In this week’s “How to Tie†video feature, Marcelo Morales with Fly Dreamers ties a fantastic baitfish pattern for the Amazon and other predatory fishing situations alike, the Amazon Sardine.
Learn About This Fly:
Difficulty: Intermediate
When it comes to fly fishing, there is no doubt that come of the best takes come from aggressive predatory fish. In the Amazon, species such as the Golden Dorado and Peacock Bass have gained the reputation as some of the most ferocious to target on fly. Whether fishing in gin clear water or muddy rivers, these predators will devour flies with aggression that break trout anglers hearts. The Amazon Sardine is a pattern that can be adapted to imitate a variety of baitfish, and one that every angler should carry with them when targeting aggressive fish.
This is a fly that will come easy for intermediate skilled tyers, but not impossible for novices. The E-Z body tubing head is the most difficult part of the tying process and should be done carefully regardless of skill. Changing colors of the body and back on the Amazon Sardine will allow you to imitate the specific baitfish species in the waters you plan to fish.
With Striped bass heading north, this is a pattern I will be tying to imitate several baitfish they feed on. Adapting patterns to fit your fishing needs is both effective and a great way to better your skills on the vise. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try new ways to trick your own favorite predatory species. The Amazon Sardine can be modified to target species in South America and nearly every area on our planet, and should certainly be in every anglers streamer box.
Next up in the 2023 F3T Behind the Lens series is an action packed film exploring the world-class saltwater fly fishing opportunities of Jardines de la Reina, a remote archipelago located off the southern coast of Cuba. Sabalo was produced by our friend, Helmut Zanderer of Flyfish Adventures. He’s known for high-stoke films with impressive camera work and intense visuals – this film is no deviation. Follow along as we discuss the big three: permit, tarpon & bonefish, camera gear, fishing tackle, and some off-the-wall topics such as the art of drone smuggling. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
FLYLORDS: What is unique about the environment of Cuba?
HELMUT: Cuba is one of the last places where you will find protected areas of this magnitude. Avalon also has to be given credit for keeping the number of rods and boats within reasonable limits. No one is there, just us fly fishermen, so no boat traffic and absolute silence.
Navigating through mangrove islands.
FLYLORDS: What was your favorite part about filming “Sabalo?â€
HELMUT: Tarpon fishing is action. Not only for the angler but also for the cameraman. We fish exclusively on the flats. The tarpon schools are very visible and easy to film with the drone. We fish with a floating line and the tarpon catches the fly almost on the surface. So we were able to film the bite. And then after the bite – tarpon are usually more in the air than in the water at the beginning. So really good material for a good film.
A tarpon coming unbuttoned in style.
FLYLORDS: What was the most challenging part of filming this piece?
HELMUT: Smuggling the drone into Cuba 🙂 We had 2 drones, one was taken at customs and one came through. We also wanted to have a permit in the film because Jardines de la Reina is also great for permit fishing. Finally, we caught one.
Permit (Trachinotus falcatus)
FLYLORDS: The shots in this film are refreshing, cinematic, and downright badass. What kind of camera setup were you using?
HELMUT: We used Sony Equipment. Sony Alpha FX3 and Sony Alpha 1 with 3 different lenses. The Drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Cine.
Hunting on the flats.
FLYLORDS: Of the three species highlighted in this film – permit, bonefish, and tarpon – which is your favorite to target and why?
HELMUT: I generally have a great passion to fish for predators. I love the aggression and the part of the game until a fish sucks the fly. And finally the power and speed in the action. But of course, I’m happiest when I outsmart a permit. This is probably because it is the most difficult fish to catch on the flats.
Home base: the mothership.
FLYLORDS: Describe the tackle you were using – rod weight, line type, leader weight, fly patterns?
HELMUT: I use custom made fly rods. The rod blanks are made in New Zealand – CTS.
For tarpon I fish a 12 weight for big migratory fish. And a 10 weight if I fish for smaller residence tarpons and baby tarpons in the mangroves. My favorite fly lines are floation and floation/intermediate from Cortland. I use 40lbs to 80lbs for tarpon fluorocarbon.
Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)
My favorite fly patterns are hollow semper streamers made 100% from bucktail. I fish these flies all over the world and use them for any predator. Just I make a difference in the length and colour. For Tarpon I fish this hollow semper flies from 4 to 7 inch length. My favorite fly for permit is the Flexo Crab in colour tan or white.
A pelican perched on wooden structure.
FLYLORDS: As the Culinary Editor at Flylords, I’m always interested in learning about the role fishing plays in food culture around the world. What species, if any, are commonly consumed in Cuba? Did you enjoy any particularly memorable meals during the trip?
HELMUT: Cuba is a very poor country and the food supply is really limited to the basic foodstuffs. I love good food myself. Â When I’m on the ship in Cuba, we really eat very healthy and very high quality. Because we always have fresh fish, fresh shrimp and lobster. We eat what we catch and you can collect lobster yourself in the shallow water. We always catch grouper, snapper, jack crevalle as by-catch. There is always fresh salad and fruit and as a side dish there is rice and potatoes and vegetables. The fish and chicken are usually prepared on the charcoal grill. So for the options that are available, it’s the top food.
Freshly caught lobster and snapper cooking over an oceanside fire.
FLYLORDS: What was the best, worst, or weirdest moment of the trip? Take your pick.
HELMUT: There wasn’t a bad moment. What we have noticed is that Covid has really brought Cuba down even further and poverty has increased. In Havana you noticed people begging, we haven’t seen that in recent years.
Hanging with the locals.
FLYLORDS: What is the overarching message you hope viewers take home after watching this film?
HELMUT: Fly fishing and traveling is the most important thing in my life next to my family. For me, it is always a connection with nature and creates so many friendships. I want to show people that we still really have some untouched protected areas where nature and the abundance of fish are still almost untouched. Hopefully, that will stay with us.
A beautiful Cuban island surrounded by prestine sand flats.
FLYLORDS: What can we expect next from you? Any film ideas or adventures in the pipeline?
HELMUT: The schedule is full…
I am planning 4 more different travel destinations in the Amazon this year. We will definitely combine those 4 adventures to make an “Amazon†film. For spring 2024 we are filming 3 weeks on the outer island Seychelles on Providence and Cosmoledo. In Autumn 2024 we will be filming in Tanzania and going on a tigerfish expedition.
Helmut with a nice poon!
Special thanks to Helmut Zaderer for taking the time for an interview. Be sure to follow along for more content at Flyfish Adventures. Stay tuned for more iterations of the Fly Fishing Film Tour, F3T Behind the Lens series by clicking here.Â
There’s always one more way to throw a fly, and that’s your way. Redington’s all-new Wrangler Kit comes equipped to kick start your fly fishing journey. Rope and lasso your way to fly fishing success no matter the target. From roaming your local rivers and creeks for trout, puttin’ a bamboozle on backyard panfish—to claiming wild salmon on the Alaskan frontier—the Wrangler brings the fish fighting fun.
The Wrangler Kits are for anglers looking to expand their species or find their next fly fishing fixation. Each size of rod is designed to target a specific application or species to take the hassle out of trying to piece together the right kit. Even though it comes in a kit, don’t let it fool you, these are serious rigs ready to go on any adventure straight out of the box. A simple design and colorway makes for a sleek rod. The Wrangler brings all the “Redington vibes,†with a fun, yet eye catching screen print—resembling a graphic you’d see on an off-road vehicle in the 70’s. The kit’s application and weight is also printed on the reel seat for quick identification when stacked in a pile of rods in your car, or on the bank.
Get ready to shoot your shot with six different sizes: The Pond (4wt), Trout (5wt), Trout XL (6wt), Bass (7wt), Salmon (8wt), or Saltwater (8wt). Each kit includes the durable Crosswater reel, sturdy dacron backing, RIO Mainstream fly line, and RIO tapered leader. These 4-piece rods offer flexibility for the angler on the go, while complete outfits deliver everything you need to get on the water—just add flies. Add your fly of choice and allow the Wrangler Kit to be your trusted adventure partner throughout your fly fishing journey.
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Scotty Sherin, Brand Ambassador
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Mitchy Duesling, Brand AmbassadorÂ
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At Redington it’s about experiencing the sport of fly fishing through a non-traditional lens and engaging anglers and non-anglers alike. It’s with this in mind that we create our product lines. Redington designs fly fishing gear for adventure. Exploring the past, present and future of the sport—redefining how it could be better, more accessible, and intuitive. We visualize everyone’s needs when exploring designs to bring quality performance products that are approachable on all sides of the equation, from aesthetics to price.
