A report from SteveL
My wife and I spent the last week up in Seattle and Las Vegas. We ate our way through both cities and saw some outstanding shows (see Steve's picks below).
I did a little gambling and came out ahead (I got lucky) and spent my winnings at BassPro rather than leaving it at the casino. I talked with BassPro fishing manager "Stan" who is originally from California but retired in Las Vegas.He apparently got bored with retirement and went to work for BassPro.
Stan devotes a lot of his spare time fishing the local lakes for bass.He recommended certain brands and colors of plastic baits to use and even showed me how he rigs tube lures to get the right kind of action. I had planned to fish in Vegas but super strong northern winds and 40-50 degree weather basically shut down all outdoor activities.
Despite all the fun and food I was glad to finally leave the cold wind and smoky casinos. We landed in Hawaii on Thursday night and I was out fishing early the next morning. I just couldn't wait to get my feet wet again.
The weather was calm and very little breeze blowing. I had expected to see more fishermen out - but it was Friday after all. I stalked at least a dozen bonefish within 20 yards of the shoreline, but they were all as spooky as usual and I couldn't entice one to look at a fly. So I headed to the point to blind cast.
I fished the grounds in 100 yard swaths - working my way up wind after each cast, stepping forward about 30 feet then worked my way down wind using the same technique. I ended up hooking into four Oio - three were in the 4-5 pound range and one under 2 pounds. Just another good day on the flats.
EQUIPMENT: I was using my fast Albright XX 7-weight rod overlined with a 9-weight fly line and a heavy leader (50-40-30 pound) and tippet.
Places to eat in Seattle:
Wild Ginger: Spicy Manila clams with Thai roasted chili paste and basil and Dungeness Crab cooked Singapore style with ginger, garlic, chili, black bean and tomato sauce
Piroshky Piroshky: a Russian bakery in Pike Place Market for truly fresh baked pastries and as you peruse through the other food places try the seafood bisque and the pomegranates.
Places to eat in Las Vegas:
Sen of Japan: The Shin's Special Plate and the grilled fish collars were excellent fare
Dal Toro in the Palazzo Hotel: Great thin crust pizza with fresh mozzarella, Parma prosciutto, arugula, mushrooms, shaved parmesan and white truffle oil which went well with tall glasses of Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen.
Great Vegas shows:
Phantom of the Opera
Circ du Soleil "Ka" and "O"