Getaway Fly Fishing magazine #2

TRAVEL MAGAZINE

www.getawayflyfishing.com

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Welcome to the world of Getaway Fly Fishing

2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

3

4

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL / 7 MALDIVES / 8 GREENLAND / 26 GEAR GUIDE / 44 BAHAMAS / 46 NICARAGUA / 64 GEAR GUIDE / 80 BRITISH COLUMBIA / 82 CHILE / 96 GEAR GUIDE / 110

GETAWAY FLY FISHING MAGAZINE Cover photo: Henry Schmidt. Main photographers: Henry Schmidt, Thomas Søbirk, Peter Lyngby, Matt Harris. Thank you to all our great photographers. Copyright Getaway Fly Fishing 2019

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

5

about

G E TAWAY F LY F I S H I N G

6

We are based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and have been sending anglers to exciting destinations all across the globe since 2001.

Today, we welcome anglers from all parts of the world to our exclusive destinations.

We also work closely with fly shops all over Europe.

All Getaway Fly Fishing clients are covered by our membership of The Danish Travel Guarantee Fund.

Prices in this magazine are indicative only (2019).

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Main office:

+45 7021 8060 info@getawayflyfishing.com www.getawayflyfishing.com

welcome ...TO OUR SECOND EDITION of the Getaway Fly Fishing Magazine.

For those of you already familiar with our first edition of this magazine there aren’t that many changes. If it ain’t broke, you know...

One new destination has found its way into our program: Fly fishing trips in the Maldives. This has been quite a journey. Our first test trips with fly rods was back in 2014 but we didn’t find what we were looking for. In early 2017, we started preparing a comeback – and now, two years in the making, we’re finally hitting it right.

More about that on the following pages.

For the five other destinations, the last couple of seasons have been all about improving excisting programs. It’s an ongoing journey that will hopefully never end. We are developing the permit fishing in the Bahamas, learning more about the dry fly opportunities in Greenland and new, and more remote, programs are being developed in British Columbia. Every season, we are also learning more about jungle tarpon behaviour in the Nicaraguan jungle and about how to fish the holding pools for chinook on that very special river in Chile.

Does that mean that we are no longer busy scouting new potential Getaway destinations? Certainly not! But with the planning and preparation that goes into developing each destination – and the fishing we need to find to live up to our expectations – it can take a while.

All of our destinations have a certain level of uniqueness; low fishing pressure, amazing scenery and great fly fishing at value-for-money prices. These are the actual trips we would choose ourselves when going after bonefish, GT, arctic char, steelhead, king salmon or tarpon. They are simply our Favorite Getaways.

Thomas Søbirk Managing Director

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

7

8

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Maldives GT ON THE FLY

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

9

MA L D I VE S

intro THE TIDE ISN’T MOVING YET so you’re not expecting shots at the big game. Instead, you decide on walking the reef with your nine weight in hand – twelve weight tucked away for now – looking for lightning blue shapes moving in and out of the wash from the surf, which is perpetually breaking over the shallow reef. A quick cast followed by a fast retrieve is enough to get the attention of any patrolling bluefin trevally. Once a bluefin catches sight of your little crab in the turbulent water, you’re in for some whole-hearted attacks – with all guards down, and once it connects with your fly and the line comes tight, heavenly chaos will follow. You console yourself with the thought that it’s a welcome distraction after two days of catching nothing. Hooking something, yes! – but catching? No. Not this far. The big game here doesn’t come easy.

You amuse yourself with the bluefins, but then a triggerfish starts tailing. Its big yellow and orange tail waves you closer with its irresistible “come and get me if you can”-attitude.

You can’t! Before you’re within casting range, a wave crashes over the shallow reef, and the trigger disappears with the water pulling back to sea. Never mind, the bluefins are still around and, soon after, you hook another one.

The third one this morning. It’s splendid sport on the light gear, and you would have enjoyed it even more if, just for a moment, that voice in the back of your head would stop reminding you of what you’re really here for: Big game.

B-I-G game. Caranx Ignobilis. AKA Giant Trevally. GT amongst friends.

Judging by yesterday’s tide, there is still at least another hour until the water starts dropping. Not that you need less water on the reef, but you just need the water to move.

Moving water will throw the baitfish a bit off balance, making them vulnerable, and it will make the surf break harder thus creating better hunting opportunities. All in all, it might just give you another shot at the big game you are really here for. For now, the gentle surf is still creating ideal conditions for green parrotfish and luminescent bluefins to swim the shallow parts of the reef. The first usually ignore your fly, the latter hammer it, so you decide to walk back and fish the most productive part once more. There is still time. You are allowed to have some fun.

10

You’re at six hooked bluefins – four landed, two lost – and on the last bit of shallow reef, having a great time. You tell yourself that you could do this all day long. Then it happens, and from that very instant, you couldn’t care less about bluefins, triggers, parrotfish or whatever the surf washes in: Out of the corner of your eye, you see something moving in the surf – you turn your head, and you find yourself staring at a big GT cruising in the wave of the breaking surf, as clearly on display as newly arrived goods in a shop window.

Approximately 193 seconds later, you find yourself positioned on a piece of rock, ten meters from the breaking surf. Nine weight tucked away, twelve weight in hand, fly

...the black baitfish pattern, tied on a strong 5/0 hook, looks tiny as it disappears into a bucket of a mouth.

line hanging in coils in the Flexi-stripper, sunglasses with annoying saltwater drops on the lenses and soaked up to the chest from climbing onto the rock. Not that you care.

Getting a shot at big game is what is on your mind.

Nothing else.

It’s almost too good to be true but ten, maybe twelve, minutes later a big GT cruises along the reef, in the surf, coming your way, and less than fifteen meters out. The “almost” in the “too good to be true”-part is the headon wind, meaning the only option is a back cast. You tell yourself not to screw this up but, at the end of the day, it’s probably more down to luck than the result of your casting arm actually listening to your commands, that the fly

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

11

MA L D I VE S

lands – if not in the perfect spot, then at least in a perfectly acceptable one – the conditions taken into consideration.

You strip at least once, probably twice and possibly three times but surely no more than that. Then, the GT is on the fly engulfing it with half of its head out of the water, and the black baitfish pattern, tied on a strong 5/0 hook, looks tiny as it disappears into a bucket of a mouth.

To say that “you’re on” would be an understatement.

When you set the hook, the GT heads for the surf, and in seconds the line is on the reel. That’s when “big angry GT” meets “heavy saltwater reels with almost closed drag” so something has to give. It’s not the fish, neither the reel. The only thing left in that equation is you. You’re not sure exactly what happens but it happens fast! You’re pulled off the rock, fall over, head under water, cap goes afloat, rod at the end of stretched arm pointed directly at big angry GT, which is headed off to sea. It’s a mess, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. Adrenaline ad libitum!

Eight or nine minutes later, you’re finally winning the battle. The fly line is back on the reel, probably more than half of it by now, and you’re starting to think about how and where to land your price. And then, suddenly, there’s a jagged rock, the GT is a Free T and your fly line is ten

12

feet shorter than it was a second ago. The fight is over, the GT won, you lost. The fish, that is. Not the memory. As you make you way to dry land, bleeding lightly from the

...suddenly there’s a jagged rock, the GT is a Free T and your flyline is ten feet shorter than it was a second ago. bruises on your legs, you feel more alive than you have in a long time. Twenty minutes later, you are back on the rock.

This time, you didn’t even notice the deeper water or the drops on the sunglasses on the way out.

Now, you’re going to war!

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

13

14

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

15

MA L D I VE S

talking to

ANDREAS

We sat down with Andreas Rasmussen, the young and upcoming Danish fly fisherman who helped us crack the code on fly fishing in the Maldives. Here, Andreas shares some of his thoughts on his big passion: Fly fishing for GTs in the Maldives: I had heard about several unsuccessful attempts at fly fishing for GTs in the Maldives – but one day, one of my colleagues in the shop came back with a different story. He had done his research on GT fishing, had hired a local boat driver, and – after a few days, while anchored up on the reef for lunch, a big GT swam by.

This inspired him to look in new places, and he ended up hooking several fish before the trip was over.

That was all the encouragement I needed. I immediately planned a trip with a friend. We studied tide charts, read everything we could find, and had tremendous success – way more than we had hoped for and, possibly, deserved. We caught 14 GTs, many smaller fish but also several really nice fish.

My second trip was also a success. This time, we fished a different atoll but armed with the knowledge we had earned on our first trip. With lots of additional research on Google Maps, we were able to point out potential spots. The fishing wasn’t great right from the start but, at the end of the week, we ran into some crazy GT action. Five of us landed 23 GTs, and I honestly don’t think we are likely to better that result. The number of fish that came onto the flats and reefs the last couple of days were crazy. I guess we just had perfect tides – well perfect everything, and a good amount of luck thrown in as well.

16

What really fascinates me about GT is their total commitment to killing that fly! On my last trip, captain Mohamed said it so well when we had a fish just hammering the fly: “It’s not hungry, it’s angry!” That’s exactly what they are.

We don’t target other species when we’re carrying the heavy guns. But we do catch them when opportunities present themselves. We have landed barracuda, shark,

“It’s not hungry, it’s angry!”

That’s exactly what they are. bluefin trevally, snapper, and grouper on GT tackle – and had a couple of shots at huge napoleons.

When I was approached by Getaway, it soon became clear to me that we shared the same ideas about an ideal setup for fly fishing the Maldives. Even if we had been successful using smaller boats to reach the spots, I was already painfully aware that it wouldn’t take much wind to ground us on the island, or at least with many of the best spots out of reach. On the other hand, a mother ship would slow down everything and limit the spots you can fish in a day, and during a week.

Getaway’s background was perfect – they had already operated with a large speed boat and a great crew for

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

SUDAN – NUB I A N FL A T S

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

17

MA L D I VE S

popping trips for years – and their idea of setting up for fly fishing and carrying a dinghy on the front deck of the speed boat matched my own ideas of the ideal approach. What also weighed in heavily was their plan to explore several different areas and thereby limit the fishing pressure in each area. Even if we had enjoyed success on my first trips, I was very aware that these spots were too easy to access for too many anglers. The good fishing wouldn’t continue forever if the same relatively few spots were to get hammered week after week.

I believe that the best approach to fly fishing the Maldives is to target as many different areas as possible and, over time, accumulate knowledge about each particular spot, and a growing understanding of how the fishing is affected by winds and tides. That will enable us to achieve better results without harming the fishery.

It’s hard to predict the future of any given fishery but I’m pretty optimistic about the Maldives – for two different reasons: There is still a lot of unfished water to explore and it is not too easy to achieve success. Let me explain why I view the latter as an advantage: If it was easy to fly down to the Maldives and land your big GT on the fly, it would soon become the most popular saltwater fishery in the northern hemisphere. It’s relatively easy to get there, and nothing is more mind-blowing than hooking a GT on a fly rod.

This would eventually make the Maldives “overloved”, overrun, and overfished. But, “luckily”, it’s not so easy.

Even if we have had some great trips, we’ve averaging 18

only one or two landed GTs per fly fishermen in a week.

We might have hooked twice as many and had shots at many more – but to actually land a GT everything has to go your way.

So, during a decent week, six anglers might land 10 GTs. That’s not a lot of fishing pressure. It’s the same amount of fish four anglers will land during a good day of popping from a boat. And that’s another great thing about fly fishing: That, compared to conventional angling, you need a much lower number of landed GTs to make it a great week – and therefore you will put much less pressure on the natural resources. Fighting waves, wind, and sun for eight or nine hours a day, six to eight days in a row, to catch one or two of the fish you are really after – well, that’s not enough for everyone. And that’s the advantage: That those of us, who are more than willing to take on the challenge given the conditions, won’t have to share the water with all those who want better odds and instant satisfaction. That fact alone makes me optimistic about the future of fly fishing in the Maldives.

To succeed with GT on the fly, you need skills and determination – but more than anything, you need luck on your side. However, you don’t always need to actually catch a fish to get life-long memories. I just came back from a hosted week with Getaway-guests, so this example is only some ten days old: Jacob is a super experienced and extremely skilled fisherman. A few days into the trip, we’re fishing a long reef in three pairs of two, and Jacob is fishing with his friend Fredrik – he gets

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

SUDAN – NUB I A N FL A T S

the perfect shot. A really big GT suddenly approaches them, on Jacob’s side. It’s swimming pretty fast so he only gets that one shot. He makes the shot, placing the fly in just the right distance from the incoming monster GT, lets it sink a little and then starts stripping fast. The fish spots the fly, accelerates, inhales it, turns around – and disappears. When he pulls in his fly, it’s no longer

wading towards the reef. The shallowest part of the reef is, maybe, 6-7 meters wide, the water is rising, and a nice current is pushing across the reef. When Jacob is 20 meters from the reef, he notices not only a small patch of sandy bottom, but also a big GT sitting there, just waiting for vulnerable baitfish to be washed in with the heavy current.

