Posts from the ‘People & Interviews’ Category
True North Trout is pleased to publish Part I of the most extensive interview that we’ve done — with angler and fly guide Tommy Lynch (“The Fish Whisperer”). Tommy guides as part of the Hawkins Outfitters guiding team, and specializes in the Pere Marquette River, though he fishes all over the state. Tommy is an Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide, and has been at the guiding game for about 15 years.
In this first part of the interview Tommy talks about indicator fishing for steelhead, Spey casting, and night fishing for brown trout with mouse patterns. Look for Part II of the interview in the next week.
More information about Tommy is available at his website and at Hawkins Outfitters. Tommy is one of the top guides working in Michigan and the information he has to share is quite valuable.
T|N|T: According to your website, before you decided to become a fishing guide you were going to college to become a funeral director, which I understand is your family’s business. Was it difficult to walk away from both a solid profession that would have promised financial security and from “the family legacy,” so to speak? How did you come to make that decision?
T|L: Nope, wasn’t a hard decision at all. I have two brothers in that business, but there are simply more smiles in this line of work. I like living happy! My father and I decided in an Irish, highly-toned conversation one day that I could certainly be a decent funeral director, but I would never love it like I loved fly fishing. He was right on both counts, as he usually is.
That's Tommy on the right with his friend, Mr. Big Trout.
Fly fishing is like nothing I had ever experienced, with the possible exception of sex. It just wasn’t the sort of thing that I was able to walk away from or put away and then take out again on the weekends. Once I did it, I had to continue. Every day that I didn’t fish, I felt as if I was digging myself into a hole that would have to “fish myself out of” eventually.
Besides — to be a great funeral director — like my father and my brothers — you have to become a responsible, well-dressed, and clean-shaven member of society … all overrated achievements in the eyes of a trout bum.
I caught a bass at age four in my Uncle Fred’s private pond in New York. But my father didn’t take me to the Pere Marquette River until I was seven years old. He used to tell me, “Tommy, I took you to the river when you were seven, and you never really came home!” My pop was right, and in some way he always encouraged me to do what I loved because he saw that I would be very lucky guy, if I could. In a way I still feel like I am part of “the legacy,” just a different part of it now, as many of my uncles and cousins will come to fish with my father and with me every September. I hope that tradition continues for generations to come.
T|N|T: You mention on your website that you were the first guide to do “chuck & duck”-free, floating-line-only steelhead trips on the Pere Marquette. I remember a time when guides and fly shop owners alike would tell you that “chuck & duck” was the only way to catch steelhead reliably, especially in cold weather. I take it that’s no longer the case. What led you to the decision to not use the “chuck & duck” method?
T|L: “Chuck & Duck” has its uses on the bigger rivers where strong casting might be a problem for clients who have never moved a fly line before — much less 50’ of line with a mend! That being said the best “big river” fly guys I know are now running center-pin versions of indicator techniques – including several of the guys on the Hawkins crew, like Jon Ray and Ed McCoy.
This technique is even easier to apply than small water rollcasting, thanks to the overall size of the water fished on the major tailwaters Also tailwater fisheries get that heavy stocking much more than the smaller streams, and of course the P.M. mainstream gets zero plants, but has one of the best natural returns and reproduction in the Midwest.
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Schmidt's Madonna
Ray Schmidt’s fly box is featured today at Midcurrent as part of their “Inside the Box Series.” Unsurprisingly, it is a box full of BIG streamer flies — the sort that are tied on BIG hooks to fool and catch BIG trout. Ray notes in the accompanying interview that he regularly fishes with a group of big streamer nuts, and of course his own personal fly designs are right outta that school, too.
If you’re unfamiliar with Midcurrent’s “Inside the Box” series, then it is worth looking at some of the other featured boxes, too. I’m particularly impressed with Craig Mathews‘ box, along with the box of Diana Rudolph and, though a bit predictable, that of writer and bonefish angler Carl Hiaasen.
At the end of the accompanying interview Hiaasen’s remarks that “Bonefish have been around for a couple of million years. Human beings are just blips on the screen for them. They’ll probably outlast us, despite the fact that we seem to be doing everything we can to destroy their habitat. Meanwhile, I’m going to catch as many as I can.”"
Captain Todd Fuller is a fly fishing guide and outfitter who divides his time between playing a major role in his extended family’s Northern Michigan business — Fuller’s North Branch Outing Club in Lovells — and his Orlando-based saltwater guiding business, Fuller’s Angling Adventures, Inc. As you will discover in the interview below, Captain Todd spends a great deal of time moving between his two lives throughout the year.
