Author Archives: ondafly

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About ondafly

I have met some of the most amazing people through fly fishing. Paying forward all the knowledge and lessons I have acquired over my life is worth sharing. I continue to learn something new every day on the water. Fishing makes me happy and sharing it with good like-minded people is what it's all about. Life is short, smile each day, and have fun, hopefully near water.

versa-clamp for your fly tying vise

multi-adaptable vise clamp that allows you to attach your fly tyng vise to any table! photos by Al Q

A multi-adaptable vise clamp called the Versa-Clamp that allows you to attach your fly tyng vise to any table! photos by Al Q

When we were in Las Vegas a few weeks ago tying for Tuffleye at ICast I got to meet to David Wolff president of Wolff Indiana Products. David’s family business specializes in making scissors and has entered the fly tying arena with some neat fly tying vises. He had this wonderfully designed prototype vise clamp, called the Versa-Clamp that he showed us at the show. It blew my mind how simple, easy adaptable and well thought out this clamp was. It really is a game changer for those of us traveling and tying. You always had to bring a heavy base to make sure you could set up your vise. Now you can set your vise on any table thickness by adjusting the jaws that interlock into the vise block. This is very cool! I don’t know when these are going into production but my good friends at Tuffleye, Ashley and her dad Ned managed to get me one and send it to me. I love this as much as my Yeti Cooler, grin! As soon as I find out more about this product I will post it here! Check out Wolff Indiana Fly Fishing products!

 

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fly fish the surf boot camp…

 

Please click image to enlarge!

Please click image to enlarge!

If there are any anglers out there wanting to hone their surf fly fishing skills, me and my buddy, Jim Solomon will be doing a two-day surf boot camp over Labor Day weekend.
Please give the Fisherman’s Spot in Van Nuys a call at 818-785-7306, there are still a few spots open… there is one prerequisite, you need to know how to cast, it is not a beginners class.

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salty & sweet pic of the day…

Popfleye Beach Van owned by Bob Popovics, circa early nineties. Photo by Al Q

Popfleye Beach Van owned by Bob Popovics, circa early nineties. Photo by Al Q

I took this photo on a fall morning in the early nineties. I remember this fall morning well, there wasn’t much happening on the beach that morning. Me and Bob took a nice drive up the beach at Island Beach State Park looking for birds. Bob had one of his newly designed Bigfly Fiber Fleyes in blue and white sitting on the dash, it had to be 15 or 16 inches long. It was to represent a big mullet. It looked like an astro pop on steroids. I asked him, “how the hell do you cast that thing”. He stopped the van, tied it onto a 10 weight rod and threw that thing a country mile, (about eighty feet) into the wind, it floated and dropped softly into foam. The flies bulk shed water beautifully, when he lifted off on the next cast and false casted it, before launching it again. We all know how great and legendary Bob is as a innovative saltwater fly tier, but this was a “holy shit” moment that opened my eyes to how skilled of a fly caster Bob really was. It also made me realize how fly fishing could compete in some instances with conventional gear and especially big plugs in the surf…

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the warren buffet of striped bass fisherman…

One of the many big cow bass landed by Greg Myerson of North Branford, Connecticut. photo by Greg Myerson

One of the many big cow bass landed by Greg Myerson of North Branford, Connecticut. photo by Greg Myerson

Click here for full story!

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salty and sweet…

My buddy, James Dwyer landed a fine sight-caught corbina on Saturday morning, off a 2 foot incoming minus low. Photo courtesy of James Dwyer.

My buddy, James Dwyer landed a fine sight-caught corbina on Saturday morning, off a 2 foot incoming minus low. Photo courtesy of James Dwyer.

Southbay club member, Jim Kuehne lands a pancake halibut on the fly off of 14th street in Manhattan Beach. Photo courtesy of Jim Kuehne.

Southbay club member, Jim Kuehne lands a pancake halibut on the fly off of 14th street in Manhattan Beach. Photo courtesy of Jim Kuehne.

Angler Brett Bowen lands a beautiful permit off of Caye Caulker, Belize on a #6 tan merkin with orange legs and grizzly hackle claws. Photo courtesy of Brett Bowen.

Angler Brett Bowen lands a beautiful permit off of Caye Caulker, Belize on a #6 tan merkin with orange legs and grizzly hackle claws. Photo courtesy of Brett Bowen.

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salty & sweet…

Bob Popovics releases a schoolie bass on the shores of Marthas Vineyard. photo by AL Q

Bob Popovics releases a schoolie bass on the shores of Marthas Vineyard. photo by Al Q

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sisters on the fly…

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Just got an email from Bonnie Anderson of Casting for Recovery. This is a great opportunity to win a fun 1957 Zieman ham trailer and help out some fly sisters go on much needed fly fishing retreat. Casting for Recovery is a great organization that we supported on one of our One Surf Fly events a few seasons ago.  Just sharing the love!

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salty sweet memories…

photo by Jerry Pierce.

photo by Jerry Pierce.

Here is an old shot of a good fly fishing buddy of mine,  Jerry Pierce with a fine Costa Rican sailfish teased up on the fly. Check out the fenwick rod and seamaster reel, that’s old school folks. Jerry has been doing this a while. This old photo has inspired me to post some of YOUR photos  (closet blog followers, you know who you are! grin) with a little caption about your catch. So if you have a fun pic you would like to share, please send it to me at alq@tornadodesign.la with a brief description and I will be happy to post it here for everyone to enjoy. I will also color correct it and send it back to you if you wish? I will be posting these randomly… tight lines.

Here are some of Jerry’s notes about this fish:

Hi Al,

Saw your blog today.  This is the only photo I have left of a fly caught sailfish.  West coast of Costa Rica a long time ago.  Went with Bill Barnes who owned Casa Mar.  Great fun but too easy.  We trolled up the fish with teasers.  They came up in groups, all lit up, and ate the fly right behind the boat.  Used fifteen and twelve pound test leaders with legal shot tippets.  I made the crew cut the motor.  They didn’t think that I could land them without following them but I did.  Nick was good enough to give me some flies that looked like half a chicken tied on a couple of tandem hooks but they worked.  I think the fish would have eaten a banana peel.  They run a long way and jump a lot but poop out after a while.  Good to have memories.

Jerry

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seeing is believing…

the sailfish dance. photos and copyright marc motocchio

the sailfish dance. photos and copyright marc motocchio

sailfish dance. photos and copyright marc motocchio.

striped marlin tease. photos and copyright marc motocchio.

one of the greatest underwater photographers I have discovered over the past few years is marc motocchio from south africa. i love this guys stuff, there i said it! his images tell a story, are very compelling, risking and edgy. check out this article about marc, it paints a good picture of his creative genius….click here!

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a special morning…

I am currently up at Lake Arrowhead on a mini vacation with the family. My mission was to get my little girl, Quinn her first fish. So after breakfast we got rigged up and went out together. The pressure was on! Armed with a small 6 foot rod, a pink disco spinning reel that lights up when you wind it and some night crawlers, we ventured out on the end of the pier. I had never fished here before and decided to drop shot a nightcrawler. On Quinn’s second cast, the tip of the rod began to bounce, daddy helped her set the hook and she reeled in a fat nine inch bluegill. We gave it a kiss and released it to fight another day. Whew, the pressure was off ddady. I showed her how to move around, drop down on the different points off the pier and in between dock slips to find other fish. She surprised me and loved playing with the worms, a girl after my own heart. So after one hour, we ended up landing two bluegills, one crappy and one bass and then it was off to the pool…cool stuff! You know dads going back early tomorrow morning…grin

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