Maine Saltwater Fishing Report: Costa Rica Bound!!!

Drooling over the pages of your most recent saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine??? Dreading the next four fishless months??? We think we've found the Ultimate cure for cabin fever!!!
This coming March, Super Fly Charters will be traveling with a group of anglers to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Sailfish will be the primary target but Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna and Dorado will all hopefully be joining us on our offshore trips. Inshore we'll pursue Roosterfish, Snook, Bluefin Trevally and a myriad of other saltwater species!!! We may even venture east to the caribbean side to take some shots at the mammoth Tarpon that gather around the Rio Parismina and Rio Colorado regions.

On the Pacific coast there are also good opportunities to wet wade and fish the more tropical rivers for Snook, Drum, Machaca and Guapote using Fly & light tackle.

Offshore Pacific fly fishing has been very good along the Central and Northern coast, with lots of success on Sailfish, Marlin, Giant Tuna and Dorado. Inshore Coastal Pacific fly fishing is also giving up good results for Black Snook, Roosterfish and Snappers. Coastal fishing is consistently good off Golfito and the Osa Peninsula in the South and off the rocky points or river mouths in the North. Special inshore fishing trips to the northern Pacific near the Santa Rosa National Park are ideal for fishing Roosterfish and Pacific Snook. This is mainly a tidal fishery and so will depend upon the ideal tides and water conditions. Fishing the river mouths flowing into the Pacific is also very productive at present. These are mainly custom trips and are a lot of fun and a great eco-adventure. The fishing off Garza and Nosara has been very good, especially the Inshore Fishing. Photo submitted by: Capt. Paul Rogato of Ocean Lures

Costa Rica is quickly becoming one of the most popular vacation destinations within Central America today. If not for its beautiful atmosphere, scenery and wildlife it is because of the fly fishing adventure excursions that are catching the attention of anglers everywhere. There are dozens of lodges throughout Costa Rica that have been created to cater to those who love to fish and are interested in catching a number of different game fish throughout their stay. Photo submitted by: Capt. Paul Rogato of Ocean Lures

Some of the fly fishing lodges within Costa Rica you will want to consider include:

• Crocodile Bay Lodge
• Silver King Lodge
• Golfito Sailfish Rancho

When you book a stay with a fishing lodge throughout the country you will be provided with guided charters, English speaking tours, fishing tackle and gear rentals as well as all-day trips on the water so you will never go out without catching something spectacular.

Fly fishing and charter fishing tours are becoming extremely popular in Costa Rica today which means making your reservations ahead of time is a must. Tourists are not the only ones who enjoy fishing in this tropical paradise, many locals take advantage of these fishing lodges as well!!!


Maine Striper Flats Fishing Charters
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Report: Merry Christmas !!!

We at Super Fly Charters would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year....filled with many bragging sized fish!!!

Maine Striped Bass Fishing Charters
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Shallow Water Striper Fishing With Capt. George Harris, Fishing The Flats Of Midcoast Maine!!!

So now that you've gotten all the right equipment...Fancy fast drying microfiber SPF-50 ExOfficio clothing...a quiver of super fast action SAGE/G.LOOMIS/SCOTT Branded, fly rods complete with requisite shiny large arbor "designer" fly reels lined with the latest, greatest, slickest floating and intermediate fly lines... The many hours of casting practice have paid off big time...that nasty tailing loop is almost gone and you've gotten your casting to the point that you can throw a weighted crab fly 80 feet into a stiff breeze and drop it with pinpoint accuracy into a shot glass. Your fly boxes are filled with crustacean, worm and micro bait fish patterns that look so real that you're afraid to reach in and grab one for fear it might start gnawing on your thumb...Are we talking about Tarpon, Permit or Bonefishing in an exotict tropic location??? Not even close!!! We're off the coast of Maine and we'd like to welcome you to the world of shallow water Striper fishing!!!
(A healthy Striper released on one of Maine's many sand flats)The Coast of Maine, is comprised of thousands of acres of sand, mud & eelgrass flats , all of which are subject to a huge 8 to 10 foot tidal range leaving many of the flats bare or nearly bare at low water. As the tide begins to flood these flats with cool water, the plentiful bait fish, marine worms & crustaceans begin to feed in the nutrient rich waters. Hungry Stripers know this and often feed aggressively, swirling and slashing, their silvery bodies glinting like mirrors as they forage in gin clear shallow water of the flats. When the conditions are right Striped Bass make perfect sight casting targets for fly & light tackle anglers. When sight casting to Striped Bass around the numerous Mussel bars that fringe many of our shallow flats, we frequently encounter Stripers that are "Tailed Up"...yes Stripers do "tail", like an Abaco Bone or Redfish of Florida's famed Indian River Lagoon, Striped Bass often feed by grubbing around on the mud & eelgrass flats for crabs, shrimp and worms, leaving their tails wagging like flags in the breeze. A well presented fly presented just upcurrent of the "tailing" Striper...slowy crawled along the bottom will usually yield a strike. "Muds"(silty clouds in the clear water)are often left by the grubbing stripers and are a dead giveaway that Striped Bass are present and on the feed...most times however, we have challenging task of sighting and casting to "laid up" or slow cruising fish.
Maine's shallow water habitat is comprised of surf, sand flats, fast water channels, bays, coves, rips and marsh. All easily accessible and fished with a fly rod!!!

