Here in the Eastern Sierra mountains of California, we’ve received a historic amount of snowfall, in some areas over 700 inches, around 60ft. Record Snowfall is why most people move here, for an endless winter of skiing and snowboarding. But what comes with that is endless shoveling and just plain surviving.
It has often felt normal to hear that another house exploded or a roof collapsed due to snow loads. Another regular aspect of life has been the closures of roads and highways, sometimes leaving us stuck with no way in or out. This has resulted in our winter fisheries being, at some points, completely inaccessible.
When they were accessible, it required a long walk in deep snow or a snowmobile ride to get there. For myself, it was hard to even think about going fishing mid-winter. Every free minute was dedicated to unburying the car or shoveling the driveway or roof.
It felt like it did not stop snowing for four months straight. When the sun finally came out (mid-April) and things were under control, I remember thinking, “it’s time to fish.â€
Being snowboarders, walking in on our split boards is the most logical thing. The best part about that is when your buddy is fishing a good hole, and you might as well hang out and make some turns. As the snow has started to melt and cars are thawing from snow banks, the window of fishing in our creeks and rivers has been disrupted due to the amount of water running through them.
Even though our regular fishing season has opened, many of those waters are still frozen, leaving us without many options. With a historic snowfall comes a historic melt. There is mutual excitement and fear of the unknown as the snow melts and the waterways begin to fill.
With a historic snowfall comes a historic melt. Photo essay from Jimmy Goodman, give him a follow on Instagram @goodmannnnnn.
Late last year, we caught wind of a new film in production along the banks of some hallowed Montana waters. Upon further investigation, we found out the upcoming film was entitled “Mending the Line“. Directed by Joshua Caldwell, written by Stephen Camelio, and starring Sinqua Walls, Brian Cox, and Perry Mattfeld the film follows a wounded Marine veteran (Walls) as he deals with his emotional and physical trauma, eventually finding mentorship and healing through fly fishing. Very quickly thereafter, we reached out to the director, Joshua Caldwell, and you can read our full interview with him, here!
This week, the film released an all-new trailer (above) and Poster leading up to the film’s upcoming release later this summer. We were given access to a pre-release screening of the film, and we’re sure its impact will be seen and felt in the industry when it hits the big screen.
“Patience! When I’m blind casting, I always use the rod to make my fly twitch towards the end of a retrieve. A good percentage of the fish I catch come from doing this, especially fluke in the surf.
The striped bass here sprinted towards my Holy Moley fly after the first twitch, then ate it right after the second twitch. Hope you can see all that from this high vantage.Look closely and you’ll see a very large fish cruising slowly at the bottom of the frame.”
Reel of the Week from Tim Regan, be sure to follow him and his fishing adventures on Instagram at @southforksalt.Â
In this week’s “How to Tie†video feature, Rupert Harvey ties a popper pattern that might just create some of your best fishing memories to date, the Bling Crease Fly.
Learn About This Fly:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Trout sipping dry flies or aggressively taking hoppers can be some of the most exciting fishing an angler can do. The only thing possibly more thrilling is a predator species inhaling a popper on the surface. Depending on the species, this can be an effective way to fish a blitz or when you want that one incredible eat to remember. The Bling Crease Fly is a pattern tied by one of the most talented tyers today, Rupert Harvey, and will certainly bring out the worst in those predatory species.
For this pattern, think back to 2nd grade arts and crafts. The most difficult part of this fly is the physical construction without the bobbin in hand. To follow the true pattern, the coloring and designs should be followed, but do not feel obligated, as it will still have the same movement. Take your time and be patient, as the Bling Crease Fly is one you definitely want to have in your popper box.
Whether fishing for bass in a lake or an exotic saltwater species in the ocean, this popper pattern is going to be your friend. This fly is perfect for those days you have caught more than you can count and want to spice things up. The Bling Crease Fly is a popper that will create some of the best moments in your fishing career and make for stories that won’t need to be exaggerated around the campfire.
