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NEWSLETTER #39 - AUGUST 2005

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Leland Fly Fishing Travel Newsletter - August, 2005

TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE:

DESTINATION DAY AT BUSH SHOP, THURSDAY, AUG 25 – WINTER TIME TRIP PLANNING IDEAS FEATURED
FANTASY “FIRST DAY” FLY FISHING SALT WATER AND OTHER BELIZE STUFF
FLY FISHING ADVENTURE PLANNING AIDS
LELAND EARLY NOVEMBER CHRISTMAS ISLAND TRIP – 3 SPOTS OPEN
FALL CAST AND BLAST IN UTAH OR WYOMING……OR JUST CAST
QUIPS AND QUOTES

This is the thirty-ninth 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. One of our services is to compare and contrast different lodges/outfitters. 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.

THIS THURSDAY, AUG 25, BUSH STREET SHOP, WINTERTIME TRIP PLANNING IDEAS

This Thursday, during our monthly Destination Day in the Bush Street shop, the featured topic will be wintertime trip planning ideas including Patagonia, New Zealand, and tropical saltwater flats fishing in Belize, Mexican Yucatan, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Christmas Island, etc. Discussion and slide viewing will be available. Scheduled presentations will be at 12:30 and 5:00. Individual appointments are available for viewing slides of many of the world’s great fly fishing destinations.

FIRST TIME SALT WATER FLY FISHERS HAVE FANTASY “FIRST DAY” ON THE FLATS

George Wilson and Lyle Older had a first day fishing the salt water flats they will never forget. Both were on their first salt water trip with Keith Westra, manager of the San Francisco shop. They were fishing the coastal flats of Belize using a mothership as their base of operations. First day, first bonefish he ever saw, George hooked and released. Lyle also took his first bone that day. That evening, Lyle hooked and released a 50# tarpon and George followed shortly after with a 60# fish, landed after dark. What an introduction to salt water fly fishing for these two gentlemen! George has been taking casting lessons for several months honing his skills for occasions like this. Now, he’s off to Christmas Island in November. During that same trip, Marshall Bissett sight cast to and hooked a massive tarpon in the 140-150# range that broke the class tippet on his second jump.

One week prior to the Belize mothership trip referenced above, my son, Scott, and I were on the same Belize trip. We were joined by Bob and Jim Ogle, Mike Phelps, and Tom Wood. Four of us had chartered the Meca with Captain Martin McCord while Mike and Tom were on the Seaduction with Captain Charles Westby.

We’ve had more productive Belize trips for just tarpon or just permit (the globe’s best permit fishing is within reach of the motherships), but this trip illustrated why the Belize fishery is the world’s best for a wide variety of great salt water sport fish on a fly.

While there’s certainly more to a Belize mothership trip than just the numbers, these numbers do tell a story. Here is a short recap of our trip:

Trip report – Belize, August ‘05:

Scott (my son) and I were the only experienced salt water fly fishers. Two guys were on their second salt water trip and one was on his first. That “first timer,” Jim Ogle, also caught his first bonefish, snook, and tarpon.

Weather was fabulous the first four days – not unusual for August and September in Belize. Got windy on day five and day six saw lots of overcast and occasional showers. Rained heavy on the mainland all week, but offshore, where we were anchored, was not affected until that last day.

Fish released:

19 snook – most in 4 – 6 pound range, but two 8’s and one weighed 10+.

10-12 bonefish – generally, could get a bone anytime we spent an hour or two fishing for them.

3 permit

tarpon – jumped 29 – landed 12, mostly 8 – 30# babies, but one 70 and two 80’s landed and a 100+ jumped and had leader break on 4th jump.

Miscellaneous – 20# jack and misc cuda’s, snappers, and smaller jacks

2 Grand Slams – first Grand Slams for Mike and Scott

All things considered, a fabulous salt water fly fishing adventure!!

FLY FISHING ADVENTURE PLANNING AIDS

One of our objectives is to make the planning process of a fly fishing adventure an enjoyable and exciting experience all by itself. We have several aids to help make that possible. The way to best gain an understanding of a certain destination is to have a personal planning session built around viewing slides of that destination and discussing the different elements/benefits/liabilities of a certain trip. We do a lot of that sort of personal planning and it’s my favorite because it allows an opportunity to personalize the process; to gain a good understanding of the clients objectives and appreciate their questions and concerns. Other aides are DVD’s and videos which we have available on many of our top destinations such as Belize and Patagonia. Regarding destinations like New Zealand, viewing different sample itineraries can be a great aid in arriving at the perfect mix of properties, lodges, and rivers/guides to visit (we also have a slide tour of New Zealand available for private or group viewing). Another service we provide is to do a “compare and contrast” report where we point out what the differences are between certain spots – this can be very helpful with almost any destination, but especially salt water lodges and locations. Last on the list of aids are brochures and websites which certainly serve a purpose and can be helpful.

If you are in the process of exploring ideas for a wintertime trip or planning your travel schedule for 2006, give us a call and see if we can’t help stimulate your thinking and help with questions.

LELAND CHRISTMAS ISLAND TRIP, EARLY NOVEMBER – 3 SPOTS OPEN

Christmas Island in the South Pacific was one of the world’s first great bonefish destinations…….and remains one of the best. Keith Westra, shop manager of the Bush Street store, is hosting a small group for salt water fly fishing adventure to Christmas this November and we still have 3 spots open. Price is $2,895 and that includes the charter flight from Honolulu to Christmas. Hit “reply” if you’d like more info or to make an appointment for Thursday to view slides and discuss the trip in more detail.

FALL CAST AND BLAST…..OR JUST CAST

Both Utah and Wyoming offer some great lodges who offer a combo trip with fly fishing and bird shooting during the fall months. North Platte lodge is one of the best in the entire west, and while it can be hard to get space, is also one of the best values of any of the quality fly fishing operations. Of course, these are good fall fly fishing destinations also, without considering the birds, if you are looking for a late season trout adventure before the winter settles in.

QUIPS AND QUOTES

From the magazine FISH AND GAME NEW ZEALAND comes this descriptive narrative written by globe- hopping, American fly rodder, Lani Waller. Lani has taken several trips to New Zealand, which more than any other location, can inspire such lofty prose.

“I’ve watched in disbelief as a great fish cleared the surface and then fell like thunder into a pool so still and soft the contrast seemed impossible. Everything seems to freeze when that happens, and the image remains on the lenses of your eyes like a dream in slow motion – a twisting, spiraling, soaring, silver and red trout suspended in air. Then suddenly it is all over and your hands are shaking.”

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,