|
NEWSLETTER #15 -
AUGUST 2003
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE:
-
UPDATES ON SOME OF OUR
TOP DESTINATIONS – Fresh Water
-
UPDATES ON SOME OF OUR
TOP DESTINATIONS – Salt Water (bonefish, tarpon,
etc)
-
TOUGH “WORLD CLASS”
FISHING
-
BIG FISH STORIES
This is the fifteenth edition of our
monthly newsletter with updates on great fly fishing
venues and insights for our traveling fly fishers.
We want to help you match the right location with
your fly fishing goals and objectives and properly
prepare you to fully enjoy the experience. We’ve
been to most locations and pride ourselves on our
ability to research new sites. Whatever unbiased
information on timing and locations we can provide
comes at the same cost to you as booking direct –
i.e., no extra cost.
UPDATES ON SOME OF OUR TOP
DESTINATIONS AND A FEW NEW ONES – Fresh Water
North Platte:
Our early season space for the North Platte in
Wyoming is almost full. There is still room for two
fishermen April 10 – 13; and there are six spots
available from March 26 – April 4. That’s it for
this productive early season Rockies spot.
Dean River Steelhead – Summer
’04: Even though
this was a tough year on the famous Dean River,
virtually everyone has rebooked for next year
leaving limited space at Blackwell’s lower Dean
Lodge. We’re working on securing more prime time
space. If you want to be on the “waiting list” for
a spot, make sure I know of your interest.
Dean/Moose Lake Combo ’04:
John Blackwell only has one week each summer where
he splits the week between his Dean camp (front end
of the steelhead run and height of the king salmon)
and the excellent dry fly trout fishing available
from his sister lodge at Moose Lake. Last year this
week sold out by the end of August. Only can handle
six people max for this period, usually the first
full week in July.
Minipi River, Labrador:
This is the greatest brook trout fishery in the
world and my son, Scott, and I are booked to return
for our fourth trip there during the summer of ’04.
On our last three trips, we collectively released 61
brook trout that were weighed at 5+ pounds with a
top fish of 8¼#, almost all caught on the surface
with drys – that’s why we’re going back. As of now,
there is space remaining for four others to join us
for this special week.
New Zealand:
It’s a little late to be planning New Zealand for
the prime time in ‘04, but there are still
possibilities (frequent flyer miles space has been
gone for months). We’re sending over 25 people on
New Zealand trips in January and February, 2004, and
have experience with the great variety of ways to
approach a New Zealand agenda. This can vary from
the hard-core fly fishing version to a couples trip
with a non-fishing spouse (our specialty and one I
have lots of personal experience with).
Tierra del Fuego Sea Run
Browns: In checking
availability for some clients last week, I found
that there is still limited space available at some
of the quality Rio Grande lodges during the prime
giant sea run brown season….not much, but there is
still some space to be had.
Chile Combo – Andes and Fiords:
Similar in some ways to New Zealand (except that
frequent flyer miles are still working), this can be
a wonderful couples experience with a non-fishing
spouse or great for those looking for a fly fishing
adventure. Combining time fishing the traditional
Andes rivers and lagoons with the unique fiords
fishery is a good combination. We work with a
quality combo eco-tour/fly fishing lodge in the
Andes and the famous Puyuhuapi Hotel and Spa in the
fiords.
Kamchatka Float Trips:
We’re working with some of the original outfitters
who first explored Kamchatka in 1991 and conduct
limited trips each summer to this isolated Russian
peninsula. Their approach is a personal one and
each trip is for a small group only. We have some
of the best dry fly dates being held for us for the
summer of ’04.
Of course, we have our favorite
American West destinations on line as usual. Eastern
Idaho (Henry’s Fork Lodge; and Three Rivers Ranch
with their wonderful approach with couples and their
“ladies week” program), Montana (Smith River Float
Trip and other personally designed itineraries),
Oregon and Northern California.
(Videos
available for many of these fresh and salt water
destinations)
UPDATES ON SOME OF OUR TOP
DESTINATIONS – Salt Water (tarpon, bonefish, etc)
Belize Mothership Trips:
Fishing tarpon, bonefish, snook, and permit from the
comfort and convenience of the Meca or Seaduction
with captains Martin McCord and Charles Westby is a
great saltwater experience. Currently the Meca
(parties of three or four) has one week still open
in each of the following months: November,
December, January, March, May, and June – i.e.,
February, April and July are full. There is still
lots of space available from August on. The
Seaduction (parties of two) has slightly more
availability.
