the angling report - River Plate Anglers

“SERVING THE ANGLER WHO TRAVELS”
$5
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
THE ANGLING REPORT
DATELINE: BRAZIL
On-Site Report:
New Fly Fishing Program
Announced by River Plate
eration. That outfitter is Luis Brown of
River Plate Anglers, who operates peacock bass fishing trips in ten different
Amazon venues.
What makes this an important pronouncement for readers of this publica-
Angling Report editor Don Causey was
in Brazil last month checking out River
Plate’s new fly fishing operation in the
Amazon. It is something to behold, he
says!
H
ere at The Angling Report, I
have long espoused the idea
that operators the world over
differ in the way they offer their services, thus making some operators
better for some anglers than others. But
here’s a change in direction. For the
first time since I founded this newsletter in 1988, I believe I have found an
outfitter who is simply better prepared
to serve the serious fisherman than all
of his competitors in his area of op-
tion is the fact that Brown is launching
a major fly fishing program so ambitious that it promises to move the image of the Amazon beyond that of the
destination of choice for well-heeled
American bass anglers wedded to spin-
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C Lazy U Ranch:
An On-Site Report
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First Report on Kamchatka
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Australia, Maine, Florida,
New Zealand, and Alaska
September 2012 Vol. 25, No. 9
ning and baitcasting tackle. Mind you,
there is nothing wrong with American
bass anglers or with the surface lures
they like to use called woodchoppers
or rippers. Brown plans to continue to
cater to American bass anglers, albeit
separately from his fly anglers, and it
would not be surprising if some fly
anglers continue to pack some non-fly
equipment when visiting the Amazon,
for the simple reason that the ferocious
topwater strike of a large peacock bass
is one of the most thrilling experiences
in fishing.
Some background information will
help put these ideas in perspective. In
recent years, as evidenced by reports
in this publication, the Amazon region
has become an increasingly difficult
place to fish. First, the number of operators there has increased dramatically,
which has led to increasing reports of
overcrowded conditions, with anglers
from different outfitters fishing the
same water. Increasingly unpredictable
weather has made this problem worse
because weather affects water levels.
High water in a given tributary of the
Amazon allows that tributary to spill
over into the surrounding jungle, which
disperses peacock bass so thoroughly it
is futile to fish for them, whereas low
water restricts the number of rivers
operators can access. Both high and
low water conditions cause outfitters to
crowd the limited amount of available
water, ruining the sense of wilderness
and lowering success rates on big and
small fish alike. Worse still, there is
increasing evidence that peacock bass,
because of the pressure, are beginning to shun woodchoppers or rippers.
The use of lures and even jigs in the
Amazon is becoming more widespread.
Some anglers are resorting to trolling.
Again, there is nothing wrong with
THE ANGLING REPORT
trolling or using jigs and lures. Different strokes for different folks. But is
peacock bass fishing in increasingly
crowded rivers (where topwater strikes
are becoming less frequent) worth
spending upward of $5,000 a week, not
counting airfare and other expenses?
So, what has River Plate Anglers
done to mitigate these problems? For
starters, owner Luis Brown has invested heavily in agreements with Indians
that give him exclusive access to vast
areas of five different watersheds. Other operators are making noises about
moving in this direction, but to date
none has done so in a definitive way,
no matter what you hear. How vast
are River Plate’s exclusive areas? The
reserve I fished last month with River
Plate was roughly the size of Holland,
and it comprised hundreds of miles of
river. The number of miles of river is
important because water levels vary
dramatically depending where one is
on a river. A given river in the Amazon
can be too high lower down but just
right higher up or vice-versa. And that
is where Luis Brown’s unique barge
system comes into play. It has to be the
most unusual and elaborate outfitting
system on earth.
If you have shopped seriously
for an Amazon trip you have probably come across photographs of River
Plate’s barge system in operation.
The train-like system is comprised of
a shallow-draft tugboat that tows up
to seven floating cabins, four or five
of which provide double-occupancy
guests 270 square feet of comfortable
living space. A sixth cabin provides a
dining area. Still another cabin serves
as a floating kitchen. A typical “river
train” also has a generator boat, a
fuel boat, and a floating staff cabin in
tow. This entire floating city can be
transported many miles a day while
anglers are fishing or even at night
while guests are asleep in their cabins.
That, in fact, is what happened the first
night of my trip with River Plate last
month. It was an extraordinary experience, lying in bed and looking out at
the tugboat’s spotlight playing over the
heavily forested riverbank outside. The
next morning my wife and I awoke to a
majestic sunrise high up the Marmelos
River, where the water levels were perfect for fishing. With the train uncoupled and “parked” along a sandbar, we
had air conditioning and lights, not to
mention an in-room shower and flush
toilet. If anyone anywhere on earth has
devised a more ingenuous way to fish a
difficult area, I have not heard of it.
Remarkably, Luis Brown does
not have just one of these river trains.
He has six of them in all, five actively
operating at any given time and one in
reserve. If the water is too high on one
river, he can move to another. If the
water is too low in a section of river, he
can simply move down. In that regard,
Luis Brown has a variety of “locomotives” he can use depending on water
level. They range from a powerful,
Honor Roll Subscribers
„„ The Angling Report encourages
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September 2012
can find out more about our FREE
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Click on “FREE Fishing Program.”
If you have been on an interesting
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“Honor Roll subscribers.”
-2-
THE ANGLING REPORT
EDITOR
Don Causey
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Edi Bell-Suffoletto
MARKETING DIRECTOR
John N. Stewart
INFO. SYSTEMS MANAGER
Nicholas Titus
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Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
wooden riverboat down to a shallowdraft, tunnel-hulled johnboat powered
by a 70-horsepower diesel engine. The
latter can go almost anywhere the water is flowing. It allows him to fish an
enormously diverse selection of water
up and down the many rivers to which
he has exclusive access. The upshot
is, River Plate appears to me to be the
default operator in the Amazon. I say
that and quickly assert that these pages
are open to any operator who wants to
challenge that view. Write doncausey
@anglingreport.com.
The quality of Luis Brown’s operation aside, is the Amazon region a
viable fly fishing destination? Actually, that is a question that has already
been answered because there is a lodge
in the Amazon (Agua Boa Amazon
Lodge; www.aguaboaamazonlodge
.com) that has generated a steady flow
of positive subscriber reports in recent
years. It is still doing so, despite the
fact that visiting anglers these days
are making longer and longer daily
trips from the lodge to find good fishing. That’s inevitable, of course, with
a fixed lodge on a river with nonmigratory fish. Still, the lodge deserves
consideration when thinking about a
fly fishing trip to the Amazon. That’s
doubly true for those who have not fly
fished in a variety of places and conditions around the world and would profit from the support of an experienced
fly fishing staff.
The argument for River Plate revolves around all of the points made
earlier. Mobility is particularly important because optimal fly fishing
conditions are hard to come by in the
Amazon. Optimal sight fishing conditions are even more difficult to find.
Such conditions at any given time occur only on certain stretches of water,
usually well upstream, which is where
Luis Brown says he intends to create
“fly fishing sanctuaries” where the
use of rippers and other kinds of lures
will be prohibited. The key is to find
stretches of river where the water is
clear and where large sandbars have
begun to emerge. The bigger the sandbars, the better. These conditions were
September 2012
beginning to emerge during my trip
last month.
Luis Brown’s plans to cater to fly
fishermen are in their infancy at this
point. That quickly became apparent on
my trip when my guide all but refused
to devote time to sight fishing around
some of the emerging sandbars. In his
view, that was a waste of precious time.
“Too hard,” he said, nodding instead
toward a lagoon that led away from the
river into the jungle and toward downed
trees along the main stem of the river.
