No one ever said it would be easy. Well, actually they did, but that was their mistake.
The Cobia In the Chesapeake Bay don’t eat a fly so much as they inspect it at high speed. A fish that is known in many places as an easy quarry and a tasty meal, is anything but in the Chesapeake (a water system where it has grown wary from all the attention, especially from conventional anglers). The result is a fish that tests Blane Chocklett’s mettle, patience and skill in the mid-Atlantic sun.
The Cobia, a shark-meets-catfish, has become a target for fly anglers when it floats up in the water column. Captains Tyler Nonn and Jason Barham trade thoughts on the state of the fishery and strategies on how to intercept them before they move to offshore habitat in Fall. What ensues is a reminder that no matter how much you know, you’ve always got more to learn.
Inspired by a shrinking biomass and an uncertain future, Black Salmon shines a light on the wary Cobia’s issues today. As decreasing numbers and warming waters lead the fish north into unregulated regions, as we all try to keep up.
Check out the Fly Fishing Film Tour website and grab your tickets if you haven't already.
The other night I was scrolling through Instagram when Ryan Siron's take on the jealous girlfriend meme popped up on the feed. I laughed, screenshot it to share with a few carp fiend friends, and reached out to Ryan to see if he'd mind if I shared his artwork with this T.F.M. He said that he'd send me an email.
What I didn't expect in all of this is that Ryan would drop what he's calling his "TED Talk" to share with what should become an iconic piece of fly fishing art. Scroll down to read what he sent. It's really good.
I
grew up in the Midwest and it wasn’t always easy finding trout to
chase. I cut my teeth fishing for warm water species like bass, sunfish,
and the esox varieties. However, I kept seeing these rubber-lipped
beauties, carp, swimming around and got curious. I knew carp fought hard
from experience snagging them incidentally with conventional bass gear.
What I did not realize was how difficult they are to fool when not
hooking them in the “south-mouth”. Through homework, mentorship, and
on-the-water trial and error, I started to become more proficient at
fooling them with the long rod. Carp on the fly became an obsession.
There is now more information available out there on techniques and
praise for carp as a worthy gamefish for the fly angler. It’s awesome to
see the shift and interest now in carp and other warm water species
that wasn’t as widespread a decade ago.
I
now live in Montana, land of the salmonids, and I do get homesick for
chasing warm water species regularly. I had some friends come visit
Montana this past summer, everyone was cooped up from the first year of
the pandemic and ready to enjoy a change of scene. We were on the
Bighorn River and blessed for a week of consistent PMD hatches with big
trout rising to the surface to feed. Everything people love about fly
fishing in Montana transpired that week. Although trout were rising and
eating proper presentations all day, my old flame, stepped back into the
proverbial picture. Tailers and cloopers (happy feeding carp) viable on
a mud flat across the river. I quickly pulled anchor on my raft and
yanked my buddy off a pod of rising trout. I had to say hello. Just like
old times, I creeped across the flat making sure not to startle the
carp and get within range of presenting a fly. Leading the target, I
dropped my leech in the anticipated path of travel. Wait. Strip. Head
down. Tail up. Lip flare. Reel scream. Reunited. When later inspecting
the photo my buddy took of me admiring this carp I had caught, I noticed
I had the same dumb face that dude in the “Distracted Boyfriend” meme
has when looking back at a girl walking by while he is out with his
girlfriend. While looking back at photos from that trip this winter, I
thought it would be funny to draw the meme again but replacing the
characters with a carp and brown trout, and re-interpret the boyfriend
as a fishing bum.
Overall,
I love fly fishing, hands down, it is my favorite form of angling. Our
culture is awesome, however, it is undeniably odd when looked at
introspectively for many reasons. We are a hypocritical bunch when it
comes to our ideals and morals. In the case of my graphic, brown trout
and common carp don’t belong in North America, they were both brought
here at one point for food and recreational pleasure, but one has fallen
out of favor, and the other is held sacred and protected well outside
it’s native range. Both have dealt ecological destruction to some degree
on native fisheries. Wild and native fisheries is a topic often
discussed and debated amongst ourselves. Historically, folks are quick
to blame carp for the downfall of a watershed, supporting the idea of
ridding these carp any way possible. On the other hand, we would never
think that it would be a good idea to kill all the brown trout in the
Madison River or Driftless region in an effort to bolster and/or restock
the native Westslope Cutthroat and Brook Trout to their respective home
waters. I know the topic of what we deem worthy of conserving is a long
dark rabbit hole that gives Gen Z humor a run for its money. Hence why
we tackle these difficult conversations that we need to address from
time to time with comedic relief. I am in no way trying to sway
opinions, or start arguments. I’m simply making an observation… With
memes…
My name is Ryan and thank you for coming to my unintended
TED Talk."
Follow Ryan Siron on Instagram for more artful takes and everything else that fuels his stoke.
