Long Beach Marina Sport Fishing

The fishing rod is the most important tool for fly fishers, as this is what is used to cast the fly line and then to control it. In the beginning, it is recommended to use a hollow fiber glass rod instead of a bamboo rod. Fiberglass rods are lighter and far more flexible, and require less maintenance. Plus, they are relatively cheaper and do not need to be stored as carefully as bamboo rods. Once you gain in experience, you could switch to a graphite rod. Not only is a graphite rod stronger, but being thinner and lighter it is far more maneuverable, hence the line can be cast far more swiftly and much further away.

Usually, fly fishing rods are longer than the usual fishing rods. The reel is also fairly simple, as it is usually used only to recover the hook and the lure – perhaps with a fish caught at the end of it! Before they cast the line, fly fishermen generally loosen it, pulling some of it from the reel, to create slack. This helps in casting the lure freely to the area the fisherman has targeted.

The fishing line used in fly fishing is also quite different compared to those used in normal fishing. The fly fishing line is larger in diameter and is therefore completely visible. Some of them are designed to float on the surface of the water, while others sink under the surface. A tippet is attached at the fly line’s end, which is what actually does the fishing. This is about 6 feet in length with the lure being tied to the end of the fly line. This contraption is the reason the fish are unable to catch sight of the fly line and fools them into thinking that it is a real insect that they are seeing.

The next thing that fly fishing beginners need to familiarize themselves with is the lure. While it is true that the lure is supposed to mimic insects like flies, but these days, they have become much more specialized. With the evolution of this sport, fly fishing buffs now are going in for lures that mime the exact prey of the fish they set out to catch. Hence, once you learn the basics of casting and using the lure, in order to refine your skill even further, it would be helpful to learn about the specific feeding habits and baits of a variety of species of fish. Read the rest of this entry »

#1- Angelfish
These are triangular shaped fish, which are usually silver in color with black stripes. However, golden, yellow, plain silver and brown colored angel fish are also available. The most beautiful are the:
•Koi Angelfish
•Marble Angelfish
•Gold Pearlscale
•Sunset Blushing Veil Angelfish
These fish can recognize their owner and are known for being intelligent. Costs range from US $10.00 – $80.00, depending on the rarity of the species. The Albino ones are more expensive.

#2- Barbs
Barbs are semi aggressive in nature when left alone, and must always be kept in a group of 6 – 8 fish of the same species. These fish come in a huge variety of colors, are very small, and look very pretty. Here are the popular subspecies:
•Cherry Barb
•Rosy Barb
•Tiger Barb
•Green Tiger Barb
•Hexazon Barb
•Denison Barb
•Gold Barb
•Snakeskin Barb
The Denison barb is by far the most expensive, and can cost up to US $35.00 for each fish. While the rest of the subspecies cost anywhere between US $2.00 – $7.00 only.

#3- Corydoras Catfish Read the rest of this entry »

► Alligator Gars are very slow in growth. Males are ready to breed at 6 years of age and females at 11 years. Not much is known about their breeding and reproductive cycles. The female must release the eggs for them to be fertilized by the male and then the eggs sink and stick to the bottom of a water body. Eggs are bright red in color and are unsafe for human consumption. Eggs must hatch in river floodplains, so that the young are protected from predators.

 
► The silent and deadly analogy seems apt for these aquatic predators. Their mode of attack is lie still and wait, then rush up or ambush their prey, catching them in a sideways grip by lashing their huge heads from side to side. Alligator Gars have been observed, lying dead still on the surface of the water, looking like pieces of driftwood, waiting patiently for a tasty unaware morsel to swim by.

 
► Though their primary prey is fish, they can eat waterfowl and small birds, turtles, small mammals and even scavenge on dead marine animals. Species like blue crabs are favorites of the backwater type of Alligator Gars. Few predators are willing to take on such a big, tough and mean foe. Young ones are relatively easy targets but once they reach maturity, the only enemy for the Alligator Gar is an American alligator.

