Tail Fly Fishing Magazine Issue 38 - November/December 2018

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

F LY F I S H I N G M A G A Z I N E

LORD OF THE

BLACK

FLY

Do It Your Way Way.

PROCESS

THE

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experience counts for everything Some of the most dedicated anglers we know are women, and T&T Ambassador Abbie Schuster is at the forefront of her generation of pro guides. Whether hosting trips, crushing albies on the Vineyard, or at the oars on a New England tailwater, her experience and insight helps us to approach rod design with a unique perspective.

Abbie’s knowledge, expertise, and understanding are passed to our craftsmen, who strive for perfection and uncompromising performance in every rod we make.

To us, Abbie and her fellow professionals are our unsung heroes. We salute you.

introducing the new award winning zone series, 3 through 10 weight, uncompromising quality. legendary performance.

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19 6 9

TH E RO D YO U WI LL E VENTUALLY OWN

www.thomasandthomas.com HANDMADE IN AMERICA

Sometimes a fish approaches too quickly to turn the boat and you have to make a solid backcast.

Photo by Ian Wilson

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There is nothing better than a campfire on the beach after an epic day of bonefishing on South Andros Island.

Photo by Bobby Altman

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Many anglers think tarpon are the perfect fish. Their raw power and fighting ability make us sometimes overlook the fact that they are also one of the most unique and beautiful fish species out there.

Photo by Nick Davis

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The striped bass blitzes off of Montauk are one of the greatest sights in all of fly fishing. This moment was captured during the shooting of Running The Coast by Jamie Howard of howardfilms.com.

Photo by Robbie George 10 TA I L FLY F I SH I N G M AGA Z I NE

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Sidorovka Beach in Russia is along the Barrents Sea somewhere near FInland. There is amazing salmon fishing there in the summer. The only limitation is the distance you are willing to walk.

Photo by Cesar De La Hoz

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The Quaterdeck Club - In 1940, Commodore Edward Turner built a large house on a barge and pilings near Crawfish Eddie's and named it the Quarterdeck Club. When it opened in November, membership cost $150 by invitation only and the club became one of the most popular spots in Miami. The club's popularity grew after an article about the club appeared in Life magazine on February 10, 1941 Photo by Joseph Ballarini

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TM

Editor-in-Chief Joseph Ballarini Creative Director Shawn Abernathy Consulting Editor Alex Lovett-Woodsum Managing Editor George Roberts Food Editor Kelli Prescott Publishing Consultant Samir Husni, Ph.D.

Proven. Performance.

Senior Contributors

On the Cover Vaughn Cochran's, Tarpon Bright.

Bob Branham Pat Ford Mark Hatter Frank Paul King Ruben Martin Peter McLeod Jonathan Olch George Roberts Greg Thomas

Creative Contributors

ABOUT Tail Fly Fishing Magazine provides a voice for saltwater fly fishing culture in a bimonthly print publication. We focus on delivering the best photography, destination travel, reputable commentary and technical features from the saltwater fly fishing lifestyle. Tail began as a digital publication that debuted in September 2012 and has been in print since September 2016.

In many places, fly fishing has become important to both people and the environment. As a method of fishing imbued with values of stewardship and conservation, it connects people with the marine world in significant and positive ways.

Tail Fly Fishing Magazine supports creative expressions that heighten our appreciation of fly fishing and encourage us to look at it in new ways. The magazine strives to provide content that reflects our mutual fascination with all aspects of saltwater fly fishing. We are grateful for your support and we welcome photographic and written contributions.

Tail Fly Fishing Magazine is published six times annually.

Subscriptions are available on our website and by mail.

International subscriptions are also available for most countries. Prices vary for international subscriptions. Please contact us with any advertising, subscription, or submission questions.

Shawn Abernathy Joseph Ballarini Sam Collett Fredrick Hannie Lex Hochner Sarah Holly Bryant Ed Mitchell Kelli Prescott Alex Lovett-Woodsum Sarah Zorich

Photography Shawn Abernathy Bobby Altman Joseph Ballarini Sam Collett Brandon Cyr Nick Davis Fredrick Hannie Jamie Howard Sarah Holly Bryant Kelli Prescott Kyle Schaefer Ian Wilson

2300 Alton Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 WWW.TAILFLYFISHING.COM 305-763-8285

To the thousands of anglers who put their trust in our reels, and our reels in their hands [ day after day and year after year ], WE THANK YOU!

www.3-TAND.com 203.345.7000

info@3-TAND.com

I N LOV I N G M E M O RY O F J O H N C . M E L F I

ISSUE 38

Gear Guide: Holiday Edition

24

Inside the Box

by Lex Hochner

28

Beyond the Fly: The Life and Art of Vaughn Cochran

by Shawn Abernathy

39

Homer Rhode Jr.

by Ed Mitchell

46

Wedding Day Permit

by Sarah Holly Bryant

CONTENT

22

51

Tapped: Beer Reviews

52

On the Plate

by Kelli Prescott

56

The Process

by Sam Collett

70

Alive and Well: The Florida Keys

by Alex Woodsum

82

Fly Tying: Sargassum Shrimp

by Fredrick Hannie

90

Why Fish Feed in Skinny Water

by Joseph Ballarini

94

An Angler Opines

by Anonymous

52

24 22 54 51

90 56

82

46

28 39

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No rod has ever silenced all the variables.

No engineer has ever found a way to transfer back cast energy directly into forward accuracy.

No angler has ever erased all the doubt from his or her mind.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.

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ALASKA Mossy’s Fly Shop 750 W Diamond Blvd Suite 114 Anchorage AK 99515 COLORADO Front Range Anglers 2344 Pearl Street Boulder CO 80302

G E T TA I L AT T H E S E R E TA I L E R S

CONNECTICUT

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The Compleat Angler 541 Boston Post Road Darien CT 06820 FLORIDA Apalach Outfitters 32 Ave D Apalachicola FL 32320 Black Fly Outfitters 11702 Beach Blvd #109 Jacksonville FL 32246

The Fish Hawk 764 Miami Cir NE #126 Atlanta GA 30305 IDAHO

Bayou City Angler 3641 Westheimer Rd Suite A Houston TX 77027

Jimmy’s All Season Angler 275 A Street Idaho Falls ID 83402

Gordy & Sons 22 Waugh Drive Houston TX 77007

LOUISIANA

Sportsman Finest 12434 Bee Cave Road Austin TX 78738

Old Towne Fly Shop & Outfitters 4009 Pontchartrain Drive Slidell LA 70458 MARYLAND

Swan Point Landing 1723 Cherry Street Suite 4 Rockport TX 78382

Alltackle 2062 Somerville Rd Annapolis, MD 21401

Tailwaters Fly Fishing 1933 E. Levee St Dallas TX 75207

Beaver Creek Fly Shop 9720 Country Store Lane Hagerstown MD 21740

UTAH

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill Jacksons’s Shop for Adventure 9501 US 19 N Pinellas Park FL 33782

The Bear's Den 34 Robert W Boyden Rd Taunton MA 02780

Forgotten Coast Fly Company 123 Commerce Street Apalachicola FL 32320

MONTANA

Florida Keys Outfitters 81219 Overseas Highway Islamorada FL 33036

TEXAS

Frontier Anglers 680 N. Montana St Dillion MT 59725

Fishwest 47 West 10600 South Sandy UT 84070 TENNESSEE Fly South Fly Shop 115 19th Ave South Nashville TN 37203 WASHINGTON

NORTH CAROLINA

Emerald Water Anglers 4502 42nd Ave SW Seattle WA 98116

Flounder Creek Outfitters 515 Garden Street Titusville FL 32796

Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitters 20910 Torrence Chapel Rd D5 Cornelius NC 28031

The Avid Angler 17171 Bothell Way NE Seattle WA 98155

Harry Goode’s Outdoor Sports 1231 E New Haven Ave Melbourne FL 32901

NEW YORK

CANADA

Urban Angler 381 Fifth Ave, 2nd Floor New York NY 10016

Fish Tales Fly Shop Ltd. #626, 12100 Macleod Trail SE Calgary AB T2J 7G9 Canada

Ole Florida Fly Shop 6353 N Federal Hwy Boca Raton FL 33487

RHODE ISLAND

Orlando Outfitters 2814 Corrine Dr Orlando FL 32803

The Saltwater Edge 1037 Aquioneck Ave Middletown RI 02842

The Angling Company 333 Simonton St Key West FL 33040

SOUTH CAROLINA

West Wall Outfitters 787 Tamiami Port Charlotte FL 33953

Bay Street Outfitters 825 Bay Street Beaufort SC 29902

GEORGIA

Charleston Angler 654 Saint Andrews Blvd Charleston SC 29407

Blue Ridge Fly Fishing 490 E Main Street Blue Ridge GA 30513

Charleston Angler 1113 Market Center Blvd Mt Pleasant SC 29464

Cohutta Fishing Company 39 S Public Square Cartersville GA 30120

Outdoor Pros 22 Sagona Avenue Mount Pearl NL A1N R42 Canada Bass Pro Shops over 80 locations in the USA Dick's Sporting Goods over 86 locations in the USA Field & Stream Stores over 25 locations in the USA

Shot by: Jarrod Black - Pictured: Tim Rajeff

When things heat up, it’s critical to fish the line designed for the job.

Airflo uses a patented Polyurethane material and silent running ridges designed to optimize fishing in all tropical environments.

TAIL FLY M AGA ZI NE 1 9 Go to airflousa.com to find the line that helps coolFISHI youNGoff.

EDITOR'S NOTE Creating Memories

Seems like last November; we were tallying the lost lives and property from the massive storms that brought destruction to the United States. We fled our homes and waited out what was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record.

Seems like a year later, things aren’t that different. Our hearts go out to the families in North and South Carolina, and we hope your communities recover quickly.

Sometimes loss is not witnessed on such a grand scale as a hurricane and can be very personal. You have probably noticed the message “In loving memory of John C. Mefli” at the bottom of our masthead in each issue. John was my friend, an avid fly angler, writer, book reviewer for MidCurrent, and also the first formal editor-in-chief of Tail Fly Fishing Magazine. On November 2, 2015, John C Melfi tragically passed away just before we started printing the magazine. This year is the third year that he is gone, and his loss is not any easier to take.

