The Joy of Traveling

I was traveling to China recently and I saw woman riding bicycle with this mosquito net on her head. I didn’t have the chance to find out eaxct reason for its use, but I was thinking of last summer fly fishing with my friend with similar kind of net on our head to protect our face from bugs. It is humor to see this in the middle of the city, and this is small thing yet why I enjoy traveling.

Fishing guide

Yesterday, I guided a new friend Stan to my hometown creek for Kurri fishing. Stan's father in law is a Taiwanese, and he comes to Taiwan to visit some relatives with his family. Stan told me he was a fishing guide in MT when he was college student, and now he sometimes guide his friends to MT, but not officially.

Stan is a fly fishing master, no doubt, but the way he treated his rivals was really impressed me. No matter the size of fish he hooked, he released them in the water. He never pulled the fish out of the water. bThat was a wonderful day, and I got a lesson of TREAT YOU RIVAL FRIENDLY.

cherry picking time

Our friends at RainbowFly been busy pickin cherries from Kangwon area. They also been busy removing nets assh@es set up along some of the rivers. Even with local law enforcement these assh@les set up the nets at night and come by to take whatever is caught.

Saving Korea’s Four Rivers …

Another thought provoking article from James. Something to read, something to take action on, something to save.

http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2188

Diamond Lake

It was windy, raining, cold, and the lake was stained… none of those things stopped us from dipping a line. My friend Jeff & I waded the lake from his dock, I sat on my tube to wade out a little further. Usually, the catching here is great with lots of largemouth and striped bass, and occasional northern but today we had to settle for small large mouths and some channel catfish. Channel catfish are like submarines… can’t really stop them, only steer them. Did a lot of overdue catching up with my friend.

Why We Miss - article by James Card

I was reading the Ducks Unlimited article from our friend James called “Why We Miss” on shooting, and although I don't hunt (waterfowler), I found it really interesting how much I can relate to it… what I mean is I can apply the same thought process to fishing. Now, I’m no expert fisherman by any means, but I do like fishing a great deal, and I think about it enough to now know a little about it. Enough that I can apply problem solving principles. I really enjoyed reading this article from James ... check it out (link below). Hum... I wonder if James is missing good kimchi by now.

http://www.ducks.org/DU_Magazine/DUMagazineMarApr2010/4853/WhyWeMiss.html?poe=magLanding

Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters - Chicago’s Best

I had a morning meeting in downtown Chicago yesterday, so I swung by Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters. I get to go to lot of different fly shops around the world due to my travels for work, but I have to say CFFO is a shop I’m damn glad that I live nearby. Imagine a fully loaded fly shop, but loaded with only the finest selection of products. It isn’t the random stuff you find at the mega fishing stores – but rather a careful selection of high quality, unique, and useful products. Every staff I’ve spoken to at CFFO knows their stuff inside out and they’re friendly & helpful in getting you onto the right products. It’s also refreshing that they provide frank feedback about the product they carry.













I had an opportunity to chat with Andy (owner) as he was helping me get fitted with a new pair of RX sunglasses. I asked about his recent 9 day canoe trip to Brazil, alligators and all. He showed me a few of the 10-20lb peacock bass he caught down there… imagine catching close to a 100 of these each day. By day 3, he was sipping beer out of a slinky straw as his arms were too tired from all that fish lifting. The trip looked pretty fancy, fancy with crazy fish with crazy outside camouflage on its teeth!

Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters is hardly a shop that needs any introduction, but I know my friends in Asia might enjoy hearing about them. CFFO has been around for 10 years and some pretty famous people have visited & spoke at the shop. Check them out on line, and if you’re in town – make sure to check out the shop. CFFO is also great with arranging overseas orders. Rather than me trying to write up something about CFFO, here is a excerpt from their website http://www.chifly.com/













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Andy and Jon founded Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters in March of 2001, with a simple premise: Everything fly fishing delivered with exceptional service, expertise and humility. We have outgrown 2 storefronts over the past years, and in 2008 moved into our present 3600 square foot home at 1279 N Clybourn Ave –smack dab in the Old Town/Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Located just 5-8 minutes north of downtown, we invite you to visit us, and see for yourself…

We have gained invaluable experience over the past 10 years traveling all over the world in search of fly fishing’s finest. En route, we have expanded our talented staff, and grown to be a respected source for all thing fly fishing for one of the most diverse fly fishing communities in the world: the globetrotting anglers that call Chicago home, and the world wide community that visits our incredible city. (Now, with our on-line growth, are providing the same service to our new clients on all four corners of the globe.)

