Any life-long fly fisherman has stories. Some of these stories may at times be over-exaggerated, but some might be so unique that no explanation can do it justice. Although any fish is a “good” fish, there might only be a handful of times during a year when a “holy #$%^” fish is caught that makes you wonder if something like that will ever happen again. I’m talking a less than 1% chance of even happening once to begin with.

To say the least, I have a story that might never be replicated ever again.

Every summer for the past three years, I have made it a point to fly fish in the remote backwater swamps of South Carolina. Although from the road this water can look dark, mystifying, and even intimidating, I have found it unbelievable as to what often is swimming in theses areas. These areas took some time to learn, but through some trial and error, I have started to see some successful results. I typically target bowfin, bass, and gar in these areas, but as this story will tell, consistently am amazed with what catches me off guard (and I’m not talking about just the gators).

For this trip, I decided to ditch the stand up micro-skiff and just fish from shore. The water was extremely high (and even strongly flowing) into one of the rivers that it connects to, and thought that some fish might be tight to the bank looking for structure. With my 8-weight and bowfin fly in hand, I started to through parallel casts to structure. After about two casts, I put a throw right behind a giant tree stump and some lily pads. One strip in, and my rod nearly gets jerked out of my hand. Fish on.

The beast I had hooked immediately had my rod hauled over, and for the life of it did not want to budge from the bottom. Even thought I had foul hooked a “small” gator as it was not moving no matter what I did. After about one-minute, the creature realized that it had been hooked and took off like a bonefish into the middle of the lake. At this point, I knew I had an actual fish on and it confirmed my beliefs with a giant tail slap on the surface. After the first major run, the fish got me wrapped around a submerged stump, causing me to get into the water to try and change the rod angle to free it up. Fortunately for me, this worked and the fish decided to do a close-range fight after this.

After about a 10-minute fight (and even needing to stand on top of a submerged picnic table to pass my rod between trees to fight the fish), I pulled up the second largest catfish I had ever seen (only to be topped by my 150+ pound Wels catfish on the fly I caught in Italy). With my fly buried in the side of its mouth, I grabbed the fish with both hands, realized it was my first blue catfish, and proceeded to carefully take pictures and release this beast back to its home.

Goes to show that no matter what you think you might run into, the fishy world has a way of surprising us. Tight lines and thanks for reading!

Joe

Summer in the south. Humid, hot, sticky, and all sorts of other adjectives that make you want to personally buy the guy who invented AC a beer. In Georgia specifically, the heat isn’t the only thing that makes a return in the summer: its nearest and dearest friend of thunderstorms is right there with it. Because of this, when it comes to throwing fly line in the Georgia summer, it is a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that it is sunny, warm, and the water is warm enough where you can take out the good ol’ Bote (standup micro skiff) to get after fish. The bad news is that you need to have a sense of when to go and the approaches to utilize because the rivers can blow out within a 2-hour notice.

With all of this said, this summer has been particularly productive for carp on the fly in Georgia. Not only from a numbers perspective, but the size of fish has been unlike anything I have ever seen. As those of you who follow this blog will know, I am a huge advocate for carp, and have fished for these creatures my entire life. They are big, fight hard, and really test your patience with their infinite spookiness. Due to the fact that countless carp excursions have taken place this summer, I am going to narrate some of the best highlights from the summer.

To begin with, I made it a point to start my carp “season” earlier than usual this year (mid-April). Usually this is a great time of year to fish pretty much anywhere in the continental US, because spring is trying to transition to summer, and it isn’t too hot. I experienced much of the same which really optimized conditions for carp. On one outing in particular, it was clear that the carp had started to think it was summer and were out on the “prowl”. Dozens of fish about 2-3 feet sub-surface of the water…inquisitively reacting to anything hitting dropping out of a tree and hitting the water…good body language. After about half a hour of struggling (shaking off some of the rust and trying to find the right fly), I finally got my act together and threw on a trusted black damsel “pluff” fly that I tie on. Within one or two “shots” at fish, it was on. 12-20 pound carp inhaling this fly and making runs into the deep backing. Always fun when they pull the stand-up micro skiff/board around, and it becomes a whole other challenge to land them. Because of this, you might not always land every single one, but this day we were able to bring some awesome fish to the net.

