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How to use shanks for articulated flies
There are a few choices when it comes to choosing which shank to use for the flies you're tying, but, generally speaking, the idea is the same: shanks let you make longer fly bodies and then hang a "stinger" hook off the rear of the fly
And which ones to use, depending on the patterns you're tying I started using shanks for tying articulated flies a couple of years ago, and last year, in Argentina, I enjoyed some great streamer days for big trout using the fruits of my labor. There are a few choices when it comes to choosing which…
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The desert browns of the Owyhee
TU is leading a coalition of sportsmen to permanently protect the Owyhee Canyonlands The thing that strikes me most about the Owyhee River is the incongruity. This amazing trout stream springs from, and flows for many miles through, a desert. Okay, most of this country is technically sagebrush steppe. But it’s dry, hot and largely…
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How to tie the Yellow Humpy fly pattern
As attractor dry flies go, the Humpy is near the top of my list. Tied to imitate nothing in particular, but still incredibly "buggy," the Humpy is a great high-floating searching pattern for trout in backcountry settings. But, as with a lot of my favorite attractors, the Humpy can be a real pain to tie.…
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How to catch four cutthroat trout subspecies in one day
An angler uses one fly, drives 600 miles and completes the Utah Cutthroat Slam before the sun sets By Jeff Bringhurst Downtown Salt Lake City was quiet at 4:30 a.m. as we stood in front of a camera explaining our plan. The sun was just starting to illuminate the peaks of the Wastach Mountains. It…
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A look at Loon’s new Rogue hook-removal forceps
For me, a good pair of forceps has become a requirement on the water, particularly during summer when I'm fishing more frequently and, subsequently, catching more fish (hopefully!). Forceps or hemostats are great multi-purpose tools — they help with hook removal, they mash barbs down and they can even be helpful when untying knots. But,…
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Deet and your fly line
Chad quickly reached into a pocket in his sling pack and pulled out a little bottle of bug spray. He quickly doused in his exposed arms in the oily concoction and then passed it around. Johnny did the same — a few pumps and then he handed the bottle to me.
We'd just finished hiking out of a steep canyon after an afternoon of pretty solid fishing. The hike itself was a bear — straight up a rugged ATV trail several hundred feet. By the time we got to the top, we were sweaty and hot, and the little trout stream was a ribbon of silver…
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The ethics of the dropper
By Chris Hunt The ethics of fly fishing can get pretty sticky, or at least I’m gleaning that from social media, where some folks aren’t afraid to scold fellow anglers for teetering on the edge of angling impropriety, whether that impropriety is real or perceived. For instance, when did using a “dropper” become taboo? Last…
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