Recently I found a folder of photos from trips we had taken together and was drawn right back to the conversations we had on those trips. There is a photo of him wearing black socks in Cabo catching a mahi. He wore the socks to prevent his feet from burning in the sun.

Meanwhile, his ears usually burned to a

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crisp. Fishing in the Keys one time, he got so sunburned that he couldn’t fish the next day (his feet were fine, though).

The difference between now and three years ago is that I can’t just text or call, or even forward the photos with a “remember this” title to the email so we can laugh about it. He’s gone now, and these memories are all that remain.

I sometimes open a box of flies and find something that he tied, identifiable because of his distinctive scant tying style. I make it a point to have JCM flies with me always; if you ever rummage through the fly boxes on my skiff or in my car, I’ll point them all out to you.

As I remember John, I also to remind you to remember your fishing buddy. Call your fishing buddy (or buddies) and remember the good times while you still can. Isn’t that what this is all about? I can’t speak for everyone, but in my case, I couldn’t tell you much about solo fish I’ve caught because they aren’t as memorable as the ones caught with friends. It’s not about the fishing, but about the places fishing takes you and the people you share them with. The memories we create with our fishing buddies are the ones that are lasting, and I strongly encourage you to make as many fishing memories as you can while you have the chance.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for reading Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Joseph Ballarini Editor-in-Chief

(800) 925-7910

FowlerSculpture.com

UPDATE

Introducing a new edition of Tarpon Head Bookends. Each sculpture is 16”x 9”x 6” and will initially sell for $2850 or $4500 a pair.

A new smaller Desktop version will initially sell for $975.

Patagonia River Salt Boot Perfect for climbing out on that snot-covered jetty in the late fall, or just throwing on with some neoprene socks to crunch on a sand flat, these collaboration wading boots from Patagonia and Danner are awesome. Danner’s rugged toughness paired with Patagonia’s thoughtful design make for a boot that will never go out of style or fall apart. Just explain that these boots will also double as work boots for blowing leaves or shoveling snow and you’re good to go...because they probably can.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Camera

GEAR GUIDE

In a world of digital, it’s sometimes a good thing to go analog. Take along an instant camera on your next outing and you'll remember how much you love seeing real photos versus staring at them on your smartphone. It is a great way to be reminded of your recent trip and the fact that you need to lose weight after eating all of those conch fritters at happy hour.

Hell’s Bay Glades Skiff

Why not go all out and just ask for the Glades Skiff from Hell’s Bay. I mean, just explain to your gift buyers that you really need to get into the ultra skinny water back in those deep backcountry spots—that should work. The only thing they can say is, “No.” You can also bring up the fact that the Kevlar hull will last a really long time. If that doesn’t work, just go get one for yourself as an early Christmas present.

Lifesize Yeti Sculpture Tired of other anglers always getting to your “secret spot” first? This is for you. A life-sized yeti sculpture can easily be placed in the mangroves to scare and intimidate anglers who have been fishing your spot.

However, it could backfire if people start flocking there to see the yeti.

There’s only one way to figure it out.

Let’s be honest. You are going to get some gifts that you will not like this holiday season. Sure, it's the thought that counts, but no one really wants a brown turtleneck sweater or some jumper cables (because you already have 3 ½ pairs of them). So do yourself a favor and get ahead of the curve and show this gear guide to everyone. Unless you really want that brown turtleneck.

Scott x Vedavoo Do you love your Scott rods...and burritos? (Figured you do.) This rod carrier can hold four rods securely and fit perfectly flat in your checked luggage, but it works even better rolled up as a carry on. Just slide the rods in and pretend you work at Chipotle.

Desktop Nap Cave You decided to do a quick trip to the Bahamas for some bonefish and the only flight available was that red eye back home? No problem.

Monday is going to be tough back at the office after cranking in bonefish all weekend and mowing down Kaliks. Don’t sweat it, with the desktop napping cave, you can get in a quick power nap in between meetings.

Airflo Super-DRI Bonefish Line It’s a no-brainer that when fishing in skinny water, presentation is key.

Slap that fly down and you’re toast.

This line has a balanced taper that can lay it down smooth like Elton John on the ivories. But when you need some Billy Joel rock and roll, it can easily handle a stiff Steve Windwood. Tell your potential gift buyer to just Roll With It.

239 Flies EP A2Z Minnow DIY Kit 239 Flies takes the guesswork out of, “Hey man, what material is that, Venezuelan Poodle Moth fur?” This fly tying kit comes with pretty much everything you need to make a killer minnow pattern that will catch just about anything. There are also videos on their website that show how to tie the fly, so it’s a no brainer.

Nomos Glashütte Tangente 101 The Tangente 101 is part of a new collection of luxury watches under $2000 from German watch maker Glashütte. It has a polished stainless steel case with white/silvered dial, black printed hour markers in a mix of Arabic Numerals and indexes.

Fine printed minute track and blued steel hands complete the classic look. It has an approximate power reserve of 43 hours, and it is a workhorse for the cost.

Umpqua Tongass 650 Waterproof Waistpack Umpqua's Tongass 650 waistpack is perfect for stalking any saltwater fish on foot. It also doubles as a fantastic boat bag that you can easily use to hop off and get busy in the skinny stuff. The large waterproof compartment ensures that you will keep all your stash dry.

The two large water bottle holders will conveniently hold a bottle of bubbly so you can celebrate when you land that permit on foot.

INSIDE THE B OX

BY LEX HOCHNER

LEXO'S

POPUP CRAB

Of the many crab patterns that I have designed and fished successfully, the Pop-Up Crab is arguably my best creation to-date. It is tied in the Del Brown Merkin Crab style using H2O Fishient Sculpting Fibres as the body components, which in this designer’s opinion are by far the best materials for tying this style of crab and are also available in a superior color array. The three colors offered very effectively cover the complete global flats bottom color spectrum over which this pattern is to be fished and also mimic the naturals subtle color variations (crab sub-species) which inhabit these specific venues.

Target species of the Pop-Up Crab are redfish, striped bass, permit, and bonefish. The tan variation should be used in mottled sand environments which often transitions to a marl bottom; the olive variation mimics the Green Reef Crab, the prevalent crab species found to inhabit most grass covered flats such as those in Belizean, Honduran, and other Caribbean waters. The blue variation is meant to mimic the blue crab, the prevalent species inhabiting the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Also, the silicone legs used on the sand, tan and blue crab variations were personally developed by this designer and are being commercially produced by Living Rubber.

Aside from the spectral color offerings, the truly revolutionary aspect of the Pop-Up Crab is the incorporation of a 60-degree (swimming) jig hook to which the lead dumbbell weight is attached on the bottom of the shank bend, which effectively lets the pattern balance vertically on this fulcrum and hop up and down from a pronated position when retrieved. This dynamic is impossible to create with the use of a 90-degree jig hook because this more acute angle causes the pattern to “drag” in a horizontal position on the retrieve. The beauty of the dynamics of the 60-degree swimming jig hook is that when in the prone position while being retrieved, any subtle bottom contour will cause the fly to hop up to a horizontal position, which causes the pattern to assume a defensive posture and appearance further exciting the predator instinct of the targeted species. The size #4 is meant to be used in shallow environs which potentially require a “softer” water entry, and the size #2 should be used in deeper water in which a quicker sink rate is preferred, and stealth is not a critical element.

On a personal basis, late in the summer of 2013, I fished the #4 Sand and #4 Tan extensively in South Padre Island, Texas targeting hyper-spooky redfish. The results were pretty astounding. When the fish did not “blow out” upon presentation (this happens with regularity at this venue no matter what fly is being fished) a follow and ultimate hook-up were almost guaranteed. This phenomenon is unique in that these specific redfish can be, and usually are, finicky eaters.

On the permit flats, two of my fishing pals whom I consider top-drawer permit anglers, and, who also are completely candid and matter-of-fact in their pattern assessments, fished this pattern independently and on separate occasions in the Mexican Yucatan during the summer of 2013.

The results were as follows; 10 cumulative days on the water, (two with very poor conditions), 14 hook-ups and ten fish to hand. In as many words, both anglers stated that when each fish committed, there was no “permit-y” dodging and darting or incessant fly inspection; the takes were highly aggressive. Both anglers could only attribute this behavior to the action of the fly. Another ringing endorsement was the fact that of the 24 flies I supplied to each angler, they returned with only one sample each.

Both of their guides virtually begged the remaining balance.

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B

BEYOND THE FLY: The Life and Art of Vaughn Cochran

by Shawn Abernathy

W

alking into Vaughn Cochran’s studio is like entering a living history of fly fishing. It is everything you expect, from the slight smell of solvents to the endless amount of brushes and supplies purposefully littered on table tops. On the walls there is a collection of images from the golden days of Key West, photos of trophy fish from an era before cell phones, and what almost seems like a deliberate art installation of bags of used flies pinned to the walls, along with an old cassette player that he still uses. Every time you move an old pickle jar full of art supplies, some other hidden fly fishing treasure is unearthed.

Cochran, a Jacksonville, Florida native, started fishing when he was young. What was at first a boyhood hobby turned into a passion at an early age. In 1972, it seemed only natural for Vaughn to move to Key West. After writers Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams solidified Key West as an early haunt for artists and eccentrics, 1960-70s Key West was the epicenter of the counterculture in the United States. It feels like nothing in the continental U.S., making it the perfect spot for artists, musicians, poets, writers, and outcasts. Cochran fell right into place, melding with the locals while honing his artwork and fishing knowledge of the Keys, eventually becoming a guide.

He was fishing in the Keys when some of the modern day techniques still used for fly fishing for tarpon were created.

Cochran's love of fishing, art, and music eventually led him to cross paths with Jimmy Buffett, and he became a member of Jimmy Buffett's original Coral Reefers band.

Cochran has led a life most anglers would envy. Guiding the Keys in the 70s, when cutoff jean shorts were still accepted fishing attire and SPF wasn’t on the radar, managing lodges in Belize and Costa Rica, playing music with Jimmy Buffett, all while creating outstanding works of art that showcase his unique style and appreciation for fishing. Fast forward to today and he is still true to his fly fishing roots. Blackfly, the brand he created, has become one of the most recognized in all of saltwater fly fishing. Cochran explains that while learning a style of Japanese Sumi brush painting, he started to practice by creating fly patterns. He had dozens of originals he showed me as he explained how the logo came about by simply playing around with his new brushes. That would soon turn into an iconic logo for a fly shop, clothing, a restaurant and one of the

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Cochran showed me his original Sumi brush paintings and the original Blackfly logo from 1993.