A few days later after this outing, I made it a point to get back out there now knowing that the fish were willing to cooperate. Upon arrival on my carp spot, I had noticed that a large number of grass carp were around, with the majority of these fish appearing to be over 25 pounds. Not seeing a ton of common carp, I decided to shift focus and try to catch “one” grass carp as they are known for being infamously spooky especially at this size. For these fish in particular, they were not in a “feeding” mode and didn’t appear to be eating any plants/bugs/seeds etc. off the surface of the water, so knew we were going to need the right chance. Fortunately for us, about 15-minutes into the outing, had a huge grass carp pop up about 30-feet from the stand-up board near some tree branches. With my trusty black damsel “pluff” tied on, we slowly approached the fish…threw a gentle cast about a foot ahead of the fish…slow stripped…saw the fish slightly move…and my line goes tight. Fish on. From the initial set, I knew this fish was huge, but had no clue on how freaky of a large beast we had barely hooked on the end of the line. After about a 10-minute fight, we were able to get only the head of this fish in the net (barely), and proceeded to be in pure shock of the easily 35+pound beast that we were looking at. The fish was truly a monster, and even had a slight hump on its back that made it even more menacing.

After these two outings to kick off the carp “season”, anticipation and expectations for the rest of the summer were at an epic high. And luckily enough, terrific results continued. Great numbers of fish landed, awesome fights as usual, and lots of different techniques utilized. Specifically, noticed that I became better at the following throughout the summer: using “tree” patterns, getting up on the flats when super hot, and fishing schools of carp. For “tree” patterns, I’m talking about any fly that looks like a cotton seed, berry, or piece of vegetation. I found these patterns to be crucial on really hot days where the carp weren’t actively out on the hunt, in that it seemed as if these fish were more willing to eat a slow-sinking (non moving) fly like this. In regards to getting up on the flats, this was the only way to catch fish on really high water days, and required faster sinking flies to be closer to the bottom. These areas were no more than a foot in depth, but were the only way to find fish on murky water days. Lastly, for schools of carp, I experienced my best success yet but providing extra long “leads” on casts and by not underestimating fish that were deeper in the school. Sometimes it can be hard to not throw at the biggest/most visible fish in the school, but learned that keeping the fly in the zone (and even fishing it deeper if need be) can often catch some of the big fish lurking underneath the ones up top. Below are just a few examples from the success with these techniques over the summer.

As always, tight lines and appreciate you taking the time to read the blog!

Joe

America. The land of the free. No matter what is taking place throughout the course of the year, during the Fourth of July and the weeks leading up to it, you can’t help but feel that people have a little more pep in their step. The summer weather is doing its thing, the kids are out of school, and baseball games with cold beers are in full motion. Although every year I get excited for these festivities, this year had some extra anticipation as I was able to spend it fishing and exploring in a place that I had never been : Maine.

So for those of you that read my blog, we have a first here… a fishing trip to the northeastern US. Are we for real? The answer is yes…we are for real, and for the spirit of full transparency, we should’ve been making this a thing a LONG time ago. Can’t tell you how many times I put fishing in this part of the country on the back burner (insert comments of “isn’t it cold up there?”, “isn’t it crowded?”). For this stupidity, I take full accountability, but the joke is on me as turns out Maine is a fishing mecca.

Although our trip to Maine this year was not solely focused on fishing (and was more of a relaxation/outdoor activity priority), I was able to spend some time throwing my 8-weight into the salty goodness of Maine’s coastal waters. While driving throughout the state, it was clear that there was a plethora of trout and bass opportunities to for fresh water (will need to go back for Atlantic Salmon fishing in the spring or fall), but I really wanted to get on some Striped Bass that are known for making an appearance during the summer. Upon immediately arriving at the coast, the water looked fishy and hopes were high.

