A common solution for conservation-minded anglers that place stewardship above sport is to lay off the fly fishing for a month or two. But does that mean that fishing for trout is off limits in July and August? Are bass and carp the only fair game in the heat of summer? (As if these fish …
Which bank do you fish on? It isn’t a trick question or some sort of sneaky form of angling psychoanalysis. In my experience, asking this question reveals one of three common answers: I have to fish this bank, because the other side is inaccessible. I have to fish this bank, because all of the likely …
Just because you love fly fishing doesn’t mean it always comes easily. Various and sundry circumstances can lead the angler to a period where there is less productivity on the water. That is normal, primarily because the fish aren’t obligated to play along. Weather, seasonality, and the aforementioned finnicky fish will keep hands clean and …
Once, as a younger man, I got into an argument. This isn’t to say that I hadn’t quarreled prior to or since. That has happened plenty of times. This particular squabble has pertinence to our discussion today: fly fishing. An opinionated fellow was trying to say that there was one way to cast a fly. …
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 …
In this week’s episode, I answer questions about rods, reels, and leaders. But they’re some awfully specific questions. That being said, I’m confident that you – the fly fisher – will appreciate and benefit from the scenarios that elicited these questions. What pushes us to experiment and innovate is questions, problems, and curiosity. While I …
Slow catches fish. Fast is glamorous. Fast is easy. Fast doesn’t require as much nuance or patience. Fast catches fish as well, but fast is like the sports highlight: it happened and it was memorable. However the majority of the game was much more reasonably paced. For every strike that follows a wake-inducing, double-fisted retrieve, …
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 …
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 …
Have you heard of Zoom Fatigue? It is a COVID-era phenomenon that explains how people are getting quickly burned out by meetings that occur in little boxes on their computer screen. Having participated in countless Zoom meetings, seminars, and even an 8 hour a day/4 day long class – I get it. But I’ve also …
