Ascension Bay Fly Fishing

We have just had three groups fish Ascension Bay over the past month and all experienced some good fishing and a great place to visit. The old sand road down to Punta Allen was a little worse for ware this season but the roadworks were being undertaken and by now the road should be back to its best. Here is a report from Jonathon Tomlinson of Sportfish, Reading (www.sportfish.co.uk) who hosted the November trip for us.

Well I’m back in the UK and with a real bang back to reality, landing to +1 degree and snow at Birmingham airport after a fantastic and highly memorable trip to Ascension Bay in Mexico.

After weeks of anticipation the departure date finally arrived for the trip to the ‘Grand Slam’ capital of the world and myself and 5 intrepid anglers were winging our way to our home for the next 7 days in Punta Allen. After a stop during our mini bus transfer for some much needed food and the obligatory ice cold Cerveza, we eventually arrived at our lodge to be greeted by our lead guide for the week Manuel. We were shown to our spacious air conditioned rooms; we dumped the kit and fell asleep before our heads had touched the pillows.



As usual the group woke up early in anticipation of our first days angling and were up and tackled long before the 7am breakfast; all itching to get started. 8 am and the 3 well equipped flats boats headed out. The weather was recovering from a large low pressure system that had been hanging around for the previous week or so, but the outlook was that it would steadily get better as the week progress which was music to our ears. Right enough each day it did get better and with it so did the fishing! The majority of the party started of cashing the numerous tailing bones that could be found in the shallow flats, with great results. As the week continued and everyone’s confidence grew the target species grew in numbers and Snook, Tarpon and Permit soon became the order of the day. During a night of margarita fuelled banter a species challenge was laid down to the group, rules were simple catch as many different fish as you can! The eventual winner boated 17 species for the week, impressive in any location but even more so when they are all taken by the fly!



Every day shots were taken at elusive Permit on the extensive flats surrounding Punta Alan with the catch figures getting larger and larger until the last day ended in the perfect conclusion for one angler. For most salty anglers the ‘Grand Slam’ is the ultimate prize but even more coveted than this is the very rare ‘Super Slam’ which involves the capture of not only a Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon in a single day but with the edition of the hard fighting mangrove dwelling Snook. Even as we landed back in the UK some 48 hours after the monumental achievement had happened it still hadn't sunk in with the captor, I’m sure it will stay in his memory for many years to come!



The figures for the week just speak for themselves, 3 Permit boated with another 3 unfortunately lost, several Tarpon with as usual several more jumped and lost, plenty of hard fighting Snook and more Bones than you could shake a stick at not to mention Barracuda, Jacks and numerous local Snapper and mangrove species.



I would rate Ascension bay as by far and away one of the very best locations for saltwater fly fishing regardless of your experience level. The biggest endorsement I can give it is that all 6 members of the group are heading back to the same lodge at the same time next year and probably will for quite some years!

We have groups fishing Ascension Bay in March/April and May in 2009. If you are interested please email us.

Fly Fishing New Zealand: Gisborne Report

We have just had clients Cavan and Owen fish a combined saltwater/freshwater package in the Gisborne region of the North Island of New Zealand fishiing out of Murphy's Lodge and with supreme saltwater guide Nik Mathiesen. Here is a recount of the trip.

Hello Matt,

Owen and myself enjoyed the trip very much and did catch some memorable fish. Unfortunately, we experienced some bad weather at the start, which cut our salt water fishing down to one day. However, we did catch some Kingfish and spent some time on the rivers guiding Nick, who freely admitted he was not much of a "trouty" but may well become a convert.

Frank is an "ol dog", who we liked very much. He proved to be a great guide and not short of a story or two! He also taught us a lot about emptying a wine cellar and Owen and myself proved to be very able students. Pam looked after us very well at Motu and Jan managed able feasts at the Ruikitori Hilton. We both decided a diet was out of the question and made the most of it all.

