Articles

Getting into the swing of things

Building wet flies into your nymphing rig can double your chances for success

by George Daniel - Wednesday, Apr 27th, 2016

Releasing a fine brown trout (photo: Christopher Hampl).

Spring time in central Pennsylvania is hatch time, which means numerous mayflies, caddis, and stoneflies hatching in strong numbers. Along with ideal water conditions (clarity and depth), these hatches create a perfect storm for the angler during which all tactical options are on the table – dry flies, wet flies and nymphing. During a hatch, one of the deadliest approaches can often be swinging wets, emergers and/or soft hackles. Unfortunately, wet fly tactics have become sort of a lost art with many of today’s anglers.

Review: Simms ZipIt Bootie II

Simms simple flats bootie is more substantial than it looks

by Chris Hunt - Tuesday, Apr 26th, 2016

The Simms ZipIt Bootie II (photo: Chris Hunt).

I have horrible feet. Full-on hammer toes. High arches. I’m prone to ingrown toenails. When my feet are mistreated, everything suffers, especially my fishing.

I have several pairs of wading boots that I don for very specific wading situations. Heavy duty boots with spikes for big water and slime-covered rocks. I use lighter canvas boots that can be worn over neoprene booties for wet-wading, and I will occasionally drill spikes into them, too. I even have a pair of sandals that I’ll wear on warm days on small water where the rocks aren’t too big and staying cool is important.

In search of low line speed

Is high line speed an advantage or a disadvantage?

by John Juracek - Monday, Apr 25th, 2016

Photo: John Juracek

Recently I spent a day testing new rods for one of the domestic rod companies. As I was casting in my local park, a fishing friend stopped by to see what I was up to. Naturally, I invited him to give the rods a try, curious as to what he would think. After casting one rod in particular he got pretty excited, gushing to me about the high line speed he had achieved with it. I replied that, unfortunately, high line speed was all that that particular rod could achieve. He shot me back a quizzical look, one that I knew required further explanation.

Night stalking

You forget how big, how truly enormous, this bug is

by Tom Davis - Friday, Apr 22nd, 2016

County highway departments have been known to pull the snowplows out of storage to clear masses of pulped Hexes off of bridges (photo: (Blaine Shahan/LNP via AP).

You forget how big, how truly enormous, this bug is. Part of it’s the contrast: After a spring spent matching caddisflies, Hendricksons, and sulphurs—and pulling nothing out of your fly box larger than a dainty size 14—the first Hex of the season, battering heavily into the dusk like an overloaded Sikorsky, blows your mind.

This isn’t a mayfly. It’s Godzilla.

Serendipity

The quest for wild places

by Matthew Reilly - Thursday, Apr 21st, 2016

Photo: Matthew Reilly

Early in my life, my father instilled in me the habit of exploration, of wandering hand-in-hand with chance, and reveling in the results. So it comes as no surprise that we are both habitual fly fishermen infatuated with wild places.