The big fish is holding in around 80 cm of water, now and then breaking the surface and exposing a good part of its broad back. With trembling knees, Jacob makes the cast. He places the fly five meters in front of the fish, makes two strips – and then the show begins: Within seconds, the fish grabs the fly, turns with it, accelerates to maximum speed and continues straight towards Jacob! It completely overtakes the fly line, shoots right past Jacob’s legs, pulling the fly line behind it. The fish then makes a narrow turn around him, splashing water all over him in the process, and heads back towards the reef. And with no hook-set being possible, as there was never the slightest contact with the fish, the fly then drops out…

The fish then makes a narrow turn around him, splashing water all over him in the process, and heads back towards the reef. the 27-28 cm it used to be. It’s more like 5! The GT had eaten all of the flies’ 12-13 flatwing feathers, just missing the hook. And Jacob never felt a thing! After such an experience, many might have felt defeated. Instead, Jacob felt encouraged: “This is possible, we’re going to get one!”.

The following day, he comes across another really big fish – one, that has some really advanced tricks up its fishy sleeves. Him and Fredrik have just been dropped off with the dinghy and they spread out a bit and start

When he told us the story, he must have worn the biggest smile in all of the Maldives. “If I had caught it, that would have been great. The picture would be on the wall at home, and I would try to catch the next great fish. But this performance – from a fish – I will never, ever forget”.

Jacob did land three GTs during his trip, but he lost the two biggest ones. He has already signed up for a rematch.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

19

MA L D I VE S

WHY

WHY NOT

IT’S TROPHY HUNTING You have a shot at sight-fishing the one – that big GT, on sight fishing in three feet of water – that will change your fly fishing life forever.

SCENERY If you find a more beautiful place to fly fish, let us know!

IT’S TROPHY HUNTING You might fish for seven straight days and not catch much. Fly fishing for GTs can be tough. Beginners, whiners and quitters: Go elsewhere.

AFTER FISHING Fancy a cold beer after fishing? Sorry, alcohol is forbidden by law outside resorts.

PRICE AND EASY ACCESS Where else will you get a shot at sight fishing for big GTs for around €3000 and with only fifteen hours of travelling time, reasonable airfare and no visa required?

Nowhere!

travelling to the

MALDIVES SEASON: November-June.

FLY TO: Male.

TYPICAL ITINERARY: Day 1: Arrival in Male before noon. Transfer to the chosen atoll for the week.

Day 2-7: Six full days of fishing.

Day 8: Fish half a day, sometimes longer. depending on chosen program, and fly out of Male on a late evening flight.

PRICE: From around EUR 3o00 without flights.

20

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

21

22

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

23

MA L D I VE S

MALDIVES

What to bring RODS: The go-to rods for the Maldives: 9’ #11 or #12 saltwater rods for GT (and bonus catches) 9’ #8 or #9 saltwater rods for triggerfish, smaller trevally species etc.

REELS: #12 saltwater reels with 400 m 80 lb braid backing #8-9 saltwater reels with 150 m 50 lb braid backing LINES: #11 or #12 floating tropical saltwater lines with extra strong cores – 50 lb or more 9’ #8-9 floating tropical saltwater lines LEADERS: Tapered saltwater leaders – 16-25 lb 100-150 lb mono or fluorocarbon ACCESSORIES: Waterproof backpack Saltwater pliers Hook sharpener Sunglasses CLOTHING: Flats boots Fight- / stripping gloves Handling gloves Long-sleeved shirts (UPF30+) Pants (UPF30+) Shorts Cap & Buff

24

THE REEFS AND FLATS in the Maldives offer a diversity of species, but generally the fishing can be divided into two categories: – Smaller species, like triggerfish, golden trevallies, bonefish and bluefin trevallies small enough to be handled on an 8 or 9 weight outfit.

– GT for which you need the heavy tools – an 11 or 12 weight outfit. Possible bonus catches while GT fishing are shark, barracuda, snapper and bluefin trevally, some of which could be caught on a 9 or 10 outfit but it wouldn’t be practical to carry a third outfit since these oppurtinies arise while targeting GT. Since all of the fishing is done while wading, you need to compromise: Both regarding tackle and objective. If you wade the reef with a 9-weight rod in hand – ready for triggerfish or smaller bluefin trevallies – you will not have time to change for your heavier rig if a GT sudddenly shows up.

It makes more sense to concentrate on the smaller species when the tide isn’t right for GTs, and then put the lighter rig away and be ready with the 12 weight when the tide is changing.

NO MATTER HOW YOU PRIORITIZE the fishing, you need to be serious about your gear. With an 11 or 12-weight rod – and with a strong and reliable fly reel packed with heavy-duty backing, a fly line with an extra strong core and a very heavy leader it is actually possible to land that dream-come-true GT. WHEN PLANNING YOUR TRIP don’t make the mistake of focusing on the hardware only. Make sure your wading boots are sturdy and fit you well. Also, a waterproof backpack or chest pack will come in handy when wading through deeper areas or crossing channels, and of course we encourage you to protect yourself with quick-drying UPF30+ clothes.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

MA L D I V ES

For triggerfish nothing works better than a crab fly. Which crab fly is much harder to determine; triggers can be moody, spooky, and unpredictable. So bring different patterns – tied on heavy wire hooks. Smaller bluefin trevallies love crab flies, too – but they usually hit most flies if they are stripped in fast enough.

If you are fishing the surf and the bluefins follow the bigger GT flies but aren’t quite agressive enough to hit them, scaling down to a smaller baitfish fly can result in a lot of action!

We strongly recommend that you tie these flies on really strong hooks. You never know what might suddenly show up!

Occasionally, we find bonefish on the flats so bring a few classic bonefish patterns just in case. They will also tempt tailing golden trevally or smaller bluefins in shallow water.

MALDIVES

the flies

For the GTs we prefer sinking baitfish patterns. Options in this category of flies are endless nowadays, but we prefer flies that hold a decent profile in the water. If they are tied without too much material they are much easier to cast – and if they don’t tangle, they fish a lot better, too!

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

25

26

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Greenland YES TERDAY IS TODAY

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

27

28

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GR EE NL A ND

intro THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Denmark and Greenland goes back a long way. Three hundred years ago Danish Christian missionaries were sent to Greenland to preach Christianity, soon after merchants were running Danish colonies in Greenland and while Denmark surely is responsible for some of the darker periods in the history of bringing modern civilization to Greenland the two countries have maintained a strong relationship to this day.

five years, after we went into this business, before we finally got the break in Greenland we were looking for. First, let’s explain a little bit about the history of sport fishing in Greenland: Every summer since the late seventies or early eighties, Danish fishermen have been fishing rivers in Greenland for sea-run arctic char. Almost every river on the world’s biggest island holds good numbers of char from late June throughout July and August, and anglers could catch plenty of fish: Typically, more char in a week than they could catch sea trout off the coasts or in the rivers back home – in a whole year! Greenland became known as a fishing mecca for the Danes (and their Scandinavian neighbours in Sweden and Norway) but during the nineties the interest dropped.

Since the late seventies or early eighties, Danish fishermen have been fishing rivers in Greenland for sea-run arctic char.

Getaway Fly Fishing’s Danish background is probably a significant part of the reason why we are the biggest operator of fly fishing trips in Greenland today. It was a long and winding road getting to where we are today, but without a Danish background it is doubtful we could have build the strong partnerships that lie at the foundation of our present operations in Greenland.

We fished Greenland more than fifteen years before we ever got into the travel business and it took more than

Back then infrastructure in Greenland was even less developed than today, so only a few rivers close to the smaller cities could be fished. Though fish were plentiful,

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

29

GRE EN L A N D

these rivers were often quite small – with one or two major holding pools – or glacier fed with greenish coloured water gushing out to sea. Also, the average size of the char in these rivers was affected by years of netting done by local fishermen. With many trout anglers taking up fly fishing, and a general change in focus from catching numbers to targeting bigger fish by with challenging methods, taking 15 or 20 char in the 1-3lb range from a glacier fed river on spinners just didn’t sell tickets anymore. No matter what, we had other ambitions – and we were always searching for undiscovered rivers offering “the real deal”.

Google Earth but unfortunately most satellite images have been collected between October and April where everything is kind of… white!). What did work well was when

We were always searching for undiscovered rivers offering “the real deal”.

We always knew they were there, but in country with the world’s fourth longest coastline (44.087 km!), hundreds of rivers and a mere 50,000 inhabitants, accessing most of them is nearly impossible.

In 2007, we teamed up with Sirius Greenland. Based in Sisimiut, Sirius was running a couple of long-range boats with the necessary certifications to transport tourists far away from civilisation. During the following years, we explored every major river in the area. On the available maps many looked promising but once we got there, most were too narrow, too short or with too few big fish to offer an interesting week’s fishing. (Yes, we have heard of

30

we dropped off three young and adventurous fly fishermen and picked them up weeks later, after they had crossed five or six rivers and made lots of scouting notes.

Eventually, we picked out three rivers that offered what we wanted for great fly fishing: big fish and plenty of gin-clear water to fish for a week. These are the three rivers where we have built our famous char camps; Camp Erfalik, Camp North and Camp South.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

31

32

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

33

GRE EN L A N D

fishing in

GREENLAND IN A WAY, FLY FISHING IN GREENLAND is like a journey in time. With our local rivers we can only try to imagine what fishing would’ve been like if humans had never interfered. In Greenland, however, you don’t need your imagination. You just need to go there. A couple of flights and three hours or so by boat, and that’s the closest you’ll probably ever come to travelling in a time machine.

Maybe you have seen old pictures of American fly fishing hero, Lee Wulff, fishing for Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland with pools full of fish – something that is very hard to believe today. We, however, have pools like that in Greenland and with thousands of fish running a single river of ten kilometres or so; some of the pools can be like ‘moving carpets’ of a hundred arctic char or more. Funnily enough, you don’t get one every cast – in fact, when they are tricky, you don’t get one for a good, long time – but there is still something comforting in seeing such numbers of wild fish in a healthy, undammed and clear river.

Of course, if the conditions are good it is sometimes possible to catch ridiculous numbers of fish – but what’s the point in that? These are the times, when we have to challenge ourselves. That’s when the foam flies come into play.

Skating foam flies Before we found the rivers we fish today, we had no idea that arctic char would go for skated surface flies. On the very first scouting trip to the Erfalik River we brought a bit of everything in order to quickly establish if there was enough good-sized char to consider a camp there. On the first day, our two anglers started out with spinners. Many fish? Check! Good sized fish?

Check! They had six more days on the river before the boat came back to pick them up…

In Greenland, yesterday is today and thirty years ago is now. It doesn’t get any better than this.

You know they often tell you, “You should have been here yesterday”. And when you hear stories from times gone by, it’s not even yesterday you missed – instead, you should have been there twenty, thirty or even fifty years ago. In Greenland, yesterday is today and thirty years ago is now. It doesn’t get any better than this. When talking about anadromous fish in our life and times, the following might sound like a joke, but trust us: The fishing in Greenland has never- and won’t ever be better!

So, how good is the fishing then? Are we talking fifty fish per day – or a hundred? Luckily, neither! Sea-run arctic char are not always easy to fool into taking a fly, especially if the weather is too nice. They do, however, have their biting periods during the day and that’s when the real action happens.

34

After a few more days, they had also proven beyond any doubt that streamer fishing was really good: Lots of indomitable char up to- and in excess of 70 cm had been caught and released. Then one of them found a floating mouse fly in his box; a left over fly from a trip to Alaska earlier that summer. Why not? It was a nice overcast day and the fishing was hot. He had caught more than enough fish already so he cast his little mouse close to the far bank and enjoyed watching it make its way across the river. It looked pretty cool, so he gave it a few more casts, just for fun. Well aware that there are no mice in Greenland, he was just goofing around with the mouse for a bit before going back to swinging streamers – but that’s when it happened! A wake formed several meters away, heading straight towards the mouse. When the wake reached the skating fly a nice-sized char opened its mouth, head out of the water, and sucked in the poor little thing! After that, we never really looked back!

We soon found out that foam flies in bright colours were much more effective than a brown deer hair mouse

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

35

GRE EN L A N D

with black foam on the back, but that’s not the point. The point is, that when you can have the fish eat on the surface why would you then want to catch them below the surface ever again? Skating foam flies is super-cool so, whenever the fishing is on, that’s all we do!

Meanwhile at Camp North, a couple of young Norwegian fly fishermen were dead drifting Caddis flies. They also changed everything we (thought we) knew by catching some really nice fish!

For some reason we will probably never figure out, the char respond better to foam flies at Camp South and at Camp Erfalik than they do at Camp North. They still hit them at Camp North but usually for condensed periods of time. At the other two camps, on the other hand, we can fish foam flies for an entire day – sometimes for a full week.

The flipside is that the fish are a bit bigger at Camp North, so they’re excused for being a little less surface-minded.

From foam flies to classic dry flies While seeing a lot of fish in these rivers isn’t always the same as catching a lot of fish, it’s fair to say that during the course of a week everyone will succeed. Some with a few nice fish per day, others with enough that the raise the bar and catch them on the surface.