We really only had one day on the Motu, due to inclement weather. However, what a day it was! With Frank guiding us along, we caught some very nice Browns - all sighted fish. The best was in the order of about 4lbs. Bigger fish were lost, usually by nailing themselves about a snag. We did fish the Motu a little on the second day but the water had been turned to mud due to heavy rain the night before. Nevertheless, Frank vowed to find fish and we had a success in one of the feeder streams, where the water was running clear.

We were at a loss in trying to decide what to do regarding the weather. In the end, I rang Nick and a discussion ensued regarding what to do with the next days fishing. We eventually followed the original plan because it was very hard to change days due to one factor or another. So, next morning Nick arrived and we set off for the cape. On arrival, it was obvious that the sea would be far too rough, so we formulated a plan and re - rigged the 8 wt with a floater and headed off to the rivers. I bought flies, indicators and leaders and we tried to catch the evening rise........... River 1 , fishers nil.

The next day, we headed further up river on a beautiful excursion through some glorious countyside. Lots of wildlife to see including Hares, Turkeys, and Pheasant. The day had cleared and we were rewarded with a fabulous bright, summers day. We caught some lovely rainbows on nymph and indicators amongst pocket water within rapids.

At the cape we got ready for our only opportunity to catch Kingfish. The sea had calmed somewhat and we headed out early in the morning to areas that Nick had plotted on his GPS. He found fish almost immediately and I caught the first fish on the first cast. We continued to pull fish fairly regularly and then it became a bit quiet. Nick unleashed the "Samurai sword "with hooks attached - apparently the favoured method with the Japanese- and more fish were brought to the boat. (Apparently, this style of fishing is called Jigging ).The Kingfish lived up to their reputation and put up a well respected fight - should try that with a 6wt!



Nik was a nice fellow and we got along well. Later that day we returned to the Motu Lodge and prepared ourselves to travel to the Ruikitori River. On arrival at " The Ruikitori Hilton", we set up for the last leg of our trip. The gods smiled. The weather just kept improving. We had probably the best fishing conditions that NZ could offer. Bright, warm summer sun. Neither too hot or too cold - perfect. The fish agreed and we had the river almost to ourselves.

The river was full of big beautiful Browns and Rainbows inhabiting all sorts of water. Mostly caught on nymphs but some on the dry. Usually a Hare and copper or Royal Wulff. (The fast sections were explored with tungsten beadheads in order to get down to where the fish were feeding). Most fish were spotted with polaroids. Owen, proved to be a top spotter!



Alas, all good things come to an end. I dare say that Franky is still talking about the large Brown that Owen hooked and played hard to get. ......Often lodging itself on the bed, round a rock, racing into awkward runs; requiring Owen and myself equiped with a stick to follow it across treacherous water, trace it downstream and on more than one occassion, prod it with the stick to get it going! Yes, and Franky had a bit of a laugh, swore we had made his day and could not believe we actually succeeded. But we did....... a nice fish of 5lbs.

Cav

For those of you wanting to experience the best saltwater fishing on the North island combined with some backcountry trout fishing please email us for more details.

Belize Permit Specials

One of the great things about being in this business is when a client achieves a fish capture that they have devoted a large amount of time and energy to. Generally this involves the pursuit of Permit. Mark Nicoll has long craved a permit on fly. He spent months tying crab flies of all descriptions (kindly offering me his rejects) with the aim of spending 3 weeks in Belize and Mexico chasing permit as hard as he can. Well he is currently out at Turneffe Flats Lodge part way through his first week away with another keen saltwater fly angler Mike Youkee and has already managed 2 permit. That makes one happy angler. I will be joining him out in Ascension Bay in a couple of weeks time and look forward to hearing the stories of their capture over a nice cold cerveza.



Turneffe Flats are offering some great deals through January. For the weeks of 10-17th January and 17th-23rd January 2009 you can fish and a friend can fish at Turneffe flats at 2 for the price 1 or you can take a non fishing partner free of charge. For more information please email us.