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Cochran has led a life most anglers would envy. Guiding the Keys in the 70s, when cutoff jean shorts were still accepted fishing attire and SPF wasn’t on the radar, managing lodges in Belize and Costa Rica, playing music with Jimmy Buffett, all while creating outstanding works of art that showcase his unique style and appreciation for fishing.

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Previous Page: Cuban Crocodile and Tarpon Bright.

most prestigious Bahamas bonefishing lodges.

Left: Bait Boys.

The Blackfly brand started as a fly shop in 2005 in St. Augustine, FL on Aviles St. (which happens to be the oldest plotted street in America). Shortly after, the Jacksonville location opened up. Cochran wanted to share his lifelong passion for fly fishing with others.

Top: Cochran assembling one of his new works, which is a story told over three separate canvases.

The current shop in Jacksonville carries everything a saltwater angler could need. One of its unique features is that it is attached to the Blackfly Cafe and Tap Room. The cafe’s menu is heavily influenced by Cochran's travels, showcasing some of his favorite meals from his fishing adventures. The cafe also boasts murals painted by Cochran himself. Along with the cafe, Cochran has another restaurant, Blackfly Restaurant, located in St. Augustine, FL. The restaurant is also adorned Cochran's original artwork, and The Angler’s Bar inside will make you think you just stepped off the skiff in the Bahamas.

TAIL FLY FISHI NG M AGA ZI NE 35

Cochran’s artwork showcases many mediums and demonstrates his ability to explore and master many different types of art. On the studio wall is a photo of him posing in front of a giant kiln that he built in the backyard. He would fish all day, jam out to music and return to create pottery. While never entirely moving away from pottery, Cochran gravitated toward painting over time.

Bio: Shawn Abernathy lives far away from the salt in Columbus, Ohio where he is a public school teacher. He also moonlights as the creative director for Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

He has fished all over the world from Iceland to Istanbul. When he is not working and spending time with his family you can find him chasing tailing carp and hopping on planes to chase fish.

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His paintings showcase an array of styles, from photorealism to pop art and even some hints of street art influence his new works. Some of his art doesn’t directly relate to fishing, but more the experience that comes along with angling. Perhaps my favorite series of paintings is his bright series, which focuses on pop art and bright, bold, flat colors. He creates beautiful abstract colorations of saltwater fish with a pop art style that is distinctly his own. His new work gives a nod to street art while still capturing the essence of fly fishing.

It is evident that Cochran is a man of many talents, both on and off the water.

In our time together, we talked about what fly fishing means to him. Sure, catching a permit is amazing, but it’s really about the total experience of fly fishing—being outside in nature, sharing experiences with good friends, then finishing off the day with a memorable meal and a drink. That is Blackfly and the culture that he has been embracing and building for decades.

TAIL FLY FIS HI NG M AGA ZI NE 37

JOIN TODAY. PROTECT TOMORROW.

BTT is a membership-based organization,

and our members are our lifeblood. Since our founding in 1998, we have grown to include concerned anglers from over 20 countries, researchers from throughout the world, and guides committed to working with BTT in order to educate anglers and gather data while on the water. The generous support of our members is critical to our mission: Conserve and restore bonefish, tarpon and permit fisheries and habitats through research, stewardship, education and advocacy.

We have celebrated many accomplishments, but there is still much more work to do.

Please help us in our mission by joining and urging your friends, guides, lodges, and fishing clubs to join. Please go to www.btt.org and click “Join BTT� to become a member today.

38 TAI L FLY F I SH I N G M AGA Z I NE

HOMER

RHODE

JR

by Ed Mitchell

TAIL FLY FISHI NG M AGA ZI NE 39

O

ne of the most intriguing figures in the early days of saltwater fly fishing was a 6-foot-5-inch giant who wandered the wilds of the Everglades—often at night and usually alone.

Introverted by nature, he lived a life deeply immersed in the natural world. He loved the creatures of the Glades and knew where they lived, how they conducted their lives, and even knew their Latin names. He could catch the fattest snook with a fly rod or the biggest rattlesnake with his hands. The backcountry was his home.

Using a houseboat as a base camp, he spent countless hours in the Ten Thousand Islands, navigating the endless maze of mangroves and shell mounds. Had you encountered him back there, it’s unlikely you could have engaged him in lengthy conversation. He was to-the-point and self-contained. Still, even in the briefest exchange, you might have sensed he was someone special. And if so, your instincts would have been dead-on. Because the person before you was one of those rare people, totally in touch with the planet, a man that had devoted himself to the sun, the moon, and the rain.

Homer S. Rhode Jr. was born on December 10, 1906, in Reading, Pennsylvania, where his father was a local physician. As a young boy, Homer had many interests. During his school days, he was a member of the Gun Club and the Camera Club, and he would be a firearms enthusiast and a photographer for the rest of his life. He was also a versatile athlete. Homer played on the football team and the school’s championship baseball team. Later in life, he would even try out as a pitcher for the New York Yankees. In addition to team sports, he was a purveyor of the sweet science, and good enough to win a Golden Gloves tournament. Yet his favorite pastime was the one he practiced with his father and brothers. Near their Berks County home, there were numerous fine trout streams such as Little Lehigh Creek, Maiden Creek, and Manatawny Creek. It was

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“The best fly I know for bonefish is the Rhode Shrimp fly which is made of three hackles wound around the shank of a No. 1/0 hook with three hackles going out on each side of the shank pointing backward from the bend, a sort of forked tail. This fly has a lot of action in the water and I like it best in natural (or dyed tan) plymouth rock hackles.

Homer Rhode, Miami Beach Rod and Reel Club, Hibiscus Island, Miami Beach, Florida designed the fly.”—Lee Wulff, in a 1949 letter to author J. Edson Leonard something Homer, his father, and brothers took full advantage of—for in the Rhode’s household fly fishing was a family affair.

Just after 1925, the family moved to Coral Gables, Florida. It must have been a disappointment for Homer to leave behind the trout streams of his youth. Now outside his window were Biscayne Bay and the Everglades. Somehow, Rhode correctly recognized these waters for what they offered—a brave new world of fly fishing—and he immediately began tying saltwater flies. While there is no record of what his earliest flies looked like, they must have been effective. By 1930, he had landed a bonefish and a permit on a fly, making him one of the first fly anglers in the world to take either species.

Homer married in 1940. He and his wife, Verta, got a place in Coral Gables and quickly had a son, Homer III, and a daughter, Veva. At this point, Homer had lived in Florida for over a decade, time enough to gain an understanding of fly fishing in salt water. In those same years, he had also acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of southern Florida’s wildlife.

Whether it lived in Biscayne Bay or the Everglades, he wanted to learn about it. And his fascination with the natural world was reflected in his home. In the yard, he kept raccoons, possums, and armadillos; in the garage, there were terrariums loaded with live snakes; and in the house, snake skins covered the walls.

As the 1940s ebbed, Rhode’s involvement in fly fishing increased. He taught a course in fly fishing at the University of Miami and had become a member of the famed Miami Beach Rod and Reel Club. The fledgling Wapsi Fly Company began

marketing some of his patterns. But most important, from his vise had emerged two flies that would significantly influence saltwater fly design: the Homer Rhode Jr. Tarpon Streamer and the Homer Rhode Jr. Tarpon Bucktail. Both flies appeared in Joseph Bates Jr.’s 1950 book, Streamer Fly Fishing in Fresh and Salt Water.

The Homer Rhode Jr. Tarpon Streamer is a simple fly, constructed with splayed hackle wings tied off the bend of the hook and hackle palmered around the hook shank.

Rhode described his design rationale in this way: “You will note that all of my neck hackle and saddle hackle flies are tied with very heavy collars. The divided (splayed) wing flies have the wings tied as far back on the shank of the hook as possible, and the collar is started at that point. This helps to keep the wing from wrapping around the shank of the hook and thus keeps the fly from turning or spinning, at the same time assuring a natural action. In more than twenty years of experimenting with salt water flies, I have found that these features cause fewer refusals, less mouthing of the tail and that I hook more and lose

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fewer fish. My flies are longer and larger than usual. The heavy collar is due to the fact that I fish very slowly, usually in very shallow water. The divided wing opens and closes like a pair of scissors, making the fly seem to breathe. The heavy collar vibrates when fished slowly, seeming to give the fly added life.”

Even a casual look reveals this fly to be the progenitor of a considerable number of conventional tarpon flies, ones still in wide use today. It is also the source of Chico Fernandez’s Seaducer.

The Homer Rhode Jr. Tarpon Bucktail is an uncomplicated fly as well. Made mostly of bucktail, it has a short tail off the bend of the hook and, tied in at the hook eye, a wing that slants back over the thread body.

Joe Brooks acknowledged that he took this basic fly design, fashioned it in several colors and popularized it as his well-known Blonde Series.

Curious and ready to experiment, Rhode continued to push at the boundaries of our sport. Beyond chucking feathers at bonefish, permit, tarpon, spotted seatrout, and snook, Rhode cast to mullet and snappers with trout-size fly gear. For snapper, he used scaled-down flies made of white or yellow polar bear hair and then attached one or two spinner blades up front. Working around mangroves and even over shallow reefs and wrecks, he refined his technique until he could take snapper successfully. His approach to mullet took a more radical venture into what one might call ultra-light saltwater fly fishing. Realizing that mullet were algaeeaters, Rhode understood his flies would have to be tiny. So he tied them on hooks down to size 16 in white, light green, yellow, and black and then attached them to leaders tapered down to 4X. His largest mullet was 5 ¾ pounds; it burned 150 yards into the backing while leaping like a demon. (It makes you wonder how many species we are overlooking even today.)

Although he was active on many fronts, a brand-new challenge caught his eye. The recently formed Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission had decided to organize its first band of conservation officers. Wasting no time, he enrolled.

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According to J. Edson Leonard’s book Flies (published in 1950), Rhode was using his streamers and bucktails to catch bonefish as well as tarpon. Here we’ve listed Rhode’s favorite color combinations and have supplied a representative fly for each. It’s our hope that you tie a few of these 70-plusyear-old patterns and take them along on your own tropical adventure.

