Local boys do good! Louisiana natives Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs were key to last night's Super Bowl victory by the New York Giants. Anytime the Giants and Patriots play, it truly is a "super" bowl. Once again, Eli was on fire with some incredible passes, and looking like he had ice water in his veins. And once again, "The Pass" defined a 4th quarter SB comeback drive, this time to Mario Manningham. Louisiana's first family of football added another trophy to the heirloom, as Eli was named MVP of the game.

The other aspects of Super Bowls are the halftime show and commercials. The halftime show wasn't super, but it didn't suck like most of the commercials did. I'm not a Madonna fan, and the Cirque de Soleil-type show won't go down as the most exciting, but the music was good, and there was no "wardrobe malfunction". Although in Madonna's case, that wouldn't have been bad (not like it would have with Steven Tyler). There were a few good commercials, one of the best was the overweight dog that went on an exercise/diet regiment so he could chase a Volkswagen car, which then segmented into a Star Wars cantina scene. Another good one was the Chevy trucks surviving the Mayan Apolcalypse (their buddy who owned a Ford truck didn't make it). But by far, the best of the night was a Chrysler commercial featuring Clint Eastwood. It wasn't funny, but it had "gravitous".

Friday, February 3
Six more weeks of winter? Yesterday Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog weatherman, emerged from his home in Pennsylvania and saw his shadow. As legend has it, seeing his shadow means six more weeks of winter. But for who? Winter has been absent from this part of the country since the beginning of the year. The climate data for Baton Rouge shows the average daily temperature was 5 degrees above normal. By comparison, last year was 2 degrees below normal. Global warming comes fast! It's been so warm that a local charity, "Pat's Coats for Kids" is considering changing to "Pat's t-shirts for Kids". A mild winter may be great for crawfish, redfish, and the population of rios in the New Orleans area. But it's also good for (more) snakes, mosquitos, gnats, hydrilla, and salvania. BTW, our own weather rodent, Na'tille the Nutria, says we got six more weeks of good sacalait fishing.

The 2nd annual Cane Country Fly Fest is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 5th, in Natchitoches. Hosted by the Cane Country Fly Fishers, last year's initial Fly Fest was done in conjunction with Green Market Day, and though only a half-day event, turned out to be highly successful. This year's event is set to be all-day. Natchitoches is a great location for fly fishing with so many good waters in and close to town, and lots of things to do for the non-fishing spouse or significant other (or both if they know each other). I'm already looking forward to CCFF2.

Weekend Forecast. A good weekend to watch football, even though the Super Bowl isn't until Sunday evening. A slow moving cold front will bring a greater than 50/50 chance of rain starting today and lasting to Sunday. Some areas of the state can expect strong storms on Saturday. Winds on the coast will be 15 to 20. This weekend will be good for tying flies... now is the time for all good tiers to come to the aid of their local clubs and tie flies for their upcoming events or raffles! The heavy rains we had the last 10 days have brought rivers in the southern parishes up to levels not seen in a couple years! Your best bet will be "low country" canals not affected by agricultural runoff, such as canals off des Allemands. The Calcasieu estuary has taken a big hit... salinities a few weeks ago in Turner's Bay were above 20 ppt but are now down to 5 ppt. That also means dirty water in Prien where specks were being caught with regularity by puddlers. In northern and central parishes, reservoirs aren't nearly as impacted by lots of rain, and crappie fishing has really picked up in the last week. There were even reports of decent bream fishing in Lake D'arbonne and Concordia. Bass are starting to scan for beds in ponds. Speaking of ponds, there's still plenty rainbows in the Zachary and Greenwood BREC ponds in The BR. Along the coast, if you don't mind getting soaked, there's still great marsh fishing for reds from Hopedale, Delacroix, Galliano, Fourchon, Montegut, and Dularge. Specks have been down the last week - perhaps their southward spring migration has begun? But there's still plenty to be found in the typical winter spots, and 14-18 inch specks are still more the rule than the exception. The other trout - rainbow trout - are doing well up at the Little Missouri. Jeff Guerin is reporting lots of mostly 10-inch fish, and a few chunky ones to perk things up.

