Let’s face it: We’ve become all too comfortable sitting in front of our laptop in our sweatpants. Even prior to the pandemic, YouTube and other streaming options have spoiled us. Whether it be business meetings, online classes, or fly tying demonstrations, our commitment level has become commensurate with the quality of our Bluetooth headset. Snap …
You can’t feel your fingers. Your breath is fogging up your sunglasses. Your waders are just a little bit frozen. Obviously, it is the perfect time to tie on a dry fly… in the size 22-28 range. Even when bigger bugs aren’t fluttering around the stream, smaller insects are probably hatching. In long runs, glassy …
Today I talk about two topics related to fly procurement: If you buy them, where should you buy them from? Is tying flies economical? There are as many opinions on both of these questions as there are fly patterns. I don’t pretend to be the expert. But I do have a few simple data points …
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 …
If you’ve been fly fishing for any amount of time, I hope you’ve come to the realization that most outings aren’t going to look like the centerfold of Gray’s Sporting Journal. There’s a few reasons for this: the fish the river and you Let’s start with you. Never, ever do you fantasize about untangling the …
Why keep a fly rod in the back of your car at all times? If you can tolerate it rolling around, you’ll set yourself up for some good to great fly fishing at a moment’s notice. And if you haven’t fished for a while, any fly fishing is good to great. Recently I had a …
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 …
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 …
If you think the first fly to come off of your vise is going to look like something you’d mount in a shadow box, you’re going to be pretty disappointed. Truth be told, there are plenty of reasons why beginner fly tyers get frustrated, stall out, or give up. I have done all of those …
