposeful in his movement.  Most of all, he’s having a great time and at the end of the day, thats why we all do this thing called fly fishing.

Adventure, Bonefish, DIY, fly fishing, Travel

Ditch The Guide – The Rewards of DIY Are Priceless

By far my favorite saltwater species to target with a fly rod is the bonefish.  Their attitude and aggressiveness, not to mention the backing exposure they deliver, are the best.

Most of the bonefish I’ve cast to have been Bahamian, though I’ve given it a go from the Florida Keys, South Caicos to  Oahu.  Most of the time its been a DIY scenario.  Despite being guided a handful of times, the most rewarding trips and best memories have been when I’ve done it on my own.

By the looks of it, these guys enjoyed a little DIY bonefish action in and around Turks & Caicos.

The next time you’re thinking about heading somewhere tropical, keep in mind DIY is rewarding and achievable.   Think of all the conch fritters and Kalik you could buy for $500 a day.

 

Catch & Release, DIY, fly fishing, Instruction, photography

Capture A Memory – Summon Your Inner Photographer

Every fish that comes aboard my skiff  or comes to hand doesn’t get its mugshot taken, but when it happens, the subject most likely swims away muttering unspeakable things about the paparazzi.

I’m a catch and release angler at heart, so photos are the hallmark of my experience.  My number one maxim: The most memorable  fish is the one you release.

I really focus on the fish when capturing images to document my time on the water.  Sure, I include human subjects at times, but for the most part the focus is on the prize.

I’ve been taking pictures for decades.  I used to burn lots of images on film back when 35 mm was king.  I sent rolls upon rolls away to a mail order processor in hopes of seeing an image that was worthy of a matte and frame.

Digital changed that.  What it didn’t change was the basics of photography.

My father has thousands upon thousands of 35 mm slides from travels across the world, his understanding of photography was from experience as well as formal training and I was lucky enough to have him as a coach and mentor.

His guidance built my photographic foundation and shaped how I view the world and subjects through a lens.

The Gallery above is just a random selection from a photo dump from my iPhone.  It demonstrates a couple of the principles that I believe could be helpful in improving your photography skills.

Composition is King

When you frame an image, pull the subject in closer.  The idea of everything in view is often the enemy of a great image.  Just like having a clear focus, the composition of the entire image is better tight.  Have a subject and commit to it.  Put the subject in view, not just in the center, but make it dominate the frame.

More is Better

Don’t get hung up on the composition so much so that you miss the shot, you can fine tune it later with a small amount of editing.  Pull in the image and start firing.  I hammer down the shutter and get a handful of images.  Its within the affray where I find the gems.  Action begets success.

Sort it Out

Take a few moments when you get off the water to do a cursory, quick edit to discard the horrible and unusable, but be careful not to be quick to discard.  Soft or slightly out of focus can often be fixed with editing and a detail within an otherwise uninteresting image may be mined out with cropping.  After the initial weeding, walk away.  When you come back to the images later, you’ll likely see them with a more creative eye.

Get To Know Your Camera

I shoot a lot with the camera on my phone simply because its there and easily accessible.  I have a whole stable of Nikons ranging from DSLR to a basic AA battery powered point and shoot model I take on expeditions where charging batteries will be difficult.  Each camera gives differing results and I know like reflex how the shot needs to look on the LCD screen to be ideal for usefulness.  I only got to that point by experience with each camera.  Experience came at the expense of a lot of crappy images.  Now that I know them well, its become very easy and quick to compose images and capture them.  A bump to get depth of field and I’m ready to roll.

Lastly, but most importantly, keep our friend’s health in mind when setting up shots.  In the water, breathing, until the moment you’re ready to pull the trigger and capture your best fish.

