I've decided to impose a new rule on myself as I prepare for the upcoming trout season, or rather to adopt a new philosophy. This philosophy isn't my own, but one that I first heard of many years ago from my cousin, Ben. The philosophy is simple: tie your own flies, only fish with what… Continue reading T(r)ying Something New
The smallmouth measured 17 inches and he had the photo to prove it. The glasses on Capt. Dave's nose came dangerously close to falling off as he slid his fingers across the touch screen and produced the picture. A bit blurry, a bit off center, but no less impressive. This is one of the larger… Continue reading A River Runs Through It
Just like that, another trout fishing season has come and gone. This was only my second season of serious trout pursuit, but I find this closing day even more bittersweet than the last. I've been incredibly blessed to spend most of the 2017 season exploring the mountain streams of the west, but yet nothing feels… Continue reading Trout 2017: Another Season in the Books
It's been a while. The start of a new semester has kept me busy lately and as there's only 3 more weeks left in the 2017 WI trout season, I figured it was time for a long overdue trip. Saturday morning I took my pack and fly rod and headed 45 minutes north of the… Continue reading Hop Across Creek
"Alright, get your blindfold on", was the order given from the passenger seat. A baseball cap is quickly converted to an impromptu blinder. We're rounding one of the final bends before reaching an undisclosed stream, 5 mins away according to the GPS. I'm in the driver's seat. The guy in the passenger seat is Cordell… Continue reading Hooked: The Magic of That First Trout
I was driving on I-80 thru Nebraska when I received the unfortunate and unexpected news that a good friend and neighbor of mine, Ruth Resop, had lost her battle with cancer. Ruth was a simple and kind hearted lady. A modest woman who was not concerned by way of fancy dress or expensive jewels. She… Continue reading In Memoriam: Ruth’s Fly
My first and only chance at catching a Bear River cutthroat trout came in the form of a weekend camping trip with a group of my fellow co-ops in early July. Utah has some pretty restrictive rules (in my opinion) when it comes to camping. Staying at a campsite on national forest land requires a… Continue reading Pursuit of Utah’s Native Cutthroat Trout #2: Bear River Cutthroat
I had to do it. There's no way I was about to leave Utah without making one last trip up to the Raft River mountain range; as disappointing as my first trip may have been. I was much better prepared this time around. I'd found and talked with two different people who had been there… Continue reading Return To Tatooine: Pursuit of Yellowstone Cutthroat Part II
The idea of a long distance backpacking trip was first brought up about a month ago. The company I'm interning for has 5 other co-ops who are always looking for places to go on the weekends; the 25 mile hike to Red Castle was suggested by our engineering manager. Many people around the office had… Continue reading Castles & Tigers: Backpacking the High Uintas Wilderness
I headed out to one of my favorite trout streams after dinner last night to fish the evening caddis fly hatch. I like this river for a number of reasons: it's only a 10-15 minute drive away from my apartment, it's loaded with decent sized brown trout who readily take dry flies, and the access… Continue reading Baptism by Fire: Utah’s Strange Access Laws
The Path Less Fly Fished 