The trout was holding just on the far side of a deep cut in the middle of the stream. Flitting back and forth, it would dart into the fast water to quickly eat an insect before returning to the gentler current. I watched the fish range a good eighteen inches into the swifter flow. My …
All fly fishers love fly shops. These stores stand as the brick and mortar embodiment of fly fishing culture. Fly shops are about more than buying gear. They are usually just off the banks of water productive enough to warrant a full-time angling retail option. The people employed are almost always passionate about the sport, …
The Potomac is a big river. Flowing from the steep hollows of western Maryland and West Virginia down into the tidal portions of Washington, DC, it is big. There are diverse sections of river, each with it’s own composition and angling opportunities. Downstream of historic Harpers Ferry, there are bass and musky hiding in waving …
For me, Sunday is a work day. Mornings and evenings are especially busy, and I try to keep the afternoons as low-key as possible. But rest is important. We were made to take breaks. Add to that Father’s Day. I know it is a made-up holiday. However, my kids like it a lot. My four …
An unparalleled optimism accompanies the evening hours on the night before fishing. Psychologically speaking, one could say that all the potentially negative thoughts become obscure behind the grand promise of a morning filled with trout. Regardless of the previous day’s events, this optimism burrows itself into the brain with an intensity that creates a sense …
Much has been written about the uncomfortable state of a kind of overindulging that results from inebriation. The college comedy film genre relies on this trope. I’m not ashamed to say, nor do I boast in the fact that I have no experience with this situation. However I can’t imagine that the disagreeable sensation that …
This week I found out that a man who was instrumental in my taking up fly fishing passed away. I can say that he played a big part in my appreciation for fishing even though he and I never were on the water together once. He mentored and helped along one of my best friends, …
I wasn’t looking to read a book. My goal was to use books to gather information. But despite my best efforts I was turning page after page, laughing, and getting a lot more than fishing tips. All thanks to John Gierach. As a child I was a vociferous reader. Books assigned in school were merely …
“What is the little white stuff on it’s back?” “It is supposed to imitate a wing case or something.” “It looks like it has a starched collar. Are the fish going to go for that?” The fly shop owner peered over his newspaper at the two young men picking through the fly bins. The less-than-entomological …
Across the country, there are dozens of programs that cater to exposing kids to the outdoors. All of them want kids to have a good time fishing, paddling, or camping. Those programs that want to add a little bit more desire to pass on an ethos along with an activity. There are a select few …