Until recently, catching arctic chars on the surface meant skating foam flies. Then, during our 2018-seson, we had some guests form the US than didn’t get the memo: That’s the memo stating these chars only strike out of aggression and that you won’t succeed with dead drifting traditional dry flies.

Since they didn’t know any better, they tried fishing dry flies – tiny Black Gnats, when they saw fish sipping something off the surface on the lake at Erfalik. It seems the chars didn’t get the memo either because the Americans soon started catching one nice fish after the other!

36

Since they didn’t know any better, they tried fishing dry flies – and soon started catching one nice fish after the other!

Though we admit we’re a bit embarrassed that we hadn’t already discovered possibility for dry fly fishing seasons ago, we excuse ourselves by stating that catching Atlantic salmon on classic dead drifted dries is also a relatively new thing.

It all goes to show, Greenland is for everyone. Whether you’re swinging streamers, skating foam flies or drifting small nymphs or classic dry flies you will find what you’re looking for. Including fresh, clean air, solitude, polar foxes, birds of prey, midnight sun – and the feeling that you didn’t miss out by not being there yesterday, or yesteryear.

You’re here now, and that’s the perfect time.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

37

38

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GR EE NL A ND

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

39

GRE EN L A N D

WHY

WHY NOT

UNSPOILT WILDERNESS Fish rivers that haven’t been affected by man in spectacular surroundings.

YOU WILL CATCH FISH Swing streamers, skate foam flies, fish nymphs... whatever you like. You will catch fish. We have never had a bad week of fishing.

FIND YOUR SOLITUDE During summer, it never gets dark so you can fish whenever you like. And there is a lot of fishable water. Find your own solitude, fishing under the midnight sun.

HIKING The more you like to hike, the more water you can fish. If you don’t like to hike – or isn’t physically fit for it – Greenland might not be for you.

TIME CONSUMING LOGISTICS The logistics involved in a fly fishing trip to Greenland makes for stressfree travels.

However, it is time consuming, with extra nights at both ends of the trip.

travelling to

GREENLAND SEASON: July-August.

FLY TO: Sisimiut via Copenhagen, Denmark.

TYPICAL ITINERARY: Day 1: Arrival in Copenhagen, stay at hotel.

Day 2: Morning flight to Sisimiut via Kangerlussuaq, transfer to Hotel Sisimiut, afternoon sight seeing in town or relax at the hotel.

Day 3: Boat transfer to camp, fishing the rest of the day.

Day 4-9: Six days (and nights) of fishing.

Day 10: Boat transfer to Hotel Sisimiut, farewell dinner.

Day 11: Morning flight back to Copenhagen.

PRICE: From around EUR 3875 including flights from Copenhagen.

40

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

41

GRE EN L A N D

GREENLAND PACKLIST

What to bring

RODS: The go-to rod for Greenland: 9’ #6 rod with a fighting butt Possible back up rods 9’ #5 or 9’ #7 rods

butt. The 6 wt. handles big flies on a windy day, but it still has enough feeling to make a delicate presentation when heading for some of the smaller creeks. The fighting butt is a great help when you need to put that extra pressure on a fresh-run fish.

REELS: #5-7 reel with 100 m 30 lb braid backing

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE your wading boots – you will be doing a fair amount of hiking when fishing in Greenland, and you’ll need a good pair of boots to keep your feet happy. What’s essential is to bring boots that fit you well. Also, consider Vibram soles.

We prefer these, because they provide you with great traction on the Greenland shorelines. Another tip is to bring neoprene socks equivalent to those on your waders. This way you can easily convert your wading boots into nice hiking boots for a long walk on a warm day.

LINES: #5-7 floating weight forward lines LEADERS: Tapered leaders – 14-18 lb 0,25-0,33 mm tippet material – 10-16 lb ACCESSORIES: Waterproof backpack Pliers Hook sharpener Sunglasses Mosquito net

WITH ALL THE hiking and fishing you’ll be doing, optimal clothes are crucial for your personal comfort. The weather oftentimes changes rather suddenly and – as a result – you should come prepared for most conditions. Also, keep in mind that Greenland can offer anything from 20+ Celsius during the day to below 0 Celsius during the night. We recommend layered clothing, which make it easy to adjust your core temperature according to whether you are walking or standing relatively still fishing – and to tackle changing weather conditions. Layering is one of the key elements in staying comfortable, and keeping moisture off your body with a quality base layer will make your trip a whole lot better.

CLOTHING: Waders Wading boots Wading jacket Layering Cap Beanie Buff Gloves THE CHAR RUN BIG in Greenland and you will need a fly rod with some backbone to effectively tame them.

As a go-to rod we like a fast 6 wt. rod with a fighting

42

FINALLY, MAKE SURE you have a mosquito net to pull over your cap and head. If the wind drops there can be lots of small flies around. They don’t bite, but a mosquito net pulled over your head makes the fishing much more enjoyable.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GR EE NL A ND

GREENLAND

the flies

Foam flies are favourites of ours – simply because the surface action in Greenland is so spectacular. These flies stay effectively afloat through the fast and turbulent currents, even when using the heavier but more durable fluorocarbon leaders. For visibility, brightly coloured foam back is preferred, but make sure to bring a varied selection of foam flies – for instance in orange, purple and pink. Sometimes one colour is superior to all others.

We have clients who visit our camps with nothing but foam flies in their fly boxes, but there will be plenty of opportunities to experiment with different flies.

Pink, red or purple flies are good starting points but many other colours will work. Fairly large streamers in bright colours are considered char classics.

Besides the standard attractor flies, small and basic streamers can be very effective at times when the char seem to reject the larger patterns.

Not until recently did we know that the char will sometimes take classic dry flies.

We can’t wait to learn more!

Even nymphs have found their way into our Greenland fly boxes. We use heavily weighted nymph-style flies on long leaders in the deeper parts of the rivers if the surface action for some reason should fail.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

43

THE GETAWAY

Gear Guide

SMITH HIGHWATER CP

We love the ChromaPop lenses on the Smith optics. On our trips, the view is generally spectacular, so why not ad just a little extra spark to it? Actually, the real reason is that these lenses bring more clarity to your vision. More clarity means more detail – and more detail means you spot more fish. We’ve had good times with the Highwater model, but take a closer look at the full Smith frame range before making your own choice.

OMNISPOOL SWITCHBOX

A spare spool for the fly reel might be a handy way of bringing extra backing for a trip, but when it comes to spare fly lines, we find the Omnispool Switchbox system much handier (and more affordable): Sort of a combination between a fly reel and a fly line spool. These clever boxes allow us to store and switch fly lines within minutes – even when we need the switch instantly, somewhere on a rocking boat with shaking hands. (Yes, accidents do happen).

SIMMS DRY CREEK Z BACKPACK

100% waterproofness does not come cheap, but we really like to keep our gear dry. This daypack-sized Simms backpack is perfect for both Bahamas and Greenland. The waterproof zippers might not be as slick as your jeans, but when fishing - and crossing relatively deep water, you will appreciate how this backpack is designed: And the fact your lunch and camera are dry.

SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS BFT

We love fishing foam flies for char, and that is why we like the S.A. Big Fly Taper fly line. Not that the foam flies are that big, but if you want a fly line that effectively turns over a pretty bulky and wind resistant size 4 streamer – look no further! We enjoy lines that cast smoothly and the BFT does just that – it casts beautifully and with little effort. In fact, we are wondering why this fly line has not gained more reputation. It’s a little gem in the arsenal of floating fly lines!

44

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

SCOTT RADIAN #6

As a go-to rod we like a fast 6 wt. rod with a fighting butt – like the Scott Radian. The 6 wt. can handle big flies on a windy day and it still has enough feeling to make a delicate presentation when heading for some of the smaller creeks.

The fighting butt is a great help when applying extra pressure on a fresh-run fish. If you’re into more powerful rods, you might consider the Scott Meridian 6 wt.

THE ONE AND ONLY – BUFF!

Sometimes, we wonder how we managed to go fly fishing before Buffs were available. Today, we wouldn’t be without them, and we use Buffs to protect us against both a blazing sun and a chilly breeze - even nasty bugs. The traditional Buff is a lifesaver during cold days on the river, while the silky High UV Coolnet models are a blessing in the salt. With several hundreds of different Buffs on the market, you might even find a Buff to improve your looks.

SIMMS G JACKETS

Even though you’ll probably experience beautiful sunny and cloudless days, it is pretty rare to come across a really warm week in Greenland, BC or Chile. You need a good wading jacket to keep you warm and dry. Simms have developed and fine-tuned their guide models through a long period of years, and today we won’t leave home without our sturdy and highly breathable G3 and G4 jackets. They offer all the comfort and pockets you need.

SIMMS G WADERS

Weather changes and streams run high and low.

Since we spend most freshwater days in our waders – it comes as no surprise that we like the best there is. The Simms G3 and G4 are guaranteed to keep you comfortable when walking and fishing hard and they come in so many sizes that there’s a perfect fit for everyone. Go for the Zipper version if you can afford it – besides the obvious male benefit you will enjoy the extra ventilation after a long walk.

AHREX TRAILER HOOK

Most of our steelhead flies – both tubes and Intruder style patterns – are mounted with a replaceable single trailer hook. Our guides in BC love the Ahrex Predator PR382, which is available both with and without a barb (PR383). The point of this chemically sharpened hook turns slightly inwards and on recent steelhead trips these hooks have helped improve the hooked-to-landed-fish rate.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

45

46

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Bahamas

SHALLOW WATER BONEFISHING

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

47

B A H AM A S – AC K LIN S IS LA N D

intro BONEFISH HAVE A SOLID REPUTATION for being the ultimate light tackle saltwater species. Fly fishing legend, Lefty Kreh, even declared once, that if he was forced into choosing only one species in the world to fish with a fly rod – it had to be bonefish.

Bonefishing is all about the visuals. You look for bonefish, you spot the bonefish, you cast your fly, you look at your fly as you strip it, you watch the bonefish grab your fly – and you watch it take off, when you set the hook.

And shortly after, you’re likely to see a great deal of backing too. Bonefishing is sight fishing at its best. Doing it underneath the Bahamian sun, surrounded by white, sandy flats and turquoise blue water, doesn’t make it worse either. Let us tell you about our way of bonefishing the Bahamas.

drink, your hopes are discretely affirmed; the tide is coming in. With it, the bones will be coming too, and they’ll pass through right here.

Suddenly your heart skips a beat. There it is; the first bone; slowly cruising along the edges of the bay, impatiently waiting for the rising tide and for access to all the crabs, worms and shrimps of the lagoon. You sneak into position and make the cast. An easy one – fifteen meters, maybe less, but you still manage to almost hit the fish on the head. Bones hate that. Damn! Better chances don’t come along very often. The only consolation is that more fish are bound to come in soon.

There it is; the first bone; slowly cruising along the edges of the bay, impatiently waiting for the rising tide...

Three ways to catch a bonefish The guide poles the skiff while you’re looking for fish. You might spot the fish first but with him standing on the platform, it’s usually the other way around. He will direct your cast, then how to fish the fly. The bonefish eats and you set the hook. That’s one way – fish on!

The second way is to get out of the boat and wade with your guide. Of course, he knows where to start looking and you follow along. He finds the fish, instructs you on how to sneak into the right position, when to make the cast and how to retrieve the fly. If all goes well – fish on!

Then there is the third way: You’re at the bottom of a small bay, where the water is too deep for spotting any bones. However, where the bay ends, a little channel connects the bay with a shallow lagoon the size of three or four football fields – a place with a hard, light and sandy bottom. There is no one else in sight… your friends went in the other direction and you’ll meet them back at the point in a few hours.

The water is still low, too low for any bones to enter the lagoon. For now, that is. Casting a glance at the stick you planted at the water’s edge before sitting down for a 48

You don’t quite know how the fish got there; unnoticed, passing you at the entrance of the channel, but that’s what bonefish do. Sneaky invisible bastards… Anyway, now it’s tailing in the shallows. You creep closer. Now you’re the sneaky one. This time the cast is right on the money. A few strips and the fish is on the fly – fish on!

The line cuts through the surface and the bone is into the backing in seconds. You are supposed to enjoy the moment, but halfway into the fight you just want to close the deal: Another fish is tailing in the lagoon now… no there’s two! Now you’re in a bubble, closing out everything else.

You’re in bonefish heaven and you plan on taking full advantage of it.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

B A H A MA S

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

49

B A H AM A S – AC K LIN S IS LA N D

Eventually, the tide gets too high, and in some mystical way only known to the bonefish themselves, they disappear as quietly and quickly as they had arrived two hours earlier – perhaps via the mangroves? God, how time flies!

It’s probably time to meet up with the other guys again…

complish. And our group leaders are equipped with these tools. They know what areas to fish on different tides.

For years, we have been dreaming of the perfect bonefish trip for those wanting to stalk the shallows for bones on their own.

Over the years, many of our clients have felt the same way. For years, we did trips to the Bahamas with three guided- and three unguided days of fishing. The majority of the cost of these trips obviously went to the guided days, but every so often we would have clients ask at the end of the week: “Can’t we just skip the last guided day and fish on our own?”.

