A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER November 2016 Vol. 29, No. 11

Dateline: Brazil Juruena Rivers, where the states of Pará, the fish closes its mouth. Payara are a wor- Mato Grosso, and Amazonas meet. There thy fly rod quarry that is difficult to hook On-Site Report are a number of factors that make this but prone to leaping during its strong fight. Amazon Fly destination stand out from other locations The presence of payara alone is enough in Brazil. For starters, it is relatively easy to warrant your attention to Ecolodge da Just Keeps On Growing to get to, plus it has a very long Barra. season (May through November). It also The trip I was on to this lodge last Don Causey Note: Until fairly recently July saw anglers being accommodated at there was only one lodge in the Amazon the Mercure Hotel in Manaus. The rooms (Agua Boa) and zero mobile operations were adequate and very clean but lacking that catered to fly fishermen. Now, the list in the atmosphere of the Tropical Hotel, of places to go fly fishing there is getting which many other operations use. What it longer. And longer. We are indebted to did have in its favor was its location near subscriber Allan Craig for word of still the airports and restaurants. It was only another place. It’s a floating lodge opera- minutes from the hotel to the terminal, tion south of Manaus called Ecolodge da where we boarded a two-hour flight to a Barra that previously catered only to con- village on the banks of the river where we ventional tackle anglers. The draw here is would fish. From there, it was only a five- not big and/or numerous peacock bass, but minute boat ride to the lodge. rather the variety of species that can be offers something quite unique, flexibility The lodge’s closeness to the airport taken. Here is what frequent contributor in dates and length of trip, plus an enor- not only meant we arrived there quickly Allan Craig has to say about it. mous variety of species, including three and easily, but it meant we could get away his new Amazon fly fishing spot is types of payara! These are the so called at the end of our stay just as fast, and at located on the Tapajós River at the Vampire fish that have long lower teeth a time of our choosing. This is one of Tconfluence of the Teles Pires and that extend through the upper jaw when the many appeals of this operation. Most Amazon lodges operate Saturday to Satur- SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS day, making it almost impossible to book a two-week trip at two different lodges. Logistically, you just can’t fly out from most lodges and then on to another in one seamless transfer. At this lodge we could, however. All we had to do was shorten our stay at Ecolodge and fly out on a Fri- IN THIS ISSUE day. That allowed us to fly the next day to another lodge, Kendjam, which you have Botswana Cuba written about recently in these pages. This Tigerfish Trip Orvis Hosted Trips: As for the accommodations at Was One to Remember We Have the Details Pages 3–4 Pages 7–8 Ecolodge, they are comfortable and the food is excellent. The lodge owners take Travel Alert Subscriber-Written Reports pride in the “Eco” part of their name A Bizarre Experience in Colorado, Brazil, Canada, Tokyo’s Narita Airport New York, & Alaska and the lodge’s benefits to the local na- Pages 4–5 Pages 8–12 tive community. The lodge was built for and now operates with minimum impact Italy Special Report on the environment. Its on-board waste Italian Saltwater : Alaska: Going Solo at What You Need to Know Royal Wolf Lodge treatment system is highly efficient. The Pages 5–7 Pages 12–14 lodge employs about 35 of the villagers, THE REPORT and they provide excellent food, clean sorts that are usually available here. I air-conditioned rooms and daily laundry say “usually” because to the dismay of service. They also maintain the boats, our host, the fishing during our week and act as guides on the river. Anyone was well below his expectations. That who loves to take nature photographs assessment was confirmed by other will enjoy the bird life here, as well as guests who had fished here before and the dolphins, the caiman, and the mil- in the same time period. Possible rea- lions of butterflies. sons? The river was very low, and that The angling opportunities are ex- part of the Amazon region had not had THE ANGLING REPORT tensive here. There are three different the normal flood period the previous EDITOR rivers you can fish, plus miles and miles January. In addition, a lot of the fish we Don Causey of their tributaries, and more than 200 sighted were in spawning mode and not lakes, fewer than half of which have interested in a fly. MARKETING DIRECTOR ever been fished. There are 20 lakes that If you come here expecting to add Michael Lyons have boats already in place. The boats payara to your catch list, be sure you COPY EDITOR in use on the rivers are 18-foot alumi- bring an 8 or 9 wt. rod with a fast- Gary Hamel num craft powered by 40 hp motors. sinking line. Straight 40-pound leader Anglers who want to fish on foot can worked for me, with 40-pound wire for LAYOUT & PRODUCTION walk sand flats or wet-wade and sight- bite tippet. Chartreuse/white or char- Ben F. Badger Jr. fish. Fishing can begin minutes from treuse/orange or similar streamers five ILLUSTRATIONS the lodge, or there can be a long one- to to seven inches long are good choices. Gordon Allen two-hour ride to some spots, depending One trick is to add a trailer hook at the on the kind of fishing one wants to do. tail of your fly, as payara often nip at The lodge is considering adding another the tail. I used an 8 wt. for all my other smaller lodge 150 miles up river fishing, with both a floating and sink-tip The Angling Report As for the species available, 20 line. The Rio Outbound short and new 202-770-9942 in all, they include arowana, bicuda, S.A. Titan Jungle Taper are good choic- matrinxã, wolf fish, jacunda, numerous es. Smaller flies, such as three-inch The Angling Report (ISSN: 1045-3539) is published monthly by Oxpecker Enterprises, Inc., 4431 catfish species, two species of peacock white streamers, were top performers on Greenwich Parkway, Washington, DC 20007. bass, and as mentioned previously, three many species. Periodicals Postage Paid at Washington, DC. and species of payara. The two peacock My trip was organized for me by at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Angling Report, 4431 species are C. monoculus (which tend Michael Caranci at The Fly Shop in Greenwich Parkway, Washington, DC 20007. The to be small, around two pounds) and C. Redding, California (www.theflyshop. Angling Report is not a booking agent, nor is it pinima (which run much larger and are com. 800-669-3474). The cost for our affiliated with a booking agent, outfitter, or guide. impressive fighters. Anglers who are five days of fishing was $5,000. There How can we help you? only interested in the largest peacock was no extra charge for the flight out a species, C. temensis, won’t find them day early for our group of four anglers. New Subscriptions: A one-year subscription costs $49. Add $11 per year in Canada/Mexico. $29 here, though occasional 20-pound speci- Logistics might be more of a problem overseas. Visa/MC/Amex accepted. Contact us on the mens of C. pinima are caught here. for just one or two anglers. Enjoy!—Al- Web (www.anglingreport.com), by phone (202-770- A dominant characteristic of this lan Craig. 9942), by e-mail ([email protected]), or by mail (The Angling Report, 4431 Greenwich Parkway, area is the large number of fish of all Postscript: To get a better feel for the Washington, DC 20007). Online Extra Upgrade: One year costs $24, in addition to regular subscription fee. Puts one on list Honor Roll Subscribers to receive e-mail invitations to go fishing FREE in return for filing a report. Unlimited access to our trip- „„ The Angling Report encourages also get special consideration for planning database also included. Plus, e-mail and hard subscribers to file reports on great FREE trips. If you have been on copies of monthly newsletters. Same contact details places to fish and important news an interesting trip recently, send a as above. developments that help the rest of letter-length report to see if you can Trip-Planning Materials: Same contact details as us decide where to go—or not to get on our subscriber Honor Roll. above. By phone, fax, e-mail, or mail. Do your own searches on our website, www.anglingreport.com. Click go—fishing. Subscribers who file E-mail it to doncausey@anglingre- on “Trip-Planning Tools.” Thousands of pages of sub- unusually important and useful re- port.com. You can find the complete scriber reports and previously published articles. ports are placed on our Subscriber list of Honor Roll subscribers on Subscription Questions: Same contact details as Honor Roll and sent a complimen- our website, www.anglingreport. above. On our website, www.anglingreport.com, click on “Subscribe.” tary Angling Report Honor Roll com. Click on “Honor Roll sub- fishing cap. Honor Roll subscribers scribers.”

