|
NEWSLETTER #23 -
APRIL 2004
If you have access to Microsoft Word, open the
attachment above to see the information below in a
more “reader friendly” format.
Leland Fly Fishing Travel Newsletter – April, ‘04
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE:
-
WESTERN U.S./CANADIAN FLY FISHING DESTINATIONS
FOR THIS SUMMER
-
BUSH STREET SHOP DAY – THURSDAY, 4/1, CORPORATE
AND FAMILY TRIPS
-
DEFINING A “FANTASY DAY,” NEW ZEALAND STYLE
-
LELAND AMAZON TRIP FOR TROPHY PEACOCK BASS
-
FLY FISHING QUIPS AND QUOTES
-
FALL RIVER (NORTHERN CAL) CABIN AVAILABLE
-
TRIP REPORTS: BELIZE AND PATAGONIA
-
“PRIME TIME” FALL ‘04 BABINE RIVER STEELHEAD
SPACE
This is the twenty-third 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.
WESTERN U.S./CANADIAN FLY FISHING ADVENTURES FOR
THIS SUMMER
There is still space available at many of the great
destinations in the Western US and Canada for this
summer. However, now is the time to make plans and
reservations as many of the more popular
destinations will be full soon, if not already. For
long weekends, there’s choices that range from the
finest lodge in Northern Calif, the Clearwater House
in Northern California, to an overnight float trip
through the canyon of the South Fork of the Snake in
Eastern Idaho, near Jackson Hole. Eastern Idaho
also presents exciting, award winning destinations
such as Three Rivers Ranch and Henry’s Fork Lodge.
In Wyoming, the Platte River is one of the best
fisheries in the lower US as is the Missouri River
in Montana. For extended float trips, Montana’s
Smith River and the Blackwater in British Columbia
are great experiences with a strong following.
Colorado has Elk Creek Lodge, one of the finest
upscale properties and fisheries in the US. If it’s
a wilderness fly out adventure you’re looking for,
Moose Lake Lodge in BC has an interesting array of
waters teeming with native rainbow and cutthroat
trout. Also, there’s always the dependable, quality
operations in Alaska – both float trips and world
renowned lodges. Whether you’re looking for a
three or four day adventure or you have a week or
more, there’s many great choices throughout the West
awaiting you.
BUSH STREET SHOP DAY THIS THURSDAY – FAMILY,
CORPORATE, GROUP TRIPS
I’ll be in the Bush Street shop this Thursday from
11:00am til 6:00pm (other times by appointment).
There are two scheduled presentations at 12:30 and
5:00 on ideas for corporate and family trips. From
long weekends to week-long adventures, there are
many ways to plan an exciting outdoor experience
built around fly fishing for either experts or
newcomers just learning the sport. Whether it’s an
incentive/celebratory event, a board meeting with an
interesting dimension, a family gathering or a team
building agenda, there are many possibilities.
We’ll also have a scheduled presentation on Fly
Fishing Earth’s Pristine Destinations at 4:00pm.
Additionally, I’m available for individually
scheduled appointments to review any of our world
class fly fishing destinations – can have slide
presentations with me if requested in advance. Also
in the shop on Thursday will be Jamie Lyle
who will have the latest products from Sage, Galvan,
Tibor, Simms, Action Optics, and Scientific
Anglers.
DEFINING “FANTASY,” NEW ZEALAND STYLE
A fly fisher is always looking for that special
experience that creates the sort of memories that
are permanently etched in our memory banks (even
fading memory banks). Sometimes that experience has
a certain vista or sunset as a backdrop; sometimes
it’s a special fish or fishes, and sometimes, when
we’re very lucky, we get “it all” wrapped up in one
day. When those “fantasy days” happen in New
Zealand, it leaves memories that can’t be duplicated
anywhere else in the world. Usually it consists of
giant rainbows and browns taken sight fishing to
individual fish in crystal clear waters in
spectacular surroundings. Some of those early ’04
experiences reported in the last few weeks include:
Dr. George Singleton enjoyed a “fantasy” day on a
helicopter fly-out from Lake Rotoroa Lodge to a
river that has been called the “finest brown trout
river in the world” by several world traveling
anglers. Thirteen browns were released for the day,
all between 5.5 and 6.5 pounds. In our last
newsletter, I referenced a day I had on this same
river, a few days prior to Dr. Singleton’s, with
nine browns released with a total wt of 51.5
pounds. Hard to believe there are waters with
“cookie cutter” six pound browns!
