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

Heart Photos

September in Alaska. The sun is still warm, and the bustle of summer is winding down. Most of the tourists have come and gone. The streams and trails are returning to their quieter state, and locals are reemerging to take advantage of the final days before the snow will fall on braided streams and the peaks of the Front Range of the Chugach Mountains. As a year-round resident of Alaska, the shoulder season represents a true transition. Fall is a time to reflect on the adventures of the months

5/21/2020Meghan Barker

Creating Memories One Fish at a Time

I will always remember the first time I caught a fish. It was a beautiful yellow perch about twelve inches long. I was eight years old, fishing with my parents, aunt, uncle and cousins at Oxbow Lake near Defiance, Ohio. It was one of the proudest moments of my childhood. Back then, we used to fish to actually take the fish back home to eat. While my family enjoyed fishing for food, I always viewed fishing more as a way for me to connect with nature, as well as enjoy some peace and quiet. Once I

5/14/2020Angelica Talan

Hungry Trout in WNC

When I first got the idea to chase some trout this past fall in Western North Carolina (WNC), I had no idea that the words delayed harvest, private waters, and Lake Toxaway would become a standard part of my vocabulary. As a lifelong New Englander, I was a bit surprised when I heard that WNC had quantity and quality bows and browns. I left Boston on a chilly day when stripers were making their last push through the beaches of Cape Cod. I put down my Clousers, grabbed some well-recommended Girdl

4/21/2020Cynthia Harkness

The Average Angler

A while back I was asked to be part of a blog post, and to say I was excited was a bit of an understatement. This was a new experience for me. No one had ever reached out to me to do a post on anything, ever, and I was taken aback by their interest. It all seemed pretty simple. They would send me a list of questions, I would answer and include some photos for their post. Then I read their questions, and my heart sank. I was not the person they were looking for. I fish in interesting water, but I

4/20/2020Trinity Ferguson

Water Warriors

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Wendell Berry I have always loved that proverb, but as a non-child bearing woman of nearly 40, I never really had a personal connection to the statement – until one hot September day on the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River. This past year had me thinking a lot about youth. My nonprofit’s silver anniversary was not only a celebration of 25 years of keeping watch over our waters but also served as an opportuni

4/15/2020Becca Klein

Letting Go

I was fishing on the Bulkley River when my Uncle Bill died in an intensive care unit after a protracted illness. He died on a Tuesday while I was getting my ass royally handed to me by fickle steelhead. The water felt dark and hard-hearted that day, and I felt as if I were doing penance for some nameless sin that I was not aware I had committed. Perhaps this was true. Perhaps it was just fishing. Nevertheless, I spent several more fishless days before actually receiving the news of my Uncle’s d

4/14/2020Erica Hickey

Alpine Unicorns

Sometimes we encounter small creatures that make us marvel at nature and her ability to design beauty with gills. One of her finest creations, in my opinion, is the species known as Arctic Grayling (Thymallus Articus) which is a very unique type of freshwater fish. Also known as the “lady of the stream” the arctic grayling is a favorite among many anglers, not because of their size but due to their distinctive and colorful features. Almost like the feathers of an exotic bird, the fin radiates be

4/13/2020Shelen Scout Boyes

Ten Things to Consider When Steelhead Fishing in the Pacific Northwest

Having grown up as an outdoor woman in the Pacific Northwest, it was a requirement to fish for Steelhead. As a child, I have fond memories of conventional fishing on the well-known steelhead rivers in SW Washington. Now an adult and fly angler, I have a complete obsession with only catching steelhead on the swing. The elusive steelhead is one of the most popular sport fish in North America. Despite the numbers decreasing each year, many fly anglers are still obsessed with their pursuit of feeli

3/3/2020Heather Hodson

Yoga on the Fly

Stand in the river. Knee deep. Balance your hips over your feet, and feel the push of the current against your calves. Lean into it and find full-body balance. Breathe in and breathe out. Notice everything about this moment. Engage your senses. Observe the trout's environment deeply. Feel the sun's energy through your clothing. Hear the sounds around you from the loudest to the softest and furthest away. Smell the water, trees, and stones. Know in your heart that you are right where you shoul

2/21/2020Deanna Camp

pixelated myth

"Social media is nothing but a pixelated myth." My pastor hit the nail on the head not only with this sermon point but also when applied to fish pictures across the internet. I have fished enough to know there are some monster-sized trout all over the world, and it is a great achievement to catch one on a fly. However, being a native of the south, I also know that you cannot catch a 10lb native brook trout in a small mountain stream. By skimming social media, it seems the fish get bigger and mi

2/11/2020Corey Hunt

Humbled in Oregon

“You ready to chuck some streamers?” the captain asked me as he and two groomsmen helped me into the boat, making sure the train of my wedding dress didn’t hit the cool waters of the Chattahoochee River below. “Hell yes!” I responded. “Someone hand me the 8 weight.” Day number one as a fly fishing wife wasn’t too bad if I say so myself. Not that I thought married life would be any different - but now I was official. Justin and I were married on the river that gave us our start. It was a beautif

2/10/2020Becca Klein

Goodbye Road

Each year we go on a month-long adventure. Our guide service hosts a week-long trip to Colorado for clients. After that our pack is free to explore wherever the wind blows. Logging some hours on the road from Arkansas, there is usually time for reflection. It has been an interesting journey since our last trip. Right after we had gotten back in July 2017, I had a bike wreck. It was quite ridiculous and feel free to laugh. We certainly did. My husband built a bike ramp for our kids. I thought why

1/18/2020Kati Rouse