Only Florida - Only Fly Fishing
www.FlaFlyFish.com 1
Vol. 1 No. 6
http://waterworks-lamson.com
What ’s Inside?
Florida Fly Fishing Magazine
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fly Fishing Forecast...................5 Only Florida - Only Fly Fishing Simon Gawesworth Explains Product Categories..............8 Jack Gartside’s Gurgler and its Variations..................... 14 Ethan, “Lil’ Fin” ................. 24 PFG?... You bet!................. 30 Matt Schliske Comes to Florida................................ 34 More from Capt Alan Zaremba............................ 54 A Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Conservation Blue Ribbon Sponsor
Florida Fly Fishing Magazine publishes articles about fly fishing in the Sunshine State. It is published on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Dunedin, Florida.
Editor & Publisher Edward C. Maurer Contributing Editors: Aaron Adams Joe Mahler Ken Morrow Robert Morselli Dusty Sprague Contact: editor@flaflyfish.com (727) 798-2366
A publication of Edward Maurer Consulting, LLC. Copyright 2012 All rights reserved.
Actions, activities, travel, techniques, etc. seen within are examples of what others do and participate in and should only be carried out by qualified individuals. The outcome of your activities remain your own responsibility. Properly wear and use all safety equipment. If you’re afraid of the water, stay away from it.
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Dunedin, Florida Properties by Deborah Scott The Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay and Orlando at your fingertips
Looking north with the 2008 No. 1 Beach in America, Caladesi Island, in the foreground with Honeymoon Island reaching toward the horizon. The Dunedin Marina is Central Florida’s Gateway to the St. Joseph Sound, the Gulf of Mexico and world-class fly fishing.
Located on the Gulf of Mexico between Homosassa and Boca Grande, Dunedin offers anglers the relaxed comfort of a top-rated small town combined with immediate access to the popular and highly productive St. Joseph Sound flats, tarpon-rich beaches of Honeymoon and Caladesi islands, fabulous Tampa Bay and the tournament-class lakes of Central Florida.
Deborah Scott
Realtor 727.204.0850 deborahsdunedin@gmail.com www.deborahscottrealty.com Van Hook Properties Inc. 949 Broadway Dunedin, FL 34698
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fly Fishing Forecast for September 2012
Tarpon may be found in areas of Sarasota Bay, upper Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay this month. With their spawning duties completed, snook will stage around bridges, docks and seawalls and schools of big reds will roam the flats of north Sarasota Bay. Look for big trout in skinny water at first light and fish deep grass flats for trout and more later in the morning. False albacore (little tunny) and Spanish mackerel should feed in glass minnow schools along the beaches and near the mouth of Tampa Bay. Tarpon fishing is a different game in September. Rather than the crystal clear waters of the coastal gulf, they will move to inside waters of upper Charlotte Harbor, Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay. The good news is that they go there to eat. I’ve had success in these areas by casting wide profile baitfish fly patterns on a sinking fly line to rolling fish early in the morning. Also, look for tarpon and more feeding in ladyfish schools in the same areas. Work a fly slowly around the edges of ladyfish schools for tarpon; if you work it too fast ladyfish will eat it before a tarpon has a chance. You might also find tarpon around bridges, cruising shadow lines at night or rolling on the surface in the morning. You may find juvenile tarpon, from 10 to 30-pounds, in creeks and canal systems of upper Charlotte Harbor. Fly anglers should score with dark, wide profile flies fished on sinking lines. I like to work a bunny fly slowly along the bottom for the best action. Snook season remains closed this month on the west coast of Florida until September 2013 due to recent action taken by Florida FWC. I applaud their actions to protect snook, one of our premier game fish. When fishing areas where snook are present, use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly with minimal handling. You will still find them in the surf this month and they will also begin to stage around docks, bridges and seawalls close to passes. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, should work for snook in the surf. Cast fly poppers and Gurglers along seawalls and around docks and bridges early in the day. There should also be good action around 5
lighted docks and bridges in the ICW at night. The same flies that work in the surf will also work at night. Reds should be schooled up on shallow flats this month. After they’ve been pressured for a while they may be harder to find. Look for them in deeper water close to bars and the edges of flats. It will be easier to locate them when the tide is low and it is calm. Look for something as obvious as a boat wake or as subtle as a “nervous” patch of water when it is calm. I’ve also found them feeding on the surface like jacks with birds on them. Often they are not that easy to find and they can be very spooky. Once I’ve located a school of reds, I use a push pole to get ahead of them and position the boat
Look for albies (little tunny) in the coastal gulf this month.
