CCO Fly Fishing Winter Newsletter 2010
CCO Fly Fishing Travel
Please consider us when booking a fishing trip. Our assistance does not add any additional cost to your trip.
Whether you want to fish for bonefish in the Bahamas, permit, snook and tarpon in Mexico or Belize, bonefish & trevally in the Seychelles or South Pacific, salmon & trout in Russia or Alaska, wild trout in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Argentina or Chile, or steelhead in British Columbia, we can help you fulfill your dream and ensure that your trip is well planned and organized.
*You'll receive first hand and up to date information on all fishing destinations, as well as packing lists & tackle requirements particular to each location.*A trip host accompanies all anglers to each destination and is available to help with any tackle questions or problems that arise, as well as offering any guidance or advice on fishing techniques. *We also offer free on-site casting lessons if you need them! *We will have extra gear available for use, at no charge, in the event of equipment failure or breakage. Don't have a 10wt (or 8wt or 9wt) to throw flies at the big boys, no problem. We'll lend you one for the trip-at no charge!2011 Hosted Trips
Here's our lineup of hosted saltwater trips scheduled for the winter and spring of 2011. If you're considering joining us for some saltwater action, please get in touch now to reserve your spot. We are returning to Crooked Island in 2011, after taking last year off. Several of our guests specifically requested a return to Crooked, and we understand why. Crooked offers one of the best deals in bonefishing anywhere. Great guides, food and lodging, and a diverse fishing program make Crooked Island in the southern Bahamas a must visit for all anglers.We are also hosting a week on Los Roques, Venezuela, which has quietly become known as one of the best bonefishing destinations anywhere. It is located near the equator, and less likely to be affected by winter cold fronts. It's known for #'s bones and big bonefish.Our hosted trips are great for single anglers, and we'll pair you up with another angler so you can enjoy the double occupancy rates. Our hosts travel with all guests, and we bring extra flies and equipment, so no one will ever be lacking flies, or a good rod and reel in the event of breakage. We're also there to assist in many other ways--from rigging and knots, to fishing techniques and photographs . Our goal is for all guests to have a truly memorable adventure.*Los Roques, Venezuela (3 spots) (January 8-15, 2011)
(3 spots) (January 8-15, 2011)*Acklins Island, Bahamas Hosted DIY (Full) (March 19-26, 2011)
*Acklins Island, Bahamas Hosted DIY (3) (March 26-April 2)
*Crooked Island, Bahamas (3 spots) (March 19--26, 2011)
*Crooked Island, Bahamas (Full) (March 26-April 2, 2011)
*Catskills Trout Camp (May 29-June 1, 2011)
(May 29-June 1, 2011)*Catskills Trout Camp (June 5-8, 2011)
(June 5-8, 2011)*Baja, Mexico (July, 2011)
(July, 2011)*Fernie, British Columbia (August 6-13, 2011)
*Fernie, British Columbia (August 13-20, 2011)
We hope you can make it--these trips are a blast--great fishing, food and camaraderie, and some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere.
Baja, Mexico: July 2010
There were two types of fishing we did: from the boats in the blue water or along the coast, and from the beaches.Fishing along the beaches, either on foot or on an atv (very fun) is the most challenging. Once a roosterfish is spotted feeding or cruising the beach, you must quickly get into position to make the cast. Quickly is an understatement. I have not seen many fish move as fast as a rooster when they were chasing bait! They could boil on some baitfish in one spot, and within 2 seconds be forty feet away boiling again on some other baitfish! Cruising the beach they were usually moving at a more reasonable pace, and you could often get a great shot at the fish, and when it passed, sprint down the beach to get ahead of it again for another shot. As I was told, it's not that hard to get the fish to follow your fly, but it is hard to get them to eat it. How true. I had several nice fish chase my fly to within a foot or two, only to turn away, and swim off. I saw some roosters cruising along the beach that had to go 30-40lbs, easy. Landing a roosterfish eluded me on this trip. My fishing partner Elbert Bivins was able to land a small rooster while fishing along the shore from our super panga.Fishing from the boats is also fun. You generally buy bait from local fishermen in the am on the way out, and it is kept alive in the livewell. Fishing along shore, the sardinas are thrown into the water to attract roosters (and often lady fish, jacks and mackerel). You need to be quick on the draw when the fish start boiling. They move with lightening speed and don't stay in one place long. In the blue water, you can also chum in likely spots, especially when some signs of fish are present. This will keep the fish around a bit longer and bring them closer to the boat. We landed many dorado this way, and it is great fun. You can also troll until one is hooked, and when the school nears the boat, chum is used to keep the fish around. These fish are beautifully colored, and love flies. They run and jump like a tarpon, but have mouths that hold a hook well. Perfect fly rod fish. Explorers & Adventurers Wanted
