AIR 2 MAX FIELD NOTES: South Florida

AIR 2 MAX FIELD NOTES: South Florida

WORDS: Captain Justin Bachert
PHOTOS: Asher Koles

My approach towards fly fishing and guiding for tarpon, overall, is based off of an accumulation of my past experiences – as a mariner, waterman, and angler. Our ecosystem in south Florida, and in the Florida Keys is seemingly ever-changing and being able to adapt to those changes is what we all need to focus on.

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Musky Fools

Musky Fools

Written by Dan Donovan, owner of Musky Fool
The Original Musky Fly Shop

As I sit down to write this in the midst of another musky season I pose to myself…how many muskies have been landed on Winston rods? How many big ones?!

As a gentleman who arrived at fly fishing in one of the most unlikely ways…via muskellunge…it’s a natural question I suppose. Winston rods, at least here in musky country are revered, yet not typically tools we consider for the job. With all the rigamarole, fish breaking rods in figure 8s, casting treble hooks and egg sinkers (can I even say those words here?!??!) it’s no wonder the musky fly anglers aren’t running towards the green tubes for their next green dragon adventure. 

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The Weekend with Winston

The Weekend with Winston

The biggest lie in owning a boat is that it will result in more fishing. In my experience, it’s only led me to more time on the oars, vicariously fishing through the angler up front. Leaving me to chomp at the bit, some would say. Having a couple buddies that can row helps. On a drizzly day in March, I was lucky enough to find myself between the leg locks on the front of my drift boat looking forward to some spring fly fishing in Montana. Skwala stoneflies clumsily fluttered past us and crashed into the rushing water below. A silhouette appeared from under the bank and, quicker than the dark olive stonefly could recover, a sudden gulp took the insect back to the depths. Days like these are enough to spoil any angler, on or off the sticks.

Skwalas, like other stoneflies, can live for years clinging to stones and wood on the river bed before crawling to the shore to emerge as adults. What ensues is a miraculous display of fluttering stoneflies stumbling about or crashing into the riverbank. Shortly after, they return to the river’s surface to lay their eggs–– and trout take notice in a big way. (more…)

“A Fool’s Errand” – By Ambassadors Lee and Michaela Molvie

As your eyes dry out from searching the lake, a sharp sting sets in to the fingers from stripping the iced fly line across creased skin hundreds of times, and hope slowly fades. You began to think, “At least my double haul is looking good” – which is really what you say to yourself to keep from feeling disappointment and gnawing self-doubt.

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Landon Mayer’s Stillwater Tips

Photography By: Jason Shields
IG: @perfectloopproductions

Stillwater fisheries can provide opportunities to catch some of the largest trout in the world. One of the challenges many anglers face is how intimidating such a large body of water can be. What I’ve learned over the years is that a majority of large trout find a bulk of their diet near drop lines, vegetation, or rocky shorelines.

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The Days that are Worth It

By Mike Pogoda, Winston Pro Staff

Father’s Day is right around the corner.

As I’m writing this, my son is napping and I’m enjoying some quiet time. Any fellow parents can relate to that big exhalation of relief when you have some time to yourself. My son turns two this year, so I’m still pretty new to being a dad. What I’m not new to is spending most of my time in the outdoors. Naturally, when he was born, I couldn’t wait to share my love for the outdoors and fly fishing with him. When he was only a few days old, I put a Winston rod in his hands, hoping that he’ll grow up to be a Winston guy like his dad. Fast forward a month and we packed up the camper, hooked up the drift boat, and headed to the Henry’s Fork. His middle name is actually Henry, so you can tell that it’s a special place to our family. That weekend, we did his first float and the rest is history.

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