It wouldn’t be a bad shirt, once it went through the wash. I found it on an island in the middle of the river. The college featured on the front wasn’t far from the western Massachusetts river I was fishing. I wouldn’t dumpster dive or pick up clothes off the side of the road. But …
Resolved: To leave some fly boxes at home. I know I’ll regret it when the opportunity to throw a mouse pattern on a small mountain stream presents itself. I’m confident that there will be a time when I need Salmon Fly imitations in New England. But resolutions are resolutions so I’ll just suffer. Resolved: To …
You can learn a lot about a fly fisher as he’s walking away from you. It has very little to do with his destination or his gait. More than a name or number on a sports jersey, the angler carries an identifying mark between his shoulders. What might be construed as a simple tool that …
I’ll be the first one to celebrate how people are a major part of fly fishing. Almost as much as the distinctive nature of the fly cast, the culture and the community make this particular pursuit of fish special. That said, it isn’t always rosy. As you aggregate a large enough sample size of interactions …
The first time I stuck my arm under a submerged boulder was a maneuver of fiscal efficiency. You see, as a teenager every fly mattered. Two dollars here and there added up quickly on a budget of what was essentially zero. Hooking a fly in a tree meant climbing up the trunk and leaning out …
I like it. And I usually don’t like things like it. Moreover, I can’t remember the last time I went out of my way to write a few hundred words about something like it. But here we are. I’m writing, and you’re reading, an article about a smartwatch commercial involving a fake carp. Because apparently …
The history of introducing fish into American waterways is a story of interesting stories. Setting aside the ecological concerns of nonnative species for a moment, the paths taken by the ancestors of today’s trout and bass are remarkable. There are plenty of fantastical accounts of warming barrels of fry and derailed trail cars filled with …
As far as I can recall, I’ve only really pressed my luck once when it has come to fly fishing in blizzards. To be fair, I was fishing the Lake Erie tributaries. Not only are the lake effect weather patterns erratic, but combat fishing for steelhead* puts you in an unstable state of mind. After …
White Elephant. Yankee Swap. The super original “gift exchange.” Whatever you call it, it can be a lot of fun and a quick way to waste $20. So why not have fun with it? If you get invited to a TU or fly shop holiday party, you can bring something that brings the seasonal heat. …
There I was, looking at my dog curled up on an expensive human chair in my living room, saying: “Why not? Why shouldn’t I buy him a dog bed from Orvis?” So I did. But I feel like I have to explain myself. Dog beds were, for a time, one of the punch lines about …
