It’s all about to happen. Finally I’ve found some big freerising Snakehead and some stumping Gourami. This is “summer” fishing in Malaysia. Early for the stumpers. Late for the freerisers. Nowadays nothing is predictable around here.

I’m writing this on Sunday night and I’m totally wasted (physically, I mean!!). Saturday nights is my long 5hrs indoor endurance ride and last night I finished with a pyramid. Which in cycling terms is exactly what it sounds like. So I feel good, even if I am a train-wreck today.

Details >

Forecast was for rain. The winter fish spawn but they sit tight to the bottom, and a fresh brings on the bite. I live in hope!

Nice day for driving. Watched a child's sport, then set off. Arrived with an hour of light left and hit the river. Holiday weekend, so there were people about. As is the way of the North Island of NZ and a popular fishery.

Details >

The River Dee didn't really play ball for Chris and Nick's visit to North Wales at the weekend.  Although the level was good and the weather was nice I had a slight sinking feeling when we turned up to the beat to see very little in the way of fly life and nothing rising.  I will admit that where we fished wasn't my first choice, as when we arrived there, another angler was making his way across the field to the river.  I didn't feel it was appropriate for the four of us to join him, even though it was quite a long beat, so we got back in the car and went elsewhere.  I probably need to confess it was my fault we were a little late; the previous evening was quite heavy on the red wine and this led on to competitive knot testing which continued until about 2am.  Thus when my alarm went in readiness for getting out of the house at 8am I ignored it in favour of another half hour or so of recovery time.  Nick and Chris were, of course, ready for the allotted time, but then had to wait for me to have a coffee etc.  

Details >

This week I thought I'd look at flatwings. Obviously this is more of a prototypical pattern than a specific dressing. But that's a good thing because it means you can mess around with them to suit your specific situatio

Details >

So I was thinking about writing something about the myth busting presentation that will happen at FFI today. Like how some people think that a bent string can transfer force without a pulley.

Details >

I visited the North Platte River in Wyoming this past week for four days. It was a repeat of my adventure last year, traveling with my cousin‘s husband, Hunter. The Platte begins a wild freestone in it its upper reaches, descending into stairstep tailwaters. There are series of 5 dams, creating sections of differing character. I guess it’s a bit of a theme park in a way but scale obscures that. I recently saw some content dissing the river, lowering my expectations this year, but the fishing was varied, always amusing and at times excellent. I caught fish throwing streamers at the banks, casting hoppers to seams, and ants and emergers to steady risers. And of course spent some time floating nymphs under bobbers when arm-weary and to keep the skunks away. Also wading on a flat in a meadow, amidst fish showing backs and tails. They’d eat and move randomly.  I found satisfying success casting a tiny beadhead baetis one foot upstream and starting a slow retrieve. I felt like Ernie Schweibert. 

Details >