Fly Fishing

Bryan Eldredge with a gorgeous Utah brown trout.

Welcome to our second “Trout Bum of the Week” post, in which we’ll highlight one of the guys living the good life…of a sort. Most of them are guides who have turned their passion into a vocation, spending their time in an outdoor “office” that may include a drift boat, gorgeous mountain scenery, and crystal clear water. Others do have day jobs but manage to spend every other available minute on the water with a fly rod in hand. Whether you aspire to one lifestyle of the other, it’s illuminating to explore the different paths these men and women have taken on their way to achieving “trout bum” status. Plus, if you leave a comment below the post, you can qualify to win a FREE shirt from our new Trout Bum Collection.

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Sure, fishing season is open, but runoff is in full swing here in the Battenkill Valley. I consider the ‘Kill fishable when the Battenville gauge (which is quite a way downstream from us) reads below 1,200cfs, but springtime streamer action is best at 900cfs. As you can see, the river is churning along at almost 3,000cfs, which means that it’s in the trees in many places. Grrr. How’s your local water doing?

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The Virginia Fly Fishing Festival is among the biggest events of its kind.

Anglers in the greater Washington, DC, area have a great fly-fishing weekend coming up. First, tomorrow is the annual Jim Range National Casting Call, sponsored by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. The event is designed to provide government decision-makers with the opportunity to fish for shad in the Potomac River and learn about the importance of fisheries conservation. Then, on Saturday and Sunday, the 11th Annual Virginia Fly Fishing Festival will be held on the banks of the South River in Waynesboro, Virginia.

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Capt. Rick Grassett’s brother, Kirk, with a seatrout that fell to the Deep Flats Bunny. photo courtesy Rick Grassett

As I drifted over a deep grass flat in the shadow of John Ringling’s Ca’ d’Zan mansion on Sarasota Bay, I stripped my fly next to my flats skiff, mesmerized by the pattern’s wiggle. In an instant, there was a flash, as a fat 22-inch seatrout inhaled the fly and my fly line came tight. Not only did my new fly. . .

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The author with a nice rainbow from a Pennsylvania spring creek. photo courtesy Mike Heck

I guide a lot of fly-fishing trips every year.  But until a couple weeks ago, I’d never had clients ask the same question four times in three trips.  Our Eastern Pennsylvania spring creeks can be some of the most difficult to fly fish, and they have a reputation for extra-wary trout.  So, as we were gearing up, several different anglers asked trepidatiously, “Can I use strike indicators”?  They seemed. . .

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Adam Cesal with a pike that he caught using tips from Tom Rosenbauer’s recent podcast.. photo courtesy Adam Cesal

We recently received a letter from Adam Cesal of Spokane, Washington, who had listened to Tom Rosenbauer’s podcast on pike fishing and then gone right out to put his newfound knowledge to work. From the pictures he sent, it looks like he had a pretty good time. Here’s Adam’s note to Tom:

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Orvis Rod & Tackle manager Steve Hemkens shared a boat with angler Fletcher White and Capt. Nick Varnberg during the annual Orvis Lodge Retreat in Key Largo over the weekend and managed to. . .

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Drew Price (left) with Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (center) and Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Pat Berry on Opening Day.. photo courtesy Drew Price

 

April in Vermont is always a total crapshoot when it comes to fishing. The water is high and dirty from runoff, and depending on the year, it can be pretty unpleasant to be out there. In the past, I have mostly ignored opening day for those reasons, waiting for later in the month when the players would be out and about. But for the past couple of years the weather has been much more cooperative. Water levels have been good, and we have had some pretty spectacular days for the beginning of April. This year’s opening weekend ended up as one to go into the record books for me.

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