Kayak'N for Carp

OH MAN, what have I been missing! Lake Champlain Carp, AKA Yankee Bonefish, are pure fun to fly fish for from a kayak. I'd read a few articles on how fly fisherman were beginning to target these guys, and now I can see why. Challenging, powerful, BIG, skittish, and local, fishing for them is very similar to stalking Bonefish in tropical flats.

While checking out a new area for Bowfin in Lake Champlain in my Jackson Kayak Day Tripper Elite, I stumbled across some Carp feeding in the tall grasses, just like Redfish. Fishing kayaks are great tools for hunting these guys, let you sneak up quietly in the shallows and get where other anglers can't. Weather wasn't really good that day -- a little breezy and cloudy, so I went back the next day in bright sun and calm winds -- just what you need to spot fish from a distance.

The first one was a loner, just cruising the sand flats. After a couple 50 ft casts, I saw the subtle take, strip set and hung on. I laughed as I watched my backing peel off the reel. About a half hour later, I was stepping out of the kayak onto the sand flats and landing my first Carp on a fly rod.

A little while later, I found a group of a half dozen or so feeding near a weed bed. I picked out the largest one, dropped a fly over its nose, watched it rise up and saw the take again. This one was even bigger, just massive. It headed off into the weeds, and I think it took a while for it to realize it was even hooked. It had so much power, all I could do was let it pull me around in the kayak to tire itself out. About an hour later I was able to get it to the boat, and it was all I could do to drag it into my lap. What a fish.

I probably won't be able to chase Bonefish in Belize again for a while, but these guys will sure help me practice.

D

Prehistoric Fins

I've been introduced to a couple really fun new species to target on a fly rod as the heat of summer picks up and the trout fishing turns off. One of them is the Bowfin -- they've been around since the dinosaurs.

Bowfin are characterized by a huge dorsal fin, and a complimentary huge appetite. Sight fishing for them is awesome as you creep through the shallows looking for that dorsal fin, treading water like a snake under the surface. They are top of the food chain predators, plain and simple, and once you find them will HAMMER a fly. No need to be stealthy, deal with long leaders or be delicate -- except when handling them, for your sake, not theirs. They can live out of water for a while, have teeth, and will bite. Watch those fingers.

Lake Champlain is a local resource that I really haven't taken a lot of advantage of, but that will be changing after going after these guys.

Mt. Washington : Summit Sunsets

To everybody's surprise, the storm which had been engulfing the mountain for a week broke after dinner, and the skies opened up to incredible views in every direction.

Despite being comfortable with full stomachs after the AMC's hut dinner, I convinced Ash that an evening summit trip would be well worth it -- after all, the weather could change back any minute. So we threw on our boots and headed up the final mile and half to the top, in total privacy. What is usually a crowded summit, was deserted, and we watched the sunset through the thin layer of clouds just hanging on to the last hundred feet of the summit cone. The hike down provided great sunset views on one side, while watching the moon rise on the other.

The next morning after breakfast we headed down the steep Ammonoosuc Ravine trail -- one of the coolest trails I've ever done, with countless waterfalls benefiting from the recent rains and some very steep rock hopping.

It was a fun overnight, and Ash was glad to finally get on top of that mountain...

Mt. Washington : Into the Clouds

Ash has been wanting to head up Mt. Washington for a while, and after being rejected by a massive storm this winter, it was on the To-Do list for the summer. One of the unique things about the White Mountains is the AMC's hut system -- a series of mountain huts providing lodging, food, and education for hikers, especially important in the alpine vegetation found on many peaks in the Whites.

So to get the 'hut experience' at least once, we booked a night at the Lakes of the Clouds hut near the summit of Mt. Washington and headed over to celebrate the 4th of July in the Presidential Range - kind of fitting.

Washington however is notorious for bad weather, and despite a sunny forecast, it snowed on the summit the night before our hike and didn't look any better when we hit the trail. We hiked up the Crawford Path, the 'oldest continually-used mountain trail in America', which also overlaps the Appalachian Trail.

