Fishermen have always put catching far above creature comforts as it makes the story twice worthy of the retelling. Breathable waders will be jettisoned in favor of the new “mummified” look – a return to leggings and the garb of yesteryear. Why? Because you’ll have the scent of a million smashed caddis tucked in the glove [...]

I struggled with batting averages largely because I’d hoped everyone would forget mine. Being the KPL (Kid Picked Last) carries a blacker mark than Mister Irrelevant as it amounts to a youthful version of  shunning … Pro Bass anglers have statistics too. They endure CAV (catch average value), MAV (money average value), and LAV (limit [...]

The comment echoed as if it were yesterday. My buddy and I frozen in appreciation of the measured stride of some long-legged vision negotiating the corner crosswalk. We’re doing our best not to stare, yet as the thoroughbred approaches we realize she’s still in high school… … which didn’t slow us down much, but we knew [...]

I’m minding my own business and Reed Curry plants an idea in my head that’s been gnawing at me for months: “What elements of a natural fly are absolutely essential for the trout brain to use…” … to recognize food. Better yet, what elements of a natural (or successful imitation) are essential when it’s moving at eight [...]

It was many things, slippery mud, icy water, and blustering breeze, with the occasional dog walker giving me a wide berth. They were as uncomfortable as I was, me out of shape and unkempt – wearing too much olive drab to suit them – and me hoping they wouldn’t ask what luck I’d had, as [...]

Alex Cerveniak of 40 Rivers to Freedom and the Hatch’s Blog network is creating yet another endeavor documenting all possible fish foods and the flies to represent them. Entitled, “Eat the Fly” it’s an ambitious undertaking that will contain the common food items and insects available to fish, offset by some of the fly patterns used [...]

Visions of me and Rachel Ray, the soft tinkle of fine crystal and a dusty carafe of aged spirits – small-talking our way through the commercial break … The book signings, the adoring fans, followed by the reality show and ample syndication stream. Instead I’m spiraling back to earth as another blogger has unveiled the “Ultimate Brownliner [...]

With all the genes being sprayed at the tasty fish we should’ve known eventually we might get something other than a soft docile lump, content with pellet feed and milling aimlessly within its concrete lined habitat. All the gnashing of teeth and mention of asterisks will be done away with … and by them that protested [...]

As a really tasty “pain and suffering” verdict could be in excess of twenty million, now’s the time to look hard at your legal staff. I’ll be sprawled amidst all that oak and cow leather sending another smoke ring towards the ceiling fan, while the earnest young chap insists he’s onboard … he’s got the [...]

Nothing like getting all sentimental about a fish on the brink. Absence making the heart fonder with the “P” factor – some deep political agenda in some codicil of parchment from a Mexican land grant. Now that the California Chinook is a couple seasons away from being a genome hidden in a long bank of drawers buried [...]