This is Fly would like to wish all her readers a Happy New Year and announce the latest issue of This is Fly Magazine. As they begin their 10th year of production they are excited to work with the most talented writers, photographer, artists, musicians and anglers in and outside of the fly fishing industry. It’s their goal to continue to work with the elite contributors but to also seek out the next generation and undiscovered talent. They look forward to exploring the globe and presenting more stellar content to their readership. Have a healthy and adventurous 2017!
Longtime TIF contributor Derek Olthuis explains why you should not Place Blame on yourself, but suck it up and experience saltwater fly fishing; embracing and growing from any adversity. David Carmona gets a Christmas Island wish during a memorable week reliving The GT Crash. KC Badger and crew find out why Chum Salmon Are Punks as they ditch the overcrowded Steelhead runs and target this overlooked species. Corin Smith shines after Finding South African Gold, the incredible new freshwater sight fishing venue in the Orange River for Yellowfish, Catfish and Carp. Mark Hieronymus paints the perfect picture of the Tongass National Forest and why we need to protect this salmon sanctuary. Christiaan Pretorius is at it again, this time he’s in search of tarpon, but we are talking about The Big Ones found in the Nicaraguan jungle.
We talk shop with Randy Hanner about growing up in southern Missouri and his evolution into the sport of fly fishing and tying. He’s now an Umpqua signature tier with many sought after patterns to his credit and competes on the US Fly Fishing Team.
Our featured artist is California-based Tanner Goldbeck who explains what it’s like being an artist now with social media. Tanner says, “I’m naturally a grumpy old man so I’d say the old days were much better, but then I just took a pic of my drawing and I’m going Instagram it right after I type this out. It’s a love/hate sort of thing.”
Lastly, our featured photographer John Van Vleet’s who has been a long time friend of ours and it’s pretty bad that it took us 10 years to showcase his amazing diverse collection of photos. John’s work will transport you to Belize, Mexico, British Columbia and back to Montana with a strong continuity that pulls all the images together.
Enjoy and thanks for your support! Read Now
FEATURE: CATCHING RECORD TEMENSIS
Being a novice to Giant Peacock Bass fly fishing, I needed some time to get used to the style of fishing that requires casting deceivers or poppers from a flat skiff towards structure and shore. Again and again, all day long, six days in a row. Black tannin water (which is good as there are not midges in that acidic water) is definitely not comparable to the visual appeal of a clear South Island New Zealand trout stream. To keep you enticed, you might occasionally catch a Butterfly Peacock Bass that goes berserk on your line even if it weighs only around 4-5 lbs. Several other bass species might take your flies, but the much sought-after GPB is the prey you want. My friend and fishing partner, Breno, had a hard time keeping me from dreaming of New Zealand trout, reminding me to shut up and fish. I was wondering as well as afraid of how a 20+ lb. GPB would perform on my 9-weight compared to the crazy Butterfly Peacocks.
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN VAN VLEET
John Van Vleet is a Montana-based photographer specializing in fly-fishing, landscape, travel, and wildlife photography.
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