to make a cast. A trolling motor can be used sparingly, however if you run it hard, vary the speed or turn it on and off, it is more likely to spook reds than at a continuous slow speed. Fly anglers should score with poppers, Gurglers or wide profile baitfish fly patterns such as Lefty’s Deceiver or EP flies. Fly poppers may make a school of reds show themselves. The shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay are some of my favorite spots for reds. You might also find big trout in skinny water in many of the same places you find reds. The best time will be at first light in the morning. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, ha Focus on bait and mullet schools to find them and gulf off Sarasota on flies last September wh cast fly poppers and Gurglers on floating lines Capt. Rick Grassett file photos. for exciting strikes. There will be a very narrow window of action from first light until it gets bright out, so don’t be late. After it gets bright out, trout will drop into deeper water where you might find them feeding along with blues, ladyfish, jacks or even tarpon. Look for
ladyfish feeding in glass minnow schools and if they will stay on the surface for a few minutes, blues, jacks, trout and even tarpon may join the fray. If you don’t find feeding ladyfish, look for bait schools or bird activity to locate fish. When blind casting, focus on seams where grass meets sand and make a series of drifts, casting ahead of the drift with Ultra Hair Clouser flies or fly poppers or a popper/fly combo fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line to find fish. This should be a good month for false albacore (little tunny) and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf or at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Look for surface activity, diving birds or breaking fish, to find them. Once you’ve located fish, set up ahead of the school and intercept them. Fly anglers should do well with 7 or 8-weight fly tackle and my Grassett Snook Minnow fly fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. You should also be able to fish a popper on the same fly line. Spanish mackerel and false albacore schools usually do not mix, but you will need to add heavy fluorocarbon or wire for the mackerel. Also, look for early arriving king mackerel this month. You might find them around schools of breaking false albacore or Spanish mackerel. There will be a lot of options in September, from late season tarpon, to reds and trout on the flats or catch and release snook at night or in the surf. Inshore fishing will be best early in the day or in the dark, so plan to fish early in the day for the best action. One of my favorite things to do this month is to fish for false albacore. What a great fish to catch on a fly! Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit! Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. Orvis Endorsed Outfitter Guide FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net www.snookfin-addict.com
ad fast action with them in the coastal hile fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
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MORSELLI’S POV
RIO’s Simon Gawesworth Explains Product Categories Robert Morselli
The idea to write this article came about during a discussion with several anglers. The topic: fly line price points. You can purchase a fly line at a discount shop for as little as $9.99, and products at the other end of the price/ quality spectrum can run ten to twelve times that amount. You can easily guess that the main point of discussion was price range. One significant flareup came early in the discussion, when someone offered “they’re all the same, the only difference is price, and some anglers need to think that they’re fishing with a ‘superior’ product” (… !?!... ), not quite something I’d agree with, but it certainly got me thinking… The end of that fairly heated debate cried out for many points that needed clarification, so I contacted Simon Gawesworth, RIO’s line development guru and chief marketer - our brief Q & A appears below. I also put Simon’s claims to the test, and asked RIO to send me three lines (same weight rating and taper), at three different price points: RIO’s Mainstream (entry level, $40), Avid (mid-range, $55) and Trout LT (premier series, $75) lines. I spent an entire day fishing the lines on both a fast and a traditional fly rod. My observations follow the Q & A. F3M: Considering the features offered in the RIO LT range of products, why would anyone gravitate towards Avid lines? SG: It is no more than a pricing reason, to be honest. The LT is far superior in sophistication of taper, in materials used, in technologies and slickening agents, and is a much better line. However, not everybody wants to pay $75 for a fly line, and for anglers that aren’t going to appreciate the extra quality and price of the LT, the Avid is a great way of getting a very good trout line for a lot less money. F3M: Which species are the Avids best suited to (besides trout)? - are they more of a multi-species line than other RIO products? SG: They are designed for trout, but will work for most coldwater species that don’t require casting huge or air resistant flies. F3M: How do the Avid cores (materials/weave) and coating material formula differ from the hi-end and entry level products?
SG: In many ways; 1) The raw materials used are not of the highest grade, nor of the lowest. Our LT has the finest micron size of microshperes, and the very best silicones and other raw ingredients. With the Avid lines we use slightly less a quality of raw materials than we do with the Premier lines, but a much higher grade of chemistry than of our mainstream level. The same with the core material, where we use the tightest, smoothest weave cores possible on the LT and Avid lines, and for the Mainstream lines we use a slightly lesser quality braid. F3M: Are the Avid tapers adjusted to suit a moderate (as opposed to advanced) casting proficiency? SG: Yes, the Avid lines have a little more weight, and more front loading than the AFTMA standard recommends, just for that reason - to be easy to cast, and ideal for moderate casters. F3M: Is the durability, hardness, slickness, materials formula of the Avids on par with the hi-end or entry level products? If neither, what makes the Avids unique? SG: Neither, really. The Avid lines have their own unique chemistry and features. For example, Avid lines have AgentX Simon Gawesworth courtesy http://www. technology and Extreme Slickness, which speyborn.com were are top quality technologies last year. Now the new trout premier lines, like the Trout LT, have a very sophisticated, highly enhanced technology coating that we call MaxCast. Lines like the Mainstream don’t have any such technologies. The hardness is about the same for each level of line, but the durability and slickness certainly improves with the addition of the technologies. Summary: there are very real materials/manufacturing and physical differences that are responsible for performance differences in different product categories. On the water… Note that there’s one difference in overall line length, with the Mainstream line having 10 feet less running line than the other two. RIO LT Trout RIO’s Trout LT lines constitute the “full package,” so expect super-slickness, hi-flotation, welded loops and individual taper formulas. Make these the go-to lines when you’re expecting to fish quiet, cool waters. Also, if your casting is up to the task, expect surgically precise deliveries, and the softest of presentations, whether you’re fishing up close or at mid-range distances. LT coatings were developed for coldwater use and are amongst the most 9
supple lines available. They are the ideal partner for traditional, softer fly rods and perform well on new-school models with more zip. Roll-casting the LT is at treat that will probably spoil you. An excellent product for fishing tight quarters.
RIO Avid Well balanced and surprisingly supple, with no appreciable difference in slickness when compared to the LT (perhaps something that becomes more apparent with long-term use). Avid tapers seem to have been designed to high-light the qualities of medium-to-fast action rods, but will function adequately with more traditional rods. More of a general use line than the LT. Great performer if meatier flies are part of your fishing day. Loads quickly. RIO Mainstream Due to its core weave, Mainstream offers a bit more stretch when the line lays out, so expect a little bounce-back and adjust your drift accordingly. The line is a little less buoyant – but not enough to make mending a chore. The Mainstream is better suited to cooler conditions, so not quite the all around line the Avid is. Taper formula makes casting a breeze, making it perfectly suited to novice anglers.
Editor’s Note: You know this - when summer waters heat up it’s often neccesary to fish deep and slow. The best bet for deep fishing is to use sinking tip or full sink lines to keep the fly down where the fish are expecting to see thier food. I’ve been using one of each from Rio and have found them to cast well and present the fly where I need it. I highly recommend you try the Tropical F/I floating intemediate line with Rio’s XS - Extreme Slickness Technology and their DeepSea 200 grain line with a 26 foot fast sinking head. Both lines cast extremely well and make casting from a kayak on a windy day that much easier. They both also have front and rear welded loops. Learn more at http://www.rioproducts.com/fly-lines/saltwater TROPICAL F/I The Saltwater Tropical F/I features a floating tropical coating with a 9.5 ft clear intermediate tip. Built on a medium stiff core that is easy to stretch. The perfect line for deeper flats or windy days. Will turn over a 12 ft - 15 ft leader in a strong wind.
DEEPSEA 26FT SINK TIP Designed by Trey Combs and Jim Vincent to get down for inshore and offshore species in tropical conditions. DC 26 ft fast sinking head. Medium stiff core and hard tropical coating. Will not get mushy in the heat.
