Why the Blog......

9 years now into the blog, and lots and lots posts on the SWOFFING (Salt Water Fly FishING) in and around Darwin - maps, flies, outings and musings

Hope your enjoying it!

Showing posts with label Fly fishing websites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fly fishing websites. Show all posts

Saturday, July 5, 2014

My Top Five Fly Fishing Websites

I spend a fair bit of time on the web for researching work stuff and uni study but a lot of it is looking at fly fishing websites. I love watching saltwater fly fishing videos while working on my uni research, writing essays or marking my students tests and work. I am also after new fly tying techniques or patterns for my own use or just the tying experience
Some sites get visited only once, but a few become regularly multi-daily visited sites
So here is my top five fly fishing websites (or forums or blogs) that I visit the most

1. Fly Dreamers
This is a Facebook type site of fly fishing photography/video and more. Articles, interviews, fly tying, great images of some of the most beautiful places in the world and the fish to be caught in them. It changes rapidly due to the huge number of contributors and images being uploaded from right around the globe.
So when you find an angler or two who spark your interest - you can 'follow' them to ensure you don't miss anything of your favourite subjects. It is also great place to store a few of your favourite images and gain inspiration for your next outing.

2. NT Fly Fishers Social Mob
The Mob are a social group of dedicated fly fishers who are passionate about fly fishing in the tropical north of Australia and equally as passionate about the close camaraderie this sport brings. The blog site is an interactive and creative outlet where everyone in the social mob can share our wonderful fly fishing adventures. There are a couple of fly fishers contributing to the blog, who fish all the time and get results.
This blog is here at number 2 due to it being locally based here in Darwin and very relevant to my location - which may not make it onto the top five lists of others living in other areas - but always something to inspire or learn from at the very least.
Mostly trip reports, but gives great insight into what's taking flies and where around Darwin. Two or three main contributors including a local fly fishing guide (I have in the past regularly). Occasionally a fly tying post to round off the blog fishing report information.

3. Australian Saltwater Flyfishing Forum
This chat site has some of the best saltwater fly fishers in Australia contributing to it (and some of the newest). Flies, locations, reports, a chat room for everything saltwater fly (even a speckled feral (trout) corner tucked in there some where). Newbies to long time anglers most welcome.
Posts tend to focus on Australian species and locations but would be of benefit to any international SWOFFER (Aussie slang for a Salt Water Fly FishER). In the vast majority, ask a question on species, location or fly - and get valuable help in return. The brag board is a good place to see what's currently being caught and on what - and report on your own outings in the briny waters.




4. Catch e-magazine 
Catch e-magazine has to be the most inspiring fly fishing site bar none! (well maybe Fly Dreamers)
The photography and video clips are unsurpassed in quality.
Comes out every two months, the subscription of $12 is thoroughly undervalued (also gives you access to all back issues).
If you are creating a bucket list of 'must fish' places - this is the site to start the gathering of information.

5. tides4fishing.com/au
This is my most visit site for planning outings. Tide timing is vitally important here is Darwin as anywhere in the salt. With above 7 meters of movement at times, tidal movement and it's impact on the various targeted species - thus site is a must. i am not too bothered by the solar-luna information about the best days and hours to fish but it is interesting at the least.

Simple baitfish - but big

It's Saturday morning, wind blowing 10-15knots and boat is at the mechanics
So, a little on tying today

As I have been very interested lately in tying big flies up to and over 15cm long

One big influence is Norbert Renaud whom I found on www.flydreamers.com (great site - check it out)
His Simple Baitfish pattern is just so to tie, but is a great looking pattern that should work well for the saltwater species here in Darwin (anywhere really!)

He has a great video on the style -Simple Baitfish
He sells flies too, you can contact via his blog - Flies with attitude blog

Once some materials arrive I will be attempting a few myself - update to follow

Let's get it started

Here we go again attempting to be consistent with this blog

I try to be more regular now I have only one more subject to finish off my master studies in Education ICT

Headed out today with the boss - his kids told him maybe he should tell me he seems to drive the fish away when he fishes.
But it wasn't the fish that were missing it was a working motor on the back of my boat that was the problem. Run it for a while last night while getting boat packed and ready - no probs but this morning ......turning over but not firing

Water in the fuel line again it seems.
Just had the Motor looked at last week for same problem
So stripping it down today, and emptying the fuel tank
Before I will most likely gave to take it back to workshop - just not my skill set -- tie a fly, build a house, teach a class and many other things - yes - but mechanics just not my thing

But a report for the time on water today
On water at 6:45, high tide at ten - was hoping to target mackerel off lee point, instead.....

We puttered around on the electric close to east arm ramp and the island in front but wind was up and it drained the battery quickly.
We had a tailing fish we cast at inside the sand bar off Northern side of island but it disappeared after 10 or so minutes
There were a few slashes off point of island but despite lots of casting no results

My boss had an awesome strike on surface fly right at side of boat - so he is changing over to fly instead of bait. Another convert it seems.
Electric almost got us back to the ramp but with wind rising and battery waning we got to within 20 meters of ramp before wind won the struggle and we were being pushed away from the ramp
Luckily a crab pot guy gave us a tow the short distance to ramp.

Hoped to get out Tuesday with a new fly fisher to Darwin
Report to follow and update of boat motor dramas

NT Swoffer

 PostScript
Had word that the mackerel were thick at the edge of weed reef in middle of darwin harbour
So am very depressed my boat didn't work today !!!!!!