The fishing for this trip was a DIY mission and not with a guide. With this in mind, my focus on fishing spots was two-fold: find the rocks, and find the breaking water. Although I have not fished a ton for Stripers, my fly fishing experience (especially from shore) over the years has taught me that rocks/structure is forever a friend, and that big fish want to be as lazy as possible when it comes to finding food. Fortunately for me, while on a hike next to the rocky southern Maine shoreline on our second day of the trip, I found some great water with our Striper friends in attendance. With a large white and gray clouser tied on, I proceeded to send out far casts into the crystal clear water and strip extremely fast. After about 30-minutes of nothing, a giant silver flash erupted on my fly about 5-feet away from my rod trip. My first Maine striper. After a great fight with some sketchy dancing on the rocks, I was able to land the fish and get a terrific photo opp from my always fish-accommodating girlfriend in tow.

As what happens usually to me after catching the “target” species I am after, this first Maine striper got my mind racing for how to catch more. This fish reacted to a large fly moving very fast and essentially ate right by my feet where the drop off from the rocks to the deep water took place. Knowing that I would be checking out a new spot the following day, I tied on some stronger leader (the saltwater Stripers definitely seemed to pull harder than some of the freshwater ones that I have run into) and left my large fly on.

The next day, we found an area that was completely different than the day prior. After some research online, we decided to go to a “jetty” where a main river flowed into the ocean that created a large deep trough between the flowing river and the saltwater. There were two large jetties on both side with massive rocks, and the current was ripping. Even better, fish were blowing up on baitfish about 80-90 feet off the jetties, and they were ready to bite. Problem was that the tide window was short, so we didn’t have much time. Fortunately at this spot, were able to hook into another nice Striper and also get on some great Hickory Shad action (a new species for me). For a new area and fishing for only about 2-hours, definitely counted it as a win and made the lobster rolls taste even better for lunch after.

Although the Stripers were definitely the highlight of the fishing time during this trip, would be remised not to call out another fun species I ran into in northern Maine. The pollock. These guys were a blast to catch off the rocks in the arctic-cold water near Acadia National Park, and were extremely eager to attack any yellow-colored fly that could get deep enough for them to see. A sinking line would be highly recommended for these, and definitely would exercise caution on the rocks as waves come in.

To wrap things up here, what a week it was on the Maine coast. Big thanks to my girlfriend for encouraging us to go check it out, and can’t wait to get back up there to see what else is swimming the waters. Grateful that there were some fish willing to cooperate for a first trip up there! Unbelievable food, fishing, and fun.

Tight lines!

Joe

Alright everyone. We had an unbelievable trip to wrap up 2021, and I’m definitely going to get to the fishing, but this is going to be a different kind of post. I promise to do my best not to make this too sappy or emotional, but this trip meant way more to me than honestly any other trip I have ever had. And it wasn’t because of what many people may expect…i.e. fishing in some “once in a lifetime location”, or able to land a massive bucket list fish. It was because I was able to be back on the water with my Dad.

Not going to get into specifics, but my Dad experienced a “close call” very early on in 2021 and was extremely hurt. We are talking about being in the ICU hurt. We are talking major surgery and not being able to walk for an extended period of time hurt. We are talking about a situation in which most people wouldn’t be able to bounce back.

So with that said, the fact that I was able to end my year with my Dad back out on a boat lighting fish up is a blessing, and provided me with a chance to reflect on why fly fishing matters to me. It’s because of the people I get to do it wish, and the memories I have with them. Not just because of the fish.

AND END SCENE. Let’s get into the fishing and talk about that! For this trip, we returned to the Everglades to hopefully find Peacock Bass and other exotic freshwater species that live in these waters. There is nothing like the Everglades when it comes to sheer numbers of fish, and the calm waters in the canals make for an enjoyable and comfortable experience. With this said…we arrived to a ton of rain, and a very wet first day of fishing.

