Hows this for a cool fly rod capture? Alaskan lodge owner and 'mate' MikeTrotter whom I hook up with every year
at the Sportsmans Show in San Francisco did a mighty job catching this monster GT on fly. Even he didn't realise
completely how good a job until 4 days later.
Mike owns and operates the magnificent Baranof Wilderness Lodge
in southern Alaska, he fly fishes the world and knows how to pull fish, believe me
you gotta pull when you tangle with GT's on fly or they end up giving you a
spanking. So, day one we are all 'out the front' catching all manner of species,
Mike has had a dozen or so casts under some circling frigate birds, he's already
caught a nice Giant Herring on the flats on the way out, some Grey Mackerel and
Bludger Trevallies under these birds and it's 8.30am when I see him tie into a
fish that has wife Sally running the outboard after the fish so he can recover some
backing onto his reel.
We are doing just as well in another skiff with 'Outback Bob' and the other
Mike from South Africa and we keep close by, watching the action waiting to see this
fish and to lend Sal a hand landing it... which was not required, she did a great
job of getting it into the net.
Photos were taken, the fish was revived and it swam off strongly leaving Mikey
a very happy camper. Four days later I'm fishing for Barras up the creek with
'Trotter', as Sal calls him, and I say "you fishing with a 7 Mike?" noticing the
branding on his Sage, "no it's a 9" he says looking at the rod himself, "wait on"
he says, "9 foot, 7 weight, I've put the wrong one together, that explains why I'm
having trouble... hay you know what, I caught that big trevally on a 7 weight"
Depending on the rod, lots of people run one line heaver than the rod fishing salt water but
to be successfully casting 2 line weights heaver and landing fish like this trevalley all I
can say is "good on ya Mike" this is the all time most meritorious fly rod catch I've witnessed
in the 13 years of operating these fishing safaris.
Not to be out done (too badly at least) Sally landed this very respectable GT on fly the very next day. This fish was estimated at 20 kilos (44lb) a bloody good effort for a 50kilo (110lb) Sheila and a 9 weight.
Three of the goofiest guys I've met, left to right "Outback" Bob (so named after buying a touristy Aussie hat
complete with dangling corks in Cairns on the way up 2 years ago) with a Queenie and John and Tom (right) who's
dentist buddy back home in the US says "it's never too old to start flossing" The dentist collects photos of people
flossing all over the world (yuck). This Mackeral didn't get any older. It was given the hot fat release.
Dusty and Kennedy (background) with hard fighting Bludger Trevalley. Bludger is a colloquial Australian slang word meaning slacker,
or someone who doesn't do there share. In Aussie vernacular calling someone a bludger is about as insulting as it gets. Named by northern
Australian pro Mackeral fishermen because they have almost zero food value and a school will follow a hooked fish and take up residence
close under the boat taking all the pro fishermen's baits. The only way the pros can be rid of them is to stop fishing and move. The
qualities that make them despised by one sector are revelled in by sport fishers. Maybe we should rename them something a little more flattering,
they really are a superb light tackle sportfish.
Kennedy had a 'cracker' session day last, site casting to a school of stingrays that had a 'fleet' of Cobes and Goldens in
attendance. Guide Zatch found these rays and fish in the same place 2 days running.
I try and get a photo of everyone and a different fish for each shot on this report. The photos of Tom (left) and Jim are chosen
because I believe they were probably the captures that were most satisfying for both these fine gentlemen, and satisfied they should
be, Golden trevalley on fly is great anytime, even more so when cast to and landed from the beach, and for Jim catching your first barra
on fly is a real milestone in anyone's fishing life book.
Inseparable fishing buddies, Piet and Riaan literally fished until they dropped each day. Day one they spent all day double hooked
up on pelagics in the blue water. They reckoned they could have stopped then and been happy. Left Riaan with a beach caught Giant
herring and Piet with a barra.
Debbie with a GT and Johnny (Blue Rag) with a Queenie.
A summary of this weeks activity apart from the normal catches that occur every trip. Standout fish
availability. GT's, lots and big ones, Giant Herring, everywhere, Blue salmon on the beaches, Bludger
Trevalley, Cobias and Goldens.
The neap tides of this full moon (go figure) had the water so clear you could see the bottom 8 miles
up the river as well as anywhere in the estuary and offshore.
See you next week, GREG Previous Fishing Trip Reports:
