Tag: halcyon

The Smallmouth

Everyone on staff at DUN Magazine is in love with Smallmouth.  If you have not fished for Smallies on the fly, you should put this predator on your list. A Smallmouth is a popular freshwater game fish which is part of the SUNFISH family.   Yes, you read that right! HABITAT Their native habitat is the upper Mississippi, the Ohio, lower Missouri watersheds and most of the Great Lakes. WHEN AND WHERE When fishing for Smallies, water temperature plays a huge role.  We start fishing for them when

12/1/2016•Dun Magazine

Family Affair

Most children pick up the love of fly fishing from their Mom or Dad early on and the obsession only grows from that point.  Because I came to fly fishing through a friend in Montana, I got to flip the traditional roles and be the one to get my parents hooked, (pun totally intended) when they last visited. As we cruised down Gallatin Canyon, the conversation flowed between what was happening in South Dakota, to some aspects of fly fishing, to how teaching was going for me this year.  We had gott

12/1/2016•Andrea Feige

Guided

Fisherman aren’t created equal and some are born to be on the water daily. Most guides I know didn’t choose the path of guiding, but hours, days and months on the water turned the obsession into a career of sharing the experience with others. My experience is that a person decides to go with a guide after numerous strike-outs. When they are filled with doubt and frustration… then they decide to seek a professional to show them the secrets.  Others simply lack the time it takes to become intimate

12/1/2016•Mia Sheppard

Trophies

Growing up, my idea of the perfect summer vacation was heading up to Michigan and staying at my best friend’s family cottage on Big Fish Lake for a week.  She and I would count down the days until we went to ‘The Cottage’ because we couldn’t wait to spend our vacation fishing!  Rain, bugs, cold, nothing stood in the way of the opportunity to fish with our dads. As we got older, we had less opportunities to go fishing, so it wasn’t until about a year ago that my eyes were opened to this sport. 

12/1/2016•Rachel Lubarski

My Journey

In 2012, I was going through a very tumultuous time in my life.  I had just gotten the job of my dreams; becoming a Park Ranger.  With it, came the responsibility of moving to the park.  Not only did I have to leave the home I had lived in for the previous decade, but I was now far away from friends and family, and suddenly dealing with relationship stress and indifference from my boyfriend of nearly10 years.  When I moved to the park, that relationship ended: and so a new chapter in my life beg

12/1/2016•Nicky Diaz

Rejects

It’s that time of year; if you live in the north, most of the waters are frozen and, for the most part, you have to put your equipment away for the season.  Holidays consume much energy and help distract from the fact that you are suffering from withdrawal.  This is when fly tying season explodes, as we anglers are not willing to give up the ghost and we need hope to get us through to next spring.  Many new fly tiers will be born in these next few months. When you start to tie your own flies, a

12/1/2016•Nome Buckman

Thread Sizes

There are round threads and flat threads.  There are single and multi-strand threads.  There are threads with texture and threads that stretch.  There are even threads that are pre-waxed, and all come in every color of the rainbow.  Telling them apart can be a nightmare.  Understanding the difference will make picking the right thread for the right fly easy. In this edition we will talk about the different sizes of threads. Threads are measured in two main ways in fly tying:  Denier and aught:

12/1/2016•Dun Magazine

The Stripping Guard

No doubt while shopping at your local fly shop, you've seen a stack of these. What is it? Do I need it? A stripping guard is a basically a protective sleeve that goes over your stripping fingers to prevent them from getting cuts and burns while stripping and setting the hook.A stripping guard can really come in handy when you're fishing saltwater, large fish, textured or thin fly lines.  In addition, these can be helpful when your hands have seen a lot of time in the water and can also protect

12/1/2016•Dun Magazine

The Bodkin

Spend any time around fly tiers and someone is bound to bring up the term bodkin or ask you if they can borrow yours.  At that point, knowing what a bodkin is could be quite helpful. What is a bodkin? A bodkin is basically a needle in a holder for easy use.  Bodkins can make many aspects of tying easier.  Here are a few ways that we use our bodkins. 1)  Applying head cement to a finished fly. 2)  Picking out trapped fibers after wrapping or palmering a material. 3)  Stabbing your next door

12/1/2016•Dun Magazine

Punta Gorda, Belize

Standing around your local fly shop and hearing all the amazing destinations to travel to is exciting, but can be frustrating if you have no idea where they are talking about. Here is a little help from us! Where is It? Punta Gorda (PG) is located in the southern part of Belize near Honduras and Guatemala.  PG is lesser known destination compared to Ambergris Key in the north, which means very little fishing pressure compared to other saltwater destinations. What to fish for? PG is a Permit,

12/1/2016•Dun Magazine

The Fly Reel

We've all been there.  Standing in our local fly shop when the associate asks "What style of fly reel do you prefer?"  For many freshwater fishing situations, the reel is mainly a line holder, but for hard fighting or big fish the reel becomes one of the most important pieces of equipment. The Arbor The arbor is the center of the reel that the backing and line are tied to and wound around.  There are three general sizes of arbor:  large, mid and small.  The arbor you pick is not just about the

12/1/2016•Dun Magazine

Martinez Martini

Ice Cubes 1 oz Gin 2 oz  Sweet Vermouth .5 oz  Luxardo Liqueur 2 drops Orange Bitters 2 drops Old Fashion Bitters To build: Chill your favorite martini glass. Combine all of the ingredients into your shaker, add fresh ice cubes and shake.  Double strain the cocktail into your chilled martini glass and enjoy. The Martinez is one of our favorite cocktails.  This drink is thought to be the precursor to the modern martini.  In yesteryear, consumers liked a little more sweetness in their cockt

12/1/2016•Dun Magazine