Rain. A word with the power to stop plans dead in their tracks. On any given Friday from November through May I’ll hear it interspersed throughout the conversations in the office. “Well we were going to do this hike this weekend but we can’t because it’s going to rain.” If one were to live by… Continue reading Just Go
About three weeks ago I got bit by the trout bug. Don't get me wrong, the thought of trout or trout adjacent things will cross my mind daily, without fail. But I mean I really started thinking about trout. As in every hour or so I would catch myself drifting into a dreamlike state where… Continue reading Springtime’s A-Coming Up On the Divide
The October days that herald in the end of the trout season are upon us once again. I recently headed back to the Midwest for one last wedding of the year. My job was generous with allowing me to work remotely the week following the wedding, extending my time spent with family and friends. Unfortunately,… Continue reading Closing Time
There’s a stream in the central Cascade mountain range, not too far from the bustling metropolis of Seattle, that has occupied many of my daydreams over the past year. Somewhere buried in an old scientific report was a single stream name, noting a genetically pure population (no prior hybridization with rainbow trout) of westslope cutthroat… Continue reading Taking The Overgrown Path
One of the requisite characteristics of having adventurous family members is that they reside in places where adventures can be readily found. This couldn’t be more true in the case of my cousin Spencer, who made the move from the Midwest to Colorado many years ago to pursue his passion for rock climbing and the… Continue reading Mountain Casual: Cutthroat Trout in the San Juans
I found myself back in the Midwest this past week for the first time in 2022. There was an office furniture trade show that I attended in Chicago and I was fortunate enough to extend my trip to include spending the rest of the week at my parent's river home in central Wisconsin. It was… Continue reading Giving Up on Goodbyes
Editor's Note: Guest author and itinerant trout bum Dean Kuettel is back with another trouty tale from the Keystone state. As you'll soon learn, much has changed since his first post back in 2020. Dean and I have shared many great days on trout streams in the Midwest and I'm stoked that in a few… Continue reading The Bookend: The Last Trip in the East
A weekend in early September had been circled on our calendar since shortly after arriving in Washington. Weekend reservations for established campsites are notoriously a hot commodity in the Washington national park system, with most filling up as soon as they become available 6 months in advance. On a whim one evening, we had decided… Continue reading The North Cascades
Making the drive over the Hood Canal to the Olympic Peninsula on a clear and sunny August morning. Listening to Bendigo Fletcher and other folk music on your way set against the backdrop of lush evergreen forest and the Puget Sound. Arriving at the trailhead and feeling that tingling excitement of a new trip flow… Continue reading A Portrait of a Great Trip
An overcast Saturday morning in the Olympic National Forest provided the perfect backdrop for my first Washington fly fishing expedition. The clouds hung low in the sky, shrouding the mountain peaks as we crossed the Hood Canal, entering the Olympic Peninsula. My lunchtime research this past week focused on identifying a few candidates in the… Continue reading Olympic Interlude
The Path Less Fly Fished 