Tag Archives: Featured

Baja Birthdays

June 29, 2024 tcujsp303 Leave a comment

Although I believe that every birthday should be a day to reflect, celebrate, and make some time to do the things that bring you joy, there are a few birthdays that seem to have more “weight” to them. For me this year, I hit the big 30 (and my girl friend hit the big 29) and we decided to add a little extra flare to the birthday travel plans. We landed on Cabo and I selfishly was salivating at the thoughts to throw some line and see what happens.

Having never fly fished in Cabo before, I didn’t fully know what to expect other than the content I have seen online surrounding Roosterfish, Mahi, Jacks, Tuna, Marlin, etc. Although I made sure to book an afternoon from a boat for one day during the week, I was most excited about the chance to find some fish from shore.

Upon arrival at the hotel in Cabo, the water was gorgeous. Deep blue, relatively calm, lots of rocks around – I thought it was going to be easy to hook some snappers, groupers, and other reef species around the rocks. Upon fishing for hours the first two days, my assumption proved to be majorly WRONG…only had some action with a few very (very) small reef fish. With that said, we had our half day charter coming up, so wasn’t horribly concerned about us finding some fish at some point.

For the spirit of full transparency, the half day charter was extremely difficult and a bit of a cluster. The winds in Cabo this week were brutal (especially in the afternoon) and we were met with consistent 25-30 mph gusts and significant waves while on the boat – this obviously limited the number of areas in which we could throw a fly line. In addition to this, with my girlfriend in tow, I knew as soon as we launched that there was no way we would be spending 4+ hours in the conditions. With that said, we were able to get the fish monkey off our back this day by catching the largest Jack Crevalle of my life. There was a school of about 20 fish, and it absolutely hammered a big white baitfish fly made with bucktail/white hackle. Put a crazy bend on the 10-weight, so not complaining!

The day after our charter, I made the decision to abandon the rocky areas I was previously targeting and go scout a public beach that was a further walk away. What a decision that panned out to be as it was like a light switch turned on…

Although the wind was still howling, I immediately saw bait fished being blitzed on 10-feet from the shore, and was hooked up on my first cast with a larger white/chartreuse clouser minnow. New species! Gaffttopsail Pompano – these guys don’t get very large, but put up quite the bend in the 8-weight. I caught about four of these guys (in addition to some smaller Green Jacks and Jack Crevalles) rather quickly, but the weird thing was that the fish I saw blitzing were not pompano…they looked like tuna. Curious as to what was crashing bait, I down sized my fly to a very simple white baitfish pattern, and immediately was hooked up. Skipjack tuna! An unreal fight for their size, and was catching fish after fish for about a 30-minute period. Easily landed over half a dozen.

After the blitz was over, this is when things got interesting. I slowly started my walk back to the hotel and saw a 10-15 pound fish swimming 60 feet off the beach. ROOSTERFISH…seemingly just gliding through the waves. I rushed to get a cast in front of this…strip strips strip…holy cow the fish is following…all the way up to my feet…denied. What a bummer. but it happens. MORE IMPORTANTLY – I found Roosters. Within the next 15-minutes, more fish arrived. A pack of 3 fish and a few more singles. I had a handful of great throws that led to the same result of the roosters chasing it all the way in but not committing. I also had just as many “yikes” throws that the optimist in me still wonders if I would’ve caught one of these bigger roosters had I not been a slacker. After getting humbled by these fish for a couple more hours (and being rather sad that we would be heading back home the next day), I headed back to the hotel to celebrate my girlfriends birthday with some great food and margaritas.

The last morning of the trip is where I was blessed with the perfect ending. I decided to wake up super early and see if the roosters were still along the beach before needing to head to the airport. I had never caught a Roosterfish on the fly before, and really was itching to check this one off my species list. While targeting the larger fish the day before, I noticed that several small baby Roosterfish were zipping around the wave breaks, so I decided to rig up a smaller whit and red deceiver fly and just focus on getting one of these guys. Upon arriving to the beach, I saw a baby rooster zip and zag right by the shore…put a throw into the wave breaks…and finally! Rooster on. Although this Rooster was in no way a giant, it meant everything and put up quite the battle. I made sure to just snap a quick selfie with this fish and get it back in the water quickly so it could grow to be the giant it deserves to be.

