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Tip: Grease your leader for better mending.
Tom Rosenbauer taught me this one, but I’m going to steal it and share it anyway. After you’ve dressed up your dry fly with that greasy, ginky goop that’s now left all over your fingers, don’t just wipe it off on your waders to leave stains like the syrup you dripped on your shirt at…
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Drift Boat Hack…
Use a small cooler (or something fairly heavy that slides) to balance the boat. Cooler in boat hack Just the other day, as my buddy Tim Romano, cousin Andrew Steketee, Andrew’s dog Oscar, and I were ready to shove off from the ramp for what would be an epic (and I mean epic!) float down…
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Casting Tip: Clean, Stretch and Practice.
Fair casts are made with decent fly rods. Good casts happen with good fly lines. Great casts come from both… and practice. A good, slick, straight fly line will do more for a mediocre fly rod than a fancy, expensive fly rod will ever do for a tattered, mediocre fly line. Clean the line with…
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Cast better.
Know the number one factor that turns a zinger fly cast into a clunker. Don't feel bad. All of us have at least one flaw in our casting strokes. But there’s one flaw that can turn an otherwise great cast into a dud. The bad news is that most people who make this mistake don’t…
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Tip – One-Shot Wonder
So, so much attention is paid to casting fancy loops overhead, forming the perfect wind-cutting “U” shape and all that, which is wonderful. But your best friend for setting up a great cast is the water right in front of you. Friction and resistance built up by pulling and lifting a fly line off the…
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TU Tested: The LavaBox Portable Campfire
When I first stumbled across the Lavabox, it was a head-slapping “DUH” type of moment and I knew I immediately must try one out for an upcoming float trip.
Do you like fire? As in, “warm your hands and feet with a cup of something delicious and a marshmallow” kind of fire? I love fires while camping, floating, and of course even in the back yard. But... fires take a little bit of work, time to set up, and there's always the cleanup.…
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Tying the Jimmy John Perdigon
The Perdigon-style nymph has become a fly-fishing staple over the last several years. Popularized by European competition fly fishers, the nymph is a fast-sinker and a proven fish-getter. As a trailer fly either fished with the high-stick Euro-method or under an indicator, the Perdigon helps drag a bigger fly down a bit and keep it…
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