My Blog has Moved!!!!!!

My blog has moved into the NEW jeffcurrier.com

I’m sorry for any inconvenience this causes you, but I outgrew my old website structure.  The new site allows me to add many more tabs, PowerPoint shows, my fish art gift store and etc.  This mass project is about 75% complete.  What isn’t done is my Fly Rod Species section.  My intention here is to list each and every species I’ve caught.  Along with many of these I hope to include a personal story about fishing for them, tactics, tackle, distribution and if I’ve painted the fish, some art to go with.

In celebration of the new site launch I’m headed for Europe to fish with my friend, mentor and fly fishing legend, Vladi Trezbunia.  Hopefully the new blog will start off with a bang of photos and stories of the endangered marble trout (Salmo marmoratus)!

As always when traveling in remote areas, I may not have internet.  Regardless, I will post day by day accounts of this adventure when possible.

Important

Here are a couple events to put on your calendar for June:

Bass on a Fly Tourney June 19 (See past tourneys 2010, 2011 & 2012)

My famous Henry’s Fork Marathon June 25 – everyone is welcome

(See past Marathons 2010, 2011 and 2012)

Enjoy!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing for Tigerfish

I’ll be hosting two trips to Africa this fall to fly fish for tigerfish.  The dates are November 2-9 (FULL) & 9-16 (Five spots left).  This trip will be with my good friends in Tanzania of Tourette – Fight it in Africa. Your booking will be arranged by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and you can contact me or Yellow Dog for details about the trip.

This incredible hosted trip will likely be a one time offer.  Disputes over permit fees, land access and etc made securing spots for 2013 tremendously difficult.  It’s possible that access to this mind-boggling fishery could completely disappear in the near future.  It would be sin to let this get away if you love exotic fly fishing or dream of catching a truly large tigerfish!

After tigerfishing extensively throughout Africa, the tigerfishing in Tanzania is the best I’ve ever experienced.  This specie of tigerfish (Hydrocynus Tanzaniae) is particularly large.  Ten pounders are common and tigers up to TWENTY POUNDS are caught often!  Best of all they are abundant here and attack flies with vengeance.

Many of you remember Confluence Films last movie Connect where I was the lucky guy landing numerous tigerfish and in the end caught a true monster.  This is the place!  To see more visit my blog for November 2010.

I hope you can make it!

  

JeffCurrier Global Fly Fishing

Blackfoot Reservoir Fin Chasers Carp Classic 2013

May 15- 19, 2013

One of my favorite events of the year took place Friday and Saturday, the 2013 Blackfoot Reservoir Fin Chasers Carp Classic.  (See 2010, 2011 & 2012)  This was the 9^th annual fly fishing for carp tournament.  The event is always a fundraiser.  Usually the funds go to a fishing guide in need but miraculously this year no one needs it.  Instead all money raised went to Warriors and Quiet Waters, a superb foundation based out of Bozeman, Montana.  For me, its not only an opportunity to participate in a worthy cause but also celebrate one of the first big camping and fishing trips of the season with a number of close friends.  Friends that I hardly see all winter and quite honestly, once it gets busy, I don’t see enough in the summer either.

Day 1- May 15

The weekend kicked off for me and my team, “Could Be Worse” on Wednesday.  I met my long time partner Ben Smith in Thayne, Wyoming and we sped over Tin Cup Pass to the shores of Blackfoot.  I haven’t seen Ben in at least six months so we had a few beers before setting up our rods.  Then we waded a flat where we’d been observing some tailing mirror carp and although it took awhile, we walked away with three nice fish under our belts including this atypical fully scaled mirror.

A lot more teams are showing up early these days.  The comradely has really caught on and before we knew it the Pebble Beach Boat Ramp was surrounded by numerous camps.  Our camp alone had at least 12 people (that’s four of the three man teams) hovering around a campfire and grills covered in wild game meats.  We really had a ball because the weather was nice and the sun didn’t set until around 9:45.