Indeed, the fish there were easier to
catch. In a matter of hours on the second day, I caught more than 40 fish on
the fly, with a couple of those edging
toward double digits. My wife, using
lures, caught roughly the same number.
Any fly angler with moderate
skills could have caught just as many
fish as I did or more. Indeed, the verdict is in: fly tackle works brilliantly
on peacock bass. Catching them on the
fly is thrilling, too, sight fished or not.
And don’t listen to those who say large
fish won’t take flies. On my only other
fly fishing trip to the Amazon, I caught
a 20-plus-pound fish on the fly. I rank
that experience up there with the best I
have ever had with a fly rod anywhere
in the world.
But back to my guide’s opposition
to fishing the sandbars. It soon became
apparent that his resistance was not
rooted in his lack of knowledge about
or acceptance of fly fishing. He could,
in fact, cast a fly himself, and he understood the need to position the boat
differently for a fly fisherman. What
he had no understanding of was the
appeal of sight fishing as opposed to
-3-
blind casting in deeper and more fishrich water. If it was harder to get close
to fish around the sandbars (and it was
harder, much harder!) why go there?
Ultimately, it took the intervention
of the camp manager to persuade my
guide to spend time around the sandbars. But, little by little, he caught on
to the excitement of stalking and casting to sighted fish. By the end of my
trip, I was having trouble getting him
to spend time on more traditional spots
so my wife would have more action
with her traditional tackle. “It’s like
hunting,” he said approvingly at one
point. “You need patience.”
I am the first to admit that my
guide and I did not crack the code on
sight fishing for peacock bass around
sandbars. We needed a way to stop
the boat more quietly when fish were
sighted, and, frankly, I needed to be
able to cast farther. I also needed to
have a fast-sinking line, not to get
my fly down deep, but to get it down
quickly to fish stationed along the
sloped side of underwater sandbars. A
properly equipped, super-long caster
could possibly have enjoyed some
world-class sight fishing around some
of the sandbars I fished last month.
Fish in the high teens were everywhere
on one sandbar we visited. As more is
learned about this fishing, I am confident that a lot of rave reviews are going
to start flowing about sight fishing for
peacock bass in the Amazon.
What is it like? Picture this: tanninstained water about three feet deep,
sliding over undulating waves of white
sand. In between the waves are dark
pockets of water, greenish-blue, with
dark shapes moving about the depths.
Momentarily, an enormous peacock
bass emerges along the far edge and
moves away downstream, passing in
plain sight across an open field of white
sand. The beauty of the setting, the
excitement of seeing and casting to big
fish is overwhelming and addictive.
In all, during my trip last month,
I caught many hundreds of peacock
bass on the fly. I enjoyed good food,
comfortable accommodations, and
absolutely glorious scenery. At one
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
point, my guide took my wife and me
all the way up to the headwaters of the
Marmelos River where it spilled over
and around huge boulders. The water
was as clear as a Rocky Mountain
trout stream. Dropped there blindfolded and protected against the searing
heat I would, in fact, have guessed that
I was in the Rocky Mountains until a
red, green, and yellow and insanely
aggressive fish chased my fly around
a rock.
My positive reaction to the experience River Plate provided does not
mean things did not go wrong on our
trip last month. For starters, our departure from Manaus was delayed a full
day by a last-minute dispute with one
of the chiefs who controls the area we
were to fish. Apparently, the chief simply tore up the contract and demanded
more money. It’s not clear how Luis
Brown solved that problem, but he did
solve it, clearing the way for us to go
to the Marmelos River. However, by
the time the dispute was solved, the
river train operating on that river was
too far downstream to provide good
fishing the first day. In essence, we lost
a good part of two days of fishing, and
we would have lost more if Brown had
not ordered our river train to be moved
upstream the first night while we were
all sleeping. Ultimately, all of us on the
trip had good fishing. The total take
was an amazing 1,125 fish on both fly
and conventional gear. Several fish in
the high teens were taken.
The ability to solve problems by
throwing money and resources at them
is the key to Luis Brown’s increasing
dominance of the peacock bass fishing business in the Amazon. A small
example of the attention he pays to
detail is in the condition of the generator boat used on our trip. Not only was
the operating generator spotless and
in almost-new condition, but it was
backed up by another generator that
appeared to be brand-new. In my experience, only oil companies and other
enterprises awash in cash have these
kinds of redundant systems in place. I
say that having knocked around a lot of
remote corners of the world for nearly
September 2012
30 years. The quality and depth of the
River Plate operation in the Amazon is
simply amazing.
Luis Brown’s financial strength
and readiness to confront problems
and limitations with herculean effort and large financial expenditure
inevitably made him a target of other
operators who accuse him of all sorts
of misbehavior. These pages are open
to air valid complaints about River
Plate, of course, and we wish other
operators well. The Amazon is a huge
fishery and there is room for quite a
few companies to operate there. However, barring evidence to the contrary
or new moves on the part of other
outfitters, I think River Plate stands
head and shoulders above anyone operating in the Amazon. There may be
boutique opportunities in the Amazon
many years in Alaska. He is working
closely with Brown on the creation of a
wide-ranging fly fishing program in the
Amazon and can answer any fly-related
questions. He will candidly tell you
this fly program is in its infancy but
very promising.
DATELINE: COLORADO
FREE Fishing Report
C Lazy U Ranch:
An On-Site Report
Don Causey Note: Here we go again
with another FREE fishing report. This
one is about a ranch in Colorado that
offers fishing and also goes out of its
way to cater to families. Subscriber
Deed Whitney filed the report. See the
box on page 6 in this issue for more
about our FREE fishing program and
how you can get in on the fun.
T
that I am not aware of and there are
certainly easier, quicker, more elegant,
and probably safer ways to enjoy the
Amazon than hailing a float plane in
Manaus that has to land on (and then
later take off from!) a remote jungle
river flanked by high trees. But for
exceptional fishing and that ineffable
feeling of being back of beyond, no
one in the Amazon is offering serious
competition to Luis Brown of River
Plate Anglers. If you go on one of his
new fly fishing trips, be sure you file a
report.—Don Causey, editor.
Postscript: My trip to the Marmelos
River was handled by J. W. Smith of
Rod and Gun Resources (800-2114753; www.rodgunresources.com/pea
cockbassfishing). Relatively unknown
today among fly anglers, Smith owned
and operated a fly fishing lodge for
-4-
his past July 8 my wife, my
eight-year-old son, and I set off
for a weeklong vacation at the
C Lazy U Guest Ranch just outside
of Granby, Colorado. The 8,000-acre
C Lazy U has been hosting guests
since 1919, making it one of the oldest
operating guest ranches in the United
States. My job as the recipient of three
nights’ lodging there through the Angling Report’s FREE fishing program
was to evaluate the fishing options
available at the ranch while my wife
and son were enjoying everything else
that the ranch had to offer. The latter
turned out to be quite a task, by the
way, because of the enormous variety
of activities available. The typical stay
at the ranch is seven days (Sunday to
Sunday), so we chose to add four days
to the trip at our own expense, which
allowed us to fully appreciate the C
Lazy U “experience.”
Travel to the ranch is relatively
easy. The closest commercial airport
is Denver International, approximately
two hours by car. A private shuttle
company can transport you from the
airport to the ranch, but the cost is
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
very nearly the same as renting a car
for the week, which is the option that
we chose. The drive from Denver to
Granby is quite scenic, with the highlight being the road over 11,307-foot
Berthoud Pass and down through the
resort town of Winter Park. Upon pulling through the gates of the ranch, we
were greeted by a spectacular vista of
green hay meadows, a winding stream,
and spectacular views of the Continental Divide in the distance. We definitely
had arrived.