The best bonefish school Our Getaway bonefishing concept is about teaching you how to excel in- and enjoy bonefishing the third way: The unguided way. How to take full advantage of the situations you encounter when fishing on your own or with a friend.

Don’t take this the wrong way. There is nothing wrong with being guided to a great catch. It would have been rather pathetic if we thought so. After all, we sell a lot of guided fishing! It’s just that – given the right tools at the right location – success in bonefishing is fairly easy to ac50

Whether or not it is more satisfying to find the fish on your own and make the right decisions leading up to hooking and landing the fish is a matter of personal taste.

What do we think? Hell yeah, it’s a heck of a lot more fun!

For years, we have been dreaming of the perfect bonefish trip for those wanting to stalk the shallows for bones on their own.

Only recently did we finally convince our partners in the Bahamas to let us set up such a European program; exactly the way we and our clients have always dreamed of: Long days – fishing different areas every day at our own pace.

On our bonefish trips the novice bonefish angler will find himself in a relaxed environment and he will enjoy the company and knowledge of our experienced tour leader and fellow anglers. The skilled bonefish angler will definitely appreciate the opportunity of spending extra hours on the flats.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

51

52

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Killer of the FLATS The barracuda is a totally underrated quarry on the flats – if you get a chance to fish for one, do it! When hooked, they will make long runs and often propel themselves out of the water in spectacular jumps. Imagine hooking a four feet long fish in one foot of water... then you will get some action!

Cudas are fierce predators that will, quite literally, cut your bonefish in half while you are fighting it – and they can be super finicky and very difficult to lure.

Fortunately, Acklins has a very healthy population of them so you should get plenty of chances to practice.

Sometimes we carry a second rod, rigged with wire and a cuda fly. At other times we will simply rig up the bonefish rod if we spot one.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

53

B A H AM A S – AC K LIN S IS LA N D

WHY

WHY NOT

GREAT INTRODUCTION If you are thinking about getting started in warm saltwater, this is the perfect place to make your first cast to a tailing bonefish.

PRICE Good luck finding a better value-for-money trip in warm saltwater!

ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES There are so many great bonefish spots on Acklins that it can be rather overwhelming. Fish new water every day during your trip.

travelling to the

BAHAMAS SEASON: October-April.

FLY TO: Acklins Island via Nassau.

TYPICAL ITINERARY: Day 1: Arrival in Nassau, stay at hotel.

Day 2: Morning flight to Acklins, transfer to the Grey’s Point Inn, lunch, rig up tackle and hit the nearby flats for an afternoon’s worth of fishing.

Day 3-8: Six full days of fishing Day 9: Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Nassau and onwards to your final destination.

PRICE: From around EUR 2000 without flights and hotel in Nassau.

54

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

REMOTENESS AT A PRICE Getting to Acklins requires a night in Nassau, and a domestic flight. That’s time consuming and too much trouble for most fly fishermen.

(Which, of course, is why the fishing is so damn good).

PHYSICALLY DEMANDING You will be wading all day instead of being poled around in a skiff. It’s much more rewarding when you find the fish – but for some it’s also physically demanding.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

55

SU DA N – N U B IAN F LATS

56

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

SUDAN – NUB I A N FL A T S

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

57

58

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

BAHAMAS – ACK L I NS I S L A ND

Garon on

PERMIT WITH THE PERMIT, you must be on top of your game.

Be ready when the shot presents itself because your first cast will be the most important one. Once the fish realizes you are there - and he will, then he will start to become uneasy and finicky. But you have that one chance of making a great first presentation.

OF COURSE, CATCHING IS IMPORTANT, catching is a plus. But just to see them…I mean, I’ve seen a school of nine permit, all from 40 to 50 lbs, tailing on the back of a reef. I got pretty close to them, and just seeing the black fins breaking the surface, and these big fish in crystal clear water – it was unbelievable.

WHEN LOOKING FOR PERMIT, you must have patience. We have different spots, some up on the Lovely Bay side, some in the bay close to the lodge, some on the bight side – you know, enough so we can rotate from day to day, even if we focus completely on permit fishing. We can also trailer the boat and fish the Crooked Island side. We have plenty of options. But you must be patient, be willing to spend time. Some days you see none, some days you find them. With the last permit I caught, we had been looking all day and hadn’t seen a single fish. At four-thirty, heading back to the lodge, we finally saw one. I shut the engine down, we jumped out of the boat – and we caught it. Right at the end of the day.

WHEN THE WEATHER IS GOOD and the tide is right, chances are you are going to see a permit. Catching it is another matter, of course. You see it, you make the perfect cast, the permit charges the fly… and then it turns away!

That’s permit for you.

I HAVE ONLY CAUGHT ONE PERMIT on a crab fly. All the other permit I’ve caught were on shrimp patterns. I’m not saying the crab flies don’t work but I’ve just been catching them on big shrimp patterns, like Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp, or even a big Gotcha, something like that, and with bell eyes to get the fly down.

WE HAVE SOME SMALLER PERMIT. I’ve caught a few of 5-10 lbs. But most of the permit I have caught

are from 30 lbs and upwards. Most of them are big fish, like really big fish, mon! I have caught seven or eight permit from 30-35 lbs and up – but most of our guests go for bonefish so I don’t really get to target them that often.

The biggest permit I ever hooked; it was way bigger than the one in the picture. It must have been 70 lbs. In five-six seconds he was in the backing, like way into the backing.

We never had a chance with that one.

BE PREPARED TO MAKE LONGER CASTS. That permit is going to be much easier to fool if you are presenting the fly with a 60-70 feet cast instead of, say, a 4050 feet cast. Otherwise, he will know you are there. It’s all about making a good presentation, presentation is key.

I have caught seven or eight permit from 30-35 lbs and up... the biggest I ever hooked must have been 70 lbs.

Well, that, and finding a hungry permit. If you find a permit that is hungry, a permit in eating mood, you know, he is going to take that fly… he is going to eat it.

SOMETIMES, WE SEE A PERMIT following a ray.

That permit is looking for a meal, so that’s a good chance right there. But most of the permit I’ve caught have been on white sand flats, when the fish are tailing. When they’re tailing, they’re eating. That’s when you can catch them.

YOU NEED THE BOAT to get to the spots but if I spot the permit early enough, we get out of the boat. That boat will often make a little hull slab, a little noise from the splashes you know, so if the water is waist deep or less, I

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

59

anchor the boat and we get out. I’ve caught many of my permit like that.

IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A SHOT at permit, even if you are not targeting them all the time, try to have a rod rigged and ready in the boat at all times. Many times, I’ve seen permit when I go from one bonefish flat to the next one. If you come across a permit you don’t want to waste time changing flies and all that. Just have it ready, and your chances of hooking one are higher.

THE BIGGEST ONE we’ve landed, you know that one in the picture, let me tell you that story: We were cuda fishing, and we had just caught a big one. Bob, my angler, he was like: Man, this cuda fishing is fun, let’s catch another one! We were just motoring slowly when I see these two huge permit coming in. I shut down the engine, pull out the pole, and Bob grabs his permit rod. Bob is a good angler, he is experienced, you know – and he did a very long cast, like 70-80 feet, but it wasn’t quite on target. Then he makes another one, and this time the permit nails the fly!

MAN, I’M TELLING YOU, it’s like we had hooked this piece of rock! We couldn’t turn him at all, and that permit was spooling us, too. For the first twenty minutes or half an hour, we just had to follow him. We had to go where he wanted to go. We couldn’t turn him, we couldn’t stop him, we couldn’t do nothing, man! (laughs). Then he starts to

60

go towards some underwater rock formation and I’m getting pretty worried – but luckily, we managed to steer him away from that. He put up a hell of a fight, that’s for sure.

It was somewhere between 50 minutes and an hour before we finally had him.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE I guide don’t go for permit.

At least not exclusively. But I had one angler and his wife fishing with me, and they wanted nothing but permit. So, I looked for them all week and we had shots every day expect one. We didn’t catch one, which was fine for the guy, he knew it wasn’t easy, but five out of the six days we had some really good shots. Some days we had seven, eight, nine shots at permit. We found one fish on the back of a ray, I think we chased that fish for like two hours, getting plenty of shots, changing flies, everything... but you know, huge permit, they’re very smart. These fifty-pound fish, they’re smart, mon! Not easy to catch. The 10-15 lb guys, they’re easier to catch. But these big permit, coming in from the ocean, they’re not easy to catch. I guess that’s why you want them, right?

Garon Williamson has been fishing Acklins all his life. On Sunday, you will find him pastoring at church but for the other six days of the week he’ll be happy to look for permit, bones, cudas, or tarpon. He has been guiding for 22 years.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

...if the water is waist deep or less, I anchor the boat and we get out. I’ve caught many of my permit like that.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

61

B A H AM A S – AC K LIN S IS LA N D

BAHAMAS

What to bring RODS: The go-to rods for the Bahamian flats: 9’ #7-8 saltwater rod for bonefish 9’ #8-9 saltwater rod for barracuda REELS: #8-9 saltwater reel with 200 m 30-50 lb braid backing LINES: #7-9 floating bonefish taper line #9-10 floating tropical saltwater line LEADERS: Tapered saltwater leaders 9-12 ft. 10-20 lb Wire leader / shock tippet for barracuda

A BACKUP ROD is always necessary when travelling.

If possible choose the same line weight for both your bonefish rods. This will save you the trouble of bringing more fly lines. If you are serious about the big barracudas consider bringing a #9 rod along as well.

ACCESSORIES: Waterproof backpack Saltwater pliers Hook sharpener Sunglasses

MANY DIFFERENT saltwater fly lines have entered the market in recent years. We have tried them all but tend to stick to the traditional Bonefish Tapers for Bahamas since both short- and long range casting with plethora of different flies is needed. If you are new to the salt you might like to overload your rod with a fly line one weight-class up. This will help you more effectively load your rod on shorter casts and it will aid when throwing larger flies too.

CLOTHING: Flats boots Sun/ stripping gloves Long-sleeved shirts (UPF30+) Pants (UPF30+) Shorts Cap Buff Light rain gear BONEFISHING IS PRETTY BASIC when it comes to choosing your fly tackle. There has, however, been some debate over rods. In many bonefishing situations you’ll want a light rod for accurate and delicate presentations – but one hour later you might want a

62

rod that can punch your fly through heavy winds on an open flat. In any case, you’ll want a rod with some backbone to tame the powers of the bonefish. When choosing the go-to rod for bonefish, we still recommend the classic #8 saltwater rod: It will not let you down! There is a reason that saltwater rods are built with sturdy components. The salt, the sand and the sun all put great strain on your tackle.

A fly reel in the #7-8 range with a decent drag will do the job well. In other words, most fly reels on the market today will work nicely.

WHILE THE HARDWARE hasn’t changed much in bonefishing during the last decades, a lot has happened on the ‘software’ scene. Being out on the flats all day with no real opportunity of reaching the shadows is much more comfortable with today’s clothing technology. Flats boots that fit are a must and you will be a happy bonefisher if you spend that extra money on a waterproof backpack. Furthermore, silk-like crewnecks and High UV-Buffs make it a more pleasant experience than the traditional tropical shirts and hats.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

BAHAMAS – ACK L I NS I S L A ND

If you’re ready to hook up with big barracudas, strong jacks – or even sharks – you should bring some baitfish flies tied on heavy-wire hooks. In order to effectively hook cudas and increase landing rates, a stinger hook is recommended.

BAHAMAS

the flies

If you are considering targeting Acklins’ challenging permit, bring a selection of larger shrimps and crabs for pursuing the holy grail of saltwater fly fishing.

A selection of small and light crab flies is your best bet in the mangroves. In here, the bones are extra wary and alert, but a nice little tan crab with rubber legs is hard to resist for a tailing bonefish. To avoid getting snagged, consider adding a weed guard to some of your crabs.

Classic shrimp flies are a must on Acklins. The huge sandflats call for lightly coloured bonefish flies and variations of Gotchas, Mantis Shrimp, Puffs and Crazy Charlies. The same goes for the modern, lifelike shrimp flies used for European sea trout fishing. Fortunately, Acklins has a very healthy population of bones so you will get plenty of opportunities to experiment.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

63

Nicaragua THE LEGEND OF TAPAM

64

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

65

66

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

NI CARA GUA – T A PA M

intro IT HAS BEEN A SLOW MORNING. Most days, you expect to find at least a few tarpon chasing bait at first light. On some days it turns into a feeding frenzy that lasts an hour or more. On this particular day, however, with four hours spent in three different spots you have seen only a few scattered rollers.

The first bite of the day seems far on the horizon, but with lunch still a few hours away you deliberate with your boat partner and guide and decide: Let’s try the creek!

As you leave the main river, the jungle closes in on you.

The boat slowly makes its way further up the creek and three sets of eyes are looking ahead with anticipation.

For some reason, perhaps because they follow baitfish or shrimp, big tarpon like it in here. If they’re here, there are always big fish around. 100 lbs or more. And if they’re here, they always roll.

