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The True Cast – As Americans, we are lucky.
Sure, we’re living in divisive times and there are things that concern most of us for different reasons and in different ways in America these days. But the bottom line is that this collective “experiment in democracy” is still kicking (and then some) 247 years after a roomful of visionaries gathered in Philadelphia to literally…
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The True Cast – My Dad Caught a Trout!
Maybe the best “catch” of my life…
Maybe the best “catch” of my life… So much in fly fishing has to do with family and passing the tradition down from generation to generation. Dads teaching daughters, mothers teaching sons, and all that. Which is wonderful. That’s the thread. And that’s what makes fly fishing amazing. It’s never, ever, really about the how…
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The True Cast – Teaching vs. Telling
When it comes to stream etiquette, knowing the difference is key. “Almost everyone loves to be taught how to fish. And almost everyone hates to be told how to fish.” I say that all the time, because it’s a lesson I learned by trial and error over 30 years—through printed pages in magazines, interacting in…
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The True Cast – Barbless… it isn’t just for fish.
I’ll spare you the bloody hand, gushing finger or torn scalp photos. Because the truth is that, while gore might be a digital traffic magnet, there’s really no reason for any trout angler to suffer a puncture wound with a deeply embedded barbed hook. And if you do, I’m sorry, but that’s on you. …
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The True Cast – Every cast should have a purpose
Can you imagine an NFL game where the kicker gets to boot away until the ball finally travels through the uprights? How about baseball where it’s “10 strikes, yer out!?” Or how about matches at golf’s Ryder Cup with unlimited “Mulligans?” None of that makes sense and neither does fly-fishing when we’re firing casts off…
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The True Cast – Is It About Fishing Or Conservation?
Can we please stop asking this divisive, short-sighted, counterproductive, and insulting question? I get asked fairly often if Trout Unlimited is a “conservation” entity, or an organization rooted in “fishing for trout.” Aside from TU, I am also asked whether I think there’s a genuine conservation ethic among most trout anglers, or if we’re just…
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The True Cast – Earbud music and fly fishing… a righteous pairing, or disgusting party foul?
Okay, I can’t help myself; sometimes I like to stir the pot and instigate debate, just because I can. But this is one I actually wrestle with myself, because I’ve been on both sides of the argument many times. The question is: Is it cool to fish with earbuds, listening to music as you make…
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