fishingandhuntingplus.com Blog

Fly Fishing: A Worldwide Sport

2006-12-22T01:06-05:00

Fly fishing is a great sport enjoyed by fisherman all over the world. This method of fishing requires artificial flies, and a rod that is very flexible. The sport of fly fishing has been around since at least 200 A.D. The first knowledge of the sport is found in books written during that time period. Today the sport remains very popular. Most people fly fish for trout, salmon, and bass.

Fly fishing differs from regular fishing because you don't use a heavy lure and a light line. Instead, using a fake fly on the end of the line, you cast out a heavy line with a thinner leader on the end. Often a color of ribbon, thread, or fur is tied to the fly. This gives fish the impression that what they see is a bug that they eat. Fly fishing lines are much heavier than regular fishing line, but are often designed to float.

There are two types of fly fishing. Dry fly fishing involves the fly remaining on the surface of the water. Wet water fly fishing involves sinking the fly down into the water. Both methods are very effective. The use of the techniques is up to the person fishing and the circumstances.

Fly fishing is practiced throughout the United States and Canada. The most common states for fly fishing are Montana, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, California, and Alaska. This is because of the amount of fish flowing through the Rocky Mountain area. West Yellowstone is considered the major hub for great fly fishing. More fish are caught here than any other location. Areas of Canada including Alberta as well as other water areas throughout the world are great locations for fly fishing.

This sport of fly fishing continues to be very popular, with no sign of letting up any time soon. Fly fishing enthusiasts spend lots of time and money fly fishing. They buy the best equipment and travel to the best fishing locations, hoping to be lucky enough to catch that great fish swimming upstream.

About the Author

Buy Fly Fishing Reels at http://www.firsttackle.co.uk/acatalog/Fly_Reels.html

Find The Ultimate Fishing Experience In Alaska

2006-12-22T01:03-05:00

by Tom Sample

Most men have this dream of catching that one big fish. The fish that's bigger, faster, better than everyone else's catch. While going after this dream, a lot of them find that suddenly, fishing has become a passion that they can't live without. It becomes almost their raison d'etre. And there's always a better place to explore to get a better catch. This is where tours win out.

All the planning is done for you and you get taken to the best spots. It leaves you free for what you want to do: simply fish! There's nothing quite like the Alaskan fishing tours to transport you to your own fishing paradise. Here one gets an opportunity to try and catch the king salmon which is known to weigh 50 pounds or more. A tour will take people to all those places that are off the beaten path. Trout, flying fish, king salmon, the guides know it all and are more than willing to give you information on how to get to the exact location and how to lure them in. They might also have a thing or two to say about your fishing technique and where you are going wrong. Some of the best salt water fishing is found straight off the coastal areas so be it that elusive king salmon or that huge beautiful trout, the guide knows it all.

The tour will take you to many of the best locations around the state. You find some of the best salt water fishing right off the southern coastal areas. Most tourists to Alaska go there just for the fishing. A little planning and information gathering before the trip will hold one in good stead. The website on Alaska has extensive planning guides and will give you all the information that you could possibly want. You'll find that every possible area in Alaska is teeming with a large variety of fish and can plan a trip that could incorporate as many places as your time allows and the best location for the type of fish that you are particularly looking for. .

It is advised to do a little planning before one heads out. The best thing that one can do is to plan one's trip to the right areas beforehand. The good news is that you can find extensive planning guides online to help. Visit the state's website and find out where the best Alaska fishing tours can be found. One's first goal is to find the best location for the type of fish that one is after as some areas are better known for specific types of fish.

Now that you know where you're going, get ready to find the right guided tours offered in that area. You can also find these details available online. Check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure that they are legitimate and then bookings should be made in advance as with the coming of the fishing season there is no chance that one will be able to get any sort of booking.

You could also book into one of the lodges there and then make enquiries at their help desk regarding places to go to and guides who will take you there. The locals are after all, the best sources of information about that particular area. You might just come up with the perfect spot and come back having caught the perfect catch!

About the Author

More information on Alaska fishing tours
Alaska fishing tours

http://www.alaskafishingholes.com

Fly Fishing Hampshire

2006-12-22T00:59-05:00

by Alan Hope

These are my recollections of my first introduction to fly fishing in Hampshire on the River Test but let me first explain..........

