Bernd Ziesche - Wednesday, May 31, 2017
We changed our hosted fly fishing trip to the Swedish river Mörrum two days before the trip and went to Skjern river in Denmark instead. Great decision as our guest Frank proved today with a 108cm Chromer!
Gary Meyer - Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Our fly-fishing equipment extends well beyond fly rods and fly reels. Every item we use is for a reason and involves a choice. Rods, reels, lines, leaders, flies. Waders, boots, shirts, hats. Nippers, floatant, shot, hooks, dubbing. The lists go on almost endlessly. It all comes down to choices. Some folks will refuse to admit marketing drives their choices, but it happens. Here in South Florida the latest trendy angling item is the over-built beer cooler. If you don’t have a Yeti brand, well then you have something else, and therefor you do not have “the best”… according to the advertisements. Its is amazing how much money some people will spend to better preserve the daily $1 bag of ice.
Paul Arden - Monday, May 29, 2017
I thought I'd keep you up to date with the Giant Gourami particularly since I haven't fished for them at this time of year before. Just prior to my Indonesian visit Ashly and I experienced a great fall of Termites where a pattern that I had hastily tied in the boat proved successful, catching me one fish on dark. It was a variation of something Irhamy had tied for me a couple of years ago, but simplified and with big black spent CDC wings. Back from Indonesia while fishing for Jungle Perch I noticed a Gourami on the surface feeding. The Termite still attached I threw and the gourami was caught. So far two fish and no refusals. Very unusual for Gourami!
Daniela Misteli - Sunday, May 28, 2017
Yeah, finally the pike and perch fishing has started. Last week, I had a short while at the lake of Zurich because my husband had to give some fishing course. In that rainy morning i got my first perch of that season and a week later finally the first pike opened that season as well.
Viking Lars - Saturday, May 27, 2017
In Scandinavia, long-winged salmon flies are the norm - presumeably dating back to the famed Sunray Shadow by Brooks, invented along the banks of Lærdal River in Norway sometimes in the 1950ies.
t.z. - Friday, May 26, 2017
I´m a bit in hurry packing for week long trip to Sweden. I will be visiting a good friend and work a little bit here and give sound design & measurement class and than I am off to drift. I have not made plans. I just go by the weather. I´ll be traveling by Motorcycle - I got myself a off road worthy BMW so I can reach spots off the beaten tracks more easily. So not much of a FP today folks. Sorry. However, here´s some old stuff which might be new to some - you all know you need a Sexyloops cap. Here´s a litte “trick” to collect flies on the brim without destroying the hat to quickly
Tracy&James - Thursday, May 25, 2017
On Sunday Tracy and I attended the BFCC casting day in Willesborough, near Ashford, Kent. This event saw the introduction of the 55g Salmon overhead discipline, with identical rules to those in the world championships – i.e. maximum rod length 15ft with a floating line that weighs no more than 55g. We were grateful that both Steve Parkes and Brian Szukala turned up with outfits and were willing to let others use them.
Bernd Ziesche - Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Most fly fishermen plan their fly fishing trips well ahead - often in the beginning of the year. Once a trip is set up it often seems to me that no matter how the fishing conditions may be the trip HAS to take place as planned!?
Gary Meyer - Tuesday, May 23, 2017
I haven’t been fishing for a while. Although the Keys tarpon migration is in full swing I’ve kept myself otherwise occupied. The early phase of the local saltwater flats tarpon fly-fishing isn’t something I cherish. Rather, I see it as an evil thing, and one that I can definitely avoid for the while, and let the mania subside. What has been keeping me busy is at the other end of the fly fishing spectrum, an area I haven’t revisited most of my adult life.
Paul Arden - Monday, May 22, 2017
Today we're launching a great new Sexyloops product - a camouflaged micro-fibre fishing shirt. Great for stealth wear, underwear, outerwear and also looks good for just hanging around during hot dates with your mother. As you can see the Invisibility Shirt features a Jungle Mahseer (Kelah in Malay - I mention this because there are Mahseer luring me deeper into the jungle where the tigers live and it's a very special fish that looks just damned sexy being on everyone's bucket list!) The plan is every few months to change the fish and sometimes the background but because this shirt is ready to go we're releasing it first... :)
Matt Klara - Sunday, May 21, 2017
A practical, quick, and easy pattern for summer steelhead.
