The first time I stepped into a large tailwater I realized I was woefully unprepared. I had the right rod. All the flies would have worked. I could even see fish rising. The problem? I couldn’t stand in the water for more than a few minutes. The river was much more frigid than anticipated. It …
By and large, the core essentials of your fly fishing pack, sling, or vest are going to stay put throughout the whole year. You might move a box or tool in or out depending on hatches or conditions, but things usually sit right where you put them. In the winter, fly fishing changes. The same …
With Halloween candy wrappers still blowing down the sidewalk, another sign of the season appear within mailboxes all over the country. Even in a digital age, where millions of products are just a hey Siri away, Christmas catalogs still hold a place in the cultural consumer calendar. For the outdoorsman, one wish book is a …
This is not a joke. To be fair: I have contemplated creating a satirical article advocating casting across the ice into a small, drilled hole. This is not that article. This is an article that legitimately discusses fly fishing when there is ice present. It is brief, but it is an overview of what you …
The first fish was a fat palomino. They’re bright anyway. Too bright. Unnaturally bright. Genetically modified bright, in fact. This one came out from underneath a tangled mess of roots against the bank to nail a small white streamer. Palominos get picked on. This fish had apparently had enough and it took it out on …
The calendar should not and can not dictate your fly fishing. Sure, the water might be frozen over. Maybe it is even illegal to fish in certain months where you live. There is a chance that you hate being cold. Still, you can stay plugged in to fly fishing and everything that entails. This …
Time gets away from us. Sometimes it is important things. Family, work, and necessary home projects need our attention. Getting away for a day or a weekend is important, too. And, if we’re honest, a few more efficient weekends at home could probably free up at least a day to get away guilt-free. For most …
In many places the temperature is dropping. Still, trout are feeding. If you’re there, you can enjoy some spectacular cold weather fly fishing. In this episode I talk about a few tactics for finding fish in the colder months. The approaches aren’t revolutionary, but for many of us any kind of change takes some significant …
Can you spot the steelhead in the image above? There are three fish, each over 20 inches… There is a certain rush in the fall when the days get cooler, the leaves change, and 20 pound trout begin to show up where there was once only suckers and smallmouth. There is a culture, an industry, …
Okay, okay, okay. Lake-run rainbow trout. There. I said it. Now, on to the article: When I lived in the Mid-Atlantic, fall meant trips up to the shores of Lake Erie. After my first time up, it became one of my favorite annual pilgrimages. The fish are great. But there is so much more to …
