Currently browsing… Fly fishing
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Tip – Fishing a new river
Sometimes approaching a new river can be overwhelming. Dissecting it to determine where the fish are holding, how to cast to them and what flies to use invokes serious consternation among all anglers, beginners and experienced alike. These tips should help you break down each aspect, teaching you what to look for, how to prospect…
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The True Cast – The smell of mud
I can smell spring coming. It reminds me of walking to the school bus stop in Wisconsin, in a lost era when the ground would be covered by Thanksgiving with snowfall that would last until St. Patrick’s Day. After a long, dark winter, I would yearn for the special sunny morning when I would catch…
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Caring for the Kenai
Renowned Alaskan river is part of TU’s Priority Waters Alaska’s famed Kenai River is beloved by many. Its frigid, glacial-blue waters run 82 miles and offers great fishing throughout. The abundance of easily accessible fishing opportunities attracts visitors and residents alike. This cherished river is one of Trout Unlimited’s Priority Waters, and I’m here to…
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The True Cast – That bug thing… how do I pick the right fly?
If you told me I could only pick six patterns to fish for trout anywhere in America, these are the patterns I’d pick.
Fly fishing for trout encompasses many challenges, which I think is much of the appeal of the sport in the first place. It is, as my friend Monte Burke so eloquently explained, all about puzzle solving; How do I make this cast? How do I know where a trout will be in the river? How…
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Tip – Fishing Streamers
Tom Rosenbauer teaches us all about fishing streamers. When and why to fish them, how and a bit about fly and gear selection. If you’re new to fly fishing, this can be a great way to learn where fish live in rivers. You can cover a lot of water and be more effective in dirty…
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Are my secret streams really my secret to keep?
Anglers have a complicated relationship with secrecy.
Anglers have a complicated relationship with secrecy. We hope a secret fly or lure, or bait will give us an edge. We get a tingly feeling when a friend entrusts us with knowledge of a secret spot. But secrets also bring their own stresses and disappointments. There is nothing quite like the endorphin rush you…
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The True Cast – It isn’t about the gear. It’s about the hook.
When I first signed on as the editor of TROUT magazine, the great John Merwin—author of The New American Trout Fishing and then the fishing editor for Field & Stream—offered me some friendly advice. “Run a cover that shows a trout with a Panther Martin lure hanging out of its mouth,” he said. “That’ll get…