Last week, magic happened on a Colorado reservoir when Angler Scott Enloe felt something huge take his jig in the depths…
Scott battled the fish for 15 minutes and ultimately had to haul the fish onto the boat by hand, as his landing net was too small to fit the fish. Once he and his partner landed the potentially record-breaking fish they knew they had something wild. This fish boasted a girth of 37 inches, and weighed over 73 pounds!
Enloe caught the fish fishing in Gunnison County, Colorado where the current standing record for a lake trout caught in the state is just over 50.35 pounds from Blue Mesa Reservoir. The fisherman has submitted an application to have the fish officially weighed and measured to see if it beats the record.
“I have some other photos that—I regret to admit—almost seem artificial,†Enloe shares with Outdoor Life. “I mean, it’s just absurd. A 37-inch girth and my waist is 35 inches. It was utterly amazing.”
In this Video of the Week, we link back up with the Picabo boys in their most recent video chasing big fish on streamers. Joe, Bradley, & Annika embark on a week of floating and fishing before they report to Picabo Angler to start their guide season. With the first warming trend of the spring and some sun, they hoped that would get the fish fired up. But with the crazy amount of snow in the west it made putting in and taking out an issue. So sit down and enjoy some absolutely epic scenery, unbelievable fish, and some great comradery.
Sometimes everything lines up, for this crew, they got the right weather, the right bug color, and were in the right place at the right time. It’s not every day you get a 27 and 24-inch fish on the same day! Congrats you guys what a day!
Image Courtesy: Joseph Evans
Book a trip with Picabo Angler HERE to experience the famous Silver Creek.
“A pack of GT’s, pectoral fins slicing the waves, charge into the inlet. My Orvis 8 weight rod with a crab fly sits lamely in my right hand, waiting for another chance at the tailing Napo that spooked from the rocks a few minutes earlier. I rush to switch to my Orvis H2 12 weight rod and forgot the lessons learned here in 2022, and promptly have my desperation hail mary cast halt when the volcanic rock holds tight to my running line.Â
I keep watch. The school returns. I strip the Cortland line off of my Ross Revolution reel while casting, keeping clear of the rocks. A follow and spurn. A second cast. Fish on. Line dumps off the reel while I lock down the drag and hurdle over the rocks in pure excitement.”
Reel of the week from Austin Kane, be sure to follow him on Instagram @austinevkane. Be sure to check out the trips Austin has available by clicking here.Â
The Florida Legislative session just ended, and local organizations are calling on Governor DeSantis to veto a provision regarding fertilizer. As you likely know, residential fertilizer can be a potent source of run-off polluting waterways and estuarine environments. In Florida, nutrient pollution, sometimes from fertilizer run-off, contributes to harmful algal blooms, fish kills, and a host of other water quality issues.
According to Waterkeeper Florida, “In the waning hours of the legislative session, lobbyists for the fertilizer industry snuck a provision into the budget proviso that would prohibit local governments from adopting or amending fertilizer ordinances that include a summer blackout period in the next year. This will hinder local governments from taking action to protect their local waterways from nutrient pollution, at a time when many of Florida’s waters are critically impaired. Since this language was inserted at the last minute, it was never discussed during any committee meetings, it was never available for public comment, and it was buried in hundreds of pages of budget documents.”
Florida Waterkeeper is now calling on Gov. DeSantis to veto that specific “budget proviso” to continue to allow local governments to protect their waterways from fertilizer run-off. If you are a Florida stakeholder, you can easily send that message through this Action Alert.
“The legislature is trying to stop local governments from protecting their waterways from nutrient pollution,” said Justin Tramble, Executive Director of Tampa Bay Waterkeeper. “It makes no sense to strip away a common sense tool like the ability to adopt rainy season fertilizer bans. It’s the exact opposite of what we need to be doing. Communities across the state of Florida rely on clean water, and it’s time our elected officials start acting like it. Our hope is that the Governor will veto this proposed language in the budget implementing bill.”
A gigantic Chinook salmon has been reeled in off the shores of Argentina, stirring up a frenzy among the salmon fishing community. This colossal fish has the potential to smash the existing world record for the longest Chinook salmon ever caught, making it a monumental achievement for the lucky angler.