I caught my first brown trout in a stream at the back of our house known as Crimple Beck in Burn Bridge Nr Harrogate in North Yorkshire with a red worm at the age of four on a one piece solid fibreglass rod that had belonged to my father.

When I was seven I caught my first brown trout whilst fly fishing on the River Coquet at Felton in Northumberland where my grandparents lived and where I spent all my school holidays. I fly fished almost every day in the easter and summer school holidays on this river but also on the River Nidd in North Yorkshire.

As a teenager my grandparents sent me Trout and Salmon magazine each month which I read from the front to back cover paying particular attention to any articles about chalk stream fly fishing.

It was a dream and an ambition of mine to, one day, go fly fishing for brown trout on a chalk stream and at the age of forty nine that dream came true thanks to the generosity of my wife Anne and sons John and Adam.

Through Orvis, who are a fishing equipment retailer, they arranged for me to have a day's fly fishing in Hampshire on the world renowned River Test on the Timsbury 5 stretch. As if the gift could not get any better-the date they had selected was during the Mayfly season!

We arrived at the fly fishing beat, to which we had exclusive use, parking the car near the fishing lodge which was equipped with table, chairs, cooker, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, wine, mineral water, cheese and fruit-luxury fly fishing in Hampshire! The stretch was about a third of a mile of the main River Test with about four hundred yards of a tributary which almost ran parallel to the main river. The bankside had been mown-yes mown. The water was crystal clear despite it having rained with this stretch being mainly slow flowing. The sky was overcast with small hatches of Mayfly and a few brown trout rising throughout the day. The weeds which I understand they cut every month were clearly visible and it was thrilling to watch some specimen brown trout swimming in this beautiful stretch.

I also spent some time fly fishing on the faster flowing tributary and caught two brown trout which, having put up a superb fight, I returned to the water. My wife and son John also did some fly fishing using my tackle and Anne caught a grayling.

I mainly fished using a dry fly but occassionaly used nymphs.

In the early evening the clouds broke and the sun appeared resulting in further hatches of Mayfly on this exquisite stretch of the River Test which provided idealic fly fishing in Hampshire.

The day was most memorable for us all- I have never experienced fly fishing like it!

Reluctantly we had to leave but we will be back fly fishing once again in Hampshire-perhaps next time we will try the River Itchen.

About the Author

Alan Hope runs a lifestyle management and concierge service business for both UK and Overseas clients. Visit his website at: http://www.arrangeitlifestylemanagement.co.uk/id181.html

Learn To Catch Speckled Trout In Florida From A Local

2006-07-16T13:56-04:00

by Gregg Hall

It will never cease to amaze me how many people when trying to catch Speckled Trout don’t take the time to check on tides, the moon stages, or even think about the temperature of the water.

Speckled Trout are very temperamental fish and are very sensitive to changes in water temperature as well as barometric pressure. Go fishing for them right before an approaching front in the Fall and you will see what I mean as they will eagerly eat anything you throw at them. If you try to fish for Specks during the day when the moon is full you are likely not to have much luck because they have been feeding all night, particularly in the summer when it is hot.

That brings me to another subject, the water temperature. Aside from trying to catch Speckled Trout or really just about any other fish in the middle of the day in Summer, even fishing for them in the late afternoon will not bring as good of results as fishing for them in the early morning beginning right before sunrise. This is due to the cooling off of the water overnight which allows the fish to become more active.

If you live in an area that has narrow passes or outflows you really are in luck. Set yourself up on the outgoing side on an outgoing tide and you are sure to catch your limit quickly as the trout sit there waiting for the baitfish and shrimp that come pouring out. I fished an area called Rollover Pass near Galveston, Texas where we limited out every day. If you have the opportunity to fish there for Specks I highly recommend it on an outgoing tide.

I live in the panhandle of Florida in a small town called Navarre, we don’t really have any areas like that but we do have a lot of canals which brings me to another tip. Just as Speckled Trout are sensitive to heat they are also sensitive to cold. In the winter the fish move into the shallow waters of creeks and canals and you can catch them there fairly easily. I have friends who are net fishermen that catch dozens of them by accident in the winter while casting their nets for mullet.

