Fishing with Ian Slater, Michael Hetzel and Simon Becker

Last week I fished two separate days, one alone with Ian Slater and one with my good friend Michael Hetzel and Simon Becker.

Ian and I enjoyed some typical fall fishing–too warm for the barracuda to be as playful as we needed, and too cold for the permit to be around in great supply. Had we maintained focus on the latter we might have been ready for the few that appeared near the boat, though when the permit appeared we were inevitably holding the wrong rod.

Early on, we were able to capture a nice barracuda which Ian expertly documented:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a few more barracuda fall off before we spooked a large permit, and then went [redacted] for a hard look for a permit. We poled for a mile, ready for a permit shot but never finding a proper one. A floating pair of fish pulled a cast in their direction but we were not able to make things happen, and after another quarter mile we decided to look elsewhere for a barracuda. We found them, missing a bite from a large one before Ian relocated to a final spot in search of a permit. I walked on a tail that never reappeared and a too-close shot didn’t work in the low light before we went home.

With Simon and Michael we had fantastic times but very hard fishing. Michael hooked a large barracuda that ate through the butt section on the bite, and I had a shot at a permit towards the end of the day, but that was all the fish we had to interact with. We did, however, have the time of our lives giving each other a hard time and enjoying one of the best parts of fly fishing: spending time with people that you respect and care about. Simon and Michael and two of the people in my circle of friends that I hold in the highest regard, and spending a day on the water with them was a privilege.

Yesterday I fished with Ian Slater and Tim Gay, and I’ll get that report up in the next few days.

Happy Thanksgiving ya’ll.

 

nat