Commentary

Places like Ennis, Montana; Durango, Colorado; or Roscoe, New York regularly make the lists of "best trout towns in America." These are places to move to and fish if you're an aspiring trout bum. The trouble is, those places aren't secrets anymore, and they can start to feel a bit crowded with drift boats, guides, and fishing dogs. There's one town that...

Does the fly you fish matter more than how you fish it? That question is the crux of Dom Swentosky's latest story over at Troutbitten. I agree with Dom's premise that " I think how you fish your handful of flies is usually more important than what those flies are." I carry just over two dozen different patterns with me, and I'm able to fish well enough...

I've seen this question pop up a lot this year, and I commend Ross Purnell over at Fly Fisherman Magazine for bringing up at his publication. In a short post, Purnell talks about his experience fishing New Zealand's South Island, and how he had to use 22-24 foot leaders to make a decent presentation to the island's notoriously wary fish. In many cases...

In a recent episode of the Quick Strike podcast over at Outdoor Life, Joe Cermele sat down with Miles Nolte to talk about the "fall feedbag myth" they say permeates fly fishing. Now, Joe and Miles are two very accomplished anglers, and both know what they're doing. According to them, the modern belief that fall is the best time to target big trout is just a...

When trout reject a fly, do they do so because the drift isn't right, or because it wasn't within their window? That's the question Dom Swentosky tries to answer in this recent post over at Troutbitten, and it's a fantastic thought exercise. I've copied a bit of Dom's article below to give you a taste of just how he tackles this problem. You can read the...

I spend a lot of time working with beginner fly anglers, and one thing almost all of them share in common is a bit of "paralysis by analysis." That is, they let the amount of options and choices in fly fishing (how should I rig this fly? What's the best way to cover this run?) paralyze them into inaction. I wonder if that same problem doesn't afflict us...

In a recent story over at Field & Stream, Joe Cermele and Miles Nolte take turns debating which fly anglers are better: those from the West, or back East? It's a tongue-in-cheek discussion, of course, but you might find a bit of merit in their meanderings. If nothing else, it's an entertaining look at the stark differences between the two largest...

Brian Bennett, who currently works for the Wild Steelhead Coalition, recently wrote an article for Fly Fisherman Magazine arguing in favor of ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM). The opening paragraph to his story sums up that concept: "Think about all the things involved with planning a fishing trip. Experienced anglers consider many...

The removal of all dams on the Klamath River has made it the largest project of its kind in the world. While there's still work to be done to help the river, and its fish, regain former glory, this is a monumental achievement for conservationists across the world. The final dam - the Iron Gate Dam - was recently removed, meaning the Klamath flows from...

My aunt still can't wrap her mind around the idea of catch-and-release fishing. I don't blame her, because the idea of going through all the trouble to catch a fish, just to let it go, is on its face, ludicrous. It's a vital tool for conservation, and ensures we have great fisheries for years to come, but it's hard for non-anglers to understand the...