Call us if you'd like to join us for a day or two this coming season.

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Read the rest of the story here

Maine Saltwater Fishing Report

Are you ready for some winter fun? Why not visit the Camden Snow Bowl Feb. 6-8 and join what has become a winter tradition in midcoast Maine.

February 6-8, 2009
Registration opens OCTOBER 15, 2008

2009 US National Toboggan Championship Schedule

Friday, February 6th12-7pm Check-in & Toboggan Inspections at the Camden Snow Bowl Lodge
1-4pm Practice runs for pre-registered teams (conditions permitting)
10-8pm Snow Bowl open for skiing & snowboarding

Saturday, February 7th7am-12pm Check-in & Toboggan Inspections at Info booth near Chute
9am-4pm Snow Bowl open for skiing, snowboarding & tubing. Free shuttle bus ($5 on-site parking fee) Souvenirs at Chute Shop
8am-11am Qualifying Runs for 2 & 3 Person Teams (1st & 2nd Runs)
11am-2pm Chili & Chowder Challenge (on-site)
12pm-4pm Qualifying Runs for 4 Person Teams (1st Run)

Sunday, February 8th9am Qualifying Runs for 4 Person Teams (2nd Run)
9am-4pm Snow Bowl open for skiing, snowboarding & tubing. Free shuttle bus ($5 on-site parking fee) Souvenirs at Chute Shop
TBA National Finals:
Top 30 of 2 person teams
Top 30 of 3 person teams
Top 75 of 4 person Teams
3pm Awards Ceremonies & Drawings

All times are approximate

AWARDS:
First-Second-Third places in each division

Special Awards:
Best costume, oldest team, fastest team, fastest women's team, fastest children's team, fastest high school team, fastest college team

TIPS & HINTS FOR FIRST TIME COMPETITORS:
~ Wear old clothes
~ Be sure costume is not too bulky
~ Consider wearing goggles and/or helmet
~ Keep face covered

~ Plan to stay all day, there's lots to do and see and food for sale at the lodge and at the Toboggan Chute

During the race, if you need any help or information, go to the Chute Shop located near the Toboggan Chute

Carpooling recommended

Volunteers sought. Call the Snow Bowl 236-3438 or stop by the Chute Shop to volunteer any time during the weekend.

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Report

(31" Striper caught on a shallow midcoast Maine flat, minus the fancy pastels!!! read more)
You've gotten all the right equipment...The fancy pastel colored, SPF-50, Ex Officio clothing...a quiver of the newest, lightest, super fast action SAGE, G.LOOMIS, SCOTT Branded fly rods complete with the requisite shiny gold anodized, machined aluminum, carbon fiber/cork drag, large arbor "designer" fly reels lined with the latest, greatest, slickest floating and intermediate fly lines (wow..nice descriptive)... The many hours of casting practice have paid off big time...that nasty tailing loop is almost gone and you've gotten your casting to the point that you can effortlessly throw a weighted crab fly 80 feet into a stiff breeze and drop it with pinpoint accuracy into a shot glass...(okay...maybe a garbage can) Your fly boxes are overflowing with painstakingly tied crustacean, worm hatch and baitfish creations that look so real that you're afraid to reach in and grab one for fear it might start gnawing on your thumb...Are we talking about Tarpon, Permit or Bonefishing in an exotic remote tropic location??? Hah...Not even close!!! We're off the coast of Maine and we'd like to welcome you to the world of shallow water Striper fishing!!!

