A look back on 2024 and Planning for 2025

The addition of the Hobie Itrek 11 dictated a lot of the fishing plans in 2024. I was able to find several good launch points up and down the east coast of Korea. However, my most productive saltwater day was from the beach in Donghae near the Mukho Port. Most of the fishing was done with the spinning rod, and I am gaming how to be successful with the fly rod in the salt in 2025. I discovered that small mahi are plentiful on east coast due to Korea’s rising sea temperature, and that yellowtail amberjack are also prevalent- both should make good targets on fly for 2025.

My bass fishing was mostly focused on Daechangho, a huge reservoir located 2 hours by car from Seoul. April- June were the only months For my fly fishing for bass in 2024; I had great results with smaller foam crease fly patterns and was top water fishing 75 % of the time. I didn’t fish any sinking or sink tip lines this year. Looking back, I wanted to appreciate seeing the eats and follows. That is what fly fishing is about for me. All of my fall fishing was focused on the salt. I was able to catch a good size Spanish mackerel and amberjack from the kayak with a 40g metal jig, but didn’t seriously attempt to chase anything with the fly. The hobie is great for getting out there, but is not fast enough to run down the feeding schools.

I had the pleasure of taking two guests out for their first Korean fish on the trout streams of Gangwondo. It was very fulfilling. I am committed to taking 2-3 guests out in 2025. I was also happy to see that Dongnam stream fished well in 2024 as well as the rivers in the Mitan area. There seems to be an effort to create some fly fishing tourism in Mitan.

I had a bad fall this year while climbing over some rocks on a small stream, and sprained some ligaments in my foot. Had it not been for the beefy G4 boots, I likely would have broken some bones. Please take care while fishing. It healed well (it took longer than expected), but that was enough for me to understand that efforts need to be taken to maintain my level of fitness if I want to keep fishing once I am over the hill (which will be soon!).

I am taking a rest from fishing until the end of November. However, have planned a trip to explore the area around Manila in the Philippines the first week of March. The target species will be similar to what I fished for in Malaysia (peacock bass, barramundi, milk and lady fish, and if I am lucky- my first giant snakehead). After the Philippines there will be a few trips for spring cherry trout in the mountains of Korea, and depending on the weather prespawn bass fishing in April. At the end of April I will be in Colorado getting in some days on the Front Range and down in Aspen. Summer will be spent chasing migrating cherries with a dry and navigating the summer rain. From August to September I will do my best impression of Captain Ahab- weather permitting of course.

Fly fishing has connected me with so many wonderful people and continues to provide fulfillment through continuous learning. I encourage anyone who feels overwhelmed by the continuous pressures of life to spend a day on the water.

I am addicted to fly fishing

This must be a behavioral addiction, and behavioral addictions release chemicals in the body- namely dopamine. I know what I like. I am all about the initial strike. A rise, the indicator going down, a sharp tug. These are all heart stopping moments for me. That must be when I get my dopamine hit. I would say it is a ten second rush, and then I am out there chasing it again. This is about pleasure.

I am a planner, and fishing is always on my mind- constantly checking the weather, tides, and wind. Immediately after I finish a trip- I am looking for possibilities when to get out again. I am hooked. Even during family vacations, I am looking to see if there is water nearby.

Buying another rod or new waders is a must have situation for me. I have become irrational. Kayaks and inflatable boats dominate my mind. This can’t be healthy. I don’t think it has interfered with my work yet. Although I have built my career around being able to fish during the weekdays, and the post corona environment has allowed me to work remotely- which I have taken advantage of during fishing trips.

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The Professional

An older gentleman arrived. There were three people on the jetty at this point, but he went around and greeted everyone. He asked me where I was from and told me a little about his life. He was proud to be retired (currently 70 years old) and gets to fish five days a week. I asked him his name and he didn’t miss a beat, “they call me The Professional, but you can call me Mr. Park”. Great, I just met the self proclaimed mackerel assassin. Mr. Park was incredibly fit; arriving with a framed backpack carrying all his equipment, and nimbly hopping from dolo to dolo sporting the aforementioned pack. He settled in, and all the newcomers stopped by his area to pay their respects.

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Review of the '22 fishing year and prospects for '23

One of my major goals this year was to catch a spanish mackerel on fly. It didn’t happen. I put in a lot of time and even made a dedicated trip to Uljin in November (more on this later). I simply started too late. I should have been concentrating my efforts at the end of August and the beginning of September, when reports of mackerel near Yangyang starting hitting the web. I was enjoying some fall black bass fishing into October, which was nice- but didn’t really produce anything substantial in terms of size. I definitely was on numbers though.

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Saltwater Fly Fishing Korea’s East Coast- What I have learned so far

The tides on the east coast are also much less dramatic. They are still strong, and you should definitely be checking them before you go out, but in my experience the west coast tides and currents are significantly more substantial. The extreme tides of the west coast expose vast mud flats, and I haven’t seen any on the east coast. This makes access much easier. To launch your kayak ( or in my case a pontoon) you just have to walk down the beach. One thing I have learned the hard way ( the coast guard was called) You should not fish near any industrial looking sites. Even if you are giving them a wide berth; you shouldn’t be there. It seems they hire some of the locals to manage these waterways.

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Salt Water Fly Fishing on Korea's West Coast

The next two trips produced fish. For one trip I fished a deep indicator rig with two streamers. I let the drift in the current; trying to cover water. I caught two sea bass and called it a day. I needed to get down deep and wanted a little more action on the retrieve so I cut a 35 foot section out of a type 6 full sink and connected that via loop to loop to my outbound short floating line. If I wanted to get a little more technical I could have connected it to a running line, but for the sake of convenience I took the short cut. The flies I tied were HEAVY with four 4mm tungsten beads tied in “belly scratcher” style. They ride hook point up as to not snag the bottom so often. I caught a nice flounder and rock fish on this rig.

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How I Started Euro Nymphing Under $100

An enjoyable part of fly fishing for me is finding little hacks and tricks to cut cost, modify, and create your own tools. I have repurposed Altoids tins for fly boxes, bent wire a coat hanger into hook remover, and made a stripping basket from dollar store supplies. Fly fishing is an outlet for me to be creative. The European nymphing technique (contact or tightlining) is impossible to ignore for the modern fly angler. It appeared, and is super effective, but (we are being told) it requires a bunch of specialized equipment. Here is how I was able to start under $100.

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