We have partnered with 6 of our favorite flyfishing brands throughout the USA to bring you one incredible Summer Haul Giveaway. ONE lucky winner will take home the complete summer flyfishing package worth $2246 in total! This package comes with everything you need to get out on the water and wet wade with the best of them.
Yesterday, the controversial 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project was scrapped. The pipeline would have transported natural gas from West Virginia through Virginia ending in North Carolina. Executives at Duke Energy (North Carolina) and Dominion Energy (Virginia) cut their loses on the project, $3.4 billion, indicating the heightened regulatory and judicial uncertainty involving pipeline infrastructure projects.
The ACP would have had a harmful effect on dozens of native trout streams and quality habitats. The proposed path of the ACP crossed 40 native brook trout streams and posed to impact many more. “The project would have crossed steep mountainous terrain, fragmented valuable forests, polluted streams and rivers, and threatened vulnerable communities along a 600-mile path,” said the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia Executive Director Peggy Sanner.
Appalachian Brook Trout courtesy of Flylords’ Grant Michaels
Keith Curley, TU’s Vice President for Eastern Conservation, had this to say: “Given that ACP developers never put forward a construction plan that would protect the hundreds of sensitive wild trout streams in the pipeline’s path, we welcome the news that this project has been scrapped. We thank our many partners who worked so hard on this effort.”
While Duke and Dominion walking away from the project is a win for environmentalists and native Appalachian species, future infrastructure development in the region is still unclear. The same day Dominion announced its departure from the project, the company announced the sale of all its other pipelines and storage assets to Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway. If you know anything about Warren Buffet, you understand he rarely gets large investments wrong.
The Southern Environmental Law Center, in a press release, wrote: “This is a victory for all communities and natural areas in the path of the pipeline—countless farms, rugged national forests, thousands of rivers and streams, and historic African-American and Native American communities.”
Courtesy of the Southern Environmental Law Center
In other pipeline news, however, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the Dakota Access Pipeline to temporarily shutdown to give the US Army Corps of Engineers time to adequately correct environmental reviews–which were allegedly not up to par.
More than anything, these two pipeline developments highlight that the Executive Branch can not efficiently fast-track major energy infrastructure projects. Axios’ Amy Harder viewed the ACP’s demise in this fashion, “it also underscores hurdles facing big pipelines and other projects, despite White House efforts to speed up approvals and scale back environmental reviews.
To celebrate their move to the banks of the South Platte River in Denver, Trouts Fly Fishing recently commissioned the one and only Paul Puckett to paint the coolest mural we’ve ever seen on a fly shop. Featuring Brown Trout, Permit, Tarpon, and Carp, the piece celebrates the shop and its customer’s favorite fisheries. Check it out!
The Spey Cast, a casting technique originating in Scotland in the 1800s which is named after the river Spey. This just so happens to be one of Scotland’s highly rated salmon rivers. This intricate style of casting is best known for having little or no back cast. Essentially, this style is a more dynamic roll-cast giving anglers the ability to shoot and swing their flies in wide river systems. Typically when you think of Spey rods, you imagine long 11-22′ rods. Although these longer rods help, the Spey cast can be executed effectively with your typical 9′ 5 weight single-handed rod. There are many situations in which the Spey cast is deemed essential and is one that all anglers should apply to their bag of tricks. In this tips and tricks tutorial, Rio Brand Manager Simon Gawesworth demonstrates how to effectively Spey cast with a single-handed fly rod.
How to Perform the Single-Handed Spey Cast
To start, you need to learn how to roll cast correctly and effectively.
When loading your rod, bring your rod back further to create a larger D-Loop in your line which will allow you to shoot your line more effectively.
Make sure there is only a foot of fly line touching the water. This will avoid drag when shooting your line forward.
Three Key Takeaways:
Learn to roll-cast properly.
Have a larger D-Loop in your slack fly line.
Limit the amount of fly line touching the water.
Now that you have the Spey (switch) cast mastered, its time to hit the river! Tight Lines!