(this nice fat bellied 32" fish was caught in a mere 18" of water)
While our livebaiting & "Butterfly Jigging" trips were very exciting and productive when fishing over deep water ledges...the shallow water Striper fishery presented us with many unique challenges last season. Despite the often difficult fly fishing conditions we faced last year...Overall I would say it was a success with more trophy sized fish being landed than in previous years. The knowledge that I gained from widening the search for fish will hopefully prove to be invaluable for many years to come. We quickly learned what was not working and made the proper adjustments. Our approach to skinny water Striper fishing changed in 2007 and 2008...with far more emphasis placed on sight casting to tailing, waking and laid-up large solitary fish as opposed to chasing the huge blow-ups of schoolie Stripers...Fast sinking lines were replaced by floating and intermediate lines...short 4-6 foot sections of 20# flouro leader were replaced with long tapered leaders more common to steelhead or bonefishing. Big Bulky flies were replaced by smaller sparsely tied shrimp, crab and baitfish offerings. Being able to stalk 15 to 20 lb Fish on the flats...make the cast and lead the fish into explosive visual strikes was fascinating and very exciting. Chasing birds around was mostly an exercise in futility which usually resulted in every nearby fish being spooked into the next county...Many times we'd intentionally ground the "Super Fly" on certain un-named shallow mussel bars(a flooding tide of course) and wait for big cruising Stripers to push onto the flats and into our casting range.
(A healthy Striper released on one of Maine's many sand flats)When the conditions are right Striped Bass make perfect sight casting targets for fly & light tackle anglers. When sight casting to Striped Bass around the numerous Mussel bars and eel grass beds that fringe many of our shallow flats, we frequently encounter Stripers that are "Tailed Up"...yes Stripers do "tail", like an Abaco Bone or Redfish of Florida's famed Indian River Lagoon, Striped Bass often feed by grubbing around on the mud & eel grass flats for crabs, shrimp and worms, leaving their tails wagging like flags in the breeze. A well presented fly presented just up current of the "tailing" Striper...slowy crawled along the bottom will usually yield a strike. "Mud's"(silty clouds in the clear water)are often left by the grubbing stripers and are a dead giveaway that Striped Bass are present and on the feed...most times however, we have challenging task of sighting and casting to "laid up" or slow cruising fish....to the average angler sighting fish on the flats can be a bit daunting, but to a good guide...that Striper might as well be brushed with neon paint. The ideal scenario is to cast up current of your target so that your fly swims down current to the holding fish, hopefully resulting in a strike!!!
Maine's shallow water habitat is comprised of surf, sand flats, fast water channels, bays, coves, rips and marsh. All easily accessible and fished with a fly rod!!!

Call us if you'd like to join us for a day or two this coming season. We'll be happy help you plan your Maine vacation!!! Depending on which region of the Maine coast you're staying on...we can provide you with info on all the top fishing guides. If fly fishing isn't your thing...no worries we're well equipped for light tackle & live bait fishing too!!!

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Reports

Jeff's Marine, a full line Parker Boats & Yamaha outboards dealer, nestled on the banks of the St. George River in Thomaston, ME.













Well....
The "Super Fly" is finally decommissioned for the year...winterized & covered. I just picked her up from Jeff's Marine in Thomaston. The expert crew at Jeff's completed all the annual maintenance that helps keep me on the water 140+ days each season. Anything worn or leaking gets replaced...fuel filters...fuel pumps...water pumps...you name it...It all gets replaced...The result of this extensive maintenance program insures that we have very little if any down time during the season.

I'm already looking forward to springtime...Too bad it's going to be a long cold winter!!!

Reservations are starting to come in for the 2009 Maine Striper fishing season...The new tide calendars are out so contact us soon to reserve your favorite tide. Don't forget to Ask about our gift certificates...maybe drop a hint to a loved one!!!

