None of us should be so set in our ways that we’re unable to be pried out of the groove we’ve worn. In fly fishing, in particular, we should not be so entrenched in opinions that we’re dogmatic. It is good to have an opinion. But opinions can change. Today I share 5 opinions that …
Even since Monday’s article (which you can read here), more information has come to light regarding the terrible destruction of Hurricane Helene. First and foremost, the cost of human lives ought to be our concern. The death toll is increasing. Surprisingly, the state of human suffering is not being given the attention that one might …
I am not an entomologist. I am not even the kind of fly fisher who is proficient with insect taxonomy at the species level. But I do know a few things about bugs. And I am aware that they can captivate an 8 year old in a way that very few digital things can. Over …
Back at the tail end of June, things were pretty dry in Virginia’s piedmont region. I was down there in July, and saw the low flows with my own eyes. Rivers and creeks weren’t dried up. But low flows and high temperatures are a perfect combination for stressing out coldwater fish. Add in the high …
There are some fish that are very, very hard to catch. Some require the kind of travel and resources that the vast majority of anglers simply cannot muster. Others, for one reason or another, hole up in unreachable locations or behave with extreme wariness. There are plenty of fish that are a struggle to hook, …
Last year, fishing within Shenandoah National Park was verboten from the beginning of August through the beginning of November. Similar bans have been enacted over the past decades. While brook trout populations generally manage to endure hot, dry conditions, it is prudent for such a well-visited area to limit fishing. Because by limiting fishing, they’re …
Remember Woodie Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land?” Well you better lace up your cancelin’ shoes, because the title alone is caps lock OFFENSIVE. Why; you might reasonably and rationally ask? Isn’t that the most fork-mashed and digestible of all milquetoast protest songs? Wrong, you fascist. Obviously [sic] no one can own land. This is …
The world of fly fishing has come a long way. The tweed and wicker creel, old white guy image represents vintage advertisements more than present reality. Paul, while white, a guy, and older, never really fit the prototype for the angling catalog model. Truth be told, he had never owned a wicker creel. Two of …
To fish or not to fish? That is a good question, come fall. Why? Some of our most beloved quarry have been making fish babies for millennia in the autumn. Proper stewardship necessitates we wade lightly and cast conscientiously during their more amorous intervals. So when do you lay off? Ask four different anglers and …
Luray, Virginia: Effective immediately, Shenandoah National Park’s streams and rivers are closed to fishing due to low stream flows and high water temperatures. This closure is being implemented to ensure the long term health of the fish populations in the park. Dry conditions have led to extremely low stream flows throughout the Park, including some …
