Kubie Brown

Protection from the elements isn’t always high on a fly fisher’s priorities list, even when it should be. We may patch the holes in our waders in winter, and maybe we’ll carry some sunblock and bug spray because our mothers told us to. This lack of concern for our own well-being isn’t because we consider ourselves to be tough or because we have some...

Since the dawn of humankind, the sea has been a source of fascination and inspiration. The shadowy blue depths call to us, and gentle waves breaking upon sandy shores beckon us to adventure. Ancient cultures used the sea as a highway, sailing into the unknown to discover new lands. The sea provided food and offered safe harbors for civilization to grow. The...

Whether we want to admit it or not, every fly fisher out there is a sort of clothes horse, with a closet full of light-as-air sun shirts, blanket-heavy flannels, and a collection of shorts, sandals, hats, gloves, and more. We fish in the sun and the rain, in cold winds and warm breezes, and even in the snow, so having the right gear to stay comfortable on...

There's nothing more satisfying in fly fishing than the sound of a screaming reel. It's the sound of success, the sound of joy, and often the reason many of us go fly fishing. This is especially true in Spey casting, where hours of calm serenity and rhythmic casting are shattered by a hooked fish streaking downstream. The peeling line makes your reel sing...

I sometimes hate waiting for trout to strike. While fly fishing is traditionally a game of patience—searching your box for the right pattern, making elegant casts, and watching your fly drift perfectly through the current to entice a strike—sometimes I just want to skip all the "art doesn't come easy" nonsense. Sometimes I just want to wade into a river...

I often hear salmon and steelhead anglers complain about the challenges of catching fish. They grumble about rough weather, endless hours on the water, and sparse fish returns, but I disagree with them every time. As an avid salmon and steelhead angler myself, the toughest part about catching anadromous fish is finding the right leader for the job. The...

One of the biggest problems with tying big streamers for trout is finding the right hooks. Most standard streamer hooks have thin gaps and long shanks, essentially designed for tying classic patterns like the Mickey Finn and the Muddler Minnow. These traditional hooks don't work well if you're trying to craft larger, articulated streamers that big fish...

Nothing tests your patience more than winter fly fishing. Between the numb extremities, frozen guides, and generally slow action, it's the time of year when putting away the fly rod and planning that tropical vacation you've always talked about seems like a better idea. However, what many fly anglers don't realize is that winter presents one of the best...

I hate nymphing with strike indicators. It's not that I don't believe in the technique or have some sort of "dry or die" superiority complex (well, not entirely)—it's just that I can't stand staring at them. As a fly fishing guide, I do whatever I can to put trout in the net for my clients, and that often means spending endless hours glowering at strike...

When you start Spey casting for steelhead, finding a rod can be overwhelming. The market is flooded with hundreds of options featuring different lengths, qualities, and features. Spey rods are marketed to make it seem that without a precisely sized rod for your specific river, line type, and casting style, your chances of catching an already elusive...