Despite being socked in the clouds all day on a windy ridgeline, it was still a great hike and we got to the hut early afternoon. Luckily the crowds had stayed away, and we settled in for a relatively quiet evening at the hut.

Georgia Redfish

Our honeymoon in Belize was my first real taste of saltwater fly fishing, and I must admit, while to me it lacks the intimacy of being in a river, there are other unique aspects you just can't get in freshwater, such as fish not being bound by riverbanks and currents, free to run any direction as hard as they want. I had a little free time, so I headed down to my parents home in Savannah for a week to breath in some salty air and learn about Redfish opportunities in the area.

The Redfish (AKA: Spot Tails, Red Drum, Channel Bass) is an increasingly popular target for fly fishers, particularly along the Southern and Gulf coasts. Predominantly an inshore species, young Reds mature over a period of 4-5 years, reaching almost 30 inches before sexual maturity and moving off-shore into breeding populations, forming large schools sometimes visible from the air.

For the fly fisherman, the target is predominantly the younger fish 'tailing' in the marsh grass as they hunt for crabs and shrimp, and it's addictive. This was my first time stalking them, and I can't wait to go back. My father and I went out with Scott Wagner (www.savannahfly.com), a local guide with over 15 years of experience in local and foreign waters. He knows the area, the fish, and we learned a lot and had a few rewards for our hard work. Thanks for a fun day and the photos.

Unfortunately we also learned that like so many of our natural resources, Georgia's Redfish are in a fight of their own. What used to be thriving populations have been decimated, largely by irresponsible management and private and commercial over-fishing and netting. Georgia is lacking behind Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and its neighbors Florida and South Carolina, in granting Redfish protection by having 'gamefish' status, banning netting and commercial sale, and limiting harvesting to hook and line only. Current creel limits allow 5 fish in Georgia, compared to 1 or 2 in other states -- a practice which can quickly eliminate a school of 50 fish with the numbers of anglers now targeting this species. As it continues to grow in popularity, it will only get worse.

What makes Redfish particularly sensitive is their life cycle. As mentioned earlier, the majority of the fish being targeted by anglers are immature inshore fish. Harvesting of these fish prevents future generations from ever having a chance. Due to their schooling behavior during the breeding season, large reproductive fish are easy targets for commercial fishing operations. They simply don't stand a chance unless we recognize their value as a sport/game fish, and protect them for future generations to enjoy. I have read reports where sampling of breeding fish showed ages were generally from 12 to 25 years old, as opposed to the 4 to 12 year goal bracket, showing that young Redfish are never even reaching their breeding potential.

Fortunate for Georgia's Redfish, a dedicated group of local anglers and guides recognize the problem and aren't willing to stand by and let things go unnoticed. They've formed 'Georgia Redfish' (http://georgiaredfish.org/), a grass roots organization raising awareness for the need to protect and improve Georgia's Redfish population. One of the ways they're doing that is by creating a petition for GA's legislature asking for the granting of gamefish status to Redfish.

Please visit the site, sign the on-line petition, and help their cause.

If you want to catch Redfish, practice catch and release.

The fish will thank you.

D

Scaly Things In The Grass

Having spent a significant portion of my life growing up in the South, I was introduced to catching various sorts of reptiles at a young age. Some of my earliest memories are of my Grandfather teaching me how to catch Black Rat Snakes at their home in SC to 'move them out of the way' when he was working in the yard or in firewood piles. I've just always been fascinated by snakes, and it's a shame they are so hated and misunderstood by so many people.

Having lived in VT now for so long, I just don't get to see enough of them, so usually now when I make a trip South I try to get out and find a few to photograph.

The large Black Rat Snake in the photos was just laying in the morning sun in the grass by our carport at my Grandparent's home - just like old times! He was a curious fellow, just enjoying some rays.

One aspect of snakes obviously is the venomous factor in some species, and you definitely need to know what you're doing when identifying and handling all snakes. The Copperhead seen here is a relatively common venomous species, and this specimen had really nice coloration.

