GEAR

The Simms Guide Classic Wader and Jacket

I’m a bit of a gear junkie. I love good gear and I love good technology. I can also tend to be a brand snob. When I got into fly fishing back in the day, I wore Simms boy’s waders, casted a Sage 9’ 5-wt Light Line and had a Ross Gunnison reel. Everything about the setup was classic and beautiful, and it worked like a charm to get me literally hooked on this sport, except the waders. While the Simms waders were well-made and never leaked even though I put them through the ringer, I have to say th

2/25/2021Jen Ripple

Survival of the Fittest - Or Most Prepared

This is the current view from my office window…in Tennessee. I moved here from Chicago four years ago because I wanted to be somewhere warm, without that white stuff, and without the single-digit temperatures. To say I feel like I was sold a bill of goods this morning when I woke up to 3 degree temperatures is an understatement. I currently heat my house with a wood burning stove, and while I live in the middle of a forest and am surrounded by "fuel" for said stove, currently that "fuel" resemb

2/16/2021Jen Ripple

Scientific Anglers Takes Packaging to the Next Level

I love it when a company that makes great products already comes up with a totally out of the box (or in this case INSIDE the box) idea. It’s no secret that I’m a big conservationist. I’ve been shouting it from the riverbank for as long as I have been fishing. To me, fishing and conservation go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other. That’s exactly why it’s important to me when a fly-fishing company pushes the bar upward with a product that has the potential to change the way we’ve

9/16/2020Jen Ripple

RIO SlickCast Lines

Full confession. I’m terrible when it comes to my fly lines. I have boxes of lines in my office and even one of those line winders so I can easily change out lines … but I never do. I have lines on different reels and that's where they stay. It’s not really because I’m lazy, it’s because I’m particular. When I find something I like, I use it – and abuse it – until it’s no longer usable. Case in point, this poor fly line. Every time I pull out my rod and cast this line I wonder if today’s the d

6/22/2020Jen Ripple

Latest

Just When We Thought the Flats Pro Series Was Perfect

When I first laid eyes on RIO’s DirectCore Flats Pro fly lines the first thing I noticed was how beautiful they were. The color is what sets this line apart to begin with. But, what good is color if it doesn’t work? Then, I tried the Flats Pro and it has been my hands-down favorite saltwater line since. It is, in fact, the line I use when I’m fishing for saltwater species and (shhhhh) for big bass here in the dead heat of summer. These lines became so popular with anglers that RIO has expanded

5/8/2020Jen Ripple

Three Reasons to Rent a Rod Instead of Buy

Years ago, during the process of a divorce, I rented a brand new and very expensive home intending to purchase it in the aftermath. It was five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and had all the top of the line bells and whistles you would expect with a higher market home. By all outward appearances, it was perfect. And then I lived in it. The first time the large jacuzzi tub in the master suite was used, my son, who was doing his homework at the dining room table below, announced there was water d

11/26/2019Jen Ripple

Why Your Cooler Needs an Upgrade

I have to admit; I was not fast to jump on the Yeti bandwagon. I'm not usually a cult follower and thought it was ridiculous that a cooler would sell for so much. Maybe, just maybe, I was also a little jealous that a company could turn something that's been around forever and worked just fine, into that cult item. But over the years, I've become a believer. I've become a believer because the products are better. While I still don't quite understand why there's a need for a tiny little cooler th

8/22/2019Jen Ripple

Whitewater Smallmouth in Asheville, North Carolina

Some of the most fun you can have in a freshwater destination is not far from downtown Asheville. Couple this amazing bass fishery with a stay at the Biltmore and some of the best food on the planet and you have a trip you’ll be booking every year. Hire: Galen Kipar from Asheville Fly Fishing Co Stay: The Cottage on Biltmore Estate Eat: Migas con verduras at Cúrate Drink: Liquid Truffle at French Broad Chocolate Lounge Boron III Plus By R.L. Winston MSRP - $895.00 photo courtesy of -

12/2/2018Jen Ripple

Red Fishing in Rockport, Texas

Redfish are all the rage and one of the best places to catch them is the Texas coast. In Rockport, you sight fish over grass, sand, mud, and oyster shell flats. These redfish are here year round, so if you need a break from the cold head on down. Hire: Kacee Bones Stay: Casa Pequeña Lodge Eat: Mom's Shrimp at GLOW Drink: Lone Star - The National Beer of Texas at Pop's Thunderhead Duffel By Fishpond USA MSRP - $299.95 photo courtesy of - Fishpond USA Keep Everything Safe Every day o

12/2/2018Dun Magazine

Stripers on Martha's Vineyard

Those who have fished for striper know how addictive this species can be. This 90 square mile island off the coast of Massachusetts is known to be one of the best places to catch striped bass in the country. Martha's Vineyard combines great fishing with amazing food, shopping, and night life. What more do you need? Hire: Abbie Schuster with Kismet Outfitters Stay: Edgartown Inn Eat: Lobster Rolls at Larsen's Fish Market Drink: Cappuccino at Rosewater Vintage Town Beanie By Patagonia

12/2/2018Dun Magazine

Picks for the Munchkins

Olive the Wooly Bugger By Kirk Warner MSRP - $12.95 per book photo courtesy of - Kirk Warner Book Worm Kids and adults alike love the tale of Olive the Woolly Bugger By Now Fly Fishing Teen Expedition By LILLARD starting at - $3,895.00 photo courtesy of - Orvis Let Someone Else Teach This great summer camp offers fly fishing adventures for teens all over the US. Learn More Bug Launcher By TFO MSRP - $89.95 photo courtesy of - TFO A Rod of Their Own Perfect for anglers of any ag

12/2/2018Dun Magazine

Sun Protection - More than Skin Deep

9,500 People diagnosed with skin cancer everyday in the United States 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime 178,560 Number of new cases of melanoma that will be diagnosed in the United States this year 9,320 Deaths attributed to melanoma this year 11,200,000 Estimated total cost of sunburn-related emergency room visits in 2013 1 Number of blistering sunburns during childhood that can double your chance of developing melanoma Ah … summer. The season I wait for all year

7/20/2018Dun Magazine