Interested in a fly swap????

Anyone interested in swapping a couple of flies can send me an email here. I love getting flies from around the world. I have some from my buddy Simon in Finland, some from South Africa, Denmark, Canada and many states in the US. These flies are never fished but find a home in my fly tying area.

Cool weather photos

Took these the other day on the way home.

Tuesday night

Water looked clear, wind was nothing and the yellow fly was rigged.

Had a couple of follow ups, but couldn't get a hook into anything.

Another night out

After the rain the last two days I figured the fish would be out, but I had a couple of hours to kill. Got a couple good strikes but no hook ups. Got a take on the Blue Bayou and the Orange Sherbert. A guy next to me throwing crank baits hit one small pike about three pounds.

Crease flies

These crease flies and simple poppers are 90% of my top water fishing. Over the years teh fish have proven that they are more interested in the sound and action than details of the top water lures. I agree....

Big Pike Alert....WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP

It has been a brutally frustrating spring with my local rivers going up and down every week and the fishing has been terrible. Things are changing.....
I was fishing the back waters of a local river tonight. After casting out the area with a big orange streamer I switched to a green crease fly to target all the smaller large mouth bass I was seeing. WOOSH. A big fish mad a swipe at the crease fly and covered it in a wash. I made about three more casts with nothing else to show for it. Then....slam. Something big exploded on the crease fly and blasted for deep water. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...It ripped about 50 of backing off like nothing and refused to give ground. After about ten minutes of gaining and then loosing line I finally started gaining line. Looking back I probably doomed myself by being in too much of a hurray and not letting the fish tire. I got the line almost to the rod and raised the rod to bring him to the bank. A nice monster pike probably;y close to 15 pounds. As I tried to beach him, she made one more dash for deep water and the fly came unbuttoned. I sat back on the bank crushed @@@$E#*U*^$ %%#%&QT#*&Q and a few more interesting words came fomr my mouth.
Tomorrow night we go back for revenge.

Florida pictures

BALDY- This was an older and most likely nicer Hulk Hogan looking gentleman. He fished most days by the pier and we shared some nice conversations on salt. I good addition to the salty angler, you won't find a nicer person anywhere.

View of the salt from my condo steps.

View of the pier from my condo steps.

Well- this is it boys. The only busting bait I saw all week were on the end of this pier. LADYFISH. Once you waded waste deep, it was still a full line (90 feet) to the end of the pier. This still put you about ten feet short. I picked up a few lady fish on the odd runs that headed them towards the beach. It was a frustrating week of little fish.
I talked to some local fushermena bout the SNOOK. Florida had a horrible snook kill months back, due to the coldest winter on records in decades. I saw pictures of thousands of dead snook washed up on the docks and beaches this winter. Many guys told me that last year you could see thousands of snook in a weeks time cruising these beaches. THOUSANDS. I might have seen dozens and they had no interest in flies.
It was actually my 15th weeding anniversary trip and I got to take the fly rod cause my wife is awesome. The week held some great points. I had a Manatee come with in a few feet by the peir. I fished to a two foot sand shark that was blasting some bait. Saw dolphins. Chased big crabs in the surf. Did some body surfing.
Even with the bad fishing I would go back again. Waste deep in crystal clear water with a fly rod can only be a good time.