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Author: Matthew

Learning Under Rocks

Cast after cast; nothing. I added weight, I took weight off. I lengthened my leader, I brought the fly closer to the indicator. I tried just about everything. Everything, except tying on a small cream-yellow caddis nymph. Probing some familiar water in the early spring, a hare’s ear nymph was a pretty safe choice. Fishing …

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The Mayfly Project Mentor Interview: Heather Sees

“There was one 17 year-old boy. When we got there, he was  off to the side and disinterested. The staff said that if he liked going out and going fly fishing, they’ll all follow.” Heather laughed, “and right then I made it my personal mission to get him on board!” Heather Sees currently serves as …

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Podcast Ep. 76: Why You Should Fish at Home

I’m try not to be judgmental. However, if you long to get out on the water and ignore the ponds in your backyard you’re doing it wrong. Across the country there are farm ponds, ponds in parks, and neighborhood retention ponds filled to the brim with fish. They might not be trout. But who cares? …

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Fast Flies: 3 Uses for Colored UV Resin

UV resins are a lot of fun to use. Expert fly tyers and beginners alike can open up a bottle and do amazing things with these quick-curing liquids. Certainly they excel as an alternative to traditional head cement. You can build up bodies with the thicker resins, and use thinner iterations for creating rock-solid  thread …

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The Mayfly Project Mentor Interview: Greg Lunsford

Greg repeated my question, before answering quickly and firmly. “Why fly fishing? I think that just learning to cast, there is satisfaction from that. Before they even catch a fish there is accomplishment. And that makes it special for these kids.” The kids that Greg Lunsford was referring to are the children who participate in …

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Podcast Ep. 75: 3 Angles of Short Fly Rods

In my experience, short fly rods are perceived as “small rods for small water.” While there is truth in that, a sub-7′ rod does a lot more than just measure a few feet less than your normal fly rod. This episode, I share three things that I think anyone using a short fly rod should …

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Ed Shenk, 1927-2020

It was absolutely a leading question, because I wanted one. He had made dozens over the years. I had plenty of chances to buy them in the past. I had never pulled the trigger, but now I was ready. So I asked if he had any of the little fiberglass rods available. “Oh no,” he …

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This is My Favorite Spot

This is my favorite spot. It is my go-to, my sure-fire. I don’t believe in luck, but a man who does would call it his lucky spot. The fish I catch there with consistency reinforce this designation. I do pretty well. But having a favorite spot is more than catching big/lots of fish. When you …

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Podcast Ep. 74: CoronaCast, Week 4

Depending on how you look at things, a lot is happening… or not a lot is happening. Still, I have a few things to share. I got an interesting email from a handful of entities within the fly fishing industry that I wanted to talk about. Also, I have a tip on how to pack …

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Wading Means Moving: Redington Benchmark Boots

Wading is simple… in theory. You stay upright and you stay dry. Don’t go too deep and don’t go in fast water. In warm weather you wear sandals or lightweight shoes. The rest of the year you wear waders and boots. As with everything else in fly fishing, wading footwear has been designed, redesigned, and …

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