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NEWSLETTER #26 -
JULY 2004
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Leland Fly Fishing Travel Newsletter – July, ‘04
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE
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BUSH STREET DESTINATION DAY, WED, JULY 21 –
WINTER TRIP IDEAS
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TETON SPRINGS REPORT – FAMILY AND/OR GROUP
WESTERN OUTDOOR PARADISE
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DESTINATION OPENINGS: DEAN CANCELLATION, AUGUST
MINIPI TRIP, BABINE FALL STEELHEAD, DISCOUNTED
HOLIDAY DATES AT FAMOUS TIERRA DEL FUEGO LODGES
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TRIP REPORTS: FROM NEWCOMERS AND VETS ALIKE
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NEW BELIZE PACKAGE FOR ‘05
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FATHER’S DAY FANTASY STUFF
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QUIPS AND QUOTES
This is the twenty-sixth 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.
BUSH STREET SHOP DESTINATION DAY, WED, JULY 21 –
WINTER TRIP IDEAS
Next Wednesday had been designated as our monthly
Destination Day in the Bush Street shop. I’ll be in
the shop from 11:00am through the evening. The
scheduled slide presentations will be at 12:30 and
5:00pm and will focus on great wintertime venues –
featured will be New Zealand, Chile, and Crocodile
Bay, Costa Rica. Also, I’ll have with me the photos
from our recent trip to Teton Springs (see below).
Personal slide presentations by appointment can be
scheduled on any of our great destinations. Let me
know if you’d like to make an appointment and what
destination you’d like me to be prepared for. Drop
in and say “hi” and let’s discuss the exciting
possibilities of fly fishing travel.
TETON SPRINGS – GREAT FAMILY SPOT
Our family spent the majority of last week checking
out a great new development in eastern Idaho at the
base of the Tetons. The name is Teton Springs and
it lived up to all the good things I’d heard. It
starts with the log cabin headquarters – 2500 to
4500 square foot log cabins with two to five
bedrooms starting at around $300 per night for the
group. Each cabin is distinctly furnished and has
a fully equipped kitchen and BBQ. It’s been two
years under construction and the final product won’t
be completed until the end of ’05, but enough was in
place to make this a great spot for a family or
corporate group gathering. 18 hole championship
golf course (5 tee boxes) plus another 9 hole par
three course. Seventeen small lakes with planted
Yellowstone Cutthroat trout (14 – 18 inches) and the
headwater streams of the Teton River flowing through
them – great spot to get newcomers involved for the
first time in catching fish on a fly. The list of
outdoor activities that can take place from this
destination includes:
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Fly fishing on the many famous rivers in the area
including the Teton River and the South Fork of the
Snake.
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Hourly, all-day or overnight horseback trips into
the Teton range
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All the amenities of the development including pool,
mountain bikes, spa, tennis courts, etc – some of
which is not yet completed.
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Day trip to Yellowstone National Park which is a
little over an hour away.
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Hiking – there are several beautiful hikes ranging
from just a few hours to full day or overnights.
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Mountain climbing if you have anyone into that sort
of thrill.
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Overnight float and fly fishing trip through the
South Fork of the Snake River Canyon. Beautiful
setting and great guided fishing. The night is
spent in a stationary tent camp with cots in tents –
no sleeping on the ground. Great two day
outdoors/fly-fishing experience that we’ve done
twice.
I’ll have my slides from our recent trip with me in
the shop next Wed – if you’d like to make an
appointment to view and discuss this destination,
let me know beforehand.
DESTINATION OPENINGS
Some late openings for exciting fly fishing
destinations:
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Dean River – have one spot during one of the “treasured
weeks” for this great steelhead fishery that opened
when the regular who’s been occupying this week for
years ran into family health issues – July 23 – 30.
Offering a 50% discount (reg price 4,500).
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Minipi River, giant brook trout.
My son and I are returning for our fourth trip July
30 – Aug 6; still two openings remain at the lodge
for our week.
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Babine River, steelhead prime week of Oct 9 – 15.
Four openings at lodge for week.
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Holiday weeks on the famous Rio Grande River, Tierra
del Fuego; lodges include Kau Tapen, Toon Ken, and
Villa Maria are discounted while they last
($5,900pp). Weeks in the time frame of 12/11 to
1/8.
TRIP REPORTS: FROM NEWCOMERS AND VETS ALIKE
Reports from “first timers” to fly fishing, Susan
Lowe and Miles King. Susan was at South Fork Lodge
with her husband Ed and friends Lorraine and Dick
Whitehurst. Susan commented: “It was fantastic!
The lodge was first class and the guides were
great! Lorraine and I caught 3-4# trout on our
first day out. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Miles was fishing eastern Idaho out of Jackson,
Wyoming, with a group of friends and family. Part
of their package included fly casting lessons on the
water. They spent two full days learning to fly
fish and remarked: “Excellent time. We all caught
fish – the guides were great. We learned the
fundamentals, all in all a very good experience.
I’d recommend your service to anyone.”
From Rob Appleby who was with family and did the
overnight South Fork of the Snake River Canyon float
while headquartered at Teton Springs: “Had a great
time. Teton Springs is really beautiful. We were
very impressed with the quality of the place.”
From William Owens with a group of four friends
recently on their first Belize mothership trip on
the Meca: “We had a fantastic trip. We jumped 60+
pound tarpon on the fly and saw what seemed like
tailing bonefish everywhere on the flats……got close
to 20 shots at permit, only to leave without one.
We have nothing but praise for the crew of the Meca.
Meals were fantastic. We typically try to fish
different places each year, but this trip was such a
great time we are leaning strongly to returning next
year.”
NEW BELIZE PACKAGE FOR ‘05
In addition to the standard 7 night package and
extended 10 night package on the Meca and Seaduction
in Belize, there will be a new 6 night package.
Open dates available for next year will be
determined in the next 10 days as we have almost
finalized the dates for our “repeaters” who have the
“right of first refusal.”
“FANTASY STUFF” FOR THIS ISSUE
While fly fishing is pursued for many reasons,
having a “fly fishing fantasy” experience is
something we all chase. Once in a while it actually
happens and this column is devoted to sharing those
special moments/days.
How ‘bout a Father’s Day gift of an 18 pound rainbow
trout? The fishing gods smiled on Terry Sternberg
on Papa’s Day this year delivering a giant rainbow
taken on a peasant tail in Battle Creek in Northern
California. It took over 30 minutes to get this guy
into the net…..or rather as Terry put it “half in
and half out of my net.” What’s very special about
this report is that it comes from waters here in
Northern Calif – not Alaska, New Zealand, etc
QUIPS AND QUOTES
New Zealand
guide Dean Bell delivers this one for us:
“As fly fishers, we strive for that moment of
blissful harmony, satisfying the ego and putting the
soul at rest.”
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
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