Albacore (COVID Edition)

Images courtesy of Jason Zimmer.

Bait Balls and Baitfish Flies

Bait balls by the jetty... Getting ready with Crease Flies and EZ Candy baitfish imitations.

Peanut Bunker and Silversides Crease Fly

Peanut

Silversides 

Flies for Tunoids

New Saltwater Fly Rod Builds

Latest salty fly rod builds, just completed. More pics here. #vladanmilenkovicflyrods

Gurgler & Floating Line

Tons of small bait around the house, with schoolie stripers going wild.

Beastmaster

Flashback

Sunrise in Winthrop, time to fish... Photographed on this very day, in 2012.

Jiggy Flies

A double purpose fly...nice baitfish pattern for flats fishing, but also a good small tunoid fly. Tied with tungsten beads, size 4 hooks.

Red Tide Sucks (part 2)

The water had slightly better clarity today, but you had to find a certain depth which held fish, to be able to sight-cast. Good amounts of striped bass in a small area, close to deeper water. They refused standard green crab and shrimp flies, but took a small white Shminnow.

Hard to beat a Roku gin martini after a long sight-casting session!

Red Tide Sucks

Flats fishing and coping with the red tide murk and diminished visibility (lots of clouds, very hot and humid weather.) I had to move a lot today to find the cleanest water, trying to change location each time the clouds would pass. Fish are not keying on one single prey, so you need to change flies frequently. Some fish liked crab, and some dab imitation today. No takers on shrimp!

Blitz Action with 5wt

Insane action this evening, all small fish. I used a 5wt today. Landed around 40 and left...it was still going!

Smaller and Feisty

It's been very windy and murky with recent blows. The fish are still plentiful, even though smaller in size lately. Still good fun on a 6wt.

Fly Patterns for Trout and Saltwater

Tied few flies this morning... Caperer CDC Pupae (Halesus sp.) and Crease Slider for striped bass and bonito.

Retro Moment-Mlava River, Serbia

This photo was taken exactly 25 years ago, to a day, on July 1 1995. I was visiting Serbia for a summer, and had one of the best days fishing nymphs and dry flies on Mlava. We set our tent and I rushed to start fishing that afternoon. Only few casts with a PT nymph later, I landed a small trout. My Dad was on the bank at that moment and snapped the photo.

Sunny Day Fishing

I was hoping to hit the flats again, but the water was murky. So I fished near my place instead. It was very bright and water got little cleaner on the rising tide. Landed some decent schoolies today on a bright fly.

Unusual Stripes

Striped bass caught today near my place with unusual broken lines...

Flats Again

This month we had a good stretch of bluebird days. Unfortunately they happened during the East blow, when the water was murky. Days suitable for sight-casting were few and far between this June. This morning there were fewer clouds, so I ran to the flats for a quick morning session...

Fishing Between Rainshowers

The action continues... Sea herring and some squid are around, and so are striped bass.  Best bite today was during the showers, and the rainbow was the bonus!

Few Trout Flies (US and European patterns)

Clockwise from top: Two Ecdyonurus Spinners, Ecdyonurs Incomplete Dun, Ritz D Nymph, and two Chuck Caddis dry flies.

Eric and Stripers Again

Similar foggy conditions like a month ago, but less wild action. Water is still murky from constant winds. We caught some fish, which is good.

Speckled Spey Zonkers

Morning coffee and trout streamer fly tying.

Retro Moment-Resava River, Serbia

Back in 1993...I was a student at Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA), and I went home, to Serbia, for the summer. Great trout fishing in Eastern Serbia: Resava River...beautiful unspoiled river gorge and wild browns! Rabbit foot emergers were the hot flies, due to abundant caddis hatches! Photos were taken on May 23 and June 26, 1993.

Back to the Flats

Slightly Better

Good fishing with slightly better size fish today. This one actually took some line in the current. It took sea herring deceiver with a bunny collar, size 3/0. It could also pass as a tinker imitation. Windy and tough conditions, with some mud.

Striped Bass and Retrograph 6wt Fly Rod

New rod in action... Excellent numbers and feisty fighters, especially on the trout-size tackle.

After cold water fishing, nothing like strong Serbian plum brandy, home made kacamak (polenta), with Serbian feta cheese, ajvar, and Greek yogurt...delicious!

Old Rod Scores Again

Venerable "Pink Panther" 8'6" 8wt still in action, along with an old Bauer reel...More schoolies, hard fighting, great fishing!