Day 2 – May 16

I flipped open the hatch of my Exploder at 6 AM this morning.  I was the first man up.  Camp already had some wear and tear on it including a tapped whiskey bottle lying sideways by the fire.  I was first up because I don’t touch that stuff.  Beer is my only festive drink because it allows me a clear head in the morning.  I brewed some coffee and like a bunch of cartoon characters several of my pals crawled out from their tents and trucks.

We fished hard today but some cooler wetter weather moved in.  Ben landed the only carp from our group while the rest of us got skunked.  Ben’s fish was a hefty tall backed mirror carp of about 12 lbs.  We can only hope to catch three of these when the tournament starts tomorrow. 

Bens and my third team member arrived tonight.  Normally we have Trey Scharp but Trey had a graduation to attend and we replaced him with Scotty-Boy Smith.  Like Ben and Trey, Scott worked for me back in the fly shop days and has gone on to be one of the premiere fishing guides of Jackson Hole.  These days Scott is not only a top guide but also the proud owner of Grand Teton Fly Fishing.  If you want a guide for gorgeous Snake River Cutthroats from Grand Teton National Park – these guys are who you need to contact.

Day 3 – May 17

Today was tourney time.  It was obvious when I woke up.  It rained most of the night, the wind shifted to the south east sending bashing waves near the tires of my Exploder and its was 20º colder then when we went to bed.  We all headed for the famous pancake breakfast put on by the very generous Gary and Leslie Greene.  Gary and Leslie donate their time and pancake mix for an all you can eat $5 breakfast with coffee and sausages.  Before the day even starts there’s usually about $200 raised for the event thanks to them.

After breakfast and a short meeting it’s “Start Your Engines” and 25 three man teams take off down muddy dirt roads in search of carp.  The object of the tourney is to come in with three mirror carp each of the two tournament days.  5 PM is weigh in and whoever has the most pounds from one, tow or three fish wins.  Prizes go: best weight Day 1, best weight Day 2, best total weight for both days as well as big fish for Day 1, big fish for Day 2 and big fish overall.  And let me tell you, the best kept secret is the prizes.  The prizes, donated by manufacturers, fly shops and participants range anywhere from fly lines to fly rods and waders to guided trips.  The Speaks even kicked in a set of my frosted beer mugs with mirror carp on them! 

We arrived at the flat Ben and I have been studying at 9:30.  We slammed ceremonial tourney starting beverages and walked to the flat.  A huge pocket of rain approached and before first cast the deluge started.  Even worse, the carp flat was empty.

Luckily the sluggish cold carp weren’t far from the flat.  We found them rolling in the nearest deep water with some weeds and sticks.  And I couldn’t believe it; 15 minutes in while dredging a chartreuse bonefish fly I landed a 9.7lb carp.  We were on the board early!

Believe it or not, that was it for our team.  Horrendous rain and wind drilled us in the face for the next 7 hours as we casted relentlessly.  We hoisted in more carp but unfortunately they were snagged and naturally snagged carp don’t count.  The rain was so bad water trickled down the inside of my jacket from my face down.  It was very uncomfortable. 

We felt terrible as we drove to weigh in at 5 but to our disbelief a mere 10 fish were caught amongst the 65 anglers.  My one fish, although the smallest, put “Could Be Worse” in 7^th place.  A good day tomorrow could easily move us to first place.

Day 4 – May 18

In Idaho it rains like it rained yesterday, all last night and today about once every five years.  A memorable “Monsoon Currier” weekend will go down in the Carp Classic history books.  The lake has risen; tent floors hold inches of water, my Exploder leaks and dirt roads are greasier than a hockey rink.  Waking up today was pure utter hell. 

Like drenched rats we made our way to the pancake breakfast and instead of racing to the water we crowded around the coffee pot.  Of course I took a lot of heat for bringing the rain with me.

“Could Be Worse” probably didn’t make our first cast until 10 AM.  That’s not like us.  We went right back to yesterdays spot only to find the carp not only moved off the flat Benny and I found but this time they were completely gone and after a two hour search we gave up and headed for a new place.

There are some cliffs along the way to Pebble Beach that you can literally park you car, step out and cast.  We went there and cooked up a delectable lunch on the grill.  I then turned on the Cubs game on my XM and cranked it and started casting.  Two hours went by like a minute because the Cubs actually beat the Mets.  I hardly noticed that I didn’t hook a fish.

