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Travel Journal: Sudan & Oman – GT’s and Triggers

May 26, 2017 by adminewa 1 Comment


For over 20 years, as a company we have always sought the road less traveled when it comes to our sport.  Whether this is local fly fishing on the small streams or a different take on how to approach old favorites like the Yakima and our steelhead rivers, it is important to us to create memories with our trips from local to far flung locales like this one.

We have been working with and become friends with the guys at Tourette Fishing out of South Africa for about 10 years now and over the past few have been paying close attention to the trips they have been guiding on the other side of the globe.  A few years ago, one in particular caught our attention, fly fishing for Giant Trevally and Triggerfish in the Red Sea off the coast of Sudan…yep, Sudan!


A little over a year ago Dave McCoy, owner of Emerald Water Anglers assembled a group of young sticks to make the jaunt and as it turned out, was a good thing this group was hungry because it warranted fearless fly fishing and skills with the 12wt most other trips simply do not ask of its participants.  In a nutshell, we like these types of trips and of all we have done globally which are considerable this was the most demanding and hence rewarding…period!

So we depart Seattle, 14 hours direct on Emirates to Dubai for a few days to acclimate to the new 10 hour time difference and spend a couple days fishing in Dubai and taking a short overnight trip to Oman to pursue Queenfish, GT’s, Dorado and anything else an fly angler might find in the cobalt waters of the Persian Gulf region.  It is a striking backdrop to spend a day fly fishing against and the fishing is terrific as our group lands the aforementioned species as well as Kingfish and Barracuda. 


A warm up session in Oman is in order so we schedule an overnight trip up to tease up a bunch of different species and get our 12 weight arms ready for what is come.  Tons of border crossings and a late arrival leave us pretty well whipped for the next day before we even start.  The instructions from the captains are to drink as much water as you can through the day to stay hydrated.  Collectively we drink well over 40 bottles of water and between 6 of us only take one leak through the entire day, it is that hot and hucking big rods and big flies only exacerbates the situation.


After a half day chasing Queenies in the bay below this epic Dubai skyline, it is time to take in a few more of the city sights such as ripping some turns on the indoor ski hill at the mall and visiting the tallest building in the world.  Our guides and captains were Nick and Damon from Ocean Active Fly in Dubai and are as professional as you will find, know their water and also where to locate a non virgin drink in a dry country!  Dubai and the rest of the Arab states are dry so you must seek out your favorite apre fishing beverage of which we landed ourselves at the incomparable Bar at Pierchic under the iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Hotel…we will take it as a final send off into the unknown of Sudan where we head early tomorrow AM.


After a short flight from Dubai to Port of Sudan, we board our bus for the 3 hour drive to the port where we board the Scuba Libre, a modest 60ft catamaran which we will call home for the next week as we cruise the northern coast of Sudan along the Nubian Desert in search of Giant Trevally, Triggers, Bumpies and if lucky maybe an Indo Permit or Napolean Wrasse.  Either way, this is going to be an adventure beyond any we have a previously experienced with a fly rod.


First night on the boat is the typical familiarization process of getting to know the guides, guides seeing how inept everyone is going to be and setting up lines, rods, leaders and flies for what they know is an epic battle soon to come. 


We have good light the first couple days allowing some to rack up some species counts while others get their first taste of what GT’s bring in this neighborhood which amounts to the local thug.  These fish rule their water and everyone knows it including the humans.  By end of day two, each has had their proverbial and literal asses handed to them shredding fly lines, breaking a rod or two and blowing up a couple of drags on reels. 


It should be known, most reels are intended to “slow” fish down, help to tire them to a point of being landed.  Here, that is not a luxury afforded the fly angler.  Fishing on small flats or at the edge of the reef means that fish, that mere 60-80 pound freight train must stop NOW or all is likely lost.  So we are asking our reels to stop these fish almost on a dime, most drags are not intended to do this and it shows as several companies reels fail and fail quick and in spectacular fashion.  When you loop 150 pound test to your fly line to 75 pound gel spun and point at these beasts with a drag cranked to the stopping point, something is going to give and it is a toss up as to where the failure will occur.  Despite efforts by the talented guides to circumvent the inevitable we still pace through fly lines each day, shredding them on the coral walls below.


The end of every day is riddled with stories unlike any of us well traveled anglers have lived before.  Challenges met with failure left and right and coming from every possible direction.  Weather was one major factor which took this from an advanced angler trip to what was termed Heavy Metal or full contact sport of fly fishing.  Low light forced us into fishing situations where we are chest deep on the edge knowing full well a hook up means a swim if any hope at all is going to bring the fish to hand.