We don’t have a big name trout river in our back yard. However, we believe the midwest does offer some the most diverse and we would say finest fly fishing opportunities found anywhere on earth -very close to our own back yard. Ranging from world famous steelhead and salmon tributaries of the great lakes to some of the most incredible small spring creek and freestone trout habitat in Michigan and Wisconsin, to arguably some of the finest smallmouth rivers found anywhere, we are always but a few hours away from great water and the next adventure. We are THE source for our diverse “home waters of the Midwest”.

We also cater to a customer base that travels near and far in search of fly fishing. Sharing in our customer’s adventures, having 2 international airports in town, and operating a robust travel outfitting component to our business, helps us practice what we preach. We have extensive first- hand knowledge of many of the world’s finest fresh and saltwater destinations, and the expertise to outfit you properly the first time. We won’t send you off to a trip of a life time without preparing you well!

Bottom line: We outfit for a broader range of angling adventures than most shops, and in turn, we have evolved as a shop. We offer our client’s a depth of product selection and on hand inventory that rivals most, and an experienced staff that shares your passion for all things fly fishing.

Killer Fish

newest member

Ksanchun & his wife had a beautiful daughter last weekend named Hayden. Congratulations brother, such a blessing. She brings light into this world.

Spring season in Korea

In Korea, it isn’t official spring until we see this forsythia near our house fence. I couldn’t help myself to take this picture front of my house yesterday. With the long winter, many anglers in Korea were waiting for this spring season. I also can’t wait until I see beautiful cherry trout and lenok in the clear water in the creek.

cherry trout from PrinceFly

Cherry Trout & Rainbows are definately in season in eastern Korea. I'll be seeing them soon. Mr. Park mentioned that he'll be fishing & guiding starting this season, looking forward to a trip out together.

I like this photo (fish on car)

I like this photo (car & fishing)

I have no idea where this is but it's very interesting. Scientific Anglers advertisement. Nice.

for the family…

I have to spend a month and half in Hawaii this summer so that my kids can attend the summer school there... it will be tough to be relocated like that for so long…but I’ll do it for the family. Yes I had something to do with the school selection, but it was based purely on academic merits alone.

If you plan on visiting, bring a line basket. Just in case.

Weather is not going to stop me going fishing

After many months of discussion, my friend Sang-han and his son decided to go fly fishing with me for the first time; however, when we arrived to mountain area, the weather was too harsh for beginners. With my wife’s pregnancy, I couldn’t go fishing for long time, and this harsh weather didn’t bother me being out there was so cool. But for two beginners, it was too harsh of weather to stay out too long. We started out with short session of casting on snow and did about an hour of fishing. We only caught one small rainbow; we all enjoyed the trip and promised each other to meet again in that creek when the weather gets warmer.

I miss PingLing

...in Taipei County and the top mouth that live there. I also miss the great green tea from the hills of Ping Lin. Damn, I was hung over this day, should never drink till 6 in the morning when you have to fish the next day. Especially if it’s going to be way over 90 degrees with intense humidity. I got in the water every chance I had, trying hard not to throw up & trying hard to keep up with my friends as we walked through the steep hills. Eventually I just gave up and swam in the pond where we were fishing and my friends shook their heads in disapproval. It was either that or I was going to pollute the pond with whiskey from my stomach. I’ll never forget that day. Ksanchun wasn't in much better shape either but I think he had a bottle of water... he never offered a sip. That's alright, I wouldn't have either.

Kangwon...winter's last hold...

Winter hung around longer than usual this year in eastern Korea. The cherry trout are in season and our friends in Korea are right there to meet some of them. Nice photos of winter’s last remains in Kangwon from the RainbowFly Club.