On this specific day, I had just gotten off of work and decided to hit the beach with my fly rod and my girlfriend. We got down to the sand and not even 100 ft away from all the sunbathers there was a giant pod of glass minnows. I knew it was game on so I stepped out into the water as the minnows swam through my legs. It was something a fly fisherman only dreams about and just like clockwork within minutes a pod of hungry tarpon came ripping thru the school thrashing and bashing baits, I had a few good shots at some silver but there was just to much bait to get ahead so I was unable to get an eat.
About 5 minutes, in the crystal clear water 6 ghostly shadows begin cruising right towards me and I knew it was game time. I took the fly and made a generous cast about 3 feet in front of them and watched it sink right before they were in range. I started stripping and the shadows dispersed and all of a sudden my line went tight. I gave it a couple of good strip sets to make sure she was hooked good and it was game on!
She took off down the beach peeling fly line thru my fingers, we battled she tail walked almost completely out of the water. After about 10 minutes I finally got the fish within 10 feet of me and noticed my fly line was under the gill plate and right then my rod snapped in 3 pieces so I grabbed the fly line and started pulling and by some miracle I was able to get the lip grab and after 3 years of persistence and getting skunked and broken off I finally did it a beautiful healthy snook in the surf.
Definitely the most rewarding moment of my fly fishing career to date and I’ve caught 100+lb tarpon but this catch was special all the days of walking miles in the heat finally paid off!!
The Striped Bass is one of the most versatile saltwater fish species. You can catch stripers along rocky shorelines, down deep, in chaotic blitzes, marshes, rivers, salt ponds, and my all-time favorite, sand flats!
All around the world, shallow sand flats are highly productive ecosystems. Crabs, shrimp, and many small baitfish feast upon the algae and marine invertebrates that take advantage of the shallow, sun-baked water. Some sportfish, notably Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, etc., have learned to take the risk of journeying into the shallow, unprotected water for the boundless food supply. Most anglers in the northeast have ignored the bare sand flats, due to the lack of structure that striped bass are known to love. This lack of interest and knowledge gives fly anglers a perfect opportunity to slide in and do what our sport allows us to do best, fool finicky fish in shallow water. Here are our tips and tricks to help you fly fish the Striped Bass flats.
The Gear:
When fishing the Bass flats, I recommend a 7,8, or 9wt rod, with either an intermediate or floating fly line. You can get away with a 7wt for schoolies (below 28”). Shots at 30”+ Stripers on the flats are fairly common, so an 8 or 9wt is the better tool. In all saltwater fly fishing, it is important to have a good large arbor reel with strong drag and plenty of backing, Stripers don’t mess around! I use an intermediate line for almost all of my striped bass fishing, so I would recommend those first, but you will always be running pretty close to the bottom of the flat and will hang up more than if you used a floating line. Long leaders are also necessary while flats fishing because the fish are so spooky. I’m not talking Colorado tailwater long, but a ten-foot leader down to 16-20lb fluoro gets the job done.
The Accessories:
The most important piece of gear for fishing any flat is polarized sunglasses. The majority of fishing you will be doing while on the flats is sight fishing. Striped Bass are pretty great at blending into the sandy bottom, so without polarized glasses, they can be nearly impossible to spot. The last two pieces of gear I would recommend are a waterproof backpack and some kind of water shoe. I saved these last two for the end because they aren’t necessities, but they are very useful. Since you will be wading all day, your only hope to keep your gear dry and salt-free is a waterproof bag. Although they can be quite expensive, they work amazingly well. I would be apprehensive about taking some select items, mainly my camera, on the flats without my waterproof pack. As far as footwear goes, I normally go barefoot, but more often than not I come home with a few battle wounds. If the bass are feeding on crabs, then crabs are around and if crabs are around, you are bound to step on a few. So, consider yourself warned.