As the week progresses, weather has followed us from wetter and windier parts of the world.  The Nubian receives about 2 inches of rain annually and we brought it!  With it came thunder, lightning and our first full on dust storm.  We watched as it formed on land, miles from us, the dust elevating and swirling and moving across the water in our direction like a swarm.  Not knowing what to expect we just sit tight on a small reef in the middle of the Red Sea as it engulfs us.  At one point all land was invisible, no way for our boat to find us so we had to just sit it out.  Slowing the world began to show itself again and we eventually are retrieved only to have another dust storm brew and over take us yet again.


Eventually it happens for most of us on the trip, shaking hands with both Triggers and GT’s and for those with the first time experience of pursuing these giants they are truly changed individuals.  Focused on GT and GT only for some time to come for all future exotic travel.  Tahiti, Fiji, Christmas Island, Seychelles and India immediately spring to mind each evening as we talk ourselves off the cliff of addiction to these fish. 


Legs beat up and still in slow bleeds from the week we reluctantly come back from our last day on the water with mixed emotions.  Having been taken to school on so man occasions some are ready to whimper home and lick wounds, well, all of us are actually but we are also enlightened and ready to put ourselves in harms/GT’s way yet again and soon.


Dinner becomes a release event where we make every effort to dry the boat, awarding GT Angler of the week to one of our team.  As stories are told yet again with new twists and exuberance Stu, one of our South African guides shaves the outline of a GT into the winners chest hair as a parting gift and memory. 

Equipment of all forms exhausted, bodies, cameras and fishing equipment are ready for a vacation.  More images below and hopefully you find yourself on our next adventure with us, thanks for reading.

Tom Paulson gets exploded upon…

Exhausted team watches a few last casts at sunset…

Some local Nubian residents…

Chad Briggs with a beautiful Bluefin Trevally…

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: adventure travel, Emerald Water Anglers, fishing reports, fly fishing travel, giant trevally, Oman, saltwater, Sudan, Travel Journal, Triggerfish, tropical

Cuba Libre – Hosted Travel Video – 2016

February 8, 2017 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Is the winter weather bringing you down?  Dreaming of those warm weather destinations?  Let’s see if this might help.  

Call the store today to find out more about some of our current travel destinations.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: adventure travel, bonefish, cuba, Dave McCoy, Emerald Water Anglers, flats, fly fishing travel, Havana, permit, tarpon, tropical

Winston Boron III Plus Fly Rod Review

September 17, 2016 by adminewa Leave a Comment


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This is a Winston Biii Plus fly rod review and is intended to be informative and as objective as possible for the sake of being helpful to those researching the high end, faster action rod market.

Most of the casting/fishing with these rods has been done with a variety of Airflo lines such as the following as well as a smattering of other manufacturers lines:

Winston Boron III Plus 9′ 6wt – Exceed, Elite and Cold Saltwater
Winston Boron III Plus 9′ 8wt – Bruce Chard, Bonefish
Winston Boron III Plus 9′ 10wt – Bruce Chard, Permit
Winston Boron III Plus 9′ 12wt – Bruce Chard, Tarpon
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I have spent a lot of time, in many different locations and fishing scenarios from here in Seattle to all corners of the earth in cold, lukewarm and tropical water.  During these times, every chance I have to take a swing with a different rod I do so.  As a guide, casting instructor and store owner I feel strongly that is behooves me to know each rod on the market whether we carry it or not.  I own the B3+ rod in the 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weights so I can attest to most of the line up…these rods are absolute money from top of the line to the bottom.

Think about all the different situations you find yourself in while fishing.  From a super short dollop cast to permit that quickly appear out of nowhere to a long light presentation cast across a windless lake to sipping trout.  Then there is the bread and butter, those casts whether on a trout stream or anywhere else where you are casting and using the rod/line in THE ZONE, that sweet spot most rods are built for, 30-50 feet.mccoy_d_tnz7490a
The industry is readjusting after a period of building rods way too fast for most anglers to be able to handle.  Forcing those who fell victim to the marketing machine to literally throw their rod…not cast it.  It wasn’t an obvious change but now we are seeing all or most of the manufacturers step back to a place where “FAST” or “TIP FLEX” is something the average angler can still feel when making casts in the zone.  All in all this a great thing and it has pitted most of the major rod builders more against each other as now there are a number of great rods in this same class.  That being said, the B3+ marries the most important qualities together perfectly.

