|
NEWSLETTER #27 -
AUGUST 2004
If you have access to Microsoft Word, open the
attachment above to see the information below in a
more “reader friendly” format.
Leland Fly Fishing Travel Newsletter – August, ‘04
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE
-
BUSH STREET “DESTINATION DAY” – SALT WATER FLATS
DESTINATIONS
-
GIANT BROOKIES OF THE MINIPI RIVER – A TRIP
REPORT
-
STEELHEADERS; DEAN RIVER AND BABINE OPENINGS
-
TRIP REPORTS: ALASKA, DEAN RIVER, NEW ZEALAND,
COLORADO, BELIZE
-
FANTASY FISH AND DAYS
-
BELIZE MOTHERSHIP OPENINGS FOR ‘05
-
QUIPS AND QUOTES
This is the twenty-seventh edition of our monthly
newsletter with updates on great fly fishing venues
and insights for our traveling fly fishers. We want
to help you match the right location with your fly
fishing goals and objectives and properly prepare
you to fully enjoy the experience. We’ve been to
most locations and pride ourselves on our ability to
research new sites. One of our services is to
compare and contrast different lodges/outfitters.
Whatever unbiased information on timing and
locations we can provide comes at the same cost to
you as booking direct – i.e., no extra cost.
BUSH STREET SHOP DESTINATION DAY, WED, AUG. 25 –SALT
WATER FLATS DESTINATIONS COMPARED
Next Wednesday has been designated as our monthly
Destination Day in the Bush Street shop. I’ll be in
the shop from 11:00am through the evening. The
scheduled slide presentations will be at 12:30 and
5:00pm and will focus on great salt water flats
destinations – we’ll compare and contrast places
like Christmas Is, Bahamas, Belize, Florida Keys,
and Ascension Bay. Also, I’ll have with me the
photos from our recent trip to the Minipi River in
Labrador (see below). Personal slide presentations
by appointment can be scheduled on any of our great
destinations. Let me know if you’d like to make an
appointment and what destination you’d like me to be
prepared for. Drop in and say “hi” and let’s
discuss the exciting possibilities of fly fishing
travel.
MINIPI RIVER’S GIANT BROOKIES – A TRIP REPORT
After arriving in Goose Bay, Labrador, the four of
us (my son, Scott, Jim Hine and his 14 year old son,
Andrew, and I) jumped a float plane for the 25
minute flight to the lodge. We unpacked, ate
dinner, grabbed our rods and began our fourth
adventure pursuing the giant brook trout of the
Minipi River. Soon, our canoe was silently gliding
over glassy waters littered with green drakes.
Occasionally, the surface would be disturbed by
large, sipping brookies, sending out heavy ripples
as they dined. Scott looked at me and said, “It’s
good to be back.” We picked out a cruising fish and
began the stalk. Scott’s first cast produced a
hook-up and a 5# male brookie in full spawning
dress was released. We released two more fish
(3.5#& 6#) that evening using size 12 Grey Wulff’s
and so began our fourth week fishing this legendary
watershed.
Meanwhile, Jim was also hooking up……..however, he
was using his “California hook-set” and broke off
his first two. It would take him the first evening
to get the feel of pounding the hook home in these
deep-bodied, heavy fish. By the next day, he had it
right (see below).
This is the same fishery that Lee Wulff discovered
in the late 50’s and vowed to protect. It’s been
well managed and today still provides the world’s
best opportunity to regularly take giant brookies on
dry flies. The short rundown:
What the Minipi River experience IS:
-
first and foremost, the world’s best destination
for stalking and sight-casting to giant brook
trout of 5 to 8 pounds on the surface.
-
A wilderness experience in a beautiful,
unspoiled area.
-
Provides a feeling of exclusiveness – only
anglers we’ve seen during our four trips were
the 8 or less anglers staying at the lodge with
us.
-
Guides who will work an angler’s dream day –
start at 9:00am and fish through dark at 10:30
with a two hour break for dinner (very few
operations still provide long guide days on the
water).
-
Has a pike option that can provide explosive
surface takes and meaningful numbers of good
fish.
What the Minipi River experience ISN’T:
-
Luxury – rather, seasoned, clean, and well
maintained wilderness lodges with good food at
Anne Marie and Minonipi. The newest and larger
lodge at Minipi Lake provides a few more
amenities.
-
No weather guarantees – like most of the world’s
great trophy fisheries, weather can be an issue.
-
Tough to find space during the best hatch weeks
because of the large number of repeat clients,
some who’ve been making annual trips for 10, 20
and 30+ years during the same week each year.
-
Bugs – mosquitoes and black flies in shore
areas.
-
Difficult to get to Goose Bay, Labrador. You
must overnight in Toronto, Halifax, or Boston to
get there from California, but are able to make
the return in the same day due to the time zone
difference.
Availability: Many weeks are full already for both
the ’05 and ’06 season at Anne Marie and Minonipi
Lodges. Openings still remain for the following
weeks:
’05 – Anne Marie: 6/24-7/1, 8/5 – 12
’06 – Anne Marie: 6/23 – 30, 7/21 – 28, 7/28 – 8/4,
8/11 – 18
’05 – Minonipi: 6/24 – 7/1, 7/15 – 22, 7/22 – 29
’06 – Minonipi: 6/23 – 30, 6/30 – 7/7, 7/14 – 21,
7/21 – 28
’06 Leland week: we have already reserved the
entire lodge at Anne Marie for the prime hatch week
in 2006 of 7/14 – 21. This will be our fifth trip
to chase the giant brookies. Price will be apprx
$4,000 pp based on double occupancy and shared
guide.