Do you want to feel like a kid again when you were exploring the creeks and farm ponds of your youth? Join us on one of our hosted do-it-yourself bonefishing adventures, or embark on one yourself, with our help. Our do-it--yourself saltwater trips are the perfect tonic for the sluggish economy, and also a great way to beat the winter blues. They often cost less than half of a fully guided trip, yet include everything that a traditional lodge does, except the guides.For those of you that enjoy fishing and exploring on your own, without the assistance and expense of a guide, these trips are for you. There are few things in fly fishing more rewarding than successfully catching bonefish and other flats species on your own, while exploring a beautiful remote island in the Bahamas.Our hosted DIY trips will be on the islands of Acklins & Eleuthera, Bahamas, in March & April 2011.New DIY Lodging on Acklins Island
This new and modern bed & breakfast is located on the water in north-central Acklins Island (Mason's Bay) and is extremely comfortable! All suites are A/C and have satellite TV. The bonefish suite is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a full kitchen that is ideal for groups of 4 anglers. Rooms are separate from main residence which insures privacy. Pure, unlimited fresh water is supplied by their modern reverse osmosis system. Ivel's is a wonderful place to spend a week exploring all that Acklins Island has to offer. All packages at Ivels include truck rental!Ivel's is located just north of the Spring Point airport with gorgeous views looking out into the bight of Acklins. It is the perfect place to stay for those wishing to fish & explore the middle and more remote southern end of Acklins (and the northern end is only 1/2 hour by car). There are often bonefish right out in front of Ivels. There are two blue holes right in front of Ivels, and you are a short drive from a very large & beautiful blue hole which has all kinds of fish swimming in it's deep blue waters. The flats surrounding Ivels are located anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 1/2 hours away, and there are more productive areas than could be explored in a month. A video on how to safely remove a hook from yourself or another angler
Acklins DIY Trip Testimonial
Hey Vince... Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know what a great time Lew, Mark and I had in Acklins. It was great exploring the island
together. Ivel's worked out great. I think the best flat the whole
week was right across the street. We also enjoyed fishing the blue
holes nearby. Thanks again. Take care
Tom Olszowy--Buffalo NYCatch Interactive Online Magazine
Some photos to keep you dreaming of warmer weather!
"If I fished only to capture fish, my fishing trips would have ended long ago." --Zane Grey
Cattaraugus Creek Fall 2010
While we had a very dry and warm summer, and the water levels on the smaller and medium creeks were very low, Cattaraugus Creek maintained good water flows throughout the summer and into the fall. Normally this translates into huge runs of steelhead entering the Catt. However, this Fall the runs on the Lake Erie tribs were below their normal levels, at least thru mid November. The streams in PA and Ohio also had runs that were well below the norm. Later in November, here in WNY, we did start to see more fish entering the creeks, and we are hopeful that this trend will continue into the late fall, winter and spring.Why were the steelhead returns below normal up to this point? No one knows right now. We did have one of the warmest summers in history, and the lake temperature was well above normal also. Many of the fish may still be out in the lake, their migration delayed because of environmental factors. Despite the lower returns, we experienced many good days on the Catt this Fall. And while there were less steelhead in the creek, there were plenty of nice fish around--we just had to work a little harder for them.Some good news is that the Catt was clearing more quickly. I believe most of the sediment that was deposited in the Catt and it's tributaries after the August 2009 flash flood has washed downstream or filtered out of the system. Thus, at flows around 450 cfs and lower, the creek was in good shape with nice visibility.Seneca Nation Fishing Update
