Manchester, Vermont isn’t a premier fly fishing destination. That isn’t to say that is a bad place to go if you want to catch trout. In fact, it is home to a solid, historic brown trout fishery in the Battenkill. The smaller streams in the mountains teem with native brookies, and bass or musky can …
Category: River Profile
Gone Fishing: Driftless
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Under the Tuscan Trout, part 4
I woke up that morning in the apartment that my wife and I rented in downtown Florence. The noises of the nuns bustling about in the courtyard below were the first reminders that I wasn’t home. After getting everything prepped – train tickets, extra pants and socks, a wad of Euros to pay and tip …
Under the Tuscan Trout, part 1
“Oh, yes. There are lots of fish in this river.” I was skeptical. “But are they wild fish?” “Oh, yes. They will fight real nice for you.” Wild might not have been translating the way I wanted it to. “Are these the kinds of fish that are from your country? Or have they been put …
The Scent of a River
Standing on the bank of a trout stream, you’re probably used to thinking about how three of your senses are focusing on the fishing. Whether it is wholly conscious or not, you’re relying on feeling, hearing, and seeing what is around you. Sight is obvious. It is necessary to position yourself. Identify feeding lanes. Figure …
Fly Fishing a New Trail
I’m always amazed by the places that trout live. With conservation being part and parcel with fly fishing for the past few generations, there is almost a subconscious assumption that salmonids are fragile. This isn’t to downplay the reality of the situation. Deforestation, pollution, and overfishing have ravaged rivers and lakes to the point that …
The Little Red River: Trout in the South
If your first taste of meat was a filet of Kobe beef at a high end Japanese steakhouse, there is a good chance that it might impact your opinion of every backyard sirloin for the foreseeable future. The first time I ever saw a trout river, the sheer number and size of the fish was …