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The Hatchless Rise and Nymph Migration
Fishing the Hatchless Rise The longer I fish the more I’ve realized there is always a trout willing to prove me wrong. I suppose if I always had their number, the pursuit and hopeful success would be...
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USGS Stream Flow Data
USGS Stream Flow Data keeps Anglers well informed. It is currently popular to criticize the “gub’ment” for just about anything. Unfortunately I cannot blame them for many of the stupid things I’ve...
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The Mouthes of Babes
Gray Drake Mayfly Bugs, insects, and critters are all an integral part of the fly fishing process. If it wasn’t for the insects, fly fishers would be casting giant imitations of frogs or worms, in...
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Rule the Night
Hex on the Au Sable river One of the current military strategies is to “Rule the Night”. Basically, this means that you take away from the enemy the ability to control the darkness and make it an...
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Lead me on
Leader materials for the fly fisherman. Fly fishing methods are as varied as the number of anglers. If you examine any of these methods you realize that no matter what the method, there is always a...
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What Knot for Fly Fishing
Improved Clinch Knot, Blood Knot and Dropper, Surgeon’s Knot and Dropper Albright Knot, Arbor Knot, Bimini Twist, Blood Knot, Dropper Loop, Duncan (Uni) Knot, Improved Clinch Knot, Palomar Knot,...
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The Greasy Finger Fly
The Mighty Greasy Picket Pin It was one of those perfect evenings on the Pere Marquette River in Baldwin, Michigan — the sun was sinking below the trees, stream temperature was in the mid 60’s, current...
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Wet Flies That Work-The indefinite list
27-inch lake run brown trout Since I retired I have spent up to a month each year fishing on the Muskegon River in Michigan. While many fishermen think that fishing every day is absolute ecstasy,...
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On The Swing — Cast vs. Control and the Spey Conundrum
I’ve been swinging flies for trout and steelhead for over 20-years – classic, winged-wet flies that have been catching trout for over a century in Europe and the United States. During my career as a...
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A Deadlier Dangle – It’s not over ‘til the fat lady swings.
At some point in a career of swinging flies, you’re going to catch a fish on the dangle – and that unanticipated thump on the end of the line will nearly yank the rod from your hands. With any luck,...
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Fishing Pre-Spawn Riffle Areas Effectively and Ethically in Wisconsin...
Fishing gravel for steelhead is a touchy subject – for valid reasons. There are two types of steelhead rivers; those that support natural reproduction, and those that exist purely through stocking...
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Skinny Water Steelhead – Swing Control and Direction.
Swinging a fly on skinny water presents the down and across angler with a myriad of technical challenges. Like larger rivers, runs, pools and riffles occur through these small waters however, by...
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Wisconsin Coho on the Dry Fly
Great Lakes fly anglers have a history of treating salmon and steelhead different than their west-coast ancestors. For decades, third-coast anglers were convinced that steelhead would only eat egg...
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Swinging Egg Flies and the Fallacies of the Dead Drift
I was recently listening to April Volkey’s podcast, “Anchored”, where she interviewed Jeff Liskay. During the podcast Jeff & April briefly discussed swinging egg flies. Both agreed that it was an...
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5-Reasons Steelhead Anglers Should Swing for Trout During a Hatch
Over the past few years I have met a number of two-handed anglers that can boom big, beautiful Spey casts and look absolutely poetic doing it. They work hard, fish often and are occasionally rewarded...
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Tension — The Art of The Swing
When the down and across angler becomes competent with casting and basic mending techniques the next step in the progression of line control is tension management. When and how you apply tension...
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5 Sure-Fired Ways to Lose a Steelhead Every Time
There are many great articles that explain wonderful ways to fight and land a steelhead. The advice is solid, the tactics work and they all prove there are many ways to get from A to B and...
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Wet Flies That Work-The indefinite list
27-inch lake run brown trout Since I retired I have spent up to a month each year fishing on the Muskegon River in Michigan. While many fishermen think that fishing every day is absolute ecstasy,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On The Swing — Cast vs. Control and the Spey Conundrum
I’ve been swinging flies for trout and steelhead for over 20-years – classic, winged-wet flies that have been catching trout for over a century in Europe and the United States. During my career as a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Deadlier Dangle – It’s not over ‘til the fat lady swings.
At some point in a career of swinging flies, you’re going to catch a fish on the dangle – and that unanticipated thump on the end of the line will nearly yank the rod from your hands. With any luck,...
View Article