Christmas Specials

There are lots of bargains to be had over the Christmas and New Year with many lodges offering 2 for 1 deals or heavily discounted packages.

Here are a few of the opportunities available:

Casa Blanca Lodge, Ascension Bay

Ascension Bay is one of our favorite fly fishing destinations and the best lodge in the region is offering a 2 for 1 deal between the 3rd-10th of January. For the weeks January 10-17th and 17th-24th we are offering 10% discount on all packages to Casa Blanca lodge. For those wanting to escape the UK winter this is a great opportunity to do that in the Grand Slam capital of the world.

Alphonse Island, Seychelles
The premier lodge in the Seychelles, Alphonse makes a great location for fly fishers and non fly fishers alike. For the week of 10th -17th of January, 2009 Alphonse Island is offering $US2500 off its normal price weekly rate for fly fishers and $US1000 off its weekly rate for non anglers.

If you require any further information on these packages please email us.

Christmas Island in The Field

We are please to see Tobias Coe's feature in the UK's premier field sports magazine, The Field, on Christmas Island from our hosted trip to the island in July 2008. They encountered some big bonefish and some even bigger Giant Trevally on their trip to the island. Thanks for some great tales Toby.

Also an update on the flight situation for Christmas island will see the charter flight from Honolulu being the only means of accessing the island in the near future. This was the original route before Air Pacific started regular flights in 2006. Cost of the return flight between Honolulu and Christmas island is $US1100.

We are also pleased to announce that we have the UK's exclusive agent for bookings to Christmas Islands premier lodge The Villages. The villages offers air conditioned ensuite rooms with an ideally located bonefish flat on its doorstep. The head guide are Teanaki has been guiding the island for 25 years and is a big GT specialist. For 2009 rates and bookings please email us.

Family Travel: The Bahamas

For those wanting to escape to the sun over the winter we are able to offer you 2 fantastic locations in the Bahamas, Old Bahama Bay and Green Turtle Club ideal for a family getaway.

Old Bahama Bay is located on the Western End of Grand Bahama. With easy access via Miami or Fort Lauderdale, Old Bahama Bay makes a great, safe location to take the family. Excellent swimming beach, pools and games room, stylish rooms and excellent service really make a trip to Old Bahama Bay special. For the fisherman you have a world class bonefish fishery on your doorstep. The legendary Bonefish Foley is famous around these waters and you can enjoy your meals overlooking the Marina from the Bonefish Foley Bar and Grill.





Green Turtle Club and Marina is part of the Abaco group or of out islands. Offering unspoiled beaches, a relaxing atmosphere, luxury accommodations and some of the biggest bonefish found in the Bahamas swimming around on the flats surround Green Turtle Cay makes this an ideal location for a family trip combined with some times on the flats.

For further details on prices and availability please email me.

Free 1/2 Day Fly Fishing Lessons

Fly Odyssey are pleased to announce that for all bookings with Fly Odyssey between now and March 2009 our clients will be entitled to a free 1/2 day lesson with the Scott fly Fishing School based down in Devon. Whether it be honing your fly casting in preparation for an upcoming bonefish trip or dusting out the cobwebs on a Dartmoor stream or learning a new salmon presentation, Pete Tyjas and his team of AAPGAI accredited guides will provide you with an excellent service that will help in your preparations for your next Fly Odyssey trip.

For more information please visit Scott fly fishing schoolwebsite.

British Fly Fair

Well the BFFI has come and gone again. What a great show and a great opportunity to put some faces to names and discuss all things related to fly fishing and the places that we fish. For those that missed out the BFFI offers the chance to see some of the world's best fly tyers in action and watch demonstrations of their 'killer' flies. The main tent is filled with more tackle and tying gear than you could ever dream of and I am sure more than a few bargains were had by those attending.



Thanks to everyone who dropped by and enquired about our New Zealand trips and affordable bonefish options. I look forward to you all joining one of our groups and experiencing some special fly fishing locations.