Here's an important message from Brad Burns Stripers Forever:

Dear Striped Bass Fisherman,
Our favorite fish is under more pressure than ever, and Stripers Forever, a free membership, internet-based organization, is fighting to end commercial fishing for wild striped bass and to manage the resource for personal use/recreational fishing. We need as many members as possible to show the politicians how many people depend on striped bass for recreation, food, and income.
If you haven't signed up yet as a member of Stripers Forever, here are a few things you should know:
Membership is free – no dues. There are no meetings to attend. Everything is done via the internet and e-mail
Many of the top fishermen in the country support Stripers Forever
Stripers Forever’s only goal is to make striped bass a game fish, which means it would be managed for the benefit of the recreational fishing public, now and for future generations.
Here is all that you have to do to join - it will take less than a minute and costs nothing:
Go to Stripers Forever
Select “Become A Member” from the top of the page.
Fill in the easy to follow sign-up sheet and submit.
This is a critical time for striped bass. We are preparing for the introduction of our Massachusetts bill to make striped bass a game fish in the upcoming legislative session. We will need every member's help to make this a reality. Help Stripers Forever successfully advocate to protect the wild striper by “Making It A Gamefish.”
Brad Burns, President of Stripers Forever

Maine Saltwater Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Report: SF Striped Bass Catch & Release Video!!!

Check out this great video that focuses on the importance of catch & release fishing for Striped Bass...Catch and release fishing is vital to the future of recreational saltwater angling. The state of our natural resources and the increase in the human population dictates that we can no longer keep every striped bass that we catch, and in many cases anglers will need to release several undersized fish before finding one large enough to keep. We feel that this is an important message to share not only with our members but with the striped bass fishing community as a whole.

We are always looking for new ways to spread the word about the Stripers Forever cause.
To that end, I would like to share with you a video made for Stripers Forever by one of our members. The video, produced by Jason Puris
of The Fin, shows the proper techniques to release a striped bass.
The state of our natural resources, along with current bag limits, dictates that we can't keep every striped bass we catch. Knowing the correct way to practice catch and release fishing is vital to the future of recreational saltwater angling. We think that this is an important message to share not only with our members but with the striped bass fishing community as a whole.
The video is currently available for viewing on The Fin You can see it by visiting this link
Thanks to Jason the video will also be available on the Stripers Forever website later this month.
It’s a great video with some fabulous action shots off Montauk this last fall, so enjoy it, and please help spread the word about proper catch and release techniques. ~Brad Burns, Stripers Forever

Maine Saltwater Fly fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Cape Cod Striper Fishing: South Beach

Chatham's South Beach off the "elbow" of Cape Cod...a surf fly fishermans paradise!!!






Below lies the Famed "Chatham Bars" looking north to Nauset and Pleasant Bay










When the conditions are right, we'll slip into our waders,...grab an 8-10 wt rod or maybe even a two handed rod if the wind is really up.... a box of flies with patterns ranging from sandeels to crab flies to heavily weighted squid...and hit the beach...Schoolie Bass are the norm but we often find Huge Bass cruising just outside the surf line....I like windward stretches of beach...with bait being blown in tight the Stripers usually become lit up and feed aggressively...although casting into a stiff breeze is not the easiest...it's often the most productive!!! This habitat is comprised of surf, sand flats, fast water channels, bays, coves, rips and marsh. All easily accessible and fished with a fly rod.
Monomoy hangs from the elbow of Cape Cod from the quaint town of Chatham, Massachusetts marking the parting line of the Atlantic Ocean's bluewater rips and Nantucket Sound's shoal-warmed water. Here a diversity of coastal and oceanic conditions are forced together in an unlikely union and the fish find it a uniquely wonderful place to hang out and feed.


*New for the 2009 Season...In addition to our Maine fishing we'll be offering spring & fall Striper fishing trips on Cape Cod, MA... We'll fish Buzzard's Bay, Cape Cod Bay and the entire outer cape area from Chatham to Provincetown...Stay tuned and book early, We'll only be offering a limited number of these trips.

Call us today to set up a time

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Report, Fish Story of the Week

Fish Story of the week:

Ride of Your Life—Marlin Tows Kayaker Out to Sea!!!

During shooting for a segment of The Heliconia Press' new kayak fishing film—Kayak Fishing: Game On—a group of three kayak anglers hooked up with world-renowned big game kayak angler and star of the film Jim Sammons on the East Cape of Baja, Mexico to hunt the greatest game fish in the world—the marlin.