A fish of close to two meters, nose to tail, rolling on a calm surface in a fifteen-meter-wide creek is hard to miss. Neither of you do. Instantly, the guide shuts off the engine and switches to his electric alternative while you and your friend prepare the rods.

Several big fish have already shown themselves and with so little water to hide in you just know one of them will see your fly. With each strip of the fly line you try to make the big pink shrimp fly dance and jitter enticingly. The spey hackles and marabou come alive and even when you let the fly hang for a couple of seconds, the fly still looks very much alive.

Close to the boat, the line comes tight. Typically, a take from a big tarpon results in a pretty violent pull – but this time the fish is presumably swimming towards you with the fly in its mouth. You do your best to keep a tight line and, as soon as you get the chance, you add a few hard jabs to set the hook. The fish on the other end realizes its mistake, speeds up, and breaks the surface in a jump that puts an abrupt end to the tranquility of the creek. Two anglers and a guide shout in unison, an engine is turned on, and the fly line, leader, and 4/0 hook are now tested for any weak points while you risk it all trying to turn a 130 lb tarpon away from the underwater branches and submerged logs along the side of the creek.

The big fish prefers the deeper, open water in the middle of the creek. That’s to your advantage. Here, you can apply constant pressure from strategic angles that drain it of energy – but should it suddenly decide to swim through the mangroves and sunken branches it would be over in seconds. Luckily, however, that’s the one trick the fish hasn’t learned yet.

After half an hour of hard pulling, shaking knees, and much needed water provided by your friend, the fish is ready. You watch in awe as seven feet of scaled dinosaur comes within reach of the guide’s gloves. The pink fly looks foolishly small, but it is seated well in the upper part of the bucket-like mouth.

This time, you will get it.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

67

N I CA R A GU A – TA P A M

talking to

HENRY Henry Schmidt is our camp manager at Tapam. He has fished these jungle waters for years and every season he becomes more knowledgeable about the tarpon and snook in the rivers, lagoons, and creeks surrounding our Tapam Lodge.

On my first visit to Tapam, I fell completely in love with the place. The jungle, the local people, and – of course – the fish! On my very first afternoon of fishing here, I hooked a tarpon that is still the biggest I’ve ever hooked – though I have now had clients hook even bigger ones. Anyway, I fought this monster of a fish for more than an hour and it took us from the lagoon, where I hooked it, and into a big river. When the big fish finally showed signs of getting tired, my 100 lb leader popped!

Right there and then, I knew I had to come back and fish this place as much as I could possibly afford. And when I realized I could never afford to fish here as often as I wanted, I had to convince the owners to let me manage the place instead!

A couple of seasons ago, we had a big breakthrough with snook on the fly. Snook were always a (most welcome) bycatch on the fly, but in 2018 we found a spot way upriver that held such a concentration that we could target them. We caught lots of snook on flies one boat as many as 20 in a morning, and the biggest from this spot was close to 30 lbs.

Even if we can now target snook, you can forget about fishing a lighter fly rod for these “sideliners”.

You need to stop them before they reach the sunken trees they often hang around – and you now need to be prepared for a (most welcome) bycatch in the other direction: Anytime, a 150 lb tarpon can suddenly eat the fly that was meant for the snook.

...this fishery will stay as we found it for years to come.

Our impact on this fishery is probably next to nothing.

The number of rolling tarpon that we see, compared to the number of fish we hook during a typical week, suggests that we interact with an insignificant part of the total population. While we wouldn’t mind hooking more fish, we find consolidation in the fact that this fishery will stay as we found it for years to come.

We still discover new spots, thus spreading out fishing pressure even more.

68

Every week has the potential of being the best of the season. There are so many different factors that it is impossible to figure out in advance when the fishing goes crazy.

From January to June, you can be sure to find tarpon but how hard they will feed depends on weather, tides, baitfish movements, and probably several other factors that we don’t even know of.

We could tell you stories from February that would make that particular month your first choice. Now, the challenge is that we could tell you other stories from March that would make you go for that month instead.

Or from April. Or May. You get the picture.

So, while some weeks during the season will always be better than others nothing plays as big a role in hitting the best weeks of the seasons as pure and simple luck.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

69

N I CA R A GU A – TA P A M

I still don’t understand how we can catch these big fish with a fly rod. Fish of two meters in length and more than fifty kilos in weight – it shouldn’t be possible, right? But it is. As long as you understand that you need to pull hard, and you need to fight it right.

If you constantly pull from an angle that makes the tarpon spend as much energy as possible in staying upright in the water, even really big fish will give in sooner or later. Once you have the angles right, the next step to shorten the fight is to apply as much pressure as you dare. And since we are fishing really heavy leaders to shorten the fighting time – and avoid the risk of breaking the leader by pulling too hard – you should dare to pull a lot! Sometimes, even a really big tarpon can be landed in half an hour. Other times, even when you do everything right, it takes a lot longer.

The Tapam Shrimp is now our go-to fly at Tapam. We probably fish it more than all other patterns combined.

For two reasons: The first, of course, being that both rivers and lagoons here hold a lot of shrimp. You will often see locals catching them with casting nets from their dugout canoes. The second reason is that, when the tarpon aren’t really feeding hard, they become more skeptical – and making a fly move convincingly like a shrimp is probably easier than making a baitfish fly look and move like a fish.

The Tapam Shrimp is an adaption from the famous Scandinavian seatrout fly Pattegrisen (the Piglet). The 70

first couple of seasons we fished a large version of Pattegrisen but the shrimp found here are really big, so I

Fish of two meters in length and more than fifty kilos in weight – it shouldn’t be possible right? wanted a bigger shrimp fly. Instead of palmering spey hackles I used them as a tail, and with a body of marabou I ended with a bulkier fly – matching the heavy tarpon hook better – and a length of close to 15 cm.

Most of our guests arrive well prepared but every season we still have a few guests that totally underestimate the task they are about to face.

Some think they can make a few casts now and then and still have a great chance of hooking up. Others are prepared to cast all day but intend to fish with tackle that is totally inadequate for these big fish.

A couple of seasons ago we had an Argentinian

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

group that hit one of the best weeks we have ever had in the jungle. Most of them didn’t have any experience with tarpon fishing but spring had been unusually cold, and just as they arrived everything changed, and the fishing went totally crazy. No matter which spot we fished we found feeding tarpon. In my boat alone, we must have jumped between 30 and 40 fish that week.

They weren’t all big tarpon – and that was probably a good thing – because these guys had fly lines that broke, reels that would have been better for trout than tarpon, and hook sets to match the trout reels.

They were nice people, however, and we had a good time. On the first day, we hooked a nice baby tarpon of 30-40 lbs. My angler was happy about the good start but as we released the fish, he said: “Tomorrow, please find me a bigger one”.

The next day we fished a newly discovered spot way up the river. We waited for the tide to stop pushing, and as the flow of the river increased the tarpon started rolling. I told him it was now time to get that bigger fish he wanted.

I think it was only a matter of five casts or so, then he hooked a big fish. As it came halfway out of the water, I realized it was a true monster. Way more than 200 lbs. It was massive! The hook came out during that first jump and I was just about to feel sorry for my angler – but before I could say anything, he turned around, and with a genuinely scared look on his face he mumbled: “Henry, please find me a smaller one!”.

We will always have more to learn about this fishery.

Every season, we are discovering another secret or two about this magical place. It’s not so much about finding new spots anymore – it’s more about when and how to fish them. To be patient and wait for that little change that makes the whole difference. In fact, we are fishing fewer different spots in a day than we used to. But we are catching more fish per week because we fish them

...with a genuine scared look on his face he mumbled: “Henry, please find me a smaller one!”. better. With more thought and more patience. That’s what gives me the most satisfaction: Getting to know as much as possible about these giant jungle tarpon. I don’t really need to catch them all anymore.

I have you to do that for me.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

71

N I CA R A GU A – TA P A M

Jungle SURPRISES During our first three seasons at Tapam, we only targeted tarpon with our fly rods. We surely didn’t mind when a snook or jack crevalle ate our flies – there just weren’t enough of them around to actually target them.

For snook, that changed when we discovered a couple of spots up river where we would often find schools of snook . Today, we often have good fishing for snook on the fly – and sometimes truly spectacular fishing for them.

Jacks are still short term visitors. They surge in on strong tides, following the bait coming in from the ocean. Pound for pound they’re the strongest fish in the jungle. We have caught them up to around 25 lbs on fly rods. It’s a lot of fun. And a lot of hard work!

72

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

73

N I CA R A GU A – TA P A M

WHY

WHY NOT

THE SIZE OF THE TARPON You will have the chance of hooking a tarpon of well over 200 lbs – on fly! A 100 pounder is a nice fish. But here, it’s not a big fish.

THE FEEDING FRENZIES You will most likely see tarpon jump out of the water, chasing mullets. Cast your fly into such a feeding frenzy and...hold on!

IT’S HARD WORK Casting an eleven or twelve weight rod for ten hours a day is pretty hard work.

IT’S NOT EASY Despite a high number of tarpon entering these waters, it’s rarely easy fishing.

JUNGLE MORNINGS Fly fishing for big tarpon while the jungle awakens is something really special. And every day starts like that.

travelling to

NICARAGUA SEASON: February-June.

FLY TO: Bluefields via Managua.

TYPICAL ITINERARY: Day 1: Evening arrival in Managua, stay at hotel.

Day 2: Early morning flight to Bluefields, followed by boat transfer to the Tapam Lodge.

Day 3-8: Six full days of fishing; first light until lunch and then again early afternoon until dark.

Day 9: Fish first light until lunch, pack up and leave for Bluefields.

Day 10: Early morning transfer to the airport for flight back to Managua and onwards to your final destination.

PRICE: From around EUR 4400 without flights and hotel in Managua.

74

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Tapam MONSTERS During our opening week in 2019, Oleg Veber from Novosibirsk in Russia landed a real Tapam-monster. The fish was estiamted at well over 180 lbs, possibly closer to 200 lbs, but no measuments were recorded. A week later, Alan Lin from Canada landed a tarpon (hooked late in the day and therefore landed after dark) that measured 82 inches from nose to fork. It had a girth of 5o inches.

Insert these numbers into the Tarpon Weight Calculator from Bonefish&Tarpon Trust and you will get 256 lbs!

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

75

76

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

77

N I CA R A GU A – TA P A M

NICARAGUA

What to bring RODS: The go-to rods for tarpon in Nicaragua: 9’ #11-12 saltwater rods Don’t go without a back up rod!

REELS: #12 saltwater reels with 200 m 50-80 lb braid backing LINES: #11-12 intermediate tropical saltwater taper line 400-500 grain tropical sinking line LEADERS: Saltwater leaders 6-10 ft. with 100-130 lb shock tippet ACCESSORIES: Boat bag Saltwater pliers Hook sharpener Sunglasses CLOTHING: Boat shoes or flips Sun/ stripping gloves Long-sleeved shirts (UPF30+) Pants (UPF30+) Shorts Cap Buff Light rain gear

78

MAKE NO COMPROMISES when choosing your gear for Tapam. Tarpon fishing is basically just a big accident waiting to happen and chasing the giants of Nicaragua will push your gear to the limit. Most things can go south when setting the hook in a 150lb+ tarpon, so make sure your gear is top-notch and double-checked from the backing to the point of the hook.

FINDING IDEAL FLY RODS for Nicaraguan tarpon is a quest of compromise, and whether to choose 11 or 12-weight rods is an on-going debate. It’s a tough job casting these rods all day and, as a result, part of the answer borders on your physics and your skills. We like a rod with the feeling of a 10-weight and the power of a 12-weight. Therefore, we often choose 11-weight rods.

UNLESS YOU’RE DETERMINED to set new line-class world records, we recommend leaving all the complex tarpon leaders, fancy knots and short shock tippets back home. Every knot is another risk and we’ve seen big fish wear through conventional 100 lb shock tippets. Most of the time we fish a leader of straight 125lb Seaguar Big Game fluorocarbon.

REMEMBER THAT THIS IS jungle fishing. Yes, most of the time it is very warm and sunny – but when it rains, it rains a lot. In fact, if there ever was a place to test rain gear this would be it – the jungle showers are THAT heavy! Sun protection must also be taken seriously, but honestly – we love to fish in shorts and bare feet when chasing tarpon. We do not encounter the jungle nor the sun that often, and wearing nothing but shorts and a thin shirt just makes us more comfortable and agile when fishing. The advantage of fishing barefoot is that you will feel your fly line if you end up standing on it.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

NI CARA GUA – T A PA M

When the tarpon are busting bait the choice is easy: Almost any big baitfish pattern will work during a hot feeding frenzy. We tie them on super-strong hooks and fish them fast. Sometimes, we find tarpon feeding off smaller baitfish in clear water. Then we downscale a bit.

TAPAM

the flies When the big jungle poons are popping shrimp on the surface, the fly choice is easy. However, when the tarpon aren’t really feeding, it can be harder to pick the right fly.

