The Arkansas River—which runs through the middle of Pueblo, Colorado—is known to produce great fishing from November to April. Starting in May, the snowmelt from the Rockies begins to pick up, and the fishing becomes much more difficult. So . . .
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A Father’s Legacy in the Remote Maine Woods
Written by: Matt J. Libby, Libby Camps
Matt P. Libby shows off a gorgeous Maine landlocked salmon.
Photo via Facebook
What do you say about growing up with a living legend? I say that a little in jest, but it’s true. Orvis lifetime achievement award, Legendary Maine Guide Award, Maine Tourism Hall of Fame . . .
Read MorePhotos and Story: The Wyoming Two Fly Tournament
Last week I, had the opportunity to participate in the Two Fly Foundation’s annual fundraising fly-fishing tournament in Wyoming. Originally formed to promote corporate philanthropy by companies operating in the Cowboy State, the . . .
Read MoreClassic Story: Fly-Fishing Perfection on New Zealand’s North Island
As the thirty-six-foot Top Cat plowed through the mounting whitecaps in the middle of the lake and sheeting rain lashed at the windows of the cabin, I found perverse comfort in singing. . .
Read More“Secrets of the Littlehorn,” by William G. Tapply
The Littlehorn River begins at the outlet of a small cottage-rimmed pond, follows the old Boston & Maine railroad tracks behind gas stations and strip malls and suburban backyards, passes under three highway bridges, and ends several aimless miles . . .
Read MoreDiscovering a Small-Stream Gem in Yellowstone National Park
For years, I’ve driven over the tiny trickle that is Cascade Creek en route to Canyon and the tourist havens at the upper and lower Yellowstone Falls. To me, these features are the most photogenic in all of Yellowstone—Old Faithful is nice, and the drive . . .
Read MorePodcast: Funny and Bizarre Stories from River Guides
This week, fresh from the Orvis Guide Rendezvous in Montana, I returned with a bunch of stories and tips I recorded in a bar with some full-time, professional Orvis-endorsed guides. Some stories are bizarre, some funny, and some touching. I also . . .
Read MoreThe Doc, the River, and Lessons Learned
Doctor Hays casts one of his Leonard bamboo rods–left to him by his father–on Maine’s Rapid River.
Photos by Sandy Hays
Although I had been a fisherman since early childhood, I didn’t learn to fly-fish until I was in graduate school at the University of New Hampshire. My older brother, Brian, lived nearby, . . .
Read MoreThe Perils of Lucky Hats
Do I have a lucky fishing hat? I’ll only answer that question if you answer it first. It’s a delicate thing to admit to superstitions when we should be working on our double haul or stealth-emerger tactics. But let’s just say I did have a lucky hat. It was . . .
Read More“Opening Day 1938,” by William G. Tapply
Written by: William G. Tapply
Bill Tapply didn’t share Opening Day with his famous father, but they both spent it on the water.
Photo courtesy Vicki Stiefel
An unexpected glimpse into the past sparks childhood memories.
The other day, I was unpacking a carton of old books that my father left behind, and I paused at a nice Derrydale edition of A Tomato Can Chronicle by Edmond Ware Smith. I remembered how . . .
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