Sunday Classic / Stipe Takes on Gierach and R.E.M. Records Fly Fishing Album
WHEN MICHAEL STIPE, LEAD SINGER FOR THE BAND R.E.M., MADE A STRING OF APPEARANCES ON THE COLBERT REPORT AROUND THE HOLIDAYS I WAS SHOCKED BY HIS CURRENT PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
To be sure, none of us are getting any younger and I applaud Stipe for embracing his graying hair and changing features, but there was more too it than that. There was something eerily familiar, almost comforting, about Stipe’s new look. He carried an air of wisdom that I’d never noticed before and he almost seemed…fishy.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more going on here than meets the eye. Was this just the graceful aging of a pop star or was there something else going on? Was this nature, or craft? I had to get to the bottom of it.
Possibly the greatest perk of being part of Gink and Gasoline is being on the “Celebrity A List,” so I called Michael up for an interview. I was shocked at his candor. It turns out that, not only are my suspicions well founded, they are spot on.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Vokey and Wulff
Don’t miss this conversation between two of the most influential women in fly-fishing.
I am increasingly a fan of April Vokey’s podcasts. The series, called “Anchored, With April Vokey” is extremely well done and always enlightening. April is an excellent interviewer who puts folks at ease, asks smart questions and takes the time to get in depth on the subjects.
Her interview with Joan Wulff is not to be missed. Joan is a fascinating women and a singular talent who’s importance in the sport can not be overstated. You come away from this interview feeling like you really know her. It’s a great conversation between passionate anglers who’ve dedicated their lives to fly fishing. You will be amazed.
CHECK OUT VOKEY AND WULFF
Read More »Something Completely Different From Vedavoo
Here’s a fishing pack like nothing I’ve seen before.
We’ve come to expect innovation and quality from Vedavoo. It’s made them one of the fastest growing brands in fly fishing. While I expected to see cool versatile new packs this year, Scott Hunter had a trick up his sleeve that I didn’t expect. A pack that doesn’t hold any fly boxes, and doesn’t need to. You’ll see what I mean.
WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE NEW PRODUCTS FROM VEDAVOO.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Fly Fishing Bass Ponds 102
I promised everyone I’d write a Fly Fishing Bass Ponds 102, if people showed enough interest from my 101 post. I was blown away from the emails and comments that flooded in, after the first post went live. I covered quite a few topics in the first post but here’s a few more tidbits of information for all you warm-water fly fishing junkies out there.
UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRUCTURE AND HOW TO FISH THEM
As a little kid, I was a bass fishing maniac. A good friend of my Father’s fished a lot of tournaments for fun and he took it upon himself to take me under his wing, and teach me the skills I’d needed to become a proficient bass fisherman. One of the greatest things he did during his mentorship was take me to several professional bass fishing seminars. On several different occasions, I had a front row seat to listen to Hall of Fame bass fishing legends like Bill Dance, Denny Brauer, Rick Clunn, and Larry Nixon. Notepad and pen in hand, I wrote as fast as I my fingers would move as the pros talked about how they consistently caught bass. It was at these seminars that I learned the behavior of bass and how to catch them. If you want to improve your warm-water fishing, I highly recommend attending a seminar in your area. Most are reasonably inexpensive, and If you don’t walk away with more knowledge afterwards, you either have an ego that needs to be checked, or you weren’t listening. Most of what you’ll find the professionals talking about is catered towards fishing large lakes, but almost all of the information can be converted and used for fishing on bass ponds.
One recurring theme I noticed is that everyone of those bass fishing legends talked in great detail about
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / SCOF 20
Southern Culture On The Fly is almost old enough to drink.
What are you waiting for? SCOF issue 20 is live and chocked full of southern fried goodness. Theres musky and pike, Beaver Island, surf and turf and Dave Grossman takes an oath to leave his family.
DON’T MISS IT!
Read More »Umpqua, Making Your Life Easier
Umpqua has some cool packs and accessories for the coming year, which are bound to make your day on the water a little easier.
Theres something the new line for everyone. Ambidextrous sling packs and a cool net and accessory belt for wade anglers and for the drift boat crowd Umpqua brings its handy organizer to your cooler. Be warned, you’re going to want this stuff.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO TO SEE NEW PRODUCTS FROM UMPQUA.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Never Give Up on a Bonefish
WE ALL KNOW THE HEARTBREAK OF SEEING A BIG FISH SPOOK AND RUN WHEN WE MAKE A CAST.
Whether its due to a poor presentation, the fish catching sight of us or something completely random and out of our control doesn’t matter. The pain is the same and it’s our natural reaction to consider that fish done and watch him swim away. For most species that’s the case, certainly for a wary trout but the bonefish is another subject.
Many times I’ve seen a bonefish spook and run or refuse a fly and turn away only to eat that same fly on the next cast. Maybe it sees the fly in a different light or from another angle that makes it more appealing or maybe it’s mood changes that quickly, I don’t know but it happens. What I do know is that as long as that fish is in range I will continue to show it that fly.
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Good News From Yellowstone
Efforts to eradicate invasive lake trout and bolster the native Yellowstone Cutthroat within the park have reached a milestone.
“According to the Cody Enterprise, the ratio between the trout species is nearing 50–50, an improvement from what was previously a 90–10 domination by the predatory lake trout. Dave Sweet, a Trout Unlimited member and Yellowstone Lake special project manager, has spent the past eight and a half years working to improve cutthroat populations. He said the new findings are encouraging but also noted that there is still much to be done in reviving the native cutthroats. ” – Josh Parks, Field and Stream.
This is great news, but there’s still much to be done if the native Yellowstone Cutthroat is going to win the battle for it’s home. You can help.
CHECK OUT FIELD AND STREAM FOR, “EFFORTS TO RESTORE YELLOWSTONE LAKE CUTTHROAT PROVING SUCCESSFUL”
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIGHT AND GET INVOLVED BY VISITING, JACKSON HOLE TU
GET SOME PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS NATIVE FISH BY WATCHING THIS VIDEO.
Read More »Innovative Fly Rods From Echo: Video
Echo usually means hearing something you’ve heard before, but not when it comes to fly rods.
The coming year is a big one for Rajeff Sports and Echo Fly Rods. There are 7 new rods in the Echo line-up and most of them are wildly different from fly rods you’ve seen before. There are some updates to proven Echo models and some rods which evolved from old favorites but there are also gems like a single hand spey model, a two-hand surf rod and an amazing fiberglass big game rod which runs all the way up to 12 weight.
You can always count on Tim Rajeff for a pleasant surprise and you can always count on Echo for fly rods that perform at a price that will make you smile.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO TO SEE SOME OF THE NEW RODS FROM ECHO.
Read More »Sunday Classic / Look More and Fish Less on Small Streams
When I’m not in my drift boat on the river I’m wading fishing on small streams.
Most large rivers don’t provide much sight-fishing opportunities for the fly angler unless they have low enough flows, clear enough water or plenty of rising fish. On the contrary, almost all small streams offer great sight-fishing opportunities for fly fisherman. Fly fishing small streams over the years, I’ve learned that if I take the time to look over a spot thoroughly before I fish it, I usually have much more success. Spending just a couple minutes studying a section of water allows me to break it down into pieces, figure out where the most likely trout lies are and I often will even spot a fish or two in the process. Blind casting will catch fish, but if you’re abel to locate a trout before you begin fishing, you’ll know exactly where to position and present your fly on the first cast to give you the best shot at catching it. And that means, your chances of lining or spooking fish will drop considerably, you’ll usually be able to see if your flies are drifting in the right line or even see if
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