Abaco Island - Bountiful Bahamian Bones

The pace of life slows down a good deal while at Abaco Lodge in the heart of the Abaco Islands.  The lodge is an advantageous launching point for fly angling being situated in the middle of the Marls, a 300 square mile shallow marsh system on the western side of the island known to be one of the most unique and productive fisheries in the Bahamas.

The Lay of the Land

Relaxing after a day of fishing for bones...I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.

A typical flat

Some warm up fishing - sharks on the dock at night on the fly...don't forget a 12 weight rod, wire leader and circle hooks, these guys can get pretty awnry.

If you get the opportunity to fish the eastern creeks on the east side of the island, take it, it's a complete change of scenery with many stalking and wading opportunities for larger fish and the occasional permit.  I had a shot at two inclusive of one refusal and one take but no hookups.

The Marls are riddled with Conch, given they're delicious and plentiful, you'll find them in many of your fantastic meals at the lodge.

Kalik is 97% water and the preferred source of hydration on the flats

Baby cudas are abound, keep a 10 or 12 weight rod handy with a needle fish pattern for the big boys that show themselves from time to time.

The guides at the lodge are all top notch and indispensable, listen to them closely if you want to maximize your time on the Marls.

Some wadeable white sand flats on the east side of the island, you can spot fish on these flats from 100 yards out giving much time to approach from upwind to get the perfect cast in.

If you can spot fish on the grass, you're a better man than I.  Thank God for good guides.

Complimentary Cubans and a bonfire end most nights in Abaco.

Bollibokka - McCloud River Fly Fishing at its Best

This place has one word that sums it up, Camaraderie.  Whereas this is one of California's finest private wild trout fly fishing rivers, its not all about the fishing at this destination, the experience encompasses much more than that.  I was fortunate enough to be a guest of Brad Craven and Kevin Long from Superior Almond Hulling; having family that farms helped to gain me access to this precious piece of water and for all them, I am greatful.  Bollibokka has been a private fly fishing club since 1904, there is more history and heritage in its 7 miles of private waters and turn of the century buildings than any other lodge I've yet to visit.

The Club House pictured above was built in the  post WWI era, complete with river rock chimney and wrap around porch, it emblematic of an era when socialites from the bay area told stories of their day's successful mountain lion hunt over 3 fingers of of 16-year Lagavulin.

 The picture immediately above captures the spirit of Bollibokka.  Its about making friends and memories, drinking homemade wine and falling down after too much Scotch.

 Critters of the night abound, the picture above is a piece loving California King snake which slid between my legs...much less harmful than the timber rattler we ran across only an hour before.

 Above was one of three resident juvenile owls perched over our patio in an oak, eyeing our Scotch all night.

Above, Dj making some perfect presentations on a quintessential McCloud River "Plunge Pool".

 An average McCloud River Rainbow, perhaps the most beautiful and widely exported trout in the world.  They've made their way as far as New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Australia and Europe.  To think, in November of next year, I'll be fishing for this exact same strain of trout in Lago Strobel, aka, Jurassic Lake in Argentina's Patagonia region...only the average fish won't be 10", it will be 10lbs!!

 Small mouth bass are in the lower reaches of the property and provide for great angling.

 Tri Tip: scientifically proven to be the best BBQ steak in the world...its science.

 An interior shot of the club house.  You get the feeling, vintage 1940's piano to the right, Marting D-28V acoustic guitar in the center, Portuguese homemade wine to the left...any questions?

 The 3,000 acre property and 7-miles of private river is accessed by a very well built trail system, but even still, its rugged and brushy and it will kick your ass, so leave the waders behind.  At 1,200 feet in elevation and up to 100 degrees, you'll save yourself a trip to the hospital.

 Above, one of many red bellied newts in the soft, slack waters of the McCloud.

 A panoramic view from the river looking back towards the lodge.  2 acres of lush, green grass often times crowded with black tail deer.

 The dinning room located inside of the circa 1860's era "log cabin", you just have to eat here once to understand.  No electricity, just propane fixtures and a wood stove.

 Everything but this kitchen ran w/o electricity, just propane, but never fear, the kitchen has a propane generator for your coffee, plus everything, and i mean everything a chef could ask for.

 Entrance to the "log cabin".

 The wrap around porch of the clubhouse was purpose-built for telling stories and smoking cigars.

This monster 150-ft ponderosa is a Bollibokka landmark, robed in a wisteria vine of a similar age that reache its pinnacles.  One day, the wisteria will kill the ponderosa pine.

