Nome Buckman

is a fly fishing guide and educator for Reel North LLC based in the UP of Michigan. She has an unhealthy addiction for toothy fish and is Contributing Editor for DUN Magazine.

22 posts

Labrador

The Big Land is synonymous with large brook trout, but the villainous other half of that watery marriage is, shhhhhhh—PIKE. Unlike most anglers, I went to Labrador specifically to target these far northern predators. My destination for this trip is the Atikonak River in Labrador, Canada, which is a rugged, vast, unspoiled, and completely untapped watershed. Located 100 miles due east and slightly south of the city of Wabush, the only way in is a 45-minute floatplane ride. The numerous rivers co

11/5/2018Nome Buckman

Frozen Cup

Want to keep ice in your drink all day? Here is a trick. Put ice in a clean insulated cup and whip it into the freezer the night before. Here at DUN we try to kick plastic, so I skip individual water bottles. Instead I freeze a little water at the bottom of one gallon water jugs. Fill with cold water the morning of and pop the frozen cups into the cooler. When ready to drink, just open the lid and pour ice cold water over the ice. Keeps your drinks super cold all day. You can also freeze a kooz

9/2/2017Nome Buckman

Ice Packs

The dog days of summer may be almost over, but we all still need to keep our food and drinks as cool as possible. I'm a Yeti cooler fan, but this trick works with any cooler. I've learned that if I use the reusable gel freezer packs in combination with a quality cooler, my drinks and food stay not only cool, but dry as well. Keeping up with sanitizing my cooler is a much easier job without ice. Cleaning up the gel ice packs is a snap. You can wipe the freezer packs down after use while still pa

9/2/2017Nome Buckman

Magnetic Cups

I love it when I can steal an idea from another passion to use in fly fishing. I'm a tinkerer. I like to fix things and learn how they work. While helping someone take apart a rider mower carburetor, I discovered the joys of a magnetic parts holder available at most auto parts store. This is no ordinary magnetic dish. It holds up to 4lbs and has a nice rubber base to keep it still and, as it states on the box, can work upside-down. I might not be tying in space anytime soon, but this would be t

9/2/2017Nome Buckman

Moss Animals

Meet the Moss Animal, one of only a few one-celled animals that live in freshwater rivers and ponds. This jelly blob mass looks like something out of a swamp monster movie, but its very nature is innocent. It acts like a water purifier and helps keep fresh water filtered. With a feather-like retractable arm extending from the body, the bryozoan will filter like you see similar feather-like coral filters in the ocean. Bryozoans mostly eat algae, bacteria and other small one-celled animals. The

9/2/2017Nome Buckman

Rolling With the Punches

When you board your first leg of a big trip, your fishing expectations are the highest they will ever be and they remain so as you imagine all the possible things you will see and experience on the water while en route. Even though I’d consider myself a veteran angler who knows fishing is unpredictable at its best, I still love to daydream. Fishing with great distances in between point A and point B can put a lot of stress on whether or not the trip was worth it. I’m here to remind you to kee

6/30/2017Nome Buckman

Aquatic Earthworms

Aquatic earthworms are a close relative to the terrestrial earthworms and live their entire two years of life underwater. They are one of several different types of aquatic worms found in fresh waters all over the world. Aquatic earthworms are the earth movers of the underwater landscape and play an important role in keeping a body of water healthy by eating plant and animal detritus. These earthworms are hermaphrodites, both genders produce eggs when needed. Like regular earthworms, they ca

6/15/2017Nome Buckman

The Gazetteer

In my home, the safe holds no money, but it does hold many gazetteers. Years of accumulated info on where and how to access water, what the better fishing areas are and what species are around, with secrets to each area are scribbled all over my maps. Getting a state gazetteer is a great way to find new water in an old or new area. When fishing an area, mine never leaves my truck. These maps have helped me out of some very lost situations, and have also helped me find treasured fishing spots

6/15/2017Nome Buckman

Using Isopropyl Alcohol to Find Leaks in Waders

This trick only works for any product that uses Gore-Tex as the waterproofing membrane. Have a mysterious sometimes occurring leak in your waders? Try this. Reverse your clean and dry waders. They must be completely dry. At this point, you can do one of two things. Treat the holes immediately (still wet with alcohol) with Aquaseal by dabbing it on in a circular motion with your fingers, pushing the Aquaseal into the hole to fill it. When using Aquaseal you need to let it cure for at least

6/15/2017Nome Buckman

Articulating Shanks

What in the world is an articulating shank? 3-Wire Articulating Shanks by Tumbleweed Fly and Tackle for tying big articulated flies for fresh and saltwater species who want the beef! The 3-Wire shank comes in packs of six with three lengths to choose from. They are also very reasonable. Made in the USA of ultra lightweight wire, the three shanks are bonded together with tying thread to help maintain strength while shedding unnecessary casting weight. I can see using these shanks for SOOOO m

6/15/2017Nome Buckman

Tippet Rings

It’s been an overlooked helper for years. These tiny rings enable you to switch out tippet quickly and productively without burning through dozens of leaders in a season, because tippet rings give you a well-defined break off point. I recommend installing them in the comfort of your favorite reading or fly tying spot where lighting is good and you can see the little buggers. Tippet rings usually come packaged on a snap swivel for on-stream or off-stream ease. I suggest you tie onto the close

4/5/2017Nome Buckman

Hair Clips

I feel I have some explaining to do when checking out with three dozen hair clips at a time when the longest hair on my head is under an inch long. I pipe up and explain it’s for fly tying in an attempt to relieve the perplexed and judgmental look I get. You would think I just told the checkout clerk I’m going to commit murder with these hair clips as the perplexed face turns to shock. It definitely makes for good entertainment. When on the road tying at shows or venues, I get numerous comme

4/5/2017Nome Buckman

Posts by this author

Labrador

Frozen Cup

Ice Packs

Magnetic Cups

Moss Animals

Rolling With the Punches

Aquatic Earthworms

The Gazetteer

Using Isopropyl Alcohol to Find Leaks in Waders

Articulating Shanks

Tippet Rings

Hair Clips