You’d think that it would be easy to write about fly fishing in a new place, for a new fish, for the first time. There is a lot to say about the particularities of the species – how it looks, how it acts, how it is the same or different than other fish like it. …
It was a damp fall morning. The kind of morning where the weather wasn’t great but at least it wasn’t damp and summer. There wasn’t any humidity to speak of, just a little wet. You could see it on the changing leaves, sense it underfoot, but not feel it in the air. We had gotten …
I understand why bad pictures get the black and white treatment to make them more interesting. (I’m guilty of that.) I can tolerate people using Snapchat to make their faces slimmer and their eyes brighter. (I’m not guilty of that.) I’m opposed to using filters on brook trout. This isn’t some sort of crusade or …
Imagine watching a movie dozens of times but never seeing the beginning. Assuming the story isn’t too complicated, you’ll probably get the gist of things. And if it’s a good flick you’ll enjoy the experience regardless. Up until this past week, that was kind of my experience with Shenandoah National Park. Since the earliest days …
5 trout. 10 trout. 20 trout. 40ish trout? It was one of the best days of fishing that I’ve ever had. As is the case with most fly fishing, it wasn’t just about numbers. There was a whole lot more going on that contributed to the overall experience. The weather was perfect – high 70’s, …
Next week I’ll be spending a few days in Pennsylvania in pursuit of trout. Although the bulk of my time will be spent on some of the larger rivers in the central part of the state, my schedule allows for a detour to the Cumberland Valley. Basically, this part of South Central Pennsylvania includes all …
A year and a half ago I came face to face with the possibility of living very, very close to wild trout. While out on a run, getting a little lost, a glimpse of a fish in a stream captivated me. I knew the water was cool and clean. The species of the fish was …
“Snowhite? That’s like, a nickname, right?” Knowing an 18-year-old me, that was probably how my first interaction with Rob Snowhite went. I had just started working at the Orvis store in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Rob and a handful of guys in their twenties had been there for a while already. I learned a lot about …
Riffle, run, pool. Although that is an accurate overview of holding water for trout, it is very general. That basic illustration is akin to saying that America is a beach, then some mountains, plains, little mountains, and then another beach. It is true, but there is much more nuance involved. This matters because holding water …
Trout are creatures with paper-thin fins and gossamer bones. Their optimal temperature and dissolved oxygen thresholds are relatively narrow. Touching their scales with dry hands or laying them upon the bank can render them susceptible to deadly infection. Trout are survivors, but they are fragile. It isn’t just fish, though: A creek, sustaining all manner …
