Here in Malaysia COVID restrictions prevent incoming/outgoing travel. And this has been extended to the end of the year now, at least, because here in Malaysia there are approx only 10 new cases/day and most of those are Malaysians coming home - only residents are allowed to fly in, with 14 days quarantine of course.
So it’s pretty much under control but it doesn’t help that’s it’s out of control in many other parts of the world! I don’t see a quick end to this.
Details >
This week James and I had a spey casting lesson from an old friend who taught me to cast many, many years ago. I don’t Spey cast so as a complete beginner, I needed some advice on the basics. Whereas James wanted to hone his technique, as he although he has spey cast before and entered Spey casting competitions, he still feels that his casting needs improvement.
Details >
There are so many traditions in fly fishing that I enjoy, and I enjoy being a part of. One of them is the long distance sharing of experiences, flies, materials etc. In “the old days” that was done via mail, you know - physical letters (which probably were delivered faster then than they are now). It was of course also done via the mass communications means of those times: books, journals, newspapers and later on, magazines.
Details >
Now the rains have stopped and the rivers have cleared up, I've been out wreaking havoc on the local carp.Some days are better than others, but even on the real scorchers I'm catching a couple before retreating back to aircon. There aren't many big fish in the river by me except where it enters the lake, but there are lots of fish in the 3-8lb bracket.
Details >
A skiff is nothing more than an interface with the water. All the stuff above the waterline is superfluous bull crap...its just a place that you can put your gear and what not. What interfaces with the water is what makes a skiff do what it does.
---Harry Spear
Details >
Last week I created some wobbler flies mainly built of (clear) epoxy glue. After publishing a picture of one of these flies on facebook it didn't take long until I was told that this fly would be more or less invisible under water.
Details >
So we are just out of lockdown in the UK. My local fishing is out of sorts – gales, heavy rain - and I am bored. Luckily, I visit a friend who lends me a couple of books that I spot on his bookshelves. The books, ‘On Fishing’ by Brian Clarke (2007), and ‘Blood Knots’ by Luke Jennings (2010) are very different, but what they have in common is an exploration of what it means to fish and to be an angler, something that might not be understood by people who’ve never known an angler, or never cast a line.
These books got me thinking about how we communicate to the non-fisher the appeal of our sport, and how we sustain our interest whilst out fishing, and in the sport as a whole. So I imagined myself giving a presentation about the appeal of fishing – all fishing - to an imaginary group of non-fisherfolk. But what would I say?
In his book, Brian Clarke writes that “The appeal of angling is about as easy to define as beauty or truth”, but I, for one, am up for the challenge, so here goes…
Details >
I was planning on heading into Sungai Tiang this week but some of the lads are in another National Park, so I’ll do what I really need to do, which is go Snakehead fishing! It’s been a very hit and miss summer this one; I keep expecting it to fire up - and I think it will - but so far it’s all about the anticipation!
The Tiang project is going well. I’m hoping that we have the weather suitable for some anglers to make trips in September. I have one more trip to make first which is to fish the upper reaches. I have a plan in mind, 5 days fishing and a day either side for in/out, with one central camp. It’s going to take some organising, but once everything is in place it should be possible that they bring guests in every week (that’s not Wet Season) and that is the ultimate goal.
Details >
This week Tracy and I have been moving the last of our fishing tackle between houses. We’ve been having a bit of a clear out at our southern place which has required a couple of trips to the local recycling centre, in these Covid-19 affected days, trips there have to be booked in advance almost making it feel like an attraction. We’ve been quite brutal when it comes to getting rid of household items, however when it comes to fishing related items I think I’m a bit of a hoarder.
Certain things have been easy to get rid of e.g. a broken net, buckled after lifting a hefty carp, was never going to get mended, and a large stockpile of leader material. For some reason I found I had spool after spool of 5lb line of various makes. Now this is slightly odd because I don’t use 5lb tippets; it’s too light for reservoir fishing or summer carping, and it’s too heavy for river use, certainly on the rivers I fish anyway. The fact that I don’t use it probably accounts for why I had so many spools left over, it doesn’t explain where they came from in the first place though unless I’m hypnotised into buying them every time I step foot in a tackle shop.
