Muskie on The Fly

Ever think about chasing Muskie on Fly. One of my only regrets in filming for SOULFISH 2 is not having had the opportunity to make it up to film some Muskie fishing with Robert Tomes. Robert is a very competent Muskie angler and author of a great book, Muskie on The Fly. Here's a few photos Robert shared with me from a fall outing in Wisconsin.

Muskie are a gorgeous fish and fierce predator. Making them one of the best and most aggressive fish to catch on a fly in North America. I tell people all the time they are the closest thing we have to a Taimen on our continent. Known for shocking top water takes, huge jumps and long strong fights, Muskie are a more than worth while addiction.

Keep an eye out for Robert on the show circuit this winter doing Muskie on The Fly presentations. For more info, take a look at this Article published in the New York Times about Robert and his new book.

Photos: Walter Hodges/Ten & Two Magazine

If4 International Fly Fishing Film Festival

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival hosted by Fly Max films out of Canada and featuring scenes from SOULFISH 2 as well as many other great fly flicks, kicked off a couple weeks ago in Calgary. Check out the story and photos here.

http://flyaddicts.com/flymax/2011/02/01/if4-kicks-off-in-calgary/

Keep an out out for more shows and dates and check out Fly Max Films websites and blog.

SF2 Preview

Just a few shots from the SF2 preview on Friday night after the Sac ISE show.

I brought down a couple of Andy Burk and i's paintings to help style the place out a bit.
Good crowd of awesome people.


After party down town.
April V always looking good.

SF 2 Screening Sacramento

Hello Friends,

Just wanted to let you all know about a preview screening of SOULFISH 2 that we are doing after the International Sportsman's Expo show in Sacramento this coming Friday the 21st of Jan. It's all ages, family friendly, very informal and everyone is welcome. Some of the celebrities from the movie will be on hand including: Ralph Cutter, April Vokey, Brent Dawson, Mike Copithorn, Richard McPherson and myself. Just going to show some of the segments from SOULFISH 2, FISH MODE so they get a chance to see their parts before they go final on the DVD. Feel free to come join us if your in town and bring anyone you'd like. Going to try and get the movie going by 8:30.

It will be at Roundtable Pizza in the party room. 1566 Howe Ave. 1 block from the East end of Cal Expo Fair Grounds. From the Expo go right on Arden Fair, Turn Right on Howe Ave. You'll see Roundtable on the Left. Make a u turn at the next light and your there.

Reno Fly Shop Closing

This past weekend we had a little going out of business party and inventory sale at the Reno Fly shop. It was a great gathering of local patrons, fly club members and Reno Fly Shop Staff. Sad to see Dave closing the doors after many many years of serving the fly fishing community of the greater Reno area. The Reno Fly shop will be greatly missed. Dave is going to continue to run the guide service and keep up with monthly fishing reports for the area. So stay tuned.

Darren Elmore holding down the fly bins so they didn't blow away with all the change in the air.
Tim Haddon, Jason Shields, Justin Olson, Dan LaCount and Matt Heron.
Stefan McLeod was one of the key components in helping organize this great event. He's the Truckee Trout Unlimited Chapter president and a heck of a fly fisherman. Way to go Stefan on getting all the food and beer donated!
The shop ended up having a good day at the register. Nice to see the local support. I helped clean out some of the fly tying materials.
Me, Dave Stanley and Andy Burk.
Doug, Matt, Keith, Justin, Tim, Andy, Dan, Dave and Kate.

And there you have it. Go buy some stuff from Dave if you can make it down there before the end of the month. Then it's good by forever to the Reno Fly shop.

Stand Up Paddle Board Fly Fishing

This past summer i started experimenting with stand up paddle board fly fishing. It's now one of my favorite ways to access the water. Here's a few shots of my friends Jon Slyvich stand up paddle board fishing and surfing in the Lower Mokelumne River this past fall.

Hooked up.
Positioning is tough with a rod and paddle. I've found the best thing to do is strap a milk crate to your board. You can store your gear in there and then use it for a stripping basket while you fish. Another good innovation for fishing is a paddle strap. That way you can sling it behind you while you fish and get at it quick to make adjustments to your position. It's very hard to do in a current situation. You need to be fast and precise.
In between fishing sessions it's fun to surf the little waves in the river. The board can also be a great way to get down most rivers without launching a raft or boat. The cheap foam top boards work best for the rivers. You don't need to worry about bumping rocks and they are very light and easy for one person to deal with and even place on top of a truck or car.

BURL Owl sighting.

The symbol i use in some of my BURL Productions logos is an ancient indian pictograph that my brother and i spotted in the canyon of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho when we were teen agers. This past summer Jenny Hatch of Cal Trout made that epic 100 mile rafting journey. Before the trip I told her the story of that experience for my brother and i and how the Burl Owl symbol came to be. Along her way, Jenny spotted the same cave drawing and snapped a photo of it. This is the original BURL Owl. I'm not sure what it meant to the ancient hunters but it came to be a symbol of brother hood and friendship for me and some of my oldest friends. Nice spot Jenny!