In his book The Battenkill, John Merwin discusses at length the history of when brown trout were introduced to the river, noting that he could find no records of brown trout stocked in the Vermont section prior to 1930. He notes too that the New York . . .
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Podcast: Must-Reads in Classic Fly-Fishing Literature, with Michael Checchio
I get frequent questions from listeners on what I would recommend they read in fly-fishing literature, as there is so much out there it’s tough to sort through it to find what’s worth reading. Michael Checchio is a retired journalist and investigative . . .
Read MorePodcast: Secrets of the Battenkill, with Doug Lyons
The Battenkill is an iconic and often frustrating trout stream. It’s a gorgeous river with a healthy population of wild trout, but it has had its ups and downs over the years. Doug Lyons is a lifetime Battenkill expert who knows the river perhaps better . . .
Read MoreBook Excerpt: A Fly-Fishing Expedition in Mongolia
When we reach the pool where, several years ago, a Mongolia River Outfitters guest landed a fifty-five-inch taimen, I beach the kayak on a gravel bar, rig a nine-weight rod, and tie on a streamer fly nearly as long as my forearm. Although the expedition . . .
Read MoreBook Excerpt: Lords of the Fly, the Hunt for the World-Record Tarpon
By 1978, all of the players were in place in Homosassa, in pursuit of their sport’s Holy Grail: the world record for the most glamorous and coveted fly rod species, the tarpon. The fever dream would last for five seasons or . . .
Read MoreThe Yallerhammer, an Appalachian Classic
The old man called the fly the “skull crusher” because the brook trout would come after it so hard and fast that they’d bash their heads on boulders. He tied them with one arm, in the cool of the little store in the . . .
Read MoreBook Excerpt: How to Catch Muskies in Fall
The days begin to get shorter and shorter. Weeds begin to die off. Water temperatures begin to fall, and the sun is lower in the horizon. These are all contributing factors that trigger a muskie into its fall transition. If you keep . . .
Read MorePodcast: America’s Native Game Fish, with Steve Ramirez
This week my guest is Steve Ramirez , author of the book Casting Forward and the upcoming book Casting Onward. Steve is an articulate and passionate writer, and in the podcast we talk about the philosophical and personal aspects of fishing for . . .
Read MorePodcast: Author John McPhee and His Favorite Fish
This week’s podcast guest is especially exciting to me, as he is one of my literary heroes. John McPhee is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author (Annals of the Former World, 1999), and in his numerous other books, he . . .
Read MorePodcast: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life, with David Coggins
This week, my guest is David Coggins, author of the new book The Optimist, A Case for the Fly Fishing Life. David is a traditionalist and I give him some good-natured ribbing about being an anachronism, but . . .
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