There is plenty of cynicism in the world. I’d say that a disproportionate amount of it rests among certain segments of the fly fishing community. Perhaps it is the outlet for all the frustration that comes from being outsmarted by fish. It is very irrational to be irritated by a trout. It’s only slightly less …
What are you thankful for? We ask that question a lot, especially towards the end of November. This is also a natural time to ask what in fly fishing you are thankful for. The heart of the season is wrapping up, and you have time to consider what you appreciate about the quarry and the …
Four years ago I set out to write about fly fishing. I did want to write about fish. You can’t really write about fly fishing without giving your two cents on how to hook a trout every now and again. It establishes credibility. It is also pretty simple. Even more than the fish themselves, I …
What would you say if you were told that you owed every fish you caught an apology? How about that you actually needed to find a fish, confess your sins, and atone for your angling? Recently a seminary (I use that term loosely) shared that they held a service where students prayed to plants. What …
In this 4th of July(ish) episode I get political. And in the vein of most politicians, I don’t say a whole lot. What I do, however, is hopefully get you thinking about a few topics that impact fly fishers and US citizens alike. Public lands and social media censorship have direct implications for those who …
Reposting and hashtagging is nice. But that isn’t conservation. Headline causes are great – if you actually get your feet on the ground and get your hands dirty. There is nothing wrong with “raising awareness,” but perhaps there are some more profound ways you can walk the conservation walk. It doesn’t take moving to the …
When his Little Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters didn’t understand why anyone would want to go into the woods to just walk around, an idea began to form in Alec Griswold’s mind. He had the opportunity to share the outdoors with a young person. More than that, it was a young person who had …
There are more fish out there that you can’t catch than you can catch. Let that sink in for a minute. The statement, although hardly profound, is true at a number of levels. Firstly, you’re not going to catch all the fish in any given river. Perhaps in a small creek you’d be able to …
I’m sure there are plenty of summer camps that feature a sunrise wake-up call. But I can’t imagine many of them are attended joyfully by teenagers. Instead of grueling runs or study sessions in the a.m., students at the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation & Fly Fishing Youth Camp are up, dressed, and waist-deep in the water. …
Naturally, fly fishers focus on fish. We learn to cast so we can catch trout. We hone our tying skills so we can catch musky. We learn to cast further so we can catch bonefish. We adorn our offices with pictures of fish, we look at photos of fish online, and we doodle fish in …