"One night Homer and I left his houseboat in a tin boat to do some fishing. Guided only by stars and the ink-black silhouette of the shoreline, Homer steered his boat through the labyrinth of the Ten Thousand Islands. Eventually we arrived at a spot loaded with snook. The following morning, back at the houseboat, I suggested a return trip.

Homer paused and in a quiet voice said we couldn't. He did not know how to get there in the light of day.”—Lefty Kreh, in interview with Ed Mitchell And when the first graduating officers lined up for a class photograph, Homer Rhode Jr. was one of them.

Enforcing game laws in the Everglades was desperately needed, yet wandering in the backcountry without any real hope of backup was clearly a dangerous business. Back then, southern Florida was as lawless and untamed as any place on earth. Here, where the temperate zone meets the tropics, you had gators, crocs, snakes, sharks, and clouds of mosquitoes thick enough to choke a horse. Worse yet, hiding in the buttonwood hammocks were varmints of the two-legged kind. The Glades were infested with criminals. At any moment, you could be face-to-face with poachers, smugglers, moonshiners, or even murderers—none of whom wanted a lawman around. So it’s no real surprise that, while on duty, Rhode would find himself in a gun battle. A crack shot since a kid, he came out on top, yet in the process was forced to kill a man.

After that unfortunate incident, Rhode hung up his badge and spent the next three years fly fishing commercially for snook; it was legal at the time. Working the waters around Everglades City, Marco, and the Tamiami Trail, Rhode fished day and night, filling up a big wooden ice chest built into his car. He made two daily trips to the Miami market, selling his catch in at six cents a pound. That might not sound like much, but on a good day, he’d bring in half a ton. To do that with a fly rod speaks volumes about Homer’s skill, but his intimate knowledge of the natural world played a role, too. While driving the Trail at night, he would keep an eye peeled in his headlights for leopard frogs plastered to the pavement. Rhode realized that wherever the frogs showed up in number, the snook would be waiting in the water alongside the road. Stopping the car, he would jump out with his fly rod, all the while being careful: Rattlesnakes and cottonmouths were fond of the frogs, too.

Eventually, he took a job with Miami-Dade County. In an unfortunate accident, he was exposed to a powerful rodenticide.

It damaged his nervous system, weakening his arms and legs and forcing him to retire with a disability. On the upside, it allowed him more time on his houseboat near Chokoloskee.

Roughly 30 feet long, it was a rustic affair, with the only

creature comforts being piles of books.

Still, Homer loved this simple retreat, not only for the solace it offered but also for the freedom to spend unlimited hours exploring his favorite waters.

Homer Rhode Jr. passed away on July 7, 1976. The loop knot that bears his name is widely known, of course, yet the true extent of his contributions to our sport have remained largely hidden. To a degree, we can attribute that to Homer’s humble personality. Reluctant to be in the limelight, he deliberately kept himself out of it. Regardless, this much is clear: Homer Rhode Jr. was a pivotal player in the dawning days of our sport, and he richly deserves to be ranked as a pioneer and remembered as a man of many skills. He was a fly-rodder, naturalist, game warden, guide, amateur herpetologist, commercial fisherman—the list goes on and on. And because of this, it is clear that behind his quiet exterior there lived an exceptional mind. As the old proverb goes, “Still waters run deep.”

The author would like to thank several members of the Miami Rod and Reel Club: Captain Dan Kipnis, Suzan Baker, Jack Holeman, Steve Roadruck, and Cromwell A. Anderson. He is also indebted to Gail Morchower of the International Game Fish Association, the late Lefty Kreh, and sporting book dealer Dave Foley. Above all, he would like to express sincere thanks to Homer Rhode Jr.’s son, Homer Rhode III. Bio: Ed Mitchell is a writer, photographer, and lecturer with extensive fly fishing experience in fresh and salt water. He has written for all of the major fly fishing magazines and is the author of four books on the subject. Ed lives in Punta Gorda, Florida. His website is www.edmitchelloutdoors.com.

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A selection of Homer Rhode’s flies dressed in some of his favorite color combinations.

HOMER RHODE FLIES

White bucktail secured along the hook shank with red thread. White overwing tied in just behind the eye of the hook.

Wing of six white hackles tied in splayed at the bend of the hook.

Collar of three red hackles wound from the bend of the hook toward the eye.

Wing of white (inside), grizzly (middle), and yellow (outside) hackles tied in splayed at the bend of the hook.

Collar of three yellow hackles wound from the bend of the hook toward the eye. This color combination has been referred to in the literature as the Homer Rhode Shrimp fly.

Yellow bucktail secured along the hook shank. Collar of three yellow hackles wound from the bend of the hook toward the eye.

Lee Wulff’s favorite version for bonefish: Natural or dyed tan grizzly (Plymouth Rock) hackles for both the wing and the collar.

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According to J. Edson Leonard’s book Flies (published in 1950), Rhode was using his Bucktails and Streamers to catch bonefish as well as tarpon. Here we’ve listed the basic dressing for each pattern, along with some of his favorite color combinations depicted in the photos. It’s our hope that you tie a few of these retro flies and take them along on your next tropical adventure.

Homer Rhode Jr. Bucktail Hook: Size 1 or 1/0 for bonefish, to 3/0 for tarpon.

Tail: White bucktail secured along the shank with red thread.

Overwing: White bucktail, as long as the tail, tied in just behind the hook eye with red thread.

Homer Rhode Jr. Bucktail (Version 2) Hook: Size 1 or 1/0 for bonefish, to 3/0 for tarpon.

Wing: Yellow bucktail secured along the shank.

Collar: Three yellow hackles wound from the bend of the hook toward the eye.

Notes: Mr. Leonard’s book makes it clear that the tail and wings in the above two patterns were originally tied using polar bear (now endangered).

Homer Rhode Jr. Streamer Hook: Size 1 or 1/0 for bonefish, to 3/0 for tarpon.

Wing: Six saddle hackles tied divided (splayed) at the bend of the hook.

Collar: Three hackles wound from the bend of the hook toward the eye.

Notes: Rhode dressed this streamer in a variety of color combinations.

Wedding Day Permit SARAH HOLLY BRYANT

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Nobody Does It Better

888.512.8812

www.tflats.com

reservations@tflats.com

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mangroves, he casually added, " It’s not a far cast."

As all fishermen know, there can be a lot of downtime on the boat. It is hard to call it that when manatees are swimming past you like cars changing lanes, and there is all the potential in the Caribbean Sea. During these peaceful moments, which inevitably turn electric when your guide says something like, '11 o’clock, tailing permit," we talked about what everyone likes to talk about - moon phases, fly patterns and cake.

We planned to elope. Is a planned elopement an oxymoron?

Maybe so, but we agreed that we wanted to have secret vows made somewhere very…well, secret.

“Let’s get married in Belize!” Steve and I were going to spend a week fly fishing for permit and figured, why not throw in an evening rainforest elopement while we’re at it?

Our wedding was organized with a simple email exchange between the hotel manager and my now-husband. We wanted to know how much to add a wedding to our package, could the chef make us a wedding-ish cake and most importantly, would the wedding interfere with the fishing. The answers were $500. What kind? And absolutely not. That June, we arrived in Punta Gorda to say our vows and find the most elusive fish of them all.

On our first morning in southern Belize, we were woken up by the guttural chorus of howler monkeys. A gruesome sound, but surely a positive omen on what would be our wedding day.

The little goblins roared towards us, breathing heavily as they wished us good luck out at sea. The day would be a hot one, filled with great adventure and stifling humidity.

As all fishermen know, there can be a lot of downtime on the boat. It is hard to call it that when manatees are swimming past you like cars changing lanes, and there is all the potential in the Caribbean Sea. During these peaceful moments, which inevitably turn electric when your guide says something like, "11 o’clock, tailing permit," we talked about what everyone likes to talk about—moon phases, fly patterns and cake.

My expectations for our first day on the water were to have fun, stay hydrated and appreciate the beauty of Belize. Oh, and maybe even out my sunglasses tan for the wedding pictures. But that day in June wound up being extraordinary.

Alex our guide, in a loud whisper only guides seem to have mastered, hushed, "Black tail at 9 o’clock." Poling into the

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I offered the shot to my groom, which he too quickly accepted. Permit can make you greedy, even on your wedding day.

Steve made his way to the front of the panga, armed with a shrimp pattern that I tied. Cast, curse, cast, curse, tangle, balance, strip, strip, faster, faster, set! On the morning of our wedding, my now husband caught and tagged a permit as part of a conservation expedition in beautiful Belize and released it safely back to sea. What a day!

We returned sweaty and elated and ready to get married. The staff created an altar from palms and a bouquet from bird of paradise flowers. The pool boys were our witnesses, and the chef made us the most special wedding cake I’ve ever seen or tasted. We were married by a councilman who also owned and operated a great little café in town. Our vows were heard by all the howler monkeys in the rainforest and hopefully the wedding day permit too. And for both of us, we’d found the catch of a lifetime.

“Let’s get married in Belize!” Steve and I were going to spend a week fly fishing for permit and figured, why not throw in an evening rainforest elopement while we’re at it?

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gladesdeclaration.org

Tens of thousands have signed.

Add your name today and stand up for the future of Florida’s water.

Rick DePaiva ph

oto

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IPAs

There is no doubt that hops reign supreme in the craft beer world. Big, bold and bitter flavors give these beers a characteristic like no others.

These are some of our favorite IPAs that you should be able to find. They are worth a try next time you are at your local craft beer store.

Two Hearted IPA

RESIN

Brewery: Six Point Brewery Website: sixpoint. com Location: Brooklyn, NY Beer Type: American Imperial IPA Appearance: Dark golden haze Aroma: Strong piney hops with slight orange citrus Flavor: Dank hops and citrus ABV: 9.1% Final Thoughts: Loaded with hoppy goodness, this one is not for the faint of hop. A must try.

Brewery: Bell’s Brewery Website: bellsbeer.com Location: Kalamazoo, MI Beer Type: American IPA Appearance: Golden amber Aroma: Clean grapefruit citrus and pine with some malt Flavor: Wonderfully balanced citrus, pine and malt with a slight dryness ABV: 7% Final Thoughts: A classic IPA that has been around and will stay around with its superb flavor profile.