New Caledonia fly fishing: Short film by FF Media

Here is a short film by FF Media on their recent trip to New Caledonia.

Christmas island fly fishing report

Here is a report from a recent Fly Odyssey group trip to Christmas Island. The guys had a mixed week with plenty of bonefish with the largest around the 8 pound mark and while Toby reported seeing good numbers of big GT's with Tom Brumm from the US busting a hook on an estimated 60lb fish.

Dear Mathew.

Christmas Island certainly lived up to it's reputation as one of the great places in the world to catch bonefish! On our best days of fishing, a dozen bonefish in a few hours of fishing was the norm and one of our party had over 30 fish on his best day. I was surprised by the size of some of the fish we saw though. Our group caught several over 7lb and one of the guy's hooked a fish that he swore blind was into double figures!

We saw decent numbers of GTs and bluefins trevally as well each day - up to half a dozen fish or more on some of the outer reefs. Some were pretty huge as well - 60lb+! We only managed to land a few small ones unfortunately, but it was still fun trying. All in all a pretty great trip, even if the wind did blow your ears inside out on a couple of days!!

Cheers, Toby

Christmas island fly fishing report

Isla Holbox Tarpon

Isla Holbox keeps producing big fish. Just had this shot through from Toby Sprinkle, lodge manager who managed a personal best fish estimated at 170lb. Several of our clients managed fish over 100lb last season. Space in 2009 is filling fast. If you would like more information on fishing Isla Holbox please email me.

New Caledonia Filming

The fishing out at New Caledonia continues to produce big bonefish. In early August we helped put together a party of anglers to film the flats fishing of Northern New Caledonia. The filming was undertaken by Janpanese fly fishing production company FF MEDIA. Yoshi and Aki will put putting together a film of what New Caledonian bonefishing is all about so keep an eye on their website. Here are a few pics from Peter Morse of their weeks fishing.

Cape York Australia: Trip Report

Fly fishing Cape York Australia is one of those must fish locations. The variety of species on offer means that even in the slow weeks you are still catching lots of fish. We have just had a group aboard the liveaboard Seafaris and while they hit a poor patch of weather they still managed some great fish. I received this from Mark following his trip. For our 2009 trip please email me for details.

Dear Mat,

Just wanted to let you know how I got on up in the Northern Teritories. We were picked up at Bamaga Airport by Greg Bethune the owner of Seafaris lunchtime, then a short drive through the aboriginal encampments to Sesia, where we boarded the "Tropic Paradise" our mother ship for the week ahead. I had been looking for ward to this trip for years, even before I started Fly Fishing, having watched Bushy and Steve Starling catch loads of different species on the much loved Rex Hunt shown here on Sky TV in the UK, so I was like a Rat with a gold tooth anticipating what I might catch in the week ahead. After a very rough crossing to the MacDonald River mouth ( the normal trade winds had blown to onshore rather than offshore ) we had a few beers and settled down to a talk with Greg, and the rest of the guides, just so we new the rules of the ship and what to expect , and also, and most importantely, our own personnel safety whilst aboard, and the bit about Sharks and Crocs!



Morning came, and after a good breakfast we were out on the water. Because of the onshore wind the flats fishing was almost shut down, we had instant action with small GT's and Queenfish, casting around structure in the estuary mouth, these small fish around 2kgs pull like a train, and are great fun. Back to the mothership for a huge lunch ( its very relaxed, no need to rush of out in the afternoon if you want forty winks ! ) and off to the ledgendarry Queenie hole, what a fish, these things are nearly a meter long and jump like a Tarpon, we caught them on crease flies, clousers, and polar fiber minnows. We also lost a lot of fish due to thier hard mouths. On the way down to this spot is a vast expanse of mangroves , with fish busting here and there , we caught several oxeye herring ( Pacific Tarpon) of around 2 to 4 kgs , they are just like thier Atlantic cousin's.



