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Where to Fish with an Airplane?
My younger brother is a pilot. He's been flying for years and has thousands of hours in all types of aircraft.
He recently bought an airplane. Yes, that's right - I said he bought an airplane. I can hardly believe it myself. It's not just any airplane though. It's a modified STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) M-7 Maule with huge wheels, a big wing and weighs next to nothing.
What you ask does this have to do with the Fly Fishing blog on F&S? Come on people!? This isn't an airplane. This is a magic carpet ride to any fishing, anywhere. Seriously. This thing can land and take off within 200ft. That's short, really short. Take a look at this video of him using water to assist his landing on a sand bar in this "unamed" river.
It's got me thinking, where I could possibly fish that would be totally out of the question before for time constraints or sheer physical impossibility. I know it's over the top, but I need some suggestions. If you had this airplane where would you fish? Is it a high mountain lake, a remote barrier island, a stretch of river that's only accessed by a week long hike?
Help me out with some ideas and who knows, we might just take you...
ALASKAAAAAA
Posted by: Evan V | October 27, 2008 at 03:10 PM
No doubt. I'm sure it's endless... Anywhere in particular?
Posted by: tim romano | October 27, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Couldn't agree more.
What is the range of this plane?
Posted by: Blue Ox | October 27, 2008 at 03:24 PM
As an airplane enthusiast I have been trying to reach other people who feel strongly like I do about this. I think that a great way to get us out of this deficit is to put money into alternative ways of shipping cargo and people. I think that these new Zeppelins are a great way to make that happen. Besides the fact that they are pretty nifty they could really help us get carried out of this deficit. http://www.petergreenberg.com/2008/10/27/tired-of-airplanes-
Oh and definitely Alaska if you can stand the cold and the chance of catching nothing.
Posted by: Chad | October 27, 2008 at 03:37 PM
Sorry about that the link is http://www.petergreenberg.com/2008/10/27/tired-of-airplanes-how-about-a-zeppelin/
Posted by: Chad | October 27, 2008 at 03:37 PM
I too have one of those magic carpets. This past summer it took my fly fishing buddies and I to some fantastic places.
Posted by: Mike | October 27, 2008 at 03:42 PM
Blue Ox,
It depends on what's in it. Let me ask my brother and see what he says.
Mike,
where did you go? What kind of plane?
Posted by: tim romano | October 27, 2008 at 03:58 PM
Cant say off the top of my head. Just go everywhere you can till you find "the place". Pick an area and go........
Posted by: JoeG | October 27, 2008 at 04:12 PM
How about some of those rocky beach creek thingies that the salmon run up?
Posted by: Evan V | October 27, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Tim, come to my river for some smallmouth on the fly action.
Posted by: Alex Pernice the fly rod winner | October 27, 2008 at 04:58 PM
Alex,
Where's that? Anything you couldn't walk to. I do love smallies.
Posted by: tim romano | October 27, 2008 at 05:09 PM
The full range of the plane is close to 700 statute miles. It cruises around 135 miles an hour (quicker if you want to burn a ton of fuel). around my neck of the woods (Central texas) I know plenty of places to land, but don't have a clue about fishing. Could use some help here. Also I am somewhat familiar with Colorado, but if you guys have any ideas as far landing/fishing areas go it would be great.
Posted by: Patrick Romano | October 27, 2008 at 07:37 PM
WHOA!!!....Hold on there Younger Romano. This is getting interesting.
Central Texas? I'm in Austin.
Can I hitch a ride? Where are headed?
Posted by: Fly Fish Chick | October 27, 2008 at 07:44 PM
head to the texas coast. i know a lawyer in rockport that flies his Piper Cub to look for schools of redfish on the flats. after he finds them, he lands back home and launches his Maverick HPX and goes fishing!
Posted by: joey | October 27, 2008 at 08:27 PM
ok, realistically, i would say go to the bahamas (without knowing what the laws are or where you could land)...seems like plenty of places you could land (??).
Posted by: joey | October 27, 2008 at 08:32 PM
Tim, you could fly out to the small plane airport by my house and walk to the river, I wade it and pull out some MONSTER smallies.
Posted by: Alex Pernice the fly rod winner | October 27, 2008 at 08:35 PM
yes,
if we could fly to the Bahamas I'm all about it. Patch, let's go.
Posted by: tim romano | October 27, 2008 at 10:06 PM
some steelheadfishing in some remote parts of olympic national park
Posted by: jerry k | October 27, 2008 at 10:31 PM
jerry,
what drainages?
Posted by: tim romano | October 27, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Hoh river, sol duc , calawah , bogochiel are some of the major ones but there are so many creeks, smaller rivers and lakes.
Posted by: jerry k | October 28, 2008 at 12:17 AM
i am in austin as well. I don't usually have a specific destination in mind. I just like to land in challenging spots which around here takes me to the rivers/lakes. Hence my brother's interest
Posted by: patrick romano | October 28, 2008 at 06:56 AM
I've chartered an identical airplane in Western Alaska to get dropped off in - I'm not exaggerating - some of the most scenic and productive fishing grounds in North America.
Posted by: Woodstock | October 28, 2008 at 01:04 PM
Tofino BC - out on Vancouver Island. We went out there in 2000 and it was a great vacation. We were not fly fishing at the time, but I would love to go back out there again just to fish. There's a small airstrip in Tofino....we landed there in some pretty nasty weather. It was interesting to say the least!
Posted by: Alabama flygirl | October 28, 2008 at 07:41 PM
Patch, I think you oughta take Fly Fish Chick for a quick drop-'n-fish, somewhere "Deep-in-the-heart-a..." Provided we get some kind of exclusive on the report... with a couple photos... (cross-blog permission, of course, included)... your tightwad brother might even pop for some gas. You in, Chick?
Posted by: KD | October 28, 2008 at 11:37 PM
Hidden lakes in the gallatin mountains is a chain of eight public ponds in the middle of nowwhere montana that doesnt get a lot of traffic. full of huge double digit rainbows and browns. took me a good while to track down from a article in FlyFisherman. check it out.
Ps. not to terribly far from colorado
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?name=Hidden+Lakes&city=Gallatin+Gateway&state=MT&country=US&latitude=45.269374&longitude=-111.16745&geocode=ADDRESS&id=14490053#a/maps/l:Hidden+Lakes::Gallatin+Gateway:MT::US:45.269374:-111.16745:address:/m:hyb:11:45.284572:-111.137107:0:::::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e
Posted by: jerry k | October 28, 2008 at 11:46 PM