As the first kayak angler to ever land a marlin from a kayak, Sammons led Alaskan Howard McKim, Canadian Ken Whiting and Californian Matt Moyer on the hunt for these massive billfish. Sammons experience paid off after only a couple of hours on the water when Howard McKim’s reel started screaming as he hooked up with a 300-pound blue marlin.

“When I first hooked up, I knew I had a nice fish,” explained McKim, “but I think my jaw actually hit my knees when I saw the blue erupt from the water in front of my kayak like a missile shot from below.”

The arm-wrenching five-hour battle saw McKim towed 11 miles into the Sea of Cortez. The relentless pulling was broken up only by moments of high anxiety as the marlin charged to the surface and exploded out of the water in a series of dynamic jumps.

As the hours wore on, the winds began to pick up and the seas started to get rough. The team’s support crew continued to follow McKim to help him land the fish safely, but time was running out. Pressuring the fish more than he wanted to with the 20-pound-test line that he was on, McKim fought the marlin to the surface only a boat length away from his kayak. With the fight reaching its end, the marlin made one last run and broke the line.

“After fighting that fish for five hours in the 95-degree weather, part of me was devastated to see the line break,” said an exhausted Howard later that night, “but in the end, it was an experience of a lifetime and I have absolutely no regrets.”

Watch the short but amazing video clip of the action!!!

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Tuna Fishing Report TUNA MANIA 4!!!

For all you "football" Tuna Junkies out there!!! You're not gonna want to miss "Tuna Mania 4"
Jan. 31, 2009
Red Hook Brewery, Portsmouth,NH. Check-In 9:45am – 10:00am

Come listen to First light Anglers Capt. Derek Spingler & Nat Moody program on their 2008 Tuna season. Not to be missed are Molly Lutcavage tagging films, and update info on her Tag-A-Tiny-Tuna program. Also coming along from the Large Pelagics Research Center will be her two PhD candidates Walt Golet, and John Logan speaking on their part of this program. Chris Schoppmeyer will be back with any updates to the Rules, and Regulations, and available all day to answer any questions you may have.

We plan on having more tables with Displays of interest to you. More on this as these come available. Shimano will be back, Ocean Lures donated to Auction. A lot more coming in before Tuna Mania 4.

Price $40.00 pre-pay-reservation is required. Seating Limited. This is a sell out every year.

Call 603-731-2669 to reserve your spot. Lunch is included in this price!!!

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Report: Orvis Ultimate Fly Fishing the Surf Outfit Auction

Stripers Forever Silent Auction for the benefit of Stripers Forever’s Game Fish Initiatives

Many of the best known companies in the outdoor world embrace the concept of designating striped bass as game fish as a way of protecting a quality public fishery. Standing tall in the front ranks is the Orvis Company of Manchester, Vermont. Over the years, Orvis has given generously to many conservation-minded organizations, and their generosity has allowed us to offer another exciting auction opportunity to our members. These auctions provide us with the funds needed to carry on our efforts to reach our game fish goal.
This past Spring we offered a "fly fishing the surf" outfit, a combination of the finest gear from Orvis that is simply the best you can buy anywhere. The auction was so popular we've brought it back just in time for Christmas. Follow this link to the "Stripers Forever" website, then click open the attached Word document, and read all about this exciting offering. We look forward to receiving your bid. Complete bidding instructions are included in the Word document bid sheet attachment.

Whether you are a pilgrim to saltwater fly fishing or an old salt whose equipment needs a face lift,Orvis Ultimate Fly-fishing the Surf Outfit gets the job done. Start with a superb new 8, 9, or 10-weight Helios rod – voted the best of the best for 2008 by Field and Stream – and a Vortex high-end, big-game reel. Add Spectra backing, a Generation III Striper Wonderline, and a stripping basket to keep it out of the surf. Then cover yourself in functional style with a Tailwaters XT wading jacket, an all new neoprene edged Windproof Fleece Jacket , Pro Guide 3 Waders , and Easy-on Battenkill Brogues wading shoes. This outfit is simply the best. Check out these auction items at Orvis

The Ultimate Fly-fishing the Surf Outfit donated by Orvis of Manchester, VT

If you are not yet a member of "Stripers Forever", join now! It's free, and you’ll receive much more information via e-mail on how to help make striped bass a gamefish.

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com