Viking Lars - Saturday, May 20, 2017
I often get asked by flyfishers, who travel to Denmark, which flies to tie. And there are a great many to choose from, of course. My own favourite for many, many years has been (and still is) my variant of the Black & Silver.
t.z. - Friday, May 19, 2017
Throw back Friday ... I am warming up an article from 2015. I thought about this pattern for various reasons. A - I got rather big order for them from the US, B - I had made short video which seemed to have motivated some to give tying that fly a try. C Paul, now after several decades tying has also heard about the whip finish under the parachute wing ... and D (as the is no 4 on Sexyloops) - the area of the River Glomma in Norway - the part where Hans van Klinken supposedly "invented" the pattern - is under serious threat. They are planning to build a power plant there. I am furious. When does this shit stop? The orange buffoon is not alone. The enemies of nature are everywhere ... and most of them wear suits and red ties. - So tie some flies and go fishing. Pay your license fees to support the fisheries. March against the madness. Get involved.
Tracy&James - Thursday, May 18, 2017
I hope Peter Morse doesn’t mind, but I thought I’d borrow a Facebook posting of his to discuss here. Peter highlighted a problem with sharks around some prime sports fishing locations in Australia and suggested that perhaps, due to their numbers being out of hand, they should be subject to a cull. Facebook being Facebook, this comment prompted a highly emotive and polarised response ranging from “fin them all” through to “it’s the human population that needs culling”!
Paul Arden - Wednesday, May 17, 2017
A bit of a late Front Page this one, filling in for Bernd today who's busy teaching and fishing since 5am! I've just driven up from Kuala Lumper (which I've discovered means "Muddy Confluence" in Malay) and Ashly and I are staying in Grik tonight - tomorrow it's back aboard the "Rocket Condom" - so called because a) it looks like a condom when it's raining - as aptly named by Lars - and b) it has a max speed of 40.5km/hr now it has a 30HP on the back and not a pussy 15! You really need to hang on to your shorts, hat and everything else that might fly overboard!
Gary Meyer - Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Its that time of year when the saltwater South Florida fly angler’s fancy turns to the poon (that’s code for big tarpon). There is plenty of chatter as to where they are, which way they are heading, water conditions, and which is the fly du jour. Its all kind of mystical and exciting, but for the casting instructor there arises a whole ‘nother set of challenges.
Paul Arden - Monday, May 15, 2017
It's been a great week in Indonesia catching up with fishing friends from here, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Borneo, Macau and Australia and making new ones from all these places as well as China and Mongolia. 11 new instructors were made as well so a very successful event. And I got to teach about Snakehead and Giant Gourami as well as distance casting. A great well organised show with excellent facilities.
Daniela Misteli - Sunday, May 14, 2017
As I already wrote here I was spending a lot of time behind the vise in wintertime. I was taking part of 3 flytying contest, one in Austria and two in Germany. It looked a lot of time and material to tie 5 streamers fitting in the rules of the contest. The rules were always the same but still all different; tying the streamer two times, using only hook size 6 or tying two streamer in different sizes. It was a nice challenge and a awesome result, i was winning 3 times in the category streamer! How cool was that!!!
Viking Lars - Saturday, May 13, 2017
Not a big fly rod - as in the rod's big, but a rod for big flies. When it comes to casting big, wind resistant flies, two factors matter more than others, and that's line weight and front taper. If you have the right line, all that's left is finding a rod that suits you.
t.z. - Friday, May 12, 2017
Being able to see a dry fly (or any other fly for that matter) increases catch rate. … do you agree? Great. The fish do agree too. Trout in running water might choose predominately by visual triggers. Some say smell does play a role too, but that I am not so sure of as flies aren´t scented. Maybe the smell argument can be proven in negative experiment? Who knows. Very difficult this. Anyway, I wash my hands before tying flies and make sure my hands are free of funny stuff like ash from the campfire, sunscreen or insect repellant. Insect repellant can seriously harm your fly-line too … so it makes sense to have clean hands when handling flies and lures.
Tracy&James - Thursday, May 11, 2017
We’re back in the UK after a month in the Bahamas, slightly jet lagged and definitely feeling the cold, but we’re already planning our next fishing trips – a bit of trout fishing on a reservoir and hopefully some river fishing on the Welsh Dee. Though I’m not sure anything is going to top fishing every day for a month for my favourite fish – the bonefish! I caught more of them than I ever have before and had a good average size with some very nice 5-6 pounders.
Bernd Ziesche - Wednesday, May 10, 2017
and fly fishing only!
Gary Meyer - Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Sometimes things just add up and I don’t go fishing. Recently that has been the case. For May in South Florida the weather has been a tad unusual. We had another front push through this past weekend, a rarity that is outside the norm calendar-wise. While it did not get very cold, the humidity dropped and the winds picked up. Unfortunately, they were not from the direction I was hoping for, so I chose to sit the weekend out.