Sunday, January 29
What's happening this week. On Monday, the Fin-Addict Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at Spahr's Seafood Restaurant inside the Ramada Inn in Houma. Time is 6:30pm. The public is invited. On Wednesday, the Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers held their monthly meeting at Friends Coastal Restaurant on the river in Madisonville. Time is 6:30pm. On Thursday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers hold their monthly "Club Workshop" at the Shady Grove Rec Center in Bossier City. Time is 6:00pm. Bud Bethea will be leading a session on tying woolybuggers and clousers. Visitors are welcome. Also starting Thursday, and running thru Saturday, it's The Boat Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. For details, including a list of show times and exhibitors, go to www.boatshowneworleans.com. On Saturday, it's the 20th annual Dr. Ed Rizzolo Fly Tying Festival sponsored by the Texas Fly Fishers club of Houston. Location is Bethany Christian Church on Westheimer. Time is 8:30am to 4:30pm. Special guest will be Tim Borski. This event features the largest gathering of fly tiers on the Gulf Coast, as well as programs, exhibitors, and more. For more details, go to www.texasflyfishers.org. Also on Saturday, the Orvis Company Store in Baton Rouge will be holding another "Fly Tying 101" session. This free clinic covers the basics of fly tying; materials and tools are provided. Registration is required, as seats are limited, please call Alex at (225)757-7286. On Sunday, it's Super Bowl XLVI matching the New England Patriots versus the New York Giants in a rematch of SB XLII, which the Giants won. Cormier's prediction? New Orleans native Eli Manning wins the MVP.

Will Lafourche government acquire Fourchon Beach? That's the headline of an article in the Houma Daily Comet, and the answer may not be yes. The South Lafourche Beach Front Development Commission voted to recommend expropriation of the 44-acre tract of beach. But landowners - Cailloiuet Land Company - vow a long and costly legal challenge to prevent taking their land. On one side, government officials see Fourchon as another Grand Isle, and would like open access to the public. Fourchon Beach has been closed to pedestrian traffic since the BP Oil Spill (vehicles have been banned for much longer). In the article, Jay Caillouet claims that landowners have never closed off public access to the beach, and he would like to see a negotiation with the parish rather than a buyout. On the sidelines are anglers hoping that 2012 will see access to the beach. Stay tuned.

CCA Louisiana has a new division for 2012 in the Trout Category. Currently there's West, Southwest, Southeast, and East. The new division will be "Mississippi". That's right, any CCA member (from any state) that has a CCA Louisiana STAR ticket is eligible to compete if they are fishing in Mississippi coastal waters for trout. There will be numerous weigh stations across the MS Coast, and a boat, motor and trailer package for the winner as in the current divisions. Also for 2012, the fly fishing and kayak fishing divisions return. The consolation drawing, which was a big hit for the fly fishing division - albeit only came to fruition in the last month of 2011 tournament - is also coming back. This time for the duration of the STAR tournament.

Friday, January 27
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is the latest fly fishing movie to be dubbed as successor to "A River Runs Through It". That is, the next great film that will inspire folks to indulge into the sport. A few years ago, we all expected "The River Why" to be that film. It was based on a great book, and had an outstanding cast. But TRW never found a distributor, and went straight to DVD. And as such, never got the publicity that comes with a general release. But the fate of "Salmon Fishing" appears to be much different... it was a BIG hit at the independent festivals, and has garnered 4 star (out of 5) ratings by IMDB. The romantic comedy (rated PG-13) has now been picked up by CBS Films and will hit theatres on March 2nd. In the story, a British fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik's vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert and embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible possible. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Emily Blount, Amr Waked, and Kristin Scott Thomas. I CAN'T WAIT!

