Trout are Tough

photo credit: Eric Lu

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 that we give them credit for.

Empirically, fish persevere because they get big and perpetuate their populations. Anecdotally, I’ve encountered trout that should not be alive but are.

There was the sixteen-inch rainbow with the snagging hook stuck in it’s gut. Just north of his anal fin, the  golf ball sized treble hook sat embedded and snug. The fish ate my fly just fine. He fought well; perhaps from the perpetual weight lifting he had been engaging in for who knows how long. There was no sign of infection. There wasn’t any indication of malnourishment or stress. I removed the hook, tossed him back in, and he swam away. I’m confident he’s awaiting an opportunity to repay the favor.

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Podcast Ep. 222: 4 Ideas for Offseason Action

Yes. I know that for most fly fishers there is no “offseason.” But at the bare minimum, contending with shorter days and impossible weather will render the December-February period less intense than June or September.

With that big caveat out of the way, I want to share what this episode is about: Redeeming the time.

Today I talk about four things that you can do sans fly rod that are perfectly suited to cold days. Plus, each and every one will have a tangible payoff come springtime.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Solitude Together

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 than fly fishing. And fly fishing can be an excellent point of contact for people. Sharing the solitude gives the pursuit much more value than it possesses on its own.

Not to overanalyze what ought to be natural, but  how do you pursue fish and people simultaneously?  How do you pay attention to someone else and pay attention to your drift? To be very pragmatic; how do you cast next to someone else who is casting?

There are some settings where it is possible to fish a few yards from each other and not compromise your angling efforts. Heavy spinner falls, salmon runs, or amidst the crashing waves on the beach: these situations allow for conversation and fishing in equal measure. If you are sharing a drift boat, then this dynamic is automatically part of the experience. Proximity usually means a running dialogue punctuated by hook sets or attempts to convince the other person to move to a new spot.

It is completely within the rules of fly fishing to stop, sit, and rest while on the water. Taking breaks allows you to perform the essential tasks of observation and rest. Or, there could be a conversation. Streamside chats could be purely about tactics, or they could go deeper. There is something disarming about being in nature that facilitates genuine discussion, even among the most hardened of individuals. Fishing is about more than catching fish. We all know that. Enjoying the scenery and the company doesn’t  compromise what you’re there for. If anything, it enhances it.

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Lizards & Largemouth

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 largemouth bass.

It is hard to overestimate the cultural ubiquity of the largemouth bass in the majority of the sub-Mason-Dixon region. Their silhouettes adorn everything from mudflaps to biceps. They’re found everywhere, they grow large, and they eat everything. This last aspect of their character is what I’ll be discussing today.

Even before I considered fishing either of the campus ponds I spent time walking their weedy banks. Coming from a slightly more northern latitude, I was fascinated by the fire ants and rattlesnakes that simply existed in the real south. I was amazed to find giant spiders  creating webs between cattails. I was terrified by the car tire sized snapping turtles. I was intrigued when a faint slap on the surface of the water resulted in an explosion that sounded like a cinder block had been tossed into the pond.

More interesting was that it happened again. This time I saw what caused it.

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Podcast Ep. 221: What (was) Pebble Mine?

Did you hear that Pebble Mine is toast?

One of the most significant conservation initiatives in fly fishing history has (hopefully) come to a positive conclusion. In this episode, I give a brief recap of what the proposed mine was all about and why it elicited such a strong reaction from the outdoors community. Also, toward the end of the podcast, I throw in a few items that should be food for thought for those who have been paying attention to this long battle.

Check out this brief show, and then head online to dive deep into the multi-faceted subject that was and is the fight against Pebble Mine.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Fishing Shopping: In Person or Online?

Anyone who has spent significant time in a great fly shop knows that a lot more happens in these eclectic small businesses than  buying and selling. Fishing tips are given. Cups of coffee are shared. Friends are made. But obviously, the transactions are what keep things humming along.

I continue to champion the value of patronizing local fly shops. We need them. They need us. There is no doubt about that.

However, the siren song of online tackle dealers and web-only sales are hard to pass up. There is something to be said for choice, convenience, and savings. At the same time, those three  pragmatic facets ought not shift all or most of our fishing business to the virtual storefront. There should be a balance. It isn’t wrong to buy something online. It isn’t inherently right to buy something from a brick and mortar.

Hopefully you’ve not had a crisis of conscience about this issue. But it is worth considering. Here are three reasons why shopping online might be the way to go:

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3 Ways to Learn at The Fly Fishing Show

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 flies for trophy brook trout and two-handed gear. I was also given the opportunity to sit in on a fly tying class for articulated streamers.

I continue to be impressed at the quality of these presentations and their applicability for all kinds of anglers. Similarly, I am surprised that more aren’t standing-room only.  Even though there is an absolute wealth of information available online, the personal and in-person aspects of these programs create unique educational  occasions.

These demonstrations, seminars, and classes are all different in format and content. Each are valuable for all anglers, especially those who are already planning on attending The Fly Fishing Show (or similar expos).  Here are  quick breakdowns of the three programs and their distinctives:

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Podcast Ep. 220: Fly Fishing Accusations, XXII

Today’s podcast docket is relatively diverse: brown trout strains, multipurposing your  hiking boots, and how our worldview impacts our pathway toward conservation.

Yeah… there isn’t a lot of continuity there.

However, all three of the messages I received regarding these issues were thoughtful and worth my time. I think that my interaction with all three of these issues are worth your time too.

As always, listen, think, and feel free to reach out yourself.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Diverse Conservation in Mount Rainier National Park

Spawning bull trout, NPS

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 as there have been people in the Pacific Northwest.

A perspective that has only been perceptible in the past hundred years or so has been Rainier from above.  While such a viewpoint is interesting for geologists and volcanologists, it also illustrates something remarkable for those concerned with watersheds. Cascading down the severe sides of the mountain are no less than nine distinct watersheds. Rivers flow out like points of a compass. There is great similarity, but ecologically each is practically isolated from one another.

This diversity has allowed for a multi-faceted conservation plan regarding native fish species, including six salmonids, within Mount Rainier National Park.

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Showing them People, Places, & Things

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 thoroughly as possible. Sometimes they employ trial and error. Sometimes, they imitate. Consequently, each of them has a functional knowledge of how to use a fly rod to pursue what might be swimming just out of sight.

That is what they know about fly fishing: going fly fishing. That, and the excitement of the occasional package that I receive which includes new gear. That, and the guarantee of hot cocoa and a breakfast sandwich on the way to the river. That, and the grown up feeling that comes with being  included in  a streamside conversation between me and another adult.

Thankfully, they don’t scroll through Instagram, read YouTube comment sections, or find their way into the dark recesses of online message boards. They are blissfully unaware of the dark, cynical underbelly that exists among a group of people who like to catch fish using one particular method. (Hopefully that sentence alone  explains their mother’s and my rationale.)

But the bad apples don’t keep me from exposing my boys to the joy of the whole orchard. The pursuit of fish is good. But there is also a lot of good, and a lot of good worth exposing kids to, in the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish. This  is why I took my boys to our local stop of The Fly Fishing Show, and why I’d encourage you to do the same with the children in your life.

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