Film, flood tide, fly fishing, lowcountry, palmetto state, redfish

After Equinox – LC Journal

There is something about the south that draws you in and wraps its arms around you in a big comforting hug.  From the mountains of appalachia where Southern Culture On The Fly is composed and published to the marshes of the Lowcountry where Flood Tide Co. calls home, there is a vibe that invites you into the fold like a long lost brother who’s home for the weekend.

Every time a new video drops, you know its going to be sweeter than molasses.

After Equinox is no exception

LC Journal – Doug Roland

 

DIY, fly casting, fly fishing, Instruction, lessons, Tactics

There Are No Shortcuts To Better Casting

I hear it all the time; “If I could cast better, I would fly fish more.”

The secret to better casting is to cast more.

The secret to casting better is to cast more in challenging conditions.

The secret to casting better is to stick with it.

I flyfish 99.9% of the time.  Its just what I’ve grown to love and its what I prefer.  I may not produce the same numbers of caught fish as I once did with traditional tackle, but I find my experience more rewarding.

Casting more is key to getting better.  Not on the lawn, but on the water.  I’ve found that simply spending time on a local pond in the neighborhood is both a great way to unwind at the end of the day, the increased the frequency of working on casting  translated to better and more successful time on the water when actually fishing.

Practice on the water is key.  The rod and fly line are working in their intended environment.

Add to the practice sessions by introducing challenges that will cause you to fail.  A tree in an uncomfortable place behind you, a stiff breeze or a dock that blocks the ideal casting lane will force you to problem solve when it matters least and give you experience that will prepare you for when it matters most, on the water actively fishing.

A challenge that is often overlooked, but will always present itself in the real world is a need to deliver the fly on your weak side.  Spend time working on delivering a fly on the back cast.  If you have confidence and accuracy on the back cast delivery, you’ll double the water you’re able to fish.

Lastly, leave the gear at home.  All too often a spinning rod is the crutch that enables failure in fly fishing, especially in the saltwater environment.  They are evil and sap your resolve to stay the course.  Remove it and stay in the game even when the conditions are sporty.  You’ll be forced to improve and the rewards will get bigger and better.

 

 

Adventure, Bahamas, Bonefish, DIY, fly fishing, redfish, Redneck Riviera, Travel

Bahamas Style: Redfish On Fly

Until this week, I’ve always thought there was only one place to go to enjoy wading for redfish in a place that evokes the feeling of bonefishing a Bahamas flat.  A few years ago it was the Lower Laguna Madre of Southwest Texas where I had experienced it for the first time.

The Gulf Islands National Seashore is also just such a place.  Recently I spent the better part of 3.5 hours walking the shoreline there looking for redfish in gin clear water over hard sand bottom.  The set-up is identical to what you normally see reserved for bonefish.  My timing was off, I was there on an extremely high tide, so I passed on wading and remained on the narrow ribbon of beach along the water’s edge.  Nonetheless, I saw a handful of redfish, all solitary hunters, that were plying the same shoreline.  This time they were a bit too wary of my offerings and all of the shots I took ended without a hook-up, despite a couple of promising follows.

There are literally miles of flats available.  Hard sand bottom with sparse sea grasses stretch on from horizon to horizon.

The idea of spending time on the Redneck Riviera has grown in appeal by significant digits.

For now, I’ll carry the panhandle skunk back home with me, but rest assured, I’ll return again with a sharper plan and better timing.  I love bonefishing, I love it even more when the expected gray ghost is actually a copper rocket.

DIY, flood tide, fly fishing, lowcountry, redfish, Tactics, Travel

Wading The Flood Tide in North Florida

While its often the South Carolina Lowcountry that is top of mind when talking about flood tide opportunities for redfish in flooded spartina.  The flats of St. Augustine and Jacksonville up through Fernandina are also prime for stalking redfish up in the grass.

 

Whether you choose to fish from a skiff or wade, its some of the most rewarding flyfishing that you’ll experience.

Here is a little taste of the North Florida good life from GShank on Vimeo.

 

Gotta love the marching fiddlers.  Excellent shots!