Thursday, January 26
Last Thursday night, the Sabine River Authority held a public hearing on the proposed long term water sales contract between the SBA and a Texas-based group Toledo Bend Partners LLC. The deal would've sold massive amounts of water to Texas, at the expense of fishing and recreational interests on the lake. According to Toledo Bend guide Joe Joslin, nearly 400 folks packed the meeting room at Cypress Bend Resort, overwhelmingly in opposition to the deal. When the meeting was called to order, SRA Executive Director Jim Pratt stated that over 98% of the comments received during the public response period had been in opposition to the sale. As a result, all 13 commissioners voted to suspend the deal until a comprehensive lake surface water plan is adopted. By Friday, SRA Chairman Robert Conyer had resigned his position, citing frustration with being able to work the politics of the deal. Conyer supported the deal on the basis that, selling water instead of using it for hydroelectric power, would create a more stable lake level. His argument was that selling 600,000 acre-feet of water was better than using 1-million acre-feet for electric power. However, the severe drought had given residents many issues to think about, including the lack of a drought contigency plan in the deal. In other Toledo Bend news, the crappie are hot and heavy at the Chicken Coop area, but some are moving to the shallows where flyrodders have a better shot. Yellow bass are hitting jigs in coves... clousers should work.

Uptown Angler in New Orleans has listed their top redfish flies of 2011. You can see the list at this link.. The Waldner Spoon, the Rainy Bubble Head Popper, and a variety of crab patterns highlight the selections. Thinking back as to my own most successful redfish flies this past season, I'd certainly put the Waldner Spoon and a baitfish-looking popper (like Raineys) on my own list. I'd add to my list the Coma Spoon, the Borger Down-and-Dirty Crab, Pink Charlie, the Stu Apte Tarpon Fly (orange), the EP Crab Slider (check LSUFlyFishing's version of a crab slider in the Tying Forum). I'd also consider the Gurgler and the EP Red Critter, although I think the latter may have a better future as a bass fly.

The Cabelas Fly Fishing Catalog has arrived... finally. Usually it hits my mailbox the week after Christmas. But this year it was THE last catalog - and I get a bunch - to come in. There are a host of new products for 2012, mostly from manufacturers, but also some under the Cabelas brand name. They have a new premium rod series, the MTx, using the 3M Matrix Resin. $399 and comes with 25-year warranty. Lower on the price scale is the TLr which replaces the Traditional II rods. At $129-$149, it has a moderate-fast action and apparently no warranty. The new Wind River reel sells for just $29 and offers an aluminum body, large arbor, and center-line rulon drag. If this reel is even decent quality, it'll be the best deal in freshwater reels ever. The one disappointment was with wading boots. Seems like they're all rubber/cleat types. Guess in keeping with bans on felt soles. Still not convinced they're as safe as felt, and the price is nearly double (!) that of felt boots. One more point on Cabelas... if you go to the Gonzales store, don't expect to see much of the non-Cabelas rods, reels, or other fly products in stock. The reason: their own-brand products sell very well, and the premium products don't. Most buyers looking at Sage, Orvis, Winston or even TFO prefer to do business with a professional shop (e.g., Uptown Angler, Orvis, Green Trout Fly Shop, Pack and Paddle).

Wednesday, January 25
Hatches Magazine has named it's top 20 articles for 2011 based on the most read on the Hatches website. This magazine and it's companion forum, "FlyTyingForum.com", have become the premier resource for fly tying enthusiasts. Two of the top articles were by Fred Hannie of Lake Charles: "Catapla Worm" and "Hold the Anchovies". "Hold the Anchovies" finished 2nd only behind an article on the hair hackle craze (two hair-hackle articles made the list - obviously THE story of the year). A few of the other top articles included "Teabag Winged Caddis" by Tom Herr, "Mahogany Mayfly Nymph" by Davie McPhail, "The Wing" by Steve Silverio, and a "Recap of the Somerset Fly Fishing Show". Congrats to Fred for this fine achievement.

