If your first taste of meat was a filet of Kobe beef at a high end Japanese steakhouse, there is a good chance that it might impact your opinion of every backyard sirloin for the foreseeable future. The first time I ever saw a trout river, the sheer number and size of the fish was …
I’m not afraid of snakes. What I’m not a fan of is their snaky-ness. Herpetologically speaking, this is the trait that snakes possess that allows them to surprise you. Rarely does one see a snake coming from a long distance off, as you would with a bison or a truck full of rural folk. The …
This winter, anglers across the country are buying tickets and filling venues to attend the International Fly Fishing Film Festival. Short films about arctic char, the Montauk coast, and how the internet is impacting fishing will be viewed by thousands at theaters, fly shops, and the Fly Fishing Show. A case could be made for …
If accumulating fly fishing books is a disease, amassing guidebooks is its most acute symptom. From the ubiquitous Wilderness Adventure Press Flyfisher’s Guide Series to the locally printed spiral-bound booklets available at fly shops, any angler who is drawn to printed works on the sport knows about guidebooks. Even in an age where so much …
Like most teenagers, I had a number of posters up in my room. Along with Michael Jordan soaring towards a slam dunk and the Nirvana smiley-face, I had one from Sage fly rods. In lighting conditions that emulated sepia tones, an angler stood on the banks of a winding river. The water wove through a …
When I was getting close to finishing graduate school, I decided that a custom bamboo rod was an appropriate way to celebrate. There is something inherently “product of the American education system” about spending a lot of money right as all of those student loans kick in. Regardless, I met with a local builder and …
I’ve driven on Maryland’s I-70 countless times over the years. Most of the miles have been on the stretch between Frederick and Hagerstown. I’ve taken a handful of drives further west, either to continue to the extreme end of the state to fish the Savage River and the Youghiogheny, or to take the spur up …
I’ve always maintained that New Year’s resolutions are a little silly. Take a goal that tops the priority list for so many people on a yearly basis: lost weight. Okay, if you know you are in need of shedding a few pounds on December 1st, why consume the Big Mac, chocolate cake, and gallon of …
Yesterday afternoon, I scampered through four inches of New Hampshire snow to my mailbox. Upon seeing the media mail envelope, I knew that the book had come. Back in August, Mike Klimkos, friend and editor of the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide, asked if I could share a few thoughts on the Letort Spring Run. …
Wooly buggers. Egg patterns. Griffith’s gnat. I suppose I could switch it up a little bit and tie something crazy like a wooly worm or a green weenie, but why spread myself thin? I’ve had the materials and a little bit of the knowledge to tie flies for about fifteen years now, but I’ve only …
