check out this really cool article from co.design about our ocean currents from nasa’s scientific visualization studio! make sure you watch the video animation…enjoy!
Author Archives: ondafly
we will miss you zack!
Zack Solomon just passed away a few hours ago at the tender age of twenty seven from cancer. His dad, Jim Solomon is a very good friend and fishing companion of mine. My prayers and love go out the Solomon family in this extremely difficult time. I am so happy I took this picture last August cause this is the way I will always remember Zack, with his wetsuit, fly rod in hand and a great big smile. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE: Services will be on Monday, April 9th at First United Methodist. Church, 1008 11th Street, Santa Monica, California at 7:00pm. There will be a paddle out memorial off Manhattan Beach pier this Saturday at 10am.
a beautiful surfers circle tribute to Zack last Saturday at Manhattan Beach pier which will now be known as "zack's alley" photo by Al Q
can you feel the excitement?
check the OSF5 site for more info on tee shirts and the raffle updates.
Categories: Uncategorized
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popfleye foils
©2012 photo by bob popovics
© 2012 photo by bob popovics
My good buddy Bob Popovics has come up with a new way to create a realistic surf candy. It’s called Fleye Foils and they will initially come in three different styles, a bay anchovy, a silverside, and a sand eel. No one knows baits as well as Mr. Popovics and there will be more baits added to his line in the near future. The foils apply to each side of the fly with a tab and are fixed in place by using epoxy or tuffleye to cover the fly. They have eyes, a lateral line and are are iridescent just like the real baits appear in nature. The surf candy was originally developed by Bob to be a bomb-proof, durable bait for toothy species like large bluefish. Bob has always been a great friend and mentor for me and I am very fortunate and honored to be able to help Bob with some of the new illustrations that will appear on his new packaging. I will post them as soon as we get an approval on the illustrations. I am very excited about these new foils and can’t wait start tying with them.
© 2012 copyright Bob Popovics.
This is the new logo I just created for Bob’s new Fleye Foil venture. This one has the bay anchovy represented. I did a sand eel and silverside (spearing) bait as well…
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: bay anchovy, bob popovics, fleye foils, flies, saltwater flies, surf candy
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diy stripping basket – second rounds a charm
well when you don’t succeed the first time, you must try and try again. that’s half the fun. after the feedback I got from my buddy testing the first version, i went back to the drawing board. the positives were the size of the basket was good, adjustable flat bungee worked good, depth of the basket was good, spikes were a little too tall and the grooves on the hex bolts impeded the shooting line by causing too much tension. so, went looking for an alternative that would be slick and sturdy, and by luck found some cheap plastic paint brushes for applying rod wrapping epoxy. they were inexpensive, slick, the perfect diameter and tapered. I just measured them out to a little over 4 inches tall and hack sawed them. then i drilled a thin hole on the underside and found picture hanger loop screws that were thin enough to screw into the bottom of the bucket and through the plastic brush. I bought some plastic epoxy for adhering the hooks into the bottom of the bucket. now I have sturdy plastic spikes that should do the trick. back in the game with a bad ass stripping basket for under $20.
PS: the first version isn’t going to waste. i found hex bolts that had partial threads that i hacked saw off so they are smooth as a babies butt and shouldn’t slow down the running line from shooting out. I will epoxy these into the version one and they should work just fine.
the reel baja identity
© 2012 copyright jeff debrown
This is my latest fly fishing logo that I just completed for friend and guide, Jeff deBrown of The Reel Baja fly fishing outfitters. We wanted to create a mark that was simple and clean. I always believe less is more when creating an identity. We chose the rooster fish simply because it is, in my opinion the poster child for a trophy catch on fly, especially from the surf, which separates the men from the boys. If feel the need to meet a rooster fish face to face give Mr, deBrown a ring. www.thereelbaja.com
dyi stripping basket – work in progress
here is a little diy project for anyone wanting to make a simple stripping basket for under $20. i found this cool woven plastic basket (31.5″ long, 11″ wide, 8″ deep) at target last weekend. they came in red or black and cost $9.99 each. The fact that the plastic was woven on the sides, eliminated me wanting to put holes in the bottom for drainage, although you can if you like! I prefer stripping baskets to be on the deep end, often times dish pan baskets tend to be shallow and your line will blow out on a windy day. then i took a trip to my local hardware store and purchased 5 – 1/4″ , 4.5″ hex bolts, washers and nuts ($3.20). i drilled five holes through the bottom of the basket and attached each hex bolt with two washers and a nut. the stiffness of these sturdy spikes will really keep your line in place when you move up and down the beach. these stiff spikes eliminate overlaps and shifting causing less tangles when you shoot line. the last component i found was an adjustable wide bungee strap – two pack for $6.49, cost for one ($3.25) the total material cost for this project was $16.44 for a bad ass basket!
NOTES: Just got some R&D on this basket from a good friend who fished it the other day. the size was perfect, light weight. the spike threads are causing some friction problems when shooting line, which we need to address. We are dropping the size of the bolts/spikes to 4″ instead of 4.5 This is obvious but one should note: when you clip the bungee cord it is important to clip from the inside out so your line don’t catch on the bungee hooks. The best solution to the threads may be plastic spikes (no friction) that can be threaded so you can use a washer and nut system to secure in place. I still will try to find a solution to the hex bolt system which is a simple build. Suggestions are welcomed…more to come! It’s almost there…
-Al Q
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: bungee cord. surf fly fish, home-made stripping basket, stripping basket
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a fisherman’s view
© illustration by Tim Gunther
” I have been drawn to the outdoors for as long as I can remember. The complex beauty of the natural world continues to amaze and inspire me.” –Tim Gunther
Check out some more of Tim’s work on his website! Click Here!
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: barred surf perch, california surf, fly fishing, perch, surf fly, surf fly fish
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yucatan booty for the paradise boyz
Qs nacho crab and squimp. photo by Al Q
victory at sea…
I am exaggerating when I say this,the video below reminded me of the first time I ever went on a party boat fishing. It was March in New York and I was itching to go fishing, so I decided to rally up the boys for a nice fishing trip out of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. We were all around twelve or thirteen at the time and Sheepshead Bay was a ten minute bus ride from the neighborhood. It was blackfish, ling and whiting season. I grabbed the Daily News, which listed all the party boats in the bay. Back then, there was a page full of party boats to choose from. Of course, I chose Captain Sparky’s Atomic, a round hulled boat that rolled like a cork. The bay was calm and beautiful but once we passed the jetty and we were in open water, the Atomic started to rock n roll. We immediately watched a wave clear the deck and wash a bushel of clams clear overboard. This was going to be an adventure. We were all sitting in a line on the wooden bench that ran the length of the boat bundled up in our winter parkas. The first to fall was Frankie. He was sitting in the first position and started turning green. We asked him if he was ok. He lifted his head, looked at us and projectile barfed, which the wind conveniently blew down the line. Hence the seasickness succumbed all of us as we retreated into the cabin. Lying on the floor of the cabin like logs of wood, we looked up through the window, only to see sky, water, sky then water. I truly thought I was going to die. Like a bad movie, I remember an old black fisherman laughing out loud, drinking bourbon out of his flask and singing, “Ain’t no women like the one I got”. Captain Sparky eventually felt pity and turned the Atomic around when he realized there were only two people able to stay on the rail and fish. It was the first and only time I ever got that sea sick, but I will never forget it. This footage of the Bering Sea is awesome and reminded me of that winter day on the Atlantic! It was obviously not as bad, but as a kid you always remember it to be! Hope you enjoy this footage and turn up the volume!
flies, sand & surf 