Daily Cast Archive

Almost one week at home, I have been checking our lake every day few times if there starts to be some active fish. So far I have not seen any... it will be any day soon. Next week I will have first guiding days for this summer and some bookings coming now and then. Let's return to Sungai Tiang, we have one fishing day left…

Details >

Despite our storm front tubing last week, Chuck and I felt that fishing the first typhoon of the year was probably a bit too much this week. So I spent Monday putting a few mulberry patterns in my box as well as practising a bit more with the hairbugs for my bass box. I did get a bit of fishing in yesterday before work though.

Details >

Those half dozen boxes of hundreds of flyfishing books collected over many years with the intention of stocking the shelves of the once planned for New Zealand fishing lodge, had to go, as did all the old fly fishing paraphernalia. As the ruthless streak kicked in, propelled by EBay rewarding my sweeping out of the past with a cumulative slush fund to treat myself, the benefit of the eventual retail therapy reward was slowly building ahead of me.  Nothing was immune from this clear out, if it had any amount of resale value.    

Details >

It’s been 11 years since we launched the Sexyloops App. The only people who made money out of that were the developers, Apple, Google and the cameraman/editor. And when the software needed updating, to fit with Apple’s constant changes, the new development costs became prohibitive. So we put it all up on Vimeo first and then, when we ran out of space there, to YouTube. If you purchased the original app you can contact me and download all the original files in HD for free. Be that as it may, 11 years is a long time and I really want to bring things up to date. So I’ve uploaded a new introduction video to begin things explaining why, as well as how to use the collection. As I progress through the video library, I will add numerous drills and exercises for each task, as well as explain how and why my teaching has changed. No doubt I’ll do this again in another ten years. God knows what I’ll look like then. Gandalf probably.

Details >

The Wind Is Winding... ---Alaina Williams Cookson

Details >

A swimming club I visit in KL had an around Banding Island marathon swim, today, here on the lake. I joined in but I didn’t do the full 10.8km but instead 6km. This was only my second swim since the Malaysian Ironman last October! I really need to swim more often, and the fact that I didn’t get attacked by a Giant Snakehead restores some of my swimming confidence. I think I spooked a Gourami in a wind lane. But that was about 5km in and my mind was in some interesting places by this point. When I swim solo I’m going to try pulling Ashly’s kayak along behind me with a rope attached to my waist. This way I can carry drinks and it won’t be a problem if I swim to exhaustion. All good fun anyway. I’ve always dreamed of being a really good swimmer but I’m not!! But no excuses now.

Details >

I recently found an older Lamson reel, the first series Lamson brought to market. An LP Spey, which is a big mill wheel. It’s heavy, room for more backing than I hope I’ll ever need. They had a really nice break system for their time and and even though something lighter, sexier and obviously better has come since, they’re still as good as they were back then.

Details >

Our original trip to Sungai Tiang was moved with 2 days. They said that because there had been heavy rain river was not fishable. It could be also that they knew extremely heavy rain coming which was on our planned starting day.   Either way we started on Tuesday morning, Paul pick us up from Belum resort where I spent also one night before ST. That night was well needed as previous night I spent with ants.

Details >

An interesting mix of fishing for me this week.  A lesson learned from bit of tubing in an unforecast storm, some surprise early mulberry carp and a broken rod.

Details >

Waters puzzle and intrigue me, they don’t intimidate me. People do. I don’t mean those testosterone beef cakes, nor those jumpy, fist happy, poaching pikies; even if I do suspect they are from a bare knuckle boxing background. But those damnable technically great fly casters and fishermen on the banks, tend to leave me feeling exposed like I’m suddenly casting in nothing but some age old, baggy, threadbare,‘undies’, exposed for all the world to see, that terrible hidden truth; and wishing, willing myself into a deep, dark hole, until everyone has just gone away.