A beautiful Striper on the flats! Photo: Joe Mangiafico
Fly Selection:
The main food sources on flats are crabs, shrimp, and small baitfish. When imitating crabs and shrimp, look to bonefish and permit flies. If you carry a few EP spawning shrimp in gray and tan and a few classic Merkin crabs, you will be covered on that front. Just remember, crab and shrimp flies are not efficient in covering water, so I only use them when I know I can routinely spot and stalk the Stripers or can drift the fly over a deep trough adjacent to the flat. The most predominant forage for flat-ridden Stripers are sand eels. These long, slender baitfish dart in and out of the sand and drive Stripers crazy. Classic Striper flies like Surf Candies, Clouser minnows, and Flatwings do a great job of mimicking sand eels. Look for those flies to be about 3-5 inches long and tied in either tan and white or olive and white. I know it can be hard to remember, but Striped Bass populations are in trouble, so do your best to bend down your barbs and keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
Getting bent on the flats! Photo: Ben Scott @tashmooflats
Tactics:
Every flat is different, so each one has its own set of characteristics that you need to learn to be routinely successful. A lot of Striper flats are near the mouths of estuaries, which are loaded with bait. On an outgoing tide, all of that bait gets flushed out of the estuary on to and around the flat, and you best believe the fish are there waiting. Also, at the beginning of an incoming tide, as the water starts to push up on to the previously dry flat, the stripers are not far behind, staging in the deeper water outside the flat, waiting for there to be enough water to begin feeding. Either way, make sure you know what the tide is doing and don’t be too daring with your wading, because the last thing you want is to be stranded out on a sandbar. As for fly presentation, the best advice I can give is to watch how the crabs, shrimp, or sand eels move. Crabs and shrimp don’t move very fast, so keep your strips short and controlled. When fishing baitfish flies, change up your retrieve speeds until you find something that works. I always start with a medium-fast retrieve and work down from that. When you are wading the flats, you need to be stealthy. The fish aren’t comfortable in the shallow water, so walk and cast gently. According to a friend of mine, flats Bass can at times be as hard to fool as Permit (which he’s caught), so don’t get discouraged, you didn’t get into fly fishing to catch every fish, it’s the challenge that keeps us going!
A satellite view of a New England flat
So, with all of that said, feel free to reach out if you have any questions and get out on the water!
Welcome to the Staying Afloat Series, where we take an inside look into the lives of many different fly fishing guides, shops, brands, and lodges across the world in hopes of finding out how the COVID is affecting them, what they are doing to help, and how we can do our part to help them.
This week we had the chance to sit down with Kyle Schaefer, a fly-fishing guide, entrepreneur, conservationist, and owner of Soul Fly Outfitters based in Kittery, Maine. Kyle has devoted himself to the fly-fishing industry and lifestyle, and gave a few hours of his time to tell us all about this, as well as how during the COVID-19 pandemic he managed to Stay Afloat.
Flylords: How did COVID impact you and your business?
Kyle: I landed back in the US after a winter abroad just before the travel ban was set in place. I was very thankful to reenter the country and get home to family and friends but a brand new reality was settling in for us all. I had the best fall and winter of bookings I’ve ever had but right around mid-March calls, emails and texts completely halted. Fast forward to today, Maine is allowing guiding and we are moving through a phased reopening of the economy. I am restricted to fish only with clients that are Maine residents or that have quarantined in Maine for 14 days or more. If I fish two people on my skiff, they have to be from the same household.
I certainly understand and respect these requirements but 90% of my clientele comes from out of state and a number of people fly to Maine just to catch striped bass on the fly with me. I am working hard to build a full schedule of clients that meet these new requirements but there’s going to be some serious holes in my calendar this season. An April and May in the Bahamas hosting trips was canceled but I am thankful to be looking at future dates to reschedule.
Flylords: What have you been doing with all the spare time?
Kyle: I am an optimist so I’ve stayed positive through these challenging times. I’ve slowed down and tried to enjoy this valuable time with my family. I’ve learned to tie new flies, got in a workout routine, got out of a workout routine, put more time into cooking than I typically would and take daily walks with my almost 14 year old Australian Shepherd. I’ve used this time to look at my business and analyze how I can be better, not just as a guide but as a citizen of this world. We’ve got big issues right now like climate change and a striped bass stock at a 27 year low. Being a guide gives me a unique opportunity to have a voice on these issues backed by impactful daily observations.
Flylords: Are you getting clients back on the water soon?
Kyle: YES! My guide season kicked off the first week of June and it felt damn good. I’m rebuilding with Maine clients and meeting some great new people. Being on the boat brings a sense of normalcy that I’ve been longing for. I have a specific set of protocols in place to help me and my clients feel safe while getting after it on the water.
Flylords: What made you decide to guide for striped bass?
