Sportfishing Adventures - Issue 16 | Q4 2021

ISSUE #16 | Q4 2021

FRANCE FRENCH COAST SEABASS

CANADA THE WILD RIVERS LODGE

BRAZIL THE WOLF FISH KINGDOM

RUSSIA

THE STEELHEAD AT THE END OF THE WORLD + NEW TACKLE, LATEST IGFA RECORDS, SEEN ON THE WEB & MORE...

CONTENTS

ISSUE#16 Q4 2021

6 Editorial

48 Fishing Artisanship

8 IGFA

54 Russia

Let’s ban farmed salmon from our plates!

Latest records and news

Esox Inc Baits

The steelhead at the end of the world

12 Canada

78 What’s new

36 France

82 Brazil

The Wild Rivers Lodge

French coast seabass

Our selection of recent tackle & gear

The wolf fish kingdom

6 12 48 78

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36 54 82

WHERE ARE WE TAKI

CANADA

BRAZIL

ING YOU THIS TIME ?

FRANCE

RUSSIA

EDITORIAL Dylan Smith Editor in Chief

Let’s ban farmed salmon from our plates!

With the recent end-of-the-year festivities generally comes great food and one of the most popular starter is obviously smoked salmon.

As you may know, the vast majority of these fish are farmed in miserable conditions. From what they’re fed, to what they look like at the end of their lives, everything is wrong in this multi-million dollar industry. I highly encourage you to watch leaked footage from these farms, I guarantee you’ll think twice before buying any ever again!

The best we can do is educate people around us about this environmental disgrace, take actions to protest against local farms, sign the growing number of online petitions from around the world and of course, buy wild salmon!

Dylan Smith COVER SHOT: Contributor Matt Harris with a stunning Russian steelhead, article page 54.

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES T H E

W O R L D ' S

B E S T

F I S H I N G

D E S T I N A T I O N S

Editor in chief Dylan Smith

Contributors Matt Harris Daniel Klemm Alfonso Rey Justin Stuart

Special thanks IGFA Iskander Mermet

Sportfishing Adventures magazine, published quarterly, is independently owned and operated by DMS Editions.

Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

No part of this magazine can be reproduced without prior permission.

For inquiries, contact the editor: editor@sportfishing-adventures.com

IGFA NEW RECORDS

IGFA

NEW RECORDS Carmody’s Bluefin Tuna

Sherbovich’s Arctic Char On July 28, 2021, Ilya Sherbovich landed this beautiful 11.67-kilogram (25-pound, 11-ounce) Arctic char to set the IGFA Men’s 10-kg (20-lb) Tippet Class World Record for the species. Ilya was fishing the remote Taymyr Peninsula in northern Russia when he landed this amazing fish. The Taymyr Peninsula is located north of the Arctic circle, and these remote rivers are only accessible via helicopter. Ilya was able to net this colorful char after a seven-minute fight, and released the fish back into the river after recording the proper documentation and snapping a few photos.

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On July 1, 2021, Carl Carmody was fishing out of Hick’s Bay, New Zealand, when he landed the fish of a lifetime. This 161.20-kilogram (355-pound, 6-ounce) southern bluefin tuna is the 2nd largest ever caught, weighing in just 14 pounds shy of the current IGFA All-Tackle World Record. Carl was fishing aboard the Doctors Orders captained by Blake Sheridan when this fish struck a trolled lure.

The impressive tuna earned Carl the IGFA Men’s 60-kg (130-lb) Line Class World Record for the species.

NEW RECORDS IGFA

Loveless’ Artic Char Dale Loveless set the IGFA Men’s 8-kg (16-lb) Tippet Class World Record for Arctic char with this beautiful 7.82-kilogram (17-pound, 4-ounce) fish that he caught on July 3, 2021, while fishing the Kitiga River in remote northern Canada. Congratulations Dale on an amazing fish and an incredible picture.

Mercredi’s Channel Catfish Kiana Mercredi had an amazing day of fishing on the Red River in Manitoba, Canada, on September 2, 2021, when she landed this 8.53-kilogram (18-pound, 13-ounce) channel catfish to set the IGFA Women’s 6-kg (12-lb) Line Class World Record for the species. Kiana was fishing alongside fellow classmates Kyla Marquez and Christine Blanco who were also able to land IGFA World Records on the same day.

Congratulations Kiana, Kyla and Christine on the amazing accomplishment!

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IGFA LATEST NEWS

IGFA LATEST NEWS

The 2020-2021 IGFA Great Marlin Race (IGMR), presented by Costa Sunglasses is a partnership between IGFA and Dr. Barbara Block’s lab at Stanford University. The 20202021 IGMR came to a close on September 30, 2021, with a total of 39 satellite tags deployed on marlin and spearfish. Tags were deployed for the first time in New Zealand, King’s Bay (Australia), North Carolina, and New Jersey.

The IGFA recently announced two new changes to the IGFA World Record Requirements that are effective immediately.

Twenty-six of the tags are still at-large and scheduled to release off the fish for next year’s race. Ten tags released and reported prior to the September 30th deadline, logging 933 days of billfish monitoring data and covering 6,378 nautical miles (nm) of linear distance from deployment to pop-up location.

Read more

Read more

Changes to IGFA World Record Requirements

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IGFA Great Marlin Race Winner Announced

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LATEST NEWS IGFA

Top Swords: Incredible World Records for Broadbill Swordfish For many of the iconic game fish species such as marlin, bass, tuna, and tarpon, there is little chance of landing a world record class fish simply because the bar has been set so high over the years. However, the broadbill swordfish is different. Take a look at the 2021 World Record Game Fishes book and you will notice that several impressive world records for swordfish have been taken within the past decade, with most fish coming from Australia and New Zealand as anglers have refined the deep-dropping tackle and techniques in these regions.

Read more

Golden Dorado Research Program Update The Golden Dorado Research Program, in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst, made major progress in recent months.

Read more

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CANADA

THE WILD RIVERS LODGE Text and photos by Justin Stuart

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CANADA TRAVEL

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I

Silver salmon are a favorite of sport fishermen because of their aggressive strikes.

t is one of my favourite military sayings, as it is unerringly true, as much for an army planning an invasion as it is for a fisherman in search of his quarry. No matter how lucid the dreams and imagination may be when deciding on a trip, how meticulously it is planned and the gear pre-

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pared, the tactics considered for incredible battles to follow, with record-breaking catches and a triumphant return, the fog of war or rather the variables of weather and nature are hard to computate!

This most recent WWMF trip to visit the newly completed Wild Rivers Lodge in BritiSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

In our sport nature always has the trump card.

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sh Columbia was 18 months in the planning. Scheduled for 2020, it, like so many travel plans, was put on hold and reinstated for September 2021. On account of Canada opening its borders a mere week before the trip, instead of a full team, we were something of a skeleton crew, both in terms of anglers, just 6 in total, as well as the lodge staff, which was operating at a reduced capacity. Meticu-

lous long-term planning for the trip was replaced with a slightly rough and ready approach… “can you make it… great, let’s go!”

With all the attention focused on the fight against Covid, the multitude of travel restrictions, hoops and hurdles that needed to be bypassed, it can be easy to forget that when it comes to fishing, anglers are not given a fishing divi-

dend just because a place is harder to get to. In our sport nature always has the trump card and when I looked at the weather forecast for Terrace in British Columbia, I knew we were not going to have it easy. Rain was forecast from Day 1, lots of it! The towering surroundings of this region tell all that you need to know about what can happen when it rains hard. The rivers can ‘blow out’. North Ameri-

The unspoilt wilderness of British Columbia.

