Getting the Itch...

I'm getting reacquainted with my surroundings again, and with that I'm also getting the itch to shape some surfcraft. First up (since it doesn't require making a lot of noise and pissing off the neighbors in an as of yet undetermined level of sensitivity neighborhood) is a Lindsey Lord proportioned paipo using the sawed up alaia (check the way older posts - this is more a tweaking exercise) and hopefully a few (but more likely only a couple) paulownia handplanes. I'll be focusing on the 0.4 length to width ratio. This stuff isn't by any stretch of the imagination 'new' or 'modern' - just look at a Boogie Board - looks like it already has that ratio in use, but it will be made and surfed by me with care and diligence.

Self Sufficient Fishing

So by now you have seen that we're fishing at the neighborhood pond (lake) on a frequent basis. With all that practice, the kids are now baiting their own hooks and catching their own fish. The last step is for them to learn how to remove the hooks from the fish. They are ready and over the next few fishing sessions, they should be able to accomplish that task (and I will be free to cast the fly)!

SUP'n Around on Friday

La has got a Summer Activity program for the kids. There are several events place on a card BINGO style and the kids have to do the activity in order to block it out. When the card is blocked out, they get some tickets (our form of allowance for them). One of the last events left on this period's card was to "SUP to the middle of the Lake (that we live near)". The events are listed to get the family out and about this Summer instead of growing roots in the couch and turning into starchy potatoes. Marlon figured out quickly that the events in the critical BINGO positions (intersections) were academically related (book reports, mathematic challenges, etc) and struggled to get through those (being Summer the urge to play is being pegged). All said and done, here is the family getting credit for one of the events. I still can't get over how smoothly La's board goes through the water (must have been designed and built by some master craftsman dude). Noe and Marlon were fishing at 'our' spot before they took off and Noe decided she wanted to keep on fishing. Marlon volunteered to be the motor. Nice morning!

Catch of the Day June 28th - Part 2

I caught a Bluegill and another Bass - the Bass came out from under the lily pads and whacked the orange scud (while I set the hook). It didn't fight AGAIN... it's like they are annoyed by me hooking them and they want to take a toothpick and remove the "irritant". Still is cool to sight fish!

Catch of the Day June 28th - Part 1

I took the kidoroosters fishing again - this time I rigged plain hooks (size 6 and 8) and showed them how to place hotdogs on the barbs. They scored with some bluegill and a turtle each. ALL CATCHES WERE RELEASED UNHARMED.

New Vessel

Not exactly a "direct" amphibious post, but when you think about it, you need a vessel to get you to your destination via your appointed course and speed (even if it is over land). Here is a snippet of our "newest" vessel!!! 2012 Toyota Taco(ma) Longbed Sport Upgrade (with Towing Package and Built in Navigator) - Taco Supreme (fully loaded with Sour Cream, Guac and hot sauce)! It is being shipped in from another local, but we'll be able to berth it pierside in a week or two. Fully encapsulating floor mats, Thule roof rack, tonneau cover, front tow hitch for a cooler/fishing pole rack and some dirt to drive through are the upcoming bonus features on this surf movie! Can't wait even though I've been waiting 10 plus years for this!!! Stay tuned!!!

The Other "Catch"es of the Day

Two nice Bluegills. The first actually went for the fly hard!!! I waited to pull it in and it did take out a little drag. Enjoy the fish where you fish!!! But it is okay to miss visceral bonefish...

Bigger Bass

I caught this guy at our magic spot on the same orange scud I've been using. I am glad I still get to sight fish - catching this guy and the other Bluegill I caught today I saw the fish go for the fly and "whack" - fish on! Pretty excited to hook into this fish - even though it was more "inconvenienced" when it was hooked (like it wasn't sure what was going on) instead of running and peeling drag, I more or less lifted it out of the water. Probably a good thing it didn't bolt for the lily pad cluster it came out from - would have been a tangled mess... I'm going to try near the drainage structure tomorrow - saw a youtube video where Lefty nailed a bunch casting around structure.

Fishing at the House and Scoring

I bought a Virginia fishing license and took the kiddo-roosters flyfishing this morning (Sunday). We killed it!!! Several bluegill and even a couple of bass! Orange scuds were the winners, but also used a foam ant, a san juan worm and a kebari. FUN - FUN - FUN!!!

All day at the Beach (on Saturday)

SUP, Boogie Boarding, Crab Hunting, Tanning, and having lots of fun!!! We love Virginia Beach!!!

Virginia Beach on Dwellable

Boogie Boarding on Friday

Little swell - dropping tide - awesome fun!

Virginia Beach on Dwellable

Know Your Sushi

Especially the hamachi - stay hungry my friends! Taken at Haiku Sushi in Chesapeake, VA (a pretty good sushi restaurant).

Virginia Beach on Dwellable

Back home!!!