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Join the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Today! BTT’s mission is to conserve and enhance global bonefish, tarpon and permit fisheries and their environments through stewardship, research, education and advocacy, as well as: • Serving as a repository for information and knowledge related to the life cycle, behavior and well being of bonefish, tarpon and permit. • Nurturing and enhancing bonefish, tarpon, and permit populations. • Supporting research on bonefish, tarpon, and permit behavior and life cycles, and on bonefish, tarpon, and permit fisheries. • Providing educational material to the public and fishermen • Wo r k i n g w i t h r e g u l a t o r y authorities and the public to ensure that the laws protecting these species are enforced • Interacting with government agencies to assist in the management and regulations related to bonefish and tarpon. BTT is a group of concerned anglers and guides who want to preserve their way of life. Scientists working to answer questions about these popular and elusive gamefish. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is this and more. It was formed in 1998 by a group of anglers, guides, and scientists in the Florida Keys who wanted to learn more about bonefish and tarpon in order to enhance their dwindling populations. Since then it has grown to include concerned anglers from over 20 countries, researchers from throughout the www.tarbone.org world, and guides committed to working with BTT in order to educate anglers and gather data while on the water. Our continued success can only be guaranteed by your generous support and that of your fellow anglers. Please help us in our mission by joining, and urging your friends, guides, captains, and fishing clubs to join at www.tarbone.org.
Attention Bonefishermen!
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Jack Gartside’s Gurgler and its Variations The Story - I am not a crook! Stuart Patterson
I stepped out of my baby-shit brown Datsun B-210 and slammed the car door. I could hear the rust fall inside the door frame as the impact reverberated through the chassis. The year was 1987 and I was 19. A cool breeze was coming off the ocean as I crushed the cigarette between my fingers and threw it into the door side ashtray of the bait and tackle. It would be dark in an hour and we had an incoming tide. I walked into the shop on A1A in faded jeans, bare feet, and shirt-less. Following close behind was my best friend Steve with our bait-bucket in hand. We were on our way to Sebastian Inlet and needed a few dozen shrimp. Steve walked up to the register and handed the bucket to the guy behind the counter whom we had never seen before. He was real skinny, had a dirty looking beard and a lit Pall Mall barely hanging from his lips. We’ll call him Slim Jim for this story. He looked like a Slim Jim. Steve stood at the register waiting to get our bucket back while I checked out some of the hand-tied Red Hawk jigs. I picked one up and inspected it. Poor quality, I thought. “Hook seems pretty cheap,” I spoke out loud, not to anyone really, just my mind and mouth connected and out it came. I returned the jig to its home on the rack and walked back to the register just as Slim Jim returned with our bucket. It was empty! The expression on his face was really odd; a mixture of anger and fear, with that damn cigarette, ash getting longer by the second, still pursed between his snarled lips. As I stared back, trying to determine if I insulted him, he grabbed the phone off the wall and announced he was calling the police! In shock, Steve and I both spun around looking for the criminals. “What is going on!” I shouted, looking for the evil-doers. Our fight-or-flight instincts were kicking into overdrive. Looking back, it must have appeared quite comical. Steve and I are both startled, thinking something is “going down,” and trying to see what Slim Jim is so concerned about. Then I realized he was staring at me! He shouts, “You stole that jig!” My heart skipped a beat. I was shocked and dumb-founded by the accusation.
I weakly replied, “No I didn’t.” “I saw you take it!” he screamed. “It’s in your pants!” I stood there staring, uncertain what to do as I tried to regain my composure. Being accused of a crime I did not commit was unnerving. I slowly pulled my pockets out while staring at him. Lent, lighter, and a few crumpled ones fell to the floor. I raised my voice and said “Call the cops! I did not take anything!” Yet he continued, “I saw you put it down your pants!” What was this guy smoking before we arrived? I am not a thief and sticking a hook down my pants was something I would never subject Mr. Winkie too. Hell, I was 19, Mr. Winkie was my best friend! Staring directly at this jerk, my eyes never leaving his, I unbuttoned by jeans and dropped them to my ankles. Fortunately, I was not going Commando that day. Steve began laughing uncontrollably as I stood in my underwear. Slim Jim’s jaw dropped as he slowly replaced the phone handset back onto the hook. He never said a word as I pulled my pants back up and walked to the door. With one foot outside I turned at the entrance, looked back at him and said “you need to quit smoking that shit at work!” As we drove away, Steve turned to me, still laughing, and said “I guess we are lucky he didn’t accuse you of hiding it in your butt!” The Fly – The Gartside Gurgler The fly fishing community owes much to the late and great Jack Gartside. Jack was known for his sense of humor and his love of all things fly fishing. I hope my story would have raised a chuckle. It is with great honor to his memory that I present this history on the creation of the Gurgler, written by Jack, from his book Scratching the Surface. I recommend you purchase a copy. I have found it to be a fascinating look into the mind and designs of a legend of fly tying http://www.jackgartside. com/books.php Note: The follow excerpt is reprinted with permission from JackGartside. com. (http://www.jackgartside.com/). With permission, I have also inserted color photos, replacing the black and white photos in the book. 15
Birth of a Gurgler It was in the Spring of 1988 down in the Bahamas that the Gurgler was born, at least in its first rather primitive incarnation. Hoverbugger Jack Gartside Copyright JackGartside.com I had been having success with the Hoverbugger (or Gartside Bug) described above but there were times when even this fly wouldn’t produce, when the large jacks I was fishing for seemed simply uninterested. This
Jack Gartside usually happened when the jacks were just sort of milling around a foot or so under the surface, not doing anything in particular, just hanging out, or so it seemed to me. It was interesting to watch but I wanted to more than just watch; I wanted to catch them. But they showed no interest in anything I’d throw at them. That is, until I made a small--but, as it turnout, a very important--adjustment to the Hoverbugger. One evening while tying up some tan Hoverbuggers, I decided to see what the fly would look like if I left a length of foam a little forward of the eye and raised it a bit instead of trimming the foam snugly behind the eye as I usually did. This inverted lip looked like it would create a commotion when worked across the surface of the water, much like the Jitterbug I used to love to fish when I was a boy going after bass back in Massachusetts. Holding the finished fly in my hand, it certainly looked odd but I was sure that it would work on these reluctant jacks--if anything would. The next morning just before the sun rose above the horizon, I had my first chance to try out this new fly on a school of milling jacks. There were about