When the game was over I walked around a point and found Ben and Scott, along with fellow Teton Valley neighbors Boots Allen, Tim Brune and Andy Asadorian.  They too had been casting relentlessly to occasional free jumpers but other than two snagged carp no one landed a legit entry carp.

Not sure why, but I felt confident.  I wiggled my way in amongst the boys and on about my tenth cast I hooked up.  It takes me about two seconds to know the difference between a snagged carp and one that ate my fly.  I had a good one smother my tan headstand carp fly.  And after an ensuing battle on my 5-weight I tackled a 16lber!

We kept casting through heavy rain, strong wind and a few bad jokes till 4:45.  We knew that even a single fish could put a team’s score through the roof.  But not one of us hooked another legit carp to register.  When done everyone was so beat up that we were relieved it was over.

When we arrived at the weigh in we were quickly informed that only four fish were caught today.  Even better, mine was the biggest.  I collected the big fish award for the day and “Could Be Worse” made a dramatic jump from 7^th to 3^rd .  Good stuff! 

The break down was 1^st place = 50lbs.  All 50 lbs came on Day 1.  2^nd place was 27lbs and was one fish and Tourney Big Fish.  The beast came on Day 1.  Then us, “Could BeWorse” with 25.7lbs. 

Blackfoot Fin Chasers Carp Classic 2013 will go down as one of the tougher ones as far as fishing.  But far more important, we (A wide range of fishing bums) raised nearly $5000 for Warriors and Quiet Waters making it one of the best for fundraising.  We’re all very proud of this feat and hope that more of you will join in next year.  2014 will be extra special as it will be the Tenth Carp Classic. 

As often does when any tourney ends, the rain stopped, the wind turned to a comfortable breeze and campfires grew tall.  I’d considered heading home but one more night camping with friends – I’ll never pass that up.  I finally cashed in for more than just beer.  My friend Travis made Moscow Mules while the Greens invited us to their spaghetti feast.  Thank goodness for the huge meal or I may have felt really bad from the Vodka in those mules this morning!

The next few days will be playing catch up.  In exactly a week I’m headed for Europe to spend time with my long time friend and mentor Vladi Trzebunia.  Its time to fish Slovenia for a marble trout! 

  

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Phenomenal Trip Comes to an End

I’d like to thank Misty Dhillon and his outstanding staff of the Himalayan Outback for taking incredible care of myself and the rest of the Confluence Film crew.  They shared one of the remotest places left on earth and turned us on to some most memorable fish of our lives.  If you’re looking for adventure and want to add one of the greatest game fish on the planet to your list, the Himalayan Outback is your place. 

I also thank Jim Klug and Chris Patterson, founders of Confluence Films, for bringing me on this shoot.  The world is full of qualified, energetic, crazy, fish catching maniacs but they chose me.  I know how lucky I am!

I promise you won’t want to miss this latest film, Waypoints.  Not only will the film feature this unique and incredible piece about mahseer fishing in India, but Waypoints takes you for payara in Venezuela, Giant Trevally at St Brandon’s Atoll, Steelhead from Alaska and more.  This will be one of their best! 

The Premier of Waypoints takes place Worldwide on Friday November 8, 2013.  All showings will be fundraisers of some sort and if you and your cause are interested, you may contact Jim Klug at Yellow Dog to arrange a showing of your own.

A special thanks to our sponsors – Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, Simms, Costa Del Mar, The Drake Magazine, Hatch  and of course for me personally, Ross and Scientific Anglers for making sure I had the right tackle to catch some big mahseer.

Last but not least – normally I end these trips by posting a few extra photos.  I can offer much better this time.  See Jim Klug’s Slide Show from India on at his website Klug Photos.  His photos are no less than spectacular.

I look forward to hearing from all of you.  Now, I’m bound for the Blackfoot Carp Tournament.  Never stop moving!

Again, please toss my old hotmail email address that I can no longer check and let’s reconnect at jeffcurrier65@gmail.com      THANKS!