Jim Taylor, on his second NZ trip, encountered lots
of inclement weather but managed to register a day
that captures the best of NZ. Fishing a small, gin
clear, spring creek beneath glacier capped peaks
with our favorite Kiwi guide, Jim took six browns on
dry flys, all over seven pounds!!!
Damian Hedley last year took a nine pound rainbow
during a fantastic week at Poronui Ranch (he wrote a
report on his overall experiences that was in the
newsletter a year ago and can be forwarded). This
year, he topped that with a giant twelve pound
‘bow!!
LELAND AMAZON TRIP FOR TROPHY PEACOCK BASS
Karl Kirbus, Co-manager of the Bush Street shop, is
leading a group of adventurers to the Amazon with
the primary target being trophy peacock bass. The
trip is scheduled for the “prime time” early in
’05. We have four spots remaining. If you’d like
more information, hit reply or contact Karl in the
SF shop.
FLY FISHING QUIPS AND QUOTES
“Fly fishing consists of a series of misadventures
interspersed by occasional moments of glory.”
Howard Marshall ’67
FALL RIVER (NORTHERN CAL) CABIN AVAILABLE
Leland’s is now representing a privately owned cabin
on the Fall River in Northern California. Upstairs
it has two beds and a bath; downstairs a cot and
sleeper sofa. The kitchen is well equipped, and the
refrigerator allows ample storage space for food and
wine. Maid service available. A dock with boat and
motor is just out the front door. Guide service can
come with a rental. If you’d like more details,
hit “reply” and let us know.
TRIP REPORTS: BELIZE AND PATAGONIA
How’s this for a
“fantasy” salt water flats fly fishing experience:
Greg Schurger, Paul Wilms, Bill Mink and Dennis
Gieffels were on a Meca trip with Martin McCord in
Belize a few weeks ago. Most of the week was spent
north of Belize City chasing bonefish, tarpon, snook,
etc. For two days, they moved the mothership south
to test some of the world’s most productive permit
flats. Only one of the group had ever taken a
permit prior to this trip. In two days, they
released seven permit to 15.5 pounds. Paul took his
second and third permit and Dennis got his first.
Greg set a Meca record for a “first permit”
experience releasing four fish, with three of them
taken during the same day!!
Last month, we published some reports from Patagonia
trips to our favorite area in the Andes. This
month, we have one more very favorable report from
Gordon Taylor, a seasoned, globe hopping fly
fisherman. Gordon reports this trip “was one of the
best places I’ve ever been, a truly superior
experience. It was a great lodge with fabulous food
and lots of good fishing with some fish in the 25+
inch range available. The scenery was magnificent,
the waters beautiful, and the owners/hosts were
gracious, caring and hard working.”
PRIME STEELHEAD SPACE – BABINE RIVER
Normally, the prime time space at the world class
steelhead lodges on the Dean and Babine are long
gone by this time of year. However, the tough
fishing this past year may have shaken out some of
the regulars who lock up this limited permitted
space each year (for unknown reasons, many of the
traditionally strong steelhead runs up and down the
BC coast were off in ’04). Available as of this
writing:
Babine Steelhead Lodge: This lodge has been closely
held in the past and not open to outside bookings.
This was mentioned in last months newsletter and we
have four spots remaining for the week of Oct 9 –
15.
LELAND-FRONTIERS AGENT AGREEMENT
In addition to the many great destinations that we
represent, Leland Fly Fishing Adventures also has an
agreement with Frontiers to represent all their
properties (many of which we already book
independently). If you are considering any of the
destinations that Frontiers offers, please give us a
call as it’s virtually the same process as booking
through Frontiers, and we need the “bonus points.”
And, we may have some personal experiences that can
add to your knowledge and preparations.
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.
|
