I’m sure I’d trigger the plagiarism-detecting software if I ran an article that began with the sentence: “fly fishermen love their gadgets!” But it is true. Anglers that prefer to pursue fish with fly tackle have a special affinity for specialized apparatuses. (That one cleared.) Even the facet of our sport that is simplest, purest, …
We’ve all been there before. Standing in front of the rod rack at our local fly shop, trying to justify another 5-weight, and you hear the voice. “Kids these days! With their sling packs and their Twitters… no wonder I can’t catch any fish!” The shop employee is nodding along, but at a rhythm that …
I’m not afraid of snakes. What I’m not a fan of is their snaky-ness. Herpetologically speaking, this is the trait that snakes possess that allows them to surprise you. Rarely does one see a snake coming from a long distance off, as you would with a bison or a truck full of rural folk. The …
I’ve always maintained that New Year’s resolutions are a little silly. Take a goal that tops the priority list for so many people on a yearly basis: lost weight. Okay, if you know you are in need of shedding a few pounds on December 1st, why consume the Big Mac, chocolate cake, and gallon of …
You’re a mean one, Mr. Nymph. You really are a heel. Even though you catch all the fish, You make me fish by feel, Mr. Nymph. You’re a bad little hare’s ear with some tungsten steel. You’re a monster, Mr. Nymph. You disappear in holes. Why can’t you be a spider? Or some other …
Being seasonably relevant, Hatch Magazine recently sent links out via social media to the 2014 article Winter Fly Fishing: Leave the Cotton at Home. It is a brief, but sufficient public service announcement that makes a great case for eschewing jeans and sweatshirts in favor of much more efficient materials. As the piece mentions, efficiency …
Maybe I’m alone in living through this phenomenon. Or perhaps like anything else in human experience, it is one of those constants that every angler comes to know numerous times in their life. I’m talking about catching a fish right off the bat, and then getting skunked for the rest of the day. This all …
After thinking and writing about the progress on Big Spring Creek in Pennsylvania last week, it got me thinking about other famous streams that have fallen on hard times. Largely due to the impacts of poor fisheries management and/or environmental neglect, some of the rivers that our grandfathers lauded as destination waters have declined in …
The angler rises early, and has not time to dally He requires food and fuel from a warm and trusty ally. Across the Mid Atlantic lay the perfect place for gas and eats Every fisherman worth his flies knows the Ballad of Sheetz.
For years, fly fisherman have been trying to find the perfect piece of gear to carry their various and sundry flies and tackle on their fishing expeditions. For a sport so fascinated with gadgets, gizmos, and Gink, the conscientious angler has had to answer the age old question: Should I be comfortable and risk leaving …
