Freshwater Vs. The Salt

 From Deneki outdoors... I could use sure a lesson in this.

 

Conversations About First-Time Flats Fishing

When we talk to guests about their first flats fishing trip to Andros South, we always get a lot of questions about angling skill.
“Is it really that hard to see bonefish?”
“How far do I have to cast?”
“What about casting in the wind?”
So we explain that the fishery on South Andros is super productive and pristine.  We tell them they’re going to have plenty of shots, and a lot of the shots are going to be at really close range, and that they don’t need to worry about catching bonefish.  They’re going to catch bonefish – if you have the physical aptitude to make your way onto a flats skiff, you’re going to catch bonefish on your trip to Andros South.
But then, for folks who are used to freshwater fishing, we like to talk to them about their attitude.

Not Catching Fish in Freshwater

Here’s the thing – in most freshwater situations you don’t see the fish before they eat.  If you fish through a run for trout or steelhead and don’t get any takes, that might be for any of the following reasons:

Morning Tailers

Fished North Pinellas with Capt. Jared Wednesday. Got up at 4:15, left the house at 5, launched at 6:20 or so, then made the 40 minute paddle to a few spotted tails -- with some nice scenery along the way.

Back to the Salt

Headed to Caladesi flats early Wednesday morning. The a.m. tides are finally low enough for tailers. Tied a few EP crabs, size 1 hook. We'll see if bigger flies mean bigger fish. ... Trying to talk Capt. Jared into going. It's his home water. He knows it well. ... I, for one, am looking forward to a saltwater fishing trip without rain. Thank goodness for the low a.m. tides. Couldn't come soon enough.

 

 

A Day on the Tuck

Congrats to my dad, who caught the biggest fish (18-inch rainbow) during our two-day fly fishing trip on the lower Tuckasegee River in Sylva, N.C., three days before he celebrated his 70th birthday last week.
It's been a cool, wet summer in Western N.C., but nevertheless the water temperature hovered in the mid to high 60s. We had to work for every fish we boated.
We'll be back in October. The water temps should be in the 50s, and the Tuck should be on fire.
Below was our mode of transportation, a Clackacraft drift boat as well as a view of the lower Tuck.
It's been a while since I've been on a drift boat. About 20 years ago, I got trained to guide out West. I think I hammered every damn rock in the Bighorn River. The Tuck, being a gentle Eastern river, is a bit more forgiving than Montana water.

The Family Dog

Everyone who knows me knows I love dogs. Dogs, in fact, are a Hodge family tradition. I had a beagle growing up. My father and stepmother had two Great Danes (Grendle and Omar), a Pitt Bull (Bess) and a bulldog-pit mix (Doc Holliday), a Bull Terrier (Jack), two Springer Spaniels (Ashley and Duke). I now have Twink, the third of three labs (Beauregard and Angus were the others). My father's dog is Lucy (see photo), a 17-year-old Jack Russell. I sure hope I'm going strong at that age.

Taking a Break

Sunset on Lake Glenville near Cashiers, N.C.

Apologies to fans of Redfish Tales, but I'm on vacation for the week. I'll be back writing by August 19th. Fished the Western North Carolina mountains this week, so I'll have reports on Henry Williamson, the double haul, smallmouth fishing and summer trout. Good stuff coming up. Be patient.

Back to the Mountain Streams

I started fly fishing in 1989. Back then it was mountain streams and spring creeks in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  One of my first instructors was Henry Williamson, a guide from North Georgia. He taught me to cast when my loops were the size of boulders. Henry, from Sky Valley, Ga. was born to be a guide. He likes a good cup of coffee and a good story to start his day. Usually, he always delivers both.
The first trip with Henry was with my dad, who had a mountain house up in Sylva, N.C. Back then, fly

Henry and Jimmy Carter

fishing was not as popular as it is today. A River Runs Through It, after all, had been released. Henry was one of the few guides in the Western N.C. area at the time. We found out about him through word of mouth. We were not disappointed. It's been almost 25 years since that trip and my father and I are going fishing again next week to celebrate his 70th birthday near Cashiers, N.C. Fittingly, Henry will be our guide.