Fishing Junk Water
What started as the sketchiest junk lake turned into something much harder to leave behind
3/20/2026Michelle Jarvie9 min read
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
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
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
Latest
Bambeau
Gin clear, slow moving, spring creek water. Birds singing in the background. I am casting, squatted down far from the bank so as not to scare the spooky fish. I can barely see the spot where I know there’s gotta be a fish. False cast a few times to get enough line out to hit my target. My #10 black leech lands spot on. I am mixing it up - slow retrieve, long pause, fast retrieve, pause – a subtle pull back, I set the hook. Darn, missed the fish! Cast again – hit my target - mix up the re
Lahontan Trout
From the time I was a little girl, I was always different. While other parents were successfully dressing their daughters for school in adorable ruffles and smocked dresses, my parents were wrestling me out of Dad’s fishing waders and rubber boots just long enough to go to school. I was a girl acting in a uniquely creative, vehemently independent, and bracingly inquisitive manner. I regularly challenged my parents as I wandered the creeks behind our home in search of exciting adventures and n
The Last Frontier
There are countless reasons of why I love fly fishing. It allows you to meet amazing people, and go to amazing places to see Mother Nature do her finest work. It’s a hobby that opens so many doors for those who are truly passionate about it. Just through posting fishing pictures on social media, I have made new connections to people who share my love of the sport. Some of these people I can meet with in person, and some live on the other side of the country. Some are now my closest friends who
The Golden West
When I left France to come to America after the second World War, my friends from school predicted that I would marry “The King of Chewing Gum.” The man I married many years later wanted to work at a service station that had a sign “Gone Fishing” and that’s how I found fly fishing and a whole new life. Our circle of friends were all men; avid fly fishers with just a couple women who went along with their husbands and enjoyed this new sport. A friend and I decided to start a “Women Fly Fishing”
Breathe
As I get closer to the river I start to hear her breathe. The birds keep a busy lead as the water thrums a heavy rhythm. Each step, I try to hold a steady tempo. The ballad ebbs as I remember why I am here. This is a new section of river for me and I’ve heard there are brook trout, the only native trout to this region, which grow to the size of sweet potatoes. Brookies have become my passion, for I can’t seem to get their resplendent colors from my thoughts. My connection to the brook trout h
The Deceiver
Materials and tying notes for the Deceiver.
The Bad Hair Day
The Bad Hair Day is one of my go to minnow flies. This fly darts and dives and moves unlike any fly before. This fly landed some of the largest Tarpon we hooked in Tabasco. Hook: Favorite Streamer Hook Tail: Craft Fur, Flash Body: Reverse Tied Craft Fur Keys to tying this fly: Make sure you leave a little of the under fur in the Craft Fur, it provides a little bulk giving this fly a little larger profile. Have fun with colors on this fly, don’t be afraid to try something unusual. DUN Magazi
Permission Slip
Mozart was composing music at the age of 3. By 3, Tiger Woods shot a 48 over 9 holes. At age 3, I was trying to cut my own hair all the way at the scalp with craft scissors and ate a spoonful of dirt because the neighbor kid told me to. It was evident that I was lacking the composition of a “future child sensation.” To this day, none of my underlying or undiscovered marvelous skills or talents have surfaced. Two weeks shy of my 40th birthday, I have embraced the notion that it’s not just th
Taking on Tenkara
A few years back, when I first ventured into the world of fly-fishing, I remember my friend sending me an advertisement for something called a “Tenkara” rod, accompanied by a message that we should check these rods out for our backcountry adventures. I also recall my immediate rejection of the idea of tackling a new style of fishing. My immersion into fly-fishing was still very fresh, and shedding the comfort of my reel not only seemed unappealing, it was out of the question. Easily brushing o
Household Chores
I shirked my household chores today. First a latte. Then I wrangled the canoe on top of the car. And a second latte. I was ready to go fish. At a lake with plentiful, large and easy Bass. At least that’s what I was told. So a short drive ensues. Unload the canoe. Make sure coffee cup doesn’t tip over as I launch the canoe. And I start fishing. And I catch some fish. Small Bluegills. A Sunfish. But they’re fish. And there are the turtles. The lake is so clear I can see them sever
Fly Fishing at 13,000 Feet
When I was preparing this article and thinking about my first fly fishing experience, I was inspired by a quote by Mahatma Gandhi . “A country’s society can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” My best friend, Andres Vidal, has been my biggest influence through my fly fishing learning process. One day while talking about fishing, he told me “When you feel the vibration of the fly rod for the first time, when you capture and land your first fish on a fly rod, Gandhi’s words will bec
Fishing With the Big Boys
My first day saltwater fly fishing dawned with promise. Efren, my Captain for the day, pointed our bow east into the rising sun. Small pink and blue cloud puffs and a slight choppiness on the water were the only reminders of the storms that had preceded our arrival. As we gained speed, the salty air rippled through my hair and a familiar calm filled my heart. One of the joys of fishing is often simply being on the water in a beautiful place. We pulled up near a small plastic buoy. Dorado,