After we checked in, we received
a brief orientation about the activities
and scheduling at the ranch. Since I
was participating in the fishing program, my first order of business was
to go fishing, so I took this time to
inquire about the options available
and also to see if they had any specific
agenda planned for me. I was a little
surprised when I was told that since
I would be there all week, I should
show up at the stables in the morning to go riding. Because riding is the
primary activity at the ranch, it was
important that we all were present for
the program overview. We would also
be receiving our horse assignments
for the week at that time. My fishing
plans would be worked out later, I was
told. I didn’t want to rock the boat, so
I thanked them and we headed off to
find our cabin with the assistance of
one of the many ranch hands (the staffto-guest ratio at the C Lazy U is nearly
one-to-one!).
After spending the first morning on a nice three-hour trail ride, I
decided to head back to the office to
try to get the fishing program figured
out. I reiterated that I was the fellow
who would be writing an article for the
Angling Report, and I was curious as to
what type of fishing they had set up for
me. Again, I was surprised to find out
that not only was nothing specifically
set up for me, but the concierge could
not tell me very much about the fishing
options other than that they had two
miles of Willow Creek that ran through
the property, a stocked pond, and a
shared lease on a private section of the
Colorado River. When I asked if there
September 2012
was anyone to whom I could speak in
more depth about these options, I was
told that the man who handles most
of the fishing inquiries would not be
in until Wednesday (it was Monday).
They did, however, offer to radio the
head ranch hand, who also serves as a
fishing guide, and have him come to
the office to speak with me.
When a man by the name of Parker arrived, it did not take long for me
to ascertain that I had finally found the
right guy. He gave me an idea of some
of the better spots to fish on Willow
Creek and told me what flies would be
productive. He also told me that the
Colorado River was fishing quite well
and offered to set up a couple different times when he could take me over
there to fish. I scheduled two separate
half days later in the week to fish the
Colorado with him and told him that
until then I would explore Willow
Creek, as well as the on-site pond, on
my own.
Willow Creek is a small freestone
stream that originates in the mountains
above the ranch, runs approximately
two miles through the C Lazy U, and
empties into Willow Creek Reservoir
at the downstream border. The average
width is approximately 25 feet, and it
contains a good variety of runs, riffles,
cutbanks, and pocket water. Water levels are dependent on the previous winter’s snowpack, and while I was there,
they were extremely manageable—
rarely getting above knee level except
in the deeper holes. Due to the meager
amounts of snow in this area last winter, I would imagine that by August the
water would be extremely skinny.
-5-
Willow Creek supports a decent population of wild rainbows and
browns, with a few brookies and cutbows present to provide the opportunity
for a Rocky Mountain Grand Slam. The
biomass is limited in this high-altitude
creek, and thus the average size of
the native fish is in the 10- to 12-inch
range. The ranch, however, has supplemented the native population with
some bruiser rainbows in the three- to
six-pound class, so the chance to hook
a truly large fish is ever present.
I truly enjoyed fishing Willow
Creek. It is easy to wade and easy to
read. Though long casts really are not
necessary, there’s ample clearance for
backcasting along its banks, should
you want to let one loose. Small flies
and super light tippet are not needed
here. Nine-foot leaders tapered to 5x
with a size 12 to 14 attractor dry fly
on the end will get the job done all day
long. I found that my 3 wt. was the
perfect rod for this water, adding a level of sport to fighting the average fish
and providing a significant challenge
when hooking some of the larger ones
that are present. Willow Creek’s proximity to the cabins made it the perfect
choice for filling a couple of hours in
the afternoon between riding and dinner or just getting off by yourself after
breakfast in the morning.
I fished Willow Creek four separate times during the week in stretches
of time varying from 90 minutes to
two-and-half hours. On each of my
outings I had steady action catching
wild fish up to 16 inches long, and on a
couple of occasions, I managed to land
planted fish that measured north of 20
inches. Definitely good fun.
The other water that I fished
while at the C Lazy U was the Colorado River. The ranch has access to a
lengthy stretch on private land located
a short ten-minute drive away. For a
reasonable access fee of $50, the ranch
will have one of their guides take you
out there for half a day. This section of
the Colorado is located relatively near
its headwaters, and thus would still be
considered smallish in size—not more
than 40 feet across in most places. It
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
has a strong biomass with a variety of
hatches throughout the day. Pale morning duns, little yellow stoneflies, and
caddis came off while I was present.
A classic Western stream with
a good variety of holding water, the
Colorado is populated exclusively
with wild trout and provides quite a
bit more challenge than Willow Creek.
The river holds significantly more
water, with some very deep stretches
and holes. The currents are also much
more complex, and good casting and
mending skills are required to achieve
a drag-free drift through many of the
fishiest-looking spots. The Colorado
has a good population of native brown
trout, but the larger, scarcer rainbows
are the real stars here. I caught three or
four 12-inch browns to every rainbow,
but the rainbows I caught were all in
the 16- to 18-inch class, brightly colored, and pulled like freight trains.
Both times that I fished the Colorado I was guided by Parker, the head
ranch hand at C Lazy U. Parker is an
extremely passionate guide and angler
who has an intimate knowledge of the
waters we fished. He is also personable,
patient, and a pleasure to spend time
with. Though I had my own equipment,
Parker carried several extra rods set
…… Want to Go Fishing FREE?
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„„ The Angling Report has always
valued feedback from its subscribers.
And the reasons are clear. For one
thing, Angling Report subscribers are
some of the world’s most experienced
fishermen. Hence their judgments
about fishing destinations are broadbased and sound. And our subscribers’ insights are refreshingly candid.
That’s because they are written from a
point of view that no other publication
embodies—namely, the paying client
point of view. You can see that point of
view in the report this month by Deed
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Lazy U Guest Ranch in Colorado.
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-6-
up with a variety of flies to minimize
downtime when a change in strategy
was necessary. He had me focus on
several spots that I would have walked
right past were I on my own, and most
of the time I was rewarded with a nice
fish. His excitement was genuine when
I hooked up, and when I missed, there
was not a hint of frustration. I would
fish with him again anytime.
As for the ranch’s half-acre trout
pond, it is centrally located on the
property. It’s stocked with large rainbow trout and surrounded mostly by
manicured lawn. With multiple paddleboats on hand, the pond is the perfect
place to fish with the kids or for a
beginner to try his hand at fly fishing.
Spinning rods and bait, as well as fly
rods, were always present for use by
any guest who wished to participate.
My eight-year-old son, who had not
previously shown much interest in fishing, spent quite a bit of time fishing
in the pond, his enthusiasm stoked, no
doubt, by the massive six-pound fish he
caught there on our second day. An experienced angler would not find much
challenge here, but then again I don’t
know many people, regardless of experience, who don’t like hooking and
fighting big fish. I know I spent a few
stray hours out there over the course of
the week.
I found out later in the week that
the ranch also has a lease on the nearby
Fraser River, but for some reason that
option was never offered to me. They
can also arrange for guests to fish with
an outside outfitter who has access to
other stretches of private water in the
vicinity, but normal guide fees (approximately $400 per day) apply.
The C Lazy U is an Orvis-endorsed
lodge and has nice, new Orvis equipment available (rods, reels, waders,
etc.) for the use of guests. One place
they come up quite short is the amount
of terminal tackle that is available for
purchase. They had a very small and
somewhat random selection of flies
and that was pretty much it. There were
no leaders, tippet, floatant, or other
items that I would consider to be the
bare minimum that an angler would
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
need on a day-to-day basis. There is a
tackle shop in town with a limited supply, but without a rental car, it would
be difficult to make that trip. I found it
very surprising that an Orvis-endorsed
lodge would not have a more thorough
selection and I strongly suggest that
you make sure to bring all of your own
terminal tackle with you if you expect
to do any amount of fishing on your
own there.