T|N|T: Todd, tell us about how you came to fly angling? What is your sporting background like, and when and where did you start to fish with a fly rod?
T|F: I started fly fishing at the age of eight years old with my Dad, Uncle, and Grandfather. Mostly on lakes and really small streams near our family cottage in Lewiston, Michigan. I have fished and hunted all my life and I knew someday that this passion would be my lifestyle.
T|N|T: People know about Fuller’s North Branch Outing Club up in Lovells – how did that get started, and what was your role in it? I’m met your mother, too, at the club – are your folks involved in that project?
T|F: Being in the Lewiston-Lovells area on a regular basis, Labor Day Weekend 1996 we saw the old Douglas Hotel, North Branch Outing Club, was for sale. Our family went and looked at it and our wheels were spinning. Two weeks later we were the proud owners of this historic fly fishing destination. My Dad (Darrell), Mom (Judy), Sister (Kim Fuller Lewis), and I were all involved in the two-year process of getting the Lodge restored and open again to fly anglers. My Mom currently runs the B&B Lodging and I run the Fly Fishing Guide Service and Full Service Fly Shop with our very talented staff.
T|N|T: I’ve attended the Michigan Fly Fishing Festival a few times. Could you talk a little about how that got started and what you’re trying to do with the festival at this point?
T|F: The Michigan Fly Fishing Festival was created to help raise money for river restoration in our area and another reason for all fly anglers to head north. Our goal is to raise as much money as we can for Huron Pines RC&D. This organization is responsible for all the wonderful work that has taken place on the Au Sable and other rivers in Northeastern Michigan. I had this Festival vision in my head for a while and the time was right to do it. This year will be the 3rd annual Michigan Fly Fishing Festival and we are expecting a much bigger crowd this year. We will have all the details on our website very soon.
T|N|T: Do you consider yourself a Floridian who spends part of the year in Michigan, or a Michigander who spends part of the year in Florida?
T|F: I will always be a Michigander at heart and my first love is chasing rising trout on the North Branch for sure. However the saltwater fly fishing game has really gotten in my blood over the past twelve years.
T|N|T: You do a great deal of guiding in both Florida and in Michigan – tell us a little about your clients and about your life as guide. What brought you to guiding and what do you enjoy most about it? What are some of the frustrations, too?
Captain Todd Fuller teaching a seminar in Orlando.
T|F: I have been blessed for sure. To be able to do what you love and make a living doing it is everyone’s dream. It would not be possible if it were not for my very understanding and supportive wife. From May to October I fly every other week from the flats of Mosquito Lagoon to the beautiful waters of the Au Sable River system. Talk about keeping things fresh and new — the burnout factor that some guides experience is not in my future for sure. I fish with clients from all over the world and a lot of them fish with me in both of the watersheds on which I guide. For sure the best part of guiding is the people I get to meet and become friends with over time. Quite honestly, I do not get frustrated on the job. It is all about having a great time on the water and delivering what the client wants out of the day — understanding that point up front is the key to a successful day on the water for me and the angler I am guiding.
T|N|T: Intermediate-level anglers usually want to take their casting to the next level. I understand it is always hard to give generic advice, but what do think the average angler should be doing to improve their casting game?
T|F: Casting, casting, and more casting — the correct technique, that is. I work with lots of folks on improving their casting, be it short casts for rising trout or long casts for tailing Redfish. Perfecting loop control and learning the double haul is a must to take you to the next level.
T|N|T: I’ve seen pictures of you fishing out of an Au Sable riverboat. I fish out of my Ro Skiff on the lower Au Sable all the time, but have limited experience in traditional Au Sable boats – could you talk a little about them and about how they perform?
T|F: Fishing out of an Au Sable riverboat is a very unique experience and one of the best ways to catch fish on the dry fly. It is pure tradition here on the Au Sable River. They were originally used in the logging industry to bring supplies up and down the river to the lumber camps. In the late 1800’s a young man named Rube Babbitt took one of the riverboats, put a front seat and live well on it, and started guiding fly anglers for Grayling. Guides have been using the Au Sable riverboats for fly anglers ever since.
This watercraft is made from beautiful woods and is a sight to see one floating down the Au Sable. They float in mere inches of water and are very quiet as they slowly drift down the river. Guiding out of one of these boats is a real pleasure. It’s kind of like fly fishing out of a limo in true style and comfort. They accommodate two fly anglers very comfortably.
