I like getting away from the crowd when I fish, but it's not always possible. Crowded spots are often crowded for a reason. If there are a lot of people fishing somewhere it's often because the fishing is good there! The flip side of this coin is that the fish in these areas can get … Continue reading Navigating a Crowd
Category: Fish Species
Superfly Variation
This past season, Makani Christensen over at Fly Fishing Hawaii / Keawe Adventures has been developing his "Superfly" pattern. It has proven effective on the Winter and Spring bonefish, which can be frustratingly selective in what they will and won't eat on any given day. Personally, my go-to fly when the bonefish are being picky … Continue reading Superfly Variation
Adventures in Bonefishing
Last year I wrote about my first bonefish of 2022. The story was published in the March issue of Hawaii Fishing News. For those that missed it, I have now made the article available on my blog: I have been fortunate to spend the past several years fishing with some of Hawaii’s bonefish royalty, including … Continue reading Adventures in Bonefishing
First Fish of the New (Lunar) Year
A small weke pueo The first fish I landed in 2023 was a goatfish, a weke pueo (here is another, better photo of one). The common name for the species is "nightmare weke," so I didn't necessarily feel super good about that as a starting point for the year. I did land a couple of … Continue reading First Fish of the New (Lunar) Year
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
My motivation for fishing is manifold. I enjoy the physical and mental challenge, the aspect of exploration, and developing a relationship with my natural surroundings: the weather, the winds, the water, and the fish themselves. While I am usually a catch-and-release type of person, once in a while I am also motivated to catch fish … Continue reading Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Feels Like Summer
Big O'io There are some places on the flats where big fish regularly feed, but they are crazy-difficult to catch. When I see these fish I go directly into stealth mode, with lots of crouching low to the water and slow-motion steps. Most of the time, no matter how stealthy I am, the fish turn … Continue reading Feels Like Summer
All-In
I remember reading somewhere that human beings are more likely to return to something over and over if the outcome is uncertain. We quickly lose interest in the sure thing, perhaps because it's a sure thing. I don't remember where I read that, but I believe the point was that we are psychologically hard-wired to … Continue reading All-In
Loose Ends
I think we can all agree that 2020 was not the best year, with a smorgasbord of tragedy and disappointments, globally, nationally, and close to home. Looking back however, I am slightly stunned to realize that 2020 was, against all odds, a pretty good fishing year for me personally. I have written about most of … Continue reading Loose Ends
Spotting Bonefish (in Hawaii)
This post is an attempt to answer an important question that was posed in the comments on an earlier post. The question was about how to spot bonefish while wading. When I mentioned this to Tara she replied that the best way to learn is to have someone point the fish out to you. That's … Continue reading Spotting Bonefish (in Hawaii)
Pow Pow!
Ed picked me up early and we marveled at the clear sky and calm conditions on the ride to the boat ramp. The weather was ideal. "Why can't every day be like this" we kept asking each other. The marina parking lot was mostly empty and we rigged up the fly rods and launched the … Continue reading Pow Pow!
The Fishing Dojo 