What about activities for nonanglers? Without question, the centerpiece activity at the C Lazy U is
horseback riding. The ranch keeps a
herd of more than 200 horses and each
guest is matched with a horse to suit his
or her experience level, and unless you
specifically request a change, the horse
is yours for the week. There are morning and afternoon rides daily. Guests
are welcome to partake in as much or
as little riding as they like. Your horse
is always there ready for you should
you want to participate. Other activities
at the ranch include shooting, tennis,
archery, ropes course, and basketball.
They have a wonderful pool and hot tub.
The spa is considered one of the finest
in Colorado. The bottom line is that if
you can’t find something to do at the
C Lazy U, it really is your own problem.
The C Lazy U is also known for
its children’s program. Each day after
breakfast the children meet with their
appointed groups (divided by age) at
the stables for their morning ride. They
stay with their groups through lunch
and then meet up in the early afternoon
for a shorter afternoon ride. The time
in between is spent swimming, fishing,
and playing supervised games. The
children eat dinner with their groups,
as well, followed by such varied evening activities as capture the flag, talent
show, carnival games, and hay rides.
The children are overseen by a large
group of enthusiastic counselors who
clearly enjoy what they do. At first I
was a little concerned about how our
son would take to spending so much
of his vacation away from his mother
and me, taking part in activities with
a group of kids that he just met, but it
took about one hour for that concern to
disappear. My son had the time of his
life running around the ranch with his
new crew, and it did not take long for us
to discover how relaxing a vacation can
be when you know your child is happy
and safe doing his or her own thing.
This is a very high-end resort and
there is little criticism that I can provide about the C Lazy U operation.
The accommodations, food, and service are all first class. I can enthusiastically recommend it as a destination for
a family looking for a classic, Western
guest ranch experience. Though I
found the fishing to be a lot of fun and
indeed quite satisfying, I would have to
say that it is more of a secondary offering at this point as far as activities go.
If you are looking to spend eight hours
a day on the river, there are certainly
many ranches that have a much greater
focus on fishing and can provide more
and varied options included in their
price. But if you are looking for a
place that the entire family will enjoy
from start to finish and you are willing to treat fishing as just one of many
recreational options available, then I
would wholeheartedly recommend the
C Lazy U Ranch. Our stay there was
quite possibly the best family vacation
we have ever taken. I have a feeling
that the C Lazy U will be a part of
our summer plans for many years to
come.—Deed Whitney.
Postscript: More information on
C Lazy U can be found on the ranch’s
Web site, www.clazyu.com. As regards
Deed Whitney’s comments on the current fishing program there, this is
what the ranch had to say about it
near press time: “Thanks, Deed, for
your kind review of C Lazy U. Indeed,
our fishing program is still relatively
young, as is our Orvis endorsement,
so we appreciate your feedback. We
plan to implement some changes accordingly. These include increasing
our tackle supplies and ensuring the
team in the Outfitter’s Cabin presents
the robust fishing opportunities more
completely upon guests’ arrival. We are
always looking to expand and improve
our offerings and look forward to sharing these enhancements with you on
your next visit!”
Briefly Noted
Things to Do . . . Places to Go . . . New Developments
„„ We have received our first report
on a trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula
of Russia this year, and, boy, is it full
of surprises! Kamchatka is back in the
headlines this season, you’ll recall, because of the resumption of direct air service there from Alaska. The service puts
September 2012
what many say is the last great frontier
of cold-water fly fishing within several
hours of an American gateway city.
The report we received is from subscriber Jared Hermann, who was one
of a group of eight Florida anglers who
booked a trip to Kamchatka last month
-7-
with an outfitter completely new to us,
Larry Bryant. We’ve done some checking on him and have determined that he
is (or was) a hunting outfitter in Alaska
and Kyrgyzstan, as well as a fishing
outfitter on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
There is a lot of chatter on the Internet
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
about him failing to provide services as
promised. For sure, that is what he did
to Jared Hermann and his group. We’ll
let him tell you what happened.
“I have just returned to the United
States from a trip to Kamchatka,” Hermann says in an e-mail dated August
10, 2012. “I am still in Seattle waiting
for a flight tonight back to Florida. “I
don’t think any words can accurately
describe the trip we had after we rebooked our trip with the Fly Shop in
Redding, California (www.theflyshop
.com). Let me explain how our rebooking came about.
“A group of eight of us from Bradenton, Florida, was set to go to Kamchatka with Larry Bryant, as one of
the guys in our group had done some
hunts with him in the past. I did some
research online and really didn’t have
a good feeling about going with him,
but I was comforted by knowing that
one of our party knew him personally. The deal was, we all had to give
him $1,500 to reserve our trip, and
then, once we arrived, pay him $2,000
in crisp, clean $100 bills. To all our
dismay, two days before our departure date, we received an e-mail from
Larry saying that his plane had broken
down and he had to make special arrangements with a Russian outfitter to
take us to a different river, the Vakhill, which was only 20 minutes from
Petropavlovsk. I did some research
and determined that the Vakhill River
doesn’t even have rainbow trout in it.
I immediately wrote Larry and, to this
day, have never received a response.
At that point, I called Pat Pendergast at
the Fly Shop and he proceeded to turn
a horrible experience into a five-star
experience. I can’t say enough good
things about the Fly Shop and what a
great organization it is. From today onward, I am going to book all my trips
with the Fly Shop.”
Space limitations this month prevent us from doing anything more than
summarizing the trip report Hermann
sent us on the trip the Fly Shop arranged for him and his group. Suffice it
to say, all members of his group caught
large numbers of fish, many of them
September 2012
in the high 20s and a few that cracked
30 inches. Hermann is pleased with
the food and lodging and was personally touched by the relationships he
developed with some of the camp staff.
“This was the greatest trip of my life,”
Hermann says at the end of his detailed
report. “Catching eight rainbows in excess of 26 inches in a week is unheard
of. Overall, I caught approximately
150 to 200 rainbows in six days of fishing. In one day alone, I landed a 30.5
incher, a 29 incher, a 27.5 incher, and
a 26 incher, along with more than a
dozen between 22 and 25 inches. That
was unquestionably the greatest fishing
day of my life. I am counting the days
until I can return to the Kamchatka
Peninsula with the Fly Shop.”
Postscript: Hermann says he and
his group are pursuing legal action
against Larry Bryant, and he will keep
us posted on what happens. In the
meantime, we think it is only prudent
to stick with the established fly fishing
outfitters on the Kamchatka Peninsula and those agents who are booking through them. These outfitters are:
the Fly Shop (www.theflyshop.com),
Ouzel Expeditions (www.ouzel.com),
Ultimate Rivers (www.ultimaterivers
.com), and Best of Kamchatka (www
.thebestofkamchatka.com). If you have
been to the Kamchatka Peninsula this
year, please file a report about the fishing and the logistics of your trip, as
well as the quality of the air service. In
the latter regard, it is worth noting that
Hermann gives the service high marks:
“The plane we flew looked new and
was really clean,” he writes. “The crew
was extremely friendly and the flight
-8-
was great. I had a whole row of seats
to myself and was thus able to sleep for
an hour or so.”
……
„„ Here’s something to note if you
are shopping for a Yucatan fishing
trip based in the town of Punta Allen.
Seems a fishing operation has popped
up there with a name—Club Grand
Slam—that is very similar to that of
another lodge in the village, namely,
Grand Slam Fishing Lodge. We don’t
know if the use of a similar name is a
deliberate effort to confuse clients, but
that’s the effect it is having.