The last couple of seasons, we had a lot of success fishing shrimp flies when the fish were less active. Our guess is that during a feeding frenzy – when the fish are really turned on – they will go for our bushy baitfish imitations. However, when they aren’t feeding hard, a shrimp imitation looks a lot more realistic and will lure the tarpon more easily.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

79

THE GETAWAY

Gear Guide

SIMMS DRY CREEK BOAT BAG

WATERWORKS COBALT HD

The Cobalt fly reel has already excelled at our saltwater destinations, but while modern spey fishing went in one direction, fly reels went in another. Thin and slick shooting lines have a nasty way of finding their way between the spool and the frame on most modern lightweight fly reels. That’s why the traditional full-frame option on the Cobalt HD reel suits us well in both Chile and BC.

SIMMS WAYPOINTS JACKET

Landlocked fly fishermen sometimes refer to boat bags as unnecessary gadgets.

That might be true if chasing trout up and down a stream is your only thing.

But being on a boat all day will make you appreciate a true boat bag: A bag with easy access and a unique design for boats. If you have ever tried fishing in a boat with one or two other guys and all their tackle and soft bags rolling around, you know what we are talking about. We seriously like the clever magnetic locker on this Simms bag.

Yes, most of the time it is very warm and sunny in the tropics – but when it rains, it often rains a lot. The tropical showers are usually short and heavy. You will need a waterproof jacket that tackles the elements and is easy to stow away. The ultralight Simms Waypoints jacket does the trick for us. And even if you are in for a dry week, you might still appreciate the jacket when taking off on a damp, early morning.

SEAGUAR FLUOROCARBON

Lots is being said about advanced saltwater leaders, but our calculation is different. When finally connecting with a monster tarpon or GT in a solid hook up, we want a bulletproof no-nonsense leader attached to our fly line. It might seem over the top, but most of the time we fish a leader of straight 125lb Seaguar fluorocarbon. Losing a giant to a regular 80 or 100lb tippet leader just isn’t acceptable.

The Seaguar stuff is much more durable. The weakest link taken right out of the equation!

80

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

SIMMS SOLARFLEX CREWNECK

There are lots of nice classic fishing shirts to be found, but when it comes to fishing the tropics, we have swapped into Simms’ thin Solarflex Crewneck shirts: Silk-like comfort, quick drying and UPF50. The Solarflex Crewneck packs down to practically nothing and both the weight and the price tag is half that of traditional shirts. Hoody and Bugstopper models make the trip even more pleasant when the bugs are biting.

SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS SONAR SALTWATER INTERMEDIATE

We have tried a lot of different intermediate saltwater fly lines in Nicaragua: Most likely every brand there is. When fishing on top and chasing fish in the shallower parts of these waters, an intermediate fly lines is our first pick. The ideal line should load quickly, be able to cast far and make as minimum of tangles. Scientific Angler’s Sonar Saltwater Intermediate: Check, check, check – we like it!

SIMMS INTRUDER BOOT SALT

HOOK SHARPENER

Do not underestimate your flats boots – you will be doing a fair amount of wading when fishing the flats of Bahamas. A good pair of boots can mean the difference between a great day and one that is just OK. The comfort of the Intruder Salt and the ability to keep the sand on the outside is second to none. Though we truly dig this model for the flats, please make sure to choose boots that really fit your feet. And do not wait until your first day on the flats to try out new boots.

Though most modern fly hooks are tough and super sharp, we don’t leave home without a trusted hook sharpener. Whether you’re swinging flies for steelhead or stripping crabs across a bonefish flat, the point of a fly hook doesn’t really like colliding with rock or coral.

A quality hook sharpener keeps your flies on top of their game with very little effort.

If your clothing is soft and thin, like in the tropics, you should opt for a sharpener with rounded corners.

SCOTT MERIDIAN

Finding the ideal fly rod for Nicaragua tarpon or GT in the Maldives is a quest of compromise. We want a rod light enough to endure long days on the water. And we want a rod that is delicate enough to make an accurate cast. On the other hand, we want a rod powerful enough to chuck out big baitfish flies. And the second we hook a giant, we hope for an even more powerful rod. The same goes for most of all the other fast moving fish in the salt – that’s why we prefer Meridian fly rods.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

81

British Columbia STEELHEAD HEAVEN

82

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

83

B RI T I SH C OL UMB IA

intro IN EUROPE, THE COMMON CURE for the double-hand addiction has traditionally been Atlantic salmon. For centuries, European anglers have swung their flies across northern rivers in the hopes of getting hit. Unfortunately, the population of Atlantic salmon in Europe has dramatically diminished. We simply haven’t been managing our rivers very well, and as a result this has led many salmon fishermen to cross the Atlantic in search for steelhead: We had been salmon fishing in Norway for many years before we discovered steelhead. Along the way, salmon fishing had turned more and more into a lottery: A pricy one! The number of fish in the rivers was continuously dropping while the cost of fishing these rivers kept going in the other direction. Still, if you have an itch then you have to scratch it.

We had been reading, and dreaming, about Canadian steelhead for years, and as the chances of success with the two-hander got slimmer in Europe, we had to go and look elsewhere.

ago, they realised how much damage too much commercial fishing and exploitation of the rivers could do. And nowadays, this has translated into strict regulations and catch & release fishing for steelhead.

What it also means is that in BC it is possible to find rivers that still live up to their full carrying capacity of wild steelhead. Think about that for a minute: It means that the natural maximum stock of steelhead is present in many rivers!

For the fly angler, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the rivers are packed with gigantic steelhead – what it means is that you can find steelhead where they are supposed to be – and that is a really attractive starting point for both skilled and novice steelheaders. To fish for steelhead is a challenge – but if you pay attention and learn, you will catch fish. This generally isn’t the case with salmon in Europe anymore. Even the most skilled salmon anglers frequently return empty-handed.

We’ve had less than 1% of our clients returning from BC without catching a steelhead.

What we found in British Columbia was amazing. The scenery there is stunning: The golden colours during autumn and the snowcapped mountains – it’s not just something that exists on postcards. It’s there in real life as well. Unlike the great salmon fishing we had been reading so much about, most of the steelhead fantasies actually seemed to come true once we found the right rivers and went there at the right time. In fact, throughout our years in BC, we frequently found rivers that offered way better fishing than the general perception of that particular river gave us reason to believe. Some of the truly great steelhead fishing, that is said to be gone forever, is actually still there.

In BC, they really care about the fish - not only the anglers, but the authorities and the government too. Fish stock management is taken very seriously. A long time

84

What began as a substitute for salmon fishing, rapidly turned into a very commanding passion in its own right. Being out there in the breath-taking Canadian wilderness with dedicated fishing guides at our side, fly fishing for chromed-up monster sea-run rainbow trout turned out to be worthy of obsession. The test fishing ended up being a point-of-no-return.

Our Getaway steelhead fishing is not about numbers, it is about the overall experience. That being said, we’ve had less than 1% of our clients returning from BC without catching a steelhead, which is phenomenal. This is partly due to the potential of the fishing and partly due to the fact that we have spent years getting access to the right rivers at the right time.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

85

B RI T I SH C OL UMB IA

swinging for

STEELHEAD AMONG FLY ANGLERS, who like to chase anadromous species, fly fishing for steelhead is generally recognised as being comparable with fishing for Atlantic salmon. There are, however, quite a few differences:

However, some of our carefully selected rivers have great runs all the way into November. The summer-run steelhead behaviour is similar to that of anadromous salmon and seatrout in Europe, as these fish stay in the river during most of the winter.

One of the most significant differences between Altantic salmon and steelhead is the timing of the migratory runs. In Europe, we always talk about a specific salmon season, because even though there is variation in terms of the length and timing of the salmon migrations, they roughly occur within one period.

The different runs are probably Nature’s way of protecting the fish, and for the local fly fisherman, who can venture out whenever the weather is right – it practically means year-round steelhead fishing.

It’s a bit more complicated when it comes to steelhead. Many rivers have two runs: A winter run and a summer run. The two runs even have variations, and for a lot of rivers it would have been more appropriate to call them spring runs and an autumn runs instead. And it’s not the same steelhead going back and forth twice a year. It’s two different strains of steelhead.

Winter runs typically peak in March and April – sometimes as early as February. The winter-run steelhead are very business-oriented and, oftentimes, they leave the rivers after a mere 3-6 weeks. This means that most rivers don’t have any steelhead in them during the month of May. Summer-runs tend to stretch over a longer period of time. The main run and the traditional steelhead season peaks in August and September, and the majority of all American steelheaders end their season in mid-October.

86

Steelhead don’t grow to the same size as Atlantic salmon, but what they lack in size, the steelhead more than make up for in strength and power. Steelhead seem to have a bit more temper and pound for pound you’ll find more spark and power swimming the BC rivers compared to Northern Europe. A fresh run 20lb steelhead would outrun a 20lb Atlantic salmon any day.

FISHING STEELHEAD Compared to fishing for salmon, steelheading is – again – different. Surely, it involves the lovely act of swinging a fly crosscurrent, but we still have a few essential tips to share: Since you are not limited to a small stretch of a river or a specific beat, when fishing in BC, we wouldn’t recommend anyone to go steelheading without a guide. Compared to our well-known salmon rivers back home, we generally have access to much more water in BC and on most rivers, our licenses cover areas of 30-60 kilometres.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

87

B RI T I SH C OL UMB IA

Some of our well-known salmon rivers don’t even hold fish for so many kilometres! That’s why the guides use jet boats, or rafts in places where jet boats aren’t allowed.

Imagine yourself standing on a riverbank with 25 fishable kilometres of river downstream and more or less the same amount of water upstream – not really knowing where and how to begin. That’s where a guide becomes really valuable. Besides their knowledge about how to fish for steelhead, they know the river and they’ll get you to the spots that most likely hold fish during your stay.

stance, just look at the increasing focus on skating surface flies for steelhead – you won’t need a sink tip for that. Just like with salmon, there are certain times when steelhead are very surface orientated, and not only during summer.

If conditions are right, steelhead can be caught on surface flies year round.

Steelheading is a bit more technical than salmon fishing. However, with all the literature written on salmon fishing you would be forgiven for thinking it was the other way round. In order to succeed with steelhead, you need to control your fly. When fishing for salmon we usually think that speed is good, especially when the water temperatures are rising. Despite the displays of raw power once hooked, steelhead approach our flies more carefully.

They also seem to prefer slightly bigger flies than Atlantic salmon do. This is part of the reason why Skagit lines and sink tips have gained so much in popularity when it comes to steelhead fishing.

In our experience, the traditional American approach to steelhead fishing over-complicates things. We Europeans – with our background in seatrout and salmon fishing, have a very different approach to steelhead fishing and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. No matter what, you’re likely to adapt effortlessly if you are already an experienced salmon angler.

Of course, there are exceptions to these rules. For in-

88

The challenge and learning process is all part of the game, so don’t forget – if you’re adaptive and focused on learning you’ll catch fish.

While some aspects of traditional steelhead fishing are based on single-handed fly rods, we strongly recommend using double-handers all the way. In our opinion, you stand a much better chance of success when using a double-hander. If you are not familiar with double-handers we strongly advise you to do your homework and learn the

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

basic casts before arriving in BC. The guides will gladly help if you’re completely new to the game, but it might end up being the most expensive casting lessons you’ll ever get.

FINDING THE BEST STEELHEAD WATERS Similar to chasing Atlantic salmon across Northern Europe, finding the right river in BC at the right time isn’t easy. It takes time to learn what rivers – and even which specific parts of each river – that fish well at certain times during the season. The reason is that things are constantly changing due to the weather, snowfall during the winter months, glacier melt off etc.

And that is just the basic stuff. Once you know where to go, another question arises: How do you get access?

We all know that the best fishing isn’t open to everyone, right? We all know somebody who knew somebody, that knew this guy who had the right connections... and could fish places, others couldn’t. It has been like that forever: Connections, family, tradition, friendship, trust and money all matter. It then shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that it is exactly the same with steelhead rivers. Sure, you can DIY-fish some of the rivers. But before you do, you have to ask yourself the famous question: Do you feel lucky?

As with salmon fishing in Europe, there are several hyped rivers and lodges in BC. In some places you’re looking at $9.000 for a week, but don’t be mistaken. The fishing, however, isn’t necessarily better just because of

In our experience, the traditional American approach to steelhead fishing over-complicates things. the snazzy price tag. The food and lodging will be – but if fine wining and dining isn’t necessarily your thing, we can probably put you on steelhead fishing that is equally good at half the price. On other rivers, the higher price tag might actually result in better fishing – covering the cost of a helicopter to reach a remote river instead of fancier

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

89

B RI T I SH C OL UMB IA

meals and luxurious accommodation. No matter the cost, our main focus has always been the best possible fishing for the money.

Before you do, you have to ask yourself the famous question: Do you feel lucky?

When we began our BC steelhead adventure more than a decade ago we started a small-scale cooperation with a single local operator, fishing only a few weeks per season. Since then, we’ve spent so much time fishing in BC that we are now widely connected, and – as a consequence – we get offered more great steelhead weeks.