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Grizzly cubs on the Kitimat River. Their population has been thriving over the past few years, making human interactions and accidents more likely to happen.

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The Skeena is joined by a host of excellent tributary rivers.

can terminology for being in flood, when the rivers which usually flow with a typical summer greenish tinge from glacial runoff, turns into a raging brown torrent, on a visual parr with the mythical River Styx, minus the requirement for a coin for our boatman/guide! I do not like to think of nature being the enemy, but in military terms, we were up against it!

When the chips are down

it requires everyone to be flexible, positive and understanding. It also helps to know the area extremely well, and Andrew Rushton, as a guide, owner and lodge manager for 30 odd years at Kalum Lodge and now Wild Rivers Lodge, was as well placed as any to look after us over the week.

Wild Rivers Lodge is based just upstream from Terrace on the banks of the Skeena River. The Skeena is joined by a host of excellent tributa-

The Kitimat, with the water a little more coloured than hoped for, but with a shift in tactics it was productive with twelve Coho caught.

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A nice specimen of silver salmon. The IGFA AllTackle record is a 15.08 kg (33 lb 4 oz) fish caught on the Salmon River in USA, back in 1989.

The surubi catfish not only have amazing patterns, they also put on a great fight!

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CANADA TRAVEL

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Every river is nestled in breathtaking scenery, catching fish is just the cherry on the pie!

ry rivers, most of which are household names amongst the steelhead fishing community, including the Sustat, Babine, Bulkley, Kispiox and Copper River, amongst a great many others. Where you can or cannot fish is not quite as simple, with rivers being both classified water (the lodge needs to have guide 22

days to take clients on these rivers) and unclassified water, where anyone can fish.

With some of the drainages reporting up to 96mm of rain over 24hr periods, the multitude of options was very significantly reduced.

In such a situation, and maybe truer in lodges where the SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

fishing is on a specific and dedicated river, it can result in fishing days being lost in their entirety. Andrew was not going to let that happen, and over the course of the week we fished the Skeena, Sand Lake, Ross Lake, The Kitimat, and the Kasiks.

Our group played and landed steelhead, pinks, coho, dol-

CANADA TRAVEL

Our group played and landed steelhead, pinks, coho, dolly varden, brook, cuthroat & rainbow trout.

ly varden, brook, cuthroat & rainbow trout. As importantly, and I stress this as fishing trips often do not always meet lofty catch expectations, we were treated to some simply outstanding scenery and wildlife. This included a Grizzly Sow Bear and her two almost adult cubs as we rafted down the Kitimat, amazingly in a dry weather window for the use of my drone to capture the action, as well as numerous sightings of Black Bears

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on the sides of the road as we drove to and from our assorted fishing locations.

On the scenery front, the Kasiks river stands close to being one of the most scenic rivers I have encountered in all my travels, comparable only to the Dean in terms of statuesque surroundings. It is in contrast to the mighty Skeena, which despite being the thoroughfare for all the fish that reach the numerous

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The Kasiks, extraordinary scenery no matter which direction you looked. Many of the surrounding mountains had cliff faces of vertical rock, 500m high with peaks of over 700m.

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tributaries mentioned earlier, it can come across as a large and intimidating river.

When in flood and with low grey skies it lacks some of the lustre of the other smaller rivers commonly fished at Wild Rivers Lodge, which include the Kalum and the Kitimat.

The precipitous slopes surrounding the Kasiks are awe-inspiring. From the flat meandering river flood plain,

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they rise almost vertically to a height of over 700M. It is almost impossible with a camera to capture this sort of scale and maybe in a good way, some things we simply need to see with our own eyes.

Slopes that in the United Kingdom would be devoid of vegetation, somehow, incredibly, are forested to their snow-capped tips. Puddles of fog congregate along the river, whilst fingers of mist smoke amidst the tress and

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The verticality of the surroundings means that while the Kasiks is amongst the first to rise, it is also amongst the quickest to clear.

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Taking time out to fully appreciate the surroundings is absolutely essential when they are as impressive as this!

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wraiths of cloud wrap the peaks. The heavy rain had resulted in numerous geysers of water bursting from various apertures in the cliff and then cascaded 500M or more down the sides of sheer rock faces.

The proximity and verticality of the surroundings means that while the Kasiks is amongst the first to rise, it is also amongst the quickest to clear. It is not a big or a long river by BC standards, but it is known for its

run of larger coho, amongst the largest found on any river in BC. We fished the river twice during our week, on the first occasion the river was still carrying just a bit too much colour and although we connected with a couple of coho, we had to wait until our final day to get a better taste of what the river had to offer, although I suspect if the rain held off for one or two more days, we would have seen it at close to its best. The result was action all round, and for two

If you are a relative novice to salmon fishing in general, then British Columbia offers an unparalleled opportunity to get stuck in.

We did not come to go trout fishing but we had two days on lakes which saved the day when the rivers were unfishable, catching brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout.

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CANADA TRAVEL

Beautiful fall colors on the nearby lakes.

of our team, Frank & Ollie the chance to catch their first second and third salmon on a fly rod. It was a fantastic end to a mixed week which could have been under-whelming.

The typical variety of options on offer is one of the attributes of Wild Rivers Lodge and an advantage of its location close to Terrace.

Lodges further up the Skee-

na drainage can lay claim to more sought-after steelhead water. Wild Rivers Lodge is about enjoying a mixed feast, a buffet of options of which steelhead, highly prized to the extent that it is exclusively targeted by a great many anglers, is just one of the target species. All five species of Pacific salmon as well as dolly varden (char) are fantastic sporting fish, all with their own characteristics, and SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

techniques to catch them. All run at different times of the season although it is possible to catch all five species in one day, a feat achieved by one of the anglers in our group although not at this time of the season.

If you are a relative novice to salmon fishing in general, then British Columbia offers an unparalleled opportunity to get stuck in, amidst ama31

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CANADA TRAVEL

The Wild Rivers Lodge offers guided fishing on the finest steelhead and salmon rivers in the world, including the Skeena River and many of it’s tributaries, the Kitimat River, the Nass River system and several smaller wilderness rivers.

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Frank with one of his four Coho caught on the Upper Kasiks which cleared nicely on the last day.

zing surroundings and great hospitality. No salmon is inferior, it is just a matter of how many you may have caught or how much fishing you may have done in the past. Catch a bucketful of pinks or sockeye and consider them too easy, no problems, simply shift gear and move on to one of the less prolific species including the mighty chinook / king salmon and of course steelhead. Chum salmon which run in July alongside the kings and coho 34

which run from late August alongside the main steelhead run are both excellent sport on a fly rod and the Skeena produces some monsters!

You can get ‘blown out’ at any time of the main season, whether it be from June-October. Later in the season carries a higher risk but not one so obvious that it is a part of the season to be avoided.

It is after all the main month for steelhead, the most cherished from many a fly SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

anglers’ perspective, of all the anadromous fish that run the rivers in BC. The fact that we were able to fish every day, and to of have had a more than reasonable amount of mixed action, given the biblical amount of rain received over the period we were there, is testament to the diversity of options.

