Fishing for cruising browns and rainbows in the near-shore shallows of lakes, like fishing for bones on the flats, is one of the most exciting of all fishing experiences. One sees the fish, one sees the take, and the fight is always fast and furious as the fish heads for deep water. It’s a time of The Angler as Predator, for certain. The fly fisher hunts, stalks, makes casts carefully so as not to spook cruisers, and has to be ready for instantaneous response from the hooked fish.

Because the fish are moving, the angler must place the fly much differently than when stream fishing, where the fish is holding in one place. If the fly rodder attempts to cast only several feet ahead of a cruising trout, it will be inviting disaster. Because the fish is moving, by the time the line extends and falls to the water, the fish will have moved forward several feet, and the line will fall just ahead of, on, or even just behind the fish. Not good. So the fly fisher casts 15 to 20 feet ahead of the moving fish, depending upon its cruising speed. This way, the fly and line fall far enough ahead so that it doesn’t spook the fish—trout, or bone, or tarpon, or permit, etc. This is the “Wing Shooting” tactic. Like shooting ducks, the angler must aim well ahead of the moving target. The cast must be made far enough ahead so that the fly and fish can intersect without spooking the fish in the process.

Then, the angler waits and allows the fish to come to fly. When using a dry fly, one simply waits for the fish to find it. When using a nymph, I use the Jumping Nymph tactic. Wait until the fish is within several feet of the sunken fly, and then I give the line a short pull (about 6 inches) to jump the nymph off the bottom. Don’t allow the fish to get too close before you jump the fly. Too close and you can easily spook the fish. Do it so that the fish can see it, and then move to it.

Sometimes the fish will move forward and cover the fly, but there’s no tell-tale tug on the line to signal a take. In this case, I “Feel for the Fish.” Slowly draw on the line. If the fish has taken the fly, you will readily feel the weight of it on the line. If the fish did not take the fly, often times it will grab the nymph that seems to be sneaking away. Then, hang on.

Theo Bakelaar, fishing a large lake in Holland for big rainbows cruising in the near-shore shallows. The fish are large and spook easily. It is most definitely the time of The Angler as Predator.

Big bows like this require careful stalking and careful casting.

Notice the very clean water in the lake, making it easy to fish,. and easy for them to see you! Notice the dark color of Theo’s clothing,  predator style.

If Theo could find two fish cruising together, his chances increased dramatically as the fish “fought” to see which one would get the morsel of food.

During my time at Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing in Colorado, I not only had the opportunity to spend time with the soldiers, but to talk with their mentors and see some of the big fish the guys caught. At the last dinner on Saturday evening, I presented an inscribed copy of Fishing the Film to each soldier. When I called Jorden Cable’s name, someone piped up and told the group that he would be there in a while. After we had eaten, he finally showed up—and the photo he showed us told why. He had landed a true monster—between 23-25 pounds! No, not 23-25 inches, 23-25 pounds! And he did it on a small nymph and 4X. Everyone was agape at the size of the thing. It was a triploid hybrid that grows to these huge sizes because it is sterile and never spends any energy in reproduction. What a great way for everyone to finish an absolutely great weekend at PHWFF in Colorado.

During the day I would help the soldiers with their fishing–Here I’m giving Kenny Crowley some tips on reading the water.

Kenny took my tips to heart and immediately caught a very nice rainbow.

This massive rainbow kept Jorden Cable from dinner the last evening. Do you think Jorden was upset?

The day after the Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing event in Colorado, I was privileged to spend a day fishing. The weather was a bit on the cold and windy side—in fact, we awoke to snow showers. Still, fishing is fishing, and the four of us that had the day to fish bundled up warm and had at it. We fished nymph and indicator, and really big bucktails and leech imitations. We weren’t disappointed.

We rigged  the nymphs with the indicator about 6 feet above the first nymph, which most of the day was a bright red San Juan Worm. Below that we dropped, tractor/trailer style, a Beadhead Prince Nymph, Beadhead Hare and Copper,  Beadhead Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, a caddis pupa, and similar imitations. Typically, too, we added a BB or 3/0 shot eight to ten inches above the Worm. Because of the cold weather, the river was cool to the point of being cold, and we needed the flies to stay right on the bottom where the fish were holding.