The week continued to get better weather wise and the flats started to clear, so we popped out front to look for Indo Pacific Permit ( Australian Snub Nosed Dart ). Still to cloudy for that as they sit in the channels off the flats, but we spotted a small school of Golden Trevally feeding. After several shots at these fussy feeders, I managed to hook one of 6kgs on a small merkin type crab, it tore off about 200 meters, I fell back into the boat as my glasses had steamed up in all the excitment ( at this stage I was convinced it was a Permit ! ). After a long hard fight she came to the net. What a great sportfish these are.
The week started to take shape, first thing in the mornings we would head out in the skiff about half a mile offhsore to find the huge shoals of Longtail Tuna , Spanish Mackerel and Mac Tuna, because of the coloured water comming out of the River mouths, these were fairly elusive as were pushed further offshore by the sediment pouring into the sea, allthough we did find a few fish every time out. I hooked several Longgies the first day , good fish of around 12kgs, these lock your 10 or 9wt rod up and fight dirty. You cast a white clouser or small white surf candy into the shoal of busting fish and crashing birds and strip like a crazy man! All of mine were eaten by sharks. I got bitten off a few times by good Spanish Mackerel too.
The Queenie hole always provided very good sport everyday. I had a good Tealeaf trevally on a Toad and also a nice Estuary Cod from the same spot.



All in all a great weeks fishing, every species pulls your arm out of its socket, whatever size they are. The food was nothing short of awesome, with fresh fish, and the famous and much anticipated Mud Crab night, we had fresh Sashimi and sushi as we stepped off the skiffs, cold beers and great evening meals, I have definatley put a few pounds on!



It was a long way to go from the UK , but it was totaly worth it, and as I had another weeks fishing in New Caledonia for the giant Bonefish, this broke up the flights and travel well. I will go back for sure. Shame the wind stirred the flats up. The potential is huge.



Thanks for organising the trip again Matt, as ever it ran like clockwork , thanks again.

See you soon.

Mark

New Destinations: Great Alaska Salmon and Belize Permit

Fly Odyssey is pleased to be working with several new lodges providing world class fly fishing opportunities in both fresh and saltwater.

Freshwater Fly Fishing
We have just added an Alaska webpage to the Freshwater destinations section. We will be working with 2 lodges that offer the best that Alaska has to offer. Please visit the Alaska webpage for further information.



Great Alaska Adventure Lodge
Great Alaska is located right in the heart of the Kenai Penninsula and is surrounded by National parks and great salmon and steelhead fishing. Great Alaska offers both the lodge experience as well as remote campout fishing and as such has a package price to suit all budgets. It is also a great place to take the family with ecotours galore including a remote bear viewing camp, sea kayaking, glacier cruising and hiking.



Talaheim Lodge
Talaheim is unique in that it is the only helicopter fly out lodge in Alaska. Imagine being able to access the remotest waters that rarely see another fishermen. At Talaheim you get 6 fly outs per week, accessing new water each day and truely get to experience the best backcountry fly fishing that Alaska has to offer.



Saltwater Fly Fishing
We have added several other destinations in Belize to our existing location Whipray Caye to offer a wider variety of lodges to choose from on your next permit chase. Please visit theBelize webpage for further information.



Tarpon Caye Lodge
Tarpon Caye lodge is located in the remote southern waters of Belize off the coast of Placencia. This small island is home to some of the best permit fishing in the world and provides an unique experience in that your fishing day revolves around the tides rather than a strict time schedule ensuring you are on the water at the peak fishing times. With bungalows built over the water Tarpon Caye offers an alternative to the conventional fishing lodge experience.



Turneffe Flats
Turneffe Flats has built a reputation through outstanding fishing and service as one of the premier fishing lodges in the Caribbean. Permit are high on the target species list at Turneffe and there are few better places to go to try and catch this species. Turneffe offers a variety of activities and ecotours and therefore also makes it a great choice to take the family or non fishing partner.

