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The Steelhead With A Thousand Faces
Maybe if I take five more steps, throw one more mend, skate one more fly, a hero will appear, armored in chrome, and dance to the music of my singing reel.
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The Birth of A Fishing Town
Calf deep now in the cold river, Trent’s completed his prelude of silky false casts and is ready to start the show in earnest.
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In The End, Style Might Be All We Have
Over the course of 6 trips, in and out, and nearly 40 miles, I question whether or not it’s worth it.
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Banded
Folding neatly the greenhead splashed soundly onto the water. The old lady made quick work of the retrieve.
He is not inviting. A bottom dweller, feeding on death and decay in the dark. At first he is only a twitching, tugging, gnawing sensation of menace at the end of some twine. Then, lifted inch by inch, finger over finger into the murky green fringe of surface water light, he materializes as a, Read More
We wanted to get out of town. Even if just for a night, an evening of camping would do us all good. While snow was melting and beginning to loosen it’s grip on the high country many of our favorite spots were still inaccessible. Rumors of a perfect brook trout stream, nestled in a seldom visited, Read More
Bait Fish (n) – An individual animal from any of the numerous small coastal ichthyological species (typically of the taxonomical class Osteichthyes) which when netted early (often on the first furtive stab) of a lengthy expedition induces in its captor a certain wide-eyed wonder, chest puffing strut, and incessant retelling of conquest. The name is believed, Read More
I’d been hearing it for weeks. Hushed reports from friends that it was happening. The talk became so pervasive it was clear it wasn’t a secret any more. The buzz was becoming unbearable. No matter how hard I tried the stars were not aligning. I wasn’t able to get in on the action. There are many, Read More
A picture of a young man hangs in my workspace. Four young men actually, but there’s one in particular looking directly into the camera and, as the frame’s orientation would have it, over my shoulder while I write. I knew this man to be, among many other things, a natural storyteller, so it’s a, Read More
The sun dips in the Western Sky. Water rushes past but the river is empty. The boat hardly makes a sound as it is lowered into the water. No words are spoken as the boat is coaxed to a speed that matches the fly. All eyes are transfixed on one spot, filled with optimism, that at, Read More
“Uh… Dada? The fishing river is too fast!” It’s been said (way too often in my opinion) that God doesn’t close a door without also opening a window. I’m not much for religious platitudes as a general rule, but like most clichés, this one is overused largely on the strength of its applicability. It’s, Read More
It can show it’s face any time of year, but in the summer it is ever present. To call it a living thing would be inaccurate. To say it’s an organizational system would be overly generous. Items are added and deleted, while others are always in the mix. A mound in the back corner of the, Read More
“Interesting,” said Steven. “Rock worm below the Ray Charles?” “Yeah. Why?” I replied “Just not how I’d have rigged it, that’s all… Do you usually tie your trailer so close to your lead?” “Never. But it was expedient. And it worked last night.” “Interesting.” We were huddled behind my truck in a cool pre-dawn, Read More
Kirk Billings is one of those guys who just seems to be good at everything and really good at the things he likes best. He’s formerly an elite rock climber (although I wouldn’t doubt his abilities off the couch), who still has his picture on the cover of the local guidebook. He is a, Read More