Wild Rivers lodge, only recently completed in 2017, is large, comfortable and spacious. Individual rooms

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come as standard. Whilst I do not mind sharing, having one’s own bedroom and ensuite bathroom is always very warmly received and certainly something I would have at the very top of my list if I were to build a fishing lodge! Designed by Andrew, with his extensive knowledge as a fishing lodge owner, it is well kitted out to deal with the vagaries of the weather in BC. No matter how drenched our kit was, after a night in the wader/ drying room everything was bone dry! The lodge is a set back a few hundred meters from the Skeena. Although

one could fish in front of the lodge, typically every day you will deploy by truck with accompanying jet boat or raft on a trailer. Early morning starts are the norm, to get on the river in good time thus ensuring best access to good runs. Given the not unsubstantial European/UK time difference early starts and early evenings worked in our favour.

A comfortable well-run lodge goes a long way to smooth out any bumps that you might have with the fishing conditions. There are so many variables with fly-fi-

shing, that you have to learn to take the rough with the smooth. Unfairly, the more trips you do, the easier the burden of relative failure, if your goal is purely centred around the numbers or the size of the fish you hope to catch. The weather over our week changed what we hoped to do and where we hoped to do it, but British Columbia offers a level of wilderness which we simply are not accustomed to in Europe and consequently an experience far beyond and more memorable than what might end up on the end of your line

TRIP CONTACT For more information on a fly fishing trip to the Wild Rivers Lodge, contact Justin Stuart: info@wherewisemenfish.com Website: wherewisemenfish.com

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FRANCE

FRENCH COAST SEABASS Text and photos by Daniel Klemm

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FRANCE TRAVEL

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A nice French seabass for the author.

T

he seabass – perhaps the most sought after species by saltwater fishermen in Europe. Unfortunately, not only sports fisherman target this elegant predator but also professionals. This has led to a dramatic decrease in numbers all along the Europe’s coastline.

The better spots left are those where net fishing is impossible and which are difficult to access. Luckily the home38

town of my grandmother is located around one these areas – La Manche. Here the coastline is rugged, shallow and dominated by strong tides.

The professionals here mainly fish for lobster or mussels.

Seabass is only caught when longlining thus leaving a sustainable stock for anglers to fish.

In the last ten years I have fished here regularly and have quite some knowledge when SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

After some climbing and cursing we made it down the first cliff and were greeted by a crystal clear sea.

FRANCE TRAVEL

to fish which spots. So when some friends, who had never caught a seabass, asked if they could join my yearly trip I happily agreed. First thing was to get them the tackle needed to be successful. My setup consists of a Zenaq PA 90, 20lb braid and an arsenal of different lures.

The obvious: Fiiish Black Eel and Minnow, a must for every seabass fisherman. On top some jerkbaits like the Seaspin Janas and topwater lures, like the Seaspin Pro Q and the DUO Realis Pencil.

Just days before our departure the weather forecast went from bad to worse – heavy winds from the nor-

thwest. That means muddy water and almost no fish near the shore. I briefed the group but they wanted to go anyways, in seven days fishing there should be some opportunities to get to the good spots, at least that is what we thought. On our arrival the wind was blowing and the sea looked like the open Atlantic after a storm. I have never seen this in Barfleur, it was just impossible to fish. The forecast for the next four days wasn’t any better so plan B was implemented.

La Manche is a peninsula, so the other side provided

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some shelter from the wind and there are also some big seabass along that stretch of coastline. The downside is the terrain – steep cliffs make the access difficult and you have to walk for miles to get to some of the best spots.

After some climbing and cursing we made it down the first cliff and were greeted by a crystal clear sea. First cast and my buddy was on – a small fish but hey, his first seabass! I also had a small one and an attack in the first ten minutes but then it went quiet. We fished a few more hours and caught some ballan wrasses but no more

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With its sturdy granite houses and tempting restaurants around the harbour, Barfleur paints a glorious picture of a traditional Norman fishing port. It also played a role in Anglo-French history, from 1066 through to colonial wars.

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seabass. Unfortunately, that didn’t change over the next few days. Only small bass and ballan wrasse attacked our lures, no matter where we tried.

On day five the wind finally dropped, and we were able to fish the other side of the peninsula. The first spots didn’t bring any fish but we met some other fisherman who told us about their success. They didn’t get any bass from the shore but with

their kayaks just 300 meters from the shoreline they got some nice fish.

So we checked the tides and went to spot where you can walk hundreds of meters at low tide to get to a point with some nice current and deeper water. You can only fish there for about thirty minutes before you have to walk back, otherwise you’ll be trapped there. Nothing I can recommend from my own experience! The first

A good sized seabass from the boat.

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You can only fish there for about thirty minutes before you have to walk back, otherwise you’ll be trapped there.

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Fiiish on the menu! The Black Minnow from Fiiish was definitely a seabass magnet.

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FRANCE TRAVEL

The Fort de la Hougue has evolved over time, in particular according to the progress of the artillery and has therefore been the subject of several military reorganizations, the last of which was its incorporation into the Atlantic Wall during the Second World War.

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The biggest seabass of the trip, caught on a Fiiish Black Minnow.

twenty minutes didn’t produce anything and I already told the others we had to go back, when I felt my Black Minnow being inhaled by a good fish. After a short fight, the fish took the lure in front of my feet, the first seabass over 60 centimeters was finally landed. I made 46

another cast and got another 50 cm fish.

Sadly this wasn’t the start to the fishing we had hoped for all week. We caught some more fish around 50 centimeters, but it continued to be difficult as there was no baitfish near the shoreline.

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The first seabass over 60 centimeters was finally landed.

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Even around Tatihou, a place where you normally have thousands of sardines hanging around the rocks, there was no baitfish to be seen.

So we booked a charter for the last two days. Even though the captain wasn’t really used to guys who catch and release and we had some explaining to do, that was the best decision of the trip. The captain brought us to a place where the water was boiling, nothing I had ever seen around here. Tons of baitfish were pushed over a shallow reef and attacked by birds from above. At the end of the reef

the seabass were waiting to get their share. It was almost too easy, we hooked up on every cast on that very spot, catching hundreds of seabass over these two days.

In between were some mackerel and horse mackerel.

The only downside was the size of the fish – we didn’t catch one over 60 cm. But who would complain after such a difficult start?

MORE ABOUT THEAUTHOR

All of my friends got their seabass and will be back next year, when hopefully the big mamas are also patrolling the coastline

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FISHING ARTISANSHIP ESOX INC BAITS

FISHING

ARTISANSHIP:

ESOX INC BAITS

W

e had the chance to ask 10 questions to Wim Van Den Brande, the man behind Esox Inc Baits. His lures are proven, handmade pike catching machines.

1. What is your fishing background?

I was introduced to fishing and fishing lures at a very early stage of my life. My dad was a die-hard pike angler that also made his own lures. As a kid the colors and shiny baits where so interes48

ting that there was not a moment in my young life that I was not in his workshop.

My own Pike fishing career started at the age of 4. First it was dead baiting with dad because I couldn’t swim at that age but after seeing all those colorful stuff, the urge for casting lures was so big SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

that dead baiting faded fast after throwing the first smaller lures. That first strike on a lure hooked me for life!

2. How did you get into making lures?

My dad built spoons, spinners and smaller wobblers as

ESOX INC BAITS FISHING ARTISANSHIP

hobby. As I wrote earlier, I was always in his workshop admiring the handcraft that went into these little gem’s.

