Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), has documented a steady decline of trout numbers in its famous southwest streams since 2011. Hardest hit
Many (? most) fly fishers obsess over their fly selection. They carry more than a few boxes of flies at all times, and spend a
Judged by blogs and books, it seems that most anglers are obsessed with catching a trophy trout. But what exactly is a trophy trout? Although
While “to tightline or suspension nymph” may at first appear to be a binary question, it is not intended to be so. Each of these
We’ve done our research, come to the stream, looked about, maybe looked at some streambed stones, tied on our fly(s), and waded in. But after
It is increasingly difficult to find solitude on many of our trout streams. When I began fly fishing 60 years ago, fly fishing was a little
Let me make it clear at the outset that I am a dyed-in-the-wool wade-fisherman. For some time now, I have spent most or all of
Perhaps best known for his later work, “Nymphs and the Trout” (1958), I recently found Sawyer’s first book, “Keeper of the Stream” (1952). He grew
This summer, fishing buddy Reid and I decided to explore the waters of western Wyoming. We couldn’t go until late-September, and therefore knew that the
I have just published the 2nd edition of my book, “The Ramblings of an Aging Angler, Lessons Learned While Fly Fishing for Trout”. It
The West is in the midst of an unprecedented heatwave, with daily ambient temperatures running 10-15 degrees above normal. In addition, the winter snowpack was
I noticed a change last year, 2019, when fishing my home water in Montana, the Madison River. There were fewer fish, especially larger fish. So
Hikers often carry a Camelbak or water bottles to maintain hydration, but why should anglers? We’re standing in or floating on water all day long,
I just returned from a week fly fishing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a long sought adventure. “The Bob”, as it is affectionately known by
Winter is nearing its end here in Montana, although begrudgingly. One day it’s sunny and nearly 70 degrees, and the next it’s 30 degrees with
The weather in Virginia had been horrible. Snow, snow, snow, and cold, cold, cold! Then came the sudden change of warm weather, with snow melt,
For many first-time anglers, the journey begins in a drift boat, on a big western stream. Captivated by their experience, I’m often asked what one
I just returned from a trip, fly fishing for brown trout in Nelson NZ. Roughly twelve years ago, I visited the Taupo Region of the
I think that Leonard Wright Jr. is one of the twentieth century’s most overlooked fly fishing authors. Well known to his contemporaries, his works have
Orvis acquired Scientific Anglers several years ago. Since that acquisition, the Orvis lines have undergone a complete overhaul. The most recent line upgrade was recently
This August, fishing-buddy Reid and I chose to go fly fishing in Central Idaho. From our Montana base in Ennis, we drove west, through the
Last month, in “Fly Fishing the Subsurface, Suspension Nymphing“, I began a series of blogs reviewing techniques used to fly fish the subsurface for trout.
“Tactical Fly Fishing”, by Devin Olsen, is the latest book by a member of the Fly Fishing Team USA. Like previous team members’ books, it
When I take newcomer fly fishers to a stream, one of the first questions asked is where to cast the fly. Teaching newcomers to read
I was prompted to write this blog after reading an editorial, written by 13 year old Kian Tanner, already an avid trout angler. It was
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