Fly fishing Canada: North Bow Lodge

The North Bow River is one of those places that every fly fisherman should try and get to at least once. It has a long history and has earnt a reputation for producing large brown and rainbow trout to the point where it is considered as one of the best 'big fish" waters in Western North America. The North Bow offers some great hatches with big stonefly, caddis and mayfly hatches throughout the season. Toby Coe of the UK recently visited North Bow Lodge and had this to say and provided some inspiring photographs of his trip.

"Hi Mat. Wow, what a fishery! I had two fantastic days on the Bow whilst at the lodge. The river was a bit coloured and dirtier than usual for the time of year as the snow melt was later than usual, plus they had a lot of rain out there in early to mid-June. We still managed to catch some really nice fish though. The main tactic we used was casting big streamers into the banks or up tight to structure and stripping them back down and across-stream.





The first day we had 20 fish, topped by a cracking brown of about 7lb, plus some really nice rainbows up to about 4lb. The 'bows were thin though as they've just finished spawning, but our guide (who was excellent) said that they pack the weight back on over the summer.





The second day we had thirteen and the fishing was a lot tougher, although we managed five fish on dries right at the end of the day. The fishing in the dry-fly season sounds epic! Big hatches of stoneflies, mayflies, caddis and hoppers all summer long. Got to get back there! We also saw a bunch of wildlife, including beavers, bald eagles, pelicans, megansers and a porcupine."

Cheers
Toby

For those that would like to join us on a trip to the North Bow next summer please email me for rates and more information or call +44 1621743711

Argentina fly fishing: Santa Cruz Steelhead

For those who love fly fishing for steelhead here is a new location for you all to consider. Argentina is world famous for its runs of sea-run brown trout up the Rio Grande and rivers of Tierra Del Fuego yet there is something new on the horizon for the angler seeking virtually unfished populations of steelhead. Maria Behety Lodge guide Nick Thomson spends most of his time putting clients onto the huge sea run brown trout that run up the Rio Grande. Post season on his way back to Buenos Aires he heads to the Santa Cruz river and catches these....





Argentine steelhead!! The Santa Cruz is a huge body of water but each April and May experiences a big run of chrome steelhead of solid proportions. For the 2009 season Fly Odyssey will be running several trips between April and May specifically to target the steelhead running up the Santa Cruz. Group size is a maximum of 4 anglers and costs £2500 p.p and includes 7 nights accommodation, 6 days guided fishing and all meals. For more information please email us.

Trip report: Isla Holbox tarpon

We have just back from a hosted trip to Isla Holbox, Mexico in pursuit of the ultimate fly rod species the Silver King. Isla Holbox is a small island of the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and has a reputation for its migratory tarpon fishing. Our group of 8 stayed at Isla Holbox Lodge which is a nicely run and comfortable beach front lodge. Fishing at the lodge starts early to ensure that you make the most of the calm early mornings chasing offshore migratory fish prior to the afternoon south easterly winds forcing the boats inshore to search for baby tarpon.



Our first two mornings went perfectly to script with the guides getting us into large schools of rolling tarpon. Finding the fish was easy but getting close enough to get a decent shot proved more difficult in the glass calm conditions on day 1. One lucky angler from Japan did get a good shot and found himself hooked into a fish around the 130 lb mark. I was lucky enough to be in the boat with Andy Congram on the second morning and watch as he hooked into a tarpon estimated at 140 lb. Watching a tarpon get 10 feet into the air is a great way to start the day. Andy put maximum pressure on this fish and boated it in approximately 30 minutes. Back at the lodge that evening we were over the moon with the prospect of another 4 days chasing big fish outside but the weather had other plans. The wind blew for the rest of the week and we did not get the chance to head back outside after the big tarpon but I saw enough on those first two mornings to draw me back again.



The remainder of the week was spent chasing tarpon in the mangroves and on the flats. Several of the group had some great sight fishing in 4-5 feet of water to tarpon in the 30-50lb class. Mark Nicoll managed to boat a 40lb fish in difficult conditions and Trev Bennett jumped a fish in the 30lb range. The baby fishing in tight to the mangroves was a bit hit and miss. Those boats finding schools of fish had some fun but those who missed out on tarpon spent time chasing snook and jacks.



