Muskellunge are the fish of legends—top-tier predators that are notoriously challenging to catch on even conventional tackle. Back in the mid ’90s, when I first started chasing muskies with a fly, people thought I was nuts. Now, these toothy monsters . . .
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Recipe for Adventure: Baled-Out in Chilean Patagonia
My Recipe for Adventure has all the classic elements that compose a memorable adventure: an exotic locale, mystery, and a bit of dumb luck. Have you ever been in a familiar situation, and then all the sudden see something so out of . . .
Read MoreClassic Story: “Taking Your Chances” with Brown Trout
This is the picture I should have been posting, but alas I didn’t “take my chance” when it
presented itself. So I must be content with this imaginary brown trout.
Photo-illustration by James Daley
In this country, the phrase “to take your chances” usually means to try something that may end up being a disaster—as in “You’re taking your chances driving on those bald tires.” But across. . .
Read MoreIceland, Day Two: Cold Lava
What a difference a day makes. The second morning of Orvis Week in Iceland with Fish Partner brought colder temperatures, driving rain, and howling wind. Every fly-fisher’s dream, am I right? But with the successes of the previous day still fresh in . . .
Read MoreDiscovering the Magic of Striped Bass on the Fly
A big striper on the fly will make you forget about trout streams for a while.
Photo by Sandy Hays
The small New Hampshire town where I grew up is within an hour’s drive of some of northeastern New England’s best striper fishing. Yet, instead of exploring the waters of Plum Island, Cape . . .
Read MoreOK, Be Honest: What’s Your Fly-Fishing Pet Peeve?
These are hemostats, but each one is a hemostat.
Photo via Wikipedia
Okay, let’s start right out by acknowledging the obvious: a pet peeve is, by definition, something inconsequential. It’s nothing more than a nit that you can’t help from picking. And it’s been . . .
Read MoreEssay: Sleeping with the Fishes
The bank of the Gaula River made a very comfortable recliner in Norway in June 2015.
Photo by Sandy Hays
Most anglers consider themselves above the petty squabbles that so often erupt in the fly-fishing community, content to let other anglers define the boundaries of the sport for. . .
Read MoreStory and Photos: You Never Forget Your First Love
A native Vermont brook trout caught from a stream flowing out of the Green Mountains.
Photo by Phil Monahan
The first brook trout I ever saw was about three inches long, little bigger than a baitfish really. But the memory of that vision—of that glittering flash of color and light—remains sharply etched in my . . .
Read More“Trickle Treat,” by William G. Tapply
Written by: William G. Tapply
A tiny stream that holds native brookies is a secret to keep.
Photo by Zach Matthews
After living most of my life within earshot of highway racket, where city lights blot the stars from the night sky, I finally did it. I bought a little farm on a dirt road in the New Hampshire hills. My new . . .
Read MoreClassic Story and Photos: How Fly Fishing Changed My Life
Written by: Josh Diller
Fly fishing has led Josh Diller far away from the self-destructive path he was on.
Photo by John Bundy
I grew up on a farm in the rolling hills of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and I enjoyed fishing, hunting, and roaming the fields when I was younger. As I got older, however, I fell into the. . .
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