The big bucktails and leeches were rigged either on a full sinking line, or floating line with a long leader and two or three 3/0 shot to help the imitations stay down in the slightly off-color, fast water. We worked them with a variety of retrieves, but a slightly slower erratic strip seemed to be the best. The take on these big flies was always very robust.

And although we didn’t catch fish every moment of the day, we did catch some very nice fish—both browns and rainbows.

Our day started with snow showers.

Big bows like this one grabbed the deep leech with vigor.

Big browns like this one took both nymphs and the big bucktails and leeches.

Many of the larger browns were in the 10 to 13 pound class–great fish anywhere.

Nice work on a small nymph and 4X! Scott Carver displaying just one of several big browns he took on a small nymph.

My final big brown of the day was very pale–almost like a lake fish.

My friend, John Beth, had an opportunity to fish some spring creeks in southwestern Wisconsin this past week. The weather was great, and as it turns out, so was the fishing. John fished a size 16 Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear though a long slow pool and took two rainbows just over 20 inches. This trip was followed by over two inches of rain and a plunge in temperatures. Such it is in the central U.S. in the spring.

John Beth with one of his lovely rainbows from a SW Wisconsin spring creek.

Rainbow number two was the same size as the first one.

Our friend, Theo Baakelar, has just returned from fishing for sea trout in Denmark with six friends. They stayed in a small coastal cabin, and hunted sea trout every day. And then, there’s the wind. Always present, always strong. The fish are widely scattered, and the ocean is very big. And what fly to use? Then when a fish is hooked, it has a supreme ability to escape. Even so, they were able to lock into some, and the companionship was wonderful, so it was a great week for all.

The Denmark coast.

A nice sea trout. These are browns that live in the coastal waters and run up the streams to spawn.

Theo with a hard won sea trout.

Healing Waters is a project aimed at helping soldiers returning from the various theaters of war in which we are engaged. Some have had amputations, others any variety of wounds, nearly all carrying PTSD or TBI (traumatic brain injury from concussive explosions or physical blows to the head). On May 16, 17, 18, soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado, participated in a Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing experience in the mountains west of Denver. The experience was sponsored and funded by several very generous Christian men who attended and spent time with the soldiers helping them with their gear and cheering them on in their fishing excursions.

There were several soldiers in attendance from previous years, but most were first timers. All the “newbes” received a fly rod, reel, line, leaders, indicators, and several other items of gear. Flies were supplied by their “mentors”—one mentor for each soldier.

We met on Thursday at noon, and Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin gave a short keynote address. I then spent some time giving them fly casting instructions. Much of it was lost on their eagerness to fish, but that was AOK because the mentors worked with each new angler to sharpen their casting and introduce new fishing skills. They spread out over the river and began to fish with utter abandon. It was a time to focus on an intensely possessive activity and leave all their problems behind. The stories are many, and many of them were shared with me as I rode an ATV from angler to angler along the river, helping them in every way I could.

We fished Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Saturday. And while no one was “cured” of PTSD or TBI many, if not all, saw a beam of hope that could guide them out of the darkness of these severe disorders and into the light of more normality. It was the glow from this beam of hope that I saw on the faces of all of them as we ate our last evening meal together on Saturday, while former attendees shared their stories of how fly fishing had helped them deal with their difficult problems. Our salute and heart goes out to every one who participated.

Everyone got together at the food tent for assignments matching angler to mentor .

Anglers, mentors, sponsors, and organizers all had a chance to talk and get to know each other at the start of each fishing day.

The mentors watched each angler artfully, helping them to master nymphing with an indicator or tossing big steamers.

Mentors were every ready to net the fish that were hooked.

A big rainbow like this one would make me smile, too!

My ATV was necessary to get me from angler to angler over several miles of river.

Fish were measured so that the anglers could have a good record of everything they caught.

It’s the smile that makes the outing so worthwhile for anglers, mentors, sponsors, and organizers.