Sunday, January 22
What's happening this week. On Monday, it's the first day for registration for "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" scheduled for the weekend of March 23-25. Although the maximum number of participants is 125, this workshop normally books up the first few weeks after registration begins each year. For details, check out the post in the LFF Forum. Also on Monday, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold their monthly fly tying session. This month's location is Cabelas in Gonzales. Time is 7:00pm. On Tuesday, the Vermillion Chapter of CCA will hold a Spring Fishing Seminar at Riverfront Restaurant in Abbeville. Time is 6:00pm to 8:30pm. For more info, contact Joey Russo (337) 257-5200. On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at the Whitney Bank branch on 1441 Metairie Road. Time is 7:00pm. On Friday, and thru Sunday, it's the North Louisiana Fly Fishers annual "Frozen Chozen" club trip to the Little Missouri River for rainbow trout fishing. It may not be a frozen trip this year... winter has been conspicous by it's absence! On Saturday, the Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs will hold their monthly fly tying session. Time is 9:30am to 12 noon. Also on Saturday, beginners or would-be fly tiers have a chance to learn or advance their tying skills thanks to a free "Fly Tying 101" workshop hosted by Orvis of Baton Rouge. Contact Alex Beane at (225)757-7286 to learn more.

Tomorrow night's episode of "The Batchelor" on ABC will have this season's batchelor, Ben Flajnik, taking the remaining ladies on a group date... fly fishing! I haven't watched this show in awhile, and quite frankly, the only reality TV I watch these days is sports, and sometimes "Swamp People" and "Ragin Cajuns". But any guy who fly fishes is a sure catch, and the lady who eventually lands Mr. Flajnik will have a "keeper".

Wednesday, January 18
B.A.S.S. has imposed a one-lure rule for the BassMaster Classic (scheduled for February 23-26 in Bossier City) as well as their Elite Series. No longer allowed are various double-lure riggings, but especially those "umbrella rigs" otherwise known as The Alabama Rig. The Alabama Rig consists of a weighted head with wire leaders trailing behind, each with a soft plastic swimbait. This rig has proven deadly as it imitates a school of baitfish. Some Alabama folks (those around Tuscaloosa) have a long history of repugnant acts, such as killing oak trees, and violating game laws. It doesn't surprise me this rig was created. Had BASS not taken action, it would've been considered a defacto acceptance of the lure. Umbrella rigs are already illegal to use in Iowa, Minnesota and Tennessee, and on most rivers where only single-hook lures are allowed. Let's pray we never see an Alabama Fly Rig!

If you happen to attend The Fly Fishing Show at one of it's several venues this winter, you'll have the chance to see Gary Borger's presentation on "Long Flies", covering topics found in his forthcoming book of the same name. One of those "long flies" you might recognize - it's the Coma Spoon. It's been almost two decades since I created this fly, based on some basic principles I learned in hydrodynamics in college. The fly has never gotten the respect it's deserved from humans. But nearly a thousand redfish, drum, and sheepshead have given it the "bite of approval". The Coma Spoon is not only featured in Long Flies but also in "Flies of the Southeast and Gulf Coast" by Angelo Peluso, also coming out this spring. Try it, they'll like it!

Sunday, January 15
What's happening this week. On Monday, it's Martin Luther King holiday. No scheduled activities. On Tuesday, the Contraband Fly Casters hold their monthly meeting at St Paul Lutheran Church Community Center in Lake Charles. Fly tying begins at 6:00pm with meeting at 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. Also on Tuesday, the North Louisiana Fly Fishers hold their annual "Chili and Flies" meeting. Special location for this meeting will be Wayne St. Recreation Center in Bossier City. In addition to the chili cookoff, there's the fly tying contest. Activities begin at 6:00pm. Also on Tuesday, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club will hold their monthly meeting at Pack and Paddle in Lafayette. Time is 6:00pm. On the agenda is a recap of the recent CPR tournament, upcoming 2012 events, tackle tips, and product spotlight and more. Guests are welcome. On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers hold the second of their twice-monthly fly tying sessions, at Whitney Bank on 1441 Metairie Road. Time is 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. On Friday, and running thru Sunday, it's the Red River Rendezvous at Bonham State Park in Bonham, Texas. Hosted by the Red River Fly Fishers, this event replaces their former "Texoma Tie-In", and offers a weekend of informal fly tying, lodging, food, casting, and on-premises fishing. For more info, go to www.rrff.org. Also on Friday, and running thru Sunday, it's the Central Gulf Coast Boat, Sport, and RV Show at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Go to www.bacshows.com for complete details. On Saturday, the Orvis Company Store in Baton Rouge will hold a free "Fly Tying 101" session covering the basics of fly tying. Tools and materials are provided. Class size is very limited, as this is a hands-on session, so registration is required. Don't fret if this session is booked, the same FT101 class will be offered several times thru February. Contact Alex Beane at (225)757-7286 for details. Also on Saturday, the Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs will hold their monthly Fly Tying Clinic upstairs in the Conference Room. It's free and registration not required. Time is 9:30am to 12 noon. Bring your own tools, materials provided.