For the record, if you want to book
the very upscale lodge we wrote about
in these pages—the one that Bobby
Settles, formerly with Casa Blanca, is
managing—you want to book Grand
Slam Fishing Lodge (www.grandslam
flyfishinglodge.com). If you want to
book with an operation that utilizes
freelance guides and houses anglers
in a block of rooms built by a local
merchant, then the operation you want
is Club Grand Slam (www.clubgrand
slam.com).
We don’t know how much business Grand Slam Fishing Lodge has
lost to Club Grand Slam, but Settles
says he knows at least one of his clients has mistakenly booked the wrong
place. “When he showed up at our
place thinking that his stay was paid
for, he was disappointed, to say the
least,” Settles says. “He was even more
disappointed when he found out Club
Grand Slam was not going to refund
his money.”
Has anyone else booked the wrong
lodge in Punta Allen? Let us know at
doncausey@anglingreport.com. And
do spread the word about this problem
to friends and fellow anglers.
……
„„ In recent months, and again this
month (see the following report on
Slovenia), the peripatetic angler/photographer David Lambroughton has
weighed in with accurate, to-the-point
reports on places you have probably
dreamed of visiting but haven’t because you thought it was too hard and
expensive to do so. We have a couple
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
more Lambroughton reports in the
pipeline, too.
We inspired Lambroughton to
share some of his recent angling
travel discoveries by promising him we
would tell Angling Report subscribers
about his forthcoming 2013 calendar,
Fly Fishing Dreams. The deal was not
a hard sell because we genuinely like
his calendar and have no problem suggesting you buy one for yourself, plus
others as gifts. The cost for a single
calendar shipped anywhere in North
America is $20 postpaid. Overseas
orders cost a bit more, depending on
where calendars need to be mailed.
Order six or more and the postpaid
price in North America drops to $8.50.
The latter come with mailing/gift envelopes. The best way to order is directly
from David Lambroughton at david
lambroughton@telus.net.
So, what makes Fly Fishing
Dreams so special that famed author
Tom McGuane calls it his “favorite fly
fishing calendar”? That endorsement
actually appears on the front of this
year’s calendar. One of the main things
the calendar has is classically good,
intelligent photography. And I don’t
mean artsy-tartsy photography, either.
Fly Fishing Dreams has 12 beautiful, well-composed photographs that
capture the mood and feel of famous
fishing scenes. The photographs don’t
just make you want to be there, they
remind you of why you fly fish and
(pardon the verbal flight here) make
your heart sing a little.
David Lambroughton is a coldwater angler, so don’t look for photographs of bonefish flats and leaping
sailfish in this calendar. All of the
scenes are streams and rivers. Four of
the scenes are in New Zealand. Five
are in British Columbia. There is not
a single photograph that sags toward
mediocrity or veers into sentimentality. My favorite is one depicting a lone
angler walking through a valley in
New Zealand, rod in hand. The angler
is dwarfed by the enormity of the surrounding mountains and the extent of
the road in front of him that zigzags
out of sight. There is an elbow-shaped
September 2012
hint of a stream on the left that encourages speculation and dreams. What lies
above and below the short stretch of
water shown?
Interestingly, each page of the
calendar has tips and suggestions relating to the image shown. Guides in two
areas are recommended, as is a portable inflatable called the Water Strider.
Several inns are mentioned by name.
Each page also includes a quote from a
relevant thinker or philosopher.
You get the picture. This is a
thoughtful, well-done calendar. It’s a
friend you can turn to for the next 12
months as shadows lengthen, storms
rage, and the time between trips grows
too long. Enjoy!
……
„„ Occasional correspondent David
Lambroughton, who fly fishes around
the world as much as anyone we know,
always with a camera at the ready to
capture images for his famed annual
fly fishing calendar (www.davidlam
broughton.com), weighed in this month
with a snapshot view of Slovenia.
We’ve reported quite extensively about
Slovenia, of course. So if this report
fires your imagination, be sure to take
a look at the many other reports about
Slovenia in our trip-planning database.
Lambroughton writes: “I have to
admit that although I had heard quite a
lot about marble trout and seen photos
of brilliantly colored rivers, Slovenia
was never on my radar screen. But
when I was getting my plans together
for a fishing/photo shoot in Ireland this
spring, I mentioned to my extremely
well-traveled Irish friends that I was
planning on fishing the chalkstreams
-9-
in the United Kingdom because I have
always liked that type of water. To this
they responded, ‘Well, then you have
to fish the Unec and Krka in Slovenia.
They are like the Test on steroids.’
“That really got my attention, so
I googled ‘trout fishing in Slovenia.’
I was amazed at what came up. I was
also pleased to find out that Slovenia is
just a two-hour flight from the United
Kingdom. It has northern Italy as its
neighbor to the west and Austria to
the north. It’s a gorgeous country to
drive around. You often get the feeling
there that you are fishing in Austria or
Switzerland, but with a lot more water
available. In fact, I quickly learned that
there is way too much water to even
see in a week, much less fish. After
making some wrong turns and some
right ones, I came away with a pretty
clear opinion on how best to plan a trip
to Slovenia.
“First off, you need to fly to the
capital, Ljubljana. If you are going
there from London, Adria Airlines
flies there three days a week from Luton Airport, which is about two hours
north of London. National Express, a
big U.K. bus company, has its main
depot right at London Heathrow. It
goes directly to Luton Airport multiple
times a day for $15. There, you might
want to overnight at the Hotel Ibis
(nice room, $45), which is walking
distance to the terminal, and catch a
morning flight. All this is very easy.
“When you land, you want to be
met at the airport by Dr. Joze Ozvirk
(info@pasat.si), who has a wonderful resume after running the Slovenia
Hunting and Fishing Department for
decades. Now retired, he guides and
organizes fishing trips. He has also
fished all over the world himself, so he
knows the drill and can fine-tune your
itinerary as regards choice of accommodations and rivers to fish. The latter
will generally cost you somewhere
between $50 and $120 a day to fish, by
the way.
“The fishing itself is pretty
straightforward. Just be sure you don’t
forget to bring some #18 black-bodied
dries for the selective grayling that we
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
Westerners probably don’t appreciate
as much as we should. Grayling are
a big deal to Europeans. Admittedly,
as a North American, it is hard not to
focus on the browns and a chance at
some marble trout if you go to Slovenia. Some of the rivers also have very
good populations of rainbows. My best
weighed about eight pounds.
“The best rivers in the country
are the Soca, Unica, Idrijaca, Lepenjica, and the already mentioned chalkstreams, the Unec and Krka. Joze will
know the best seasonal timing and
hatches for all of them. In sum, if you
pride yourself on being a well-traveled
trout fisherman, you might want to add
Slovenia to your list, especially if you
are already in Europe. It’s where Austrian orderliness meets Mediterranean
lifestyle. Your camera will love it.”
……
„„ So, what’s the latest on Louisiana
redfish guide, Gregg Arnold (www.fish
inthelandofgiants.com)? Arnold, you’ll
recall, announced that he was going to
start offering redfish trips last month in
Biloxi Marsh, south of New Orleans,
based from a 72-foot mothership called
The Southern Way. His original plans
called for up to eight anglers at a time
to be offered turnkey lodging/food/
guiding trips that start with pickup at
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport.
We have no idea if any of these trips
have come to pass. If you have fished
with Arnold and stayed on his mothership, please check in with a report.
Write doncausey@anglingreport.com.
The only update we have on Arnold’s plans is more than two months
Feedback Sought
„„ Subscribers who fish Tsimane
Lodge in Bolivia this fall are urged to
check in promptly with reports about
how the fishing and outfitting are holding up this year. Operated by the Argentinean company Untamed Angling,
Tsimane is famous for its fly fishing
for golden dorado in a jungle river
environment. Send post-trip reports to
doncausey@anglingreport.com.
