Mike and his father had a special bond, forged on the river through a common love for fly fishing.
Recapture explores Mike’s journey of self discovery, returning to the water after losing his father to cancer. What he finds is an amazing story.
Here Comes The Sun
I’m headed out to fish today & the forecast is fantastic! Its the kind of day often referred to as Chamber of Commerce conditions. Little to no wind, maybe a breeze. Cloudless, bluebird skies will dominate the day.
Today’s conditions will make it very important to respect the sun. Every cast I make will be undertaken with the sun’s position as part of my casting equation.
Shadows, no matter how small, matter. Fly line overhead has the ability to cast a shadow. A moving shadow, like that of a bird, makes every targeted fish nervous and will instantly change its personality from hunter to hunted.
When looking at an approaching fish, I always visualize where the fly, leader or fly line will cast a shadow and plan my angle accordingly to limit the effect it may have.
By avoiding having a shadow wreck an opportunity, you’ll increase your success rate by being aware of the sun.
Its More Than A Feeling
“Then we got into a labyrinth, and, when we thought we were at the end,
came out again at the beginning, having still to see as much as ever.”
― Plato
I try to take something away from every outing on the water. A little moment or big, it doesn’t matter; just a piece of the puzzle that fits into the ever sprawling mosaic of experience that builds my bigger picture of fly fishing.
As the sun sank to my west, I stood in the cockpit of my skiff and chased it towards the horizon. Lying before me was the gear I had needed to be self reliant for a couple of nights in Everglades National Park.
The feeling I had was one of achievement. I had arrived with a few goals in mind and I had checked them off the list along with a couple more that were simply icing on the cake.
The trip was made in the company of a great friend and fellow fly angler.
The great feelings aside, we learned a lot and more importantly, nourished the desire to return and build upon it.
A Little Bit Of Buddah Goes A Long Way
“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”
– Buddah
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.
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.
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.
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.
Loose Lips Sink Ships
Have you ever found a special place on the water that seems to be that out of the way location which always produces days that leave you smiling? You know, the one I’m talking about, that lonely slice of water that takes a bit of effort to reach, where you never see another soul.
The truth is, you’re not the only one that knows where it is, its just that the effort to get there limits even you and it it quickly becomes the spot reserved for special days when solitude is required and you know it can be found there, if you’re in the mood to work for it.
After a while, you’ve grown so fond of your out of the way slice of heaven that you take someone along to show them the unreal beauty and charm your little Shangri-La possesses. Even though that little voice in the back of your head cautions you to keep it to yourself, you convince yourself it will be kept in confidence, so off you go.
The magic is in the air and the birds are chirping as you and your guest revel in the moments where your rod is bent and fish come to hand in a way that never happens on a normal day, in the usual spots. You keep reminding them that the place you’re visiting is special and warrants secrecy, hoping that your trust won’t be betrayed.
By day’s end, you know that you’ve shared a truly special place and time and the allure of it is almost fairytale in its splendor, which makes you nervous.
As you finish a beer with your friend, they thank you for the special day and reassure you that the secret is going to be kept. They express reverence for the location, and pour on the charm letting you know its safe.
A month or two later, it happens. There in all of its glory, laid bare for the world to see on Instagram or Facebook is the spot you’ve cherished for so long. That place you’ve always held dear and protected. Your pulse quickens, and in mere moments, you know its over, the secret is out.
The temptation was too great for the person who didn’t earn it. They were given the privilege, and without the investment of sweat equity, they gave it away.
Worse yet, they begin to abuse it. Almost weekly at first, them more and more often, until its not just the recipient of your friendly benevolence, but now others are there and posting about too.
Forgiving those who trespass against you is tough. But truth be told, its best that you do, for they know not what they’re doing. The luster will fade on that place of beauty in due time, for once its been burned, the patina of overuse will erase it.
Don’t despair, but rather, channel your efforts in finding your next quiet corner and remember, Loose Lips Sink Ships.
Restraint
Its on. There is plenty of social media chatter regarding the onslaught of shoreline cruisers along the Space Coast. The buzz is confirmed, get out there. Light flies, natural colors; you’re welcome.
I’ve been putting in a good bit of time plying the Mosquito Lagoon over the past couple of weeks. When the opportunity presented, I took a few moments to simply enjoy the view.
On one of those recent afternoons I had the pleasure of spending part of my day with T.J. Saunders doing work from the front of the skiff. If you ever find yourself visiting Tampa and need a guide, look him up:
He is a masterful fly tier, if you need some tasty crustaceans or baitfish patterns, he’s your man.
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