At first it was playing around with stuff and learning about materials of course. Learning by playing around with stuff taught me whole bunch about it. Off coarse fishing with my dad’s lures was special for me and attracted me into the whole lure building scene.

3. Do you remember the first lure you ever made?

The very first lure I ever made myself was a glider.

It actually looked like a pie-

ce of wood that needed a lot more sanding, but it did the trick and I was so proud that I could catch a pike on my very first hand build ever.

The internal flame was fueled to learn more about the building process.

4. What is your favorite fishing technique?

Personally, I love to fish Hybrid jerkbaits and tailbaits. The way a pike strikes a lure in shallow or clear water at full sight still gives me goosebumps after 29 years of fishing. Fishing a hybrid jerkbait acquires a bit technique but as soon as you

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get a hang on it and learn to know the game there is no more beautiful way to catch a pike in my opinion.

5. Which fish is number one on your bucket list?

My Number one predator fish on my list must be the illusive tiger musky. The way a musky is build, the aggressive boat side takes on lures and the way they fight just says it all for me. Hopefully the day will come at some point that I can experience it all by myself. On the other hand, peacock bass also has my interest. The surface blowups on a lure and the

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FISHING ARTISANSHIP ESOX INC BAITS

magnificent colors on these bad boys just do it for me.

6. What would be your dream fishing destination?

I would love to fish at a Sutton point at lake St. Clair in the states. The way these muskies are colored and build there is just awesome.

A big 50 inch on one of my own lures from that massive lake is the absolute dream.

7. How much time does it take you to create a new lure model?

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I can’t answer that question.

Building lures is a passion for me, the day I start watching the clock when I’m building will be the day, I stop making lures. Making baits is just way to fun for me to even think about the time.

Building a new lure mostly means to me I must make a bait to adapt to a new situation I encountered when I’m out fishing. What is more beautiful than making a new lure for example for a new water and crack the code with it? At the same time building a lure for a customer and afSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

terwards getting the message that they caught their dream fish on it does it all for me!

8. What lure of yours is your favorite to fish?

My favorite lure depends on the time of the year. In the spring I love to fish Hybrid jerkbaits such as my LiLi and Lili XL. Due to there hopping side to side action combined with dives and rises by every pull this lure is very hard for the pikes to get to known.

Therefore, the strikes on this lure are without hesitation

ESOX INC BAITS FISHING ARTISANSHIP

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FISHING ARTISANSHIP ESOX INC BAITS

and very hard. In the summertime I like to fish smaller lures with big vibrations around weed beds and structures like our DoomBlade and Minimus-chatterbait. A hard surface blowup on a one of these is just hard stopping and so addictive. When the water cools down, I like to fish more steady lures with a good rolling action such as my Minimus, DoomBell and Maximus. Due to the fact baitfish get together in bait balls and are more likely to move less the rolling action on a steady retrieve lure will still get some attention and provoke strikes.

9. What’s your most memorable catch?

That would be the first pike

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that hit our Maximus tail bait.

After a lot of prototypes of this bait I finally had what I wanted. A big 13-inch-long tail bait for trolling and casting. As my partner in crime and myself made the plan to test the lure on a water with very high angling pressure we were curious how the new bait would do. We threw our kayaks in and after about 40 minutes of trolling I had a massive blow on my rod, immediately I knew it was a massive pike.

Not by far my biggest pike in my career but after working for months on the lure it was the icing on the cake for me. My buddy netted the beast and there she was, the first monster on our Maximus. A perfect looking fatty from one of the most pres-

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sured waters in Belgium.

10. Do you have new lures you plan on releasing?

There is a lot going on behind the scenes for the release of a few new lures for 2022. I can’t say much about it at this point while prototypes are still running test in the field by our pro staff team. What I can say is that there is coming a massive new style lure with will be very interesting for both trolling and casting for giant pike and musky. On the other hand, there be a new style diving lure coming out for casting the weed lines and structures. If I can give you guys a word of advice it would be to keep your eyes open and keep following us, so you won’t miss out on any of it

ESOX INC BAITS FISHING ARTISANSHIP

MORE ABOUT ESOX INC BAITS esoxincbaits.com

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

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RUSSIA

THE STEELHEAD AT THE END OF THE WORLD Text and photos by Matt Harris

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Lots of hard work and dedication is required to hook one of these unique steelheads, but it’s worth it!

L

ast day. Last afternoon. Last run.

The stiff, salty air came skimming across the marshes off of the Sea of Okhotsk, and the evening light lit up the fabulous golden colours of the autumn tundra like fire.

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We were well over time Sasa, my big bear of a guide, was frowning theatrically at his watch, reminiscent of the referee in some injury-time cup-tie humdinger. I knew I was in the last-chance saloon.

My friend Brian Walker had just pulled out as magnificent SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, the thunderbolt. Magical.

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Beautiful colors on this male steelhead.

These fish are fresh out of the sea and therefore very strong fighters!

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a steelhead I’ve ever seen, and I desperately wanted one to match it. Perhaps there was still time.

I flexed the little double hander smartly and snapped a long oblique Spey cast to drop and hold the fly tight against the grassy cut bank. I threw in a mend to keep my fly in the “bucket”, the tight little channel where the fish hold between the fallen clumps of clay and watched the line swing over the sweet spot.

Like other anglers, I often experience a premonition just before I hook an Atlan-

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tic salmon. But steelhead are different. They come out of nowhere, bursting into your consciousness when you least expect them. “Like a thunderbolt” my friend Kyrill likes to say. There are few better times to experience the thunderbolt than on the last run, on the last day of your week.

For long hours, everything had been silent. A meditation in patience and tenacity. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, the thunderbolt.

Magical.

My line snapped up bowstring tight and the fish that

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What a sight. Close to eighteen pounds, a brawny, broad-shouldered silver buck.

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Better than a 4x4, but a bit more noisy!

I had been coveting was suddenly right there, thrashing through the surface in a thrilling silver blur of primal violence and rage. Then it was off downstream, dancing wildly up into the golden evening sunshine, its chrome-bright frame lighting up the surface of the tiny little river. My heart hammered hard in my chest, and I willed - prayed for that barbless single hook to stay in place.

Somehow, the hookhold survived all the cartwheeling jumps and the greyhounding runs and the relentless and

savage headshakes and finally, after what seemed like an age, Brian slid my prize gently into the soft grassy margins, where it lay on its side, its beady little eye glaring up at us What a sight. Close to eighteen pounds, a brawny, broad-shouldered silver buck. My biggest fish of the week and like it’s twin, the fish that Brian had wrestled out only a few minutes before, the absolute embodiment of this uttermost wilderness.

We didn’t need the longSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

tailed sea lice clinging to the fish’s flanks to confirm that this stunning creature had been swimming in the salty currents of the Pacific Ocean while we had been drinking our coffee that morning. Everything about the fish, from its transparent, aquamarine fins and tail to its sea-bright flanks and the barely-discernible flush of rosy pink on its gill plates told you that it was a wild thing, straight from the sea.

“Mine was bigger” laughed Brian, breaking the spell. It was, but not by much. I pu61

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The Kamchatka Steelhead Project has had a significant impact on the local rivers. In some cases the runs have tripled!

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nched my pal on the arm. We were both grinning like kids.

Two magnificent fish. What a perfect end to the trip.