60 Minute IPA

Brewery: Dogfish Head Website: dogfish.com Location: Milton, DE Beer Type: American IPA Appearance: Clear straw with a solid foam head Aroma: Grapefruit and earthy Flavor: Clean and dry, great flavor but not overly bitter ABV: 6% Final Thoughts: A perfectly balanced IPA. Has an amazing flavor profile that is on the lighter side compared to most IPAs.

Stone IPA Brewery: Stone Brewery Website: stonebrewing. com Location: Escondido, CA Beer Type: American IPA Appearance: RIch golden color Aroma: Citrus and West Coast pine Flavor: Crisp and hoppy, with malts rounding out the flavor ABV: 6.9% Final Thoughts: An IPA that will stand the test of time with its classic west coast flavor profile.

Head Hunter Lagunitas IPA

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewery Website: lagunitas.com Location: Petaluma, CA Beer Type: America IPA Appearance: Rich medium amber Aroma: Great malt with a strong resin pine and hops Flavor: Bright citrus and hops with some sweet malt ABV: 6.2% Final Thoughts: A very smooth and easy drinking IPA that won't let you down.

Brewery: Fat Head’s Brewery Website: fatheadscleveland.com Location: Cleveland, OH Beer Type: American IPA Appearance: Clear light amber Aroma: Juicy grapefruit and pine Flavor: Clean pine hop with some juicy pineapple and citrus fruit ABV: 7.5% Final Thoughts: One of the best IPAs we have had. Perfect balance and loaded with some west coast pine and some east coast juicy fruit.

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ON THE PLATE

FOOL PROOF PRIME RIB

by Kelli Prescott

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Prime rib is my absolute favorite way to eat steak—it’s nothing more than a giant ribeye, cooked as a roast and sliced to enjoy. Beautiful deep red, juicy medium rare throughout, served with a creamy horseradish sauce, my recipe is the easiest, most delicious one out there and produces perfect results every time.

When buying your ribeye roast you’ll want to select a bone-in option and ask the butcher to cut it at least two bones. The more bones, the heavier the roast, and the more mouths you can feed. Allow for about 1lb of starting weight per person. For this recipe I used a 7.6lb, 3 bone ribeye roast and trimmed the bones for a tomahawk-style presentation.

When selecting your roast look for nice marbling throughout the meat and a nice even layer of fat on the outside of the roast.

PRIME RIB bone-in ribeye (at least 2 bones) 1lb unsalted butter 2 tbsp kosher salt 1 tsp cracked black pepper 1 cup parsley, finely chopped 1/2 cup rosemary, finely chopped

Set your ribeye roast on the counter for about 30 minutes or until it no longer feels cool to touch. Allowing red meat to come up to room temperature before cooking ensures even cooking and yields the most tender results every time. You’ll want to do this with any steak you cook—not just prime rib!

Season the ribeye roast directly with 1 tbsp salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500º.

In a medium bowl combine softened butter, remaining 1 tbsp salt, cracked pepper and herbs. Mix well to combine.

Apply herb butter mixture to the surface of the prime rib. This can be tricky so use a rubber spatula and start with big globs of butter, spreading outward.

Coat the surface the best you can so that none of the meat is showing through. Place your butter- covered prime rib in a foil-lined baking dish, bone-side down (bonus if you have a small wire rack to place the roast on).

You’ll want to cook the prime rib for five minutes per pound of meat, then turn the oven off and keep the door closed! Don’t open it—I’m serious! This is when the magic happens. The prime rib continues to rest in the closed oven for two hours before it is ready to eat. So set a timer for two hours after the cooking is done, and wait. (38 minutes cook time/ twp hr rest time for the roast pictured, 7.6 lbs)

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CHERRY BOMBS 16 oz bacon 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1/3 cup balsamic glaze toothpicks Soak toothpicks in water to keep them from burning. Cut bacon in half and wrap cherry tomatoes individually. Secure bacon with toothpicks. Continue wrapping tomatoes until you’re out of bacon.

Grill tomatoes over a hot charcoal fire until bacon gets crisp, turning frequently. Remove from grill and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Enjoy.

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Beet + Goat Cheese Salad 3 beets, whole water vinegar beet greens, sliced finely 1/3 cup mint leaves, picked 6 oz goat cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup candied pecans 1/3 cup apple cider vinaigrette for vinaigrette: 1 cup olive oil 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400ยบ . Line a deep baking dish with foil and place the whole beets in the bottom. Combine roughly equal parts of white vinegar and water and add to the baking dish until the beets are halfway covered. Seal your baking dish with a layer of foil on top. Let the beets roast in the oven for about 1.5 hours.

When finished, the beet skin should rub away and the beets should be tender. Finish rubbing away the skin on the beets and trim any ends. Cube cooked beets into bite-sized pieces. Refrigerate until cool. Combine all ingredients for vinaigrette. Whisk to combine. In a bowl, add cubed beets, mint, beet greens and vinaigrette. Toss it up, then top with goat cheese and pecans.

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THE PROCESS

by Sam Collett

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A

s a person who is relatively active on social media, I’ve become mind-numbingly acclimated to the perfectly manicured and tailored versions of all of the individuals I follow. Most of them engaged in outdoor pursuits of some kind. Even more of them are fly anglers. I like to consider myself a fairly self-aware human, and I often critically mull the hypocrisy of it all; this “system.” Behind that singular moment in time —captured and then displayed on a 6-inch screen and then hash-tagged into oblivion—the viewer doesn’t get the opportunity to see the process behind the visual. He or she just double taps and keeps scrolling. To me, this is the ultimate travesty. A very well-known conservationist and somewhat cynical outdoor advocate once said something along the lines of, “If you compromise the process, you’re an asshole when you start out and you’re an asshole when you get back.”

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A very well-known conservationist and somewhat cynical outdoor advocate once said something along the lines of, “If you compromise the process, you’re an asshole when you start out and you’re an asshole when you get back.”

The simple fact is that to some, the process does not matter. Certain individuals derive some sense of selfworth from the result alone, and that’s perfectly fine. This article is not for those people. Fly fishing is the ultimate study in “the process.” Learn the water, learn where the fish lives, learn what the fish eats, learn how to replicate what the fish eats, learn how to get the replication of what the fish eats in front of the fish without scaring the fish, learn how to entice the fish into eating the repli...you get it. That being said, the perfect version of fly-fishing often displayed across various forms of media is a compromise of the process, and it creates a disconnect.

All the viewer sees is the result. This leads to absurd notions regarding what

I am one of those individuals who could aptly be described as a “searcher.” I am a lifelong resident of southeast Louisiana, and I grew up spending just as much time on a 38-foot sloop with my parents as I did on solid ground.

is required to achieve the result, and consequently, what is required to achieve the sense of purported spiritual growth, environmental connection, or enlightenment desired by so many who relentlessly engage in outdoor pursuits. Tens of thousands of dollars spent on a trip across the globe to stay at a high-priced lodge where everything is prepared for you may get it done for some folks. To each his own. I’m inclined to disagree, but I wouldn’t know; I don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on such things. I’m not bashing this type of travel by any means, but I think the perception that these locations are the pinnacle of fly-fishing is out of touch with reality.

All the same, I am one of those individuals who could aptly be described as a “searcher.” I am a lifelong resident of southeast Louisiana, and I grew up spending just as much time on a 38’-foot sloop with my parents as I did on solid ground. I learned how to fish and hunt because it was a way to acquire good food. One of the byproducts of being raised in a place

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like this is that you’re effectively forced to appreciate the environment. You develop a respect for it at a very early age, because you witness its power often. There is more water here than dry land (the ratio is increasing every day), and the second you forget that, the water reminds you by flooding your house. So, being that I am a searcher, I’ve basically spent my entire life seeking spiritual enlightenment and self-discovery by immersing myself in the natural world around me. It makes me feel small, reminds me that I know nothing, and calms me down. I am also a very amateur photographer, and the natural world provides a hell of a canvas.

The funny thing about being a searcher

media, but what kind of normal person can really afford those trips anyway? Frankly, the only thing Instagram has taught me about fly fishing is that if you want to be cool you have to go to the Seychelles and catch a giant trevally. See: last sentence of paragraph 2. So, what does a self-described searcher who can’t afford to drop tens of thousands of dollars to travel to the far side of the world to chase fish do? Look for something more affordable but likewise equally engaging. Thankfully, south Louisiana is in close geographic proximity to innumerable flats fishing destinations in the Caribbean and central America.

is you never really find what you’re looking for, so you’re forced to constantly expand your horizons. Introspectively, in hindsight, fly-fishing, and its study of the process, really is a perfect fit for me.

where I could potentially catch one, and well before the idea of “plan” even really came to mind, I bought a plane ticket to Nassau. I then somehow convinced a good friend of mine to accompany me on that jaunt, and now, here I am. I spent hundreds of hours researching and preparing for that trip, and stressing out about the weather. Oh, the weather. The only piece of advice I have for you there is that the wind will blow.

Get over it. That first trip was a complete experiment and total immersion in “the process,” and I loved every second of it. We even caught some fish.

For years, fly-fishing did not exist (to me) beyond redfish and crab flies. Once the inevitable monotony set in, I began to look elsewhere. I grew up watching television shows depicting anglers I didn’t know catching fish with names I couldn’t pronounce in places I’d never heard of.

In my naivety, this was so unrealistic that the prospect of following in their footsteps never even crossed my mind.

Fast forward to now, and images of anglers in faraway places reach hundreds of thousands of eyes every day via social

Some years ago, I saw a video online of a bonefish running. At least I think I saw a video. The only thing I really remember about that video was the sound. I had never heard a drag make a sound like that before, and I was completely hell-bent on experiencing it. About two days after I figured out what a bonefish actually looked like, about 12 hours after I learned

The funny thing about being a searcher is you never really find what you’re looking for, so you’re forced to constantly expand your horizons.

Several years and several trips later, I’m still doing it the same way. I still spend countless hours online searching for affordable housing, and I’ve become well-versed as to which days of the week are best to purchase Caribbean airfare. As a precursor to the remainder of this article, I’d like to reiterate that the existential stream of consciousness doesn't apply to everyone. Some people simply have neither the time nor the desire to spend money setting themselves up for failure, and

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make no mistake, DIY fishing in unfamiliar water involves a significantly higher percentage of failures than fishing with a guide. Similarly, I highly encourage you to seek out local guides wherever you go, if you have the means to do so. As a Louisiana native, I have seen both the good and bad of an area becoming a world-renowned fly-fishing travel destination. One of the “goods” is that some of my friends have made successful careers out of fly guiding, and they can support their families by doing so. This is the same wherever you go. Further, hiring a guide will shorten your learning curve dramatically. No one knows the area you’re traveling to like—you know—the guys who live there and fish it every day. While DIY fishing is an economic stimulus in its own right, particularly in the

things not going your way. You will run out of gas. Your car will break down. The weather will not cooperate. The supply boat may not come that week, or the only store on the island may randomly close for three days, so you might have to spear fish for dinner (bring a cooler).

