Conservation books are often written after the fact. Articles and blogs can talk about what is happening, but the real what happened of any conservation initiative has a certain longitudinal quality about it. The Forgotten Salmon of the Merrimack, by Lawrence Stolte, chronicles a century of restoration and protection on the eve of an early-1980’s …
When I was asked if I would be willing to contribute to a Mid-Atlantic based fly fishing magazine it was a quick yes. Growing up fishing Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, I ravenously consumed every page of region-specific periodicals. These free magazines were an essential part of any stop at the fly shop. It was encouraging …
Less than a week ago I opened a post about safety with these words: I’m not being dramatic. Nor am I being flippant. The podcast I was referencing was entitled “Don’t Die Fly Fishing.” Although the label sounds a bit like clickbait, I was not being flippant. And since the episode was recorded four days …
Last week, The Boston Globe published “How a tiny Massachusetts river has become a star in the fly-fishing world: Cold water, big fish, bigger crowds.” And now I have a few things to say. First: That title. Whew. I got quite a bit of reading done without having to break the paywall. Second: A lot …
I am in Maine.* *When this post is released, I will be/will have been in Maine. The Pine Tree State is a spectacular spot for all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts. That is why my family and I are planning on catching some late-season hiking while camping in and amongst the changing foliage of northern New …
Family vacation. There are lots and lots of choices of where to go. As long as everyone has a good time and stays in good spirits, where is just a backdrop. Amusement parks. Big cities. The ocean or the mountains. Or, somewhere you’ve spent time fly fishing. Even though I’ve often advocated for squeezing even …
In this episode, I use words like impressive, remarkable, and excellent more than I usually do. But those adjectives are necessary when describing Maine and her fly fishing opportunities. Maine could (and does) have a whole podcast dedicated to exploring fly fishing from coast to mountains. Between the stripers, the landlocked salmon, and the brook …
This interaction episode of the podcast is extra interactive. No, it isn’t an interview. But one of the questions I engage with was a question I was asked in person at The Fly Fishing Show in New Jersey. Don’t worry, I also answered him immediately in the moment. Today I talk about fly fishing in …
Sometime around the Civil War, smelt were introduced into a number of lakes in southern New Hampshire. This small forage fish proliferated in the cold, deep water. Native fish species, at least those higher up on the food chain, took advantage of the new food source. One small fish, a strain of Arctic char, truly …
Earlier this week I put out a piece called “Fishing the Gray.” In short, it is a quasi-autobiographical encouragement to get out and fly fish in even the ugliest weather. A good number of people read it. Hopefully, if you were one of those people, you appreciated it. Still, I can’t help but think that …