Kyle: For me, striped bass are my ultimate home water fish. I was born on Cape Cod where striped bass summer, grew up on the Chesapeake Bay where the majority of the striped bass population spawns and I’m now lucky to live on the southern coast of Maine. Striped bass flock to the beaches, rocks and estuaries of Maine where we get resident fish from May to October. This is my home water and there is nothing more satisfying to me than getting to know a specific fishery on an intimate level. I tell my clients that one of the reasons I love striped bass is because you can fish for them however you want to. Stripers are versatile and opportunistic and can be just as much fun catching one in a foot of water on a mud flat as they can be blind casting to beautiful rocky structure on the coast.
Flylords: How did your passion of conservation come about? How does it affect
how you operate as a guide?
Kyle: We are at a crossroads where if we don’t rise up and fight for our natural resources they are going to slip away. I feel as a guide and somebody who profits from this exceptional resource fighting for conservation is my duty. It’s never been a choice of whether or not to fight for these fish. It goes hand in hand with operating a business and being a recreational angler who enjoys this precious resource.
Flylords: Tell us about your season in Argentina and guiding/traveling around
the world!
Kyle: As my experience in different fisheries increases, the more I feel comfortable in foreign waters facing foreign fish. I love how so many of the skills are transferable and prepare you for your next shot. Argentina was amazing. Golden dorado fully exceeded my expectations. These fish eat mice off the surface in shallow water in broad daylight; need I say more? The Bahamas have become one of my favorite places in the world and I look forward to bringing clients back there this fall, winter and spring.
Flylords: Where is Kyle Schaefer’s next adventure?
Kyle: During these COVID times, it puts a spotlight on the adventures right in my own backyard. Sight fishing for big stripers and my first Maine blue fin tuna on the fly are the adventures filling my mind over the next few months. New England is a special place this time of year. I look forward to resuming more international travel as risk decreases, but I am more conscious than ever about my carbon footprint and the impact that we have as travelers on the environment. I look forward to sharing more on that soon as it relates to my business.
Imagine a fish so big that some call it the elephant of the river. Imagine it inhabited the waters of 1/4 of the African continent in vast numbers. Now imagine, that largely unseen to the developed world, a wave of humanity has reduced all the rivers and surrounding landscapes to skeletal remains. El Capitaine takes viewers to the remote rivers of Cameroon as these anglers target Nile Perch. We caught up with Johann Vorster (Vossie), the filmmaker behind this film.
Flylords: What inspired the film?
Vossie: The idea of exploring a new place in wild Africa with friends. I have collaborated with the guys from African Waters before, on a short called “Dogs of War” in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. When talks were going round of an exploratory trip to Cameroon in West Africa, I got really excited. I’ve spent allot time in Southern and Eastern Africa, so the west was all new to me. From the pictures that we’ve seen and the stories we had heard, it all sounded really exciting.
Flylords: Can you tell us a little bit about Cameroon? Did you feel safe at all times?
Vossie: Like most African countries, Cameroon is not very different. Though far from the developed world. It’s still rural, it’s still very much wild. Perfect for an adventure. The deeper you go the wilder it gets. Endless dust, the odd shade tree, and small grass and mud hut villages. When you reach the concessions, that all changes to the thick dry bush in the wintertime and you start seeing animals. Some animals I saw for the first time, like the Western Kob antelope and Red River Hog. We don’t get these in our parts of the world in South Africa. The guides from African Waters are extremely knowledgable about the bush and bushcraft and opens your nerves to new discovery. We were also fortunate to have Edward Truter as part of the team who spoke Francophone French and could translate with the locals. You are always in a big group, and whilst walking through the bush, or next to the river, it was always exciting to see new birds, the animals, crocodiles, hippos, elephants. Your very own safari, whilst fishing for giant perch. It was raw and wonderful.
Flylords: How big was the last fish Edward landed?
Vossie: What a night. It was 162cm FL, 113cm girth, 162lbs. Read more about Ed’s amazing fish on the African Waters Blog here.
Flylords: Are these kinds of trips commercially available for anglers to book?
