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The True Cast – Small water: Where it all begins…
Sometimes the smallest water is the most abundant, yet at the same time, the most challenging to fish.
I’ve spent a good part of the past month fishing in saltwater in the Low Country of South Carolina. There’s something special about fishing in the salt, particularly for redfish. Not so much in the open ocean, rather, back in the marshes and flats. Fishing in the backcountry in channels carved by tides is like…
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The True Cast – Saving the planet by fly fishing
I had the great honor of fishing with Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank not long ago. Dana (who has been in the trenches of covering American politics for years) launched a new column, the focus of which is “getting back in touch with our humanity.” Somehow, someone convinced him that spending a couple days on…
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The True Cast – The sensory rewards of Autumn
Enjoying a season through the senses
Fall has always been my favorite season. But years ago, I liked autumn most of all because it’s football season. And what’s more, the baseball playoffs happen! Even basketball and hockey get rolling. What more could anyone possibly ask for? Well… plenty, I guess. Enjoying a season through the senses Lately, I’ve learned to value…
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The True Cast – Why bother with fishing?
I’ve spent a whole professional career writing about fly fishing (at least most of it). And looking back, sometimes I wonder if it was worth it. Sure, the ride has been fun. Who could argue against getting paid to write stories about fishing, and edit magazines and all the other stuff? I’ve seen places I…
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The True Cast – Hunt birds, tie flies, catch trout (in that order)
It’s hard for me to land on anything quite as fun, nor nearly as rewarding, in the whole wide world of fly fishing, as catching a wily, wild trout on a fly pattern you tied yourself. If it’s your own design, so much the better. I often laugh when I remember some of the crazy,…
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The True Cast – The home river: until we meet again, old friend…
It’s always difficult to say goodbye. But I am grateful for these last few weeks we’ve shared together. And I’ll look forward to the next reunion. It’s going to be several months until we meet up again. But you can rest assured that I’ll often think about you, and I’ll be wishing you well in…
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The True Cast – What ever happened to August?
August used to be the “prime” month for many fly-fishers like me… now, in many places it might be rightfully considered the “cruelest” month of an angler’s calendar year. Of course, that all depends on where you are and what you’re chasing. Living for fishing in August I used to think... if I could put…
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