Details >

It was perhaps the most complicated accomplishment since I arrived back at the Battleship one day to find it full of bees, and the great news is that the Hot Torpedo stock is now in the hands of Juan, our Spanish maestro rod builder. We now have ten rods to build to catch up! You may have noticed that I went quiet on the rod promotion? That’s because I don’t like to keep customers waiting and I knew it was going to be a complex operation. But now we are back in business!!!

Details >

If you don't practice, you don't deserve to win. ---Andre Agassi

Details >

James and I are currently on a fitness drive, building on the weight loss that we both achieved during our recent tropics trip. One of the 'jobs' James does immediately before heading to the airport is to weigh the cases to make sure they comply with the airlines limits. He does this by first weighing himself and then he holds a case and steps on the scales again whilst I read the digital display. Because of this we know exactly how much he weighed before we set off and, out of interest, he did a weigh-in a couple of days after we got back. As a result, we know he lost exactly 10kg over the course of the holiday. I guess wading for 8 hours a day whilst carrying back packs and rods, through shallow water, deeper water (with the occasional swim), sand, rocks and sometimes deep mud, with only ginger nut biscuits (plus a few sweets) and water for sustenance, will result in quite a dramatic weight loss. James has calculated that if we went bonefishing for eight months he would actually disappear, but I'm not sure that's quite right!

Details >

Years ago the Jet Stream line design hit the market. As far as I remember the first version had very long heads in the 70’-80’ range. They were designed by former World Champion James Chalmers. I had one, I really enjoyed casting it. It was I think the best long belly, full spey line I’ve ever cast. I haven’t cast many, though.

Details >

We had a amazing trip to Sungai Tiang with Satu. Fishing was great and everything was nicely organized. That will be topic on next front pages. We are on our way to Perhentian Island. (Might be mistake for resort as all alcohol is included, policy could change after we leave). Fishing part is over and now is Satu's holiday part. We will have one more fishing day in KL, I think it will be pacu fishing.

Details >

I first saw a deer hair bass bug in the fishing section of a Canadian Tire during a family holiday in my early teens. I hadn't been tying for that long at the time and the handful of divers and poppers I threw in the basket were the only fly fishing things I bought along with a clutch of soft plastics, moss bosses, top props and other conventional lures that just weren't available in rural Scotland in the early 1990s. At that time, I'd definitely tied a muddler but that was the extent of my deer hair experience, so I was fascinated by the stacked bugs and spent ages trying to work out how they got the different colours of hair to sit in bands and patches across the fly.

Details >

Life for some of us is like a random ride, taking opportunist twists in the route, distracted down more interesting looking side streets and attractive avenues, as they offer variety from the growing drudgery; new vistas to be discovered across pastures new!

Details >

Last week Phil Blackmar and I discussed the mental aspect of sport, I was particularly interested in how Phil learned to deal with the pressure in his professional career as a professional golf player and what we can learn from this and apply to flycasting sport. It’s not just about flycasting sport of course, and also applies to taking fishing shots, instructor exams and even dangerous road conditions – as it turns out.

Details >

Been on a MAJOR Buckethead binge recently, so thought I would re-run this one from 2020. The man really does make some killer music to play in the background while building a rod or tying flies.

Details >

Today should have been the first BFCC event of the year, unfortunately the cricket club was forced to cancel a week or so back due to a waterlogged pitch. As is typical with this sort of thing though, it has barely rained at all since the cancellation and the pitch is probably bone dry now, especially after today which was 25 deg C according to my car. I know a BFCC member popped in whilst passing and said the ground was ok but the grass was long – I suspect the club had to postpone the first mow of the year for fear of the tractor cutting ruts into the pristine wicket and outfield.

Details >

There are many aspects to practicing your casting and of course, different focus points depending on what type of casting you’re practicing. In the end, they can all be combined. Practicing distance casting involves both carry and shoot. As long a carry as possible and as long a shoot as possible. Timing, precision, presentation, loop control and much, much more. And the better you can combine all these, the better the fly caster you become.

