I've got an embarrassing confession to make: I lost what could have been the best smallmouth bass I ever caught on a fly early this season because my tippet knot failed.
Obviously, I can't tell you…
After catching a smattering of six- to eight-inch wild brown trout, the sixteen incher looked like a salmon when it came out from behind a submerged tree trunk and inhaled the nymph. A second later…
A recent trip to the Grand River in Ontario confirmed what I should have taken as an article of faith — it's hopper time.
Hopper pattern flies are a must for summertime trout.
Unfortunately, this…
Today many anglers choose to release trout they catch, carefully twisting their fishing hooks free and watching as the quarry swims back into the stream with a flick of its tail-fin. That's a…
Every now and then I get the urge to catch a mess of panfish for a fish fry. Where I live that generally means rock bass, which are in abundance. In fact, they’re common enough to be considered a…
This past weekend I embarked on one of my favorite activities: fishing an unfamiliar stream for wild trout. And when there I made sure I was armed with a box full of great summertime flies,…
If you only have limited time to fish, such as weekends, then fishing in bad weather and rain is sometimes unavoidable. Personally I like fly fishing in the rain and have had several great days on…
Jeff Blood with a steelhead caught on an egg-imitating fly.
Though they lack the glamour of a dry fly and the rich tradition of a wet fly or nymph, egg-imitating flies are one of a fly fisher's…
Fly fisherman like all other fishing enthusiasts have the belief that certain patterns or baits work better in a particular seasons or with certain types of fish. The truth behind some of these…
When I first started tying flies, I tied bucktails. That's fairly standard for most of us because bucktails are relatively uncomplicated and inexpensive to tie.
When I gained competence tying those…
Although the Northern Midwest is known for countless miles of pristine trout streams and lakes, every year anglers are discovering how fun and exciting spring pike fishing can be. Fly anglers need…
As spring works its way into the many rivers and lakes that make up northern Wisconsin, the thought of casting large streamers to pike and smallmouth excites most anglers. At one point or another,…