September 2012
old now. It came to us in an e-mail
dated July 22: “I am booking trips and
have multiple locations now with two
motherships, not one. Right now, I
can take groups of 12 anglers with six
skiffs in Biloxi Marsh. I’m waiting until the state of Louisiana announces the
dates of duck hunting season to book
‘Cast and Blast’ trips. I already have
a couple of these trips booked. Talks
with investors are progressing for a
larger 140-foot mothership with longrange capabilities providing bluewater
sportfishing boats and skiffs. Looking
at 2013 as a really strong year.”
……
„„ Occasional correspondent Gary
Lewis has weighed in with a report
on a place in central Oregon called,
simply, House on Metolius. It is a very
special place to go in search of big bull
trout, rainbows, and a large dose of
tranquility. He writes:
“Down a narrow paved road, beneath a canopy of Ponderosa pines, the
traveler turns into a gravel driveway
and stops at a gate to enter a fourdigit code. The valley and a lush green
meadow appear, framed by old growth
pines. And then the river comes into
view, a half a mile of the Metolius,
with private frontage on both banks.
“This stretch of the Metolius River
and the various lodging options that
are known collectively as House of
Metolius are near the town of Camp
Sherman, an hour’s drive from Bend,
two hours from Eugene, and two-anda-half hours from Portland. An angler
who books a night at House on Metolius may fish on the property or explore
miles of public water upstream and
-10-
down. The major species available include rainbow trout, bull trout, kokanee,
and whitefish. There are also brown
trout and brook trout in these waters but
in small numbers. Managed for wild
fish, rainbows in the Metolius run 10 to
18 inches. Bull trout are bigger.
“Guiding is not permitted on the
public access water here, but a guide,
John Judy, is available for the private
water. He works an average of six
days a month on this section of river.
An angler can get by with a 4 wt. for
rainbows here, he advises, but a 6 or
7 wt. is more appropriate. As for flies,
he recommends bringing a selection of
patterns. Blue-winged olive mayflies
hatch in these waters throughout the
year, he says. In May and June, look
for pale morning duns and caddis.
Green drakes begin to appear in June
and may still be found in July. Golden
stonefly nymphs migrate shoreward in
June and July and may hatch all the
way through October. A strong hatch
of October caddis takes place in the
fall. Hatches of little black stoneflies
(size 16) come and go throughout the
season. When using a tandem nymph
rig, the key is to run about 12 inches of
tippet between the heavy lead fly and
the smaller dropper.
“For bull trout, which run 15
inches to 15 pounds, Judy advises using large leeches that mimic baitfish
and kokanee flesh. White, black, flesh,
chinchilla, and olive are good colors.
When fishing cutbanks and shallow
runs, a lightly weighted streamer is
preferred. For probing deep channels,
bring heavily weighted patterns.”
“In concert with House on Metolius, John Judy offers a series of
three-day schools in May, June, July,
August, and September. Courses include bull trout (August), subsurface
tactics, and Spey casting. Cost of the
three-day schools includes two nights’
lodging and meals at $800 per person.
A one-day guided trip with John Judy
costs $250.
“I personally stayed at House on
Metolius in early June and concentrated on fishing the private water. The
anglers with me battled two fish they
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
couldn’t control. One was a rainbow
that looked to be about four pounds. It
ran 250 yards downstream before the
fly pulled out. The other fish was a bull
trout that fought for 13 minutes before
breaking the line.
“Guests can choose from three
cabins at House on Metolius (Gorge,
Ponderosa, and Powerhouse), which
offer a more rustic experience, or three
lodges (Main, Lundgren, and Eleanor’s). The recently renovated Main
Lodge, with seven guest rooms, sits on
a bluff with views of Mt. Jefferson and
the Metolius.
“The Main Lodge is fully staffed,
spacious, and comfortable, with high,
open-beam ceilings and architectural
elements that recall the students of
Frank Lloyd Wright, furnished in a
style that might be called midcentury
modern. Cabins and the Main Lodge
have wireless Internet connection and
cell phone booster antennas. To minimize disruptions of wildlife, pets are
not allowed.
“Breakfast is served continentalstyle with fruit, yogurt, granola, muffins, croissants, and coffee on the sideboard. A three-course dinner is served
in the formal dining room between
6:00 and 8:30 in the evening, depending on the fisherman’s schedule. There
is a choice of wines with the meal.
Various lodging packages are available,
depending on amenities. In the Main
Lodge, a room with sitting area and
private bath (some rooms have fireplace and private entrances) costs $229
per night ($199 per night midweek).
Breakfast and dinner are included.
“Information, licenses, and gear
are available at the Camp Sherman
Store and Fly Shop, about three miles
upriver from House on Metolius. The
store is open seven days a week in
summer and weekends from September
through May. An angler may also buy a
license online at www.dfw.state.or.us.
A one-day license costs $16.75 and a
three-day license costs $46.25.
“Though most of the river is open
year-round, peak fishing is late May
through mid-September. For bull trout,
the proper timing is August through
September 2012
September, although bulls remain in
the river through the winter and some
stay in the stream year-round. Summer
temperatures range from the 60s to the
high 80s. The person to contact about
accommodations is Loy Helmly, 541595-6620. The Web address is www
.metolius.com. John Judy can be reached
at 541-595-2073. His Web address is
www.johnjudyflyfishing.com. Enjoy!”
……
„„ Don Causey Note: In the July 2012
issue, I filed a brief report on carp
fishing with Maine guide Eric Wallace
(www.coastalflyangler.com), who specializes in fly fishing for stripers in the
greater Casco Bay area. I enjoyed the
carp fishing, but I regretted not being
able to fish for stripers, as that is Wallace’s main focus. My only recourse
was to put out a call for subscriber
feedback on Wallace doing what he
does best. And here it is: a useful and
detailed report from subscriber Jefferson Miller. Thanks, Jefferson, for heeding the call.
“My kids and I fished for stripers
with Eric Wallace for four days this
past July. This is normally prime time
for striped bass in Maine, as is August.
This year, however, it was prime time
for lying on the beach or next to a
pool, but not for stripers. Bright, clear
days, warmer-than-usual water temperatures, and tons of natural bait are a
recipe for slow fishing and that’s what
we got. Nonetheless, Eric got us on
fish and we caught enough to make the
sometimes very early meetings at the
boat ramp more than worthwhile.
“Having been fortunate to fish
with a lot of really remarkable guides
-11-
over many years, I believe Eric is one
of the best I have fished with. He really
understands the local fishery. He told
me that the year he moved to Maine
with the flats skiff he’d been using in
the Florida Keys, he spent an entire
summer getting up to speed on the local fishery. He literally fished every
day, he says. Flats boats are still a rare
sight in Maine, but back then they were
a serious curiosity. I’m sure he turned a
lot of heads.
“Eric is a pioneer, one of the very
few guides who sight fish for stripers.
The traditional game calls for the use
of full-sinking lines or sink tips and
endless blind casting. That can be effective, but it is far less fun than sighting fish and casting to them. In certain
conditions, floating lines and poppers
add considerably to the fun. Another
benefit of sight fishing is that under the
old approach, the fishing day started
at about 4:30 a.m. and wound down
at midday. Sight fishing for stripers
is more like fishing for bonefish. You
need light to see them, so you don’t
have to drag yourself out of bed at 3:30.
“Eric is an excellent communicator and a lot of fun to be with. He
takes an almost scientific approach to
planning a day of fishing. The days
we fished together, he’d give us a call
around dinnertime after researching
tides, water temperatures, fishing reports, and more. That was when we’d
receive our instructions. Some days
we met him at the Falmouth city boat
ramp at oh-dark-thirty. One day we
linked up an hour down the turnpike in
Saco at 10:30 a.m. to sight fish. With
Eric, you go where the fish are and
when they’re there. He works really
hard for his sport.