Remember, we’re talking classified rivers, where the lodge owners or local operators have lots of money tied up in their rod licenses. Getting access to quality wild steelhead rivers is not for everybody. There are lots of readily acces-

90

sible steelhead rivers, but there you’ll most likely be fishing for hatchery fish.

Local steelhead regulations and rules are complex and the fishing is spread out across huge areas. We do most of our fishing in the Skeena and Nass watersheds and these two areas alone covers more than 75.000 km2.

The regulations have been designed to protect the steelhead on the one hand and the local guiding businesses on the other. And as a non-Canadian resident you can only get four days of fishing per week on most classified rivers – and you don’t necessarily get to pick the dates yourself.

When picking out the right time for your steelhead trip, you must ask yourself the eternal anadromous-fishing-question: Would you like to go when the river holds the most fish, or are you into chasing that fish of a lifetime: One of those indomitable, chromed up monsters?

By now, you probably have even more questions about steelhead fishing than to start out with. And, luckily, we’re happy to provide you with all the answers - simply give us a call! We do both hosted trips with experienced tour guides and individual trips. Call us, and we will come up with a trip itinerary that suits your needs perfectly.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Kings of the SKEENA While most of our clients prefer fishing for steelhead, we also offer fly fishing for king salmon in BC. Since the local fishermen can bring home a few salmon for the kitchen, the hotspots can sometimes get a bit crowded – but the fishing can be really good too. A freshrun, monster king salmon will take you into your backing like nothing you’ve ever hooked before. Please contact us if huge and very strong king salmon are on your bucket list.

Each year, we have a few groups heading for BC with nothing but salmon on their minds.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

91

B RI T I SH C OL UMB IA

WHY

WHY NOT

DOUBLE HANDED FISHING Because you just love casting your double hander and swinging flies from dawn to dusk.

THE SCENERY AND THE PEOPLE The nature of BC speaks for itself. So here, we’ll speak about the people instead: Truly great outfitters and guides that soon become great friends, too!

DOUBLE HANDED FISHING While steelhead fishing, a generation ago, used to be carried out with single handed rods you do need to handle a double handed rod relatively well to fish most rivers in BC effectively.

VALUE FOR MONEY While steelheading certainly isn’t cheap it is – in our opinion – much better value for money than salmon fishing. When you are fishing for steelhead, you can actually catch something!

travelling to

BRITISH COLUMBIA SEASON: March-November.

FLY TO: Terrace via Vancouver.

TYPICAL ITINERARY: Day 1: Departure from Europe and arrival in Terrace. Transfer to the lodge.

Day 2-7: Six full days of fishing.

Day 8: Transfer to Terrace for the domestic flight to Vancoucer and onwards to your final destination.

PRICE: From around EUR 3600 – without flights.

92

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

VERY ADDICTIVE Think twice before you try swinging for steelhead. Once, you have felt that tug it goes in your blood. You will need to scratch that itch again and again.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

93

B RI T I SH C OL UMB IA

BRITISH COLUMBIA

What to bring

RODS: The go-to rods for steelhead: 13-14’ #7 or #8 double-handed rods REELS: #9-10 reels with 200 m 30 lb backing LINES: 450-600 grain Skagit or Scandi shooting heads (and running lines) to match your rod 15 ft exchangeable tips ranging from slow to fast sinking + T11, T-14 and T-17 LEADERS: 4-9 ft tapered leaders - 20 lb 0.30-0.40 mm tippet material - 15-20 lb ACCESSORIES: Waterproof backpack Pliers Hook sharpener Sunglasses Measuring tape CLOTHING: Waders Wading boots Wading jacket Layering Cap Beanie Buff Gloves

94

IT IS POSSIBLE TO FIND beats suited for single hand rods, but both we and our trusted guides strongly recommend only bringing two-handed rods for the BC steelhead fishing. You will fish much more efficient with a 13 or 14-footer. Our universal steelhead tool is a 13’ #8 rod, but it’s partly a matter of personal taste.

When rivers are low in the summer, a lighter rod can be a joy – and when fishing the larger rivers, a longer and more powerful rod can possibly cover more water and help controlling your line.

SKAGIT LINES and a selection of T-tips – or a multitip Scandi set-up is the best way to handle the different fishing situations. Some places you might need to fish your fly slow and deep, while other spots call for top water action and skating flies. The Skagit lines are developed for big sinking flies and exactly this kind of rivers, but if you’re not familiar with Skagit casting, you might do just as well with a multitip Scandi line.

Being able to adjust is the key.

WHEN DRESSING UP for your steelhead trip, our best advice is to be prepared for all kinds of weather. In the mountains the climate changes rapidly, and while you might be to fish comfortably in your favorite shirt at noon, you probably wouldn’t want to be without your warm gloves and beanie on the morning boat ride.

The good news is that technical clothing has never been more breathable, warmer or lighter. Even very warm jackets packs down to nothing these days, and some extra clothing could be just the right thing to keep spirits high on a tough day. No matter what time of the year you go – make sure to keep warm and dry when travelling to BC!

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

BRI TI S H C OL UM B I A

For BC’s big chinook, dumbbell eyes, bright colours, and strong hooks are a good starting point.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

the flies Several books have been written about steelhead flies. While some of the many flies resemble traditional salmon flies, some patterns and specific styles of flies are more unique to steelhead fishing. This is the case with the popular Intruder type of flies tied on shanks followed by a replaceable trailer hook.

Small, big, light or heavy – no matter the size, steelhead just loves a touch of colors like pink, magenta, purple and black.

Skating flies for steelhead will make your heart stop, and it’s a small wonder why surface fishing for steelhead has increased in popularity. Steelhead will rise for skating flies more often than one should think, and though they can be extremely tricky to hook, this foam fly has been very successful.

Don’t be afraid of bringing European tube flies. A light tube fly is actually what we prefer. We use the same single hooks and connect them to a loop on our tippet. The loop stops from passing through the fly, when the knot meets the inner tube. This clever setup makes it possible to control the position of the hook.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

95

96

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

Chile

AUSTRAL KINGS

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

97

98

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

CHI LE – AUS T R A L K I NGS

intro IMAGINE A RIVER where the salmon’s average size is bigger than those on any river you know. Bigger on average than those of the Kharlovka, the Cascapedia, the mighty Yokanga.... even Norway’s legendary Alta herself.

Where the glacier-studded scenery is perhaps even more astonishing, and where the salmon can empty a reel in about fifteen seconds flat.

You can fish this river in the depths of the northern winter, but the sun will shine and you will fish in shirt sleeves and drink icy beer to celebrate your first thirty pounder.

Deep in the heart of Chilean Patagonia, two glacially fed rivers cascade off of the high Andean ramparts before tumbling into the gleaming waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The salmon that run them are Chinook salmon, and they dwarf most Atlantics in terms of their size and power. First introduced in the 1970’s to sustain a half- forgotten ranching program, these brutish fish have colonised the entire south Pacific coast from Temuco to The Magellan straits, and even around Cape Horn and into the Atlantic.

The Chinook are regularly caught in many Chilean rivers with heavy-duty spinning gear, but in most of the rivers they have colonised, they colour up and lose condition before they reach waters narrow and shallow enough to make them a legitimate fly rod target.

Not here. In this stunningly beautiful valley, they can be caught just a mile or two upstream of the tide, and when they are still ocean-bright and chrome, they pack a formidable punch.

The fishing isn’t easy. These fish aren’t as grabby as fresh Atlantics, sea-run Browns or steelhead, and you have to get the fly right down in front of them to get a response.

You’re typically fishing in deep, heavy flows, often throwing a long line and making multiple mends to swing the

fly down through the deepest part of the pool. Don’t even think of coming here unless you are comfortable throwing super-heavy tips and big flies a long way. Add in the fact that fresh Chinook need overcast conditions and coloured water to really get interested in taking a fly - not always a given in the high, ozone-depleted summer of the Southern Hemisphere - and you have a serious challenge on your hands. But let me tell you about the rewards...

Imagine 30, 40, 50 and potentially even 60 pounds and more of solid, chrome-silver muscle barrelling downstream and emptying that precious reel in little more than the time it takes to dream it.

Better still, picture that same titanic fish clambering into a high-flying cartwheel that would make a tarpon blush. Unlike their northern cousins, these southern kings are, on occasion, spectacular acrobats, and a huge, chromed-up Chinook cartwheeling around an emerald-green pool buttressed by the soaring, snow-capped peaks of the Andes is a sight you won’t soon forget.

Finally, and perhaps most fortunately of all, not all of these leviathans empty your reel. Some are dour, dogged fighters, and considering their sometimes almost absurd size, I’m almost ashamed to admit that these are actually the ones that I pray for. If you hook a real behemoth – one of fifty pounds and more – that is determined to go back to the sea, you really have very little hope, although if you jump into the boat in double-quick time and get after it, you may just get lucky. It’s the fish that don’t head back to the sea that give you half a chance. If that 50 pounder starts pushing steadily upstream, you are in business.

This intro is an excerpt from the article “The Kings of Patagonia” by Matt Harris, published in its full length in our 2017/2018 Travel Magazine.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

99

100

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

CHI LE – AUS T R A L K I NGS

talking to

ALEX Together with his twin brother Nico, Alex Trochine discovered, explored, and developed what is now a world-famous salmon destination: Austral Kings.

seemed to know anything about. There was no official information about king salmon in the river but eventually I found a couple of fish photos on the Internet. It was a long shot, but I decided to check it out.

The king salmon in our river are not, as many people think, escapees from fish farms in the fjords. It’s a completely different genetic strain.

Around forty years ago, king salmon were stocked in various Chilean rivers, to help develop sport fishing. The first twenty years nothing really happened. I guess they feared the stocking program had pretty much failed. But then the kings started to come back in bigger numbers, and

I went on my own. I found a guy with a boat and asked him to take me to the first pool that wasn’t tidal.

He took me upstream and introduced me to some local people working in the area. They told me where I could camp, but also where they’d seen lots of salmon jumping.

That’s when I started to get pretty excited.

Once I had my camp sorted out, I started to walk along the river to check it out, The scenery was absolute fantastic, the water was clear but with a nice milky touch from the glaciers in the Andes and in every corner I would see big salmon jumping!

That day, I caught three salmon. All fresh from the ocean, all more than 30 lbs. they even started to colonize new rivers. Our river was one of the new ones. Before the kings, there was no fish in it; no salmon and no trout. Now, it’s full of big kings. It’s quite amazing.

We had fished for sea trout for many years but when I started to hear stories about the king salmon in Chilean rivers it became a bit of an obsession of mine.

I really started from scratch, looking at Google Earth and then I eventually began to visit different rivers. Most of them, I didn’t like. Some had too many people already fishing them, others had only one or two good pools where all the fish would be holding.

Then I started to think about this river that no one

The water was high that week so many spots weren’t that easy to reach form the shore. I finally found a spot – today we still call it Alex’ Point – where I could stand on a log and try to reach the other side of the river.

That day, from that one spot, I caught three salmon.

All fresh from the ocean, all more than 30 lbs. And then there was the one I lost. It’s still one of the biggest fish I’ve hooked there: It was easily over 50 lbs. I fought it for more than one hour before I lost it. That was OK. I had still found something pretty special that day.

The most interesting thing about the river was that the salmon were well spread out. I would find them in many different spots and that’s what made me believe that we could develop an interesting fishery here.

Even if we often have a lot of fish in the pools, the fishing isn’t easy. Over the last few seasons, we have learned that presentation is everything. You don’t catch one single salmon in this river by coincidence. You have to present the fly to it in the right way.

This is why good guiding is everything here. You need

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

101

C H I L E – A U STR A L K IN GS

to know every spot in detail, and exactly where the fish are holding in order to position your angler at the right spot and have him swing the fly just right.

We have seen other operators trying to establish themselves on the river but, so far, they have failed. They think they can come in for a few weeks, with guides that haven’t even seen the river before, and reap the rewards from our years of scouting.

At first, we were frustrated about it. By now, it just helps illustrate the difference between a well-run operation with experienced guides and someone trying to make a fast buck.

The best week we have ever had was from late February to early March. At first, we actually found the conditions a bit difficult. The water was low and clear but once we found the right method the fishing went crazy.

The biggest we have landed is 58 lbs but one day we will get a much bigger one. They are there, that’s for sure.

We had previously discussed trying long leaders and small flies but had never gotten around to do it. Now, we did and suddenly all of our clients were hooking big salmon during every session. We ended the week catching more than 30 king salmon for four rods, with an average size a bit over thirty pounds. We didn’t catch any huge ones that week but the biggest was still around 48 lbs.

The river is holding some really big fish. I think the biggest salmon in the river are at least 65 lbs, possible up to 70 lbs. The biggest we have landed is 58 lbs but one day we will get a much bigger one. They are there, that’s for sure.

During a good week, an angler can expect to catch somewhere between three and eight salmon. That’s a pretty good week, though. During a tough week – and this can happen as well – expectations should be lowered to one to three salmon per angler.

