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The easiest mouse pattern you’ll ever tie
I asked my long-time fishing buddies what flies I should be tying for this sure-to-be-epic adventure in the Andes, and I got back a single-word reply from one of them: "Mice."
A quick-and-easy adaptation of the Morrish Mouse. All photos by Chris Hunt. I'm headed down to Chilean Patagonia early next month — I'll leave the chill of Idaho's autumn for spring in the Southern Hemisphere, all for some trout fishing based out of Magic Waters Lodge. I asked my long-time fishing buddies what flies I…
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Support your local fly shop this holiday season
As we enter the holiday gift shopping season, this is just a friendly reminder to support your favorite independent fly shop. Sure, you might find cheaper deals here and there, but there’s nothing more valuable than local knowledge, and nobody serves that better than the fly shop. I’ve always felt like the classic fly shop,…
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Texas fly fisher lands giant blue catfish … on a 4-weight
Ben Christensen with his record blue catfish from Texas' Pedernales River. Photo courtesy of Instagram. From the "holy smokes!" department, here you go... Texas fly fisher Ben Christensen convinced a 31.55-pound blue catfish in the Pedernales River to eat an olive damselfly nymph, and after 40 minutes and a couple of backing runs, the fish…
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What’s the best polarized lens for fishing?
I get asked this question all the time. If you let the sunglasses companies answer, they’ll say there is no answer—they want to sell you one lens for low-light, one for saltwater fishing, one for cloudy days on a river, and on and on. Can’t say I blame them for wanting to make money, and…
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Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
Wadering up on the banks of a Pennsylvania trout stream last week I faced a dilemma. Which rod? I had three choices. An 8-foot 6-inch 3-weight that’s perfect for dry flies. An 11-foot 3-weight Euro nymphing rod that is perfect for, well, Euro nymphing. And a 10-foot 3-inch 3-weight that is perfect for swinging wet…
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The lost art of roll casting
I wonder why we don’t pay more attention to roll casting. I can’t count the number of books written about perfecting loops and the overhead cast, but there’s a lot less on roll casting. This, despite the fact that when I’m actually fishing, I find myself rolling over false casting at about a 3-to-1 ratio……
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A good guide can teach even old dogs new tricks
Earl Harper watches as guide Mason Haggard demonstrates a casting technique used to reach rising fish across a fast-moving channel. Chris Hunt photo. A guided fishing trip, even for experienced anglers, can be a great way to identify bad habits, learn new tactics and generally improve your fly-fishing game. Don't believe me? I've been fly…
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