GEOBASS: Papua New Guinea

That's right. Another adventure to a very remote location with the sole purpose of finding bass. And this one is a doozy. Enjoy.



If you want to see more check out the Costa Del Mar page.

GEOBASS: Botswana

Look what found it's way to my inbox this morning. This latest installment of GEOBASS finds the guys in Botswana and is probably the best episode to date.

Dreamin'

So the wife is out doing karaoke with some friends for the evening. Which means I have the TV to myself... Broke out the vise and put on some Netflix; Long Way Round to be exact. It has always been a dream of mine to get a dual sport and tour the world. Maybe with a fly rod. So who out there wants to grab a camera and document a bum on a bike with his fly rod?

"Urban Lines"

One more video today. This one is short but it touches on a topic that has been on my mind for a while now. Be looking out for a future post as I plan to write about this very subject. For now, though, check out this video that was included in today's edition of Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival hosted by Orvis every week.
Urban Lines - Fish Where You Are from The Fly Fishing Film Tour on Vimeo.

BEST FISH EVER!!!!

My father first took me fishing when I was very young. I have no idea how old I was but there are plenty of pictures of me as a child, with a fishing rod in hand, from before I can even remember. When I was 13, he introduced me to fly fishing. I knew about fly fishing before then and had often gone with my father to watch him. I was always so intrigued by the concept. Mostly because, to my young mind, he was waving the rod around and making cool loops with the line. Which looked like a lot of fun. Plus the line wasn't clear. It was pale yellow. And the idea of having colorful line is pretty appealing when your a boy. Anyway, when I was 13, I got my first fly rod for my birthday. It was stiffer than a 2x4, but it was a fly rod. Yet, it was not just a fly rod, but a right of passage. To me, that rod was symbol that my father thought I was mature enough and patient enough to learn something that, to 13 year old me, was an activity only for the elite.
On our first trip, we borrowed my aunt's camper and went up to northern NH. My father took me to a small stream and set me loose with a few quick instructions. I was having a blast and getting horribly frustrated at the same time. Finally getting the hang of casting, I spotted a small brook trout swimming in a little pool just above the riffle I was playing around in and decided to try to catch it. I must have thrown the fly to him 30 times before he finally took pity on me and sipped my terribly presented Hornburg. I played him for 3 seconds before he gave in and let me bring him to hand. Being only 4 inches at best, he was by far the smallest, and yet biggest fish I have ever caught. That fish was the most satisfying fish I have ever played to hand. Not because he gave me a good fight, because he didn't, but because I was with my father... And because he was passing on his passion for fly fishing to me.
So here's to you Dad. Happy Fathers' Day.

Starting My Thread

All around me, the sound of keystrokes and mouse clicks keep an otherwise silent room in motion. A phone rings a few cubes down and startles me. I never thought I would be here. I always said that office life wasn’t for me, and I was right. That is why I majored in Environmental Studies (a glorified Biology degree with just enough policy and civics to differentiate it from the other science majors that were offered). Unfortunately, due to the job market at the time of graduation, I was never able to find anything in the field without going back for a masters. Severely in debt, I took a job with the company I still work for today. They have been good to me. Promotions, raises, bonuses, and let’s not forget a steady income. All that is wonderful But something is missing. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I really enjoy what I am doing and I don’t mind working on a computer. But at the end of the day, I’m not pursuing what I believe I should be, and it’s exhausting.

I recently wrote in to a podcast I listen too; The Open Fly Podcast. Yes, I’m aware of how nerdy that makes me. But if you haven’t already heard it, give the podcast a listen here. There are a lot of good conversations related not only to fly fishing but to the conservation of our fisheries. Anyway, I wrote in asking for some advice on how to get a footing in the fly fishing industry without necessarily becoming a guide. The response caught me off guard. Turns out, the fly fishing industry isn’t so much like an industry but more of a tight knit community of professionals who all share one common goal; to spread their passion for fly fishing. The piece of advice they had for me? Use my current skill sets to contribute to the fly fishing community. The bottom line is this; I have a deep passion for fly fishing and I want to share that with others. So here I am, starting a blog, and attempting to reach for something besides my keyboard so I can live life outside of my cubicle walls.