For more information on fishing Isla Holbox please email us.

Ascension Bay fly fishing trip report

Isn't it great when a destination lives up to all the hype. John and Angela have kindly sent through a recent trip report and photos from a week down in Ascension Bay and the fishing sounded great......

Punta allen at last! After 2 flights, one coach ride and 22hrs we arrived at punta allen and where greated by our host Niki with the torch and the candles as the power goes off at 12am in this town, anyway straight to bed it was needed ! Then awake at 7am to the sound of the sea lapping on the beach. Its then you realise what a peaceful and tranquil place your in the lodge was just as discribed small clean with all you require just 20 paces from the sea.

No time to waste so down for breakfast and to meet our guides for the day Christian & Pedro then it was off on the daily ride to the fishing spots, James Bond style if requested!

Day 1
The first day was fish under the belt day with plenty of small bonefish happily obliging with a couple of shots at permit thrown in for good luck. Its amazing how quick the day goes when youe enjoying yourself and in no time we were heading back to the lodge.



Now Punta Allen is a pretty basic place but there are 2 stores, 3 bars/restaurants that serve cold beer and good food but as expected it is seafood orientated but just in case you want a change there is a nice crepe bar and a chicken barbeque shop. Dont worry you wont starve in punt allen!

Day 2
A change of guide today it was Manuel & Jesus (the best guides) this involved our first tarpon trip to the mangroves being poled through these small chanels looking for tarpon casting under trees and into trees but after a few tips and a bit of practice we got the hang of it. After a few hours and no takes things were looking grim then 3 fish were spotted moving towards our boat manuel launched into his most common phrase (long cast then strip). The first cast fell short the second was on the button the lead fish peeled off took the fly and bang our first tarpon was on and landed shortly afterwards. The rest of the was spent chasing permit with no luck but as usual the bonefish & the lady fish again obliged while avoiding that big cuda.



Day 3
The day I joined 2 clubs!! Manuel arrived saying today permit, but first we stopped off for some bigger bonefish near Casa Blanca. Now it was quite windy and after a few fish i got a bit cocky . Its at this time you find out your boating skills are not what you thought they were, it went one way I went the other and thats where i joined the over the side and in the drink club (very exclusive only 3 members) after a few laughs and some more bones it was of to find permit, after another boat ride we arrived on one of Manuel's secluded flats, no other boats in sight, now talking about sight these guys can see fish at amazing distances and manuel soon spotted our first shoal, after a lot of punting and some great coaching we got our cast in and bingo the fish took the fly 5 mins later our first permit was landed, not bid but perfectly formed, after a wet start our luck had changed. Anyway 10 minutes later the shoal reapeared we got a second cast in and permit no 2 was hooked and landed bigger but not a giant. So the grand slam was on and manuel set off to some of his secret spots in the mangroves and after 5 casts the tarpon obliged not 1 but 5 baby tarpon not one but 2 grand slams, just shows what a novice can do with the right guide!



Day 4
Manuel arrived early today with the words big permit then away we went on one of is long boat rides to the more isolated spots. After about 20 minutes manuel spotted the first shoal only small fish but this man is fanatical and the chase was on 3 casts later our first permit was landed. Manuel decided to move to deeper water within the hour Manuel has spotted the shoal and sure enough they were bigger fish both jesus+manuel sprung into action and after a lot of grunting and punting we were in the position for the shot, away it went and landed good closly followed by the usual strip ,fast ,slow ,stop slow strip you got him and yes we had but the tippet had other ideas and away he went.

