Fly fishing pioneer and legendary casting instructor Lefty Kreh shares an anecdote from a adventure Down Under, chasing the hard-fighting Nuigini Black Bass on a fly. From The American Museum of Fly Fishing and Jay Cavallaro.
Fly Fishing News
Tippets: Hooking Tarpon, Catch & Release Tips, Lawsuit Against Salmon Farm
- Understanding body movement and feeding behavior is key to knowing where to place your fly when chasing tarpon. However getting it there is another matter entirely. Andy Mill goes through some tips for placing a well-timed cast on Fly Fishing in Salt Waters.
- While catch-and-release fishing does up the survival rate of fish, proper handling by the angler is imperative. From hooks to revival techniques and water temperature, read more via Hatch Magazine.
- Ecojustice, on behalf of biologist Alexandra Morton, has filed a lawsuit against a Vancouver Island Salmon Farm suspected of putting diseased salmon in ocean pens. “We think this is unlawful,” says staff lawyer Margot Venton. “It’s definitely a serious abdication of DFO’s (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) mandate to protect the fish and the marine environment.”
Tippets: Hillstrand Against the Pebble Mine, Spring Fishing Tactics, Best Reel Ever Made
- Captain of the Time Bandit, featured on Discovery’s show Deadliest Catch, Johnathan Hillstrand has come out in vocal opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay. As a commercial fisher, Hillstrand depends on a healthy ecosystem for his way of life. He states: “For everyone who counts on the salmon industry to make a living, the Pebble project is the Deadliest Mine.”
- While spring fishing might be slow, there is still sport to be had, writes Alan Bithell as he overviews flies and tactic for water just warming up. Via Franken Fly.
- Gear can be more than just “good,” when lasting long enough to be passed down to future generations. As Roger O’Keefe writes in The Pagosa Daily Post of the Pflueger Medalist, “this iconic reel did so much more than catch fish. It changed lives.”
Maclean’s Fishing Holes
The Big Blackfoot River has captured many imaginations, in part because of the work of Norman Maclean and his novella A River Runs Through It. A recent piece by Kim Briggeman of The Missoulian features a conversation with founder and executive director of The Big Blackfoot Riverkeeper, Jerry O’Connell, and the elusive work of pinpointing scenes: the sandbars, runs, and bends described by Maclean in his beloved work.
Video: How to Tie Les Shannon’s Lemon Cahill
In this week’s featured fly tying video Matt Grobert shows his techniques for tying Les Shannon’s Lemon Cahill. Grobert uses many of the same techniques and materials Shannon chose for this classic Catskill dry fly.
Dates Set for Hardy Cup
Featuring workshops, marketplace, instruction, and their unique cane-rod casting competition, the second annual Hardy Cup will happen August 3-4 at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum in Livingston Manor, NY.
Read more in the press release below. Continue reading
Video Hatch: “Does it Get Any Better?”
Sometimes the best trips are the ones least planned, as David Nash shows in this film short of beautiful brook trout in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Via My Leaky Waders.
Video Hatch: “Transition”
This film short features a story of the adventure of getting there, including the presence of gorgeous Alaskan rainbows and the pleasures of finding oneself among good friends. Via Stinky Waders.
Tippets: Expressionism, Fishing Through High Water, Fly Tournament, Chemical Contaminants
- Likening it to an impressionist painting, read a beautiful short piece by Louis Cahill on finding brown trout among the canvas of a streambed.
- Heavy rains and snowmelt runoff cause streams to run high and muddy, it’s par for the course in spring. But for the persistent and observant angler fish can still be found, writes Colin K. Breck via Hatch Magazine.
- For some friendly competition among fly patterns, check out Josh Bergan’s brackets.
- Estrogen, antibiotics, DEET, and even cocaine have been detected in Minnesota lakes. The study, conducted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) tested 127 compounds from a sampling of 50 lakes, with only three of the compounds returning a negative. “We need to look in the mirror,” says Mark Ferrey, lead researcher on the study, “No matter what we use, it finds its way into the environment.” Read more about this research at The Star Tribune.
Tippets: Pyramid Lake Basics, Port Cities at Risk, Sacred Art, Signing for Food
- Ben Smith had a dream and goal of fly fishing for Lahontan cutthroat trout in Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Recently he made that goal happen, and shared his experience and tips on his blog Arizona Wanderings.
- With travel and trade, port cities receive much more than people and goods—they’re also primed for invasive species such as zebra mussels, lionfish, and algae. Scientists have now released a list of the top port cities and ecosystems at risk.
- To many anglers, fly fishing is more than just catching fish or getting out in nature: it can be spiritual, too. Rabbi Eric Eisenkramer, author of Fly Fishing – The Sacred Art, talks about his practice of religion and fly fishing on Sport Fishing Weekly.
- Recently, researchers have observed two types of fish, grouper and coral trout, using “sign language” to communicate food sources within their populations. Via Discovery.