This is not an easy fishery. Fishing for big fish is never easy, and you should compare it with chasing really big salmon in Norway, Russia, or Canada. You don’t just catch them; you have to work for each fish. For some of our guests, that’s probably what attracts them to this river: That you have to do it right to reap the rewards.

If you hit it right, and do it right, the rewards can be

102

huge: Our top angler so far caught 18 salmon in a week.

That’s an impressive result. Remember, these fish average around 30 lbs, and all were chrome-bright and fresh out of the ocean. You can’t do that in many other places. If any.

Any time from late January until the last week of March can turn out to be the best of the season. All these weeks will still see fresh fish coming in. Sometimes, a lot of the fish move on upstream so we have fewer fish holding in the pools – and then we might get another strong run on a high tide and it all fills up again.

Our first two seasons were really good. They surpassed all the expectations we had when we opened the Austral Kings operation. I think every single angler that fished with us caught a good fish during those years.

Then, during our third season in 2018, something happened with the salmon returns all over Chile. We still don’t know what happened, but our river had a dramatically lower return of salmon, and the average size also dropped significantly. Of course, we were extremely worried about this being an indication that the king salmon stocks were in rapid decline.

Fortunately, it looked more like a freak year. This year, in 2019, the numbers were up again. We estimate we had at least five times more fish coming in than in 2018, and the average size was around 105 cm. The best year saw an average size of 109 cm, so we’re not that far off.

With many things in nature moving in cycles, we – and the locals we are talking to that have followed the river longer than we have – are pretty confident that salmon returns are on the way up again.

Our Austral Kings camp is located on the main section of the river, with easy access to the most productive holding pools. We secured the lease of the land, giving us superior access to this part of the river, when we realized it might be worth making the necessary investments in building a camp, buying jet boats, etc.

The second step was to bring Getaway on board to help brand the operation and tell the world what we had found.

For our second season, demand was so high that we decided to run an extra four rods in cooperation with a small lodge near the river mouth. It wasn’t the success we had hoped for. We thought there was plenty of water for four rods down there but soon learned that when the tide came in, the fishable water was pretty limited. So, we ended up having to transport our lower camp anglers back and forth on every session, to fish the more productive waters upstream. It was a lot of going back and forth.

After that season, we decided to go back to only four rods, ensuring all our anglers would have easy access to prime water at all times. Today, we really enjoy running such a small and exclusive set up – it’s much nicer for both anglers and guides.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

103

To fish the river effectively, you must be able to throw heavy sinking tips.

We fish a wide selection of flies. In higher and faster water, we prefer bigger flies like Intruders or String Leeches tied on hooks, sometimes with tungsten heads or bead heads. Other times, we fish Atlantic salmon flies but tied in king salmon colours; black and pink, chartreuse, blue and orange.

It was late February and the river was already full of fish.

Rain had pushed in a lot of fresh fish, which probably stirred up things pretty good in the pools. The big kings became aggressive and the fishing was really good.

When the rain eventually made the river rise around two feet, we feared the fishing would turn off for a while.

Still, we had to try to see if we could land a few more nice ones, so off we went.

Kevin, a gentleman from Bermuda, started fishing his favorite pool: The Canadian. Below the tail out of the pool there is a big 200-300-meter-long rapid that goes into another pool below.

Anyway, Kevin was swinging his fly through the tail out when he hooked what was clearly a very big fish. For a while, he was able to hold it in the pool but eventually the big fish decided to go downstream. There was no way he could prevent it from doing so.

Instead, Kevin had to follow the fish, running after it the best he could. The fish went all the way through the rapids, into the next pool and how Kevin managed to stay

104

attached, I just don’t know. Anyway, we all knew that if it should decide to leave the next pool too, he wouldn’t be able to follow. The shore ended and there was simply no way to continue along the bank. Also, the rapids made it impossible for us to follow with the boat. It would be the end of it.

Sometimes, you need a bit of luck to land a special fish and on this day we had just that: Our neighbours at the camp were doing some work on the other shore and for some reason they had a small boat there. They had seen

...the rapids made it impossible for us to follow with the boat. It would be the end of it.

Kevin running after the fish and realized he needed help.

So, they got in the boat, made it to the other side of the river and got Kevin onboard.

Together, they followed the big king for another couple of hundred meters and finally managed to land it. The fish was around 50 lbs so it wasn’t the biggest of the season – but surely, the capture of this fish became the story of the season. It was an epic catch!

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

CHI LE – AUS T R A L K I NGS

WHY THE FISH Just look at these fish. And the brute strenth they possess! Do we really need to say more? We don’t think so.

THE SEASON Your double hander has gone into hibernation, you have the winter blues and salmon season is six months away.

Or, you travel to Chile...

THE SCENERY Swing your fly through emerald-green waters or look up and admire the snow capped peaks of the Andes.

WHY NOT DOUBLE HANDED FISHING While you can fish with a single handed rod from the boat and cover some of the good pools, you would need to handle a double handed rod relatively well to fish all the different spots effectively.

CHALLENGING FISH(ING) You are fishing for what is possibly the biggest, brighest king salmon anywhere.

They don’t give themselves up easily. It can be a challenge to hook them, and it can be an even bigger challenge to land them. Just so you know!

travelling to

CHILE SEASON: January-April.

FLY TO: Puerto Montt via Santiago, Chile.

TYPICAL ITINERARY: Day 1: Arrival in Puerto Montt, stay at hotel.

Day 2: Early morning transfer to camp via private transfer service and boat. Arrival at lunch, fish the nearby pools in the afternoon.

Day 3-8: Six days of guided fishing.

Day 9: Depart for Puerto Montt. Evening flight home or stay at hotel and fly out next day.

PRICE: From around EUR 4950 without flights and hotel in Puerto Montt.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

105

106

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

107

C H I L E – A U STR A L K IN GS

C H I L E PA C K L I S T

What to bring

RODS: The go-to rods for Chile: 13-15’ #8, 9 or 10 two-handed rods REELS: #10-12 reel with 400 m 50-80 lb braid backing LINES: 500-750 grain Skagit heads (floating and intermediate) with 15’ sinking tips in different sink rates, such as Sink6, T11, T-14 and T-17 LEADERS: Tapered leaders 35-45 lb 0,38-0,48 mm tippet material 30-44 lb ACCESSORIES: Pliers Hook sharpener Sunglasses LED headlamp CLOTHING: Waders Wading boots Wading jacket Layering Cap Buff

108

A DOUBLE-HANDED eight, nine or ten-weight rod, usually 13-15 feet in length, is perfect for the job. The question of whether to choose the lighter 8-weight or the heavier 10-weight is a matter of personal taste and temper. Longer rods certainly allow for easier mending and line control, while shorter rods are lighter in the hand and offer a pokier weapon when fighting the fish.

THE FLY REEL must have a great drag system and hold at least 400 yards of 50-80lb backing. Bring spare backing! These fish can spool you, especially if you are slow in taking to the boat when the need suddenly arises. We recommend bringing both Intermediate and Floating Skagit lines to cover all pools and water conditions. If you were only going to bring one line, we would recommend a Floating/Intermediate Skagit line.

THE RIVER IS FULL OF sunken logs and many of the kings are simply unstoppable, so we recommend stout, reliable abrasion-resistant fluorocarbon leaders like Seaguar Ace with breaking strains of 30 to 44lbs.

Leaders will typically be anywhere from 2ft in coloured water right up to 15ft in ultra-clear conditions. Powerful leaders will even help you turn over the bigger flies.

OUR FISHING SEASON is during the Chilean summer and the weather is generally quite friendly. Anglers can look forward to 13-15 hours of daylight and most of the time; temperatures will be between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. Due to its closeness to the marine environment you might experience occasional rain or fog. Even though you’ll be leaving Europe during winter, the clothing needed is very much like that used for salmon fishing during the summer in northern Europe. One important thing to remember though: wading is fairly easy and cleated boots with studs or spikes are forbidden – they ruin our aluminium boats!

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

CHI LE – AUS T R A L K I NGS

CHILE

the flies

One of the fascinating things about Austral Kings is that the fishery is in its infancy, and the best techniques and fly patterns are yet to be fully established. What we have found out during the first two seasons is that big, extremely flashy patterns or large intruders between 3 and 4 inches in length are successful in slightly coloured water.

Our favourite colour combinations are Blue/Chartreuse and Fuscia Pink/ Orange. Interestingly, unweighted or lightly-weighted flies often perform better than heavier patterns.

When the water is clearing up, Intruders with less flash work well, whereas once the river is completely clear, small conehead Frances and Snaelda patterns fished on longer leaders can be very effective.

The fish are big and extremely strong, so sturdy hooks are essential. We recommend that you fish tubes rather than shanks, as the wire loop on commercially tied Intruders may let you down. Employ ultra-strong hooks in sizes 1 to 3/0, and check all knots thoroughly.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

109

THE GETAWAY

Gear Guide

FLEXI-STRIPPER

Unlike conventional stripping baskets the Flexi-stripper weighs very little and packs down to nearly nothing. Though funny looking, this wearable line tray is a big help when trying to control your running line in a turbulent surf. Most anglers agree that the soft spikes on the Flexi-stripper are much more pleasant to encounter than the edges of a hard stripping basket. Some even bring this nice addictive gadget when river fishing.

MCLEAN WEIGH-NET

Catch and release is mandatory at our destinations and when handling powerful fish in fast flowing rivers, a landing net is the best way to land your catch without hurting it. This is why we carry plenty of McLean Weigh-Nets at our Greenland camps – and why we encourage every guest to bring one when hiking upstream.

Besides the sturdy frame and the non-slip handle, we like the weighing scale that is conveniently built into the handle.

SIMMS FJORD PANT

Wading for winter steelhead can be pretty cold for the lower half of a fly fisherman. For years we have been searching for warm layering that can hold on to the isolating air when exposed to the water pressure of wading. Now, we have found it: The thick double-layered Simms Fjord fleece pants help us stay more comfortable during the early and late steelhead trips of the season.

C&F FLY BOXES

Most of our flies spend their lives in sturdy and waterproof fly boxes from C&F. There is a box for both the smallest of dry flies and the largest of baitfish patterns. But our flies are born to get wet and once they are, the waterproofness of these boxes backfire – don’t forget to dry your flies or use a separate box for the wet flies. When fishing the surf or other very wet surroundings, we especially like the easy overview of the boxes with transparent covers.

110

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

WATERWORKS LAMSON SPEEDSTER

LENS WIPES

One of the most underestimated items on our packing lists is cleaning tissues or lens wipes for our sunglasses.

Effectively spotting fish requires lenses that aren’t stained with salt spray or sunscreen. We always carry lots of lens wipes. The packaging is airtight so the alcohol inside doesn’t evaporate.

Airtight means waterproof – so they still work when you fish them out of a pocket soaked from wading.

A big char just might take you into your backing, but a Bahamian bonefish certainly will. We definitely like the design, the smooth brake and low weight of the Waterworks Lamson Speedster models, but more importantly we like the large arbour and the narrow spool.

The fly line comes back on the reel fast and the line-lay is great. A no-nonsense fly reel for our single-handed fly fishing destinations.

SIMMS SOLARFLEX GUIDE GLOVE

You will not have to dig deep into GT or tarpon fishing before you learn about line burns. Sweat and remains of sun screen does not make it easier to hang on to a slippery fly line attached to a large and fast moving fish. Gloves does. The gloves will not eliminate the risk of line burns, but they will definitely make your grip on the fly line a whole lot better. We like the Simms Solarflex Guide Glove for giving that secure feeling. UPF50 Solarflex stretch fabric included.

LIP BALM

Most anglers treat the sun with the necessary respect and precaution, and we all wear caps, sunglasses, UPF 50 clothing and greasy sunscreen as the most natural thing when fly fishing the tropics. While sun protection in general has become an everyday aspect of these trips, the use of a protective lip balm somehow still seems to move under the radar.

Avoid these nasty lip burns and use a high UPF lip balm as a daily precaution instead.

SIMMS DRY CREEK DUFFEL

Unfortunately our desire to bring equipment for all imaginable fishing situations usually exceeds the airline operator’s general bag limits. Carrying extra luggage is costly, so a large and lightweight duffel bag is often ideal when packing for your fishing adventure. Duffels are the lightest bags compared to their size, and waterproof models are nice to bring if your trip includes boat rides or the risk of having the luggage exposed to bad weather.

GETAWAY FLY FISHING #2

SCOTT RADIAN DH

Most of our spey fishing belongs in the heavyweight league. Not necessarily in terms of the need for the biggest of fly rods – but definitely when it comes to handling powerful fish and large flies. The Scott Radian are light and very fast two-handed rods, and though mainly designed for Scandi-style spey casting, these rods will stand the abuse of heavy Skagit lines, sinking tips and weighted flies. Genuine power tools!

111

WHEN NOT ON THE WATER WE’RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA JOIN US

VERY FEW POPPERS DIE OF OLD AGE

getaway-sea-angling.com

+45 7021 8060 info@getawayflyfishing.com www.getawayflyfishing.com