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Aim small, miss small
My son, Paul, and I are elk and deer hunters. A few years back, we had the good fortune of meeting up at the rifle range with our friend Matthew (last name anonymous because he’s working a high-level security detail now) who is a former SAS sniper. He spent two days coaching us on the details of precision shooting. We went over everything from breath control, to the delicate process of…
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How to turn ‘movers’ into ‘eaters’ when streamer fishing
A few days ago a friend was telling me about a fishing trip when he used a familiar phrase. “We moved quite a few fish,” he said of the float trip on a Pennsylvania stream known for its big brown trout. That sentence, one I’ve uttered plenty myself over the years, is basically a euphemism…
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A clean fly line makes for a clean cast
When I was younger, I put myself through college mowing lawns. I worked for a great guy who built a solid business trailing lawn mowers all over the Denver suburbs and unleashing a team of college and high-school kids to get the work done. But every Monday morning, instead of meeting at some Cherry Hills…
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With any new pursuit, it’s all about the first step
I had a birthday recently, and received a very thoughtful gift from my girlfriend. After mentioning some time back that I was interested in trying my hand at distilling my own essential oils, I was thrilled to open up a box that contained a basic, do-it-yourself still. And, no, I’m not going to start off…
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On cheesesteaks and fly reels
I’ve believed for a long time that, in the context of fly fishing for trout, a reel is basically just a place to hold your fly line. But I’m starting to rethink all of that. That’s kind of like saying that the roll on a Philadelphia cheesesteak is really just there to keep your fingers from…
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What was your best fishing trip ever?
Editor's note: Periodically, we'll pose questions to a " fly-fishing roundtable" of TU anglers in hopes of spurring discussion among all anglers about all things fly fishing. This week: What was your best fishing trip ever? The father-son North Woods adventure I’m lucky. Very lucky. I’ve been around the world with a fly rod in hand,…
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Winter blues, cabin fever and Appalachian envy
April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. —T.S. Elliot It’s still cold and gray here in the steppe country of eastern Idaho. Snow still covers the yard. Snow is still in the immediate forecast. Winter’s not done yet. Not even…
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