A Simple Way To Identify and Catch The Big One In River! The classic rise is when a series of concentric rings fan out on the surface as the trout confidently engulfs the fly as it drifts past. Trouts do not rise vertically in the water, instead they drift back on the current to intercept the fly. The trout will then return to its station in the stream, usually inbetween weed beds on a shallow gravel run, under a bridge, overhanging tree or in a hatch pool, to wait for the next free meal. Other rises includes: Nebbing rise occurs when the trout pushes its nose right out of the water as heavy hatches of flies hover over its head. [Read More]

Erie Steelhead Flies As we stated in our article on Pacific Steelhead flies, the steelhead fisheries of the Great Lakes region has developed differently. First off the Erie steelhead has only been around a little over a hundred years. First planted in the 1880's, the steelhead nearly died off in the 1950's due to pollution in Lake Erie. But since the 1980's, intense stocking efforts by Ontario, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have been the reason for this area being nicknamed Steelhead Alley. Erie steelheaders use a wide array flies in their pursuit of this most worthy game fish. One can classify them broadly in the same way trout angler's classify flies. In general the Erie steelheader carries a variety of streamers, egg patterns, and nymphs. [Read More]

De-Mystifying Fly Fishing I remember the first time I saw someone fly fishing. I think I was five years old. My father, my sister and I had back packed to a remote alpine lake. My trusty Zebco with the closed face push button casting reel, cork bobber and jar of Puatzke's, among my gear I couldn't live without. Positioned on a log vigilently eyeing my bobber for movement, a one-man raft paddled past, and in no time the occupant was making wild movements with the longest fishing pole ever. Mesmerized, I watched his graceful movements like he was a black belt martial arts expert. When my father came to check on me, I asked about him, my dad said he was fly fishing, a couple of other fishermen gathered to discuss this exotic art. All agreed it was a superior art form requiring more time than any one of us had to learn, let alone master. I tried to study my bobber with earnest after that, but it never seemed to hold the same pull it once had. [Read More]

Nationwide Survey Shows Most Americans Support Hunting and Fishing
The 35th annual National Hunting and Fishing Day is approaching on September 23rd. As it nears, a new nationwide survey of Americans 18 years old and older conducted by....