What a trip and what a time. I cannot wait to chase Roosters again in the future, as they really are an amazing fish that I’d like to spend the time getting to know better. The moments when the hard work pay off is makes fly fishing so rewarding, and I’ll never forget the memories made this trip for my 30th. My first drink as a 30-year old was a cold margarita with my girlfriend on the beach, and my first fish as a 30-year old was a Rooster on the beach. Can’t beat that.

Tight lines!

Joe

Uncategorized

Return to the Bayou

April 7, 2024 tcujsp303 Leave a comment

Every year, I need time on (and near) the water with those that I care about the most for my heart to feel full. Since I’ve been in middle school, spending time with my Dad fly fishing for Redfish in Louisiana has been something that has not only produced some unreal fish, but some of the best laughs, meals, and conversations as well. Luckily enough this year, we were able to return to the bayou to celebrate a birthday and chase after some nice fish.

Fishing in the spring can be a great time in Louisiana – the colder weather of the winter is gone, but big fish can still be found. For this trip specifically, we were fortunate from a weather perspective as Mother Nature held up. Not terrible winds, some sun in the sky…two blessings when you are in the marsh. Especially when you are fishing in a limited number of days and need to make each hour count.

As for the fishing itself on this strip, solid would probably be the word. Although nice weather was had, we were in a bit of a transition period after a cold front the week before, which didn’t have the reds schooled up (which typically makes life much easier). With that said, after putting in the hours, we were able to find some outstanding fish and make our opportunities count.

Not seeing large groups of fish had us actively searching the shoreline. After a slow first couple of hours on our first day, we started to see “single” reds swimming parallel to the shore pushing big wakes and having their backs out of the water. Close casts with dark colored flies were the trick here due to some murky water. Upon the proper fly delivery, we were provided with a handful of nice reds throughout the day – there really is nothing like the search and pull from a bid redfish.

In addition to this, we were able to land an extremely nice black drum on Day 1. As those who fish the marsh will know, these fish are absolutely catchable on the fly, but have the fraction of an attitude (and appetite) of a red. Slow strips and having the fly fall slowly right on this fish’s nose did the trick!

As for Day 2, it was a bit of a grind. We started off super hot by catching a nice red after spotting it from what seemed like a football field away (always awesome), but then really didn’t see a ton of life until the early afternoon. Fortunately, everything seemed to turn on in a major way in the last couple hours of day light. It seemed like we were starting to spook a good number of fish in the muddy water, and then we ultimately found some very large fish on the bank. We were able to make our throws count, and land a couple of very nice fish before we needed to head back to the launch. Similar to the day before (and most of the time in Louisiana), tight throws led to aggressive fish, and we were able to end our trip on a high note. Both of the fish below were high and happy, ready to eat a fly!

As I’ve shared on this site before, time on the water with my Dad will forever be one of my favorite things on this planet. Beyond lucky to be able to do this together, and getting to celebrate his birthday along with the fishing this year was icing on the cake.

Tight lines,

Joe e

Tarpon, Uncategorized

Heaven in Holbox

September 16, 2023 tcujsp303 Leave a comment

For those who have followed this blog over the years, our trips to Isla Holbox, Mexico are well documented. Perhaps the best juvenile tarpon fishery on planet earth (really not an exaggeration), this has continued to be our favorite international destination to chase the silver kings and princes that make this place home. Over the years, we have fished in Holbox several times in the early summer and winter (during breaks from school and work), but had never made it a point to visit in the late summer or early fall. In 2023, we decided to try Holbox out in late August, and man oh man did it deliver…

To keep it as short as I can, I saw more tarpon in our three days of fishing this year than I have ever seen before. The craziest part of it was not only was it the most tarpon I have ever seen, but they were the hungriest and most aggressive Holbox fish that we have ever come across. There were schools of fish by the hundreds, constant singles and double around almost every stretch of mangroves, and even large “roller” pods of bigger fish out in some of the deeper stretches of the bays. Really had never seen anything like it, and it led to an unreal three days on the water.

