Phil Monahan

The small New Hampshire town where I grew up is within an hour’s drive of some of northeastern New England’s best striper fishing. Yet, instead of exploring the waters of Plum Island, Cape Ann, or Great Bay, I chose to hone my fly-rod skills by casting for eight-inch stocked trout in local ponds and streams. These were the quintessential “rubber...

Father’s Day is fast approaching, so we’re celebrating dads in the outdoors with photo contest on Instagram. If you’ve got a great image of a fly-fishing dad—it doesn't have to be your dad—then you can win one of three great prizes. Here’s how it works: 1. Find your best picture of a dad on the water. It doesn’t have to be your dad, but it...

“Found one!” Eric shouted from downstream. I hustled along the bank, making sure to stay well away from the water’s edge, until I reached his position. Crouching next to a bankside willow, he pointed to a spot near the opposite bank, where a stick protruding above the surface created a small seam. “Watch just downstream,” he whispered. Sure...

About 15 years ago, my friend Eric Rickstad and I made plans to go to Montana in late April for an Orvis Guide Rendezvous. As soon as our travel plans were finalized, Eric started talking about a river I’d barely heard of. “We gotta hit the [REDACTED] River,” he said. “I’ve heard lots of whispering about some big browns there in spring and fall...

Fly fishers love secrets–secret flies, secret tactics, and especially secret fishing spots or destinations. So when folks learn that I’ve been traveling as a fly-fishing writer since the mid 1990s, one of the first questions they usually ask is, “What’s a great place you’ve been to that most people don’t know about?” My answer is always the...

Question: I'd appreciate a discussion on monofilament vs multi-strand thread. Also, How do twisting or untwisting thread help and cause the thread to move toward the eye or away from the eye? —Don from Bozeman, MT, via our online form Answer: Fly-tying thread seems like a fairly uncomplicated topic. I mean, you just wrap it around the hook to hold all the...

With a sparsely attended Catholic church at one end and a Taco Bell at the other, Benmont Avenue is representative of the hard times that have befallen many American mill towns. This is not the scenic Vermont of postcards, but instead a hardscrabble part of town that features rows of low-income housing, a couple of tire shops, and the dreary, hulking mass...

Every year, hundreds of trout anglers travel to exotic destinations such as Belize or The Bahamas in pursuit of their first bonefish on the fly. But even experienced fly fishers can end up humbled because they aren’t prepared for the ways in which flats fishing makes different demands on them. Here are five essential ways to prepare for and maximize your...

Question: I’ve always used an improved clinch knot to tie on flies and a double surgeon’s to attach tippet. My fishing buddy keeps telling me I need to switch to “100% knots.” Is there really such a thing? —Mark C., via email Answer: The short answer is No. Fly fishers love nothing more than arguing about the relative merits of knots. Everyone has...

Although I joined MidCurrent on December 1, I’ve spent the last few weeks working in the background on a few special projects, while Johnny Carrol Sain has continued doing his usual brilliant job overseeing the website and newsletters. This week, he’s handing the reins to me. (Fear not, Johnny is still part of the MidCurrent team, but he’s also...