Some people don’t want to have to worry about this kind of stuff, and again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

For me, this self-reliance is exactly the catalyst for the type of self-discovery and “enlightenment” that I have always

Bahamas, I strongly advocate getting with a guide at least once, especially if you’ve never done this before. Lastly, if you are planning a trip to the Bahamas, make sure you’re up-to-date with the current state of Bahamian flats fishing regulations.

This holds true for any future readers as well, because lately it seems that the regulations change once a week.

looked for in both travel and in the outdoors.

For those of you who are unable to afford hiring guides, gluttons for punishment, or other searchers like myself, there is perhaps no greater homage to “the process” than a DIY fishing trip to an unfamiliar place. My writing and knowledge is Caribbean-centric for the reasons given above, but that sentiment applies regardless of target locale. There is a very Emerson-esque independence in planning one of these trips on your own, and the stoke derived from planning is almost equivalent to the stoke in actually making it happen. Your successes and failures are your own, and you have no one else to blame. There is risk involved, and you will have to adapt to

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The first step should be determining a target area. Different areas have different draws. To generalize, the variety of flats species you can effectively target in the Yucatan or Central America is probably more diverse than the variety you can target in the Bahamas. On the other hand, while it generally may not have a consistent permit or tarpon fishery, there are big bonefish in the Bahamas and lots of sand flats conducive to fishing barefoot. I’ve heard that Cuba may have a little bit of everything, but that’s all second hand. The bottom line is you first need to figure out what you are looking

for in a trip. Once that’s decided, you can narrow down your location.

I’m generally a proponent of the idea that the best time to fish is whenever you can go, but if you have flexibility, now it’s time to look at tide charts. Anybody who has spent any measurable amount of time in salt water anywhere will tell you that tide charts are rarely accurate.

While this is true, you can at least determine whether you’re likely to have a low or high during the day. Every area

is different, and I won’t get into whether bonefish prefer rising or falling tides. That being said, I typically try to plan my trips around a neap tide, starting with a low during the morning, that way I’m pretty much guaranteed to have a low during the day throughout the entire time I’m there. Wade fishing does not provide you with the flexibility or mobility of a boat, so timing the tide is imperative to successfully fishing an area. When buying flights to any destination that involves multiple airlines or puddle jumpers, make sure to give yourself adequate layover time, and make sure you carry on your fishing gear. Flights in the Caribbean and central America are delayed more often than they’re on time, because the

weather sucks. I’ve slept in airports and flown through tropical storms. I’ve spent an embarrassingly large amount of money on airport alcohol waiting out delays. Bags are lost more often than they’re found. You can do without extra clothes. You can’t do without your rods. Shit goes wrong; make the best of it. It’s part of the process.

When you’ve determined the where and the when, Google Earth becomes your best friend. Things as awesome as Google Earth are rarely free, so use it. I am very well aware of the magnitude of information available online regarding DIY flats fishing. While information is never bad, I would caution you to avoid putting too much stock into that which receives

substantial publicity on the internet. If you can find it, so can everyone else. Furthermore, you will find much more on Google Earth than you ever will on the internet. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people that have traveled to the same location. People are generally very willing to share info when it doesn’t involve blasting it all over the internet. To that end, respect the fishery. Preachy as it may be, you don’t have to location tag everything you put on social media. Some of the best flats and creeks I’ve ever fished didn’t have names, and required nearly destroying a rental car to access. I never would have discovered these areas without Google Earth. Speaking of rental cars, make sure your rental has a spare before you leave the lot. Trust me.

I’m not going to get into a detailed discussion of gear here, because everyone has their preferences and I would assume that most people reading this have already been saltwater fishing once or twice. If you’re so inclined, check out the “Do’s and

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I remember the first time I saw a real bonefish tailing event like it was yesterday. It was during a sunrise that was more colorful than a box of crayons, and there were literally hundreds of fish all around me doing headstands.

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Don’ts of DIY Flats Fishing" blog post on the Skinny Water Culture blog (online) for actual tips. I’ll offer that the gear for a DIY trip is the same as any other trip, except that you need to make sure you have a relatively comfortable pack (less is more) and a good water bottle. A handheld GPS is also worth its weight in gold, but not totally necessary. Lately, I’ve taken to traveling with an inflatable BOTE board. The cost of an extra checked bag is worth avoiding the hassle of traveling with kayaks in a beat up rental car, assuming you can find kayaks to begin with.

Outside of the anecdotal stuff above,

when all of it comes together and you finally get to where you’re going, enjoy it.

Explore. Immerse yourself in the (likely foreign) culture. Most of the places I’ve traveled to fish are relatively untouched by tourism, so the folks who live there aren’t turned off by tourists yet. Talk to people. I’ve discovered some incredible fishing areas just by drinking beers with Bahamian guys hanging out around boat docks. At some point, hopefully, you’ll catch some fish. At that point, relish in the fact that you got all the way to that moment largely on your own, and you’ll see what I mean when I say the result really doesn’t matter that much.

to think these things are totally out of reach. They’re not. All of the above can be done for less than $1,000 and a week’s worth of your time. You're not going to a lodge where a little elephant towel or green mint awaits you every day when you return from fishing, but you're not looking for that anyway.

You’re looking for real, and you’re looking to get there in the most self-reliant manner possible. I suppose you could load all your gear up on a log raft with a sheet for a sail, and sail from the mouth of the Mississippi all the way to the Yucatan. That’s pretty savage, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. The bottom line is that if you are like me in that you revel in the process and the result is merely a bonus, then traveling this way will enrich you in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

I remember the first time I saw a real bonefish tailing event like it was yesterday. It was during a sunrise that was more colorful than a box of crayons, and there were literally hundreds of

fish all around me doing headstands. As hard as it was, I left my rod in the kayak for an hour in favor of my camera. I have hundreds of photos of that morning on a hard drive, but when I look back at them, I don’t just see the bonefish tails. I see the countless hours that got me to those moments, and I see the process materialized.

Bio: Sam Collet is 28 years old, born and raised in the New Orleans area. He has hunted and fished in the Southern Lousiana Delta his entire life. He is an amature photographer, writer and travel junkie. He is an avid fan of topwater eats, tailing fish and sushi. Follow him on instgram @collettjsam where you can find lots of southeast Lousiana hunting, fishing and outdoor content.

The disconnect created by fly fishing as represented on social media causes people

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FACE FEAR AND IT DISAPPEARS.

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strungmag. g com g.

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ALIVE AND WELL:

THE

FLORIDA

KEYS

by Alex Woodsum Photos by Brandon Cyr and Kyle Schaefer

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I

t is the perfect late spring morning in the Keys—the type fly anglers dream about. Even in the pre-dawn darkness, the air is thick and sticks to our skin, and there isn’t a breath of wind for relief.

Mosquitoes dance their irritating dance around us as we pack our car.

I know it is going to be a great day in the backcountry, and the anticipation pushes my exhaustion to the back of my mind.

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My friend Kyle flew in the afternoon before for what would be his first tarpon trip and first trip to the Keys. I always tell people that while I’ve been fortunate to travel the world to fish, there is a reason the Keys are my favorite place on earth.

I knew Kyle could fish when I invited him down—he had spent years pursuing stripers in the northeast. Striper guys tend to have the casting distance and quickness needed to get the fly in front of a tarpon. But this is a different game. Trying to feed finicky migratory tarpon on the ocean is a special kind of challenge, but on these hot, slick calm days, the backcountry fish can be pretty cooperative if you can get a fly in front of them.

At dinner the night before, I warned what Kyle probably already knew: tarpon fishing can be tough, but if you’re going to target them, the Keys are the best place on earth to do it.

Our guide, Capt. Joe Rodriguez is the kind of guy who will tell you right away what you’re doing wrong, and what you should be doing instead. He has been guiding for nearly half his life and fishing for the rest and has the knowledge to show

Trying to feed finicky migratory tarpon on the ocean is a special kind of challenge, but on these hot, slick calm days, the backcountry fish can be pretty cooperative if you can get a fly in front of them.

for it. My tarpon fishing proficiency has exponentially increased in the few short years we’ve fished together.

We meet Joe in Islamorada and leave the dock at first light. The sunrise is almost too perfect, brilliant swaths of color radiating throughout the whole sky and slick water around us, the line between sea and sky imperceptible. Doubt creeps in—maybe we won’t find the fish. After a long run, we finally shut down. At first, the water is an undisrupted glassy mirror, but it doesn’t take long before we hear a familiar sound as tarpon start rolling everywhere, the early morning sun glinting off their silver backs. Kyle insists that I fish first, and after a brief protest, I strip line off the reel and step

At dinner the night before, I warned what Kyle probably already knew: tarpon fishing can be tough, but if you’re going to target them, the Keys are the best place on earth to do it.

onto the casting deck. It is painful watching tarpon roll just out of reach, but Joe poles deftly to put me in front of fish. I get a long shot at a fish that rolls in range, but it never sees the fly. Joe directs me to the other side of the boat and my next cast lands a few feet in front of a rolling fish on the move. We watch in strained silence as a subtle wake grows in intensity behind the fly. I hear, “He’s gonna eat it,” from Joe just before the line goes tight and the fish erupts in acrobatic leaps, backlit by the sun. After landing it, I’m beaming, and we all laugh. It isn’t usually quite that easy.

Fish are still rolling all around as Kyle steps up. There is nothing more exciting than tarpon fishing in the Keys, and I love introducing people to it because they inevitably revert to frenetic, childlike enthusiasm. I stand excitedly on the cooler seat. The shots are consistent, and after shaking his nerves and getting some advice from Joe after some missed eats and a few jumped fish, Kyle manages to hook one and leader it a few minutes later. It goes airborne again and throws the fly, and

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fishing. The weather is almost identical to the previous day, and I am cautiously optimistic as he shuts the boat down in our first spot and hops up on the platform.

