Author: asteketee

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: In a few weeks, I am fishing with a guide for the first time ever and don’t want to make an ass of myself or be “that guy”—the one whom the guide makes fun of with his buddies later on. Got any “dos” and “don’ts” for how to be a good client? Robert S., San...

I’VE BEEN TO A LOT of great concerts in my life. I believe that the live performance trumps any recording one might hear through speakers or earphones. It’s one thing to hear it; it’s an entirely better experience to see it and hear it at the same time. One of the best live shows I’ve seen happened many years ago (mid 80s) when I dragged my...

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: You’ve mentioned that you’re a big fan of wild brook trout. What’s your favorite pattern for mountain brookies? - Stanley P., Nashville, TN Answer: The best trout waters near my office in southwestern Vermont are fast-flowing freestone streams, which feature lots of...

I had dinner with my good friend John Merwin the other night. John has written 15 of the most read, most quoted books on fishing, his career as a magazine editor is legendary, and he’s a co-editor-at-large for Field & Stream. In a nutshell, when Merwin talks, Deeter listens. So I was happy to hear him say that he not only enjoys “Fly Fishing...

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: What is the proper way to adjust the drag on a fly reel? And how do you go about making sure it’s set properly before you fish? Sylvia P., via email Answer: The role that your reel’s drag plays in any fishing situation varies widely: You don’t need drag at all for...

THE MUSICIAN OFTEN finds himself (or herself) fending off demons on two fronts. On the one hand, there’s the solitary challenge. Truth be told, this is (as it should be) the ultimate test. No musician, and no angler, can really aspire to true greatness until they find themselves in a place where they become their own greatest critic. When you can...

THE PERMIT CRUISED into the shallows, and I knew right away it was big, because it glimmered under the surface like a shiny trash can lid. Florida flats guide Bill Curtis was on the poling platform; he just pointed to make sure I had my bearings, not saying a word. I made what I thought was the perfect cast—a 60-footer that plopped the crab fly two feet...

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: What do you do when you’re fishing a hatch (BWOs, caddis, etc.) and then it’s over—the bugs stop appearing and the fish stop rising? Is it time to pack up and go home, or are there ways to keep catching those fish after the hatch has ended? Bob J., Salt Lake City, UT...

Have a question you want answered? Email it to us at [email protected]. Question: I have always assumed that fall fishing in the Rockies was all about streamers, but I’ve seen guys on Internet boards talking about fall Baetis hatches. I thought Baetis was a spring bug. Is it the same thing? Joe F., Los Angeles, CA Answer: Well, yes and no. The Baetis...

AN ANGLER'S GREATEST teacher is ultimately himself or herself. When you reach a level where you recognize your own mistakes, and improvise your own opportunities, that’s when you’re playing your best, and catching more fish. You can read books and articles, hire guides, take classes (all of which will no doubt help shorten the learning curve), but in...