Freshwater. Saltwater. Fly tying. Lifestyle. For decades, I have bought plenty of items from every one of those sections in fly fishing catalogs. In recent years, shooting and paddle sports have been added to the mix. Browsing the aisles of an outdoor store or scrolling through an online retailer, I could easily find something anywhere …
I am all for the safe handling of fish; especially trout. But I’ve seen plenty of things in my decades of being outdoors to dispel any assertions that trout are delicate organisms living their lives in constant threat of mortal peril. You can kill a fish if you’re careless. They’re also a lot more robust …
For most anglers, fly fishing means being alone together. It is an oxymoron. But it is certainly something that anyone who fishes understands. Fly fishing is all about solitude, but it is a solitude that we often love to share with others. Why does this matter? Because relationships matter. People matter a whole lot more …
The small college I attended in South Carolina was situated on a significant piece of land in the state’s Piedmont region. There were rolling sand hills covered in pine trees, and sharp bluffs overlooking a broad river. We also had two ponds. Each held significant populations of the premier fish of the American south: the …
Every year I attend at least one stop on The Fly Fishing Show’s east coast schedule. Along with catching up with fly fishing friends and browsing the exhibitors’ booths, I made time for the various kinds of scheduled programs. This year I watched a casting demonstration focused on dry fly presentation. I attended seminars explaining …
Mount Rainier is an iconic aspect of any skyline shot of Washington State, perhaps only rivalled by Seattle’s Space Needle. At over fourteen thousand feet this active volcano towers over the surrounding wilderness. With its top covered by glacial ice and its bottom blanketed by thick coniferous forests, Rainier has been impressing people as long …
My four boys are 10 and under. Since they are boys, and since they are my boys, they are interested in the outdoors. There is an intrinsic desire to see what is over the next hill, under the big log, or beneath the surface of the water. With great vigor they investigate each one as …
For nearly 15 years, Idaho Fish and Game has encouraged anglers to kill trout. Ads have been placed. Limits have been eliminated. And, most interesting, cash prizes have been offered. All so that rainbow trout can be killed as efficiently as possible in the South Fork Snake River. Of course, the reason behind the initiative …
The wind and the snow/rain weren’t ideal, but it was the last day of the season. The birds hadn’t been behaving in any sort of discernable pattern, but it was the last day of the season. None of us had a whole lot of optimism, but it was the last day of the season. It …
Mole and Rat are most well known for their interactions with the capricious Mr. Toad. His automobile-related hijinks keep his rodent friends busy, and beset them with stresses and obligations of no fault of their own. Indeed, Mr. Toad is perhaps the most entertaining character in Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. However, there …