T|N|T: I’m not asking you to give away any big secrets, but tell us a little about the North Branch of the Au Sable … what makes it a special fishery for you?
Fuller's North Branch Outing Club
T|F: It is truly a fly fisher’s river — great fly hatches, longest stretch of “Flies Only Water” on the Au Sable, and lots of wild trout eager to take a fly. The North Branch has plenty of public access points and yet still has large tracts of private land which makes it more difficult to access then the other branches of the Au Sable River. This means less people, no commercial canoe traffic, and solitude for our clients. I caught my first trout on a dry fly on the North Branch and that is really what makes it special for me.
T|N|T: You have a dual life – for part of the year you are fishing in Michigan and for part of the year you’re fishing in Central Florida. You also have children, I understand. … How did that dual life come about, and how do you manage it in terms of moving your family around?
T|F: Eight years ago, when I started guiding full time, I had the option of staying in the cold and snow guiding winter steelhead or heading to the sun and warmth to chase fish on the saltwater flats. It was an easy decision, for sure. I met my wife down in Florida and being a native Floridian, moving North was not in the cards for her. So, we live full-time just outside Orlando, Florida with our 2 ½ old daughter Madison.
T|N|T: When you’re in Michigan, and not on the North Branch, where do you like to fish?
T|F: I really enjoy fishing all of the Au Sable and Upper Manistee river system. I wish I had more time to fish on my own, but I usually just pop out in front of the Lodge for an evening fish to get my dose.
T|N|T: Tell us a little about the Florida fishery and what you find exciting about that aspect of your life. I’ve fished a little in the Keys and over in Pine Island Sound when I stay on Sanibel, but have limited experience in the eastern part of Central Florida. What should I expect?
T|F: As most of us Midwestern fly anglers do in the winter time, I was watching a episode of Flip Pallot’s “Walker’s Cay Chronicles” and they were fishing a place called Mosquito Lagoon and catching a lot of nice Redfish on the fly. At the time, I was doing quite a bit of business in Florida and happened to be going to Florida the following week. I got on the Internet, talked to a few guides, and booked a trip. That was the start of my addiction.
Just 45 minutes east of Orlando, Mosquito Lagoon is one of most unique saltwater estuaries in the South. With almost no tides and the same salinity as the ocean, it is the only place where Redfish live and spawn in the same waters. That equals BIG FISH on the shallow grass flats. Mosquito Lagoon is located in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and is one of most pristine estuaries you will find in the state. So the combination of the beautiful surroundings, and the fabulous sight fishing for Redfish, and it was an easy decision to call Mosquito Lagoon my home waters in the South.
T|N|T: When a Michigander travels to Florida to fish in the salt, what are some general things you want them to understand and expect? Setting aside good distance casting, what are some skills you think are underdeveloped in the typical Midwestern fly angler when they approach saltwater angling?
T|F: First of all, fly fishing in saltwater is a totally different game then chasing trout, salmon, or steelhead. Casting is important with freshwater fly fishing, but casting is THE game in the salt. More then distance, accuracy in delivering that fly quickly to a target is the key. I would much rather have an angler be able to cast a fly 40’ quickly and accurately then 80’ but off the mark. Move that distance to 60ft with that same level of accuracy and your chances to hook up in the salt go up ten-fold. Being able to double-haul is also a key element in saltwater fly fishing. This really increases your line speed and enables you to cast the fly in windy conditions. The bottomline is if you want to be a good fly fisher in the salt, you’ve got to put your time in. The good thing is, once you become an accomplished saltwater angler, your entire fly fishing game is taken to the next level.
Ed. If you’re not familiar with Fuller’s North Branch Outing Club, you should definitely have a look at their fantastic website, and Capt. Todd’s Florida guiding business is also online, and features some fantastic photography and a solid fishing report.
Conservationists and Anglers Honor the Life of Legendary Michigan Riverkeeper Rusty Gates
Note: Although the following is getting to be “old news” it is also a wonderful biography of Rusty Gates written by his friend Josh Greenberg. It is worth sharing, along with the note that a celebration of Rusty’s life and work is being planned for this spring, and more details will appear here as soon as they are available.
Celebrated conservationist and fly-fisherman Calvin “Rusty” Gates Jr. died on December 19, 2009 at his home on the banks of the Au Sable River in Grayling, Michigan after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 54 years old. Gates served as president of the Anglers of the Au Sable from its inception in 1987 until 2009. During this time he and his organization won several landmark legal cases in coldwater conservation.