November 2016 -2- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT fly fishing conditions at Ecolodge to try their skills. I will be glad to an- While on the river fishing you da Barra, we got in touch with head swer anyone’s questions at: gersonka- may well see 12- to 15-foot African guide Gerson Kavamoto, who previ- [email protected].” crocodiles, hippos, and other wildlife. ously served as head guide for Un- Keep in mind that, contrary to popular tamed Angling’s operation on the Dateline: BOTSWANA conception, hippos are the most lethal Marié River. Here is the gist of his On-Site Report animal to humans in Africa. response to some questions we sent Tigerfish are terrific gamefish; him: “One of the nice things about the This Tigerfish Trip they fight very hard and jump acro- fly fishing here is the variety and gen- Was One to Remember batically. For a North American refer- erally small size of the flies that work ence point, think of them as steelhead here. You can use everything from Editor Note: We’ve published several (minus the long runs well into your poppers for peacock bass to divers for reports on the tigerfishing that erupts backing) or riverine smallmouth bass arowana to dry flies for pacu. There in the Okavango River of Botswana on steroids. A major difference is that are lots of flats here with hard, white- every year when sharptooth catfish be- these voracious predators’ fearsome sand bottoms and water clear enough gin to herd bait against the banks. The teeth make them quite difficult to to allow you to cast to sighted fish. sounds . . . the sights are unbeliev- hook. Although we landed only four The rivers we fish change character able. Subscriber William D. Turner to eight tigers every day we fished, we often from slow and deep . . . to rapids filed the report. Enjoy! hooked two to three times that many . . . to stretches where the channels fish. Of the fish we hooked, we lost an are deep but the edges quite shallow. additional subset due to the tigers’ im- You can wade-fish many, many areas. pressive leaps and other evasive ma- This area was originally developed for neuvers. On the Okavango, 10 pounds traditional anglers, who continue to and up is considered a trophy tiger; fish here, but it is very well suited to my very first fish was a nine-pounder, fly anglers. I was hired to develop fly and my wife landed an eight-pounder. fishing at the lodge, and that is what She lost another that same size or I am doing little by little. One of my larger. A South African angler, in goals is to come up with instructions camp the same time we were, landed a on where and how to catch each fish 12-pound tiger. Sharptooth catfish are we have here. To date, I have not had welcome bycatch on the Okavango; I enough time to do that, but I can tell f you want to catch a tigerfish caught a 15-pounder that took me well you we catch payara here in the rapids in Africa, I highly recommend into my backing on a downstream run mostly, but also in calm water to some Iyou hook up with a South Afri- before our guide pulled the anchor extent around sandbars. The really can company called Tourette Fish- and we followed it. exciting and as yet not fully devel- ing (www.tourettefishing.com). My I fly-fish for muskies a lot with 10 oped fishing here is in the lakes dotted wife and I fly-fished with Tourette wt. rods and 400-grain (and heavier) around the region. We still have a lot in Botswana on the Okavango River sink tips, so the physical demands to learn about that fishing. Our overall this past September, upstream of the of tigerfishing were no issue for me. best and most challenging fishing here renowned Okavango Delta. The tiger- However, some fly fishers who have is for payara, followed by our fishing fishing there peaks during the sharp- not fished for larger gamefish with for C. pinima peacock bass. The aver- tooth catfish run, which occurs as the sink tips may find the physical de- age size of the C. pinima we catch is floodwaters in the marshy areas along mands challenging. We used 9 wt. six pounds, but we do take them up the vegetated banks of the Okavango rods with 300- to 350-grain sink tips to 12 pounds, and they are known to River recede. Under such conditions, of 30 feet ( warm range upward of 26 pounds. As for the sharptooth catfish ferociously (an water Sonar lines). For tippet, I used our hosting traditional and fly anglers understatement) herd baitfish along 12 to 15 inches of 35-pound Knot 2 at the same floating lodge, that has not the papyrus and other vegetation on Kinky nickel titanium wire (www. led to problems of any sort. The two the river banks, and the fearsome aquateko.com; or www.wetieit.com), groups (fly anglers are still in the mi- tigers camp out among and near the which I attached to the butt of the nority here) meet at meal times, and catfish to terrorize the baitfish already leader with an Invisaswivel (available I have not detected any tension at all traumatized by the huge schools of on the same websites). Musky fly fish- between them. Maybe if our area were catfish. Simply put, it’s a “fish eat ing maestro Bill Sherer of Boulder small we would have problems, but it fish” world in the Okavango River, Junction, Wisconsin (www.wetieit. is not small by any means. This is a and the tigers are the top of the food com), introduced me to this excellent good area for adventurous fly anglers chain, at least in the piscine realm. tippet system and it worked very well

November 2016 -3- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT on tigers. Although I didn’t lose any ti- sist of sharp strips with short pauses. working team of Tourette guides on the gers due to the wire tippet, one did cut Often, tiger strikes occur at the end of Okavango. In addition to Lionel Song, off the three-foot butt of my 40-pound the strip, contributing to many missed we fished with Stu Harley and Johann fluorocarbon leader by making a slash- hookups. It pays to remain anchored du Pree, all South Africans. These ing turn shortly after being hooked. even after the catfish chaos has passed guides compared favorably with any I purchased a box of tiger flies from you by, as tigers will linger in the area I’ve fished with anywhere in the world. Tourette and caught fish on several of mopping up dazed and terrified bait- They also prepare a delicious shore their Clouser-style flies. I also landed fish. lunch. several on a downsized version of Bill Another technique, in addition If you decide to take this trip, Sherer’s Figure 8 musky fly, which I to beating the banks, is to drift down- be sure you plan to spend some time tied myself. stream, fishing both sides of the main viewing the astonishing wildlife of the A recurrent scenario on the Oka- river channel in the general vicinity of Okavango Delta and nearby areas in vango during the catfish run is you the catfish runs. This technique works Botswana. The Okavango Delta is the will hear the chaos of huge schools of largest inland river delta in the world. catfish herding baitfish on or very near Here are just some of the highlights of the surface of the water, each catfish our stay at Wilderness Safari Camps producing a loud “pop, pop, pop” as (www.wilderness-safaris.com): see- he slams the papyrus reeds and other ing/hearing a dominant male lion roar vegetation with his tail. You will see continually at dusk for 10 minutes; the papyrus reeds literally swaying to watching a mother leopard defend her and fro in the water from the impact of newborn cub from a highly poisonous the catfish tails slapping them. In addi- puff adder snake; watching a honey tion, you will often see large numbers badger spend 10 minutes digging a of egrets and fish eagles diving into scorpion out of the sand for a tasty or landing amid the melee. Typically, snack; watching a mother lioness nurse your guide will anchor the boat 10 to her cub; seeing the aforementioned 25 feet off the bank where the chaos is when the baitfish have been herded alpha male lion mate with a lioness occurring, or just up- or downstream out of the papyrus and into open water three times in a half-hour span; seeing from it, depending on which direction by the sharptooth catfish. One of our rare white rhinos; and much more. I the catfish run appears to be headed. guides, Lionel Song, said this tech- documented the wildlife and their be- Then, you make short, accurate casts as nique offers your best shot at a double- haviors with more than 2,000 photos. close as possible to the bank, following digit tiger on the Okavango. My nine- We ended our trip at Victoria Falls in up each cast with two to three mends pounder, I should note, was not caught Zambia, which was much diminished in your fly line to allow the sink tip to that way; it struck my fly the instant by a multiyear drought. All considered, get down. The goal is to fish down and it hit the water very close to the bank. we regard this trip as one of our finest, across, swinging all the way to straight Tourette Fishing also offers tigerfish- truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure! — downstream. Tiger strikes can happen ing in Tanzania and I have it on good William D. Turner. at any point in the process, but often authority that the tigers there run larger Postscript: Turner says he booked his occur at the end of the swing or during than they do in the Okavango River. trip through Frontiers Travel (www. the retrieve. Your retrieve needs to con- I can’t say enough about the hard- frontierstravel.com).