Brandon is a fourth generation conch, an affable guy with youthful enthusiasm who I quickly realize is also both a talented guide and entirely obsessed with fishing.

Kyle grins from ear to ear as he steps off the platform. “You’re screwed,” I laugh. “It’s all downhill from here.”

The fish are still rolling, and I catch another before the wind starts to pick up a bit, and they stop rolling. We spend most of the remainder of the day running from storms and trying unsuccessfully to find more fish in the back. When the wind picks up more late in the day, we head to the ocean where the fish remind us how tarpon fishing often goes in the Keys. They keep their noses down and avoid our offerings, other than the occasional fish that feigns interest before swimming past.

After a successful first day, we continue down US 1 South towards the Lower Keys, past mangroves and turquoise water and pastel homes. Kyle marvels that there is some but not much apparent damage from Hurricane Irma. I explain that parts of the Keys had been hit hard, but people in the Keys had been through hurricanes before, they were resilient, and more than anything, they needed the tourists to come back.

Plus, the fishing was incredible, so people were crazy not to come down here.

The next two days would be spent fishing with Capt. Brandon Cyr out of Key West, a place I had only fished a handful of times. Another 4:45 AM wake up can't dampen our spirits after that great first day, and we meet Brandon at first light at Ocean’s Edge Marina. Brandon is a fourth generation conch, an affable guy with youthful enthusiasm who I quickly realize is also both a talented guide and entirely obsessed with

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We chat and laugh as we look for rolling and laid-up fish, a task made somewhat difficult by the early morning sun. In low light, you have to read their body language to gauge where fish end up—a fast roll means they are on the move, a slow roll followed by bubbles means they are staying put. There is a serious learning curve (and a degree of luck) to this game, and Brandon is a great teacher, giving helpful guidance and having, above all, a reasonable degree of patience. I love this type of fishing: talking through it, the guessing game after fish show themselves briefly, casting, the breathless moments as you strip the line, waiting to get tight to a fish and watch them explode out of the water. Between shots at fish, Brandon tells us that he had a swimming scholarship to Nova Southeastern out of high school. He was there for exactly one day before realizing he had made a mistake, returning to Key West to become a fishing guide.

As the sun gets higher, we can finally see a group of big laid up fish in a white hole.

We talk through the best approach as they are scattered a bit haphazardly, heads facing in all different directions. My first cast lands a little short and Brandon tells me to pick up and throw again. The next cast lands where I want it, and we watch as one fish’s interest is piqued. I hold my

breath, and Brandon murmurs as she turns towards the fly with a gentle kick of the tail, examines it, and surges forward, inhaling it and immediately jumping wildly as she feels the hook. Line flies everywhere and rips through my fingers as I try to clear it, remarking that it’s a giant fish. I lose her after a few more jumps, but the fun part is over anyways. We get plenty of shots, and both manage to get a few before taking an afternoon break to explore the funky town of Key West. That evening, tired but exhilarated, we head back out for the worm hatch.

The worm hatch is a special event in the Keys, as tarpon go into a frenzy over little red palolo worms as they emerge from the bottom and wriggle along on the surface, making for easy, protein-rich targets. The hatch is triggered by a combination of lunar phase, tide, and weather, so its timing can be somewhat predictable. Once it begins, it usually goes on for days. The worms often appear in the evening, and eager anglers wait for this special time when the oft picky tarpon will eat with reckless abandon. The sun is still high as we head out to where Brandon found tarpon on worms the evening before. I remark to Kyle that he must have some good fish karma built up for the stars to be aligning so well.

The next cast lands where I want it, and we watch as one fish’s interest is piqued. I hold my breath, and Brandon murmurs as she turns towards the fly with a gentle kick of the tail, examines it, and surges forward, inhaling it and immediately jumping wildly as she feels the hook.

Brandon poles us along a shallow flat along the edge of a narrow channel. We don’t see many worms in the water, but schools of smaller tarpon are cruising the flat with purpose, looking for them. A well-placed fly causes a fight between

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these small, eager fish, and Kyle quickly hooks and lands one.

I follow suit, and after releasing my fish, toss the worm fly in the water next to the boat to check that it is still swimming okay. As I pull the fly back out, a silvery body with a bluish tail charges after it. I remark with surprise that it looked like a bonefish. I glance up about sixty feet and see a whole school of what look like bonefish, apparently eating worms. I drop a fly in their midst, and one eats it off the surface as the fly lands. We are all perplexed, but the fish pulls significant line off the reel in two screaming runs, and a few minutes later, a small bonefish is boat-side with a worm fly tucked neatly in the corner of its mouth.

We head to another nearby spot in a channel where a number of boats are already lined up fishing. Not much seems to be happening, as most of the anglers are casting without real purpose and we can’t see any worms in the water. A few tarpon roll intermittently. The sun is getting lower, and Kyle decides

I glance up about sixty feet and see a whole school of what look like bonefish, apparently eating worms. I drop a fly in their midst, and one eats it off the surface as the fly lands.

to make a few last casts before we call it a night. To our great surprise, he quickly goes tight and hooks a nice fish. He fights it for 20 minutes as the sun gets lower and lower, leadering it several times and getting it right up to the boat before it finally wears through the shock and breaks off. We return to the dock, tired and happy.

After two days of great fishing, we keep our expectations pretty low, but the third day proves to be even better. We start the morning in the same spot as the day before. Fish are rolling again, though the wind is up a bit more this time, and I hook a giant tarpon close to the boat right off the bat. She jumps, and we are all taken aback by her size. She takes me way into my backing and drags us all over the flat and eventually into the channel, where boats targeting tarpon on bait are lined up. The captains all know Brandon and shout encouragement to me and tease him as we try to land the massive tarpon.

After a relatively long fight, I get the giant fish boat-side, and

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as Brandon reaches down to grab her mouth, she pulls away, wears through the shock tippet, and swims off into the depths. I am certain she is one of the biggest fish I’ve ever caught.

With the wind a bit stronger, the tarpon stay down more than the previous day, but Kyle still gets some good shots at laid up fish. After a while, we convince Brandon to let me pole him around for a bit, and he reluctantly accepts, making a few great casts and quickly convincing a fish to eat out of a nice cruising school.

As the sun gets higher, we decide to change gears and run to look for bonefish and permit. As we shut down and grab a bonefish rod, we spot a school of big

tarpon cruising across a sand flat and scramble to get the tarpon rod back out.

The tarpon start daisy chaining right off the edge of the flat, and Kyle makes a few casts into the school before a willing fish sticks its whole head out the water to smash his fly. The school and the hooked fish take off together across the flat.

After landing Kyle’s fish, we are torn, wanting to target other species but knowing there are still lots of tarpon around. We soon see bonefish scurrying by, and I get up and catch one as Kyle stands behind me, tarpon rod at the ready. We then focus on permit, and Kyle takes the bow while I back him up from the middle with a tarpon rod. He gets

a few permit shots and experiences the frustration of permit fishing before a lone tarpon cruises across the white sand. I strip line off my reel, we laugh as we frantically try to switch places, and I manage to feed the fish, landing it on a nearby flat in skinny water. We all get in to land, photograph and release the fish, and end up taking lunch while calf deep in the warm, crystal clear water, marveling at what an incredible couple of days it has been. “I love my job and wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Brandon remarks. “My dad always says, ‘Brandon, we might not ever be millionaires, but millionaires pay to escape their lives to come to the Keys and be a part of ours.’”

Bio: Alex Lovett-Woodsum lives in Coral Gables, Florida, where she runs a consulting business for outdoor-focused small businesses and nonprofits.

She has been the Consulting Editor for Tail since its print debut, and also helps run its social media and online marketing. She also works on numerous conservation causes including Now or Neverglades. When she’s not working, Alex spends most of her waking hours fly fishing her home waters around Biscayne and the Florida Keys, as well as hosting trips and traveling to fish as much as she can. You can reach her by email at alexwoodsum@gmail.com or on Instagram @alexwoodsum.

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The Guides Captain Joe Rodriguez grew up in Miami and now lives in the Lower Keys.

He has 21 years of experience guiding from Miami to Key West. He can be reached at (305) 494-0000.

Captain Brandon Cyr is a fourth generation conch who has spent as much time as possible on the water since he was a kid, and followed in his father’s footsteps as a fishing guide. He has been guiding for bonefish, tarpon and permit for the past seven years out of Key West, Florida. He can be reached at (305) 797-5076 or on Instagram @brandoncyrkw.

UPDATE

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FLY TYING: SARGASSUM

SHRIMP

by Fredrick Hannie

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most importantly, it is readily available and inexpensive. As you may have noticed, I am fond of mono as a tying material. So much so that in 2015 I published my first book, Fly Tying with Monofilament. It has a crab and shrimp pattern for the salt and a half dozen terrestrial patterns all tied with mono.

Translucency is another reason I chose mono for this tiny shrimp. Most shrimp species have some level of transparency in their appearance. To make this fly translucent orange was as simple as adding orange color from a permanent marker to clear mono. When it comes to markers, I use the Sketch markers by Copic for two reasons. They have over 385 colors, and they work with their airbrush system. With so many colors to choose from you can match just about any color you can find in nature. This species has evolved through natural selection to mimic the colors of the Sargassum seaweed mats they inhabit.

The colors of the mats vary from shades of orange, yellow, tan and olive. The colors I’ve listed below were my take on the species, but you may find some different shades or hues in the shrimp you find.

O

ften called the slender Sargassum shrimp (Latreutes fucorum), this tiny crustacean is on the menu for just about every fish that swims where it resides. The pattern below is a variation of my grass shrimp fly which is the basis for all my shrimp patterns. The techniques you learn from this pattern can be adapted to create almost any species of shrimp by merely adjusting size and or colors. This fly will be a durable addition to your fly box and may give you an edge on the flats when fish are skittish or finicky.

When faced with the challenge of creating a fly to mimic a small, light orange, translucent shrimp, my materials list became very small. Monofilament, a word we fishermen associate exclusively with nylon fishing line, is the main component used to tie this pattern.

There are very few if any fly tying materials that can match monofilament when it comes to strength. Even in small diameters monofilament has unparalleled tensile strength. Sure you can snap a one-foot piece of 2 lb test between two hands, but try snapping a one-inch section.

