Currently browsing… Fly fishing
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When overdoing it is a good thing
Tying flies through the outbreak Like a lot of anglers who endeavor to tie their own flies, either out of economic necessity or simple hubris, I tend to overdo it sometimes. I was scheduled to take a trip at the end of the month to the marshes and beaches of south Alabama (yes … check…
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Random acts of kindness among fellow anglers
Social distancing doesn’t mean we have to detach completely. We are, after all, united in our love of trout. And nothing connects us to them — and one another — quite like fishing. So in this time of unprecedented social distortion, it’s comforting to know that our trout fishing community is still able to find…
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The spey cast, part three
How to avoid the collision loop
We've learned about the "point" and how to avoid the "bloody L" as we learn to spey cast from RIO Products' Simon Gawesworth. Now, the casting artist has his sights set on angles, targets and how to avoid the dreaded "collision loop." https://vimeo.com/382097693 As Simon notes, any fly cast—not just a spey cast—has a distinct…
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The spey cast, part two
On the whole, the spey cast looks a lot harder than it really is. But there is an art to it, and RIO's Simon Gawesworth has mastered that art. For a good spey cast to occur, a lot of little things have to come together, and if you've never spey casted before, it likely looks…
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The spey cast, part one
For some of us long-time trout anglers, the idea of spey casting on trout water used to seem kind of pointless. Who needs to throw that much line, for crying out loud? Well, honestly, you do. And so do I. So, if we don't know how to spey cast, it's time we learn, right? The…
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Querencia: A love of place
In 2011, when I was still president of New Mexico’s Santa Fe (Truchas) Chapter, I was approached by Nick Streit, president of the Taos (Enchanted Circle) Chapter and owner of the Taos Fly Shop, about restoring a section of the Red River in Questa. The Red had been a workhorse for several decades, impacted by…
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Trout art and paraphernalia
When I was young, our family had a condo in a nearby ski town that was affectionately known as the ‘hatchery’ due to the copious amounts of trout art and decorations adorning the walls and tables. I recall attempting to count them at one point, but I couldn’t keep up, especially since I knew of hidden pieces I drew on the studs…