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
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
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
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
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
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,
I was recently asked by someone I had just met, “What do you do?” I paused before responding because that was a loaded question. Where do I start? What don’t I do? How to answer this question? A list of optional responses flashed in my mind in that micro-second of a moment. I function as the glue that holds my family together. I’m a mother and do all that motherly stuff –even with a college student. I’m a wife, and although that’s completely different from being a mother, there’s a nurturing, l
In 2008, Lynn Camp Prong, a stream in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was closed to fishing to restore native Southern Appalachian Brook Trout to their home water. Like the ‘brookies,’ I have always considered it my home water. It has always been a favorite place for our family and only a short drive from our home in Townsend, Tennessee. The end of the gravel road where the trail follows the stream is the place we love to fish, hike and play as a family. Throughout the past seven yea
Last year some women friends and I took a trip to the Bighorn River in southeast Montana for dry fly fishing. It’s a tail-water river known for a trifecta: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and White Fish. They tend to be large and wily, even the ‘whities.’ While my friend, Terry and I fished our arms off last year for trout, my friends took another approach; a more leisurely approach. Their guide, they announced, was taking them for a day of Carp fishing with Martinis. A picnic they said. All we
These days, I have to remind myself that I’m still new to fly fishing. From an early age, I was fortunate to be exposed to skiing, hiking, and backpacking. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, so I’m no stranger to stunning mountains, water, and fresh air. For years, I had a peripheral awareness of fly fishing and a slight curiosity about the sport — but it wasn’t until this year that I finally decided to take my curiosity a step further. In April, just as I was in a solid routine
Using hollow tied buck-tail, schlappen and a peacock eye, this fly moves a lot of water and will get the attention of your favorite toothy critter. Smaller than many modern flies of its type, this fly is easy to cast and produces fish. Dun Magazine ~ Tails and Ties ~ Da Perch from Dun Magazine on Vimeo.
Finland is a small country of 5.2 million residents and thousands of lakes, located next to Sweden in Scandinavia. Our beautiful country has a lot of potential for fly fishing across the country, since the waters are easily reached. No matter where you live, there is always a lake or two next to you. Even though we have four amazing seasons for fly fishing, Finland still isn’t as familiar a fishing destination as our neighbor countries, Sweden and Norway. We would now like to introduce some of o
My favorite season is Fall or what I like to call “Musky Season.” You can catch Musky in any season in rivers and lakes, but there is nothing like a beautiful fall Musky that has been feeding in preparation for winter. They are known as the fish of 10,000 casts with 700 teeth, 2 of them actual canines. What’s not to like? It amazes me the odd looks I get when I tell people my passion is Musky on the fly. A Musky is built like a submarine, but approaches like a torpedo. The bulk of my fishin