Christmas Island:
We have another Leland shop week scheduled at
Christmas Island. This remains one of the premier
bonefish and trevally locations in the world. Space
is still available for the week of March 8 – 15,
’04.
Flamingo Cay:
Of all the Bahamian bonefish destinations, this one
remains the most special. It’s “specialness” starts
with it’s location as the only lodge on the west
side of Andros (not even roads on the west side)
giving it access to productive, unpressured flats.
However, it’s the overall quality and uniqueness of
the operation that really makes it stand alone. We
are looking to put a Leland shop week together
hosted by Josh or me (or possibly both of us) for
April, ’04. This is not a budget trip and the price
matches the quality of the operation. Only five
spots would be available.
Crocodile Bay:
This is a top-notch Pacific Coast Costa Rica Lodge
that combines eco-tourism and fishing making it a
great family spot as well as offering a variety of
quality fishing experiences. The variety includes
offshore for sailfish and marlin, inshore for
rooster fish, jacks, etc. and jungle rivers for snook and snappers. They have different skiffs
available for all the different fishing venues and
good guides. We have had many great reports on the
overall operation and are making a personal trip in
early December this year. Four spots are still open
for that week if you want to join us.
Belize Villa:
A great family hideaway on Ambergris Cay, this air
conditioned 3000 square foot home is perfect for a
tropical family get-away. It can come equipped with
a cook and boat with captain for snorkeling, reef
fishing, etc.
We also have our usual connections in
Ascension Bay (Casa Blanca, Playa Blanca, and Boca
Paila), the Los Roques bonefish lodges, and a new
Bahamian Lodge with unlimited guided fishing.
TOUGH “WORLD CLASS” FISHING
“World Class” fly
fishing destinations don’t always provide a “world
class” fly fishing experience. The fishing gods see
to it that every so often, they stir the pot in a
negative way just to keep things unpredictable and
to remind us that we should treasure those times
when everything works right and the reputation a
certain destination has earned throughout the years
delivers on its promise. We’ve had some of those
examples recently. The famous summer run on the
legendary Dean has been fabulous the last few years
with prime weeks generating 30+ hook-ups per
fisherman. That is “world class” fishing when you
consider these are “fresh from the salt steelies”-
the large, hot fish that have made the lower Dean
famous. However, for reasons that baffle the
experts, this years run was way off and, even though
some great fish were taken (see Don Nelson under
“Big Fish”), it did not come close to expectancies.
The Minipi River in Labrador is world
famous for being the spot where five pound and
larger brook trout are taken on the dry fly.
Equally famous are the hatches that fill the air
during the prime hatch weeks. One of our groups was
there during prime time this summer and got blasted
by some of the unpredictable Labrador weather and,
even though almost everyone did take a five pound or
larger brookie on the surface, it certainly wasn’t
the overall experience that fishermen come from all
over the globe to capture.
BIG FISH STORIES
Don Nelson may earn the title of
“Leland Big Fish Champion of ’03.” First, he
released a nine pound rainbow in late March on the
North Platte. Then, even though conditions were
tough on the Dean this summer, Don managed a 37
inch, 23 pound fresh run “with the sea lice still in
place” steelhead which required a few chases with
the boat to secure.
Charles Stern
described his recent Belize trip on the Seaduction
with Josh Frazier and Eddie Howells as “a great
trip, have wonderful memories and caught a great
fish.” The great fish was a 17 pound permit hooked
with just a 25 foot cast while wading that took over
45 minutes of struggle to subdue (Charles got his
first permit on his first mothership trip in ‘02).
Seven permit were hooked on the trip and everyone
released one fish, with Charles’ the largest.
Either phone or drop
us an e-mail if you have questions or would like
more information about any of our destinations.
An enthusiastic traveling fly
fisherman,
Don Muelrath
Leland Fly Fishing Adventures
888-347-4896
flyfish@napanet.net
www.flyfishingoutfitters.com
e-mail Josh Frazier at
Josh@flyfishingoutfitters.com
If you want to be removed from our e-mail newsletter
list, just hit “reply” and let us know – you’ll be
removed immediately.
|
