I’m not an expert fly tyer. …so why listen to 20 minutes of what I have to say on the subject? While I’m not an expert, I am proficient enough to tie what I need. But I’ve taken the circuitous route to get to this point. I’ve started and stopped. I’ve used the wrong materials …
Never judge a book buy its cover. Unless that book is a fly fisher and that cover happens to have a ventilated back cape. In that case, judge away. Because the only reasonable judgement that you could come to is this: that person knows how how to freaking fish. Anyone who is anyone knows that …
When was the last time you just casted? Golfers go to the driving range. Not just professionals, either. Once-a-month golfers might stop by the range a few times to hit a bucket of balls. Swing after swing, you can deliberately work out kinks in your technique. It is practice, but it is also fun. Fly …
Big flies catch some of the big fish, some of the time. But small flies catch most of the fish, most of the time. And you can’t get much smaller than midges. In this episode I give a brief primer on one specific facet of midge fishing: using dry flies sized 20 and smaller. Getting …
More often than not, the trout sipping midges in the winter are not going to take you into your backing. But these fish offer a great change of pace from normal cold weather techniques. Instead of bouncing nymphs along the bottoms of the deepest holes in the river and methodically targeting every hole in the …
Getting rid of the Coca-Cola vending machine was a terrible decision for the fly shop. I can’t say I ever bought a soda there. But I know that I wasn’t the only one who would swing into the parking lot to look at the thing. I could pull right up, roll down my window, and …
Every January I spend a few weekends at The Fly Fishing Show. There is some great networking, dangerous shopping, and top-shelf people watching. Above all, it is good to see people I might only talk face-to-face with a few times a year. But this episode isn’t a review of the show or a run down …
It is okay to get excited about the little things in life. A good parking spot. An onion ring mixed in with your french fries. A nice sunset on your evening commute. Inconsequential, yes. But no one is going to fault you for smiling about it. If all that holds true, then it is absolutely …
May it never be said that trout are the only species that demand fly fishing nuance. Whether it be due to location or preference, some anglers routinely pursue species like bass. Additionally, the waters they frequent aren’t the typical wide smallmouth rivers or vast largemouth lakes. Our nation is covered with small steams that contain …
That tiny, compartmentalized plastic cup. You probably had one in your tackle box when you were a kid. You need to have one in your fly fishing vest today. Because if you’re not using weight, you’re not fly fishing right. But split shot is just the tip of the weight-option iceberg. Weighted flies, poly leaders, …