a dozen of them lying over a dropoff at the edge of a nearby sandbar, widely spaced and doing nothing. And they were all large. I cast my Hoverbugger with the inverted lip out along the edge of the school and worked it back towards me very quickly. The inverted lip produced a commotion and a gurgling sound as the fly moved towards me. As I retrieved, I also wiggled the rod from side to side to send the fly this way and that, making the fly do a crazy dance across the surface-just like my old Jitterbug, I thought with a smile. It took only two casts before I caught the attention of the fish and the whole school of jacks moved in on it. Seeing them move, I worked the fly even f a s t e r n o w. J u s t The Hoverbugger before I reached the end of my retrieve, when the fly was only about twenty feet from my rod tip, the swiftest among them grabbed it, almost ripping the rod from out of my hand with the force of the strike. The fish was very strong and very fast and almost before I could say Well, I ‘II be damned, it was into my backing and headed for the safety of some submerged pilings. It almost made it but I was able to turn it in time and steer it hack into the open water. On its second run, however, the fish was more successful and soon wound the line around a piling. Bum luck, I thought, but at least the fly had worked. And the day was still young. I walked back to the sand bar to try again. The school was still there--minus of course the fish that had broken me off--and they were still just hanging out about twenty feet off the sandbar. I pulled some line of my reel, measured my distance, and set the fly down right into the middle of them. As I’d done before, I began my retrieve almost as soon as it hit the water, moving the fly just as fast as I could while at the same time wiggling my rod tip. And then, just as before, the whole school was soon on it like hounds on a hare and another fish was on. This time, though, I landed it and quickly released the fish to rejoin its pals. It weighed about fifteen pounds, I guessed. I replaced my chewed-up fly and caught two more before the school finally wised up and 17
moved off. This experience marked the beginning of a long love affair with the fly I now called the “Gurgler.” Original Gurgler copyright JackGartside.com In his book, Jack discusses the process of tying the Original Gurgler by referencing the Hoverbugger fly. You can easily tie the Original Gurgler by using a marabou tail and saddle-hackle for the under-body referencing the photo as needed. I recommend anyone really interested in the history of this fly to purchase the book from www. JackGartside.com. Let’s continue reading Jack’s instructions on tying the Standard Gurgler… This original Gurgler The Original Gurgler served me quite well for several seasons. I fished it for just about every species that would take a surface fly and to this day this version is still my first choice when flyrodding for largemouth and smallmouth bass. But further changes were yet to come. Further Modifications Standard Gurgler copyright JackGartside.com If you compare the photo of the original Gurgler to that of the now Standard Gurgler, you’ll clearly see the modifications I‘ve made to the original. To make the fly more durable and easier to extract from some of the toothier fish like bluefish and barracuda, I now began to tie the Gurgler on a long-shank hook rather than the regular The Standard Gurgler shank I had been tying it
on. This small section of bare shank serves also as a sort of short wire-guard, to make it less likely that I would be bitten off. In addition, the relatively empty shank will sink a bit and cause the front end of the fly to ride a little higher and produce a dipping action that can be absolutely deadly at times. In the summer of 1991, l began to substitute bucktail for the marabou tail and also to overlay both the tail and the shell with Glimmer, to add both a bit of sparkle to the fly and also to further protect the foam shell from being cut through by teeth. I also began to streamline the body considerably, slimming it down and making it more baitfish-like in profile and also at the same time less wind-resistant. It was at about this time that l began to sell the Gurgler commercially and it soon became a favorite of stripper fishermen throughout New England. For the past eight seasons now, the Gurgler—or Gartside Gurgler as it’s often called—has accounted for almost a third of all the striper I’ve taken, including several fish of over forty pounds. It’s easily my first choice whenever the water is fairly calm and stripers or blues are near the surface. The Gartside Gurgler (The Standard Version) Hook: Mustad #34011 (salt water), #4-2/0 Mustad #37187 (FW stinger- hook), #2-1/0 Mustad #9674 (FW), #6-2 Thread: Danville’s 3/O or Monocord, white Tail: Very sparse bucktail overlaid with five or six strands of pearl Glimmer or Krystal Flash Body: White closed-cell foam, with five evenly-spaced segments. Foam should be 1/2”-5/8” wide for most flies. Rib: White or Grizzly saddle hackle palmered between segments Carapace or Shell: Closed-cell foam pulled over body and secured just behind eye. Trim foam leaving an excess of about 1/2” protruding beyond eye. Tying Notes: When tying the Gurgler, use foam at least 1/8” thick. You may trim your lip in various ways, using a simple straight cut (the most usual way) or you may round the corners a bit to further cut down wind resistance and make the fly less likely to spin as it travels through the air. Colors: In addition to the white Gurgler described above I also tie some of my Gurglers in yellow and in black. I don’t believe the fish pay much attention to the different colors, but I find that under certain light conditions it’s easier for me to see yellow or black and this often makes a big difference when I’m tracking the fly. 1/2. Attach thread just behind eye and wind back approx. halfway along shank. At mid-shank tie in a very sparse tail of bucktail (tail should be approx. 1 1/2 times shank length). Leave rear half of shank bare. 19
1. Tie in 6” of five or six strands of Glimmer at base of tail (tie them down in the middle of your strands, so that you have 3” forward of your thread wraps and 3” behind). Now bring the forward strands back over the tail and take a turn or two of thread to secure the strands and keep them out of your way).
2. Cut 4”-5” of foam (approx. 3/4” wide for most sizes) and lay this flat on top of shank. (Remember that body and shell are formed from ONE piece of foam.) Tie in so that front part of foam ends just short of eye, leaving around 2”-3” trailing to the rear of the shank.
3. With your tying thread, make five distinct and evenly-spaced segments, cupping the foam around the hook shank as you wind thread forward. When segments are formed, wind thread to the rear in between segments, tightening thread as you do so.
4. At beginning of rearmost segment, tie in saddle feather (with one side of hackle stripped) by the tip. Move thread forward again between segments up to the eye of the hook. Palmer feather forward between segments and tie down just behind eye. Trim excess.
7. Bring foam over top of body and tie down snugly just behind eye. Bring five or six strands of Glimmer over the shell, snug them down and tie down at foam tie-down point. Trim away excess Glimmer. Whip finish head and trim lip to desired height.
