After our stay in the rainforest, we headed to the beaches of Isla Taboga, a small island about 12 miles from Panama City. Among the 900 or so inhabitants we found Thijs and Jeannette who retired from California to Taboga several years ago. Along with their vacation rental, Thijs runs a fishing charter business.For a … Continue reading Panama Part 2: Isla Taboga/Pacific Ocean →

We're back from Panama! It was an excellent trip. The weather was warm, the people were friendly and the fishing was good.We stayed the first several days in Gamboa, a small town in Soberania National Park and right next to Lake Gatun. The lake includes the northern end of the Panama Canal and is well … Continue reading Panama Part 1: Lake Gatun/Panama Canal →

Where's the walking stick? Yesterday I went fishing for bluegills to use as bait for catfish, and I was reminded of something.I can't remember when I started fishing for bass or trout, but it took me three days of fishing to land my first catfish. I don't feel that catching cats is much harder than … Continue reading Thoughts on Victory →

There are so many variables in fishing. My first try catfishing was in shallow water with hot dogs as bait. My second try was in deep water, this time using fresh chunks of sunfish as bait. Although I caught bass both days, I am certain that neither effort elicited a catfish nibble. So, on my … Continue reading Fat Cats →

A cold fall day on the water today. The wind has been up so I left the fly rod at home and brought along the Whuppin' Stick, hoping to find some carp or catfish feeding in deeper waters. I must admit that I am a novice at baitfishing. I know that sounds odd - put … Continue reading The Lieutenant Colonel →

We took a mini vacation to Florida this week for some much needed beach time. We took one day to visit the Everglades, and on a hike we saw evidence of recent high waters - every slight depression in the trail held quickly evaporating puddles which teemed with tiny fishes and crustaceans: In the late … Continue reading Florida →

Tara's always been a good sport about my fishing habit, and she often joins me on the water to relax. Occasionally, I try to put a fly rod in her hands. It turns out that she's no slouch with a bass bug:

I almost stayed home today. Wind, rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast, but if there is one thing I've learned about fishing this year, especially fly fishing for carp, it's that persistence is key. So I went. It began to rain almost immediately and I soon gave up looking for carp and tied on … Continue reading Lightning, camera, action! →

The carp have seemed scarce ever since my return from Oregon this summer. I hated to consider the possibility that "carp season" had ended here. Besides, all the evidence pointed to the contrary, there should be lots of hungry carp around. The water is warm and shallow, resulting in more plant growth which is habitat … Continue reading U Boats →

Mike and I headed back to the Caney Fork this past week. I was eager to get back in the cool water and try out my new purchase, a pair of breathable Dan Bailey chest waders. When we arrived, the water was still a bit high, but we eventually made it out to Mike's favorite … Continue reading The Caney Fork Wildcat →