Day one really spoiled us from the jump. Upon the hour long boat ride to the flats, we ran across rolling fish just before we took off to the back mangroves, so took the time to stop and see if we could hook one of these fish. Upon rolling, you could tell that these fish were “larger” (30-50 pounds) and we were eager to see if the early morning light would have them feeling happy. Within 5 casts to the rolling group of fish, my line came tight and took off like a sky rocket. Fish on. Fishing in deeper water, not only was the fish doing its classic tarpon jumps and trying to shake the hook, but it was also making deep runs into the depths of the ocean making this fight even more excruciating. After about a 15-minute tug of war, we had the fish boatside and had the monkey quickly off our back for the week. A beautiful (dare I say perfect?) 40 pound fish in our hands, and we gave it a quick healthy release. After releasing this fish, our expectations for the day were high.

We continued to throw at the rolling fish for a bit, but ultimately decided to go back in the mangroves for the juvenile tarpon action. Fortunately for us, the fish were waiting and almost too aggressive as crazy as that might seem. We were hooking fish left and right, but were having a hell of a time getting them to the boat. I swear they were almost hitting the fly so quickly and taking off that we couldn’t get the right hook set, and quickly went 0-5 on hook ups to landed fish. Tarpon fishing, am I right? The good news though is we decided to suck less (and change flies to a different hook), and this immediately did the trick by landing the next handful of fish. Beautiful juvenile tarpon in hand with constant action throughout the day, what more can you ask for?

After seeing so many tarpon on Day 1, we decided to spend the morning going after permit on Day 2 (because we were playing with house money already). Permit had been making some appearances throughout the month, but in typical Permit fashion, were no where to be found this day. After a perfect throw to a passing bonefish (and it severely rejecting us), we took this as a sign that fate was leading us back to the baby tarpon. So we zipped over to some mangroves, and it was on again. What was special about this day was we were fishing in absolutely no more than 1-foot of water. Tarpon tails were out of the water, the sun was shining bright, and you needed to make the casts count. After going 3 for 3 on hook ups to landed fish this day, it was time to make the long boat ride back for a cold beer. A great day none-the-less.

As for the last day of fishing, this is where things got chaotic. My dad literally landed TEN (10) tarpon on this day. Unheard of really, especially considering there were easily another 10 that jumped off mid fight. The fish were schooling like crazy (in the hundreds), but it appeared that it was the single/double fish around the mangroves that were most aggressive. He absolutely made the most of his opportunity, and I think the word “legendary” is the only one that comes to mind when it comes to 10 tarpon on the day. As for me, it was an unreal day as well (and I fished with my uncle on this day). We ran into some difficult weather and rainstorms, but the fish did not seem to mind at all. I was able to land some fish on topwater gurglers early in the morning while they were smashing bait, and then consistently had success with our usual flies throughout the day. After landing 5-6 fish myself, it was a special day and a perfect way to end the trip.

To close this post, I do want to challenge anyone out there reading to make the time with those you love most on the water. I am beyond fortunate to have had my dad as my best friend and fishing partner for 30-years of my life, and although catching fish is special every single time they choose to cooperate, it’s the laughs and conversations over a margarita and taco that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Be grateful for what ya’ got and don’t take life/work/school/whatever too seriously during these moments.

Amen and tight lines!

Joe Petrow

Musky

Muskie : Dues Paying Off

September 15, 2020 tcujsp303 Leave a comment

The annual muskie trip has become a staple for my dad and me now going on 5+ years. As we have done every year since first going after these fish with a fly rod, my dad and I headed back up to Wisconsin in September ready to tangle with these big, green, mean machines. Although our trips to the Northwoods have always been a blast with muskie being caught, the last trip or two had been a grind in terms of sheer numbers of muskie to the net. For those who have fly fished for muskie, this is of no surprise in that these fish are in no way a cake walk with a fly. They can drive you nuts in that when you time it right, multiple fish days are possible, but at other times catching one or two in a week would be considered a major success. But truthfully I’m probably being greedy in that we have always left Wisconsin with some muskie slime on our hands! No matter how many casts it took!

