As a complete fly-fishing rookie, I fished the Trophy Stretch in Pittsburg, NH, and landed a huge broodstock brook trout. Talk about beginner’s luck! The fly? A Jack Gartside-style soft-hackle streamer bought at a fly shop. Recently, I read Dave Hughes’ excellent book Wet Flies, about which Joe Drake had written and one which I
At the Vise: Top Secret Midge and Red Brassie
I’ve been organizing my fly boxes and re-ordering my line-ups (how I organize my “starters,” “back ups” and “in reserve” flies here). I’ve demoted a bunch of flies to “off the team.” There were probably a few dozen of them, experimental flies that just never worked. I’ve stripped them down to bare metal and will
The Marathon Day
Oy. 34 °F water, shelf ice, and not a fish to be found. Saturday was one of those marathon days. I had been fishing for seven hours straight, with no break and no lunch. No fish, not even a single take. I was thinking of throwing in the towel. With the incipient snow storm,
The Marlborough Fly Fishing Show and Other Upcoming Events
Winter is upon us here and, thus, our options for outside are limited when it comes to fishing. There are some places in New England where the temperatures have been cold enough for long enough for some hard-water adventures, but not everywhere. That means not all of us are willing to brave conditions that lend