Here’s another way to fish for Carp courtesy of Time Magazine. It involves large nets, fast boats and plenty of beer. Enjoy!
Blood Knot Magazine
I’ve really enjoyed reading some of the new online fly fishing mags. My latest find is Blood Knot Magazine. Good articles, videos and other content are found there.
I wrote to the editor, Matt, with 4 short questions. His answers appear below.
1) What inspired you to develop Blood Knot?
You ever sit around with friends and tell stories and laugh? Before life got in the way, my best friends and I used to get together once a week for just that and to bounce ideas off of each other. We called those meetings our “state of the union”. There’s an element in that bond that’s evident in fly fishing, and it’s my favorite part of the sport. You spend time with people you care about, you visit areas you might not otherwise see, and then you get to look back one day with those same people. Blood Knot Magazine’s inspiration is just that—an anglers’ bimonthly state of the union from around the world.
2) How long has it been in existence?
Jason Duong, our creative director, he and I started Blood Knot Magazine at the end of last year. We’ve been fortunate to put together a fantastic staff, and we’ll be rolling out our second issue this month.
3) How do you describe it in relation to other fly fishing magazines?
We don’t. Those poor bastards are on their own!
4) Who is the typical subscriber?
You know, everything’s out of whack. The older anglers love what the younger ones are writing, the younger anglers are tuning in to read why the older ones took so long to fish beneath the surface or for other species, and almost as many men as women read “Bitch Creek”, which is written by women for women. It’s some kind of media-oddity goin’ on over here!
5) What is one of your favorite fishing stories/memories?
I almost killed Jason about 15 years ago when we first started fishing together. Only kids, we were fishing off the end of a dock and it was getting dark and time to go. Two sections of my rod were stuck together and I had asked him to pull on one end while I held the other. So when he yanked hard, I let go and sent him swimming. He disappeared and I thought he was just messing with me, so I started packing up our stuff.
After a good while, he finally popped up and was flapping his arms around like a bird and probably choking. I looked at him and said something along the lines of, “Stop fucking around and help me pack,” before he went back down again. When he re-emerged and called for help, he was pretty freaked out. I just stood there digesting what was happening while he waited again under water for my sense of urgency to kick in. When I came out of my stupor, I couldn’t decide whether I was more afraid of diving in and landing on him or his pulling me under while he fought for air. My selflessness and bravery would come with age. I was a wimp.
Luckily, he was only seven or eight feet off the dock the last time he made his way to the surface and I was able to pull him in with my rod. Who knew he couldn’t swim? But God bless him! Mid-air, Jason threw that rod to me before he fell in. That’s character!
Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival
While October signals the end of fishing season for some of us in the northeast, one of the largest paddling and kayak fishing events in Florida will be taking place.
The Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival, which runs from October 29 – November 7, 2010 takes place in the Gulf Coast towns of Ft. Myers and Sanibel, located on the southwest coast of Florida.
Festivities include competitive canoe/kayak races, a kayak fishing tournament, paddling clinics and demonstrations, seminars, family activities, archaeological and environmental events, guided tours, and more celebrations along The Great Calusa Blueway.
Sounds like a great alternative to raking leaves, stacking wood, and tuning up the snowblower.
FlyFishMagazine.com
As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I’ve been reading some of the online fly fishing mags and came across FlyFishMagazine.com. There is also a sister blog.
I enjoyed the articles and wrote to the editor, Lee,with 4 short questions. His answers appear below.
1) What inspired you to develop FlyFishMagazine and how long has it been in existence?
FlyfishMagazine started in 2003 as a geocities site that was basically the monthly newsletter for our local chapter of the FFF. Later sometime around 2004 I purchased the domain name FlyfishMagazine.com and started using it as a repository for the stories about some of the adventures me and my pals had on fishing trips together. Most of the funnier stories you read on the site are true. Names do get changed to protect the innocent. Shortly thereafter we added on of those new fangled blogs and the rest is history. Primarily it has been a great way for us to make friends in the angling community and the fly fishing industry.
2) How do you describe it in relation to other fly fishing magazines?
Good question. I think we are we are certainly old school. No page turning flash websites here. We don’t have a high snark factor but aren’t above making a point. I guess what makes us different is that we have been able to build up a network of contributing anglers from all around the globe. Some of them post often and some of them post less often but they all post when they have something meaningful to say. They range from shop owners, professional fishing guides and TV personalities to guys we used to fish with after work. These are guys and ladies who can easily outfish us editorial types with one arm tied behind their backs so we like to listen up when they have something to say.
3) Who is the typical subscriber?
I like to think that we reach a pretty general sampling of the angling community. One of the site ranking websites once indicated that our average reader was 50 years old and had a pretty high disposable income. We posted that old rich guys love FlyfishMagazine.com.
4) What is one of your favorite fishing stories/memories?
There are really too many to pick just one. Every trip (even the ones to the pond behind the house) make some great memories. I’ve been lucky enough to be circled by sharks in the tropics and almost eaten by a grizzly in Alaska. I guess my favorite trip was to the Bristol Bay area of Alaska. Just seeing all those giant salmon and rainbow trout in their home and then at the same time seeing the helicopters ferrying people and equipment to the site of the Pebble Mine that could pretty easily make it all go away really made an impression on me.
Kayak Fly Fishing on Keuka Lake
When we decided to vacation on Keuka Lake, I knew that I wanted to fly fish from the kayak. Our van has a luggage rack and with the strategic use of bungee cords, it made the 6-hour trip from our home to Keuka Lake without moving an inch.
Once we arrived at the house that we rented in Hammondsport, I unstrapped and unloaded the kayak from the van. I then had to navigate 135 steps ( that’s right 135 steps!) which led down to the water. The pitch was steep and I felt like I was on a roller coaster with no brakes. I laid the kayak on the steps and let it slide down the steps to the dock.
Since we had arrived in the early evening, I stowed the rest of the gear with the kayak and proceeded to do some dock fishing with a popper. It only produced one 6″ small mouth.
The next morning I rigged up the kayak and headed out. This time the results were more positive. I caught 4 respectable smallmouth on a small green popper.
On Tuesday morning I decided to try my hand at wet wading and dock fishing with the fly rod. Early morning (6a-8a) produced the best results. This smallmouth was one of my first catches.
In addition to smallmouth, I caught rock bass, perch, and a few panfish including this trophy. This was one of the largest panfish I’ve ever caught.
The fishing was good all week, and I switched between wet wading and kayaking. Both produced great results.
All good things must come to an end, and this one ended with me dragging the kayak back up the steps, with my brother-in-law in tow. It was a challenge, but the fishing was worth it.
If you’re considering a trip to the Finger Lakes, I would definitely suggest bringing the fly rod and kayak or canoe. The fishing in early August is great, especially in the morning (6a – 8a) and in the evening (7p-9p). Just be sure to find a place with easy shore access, or be prepared for a workout.
Where did you go this summer?