Strength is only one attribute of mono that makes it ideal for fly tying shrimp patterns. Being a translucent material helps to mimic many fish and shrimp species.

And as you will learn when tying this pattern, mono can be heat kinked with a warm needle to hold a rigid angle or an end can be melted to a round ball to form an eye. It can also be flattened to form a tail piece and still retain its strength. Monofilament also comes in numerous translucent shades and diameters from 4 millimeter thread to 150-lb plus big game line. And

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This shrimp is tied with the tail at the hook eye so that when stripped it appears to be fleeing. The one defensive move all shrimp have is the powerful tail flick which can propel them backward, hopefully out of the jaws of a hungry fish. But once they clear the sanctuary of the grass, they are incredibly vulnerable. When fishing this or any shrimp pattern, a varied retrieve will work in most cases, but when fishing grass lines or weed beds, try and mimic that violent tail kick followed by a long pause, allowing the fly to slow fall.

Now before we get into tying this pattern, I want you to notice that this fly is for the most part anatomically correct. It has features such as its horn and pinchers which will probably make little if any difference to its fish catching ability but do add to its overall appearance. You can tie this fly as shown here or pare it down to the bare essentials for speed and ease of tying.

MATERIALS

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Hook: Size #6 saltwater (any brand) hook shank should measure 25mm from eye to bend.

Thread: 4M UNI monofilament thread Monofilament: 50#, 16# & 6# test Copic Markers: Y21, E39, E49 Head Cement: Flex Seal and UV resin (Diamond Hard)

DIRECTIONS Step 1: With the hook in the vise, bend the shank of the hook downward at a 15-degree angle 10 mm from the hook eye.

This will allow your fly to be somewhat weedless and also help to accentuate the hump in the tail of the shrimp. Then tie on and wrap a level thread layer.

3

Step 2: The main body of the shrimp will be built up using segments of 50-pound monofilament. We will make the tail section with four pieces of mono that are tied to the underneath of the hook extending 5 mm beyond the hook eye and stopping just before the bend. The 5 mm extending beyond the hook eye should be flattened first with smooth jawed pliers. (If you don’t have these pliers you can flatten the pieces beforehand using your vise jaws.)

Step 3: The next step is about adding bulk and shape to the fly. To do this, we will need to add six 5 mm length pieces of 50# mono to the top of the hook at the bend we created for the tail section. Then add four 5mm pieces of 50-pound mono 1mm from the end of the six pieces. These four pieces will begin to form the thorax of the shrimp.

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Step 4: To the top of the four pieces added for the thorax add three 8 mm pieces of 50-pound mono with the 5 mm extending beyond the thorax being flattened to resemble the shrimp’s antennae guards.

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Step 5: The antennae are taken from the mono tying thread.

Simply make a loop of thread and wrap over it on top of the thorax and cut the loop so it has two equal free ends. At this stage, we want to introduce some color and start to bind the thread and mono together. First, add a small amount of color using Copic marker Y21 Buttercup yellow and then coat all exposed thread with Flex Seal.

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Step 6: The pair of eyes is made from 50-pound mono that has been heated with a flame to cause the ends to ball up.

The individual eyes are then tied into each side of the thorax at a slight upward angle.

Step 7: This step is optional as it involves adding the horn of the shrimp. I cannot say with all certainty that it will add or detract from the fly’s effectiveness, but I add it nonetheless.

The horn is made by once again flattening a piece of 50-pound mono and then trimming it to a point and tying it to the top of the thorax, allowing the point to pass between the two eyes of the shrimp.

Step 8: The walking legs of the shrimp are cut from the tying thread. Four equal length pieces are tied together under the thorax (use a length that is easy for you to handle. We will cut to final length later). Then pull them under the thorax and tie them down so that there are four pieces on the opposite side, then trim to length.

Step 9: Like the horn, the claws can be omitted, but I add them for the overall realism of the pattern. You can pare down the pattern to bare essentials to speed tie with varying degrees of diminishing returns, but that is for the tier to decide. The claws are made from two 25 mm pieces of 16-pound mono with 2 mm of the ends flattened then snipped with your scissors, so it appears there are two separate pinchers.

Step 10: The claws are tied in under the thorax, and more color is added this time to the tail pieces using Copic marker E39 Leather. Before coating with flex seal, we will add six pieces of 6-pound mono on each side to create a more subtle taper to the tail of the shrimp.

Step 11: The fly can now be whip finished. The colors are finalized with Copic marker E49 Dark Bark and then UV resin is applied as a protective finish.

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Instinct by design.

Days on the flats can be a wild ride of slow hunting punctuated by adrenaline pumping action unfolding at warp speed.

When the opportunity comes to intercept prehistoric poons, or to psychoanalyze neurotic permit, your instinct kicks in.

And that’s the moment you take your place on the bow and make the improbable possible.

Colorado, USA | 970-249-3180 | scottflyrod.com

We designed Meridian fly rods with a similar mindset. At the core of it all is the kind of fine tuned performance that comes with 45 years of innovation and experience. The result? Something akin to effortlessness, something intuitive.

Take a Meridian along on your next saltwater journey, and fire on instinct.

Photo by: Brian O'Keefe

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by Joseph Ballarini

WHY FISH FEED IN SKINNY WATER

Photo by: Daniel Friend

What would make a fish leave the safety of the deep channels to venture into four inches of water, exposing themselves to prey? The cinematic equivalent is the screaming future victim that runs upstairs instead of straight out of the house when being chased by an ax murderer. While we can’t explain movie logic, for fish the answer is quite apparent: food.

Flats species like permit, bonefish, tarpon, redfish, and even giant trevally do a significant percentage of their feeding on the flats, and there are a variety of reasons for this.

There are typically large concentrations of food on the flats.

Healthy saltwater flats contain corals, sponges, and grasses which provide habitat for a variety of crustaceans, worms, and small fish species. These prey species make their homes in areas where the water can get very skinny mainly because of the habitat, temperature, amount of sunlight, and availability of food for them.

The perpetually moving sargassum carries life in its intricate patchwork and deposits this life in estuaries and flats when the tide falls. Healthy flats can contain an abundance of sea life, and that abundance becomes quite concentrated when the winds and tides are working in concert. This constriction of the water column makes it more difficult for prey to escape since there is a smaller and more finite space for prey to utilize. For this reason, the energy exerted by the predator species to feed is usually an excellent investment.

In these circumstances, predators require less energy to cover more distance and can move linearly without being concerned about looking for food above or below them. Since there is so little water available for the prey species to hide, the task of finding food is considerably easier, and the result is a higher yield of calories when feeding in skinny waters.

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Photo by: Rob Kramarz

Flats species like permit, bonefish, tarpon, redfish, and even giant trevally do a significant percentage of their feeding on the flats, and there are a variety of reasons for this.

Just like the angler, predatory species have greater visibility on the flats. There is more light than in the deeper channels, and it is easier to spot motion. The predator can detect a fleeing prey species far easier in shallow water than it can in the deeper water, especially over a grassy bottom.

Another factor which is often not considered is scent. Particles in our drinking water are measured in PPM or parts per million, which tells us how much of something is in the water we drink. A congregation of shrimp or crabs will leave a scent trail that attracts predators. That is an oversimplification, but essentially how the food chain works.

By parts per million logic, this scent trail will be much stronger and much easier to locate if the water column is measured in inches rather than feet. Predatory species can hone in on a colony of shrimp on the low and pinpoint its exact location with much less effort.

Photo by: Brian O'Keefe

Despite being a relatively dangerous proposition, as there are at least 12 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the Florida Keys, osprey, hawks, merlins and other voracious hunters, predatory species will still venture onto the skinniest of flats.

Excluded are adult tarpon and giant trevally as they do not have any predators in the sky, the latter being known to eat birds. vBy hunting on the flats, predatory fish species can enjoy greater visibility, a higher concentration of scent, exert less energy, and exit with a higher caloric intake than feeding exclusively in deeper waters. And flats anglers can take advantage of this tendency to target them.

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AN ANGLER OPINES

BY ANONYMOUS

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L ast year the United States was battered by hurricanes, leaving death and destruction in their wake.

The fury of a powerful hurricane does not discriminate. It does not spare the young or the old; it simply runs its course until it loses strength and dissipates.

The Carolinas were just hit by hurricane Florence, who dumped over 40 inches of rain in less than two days. Many believe that hurricane frequency is a result of global warming and climate change, but actually it is not really an uncommon event.

Since 1851, the last 167 years, the United States has endured 293 hurricanes making landfall, and 91 of them were Category 3, 4, or 5. According to the United States Search and Rescue Task Force, on average, about seven hurricanes every four years (about 1.75 per year) strike the United States, while about three major hurricanes cross the US coast every five years. The five states hit the hardest by these tempests are Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, and South Carolina. This is no surprise when you account for the typical path of Atlantic-based storms and the usual targets.

While hurricanes making landfall are always synonymous with destruction and sadness, maybe some positivity can

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be gleaned from these events. I mentioned over 40 inches of rainfall in the Carolinas and massive tides pushing so much water into places where water usually is not. Contained within this massive movement of water is sand, organic debris, minerals, microorganisms, micronutrients, and other items not typically considered. This shift of substrate can contribute to the rejuvenation and regeneration of soil and existing flora and fauna.

What about the water itself?

The meteorologists frequently discuss the “storm surge,” which is the amount of water brought by the hurricane above the typical and expected tides. So where does that water come from? The storm and all of its might carries with it water from its origin and path. Given the history of water issues in Florida, many Florida natives like myself look forward to this part of the storm.

A hurricane has the ability not only to destroy homes and property, but it can fix some things, too. A slow-moving category 3 hurricane can virtually change the water of a habitat in a matter of hours. The four-foot storm surge, which is what we had in 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit the Keys and west coast of Florida, wasn’t enough to completely rejuvenate the waters, but it definitely helped. This might be why the 2018 season was one of the better seasons we’ve had in possibly a decade. If the politicians won’t fix the water issue, maybe these seasonal storms that transit through are nature’s way of keeping things in check.

I wonder if Mother Nature could send a storm through to fix the Everglades and take out the crooked politicians in Tallahassee who keep blocking efforts to get things right. Not wishing anyone dead, of course—just want them moved out of the way for a while. That's probably not going to happen anytime soon, but this Florida redneck has got to keep hoping for something.

Thank you for reading.

—Anonymous

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