Big treasures, small pools The smell of sunscreen and squidAn island morning Bristling red and goldPerched precisely; poised for attackToo late, it's a hook!   Salty and crunchyWaving up at the surfaceThe algae beckons A tug on the lineIt's a tiny Christmas Wrasse!A gift all year roundShiny and patientHiding deep upon the reefWaiting for high tideBurrowing … Continue reading Tide Pool Treasures →

There is a long list of strange and unpleasant interactions one can have with animals. Most people can relate to being stung by a bee and many of us who were curious children share the experience of snake or lizard bites.Over the years I been attacked by a sheep, stung by an urchin, charged by … Continue reading The Checklist →

On the Monday morning after our weekend of semi-successful fishing, Tara and I borrowed a car and drove back out to the lake for a last shot at some carp.The water was deserted and we arrived at the perfect time, that mid-morning window when the sun is high but the wind is still. Right away … Continue reading Spring Break Part 2: Settling Score →

My failure to post recently is directly related to my failure to go fishing recently.I have been doing some fishing research. Specifically I've been reading about catching bonefish on ultra-light spinning gear and about a week ago I really got the itch to get out and try some of these techniques. That's about when this … Continue reading Hail Hawaii →

Tara and I took our handpoles out to Hawaii Kai yesterday. We often take friends or visitors fishing at this spot which means I usually spend a lot of time tying and re-tying knots for people. This time it was just the two of us, so after a quick picnic on the sand we were … Continue reading Bearded Fish →

The incredible diversity of tropical reef systems is one of my favorite things about fishing in Hawaii. I caught five fish today, all of them different species and all caught using basically the same technique. Four, a lizardfish, a cornetfish, and two papio (one white, one bluefin), were all fairly small, but the fifth was … Continue reading Proof →

 A few years back I had an encounter with a Florida Gar. I was in Miami, fishing with Cordell Baum, when I spotted a gar holding in the middle of the canal."Strip your fly past it," he told me "it will follow from behind, whack your fly with it's nose, then turn and take the … Continue reading Nunu →

I'm finally back in action! Tara gave me a very nice 5 - in - 1 card reader by Kodak so that we can once again transfer photos from the camera to the computer. Now I just need to catch some fish. In the meantime, here are a few  pictures from my recent evening of … Continue reading XD action →

Last weekend I met up with Kirk for an evening of fishing near Kaneohe. I had fished the spot once before and caught some nice papio.If bonefish are the saltwater doppelgangers of carp then I suppose trevally are the Hawaiian version of bass. Locals call trevally by their Hawaiian name, ulua, and small ulua are … Continue reading Papio Sashimi →

Just after I started this blog I acquired a new toy, a waterproof digital camera. Since then, that little orange camera has traveled all over the world with us, taking pictures of trains, temples, food, friends, and lots and lots of fish.Recently, our trusty camera has had some problems. It still takes pictures, but the … Continue reading Sunset on Olympus →