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Planning & Executing: A Fly Fishing Gift

“You want to know what your Father’s Day present is?” “Umm… do you want to tell me?” “When we go on vacation to Virginia later this month, we want you to take a whole day to go fishing.” “That is a great present.” “I was going to surprise you, but I thought you’d have more …

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Trout Quixote: Seven

I had the morning to myself. While on a family trip in Northern Virginia, I could have easily found my way to some amazing fly fishing opportunities. Feisty mountain brook trout. River smallies on topwater flies. Thick spring creek browns. While there is no such thing as a done deal in fly fishing, each of …

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Podcast Ep. 58: Trout Quixote I

How far do you have to drive to get to trout? How far do you have to drive to get to native trout? The second question is one that has been on my mind for as long as I have been fly fishing. There is something about wild fish, even if they’re teeny-tiny, that encapsulates …

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Fly Fishing, Ice, & Cartoon Coyotes

Cold cut through every exposed inch of skin like a knife. Wool and fleece and neoprene worked in unison but were unable to achieve success. Numbed fingers struggled with the most basic knots; hope was used as much as monofilament. The stream was the only moving thing in the stark winter landscape. Patches of snow …

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Rock Bass & RC Cola

Can we fish in your creek? “Sure. Um… what’s in there?” I don’t know. But there has to be something. *** We had passed by the creek countless times. It was always just scenery. It was never the destination. If anything, as a small tributary, it was an afterthought. The Potomac is a big river. …

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Fishing Barefoot, Like John-Boy

I’m man enough to admit that I watch The Waltons, from time to time. The wholesome life of the Depression-era mountain family is the TV version of a palate cleanser. People on The Waltons aren’t perfect, but love and community and family almost always win the day. That, and they go fishing a lot. The …

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Rusty Flybox: You Rolling River

I’ve never lived in the Shenandoah region. But at various points over the years I have been located close enough to become familiar with this spectacular part of the country. And I’ve spent this past week at the foot of the mountains, just outside the park. In and around Shenandoah National Park there are a …

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Vests and Deep Water

I had never been fly fishing, but I decided that a fly fishing vest would be a good investment. In junior high, the multi-pocketed khaki vest certainly didn’t have anything to do with style. Tommy Hilfiger t-shirts, baggy jeans, and puffy white Filas were preferable. As is probably the case with everyone, I must have …

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Podcast Ep. 12: Why You Should Fish the Shenandoah

Within a few hours’ drive of the urban sprawl that surrounds Washington, DC, you can get into some amazing brook trout fishing. Or, you can get into some spectacular smallmouth bass fishing. Or, you can do both. The Shenandoah is a remarkable, beautiful, and historic region of the Mid-Atlantic. For fly fishers, it offers great …

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Higher Fly Fishing Perspective

Imagine watching a movie dozens of times but never seeing the beginning. Assuming the story isn’t too complicated, you’ll probably get the gist of things. And if it’s a good flick you’ll enjoy the experience regardless. Up until this past week, that was kind of my experience with Shenandoah National Park. Since the earliest days …

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