Its not until your on the boat rocking and rolling in windy conditions with the fanatical guide shouting orders at you and a shoal of permit in front of you that you realise your casting could be better and you should have practiced a bit more!
Anyway we regrouped and they regrouped and another 2-3 shots came and went. Then out came the pliers and manuel cut the eyes off my best crab fly the next shot came followd by manuels instructions the fish obliged and 40 mins later a nice big permit was on the boat (me and manuel both with big smiles), the day continued in much the same way with a couple more takes and another loss, fish 3 anglers 2 hum! but as usual when the permit didnt show the bonefish did.



Day 5
A relaxing day catching bones snappers and small jacks in calm conditions punting after the large shoal in shallow water. Then all hell broke loose and another shoal of permit appeared yes the guides went mad, the casting went to pot no takes today.



Day 6
Started slow wading for bones no luck so off on another boat ride looking for snook ,first cast the fly was followed by a small shark then we spotted a lone big bone and he was hungry he took the fly and after a good fight was soon in the boat then released. This was followed by 2 snook from under the mangrove bushes, then we were off for tarpon but after a couple of hours and a few takes with no luck the third strike happened he didnt get away and we were on for the super grand slam. With permit on our minds we headed back towards our base and to my amazement sure enough Manuel spotted another shoal but after a long chase and no takes they vanised as quickly as they had appeared. So off we set on the final leg of our trip back to the lodge then we stopped on the edge of the deep water and there they were a shoal of big permit, again both manuel and Jesus went into action and worked hard to get into position for the cast. The first was poor the second was good the strip was good the fish took the fly I set the hook the fish had other ideas turned over spat the hook and was away, and that was the end of the super grand slam and our fishing trip. As you proberly realise the trip won't be forgotten! So was Punta Allen worth the long trip well that's a resounding Yes. So its thanks to Manuel for his patience and his tips for the novice anglers, and its thanks to Mat for organising the trip. We will come back!

Cheers John + Angela

For anyone interested in fishing Punta Allen we have 3 hosted trips in late November/early December with some places still available. Please email me for more information.

Fly Angler Magazine: New Caledonia article

For those who love saltwater fly fishing you will be interested in a quality publication coming out of Australia called Fly Angler. This magazine showcases much of Australia's great saltwater fly fishing while also offering a sampling of the native freshwater species available to the fly angler from downunder. There is always a great selection of fly tying articles and some casting thrown in. Fly Angler also showcases some of the best saltwater destinations to be found around the world and has recently published an article on several of our trips to New Caledonia. Click Click here to read the pdf version.

We have one space left on a trip hosted by Peter Morse between the 31st July and 7th August. For more information please email me.

Corrientes Dorado fly fishing

Here is a report from Argentinian guide Nicholas Thomson who spent a few days showing Fly Odyssey client Charles Butcher what Golden Dorado fishing on the Corrientes is all about.

The trip began in Buenos Aires where we got to talk and know each other. Th bus up to Esquina arrived early so we had a short nap before going out fishing. By half past seven we had some breakfast and we left to meet with our guide. He took us south where we could find good clear water spots, due to the amount of water the parana was dropping into the other channels. The parana feeds allot of these smaller rivers, and this time it was very high, so we where fishing inside the islands where most of the activity was. To make a long story short, in the first day Charlie hooked a Dorado on every spot the guide took us, landing 4 of them.



He was amazed by the size of these fish and also about the fight these fish put when they hit your fly!! I have to say that in the first day we where blessed with the weather, we had a very nice sunny day, making the scenery more attractive, and I think that was what amazed Charlie the most!!



The second day started with heavy rain, so we decided to take it easy and wait a bit for the weather to get better.... Before mid day we where back in the boat, with some waterproof jackets and pants, which the guide provided us. Weather was cold so we had to fish deeper. This time we drifted through some canals, having some stikes. We arrived to a spot with some clear water where I caught a 13 pound Dorado. When we got back to the hosteria we where staying at, we found that they where making a big Asado for some guys from Uruguay, and we where invited so we gladly joined them, finishing the trip with some good wine and a superb asado.

Cheers
Nick

For an authentic Dorado fly fishing experience at a great price please Contact us.