To my nautical family!!!!! 13 months away - they are the rock stars for having to deal with my being away! I love you all infinity!

Last Day of Fishing (the spot)

Damsel fish caught on a scud fly. Good thing I crimped the barb down... This is the last fish I caught while stationed where I was (don't ask - I won't tell). I did catch a grouper, some darts, some snapper and a few wrasses, but this damsel gets the distinct honor of being the last fish I caught where I was at!

Smallest Trevally

And here is one of the smallest trevally I've caught. At this size, it's hard to tell what species it is, but from the location, it's probably a BFT. I also caught a tiny Two Barred Goatfish (but didn't take a picture. Taking a step back from trying to catch the biggest fish and appreciating what is around you is an often overlooked therapy.

Biggest Sergeant Major

Here is one of the biggest Sergeant Major fish I've caught.

The Other Fish

Besides the mullet and the bones, I also hooked up with a BFT (and missed another - but the strikes were awesome!), several big goat fish, tons of snapper, a bunch of wrasses, some darts and a grouper. Very good day flyfishing! Also - I've just about got my double haul nailed. I can tell when I need to haul to load the rod on both the back cast and the forward cast - feels really good to be able to cast far and strong. If it isn't apparent from all the blogging I've done on flyfishing, I think I'll be sticking with this for a long time to come -

Another one off the list

I caught a mullet on the fly today. Hooked its tail with a Meko Special as the school was passing by - HUGE fight!!! These fish are nearly as hard to land as bonefish (of which I caught a few - almost at will if I could see the school - hooked up and spat - 4, landed - 4). I have been trying to hook a mullet for a year now - felt good to get another one checked off the list!

Good Deed

This is Jason Masculli - he's been trying to catch a fish on the fly for 10.5 months. I've fished with him for several sessions, gave copious advice and watch in my own frustration as time after time he didn't hook into a fish (considering at times I've pulled them in like flies to stink right along side using silly simple flies). Yesterday was different. After fishing with Mike down south, on our way back, we saw Jason's truck. I told Mike to pull over - I'll go fishing with Jason. I saw him at the 'spot' fishing to left bank. I walked up and he said there were bunches of BFTs, but that every time he saw them, he couldn't get off a good cast. I suggested we move to the right bank because of the silly easy fishing I've been having there. As we walked over, I caught the Bonefish I wrote about on the last post (solo bone on the bread fly) and several other fish (darts, pinfish, snapper, etc). With the tide out, we were out past the normal spot and on to a large school of bones. I called out the shots but he was still having trouble getting the fly out. I walked up to him and asked to see his rod. I suggested (and went ahead and did it) to cut his leader down - he had wind knots on the lower part of the leader anyways - but I explained that the long leader requirements from calm freshwater scenarios aren't necessary out here in the salt. While I was fixing his rig, I told him to cast mine so at least one of us was fishing. Well - within a couple of casts, he hooked into a big dart - so FINALLY he caught a fish on the fly. Unfortunately, it was with my gear and to top that off, after retying his rig, I cast out to the school and hooked into a bone (so now his gear works). Eventually the tide started to come in and we had to move back up to the shoreline. I stitched to my tiny flies and started to catch at ludicrous speed. Jason was starting to feel the bites, but not hooking up. He decided to switch flies and after another long wait, he finally got a strike - we both thought it was a small trevally, but when I got a glimpse during the fight, it was a good sized bonefish. Three minutes later, he had landed his first fish on the fly and his first bonefish. The guy was buzzing with adrenaline! So with more patience than even I thought I could muster, some good weather and water conditions and a little gear tweaking, I did my good deed for the year and in the process transformed from novice flyfisherman (I'm getting better at my double hauls and getting the fly way out there) to budding guide (but still have a ways to go).

Killed It!

Two spots today - mediocre results at the first spot, a virtual slaughter house at the second. Hooked into schoolie bones, tons of snappers, several darts and several BFTs. Even caught a solitary bone on a bread fly - ridiculous fun!!! I saw a hunting pack of HUGE BFTs and a Black Trevally - by the time I tied on a gummy minnow - they had moved on. I'm going back tomorrow!!! BTW - every fish I caught was safely released - crimping down the barbs on the hook and minimal handling allowed for strong swim aways.

First Flyfishing Fish on a Boat

Hooked into a 5 pound Bluefin Trevally while fishing off a Mako. I had one of the clouser-ish flies I recently tied on the line and the BFT stopped, looked at it and ate it up. Despite the picture, I didn't land the fish - it broke me off, but the fight felt good. Lesson learned - if fishing off a boat, a heavier fly helps.

Another Giveaway

It's been a while since I have posted, but lots to do - like making gyotaku from the biggest Dart in the whole world (at least from the one's I've caught). This one went to Bong. I've learned a bunch from him about making gyotaku - I figured leaving one with him was the least I could do.