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The Woolly Bugger … more than just a streamer
The good, old Woolly Bugger is likely the first fly those new to fly tying craft at the vise, and I don’t know any anglers who don’t have ‘Buggers in their fly boxes. In fact, I know anglers who have entire boxes dedicated solely to the tried-and-true streamer. But the Woolly Bugger is so much…
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Snake train your dog, for you and for them
This is Maya. Maya is a 3-year-old pudelpointer, and she’s the best bird dog I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve had a handful because I enjoy hunting upland and waterfowl, probably as much as I enjoy fly fishing (shhhh… don’t tell the brass at TU I just said that). No offense to Tess, Belle,…
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What species is the ‘fish of your lifetime?’
Brook trout might be the most stunning of all, but are they the 'fish of a lifetime?' All photos by Chris Hunt. I’ve spent a lifetime chasing trout along the spine of the continent. Save for about 10 of my 52 years, where I’ve lived elsewhere due to circumstance or obligation, my views have always…
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Video: Navigating a turn in a drift boat
It’s one thing to float down a river in a drift boat or a raft while not fishing. There’s no doubt it takes skill and lots of practice to become masterful at it. But, it's completely different to row someone while fishing. I might even go out on a limb and say the best rowers…
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Boats in books … and dreaming about rivers
by Greg McReynolds I’ve read “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame to all of our kids. It’s a wordy book, full of the kind of slow, descriptive prose that is perfect for winding down a restless four-year-old just before bedtime. My favorite passage comes early in the book, after the mole leaves his…
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What’s your go-to attractor pattern when nothing’s hatching?
A native Yellowstone cutthroat trout falls for Slumpbuster during high water in June 2020. Chris Hunt photo. This is a pretty common dilemma, both when fishing larger rivers and especially when searching small water for trout. I’m a big fan of attractor patterns — bugs that don’t look like any one particular bite of trout…
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How to keep your fishing boat quiet
There are many considerations when getting into a boat. These obviously include safety, comfort and logistics. This list goes on and on, but the one thing anglers need to think about that other boaters do not, is noise. It's is a much bigger problem in hard boats versus rafts, but these quick tips can work…
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