Details >

Fishing has been hard. Fish still have funny behavior, slow rise and fast dive. Satu has been few days at resort as her back went really bad. I had few great shots, my ploplop was not so good so I had no success. Past few days I have seen few bigger fish and had bad luck with them. All big ones has suddenly rose next to the boat, we have seen each others eyes and then it has been bye bye. I have seen also some couples so maybe they have sex at the moment and have babies during the weekend when I return to the lake.

Details >

We've had some incredible wind recently, so even if i'd thought to try another foray to the river on the public holidays this week it would have been impossible. So naturally, I climbed a couple of mountains instead. It's amazing how much more tolerant of the wind and crowds I can be when there's no fishing involved.

Details >

I got to my thirties and still never cast a fly rod, I knew that I would fly cast someday, but life and other fixations, including and especially Girls, (Ladies; Women; Damsels in distress;Mermaids; and Goddesses; one and all), got in the way. But I always had a back burner kept clear for the day that I could finally work it into my life, and had I met anyone who could cast a fly rod, no doubt that flame would have been ignited instantly.  The first fly rod I actually ever saw after the few in the Lake District as a kid, was in a junk shop in east London looking for props for a fashion shoot. It would happen of that I was sure and it would need commitment to learn. I can’t flirt with interests, cant dip my toe in, once I’m committed it’s the full plunge of obsession.

Details >

The lake has been tough. While every Snakehead in the lake is breathing, with the water temps as high as 35.5C, the fish are hanging around at the surface less long than usual. And as you’ll probably have figured out by now, even this amount of time is already quite short; only 1-2 seconds. Currently it appears to be less than half this now and their heads are well and truly down. Best chance of a freeriser is close to dark I think. That said, due to lessons and other organisings I didn’t get to fish last week nearly as much as I would have liked. Mika and Satu are currently up in Sungai Tiang, fishing for Mahseer with the Orange Asli. While I have multiple lessons on all days, as well as three videos to make for a fly fishing gathering in the States, I should also have a bit more time to have more of a go myself. I’m excited to see what happens!

Details >

Back in the 1960s, the city of San Antonio built two large lakes that functioned as cooling ponds for the associated coal powered, electricity generating facilities that provided energy for the city of San Antonio. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Lake Calaveras and Lake Braunig became known as two of the big bass hotspots in the state of Texas, but that all changed when Texas Parks & Wildlife began to experiment with stocking other exotic species in these two fisheries.

Details >

A bit of a chaotic day for me yesterday. On Friday night Mika and I got back to our island camp just after midnight. Only to find that Starlink was down. Customer service had me on the roof of the Battleship looking for serial numbers hidden in the dark. And then customer support disappeared.

Details >

It’s my first full weekend off in over a month, but I’m not complaining (much). Since March I’ve had something in the calendar every weekend. Mostly casting demos, which I really enjoy, because I often cut them short and make time for some instruction as well. Sometimes a few, small, quick tips can make a difference for people. This morning has quiet, spring rain and no wind. My absolute favourite weather. I’m not fishing, which I’d love to be, but family time is needed - I’ve missed them. The door’s open, it’s still cold, but the sound of the rain and the fresh air. The view is a suburban garden, but it’s my garden, so I enjoy it

Details >

Lot of short stories to tell, and not really ones I would prefer or you to hear! We all would love fish stories and kind of caught some but not those ones with catching yet. As they say it is all about happening.

Details >

With Japan being in the middle of the golden week holidays, I wasn't expecting to do any fishing this week. On Monday though I was at a bit of a loose end after some early morning jobs and conditions were so good I decided to go and risk the crowds.

Details >

Sometimes when writing these I feel ancient, dragged up from another age. A guileless troglodyte transposed blinkingly into modernity. Thus, serving as a cruel reminder of how long I’ve occupied this planet; and, of just what an unbearable little git I once was at times. Completely and utterly slapable!

Details >