Some fish are hard to catch because they are spooky. Others are just too far away. Others still have a chronic case of lockjaw. Then, there are fish that are perfectly willing to see and take your fly… you just can’t get to them. Because they’re under things. Rocks. Logs. Culverts. Rhododendron tunnels. If there …
This was probably my last New England brook trout of the season. The conditions were right on an unseasonably fall weekend and I got out after them. The water was warm and the fish were willing to play ball. I caught almost every one out of deep, slow water. I avoided riffles and runs – …
Two years ago I wrote an article on one of my favorite ways to experience nature and fly fishing: trail running. Along with the exercise and the challenge, it gets me deeper into unfished and wild places quickly. That post generated a lot of interest, and there is a link below. Running into the woods …
New journeys always feel longest. Longer on foot, in the sand. Dunes and grey cedar shakes all look the same. Hightide removes all footprints and tire tracks and traces of everything. Night adds to the length and the blending and the feeling of almost being lost. Even on a fifty foot wide beach. Even on …
Against all odds, football is back. In many of the high-profile venues across the nation, Saturdays and Sundays will feature at least 100 people in attendance. More pertinent, hundreds of thousands will be firmly planted upon couch and recliner. Not every fly fisher is a die hard football fanatic. Not every fly fisher is even …
This month on Trout & Feather, I’ve contributed an article titled Learn from Your Ancient Angling Ancestors. It focuses on one of the most valuable tips I can give new and experienced fly fishers. It has to do with how you approach the river… before you even approach the river. A thousand years ago, without …
As unpredictable and difficult as 2020 has been, some organizations can’t afford to slow down. Conservation goups that support fisheries and wild places have kept at it the whole time. More importantly, fly fishing programs which support people have increased their efforts to come alongside those who need help the most. The Mayfly Project, an …
Don’t be a hero. The fish aren’t going to be impressed that you waded into the surf with a 6-weight. No trout is going to eat your articulated streamer with more ferocity because you chucked it using a 3-weight. Plus any fish you’ll be catching with either of these approaches is going to put up …
This past episode of the Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast has seen a great response in the first weekend after release. In it, I discuss what I write about below. For a link to the episode, scroll to the bottom of this article. There is something idyllic about standing in a river, casting a dry …
You’re not going to catch a fish here. I said it out loud. There were dozens of people on the beach behind me, but the sound of the waves on the rocks drowned out my voice. You’ve only got a little time to fish, so why aren’t you going where you know there’s fish? Again, …
