My leader looks a bit gnarly: 5x tied directly to 3x. The connecting knot does not help the look of the thing. My blue shirt has a large dark spot on the front where the cap of a floatant bottle somehow unscrewed itself and screwed me. I wonder if this now makes my shirt a flotation device. My felt hat has a feather from my first turkey – a feather that once was straight and true but now resembles a cat’s toy.

I have just finished two masses and delivered a homily that I’ve been praying and working over since last Sunday. The summer day has been boiling and the un-air condition churches seem like an oven under all the layers that a priest wears. This is the second week at these new parishes and I have been surrounded by Germans. My people, but returning to country Germans after being in a city surrounded by Irishmen, it’s a bit of a jarring experience. Stoic faces seem to glare back at me as I attempt to put meaningful thoughts into words about the readings and Gospel of the day. The glances leave me wondering if I have presented my Lord well to the Good people of this farmland.

I wandered back to the rectory – a tall red brick building located next to the red brick church, both over a hundred years old. Across the way is a small pond that I looked at last week but did not test, but instead chose to have a drink and smoke with a local priest friend at his rectory.

This week is different. The thirsty fields have gotten their fill of rain today, with a little hail thrown in for good measure. The small storms are past and all that is left is a cooler evening and damp grass. I string up the rod and tie on a fly that I made last Sunday and make my way to the pond. Aside from a couple of patches, it is clear of moss and the insects are stirring on the surface. A turtle pops its head out of the deep brown water only to recoil and flee the moment it sees me.

Two good ol’boys were here earlier with their can of worms and ugly sticks. They didn’t seem to do well and my expectations are low. My first cast is good for not having touched the rod in well over a month… now that I come to think of it, almost two months. This is really the first chance to fish since it got warm; life has been everywhere but anywhere these past months. I am still surprised that no takes were had on the first retrieve and the second is the same. On the third cast I let the fly sit and I see a small black mass that resembles a blue gill come to inspect it as it dangles between two worlds. Then there is a small thhhhmp. The line goes straight then limp. It happened so quickly I had no time to react; a barely perceptible take that somehow reminds me of the people I am here to serve.

~ Fly Fishing Padre
Indiana, USA
Summer 2010

Tom’s Tarpon: Fly Fishing For Tarpon from WorldANGLING on Vimeo.

A short clip of “Silver” a (2-3 part?) series film about chasing tarpon, bonefish, and permit on the flats. This first clip highlights a little Keys tarpon fishing with the boys.

Tunes: Scott H. Biram, “Blood, Sweat, and Murder”

He fishes giant tarpon with a 9-weight,
because he has to under-compensate.

Once, when the fishing was slow
he invented the sport of shark hurling…
he is still the world’s only surviving practitioner.

He is…the most interesting guide in the world.

“I don’t always get to fish myself, but when I do I prefer bonefish.
Stay salty, my friends.”

Don’t know about interesting? Check it out here.

Found this little beauty on the (french?) blog Le Mouching (a self-styled “Porn to Fish!” site).

A talk at TED 2010 about 2 farmed fish and the search for a model for sustainable food production. Loved this.

For all the bad news out there–seems there’s more every day–it has prompted a great rethinking of how we do things and how we should do things instead. I love this guys story; I am reminded of the revolutionary thinking of the folks that gave us Cradle To Cradle, which (if you haven’t already read) you should read immediately… if not sooner.

I know, I know; I’m depressed by this too. But we still NEED to pay attention. Really.

A review of the flycasting DVD “Taming the Wind: Prescott Smith Reveals His Secrets & New Techniques for Casting Into the Wind.”

A breakdown of the basic techniques covered in Mr. Smith’s instructional DVD, and the benefits of this revolutionary casting style. Though this DVD has been out for a while, I’d heard very little about it. So, I bought it, watched it, studied it, practiced the techniques, and used it to help teach a brand new fly caster. Guess what: IT WORKS! I really wish I’d found this DVD years ago. I KNOW I’d have gotten better faster.

Even though I cover some basic stuff in it, there’s plenty more there, trust me. Do yourself a favor and find a copy. Doesn’t matter where we are–the river, the lake, the beach, or on the flats–the wind is our biggest challenge…rise to the challenge with the movie.