I grew up in Massachusetts right near the coast and was raised fly fishing. Although dad and I made the occasional surf fishing trips to the ocean, most our time was spent fly fishing for trout and bass. Interestingly, since I left the area in 1983 to live out west, I find myself hitting the New England saltwater more than I did back then. (more…)
The sport of fly fishing can be based on feelings. The feeling you get when surrounded by a magical landscape, the feeling you get when you see large trout actively feeding, the feeling you get when it is on the line, and the feeling you get when you slide that fish into the net. The word “feel” is how I describe Winston fly rods. With the Boron III Super 10 , you are prepared for battle and can maintain a connection with length and height, get better lifting power from the master blend of Boron and Graphite, and finally feel every movement the trout makes from the mid flex to the tip. You can then reel in, adjust angles, and truly land more fish and larger fish with this rod. (more…)
For most you that are reading this, I’d be willing to bet the closest fish swimming to where you’re currently sitting is not a trout. It’s also not a bonefish, tarpon, steelhead or striper. It’s a Largemouth Bass. And sure, I could also lump in Carp, Bluegill, and Catfish to this line up but today we’re going to focus on the fish you should be devoting more time to than you probably are.
Depending on what part of the country you’re in (sans the Northeast) the bitter grip of Winter is slowly becoming a thought of the past and Spring is beginning to take hold. The days are getting longer, and brisk mornings now regularly turn into pleasant afternoons. The arrival of Spring is surely meaning one other thing to countless anglers as well— fly rods that are just begging to be used.
Asheville Fly Fishing Company’s film “A Trip into the Wild,” showcases Winston Pro Staffer, Galen Kipar and DUN Magazine’s own Jen Ripple as they lead an expedition through class III and IV whitewater in the French Broad River section 9, targeting aggressive smallmouth bass on top water flies.
To learn more about Asheville Fly Fishing Company’s multi-day, safari-style smallmouth bass trips, visit ashevilleflyfishingco.com/blog/2018/2/13/smallmouth-bass-fishing-asheville-nc
NEVER in my years as a guide, retail manager or instructor, have I ever heard anyone say that they love rigging rods. Let’s face it, rigging and re-rigging rods, isn’t fun. For me, the experience is so much better doing it “right” the first time. I put the most value in choosing the correct flies and rigging multiple rods that will correspond best with the day’s conditions, which allows me to do less rigging for myself or my clients, and much more fishing. So, in a nutshell, I personally do everything I possibly can to avoid re-rigging on the water, even if I do find myself, fruitlessly trying to force 3x through the eye of a #26 midge larva pattern.
In a rut always fishing nymphs in the winter? Try leaving the bobbers home and dedicate your day to fishing streamers only. You may not catch the numbers you normally would, especially this time of year, but you may be surprised at the quality of the trout you’ll tie into and I’m guessing you’ll have more fun too! Here’s a how-to on catching more trout on streamers during the dead of winter.