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The True Cast – My money is on the frog hunter…
(This will make sense at the end of the story) Here are two true-life scenarios that played out in the past couple weeks in the waters where I fish and call home. Situation 1: A father comes into the fly shop, hires out a guide trip for his two sons, ages 12 and 14. Dad…
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The True Cast – The species most worth worrying about when you’re out in the wild fishing
By and large, if you respect most animals, they’ll respect you, and the real threats probably aren’t what you’re thinking… Several years ago, I gave a talk to my (teacher) wife’s 5th grade class that explained how writing (and learning grammar, and spelling and all the crud they weren’t into) actually turned out to be…
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The True Cast – Fly fishing is about family, foremost… as well it should be.
I was a gear-chuckin’, spin-fishing, bass-mad angler in my youth. And don’t get me wrong, I’m still a fan of throwing the hardware, whenever, wherever the right opportunity presents itself. But a certain “opportunity” changed my fishing attitude many years ago, when I was invited by a young woman whom I was dating to drop…
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The True Cast – Why the United States is the Envy of the Fishing World
There’s always much to celebrate on Independence Day.
There’s always much to celebrate on Independence Day. Sure, we’re living in divisive times and there are things that concern most of us for different reasons and in different ways in America these days. But the bottom line is that this collective “experiment in democracy” is still kicking (and then some) 247 years after a…
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The True Cast – On Golf and Fly Fishing
With congratulations to fly-fisher Wyndham Clark on winning the U.S. Open and making all anglers proud! When I watch professional golf, I root for the anglers. Because many of the best golfers throughout history have also had a genuine passion for fly fishing. From Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo to Johnny Miller and Mark O’Meara—and…
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The True Cast: The secret to successful fishing? Check your agenda at the door.
When I reflect on the past couple decades of climbing the fly-fishing learning curve, I am often amazed that I caught any fish at all, given the many dopey habits I fell into. That’s not to suggest by any means that I feel like I’ve fully scaled that curve or don’t still make silly mistakes.…
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The True Cast – You gotta love a “fly-fishing dog”
Don’t get me wrong. Ol’ Maya (now a six-year-old Pudelpointer) is hell on four-legs when it comes to chasing game birds in the field. And many a feathered creature’s last earthly sight has been Maya’s furry snout pointed right at them. I think my bird dog likes trout fishing more than hunting birds. When I…
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