Luckily for us, even though the rain coats were soaked, the fish were going absolutely bananas. The weather shift got the fish all amped up, and they were smashing quickly stripped flies. This goes for all the species – the peacocks, largemouths, oscars, mayan cichlids, and sunfish. It was insane, and because we didn’t mind weathering the elements, we experienced one of our “highest number” fish days ever. We lost count after we got to about 50 peacocks, and I promise you we easily caught another 50-60 more after we stopped counting. One really cool thing about the fish this trip was that they were dark in color, unlike many of the other peacocks we have caught in the Everglades before.

Although the fish were so active that probably any fly would’ve caught something, the Peacocks really were hammering larger 4-5 inch white dear hair streamers that were moving fast. They also were crushing 3-4 inch long dear hair chartreuse flies that looked like smaller cichlids in the water. Our best Peacock of the trip came off of a white bucktail and flashy streamer that ended up being completely destroyed at the end of the day. The fish was a true pig of a Peacock.

After a day of pure fishing madness, we experienced another fruitful day of fishing in the Everglades (although not as crazy as Day 1). The fish were still chompy, but they definitely were more spread out and deeper in the water column that made us adjust our strategy. We turned to more clouser type patterns to fish deeper, and slower as well. Although more Peacocks were caught, the highlight of Day 2 was a massive Largemouth Bass that smashed a large buckatil streamer. This fish was roughly 4-5 pounds and put up quite a fight on the 6-weight.

To wrap up our trip, my Dad and I took out to the beach on our last morning to see if we could find any of our saltwater friends in the surf. The water was relatively calm, but the wind was moving and shifting the tide towards large rocks on the shore. With some baitfish patterns tied on, and some fresh tippet, I began casting parallel to the rocks…and our Florida trip yet again produced. Within a 2-hour window, we landed 7 Snook. The majority of the fish came extremely tight to the rocks where I was getting worried that I would get hung up. But after some additional observation, there were schools of glass minnow looking creatures schooled up against the rocks, making it clear that the fish were in “feed” mode.

To reflect on the year, we ended way better than we started. It isn’t always about the “coolest” destinations, or catching the biggest fish. Mind you I am big fans of both of those, and life is short, so need to make a better effort of traveling to catch all the fish I can! But my point is this…never take for granted who you are fishing with, and for the opportunities you may have close by.

Life is good, fish are good, and really looking forward to keeping after it here in 2022.

Joe

Let me tell y’all something…I have fly fishing my entire life practically, and I have stumbled upon something that is a whole new level of fun.

For those of you that follow this blog, you know that probably about two years ago I was gifted a Bote Micro-Skiff/Stand Up Paddle Board (specific model is the Rover). I had fished on one of these with my best friend down in Florida on several occasions, and knew I had to include it in my arsenal. I have spent the last two years figuring out the best ways to fish out of this, and how to be consistently successful in a multitude of fly fishing scenarios. This year, I was lucky and fortunate enough to venture out and target one of my favorite species on the board: Redfish.

My girlfriend and I spent a week down in the 30A section of the Florida panhandle in September. We had been in the area earlier on in the spring with a few other friends (without the paddle board in tow), where I took some time to scout a few areas with some fishy looking flats. Having caught some fish wading in the area during the spring, I knew that if I returned with the board, we would be in for quite the time.

So, with the board in the car and a couple of beautiful weather days granted to us, my girlfriend was kind enough to accompany me on the flats with the board to pursue some Redfish. We ventured out on the perfect day – the water was extremely calm, clear, and mullet were everywhere. Perfect for paddle boarding and sight fishing.

The tide was up a bit, allowing us to “push pole” about 15 feet from the bank and look for fish pushing up shallow. Within 10-minutes, it was clear that it was going to be a special day. We had a nice red sunbathing up shallow in the sand – presented the fly perfectly, no spook, but the fish wanted nothing to do with the fly after a couple of casts. Fishing the panhandle area for 10+ years, I knew that I most likely needed to downsize my fly, and tied on one of my go to “Redfish Hushpuppy” flies that are essentially a deer hair looking crab thing that the reds seem to love.