The steelhead of Western Kamchatka are special.

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Kamchatka is a vast peninsula, fully 780 miles long, clinging to the far Eastern fringes of the vast Russian empire. To give you an idea of how far away it is, it lies East of Australia. Apart from the main hub of Petropavlovsk, very few people live in this vast wilderness. No roads connect Kamchatka with the outside world. Is it worth travelling all the way to this far-flung corner of the world, just to fish? You bet. The steelhead of Western Kam-

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chatka are special.

I’ve fished many of the celebrated streams of British Columbia for sea-run rainbows.

They’re great, but with the exception of the hallowed waters of the Dean River, the fish I’ve caught have traveled an epically long journey up the long main stem of the Skeena or the Nass before I’ve enjoyed the privilege of fishing for them.

Not so the sparkling iridescent creatures that run up the Kvachina and the Snatovlayam. These berserkers are barely out of the ocean when they grab your fly, and they

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A fresh thunderbolt. Catching these unique steelheads on a 7 weight rod is guaranteed sport!

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UTVs can come in handy in the Russian tundra.

are chock-full of all the energy they need to see them through their run up these impossibly remote rivers, not to mention all the hardships that the bleak Siberian winter is about to throw at them.

They are truly heroic fish, and as wild as the wind that whips across this vast, pristine wilderness. They really will make your heart sing.

The rivers are tiny, and covering them is a snap. A 12’6 7 weight is more than equal to the task, and allows the fish to really put on a show. The sight of one of these big silver 68

brawlers crashing around the shallow little pools is astonishingly exciting, and plenty of hard-fighting coho salmon, pink salmon, dolly varden and East Siberian whitespotted char are also there to keep things interesting between the thunderbolts.

The little tented camp perched above the Kvachina is a home from home with a lively, informal atmosphere. Justin Miller is everything that a camp manager and head steelhead guide should be full of relentless enthusiasm, humour and sparkling optiSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

mism. It’s impossible to be despondent in his company.

He’s just a great guy to be around. Local Koryak folks Tanya, Pasha and Val run the camp like a Swiss watch, and they are disarmingly warm and friendly. The food, accommodation and service are all excellent.

About the fishing: The rivers are fairly slow-flowing, and flies with lots of inherent movement are king. My favourite was a pattern known as a Hoser, a simple but lovely tie featuring palmered marabou, Flashabou and os-

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There’s just one snag.

Fishing for Steelhead in Russia by any method is illegal.

trich, that comes seductively alive in the water. Fishing it with a simple intermediate or light MOW tip was absolutely effortless, and the little 12’6 7 weight rod was a joy - a wonderful incisive little wand that allowed me to fish quietly and accurately. As a bonus, it was so light that I barely knew that I was holding it.

Every day was a new and wild adventure, fizzing down the Kvachina in the jet-boat or rumbling across the tundra to the Snotalvayam with Sasa in the hardy little Polaris ATV. At night, as we sat

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around the fire, the stars were as close as I’ve ever seen them. The fish were hardwon, but every one was special. Celebrating with Brian and Justin over a nip of Tullamore Dew that I’d found a long way from home, on a dusty supermarket shelf in Petropavlovsk, I knew that I had come to a very special place. I can’t deny that I’d fallen heavily for the chrome bright steelhead of this beguiling wilderness.

There’s just one snag. Fishing for Steelhead in Russia by any method is illegal.

As my friend Kyrill will tell

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Waiting for that line to get tight. Steelheads are unpredictable, saying you might be just a cast away from a trophy fish has never been more true!

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you, they are in the “Krasny Kniga”, the celebrated ‘little red book’ that lists the protected species of Russia’s innumerable fisheries.

But there are ways. As I gently placed a hand over my fish’s eyes, Sasa carefully inserted a tag into the Steelhead’s flank. He then gently clipped its anal fin, and took a dozen scales from each side of the fish’s body.

As I watched my prize gently right itself before rocketing back into the deeps, Sasa passed me my envelope of scientific samples. “ Congratulations,” he grinned wolfishly “You are good scientist”

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The Kamchatkan Steelhead Project is the brainchild of Pete Soverel. Pete is a tough old brute of a man, craggy and weatherbeaten and instantly likeable. As I sat drinking a beer and a glass or two of frosty vodka with him in Petropavlovsk, Pete told me about how, back in the early ’90s, he had read “The noble trout of Kamchatka “ a book by an eminent Russian scientist, Ksenya Savvaitova’s (a professor of Ichthyology at Moscow State University) The book described the steelhead of Kamchatka. The fish were suffering from endemic poaching, and Pete’s idea was that anglers might contribute to scientific study

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and also provide an anti-poaching presence on the river.

Banning sportfishing can often be hugely counterproductive to endangered species and fisheries, as anglers are invested in the welfare of the river, and their very presence deters large-scale poaching. This has been manifestly illustrated in India, for instance, where since sport fishing for mahseer has been banned, poaching has gone utterly unchecked, with disastrous results.

Pete contacted Ksenya, and with the help of the Russian and US governments, The Kamchatka Steelhead Project was born. This not-for-

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Another gorgeous male specimen caught during the trip.

profit organisation required that interested anglers make donations to fund the data collection and the policing of the steelhead rivers of Western Kamchatka. It started collecting data in 1994.

Pete’s plan has been remarkably successful. On the rivers that I fished, the Kvachina and the Snotalvyam, the runs have burgeoned from around 3000 Fish each per annum to around 10,000 and 7,000 respectively. Another similarly diminutive river overseen by the KSP, the Utkholok now has runs in excess of 20,000 fish.

A cynic might scoff. Scientific research has been oftused as an excuse for all kinds of unspeakable atrocities against nature, perhaps most notoriously by the Japanese whaling fleet. The KSP is no such scam. The project aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of these precious fish, and so far results have been hugely encouraging.

The fish are treated with the utmost respect. Fishing is with single barbless hooks only and all fish are carefully returned to the river to continue on their jourSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

The fish are treated with the utmost respect. Fishing is with single barbless hooks only.

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The stunning autumn colors of Kamchatka have to be seen to be believed.

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ney upstream to spawn. The program has helped head scientist Kyrill and his team start to understand the complicated life-cycles of the Kamchatkan steelhead, and with knowledge, we are empowered to help these fragile but increasingly robust stocks to flourish.

The fly-fishing community might learn a lot from the KSP. The model is one that I believe we should consider adopting in many of our increasingly precious and fragile fisheries. Many British salmon anglers will remember Peter Power’s excellent work in creating

the Atlantic Salmon Reserve on the Kola peninsula in northwest Russia, and Peter was inspired by and consulted extensively with Pete Soverel prior to the establishment of the reserve.

We can talk endlessly about the ethics of catch and release but the fact is that if we want to pass on sport fisheries worthy of the name to our children, we have to find ways to make those fisheries sustainable.The KSP redefines the role of the sport fisherman and formalises his/her position as a positive force for good.

If we want others to stop

harming these precious resources, we have to lead by example.

Personally, I feel proud to have met Pete, and also Kyrill and Sasa, and to have contributed to the findings of the KSP. I am utterly smitten with the wild Steelhead of the Kvachina and the Snatolvayam. I very much hope to don my waders, snatch up my little double hander and become a good scientist once again next year.