This is the patio of the "Rock House", the house was recently remodeled and therefore the only building that is modern on the inside, but its allure isn't its creature comforts, its the deck overhanging the McCloud River.  This place is special, and words just can't fully capture that.  Contact The Fly Shop if you want to book the place.

Oregon Spring Creek Fishing

The past 12-months I've done a good deal of spring creek fly fishing, most recently in Central Oregon.  You just can't beat it, the crystal clear turquoise water, lava rock substructure, deep cut banks, weed beds and a cornucopia of aquatic insects create optimal living conditions for trout.  Note: this is not the Williamson River which I posted on earlier, this is my little secret.!

Crane Prairie Rainbows and brook trout are planted regularly in this small Deschutes River spring tributary.  Redband Trout from the Deschutes River along with large brown trout migrate into the river system to spawn in the spring and fall respectively.  Some spawners stick around afterwards given the ideal habitat for trout coupled with an abundance of smaller trout to forage on.  Given it was June, I surmised that the fish above was one that stuck around.  The rainbow (below) is much more typical of what's in the river, though there are a few sections with rainbows in the 20-26" range, but these fish are incredibly difficult to approach let alone cast to or fool.

Oregon has many rivers and lakes designated Fly Fishing Only, not just barbless catch and release, but literally only open to fly fishing.  Moreover, they won't allow weight (i.e. split-shot) other than weight built into your fly, so you have to use silly "tool" flies as if they were AB shot to get your nymphs down.  Its one of the most asinine rules I've ever came across, I mean, if you're concerned with lead in the river, at least allow tin-shot. 

 Water is clear enough that if there were fish, you'd see them.  That said, don't underestimate the abundance of cover these lava beds afford the fish, they're riddled with ledges, caves and cut banks that go back several feet.  Each pool like the one above probably has a few large resident fish, the fact that you can't see them just means they're under cover.  Either wait until dusk when they come out to feed or during the day run a streamer or nymph under the cut banks and deep ledges, you may be surprised at what you find.

 The falls (pictured below) are about 8-10 feet high.  Believe it or not, fish can somehow make it up and over to reach spawning habitat in the upper river.  I'd suspect only the larger fish can clear these falls as a fish's ability to jump is in large part a function of their length, this is why they say that the  largest steelhead live in the roughest and swiftest rivers, its a form of natural selection.

 Below is a typical slick with a classic white sand bottom.  This particular run had 4 large fish up to 24".  Two hours of casting and changing out every fly and tippet I had resulted in one brief hookup but nothing to the net, but that's why I come, its the ultimate challenge!

Williamson River - Some of Oregon's Finest Spring Creek Fishing

Flowing from its spring-fed headwaters to its terminus in Klamath Lake, the Williamson River is the quintessential spring creek.  Its been touted by many as one of the best "Big Fish" fisheries in the country...I'd have to agree. 

 Klamath Lake is very alkaline which is great in that it supports incredible biomass that allows the resident Redband Trout to grow to gigantic proportions in short order, however, its depth is its achilles heel.  With an average depth of 8', the lake experiences high temperatures, algal blooms and low levels of dissolved oxygen which can stress or kill fish in the summer months.  As the water in the lake warms, these well fed Redbands retreat to the lake's spring-fed tributaries, the most prominent of which is the Williamson.
 In its crystal clear waters my father and I spotted more 5 to 10 pound trout that just about any other river we've been on (except in Alaska).  My dad had to ask if salmon made it up this far, our guide assured him what he thought were salmon were trout, and that they approach 20 pounds in both the lake and the river.

 Its all about casting long distance on this river, double hauls, stack mends, long swings and SLOW retrieves.  Takes are hard to detect, you'll feel a subtle pressure followed by a head shake but don't set it hard, you're relegated to 4 or 5x and these fish are notorious for about-faces and hauling ass down river, breaking you off before you know it.

 Don't even think about fishing this river without a boat, its bordered about 95% by private land, and if you're going to take the time to drive out and fish it, do yourself a favor and hire a guide.  Our guide was great, a true fly fisherman and very patient.  You can contact Brent Hublitz @ Trophy Troufitters, he's got a lifetime of experience on the river including 9 years as a guide and he did a great job of putting us on pigs; unfortunately, we didn't do a great job of landing them.  5 pounds was about as big as we could get to the boat, with at least two break-offs of fish in the 8-10 pound class.  Note the scars on the fish, they get attacked by Copepods, a parasitic crustacean that flourish in the warm waters of Klamath Lake.

We were in the middle of the Hexagenia hatch, and apparently its epic on this river.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to stick around until 8:45 PM when they come off, but have been told its one of the most amazing hatches to witness; every fish in the river is up on top, even the ump-teen pounders!