“Here’s the final point I’ll make
about Eric. He’s a straight shooter.
He didn’t give us a bunch of ‘guide
speak’ about how awesome it was to
catch three stripers during a six-hour
trip or how beautiful they were. He
told us that the conditions were tough
and that catching a few fish would be
a good day. He also told us why the
conditions were tough. Beyond that, if
the fishing was really slow, we didn’t
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
continue to flog the water. Eric would
tell us that he was happy to keep poling, but that our odds were long. If
we went in after three or four hours,
he would only charge us his half-day
rate. He insisted on it. At least once,
during a dinnertime call, he said that
the fishing was going to be tough in the
morning and that if we wanted to bail,
he understood and that there would be
no charge. Eric is a very stand-up guy.
“One of the old guys behind the
fishing counter at L. L. Bean told me
that he thinks Eric is the best guide for
stripers on fly in the state of Maine.
From what I experienced, I think he’s
right. If you’re going to be in Maine
next summer, contact Eric and book
some days on the water with him. Better yet, book a trip focused on chasing
stripers with a knowledgeable guide
who really knows the game. Eric also
guides for tarpon in the Florida Keys,
by the way. I plan on paying him a
visit this winter.”
……
„„ And finally, a while back we asked
for feedback on Casa Blanca and Playa
Blanca lodges in Mexico (www.casa
blancafishing.com), where longtime
manager Bobby Settles used to hold
sway. We were eager to find out how
the place is holding up in his absence.
Well, this month we received the following note about Playa Blanca from
subscriber Bill Aldendifer that celebrates the place and life itself. The
e-mail had “No Country for Old Men”
in the subject line. He writes: “I know
frequently you like to challenge your
readers and offer them inspiration, and
I think the following will fit right with
that pattern. Our group of six saltwater fly fishermen just returned from
an annual two-week trip to Espiritu
Santo Bay where we fished from Playa
Blanca Lodge. We had a great trip despite the flats fisherman’s nightmare,
high winds and plenty of cloudy days.
Early in the trip, one of our compatriots, Hill Blackett Jr., had a marvelous
battle with a 20-pound permit, landing
him after a skirmish that exceeded an
hour. The consensus in our group is that
Hill is likely the oldest angler to take a
permit on a fly, as Hill turned 87 years
old this past January. I should add that
this was one of four or five that he’s
caught since his 80th birthday. Hill just
completed a ski season in our hometown, Steamboat Springs, Colorado,
where he skied more than 50 days.
He’s an inspiration to us youngsters in
our 70s. As an aside, we caught several
other permit, plus some huge snook,
and we found Playa Blanca Lodge running along quite fine, in spite of Bobby
Settle’s departure.” (Don Causey Note:
Congratulations, Hill! Keep on fishing!)
OUTFITTER CRITIQUES
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
This section of The Angling Report is based entirely on subscriber-written Fishing Trip Report Forms. Our policy on these forms is to publish excerpts in the newsletter of Angler Network Forms as received without censorship. Agents, guides, lodge operators, and/or outfitters who disagree with anything said about them in this
section are free to submit a rebuttal. As a subscriber, you can help extend the reach of this program by filing a Fishing Trip Report Form yourself. You should find one
inside this issue of your newsletter. Alternately, you can file a report online by going to our Web site, www.anglingreport.com, and clicking on “File a Report.” For
details about how to do custom searches for Angler Network Reports on our Web site, see page 2 of this issue.
„„ Subscriber Don McLaughlin has
weighed in with a report on fishing
in an area that is completely new to
us, namely, Exmouth in western Australia. McLaughlin fished there for a
week this past April, targeting longtail tuna, false albacore, and giant and
golden trevally. He could have fished
for a unique local species of bonefish,
he says, but chose not to. “I have been
fortunate to have fly fished for bonefish throughout the world,” he writes.
“Consequently, I was quite happy to
focus on the more exotic local species
available to fly fishing.”
He says there are two fly fishSeptember 2012
ing companies in Exmouth, the one
he fished with, Exmouth Fly Fishing
(www.exmouthflyfishing.com.au), and
True Blue Bonefish (www.truebluebone
fish.com.au). He says the latter company
focuses largely on bonefish, while the
former doesn’t unless clients specifically
ask to go bonefishing. He says the practice appears to arise from a gentleman’s
agreement to divide the available business in an equitable manner.
McLaughlin says he made daily
catches of long-tail tuna and false albacore with a 10-wt. fly rod fishing off
the front deck of a 22-foot Bay Boat
with a leaning post. The best flies were
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deceivers in purple and white, green
and white, and chartreuse and white.
“We mostly followed birds that were
pursuing large bait balls of sardines
that the tuna had pushed to the surface,” he writes. “It was a very exciting
way to fish as the tuna were only on
the surface for a few seconds and then
would sound with the bait.”
As for the weather, he says temperatures ranged upward of 40 degrees
Centigrade (104 degrees Fahrenheit),
and the wind tended to pick up in the
afternoon. He says mornings and late
afternoon were the best fishing times.
An experienced international fisherVolume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
man, McLaughlin gives this area and
the experience he had there very high
marks. “I sell business jets on a worldwide basis,” he writes, “so I have been
privileged to have made many fly fishing trips throughout the world. This
trip to Exmouth has to rank as the top
location I have traveled to. The Ningaloo Reef, where we fished, is one
of the most beautiful locations on the
planet.”
McLaughlin gives the cost of his
week-long trip as $5,000, including
lodging and food. He notes he got to
Exmouth by flying Quantas from Singapore to Perth, Australia, and then on
to Exmouth. He says fellow subscribers need to be prepared for Quantas to
require them to check all fishing rods
(including four-piece fly rods in a carrying tube) and then pay an extra fee
for that.
……
„„ Subscriber John T. Bottomley has
weighed in with a very positive report
on Libby Camps in Maine (www.libby
camps.com) after his third visit to this
venerable spot this past June. He says
he drove most of the way there from
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Millinocket, Maine, where he caught the
Katadhin Air float plane for the flight
into camp. He says this trip was his
first to Libby Camps in search of spring
brook trout. On his other trips, he has
combined fall fishing with hunting for
grouse and woodcock.
He says he fished from canoes
and johnboats and also waded in local
streams for a total of three-and-a-half
days, catching about 50 fish a day, most
of them on the small side (eight to 12
inches), though he did catch one two
pounder and watched another angler
land a three-and-a-half pounder. He
caught his fish on a 5-wt. Winston,
which he alternately rigged with a sinktip line and full-sink line. The flies that
worked included a dark-bodied caddis,
a black foam ant, mayflies, and the infamous Maine Lake “doodle bug.”
“What can you say about a place
that’s been run by five generations of
the same family?” Bottomley writes.
“Hospitality abounds, the food is
September 2012
fabulous, the guides know the water
and work hard to make sure you enjoy
yourself. That’s on top of the adventure
of flying past Mount Katahdin, the
highest peak in Maine at 5,280 feet and
landing in the warm embrace of Millinocket Lake after gliding in over a
moose or two. Owners Matt and Ellen
are beginning to pass the reins over to
Matt Jr. and his wife, Jess, but everyone who works at this camp makes it
very special and don’t think for a second that you can keep up with Matt Sr.
in the Maine woods!
“I was a single fisherman on this
trip and my log cabin on a bluff that
looks out over the lake was the best
place in the world to watch a sunset
while sipping a wee bit of scotch or
enjoying a martini. You can fly out to
ponds or streams where Libby Camps
has stashed Old Town canoes, and
that reminds me to mention that they
have ten camps where you can create
your own vacation away from the main
lodge. If you do that, just be aware that
you will miss Ellen’s cooking, which is
plentiful and delicious.
