I sometimes feel as if Angler #1 (Dry Fly Guy) is perched on my left shoulder and Angler #2 (Bottom Ranger) sits on my right shoulder. Angler #1 whispers quietly in my left ear, “Dry or die!” Angler #2 mumbles simultaneously into my right ear, “Go deep or go home!”
Articles
The Forbidden Fruit
Superstitions and fishing go hand and fin. Some anglers have a lucky fishing hat that has been worn for years; others never wash their lucky fishing socks afraid to fade the mojo clean off. A long-time guide on the Rogue once told me that he would grease up his gunnels on the ol’ woody for good luck – so the fish could just slide right in.
Guide Gossip #10: The Fight
Does the position or angle of your rod matter?
Episode 37 – John Shewey
This week I’m joined by John Shewey, Editor in Chief of American Fly Fishing. We had a great discussion about just about everything, including his first fly, chukar hunting, the importance of public lands, diversifying your work, the morality of fishing, the mysteries of hummingbirds, and how to kill a book.
Non-Typical Lies
This article originally appeared in the 2019.1 issue of Swing the Fly magazine and is free to view. Enjoy, and if you’re not already a member, consider joining to get access to all the member content and the Anthology book. As Spey fishers, we dream of the perfect pool. At the head of the pool, where […]
Paris in Summer
Over the years I have received pieces of fly fishing advice that seem to combine both time-tested truth and a devilish elusiveness. Near the top of this list is: “Always be ready for the moment when a fish takes your fly. It can happen any time your fly is in the water, even when you […]
OPINION: Can Washington’s steelheaders rise to the challenge of our steelhead crisis?
So if this is the darkest moment yet for Washington steelhead, and for those who cherish them whether for sport, sustenance, connections to our natural and cultural heritage, or all of the above, where do we go from here?
Going Short
As we roll into a new decade, the options for short two-handed, switch, or even one-handed Spey rods has never been greater, and the interest in going short clearly on the rise. I have seen a consistent decline in the size of my “go to” rods over the last few years with lengths of 11 feet or less being regularly matched with much of my home waters. There are many advantages to shorter rods – both tactically and esthetically – that drive this preference.
The Green Machine and the Rio Grande
Last January, Michael and I finally stood on the banks of the Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego. Like always, we booked on a relatively short notice, but we made it. We even man-aged to fill our fly boxes with all kinds of differnt flies, from Wooly Buggers to tube flies, rubber leg nymphs and Sunray shadows. That took us a few long nights but we were safe for flies. That’s what we thought. There was one fly that we didn’t have in our box. To be honest, we didn’t even think about it. A fly which usually is fished for Atlantic salmon in Canada and has her roots on the Miramichi.
Episode 36 – Steven Bird
It’s a new year and The River Rambler is back at it. I’m joined by Steven Bird this time around and we got to talking about The Soft Tackle Journal, DIY leaders, fishing with his Grandfather, the issue with hero shots, and being the “Bad-Boy” of fishing in the third grade.
Winter Steelhead Rigging
On January 28 at 6:30 p.m. PST (9:30 EST), Swing the Fly Editor Zack Williams will host a live event about rigging for Winter/Spring steelheading.
10 Do’s and Don’ts for Beginner Spey Casters
I’ve had the privilege of teaching several hundred new Spey casters over the last decade, and during that time I’ve had the opportunity to observe ways in which the new caster can start off on the wrong or right foot.