As of January 1, 2010 the Seneca Nation of Indians has banned ALL guiding on their land. In the ruling by the Tribal Council, depletion of fish stocks was cited as the reason for the ban. No one is allowed to guide on Seneca Lands at this time. If found guiding or being guided, you may be punished with a $2500 fine, and forfeiture of all equipment. We are currently working with Seneca owned businesses & the Tribal Council to gain permission to guide on Seneca lands again this Fall, and we will keep you updated on our progress. We hope to have this issue resolved for the 2011 season.Zoar Valley Escape
Our new cabin on the Catt, the "brown", was completed last October. This cabin is located next door to our older cabin, the "rainbow", & will sleep up to five anglers. Now, with both cabins, we can easily host groups of up to10 anglers. Contact us now to reserve space for the Spring or Fall seasons. Slide Shows
Click on the below links to see our 2010 slide shows, as well as shows of the different trips we offer: last Fall's Steelhead Highlights, Steelhead Fishing in Western New York, Affordable Bahamas Bonefishing British Columbia Dry Fly Action, and our Hosted Saltwater Adventures
Catskills Trout Camp 2011
Our 4th annual hosted trout camps in the Catskills, in early June, were a huge success! We had great fishing, food and accommodations, and many fish tales were told. Many of our guests have already signed up for next Spring. (see dates on opposite page)We stay on the banks of the west Branch of the Delaware river, just downstream from Deposit, NY. Contact us for more info.Somerset Fly Fishing Show
We'll be at the 2011 Somerset Fly Fishing show from January 21-23. We also plan to host another gathering of friends to consume fine microbrew and pizza, in the upstairs lobby of the Doubletree Inn, on Friday evening after the show. Stop in and say hi!5th Annual Fall Party
Our 5th annual fall party in Zoar Valley with the Oak Orchard Fly Shop was enjoyed by many. Spey casting demos, casting contests for prizes, great micro-brew, grilled food . . . There were even a few steelhead around to make things interesting for those who fished!
The Oak Orchard Fly Shop in Williamsville has everything you need to be outfitted for our great steelhead fishing, including many custom tied flies that are unique to our area. In fact, all of the flies tied at the OOFS are done by local tyers. The OOFS is also your Spey fishing headquarters. They have a full line of Spey equipment & tube fly tying materials.The fly shop carries Bauer, Galvan, Ross & Nautilus reels, as well as Scott, Thomas & Thomas & Echo rods, and is of course a great place to get your spey fishing equipment too. They are a Patagonia, Fishpond, William Joseph and Chota dealer as well. Check out the Fly Shop's interactive forum. There are fly tying tutorials on great original patterns, as well as lots of sage advice on many fly fishing topics. Click here: Interactive ForumAs the use of Spey and Switch rods becomes more popular, anglers are faced with a myriad of choices when deciding which line is best suited to their needs. Clink on the link above to learn more.
Montana Fly Fishing
If you're headed out to southwestern Montana this summer, be sure to call WNY native Tom Cornell and have him float you down the Madison river, or hike and fly fish thru Yellowstone National Park. Tom has been guiding Spring, Summer and Fall in Montana for over ten years out of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, MT and he's a great guide.Guide Profile
Meet Kevin Bruce, one of our steelhead guides here in Western New York. Kevin resides in Williamsville, NY with his wife Mary and new son James. Kevin grew up fishing the Niagara River, and caught his first lake run brown trout in 1986. He loves trout and steelhead fishing, and especially enjoys the solitude of small streams and wild trout. Did I mention he is also a rabid Sabres fan!Elk River, British Columbia
We spent another two great weeks this past August in Fernie, British Columbia fishing the Elk river and it's tributaries. I have reserved two more weeks for August 2011. The dry fly rules here, and we explore remote and pristine streams for westslope cutthroat, bull trout & some browns and rainbows. 2011 dates: August 6-13, & August 13-20, 2011. Contact us if you'd like to join our group. Or, if you'd like to go on your own, let us help you plan your trip to fish the Elk river and it's tributaries this summer.
Interesting Article on the allure of sight fishing for carp
One angler's take on crowded fishing conditions
A Couple Days Last May
Sometimes I forget how lucky we have it here in WNY. I got out to fish the last two days for steelhead, with very few anglers around. Plenty of fish, both fresh and drop backs. Big smallies coming in too! Low & clear water means spooky fish & tough conditions. I think it is more challenging and fun.Sight casting to large, silver steelhead in the slow, deep tailouts. Fish from 3-12 lbs. Streamers without split shots or sinking leaders. Don't people travel to New Zealand, and spend $$$$$ to do this? A short drive from my home and I am catching these damn fish, with the stream mostly to myself. Damn, I sometimes forget how lucky we have it here in WNY.