JeffCurrier Global Fly Fishing

Day 9 - Passage Back to Civilization

I expected to sum this adventure up today with some special thanks and inform you how to do this trip.  Instead we have one more laugh to mention.  We had a terrible winds storm hit us around midnight this morning that devastated our camp.

Bhupe (Misty’s whitewater man) and I were doing our job, sucking down one of the last bottles of red while reminiscing about the trip.  We heard a roar of wind rolling through the canyon above us.  Sure enough the wind burst hit.  Tables flew, glass shattered and tents flapped wildly.  It wasn’t just a gust, this wind hung on. 

Through the pitch of dark, my tent mate Chris Patterson’s headlamp was headed our way.  He needed another body in our tent to hold it down.  My wine cup had long blown away so I went to assist.

Our tent was mostly collapsed by now.  Funny, Jim Klug and Whitney were flattened as well and we could hear them trying to solve their own situation next door.  Chris and I did our best to re-prop the poles then we leaped on to our cots.  This lasted a whole ten minutes before Chris’s side of the tent came crashing down again.

I went through this 11 years ago when Granny and I were nearly buried alive on the Thar Desert on the border of Pakistan and India and I wasn’t up for it again.  I knew the tent was secured even while flat and I took my cot outside and got on it and slept the best I could for the remainder of the night.  I awoke this morning to a sleeping bag full of beach sand as well as my ears, eyes and nose.

If it had been day one we’d of cried, but it was our last night and the takeout was only a mile away.  So we laughed this one off and after a chaotic wind tearing pack job we headed for Delhi.

After another exhilarating bus ride and train ride we find

ourselves sipping Kingfisher Beers back at the African Avenue Hotel in Delhi.  Tomorrow is recoup and shop day and then we catch a 3 AM flight on the 7^th.  Perhaps tomorrow I’ll rap this great trip up!

Being filmed doesn’t allow me to take pics.  A SPECIAL THANKS is in order to Jim Klug and Chris Patterson of Confluence Films who not only brought me on this trip but also provided most of the blog photos.

Again, please toss my old hotmail email address that I can no longer check and let’s reconnect at jeffcurrier65@gmail.com      THANKS!

                        Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Day 8 - Last Day of Mahseer Fishing

I’d be lying if said I didn’t think about the resident Chukka tiger last night.  Luckily that’s as close as he got and we awoke this morning to the chatter of birds and the Chukka Rapid.  We had till noon to fish and visit the village of Chukka so before I drank my coffee I ran right down where I caught yesterdays monster golden mahseer and made 25 casts.  Nothing.

After breakfast and coffee the whole gang went back down to the rapid again and Misty landed a 5lber but that was the only fish in an hour.  That called for a break and visit to the historic village of Chukka.

You take a step back in time in this place.  It’s a peaceful spread with no cars or outside noise.  There are about 80 residents and they get around solely on foot on ancient trails.  These folks no little and care less about the outside world.  They seem wonderfully happy here and although very shy at first they warmed up to us and they let us take some photos of them.

I fished hard the last two hours without a strike and then reeled in it in for good.  It was time to float down to our last camp of the trip which is very near the town of Tanakapur.  Misty does not own permits to fish this area which is why our fishing ended in Chukka.

The Mahakali River opened up from its tight canyon walls to a flood plain then back into a canyon.  Naturally because I can’t stand whitewater, we had to run one more major rapid.  Misty has not been here in awhile so it took an hour of scouting.  Even the scouting was dangerous as we were in a freaky falling rock area. 

The whitewater run was sketchy to say the least.  I was up front so the Confluence Team could film me and I got the bulk of the neck thrashing dunking as we bashed our way though the rapid.  We had a close call where the raft stuck straight up in the air then came down so violently I damn near knocked out my front teeth on my own loose paddle.  It was my own mistake losing the grip of the paddle but that wouldn't have made it hurt any less.  I was pleased when Misty informed me that was the end of the whitewater.

Our camp tonight is on the edge of Tanakapur.  We can hear the sounds of honking trucks and busses miles away.  There’s some elephant dung around so we need to beware of yet another hazard on our last night. 

Of course the last night must be a special one.  That means make a bigger than normal fire (fire scares elephants as well) and drink all remaining beer and wine.  In addition I surprised everyone and broke out my sharpies and during cocktail hour I drew up a mahseer on Misty’s new Yeti Cooler.  It came out pretty sweet!

