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The True Cast – On fly-fishing “heroes”
I have to admit that I sometimes cringe at the notion of anointing fly-fishing “celebrities,” and especially “heroes.” Fly fishing is, after all, a very niche realm. It’s kind of like honoring the world’s best bowling pin jugglers, or hot-air balloon pilots. Sure, there’s always a difference between good and great, but to be…
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Tip – One-Shot Wonder
So, so much attention is paid to casting fancy loops overhead, forming the perfect wind-cutting “U” shape and all that, which is wonderful. But your best friend for setting up a great cast is the water right in front of you. Friction and resistance built up by pulling and lifting a fly line off the…
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The True Cast – The REAL Secret to Catching More Fish
It’s the oldest marketing “hook” in the fishing book. “This is going to help you catch more, bigger fish… guaranteed!” From baits and flies to rods and lines… hooks to books and videos, “catch more fish” are the three magic words (some would say for better or worse). Now, whether those things live up to…
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The True Cast – cheering for the fish
I Often Cheer for the Fish
I Often Cheer for the Fish The trout is sipping mayflies off the surface. The angler wades carefully into position, ties on the perfect fly, and metes out some line. He times the rises… one to the left… now to the right… then, just a few feet lower in the run. He girds himself against the…
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The True Cast: The Truth About “Euro Nymphing”
If you want to fall for Euro nymphing, knock yourself out. But let’s be honest about a few things.
I remember messing around at the “Toilet Bowl” run under the spillway on Colorado’s Frying Pan River with the late, great guide Kea Hause. The Toilet Bowl literally held tons of big trout, but the water was so turbid and roily (hence the name), you couldn’t fish it like you might the “Texas Bend” or…
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The True Cast: Upstream, downstream.
Some thoughts on teaching kids about fly fishing.
Some thoughts on teaching kids about fly fishing. I’m often asked by eager parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, what is the right age to introduce a kid to fly fishing? My answer is always the same: It depends on the kid! And, more important, it depends on how you define “introduce to fly fishing.” A…
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The True Cast: Wanna fly fish? DON’T tie yourself up in knots.
Before getting into specifics, it’s worth pointing out one fundamental truth: a well-tied knot is far more effective than any fancy knot recipe.
A number of years back, Scientific Anglers completed a study of “people who expressed interest in fly fishing but didn’t quite engage,” asking them what the main obstacles were that prevented them from getting over the proverbial hump. It boiled down to two things. First was casting – some thought making fancy loops was a…
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