Hopefully, I’ll be struck by a few more of those magical thunderbolts

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR mattharrisflyfishing.com

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Russian Scientists at the PINRO institute have deemed the Atlantic Salmon of the Yokanga River to be the largest salmon on the Kola Peninsula. With the comprehensive anti-poaching regime now in place under new owner and conservationist Alexey Strulistov, the magnificent Salmon of the Yokanga look set to flourish in the years to come.

All Yokanga camps are undergoing an entire rebuild, and the new Solar jet boats at @yokanga_lodges mean that almost the entire fishery can now be accessed in the autumn season without the use of prohibitively expensive helicopters. This will make the fabulous fly fishing on this

unique salmon river a more realistic proposition for many keen salmon anglers who cannot afford the high prices of prime time. Check out our website at www.yokanga.com and call us on +44 7850955585 or mail us at mattharris@ yokanga.com if you want to know more.

Grabbing a shot at a magnificent thirty pound Yokanga salmon, along with the chance to experience the northern lights and the stunning colours of autumn on the Kola may cost less than you think.

THERE IS ONLY ONE SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

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TACKLE NEW GEAR

?

WHAT’S

NEW

OKUMA NOMAD TRAVEL ROD

Zenon is a new level of super premium spinning reels, designed to be the lightest in the world. Low inertia, silent rotation rotors, super light hybrid spool and silky-smooth gearing housed in a compact contour-formed (around gear box) magnesium body. All of this makes the Japanese designed zenon the ultimate light weight spinning reel and something the world has never seen before.

Okuma Nomad Travel rods were constructed for anglers who want their total experience to equal the quality of their destination, and that includes fishing great rods.

Constructed in three pieces and utilizing European spigot ferrules, Nomad Travel rods deliver one-piece rod performance.

Each model includes two tip sections, one lighter and one heavier, to increase versatility while keeping luggage to a minimum. Premium components were chosen for rock-solid durability. Secured in a custom padded and waterproof case, Nomad Travel rods travel easily in overhead luggage bins, alleviating the difficulty and expense of long rod tubes.

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ABU GARCIA ZENON

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NEW GEAR TACKLE

WESTIN BLADEBITE JIG

BERKLEY STUNNA

The key to the BladeBite is the vibration and action, with a very subtle clicking sound, that we have perfected down to the smallest detail. A bladed jig works equally well in clear or stained water and is normally fished high-up in the water column over grass, wood and rock structure, where the enticing action stimulates predators to strike. In pressured waters a bladed jig can be the difference between success and failure. Our Custom-designed ‘stealth mode’ Viking blades give the perfect mix of erratic action and stealth presentation, making them hard for any predator to resist.

Hank Cherry’s winning modifications with a jerkbait led him to the title of Bassmaster Classic Champion. Born from Hank’s vast knowledge and Berkley design expertise, the Berkley Stunna has all the refinements for a jerkbait to excel. With action, casting distance, and durability at the forefront of the design process, the Stunna delivers with a unique slow sink to trigger bites from neutral and inactive fish.

12,45€ | westin-fishing.com

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VMC NED RIG Crafted with premium components and an ingenious design, the VMC Ned Rig Jig is the ultimate Ned head for tempting timid bass in tough conditions. Outfitted with a chemically sharpened light wire hook forged from Vanadium steel, the VMC Ned Rig Jig features a hybrid gap design for maximum hooksets, and a hybrid bend for extra strength. It also comes equipped with a unique beveled edge conical keeper that is spaced at an optimal distance from the jig head for superior holding power. Molded with a traditional mushroom style head and 90-degree line-tie, the VMC Ned Rig Jig drags smoothly on bottom and hops over rocks with ease.

$5.49 | rapala.com/vmc 79

TACKLE NEW GEAR

SEA FALCON PIXY CRYSTAL The Pixy Crystal is a newly designed popper with a sturdy polyurethane mouth and a balsa body. With its 12.5cm and elongated shape it visually recalls a small to medium sized forage fish, but its ability to attract thanks to the splashes produced by the mouth are extremely effective even at a distance. Generally in poppers the mouth is the critical point of the lure which tends to be damaged or broken earlier. The choice of polyurethane resin was made precisely to overcome this problem, making the Pixy Crystal an extremely robust and long-lasting lure.

$72.30 | seafalconusa.com

GREYS FIN REEL Greys all new flagship fly reel is fully constructed in bar stock aluminium and fitted with either a fresh or saltwater sealed disc drag system. As part of the new Greys fly reel design concept, it shares many design traits with the other reels in the range, including a stunning large arbour design, simple secure spool release, high level manufacturing and finishing techniques, and high performance drag system combined with the increased impact resistance of full barstock construction.

$225.95 | purefishing.com

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MUSTAD MEZASHI JIG Cleverly designed to give two differing actions on the fall: When the Mezashi jigs fall with the triangle side down they give a beautiful sliding action; When the jig falls on the rounded side, an enticing flutter is seen. To make things even better, when the jig is retrieved, the Mezashi jig gives an intense wobbling action that pelagic predators adore!

17€ | mustad-fishing.com

NEW GEAR TACKLE

SAVAGE GEAR SGS10 JIGGING Whether chasing tropical predators in warm oceans or searching the depths of the cold Nordic seas for hidden monsters, this fully CNC-machined jigging reel will perform for you. Manufactured to precise standards using only high quality materials, this is a reel made to withstand anything you can throw at it – expect the best and it will give you even more. Features 8+1 stainless steel ball bearings, aluminium handle knob, knurled spool, machined aluminium frame and side plates, LD System and a 15kg drag.

359€ | savage-gear.com

STORM ORIGINAL DEEP WIGGLE WART RAPALA BX SKITTER FROG The BX Skitter Frog is a perfect bait for fishing among water lilies, seaweed and other vegetation. The noisy splashing and splashing wakes up every predator nearby. The shallow strikes, when the surface breaks and the fish’s big jaws close around the bait, are incredibly awesome.

13,95€ | rapala.com

The classic action of the timeless Wiggle Wart reaches greater depths with the all-new Storm Original Deep Wiggle Wart. The famous wobble and hunting action remains true in the Deep Wiggle Wart, allowing you to target deeper structures, forms of cover, and schools of bass than ever before while maintaining the fish-catching power of the Wiggle Wart. Featuring the classic Storm Wiggle Wart rattle, coming in an array of proven colors, and armed with sticky-sharp VMC trebles, the Storm Original Deep Wiggle Wart is a bonafide home run hitter, well-deserving of the time-tested «Wiggle Wart» name.

$7.49 | rapala.com/storm 81

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BRAZIL

THE WOLF FISH KINGDOM Text and photos by Alfonso Rey & Thiago Cruz

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A

One of the prettiest birds of the Amazon, the black necked aracari.

fter a long trip I land at the airport of the huge city of Sao Paulo, where I meet Thiago, my professional cinematographer with whom I am going to record some incredible images, some of which you will be able to see exclusively throughout the article. We then took a two-hour flight to the city of Sinop, in the State of Mato Grosso, and finally arrived to the hotel. After so many hours of flying I fall into bed exhausted. Tomorrow is going

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to be an incredible day!

The next morning, we met our guide Fernando at the hotel and headed for the ranch located in Rio Branco Norte, 3 hours away. During the trip I can see that this area, which is halfway between the Amazon and the Pantanal Area, has an abundance of wildlife, among which we can find anacondas and jaguars. To give you a picture in your head, this area of Brazil is a mixture of the Amazon rainforest with meadows and swampy areas.

