Let’s not kid ourselves or anyone else. Fly fishing is expensive. It doesn’t have to be… but it often is. You can get by with only the essentials… but most of us want a few more odds and ends to make it easier or more fun. That doesn’t mean that you need top of the …
Picture your flybox. Close your eyes and do it. Is it messy? Is it full? Does the messy fullness bring you joy? Okay: now picture the last flies that you’ve used. Picture the flies that you turn to over and over again. Is there a disparity between the first and second image that came to …
You’ve got questions, I’ve got (my own stabs at) answers. This week, I’ve got three great emails to share on the podcast. Two have to do with gear, one pertains to the small and coincidental world that is fly fishing. As always, I appreciate getting emails, messages through the website, and interaction through social media. …
Fly fishers appreciate the little things that makes their time on the water easier. This means things that aren’t over-engineered, over-complicated, and over-priced. The magnetic fly patches from Magnet-ique easily meet this little and simple criteria. Since 2019, a pair of British fly fishers have been making these little and simple tools in the UK. …
Not every angler has Seychelles-caliber water in their backyard. (Just like most trout anglers aren’t calling the Madison or the Yellowstone home.) But an overwhelming number of fly fishers live within a reasonable drive to the coast. Moreover, many people head somewhere beachy for business or pleasure throughout the course of the year. You are …
Fly fishing for trout with a mouse fly is a really exciting way to revisit your favorite water. It also may very well yield some of the biggest fish… fish you didn’t even know swam in your well-known holes. Using mice is also a pretty straightforward and easy way to fish. Cast, retrieve, repeat. Hear …
These fish are more than substitutes or fall-backs. Yes, time on the pond will give you a chance to improve your casting. You will have other fishing opportunities in the warmest months when it would otherwise be unwise to pursue trout. You will learn new things about fishing streamers and topwater patterns that you can …
When it comes to fly fishing, I’m a disciple of the school that teaches that fly selection is less important than presentation. There is always a place for matching the hatch. More often than not? Size, silhouette, and drift win the day. Because of this, I’ve honed in my fishing and my fly box. It …
Do you enjoy the game “Would You Rather”? A hypothetical scenario is given, and you must choose between two, often quite different options. Here’s a good fly fishing would you rather: Would you rather only have weighted streamers or weightless streamers in your fly box? Maybe you answered right away. But maybe you see why …
Don’t burn me at the angling stake for the title of this episode! (If anything, you’ll find that I’m guilty of being slightly misleading.) In a day and age where big, heavy, articulated streamers get a lot of publicity, it is important to remember that there are similar flies that accomplish slightly different tasks. There …