Tying Notes The above instructions are for tying the “standard” half-shank Gurgler. If you’re not concerned about durability or simply want a fly with a longer body, you may also tie this fly with either a 2/3 shank-length body or a full shanklength body. This will result in a heavier, more wind-resistant fly but there are times when a fuller profile may be more desirable and effective. For different effects, you may also substitute saddle hackle or marabou for the bucktail used in the tailing. Marabou (the original Gurgler tail) and saddle hackle have more innate action than bucktail. By using saddle hackles you can tie up a Gurgler with a very long profile. You should remember, however, that marabou is a very fragile material given to easy fraying and is very susceptible to rotting if not dried after use; saddle hackle is likewise fragile and is also more likely to foul around the shank than bucktail. But you may consider the benefits to outweigh the drawbacks and use either material to achieve the effect you’re looking for. Experimentation is always desirable. In Jacks book, Scratching the Surface, he continues with how the fly should be fished. I am leaving that to you to read and research. Buy the book.
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Gurgler Variations The list of variations on the Gurgler is many. I have included a few of my favorites below. Frog Gurgler This is a fly I tie for bass. Like all Gurgler patterns it can be tied large or small simply by changing the hook, length and width of foam, and starting position of the foam on the shank. The photo shows one I tied on a Mustad 34011 #2. The tail is made with a jig skirt with the legs tied to create a knee. The body is chartreuse Estaz standard (10mm) and the green foam is colored with From left to right - Frog Gurgler, Tarpon Gurgler, Gartside a black sharpie. Gurgler, and Double Estaz Gurgler Captain Scott Yetter’s Tarpon Gurgler I stumbled upon Captain Yetter’s Gurgler while doing some reseach on Tarpon flies. Scott’s fly takes Jack’s design and modifies it to accomdate mono eyes, a craft fur tail with barring and gold Krystal Flash as well as using a fantastic new material, EP Streamer Brush with Micro legs. The Gurgler is very shrimpy and as you can see in Scott’s video it works very well on tarpon. Checkout Scott’s YouTube video on how to tie this variation and to see it in action! Also, if you are looking for a Keys fly fishing guide be sure to stop by his website at http://www.sightfishfloridakeys.com/ Gartside Gurgler This is Jack’s Standard Gurgler mentioned above. Double Cactus or Double Estaz Gurgler This Gurgler is tied just like the Gartside Gurgler but you replace the saddle hackle in the body with Estaz or Cactus chenille. This is a variation that did not slip by Jack. He covers this version in his book Scratching the Surface. Personally, I take two pieces of 2mm craft foam and using adhesive spray on both sides I glue the pieces together. This creates a thicker Gurgler that floats higher in the water, is slightly more resilient to teeth, and allows for multiple colors in the design.
In Closing The Gartside Gurgler is a fly I use often. I have caught just about every species in my area with this versatile and fun fly. If you are not currently using it, I suggest you add it to your box and enjoy one of my guilty pleasures; the top-water hit and hook set. Throwing top-water flies is both exciting and productive. Tie up some Gurglers and hit the water! Jack Gartside is counted as one the most innovative and prolifically inventive fly tyers of the modern era. He got his first fly tying lesson in 1956 from Ted Williams, the great Boston Red Sox outfielder. That served as the beginning of a professional tying and angling career that spanned more than 50 years. Jack was one of the first fly tyers profiled in Sports Illustrated magazine (Oct. 12, 1982). His bestknown original patterns include the Gurgler, the Sparrow, the Soft Hackle Streamer, and the Gartside Pheasant Hopper. His designs have been featured in Eric Leiser ’s Book of Fly Patterns, Judith Dunham’s The Art of the Trout Fly, Lefty Kreh’s Salt Water Fly Patterns, Dick Stewart’s Salt Water Flies, and Dick Brown’s Flyfishing for Bonefish . Sadly, Jack left us in December 2009. In 2010 he was selected into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame . It was a long-standing desire of his that his work and this web site continue to be available after he was gone . And so it is. From http://www.jackgartside . com
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Jack
Ethan, “Lil’ Fin” to his friends, has grown a bit since we featured him earlier this year. He’s older (just turned four) and wiser now and his casting continutes to improve much faster than any of the grownup anglers he hangs with.
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This kids’ the real thing. When he fly fishes--he fly fishes. No bait, no Daddy hooking and passing the rod. No--Lil’ Fin’s “The Man.” When it comes to style, attitude and just the simple joy of catching fish, this kid’s got it in the bag. We should all be this happy with even our smallest catches....
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The Waterworks - Lamson name has become synonymous with high quality fly reels at reasonable prices. In a market where even foreignmade reels are often priced higher than need be, Lamson continues to offer reels made in Boise, Idaho that have intelligent pricing. A case in point is Lamson’s new Velocity Nickel reel. Priced in the $250 $350 dollar range, the VN is a large arbor reel that demonstrates Lamson’s attention to function, quality and fair pricing. Lamson’s Velocity family has always represented value for money with large arbor, lightweight but durable reels that have excellent drag performance. With the introduction of Velocity Nickel, Lamson provides the discerning angler yet another first in this price range: a ported arbor to quicken line drying and produce the lightest Velocity ever. The Velocity Nickel is finished in the same beautiful Type 2 anodizing Lamson uses on its Guru. So you now have a choice in the Velocity line: Velocity Hard Alox for an incredibly tough finish, or the lighter and brighter Velocity Nickel. It is further accented with Lamson’s trademark burnt-orange anodized drag cassette. The Velocity Nickel maximizes the benefits of large arbor design by maximizing the arbor diameter-to-width ratio. The spool is large in circumference and wide so that line is stored in a shallow layer. The increased circumference provides a high retrieve rate and eliminates line coil memory. The wide, shallow line layer means there is little radius change as line is pulled from the reel resulting in constant drag torque during long runs, which eliminates the risk of The Velocity Nickel’s ported arbor quickens line tippets breaking due to drying and produces the lightest Velocity ever. drag force gain when a 27
