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Tag: Reel Time

Lefty Kreh and Rusty Chinnis

All the best

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

In my life there have been a few people that have made a lasting impression. Some rise to the top, rich experiences, like cream on fresh milk. Bernard “Lefty” Kreh is just such a person. At 93 years young, Kreh is a fly fishing legend. He is a renowned outdoorsman, a skilled hunter, writer, photographer and fly-casting instructor.

Kreh was born in Frederick, Md. on Feb. 26, 1925. His father, who taught him to fish and hunt, died during the depression and Kreh used those skills to help feed his mother and three siblings. He began fly fishing in 1947 when he was introduced to the sport by fly fishing pioneer Joe Brooks.

Kreh guided Brooks in the Chesapeake Bay, where the two developed techniques and patterns that formed the foundation of saltwater fly fishing. Brooks encouraged Kreh to share his knowledge through writing, and over the years he has been a columnist for more than 15 newspapers, including the St Petersburg Times, the Baltimore Sun and the Miami Herald.

Kreh lived in south Florida from 1964 to 1972 where he ran The MET (Miami Metropolitan Fishing Tournament). During that time, he was influential in the development of saltwater fly fishing in the Florida Keys. In 1991, a fly pattern he developed with Brooks, the Lefty’s Deceiver, was featured on a U.S. postage stamp.

He has published articles and photographs in every fly fishing magazine in the world, has authored over 20 books, including LL Bean’s “Guide to Outdoor Photography” and books on knots, as well as numerous CDs and DVDs.

This is but a small part of Kreh’s many contributions. Despite all his fame and accomplishments, he is perhaps the most unpretentious man I have ever met. It’s his attention to people, affable nature, humor and teaching style that stand out.

I first met Kreh in the late 1980s, when I was invited to fish with Capt. Rick Grassett and Kreh when he was the speaker at a Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers banquet. The night before the banquet, we fished for snook around lights in the Venice area, and I was immediately captivated by the attention he paid to us.

That’s one of Kreh’s traits that I most admire. He takes a sincere interest in everyone he meets and treats everyone with a gracious warmth. It doesn’t matter if you’re a plumber or the CEO of a major corporation, everyone is treated the same. During the banquet, he signed and personalized six of his books I had brought to the event. He did the same for over 20 people that night.

Kreh also has an innate ability to create practical solutions. One example of this was when we were fishing and he took an interest in my camera case and suggested I attach strips of an old conveyor belt he had found to keep my hard case from sliding around the deck. Less than a week after our trip, strips of the belt showed up in the mail and have been a part of my equipment ever since.

Besides his vast store of knowledge and his willingness to share it, he is also one of the funniest men I’ve ever met. Whether he is in front of a large group or just fishing with a couple of fellow anglers his earthy humor is infectious.

Over the years I have taken every opportunity I could to visit with Kreh and have soaked up his freely given tips on writing, fly fishing and photography, and I’ve enjoyed making people laugh, repeating many of his jokes. I cherish the times I’ve spent with Kreh, the books he’s signed for me and the letters I’ve received.

One of his favorite quips speaks volumes to me, “It’s only common sense, only common sense ain’t so common.” Then there’s the way he closes every letter, a valediction I adopted with his permission, “All The Best.”

Reel time Left Hand Casting

Left(y) is right

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Close your eyes for a moment and visualize the first time you tried to ride a bike. If you were like me, it was a process of wobbling uncontrollably while heading for the nearest patch of grass for a soft landing. Fast forward to today and think about the motor skills that were necessary to master this feat and how you can jump on a two-wheeled vehicle without so much as a second thought.

The same applies to fly casting – with your right hand, left hand or both hands. It’s as easy as riding a bike. Of course, neither fly casting nor bike riding is really easy. We create the necessary muscle memory for these motor skills through repetition and refine the skills through experience. Eventually, we are able to effortlessly ride a bike or cast a fly rod with either hand.

Whenever I pick up a fly rod with my non-dominant hand, I remember something Lefty Kreh asked me, “Do you know how to cast left- (or right-) handed?”

When he asked most students that question they would say, “No.”

Lefty would quickly reply, “You can cast left-handed, you just don’t know how.”

That was an Aha! moment that started me on a path to learn how to cast with both hands.

At about the same time, I put a new desk in my office that required I use my left hand with the mouse. I’ll never forget how that mouse felt as if it was being operated by another body. The really amazing part was that within a few days, I was using my left hand almost as proficiently as my right. This reinforced my desire to cast with both hands.

The next major hurdle in the evolution of my casting came on a float trip down a river in Colorado. As my guide bounced me from the left bank to the right to hit the best holes, I began switching hands, making a cast with my left hand and then with my right. It was one of those moments referred to as a quantum leap when I was getting the job done with both hands. It was also a great lesson in how being ambidextrous with a fly rod benefits the caster.

If you’ve ever been stung by a weighted fly from the wind blowing over your dominant shoulder, or blown that backhanded cast to a tarpon approaching from the wrong direction, you know all too well that being able to switch hands can enhance your enjoyment of fly fishing.

It really boils down to making a commitment to learn a new skill. In most cases, we don’t have enough motivation to really work on what is a natural ability. I think Lefty Kreh said it best when he told a skeptical student, “If you lost your right hand, you’d quickly learn to eat with your left.”

You can master this skill by using your dominant hand to help instruct your non-dominant hand or just learn by repetition with your non-dominant hand. Knowing how to cast with either hand will definitely increase your enjoyment of fly fishing. Catching more fish will be an added benefit. More importantly, if you should suffer an injury or lose the use of a hand, arm or shoulder, it won’t spell the end of your ability to fly fish.

Tripletail

Fall brings exciting fishing to AMI

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Now that the first cold front of the season has arrived on Florida’s west coast, anglers can expect some of the year’s best fishing. Lower water temperatures and the influx of bait schools will lure a host of pelagic species like Spanish mackerel, cobia, king mackerel and little tunny into Gulf and bay waters. In addition, floats along the beaches marking stone crab traps will attract tripletail, one of our most enigmatic gamefish.

A lot of the action you’re likely to encounter, especially in the Gulf, will center around schools of baitfish. In many cases it’s possible to take advantage of gamefish actively feeding on the surface. The best way to locate these schools is to look for feeding birds. When Spanish mackerel, little tunny and other predators are feeding on baitfish they drive the hapless minnows to the surface where they attract the attention of sea birds. Even when there is no “active” feeding on the surface, anglers should explore baitfish schools. To take advantage of this opportunity it’s important to follow a few simple tactics: avoid spooking feeding fish or bait fish by working the edges of schools or getting into position where you can make a long cast right into the melee.

When targeting Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and little tunny with lures, try top water plugs and flies. Not only is this an exciting and visual way to fish, it’s also very effective. If there’s active feeding going on make a cast right into the action. If there aren’t any outward signs of fish try working the edges of a school where predators prowl for the weak or wounded. When trolling make wide circles around baitfish or feeding fish so that lures, but not the boat, pass through the action. Fly fishers using flies can attract the attention of feeding gamefish by making several false casts near schools of bait and letting the fly and line rip off the water. On the third or fourth cast land the fly and begin a retrieve.

Tripletail are one of the least understood of all pelagic species and require the use of a technique that’s unique to them. In almost all cases one of the cardinal rules of fishing is to never approach a gamefish directly with lures or bait. The idea is that when a gamefish spots an angler’s offering it is moving away from them. Any prey that moves towards a gamefish wouldn’t last long and they know it. Tripletail are different because they are ambush feeders. They usually hover near objects like crab trap markers and other flotsam disguised as a piece of seaweed. When small baitfish and crustaceans come near they are an easy meal. When you spot a tripletail make a cast past them and work your bait or lure right into their face. This technique requires an accurate cast but will almost always elicit a strike. The best lure for fishing tripletail is one that mimics a baitfish or crustacean. A shrimp imitation like the DOA Shrimp is one of the best options. Shrimp are by far the most effective live bait. Flies should be small and the coloration of a baitfish or crustacean. Shades of tan and brown have been top producers over the years. A weed guard on a fly is a good option when fishing around crab trap floats. Most casts will need to be close to the floats and lines where tripletail hover.

Whatever your fishing style or preference the fall season is a great time to explore area waters. The cooling temperatures not only attract gamefish but they’re also a welcome relief from the hot and humid “Dog Days.” Make sure you carry multiple rigs so you can take advantage of the numerous opportunities that the season might offer.