Vossie: Yes, the African Waters team, who are responsible for the initial exploratory trips have been running commercial fly fishing trips to the Faro River since 2019. Commercial is a misnomer, as the season is short (mid-January to mid-April each year), and is limited to 2 trips per month, with a max of 4 rods per trip. This is in line with their strict fishery management protocols and ensuring as little impact on the fishery as possible. It is a fly fishing only operation, led by their team of expert guides, local trackers and game scouts. It is a true wilderness fly fishing experience, on foot in big game territory. Although Nile perch are a huge drawcard, the sight fishing to 3 species of tigerfish up to 20lbs, and yellowfish up to 15lbs is a world-class experience in its own right. You set off each day armed with a 5, 9, and 12 weight. In terms of a true multi-species African land-based destination, the Faro offers it all. Anyone interested in finding out more should contact keith@africanwaters.net or take a look at Gassa Camp.
Flylords: What can viewers do to support this fishery from a conservation standpoint?
Vossie: As it stands, the best option is to go fly fishing. African Waters’ fly fishing operations support a full-time team of anti-poaching staff who’s responsibility is to monitor, report, and curb any illegal activity on the river, both in the private concession and the neighboring Faro National Park – this is predominantly subsistence gold mining, meat poaching, and fish poaching. The fly fishing camps provide added employment to local villages in all day to day camp rolls – cooks, cleaners, game scouts, etc. For some insight on how fly fishing is contributing to the conservation of the area, read this report from AW senior guide, Greg Ghaui. The combined teams of African Waters, Occidental Safaris and Xavier Vannier are in the process of setting up an NGO to raise funds for and facilitate conservation and community projects in this specific area, and the greater Faro catchment. This will soon be an avenue to further contribute to the protection of this incredible place.
Be sure to check out Johann Vorster (Vossie) on Vimeo and on Instagram.
Credit: Department of Marine Resources, State of Maine
A collective of Norwegian salmon farmers has partnered with IBM and technology provider Atea ASA to gather data on how salmon is bred, stored, and shipped. The new initiative will use Blockchain technology to ensure only ethically produced and healthy salmon make it to your plate.
According to Bloomberg this move “will help Norway’s suppliers differentiate their premium products from other exporters, curb origin fraud, and cut waste.”
“Blockchain lets us share the fish’s journey from the ocean to the dinner table,” said Alf-Goran Knutsen, chief executive officer of Kvaroy Arctic, a supplier that’s part of the initiative. “This is now more timely than ever.”
MANCHESTER, Vt. (July 1, 2020) — Orvis introduces a new weekly summer camp platform offering lessons and activities for kids of all ages who are homebound by the COVID-19 pandemic. Orvis Summer Kids’ Camp seeks to highlight outdoor skills and engage kids in their local ecosystems with topics covering navigation, wildlife, fly fishing, dog training, and conservation.
Beginning today, Orvis Summer Kids’ Camp will release a free weekly curriculum that challenges kids of all ages to explore their local environments. The six-part series will feature videos, skill sessions, and plans for adventure-driven activities that families can do at home, or close to home.
“Education and a love for the outdoors have been at the core of our brand for over 160 years,” says Orvis President Simon Perkins. “At a time when families are spending a lot of time at home, and many summer camps are canceled, we want to provide resources to encourage kids to get outside and explore their local environments. We hope that Orvis Kids’ Summer Camp will help to facilitate a lifelong relationship with the natural world and inspire the next generation of conservationists.”
Additionally, Orvis is committed to sharing educational opportunities for all ages, offering virtual education options in addition to Orvis Summer Kids’ Camp, including fly-tying workshops and fly fishing how-to videos. Orvis’s full collection of video content is available on The Orvis Company YouTube channel, here.
Moreover, Orvis began offering Virtual Casting Instruction in May, providing individualized feedback on casting and technique through video analysis and one-on-one discussion with an instructor from the Orvis Fly Fishing Schools. For more information on virtual instruction opportunities, visit https://www.orvis.com/fly-fishing-schools.
About The Orvis Company: Founded in 1856, we believe the most meaningful experiences are created by sharing the love of nature and being inspired by its endless possibilities. Orvis pioneered the mail order industry in the United States, operates more than 80 retail stores in the U.S and the U.K. and maintains a network of over 400 dealers worldwide as a trusted source of discovery and adventure in the natural world. We promise to open the door to extraordinary outdoor experiences and to protect nature by committing 5% of our pretax profits each year to conservation efforts worldwide.