After this fly change and pushing down the bank about 20 more yards, it was on. We came up on a pod of three fish, cast, and had a red absolutely smash the fly. Fish on. The fish took off and pulled our board around with it. Having only 10 pound test on and a small fly, I carefully fought the fish to the board, and was able to get it in the net. After some cheers and a few pictures, we let this beautiful fish go to keep growing, and this was only the start for the day.

After landing this fish, we pushed down the flat further to let the area settle from the chaos. No more than 5-minutes later, we pushed out a little bit further in the flat towards the end of a dock and I noticed a red sitting on the sand bottom in probably about 4-feet. This fish was blending in very well to the bottom, but the sun allowed us to get our eyes on it. I threw a gentle cast right over the pot hole it was in, and watched the fly slowly start to sink…mind you it is a light fly, so it was taking its dear sweet time. To my surprise (and absolute benefit – I’ve never seen a Redfish do this before), the fish motioned upward like a Brown Trout would with a dry fly, and softly slipped my fly without me having to even strip. Another fight ensued, and we got this beautiful fish in the boat. The deeper red coloration was indicative of it sitting deeper in the flat.

After this fish, the unbelievable success continued. Easily caught another 2 or 3 fish that were pushing up shallow and loving the Redfish Hushpuppy that we had on. Due to the phone being in the wet bag and the number of fish we had been hooking, we made it a point to start letting the fish go without a picture, in that the more time we were fishing the better off we were. After about a hour and a half, the tide started to go back out, and the fish weren’t as stacked up. So we started to push back towards the boat launch.

However, on the way back we noticed a large wake up in no more than a foot of water. A beautiful fish moving right quickly, and it was clear that it was in feed mode. The issue was so were we…With the paddle board moving fast, I quickly stripped out my line, threw out my best possible cast, and fortunately intercepted the fish. It destroyed the fly, and took off right towards the board. After we made sure that the fly line wasn’t getting caught up on us, we moved shallow so that I could jump in the water to fight the fish in that it was taking off deeper towards an oyster bar. After a nice fight and a few close calls, we got the fish in, took one last picture of the day, and soaked in the amazing moment.

Days like this are tough to beat, and tough to replicate. Only ever so often do all of the conditions and stars align to have fishing sessions like this. We were lucky to be on the water this day, and we were lucky that the fish were feeling spunky. This was one of those days where fly fishing brought the best out of me, and let my mind focus solely on enjoying on seeing some fish and enjoying the day.

Tight lines,

Joe

In fly fishing, all waters aren’t created equal. All water brings its own challenges, benefits, and most importantly memories. Although it is a blessing every time you are able to get out on the water and enjoy the day, there are certain places that will forever mean more than just a “fishing hole.” For me, being born and raised in Denver, the South Platte River will always be my “home” river that is etched into my memory for good. In addition to the South Platte, the clear water and cool creeks of the Colorado mountains also will forever be a staple reason as to why fly fishing became a huge part of my life.

For those of you that know Denver, the South Platte goes hand in hand with the city. It flows right on through the city, and parallels one of the busiest roads in the metroplex. However, to most it isn’t viewed as a “pretty” body of water, in that upon first glance the water is at best funky in many spots. With this said, if you know where to look and are willing to put the time in, big fish and clean water are present. Most importantly, the river also allows plentiful fishing opportunities that don’t require hour+ long drives into the mountains.

The South Platte as a whole is best known as a trout river, and consists of some of the best fishing in the state. Mind you this is taking place in non urban areas that require a couple hour drive from most major cities. With this said, as soon as the South Platte gets closer to the City, a larger species comes into mix that makes it a hoot and a half: carp. The carp in the South Platte are smart, skiddish, huge, and extremely adaptable. They can be found year round (assuming the water is low enough to sight fish them), and they span the entire river system from downtown Denver up towards Chatfield Reservoir. It took me many years to get a sense of how to catch these fish, and every time I’m able to get my hands on one, memories from the past come rushing in. On my las trip to Denver, I was able to revisit some of my oldest fishy friends, and they were eager to hit some of my home-tied South Platte specialty flies. The water was low, clear, and the fish were happy. This was my largest fish from the trip that put up quite the fight on the 5-weight.

