It’s early October in eastern Canada. A misty drizzle gives the air a pregnant, mysterious quality. My guide and I carefully are driving along a pothole-infested, filing rattling dirt road; his turns with unquestionable assurance. The truck has long seen better days. All imaginable dashboard lights are on; I doubt he cares. Together, we have […]
Icons: Simon Gawesworth
Icons, a web series from Swing the Fly, looks at the most influential figures in spey casting and swinging flies from North America and beyond in the 21st century. In this installment, we visit with Simon Gawesworth, one of the greatest Spey casting instructors and authors to grace our sport. Simon talks in this article about his latest book, his favorite rivers in both the U.K. and the U.S., his memories of times fishing on his own, and the Miracle of Istanbul.
Episode 66 – David Bishop
I got the chance to speak with David Bishop this week. Listen in as we discuss fishing at two-years-old, the beauty of casting, working for yourself, running lodges, the Gaspe Fly Company, Atlantic Salmon, river ecology, the outdoors resurgence that came with COVID, river etiquette, and canoes.
The Last Salmon
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!”
Terminal Thinking
Terminal thinking seems especially prevalent as we contemplate the changes to our lives in a post-COVID-19 world. It’s a tough time to be a swinger of flies. On the West Coast, steelhead guides and fishermen lost a good chunk of their season due to the closure of rivers and non-essential businesses…. Become a member of […]
A Handful of Flies from the Kola Peninsula: Part I
The Belousiha River Lodge is a small fishing camp on Russia’s Kola Peninsula.