If you fly fished on Christmas Island in the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s, there's a good chance you've heard the name "Moana". Moana is considered the patriarch of Christmas Island guides. Though he passed away in 2016, Moana has never been forgotten by those fortunate enough to have fished with him. We return to Christmas Island (CXI) to try to uncover Moana's memory and attempt to solve a 15-year-old mystery that we left behind.

The February Room is Brought to you By:

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https://www.goriocraft.com/

https://gotfishing.com/

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Over the last 5 seasons, some amazing yarns have been spun in The February Room! We've decided to "Retie" a few of our favorites from the archives. During the Great Pandemic, Lauren enjoyed cutting it up with iconic fishing photographer Brian O'Keefe. Before O'Keefe became a household name throughout the world of adventure angling, he was a fishing guide on Oregon's Deschutes River. Brian's recount of his Guide Day from Hell was too good only to be heard once.

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Columbus, Hillary, Magellan...Goodhart. Though the latter may not appear in textbooks, when it comes to exploratory fly fishing, he is every bit the risk-taker as the other names on the list. Hammer (and rod) in hand, Dave Goodhart helped construct the first outposts on the legendary Ponoi in Russia, the taimen rivers in Mongolia, and the steelhead and trout streams of Kamchatka. Throughout his long guiding career, including 20+ years in Alaska, he cheated death on numerous occasions and thankfully for us, lived to tell the tales!

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The hour was late in a one-star motel room in Idaho. Huddled around a wobbly table, the three of us stared into our half-empty beers. Our buddy Mike G., who had spent many years guiding and boating the wild rivers of the American Southwest, was prompted to share...“have you guys ever heard the legend of La Llorona”? This is one of the most terrifying ghost stories we have ever heard on our fly fishing podcast. Listeners beware.

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Brian Oakland had been battling a brutish permit for over an hour. Each time he managed to get the leader within an arm's reach of the guide, the fish turned away, peeling the gained line back out of the reel. At a sweltering stalemate in Ascension Bay, the deckhand seized the opportunity to catch some Z's. As the founder of Got Fishing, Oakland has led adventures across the globe and shares his insight into the competitive world of hosted travel.

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Lauren and Ashley arrived in the Florida Keys with little expectations and a boat-load of pent up angst. This was to be their first ever attempt at tarpon-on-the-fly. They had been warned of the challenges of pursuing the Silver King and few of their friends gave them much of a chance of actually landing on a tarpon on their initial foray. However, they had an ace-in-the-hole; A dedicated guide with the knowledge and patience to introduce beginners into the world of tarpon fly fishing. His name is Zach Stells.

SHOW NOTES:

@captzachstells

305-986-3211

WWW.CAPTZACHSTELLS.COM

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Throughout a lifetime spent in the fly fishing industry, Pete Vandergrift of Cheeky Fishing has adopted a set of rules to qualify the value of fishing memories. The parameters are pretty simple: go outside your comfort zone, overcome obstacles...and save the big one for your Dad! It's not always the biggest, baddest catch (though those don't hurt) that land a fish into his personal Top 5 Fishing Memories.

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If there is a "Cult of the Outdoors" in Western Montana, then John Perry is one of the ring leaders. The longtime guide, outfitter, lodge operator and fly creator is responsible for a generation of young, educated Missoulians pursuing river-life. Because, John knows how to make the most of the river miles. Perry's clients become kids again and excerpts from his riverfront camps seem like fantasy...but most of it is true!

https://www.johnperryflyfishing.com/

https://clarkforkriverlodgemt.com/

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We're back! Has it only been a year since our mysterious absence? The rumors have abounded that we were kidnapped by bottom trawlers or became a pickleball power couple, but truth is, we've just been busy with life...and a little fishing. While Lauren was working and holding down the fort, Justin used the respite to search for an Oregon dinosaur.

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To WATCH the whole story unfold, head to our YouTube Channel, @thefebruaryroom and enjoy our adventures with Mark Wackler of AK Fishology.

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