Killing Fish to Save Fish

The Colorado River and its surrounding lands are known for natural beauty and abundant outdoor activities. About 50 miles upstream from  Grand Canyon National Park, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area encompasses Lake Powell in Utah and the water below the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona.

The winding river, with countless channels, coves, and tributaries, provides limitless opportunities for anglers. Some of the most prized species in the country swim in the deep canyons. Rainbow trout, black bass, walleye, catfish, and stripers can be found and fished for throughout the system.

Remarkably, anglers can keep 20 smallmouth bass a day. There is no limit on how many striped bass one can harvest; and the same fish can be used as bait. Below the Glen Canyon Dam,  there is no limit on any sport fish aside from rainbow trout. As one browses the various regulations and environmental plans associated with the Park Service at Glen Canyon, it becomes clear: state and federal groups want fish to be killed.

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Podcast Ep. 200: A Rare Full Studio

200 episodes!

First of all, thank you for listening. Whether this is your first or 200th download, I truly appreciate that you take a few minutes out of your week to hear what I have to say about the quarry and culture of fly fishing.

As I’ve done every 50 shows, today I break away from the traditional format. While I’m usually a solo outfit, today I bring in three experts to talk. We discuss fly fishing and the outdoors in general. And we dive into one of the most important questions that any angler must answer: what is the best snack to pack when you head outside?

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

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Then, Everything Froze

The trout was holding just on the far side of a deep cut in the middle of the stream. Flitting back and forth, it would dart into the fast water to quickly eat an insect before returning to the gentler current. I watched the fish range a good eighteen inches into the swifter flow. My cast wouldn’t need to be perfect. It would just need to be close enough. I had already caught a handful of fish on a weighted, peacock hurl-bodied nymph. It seemed like the pattern for the day. This fish was certainly game to eat something.

Viewing the fish like a hawk, mentally preparing to set the hook even before I made the cast, I swung my rod behind me. I felt the weight of the line pull the rod tip back;  quickly followed by the tightening flex of the  mid-section. At the precise point required to project the line with a trajectory that would place the line 20 feet in front of me I shifted my forearm and wrist forward.

Then, everything froze.

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Officially Labor Day, Unofficially…

Due to their respective locations on the calendar, Memorial Day and Labor day are considered as the unofficial beginning and end points of summer. While Memorial Day has  deep and somber implications for all Americans, Labor Day is a much more light-hearted affair. I’m not downplaying the impact that workers and tradesmen have had on our nation. If anything, these men and women would appreciate you busting out your red, white, and blue swim trunks while you grill hot dogs on a paid holiday.

All that said, I’m recommending you treat this Labor Day as an unofficial get out while the getting is good for outdoor activities. Winter is coming. So go hiking, camping, paddling, and fly fishing while you still can. Do it today, on the holiday. Do it this weekend, while everyone is watching football. Do it on the first chilly morning when all social media is buzzing about sweaters and pumpkin spice. Do it now, on Labor Day.

Sure, there is plenty of charm in the colder-weather versions of wilderness pursuits. But we pine for wet wading and sunshine, not long underwear and 5:00pm sunsets.

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Podcast Ep. 199: More Phones & Fishing

Don’t let your phone become a distraction. That is true for everyday life, and it is also true when you’re fly fishing.

Of course, your phone can be an incredibly useful tool that can enrich your time outdoors. In this follow-up podcast, I share a handful of apps that I use when I’m outdoors and preparing to get outdoors. Some are free and some come with a small fee. Every one of them can be useful for you as you spend time on the water. None of them, in my opinion, take away from the authentic experience of fishing, hunting, or hiking.

Check out my recommendations and how I use them in this week’s podcast.

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

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Fly Fishing Books, XIII

Sometimes a really good book doesn’t check all the boxes that you assume it should.

For example: a book on birds might be what you, a fly fisher, needs. Or, a Rocky Mountain angler could benefit from a book about Pennsylvania fly fishers. Or, a book about buffalo may very well be the best book you read this month.

Curious as to why I’ve used those examples? Good. Because I have some more book recommendations.

As I’ve done for all of the entries in my “Fly Fishing Books” series, I’ve spread the selections over three rough categories:

  • Guide (regional, site specific)
  • Technical (methods, locations, fly tying)
  • Literature (novels, biographies, history)

Check out one kind of each book, why I suggest it, and a bonus read below. And follow the links in the headings to get a copy for yourself.

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First Fly Shop Love

All fly fishers love fly shops.  These stores stand as the brick and mortar embodiment of fly fishing culture.

Fly shops are about more than buying gear. They are usually just off the banks of water  productive enough to warrant a full-time  angling retail option. The people employed are almost always passionate about the sport, and generally personable enough to hold a conversation. There is also the pleasant, stereotypical aesthetic: huge rod rack, mounted fish from an era when it was appropriate, rainbow walls of tying materials, and probably a sleepy dog.

Everyone has a favorite fly shop. The first fly shop that I fell in love with was a Sports Authority.

I had just started fishing with conventional tackle. As a teenager, I’d hang out in the fishing section once  week. I would look at crankbaits, wiggle rods, and stare at the expensive reels behind glass. Initially, I ignored by the assortment of fuzzy, weightless lures and tiny spools of monofilament “tippet”. Every once in a while, I’d spend enough money for a bag of soft plastic grubs. And I got to know the employees that manned the outdoors department.

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Podcast Ep. 198: Seeing Life Beyond the Bank

You might prefer to find waters to fish that are far, far away from any and all civilization. But there are countless small towns and rural villages that abut some of the most prominent rivers in this nation. Up on the bank, there is a whole lot going on. Very little of it, for most people, involves trout, insects, or your presence.

Today I discuss some of the benefits of getting to know the area where you are fishing. It might lead to greater angling opportunities. It might lead to more enjoyment. Or, it might lead to something better that encapsulates both of those things.

All in all, I’m suggesting you take a moment to see what is happening around you while you’re fishing. That is always a good thing to do.

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

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Trout, Trout Everywhere; Nor any Rod to Fish

Family vacation. There are lots and lots of choices of where to go. As long as everyone has a good time and stays in good spirits, where is just a backdrop. Amusement parks. Big cities. The ocean or the mountains.

Or, somewhere you’ve spent time fly fishing.

Even though I’ve often advocated for squeezing even just a little bit of fishing into family vacations, that is not my plan this time around. But the backdrop of previous fishing excursions in and around Manchester, Vermont, led us to spend a week in the Green Mountains. Hiking, local cuisine, and a giant fly shop featuring enormous pellet-eating rainbows all make for a fun with a school of kids in tow.

Generally speaking, the kinds of places you want to fish are the kinds of places you want to be. Seeing them without a rod in hand and through the eyes of your non-fishing family is rewarding, too.

Anyway, I’ve got to get back to coffee and planning today’s hike.

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Music? While Fishing?

“What is that screenshot all about?” you might ask. Well,  this past weekend someone at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources tweeted it out of the park.

Take it in again. That is funny. Especially for a part of the country that is notoriously sensitive to people’s feelings and whatnot, it is incredibly funny. Good job, Washington DNR social media person.

No one wants to listen to your weirdo Phish or some underground hip-hop you found on Soundcloud under normal circumstances. The woods are the last place that such things can and should be considered acceptable. I’m not a “nature is sacred” or “music gives off harsh vibes” person. I’m a “use earbuds but even that is bizarre when you’re hiking” person. And I assume most people are with me. But again, good for the Evergreen State for reminding people not to be a clod.

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