Stopped by Green Trout Fly Shop yesterday in Denham Springs. My buddy and GTFS owner, Larry Offner, was in the shop taking orders. Larry's having a tough time with his business right now. Lots of sales, and not enough room to stock all the products customers are asking for. What a problem to have! For example, he just received four boxes of polarized fishing sunglasses by "Gone Fishing", a company that specializes in affordable scratch-resistant lightweight shades for anglers. He only had room for a few on display, but I helped him out by buying a pair of the "Largemouth" model. As you can see from the photo, they also look great on Belle, my faithful collie, sometimes fishing companion, and canine fashion modelista! The side lenses allow for me to detect walkers-by when fishing urban ponds, and not land a backcast into their backs! BTW, if you visit Green Trout sometime around the lunch hour, check out "A Taste of Louisiana" a block away. Great burgers, gumbo and poboys at a reasonable price.

Second disappointment in a week for Louisiana football junkies, as our Saints lost to the 49ers in the NFL Divisional Playoffs. It was a GREAT ending though, even if one we didn't want. Just too many turnovers early on. The 49ers have been a bottom dweller for so long, maybe this year they go all the way. As for our Saints, it was a great season, and they played with heart to the very end. Unlike some other team we saw Monday night...

Thursday, January 12
Carl Hiaasen is Fly Rod and Reel's Angler of the Year. Each new year the popular magazine names an individual who has made significant contributions to our sport, or whom has been an outstanding ambassador for our sport. In his case, Carl Hiassen represents the latter: the Miami Herald columnist is author of several suspense novels and children's books, most of which take a conservation / environmental angle. Unlike most previous honorees, I'm not familiar with Hiassen or his works. However, reading thru the article in the January issue, it seems his love of fly fishing began as a kid with his friend Bob Branham, today a well-known flats guide, and both mentored under the legendary Bill Curtis. He's also 6-time winner of the Islamorada Invitational Fall Fly Bonefish Tournament, having won last fall with a 13-pound bone! Congrats to Mr. Hiassen on this prestigous honor.

A coastal restoration blueprint will be released today by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The draft plan calls for $50 billion over the next 50 years for rebuilding land and increasing storm surge protection. I will post a link later giving specific details, but the key elements include several sediment diversion projects, storm surge barriers and headland (barrier) restoration thru sediment pipelining. Most exciting to me is a proposed restoration of the Laurier marsh. This area is north of Highway 1 between Fourchon and Grand Isle. Fifteen years ago, this area rivaled Venice for redfish flyfish capital of the world! We've seen the marsh that surrounds Lake Laurier go from countless small ponds and bayous, to where it's all open water. Soon Lake Laurier will be 7-miles wide and a threat to take out Highway 1 during any tropical storm. No mention on how soon the Laurier Program could be implemented, but to borrow from a song by The Smiths, "How Soon Is Now?".

Wednesday, January 11
Orvis in Baton Rouge will be holding free "Fly Tying 101" classes in January and February at their Perkins-Rowe store. Dates are January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25. Each class covers the same basic concepts, so any date will suffice. Registration is required, as class size is limited, and if past history is any indication, some of these sessions do fill up. To reserve a spot, call Orvis Manager Alex Beane at (225)757-7286.

The latest issue of Hatches Magazine online features the "Gambusia Minnow" by Louisiana's own realistic master Fred Hannie, also a member of our forum. Also known as the mosquito fish, this pattern has possibilities for both fresh and salt. Also in this issue, reader reviews of the HMH Standard Vise, and a photo essay by Bryan Crumpler on Arkansas' White River.