I mention all of this in that it seemed as if we lucked out this year. Whether it was good mojo in our favor, dues being paid, or just happy fish everywhere, we had one of our most productive muskie trips ever this year. Only able to fish 3 full days, we were able to get 6 to the net which is as awesome as you could ask for!

We couldn’t have asked for better weather (minus some crazy wind at times). Early September was warm enough to keep us comfortable on the water, but the water temps had cooled enough to get the muskie active and moving around. We knew we were in for some fun within 5-minutes of leaving the boat ramp on day 1, in that a massive fish boiled on my fly within the first couple of throws towards the bank. Although it missed the fly, it gave us the wake up call we needed to keep us alert. Throughout the day, action was constant with 3 muskies landed (!), and with a couple of follows mixed in as well. It appeared that one of my home tied fire tiger colored “river pigs” was doing the trick in getting these fish amped up. Although the fish were willing to chase the fly down, the majority of our fish came pretty close to the bank this day.

As for Day 2, we got humbled with no fish to the boat. Not a surprise after an insanely good Day 1! I am about honesty on this blog, and the muskie once again showed us their middle fingers on this day. But the good news is that our final day would allow us to leave on a high note.

Day 3 was almost identical to Day 1, except for the fact that the weather was cloudier and a bit chillier. We were able to get 3 more fish to the boat on both fire tiger and all black “river pigs”. We made the right call and went back to the same stretch of river from day one, and it was clear that the fish in this system were willing to put the feed bag on. It is really such a special day when it call comes together like this, in that these fish require such a grind that it makes you cherish every one you get (or even get to see).

Words can’t explain how much my dad and I’s annual muskie outings mean to me. Very grateful to have this time with him every year, and we lucked out this year with the sheer number of fish willing to cooperate. Hoping that the muskie let us keep the good momentum again this year!

Joe

Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Uncategorized

Isla Holbox : Trip of a Lifetime

September 7, 2017 tcujsp303 Leave a comment

Man, what a trip. Although I have been extremely fortunate to fly fish around the world in some of the coolest places imaginable, our third trip back to Isla Holbox will forever be one for the memory books. Known for being one of the best juvenile tarpon destinations in the world, Isla Holbox has become one of my favorite saltwater destinations to fish. On top of this, the people, town, and culture of the area also make this place more than about fishing: it is a true getaway.

We decided to fish for five days in Isla Holbox, and the conditions were excellent. Typical summer on the flats. Clear skies, relatively calm wind (except for in the afternoons), a multitude of aquatic life out on the flats, and juvenile tarpon rolling everywhere. Whether these were in pods of three, or eighty, it seemed like no matter where we were polling, tarpon were around every corner. Fortunately enough for us, the tarpon were also in a feeding mood for the most part. Extremely light and soft-landing tarpon toads were the trick, and black/purple seemed to be the best bet for the week. We also had some success with chartreuse in the late afternoon (we even landed one off of a dock in the middle of the night!). Every time we return to Holbox, seeing these baby silver kings fly in the air and gulp for your fly is a sight to behold. To this day, if someone said I could only do one type of fly fishing for an extended period of time, fly fishing for juvenile tarpon would be tough to pass up on (especially with fish in the 20-30 pound range – see below). A good amount of action with the stealth of the hunt involved.

However, it wasn’t just the tarpon that stole the show on this trip. We totally lucked out on the last day of fishing, in that we chose to take a risk and visit a flat in which permit and bonefish will sometimes reside. And sure enough, as soon as we arrive on the flat, we began to see huge tailing stingrays. Anyone who has fly fished for permit know that this is one of the best signs possible, in that permit are known to follow behind stingrays to eat the crabs and other critters that are scared up from the disruption of the sand. After about two hours of following stingray trails, we saw a ray about 60 feet out that was completely hunkered down and feeding. With little sun above us, it was tough to see if anything was accompanying the ray, but as we inched closer and closer, I finally saw that famous black tail. A nice permit horizontally feeding off the back of the ray. A brief moment of light presented itself, and I threw the best cast of my life… landed a crab pattern softly six inches in front of the permit…and boom. You would have thought a jack crevalle had taken the fly. But no, the permit was that hungry. After about a ten-minute fight, the permit was in the boat, and fist pounds and celebration ensued. Funny enough about 15-minutes later, we saw another permit tailing over a stingray about 75-feet out. We landed the fly two feet in front and waiting for it to swim by…and whack. Two permit in 15-minutes. You can’t even write that up.