STEELHEADERS; DEAN RIVER AND BABINE OPENINGS
The Babine Steelhead Lodge, in it’s first year of
“going public,” still has some prime time fall
steelhead spots available in late September and
October. In addition to it’s great location on the
river, it also is situated in a spot that allows
easy access to productive runs for fishing after
your guide day is complete. Great for the
steelheader interested in maximizing their time on
the water. $4,000 per week.
An update - openings at John Blackwell’s Dean River
Lodge on the lower river for next summer are still
in the sorting stage. There may be some openings,
but the number and dates are still not final as of
now.
TRIP REPORTS: ALASKA, COLORADO, NEW ZEALAND, THE
DEAN RIVER, BELIZE
Jane Crocker, with sons Scott and Garrett, had a
customized 10 day Alaskan experience that was split
between one of Alaska’s “A” lodges and a float trip
with Ouzel Outfitters. Commentary:
“We had an absolutely wonderful trip. . It was a
fabulous time. It was well organized, with a
well-informed, knowledgeable, friendly staff. Not
to be duplicated. Scott’s first catch was a 50
pound king salmon. I managed to snag a lesser
weight sockeye. Garrett caught some beautiful
rainbows and greylings. It was incredible to see
the large groups of beautiful salmon spawning. We
saw lots of bears….. Thank you for organizing all
the logistics.”
Lem Crocker, Warren Foss, and sons visited one of
the premier fly fishing lodges in the west two weeks
ago: “All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our trip to
Elk Creek. The boys became much better fishermen as
did Warren and I. Lots of rainbows and many with
significant size (ie, 20+ in).”
Nancy and Grant visited New Zealand on a “couples
itinerary” in March and her comments mirror the
reports we get back from our NZ travelers; “We had
a wonderful trip to New Zealand. We enjoyed all the
accommodations……..all the guides were great. We
love the country and would live there if we could!
Thank you for making all the arrangements.” (Note:
“we could live there” is the most common phrase we
hear from NZ travelers)
From Carlo Proto on his first Dean River summer
steelhead adventure: “The hosts and guides were
wonderful. It was the trip of a lifetime for me. I
caught the biggest steelhead of my life, somewhere
between 17-18 pounds. Great fish. I averaged 2
fish per day hooked and landed 6. John got the
biggest at 20 pounds.”
Marshall Bissett on his first mothership trip on the
Meca with Martin McCord in Belize (note: Marshall
sent a very detailed report of his trip that can be
forwarded upon request) - “The trip was all I
expected and more. The mothership is the way to
go! The tarpon fishing was tough because there were
no on migratory fish on the flats – did jump, but
not land, 6 fish. The bonefishing was better than
normal and I caught 2 permit. As a bonus, I caught
a 20# jack. What is the lead time for booking a
trip for next year?”
“FANTASY STUFF” FOR THIS ISSUE
While fly fishing is pursued for many reasons,
having a “fly fishing fantasy” experience is
something we all chase. Once in a while it actually
happens and this column is devoted to sharing those
special moments/days.
Paul Waters took his largest steelhead topping the
magic 20# mark from the Copper River on the Skeena
system in BC. The fish was 40 inches and 22 pounds
and fresh from the ocean – hot fish.
Bob Rubin joined us for just two nights on our
Minipi River trip. On his one full day, Bob took
three brookies tipping the scales at 4.5 and 7# on a
size 16 caddis imitation and a 6.5# on a drake
imitation.
Jim Hine also had a great first full day with a 6.5#
fish on a stimulator and a 6# on a size 4 Grey Wulff
(that’s right, size 4 – gotta see it to believe it).
Andrew Hine had the largest pike on our Minipi trip
at 8.5#, one-quarter pound larger than his dad’s
biggest. But the size wasn’t THE BIG thing about
this fish. It was killed for a meal and when opened
up, here’s what was found in his stomach:
2 mice
1 six inch long plastic hook remover
1 gold Canadian dollar coin
BELIZE MOTHERSHIP OPENINGS FOR ’05
The rebookings of our ’04 clients for their ’05
Belize mothership (www.flyfishbelize.com) trips are
completed through July. Open dates from Nov 1, ’04
through the end of July are:
Meca (3 or 4) Seaduction (party of 2)
11/6 – 13 11/6 - 13
12/9 – 16 11/16 - 23
1/14 – 21 12/9 - 16
2/6 – 13 1/18 - 25
2/16 – 23 1/28 – 2/4
6/29 – 7/6 2/19 - 26
7/20 – 27 7/9 – 7/16
QUIPS AND QUOTES
This month’s quote comes from Mark Twain and can be
related to all the great places we plan to fly fish:
“Twenty years from now, you will be more
disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the
things you did.”
LELAND-FRONTIERS AGENT AGREEMENT
In addition to the many great destinations that we
represent, Leland Fly Fishing Adventures also has an
agreement with Frontiers to represent all their
properties (many of which we already book
independently). If you are considering any of the
destinations that Frontiers offers, please give us a
call as it’s virtually the same process as booking
through Frontiers, and we need the “bonus points.”
And, we may have some personal experiences that can
add to your knowledge and preparations.
Either phone or drop us an e-mail if you have
questions or would like more information about any
of our destinations.
An enthusiastic traveling fly fisherman,
Don Muelrath
Leland Fly Fishing Adventures
888-347-4896
flyfish@napanet.net
www.flyfishingoutfitters.com
e-mail Josh Frazier at
Josh@flyfishingoutfitters.com
If you want to be removed from our e-mail newsletter
list, just hit “reply” and let us know – you’ll be
removed immediately.
|