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After a 20 minute drive through this mix of meadows and jungle, we arrived at the ranch on the shore of this complex system of canals and lakes.

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In a privileged place After a 20 minute drive through this mix of meadows and jungle, we arrived at the ranch on the shore of this complex system of canals and lakes of the Rio Branco Norte.

There I meet my host Rene, who is, to this day, one of the kindest and most noble people I have ever met. He was waiting for us. We introduced ourselves and chatted briefly and then he showed me to my room. A gigantic triple room with high ceilings, shelves and rod holders and a clean bathroom with a spacious shower. Also, to my surprise, unlike most fi-

shing charters in the Amazon that have very slow internet with which you can barely use whats app, the Wi-fi here is quite fast and you can even watch videos or any streaming service.

There is nothing better than a place where you can combine the nature of the jungle with the comforts and communication of a city, it seems that here I am going to have a very comfortable stay!

Rene starts to tell me how he discovered this incredible site and what is its history.

He explains to me that this was originally simply the channel of the Rio Branco Norte, but it was decided to place a dam, which caused

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the flooding of the entire area and the destabilization of the ecosystem, producing an environmental disaster decades ago. However, little by little an area formed by a complex of canals, lakes and lagoons was created, which began to have an incredible wealth of biodiversity. This place is currently inhabited by yellow and red macaws, different species of monkeys, eagles, herons, capybaras, jaguars and anacondas among others, some of them can easily be seen surrounding the lodge.

Rene tells me that when he arrived here he fell in love with the beauty of the place.

I cannot blame him for that,

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The author with a trophy wolf fish. The current IGFA world record stands at 14.95 kg (32 lb 15 oz) and was caught on the Sinamary River, French Guyana, in 2007.

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I have prepared a great video about the area so you guys can make an idea of how ridiculous the place was, click here to enjoy it in HD!

each other for years, that´s the power of this hobby. After a few drinks we all go to sleep, tomorrow is going to be a great day.

The food is served, a mixture of the native food of the area with a lot of influence from Europe. Before going to bed I have the pleasure of tasting the best grilled fish I have ever tasted in my life that Rene personally makes for us on the fire that he has prepared in advance. We finish dinner and enjoy an incredible caipirinha while we do what anglers love the most, talk about incredible anecdotes as if we have known

Sunrise of the gods It’s amazing how even the most reluctant fisherman in his daily life can be so easily propelled out of bed when the alarm signals that it’s time to fish. The alarm sounds at 4:30 a.m. and like any angler I am on my feet before I hear the second beep. The moment I have waited so long for has arrived. I prepare myself meticulously without forgetting my mosquito spray and suns-

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creen, and I grab my 3 combos and tackle box.

My cameraman and I set off towards the boat, where we can already see that Fernando is waiting for us. We head out towards the main channel, dodging the countless submerged trees that serve as shelter for these monsters.

As we advance carefully, we enjoy one of the most incredible sunrises I have ever been lucky enough to witness. Do you know that feeling we fishermen get when we are in the right place at the right time? For those of you who don’t know that feeling, just click on this link to get

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Foggy morning on the water. The flooding of the area after a dam construction has unexpectedly brought a new, rich and healthy ecosystem.

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an idea of the sensations that ran through my body during those moments.

One of the things that I see right at the beginning of the day is that since there are no other charters operating here, the fishing pressure is not high and many times it is not necessary to travel long distances to the first fishing spot, so we start fishing just after going out to the main channel.

It is early in the morning and therefore as I expected, Fernando passes me the rod that has a topwater lure tied on, the whopper plopper, which I already tell you was going to

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be the key lure of the trip. He explains to me that the wolf fish as well as many predators are always close to the structures. Mainly just below the line of aquatic vegetation that gives them the ability to ambush prey and shade but he points out that at the beginning and end of the day they go out to open water and get close to trees and submerged branches, which is why I decide to make a first cast to open water to present the lure near these structures.

After casting a couple more times I come back to reality, fishing in the Amazon doesn’t mean catching fish on every cast and we cannot

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always have an idyllic trip start. However, my guide explains to me that it is a very aggressive and territorial fish and just like the Peacock Bass we can irritate them by passing the lure through its territory several times, so he suggests me to cast again to the same place since at this time they should not be very deep. I cast my lure once again to the same spot and a monster comes out to remind me why the king of these waters cannot be bothered, the fish attacked with such force that it has made me wake up completely, what a strike.

After such an attack, Fernando laughs and tells me that the provocation was effec-

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Wolf fish of small size will surprise you with the insane power and aggressiveness they have.

Each of them is a hard-earned trophy and need to be treated with the most respect.

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tive because the fish did not come up to eat, but to hit its prey. Click here to watch in HD how this amazing attack was.

We continue fishing and the numerous wolf fish keep on striking, it is a fish so rough that even the small and medium ones leave you trembling. Look at this strike, it’s a fish that barely reaches 4 or 5 pounds.

move to deeper positions, making it more difficult to continue having bites on the surface. It is around 8 AM when my guide suggests me to fish in the middle waters and use two lures, a DUO realis 130 jerkbait and a 5/8 oz spinnerbait. I recommend working the jerkbaits with jerks to trigger reaction bites and the spinnerbaits with retrieves and stops. The bites with this type of lures, especially with the jerkbait are very clear.

As the morning progresses and the temperature rises, the fish reduce their activity and

Finally, once we get to 9 or 10 AM, it is best to use the spinnerbait on the bottom or

The strategy throughout the day

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It is more productive to wait a couple of seconds to set the hook, this way we will lose less fish.

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Giving the local macaws a treat!

switch to soft plastics. Here some locals use traira dead bait in the middle of the day.

In our case, being obsessed with lure fishing we have the perfect substitute, a soft plastic with weight impregnated with a strong scent, the worse it smells the better results we will have with this fish.

In my particular case I used a below stick weighted lure that worked along the bottom in the shadows formed by the limit of floating vegetation, that’s where we can find big fish. If we use this technique with a good scent and there are fish in the area,

the results will not take long to come. A very important factor is that the wolf fish is a fish with a prey bite, this means that it is not used to spit the lure fast and therefore we should not hook fast, especially when fishing with soft plastics. In essence, it is more productive to leave a couple of seconds to apply the hook set, we will lose less fish this way.

A beast that loves sunsets At noon we set off to the lodge to enjoy an incredible grilled picanha beef and take SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

a pleasant air-conditioned nap. It is possible to spend all day fishing with no problem, however, in my case we were filming documentaries and therefore looking for great images, which forced us to stick completely to topwater fishing, very difficult technique as we approached midday. However, I always recommend taking a break at mid-day for one clear reason: the weather that occurs on a normal day here. It is very common that as we get closer to noon there are momentary thunderstorms and rains that will hinder our fi97

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The strong jaws of the wolf fish are known to literally crush fish in half, as opposed to cutting them in half!

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shing and put us in danger.

Here it gets dark at 6 PM, so in our case at 3 o’clock we are already leaving to start fishing in the afternoon and according to what my guide Fernando tells me, the trairao prefers sunsets to sunrises.