Another scaly critter that I enjoy down South are the 'gators, and fly fishing for them with surface poppers is a blast. The first one I caught was when I was in the 7th grade or so. At one of my snake hunting places near a golf course I came across a chap with a rifle, claiming there was an alligator in the pond and he was going to kill it before it ate his dog. Not liking the sounds of that, I headed home for my fishing gear. With the help of a floating lizard lure, I coaxed him out, landed him and carried him home - carefully. My neighbors were having a yard sale, and I'm pretty sure they had no idea what to make of it. I put him in a trunk in the garage, and called my Dad who was rather quick in getting home for some reason. A few hours later we safely released it into the Savannah River.

Older and perhaps no wiser, I enjoy enticing them with surface poppers with a fly rod, although due to their bony mouths getting a hook set is pretty difficult. Just be careful getting the hook out (Hint: Barbless really helps here).

Cali: Freezing Desert, Hungry Trout

After getting back to the river, the temps kept falling and so did the snow. 

That's why good gear matters, and the fish that want to eat big streamers don't really care if flakes are falling on the surface. After starting the day fishing in a down climbing parka, by afternoon the sun began to poke through.

I explored more of the 'hidden' water down by the Nevada border, and there were hungry trout just waiting to smash flies in all the little pockets. The fun thing about getting in tight water like that isn't getting the fish on .... it's trying to land it. Kind of reminded me of trying to land Bonefish in Belize in the coral flats at really low tide --- the fun part is running around, stumbling downstream trying to keep your line off the rocks/trees/bushes and the fish on. 

All in all, it was a pretty action packed 3.5 days in the Eastern Sierra. Looking forward to the next time.

Cali: Whitney Wins

After a restless night, I emerged from the tent hoping for clear skies and calm winds. I knew the answer of course before looking up the mountain from the constant roaring all night, but I was still hopeful. Looking up the mountain, clouds were filling the upper reaches and falling. After some debate, I headed down knowing the mountain wasn't going anywhere and there were still hungry fish to be found.

By the time I got the trailhead, light snow was falling. By the time I got back on the highway, I watched the entire high Sierra get engulfed by the storm. By the time I got back on the river, it was snowing there too. Welcome to Spring in the mountains.

Cali: Heading to Whitney

After another morning on the Walker, packed up and headed South to Mount Whitney. The lottery permit system doesn't start until May, and since the throngs are held away by the snow and cold, late April strikes me at the perfect time to go for a climb.

I picked up my backcountry permit from the Ranger's office and started out around 2 PM, intending to camp around 11,500 ft at Upper Boyscout Lake. It was breezy and forecasts were for high winds further North up near Mammoth, but everything seemed OK. Around 4:30, I crested out of the Lower Boyscout Lake basin into Upper Boyscout ft in heavy winds, falling temps, and bailing climbers. Thinking sleeping conditions would be better lower, I dropped back down to Lower Boyscout and hunkered down in an old snow pit behind a boulder. Despite the cover, heavy winds still hammered me all night, eliminating any chances of a good night's sleep.

Cali: East Walker

I try to make the most of the opportunities I am given. I'm also always on the lookout for new ones 'cause if you don't listen for opportunity knocking, how are you going to ever let him in?

As an example, nearly every chance I get to explore somewhere new, I try to make happen. Knowing I was going to have a business meeting in San Jose, I did a little quick research on fishing and climbing opportunities late April in the Sierra. Two things quickly entered the radar -- big Brown Trout fishing opportunities on the East Walker River, and climbing Mt. Whitney before the lottery permit season began. 

So after meetings concluded -- hopped in the rental and headed straight up over the mountains to the Eastern Sierra -- a high desert which was new terrain for me. Avoided the people, found a few Browns, confirming the rumors.

Thanks to Steve (www.wayupstream.com) and Mikey (http://www.burlproductions.com/index.htm) for facilitating the tugs.