Well, apparently I’m not the only one who wouldn’t get an “A+” in civics. When I typed “is” in Google this morning, it either read my mind or assumed I was looking for the same thing most people were searching. Yes. Presidents Day is a federal holiday. As I often do on such hallowed calendar …
For a year I’ve been contributing to the excellent magazine Dark Skies Fly Fishing. Available digitally or in print, this periodical is the spiritual successor to a publication that Mid Atlantic anglers relied upon for decades. In the February/March issue, I give a quick synopsis of what fly fishing looks like in the Shenandoah National …
One of my favorite things to do at fishing expos is to see fly rods I’ve only seen online or heard about on social media. Every once in a while, a company will even reveal a product in development at these events. Better than wiggling them or getting a sales rep’s elevator speech is actually …
Walking the exhibition hall at The Fly Fishing Show is a great example of the diversity of interests within fly fishing. Saltwater and freshwater, tied flies and materials for tying, established companies and small businesses are all represented. There are also nonprofits, antique dealers, booksellers, and artists. Fly fishing is certainly about catching fish utilizing …
I love my lightweight bamboo fly rods. I truly enjoy fishing with my older, wispy fiberglass fly rods. And one of my favorite graphite fly rods is a decidedly slow action 2-weight. This lines up with a common approach to fly fishing small steams. Since the water is small and the fish are small, many …
It wouldn’t be a bad shirt, once it went through the wash. I found it on an island in the middle of the river. The college featured on the front wasn’t far from the western Massachusetts river I was fishing. I wouldn’t dumpster dive or pick up clothes off the side of the road. But …
“It is definitely a bear.” We stood over the track. Shoulder-to-shoulder, strung fly rods in hand, we blocked the trail as we observed the depressions in the mud. It was most certainly a bear. Or someone had taken their very large and very ill-proportioned dog on a walk in the mountains. “Well, it is also …
Resolved: To leave some fly boxes at home. I know I’ll regret it when the opportunity to throw a mouse pattern on a small mountain stream presents itself. I’m confident that there will be a time when I need Salmon Fly imitations in New England. But resolutions are resolutions so I’ll just suffer. Resolved: To …
In January of 2026, I’ll once again be speaking at the Massachusetts and New Jersey stops of The Fly Fishing Show. And this year I’ll be hosting a one-of-a-kind event on Saturday in Edison. Keep reading to find out what that presentation will be. In less than a month The Fly Fishing Show gets started …
Fly fishers should understand joy as well as anyone. Joy is less about outcomes as it is about opportunity. Or, true anglers celebrate fishing with a similar perspective whether they’re catching fish or not. Dedicated fly fishers just want to be out on the water. Weather, insect hatches, and the bite are merely variables that …
