For the last 24 hours, I’ve enjoyed some very aggressive bass and panfish. And while I have no reservations using streamers, I’m more than happy to toss topwater flies if they’re what is on the menu. Today I share some topwater fly tactics for warmwater fish. I discuss some of my preferred approaches to gear, …
There are plenty of “how-to” fly fishing books out there for beginners. Nearly all of them are informative. Many of them are a bit dry, which isn’t a surprise given the fact that they are essentially textbooks. Michael Klimkos’ Introduction to Fly Fishing is hardly tedious. It is written in an engaging style, lending itself …
At the time of writing, I have no plans to fish in Pennsylvania in June. However, I’ll be in and around some of my favorite trout water for a handful of days. And, as the second leg of my road trip does include fishing, I’ll have a few fly rods in my car. So you …
I am not an expert in swinging flies in the most orthodox sense of the concept. In fact, I’ve never made any kind of presentation to steelhead in the Pacific Northwest or Atlantic salmon. However, I have swung wet flies in ways that might not draw the ire of purists. But none of that is …
It isn’t a theological work or even really a devotional, but Harry Murray’s His Blessings Through Angling is a great example of the intersection of faith and fly fishing. Murray isn’t preachy (although I don’t have a problem with folks who are). Rather, he shares examples of how He has seen providence at work in …
My kids get excited about southern panfish. They talk about the brook trout and the largemouth bass, but it is the sunfish, bluegill, and pumpkinseed that they look forward to when we get close to our annual summer trip to Virginia. We have plenty of panfish in New England. They are as willing to eat …
Perhaps this is a little pedantic, but it is worth saying: You don’t need to wade to fly fish. What do I mean? Well, I think a lot of anglers wade too much. We get in the water where we don’t need to. We move too close to where the fish are. We disturb things …
Fly rods are like opinions. Everyone has a bunch and they all serve a purpose. …or something like that. When it comes to picking a fly rod for small stream fishing, you really can’t go wrong. If you a) have it and b) enjoy using it, then you’re all set. There isn’t any need to …
No one has ever seen a body builder and thought, “I bet he’d make an excellent angler.” Similarly, there is no inherent association between the physique of marathon runners and fly casting ability. Why is that? Because while there is absolutely nothing wrong with being in shape, athletic prowess and fly fishing success only share …
Last week I did my darndest to debunk three big lies about fly fishing that keep people away from this wonderful pursuit. Today I’m coming at it from another angle. In this episode, I’m addressing three misconceptions about fly fishing that get people into the sport. Thankfully each of these three items have good news/bad …
