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The best gift you can give any angler
I get asked this question “off the record” all the time. What’s the very best thing you can give as a gift to someone who really digs fly fishing? There is, of course, no simple answer. Everyone’s budget is different. Ever angler’s skill level is different, and so on… After a slap of the forehead,…
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The True Cast – Small water: Where it all begins…
Sometimes the smallest water is the most abundant, yet at the same time, the most challenging to fish.
I’ve spent a good part of the past month fishing in saltwater in the Low Country of South Carolina. There’s something special about fishing in the salt, particularly for redfish. Not so much in the open ocean, rather, back in the marshes and flats. Fishing in the backcountry in channels carved by tides is like…
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The True Cast – Saving the planet by fly fishing
I had the great honor of fishing with Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank not long ago. Dana (who has been in the trenches of covering American politics for years) launched a new column, the focus of which is “getting back in touch with our humanity.” Somehow, someone convinced him that spending a couple days on…
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The True Cast – The sensory rewards of Autumn
Enjoying a season through the senses
Fall has always been my favorite season. But years ago, I liked autumn most of all because it’s football season. And what’s more, the baseball playoffs happen! Even basketball and hockey get rolling. What more could anyone possibly ask for? Well… plenty, I guess. Enjoying a season through the senses Lately, I’ve learned to value…
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The True Cast – Why bother with fishing?
I’ve spent a whole professional career writing about fly fishing (at least most of it). And looking back, sometimes I wonder if it was worth it. Sure, the ride has been fun. Who could argue against getting paid to write stories about fishing, and edit magazines and all the other stuff? I’ve seen places I…
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The True Cast – Hunt birds, tie flies, catch trout (in that order)
It’s hard for me to land on anything quite as fun, nor nearly as rewarding, in the whole wide world of fly fishing, as catching a wily, wild trout on a fly pattern you tied yourself. If it’s your own design, so much the better. I often laugh when I remember some of the crazy,…
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The True Cast – The home river: until we meet again, old friend…
It’s always difficult to say goodbye. But I am grateful for these last few weeks we’ve shared together. And I’ll look forward to the next reunion. It’s going to be several months until we meet up again. But you can rest assured that I’ll often think about you, and I’ll be wishing you well in…
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