Briefly Noted Things to Do . . . Places to Go . . . New Developments „„ We’ve warned you repeatedly that ternational Airport in Tokyo: “Several of us were in Japan for a you should never count on being able to “I have recently returned from a week of touring when we received word carry on any kind of fishing equipment taimen trip in northern Mongolia on the from our outfitter, Dan Vermillion of when you are flying internationally. Or Eg River. We were eight anglers. About Sweetwater Travel (www.sweetwater- domestically for that matter. You sim- eight years ago I was medically evacu- travel.com), that late-summer rains had ply have to have some kind of backup ated out of Ulaanbaatar having suffered blown out the river. It was dropping and plan in place that allows you to check a heart attack on my way to the river, clearing, but still marginal. The good everything. Witness what happened to but that is a different story. I was now news was that the weather forecast was subscriber William A. Douglass recently back to remount the horse, as it were, promising. Still, it was his recommen- during two airport transits of Narita In- after having been bucked off. dation that we reschedule for later in the

November 2016 -4- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT month of September or next season. bags each. She did so and our maybe hamas!), Italy has a lot to offer in the “While we had the offer of a full four- or five-pound case cost us 20,000 way of saltwater fishing. No, we do not rain check, we were reluctant to change yen, or nearly $200, to check. He had have any flats-type fishing. Our fishing our plans. So, it was our decision to no choice but to pay, as we were run- is more like that found along the north- proceed, and indeed the fishing proved ning out of time. As we boarded our eastern coast of the United State. There difficult. We probably landed 20 taimen, plane we had the proverbial salt rubbed is some surfcasting, but predominantly a few pike, and uncounted numbers of into our wounds when a fellow passen- our saltwater fishing is done by boat, lenok and grayling. Fortunately, every- ger placed his identical rod case in the chasing pelagic species, that is, fish that one caught at least one taimen. Our big- overhead bin above his economy-class live neither close to the bottom nor near gest was a hefty 46-inch beauty with a seat. the shore. 19.5-inch girth. The camp staff, guides, “When I got home I wrote a pretty Saltwater fly fishing in Italy and food were all sensational. irate letter to American Airlines, under- emerged only about 15 years ago when “The real point of this contribu- scored by the fact that I am a permanent a small group of Italian fly angling tion is to share with Angling Report Platinum member in their frequent- enthusiasts started sharing information subscribers our bizarre experiences in flyer program, having flown two million about places to launch and where to find Tokyo’s Narita International Airport as miles with them. I mentioned that I rental boats and appropriate fly-tying a contribution to the ongoing discussion planned to write this letter to the An- supplies. Initially, saltwater fly fishing of airline regulations regarding fishing gling Report and hoped they would get was viewed by many anglers as a way gear. My brother John and I had four back to me sooner than the six to eight to extend their fall fishing season, which rods in the standard 36-inch rod car- weeks minimum delay for resolution closes in some regions (such as Friuli) rier that I have traveled with all over the that they mentioned on their website. at the end of September. Eventually, world for the last 30 years. On only two though, some anglers became complete- occasions have I been forced to check it. ly dedicated to the salt, abandoning all Mark Echeverria was carrying a similar their previous pursuits in freshwater. At case. We all made it to Narita with our this point, after several years of learning rod cases in the overhead bin. No prob- their home waters, Italy has a few pro- lem. John and I were flying business fessionals who can offer visiting anglers class on a direct Japan Airline flight a very high success rate on saltwater from Dallas. A week later, when we at- fishing outings. tempted to clear security in Narita, both While there is good fishing on John and Mark were made to open up almost the whole Italian coastline, at the cases and take every rod piece out of the moment there are only four specific its sleeve. While a bit of a hassle, it was places where saltwater fly fishing is no big deal, and we were then allowed well organized. The first I will mention to carry our rod cases onto the MIAT is the Rapallo-Portofino area east of flight from Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar. To their credit, three days later I re- Genova. As a teenager, before moving “Coming home we went through ceived an e-mail saying that the 20,000 to Milan, I lived a few years in Santa Seoul on our way to Narita–Los Ange- yen would be restored to John’s credit Margherita Ligure, about midway be- les–Reno. Again, we had no problem card. For us globetrotting anglers the tween Rapallo and Portofino, and I with the rods until Narita. We were in adventure doesn’t always happen on the kept going back there later in life, as transit and only scheduled to spend four water!” I had a boat moored there for a time. hours there, but we still had to go back Portofino is a spellbinding old fishing through a security check anyway. It was „„ We’ve reported quite a bit on the village turned into a seafarer’s luxury then that a supervisor stopped John and fishing available in Italy, but to destination. It is a wonderful place to measured the case, pronouncing it to be date we have never mentioned this stay if you are going to fish the Rapallo- too long according to airline and Narita country’s saltwater fly fishing. Frankly, Portofino area. International Airport regulations. He we didn’t know there was anything The second area where saltwater fly wavered back and forth on that point, worth writing about in that area. Enter fishing is well organized is the island of but was adamant that John follow him Claudio Tagini, our Italian correspon- Palmaria, an hour and half drive south- out of the secured area to an American dent, who just keeps on surprising us eastward by car. You could also say it is Airlines desk to check the rod case. with the things he comes up with. Here about 30 nautical miles east/southeast Although we were both flying business is what he calls a preliminary take on of Portofino. The mainland jumping-off class, John was told by the agent that Italian saltwater fishing. Enjoy! point is Porto Venere, at the end of the she had to charge him extra baggage be- With a coastline measuring 4,750 enchanting and world-famous “Cinque cause we had both already checked two miles (more than twice that of the Ba- Terre.” [Editor Note: Cinque Terre is an

