Slow catches fish. Fast is glamorous. Fast is easy. Fast doesn’t require as much nuance or patience. Fast catches fish as well, but fast is like the sports highlight: it happened and it was memorable. However the majority of the game was much more reasonably paced. For every strike that follows a wake-inducing, double-fisted retrieve, …
I’ve written a lot about fly fishing with kids over the years. However, this is my first podcast on the topic. In just under 20 minutes, I go over three ideas that will probably be helpful as you fish with your own children or the kids in your life. I’m not an expert, but I …
“Hi Matthew. Ashleigh gave me your number. I’m not a fly fisherman, but I’m interested in getting into it. Anyways, we’re thinking about offering a class and wondered if you would have any interest in teaching it. Think about it and give me a call back.” It was hardly a big break. However, after trying …
Upon zippered waders for the first time, I’m sure that I’m not the only person who had the following thought: “Are these just to make going to the bathroom easier?” I had other thoughts that accompanied this mature observation. First of all, premium waders come with a premium price tag. Any upgrade adds to that …
This week’s episode is a hodge-podge of topics in and around fly fishing. I talk about choosing between two rod weights, which bug sprays you shouldn’t use while fly fishing, and how we should think about conservation in light of COVID. The only thing that ties any of these things together is that they’ve been …
I think that you should find the best fly box that you possibly can. Why? First, the difference between any random fly box and the best fly box is probably less than $20. That seems like a pretty reasonable cost for convenience. Second, fit and organization matter. If a box is always falling out of …
In those days it was the fastest, unhealthiest, loudest way out of suburbia. McDonald’s double cheeseburgers and the biggest Gatorade money could buy. Gas station cigars and The Allman Brothers or The Scorpions or The Police at 9 miles over the speed limit on winding state highways. The same jokes about the same road signs, …
Fly fishing for trout with a mouse fly is a really exciting way to revisit your favorite water. It also may very well yield some of the biggest fish… fish you didn’t even know swam in your well-known holes. Using mice is also a pretty straightforward and easy way to fish. Cast, retrieve, repeat. Hear …
These fish are more than substitutes or fall-backs. Yes, time on the pond will give you a chance to improve your casting. You will have other fishing opportunities in the warmest months when it would otherwise be unwise to pursue trout. You will learn new things about fishing streamers and topwater patterns that you can …
For those who fly fish, enjoyment comes from the little things. That is very true in the existential and metaphorical senses. For me, and for a lot of you, it is also applicable when it comes to literal little things. In the following three articles, I explore fly fishing items that fit in the palm …