Tomorrow will be a float, a bus ride and a train ride all the way back to Delhi.  This will undoubtedly involve some culture shock as this has been a truly amazing trip that I will never forget and will always be able to relive in a sense because of the movie segment we’ve made.

That’s it for now.  I’ll conclude this incredible adventure when I get to Delhi.

Being filmed doesn’t allow me to take pics.  A SPECIAL THANKS is in order to Jim Klug and Chris Patterson of Confluence Films who not only brought me on this trip but also provided most of the blog photos.

Again, please toss my old hotmail email address that I can no longer check and let’s reconnect at jeffcurrier65@gmail.com      THANKS!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Day 7 - Do You Believe in Miracles!

Not a wink of sleep last night.  It was a full moon and I was constantly blowing my nose and coughing like a 70 year old chain smoker.  I’m absolutely wrecked.  I hadn’t been sick in three years but now twice in two months and both times on a killer fishing trip – really sucks.

It took at least four cups of coffee to get me on my feet.  It’s a good thing Misty’s boys keep bringing it or I may not have got up at all.  As I was loading up on the caffeine I assessed the river from my highpoint and decided its so terribly gray looking that rather than pound away aimlessly with my 9-weight and streamers I’d rig my 5-weight and Polish Nymph for snowtrout.  

I hobbled down to the river in front of the breakfast tent and went to work with two beautiful woven nymphs tied by no other than my man Vladi Trezbunia.  I haven’t Polish nymphed in a year but if I do say so myself, Vladi would have been proud.  A half hour went by with nothing.  I was just losing interest when I hooked up to a nice fish and in a matter of 3 seconds my 1X Flouro leader snapped.  Dang!

There’s nothing worse than breaking off a fish and not seeing what it was.  I re-rigged and fished another hour but nothing.  The fish could have been a mahseer or even better because I’ve never caught one, a snowtrout. 

I’d of fished longer but its interview day.  Remember, the purpose of this trip is to make a kick ass segment for Confluence Films next movie, Waypoints.  We’ve got all the great fishing footage we need; now Misty and I need to talk and tell our story.  Jim Klug and Chris Patterson are real pros as directors and they guided us through some good commentary and another sweet addition to this segment is done.

After the interviews we floated 20 kilometers to the famous Chukka, the legendary village from the classic; Man Eaters of the Kumaon, by JimCorbett.  Corbett was a famous tiger hunter from the 1930’s.  He didn’t kill tigers for sport but rather he killed man eating tigers.  Chukka is famous because it was here that he killed on of the most elusive man eaters of all time.  This tiger killed over 450 people!  Most of you know but in case you don’t, I have a tiger story of my own that will give you nightmares.

We got to Chukka at 3 PM.  All of us except Misty were spent.  You can’t imagine how a trip like this wears you down, despite being the trip of a lifetime, it’s grueling, and I being sick had me in a borderline coma.  Nonetheless as I was dozing in my chair after lunch, Misty suggested we start swinging flies.

It was 110º and there wasn’t an ounce of wind.  My hair may as well been on fire.  I deliriously staggered to the rivers edge and started doing the motions.  Chris followed with his camera and I’m guessing he was about the same.  I’ll never forget this, I was so hot and out of it I thought I saw schools of mahseer swimming around my fly line.  I was actually hallucinating! 

I caught myself nearly asleep and snapped out of the daze because I realized I’d let my fly sink incredibly long.  I was sure to get snagged.  I made a quick strip in hopes it would come.  But it didn’t.  I was hooked on something alright and it bolted down towards the head of the Chukka Rapids like a 90lb tarpon on a shallow flat.  My Tropic Express line disappeared.  My Bimini Twist connection crackled through the guides of my Ross RX 9-weight.  Then my backing sizzled off.

The Chukka Rapids are serious.  Where I stood was serious.  But seriously, if this fish took me down the Chukka Rapids it would be game over – seriously! 