November 2016 -5- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT area along the Italian Riviera coastline All of the above has created a 110 pounds. Local outfitters have the that consists of five villages. One can unique environment where this huge appropriate gear to tangle with these hike a scenic trail along the cliffside amount of silt-rich freshwater mixes behemoths. that links the villages.) The third fully with the salt of the Adriatic Sea. Large Another species you can go for in developed saltwater fishery is on the numbers of baitfish are drawn to the Po this area is false albacore. They show up other side of the country, south of Ven- Delta (as it is called) and they in turn near the coast, usually within 10 to 12 ice, at the broader delta area of the Po attract significant numbers of preda- miles of the shore, and sometime even River, the longest-flowing Italian body tor species. The Po Delta encompasses closer, from late April to the first week of freshwater. Continuing in a south- miles and miles of water, basically from of June. These fish average 15 to 17 ward direction, the fourth developed Venice to Ravenna. The Adriatic Sea, pounds, but they can easily reach more fishing area is in the Marche region to be sure, is fairly shallow. The point than 30 pounds. (pronounced “Markay”), specifically where the water begins to deepen signif- July is the month when drifting for between the cities of Pesaro and Anco- icantly is 12 to 24 miles offshore, and, giant-size bluefin tuna pays off. It is na. Here, there are substantial saltwater typically, it would be necessary to go not that difficult then to connect with fishing possibilities offered by profes- that far to find large pelagic predators. a specimen six feet long and weighing sional local outfitters. But here, because of the large amount more than 200 pounds. July is also the The two areas east of Genova are of silt-rich water and nourishment, large time to chase dolphinfish averaging 20 breathtakingly beautiful. They are also predators are quite often near shore, to 30 pounds, as this is the time they well known by wealthy international as close as two nautical miles from the approach the coast to spawn. In August, travelers. I will describe the fishing coast. The predators I am talking about the little dolphinfish already measure there, and in the area between Pesaro are large tuna, false albacore and others. six to 10 inches, and by mid-September and Ancona, but at another time. In this most of them measure upwards of 20 issue, I want to focus on the Po River inches. Later on (in October) small delta fishery, a one-hour drive south schools of 23- to 27-inch dolphinfish, of Venice. The Po River, as mentioned along with some larger ones, are found previously, is the largest river in Italy. It near floating debris. September through begins its 405-mile course in the Alps, November, but throwing in also De- not too far from the French border, in cember and January, is the time to find Piedmont, and flows through many im- schools of bluefin tuna surface feeding. portant cities, including Turin, Piacenza, This makes them accessible to fly fish- and Ferrara. It is connected to Milan ers as well as traditional anglers. through a network of channels called Regarding bluefin tuna, the Adriatic “navigli” mostly designed by Leonardo Sea has always been a nursery for this da Vinci back in the early 1500s. The magnificent predator, and the Po Delta Po collects all the south-flowing streams Fishing is good here all year long, area has produced many IGFA records. from the Alps and the Dolomites, with perhaps a slight lull in June and It is here, as a matter of fact, that speci- as well as the north-flowing smaller then again in February through the first mens weighing more than 800 pounds streams from the Apennines mountains week of March, mostly due to weather have been caught. About 30 years ago, of the Emilia Romagna region, creating conditions. The very best fishing starts the Japanese were flying helicopters a very substantial discharge of water, mid- to late March and continues here to find surface-feeding bluefin tuna much more, actually, than several other through the beginning of May. During schools, encircling them with huge nets. rivers twice its length. this time, bluefin tuna show up close Their population in the Mediterranean The vast amount of water the Po to the coast, along with schools of little Sea crashed and, consequentially, a contains has created disastrous floods tunny. The little tunny in this area weigh European law was set in place in 2008 in the past, causing folks living nearby as much as 30 to 45 pounds, with an to preserve this resource. Harvesting is to alter its course. As early as the year average of about 20 pounds. It is usually limited, but once the allotted number 1152, the river was diverted just north easier to catch these fish, and in greater has been taken is al- of Ferrara, to relieve floods around numbers, of course, with spinning gear, lowed. This limit was reached as early Ravenna. Many years later, among but this past year several fly fishing out- as July this year. Thanks to the new law, other major river diversions, the power- ings brought in a 20-fish count. For the bluefin tuna are making a very strong ful Republic of Venice literally moved little tunny an eight-foot rod rated to comeback in the entire Mediterranean the natural northern estuary’s branch accommodate a 12 wt. line is recom- Sea. slightly to the south, so its heavy, silt- mended. As for the bluefin tuna, the Anyone interested in fishing the rich outpouring wouldn’t affect Venice’s problem with them is their large size. Po Delta will find diverse lodging. Ev- lagoon. In this area, they easily reach 80 to erything from minimalist motels (often

November 2016 -6- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT with trattorias, which typically serve lo- „„ Now, here is a fishing travel devel- area, and it was indeed just that. Our cal specialties) to small furnished apart- opment we would like to get a subscrib- report on a summertime trip to Bay of ments to three-bedroom villas are avail- er report on. It’s the upcoming series of Pigs spoke of hundreds of schools of able. For small groups desiring a more Orvis trips to Cuba (www.orvis.com/s/ bonefish pouring through a pass on their sumptuous stay, there is a romantic orvis-hosted-trip-to-cuba/14246). The way to deeper water as the summer sun 13th-century Gothic-style castle in the first trip will have already taken place heated the water above the comfort level area you can rent. It comes with a park by the time you read this, and another of bonefish. It was such a spectacle that and pond. Nearby attractions include will be right around the corner, Novem- it caused our reporter to just put down Venice, Palladian villas, and a number ber 13, followed by one on December his rod and gaze in amazement. of charming small cities. 3, and then quite a few through April Therein lies our keen interest in the Earlier, I mentioned that some Ital- 2017. The fishing venue will not be first Orvis trips. It will give us, we hope, ian fly fishermen have become addicted one of the current glamour spots, such our first report in many years on the to saltwater fly fishing. One of them is as Jardines de la Reina, but Ciénaga de larger Bay of Pigs fishery. The reduced Alberto Galeazzo. He was originally Zapata National Park, relatively close to fishery that has been fished by poled a client of mine. I organized his first Havana. guides has not enjoyed good press for Alaska steelhead fly fishing trip in late Ciénaga de Zapata National Park obvious reasons: You can only pole a April 2001. Alberto, who was already encompasses the Bay of Pigs and the skiff so far in one direction before you quite an accomplished fly , fishing spot is often simply called the have to start fishing for the day. Too not only caught nice steelies, but also Bay of Pigs, though it is far larger than much pressure on too small an area has further refined his skill with tarpon and the historically important shallow area had its impact on the fishery. And the other large tropical fish. It was in the where an anti-Castro force stormed boring nature of an all-day poled trip tropics that he got addicted to saltwater has turned off many visiting anglers. fly fishing. He is my most important How much fun is it, after all, to just sit collaborator in the area of Italian salt- there for two or more hours before your water fishing. I will be glad to put you guide invites you to cast for the first in touch with him as part of a trip I put time? together for you.—Claudio Tagini. So, our first question about the up- Postscript: As we have mentioned be- coming Orvis trips is about the quality fore, Claudio is an agent for fishing and of the fishing on tap. We think Orvis cli- general interest tours, and we don’t usu- ents have a treat in store, and we want ally publish reports from agents. Over to be among the first to trumpet that. We the years, our decision to break our own also want to know how the guides are rules about this in his case have been negotiating the shallow part of Bay of vindicated by having never received Pigs called Las Salinas. That is the area a complaint about anything he has that was closed to motors after we re- done for Angling Report subscribers. ashore some 50 years ago. It is worth ported on serious propeller scarring in a Clearly, he knows more about Italian noting that the shallowness of the area number of areas after our long-ago trip. fishing than anyone we know, and he is important to the upcoming series of We understand careful attention is being combines that with a wide knowledge of fishing trips, just as it was to the invad- paid to this matter, and we are eager to Italian history and culture. He can find ing force a half century ago. The invad- understand what is going on. any level of lodging you are interested ing force apparently had to disembark The other thing that interests us in and put together for you a guide to (and wade) much farther from shore about the upcoming Orvis trips is the activities, restaurants, and many other than planned, making it more vulner- quality of the non-fishing activities that things (besides fishing) that will make able and giving the Castro forces more will be included in all of the itineraries. your mind reel. We would dearly love time to react. As for the impact of that These activities of a cultural nature are to get a report on this fishing. If you get shallowness on the sportfishing there, obligatory under current American law. in touch with Claudio and book a trip, until recently, the national park banned Some trips to Cuba by other organiza- be sure you file a report. You can get in the operation of skiffs, directing guides tions have included uninteresting activi- touch with him at: wetawa2015@gmail. that they had to use poled craft only. ties, but not the Orvis trips. The planned com or [email protected]. Just be Here at The Angling Report, we activities include a visit to a classic aware that he conducts his bookings in fished Bay of Pigs before the motor ban car restoration garage and a visit to the the European manner by levying a fee took place. That gave us access to some Hemingway House, where the author’s on the customer, not by taking a com- of the best bonefishing flats in the world storied boat, Pilar, is kept carefully mission from the service provider. in terms of numbers. We called Bay housed beneath an outdoor structure. of Pigs back then a marvel of a fishing This is the real Pilar, not a replica.