The 10th Ever Little Mo Fly Festival will be the weekend of February 17th. This celebration takes place at the Community Center in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, home of the Little Missouri River, one of two year-round trout waters nestled in the southern part of the Ouachita Mountains less than 3 hours from Shreveport. Once again, organizer Jeff Guerin expects the "Usual Suspects" - a diverse group of fly tiers from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and even beyond - to be there. He's always looking for new tiers or someone to give a program. If you'd like to tie or do a presentation, then email Jeff Guerin.

The Fly Fishing Film Tour has announced 2012 locations and dates, but there's none for Louisiana... yet. Last year was the same situation, and we ended up with showings in New Orleans (courtesy Uptown Angler) and Lafayette (courtesy Pack and Paddle). The F3T films last year were a bit disappointing, certainly not as good as the two previous years. And certainly not as good as "MusicDoc Films" productions! Even in the age of 3D action movies, story does matter! However, that might definitely be worth watching... a 3D fishing adventure.

Tuesday, January 10
A very sad day in TigerTown as well as the rest of Louisiana. It doesn't hurt so much that our beloved LSU Tigers lost to Alabama in the BCS Championship last night. Defeating an equal adversary twice is a rarity in sports history. What hurt was how we lost. Our offense was offensive. Anyone not think this time Alabama would be better prepared for the option and the bubble screen? The announcers kept wondering when LSU might open up a vertical passing game. We never did. Ask Tim Tebow how that works against a vaunted defense. LSU just didn't have the quarterback last night. Or maybe we did, and he never got the chance. The hurt is bad, but if Paul Manieri and the baseball Tigers can get to the College World Series, it'll hurt a lot less!

Just say "Neaux" to Fossil Fuel, Part 6. During the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series, Hammond Fuel Additives, manufacturers of Biobor EB ("The Ethanol Buster") tracked the gas usage of pro anglers Bradley Roy and Louisiana's own Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part. Roy and Crochet burned an average of 18.73 gallons of gas per day of competition. With the national average price of gas being $3.74 during the Elite Season, that works out to $70.05 of gas per man, per day. Now compare that to the amount of gas used by MusicDoc and myself on a recent trip in our kayaks. We burned a total of 0 gallons. Multiply that times $3.74 and you get zero dollars spent on gas per man, per day. If your boat does use fossil fuel, Hammond's test program once again proved why untreated ethanol gas in your boat motor is bad news. The Biobor treated boats got both better performance and mileage.

Monday, January 9, 2012
What's happening this week. Everyone on Earth, and possibly even aliens living on Omicron Persei 8, know that tonight is the BCS National Championship Game between LSU and Alabama, in possibly the biggest rematch ever in college football. GEAUX TIGERS! As a consequence, all regular meetings for tonight have been rescheduled. On Tuesday, the Cane Country Fly Casters hold their monthly meeting at the NSU Middle Lab School in Natchitoches. Time is 6:30pm. Guests are welcome. On Wednesday, the Red Stick Fly Fishers will hold their monthly program meeting at the Wildlife and Fisheries building in Baton Rouge. Time is 7:00pm. Visitors are welcomed. Also on Wednesday, the Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers hold their monthly meeting at Friends Coastal Restaurant in Madisonville. Time is 7:00pm. On Thursday, the New Orleans Fly Fishers hold the first of their twice-monthly fly tying sessions at St. Frances Church on Metairie Road. Time is 7:00pm. Guests are welcome. On Friday, and continuing thru Monday, it's the Red Stick Fly Fishers' annual "Rainbow Coalition" trip to the Little Missouri River in Murfreesboro. Also starting Friday and running thru Sunday, it's the Houma Boat Show at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. On Saturday, the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club will hold it's first-ever Tag Team "Catch and Release" tournament out of Choupique Bayou Launch in Sulphur. Sounds like an interesting event for conservation purposes; check out the details at www.lafayettekayakfishing.com.

