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 … 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
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
The summer came to an abrupt halt as my three daughters loaded their backpacks and marched off into the first day of the school year. As they began 6th, 3rd and 2nd grades, I reflected on the giggles, questions, snuggles and smiles of these rambunctious girls. Our family owns and runs SaraBella Fishing. We build fly fishing rods, especially for women and girls. We believe that women are smart and beautiful, from the inside out. We started this company to build excellent equipment that is art
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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.,