November 2016 -7- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT Those two visits are in addition to pri- I highly recommend the site to anyone orado, a membership organization that vate musical performances and other headed to Europe on a fly fishing trip. provides access to uncrowded fly fish- more usual activities. It was by pure accident that I ing in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wy- If you are going on one of these stumbled on a short mention of the fight oming. Well, here is a trip report from Orvis trip, you can weigh in at: doncau- that alienated the US and European fly subscriber Timothy Welch that gives [email protected]. fishing organizations, leaving scars and the organization a ringing endorsement. acrimony that appear to still exist some Thanks, Tim, for checking in. „„ The fly fishing community is a 10 years later. At the risk of having “Imagine for a moment an invita- gentlemanly group, right? Calm of overblown this fight, here is the account tion to fish a stretch of private water demeanor. Open-minded. Conservation- I read of the conflict: on the Yampa River just 15 minutes oriented. Attentive to other points of “In 2006, the FFF attempted to from Steamboat Springs. Add to this view. Well, yes and no. Like any other force their affiliated European partner a perfect October day with every as- group, fly fishermen can be cranky and FFF–Europe—which was then indepen- pen and cottonwood in full color, and pushy, even unforgiving. dent—to exclusively apply the Ameri- water levels low enough (112 cfs) that I’ll tell you in a moment why I say can standards of flycasting instruction freshmen fishermen could work out this. But let me preface that revelation (which are not up to the same standards where the trout ought to be. This rare by telling you a story a good friend as the instruction offered in Europe) in opportunity was made available to me once told me about two organizations their instructors’ tests, and to submit through the Rocky Mountain Angling (the watch and clock societies) he rep- all revenue from examinations and Club (RMAC), a fly fishing membership resented as a lobbyist in Washington membership fees to the American FFF, organization that includes the Holloran at one point in his career. What those stating that any failure to comply with Ranch waters as part of their portfolio groups could have wanted from legisla- of 46 private ranches and properties tors is a mystery to me, but what truly throughout three western states, the boggles my mind is what happened most being in Colorado. to that part of my friend’s client base. “Along with two friends, we left Seems the watch and clock societies got our rented condo for a 15-minute ride into a knock-down fight so serious they to a streamside parking spot just 100 both canceled their contracts with him steps from the water. We arrived about because they didn’t want to be repre- 9 AM in plenty of time to be on the sented by the same firm in Washington. water before the sun peeked out above Watches and clocks in a fight. Go figure. the surrounding colorful mountains That story is an apt way to intro- that are laced with ski runs. Our strat- duce you to the shocking fact that Fly egy was to walk about two miles to Fishing Federation, the US organiza- the bottom of the property so we could tion, not so long ago got into a fight these requests would invariably lead to fish upstream all day long. Armed with with what was at that point its European expulsion and subsequent denial of right excellent advice and flies from the very offspring, Fly Fishing Federation–Eu- to any future use of the name, logo, or talented and friendly staff at the Steam- rope. I discovered this while I was fact- make any reference whatsoever to the boat Flyfisher (www.steamboatflyfisher. checking one of Italian correspondent FFF. Since the former FFF–Europe com), we spread out and started the day Claudio Tagini’s recent reports. My members felt that they neither need nor leapfrogging our way upstream. We efforts took me to the European Fly want supervision from across the Atlan- chose to fish mostly with nymphs: a #16 Fishing Association website (www.effa. tic, and that European funds should re- pheasant tail imitating mahoganies or a info/en), the organization that replaced main in Europe, they decided to form a #20 Barr’s Emerger and #20 Juju Baetis Fly Fishing Federation–Europe after new, independent, and strictly European imitating blue-winged olive mayflies. A its fight with FFF. Intrigued at some of organization—the EFFA.” two-fly dropper setup was all I was able the subject headings, I began to click I won’t even venture a guess as to to handle comfortably, but my partner, around the site with an eye toward pos- who is right or wrong in this matter, but Mark, fished a three-fly nymph arrange- sibly recommending the site as a source I will entertain others’ views of that if ment with greater success. We all used a of information for US anglers who they are in a position to say anything new ‘indicator’ (come on, in this day of want to fish in Europe and have no idea substantive. Personally, I am going to overdone political correctness, let’s call where to start looking for help. Maybe file this under watches and clocks and a bobber a bobber) called an ‘air lock.’ EFFA has an instructor program, I rea- just go fishing more often if I can. This is a clever new gadget that allows soned. And, maybe, they would be open easy and accurate depth changes. Plenty to queries from US anglers. Both of my „„ We have told you before about the of BB-size split shot kept our bugs suppositions were correct, by the way. Rocky Mountain Angling Club) in Col- down where the big fish were feeding.

