Fishing Junk Water
What started as the sketchiest junk lake turned into something much harder to leave behind
3/20/2026Michelle Jarvie
Fly-fishing
Gradual Untangling
Fly Tying? You want me to tie a fly? No way. I can’t even darn socks. I knew I had enrolled in a fly fishing school, but I never thought about the fly tying aspect that would accompany my studies. School started and there I was, my instructor persuading me to give it a try. Reluctantly I went to the tying area. With a heavy heart, I tried my hand at tying my first fly, and managed to make a large and splendid bug. That disheveled fly went on to startle many fish, but one showed interest; all was
7/20/2018Mari Kitagawa
Oman
Oman … the name alone conjures up images of the desert, sand dunes and camels. This is the place that I now call home and where my husband and I have started our fishing business: Arabian Fly Sport Fishing. Most people’s first reactions are “Oh yeah, I saw the movie Fly Fishing in Yemen. Is it like that?” Well we haven’t built our own river and stocked it with wild salmon, that’s for sure. Our business is saltwater fishing. Oman has over 2000 kilometers of coastline - from rugged, unforgiving cl
6/30/2017Clare Carter King
Wild
Laurentian Great Lakes steelhead are a complex stock of fish. The population is a mixture of hatchery-released and wild, naturally reproduced fish originating from many different streams. Knowing the natal streams of the fish is important to best managing this species, as it allows for targeted conservation and management to the areas that are the major contributors to the total lake population. Fortunately, we may be able to determine the natal stream of a fish by looking at its otolith. Otoli
9/15/2015Nicole Watson
Latest
Fish the Cut
The call went something like this: “Mountain High Fly, this is Sara.” “Ah, yes. Hello. I’m Bub, the rep in your area for______.” “Hi there, Bub.” “So I hear you have a new fly shop.” “Why yes, I do.” [How astute] “So you’ve owned a fly shop before?” “No.” “So then you must have been a guide…?” “Nope.” “…Well whatever possessed you to want to open a fly shop?” “We needed one. Anything else?” Bub didn’t really have anything else except a now defunct sales pitch falling on deaf ears. I thought t
10/1/2016Sara Cahn
2 Large Salmon
We had completed our first and second day of fishing for the wild Atlantic salmon on the majestic Grand Cascapedia River and I was skunked. Peter, my husband and fishing partner for this trip, had landed a 15 pounder on a Bomber and lost a large one on a wet fly on day two. Angling can be more challenging in August especially if the water levels are at rock bottom and warm. The salmon seek deeper and cooler waters. I ended both days thinking the scenery was spectacular and most people would
10/1/2016Sylvie Malo Clark
Hot Bass Flies
So you’ve decided to target largemouth bass. As with any kind of fly fishing, there are loads of options as to which flies to pick. This article will help make that selection a little bit easier with these five top flies for bass. Two things to consider; are you are fishing lily pads or more open water? If you are fishing lily pads you will want to go surface and weedless, if you are fishing more open water, subsurface flies seem to work best. FROGS: Weedless frogs drive bass crazy! You wil
10/1/2016Megan Berns
Spectacular Places
My father always says a large part of his love for fly fishing derives from its ability to bring you to spectacular places that otherwise you may never see. An avid recreational fly fisherman, he has been introducing me to places over the last few years. Although not instantly enamored by the fishing part, I continued to go on the trips because I love to travel and spend time with my family. It wasn’t the idea of fly fishing for bonefish and tarpon that convinced me to go to Cuba; truthfully th
8/1/2016Hannah Kiesler
On Holiday
There’s something about fly-fishing trips in remote places; the whole journey there, when you realize that 99% of everyone else on the plane is from that country and are either going home or to work. Being surrounded by Norwegian people, I had absolutely no idea what was being said, but knowing they are seriously kind and generous people, a polite smile and acknowledgment of acceptance in their country was all I needed to feel safe. My first trip to Norway was 4 years ago. The main purpose of
8/1/2016Lisa Isles
Where The Dinosaurs Roam
I opened the door of the Suburban and swung out my legs. The thud of my wading boots on the packed, dry earth startled me back to attention. I’d been hypnotized for the last hour, sitting in the back seat and staring out the window, while the truck was slowly maneuvered across the roadless ranchland. It was the view. That view! It was magnificent. Mesmerizing. The air was so clear and unpolluted that the sky was Technicolor blue. Was that actually real? It could have been a movie set.
8/1/2016Liz Ogilvie
Escape Route
There are many ways that my life revolves around fishing … beginning with my morning routine. I have two different alarms and my favourite alarm, surprisingly, is the earlier one, because it’s my fishing alarm! I like to get up and at ‘em and bolt through the front door. I habitually check social media on my way to work, particularly to reply to any comments or messages I have received overnight and to scroll through Instagram for a minute or two to get me pumped up for the day – And yes, I fo
8/1/2016Marina Gibson
The Smallest Decision
I sat anxiously until I heard the unmistakable beep of the seat belt sign clicking off. Immediately, I jumped up and snagged my rod case out of the overhead bin. I clutched the case and breathed a sigh of relief, (my eternal fear is that I will forget my fly rod on an airplane). I walked off the plane, breezed through customs, grabbed my white duffel bag, (breathed another sigh of relief knowing my luggage made it) and then walked outside. I was greeted by the intense sunlight, hair-frizzing
8/1/2016Gracie Baldwin
Me, My Baby Bump and Our Fly Fishing Life
My daily life has been all about fly fishing for a while. My dreams, my plans and my energy have all consisted of fly fishing. Happiness has come from every single cast and the rivers have been the road I walk. I have seen, felt and heard just for myself. But when the colors of autumn were behind and the whiteness of winter was landing on the rivers, one season of my life was getting to the end. Since that moment, everything in my world has been different. I am not living only for myself
8/1/2016Veera Viitanen
No Fish
We all know there is nothing better than wading into a stream as the crystal clear water ripples past us, carrying our flies down with it, in hopes that we may get a bite. Unfortunately, in today’s age, these crystal clear streams are becoming less common, with those in the upper Midwest struggling to hold on to their standard of health. The process of maintaining healthy, aquatic ecosystems is under-regulated, leading to devastating effects down stream from the input of excess nutrient pollutio
6/1/2016Alisha Saley
Something Special
There’s just something special about standing knee deep in a river in the early morning hours; suited up in waders, boots, pack on your hip, net on your back and fly rod in your hand, watching the mist slowly come off the river as the early morning sun filters through the trees overhead. Catching fish isn’t the only reason I love fly fishing. I am also drawn to the amazing, wise and inspiring people that you meet along the way; whether that person is a legendary angler, an eager, excited child
6/1/2016Alleigh Raymond
The Golden Rule
I had wondered why my boyfriend’s closet contained more fishing rods than my brain could fathom and what the dozens of fuzzy, hairy things on hooks, strewn all over the desk in the corner of his living room, might be. I knew well, after dating Bill for a few months, that he was an outdoor enthusiast, judging by all the gadgets and gear randomly located around his home. I knew little to nothing about fly fishing, float fishing, hunting, tracking, game calls, fly tying, stocking schedules, etc.,
6/1/2016Jennel Swenson