Details >
Even though the advancements in fly tackle over the last 30 years have been quite significant, involving lighter, faster, better designed rods, very light weight and large arbor reels, line design, leader design, materials (for both rods, line and even flytying), there are still things from "the old days" that are worth considering.
Details >
Kitka river is great for fishing and rafting. If there would be only one kind of trip, you would be able to do. This would be it. Clear, drinkable water, great views and always at least good fishing if not great. This river never let you down. During the years I have seen that size of graylings are going down little bit but still you can get quite easily +40 cm grayling. Reason why size has dropped is our mininum size system. It means that when min size is 35 cm, basicly all bigger than that could be taken for food. There is lot of grayling 32-34 cm anyway.
Details >
In 1995 when I took up fly fishing, there was no youtube...heck the internet itself was even in its infancy. It may sound archaic and crude to all you " youngn's" out there, but the way you learned stuff back then was through BOOKS, and maybe the occasional VHS videotape.
Details >
Very often we believe that the fish took our fly because the fish wanted to eat exactly what we tried to imitate. Most probably this happens far less than we may want to know!
Details >
This COVID crap has really been a learning experience.
I had always considered the word “addiction” in a joking way when I married it to anything about flyfishing, but lately I am not so sure. Withdrawal symptoms of some sorts of addictions commonly express themselves physically by changes of appetite or mood, irritability, restlessness, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, etc.
Need I say more?
Yet, nowhere have I heard of extra symptoms like endless daydreaming, imaginary planning, and pouring over things like tide charts, satellite photos, and both short and long-range weather predictions?
Enhancing fishing withdrawals, COVID aside, like bitter icing on an already dry cake… there is the usual enjoyment of having the weather gods laugh in your face at the silly plans of the mere mortal fly angler.
When you look at the big picture it almost seems like someone who is trying to simply kick a tobacco habit has it easier! Unless of course they chew the stuff while they flyfish. I feel for those poor bastards… they are in for one tough road.
Details >
Mrs Sexyloops is visiting this week so we are going fishing! However this week I would like to point you in particular to a Board project to try to gather together - and make some sense of for the “casual reader”/“layman” - the discussions that we have had for the past 20 years ie how does flycasting really work in terms of physics.
Now anyone who has read the Board in this time, will be aware that there exists some fundamental disagreements between some very learned people! I don’t wish for this task to degenerate into heated debates! If there are obvious disagreements as to - for example - how a loop propagates (as there are!), then we will answer the question with both alternative view points.
Details >
In three weeks, James and I will enter possibly our only fly casting competition this year – the UK Championship in Haverigg, near Millom on the 3rd – 6th September. Most other casting competitions have been cancelled and even though we managed to hold one BFCC Meeting pre-lock-down, we are still unsure if we will be able to arrange any others later in the year.
Details >
Since I began fishing for trout and grayling with the fly, I’ve always had a keen interest in entomology (well, in fact that interest precedes my interest in fly fishing) and I’m always looking at/for insects. Do you need to know the insects the trout eat to catch them? Certainly not. Does it make you a better angler and improve your catches? If so, not by much. But every once in a while, it really does make a difference and more than anything, for me, it’s just another aspect of fly fishing to dive into. I like know what my intended quarry eats, be they trout, grayling, sea trout or pike.
Details >
Last week Satu’s new reel got company from new rod. I hope that she will time to test it soon. After that I had weird dream. I tested Satu’s SL 6 by casting. I started with short line and not hauling at all. When I had 17 meter line out rod snapped from tip. I took photo and sent it to Lee who told me to that he will fix it as soon I sent it to him. I woke up and I real had to think what just happened. But this dream made me think about walk with rod. This summer I have seen some close calls to break the rod.
Details >
Jack and I are finally getting to the last stages of unpacking, furnishing, and arranging the new shop. It's been a fantastic experience to see it come together, and more importantly to see how useful our planned layout really turned out to be.
Details >
Fish can SEE! That is what most of us fly fishermen seem to focus on. But seeing isn't nearly what fish use most of the time to get specific information about their surroundings!
Details >
I've not had much to write about recently, rainy season is just ending here in Japan, weeks after it normally does. That might turn out to be a good thing as it's been cooler than normal which could mean fewer typhoons later in August and into September, but at the moment it's rubbish. All dirty rivers and offshore storms!