large, fast fish first strikes or makes a sudden for the horizon. All the reels in the Velocity line share some important construction aspects that make these both extremely strong while being light weight. They seem to be designed more as an attempt at a hi-tech aerospace project than a fly reel. The first thing one notices before even picking up a VN is the great number of lightening holes in the spool. While holes seem to contradict strength, their presence contributes to stiffness because the edges of the holes create reinforcement perpendicular to the flat areas of the metal, much like that of ridges in a car body. These reinforcements add stability to the reel in all its planes and virtually eliminates flexing cause by the stress of a hard fight. If you’ve ever had a reel get out of round it’s because it failed materially and tried to collapse; it became less round. While the Velocity reels do have obvious “spokes” on their outer edges the need for such on the inner face is eliminated by these holes. A n o t h e r important aspect of all Lamson reels is their proprietary drag system comprised of a drag cone that rotates with the spool that presses into a stationary cone within the reel housing. This system provides several advantages: -This is a sealed drag systems that is impervious to water, salt and grit. Unlike typical reels, the Lamsons drags won’t be harmed by using them in less than pristine conditions. -The mass of these conical drag elements is centralized which makes the spool’s rotating mass much lower and makes the reel more responsive to light drag settings. -Because the average radius of the contact surface is much smaller (being conical rather than disk-shaped), start-up torque is too low to measure. With other reels using flat drag surfaces it’s this start-up torque that contributes to breakoffs during hard, fast strikes. The Velocity’s clutch is also different than that of other reels. While most other premium reels rely on a pawl type clutch mechanism, these are often vulnerable to stress related failure, contamination and wear. All of Lamson’s reels employ a Torrington zero-lash roller clutch. This mechanism relies on the locking effect of a number of ramps and rollers to achieve torque transmission. There are no “teeth” or “steps” to break off or wear out. And the zero-lash
feature means instant engagement. This improves feel and eliminates “spike” that the reel, line and leader experience when a typical pawl clutch hooks up. What results from this dance of technology and style is a reel that weighs
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See the entire Waterworks-Lamson line at http://waterworks-lamson.com 29
PFG?... You bet! Robert Morselli
Task-specific clothing is stuff that should work for you. They’re items that allow you to comfortably carry out a task and, ideally, increase your performance without worrying that they’ll break down somehow and impede your play/work-flow. Columbia graciously provided me with an array of PFG (Performance Fishing Gear) items to put through the paces. My observations follow. Columbia Bonehead PFG shirt ($43) 100% cotton shirt that’s made really large, so no worries about restricted motion (although considerable flap when your zipping along on your skiff). Features a corresponding large, rear vent with a coarse mesh underlay –
which goes a long way in keeping you cool even in just a slight breeze. I have a preference for cotton items, but cotton quality can vary greatly, Columbia
selected a hi-quality cotton (along with a perfect weave) for the Bonehead: offers excellent breathability, and dries quickly. No shortage of pockets (4, in various sizes, with Velcro closures) and loops aplenty for attaching light tools.
If you’re sporting this shirt in a freshwater environment, you can seriously consider leaving your vest at home. With one minor tweak (fining up that rear mesh in order to keep bugs out), this could easily be transformed into an ideal freshwater shirt. Are you listening, Columbia? (Mother Boyle???) Also features a collar that locks down via Velcro, instead of those annoying tiny buttons (nice touch). And there’s a Velcro rod holder. Excellent value. Highly recommended. 31
Columbia Men’s Cool Creek shorts ($55) I like everything about the minimalist aesthetic, to the extent that I’m envious of those that travel, and fish, using only the bare essentials. If that’s your mode (or the mode that you aspire to), then Columbia’s Cool Creek shorts are for you.
Packed with intelligent features like close-to-the-body tailoring that’s coupled with comfort-stretch fabric, waterproof waist snap, rear Velcro pockets and one large zippered side pocket that can hold a medium sized fly-box. Poly-blend features Columbia omni-wick advanced evaporation tech, so dries lightning quick, and probably the snazziest shorts you’re likely to see on the water. Fashion conscious?... sport these and you won’t have to change into your ‘fancy pants’ before heading out to the bar. One minor flaw: coarse mesh pockets in lieu of drainage holes are OK, but not suitable for keys or small implements as they tend to get caught in the mesh. Recommended for minimalists.
www.jeffharrellart.com 33
Matt Schliske Comes to Florida
Highly regarded bamboo rod builder transitions from the Rockies to the Sunshine State If you get wet just thinking about bamboo rods and you live in Florida or one of those other close-by states you now have one of the premier bamboo rods builders living nearby. Now, don’t fall into the trap of thinking bamboo is only for tiny freshwater fish, it’s been hauling our coastal saltwater swimmers out of the water for more than a century and still does. I asked Matt to tell us about what he does and more about his rods. As always, when it comes to any art, bamboo is just as well told in pictures as in words. Ed.
Matt: I’ve been making bamboo rods for about 8 years now. I started in Colorado making trout rods for fishing in the rocky mountains. A couple years ago I went out to Oregon and Washington and fished two handed rods
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for steelhead. When I returned to Colorado I began designing and working on two handed bamboo rods 11-12’ long, three piece and hollow built.
I started making hollow built saltwater bamboo rods a year or two ago. The first saltwater rod I designed was a two piece 8’3” 8wt. I then made a 9wt, 10wt and 7wt all in two piece 8’3” and hollow built. My favorites have titanium reel seats and ferrules hand turned by my buddy in Boulder, CO. My wife got a job with (a sun glass company) this year and it brought us down to live in Florida full time. I am still making trout rods and steelhead/salmon rods, but my focus has been on designing and making the best saltwater bamboo rods I can. Time will tell how the rods perform and stand the test of time, but feedback up to this point has been great. I strive to make an enjoyable, modern casting fly rod that has strength and backbone with a large nod towards pleasing aesthetics. h t t p : / / b a m b o o - f i s h e r. com/images/99er/e1.jpg The first saltwater rods I made are being put through the ringer traveling through Mexico, central America and South America with the Motiv Fishing guys on their Geofish expedition. I had the 8wt at the IFTD show in NOLA last year and got some really positive reviews on the way the rod cast, felt and looked. Team USA FF member Rob Kolanda cast the rod through the back of the pond and couldn’t believe a bamboo rod could be cast with such 37
authority. The highlight for me was having Joan Wulff walk up while I was casting and asked if she could have a try. She commented on the rod’s beauty and then began to make it sing as a rod could only do in her hands.