“Rusty was a true treasure,” said Rebecca Humphries, Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “He loved the Holy Waters of the Au Sable and shared that love with countless individuals. He taught us that it is our duty to respect the resource and to protect it. His love of the river lives on in all of us. I have been truly blessed to know Rusty.”
Rusty doing what he loved best
Gates was the proprietor of Gates Au Sable Lodge, and an iconic fly-fishing personality. Rusty’s father Cal Gates Sr. moved his family to Grayling in 1970 and, along with his wife Mary, purchased the lodge on the banks of the Au Sable River. Cal Sr. had taught high school music, and Rusty played trombone in high school. But soon his passion for fly-fishing occupied most of his time. He began tying flies professionally at the age of 17, as well as guiding. At first Gates’ flies were sold in the corner of the restaurant at the lodge, but soon demand was great enough that the Gates family added a full-service fly-shop to the lodge. Eventually Rusty bought the lodge and operated it with his wife Julie, who ran the restaurant.
“Of all the strong conservationists in our world, Rusty was one of the toughest. He was tireless, and he was like a missile in his precision and deadly accuracy. Yet he never, ever, wanted credit for anything-just for the various groups he worked with, especially the Anglers of the Au Sable,” said Tom Rosenbauer, winner of the 2001 National Outdoor Book Award, and Marketing Director for the Orvis Company.
Gates Lodge is a place where thousands of anglers gather annually during fly fishing season from April through autumn. Rusty and Julie could be found there at all hours, tending to the smallest details of fly tying and gourmet cooking. With classical music playing in the background, the fly shop buzzed with patrons’ latest stories from the nearby woods and waters. Coffee flowed freely as anglers bent over the dozens of boxes of flies, hoping to pick correctly for the day ahead. Rusty Gates presided over the daily scene with eagle eyes, wry grin, and measured words. Fishing tips from this master were earned, not purchased. This tradition, while changed forever by Rusty’s passing, will continue in 2010 as Gates Lodge remains in business under the leadership of fly shop manager Josh Greenberg, who has worked for Rusty for the last 15 years.
“Rusty proved that people don’t fill their gas tank to fill their fry pan. They put on their waders to nourish their soul. Rusty did that for all of us, and our great-great-great grandkids. Sure, they won’t know it, but when one of them flips an Adams, or a Trico, over a rising brown in 2109 it will have Rusty’s name etched on it,” said Glen Sheppard, author/editor of the conservation newspaper The North Woods Call.
The quiet, unassuming Gates’ soon gained recognition for his expertise in fly-fishing, as well as his honesty and willingness to defend the resource. He developed a number of fly-patterns that became standard Au Sable fly patterns, introduced scores of people to the world of fly-fishing, and began to combine angling and conservation in such a way as to involve himself in some of the most influential coldwater issues in Michigan. In 1995 he was awarded the coveted Fly Rod and Reel Magazine “Angler of the Year” award for his conservation and cultural contributions to the sport of fly-fishing.
“Rusty Gates was a brave, smart, tireless champion of wild trout and the beautiful, magic places they abide. He lead by example; and he has touched and inspired us all,” said Ted Williams, noted Conservation Editor for Fly Rod and Reel.
In a legal case that would define his commitment to the Au Sable River, in 2003 Gates, as President of the Anglers of the Au Sable, challenged a US Forest Service lease that would allow exploratory drilling for gas below the famed Mason Tract section of the South Branch of the Au Sable. With the odds stacked against them, the Anglers prevailed in their case against the Forest Service, forever altering how the business of gas and oil exploration would be conducted in the fragile areas of Michigan.
“While Rusty will mainly be remembered for his role in protecting the Au Sable, he changed forever the way we look at and work to protect our water resources and wildlife. We owe it to Rusty to carry on his work and make sure children in every generation to come will be able to share the wonder and joy in Michigan’s wild places that are his legacy,” said Michigan Sierra Club President Anne Woiwode.
Calvin “Rusty” Gates, Jr. will be missed by the many who knew him. He was an intensely private man who could, when needed, organize hundreds of people around a cause. Considered by many as one of the most talented fundraisers and recruiters they’d ever met, Rusty will be remembered for his uninhibited love for the river and the river valley, and his steadfastness in doing what he and many others considered right and necessary for the resource. He is survived by his wife Julie, their children, and a large extended family.