Details >
I had always envisioned a noble death, defending the rights of anglers to the last cast, or more likely getting washed down river to a watery grave. Going out with a bang but not quite yet, if you know what I mean. I certainly hadn’t considered eating too many crackers to be a potential cause.
Well now I know! Those fucking Indian Cracker “biscuits” that friends give you - Fong - pretending they are doing you a favour? They are trying to finish you off! Still, the way I see it now, is if you can survive 1/2 kg of “Muruku” crackers then you are one tough MF. It was only through my incredible physical well-being, coupled with extreme mental focus, that I’m still here and able to write this front page for you today.
“RIP Paul Arden. 1970-2020. Mr Sexyloops. Fly Fisherman. Killed by 1/2KG Deadly Muruku Crackers.”
Details >
I’ve been out to the river Dee a couple of times over the last week or so, both trips were excellent with the fish more than happy to be looking upwards for their food despite there being only sporadic hatches of flies. As such, on both occasions I fished a single dry fly all day. My go to fly in such circumstances is a small Klinkhammer in an ‘insecty’ brown colour with a fluorescent wing post to aid (my) visibility. On many days on the Dee I’ve found this does the job of getting takes when there either isn’t any obvious hatch or I can’t determine what the fish are taking. I’ve also found that at some point the rises to this fly will completely dry up, usually when the fish switch on to a specific food source – quite often on the Dee, as the afternoon rolls on, this means locking on to the prolific sedge hatch.
Details >
I bought Stu Tripney’s book, “Jungle Blues vol 3”, which is an account of his travels with Paul in the Malaysian jungle. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you buy the book. It’s a very different fishing book (and a slightly mad one too), but just how we all like it.
Details >
Like you might remember August is my favourite month for fishing. After high water in June and July with changing temperature, August is not failing. Water level is dropping little bit, temperature is settling and fishing is getting better. Some good hatching etc. Life couldn’t be better.
Details >
One of the great things about working professionally in the outdoors industry is the myriad of interesting people you get to meet. Some of them are more "interesting" than others, but most of them are wonderful people, and in many cases, are insanely talented as well. I have been very fortunate over the years, in that many of these folks have been generous enough to gift me some stunningly beautiful, angling related items. One of those individuals is a gentleman from Spain named Joaquin Sospedra.
Details >
90% of fly fishermen I watch fishing are using a significant extra line speed for bringing their fly to the fish. That extra line speed usually comes along with some clear disadvantages!
Details >
This past weekend we here in South Florida dodged a bullet, but there are undoubtedly more rounds in the chamber. Tropical Storm/ Hurricane Isaias came right at us, then veered north and spared us most of the wind and rain, but not the prep work. It is now on its way up the east coast of the US, which is good news for us, but not so good for our yankee friends who don’t have as much practice with these darn things.
This is just the beginning. For the next three months we will be right in the center cut of the meat of hurricane season. It feels like we have been marinating for about the last two or three months. It has been one of the hottest and wettest early summers that I can remember. I believe I have fished less in the last 6 months than any other similar period in my life. Seriously. That includes my diaper days – no, not these days, the early ones!
Details >
Been a another hectic day for me, chasing around town picking up provisions and tackle for the Sungai Tiang Orang Asli (although, rather smartly last week I gave them cash to do their own food shopping, which has saved me a couple of hours trying to fulfil a weird - and rather sweet - shopping list!). Anyway the river is respectably clear again, I have screwed and glued some felt to my boots and I feel ready to rock and roll.
Details >
I feel incredibly fortunate at the moment and really seem to be settling into this “boat life”. Living on a bigger boat is certainly a damned sight more comfortable and offers considerable advantages over how I was living before, on a small boat or camping in the trees! For example I now have five days’ supply of ice, food for about a month, space, a roof protecting me from the elements, a fantastic place to watch storms refill the lake and it’s simply all-round good fun.
Details >
Lars is busy building a rabbit hutch today. He says it’s for his girls, but I’m suspicious that it’s for Zonker strips. Anyway this means I’m covering for him and it gives me a chance to discuss the Double Haul and how it works. Bernd mentioned it in last week’s page and I’ve been meaning to find time to discuss how we learned about it.
Details >