Check out my website for more info bamboo-fisher.com or email maker@bamboo-fisher.com 39
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“I strive to make an enjoyable, modern casting fly rod that has strength and backbone with a large nod towards pleasing aesthetics.�
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Jeff Harrell photo
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bamboo-fisher.com or email maker@bamboo-fisher.com
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More fr om Capt Alan Za After r remba: eturning from th topwate e Amaz r bite on I fou in the though nd a sl urban we had ower c a n a s l s o me grea a Peacock r o u n d t sightc Miami bass up asting to 7 pou largemo o pportuni nds! The uth bas ties. E v e s r g on the o lades ac topwate ther ha tion for r! nd was v e ry good I have p for lenty of openings me a y ell toll through free at Septemb phone a 877-96 er so g t 9546-2275 ive 609-367 or call 1. my cell
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Stop, shop, and let them know you found them here! We have them all mapped out for you at http://g.co/maps/43vy4 BOCA GRANDE: Boca Grande Outfitters http://www.bocagrandeoutfitters.com/ 375 Park Ave., PO Box 1799, Boca Grande, Florida 33921
KEY WEST: Saltwater Angler http://www.saltwaterangler.com/ 243 Front Street, Key West, FL 33040-8371 (305) 294-3248
MIAMI: Fly Shop of Miami http://www.flyshopofmiami.com 8243 S. Dixie Highway, Miami, Fl 33143 (305) 6695851 We offer you top name brands, excellent service and expert rigging of tackle for all saltwater fly fishing situations. Find a full range of saltwater & freshwater fly fishing equipment and clothing for Florida and worldwide destinations. Buy top name brands including: Sage, Loomis, Thomas and Thomas, Winston, Temple Fork Outfitters, Redington, St. Croix, Hardy, Tibor, Nautilus, Abel, Ross, Shimano, Scientific Anglers, RIO, Cortland, Fishpond, Simms, and Ex Officio.
NAPLES: Mangrove Outfitters http://www.mangroveoutfitters.com 4111 E.Tamiami Trail Naples, FL 34112 239-793-3370
NOKOMIS: Flying Fish Outfitters www. flyingfishflorida.com 303 Tamiami Trail S. Suite H, Nokomis, FL 34275(941) 412-4512 Flying Fish Outfitters is more than a store—it is a full-service shop that helps you have an excellent day on the water. We carry a diverse selection for the fly and spin angler, and our specialty is providing our customers high quality products for any budget. Our ever-expanding selection of fly tying materials includes all the locally desired products but we are also happy to special order other items for you as well. In addition to supplying rods, reels, lines and etc., we are committed to education and offer a variety of programs - most free of charge. Please visit us in person 7 - 7, 7 days a week
Orlando: Orlando Outfitters http://www.orlandooutfitters.com 2814 Corrine Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 ph: 407.896.8220 fax: 407.896.8244 tj@orlandooutfitters. com
Sanibel: Norm Zeigler’s Fly Shop http://normzeiglersflyshop.com 2242 Periwinkle Way, Unit 1, Sanibel Island, FL 33957 239-472-6868 We are a full-service fly shop offering the finest fly fishing equipment, apparel, flies, books, artwork, and accessories. We feature Sage, Redington, Rio, Seaguar, Umpqua, Temple Fork, and other top brands. Our flies are tied by local experts. We book guided charters for fly, spin, and conventional fishing. We offer fly casting instruction. We also carry a wide selection of spinning gear and bait. Our most important product is information. We will send you to the best spots and provide you with the best flies.
Attention Guides and Fly Shop Owners and Managers
Join these fine guides and fly shops as part of our listings pages. We offer the information listings you see here as well as interactive maps to help your customers locate you when they are traveling or planning a trip. For more information, email us at info@flaflyfish.com or call (727) 798-2366 today!
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Give them a call, go fishing, and let them know you found them here! Find them on the map at http://g.co/maps/pw2ca AMELIA ISLAND: Capt Lawrence Piper http://theanglersmark.com (904) 557-1027 lwpiper@comcast.net
BOCA GRANDE: Boca on the Fly - Capt Al White http://bocaonthefly.com (941) 830-1375
COCOA BEACH: Cocoa Beach Fishing Charters - Capt. Doug Blanton 321-432-9470 captdoug@indianriver.cc
JUPITER: Capt Ron Doerr, Bite Me Charters http://captainronbiteme.com/index.html (561) 5125560 fish@captainronbiteme.com Come fish for a variety of species on fly. We have the resources to catch up to 15 different species a day, to include Spanish Mackerel, Kingfish, False Albacore, Snook, Jacks, Sharks, Dolphin, Pompano, Black Fin Tuna, Cobia, Tarpon, Blues, Sail Fish, and more! I run two boats, a 32’ Twin Vee accommodating up to four flyrodders at a time and an 18 foot Egret for near shore and back waters.
MIAMI: Capt. Carl Ball http://awolfishingguide.com Home: 954-565-2457 Boat: 954-383-0145 CaptBall@awolfishingguide.com
RUSKIN: Capt John Hand http://www.redfishlandingguideservice.com Phone : (239) 842-7778 Fax : (866) 592-1149 Email : tomatoesjh@yahoo.com
SARASOTA: Capt Rick Grassett, F3M Pro Staff http://www.flyfishingflorida.net Email snookfin@aol. com (941) 923-7799 Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. is your one-stop shopping source for quality, shallow water light tackle and fly fishing adventures. Capt. Rick can provide guides and accommodations for any size group.
TARPON SPRINGS: Capt Rodney Ristau http://fishtampabay.net (727) 838-3780 captainrodney@fishtampabay.net Port Tarpon Marina 531 Anclote Rd Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
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Meet the Editorial Staff Aaron Adams - Environmental Aaron has long been an advocate of the philosophy that information is key to success. This is the primary motivation behind his effort to translate fish science into terms that anglers can use. You can benefit from this effort through his articles in this magazine as well as his books: Fisherman’s Coast and Fly Fisherman’s Guide to Saltwater Prey, and his chapters in Chico Fernadez’s book Fly Fishing for Bonefish. http://fishermanscoast. com. Aaron promotes this philosophy through his work with Tribal Bonefish – a movement toward creating responsible anglers. http://tribalbonfish.com. As a researcher at Mote Marine Lab, Aaron studies gamefish and their habitats so resource managers have the information they need for fisheries conservation (http://fishermanscoast.com/research/FHE_summary.html). And as Director of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust since 2006, he oversees research and conservation programs on bonefish, tarpon, and permit that are essential to the long term health of these fisheries. http:// www.tarbone.org. A note to the reader: many of Aaron’s photos seen in Florida Fly Fishing Magazine are available for purchase at http://www.fishermanscoast.com/photos/stock_photos.html Dusty Sprague - Casting Dusty’s passion is teaching fly casting and shallow-water fly fishing. He began fly fishing in the late 1950’s; tying flies and teaching fly casting in the 1970’s; and guiding in the early 1980’s. He has fly fished for fresh or saltwater species in much of the lower 48 states, Belize, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Canada, and has guided in Alaska. He is a senior instructor for Ascension Bay Bonefish Club in Mexico and has conducted saltwater fly fishing schools and hosted groups in pursuit of shallow-water species in the Bahamas, Mexico, and Belize. He is the former manager of two fly fishing shops and a fly fishing guide service at the Broadmoor, a five-star resort hotel in Colorado Springs. He has been a featured presenter of fly casting demonstrations at numerous fishing shows and has appeared on NBC’s Today Show and ESPN’s Fishing Across America. Dusty is a Federation of Fly Fishers’ Master Certified Casting Instructor and serves on the Casting Board of Governors of the FFF’s Casting Instructor Certification Program. He is a member of the Scientific Anglers Pro Staff.
