Well that escalated quickly…
Once again, the heat of summer has returned to south Louisiana. Temperatures now peaking above 95 F for a third consecutive week, the time is right to kick back and reflect on the quarter that was. A mere 90 days in length, it feels as if a year of activity were squeezed into a few short months. Here are a few of the highlights…
Destination Angling: From Pura Vida to Providence
While April included numerous days afield here in Louisiana, the highlight of spring was the month of May. Long overdue for a trip abroad, Maedbh and I found ourselves bound for Costa Rica as the month began. A “non-fishing” vacation, we’d still be on the water. And, as a result, it is safe to safe my 9wt was in tow. When the opportunity presented itself towards the end of the trip, I made the most of it. In all, I landed eight species during our four-day stay at Playa Nicuesa. Better still, the trip introduced me to the Costa Rican Association of Fly Fishers (CRAFF-ACPM), a group I look forward to fishing with frequently in the future.
Returning to work on May 9th, it would be less than 10 days until I again found myself on the plane. This time, I’d be heading north to Providence, RI. There I’d meet with Jake for two days of Striper fishing before we turned our attention to the 2nd Annual Mayfly Project x 25 on the Fly tournament. Having placed 4th the year prior, we were determined to improve on that finish. And after a two-day stretch in the Rhode Island surf, we did just that…landing 13 species on our way to 1st place finish.
When all was said and done, I had added a total of 28 species to my annual count.
On the Vise
With all the recent trips afield, it should come as no surprise that Step-by-Step tutorials have been few and far between this past quarter. Still, few is better than none, and I highly recommend giving all the patterns below a try.
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The Months Ahead
With temperatures high and precipitation low, fishing opportunities may prove few and far between in the coming months. While I’ll undoubtedly find myself wading local rivers or making early morning runs to the coast, the odds of wetting a line with any regularity are fairly low this time of year. Still, I’ll make the most when opportunity presents itself, and hope to accomplish the following before summer is through:
- First Grass Carp of 2022
- First Sheepshead (I have to catch one eventually! Right?)
- First Pompano (should a visit to Florida fit in the schedule)
On the vise, expect a return to weekly Step-by-Steps as I work to replenish my fly boxes following a busy spring. Foam terrestrials, a mix of saltwater patterns and a few panfish flies are on currently on the docket.
Next month will also mark the introduction of a new feature to our Step-by-Step posts: Clickable material links.
The result of an affiliate partnership between Trident Fly Fishing and this blog, the links will provide those without a local fly shop an easy option for attaining the materials required for each of the patterns on this site. In turn, any purchase made through these links will pay a small commission to help to offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Check them out next time you’re in search of a material that you can’t find locally.
Finally, don’t forget to join us at Rally Cap Brewing (11212 Pennywood Ave, Baton Rouge) for our next Flies & Flights event on Wednesday, July 13th, from 7PM til Close!!! We’ve had a great turn out the past two months with 20-25 in attendance, and would love to see that number continue to grow.
Until next time…
Tight Lines
Chris