“Winter bites with its teeth, or lashes with its tail." - Montenegrin >Proverb You can easily tame the beast of winter with layering and preparation. A successful winter fly fishing outing begins with insulation. Start with a Patagonia Merino mid-weight bottom along with a pair of the SIMMS Guide pant for the bottom half. For the upper half, layer the…
Read More
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."- Nathaniel Hawthorne Sunday, November 2nd is the end of Daylight Saving Time and with the days already getting shorter as we move towards the December Solstice,our autumnal sunshine is very precious. There is plenty of time to hibernate in the months to come. Don't…
Read More
"I am so glad I live in a land where there are Octobers."- L.M.Montgomery October is more than just an excuse to drink beer or don a costume and trick or treat. October days are among the most pleasant of the year. For a fly fisherman, October means Fall Baetis, Mahogany Duns, Red Quills, and aggressively feeding fish. These are…
Read More
"There are as many reasons why and ways to fish as there are people who do it."- Russell Chatham Why? A season can be a reason: Cottonwoods bejeweled in gold; Mountains tipped with snow; Windshields frosted with morning dew. And the colors...Blue Winged Olive, Mahogany, Red Quill, Golden Brown...are reason enough. While I love all the seasons in which trout…
Read More
"What brings us back to fishing is its glorious uncertainty"- Arnold Gingrich In fly fishing, the anticipation adds to the drama. Will the hatch be early or late? Will it happen at all? Each cast, each presentation becomes a question. Do I have the right fly? The right drift? Will the fish rise again? Did I put him down? I…
Read More
"Don't count the hours by the number of trout caught....Catch that day and hold on to it." -Jack Denton Scott The next few weeks are some of the best of the season. When I imagine fishing nirvana the leaves are golden, the water is clear, and the sky is azure. I imagine the fall. In that day dream it matters not if…
Read More
"Our tradition is that of the first man who sneaked away to the creek when the tribe did not really need fish." - Roderick L. Haig-Brown A river Never Sleeps Now is a great time to sneak away. In Fall the waters are in perfect shape and most of the other anglers have returned to work or school. Your favorite…
Read More
“You can observe a lot just by watching.” Yogi Berra The next time you go the stream take pause and just watch. Don't cast. Don't fish blind; only fools rush in. September is a visual feast for the angler. The clarity of the air, the angle of the light, the colors of the flora all contribute to the mood. Narrow…
Read More
“To go fishing is the chance to wash one’s soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of sun on blue water. It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity toward tackle-makers, patience toward fish, a mockery of profits and egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not…
Read More
“Really, the only thing a psychiatrist can do that a good (fishing) guide can't is write prescriptions.” ― John Gierach This is the time of year most anglers salivate like Pavlov's dog. The days are shorter and the morning temperatures are cooler. The mountains have seen their first dusting of snow and there is a hint of yellow in the…
Read More
Photo Credit: Bob Knoebel “The season is ended. There was not enough of it; there never is." – Nick Lyons However, there are still opportunities to wet a line. You may just need to travel farther afield. Or you can begin to look forward to next season. With the current snow water equivalent at or above 140% of normal in…
Read More
Photo Credit: Bob Knoebel “To a river, as to any natural force, an obstruction is merely an opportunity. For the river's nature is to flow" – Wendell Berry Last week's avalanches in Hailey, which temporarily blocked flows on the Wood, served as a reminder of the power of nature and taught a lesson in persistence. As temperatures rise and the…
Read More
