Johnny Carrol Sain

The pool is barely wider than my 9-foot fly rod. Riffles are mere trickles. The creek itself disappears just beyond the next pool, filtering through porous karst, becoming one with the underground rock for several yards before breaking back to the surface. The stretches of dry, sun-bleached stones appear alabaster from a distance. Closer looks offer a...

The first mottled bronzey smallmouth bass brought to hand after a long fishless winter should move an angler to gratitude and bliss. This one brings worry. The fish was fooled too well. Plumes of crimson escape its gill covers with every pump as it rests in the net. Despite its bulging belly, or perhaps caught up in the feeding frenzy brought on by late...

A member of the USA Casting Team, 38-year-old Audrey Wilson has found her way on a journey to the World Champion of Fly Casting in Norway this August 2022. Growing up in Roy, Utah, where she fell in love with the outdoors as a small girl while camping, hiking and canoeing with her parents and brother, Wilson initially became intrigued by fly fishing after...

For Western anglers, summer means trout on terrestrials. But throughout the Midwest, East, and Upland South, summer means brownies of the non-salmonid sort. Call them brown bass, bronze bass, tiger bass, or just plain ol’ smallmouth, when the cicadas are buzzing and the creeks slow to a gentle meander, pursuing Micropterus dolomieu is on our minds...

There is often a “one-size-fits-all” misconception about fly rods for bass. Coming from a baitcasting background, I know that’s just plain silly. Check out the casting deck on any impoundment bass angler’s boat and you’ll find an array of rods at the ready. Different lengths, actions, and line sizes all come into play depending on circumstances...

The 6-weight labors a bit, but with two false casts the heavy-headed line shoots forward, plopping the big blue popper about seven feet beyond a twig poking through the water’s surface. I wait for the ripples to settle then try to impart the spirit of a cicada with a series of short, soft strips. The popper gently gurgles in a straight line until it...

I used to think the surest way to attract expert opinion was to pop the hood on my truck. Then about a week ago I started tying flies. To be fair, I asked for the criticism… sort of. I posted a few photos of my feeble tying attempts on Facebook. As everyone knows by now, social media is the realm of experts. Folks will tell you whatever you “need” to...

You don’t wake up one morning and decide to become an evangelist. It’s an organic progression that stems from emotion and something more, something deeper. An energy grows within until it reaches the limits of containment and pours out of you. Everything you say and do is unconsciously linked to the energy. Even if you wanted to shackle it — and you...

Water and air were indistinguishable in the 90 percent humidity. Gills or lungs, it seemed like either could work on this side of the lake’s surface as I stepped into the canoe and paddled across the small channel. I had beat the local bass fishing crowd to the boat ramp but just barely. Headlights drew down on my quiet wake trailing from the boat ramp...