Christopher Walton of the Detroit Free Press interviewed Jim Harrison at his winter digs in Patagonia, Arizona, talking about a number of issues, both literary and sporting. The interview is one of the most extensive and personal that I’ve seen in a few years. You can catch the article in the online edition of the newspaper.
Near Patagonia, Arizona. Photo copyright 2010 by Phillip Capper.
Although his life in the American West is rich and interesting, Harrison remarks in the interview that he does have feelings of loss in leaving he Upper Midwest years ago. “I miss the U.P. terribly,” Harrison notes. “It became a retreat for me from the real world. … It was like, after a disgusting two weeks of movie meetings, and then a day later you’re at the Dunes Saloon in Grand Marais after taking a 4-hour walk with your dogs and never seeing anybody, because I’d say 99% of my hiking, I never saw another human being. Which is the way I liked it.
Much of his recent work is centered on characters and events in Michigan, and Walton quotes Harrison in saying that, “I know I’ve written about Michigan a lot lately, and I wonder if the origin isn’t homesickness. Which is a very deep feeling, what the Portuguese call saudade. It’s that longing for a place.”
Harrison’s latest, The Farmer’s Daughter, is out now.
Bob Summers
From the video vault today comes a nice five-minute film of rodmaker and fly angler Bob Summers teaching the craft to his granddaughter, Cara Smith. You probably know Bob Summers, or at least his work, but if not, you should start with this fact: Summers is just about at the top of the list when it comes to building and restoring cane rods. He has been working at it since 1956, and spent 18 years with the Paul H. Young Company of Detroit, MI.
As he notes on his company website, he specializes in repairing and restoring the rods of two famous makers: Paul H. Young and Lyle Dickerson. He also makes very collectible rods himself, working out of a home studio on the Boardman River. And here is another interesting facts about Bob: He happens to own George Griffiths’ old Au Sable river boat.
Summers has a wonderful website that services as a good introduction to his craft. In addition to information about how to get a Bob Summers rod for yourself (hint: be prepared to wait a while for delivery — your name goes on the bottom of the list), he also lists a number of collectible classic bamboo rods for sale from all the leading manufacturers working in the Golden Age of cane. Enjoy and happy casting!
Bob Clouser, one of the grand deans of American fly fishing, spent some time in Northern Michigan this last season. The inventor of the Clouser Minnow and many other standard flies in the trout and bass fisherman’s arsenal, Bob runs a great fly shop in Middletown, Pennsylvania, and calls the Susquehanna River his home waters. He spent some time in Northern Michigan fishing spots in both Northern Lower Michigan as well as the Upper Peninsula, and has made a video montage of some of his photographs. If you fly fish in Michigan with any regularity, I bet you’ll recognize some spots!
Kirk Novak Nymphs on the South Branch of the Au Sable
True North Trout is happy to present an interview with Traverse City fly shop owner, Kirk Novak. Kirk owns The Northern Angler — Traverse City’s independent fly shop. Originally from downstate, Kirk opened the shop a few yeras ago on Union Street, but recently moved his operation to Front Street just across from the Ace Hardware store on the edge of Slabtown.
T|N|T: How did you come to fly angling? What was your path to the sport like?
K|N: I grew up fishing, starting when I was four, and was a bass fishing fanatic for my whole childhood. College came and brought things that were more interesting than fishing so I got away from it for a few years. It was then, after school, sort of “for the hell of it,” that I bought a cheap fly rod combo and tried it. After (literally) yanking my first trout out of the Platte River, I was, as they say, hooked. Now I don’t see myself as a “fly snob,” but that is my primary fishing method for all species.
T|N|T: What are your favorite watersheds to fish in Michigan, and why?
K|N: I really enjoy the Platte for its small size and lack of traffic; the North and South Branches of the Au Sable (the mainstream is too busy for me); and, although I haven’t been there in years, the Rifle remains near the top of my list.
T|N|T: What’s your impression of professional fly angling guides? How can you pick out a good guide from the crowd?
K|N: Most guides out there are good, well-intentioned guys that truly want to help people enjoy their time on the water, and as a group I find that they are very respectful to the resource. The best way to pick a good guide is simply to ask around. People that don’t do a good job get a poor reputation that spreads quickly.
T|N|T: Last spring The Northern Angler was a co-sponsor of the Fly Fishing Film Tour … what do you think about new emphasis on the intersection of filmmaking and fly fishing?