Paul Arden - Monday, May 8, 2017
I have a short film for you this week of my good mate Tim Kempton catching a 5KG Toman (Giant Snakehead). Also in this week's film I have some teaching from the APP (how to deal with an on-shouder crosswind), a short clip of Torque Twist/Thrust for increased delivery speed - which was a subject I started on the Board last week, tying the Killer Termite Masterpiece and fishing for Giant Gourami in wind lanes. There's something for everyone!
Matt Klara - Sunday, May 7, 2017
The weather in Montana is glorious right now. Occupied with new daddy duties and attempting to get outside as much as possible with the family, it's maybe fitting to recycle an old FP this Sunday. . . .
Viking Lars - Saturday, May 6, 2017
If not all you, then most of you will know T.A.S. - Tackle Acquistion Syndrome. This sets in often with some, less often with others, but what usually defines the T.A.S. is the acquisition of something you see, doesn't really need, but *really* want. Then T.A.S. unleashes itself on your credit card, your account is relieved of some funds, and you walk away a happier man.
t.z. - Friday, May 5, 2017
Control … big word, but that is what counts. Control. Whatever ones does in live a certain amount of control is useful. Being out of control is not good. We know that. So how much control can we have when fishing? Or better - where does the fishing start — and the control for that matter. Hint - it´s called fly fishing because we cast a fly. So how much control do you have on your flies? I mean the very construction of them? I would compare it to cooking. A dishes quality is mainly determined by the quality of the ingredients. Most good cooking is pretty simple. I like to cook in a Wok. Chop some good things, throw them in the pan and season ad lib. However, the cooking process starts when obtaining the raw materials. Best is fresh vegetables from a local source. Not some plastic wrapped shit. Plastic by the way kills our oceans. So please do not buy shit wrapped in plastic. You have no control over the quality - you can not smell or touch-test the stuff properly for one, and we all loose control over the environment … a disaster. Anyway, sorry for the detour - how much control do you have on the materials you use for your flies … hang on — wait a minute .. you tie your own, right? If not — do you know the folks making them good enough so you trust them? — back to materials. Do you really know your materials? The next problem is the handling of the materials. How were they died for example. Hooks should be checked and testet, best in a vice. And the vice is also a topic … how does the vice hold the hooks? Some vices, specifically when used wrongly can even damage hooks …
Tracy&James - Thursday, May 4, 2017
After a month of flats fishing, Tracy and I are sad to be leaving the Bahamas. I’m writing this in a hotel in Nassau where we overnight before flying back to the UK tomorrow. It’s been one of our best DiY bonefishing trips to date and we’ve already started talking about a return visit. What’s particularly pleasing is that we’ve caught fish from many different areas and types of flat, including some new ones that we didn’t fish last year. Some of the new areas were found by means of a happy coincidence – for example finding other anglers on our chosen flat so heading off in a completely different direction, not really knowing where we were going etc. When we do go ‘exploring’ we take notes of GPS co-ordinates of interesting areas (where we spotted fish or where we could cross deep channels etc.), so on our return we can check where we’ve been on Google Earth and perhaps plan a more effective route on a repeat visit.
Bernd Ziesche - Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Gotland passes by in a blink of an eye now that we are facing our next hosted fly fishing trips for Atlantic salmon to Skjern river in Denmark and Mörrum river in Sweden. Thanks a lot everyone! We had a hell of a time in great company fly fishing the Swedish island Gotland for Sea trout!
Gary Meyer - Tuesday, May 2, 2017
A number of years ago I agreed to take this dude fishing with me. He seemed a nice enough sort of guy: new to the flyfishing club and full of enthusiasm. So, early one morning we met at a rendezvous point agreeable to both of us on the route down into Everglades National Park. I got the impression he was in the medical field, quite possibly a future doctor, as he showed up in hospital scrubs. He was happy to explain that he thought his choice in clothing would be great for the heat of a summer mangrove swamp. I suspected he was right about the heat but was not so optimistic about how well the thin material would work for mosquitoes. Turns out we were both right.
Paul Arden - Monday, May 1, 2017
I've been very busy this past week and it looks like this is set to continue for a good while to come. The weather here is raining every late afternoon at the moment - which is normal but not for this time of year! While it's doing this - and when I'm not busy teaching or taking friends fishing - it gives me the opportunity to get my head down and work on the various Sexyloops projects that I have planned . The big event at the moment, that we launched last week, is the 2017 Hot Torpedo Competition, with a new entry coming in daily and many more expected to come. It's very interesting for me to see how Hot Torpedo rods are being successfully used around the world and very gratifying to see how many enthusiastic owners we have!