Five years ago I switched reels on a 6-weight rod. The large arbor reel that had been paired with the rod was it’s mate for going on 15 years. I acquired a new reel, and made the decision to use it primarily on that same 6-weight. The rod felt very different, and in a good …
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 …
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 …
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 …
I remember kneeling in the snow. I can recall the exact spot. It was right at the apex of a gentle bend. There was a log jutting into the water that covered the entire stream’s width but for a few feet. I held the trout firmly. I did so because I didn’t want it to …
The day after Christmas, the Orlando Sentinel published an opinion piece by Elizabeth Drayer. She is a lawyer and, as her byline states, a longtime environmental advocate. I haven’t read another word that Ms. Drayer has written outside of this article. To be clear: I appreciate her passion for protecting our natural resources. I believe …
Bears can’t open car doors. Even if a bear could get into the car, a black bear couldn’t do it so fast that we couldn’t start the engine and escape. And a black bear wouldn’t hang on to the roof like James Bond as we swerved down the mountain. I could close my eyes and …
If you Google “muskrat,” you immediately learn a very interesting tidbit. Did you know that Ondatra zibethicus is the only species in genus Ondatra? The only one! Who would have thunk? Once your mind has adjusted to this startling revelation, scroll down a bit more. That’s where the world’s leading search engine gets real. The …
