It’s September and for me, that means one thing: IT’S HOPPER TIME! While most people here in Denver will be spending their Sundays watching the Broncos game, you’ll find me pounding the banks of my favorite hopper stream: The Big Thompson meadow stretch in Rocky Mountain National Park. With its lazily meandering currents, deep pools,…
DetailsI’ll preface this by saying that that I’m probably not the first one to have thought of this. Whether it’s a new DIY alcohol stove design or a fly pattern I thought was original, it often turns out that someone else had already beaten me to it. But I came up with this design independent…
DetailsHere’s a quick video on how to use one of fly tying’s most iconic tools. It might seem intimidating to a beginner, but it’s actually quite easy to use if you follow these simple steps. On a side note, while they come in various designs, my favorite is this style because they rotate freely and last forever. I use the standard for general fly tying and the extended reach version for tenkara sakasa kebari.
DetailsEver since I can remember, I’ve always been attracted to oddball gear–those esoteric things you discover off the beaten path that you’ll never find in the chain stores or mainstream fly fishing catalogs. It’s akin to treasure hunting and you need to be diligent–scouring thrift stores, searching eBay, and talking to unknown artisans. But once…
DetailsOver the course of my fly tying career, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a lot of hooks, and like many tiers, I’ve settled on a few favorites: the TMC 2457, TMC 2499 SPBL, Umpqua Competition Hooks, TMC 2488, TMC 100 (just to name a few). But I always like to experiment with new…
DetailsWhen I was first getting into fly fishing, there were basically three ways fly boxes stored flies: compartments, clips, or foam. There were some other clever designs companies like Perrine experimented with such as coil springs or magnets, but those never really took off and the trinity above dominated. Compartments were great for dry flies…
DetailsAs fly tiers, we pride ourselves on the reward of catching fish on flies we tied ourselves. But what about catching fish on flies we tied ourselves using tools we made ourselves? I think taking tying to this next level deepens our connections to the humble origins of our craft and strengthens ourself-reliance as anglers.…
DetailsOne time, while fishing a local stream with my good friend Karel, tragedy stuck and was narrowly averted. I was standing about knee deep in the water re-rigging, when suddenly, my net slipped out of my wader belt and was mercilessly swept away by the current. I watched in slow motion as it drifted helplessly…
DetailsSling packs have become all the rage in fly fishing over the last few years–and for good reason. They’re light, compact, versatile, and offer a unique hybrid alternative to wearing both a backpack and a fly fishing vest without sacrificing the convenience and functionality of either. And the intrinsic ethos of their design is especially…
DetailsOne of my closest friends and favorite fishing partners, Dennis Vander Houwen from Tenkara Path paid me a visit to show me some his latest wooden tenkara line spool designs. Dennis is a magician by trade, but he’s also a magician at the lathe–creating some of the most innovative and gorgeous spools I’ve ever seen.…
DetailsI’ve had a good talk with several veteran tenkara anglers and here are some of my thoughts on the current state of the tenkaraverse. I think we all really need to stick together and realize that even though the sport has grown, we’re still a niche within a niche, within a niche. We should all…
DetailsBack when I started tenkara fishing, there were really only a handful of rods available in the U.S. It was easy to differentiate them because there just weren’t that many choices. And it was nearly impossible to get rods directly from Japan because of the exorbitant prices, slow shipping times, and language barrier. Fast forward…
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