With TWO permit in the boat, we soon had one thing on our minds: Flats Grand Slam. Let’s go for it. After a short boat ride to another flat, we began to search for bonefish (which are not that prevalent in Holbox. Similar to the permit). However, it was just one of those days where everything was lining up. After about a hour of hunting, we ran across a large school of about 25 bonefish. Cast after cast we kept trying to get these bonefish to eat, but they were being beyond difficult. Throwing the classic shrimp patterns, nothing was going on, so we decided to go back to our permit setup. We saw a pod of three permit and threw in a large crab pattern, and soon had a fish take off with the fly. As soon as I hooked it, I knew something was funny in that the run was totally different. I looked into the water about 40-feet out and soon noticed that we had no permit, but a BONEFISH! It must have been lurking below the permit. We are able to land it to get phase two of the Grand Slam complete.

After the bonefish, we only had 1/3 left of the slam to go; the silver king himself. We jetted the boat all the way back to mainland Holbox to get back and explore in the mangroves. But for the first time in the week, we couldn’t find the tarpon. Low tide, low light, no rollers. Things were not looking up. However, as this story has been going, we had one moment of fortune yet again. We stopped at one last go-to flat and saw a pod of about eight fish circling. Threw in a home-tied black and purple Skank fly…strip strip strip…set set set…let’s go! A juvenile tarpon was on and fought like no other. Jumping left and right, dodging the bow of the boat. Fortunately enough for us, the big man upstairs and mother nature decided to bless us with a day for the ages, and we were able to get the tarpon in. Grand Slam complete. A dream of mine accomplished. What a day.

Although the Grand Slam was hands down the highlight of the trip, we also ran into several other species. Snook (both Pacific and Atlantic), Jack Crevalle, Mayan Cichlid, Atlantic Spadefish, and the always difficult Sheepshead. This was actually the first time I had landed a Sheepshead on fly, and it was eerily similar to the take of a permit. I was also stunned by the strength of the Atlantic Spadefish: a fish that I have seen before, but never thrown at. It took me to my backing faster than any bonefish would! The variety of species not only kept us on our toes throughout the entire day, but it once again continued to show us that fly fishing should not be specific to just a few, key species.

Isla Holbox will forever be an extremely special place to me, and I already cannot wait for my next adventure down there. Yes, the tarpon are hands down the spectacle to behold. But, with permit, bonefish, and other unique species around ever corner, Holbox continues to show how much diversity that the saltwater flats provide.

Until next time, tight lines, and thanks as always.

Joe

Catfish, The Creator - Joe Petrow

Study Abroad Catch of a Lifetime

May 31, 2015 tcujsp303 Leave a comment

Culture. Art. Gelato. The third most beautiful city in the world according to Forbes magazine. Wels catfish on the fly? Welcome to Florence, Italy.

Although this city is famous for its history and tradition of museums, churches, and specialized leather boutiques, during my study abroad experience as a junior in college, there was one item on my agenda that I never would have expected to make my trip: catching one of the biggest Wels Catfish on fly in the world known to date. With the fish consisting of 173 centimeters (68 inches) and estimated to be over 150 pounds, not only was this the fish of a lifetime, it was a perfect example of how a leap of faith is necessary to strengthen a fly-fisherman’s passion even in the most unpredictable environments.