Now, let me leave you with some bait suggestions. If you are a fan of artificial bait I recommend either a white Mirrorlure with a red head or a clear Cocohoe minnow with a red tail. For live bait, which I prefer you cannot go wrong with live shrimp or pinfish. Pinfish are my personal preference because they last longer and typically catch bigger fish plus you don’t have the problem of other unwanted fish eating them like you do with shrimp.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. For more on fishing or hunting or fishing in Florida go to http://www.fishingandhuntingplus.com

Get Off The Beaten Path And Take A Mexico Fishing Vacation

2006-07-16T13:51-04:00

by Gregg Hall

If you have never been to Mexico for a fishing trip you are missing a treat. With the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez on the west and the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean on the east, Mexico offers something for almost every type of fisherman, unless you are a lover of ice fishing! Mexico offers some of the best fishing in the world and has some interesting areas to explore as well.

The latest “secret” spot of globe trotting anglers is the Pacific coastal town of Huatulco in the area called the Oaxacan coast. This area is more off the beaten path and is not a tourist trap like many other areas of Mexico such as Cancun and Cozumel. If you are like most anglers, myself included, you are looking for a place to get away from it all and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Huatulco offers exactly that with clear turquoise waters loaded with pelagic game fish such as Sailfish.

Huatulco is kind of in between the categories of primitive and luxury with nice hotels and restaurants, but nothing pretentious. The local natives are very friendly to tourists unlike a lot of areas that you may travel to.

As far as the fishing goes, Huatulco is an incredible fishing ground for sailfish and marlin. We focused on fishing for sailfish the least time I was there and in seven days of fishing we saw probably a dozen or so world record class fish and of those we caught and released four and landed two and that’s not even mentioning the fact that overall we raised over a hundred fish while trolling! We even got the attention of a couple of large blue marlin but couldn’t get them to take a bait.

Another hot spot on Mexico’s west coast is Cabo San Lucas, the destination of many Hollywood movie stars. This area which is located on the Baja Peninsula is the quintessential fishing vacation for all sport fishermen and in particular those seeking the elusive Marlin as the waters off of Cabo are known as the Marlin Capital of the World.

The Sea of Cortez which was created by an enormous earthquake millions of years ago effectively works as a huge fish trap to the large pelagic species that run the Pacific Ocean. You will see hundreds of boats chasing after the marlin with craft of every size from the local’s small pangas to luxurious motor yachts from California and all over the world. If you are looking for a great fishing trip Cabo San Lucas will not disappoint you.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. For more on fishing and hunting or fishing in Mexico go to http://www.fishingandhuntingplus.com

Take A Fly Fishing Vacation In Antigua

2006-07-16T13:41-04:00

by Gregg Hall

If you are a fly fishing enthusiast then you probably spend time looking for new places to go participate in your sport. A lot of fly fishermen stay in the United States going to locales in Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska to try their hand. I would like to introduce you to a new world of fly fishing, the Caribbean.

In the heart of the Caribbean lies the island of Antigua with incredible coral reefs and beautiful crystal clear azure water which is filled with the likes of marlin, tuna, Wahoo, tarpon, and permit. Bonefish are a particular treat in Antigua and are a favorite of those who fly fish anywhere in the Caribbean. These fish have three times the stamina and strength of a comparably sized rainbow trout and will really test your tackle.

If you really want a treat have your guide take you out “jumping tarpon”. Tarpon are one of the most magnificent fish of all to catch inshore. The giants often approach 200 pounds and are a spectacular sight to see when they begin leaping out of the water. I have seen these giants jump as many as eleven times once they feel the pressure of the hook. If you are a northern fisherman who has always fished for pike, the tarpon will make you forget all about them as their performance pales in comparison.

One great fly fishing spot in Antigua is the Codrington Lagoon. This twelve mile long strip with an almost endless pink sand beach is thriving with an abundance of all sorts of sea life. It is not as advanced as a lot of the other locations that have their own ports and marinas but the natural beauty of the area is overwhelming and will leave you breathless.
The topography of the area is friendly with a maximum elevation of only 125 feet and the waters are relatively shallow which makes them a perfect place for going after bonefish and tarpon that love the local flats. This is the perfect destination for those who like to get away from it all as it is very primitive and the area only has 1500 residents.

If you are the type who wants more creature comforts on your fly fishing trip you should consider the Falmouth Harbor Marina. It was specially built to accommodate large boats and has docking available for vessels with drafts of up to 20 inches. This marina which is located on the English Harbour main road has all the facilities of a resort town with shops, bars, and restaurants all in walking distance.