Know I have posted about carp many times on this blog, but there are a couple of tips that I want to provide for carp in clear and cool water river scenarios (much like the South Platte):

• Let the current be your friend – play it safe on the casts. Throw upstream to avoid spooking the fish, and let it come down in the “feed channel” for the carp. This is especially critical for fish sitting in faster moving water, in that you also want to give your fly plenty of time to sink down to the fish.
• “Less is more” – this is the one constant with carp. If you can avoid using strike indicators, lead weights, and flashy flies, heavier tippet, the better. For the South Platte, I like using bead chain eyes and adding colors that I can easily find in the water so I can watch the eat. White/dark brown/even orange help to get your eyes on the fly.
• STAY OUT OF THE WATER (or at least try to) – honestly, this tip is probably one of the best ones I can provide to catch any spooky fish. And I’m not just talking about saltwater species or carp, but even trout too! Stay out of the water if you can…you would be shocked at how many fish like to hug the bank, or can detect that something is up as soon as you get in. My most productive way to catch carp is to find fish within 5-15 feet of the bank, find a high angle to see the fish, and try to get them to eat. Especially with carp, once you hook a fish and it takes off, the spot is going to “spook out” from all the commotion. Once you hook the fish, then get in the water to net it/land it if need be, but there is zero point in wading for the sake of wading…especially when you get a worse angle on the fish, and they can sense you better.

Now that we have gotten our carp fix out of the way, let’s talk about the other “gold” fish that is further West in the mountains. The good ol’ Brown Trout! My personal favorite of the trout species…nothing personal to the rainbows, brookies, and cutthroats of the world. To the Lake Trout, our time with the fly rod will come.

For the record, the biggest Brown Trout of my life came from the South Platte (near Denver, not kidding). But, the mountain rivers and streams are way more productive when it comes to catching these fish. While in Denver this year, I made it a point to visit some of the local mountain towns and do my “hole hopping” with a cup of coffee in hand. Contrary to popular belief, some of the best fishing for Brown Trout in areas like Breckenridge, Vail, Steamboat, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, and Crested Butte does not require a guided trip on one of the major rivers. Although float trips are fantastic and nearly guarantee fish, if time is of the essence and you may not be able to break out for a full day event, the smaller water opportunities are endless in these areas for DIY missions. I made it a point to venture out this way in 2021.

While in Breckenridge, I was able to find some terrific spots on a few of the creeks around time and the fishing was incredible. The water levels were a little bit high, but this presented terrific pocket water opportunities near the bank. When the water is high, I love throwing wooly buggers in the pockets, letting them drift a little bit, and then ripping them fast upstream. You would be stunned at how many fish in small creeks will go out of their way to smash a smaller streamer! Making it even more fun, I was able to see these fish prior to casting, which made watching them hunt down the fly even more fun.

A few tips for these close to town, aggressive browns:

• No shock here – stay out of the water! The water is freaking cold, and 90+% of the fish I catch in these areas are TIGHT to the bank. Stay out of the water, fish the banks, and use height to your benefit.
• Don’t overcomplicate the fly choices – when throwing in pocket water during the summer/early fall, larger swimming nymphs or wooly buggers will catch fish. Find a fly and color you like, and do your thing!
• Never assume that a fish “isn’t there” – can’t tell you many fish I have caught right under bridges through town, or steps away from a local shop. In the middle of the day mind you. I would argue that many “known” fishing holes get more pressure outside of town than many of the creeks get in town. This is because people naturally assume fish might not be here. But guess what, they are, you just need to have some faith and look! Take your time, get that coffee and donut, and go try and hook some fish.

Always love visiting Colorado to get my “gold” fix of both Carp and Brownies. This State has so many amazing fishing opportunities – glad I did not take them for granted growing up!

Tight lines,

Joe