James Schmid landed this 113-centimeter Chinook salmon, potentially setting the IGFA All-Tackle Length World Record for the species. After recording proper measurements, he released the fish safely. This record is currently pending + under review.
James Schmid shared the gripping story of his intense battle with the monster salmon. It was an adrenaline-filled struggle, testing his skills and tackle to the limit. The sheer size of the salmon has left seasoned anglers and fans in awe.
While the official measurements are still pending, news of this epic catch has spread rapidly within the fly fishing community. Anglers from all over the world are eagerly waiting for confirmation of the fish’s weight and length. The potential new world record has sparked discussions and fueled the dreams of anglers seeking their own unforgettable fishing experiences.
Welcome to Quick Tips! A new series presented by Redington where we ask some friends their quick tips to teach anyone new they take out on the water. We were all beginners at some point and all of us are always learning new tips and tricks! Whether it is your first time out, or you have been fishing for 20 years, we hope you can take these tips and use them yourself or help a friend out you might be introducing to fly fishing. We will let Kayla Take it away from here!Â
Hello Y’all! I am Kayla Lockhart, Redington semi-pro ambassador, fish wrangler, pint sized feather flicker! I was born and raised in a small town in Minnesota, where I first found my love for fly fishing and the outdoors! Im a big advocate for introducing and teaching this sport to people from all over, and am excited to share the Trout Tips with you. Whether you’ve been fishing your whole life or you are just getting your wading boots wet, I hope you can find something useful, and feel inspired to also pass the tips along!
FISHING TINY DRIES:
If you have experienced fishing tiny dries then you know the struggle of casting the fly out and it seemingly instantly gets lost in the foam, or maybe you were staring at a natural thinking it was your fly the entire time and setting on the wrong eat!
The bigger fly on the left acts as my indicator for the smaller one on the right. Since we don’t all have eagle eyes!
So a little tip to help you keep your eyes on your fly and not miss an eat again, I like to tie on a larger dry fly, like a chubby Chernobyl and then tie on the tiny fly a foot or so below. You can now use the larger dry fly as an indicator to help be able to keep sight of the smaller, hard to see fly!
STREAMER FISHING:
When fishing a streamer, a lot of times I will fish two – A larger, heavier streamer, like a sculpin pattern, and then a smaller streamer pattern like a leech or a Woolly bugger. This has proven to me on several occasions to be more productive when floating a river and I’m hammering the banks with quick casts/retrievals.Â
My Redington Wrangler 5wt handles everything from dries to streamers for me!
I also like to tie the second streamer off the eyelet of the hook on the first fly, instead of off the shank of the hook. It helps to give the fly a bit more movement in water.
SINK TIPS (Pun Intended)Â
I love to fish streamers a lot, and with that I will occasionally use sink tips. I have however learned that when I would tie my tippet onto the sink tip loop, the thinner tippet line would dig into the loop of my sink tip, and eventually ruin the fabricated loop. To help avoid this I use a thinker pound tippet to create what I call a “buffer†– I’ll use about a foot of straight mono of about 20# test and tie a loop knot at each end, then I can loop to loop one side to my sink tip and then loop to loop my tippet section. The thicker line won’t dig into my sink tip as much and I’ll be able to use that fabricated loop for a lot longer.
WATER HAUL
Utilizing a good ole’ water haul is useful in so many situations when fishing, but the most common time I use it, is when I am either fishing a big terrestrial pattern or if I’m bobber doggin’!
The beginning of my water haul. Letting the line get downstream to load the rod for me.
The water haul is casting technique and can be used when you’re finished with a drift of either a dry or a bobber rig lets say, and instead of stripping the line back in and re-casting completely, you can use the tension of the water on your line, that pulls your line taught from the current, and you’ll then do a pick up/haul/set down cast.
It gets your flies back in the water quicker, and helps alleviate any tangles if there are a lot of bushes and trees at your backcast.Â
What are some of your quick fly fishing tips you always use on the water? Let us know below!
If you are looking for a quick way to get out on the water and test out these tips yourself, check out Redington’s new Wrangler Kits! They all come “ready to fish†with rod, reel, line, and leader. Check them out HERE!