K|N: We did the FFFT last year and had a lot of fun with it. We are definitely doing it again this spring. I love to see the proliferation of video and DVD releases out there. These guys are exciting and are engaging a whole new generation of fly fishers, which is key for the long-term health of the sport. Another key is that they are breaking a lot of the stereotypes about fly fishing being a bunch of old, rich guys fishing for trout. The film makers are traveling the world fishing for just about anything that swims, and I think it’s awesome.
T|N|T: What is the coolest innovation when it comes to gear that you’ve seen in the last five years?
K|N: I don’t know what I would say is the coolest innovation that I’ve seen over the last five years, but I have been impressed by one thing in particular and that is the incredible price-to-performance ratio in today’s fly rods. As a consumer today, versus five-to-ten years ago, there is absolutely no comparison. Today’s $150 rod blows away the $400 rod of just a few years ago. It extends to the higher end, too, but the “value rod” market is really remarkable now.
T|N|T: What are a few product lines that you think are under-noticed or underappreciated? In other words, what are some things that anglers not buying, but you think that they should?
K|N: The most underappreciated or neglected product area in fly fishing is, to me, fly lines. The average person, and especially the newer entrants in the sport, just don’t realize how important a good line is. People see $69 on a line and think that they can get more use out of their 4 year old line but I believe that the line is possibly the most important piece of gear you can have, almost as much as the rod. I would rather fish a garage sale rod with a brand new line than a Sage with a line that’s past its prime. Floatation, casting distance, and ease of casting are all things that you get from a good line.
T|N|T: You’ve spent some time as a director for the local chapter of Trout Unlimited… how would you like to see that organization grow and develop over the next five or ten years?
K|N: If I could pick one thing that I would like to see from TU it would be more hands on — getting dirty — “real” work. I am in a position at the shop to hear from a lot of people and their thoughts, concerns, etc. and one of the most common things that comes up is that people want to get engaged, and one of the best ways to do that is getting outside and doing something.
T|N|T: What’s the best part of owning a fly shop?
K|N: The best part of owning a fly shop is that I basically run a toy store. Everyone that comes in is looking for something that is going to help them enjoy their hobby/passion more. It’s really fun to see people light-up when they find an obscure fly, cool new tying material, their first good fly rod, or some gadget that they “can’t live without.”
T|N|T: What’s the worst part of owning a fly shop?
K|N: The worst part of owning a shop is the fact that, ironically, I don’t get to fish very much. Some people mistakenly think that the shop guy must fish all the time, but if the business is going to survive and thrive, it has to be the focus.
T|N|T: You recently moved your shop from Union Street to West Front Street in Traverse City. How did that move work out? Is your new space everything that you expected it to be?
K|N: The move to our new location is ultimately going to be very good for us. In the short term the move exactly coincided with the worst economic conditions that we have seen in decades, so that obviously didn’t help. The new location offers us room to expand, a classroom for fly tying classes, a better layout for product display, and we have parking behind the building as well as the side streets, so access is good and traffic is strong on Front Street.
T|N|T: When it comes to angling literature, what sort of stuff do you read and enjoy the most? And on the subject specifically of magazines what fly fishing rags do you read regularly and think have the best content?
K|N: As far as angling literature, I prefer the humorous side — Gierach is hard to beat. I don’t read a lot of the true literature of fly fishing, although there is a great deal of wonderful material out there.
On the magazine side, my favorite is The Drake. I describe it to people as “no ‘how to, no where to.’ Just good stories and photography.” It’s fun. From a more informative standpoint, both American Angler and Fly Fisherman are solid choices. There are other good magazines out there, but those three are staples in the rotation.
T|N|T: In what ways do you think fly fishing to be like poetry? In what ways is it more like auto mechanics?
K|N: Since my knowledge of both poetry and auto mechanics is only slightly greater than zero, let me just say a bit about what I think makes fly fishing such a great pastime: What I see in fly fishing is that it truly has something for everyone.
Some people love to tie flies, and others never have and never will. Some people work on their casting like a professional golfer works on their golf swing — constantly perfecting, tweaking, improving on it, while others just want to get the fly “out there.”
There is a great deal of history and tradition in fly fishing that holds a special appeal to some, but not to others. If you want to be a minimalist or an obsessed gear junkie, then fly fishing works for both. Travel, solitude, company, big fish, lots of fish, no fish, competition, Zen-like contemplation — you name it, fly fishing can provide it.