November 2016 -8- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT Steamboat Flyfisher had advised us to my pheasant tail (no weight, no dropper, Shop in Redding, California (www. vary depth and weight more often than no bobber) immediately after it hit the theflyshop.com). After that report fly patterns, and this advice proved use- water, and it was like I had hooked the was edited, I received word from J. W. ful. fly to the bumper of my departing Jeep. Smith of South American Fly Fishing “Brown trout were in full spawn, Veni, vidi, vici! Repeating the process (www.southamerican-flyfishing.com) so we carefully avoided redds, but we with a #18 Purple Parachute produced of still another place. It is not a lodge, fished below their spawning areas with one nice 20-inch brownie that I got but an almost-new destination for one eggs, for the most part to no avail. It to touch. But that was it. I was really of River Plate’s mobile camps. The river was a nice retreat from the elaborate baffled by what was going on, but my in question is a remarkably clear and multiple-fly setups, and made for excit- partner said the Yampa is known for this shallow stream called Rio Kaborí. The ing drifts through shallow, wide riffles. difficult hatch behavior, and I should river can rightfully be called “almost Most of our big fish (15 to 22 inches) not punish myself for the minimal suc- new” because it has been test-fished by were taken from deep, fast tailouts or up cess. a group or two and by yours truly, who against swift, deep cutbanks with loom- Fishing aside, there is another went along on an exploratory during a ing trees or overhanging grass. We had reason the Yampa is a special place period when the river was known to be bugs hatching all day, even in the bright to fish. Nearby Steamboat Springs is fishing poorly. The point of the trip was sunshine, though it was a predominately famous for what American ski and to take a look at the unusual clear-water overcast day with intermittent drizzle, snowboard filmmaker Warren Miller lagoons and shallow flats. Indeed, more so conditions were ideal for big hatches once called snow riding, and if a person than one of the lagoons had the look and bigger fish. timed it right, he or she could fly-fish and feel of a saltwater flat. Standing up “We lost lots of gear dredging the and snowboard or ski on the same trip! in the skiff you could see everything bottom and in the overhanging brush, that moved within a hundred yards or so having plenty of the right flies was more. No, there were not many fish critical. Using #20 flies and 5X and 6X around (it was too late in the season), fluoro posed double trouble for me; I but had there been, it would have been had to sit down, grip the flies with for- a thrill—and a real sight-fishing chal- ceps, and make wild fluoro stabs at the lenge—to fish for peacock bass in a eyelets. My average was something like lake that shallow and shimmering clear. one in 20 tries, but like life in general, As for the river itself, there were long persistence is way more valuable than stretches of what also looked like bone- brainpower. Now and then one of my fish flats. These areas lend themselves partners would come by and take pity to quiet floats, no motor, no paddling, on me and help out. no bumping the bottom. Indeed, on an “We fished with 9-foot 5 wt. rods, otherwise uneventful trip, I had two perfect for the size and power of these opportunities I will never forget on the athletic fish. We had plenty of oppor- Spas, natural hot-springs, microbrew- Rio Kaborí to float inexorably toward tunity to ‘high-stick’ the holes, so our eries, restaurants, and shopping make sighted fish, struggling to contain an longer rods worked well. Mark carried this location perfect for the full fam- outbreak of buck fever. One of those a second rod set up with streamers, ily. There is also plenty of wonderful fish was a huge butterfly that tore the mostly a Hale Bop Leach, and another public water, some of which flows right river up and caused me to fall off the outrageous mad-clown streamer I think through town. If you are lucky enough boat like an amateur. No harm done: the was called Circus Peanut. A couple of to know someone who is a member of water was only two feet deep. fish made suggestive passes, but failed the Rocky Mountain Angling Club, ask Here is how J. W. Smith describes to make a deal. to be invited as a guest. If not, consider the Kaborí: “This virtually untouched “Late in the day I encountered a becoming a member. RMAC is not an clearwater fishery above the forks of pool above a tailout, just below the expensive, snooty organization by any the Rio Xeriuni and Rio Novo has railroad bridge that crosses the Yampa means. You can get more details at: many shallow bars and turns, white at the downstream end of the Holloran https://rmangling.com/. Or call them at beaches, and deep pools. It is ideal for property. Here, dozens of big fish were 303-421-6239 and ask for Jimmy. sight fishing. Over the last two seasons slurping, tailing, porpoising, rolling our exploratory fishing in February and and finning me with impunity. I worked „„ Don Causey writes: Elsewhere in March produced good numbers, and we them in a frenzy, muttering to myself this issue, there is a report on a new saw many trophy peacock bass. The key and at them, doing the impossible area that has opened recently to fly fish- to accessing this pristine area is our new change-of-fly routine a dozen times. I ing in the Brazilian Amazon, namely, shallow-draft tunnel boats. We plan to connected twice. The first hog slammed Ecolodge da Barra, booked by The Fly position our floating barge camp above

November 2016 -9- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT the equator on the Rio Xeriuni (a prov- is Evan Muskopf of Feathercraft (www. three of the big fish were caught by one en fishery) and fish up from there. We feather-craft.com), who called the ex- angler, using a fly rod. In all, the three may overnight at an out-camp to enable perience “unreal” in a report he issued fly fisherman and four conventional us more time to fully explore this new afterward. “In February 2015 our group fishermen on our trip caught over 1,000 fishery. The prime time to fish this river fished the Xeriuni River, and every fish for the week. We had such a good is December to February. Cost, includ- aspect of the trip exceeded our expecta- time, we are returning in January 2017.” ing floatplane access and overnight in tions. We caught some smaller fish, too You can get more details on this Manaus, is $5,550.” many four- to seven-pounders to count, trip from J.W. or Dawn Smith of South One angler who took part in an a handful of eight-pounders, a few over American Fly Fishing at 800-534-1180. exploratory trip to the Xeriuni, which ten, two 16-pounders. One 17-pounder E-mail: jw@southamerican-flyfishing. is the lower end of the Kaborí fishery, was the largest taken on our trip. All com.

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 newslet- ter 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 website, www.anglingreport.com, and clicking on “File a Report.” For details about how to do custom searches for Angler Network Reports on our website, see page 2 of this issue. „„ Subscriber David Harris has good morning she had sandwiches packed miliar with swinging a fly with a things to say about his trip to Kalum for our lunches. We were free to add Spey rod. It takes time and practice River Lodge (www.kalumriverlodge. fruit, cookies, candies, and such as to learn how to do that. The staff here com) in the Skeena region of British we wished. This is a first-class opera- will teach you how to do this, but be Columbia this past August. He says tion. There was no skimping whatso- aware that the learning curve is very he was mostly in search of steelhead, ever. If you needed something from different from that of spin tackle or but he also caught silver salmon, town, that was no problem. My three traditional fly tackle. chum salmon, and sockeyes by float companions and I have been to lots of “I’m not saying there is anything fishing and wade fishing utilizing lodges, and all four of us will attest bad about this. It’s just a different both Spey and spin equipment. He to the fact that we have never been kind of fishing. Anglers at the lodge is pleased with the fishing, but he from Scotland and the UK did very reserves his most positive comments well while I was there, and I did for the people he met and for the not do badly really. I am sure there countryside around Terrace, British are good fish here, as we saw fish Columbia. He writes: and pictures of fish that were in the “The scenery of the drive from 20-pound class. A fish that big in fast Terrace to the lodge is mind-blowing. water is a real catch. In that regard, And the people were wonderful—like the Skeena is a glacial river. It has small-town rural America used to be. that blue glacial look to it. Overall, Everyone was so helpful, even the this was a wonderful experience. I people at the Best Western and the would give it five stars!” Hertz Rental Car agency. If you go on this trip, you have to go early and rent „„ We’re indebted to subscriber Ste- a car just to drive around. treated better. ven Pillsbury for word of a lodge in “The staff at the lodge was won- “I am not very mobile. But the the Northwest Territories of Canada derful, too. Check-in that first night staff helped me as needed on the that is completely new to us. It’s was supposed to be at 7 PM, but I ar- rocks and with getting dressed in Kasba Lake Lodge (www.kasba. rived early and called the lodge. They and boots. I particularly liked com), and it is located just north of invited me to a barbecue, which cer- the fact that no one ever rushed us the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border tainly wasn’t part of the package and here to get up early or return to the on a 55-mile-long lake that gives the wasn’t expected. The lodge manager, lodge at a set time. The only issue I lodge its name. Pike, lake trout, and Deanna Taylor, is a gourmet cook. had here was learning how to catch grayling are the target species. Only Her salads were to die for and every fish. My problem was not being fa- guests of the lodge fish the lake, and