Capt Jon Brett - FishBuzz TV Videos Captain Jon Brett is the director of FishBuzz TV and has teamed with Florida Fly Fishing Magazine to provide our videos. Jon is a 3rd generation Floridian who’s grown up fishing the Tampa Bay area. After graduating from Rollins College in 2006, he started FishbuzzTV, which provides web marketing solutions to an array of marine industry companies. During BP’s Gulf oil disaster, Jon worked as an on-the-ground producer for the National Wildlife Federation and the Ocean Conservancy. After spending a few months in the tainted Louisiana swamp, he was anxious to return home and get back to fishing Florida’s healthy and dynamic fishery. Jon started fly fishing at the age of 12, and currently serves as a field tester for the Orvis company’s saltwater fly fishing division, and the Gulf Coast Director for the Snook and Gamefish Foundation. Whether you’re interested in a fly or spin fishing trip, Jon’s skill and passion is all about stalking highly coveted saltwater gamefish in the shallows, such as; tarpon, redfish and snook. Joe Mahler - Illustrator A native of Indianapolis, Joe Mahler has spent his life fly fishing for “anything with a tug” and teaching others to do the same. He is the author and illustrator of “Essential Knots and Rigs for Trout”, Essential Knots and Rigs for Salt Water” and most recently illustrated “Performance Fly Casting” by Jon Cave. In addition to Florida Fly Fishing Magazine, Joe’s articles and illustrations appear in magazines such as Fly Fishing in Salt Waters, Salt Water Sportsman, FLW, and American Angler. Joe is the creator of the popular fly pattern “The Strawboss” for use in both fresh and salt water. He lives in Southwest Florida and is currently a member of the Sage Pro Staff. Some of Joe’s fine work can be seen here in Florida Fly Fishing Magazine. Ken Morrow - Fly Fishing Ken Morrow is a Certified Adaptive Fly Fishing Practitioner who serves as the President of the Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute, Inc. With over three decades of fly fishing and paddle sports experience, Ken specializes in fly fishing instruction and opportunities for people with a variety of disabilities. The adaptive sports philosophy of helping participants to achieve the highest level of independent function they can without compromising their safety drives Ken’s approach. He has been featured in award-winning films like “We All Live Downstream,” on TV and in print from ESPN’s Outside the Lines to
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Florida Sportsman Magazine, is a frequent conference and event presenter, and has held a number of staff writing and editorial positions as an outdoor journalist. Ken is a member of both the Freedom Hawk Kayaks and Navionics pro staffs and the Peak Pro Fly Tying Team. Before moving to Florida, he served as a member of the board of directors of the Gulf Coast Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers and founded both the Adaptive Fly Fishing Institute and the Heartland Region of Project Healing Waters. Robert Morselli - Fly Fishing Robert is the research director for the television show How It’s Made (Discovery Channel), seen worldwide, in 180+ countries. The show is translated in over 20 languages and reaches an international audience of over one hundred-million viewers per week. As team lead (way back in the 90s), Robert created award-winning websites for General Foods, Lipton (soup) and Hummer vehicles. “My creative portfolio is diverse by intention, I insist on that because diversity is what drives me – and fly fishing is a foundation, in a sense. Not a day goes by that it doesn’t cross my mind in one form or another. People who are completely absorbed by fly fishing will know exactly what I’m talking about, and I try to convey that affection every chance I get – to fly fishers and non-fly fishers alike.” Ed Maurer, Publisher After retiring from the US Air Force Ed conceived the idea of publishing a magazine about fly fishing in his home state of Florida. It took a decade for computer technology to develop to the point where Ed could effectivly produce a magazine without the prohibitive cost of print publishing. It took a couple more years for both technology and Ed to advance to a nexis where an effective, attractive and hopefully stimulating Florida Fly Fishing Magazine could be published in the format you are reading it in now. “I owe a lot to the many folks like those on our editorial staff, past staff member Stuart Patterson, tech advisor and mentor Bernadetter McCarthy and the many other friends and contributors who have given of themselves to make this effort successful,” said Ed, “and much of the thanks goes to my wife, Deborah for her constant support, encouragment and eagle eye.”
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You, too can be part of Florida fly fishing magazine, here’s how! Writers and Photographers Guidelines
This is the preferred way of submitting copy [articles, etc.] and images [photos, etc.]. The easier it is for us to use them, the more likely it is we will! ALL submissions MUST be your original work or submitted with written permission of the creator. Old, historical works are very welcome but you need to inform us about their source. Upon submission you have, for all intents and purposes, certified that what you have sent is your intellectual property or of a historical nature. Copy: -12 point, Times New Roman, left-hand justified ONLY. No fancy formatting, etc. that I’ll just end up undoing anyway. -News pieces: 300 – 500 words -Articles: 500 or more words. Pieces that are more than 3,000 may be serialized—run in consecutive issues. Please tell me you’d like to consider that for your longer article. I’m very open to the prospect for worthwhile topics. -How-to, technique, fly tying articles: make these photo-heavy with explanations for each photo or diagram. -Travelogues: Include plenty of photos, etc. Consider including links to Google Maps. -If you have a particular placement for an image within the document, place its file name in brackets [redfish.jpg] where you’d like to have it placed. -By lines include your name and your town so we know where you’re from. Images: [ALL images—Includes photos, scans, diagrams, etc.] -100dpi, 1200 px wide minimum. Larger is better! I reserve the right (unless you specify otherwise) to edit images as needed. -Color preferred, but B&W, etc. are a welcome change when appropriate. -Large, crisp images are preferred to small ones. I limit image sizes in the publication, but large ones I can to reduce produce better quality. -Name each file, then provide important info and captions in a separate, clearly labeled document. If the images accompany an article, etc., list the info at the end of the document. For example: redfishing.jpg; photo by Joe Doe; woman in blue is Deborah, man in green is Ed Please email ALL inquiries and submissions to: editor@flaflyfish.com