My friend, Capt’n jake Jordan is laid up recovering from hip surgery. But, his heart is still out there on the flats fishing for Tarpon, Bones, and whatever will eat his fly. He sent along some photos of a huge tarpon that his friend, Pat Ford, recent took in the keys. It was caught with a spinning rod, but just look at the size of this slugger. As jake notes: Seeing this big fish reminds me of the 1970’s and 1980’s, at Faro Blanco when we used to hang up Tarpon between 170 and 230 pounds at The World Class Angler every season. Believe me this big Tarpon which Pat caught while fishing with Captain Robert Trosset is one Awesome Tarpon, congratulations to Pat and RT on releasing this great fish, I hope to get to the Keys and fish for a few days after my Doctor allows me to go fishing, less than two weeks left I hope.

It certainly is a massive hunk of muscle.

I just had an email from my long time friend and fishing companion, John Beth, that had nothing to do with fishing or knives! But, it was a fabulous bit of news. John’s daughter, Kjersti, entered and won the Ms. Wisconsin Untied States competition the other night.

John writes, This national event has 4 age categories: Miss Jr. Teen Wisconsin Untied States, Miss Teen Wisconsin United States, Miss Wisconsin United States, and Ms Wisconsin United States. It is the Ms Wisconsin United States that Kjersti entered and won since she is 29 years old or over. This competition dates back to the 1930’s so it’s been around a while. They are judged on 5 categories of scoring. This association (Miss Wisconsin United States) is also a national partner with fundraising for the “Relay for Life” cancer foundation.

She did look amazing – all those years of modeling (and teaching it) made her the star of the fashion show runway, and I think she actually smoked the younger girls in the swimsuit ! (life in the gym – black belt in martial arts – and super disciplined..

She now goes to Washington DC in July for the national finals. Kjersti won an impressive list of awards/prizes with it – A Bahamas Cruise – All expenses to the DC finals – Jewelry – Clothes – Multiple photo shoots – Modeling school paid, ( in NY) – A website – Spokesperson engagements etc. – etc. – and about 25 other things (no sporting goods).

Note John’s disappointment that there were no fly rods, waders, or other gear given as prizes. You’ll have to enter the Mr. Sportsman US contest, John.

What can one say except, WOW Kjersti, ya done good, kid! Congratulations.

Here’s John’s caption for the photo: our daughter Kjersti with myself and Randine… (thinking..what the hell just happened !!??)

Faruk Ekich, who manufactures the Ekich bobbin (see http://www.garyborger.com/2011/03/30/bobbins-the-ekich-ultimate/), also manufactures a very limited edition, Damascus vise. It is a gorgeous piece of equipment that is also very functional. Pete Gray sent me a couple of photos of the vise holding flies that he had tied. If you are interested in discussing the purchase of this magnificent piece of tying equipment, please contact Faruk at http://www.automaticbobbin.com

The vise had and jaws are a seal, carefully craved from high quality Damascus steel.

The vise is large enough to tie big salt water imitations and still fine enough to tie 28s with 17/0 thread–the Ekih Ultimate Bobbin is great for this fine thread.

Thursday, April 18, was hot and sunny with a strong Chinook wind from the Alps. Not a good day for fishing. The fish felt the pressure change and the bright sun, and basically went deep and stayed there. All the fish that I had seen in a variety of places on the Ager were nowhere to be found. Early in the day I caught three trout on the Orange Nymph, and lost a couple, others. About noon, the fishing collapsed, and we returned to the hotel.

Friday, April 19, was a much different day. It was cool to the point of being cold—quite the switch from yesterday. It was also rainy in the night, but we fished all day without rain. It started to rain as we left at 5:30 pm. I took 5 big fish (20” and over) and 3 smaller ones. Three of the big ones took an olive sculpin, and the others fell to a small bead head nymph—a Hare’s and Copper with a gold bead.

In mid afternoon I found several trout rising to a small, dark gray mayfly. Jurgen and Regina Baumann were nearby, and I showed the fish to them. Jurgen was rigged with a dry fly, and he waded in to take a nice brown after only a few casts. It was a good day of fishing.

A nice big rainbow that took a large olive Down and Dirty Sculpin.

The rainbows of the Ager are often brightly colored and very strong. These fish were taken on a Hardy 10 foot 3-weight . A great rod to protect light tippets.

A nice rainbow that took a sculpin fished on the 3-weight. It’s a great rod for this type of fishing because the butt is very strong, capable of fighting big fish with great success.

A nice rainbow that fell to a size 14, gold bead head Hare and Copper.

Jurgen with the nice brown that took his dry fly strongly and fought long and hard.