This means that the best time of the day to fish will be from 4 to 6 of the evening. Rene knows this perfectly and comes to see how the afternoon is going. Fernando and Rene joke about the fact that Rene knows the exact location of many of the big fish found here. After a few minutes of scouting this incredible site, Rene gives Fernando a signal 100

and we stand on top of the submerged vegetation. Here he tells me to make casts parallel to the vegetation. I start to make the first casts and when I realize I see that Rene has taken out his cell phone and starts recording, it seems that he knows that there is a monster under there that I am provoking, I start to get nervous and he tells me to cast one more time, then with my legs trembling from the tension I start to cast again, I work the woopper plopper at medium speed and knowing that not always everything goes as we want I think about going somewhere else when suddenly 12 feet from me SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

a monster comes out of the water that produces a totally deafening attack that leaves us all impressed, the fish pulled so hard that it was impossible for me to control it and ended up inside the structures where it was finally lost.

Fortunately I have here the video that was recorded by Rene and that I am sure you will see more than once!

A fish that rips combos out of your hands and breaks rods One of the first things Fernando told me when we were arriving at the Ranch was to hold on to the rod. It is a very aggressive, rough fish and

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when it is active and chasing the topwater it doesn’t care about the presence of the angler or the boat. That is why it is common to have brutal attacks with little more than a few feet of line, especially late in the day and with little light in general. The bite is so brutal that sometimes the rod is ripped out of your hands.

There are many rods that were lost at the bottom of this incredible place! Here you can see an example of how close

these fish can attack, it is simply addictive.

However, what I did not imagine was what was going to happen to me on the third day of fishing in this prehistoric oasis. I am going to tell you what a 20LB wolf fish is capable of. Everything happened at just before sunset, I was working a Whooper Plopper when suddenly 15 feet away from the boat a monster of at least 20lb suddenly emerged and attacked the surface with such force that it almost tore

Aerial view of the lodge and fishing playground!

the rod out of my hands, my reaction was to set the hook energetically because the mouth of these fish is like a bone mallet, however, the fish after the explosion pulled down with such force that suddenly you could clearly hear how the blank of the rod burst... below the reel!

Luckily the cork was enough to hold the rod and reel in place so that I didn’t lose the rod and reel. After a brutal fight where I got rid of the rest of the rod, I was able to verify that despite the strong

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Perfect scale pattern on this lovely specimen, the smiles don’t lie!

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hook set it didn’t hook properly. A few minutes later I lost the monster. No rod and no monster, friends, that’s fishing!

The hook set problem with these bone heads After this last event I am starting to get frustrated, as I have had many bites from big fish that I have not been able to control by losing them in the structures or they have gone away because they were not properly hooked. During that period I had a series of really weird fights. What happened was that after a fight the fish

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would just go away without even jumping or turning in the water.

So I ask Rene for advice to improve my results and catch a real monster. He tells me that it is a fish with a very strong bone structure and that sometimes it is really difficult to hook them correctly. He also points out that the wolf fish is a fish with a brutal mouth strength. It is not uncommon to find smaller specimens or other bait fish split in half.

It turns out that what has happened to me is that sometimes it bites so hard on the lure and the fluorocarbon leader that it prevents it

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from moving when hooking, while at the same time it keeps its mouth locked like a dog without letting it go.

That’s why we often have a long fight with the fish without it even being hooked.

He tells me that the key is to wait for a few moments to set the hook, and then repeat the process vigorously another 3 or 4 times to make sure that the hook goes through the mouth, this will significantly reduce the chances of losing the fish.

A prehistoric fight The next day, on my way to the first fishing spot, I am thinking of applying the advice received and keeping

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Another nice wolf fish pulled out of the thick vegetation by the author.

calm at the moment of the attack, because with the power with which these animals attack the lure, it is difficult to take your time to set the hook.

I make my first casts and receive a brutal attack that the fish misses. I cast again and this time I hook a big fish, this time following Rene’s advice I wait a second to set the hook and repeat it 3 times. A few jumps later, I know that it is properly hooked. After a brutal fight worthy of its size, we managed to catch it with the bocagrip. Euphoric, I celebrate with Thiago and Fernando and we get ready to

make the photo it deserves.

For those of you who are wondering what it is like to fight a large specimen of this prehistoric fish, I have to tell you that it is a very rough fish. As my cinematographer used to say: «No fish has ever wet my camera as much as the wolf fish».

Although there are fish that have a more horizontal fight, that is to say, that fight in the opposite direction to the angler (as the carp or the peacock bass can do), the wolf fish is similar to the bass, that is to say, its fight is usually vertical, downwards.

It all starts with a brutal bite SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

that is followed by a clear and strong escape towards the structures. But unlike the Peacock Bass, which has a very strong fight in the first half, it is after approaching the boat and hitting the first jump when it starts to pull like a rocket down and are quite insistent and can get down every time we get them to the surface.

They are quite insistent and can get down every time we get them to the surface, hitting tails that mistreat lines and wet almost the whole boat. Being a very aggressive fish, it is always difficult to get a grip on them, as they are constantly moving with so much force that it is 105

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Last shot before the release! Handling these creatures can be quite dangerous, the controversial boca grip can come in handy if used properly.

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Celebrating a successful trip with a delicious glass of Chilean wine!

advisable to secure the bocagrip with the rope so that we don’t lose it in a jerk.

A cinematic farewell After changing my luck and catching numerous fish between 15 and 20 lbs that were immortalized in my retina. We met on the last day enjoying the sunrise in the boat. I tell Fernando that I want to beat my record and catch a monster bigger than the 20 lb fish hanging on the wall of the lodge. Fernando accepts the challenge, and tells me that he is going to take me to a place where a 108

big fish he has known for a long time has the territory.

We get to a shallow area and turn off the motor and put on the trolling motor to sneak up on it. Fernando points out a small submerged tree and tells me that there lives an old friend with whom he has shared a battle that has not had a happy ending. I get ready, grab my combo and cast the whopper plopper and on the first cast, as if it had been waiting for us, a huge body comes out of the water and charges the lure to try to get back into the covers, this time Fernando was ready and as soon as SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES | Q4 2021

he attacked he was already moving the boat away from the shore which allows me to prevent the fish from getting into the poles and we take it to open water. After an incredible fight where he gave us incredible jumps, tails that wet me from top to bottom and races to the bottom the monster rises from the depths and approaches the boat, Fernando tries to grab it with the grip but the fish is shaking so hard that I fear it will break the leader with the sharp teeth it has, however sometimes there are happy endings and finally Fernando manages to grab it. We celebrate and weigh

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it to confirm that we have achieved our goal: 22 lbs of pure evil! This fish deserves some pictures in the water to say goodbye to the trip! After the photo session, I say goodbye to this prehistoric fish that disappears, dunking me with the fury of a giant that has been taken out of its territory.

cial, I lend myself to making one of the most emblematic dishes of European cuisine, the Spanish tortilla de patatas. That night we shared one last great moment together, enjoying a great dinner while enjoying great food and drinks from different parts of the world while doing what we love the most: laughing and telling stories.

We arrive at the lodge and tell our feat to Rene, who decides to open a bottle of Chilean reserve wine to celebrate. For my part, to make the dinner even more spe-

Because remember, it is not only about fishing, what is really important is not the destination, but the path and the people you share it with. I will definitely come back

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TRIP CONTACT fishingmonstersclub@ gmail.com

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MEDIA SEEN ON THE WEB

SEEN ON THE

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SEEN ON THE WEB MEDIA

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GIN CLEAR MEDIA EARLY OPENING OHAU RIVER

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