“The chance to see moose is a big
highlight here. Indeed, you will see
them standing peacefully as you fly
out to a pond or stream or eating in the
lake with you as you glide past in your
canoe. They are magnificent, as are the
otters, whitetail deer, osprey, eagles,
grouse, and black bear. The moose,
bear, and deer can be hunted, by the
way, in season. Another highlight is
flying out with Matt Sr. or Matt Jr.,
both of whom are superb pilots. It’s an
adventure you have to experience to
appreciate. Think fall and foliage. You
-13-
fly at 3,500 feet or less and there is no
more beautiful way to appreciate fall in
New England.
“Fishing there is an adventure, too.
If conditions are right, 20- to 50-fish
days are not uncommon, but, yes, it’s
fly fishing, and when ponds turn off
you have to think sinking lines and
you will work hard. Also, if you go in
the spring, you will at some point be
introduced to Maine’s mean-spirited
blackflies. Be prepared with a head net,
a backwoods cigar, fly dope, and any
other home remedy you can come up
with. If the wind dies down and there
is a bit of humidity in the air, they can
be truly vicious. Of course, blackflies
are part of the Maine sporting experience. Once you’ve held a 15- to 16inch bright-colored Maine brook trout
in your hands and released him back
into his beautiful waters, all thoughts
of blackflies disappear. Just for a moment, a fish like that will take you
back to the 1950s and make you realize you’ve just experienced what the
sporting life is all about. Go to Libby
Camps once and you will most likely
come back for more.”
……
„„ Subscriber Jim Simcoke has
checked in with an interesting report
on tarpon fishing in the Stuart to Ft.
Pierce, Florida, area with a guide who
is new to us, namely, John Meskauskas
(www.stuartflyfishing.com). He says
the trick here is to run the beach in a
bay boat and sight cast to moving pods
of tarpon. He says he has been doing
this kind of fishing with Meskauskas
for several years now and has been
remiss in not telling fellow subscribers about him before now. On his latest
trip this past June 13, he says Meskauskas helped him jump two tarpon,
one of which (a 60-plus pounder) he
landed.
“John is not just an excellent guide
overall; he’s the best guide I have ever
fished with,” Simcoke writes. “He consistently works to put me on fish. He has
a great personality and makes any day
with him a very enjoyable experience.”
He goes on to add that he has also
fished with Meskauskas for snook,
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
trout, redfish, small tuna, and bonita.
“He’s the most knowledgeable guide
in the Stuart area. He has patience with
anglers of every ability and has always
been able to find fish in virtually any
conditions.”
Postscript: Simcoke gives the cost
of a three-quarter day trip with Meskauskas as $450.
……
„„ Subscriber Dennis Ling has good
things to say about Talvista Lodge
(www.talvistalodge.com) on the Talachulitna River in Alaska after a visit
there last summer. He says he caught
about 50 fish in five days, primarily
silvers and pinks but also about five
sockeyes, dividing his time between
float fishing and wade fishing. He says
he arrived at the lodge too late for king
salmon, which are also available there.
“The fish were abundant and easy to
catch,” he writes. “Plus, the scenery
was beautiful. The lodge itself was
very nice and comfortable, and the
guides, food, and staff were outstanding. Fortunately, the other guests were
very nice. Overall, the stay was a lot
of fun.”
The only problem he notes on this
trip is the difficulty in getting to the
lodge. You first fly into Anchorage and
then take a float plane about 80 miles
northeast of Anchorage, he says. That
is followed by a 15-minute boat ride up
the Skwenta River to the Talachulitna
River, where the lodge is located. That
problem aside, he concludes that there
“is probably not a better place overall
to catch Pacific salmon. Plus, the lodge
offers you the chance to see and fish
Alaska away from crowds and other
people.” He gives the cost of his stay
as about $3,500.
……
„„ And finally, subscriber Andrew
Shetter gives a general thumbs-up to
the fishing he enjoyed this past March
while staying at Owen River Lodge
(www.owenriverlodge.co.nz) in the
Murchison area of New Zealand. The
trip was arranged for him by the Fly
Shop (www.theflyshop.com) in Redding, California. He writes:
“My wife and I fished for five days
September 2012
at Owen River Lodge this past March.
This is a brilliantly run lodge with an
owner/manager, Felix Borenstein, who
cares passionately about what he does.
He is on site 24/7, attends meticulously
to every detail, and is a charming host.
The three-course meals we enjoyed
each night (simple but elegant food
with locally sourced ingredients) were
a highlight of the trip. A nonfishing
partner would have no trouble spending a week here enjoying the beautiful
setting and exploring the Murchison
area. Fishing clients coming here
should be aware of a few facts, however. My wife and I have had the opportunity to fish Chile, Argentina, and
the Kamchatka Peninsula over the past
several years. The fishing here was far
and away more technically and physically demanding than any of these
other locations. Wily brown trout,
crystal-clear water, and a fish density
(we were told) of 25 to 30 fish per river
mile can make for some long days. We
both landed fish, though not as many as
we had hoped.
“On the bright side, when you do
connect here, the fish are beautiful.
Our largest fish weighed five-and-ahalf pounds, which is nothing special
by New Zealand standards, of course.
Still, that fish gave us a real sense of
accomplishment.
“As for the guides here, they were
very experienced. All of them had that
down-to-earth Kiwi style. They were
definitely serious about fishing, however, and were not afraid to tell you
when your pathetic attempt to softly
drop a two-nymph rig four feet in front
of a fish and maintain a drag-free drift
-14-
with no line slack was not up to their
standards. I appreciate this kind of input but some might find it off-putting.
Unless you are a very accomplished
angler, you will definitely learn things
from the guides here that will improve
your fishing skills. For one thing, they
are phenomenal at spotting fish. Unfortunately, though, if the weather is rainy
or overcast, as it was on several of our
days, sight fishing becomes difficult or
impossible and the chance of getting
your fly in front of a trout decreases
substantially.
“There is no need to walk long
distances on most of the rivers we
fished, but much of the walking was
along rocky shorelines, and the wading can be slippery. Our guide was a
big help in this area. We took it easy
and had no falls or other incidents.
Older clients (like me) and those with
hip, knee, or back problems should be
aware of the walking required when
selecting this destination.
“I thought the cost of fishing at
Owen River Lodge was reasonable
as long as we stayed away from helifishing. The rate for that runs $1,600
to $2,000 per trip. There is plenty of
fishable water within easy driving distance and there is no need, really, to go
airborne, though we did find the lure of
flying in a small helicopter over rugged
terrain to a rarely fished stream irresistible one day. We enjoyed the experience, but due to foggy weather we had
to divert to a less desirable river than
the one intended. Our guide had tied
up special flies for the occasion and,
if anything, he was more disappointed
than we were by the turn of events.
“In sum, Owen River Lodge is as
good as any trout fishing lodge I’ve
visited in terms of physical facilities,
food, experienced guides, and beautiful
surroundings. It may not be for everyone for the reasons I’ve mentioned,
namely, somewhat difficult terrain and
the likelihood you won’t land large
numbers of fish. If you are reasonably
agile, though, and you want the challenge of sight casting to large brown
trout, Owen River Lodge is a great
choice.”
Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
Back of the Book
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contact Edi Bell, The Angling Report, 12182 SW 128 Street, Miami, FL 33186-5230. Tel. 305-253-5301. Fax 305-253-5532.
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Volume 25, Number 9
THE ANGLING REPORT
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September 2012
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Volume 25, Number 9