The International Game and Fish Association is still awaiting additional information before making a decision on the possible world record largemouth bass caught by Manabu Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan, on July 2.

The 22-pound, 4-ounce bass, a catch that has been surrounded by controversy, was pulled from Lake Biwa -- an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto.

IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said Friday in a statement that the World All-Tackle application is still under review after it was received in mid-September through the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA).

Photos and video were also submitted with Kurita's written documentation.

"We've been corresponding with the angler via our sister organization, the JGFA," said Schratwieser.

If approved Kurita's fish would tie the current record -- George Perry's 77-year-old record of 22 pounds, 4 ounces, caught on Georgia's Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, near Jacksonville, Georgia.

According to the IFGA, any record under 25 pounds needs to be beat by 2 ounces to be considered a new world record, so this one would just miss the outright record.

For the record, Kurita caught his with live bait (Japan's version of the bluegill), a Deps rod, Shimano Antares reel and 25-pound Toray fluorocarbon line.

So what's the biggest largemouth bass caught on a fly?

Well, according to the IGFA, that's the 14-pound, 8-ounce largemouth Larry Kurosaki landed at Castaic Lagoon in California on 12-pound tippet in Feb. 24, 2007. See the rest of the world-record largemouth bass catches on our records and regulations page.

The latest issue of Fly Fisherman magazine (Jan./Feb.) just hit the stands and it includes a Forum piece from me about President Obama's fly fishing trip on the East Gallatin River earlier this year.

I've never been lucky enough to fish with the president, but I was fortunate enough to land a nice brown on my only trip to the East Gallatin in 2003 (so I've got that over the prez).

Obama went fly fishing Aug. 14 with longtime Montana guide Dan Vermillion, and, although he didn't land any fish, he hooked up with a few and enjoyed every single cast on the East Gallatin.

No reporters or media photographers were allowed on the trip, so all we have are the guide's recollections along with a few of these Whitehouse-issued photos -- all of which shows this was no political stunt, and that Obama was truly fishing for his own enjoyment.

"He decided to go fly fishing to satisfy his own interest in the sport," Vermillion told Fly Fisherman magazine. "He did not go fly-fishing to gain some sort of political advantage. ... It leads me to believe that he will fly fish again."

You can read the rest of the story in the Jan./Feb. issue of Fly Fisherman magazine.

Thanks to FF's editors for doing such a great job with the piece and for mentioning About.com.

Local fishing guide Dan Vermillion reacts as President Barack Obama fly fishes on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Mont. Official White House photo by Pete Souza.

Cloudveil's soft shell jackets have been popular in the ski world for a long time.

Now, thanks to soft shells like the Cloudveil Hellroaring Jacket, they're making a name with their fly fishing apparel as well.

Cloudveil's Hellroaring Jacket, which retails for $200, is the perfect shoft shell for all-day fly fishing, whether you're trying to keep the dew off in the morning, boat spray and wind off in the afternoon, or remain warm once the sun goes down in the evening. READ FULL REVIEW

Cloudveil Hellroaring Jacket Courtesy Cloudveil

So Christmas is just over two weeks away and you still don't know what to get for your favorite fly fisherman or woman, do you?

I know, searching for that perfect gift for the avid angler can be a challenge, especially if you're a rookie when it comes to the outdoors.

For those who aren't exactly fly-fishing aficionados, here's our holiday gift buyer's guide for those shoppers who know very little about fly fishing.

Even Santa himself would love to get any one of these five gifts!

Santa, who looks a lot like the guide who runs this site, gets in some time on the water before his big day. Photo by Joe Johnston.