I recently bought a new pair of rubber soled Patagonia Ultralight boots to replace the worn out pair of boots I’ve had for 3 or 4 years now. Convincing myself to replace certain gear can be like pulling teeth, but they had started to split at the seams and there was no other option. I do have another pair of felt soled boots, but they are reserved as an extra pair for people I take fishing. Left foot done, right…
Whenever I’ve taken someone fly fishing for the first time, the question of knots comes up quickly. It’s a part of fly fishing that becomes second nature over time, and I think anglers forget that not everyone ties knots as a hobby. Efficient and reliable knots help us spend our time fishing, rather than fiddling with line and flies. I usually rig up my rod with the flies I plan to use before I leave my house to fish. This…
Swift river trout are notoriously picky and a little nonsensical. Most often, it can take time to find the right flies and techniques to convince these fish to accept your fly. Other times, I’ve seen them take some of the most ridiculous looking flies ever tied. In any case, it helps quite a bit to have a few staples in your back pocket. Over the years, I’ve developed a few old reliables that I feel are particularly effective on this…
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to go fish the Swift river for the day. I focused my efforts in the catch and release area above RT 9, and caught several rainbows and hooked one big brook trout that escaped me as I was bringing it in. While I prefer to fish below the bridge, the fishing regulations currently make the river open to catch and keep from the RT 9 bridge to Cady Lane. The catch and release regulations…
I decided awhile back to write a post about the contributions that women have made to fly fishing. Today is International Women’s Day (I posted this a day late, because I was fishing yesterday), and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to post it. As a primarily male dominated pursuit, I think it’s important to note that women have had a huge impact on the development on fly fishing, and the sport wouldn’t be the same without them….
One of the best ways to elevate your skills in any pursuit is with practice. This is especially true of fly fishing. I came across this video today by TedEd, which describes the biological developments we go through as we practice. It gives a few helpful tips on how to progress skills and stay focused. I think this advice especially applies to improving your fly casting. As the video mentions, starting out slow and planning the movements in your head…
In the spring and summer, one of my favorite sections of the Swift River is the Cady Lane portion below the Route 9 bridge. I’ve met quite a few fly fisherman at the swift that have only fished the catch and release area above Route 9. While there is a lot of good fishing above the bridge, including the famed, “y pool”, I prefer the solitude you can find downstream. This area is also full of wild brook trout and…