So there you have it, two completely different choices for fly fishing in Antigua. What are you waiting for? Go book a trip.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. For more on fishing or fishing in Antigua go to http://www.fishingandhuntingplus.com

How To Have A Family Fishing Vacation On The Cheap

2006-07-15T14:33-04:00

by Gregg Hall

A family fishing vacation doesn’t have to take place in some exotic location like Costa Rica, not everyone can afford several hundred dollars per member of the family for round trip airfare and accommodations. You also don’t have to plan a trip to somewhere in the sticks to have an affordable fishing vacation either.

One idea that can be fun is to rent an RV and travel to a few cool fishing spots staying a day or two at each one. This can be a lot of fun plus if you take the while family maybe they get to see areas they have never seen. If you park the RV at an RV park there is usually a store on site or nearby that offers things like snacks and drinks as well as fishing bait. You can also take along a portable gas stove so that you can cook whatever you catch as well as fry up bologna if you aren’t so successful or potatoes or eggs and bacon for another meal.

It’s fun to be away from TVs and computers for awhile. You can play cards, charades, or scrabble and get back into the ancient art of storytelling; hey you might have some fishing lies to tell!

One cool area to check out if you are anywhere in the northeast is Lake Winnipesaukee, located in New Hampshire. The lake covers over 72 square miles and is a great family fishing vacation destination that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. The lake if full of
Rainbow trout, lake trout, small and large mouth bass, as well as land-locked salmon to give you a large variety to choose from.

Lake Winnipesaukee is near the quiet little New England town of Wolfeboro which is also a very well visited location for tourists. If the fishing isn’t all that hot or you just want to take a break you can go for a diversion at the Wright museum located in town.

There are many activities that can be enjoyed in the Wolfeboro area no matter what season you decide to visit. The area is a wonderland for outdoor lovers with fishing, camping, hiking, boating, golf and more plus in the winter you can even take advantage of skiing or take a snowmobile ride.

Lake Winnipesaukee has boat docks that accommodate just about any size boat and if you don’t own a boat you can rent motorboats, or go canoeing and kayaking as well.

If you have brought the entire family along you’ll have no trouble getting the kids to sleep at night after a day on the area’s lakes.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. For more on fishing or hunting or fishing in Alaska go to http://www.fishingandhuntingplus.com

Fishing In Alaska, Are you Out Of Your Mind?

2006-07-15T14:29-04:00

by Gregg Hall

When someone first mentioned to me about fishing in Alaska all I could picture was sitting on some freezing glacier with a hole cut in a piece of ice two feet thick and catching fish the size of bait I use here in Florida. Boy was I way off!

My neighbor lived in Alaska for over twenty years and pulled out pictures of Alaska fishing trips that he and his wife had taken. My first reaction, “That’s the biggest flounder I ever saw!” Of course it wasn’t a flounder; it was a halibut of nearly 200 pounds. Then his wife shows me her sixty pound King Salmon, now I’m thinking I need to go fishing in Alaska!

If you’ve always thought of fishing in Alaska like I did it’s time to change your thinking and plan on going big game fishing in Alaska. As the largest state in the United States, Alaska is full of lakes and rivers and is definitely the place to do some big game fishing. Book a half-day guided fishing tour either in the morning or afternoon with a licensed Alaskan fishing guide.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an expert or a beginning angler, you’ll thoroughly enjoy fishing on the Talkeetna River, which is filled with many different kinds of fish species such as salmon and rainbow trout.

If you choose to take my advice on this, you’ll go on a five hour guided trip by a specially equipped jet boat or raft. All of the fishing equipment will be provided for you, but if you’re particular interest is in fly fishing you’ll have to request the fly fishing gear in advance. Rain gear is also provided for you incase of inclement weather and dressing in multiple layers is recommended whether you take part in the morning or afternoon session. Of course you’ll also be required to obtain an Alaska state fishing license just like you would nearly anywhere.

This is just a hint of the incredible fishing adventures that are possible in Alaska. You can totally customize an Alaskan fishing trip specifically to your own personal wants and desires, for example you can plan trips specifically for halibut, King Salmon, or rainbow trout. I plan on going each year and doing a different type of fishing. Just make sure you have the extra cash planned to ship all that fish back home!

Just bear in mind if you are booking you’re Alaska fishing vacation online that while there are many travel agencies that offer these types of trips it is best to go with a company that is actually located in Alaska for the best support and service.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. For more on fishing or hunting or fishing in Alaska go to http://www.fishingandhuntingplus.com