November 2016 -10- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT they do so on a catch-and-release spray. caught some beautiful salmon that basis. Clients reach the lodge via a “We had no problems on this trip ranged in size from 35 to 42 inches private charter that originates in Win- at all. The highlights were sight fish- long. In fact, I averaged three to four nipeg and lands on a dirt airstrip right ing to very large pike, watching the per day. They fought hard with lots next to the lodge. The nearest road to guide cook shore dinner the first day, of jumps. I fished mostly with my the lodge is 150 miles away. wading the river for grayling, and own smelt imitation flies, which are Pillsbury says he and his son hooking some very large lake trout also sold at the lodge and at Freder- fished at Kasba Lake Lodge this past while downrigging. My son is 12, and icton Outfitters, In Fredericton, New July, taking all three of the offered he found the trip thrilling. The com- Brunswick. species from the lake and from a bined cost of our trip, with a one-day “As for Country Haven Salmon river that flowed into the lake. They extra fly-out, was $7,575.” Lodge, it’s a great place to stay and also fished an unnamed water on an fish. Byron is a terrific host and optional one-day fly-out. “We caught „„ Subscriber Barry Leeds has Derick did well again this year as lots of small and medium pike, with checked in with reports on two trips my guide under difficult conditions. several large ones in the 40-plus-inch that are a bit out of the ordinary. The After three days of brutal weather, range mixed in,” he writes. “We also first was what he calls an affordable my aging body just couldn’t take the saw, hooked, and lost some very large Atlantic salmon trip to the Southwest strain, so I called my wife (who is a pike we estimated at close to 50 inch- Miramichi River in New Brunswick, travel agent) and told her to get me es. We caught lake trout in the six- out of there. Byron’s wife drove me pound range and lost bigger ones. The to the airport the next morning and largest we landed weighed 22 pounds. I was back in sunny warm Florida The grayling we caught were average for dinner. One nice thing about the size, but several ranged upwards of lodge policy is that they will pick you two and a half to three pounds. up at the airport and drive you back “We fished almost exclusively there at the end of your trip. Spring from an 18-foot open boat by cast- Atlantic salmon fishing is a ritual for ing to the shore, by , and me, and this was the first time in 14 by downrigging. There were some years that weather forced me out. The opportunities to wade-fish at times lodge rate for room, board, and pri- while shore lunches were being pre- vate guide and boat was a reasonable pared and when we fished the river. $400 per day because of the favorable I used a 9 wt. Loomis GLX with a exchange rate.” Rio Pike Line for and a Rio Outbound Short F/I for trolling. For Canada. No, this was not a typical fall „„ Barry Leeds says his second re- grayling I used a Fenwick HMG 5 wt. trip; it was a spring trip in late April cent trip was to Lake George in the with an SA GPX floating line. The to Country Haven Salmon Lodge Adirondack Mountains of New York. flies that worked best were Half-and- (www.miramichifish.com/fishing. He went there in early August to deep Halfs and Clousers, 1/0 to 3/0. Red/ html). Leeds says he has been making troll for landlocked Atlantic salmon. white and yellow/brown seemed to annual trips here for the last 14 years, “Lake George is my former home be the most effective colors. There and almost all of them have produced water,” he writes. “It is a 200-foot- was no surface action, so my poppers strong, high-jumping salmon. “Re- deep, 32-mile-long clear lake created stayed in the box. My son used lodge- ports that we received from opening by glaciers way before my time. It supplied spinning and trolling gear. day and week were great,” he writes, has a warm water and cold water fish- “The weather was abnormally “but things started to slow down one ery. The warm water species include warm the first two days we were at or two days before I arrived on April smallmouth and largemouth bass, the lodge, and that put the fish down 22nd for five days of fly fishing. Air which can be caught on bait, jigs, and deeper than usual. We were still able and water temperatures got colder streamers. to find fish, however. A strong wind each day I was there. The water level The cold water species are lake the last two days turned the water started dropping, too, and so did the trout, landlocked salmon, and rain- over and improved the fishing. The number of hook-ups I was getting. We bow trout. Anglers seeking bass can water in the shallows is clear and al- fished three days with wind gusting fish on their own with a trailered or lows for sight fishing. Insects were upwards of 40 mph and temperatures rented boat. For deep-water trolling, not a problem while we were on the just above freezing. It was so difficult I recommend Capt JJ’s Rodbender water, but while we were onshore and to fly cast at times that I was forced Charter (www.captjj.com); interested at camp we wore head nets and bug to back troll flies downstream. I still fellow subscribers need to note that

November 2016 -11- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT he books up early. He offers four- lowing day. Fly-outs in Beavers and ‘Gourmet’ is too soft a compliment hour, six-hour, and all-day charters. Otters are available. The standard six- to offer to the chefs. We feasted The salmon fishery has really come day fishing trip includes three fly-out on prime rib, beef tenderloin, fried back of late, with many five-, six- and trips, and you can arrange for more at chicken, shrimp, scallops, and king seven-pound landlocked salmon be- an additional cost. crab. Full breakfasts and sandwich ing caught. I was on a family vacation “The trip begins in Anchorage lunches were provided. Water, soft this year and only had time for a four- with a commercial flight to King drinks, and beer were also part of the hour charter, on which I caught salm- Salmon that is included in the over- trip package. Hard liquor was avail- on and rainbow trout. I also arranged all trip price. The lodge staff picks able for an additional cost. for a three-day pontoon boat rental you up in King Salmon and flies you “Weather during our trip was un- from Bolton Landing Boat Rentals. on to the lodge, which is only a few usually warm and clear with highs in We caught lots of bass up to five minutes away. We caught 20 to 30 the 70s and lows in the 50s. We fished pounds. I forgot to mention that Capt. in shorts on some days. Normally, JJ can also book fishing packages weather here is rainy and cooler with motel and cabin rentals includ- than it was during our stay. This was ed. He also offers nightly bass char- truly the trip of a lifetime—a genuine ters that are popular. Lake George is bucket-list trip. The fly-outs through about four hours from New York City mountain passes and over vast wil- and/or Boston and about an hour from derness areas were spectacular. The Albany. The country is beautiful and planes were all piloted by veterans there are lots of other attractions in with extensive experience flying in the Adirondacks, including fly fishing the bush. The staff at the lodge was in rivers and ponds. Enjoy!” exceptionally attentive to guests’ needs. Our staff massage therapist „„ Subscriber Jim Pimentel calls his was terrific.” trip this past August to Rapids Camp Postscript: Jim Pimentel gives the Lodge near Alaska’s Katmai National cost of his trip as $8,000, not includ- Park “a trip of a lifetime.” It was rainbow trout per day up to 30 inches, ing his flight to and from Anchorage. booked for him by Fly Water Travel Dollies up to 20 inches, and grayling The only complaint he has about the (www.flywatertravel.com). He writes: up to 14 inches. Fishing was a mix of entire experience is the lodge recom- “Rapids Camp Lodge is an amaz- wading and float trips on the larger mendation on departure day that he ing lodge tailored to the fly angler rivers. We used tackle provided by not arrange a flight out of Anchorage who wants all of the t’s crossed for the lodge. We enjoyed the fly-outs to until after 4 PM. He says it turned out him so he can simply decide where various rivers where large rainbow that he arrived in Anchorage at 10:30 and for what he will fish each day. trout could be found stacking up be- AM and could have made earlier Indeed, the lodge manager here sits hind the spawning sockeye, king, and flight connections. “I had to overnight down with you each evening and de- chum salmon. in Anchorage because of the 4 PM termines what you want to do the fol- “The food was spectacular. recommendation,” he says.

And Finally... Going Solo at Royal Wolf Lodge by James Aylsworth Editor Note: Ever thought about go- boy I was in 1974 going off to college potluck on my choice of a roommate ing to a big-name lodge by yourself? for the first time. Indeed, this was for a week. Would the really cool kids Taking a flyer on who your roommate to be my first overnight fishing trip let me eat at their table at dinner? will be? Here’s a story about that going solo. But I had heard so much I actually had buyer’s remorse with a happy ending. Enjoy! about Royal Wolf Lodge in Alaska as the date for my departure neared. his was not the usual fishing that I just had to go right away before Wasn’t my aging back already re- trip with friends and family to I had some reason why I couldn’t. minding me why I had signed up for TAlaska. This time I was travel- You know, health reasons, money rea- surgery in late September? Maybe the ing all by myself. The prospect left sons, time reasons, and so on. I knew whole thing was a mistake? me feeling like the young 17-year-old going solo meant I would be taking My thinking all changed as soon

