Fly Fishing

Smallmouth bass are some of the most fun fish to catch on a fly. They hit hard, fight hard, jump, and are more than willing to take a fly. Catching smallies on the fly is something that I love to do, and the springtime is my favorite time to do it.

Smallmouth bass start switching into spawn mode at about the same time as the. . .

The latest issue of Catch Magazine features a cool video of fishing for golden dorado in the backcountry somewhere in South America, as well as the usual assortment of fine photography from Argentina to Tanzania to Montana. [Click “Read More” for even more links.]

Matt Canter with a false albacore taken off the coast of North Carolina. photo courtesy Matt Canter

Matt Canter is a fishing guide and manager of Brookings’ Outfitters in Cashiers, North Carolina. The other day, he sent us a report and some pictures from a recent camping trip with his buddies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It seems like a trip that exemplifies the Trout Bum ethos:

Here in Vermont, we’re suffering through one of the wettest Aprils in memory. Combined with the huge snowpack we had, all this rain has pushed the rivers up into the trees. As I drive along the Battenkill every morning on my way to work, thinking about how I’m going to approach the river once it becomes even marginally fishable, I picture big, ugly, commotion-creating streamers. Anglers in the Midwest and in parts of the Rockies are facing similar conditions, trying to deal with too much water.

The Madison River, The Henry’s Fork, The Firehole River: blue ribbon trout waters of legendary stature that are on every fly fisher’s “bucket list.” For years, local guides have been taking folks to these incredible rivers to partake of the gifts these waters offer up every season. However, there are numerous other options available to anglers who travel to Yellowstone Country. So let’s talk about a couple of these.