As my personal big fish luck often goes, I was nearly out of backing and the hard pulling fish was at the head of the Chukka Rapid.  And he stopped.  He had to of known of the rapids but unwisely decided not to go down.  Perhaps he had another plan for me.

For the next ten minutes, with Chris’s movie camera on me and Klug and Whitney now awake and near my side the golden mahseer and I battled.  He literally made all the wrong moves he could and I kept the heat on.  Soon to our disbelief, despite muddy inhospitable conditions, rapids and angler fatigue, we topped the big mahseer we caught three days ago!

No one was dazed anymore.  We were wide awake.  I held one of the most beautiful and memorable fish of my life while Chris filmed and Klug shot stills.  Then I removed Misty’s brown sculpin pattern and turned this incredible creature back to the Mahakali River.  Man this is going to be an incredible segment!

Misty, Whitney, Jim and I fished our butts off from that minute till dark.  Not a fish, a bite or a touch.  Today’s monster was about keeping your fly in the water and never giving up.  You got to believe in miracles!

Meanwhile, a Chukka local came to warn Misty a tiger was in the area.  At 5 PM, less than a mile away this tiger took a tied up cow from its post and headed for Tak.  This was the cat’s third kill of cattle in less than a week.  This does change things!

Being filmed doesn’t allow me to take pics.  A SPECIAL THANKS is in order to Jim Klug and Chris Patterson of Confluence Films who not only brought me on this trip but also provided most of the blog photos.

Again, please toss my old hotmail email address that I can no longer check and let’s reconnect at jeffcurrier65@gmail.com      THANKS!

JeffCurrier Global Fly Fishing

Day - 6 Down the Mahakali

Chris Patterson, Jim Klug, Misty Dhillon and I left our camp on the Saryu River for the last time this morning.  Today we head down the raging Mahakali River no matter what.  On May 5 we must be in Tanakapur to take out the rafts and begin our long journey home. 

It takes Misty’s crew about 4 hours to break down and pack camp so we walked to the mouth of the Saryu for one last attempt.  We landed one small mahseer and as I let him go, and as I sit here tonight looking at the roaring gray-sediment-filled Mahakali, I wonder if that’s my last fish of the trip.

At around 11 the rafts made it down to us and after a whitewater safety lesson from Misty we were on our way.  I got one last look at the mahseer panicking under our rafts as we left the Saryu into the Mahakali.  Once in the Mahakali the current swept us downstream rapidly.

The Mahakali is one awesome river.  It’s almost as sacred as the Ganges.  It starts as a cold river in the Himalayas of Tibet then forms the border between Nepal and India and gradually becomes a jungle river.  Where we’re at is close to the end of the range of the mahseer because it gets too cold.  The further down we go the better the fishing should be – that is except for the unclearness from the mud. 

Today’s section of river took us through an amazing steep walled canyon.  Nepal was on our left to the east and India on the right.  We are not allowed to touch Nepal.  On occasion we’d see a few shacks and the locals would run along following us.  Seeing a boat for them is like us watching the space shuttle.  Honestly most of these people have never even seen a car!

We faced some serious whitewater.  After nearly drowning on the Zambezi in 2005 I wasn’t too thrilled about it.  But sometimes you don’t have a choice.  The land terrain was virtually impassable for me to take on foot.  Plus, every paddler is needed so I wasn’t going to leave the boat short.  We made it but it was a beating.

At 5 PM we arrived at fantastic beach Misty and his crew calls Tin House.  The battered house is shelter for Indian border patrol although we didn’t see anyone.  Once camp was set, despite the horribly murky water, Misty and I fished for several hours but not even a touch.  I was not fishing with much confidence even though I’ve caught mahseer in the mud.

I’m feeling like crap with some sort of whooping cough congestion.  It’s a flash back of February’s Brazil trip.  Bad health luck I guess.  Nonetheless, we had a great time around the campfire eating and drinking tall Indian brews.

Being filmed doesn’t allow me to take pics.  A SPECIAL THANKS is in order to Jim Klug and Chris Patterson of Confluence Films who not only brought me on this trip but also provided most of the blog photos.

Again, please toss my old hotmail email address that I can no longer check and let’s reconnect at jeffcurrier65@gmail.com      THANKS!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing