Fly Fishing,    elizabeth woo bowman,    fly fishing babe,    kialoa paddles,    Photography,    stand up paddling

Why You'd Want to Take Up Fly Fishing AGAIN (Even If You Already Fly Fish)

By Tom Chandler 9/29/2009

The Fly Fishing Hot Pic of the Week

Forwarded to us via Outdoor Babe MK (and found on the Facebook page of Kialoa paddles), we'd like to note the above fly fisherperson is also a fulltime marine biologist, so we're awarding her (Michelle Woo Bowman) the Underground's Three B's award (beauty, brains && backcast).

Stand up paddling is a relatively new paddling sport, though (for some reason) we're expecting explosive growth. Just saying is all.

It's yet another example of the Underground working so very hard to make the lives of the Undergrounders even better - and this from the Middle Eastern desert.

Selfless we are.
AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

26 comments
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Part of the beauty of where I fish is that there aren't many boats and during the summer it's not very windy. Obviously boat wake and wind and wind chop play a factor. With boat wakes and wind chop you just have to absorb the bounce with your knees. When there's any sort of breeze I just plan my drift by the kelp accordingly or I throw a long strand of kelp over my fishing crate and it acts as an ... more anchor. I've also got a drift anchor that kayaks use. It work s ok but it's a little more difficult to manage. In shallow water on flats or in lakes I know a guy who has a bamboo pole that he has tied to the crate and then just pushes it into the mud/sand and anchors that way.
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I'm not a fan of SUPs in the line up either but for fishing it's the most basic way to go besides hollowing out a tree stump and paddling out. I'm curious - what happens when you add some wind and waves to the mix? Or motorboat wakes? Kayaks would seem more useful, especially given the Following Sad Fact: 90% of the fly fisherpeople I know *shouldn't* wear swimsuits of any kind (or at any time).
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Thanks again guys! WT Bash I totally agree. I'm not a fan of SUPs in the line up either but for fishing it's the most basic way to go besides hollowing out a tree stump and paddling out. Wayne, I'll make sure I say hi to John for you. I'm super excited for fishing season to kick in. We've had a great winter full of great big surf but that makes for really tough (and cold) fishing. The cool thing about ... more the stand up paddleboard is that I can take it out on the bay or a lake too. Hope some of you guys get a change to try it out! I can be reached through www.bowmanbluewater.com if anyone's interested in checking it out!
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She should have gotten the 5B award. Beauty, Brains, Backcast, Bikini, & Balance
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I'm fine. Just got back from Ethiopia Saturday night, and in a state that made spelling my own name a bit of a stretch. Just posted something, and the Big New Kid Post is coming....
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Tom, A long pause after this post. I hope you're OK!
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Michelle.....Looks like you have quite a fan club! I fished with your father in law John on the upper sac. We had a very nice day on the water.Please tell him hello from Wayne........thankz , from another fan!.....
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This seems to be the only right way to use the faddle board. Coming from a well traveled surfer stand up boards are a JOKE! For use as a fishing platform it seems pretty rad and useful but when some new-found hey daddy comes crashing through the line up its just stupid and dangerous. It makes me glad I left SoCal for Ohio. Wait no it doesn't...but dont get me wrong it looks like fun and a better alternative ... more to a yak in the right water but leave it at that, dont surf it fish it!
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Wow, she's definitely a hottie. It's great to see women taking a liking to the sport. I love when my girlfriend comes out fishing with me, she's a lot of fun. I never heard of this new paddling sport, sure look's interesting. I can imagine if she catch's something too big, that whole board is going under.
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Another great photo, well done, Tom! Man, I was that young and fit once! To go OT somewhat...as for standing on a board, does anyone here know of a canoe, or even better, mods to one, so one can stand up? I LOVE fishing lakes, and am thinking of getting a cheap canoe and making some outriggers (at the back) so I can stand up.
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You took this from which Middle Eastern desert lake??? It looks like a beautiful mirage.
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Wow! A beautiful woman, in a bikini, water, and a fly fishing rod! The only thing missing is a Corona.
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Richard There's a lot of variation in paddleboards today but there are many to choose from that are super stable. (Full disclosure, I work for Kialoa Paddles and YoloBoard as a rep and also the person that Tom refers to as Outdoor Babe MK-- he's delirious--don't mind him.) Working in the Midwest, there's a lot of folks that have never been on a surfboard and are really using them for fitness and now, ... more fishing!! The width and length of the board are usually factors. A visit to any board shop or paddlesports shop can give you some insight. I've been able to take my board on Lake Superior on a glassy day and have a bag of extra gear and lunch bungee to my board with little concerns about falling off. Hopefully Michelle can weigh in on her fishing experiences with such weight shifting things like casting.
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Michelle, Some friends of mine went out with your husband. They got a pretty feisty Mako; I've seen the pics. In my humble opinion, you should pass on fly fishing for Mako from a paddle board, even a small one!
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I've demoted her from a full 9 to 8.6 for excessive use of exclamation points. But I live in Minnesota, where 8 is a 10 anyway. d
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Untoward thoughts are much easier to deal with before the subject of those thought is involved in the conversation. But, Michelle, since you are, a couple questions- That looks like a blast! How stable are the paddleboards (I see the crate up front)? How big a fish have you landed from the board and did it give you trouble dealing with it board-side?
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Michelle, if you want to launch your paddle board at Crowley, in locations other than the Marina, as long as it fits on your vehicle rooftop your fine. The North Arm is closed to "trailered boats" (fear of Quagga M. intro). I spotted a paddle boarder on Crowley this summer! Currently, 10/1/09 the lake is clearing fast of the last algae bloom, the perch stripping bite has been VERY good most days this ... more week. The weed beds are impressive this season and loaded with perch fry. If I were using a paddle board I would check out Crooked Creek, U. Owens Channel (Green Banks), and possibly the east side of Sandy Point. McGee Bay on a windless day might be good, too, but a lot more crowded, and a longer pull. You would probably have no problem getting boat ride back to your vehicle if the wind did pick up, especially if wearing that "fishing suit".
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Yup Murdock...that's me! This is a great blog! I'm glad the folks from Kialoa turned me on to it! I started fly fishing from a surfboard 3 years ago and progressed to a stand up paddleboard a year and a half ago. It's such a great way to sight cast to fish...either in the ocean or on a lake! It takes a little extra balance but it's a lot of fun and you even get a little exercise out of it! I'm hoping ... more to head up to the Eastern Sierra's this Fall and try it out on Crowley Lake if they'll let me launch there. I have yet to catch a trout from my board! No plans on a mako shark though...well, maybe a small one. This would also be perfect for fly fishing the flats in Florida or anywhere that's too shallow for a boat. We have more photos on our facebook page if anyone's interested. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=152043&id=76102760585
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Isn't that Conway's better half?
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We need more do-gooders in the world like yourself!
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I'm so glad you guys like this photo. I want to make one correction though, her name is Michelle (not Elizabeth) and she was was super stoked to get the Underground Three B's Award! Ha! You may be seeing a picture like this on a poster at an ORVIS near you!
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and my mother
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Stay away from my sister.
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Well done Tom! Did you get my email?
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My wife saw this; now I'll never get to go fly fishing...
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Pretty sure I just fell in love
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