Perhaps the deadliest enemy of the Alligator Gar is man. In spite of their fearsome size and behavior, there have been no documented attacks of an Alligator Gar on men. But man’s industrial activities, like building dams and dredging have nearly destroyed the natural habitat of these freshwater dwellers. Plus Alligator Gar fishing is a very competitive and popular sport and its flesh is considered a delicacy, so the species population is severely depleted. Alligator Gars can be kept as pets in an aquarium but their large size and eating habits make them difficult to look after. In summation, this aquatic species is a rare and magnificent specimen of nature and should be treated with respect.

There are many leader formulas to be found in the fly-fishing community, and the following is one that was given to me by my friend Mr. Ramón Aranguren, a past Argentinean fly-casting champion. I have used this leader formula over the years, and it has also worked well for many of my fly fishing associates. This leader has a long stiff butt section that will turn over those big bushy dry flies, weighted nymphs, steelhead flies, and will help you to drive a fly into the wind. I call it the 60/40 and here are a couple formula variations of it for different fly-fishing situations.

First, take a piece of notebook paper and draw an 8-inch line. This will be used for writing down your marks and figures for the layout of the 60/40 tapered fly-leader and should be saved for future reference. Starting from left to right at the 5″ point or about 60 %, make a short vertical line that is above and below line. Therefore, everything to the left of this vertical line will be the butt section or 60 percent and everything to the right of the vertical line will be the tippet section or 40 percent of the 8″ line.

Lets say you want to make a 9 ft. leader or 108″: Take 60 % of 108 and you get about 65″, that is how long the butt section will be, so write 65″ above the 8″ line and left of the vertical line on the paper. The butt section will consist of two sections. Take 60 % of 65″ and you get 39″; this is the length of the first butt section, which will be, .019″ diameter leader material. Make a short vertical line below the 8″ line to separate these two sections. The second section is 65 minus 39 or 26″ of, .018″ diameter leader material. Write down these figures under the line on your paper for the 1st and 2nd butt sections.

The tippet section is also broken down into the 60/40 formulas: Subtract 65 from 108 and you get 43″. This is the tippet section; so write 43 above the line on the right side of the vertical mark on your paper; this is 40 % of the line. Now take 60 % of 43 and you get approximately 27″, which is the length of the first section of the tippet section. Mark this with a short vertical line below the 8″ line. The first section will be divided into three 9″ pieces of leader material .015″ diameter, .014″ diameter and .012″ diameter. Write in these figures under the 8″ line for reference. The second section is the tippet, which will be 17″ of .010″ diameter Write these figures under the 8″ line. If needed, you can add extra length to the tippet, or tie on an additional 20″ of a smaller size tippet if so desired.

Hunting is one of the most primitive human activities. There is something like a primordial appeal in the hunting experience. When you learn to hunt, you rediscover the survival instincts which you forget in the civilized world. In times of our caveman ancestors, life was simple. Eat or be eaten. Hunt or be hunted! Hunting is all about getting back in touch with our wild side! So let me give you some hog hunting tips and help you in going for the kill.

Know Thy Quarry
Every hunter must first know his quarry, very well. You need to know the preferred habitat and appearance of wild hogs and you should be able to trail them. Learn to read hog trails through signs like hog wallows and rooting. Accompanying experienced hunters on trips can give you hands on experience and confidence to go on your own. Knowing the anatomy of your quarry and the ‘kill zone’ of the animal is very important. That way when you shoot it, the animal suffers less and gets a quick silent death. Getting the animal with the first shot is also better for your own safety. That brings us to the next important point, which is choice of gun for hog hunting.

Choose a Gun that Carries Power and Speed
The recommended choice of hunting gear by most wild hog hunters is the Winchester 0.243, which is quite a versatile gun when it comes to hunting or a hand gun like 0.44 Magnum. It goes without saying, that you must practice using the gun, before you go in for the real thing. Your shooting skill will distinguish you ultimately, as a good hunter. The ammunition should be such that it should have enough stopping power as well as penetrating power. Hollow tip or hard flat tip bullets are the best choices.

To Track a Hog, Hire a Hound!
Hunting dogs make for great trackers, when it comes to hog hunting. The Mountain Cur, Blackmouth, Catahoula, Dogo and Walker are some of the dog breeds that can be excellent tracker hounds, when it comes to hog hunting. Amateur hunters should take help of trained dogs as they make tracking easier.