I want to see a rod without being over lined be able to make a precise cast at 15-20 feet and still be able to feel the tip load and unload without having to over exert the stroke.  The B3+ excels at this at all the line weights…check!mccoy_d_sno1v7a3010a
The bread and butter casts are those all important ones, the ones where your fish of a lifetime come from when you least expect it.  Anglers should feel as though they are not having to think about these casts, 25-45 feet should be as easy as walking.  Obviously anglers have varying casting strokes and enjoy a different feel to their rod.  I look for a rod that can accommodate a variety of different lines.  Not just for various applications such as bass versus spring creeks but also to manipulate the rod to fit what the angler is looking to feel from it.  Classic taper to aggressive shooting head lines, these rods handle them quite well making this a versatile stick.  Check!
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Now to the fun aspects of choosing a rod.  Can these sticks carry a lot of line, long leader and a fly well, delivering tight loops into wind then immediately hook up and be tested into the deep backbone?  Yes and yes.  I am not saying these rods do this and others don’t.  What I am saying is as a complete package of a rod that can perform all these tasks well, I have found few that match them side by side in each category.  Think of this like a competition where you would have to perform short accurate casts as well as distance, these rods kick rump.
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Add a double haul to these rods with any line and they come alive.  Being able to feel the line speed accelerate allows the angler to back off the power infusion and allow the rod to do the work for you.  At a distance of 30-40 feet, across the board these rods will pick line up off the water well enough to be in the right position for most anglers to easily end up in their normal casting stroke even with heavier flies.

I always tell people it is akin to corporation.  You as the angler are the board of directors, your rod is your CEO and the line is your company.  As a board, you do your due diligence to hire a CEO you think is good for your company, give them specific goals or directions you want the company to move in and then step back and allow them to do so.  I watch too many anglers micromanage their CEO and end up with a poorly run company.

At the end of the day, you can change the outcome of your cast with the line you match on your rod but by doing so for a particular fishing situation does that negatively effect how it performs in other situations when needed with that same line.  If so, find yourself a place where you can legitimately cast side by side as many of the rods you are thinking of and see which one you come away with.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: 10wt, 12wt, 5wt, 6wt, 8wt, Airflo, bonefish, Dave McCoy, double haul, Emerald Water Anglers, permit, steelhead, tarpon, tropical, trout, Winston B3+ fly rod review

Scott Meridian Fly Rod 908 Rocks!

December 2, 2015 by adminewa Leave a Comment

bonefish_as_bahamasThe sun was beating down on my back, wind blowing 25+ miles per hour. I hear my guide, Calvin, shouting over the wind “school, 100 feet, 10 o’clock, cast, cast …CAST” This is the moment I have been waiting for. After numerous flights, long layovers and months of preparation I’ve made it. I am on Andros Island on the flats with my new Scott Meridian 8 weight. Naturally, when I hear Calvin yelling for the first time I loose my cool, get way too excited and cast like a fool. He looks at me like I have something seriously wrong with me and mumbles…”Breath, calm down -hopefully we will see another school soon.”

A few minutes pass and as predicted I hear Calvin starting his commands again. This time though I let the rod do the work and the Scott Meridian fly rod and I sync.  With an effortless cast the line lands right in front of the school of hungry looking bones.  Calvin is barking, “Long strip, strip, STOP, fast strip, SET!”  Finally the moment I’ve been anticipating for months! I feel the line become taught and in seconds the fish is running, peeling line from my reel.

The new shape of the rod’s fighting butt did not trap any of the fast escaping line as it came up off the deck and was comfortable while leveraged against my arm for support while battling these Bahamian bones.

The Meridian was so accurate and cut through the wind so well that I had no problem overcoming the stiff breeze. After a season of trout fishing I was not accustomed to casting 8 weight rods. Many 8 weights can feel clunky or even heavy yet the sleek, thin blank of the Meridian made the rod light and easy to cast most of my line with minimal effort.

I am obsessed with this rod and can’t wait to head back down to the Bahamas for some more bonefish, to the east coast for stripers and use this rod for all my salt adventures and maybe even some single hand steelheading here in the PNW.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Abbie Schuster, Bahamas, bonefish, casting, Emerald Water Anglers, flats, saltwater, Scott Meridian fly rod, tropical, women's fly fishing

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