Win a trip to fish for Sea Run Brown Trout at Battle Hill Lodge on the southeast coast of Iceland with Fish Partner – PLUS a grand prize package from RepYourWater, Lamson Reels, Douglas Fly Rods, Fly Lords, Sea Run Cases, Umpqua Feather Merchants, and Airflo lines! The total grand prize value is worth over $11,000.00 USD.
“We have beach tarpon available a few months a year. Most of the time, their movements and feedings (on pogeys and glass minnows most commonly) are a hundred yards or more from shore. They’ll less frequently be much closer and potentially accessible by fly from the sand, especially during the early fall mullet run.
It wasn’t mullet, menhaden, or glass minnows in this case. Big schools of approximately 2″ long, bright silver fish appeared in the surf for a few days. I’d never seen them before, but some people I consider knowledgeable thought they were a type of anchovy. Whatever they were, the tarpon were gorging themselves, and a lot of it was happening close in with the bait trapped against the sand and breakers.
I was missing a lot of the action due to work, but I had just gotten home, and this fish was showering the bait close in, and the wind and surf weren’t too bad. A couple of smaller fish were working the outer edge, but this big one was in the middle and really shallow.
Trying to match the hatch doesn’t payoff when they’re keyed in on something specific; this was about a 4″ long fly on a 2/0 saltwater hook. I can’t remember the exact color scheme, but it had at least some chartreuse.
I was standing in knee-deep water, and the fish swam right by me a couple of times, cutting a wide swath in the bait school and then periodically surging forward and upward to grab a bite. I couldn’t always see the fish; however, I did my best to predict its location and keep the fly in front of it, which was pretty hard with the line getting washed around. This lasted for about 10 minutes until the fish saw and totally wrecked the fly. The take was a little towards me, but the fish turned its head away as it fell back in the water, which helped with the hook set.
The rest is pretty typical. The fish went ballistic and made a long run into my backing, jumping a few times on the way. I turned it and it did a couple big head shakes out of the water and threw the fly. Probably 45 seconds total. There were a lot of comments that the fish was uncatchable. It was but it just didn’t happen and I was totally fine with it. The best had already happened. You know the saying, “That’s tarpon fishing.â€
This week’s Reel of the Week segment is from John Agles. Be sure to follow John’s fishing adventures on Instagram at @flyfishinrad.Â
For Anglers along the Atlantic Coast, striped bass are one of the most important fish species. You can catch them in so many different ways and in so many different places. Unlike many species you do not need a boat to catch stripers, they are accessible from shore or paddle board making them an “everyone’s fishâ€. However, they are once again in trouble, and so are the communities, anglers, and businesses that depend on a healthy, abundant striped bass population.Â
My entire livelihood is based off if there are fish in the water. If there are no fish, I do not have a business. It is as simple as that. It is not only myself or other guides who are in trouble, it is an entire economy. People that come and fish for stripers are staying in hotels, going out to drinks, dinner, spending money in our local economies. If they stop coming, so does that income that our island of Martha’s Vineyard relies on. Striped bass need to be protected not only our economy, but for a healthy, diverse fishery. The American Saltwater Guides Association, which I’m a proud supporter of, has been at the forefront of improving striped bass management and conservation and is now calling on the community to help striped bass.
In 2022, striped bass recreational harvests increased substantially because of a prolific year-class entering the slot limit (thus subject to increased harvest pressures). This harvest, which nearly doubled from 2021, completely disrupted the odds of successfully rebuilding the striper population by 2029, which the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is required to do. We must rebuild this stock and do it quickly, because recent recruitment has been historically poor. Quite simply, we are exerting way too much harvest pressure on the last good year classes, have no new year-classes coming down the pipeline, and will not rebuild the stock unless action is taken by the ASMFC at its May meeting. So many businesses like mine and others depend on stripers for much of our seasons, and this uncertainty puts all of us that love and cherish striped bass at risk. I made the choice to become a guide and to dedicate my life and livelihood on the ocean. I want my daughter and the next generation to have that opportunity. Â
ASGA has developed an action page that goes into far more detail and has ways to help, but the writing is on the wall–striped bass are in deep, deep trouble. I know many anglers have experienced some good fishing in recent years, but it’s nothing like it once was nor could return to. [another opportunity for local/personal anecdotes] Also, that good fishing is partly the result of the strong 2015-year class, which we–collectively, anglers along the Atlantic Coast–are harvesting the heck out of. So much so, that the odds of rebuilding decreased by more than 80% to around 14% chances of success! This fish and those that depend on it deserve much better.