After having visited every single historical site possible in Florence since arriving in late January, by the time May came around, my urge to fish became unbearable. As any other avid fly-fisherman would tell you, no matter what vacation or trip may be going on, the thought of “where can I fish here” never ceases to arrive in my thoughts. Deciding to not partake in another weekend excursion with my roommates, I did some research online and soon met up with Oliver, the owner and head of Fishing in Florence. Immediately I decided to book a day trip, and after meeting up with Ollie over a beer at one of the local pubs in the heart of Florence, I soon learned of a new species that I never realized could be caught on a fly: the Wels catfish. Not only did Ollie explain the difficulty and skill that is required to land one of these fish on the fly, but he also told me that prime conditions for these fish being sought after on the fly usually begins in June. However, with my limited time left in Florence and a departure date of May 16th set in the books, we planned a trip and headed out the very next week.

Meeting at 5:00AM at the Ponte della Grazie in the heart of Florence, we waited for our transfer and were driven approximately twenty minutes up the Arno River. Still being early in the season and with the heat of the Tuscan sun playing a drastic role in keeping these fish low in the water column, the fishing was tough. Although the fishing was difficult, spending the day fishing in deep, cool pools throughout the Arno River was a sight nonetheless. Stopping to drink a glass of wine and eat Bolognese ravioli at a local Trattoria also made the midday lunch break unforgettable compared to any other fishing trip I have ever been on. With only two fish hooked and none landed, Ollie promised me by the time that I left Florence that we would go out again and make it happen. Just “making it happen” would end up being one hell of an understatement.

Roughly two weeks after our trip, I was sitting in my apartment studying for a management test when I receive a call from Ollie. A local Italian friend had called him the previous night and told him that he had seen a pack of large Wels tailing in less than two feet of water, and that with a full moon, these fish could be stalked on the fly. With Ollie also having his friend and professional guide and angling writer Andy Buckley in town, the two asked me to join them on what would end up being one of the most memorable fishing moments I have ever experienced.

We arrived at a section of the Arno River at roughly 9:30 PM with our 12 wt Sage Xi3’s and Sage 6012 reels ready to go. After putting on the waders and scoping out the water, we found three sections of pools in which we thought the Wels could be eating. The moonlight was not at its prime, but there was still enough light to see into the river and for the Wels to be out hunting.

After casting away at the same pool for about a hour, Ollie decided that we should tie on some flies with more weight in order to see if the fish were suspended, and on the second cast with a new dumbbell, I struck something huge. It felt like I had just jammed my fly into the back of a Ford F-150 truck, and the fish immediately came to the surface. Although I had a headlamp on, I only was able to see the giant tail of the fish and immediately yelled fish on. Ollie and Andy sprinted over to watch me bring in the fish, and to provide me with help on where in the river I should be leading the fish to with my fly rod.

After about 20 minutes, the fish finally came to the surface and we were all in shock when we saw the size of it. At one point we saw the line in the water to the right, and just the tip of the fish’s tail roughly six feet away from the line: showing us the true size of this fish. At about the 25-minute mark, I was able to bring the fish into a slow moving pool, and it immediately spun upside down. As soon as it flipped over, Andy and Ollie grabbed the fish and with many yells and fist pounds, we were able to get the fish up onto the landing mat for pictures.

The Wels was 173 centimeters (68 inches) and is estimated to be between 155-165 pounds. This fish could potentially be the largest Wels ever caught on the fly, especially from the bank (or on a floating line), making this the fish of a lifetime for me. Needless to say, this fish will be forever known as “Big Joe”.

Below is a picture of me (right- gray Patagonia shirt) and Andy Buckley (left – blue Costa shirt) holding the fish. Due to the massive size of the fish, I am forever grateful to have had Ollie and Andy take me out fishing and help land and release the fish safely.

Before leaving for four months of study abroad, I am pretty sure my parents wanted me to “expand” my interests and become more cultural, intelligent, and open to new activities. Although I feel as if I did indeed gain some intelligence and cultural insight during my time in Europe, this story is a true testament to how there will always be one activity and passion that I will always turn to no matter where I am: fly fishing.

If you ever want to catch a Wels of your own on the fly, here is the link to Ollie’s website and guide service:

http://fishinginflorence.com