Blonde hair juts out like straw from underneath a truckers hat. The hat is pulled down tight and underneath a pair of eyes peer intently at the water from behind a pair of dark rimmed glasses. “Hit it” comes a voice from the rower’s seat, as the rod simultaneously thrust towards the sky coming tight, Read More
What I see through the spotting scope: Tack sharp definition Vivid, true to life colors Full-pop contrast Edge-to-edge clarity Unbelievable light collection What he sees: “Dada, Dada he’s… he’s looking right at me… with gold eyes” “Look it, he has some furry on his um… some fur in his beak cause…um… cause he hunts, Read More
“Daaaaadaaaa,” calls the three year old over a barely repressed giggle, “it’s baaaaack.” He’s spotted the pheasant again. That used to be reward enough for him, but now he’s grown to expect a show too – the Keystone Kops routine of his father trying to snap a half-decent photo. I’m pretty sure he’s rooting, Read More
We found ourselves a few hours from home, needing to kill some time while my wife was in a meeting. The local fly shop beckoned. “What’s that?” I asked. “Uh…I don’t know…pheasant tail?” “Nice, that’s right.” “Can we buy this one?” “Ah, not sure we can catch a trout with that.” “But I love, Read More
Stalking the seam is not a passive endeavor. Getting after it, while meeting the demands of work and family, requires intention and effort. Likewise, conserving the resources, perpetuating the values, and passing on the knowledge and lore that make our pursuits possible for future generations can feel like an uphill battle. Apathy and ignorance, Read More
“How are the fish doing?” a small voice piped up from the back seat. “Huh?” I replied. “You know…how are their homes doing?” “Oh…you mean where we helped on that project last summer?” “Uh huh” Seven months had passed, but it is remarkable what sticks in a five year old’s mind. My daughter and, Read More
“Boys, wait your turn!” says Ayden with the authority of a 5 year old vice-principal. “Pet that rainbow,” grunts Grady, disregarding his big sister, throwing a territorial elbow and leaning precariously over the gunwale. “Dada, Dada… I wanna… I wanna,” whines Everett, scrambling frantically over the oars and lunging into the fray. I doubt, Read More
Passing the frozen reservoir, on the way to our closest tailwater, my daughter asks if we can go ice fishing. My parents are from Minnesota, but despite midwestern roots I’m not much of an ice fisherman. Sure I went a few times as a kid, but since then it’s been all open water for, Read More
The Angling Bookstore must have 30 different nymphing technique books on the shelf, but when I asked the proprietor for a recommendation, he didn’t hesitate. “There’re lots of great books on the subject, but this guy’s the real deal,” said Ben as he handed me a copy of Dynamic Nymphing. He was right. George Daniel’s, Read More
Dear Winter, It’s true, 20 below keeps the riffraff away. So let me begin with a heartfelt thank you. You’ve been generous. At the risk of sounding ungrateful though… it is quite cold. The dog comes back whining after a pee cold. The kid gets a Slurpee headache walking to the truck cold. Maybe,, Read More