November 2016 -12- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT as I arrived in Alaska. My flight there encounters with bears. Fortunately, ample. Head guide Dave Goodheart from Houston to Anchorage required the bears at that time are only inter- is a former host of the TV program a stop in Chicago. I arrived in An- ested in salmon. At least that is what Fly Fishing America on ESPN. An- chorage at night, but of course the the guide said to me while I almost other guide, Ryan Davey, filmed the sun was still up when I got to bed at wet my waders on the inside when I famous Trout Bum Diaries movies. the Homewood Suites near the air- made eye contact with a grizzly bear Scott O’Donnell, another guide with port. The next morning, I still had to only 20 yards away! Another time, a 20-plus years of experience, invented wait for the flight from Anchorage to sow and yearling cub stopped right in Skagit . Get my point? the lodge, so I did what all reasonable front of me and caught some salmon These guides are world-famous. tourists do in a city like Anchorage: and ate them so close to me I could The lodge can hold more than I hired a private guide. He showed hear the bones cracking in the fish. 14 guests, but they only take 12 at a me the highlights of Anchorage and As one guide told me, we are not time. Considering they have a staff of described the history of the area, afraid of the bears, but we respect 16, you can be assured of personal- including the major 9.2 earthquake them. ized service. Their single and duplex back on Good Friday, 1964. Oh, did In addition to bears, we also cabins overlooking their private lake I forget to mention the tour was all saw tundra swans, ducks, loons (they feature heat, running water, private on a Segway? I may have looked like serenaded us at night), grebes, arctic bathrooms with showers, lights, a goofball with my little helmet and terns, grouse, ptarmigan, sea birds, comfortable beds with quality linens, very big head, but it was fun, so don’t and eagles. Then there was the other and electric power (for people with knock it until you’ve tried it. big game we saw, some streamside, CPAPs, they can give you power 24/7 Afterward, I went to the lodge’s if needed). They even have a satellite private hangar across the street from phone and Internet you can use for a Anchorage International Airport. The small fee. Breakfast and dinner are 90-minute flight from Anchorage to excellent gourmet meals served in the the front door of the lodge was won- main lodge by a master chef. Lunches derful. What’s not to like about Alas- are served streamside by the guide kan wilderness, glaciers, and more? and always include a wonderful soup As I write this, I have just re- or stew kept in a thermos. Adult bev- turned from Royal Wolf Lodge. It is erages and hors d’oeuvres are served clearly one of Alaska’s finest fly-out at 6:30 PM, and then dinner is served operations. The beautiful lodge is an hour later. remote and strategically situated on some while our bush pilot was flying To be clear, I was not interested a 120-acre private holding within the low and slow over the tundra, such as in king salmon, silver salmon, sock- heart of Katmai National Park’s fin- caribou, fox, moose, wolverine, and eye salmon, chum salmon, Dolly Var- est trout waters. It sits on Novianuk others. den, arctic char, lake trout, northern Lake, which feeds the Alagnak River. One of the best features of Royal pike, or even grayling, which are all It is hard to beat the lodge’s location Wolf Lodge is not the usual stuff, found in these waters of the greater in relation to good fishing water. The such as richly appointed individual Iliana/Katmai region of Bristol Bay. week I was there we fished a number cabins, fine food prepared by an Been there done that. All I wanted of the region’s premier watersheds, executive chef, or even the Finn- to catch were the good old wild fish including the Moraine, Funnel, Bug ish sauna and spa with a massage we call rainbow trout, what my Latin Ku, Battle, Branch, Gibraltar, and therapist (although that is a very cool friends call Oncorhynchus mykiss. American, plus a secret water the feature), it is the fact that the staff Each day, I would catch over 20 rain- lodge asked me not to talk about. has the longest tenure of any lodge in bow trout, all over 15 inches, some Katmai National Park is most fa- Alaska. Seems the owners of Royal over 20 inches. My largest was 27 mous for Brooks Falls, of course. You Wolf Lodge, Chris and Linda Bran- inches long with a girth of 16 inches. have probably seen Brooks Falls fea- ham, are so good to their employees A lodge mate caught one a little big- tured many times on nature channels. that almost every one of them stays ger on the Kvichak River at Lake It is the waterfall in Alaska where around—they don’t take the better Iliamna near a small village called you see five to ten brown and grizzly offer for more money by the lodge Igiugig, Alaska. We caught almost bears catching salmon as they try to downriver. That means the lodge is all our fish on a small plastic egg swim upstream to spawn. The latest staffed with happy employees who pattern. As you know, trout follow count was over 2,200 bears in this not only have a real passion for their the salmon and then eat their eggs as four-million-acre park. As you might work, but also are very good at what they float down the river. Thus, you expect, every day there were multiple they do. Take the guides, for ex- “match the hatch” with a small, pink,

November 2016 -13- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT egg-type fly. Get this: We never used fished the same water twice; each When I landed them, four or five a net, even for the big ones. All were day was a new experience. Most days eggs would come spilling out of their expertly handled and released by we fished wadeable streams and riv- mouth. our guides, who lined the fish in and ers. The means of transport over the The only negative thing I should gently removed the barbless hook. In course of the trip included a jet boat mention is the arrogant microman- simple words, the guides “kept them on big water and rafts on the smaller agement I received from one of the wet,” which greatly improved the rivers. guides. It made me realize what my survival rate. I really appreciated the On our last day we hiked over an son put up with when it happened to way the guides protected their busi- hour and a half through mud, muck, him on a previous fishing adventure ness partners, the rainbow trout. and heavy tundra and brush to get to a in Colorado. As a fishing buddy put One day, in addition to some very remote river called –– (the place it, you know you are in trouble when grayling, I did catch three forms of is a lodge secret). How do I describe your guide says, “That cast is perfect. char: a lake trout, a Dolly Varden, and Now do it again but 15 feet further.” an arctic char. That’s worthy of note, My favorite is: “Sometimes fish are I think, even though they were not so aggressive they even take a fly the fish I was targeting. Also, since with a bad presentation.” For sure, too we were fishing all around migrating much attention from your guide can sockeye salmon, occasionally one of suck the fun right out of a good fish- them would bite, prompting me to say ing day. to the guide, “It is the wrong color As regards my worry about trav- (red).” At that point, he would simply eling by myself, which I mentioned line the fish in and gently release it at the outset of this report, Henry while saving the fly. Winkler got it right in his book, I’ve An important feature of the lodge Never Met an Idiot on the River. As was its use of Helio Courier float- he put it, fly fishermen are good folk. planes that don’t need as much take- tundra? Imagine three-inch-high shag I wound up making some new friends off and landing area as conventional carpeting thrown over a giant memory at the lodge. Plus, the owners treated floatplanes. This allowed us to fish foam mattress. Now, hike on that with me like family from day one. It was areas in Alaska where few, or no, oth- your waders, jacket, and fishing gear not awkward at all to be there alone. ers have ventured. Typically, once the for 90 minutes. Mind you, I am not Enjoy!—Jim Aylsworth. plane left us at a new river or stream, complaining. As I learned in college, Postscript: Aylsworth gives the cost we didn’t fly back to the lodge until those things worth obtaining are often of his trip, including the round-trip late afternoon, giving us eight to nine hardest to obtain. This water was no flight from Anchorage to the lodge, hours of world-class fly fishing. Each exception to that rule. That day we as about $9,000, plus tips. He says he day we would go with a different sight-cast all day to giant rainbow booked his trip through The Fly Shop guide, one that had experience on the trout gorging on salmon eggs. Each in Redding, California, www.thefly- water we would be fishing. We never one put on a great show once hooked. shop.com.

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November 2016 -14- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT

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November 2016 -15- Volume 29, Number 11 THE ANGLING REPORT

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November 2016 -16- Volume 29, Number 11