The tenderloins were the first to go. The backstraps weren’t far behind. You then spent the rest of the year whittling your way through the sirloins, round steaks, roasts, and burger meat, keeping one eye on the calendar and the other on the inventory. This year you were going to pace it just right. But, Read More
Tenkara has been around and reliably catching fish, more or less unchanged, for centuries.
My wife is smarter and more meticulous than I am. She is in charge when it comes to packing our cooler.
A strong do it yourself current runs through the fly fishing community. It’s powerful enough to pull a decidedly unhandy Andy like myself into tying my own flies and building my own leaders. The more talented among us even build their own rods, boats and landing-nets. The technology and engineering required of much modern, Read More
“Seriously, we didn’t bring any duct tape!? Sewing needle anyone?” I asked, hopeful but not optimistic. “Nope,” replied Louis, “but we’ve got plenty of fish hooks.” “Huh… interesting… thread?” I pressed, sensing potential. “I have a little dental floss,” offered Steven. “Tippet!” I exclaimed, suddenly inspired. And with that I had a plan. Knowledge, Read More
Mother Nature plays a cruel game of cat and mouse this time of year in the Northern Rockies. After three or four months of sustained cold and dark, she tempts hope with a few deliciously gentle spring days, then bares her claws and swats us back into winter. It can be a frustrating process, 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
We write occasionally on STS about the gear we find useful to our pursuits. We’ve examined, fly rods, optics, backpacks and assorted other essentials. But thus far it’s gone unsaid that no piece of equipment is half as critical as what we carry in our heads. It’s worth saying so now. I’ve been taught, Read More
Over the years I’ve done a handful of european mounts myself. It’s always tedious and doesn’t turn out as well as it would if done by a professional. But I like the process and often don’t want to throw down the money to have a taxidermist do the job. This year I had decent, Read More
The more I learn about hunting and fishing, the more I recognize how much I don’t know. Adding a kid to the mix has really driven that humbling realization home for me. Not only do I have the perpetual need to refine my approach in the field, but now I also need to develop, Read More