A Middle Eastern "River Runs Through It". This weekend is the 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The southern California event is the one of the largest of it's kind, with 190 films from 70 countries being shown. The film that is generating the most buzz is a British comedy, "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen". In this movie, Ewan McGregor (young Obiwan Kenobie in Star Wars) plays a fisheries expert contracted by a powerful sheik to introduce fly fishing to his native Yemen. I will post the trailer later today... it looks VERY promising!

The latest issue of CCA's Tide Magazine takes a look at Alabama's Bon Secour River, an ideal spot for winter kayak fishing; the lower Laguna Madre where pristine shallow water makes for perfect fly fishing conditions for redfish; and also other winter species: wahoo, sheepshead, and giant black drum. Also, some research into improving the odds of red snapper survival after release, which could impact future regulations for this species.

The 2012 BR Advocate Outdoors Calendar is now online. Events for January thru April were published yesterday in the Baton Rouge newspaper's sports section, with events for May thru December will be published in next Sunday's edition. In the meantime, the calendar is available at this link. Most of the events related to fly fishing, kayak fishing, and conservation organizations are also posted on the LFF Calendar.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers meeting is postponed until next Wednesday evening. In my weekly "what's happening" report, I unknowingly posted that the PBFF will meet tonight at Friends Coastal Restaurant in Mandeville. However, Friends is closed this week, and so the meeting has been postponed until next Wednesday, January 11. If you live in the Northshore area and would like to know more about flyfishing, you definitely need to check out the PBFF club. They are involved in a number of activities during the year, such as Friends of the National Wildlife Refuge "Wild Things". Friends Coastal Restaurant is a great venue for their meeting... on the waterfront and fantastic food (IMO, the oysters are the best!).

The new catalogs are here! This past week some of the 2012 fishing and fly fishing catalogs arrived in mailboxes. I'm always the last to get some of the retailer catalogs, but I did receive a couple, including the Bass Pro 2012 Spring Fishing issue. Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, LL Bean do not attend the IFTD Show, so any new fly fishing products are generally unknown until the catalogs arrive. I noticed that BPS now has a new machined large arbor fly reel, the Kingfisher, priced just over $100. That gives them a formidable value-priced lineup, with four disc drag, machined reel options under $200, all of which are saltwater-capable. I also noticed a new top-end rod for about $380 built in Vermont (perhaps by Diamondback?).

Sunday, January 1, 2012
Welcome to 2012. Let's hope the Mayans and Nostradamus were wrong and the world doesn't end this year. We just had one of the best years ever for fly fishing and kayak fishing here in Louisiana (not to mention football)... more on that in the FORUM under "Top 10 Stories for 2011". This year looks to be even better, at least for event junkies. The Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport clubs have conclaves scheduled, with the Natchitoches club currently planning theirs. The Houston, TX club will celebrate their 20th conclave with Lefty Kreh as special guest. The BassMasters Classic returns to Bossier City. There are more regional fly fishing or kayak fishing tournaments, or those with fly fish/kayak fish divisions. I'm looking forward to the kayak demos this spring to check out several exciting new models geared to fishing. If the recent trend in precipitation continues, we should see relief from the drought, and a return to fishing "normal" in the northern parishes. We also hope the rivers don't rise too high, just high enough to insure lots of crawfish in the spring, but low enough so the shrimp move inside in record numbers this summer. Yes, we're hoping for a lot, but that's what the hope of a new year brings. Did I mention we'd also hope for a 4th national title for our LSU Tiger football team?

The January issue of Louisiana Sportsman is out. My Fly Lines column, "Stop Before You Clean It" talks about the state fly fishing records, including a brief history, and some tips on entering a potential fish. Chris Holmes Puddles-N-Paddles column "The Gold Mine" highlights kayak fishing the Galliano area, in particular the Sulphur Mine lake. Jerald Horst's Creature Feature column, "Do We Have A Tiger By The Tail?" discusses the invasive tiger shrimp, it's history and implications. Jerald and Glenda do their Seafood Bible column on oysters, Collette Lottinger does a recipe for Crabmeat au Gratin. The Location Feature article this month lists top 12 spots when fishing Bayou Bienveneu.

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