ASGA is calling on the ASMFC to initiate Addendum II to ensure that striped bass are rebuild by 2029. “Today, we believe that the striped bass fishery is at an inflection point: if action is not taken at the upcoming May meeting, the stock will not rebuild by 2029 and drastic measures may become warranted,” ASGA writes on its action page. The striped bass and fly fishing communities need to show support and tell the ASMFC to take the necessary steps to rebuild this iconic fishery for all! If you love fishing for striped bass and want to see this species rebuilt, please head on over to ASGA’s action page and sign on to their letter.
Abbie Schuster is a guide and business owner on Martha’s Vineyard, where striped bass are an essential fishery from May-November. Learn more about Abbie and Kismet Outfitters!
Ryan Mejaski and Joe Wilhite were fishing for kokanee on the Deschutes arm of Lake Billy Chinook when something wild happened. After spotting a group of small kokanee jumping into the air, the pair hopped to it and began fishing. Naturally, Ryan tossed his favorite lure into the mix, but instead of hooking kokanee, he felt his line come tight to something much larger than their target species.
What ensued after must have been chaotic, to say the least. As Ryan lightened his drag to make sure he didn’t lose the fish, the pair motored after it in hopes of getting it into the net.
After the large bull trout slipped into the net, the anglers weighed it on their fishing scale, and the fish maxed out at 25 lbs. Ryan and his partner both believe the fish was somewhere north of 30 lbs, at best guess. If their guess was correct, their fish would have likely beat both the Oregon State Record and the standing Bull Trout World Record, but neither angler knew this, so they made the smart decision to snap some photos and release the fish back into Lake Billy Chinook.
The angler had this to say about the catch, “I’m a little bummed out we didn’t keep it,’ Ryan Mejaski said, ‘but it was the right thing to do at the time.”
These days it seems less and less likely that you’ll know what takes your line in a lake, river, or stream. Drew Patrick caught his “once-in-a-lifetime” fish in Lake Hartwell. The fish in question: a South American Pacú (pictured below). The Pacú is native to the South American tropics, where they feed on just about anything they can fit in their mouths, from fruit to dry flies and other fish. South Carolina DNR believes that the fish found its way into the lake when its original owner decided to release it into Hartwell instead of attempting to rehome it.
Photo from Drew Patrick
We hope this catch serves as a reminder to NEVER release pet fish into your local waterways.
You can read about the catch and what South Carolina DNR is doing as a response, here!
In this week’s “How to Tie†video feature, Aardvark McLeod Fly Fishing ties a mayfly dry fly that every angler should have in their box this spring, the March Brown.
Learn About This Fly:
Difficulty: Easy
Spring temps have arrived and are driving those lethargic trout to look up. This time of year is a personal favorite of mine, as it brings opportunities that have been dormant all winter. Insects begin to find some life again, and those larger bugs become active as the water temperatures increase. The March Brown is a dry fly that every angler should have in their arsenal this spring when those sizeable mayflies start popping.
Compared to some dries that use posts, dubbing loops, and complicated techniques, this is a simple tie. For beginning tyers, the most difficult part will be proportions and making sure the feathers you use are not too long. Take your time when selecting the right hackles, as this will ensure your March Brown does not look like a spey fly. Tie a few different variations of this pattern and you’ll be sure to fool even the pickiest of trout.
Although meant to be fished as a dry, this pattern could imitate a submerged adult in the foam. For selectively feeding trout, this is a fantastic pattern tied with naturals that will land softly and imitate the real deal. The best guides in the world have the utmost confidence in naturals and for good reason, productivity. Fish the March Brown dry fly this spring and watch the magic unfold on the surface.
