Full-length instructional articles
It’s amazing how many more fish you catch if you have good craft control. To see the difference, let’s look at how a typical day of fishing goes, either with or without a well-rigged boat and good craft control. I’ve seen each of these scenarios many, many during my lifetime of river fishing and […]
Your New Year’s resolution for 2018 should be to fish more. I’ll tell you why, and also how to make this happen. First of all, why. That’s easy, fishing is good for you. It’s much healthier physically than many other pastimes. This is especially true for river smallmouth fishing, which requires plenty of physical effort […]
One of the most frequently asked questions I get every year is “What kind of craft should I get and How do I Rig it For Fishing?” Sadly, there is no one perfect boat for river fishing, since what to get depends on the type of waters you fish and your physical abilities. However, lots […]
There are plenty of inherent challenges to becoming an accomplished fly angler. So my goal has always been to make warmwater fly fishing (my specialty) easier and more understandable. To help with this, I think we need to strip away some of the mysticism associated with the sport. Unfortunately, much of the fly fishing […]
In fishing there’s no such thing as “Fall.” There are actually 3 different falls. “FALL FISHING FRENZY! SUPER FALL ACTION!” Over the decades, I’ve seen a multitude of magazine articles with titles like these, raving about fall smallmouth bass fishing. And it’s true. At times, fall can offer some of the most spectacular fishing of […]
Driving out full-sized smallmouth or largemouth flies 55 feet all day long (and often in wind) isn’t easy. That’s why everyone has to learn to haul. I’m not going to kid you. Fly casting for bass takes a lot of effort. It’s vastly different than most of the casting that’s required on Eastern and Midwestern […]
In prime smallmouth bass hotspots, it’s often best to fish on foot, to thoroughly cover the area and cast to all the active smallies. Many anglers truly enjoy wade fishing, too, includng fly folks coming from stream trout backgrounds. But on bigger smallmouth streams, floating by watercraft is often the best way to really cover […]
My days on the water are a bit more enjoyable since eliminating the 2-4 mile hike downstream to put-in. Every stream smallmouth bass angler who fishes solo and wants to cover more water than what’s available at bridges or other access points faces the same issue: how do you get from your vehicle (typically left […]
After 21 years of guiding, one thing really stands out — fly fishing for smallies is plenty challenging. I could tell some stories. After 21 years of guiding all sorts of guys in all sorts of conditions, I have plenty of humorous and interesting tales. But there’s one thing that really stands out in my […]
